All Things Bright and Beauty-Ful - Beauty Reviews - Festive Nail Polish Picks.

Hi!!

It's Blogmas Day Nine and I'm going to do that really annoying thing and ask - how are we already at Day Nine? Today's post is a beauty related one. I always say that one of my favourite easy ways to feel festive is to paint my nails in a super Christmassy fashion and today I wanted to share my favourite products for doing so.

For most beauty-lovers, Christmas just wouldn't be Christmas without red nail polish and I must say I agree. Maybelline Colour Show nail polish in the shade Downtown Red has been my go-to red nail polish for ages now. It's a slightly darker, wine-like red than a bright cherry red but I really like it because it's really wearable and it has quite a winter-y feel to it. It lasts well and I can usually get a good few days out of it before it starts to look a little worse-for-wear.

If you're looking for something different but still very festive, then I'd recommend a forest green shade like this Barry M's Gelly High Shine polish - the one in the photo is the shade Watermelon but I can't find it online so I've linked the very similar shade Black Pistachio. It's the darkest shade of all the products I'm showing you today and as such it makes an amazing base for glitter polishes and also looks very sophisticated when worn alone, making it ideal to wear to any slightly more formal or fancy Christmas parties. This one also has a fair amount of staying power, which is a big plus.

From the darkest shade of the bunch to the lightest, next up is a clean, crisp, white shade, like Rimmel's 60 High Shine polish in White Hot Love (I adore Rimmel nail polishes, they are amazing, they last so, so well and have great pigmentation). I love white nail polish, I think it looks so effortlessly cool and it's perfect for Christmas-time because I'm sure all of us dream of a White Christmas (and if you don't, then you're wrong and you should). It's also a versatile choice that will look good with nearly all of your outfits and makeup looks so if you've got lots of plans that are all polar opposites (haha) to each other, then this could be a good choice for you.

  

My current favourite way to jazz up a manicure is to paint each of my nails a different colour - wearing the red, green and white on alternate nails and I absolutely love it - it looks really cool and super pretty and a little bit different.

Thanks for reading Blogmas Day Nine!

What are your favourite nail polishes to wear at this time of year? Do you have any other comments or suggestions for future posts? Let me know in the comments.

I hope you enjoyed today's post!

Have a beautiful day!

GingerSnaps xxx

Makeup Your Mind - Makeup and Beauty Inspiration and Tips - Where to Spend and Where to Save.

Hi!!!

Good afternoon, everyone. I hope you've enjoyed your weekend. Today I have a beauty related post for you. I find posts like this really interesting and useful, and hopefully you'll agree once you've read this one. I've gone through each makeup category and after careful consideration, have come up with some recomendations for you. Enjoy.

Primer: Save

Having used primers from Nars and Rimmel, I honestly think that there isn't all that much difference between high end and high street primers. The consistency of the high end ones may be a little bit nicer to apply, but in terms of staying power, which is what you're using a primer for, I think the Rimmel one is just as effective.

Product recomendations: Rimmel London Match Perfection Fix & Perfect Primer, £6.99

Foundation: Spend

I personally prefer high end foundations - high end brands tend to have a better colour range, much nicer consistencies, last longer, and have a much better finish overall. I think it is definitely worth spending on foundation, and my skin certainly prefers slightly more expensive foundations.

Product recomendations: Nars Sheer Glow Foundation, £32.

Concealer: Save

I haven't really got any experience with high end concealers because I've always liked the high street offerings so much that I've never really been fussed by them. I think that the high street has plenty of good offerings and you'll be able to find a range of consistencies and application methods in your local Boots store. The only thing is that the colour range might not be as broad, which will obviously be an issue for some more than others.

Product recommendations: Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer, £4.19.

Powder: Save

I've only ever used high street powders, although I would like to branch out and try high end versions at some point. I've always been able to find a range of pressed and loose powders on the high street, and so I've always been content saving my money.

