Thursday 29 September 2016

Unboxing: Meebox September

Hello :)

It's unboxing time!  I get excited for the end of the month when I get these through the post as it is always exciting to find out what has been included.  This months theme was Pumpkin Spice and the box contained three polishes, a stamper, scraper and a stamping plate.




The stamper/scraper set are from Bundle Monster.  I've heard a lot of good things about this company but this is in fact my first items from them.  The stamper is a clear jelly one but it is very short so I think that is suppose to make it easier for using.  I intend to do a video with my first impressions on it soon (-add's to my already huge list of to do's-)  The image plate looks really nice too and it's packed with Autumn sayings, leaves and such like.

It's time now to look at the three polishes.  I LOVE this first one.  It is by Leighton Denny and is part of a limited edition I Am Goddess Collection.  Called Venus Desire it is a deep chocolate brown packed with gold/bronze looking flakies.

This only took one coat for full coverage!  I remember the last Leighton Denny polish I had was also a one coater.  There is such great pigment in these polishes and I loved this colour so much I just had to use it in some nail art.  It's the perfect Autumn shade.


 Polish two is by Lauren B Beauty and is called Nude No 1.  I expected this to be a little thin in application as it's hard to make such a pale tone have enough coverage.  It was very streaky on first coat, still streaky on a second and I have to say I wasn't even pleased with my application after a third coat.

My pictures don't seem to show the imperfections too much but they were definitely noticeable to the eye in person.  Unfortunately I'm not a fan of this shade.  I think it would work well if I was to use it in a marbling effect but not as a colour on its own.

Last polish is from Crabtree & Evelyn.  This is the second polish of this brand I have tried out and this shade is called Clementine.  It was hard to pick up in the picture that there was some shimmer throughout the polish.


 This was fully opaque in two coats and I really like this shade.  When you have a theme called Pumpkin Spice, you just had to have an orange shade included.

Overall what are my thoughts on this months Pumpkin Spice Meebox?  
I loved the theme and I think the items included did well to stick to that.  I'm looking forward to trying out the Bundle Monster items, especially the little stamper.  Polish wise as I already said I was disappointed with the Lauren B coverage and I am so in love with the Leighton Denny.
Next months theme has been released as Sugar Skulls and I am far too excited to see what is inside that one!
Keep an eye on my Youtube for tutorials, unboxings and reviews and thank you all for reading!

Lyn
 

Monday 26 September 2016

Unboxing: Nailbox September

Hello!
No introduction needed as to what this post is about since you read the title.  End of the month means subscription boxes have arrived and today we shall be having a look at the Pumpkin Patch box from Nailbox.

As you can see this box contained four polishes and a nail art wheel.  The wheel is by Elegant Touch and has a mixture of silver and gold studs.  They come in a variety of shapes ranging from tiny 1mm circles, squares, stars, hexagons and more.  I really like the tiny circles and there are some small silver squares that I'm looking forward to using in the future.

Black is a very staple choice for a box that is themed around pumpkins/halloween.  This one is by Sinful and is called Voodoo.  I have my "go to" black which is Liquid Leather by China Glaze but it's always good to try another out to see how it performs.

What you see here is actually just one coat.  The pigment is very strong in this but it was verging a little on the thick side.  I still managed to work with it and was pleased with the coverage.  I think it's just because I'm so used to my other black I wasn't expecting it to be so thick.  Don't get me wrong, it is not unmanageable, just different to what I am used to.

Now this is an unusual colour.  Into The Woods by Color Cub is definitely a khaki green but as the name suggests, it falls very much into the browner tones.  Not a colour I would pick out for myself as I enjoy pastels, neon and brighter colours.  However I have just removed my neon design from my holidays so it could just the the shock to the system of coming out of summer that makes me a little unsure of this one.

I needed to do two coats of colour as the first was a little patchy but the finish was really nice.  I just don't know if this colour is "me" though.  What do you think?

Third polish is OPI Where Did Suzi's Man-go?  I just adore the OPI polish names!  I can't be the only one...right?  I like this shade of peachy-orange which I don't think would normally suit my pale skin tone, but since I'm sporting a slight tan I think it looks rather good.

