Last night I attended my leavers prom with the rest of my year, which was held at our school. It was the final event (other than results day) with everyone getting together, so it was definitely a bit emotional at times. Although we were a bit wary of it being held at our school, the place was decorated so nicely with lots of fairy lights and drapes, which made for a stunning setting. From the free bar to the amazing fireworks display (our prom is the best), it was a great night overall and I'm going to miss everyone so much!
I chose a dress from Boohoo, as it was quite inexpensive but still really pretty, and I loved the sequins on the front. With this, I wore a pair of black strappy heels from New Look, a clutch from H&M (I didn't photograph this but it did feature in this previous blog post) and a Barry M Nail Paint in Coconut. I did my hair and make-up myself and kept things fairly simple, with a sparkly brown eye and a nude lip. I curled my hair using straighteners and pinned a couple of pieces back. I really liked how this all turned out, and it just goes to show that you don't always need everything to be professionally done!
Have you had a prom this year?
Playsuit: New Look (similar)
Kimono: New Look (now on sale!)
Shoes: Topshop
Nails: Barry M Kiwi
Today I thought I'd do an outfit post - I haven't done one of these in absolutely ages (about a year actually) but now the weather's a bit warmer my garden makes a nice backdrop for the photos!
This was an outfit which I wore to my friend's party the other day - I love this black and white playsuit, which I bought from New Look quite a while ago, as it's so easy to wear. I also adore this kimono - the pattern is so pretty and I can't wait to wear it more during the summer. I paired these with a pair of black and white casual plimsoles/trainers from Topshop - these are my go to shoes as you can put them with pretty much everything!
What's your favourite thing to wear for summer?
Nails are probably my favourite part of make-up - as much as I love foundation, eyeliner and all that, I just love painting my nails. Because of this, nail polishes often make appearances on my blog - and today I thought I'd share with you my picks for spring and summer - the polishes that I would choose for this time of year.
Barry M Speedy Quick Dry in Pit Stop and Lap of Honour - I talked about these in a recent post so I won't ramble on too much but these are my new favourite nail polishes! Not only do I love the colours, but the formula is amazing and very quick drying - plus it comes with a really wide brush.
Max Factor Gel Shine Lacquer in Glazed Cobalt - Until recently, I hadn't tried that many Max Factor polishes but I'm actually really impressed with this range due to the shiny, gel-like finish. For the warmer months, I often wear bright blues - and I think this would be a nice evening shade.
Rimmel 60 Seconds in District-ly Come Dancing - I talk about Rimmel quite a lot on here as I love their products, and their nail polishes are no exception. Their 60 Seconds polishes are some of my favourites, and this bright green/blue is a great colour for spring/summer!
Essie in Splash of Grenadine - It's not summer without this classic Essie shade! I'm not usually one for warmer colours, but this purple is so pretty and it looks great with a tan. Also, Essie formulas are great and their brushes are wide too which makes for easy application.
Bourjois in Lavande Esquisse and Ciel Mon Vernis - I mentioned in another post how much I like Bourjois' face and lip products, but they also have some great nail offerings! I picked a couple of shades from them - a true purple and also a really pretty pale blue. I would definitely recommend trying out some of Bourjois' nail polishes as they seem quite underrated but they're amazing!
What are your favourite nail polishes for this time of year?
I'm a big fan of Barry M, especially their nail paints, so when I saw that they had released a quick drying range I knew I had to pick them up.
I ending up getting three colours - Eat My Dust (blue), Pit Stop (beige) and Lap of Honour (purple). Firstly, can we all just appreciate the seriously cute names?! I love the whole racing theme - I think it works really well! The brushes are slightly different from the usual Barry M ones - they're thicker which I prefer as it makes application easier.
My favourite shade is probably the blue, Eat My Dust - it's a really pretty pastel and makes a perfect everyday colour. Pit Stop is something a bit different from me as I tend to avoid neutrals but for some reason I really liked this one! Lastly is Lap of Honour, a muted purple - this one is a bit more colourful but still not too over the top. The formula is similar to the other Barry M ranges but I definitely think it dries faster which makes it easy if you're in a rush. Overall, I really love this new formula - it's probably my favourite of Barry M's so far!
Have you tried the Barry M Speedy nail paints? What did you think of them?
I'm sure you all know by now that I'm 100% addicted to nail polishes, and so today I wanted to share with you my picks for the festive/wintery season.
As you can probably tell, most of these colours are fairly dark, as that's mostly what I wear in winter. However, the slightly brighter option I included was Max Factor's Sparkling Berry. This is a dark pink berry colour which I've been wearing a lot recently, and also the packaging is just stunning. Next are a couple of colours from Essie - I absolutely adore Essie polishes, they're probably some of my favourites and the colour selection is huge too. Firstly is a pretty navy in Style Cartel. I think this was from their autumn or winter collection this year, and it's just a nice classic shade that goes with pretty much everything. I also included Essie's Sole Mate, a gorgeous burgundy colour. I was on the hunt for a colour like this for ages as I wanted one that wasn't too blood-red or too brown toned, and this one is just perfect!
