Free Nails Inc nail varnish anyone?

I couldn’t keep this all to myself – Nails inc are giving away a free full sized bottle of nail polish in every issue of Glamour this month!  This issue only costs £2.00 and the nail varnish is worth £10.50! Absolute bargain!

(Image from makeupsavvy)

I had never tried one of their polishes so I was absolutely pleased as punch when I saw this!

They had some great colours to choose from, patent red, glitter plue, gold, ( me being me I went for colour that doesn’t show when chipped) their nude pink shade!  I have to say, I love it!  It’s a bit Barbie-esque but hey, everyone needs a girly moment every once in a while!

This Nails Inc shade, called Elizabeth Street, comes out much more matt and covers your natural shade.  As you can see from the bottom right picture, there’s something so feminine about this shade without being too abrasive .  It’s also a colour that looks great with all outfits but still being subtle enough for work. It definitely needs two coats though to get the full matt effect.

You may have seen my post on Chanel’s Ballerina.  In the bottle they look fairly similar, however on the nail they are completely different.  Ballerina adds a very natural pink tinged gloss to your nails, whereas this Nails Inc is far more pigmented.  It is also a bit more runny than Chanel, but for £2 I’m not complaining!

I was definitely impressed with this freebie, and I’m off to pop off and get another one right this second!  Have any of you guys tried the other Nails Inc colours?

Choosing the right lipstick for your skin tone

Here is a basic guide on choosing the most flattering lip colour shade for your skin-tone.  Though of course you are more than welcome to wear any shade of lipstick / gloss that you like, especially if you’re co-ordinating with your outfit.

Usually different skin tones naturally go better with different shades as they’re on the same colour spectrum.  A bit like looking at the paint colour block  that you get given when your trying to choose what shade of magnolia you’re going to paint your walls.

For Fair Skin

For ladies with lighter skin shades, you’re lips will look great with nude lip tones.  Have a go at choosing a slightly apricot shade, pink or light coral.

These colours add warmth to your pale skin and will keep you looking fresh and bright.  For paler skins, I really like MAC’s Sunny Seoul which is a lovely frosted medium pink.

For Medium Skin

If you’ve got a slightly darker skin tone you can afford to go a bit darker with your lip shades. You’ll look fab in fuscia and  berry tones.

On medium skin tones, a colour such as raspberry will compliment the warmth of your skin.  Bobbi Brown have a great raspberry shade in their Pot Rouge for Lips and Cheeks which, as it says on the tin, can be used as both a cream blush or lip colour.  Its also got a great little mirror for on the road application.  Just be sure to moisturize first if you’re one for dry skin.

For Darker skin shades

Girls with dark skin shades will look great in really strong colours.  I’m talking reds, and purples.  If you’re going for a purple make sure its not too gothic in tone.  As a safe bet, I would recommend red, as it’s so effortlessly chic.

You know as much as I do, that if you’re going to choose a red lipstick shade, Chanel is the first place to look.  They have beautiful collection to choose from with various smouldering reds to choose from.  I like their rouge allure velvet in ‘La Fascinante’. These lipsticks have a great staying power and last all day even without lip primer.

That’s not to say you pale and medium skinned tones girls can’t get away with red (though I would advise you to keep away from the purple hues which may just look too gothic).  This shade looks fab on all skin tones, especially if you’re going for the cat eyed look which is eternally chic and elegant. (see earlier blog on achieving the cat eyed look)

Orgasm, Deep Throat and Sin, NARS’s products that will make you blush!

Its not just the racey names of NARS’s collection of 27 blushes which gets people talking, but their astonishing array of colours.  The blushes are all highly pigmentated so there is no need for touch-ups during the day.  They blend flawlessly and suit every skin tone.

All come packaged in a slim matt finish flat case, which is shaped perfectly so that product can be used until the best of all is shaped so that your blush can be loaded up,  and the product can be used the very end (unlike Benefit’s beautifully but impractically packaged blushes) easily until the very end.

