Elegant Touch | You live and you learn

For the next couple of weeks I’m going to be out and about seeing friends before we all go off to uni, shopping for the last bits and pieces I’ll need and basically just getting ready to move. It’s going to be exciting to start at somewhere fresh and new, but also sad to wave goodbye to the old. With all of this hustle and bustle going on, I wanted to look my best without having to make too much effort. This made me come to the conclusion of trying out some false nails. I’ve never done this before, I don’t know why, I guess I’ve never really considered buying them when I can buy a cheaper pot of nail polish that will probably last longer than the false nails themselves.

However, I branched out of my comfort zone and decided to delve into the world of stick on plastic.

I was persuaded to buy the brand Elegant Touch after reading some hot reviews and positive blog posts on them. I picked some psychedelic looking ones with a load of colour splashed in there so that they would go with anything and everything I have in my wardrobe. They looked great… in the box.

They came in a little cardboard box, and upon opening this I found that they were in a little plastic box too which I thought was very cute. Inside was an anti-bacterial hand wipe (a little bit like the ones you get with your KFC) two sets of nails (including some spare thumbs)and a nail file.

Bringing them home I was all excited to get them stuck on to see what they’d look like. There was a list of instructions I had to follow first to prime my nails.

• No1. Remove any existing nail polish (Bye bye purple!)
• No2. Bathe your hands in warm soapy water
• No3. Wipe all of your nails with the anti-bacterial wipe provided within the set

All of them were simple enough. I had my hands looking sparkly clean and smelling a little bit like the hospital, but that didn’t matter. 

Then came the application and again this was easy enough to do. You literally peeled off the back of the false nail exposing a thin layer of glue and then held them firmly for a few seconds on your chosen finger. I first put on the thumb and it looked good. It was the right shape, the exact length I wanted and a really cool pattern, with this one turning out so well I moved onto the rest of my nails. I finished my first hand and then my next and waited for thirty minutes which allowed the glue to dry and set. At first glance they looked okay, but it wasn’t until I started to file them down that they began to freak me out a little.

Whether or not it’s because I’m not used to them or haven’t worn them before I don’t know, but they felt so weird! The end near the cuticle didn’t feel secure and when filing them down I noticed they seemed to accumulate a lot of glue under the nail, on top of this, they didn’t seem to fit the shape of my nails either, they all seemed that little bit too big.

Having all these troubles I decided to take them off, but they were not budging. The glue was practically set and I felt as though I’d pull the top layer of my actual nail off with them! I read the instructions on how to remove them and it stated to use their ‘nail remover’ if having problems. Granted this was 5 o’ clock, the shops would have been closed. On with the peeling I went.

To be fair, it didn’t take that long to get them off and I was pleasantly surprised at how undamaged my nails underneath were.

I may try out the other set again soon, but beforehand I will be sure to file them to the size of my nail before sticking them on. However in the meantime, I will be using some good old fashioned nail polish instead, it may chip, but it’s not half as scary as these plastic claws I was fighting with today!

Hoghton Tower | It smells like Autumn

It has been a chilly day, and the air has smelt like autumn. The seasons are definitely changing. I love autumn, I think it must be my favourite season. I know summer is hot, but when you live in the UK the heat is a hit and miss thing anyway. But autumn is lovely! The rich colours, the crunchy leaves under your feet and the crisp morning air. Not to mention the clothes you get to wear! I’m a huge sucker for the scarf and hat look. When you can get all togged up, put on your gloves and coat, drink hot soup and feel looked after. It definitely is a cosy season.

So with it being on the tail end of summer my family and I decided to make the most of the sun and head over to Hoghton Tower. We didn’t know it existed until we saw it the other day on a television program and what a little gem it is! With it only being around half an hour away from where we live it was the perfect day trip out.

We managed to catch the first guided tour and they took us all around the house, even showing us the underground passageways. It was really interesting. There were rooms where The Duke of Cambridge had stayed, places where Last Tango in Halifax was filmed and the bed that David Tennant used in the recent film Casanova. King James I had even visited. The walled gardens of the house were beautiful  and with it being the third most haunted house in Britain it was really up my street (because of my recent obsession with the American series Ghost Adventures, but that’s another story!).

 Here are a few photos of the day, don’t mind my outfit! It was jumper, coat and turtle-neck weather (definitely the change of seasons).  

My familyyyy

Me and my Mummyy!!

Past few days | Update

I apologise for my disappearance over the past few days, it has been ultra-busy at this end. First things first it was my A-Level results day. Luckily I already had an unconditional offer at my university meaning the stress of getting certain grades was taken away; but I was still nervous to find out what I had got. When I opened my envelope it turned out I had straight Bs which I was extremely happy with. All of my friends had gotten the grades they needed to get into their uni too sooo all in all it was a good day. To celebrate, me and my friend Millie decided to bake some cookies and a cake!

