Aussie Miracle Moist Tribe Badge

Im part of the Miracle Moist Tribe and wearing my badge with pride! Which tribe are you in ?

My Top 5 April Favourites

This shall be a regular feature where I’ll list my top 5 favourite products of the month that I have been loving, they might be old or new products.

So my favourites for April (in no particular order)......

1. YSL False Lash Effect Mascara – This is the blackest black mascara, it creates fantastic volume and thickness to the lashes whilst also conditioning and smells lovely. Some days I’ve just been wearing this mascara alone without any eye shadow or eye liner it’s that great! My only gripe is the brush gets clogged up with mascara quickly.

2. Cloud 9 Hair Straighteners – absolutely love these and haven’t picked my beloved ghds up since using them (which really says something!) Leaves my hair shiny, far easier to curl and wave my hair with these as the barrels are thinner and curved. Review coming here soon!

3. Ciate polish in ‘Main stage’ from the festive fever collection – my favourite colour at the moment its vibrant plumy pink but not too bright. Its also the perfect dupe for OPI Dim Sum Plum (see here). If you like this colour you can enter my giveaway to win the colour here.

4. Wahanda website – been loving the Mobdeals this month! Got some bargain deals, you can read about it here and check out the links in the right side bar for daily exclusive offers.

5. Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanse and Polish – has a lovely creamy texture and leaves skin feeling soft, clean and moisturised.



What are your favourite picks for this month?

World Record Breaking Nails - Help Us To Nail It !

Record-breaking Nails – Help Us To Nail It! (supporting WOW - Wellbeing of Women)

A nail-biting attempt is to be made on Thursday May 13th to crack The Guinness World Record for the highest number of File and Varnishes to be carried out in eight hours. The record attempt, to achieve over two thousand file and polishes, will be undertaken by students at the London College of Beauty Therapy (LCBT) 47 Great Marlborough Street, London W1.
LCBT’s trainee therapist’s are hoping to attract as many volunteers as possible (men as well as women) to come along on the day between 11am and 7pm – all volunteers will receive a free file and varnish (or file and buff) performed by a highly trained therapist.
LCBT is staging the event to support the charity Wellbeing of Women which funds medical research into all women’s health issues.
The students, who regularly support charities, are hoping to receive great support from the general public which will allow them to perform at least two thousand file and varnishes under the watchful eyes of the Guinness World Record adjudicators.
Speaking about the reasons behind the event, Eileen Cavalier, OBE, Founder and CEO of London College of Beauty Therapy said: “This is a fun way of helping to raise concerns about women’s health issues. Although we plan to carry out at least two thousand nail treatments, a daunting challenge, we are, nevertheless, confident that each recipient will receive an excellent and enjoyable treatment.”

The Guinness World Record File and Varnish event will take place between 11am and 7pm on Thursday May 13th at London College of Beauty Therapy, 47 Great Marlborough Street, London W1. The college is located close to Oxford Circus Underground Station.
To book your free file and polish email the LCBT on HelpUsNailIt@lcbt.co.uk

Instyle Nails Inc Polishes

Thought I would share this brilliant offer with you....as we all love a freebie! InStyle Magazine have teamed up with Nails Inc again this year to create three exclusive summer shades. The three Nails Inc. polishes are the accessory to be spotted wearing this summer. Especially as Victoria Beckham, Agyness Deyn and Kim Kardashian have all been papped wearing identical colours. The partnership launches in the magazine's June Issue, which shall carry a free nail polish in a choice of three bespoke Instyle colours:
InStyle 'Beach', as seen on Kim, is a bright hot coral and perfect for showing off with a pair of peep-toe sandals.

InStyle 'Candy', as seen on Agyness, is a scrumptious on trend pastel pink;

InStyle 'Mink', as seen on Mrs Beckham, is a chic 'greige,' a combo of grey and beige, the colour of the season. Wear on short, 'squoval' (square with rounded edges) nails for instant wow.

