Nostalgic Beauty!

I have fond memories of clambering up my mothers dressing table stool to get a glimpse of the glistening glass and curious designs of her perfume bottles; usually YSL Opium and a selection of Chanel classics.  My eye would then catch the glimmering golds and silvers from her array of cosmetics lined alongside the fragrances.  There was much intrigue and immense eagerness to be able to wear it all at once, play and just be a grown up! Well, now I am and I feel like I've gone back in time as Joan Collins Timeless Beauty hit my radar recently.
Timeless, I'm not sure but nostalgic yes!
There is nothing screaming uber-clever technology or super duper formulas, however, its good to see a make up brand that is as 'good-looking' as the lady herself.  She does wear a full face of make up, not my favourite look, but I've always admired Ms Collins for her effortless beauty and incredible dedication to looking good and dressing well.  Nevertheless, the Divine Lips lipstick in Melanie that I'm wearing above, glides on and is sensationally creamy which manages to stay in place, much-like the Nail Lacquer.  

Nail Lacquer in Lady Joan

Divine Lips in Lady Joan

The best part of Joan's Timeless Beauty collection is that you can display these cosmetics; they are all about luxury and for me a wonderful reminder of how I began my love of beauty, asthetics and cosmetics.

Beauty Alert: Dr Lewinns Renunails nails it for me!

If you like the look of salon nails, especially GEL nails, now you can achieve the high shine yourself at home. I love the effect and staying power of Dr Lewinns Renunail 3D Top Coat which does take on a gel-like finish as it claims. It certainly is as thick as Gel and quick drying, yes, quick drying... I didn't expect that myself plus it lasts, chip-free, for over a week.  Its accompanied by Triple Strength Renunail colours from deep coral red to sweet soft pink.  You'll have to wait another few weeks to see this stocked but its worth the wait...

Colour Alert!

I love coral, I do, I really do!  I can be seen wearing a lot of it, maybe too much but who cares, its a great colour that pops out and smacks you between the eyes and most certainly cheers you up.  This is why I've loved wearing newly launched Morgan Taylor Nail Lacquer in Candy Coated Coral (great name for a great shade) as its the perfect kind of coral against my dark skin and has given my toes a lovely sunny finish.  Let's try keeping Summer here for a bit longer and wear more colour, agree?
Which Morgan Taylor shade will you be wearing?

Carolyn K Nail Paints

Nail Paints and not just any old set of nail polishes but Carolyn K, British made nail colours of such ridiculously good quality at only £12.99 a set!
I have been using these for work recently and truly satisfied with the results in just 2 coats and often without the need of a Top Coat as they last extremely well under pressure.
And what's in a name?
All shades named after Carolyn's nearest and dearest; Armineh (top left box, far left), the cool beige and Babette, (top right box, far left) a deep grape colour are my Autumn/Winter '12 favourite shades, though I do love a splash of summery pink and coral of Sienna and Lara too.

Red Carpet Manicure eases off!

If you'll allow me to mention Red Carpet Manicure once more I will show you how easy it is to remove a pedicure as well as apply as seen HERE

I expected this procedure to take longer than it did as it often can do when I get my manicure soaked off professionally but with much relief it was speedy.

Red Carpet Manicure Soak Off tools - Buffer, Foils, Foam pads, Orange wood stick and Erase, the gel remover.

I buffed off all traces of shine from the nail plates.

Soaked each foam pad with Erase, placed over each nail and covered carefully with the foil sheets.

After approx 15 minutes, I began to gently scrape away the already lifted gel remains with ease.

There is not much more to say other than I am literally itching to get started on another colour, which I am still deciding on from the vast shades shown on their website www.redcarpetmanicure.co.uk 

Red Carpet Pedicure after 4 Weeks!

I am beyond impressed by my Red Carpet Nails (see http://nadiramakeup.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/the-home-nail-kit-of-all-home-nail-kits.html )
and I said I would show you how I soaked off my Red Carpet Manicure/Pedicure in 4 weeks but I have to admit they are still in pretty good shape, don't you agree?
I promise you, this is 4 weeks growth and there is still optimum shine, not one chip in sight though I can see where I missed the odd segment of the nail plate.
I will get around to the soak off though may not realistically get the time to do an entire post on the removal...unless, I am inundated with requests!
In the meantime, you can gaze adoringly at my toes...

