NOTD: Green Stripes and Polka Dots!

I've been getting in to nail art a lot more recently. I usually just paint my nails one colour and if i'm feeling adventourous i'll add a glitter topcoat ;) A few months ago i did some bunny nails which were cute and not long ago i also had a go at ombre nails - both attempts went pretty well (shock!). But, i thought now was about time to improve my tools as i think they're the most important thing when it comes to nail art. 

I settled for these brushes off Ebay. They came so quickly - about two weeks - and look so cute with their baby pink handles. A few of the brushes are the same brushes just different sizes but it doesn't really matter as their so cheap. 

Tesco All About Nails 'Caribbean Coconut' (base)  -  Barry M Nail Paint '290 Spring Green' (tips/dots)  -  Random Clear Topcoat.

I used an a straight top brush and a thin tapered brush for this look. I used the straight brush to draw a straight line along my tip, patting it and tapping it wherever necessary to create the nicest, even, straight line that was possible. I'm not the steadiest of people. Then i used the thin, pointed brush with a blob of nail polish on the end to just dot/pat down where i wanted the polka dot to be. 

It really was that simple and looks so cute. I don't know what persuaded me to use green but it just stood out to me at the time. My left hand is significantly better than my right (oops|) due to me being right-handed. But it'll all get better in time - i hope! 

What do you think of my quick, cute, nail art? Do you do 'fancy stuff' with your nails often? Any idea's for me to give a go.. 

NOTW: Nails of the week ft. Topshop & Tesco!

Nope, it's not a nails of the day post, it's a nails of the week! It should probably be nails of the month i've been wearing them like this for soo long but i didn't want to go over the top! I just can't take this combination off, i literally keep re-painting my nails exactly the same (boring, i know).

The first shade i've been loving is: 'Caribbean Coconut' by Tesco's All About Nails range (avaiable from Tesco in store for £1). 

It's basically a pinky nude, a french manicure shade. It contains no shimmer and mutes out nails to a milky, light pink while still letting the natural white tips of the nails to show through. One/two coats of this leaves nails looking polished and 'put together' if your not a natural fan than it definitely is not for you. I'm not going to go on about this nail polish too much, i love the shade (alone and with glitter on top) and i'm a fan of this range in general (more reviews here and here).

Secondly is Topshop's 'White Witch' (available in store for £5).

This is a glitter overcoat for your nails. Topshop do some great glitter polishes, this was actually my first ever Topshop nail varnish and i still love it! It's glittery with a sort of white base so it really tones down bright nail polishes and adds lots of iridescent shimmer - so amazing! It looks especially nice paired with nude polishes as it adds a little extra something so they don't look as plain. It can also be used alone.

One coat of 'Caribbean Coconut' with a coat of 'White Witch' over!

Anyway, hope you like this little nail combination of mine! I think it makes my nails look so polished and sleek and i'm just loving it! I much prefer this for spring/summer as it looks so girlie and light and matches everything (no clashing nail varnish!).

What are your favourite nail polishes at the moment? Do you know any nice nudes? I'm very into nudes at the moment!

All About Nails - Bellini

Here's another nail polish from the All About Nails range £1 from Tesco - Bargain! 

The colour is absolutely gorgeous. The perfect shimmery coral that shines different shades of gold and pink in the light. It's probably not to everybody's taste but i personally love it and have received a fair few compliments when wearing it! 

All nail polishes i have tried from the range are so long-wearing for their price with only minor chips after 2/3 days! It is the perfect spring colour! It applies evenly and only needs two coats for a full, opaque coverage.

I cannot reccomend these polishes enough - they are by far my favourite! 

p.s - check out my post about another polish from this range here - it's a gorgeous dusky pink!

Favourites of March!

To be honest - i'm struggling with this monthly favourites thing - due to the fact i'm a boring sod and stick to what i know! My daily routine never really varies - think i might have to get a bit more adventurous though, don't you think?

 l-r - Rose of Bulgaria Cleansing Milk, Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing gel, Body Shop Mango Body Butter, Lee Stafford Poker Straight Heat Defence Spray, All About Nails Nail Polish, Avon Colortrend Double-ended Kajalstick. 