I really rate Nails Inc polishes they are great quality and these colours are perfect for summer, I have my eye on 'mink' but i'm sure I will end up buying all three! Nails Inc polishes are normally £10.50 so for the cost of the £3.50 magazine it really is a bargain.The June Issue shall be out on sale on 28th April; in addition, readers will be entitled to 20% off all nails inc. online purchases, plus 20% off manicures and pedicures.

http://www.instyle.co.uk/news/instyle-and-nails-inc-collaborate-to-create-this-seasons-hottest-nail-colours-22-04-10

Which Nails Inc shade will you be sporting this summer?

Wahanda Mobdeal - £2 Bargain Beauty Treatment Offer !

Morning Ladies!

Just wanted to share with you the fab beauty deal Wahanda are offering today.  I paid £2 for £20 worth of beauty treatments at HQhair and Beautystore in Mayfair London. There is a selection of different treatments I can choose from: waxing, facials, spray tans, manicures etc. This really is a bargain for £2!!

If you also want to snap up the deal you better be quick as the offer is only on today and there are only a limited number available - it is sure to sell out quickly!

You can find links to this fab £2 deal in the Wahanda Mobdeals in the right side bar.

Good Luck

X

Thank You!!

Hello all my wonderful followers (and welcome to my new ones!)

A big thanks to all my lovely 150 subscribers, i wish i could send you all a cupcake but instead just wanted to remind you that im holding an OPI giveaway - so if you have entered yet click here!  (remember to subscribe to my blog, post a comment, retweet the link on Twitter or post a blog link for extra entries!)

When I reach 200 followers i shall be doing a bigger giveaway so keep your eyes peeled :)

Follow me on twitter: perfectpolished

If you have any requests please write in the comments below

Hope you have all had a lovely sunny weekend !

xxx

Aussie Miracle Moist Tribe

Im pleased to announce that im part of the Aussie Miracle Moist Tribe (for those with dry hair). I got a surprise this morning when a parcel arrived at my door.....it was my Aussie Miracle Moist Tribe Pack !

Inside the cosmetic bag was everything I need to survive until my Tribe Party:

- Aussie Miracle Moist Shampoo & Conditioner- To banish dryness;

- Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Deep Conditioning Treatment;

- Aussie Compact mirror - For checking out my Yummy Hair;

- Chocolate - What girl can survive without chocolate?! (Mine has already been eaten!)

- A mini brush - To keep those locks in check (perfect as mine snapped last week!)

and Miracle Mosit Tribe Badges! (And one for my blog displayed to the right)

I cant wait for the Tribe Party in June! Which Aussie tribe are you? 

Nail of The Day - Festival Fever by Ciate

Todays Nail of the Day is a paint pot by Ciate called 'Main Stage' from their Spring/Summer 2010 Festival Fever Collection. I used the Ciate Speed Fasting Drying Top Coat which is lovely and leaves the nails with a super glossy finish, quick drying and makes them look flawless and smooth. Far superior to the quick drying drops by OPI.

I absoutely adore the colour - perfect plumy dark pink shade and a very good dupe to OPI Dim Sum Plum as seen in my previous NOTD post. The Ciate polishes are in such cute pretty bottles that look fabulous displayed on my dressing table.

If you love this colour then dont forget to enter my giveaway to win OPI Dim Sum Plum!

Main Stage is available from http://www.ciate.co.uk/

Phillips IPL Lumea Home Hair Removal

Hair Removal can be such a pain, and inconvenient process whether it be shaving, epilating, waxing, at home or at a salon (personally I either shave or wax my legs and bikini line but always shave underarms!) I have also dabbled with home epilating – which is a painful task far worse than waxing!

Last year I booked a consultation at my local salon to have Laser Hair removal but at last minute chickened out as I thought it would be painful (and not to mention expensive!). So when I got the chance to test the Phillips Lumea Home Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) treatment I jumped at the chance (well not quite I was a little concerned about the pain!!).

