Belated 4th blogiversary giveaway week 3: Nail art book giveaway!
GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED!
Thank you for entering!
One lucky person will win:
The WAH Nails Book of Downtown Girls by Sharmadean Reid
Nails, Nails, Nails! 25 creative DIY nail art projects by Madeline Poole
(total prize value
How to enter:
- simply enter via the Rafflecopter widget thingy below!
Ts & Cs apply:
- open internationally
- must be 18 years and over to enter
- ends 3rd August 2014
- winner must respond to notification email within 48 hours
- once the winner responds, I'll be ordering the prize from the Book Depository to be sent directly to the winner.
I hope you've enjoyed the giveaways so far! GOOD LUCK!
Pretty please with a cherry on top manicure
When I'm in a nail art rut Japanese nail magazines always give me that nail boost I need. I haven't bought many nail mags this year actually so I made a trip to Kinokuniya last week to stock up on some mags. Kino has cut back on the number of nail mags they stock which is so disappointing - they didn't even have Nail Up! which is one of my favourites! I still managed to pick up 3 though phew.
I saw this adorable cherry mani in S Cawaii! (which I've never bought before actually) and knew I had to recreate it. I love doing bright summery manis during winter and this is super cute and fun!! Plus it's a fruit mani and you know I adore those! ♥
What I used:
Pinky and index: I used 2 coats of Barry M Gelly nail effects Grapefruit and added a small gold bead to the bottom centre of my nails.
Ring fingers: I used 3 coats of OPI GoldenEye.
Middle and thumbs: I used 2 coats of Essie Where's My Chauffeur? as my base. To create the cherries I used a dotting dipped in Barry M Gelly nail effect Grapefruit and a small brush to paint the stems using Ulta 3 chocolate cake and for the leaves I used Barry M nail paint Mint Green before adding detail to the cherries using Cult Nails Tempest.
I should have chosen a brighter green because you can't really see the leaves unfortunately but oh well!
My NOTDs will be a bit varied at the moment because I've resorted to using flash because I just can't take pics during the day. The hubby bought me a lightbox a little while ago but I haven't worked out my lighting for it yet. Hurry up and come back summer with your beautiful long days and bright light!
What do you think? Did I do the original mani justice? Thanks for looking as always!
I saw this adorable cherry mani in S Cawaii! (which I've never bought before actually) and knew I had to recreate it. I love doing bright summery manis during winter and this is super cute and fun!! Plus it's a fruit mani and you know I adore those! ♥
What I used:
Pinky and index: I used 2 coats of Barry M Gelly nail effects Grapefruit and added a small gold bead to the bottom centre of my nails.
Ring fingers: I used 3 coats of OPI GoldenEye.
Middle and thumbs: I used 2 coats of Essie Where's My Chauffeur? as my base. To create the cherries I used a dotting dipped in Barry M Gelly nail effect Grapefruit and a small brush to paint the stems using Ulta 3 chocolate cake and for the leaves I used Barry M nail paint Mint Green before adding detail to the cherries using Cult Nails Tempest.
I should have chosen a brighter green because you can't really see the leaves unfortunately but oh well!
My NOTDs will be a bit varied at the moment because I've resorted to using flash because I just can't take pics during the day. The hubby bought me a lightbox a little while ago but I haven't worked out my lighting for it yet. Hurry up and come back summer with your beautiful long days and bright light!
What do you think? Did I do the original mani justice? Thanks for looking as always!
OPI Damone Roberts 1968
OPI Damone Roberts 1968 is a shade I've wanted to own ever since I first started blogging. The limited edition polish was created in collaboration with US eyebrow king Damone Roberts and is one of the prettiest green polishes I've seen. Back then I wasn't as crazy about polish so I never got around to getting it as I couldn't justify the price + shipping. I even did a post to see if anyone wanted to do a group order to split the costs but no takers sadly. But when I found out he was re-releasing the polish this year for the last time I HAD to own it even though it was double the price it was in 2009. I didn't care!
What they say:
OPI's "Damone Roberts 1968" Nail Polish was created by OPI in 2009 to celebrate the brand...Damone Roberts. The color was matched directly from our Beverly Hills & New York Salon walls in an effort to bring the unique pistachio tone, described by Damone himself as "a different green with undertones of a soft grey, and a warm brown that works well on every skin tone".
The masses seem to agree, as the color has sold out worldwide twice now. This polish is quite the hot commodity and bottles presently can be found on Ebay retailing for $75.00 each. We are proud to announce that OPI & Damone have teamed up for the third time to bring you a limited collector item quantity available Summer 2014.
