SWATCHES: Primark Cosmic Chrome & Liquid Metal // Luna & Penny

I've been avoiding Primark polishes because a) they're all below £2 and b) it will do serious damage to my bank account. They have some beautiful shades but I know I'll just go insane and buy the entire shelf. Today is a good though because I managed to restrain myself and only buy these two new shades. But after seeing how these have performed I may just have to let my wallet take a hit because 

Luna // Rose Gold Glitter/Foil

Holy hell. This...THIS is the formula I want the H&M glitter/foil polishes to be. This is how you do a glitter foil. I am wearing just 1 coat! This stuff is insane! Plus it stamps, what even is this stuff and how is it only £1.50? They have this in gold, silver, blue and green but I'm a rose gold ho so this is my favourite. My only gripe is that it takes a while to dry and is hard to clean up but it's worth it. 

Penny // Orange Metallic/Foil

I have a couple of shades similar to this one in Artistic Revolution's "You're not glistening to me" and Orly "Valley of Fire". However, this one is set in a raspberry base and has a slight gold shift. In the bottle in kind of looks like it's on fire when the light hits it. If you got some fire vinyls, this would be perfect thanks to the gold shift. It doesn't stamp as well as Luna and also dries with some brush strokes if applied haphazardly but for the price I can't complain much.

// Verdict

Very impressed. And all Primark items are now cruelty free as well. I'm not wearing any top coat in these photos either; they're incredibly glossy and put some expensive brands to shame. Couldn't recommend them more.

Spread Your Wings // Birchbox May 2019 Nails

I think this was one of the first Birchboxes in a while that I wasn't desperate to recreate. There's just something about butterflies...I don't think I'm a butterfly person. The contents weren't the greatest as well. I've received the Philip Kingsley Elasticizer 5 times now and I've not even used up the first tube I got. It's just such a pain to use. The best item by far is the Mimitika sunscreen. It's SPF50 with no grease, not even a hint; it actually mattifies my makeup. It also doesn't have that sunscreen smell or leave any white cast/flashback. It was the item I wanted to receive the least and ended up being the best. I'll be buying this full size for sure.

But onto the nails; again not my favourite.

The grass was hand-painted and not the best but I am really enjoying using acrylic paint, who knows, maybe I'll become the next Bob Ross but for nails.....I won't hold my breath.

How I did it:

I started off with a white base coat and then painted on the leaves. I used the overprint stamps from the Harunouta plate for the butterflies and then used a dotting tool to add some extra detail.

Polishes/Tools Used:-

- Essie // Blanc (white)
- MoYou London // One and Only (pastel peach), Orchid Chic (magenta)

- Born Pretty Polish // #379 (pale yellow)
- Sally Hansen Hard as Nails // Jam Sesh (lavender)

- Barry M Liquid Chrome // Bright Lights (gold)

- Crafts 4 All Acrylic Paint // 105 Titanium White, 605 Green Pale, 615 Emerald Green, 753 Black

- Revlon Colorstay Gel Envy // Diamond Top Coat
- Harunouta Plate // L071

BEAUTY BOX: Latest In Beauty // Style Awards 2019 Box 2

So I already bought a Style Awards box last month when it was released, however you could only buy one. Fast forward to earlier this month and they allowed subscribers to purchase another box at £25 instead of £30. They've now reduced it even further to £20 until the 31st May but it's slim pickings now. Since I have time now though, it's back to beauty box blogging for me! I've actually really missed it.

Vinylux Duo // CND 

2x 15ml Full Size 

£6.95 Individually or £15.75 for both

I'm a little disappointed in the formula on this one. CND are supposed to retail at £10 each but the formula is like a born pretty stamping polish. It has this dull shine to it and is still a little streaky after two coats. However, these polishes have been designed to only work with each other. The top coat is nice and glossy but does take a while to dry. Both of them are described as 'chip resistant' and are supposed to become stronger as you wear it. I never tend to wear polish for more than a couple of days because there is too much to wear and too little time so chips don't bother me but for the price, I'd rather buy cheaper polishes like Barry M or H&M that have better formulas. The shade is nice and bright though.

