Cosmetofruit Total Body Booster

Whilst browsing the SpaceNK website today I came across this little beauty - the Cosmetofruit Total Body Booster, which is now available half price in the sale (£25 here)!

This amazing elixir was actually sent to me a little while ago and I have been meaning to tell you all about it for quite some time!

The Total Bosy Booster is a delicious (it really is!) nutritional concentrate that helps to detoxify and revitalise your body. With its free radical fighters it also helps to prevent ageing and boost skin health, as well as reduce the appearance of cellulite and recover skin tone and firmness.

The elixir contains a host of active ingredients including spiruline seaweed, which helps to provide elasticity and tone to the skin and has antioxidant and antiradical properties that are effective against oxidative stress and green coffee extract, which helps reduce water retention and lipid accumulation to reduce the appearance of cellulite.

The elixir comes with a nifty little spoon that makes it easy to measure out your daily dose (4ml). I found that the 100ml bottle lasted about a month and it actually became a supplement I enjoyed taking every day. You can take it alone as a 'shot' or even dissolve it in water, but the pomegranate/ berry flavour is quite tasty so I was happy to take it alone. Although I didn't see the most dramatic effects straight away I did see an improvement in the general appearance of my skin after just one month. I am definitely going to be picking up another in the sale... though I am also really tempted to try their Luxurious Hair and Nails elixir (£25 here)!

Have you tried the Cosmetofruit Total Body Booster or any of their other elixirs? Are you tempted to pick this up in the sale? What are your thoughts/ experiences with health supplements? xxx

Royal Manicure

Unfortunately my nail painting skills are nothing to write home about, but I do like to have a play around!

In the colder months I tend to stick to a darker palette of nail polish, but it's always fun to change it up a little bit every now and again. I am a big fan of the new french tip - namely glitter, but unfortunately glitter is not work friendly so has to be reserved for the weekends. So instead of creating a gold tip I decided to make a bolder statement.

OPI Plugged in Plum and Nail Star nail art polish in gold.

I like the idea of the design, but my shaky hands have somewhat failed in the execution. Practice makes perfect...

What nail polish colours are you wearing at the moment? What are your favourite nail designs? xxx

Late night manicure

Crackle polish may be old news, but I must confess that I was never a fan of it in the first place. It looks worn and messy and I prefer an immaculate manicure, not a grungy one. So it somewhat pains me to say that while playing with my nail polishes one (very late) night I discovered a more sophisticated way of wearing crackle polish and have actually kept it on all week!

Nail polish: OPI Russian Navy (£7.99 here), Crackle Polish: 17 Nail Xtras Crackle Top Coat (£3.99 here), Top Coat: Seche Vite (£9 here).

By only using crackle polish on the 'feature' nail I think the crackle creates some interesting texture without overpowering the whole manicure. The gold is also a much more attractive alternative to the matte black that most brands have featured!

Are you a fan of the crackle effect? Have you tried any of the new magnetic polishes? Which ones would you recommend? xxx

Rebel Nails

I have been very much intrigued by the new 'nail wraps' that are popping up all over the place. As much as I love collecting bottles of nail polishes I am the first to admit that my impatience, coupled with my very shaky hands, doesn't often result in the neatest of manicures. I normally leave my nails to the professionals and have become a familiar face in my local nail salon. However, this can be a very expensive habit!

I was therefore very much excited to try Rebel Nails! They have a huge range of colours and patterns to choose from and are more affordable than other wraps (though I think of them more akin to stickers) on the market.

I decided to go for all out glitter in silver for my first attempt and was impressed by just how quick and easy they were to put on. Each pack has a good selection of sizes to suit most nails, and plenty of extras if you make a mistake.

The nail wraps should be applied to clean, polish free nails. Though I had to cheat here (as you will probably see in the photos). As I have gel nails that are in desperate need of refills and trimming I left my nail polish on because using nail varnish remover could have lifted some areas of the gel nails.

To apply the nails I used the plastic guide that comes in each pack to select the size most appropriate for each nail. I then peeled the Rebel nail design from the backing and warmed it with a hair dryer for a few seconds. This is probably the most tricky part as sometimes the adhesive edge can stick to your finger, but if you angle the hairdryer down this shouldn't be a problem. I then applied the nail wrap to the nail, starting with the curved edge at the cuticle, and smoothed out any creases or bubbles towards the edge of the nail. I wrapped the excess over the edge of the nail and filed it off using downward strokes. Easy!

