May Nails

Wow, it's June already! Mr Sunshine is late to the party though surely, we keep seeing snippets of summer but nothing solid as yet. Anyway, here are my nail pics from throughout May...

Maybelline Color Show Polka Dots in Speckled Pink 

Looks really cool but chipped so easily and needed the foil method to remove!

Models Own Lilac Dream with Revlon Girly over the top 

Very impressed with how long lasting this was, 6 days totally chip free-amazing!

 Models Own Pro Pinky Grey and Cuter Pewter

Lovely colours, Cuter Pewter is almost a rose gold with tiny holo glitter in which doesn't show up well in the photo. Not as chip resistant as I'd have hoped for from a Pro (£8 per bottle!) range though, maximum 2 days totally chip free.

If you don't like feet, look away now because here are my super sparkly toes...

Models Own Disco Mix, Emerald City and Magenta Devine

I have finally bitten the bullet and purchased 2 Butter London nail polishes (using my Boots points- woohoo!) so expect to see at least one of them in June's nails next month!

Face Mask Friday #9

Hey girlies and happy Friday! This week I have a mask that isn't really a mask, it's the Soap & Glory Peaches & Clean cleansing milk. Whilst this is a very effective cleanser, Miss Budget Beauty also recommended using it as a mask and so as I already owned the product I thought I would give it a go!

First of all I will say that this smells gorgeous, almost like you could eat it! I usually use two pumps which I just apply to my face using my fingers. When I use this as a mask it's usually in the morning just before I get into the shower so I don't have any makeup on however, because this is actually a cleansing milk you probably could apply it over your makeup if you were using it at the end of the day. I leave it on whilst I'm in the shower for about 10 minutes then use the Soap & Glory Face Massage Mini Mitt to buff my skin before rinsing. 

I took warning from Miss BB that this is a very active formula that you can feel tingling your skin as you wear it, so if you have sensitive skin or don't like that feeling then this product/way of using it may not be for you or you may want to leave it on for a shorter amount of time. The first time I used Peaches & Clean in this way I left it on a little too long (about 15 mins) and ended up looking very red in the face! This wouldn't have bothered me if it had been just before bed but it was in the morning and I was worried that it wouldn't go away, it did though after about an hour! Now I'm much more careful about how long I leave it on for (maximum 10 minutes) and still experience a little redness afterwards but it calms much quicker.

If you haven't been put off by that (I wasn't!) then I'll tell you that this is a fab cleanser and is equally great as a mask! My skin feels deeply cleansed, invigorated and super soft after using this and combined with the Face Massage Mitt my skin is exfoliated, looks plumper and more radiant. 

Face Mask Friday! #8

Hello and happy Friday! Firstly, I'm sorry I missed FMF last week, I went to collect my Granma's dog as I'm looking after her this week and she's been keeping me so busy that I just didn't get done in time. We've had a great week anyway, it's been so much fun having her to stay and I'm writing this whilst she takes a nap beside me snoring!

Onto this weeks mask, which is the Montagne Jeunesse Lemon Zest Peel-Off Detox and Pore Cleansing Masque. Designed for normal, oily and combination skin types the mask contains a medley of natural ingredients including crushed ginger, green tea, seaweed,  evening primrose, aloe vera and of course lemon, which all aim to deeply cleanse and revive skin, leaving a more radiant appearance.

As expected the mask was a clear, yellow colour and the formula quite runny but wasn't as sticky as other peel-offs I've tried. Applying the mask was easy, although slightly messy due to the consistency but not so much that I would be put off using it again, although I had to be more careful around my hairline and eyebrows as peel-off masks in hair are not fun! The mask felt cool and refreshing on my skin but one thing that surprised me was that it didn't smell of lemon! I was quite pleased by this as I'm not too keen on strong citrusy scents and whilst I can't describe what it did smell of (almost musky perhaps?) I did like it and it wasn't too strong. I wore the mask for the recommended 15-20 minutes, by which time it had dried evenly and was easy to peel-off.

After using the mask my skin was left feeling clean, soft and refreshed. My face was slightly oily before using the mask, but this oil was gently stripped away and didn't return the whole day, amazing! I also felt that my skin looked clearer and brighter after use and felt much smoother making makeup application easier and the results look better. You'll probably know by now that I'm a big fan of MJ masks, they've got a fantastic range, are affordable and really do the job. The Lemon Zest Peel-Off is no exception and I would definitely recommend and repurchase!

I'll leave you with a couple of pictures of Poppy that I've taken this week as she's a cutie!

Make-Up Storage

I recently had a storage over haul and thought I would share it with you! Previously I used a big drawer with a divider (you can't even see it in the picture as it's buried!) to separate eye products from lip products from face products etc. but things started to get full and jumbled up and I found myself avoiding the drawer and everything in it!

Obviously it's a bit of a waste to have a drawer full of make-up that never gets used and I found myself buying duplicate items because I couldn't see (or remember!) what I already had, so I decided something needed to be done. I'd been looking for ideas when I stumbled upon this drawer set in WHSmith which was £14.99 and on a BOGOF offer, so I purchased it along with a set of 3 storage boxes (for office stuff) and a pen holder (for make-up brushes).

It took me a while to decide which drawers were best for which products and how to organise everything but I'm pleased with how it turned out. I was also pleasantly surprised by how much the drawers hold as I thought I would have things left over that wouldn't fit but, apart from things that I keep in my everyday make-up bag, everything is in the drawers. I did throw a few items away whilst I was organising the drawers but that was also an overdue task! Since swapping to my new set I have been using more of my make-up as it is easily accessible and I can see and remember what I have more easily, it's great! This will also (hopefully!) save me money as I won't be tempted to buy things the same or similar to what I already have.

