MATCH THAT MANI: Merci Handy New Wave Hand Cream // Blue & White Watermarble Design

Not an Autumn mani at all but I don't care because I desperately wanted to do a design to match this hand cream that was created by Jesus. I'm serious, the scent on this thing is 1 part vanilla, 1 part candyfloss and 98 parts heaven. I first discovered it in my Latest In Beauty subscription and every month I chose to add it to my boxes and amassed 6 tubes before they finally ran out and I could no longer select it anymore...I only have 2 tubes left though because you can go through one of these 30ml tubes in about a week.

Every time I wear this, people around me do that thing where they've just smelt something but they're not quite sure where it's coming from and then they go "can you smell sweets?" It's normally £5 for the 30ml tube which I think is a bit expensive; I think hand cream should always be around the 75-100ml size but this stuff smells so good and moisturises really well so I think it's worth it, but for a treat every other month or so, considering how fast it gets used. It also has these blue blobs in it that dissolve as you rub in it; it's a very fun hand cream.

As for the nails, this was a "simple" watermarble with just white and blue. I'm really impressed at how well I managed to match the blue as well; thank you H&M. I also used quite a few white shades in this look but they all do different things. I wanted a white base that dried quick just to give the colours more of a pop but you can't use quick dry polish to watermarble with. And then those polishes don't stamp all that well so, out came the stamping polish.

Polishes/Tools Used:-

- Essence Shine Last & Go // Wild White Ways (white - used as base coat)

- H&M // Sail Away (blue)
- Ciaté // White Heat (white - used in watermarble)

- Nicole Diary  // Born Perfect (white- stamping)
- Avon Mark. // Gel Shine Top Coat
- MoYou London Plate // Festive 27

Merci Handy New Wave Hand Cream

30ml - £5

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.

Five Hand Creams #3 // Wilko, Dr Organic, BalanceMe, Treacle Moon, Kueshi

Welcome back to another Five Hand Creams post! I go through hand cream like water so I 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?

Wilko // "So Soft" Intense Hand Cream (75ml - £1)

I'm not quite sure why I bought this. I have a hand cream obsession and I like the smell of coconuts so that's why? In the tube this does smell quite nice but then you put it on your hands and start rubbing it in and the scent changes to musty clothes with a hint of coconut. I don't like it. I'm going to have to use it up because I not a big fan of wasting things but the scent on this one is so strange it's put me off buying any other Wilko branded hand creams.

Dr Organic // Manuka Honey Foot & Heel Cream (125ml - £6.75)

This cream on the other hand has become one of my all time favourites and I'm on my second tube. This is my go to foot cream. I received it in a Latest In Beauty box in August I think and that tube lasted me a good four months of everyday use. Full size is only £6.75 which is fantastic because this product actually works. I use about a walnut size on each foot at night, put on some thick socks and then go to sleep. My feet have never felt so soft or looked so good. Whilst using this, I've not suffered from any cracked heels or peeling. It has this really lovely honey scent as well and stops your feet from smelling throughout the day. This has become an essential for me. 

BalanceMe // Super Moisturising Hand Cream (50ml - £10)

I bought this at TK Maxx at the end of August for £3.99 as I was out all day and had forgotten to put hand cream in my bag. I've tried quite a few BalanceMe products and generally like the brand. I was initially put off by this cream as it has an extremely strong patchouli scent and I hate patchouli but the formula has well and truly won me over; this is a fantastic hand cream. It's rich and buttery smooth; leaving the skin soft and hydrated for hours. I would actually purchase this again despite the smell. £4 for it was a bargain because this is well worth the £10 price tag.

Treacle Moon // Marshmallow Hearts (75ml - £2) 

I featured the coconut flavour in the first 5 Hand Creams post and whereas this smells much nicer; it doesn't moisturise as well. Your hands will smell great but about 20 minutes after application it feels like you need to reapply again. For £2, it doesn't break the bank but clearly it's more for show than to be actually used. It does smell bloody good though and they offer shower gel in this scent as well so I may actually purchase that instead of more hand cream.

Kueshi // Foot Care Cream (40ml - £12 for 100ml)

And last is another foot cream I got with a Birchbox order in October. It was a free sample but seeing as how I was half way through the Dr Organic Foot Cream, I left it in my spares box until I ran out of that tube. I've been using this foot cream only for the past month til it ran out and I'm so glad it has because I couldn't wait to go back to the Dr Organic cream. It smells nice; like peppermint and tea tree. It reminds me of that scene from Mean Girls where Cady says all they've done is make Regina's face smell like a foot.

Other than that it doesn't do anything. My feet have definitely been a lot drier and I've seen a few cracks here and there through the last couple of months; I'm now back on the Manuka cream so hopefully soft feet will once again be mine. 

