Last Minute Halloween Nails!

Here are some of my simple, easy and quick nail ideas for halloween! They are so simple, anyone can do them - I was inspired some the amazing nail art for halloween on Pinterest so if you want some more ideas or more advanced designs head over there (then you will probably become addicted to Pinterest, you're welcome). 

1. Frankenstein: I saw this design on Miss Budget Beauty's youtube channel and she used other polishes and products but I used Stiletto by Ciate and a black marker to draw on hair, eyes, a mono brow (sexy) and a mouth. Using a marker or nail art pen just makes everything so much easier!

2. Black & White Designs: Here is a few designs that can be done with a white/cream polish and a black marker or a black nail polish and cocktail stick. I used the Color Club polish in the shade Mod in Manhattan. I used one thick coat of this polish and while it is a great shade, I am not that keen on the formula. Here I drew a ghost (but it looks more like a face with a beard!), stitches, jack skeleton from the Nightmare Before Christmas and a bat in the night - yes it is a bit of an...unusual bat shape!

3. Eyes in the night: I love this one, it is probably my favourite and it is so simple. I use a black polish - Rimmel Black Cab and a white polish from a Revlon nail polish duo (miss perfect shade duo) to create little eyes. So simple and so cute in a halloweenish way. I added a matte topcoat at the end, love matte nails recently. I used the Asda George matte topcoat which is super cheap and it is good, although not very long lasting. 

4. Blood dripping: Another simple design, blood dripping down from the tips of the nails. I use a natural base colour - beige distinction from Bourjois and Red Hot Chili from Ciate and I just drew blood drips onto the nail. I think this design would be great for a vampire costume. 

5. Aztec Jack O Lantern: This is actually one of my designs for the Bourjois Facebook Nail Battle competition. It is a halloween/fall aztec nail design with Revlons Fall Mood as the base (love this shade) and again a black marker - I used a CD marker for these designs. 

6. Snow Queen: Great for a snow/ice queen costume. I love the contrast with the white polish and gold glitter, so cute and girly. The white polish is Mod in Manhattan from Color Club and the glitter gold polish/topcoat is from Topshop - I think it is called stardust. 

7. Little Monsters: This is one of my first designs, I think they are cute and really simple. I used the same green Ciate shade I mentioned before for the face/body and the red shade again by Ciate that I mentioned before for the mouth. Then I used a deep purple colour from Jessica for the hair. And Mod in Manhattan for the eyes. 

8. Toxic Spill: I took the same design I used for the blood/vampire nail and I just used the green Ciate polish to make a kind of zombie/toxic spill design. I love this design, it would be great for a zombie costume or a witch costume! 

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Review: Casio Silver Ladies Watch

I am signed up to the Etail PR blogger network and I applied for their campaign involving a store called The Watch Hut. The Watch Hut is the UK's largest watch website and they have have a few stores around the UK. I was sent the Casio Silver Ladies Watch to review, however even though I was sent this product to review, the photographs and opinions are honest and my own (see the PR sub heading for some more information). 

Before I received the watch I was a bit concerned about the size as my wrists are quite tiny but the watch itself is fairly small so it is perfect for me. The watch is a great size, I love the silver and burgundy colours - they look great and the watch goes with a lot of casual outfits. I have been wearing this watch mostly with skinny jeans, chunky jumpers and boots, for example, my nordic style H&M jumper and more recently a chunky black jumper that I bought in the Ark sale. It is a nice versatile watch in my opinion. 

The closure on the watch strap is easy to use, I had to get my dad to slide the closure further down the metal strap as it was too big on my small wrists but it was easy to alter using a small jewellers screwdriver. The watch set up was also easy and it has a timer and alarm on it too. The watch is also water resistant and it is lightweight and flexible so it is fairly comfortable to wear. However I do find the metal links that make up the watch strap can pull on the small hairs around the arm which isn't great - but overall, it is a nice watch that looks quite retro! It would make a great Christmas present. It is currently priced at £24.75 on The Watch Hut which I think is a great price as in my opinion it looks a lot more expensive. 

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Outfit and face of the evening: Wicked & Don Giovannis

Yesterday myself, my sister, mum and a couple of friends went to Don Giovannis on Oxford street in Manchester and then we went to Wicked the musical which is currently playing at the Manchester Palace Theatre. Here is a quick fote (face of the evening), oote (outfit of the evening) and a mini review of the restaurant and Wicked. Firstly here is my makeup and outfit of the evening!

