Beauty. Fashion. Lifestyle.
Archive for February, 2013
Barry M Gelly Hi Shine Nail Paint in Greenberry
12
6 years
by Naomi in Nails
Last week Barry M launched four more Gelly Nail Paint shades as part of their Spring collection – Lychee (nude), Dragon Fruit (pink), Greenberry (green) and Papaya (orange). When I saw the new colours advertised on their Facebook page I instantly fell in love with Greenberry, and since I’d never tried a Gelly before I made a special trip into town to pick this up not long after the launch. Barry M’s Gellies are supposed to have a gel effect finish which is highly glossy. I find Barry M’s standard Nail Paints are already very shiny, so I couldn’t wait to put the Gelly to the test to see whether it lives up to its name.
Barry M’s Gelly varnish has a thick but creamy consistency, which applies extremely smoothly with no streakiness. However, if you have too much varnish on the brush it can apply a bit too thickly, so its best to apply as thin a coat as possible and build up from there. I made the mistake of applying fairly thick coats at first so the coverage was instantly completely opaque, but I applied a thinner second coat over the top for good measure. As with all Barry M Nail Paints, the Gelly dries to the touch rather quickly. I put this on not long before I went to bed, but I didn’t wake up with fabric imprints on my nails, which is always a good sign with me!
Greenberry is an extremely beautiful greeny turquoise shade, and is delicately bright. It’s almost a pastel neon if that makes sense! It has a creme finish, and of course, an intense shine which you can almost see your reflection in. In my experience, it’s quite rare for a creme varnish to have such a shiny appearance, so it definitely lives up to its name. It doesn’t even need a top coat!
This Nail Paint lasts really well too. I first applied Greenberry on Sunday, without a top coat, and didn’t remove it until yesterday, and after four days of wear chipping was minimal. There were a few nicks at the ends of my nails on my right hand where I caught them on the zip of my bag, but other than that the varnish still looked as bright, shiny and smooth as it did when I first applied it – just like a gel manicure!
Overall, I am suitably impressed with Barry M’s Gelly Nail Paint as it looks great and lasts long, and to top it off Greenberry is a gorgeous colour. The Gellies cost £3.99 each in Boots and Superdrug, which is £1.00 more than most Barry M’s varnishes, but its well worth it for that extra shine and staying power.
Have you ever tried a Barry M Gelly? What did you think?
Naomi x
Natural Honeycomb Sea Sponge
6In an attempt to go even more natural with my skin care routine, I recently swapped my synthetic sponge for a natural sea sponge, which was kindly gifted to me by the lovely folks at The Sponge Market. The Sponge Market are a Sheffield-based skin care company who concentrate on supplying luxury natural bathing products. All of their sponges are collected by expert divers who make an effort to protect the environment and encourage new sponges to grow, which is very important and reassuring.
The sponge I received is a 5.5″ Honeycomb Sea Sponge, which is said to be the ‘most luxurious and longest lasting sponge of all the sea sponge family’.
The 5.5″ Honeycomb Sea Sponge is the ideal size for every day use in the bath or shower. When wet, it has a silky soft texture, but it remains firm so is perfect for all over cleansing. It feels so gentle on the skin and far more luxurious than a synthetic sponge. I like to use my sponge before I go to bed to wash off my make up, and it makes my skin feel so soft and refreshed.
The sponge also makes a small amount of shower gel go a very long way. I usually end up using an overly generous amount of gel in the shower as it never foams up enough, but the first time I tested the honeycomb sponge I used a marble sized amount of gel and it foamed up immensely. In fact, even after use when I was rinsing the sponge the foam kept coming. Impressive, and I’m definitely happy to be saving money by not wasting shower gel any more!
After use, the sponge dries quickly so it doesn’t sit there getting soggy and smelly. It keeps its shape as well and doesn’t fall to bits in a few days like synthetic sponges tend to do, which is a definite plus point.
Overall, I am pleased that I made the decision to switch to a natural sponge. Its incredibly soft texture is one that cannot be replicated, and the difference it has made to the way my skin feels is amazing. I won’t be going back to the synthetic variety, that’s for sure.