Here are my top three favorite colours especially chosen for pale, olive and darker complexions.

SIN by NARS

Complexion reccomendation – for chestnut / blonde girls with light skin and blue / gray eyes. This blush is perfect for girls with cool colour tones  in their complexion.

Sin is best suited towards the pale / cool skin tone range, this blush comes in a delicious berry tone with a golden shimmer.  The plum/berry glow transforms lighten skin tones providing contrast and adding warmth.  Don’t be put off by the mauvish colour in the pan, once on your skin it becomes lighter and more pink hued.

The nature of the hues in this blush add a sophisticated look to your makeup, and the slight shimmer will add a glow to your cheeks. This blusher is best teemed with grey smokey eyes, keeping the tones of your make up cool.  Another positive is that like ‘Deep Throat’ the shimmer is finely milled so won’t make you look too sparkley.

The negative- use a light hand with this blush, otherwise you may risk purple tones – a little product goes a long way!

 MATA HARI by NARS

Complexion Recommendation – for girls with a medium complexion.  Universally perfect for blondes, brunettes and red heads!  Also great for Asian girls.

MATA HARA is a striking, bright candy  pink which though looks intimidating gives a nice health and awake flush of rosey pink.  This shade is easier to wear than ‘Desire’ which can sometimes look too 80’s.

This vibrant and fresh blush gives a very beautiful natural flush to the cheeks and has something girly about it which I just love. It blends best into warm skin tones as it blends in to give a healthy glow.  Unlike most of the NARS blushers, this blush is shimmer free so can be built up as much as you like or accented with a blush highlighter.

The negative – stay away if you have very pale skin as it may wash you out.

DEEP THROAT by NARS

Complexion Recommendation – for brunette girls with dark eyes and skin, the golden hues and subtle pink with perfectly suit your complexion.

Deep Throat is suited towards slightly darker, olive skin tones and is a pretty peachey pink with subtle shimmer. This blusher brightens the face without it looking artificial and gives a natural glow to your skin.

The subtle shimmer adds luminosity to the skin without you ending up looking like a disco ball, even if you load the product up on your brush.  This beats the accoladed ‘Orgasm’ as though similar in colour it is much sheerer, and without so much shimmer, this providing a much more natural highlight

A definite must for olive skinned ladies who want to enhance their natural beauty by adding a peachy glow to the cheeks with this naturally toned blush.

Negatives – the embarrassing name!

Application – 

Thanks to the shape of the pan, any brush can access the powder.  Though, be sure to stay away from large brown brushes, otherwise you won’t achieve the accuracy needed to highlight your cheekbones.

I would reccomend Bobbi Brown’s Blush Brush which works wonders with NARS blushes as it is absolutely goof-proof and applies blush smoothly and precisely with hardly any  fall out.  It has a luxuriously soft and natural feel that glides the product onto your cheeks.

So go ahead, try out one of these vibrant and naughty shades! They don’t disappoint!

Pretty pink pout this Autumn!

Autumns coming and what I love most about this month is its intense colour pallet. Yes, pulling off those deep plums and mauves can be a bit daunting, so if you’re not quite ready why not opt for a daring shocking pink which just oozes confidence and feminineness.

YSL have a gorgeous new range, which is just bursting with different shades of pink.   Not only are they long lasting but all have a delicious fruity flavours.   They can be worn alone, or, for a more striking look on top of lipstick.  Remember to choose a lipstick which is a slightly paler shade than the gloss otherwise when the gloss wears off the contrasting colour difference will be too obvious.

What to team with a pretty pink pout? With such a strong beauty statement as a pink pout, keep the rest of your make up minimal with perhaps just a flick of mascara to open up your eyes.

A lip primer works wonders for keeping a daring lip gloss in place and prolonging its wear. Mac’s Prep and Prime  not only improves the look of lip products but lightly moisturizes lips preventing them from drying out and chapping.