Fantastically Fake: Nails

For the past couple of months i've tried out a range of fake nails from the cheapest to the semi designer, to see if it's worth investing on nails that you'll only wear for a day. I was originally going to do a post on "The perfect nails for summer" but since there were so many brands and price rangers to choose from it made me curious to know if there is a dramatic difference between them all. 

Being a fake nail virgin, it was difficult to choose what nails to test but I eventually decided upon the brands Primark, Boots own, House Of Holland and Ted Baker. Although there are many more brands out there, this selection gives me a good range to test out and see if I love them or hate them. 

Primark: £1.00

Brought from: Primark

When I first saw these £1 nails I was a little taken back and to tell you the truth they are what gave me the idea of making a post on nails. But although you're saving money, you are giving up quality. They were extremely plasticy (I know they are supposed to be plastic but I don't want people to know they're fake!) Although I filed them down quite a bit, they still looked and felt like claws. They made the simplest things such as changing clothes a difficult task. Removing them was a messy process as they became very slimy but only took about 2 minuets for each hand to come off. 

Boots Own: £5.50

Brought from: Boots

The next cheapest brand I could find was Boots Own and being 5x more expensive I had higher hopes for them. But they were rather disappointing, filing them was difficult and made them lose their smoothness and shininess (WORD OF WARNING: don't attempt to cut the nails down once you've stuck them on because they will be ruined!) but the colour looked very similar to nail polish, so at first sight people won't notice they're fake. They were much longer than I expected and trying to type out a text took a lot of patience! They were also very hard to remove as the glue was so strong which is good for keeping them on longer. 

Ted Baker: £8.00

Brought from: Boots

Ted Baker is what i'd call semi designer because its not as expensive as brands like Prada and Gucci but it is still very well known and has a good reputation. So when I saw that they did a fake nail collection the glamor girl inside of me squealed with excitement. It means you can be a part of the Ted Baker society without spending a lot. There is really nothing bad to say about these nails, they are the perfect size, they are very natural looking and I was very comfortable wearing them for over 3 days. But if I must critique these perfect nails the only thing I can say is that the glue wasn't as strong as other brands. The nails didn't stick as quickly as others so make sure you hold them down for about 10 seconds on each nail. My thumb nail came loose after the second day but after a quick glue fix it stayed in place for another day. 

House Of Holland £8.99

Brought from: Boots

Since all the nails I previously tried on were square I decided to step out my comfort zone and try the new craze of pointy nails that all the celebrities are sporting. Before putting them on I was worried that they'd be very impractical and since I didn't like the primark and boots own nails for being long these would be worse. But I was very surprised, although they're long they felt extremly comfortable as well as looking super cute (who wouldn't want mini ice creams all over their fingers?!) They came with a free nail file which was thoughtful of them, the glue was also super strong so they almost instantly stuck onto my natural nail and stayed put all day.  

Overall my two favorite brands would have to be Ted Baker and House Of Holland because they looked gorgeous and were very simple and comfortable to work with. While Boots Own and Primark were still pretty but too uncomfortable and impractical to wear for longer than a day. So yes I would agree that spending that bit more gives you better looking nails. 

What's your opinion on fake nails? Love them or hate them? xx 

5 Bikinis You Need For Summer

Summer is just brushing against our fingertips and I can't wait! With this fabulous weather England is having (teasing us), It's the perfect time to get out your summer wardrobe and get organized for the holidays.

With summer comes beach trips and pool parties. Every girl needs the perfect bikini but lets be honest, one is never enough. So I have come up with a list of the essential bikini styles you need for every summer holiday occasion. 

1. A Neon 

For those late night pool parties, this bikini will keep you glowing under the moonlight all night. The contrast of the bright colours against your skin will also make your tan look darker. 

2. Animal Print 
This bikini make sure you rock up to the beach in style and looking as sexy as ever,  unleash your wild side as animal prints are so in this season.

