Under The Basic Sea // Mint & Pink Mermaid Nails

I told you I couldn't resist putting a load of stamping designs on it! I tried to do some reverse stamping as well and ruined my pinkie and the middle finger *le sigh*. I just received one of the new Born Pretty Sea World plates that I ordered early last month and I had to do something with it. I think mermaid nails are some of my favourite designs to do but I may invest in one of the new MoYou London plates which have them coloured in already for you because clearly I need more practice.

How I did it:-

The ombre was done in this post, but basically it was a 1 layer Crush in Lake Como followed by 4 sponged layers of Crush & Lake. I then used the BP-109 plate for the scale pattern and coloured some scales in using Golden Hour and Stop, Shop & Roll. The other designs came from the Sea World S001 plate with the same two shades. When reverse stamping, you might need to apply a layer of top coat on your nail before you stamp as you could end up ruining it (like I did on the pinkie...urgh).

Polishes/Tools Used:-

- Cuccio Colour // Crush In Lake Como (sheer pink creme)

- Zoya // Lake (sheer mint creme)
- Ciaté Gelology // Golden Hour (metallic rose gold)
- Morgan Taylor // Shop, Stop & Roll (teal multi-shift shimmer)

- Revlon // Quick Dry Top Coat

- Barry M // Plumpy Top Coat
- Born Pretty Stamping Plate // BP-109
- Born Pretty Stamping Plate // Sea World S001

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

Lake Crush // Mint & Pink Ombre

Finally! It's so nice to be doing something other than swatching advent calendars...definitely only buying one this year...if that. This started out as just an ombre using some shades from the 'Namaste' Meebox edit (which will be up soon, I promise!) however, keep an eye out in the next few days as I couldn't resist getting the stamper out....Especially since the Born Pretty stuff I ordered a month ago arrived. My god man, their latest plates have just been amazing. I might do a post on them.

But, I managed to stop myself for a few minutes to snap some photos of this ombre before I ruined it. These two shades are just beautiful together; you may have seen them earlier in December for a Christmas look...

How I did it:-

So this one is pretty easy. I started out with one layer of Crush In Lake Como, applied a quick dry top coat and then sponged on 4 layers of them both. I'm glad I decided to do some kind of base coat because both these shades are extremely sheer and it would've taken me forever otherwise. 

Polishes/Tools Used:-

- Cuccio Colour // Crush In Lake Como (sheer pink creme)

- Zoya // Lake (sheer mint creme)

- Revlon // Quick Dry Top Coat

- Barry M // Plumpy Top Coat

OPI The Nutcracker & the Four Realms Advent Calendar 2018 // Days 8-14

First off, what is up with the OPI shade names?? So many are practically sentences and super annoying as the mini ones have no label so I have to make stickers for them all...I feel like I'm going through Fallout Boy or Panic! At The Disco track names here.

Secondly, Happy New Years everyone! I have a feeling that 2019 is going to be a good one, especially since me and even numbered years just don't get along (the odd ones have always been better). Either way I hope you had a lovely holiday. This was my 2nd time since I was 13 that I've not had to work it and it really makes a difference being with friends and family. But onto the shades!

Day 8 - Reykjavik Has All The Hot Spots  // Pale Berry Shimmer

Finally a shade I really like! This applies well and has a subtle holo shimmer in the background. It is a little streaky as it appears to have a metallic finish but it's not bad for a muted polish. That said this is now the fourth pink/purple shade in a row....

Day 9 - A-rose at Noon, Broke by Dawn // Bright Pink Shimmer

And now it's five in a row! I'm wearing one coat in the photo but I'm not feeling this shade; it's too bright pink. It also has that streaky finish that a lot of OPI metallic shades have. 

Day 10 - Berry Fairy Fun // Purple Shimmer

Nutcracker Collection Shade

Another purple shade. I swatched all the shades onto a swatch wheel and almost half are in the pink/purple spectrum. I've noticed quite a few of the shades so far seem to have the same blue and purple shimmer bits in them as well, the last shade was the same. I'm wearing two coats as one is hella streaky but the overall effect is just a bit to 'eight-year-old' for my liking.

Day 11 - Dazzling Dew Drop // Gold Shimmer

Nutcracker Collection Shade

This looks much better than I thought it would. I imagined it to be a tacky yellow gold but it's actually a nice metallic foil-esque shade. I'm wearing two coats and that's really all you need for some shimmery goodness. This is perfect for special occasions and I can imagine it going nice with some white nails and gold stripes...gonna have to work on my striping tape skills though as this doesn't stamp well.

Day 12 - Samoan Sand // Light Peachy Nude Creme

I stopped at three coats of this watery creme but if you look close enough, it probably needs another one. I do like this shade though as it blends really well with my skin tone. For some this could be the perfect 'nude' polish. I imagine this would look nice matte with some 80's style Miami Vice designs stamped on top.

Day 13 - Berlin There Done That // Muted Lilac Creme

Well this was surprising. Last month I received the Infinite Shine version of this shade in Mani & Lola and as you can see they are completely two different shades...I'm not sure why you would give them the same name when the Infinite Shine version is clearly 2 shades darker. I'd also say the original formula is more of muted lilac and the Infinite a soft cocoa. Very strange. Regardless, another winning shade for me as this is more like what I use and I got away with just one coat. Also, the top photo makes the shade look lighter than it is; it's just a very bright light.

Day 14 - Lavendare to Find Courage // Bubblegum Pink Creme

Nutcracker Collection Shade

This was one the shades that made me want to purchase their new Nutcracker range, however once I got it on myself, I'm not that keen on it. It's a lovely shade but not for my skin tone. It also reminds me of the colour used in the Mean Girls font. I ended up using two coats as it's a little streaky but nothing too bad. I'd say this is definitely more pink than lavender though. So now we've had nine pink/purple shades in 14 days. That's a bit excessive.

// Verdict

Looking at the colour swatch wheel so far, you'd think this is an advent calendar focusing on pink shades; there's barely any variety. So, I'm glad to announce that there are NO pinks next week. But it is hella moody with lots of dark cremes. 

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