China Glaze Flip Flop Fantasy Review & Models Own Beach Bag Comparison Swatches

China Glaze Flip Flop Fantasy

Models Own Polish For Tans have unleashed a monster, I am officially addicted to neon nail varnishes. If it's not eye searingly bright this summer then I am not interested and my newest recruit is Flip Flop Fantasy. I was a China Glaze virgin until I picked up this little bargain from Nail Polish Direct (word of warning: if you're trying to save money do not go on that website - so many beautiful cheap nail varnishes, so little funds!) but it's been a brand that I've always wanted to try after seeing quite a lot of mentions around the blogging world. Flip Flop Fantasy is a seriously summery shade that I can't quite pin down, is it pink? Is it orange? Is it coral? It's a mix of all of them and holy moly is this bright, I am talking blindingly, glow in the dark bright. Formula wise it applies so well, you could probably get away without a second coat and it dries quickly but it dries to a matte finish so if you prefer glossy talons you'll need a topcoat. There's only one thing that puts me off wearing this (and I'd wear it every day if this wasn't the case) and that's the fact that it chips so easily, this doesn't even last a day on me without some major chunks missing and a couple of times I've looked down and I've lost a whole nail! I really wanted to wear this on holiday but I don't want to be faffing around repainting my nails all week which I know will happen so I'm going to wear it on my toes instead where I'm hoping it lasts a bit longer but looks as good!

If a shade like Flip Flop Fantasy is what you need in your life but you can't wait for it to be delivered then get yourself down to Boots tomorrow and pick up Models Own Beach Bag (full review here), they might not be twins but they're definitely related! It is insanely difficult to picture neons and they look identical in the swatches but although they're very similar there are a few differences. Flip Flop Fantasy is more pink and a lot brighter as well as drying to a matte finish whereas Beach Bag is more orange and although it's still really bright it's got more of a milky pastel edge and a glossier finish but saying that if you've got one then you probably don't need the other.

Long live neons all Summer long!

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May Glossybox 2014

Glossybox, £10 plus p&p

I am a little bit late to Superdug's 50th Birthday celebrations (that's what you get for having your post delivered to your mums!) and that's who Glossybox have collaborated with this month. The theme of the box is Summer Beauty Edit and I haven't seen so much packed in a box for a long, long time as well as the majority being full size which you can't beat!

Blowpro After Blow Strong Hold Finishing Spray

Which is basically a fancy way of saying hairspray which I seem to always be running out of and this mini size will be definitely getting packed into my suitcase when I jet off next month. This also conditions while it works which is perfect for chlorine battered hair!

Rimmel London Scandaleyes Retro Glam Mascara

This is the most exciting thing in the box for me, I love trying out a new mascara and this one sounds right up my street promising a bold, wide eyed false lash look which is all I ask for really without the use of glue!

I Love Cosmetics Strawberries & Milkshake Shimmer & Shine Lip Gloss

Oh god, this might smell amazing but frosty, sticky gloss is my idea of hell, it reminds me of something that a toddler would use when they first start messing around with make up! I love this brand for their shower and bath products but this just kills me.

Superdrug Large Doughnut Ring 

When my hair is up in a bun it tends to be shoved up and messy but I am sure I'll get some use out of this!

GOSH Cosmetics Velvet Touch Eyeliner

I originally thought this was black until I took a closer look a minute ago and it's purple. I don't use a lot of colour on my eyes but this is so dark and the purple is so subtle I might my black for this for a night, it's something to play with anyway!

Garnier Oil Beauty Lotion & GHOST Fragrances Eclipse

These are a couple of bonus products which is always nice to see, the fragrance is very summery and has made it into my bag in preparation for the sun to show it's face and the Garnier Lotion is on stand by for my next pamper night.

I've seen another variation of this box going around which was a thousand percent better but that's the luck of the draw with beauty boxes, I'll definitely get use of most of the things in the box though which is all you ask for really!

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Primark Fashion Nails

Primark Fashion Nails, £1

To be completley honest with you even after hearing some amazing things about Primark nails I still didn't have the highest of hopes for these, come on, they're only a pound but they're cute and I was hoping they'd at least last for one night and serve their purpose - I have never been more wrong in my life!!