3. A Classy One 
You never know when you're going to have a summer fling and dive into the unknown, so this bikini is for those last minuet dates to keep you looking sexy and sophisticated.  

4. Tie Dye 
Tie Dye is always in during the summertime, the mixture of colours makes your bikini stand out and look oh so Coachella. 

5. Frills 

Now this bikini may look a little boring compared to the rest, but frills are extremely flattering and will make your boobs look a cup size bigger. Now thats impressive. 

Happy Shopping xx 

Beauty Care for Long Haul Flights

 Traveling on planes is never fun it's draining and uncomfortable, being sat in the same seat with minimal space for long periods of time. Even though i've spent a lot of my life on planes i've still not gotten used to the dry air and claustrophobic atmosphere. Since I'm traveling 15 hours tomorrow back to Hong Kong for spring break,  I thought i'd let you in on my tricks and advice to make your flight more comfortable. 

It's all about packing a well prepared and helpfully makeup bag, avoid over packing it though because you don't want you hand luggage being too heavy. Only bring your essential products and pack the rest carefully in your suitcase. I'm sure you can survive half a day without your favorite eyeshadow palette. 

Pre flight, only apply minimal make up such as power rather than foundation, as it tends to lay heavy on your skin, this allows your face to keep as much moisture as possible while flying. Eye liner and mascara don't effect your skin so it's okay to apply as much as you need. Or to make you feel even better don't wear make up at all, unless you're planning to join the mile high club. 

Always pack and apply moisturizers throughout the flight as it makes you feel much better and prevents your skin from drying out and cracking. Also a nice smelling hand cream helps to relax you and make you feel that tiny bit more at home. 

Keeping your lips moist is just as important as your skin, if your lips dry out it could lead to them tearing and possibly bleeding throughout the flight. 

Buying mini versions of all your favorite products saves you for lugging around heavy bottles and means you can bring liquids through customs if they are 100ml or less. 

Deodorant is a must on long flights (you really don't want to smell) I prefer to use the roll on so you an apply it quickly and secretly in your seat rather than making the whole cabin smell like you.

A comb is so much easier to carry compared to a hair brush and trust me you will need it! I always wake up with my hair sticking up in all sorts of angles...not a good look. 

Hope these tips help you feel better about flying, happy holidays everyone! xx

Be Brave, Wear Yellow!

Summer fashion is all about bright colours, bold patterns and keeping cool. This season is no different, with pastel pinks, bright whites and lemon yellows taking over our stores. Designers experiment and have fun with their designs, making us feel sexy and confident in the sun.

Personally I find it hard to think fashionably in the summer, because the heat just makes me throw on a tank top and some shorts. But this year there are some gorgeous simple summer outfits to keep you cool and stylish. 

Here are some of my top yellow looks from this years spring/ summer collection

Collette Dinniga 2014

Moschino Cheap&Chic 2014

Jonathan Saunders 2014

Yellow is an extremely hard colour to pull off especially if you have pale skin, which usually puts me off even looking at anything yellow in stores. But this summer I thought i'd give it a go, using Jonathan Saunders idea of paring a yellow top and black skirt together. Although this doesn't give you the typical  summer look, the black brightens the yellow making it the perfect combination.

I decided to do a little photo shoot to show you my black and yellow combination that is perfect for cold english summers. 

Nail Polish: Electric Yellow from Maybelline 

Shoes: from International 

Top: River Island, Skirt: New Look

I hope this post gives you some outfit inspiration, be brave and wear yellow! I'm trying to do more fashion based posts so tell me what you think xx 

Oliver Goldsmith's Sunglass Collection

 I'm very much not a history person, but when it comes to fashion history i'll make an exception. I find it fascinating to know where all our outfit inspiration and designs come from and whether the past has helped shape our style choices today. So when I discovered this hidden gem of a collection in the building next to my university I couldn't wait to take my camera out and show you guys some of the dazzling glasses featured in the mini museum. 

