Forevermissvanity - A UK Lifestyle Blogger : nail polish

Spring Time Beauty Products

Spring and Summer are my favourite seasons. I love being able to go out wearing bright colours, warm bronzers and rosy pink cheeks without looking too washed out. The cosmetic stores are full to the brim with pretty feminine colours to help you enjoy every part of the warmer weather. I admit I can be quite bland when it comes to my makeup. During the winter I wake up first thing in the morning and generally settle for cat flick eyeliner and a nude lipstick because I am too tired. When the spring and summer comes around, I tend to have a new lease of life and the urge to experiment. Out with the dull, boring Miss Vanity and hello to colourful, vibrant and confident Miss Vanity. I also think it helps that I can use fake tan when it is warm without it streaming down my body. To help get me out of a style rut and ready for the sunshine, I was gifted several items from the company Fragrance Direct. Fragrance Direct specialise in all the best high street brands at affordable prices. If you think you cannot afford Ciate nail varnish to treat yourself to Elizabeth Arden, think again. This website has all of products for a lot cheaper than other retailers.

The first item I received in my package was the Maybelline 070 Orange Crush lipstick (link). I really like the moisturising sensation of this lipstick and the dewy effect it gives upon application. The lipstick tastes like oranges and looks subtle, yet summery.

I am a massive fan of Ciate polishes and I have done product reviews on them countless of times. This yellow colour is from the Corrupted Neon Manicure set by Ciate (link). The polish applies really well, dries fast and gives a wonderful finish. This picture does not have the top coat added as I could not find it when writing this review, however once the top coat is added, it really does look like a professional manicure. It sparkles, shines and gives your nails a bold statement colour.

In the past I have never got a long with any of the Maybelline volumising mascaras, they often leave my eyelashes looking clumpy, flat and unattractive. However the Maybelline Colossal Volume Express (link) was a delight to use. Yes it still comes out a little bit clumpy, but it does in fact add quite a lot of volume to my tiny little lashes.

Next is the Glo-Minerals Precise Micro Lipliner (link). Shamefully, I am one of those people that do not use lipliners as much as they should do. As a blogger, I should know better. Lipliners are fab for defining the natural curves of your lips and giving your lipstick a fuller effect. I really like this lipliner because it is easy to apply and looks great once filled in and used as an actual block lip colour, as well as a lipliner.

I have always wanted to try the L'oreal 24hr Super gel eyeliner (link) and to be completely honest I was not blown away by the quality of this product. This is good for a gel eyeliner, but it does not beat my favourite Bobbi Brown gel eyeliner. If you are on a budget this may be a good product for you, but at usual retail price of £16, it is a little steep. Thanks to Fragrance Direct, you can buy this gel eyeliner for £6 and try it for yourself.

Finally, here is my new Elizabeth Arden (link) cream blusher. I am a big fan of cream blushers because they are easy to apply, perfect for contouring and they leave a natural finish. This cream blusher is perfect for my complexion and is a beautiful spring time colour.

Are you ready for the spring/ summer seasons?

The sun is warm, flowers are in bloom and I'm currently in love with everything spring. All my favourite colours are associated with this time of year - pastel pinks, pretty lilacs and baby blues, I'm such a girly girl.

A few weeks ago I came to the conclusion I have far too much makeup and spent an entire afternoon sorting out my makeup draws. Two hours later I had two black bin bags overflowing with out of date makeup and products that I wish I had not bought. My nail polish collection was the worst hit - so many nail polishes I had have dried up and I hadn't even noticed. Luckily my nail polish collection is rather large and despite throwing a lot out, I still probably have over 100.

Throwing away some of my makeup collection was a huge accomplishment, I am somewhat of a makeup hoarder and often find myself attached to certain colours. It has become so out of hand that I have a small walk in closet dedicated to my makeup and magazines. To congratulate myself for being productive, I decided to treat myself to a new nail polish...I'm sure one wont hurt.

