Winter Is Here

It's that time of year again, time to put all of your summer clothes to the back of your wardrobe and dig out the woolly hat, gloves and scarf ready for the daunting season that is Winter. Winter is a love / hate thing for me. Firstly because I hate being cold, I'd much rather be snuggled up in bed watching films with a nice cuppa than dragging myself out of bed for an hour lecture in the cold and rain. Although, I do love hunting around for cosy jumpers, scarves and all things wintery. This year I decided that I needed to invest in a good pair of gloves. And with this in mind, I chose to head to Primark. Yes, I know what you're thinking 'hardly the best quality' but at £3 a pair, I couldn't complain. They had a wide variety to choose from. Some plain, come printed, and others (which are my favourite) with Animals on, so obviously, being the mature 20 year old that I am, I picked the ones with Foxes on. (Not sorry!) 

The next thing that says Winter for me, is a weather proof coat, and nothing says winter more than a coat with a fluffy hood! This one I picked up last year from Internacionale (Kids Section) Yes, the coat in the kids section fits me, be jealous! Im proud to say that this coat has got me through one winter, and I'm hoping it's going to get me through another.

Now... you know it's certainly winter when the Christmas decorations are up. This has to be one of my favourite things about Winter. Although all of the decorations go up early, I love how festive everyone gets, and the mad shopping rush. Although it isn't so fun when you have to work in a retail store and there are mad shoppers everywhere. 

Next up is Bonfire Night. Although I don't enjoy being outside in the cold, I do enjoy getting all snug in my winter warmers and standing outside with a cheeky hot chocolate watching the fireworks. For me, I love how unpredictable the fireworks are. No one knows what to expect, how many will be let off, or what the colour will be like. This year we had a display put on at my University Halls, and I have to say it was pretty impressive. 

Finally, It's all about the dark nails. For me, lighter pastel shades of varnish just don't work in the winter, and I prefer to stick to darker shades such as blues and reds. This year, I'm loving the Burgundy colour. 

What are your favourite things about winter?

Rachel

BarryM | Autumn / Winter Nails

When it comes to winter, I feel that Dark nails are essential. They fit the cold weather perfectly, and as much as a bright summery nail varnish puts you in a good mood, nothing says Winter more than a dark christmassy coloured manicure. Now, firstly my nail varnish obsession is out of control, and by that I mean a huge box of colours that I regularly never wear, just buy with the intention of wearing them because they are pretty, or my usual weakness of glitter. But these 4 that I selected are the perfect winter colours, and will look great day or night. 

The first colour I went for was a Dark green, or as titled 'Watermelon'. I'm not usually a fan of Greens so I thought I would step out of my comfort zone, and try something a little darker than usual. This Varnish goes on smoothly without any little air bubbles (which may I add are a pain in the butt!) I managed to get away with just 1 coat of this, but for a stronger and shinier look 2 would do the trick. I'm still to try out this one a little more, but so far, so good and I can definitely see myself using this one nearer christmas teamed with a dark red for a little Christmas nail art.

The second colour I went for was one I've been hunting around for for a while now. Indigo. I saw this colour on a friend and instantly liked it, although the colour was a shellac, so the finish was a lot shinier than usual, this colour is eye catching, and a great autumn winter varnish. I figured I would wear this colour a lot, as I'm fairly fussy when it comes to nails and outfits. They have to somewhat go together. And being someone who wears a lot of white, black and grey, I figured this colour would look good. Plus teamed with some gold or silver rings, this colour will really stand out. I used 2 coats for this, as it is fairly thin. I also teamed this look with a coat of silver glitter on the top, which looks great. Although glitter varnish is a NIGHTMARE to get off.

Thirdly, a dark shimmery purple caught my eye. I've always been a fan of purple polishes, although I'd never opted for one quite as dark. This colour has a really nice glossy finish and again works great from day to night. I found that this colour shows up more under or in the light, but again is great for a casual wintery look. 