 

Product recommendations: Rimmel London Match Perfection Silky Loose Powder, £6.99, Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder, £3.99, Maybelline Fit Me Powder, £5.99.

Eye Shadow: Save or Spend

I have a lot of eye shadow in my makeup collection and it ranges from MAC and Lancôme to Sleek and Maybelline. I think that deciding to save or spend on eye shadow depends on the colour and finish you want. I rate eye shadows from both ends of the price spectrum, and so I would recommend choosing based on your own preferences.

 

Product recommendations: Maybelline Color Tattoo 24hr Cream Gel Eyeshadow, £4.99, Sleek Makeup I-Divine Eye Shadow Palettes, £8.99, MAC Cosmetics Eye Shadow, £13.99, Lancôme Hypnôse Doll Eyes Eye Shadow Palette, £38.

 

 

Mascara: Spend

I have to say spend because my favourite mascara is high end, and because I find the difference between cheap and more expensive mascaras to be very noticeable, more so than with most other products. For colour, texture and consistency, and definition and volume, I'd say high end all the way.

 

Product recommendations: Lancôme 'Hypnôse Doll Eyes' Mascara, £24.50.

 

Eyeliner: Save

I'm talking about eyeliner pencils and Kohl pencils here, because I don't like liquid liner and struggle with it anyway. I have found a lot of high street eyeliner pencils have a really fantastic consistency and don't drag along your eye. I have a Kevin Aucoin pencil that I like, but I certainly rate Max Factors offerings and would recommend saving before spending.

 

Product recommendations: Max Factor Kohl Eye Liner Pencil, £4.99.

Blusher: Save

This is because my absolute favourite blush is from Sleek Makeup, a high street beauty brand. I love the Sleek blushers for their colour range, staying power and pigmentation - you only need the tiniest bit to get a strong colour pay off. They are incredible value and I can't see a reason to spend when these are available.

Product recommendations: Sleek Makeup Blush, £4.99.

Lipstick: Save or Spend

I am a lipstick lover. Lipstick is my most used and probably most loved makeup item. My collection ranges from high street to high end and I like them all for different reasons. Ultimately I look for nice colours, a comfortable texture, a quality finish and staying power. I have found this at both ends of the price spectrum and I think it depends on what colour you want, quite how much you fancy treating yourself.

Product recommendations: Max Factor Colour Elixir Lipstick, £7.99, Chanel Rouge Coco Shine, £28, MAC Cosmetics Lipstick, £16.50, Rimmel London Colour Rush Balm, £5.99, Revlon Colorburst Balm Stain, £7.99., Collection Lasting Colour Lipstick, £2.99.

Setting Spray: Spend

I think that you get what you pay for with setting spray. I think it's worth spending a bit more because it really does make a difference to the staying power and finish of your makeup. I find it so useful, and it means you can go out without worrying about your makeup moving it's way down your face.

Product recommendations: Urban Decay 'Chill' Setting Spray, £23.50.

 

I hope you've enjoyed reading this.

What are your favourite beauty products? Do you have any other comments or suggestions for future posts? Let me know in the comments. I'd love to hear from you.

Thanks for reading. Speak soon.

 

Have a beautiful day!

 

GingerSnaps xxx



All Things Bright and Beauty-Ful - Beauty Reviews - Summer Nail Polish Shades featuring MoYou and Rimmel.

Hi!!!

How's it going? I decided that I'd write something today in between PBS documentaries and cartoons (a strange sounding combination, but a very interesting/entertaining one). Today I have a beauty post for you. I've not really reviewed or talked about nail polish or art here before, but I thought you might want some recommendations for some quality summer shades. Let's get into it.

 

The first nail polishes I have to talk to you about are MoYou London Nail Lacquers.

MoYou London first came to my attention when one of my cousins bought me a set of their polishes as a Christmas present. I admit that I hadn't heard of the brand before but I am very impressed with their products.

