Back To School // Clairestelle8 Challenge September 2019

I can't believe it's September again already. The mornings are already starting feel crisper and the nights are getting dark early :( Whereas I love the idea of fall and autumn scenes with all the warm colours and general cosy-ness; when you're alone in the middle of nowhere it's kind of hard to be excited about the upcoming season.

But it's September and that means...discount stationary. That's right, all the stationary is on offer right now and I can't because it's one of my main weaknesses; that and Cadburys jelly popping candy chocolate. I've already done a similar look to this one but I really love the scholar and artist plates so combined them for a bit more of a detailed look.

I was a bit upset that I smudged the pencil stamp a little and the MoYou polishes are just awful. I'm going to have to stop buying them because it always takes me several tries to pick up designs. I might start doing swatch posts on them so others can see how terrible they are at being stamping polishes.

Polishes/Tools Used:-

- Nailberry // Stone (dark grey)
- Nicole Diary // Born Perfect (white)

- MoYou London // Mint Condition (pastel blue), Coral Crush (coral pink), Into The Woods (dark brown)
- H&M // Cantaloupe (mustard)
- MoYou London Plate // Scholar 01 & 06, Artist 21

Stone Goals // White, Grey & Gold Marble Design

Finally, I think I have perfected the marble look and it's all thanks to smooshing! I'm definitely going to film this look soon and maybe use a brighter gold shade but it works! It's no lie, I'm totally basic and obsessed with marble and rose gold. I blame it on Pinterest. There's just something about marble nails as well; it's so elegant and expensive looking.

So smooshing is pretty easy. You just blob on white on a silicone mat, drop some of your chosen colours onto the white and then lightly drag the design a little using the tip of an orange stick or really fine dotting tool, then pick up the design using a stamper. I like to let it dry on the stamper a little bit so it doesn't smoosh more as you stamp. Make sure to use liquid latex as well for easy clean up.

I still can't believe I found this Ciaté shade in TK Maxx for £2.99. I bought two it's that pretty. They've had some really great Ciaté shades in there lately.

Polishes/Tools Used:-

- Nicole Diary // Born Perfect (white)
- Nailberry // Stone (dark grey)
- Ciaté Gelology // Goal Digger (muted copper)

- Barry M Hi-Shine // Plumpy Top Coat

SPOTLIGHT SWATCH: Fashionista // Nailberry

When I saw that this months Latest In Beauty Special Edition box had a Nailberry shade going I bought it immediately. It retails at £28 but if you made a box in February you got a £5 off voucher for it. I believe you get £5 off if you make a box this month as well. It's well worth it as you get 15 items and several full sizes. Considering Nailberry go for £14.50 alone (and are rarely on sale), this box is absolute bargain. 

You could receive two different shades and I got Fashionista which is the most beautiful berry shade I've ever seen. I'm so in love with this colour because it goes with anything (my jumper choice was pure coincidence lol). I'm not really one for wearing shades by themselves but this I would wear all day, every day. I love my Cuccio but Nailberry is really fighting to become number one in my heart. I now have 3 Nailberry polishes and it's just not enough. You can't even get them cheaper on eBay as most sellers start at £10 for them. At this point in my life I really can't be spending £10+ on one polish so I have to make do with receiving them in boxes. 

I'm wearing two beautiful coats and no top coat (it's unbelievably shiny) and it makes feel like some uber chic sophisticated lady going for brunch...and they serve champagne at brunch. It just makes me want more Nailberry; once I finish my degree I need to get a job where I can afford to buy Nailberry #jobgoals.

Anyway, I'll go into the box in a little more detail as it was a really great special edition. I noticed in one of their emails they've two more Grazia edits coming up and they're usually amazing but quite pricey.

My favourite items so far (other than Fashionista) have been the Natura Siberica hand cream (gotta love some hand cream), the Nuxe face cream and surprisingly the Soaper Duper body butter. I've hated every product I've tried from them so far so I was surprised that the body butter smells nice and feels good on the skin. The floral perfume samples from Yardley also threw me off because I detest floral perfumes but these are super sweet and layer nicely with each other.

Ones I'll be giving away include the dry shampoo; they always make my scalp itch like crazy and the Molten Brown body wash (their stuff just smells like bleach to me). I've also already had the CYO illuminating cream in a previous box and it's far to light for me but it does give a nice glow.

Overall, it was a nice selection of new items from many different categories that I highly recommend!

Latest In Beauty Spring 2019 Edit

Nailberry - Fashionista

Serene Forest // Pink & Green Woodland Scene

I just received some new Born Pretty & Harunouta plates off eBay and one of the ones I chose was this woodland scene plate which has an assortment of forest trees and little creatures on it. Originally, I only started off with the pink to green gradient and was fully intent on using some rose gold geometric prints on top but something stirred in my imagination and persuaded me to go ahead and create a misty woodland scene.

I'm super happy with how this looks, the forest looks calm and peaceful with the light green (Lake) almost giving off this mist quality as the shade between the pink and bright green. 

How I did it:-

I started off with one coat of Cheeky and then sponged on a couple layers of Cheeky, Lake & Ness. After a layer of top coat, I then used Stone and the BP-L011 plate to create the trees and deer. Stone isn't the best stamping polish as it breaks up with intricate details, but I like how it wasn't completely opaque for this design. I then added a layer of top coat and then a layer of matte top coat (as the matte one always smears the design).

