Models Own 50% Off Sale Haul

Unless you've been under a rock / nowhere near social media for the past fortnight, then you should know that Models Own have recently been heavily campaigning to reach 250,000 Facebook likes to trigger the start of a huge 50% off sale. Well, they made it. I was there on the site with my basket full at 10am ready to check out (eager beaver) and surprise surprise the website did crash from the huge amount of traffic, but thankfully 90 minutes of refreshing later and my order was successfully completed with my new shades on their way to me. 

It's quite apparent that shimmer and sparkles were on the brain when I made this order, because with the exception of one pastel shade, all the rest that I ordered have a very glitzy vibe. Here's what I ordered, for £2.50 a bottle: 

Apple Pie - Fruit Pastel (scented)

As much as I prefer neons, brights and glitters, I couldn't resist ordering this pretty pastel green. More of a soft minty green I'm sure this will be a popular spring/summer shade. The new(ish) fruit pastel range polishes are actually scented, and this one is supposed to smell like apple pie. As much as I'm sure it's inappropriate to encourage the sniffing of nail varnish.... it does have a faint apple-y whiff. I've got the Banana Split (yellow) polish from this range and I hated it, but I'm hoping for better things with Apple Pie. Despite the random numbers(?) printed onto the side of the bottle, it seems to have been a good choice!

Mystic Mauve - Champagne/Shimmer

Such an underrated nail shade - why have I never heard anybody harping on about Mystic Mauve before? It's gorgeous! Definitely my favourite shade from the whole bunch, this champagne shimmer polish is completely smooth and untextured (i.e. it's not a glitter polish), but it sparkles, shimmers and shines like nothing else. In a perfect lilacy-pink shade this is going to be a Valentine's Day essential. 

Purple Haze - Glitter

Continuing with the glitter love, I ordered Purple Haze as an extension of my love for the blue glitter: Bluebelle. The same type of texture of finish, Purple Haze is a deep and rich purple tone as a slight variation to the deep blue shade. I could probably take or leave this shade, because even though yes it is very pretty, but it doesn't stand out to me as anything particularly special or eye catching ..and I'm sure I already have a polish identical to this one hiding somewhere.

Juicy Jules - Glitter

One that I've been after for ages, is glitter polish Juicy Jules. When the light hits it, it goes disco ball crazy. It's so pretty! I know it'll be a bitch to take off, as all glitter polishes are, but I know for certain I'll get so much wear out of this shade - you can get never go wrong with silver sparkles!

Glitter Mini Pack: Scarlet Sparkle, Emerald City, Bluebelle (£8.00 £4.00 for 3)

There's two packs of these glitter minis because I thought they were too perfect to pass up being just £4 and I thought I'd include one in a giveaway - I'm currently compiling some bits and pieces for a (maybe 3,000 follower) celebratory giveaway to thank my readers for all their support. The small sizes are perfect and although it is a kinda Christmassy themed colour range, they're still gorgeous and Bluebelle is one of my top favourites for winter nails so it needs to be shared! Scarlet Sparkle is amazing because the glitter particles are suspended in a red tinted varnish as opposed to clear, so there's no need to use a base coat and it looks amazing worn alone. 

Coral Glaze* and Naked Glow*- New: HyperGel 

I didn't actually order these two new HyperGel shades, they were sent to me as a press sample release, but as they arrived at the same time as my order I thought I'd include them in this post anyway. Currently these brand new Hyper-Gel varnishes are on pre-release in the 50% off sale for just £2.50, but they'll be properly re-released and become readily available from 12th February (at £5 a bottle). They're supposed to be gel effect varnishes, without the need to be cured under a UV lamp (think Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine and Bourjois 1 Second Gel). I'll do a full post on these two closer to their proper release date, but I think Coral Glaze is set to be a summer hit!

If you don't think that I exercised self-restraint this time around, then take a sneak peek at my order from the last time Models Own held a 50% off sale (when they reached 100,000 Facebook likes) and I went crazy ordering 14 nail varnishes here.

I'm happy with all of my purchases, especially Mystic Mauve, and I hope that I've maybe inspired you to take a little look at the Models Own Sale in their few remaining hours and maybe given you an idea of some shades to pick. Some of my general Models Own favourites are: Naked Shimmer, Northern Lights, Bluebelle, Hedonist, and Bora Bora - Check them out!

Use code HALFPRICE for 50% off.

Sale ends Tuesday 4th Feb (Midnight GMT)

www.modelsownit.com

Thanks for reading! ♥

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Little Beauty Blogg

♥

My Favourite Nude / Neutral Nail Varnishes

Hey girls!

Nude nails seem to be the 'next big thing' at the moment, and in my eyes it's a trend well worth falling for. They look effortlessly chic and sophisticated, compliment any skin tone, go with any outfit for any occasion and are the simplest way to make your nails look polished and perfectly manicured with the added bonus that they are a lot more forgiving when it comes to visible chips!

