MY FOUR NAIL POLISH FAVOURITES FOR AUTUMN/WINTER

Hello everyone! If you have read my posts previously or you know me, then you will know already that i am such a neutrals girl at heart from anything neutral toned to nude lip products and of course when it comes to nail colours also. For me there is just something about autumn/winter time that always makes me want to bring out the darker nail polish shades, whether that be red tones or berry tones. That being said for today's instalment i thought i would share four of my personal favourite nail polishes for autumn/winter this year...

essie nail lacquer in the shade russian roulette | click to buy |

First up we have two of my favourite non-nude nail polishes by Essie, starting with the shade Russian Roulette which is the most beautiful bright red with almost a creamy orange under-tone to do and a glossy finish. This nail polish is that perfect Christmas party or even Christmas day shade of red, as it is such a classic and easy to wear colour. The thing i always have to say about Essie nail polishes is even though they are the "more expensive" side when it comes to drugstore nail polishes, they are definitely worth spending that little bit more on.

essie nail lacquer in the shade bordeaux | click to buy |

The next nail polish also by Essie this time a shade called Bordeaux which is definitely more on the dark side when it comes to nail colour, as it is this dark wine/burgundy shade also with a glossy finish. Unlike Russian Roulette which is more on the fun side of things when it comes to choosing a nail colour, i always feel like Bordeaux definitely gives off more of a sexy vibe. Even though this shade is super dark in tone it is in no way hard to apply, as dark shades formula's can be fairly thick and harder to apply but with Essie's darker shades that is not the case at all. As this shade is dark, you definitely only need to apply two coats unlike when you were to apply a much light shade of polish.

barry m gelly high shine nail polish in the shade blackerry | click to buy |

Next up ironically we have two shades from Barry M's Gelly Hi-Shine collection, which is a selection of different shades with a gel-like finish. First up is the last dark nail polish of the post called Blackberry, Blackberry is a very dark purple shade with a blue tone to it. The thing i will say about the darker shades from the Gelly collection can have that thicker almost gloopy texture to them, so make sure you shade the bottle well and don't overload the brush with product. This is a polish that you could get away with just applying one coat, but i personally always like to opt for two.

barry m gelly high shine nail polish in the shade peanut butter | click to buy |
Finally i am finishing this post up with an all year round favourite of mine now, also from the Barry M Gelly collection and of course i had to sneak a nude in there somewhere. This particular shade is called Peanut Butter (which lets face it sells you just with it's name), Peanut Butter is the most beautiful caramel/peach-y nude shade of nail polish. Unlike some nudes this particular one is definitely slightly on the darker scale of nude, which is what makes is perfect to wear on your nails all year round.

Catch up on my neutral nail polishes i couldn't be without post: here

xo.

BEAUTY HACKS I SWEAR BY | PART TWO: HAIR + NAILS

Hello everyone and welcome back to another instalment of beauty hacks i swear by! The previous instalment was all about the makeup and skin beauty hacks i swear by, which if you didn't read it already you can catch it here. Beauty hacks go so much further than just makeup and skincare, there are also a ton of different hacks that work and don't work for your hair and nails. With that in mind i thought i would share with you my favourite hacks for your hair and nails, that i use on a regular basis...

1. HOW TO FAKE A SALON BLOW-DRY AT HOME

Who doesn't love have a bouncy blow-dry just like from the hairdressers? but you just don't feel like spending a ton of money going every week for a blow-dry. You can achieve one at home yourself super easily and two different ways, you also only need a couple of products to do so. Either way you are going to do this, the way to achieve the best results is to pre-treat your hair with a nourishing hair masque. Then once washed you can either blow-dry your hair using an attachment on your hairdryer and a round brush, or you can blow-dry and straighten as normal then flick small pieces at the end with the straightener, by doing this it creates that bouncy finish to your hair. You can also check out the GHD website or hairstyle inspiration here. 

2. HOW TO AVOID SPLIT-ENDS

There are quite a few hacks that i swear by when it comes to avoid getting split-ends, especially if you have long hairs just as i do. The first hack is to always use heat spray before using any hot tool on your hair, whether that be a straightener, curling wand or hairdryer. The next hack is to always be gentle when brushing your hair, never pull at it and always brush your hair straight after washing. The final hack is to apply a hair oil or leave-in conditioner when you have washed it, i am obsessed with the new l'oréal elvive dream lengths no haircut cream at the moment and i noticed an instant result after using this on my hair. 