Scent-sational Protect Conditioning Mist // Aussie

95ml Full Size

£9.99

I was sorely tempted to add this to the first box as I love Aussie products (and my hair loves them too) but other products won out. The idea of a hair mist is great. I remember years ago Chanel brought out a 'hair perfume' but that's £44 and this is a tenner. Plus, most Aussie products are 3 for 2 at Boots or superdrug so you can always get them cheaper. Aussie products always smell fantastic as well and after I've been cooking Tikka Masala; a hair mist is desperately needed. This one has more of a deep, nutty, earthy scent compared to the sweet conditioners but I still can't stop sniffing it. The size also makes it perfect store in your bag. Definitely worth a tenner.

Good Girl EDP // Carolina Herrera

7ml Sample Size

£10.36 based on 50ml for £74

Perfumes are a huge weakness for me and after learning that this was a deluxe sample size (and came in a hella cute bottle) and I added to the box immediately. I had no idea what to expect but they were low as most 'designer' perfumes I've tried all smell the same; horribly floral and bitter. I think Armani Si is one of the few that I love. I am happy to report though that this is a beautiful scent. It comes in a small box with velvet on it and the heel bottle is great if (like me) you love collecting unusual perfume bottles. Straight away there is citrusy grapefruit notes but then it gives way to warmer scents like vanilla and chocolate. I'd say this is definitely a sexy smell and if it weren't £74 I'd have bought it already. Alas, I'm only a lowly junior software engineer right now and not particularly earning enough to warrant spending a months petrol on one bottle of perfume....one day though.

Nourishing Coconut Body Butter // Soaper Duper

200ml Full Size 

Discontinued

I'm not the biggest fan of Soaper Duper; I find their scents to be very strange and not pleasant (the tuberose hand cream made me gip) however I liked the Yuzu Fruit & Fig body butter I got in the LIB Spring Heroes box (which has also been discontinued) so I thought I'd give this one a try. I think this may have gone off though because it's sort of solidified to this jelly consistency and smells like plastic. I'm not impressed. It's a good thing its been discontinued. I'm annoyed I wasted a choice on this though.

Moroccanoil Treatment // Moroccanoil

25ml Travel Size

£13.45

I love this stuff, it's fantastic. I first used it last year in the LIB Grazia edit and ran out pretty quickly. I use this after my conditioning spray and my hair is just super soft and frizz free afterwards. I can see it leaving fine hair greasy though so it's more for those with thick course hair.

Discovery Set // Floral Street

8 x 1.5ml

£14

I already have 5 of these Floral Street samples thanks to the Feel Unique Pick 'n Mix so passed up on adding it the first time but I'm starting to run out of the Ylang Ylang Espresso and Wild Vanilla Orchid. At first I loved the Ylang Ylang Espresso but thought it was a bit too masculine but now I don't care anymore because I love it. I'll be asking for this for my birthday. It also layers great with Wild Vanilla Orchid. Out of all the scents I'd say Black Lotus is the one I like the least but Floral Street are the only floral perfumes I like due to how sweet they all are. 1.5ml vials get a bad rap as being tiny samples but they are more than enough to figure out if you like the scent.

// Number of Items: 6

// 3 Full Size, 2 Travel Size, 1 Sample

// Estimated Worth: £61.70

At £25 this was a great way to try out some expensive perfumes but two items were duds for me. The Good Girl perfume is still available along with all the nail polishes (including the Kure Bazaar and OPI) but most of the items left are small sample sizes so I don't really feel it's worth £20 anymore. Keep your eye out on LIB though as they are releasing a new Summer edit next month (they're usually quite good) and hopefully the Style Awards edits will continue to happen every April as they're a great way to try out super expensive items.

Latest In Beauty Style Awards

Urban Beauty // Look Fantastic Beauty Box May 2019 Nails

I finally managed to get up this months Look Fantastic nails! I was wondering what to do for this month but then in the box magazine they had this skyscraper ombre thing going on and I thought city sunset mani! It didn't turn out perfectly because I don't have any skyscraper stamping plates so I freehanded it...that's right I'm entering the world of freehand. Acrylic paint just makes it so much easier.