This particular sea sponge retails for £16.50, but they come in a variety of sizes (which you can view here), and start at just £10.50. The Sponge Market also stock two other types of sponge for other skin needs – Natural Grass Sponges which are ideal for exfoliation, and Natural Silk Sponges which are perfect for babies and delicate skin. If you’d like to try a sea sponge for yourself, The Sponge Market have kindly given me a special discount code so you can get 20% off everything on their website, which is a massive saving on already low prices. Just enter ‘TWEET20′ at the checkout.
Have you ever tried a natural sea sponge? What are your thoughts?
Naomi x
*This Honeycomb Natural Sea Sponge was sent to me by The Sponge Market for review purposes. All opinions expressed are honest and my own.*
Real Techniques Blush Brush
5
6 years
by Naomi in Make Up Tools
On my mission to find affordable but high quality make up brushes, I was recommended Real Techniques by several different bloggers. After doing some research and seeing how highly praised they are, the Core Collection and Starter Set went straight on my birthday list, and I was lucky enough to receive both sets for my birthday (I’ll be reviewing these at a later date). On top of this, the wonderful Lookfantastic were also kind enough to send me a Real Techniques Blush Brush, which I will be reviewing in this post.
Real Techniques’ Blush Brush has everything I look for when choosing new make up brushes. Firstly, it has a long handle which is made from light aluminium with a grippable base, so it is easy to use and gives you ultimate control. It also has a widened, flat base so it can stand alone, which makes for simple storage.
The bristles are cut by hand and are tapered, which is great for contouring, but the rounded bulk of the brush makes applying an even sweep of blusher easy. I find that the brush picks up just the right amount of product too, so you’re left with a flawless, well blended finish. Most importantly for me, the bristles are made from synthetic taklon so the brush is vegan and cruelty free, but unlike some synthetic bristles they’re also incredibly soft. They feel amazingly plush and luxurious on the skin and don’t cause any irritation, which is always a bonus for those with sensitive skin like me.
Though I’ve only used this brush for blusher so far, I think it could be quite a versatile brush. I’ve seen other reviewers say they use it for bronzer too, as well as powder foundation, which I may put to the test.
I really couldn’t be happier with this brush, and I can’t recommend it highly enough – it makes the whole process of applying blusher effortless, and it really lives up to (maybe even exceeds!) my expectations. Real Techniques brushes are extremely high quality for the price and they’re now my go-to brand for brushes. I have my eye on the Foundation Brush next! This Blush Brush has an RRP of £12.89, but it is currently on sale on Lookfantastic.com for £9.99. A serious bargain if you ask me. If you’d like to see Lookfantastic’s full range of Real Techniques brushes, just click here.
What do you think of Real Techniques’ products?
Naomi x
*I was sent this Real Techniques Blush Brush by The Hut Group/Lookfantastic.com for review purposes. All thoughts expressed are honest and based on my own experience.*
My Budget Beauty Swap Parcel
9
Early last month I launched my Budget Beauty Blogger Swap. The budget for the swap was £10/€12/$16, and the aim was to buy your swap partner as many beauty products as you could within the budget – quite a challenge, but not impossible! So far, I have already seen quite a few posts from bloggers sharing their swap parcels, and everything sent and received has been brilliant.
Today it was my turn to receive my parcel all the way from Beverly Hills in LA. My swap partner was the lovely India, a US beauty blogger who runs beautynthbrains. I answered the door to the postman this morning to see him holding a box with the US postal logo on it, and I knew what it was straight away. As I’m sure you can imagine, I was really excited to see what was inside the parcel so I opened it in a hurry, and was met by this pretty pink, spiralled package, packed full of amazing products.
When I saw this little haul I was over the moon! Everything India sent is exactly my colour, and I was really happy to receive products from so many brands that we don’t have in the UK. I will be reviewing each of the products separately in the coming weeks once I’ve had a chance to use them properly, but here are my first thoughts on everything…
Wet n Wild Color Icon Eyeshadow Collection in Shimmer The Night Away
I was incredibly happy to receive a Wet n Wild eyeshadow palette, as I have heard a lot of good things about them and they are highly sought after in the UK. The palette I received is Shimmer The Night Away, which features eight shimmery shades – four suitable for a smoky eye look, and four pinks and purples which are my go-to colours – perfect.