Once again two coats of polish was needed to give full opacity.  I can't say I've had many OPI polishes that I didn't like.  (The only one that springs to mind is When Monkeys Fly)  Overall a nice shade and of course an orange tone had to be included because it wouldn't be a pumpkin patch box without.

Final shade of the box is a Rimmel London Salon Pro in the colour Beige Babe.  I'm not overly keen on this shade and I also feel the name doesn't really suit such a deep brown tone.

Application was really good, it has one of the thicker rounded brushes that hugs the cuticle area nicely.  It was a little patchy on first coat but a second gave the finish that you see here.

My over all thoughts on this months box; I like the theme pumpkin patch as I feel it lets you incorporate Autumn and Halloween into the one box.  I feel like the Color Club and Salon Pro were too similar in colour to each other that it would have been nice to have had a different shade in place of one, perhaps adding a green.  The studs are really cute and in my opinion a universal nail art item to have in your collection that can be used all year round.
My favourite of this months polishes would have to be the OPI.   I will admit part of that is due to my love for the name but I do also really like the colour.  There will be a live swatch video on my youtube channel 27th September so be sure to check that out.

Thanks for reading,
Lyn


*all my swatches are done with top coat*
 
 
 
 

 
 

Tuesday 30 August 2016

Unboxing: Meebox August

Hello :)
Welcome back to another unboxing blog post where I share swatches and thoughts with you over the contents from the boho themed Meebox for August.





There were some really nice goodies this month.  First is a cute sterling silver midi ring that I adore and have been wearing ever since I got it.  The next little pot of goodness is some funky multi coloured foil from Miss Cat Nails.  I've never seen anything like it and I'm looking forward to trying to use it in some nail art!  The final non polish item is a little bottle of polish remover which is grape and raspberry scented.  I could still smell that standard polish remover scent, but there was the undertones of grape and raspberry coming through.



First shade of the box is Aggie by Zoya.  I don't have many Zoya in my collection at the moment so I loved to see this one included.  It is a beautiful gold-bronze with green undertones.  There also seems to be flecks of tiny gold glitter throughout.

This is the best picture I could get showing you there really is green in this polish!  It's frustrating to have such an amazing shade and being unable to capture it's full potential in a photograph.  I did two coats and top coat for the swatches.



Second shade is by Barry M and is called Green Berry.  This is from their Gelly Hi Shine range so after two coats of colour I didn't even apply top coat.

I think Barry M is a fantastic mainstream brand that is good quality but also affordable and readily available.  This is a really pretty shade and I do have a soft spot for these pastel tones.

Check out this amazing colour!  This is Cuccio Prince I've Been Gone and boy is this a deeeeep green!  So much so I had a hard time taking pictures of it without it seeming to be black!

 
 This was two coats and top coat and you can even see my camera reflection in the glossyness!  I find this to be a very unique shade and though not one I would have picked out myself to buy, I think it really suits my skintone.

Another month has come and gone and once again I'm pleased with the contents of this months box.  I have to say my favourite item this month is the midi ring, but if you want me to pick a favourite out of the polishes then it has to be Green Berry.
Next months theme has been released as Pumpkin Spice which makes me excited about what the contents will be.
Keep an eye on my YouTube channel for my unboxing and live swatch videos which will be up soon and I will see you in the next blog!

Lyn
 

Monday 29 August 2016

Unboxing Nailbox August

Hello hello!

If you read the title then you know what is here ;)  Once more we find our self at the end of the month and that means I've received my subscription boxes.  The theme for this months Nailbox was "Into The Sunset"  Sadly we are approaching the end of summer and I couldn't help but notice the earlier dark nights creeping in already.  Oh well, I've got my holidays to look forward to soon ^_^

The package this month had three nail polishes, a stamping polish and a stamp.  I was really excited to find out what the little box contained and that turned out to be the stamp.  Now it's not one of your "normal" stamps as in this one is like a stamper and scraper in one.  I will be doing a tutorial on trying this out so watch out for that coming on my channel.  The white stamping polish is also by the same brand Apharsec.
I did some googling since I had never heard of them before and they do some nice stamps.  The one in this box is valued at £7.99 and the polish is £4.99.





