Mermaid stencil nails

Recently I seem to have developed an uncontrollable love for all things mermaid!

Mermaid hair, mermaid nails ..literally everything!

I had seen some really pretty mermaid nails on Instagram and decided to have a go myself.

I chose to use stencils from a company called Nail Mail rather than try and paint on the scales myself with a metallic gold base coat and different shades of purples (including some glitter of course.

I painted my nails with one coat of the metallic gold (Barry M) the painted a clear coat over the top then left to dry for 15 minutes - this step is essential to stop the stencil pulling off the base coat later on.

I then applied the stencil to all nails on one hand (it helps if you have quite narrow nails to cute the stencil in half that way you have less waste meaning you have stencil left over for next time!) I decided to leave a feature nail plain gold.

I used 4 different purple shades over the stencils - Barry M purple glitter, China glaze in a dark pink shade and lilac shade and OPI in Significant Other Colour. I used a small sponge and tweezers to dab on each colour to give a slight mottled effect rather than just using on solid colour.

I found it is better to do one nail at a time then peel the stencil off straight away while the paint it is still wet to avoid the paint drying and the stencil pulling off some of the paint potentially ruining the effect.

Finish with a nice shiny clear top coat and voila ..perfect mermaid nails!

You can use literally any combination of colours to create this effect, the possibilities really are endless!

Stencils - £3.95 from Nail Mail
Midi rings - £3 for set of 3 Primark

How to get the perfect tan

Being an Essex girl I love to be tanned even in the Autumn/Winter months but getting that beautiful bronze skin is easier said than done especially when you live in cold, rainy England.

Us English girls cursed with ghosty complexions have to find alternative ways of catch a tan when sunning it up on the beach isn't an option.

There are various ways one can achieve the bronzed babe look from sunbeds and fake tan to more extreme ways such as melanin injections.

Sunbeds and injections carry with them a whole host of dangerous side effects from risks of skin cancer to possible infection - anyone who truly cared for their skin would run for the hills if offered either of these.

So what about fake tan? There are what seems like 1000s of fake tanning products available on the high street, in beauty salons and online these days ranging from rub on wash off gels, creams and wipes and gradual tan moisturisers to professional spray tans. Choosing fake tan can be a bit of a maze, especially for a tanning novice.

What will give the best results and won't cost the earth? Everyone's opinion is different but trying a few different inexpensive products that take your fancy is a good place to start.

Spray tans are also a great way to achieve a holiday glow when done properly but can become a bank breaker if you're having them done often like I do. At £15-£25 a pop for a few days of looking like a goddess the costs start to stack up.

After debating buying a pricey spray tanning machine and all of the equipment myself I stumbled across what I would describe as a god send.

A fake tan off the high street with the effects of a spray tan ..is this even possible? Apparently so!

I was shopping Primarks new PS beauty range in search of some new spring nail colours and a big pink bottle (I love pink!) caught my eye ..Cocoa Brown by Marissa Carter. I had heard good things about this tanning range so decided to give it a go ..at £6 what did I have to loose?
I have been through hundreds of tanning products and spray tan brands and this is by far the best I have ever used!

It is applied as a mousse (use a tanning mitt to avoid tango hands) use a small amount of mousse for each section of your body eg feet, lower leg, thigh etc etc and ensure you have rubbed all tan in properly and evenly to avoid and streaks or pale patches, if need be get someone to check for you if you have missed any areas then leave for 1-3 hours and voilà! Fresh off the beach tan ready for your night out! For a light glow leave on for an hour then shower off and pat dry gently with a towel. For a deep tan I would suggest leaving it on over night and washing it off in the morning just like you would do with a spray tan - only do this if you like a medium/dark tan!

No more orange streaky messes here!

Cocoa Brown by Marissa Carter - £6 Primark

Scandaleyes VS Trichotillomania

Over the last few weeks I have been majorly slacking on the blog posts, I know, I can only apologise and promise to be more active! 😘

So I wanted it post about an issue that's close to home for me and see if there are any other girls out there that suffer with this too. Even the most calm people can suffer from stress sometimes and of course, everyone has their own ways of dealing with it ..unfortunately mine happens to be a confidence killer called Trichotillomania.

