Nail of the day: Barry M Gelly Hi Shine Nail Paint in Grapefruit

This gorgeous gel nail varnish from Barry M is the ultimate girly shade. With high shine and vibrant colour it will certainly draw compliments from all those around you.

Get Ready With Me | Christmas Day 2015

Okay so we're a few days out of Christmas now but in keeping with the theme of my Get Ready With Me video I'm keeping things festive. Here's a quick snapshot into the makeup I wore on Christmas day and the lovely dress I wore. Please be aware it's quiet as I have to use my phone so don't have anything to turn the sound up. Enjoy!

Create a Treat Gingerbread House Kit from Asda review

Last Sunday I felt a little creative and was excited to make the Gingerbread House I got in this fabulous kit from Asda.

The house is really easy to recreate as everything is prebaked and ready to go. Inside I found pre-baked gingerbread cookies, pre-made white icing and sweets to decorate. The  set also contained a handy little stand to put the house on to keep it all together.

There were instructions on the back which were easy to follow and I quickly put my house together. Decorating the roof was easy but gravity made decorating the front of the house much harder and I was annoyed to see my icing dropping off my windows. Unfortunately it's very difficult to make your house look like the one on the box!

I had fun making the gingerbread house and I think this is a really fun group activity. The only downside I would say is I am unsure of the strength of the icing. I tried to enter the house into a bake off competition but after driving to work the whole thing fell apart!

Overall this is a super easy house to make which looks fantastic.

Available for £4 in all good Asda stores or online

Sequaderma Anti Ageing and Thinning Skin Cream review after 8 weeks

Sequadermas Anti Ageing and Thinning skin cream promised to reduce wrinkles by 100%, smooth skin by 100%, plump skin by 100% and leave skin 100% healthier.

A lot of the serums skin promises would not have much effect as I do feel my skin looks quite healthy, smooth and plump. In view of the products claim to reduce wrinkles I was however hoping it would have some sort of impact on my fine lines as wrinkles are of course a lot more intense then fine lines.

After 8 weeks I would have to say I didn't notice any difference in the intensity of the fine lines and frown lines in between my eyes. I have to say that is pretty disappointing considering the 100% improvement promise.

Women in the older age range who find their skin has started to sag due to lack of collagen may find a lot more benefit in Sequaderma Anti Ageing and Thinning Skin cream. For younger people I have to say in my experience it will have little effect.

For my age range I give it 1/5

UltraDex tooth whitening toothpaste results after 14 days

UltraDex whitening toothpaste promised to whiten teeth within 14 days by gently oxidising organic stains to reveal the true brightness of your teeth.

Over 14 days later how did it perform?

Ultimately I have to say I'm not overly impressed. In the before picture my teeth actually look brighter then the after (although that is probably the light).

As the toothpaste doesn't foam the paste quickly runs out and it doesn't feel like you get as good a clean as you would with normal toothpaste. Whilst I did mention this in the initial review it did become a little annoying over the testing period.

Whilst the toothpaste is £8.20 at Boots which is quite expensive, you can shop around and get it for the price of a average toothpaste if you really want to try it. It's available for £3.99 at Weldricks 

Overall I have to say I didn't notice any difference from this toothpaste and I wouldn't buy it again. In my opinion the strips are the best way to whiten your teeth.

I give it 1/5

What do you think? Have you tried Ultradex Whitening Toothpaste? Do let me know in the comments below!

Avoid expensive car costs this Christmas with Buycarparts.co.uk

With everything a woman has to face in a  modern world life can be very busy. Juggling work with your social life and possibly child care is hard on a good day but when your car starts to play up it can be near impossible. A car is often the vital component in keeping everything running smoothly and getting everything to its right place at the right time. So when things do go wrong, what can you do? Buycarparts is a online car marketplace that is here to help.