Philips Lumea uses Intense Pulsed Light (IPL), the latest advanced technology used by the professional beauty industry for hair removal – adapted for use at home. Philips Lumea brings this effective technology directly to your home in a safe and easy to use, hand held product that removes unwanted hair - before it appears – so you prevent stubble or regrowth.

Gentle pulses of light are applied directly to the hair resulting in the follicle going into a resting phase and shedding naturally. A simple and gentle treatment once every two weeks prevents new hair from growing back ensuring you are beautifully smooth and ready to reveal every day and all year round. The treatment needs to be repeated because hair follicles have different phases of growth and dormancy, so you need periodical re-treatment to catch them all.

The IPL method is restricted to those with a good contrast in tone between hair and skin - if you have black hair and pale skin you're ideal, but it's not any use for most black and Asian skintones or not suitable on blonde, white or grey hair as there is no melanin for the light to be attracted to. It should not be used on suntanned skin because the light will be attracted to the melanin in the skin rather than the hair and therefore burning tanned skin. 

It is best mentioning that the Lumea doesn’t promise or make any claim of permanent absence of hair, and can take up to 8 weeks for the hair to reduce completely. I know from past experience of enquiring about ILP salon treatments and it can take months before you see any results which can be extremely costly. At least with the at-home system, although it may seem pricey to begin with, you shall save on waxing and shaving over time and there is no limitation to how many times you can use this system to get rid of the last few remaining odd hairs.

I can only wish for super smooth hair-free skin for summer and excited to be given the chance to try the Lumea Spa. I shall be attending 4 spa sessions run by Phillips and Grazia Magazine in the coming weeks so I shall keep you all updated with my experience, progress and most importantly the end results.

The Lumea retails at £399.99.

If you have any questions please let me know in the comments below.

Topshop Makeup

This week I was lucky enough to attend a press event launch for Topshop's A/W 2010 collection and got to see a sneek preview of their latest venture into a new make-up line. I saw a preview of the new range and got chance to sample the makeup before they are released in store and online on 5th May.

Topshop have paired up with makeup artist Hannah Murray who describes the reason behind the festival inspired collection ‘We wanted to offer fun, adventurous products on the high street at an affordable price,’.

She has created two ranges of makeup and nail polishes – a Core Range (which shall be permanently stocked in stores) and a Spring/Summer 2010 Collection (which shall be limited edition and change by season). The collection includes eyeliners, lipsticks, lip glosses, eye shadows, nail polish, bronzers, blushes, tints, highlighters amongst others.

I was impressed with the great quality and high pigmentation – similar to MAC or Illamasqua, on trend colours, cute packaging and the best thing affordable: products range around £4-12. Rumour has it that the line has been made by the same company who make MAC. So overall great value for money.

I remember years ago Topshop brought out their own brand of makeup – but it didn’t take off, the products were simple but not great quality and not much thought had been put into the colour range or packaging. However, this time around the range is fashion focused and on par with MAC without the heavy high-end price tag; I believe it will certainly be popular.

Are you excited for Topshop Makeup?

Wahanda Mobdeal - Six Senses Spa

This week I purchased my first Mobdeal from Wahanda and im really excited as the Spa looks amazing. I purchased the £20 deal Spa Experience Journey with Essential Facial Treatment at Six Senses Spa (Valued at £60, so i have saved 66%). I have 6 months to use the voucher. The Six Senses Spa looks gorgeous and I cant wait for my pamper day - i will be sure to do a review.

This special deal includes full use of the spa thermal suite facilities for 1 hour before a 25 minute Essential Facial, followed by unwinding in the tranquility lounge with ginger tea, plus 20% off any other treatment booked at the same time as the MobDeal and 20% off any retail product purchased on the day. I can also bring along a friend for free!

For those who havent heard of Wahanda - its a beauty community where you can get advise, share tips, find beauty services, post reviews, and purchase special deals. There is some great savings to be made at some fab locations, and even some free deals! I will sure be checking out some other deals in the near future. With the mobdeals you have to get in quick and purchase as these offers are only available on that day and with only a limited number. You have in most cases up to 12 months to use the offer. You can find links to the Mobdeals in the right side bar.