Kiss Me I'm Brazilian is one of my new favourite OPI polishes. The colour is bright barbie pink and the longevity of the colour amazes me. I'm one of those that chips her nails instantly after having them done, but this nail polish seems to be perfect days after I applied it. I have always been a fan of OPI - especially my James Bond nail polish collection, but this bright colour is one that I would wear everyday and I am incredibly happy it has lived up to my expectations.

An additional coat was applied after this photograph.

What do you think of OPI nail polishes?

“No, this is not the beginning of a new chapter in my life; this is the beginning of a new book! That first book is already closed, ended, and tossed into the seas; this new book is newly opened, has just begun! Look, it is the first page! And it is a beautiful one!” ― C. JoyBell C.

Before I started blogging, I didn't really have a big makeup collection. My makeup set consisted of a few eyeliners, less than 10 nail polishes and a few red lipsticks. The collection I had could easily fit into the size of a small makeup bag, but now my makeup struggles to fit into a four drawer cabinet. When I started blogging, I realised how selecting various different shades of makeup could alter your entire look and I became experimental with the brands I used. The quote above is one of my favourites as it symbolises a fresh new start and when it comes to makeup, that's exactly what I want to achieve this year. I've become in a rut with my makeup style - each day wearing cat flick eyeliner and red lips. I want to learn about new and less well known brands this year, experiment with different colours and shop through different online retailers to find the best on the internet.

My first stop is the website Gerard International, a website that I have only recently come across. The brands that they sell are well known, but brands that I have never personally tried. The top image shows the brand Mii, which is one of the several brands that Gerard International sells. I'm really liking the look of their bright lipsticks, soft blush colours and earthy eyeshadows.

Their next items I would love to try is great range of fake tan by Kissed by Mii*. I'm not one of these people that likes to look bright orange, but I do love a good fake tan. I've reviewed several fake tans on my blog and I'm always looking to expand my collection. I love the packaging of these bottles and that they have a press applicator for easy use. The products have a light fragrance, which is a bonus for anyone looking to escape the 'biscuity tan smell' and they have extra moisturiser in them for people with dry skin. I can't wait to invest in these for the spring time. If you don't like applying the tan yourself and prefer to leave it to the professionals, Gerard International also offers a service where you can look for your nearest salon*.

Finally, I would really like to try different nail polish brands and having heard so much about Jessica nails, I would really like to try them. Not only do they have the same name as me, but they also have a variety of beautiful, soft pastel colours perfect for the spring time. Most of my nail polish collection has really bright colours, so I'm looking for a set of polishes that can make my nails look naturally polished.

Is there any new brands you're looking to try in 2014?

I can't believe it's Christmas Eve already, time goes so fast when you're opening advent calendars and preparing for the festive season. This post is going to be a short and sweet update regarding the final doors of my Ciate Advent Calendar. As you'll be reading this post, I'm going to be working in my local bar and then in the evening I'll be spending time with my in-laws and making the most of the time left before my sister-in-law moves country. It's going to be an eventful lead up to New Year. I've already opened a present from my parents since I'm not spending Christmas with them this time and I've been given a beautiful sheepskin rug for my new house to remind me of home. I really can't wait to take photos of it, it's incredibly soft and looks beautiful.

It has been awhile since I updated my Ciate advent calendar so I've received quite a few new polishes since the last post I wrote. I love the variety of colours and all the glitter and sparkles ahead of Christmas. I've already had my nails done for the festive season so unfortunately I can't use these until the New Year.

Behind my remaining doors were:

Chinchilla

Members Only

Knickerbockerglory

Caviar Pearls - Ice Queen

Apple and Custard

Iced Frappe

Sequin Mistletoe Magic

Talent Scout

and some emery boards.

My favourite colours has to Chinchilla and Apple and Custard. Both are quite unique and I'm really excited to see what they look like on. My least favourite is probably the Caviar Pearls, not because of how they look, but due to the fact that it's quite messy applying them.

