O.P.I. Nail Polish from the Nicole series and No7 Ridge Filling Base product reviews

I am a sucker for cheap make up and can spend a small fortune on The Cosmetics Fairy website. I go through phases of not buying any make-up and then end up buying multiple packages worth of make-up and this is no exception. To add to my collection of nail varnishes I bought three O.P.I nail polishes and a No7 Ridge Filling Base. Like most things I definitely do not need any more nail varnish but when it's as little as 25p sometimes I just can't resist. I've only ever used the No7 Ridge Filling Base a couple of times and I can't really say there's been a noticeable difference to my nails. I used to bite my nails when I was younger, and in the process, drag my teeth along my nail as a sort of soothing mechanism. Needless to say this awful habit has left my nails in a bit of disarray. I have a noticeable ridge on my left thumb nail from weakening the structure of the nail so I thought the No7 Ridge Filling Base would be perfect to resolve this. I was surprised to find that the No7 Ridge Filling Base dries instantly on the nails. The speed at which it dries is really quite impressive and is indeed commendable. Although I used the No7 Ridge Filling Base as a base coat for my nail varnish, I think it's intended to be used to strengthen the nail rather than act as a base coat. Unfortunately, the No7 Ridge Filling Base didn't quite get rid of the obvious ridge in my nail. I will however persevere with the No7 Ridge Filling Base as I've noticed I have another ridge on another fingernail despite having long nails now. Of course, horizontal ridges (which is true for my nails) can be an indication of former trauma or an illness (I've heard nothing to tell me otherwise and I imagine I'm fit and well). Retailing at £8 from Boots I don't necessarily believe that the No7 Ridge Filling Base is worthy of the price tag but I'll persevere and let you know!

First up I tried Nicole by O.P.I. Selena Gomez Nail Polish Pretty in Plum which comes in quite an unconventional shaped bottle. I love quirkiness as much as the next person but unusually shaped bottles make it incredibly difficult to paint ones' nails. Often I paint my nails on my bed and to save me from spilling it all over the bed covers I stand my bottles in a small rubber contraption made by Sally Hansen (which you can view and read about here) which prevents the bottle from tipping. This however it is not true for unusually shaped bottles as I found the bottle of  Nicole by O.P.I. Selena Gomez Nail Polish Pretty in Plum cumbersome to use. My rubber moulding would not even adhere to the shape of the bottle and for this reason I probably won't use  Nicole by O.P.I. Selena Gomez Nail Polish Pretty in Plum very often as it's just so difficult to hold! It's a shame however as I really liked  Nicole by O.P.I Selena Gomez Nail Polish Pretty in Plum. The Pretty in Plum is a dark reddish purple in colour that seemingly changes colour with more applications. I applied  Nicole by O.P.I. Selena Gomez Nail Polish Pretty in Plum and when it goes it onto the nails it looks pink. As  Nicole by O.P.I. Selena Gomez Nail Polish Pretty in Plum dries however it became a burgundy colour and thickened up quite considerably. 

The same however could not be said for Nicole by O.P.I. Nail Polish Make a Change (presented on the right). Again I found the shape of the bottle to be particularly troublesome to use. I had assumed that Make a Change would dry as a lavender colour with a hint of sheen across the nail. Nicole by O.P.I. Nail Polish Make a Change was quite a thin colour and needed at least two applications. As more applications were added the colour developed and became a dark purple almost. I was especially pleased that both nail varnishes seemed to dry instantly which is a definite winner in my books! I really liked the two lacquers from Nicole by O.P.I. but unfortunately the shape of the bottles are difficult to use.

I really liked the O.P.I. coloured lacquers and they both seemed to last for ages! On my beauty haul from The Cosmetics Fairy website I also purchased a black nail varnish by O.P.I. which I'll review in my next post. Let me know what you think. Has anyone had any success with the  No7 Ridge Filling Base? Let me know in the comments below xx

AVON Ultra Colour Lip Crayon in Pouty Plum product review

I recently bought myself yet another a lipstick, (as if I need anymore) but this one was different to all the other colours I have. I was really excited about the AVON Ultra Colour Lip Crayon in Pouty Plum in the October catalogue and I believe if a product generates that much excitement then it would be madness not to buy it. Of course I already have a purple/wine stained lipstick in my make-up bag but what I didn't have, until recently, was a dark purple lip crayon with glitter. Cue the AVON Ultra Colour Lip Crayon in Pouty Plum. I'm not entirely sure how much I paid for the AVON Ultra Colour Lip Crayon in Pouty Plum as I bought a few goodies for myself and Christmas presents. After a quick Google search I can only seem to find the US price (retailing at around $8) but nothing for pounds sterling.