Firstly, my makeup - I used my new favourite foundation, the Max Factor Smooth Effect foundation in the shade 40 Porcelain and I freakin' love it! I am definitely writing a review of this foundation soon. I then used another new buy, the Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer in the shade Ivory which I like but I don't think it is amazing. I applied the Nars Pro Prime then a couple of the nude shades from the S&G Whats Nude Quad. For eyeliner, I used the Clinique Brush on Liner in Black which I have had for years and it is just as good as the day I bought it. To set the liner, I use a black shade. I filled in my brows with the matte brown and black from the Sleek Oh So Special Palette. The mascara I used is the Bare Minerals Flawless Definition Waterproof. For lips I use the Kiko lip liner in the shade 404 and the Revlon Balm Stain in Honey over the top which gives a gorgeous peachy pink lip. 

For my outfit - tank top: Forever 21, Cardigan: H&M, Jacket: Promod, Jeans: Asos and Boots: Newlook. I also used the Bumble and Bumble thickening creme contour in my hair and I wore the gorgeous Molecule one perfume - I can still smell it! Oh and I had on my Kurt Geiger bella ring (I think it is called the bella ring but it is gunmetal and I love it!). I also used the babylis big hair to shape the ends of my hair.

We have never been to Don Giovannis before, it is an Italian restaurant and bar on Oxford street, Manchester. The decor from the outside is gorgeous, lit up with fairy lights and inside is just as nice. I had a mushroom risotto which was nice but we did have to hurry as we were running a bit late for Wicked. Overall, the restaurant was nice although it was very busy and a bit loud. 

Now, Wicked! The story line is about the good witch Glinda and and wicked witch of the west, Elphaba. It is about their friendship and how they became who they are in the Wizard of Oz. I loved the stage set up, the set was amazing. The singing, costumes and story was fantastic. In my opinion, there were a couple of boring bits but they didn't last long such as practically most scenes with the wonderful wizard of Oz in. Overall, it is a great story and definitely worth seeing - although I probably wouldn't take children to see it. 

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Easy Halloween Makeup: Skull

This is the third post in my halloween/fancy dress makeup series, I think there might be one or two more, if I have the time and the ideas! The other two looks were: Clowns and vampires - well the previous look could be adapted for a lot of outfits. The look today is a skull/sugar skull which is a mexican thing I think about the day of the dead.  As I have said before I am obviously not a makeup artist and these are just for fun. The makeup is also quite similar to jack skeleton from the nightmare before christmas film. 

Here is my skull/sugar skull inspired makeup, it is quite simple but you can add detail around the eyes if you want and with a costume it would look great I think. As with the other two looks I started this one with the trusty Barry M Foundation in the shade 'white' and I contoured my face with a matte black shadow as before from the Sleek Oh So Special Palette. I then added some black shadow to my brows to make them a bit thicker and longer. I also added matte browns and blacks around the eyes to add depth and shadow. 

I drew a small black scar on the cheek and I drew straight black lines down the lips and cheeks to form a smile - well the lines of a smile - a bit like the joker from batman. I made the smile/lines a different lengths and a bit crooked so it wasn't so perfect as halloween makeup shouldn't be. I use a small amount of the elf liquid liner in black before applying a matte black shadow over the top. You can add detailing around the eyes if you want like sugar skulls and you can make it quite colourful, although I love dark, monotone, macabre halloween makeup. Messy, shiny hair is also great, I used the Bumble and Bumble thickening creme contour which I love. 

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Astley Clarke London

Here is a quick blog post on behalf of the jewellery shop Atsley Clarke - I did not write this blog post and all of the images are from Astley Clarke. For more information about the Astley Clarke, click here. This post is not sponsored in any way.

Autumn / Winter Jewellery Trends 2013

It has gotten to that time of year again when we need to have a bit of a style revamp. The cold weather is upon us and we have to get our wardrobes winter ready. However, a lot of us are so concerned with buying our woollen jumpers and big thick coats that we forget about updating our jewellery box! Nonetheless, jewellery plays a key role in glamorising your outfits over the dull autumn / winter period. Thus, bearing this mind, let’s take a look at the key AW jewellery trends for the upcoming months…

Cuff bracelets

This is a striking trend which is set to make a massive impression over the months ahead. If you want to go for glamour and extravagance opt for two matching gold cuff bracelets – one on each wrist. This looks extremely lavish and can turn the dullest of outfits into a show stopping ensemble. Nevertheless, this is not the only way to emulate the fantastic cuff trend. The gothic approach is going to be extremely popular as well. Think of lots of black leather and PVC with the focus being on the adornment of an array of jewels. 