I also really enjoyed the curation this month. The conditioner only lasted twice because I have butt length hair but it left it smelling fruity and fresh and the lip liner makes a beautiful nude lip shade. I mix it with lip balm for a nude lip. The other items I haven't used yet but I love the Polar night cream so I was super excited to receive another item from them. I was going to do a full review this month but I think I'll start next month with that stuff again. I'll just leave it at; this was a good month.

How I did it:

I started off with one coat of white polish; any will do, it's just so the ombre needs less coats. I used two and then topped it off with top coat. I used black acrylic paint to create the skyscrapers and Golden Hour for the highlights as the highlights on the box was rose gold this month.

Polishes/Tools Used:-

- Cutex Care + Color // Catch The Sunset (bright coral pink)
- Essence The Gel // Orange To Go (bright orange)

- Essenge The Gel // Pumpkin Spice (dark orange clay)
- Ciaté // Golden Hour (rose gold)
- Crafts 4 All Acrylic Paint // 753 Black (black)

- Barry M // Plumpy Hi Shine Top Coat

Beauty Box Review // FabFitFun Spring 2019 (UK Reviewer)

Ok, I know I'm a nail polish blog but I just can't help myself anymore. I'm obsessed with subscription boxes (I have 6 now, send help) but, I rarely drink, I don't smoke and my idea of a crazy night out involves buying a large popcorn at the cinema...so I guess it's ok then. Before this I had a beauty blog and I think it was reviewing make-up that really made me start to hate it mainly because I prefer skincare. So, with my degree wrapped up now and a little more time on my hands I'm gonna start adding beauty box and skincare to the blog; but mainly nails lol.

ANYWAY, FabFitFun ships to the UK now!! I had heard of this box but dismissed it as it's one of those big American boxes that you could never get over here, but now you can. Recently Jaina over at WhichBeautyBoxUK (one of my favourite blogs) posted her Spring Box haul and holy moly my eyes lit up. The customisation, the full sizes, the mixture of skincare and homeware; it's just the perfect box for me. Did I mention that they only send full size or travel sizes? No samples in sight and there is around 8 products per box.

Now the price may put you off a little, but it's only 4 boxes a year. You can pay $49.99 a box and skip seasons if you don't want to be tied down or pay $179.99 for the year. Now for the UK you have to pay taxes and extra shipping ($10 per box for shipping which is shockingly low for the US). I took out the yearly sub as you get early access to the legendary 'add-ons sale' as well as extra customisation options that you don't get a seasonal member.

Here is a full price breakdown for the UK yearly membership:

-FabFitFun VIP Annual $179.99

-UK P&P $40

-VAT $44

- Total = $263.99 

After conversion I got charged exactly £202.56 meaning each box costs £50.64. That sounds a lot for the box but just wait till you see what's in them. 

I took out my subscription on May 1st and on the 2nd they started selling the summer box only so I got in there just in time to get this amazing box. And yes, that total value says $271.95 (£208.20). I've already re-couped the cost of the subscription in one box.

Now it's bit strange how it works but they seem to have 5 catagories that you can pick one item from and then 3 items that everyone receives in the box. All members get to pick an item from the first 3 catagories, but then only annual members can choose in the next 2 (seasonal members get a random pick). Also, annual members get early access to customisation so some items may have sold out by the time seasonal members get to pick.

Show Me Your MuMu Brie Robe // RRP $84 (£64.31 - converted, no UK price)

I had never heard of this brand before but after taking a peak on their website they sell beautiful but hella expensive clothes. This robe is stunning though and was my top pick out of the first catagory. There was also an aromatherapy diffuser (but it had sold out by the time I subbed) or a bag (which had also sold out). It's a good thing I really wanted this robe out of the two anyway lol. It appears to be an item created specifically for the box and that would make me side-eye it a little however, it appears to be one of the cheaper items on their own website as similar robes are $130+ so I feel that they haven't over inflated the value.

I love this robe though, I wear in inside, outside; anywhere. It's light and soft and I have to do nails of the print. I'm obsessed with it.

