Nailing It This Summer

Hello everyone! 

Summer is the time for pretty pastel nails and all things girly! It is the ultimate excuse to wear all the cutesy colours. To brighten up today I have decided to share with you my top five nail colours this summer. They are all from Rimmel London, but I just love all their colours. There are so many options and they are such fantastic quality, gliding on easily and only taking two coats to look finished :-) 

Let's start with this bold red in 310 Double Decker Red. This is the most post-box red I have ever seen! I have been wearing this colour as my go to for toes for about 10 years. It is so beautiful and bright, it really stands out against pale skin and looks quite elegant peeping out of your sandals. 

622 Oh Boy You're So Fine!! is a stunning pastel violet, it's a bit deeper than my spring lilac and is perfect for a sophisticated summer evening. This colour drys with quite a shine to it, which can be enhanced with a clear top coat to really look like a professional manicure. I think this is my favourite of these five colours. I never tire of this one, it goes so well with a maxi dress and clutch bag, I feel like it helps to pull a look together and make you look very polished! 

503 Mind The Gap, Victoria is a lovely powder blue, it's almost a pastel version of duck egg blue. This is a very feminine colour and looks fabulous for a chilled look. I'd wear this for a daytime outfit, for wandering around in shorts and t-shirts or skirts. It's quite a youthful colour and gives you a relaxed vibe. 

413 Orangina is part of the Rita Ora x for Rimmel London collection. This delicious looking burnt umber-pastel orange reminds me of sunsets and cocktails. I would wear this colour for a more beachy look, to pair with bathing suits, sunnies, sandals and of course a floppy hat! Clutching a fruit cocktail in hands with this colour can never fail to look classy and put together!

Finally is 405 Rose Libertine, I am in love with this colour. This pink sums up my entire colour scheme this summer. It is the most beautiful pastel pink, effortlessly girly yet oh so classy. This is the ideal colour to go with a summer dress and girly handbag :-) 

I love how something as simple as a nail polish can instantly transform a look! What are your favourite colours this summer? Let me know in the comments below :-) 

xoxo

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Ransacking Rimmel

Hello everyone! 

Who else is on holiday now? I'm away on a jolly holiday in the south of France with Mr.Gingersnap, but I thought I should keep posting while I'm away, plus it is quite fun :-) Today I thought I'd share my new summer make up with you. I have been surviving on tinted moisturiser for the last 3 months while I decided what new foundation to try. Foundation can be quite a commitment if you don't have the budget to try multiple ones at once, being a poor student this is the case for me...

Bearing that in mind I turned to the high street stores. I haven't used a high street foundation in years! So I had a little look online at what people rave about and thought the best fit for me would be Rimmel's Wake Me Up foundation in 100 Ivory. The formula for this sounds ideal, it's anti-fatigue, skin brightening and has vitamin C to help re-vitalise your skin cells and give you that perfect flawless skin glow. It also has SPF 15 which is not amazing, but better than nothing. 

I have been wearing this for about a week now and really love it. The formula is thin, without compromising the coverage. I'd say it's semi to full coverage and does actually give me a lovely glow. It lasts all day without dehydrating my skin and is super easy to blend in with a brush. My one slight issue is the big jumps between shades in this product, it took me ages to find one to match my skin tone! I think after holiday when I have a bit of a tan I may have to mix it with a slightly darker foundation to match my skin completely. Nobody likes a ghost face! 

I can't really say much more to praise this powder, it does what it says on the box and has a lovely peachy finish to it. 

I was planning on repurchasing my trusty Benefit powder, but what kind of beauty blogger would I be if I didn't trial new products from time to time! Rimmel's Stay Matte powder hasn't really had much hype around it, which is a shame as it is a truly lovely product :-) It's a long lasting pressed powder to smooth and set your foundation or for touch ups of oily zones throughout the day. I went for the shade 002 Pink Blossom because it is a super pretty peachy tone that goes really well with the pink/rose golds I've been going for this season. I was very impressed with the range of shades in this product as well as how nicely it applies. The packaging is fairly standard and easily portable. Some say that a powder is a powder, but to me I think it is a key part of any makeup routine. 

