Beauty. Fashion. Lifestyle.
Posts tagged Sparkle
Thrifty Finds No.5: Car Boot
2
7 years
Last Sunday I visited my favourite car boot sale once again, and came away with yet another decent fashion haul. I managed to find a few things that I’ve actually been looking for for a while, which I was very pleased about, as well as a few other unexpected items. Here’s what I bought…
Topshop Studded Lace Bralet £5
This cost a bit more than I usually like to spend on items at a car boot sale, but I just couldn’t resist the studs and lace! Topshop bralets seem to be really popular at the moment, and this one has an RRP of £38, so I’m pleased to have found one in my size at a fraction of the price. According to the lady I bought it from it is unworn too, other than being tried on.
New Look Cutout Heart Dress £2
I’ve been wanting a cut out heart dress for ages, so when I spotted this under a huge pile of clothes on one stall, I snapped it up. It’s exactly my size too! I love it, and it looks like it’s never been worn which is a bonus.
Sans Souci Polka Dot Dip Hem Blouse £2
This is one of my favourite finds of the day. I’m currently on the look out for more summer tops, and this will be perfect for warm, sunny days. The dip hem and button back detail are really lovely, and are what caught my eye when I saw it on the rail. Sans Souci isn’t a brand I’m familiar with, but the blouse still had a TK Maxx tag attached, and it cost £9.99 new.
Oasis Leather Studded Waist Belt £1.50
Again, I’ve been trying to source a decent waist belt for a while, so this was another bargain I couldn’t pass up. The belt is made from real leather, and still had its Oasis tags attached so is brand new.
H&M Silver and Grey Jumper £1
It’s not like I need another jumper, but I actually saw a similar jumper to this in H&M last season and wanted one, so I bought it anyway. I thought it’d be itchy, but it’s actually nice and soft, and I know I’ll get plenty of wear out of it.
Next Oversized Polka Dot Shirt 25p
This shirt is three sizes too big for me, but I bought it to wear it as an oversized cardigan during cool summer evenings. And anyway, at 25p I couldn’t say no.
Stuart Little Soft Toy 50p
And just because I have a soft spot for cuddly toys and rodents, I brought Stuart Little home for 50p. He has slightly tatty whiskers and was a little grubby, but after a quick bath he’s now squeaky clean (excuse the pun!)
Total: £12.25
What do you think of my latest thrifty finds? Which piece stands out for you?
Naomi x
ResinSparkles Pendant and Ring
9
7 years
by Naomi in Fashion
I recently came across a great little Etsy store called ResinSparkles, which is owned by the lovely Sara. Sara creates unique pieces of jewellery out of resin and glitter, a lot of which have a fab geek-chic theme, with Dr Who, Star Wars, steampunk and comic books regularly featuring in her designs. Sara very kindly offered to send me a couple of pieces to review, and after browsing her store the magpie in me chose a Sparkly Ring and a Steampunk Clockwork Pendant.
Both pieces are really well made, and they are both very generous on the glitter. They’re so eye-catching, especially in the sun, and both make a real statement. They came packaged in cute matching gift bags too – perfect if you want to give them as a present (and trust me, the receiver would not be disappointed with their sparkly surprise).
The pendant comes on an 18″ silver coloured chain and is nice and lightweight, so though it’s a fairly big piece, it’s incredibly comfortable to wear and hangs well. I chose purple as it’s my favourite colour and this particular shade is stunning, but these pendants are available in a wide range of colours. I absolutely love the steampunk theme too, as the little cogs and metal bits suspended in the resin give it an added edge.
The ring I received has come to be known as my mermaid ring, as the layers of bright blue glitter are so pretty and remind me of a mermaid’s tail, or the surface of the sea sparkling in the sun (how romantic!). Like the pendant, the dome of the ring is quite large so really stands out, and it sits securely on a silver coloured adjustable metal band. I have quite slim fingers so it best fits my index or middle fingers, which is where I prefer to wear rings anyway. These are also available in a wide range of shades, with some combining two different glitters.
Considering all of Sara’s pieces are handmade and great quality, they’re also very affordable. The pendants are £7.50 each including the chain, and the rings are just £3.50. So, if you’re a fan of sparkle, or know someone else who is, be sure to check out ResinSparkles on Etsy, and on Twitter.
Naomi x
*These pieces were sent to me by ResinSparkles for review purposes. All opinions expressed are honest and my own.*
Nails Inc Bling It On Leather & Skulls
162013 is set to be another big year for textured nails, and the latest trend is the unusual leather look. Nails Inc recently launched their Bling It On Leather & Skulls set, and it has been causing a big buzz in the world of beauty. I am always keen to try out new and exciting nail effects and I was really intrigued by this when I first heard about it, so I was very pleased to be sent a set to review, from lookfantastic.com.
Bling It On Leather is available in Black or Tan (which is the shade I have), and the set contains a 10ml bottle of Leather Effect polish, four skull embellishments, a 3g bottle of nail glue and a cuticle stick – everything you need to create gorgeous, stand-out nails!
The nail polish shade in the tan set is called Soho Mews, and is a lovely caramel brown colour, tinged with orange. The polish itself is very creamy and highly pigmented, and I found it only took one coat to achieve an opaque, even finish. However, I applied two coats as the instructions suggest. Getting the leather look is very simple, as the polish does all the work for you. Like a crackle varnish, Leather Effect goes on glossy, and before your eyes it develops a leathery textured, matte finish in just seconds. Once the effect has formed, the polish is also completely dry, which is really quite impressive.