Polishes/Tools Used:-
- Jessica // Cheeky (pale pink)

- Zoya // Lake (pale mint)

- Zoya // Ness (pastel apple green)
- Nailberry // Stone (grey)

- Revlon // Quick Dry Top Coat
- Revlon // Colorstay Gel Envy Diamond Top Coat
- Barry M // Matte Top Coat

- Born Pretty Stamping Plate // BP-L011

Mani & Lola January 2019 // Nail Subscription Box

Finally, I'm here with the Mani & Lola January 2019 box! It's been a wild ride this month, with not one but two messed up nail polish orders this month. The first was from a haul and this package was the second. I knew something was up the moment the delivery guy handed me the parcel as I got a strong whiff of nail polish. As I opened the package, it got stronger and then I noticed the polish all inside the box :( 

It only took me around 20 minutes to clean up the other polishes but the Jessica bottle had smashed completely so there was no saving it. However, Mani & Lola sent me a replacement polish the next day. So thank you to them for excellent and swift customer service.

When I first saw this box, I wasn't that impressed as the colours just didn't seem to match each other. You've got these two lovely neutral "new year, new me" shades from Jessica and Barry M but then you've got these bright red and green shades practically screaming

But, my opinion changed pretty quickly as I started using them and I'm going to stick to my self-made Mani & Lola challenge that I made last year; to make at least 5 designs using these shades (I've already done two, go me!). Let's get into the box!

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Jessica // Cheeky (14.8ml - £4.95)

This shade caused me a few problems this month but in the end I'm happy to report that this is a fantastic shade to add to your collection. It's a beautiful pale pink creme that's ready in two coats. This shade and Razzle Dazzle pair really well together and produce wonderful Valentines-esque looks:

When researching this shade, I found that Nail Polish Direct sells it for £4.95, whereas it's £11 on the official Jessica website so if you're interested, make sure you get it from NPD (which, I found out this week, owns Mani & Lola).

Will it stamp? // Surprisingly it actually stamps quite well. It looks thin and runny on the plate but has good pigment. I think it may look a little washed out on darker colours, but it does well on light/pastel shades.

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Barry M Liquid Chrome // Razzle Dazzle (10ml - £3.99)

I wasn't expecting much from this shade, but holy moly, I think it's become one of my favourite stamping shimmers. This is a stunning true icy pink shimmer and stamps as good as any dedicated stamping polish. There are three other shades in this range and I think I might have to go buy them if they all stamp this well. 

That said I'm a little disappointed at the state of this polish. It looks like it's been pre-owned and thrown around quite a bit. The cap is all scratched with chips and the barcode label looks like it was dipped in water as half the information on it is missing. It looks like I picked it up from a carboot sale for 50p. 

Other than that, this is a solid shade. It only needs one coat and I just love the Barry M brushes as they fan perfectly across the nail. I rarely have to do cleanup when I use a BM shade. 

Will it stamp? // Yes! And perfectly so.

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Nailberry // Pop My Berry (15ml - £14.50)

My God, there's red and then there's RED. This shade reminds me heavily of Ciaté's Boudior (you can see a swatch here) and it's quite strange that they both have bedroom themed names....

Names aside, I wouldn't wear this by itself as I've never been a bright red person. I prefer darker crimsons and oxblood-esque shades but I was impressed with the application. The brush is similar to the Barry M ones and I found it easy to apply with minimum mess. I'm wearing two coats but that's only because I could slightly see my nail tips peaking through. One coat is definitely wearable though as there is no streaking in sight. I could see some nice Valentines look being created with this and the Jessica shade.

Will it stamp? // Yes, but it looks much darker and is no where near as bright or vivid. But it handles detail well .

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Zoya // Ness (15ml - £6.95)

I won't lie, I saw this shade in the reveal post and hated it the most. However, now I'm wearing it....I really like it. It's a different kind of green to what I was expecting. Apparently this is from the Zoya 2016 Summer Sunsets collection and I can totally see that. It's kind of one those pastel-ly 80/90's vibes shades that you would see on a Miami Vice poster. It's muted and subdued and kinda perfect for the upcoming spring months.

Also, I've seen a few comments saying that a lot don't really enjoy Zoya, and I know what they mean as often they're thin and streaky, with at least 3-4 layers needed. But this one is much thicker and you can almost get away with one coat. I'm really impressed. 

Will it stamp? // Yes, actually. I know I'm shocked. It's a little translucent in some places but the pattern doesn't break on intricate details and it holds up pretty well against bright/darker colours.

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Orly // Won't Chip Top Coat (9ml - £5.95)

Like the Jessica shade, this is being sold cheaper from NPD than on Orly's website so I've linked the cheapest. I was looking forward to using this, however, this is not the best top coat I've ever used. I don't think anything can replace my Revlon Colorstay Diamond top coat but this tried. Even with a big drop on the top, it still caused stamping designs to smear and in some just removed the stamping completely. It also doesn't give that great a shine. I may use this on top of swatches on my swatch wheels but I won't be rushing out to replace it.

Price of Box - £22.95

Number of Items - 6 

Estimated Worth - £36.34

When I first got this box I wasn't all that happy. There seemed to be no theme to the polishes, other than they're all vegan, and it kind of annoyed me that they seemed out of place with each other. However, after trying them all out I've grown to really like the shades; even the bright red one. The estimated worth isn't that high again, however, if I were to buy these all separately, I'd practically be getting the Nailberry polish for free which is ok I guess (I just love the design of those bottles). 

I'm hoping that the shades next month kind of match each other a little more and we get some more nail tools. This month the extra item was a nail buffer/file but I'd love to see some stamping plates or decals; something different. 

Looks I've done using these shades:-

- Serene Forest // Pink & Green Woodland Scene
- Crystal Healing // Pink Gradient with Purple Crystals

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.

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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