Topshop Nail Polish in 'Keen' Review

Topshop Nail Polish in 'Keen', £5

Now that we've actually had some days that resemble summer, we can all well and truly start cracking out the pastel colours in everything we wear. This is a nail polish I actually picked up a few weeks ago but almost felt silly wearing because the weather was so miserable! Anyone else get like that? No? Just me? Oh... Either way now is the perfect time to start wearing colours like this.

As ever you get the adorable polkadot spotted top which I love - I think Topshop makeup has such cute packaging that doesn't look cheap considering it's a clothing store's own brand. The polish itself, Keen, is a lovely minty green - almost verging on a duck egg kind of colour but definitely more on the green side than blue. As with most Topshop nail polishes this needs two coats to get an even opaque colour, and applies really nicely - not streaky at all. I do recommend a top coat over the top of this because on me Topshop polishes do chip a lot! 

Left, over white base, right, two coats.

Overall it's a lovely spring colour that makes a nice change from just a pastel pink or blue. I like that mint green doesn't really go with many things either - when you wear it against a colour like lilac or yellow it really 'pops' and makes a statement!

P.S - don't forget to follow on Bloglovin' for more updates and posts from me! :)

Little Happy Things #1 (April)

1. happy memories

2. cream tea with my sister

3. jamjar cocktail in the sun

4. summer prints from zara

5. new things from nikki lipstick

6. afternoon cake with a friend

The trouble with blogging is that sometimes it gets a bit stressful. You end up feeling a bit stuck with what to write about! So today is just a day to relax and be thankful for the little things that have made me happy this month. What have been yours?

Smashbox Photo Finish Hydrating Primer

Smashbox primer is one of those ones that you hear so much about, but never really want to part with the money to see if it's any good. I managed to get a miniature version for cheap at Bicester Village and I've been trying it out for the past few weeks. 

I got the hydrating version as I actually get quite a dry nose and cheeks - I get annoying little dry patches in particular around my nose piercings. I wanted to try it for a few weeks before reviewing to see whether it's actually helped these at all or done nothing at all.

The texture of this is different to the original - it's a lot lighter and silkier, and sinks into the skin rather than your typical primer creating that almost layer over your skin. I give this a good few minutes to sink in properly before applying my makeup to make sure I'm not just mixing everything in together! It has actually made a difference to the dry patches on my nose  - they're not completely gone but they're definitely smaller. I don't love this primer but will definitely be using this up - surprisingly 12ml goes a very long way.

Have you tried any of the other primers from Smashbox? Think I'll try the original next!

Zara Rose Petal Roll On Perfume Review

Zara roll on eau de toilette in Rose Petal, £3.99 

Whilst buying something in Zara the other day, me and my friends noticed a little stand with lots of roll on perfumes on (just to clarify they are actually eau de toilettes, but let's be honest we all just call that perfume being lazy). Being curious we started swatching them and amazingly - they smelt so good! So good that both me and my friend picked up different ones on the spot (damn till point marketing). I picked up Rose Petal which actually reminds me a lot of the (entire) Daisy/Lola ranges from Marc Jacobs. It has that kind of light, fruity yet floral scent that Marc Jacobs does so well. I currently use Daisy by Marc Jacobs and I just think as I hate to take perfume out with me (75ml heavy bottle + handbag = no) I can just take this! The lasting time is actually quite good, I can still smell it a few hours after rolling some onto my wrists for this review. You only get 10ml but for £3.99 I don't think I'm in a position to complain - it's hardly going to break the bank picking up another one. I'll definitely be carrying mine around with me from now on!

Mini Primark Jewellery Haul

Primark is undoubtedly the Marmite of retail - people love it, people despise it. I sit in the middle somewhere, liking a lot of the products but hating the cheap feel or the missing 'edge' to a piece. However every so often they do have absolute gems that crop up, and a lot of the time this is jewellery.

Chain link necklace, £4

I got this slightly chunky chain necklace to start with as it's the kind of thing you can literally wear with any outfit! I still like wearing these kind of necklaces under collars (is everyone over that now? Can't tell if I care..) or with plainer items that just need a little bit extra.

Gold plate necklace, £4

This one isn't normally my style but I had been looking for a plain 'statement' necklace as such - something not too dramatic but definitely not a dainty little piece. I've realised lately that my style is literally black/white/grey/denim/leather. And thats it. So when I'm wearing my black high waisted jeans with a white top (yet again) I thought I could jazz things up a little bit with this. It just adds something extra to an otherwise very plain outfit.

