nail art tutorial: summer brights.

i am well and truly british. i may have brown hair and brown eyes, and my fluency in other languages may be semi-convincing - but let me tell you that my game is totally up once a single ray of sunshine peeks out from behind the clouds. that's right. in true brit form, the moment i detect even a hint of sunshine, out goes the winter wardrobe, out comes the colourful accessories, and new hobbies begin to include reading in the "sun" (that is, anything above 15 degrees).

because of the sort-of mild weather, i've really been enjoying bright and playful nails in pastel colours. shades that remind of me liquorice allsorts, even though i actually hate them. this is one sort of style i've been wearing recently - and it's very easy to do, so read on to find out how.

l-r: model's own nail polish (3-in-1), boots expert nail and cuticle oil, barry m nail polish (lemon), dotter, model's own nail file, rimmel nail polish (rose libertine) and 17 nail polish (nightshade).

as my nails are not in tip-top condition, i began by rubbing nail oil onto them and pushed my cuticles back. i then applied the model's own nail polish as a base coat to prevent staining. then, i added the yellow polish all over. so far, so easy. this is then followed by pink triangles/ovals (triovals?) which is probably the hardest part as you have to have a steady hand as well as a good brush - and as you can probably tell by how uneven they are, i had neither! then, finish by adding a black tip across the top, followed by a base coat. the polka dots were achieved by using the wider end of the dotter, and makes it that much more interesting. alternatively, you could also go further and use the narrow end of a dotter to add another colour in the middle of the dots if you so wish.

here's to more summery looking nails!

make-up inspired by lana del rey.

can't say i'm a killer lana del rey fan. sure i like some of her music, but i have to be honest and say that i hate the rubbish she comes out with in interviews. when 'video games' came out i was like fjdghhfgdshfgshfgs this is like, SO amazing~ ...but then it just turned into total overkill. interviews everywhere, a vogue cover (gotta love uk vogue for being a massive turd when it comes to covers) and all sorts - and this was way before she even released an album! nevertheless, i saw this cover and really liked the make-up. very simple, no? so here is my take on it. 

i liked the bold cat liner and nude lips - all in all, it looks pretty retro and classic. however, i had to tweak it for a few reasons. firstly, i don't have the products to add that 'sheen' to the liner that is in the cover. if you really want to have that effect, just apply your liner as you normally would and then add mac's 'mixing medium shine' on top. i don't own it because i can't justify it, but it would look awesome. i'm also lacking in white eyeliner (for the waterline), which has mysteriously vanished. also, lana's matte lipstick is also exceptionally pale (it's not far off her own complexion) which would never, ever work for me - so i had to change that too. i am also sorry to say that i also have misplaced my bumblebee.

all of that aside, it's so basic - a really easy look. even if i did somehow end up with a lot of eyeliner on my hands. in lana's cover, the flick is a little longer but as i'm a regular joe, i also toned it down a little. 

face: no 7 lift and luminate day cream, sephora base subliminatrice, bourjois healthy mix foundation (52), collection 2000 lasting perfection concealer (#2), clinique airbrush concealer (03 light), mac mineralize skinfinish (medium plus).

eyes: urban decay primer potion, revlon 8-hour colourstay quad (in the buff), urban decay eyeshadow (virgin), maybelline gel liner, rimmel exaggerate liquid liner, max factor false lash effect mascara, mac eyebrow pencil (stud), the body shop brow & lash gel.

cheeks: illamasqua (lover).

lips: no 7 lip pencil (nude), revlon lipstick (mauve it over).

i'm also realling loving silver nails at the moment. adele rocked the grammys and i loved her nails so much ('jewel' by deborah lippman)! but as the broke ass bitch that i currently am, i gotta make do with what i've got. silver? glitter? even more glitter? oh go on then. a little bit of NASA, a little bit of drag queen, and a little bit of ghetto diva. you just have to love it.

nails - barry m (silver), gosh (silver star), barry m (hologram hexograms).

30 day shred.

[MY WORD. my last post seems to have been viewed by everyone and their dog! the other day i was rather chuffed at having had 100 daily views (i'm a very simple girl) and yesterday, 330! how exciting. don't think i'll ever top that, haha...]

right. as i'm sure any frequent reader will know, i bitch a lot about my workload a lot. and it really is a lot. so much so that i feel really tense and stressed a lot of the time. so, i thought it would be the perfect time to begin jillian michael's 30 day shred. i really do hope that i stick with it, but as it stands i'm feeling positive. yes, this really is a boring fitness post.

see how ruff and tuff and tanned and tousled she is?