3. HOW TO KEEP YOUR HAIR FRESHER WITHOUT WASHING IT

I am pretty sure it is scientifically proven that it is better for your hair in the long run, if you wash it less therefore i only wash mine 2-3 times a week and there are so many great hacks to keep your hair fresher for longer without washing, that are perfect for when you are feeling lazy. First of all dry shampoo can be a girls best friend, but it can be annoying (especially if you have dark hair) if your dry shampoo is overly powdery and leaves your hair looking white. A simple way to fix this is to dry shampoo your roots, rub in and then go in with your hairdryer to blow away the leftover powder leaving you with fresh looking hair. More tips for fresher looking hair are to never apply anything other than shampoo to your roots, go easy on the conditioner, change your pillowcases often and wash your hair brushes as dirt/product can build up there.

4. HOW TO REVIVE YOUR MANICURE

Over the years i have discovered so many different hacks on how to either revive or make your manicure last that little bit longer, especially if you want to leave it longer in-between salon visits. The first tip is to make your mani last longer and that is to never skip on the top coat or base coat before and after polish, also you can apply top coat every couple of days to prevent chipping. My favourite hack is to add the shine back into your gel manicure by simply rubbing some oil onto your nails and cuticles, i love using the NUXE huile prodigieuse multi-purpose dry oil as it is one of those oils for everything, nails, face and even your hair.

5. PROTECT SKIN AROUND NAILS FROM NAIL POLISH
If you are not the neatest nail painter there are a few different household items you can use to place a protective barrier around your nails, such as vaseline, washable glue (which you can peel off) or nail polish remover on a cotton bud. Apply vaseline or washable glue before you begin to paint your nails, then wash off once nails are dry and you will be left with a perfectly neat looking manicure! If you are using the nail polish remover soaked cotton bud, wait until the nails are dry before going in very gently around the areas needed.

6. USE HOUSEHOLD OBJECTS TO DIY NAIL ART PATTERNS
Who said you had to visit a nail salon or be good at creating nail art patterns free hand? There are so many items laying around your house, that you wouldn't think they would make great tools to create nail art patterns. If you want to create stripes or lines, you can use cut down to size pieces of easy peel tape into whatever pattern you want and once dry simply remove carefully. To create dots you can add a small amount of nail polish to the end of an unwanted bobby pin (hair grip) and dot onto nails, in whatever placing you want. This could also work with applying glitter to the nails, just remember to always allow time to dry and apply a top coat to make nails appear shiny and make your manicure last longer.

Coming up on the blog.... Beauty Favourites: January

xo.

NEUTRAL NAILS | THE NAIL POLISHES I COULDN'T BE WITHOUT

Hello everyone! The title of this post probably will not come as a surprise to some, especially if you already know how obsessed i am with nude/neutral shades, whether that be neutral clothing, nude lipsticks and of course nail polishes. We all having those moments i am sure when we either think about it or are asked what products we couldn't be without, if everything was to go except for a select few. With that in mind for today's post i thought i would share with you the nail polishes i couldn't be without, which are basically my go-to polishes.

barrym gelly hi-shine nail paint in the shade peanut butter

I am a huge fan of Barry M nail polishes in general and i have an overly obsessive amount in my collection, but of course it is the nudes that are my favourites. This is actually the shade i have been wearing on my nails recently and it is the most beautiful caramel/peachy-y nude shade perfectly named Peanut Butter, this is a shade i mentioned in a limited edition products i wish were permanent post as this polish is almost identical to the shade i mentioned i love called Beachy Keen, also by Barry M in collaboration with Boots. 

barrym coconut infusion nail paint in the shade surfboard

Another ultimate favourite of mine from Barry M is one from their coconut infusion finish collection, this time in the shade surfboard (which always makes me want to sing drunk in love by beyoncé). Surfboard is more on the light pink side rather than a true neutral shade but it is still a very wearable shade. What i love about this particular formula is that it is super hydrating/nourishing on your nails, as it is infused with a mixture of coconut water and coconut oil, with a gel-like glossy finish.