Multi ring pack, £2.50

Excuse the missing rings on the right, I've already worn those ones! I love this little pack - its a mixture of thin/thick gold rings, and a few thick gold rings with a cutout piece in the middle. I think there's actually 12 rings overall in this pack which for £2.50 is ridiculously good. I love wearing rings as I think they really finish a look - little details like this always make such an impact. The only thing I would say is make sure to paint them with clear nail varnish to stop the gold from rubbing off as quickly, and to stop you getting green fingers!

Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation Review

Another amazing bargain I had to try when I found it in Bicester Village. Yes, it's the famous foundation raved about by everyone and their mum. A full coverage foundation that's still meant to look natural, I've heard nothing but good reviews about it. And annoyingly, I have to agree with them.

The foundation itself doesn't feel heavy or thick on the skin but definitely gives full, flawless coverage. Looking in the mirror, my skin looks matte yet glowing at the same time?! I did use concealer underneath but the foundation has covered all blemishes anyway. If I had to pick a few problems with this foundation, it would be that although it stays in place - and that's great - you need to be quick moving with it when applying. There were a few spots where I didn't work it into my skin quick enough and you get that odd patch that then won't go away. I can't imagine this works too well for people with too oily or dry skin either. My only other problem, which if the same for many - the price. I picked it up for £19, RRP £28.50. I used to pay around £20 for my MAC foundation which was at the limit for me - unless it's super duper amazing, I can't justify that much money! I think I'll be saving this foundation for maybe special occasions where I want my makeup to be really flawless.

Bumble and Bumble Thickening Dryspun Finish Spray

On a trip to Bicester village not too long ago, I spotted an entire Bumble and Bumble section and got a bit giddy. Managing to walk away with only one thing was pretty difficult but I knew it had to be this! It's been compared to the famous Oribe spray that let's face it, no one can afford. I have fairly flat hair so tend to backcomb my roots every day just to add a bit of oomph - with this you don't have to!

Excuse the messy background. This spray just gives you that little bit extra that you need to give a bit of life to your hair. All you have to do is shake the bottle, and spray where you want the lift and texture. For me I take a few sections of my hair and spray on the roots and middle of my hair. I then just give my hair a bit of a ruffle with my fingers. It may not look much in this photo but when you consider washed hair normally sits flat to your head then it suddenly becomes a lot! RRP of this is £21.50 and I paid £16.25 - although I love it I don't think I could bring myself to pay full price. I have heard there is an even cheaper John Freida version too so I'll have to try that out! My verdict is if you have the cash to spare then buy it - it's a lovely addition to my hair routine that genuinely makes me feel better when I've finished styling my hair. If you can't afford it then I wouldn't bother saving up for it! 

Tanya Burr Nail Polish for Eye Candy Review - Bright And Early

Tanya Burr nail polish in Bright And Early, £5.99 at Superdrug

Tanya Burr has to be one of my very favourite Youtubers, so when I heard she was bringing out makeup I was naturally excited. However, I then heard one half of the range was lip glosses and my heart sank - I hate lip gloss with a passion! It made me quite sad as I know she's probably targeting a younger audience with these but I was really hoping for lipsticks. I can't argue with nail polish though so when I went into Superdrug the other day I decided to pick one up!

I got the shade Bright And Early which is a pinky/corally/orange/very hard to describe. Certain lights it looks definitely orange, yet other lights show it in a more pinky orange tone. Whichever light you look at it in, it's a nice shade - nothing spectacular but definitely nice and one that I can see myself using a lot in summer.  The formula is surprisingly good - thick without being gloopy - the texture actually reminds me a bit of the Barry M Gelly polishes. They do dry fairly shiny but I would recommend a top coat as they seem to lose shine with every hour that passes by! Speaking of drying as well, these take a while to dry. About twenty minutes after properly applying they still were a bit tacky and catching on things slightly - not a huuuuge problem but it does mean you have to sit twiddling your thumbs (carefully!) for a while.

Overall, I quite like this polish. If I see more swatches of other colours then I might be tempted to get a few more but I'm not rushing out the door to get one right now. I'm also glad I held off ordering online so I could see them in person - some of the shades do seem to look a bit different. All in all I'm really happy for Tanya and think it's an amazing venture that any one of us would love to take in a heartbeat. Congratulations Tanya! :)