Pink Polka dot nails

Likewise to the other blogs about nails I've done if you copied the nail designs I've done you don't have to stick to the same colours I used, especially for this design as it is a fun design and looks really nice. I did a polka dot pattern using a pink shade by Nails Inc and then used a white Models Own nail art pen.

I started by cleaning off the nail varnish off of my nails and used a base coat. Once this had dried I applied a coat of Nails Inc Warwick Avenue polish. Once this layer was completely dry, I then used a final layer of this polish, so the colour was really clear and gave it a shine.

Once my nails were completely dry I then got to work on the polka dots. To keep the nails looking as great as possible, it's best if you do the polka dots in strategic, neat lines as it'll look better when finished and it'll be easier for you to do.

Instead of doing the polka dots in random dots, its best to do them in neat lines, with alternate gaps between the lines below them. Like a brickwork pattern, for example start with one dot in the middle at the top then place two either side. The line below you should place polka dots in between the gaps of the line above.

To finish off your nails, don't forget to apply a top coat so your polish is less likely to chip.

Thanks for reading, hope you like it!

A xo

Moustache nails

Hi all,

This week I thought I'd try something a bit different with my nails, after finding inspiration from seeing some false nails with a moustache design on I thought I'd see if I could try it out on my nails.

This is the nail wraps I got my inspiration from, by Nail Rock and can be bought from Boots, Topshop, ASOS.Com and many other shops. 

I started as always, by removing any old nail polish and filing my nails. Then applied a clear base coat to start with. Once this had dried, I then applied my first colour coat, I chose to use white to make the little moustaches stand out more, but you can use any colour.

Once this had dried I applied another coat of white polish to give it a shiny, clear finish. Once both these layers have dried I then got started with doing the little moustaches!

I used a nail art pen in black to draw the moustaches and I found it easier to have a little practice drawing them before hand.

I drew the moustaches by doing two small sized dots near the tip of my nail. I then drew a curved line shape from the end of the dot to the top of it.. This is quite hard to explain show I think its easier if you see what I did in the pictures below or have a go at drawing them first and see how you find it easiest to achieve the desired look you want.

As you can see in the picture above, I practised drawing little moustaches with my nail art pen  to test the best way to do it and how easy it would be with my nail pen. 

As seen in this photo, I started with the moustache design by doing two small dots next  to each other near the tip of my nail. Then I tried to do a little flick from the edges of the dots to create the look of a moustache.

Ta da! Here's a picture of my left hand before I finished them all 

 Hope you enjoyed, thanks for reading!

A x

Winter is coming!!

Waking up this morning, I think I was the only person who was happy to see it was a cold start. I am a big fan of winter in general because it means snow may fall, Christmas, lighting the fire, hot chocolate and also wrapping up in lots of cosy knitwear! So I've found some of this seasons key pieces and top looks for you to  get ready and plan your winter wardrobe, ready, set, shop!!

Geometric jumpers
Get ready to make a fashion statement with these chunky patterned knits,

Above: from Jonathan Saunders A/W 2012

Get this look for less,

Influence Black Skull Print Knitted Jumper £19.99 New Look

Knitted Dogtooth Jumper £42 Topshop

Knitted Battenburg Jumper £42 Topshop

V London Red and Black Cross Jumper £19.99 New Look


Its not really as patterned as the rest but I love this Short Sleeve Angora Jumper from Matalan for £18. It comes in four colours, is relatively cheap and has a cute bow detailing on the back of the jumper

Something shiny

To inject some glam into your wardrobe this winter get something with this season's favourite of super shiny! Offering up pvc and wet looking clothing to give you a slick new look.

From Jil Sanders A/W 2012 Collection

To copy this look for less,



This dress to the right is from New look and includes the wet look on the front, was £27.

This pair of Black PU Contrast Wet Look Leggings from New look cost £14.99 
 This coat is the Premium Contrast Tweed Biker Jacket priced at £175 from Topshop with a leather panel down the middle making it a statement look for winter.

Gold nails

Hi there!

I thought I'd do another blog about nails, but gold sparkly nails this time. I really like them as they look different and really glam. I think that the tiny details can sometimes make an outfit complete and I, personally really love it when someone notices the little things you have done to make yourself look nice.

 Beneath is a picture of my gold nails, for this look I prepped and painted my nails with a base coat. After letting that dry, I then used Gold Rush by Models Own. Once this coat has fully dried, I then went onto apply a coat of Disco Heaven in the HedKandi range of Models Own. Once this has dried fully too I applied a top coat which will help stop against chipping the nails.

The nail varnishes I used for the nails above.

Or equally, using similar gold colours like this one by 17 works well too :)

Thanks again for reading, hope you enjoyed

Abbie xo

Leopard print nails!

I did these on my sister last week when she was off of work, I wanted to try something a bit edgy and cool yet is still easy to do.

In this picture I took of my sister's nails I tried to recreate the look of leopard print nails. 