Source
Damone Roberts 1968 is a soft mint green and having finally worn it myself now I know why it's such a sought after shade and I am totally and utterly in love with it. For starters the formula is ABSOLUTE perfection. Oh man I'm talking glides-on-so-smoothly-I-could-cry kind of buttery perfection. The shade has a gorgeous softness to it that I love and I think it would work well with most skintones. It dries quickly and to a high gloss shine. 2 beautifully even coats is pictured below.
Close up:
Overall: OPI Damone Roberts 1968 definitely lives up to the hype and I love love LOVE this mint green. I can't believe I didn't purchase it years ago! It's pretty pricey though but I'm a sucker for limited edition shades so it was worth the wait and price for me. I'm just so happy I finally own a bottle! I also picked up a few back up bottles too x)
Details: Available from Damoneroberts.com and Damone Roberts salons in the US for $20US.
Is there a polish you've wanted for years that you've finally had the chance to own? There are so many more on my list but baby steps to tick off the wishlist! Don't forget to enter my 4th blogivesary China Glaze Surprise collection giveaway!
Thanks for looking as always!
What they say:
The masses seem to agree, as the color has sold out worldwide twice now. This polish is quite the hot commodity and bottles presently can be found on Ebay retailing for $75.00 each. We are proud to announce that OPI & Damone have teamed up for the third time to bring you a limited collector item quantity available Summer 2014.
Damone Roberts 1968 is a soft mint green and having finally worn it myself now I know why it's such a sought after shade and I am totally and utterly in love with it. For starters the formula is ABSOLUTE perfection. Oh man I'm talking glides-on-so-smoothly-I-could-cry kind of buttery perfection. The shade has a gorgeous softness to it that I love and I think it would work well with most skintones. It dries quickly and to a high gloss shine. 2 beautifully even coats is pictured below.
Close up:
Overall: OPI Damone Roberts 1968 definitely lives up to the hype and I love love LOVE this mint green. I can't believe I didn't purchase it years ago! It's pretty pricey though but I'm a sucker for limited edition shades so it was worth the wait and price for me. I'm just so happy I finally own a bottle! I also picked up a few back up bottles too x)
Details: Available from Damoneroberts.com and Damone Roberts salons in the US for $20US.
Is there a polish you've wanted for years that you've finally had the chance to own? There are so many more on my list but baby steps to tick off the wishlist! Don't forget to enter my 4th blogivesary China Glaze Surprise collection giveaway!
Thanks for looking as always!
Belated 4th blogiversary giveaway week 2: China Glaze Surprise collection!
GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED!
Thank you for entering!
Nothing says celebration like glitter so this week for my belated 4th blogiversary celebrations I am giving away the China Glaze Surprise collection glitters!! One person will score the entire collection which consists of I'm a Go Glitter, Don't Be a Flake, Shine-manigans, Glimmer-More, Create a Spark and Glitter Up. These large chunky glitters are pretty darn awesome and I would love to keep them for myself but I won't!
How to enter:
- simply enter via the Rafflecopter widget thingy below. I much prefer doing things the old school way but it's time to update! Lets hope I use it correctly lol.
T&Cs apply:
- open internationally!
Fuse & Fing'rs giveaway winner!
A super quick post to announce the winner from week 1 of my belated 4th blogiversary giveaways! Thank you to everyone that entered! The winner of the Fuse and Fing'rs prize is:
Ubergirl!
Congratulations! Please email me at cosmeticcupcake {at} gmail {dot} com with your name and postal address. Please make sure to contact me in the next 48 hours or I'll have to redraw the winner..
If you didn't win this time not to worry! You can enter my China Glaze Surprise collection giveaway for week 2 of my 4th blogiversary celebrations here =)
Congratulations! Please email me at cosmeticcupcake {at} gmail {dot} com with your name and postal address. Please make sure to contact me in the next 48 hours or I'll have to redraw the winner..
If you didn't win this time not to worry! You can enter my China Glaze Surprise collection giveaway for week 2 of my 4th blogiversary celebrations here =)
WAH Nails Topshop and meet up with Aysh!
When the hubby and I decided we were going to London for our honeymoon I knew I wanted to schedule some time to get my nails done at WAH Nails. I also couldn't go to London without meeting my gorgeous friend Aysh from Truly Madly Beauty who I've been chatting to and swapping polish with over the last few years. The hubby very generously agreed to occupy himself in London for an afternoon so I could have some girlie nail, shopping and high tea time with her!!
I FINALLY got to meet this beautiful girl OMG!! ♥ I always say it but one of the best things about blogging has been the people I've met and this gorgeous girl is one of them. Why do you have to live so far away though???!
