Review: Essie Nail Varnish (Mint Candy Apple)

Mint Candy Apple seems to be one of the hottest shades around by America's nail brand Essie, and the internet's full of glowing reviews, so I thought I'd take a look at myself. I've never bought anything from Essie before, so I figured Mint Candy Apple was the way to go for my first purchase.

Now this may sound quite shallow, but packaging is very important to me- I like things to look pretty if they're going in my makeup bag or on my dressing table. The good news is, the Essie bottles are exactly that. They look chic and minimalistic-with a white lid, clear bottle, and the Essie logo imprinted on the side, it looks like a more expensive brand (and at £7.99, it is on the more pricey side of nail varnishes).

The application was great-  it has a wide brush so that only one stroke is needed on most fingers For an opaque colour, however, you'll definitely have to apply at least two coats (as I have in the pictures below). The colour itself is great, although a little bluer than I imagine something called 'mint' would be. It's still a lovely colour though, and very summery. Usually I wear much darker colours, so this is a big change for me, but I've had a lot of compliments already, and I've only been wearing it a day! It hasn't chipped yet either, whereas usually I see at least a few chips after a day's wear in my normal shades.

(I'll work on my hand poses, I promise...)

After all the hype, I was expecting to be disappointed by this Essie shade, but in fact, I was pleasantly surprised. The application is great, the colour is lovely, and it'll definitely be making its way into my list of top summer nail shades. The only downside I would say is the price- when you have Rimmel and Barry M doing very similar shades for only £2.99, it's hard to justify spending £7.99 on a nail varnish. As much as I liked the polish, I think Essie will have to be an occasional treat for me :(

Beauty Crush: Caggie Dunlop

I decided to paint my nails earlier, and, bored of my usual black/such-dark-red-it-might-as-well-be-black, I thought I'd go summery and actually try colour. Then I thought 'why not MULTIPLE colours?', or as I call them, 'Caggie nails'.

I don't care how much bad press it gets, Made In Chelsea is one of my favourite TV programmes, and I was devastated when I found out Caggie was leaving this season. To me, she is the ultimate style icon from that show- she always looks amazing, and basically I pretty much want to be her.

Caggie Nails

Caggie debuted this look in the final episode of the first season:

Not the greatest picture in the world, but you can see the effect: immaculate, all-white ensemble set off by multicoloured nails. Luckily this wasn't the only time she had her nails like this:

This is a much clearer picture: yellow thumb, red, mint green, dark blue then white.

It wasn't long before other stars started wearing the trend too:

Fearne Cotton

Pixie Lott

Lauren Conrad

If such a bright mix of colours is a little daunting, then it's best to stick either to just pastels, or different shades of the same colour. I would show you mine right now (a mixture of corals and pinks) but to be honest it looks like a 5 year old has done them. Embarrassing.

Caggie's Jewellery

Another thing Caggie's known for is her abundance of jewellery, most notably, her turquoise rings:

(Ignoring her rings for a second, HOW amazing is that leopard print coat???)

Her rings are actually made by Zara Taylor and are available here:
http://www.zarataylor.co.uk/ourshop/prod_1752441-Vintage-Turquoise-Matrix-Ring-.html
http://www.zarataylor.co.uk/ourshop/prod_1719691-Vintage-Turquoise-Matrix-Silver-Ring-PREORDER-ONLY.html

Caggie also likes to rock other quirky accessories- a hand chain or ear cuff:

The ear cuff she's wearing in the above picture is actually from her own range she started with Zara Taylor (the designer of her turquoise rings) called ISWAI (It Started With An Idea) which can be found here: http://iswai.co.uk/jewellery/.


In case it wasn't clear, I absolutely <3 Caggie Dunlop. She looks amazing in everything (see last picture, where she is wearing a hoodie, with her hair scraped back, and still looks miles better than I could ever hope to look). I only hope that one day she'll make a proper return to MIC...

'Beauty, to me, is about being comfortable in your own skin. That, or a kick-ass red lipstick.'- Gwyneth Paltrow

Nothing can dress up an outfit more than red lipstick. It is the epitome of glamour, it oozes confidence and commands attention.

Famous Lovers of Red Lipstick
(From top left: Marilyn Monroe, Dita Von Teese, Gwen Stefani)

Can I Wear Red Lipstick?

I'm a firm believer that everyone, once they've found the right shade, can wear red lipstick. Don't worry if you're not particularly outgoing, or you feel you're too shy to pull it off- just try it and see. You'll instantly feel more glamorous and confident (and even if you don't feel it, you'll look it!).

How Do I Find the Right Shade?

If you're picking out a red lipstick for the first time, I would actually go into a make up department and ask for help. Make up Artists are trained, so they'll know what will suit you. I would definitely advise any Mac store- it's where I always go if I want to try a new colour. 

