Pretty in Pink

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Happy Saturday!

So my brain has been bombarding with ideas to try out lately, the list is growing so fast I can’t keep up but this is what I love about blogging. As quick as you do one idea another springs to life. I’ve decided to do a series of colour themed posts on Saturday’s over the coming weeks. I am going to showcase my favourite products from each colour. Today is PINK.

I love pretty pink colours, I’m so girly yet for some reason I don’t own that many pink items, clothes or makeup. Sure, plenty of things have pink packaging but I don’t own that many with pink product but these are the favourites of what I do own.

Pink is so versatile, it look as natural o as out there as you want it to. Pale pinks are pretty and flirty whilst more vibrant pinks are playful and can me a luscious statement. Without further a do, here’s my best pinks.

Avon Speed Dry Nail Polish in ASAP Pink – I love the gorgeous shade of this nail polish, it’s like candyfloss. It’s super girly and summery.

M.A.C Powder Blush in Mocha – This is a dark pink, it’s warm tones and matte finish provide an elegant result and a deep flush. It;s one of my favourite blushers.

Avon Colour Trend Lipstick Pen/Crayon in Gone Pink – I love the shimmer on this product, I’ve nearly used it all up now but it’s really soft and easy to use and it’s a beautiful floral shade.

Rimmel Exaggerate Full Colour Lip Liner Definer in Eastend Snob – This is a grown up pink liner and works well under darker pink lipsticks and on its own. It is very moisturising and it twists up rather than needing sharpening. I’ll do a full review of this at some point.

Avon Colour Trend Lipstick in Amethyst – I usually equate amethyst to the purple colour group but this is most definitely a pink lipstick. It is highly pigmented and again it moisturises well too. It’s a dark pink, perfect for every day wear and a gorgeous Autumn shade.

Rimmel Colour Rush Eye Shadow in 030 Siren – This is a very vibrant pink, perfect for when you want to make a statement. It lasts well and is very pigmented.

What are your favourite pink products?

Newspaper Nails

Newspaper

I’m a total newbie when it comes to nails but when I saw this tutorial on My Life Through the Eyes of the Web this morning I just had to give it a go and I love it. It’s one of the easiest nail art looks I’ve seen.

I selected a news piece about some of my favourite artists from the paper and cut them pretty roughly into 10 nail size pieces.

I then done 3 coats of Avon’s Speed Dry Nail polish in Prompt and Pearly, any light colour will work though. This nail polish is fantastic, it is so quick to dry that it took me the same amount of time to do 3 coats as when I do one of some other nail polish’s.

Then one nail at a time I soaked a piece of newspaper in mouth wash although any alcohol-based product (even vodka itself) will work and then I placed it gently on my nail and held it down. Carefully lift it up after a few seconds and your done! Awesome!

My nails now have Bruno Mars and Ellie Goulding all over them!

Top 5 Thursday: Festival Nail Paints

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I haven’t done a Top 5 Thursday for a couple of week, I’ve suddenly had some very busy Thursday’s! Tonight though I was trying to decide what nail polish to wear for V festival this weekend, (sorry I keep going on about it!) and thought I could upload my top 5 and you could help me choose? 

My top 5 include pastel colours and brights. Festivals are the perfect time to stand out and have fun with your nails. So, let’s get down to it! In no particular order!

Barry M Nail Paint in Lemon (307) – I love this fresh, summery shade, it’s been popular among the youth group where I volunteer recently too. It takes a couple of coats but it looks gorgeous once it’s on. 

Barry M Gelly Hi Shine in Greenberry (322) – I have done a full review of this one and it does come out beautifully and it barely chips so would be fab for a festival where there’s a high risk of ruining your nails within seconds!

Avon Speed Dry in ASAP Pink – This one really does dry fast and only requires one coat which mean’s it’d be easy to top up over the weekend. It is also a gorgeous girly shade, yet it still stands out. 

Misguided Splash Polish in Misstaken – I got this one free somewhere a couple of years back and it still hasn’t dried out. i rediscovered it when I was trying to decide which to include tonight and remembered how much I love it but it does take around 3 coats to get a good colour. It’s a really bright orange and would definitely give a pop of colour to any outfit. 

