Eek Nails

Eek nails are a cute little creation by Sophy Robson for Spring/Summer 2011 Giles Deacon show.

Since my previous foray into leopard print and casino nails, I thought this looked pretty simple to do so gave it a go for myself.

I used this bevvy of nail products and tried to stick to similar colours as at Giles S/S 2011.  Next time I may try a more demure shade with the little peepers adding a bit of kitsch.

It was easy to do, after applying my base coat, i dabbed 2 dots for the whites of they eyes,  I then waited on these to dry before doing the same again with black nail polish for the pupils.  It didn't take much longer than a normal manicure either which is a bonus to any nail art.

I now have 5 little characters on each hand, i'm even thinking about naming them! ;)

what do you think of eek nails?

x

Beat Of My Drum

I always knew Nicola was the talented one ...



A little bit Justice, a little bit Uffie ... it's right up my street, even if it does feel like she has ripped them off a wee bit.

Seriously, how hawt does she look?  Even kinda liking her ombre hair ... but Nicola, everyone's already bought that t-shirt!

x

OOTD: Direct your feet to the sunny side of the street

After about a fortnight of grey clouds and constant rain, Friday finally gave us some sun :)

It was a scorcher in Glaswegian terms but since I was working then spray tanning on Friday, I only managed to catch mid afternoon/evening but even then it was still lovely & warm and to top it off, it stayed light late into the night.  Just how summer should feel.

I go for easy clothing on summer days and tend to make use of accessories.  Because I also had just had a spray tan I needed to wear something that wouldn't rub the tan or leave any lines behind so I opted for a navy strapless maxi dress from ASOS.  The dress is described as navy but it has a definite purple tinge about it... it's quite bright.

catalogue posing into the distance!

A pair of gladiator sandals for comfort, again from ASOS.  They are a peachy, tan shade but they only thing that let's them down is their velcro fastening instead of a buckle.

excuse the hideous tootsies!

 

I accessorised with a multi layered bead necklace from H&M.  The browns and turquoise really set off the navy in the dress.  I also wore my Mango rayban-esque sunnies which I love.  They add a bit of cool to any outfit.

My hair is being quite awkward at the moment and I am waiting to get it re-done again so I tend to just scrape it up in a top knot these days.  Estee Lauder Orange Crush gloss is becoming a bit of a permanent feature in my make up this week and again wore it on this sunny Friday as it seemed a perfect choice to celebrate the mini heatwave (which only lasted a day by the way!).

Has everyone else been enjoying good weather?

x

Dream Product: NARS Blush Bronzer Highlighter Trio

I had a random free day today after my initial plans were cancelled ... so with any day that i'm at a loose end I usually end up in town spending money I don't have.

A browse in Space NK led to this amazing purchase and it almost went unnoticed until I was walking out of the door.  I spotted a little purse/clutch like package on the NARS display and a closer look had me nearly hyperventilating for this little clutch of goodies was indeed my favourite NARS products rolled into one.

NARS Laguna bronzer (my absolute holy grail of bronzers), Orgasm blush (always a fave) and Albatross highlight (utterly lush) - All 3 of these products in the one zipped compact is a dream for me.  I usually use Orgasm as my holiday blush and I rarely go a day without wearing Laguna so to have these together is ideal, Albatross is the icing on the cake that will take any daytime look to a shimmering evening look in seconds.  This is going to make packing so much easier and lighter in the make up department.

This is a limited edition product and is priced at £39, I really did think this was quite the bargain.  A blush and highlight costs around £20 from NARS and bronzer is £24 so I felt it was a pretty good deal.  I snapped it up as soon as I heard the price. I was supposed to be buying new trainers for the gym today but that can wait until next month ;)

Has anyone else been tempted by this trio yet?

x

Estee Lauder Orange Crush

When it comes to the latest of the Estee Lauder Pure Colour collection it was Pure Love at first sight!

I guess orange isn't everyones idea of a wearable colour especially in eyeshadow form, no matter how refreshing a shade it may be for summer.   I always felt the same ... and as much as I adore an orange lip or a peach cheek, the idea of wearing it on my eyes just seemed obscene.

That's until this week when to my surprise and excitement these 3 new limited edition shades dropped through my post box.  Created by Tom Pecheux for the Derek Lam's Spring 2011 runway show, inspired by 1960's California, Lauder have taken this bold look from the runway to real life with these 3 beautiful products.

Sugar Cube, Orange Crush and Orange Crush Gloss

Pure Colour Eyeshadow in Orange Crush (RRP £16) is an utterly stunning shade of bold, bright orange.  The pigmentation is fantastic, a lighter hand will give a subtle wash of colour that can built upon to create a slightly bolder finish.  With a slightly heavy hand, a vibrant finish can be achieved which is equally as stunning if not a little more daring.  The second shadown in the collection is Sugar Cube a shimmering white that is a fantastic highlight and blends fabulously with Orange Crush.