Seche Silk Vitamin Enriched Lotion

I love the idea of hand creams, after all I paying them a lot of attention these days but sometimes I avoid them and continue to suffer with dry cuticles because hand creams, oils, balms can feel slippery and uncomfortable.  I was pleased to discover award-winning Seche Silk, the celebrated natural nail care range, known for its No.1 Top Coat, recently launched an oil-rich yet non-oil slick Vitamin Enriched Lotion for hands.  The delicate scent is a bonus too, not over powering and the non-greasy formula clings to skin to fully nourish with only a 5 pence sized amount.  Very cost effective at only £4.95 for this 30ml bottle and a generous £14.95 for 240ml.

The home nail kit of all home nail kits!

I've become almost obsessive about my nails, well why not?  It makes me feel a little more pretty, presentable and seeing as Summer has finally arrived I'm slipping into something more colourful and allowing my feet do the talking (and walking).  I don't know about you but I'm always in shock when I see rather grimey toe nails in a lovely pair of sandals; I think 'What the?' 'Why would you?' and 'No time for a pedicure?'
No excuses ladies, Red Carpet Manicure have created the ultimate in the home beauty kit, Gel Polish Pro Kit, yes, you heard me, this US made salon system in the comfort of your own home for pro-like Manicures and Pedicures using the RCM Professional 3 Watt LED Light.
Pro nails within an hour with a completely dry end result, so no drying time nor fear of smudging, chipping, peeling, just straight into open toes heels, costing only £89.95.  If you're doubting me then let's work it out; Manicures last 2-3 weeks, Pedicures 3-4 weeks, prices start at approx £37 for Gel manicures every 2-3 weeks plus a Gel Pedicure would cost an extra £50, which is the total cost of the RCM Gel Polish Pro Kit!
I attempted my pedicure whilst cooking, (I am a born multi-tasker) which I've limited patience for as I like my meal to be ready within an hour from start to finish; the same goes for my home pedicures as I often get bored of all the prep (though necessary, I know) I occasionally leave the colour application to the next day.  So hear me now, I was thrilled that this Gel Polish pedicure took 50 minutes, though I was aware Manicures might take about 10 minutes longer as thumbs would be cured separately to fingers!  Yes, I know what I'm doing as nails are part of my job but this is Pro nails remember and I performing such lasting nail colour seemed like it might become a bit of a faff.
The downsides: For someone who is not adept with nail colour application or god forbid, a complete nail virgin there was a lack of images to show each step in the instruction booklet, with an additional  disappointment of the nail colour chart being 'off colour'.
On the upside, well, see for yourself...

RCM Gel Polish Pro Kit Box (half the size of a shoe box)

L to R: Prep-Max Adhesion Sanitzer, Structure-Base Coat Gel, Brilliance- Seal & Shine Top Coat Gel , Revitalize- Nourishing Cuticle Oil

Erase- Gel Nail Polish Remover, Purify- Pre & Post Application Cleanser

Accessories Kit (sold separately) containing 1 Cuticle & Pro Buffing Stick, 2 Strips of Adhesive Buffing Tabs (10 per strip), 1 Emery Board, 10 Orangewood Sticks.  Removal Kit containing 20 Foil Sheets

LED Gel Polishes L to R: Red Carpet Reddy (sold with the Pro Kit), Nervous With Anticipation,  Lighter Shade of Gray (these two are new colours sold separately)

RCM Professional Light with 3 Watt LED Light

                                                               

Using Orangewood stick to push cuticles back using the flat end

Toenails shaped with Emery Board

Using Cuticle Pusher & Buffer Tabs (stuck onto flat ends) to  remove  derbris cuticles and remove shine from nails

Wiped nails with Purify Pre & Post Application Cleanser

Lightly brushed Prep - Max Adhesion Sanitizer for moisture-free nails

Preparation complete, a thin layer of Structure Base Coat Gel was applied

Foot placed under LED Light for 30 seconds (NB. LED Light  stays on for 45 seconds, then turns itself off)

The 1st coat of LED Gel Polish in Red Carpet Reddy was easily applied and used orangewood stick to clean off any  mistakes, then placed under the LED Light for 45 seconds

2nd coat applied then placed under LED Light for 45 seconds

Brilliance Top Coat Gel was thinly applied to nails then placed under LED for 45 seconds, afterwards a final cleanse using Purify Pre & Post Application Cleanser was wiped over nails to keep their high shine

And the finished well within an hour!