Aysh kindly booked us in to the WAH Nails Topshop salon way in advance for us to get our nails done. Their nail art menu is extensive and it's seriously hard to decide what designs to get. I went all out and went with 10 different designs because who knows when I'll be back in London. I hope that I'll be back soon but I couldn't take any chances!
Aysh's amazing poison ivy mani! The green is from Color Club and it's so bright and fun. I can't remember the name of it now but I want it!
HOW COOL WAS MY MANI???????? I could not stop staring at my nails and I didn't want to change my polish except I needed a toned done mani for our trip on the Orient Express so I had to remove it =( It lasted a good 4-5 days though! The designs I got from left to right: bubble letters, flying eyes, POW!, studded Egyptian, poison ivy, breakfast at WAH, swallows and studs, lightning bolt, polka bows and rainbow tribal. PHEW!
Showing off our new manis! I think it's a good thing I don't live in London actually because I'd probably be at Topshop every week instead of doing my nails myself. And I'd make Aysh come with me too haha!!
Some of the cool designs on display! I really wish I had this amount of talent for all the intricate designs they offer. Something to aspire ;)
We finished off the afternoon with a delicious high tea and a spot of shopping too! The afternoon just flew by and it went by waaaaaay too quickly! I can't believe it's been 2 months already.
I'm finally sorting through all my photos from my honeymoon and I'll be sharing some soon! I took hundreds of photos and going through them all is so time consuming lol. Thanks for looking as always!
I FINALLY got to meet this beautiful girl OMG!! ♥ I always say it but one of the best things about blogging has been the people I've met and this gorgeous girl is one of them. Why do you have to live so far away though???!
Aysh kindly booked us in to the WAH Nails Topshop salon way in advance for us to get our nails done. Their nail art menu is extensive and it's seriously hard to decide what designs to get. I went all out and went with 10 different designs because who knows when I'll be back in London. I hope that I'll be back soon but I couldn't take any chances!
Aysh's amazing poison ivy mani! The green is from Color Club and it's so bright and fun. I can't remember the name of it now but I want it!
HOW COOL WAS MY MANI???????? I could not stop staring at my nails and I didn't want to change my polish except I needed a toned done mani for our trip on the Orient Express so I had to remove it =( It lasted a good 4-5 days though! The designs I got from left to right: bubble letters, flying eyes, POW!, studded Egyptian, poison ivy, breakfast at WAH, swallows and studs, lightning bolt, polka bows and rainbow tribal. PHEW!
Showing off our new manis! I think it's a good thing I don't live in London actually because I'd probably be at Topshop every week instead of doing my nails myself. And I'd make Aysh come with me too haha!!
Some of the cool designs on display! I really wish I had this amount of talent for all the intricate designs they offer. Something to aspire ;)
We finished off the afternoon with a delicious high tea and a spot of shopping too! The afternoon just flew by and it went by waaaaaay too quickly! I can't believe it's been 2 months already.
I'm finally sorting through all my photos from my honeymoon and I'll be sharing some soon! I took hundreds of photos and going through them all is so time consuming lol. Thanks for looking as always!
Winter skincare favourites
With the change of seasons I like to change up my skincare routine so I thought I'd share some of my winter skincare favourites for this year. I haven't done a skincare post in aaaaaages and my last Winter faves was 2 years ago oops!
Palmolive Body Butter Exfoliating Wash Peppermint Crush and Strawberry Smoother* - There's nothing I love more than yummy smelling body wash so when I received these in the mail it was love at first sniff (ha!). Peppermint Crush contains real peppermint extract and it smells just like mint chocolate ice-cream while Strawberry Smoother smells like a strawberry smoothie. Sooooooooo delicious!! The Body Butter body washes contain seeds for mild exfoliation and the texture is thick, buttery and decadent. I found it didn't really have much exfoliating effect but it does leave me smelling good enough to eat!
Loving Earth cold pressed coconut oil - There are so many coconut oils to choose from these days it's darn confusing and I have to say I bought this Loving Earth one purely because I liked the container haha. It's also extra-virgin which I'm told is the one to buy and it's reasonably priced too.
Milk & Co body oil* - At times I find the smell of coconut oil too overpowering but I still need to use a body oil after showering so this body oil is perfect. It has a lovely calming lavender scent and absorbs quickly which is exactly what I need right before bed. The oil contains vitamin A and E, papaya and rosemary leaf extracts to help reduce the appearance of scars and to improve uneven skin tone and it's made right here in Australia from 100% recyclable packaging which is fantastic.
