Won't Get Foiled Again // White Marble & Gold Foil Nail Art

I love this look, I think I've got the marble smoosh technique down. It's a shame that the top coat smeared the design and I have a broken half nail for an index finger. It reminds me of that scene in Scary Movie 2 when the butler guy is like "take my strong hand!"

Smooshing is so easy as well and requires minimal cleanup. I always start with with one coat of the main base colour (in this case it would be white), then paint a layer of the same colour onto a silicone mat. Whilst it's still wet, I use a dotting tool to run veins of the second polish through the base and then quickly pick it up with a stamper and smoosh it a little to help them mix together. You then just simply stamp on your nails.

After adding a matte top coat (which was the smear offender), I then pulled out some gold leaf foil sheets. The ones I used are from Mont Marte and cost me £3 for 25 sheets. Yes you read that correctly. Gold leaf is crazy expensive when you buy the ones that are specifically marketed for nails, all you need to do is buy the gold leaf sheets used in crafts for a fraction of the price. To get the little flakes, you can pick up parts of the foil with a stamper and break it up into little pieces and stamp it on the nail. Gold leaf can be a little tricky to handle and I find the stamper trick keeps it all from going all over the place.

Polishes/Tools Used:

- Nicole Diary // Born Perfect (white)

- A-England // Camelot (black)

- Mont Marte // Gold Leaf

FabFitFun Winter 2019 UK // Beauty Box Review

It's time! It's finally here! The spring 2019 box will always hold a special place in my heart because I love the Mumu robe more than anything but this box is truly spectacular and I have no qualms about renewing for another year. I can't believe I've had four boxes already!

I hope you've got some snacks ready because as always, this is gonna be a long post. So quickly, FabFitFun is an American quarterly beauty box. It features 7-9 full sized products each box and if you are an annual subscriber (select) you can customise 5 options and if you pay per box (seasonal) you can customise 3 options (with the other 2 randomly picked for you). The other items are then featured in everyone's box. This season a new product called the 'FFF Hotpicks' was added and instead of everyone receiving the same 3 items, 1 of them could've been a soap/body wash or some hand masks. 

Let's get into the products!

I originally also had the throw added as well but eventually removed it and now I'm having major FOMO and wish I'd kept it. I think $15 is extremely reasonable for a faux fur throw and I hope it turns up in the edit sale or I may buy another box because this season was just so good.

Rebecca Minkoff // Marled Beanie & Armwarmer Set

RRP £57.53

The moment I saw them I knew this would be my main choice as the arm warmers are perfect for driving and typing. Fortunately I work for a video games company and the office is filled with  many developer consoles heating up the entire room but I love that these are fingerless. They're super soft as well and the hat is ridiculously cute. Not sure I would pay £50 for them but the quality is definitely better than Primark.

Kate Somerville // Goat Milk Moisturising cream 

RRP £55

My very first KS product! I'm a hoe for moisturisers and I really wanted to try an expensive brand and this cream is marketed as a rich product perfect for dry skin and winter. I'm still using up the last of my current cream but this will get used soon. It has a thick consistency but isn't greasy. It does kind of smell like PVA glue but my skin felt silky soft when I quickly tried it out. 

I wanted to add the Erno Laszlo mask but I have about a thousand clay masks and I feel $15 was a bit too much so I just stuck with the slippers.

PJ Salvage // Faux Trim Cable in M/L

RRP $45 (£34.83 with current conversion rates)

For me this round was a no-brainer. It was always going to be the slippers because slippers. On the forum a lot of Americans thought this option was weird and people were like "but where do I wear them?" I guess slippers and a dressing gown is more sub-consciously rooted into every English persons psyche along with tea and biscuits. I have size 8 (US 11) feet and they fit perfectly. In all honestly, the quality reminds me of some £8 slippers from Primark. I would never pay $45 for a pair but I needed some new slippers and the colour/style is right up my street. A perfect addition for a winter box.