So, let's have a look at each drawer and what I've used it for. First up are the three smallest drawers on the top row which I have used for (L-R) eyeliners, mascaras and lip glosses.

In the next row we have two wider draws, one I have used for face products and the other for lipsticks (front) and lip balms (back).

Finally, there is one large drawer on the bottom row which I have used for eye shadows, with palettes at the back and singles at the front. I have since put neutral shades on one side and colours on the other side grouped by formula (cream, loose, pressed etc.) for ease of use too.

So there we have it, my new and improved make-up storage! I am planning to do a nail polish collection/storage post too as again I've recently upgraded to something more practical and I'll probably do a 'what's in my make-up bag' post for my everyday favourites.

April Nails

Just thought I'd share some recent pictures of different colours and combos I've had on my nails...

Rimmel 60 Seconds Instyle Coral with Models Own Jack Frost

Seventeen (17) Lasting Fix in Darling with Models Own Indian Ocean

My first attempt at watercolour nails! Using Bourjois So Laque Glossy in 03 BCBeige for the base and Rimmel I ♥ Lasting Finish in Hot Shot, Barry M Gelly in Greenberry, Models Own Lemon Meringue, Purple Poppy, Top Turquoise, Feeling Blue and Fuzzy Peach.

Seventeen Fast Finish in Ruby Gem with Essie Leading Lady (on ring finger).

Models Own Jade Stone with Jack Frost (on ring finger).

So these are pretty much April's nails, I may start doing this as a monthly post so look out for May's nails as although some of them are on here! I have some exciting new things to try including 2 Maybelline Colour Show Polka Dot polishes and the new Barry M Nail Art Pens in black and white and some Essie nail wraps so I should still have plenty to show you in my May post!

Face Mask Friday! #7

Happy Friday! It's such a lovely day already, here's to a sunny bank holiday weekend for everyone!

I have something different for you this week, this was one of those impulse buys whilst queuing for the till but I'm glad I spotted them and will be returning for more! It is the H&M Blueberry Burst Nourishing Mask and at 99p for a 15g sachet, you can't go far wrong. Containing extracts of raspberry, blueberry, grape  and cranberry this mask claims to be full of antioxidants to nourish your skin whilst aloe vera and peach kernel oil help to moisturise and protect.

I just had to take a picture as I was squeezing this out of the sachet as I was so excited by the colour, this gorgeous shimmery lilac! I was also pleasantly surprised by the texture which is similar to a clay mask, quite thick and so easy to apply as it isn't sticky or runny. There was a very generous amount of mask in the sachet which could probably stretch to two applications, however I just put a thick layer on my face and spread it down over my neck (and plonked a dollop on a spot on my chest!) which took less than a minute as the formula was so easy to work with. 

As expected the mask had a really fruity scent which I could smell throughout wearing it, which for me was great! I wore the mask for about 20 minutes (the sachet recommends 10-15 mins) and it definitely felt cooling and refreshing to wear and set hard in places (where it wasn't spread on so thick). Removing the mask was as easy as application, I just washed mine off in the shower and my skin was left feeling fresh, clean and soft (btw, it didn't appear to do anything useful to the spot on my chest). The mask also appeared to brighten my skin and upon closer inspection bits of the shimmer from the mask had been left behind on my skin to illuminate it, a brilliant bonus of this product if that is something that interests you! I used this mask in the morning before my shower and I would recommend that as the best time to use it due to its benefits!

Garnier Moisture Match Protect & Glow Moisturiser

I probably would never have purchased this had I not ordered a sample online, but I'm so glad I did! I was using the Neutrogena Visibly Clear Pink Grapefruit moisturiser but I was looking to try out something new as I started using Neutrogena when I ran out of my Biore Shine Control moisturiser and realised that you can't get it anymore! I'd been using it for years (again, after receiving a sample) and loved it so was really disappointed to see them discontinue it when they re-branded their range. I like a moisturiser to be oil-free, light and refreshing to apply in the morning and wasn't expecting to like the Garnier Moisture Match after past experiences with their moisturisers. I received 3 samples and was originally interested in the Shine Be Gone (green) formula for combination/oily skin as I sometimes get an oily t-zone, however after trying the sachet I was put off by the alcohol content which doesn't smell great (similar to the Garnier Oil Free BB Cream) and tends to dry out my cheeks where my skin is less oily. What made me try the Protect & Glow sachet (for normal skin)  was taking my make up off after spending the weekend enjoying the sunshine to find my face quite red and sore. I hadn't realised that the sun was that strong as it wasn't very warm but it prompted me to look for a moisturiser with SPF which is when I remembered the Garnier samples sitting in my drawer! I whipped out the Protect & Glow sachet with SPF20 and gave it a go when my skin had calmed down.

The colour of the moisturiser seems to match the colour of each tube which I think is quite a cute idea! So this was a pastel yellow colour and a light, almost runny, lotion texture- a small amount goes a long way! The scent isn't amazing in my opinion but it's pleasant, not too strong and the overall application was nice and refreshing! I didn't have to wait long until the moisturiser had sunk in and my skin was ready for make up. This provides a pretty good base for make up application, not the best but definitely acceptable and it lasted pretty well all day.

Protect & Glow also contains 'light reflecting pearls' and I genuinely think this makes my skin look brighter, which is great! I do have a sample of the Wake Me Up (orange) formula still to try which is a gel formula for dull skin  and is described as an 'immediate splash of freshness' so I'm looking forward to trying that too and will let you know how I get on. I have already purchased the Protect & Glow as I think it's great value for money at £5.99 a tube,  especially as it contains SPF (it's a shame they don't all have SPF!) and does such a lovely job!

The samples are available to order free from here so I'd recommend you try some out and see what you think! Plus if you send Garnier your feedback before then end of May, you'll be entered into a competition to win a years magazine subscription, bonus!