Dermalogica Skin Hydrating Masque and Skin Smoothing Cream - The Skin Hydrating Masque is an oldie but a goodie for me! I use it at least once a week and it definitely keeps dry skin at bay. I always need a heavier moisturiser in Winter and I've tried a few over the years but the Skin Smoothing Cream is the best I've used so far and one I'll definitely be buying again. It's also fantastic to use after a peel!
Jurlique Herbal Recovery Advanced Eye Serum* - I had literally just run out of my usual eye cream when I was sent this to try out which was perfect timing. I'm paranoid about developing fine lines so eye cream or serum is an absolute must in my routine and something I use religiously! The Herbal Recovery Advanced Eye Serum claims to help reduce the visible appearance of fine lines, dehydration and signs of fatigue to keep your eyes looking youthful. I've been using it for over a month now and I'm liking the results so far - the serum spreads easily and comfortably on the skin and my eye area is definitely more hydrated and feels moisturised all day.
QV Intensive body moisturiser - I've been using this lately as a hand lotion before bed instead of my usual Neutrogena Norwegian hand cream. Both products cost the same and the QV has a thick formula like the Neutrogena but it's more emollient and contains double the product so it's WAY better value! The QV products are a must for anyone that suffers from eczema.
Bliss Kiss oil - I've been reading so many raves for this nail oil that I just had to try it for myself. I've only just started using it but I'm loving it! The pen formula is so handy for applying on the go and a little goes a looooooong way. I'm finding Lush Lemony Flutter isn't cutting it this Winter =(
Let me know in the comments if you've used any of these products before and what skincare you enjoy using in Winter!
* Product(s) provided to me for consideration but this in no way influenced my review in any way. As always, my reviews are my 100% honest opinion. My Disclosure Policy can be viewed here.
Palmolive Body Butter Exfoliating Wash Peppermint Crush and Strawberry Smoother* - There's nothing I love more than yummy smelling body wash so when I received these in the mail it was love at first sniff (ha!). Peppermint Crush contains real peppermint extract and it smells just like mint chocolate ice-cream while Strawberry Smoother smells like a strawberry smoothie. Sooooooooo delicious!! The Body Butter body washes contain seeds for mild exfoliation and the texture is thick, buttery and decadent. I found it didn't really have much exfoliating effect but it does leave me smelling good enough to eat!
Loving Earth cold pressed coconut oil - There are so many coconut oils to choose from these days it's darn confusing and I have to say I bought this Loving Earth one purely because I liked the container haha. It's also extra-virgin which I'm told is the one to buy and it's reasonably priced too.
Milk & Co body oil* - At times I find the smell of coconut oil too overpowering but I still need to use a body oil after showering so this body oil is perfect. It has a lovely calming lavender scent and absorbs quickly which is exactly what I need right before bed. The oil contains vitamin A and E, papaya and rosemary leaf extracts to help reduce the appearance of scars and to improve uneven skin tone and it's made right here in Australia from 100% recyclable packaging which is fantastic.
Dermalogica Skin Hydrating Masque and Skin Smoothing Cream - The Skin Hydrating Masque is an oldie but a goodie for me! I use it at least once a week and it definitely keeps dry skin at bay. I always need a heavier moisturiser in Winter and I've tried a few over the years but the Skin Smoothing Cream is the best I've used so far and one I'll definitely be buying again. It's also fantastic to use after a peel!
Jurlique Herbal Recovery Advanced Eye Serum* - I had literally just run out of my usual eye cream when I was sent this to try out which was perfect timing. I'm paranoid about developing fine lines so eye cream or serum is an absolute must in my routine and something I use religiously! The Herbal Recovery Advanced Eye Serum claims to help reduce the visible appearance of fine lines, dehydration and signs of fatigue to keep your eyes looking youthful. I've been using it for over a month now and I'm liking the results so far - the serum spreads easily and comfortably on the skin and my eye area is definitely more hydrated and feels moisturised all day.
QV Intensive body moisturiser - I've been using this lately as a hand lotion before bed instead of my usual Neutrogena Norwegian hand cream. Both products cost the same and the QV has a thick formula like the Neutrogena but it's more emollient and contains double the product so it's WAY better value! The QV products are a must for anyone that suffers from eczema.
Bliss Kiss oil - I've been reading so many raves for this nail oil that I just had to try it for myself. I've only just started using it but I'm loving it! The pen formula is so handy for applying on the go and a little goes a looooooong way. I'm finding Lush Lemony Flutter isn't cutting it this Winter =(
Let me know in the comments if you've used any of these products before and what skincare you enjoy using in Winter!