First up for the swatching was this beautiful purple grape shade by OPI.  Called Lost My Bikini In Molokini, it is actually a duplicate for my collection as I had recently purchased this.  Being the purple lover that I am, this isn't an issue for me as it's a really pretty shade.




For the swatch I have done two coats and top coat.  This is so nearly a one coater and I think if you applied it carefully enough (and had shorter nails than me) you could manage it.  I am very fond of OPI as a brand so I love getting their polishes.

Polish two is from Bourjois Paris and is called Orange Creation.  It's a really deep orange tone.  I ended up only needing one coat for this gorgeous colour and then added top coat.


 This is certainly a unique shade of orange, I don't have one anything like it.  It's always nice to try out new shades through subscription boxes.  It's so shiney in this macro shot you can see my camera reflection too!




 Last polish is Nicole By OPI in the shade Carrie'd Away.  This is from the range with Carrie Underwood and is a blingy gold glitter.  You can see it did leave a visible nail line after two coats.

Although this is a very dense glitter, you get an almost full coverage in two coats but you don't have that gritty finish like some polishes can have.  I really like this one and it's my favourite for this month.

That's us to the end of the August Nailbox already.  I'm enjoying seeing new brands appearing in this box each month and I can't wait to create some cool sunset-esque nails with these shades.  Watch out for my live swatch video on my youtube channel, along with my unboxing and stamp review which will all be up soon.

thanks for reading,

Lyn



Tuesday 2 August 2016

Unboxing: Meebox July

Hello readers,
it's time to share with you all the July edition of Meebox and this months theme was Rio.  Unless you are hiding under a rock you will know it's almost time for the Rio Olympics so the theme was aptly picked.

As usual the box contained three nail polishes and two nail related items.  The first being a large sheet of stickers that has on it a mixture of parrots and flowers.  They come from the brand Deco It.  This was a new brand to me so I took a look at their website and they have a large variety of stickers on offer for £4 or under along with other things.  Meebox is certainly good at introducing me to new nail websites to shop from!  I love that they go through a wide range of brands when picking box contents.
The other item included was a polish bottle holder by Tweexy.  I have seen this on social media before and it was an interesting addition to the box.  This came in the blue glitter colour but there was other options on the makers website too.

 Let's move onto the polishes.  This is a really big bottle at 17ml and made by Trust Fund Beauty.  Once more this brand is new to me and a first for my collection.  This shade is called Denim With Diamonds.


 I love the name of the polish, it just suits the shade so perfectly.  The deep blue is loaded with delicate flakes of a lighter blue glitter. 

Moving to polish two we have a Morgan Taylor which is brilliantly named Later Alligator.  It's a leaf green and I did two coats and top coat for the swatches.




I'm not sure this colour suits me but I can definitely use it for future nail art.  Considering I don't ever wear just plain coloured nails, I think it's going to work out fine.






I've saved the best, in my opinion, for last.  The photos on my pc screen do not do this colour justice.  This is a bright neon yellow and I love it.  It's by Models Own and it called Louis Lemon.





As you would expect with a neon polish, it is best painted over a white base and that is what I did here.  Two coats of white and one of Louis Lemon with top coat.  This came in at a good time considering my go-to neon yellow is almost out.

So there we have July's Meebox.  Which was your favourite this month?  The theme for August has been released as BoHo and I'm really excited to see what's inside already.  If you are interested in subscribing you can find all the needed info here.

Thanks for reading!
Lyn



 
 

Saturday 30 July 2016

Unboxing: Nailbox July

Hi everyone,
the end of the month is fast approaching and the subscription boxes have arrived.  The theme for July's Nailbox was Paradise and along with three polishes there was a set of toe separators and some lush smelling coconut nail balm.

Out of the three polishes this month there was one brand I did not recognize and that was Angelica.  I thought I was starting to narrow down my list of "not tried polishes" but I keep finding more!
 