Chunky chains

This is a trend with a lot of attitude. A thick chain necklace or bracelet can add an edgy effect to any outfit. This is great for any urban chic ensemble. Long necklaces, short necklaces, one bracelet, several bracelets, even earrings; there are so many different ways you can rock this trend. Nevertheless, it is best to stick to one of the following colours; yellow gold, silver, rose gold and black. If you go for anything else you can run the risk of looking tacky, thus you need to be extremely careful. This is not a trend that tends to lend itself well to bright colours for example. 

Chandelier earrings

Chandelier earrings provide you with an excellent way of bringing the glamour, sophistication and luxury to autumn and winter. Have you got an important formal occasion to attend to yet want to dress to the weather at the same time? Not a problem. Why not opt for a fitted midi bodycon jumper dress and finish off the look with a pair of oversized lavish diamante chandelier earrings? This simple addition will completely transform your outfit. There are lots of fantastic chandelier earrings to choose from at Astley Clarke if you are looking for somewhere to start your search. 

Statement necklaces and chokers

Last but not least we have statement necklaces and chokers. This is a bold trend and one we have seen frequently on the runway as of late. The great thing about a statement necklace is that it can jazz up any outfit; from casual attire to formal wear. Popping to the shops? Team your jumper and jeans with a colourful necklace! Going to an important event? Team your sexy dress with a striking gold or silver chocker. The options are endless. This is a jewellery box must-have!

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Easy Halloween Makeup Looks x4

Here are four final Halloween makeup looks that are super easy to copy and alter to suit your style and costume to wrap up my Halloween makeup series, I hope you liked the series - it was so fun to make, I love experimenting with makeup and this was a great excuse! If you have recreated any of the looks from my series, leave your link in the comments below!

1. Patchwork Doll: This is really quite Tim Burton inspired (he is definitely my favourite director). I have been watching Corpse Bride and Nightmare Before Christmas over the past week and I decided to create a look inspired by those films but an easy version! Firstly, I didn't use white makeup I used my new favourite foundation - Max Factor Smooth Effect Foundation in the shade 45 Creamy Ivory. I then just took a matte black shadow from the Sleek oh so special palette and drew lines and crosses over the face and filled them in with different coloured shadows from the MUA Undressed palette and the Sleek palette. Filled in my brows with a matte black shadows and I applied a small amount of the Revlon Balm Stain in the shade Crush to the lips - and that is it, so easy!

2. Vampire Queen: This is my favourite makeup out of these four looks, love it! I used the Barry M Creme Foundation in White and I contoured my cheeks with a matte black eyeshadow and I used the same black shadow on my brows to thicken, darken and lengthen them. I applied the illamasqua cream pigment in the shade 'hollow' as a base - love this product it is great as an eyeshadow and or contouring. For the eyes, I use a couple of matte browns from Sleek and MUA palettes and applied them all over the lids and along the lower lash line. I just applied and blended until it looked smokey and a bit sultry. I use a black shadow along the upper/lower lashline and in the outer corner for more depth. I use a little of the sexy plump mascara by Yves Rocher on the upper lashes only. On the lips I have Yves Rocher Framboise. 

3. Undead Zombie: This look is really quite messy and it is supposed to be - I started with the Barry M white foundation, then I buffed in a small amount of the matte purple/brown/black shadows from the Sleek oh so special palette over the skin to make it look bruised and undead...I took the matte brown and purple over and around the eyes too to make them look sunken. I then applied some lip balm and wiped of the excess and applied ELF lipstick in the shade Fantasy. I the patted the matte purple and black shadows over the lips and smudged it. I also lightly filled in the brows and contoured. 

4. Evil Witch: This was a complete impulse, look I wasn't even going to make a witch look as it is so overdone but this look just happened while playing with makeup! A lot of Barry M white foundation, fairly heavy contouring with a matte black shadow and strong dark brows. I applied the same matte black from the sleek palette onto and around the eyes then I use a shimmery gold from the MUA undressed palette over the lids. I used a ELF liquid liner as a base for the eyes so the black shadow would be more intense. I took the gold under the eyes too and the black lines around the eyes are optional. For the lips, I use some lip balm again and I wiped off the excess - I applied some of the gold, tan and pinky shades from numerous palettes to the lips to create a gold/burnt orange shimmery lip - smudging is optional. 

I hope you liked the looks in this series! Happy almost Halloween x

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