Nails of the Day - OPI Best of the Best

Hello everyone, I would just like to apologise for my lack of posts recently. I have been so busy over the Christmas period but I am back and there are lots of posts coming your way!

Now on to the post ...

If, like me, you live in the UK and you are nail varnish obsessed then you will know that to buy a bottle of OPI nail varnish is probably the naughtiest purchase you will ever make. Although I love nail polish, I can't quite bring myself to spend £10.50 when in boots I could buy several Barry M nail paints for the same price. However, on one of my "I-am-not going-to-buy-anything" browses on the internet I found this little box of lovelies.

The set contains ten of OPI's most famous shades in 3.5ml bottles. I'm calling it my OPI starter kit, it has a wide range of colours from neutrals to brights to darks and it contains the infamous "Lincoln Park After Dark". 

 alpine snow, bubble bath, tickle my france-y,

 strawberry margarita, cajun shrimp

big red apple, i'm not really a waitress, you don't know jacques!,

 russian navy, lincoln park after dark

They all apply beautifully and it has given me a really good taster of OPI nail polishes and the wide colour range. 

 same order as before

I expect that one day I will own a full sized OPI nail polish, however, for now I am quite happy with my miniatures!

I got mine from here! 

Bonnie x

The Classic Smokey Eye

The smokey eye is probably the most desired makeup look of the past decade and I expect that it will continue to be incredibly sought after in the makeup world, because of this it has become a classic. I am NOT a professional but I have come to the conclusion that the smokey eye is best when it is kept very simple. 

For this look you will need:

1. A base - either an eyeshadow primer or a cream eyeshadow                       (I chose a Creaseless Cream Eyeshadow from Benefit called Birthday Suit)
2. Two eyeshadows - a highlight colour and a dark grey or black                   (I chose a Duo Eyeshadow from Nars called Tzarine)
3. A black eyeliner - whatever you prefer: kohl, gel, liquid etc                      (I chose one from Topshop called Coal)
4. A black mascara - again choose your favourite                                         (I chose Maxfactor's Masterpiece Max)
5. Two brushes - a shader brush and a fluffy brush                                       (I have two from Topshop - the Smudger Brush and the Eyeshadow Brush)

First, apply the base all over the lid and up to the brow bone. 

Next apply the highlight eyeshadow all over the lid with the fluffy brush. Then switch to the darker colour and use the shader brush to work the colour into the crease and the upper lash line. Follow a V shape from the middle of the eye and outwards to the outer edge of the eye and then back into the crease. Use the fluffy brush to blend any harsh lines.

Then apply the eyeliner to the water line and upper lash line and apply the mascara to finish.

The finished look should look something like this - don't worry if it's not exactly the same!

The smokey eye is perfect for a night out and as it is coming up to Christmas, I expect that lots of you will be planning lots of them! You can obviously change bits of it, different colours, more sparkle or maybe some false eyelashes but I just wanted to show you the basic smokey eye. 

If you want me to do a more in depth review on any of the products I used then please leave a comment below.

Bonnie x

Christmas Gift Guide - Snow Globe Eyeshadows by Mac

Just a quick post about another product from Mac's Glitter and Ice collection. When I was down in London, I also picked up one of the Snow Globe Eyeshadows from Mac for my cousin's birthday. It instantly caught my eye with what I can honestly say is the most gorgeous packaging I have ever seen. 

As the name suggests, the product is incased in a clean white pallet with a stunning snow globe with silver glitter on top. I would have just bought it for the packaging - it is so beautiful! I got it in the colour 'Sultry', however, as it was a gift, I could not do any swatches.

left to right: lightfully, trax, fun!, 

festive delight, black tied, shadowy lady

I hope that you can tell from the picture that the colours are lovely and I am sure that you will be able to find good swatches online or pop into your nearest Mac to check it out. I just wanted to include it in my blog because I think it would be a wonderful gift for someone this Christmas. I got it in the Mac store near Covent Garden for £31 but it is available online and in most Mac stores worldwide.

Bonnie x 

Lip of the Day - What Joy! by Mac

When I was down in London a couple of weeks ago, I took a little trip to Spitalfields Market and while walking around, feeling rather festive (or freezing) I spotted the Mac sign through the stalls. I'm not sure if it was the promise of a new lipstick or a chance to get out of the cold but I speedily headed for the store. 

As soon as I stepped through the door I instantly spotted the Glitter and Ice collection and more importantly this gorgeous lipstick. I was immediately drawn to What Joy! because I have been looking for a dark, berry lipstick for ages, I think it is such a lovely colour for this time of year. The first time I wore it, I applied it as you normally would apply a lipstick and the result was a beautiful, deep berry colour with a satin finish. 

 applied with a lip brush

However, I then realised it would be lovely as a lip tint also. To do this I used Elizabeth Arden's 8 Hour Cream but any moisturising lip product would do and then applied the lipstick with my finger.

applied as a lip tint

An equally divine colour, however, much more wearable during the day. I really love this lipstick and I will be wearing it constantly over the Christmas period. It would be perfect as a day to night lip colour and adds a sophisticated edge to any neutral look. I got it from the Mac store in Spitalfields for £14 but it will be in most Mac counters and stores worldwide. 