Trichotillomania is a condition where a person has the overwhelming urge to pull out their hair, whether it be the hair on their head, eyebrows, eyelashes or pretty much any other area, the impulsive feeling to pull just builds tension until you give in to it.
My weakness happens to be my eyelashes, as I have practically no eyebrows (the joys of being blonde) and I have micro loop extensions which just about stops me pulling my hair out, and often even when I am only the slightest bit stressed I begin to tear my eyelashes out, sometimes without even realising, especially when I am asleep.

Can you imagine? Waking up with no eyelashes on one eye? Even the thought can be scary let alone the reality of it.

There are people out there who believe 'it's not even a big deal?' But thinking about it when you talk to people face to face eye contact is everything and knowing you have a naked eye can really affect how you communicate, constantly worrying if they can 'see how odd your eyes are'.

I was told by my doctor there isn't a necessary cure as all cases are different so I have to just manage it as it comes, there is no stopping it but I have found ways to hide the damage done until the eyelashes grow back again.

With a mixture of mascara, eyeliner and false eye lashes, feeling better about my condition has gotten easier, although nothing compares the real thing I don't have to worry about my eyes bald patches!

When stress kicks in and the pulling Starts I tend to aim for certain sections of eyelashes (subconsciously of course) where hiding the gaps can be difficult, usually from the corners to the middle where gaps become quite obvious, but for any of you girls suffering with this too all is not lost! I have found some beauty tricks that can hide any unwanted gaps and help you face the world without having to feel self conscious!

Depending on the size of a gap in my eyelashes I use a thick, dark mascara to almost fill in the gaps if they aren't too bad, I find volume sing mascara works best for this and my new favourite is the Rimmel Scandaleyes Retro Glam extreme black mascara - although this is the product I would recommend it is thick and can clump easily so keep a thin mascara brush on hand to brush away all those clumps! Spider lashes are so 5 years ago...
For added lash gap camouflage add a thin line of eyeliner on your eyelid along you lash line - my favourite is the Scandaleyes wanted proof micro liner in black.

When gaps aren't as easy to disguise the best option is false eyelashes. A daunting idea for anyone not familiar or comfortable with wearing them. My advice would be to start small, possibly using Eylure glue on lashes in number 050. These are tiny, light weight and so easy to apply, perfect for any beginners or novice lash lovers. My personal favourites are Eylure number 116 lashes as these are super long and add volume while hiding those god awful gaps! These can be worn all day comfortably and usually will last all day without needing to reapply. Applying any eyelashes can be tricky at first but as the old saying goes ..practice makes perfect!

For my fellow Trichotillomaniacs (I don't even know if that's a word?) who experience this with their eyebrows, there so many products available now days for filling and drawing on eyebrows, that camouflaging any gaps you may have is easier than ever, from powder kits to pencils and stencils (pun not intended).

I would recommend the retractable sleek eyebrow pencil to anyone, whether you're a beginner or expert when it comes to eyebrows as it super easy to use, it has a thin tip making precise shaping simple and comes in all shades, even blonde!

Scandaleyes Retro Glam Black mascara: £6.99 Superdrug
Scandaleyes black waterproof micro liner: £5.49 Superdrug
Eylure lashes: £5 Superdrug
Sleek eyebrow pencil: £5.99 Superdrug

Hopefully this helps some of you other ladies suffering from this. Comments always appreciated 💌

Burgundy matte nails - Barry M review

Burgundy matte nails - Barry M review

As the matte nails craze continues I finally caved into trying the Barry M Matte Nail Paint range.

As my favourite colour of the season is burgundy I thought it was a bit of a no brainer to buy the Matte paint in the shade 'Crush'. It's a gorgeous deep burgundy colour and matches perfectly with dark lipstick!

The paint come in the standard Barry M bottle with an average sized brush but is extremely easy to apply. As the paint dries quite quickly it is important to paint each nail quickly and precisely so the paint dries with an even finish.

I would recommend this product to anyone wanting to try out Matte nails as each paint is only £3.99, so if you decide it's not for you, you haven't lost a small fortune and I would also recommend the Barry M Matte Nail Paint to any Matte nail enthusiasts out there!

I purchased this product at Superdrug for £3.99 ❤️

O.P.I 'Mod My Day' review

O.P.I 'Mod My Day'

I have a new fav nail colour I would love to share with you guys.

