Barry M Gelly Hi Shine In Prickly Pear Nail Paint Review

I wanted a gel manicure a while but with their rather high costs, their mixed reviews, and the thought of keeping the same colour for 3 weeks, I was put off by the idea. Then when I saw Barry M had released a 'Hi shine Gel effect Nail Paint that provides an extra glossy finish', I was instantly excited. Often I tend to go for the shiny and glitterly look, over the sharp, matte look, so this nail polish was perfect for me. I have Prickley Pear which is a lovely, soft lilac. The nail polish goes on easily, is fully opaque with 2 coats and gives shine like no other. The picture above is without a top coat, and you can really see the nail polish shine in the light. I tried the nail polish out without a top coat and it lasted 2 days without chipping, however I'm sure when using a top coat you could get at least 5 days out of this. An inexpensive and perfect nail polish for spring, Prickly Pear is a winner!

Claire x

Percy & Reed- Colour & Shine Conditioner

I got this conditioner free with Glamour magazine a few weeks back and I was excited to try it as I had heard great things about Percy & Reed. Now I'll start off by saying that I'm not the best person for this conditioner as my hair isn't coloured. Therefore this maybe why I don't love this product. It's a nice creamy conditioner which can be used daily or left for a few minutes as an intensive conditioner. My hair was left feeling smooth and clean. However once dried, I noticed that my hair looked a bit dry and lacked the 'shine' it promised. Overall I do think Percy & Reed Colour & Shine Conditioner is a nice but at £16, I think there are better conditioners out there on the market. Please do let me know if you have coloured and have tried this, how you got on.

Claire x

Benefit They're Real Review

This was probably the most talked about mascara in the blogger-sphere in 2012 and there was a good reason. I first purchased Benefit They're Real Mascaraback in the summer after hearing so much about it. I was amazed after the first time of wearing it; my eyelashes were long and voluminous. I have had so many comments when wearing this mascara and it is easily my favourite ever. It has a fibre wand which personally I prefer and the wand is rounded at the end so great for getting in the corners. Before applying the mascara, I curl my lashes with the No7 Eyelash Curlers. I don't feel it makes that much difference, but every little helps eh? At £18.50 this mascara is a little expensive, however I think it is totally worth it!

Claire x

Skiing In A Winter Wonderland

A few weeks back I was lucky enough to go skiing for the week. My family and I escaped a miserable England and trotted off to Tinges, France for a week of beautiful views. This was my second time skiing, so as a bit of a newbie I went along to skiing lessons in the morning which was great fun and helped a lot. We were incredibly lucky with the weather as we had blue skies everyday. Although don't let the blue skies fool you, as one day it was 19°c! The copious amounts of hot chocolates helped with the cold as we snuggled in the bars most days. I recommend skiing holidays to anyone that's likes to get out and about and find the most amazing views. You don't have to be amazing at skiing to enjoy it, so don't be put off by the lunatics speeding down at 100 mph. Hopefully we will all be able to go again next year, but until then it is back to the grey, depressing weather of London and exams.

Hugo Boss Perfume Review

Hugo Boss Deep Red Eau De Parfum for Her 30ml is my winter scent, it is a fruity, floral and woody fragrance. It is a strong smell, but not too overpowering. I feel it represents the power and sensuality of a woman. I gain so much confident when wearing this not just because I know I wont smell bad, but because the way it makes me feel. It is musky but also with that sweet, girly smell- flirt in a bottle. The perfume ranges from £29-£49 and I think it is a great investment as it is a timeless winter scent. I've had so many compliments when wearing it and people have often said its 'Claire's' scent.

What's your winter fragrance?

Claire x

Hair Products

Above are the products I use frequently for my hair. I don't wash my hair everyday (pft I'm not lazy!) so every other day I use Batiste Dry Shampoo to make sure I'm not the girl with the dirty hair and to give my hair extra volume. However when I do wash my hair I use Dieci All-In-One to treat my hair as it is full of keratin and collagen which helps to build up the strength of your hair. Then I use Got2b Guardian Angel Heat Protection to protect my hair from the heat of straighteners and curlers. After I will hold the style using TRESemmé Freeze Hold hairspray to keep my hair in place and prevent any fly aways. Lastly I finish off with Label.m Smoothing Cream  which smooths my hair getting rid of any frizz to give a sleek and shiny look.

What's your hair care routine?

Claire x

Everyday Makeup Bag

This is my everyday makeup bag that I carry around with me. It's not too full as I unfortunately I don't have Mary Poppin's bag, but these are my essential items I take everywhere.

Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer- The famous concealer who's packaging never stays in tact for longer than a day. This is my favourite all round concealer, I use it for blemishes and under my eyes. Cheap and cheerful, I'm sure this concealer will stay an essential for a long time.

Mac Mineralize Skin Finish Natural- I use this in medium plus everyday as an all over powder. It is perfect for keeping my make-up in place and giving me that touch more coverage. This comes with me as it is always handy for getting rid of that unwanted shine towards the end of the day. I use an upstage professional powder brush to apply this on the go; I really don't like this as it is *rough* and there is always a lot of fallout, but it is my only brush that fits in the bag. Note to self: MUST buy a kabuki brush.

Mac Eye Pencil in Coffee- I have brown eyes so a brown eyeliner always looks great and is a safe bet. This eyeliner is soft, it lasts for a good amount of time, it is easy to work with and blend-able. 

Clinique Chubby Stick in Mighty Mimose- Now this lip balm isn't the most pigmented, but what I like about it is the easiness and sheerness of it. The colour is subtle but can be built up, it gives a nice flush of pink to the lips. 

Neutrogena Lip Balm- I bought this out of desperation when I was in France, I was pleasantly pleased with this as it really does moisturise my lips. Now it's not the best lip balm ever but it definitely does make my lips feel soft and is an essential during the winter.

Claire x

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo Review

This moisturiser has been raved about in the blogging world recently. I had difficulty getting hold of this as it was sold out in various places. However, when I eventually found it I saw it was on offer at 2 for £15 and lept at the chance as normally it is retailed at £13! La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo aims to reduce the appearance of imperfections and unclog sebum-blocked pores. Although I think this wonder does more than that as I have noticed a significant reduction in the size, redness and number of my blemishes. As a result the concealer is needed less and I even had enough confidence to leave the house without any make up on.

I really do believe this moisturiser is worth the hype, and even though £13 is expensive, I will definitely be buying this again once it's finished. I've always thought the french are good at skincare and this is certainly good. For clearer, softer skin Effaclar Duo is the one.

Claire x

White Company Flowers Bath Set

I received this White Company Flowers Bath & Body Gift Set for Christmas and boy do I love it. Usually I'm not a big fan of showers but this shower gel makes shower time oh so more glamorous. Not only can it be used as a shower gel it can also be used to make a bath foam, so you can sit back and relax in the luxurious bubbles. After the self-indulgent bath, apply the body lotion to smell like heaven. This body lotion leaves your skin soft and supple and smelling delicious. The floral smell is sweet and musky at the same time, it is not too overpowering but doesn't last for that long. 

This bath set is a great gift for someone who loves baths, showers and pampering herself. It is also lovely for someone who doesn't normally treat themselves. At £22 this set wont break the bank and will put a smile on the person that receives it.

Claire x

Current Craves #2

Even after Christmas I still can't help but look on the largest catalogue of the world that is the internet.

L-R Cross Stitch Hat, Tiny Elephant Pendant Necklace, 

Pins+Needles Lace Dress, Altitude Leather Jodhpur Boots, H&M Bag, Diamond Jacquard Blazer

Mac Rebel Lipstick Review

Mac's 'Rebel' a mid-tonal cream plum is a great staple for a winter look. I picked this up after watching Tanya Burr's make-up tutorial and falling in love with the colour. Great for a night out or just making a stand out and sprucing up the cold winter weather. It's a bold colour which takes some courage to wear and a number of checks to make sure it doesn't look like you've eaten too many blackberries. In the pan the lipstick is a slightly darker plum which unfortunately I think I prefer, nevertheless the colour looks great on.

Overall I really like this lipstick, even though it was a whopping £14 (ouch!). The colour is great for a night and day look. During the day I like to wear this with minimal make-up to avoid over doing it. Then at night I think this lipstick looks great with black flicked eyeliner. 'Rebel' is a satin finish which means you get the intense colour without drying out your lips. I just know I will get so much wear out of this in the coming months.e

Claire x

Happy New Year!

Hope you all had an amazing Christmas, I know I did! Like every year I spent my Christmas with loved ones and lots and lots of chocolate. New years eve came around all too quickly, I left 2012 with friends and laughter, and waved hello to 2013 with re-runs of 'Friends'.

source

Instead of making resolutions, which being honest I never keep to, I decided to make a list of things that I'll do to make 2013 a fun and fulfilled one.

I hope your dreams come true in 2013 and it is a good one. Have you made any resolutions, plans, or ideas? I'd love to hear them in the comments x