Nudes can come in a variety of shades and tones so I have picked out my top 6 to show to you all. There's an even mix of pink tones, brown tones (I'm gonna call it brown, if you want to called it 'coffee' or something like that then feel free), milky pales and slightly darker and more shimmery shade too. Chosen from a range of brands and a mixture of price ranges, hopefully there is something for everybody in this bundle!

Essie - 'Fiji' £7.99. When I was at the Essie stand in Boots trying to choose my first ever shade from them it was a toss up between Fiji and Ballet Slippers, two very similar shades, and by pure random choice I walked to the till with Fiji. Fiji is an 'off white' shade with the slightest hint of pink to it; almost like a white top that's been put in the wash with a red sock! It looks amazing next to deeply tanned skin and it the best way to rock 'almost white' nails without it being too trashy or intense because of the pinky hue to it.

Barry M - 'Lychee' £3.99. Ahhh, Barry M. Their reformulated nail paints to give a 'gel nail' finish are seriously impressive. At less than £4 a bottle I'm going to be stocking up on every colour they've got. One coat for full opacity, almost a week without chips and a high shine finish this is something that you need in your collection. Plus it is the 'perfect nude' shade as it's not too pink and not too yellow so in theory should suit everyone, right? Nude nails winner: Lychee.

Ciate - 'Cutie Pie' £9.00. I love this shade from Ciate as it is a really, really sheer 'barely there' pink tone that works as what I'd called more of a 'tinted clear nail varnish' rather than a colour. It's not one for everybody but if you don't like your nails to be fully naked but don't really like just wearing a clear top coat then this is a lovely alternative.

Ciate - 'Cookies and Cream' £9.00. Serious dupe alert with this and 'Lychee'! I had no idea how similar they were until I held the bottles next to each other. The shade is a little bit lighter and apart from the price tag that's the only difference that there really is! Ciate polishes last for days and days without chips, but then again so do the Barry M Gelly nails; it more or less just depends on whether you want to be a brand snob or not. If you like this shade you won't be losing anything by buying Lychee instead - just take your pick!

Models Own - 'Utopia' £5.00. Quite a well known polish from Models Own, 'Utopia' is a really, really pale lilac shade and looks lovely for a light wash of pinky colour over the nails. At just £5 for 14ml of good quality varnish Models Own are one of the best value brands and I'd always recommend them.

Models Own - 'Naked Shimmer' £5.00. This is a personal favourite of mine; not just in the nude nail stakes, but out of my whole collection of nail varnishes this one comes out on top. You can see me wearing it here and ahh it's just beautiful! It's a beige toned nude with a slight pink undertone and a gorgeous golden shimmer running through it to give it a little bit more dimension.

I hope that you all enjoyed this post and that you're enjoying nude nails too!

I would say that my personal favourite is 'Naked Shimmer', but if I was to recommend one to somebody wanting to try out their first nude nail varnish then I would say to go for 'Lychee' - only £3.99 too so you can't go wrong!

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Ciate Caviar Pearls: Step-By-Step & Review

Hi ladies. I thought I would bring something a little different to the table today; my first 'tutorial'. I'm no nail expert, and I won't pretend to be either, but here are what I hope are helpful and informative step-by-step instructions for how you can create your very own 'caviar nails' with a little review included too. Enjoy!

Okay, first things first: what you will need. With caviar nails (whether they are Ciate or an alternative brand) you should receive a funnel included, then you will need your pearls/beads, a base coat, a base colour of your choice and some form of clear nail varnish.

Step One is to apply your 'base coat'. I like to use OPI nail envy because it acts as a nail strengthening treatment at the same as preventing stains to the nail, and it also seems to leave me chip free for longer too.

Step Two is to apply your chosen colour. I have used Ciate 'Cupcake Queen' and this is a beautiful and super bright fuchsia pink - let's all take a moment to admire it's beauty now....

Step Three is to apply some form of clear nail varnish onto the nail (I just just used OPI Top Coat) and it's probably best not to use a super quick drying nail varnish either. This is what your beads are going to use to stick to your nail so make sure that you have used a generous, thick layer of your top coat. (As an alternative to this option you can just apply your chosen colour really thick and apply the beads directly to that instead). Work one nail at a time so that your top coat is freshly applied and 'wet' when you add your beads. Remember: this is the only thing that will be holding your beads to your nails so make sure you've not scrimped out on this stage.

Step Four is the fun part: POUR. That's right, you simply take the bottle of beads and tip them directly onto your freshly applied top coat. You will need some form of tray underneath your fingers to catch all of the excess beads that don't hit your finger nails and ideally this needs to be something that you can pick up (so don't use your bathroom sink!) - I just used an empty face mask pot from Lush, so you could use anything from the lid of your body butter, to an empty Chinese takeaway tub. 

 

At first there'll be a lot of excess beads on your nails that will fall off of their own accord but if you wait a minute or two and then gently tap your finger above your tray then the beads won't be wasted. Brush away the beads around your skin on the outside of your nails and.. Ta Dah! You're caviar nails are done! 