essie nail colour in the shade spin the bottle

Ok, so this is probably the nail polish i have re-purchased the most over the years, as it is such a classic/staple nude or neutral polish to have in your collection. Spin The Bottle is the most perfect pale creamy-beige nude and is one i always reach for, if i am lacking inspiration or can't decide on a colour. The thing i love the most about Essie, is that they are the polishes that probably last the longest on my nails without chipping.

essie nail colour in the shade ballet slippers

Talking of classic nail polish shades this particular shade is another classic, in fact so much so it is the Queen's polish of choice (how cool is that?). Ballet Slippers is more on the sheer side when it comes to the finish of the polish, but it can be built up to be the most beautiful super pale pink shade and just like the shade Spin The Bottle is super long-wearing on my nails. If you are looking for the perfect bridal/wedding nail colour, i would highly recommend opting for a shade like this one.

rimmel rita ora 60 seconds super shine nail polish in the shade too cool
Finally i have two nail polishes from Rimmel and both are perfect for achieving that super quick manicure, as they dry in 60 seconds (per coat). The first shade is from the Rita Ora collection, named Too Cool and it is the most gorgeous pale creamy baby blue shade. What makes me love this shade so much, is how amazing it looks with a tan and it is always handy to keep some quick dry polishes for the times you need to paint them in a rush.

rimmel 60 seconds nail polish in the shade let's get nude
Another dry in 60 seconds polish from Rimmel but this time just like the Spin The Bottle polish by Essie, we have another true nude shade and one that would be perfect for any occasion. The only difference between the two polishes is that this one is a slightly paler nude, but still has a warm undertone to it. Rimmel nail polishes are such a steal for the quality, as they retail for only £2.99 and more often than not, Superdrug/Boots have them on a "buy one, get one half off" or "3 for 2" offer.

xo.

NAIL PAMPER ROUTINE

 Hello everyone! It has been a hot minute since i last did any form of nail post, so i thought i was about time for an update/share with you my current nail pamper routine. Spending time on doing my nails is so relaxing and i usually do this about once a week or every ten days or so, all depending on how long they have held up from the time before. My favourite thing to do whilst i do my nails is either listen to music, watch youtube videos or sometimes i will stick a tv show on and i always remember to use the bathroom and grab a drink before hand, because it is no fun needing either one of those things when your nails are wet/tacky still.

step one: superdrug nail polish remover/lush coconut hand scrub

First up i always go in with some nail polish remover, to either remove the nail polish from the time before or to just makeup sure my nails have a clean base. Superdrug's own brand nail polish remover is a favourite of mine, it is super cheap and removes nail polish (including glitter) easily. Then i like to go in with some of my trust coconut hand scrub from Lush, using this just helps get rid of any dryness on your hands and also around the edges of your nails, before rinsing. Then i apply some hand cream of choice and massage into my hands. 

step two: essie apricot care cuticle oil, wah london cuticle nipper and nail file/buffer

Next up i like to go in with some cuticle oil by Essie, applying this helps to really soften/nourish the cuticles ready for tidying up/cutting away your cuticles or any excess skin around the nails with my cuticle nippers. Then i like to go in and file/buff/shine my nails into the shape/length i am wanting, i love these file and buff blocks from Primark. They are so good and i believe they were only a £1 or so for a two pack such a bargain!

step three: barry m nail polishes and essie nail polishes

Once all the nail prep is done, it is time to go in and paint them with my polish of choice. My go-to brands of choice are always Barry M or Essie, as they are the two brands that really work well for me and more often than none i will either rock a simple nude nail or glitter all over. I always apply two/three coats of polish (all depending on the polishes opacity), before going in the with Wet Set Quick Dry top coat by Barry M. A few months back i dedicated a full blog post, talking about all of my most worn nude nail polishes which you can catch up on here.

step four: ps fashion nails

If you read my beauty favourite: july edition post, then you will probably already know that i had recently been loving these stick on nails from time to time. They are just super fun maybe for a night out or a special event, or maybe you are just feeling lazy and want a quick mani look. I was so shocked at how great the quality of these nails were and whenever i wear them, i get so many compliments. On my nails these last for as long as a normal polish would, so around the seven to ten day period. These nails come in so many different shapes from square, to stiletto and even almond shaped.