What have you got behind your final advent door?

It's been awhile since I last posted what I got in my Ciate Advent Calendar and although I vowed to keep a daily diary of my door openings, it all got a little bit too much and I've now decided to open a few doors at a time and show you all the treats.

Behind door four was this lovely little Ciate bracelet. It's simple, cute and would probably go with any outfit this Christmas. A few people have mentioned that they feel cheated receiving a bracelet rather than a nail polish, but I'm a big fan of surprises and wearing this bracelet means I can show off my love for the brand.

5. Kiss Chase

6. Sugar Plum

7. Fit for a Queen

8. Caviar Pearls - Deck the Nails

9. Knickerbockerglory

10. Amazing Gracie

11. Pillow Fight

12. Hidden Gem

13. Loop the loop

From day five onwards, I received a mixture of colours from soft yellows to baby pinks, caviar pearls and lilacs. My favourite colour so far has to Knickerbockerglory as I'm a big fan of bright nails and my least favourite is probably the Amazing Gracie as it's a little bit bland. So far I'm loving my Ciate advent calendar and this has to be one of the best Christmas purchases I have made.

What have you got in your advent calendar?

Blogging about my new nail polishes is becoming something I'm really enjoying at the moment. I spring out of bed first thing in the morning and dive at my advent calendar, anticipatingly opening the door and grinning cheekily when out pops one of my favourite colours. Someone commented on my post the other day asking me what I thought of Ciates nail polish quality and my response has stayed the same ever since the day I bought my first Ciate polish - it's fantastic. I'm yet to find a nail polish brand that I love as much as Ciate. Their colours are vibrant, the bottles are so cute and feminine with the little bows and my nails are usually left chip free for quite some time after application. Ciate have been my top nail polish brand for the last year, alongside my other favourite Nail Inc.

Today's caption is 'Beauty is Whatever Brings You Joy'. I love that statement. There's nothing I love more than to see people happy and when people are at their happiest they look beautiful. It's a strange combination of my fiance, pole dancing and blogging that keeps me at my happiest and none of them I would give ever want to give it. They make me feel beautiful in many different ways.

The nail polish I received today is this wonderful bright orange colour named 'HopScotch'. I love really bright nail polishes and the colours I'm usually drawn to are oranges and pinks. I think this will definitely become of one my most worn colours - just look at that beautiful colour.

Here are the nail polishes I've received so far. I'm trying to resist opening tomorrows early.

What did you get in your advent calendar today?

Having played with my first Mini Mani Ciate polish yesterday, I really couldn't wait to see what was behind the next door. I really wanted a nice bright colour to add to my collection and something I can potentially wear over the next week to a bloggers meetup I'm attending.

Today's little present from Ciate was the Ciate Mini Boudoir with the message 'Don't let anyone ever dull your sparkle.' Honestly, I think that message would have probably been better with the previous polish I received, but nevertheless Ciate granted my wishes and gave me a wonderful bold colour.

The Ciate Boudoir is a pinkish red that would go fabulously with a santa inspired outfit. I'm a big fan of red colours and this definitely ticks all the boxes for me.

So far I've received two wonderful nail polish colours - Snowflake and Boudoir, I can't wait to open my door tomorrow.

A few months ago many of you will remember that I wrote a post about the Ciate Mini Mani month Calendar I bought - that was way back in October and although it feels like yesterday, it's now time to open my first door. For those of you not acquainted with the Ciate Mini Mani month, it's a Christmas advent calendar but with nail polish instead of chocolate. Perfect for those who are looking after their diet and those who have a lust for nail polish like myself. This advent calendar was purchased from the QVC site for approximately £37 back in October, although there's many variations from sites such as Selfridges and the Ciate website.