 

'Cool Pool' is a fresh blue-toned green, 'White Knight' is a clean white, and 'Sweet Lips' is a fun pink. I think that they have altered the shade range, however, since I first got mine, because 'Cool Pool' seems much more of a true blue colour on the website at the moment - 'Turquoise Mint' seems closer to my 'Cool Pool'. Sorry if this is confusing, I just don't want to give you misinformation.

 

 I've found them all to be long lasting - I recently wore 'Cool Pool' without a top coat and it still lasted three days before chipping. The packaging is simple and pretty - metallic lids with clear bottles.
 The brush is wide, but not so wide that it leads to clumsy application, which is good.

 The polish is great quality at an affordable price ('Sweet Lips' and 'Cool Pool' cost £4.99, 'White Knight' is more pricey at £6.99). I'd recommend treating yourself to a bottle or two.

 

I also have a Rimmel product to mention.

 

I decided last year that I wanted to get a pink nail polish to wear on my birthday. I wanted a sugary pink colour, but not an overbearing neon shade.

The answer was a Rimmel London 60 Seconds Super Shine By Rita Ora nail polish in the shade 'Sweet Retreat'.
It's a different shade of pink than the MoYou one - it's lighter and more 'pink' (if that makes sense), whereas the MoYou one is more of a muted tone.

 

It's a gorgeous colour, very true to the shade you see in the bottle. It lasts well, especially if you use it with a top coat and, although it doesn't dry in 60 seconds, it is a great summer all rounder.

It is really cheap, too, at just £2.99 per bottle. Big love for this one.

And those are my picks. Shout out to Hand Food and Heel Genius, Soap and Glory's brilliant hand and food creams. I really want to try the Sugar Crush Hand Food, too.

 

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed the post and maybe found some new products to try.

What are you favourite nail polish shades? What brands would you recommend? Do you have any comments or suggestions for future posts? Let me know in the comments.

Have a good weekend, everyone and enjoy the rest of today.

 

Have a totally fantastic day!

 

GingerSnaps xxx

Makeup Your Mind - Makeup and Beauty Inspiration and Tips - An Ode To My Rouge Coco Shine.

Hi!!!

Bonjour, how are you? Good, I hope. I want to talk makeup today, so lets begin.

 

This lovely lippy is from Chanel. It is a Rouge Coco Shine in the shade Boy (number 54) and I love it. The formula is absolutely divine and it certainly feels high end. I'm told by the Selfridges site that it contains jojoba, sunflower and mimosa waxes, which is probably why it is such a hydration, comfortable lipstick.

 I really love the colour, too, its perfect for creating a soft, more natural look with an added glamour which makes it well suited to special occasions. The shades are all named after some of the most important people in Chanel's life, which is a nice touch.

The packaging is obvs stunning, too. It's just such an elegant lipstick in terms of colour, formula, packaging (and brand, but maybe that's a superficial thing to say...) and I adore it. I know it's pricey, but it is one to put on your birthday wishlist, gal pals (that's how I got mine).

 

Thank you for joining me today. I hope you've enjoyed this and that I might have helped you discover a new beauty favourite - I'm always happy to be the instigator for your beauty buys.
What are your favourite beauty products? Have you tried any Chanel products? What did you think? Got any comments or suggestions for future posts? Let me know in the comments.
Enjoy the rest of your Tuesday!

I hope your day is full of fun!

 

GingerSnaps xxx 
 
 

All Things Bright and Beauty-ful! - Beauty Product Review - The Body Shop Ginger Sparkle Range.

Hi!!!

Christmas time is a special time. The time off from day to day life and hard work is a great time to relax and soak up the festivities. I know one way of relaxing that always works is a spot of pampering. I tend to dedicate an evening to it, and indulge myself in stunning bath and body products, skincare and hair care. I don't know about you guys, but my favourite stops for pamper essentials are The Body Shop, Lush and Soap and Glory. So, it only feels right that I talk about some of the bath and body products that I like to use at Christmas time.