Korres Wild Rose Vitamin C Brightening Sleeping Facial // RRP $48 (£36.75 - converted, no UK price)

Now, on their US website this is listed as $48 however on their EU website it's 34.80€ which would make it £7 cheaper for us UK'ers. Either way, in this category you could choose between 2 designs of Quay sunglasses (they had sold out but I wasn't bothered, I'm not buying over-priced sunglasses from Morphe), a picnic set or this cream. Since I am obsessed with skincare, I chose this cream. Brightening is definitely something I need and I'll post a review on it once I finish the jar entirely. First impressions; it smells wonderful and not particularly like roses but sweet and it's quite thick which I love for night creams. I have a few to use up though first so this won't get used for a while.

Giadzy Copper Plated Measuring Spoons // RRP $16 (£12.25 - converted, no UK price)

These are so me. I wanted them the second I laid eyes on them as my entire kitchen is a basic white marble and copper kitchen. This category was the spoons, a body lotion or a mystery item and it was a no brainer for me. I love these spoons and will get a lot of use out of them as I'm constantly baking.

Ciaté London Extraordinary Translucent Setting Powder // RRP £18 ($22 in US)

They sell this in the UK for £18 which is £2 dearer than the US once converted but oh well. This was the one item that I was like "I guess I'll have that then". In this catagory there was a silver necklace, the powder or a stainless steel water bottle. I really wanted the water bottle but it had sold out. I don't wear jewellery so I chose this as at least I can sell it on if I don't like it. 

Daily Concepts Daily Detox Brush // RRP $18 (£13.78 - converted, no UK price)

This category was either this brush, a cleanser or a skipping rope (I guess they're called fabfitfun for a reason) and I chose this as I have far too many cleansers to get through already and I go to the gym instead of working out at home. I've been receiving this brand a lot in my Pink Parcel (I got a facial scrubber this month) but not all their products seem to be sold in the UK yet.

The following items were sent out in all boxes:

Manna Kadar Champagne Charcoal Body Scrub // RRP $24 (£18.37 - converted, no UK price)

I've had a few Manna Kadar items in my Birchbox but always from their make-up range so I'm excited to try this. It's also rose gold. I just love that I'm getting to try all these products that you would never get over here in boxes; and it's full size. My friend also eyed this one up instantly when I showed her the box so I may scoop out of the tub for her as there's no way I'll get through this thing all by myself; it'd take me a year.

Ouai Leave In Conditioner // RRP £22 ($26 US price)

Yes! Finally, a conditioner! All I get in boxes are shampoos or smoothing serums and I'm sick of it. I also love Ouai so I'm so happy to have a full size leave-in spray. My current favourite is the Aussie Miracle Moisture Spray and I was just about to run out so it's good timing. This looks like a thick cream in the bottle but actually is a lightweight spray that leaves my hair feeling soft. So far so good.

Dr. Brandt Skincare Needles No More No More Baggage Eye De-Puffing Gel // RRP  £27.50 ($42 in US)

Holy moly, that's a name and a half for an eye cream. The US version also has quite the price mark-up and is £5 dearer when converted. Either way, I'm very happy to have this as I've been wanting to try out Dr. Brandt for so long. The Pores No More seems to be quite a cult product but I'll take this full size eye cream thank you very much. You would never see this in a UK beauty box and I can't believe it's in here. Thank you US beauty boxes!!

// Product Totals - 8 Items All Full Size

// US Price - $280

// UK Prices - £212.96

// Verdict

I've used RRPs specifically from the each companies own website and by doing that the box total has risen slightly! Either way, what an unbelievable box. I love the mix between home and skincare as well as finally getting access to brands that are normally difficult to get hold of here in the UK (and for only $10 shipping on the box). 

I bought the box on the May 1st, received a shipping notification on the 3rd and it arrived on the 8th with no import charges. That's probably the fastest shipping I've ever had from the US.

For the next box I was able to shop the 'add-ons' sale and I managed to control myself and only spent around £15 but got some fantastic goodies from brands I've never heard of but seem to be sold only in the US. They had around 300 items to choose from and whereas I would have loved to add more; I'm moving soon for my new job (as a real software engineer, looks like my degree paid off) so I need to pay for deposits and other things. Come August though, I'll be shopping that add-ons sale like no ones business. I mean, it does only happen 4 times a year and there are some crazy discounts going on (like Sol De Janiero for £10!!!) But I'll write about that specific haul when I get it. 

I'm currently waiting for the Summer box but I'll do a video on that and try and make this post a little more concise for next time (as well as take more photos....).