Last but not least, I got drawn back to the blues. This time I chose a shimmery navy colour. With all my reasons being the same as the other blue I got, I figured this colour would be good for when I fancied a different shade, or depending on my mood if I wanted to go a little darker. The only issue I had with this colour is that it really stains your nails when removing it, so I found it best to apply 1 or 2 under coats of clear varnish to prevent staining. Other than that, it is a lovely colour and one I'll find myself wearing a lot through winter.

As always, Barry M never fail to disappoint with their amazing products. I've lost count of how many of their nail varnishes I have now, but can assure you that more will be making their way to my collection very soon.

What are your favourite colours for Autumn / Winter? 

Rachel x

Recent Purchases

Whilst catching up with friends this first week back at home, I couldn't help but treat myself to a few treats whilst having a 'browse' around town. It is summer after all, and nothing says summer like a bright nail varnish and some statement jewellery does it?

Above is the collection of things I brought. I got myself some bargains thankfully, as a statement necklace can be pricey depending on where you go. The two I got here are from H&M and Dorothy Perkins. The DP one is the one with the rectangles coming off it, with a lovely mirrored effect. And at £5 with matching earrings, who would say no?!

I'm a sucker for a sale on jewellery, and I have to say, before I brought these earrings, I was stood looking at the sale section for a good 15 minutes. There are so many lovely pieces to choose from. I finally settled on these earrings. The top pair, finished with a gold outline are silver and glittery. Another thing I go weak at the knees for, anything glittery! I liked the bigger gold pair for a casual daytime look, and at £3.50 for both pairs, why not treat yourself?

This is the first statement necklace I've brought, and for £5.00 in Dorothy Perkins, the choice was easy. Well in fact, the choice was between gold and silver, but I eventually settled on silver. I planned to wear this whilst on a placement at ELLE Magazine, but it works great for a night time look also. It has a great mirror effect, great for reflecting the sun (if it ever comes out.)

This silver barred necklace I got from H&M. Out of all the necklaces they had on show, this was the one I found the most simple, and affordable at £7.99. I've recently been drawn more to gold jewellery, but I've found that sometimes it can be a little harsh, especially on my skin, so a silver is perfect if you have a pale skin tone. I'm looking forward to trying out this necklace with some different outfits to see how it looks.

If you know me, you'll know I can't resist a new nail varnish, so whilst shopping, I got myself some BarryM colours. I had the Essie one already, but these colours look great together don't you think? These three would have to be my summer picks. Nice and bright, just what you need to get you in the summer mood.

I got these from Superdrug, but Boots sell them also. If you can't find these colours anywhere, take a look on the website for a wider selection. Try not to get too carried away like I do though, nail varnishes are definitely my weakness!

This was the final colour I treated myself to. Miss Sporty's collection of nail varnishes aren't great and I find that the colour does chip easily, even after two coats plus a top coat. (Apologies for the chipped nails above.) Apart from that, the colour choices are great! I'm currently wearing this metallic blue, and have had many complements!

Have you brought anything this week?

Rachel

x

Another peek at what i've been upto this week.

Once again, I've had another fun filled week up at University in Sunderland. I managed to squeeze in some time around my many essays to go out and about doing many different fun things. Have a look at what I've been doing this week.

(L-R)
Nail Art by my flatmate
Trip to Starbucks
Went to see Derren Brown with my foster dad
Got work experience at ELLE Magazine!
Tani and me in Newcastle for bank holiday
Drinks on bank holiday
Treated myself to new sandals
Captured the lovely weather in Sunderland
Typed the number from one of Derren's acts and was amazed!

Overall, it's been a pretty amazing week;. I was over the moon when I heard back from ELLE. Being in my first year at Sunderland, getting a place for two weeks in London working for a huge magazine in something to be proud of, so i'm really excited. 

My previous post was on Derren Brown at the Sunderland Empire, so have a read to see what I thought of it. 

Yet another post of my nails on here (sorry, but I'm obsessed) this time, the design was done by my flatmate, who is great at nail art, unlike myself, who can paint one hand better than the other.

