Nail of the Day - Essie Penny Talk

Today I am wearing Essie Penny Talk which was featured in my April Glossybox post. It is part of the Essie Mirror Metallics Collection along with 4 other shades. 

Essie Nail Lacquer - £7.99

Penny Talk is an authentic copper metallic and the formula is very opaque. You can get away with only one coat and even if you apply a second coat it looks identical to the first. It does dries really fast so it's perfect for people who can't help but fiddle with things, however you have to apply it reasonably fast as if you take your time and go over the same area several times it would apply uneven.

Glossybox April 2013

This months Glossybox was designed by Pearl Lowe and I'm absolutely loving the vintage floral design. I really love receiving the limited edition boxes because I use them for storage and they just add an element of fun. I must admit that this is by far my favourite box design for far! 

Overall these are some of the best contents I have had in my box and along with the box is a double whammy.

Essie Nail Lacquer - £7.99 for 13.5ml

When I saw that in other peoples boxes they were receiving Essie nail lacquers, I had my fingers crossed that I would also get one! I was seeing a lot of corals and pinks so I was surprised to see this gorgeous metallic colour called Penny Talk which I love it so much. I don't have any colours like this, so I'm actually so glad I got this rather than the coral and pink colours because I have so many of them. Essie nail lacquers are my second favourite nail polish brand after OPI and the quality of them are a dream to work with. There are a total of 15 vibrant, eye-popping shades in rotation for the April Glossybox.

Nap+Fab Dry Skin Fix Body Butter - £9.95 for 200ml

This Nap+Fab Body Butter smells divine and the scent smells pretty much exactly like The Body Shop coconut products. The texture is really creamy and moisturising without being greasy and heavy. It dries almost instantly to a semi-matte finish which is great because you don't have to linger around waiting for it to dry before getting dressed. It also leaves your skin smelling amazing for hours on end. This 50ml sample is worth £2.49.

Crabtree & Evelyn Somerset Meadow Hand Therapy £14 for 100g

This product is from the latest line from Crabtree & Evelyn which will be available on April 29th. It has the most delicate floral aroma which I just can't get enough of - I am constantly sniffing my hands when I use it! The texture is really lightweight and moisturising without the greasy residue. It has been enriched with macadamia nut oil, shea butter and vitamins C and E.

Illamasqua Medium Pencil - £13 for 1g

This little Illamasqua pencil is the perfect multi-tasking product - it can be used on the lower waterline to make your eyes pop, on the brow bone as a highlighter and even on the cupids bow for the appearance of fuller lips! It has fantastic pigmentation and has a really soft and creamy texture which makes it a treat to work with.

Yves Rocher So Elixir Purple Eau de Parfum - £44 for 50ml

I was ecstatic when I saw that I hadn't received a sample vial and actually a deluxe sample, as perfume vials are my Glossybox pet peeve! The scent is different to what I usually tend to gravitate to however I quite like it. It has a floral-woody elixir and has a unique infusion of Tuberose, Vetiver and Patchouli. It is definitely more of a nighttime scent and it actually reminds me of Ricci Ricci by Nina Ricci. This 5ml sample is worth £4.40.

London Haul - Part two (Fashion)

This is the second part of my London Haul which is all the fashion items I got! You can check out part one which is the beauty side here!

I bought these Crochet Toms from Office which I've wanted to get for a while now it'll be perfect for the summer! I think these Crochet Toms will look great with a casual summer dress or shorts. It even comes with a handy dust bag so it'll keep them protect when not in use. If you have a NUS student discount card you should definitely check out Office because you can get 10% off!

I bought these Gorgeous Aldo Jewelled Ballerina Flats and I checked online and they're now on sale for only £25! I really liked the jewelled detail on these flats and I think they can dress up any outfit and add some sparkle. I have worn these shoes once and they did hurt but not as bad as some other shoes and the good thing is that these didn't cause horrid blisters!

I thought these coral Forever 21 Sandals would add the perfect pop of colour to an outfit this summer and I loved the gold detail. They will look so cute with some denim shorts and a cute top!