This was the round I was most disappointed in but then I researched the products and eventually went with the masks (that will get used immediately) and added on the Rodial drops as they seem super interesting.

Karuna // Face & Eye Mask Set

RRP $42 (£32.51 with current conversion rates)

You can buy some Karuna mask sets in Selfridges (my favourite store in the world) so I knew these masks had to be legit; Selfridges doesn't sell just any old products. This particular set seems to be exclusive to the US but you can buy the individual masks on various UK sites. It includes seven different masks that range from pore reduction to anti-ageing and brightening. The brand has generally good reviews so I'm looking forward to trying these out.

Rodial // Soft Focus Glow Drops

RRP £45

I was intrigued by this product after some research and you can't really get a better bargain since I snagged it for £9. I don't think it will ever be that price. Marketed as a primer/glow serum a lot of people were confused as to what this does. I was worried it was just going to be a highlighter and filled with shimmer particles however it is more of a serum/primer. It really does give the skin a nice glow that isn't shiny or greasy. After a couple minutes my skin seemed more matte but not in a dry way, it was the perfect base for my BB cream though. I'm so happy I decided to add this on.

This category...at one point I had every single item added, then removed them all to just the planner. Then got fomo and tried to add them all back again but as you can see they became sold out. Eventually after a lot of refreshing I managed to add them all back as others dropped them but just before customisation closed I had a word with myself and dropped everything but the LXMI melt. The other items were only $7 to add-on though which made it so worth it. 

LXMI // Pure Nilotica Melt

RRP £26

I wanted the eyeshadow palette but I never wear eyeshadow anymore and I have the ABH Soft Glam which is essentially the palette on offer. I have four 2020 planners already (why?) and the bag didn't really interest me, I'm just greedy. Eventually I settled on this skincare product. Apparently this is just pure Shea Butter but a really expensive version of Shea. This stuff is near impossible to get out of the tube, I have to leave it on top of the radiator for a few minutes to soften it up. Now I don't know if you've ever used natural shea butter but it doesn't smell great. I'd really forgotten what it was like and I do kind of regret choosing it now. It's this raw, earthy, nutty, truffle like smell. This version is even more pungent and I'm going to mix it with essential oils whenever I need to use it. They used to sell this is a jar and I don't know why they switched. Sure this packing is much cuter (and I'm already planning nail art on it) but this product would help from being in a jar.

This round was a bit uninspiring but it didn't take me long to decide on the dry blush cleaner as I don't have a bath for the salts and coffee scrubs just clog your drain up (seriously they're a nightmare).

Vera Mona // Colour Switch Solo

RRP £10.95

A lot on the forums said just use a hair donut instead of this but when I occasionally do wear eyeshadow I always use the same brush so I thought I'd get some use out of this. I have like 1 feathered tapered brush and that's all I use. This was me though when I swiped the brush against the colour switch for the first time:

I don't know what black magic wizardry is in that hair donut but in the words of JonTron,

// Items That Everyone Receives //

Up next are the three items that are in every box (apart from the Hot Pick which will either be body wash or hand masks).

DryBar // Prep Rally Prime & Prep Detangler
RRP $23 (£17.93 with current conversion rates)

I've heard of this brand but never been able to try it as it's not sold in the UK. I love the packaging and desperately needed a new detangler spray so this came just in time. Not only does it protect up to 232 degrees (c) but contains biotin, vitamins and UV blockers. It also has a nice but different scent that's a little bit spicy thanks to the ginger. I normally just braid my hair and then let it dry but I'm dying it again soon so I'll be blow drying it and this will get used.

MakeUp Eraser // Original Pink
RRP £16.99

I don't trust these products. I've had about every version of a microfiber makeup eraser under the sun thanks to various beauty boxes but that's all this is: a fluffy microfiber towel. If you google "what are microfiber cloths made of" it says a blend of polyesters. Wouldn't you know it but this cloth is made of a blend of polyesters. I use them all to dust; they're perfect for the job. As makeup removers though; terrible. Nothing will ever replace an oil cleanser followed by a cream cleanser. This is the only product in the box that I have no interest in.