And that's it for this month! I have so many more hand creams to go through....I honestly think this will never end because I clearly have a problem when it comes to hand cream.

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

Meebox January 2018 Namaste Edit // Nail Subscription Box

No, that's not a typo in the title (although let's admit it, we've all been doing that for the past few days 😏), this is my very first Meebox and it was their 'Namaste' edit which was originally released back in January 2018. I actually received this box at the beginning of December as they had a sale for Black Friday and I'd been eyeing this box for a while...

I was a little upset though because by the time I discovered Meebox they had just ended their subscription service after around 2 years. Now they bring out a new edit every quarter with previous boxes available to purchase. Every box is now a one-off (and I noticed it's more expensive than the old subscription) but I couldn't resist the lure of those pretty pastel shades any longer and caved.

I actually really love this box; it's got a nice mix of everything and if I wasn't subbed to 5 other subscriptions I would probably start ordering one a month until I owned all the edits. But at £30 a pop

So yeah, maybe I won't 😂. Anyway, let's get into the edit shall we??

We have three full sized polishes in:

- Cuccio Colour // Crush In Lake Como (sheer pink creme) 13ml £4.95

- Nailberry L'Oxygéné // Stone (dark grey creme) 15ml £14.50

- Zoya // Lake (sheer mint creme) 15ml £9.95

I adore Cuccio and since diving into the world of nail polish outside of Boots & Superdrug, they have become one of my favourite brands. Crush in Lake Como is a beautiful shade but very similar to OPI Sweet Memories and It's a Girl. You need around 3/4 layers but it gives off that clear gel look. 

Nailberry is brand that I've been seeing around but the prices kind of put me off because you hardly ever see these on offer. I love the bottle shape as well and like Orly this polish is said to be 'breathable'. I have no idea what companies mean by this because nails are well dead; they're like hair strands but it's all apothecary looking and I have a thing for the apothecary aesthetics (it's how Kiehl's keeps stealing my money...). I haven't used this shade yet but it's a true dark grey and I think it will work perfectly for some basic marble nails.

Then last we have classic mint creme from Zoya. Like Nailberry this is an expensive brand but it appears to be a regular in like every nail box ever so I've already racked up quite a few (and I may have bought a few in the NPD boxing day sale...). I'm not a big fan of the bottle shape but I'll let it slide for this shade because it's my favourite Zoya shade I've received so far and the most versatile.

Looks I've done using these polishes:

- Lake Crush // Mint & Pink Ombre

- Christmas Doiles // Icicles & Snowflakes
- Under The Basic Sea // Mint & Pink Mermaid Nails
- Serene Forest // Pink & Green Forest Scene
- Wedding // #Clairestelle8 Valentines Challenge

Up next in the nail care section, we also have another three products:

- Leighton Denny // Hydra Flex Serum (12ml - £12)

- Cuccio Naturalé // Butter in Lemongrass & Lavender (42g - £5.95ish)

- Soap Dodger // Cuticle Balm (20g - £3.50)

At first I thought the Leighton Denny serum was a polish and when I unscrewed the cap and saw no brush on the end; just a snapped off piece of plastic I was like

Then I quickly realised that I am an idiot because I took off both lids and this is a pump action bottle. Not much is said about this serum. On the bottle is says "treatment for dry and brittle nails" which to me sounds like a nail strengthener which make your nails dry and brittle from repeated use....on their website though they describe it as a "moisturising treatment to boost moisture levels and leave a protective film over the nail". I will say it does feel moisturising and absorbs quickly with no shine. This is great to use in photos to keep the skin from looking crusty but not shiny. It also has this strange 'remedial' scent to it, kind of like Angostura Bitters. A great find though and I've been enjoying it.

Next up is some body butter and boy do I love me some body butter and it's Cuccio as well. Win win. Now, I can't find this particular scent for sale anywhere reputable however NailPolishDirect sell this size in some other scents for £5.95 so I'm gonna go with that. This is a rich and greasy butter that I like using before bed as otherwise fingerprints will be left everywhere. It has a light floral scent which is nice for once as I'm not a big fan of floral because they just assault your nose. This doesn't, it's more like someone a meter away walked past you with some flowers. 

And then we have the spearmint balm from Soap Dodger. I had never heard of this brand but loved this balm so much after the first use that I went straight on the website on the packaging which took me to 'Ard As Nails. I have to say that brand name in the voice of Jason Statham as well. Whilst there I ordered some of their cuticle oil and two polishes which will be swatched on here soon. I love this balm though. It smells beautiful, it's great value and it's homemade in the UK. 