 
I was interested to try out this white shade as I have always been loyal to China Glaze White on White as my go to.  This shade is aptly called Snow White and for the swatches I did two coats and top coat.  This is by the brand Angelica.  I had a quick look around their website and they started back in 2010 and offer a range of colours at an affordable price.

I found this to be a little more watery than my favourite CG and even after two coats I still felt that there was some patchiness in places.  I think I'll keep this one for trying out nail art with and see how it works for that.

Polish two is a True Brit London colour and it even came in a cute box packaging.  I instantly liked the look of this shade as I could see the hints of bronze shimmer in it.  It's called The Summer House and I did two coats and top coat.





I have to saw I was a little disappointed that there wasn't more shimmer showing up through the colour.  It's still a really nice shade that I like even though I don't think nudes/beige suits my pale skin tone.  I always find the True Brit bottles really clumpy and heavy but at least you can take off the large square lid and work with the smaller cylinder shaped one instead.

Third and final polish comes from Nails Inc and is one of their gel effect range.  Called Soho Place this is a one coat green.  It did dry to a glossy finish but I always add a top coat so that is what is shown in the swatches.

It's so shiny you can see my camera reflection!  I always love when you find a one coat polish as they are handy for when you are in a rush.  This brand is starting to creep more and more into my collection.  I think it's great to find other brands to try out and fall in love with instead of sticking to set ones.

Since this month also included some toe separators I really have the urge to do a french pedicure now.  I think that might have been Nailbox's plan considering they provided you with a white polish to!  
I am in love with the coconut nail balm that was included by the brand Nailberry.  I looked at the website and it shows this balm is sold for £12!  Considering I paid £15 for everything I've shared with you today (including postage), that is a pretty amazing deal.

What did you think of this months Nailbox?  Let me know what your thoughts are.  
Thanks for reading and until next time,

Lyn
 
 


 

Tuesday 26 July 2016

Bornprettystore.com Review Items

Hello readers,
today I'm going to be sharing with you some new items I was sent to review by Bornprettystore.  They also shared with me a discount code AIJW10 for 10% off the website.
Now I always love the items that you can purchase from here (I've bought many items with my own money too) and the prices are so cheap!  Delivery can be a few weeks but I'm happy to wait for items that are of the same quality as items located in your country.  Bornpretty also ship world wide and don't charge any postage.

Let's get into what I have to review with you this month:




So this time I got to pick out 5 different items and I can't wait to use them.

Now you might have seen these doing the rounds on social media.  Everyone knows about liquid latex or similar that girls have been applying around their nails to aid clean up, but that can take two coats and you have it's drying time too.  How about having an instant peel off protector like these?  I love the idea of these and it was the first item that I asked to try.  I don't have a whole lot of patience for applying two layers of latex to my fingers and I also noticed that if you had it applied to all 5 fingers on one hand there was a chance of sticking slightly to your other fingers (please tell me I'm not the only one to have done that?!)  So I'm hoping when I try these out they work out better for me.

 
 Item two is some really cool holographic stencils.  They are really unusual in that you get 9 circle stencils and three tip stencils.  My plan for using these will be to have the accent nails done using the tip stencils and then use the circles to do the rest as a full design.




Third item is also a little unusual.  These remind me of pre cut striping tape but this is mutli coloured and also it is not perfectly straight but rather cut in an irregular pattern. These just get peeled off, cut to size and stuck to your nail.




Next is a small square stamping plate and as I'm sure you can tell I've been playing around with this one already!  It's a large mandala flower shape and is so pretty!  Watch out for a tutorial coming soon using this one.

Last item of the bunch is a second stamping plate.  This is one of the larger rectangle sized plates and it has a mixture of snowflakes and lace type patterns on it.  I don't think it is meant to be snowflakes but I just pick up that impression from it when I look at it.  It's got some really nice patterns on it.

That's all the review items I have to share with you.  Watch out for plenty of up coming tutorials using them.  I also decided to buy the BPS gold and silver chrome effect powder and I have a toenail video coming up using the silver.

Thanks to BPS for sending me these review items and thank you for reading.
Until next time,
Lyn