Fragrance Direct Haul - Orly Nail Polish

Does everyone remember the hype about Fragrance Direct and how amazingly cheap Essie polishes are the site? Well, they have another cracker of a deal for you. Orly is now stocked on the Fragrance Direct website here, and with around 50 shades to choose from there is definitely something for everyone.  I know a lot of people can be cautious about buying nail polishes online as the colours shown can differ from the actual shade.  I open up a separate tab and Google for a swatch of the shade I am interested in and generally there is always someone that has a post on it. Simples!

I waited a while before posting this as I wanted to try out each shade and give you my thoughts. The shades I have are from left to right: Lift the Veil, Life's a Peach, Passion Fruit and Ruby.  All beautiful shades and they dry quickly too which is a bonus.  My favourite is Lift the Veil, which is from the I Heart Nails collection, which I believe are all nature, neutral shades and have wedding related names. The brush is just a standard one but I like that it applies the product evenly.

You can purchase Orly products from Fragrance Direct for £3.99 for an 18ml bottle, other retailers have the 10ml for £5 so this is such a good deal and I will definitely be making an order in the New Year! You can read my Essie post here where I talk more about how the products are so cheap.

Let me know if you have tried Orly and what your favourite shades are.

Lush Lemony Flutter Cuticle Butter

I haven't really spoken about Lush on my blog that much, compared to how much I love their products. I have been branching out and dipping my toe into the skincare whirlpool.  I say whirlpool because I know I am going to get sucked into their face masks and other lovely goodies.

Anyway, my nails have been in need of some serious TLC as of late, so I dug this little gem out of my skincare drawer.  Lush describe Lemony Flutter Cuticle Butter, as a super-thick cream choc full of rich ingredients.  This feels so luxurious it is so creamy and thick and then as you massage it in turns into an oil. Because it turns into an oil it sinks quickly into the skin but you can still feel it working its magic.  I wouldn't usually be flaunting my nails about the internet but I think they are looking by far the best for a long time.  You don't just have to use the product on cuticles, the oil is designed to help very dry skin, which can be elbows, knees or even feet. 

Like always I have to comment on the scent, especially when it comes to Lush, this smells amazing.  It smells like sweet lemon tart and like other Lush products the scent doesn't fade as soon as you apply it to the skin which makes me look so weird when I go around smelling my fingers every 2 minutes. I also have to mention I have being using this everyday for months and there isn't even a dent in the amount of product.  A little definitely goes a long way and for £6.50 for 50g  I will keep repurchasing this product until they discontinue it.

NOTD Simple Nude Twist

As much as I love nail varnish, and trust me I have my fair share of shades, I never get round to applying any. Last month I was determined to have something on my nails. I kept it simple but this is what I was sporting a lot in February.

 I applied Maybelline Forever Strong in Rose Poudre on all fingers apart from my ring finger. Then Models Own Northern Lights on the ring finger. I love this trend when it's subtle.

I only used one coat for each shade, so for a more opaque finish a second coat would be needed. I also finished off the Rose Poudre with a Sally Hanson topcoat.

This lasted about 4/5 days which I thought was really good.

What have you been wearing on your nails.

Essie Nail Polish - Fragrance Direct

I may have made a small order to Fragrance Direct I couldn't resist any longer! At £1.99, I knew it wasn't going to long to be honest. I thought I'd show you which ones I picked up. 

Mademoiselle, Cascade Cool, Bikini So Teeny, Lights, Off The Shoulder

Aren't they pretty, with delivery I think I paid £11. For 5 Essie nail varnishes, that is ridiculous! 
Essie polishes are long lasting and chip-free for about 4/5 days (even more with a top coat), with the lovely paddle style brush, it is so quick and easy to apply. I know I picked up the more summery colours, but I have tried all of these out and I am really happy with my choices and quality. Except for Mademoiselle which I expected to have a more pinky tone for manicures, but I'm not going to lose sleep over it.