(I do not work in partnership with any brands, and have no interest in doing so. I just wanted to share some products with you that I enjoy and have no motives other than sharing my favourite kinds of things with you. This post is not sponsored by anybody or any company. It's just not how I roll.)

I want to tell you about some of the Limited Edition products for Christmas from The Body Shop.

 

My favourite one of their Limited Edition ranges is Ginger Sparkle.

 

Last year, I tried and tested some Ginger Sparkle products on Christmas Eve and fell in love with them.

One of my favourite scents in the world is ginger, and so when this range was first introduced last year, I was very happy. This year, it is back and better than ever.

 

The products I have used are the Shower Gel, the Body Butter, the Lip Balm, and the Hand Cream.

 

First things first, lets start with the Ginger Sparkle Shower Gel, found (HERE).

This Shower Gel smells utterly amazing. It is very fresh and "zingy" (is "zingy" a word?), but still has a deep and festive scent. It smells like actual ginger, as opposed to a gingerbread kind of smell, but I feel like this is a nicer scent for a Bath and Body range. I found that this lathered nicely, but it does take a while to get it going.

The packaging is practical and sturdy, but the little gingerbread man on the front is really cute.
I like this product lots.

 

Second up is the Ginger Sparkle Body Butter (HERE).

Again, this has the unique scent. I often find that when you venture into the Limited Edition ranges, the product lacks. This is not the case here. This product is just as moisturising as the other Body Shop Body Butters. They do wonders for many people, and this will carry out those wonders very well, if you are one of those people. Even if they don't work said wonders, the Body Butters do still provide moisture to the skin and are very effective. The Ginger Sparkle Body Butter has a rich consistency, providing a sense of pampering.

Also, the packaging is sweet and festive, which appeals to the Christmas bug that I am.

This product is an effective moisturiser to keep dry skin at bay this Christmas.

 

Next up is a handbag essential for me at Christmas time. I'm talking about the Ginger Sparkle Lip Balm, which you can find over (HERE).

Rather unsurprisingly, this lip balm tastes/smells like the other products in this range... oooh yum...

It is very compact, so great for your handbag, but is not so compact you have to use it sparingly. You get a lot of bang for you buck with this one. The balm has a slight tint and gentle shimmer to it, which gives an added boost and also spreads a bit of festive sparkle. It moisturises my lips really well, and locks it in. It works very well.

The packaging is very unique, a dome in which the raised balm sits. You can apply with your finger, but I prefer to push the dome onto my lips, as this is effective for on the go use.

I love this product.

 

Finally, the Ginger Sparkle Hand Cream (HERE).

Big shocker now - it smells like the other products in this range... Oh, how I love that smell... Be still my beating heart. This hand cream is very luxurious, more so than it's price tag would suggest. It is very rich, but is not oily whatsoever. It is the perfect size to keep in your bag, and is really effective. You only need a small amount to moisturise both of your hands nicely. This really does beat it's price tag.

Ginger Sparkle Hand Cream comes in an easy to use squeezy tube and has that cheeky little gingerbread man on the front.

This product is great.

 

To see the rest of the products in the range, mosey on over (HERE).

 

Overall, I highly recommend this range and hope that you will go out and try one or two pieces from this range. As far as I'm concerned, it is completely worth it. If you do become obsessed like I am, I suggest you stock up while you can, since it is only around at Christmas time.

This range would also make a great gift. Just check out this Ginger Sparkle Shower, Scrub & Moisture Collection (HERE). Isn't that tin just the cutest?

 

 

That's that for today then, everybody. I hope that you've enjoyed this post and that it has inspired you to take out some time to relax during the buzz of the festive season. If you have any questions about the products, any ideas for festive posts you'd like to see, let me know in the comments. Also, if you have any ideas for other festive bath and body products that might be of interest, let me know and I'll check them out.

 

Have a day filled with (ginger) sparkle!

 

GingerSnaps xxx

All Things Bright and Beauty-ful! - Beauty Product Review - NARS Sheer Glow Foundation Review.

Hi!!!