Everyday Minerals Stay Cool Matte Eyes Eyeshadow
Everyday Minerals isn’t a brand that I’m familiar with, and I don’t own many mineral eyeshadows, so I’m really looking forward to experimenting with this. The colour is a deep grey with a lovely violet undertone, which will incorporate well into my usual colour palette.
Sephora Nano Eye Pencil in Midnight Black
India and I told each other a few items that we had been lusting after, and Sephora Nano Eyeliner was one of mine. I adore bold, black eyeliner looks so this is ideal for me. I’ve swatched the liner on my hand and, as the Sephora website says, it is highly pigmented and glides on easily as it’s enriched with shea butter.
Sephora Ultra Vinyl Lip Pencil in Fuchsia Pink
Sephora’s Ultra Vinyl Lip Pencil in Fuchsia Pink was another of my requests, and it hasn’t disappointed. I wore this today and it applies smoothly and lasts a very long time. The bright pink shade is absolutely stunning, and the micro-glitter finish gives incredibly shine. I think it’s reminiscent of Barry M’s Lip Lacquer Crayon in Party Pink. Gorgeous!
Sephora Pencil Sharpener
I’ve been meaning to buy a new pencil sharpener for ages now as my old one is on its way out, so this was a great little accessory to find in my swap parcel. India must have read my mind!
Model Co Lip Gloss
Model Co is another brand that I’ve never used before. The gloss doesn’t have a name or colour labelled on it, but it’s a bright shimmery pinky red with a sheer finish. I didn’t find the gloss overly sticky when I tried it on earlier, and it has an intense strawberry scent and flavour which I love. The mirror on the tube is so handy too. I’ll definitely be using this gloss on a regular basis.
Beauty So Clean Cosmetic Sanitizer Wipes
India also sent me four cosmetic sanitizer wipes which are for cleaning cosmetics before or after use. Another nice little addition which will be carried in my make up bag for cleansing on the go.
Overall, I couldn’t be happier with what I received in my swap parcel. I imagine India went over the budget with her buys, so thank you India for being so generous and sending me so many fantastic treats. I feel well and truly spoilt today! Unfortunately, I forgot to photograph everything I sent, but hopefully India will share everything in a post of her own when her parcel arrives. I posted almost two weeks ago so fingers crossed it will reach the US soon!
I plan on linking to everyone’s swap parcel posts in a blog post very soon, so if you’ve received your parcel and have blogged about it please let me know!
Naomi x
Phase Eight Wedding Guest Outfit Competition Entry
9
6 years
I was recently contacted by Phase Eight about their Blogger Wedding Guest Outfit Competition. The aim of the competition is to browse the Phase Eight website and put together an outfit fit for a fabulous wedding guest, using your favourite pieces from the site, and the lucky winner will win a £250 Phase Eight voucher! I always love a styling challenge so I jumped at the chance of creating a wedding look, and I had a lot of fun doing so. I decided to choose an outfit that I would wear myself, which would be suitable for all weathers, and here is what I went for…
Shop this look:
– Katrina Crush Dress (£99.00) – Madeline Shrug (£35.00) – Hope Bow Platform Peep Toe Shoes (£99.00) – Organza Rose Hair Clip (£25.00) – Hope Bow Clutch Bag (£49.00) –
Total: £307.00
The main reason I chose these individual pieces was for their textures. The crinkle effect of the dress combined with the feather shrug and satin and organza accessories is unusual, but that’s what I love about it. After all, everyone wants to stand out from the crowd! The fabrics are all so beautifully feminine too, which would really make you feel wonderful on a loved one’s special day.
I chose purple as the main colour as it’s my favourite colour and one which I’m told suits me well. It’s one of this year’s popular wedding colours as well, apparently, so it’s also bang on trend. I think the pale pink/shell accenting accessories add a soft, demure element to the boldness of the purple, as befits a wedding scenario. They’re all incredibly elegant, especially the shoes which I absolutely adore. The hair clip would look amazing with a side swept hair style too.
The Madeline Shrug I included is absolutely gorgeous and one of the highlights of the outfit – I think it adds a vintage-inspired glamorous touch to the look. It’s also a versatile piece, as it can be removed if the weather’s warm or during the evening reception, or snuggled into if it’s a rainy day or there’s an evening chill.