I don't own many lip crayons as I'm always slightly dubious of how they work, after all they're not the conventional lip stick that I'm used to but are instead a crayon, (something that has me immediately thinking of Crayola). I love the tube as it's especially aesthetically pleasing in a long black tube with gold design and purple band around the bottom (which differs depending on the colour/shade you buy). Of course you cannot sharpen lip crayons as they're usually encased in plastic and the bottom twists as a result, so, you'll never run out of your favourite shade. I really liked the colour of the AVON Ultra Colour Lip Crayon in Pouty Plum and the glitter is really noticeable! I actually had a compliment at work about the glitter as it looks really unusual, glitter in a lipstick what is this?!

As I've already determined, and I'm sure you're all aware, a lip crayon differs dramatically with that of a lipstick, in style, in design and application. I prefer the convenience of lipsticks as you can drag them across the lips but this isn't always the case with lip crayons. To apply, I used the AVON Ultra Colour Lip Crayon in Pouty Plum as a lip liner first drawing around my lips to add shape. Next I coloured my lips in rather than applying it as a lipstick. It was especially difficult to drag the AVON Ultra Colour Lip Crayon in Pouty Plum across the lips because of the glitter within the formula. Unfortunately, the AVON Ultra Colour Lip Crayon in Pouty Plum isn't food and drink proof so an application of Lipcote is needed afterwards. I found that although the glitter seemed to collect into patches and remain on my lips throughout the day the actual lipstick colour faded quite easily. When I realised that this had happened a reapplication was essential as the glitter had left my lips looking a little bit wine stained. The Pouty Plum shade is a great colour and looks amazing on pale skin. The glitter also acted as a sort of exfoliator on my lips and when it eventually faded later that night, my lips were noticeably smoother and less cracked. The AVON Ultra Colour Lip Crayon in Pouty Plum is a definite keeper for the party season and the colour really brought out the whites of my eyes and made my teeth look whiter.

I love the AVON Ultra Colour Lip Crayon in Pouty Plum and I'd love to hear what you think about. What's your favourite shade of the AVON Ultra Colour Lip Crayon range? Let me know in the comments below xx

Four product lip liner and lipstick review

I went on a bit of a make up splurge recently and bought myself three new lip liners and a berry lipstick to jump on the vampy lip trend. I've been meaning to buy some lip liners for a while ever since I discovered the MUA caramel nougat lip liner is the perfect accompaniment to my Revlon nude lipstick. I spent a while in Boots colouring my hand in all shades of reds, pinks and purples to help me decide which ones to buy. Admittedly, I looked a little diseased when I went to pay with pink stripes all over my hand (which of course didn't go unnoticed by the sales assistant). After perusing all of the independent make up companies in Boots I eventually decided on the Lasting Finish by Kate Moss Lipstick in Rossetto Number 30, paired with a COLORsensational lip liner in Midnight Plum number 338, a No7 Precision lip liner in pink to compliment my Cherry Pop red Clinique lipstick and L'Oreal Paris Colour Riche Couture Lip Liner Number 258 Berry Blush to compliment my favourite Rimmel London Moisture Renew lipstick in Lily Extase number 340. I've wanted to embrace last year's vampy lip trend for a while but never really had the time or funds to buy everything. I was really pleased with my £20 make up selection and couldn't wait to try them out.

                                 
                                                            