RCM READY!!!

Would you like to try Red Carpet Manicures/Pedicures?

Look out for an update post coming in 4 weeks showing how to soak off!

http://redcarpetmanicure.co.uk/

GELeration nails in the mix.

In between a list of things to-do yesterday I made time to get my GELeration nails soaked off and reapplied yet this time I fancied some colour.  I couldn't settle with the shades on offer so the clever, Sarah at The Nail Lounge at Maximiliano Centini suggested we mix it up to find the perfect coral colour for me.  We agreed on two coats of Orange 702 and two coats of French Manicure Pink 366.  Here are the results directly after my treatment.

And a closer look, you can just about see the orange peeping through with an overlay of pale pink.  I personally love it.  Which nail effects do you currently like?

What's in store from Dior?

I tweeted this image this week but thought you might like another gander at the gold infused Fall Look, Golden Jungle from Dior.  As well as the harmonious duo Diorblush, Leopard motif of Golden Jungle Eye Shadow Palette and Dior Addict Lip Stick with a shine finish from  rosewood to deep burgundy shades, there is even more Khaki on show for next season though with golden flecks throughout to ooze warmth; what an adoring mix. 

Nail colour will be BIG next season, every leading brand have some sensational shades for Autumn with  Dior Vernis  possibly topping them all by introducing such an animalistic Limited Edition duo nail colours of a gold base and khaki top coat, to create a crocodile effect!

Here is a quick snap from the press release.  For all of you dying to know when you can lay your hands on the Golden Jungle collection, it will be exclusively at Selfridges from 30th July 2012, then Nationwide from 13th August 2012.

Corail In Love.

It's Summer (believe it or not) and we tend to wear a little colour on our toe nails, get the open toe shoes and sandals out to show off our recent pedicures with something bright.  I tend to opt for coral's, enough of a bright but neither outlandish to go with my Summer wardrobe, so I was in hysteria when my eye caught Corail In Love 105M by Lancome this week, I instantly thought I must try it!

It looks quite pink here but has a peach tone, I promise.

I applied Ritual Nail Whitener first as a base coat; this I love as it keeps nail plates stain-free especially for red nail colours. I must admit I applied about 4 coats of the Vernis In Love as its quite thin, though I do admit layering it on whilst watching the tennis I lost count though knew I wanted to achieve a solid colour.  

Ta dah! I love the shade, not too bright or garish.  I added Rituals Top Coat, another favourite of mine.

I do love coral shades against my skin, certainly peps up my feet and even if the weather doesn't quite understand it is Summer as yet, I can at least feel I am trying a summery vibe.

Shine, shine, shine on!

Every few years a new ground breaking nail system is created, costing more each time we visit our local nail bar but we've gotta try it!  Some time ago, I was regularly getting Bio Sculpture nails applied to assist my bad habit of anxiously picking at dry skin around my nails.  I know vile but sometimes I wouldn't even realise I was doing it.  By maintaining my nails with Bio Sculpture I was constantly aware my nails were immaculate, therefore, resisting picking at them.  Good job, it worked but it suddenly seemed too much of a luxury to keep up and consumed my time as each session would take up to 3 hours to soak off, tidy cuticles, then reapply and set in the hand machine. In addition, my nail plates were becoming less and less attractive when natural and this bothered me, what damage was being done and was this really the answer to my stress related habit?

A few months ago, a good friend of mine who is friends and a regular at the salon, Maximiliano Centini, New King's Road, Fulham, showed me her new Geleration nails made by Jessica Nails, 'a hybrid between gel and polish giving fantastic colour', artistically applied by Jessica Centini, wife of Max and nail expert at the salon and director of The Nail Lounge.  My first impression was, 'Really?  They don't appear as thick as the other type of gel nails!'  

This is because technology and formulations have moved on and thank goodness, it takes about an hour from start to finish.  

Above are my nails after my first visit about 3 weeks ago with the French manicure, what do you think?

I think fantastic!  I love the finish and short length with a light cream base (very natural) over a white tip for an ultra natural appearance.

I visited Jessica's colleague at The Nail Lounge again this week.  My nails had grown quite a bit though they remained so shiny and only I noticed they didn't appear as immaculate as before. They had only one chip by this second visit and seeing as I use my hands a lot for work, they were impressive results after 3 weeks.