Rose of Bulgaria Cleansing milk - www.rose-of-bulgaria.com - 4.80 euro's. 
I got this whilst on holiday in Bulgaria - it's really handy for getting makeup off at night and does an extremely good, fast and easy job of it! It smells like roses (obviously) and is soo gentle and soothing on the skin! If you go to Bulgaria i suggest looking at the Rose of Bulgaria line (cheap and cheerful).
Clinique Moisurizing Gel 125ml- Clinique (counter/online)  - £29
With the recent flush of hot weather in England (which has now gone) this has been a saviour - it gives my skin enough moisture without 'over do'ing' it. This helped my skin to be less oily so my makeup stayed on for longer in the heat! Not a fan of the pricetag though!
The Body Shop Body Butter 200ml - Mango - The Body Shop (store/online) -  usually £12.50 but available online now for £6.25 (bargainnnnnn!)
My mum has been a huge fan of this for a longgg time but i never really understood the buzz about this until recently! The scent is to die for - smells delicious! A little goes a long way - it adds lots of moisture to your skin, sinks straight in (no sticky/greasy legs!) and is so smooth. LOVE THIS STUFF!

Lee Stafford Poker Straight Flat Iron Protection Shine Mist - Boots (online/store) - £5.89
I have been a huge fan of Lee Stafford hair products for years - affordable, lovely looking (yay for the pink bottles) and definitely do what they say! I re-discovered this this month and wonder how i have coped without it? Protects hair against all heat (hair dryer, straighteners, curlers etc.) and does keep hair looking healthy and shiny!

All About Nails Nail Varnish - 'Mulberry Pie' - Tesco - £1
Love this polish - everything about it - the colour, consistency, chip-resistence! (full review here)

Avon Colortrend Kajalstick - 'Black and Violet' - Avon (online/brochure) - Usually around 99p (price varies)
I featured the black and brown version of this is my January Favourites - can't get enough of these pencils - two colours in one, they last all day and are so handy to take out and about. I've been loving the purple to add some colour to the lower lashline and a black pencil eyeliner is always handy!


So, of course, i recommend all these products - and they're becoming or already are firm favourites of mine throughout the year not just march!  What are your march favourites?

p.s. get your body butters from www.thebodyshop.co.uk quick while they are so cheap! you won't regret it!

All About Nails - Mulberry Pie

'All about nails' are a range of nail polishes available from Tesco and the best part is... they cost £1 each - yes you read that correctly, a 7ml nail polish for a mere £1!!!!

Now my first encounter of these was in college, when my friend had some in her bag -she had the most amazing hot pink, which i painted my nails with and instantly fell in love with! I practically ran to Tesco (ok, maybe a little bit too dramatic) desperately wanting that colour. Unfortunately they did not have that colour :'( but i came out with 4 others...

(expect to see posts about the other polishes..)

Colour: As you can see this polish is a lovely mauve, dusky pink. To me - perfect for the spring time! It's also super flattering, classy and grown up yet completely on trend. 

Consistency: I find this nail polish applies really easily - not too thick or too thin. It is highly pigmented and creates an opaque, glossy finish in just two coats. You could probably get away with one thicker coat if you were in a hurry.. 

It applies so evenly, no streaks just a solid block of colour.

Length of wear: I was SO surprised with this polish - it's like armour - it just does not chip. Most nail polishes i wear chip within 24 hours - did this? No. It had minor chipping after about 48-72hours (two/three days) which is a miracle considering the OPI nail polish didn't even last that long. And even when i painted over to fill in a chip it applied completely full and evenly; you couldn't even tell i had 'topped it up'. 

I took this off after wearing it for 4 days and it came off with ease!

I can't stop going on about how much i love this polish, it is honestly perfect to me (well, near enough). I love the colour, consistency and the fact is lasts longer than any other nail polish i have ever tried! 

I haven't tried the other colours yet but i can't wait to do so and i will be sure to update you on them too ;) 

So if you see these in your local Tesco i would honestly recommend you pick one up - for £1 they are 'cheap as chips' and you won't regret it!