Nude Palm Leaves // Pink Nude Tropical Design

Something a bit different? Perhaps my favourite mani I've done so far and hand painted! Well....half hand painted. I bought some acrylic paint a couple months ago but with assignments piling up I've been doing the most basic of mani's. However I handed in my last assignment on the 24th and now I have time again. It's so strange to be able to do whatever I want and not feel guilty about not doing uni work. 3 years has gone by so quickly and now I have 6 weeks till I move to Birmingham to start the next chapter of my life.

But, these nails. I've been wanting to get into using acrylics for a while now thanks to talented nail artists like @narmei (piggyluvs). These are kind of cheating though because I used a stamping plate to get the shape of the leaves and then I painted over them to give them more detail but boy does it make a big difference!

I also found a use for one of the sheer polishes from this months Mani & Lola! Now I just need to use the other sheer pink in something. I think a more pigmented background would've ruined this as the pop of green and the pink leaves are the focus. It's a little streaky but with a nice glossy top coat it's only noticeable up close. I was also surprised at how easy it is to work with acrylic on nails, it dries quite fast but water activates it again (unlike when it's on paper). I definitely need some proper brushes though as my cheap ones are a bit to soft to do really fine detail with.

How I did it:

I applied one coat of Pink Nude and followed it with the pink leaves using Rosewood Forest. All the stamping designs are from Tropical 36. I then stamped on the green palm leaves using #12 and then mixed the acrylic paints together to create a light, dark and mid green tones and randomly painted them on to create the detail. Once it was dry I topped it off with a glossy top coat.

I have so many designs I want to do and I want to film as well! I'm also thinking of adding skincare reviews to the blog as I really miss the skincare blogging, it's just the makeup stuff I can't really stand doing. I think I'll be adding beauty box unboxings as well considering I have 6...So much to do! I'm actually excited for everything and I'm going to start my nail polish app soon once I've finished designing it.

Polishes/Tools Used:-

- ORLY // Pink Nude (sheer pink creme)
- Essence // Rosewood Forest (dusty pink)

- Born Pretty Polish // #12 (green)
- Crafts 4 All Acrylic Paint // 105 Titanium White, 605 Green Pale, 753 Black

- Barry M // Plumpy Hi Shine Top Coat
- MoYou London Plates // Tropical 36

Mani & Lola May 2019 Review // Nail Subscription Box

Well this month was well and truly a surprise for me as M&L only gave out one spoiler leading up to this months release which was the Nails Inc shade. So, when I opened it I went through a range of emotions. This month there is only 2 polishes which is kind of disappointing for a nail subscription box however, then I used the hand cream and now I don't care about any other complaints I had. For me, this box is an amazing hand cream that came with 4 freebies.

Rescue RXX Treatment // CND (15ml)
RRP - £14.95

When I saw this I side-eyed it a little because strengthening products aren't actually good for your nails. There is a fine balance between hydration and protein that you need to hit for optimum nail condition. Too much moisture and your nails will become too soft and malleable and will snap off when bent too far. However, too much protein will cause the nail to become hard and brittle and will snap off because it has no bend. The same thing happens with hair. This is advertised as for daily use however I would restrict usage of this to once a week. It is a nice formula though and contains Jojoba oil which is the best oil for your nails and cuticles. It's not too oily and is absorbed quickly. I'll be keeping this next to my mani kit to be used once a week as a treat.

Retinol Hand Mask // Skin Republic (18g)

RRP - £6.99 

I'm not sure where their RRP of £6.99 has come from as Skin Republic sell it for £5.99 on their own website. I've used a hand mask before and it was ok. I do like Skin Republic though so I'm expecting a little more than the last random brand that I used. I'll be saving this for when my hands are sore and dry though or a day spent out in the sun. My only issue with these is that they're not reusable and you'd need to use them at least twice a week to start seeing results and that's an expensive habit when you can buy some normal gloves and just slather on some hand cream.

