Nails: Circus Confetti

Essence Special Effect Topper in 'Circus Confetti' has been in my nail polish collection for years but it's one of those polishes I always forget about, yet when I wear it I absolutely love it! I was in the mood for something really glittery and colourful so I thought this one would be the perfect choice. I usually layer it over darker shades but I wanted to go for something a bit different - white! I'm quite surprised at how much I like it - it's already chipped a lot but I can't get myself to take it off!
'Circus Confetti' is a clear base packed with multicolour glitter in all shapes and sizes. I wouldn't recommend using it on its own as it would take a lot of coats to get it opaque, but it is brilliant for jazzing up your manicure - one coat is all it takes to add some glitz to your nails! Unfortunately Essence isn't available in the UK but it's worth checking it out on your next holiday - you can get Essence products in most European countries and even in North America and it's cheap as chips! I always stock up when I go home to Germany as they offer quite a big range of nail polishes, nail art accessories and especially lovely glitter topcoats. And the best part - I only paid €1.75 for Circus Confetti, thats just over £1!
Have you tried any nail polishes by Essence? And what do you think about 'Circus Confetti'?

iPad Mini Cases

1 Aztec Hard Case (£4 via etsy)   2 Griffin Zig Zag Folio Cover (£20 via amazon)   3 Pink Hard Case Smart Cover (£7 via ebay)   4 Polkadot Gel Case (£4 via ebay)   5 Belkin Quilted Cover (£35 via Belkin)   6 Aztec Neoprene Pouch (£8 via ebay)   7 Bird Cage Hard Case (£10 via ebay)

I've been lucky enough to get an Ipad Mini for Christmas and have been scouring the web to find a case which looks great but also protects it from any bumps or scratches. There are lots and lots of different kinds of cases, pouches and covers out there but most of them were just a bit too plain for me so rather than checking Amazon, I had a look on Etsy and Ebay instead and I found some lovely and very affordable cases - I wish I could buy them all haha! I ordered the pink smartcover case and blue polkadot gel case a few weeks ago and I love them - they protect my tablet really well and look lovely - I would highly recommend them! 

So many people own tablets now so I though I'd share my favourite cases and covers with you - and even if you don't have an Ipad Mini, it might still be worth checking these out as you can get most of them for other tablets, or even e-readers, too!

What do you protect your tablet or e-reader with? Feel free to send me links to your favourite cases! :)

Nails: Mint and Silver Tips

Rimmel Lasting Finish '230 Your Majesty' - Barry M 'Mint Green'

I had a very stressful day yesterday as I had to finish a lot of uni work which was due today! Usually I would have a long, hot bath to relax but unfortunately our new flat doesn't have a bath tub - so my new way of de-stressing is painting my nails! I find it so calming and it seems to take my mind off other things, so here is what I came up with last night then - mint green nails with silver tips!

The polish I used for the base is Barry M's 'Mint Green' which is one of my favourite nail polishes ever - it applies so easily, dries quickly and two coats make it completely opaque. I own a lot of Barry M polishes as they are super cheap (£2.99 per bottle but Superdrug and Boots always seem to have offers on too) and the quality is quite impressive! After letting the base dry for a few minutes, I used 'Your Majesty' by Rimmel, which is a very shiny, metallic silver polish, on the tips of my nails. Using those little french manicure stickers might have been a good idea to create perfect crisp lines but I was honestly just too lazy - I know mine didn't turn out perfect because I don't have the steadiest hands but they look fine from further away! 

I think the mint green and silver look lovely together - do you like it? And what's on your nails at the moment?

Favourite Perfumes

I love perfumes with a passion and whenever I'm in Boots or (even better) Duty Free shops at airports I spend ages spraying and sniffing as many perfumes as my poor nose can handle! I hardly ever buy them myself though, usually I have a rather long wishlist which comes in handy for my birthday or Christmas... My mum always gets me perfume - it's a bit of a tradition now - and even my little brother has started buying me some too.. Am I making it to easy for them? Haha!
Anyway, here are five of my all-time favourites scents:

Viktor&Rolf - Flowerbomb (EDP 50ml, £65)
This is my favourite ever scent! I got my first bottle of this when I was 14 years old and it has been my signature scent ever since and I can't see myself ever getting tired of it! As the name suggests, it is a strong floral and sweet scent which lasts all day. I find it really hard to describe, I think it's one of those perfumes you just have to have a wee sniff of! It is rather expensive but a bottle lasts me quite a long time as one spray is enough to leave you smelling incredible all day! I also adore the bottle!

