A Few Autumn Beauty Picks

So my break from blogging was somehow unintentionally extended, but lets just pretend I never left shall we...

As much as I loved summer, I found myself starting to ache for those darker autumnal hues and the opportunity to whack out Rebel or Diva (MAC fiends will relate). So when september finally made an appearance, I got a little too excited about the fact that my staples would soon do a complete 180.

Top 5 Spring Nail Picks 2014

With spring come the pastels, and oh how I love the continuous trend. If you live in the not so sunny UK (like myself), sun doesn't really make an appearance till around June so till then, coats are still a tiring staple. A Pastel offering is but a way to still celebrate spring without attempting a day without the coat and thoroughly regretting the awful decision. 

MONTHLY FAVOURITES: March

Cheryl's Nude Lipstick Swatch

So this month has been hecka exciting; I finally turned the big 18 and can now do... well just about anything! To celebrate, I had a house party with friends and a big family dinner the day after.

Unfortunately, blogging is gradually going to be taking a bit of a back seat for these next 2 months as my once seemingly free schedule is being invaded by revision for A levels. It makes me toes curl in disgust just typing it. Of course I will still be posting, it'll simply be a little less frequently.

Bleurgh, anyway enough with that, on with the favourites!

MONTHLY FAVOURITES : February

I always seem to forget how fast the month of february goes, and before you know it, I'm conjuring up my list of products that make the cut for the months favourites. This month has revolved around looking put together with minimal effort required, and boy have I mastered that technique these 4 weeks. 

Deborah Lippmann | SPRING REVERIES | Spring 2014

*PR Sample

Pastels make their mark just about every spring, and this year is certainly no different. Deborah Lippmann has released six fabulously opaque polishes in the Spring Reveries collection; all of which I'm dying to get my hands on! 

NOTD #10 : The French Manicure

I just survived the first ever interview of my life, This one being a university interview. I was less nervous during the actual process than I thought I would be, but I guess I could count that as a positive. 

Of course, I wanted to look a little more clean cut, and so the ever divine french manicure seemed like the most classiest of options; I mean, you can never really get tired of such a timeless manicure. 

It surprisingly doesn't take me all that long to do, so with this in mind, I think I'll be sporting this more often. 

I used Collection's French Manicure Pink base and Barry M's 'White'.

NOTD #9 : Snowflake Nails

I know it's a little late but I wanted to quickly get this up before christmas day as it is, of course, the festive-y manicure I shall be sporting tomorrow. I decided on this design after watching a tutorial from the lovely MissJenFabulous on youtube so if you fancy re-creating this then simply click the link and have a whirl. 

Also, excuse the ratchet looking cuticles, my hands have been dry to no end and absolutely nothing has been working! 

Anyway, I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas tomorrow! 

NOTD #8 : Christmas Nails

I love love love doing christmasy nails, there's an array of iconic symbols that represent christmas, all of which can easily be transferred to a nail art form. I mostly get inspiration from various youtube clips and instagram pictures. 

This particular design simply needed dotting tools, masking tape and of course, nail polish. Dotting tools can be found on Amazon or Ebay for amazingly cheap prices. Alternatively, you can make do with a blunt pencil and tooth picks, both of which achieve the same result. 

Finally I used masking tape for the christmas tree to give a cleaner cut to the edges. 

I know I hardly posted all last week but I've been extremely busy trying to get all my work done and gather up the presents for family. I'm sure I will be back to updating every other day soon but for now, I hope you've all had a lovely christmas season so far! 

MONTHLY FAVOURITES: November

Cozying up on the couch with a lovingly warm cranberry and raspberry cuppa; racking my brain on how to introduce this post, I'm wondering how this year has flown by so quickly. It seems most unreal that the next time I'll be contemplating on how to start a monthly favourites post, christmas will have already been and gone. Crazy, I know. 

Right, enough with the deep thoughts. This month has been somewhat uneventful; a few shopping trips and the usual dinners out but nothing too extravagant. In terms of make up, I've been chopping and changing on a daily basis, desiring the vamped lip one day but a smoked eye the next. 

NOTD #7 : The Statement White

Barry M's - White (£2.99)

Just a sneakily quick post on whats been adorning my nails for the past week or so. White or so called 'tipp-ex' nails have been a lingering trend for quite some time and especially over the summer when complimenting our glowing tans that we worked oh so hard for. However, I find that this simply makes such an effortless statement, one in which typically takes no more than 5-10 minutes with 2 coats and fits both the warmer and cooler seasons. If I'm still lusting after a bold nail choice but am too damn lazy to get a little creative with nail art then this is what I tend to steer towards. Of course when it gets near to christmas then a few festive creations will be greeting these pages but for now, I think I'll be sticking with the lazily white offering. 