Next is a Rimmel nail polish from the Salon Pro Lycra range in the shade Punk Rock. This is something a bit different for me, as I don't often wear purples, but it's quite a grey toned purple which I think looks really nice and a bit more edgy too. And lastly is a top coat from Barry M. I always like to bring out the glittery top coats in the winter, as they just give your nails a bit of something extra, and this one is no exception - it comes out kind of like gold leaf chunks and looks stunning on the nails.
What are your favourite colours for Christmas and winter in general?
I've been meaning to do a giveaway ever since I hit 600 followers on Bloglovin - and finally, here it is! It's just a small one to say thank you to everyone who reads/comments/follows my blog - I appreciate all of you and it makes me really happy reading all of the lovely comments that you leave. Anyway, onto the giveaway...
I decided to include three nail polishes (you know I'm obsessed) - I picked up one of the new Barry M autumn/winter shades in Chilli, plus a couple from Bourjois as I absolutely love their formulas and thick brushes. Lastly, which is probably the most exciting thing, I've included one of the new Maybelline Elixirs in the shade Rose Redefined. I figured it was a safe colour that most people would like to win, and as it's new I'm hoping that most of you don't own it yet either! Just a few giveaway rules before you enter - this is open to people that live in the UK only (shipping nail polishes abroad is way too much fuss) and make sure you're over 16/have your parents' permission so that you can give me your address.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
I talk about nail polish a lot on here, especially the Barry M ones - so today I thought I'd show my pick of their popular Gelly Nail Paints. I own a lot of these now as they're really affordable and come in a huge selection of colours, but these few are my favourites for sure.
Of course, you all know that I love my blues. I definitely prefer bright colours on my nails to neutrals - I'm not sure why, I think they just suit me more. I absolutely adore the colour Damson (middle in the bottom photo) - it's a bright medium blue and is so flattering on the nails, plus it's always one that I get compliments on. I also really like Guava (bottom left), which is more on the turquoise/greeny side. And similarly, Kiwi is another favourite of mine (bottom right) - I find that this a such a unique colour and when I'm wearing it I can't help but look at my nails.
I also adore the shade Pomegranate (top right). This is a really different one for me but I've really loved wearing it throughout the summer. I would probably describe it as a dark pink/fuchsia, and it looks amazing with a tan. Lastly is Coconut, a pretty cream shade. This, again, is such a different colour choice for me - but one that I completely love. I'm wearing it in the top picture, and I think it looks great! It's one of the only nudes that I think I can actually get away with without looking super pale - so it definitely gets a thumbs up from me!
Overall, these nail polishes are great value for money. I actually like the brush despite it being quite thin, and the end result is really glossy too. I always apply a top coat anyway, but you don't really need it with these as they generally last about five days on me at least.
What's your favourite nail polish from Barry M? What do you think of the Gelly range?
A little while ago, I put up a poll asking what kind of posts you would like to see more of on my blog - and the majority of you said hauls! So as I went shopping to Boots the other day, I thought I would show you what I bought.
Firstly, I headed over to Rimmel to stock up on my Stay Matte powder that I love - I've hit pan and so I'll soon be needing a new one. They also had a buy one get one half price offer on, so I also picked up their new Lash Accelerator mascara. I've never tried a Rimmel mascara before so I'm not sure what to expect - I'll let you know how I get on with it. I also bought another Barry M Gelly nail polish in the shade Coconut, a really pretty cream, which I can't wait to try!
I then headed over to No 7 as I had one of their vouchers and they were also running a buy one get one half price offer. In the end, I decided on their Perfectly Bronzed Dual bronzer and their Lash & Brow Perfector. With all the offers I had, I ended up getting both of these products for only £12 - bargain! I also picked up one hair product - the Tresemme Keratin Smooth Treatment - which you basically put on your hair after washing and it's then activated by straightening (which I do a lot of). I was really intruiged by the concept so hopefully it lives up to my expectations! And lastly, I got another Balmi as I was in need of a new lip balm. I got the coconut one which I haven't tried before, and I also like their new square packaging.
Overall, I don't think I did too bad considering it was payday!
What have you bought from Boots recently?
As we're well into May now, I thought it was the perfect time to do my Spring and Summer nail polish picks for this year. I'm sure I don't have to say it anymore - I am obsessed with nail polish! I will happily go out and buy tons of nail polishes even though I already have a whole box full in my bathroom (my parents and friends often comment on how I definitely don't need any more, but it still doesn't stop me). Anyway, I gathered up my favourites of the bunch that I think are great for this time of year.