The swatches on the website aren't brilliant so what I do is quickly Google the shades I think I might like, to see what they look like on the nail. The shades change around every now and again so if there isn't a colour you particularly like, check back a couple of weeks later, which is what I did, and there should be a different selection. 
The reason behind them being so cheap is that according to the website Fragrance Direct pass on their wholesale price to the customer.  I was dubious as to whether they were the real deal, but as far as I can see they are the exact same as my other Essie polishes that I have bought from Boots and Superdrug. Win, win! I will definitely be checking back on a regular basis.

Winter Nails

The days get darker quicker and the nights are colder in the Winter, even though I do like a bright nail colour, I love to wear dark colours too. These are the shades I have been mainly wearing.

From Left to Right

Barry M - Raspberry sometimes paired with Barry M - Hologram

L.A Colors - Merlot

L.A Colors - Blue Lagoon (only 99p!)

Mabelline Forever Strong Pro - Extreme Blackcurrent (great for toes)

Barry M - Cappucino

Doing this post has made me realise how odd my nail varnish collection is.  Without knowing I tend to buy colours according to the brand. For example, my winter nails are Barry M and L.A Colors so darker shades.  My Models Own are all pastel shades and my Essie are all bright.  I need to get more variety in there I think.  Any recommendations for shades, let me know.

L'Oreal Colour Riche Nails - Boudoir Rose

I first tried these little beauties out in the summer, however, the colours that I had weren't very summery so I didn't really use them. I recently bought this shade Boudoir Rose (number 204) as I thought it was a lovely pink nude shade that would go with everything.

At £4.99 you may think that's really good for a L'Oreal nail varnish, however these only contain 5ml of product. Whereas, a Barry M has 10ml and a Models Own has 14ml of product, so not such a good deal price wise.

However, L'Oreal claim that these nail varnishes have a new LiquiGel technology which "offers easy application, even coverage and lasting glossy shine." As you can see in the above picture, L'Oreal have also created a paddle style brush which helps the application of the polish.  I actually really liked the brush, at first I didn't believe it would do anything, but it makes the application so much easier and a lot quicker than other polishes from other brands.

 As far as the LiquiGel technology, it is true that you would be left with a glossy finish that other varnishes do not have, and the reason I repurchased this product. However, they claim it is long lasting, but this shade did not last long on my nail at all. The first 24 hours were fine but after that a few chips started to appear, which to be honest did not bother me that much, (I know that some people cannot stand it though) but after 3/4 days I needed to repaint my nails completely,  therefore, I definitely would not call these long lasting nail varnishes.

It is really annoying that the colour does not last a little bit longer as I think L'Oreal Colour Riche nail varnish would be my favourite out of all the brands I have because the finish on the nails is so lovely and is so easy to apply. I think these would be brilliant for anyone that likes to change their nail colour every few days but wants a glossy finish without the faff of a topcoat. I personally am going to use these for when I go away for a few days or to a special occasion and want a nice quick manicured look.
Boots have a 3 for 2 offer at the moment so you could get 3 different shades for just over £3 each which I think is a good offer.

Alessandro Pro White Original Nail Polish

I received this product in my August GlossyBox and I was quite excited. A brightening nail varnish to remove appearance of yellow stains and make nails look clean and healthy. I don't smoke so I won't say I have particularly yellow nails, but I feel like they can look a bit, mehh. 

I applied one coat of varnish to every nail and it dried quite quickly so I applied another thin coat.  I did notice that the whites of my nails seemed brighter and, like an ordinary clear nail polish, my nails were shiny. I continued to reapply it for about 10 days, and to me my nails do look health as they are now nice and long. I think this is just from having any sort of varnish not necessary due to this particular product.

There is a surprise that I was completely unaware of before applying this to my nails, and that is that it goes illuminous. In normal day to day life, popping to the shops, in work or just at home (if you don't have UV lights in your bedroom) you would be blissfully unaware like me.  However, when you walk into a club with your friends and your nails light up, there is a moment of 'oh dear what have I done'. I did see the funny side so decided to show all my fiends, because I'm just too cool. Unfortunately I didn't have my camera on me to take a good enough picture to show you guys.  