Finally, as it was 3 for 2 I picked up this gorgeous pastel/dusky rose nail varnish in 405 Rose Libertine. Also from Rimmel by the way! This nail varnish is perfect for summer, I am loving all things pink at the moment and this fits in so well. The only small problems are that the formula is quite thin so needs multiple coats to avoid the dreaded patchiness. This then means it isn't a 60 second dry as it claims to be. Yes it is super shiny and beautiful, but if you want it to be batter proof and smudge proof then wait 30 minutes to dry it! Worth the wait though :-) 

Have you tried these products? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below :-) 

xoxo

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Summer Holiday Essentials

Hello everyone! 

It is finally the summer holidays :-) I could not be more excited about that fact. I am a massive sun bunny and intense heat is my comfort zone. Keeping this in mind Mr.Gingersnap and I are off to my childhood home in the south of France for a 2 week holiday. 

Now I love watching videos of people's summer essentials and what they pack to go away! If that's not your thing then you should probably stop reading now... I took some snaps while I was packing and thought I'd share my holiday staples with you. 

Firstly I like to pack as many pretty, floaty dresses as I possibly can! Being a tiny person I can get away with a lot more clothes in a small suitcase (it has to have some perks tbh!). I like to vary between the floral prints, bright colours and pastels, that way I am prepared for any kind of day or dress code. I always pack at least one full length dress just in case I have a more fancy evening out. 

I always take my Kindle on holiday just because it's more portable and I can get more books if I run out! 

When it comes to swimming it's important to have a comfy bikini or swimming costume. I love Jack Wills' bikinis, they fit beautifully and have very classic understated patterns. I would also recommend Hollister for quality swimwear, yes it's a bit pricey, but worth it when your clothes last several summers instead of dropping to bits straight away! If, like me, you're pale or fair skinned it could be a good idea to pack a top or pool kimono to keep the worst of the sun off you and cover up a little more. For this I have a cut out cotton, floaty black mesh kimono. It's lovely and quite timeless as a piece. 

 I must admit I love a wide brimmed hat!

Every girl needs a good pair of denim shorts on holiday. I got these ones at Pull & Bear and I adore them. I can throw them on with a bikini top, with a body, a bandeau (another essential for me) or just a normal floaty top. Continuing with easy to throw on looks, a flowery kimono instantly makes a look seem polished and stylish. I've had this one for years, but they seem to be cropping up everywhere so get on out there and buy one! Trust me :-) 

I love high heels and wedges on holiday, they really give me that dressed up and put together feeling. These ones are my essentials this holiday. I do of course have the standard flip flops and converses for everyday wear, but they were boring to photograph!

When it comes to makeup and skin care, it's important to have products that protect your skin. Look for SPF on products and make sure you moisturise and stay hydrated! You want to come home with that holiday glow, not looking like a leather bag left out in the sun... I am feeling the pinks this summer as you can probably tell from the picture! All these pinks are so pretty and feminine, I just love them and I'm sure y'all do too! If you were wondering that is the Naked 3 palette from Urban Decay, the YSL lipstick is a Rouge Volupte shine in 41 , the Too Faced Sweetheart Blush is in Candy Glow and the Rimmel London nail varnish is the 405 Rose Libertine :-) 

What are your summer essentials? Let me know in the comments below :-) 

xoxo

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Wacky Drugstore Haul

Hello everyone! 

Not too long ago I had to do some fancy dress, now I love fancy dress as much as the next girl, but this one was a bit of a challenge. I had to dress up as a musical theatre performer, my performing days were a while ago now so I lacked the necessary crazy colour makeup to create the look. Oh so sadly (she says extremely sarcastically) I needed to go shopping. 