I’d bought her a Popin Cookin set for Christmas resulting in us making what seemed like the World’s smallest cake. Popin Cookin is basically a Japanese brand. You can create a lot of mini things to eat, like mini ice creams, mini sweets, but because Millie is so into baking I chose the mini cake. One minute the cake was around five sachets of powder (which looked incredibly sugary) but by adding a bit of heat and water, the next minute it was a cake! Fascinating stuff really…

 We turned it into a little demon (with bright pink hair!) I have to admit he looked pretty good - it’s a shame I can’t say the same for the taste! We didn’t end up eating more than a crumb but it was fun to make.

Popin Cookin creation. Our jelly eyed demon.

I met up with my friend Tom on results day too. He’d recently been to the Punk festival Rebellion and with returning presented me with some of my very own ‘Punk Rock’. Yep, this was a stick of Blackpool rock that the punk band Goldblade had been selling with their logo on the front. It seriously was the best thing ever! :’)

Punk Rock. There is nothing more to say

Then I guess for the other few days I have been sorting out a lot of university stuff, registering, confirming and going out shopping for all the kitcheny things and bedding… It has been busy! Thankfully though, there are only a few more bits and bobs that need picking up and I think then it’ll just be a case of moving into my new house.

All that's left is to add a bit of colour. Pink? Or Blue?

So that was me, and even with all of this going on, I’ve managed to draw this pretty picture! I don’t know who it is, at first I was trying to turn myself into an old school Disney character… I think it’s pretty cute.

Let me know what you make of it! I will be back up and blogging now so stay tuned.

Review | Miss Sporty

Sunday nights used to be nail night. Me and my mum would go through our collection of nail polishes, choose which colour we wanted our nails to be and then sit down ready to paint them in front of the TV with a hot chocolate. Downton Abbey, Selfridges, Call the Midwives and The Paradise entertained us whilst we painted our nails. You could say it was a going back to college and work ritual, we knew that when 10 o' clock came, we'd be going to bed and the busy week would start all over again. Sunday nights were our calm before the storm.

Now with breaking up for summer and without our charming programmes on the box (Zombies seem to have replaced 20th century dramas, and who can paint their nails in the dark?) we don't tend to have the same routine. But never the less we still find time pamper ourselves!

As you've probably realised by now I like to do things on the cheap side. Being a student I can't afford to splash out a lot on clothes as come September the little money I have will be spent on food, not fashion (which makes me very sad!) So here I go saying hello to the high-street once again.

My Mum and I have found the perfect polish. It's called Miss Sporty and for £1.99 you can't really go wrong. The brushes are quite thick so with a few strokes your nails are covered. The quality is great! They don't chip until at least three days in, which to me is amazing as almost every nail polish I've tried seems to chip as soon as I put them on! They dry quite quick though you can buy special 'Clubbing' ones that dry a lot quicker than just their normal brand. There is a diverse range and they even do these fancy metallic colours that seem to shimmer when in the light.

Between me, my mum and my sister we've practically bought almost every colour they have to offer. I just can't get enough of them!

A small collection (you can get a lot more colours!)

What I'm going to be painting my nails in tonight. These colours look adorable together, I think they trigger something in my brain that makes me happy.

Find the brand in your local Boots store or online: http://www.boots.com/en/Miss-Sporty/

Challenge | Next Ten Questions

6. Are you afraid of Aeroplanes? How come?

Yes, even though I’ve never been on one, right now they keep disappearing… it’s scary!

7. Would you like to write a book?

Yes, well kind of… I’ve had this story in my head for a very long time which would be great for a comic, however I guess I could write it as a novel. Either way I really want to get it on paper.

8.  If you could choose your own life obstacles would you keep the ones you have had?

I would. I feel as though if I could change my life obstacles then I wouldn’t be the person I am today. Everything I have faced and overcome in life has made me who I am and for that I would keep every obstacle that has come my way as they are as much as a part of me as all the blessings I’ve had in life.

9. What are you most grateful for in life?

My family. They are the best thing that has happened to me and probably that will ever happen to me. I can’t imagine life without them. They have supported me throughout my whole life and are constantly there for me. I can’t imagine being surrounded by better people. I know that whatever happens they’ll always have my back and I’ll always have theirs. They are the most precious thing in my life.

10. What are the biggest things you’ve learned in life to date?

Be strong for yourself and others. Appreciate the small things. Create as many memories as possible. Don’t retaliate. Believe. Be confident. But most importantly, be happy and enjoy everything - Life is too short! As The Charlatans say, Live it like you love it, I couldn’t put it better myself.