As above, sugar cube, orange crush and orange crush gloss

The absolute beauty and most wearable of this small but perfectly formed collection is the Pure Colour Gloss in Orange Crush (RRP £16).  This is quite a fiery orange and has a high shine finish, it's lush on the lips and lasts for hours (although its shine does fade) which is a bonus!

The minute I got this I tried to recreate a similar look to the runway creation.  I used a bold line of orange crush on the lashline and blended with sugar cube, taking sugar cube up to under the lashline as a highlight.  I used MAC blacktrack to line the eyes but I think this colour would look equally as good if not fresher without they liner.

Hideous photobooth quality but you get the idea

On the cheeks I stuck with an old favourite NARS Laguna to bronze/contour slightly and for blush,  MAC springsheen which is lovely peach shade and complemented the oranges very well.  I lined my lips lightly with a nude liner before applying Orange Crush gloss.  I'm not sure if Estee Lauder would recommend wearing the bold eye and lips at the same time but it certainly worked for me. 

Even with my red hair which I initially thought would clash with these colours, I could really make this look work and it was something different to the same old neutrals.  It's definitely a gorgeous summer look that can easily be taken into autumn.  It's especially gorgeous for us blue eyed babies out there ... the contrast between the orange and blue just makes your eyes .... POP! (there, i said it!).  Even with pale skin, these shade rocked it... I can only imagine how much more amazing they would look had I been tanned!

Anyway, it seems this collection is so exclusive it is only available at Harvey Nics in London, Manchester, Leeds and Edinburgh.  I would recommend you try and pick these gorgeous shades up if you can though - they look stunning, apply wonderfully and make a statement as bold or as subtle as you like!

Anyone else brave enough for orange eyeshadow?

x

How I make my flowers last longer

For some, this post may be teaching you to suck eggs but until a friend visited the other day and mentioned she would never have thought to do this, I thought it may be of some use to you.

As mentioned in my last post I was given a lovely bouquet of flowers.  Since my arrangement was already beautifully cut, they went straight into a large vase.  However, with any bouquet with a variety of flowers, they will likely die at different rates.  So while my bold gerberas faded away and died an untimely death, my roses, carnations and lilies were all still fighting on.

Of course it makes sense to remove the dying plants but I often find the arrangement never quite has the same charm about it.  So my solution is to split them up and place the flowers in a number of smaller arrangements in vases, teacups, glasses etc.  Often I find that my new arrangements are nicer and have more character than the original larger floral delight.

Roses in a glass incense holder

carnations in a drinking glass

It's unlikely that we have in our homes countless vases of differing shapes and sizes so it pays to be a little creative.  In this case I used a shot glass, a drinking glass and an incense jar.  Teacups, bowls, candleholders and even ashtrays can also make excellent new homes for your leftover flowers.  

Lily in a shot glass

It also means you can share the flowers throughout your home, before they would have been placed in one room.  Now I can have some in the bathroom, bedroom and my lounge instead of a full arrangement  in one room.

I find that grouping a few of the smaller arrangements together in certain areas, like my coffee table, it makes a lovely statement and refreshing pop of colour to an otherwise practical area of the home.

So, that's my wee tip for a Sunday ... Hope you are all looking forward to the bank holiday - unfortunately for me I will be working it!
x

Things making me smile this week ...

Virnaburger by Mel Ramos ... I keep this postcard above my cooker, sometimes it's there to remind me of the body I am aiming for and other times it reminds me sometimes it's okay to indulge.  The playboy bottle opener is a welcome piece of pink tat :) 

A postcard from my Krabi, Thailand.  My friend Gia is getting married here in November and she was over finalising some arrangements (she now lives in Australia).  I desperately hope I can still make it over to see her walk down the aisle.  Scrimping and saving every penny I can.  

I ordered my Three mifi on Thursday and it arrived on Saturday morning.  I am now fully hooked up to the internet after weeks of being out of the blogging, tweeting, social media loop.  I'm back baby! 

A surprise boquet of flowers on my 3rd wedding anniversary.  The other half wasn't happy with these flowers in the end, he didn't think they were very 'me'.  Regardless it still gave me butterflies when the florist dropped them off :) 

The sequinned jumpsuit, the tight bushy curls, the dark smoked eyes and pink lippy ... 

it screams D-I-S-C-O and I love it!! 

Breakfast choices... egg and soldiers, a firm favourite and a welcome change from my daily porridge.

My new bargainous tea set ... for cocktails of course ... NOT tea!!

I picked this ironing board cover up a few weeks ago but only full appreciating it now ... it was a quid from Primark but it's a mantra that's priceless.

What's making you smile this week?

x