As you may know I'm a massive fan of anything pink and pink nails are usually a must for me! I'm also a big fan of O.P.I nail lacquers as the colours are always bold, no washout colours that seem to need 100 coats to achieve the colour you expect, and there are so mama colours available there is one for every outfit, season and mood!

I recently purchased 'Mod My Day' by O.P.I and it's safe to say it did not disappoint!

The pastel pink/lilac shade ties in perfectly with A/W 14 pastel trends and compliments any nail shape and length ..this colour is an all round MUST HAVE! 💕

Purchased from Debenhams £11.50

Bootea teatox final review

I have now finished my 14 day Bootea teatox and as promised, I am going to share my results with you all!

The 14 day teatox consists of a daytime tea to drink in the mornings on a daily basis and a night time tea to drink in the evenings every other day.

Daytime teatox - Chinese Oolong tea, ginger root, fennel seeds, nettle leaves, lemongrass, dandelion leaves, ginseng root and gotu kola leaves. Best left in boiling water for 3 minutes and has a light ginger and slightly floral taste.

Night time cleanse - Senna leaves, peppermint leaves, Fenugreek leaves, liquorice root, burdock root, hawthorn leaves, valerian root and psyllium seeds. Also best left in boiling water for roughly 3 minutes but the taste of the night time tea is similar to peppermint tea rather than green tea. Great news if, like myself, you are a lover of peppermint tea.

The daytime tea is perfect in the morning as it gives you a little energy boost and, as I mentioned before, helps keep you hydrated as the tea is obviously made with water! I found the tea helped speed up my metabolism while at the same time suppressed my cravings for naughty food during the day and also helped me choose healthier options for lunch as I could think with my brain and not my stomach! After a week or so I also noticed less breakouts and clearer skin.

The night time cleanse on the other hand seemed to have little effect on me. The idea is that the ingredients, mainly senna and liquorice root, are meant to aid the clearing out of your colon without getting too graphic! I have read reviews that describe the night time cleanse as a 'nightmare' but honestly unless you are eating rubbish all day every day or you have existing colon issues, I believe the night time cleanse just helps along what would happen naturally - no horror movie scenes here!

Unfortunately Bootea does not offer a 100% guarantee, so if you don't feel it agrees with you or simply don't like it you're stuck with it, which is a bit of a downside but from  my personal experience and all the happy reviews I've read I would definitely recommend the product for anyone looking to loose weight, stop bloating or just to help kick start a healthier diet.

I hope my review will help you decide whether Bootea is right for you - good luck! If you have any questions feel free to ask ❤️

Bootea detox - Day 9!

Just a quick update of my Bootea teatox girls.

Day 9 of my teatox and I'm happy to report I've lost 4lbs already!
That's even after a few cheeky slices of pizza over the weekend!

Of course, the teatox does require a pretty clean diet to have the best effect so I wouldn't suggest any cheat days to anyone looking to try this detox in order to loose weight.

As for the other effects of the Bootea teatox I've found for me personally it has helped clear my skin quite dramatically and also stopped bloating after I eat, which was the main reason I turned to Bootea.

Another huge side effect (in a good way) would be the reduction of cravings In between meals - I find working in an office at a desk all day sets off the killer cravings for anything that's full of sugar and covered in chocolate which is bad news for any diet! The morning teas help to suppress any cravings and stress eating during the day which can be a big factor in weight gain.

Watch this space for my final update and review ❤️

How to get pastel coloured hair - Lilac

So I've been asked quite a few times now as to how and what I have used to make my hair lilac so I thought I would do a quick post to answer everyone's questions!

As much as I hate to admit it, my half isn't in the greatest condition as I have been bleaching it for the passed two years so when I decided I wanted to add a little colour to my hair I chose a product that would not damage if further.

I chose to use La Riche Directions temporary hair dye in Lilac when colouring my hair as the pigment is bright and can easily be lightened if you find the colour to dark on it's own.

As my hair is so long to achieve the perfect shade of lilac I mix roughly half a teaspoon (yes, just half a teaspoon, that's how good Directions is!) with roughly a litre of white conditioner - it doesn't have to be expensive, I use the white coconut conditioner from Tesco which is just 80p a bottle, otherwise colouring can become very expensive!

I mix the colour and conditioner in a large bowl, preferably a plastic bowl you don't mind staining, and apply with a large hair dye brush.