If you wanted to dress the Leather Look down for work or day wear you could stop there, but the set also contains four skulls which would be perfect for an evening look. The skull embellishments are made of a gold coloured metal and are studded with tiny crystal gems. They’re actually surprisingly detailed and beautiful for a nail embellishment, and give the leather effect a glamorous yet rocky edge. The instructions say to pick the skulls up with tweezers, before applying a small amount of the glue to the corners and centre of the skull before placing it on to your chosen nail. If you’re careful, you won’t make a mess with the glue, and the skull will stay put. If you’re extra careful, you can remove the skull before taking the varnish off and use it again!
The final look you get with the leather polish and skulls is one of beauty. If, like me, you do everything in your power to keep your newly painted nails glossy and smudge-free, the Leather Effect may take some getting used to, but it really does look like leather and the colour is stunning! Here are two swatch photos to show you how fabulous this look is.
Without skull, to show the Leather Effect.
With skull.
The only downside to the Leather Effect is that it soon chips. To keep the matte finish I didn’t apply a top coat, and within 24 hours the varnish had chipped. However, if you change your varnish regularly this shouldn’t be much of an issue, and if you’re wearing it for a night out then chances are you’ll be removing it within a day anyway.
If you like the look of Nails Inc Bling It On Leather & Skulls, you can order it now for £19 (with FREE worldwide delivery) from LookFantastic, in the classy shade of black – a worthy investment for fans of chic nails and current trends! LookFantastic also stock many other nail brands, including O.P.I, Essie and Butter London. To view their full range, visit here!
Naomi x
*This Nails Inc Bling It On Leather & Skulls set was sent to me by lookfantastic.com for review purposes. All opinions expressed in this post are honest and my own.*
Mini Nail Varnish Haul featuring Models Own and Barry M
20Hi everyone,
Just a quick post from me today as I want to share with you my recent nail varnish buys. As well as the Models Own sale items I ordered a few weeks ago, I have acquired a few more shiny pretties lately. In fact, they’re ALL glittery! It must be the time of year, what with the party season and Christmas just around the corner.
The most exciting new varnishes in my collection are three from the new Models Own Wonderland range. The range features five sparkly, wintery glitters, all of which give a different stunning effect. The three I went for are…
From Left to Right:
- Northern Lights (pink micro holographic glitter)
- Southern Lights (purple micro holographic glitter)
- Jack Frost (Blue micro glitter in clear varnish)
Aren’t they ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL?? The photos really don’t do them justice. I can’t wait to try them on! I nipped into Boots to buy these yesterday and was extremely pleased to find them included in a 3 for 2 offer, so I got all three for a total of £10, saving £5. If you want the whole set I recommend you grab these whilst they’re on offer as it works out cheaper than buying the full boxed set from the Models Own website!
The next varnish in my little haul is a new one from Barry M – Ruby Glitter.
Barry M released this shade along with a few other glitters a few weeks ago. There are quite a few in the range that I would like (especially Amethyst Glitter), but I went for this one first because I instantly fell in love with it. It consists of different sized flecks of black glitter, studded with red/magenta glitter. It reminds me of Valentines Day (my birthday) for some reason… It just has an air of passion and luxury about it! Like most Barry M Nail Paints, Ruby Glitter retails for an affordable £2.99.
The final little gem in this haul is one that my mum brought back from Portugal last week – a lush purple shade from a range called ‘Yes Love’.
This varnish is Cadbury purple with a delicate golden shimmer running through it. I’m wearing this at the minute and it looks really lovely on. Apparently it only cost a bargainous 1 euro as well, which is a miniscule price tag for such a good quality varnish.
I’ll be reviewing all of these varnishes over the coming days and weeks, starting tomorrow with the ‘Yes Love’ purple so keep an eye out. Which is your favourite so far?
Naomi x
NOTD: 2 True Crystal Nail Polish – Shade 4
3
9 years
by Naomi in Nails
This morning, after a week of waiting, my huge eBay nail varnish haul arrived in the post! I am a sucker for all things purple and sparkly, so when I saw this I had to try it out straight away. The 2 True Crystal Nail Polish is from a limited edition range in Superdrug, and is described on their website as ‘Regal Purple’. If I remember correctly, 2 True nail polishes retail at just £1.99 each or three for £5.
The dainty 7ml bottle advises to ‘Apply 2 coats’ and use a base coat, so this is what I did, and this is what my nails looked like (with Avon’s Peeling & Brittleness Solver underneath and L’Oreal Manicure Shine on top)…
I have to say, for such a cheap nail varnish I am very, VERY impressed! The brush is easy to control and the varnish applies extremely smoothly. After one coat it looked fantastic but the second coat added that extra bit of even coverage. It dries quickly too so there’s not much waiting around required.
The colour is absolutely stunning – a pinky violet purple with delicate multi-tones of blue and bronze (which can be seen above). The swatches were photographed in natural light so you can get a good idea of the true colour from the picture. The shimmer looks great, even indoors, and unlike a lot of glitter varnishes this one is smooth in texture so it doesn’t feel horrible!
I have noticed that one of my nails is already slightly scuffed/chipped, but I did start moving boxes a little while after I painted them so they might not have completely dried yet – my fault, not the varnish’s!
I think this shade may become one of my most used. What do you think of it?
Naomi x