First up was the Lasting Finish by Kate Moss Lipstick in Rossetto Number 30 (retailing at £5.49), paired with a COLORsensational lip liner in Midnight Plum number 338 retailing at around £3.99. The Lasting Finish by Kate Moss Lipstick in Rossetto Number 30 had a nice creamy texture when I applied it to my hand unlike many of the other purple or plum lipsticks which were greasy and slippery. I was always told when I was younger that to get your perfect shade you should try it on your hand to see if the colour matches your skin tone. I've since learnt that this isn't an accurate method of trying new lipsticks out as the skin on your hand is different to that on your face (you might be more tanned on your hands for example). Ideally you're supposed to place the lipstick up to your lips so you can see if the colour compliments your face. You might look a bit odd doing this in the middle of Boots though and as I had a nude lip when I was trying out colours I couldn't do this little tip. I really liked the coloured sticker on the tube for the Lasting Finish by Kate Moss Lipstick in Rossetto Number 30 and it looks purple when you push it up. I applied the COLORsensational lip liner in Midnight Plum number 338 first which was a bit trickier than my usual caramel nougat lip liner. You really have to take your time when applying a coloured lip liner and it took me a couple of attempts to get it perfect. Initially, I'd invariably drawn on the skin around my lip so the colours didn't quite match up at first. The COLORsensational lip liner in Midnight Plum number 338 turned out to be the perfect compliment to Lasting Finish by Kate Moss Lipstick in Rossetto Number 30. As for the lipstick I was unsure at first whether I liked it but after I wore it a few more times I really liked it. However, I managed to unwillingly pick up the same shade of lipstick that my mam wears which really brings out the red in her hair but it seemed to just wash me out at first. The Lasting Finish by Kate Moss Lipstick in Rossetto Number 30 is more a reddy purple than a true plum colour which I was led to believe going off the sticker on the tube. It took a little bit of getting use to as the Lasting Finish by Kate Moss Lipstick in Rossetto Number 30 is really quite dark. It looked a little too wine stained at first for my liking. I would strongly advise using this lipstick or similar shades with freshly whitened teeth. My teeth aren't exactly gross but nor are they shiny pearly whites so the Lasting Finish by Kate Moss Lipstick in Rossetto Number 30 made my teeth look grey in comparison. I found that it depends on the shade of foundation as to how the lipstick compliments the skin tone and the more I wore it the more I liked the Rossetto Kate Moss lipstick. I've worn the Lasting Finish by Kate Moss Lipstick in Rossetto Number 30 a few times now and I really like the colour of this lipstick. The rich plum colour lasts ages and it looks really striking on. I love the Lasting Finish by Kate Moss Lipstick in Rossetto Number 30 and the COLORsensational lip liner in Midnight Plum number 338 sets the colour off perfectly.

Next I tried the No7 Precision lip liner in fire paired with my favourite Rimmel London Moisture Renew lipstick in Lily Extase number 340. The lip liner is the perfect shade for to compliment my lipstick which I was really surprised with given that my lipstick is years old. I assumed that as the No7 Precision lip liner in fire was a precision liner it would be easier to apply to my lips. The lip liner is pointed at the tip to aid for precision but I actually found that it made it harder to apply. I somehow managed to miss a section of my lip when I applied it which was made more obvious by the strange outlined shape of my lip when I filled it in with the colour of the lipstick. The lip liner set the colour of the lipstick off and although it's fiddly to use at first I really liked the design of the lip liner. Unfortunately the two together didn't last very long after eating and drinking but when it was first on the lips both colours looked really bright and popping. I've previously reviewed my favourite lipstick which you can read about here so this review was more so focused on the No7 Precision lip liner in fire. Priced at £6.75 it's a perfect little lip liner the only downside is that it can't be sharpened.

Lastly, I tried the L'Oreal Paris Colour Riche Couture Lip Liner Number 258, Berry Blush alongside my Elizabeth Arden Moisturising Lipstick in Bold Red 41 Matt. I went to a Gatsby themed party recently and I had all of my accessories planned including my lipstick and make up look. I had intended to use my Cherry Pop Red Clinique lipstick that night but I had unfortunately misplaced it. My back up plan was to use my Elizabeth Arden Moisturising Lipstick in Bold Red 41 Matt which you can read about here. I won't go into too much detail about the Elizabeth Arden Moisturising Lipstick in Bold Red 41 Matt but I was constantly reapplying it on the night. After drinks and food my lipstick slipped off and it was a constant battle to maintain the red colour. I had even blotted my lips together at the start of the night, applied the L'Oreal Paris Colour Riche Couture Lip Liner Number 258, Berry Blush and applied Lipcote to seal the colour in. Although the lipstick seemed to stay put it wasn't as bright and popping as I would have liked. As a result of this constant slippage the L'Oreal Paris Colour Riche Couture Lip Liner Number 258, Berry Blush wore off fairly quickly. Priced at £3.99 the L'Oreal Paris Colour Riche Couture Lip Liner Number 258, Berry Blush was the most aesthetically pleasing with the pink snakeskin pattern on the pencil. Despite the bright pink pencil I was pleasantly surprised to find that the L'Oral Paris Colour Riche Couture Lip Liner Number 258, Berry Blush is the perfect compliment for my orangey red lipsticks. I've yet to try the L'Oreal Paris Colour Riche Couture Lip Liner Number 258, Berry Blush with my Cherry Pop red Clinique lipstick which I will do at some point and alter this review.

      

  
I really liked all three lip-liners but found that the COLORsensational lip liner in Midnight Plum number 338 went on much easier than the other two that I tried out. I have since found out that it is easier to apply lipliner by moving the head with the pencil rather than drawing an outline of my lips. My arms shake a lot and I find it much easier to move my head with the pencil rather than draw it in as I often miss sections of my lips doing it this way. Applying lip liner takes a bit of time and practice so it's best to apply it when you have a bit of time and not rushing around

Let me know what you thought of this multi-product review in the comments below xx