Five Hand Creams #2 // Nivea, Dionis, Neutrogena, Essie Spa & Embryolisse

Welcome back to another Five Hand Creams post! I go through hand cream like water so here is where I document my experience with all the different ones I try out. I'm subscribed to a ridiculous amount of beauty boxes as well and I receive at least 1 every month through them, so when one is empty or close to empty I lump them all together for a "Five Hand Creams" post. Lets get into them shall we?

Nivea // Anti-age care Q10 (30ml - £1.50)

I bought this at the airport way back in June for my holiday to Rome as it was very hot there, and sunny, and so my hands needed adequate protection in a Ryanair friendly size. This 30ml tube was very handy and lasted me a good month of everyday use. It has that generic suncream smell thanks the to the UV filters it contains but at least I know my hands have some protection from the sun when using this. You can pick these up easily at any Superdrug in their ever growing holiday minis section. I'd definitely buy this one again for another trip.

Dionis // Goat Milk Hand Cream Roseberry (59ml - £6.29) (30ml version in picture)

I can only ever find this brand in TK Maxx and thought it was one of their own brands but it's actually an American brand and rarely sold anywhere over here. I bought the vanilla bean scent a couple of years ago now and never saw it again til now. I tend to pick them up for 99p and find them great for the price. If I'd have paid £6 though; I'd be annoyed as they don't moisturise all that well. I tend to think of them as perfume for your hands as the scent lingers for quite a while. This one is a sweet floral scent that has nothing to do with roses. When I see them, I pick one up but I wouldn't purchase this full price.

Neutrogena // Hand Cream Concentrated (15ml - £1.50)
Another mini that I picked up as the minis in Superdrug are always 3 for 2 and you can never have enough hand cream. I've had this one before and it's OK but it's nothing special. It's a very thick Vaseline type cream that takes a while to absorb and can leave you rubbing your hands together for a while. It says just a dab is needed but I always need more than that. It's also not as satisfying as I would like when applied to dry hands as it's rather dry feeling itself...I hope that makes sense...probably not. I think this will be the last time I buy it though.

Essie Spa // Intensive Hand Lotion Coriander Oil + Glycerin (248ml - £4.95) (75ml in picture)

This is now no longer sold and as you can see in the photo I got it on offer for £2.04 in an outlet store. It's a shame because I do like this hand cream. It's got more of a lotion consistancy and really coats the hands and nails. I find it too greasy for regular use but I use this when doing manicures to give myself that 'spa' feeling. I think I'd be tempted to give other Essie Spa products a go after trying this.

Embryolisse // Lait-Créme Concentré + Gloss (20ml - £8.25)

And last but not least is this hand cream/lip balm duo I received several months ago in the Birchbox Work It box. This is a fantastic idea as lip balm and hand cream are my two most used skincare items. That said I've found the dome lip balm top likes to melt and slide off if it gets too warm, so perhaps it should have been more of a tube shape to prevent that? The cream on the other hand is thick and rich with barely any scent. This appears to be on sale quite often on Feel Unique and if it weren't for the ridiculous amounts of hand cream I already have I'd purchase another.

Have you got any to recommend? Or any you detest? Let me (and others) know below!

Also, Happy New Year everyone! I hope you have a wonderful night and a fantastic New Year!

*none of the links in this post are affiliated, just ones I found off google

The Royal Splits // China Glaze & Jessica

What's this? A nail design with no stamping??

That's right, my first nail design without it since the 30th of September...oh dear god. Also, this is my second look without stamping...I think I have an obsession with stamping. It's just so much fun but clearly I need to put the stamper down.

I actually used some striping tape *le gasp* to create this look. It's the second time I've used tape, the first you can barely see the results back in my Avon Cosmic Lights Collection post. I've strategically taken photos at an angle so you don't see how spectacularly I messed up when placing them. The middle finger is completely off centre and the ring finger is wonky. I tried though.

I knew from the moment I opened this months Mani & Lola box though that these two shades belonged together, and boy do they make a great couple. This might even end up as my New Year's eve mani as my dress is navy and my bag and shoes are gold. I love how understated the look is but thanks to the glitter it has a real elegant feel to it.

How To:-

For this look I used one coat of Bohemian Rhapsody and two coats of Merry Whatever. After using a quick dry top coat I applied the striping tape across the nail and then painted on some more of Merry Whatever. You really have to make sure the bottom coat is dry before you apply the tape or it will smudge or lift off (there's a reason you can't see my thumb properly...). Then apply another layer of top coat and bam; ready.

Polishes/Tools Used:
- China Glaze // Merry Whatever (chunky gold holo glitter)
- Jessica // Bohemian Rhapsody (navy blue)

- Revlon // Quick Dry Top Coat

Mani & Lola December 2018 // Nail Subscription Box

Three months of Mani & Lola already??? Also, I'm super sorry about how late this is!!! They actually dispatched it earlier but when I received it on the 12th, I had a quick look at the contents then set it aside to be photographed and now it's almost January...That said, I like this month but it's not as good as the last two months. I think it was the two tiny travel sizes and sheet mask that did it. I'm already subbed to four beauty boxes; I don't need any face products from my nail box thank you.

Inc.Redible // Be Shore to Shine Mask (20ml Full Size Sheet Mask - No Retail Price)

Mani & Lola have given this an RRP of £10.95 which is ridiculous because these masks are only £5 full price so I have no idea where they got that price from. Also, this mask is not available outside of their Christmas gift sets so, really it has no retail price. I don't mind these masks, I do two sheet masks a week so it will get used but I would've preferred something nail related given than this is a nail box. The beauty boxes I'm subbed to rarely feature nail polish so it's kind of annoying to get skincare in a specialist box.

If you haven't tried these masks before though they have designs printed on them and they make you look like a serial killer. The cat one is particularly terrifying. You'll never need a Halloween costume as long as you have one of these on you.

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Mavala // Pure Diamond Bauble (5ml size - £4.95)

I can no longer find the bauble set for sale however the mini is still being sold. I was a little upset to see a mini size after receiving all full sizes the past couple of months but this is a beautiful shade. It's a linear holo that can achieve full opacity if sponged on or needs 3 coats. The shine is unreal and even though there is silver glitter padding the holo pieces out, they really shine in the light.

Will it Stamp? No.

EDIT 06/01/2018 - This box still hasn't been my favourite however, having done some research I found out that this is a full size polish, so every polish once again is full size. It's actually mental. Apparently Mavala only sell in a 5ml size. I'm sorry but these retail around £5 each. With that I can buy 10-15ml sized polishes. Now I know stamping polishes come in 5mls sizes however they are always much cheaper around the £1-£3 (depending on how much you trust eBay).

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Zoya // Alegra (15ml full size- £9.95)

A third Zoya polish and this one is the weakest out of the bunch. It needs a good 4 coats and the beautiful gold shift you see in the bottle is non-existent on the nails. It's a nice shimmery raspberry shade but not one that I would've picked out myself.

Will it Stamp? Yes, but extremely weak with little colour pay-off.

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China Glaze // Merry Whatever (14ml full size - £5.95)

Now this is more like it! This is a brand new shade from China Glaze's 2018 holiday collection. This is chunky gold glitter with bits of holo scattered around; it's stunning. When I think of Christmas polishes; this type of shade comes to mind. I like how it looks next to the blue Jessica shade and I'm cooking something up with those two.

Will it Stamp? No.

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Essie // Good as Gone Remover (25ml Sample Size - No Retail Price)

Another product which is no longer sold. It makes me wonder how long they've had these samples lying around? Also, mine isn't even filled to the top; it's missing a quarter. I've only used this once to remove a creme polish and it did ok. The scent wasn't overpowering given that it's mainly acetone with only 4 ingredients. My nails didn't look white or dry afterwards and there was no cold sensation. It does say salon performance on the front so I'll be testing it on it's clean-up ability but seeing as how you can't buy it, I don't see why it was included.