I couldn't find a UK site that stocked this product and the official website didn't help either, but I did find it here at $13 so about £8. I am glad that I received this in my GlossyBox but I definitely wouldn't purchase it if I happened to lose it. My nails did look slightly whiter and brighter, but I find that if I'm going to use this product I might as well paint my nails an actual colour or do a French manicure anyway, so I don't think I'll be using this much... Maybe just for nights out ;)

Have you ever had any nail/makeup malfunctions?

The Beauty of Ebay!

I have a love-hate relationship with Ebay, I love how cheap it can be, but hate how many fakes are on there.  My biggest tip is to use sellers that are recommended to you.  And also, when buying branded products expect it to be fake, I always ask myself 'would I pay this amount if I knew this wasn't the real deal?'  If the answer is yes then there's no tears when my 'Mac' lipstick breaks within 2 days. 

However, there are some little gems to be found floating around in that big Ebay pool.  The first is seller coastalscentsuk the name gives it away really.  Best customer service I have ever received and also no duty and delivery charges from the US.  I purchased the Coastal Scents 22 brush set and as far as I'm concerned it is the real thing and I've been on their website http://beautystore4u.co.uk which, if were fake hopefully would have been closed down by now.

I am a big fan of lashes, my own, other people's and false ones.  These eyelashes are probably the biggest money savers for me, 20 pairs for £3.99 (+postage and packaging) and I love them.  The band is not at all flimsy and used with Eylure glue you cannot go wrong. I've gone out, come back in and accidentally fallen asleep with them on and they did not budge an inch.  There are all different styles and can also be sold as a single pair or in sets of 10.  Also suitable for contact lens wearers.

A trend that was sort of going round on YouTube was the UV Nail Curing Lamps, mine cost me £9.45 and saved me loads in not having to get my nails done professionally all the time.  I think this is a good little gadget if you've got some spare money, but it can be waste because the gel nail varnish can get pretty pricey.  I would recommend to start with, buying just a gel top coat and then in time, if you wish, to buy colours in order to get full use from the lamp. (And then the genie will appear, no, wait, wrong blog.)

Lastly, these caviar beads are a new find of mine.  Who needs £18 Ciaté caviar when you can get 40g of beads for £1.99? (+postage and packaging)  Saying that, I haven't tried them out properly yet so the final effect may alter my view.  I'll keep you posted on how they fare with a nail of the week coming soon.

Thanks for reading, But sshh remember... it's a secret
x

Makeup Haul

This is just a quick haul but I got some bargains so I thought I’d share my finds with you. Firstly, Boots is doing 3 for 2!!! Say no more!

Boots

Boots False Nails Clear & Glue 200 Pack - £8.50

Nailene Ultra Quick Nail Glue - £2.80

Collection 2000 Illuminating Touch Concealer - £4.99

Barry M Instant Nail Effects Nail Paint - £3.99

Superdrug

MUA Heaven and Earth Palette - £4

MUA Mosaic Blusher English Rose -£2.50

MUA Lipstick in shade 2 & 15 - £1 each

MUA Face Primer - £4 (not pictured)

Beauty Base

L.A Colors in Merlot, Grape and Blue Lagoon – 99p each

I went back to Boots again.. the offer was too good not to

Boots
Barry M Nail Paint in Blueberry and Peach Melba - £2.99
Barry M - Instant Effects Nail Paint - £3.99
Maybelline Forever Nail Polish - £4.09
Rimmel Moisture Renew in Vintage Pink, Diva Red and Fancy - £6.29
Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer - £4.19
Boots Moisturising Nail Polish Remover Pads - £1.50

Disclaimer: I am not in any way trying to ‘show off’ all products were bought with my own money but I have chosen to do this post because my blog is all about sharing good deals that can be found on the high street.