NNR (Not Nail Related!) - Carmine Beauty Box - January 2012

In a complete break from nail related items I wanted to blog about my new Carmine Beauty Box that arrived today.  If you don't know what a Beauty Box is basically its a subscription service where you pay a set amount and every month a new box arrives at your door.  In this box are five deluxe samples of make up and beauty related items that you may not have tried before (or heard of!).  The idea is for you to try out new products and new companies and then maybe you might want to try more of their products or spread the word about them.

The concept of the Beauty Box has been around for nearly a year now and there are various companies that do it (to varying degrees of cost).  The Carmine Beauty Box has only been around for a few months so is a relative newcomer to the market.  I have been impressed with the few boxes I have seen and at £12.95 a month it seems like a good deal.

This is what the box looks like when it first arrives.

Opened up you get a black box full of goodies

 Inside:

Unwrapped:

The goodies:

The products in January's box are:

• Wild Rose 24 hour Moisturising & Brightening Cream from Korres
• Eldora False Eyelashes
• Radiance Face Oil by Balance Me
• Himalayan Pink Salt from Westlab
• Fat Eye Stick from Eyeko in Satin Taupe

I am most excited about the Fat Eye Stick.  Its a beautiful colour and seems to be so versatile to be used as an all over lid colour or as a liner.  To buy this is £10 so this product alone almost covers the cost of the box.

I am least excited about the bath salt.  I don't normally take baths (I do wash honest!) as I prefer showers.  But I am willing to give it a try and see what its like.  To buy this is £2.85 for 500g and the sample I have is 100g so its really only worth around £0.60.

The other prices of the products if I bought them would be:

Wild Rose 24 hour Moisturising & Brightening Cream from Korres - this is £19 for 40ml and the sample I have is 10ml so is worth £4.75.

Eldora False Eyelashes - these synthetic and are worth £3.90.  I've never worn false lashes and I'm not sure when I would ever get the chance.  But now I have a pair just in case I ever should need them!

Radiance Face Oil by Balance Me - this is the most expensive item - it would be £30 for 30ml and the sample I have is 5ml so would cost £6.

Overall the cost of all the items in the box would be around £25 and I paid £12.95 so not bad.  I am looking forward to trying everything - not sure I will purchase the full size version of these products even if I liked them, but its fun to try new things.  I was slightly disappointed only to get one item of makeup as I prefer make up items to skin products but we'll see what comes in the next box.

Do you subscribe to a Beauty Box?

I'll be back with a NOTD soon!
Until then,
Lealea x

NOTD - Beach Melba by Ciate

Todays nail polish is a very light nude colour.  I think it would be a perfect colour to wear as part of a French Manicure, very much like a "your nails but better" colour.  It does not work by itself however which is how I am wearing it today. 

I put on three coats of this polish hoping it would hide the whites of my nails but it didn't, they just look like really dirty white tips! 

I find the formula of Ciate polishes a bit hit and miss.  Sometimes they are a bit thick and gloopy.  This one was not though and applied really easily and even with three coats it dried really quickly with no smudging (unlike Basil Street by Nails Inc).

I am torn between leaving this on for a couple of days or taking it off later (after only 24 hours).  If I had done a full French Manicure I would definitely leave it on.  I am eager to wear the next polish (my all time favourite Berry Ice Cream by Barry M) but I have a ton of cleaning to do tomorrow and I don't want to put that on and ruin it.  If only I had a Cleaner, I wouldn't have to think of these things!!

Until next time,
Lealea x

Top 3 Favourites - Light Pinks

I have that many different pink colours I had to split them onto three different colour wheels - light pinks, medium pinks and dark pinks.

I have nine colours which I thought fell into the light pink category from the very light (Pinky Pure by No. 7) to the very bright (Bright Pink by Barry M).

I think light pinks are to be worn when you are feeling very girly and very flirty.

My top three favourites are:

1. Admire by China Glaze
From their Romantica collection this is one of my all time favourite pinks.  It is an amazing metallic pink colour and one of those where you can't stop staring at your nails when wearing it.

2. Pink Underground by China Glaze
A lovely creamy light pink colour, perfect for summer days when you are feeling like a girly girl.