Have you snapped up a fab beauty deal recently? Leave comments below and let me know :)

H&M Garden Collection Haul

Hello Ladies,

Hope your all enjoying this nice weather this weekend. I went shopping last week to H&M and picked up a few pieces from their new Garden Collection. There were so many nice pieces I was spoilt for choice....lots of nice florals, dresses, tops perfect for spring/summer!

The collection consists of garments made with environmentally adapted materials such as 100% recycled polyester; organic cotton and organic linen. By choosing these garments we are contributing to a more sustainable world and helping the environment. I love the whole concept of the collection and hope this is going to become popular amongst other stores and we will be seeing more collections in the near future.
I purchased the following:

A really lovely pale peach nude lightweight dress (£14.99) looks fab with gold accessories and gladiator sandals - could also be worn with leggings on a chilly day.

A floaty simple blue dress which ties and pulls in underneath the bust - very flattering on (£14.99)

This really pretty maxi dress which fits perfectly - sorry for the crap pic was taken with iphone colours are much brighter in real life (£34.99)

These cream shorts which fit perfectly and made from a gorgeous soft material (£9.99)

I also picked up a couple of other items from H&M that werent part of the garden collection.

A Lovely burnt orange dress with detailing. (£19.99)

Gorgeous nude pale peach dress with fab detailing and sheer top panel (£19.99)

A bright coral pink boyfriend cardigan - really comfy to wear with jeggings or jeans and a white vest top great colour with a tan! (£9.99)

I also have spotted these on the H&M website from the garden collection and fancy getting these although i didnt see them in store- i believe this collection is selling out quick!!

Hope you enjoyed this haul - look out for more and dont forget to enter my giveaway here

Giveaway Contest – OPI Dim Sum Plum

Hey Ladies,

Just a thanks to all my subscribers I thought I would do a little giveaway contest for reaching over 100!

The lucky winner will receive OPI Dim Sum Plum Nail Varnish from the Hong Kong Collection  which is my favourite shade at the moment and appears in my nail of the day post here - I’m sure you will enjoy it too!

How to enter?

1. Be a subscriber

2. Comment below with ‘enter me’ (one comment entry per person)

3. For extra entries Retweet my giveaway tweet (remember to link me and follow me on twitter ) :

RT Perfectly Polished OPI Giveaway http://www.perfectly-polished-nails.com/2010/04/giveaway-contest-opi-dim-sum-plum.html @perfectpolished

4. For more entries re-post on your blog but remember to leave me the link in the comments


Thanks again and good luck !

x

P.S forgot to say that this giveaway shall close on Sunday 16th May 7pm and ill pick the winner by using random.org

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Gel Nails Tutorial

hello ladies!
I have been getting alot of requests on how to create UV Gel and Acrylic Nail extensions at home, so i thought i would do a series of blogs and step by step guides with photographs to help you create your own Nail extensions. UV Gel Nails can cost anything from £25-60 in salons so im going to show you how to do them much cheaper at home! I’m going to show you how to create your own UV Gel nails at home. I thought we would start with the easiest U.V Gel Nails to start with and these are U.V Gel Overlays on top of your natural nails which are like having permanent nail varnish applied to your nails that wont chip! I have created a French Manicure look here, but you can also use coloured gel (which i shall do another blog post about), nail art or simply clear over the top of your natural nails. You can of course use acrylic but Gel looks the best as creates a smoother, thinner and shiny end result. I shall be uploading a blog on how to remove your UV Gel without damaging your natural nails.

