Review: Sally Hansen Gel Cuticle Remover

I've recently been having a lot of trouble with my cuticles - they seem to be growing more than usual, and I'm reluctant to snip at them, so I picked up a tube of this cuticle remover from Sally Hansen. 

This product is used for step 2 in the Sally Hansen perfect manicure:

Step 1: Shape nails

Step 2: Cuticle care

Step 3: Strengthen and grow

Step 4: Colour and care

Step 5: Protect and shine

This gel claims to "quickly remove excess cuticles" by loosening them, and it contains jojoba extract, kiwi extract and wheat protein to moisturise and deeply condition your cuticles.

Directions for Use

1. Apply a thin strip of gel around the cuticle (see above right)

2. Leave for 1-2 mins (wait longer if needed, but no longer than 10 mins)

3. With flat end of pusher tip, gently loosen and push back cuticle

4. Wash away with soapy water

I applied the product for 4-5 minutes, as I wanted to see a dramatic result!! My cuticles are significantly reduced, following this treatment, and my entire nail feels more moisturised and conditioned. The smell is strong, so I would recommend using this in a well ventilated space. I won't be using this every day, as I think that would be too intense. But I will definitely use it every week or two, to give my nails a treat.

Rating out of Five: ♥♥♥♥

Haul: New Look and H&M

001. Striped Jumper, H&M - €12.95

002. Striped Tank Top, H&M - €4.95

003. Sandals, New Look - €12 (Sale)

004. Owl Necklace, New Look - €7.99 (Sale)

NOTD: Coral by Barry M

My latest nail polish purchase is the beautiful coral red colour from Barry M.

I usually wear two coats of this polish, but one coat can work too, if you apply it generously. It applies beautifully and dries quickly though, so applying two coats isn't a chore. I adore wearing this during the summer - it looks great when paired with a beautiful tan!!

What do you think? Are you a coral fan?

NOTD: Miss Minty with Barry M Nail Effects

Gosh's Miss Minty is a firm favourite polish of mine, I seem to love anything mint green lately. However, I have recently been pairing it with Barry M's Nail Effects in black. I love how these polishes look together, and people keep asking whether I got my nails done professionally!!

The directions are as follows:

1. Paint your nails in your chosen colour, and allow the polish to dry completely. I chose Miss Minty for my base colour.

2. Apply a single coat of Barry M's Nail Effects all over the nail (as you would with any other nail polish).

3. Allow the polish to dry completely... it will crackle and break as it dries!!

And there you have it... salon finish nails in an instant!!

Style Stalker: Leighton Meester

Leighton Meester oozes casual glamour and sophistication, whether she's waltzing down the red carpet, or slouching around the beach.

Outfit #1

Leighton has paired this beautiful polka dot dress with a sloughy grey cardigan, grey booties and a tan waist belt. Keeping her hair off her face, and wearing minimal makeup, ensures that focus is not taken off her beautiful dress. I absolutely love this outfit.

Outfit #2

Leighton looks cute and stylish in this cream mini-dress, which she has paired with a waist belt, sandals and sunglasses. 

Outfit #3

I think Leighton looks stunning here. Pairing a gorgeous waistcoat with a tank-top and jeans is a classic move, but one that Leighton really works, adding her signature sunglasses to complete the look.

Outfit #4

Leighton looks adorable here, pictured with her puppy. She has cracked out another pair of gorgeous sunglasses, and paired them with some washed out jeans, a grey t-shirt and a tan cardigan. Her hair finishes off the outfit, with cute little plaits keeping it off her face.

What do you make of Leighton's style? Is she a winner for you?

OOTD: Roses are Red

Cream Cardigan: Zara

Cream/Red Floral Top: River Island

Jeans: River Island

Shoes: Next

Earrings: Primark/Penneys

ps: apologies for the shoddy lighting... it's a bit cloudy today!!

OOTD: Dotty for Polka Dots

This is my first OOTD post, so all feedback and advice would be much appreciated!!

Navy Polka Dot Shirt: A-Wear

Jeans: River Island

Pink Cardigan: H&M
Shoes: Next

Floral Bracelet: Primark/Penneys

Personally, I love looking at OOTDs - what do you think of them?

Casual Curls

This morning I decided to do something a little different with my hair.... so I whipped out my John Frieda Luxurious Volume Blow Dry Lotion, to give my roots a little boost, my Remington Spin Curl Dryer, to create gorgeous curls and waves, and my L'Oréal Elnett Supreme Hold Hairspray, and voilà...

I absolutely love curly hair (naturally mine is wavy and limp) but I've always found it too time consuming to use a curling iron or ghd. This look is so easy to create and quick too - it took me 10/15 minutes to go from wet to finished. 

What do you think? Will you be rocking curls this Spring/Summer?

Review: Me Me Me - Blush Me (Rouge)

Although I absolutely adore Benefit's gorgeous range of blushes, the steep price leaves a lot to be desired.

Enter Me Me Me...

While perusing Superdrug recently, I came across Me Me Me's blush boxes. These products were clearly "inspired" (ahem, blatant rip off, more like) by Benfit's Coralista, so I've decided to compare the two, while reviewing Rouge.

1. Price

Coralista: €33.50

Rouge: €10 (roughly)

Rouge is much more "pocket friendly" than Coralista, for roughly the same amount of product. Coralista doesn't have any weight on the box but Rouge is the larger of the two, if anything.