♥

MY MOST WORN DRUGSTORE NAIL POLISHES

Hello everyone! It has been quite a while since i last did any form of nail post, as well as a drugstore dedicated post on my blog, so i thought i would do something a little different and share with you my most worn nail polishes from the drugstore. Since i majorly downsized my nail polish collection, you will notice a theme that the majority of the polishes are all nudes/neutral colours, as that is just the style of nails i am living for at the moment.

barryM speedy quick dry nail paint in the shade winning streak

If you caught my go-to nude nail polishes post or my mid-2017 most read posts post, then you will probably already know that this particular shade is probably my favourite nail polish of all time. This particular shade is a pale pastel almost pink toned nude shade, with a quick dry finish and i have gone through multiple bottles of it that is just how obsessed with it i am, even though it does have competition now. (RRP £2.99)

barryM wet set quick dry top coat

So for you can probably tell two things, i am all about the speed dry because i am impatient when it comes to waiting for nails to dry and also i love barryM nail polish ha. This top coat is literally my favourite top coat of all time, it is even better than the Essie gel couture top coat which i was obsessed with until i tried this one and it is also a lot less expensive. (RRP £2.99)

barryM gelly nail paint in the shade peanut butter

This is the particular nail polish i was talking about above and it made winning streak have some serious competition for my favourite nude polish. This shade cutely named peanut butter is the most beautiful caramel-y/peachy toned nude, perfect for summer on both your nails and toes. This particular formula of polish from barryM lasts so long on my nails, in fact it has lasted up to two weeks before which is amazing for me. (RRP £3.99)

barryM coconut infusion nail paint in the shade surfboard 

Ok i promise this is the last barryM nail polish for this post, this particular one from the coconut infusion range happens to me by favourite out of all the ones i own. This shade called surfboard is the most beautiful shade of pink, perfect for summer like a lot of the shades in the collection. The formula of this particular range is not only nourishing on the nails, but also just like the gelly formula super long-wearing. (RRP £4.99)

essie gel couture nail polish in the shade touch up

This particular nail polish from Essie is the same formula as the top coat i was talking about above, but obviously in a nail colour. This shade called touch up is the most unique pale almost mauve toned pink, which i really like as i am not into the traditional purple shades. This particular formula of nail polish is my mum's favourite as they last so much longer on her nails than others, as usually nail polish chips super fast on her. (RRP £9.99)

essie nail polish in the shade spin the bottle

This nail polish by Essie is another one of my favourite nude polishes and another one that i have gone through multiple bottles off, that's how much i love it. This shade called spin the bottle is the most perfect pale creamy beige toned nude and either this one or the shade ballet slippers would make the perfect wedding day nail colour. Just like all the Essie nail polishes they last super long on my nails without chipping. (RRP £7.99)

essie nail polish in the shade cascade cool

I am not 100% sure but i don't think they stock this particular shade in boots or superdrug anymore, but a couple of places online still stock it including the essie website. This shade cascade cool is the perfect creamy yet almost barbie-like pink polish with a slight cool blue under-tone to it, another one great for the summer months and if you are wanting a slight change from your typical go-to nudes ha ha! (RRP £7.99)

sally hansen complete salon manicure in the shade mauve along

Finally we have probably my favourite shade out of all of my Sally Hansen nail polishes, as it is the most neutral shade (i have a lot of vampy/dark shades from the brand). I have noticed this particular shade called mauve along looks different on different people, some people it looks more purple yet on me it looks more pink/nude and i don't know if that is just the bottle i own or cause of my skin-tone? (RRP £6.99)

♥

BLOGMAS DAY NINETEEN: FESTIVE NAILS

Hey guys, i hope you are all having an amazing day and welcome to blogmas day nineteen! Yesterday i went to get my infills done and painted ready for Christmas, so i thought i would share with you what i went for in case some of you were in need of some inspiration.

On my nails:

Sinful's Confession (the white)

Sinful's Gold Digger (the gold glitter nail)

China Glaze's Tip Your Hat (the red)

Color Club Art Club Gold Glitter (the glitter stripes)

45 Seconds (top coat)

Also if you were wondering where i get my nails done, i get them done at Studio 29 go check them out on Facebook and Instagram here: 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Studio29/158529237509877?fref=ts

http://instagram.com/studio29hairandbeauty/

(P.S how cute are these little Rudolf's on my thumbs).