I tend to steer well clear of false nails - I think the last time I wore them was when they stuck on to your actual nail with a little sticker and flicked off at every opportunity - but how could I resist these, look at the polka dots and tiny little cat faces, I'm only human! You get 24 nails in a pack and surprisingly the majority of those were cat faces, I used 8 polka dot nails and I don't think I could even get another hand out of the remainder. The sizes of the nails were actually really good and there was only a few that needed tweeking but it was nothing that a bit of cutting and filing couldn't sort out! There is glue included but I'd read that it wasn't the best so I got an alternative (Nailene Ultra Quick - the only one I could find in Asda!) that I would definitely recommend, it dried almost instantly and the nails were stuck in place from then on, it really is amazing stuff! Once everything was stuck down I filed the nails down because they were just a little bit longer than I like mine to be and voila, there you go, the perfect pussycat nails! The only mishap I had was trying to open a box and the thumb nail chipped a little bit at the tip but I just filed that down and it was as good as new and on the day I was planning on taking them off after going on about how I have no idea how I'll ever remove them because they're still stuck down as well as they were the day I applied them one of my thumb nails pinged off (a tip for you: Blu tack sticks them on surprisingly well in case of emergency!) I think they would have lasted well beyond the week I kept them on but I'm just too impatient and wanted to paint my nails a different colour, they stayed in place, in shape and the pictures didn't fade at all. The damage to my nails was also minimal and nothing that a good buffing didn't fix.

I'm definitely going to go back for more of these nails, I am so impressed with the quality of them - if you're after some fun, temporary nails then Primark is the place you need to go!

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OOTN #11

Top - Tesco

Trousers - River Island

Shoes- Topshop

Bag - Michael Kors

I do apologize for being so absent in the blogging world the past week, after all the Katy Perry excitement there was another dose of excitement in my life on Tuesday when my teeny tiny baby sister was born so I've been in a little pink bubble of cuddles and tiny fingers and toes but I'm back on the band wagon now!

I wore this outfit last week when me and Joel went out for a meal and this picture was taken well before I went into a pizza coma! I don't know if you're like me but I'm always looking for 'the perfect' something and about a month ago it was the perfect printed trousers and it was only by pure chance that I stumbled across these. Our TV just happened to blow up one morning and we had to go on an emergency trip to Fosse Park to replace it (because god forbid we had to talk to each other with no background noise!) and I can't just walk past somewhere where some serious money can be spent. I love the print and the shape of them, they're really lightweight and comfy but I just wish they were a tiny bit shorter for wearing with flats in the day but that's just because I'm a short arse. I kept the rest of the outfit simple as the trousers speak for them self and paired them with my yellow cami top which I am loving being able to wear without a cardigan or coat on top and I really need to get some more colours of because they go with everything and my pointy Topshop shoes that I have now forgiven for making one of my toes numb for a whole week, how can something so beautiful do so much damage?! 

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FOTD

Last night I dug out my cat ears and spent the night in the company of my ultimate girl crush Miss Katy Perry herself! I had literally been counting down the days since I got the tickets for Christmas and despite having to wait outside in the rain for ages because of some technical difficulties she was definitely worth the wait, if you're going to see her then you're in for a treat because she is absolutely AMAZING. I've never done a face of the day post before but my outfit picture didn't turn out very well so ta da! I wanted to be prepared just in case she whisked me on a night out around Nottingham so slapped on my full face of going out make up which is very similar to my day make up just with glowier skin, more eye make up and lashes (well, if it ain't broke don't fix it!) I started with my two glowy base staples which are MAC Strobe Cream as a primer and NARS Sheer Glow (I wear the shade mont blanc) thankfully after a bit of a wobble at the start of the year my skin has sorted itself out now so after a bit of concealing, contouring and highlighting that's me done basewise. I can't get enough of peachy cheeks especially at this time of year, it gives a really fresh look, I've been using MAC Royal Sunset a lot recently which is unfortunately limited edition and I got it from the All About Orange collection (my favourite MAC collection ever, I wish they'd do part two!) I always stick with neutrals for my eyes which is where my MAC quad comes in, I used Espresso to fill in my brows and Shroom on the inner corner of my eyes with All that Glitters towards the outside and bringing it underneath a bit, I've also rediscovered the E.l.f mineral eyeshadow in Natural which is a perfect highlight for the inner corner of your eye. A flick of black eyeliner, my trusty Eylure lashes - it would have been rude not to wear Katy Perry for the occasion - and my new favourite lip product which is the Illamasqua Matte lip liquid in Surrender and I was ready to dance the night away!