Buycarparts.co.uk is the ultimate go to place for any car part that may need replacing. The website offers the most competitive prices on the market by comparing its prices against others to ensure they can offer the best quote. They offer parts for a wide range of brands including top sellers like Ford, Vauxhall, BMW, Mercedes Benz, Audi amongst other more obscure brands.

www.bestpartstore.co.uk
So when your cars brake pads run out or your exhaust needs replacing avoid heading to the garage in the first instance. Often the garage will charge more to source the parts including their hourly rate. Buycarparts will give you the best experience and you'll know from the start that you'll not being charged more then the face value of the cost of fixing your car.

So with Christmas barely a week away don't be left in the cold if your car breaks down over the busy holiday period. Keep Buycarparts in mind and don't end up with empty pockets.

Remove nail varnish with ease with Magis Easy Soak Nail Removal Kit

The Hype
Applying nail varnish is fun and can leave your nails looking great. Removing nail varnish is not so fun and at times can be quite tricky to remove if the varnish is stubborn. The Magis Easy Soak Gel Nail kit is the professional and healthy way to soak off gel and nail polishes. The product uses foil nail wraps which are placed over the finger to remove nail varnish.

The Lowdown
To remove the nail varnish you apply acetone to the pad on the wrap and then wrap it around your nail like a plaster. It can take 5 to 10 minutes for the wrap to have its full effect which in consideration is quite a long time, especially if you're in a rush. If you're not a fan of scrubbing your nails to get rid of the varnish this is probably more your bag, but if you just like to get the job done quickly then you may get frustrated with this product.

I poured acetone onto the pad on the wrap then folded it around my finger and left it for 5 minutes. When it was time to take it off I was pleasantly surprised to see that not even a scrap of varnish remained. I wouldn't say this was the most time saving of products but it definitely works and would be good for a spa or relaxation day when you just want to kick back and relax.

Get it for £12.88 at Amazon 

I give it 3/5

Advantages

• Easy to use
• Removes all the nail varnish in the specified time frame

Disadvantages

• Slow way of removing nail varnish
• Still needs to be used with acetone to remove the polish so you're not really missing out any steps.

OPI Autumn/Winter 2015 Venice Collection Review

Christmas is under two weeks away and there's still so much excitement and partying to cram in. Perfect to compliment that gorgeous party dress is four of the exquisite nail varnishes from OPIs Venice collection for Autumn/Winter 2015. The four on trend colours come exclusively in the OPI Little Bambinos Mini pack.  Inside you'll find:

• A Great Opera-tunity
• Worth a Pretty Penne
• Amore at the Grand Canal
• My Gondola or Yours?

The Lowdown
I was approached by Just My Look to give these stunning nail varnishes a review. The set contains four mini nail varnishes and has a range of matte and shimmery finishes.A Great Opera-tunity, Amore at the Grand Canal and My Gondola or Yours? are all very matte whilst Worth a Pretty Penne stands out as a shimmery copper. The matte effect is very visible when applied to the nail and I love the shimmer that Worth a  Pretty Penne has. I don't normally like black shades but My Gondola or Yours has a very polished, very shiny finish that looks great. My least favourite would have to be A Great Opera-tunity as the colour appears quite flat.

At £9.95 (RRP £11.95) this is a great value set that will get your nails looking right on trend this winter.

Get it for £9.95 at Just My Look  (currently sold out)

I give it 4/5

Proto-col the skincare award winner brings out a natural mineral makeup range

Proto-col cosmetics is a brand new makeup range that works in harmony with your skin to produce a flawless finish whilst helping to prove skin breakouts. The unique formula helps to restore your skin's natural pH balance whilst improving skin hydration.

The cosmetics range is derived with the knowledge and expertise gained from Proto-Col's skincare range. The range contains a number of natural ingredients such as Jojoba, Safflower, Lavender, Green Tea, Rosemary and Magnolia Bark that work together to provide a allergen free, skin calming products. The range currently has 14 new products suitable for the eyes lips and face.

The Lowdown
For the purpose of the review I'm testing the Mineral Cream Blush, Baked Mineral Colour Correct and Baked Mineral Foundation.