Otherwise, for a first- timer, you can use the following guidelines:

Fair:

Those with a pinkish skin tone can go for bright reds with a slightly orange tinge- think Kate Bosworth or Naomi Watts. Those with more yellow undertones can wear darker shades like Sandra Oh.
(Below: Naomi Watts, Kate Bosworth, Sandra Oh)

Medium:

Medium skin tones look best with coral or orangey shades of red.
(Below: Elizabeth Moss, Cameron Diaz)

Olive:

Olive skin tones are lucky, as they can wear pretty much any shades of red, though pink-red colours will pop more.
(Below: Eva Longoria, Jessica Alba)

Dark Skin Tones:

Unsurprisingly, darker shades are more flattering. If you have golden undertones, go for more orange shades, otherwise, opt for cool shades.
(Below: Iman, Kelly Rowland)

How should I apply the rest of my makeup?

Generally, the rule is to keep the rest of your makeup plain. Just a slick of black eyeliner and mascara should do the trick. Remember to wear blush though- you don't want to look washed out. I would also use lipliner, as it is easier to apply such a bold colour, and it will last longer too.

You don't necessarily need to follow that rule though... red lipstick can be worn with heavier eyes, it just needs to be done in the right way- generally a smokey look works well, with metallic hues like bronze, gold or pewter (see Iman and Kelly Rowland above).

Any last tips?

Yes- first of all, if you still don't really know where to start with colours, Mac's Russian Red or Ruby Woo are very flattering colours. 

Second of all, you need to keep your lips in good condition if you're going to wear such a bold colour- exfoliate them (using a toothbrush, muslin, or actual lip exfoliator) and keep them moisturised (I always add a slick of lip balm before applying lipliner/lipstick).

Lastly, you don't need to wait for a night out to wear red lipstick, why not wear it with a daytime look? Mary- Kate Olsen is my new style crush:

Four Essential Steps in Skincare

"There are no such things as ugly women, only lazy ones"- Helena Rubinstein

What annoys me is that a lot of women seem to think that makeup is there to cover up all the lumps and bumps on your face. While it can certainly be used to hide dark circles, a few spots etc., makeup shouldn't be used as a mask- instead it should be used to enhance your skin, to show off your natural beauty. There's nothing beautiful about an inch thick layer of makeup trying and failing to cover up badly looked-after skin.

Obviously some women do unfortunately suffer from bad skin, but a lot of women just don't bother caring for it. They're lazy. A good way of looking at this is by thinking of makeup as paint, and your face as a canvas- you wouldn't use a dirty canvas to paint a picture on, would you?

The key is to look after your skin. And yes, this might take some time out of your daily routine, but there are only four essential steps you really need to follow, and once you get into a routine, it'll become second nature.

And all those that use face wipes? Don't kid yourself you're looking after your skin. They should only be used in absolute emergencies. 

So, the four essential steps in skincare are:

Cleanse

Do this twice a day- once before bed, to wipe away the grime and dirt that builds up during the day, and once in the morning, to get rid of the sebum produced during the night. Don't bother getting a separate eye make up remover as well- just get a cleanser that does it for you.

Tone

People often neglect this step, but it is just as important as the others. Toners restore the skin to its natural pH after cleansing, and help to re-hydrate it. One thing i would say is try and stay away from toners that are mainly alcohol, as they won't do your skin any favours.

Moisturise

Regardless what people say, those with oily skin do need to moisturise- it's an important step for anyone. What a lot of people don't realise, however, is that our skin changes with the seasons- most people need to move to a richer moisturiser in the winter, and a lighter one in summer.

Exfoliate

The fourth step in your routine only needs to be done once a week (after cleansing, before toning). There's really no point in piling on the moisturiser or using masks if you don’t exfoliate, otherwise you’re just applying product to dead skin. People with sensitive skin might have reservations, but there are plenty of exfoliators out there that are gentle on the skin, instead of scrubbing half your face off. 

So, if you follow these four steps, you should get closer to achieving skin that serves as a blank canvas for whatever makeup (if any) you decide to wear! 

My First Post

'Let's start at the very beginning... it's a very good place to start.'

It took me a while to think of exactly what to write in My First Post, and then I thought of good old Maria from SofM, and took her advice. Let's start at the beginning, 'cause let's face it, where else would you start?

I love beauty. I love skincare, bodycare, haircare, makeup, perfume... I love reading about new products, I love testing them out, I love going to shops like Boots, Superdrug, the beauty stands in Debenhams, the glorious SpaceNK, and spending ages walking up and down the aisle, spritzing, applying, trying out new colours.... My dressing table is so full of products, there's not actually any space left, and a whole shelf on my book case is dedicated to old magazines (and since i get the travel sizes, there's a LOT of them).

So, this blog is going to be a mixture of things- advice on skincare, musings on makeup, and testing out any new products that catch my eye...

Some of the things rolling around in my makeup bag at the moment