And then last we received some scissors:

- The Vintage Cosmetic Company // Nail Scissors (£7.50, currently on sale for £4.50)

I'm always on the look out now for 'tiny Russian scissors' (thanks Cristine) and these are some nice rose gold scissors but they're not tiny enough for my liking. They are sharp though and actually cut through things which sounds like I'm joking but they're are a lot of nail scissors out there that can't do the simplest of things.

//------------------------------------------------------------------------//

Cost £30

7 Items

Estimated Worth - £58.35

Whew! And that's it! What a long post. I didn't think I'd write that much about it. I really enjoyed this box though and it hurts that they no longer have a subscription service as they really seem to try and include a lot of indie brands and interesting nail art items. I love Mani & Lola however they don't seem to stray from Zoya and other 'mainstream' brands all that often. Also, it was nice to receive quite a few nail care items and tools. Other Meebox's include stamping plates and nail wraps; I like that they mix it up. Another little thing is that they add swatch sticks so you can see the colours straight away. It's a nice little touch.

Please check them out. Each box is £30 (although a couple are £35) and that includes p&p. On their website they state that they ship to the US but it's an extra £15. 

Meebox

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

Five Hand Creams #1 // Transformulas, Treacle Moon, Dr Organic, Natura Brasil & Kiehl's

Welcome to another new segment of the blog! I go through hand cream like water so I thought I'd 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'll be lumping them all together for a "Five Hand Creams" post. Kind of like how Markiplier now does videos called "3 scary games". Lets get into them shall we?

Transformulas // Youthful Hands & Feet (75ml - £18.16)

I chose this as one my items for my Latest In Beauty subscription a few months ago and as you can see it's taken a beating. This is expensive for a hand cream and I'm kind of miffed at just how tatty the packaging has become. Clearly it's made on the cheap. It leaves your hand covered in silver glitter which would be great if I was coachella, but I'm not. I'm at work....The cream itself has this weird sweet chemically/sweaty foot smell which isn't completely unpleasant but it's not great. It's said to be an "invisible glove" and it coats the skin but leaves it feeling dry yet moisturised. It's really weird and I'm not sure if my hands are actually dry or that's just the hand cream. It's about to run out and I won't be running out to re-purchase it.

Treacle Moon // My Coconut Island Hand & Nail Balm (75ml - £2) 

On the much cheaper end of the spectrum is this hand cream from Treacle Moon. Not only is the name adorable but the product is as well. This one I received way back in May as part of a now discontinued beauty box called With Love Beauty Box. It was my first experience with the brand but I've since purchased two more of them in the Marshmallow and Raspberry flavours. This one is light with gently coconut scent that won't assault your senses. It's more of a lotion than a cream that doesn't intensely moisturise but it feels nice. Nice enough that I keep re-purchasing (the price helps as well).

Dr. Organic // Snail Gel Hand & Nail Elixir (50ml - £16.49)

Another cream I chose in last months Latest In Beauty box because it sounded very different from other hand creams I've tried but I don't think this is a hand cream. The best way I can describe it, is as a serum but for your hands, so something you would apply before hand cream for extra moisture. It comes in a very handy pump bottle which is something I've never seen on a hand cream before and I think all hand creams should come like this in the future. It also has a beautiful and sharp lemongrass scent which offsets your expectations of some horrible snail mucus. It does come out of the pump looking a bit....ahem suspicious as it's very liquidy and milky white.....but it absorbs quickly without a hint of greasiness. It's a nice product and suitable for vegans and I'm kind of on the shelf if I would purchase it. If I see it on offer in Holland & Barrett, I will though, I just don't think it's worth £17. 

Natura Brasil // Ecos Cacau Creamy Hand Balm (75g - £13.70) (40g sample shown)

Another beauty box find. This one was from the Work It special edition from Birchbox a couple of months ago. I've never heard of this brand but it has one of those immensely fiddly screw tops which takes an age to get back on properly. At least it's in a tube where you can squeeze out every last drop easily. This is a wonderfully thick butter style cream it's just a shame about the scent. It's quite bitter and floral; not my tastes but it does leave my hands feeling soft. This is currently my bedside hand cream so it doesn't get used as much as others but I can't wait till runs out so I can replace it with something that smells nicer. 

Kiehl's // Ultimate Strength Hand Salve (75g - £15)

The only one out of this selection that I actually purchased. I bought this way back in March after trying a sample from the Feel Unique Pick 'n' Mix. I honestly really love this hand cream and it's one of the few that I will willingly re-purchase. It has a lovely peppermint scent to it and is a thick consistency that's not quite a butter but not a cream. It leaves my hands feeling coated and satisfied and you can buy a huge 150ml version for just £4 more on Feel Unique. It's an expensive hand cream but one that I feel is worth the money.

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

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