3. Bright Pink by Barry M
This polish truly is what is says on the tin - it is defintely bright pink.  One of the first Barry M colours I ever bought and the one which started my Barry M love.

Are you a girly girl?  Do you love light pinks?

Lealea x

NOTD - Basil Street by Nails Inc

I got this polish free with a magazine.  I have a few Nails Inc polishes and they were either all free with magazines, free with deodorants or bought for me.  At £11 a bottle, the price is too high for me to buy for myself when you can get some great polishes for much cheaper. 

I find the quality of Nails Inc polishes are ok, but not £11 worth of amazing.  This polish I found to be rather thick to apply and two hours after applying it and a quick dry top coat, I still managed to smudge it.  That usually happens when I have applied too thick a coat and it takes an age to dry.

The colour of this polish is somewhat boring I find.  I would liken it to a very milky cappuccino colour, quite dull toned really.  I went to a business meeting wearing it and it was perfect for that environment, I don't think my bright  Back to the Fuschia would have been appropriate there.

I think the best word to describe this polish would be "meh".  Do you like it?  Would you wear it?

Next up is Beach Melba from Ciate.

Until then,
Lealea x

Top 3 Favourites - Metallics

I love metallic polishes, I find them captivating when I am wearing them.  They always add a touch of sophistication to any outfit.  I have 13 polishes which I think are true metallics and I love them all!

They range from silver (Silver Foil by Barry M) through to metallic browns (459 from MNY).

My top three favourites are:

1. Soft Sienna Silks by China Glaze
I first wore this back in September and it is such a beautiful autumnal colour, one of those I couldn't stop staring at.  Definitely one of my all time favourites.

2. Rage by Orly
One of the only Orly polishes I own, I bought this after I saw someone use it in a nail tutorial on youtube and I fell in love with it.  I always get compliments whenever I wear it. Its just an amazing gold colour.

3. Robotika by China Glaze
This is a dark metallic pink colour from their Romantica collection.  A darker version of Admire from China Glaze which I think was also part of this collection and one of my all time favourites.

Do you love metallics? 

Lealea x

Top 3 Favourites - Whites/Yellows/Nudes

I have lots of nude nail polishes, its just a colour you can put on when you want to wear polish, but don't really want a massive pop of colour or to make a lot of effort.

I have a few yellows and whites and quite a lot of nudes.  The yellows are not really my first choice of colour but they can look cool in the height of summer.

The lightest colour in this range is Angel Wings by Sally Hansen and the darkest colour on the wheel is Commander in Chic by Sally Hansen.

My favourites on this wheel are:

1. Peach Melba by Barry M
A beautiful bright peachy colour.  I wore this to a wedding over the summer and it was just the perfect bright nude.

2. Effervescent Opal by Revlon
This is an unusual pick for me as I don't normally go for almost sheer colours.  However this one adds just a lovely sheen to a nude nail.

3. Mudslide by Sally Hansen
A sludgy muddy browny pink.  Sounds awful right?  Its not, its just a great way to wear a deeper nude colour.

What are your favourite nude colours?  Or would you go more for one of the yellows?

Lealea x

NOTD - Back to the Fuschia by Sally Hansen

First of all I just love the name of this polish!  Back to the Future has to be one of my favourite films of all time, so this play on words is very funny to me.

The colour is very fuschia, very bright shocking pink.  The bottle has a hint of purple shimmer when you hold it up to the light but this does not translate much onto your nails, the polish has more of a creamy finish.

I love the colour but I am not sold on the consistency of the polish.  One of my main bugbears about nail polishes is when they are not truly opaque - even after a couple of coats.  After two coats of this polish I can see still the shadow of the whites of my nails underneath the polish.  I hate that.  It also started to wear off the ends of my nails within 24 hours of putting it on, even with a top coat.

A lot of people rave about the brush with Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure polishes.  It has a very wide large brush to enable you to cover your whole nail with only a couple of strokes.  For a clumsy person like me though, all this means is that I manage to coat the sides of my fingers as well as my nails.  Not sure that is the desired effect!

All in all this is a nice polish for those who are feeling very bold and daring.

Next up is a complete change - Basil Street by Nails Inc (a neutral cream/brown).

Until next time,
Lealea x