Mineral Cream Blush £19.95
The mineral cream blush is one of the newest additions to the Proto-col range. The blush is a cream to powder formulation that is enriched with antioxidant rosemary lean and skin protecting jojoba seed oil.The blusher applies really easily and sinks quickly into the skin.The blush doesn't have a huge amount of pigment and the finish is very light and very natural looking. If you prefer a very obvious blush look this probably isn't right for you. It transforms into a powder finish very quickly and has a great polished look.

I give it 3/5

Get it here

Advantages

• Enriched with skin caring properties such as rosemary leaf and jojoba seed oil
• Gives a natural flush of colour

Disadvantages

• Little expensive

Baked Mineral Colour Correct £27.95
The Baked Mineral Colour Correct uses a combination of colours to counteract the effects of tired looking sallow skin. The product contains a combination of hypoallergenic and anti-inflammatory ingredients including lavender, green tea, thyme, rosemary and magnolia bark which work at reducing redness and brightening tired skin.

• The yellow helps to counteract purple and discolouration under the eyes (dark circles and pigmentation)
• The green can help to minimise redness (rosacea, blemishes and distended capillaries)
• The lilac can stabilise yellow skin (sallow skin and yellow bruises) 
• White and pink can brighten skin and help to refract the light away from imperfections such as scars.

The powder can be used under or on top of makeup for a flawless finish. I chose to use it on top of my makeup as I like to use a powder to set my makeup in place. Whilst I didn't feel the Mineral Colour Correct had a massive impact, it did help to add a really polished smooth finish on my makeup. A great powder for setting your makeup whilst being kind to your skin.

I give it 3/5

Get it here

Advantages

• Has a range of different colours to offset skin flaws such as dark circles
• Gives a polished, smooth finish
• Helps to set your makeup
• Kind to the skin

Disadvantages

• Could be considered very expensive for those watching the pennies

Baked Mineral Foundation £27.95
The foundation is created with a blend of high quality minerals and natural ingredients to deliver flawless coverage whilst protecting and repairing the skin. It comes in three shades that use light refracting technology to hide a number of skin blemishes or flaws.

The technology adapts to the skin's unique tone which allows for seamless coverage to suit most skin types. The three shades available are Dover, Tuscan and Moroccan.I initially didn't feel this foundation would suit me as I wasn't keen on the powder consistency. I applied it with a foundation brush and it adhered to the brush better than I thought it would. It applies like a dream and there is no caking that you can get with some powder foundations. I have a bit of a rash near my chin at the moment and a lot of normal foundations can really irritate it. The Baked Mineral Foundation was amazing at really covering the redness up without causing any irritation. The foundation really brightened up my skin and was reasonably good at covering other blemishes like dark circles. It has a medium matte coverage and is not too heavy. The only downside I found, despite the shade being the lightest available was that it made my concealer look very bright!

A great foundation which is easy to apply, has decent coverage and is surprisingly good at covering redness. A great product for those with bad skin.

I give it 4/5

Get it here 

Advantages

• The foundations adapts to different skin tones so it will be suitable for most despite only being available in three shades
• Mica helps to minimise fine lines
• Natural ingredients
• Brightens the skin giving it a lovely glow
• Covers redness with ease 
• Not too heavy

Disadvantages

• None that I can see

Stocking fillers for her under £5

Christmas can be a expensive time of year, especially with all the gifts you have to buy for those close to you. You can ensure you don't break the bank this Christmas and still surprise the female in your life with these great value stocking fillers which are all under £5!

1. Photo Coaster £4.99 
Make your dinners fun with customised coasters.

2. Ice cream pen lipgloss  £1.99
Who doesn't love a product that can multitask? This fabulous ice cream lipgloss doubles up as a pen so you can stay pretty whilst working hard.

3. Pearl Nail Art Set £2.99
Get accessorising this Christmas with this cute pearl nail art set.

4. Studio Day to Night Makeup Kit £4.00
Transform your look from day to night with this cute Studio Day to Night makeup set.

5, Vanilla Candle £4.99
Make your home smell amazing with this gorgeous French Vanilla candle.