Behind the first door of my Ciate Mani Month was the a beautiful message 'There's no better feeling than making somebody smile' and the gorgeous little Ciate Mini bottle of the aptly Christmas named 'Snow Globe'. Snow Globe is one of Ciates many elegant top coats and this one is made from sprinklings of holographic flakes. This nail polish evokes the sense of Christmas and is the perfect start to my advent calendar.

I can't wait to see what is behind door two.

Do you have any beauty calendars this year? What did you get?

Before I start writing about the actual post topic, I'd like to pose a question to all my regular followers. In the above image, do I look different? If you answered yes, but couldn't figure out why, it's due to my ever so slight hair colouring disaster yesterday. For a start I picked the wrong colour for my roots and secondly I got so distracted by listening to my current favourite band (The Vaccines) that I left it on a whole 10 minutes longer than it should have been applied. Hence, my hair has now gone almost black. In the picture, I have my lighter hair extensions underneath the dark hair to give it a two tone colour and give the illusion of lighter locks, however without these, it's very, very dark. The change came as a bit of a shock, but now, I'm embracing the rock chick Jessica that left me long ago and has now returned. I'm loving being at the dark side.

Despite yesterday's mishaps, I've had a really good weekend and to top it off, my nail wheels finally came from China. I bought these on Ebay for £1.37 (including shipping) in hope it would help me organise my nail polish draw. I go through phases where I buy far too much nail polish and end up with multiple polishes that are very similar colours. I've seen lots of bloggers adopting this technique for organisation and I really wanted to try it myself.

Painting all these colour wheels made me realise that I have over 65 nail polishes - not all nail polishes have been applied to the wheels yet, I'm always buying pink or red colours and a few of my nail polishes have dried out and I didn't realise.

I love these colour wheels, because I can show them to my friends or family if they ever need to borrow a colour and I can gaze at all the colours from my beautiful collection.

I've also organised the wheels by nail polish brand. The ones that do not have a label are a mixture of brands and my higher end polishes have a wheel to themselves. I love collecting Nail Inc and Ciate.

Crackle polishes also show up on these colour wheels and look amazing! You could also buy additional wheels and experiment mixing various colours. It's great knowing what they will look like before you put them on, if you're in a rush to go out.

Although they take quite a while being delivered, at £1.37 you really cannot go wrong. If you're a nail polish addict or simply want to experiment, I really recommend that you invest in these. They're great for demos if you're a blogger too!

How big is your nail polish collection?

Summer Delights

Tomorrow I'll be making my way to Wales for a week of sailing and at the moment I'm going through all my beauty items deciding what to take. Boat life is far from glamorous at times. The wind leaves my hair curly and unmanageable, whilst the weather takes its toll on my face leaving me with dry, horrible skin. Sailing has always been a passion of mine and if I have to look a little less glamorous for a few days, oh well, at least I'll be doing what I enjoy, I just need to keep up with my beauty regime so that I can feel the best I can be whilst at sea. The space is tight so I can't pack my entire collection...which in all fairness takes up the majority of my bedroom anyway, so I'll have to choose my favourite little items to put in my cosmetics bag.

This EOS lip balm is one of my latest favourite products. It combines my love of summer fruits with cool, funky packaging. The EOS lip balm fits into any handbag without any problems, moisturises those lips making them feel baby soft and you're lips are left with a scent that leaves you drooling for hours. The EOS Summer fruits lip balm is only £4.99 and can be bought from biggreensmile.com.

My next favourite products are from the new YVES Rocher tropical collection. All these products make me want to go on holiday and even though it's only Wales I'm going to, I'm glad to be getting away. There's a variety of bronzing, bright, sun kissed products for you to try and so far I've been barely disappointed. The first product I'm really liking is the cheek stain. It gives you a wonderful glow to your face by only using a very small amount. The difficulty comes with the application. I don't like the fact that it doesn't include an applicator and you have to literally pour it out, but the end result is worth it. The cheek stain helps bronze those cheeks to match your perfectly tanned body, adding extra warmth to those who are naturally pale like me. Yves Rocher's cheek stain is only £7.50 and it's rather affordable compared to other cheek stains on the market.