I wanted to go for a blue, green and purple eye look so I hit the high street and headed to Boots. You can find some truly fab products out there for such a good price, so if you are a lover of bold looks then keep reading! 

I first went to Maybelline to pick up a kohl liner, I went for this pretty mint green waterproof liner in 37. I wanted to be able to create a bold line and build up a similar eyeshadow colour around it. I used the line for the crease and built up the eyeshadow on the outer two thirds of the lid, using a purple shimmer shade in the inner corner. The Linerefine liners glide on smoothly and the pigment is fantastic. The only downside is that it is a real pencil so needs sharpening to get a very fine line. 

It's so hard to photograph an eye pencil and make it look good! 

In an attempt to match the liner I went to Max Factor as they often have a wide range of eyeshadow colours available as singles. I ended up selecting two shimmer shades that I thought would blend well together to provide an ethereal, yet bold eye, I was aiming for Midsummer Night’s Dream type makeup. I chose 30 Turquoise Fury and 15 Vicious purple. Top tip: purple and green go surprisingly well together! Max Factor are known for their fab Colour X-pert Waterproof liquid eyeliners, I chose the 03 metallic lilac to draw on my bold cat eye flick. 

Finally I went to Rimmel in search of a product to give a pop of colour to my lower lash line. The Exaggerate Waterproof Eye Definer has a thin cream nib at one end and a small cushion at the other to blend the colour if you want a smudgy look. I went for the very bright 240 Aqua Sparkle to smudge into my lower lashes. I love the way you can glide on the liner and smudge straight away without needing to search for the right brush. The nib is the perfect size for a fine line, but could also be built into a thicker one for a different upper lid look. 

The final look was so bold, but very striking. I definitely looked like I’d just walked off the set of a fairy themed play! What’s your favourite bold look? Let me know in the comments below :-) 

xoxo

Go To Autumn Lipsticks

Now that the autumn is officially here I can crack out my favourite autumnal lipsticks. Although it is sad that I am putting away my summer pinky nudes and corals, I am really excited for the berry tones and bold reds! 

My two favourite colours for autumn are red and purple, though I tend to lean more towards red at the end of autumn closer to the Christmas season. 

I adore this deep purple berry tone from Mac in satin Media A24, it is quite a matte colour and has fantastic colour payoff and staying power. If I put this on in the morning it will still be there in the evening no matter what I drink or eat, it only fades to a lighter purple, which I actually quite like. The only slight issue I have with this is that I won’t wear it everyday as it dries out my lips quite a bit, but that could just be because I am prone to dry lips this time of year…

Which is all the more reason to whip out the tinted lip balm! Benebalm is my go to for this time of year, it leaves a lovely glossy sheen to the lips and a faint red tint, it is less intense than the original Bene Tint from Benefit, but I love it for a day time look in the autumn. It is a great muted colour for university and leaves my lips soft and smooth. 

I have another favourite from Benefit and this is this wonderful Nice Knickers plum lipstick from an old range of theirs. I use this one sparingly as it is a discontinued line! Which is such a shame because it is a fabulously creamy lipstick with amazing colour payoff, however, it doesn’t have the best staying power from the creaminess. 

For reds I have two favourites for autumn and those are more from high street brands. The first is this lovely post box red from the Rimmel Kate Moss collection for Comic Relief in Red Nose Red 01. I picked this up last winter and I absolutely love it. The staying power isn’t as good, but the colour is so rich and deep that it makes up for it! 

The second is another red, but less deep and more vibrant than the Rimmel one. This one is L’Oreal color riche 297 in Red Passion and I actually prefer to apply it lightly with my finger, it gives a more relaxed feel to the red lipped classic look. I love to pair my red lipsticks with a tartan scarf, jeans, black suede boots and leather jacket. 

What are your favourite autumn lipsticks? Let me know in the comments below! 

xoxo