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Jessica // Bohemian Rhapsody (14.8ml Full size - £8.95)

This is a true dark denim blue shade and I love it. I don't have many blue shades in my collection (I'm trying to correct that...) and so I was happy to see this. I'd say you need a maximum of two coats. If applied slowly and precisely you can get away with one. I found it easy to remove as well, with minimal staining around the skin.

Will it Stamp? Yes, but only on large designs. Colour pay off is weak and can't handle small intricate designs.

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Price of Box - £22.95

Number of Items - 6 

Estimated Worth - £29.80

For a box that cost me £23, I don't think a £30 estimated worth is great...even Birchbox manages to double how much it costs in value. I could've bought most of these cheaper individually or using sales/discount codes, plus two items aren't even sold. The shades were nice this month but I am a little disappointed in the box. I'm hoping that next months will be much better as this is an expensive subscription but cheaper than the other nail box company; Meebox. 

EDIT: Looks done using these polishes -
- The Royal Splits (NYE 2018)

Stripes & Baubles // Christmas 2018 Nail Fails

Well Christmas is now over for another year and it's time to contemplate over my first year of doing Christmas nails...it wasn't good...

I actually attempted three of the Clairestelle8 challenges but only posted one as the other two I just found hideous. I also had some crazy deadlines to complete for my degree and only really got some days off starting the 21st; not leaving much time for nail art designs. Coupled with the crazy amount of swatching this month I'm looking forward to actually doing nail art next month...that said I've got both the Cuccio Wanderlust & Tapestry collections to post, plus the boxing day Morgan Taylor haul I did today with December Mani & Lola and Meebox....ARGH. There isn't enough time in the day. I did this to myself though, no one needs this much nail polish......said no one ever.....

Design 1 // Ornamental

The 12th of the Clairestelle8 Christmas challenge was "Christmas Ornaments" and using a Circus plate I came up with this. It doesn't look like much but I spent around 2 hours doing this due to all the stamping. The baubles were tripled stamped, as was the wiring and all that stamping took a while. I have a newfound appreciation for those who make double or triple stamping look easy.

I think the colour combo is one of the main reasons I don't like it that much. The blue and green just seem jarring with each other. This was a design that I had no idea where it was going but unlike the other times; this one didn't turn out so well.

Design 2 // Christmas Candy

Designed for the 16th of the challenge which was "Gingerbread or Candy Cane" I tried to do the double lines that have been sweeping across instagram. I did this whilst swatching the OPI advent calendar and felt like I could do something with the shade....I couldn't. I detest this design; the colours don't match, the pink in the background just ruins it.

And that's as far as I got with the challenge. I finish my degree in June so next year I'll be able to participate in the challenge properly as it's so much fun. I'd love to the the Digit-al Dozen challenges as well but they seem to only post their challenges on Facebook; which I don't have. Oh well, I'll just have to keep doing my own challenges, which I don't seem to stick to lol. 

Ciaté Mini Mani Month 2018 // Days 22 - 24

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful day. I spent it eating myself into a coma whilst watching South Park & The Orville with the fam. I've also got the OPI calendar and 2013 Ciaté one left to post but they just weren't as exciting as this one. Let's get into the last three shades shall we?

Day 22 - Up In The Clouds // Pink & Blue Duochrome Shimmer

Formula - Gelology

I love duochrome shades, especially pink ones as they're just so soft and versatile. This one shifts from baby pink to baby blue (or the reverse if applied on a dark base) and has a multitude of shimmery pieces to give it depth. For a cheaper dupe though, this shade is practically identical to W7 Breanna which is just a tad darker but you can only tell in bright light. I picked up the W7 shade for £1.99 whereas full size Ciaté go for £12 so go get yourself a bargain dupe if you love this shade. In the photo I'm wearing two coats with no base colour.

Day 23 - Red Hot Chilli // Bright Orange/Red Jelly

Formula - Paint Pot
I'm calling this one a Jelly instead of creme because it has pigment but is still slightly translucent. One coat is perfect but you can just see the nail tips peeking through. This is not because of streaks though. I'm wearing two coats in the photo, but one is perfectly acceptable. 