Even on my first attempt my nails were done in less than 10 minutes - no drying, no smudging, and no mess! As you can see above there were some ridges due to the gels, so I expect they will be much easier to apply and last longer on natural nails (up to 2 weeks). After three days of perfect wear I found that the edges did lift a little when I was washing my hair so I decided to remove them. I'm sure you all know how difficult it is to remove glitter polishes, so it was great to be able to peel them off in seconds!

If you are interested in trying Rebel Nails for yourself they have been kind enough to provide a discount of 15% between the 20th of October and 1st of November with the code NATALYA15 to be used at checkout. 
 
Plus to get in the Halloween mood Rebel Nails are running a special promotion! With a minimum spend of £10 between 20th - 31st October on www.rebelnails.co.uk a set of fun halloween themed wraps will automatically be added to your order.

I will definitely be practising my technique and playing arounbd with different designs so watch this space... ;).

Have you tried nail wraps? What do you think of them? What designs would you like to see? xxx

*This is a sponsored post*

E.L.F. Mango Madness

I have been a fan of E.L.F. polishes for quite some time. They have a brilliant choice of colours and finishes, and at just £1.50 make the perfect guilt free purchase. With Valentine's day approaching last week I decided to switch up my french manicure for something a little more fun and romantic. I decided to go for one of the new colours in the range called Mango Madness.

In the bottle this colour is absolutely stunning - a warm pink flecked with the finest gold shimmers that glow in the light. In the past I have found ELF polished to be opaque and long wearing, however this one didn't quite live up to its promises. Mango Madness is a sheer polish, so much so that after 4 coats of colour I could still see the french manicure peeking through. It did dry very fast so by the time I was done with one hand I could reapply another coat on the other, but still I found this very arduous! I was also surprised that it dried fairly matte and the gold shimmer wasn't as visible as it had been in the bottle. I topped it off with my trusty Seche Vite, but as you can see the results weren't quite as vibrant as I had expected.

Excuse the ridiculous amount of growth, I am overdue for infills! This photo was taken a week after application so there has been some considerable tip wear. However, you can see just how sheer the polish is after 4 coats of colour, and how different it look on the nails as opposed to in the bottle - I would say it is more of an orangey coral than a peachy pink.

I have never had this before with ELF polishes, and to tell you the truth it's not something that worries me since I still like the colour, and if I didn't have french tips underneath it would be opaque enough to cover the natural markings on my nails. I maintain my love of these polishes and will continue to purchase and recommend them regardless of this minor mishap as they are fantastic value for money. Check them out here!

Have you tried any ELF polishes? What have been you experiences? Do yo have any favourites? xxx

Twilight

Ciate's latest nail colours are dark, glossy and undeniably sexy! I love rich colours for the Winter, and this collection does not disappoint with some exciting, unique shades, as well as a few great staples.

Ghetto Fabulous (black creme)

 Burlesque (rich plum creme)

Dangerous Affair (rouge noir creme)

 Twilight (black with gold flakes)

 Paparazzi (vampy red black creme)

3am Girl (deep inky blue creme)

 Guest List (deep brown with a hint of purple creme)

 

 Strictly Legal (shimmery plum)

I have to confess that I love them all, especially for the Winter season. However, given the choice of one I decided on Twilight (Strictly legal is a close runner up). Now, before scrolling to the swtaches I have to prepare you for my nails. I am weeks overdue for gel infills, but haven't had the time to get to my regular salon (in Woking) so they are awfully long! Apologies, they are hideous, I am ashamed :(.

Twilight is a unique colour as the richness of the black is lifted and brought to life by the dense gold micro glitter. Some glitter polishes can look a little flat, but this seems to somehow have more dimension. In certain lights it can appear a simple black, but when it catches the light the gold flecks really glow and sparkle!

Like all Ciate polishes I have tried the pigmentation is excellent, and even this deep black is opaque in just one coat. I always go for two, but if you are in a rush you can easily settle for one generous layer. Although the consistency is quite thick the stiff, flat brush helps to apply it smoothly, without dragging across the nail (though you couldn't tell by my 2am shaky application). It dries in a decent amount of time and wears well, but you do have to be careful not to apply it too thick as it can chip. The photos above were taken after 3 days of wear, and though I have a few minor chips I would say it has held up well, especially for a black as any tip wear is instantly noticeable.