Enchanted Heels // Nails Inc (14ml)

RRP - £15

Collection: Rainbow Hooves / I Believe In Unicorns

Release Date: 2017

Ok, I'm getting confused now. We had a polish from this set in the last box (mermaid playsuit) and that's quite an old shade but Nails Inc are shipping this 6-piece set which is actually called the Rainbow Hooves collection for £30 that includes both of them?? Either way if you like this shade I recommend buying the entire set from Nails Inc as you get 6 polishes for £30. Anyway, as there are only two nail polish shades in the box I would've preferred something a little different. This a sheer pink shimmer that will never truly achieve full opacity but fortunately it isn't a shifting polish. I've seen a lot of these pink shades that either have the blue or green shift so it's different in that respect.

The problem with these Nails Inc shimmers though is that they always dry with brush strokes and that's a pet peeve of mine. The shade is also super light and almost looks off-white on my skintone. Given that the other shade is also an off-white pink shade, it's a little boring.

Avojuice Lotion // OPI (250ml)

RRP - £19.95

Sweet baby Jesus and the orphans, I've found it; the holy grail of hand creams. As I'm writing this I've already purchased another one and 2 more in 30ml sizes. I have no idea where Mani & Lola got their RRP price from as OPI UK sell the 250ml sizes for £9.95 but you can get them cheaper at NPD. This hand cream though; it's like walking around the desert for hours and then dipping your hands in cool refreshing water. It's beautiful. I normally hate ginger scents but this one is super sweet and tropical and the scent really lingers as well. I can't get enough of it. It comes in a variety of different scents from coconut & melon to vanilla & lavender as well as many more. They also do 30ml travel size versions for £2.25 which I think is very reasonable. Finding out I could buy this for £7.95 has made my year though.

Pink Nude // ORLY (18ml)
RRP £11.75

And the final product this month is what appears to be the exact same shade as Enchanted Heels but a creme formula. It is underwhelming to say the least. I've never really been a french manicure kind of person; I find them really boring. I'm not sure if you would use this shade for the tip though as it's too pigmented to be the sheer base but not pigmented enough to cover my actual tips. I'm trying to come up with something that I could use this for; a pink lace mani? If you're looking for a nice sheer off-white creme I guess this is it but I would've preferred an actual white polish. 

// Box Totals //

5 Items - All Full Size

Main & Lola RRP - £68.64

Actual Value - £43.95

// Verdict

I think at this point M&L are definitely inflating the RRP of items to make the box worth higher. I think it's a bit disingenuous. I pay £22.95 a month for my box and so I got an extra £20 worth of products this month. I still think it is a good box for that price; especially because I loved the hand cream this month but I found the sheer off-white shades to be too similar and frankly boring for spring. I would've preferred a nice pastel yellow and baby blue.

Overall, I'm not mad because this box did what it was supposed to; it introduced me to some new products and I've gone out and purchased those new products. It wasn't my favourite box though. Next month I hope they include some bright tropical looking shades like a pink, green, yellow and blue otherwise I'll be a little upset.

Flowers at Dawn // Duochrome Artist Paint Flower Design

So, this came about the day after my dissertation was handed in. I hadn't properly done any swatching or my nails in so long and I was super looking forward to denting my ever-growing swatch pile. The first shade I put on to swatch was Dawn Song from the new H&M collection (swatches here and here). I was like 'that would make a super cute background'. I then saw this wonderful design by @pinselpoesie using MoYou's scandi and artist plates:

Seeing as how I finally managed to get my hands on Artist 22 (I've been wanting it since July last year that's how long it's been out of stock) I was like, 'I should do that but with more pink and white cause I'm basic'. And that's what I did. 

It was annoying though because I loved the result and as such couldn't bring myself to peel it off to continue swatching so I only managed to swatch one polish that day 🙈 oh well.

How I did it:-

I started off with 2 layers of Dawn Song, followed by some random patterns from the Artist 22 plate in white. Then added another paint design in Razzle Dazzle (those chrome polishes by Barry M stamp so good). The flowers are from Botanical 1. I need to find a new black stamping polish though as the one from Born Pretty isn't that great.

Polishes/Tools Used:-

- H&M // Dawn Song (gold to pink duochrome glitter)
- Barry M Liquid Chrome // Razzle Dazzle (ice pink chrome)

- Born Pretty Polish // #3 (black), #4 (white)

- Barry M // Plumpy Hi Shine Top Coat
- MoYou London Plates // Artist 22, Botanical 01