WIN Catrice Million Styles Topcoats

Hi girls :)

I showed off my haul of Catrice's Million Styles Topcoats & after falling in love with them, I thought some of you who couldn't get your hands on them deserved to get them in all their beauty. So, it's simple - Enter using the form beneath, making sure that you're following the blog using GFC, and comment below letting me know which polishes you would like to have the chance to win. (I'm going to choose three individual winners for the polishes, but feel free to enter for all three!) 

Don't see a polish you like? Don't fret - If my local Sam McCauley's re-stock the stand, I'll hopefully have a full collection to give away, so stay tuned! This give-away is open until 6th of July, 2012.

C03 Miss Money Penny, C04 Shake It! Flake It!, C07 ¿Holo Qué Tal?!

Swatches can be seen here. These pictures do the top coats much more justice than I ever could!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck! 

Chloe x

Barry M Cyan Blue

Hello girls :)

Well, time to follow up another long absence with a nail polish review! This time up is Barry M's beautiful Cyan Blue, which I picked up in Superdrug last week.

I love Barry M polishes, and this one is no different. They apply easily and are generally opaque in two coats, plus they don't break the bank at €3.65 and last for quite a while. I applied one coat of this a week ago, and got away with just one thick coat - It was completely opaque. I did throw on another coat three days later, because there was a bit of tip wear (Work is fairly hard on my poor nails!) and the photos were taken four days later - A little tip wear can be seen, but I think their staying power is pretty amazing, especially seeing as I didn't use a base or top coat. (I'm lazy, I know.)

The colour is amazingly bright - I'm pretty sure it's the closest to a neon blue you can get. It's definitely a summer shade! Most of you probably have a few Barry M polishes in your collection, so you know they have a consistently good quality, and I can confirm that Cyan Blue is one of the best shades I've tried. I've only taken it off to try out another new shade!

What's your favourite blue polish?

Chloe x

Catrice Million Styles Shake It! Flake It!

Hello :)

Well, as shown previously, I had a bit of a splurge on Catrice's Million Styles Topcoats at the weekend. Today was my first day to test them - namely C04 Shake It! Flake It! and ladies, it did not disappoint.

Bee-yoo-tiful chunks of glitter that simply shimmer from gold, to red, to green, it's like having strobe lights at your fingertips. I tried it on over a black polish, and just one coat transformed my nails from simple & sleek to something that I've been admiring ever since. My pictures don't do it justice - A Blackberry simply doesn't cut it when you want to be smug about something this pretty.

Black nails -C04 Shake It! Flake It!

The polish itself - Close up of the glitter

I can't help but feel that it's not the most summery of looks, & therefore, I'm thinking of layering another of the topcoats over a brighter (i.e. in your face) polish because this level of amazing needs to be seen. Catrice Million Style Topcoats are just €3.29, if you can find them. They're becoming notorious to track down, but if you're near a Sam McCauleys, you may be in luck.

Have you gotten your hands on any, or are you looking for them?
Chloe x

Weekend Haul.

Hello ladies,

I haven't posted all week because I've been working flat out - I'm not used to long, long days so even though I was home about 6PM, I couldn't find the energy to type up a new post. But we finished our stock take miraculously early today, so I managed to get tomorrow off, AND have a wander to the shops. Where I blew my hard-earned cash.

What did I pick up?

Head in the Clouds, Floating on a Breeze, Heart on your Sleeve

Superdrug Dy Shampoo - Buy 1, get 2 free. Don't worry, I do actually wash my hair & don't resort to a daily dousing of dry shampoo. But for €2.35 for three, I couldn't say no. I'll see how they compare with my usual Batiste!

c07 ¿Holo Qué Tal?!, C02 Million Dollar Baby, C04 Shake It! Flake It!

Catrice Million Styles Effect Top Coat - If the Beaut.ie Blather is anything to go by, these topcoats are highly sought after & more difficult to find than Wally. I picked them up in Sam McCauley's in Wexford for €3.29 each, & might just return for a few extras to give-away, so keep your eyes peeled!

NP 294 Cyan Blue, RNP 2 Blue, TMLP 207

Barry M Nail Paint & Lip Paint - After seeing Cyan Blue on so many blogs, I just wanted it, so I forked out €3.65 in Superdrug. And since the Retro Blue nail paint was free if you spent €7.50, I picked up the Touch of Magic Lip Paint  for €5.55 too. 

Cotton Wool Pads, V05 Nourish Me Truly conditioner

Finally, the least exciting of my purchases - Boots had buy one, get one half-price on cotton pads, so I got packets for €3.94, for removing nail polish & eye make up. Since bleaching my hair, it needs a bit of a boost, so the conditioner was €1.25 in Superdrug, & promises a 'divine transformation'. We'll see.

So considering that this is my first shopping trip in about a month, and looking at the amount I got, I don't think I spent too much - They were necessary purchases! Sort of.

I might review a few of these items soon, so watch out! 

Have you picked up anything recently?