♥

BLOGMAS DAY ELEVEN: MAKEUP AND NAIL GIFT SETS

Hey guys, i hope you are all having an amazing day and welcome to blogmas day eleven! Can you believe Christmas is only two weeks away today? One of my favourite types of presents to receive is some type of makeup or nail gift set (obviously with me being a makeup junkie). I always think there are so many great gift sets available at this time of year, so for today's post i have chosen a selection of amazing gift sets which would be perfect for a gift or even just to treat yourself...

Ciaté Mini Mani Manor - £49 Boots

OPI Mini Holiday Stars - £14.50 John Lewis

Essie Baby It's Cold Outside Winter Quad - £24.99 Boots

Sleek Eye and Cheek Palette - £9.99 Boots

Benefit Sweet Tintations - £19.99 Debenhams

Soap & Glory Nail Call - £12 Boots 

Estée Lauder High Shine Lip Gloss Set - £34 Debenhams

Objects Of Affection Nude and Coral Lip Glass - £26 MAC

Urban Decay Naked On The Run - £37 Beauty Bay

♥

BLOGMAS DAY EIGHT: FESTIVE NAILS

Hey guys, i hope you are all having an amazing day and welcome to day eight of blogmas! A huge part of getting yourself ready for Christmas, whether it is just to treat yourself or maybe for a Christmas party/special event you might have coming up always includes having nice looking nails (for me at least anyway). There are so many different shades available to choose from which are very festive, so for today's post i thought i would share with you some festive nail polishes which might catch your eye during this festive period...

1. OPI Lincoln Park After Dark

2. Butter London Chancer 

3. Topshop Stars and Stripes

4. Barry M Sequin Effect in Black

5. OPI Red My Fortune Cookie

6. Illamasqua Generation Q: in Charisma 

7. Essie in Set In Stone

8. Maybelline Colorshow in Red Excess

9. Sally Hanson in Red Handed

10. L'Oreal Color Riche Top Coat in Gold Carat 

I also mentioned in a previous favourites post (i believe, don't hold me to that exact type of post) that i had started having calgel nails again. I am super excited to get my Christmas nails done in just over a weeks time, i keep searching instagram and tumblr for nail art ideas ha ha! I will more than likely post a picture on instagram or maybe i'll incorporate it into a blogmas post.

♥ 

BOOTS HAUL

Hey guys, i hope you all had a great weekend whatever you were up to. So it's a new week and we now have new world cup champions Germany after the world cup final last night. What team were you routing for? I was definitely backing Germany for Europe and they have definitely been the team that has put in the best performances during the tournament. Anyway lets get down to business, today whilst i was in town i went into to boots to see if there was anything new/good deals going on and of course i picked up a couple of things. So i thought i would share with you the things i purchased and that i am excited to try out especially the "Coconut Balmi Lip Balm Cube" as they are my new obsession...

BLOGMAS DAY TWENTY-ONE AND TWENTY-TWO: TOPSHOP FESTIVE NAILS

From left to right: rumours + lies, one hot minute & lacquered

Seeing as there is only three days left until Christmas i thought it would be perfect timing to discuss festive nails. Who doesn't love to feel all festive and glamours at this time of year? I know that i do. Topshop nail polishes have definitely got to be one of my favourite brands of nail polish, they are long lasting, have an amazing finish to them and there is also a HUGE selection to choose from in their collection. When i hear "Christmas Nails" i automatically think either something glittery or red, so here is three of my top favourite Topshop red nail polishes...

1. Rumours + Lies - this shade of red is more on the dark side, it has an almost red wine/burgundy tint to it and definitely has to be my favourite of the three.   

2. One Hot Minute - this shade of nail polish is more on the lighter side of red as it has almost a pink tint to it and is definitely more suited to people who are used to lighter almost pastel shades, as it wouldn't be too much out of your comfort zone yet it will still make your nails look festive. 

3. Lacquered - this shade of nail polish is the most festive shade of red in the collection, so if you're looking for that classic red then this would be for you.

View the range of nail polishes at: http://www.topshop.com/ 

Whilst looking up prices and availability i couldn't see "Lacquered" available online, maybe it is still available to buy in-store but i am unsure. Below (third image on the right) is a similar shade of red called Bittersweet.  

From left to right: rumours + lies, one hot minute & bittersweet

Rumours + Lies - £5

One Hot Minute - £5

Bittersweet - £6 ( A part of the Damned Collection)

Hope you are having a lovely weekend...

Katie ♥