6. Cadburys Milk Tray £2.00
It wouldn't be Christmas without a box of chocolates. Treat someone you love or yourself with these yummy Cadburys Milk Tray chocolates.

7. Fox Gloves £3.00
Don't let the hands go without this winter. These cute fox gloves will keep your hands feeling toasty.

8. Dove Beauty Gift Set £2.50
This Dove Real Beauty Gift set is amazing value at only £2.50 (currently on sale). Nourish your skin and leave it smelling amazing with these Dove Purely Pampering body washes.

9. Blossom Scented Tea Lights £4.99
This gorgeous floral candle is perfect for adding a splash of colour to any room.They smell amazing too and evoke memories of a summers fday. Perfect to while away those winter evenings.

10, Heart Shaped Bath Bombs £3.99
Soak your stresses away with this cute heart shaped bath bombs.

Festive chocolates to make with the kids

With Christmas just around the corner I wanted to treat you to this super easy guide to creating yummy Christmas sweet treats. These Christmas themed chocolates are really easy to make with any shop bought chocolate that you can melt down and a silicone mould with festive shapes. I found mine on Living Social for just £1 (billy bargain!) but there's loads available on Ebay.

1. First grab your chocolate, place it into a bowl
2. Place the bowl on top of a saucepan full of boiling water.
3. Leave it to melt fully, stirring out any lumps. You should be left with liquid like chocolate.
4. Pour into your moulds
5. Enjoy!

How to keep the kids occupied this Christmas

The run up to Christmas is a really exciting time for kids with all the bright lights, activities and Santa's upcoming visit. Whilst there's so much to see and do sometimes you just have a gap and that means the kids will get bored. Why not get busy with the kids in the kitchen and create Melted snowmen cookies, they're a fun treat to create that will please any palette. Even if you don't have kids you can whip a batch up to impress your friends at work.

You will need the following:
Icing sugar
Chocolate chip cookie mix (or make them the old fashioned way)
Different coloured icing
Water
Marshmallows

1. To start I added 2 tablespoons of water to the already made cookie mix.
2. Spoon onto ungreased baking trays and pop into a pre-heated oven at 180 degree centigrade. (Whatever you do don't put it on at 200 or your cookies will burn)
3. Let the cookies cool down
4. Whilst your cookies are cooling down pop a fair amount of the icing sugar into the bowl and pour in a small amount of water. Ideally you should measure this but if you're careful and add a small amount of water your icing will be the right consistency.
5. Spread the icing fully onto the cookie so it looks like melted snow
6. Add a white marshmallow to the top of the cookie
7. Get your icing and carefully pipe a line around the marshmallow crossing over so it looks like a scarf
8. Grab some black icing and use a small nozzle to pipe small arms and buttons
9. Using the same nozzle pipe two eyes and a mouth
10. Finally use the red icing (or orange if you have it) to create a little nose

Get perfect brows in under 2 minutes with Wunderbrow

The Hype
Do you want perfect brows in just 2 minutes?

Wunderbrow is the 2 minute revolutionary gel on the market that creates natural looking perfectly shaped eyebrows that lasts for days.

The product is completely safe and in just one step you can hide hair loss and create a whole new eyebrow shape. The formula contains an exclusive brand of hair-like fibres, combined with specially treated pigmented which fasten onto the skin and hair. The  Hair Fibre Complex is then fused into a perma fix gel that creates a flexible matrix locking natural colour and hair onto your brows. It's currently available in four shades; brunette, dark brown/black, blonde and auburn.


The Lowdown
Generally speaking my eyebrows have quite a nice shape, although there are a few gaps that make them look a bit sparse. I've tried  a few brow liners and whilst some of them are pretty good it'll be great to have something that lasts for days.

In the box there is a gel and a separate mascara wand. To use you simply apply the gel onto your brows and then spread it on using the brush. Wunderbrow is really easy to use and takes such little time to get the perfect brows. I used the gel to fill in the gaps on my brows and I was really pleased with how natural the finished look was.

Whilst the available shades are quite limited it is a great product that is really easy to use and creates a natural look.