//FFF Hotpick//
Cuccio Somatology // Calm + Clean Epsom Salt Hand & Body Wash
RRP $39.95 (£31.18 with current conversion rates)

I love Cuccio products and this appears to be a separate brand from their nail polish. It was a massive controversy on the forum boards though as this was the first time FFF did this 'hot pick' selection. Basically, instead of everyone receiving the same three products they decided to change things up and subscribers could receive either this wash or a NailsInc hand mask. This didn't bother me at all, what bothered me was the price difference in the two items. This is valued at $40 and the hand masks $8. They now appear to be shipping two hand masks instead of 1 and it's been revealed that the larger version of this body wash is $49.95 for 32oz. That would actually make this size worth $1.56 per ounce for a total of $12.48. Clearly Cuccio have marked up this smaller 8oz version to the max. I haven't used this product yet but it's shower gel so it will get used eventually.

// Box Price £50 + £23.38 (for the Add-Ons)

// 9 Full Size Items

// £327.92 Estimated Box Worth

Overall, I loved this box. It was by far the best box this year. There isn't one item I won't get any use out of. I have a feeling the RRP's have been greatly inflated but I consider all these items to be well worth £75. There's no way I could've gone out and curated a box just like this with high-end items like the Kate Somerville for that price. It feels like a winter themed box as well. Fall's box was nice but it didn't feel like autumn. This box was cosy with items perfect for the winter season. I also shopped the add-on sale (which is different from box add-ons) so look out for a post coming soon on them because I've already waffled on for long enough.

FabFitFun
// Seasonal // 
$49.99 per box + $10 Shipping* + $10 Tax
// Annual //
$179.99 (4 Boxes) + $40 Shipping* + $40 Tax

*UK Subs do not get charged any import tax, only VAT. 

And last is the shipping time. FFF give themselves 30 days from successful billing to ship your box. I was billed on the 8th November, received a shipping notification on the 13th and it was delivered on the 20th. It's always difficult waiting for these boxes in the days of next day delivery but it's worth it.

Meebox // Pool Party Edition

Eurgh, I miss Meebox. I wish they would bring back their monthly subscription as it was so much fun and I completely missed it. Last month they had a huge sale and every box was 50% off so I indulged in two that I've been after ever since I saw them.

This Pool Party edition was the August 2018 box and features 8 full size items from polishes to stamping plates and nail wraps. This is what I love about Meebox; they feature diverse and interesting products to  create a truly themed box that will get the juices flowing. Maniology's Mani x Me is almost there but it's only 1 brand and doesn't feature glitter or other nail art tools and Mani & Lola just feature moisturisers and the same rotation of polish brands.

Puck A Fairy // A-England

RRP £11

Collection: Shakespeare's Fairies

Release Date: April 2018

What can I say, it's A-England and they knock it out of the park when it comes to luxurious holos. This is a perfect shade to include in a pool party box as its chock full of glitter and holo pieces and dries with a super hi-shine finish. This is a shade I currently don't have in my A-England collection and I'm so happy I have it now because it's absolutely beautiful. Puck A Fairy is a bright aquamarine one coat wonder that surprisingly stamps quite well on top of light colours. I think I may have to invest in the rest of the collection now...

Dragon Fruit // Barry M

RRP £3.99

Collection: Gelly Hi-Shine

Release Date: Spring 2013

Oh man, I actually remember when they first released this collection and everyone at work was obsessed with it because of the amazing pastel colour range and high shine finish. My first shade was Blueberry and I think it could be classed as vintage now seeing as how I bought it back in 2012. This one has a little bit of shimmer in it, but it's extremely subtle. This is a true jelly with no streaks and you can use 1 coat for more of a sheer look or build it up for a shiny gel-like look. I love the shade, it's pink but not hot pink and pairs well with the other box items. I'm wearing 2 coats and it did take a long time to dry but I just leave it and watch a YouTube video for 30 mins and then I'm done.