Bonnie x

                                    

Nail of the Day - Black Cherries by Rimmel

When the weather turns cold and with Christmas just round the corner, I put my summer nail polishes away and bring out the lovely warm reds and festive golds. I much prefer these colours to the bright blues and neon pinks I feel obliged to wear during the warm months - I find them much more flattering. My absolute favourite winter polish - and probably my favourite nail polish overall - is Black Cherries by Rimmel London. 

This nail polish is from the I Love Lasting Finish collection, the quality it really good and for me the colour is just gorgeous. An almost black purple which has a very glossy finish - perfect for the festive season! 

I genuinely missed this nail polish over the summer and I am so glad that it is back in my - seemingly empty - life. 

What is your favourite winter nail polish?

Bonnie x

Skin Saviour - 7 Day Scrub by Clinique

I have always liked Clinique, my first ever foundation was from there (Almost Powder Makeup) and I still use it three years on. I love Clinique's obvious interest in skin care and skin health and it is probably my most trusted brand. My mum also loves Clinique and when we are repurchasing our Clinique necessities  - we are now friends with the lovely Clinique ladies - we always manage to accumulate several of their samples. One that we always got was the 7 Day Scrub, I tried it and absolutely loved it. We probably got about three of them during a three year period and because they lasted for such a long time I never felt the need to repurchase I full sized one. 

However, on one of our regular trips to Clinique, to my dismay I found out that the samples had been discontinued, so I lived a year without my 7 Day Scrub. During the summer, my skin was fine but when it turned cold, my skin became horrible and dry. So back I went to Clinique to buy my skin saviour. This product is incredible, it makes my skin so soft and it's so gentle that I can use it everyday - hint in the name. Although it is pricey - I got it in Boots for £17 - I cannot recommend this product enough.


Bonnie x  

Lip of the Day - Boy by Chanel

What is our obsession with Chanel? Whenever I see those intertwined C's and the black and gold packaging my heart skips a beat and I find myself subconsciously gliding towards the glistening counter. The classic beauty of everything that is Chanel captures me and for a moment I forget that 1. I do not need a new lipstick, and 2. I cannot afford a new lipstick. Five lovely minutes later I am clutching a gorgeous white bag, embossed with the sacred symbol and almost skipping out of the store. Chanel is dangerous. 

When Chanel released their new lipsticks - Rouge Coco Shine - I thought they looked amazing, I had never owned a Chanel lipstick before and this seemed like the perfect opportunity to join the 'Chanel Cult'. The one problem was they were rather expensive, in fact they were ridiculously expensive, so I refrained. However, the advertisements were everywhere, reminding me of how beautiful they were and walking past the Chanel counter took so much will power - it seemed rather sad. So I gave in. 

I was not disappointed and the guilt lessened as the days went on. Inside the fabulous packaging I found the most gorgeous, glossy lipstick. The colour I bought was Boy (54), a 'my-lips-but-better' colour, it applied beautifully and I absolutely love it. It's the perfect daytime shade which I could wear all year round - this was the justification line. Yes, Chanel is expensive and no, I did not need it but surely a Chanel hit once in a while can't be bad ...

I bought this lipstick in Boots and it cost .... £23 - if you say it faster it helps. This would be a lovely Christmas present for a very lucky someone with the dreaded Chanel bug. I have got my Chanel fix for the year and I could not recommend this lovely lipstick enough. 

Bonnie x

The Christmas Gift Guide - Benefit Gets Cheeky!

When I was in town yesterday with my mum, we were fighting our way through Boots and we came across the Benefit counter. I love Benefit, some of my first ever makeup products were from there. I am a big fan of their quirky packaging and every Christmas, without fail, I will purchase a couple of their gift sets for my family and friends. So when I set my eyes upon this gorgeous set, I knew that it would be the perfect gift for someone. 

This cute set contains miniature sizes of Benefits very popular cheek and lip tints (Benetint and Posietint) and also a lovely highlighter, High Beam. I own Benetint and High Beam and I absolutely love them, they are such beautiful colours. 

Each bottle contains 4ml of the product, this doesn't seem like a lot but I have owned my Benetint (13.5ml) for about three years and I'm not even half way through it!

The pigmentation of the products is amazing - a little goes a long way! Also the highlighter has a lovely shimmer to it but it's not too over the top.

posietint, high beam, benetint

This would be the perfect gift for someone who is just starting with makeup or would like to try some of Benefits most famous products. This set is exclusive to Boots and at £14.50, I think it's a bargain!

Bonnie x

Nail of the Day - Hyperreal by Topshop

When I was wondering in Topshop the other week, I suddenly found myself gravitating toward the makeup section. I have been overall really impressed with Topshop's makeup but for me the nail polishes are by far the best. The array of colours and the £5/6 price tag are too good to resist, so I picked up one ... because I needed it.

I have been recently obsessed with bronze makeup and this colour looked so gorgeous. Like all Topshop nail polishes the quality is really good and for me, it lasted about five days. However, the colour was not what I expected, from the bottle it looks like a divine bronze with just the right amount of shimmer, on my nails it almost looked like a rose gold (I love rose gold nail polishes - Rage by Orly is amazing - but I really wanted a bronze nail polish). 

Overall, I do like this colour and it will be lovely for the Christmas period but I am still on the market for the perfect bronze nail polish. 


Any recommendations? 


Bonnie x