I give it 4/5

Available for £19.95 at Boots 

Advantages

• Create a new shape and hide hair less in under 2 minutes
• Lasts for days
• Natural looking
• Really easy to use

Disadvantages

• Limited shades

What do you think? Have you tried Wunderbrow?

Keep your hair looking glossy this winter with Aussise Winter Miracle Shampoo and Conditioner

The Hype
Winter is great on many levels. You get to go to as many Christmas and New Year parties as your heart desires, you can kiss under the mistletoe and glow in the warmth of that unexpected gift. Whilst winter is a season of fun and festivities the cold weather can also cause havoc with your hair as the dropping temperatures cause frizzy fly aways.

When winter really gets its claws in, the chill can cause us to turn up our heating resulting in hair becoming dull and dry.

Give that beanie hat the heave ho by trying out the new Aussie Winter Miracle collection. The collection uses gloss boosting properties of Miracle Shine to restore the moisture in your hair and transform winter ravaged hair into glossy, smooth frizz free locks. It is formulated with a rich blend that utilises Australian Ginseng and a dusting of pearl powder (yes really!) which cares for dry hair and smoothes the cuticles giving your hair back its natural sparkle.

Included in the range is:

• Aussie Winter Miracle Shampoo 300ml £4.19 at Boots 
• Aussie Winter Miracle Conditioner 200ml £4.19 at Boots 
• Aussie Three Minute Miracle Winter Deep Treatment 250ml £4.99 at Boots 
• Winter Miracle Dry Shampoo 180ml £4.71 at Boots 

The Lowdown
For the purpose of the review I'm testing Aussie Winter Miracle Shampoo and Conditioner. The weather has been quite kind to us down South so my hair isn't looking too bad, although it can always be glossier. The shampoo and conditioner like pretty much all Aussie products smell simply delightful and left my hair smelling amazing and good enough to eat. Both products were easy to use although I did need the conditioner to detangle my hair after using the shampoo.

Along with the shampoo and condition I also used VO5 Smoothly Does It and Redken Extreme Lengths Sealer as I used these in the before photo. I didn't really notice any increase in glossiness but my hair was generally soft, smooth and easy to manage.

I give it 3/5

Advantages

• Smells amazing
• Great high street prices 
• Leaves hair smooth and soft

Disadvantages 

• No increase in glossiness

Skin Chemists Bee Venom Review

The Hype
Are you fed up of tired looking eyes that make you look older then you actually are? Skin Chemists Bee Venom eye serum has a cocktail of active ingredients which are focused on smoothing, lifting and firming the delicate eye area.

Bee Venom eye serum is designed to inhibit muscles around your eyes for immediate lifting, tightening and firming effects. The venom works effectively to plump the skin preventing unwanted drooping around the eye area. It works in combination with Gransil DMCM-5, Hyaluronic Acid and Eyeseryl for smoother and brighter skin.

The Lowdown
I've seen quite a few skin products with Bee Venom in and I've seen the hype at how effective the venom is on various skin ailments. I've always been a bit sceptical about how effective they are and with the price of some products I've steered clear. When I tweeted a skin problem to Skin Chemists they recommended Bee Venom Eye Serum to me and said it would really help to reduce dark circles. Having tried pretty much everything else I was interested to see if Bee Venom works.

The Bee Venom works to stimulate collagen in the skin by tricking it into responding to a bee sting. The circulation in that area is increased which results in a brighter, revitalised skin. Manuka Honey is utilised to soothe skin and give it a smoother appearance.

The serum is very thick and has the resemblance of a cream. I did find the bottle a little annoying as the pump seems to get stuck and pumps out a big blob which can go to waste. The serum sinks into the cream really easily and I didn't notice any tingling or any unwelcome side effects.

After use I didn't notice too much of a difference but I hope it will have more of a effect over time. I give it 3/5

The eye serum is £115 for 8ml online 

Advantages

• Absorbs into the skin quickly

Disadvantages

• Quite expensive
• No instant effects
• Bottle pump seems to get stuck so you lose more product than you intend to