2. Colour

Coralista: Coral, with Gold Shimmer

Rouge: Coral, with Gold and Pink Shimmer

These products both leave a beautiful coral glow on the cheeks, with subtle shimmery undertones.

3. Brush

Coralista: High Quality, Wood

Rouge: Moderate Quality, Plastic

I much prefer the brush that comes with Coralista - the bristles are much softer and it feels much more "high end". Also, the powder seems to cling better to the Coralista brush. However, I use my Mac 129 to apply both products, so the brush isn't overly important!!

4. Pigmentation

Coralista: Moderate

Rouge: Good

Unfortunately, the lighting in my room isn't great today, so the swatches are a bit of a failure. However, you can see that Rough (on the right) is much more pigmented than Coralista (on the left).

In this little comparison, Rouge is the winner, trumping Coralista in almost every category. All in all, Rouge is probably one of the best blushes I've ever used. Also, Rouge has a cute little mirror inside the lid, meaning that you can re-apply this product during the day!

Unfortunately, the Superdrug I went to was out of the other shades: Bronze, Coral and Pink. I definitely want to try out Bronze and Pink, but I'll probably give Coral a miss, because Rouge is sufficiently coral for me!!

What do you think of Me Me Me's blush boxes?

To Dye or Not To Dye - Now, that is the question.

It's no secret that Rihanna is a bit of a "hair chameleon" and has been rocking a variety of styles and shades of red in recent months.

Following a blog post, a brave leap, and some words of encouragement by the beautiful Milly, I have been toying around with the idea of dying my tresses rouge.

I don't see myself going as bright or as bold a shade as Rihanna, but the idea excites me... however, I am a bit concerned that, with my pale skin, I will look slightly bizzare.

What are your thoughts? Do I dare to dye?

How Much Is Your Face Worth?

This morning I was having a read of Abby's amazing blog and came across this fantastic tag, adding up the prices of my beauty products to determine the "value" of my face. I think this is a really great tag, because it forces you to think about how much money you're actually spending on makeup!!

You might recognise this photo from twitter... I couldn't take a snap of my finished look this morning because the light bulb has blown in my room, but I am wearing the same makeup in the picture!

For products that I was unsure of, I have estimated the price - I've had them for a while.... 

♥ Body Shop Seaweed Mattifying Day Cream - €25.00

♥ Smashbox Photo Finish Face Primer - €38.00

♥ Maybelline Dream Satin Liquid Foundation - €10.00

- Mac 187 Duo Fibre Brush - €40.00

♥ Mac Studio Finish Concealer - €18.00

- Sephora Foundation Brush #47 - €12.00

♥ Mac Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation - €34.00

- Illamasqua Kabuki Brush - €35.00

♥ Benefit Coralista Blush - €33.50

♥ Mac Refined Golden Bronzing Powder - €24.00

♥ Mac MSF in Soft and Gentle (Highlighter) - €24.00

- Mac 129 Powder/Blush Brush - €40.00

♥ Urban Decay Primer Potion - €15.00

♥ Mac Prep & Prime Lip Primer - €18.00

♥ Mac Painterly Paint Pot - €20.00

♥ Urban Decay Naked Palette - €36.00

- Mac 217 Blending Brush - €30.00

- Elf Defining Eye Brush - €3.00

♥ Benefit Bad Gal Eyeliner - €16.00

♥ Sephora Liquid Eyeliner - €5.00

♥ Topshop Mascara in Raven - €8.00

♥ Girls Aloud False Lashes (Cheryl) - €8.00

♥ Mac Creme Cup Lipstick - €16.00

Total Excluding Brushes: €348.50

Total Including Brushes: €508.50

Wow.... that is scary. Although these products do last a considerable amount of time, and the brushes are an investment, hahaha! Overall, I'm not TOO horrified... I really enjoying playing around with makeup, and I could be spending the money on much worse things :)

How much is your face worth?

Review: Mac Prep & Prime for Lips

Over Christmas, I was suffering badly from uber-chapped lips, due to a combination of cold weather, wind and illness. I decided I had to do something about it, so I picked up some of Prep + Prime lip primer by Mac.

Application:

I apply a generous amount of this product, directly to my lips, at the beginning of my "morning makeup routine" - waiting five minutes or so, to allow it to properly sink in before applying any other lip product.

This product incredibly easy to work with, and incredibly effective:

☆ it moisturises lips, leaving them soft and smooth

☆ it fills in the gaps and cracks in your lips

☆ it prevents feathering and bleeding of the lipstick

Overall, though it is on the pricey side, I really like this product and would see myself repurchasing it. Have you tried this product, and if so, did you like it? Also, if you have any recommendations for cheaper alternatives, I would love to hear them...

Lippie Love #3: Lovelorn

Another favourite lippie of mine is the gorgeous Lovelorn by Mac.

Although the lustre lipstick looks very vibrant in the tube, it is incredibly wearable and versatile. It can be worn during the day, with neutral eye makeup, for a fresh, bright look... especially during Spring and Summer. It would also be perfect for a night out, with voluminous lashes and a smokey eye.

This gorgeous lipstick is also very moisturising and gives a beautiful glossy finish, meaning that you don't need a gloss over it.