Miss Sporty Lasting Colour in shade 150 – I still maintain that Miss Sporty do some of the best budget polishes. I don’t tend to but anything else from them but their nail paints are amazing. They glide on really easily for a smooth result. This colour also stands out but is a more grown up shade than the others listed. 

So which should I go for? 

P.S. This is my 100th post on Naked Beauty and I’ve been officially blogging for 3 months today, yay! 

It’s a Wrap!

1Reviewed by Tams

Essie Sleek Sticks Review – New product!

I hadn’t used nail wraps before so I was unsure of how easy these would be. I received them in the 03 So haute design which I absolutely love but there’s plenty of other awesome designs available too.

The packet came complete with 10 different sized nail wraps, a nail file and full instructions including diagrams which was great for a novice like me!

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I did wonder why the biggest one was so big, I thought “nobody had thumbs that size!” Then I realised it is in case you want to do your toes. They were really easy to use, you simply wash your hands and remove any nail polish already there, select a size, stick it on and file the overlay downwards. It was even easy enough for my husband to do… yes he decided to play with the leftovers! He did hastily remove them after though and said although they were comfortable to take off they were clearly stuck down well.

I absolutely love the result and I’ve had loads of comments today, my nails usually chip within an hour of me doing them, these say they last up to 10 days so I’ll let you know how they do. Currently they still look as good as they did 24 hours ago which is very unusual for me. I love that I can make my own nails look gorgeous without using fake nails which in the end damage your nails. These do not harm your nails in any way.

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I absolutely love the result and I’ve had loads of comments today, my nails usually chip within an hour of me doing them, these say they last up to 10 days so I’ll let you know how they do. Currently they still look as good as they did 24 hours ago which is very unusual for me. I love that I can make my own nails look gorgeous without using fake nails which in the end damage your nails. These do not harm your nails in any way.

The only thing I would say is it is tricky to get them to file right at the end, I seem to have a bit of nail showing at the end of a couple of them even though I was really careful, no-one else noticed so it’s no biggy!

I had those rather large ones left over so decided to make my toe nails match too, I made a feature, using these, of the big toe then made the rest red, I think it looks ok!

4There are a little pricey for something that lasts 10 days but I think the effect is worth the price tag if I’m honest. I’d probably only use them for a special occasion or a holiday so I wouldn’t have to worry about my nails while I was away! Have you sued any nail wraps? Let me know what you think!

EDIT: They only lasted 4 full days on me, not totally surprised seeing as these things never do last that well on me.

Try it: One set from £9.99, available from Boots.

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Sally Hansen – Complete Salon Manicure 670 Midnight in NY – Product Review

rosieReview and Photo by Rosie, written by Tams

Our lovely reviewer and alternative model Rosie took Sally Hansen’s Complete Salon Manicure for a spin this weekend, turned into quite a long drive actually. 

SallyHansen

Rosie was totally delighted when she open this package as it’s right up her street. She loved that it was a sexy black with enough glitter to add some glamour but without over doing it.

This nail polish is an all-in-one, hardener base and top coat + colour. Rosie found the brush size to be perfect and application easy, even on her little toe. The photo above was taken 3 days after it was put on so this nail polish clearly has quite some staying-power. It’s held out through a whole busy-mum’s weekend and that deserves a huge thumbs up from us!

Rosie has already been busy checking out other shades and recommending this to others so it looks like Sally Hansen has a winner here.

The only problem Rosie found was it does take a good few coats to get a decent coverage but when you’re skipping the base coat and top coat that’s not so bad. It was also really quick to dry so it wasn’t too time-consuming all in all.

Rosie already has this planned into her next photo shoot. Oh I do love it when we find and fall in love with a great product!

What Rosie loved most: The perfect brush size.

And least: That it needed 3/4 coats.

Try it: £6.99, www.boots.com

Festival nails! Go neon!