Day 24 - Shooting Star // Shaped Glitter Chunks in Pink Clear Base

Formula - Paint Pot
As the last day of the calendar you would expect it to go out with a bang; something completely extra. Instead we got this; a boring clear polish with some star pieces in it. It looks lovely in the bottle, the problem is that you tend to get one or two star pieces on the brush every now and then. You can could sponge this on but it would still take forever as you can't get any freaking stars out; a huge disappointment. The star pieces also tend to stick up from the nail and even with a thick top coat on; they keep catching on everything. I tried my best to get some stars out but could only manage to get one on each nail. This is basically a top coat with some chunks in it.

// Verdict

And that was the Ciaté Mini Mani Month for 2018! I LOVED this calendar and I'm hoping they'll change at least 80% of the shades for next year because I can buy it again. The shades were varied and full of shimmer and except for Shooting Star, the formula on every single one was amazing. This calendar has made me a Ciaté convert and I'll definitely buying more from their new range. It's also on sale right now for £20 on the Ciaté website, go go go!

My favourite shades that I discovered were Paradise Lost, Golden Hour and Dangerous Affair. These are the ones I'd recommend the most.

Days 1 - 7
Days 8 - 14
Days 15 - 21

Hit The Birchbox Slopes // Birchbox Advent Calendar 2018 Nails

Oh man, I couldn't leave you all hanging with those terrible Birchbox nails I posted earlier today, so I sat down and did these! They are perhaps my favourite look I've done all month but I just wish my nails hadn't broken the other day so I would've had more room to play with.

So for this design I started off with one coat of Forest which dries to a satin finish but once you apply a top coat it turns into this beautiful deep blue shimmer. I then used the white polish and the Scandi 10 plate to create the mountain range and filled in the gaps as the stamp design does't cover your nail entirely. 

After a layer of top coat, I then used the triangle shape from Tropical 35 in a few different shades. The gray shade was a bit wishy washy and so I had to stamp that one about 4 times but I don't have a stamping polish in that shade. The star is also Scandi 10 and then some snowflakes were added using a combination of Crystal 03 and BP-01.

I'm so happy with how this turned out; especially with all the failures I've had this month. I've got a few more Christmas designs I'd like to do but seeing how there's only one day left, it looks like they'll have to wait for next year!

Polishes/Tools Used:

- Barry M Silk // Forest (deep blue shimmer)

- Born Pretty Stamping Polish // #4 (white)
- Avon Gel Shine // Rain Washed (pale blue/grey creme)
- Essence The Gel Nail Polish // Pure Beauty (pale dusty pink creme)
- Essence The Gel Nail Polish // Perfect Match (dusty rose creme)
- Barry M // Plumpy Hi Shine Top Coat

- MoYou London Stamping Plate // Scandi 10
- MoYou London Stamping Plate // Crystal 03
- MoYou London Stamping Plate // Tropical 35
- Born Pretty Stamping Plate // BP-01

Twinkle All The Way // Birchbox December 2018 Nails

Dammmnn this is soo late! I'm sorry but at the same time, my assignments have to come first. I've given myself a few days off for the holidays so I'm hoping to catch up on some nail art and do some new posts as I've pretty much just been swatching the entire of December. Next year remind me to get only one nail polish advent calendar. 

Anyway, here is the first Birchbox nail look this month based on the top design from the beauty box. I'm also going to do the advent calendar as well but whilst editing this post I can't help but feel I may need to re-do this look as well as it just doesn't look right. The colours don't match at all and I realise I probably should've used Katherine Parr by A-England as the blue colour now and left out Nail Junkie. I only added that glittery topper to give it a bit of texture like the box, however, it shines way too green. Also the gold shade is too yellow.

This is the third Christmas look I've done now where I'm just not happy with it. I think tomorrow I'll do a Christmas 'Nail Fail' post as two other designs I did just failed to win me over.

For this look though, I applied one coat of Knee Highs, followed by two coats of Nail Junkie. Then used the Scandi 10 plate with the gold shade. The actual stamp design had other smaller dots in the background however, I used a dotting tool to remove the excess design on the stamper before I applied it.