what do i want from it? well, i don't want to be stick thin or anything, and i mean that! i just do not want to be 'skinny fat' anymore - something caused by lots of cardio, lots of carbs, and not enough protein. i look okay so long as i have clothes on, but in a bikini? hell to the NO. i want to be toned and lose a few inches from my waist really. i mean really -  the only thing that's tight on me right now is my forehead. i had a peek at the dvd last night and boy, it's a cracker. favourite lines include: "I WANT TO MAKE YOU FEEL LIKE YOU ARE GOING TO DIE", "CAN YOU HANDLE DIS? HEHEHE NO U CANT LOL" AND "IF YOU WANT ABS LIKE THESE YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO WORK FOR IT, GIMME 5 MORE"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i've measured absolutely everything (seriously, everything except my eyeballs) and i can't wait to report back in 30 days - hopefully with results! if it is a success then i'd definitely like to keep it afterwards and incorporate it into my usual exercise routine. i have taken before pictures but i'm a little bit nervous so i'll hold onto those until the 30 days are up. ;)

anyway, beauty-wise (gotta have some consistency in this blog!), i've really been loving hot pink and/or fuchsia shades for my nails recently. i just think they're super bright and super fun, and cheer me up when the weather is so grey and miserable outside. these are my top three, covering a range of budgets.

left to right: opi - do you think i'm tex-y?, no 7 - jammy, barry m - shocking pink.

pink sunday! no? does that not work?

i am busy busy busy. busy doing uni work, busy writing, busy editing, busy drafting, busy applying. unfortunately this sort of work doesn't come with an expiry, and so things will be very hectic from now until june. it's solid work, and absolutely exhausting. i hope that i don't neglect this blog too much as a result of that.

what can i say. i'm back on the pink lipsticks. i would do a post on my lipstick collection but that would be taking my workload up to another level, haha! as it's winter and very drab outside, this was admittedly an unusual choice - my outfit was very grey and so i just needed that pop of colour. i usually go for the more deeper, less in-your-face pinks when it's cold outside. nevertheless, i absolutely love this shade and the fact that it's a cremesheen formulation makes it even better - it's super duper creamy and extremely long-lasting.

face: 17 photo primer, mac studio fix fluid (nw30), clinique airbrush concealer (03 light), mac mineralize skinfinish (medium plus).
eyes: urban decay primer potion, urban decay eyeshadows (virgin, oil slick, tiny bit of twice baked), rimmel kohl pencil, rimmel exaggerate liquid liner, max factor false lash effect mascara, mac eyebrow pencil (stud).
cheeks: sleek blush (rose gold).
lips: mac (speak louder).

i am also rather proud of myself for finding a nail polish that is the exact match of my lipstick. loooooooook! it's like they're dupes of each other. i bought this along with barry m's grey nail polish (does it have a shade name? it probably does) as i've been hankering over a grey nail polish for the longest time.

nails - barry m (shocking pink).

this pink actually isn't so shocking - it isn't neon or some kind of baby pink barbie shade. it's a really sweet, bright berry-pink, and is totally me (i actually HATE it when people say "that's so me~", what have i become)... i wore it for about 4 days which is possibly a new record and it didn't chip once despite me skipping a top coat. considering how cheap barry m is, i really really love it.

gushfest over.

polka dot nails.

recently i've been wearing patterns on my nails. i find the process oddly therapeutic. the easiest (by far) is a simple polka dot. this is a totally botched job as i rushed it, but i do love the nail polishes i used.

i really can't be bothered to have seperate nail polishes for the base and top coat. personally i think it is a little frivolous if you're a regular joe like me who changes nail polishes daily and have a terrible habit of peeling them off. for that reason, i've always used 3-in-1 polishes from barry m or model's own. both do the job. i wear nail polish every single day but my nails are hardly stained when in reality, they should be. just sayin'.

i then applied rimmel's 'ethereal', a light pearly pink. following that, i then used a dotter. i'm surprised that many people i know haven't heard of these, but then again, i can't even remember the first time i stumbled across them. i got mine off ebay and it was dirt cheap.

using the larger end of the dotter, i then dipped it in model's own 'denim' (a mid-tone blue) and lightly applied it to my nails. and then ta-da! polka dot nails. it really is that simple. apply a top coat and you're done.

soap & glory hand food.

this is the latest love of my life. we've been going strong for about five months now. by 'we', i obviously mean myself and soap & glory's hand food (£4.85). i, love, this. the smell is absolutely gorgeous, a mixture of shea butter, macadamia oil and marshmallow (apparently) ... (i don't smell no macadamia oil).

nail polish - barry m (lemon).

i really like using this during the warmer months as it is not overly intensive and therefore takes far less time to absorb into the skin. i never stick to products all-year round as i find that it doesn't work for me at all (i get by far better if i am actually responding to whatever is up with my skin) - but this would be great to have.

alternative hand creams i swear by are by dove and no 7. dove's rich nourishing beauty handcream (£2) is really rich and ideal for winter when the cold and central heating causes havoc with the moisture in your skin. doesn't smell too bad either actually, and the small size is deceptive; it will last you a very long time. no 7's protect and perfect hand cream (£10.50, ouch) is also a great product but more suited towards people with old lady hands as it contains collagen. i personally love it because it's even lighter than hand food and feels incredibly silky on the skin. for some bizarre reason, it does honestly make your hands appear younger, and photographs like a dream. that's right: if you've been dreaming of becoming a hand model your entire life, get your hands (ZING) on that product now.

brb gagging.

in other news: i've been busy at work and for some reason the deadline for everything (perhaps life itself) seems to be tomorrow. i got caught in the rain today too, it wasn't very pleasant.