Wait!

..Need a refill?

By the time you've done one hand it's likely that your bottle will need a little top up. Not to worry, it's time for Step Five. Super simple, use the funnel that has been provided (if you don't have one I'm sure you could roll up a little piece of paper and make one), then pick up your tray and gently pour the beads back into the bottle ready to use again. 

Now you really are done! There's no need to apply a top coat to your nails because this will smudge together the colour of the beads, just be gentle until they're fully set into the clear varnish you applied before. I applied Ciate 'Candy Shop' caviar pearls that I received inside my Ciate advent calendar and they'll really fun and pretty colour to use. Below are some more pictures of the finished result: 

Warning:

Heavy hands make a mess! Be careful when pouring, those beads bounce!

Review:

The buzz around caviar nails has been around for a pretty long time now, and I didn't ever think it was something that I would buy into, but when I got four bottles of the peals in my advent calendar it seemed silly not to have a little play, and I ended up absolutely loving the results. Other brands have now hopped onto the bandwagon and you can buy these beads as cheap as £1 in pound shops around the country, or have a go at MUA's £3 offering of them too; there's not much of a need to splash out to Ciate unless of course there is a certain eye catching colour combination that Ciate offers that isn't available from elsewhere. 

They aren't particularly long lasting, but they managed to last for one day quite well but it was taking a shower that ended up being their real downfall. I struggled to wash my hair with these on as they snagged on my hair strands, and all that water ended up turned the colours pretty grubby and smeared together. But, if you're wanting these for a one-off special occasion, maybe a party/night out/wedding etc then I would say that they're definitely worth a go! They're simple to apply, look different and exciting and are very eye catching. The whole 24 hours that mine looked okay for I received a handful of lovely compliments on them!

I also quite liked how this finger ended up looking after I had flicked all of it's beads off!

Have you ever tried caviar nails? From Ciate or another brand?

What do you think of them?

Models Own 'Freak Out' | Mirrorball Collection

Hellooo. I hope you're all having a good weekend so far, just a quick post today to show you my new Models Own nail varnish that I am loving at the moment. I'm mostly going to let the pictures do the talking for this one, but I'll just give you a tiny bit of information about it too..

This glitter top coat is from Models Own 'Mirrorball' collection that they released in the later half of 2012 and it was one that didn't really excite me or stand out to me at the time. I started to see a few swatches of the collection appear in recent weeks, (out of nowhere really because it has been a while since it's been released) and this one particular post by Chelsea (link!) tipped me over the edge into purchasing the blue bottle from the collection, called 'Freak Out'. There are 5 shades in total in the collection: Dancing Queen (green), Boogie Nights (purple), Inferno (yellow), Hot Stuff (pink), and Freak Out (this one, blue). They are all available to purchase online directly from Models Own, or at selected Boots stores too, but I purchased mine from Asos (link) because they offer 10% off for students and free delivery too, so mine cost me £4.50 instead of the usual £5.00. 

The colour that I used as my base is also from Models Own, called 'Feeling Blue' and is lovely and bright but not too 'in your face'. The glitter polish might not be to everybody's taste, and I'll admit that it looks a bit like a children's birthday party, but I think it's very fun and different from a standard glitter top coat. It contains a few different types of glitter particles and gives a very random effect on the nails. The particles do come out quite sparsely on the nails so it took a couple of coats to build it up to the effect that I have in the pictures, but that's a good thing that you can build it up to your own preferred intensity! 

I am loving this look on my nails at the moment ..What do you think of it?

NOTD: Christmas Nails #3 | Models Own Jack Frost and Utopia

 Christmas Nails #3

Models Own - Jack Frost (Wonderland Collection) and Utopia

RRP: £5.00 each

Ahhhh, 5 days until Christmas! Hands up if you're excited!

 

This nail combination is the second one from a pair of Models Own varnishes involving Utopia that I have loved to pieces; the first being Utopia and Ibiza Mix that you can see here: link. I find Utopia a little bit too bland to wear alone but it works really well as a base to a glitter top coat. Jack Frost is one of five nail varnishes in a new collection from Models Own - their Wonderland Collection. It is a very thick consistency, a little bit like a gel and contains translucent iridescent glitter particles that appear different colours in different lights, and also a different colour depending on your base colour, for example if you applied it over a blue base colour then the glitter would be blue, the same with red or pink, etc.

 

I spent a long time deciding on my base colour and swatched many different shades on a nail wheel, almost leaning towards an light blue for an icy look, but eventually settled on the neutral nude shade of Utopia for a very frosted shade. I feel that this looks very 'Snow Queen/ice palace'-esque and is so suited for these chilly December days. It's very seasonally appropriate making the tips of my fingers twinkle away in different colours like Christmas lights! There's hints of blue, green, yellow and pink, and it's very pretty.

 

♥

See also:

Christmas Nails #1

Christmas Nails #2