Hugo Boss - Boss Orange (ETD 50ml, £40)
This is a sweet, fruity-floral scent which (to me) smells like oranges, apples and sandalwood. It is quite light and not as long-lasting as it is an Eau de Parfum but in my opinion it's the perfect scent for the warmer months - whenever I sniff my bottle it reminds me of sun, summer, holidays..

Diesel - Loverdose (EDP 50ml, £50)
I know a lot of people who really dislike this perfume because it smells like liquorice - I'm not a fan of liquorice but I love this scent so much! I'm rubbish at describing perfumes but I would say.. liquorice, vanilla and star anise? It is quite spicy and floral and I usually only spray it once as it can be a bit overpowering. This is my favourite going out scent!

Giorgio Armani - Armani Code (EDP 50ml, £55)
Armani Code is a sensual, oriental scent which smells like orange blossom, jasmine and vanilla. To me, this is such a unique scent and I can't remember ever smelling something similar to it! This is another pefume I prefer wearing in the colder months and on nights out as it is quite heavy but god, this smells good!

Calvin Klein - CKin2U (EDT 100ml, £30)
This is probably the only perfume I've ever bought myself! It is on offer at Boots quite a lot and I think I paid around £20 for the huge 100ml bottle - it's so cheap compared to my other perfumes so I don't feel bad about using lots of it hah! It is a sweet citrusy scent (apparently it's pink grapefruit and bergamot) and vanilla, which smells really fresh and fruity. This is another perfume I enjoy using in the summer as it is light and easy to wear. It doesn't last very long on my skin but considering the price tag I really don't mind!


Do you have any of these perfumes and love them as much as I do? What are your all-time favourite scents?
PS: I've currently got my eyes on Dot by Marc Jacobs at the moment.. It smells lovely!

I'm back & A Catch up

Hi everybody - I'm back! It's been ages since my last post, in fact it was last April - I used to blog almost every day but slowly lost interest, especially as I didn't seem to have as much time anymore to take photos, prepare posts, read and comment other blogs and so on. However, I recently really got back into beauty blogs (to be fair, I never stopped reading them), I started buying and using more make up and nail polishes again aaand I also really enjoy watching Youtube videos of my favourite bloggers now! It all reminded me of how much I enjoyed blogging so here I am again - I probably won't be able to whip up a new post every day but I'll try my best to blog fairly frequently and you never know, I might even do a video every now and then? :) I also want to change the design of my blog as soon as I have time and come up with something nice!
Anyway, a LOT has happened since my last post back in April - here are some instagram photos (@monaarndt if you want to follow me!) from the last few months and a short summary of what's been happening in my life: spent a month in Germany with my family and friends, went on holiday to Austria and Croatia, started University in September (I'm studying Civil Engineering) where I met lots of new people, me and Kev moved into a new flat right in the city centre, I turned 21, sat my first uni exams, we spent Christmas in Germany with my family and had an amazing New Year's party back in Edinburgh. I enjoyed 2012 a lot but hopefully 2013 will be even better!

No7 False Lashes '40 Intense Volume'

I'm a big fan of fake lashes but I'm rubbish at applying them which is why I only ever use them for nights out. I usually stick to Eylure lashes as they come in a wide range of styles, they're affordable and the quality is brilliant - I especially like the Girls Aloud range! However, I had a couple of £5 No7 vouchers from Boots left during the last event and I randomly picked up a few products, including these pretty falsies. No7 false lashes retail at £7.50 which I find a little pricey but they are a bargain and worth a try at £2.50 if you have a No7 voucher!
I love the look of these falsies - they are long and voluminous which is great for a night out but to my surprise, they are natural enough to wear them in the daytime too! Application was - even for me - really easy and they are comfortable to wear. I'm quite impressed with the quality too, I've worn these a couple of times now and they still look and feel like new! However, the glue that comes with these lashes is rubbish - I threw it out after a few tries as it does not stick at all. I've been using my Eylure lash adhesive instead which works brilliantly and lasts all day without having to worry that my lashes might fall off! All in all, I do really like these falsies as they're easy to wear and look beautiful but I wouldn't buy them at full price - and I would definitely recommend using a different type of glue! xx

Instagram Updates #5

Nails, tea and biscuits, new top, fav breakfast, Kindle arrived!, loving my Kindle, outfit, dominos, bowling, new Kindle case from etsy, rainbow, Skrillex at the Corn Exchange, trip to ikea, new picture frames, healthy lunch, nail stuff, milka with smarties, clouds over Edinburgh, fav frink, face, Innocent smoothie, new Yankee Candles, drinks, doing my nails, view!