Polishes/Tools Used:

- Ciaté // Knee Highs (royal blue shimmer)
- Sinful Colors  // Nail Junkie (teal chunky glitter)

- Born Pretty Stamping Polish // #1 (gold)
- Barry M // Plumpy Hi Shine Top Coat

- MoYou London Stamping Plate // Scandi 10

Ciaté Mini Mani Month 2018 // Days 15 - 21

First I'd like to take a moment for the nails we lost while doing this post. Whilst at work, the nail on my middle finger snapped clean off and so I had to say goodbye to my other nails as well. I usually keep my nails short, however for once I had decided to grow them and was doing quite well...oh well. The funny thing is that my 'other hand' is my main hand yet all my nails on that one never break!

Day 15 - Total Eclipse // Dark Grey/Blue Creme

Formula - Gelology
Another one-coater that reminds me of brand new dark denim. This was another shade where I didn't have to do any clean up and I'm starting to wonder if all the swatches I'm doing this month has seriously upped my polish game and I'm just applying it with more precision now. This is a nice moody shade though that would go nice with a minimal line art look..watch this space.

Day 16 - Supernova // Cream Shimmer with Pink Shift

Formula - Gelology

This calendar needs to stop! I can't take it anymore! This beautiful sheer shimmer can be used as a topper to give a pink shift to any polish or on it's own. One coat just gives your nails a shine and then when the light hits it; that beautifully glittery pink comes through. I'm wearing two coats which is still sheer enough to see the nail tip but gives enough coverage to see the silver glitter and the pink. 

Day 17 - Pepperminty // Pale Sage Green Creme

Formula - Gelology

So this was a shade featured in the 2013 calendar but now it's returned in the gelology formula! It is a little different though in colour with this version being much lighter and more of a pale sage green and the older one a pale minty green with blue undertones. This one is quite runny and definitely needs two coats to achieve full opacity as it's way to streaky with just one.

Day 18 - Tempest // Ocean Blue Shimmer with Purple Shift

Formula - Gelology

If you're a mermaid raise your hands in the air. This week definitely has a mermaid theme going on with the blues, greens and shimmers. There is a clear purple shift in the bottle, however on the nails you need to apply it on top of a darker colour or layer up.  Regardless, the blue shimmer is beautiful just by itself. I'm wearing three coats in the swatch with no base.

Day 19 - Fly Away // Lavender Creme

Formula - Gelology
If applied thinly, you'll need at least two layers of this true lavender hue. In the photo I'm wearing one coat applied with a steady hand a full brush. Like the others, I barely needed to clean up afterwards. I prefer more pastel shades however this is an elusive shade of purple that I've been needing in my collection; so it's most welcome.

Day 20 - Cookies & Cream // Sandy Beige Creme

Formula - Gelology

You can almost get away with one coat of this light nude shade, but I'm wearing two just to cover up some slight streakage that was going on. I really like this shade; it's light but a beautiful and will suit anyone. I'm also impressed with the coverage as a similar OPI shade called Samoan Sand is practically like water when compared to this.

Day 21 - Paradise Lost // Pink & Gold Fine Glitter

Formula - Gelology

Oh this one is definitely my favourite for the week. If you thought that this would be a sheer topper like Tempest or Supernova; you'd be wrong. Ready in one coat this is a stunning rose gold glitter with fine pieces of pink and gold scattered throughout for good measure. I love this shade and it's one that I need to have full size.

Verdict

I'm having so much fun swatching this calendar; way more than the OPI. In fact I keep forgetting that I have to swatch that one, the shades just aren't as nice as this one. Also, it's nice to see a larger variety of colours from greens to blues and purples and not just pink.