Ciate polishes are £9 each and can be purchased from ciate.co.uk.

Have you tried any Ciate polishes? What did you think of their formulation? Do you have any favourites and do any of the above take your fancy? xxx

Paul and Joe Beaute - Symphony Holiday Collection

Paul and Joe has always been a brand I have admired - mainly for their beautiful packaging, so I was very excited a few weeks ago when I got the chance to learn all about their latest products!

My favourite items in the Holiday Collection is the Symphony Eye and Lip Colour set, which comes in a gorgeous clutch/makeup bag in the stunning pattern that runs all the way through the packaging of this collection. Inside is your choice of two colour palettes - Adagio (£30) for lovers of neutrals and Allegro (£24 -pictured below).

Both sets include a lovely little lip tint with rose detailing and five sheet music eyeshadows. Although they may seem small at first glance each one contains up to 30 applications. The shadows are quite pigmented and smooth. The delicate colours they come in would be easy to apply with your fingers, without fear of being too heavy, making them absolutely perfect for makeup on the go! I think this set would also make a lovely gift, if only for the adorable clutch ;).

The collection also features a pressed powder duo in a case of the same pattern (£14). The duo has both a matte powder for blotting and setting and a shimmering pearl powder crescent for highlighting.

 

The powder is finely milled and lightweight, perfect for that 3pm touch up ;). The shimmer is also very subtle and adds a lovely, natural sheen without being glittery. I have been swirling both together to create a matte look with a little bit of glow.

The Holiday collection also features five nail enamels (£9) - how cute is that packaging, it definitely stands out on my little nail polish shelf!

I was given Orchestral to try (far right) a deep navy with multicoloured specks of glitter. This is the perfect colour for this time of year - dark, but with dimension and character.

I would prefer this colour on shorter nails, but as I am a little overdue for gel infills I had to make do with the talons ;). The application was pretty smooth, building up to an opaque colour in two coats. As with most glitter polishes not as much glitter transfers to the nail as in the bottle, but with a little Seche Vite top coat the sparkles were still visible. Wear has been good with minimal chipping and tip wear (but as I have gels polishes wear better than on natural nails).

More information about Paul and Joe Beaute, including stockists is available here. Just a little heads up if you are looking for a bargain as ASOS are having a little sale on some P&J products (including the pressed powder duo) at the moment ;). 

Do you have any recommendations or favourites from Paul and Joe makeuo? Have you spotted anything from their holiday collection that you are lusting after? xxx

Free Nails Inc polish w/ Glamour

 I must confess that I am not a huge fan of Nails inc polishes, not so much because of their formula, but their packaging. Maybe it is just my personal experience, but I have found that the lids of the bottles never close tightly and so the polish dries out super fast. Yesterday I even discovered that one polish, which I had previously used only twice, had actually disappeared on me, leaving behind less than half a bottle of thick, pink gloop :(. Off to the trash it went, and I was left wondering what I had spent £10 on...

However, being the sucker that I am (let's face it) I still picked up Glamour today purely for the free Nails inc polish. I decided on Victoria, a deep, dark cherry red reminiscent of the Chanel Rouge Noir craze many of us went through a few years ago.

On application the varnish was quite streaky, though I find that to be the case with most dark polishes. To get a really opaque, rich colour I would recommend applying three coats, though I am far too lazy to paint my nails five times over (base coat+3 coats polish+ topcoat= far too much work), so I stuck with two and I think the overall look is pretty good, though not entirely even. Luckily, my Seche Vite topcoat comes to the rescue of any patchy manicure as it provides a high shine masking any streakiness.

This colour does require a bit of work, but it is vampy, sexy and perfect for autumn. Now I just have to wait and see how the polish lasts. If it goes in the way of its ancestors to a sticky, dry death I shall definitely be reporting to you all :).

Has anyone else had this problem with Nails Inc polishes?

That's Berry Daring

I love this OPI colour- That's Berry Daring. The formula is super smooth to apply, the colour is rich and it lasts well. Although it is a creamy formula, it has a slight blue iridescence, which makes it more interesting than your standard hot pink.

