NOTD: Models Own Black Swirl

Evening all! Hope you've had a lovely weekend, and are ready for the coming week, I know I'm not but its a new half term at school and I'm ready for it! 


Today's Nail of the Day is from Models Own and is part of the colour's they released last week on Wednesday. I had seen pictures of these colours on their site and was practically stalking my local Boots and the PR team at Models Own, who kindly informed me when these would be coming out and sure enough, on Wednesday they appeared on the Boots website! So I took full advantage of the 3 for 2 offer and ordered 6 colours!


The first I have to show you is the gorgeous Black Swirl (play on words for Chanel's Black Pearl?!)

 It's a gorgeous black mixed with a gun metal colour that is soo hard to capture but is amazing! I love dark colours, and this one really satisfies my inner goth!


Application as ever is amazing, and super shiney, I needed 3 decent coats to get it exactly as I wanted, but I love it. I did this on Friday and it is still gorgeous tonight - I think this will be one that I wear loads as I love dark colours! A great polish for £5!!


What do you think?! 

Bake of the Day - Honey Flapjacks

Look what I made!!
I love baking, but sadly I don't get much time to bake with being a full time primary teacher! So I'm relishing half term and decided to bake some flapjacks for my lunch box next week!


These are simple honey flapjacks, with clear honey and light brown sugar.


Here is the recipe!


100g Margarine
80g  Brown Sugar
250g Rolled Oats
3table spoons of Honey


Preheat oven to 200oC  or Gas mark 5


1. Melt the  Margarine in a deep saucepan over a very low heat
until smooth, don't let it bubble!
2. Next,add the brown sugar and 3 tablespoons of honey and mix well until you have a liquid consistency.
3. Mix in the oats, until coated. This is the point that you can get creative and add anything else you want, e.g mashed banana, dried fruit, chocolate!
6. Get a knife and spread the oats evenly over a baking tray.
7. Place the baking tray onto the middle shelf in a preheated oven and bake for 10 - 15 minutes, checking the progress regularly as it turns very quickly. Take out when the mixture starts turning a darker colour.
8. Stand for a minute or two, cut the flapjack into as many pieces as you wish


I cut mine into 16 pieces!


These are really quick and easy, an at only 126calories per slice, not terrible but to make them lower you can swap the sugar for sweetener!


I would love to hear about what things you've been baking, or if you have any recipes you think I should try!

NOTD: China Glaze Grape Pop

This was the first China Glaze polish I ever bought, and it is one that I return to because it is a great purple!


A gorgeous red based purple, this colour works on a range of skin tones, especially for my pale skin!


Grape Pop is part of the China Glaze Up and Away collection from spring 2010 and so should still be available.


This polish is really well pigmented, it was opaque in one coat, but I still added a second coat.


The top picture is without flash in artificial light, but that is the truest colour match I could get it. Picture on the right is with flash, and shows how bright the polish is.


I really love this colour, a great one for spring and summer! x

Boots No7 Gel Liner

Evening! It's the first night of half term (not including the weekend) and I am totally chilled out. This is a post that I have wanted to write for a couple of weeks, but I really wanted to make sure I was completely happy with the product!

2 weeks later, and I am incredibly impressed with this, so let me introduce No 7 Gel Liner:

You can see from the picture that I have been using this, and I really do use it, every day as I need a liner that will stay put all day when I'm at school, one that doesn't fade and stays put!

This one really does the job. From Boots No7 Spring 2011 collection, this is part of the collection designed by Lisa Eldridge and is one of 3 gel liners within the collection.

I picked up the black liner as I need something simple for school, and I am a total gel liner novice! 

I did not need to worry, a few Youtube videos later, and I was ready to have a go! Here are the two looks I managed to create!

I have a simple black line that I wear day to day, and a winged line that I created just for fun!

And I love this liner - it applies so easily with the little brush that comes with it, and it stayed all day without moving or fading. It's so good, it even takes two attempts with eye make up remover to get it all off!!!

I love it and am a total convert to gel liners now! This liner is available in Boots stores (if its still there!) for £10.

Let me know what you think of this - how are you getting on with it? x

OPI Texas Collection - San-Tan Tonio

I know spring is on its way when OPI release a collection that makes me start considering cracking out the bottle of Xen-Tan, and this polish is no exception.


Meet San-Tan Tonio. This polish is a gorgeous fawn/tan neutral polish which is what you get from the bottle to the nail. When I saw this polish I thought that it would be just another neutral,
and if I really disliked it, then I would simply get rid, however as soon as I applied it I realised that it is not such a simple polish.


Application was a bit sketchy with this, I don't know if it is was me, or if the formula was different, but the first coat was awful, I nearly gave up, however the second coat smoothed out all of the problems I had been experiencing.


I think this shade is great, but I do think I will hold this one safe until the summer when I start to get more of a tan, at the moment I'm too pale! 


What do you think of this colour? I have 3 more colours from this collection to try, I hope they are as good as this one!

Valentines Nails

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!!