Second product is this beautiful Yves Rocher duo- khol eyeliner. There are two eye popping colours to use and great someone looking for an alternative to black. I've found myself reaching for this pencil quite often lately as I love using the lighter colour under my eye to make them appear brighter.

The final item from the Yves Rocher tropical collection I own one of the Yves Rocher nail polishes in this turquoise green shade. I love the colour, but unfortunately it chips far too much for my liking. This may be due to my quite damaged nails and the fact that I work with lots of chemicals, but the product isn't that effective for daywear. However, I'll be taking this with me for a night out as the colour is far too lovely to be sitting in my makeup draw at home.

My final favourite product at the moment is this Atelier Paris Waterproof foundation. I was kindly sent this product awhile ago to test out and I found that the colour is far too light for my skin tone. This instantly ruled the product out as a regular foundation, however I came to discover it makes a pretty darn good concealer.

This Atelier Paris gel foundation is not only easy to apply, but it's waterproof. Great for all those swimmers out there and people getting ready for a night out whilst it's raining outside. If I was to cover my face in this foundation I would literally look like a ghost. Not due to the quality of the product, simply due to the fact that I make a mistake when selecting my colour. I now use the product regularly as a concealer to cover up blemishes, spots and bags under my eyes when I need something that has long staying power. The product costs £28.00 to buy, which is a little bit pricey for me, but I can see it being a great investment for those who have searched out the market looking for waterproof foundations.

So now you've all my new products, it's time for me to say goodbye for the next 7 days. The blog unfortunately wont be updated as I haven't had chance to schedule any posts during my exam period, however there will be a treat in store for all you wonderful followers when I get back. I'm reaching nearly 1000 followers and I think it's almost time a little giveaway is in order.

Enjoy your bank holiday!

When I choose my makeup, I always look for something that will give me a natural glow. As much as I love wearing fake eyelashes sometimes and hair extensions, I have always envied people who have natural beauty. When I saw the MeMeMe 'Naturally Nude' giftset, I knew it was something I needed to try. I love subtle pinks, creamy browns and tangy orange blush and to top it off, the kit also comes with a beautiful little makeup bag.

The set comes with two dew pots, a lipstick, nail polish and blusher. These little dew pots in Coral Blossom and Willow Whisper are absolutely delightful to work with. They blend in effortlessly and add a beautiful frosted shimmering effect, perfect for the autumn weather.

China Rose is a fabulous winter lipstick as it offers moisture with a long lasting satin finish. The lipstick is a beautiful baby pink, making it the ultimate cosmetic tool on those days where you're wanting to feel 'naturally nude.'

The coral Blush Me box is great for conturing those cheek bones and adds a naturally blushed finish to your face. Admittedly, I'm not so keen on the little brush that comes with the set but since it's free, there's nothing really to moan about.

MeMeMe's long lasting nail gloss in shade 'Ambitious' is the final item to appear in this boxset. I love the fact that it has a wide brush, making the application process quick and easy. I've been wearing the nail polish for the last few days (a little neater than my demonstration below) and I can happily say it still hasn't chipped. Working in a hotel means I knock my nails continuously so having a nail polish that doesn't chip is a revelation.

This giftset can be purchased £26.99 and available to buy from http://www.find-me-a-gift.co.uk/

What do you think of the Naturally Nude Giftset?

♥♥♥

Spring Time Beauty Products

Kiss Me I'm Brazilian OPI

Brands to Try 2014 - Gerard International

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas - Ciate Update

Ciate Advent Update

Ciate Advent Calendar:Day 3

Ciate Advent Calendar: Day 2

Ciate Advent Calendar: Day 1

Nail Polish Colour Wheels

Summer Delights

MeMeMe Naturally Nude Giftset