Eternally Emerald // IZ Beauty

RRP (no longer sold, was £6)

Collection: Crystal Vision

Release Date: Spring 2018

It's always nice to discover a new brand however it appears that this brand no longer exists which is a shame. This is almost a one-coater and has a similar formula to A-England polishes. It's also a holo and in the shade it looks a bit "meh" but when the light hits it...damn. You can't overwork this shade though and you need to make sure the brush is loaded up because if you keep going over it, it starts to streak and separate.

Forget Me Not // IZ Beauty
RRP (no longer sold, was £6)

Collection: Blooming Beautiful
Release Date: Spring 2017

This is a nice pastel lilac creme that I'm pretty sure I have somewhere. It reminds me a lot of the shades in the 2018 Wanderlust collection by Cuccio. It needs at least two shades to achieve full opacity and is quite hard to apply. I found it didn't spread as nice as Eternally Emerald but it looks good in photos.

Other Items

The box also included some pool nail wraps, hexagon 'glitter' (it's actually just paper), a double ended stamp pen and a small stamping plate. I really appreciated the variety however I would've preferred some actual glitter instead of confetti of Which Meebox have labelled as worth 98p but it has 75p written on it...

I actually already have one of the double ended stamp tools by Born Pretty and I used it once and found it a bit useless as the stamp is super small and not see through (I prefer the clear ones now) and the sponge end can only be used once if your not using paint that can be washed out. The nail wraps are nice but, I'll be honest, I rarely use wraps.

// Verdict

Overall I really enjoyed this collection and I'm super happy I decided to add it to my collection. The holo shades really are something else and I've already managed to make one easy look that looks super cool. I think they could've picked a better stamping plate as I only really like the scales and drinks, everything else looks a bit cheap and weird but the polishes more than make up for it.

Unfortunately this box is now sold out however you can go forth and purchase some of the shades or put your own Pool Party box together using this as inspiration!

REVIEW: Cutex // Nail Treatment Stained Nail Corrector

So recently I've been sporting some super horrible looking yellow nails thanks to H&M's Cantaloupe shade. I love that bright yellow mustard but it just ruins the colour of your natural nails. I love doing negative space as well but my nails just look so ugly and stained that I can't do anything until its grown out. 

Cue this new Cutex product that I found in Superdrug. I'm a bit wary of these 'nail correctors' as they just seem to be a glorified base coat with some purple shimmer in it to and offset the yellow (as per the colour wheel) and this is exactly what that is with an added sheer cream tint.

As you can see my middle finger is horrendously stained and here's how the product looks with 1 and 2 coats:

It honestly looks like I've just applied a sheer creme polish which is kind of unacceptable for £7.99. Especially when I have many sheer polishes that cost less than that. Cutex says this treatment "utilises optical brightening particles to neutralize yellow tones and make nails instantly whiter". This is a bunch of science jargon. The "optical brightening particles" are nothing more than blue/purple shimmer pieces found in practically any shimmer polish and this does not make your nails instantly whiter; just milky white with some streaks.

I really disappointed because I love Cutex's acetone range and its the only stuff that I use so I was hoping that this would be something different than the usual cheaper stuff. I mean this is practically identical to the Essence Brightening primer which is £2.

I think I was hoping that this would help remove the stain with repeated use as it is labelled as a 'treatment' but it doesn't. You just have to wait it out. I miss doing negative designs. Eurgh, damn you mustard shades and your cuteness!

Leaf It To Me // Leaf Design Using Watercolour Paints

So this isn't the most exciting design however it was a fun experiment in trying to use watercolour paints. I spent a Saturday afternoon watching some painting tutorials on YouTube and finally invested in some good watercolour paints and spent some time practicing leaf designs. Eventually I moved onto my nails and I'm kind of impressed with myself.

My first attempts were horrible blobby messes. Also, I was using very cheap acrylic or watercolour paints that I got off Amazon. There really is a difference in quality and how it applies to the nail. I've noticed that cheaper paints just don't stick to the polish (even when it's matte) however these paints from Mont Marte spread beautifully and did that amazing 'colour wash' that I love from watercolour.