I get mine from www.beauty4nails-body.co.uk. This is a fantastic site as it stocks a wide range of polishes including OPI, Essie, Zoya, China glaze and Orly for a great price! Most importantly the swatches on the website are very true to colour, which I often find is not the case with some sites or ebay.

Chanel Jade and Ciate Apple and Custard

Chanel's jade nail polish is being sought after by every fashionista, but unfortunately they are at present only releasing a few hundred bottles.

If you too are lusting after this season's most talked about nail varnish, but do not want to join the hundreds of people already on its waiting list you do not have to be green with envy! Ciate have brought out a beautiful milky green polish called Apple and Custard, which is the closest dupe for Jade I have been able to find.

This polish is extremely opaque, yet it dries very quickly. One coat gives you beautiful milky pistachio nails, and after two coats the colour is even richer.

I have tried several Ciate polishes in the past and as well as their pretty packaging I know I can trust them to be good quality. I am particularly a fan of their cream formulas as they are not at all streaky and quite dense so the colour you see in the bottle is the same as what you get on your nails. If you are interested in checking this colour out it can be found here.

What do you guys think of the Jade hype and will you be painting your nails green this autumn? I am still not too sure, but I just had to see what the fuss was about with this colour. After wearing it for a day I actually think it is pretty wearable, and much prefer it to MAC's celebrated peppermint patti :).

Nubar- Going Green Collection.

Since my first experience with Nubar nail varnish was somewhat dubious (remember the matte purple that chipped within hours to end up in my green curry?) I was hesitant to wear it again. To be perfectly honest I am pretty lazy with my nails and just don't have the energy to re-apply nail varnish every day. However, in the interests of all you ladies who are enjoying the green polish trend this season I decided to try a different NUBAR nail polish formula from their new Going Green collection.

 The polish I am wearing here is called Wildlife. It is a very unique colour, and it really has to be seen in real life as it is quite difficult to describe. In the bottle it looks like a golden olive green with a pink duochrome effect. On application the first coat was a little streaky, but with the second it seemed to even out and give a dense colour, which dried fairly quickly to a shiny finish.

I don't own many hollographic nail varnishes and I was surprised by the way it came to life on my nails. Depending on which way you look at it the colours transition from a dark muddy green, through gold, to a bright, pearlescent pink.

Unfortunately, this was difficult to capture on camera, but you can see here how the pink really stands out at the right angles.

Fortunately, I can report that this Nubar formulation is much longer lasting than their matte range and although I did experience a few chips (my nail varnish always chips on the first day be it OPI, essie, china glaze etc.) there was no flaking and peeling of the polish as before.

Overall, if you are interested in green nails for this season I would recommend checking out Nubar's new Going Green collection here as they have a great range of colours and are "3 FREE" as well as cruelty free :).

Matte nails- Nubar

When I first heard that this season brings with it a trend for matte nails I was excited. After all, it is something fun and new to try, and a great excuse to buy more polishes. I was therefore happy to be given the opportunity to try out the new Modern Matte collection from a brand I had not previously heard of- NUBAR.

These polishes are described as eco friendly because they are free from formaldehyde, phthalates and toluene as well as being carcinogen free, suitable for vegetarians or vegans (not quite sure what they mean by this), and not being tested on animals (yay!).

I received one of their four polishes in the shade Vital, a beautiful deep purple, somewhat similar to one of my all time favourites OPI's plugged in plum.

This polish is very richly pigmented and is opaque after just one coat, though I found that two coats gave it a much deeper colour. It was also a little streaky at first, but with two coats it seemed to even out. The best thing about it was the drying time. It was dry to the touch within a matter of seconds and set in a couple of minutes, which is great for me as I am always doing my nails in a rush. Also, even though the finish is matte it did not look dull as it has tiny flecks of shimmer to give it dimension.

 

Sounds great right? However, one of the most important things for me in a nail polish is longevity, and this one unfortunately did not live up to its promise of a 'chip resistant formula'. After application in the afternoon it started chipping within a few hours, and by the time I had finished preparing dinner  some of my nails had barely half the nail polish left on. I am glad they say this polish is suitable for vegetarians as some of it probably ended up being a 'special' ingredient in my Thai green curry yesterday.

Overall, I would say that for £8 this did not quite live up to my expectations. I loved the super fast drying time, the colour and the unusual matte finish, but it just chipped far too quickly. However, I am determined to make it work so I shall try to invest in a good matte topcoat to improve its lasting power and shall report to you all.