// Days 1 - 7
// Days 8 - 14
// Days 22 - 24

Ciaté Mini Mani Month 2018 // Days 8 - 14

I'm well into week 3 with swatches however I've finally managed to get this post edited and ready to go! Let's get straight into it:

Day 8 - Kaleidoscope // Silver Glitter with blue/purple shift shimmer

Formula - Paint Pot

I have to say I'm impressed by this glitter. Most need to be sponged on to get full glitter coverage however this looks great with large amounts of different sized glitter chunks from the first coat. It's based in a blue/purple clear shimmer which gives it a little something extra (cue Elle Woods from Legally Blonde)

And just to give you an idea of what it looks like on top of another polish I'm wearing it with Wind In My Hair from the new Cuccio Wanderlust range (a full swatch post is coming in January!) on my ring finger. I'm wearing two coats in the photo and I'm impressed at how nice it looks by itself. I actually really like the whole 'negative space' trend in nails so it fits in with that really well, but the shimmery base just elevates it to another level. It's also gives off serious mermaid/scale vibes; I like it.

Day 9 - Knee Highs // Dark Blue Shimmer

Formula - Paint Pot

Oh man do I love this shade. I've already used it for last months Look Fantastic nails and this shade looks beautiful both shiny and matte. It's also a dream to apply so I was a little shocked when I found out that this is the regular paint pot formula. Rich and luxurious this is a stunning one-coater. That said I've noticed that it cracks insanely easily; even if you don't have ridges. On my index finger it looks like fibers have gotten into the polish the cracking was that bad. A little disappointing given how beautiful the shade is.

Day 10 - Dangerous Affair // Deep Crimson Creme

Formula - Paint Pot

They just keep knocking it out of the park with this calendar. Dangerous Affair is a stunning deep crimson that's almost identical to Orly The Antidote, however this is slightly more red. This is definitely a vampire shade with it's blood red tones and inspires a Gothic looking mani. You could get away with one coat however I'm wearing two just to cover up some slight patchiness. This is one of the few shades that I would wear on it's own which is rare for me as I can't resist layering or stamping everything.

Day 11 - Antique Brooch // Chunky Pink Glitter in Sheer Gold Shimmer Base

Formula - Paint Pot

I feel like a broken record because this is another great polish. I'm wearing just one coat on bare nails and it still looks super chic. The sheer shimmery bases (try saying that 5 times in a row...) in these glitter polishes really help make them something special. I also used this recently in a Christmas Party look, where I wore two coats on top of Dangerous Affair. These two have become one of my favourite combos.

Day 12 - Stickers

I think just the two little sheets of water decals are a bit stingy considering you can get a sheet of 50 of Wish for like £1 but these ones are cute. I haven't used them yet but they'll be going in my decal draw to be used for a special occasion since you don't get much. I honestly don't mind receiving things like this in advent calendars; it's a nice change and still nail related but it's just lacking quantity wise.

Day 13 - Raspberry Collins // Super Bright Raspberry Creme

Formula - Paint Pot

Holy gasmorgasboard (...I don't know what that is...). This shade glides across the nail in one coat for a blinding mani. This is a hot, bright raspberry shade that is similar to three shades from the OPI calendar but the formula really sets it apart. I didn't even need to do any clean up after application. I have to say Ciaté brushes are perhaps my favourite for the way they fan across the nail; allowing you to achieve a flawless look in just 3 swipes, once down the middle and then to the sides.

Day 14 - Jelly Oil

I don't have much use for this as a nail oil as it's not very moisturising and takes a long time to sink into the skin. However, I have found a use for this as my 'swatching oil'. Whenever I use polish on my left hand (my main polish hand) I always use a peel off base coat, however I've found that if oil is left on the nail the base coat peels off even faster than normal and doesn't last my usual 24 hours. For swatching this is perfect as it lifts of super easy and allows me to swatch faster. A tiny amount of this jelly oil dabbed on the nail and rubbed in also helps keep my nails and nail folds protected from acetone; win win. It does have a light pleasant scent as well. 

Verdict

What a week; I'm exhausted from constantly being blown away by the performance of these polishes. And I'm almost through days 15-21 and trust me when I say it just keeps getting better. Most of these shades only need 1 coat and apply beautifully. If anything this calendar has made me a Ciaté convert.

Days 1-7
Days 15 - 21
Days 22 - 24