Now that I've got some proper tools behind me I honestly feel like I don't need new nail polish anymore. Once you get more experienced with painting techniques, you can make any shade you like and pretty much do anything. But I'm a long way off that just yet as I'm still practicing my painting skills but £20 for watercolour pan set is well worth it in the long run.

Polishes/Tools Used:-

- China Glaze // Coba Cabana (matte white)
- Mont Marte // 24 Watercolour Pan Set

- Essie  // Platinum Grade Top Coat

Rock Mermaid // Iridescent Mermaid Scales Nail Art

This look came about whilst I was messing around when swatching the new Green Origin range and I noticed that the H&M Will-O-The-Wisp topper looks absolutely amazing on top of dark green/teal shades. Please excuse the chips in the next photos as I needed some daylight to capture the shift and I did the manicure at night.

I even did a video! And I'm talking in it! But I won't be posting it lol, I'm not ready yet, I did enjoy filming though as it took my mind of work and stopped me from spending every moment of my time programming. Even though I only have a small little area to film in I'm going to try and film something every Saturday as it forces me to try out new nail art techniques as well.

Back to the look though, I really loved wearing this and the shift kind of reminds me the oil slick Avon polishes that I reviewed a while ago. The white stamping could be a lot brighter as well however I'm struggling to find an opaque white stamping polish that I can easily buy within the UK. Maniology's Bam White seems to be pretty good however their shipping is $10 and I have to stay under $15 otherwise I get hit with an £9 import fee plus 20% tax. It's the same for Twinkled T as well. I think I may turn to Etsy as I've seen some interesting polishes on there from little indie brands operating in Europe.

Polishes/Tools Used:-

- Barry M Green Origin // Rock Pool (teal),  Diamond Glitter (scattered holo)
- H&M // Will-o-The-Wisp (purple/blue shimmer)

- Nicole Diary  // Born Perfect (white)
- Orly Wont Chip  // Chip Resistant Top Coat (.....I have no words)
- Born Pretty Plate // 109

Bohemian Birds // Dark Blue & Gold Bird Feather Design

Oh my god, what happened to October? I blinked and it's gone and I only did 1 Halloween look...cue the see no evil monkey emoji;  🙈.

I won't lie though, I barely did any nail art last month mainly due to work and just overall lack of motivation to do anything really. It's harder than I thought, moving away from everyone and everything that you know so well and you've just gotta get on with it. When I was younger, I moved to Dubai to work for Emirates and it was very different as I was 22, and we were all in the same boat (or plane) in that we were single girls, ready to party and surrounded by lots of great things to do. Here, even though I'm in the same country as my family again (just a 3 hour drive away) it's even lonelier because everyone I work with is married with kids and there is nothing around for miles and miles. I program at work, go home, program at home, watch Minecraft videos and sleep...rinse repeat. I love doing my nails though but I'm starting to become overwhelmed with all the different things I could do thanks to my inability to stop buying nail products so I think I'm going to do a no nail spend November...it's going to be so hard...especially if MoYou release a new collection and you just know they're going to.

Anyway, these nails are inspired by a shower gel I bought from TK Maxx by a brand called Sara Miller. I honestly thought it was one of TK's in house brands however you can buy this shower gel at John Lewis for £15!

It smells wonderful though and lathers into a thick and creamy foam. I'm super impressed and I'll keep my eye out for other things by Sara Miller now. I'd love to make some nail oil in this scent though. I already have the vanilla but just need to invest in some good Tuberose and Sandalwood essential oil.

Polishes/Tools Used:-

- Jessica // Bohemian Rhapsody (dark blue)
- Barry M Liquid Chrome // Bright Lights (gold metallic)

- Essie  // Platinum Grade Top Coat
- Harunouta Plate // ?? ( I can't remember right now)
- MoYou London Plate // Princess 04