Oliver Goldsmith was a very popular family-run glasses business in the 20th century, stars such as Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly were renowned for wearing their glasses. He was the first person to see sunglasses as an extra fashion accessory, which is why his deigns are so flamboyant and unique compared to sunglasses we have today. He worked alongside designer brands such as Dior and Givenchy to produce beautiful and unusual statement pieces, which got him featured multiple times in Vogue. Take a look! 

As much as these are beautiful, I don't think i'd ever have the courage to actually wear them, but they are very pretty to look at. 

The address for this mini museum is:
Liberty Way, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear SR6 oGL, United Kingdom 

What do you think about this collection, to extreme or the perfect statement piece? Thank you for reading xx 

How To Get Easy Wavy Volumized Hair

 I'm one of those girls who has to suffer with naturally straight hair, especially in winter. Although it's some peoples dream to have straight hair, it does get boring after a while. I also can't really be bothered spending hours curling, teasing and putting all sorts of chemicals in my hair to make it do something. But I have now discovered a new hair routine that only needs 3 tools, 2 brushes and a hair dryer!

 I decided to try out Aussie shampoo and conditioner because not only have I heard great things about the company but also because they have so many unique treatments for all types of hair (trust me, they work wonders!)  I picked up the "Luscious Long Conditioner" as I have been having trouble keeping the ends of my hair moist and smooth, so a deep condition will do them some good. I also got the "Aussome Volume Shampoo" a shampoo that comes with cheesy jokes, what more could you want? These products were wonderful to use in the shower, they smell delicious and lather up very well. 

Once finished in the shower towel dry your hair and begin to blow dry the ends before gathering your  tools (A brushs and hair dryer). First brush out all the knots and tangles out your hair using just your normal hair brush. Then with a small curling brush, brush down the front and back of your hair making sure you puff out your damp hair and add a little volume.

Then twist handfuls of your hair around the brush and begin drying it in place, continue to do this all over your hair until its (almost) completely dry. This helps your hair to collect air which gives you a fuller, wavy and volumized look.

Once your hair is dry give it a last shake and push with your hands and a once over with the curling brush to make sure its the way you want it, before applying hair spray to make sure your hair stays volumized and beautiful all day. 

AND VUALA!
Your hair will look naturally wavy and a whole lot thicker to give you the luscious hair you've always dreamed of, without all the hassle of going to a salon or using heated tools!

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial, i've never written something like this before so I hope it was helpful xx

Review: Barry M Matte Nail Polish

Having never really been a fan of Barry M nail polishes, I was reluctant to purchase the new matte line that they came out with. But with a "buy one get one half price" offer at Boots, I thought why not give them a go? This wasn't just a random purchase, I have been looking for matte nail polish since I saw Kim Kardashian's Instagram of her black matte nails. What put me off Barry M nail polish originally was that I found the consistency of the polish thick, gooey and cheap. That fact that they sell themselves as "the cheapest drugstore nail polish" doesn't help my case. 

But I was relatively surprised by the quality and look of their matte collection. I brought 2 out of the 5 colours in the collection, Crush and Mocha. 

Left: Crush, Right: Mocha

The nail polish gives you a smooth matte finish every time, is quick drying and doesn't chip easily which is everything you want in a polish. The colours are also bold and because of the matte finish you don't need a top coat. At just £3.99 each these polishes are a real bargain!

(I applied just 2 coats of each nail polish to produce the colours in the photos below. )

Crush

This beautiful deep red wine colour stands out without being to bright. It makes your nails look classy and sophisticated without needing to visit a nail salon. The only downfall with this colour is that if you make a mistake it will slightly stain your skin so you need to clean it up asap! 

Mocha


This colour is gorgeous for a simple tidy look, although it looks more like a cappuccino than a mocha. Since this colour is so light you can add more layers to produce a darker effect but its a great colour to have for the winter but also for spring as its so light. 

I would strongly advise you the purchase these nail polishes if you're looking for a matte finish or just something new to add to your own collection xx