Overall, I love this outfit as the colours and textures are stunning and the whole look is just so chic. What do you think?
Naomi x
Miss Sporty Metal Flip Nail Varnish in Beetle Wings
12
6 years
by Naomi in Nails
Today’s featured nail varnish is another that I was gifted for my birthday, this time by my partner’s sister Rachel (thanks Rachel!), and it comes in the form of Miss Sporty Metal Flip in the beautiful shade ‘Beetle Wings’.
Before Beetle Wings I had never tried a Miss Sporty varnish before, and I must say I am very impressed with the formula. It has a smooth, creamy consistency which applies evenly, and gives opaque coverage in two coats, and it dries quickly too. In the time it takes to paint ten nails the varnish is dry to the touch and ready for the next coat, so there’s no waiting around for ages in between coats! Also, the brush is lovely and wide and covers the nail in one sweep, which lessens streakiness, but I do find the lid a bit too small to grip easily, which can make application tricky.
Beetle Wings is a classic duochrome shade, combining gilded green and copper brown, and the colours alter fluidly according to the light. The green is actually the more dominant colour in the mix, but for some reason the brown shows up more in pictures. Though I haven’t used Chanel Peridot myself, Beetle Wings looks like quite a decent dupe from what I can tell. It’s also reminiscent of Models Own Golden Green, which I do have, although Beetle Wings is slightly more tinged with orange.
The varnish has a stunning metallic shimmer finish which looks incredible in sunlight, and stops the colour ever looking dull, but unfortunately it does show up any imperfections quite a bit.
Here is how the varnish looks on the nail… Excuse the messy edges!
Isn’t it pretty?
One of the best things about this varnish is how long it lasts. After three days and no top coat, Beetle Wings still looks excellent on most of my nails, although it has chipped slightly on a couple. I imagine it would last even longer with a top coat though, which is great is you want a manicure that lasts!
Overall, I really like this varnish. The colour and finish are incredibly pretty, and the formula and lasting power exceed what I’d expect of a budget range. If you like metallics, duochromes and affordable dupes then this is definitely for you. Miss Sporty Metal Flip varnishes are available from Superdrug and come in three shades. Look out for my review of Aurora Borealis, coming soon!
Naomi x
Bewitchery featured on Superdrug’s Look at Me Blog
7I have something very exciting to share with you today… Bewitchery has been featured on Superdrug’s Look at Me beauty blog!
The article, called ‘Beauty Bloggers We Love: Bewitchery‘, features a little Q&A with myself, including beauty tips and Superdrug product recommendations, as well as a few pictures. Of course, my beloved MUA get a big mention! You can read the feature here.
What do you think of Bewitchery’s feature?
Naomi x
Layla Hologram Effect Nail Polish in Ultra Violet
9
6 years
by Naomi in Nails
On my birthday I got quite a few bottles of nail varnish, and the one I chose to wear on the day was this one from my mum – Layla Hologram Effect in Ultra Violet. I’ve always liked the look of hologram nail varnishes but have never got round to buying one myself, so I was very pleased to see this in my pile of presents, especially as it’s my favourite colour. Thanks mum!
Layla isn’t a brand that I’m familiar with, but according to their website they are based in Milan, Italy, and sell a wide range of make up as well as nail products.
This varnish has a fairly thick consistency, but it comes with a decent brush so applies easily and evenly, and despite the glittery look dries smooth to the touch. However, it does take a little while to dry, and if you attempt to apply the second coat whilst the first is still sticky it can cause some streaking, so it’s best to be patient with application if you want to achieve neat coverage! It only takes two coats to create an opaque finish, which is always my test of a good quality varnish, and this one passes.
In the bottle, Ultra Violet looks a dusky purple colour with an undertone of grey, but on the nails it looks slightly paler. However, once you’re in the right light the hologram effect really comes alive, and it’s impressively strong! The hologram looks 3D and shines a rainbow of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, pink and purple in both natural and indoor light, and at the same time the glitter shimmers beautifully underneath. It’s difficult to put into words just how stunning this varnish is, so here are a few pictures of it in different lights to give you an idea…
No hologram effect.
Hologram effect without flash.
