e.l.f Cardiff

For those of you who don't already know, or that I haven't already told - I have some exciting news for you!

There is now an e.l.f store in Cardiff. 

This is extremely exciting news. 

For those of you that don't know e.l.f stands for Eyes Lips Face (simple huh?) It was born in New York in 2004 and it's mission was to provide consumers with quality cosmetics and low prices. The brand has been in the UK since 2007 and it's Head Office is based in Swansea. Last month e.l.f opened a store in my beloved Cardiff and I have been hooked since! 

The store is located in the Royal Arcade just off The Hayes and St Mary's Street and I promise you, once you have paid a visit you will be going back for more. 

There are some great gift sets for Christmas with some fab eye make up pallets for as little as £5, nail polishes all at £2.50 and brushes at around £3.75. They also sell essentials like brush cleaner, primers and also have a mineral range. 

So far I've picked up; 

Eye Contour Brush

Angled Blush Brush

Glitter Applicator

Flawless Concealer Brush

Eyeshadow "C" Brush

Blusher - Merry Berry

Glitter Gloss - Sparkling Wine

Lustrous Eyeshadow - Festivity

Glitter Application Glue 

Maximum Coverage Concealer 

All this has come to around £35 which is a bargain! 

Check out the website http://eyeslipsface.co.uk and I guarantee that you will not leave the store empty handed. 

Once you've visited let me know your thoughts. 

I will be blogging about some of my products soon! 

Rhian Xx

Essie - After School Boy Blazer and Cashmere Bathrobe

I know that you may all be bored by my numerous Essie nail polish posts but I have to say that it has become my "Go To" range of polishes, it's also available in my local Boots store which means that I don't have to go to a Salon or in to Cardiff to pick up a good quality polish. Also at £7.99 it's sits below the likes of Nails Inc. and OPI which makes it a perfect pick up. 

After School Boy Blazer

I've been fancying this shade for a while now, having seen it in lots of press and marketing plus some fab shots on Instagram of people wearing it. 

It's a dark navy polish and as you would expect with Essie the coverage is impressive. It's a perfect alternative to my usual Autumn/Winter shade choices of dark reds and mulberry's. 

coat. 

It also looks amazing when used with Essie's Matte About You top coat. 

Cashmere Bathrobe

At the same time as purchasing After School Boy Blazer I also picked up Cashmere Bathrobe, which is a dark grey polish with a slight silver speckle. This is great for anyone that wants a little sparkle but doesn't want wow in your face glitter. It's also a perfect Christmas shade away from reds or golds. 

Which one would you wear?

Rhian Xx

Nails Inc. Gel Effect Nail Polish

I got so excited when I first saw this product in Debenhams. So much so that I bought it straight away. 

Only available in four colours; Kensington High Street, St James, Bond Street and Porchester Square I opted for Kensington High Street which is a mulberry shade, perfect to wear with any outfit this autumn winter. 

On first application I note the following; it is much harder to apply a polish with a square lid as opposed to a round one - yes that may seem a small thing and I'm sure that BUTTER London would disagree with me, but for me it's not as comfortable to apply. That aside, coverage is good and it does offer the plumping effect that it suggests. 

I did purchase the gel top coat in addition to the polish to give it an extra finish, however having previously had a Nails Inc. Gel Manicure this polish still doesn't have the lustre and shine you get from having a gel manicure but in comparison it's only £14, so let's not expect miracles here! 

Now don't get me wrong, the polish does have the desired plumping effect it advertises as I mentioned before, it does even out the nail and any imperfections are hidden and when first applied it looks flawless. My biggest issue with this polish? .... Staying Power. Each time I have applied this polish I have been disappointed by how long it was stayed without a chip on my nail both with and without a gel top coat the staying power is poor. I can barely go two days without a chip and normally a polish and top coat will last me at least 4-5 days. 

If you like the look and finish of gel nails without the price tag then this is perfect and the colour selection is strong as despite it being only four shades it covers the essentials - Red, Nude, Purple, Mulberry. 

I just can't seem to get it to last on my nail as long as I would expect for a £14 polish. 

Have you tried this product? How did you get on with it? 

Rhian Xx

      

My Perfect Nude

Now I love a nude lip... And for a long while favoured varying shades of nude over dramatic colour. 

However amongst my many nude lip products I hadn't found "The One" The One nude lip colour which was just perfect for me... Not so pale it washed me out and not too pink either. 

I personally prefer the texture of lipgloss to lipstick, that said I don't like a tacky lipgloss - nobody likes their hair attached to their lips! 

I am writing this blog post because I think I have found My Perfect Nude - "What is it!?" I hear you cry. (Maybe not as dramatic as that but you get the picture) 

Well the award for My Perfect Nude goes to Revlon and their Super Lustrous lip gloss in Super Natural. 

This is not only the perfect shade for me, but it was a smooth texture, not sticky while offering a shiny finish. The colour itself isn't tonal and offers no glittering shimmer or pearlescent finish but it is simply perfect. 

It's great for day and night wear and it also offers an SPF of 15 while being highly moisturising. 

And all this for £7! Thinking of trying a few wintery shades in this gloss so will keep you posted. 

Do you have a perfect nude? If so what's yours? 

Rhian Xx