Barry M - I have a few picks from Barry M that I love. Firstly, their Gelly Nail Paints - of course I couldn't miss these out! As you can probably tell, I love blues, so I chose Huckleberry (an off-white pale blue) and Guava (a bright turquoise). I was also recently given one of their new Silk ones in Heather from a friend, which I think is really pretty.
Rimmel - The Rita Ora collection from Rimmel is amazing - I have two shades from it already but want to pick up more. My friend gave me Lose Your Lingerie - a pretty pink nude - and I also went and picked up Breakfast in Bed, which is a gorgeous mint green. I adore pastels in general and think they're perfect for the warmer months.
Sinful Colours - If you're looking for something a bit brighter, I love the Sinful Colours nail polish in 920. It's a super neon pink (the picture doesn't do it justice), and although can be a little hard to apply, if you put in the extra effort then it looks stunning - especially with a tan.
Bourjois - Another blue, what a surprise! I adore the Bourjois nail polish in 26, it's one that I always get complimented on and it looks great all year round, especially in Summer. I also love the Bourjois brushes and formulas in general so I'd definitely recommend having a look at their nail polishes.
Models Own - Lastly is something a little different, the Models Own polish in Magpie. For some reason I really like speckled nails - I just think they look so pretty and they're a bit more interesting than plain nails. I picked up the green one but I like all of the shades on offer!
What are your picks for Spring and Summer?
As you may know, this Saturday is my birthday! I'm actually working all day, so last weekend my Dad took me shopping to pick out some things that I wanted. I didn't ask for anything in particular this year, so this was much easier!
The first place I went was Primark. Firstly I picked up a couple of vests - one yellow lace top and one thin navy top. I also bought some new pyjama bottoms as I absolutely love the Primark ones and definitely needed some new PJ's. I then chose a couple of cute gold necklaces, as I really wanted some new jewellery. And lastly, I got a 5 pack of ankle frilly socks along with some pretty black flats.
Next, I went to Boots - where I probably did the most damage! To start with, I bought a few nail polishes - I got one of the new Barry M Gelly's in Huckleberry, one of the new Models Own speckled polishes in Magpie and an Essie one in the shade Splash of Grenadine. I also got some lip products (a girl can never have too many) - I picked up the Maybelline Colour Sensational Gloss in Cashmere Rose, as I've heard so many good things about it recently. I also chose the Revlon Lacquer Balm in Demure which I've been eyeing up ever since they were released. Next, I bought the Soap & Glory Archery in Brownie Points, which again I've wanted for a long time, and the Charles Worthington Volume & Bounce Texturising Spray. Lastly are a couple of boring bits - the Blistex Intense Moisture Lip Balm and the Blanx White Shock Treatment.
I then went to H&M and Topshop and got a couple of things. In H&M, I got a simple black bag as the one I use at the moment is really tatty and so I needed a new one. I also spotted this gorgeous white jumper with big black daisies on that I love, as well as a cute silver arrow necklace. In Topshop, I picked up a pair of thick leggings/trousers in a black and white checked print, and a dress that I've had saved to my favourites for way too long!
And that's everything I bought! What have you picked up from the shops recently?
As you probably know, I'm a bit of a nail polish addict, and so I thought now was the perfect time to share my Autumn and Winter nail polish picks with you!
Barry M Gelly in Blue Grape: I find the Gelly Nail Paints to be a bit hit and miss, however I do really like this one. Blues are my go-to nail colours, and this one is a gorgeous dark royal blue - perfect for Winter!
Barry M in Boots: This was a recent secret santa gift but I already love it! I've been looking for a silver glitter for a while now and this one is perfect and also lasts for ages.
Bourjois So Laque in Bleu Fabuleux and Noir de Chine: For me, Bourjois nail polishes have the best brushes I've ever tried. They're really thick so it doesn't take a lot of effort to apply the polish, and I also really like the formulas too. I picked a really pretty blue and also a black, which is a staple at this time of year.
Barry M in Berry Cosmo: This is again another recent present, but I've tried it out already and love it! It's a dark purpley red which is great for the festive season, and I definitely want to pick up more shades like this now.
Rimmel Precious Stones in Diamond Dust: If you love glitter, then this polish is for you! I'm definitely a glitter girl myself, so when I was given this I was super excited to try it out. It gives a much higher coverage than the Barry M one, so I like to wear this just on its own.
L'Oreal in Blue Reef: I've mentioned this a couple of times now but I just can't stop wearing it! It's a beautiful blue-green colour, but it isn't bright at all so it's perfect for Autumn and Winter.
Revlon in Charming: It took me a while to get into the lilac nails trend - for some reason I just didn't think it suited me. But now, after buying and trying out a few different lilacs, I actually really like it and this Revlon one is definitely my favourite.
What are your favourite nail polishes of the moment?