If you read THIS post a little while ago, you'll know that I treated myself to NARS Sheer Glow Foundation in Mont Blanc. I'd been eyeing this foundation up for absolutely ages and one of the reasons I was so interested in this foundation was because of all the brilliant reviews that it had from all the wonderful bloggers and YouTube beauty gurus. So, I thought since I used their reviews as an excuse to buy this product, I thought I'd write one so that you can use mine as an excuse to purchase it, as well as all the others.

 

 

The Product. 





 

 

 

 

 

What NARS Promise. 

 

 

In their own words, NARS promise a "glowing, natural radiant finish foundation" that has "sheer" yet "buildable" coverage, that "evens out skin tone". NARS claim that it will leave skin "hydrated, more luminous, softer and smoother". NARS also claim that if  "used daily, Sheer Glow Foundation improves the skin's brightness and texture".  

 

According to NARS, Sheer Glow Foundation contains powerful anti-oxidants that will protect against skin damaging free radicals. It also contains turmeric extract that supposedly improves the skin's tone and radiance.

 

NARS recommend this foundation for Normal, Normal to Dry and Dry Skin Types. If you however have an oily skin,  NARS also sell NARS Sheer Matte Foundation, available (HERE).
 

What I think of NARS Sheer Glow Foundation.

 

I really love this foundation.

 

This foundation feels beautiful on the skin - it's cool on application and it doesn't feel heavy on the skin. It really does make the skin look more glowing and radiant and it has such a beautiful finish. My skin doesn't feel or look cakey or dried out after using it.

Also, it's brilliant for someone like me with sensitive skin because it's fragrance free and dermatologically tested.

This foundation wears brilliantly on the skin and lasts for most of the day (between 5 and 7 hours depending on how hot it is outside)  - please do note that I use this foundation, as I do with every foundation I wear, with primer.

 I apply it at a medium coverage, but it is definitely buildable. Also, if you prefer a lighter coverage, just use it sparingly and consider applying with your hands.

 I tend to apply it with a Real Techniques Buffing Brush - part of the Core Collection (HERE) - or just with my hands. Both give a really lovely finish. I don't think that there is a bad way to apply Sheer Glow.

 

NARS Sheer Glow photographs beautifully. It contains no SPF which is great if your moisturiser has an SPF in (since you aren't supposed to layer SPF's) and also means that it won't flashback in photographs.

 

Something else that really impressed me was the packaging - a sturdy yet elegant glass bottle which is cool to the touch and fits perfectly in my makeup bag as well as looking beautiful on my dressing table with an almost velvety lid. My only issue with the packaging is the fact that the lid does pick up foundation covered finger prints and marks very easily... But you can't have it all I suppose.

 

I can't vouch for the improvement of the brightness of skin and texture that comes from using it everyday because I don't wear foundation everyday - sorry (I don't see the point if I'm just going to Tesco and popping round to see my Auntie). However, since this foundation delivered on everything else, I'd imagine that it would on this, even just a bit.

 

Would I recommend it?

 

I would highly recommend this product to anyone with a normal, normal to dry, or dry skin who is looking for a premium foundation that will photograph beautifully and make their skin look stunning. I cannot recommend this highly enough. It's worth all the hype that it has received. It's my dream foundation to date...

 

Where you can buy NARS Sheer Glow and how much does it cost.

 

 NARS Sheer Glow retails for £30.50 and is easily accessible to purchase at Space NK (website HERE) and Selfridges & Co (website HERE) stores. It is also available on the NARS website (HERE). The NARS website also has a list of stores that stock NARS products - mentioned above and others - and their locations, so its worth a look.

 

The final word.

 

 That's it for today then, guys. I hope that you've enjoyed this post - my first beauty review. If you have enjoyed it then do let me know in the comments. Do you have NARS Sheer Glow? Do you agree with what I've said? And if not, have you got your eye on it? I assume you have.

 

I hope that your day is absolutely brilliant.

 

GingerSnaps xxx