The soaking off period wasn't as painstaking as I'd experienced with gel nails, it took half the time and with no damage to my nails as you can see this is because there is no filing to the nail bed as an oil-free formula is applied to adhere to the chosen colour.  

During the soak off, I was deciding on whether to go for colour or back to the 'french' manicure.  Last week I would have chosen colour such as the bright coral 225, it was sunny and bright but now the weather has changed back, I contemplated 529, a rich metallic purple but being someone who never opts for dark on my nails, ever, I couldn't do it, so...

...half and hour later I had the shimmery, pale peach 952 shade, a pretty nude and good compromise.

Finally the price which varies on nail technician, the maximum being £40 for full colour and £45 for a French manicure finish, costing on average £14 every 3 weeks.  I find this economical as your average manicure can cost £30 a week, plus I would rather not endure the chipping and fading of traditional polish, I'd rather go au natural.

Have you tried other gel nail systems and have you opted for Geleration?

Blue is the colour!

Time and time again I am asked, 'What colour eye shadow would suit me?', 'Who does the best eye-shadows?' and 'Eye-shadows never show up on my skin or last, what would you suggest?'
The time has come to put one brand, yes, a brand I love to the test and also face my personal fear of bold eye colours on my dark complexion! *gulp*

In addition to those questions comes the issue of budget.  'But I can't afford those premium brands all you Make Up Artists' recommend in the beauty pages!'
I hear you and I am no beauty nazi!  I would rarely say there is no inexpensive solution because quite frankly, I know Front Cover Cosmetics. They wouldn't let me down, would they?

For a start, Front Cover kits are selling out fast which tells you something.  They are complete colour trends cleverly put together with clear instructions and suggestions, plus what is not to love about a kit that hones in one key make up trend directly from the catwalk.  

As you can see, Blue Eyed Girl is awash with blue hues, 3 (extremely velvety) eye-shadows with double ended applicator, a double ended mascara, Shadowline (one of my favourites) and finally a nail polish, in a beautiful midnight blue I might add.

One end a black mascara, a good staple product and a bright blue mascara.  I know what you're thinking, very 80's and can she pull it off? Will that show up on me?  Not sure but I'm willing to give it a go!

I love Front Cover Baked Eye-Shadows, they last and translate well in true colour so I was surprised to find these even more refined, smooth and velvety in texture. (top to bottom) Tie Dye, Bluesaceous and Silver Frost.  I know I am an expert but I have always had issues with blue eye colours on dark skin but from these tests, I was pleasantly surprised though I was most curious about whether Bluesaceous would look good on me as these blues on an Asian skin tone tend not to go hand in hand and hand on heart I have never worn a colour like this, I half expect it to look grey and wishy-washy!

It's a highlight for me to show you Shadowline, an innovative take on eye liner because you pick up the colour with the Shadowline tip, then glide along the lashline to create a 'mean' flick of intense colour. What's not to love!

One coat!  Just one coat of this stunning, dazzling deep nail colour in Singed.

I am sporting Tie Dye, the darkest shade applied with the eye-shadow brush (white end) and one coat of the black end of the Black/Blue Mascara.  Thoughts?

I love it but how far could I go?  Could I retain depth and recreate that 'on trend' A/W look?

I really could, by sweeping Tie Dye as close the the lower lash line, with the blending end of the applicator, dabbing Bluesaceous to the centre of the eyelids and a tad on inner eye, followed by Shadowline in the same colour to upper and lower lash lines.

Here's a side shot.  I have achieved the 'Blue Eyed Girl' look.

As I mentioned before, I was hesitant about Bluesaceous but I needn't have been.  Washed over the entire eye lids looked elegant against my skin tone and gave me an idea of how to wear my make up for a friends December wedding.

And a cheeky coat of the blue mascara added another dimension.  I have to stress, I love this blue mascara  applied over the black, it catches your eye with an unexpected pop of colour.

This set exceeded my expectations, especially as someone who is rarely drawn to 'blues' or intense colour on my skin, I tend to be a bright lip person but I have been converted.  It is at times easy for me to enthuse clients about the use of colour without fear, so my lesson is learnt and at only £12, I feel I have answered those common questions and plenty of my own.

Have you tried Blue Eyed Girl or other Front Cover Sets?

Available in all good Boots Stores.