Donna

Reviewed by Donna, written by Tams

With Glastonbury going on Donna and I are starting to get excited for V Fest in around 6 weeks and we’re turning our attention to all things fashion and beauty when at a festival.Donna2

I got this Barry M Special Edition Nail paint free yesterday and it isn’t my colour so I handed it over to my favourite neon-loving friend, Donna. The colour is bright and summery and perfect to stand out at a festival. Donna absolutely loves the colour and will probably need to re-purchase before we get anywhere near V!

Donna found it really easy to apply and the results are awesome. This is a limited edition summer nail paint so if you love it, probably best to stock up now. I absolutely love the on-trend Aztec pattern on the bottle too.

The shade is Vernis a Onlges and having seen it on Donna’s nails I can admit I may be changing my mind about the colour.. sexy, summery and makes a statement.

What Donna loves most: The vibrant colour.

Try it: £2,99, www.barrym.com

I say: Team it with a bright eyeshadow for the real wow-factor in the festival crowds.

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In the Summertime When the Weather is Fine….

2Reviewed by Tams

With the sun finally shining in Essex I had a hankering for gorgeous summer nails, I took a trip to Superdrug and among other things (Shh don’t tell my husband) I came back with these!

I choose a bright summer colour that is very on trend right now, I also thought I’d finally have a go at Gelly nail polish. I always love the colours Barry M 3provide and it was sooo hard to choose today but I went for Greenberry Gelly High Shine Nail paint, I also picked up the All in One Basecoat, Topcoat and Hardener.

I have really brittle nails so it was great to have an all-in-one that contains hardener. I painted on this as a basecoat first and it dried really quickly. I then popped on the nail paint which was really easy to use, even a novice like me got a great result!

The colour is definitely as beautiful on as it is in the bottom and there was no need to use the all-in-one as a topcoat as it is so shiny all on its own. I was a bit worried when I first put it on as it looked a bit of a mess but as soon as it dried it looked way better than I expected, it also only took one coat. The only thing that I found was a problem is the brush size, it is very small and I prefer a brush that covers the whole nail in my sweep.

I’m hoping that this nail paint will last a good few days, it seems pretty good so I am hopeful. Looking forward to showing off these gorgeous summertime nail tonight.

What I love most: The colour and oooo it’s shiny..

What I liked least: The brush size

Try it: Gelly High Shine £3.99, All in One £2.99, www.barrym.com

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Nails Inc – St James Red Nail Polish Review

Megan

Review and photo by Megan, written by Tams

Stands out but doesn’t stand the test of time!

Megan found this nail polish really easy to use, the brush was the perfect size to stroke across the whole nail without making a mess.

On first impressions Megan loved the bright colour and how beautifully shiny it is and commented that it is definitely a statement nail polish. I say team it with a little black dress and gorgeous clutch bag for a striking evening look!

Unfortunately this nail polish didn’t last as long without chipping as many of Megan’s favourites so it wouldn’t work well as an everyday ‘I’ve got to do the dishes in this’ nail polish. However, Megan would happily use it again for a special occasion and recommend to it anyone looking for a nail polish that really stands out.

What Megan loved most: The shiny bright colour.

And least: It’s not long-lasting.

Try it: RRP £11, www.nailsinc.com

 

Beautiful Movements Cosmetics – Prime & Create Mixing Medium Review

BM Cosmetics
Reviewed by Tams
I always love a good multi-tasker! Prime, create, go!

I love any product that is going to save me money and time so I was pleased to receive Beautiful Movements Cosmetics’ brand new Prime & Create Mixing Medium last month. It can be used as a primer under your make up, mixed with eye-shaddow pigments to make a liquid liner in your chosen colour, mixed with foundation, blusher or eye-shaddow for a perfect airbrush effect. The possibilities are nearly endless!

My favourite way to use this product is mixed with my liquid foundation. I savour it for a night out and go out looking flawless.. well as flawless as you can get when you’re as clumsy as me! It only takes a tiny bit, about 1 part mixing medium to 3 parts foundation to dramatically improve the performance of the foundation. It is also fab mixed with a bit of blusher for a gorgeous matt finish.. perfect when you love blusher as much as I do!

What I liked most: The number of things it can be used for

What I liked least: Hmm… Nothing, I’m in love with this product!

Try it: RRP £20 for 20g, www.beautifulmovementscosmetics.com