* Product(s) provided to me for consideration but this in no way influenced my review in any way. As always, my reviews are my 100% honest opinion. My Disclosure Policy can be viewed here.
Belated 4th blogiversary giveaway! Week 1: Fuse and Fing'rs
GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED!
Thank you for entering!
To celebrate my belated 4th blogiversary and to thank you guys for reading, commenting and being so lovely over the last 4 years, I'll be holding giveaways each week over the next 4 weeks! It's a few months late but better late than never ;) To start off the month of giveaways is an awesome prize pack from Fuse and Fing'rs.
One lucky winner will win:
- Heart to Art Nail Art Tools
- Heart to Art Nail Art Decals
- Heart to Art Embellishments
- Fingrs Street Beat Artificial Nails in Haute Mess
How to enter:
Simply leave me a comment below with what product you most want to try from the prize and why and the state you live in for your chance to win!! I'd really appreciate if you followed me on my Instagram, twitter and liked my Facebook page too. The giveaway is open to Australian residents only and ends at 8pm AEST on July 20th 2014.
A huge thank you to Fuse and Fing'rs for the prizes for this giveaway! GOOD LUCK!
Drippy ice cream nails
My eczema and contact dermatitis have been playing up so badly this winter that I've had to sport naked nails most of the time since coming home from warm Europe and HK unfortunately. But naked nails make for a sad 'chelle so I had to brave some nail art! I've been following a heap of celeb nail artists on Instagram and one of my faves is Steph Stone Nails and I couldn't go past her adorable summer drippy ice cream nails. I absolutely LOVE drippy nails and I've done them quite a few times but it was time for a proper ice cream looking mani! I followed her tutorial to create them but my version doesn't look anywhere near as polished obviously. Please excuse my terribly haggard looking hands and cuticles!
I started off with 2 coats of Kester Black Butter Cream* as my base for all nails except my accent nails where I used 3 coats of Etude House Dear My Party Nails PPK001 and added criss cross lines using Hello Darling Say No To Cameltoe using a striper brush. For the ice cream drips I decided to go colourful and I used Kester Black Fairy Floss* for my pinky, Hello Darling Ganache for my middle fingers and Cult Nails Tempest for my index fingers.
For my thumbs I used Hello Darling Mint Slice* for the ice cream drip and I used a large dotting tool and OPI Big Apple Red* to create the cherries. For the sprinkles I used China Glaze Tart-y for the Party, Keep Calm, Paint On and Life is Rosy and Models Own nail art pens in yellow and blue.
I love a bit of summer during winter and who doesn't enjoy ice cream in the cooler months?!! What do you think? Thanks for looking as always!
* Product(s) provided to me for consideration but this in no way influenced my review in any way. As always, my reviews are my 100% honest opinion. My Disclosure Policy can be viewed here.
I started off with 2 coats of Kester Black Butter Cream* as my base for all nails except my accent nails where I used 3 coats of Etude House Dear My Party Nails PPK001 and added criss cross lines using Hello Darling Say No To Cameltoe using a striper brush. For the ice cream drips I decided to go colourful and I used Kester Black Fairy Floss* for my pinky, Hello Darling Ganache for my middle fingers and Cult Nails Tempest for my index fingers.
For my thumbs I used Hello Darling Mint Slice* for the ice cream drip and I used a large dotting tool and OPI Big Apple Red* to create the cherries. For the sprinkles I used China Glaze Tart-y for the Party, Keep Calm, Paint On and Life is Rosy and Models Own nail art pens in yellow and blue.
I love a bit of summer during winter and who doesn't enjoy ice cream in the cooler months?!! What do you think? Thanks for looking as always!
* Product(s) provided to me for consideration but this in no way influenced my review in any way. As always, my reviews are my 100% honest opinion. My Disclosure Policy can be viewed here.
Face of Australia Dark Side collection giveaway winners!
Just a quick post to announce the winners of my Face of Australia Dark Side collection giveaway. Thank you to everyone that entered! The winnters are:
Jessi in Wonderland & Samthebear!
Congratulations ladies! I've just sent you both emails requesting your details - if you could please respond in the next 48 hours or I'll have to redraw the winners..
A huge thank you to Face of Australia for the awesome prizes! If you didn't win this time don't worry, I'll have more giveaways coming soon.
Thanks for looking as always!
Congratulations ladies! I've just sent you both emails requesting your details - if you could please respond in the next 48 hours or I'll have to redraw the winners..
A huge thank you to Face of Australia for the awesome prizes! If you didn't win this time don't worry, I'll have more giveaways coming soon.
Thanks for looking as always!
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