Festive nails!

Being a Beauty Therapist, I can obviously do my nails whenever I want, the downside being that I get bored very quickly with them! Last Christmas I had red glitter on all my nails-

I decided this year to have a black and gold theme, just finishing them right before this blog post! I use the Orly Gel Fx gel nail polish system on myself and my clients. At first I wasn't too sure about it as I love OPI polishes and felt bad for using a different brand but now I'm used to it, I really enjoy using it. 

It's so easy to use and the kit contains an LED lamp which only takes 30 seconds to cure each step. After shaping my nails and wiping them with the cleanser, I applied the primer to the tips of my nails and cured them for 30 seconds, followed by the basecoat. I then brushed them down and applied the colours I had chosen and pressed loose glitter onto the tips, my thumbnails and ring fingernails and sealed it all with two coats of topcoat. They now look like this ...

I'm soooo pleased with this design and I'm sure my clients will want something similar when they see mine! It's an easy design but really sparkles in the light and I can't wait to show them off over Christmas and the new year! 

Xx

A Belated Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone! Yes I'm late as usual, it's been a hectic but lovely few days and I've just been so busy that I haven't got round to writing this post until now, sorryyyyyy! Christmas this year has been a little different, we are staying with a friend for a couple of months while we hopefully buy a house so things have been a little more complicated than usual. Christmas Day was spent with my dad, sister and boyfriend at my dads house. I took our two cats with us as it wasn't feasible to leave them at my friends house so it took a lot of packing and unpacking of my car all for one day and one night, more stressful than I thought it would be! Boxing Day was back at my friends house followed by an evening at my aunt and uncles house for food and a fair bit of alcohol! After a nice lay in yesterday morning, we went over to friends of ours who announced they are expecting a baby! We are so excited for them and it means we have 4 friends due between jan and August next year so it will be crazy I think! One of my friends gave birth the Sunday before Christmas and had a little boy so I have also been seeing him a lot. If that wasn't enough excitement, we are back over to my aunt and uncles house tomorrow for a lovely roast and more drink! I hope you all had a great Christmas Day and got everything you wanted from Santa. I will soon be posting the presents I received and look forward to reading your Christmas posts 

Xx

My Christmas list for Father Christmas!!

It's nearly Christmas whooooo! That time again already and this year I actually have a list of things i would like, mainly because it was my birthday in November and I didn't get everything I wanted so I changed it to my Christmas list! 

• Issy Miyake Pleats Please 

This perfume is gorgeous! I'm quite fussy when it comes to fragrance and it takes me ages to make a decision on whether I like one or not. I received this as a sample size in one of my Glossyboxes so I had plenty of chances to try it out. 

• Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette

Need I say any more?! It has been released today (as I write this post it is the 16th December) and my boyfriend has already ordered it for me, spoilt I know! 

• Mac eyeshadows for my palette

There's a list including sketch, sable, concrete, green smoke, club, brule and many more! I know my sister is getting a couple for me

• Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick

I always have a few shimmer bricks floating around in my makeup bag, this time I would like the lilac rose shade. I have nearly tried all of the shades with my favourites being rose and nectar. 

• Emma Hardie Cleansing Balm

I've been eager to jump on the bandwagon for quite a while now but haven't actually got round to it. I kept putting it off as I have a lot of cleansers to use before I think about getting another! 

• Voucher for a facial

I haven't specified a particular salon for this so I think I will put any money I get for Christmas towards it. I really want a Guinot Hydradermie. I used to work in a salon with Guinot and always had a facial once a month but now I'm self employed I miss out on this luxury :(. Obviously I can give myself a facial but it's not the same. 

• Skipping Rope

You may laugh but it's been proven to do wonders for your body. I was always really good with a skipping rope at school  so I'm hoping I'll pick up where I left off! (The same cannot be said for hoola hooping!) 

Now I'm hoping Santa (or Father Christmas as you may call him) is reading this and will buy me all these things as I've been a very good girl this year, honest! 

