Sunday, 10 February 2013

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'?

Monday, 4 February 2013

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! :)

Friday, 1 February 2013

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?