Before I started/you start, don't forget to prep the nails, file the edges into a neat shape and  then buff your nails. Apply a base coat which will stop your nails from chipping and also can help make the colour stay longer and not go into your nails!

I used Barry M Peach Melba for the base colour, once that had dried I applied another coat of this colour so the colour was smoother and had a nicer shine to it. Once both layers were dry I used a brown nail polish to create the look of the spots. I used Barry M Mushroom, and the I tried to get rid of as much excess on the brush as possible so when I dotted the brown nail polish randomly it wouldn't make a mess, drip across the nail and also wouldn't take too long to dry. By using largely spaced out dots will help when you go around the nail in the next step. 

Once the nails were fully dried I used a nail art pen in black from the Models Own collection. I alternated between 'C' shapes around the nail or two parallel 'C' shapes facing each other around the brown spots. 

By doing the black lines they complete the look of the leopard print pattern I think, lastly don't forget to use a top coat over this once its dried as it'll make it last that little bit longer!

Thank you for reading, hope you enjoyed it! 

A x

Miners new eye shadow!

Hello again,

The famous make up and beauty brand Miners have just unleashed their new eye shadows! and here's a sneak peak. They include block colours as well as a few eye shadow trios that I can't wait to try out! 

Miners Cosmetics was established in 1937 so they have nearly 70 years experience in the industry and have become well known and trusted. Taking inspiration from catwalk trends, the Miners Cosmetics team bring innovative, high quality but affordable make up and cosmetic to you. What I like most about Miners Cosmetics is that it is easy to emulate on trend looks for a much more affordable price, and they don't test on animals either! 

Here's a few photos of their new eye shadows, including four solo colours and four trio sets.

All the new eye shadows are seen in this photo. As you can  see they are mainly darker shades which will work well for the winter season, also they mirror the latest trends and can be used to make statement make up looks!

This eye shadow trio set is called Humbug. Because its grey, black and white like the sweets. These shades can be used to make a deep smoky eye effect by applying the white as a base colour, using the grey, to the left, to create a crescent like shape at the corner of the eyelid and using the black along the eye line. I will post a new blog soon of this look.

 This eye shadow trio is called Safari, with rich  browns and a bronze shade, you can also create a similar smoky eye look. I will also write another blog showing how to create this look very soon.

 This eye shadow solo is called Stardust. What I like about bronze eye shadows is that you can use them in various ways. Like I said above they can be used to recreate a smoky eyes look, or on their own to accentuate the eye colour. I think that bronze works best with blue and brown eyes.

This eye shadow trio is called Stonewashed. Including a large purple, light and dark blue when used together this look can be used to create a modern day look. With a lot of stigma attached to using blue eye shadow, I think that this palette could be used to make statement eye make up.

 This eye shadow above is called Jewel. When I first saw this one, I really liked it as it is quite a unique shade and also one I haven't seen or tried out before. With black gritty undertones I think this eye shadow could be used to create a rock chick look.

This eye shadow palette above looks a little bit similar to Safari as seen above however this one is called Goddess and uses much lighter shades of browns and bronze. Like Safari, I think this trio can be used to create a smoky eyed look, however as it much lighter I think that it would be a bit more understated and perhaps worn in the daytime.

This eye shadow above is called Luna. What I like about this silvery white shade is that its a bit different and versatile.It can be used as a base on the eye lid, with a flick of eye liner across the lash line to make it stand out more. Secondly it could be used on the lower lash line and around the eye for a statement eye look.

Last but certainly not least is the deep blue shade Nautical. The eye shadow is a bit broken up in the picture, but with a shade like this I think you can create a simple but a statement look. As it is such a bold colour I think that all the attention of the make up should be on the eyes. 

I'll post some blogs soon of these products being used! 

Thank you for reading,

A! x

Spots. . .

Hiii,
Talking to my friend Morien today, she was telling me about her daily skin routine (bit of a weird topic, but we were complaining about spots ha!) It made me realise, no matter how much time and effort you spend on preening your skin, moisturising, exfoliating etc the odd spot or pimple will appear! And if you're like me, these spots will appear at the absolute worst time, think the morning before a big day ahead..
So,  I've decided to dedicate this post on tips and tricks which can help with a spot outbreak!