I couldn't resist picking up this coral stripe ombré scarf from Forever 21 which is perfect for this spring. It can easily just dress up any outfit and great if there's a cold breeze but don't want to wear a heavy jumper!

I've needed a cute belt for a long time now and I found this one at Forever 21. I love the buckle and I thought white would go perfectly for this spring and summer.

One thing that was on the top of my list was a Victoria's Secret Bikini. I picked up this really cute colourful set which has random gold speckles on it which add a fun element to it. I find that Victoria's Secret Bikinis fit really well and are really flattering. They are pretty expensive but if you're looking for a high quality bikini that also looks great then you should definitely check them out! The bikini I got was from the Beach Sexy collection, I couldn't find the exact same pattern but they have different patterns in the same style here.

I've wanted a really cute lace detailed bandeau for the longest time and when I saw Hollister had some I couldn't resist but get it. I picked up the navy one and I'm thinking of getting the white one next time I'm in Hollister! They're super cute and fit really well.

I picked up this simple neon pink Hollister t-shirt from the sale rail. I thought it would be great for a really casual look or lounging around on the beach. On the back it says 'Live for Sun' which just adds something extra instead of being just a plain t-shirt.

I also got this sequined Hollister top which is cropped at the front. I fell in love with the pattern on the front and I love coral/orange colours. The fit of this top is so flattering and you should definitely try it on if you go Hollister.

This Hollister top was on sale for only £11 which I thought was incredible because I would have bought it full price. I'm in love with the neon yellow flowers and its perfect for summer.

I found this really pretty top from Gilly Hicks which has floral embroidery and gold fibres. It's a really nice flowy top and the small details make it look really delicate.

While in H&M I found this super cute crochet top which I fell in love with. It's slightly cropped but not so much you can see the belly button. I've worn this top with jeans so far and it looks really flattering and girly.

 

I got this simple t-shirt from Forever 21 which has a sort of lace detail. I thought it would look nice with shorts and sandals.

I picked up this baggy oversized top from Forever 21 which has an unusual small knitted pattern on the front. Since it is quite baggy I thought it would be a great beach cover up because it's not really flattering for everyday use. The front is also quite sheer so it'll look really nice with a cute bikini showing through.

From Topshop I got this white cotton shell top with circle broderie. I really love simple tops that have an interesting pattern because they're so casual and easy to wear but they're dressier than the plain t-shirt.

As soon as I saw this skirt in Forever 21 I knew that I was going to get it. It's an off white colour that is more on the warm side and the lace makes it so girly and perfect for this spring and summer!

I also picked up these pink floral shorts from Forever 21. I love floral patterns and pink so when I saw these shorts I just had to get it! I did find that around the back it was really baggy and they didn't have a smaller size but I thought it would be fine with a belt, plus I wasn't going to just leave them!

These shorts from Zara have a really pretty tribal stitch pattern on one of the pockets and distressed edges with a lot of fraying. When I bought it, it had loads of really long frays but that was just too much for me so I had to give them a trim. These shorts fit perfectly and feel really snug, they are honestly the most comfortable shorts I have ever worn.

These oriental patterned shorts from Zara are super cute and the muted colours make it more wearable yet still really girly. I found that Zara have a really great collection of shorts, so if you in need of new shorts this summer you should definitely check out Zara, plus they're really affordable.

I also picked up these Hollister shorts which have really cute crochet pockets. I got this when they were having 25% off shorts and jeans which was really good because they're usually quite expensive. I really like the fit and length of these shorts and they feel like they'll be very durable and high quality denim.

I found this black cardigan from Gilly Hicks which I thought you can't go wrong with because it goes with pretty much everything. The material is really soft and it's longer than my other cardigans I have.

These Forever 21 were such a bargain for only £8 and I love the dark denim. These aren't the best quality jeans as they have some threads coming out by the waist but I think the fit is really nice. Also I noticed when I first wore them, the blue dye transferred onto my hands when I touched the jeans, so I recommend washing them before you wear them. I was honestly so scared when I saw my hands were a grey-blue colour, then I realised it was just the jeans which was such a relief.