(It actually looks a lot more colourful than this in reality but it was difficult to capture on camera.)
Hologram effect with flash.
I have been wearing Ultra Violet for three days now, with a top coat, and it has lasted really well. The ends have started to chip today so I will probably remove the varnish soon, but other than that the coverage still looks neat and vibrant.
Overall, I would definitely recommend Layla Hologram Effect Nail Polish as it is excellent quality and the hologram effect is powerful and very, very pretty. A lot better than the Boots 17 hologram varnish I’ve seen in reviews! The colour is a bit more interesting than the typical silver hologram too. If you’d like to try this range for yourself, it may be difficult to locate in shops, but Ultra Violet is available on Amazon here, and you can find other shades here.
Do you like the look of this varnish?
Naomi x
Valentine’s Birthday
9Yesterday was not only Valentine’s Day but my 23rd birthday, and I was lucky enough to have the day off work to celebrate! As is tradition, I woke up early to open my cards and presents, and in the afternoon I went for a lovely lunch with my family and partner, Charles. After lunch, Charles and I walked into town for a wander round and to see the Richard III exhibition at the local museum, before heading home for birthday cake and a game of Balderdash. It was a relaxed day, but I enjoyed it as I got to spend time with the people I love, and I was given some amazing gifts which I am extremely grateful for! Here are a few photos from the day…
I was lucky enough to receive everything on my Birthday Wish List this year, and more! Everything I was given is very ‘me’, and I have quite a few fashion and beauty items to review for you, including Layla, Miss Sporty and Barry M nail varnishes, Sleek Lipstick and Real Techniques make up brushes. There was also a strong owl theme in my cards and gifts this year… My mum even bought me a packet of owl print toilet roll as a joke! Haha.
Charles surprised me with this absolutely beautiful silver necklace which says ‘Everlong’. Everlong by the Foo Fighters has been my favourite song for years, and when Charles and I got together it became ‘our’ song, so when I saw this I very nearly cried. I love it so much and I’m going to treasure it forever!
I’m a massive fan of Batman, and Charles’ mum and sister baked me this amazing Batman cake. The bat is made from dark chocolate, the icing is vanilla and chocolate buttercream, and the sponge inside is coloured green and purple like the Joker. How cool is that?
We are currently decorating our hallway and the walls were completely bare yesterday, so I decided to write a little note on the plaster for future generations to find one day when I’m old and grey.
Seeing as I had a casual day, I decided to wear a casual outfit for my birthday. I settled for a pink dress top with romantic lace sleeves and purple skinny jeans, both from H&M, and my trusty purple Dr Martens. Oh, and my Everlong necklace of course!
And true to kitty form, my cat Moth loved playing with all the wrapping paper and gift bags!
What did you do for Valentine’s Day this year? Did you get anything nice from your loved one?
Naomi x
Big Birthday Giveaway: Win an Urban Decay Naked Palette! – CLOSED
182Last Thursday was Bewitchery’s first birthday, and today is my 23rd birthday, so to celebrate these two special days and to say thank you to my lovely readers, I have teamed up with Lookfantastic to bring you a very exciting giveaway prize… An Urban Decay Naked Palette! The Naked Palette features twelve beautiful, neutral eyeshadow shades, a Good Karma Eyeshadow brush and mini Eyeshadow Primer Potion in Original. I’m sure you’ll all agree that this highly sought after palette is my best giveaway prize yet, and I’d like to thank Lookfantastic for donating it!
To enter, please click on the link below, and you will be taken to an entry form where you can earn as many entries as you like! Please note that to enter you must be a Bewitchery subscriber. To subscribe to my posts, please click on the ‘Follow’ button under the ‘Follow Me’ section in the sidebar. If you are not a WordPress user, you will need to enter your email address first. Thanks!
WIN AN URBAN DECAY NAKED PALETTE FROM LOOKFANTASTIC!
The giveaway is open internationally to those aged 18 or over, and will run for four weeks. The giveaway will close at midnight GMT on 14th March and a winner will be chosen at random and contacted on 15th March. You will then have 48 hours to claim your prize and message me your postal address so that I can post the palette out to you asap! If the winner does not respond within this time I will choose another winner.
Good luck to all who enter!
Naomi x
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