So firstly, Here's any tips which should help avoid spots,
Cleanse face twice a day;
Every morning and night, using an antibacterial face wash or cleanser, depending how much money you'd like to spend a good, cheap one is Boots Cucumber Facial Wash for £1.52. Equally to this Neutrogena do a few facial cleansers Neutrogena Visibly Clear Oil-Free Facial Wash which costs £4.49. I think this product is especially good if you are prone to oily skin or the occasional breakout, as this facial wash is specially formulated to reduce oils and impurities. This product also has a fighting ingredient in it which reduces the amount of dead skin  cells as well as the chance of future blemishes. Other products are Neutrogena Visibly Clear Pink Grapefruit Facial Wash which costs £4.94 in Boots. I think that if you have quite sensitive skin then Simple Kind To Skin Moisturising Facial Wash could be a good choice. It costs around £3.60, it contains different active ingredients which will keep your skin cleansed and nourished. It also contains no unnecessary chemicals which could be harsh on skin. Also Clean and Clear Morning Skin Energising Daily Facial, is the one I use, so I hope I don't sound too biased! This costs £3.99 for a 150ml bottle in Boots.
I picked up this product a few months ago, as I needed a new facial cleanser, and as this product claimed to both wake you up and invigorate your skin. I would say that this product does both, I use this product, twice, daily and as I have quite combination skin I think it has reduced my oily skin and made it feel a lot smoother and softer too. I think it also has a quite nice smell to it too! Many other facial washes and cleaners are on the market too, so have a look around to find the best one suited to you, and your skin, or your budget. Remember to not go too mad on the amount of cleanser used as sometimes it can make the spots worse, leaving your skin feeling dry.

Exfoliate regularly;
This will, help to cleanse, soften and smooth your skin. I think exfoliation is very effective as it can remove dead skin cells. It is much more effective if carried out regularly, and only a small amount of the scrubs is needed. Some of the most popular, in my opinion, St. Ives Invigorating Apricot Facial Scrub. Voted as UK's  No.1 scrub brand, and costing £3.99 this cleansing formula gentle exfoliates, removing dead skin and giving you a radiant, healthy looking glow. Secondly another product is Garnier Pure 3-in-1 Wash Scrub and Mask. Costing £3.99 this product will cleanse and exfoliate to help protect against impurities. This product is designed to reduce the appearance of blemishes and spots, as well as protecting against blackheads as well as to purify the skin. Another product to use could be Clearasil Daily Clear Skin Perfecting Wash priced at £2.99. This product is mainly designed for sensitive skin as this daily facial cleanser will gently exfoliate as well as cleansing. With an added facial moisturiser, it'll give skin a clearer look everyday!

Make sure to rinse away any conditioners or hair products;
Thoroughly rinse your hair around your hairline as any leftover hair products can lead to a build up of oil around the edges of your face. A few years ago I had a thick fringe, and I noticed that I would often get a build up of oils and breakouts more regularly on my forehead. As the fringe comes into contact with the skin and can sometimes result in the spread of bacteria and oils, and sometimes by touching your hair, or patting it down can transfer bacteria and oils onto your hair. If this applies to you, and you don't want to pin your fringe back there are different methods you could try to stop this happening. Firstly I've known people to use  a product called OXY 10 Benzoyl peroxide lotion. Which is available in Boots pharmacies, over the counter. This product costs £5.10 for 30ml and claims to reduce more than 90% of the spots causing bacteria in 24 hours. This product is maximum strength for stubborn spots and acne, therefore you may feel a slight tingly when putting it onto your skin. On the other hand you could always try a different shampoo and conditioner that contains no chemicals. Perhaps style your hair differently every couple of days to give your skin a chance to breath. Or a change of skincare routine may do the trick!

Moisturise;
I think its good to moisturise your skin daily. Not only will the right moisturiser keep your skin soft,smooth and lovely looking but it will also help to control excess oils in the long run. Like many other beauty products these days, I think its hard to find the right one as there are so many, from day creams, to night creams, tinted, fragrance free, to hydrating and the list goes on. Eucerin Dry Skin Replenishing Face Cream for £12.50 for a 50ml tube is a popular choice. This is a specialist moisturiser as it claims to replenish dry, tight skin. Another popular choice is Nivea Soft Refreshingly Soft Moisturising Cream, costing £4.28 in Boots, as stated in the name twice, will make your skin a lot softer. This is for everyday use, on the face,hands and body. This product has a refreshing effect on the skin. Olay Classic Care Double Action Day Cream Hypo-allergenic is good for those with sensitive skin. Its non greasy and will effectively moisturise and protect sensitive skin. This product costs around £6 for 50ml.

Drink plenty;
Staying hydrated is vital for healthy looking skin, by drinking around eight glasses of water or perhaps juices or tea a day can leave your skin looking clearer and fresher for longer.

Have a good nights sleep;
Also by getting plenty of good quality sleep can leave your skin looking lovely and healthy, by getting between seven to nine hours sleep the majority of the time can contribute to great looking skin!

Treating spots and acne;
By treating the impurities can reduce the redness and inflammation around them. Various products are on the market for the treatment of spots ranging from over the counter to less strong products. Treatments such as Freederm gel always worked well for me, as did Witch Hazel Blemish Stick, as I found the anti-bacterial ingredients in it brought out the impurities quicker and took away the redness. Also proving quite popular the  Clean and Clear Advantage Spot Control Kit for £13.99. It involves a three step routine of a spot control cleanser, a spot control moisturiser and a fast clearing spot treatment. Everyone I know that has used this product has said it works well, however a few have noted that it can cause dry skin but using a different moisturiser helped that.

Thank you for reading, I hope this may benefit you in some way,
A x