The Modern Matte collection and other nubar nail polishes are available at www.beautyshed.co.uk.

Do you guys have any recommendations for a good matte topcoat? What do you think of matte nails, is it just a passing trend?

Konad demonstration

NOTD

Just a quick post to show you guys my nails of the day :).
I used China Glaze sangria, a beautiful, shimmery bright pink with a white konad transfer on top.
I think this may be one of my favourite colours, it is just so pretty and multi-dimensional on the nails. The photo really doesn't do it justice.

What do you guys think?
xx

Nails, nails, nails.

Since so many of you were keen for me to post more nail related pictures I bring you my mother's nails, freshly painted this morning :).Before anyone comments on these nails (or as i like to call them - claws) they are acrylic, and long overdue for an infill, so are very long. However, I think this design would work perfectly well on shorter or square nails too.

I used one coat of ciate paint pots in no. 39, Mistress. It is no wonder that this polish has won the Kiss and Makeup Beauty Awards, as with just one coat I got an opaque coverage and a glossy finish. These ciate polishes come in a really fun range of colours and finishes and I especially love the cute bow detail on the bottle. They can be purchased from the Powder Rooms website for £7.50. Also, be sure to check out Hele's blog for a 20% discount code ;).
For the flower design I used Konad black nail varnish and plate m7.
I then finished it off with my favourite top coat- Seche Vite.

What do you guys think? Too vamp?

Nails of the day

I must confess to you that I am lying... This is actually the NOTD for Wednesday not today (Saturday), but I have been so busy since my mother has been in town and haven't had a chance to sit down and upload any videos or blog. Sorry, my nails are a bit chipped in the photos :(.

So these are my nails from Wednesday, I was inspired by an Indian fabric I saw that day and decided to re-create a little Eastern magic on my nails :).

I used Zoya anchor base coat,
1, yes ONE!! coat of Barry M's nail paint in 302 (fuchsia).
For the pattern I used Konad white nail polish and plate no. m 57.
For top coat I used the incredible Seche Vite.

Hope you guys like them! I have had lots of compliments on them so thought they were worth a post. Would you like me to do more nail posts as I am never sure if it is that interesting?

Love lots,
Natalya
xxx

What I am using right now Tag.

I was tagged by Jesse (Vanity Makeup) and Gail (oogle makeup). Thank you girlies!!

Shampoo: John Frieda Brilliant Brunette Lustrous Touch

Condtioner: John Frieda Brilliant Brunette Lustrous Touch

Styling products: CHI Keratin Mist, CHI Volume Booster, Label.m Resurrection style dust.

Hair Mask: Soap and Glory Hair Supply

Shower Gel: Juicy Couture

Body moisturizer: Palmer’s Shea Butter

Deodorant: Sure Crystal

Fake Tan: Don’t use it

Cleanser: Neutrogena Visibly clear 2 in 1 mask

Eye makeup remover: Johnson’s wipes

Exfoliator: St Ives

Primer: None today, but sometimes Smashbox/ That Gal Benefit

Foundation: MUFE HD in 115

Foundation brush: MAC’s 187

Concealer: MUFE lift concealer

Powder: MAC MSF Natural in Medium/ MUFE HD powder

Blusher: MAC’s well dressed

Bronzer: Chanel

Highlighter: MAC MSF Soft and Gentle

Eyeshadow base: UDPP

Eyeshadows: MAC’s satin taupe, wedge, carbon, vapour

Eyeliner: UD 24/7 zero

Eyelash curler: don’t use one

Eyelash base: none

Mascara: L’Oreal voluminous

Lipstick: MAC pervette

Lipgloss: MAC’s Cremesheen glass in Ever so Rich

Nail Colour: french

I am going to tag: Javy (Scarlet Empress), Lorraine (The Current Custom), Muhsine (Bubblegarm) and Tiffany (kiss and makeup!).

Hope you guys get time to do it!

xxx

Nails

My nails have been really horrible recently :(. No matter what I did they broke, peeled and were generally really weak. So, after weeks of trying to hide them under nail polish, which did not help as it chipped about an hour after application, I have finally given in and got gel extensions. I figured that since they were so awful anyway they can't possibly look any worse! I am so happy I don't have to hide my hands in shame anymore!! They are very short, no longer than my natural nails, but so much stronger.. YAY!!