Top 5 Autumn Nail Polishes

Nails Inc London, Essie Midnight Cami, LA Colors Tropical Storm, Chanel Lotus Rouge, NYC Purple Pizzazz

Clockwise from thumb: Nails Inc London, Essie Midnight Cami, LA Colors Tropical Storm, Chanel Lotus Rouge, NYC Purple Pizzazz

Now that Autumn is firmly upon us and I've dug out my winter coat, scarf and gloves, I thought I'd share the nail polishes that I think I will be reaching for the most over the Autumn and Winter months.

Having a nude polish that suits pale skintones is ideal for an everyday, understated nail look. I love the purple-brown tones of Nails Inc London as I feel they flatter my skintone and don't wash me out. Unfortunately, London was limited edition, so if anyone knows of any dupes, please let me know!

Rich, warm tones are perfect for Autumn and Winter. Even though I don't tend to wear green nail polish, I am lusting after an emerald green nail polish at the moment. Navy is one of my favourite colours to wear on my nails. Essie Midnight Cami is a lovely opaque navy in 1 coat, but generally needs 2 to make it completely even. NYC Purple Pizzazz is a lovely, rich Cadbury purple with a slight duochrome, shimmery finish. I always associate red shades with the wintery months and I can forsee that I will be using the raspberry red hues of Chanel Lotus Rouge a lot in these coming months.

The gunmetal silvery LA Colors Tropical Storm polish is a nice twist on a simple grey, as it is a little more interesting than a grey creme while still remaining neutral.

I have linked to the NOTD posts to some of the polishes, as it gives an idea of what the polish looks like on all the nails and the posts generally have a bit more information on the formula and wear of the polishes, in case you're interested.

What nail polish colours will you be reaching for this Autumn/Winter?

Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy

Project Empties #17

Every month I manage to finish a fair amount of products as I have a tonne of half full products hanging around, waiting to be used. However, my skincare and beauty drawers never seem to get any emptier! One day I will have a normal amount of products... One day...

Nivea Anti Cellulite
Review: Long story short... This made no difference what so ever.
Would I repurchase? NO

Garnier Body Tonic Sugar Scrub
Review: Here
Would I repurchase? Yes

Aussie Aussome Volume Shampoo
Review: I absolutely love this shampoo. It gives a nice amount of bounce to the hair and leaves my hair looking especially voluminous if I blow dry my hair. It never left it feeling dried out and smells gorgeous.
Would I repurchase? Yes

Batiste Dry Shampoo (Original)
Review: This had a lemony smell, which wasn't particularly pleasant, however it did leave my hair smelling clean. This definitely helped to revive my second day hair and added a nice amount of volume and texture when required. This would occasionally leave my hair looking a little grey if I didn't brush it all away, however I think it is just this version as I have since started using the tropical one and I don't have this problem.
Would I repurchase? Not this version

Soap & Glory Hand Food
Review: I love this hand cream. It smells gorgeous and isn't greasy on the hands. Also the packaging it adorable and easy to spot in your handbag.
Would I repurchase? Yes

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish
Review: Here
Would I repurchase? Yes

Superdrug Rehydrating Cleansing Gel
Review: Here
Would I repurchase? Maybe

I seem to hoard foundation samples as I want to try the foundations, but the samples are always too dark for me. Recently I've been fake tanning more frequently, so even though they weren't perfect matches, they worked a little bit better with my skintone. All three foundations were quite light coverage, which is something that I don't usually opt for but I've been wanting to venture that way for a while. I really liked the Rimmel Wake Me Up on the first application as it left my skin looking glowy, but when I used the sample again, it didn't sit right... I have been lusting after the Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua for ages and I think I will have to bite the bullet and purchase the full size sometime soon. The Liz Earle foundation sample was lovely too. It looked really nice on the skin, however it didn't last too well.

What have you finished this month?

By the way, I recently found out about this 'Pin it to Win it' competition open to London ladies where you can win laser hair removal at EF Medispa. I know there's a few of you out there that are from London and use Pinterest, so I thought it would be interesting to share this competition with you! The pin and instructions can be found at EF Medispa's Pinterest here. All words and opinions are my own. I am not being compensated for this post.

Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy

Everyday Makeup

I don't often post FOTDs on here... In fact, I've only ever posted one before this! But I've recently been liking my everyday makeup so I thought I'd share it with you.

Face:

Benefit Porefessional Primer

Natural Collection Green Concealer

Paul & Joe Light Cream Foundation

Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer

MAC Studio Finish Concealer

L'Oreal True Match Powder

Cheeks:

Revlon Matte Blush in 'Perfectly Peach'

Benefit Hoola

Eyes:

Estee Lauder Eyeshadow in 'Sun'

Collection 2000 Extreme 24 Hour Felt Tip Liner

Max Factor Masterpiece Max Mascara

Eyebrows:

Rimmel Professional Eyebrow Pencil in 004 Black-Brown

Lips:

Benefit Her Glossiness in 'Didn't Hear it from Me'

If you would like to see me applying this, then check out my Youtube video here.

