Barry M Gelly Hi Shine Nail Paint

I picked this nail paint when in Gatwick Airport awaiting a flight to Verona... It wasn't that a needed a new purple polish but I was drawn in my the promise of the hi shine finish.
The colour I opted for was Blackberry, a shade perfect for Autumn/Winter.
When in a rush, one coat of this polish would be enough. It has exceptional coverage, but I opted for two coats for a better finish. I also decided not to apply a top coat and if I'm honest it wasn't needed anyway.
It is usual routine for me to paint my nails on a Sunday and then repaint them on a Wednesday, but with this polish I didn't have to. By Wednesday there was not a chip in sight and even by Friday there was very little to warrant a change in polish. This is excellent considering I use a keyboard everyday.
This collection comes in 9 different shades and retails for £3.99 which is excellent value for money.

Rhian Xx

*picture of nails when first painted and then on Friday after 6 days wear.

Lauren's Way False Lashes

It's generally inevitable, once someone becomes famous from a reality tv series, a barrage of merchandise is soon to follow. We have all seen or at the very least heard of The Only Way Is Essex, and would have also been subjected to the numerous catch phrases from the show...
What I have in my possession thanks to the very lovely people at Eskimo PR are samples of Lauren Goodger's new range of beauty products. The range has a broad spectrum including everything from varying types of tan (obviously) false lashes, and also sleep in rollers. I am going to break down the products I have in to different categories to allow each range to be reviewed as in depth as possible.
So I am starting with the Lashes!

Over the last few years, false lashes have been a must have for every girl and with varying levels of quality and price point the market place is flooded with options. I am personally a false lash wearer but only on a night out and generally my lash of choice would be Illamasqua number 14 lashes, these lashes retail for around £12. I would hazard a guess that Eylure pretty much cleans up the middle market of lashes, due to them being widely available in supermarkets and stores such as Boots and Superdrug, aided also by endorsements such as Girls Aloud and more recently Katy Perry.
Lauren's lashes retail for £6.95 which puts them in to the same price category as Eylure, however the glue for the lashes is sold separately. (This however is a benefit as it generally means you get a better quality glue which lasts longer)
The packaging is strong and the lashes can be stored for repeat use in the handy plastic case that the lashes are supplied in.
I was given two different styles of lashes, one a shorter fuller lash ( Luxury Lashes ) and the other a whispier finer lash but with extra long length. The packaging has gery brief application instructions which isn't great if you are a beginner but a web address is provided for tips www.laurensway.com.

The first lashes I decided to apply were the luxury lashes, this style of lash is not really my preference in terms of style and is a little heavy, but if that's the look you want to achieve then I'm sure these will be ideal. They did need a little trim to make them suitable for my eyes, and due to the fullness off these lashes it was a little difficult to differentiate which eye was which.
The second style of lash is more suitable to my tastes, and I feel even though they are dramatic and longer in length they aren't as dense which gives a more natural appearance along the lash line.
I can see this style of lash being the more commercial of the two.

The lashes were easy to apply, but it is vital to leave the glue for at least 30 seconds to allow for it to get tacky before you attempt the application.

It have to say that for a "celebrity" product I am impressed, clearly a lot of thought has gone in to the product and the quality of the product is great. (Made in the UK) As mentioned earlier the packaging is strong and the lashes can be worn on more than one occasion, as the strip where the glue is applied is thicker than most which is a definite plus point.

I have to say a well done to Lauren for developing a high quality product rather than just using her name for branding. In all honesty Lauren's name wouldn't incentivise me to buy this product in any way but I'm sure for die hard TOWIE fans it would be the initial reason for purchasing.
Now that I know the quality of the product I would definitely recommend these lashes and will be using them in the future I'm sure.

What are your thoughts on the lashes? Which style would you pick?

Rhian Xx

*PR Samples*

Eylure Fine to Full Individual Lashes.