Chloe x

Life via pictures #4

New nail polishes - New ring - Love hear nails

Make-up for an interview - Broken, dirty nails - Liz Earle delivery 

Rainbow eyes on my sister - Essence blush sorbet - Burned my hand 

Pasta Carbonara - Scented Revlon polish - Bath time & pampering

Skittles Manicure

Hi there :)

After our quick burst of sunshine last week, I'm really hoping that Ireland doesn't get flooded at this stage. But even if the weather outside isn't quite so bright, the perfect solution has to be a Skittles manicure. It's easy  Just paint all your nails a different colour, then sit back and be blinded by the clashing colours. You can go for rainbow brights, like me, or try out more subtle pastels.

Aren't they pretty?

From left - right: Rimmel London 825 Sky High, Essence 39 Lime Up!, Claire's Accessories Yellow, Maybelline MNY My Varnish 341, Leighton Denny Plush Pink.
I painted my nails with a white polish first, to make the colours a little brighter.

You can use whatever colours & nail polishes you want to recreate this look, or something similar.

What do you think of the Skittles manicure? Too fussy, or something you'd wear?

Chloe x

Essence Blush Sorbet

Hi girls :)

After about 5 minutes to get ready this morning, hasty make-up application in the car (not while driving obviously), and forgetting most of my make up, when my blusher-less self spotted Essence's new Fruity range on stands, I couldn't resist picking up their new Blush Sorbet in 01 Smoothie Operator. Cheap, cheerful & the perfect rainy day pick-me-up.

The packaging & plastic tub.

First things first - The white lid & pink font is not the nicest. It's quite cheap looking, which I don't usually expect from Essence. The plastic tub doesn't bother me - It looks simple & neat. But hey, it's the product inside that counts. Essence describes it as 'an intense pink-red shade', but I think it's a tad more coral. And it has amazing an golden glimmer. But the first thing I noticed when opening the lid was the strong burst of fruity fragrance. It cheered me up quite a bit, but if you have sensitive skin or strong scents bother you, it's probably not for you. However, the smell doesn't transfer to your skin.

Swatched thickly & thinly.

And how does it look? Despite its brightness in the tub, it really gives a pretty sheer, natural flush that certainly looks healthy. It blends well and can be applied with a brush or fingers. It's the first time I've used a creamy/ liquid blush, and I do think I prefer my powder blushes, but it's certainly a light alternative on hot, sunny days (If we get any more - Fingers crossed!)

Overall, it's not the prettiest product on the outside, but the colour is gorgeous & can be built upeasily. So I don't think it'll become a favourite, but for €3.29, I won't complain.

Have you gotten any products from the new Fruity collection? 

Chloe x

Hair Update - Ginger & Blonde Ombre

Hi everyone :)

Looking at my blog stats, my most popular post is the one on ombre hair. Understandable - it's a pretty popular trend. But since then, I have re-bleached my hair, and thought I would show you guys what it looks like now. You can see my hair mid-bleach in my last Life via Pictures post, I did bring the blonde a little higher up than last time.

And - I love it! Once again, I used Jerome B Blonde Hair Lightener Kit for medium to dark brown hair, available in Boots for around €6 I think? It works anyway, & is very straight forward!

Curled & Straight

And that's all folks!

Would you like a tutorial on how to get this look, or how to care for the bleached hair afterwards?

Let me know!

Chloe x

Life via Pictures #3

Some birthday presents - Strawberries & chocolate - Free Chicken Super Noodles

Re-ombred my hair - Exam make up - River Island clutch

Barry M Strawberry Ice Cream & Rimmel Disco Ball - Packing to move home - Packing my make up

Dinner with my Dad - Metal collar tips & fur collar - Stage at Strawberry Fest

Strawberry Nails!

Hi girls!

Well, for the summer I've been picking strawberries part-time, & this weekend in Enniscorthy, the Strawberry Fest is taking place. And therefore - What would be more appropriate than strawberry-themed nails? They're cute,but unbelievably simple.

All you need are red, green and yellow polishes, and something to do dots with - I just used a hair clip, it was closest to hand. Use whichever base/top coat you want too! My polishes were Catrice 740 King of Greens, a Claire's Accessories yellow polish, Rimmel 325 Hot Gossip and I used a white polish too, to make the yellow stand out a bit more. Any polishes can be used though!

1. Paint your nails with the red polish. I used two coats to make sure it was opaque.

2. Paint a line of green over the top - It doesn't need to be neat, because you're going to do two or three little points underneath the line, to look like the leaves. Some people use tape for this, but strawberries aren't all perfect, so feel free to have it a bit messy!

3. Finally, the seeds on the outside. If using a white polish, just dot it onto the red part of your nails, using your dotting tool. Then, when dry, cover it with your yellow polish. Once again,don't worry about the neatness!

4. Sit back and admire your handiwork. Then gorge yourself on strawberries - They count towards your 5 a day, so guilt free!

And it's as simple as that. What are your favourite nail looks at the moment?

Chloe x

June Wishlist

1. 2.

3. 4.

5. 6.

1. Blusher is one product I am seriously lacking in - This cream product from Illamasqua looks divine!

2. This bedspread from UO just looks so damn cosy. I love patchwork!

3. I realised this week that I've bought more sirts in the last few months than the rest of my lie. This blue one is adorable!

4. After reading about this beauty over on Beaut.ie, I have been coveting this powder to suit my pale self!

5. Normally I'm all about the tack, but this ring is so simple, and I like it.

6. I think these are possibly the cutest shorts I have ever seen. Love!  

Is there anything you're lusting after?

Chloe x