What's on your Christmas List? 

Xx

December Glossybox!!!!

Finally finally finallyyyyyy it's here!! I received an email saying my box would be sent out later than usual which was fine but it still felt like forever waiting for it! I was hoping I would get some good items this month as it's Christmas...

As you can see from the photo, I received:

Wilkinson Sword Intuition Naturals Razor

Lipsy London Glam Perfume

Seche Nail Colour in Blanc 2

Maybelline Color Tattoo 24hour Eye Shadow in On And On Bronze

Beautiful Movements Cosmetics Nude Lipgloss

All in all, not such a bad box, although I'm not sure I will use the nail colour. I have a lot of nail polishes and recently bought a Seche Colour to try as they claim to be one coat colours but I'm not too impressed. I expected them to be as good as their Seche Vite top coat which I swear by but the few times I applied it, it hasn't lasted and also lost the shine (even with the top coat). 

I will definitely use the color tattoo and the lipgloss, I hope it's not sticky though! The razor will come in handy as I use my boyfriend's (different razor blade on the top though!). 

What did you receive in your Glossybox? Anything you won't use? 

Xx

Blog troubles

Hi guys! I'm so behind on doing blog posts, I have been feeling a bit uninspired by my work and ideas recently that I haven't been doing blog posts. I've been thinking of ways to make my blog more exciting for you to read or at least a bit different to other blogs but I can't find anything that would set it apart. I'm not very good with computers or cameras, I only have an iPhone and iPad and find myself writing new posts on my phone and using the photos. I read a conversation on twitter recently about the importance of having a good camera and photos, which I understand but i don't have the money to buy a camera. I would love to get one and snap away, experimenting with lighting and backgrounds but I just don't have time. Or maybe I'm not into it as much as other bloggers which is why mine lacks all the components of a good blog. 

I see my blog as a place to put my thoughts down on products etc as I would love love love to do YouTube videos on hauls/fashion/vlogging but that isn't possible at this moment in time. I never think anyone actually reads it! I'm hoping I will get inspired and get better at photos (hopefully with a little help from my photographer sister) and will have a much better and improved blog in the new year for you all to read! 

For now though I will continue posting little bits and bobs (and some average photos). Enjoy! 

Aromatherapy Associates Bath and Shower Oil Collection

I received this set as a Christmas present, not really knowing anything about the Aromatherapy Associates brand. Their packaging is lovely and expensive looking, I feel very luxurious using them and they definitely look smart standing in my bathroom! These are just sample sizes (each one is a 3ml size), each one of these oils comes in a full size beautifully packaged up and wrapped in a ribbon. In the set are 9 miniature bottles, all different blends of aromatherapy oils, with a description on each one. This is a great idea as you can just read the bottle or the description card that accompanies the box to find out which oil targets what you need. They include two oils for relaxing, two de-stress oils, two revive oils and three support oils and all are highly concentrated, so much so that you only really need a few drops of the bottle in the bath or shower to really get the benefits of the oils. I also like to only use a little bit so I can make them go further :). I have my favourite ones and will purchase these in the large size when I have used all of the miniature ones. Some of the bottles are missing from the photo as I have already used those ones up! :) 

I love using Aromatherapy oils professionally and at home as I really think they work. I am aromatherapy massage trained but I am not trained to blend oils other than adding a few drops of different essential oils to a carrier oil which is what I do for my clients at work. There is an aromatherapy oil book that I frequently read as I find it very interesting to discover their benefits and uses. I always use tea tree oil for its antiseptic benefits- cleaning cuts, putting it on spots and blemishes, using it to help heal fresh piercings and wiping it over skin. Lavender is known for its relaxing properties and is widely used in aromatherapy sets. Other oils can help menstrual cramps, muscle aches and pains, depression and anxiety.. The list goes on. 

This gorgeous set also makes a great gift for Christmas or birthdays or maybe for Mother's Day. I certainly liked receiving this as it is a great way to get introduced to the Aromatherapy Associates product range.