11. What do you need to do to achieve your ideal physical look?

Weights!! I want Wonder Woman arms.

12. Have you ever met someone who is genuinely evil?

At the time, yes, but I can’t name and shame now, can I?

However, I do try and see the good in people and I do think that everyone has at least an ounce of goodness in them, just to balance out that evil side!

13. Have you ever kept a new year’s resolution?

Nope, Nope and nope! Every one I’ve set I’ve broken… though none have been particularly  interesting ones, in fact I can’t even remember the one I set for this year. Oops!

14. Do you have any physical features you try to hide?

I used to try and hide my scar; I felt self-conscious about it for a period of my life. But I don’t really bother over that anymore. I am who I am. You have to work with what you’ve been given!

15. What’s in your pocket right now?

Nothing! I’m wearing a dress so I have no pockets. However if it were my jeans I was wearing then probably a late toffee wrapper from a few Christmases ago. 

Face to Face | Everyday Make Up

The make up I used today consisted of Natural Collection, Clinique and Maybelline. I wanted a natural look, that kind of 'no make up' make up effect. On my eyes I used a cream shadow from Natural Collection which I put on the lid but also underneath to make my eyes brighter and look more awake. I used a dark brown shadow as eyeliner for the bottom lid of my eye. The liquid eyeliner too was from Natural Collection (you can see my review in my previous entry to this) and then I used Clinique's mascara on both my top and bottom lashes.

To get a smooth complexion I used Maybelline's Dream Mousse foundation which I mixed with some Aveeno cream to give a tinted moisturiser effect. I then used Natural Collection's blusher to create a matt finish.

For my eyebrows I used a Maybelline dark brown pencil then to finish them off I carefully brushed the same dark brown shadow I used for the liner effect under my eyes. This gives my brow a more natural look rather than just using the pencil.

Finally to finish off my look I used Natural Collection's (yup! I love this make) clear lip gloss which tends to give them a lip balm look.

I'm not one for coating my face but I do think that this look is subtle, natural and good for everyday wear.

War of the Liners

I’m a huge user of eyeliner and have been trying to find the ideal one. Over my teenage years I have managed to narrow it down to three!

They’re all completely different types of liner so I guess you can choose whichever one you want depending on what look you’re going for. I’m no make-up expert and I this is only my opinion but here are my top three eyeliners that I have come across and would recommend to anyone!

In third place I’m going to put the Lasting Colour Gel Eyeliner from Collection 2000. As much as I love this look I do feel as though it goes on just that little bit too thick and can feel quite heavy. This could be due to the brush that they provide you with, it does seem a little bit too big for its purpose and so I may have to purchase a smaller one in order to get more precision. However the quality of the liner is great and stays on throughout the whole day without a single crack or smudge!

My runner up is the Clinique Intense Black Pencil Liner. This was a lucky find as it was a freebee in one of my mum’s Clinique gifts so I just randomly fell upon it (I don’t normally buy Clinique due to the expense). However, you do get what you pay for and this is a shining example. The application is easy and the liner seems so soft that you can get a sharp line on top of your eye as well as the bottom. Again, this lasts all day without any smudges or cracks and gives a lovely matt finish to your eyes.  I do feel however that it’s harder to do a line on your top lid with pencil than it is liquid which helped my decision in ranking this second place.

This takes you to my winner! The eyeliner I use pretty much every day is the Natural Collection liquid eyeliner. With the brush being so thin and delicate the application is easy allowing you to get the perfect wing and line. The brush allows you to be accurate and the nature of the eyeliner itself gives a sharp matt finish. Throughout the day it does not smudge however it may crack a tiny bit, but nothing too obvious. I find that it is the quickest one to apply and lasts all day which is why I rated this my number one eyeliner.

Which make is your favourite eyeliner? Do you find pencil easier to apply than liquid? Comment below and let me know what you think!  

Recent Favourite Buy | New Shoes

So here I am on the brink of going to Uni and what a better excuse than to buy some new school shoes? I found these beauties in the Trafford Centre’s TopShop and instantly fell in love. Since going to Kendal Calling last year and seeing everyone in their oxblood Dr Martens I’ve wanted some. However, I find Docs a bit clumpy for daily wear, great in the snow and winter, but for the summer I wanted something a little bit daintier. I hadn’t seen anything ‘Boot-y’ and oxblood that wasn’t Docs or wasn’t too bulky until now so I instantly had to take the opportunity and get these gorgeous lace ups. I think they’ll be great for trekking around Manchester!

What's your recent favourite buy?