For this look (UV Gel Overlay French Manicure) you will need the following:

A small Towel to protect your table
A sheet of Couch Roll or you can use kitchen paper
A UV Gel Lamp (I use a 36W with 180 sec timer) to cure your nails
Non-Acetone Nail Varnish Remover

Hand Sanisizer
Cuticle Remover (I use a creamy one)
2 Orange Sticks
Nail Buffer
Lint free Paper wipes
Gel Wipe Off Solution
Clear Gel
Pink Gel
White Gel
Gel Brush
4 Way Nail Buffer
Nail Dehydration (PH balanced)
Cotton Wool Pads
Cotton Buds
Nail Files

Step one:
Lay out your towel, with couch roll over the top and get all your products and tools set out ready. I like to place a place mat underneath the Gel Lamp just to protect my table.

Step Two: Sanitize your hands and nails. Remove any nail varnish using the non-acetone nail varnish remover with cotton wool pads. I always wipe the nails with nail varnish remover before starting as this acts as a good base to dry the nails out of any moisture.
Step Three:

Take a cotton bud and apply a small amount of cuticle remover and wipe with a rolling action around the cuticle area of each nail. Then take an orange stick and gently push back the cuticle. If necessary you can cut away the excess cuticle you have pushed back with either cuticle nippers or a cuticle knife.
Step Four:
Once the cuticles have been pushed back you can then buff the nail using the nail buffer to remove moisture in the nail and prepare it for the Gel to adhere to. After buffing you can then rough grit around the cuticle area using the nail file.
Step Five:
Brush on some PH balanced nail dehydration solution onto each nail. Your nails are now prepared for applying UV Gel onto them. You should wipe your Gel Brush using the Gel Wipe solution and a lint free wipe to remove any dust and to clean your brush. I wrap my brush in tin foil when not in use – as it is important to store your UV Gel and brushes in a cool dark place and not to let your brushes or gel get in contact with direct sunlight or your Gel Lamp. It is important to look after them well as they can be expensive to buy and any contact with sunlight can cause your brushes and gel to become solid and damaged.

Step Six:

Start with the Clear gel, and apply a small amount onto the Gel Brush, wiping off the excess. Carefully apply the Gel to the nail starting at the cuticle, you want to get as close as possible to the cuticle but leave a tiny gap in-between the cuticle and where you’re applying the gel. If you flood the cuticle area, this will just create a lift once the nail has cured. At this stage if you have dropped some gel onto your skin or made a mistake you can wipe off with the gel wipe and start again. Practise makes perfect with this –you are aiming to get no air bubbles when you have cured the nails and wanting to create a smooth even finish. The trickiest part is around the cuticle area.
Once you have perfected the nail with the clear gel be careful not to smudge and place hands underneath the Gel Lamp and cure for 180 seconds. (Curing Times vary to which brand of lamp you use and also which gel you use so you should always go with what the manufacturer recommends – or a bit of trial and error – you can over cure and under cure nails) It is best to buy a lamp with a timer so you don’t over cure the nail and end up with lumps or air bubbles.


Step Seven:

Once the clear base coat is cured, apply the second coat of gel using the white gel. Carefully paint on the white gel only on the smile line like you are doing the white part on a French manicure. You can correct mistakes using the end of an orange stick to make the line really smooth and perfectly formed. Once your happy with your smile line, cure under the gel lamp for 180 seconds. If your brush gets a bit sticky or too clogged up you can clean it by using the gel wipe on a lint paper - make sure you dont use acetone to clean as you shall ruin your brushes!

Step Eight:

After you have cured the white smile line, next take the pink gel and apply over the whole nail but leaving a small gap around the cuticle area. Cure under the gel lamp for 180 seconds.
Step Nine:

Once you have cured the pink gel, take a small amount of gel wipe solution on a lint-free wipe and wipe over the nail to remove the sticky layer of gel. File the nail to the shape you wish and buff to smooth down the nail. Be careful not to file too much as the gel will weaken and break off.

Step Ten:

One you have filed and buffed the nail apply the top clear coat of gel and cure for 180 seconds. Once cured take a small amount of gel wipe solution on a lint-free wipe and wipe over the nail to remove the sticky layer of gel. This whole 10 set process should take between 45 minutes to an hour to create a full set of UV Gel French Manicure Overlays.

Hope this blog was useful - please feel free to comment below if you have any questions :)