What makeup have you been using daily?

Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy

Book Club: A Girl Like You (Gemma Burgess)

I was hooked on this book from the beginning and loved it! I found Abigail's character is relatable. She's just come out of a long term relationship and is clueless about dating. I really like Abigail and Robert's relationship, their interactions were the ones that made me laugh the most and it was written in a realistic manner. I also like the way Abigail's friendship dynamics with her best friends, her sister and their other halves are written, as they kind of remind me of the 'Friends' group.

The story was a little predictable, but certainly enjoyable. It kind of reminded me a little of the film, 'The Ugly Truth' with Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler. I was engrossed from the beginning and kept wanting to know what Abigail was up to - a bit like a nosy friend hearing another's gossip. At the beginning the prologue describes an event, which the first 2/3s of the book leads up to. I was expecting that to be the end and there to be a happily ever after there, but the story develops more and leads up to a lovely ending, which left me with a goofy smile on my face.

I liked that there was specificity in some of the makeup and products that the characters used. For a beauty junkie like me, seeing the author name MAC blushers and lip glosses, Chanel Glossimers, Benefit Hoopla (I laughed at the typo, as it's called Hoola), REN face masks, Clarins Beauty Flash Balm, Philosophy microdermabrasion kit etc. is like giving a fat kid cake. If you enjoy chick lit books, then this book will definitely be a winner for you!

Rating: ★★★★★

Have you read any of Gemma Burgess' books? I already have her first book, 'The Dating Detox' downloaded onto my Kindle!

Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy

Damsel in a Dress

I was kindly asked to review a dress from Damsel in a Dress and I chose the Ines dress*, as I thought it would be a perfect versatile piece and great for formal events, interviews or work.

When the parcel arrived, the packaging was gorgeous. Who doesn't love a beautifully packaged parcel turning up at their door?!

Please excuse the bingo wings! Gotta get those dumbbells out again!

The first thing I noticed about the dress was how heavy it was. Instantly you could tell the material was luxurious and would last for many years to come. I tried it on straight away and it was lovely. The dress is a bodycon style, however it doesn't cling to every nook and cranny on the body like some bodycon dresses do. It skims over the body, hugging the right places, creating a lovely svelte shape. I love the full length exposed zip at the back and neckline detail. It has two zippers, meaning you can wear it with a slit up the back if desired. The dress comes to my knees, which makes it great for formal events and perfect for any upcoming interviews.

Check out Damsel in a Dress for more evening dresses online and other gorgeous clothing!

Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy

*PR product. Please read my disclaimer page for more information.

NOTD: A Crewed Interest

Last week, I came across an amazing bargain in the beauty section of my local TK Maxx. I picked up 4 Essie nail polishes from the 'Navigate Her' collection for a bargainous £7.99 - The usual price of just 1!

I knew I wanted to use them straight away, so I opted for 'A Crewed Interest', which is a gorgeous peachy apricot. It kind of reminds me of Barry M's Peach Melba, which I don't own but have had on my 'to buy' list for ages. This colour is a perfect summer pastel and I think it would be perfect with a tan! It had the new wide brush, which was super easy to use and only needed 1 stroke on most nails. This polish was rather streaky to begin with and needed 3 coats to become opaque, but it could have probably done with another.

3 coats of Essie 'A Crewed Interest'

What are your favourite Essie shades?

Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy

Paralympics

Yesterday, my mum and I scooted over to the Olympic park to watch some Paralympics athletics!

I am a massive fan of the Olympics and Paralympics and have avidly watched the past few games, so I was so excited that they were coming to London! Unfortunately, I was unsuccessful getting Olympic tickets and had pretty much give up hope in being able to watch the action live. But when I saw there were Paralympics tickets available, I knew I had to snap them up.

Our seats were quite high up, so although you couldn't see everything in high detail, you could see everything that was going on in the whole stadium. Everyone was in good spirits and cheering so loud, especially when the Team GB athletes' names were called, and it was nice to see the cauldron, as it's hidden away in the stadium. The weather was beautiful yesterday, which was a perfect finishing touch. We were lucky in our seats, as we got the heat from the sun but we were shielded from the blinding sunlight.

I feel so lucky to have been able to experience watching the Paralympics in my own city and after watching all this sport, I wish I'd tried harder in PE at school...

Have you been getting into the Team GB spirit?

Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy

August Favourites 2012

Today's post is for my August Favourites. I don't have many this month as I have been mainly using the same things as last month, but there are a few things that have stood out to me:

Clockwise from left: Elemis Rehydrating Rosepetal Cleanser, Remington 38mm Curling Wand, Urban Decay Naked Palette, Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer, Topshop Coin Necklace

What have you been loving this month?

Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy