Summer Nail Polishes Collab with Anjna!

It finally feels like Summer! Exams are over, the weather in the UK is so close to reaching 20 degrees and everybody is hopping on a plane to go on holiday. The lovely Anjna, who I've know from the very start of blogging, messaged me the other day and asked if I wanted to write a collab post about our favourite Summer nail polishes and I thought it would be a lovely way to kick-start a series of summer themed posts! I'll be focusing on polishes I've found work well with fair skin and Anjna's post, which I'll link here when it's been posted, will be discussing polishes that work well on tanned/darker skin.

February Favourites

February hasn't been a particularly eventful month for me. With the exception of a wonderful Valentine's Day I've just been plodding away with University work and becoming far too familiar with the library (and library snacks...oops!) Months like this often end up containing a dangerous amount of procrastination and we all know that always leads to online shopping! I've discovered some lovely new products lately that have been making this dull, dreary month a little more bearable.

Skincare & Beauty
After writing my Beauty Wishlist at the end of January, I've vowed to start taking more care of my skin and instead of splurging on make-up this year I want to invest more into skincare. So, after months of lusting over Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate (£36) I finally took the plunge and parted with my money for this curious, 30ml bottle of face oil. And it definitely lives up to the hype! I've been using 3 drops of this every single night throughout February and every morning I wake up with radiant, hydrated and healthy looking skin. It adds a little luxury into my nighttime routine and the soothing smell of lavender is so comforting when I sleep. I also adore the bottle - it may be childish but I don't think I'll ever stop enjoying squeezing the little pipette and feeling like a chemist! The next item I ticked off my wishlist was the Nuxe Rêve de Miel Ultra Nourishing Lip Balm (£9.50). Whenever the cold, wintery weather arrives my lips have always suffered terribly but after using this balm every night for a week my lips had completely healed! I would point out that this is a really thick, intensive balm that I can still feel on my lips in the morning so if you're looking for a balm you can wear underneath lipstick I wouldn't recommend this one!

As for makeup, one product has actually managed to find its way into my everyday makeup routine. I've already written a review on bareMinerals Stroke of Light Eye Brightener* (£22) that you can read here and I can't stress how much I love this product! It adds a brightness under my eyes that instantly gives the illusion that I've had 10 hours sleep when, in reality, I've probably only had 6! Another favourite of mine from bareMinerals is their Retractable Precision Brush* (£19). Is it weird that I love the feel of this brush on my skin so much I could happily sit and stroke it all day? (yeah that's pretty darn weird Becki...) It's one of the softest brushes I've ever used and I love that it's retractable. I've been keeping this in my bag all month to top up my foundation/powder on the go and it applies my makeup beautifully and deposits the powder evenly and lightly on the skin.

You've probably all seen my previous post where I talk about the Essie polishes I managed to pick for £2.49 from Fragrance Direct. Although I've only had them for two weeks I just had to include Eternal Optimist in this post. Described by Essie as a 'spiced tea rose with a dash of cream' I haven't taken this off all week and I can see this becoming my go-to nail polish when I'm in the mood for something neutral and chic.

Fragrance
If you're wondering what's in the mysterious green box in the picture below then it's my current favourite perfume - Happ & Stahns Perfumers Rose Alba Parfum Tear Catcher (£24). If you click on the link you can see how beautiful the bottle is (I feel like I'm in The Great Gatsby when I use this!) and it has the most elegant, floral rose scent. I usually only use this on special occasions as it only contains 9ml but I adore it so much I think I might have to invest in the full size. If you have an Anthropologie close by you have to pop in and smell this - I can't express in words how amazing the scent is!

Beauty Subscription
You might have noticed, if you follow me on Instagram and Twitter, that this month I received my first ever My Little Box. I had every intention to write a blog post about it but as I didn't order it until the first week of February I only received this at the very end of the month. I'm usually fickle with subscription boxes and only decide to order once I've seen what's inside each box but I loved My Little Box so much I've kept my subscription. This month the My Little Frenchie Box had 4 amazing full sized beauty products (including a £23 By Terry eyeliner!) as well two adorable lifestyle products. Birchbox, I think our on and off relationship is officially over! Everything about My Little Box is perfect - even the design and illustrations are incredible! I cannot wait for my March box and if you were thinking of subscribing you can use this code: FIRSTBOX for free shipping so your box will only be £11!

Everything Else...
TV:  True Blood. Did you know I'm obsessed with shows about Vampires? I'm addicted to The Vampire Diaries but as I'm all caught up on the latest season my boyfriend and I decided to buy the entire box set of True Blood. And oh my god it's so, so good!
Music: Besides having T Swift's Style on repeat all month I've been listening to my boyfriend's spotify playlist whilst I've been working! You can check it out here if you'd like!
Food: Salted Pistachios - I can't stop eating them! Even if they do break my nails every single time I try to get one out of the shell!

What have you been loving in February? Let me know in the comments below!

x

Essie Polish for only £2.49?!

Who would have thought that you can pick up Essie polishes at a cheaper price than Barry M?

Every couple of weeks I always check out my favourite discounted beauty website Fragrance Direct. It's my go to destination for nail varnish as they always have a great selection of high end polishes from OPI, ORLY, Essie, Ciate etc. at seriously discounted prices. Sometimes it can be hit and miss with the colour selection but every so often the site adds new stock and this week they currently have 37 Essie colours to choose from! And I'm not talking about the leftover colours that nobody ever wants in store either - I'm talking gorgeous pastel shades and even the iconic Fifth Avenue which I'm having serious regrets over for not adding it to my basket! 

Left to Right:  Muchi Muchi, Eternal Optimist, Warm & Toasty Turtle Neck

Left to Right: Parka Perfect, Take It Outside, Sew Psyched

I managed to resist buying all of the Essie polishes on Fragrance Direct and I ended up with 6 shades that will transition beautifully from winter into spring. I'm finding it almost impossible to pick a favourite - I love Muchi Muchi and Take It Outside for an elegant, neutral nail and Parka Perfect is definitely my kind of blue - not too dark or bright with a lovely hint of grey and green. I couldn't say no to Warm & Toasty Turtleneck when it had such an adorable name and Eternal Optimist surprised me by being such a subtle but beautiful rose shade. I love it so much I'm tempted to buy another as a back up as I can see myself reaching for this all year round! As for Sew Psyched, well it  isn't something I'd usually reach for but after seeing so many photos on Pinterest of khaki green nails I decided that ,for £2.49, I might as well try out the trend and I'm so excited to wear this!

I can't quite believe I picked up 6 Essie polishes for £14.94 when 1 polish usually retails for £7.99! I know I'm acting as an enabler here but I just had to share such a great deal with my readers! Fragrance Direct do charge £1.99 for shipping but it's free if you spend over £40 with the code FREEDEL40 (they also deliver to Europe, the US and other countries but shipping varies!) 

I've also just found this code VCJ438NPRYZ for 10% off but it expires on the 1st March 2015.

You can shop Essie here on Fragrance Direct. What are you waiting for? Go, go, go! 

x

Wishlist | Beauty # 1

At the end of every month, as well as gathering up my favourites, I love to make wishlists for the months ahead.  Somehow August is nearly over, summer is slowly coming to an end and, even though I'm not saying goodbye to my bright summer lipsticks just yet, I've found myself lusting over make-up with autumnal hues and products with more subtle, natural scents. Although I probably won't be able to buy every item on my wishlist in September I hope I can at least purchase one or two! (Sumptuous Olive is definitely getting picked up in the airport on my way to Prague in September!)

Meet me at Sunset...

Every so often, usually once or twice every season, I find myself completely obsessed with a new colour. (For example, this Spring I found myself in love with a turquoise green-blue shade, think China Glaze’s For Audrey and Tiffany’s classic blue!) My obsession always gets a little bit out of hand and when I’m shopping I gravitate towards absolutely anything that’s in my new coveted shade, convincing myself that it’s entirely acceptable to feel like I need to buy five lipsticks, four tops and two handbags in my new go-to colour.  So, in an attempt to control myself whilst simultaneously satisfying my colour craving, I allow myself to buy up to five new items, a sort of colour capsule, that includes make-up, clothing and accessories. However, if the colour can transition into the next season I don’t feel too guilty if I splurge and buy a few extra things! 

Inspired by hot summer nights, sunsets over the Costa del Sol and blazing campfires my current addiction is a bright, but slightly burnt looking, red-orange. Surprisingly, I only have one clothing item which is a simple vest from Topshop, £6. I wear it with everything and it instantly makes me feel summery. My favourite buy is the Florelli Paris Tote which I picked up in TK Maxx for only £35. It provides any casual look with the perfect pop of colour and I absolutely love the little purse that comes attached to it which I use to carry my favourite lip products of the moment (I bet you can’t guess what colour my favourite lipstick is right now...)

Left to right: Revlon Super Lustrous Lip Gloss in 255 Coral Kiss (£6.99), Bourjois Colour Boost Lip Crayon in 03 Orange Punch(£7.99).

I have a weakness for lip products so it was only natural that I picked up two in boots: a Revlon lipgloss as well as the Bourjois Lip Crayon. I'm a big fan of the Revlon Super Lustrous glosses and I love how pigmented Coral Kiss is. It also has a hint of golden shimmer and it looks gorgeous with a tan (I'm desperately trying to keep mine!) Bourjois' Lip Crayon is sheer, glossy and quite moisturising which makes it perfect for everyday wear! It lasts for a couple of hours on the lips before it begins to fade and you can easily build the intensity of the colour to transition from day to night. My favourite way to wear coral, however, is to combine the gloss and the crayon together!

My final purchase was my first ever Essie nail polish in Meet me at Sunset, £7.99. I'm absolutely in love with the colour and formula and I can't stop staring at my nails, they're just so pretty. After two coats my nails looked great and I think this shade will look amazing on the toes!

What's your favourite colour this summer?