I shall leave you with a picture of what I was wearing when I first ever met my lovely Joel - I have a lot to owe Katy Perry and her cupcakes! 

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E.l.f Jumbo Eyeshadow Stick in French Lace and Little Miss Thing

Top - French Lace, Bottom - Little Miss Thing

E.l.f Jumbo Eye Shadow Sticks, £2.95 each

These two little sticks of eyeshadow are from my most recent E.l.f haul and now I've had chance to have a play around with everything there are a few reviews blog bound!

French lace is my favourite out of the two, it's such a gorgeous champagne colour that looks really pretty and subtle which is what I like on my eyes, nothing crazy goes on my lids! Little Miss Thing is another lovely colour but more of a golden bronze, they're both a metallic finish and have a bit of a shimmer to them but no pieces of glitter. I really like the packaging, it's so easy to use and they just screw up from the bottom once you've worn them down and you can't get more simple or mess free than that! I'm sad to say that the praise ends here, I might be absolutely in love with both of these shades but they don't last long enough for me to actually appreciate them, I can't express how shocking the lasting time of these are before they start to crease, I've tried a primer, I've tried using a base, I've tried using these as a base with a powder eyeshadow on top but to no avail - after an hour or so the crease was always there and if there's one thing I can't cope with it's creasey eyeshadow. It's such a shame because E.l.f have the colour range and packaging so right it's just the formula that lets it down and I feel bad for complaining because these are only just under three quid each but I still expected more than an hours wear but if these are ever reformulated then I'll be first in the queue to get my hands on them again!

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Topshop Spring Nails in Disclosed, Bounce and Jump

Topshop Nails in Disclosed, Jump & Bounce, £5 each

I've made no secret of the fact that I love Topshop makeup with a firey passion and their nail varnishes seem to be what hits my bank account the hardest!

Topshop just keep churning out these pretty Spring colours that it's hard not to order a new batch every single week but I've got this three to keep me going until my will power cracks! I picked three colours that are perfect for sunny months (wherever they are!) Disclosed is the most gorgeous duck egg blue, it's such a pretty dainty colour that has complimented any outfit that I've paired it with. Bounce is described as a pale orange which it is, it's definitely more pastel than as vibrant it looks in the bottle but it's still gorgeous none the less and very similar to Barry M Gelly in Papaya. Lastly is Jump which is the one that I wasn't too sure about because I am very picky when it comes to pink, the brighter the better baby! I love this shade, it leans more coral than the Barbie pink that I thought it would be and it is the brightest of the bunch, this has constantly been on my toes since I got it and I just want to wear sandals to show it off!

All three of these go on really well and have a glossy finish that dries really smooth. I usually forget that Topshop have a nail varnish range and go for Models Own and Barry M when I'm searching for a shade but these really are gems and I have a feeling my collection will double if they keep bringing out these gorgeous colours!

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E.l.f Haul #2!

I haven't taken advantage of an E.l.f 50% off discount for a while now so this little haul is well overdue! You all know what it's like, you're browsing Pinterest and there's all these make up looks you want to try but because it's a little bit out of your comfort zone you don't want to spend a lot of money on a load of make up you're going to try once to realize it's not for you and that is mostly the story behind this haul - Pinterest made me do it! 

Jumbo Eyeshadow sticks in French Lace & Little Miss Thing - Liquid Eyeliner in Copper - Shimmer Eyeliner Pencil in Twinkle Teal

My eye makeup is really quite simple - lashing of black mascara, neutral eyeshadow if any and a black flick of eyeliner, Pinterest (and Kourtney Kardashian) have made me want to change this. I have been obsessed with this picture ever since I came across it, it's definitely my kind of simple eye look with a little bit extra and that's the reason that I got some glittery liquid eyeliner, I'm not going back to the days of hair mascara and crispy body glitter I swear! This comes out quite sparse and isn't that easy to build up but for now it's got the glittery cat eyed thoughts out of my system and for £1.95 I really can't complain. The rest of these purchases are from watching too much Keeping up with the Kardashians over the Easter Bank holiday (E! had them on back to back for four days straight, I just couldn't help myself!) I love the Jumbo Eyeshadow sticks more than I thought I would, they're pigmented, creamy and the colours I chose are gorgeous one is a golden bronze and the other almost a rose gold shade and I really can't wait to use them. Another Kardashian inspired purchase is the blue eyeliner, I don't use any colour on my eyes at all but I absolutely love this and this, they don't look too scary and are quite a subtle take on blue eye makeup so I'll give it a go! 