Individual Lashes... The mere thought of applying them has always made me shudder...
Tiny individual fiddly lashes surely must be a nightmare to apply? Well. That's the preconception I had before trying the new Eylure Fine to Full Individual Lashes.
The Product
These new eyelashes give the end user the option of light natural lashes graduated to fuller more dramatic ones... As well as the usual: short, medium, long length to suit the usual shape of your lashes.
This in fact is a great idea as sometimes with strip lashes the inner eye can appear a little on the heavy side.
The Application
The part I was dreading the most, but the instructions were clear and concise and the only additional tools needed were; kitchen foil - to place the adhesive on and of course - tweezers. Tools that every house hold should have.
Upon applying the lashes I found application quite simple and straight forward, however people I have spoken to since have explained to me how they have never been able to get along with individual lashes - maybe it was just beginners luck for me but full application to both eyes took around 15 minutes.
The Results
Well... I was very impressed.. I naturally have very fair lashes and the application of these hid that completely and no mascara was required on my upper lashes at all. The look was completely natural and I think aided by the additional feature on these lashes of fine to full as it allows the end user to customise their own look.
The Next Day
As the lashes are semi permanent I slept in them, and awoke to find them in place all bar a few inner lashes on my left eye which I promptly replaced with a selection that I had remaining (you get plenty of lashes to choose from) And additionally the lashes with stood the test of me applying contact lenses so brownie points for that too. The response from work colleagues was very positive and at a price of £4.95 they were definitely impressed with the results.
I am sure the lashes would have stayed on for at least a couple more days but I decided to remove them the same night using the "Lift Off" lash remover which was provided. Again following the instructions I promptly took a cotton pad and bud and removed the lashes. WARNING do not get this stuff in your eye like I did... You will never know pain like it! Ouch! The lashes removed easily with little fuss (besides the ungodly stinging) and did not damage my own lashes.
SUMMARY
Would I purchase this product for £5 - yes I definitely would. Great value for money considering the finish.
Would I recommend this product? Yes. But possibly not for someone totally new to applying lashes as it can be a little tricky and you need a steady hand.
Overall 8/10. Great Product.

Rhian Xx

OPI Skyfall Collection

I bloody well love James Bond... Not only have I spent the last few weeks watching old Bond films in the run up to the release of the latest instalment Skyfall. But I have been getting very excited over the new Bond inspired collection by OPI.
The collection cleverly takes inspiration from the last 50 years of Bond mania and has created an amazing range of nail polishes complementing each title.
Deciding which colours from the collection I wanted to purchase was a very difficult decision and after much deliberation I opted for Skyfall - a rich deep red, matt shade and the ever so slightly more dramatic The Living Daylights - which is almost a disco ball in a jar.
Skyfall - This has recently become my favourite nail polish... It's a great Autumn Winter shade, and is particularly great for a glamorous look. This shade and tone of the red is perfect and I'm a keen fan of a matt polish for simple elegance. The coverage and the longevity of the polish is everything you would expect from an OPI polish.
The Living Daylights - Well... This shade doesn't have the classic elegance that Skyfall does but it certainly has the "wow" factor. Unlike most glitter nail polishes this polish has multiple shades inside it. (Gold, Silver, Copper and Teal) I have found that this shade is best applied layered over other polishes rather than alone for an extra special effect, sure to make your friends notice your gorgeous talons. On the pictures below I have applied this polish to OPI's Black Cherry Chutney shade.

I originally only purchased those two polishes... But I wasn't satisfied so I opted for a little sample of a few shades and picked up the Bondette collection. A gift set comprising of 4 mini polishes.
• Goldeneye - a sparkly gold heavily pigmented shade perfect for the Christmas party season.
• The Spy Who Loved me - a bright red with subtle gold flecks.
• The World Is Not Enough - a sparkly pewter shade, with rose undertones which somehow manages to be both a perfect day time shade and a party worthy glam evening shade.
• Live and Let Die - This shade is described by OPI as "private jet black" but I feel it has a deep slightly darker hint of British Racing Green with gold flecks. Whatever colour it is, it's gorgeous!

Out of the 4 shades in this collection is difficult to pick a winner as they are all fabulous in their own right, but for people who aren't too bold with their nail polish choices The World Is Not Enough would be the perfect shade for you.

6 shades in and I still can't get enough of these delightful polishes. They are a definite must have, even if you aren't a Bond fan.

* OPI polishes are available nationwide for around £11 (15ml)
*The Bondette collection consists of 4 x 3.75ml polishes and retails for £12.

Do you own any polished from this collection? What's your favourite?

Rhian Xx