It's usually easier if you section your hair to get maximum coverage and start applying the dye mix from the bottom upwards using the brush and I would also advise using rubber gloves as it's a messy job - if you can get someone to check you've covered every section, or even better if you can get someone else to do it for you! After all ..no one wants streaky hair!

The directions colours tend to work better on bleached or light blonde hair, especially when trying to achieve lighter colours so this technique may not work for everyone but I hope I've answered your questions 💜

Feel free to comment any questions 💜

Bootea review - day four!

Day 4 of the Bootea detox!

After completing the first few days of my teatox so far so good – I had heard the tea tasted horrible as the teabags each contain pretty much everything but the kitchen sink, but surprisingly they are quite light and refreshing with a slightly florally taste with a hint of ginger. Normally I am fussy with food and drink but if I can stomach these bad boys I would say any girl determined to detox and loose weight will manage these easily.

One of the worst things about these online run teatox and diet supplements businesses is the rumours can sometimes over power the truth of how well a product actually works. I actually saw a comment on Instagram saying the Bootea daytime tea’s tasted like dirty bathwater (eww!) which really is a complete over-exaggeration and should be ignored!

After just 4 days I feel less bloated after eating and because it helps you to drink more water than you normally would, I feel more awake than usual.. Even on a Thursday morning.

I'll keep you guys posted and fill you in on the 'dreaded' night time tea tox in my next post ❤️

Bootea review - Day one

Morning!

So today is day one of my 'teatox' diet.

I have been following some of these teatox companies on social media sites for quite sometime now and there is always a debate to whether these 'cleansing' teatox's actually work - so I have taken the plunge to try one of these detox regimes and post an honest review over the course of the diet.

My weapon of choice is the Bootea 14 day teatox as it is the most commonly used tea diet and isn't overly expensive like most weightless programmes (£19.99 for the full 14 day course) which consists of 14 day tea bags and 7 night tea bags.

The idea is to have one daytime tea bag every morning for 2 weeks to aid digestion and prevent bloating when used as part of a balanced diet  - each tea bag contains a mix of ginger, fennel seeds, dandelion and nettle leaves leaves as well as a mixture of other herbs great for detoxing.

Now for the interesting part ...the night time detox. To my surprise it actually contains laxatives, which can be a terrifying thought at first but after reading a little about it online I learnt that these laxatives are gentle and mild to help flush away all toxins. No horror movie scenes here!

I will be posting a day by day review of my 14 day teatox - wish me luck & watch this space! ❤️

Purchase from www.bootea.com

Sexy Mother Pucker Review

Every girl dreams of the perfect pout ..but few are daring enough to inject the lethal cocktail of chemicals into there lips, that are hit and miss at the best of times.

We ask ourselves, what can I do to get perfect pout?

So there are usually two common way to achieve this picture perfect pout - the first being the old layers of lip liner and gloss trick and the second being the miracle that is plumping lipgloss!

Plumping gloss is usually the easier option for girls on the go, being easy to apply and reapply in a few seconds, but which 'plumping' glosses really work?

I have had my eye on the Soap and Glory Sexy Mother Pucker for quite some time now but being a little pricey I had been hesitant purchase it in case it was a complete failure like other brands I have tried but honestly it may be one of best beauty products I've ever bought!

I chose the shade 'Candy Gloss' as it's a pale pink shimmer (my fav) and can be used on it's own for daily wear or over lipstick for an red carpet worthy evening look. I pair it with the MAC matte lipstick In the shade 'snob' but I will do a separate post for that one.

The Sexy Mother Pucker gloss can be applied like a normal stick gloss but the effects become clear quite quickly - within 30 seconds my lips were tingly and were noticeably plumper. The tingle is quite intense, which can be a little alarming at first but after roughly 10 minutes the tingle sensation dies done leaving you with the picture perfect pout you've always dreamed of.

I know some girls are put off by the 'tingle' but I beg all you girls that are worried to be persistent for 10 short minutes to see for yourselves the amazing effects off this lipgloss and I can promise you will never use a normal gloss again!

The Soap and Glory Sexy Mother Pucker plumping gloss can be purchased in makeup stores in both the UK and the US and is also available online.

Thank you for reading and please leave comments and share! Much appreciated ❤️

Sexy Mother Pucker in Candy Gloss

Before using the plumping gloss 

10 minutes after use