Finally, the weather has been looking up in Sunderland lately. After months of cold, rain and snow, we have been treated to some sun. Feeling summery, I splashed out on some new sandals form River island. You can check out the ones they have in stock here

Overall, a pretty fun week. What have you been up to this week?

What I've been upto this week

So, this week has been a bit of a crazy one to say the least. I've been doing a few fun things, so I thought I'd keep it short and sweet, and let you take a look for yourself at what I've been up to as a Student at Sunderland University. Here you go.

(L-R) 

Was introduced to Glossybox.

Had a Starbucks.

Got Acrylic nails with Lauren. 

Night out in Sunderland with the girls. 

Fancy dress.

Watched a film in bed.

Got bored of my nail colour so repainted them. 

Cocktails at Life Of Riley.

Ordered a platter to myself.

Have you been upto anything exciting this week?

Acrylic Nails

Ever since I discovered nail polish, I've developed a bit of an obsession. I can't bare for my nails to have no colour on them, and don't even get me started on chipped nails! The only negative thing I would say about normal polishes is that the colour never lasts as long as you would like it to, unless you are willing to paint about 6 coats, but I know I certainly do not have the patience for that! I've tried all of the tricks, paining a lighter colour underneath first, putting on a base coat, top coats, painting underneath the nail, you name it, yet guaranteed my colour will last no longer than two days... if I'm lucky!

I soon discovered Acrylic nails! Although, they aren't as cheap, they look a lot nicer than your average home manicure. Acrylics range from £15 - £25 usually, depending on where you go to get them done, so it's best to have a look around to get a good price! I'd happily pay £20 for a full set of Acrylics, and then usually another £15 to get them re filled a few weeks after.

For me, as many times as I tell myself I won't get acrylics, I ALWAYS go back and get them done, but let's be honest, you'r nails always look nice when someone else has done them! Although they may leave you nails paper thin afterwards, they are natural looking (if you don't go for a Katie Price length) long lasting, and most importantly, don't chip! After spending roughly 30 mins in the nail salon, you are left with a full set of fresh, non chipped nails.

Although Acrylics look nice, they are not the most healthy option for your nails, leaving them dry, thin and cracked after the extensions have been removed. A new product called Shellac, I've recently tried out is brilliant! A gel nail varnish, dried using UV light, 2 coats of varnish are set on your nails, giving them a healthy shine. 

And costing a cheeky £20, why not treat yourself to a set of healthy Shellacs!

Nail Art

After a cheeky trip to the nail salon for a full set of purple acrylics, I've already started thinking about the next design I want, and I'm feeling a summery set. Having tried before to do my own nail art, failing miserably as I have no patience what so ever, I've come to the conclusion it's best to leave it to the professionals. 

Here are a few designs I came across, and am loving for a summery look. I'm feeling the pastel ones or bright speckled set for Holiday, so may have to delay them for now, but the galaxy ones instantly caught my eye, are are perfect for a night time look too!





Which designs are your favourite?

Nail Art by razzie101 featuring a nail care

Nail care
etsy.com

Nails Nails Nails

Nail Varnishes are definitely a weakness of mine. I have one in practically every colour, not to mention plenty of nail glitter, which may I add, is a nightmare to get off, yet I still never learn! All the different brands, MAC, OPI, Barry M, you name it. Here is my ever growing collection, which I have recenty had to move them all into a bigger make-up bag. Not good I know. I often ask myself, Maybe I should cut down?... But then again, maybe not.

My colour collection so far - definitely room for more!

A Few of my favourites.

- Sally Hansen GEM Crush (08 Glitz Gal)

Pros - Perfect for that night out to add a bit of sparkle.

Cons - A nightmare to take off!

- MAC (Quiet Time A32)

Pros - Perfect day time colour for a casual look.

Cons - Requires a few coats. 

- Barry M (303 Bright Purple)

Pros - Bright colour, perfect for a day or night look

Cons - Slightly stains nails, so apply an undercoat first.