London Haul - Part one (Beauty)

A couple of weeks ago I went to London with my bestfriend and I thought I'd share what I got with you. I've split this haul into two parts otherwise it would have been really long. Our trip to London was strictly for shopping so there won't be any photos of Big Ben or The London Eye. The first day we spent the whole day at Westfield Stratford which was amazing and had tonnes of shops like Forever 21, Victoria's Secret and Gilly Hicks which we can't get where I live. For the second day we went to Sloane Street and Oxford Street and found lots of goodies! You can check out part two here which is the fashion half!

 Clarisonic Mia 2 - £120

I picked up the Clarisonic Mia 2 which was at the very top of my wishlist for London! I actually was unaware that the Mia 2 had been released in the UK so was extremely excited to find that they had it in Selfridges. The Mia 2 comes with a travel protective case and has two speed settings which the original Mia doesn't come with. I've used my Clarisonic twice a day since I got it and I am really loving it - it takes off all my makeup really effectively! I will post an in-depth review of the Clarisonic Mia 2 once I have played around with it a bit more so be on the lookout for that!

Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer - £36

I had heard so many people rave about the Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer and I just had to get it when I was in London! I bought it from SpaceNK along Sloane Street in Duke of York Square. I was matched SX05 which blends in perfectly with my foundation. This little 18g pot cost £36 which is pricey for just a concealer however you only need the tiniest dab because it is super pigmented so it'll last you pretty much forever! It can also be used as a foundation or a tinted moisturiser but I think as a foundation it would be a bit too thick unless it's sheered out. I'll definitely try using it as a tinted moisturiser in the summer!

Nars Orgasm Blush - £21.50

I just had to pick up Nars Orgasm which is a peachy pink with gold shimmer and looks great on all skin tones. It applies softly and doesn't come off too intense so gives a natural healthy colour to the cheeks. I definitely recommend Orgasm if you love pinky coral blushes!

Nars Laguna Bronzer - £26

Nars Laguna is the perfect bronzer because it isn't orange at all! I find a lot of bronzers look orange and quite muddy on my light skin however Laguna looks so natural and adds warmth to my skin. 

Nars Turkish Delight Lipgloss - £17.50

Nars Turkish Delight was more of an impulse purchase as it was the only unplanned Nars product I got. I don't usually go for light pink colours for my lips as they don't usually suit me and tend to wash me out however it looks amazing when I sheer it out a bit. It gives a really intense shine and has a creamy formula enriched with Vitamin E. Like all Nars lipglosses it has a doe foot applicator which can be a hit or miss for some people, but personally I don't mind.

Nars Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base - £19

I've heard that the Nars Eyeshadow Base is really good for people who get oily eyelids and I had to buy it because my eyeshadow is always creasing. I've tried Urban Decay Primer Potion and Mac Painterly Paint Pot and they don't do anything for my eyes but the Nars Eyeshadow Base is a miracle worker and my eyeshadow lasts all day now without creasing!

Victoria's Secret Body Spray - £11

From left to right: Love Spell, Sensual Blush, Pure Seduction, Aqua Kiss

I went to Victoria's Secret and just had to pick up their body sprays! They all smell incredible and are perfect for freshening up. There was a huge selection and you will honestly love every single scent - there was not one that I disliked! The only thing is that they don't last as long as perfumes but for the price and the amount you get I think they're worth it.

Barry M Gelly Nail Polish - £3.99

From left to right: Dragon Fruit, Pomegranate, Green Berry

While in the Oxford Street Topshop I picked up three Barry M Gelly nail polishes in the shades Dragon Fruit, Pomegranate and Green Berry. I've tried out all three of these and Pomegranate looks almost fully opaque with one coat and Dragon Fruit and Green Berry need two or three coats to be opaque. I find that these are harder to work with and can sometimes feel gloopy like an old nail polish if you don't do it fast enough. I'll definitely be sticking to the normal polishes.

Nars Samples

Along with my Nars purchases I received two samples of Nars Sheer Glow and the Tinted Moisturiser which I have yet still to try out. I'm excited to try Sheer Glow however I've heard that it is far from sheer and glowy and that it is actually matte and has medium coverage which is sounds perfect for me! But I'll have to try it out and see.