Nails: A Touch Of Glitter

Generally, I love a good glittering set of nails through all seasons but I feel that christmas makes it slightly more acceptable to go overboard. Glitter top coats are a super quick and easy way to spice up an everyday shade, either as a full set or a more elegant accent nail. Here are just a few that are going to be tickling my fancy this festive season. 

HOW TO: Remove Glitter Polish

We all like to jazz up our nails with a sprinkle of glitter from time to time, but I'm sure we can all agree that trying to remove this creation is most certainly a laborious task. Being a slight nail addict with little time, I wanted to find a technique that would make this horrific job a little more effortless. 

NOTD #6 : The Christmas Red

In my eyes, when Halloween has been and gone, Christmas comes rolling right in, dragging behind it the overly large winter wear and festive feeling. I absolutely love every aspect of christmas and though I hate to say it, would be nothing without the frosted weather conditions.

AUTUMN PICKS: Nails

Hey there lovely people, Hope you're all having a nice week :) Anyways, I thought I would just quickly share a few of my favourite fall polishes. As stated in my 'Autumn Post'  I do lean towards both opposite ends of the spectrum, either a sophisticated nude or a more vamped burgundy. 

The Autumn Post

Left to Right: MAC's 'Rebel | Revlon's 'Berry Smoothie' | MAC blush 'Pinch Me' 

This post had to be done. I absolutely adore changing up my make up to fit the seasons. Granted, I usually just go with the flow and sport a dark lip in the summer if I please, but generally, I like to look like I suite the weather. 

So with autumn/fall come the classic dark burgundies, berries and rustic tones which I do tend to steer towards and these are just some of my favourites. 

NOTD #5 : Halloween

Nail art will always hold a precious place in the heart for introducing me to this world of beauty. Before starting A levels I had all the time in the world and the majority of that time was spent getting creative with my nails. However depressing it may be to start getting older, it just has to be done. So 1 and a half years in and I have only been squeezing in the time to do seasonal designs ... halloween being the one I get a tad too excited about.

NOTD #4: Cobalt Blue - Dupe!

Miss Sporty Quick Dry Polish in 'Pop Fiction' (£1.99)

I know full well this shade isn't exactly the epitome of autumn but I can't fault it. If your looking for a perfect pop of colour to add to those dull fingertips, this is a polish you simply have to turn and feast your eyes at. 

For a £2 polish, I wasn't really expecting exceptional performance but it is in fact quite opaque with one coat; although I'm the type to do a once over with every polish, opaque or not. The brush is a wide width with a slight rounded tip to make for quick and easy application round the cuticle edge. Also the fact that it is a quick dry formula is perfect for if you are in a rush... or if you're like me and just plain lazy. 

I also find this shade to be quite the dupe for a bloggers favourite: Topshop's polish in 'AWOL' which is £5. So if you're lusting after that colour, I would highly recommend this as a cheaper alternative without sacrificing on quality. 

Any other polish dupes or shades you would recommend for fall, let me know! 

MONTHLY FAVOURITES: September

LEFT - Bronzing Primer | RIGHT - Age rewind Concealer 

September for me, is always the month of denial. I refuse to believe that summer is over until October hits. I absolutely despise cold weather and the daylights getting shorter so I dread when this time of the year comes rolling round. Of course, I love christmas as I'm sure 99.9% of the population do, its uplifting joyful and festive, but until then, lets all just mourn over the fact that summer has now seised to exist. 

Wow. what an uplifting introduction that was. On the positive side.. Pumpkin Spice Lattes... lets have a show of hands over who could drink this till the cows stop mooing. Me! Right, enough of that, on with the favourites! 

Dual Chrome Manicure

£7.99 (Boots)

In the past, my preference for polishes has always stirred me away from dual chrome shades for no particular reason. However, going into fall and with the change in colours, I figured that it would be the perfect opportunity to change up my selection to kick start the autumn season. 

Manicures Of The French

Now I'm not all to sure if the french manicure actually originated from the french but it does seem a tad strange if say, the Portuguese discovered it and named it 'french'. 

However I'm pretty sure that when it comes to the humble manicure, the French manicure will almost always certainly come out on top. Nowadays, I find that acrylic nailed white tips can come off a tad too fake what with just about every girl caked with make up, dangling extensions, topped off with the over sized fake nail somewhat giving the once sophisticated manicure a negative impression. Don't get me wrong, I think acrylics can make such a difference but I do suggest not going over the top and choosing a size and length that do not match your hands.