Baked Eyeshadow in Enchanted - Mineral Eyeshadow in Natural - Matte Lip Colour in Coral - Super Glossy Lip Shine in Mauve Luxe

When I placed my order there was another offer running along side the 50% discount which was if you spent £15 or over they'd chuck in two suprise products to your order but I didn't really drop on with the two I received, boo! I got a mineral eyeshadow that I already own and a lip gloss and if there's two words that strike fear into my soul it's 'super glossy' so I won't be using these but I'm sure I can find them a home! The baked eyeshadow in Enchanted is meant to be a dupe for MAC Expensive Pink which has been on my wishlist for a long time now, this is a really pretty colour and they're definitely very similar so my craving is satisfied for now (ha, lets see how long that lasts!) Every time I place an E.l.f order I always look at the matte lip pencils but never get one because I figure I've got enough lip products but what's one more?!

Nourishing Cuticle Pen - Smudge Brush - Cuticle Pusher - Small Stipple Brush - Nail Buffer

It's not an E.l.f haul without loading up on accessories! I picked up a couple of brushes including the small stipple brush that I have never seen in stock before so it's a miracle and this is to use with cream blushers and contour products, I also got a smudge brush which I think is a brand spanking new brush to E.l.f or it's just the different packaging deceiving me. There's a couple of rebuys which are the cuticle pen which I love and the cuticle pushers to replace my old ones which got snapped trying to clean between the tiles in the bathroom... Lastly is a nail buffer to try and even out my nails a bit because they are full of ridges at the minute and it was starting to make my nail varnish look uneven but so far so good, this has really smoothed them out!

There were a few other bits that I wanted to pick up but like always with the 50% discount a lot of it was sold out, you snooze you lose! Did you take advantage of the discount?!

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Monthly Favourites | April 2014

Another month bites the dust! I've got quite a few new bits this month that I've been trying out and subsequently falling in love with so my favourites are made up of new arrivals that have snuck their way into my make up collection.

Models Own Polish for Tans in Beach Bag and Shades (Full review here)

These two shades have literally not been off my nails since I bought them, they're officially my favourite nail varnishes in the world ever and even that doesn't express how much I love them! They're the brightest pastels I've ever seen and they look absolutely amazing on and add the perfect finishing touch to any outfit.

theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer (Post here)

Now the sun has started shining a little bit I'm tanning it up a bit more and this is the perfect highlighter for bronzed skin. It's a gorgeous golden shade with a bit of a shimmer to it, I can definitely see this becoming my go to summer highlighter.

Loreal #TXT Volume Supersizing Spray

I love the Bumble and Bumble Dryspun Finishing spray but at £21.50 I needed a cheaper alternative for the months that I don't have Boots points burning a hole in my purse! I've seen so many good things said about this spray and when compared to the Bumble and Bumble spray it's even come out as better in some instances and it really is good. It's a bit heavier and sticker than my beloved dryspun spray so it's maybe better for an updo because it can make your hair look a little bit greasy but for a beehive or a root uplift this is your spray!

MAC Blushers in Modern Mandarin and Lovecloud (Full review here)

My other blushers haven't got a look in since I got these for my birthday, they're the perfect spring shades and go on really well leaving a natural flushed look with a bit of a sheen as they're Satin finish so it adds a bit of highlight to your cheeks - you've got to love a multitasker!

Benefit Stay Don't Stray

How cute is this teeny tiny sample?! It gets lost every morning because it's so small but it's worth searching for! I thought that this was simply an eyeshadow primer when I got the sample in my Birchbox but it's also for your concealer which is amazing, it gives a really smooth base and I've had no creases which is a miracle when you come home after a full day at work and your eyeshadow looks like it did when you left the house.

Caudalie Beauty Elixer

I've never bought into the hype of this before but when I had some Birchbox points that needed using up I gave in and this has become a handbag staple ever since. I have definitely been missing out with this little gem, it's a really delicate spray with a cooling and calming effect and also instantly gives you a glow. I just can't explain it, after one spray you look radiant and healthy with perfect glowing skin. I really hope the novelty doesn't wear off because I am loving what this is doing to my face!

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