I'm not big on pink - I own very few pinks within my polish collection. I don't know why, but I'm never drawn to pinks, but every now and then, one comes along which calls my name, and this polish was one of them.

I would like to introduce from the China Glaze Anchors Away Spring Collection...Ahoy!!

Often pinks are too dark for my pale winter skin tone, however I feel that this one is richer, with more red tones so it doesn't wash my out.

The top picture is in my bathroom, without the flash on my camera, and the polish shows up the raspberry shade that it is, however under a flash, this polish is a whole different colour, and it becomes a vivid fuchsia! 

Overall not your traditional valentines colour, but then I'm not a traditionalist! Hope you like it, let me know by leaving a comment, following the blog, or both!!! x

Sunday Night Review - Soap & Glory Flake Away

As the name suggests, I'm going to try and do a review on a Sunday night, on something that I have been loving that week.


This week, and for a while, I have been loving Soap & Glory Flake Away. 

Here's what Soap & Glory say about this product:


"Transforms your scaly legs from reptilian to radiant. Nothing eliminates dry surface flakes as fast as Flake Away™. For superhero-strength skin smoothing spa body polish with Shea Butter, sweet almond oil, peach seed powder, sea salt and sugar."


I have this in my bathroom, and I use this every time I shower. This was the first pot I bought and I am so close to finishing it, but it has lasted for ages and I can't wait to start on my next pot!


I think for £6.34 it is really well priced as you get 300ml and a little bit really does go a long way - if I don't have time to chuck on some moisturiser then I don't need to worry as this contain Shea Butter which does the job!


You can get this in-store at Boots, they currently have 3 for 2 on Soap and Glory, as well as on-line from Soap & Glory.


What do you think of this product - do you rate it or hate it? Let me know! x

FOTD

I've never done one of these posts before but I quite like my make up today so thought I would post a picture!

I have on:
17 Photo Flawless Primer
Mac Face and Body Foundation in I don't know!
Benetint Cheek Stain
Rimmel Colour Rush Metallic Eyeshadow in Backstage
No7 Gel Liner in Black from their Spring Collection 
Benefit Browzing in Light


Doesn't look like I'm wearing much but I love it! Think this may become my new favouite look!


Hair colour is meant to be XXLive in Red Passion, needs re-doing as it has faded! 


Would love to know if you have used any of these products and if you rate them! x

Weekend Nails

I have a secret to admit... it is a very big secret that I can't speak out loud... oh well, here goes!!! I totally love Models Own. There I said it, I am totally, head over heels in love with Models Own. I really like the brand but j'adore their nail polishes - and this one is no different!

Meet Models Own Purple Ash! 

This colour is a gorgeous dusky purple with a lot of brown in it - it looks so different depending on what lighting I have! This is under artificial light, whilst it looks brown in dark light and purple in natural light!

Application was great, it took two coats to get an opaque finish, plus a layer of Seche Vite to finish it off. It goes on like a dream, think I will be wearing this a lot as it is an easy colour to wear!

What do you think of this colour, let me know! x

Boots 17 Photo Flawless Collection

I love wandering around Boots on a Saturday, you never know what you are going to find - I usually head over to the make up first to see what new nail polishes, and one of my favourite brands is Boots 17.

I've seen some things on Twitter about the new Photo Flawless collection, I'm always interested in new make up,  especially the Photo Flawless Primer and the Photo Flawless Eye Pencil.

Photo Flawless Primer - here's what Boots say about it - 

"Easy to use and effortlessly blendable, this 17 Photo Flawless Primer is designed to apply before foundation to smooth your skin and assist the application of your base, leaving skin even and fresh all day long."

Ok, so I've tested this for nearly a week now - It's had to endure full days at work, PE lessons, the awful cold weather, gym sessions, and even a full night when I forgot to take it off because I fell asleep, and well - it was was fantastic!

I have tried it on half my face at the weekend comparing it to my current primer by Benefit, and to be honest - I loved this more! It goes on so smoothly, and leaves a real silky finish to my skin. When I put my foundation over the top - I used a lot less, and it really lasted! I wiped off just as much as I put on that morning. The only downside I found was that I couldn't see where I had put it, unlike the Benefit primer, but I will continue to use it!

Photo Flawless Eye Pencil -  "intense black with a twist of pearlescent colour."

Boots 17 has brought out 3 different pencils - one for blue eyes, one for green and one for brown.

All are a black with a twist of the colour. Because I have hazel eyes, I bought both the green and brown to see which one I liked best.

Both applied really easily, it glided on and it too lasted. Both looked dark, however in certain light that you really could see the colour! I've worn this every day since I bought them, alternating between the two, and I have received a lot of compliments from people at work, and even the children in my class! I love them, I may even go and buy some back up ones as well!

I didn't buy the foundation or the mascara as I need to use up about 4 other products that I have on the go, but I hope it is as good as the rest of the products! 

I love Boots 17, and for £4.99 for the Primer and £3.99 for the pencils, you really can't go wrong!