Bargain Gift!

Okay, so a slightly different type of post, but I couldn't not give this a mention! If you've got a man in your life, whether that be a brother, father, boyfriend or partner, and you struggle with what to buy them for their birthday, or dare I say it, Christmas, this is a must-purchase!

For just £19, the No7 Men Grooming Collection has all the basic toiletries a guy needs, with nothing too fancy. All full-size products, as well as being hypo-allergenic and designed for everyday use, means it's great for any age. The set, from left to right, compromises of:

• Energising Face Wash
  
• Energising Hair and Body Wash
  
• Energising Face Scrub
  
• Energising Supercharge
• Energising Moisturiser
  

If bought separately, the items would cost £44.75 altogether, with the set usually retailing at £40, this is a huge saving! The offer finishes on Thursday, and is available at larger Boots stores and at boots.com. Hence, I had to buy this set, especially as my boyfriend has a birthday coming up, as well as Christmas, of course! 

Have you spotted any bargains recently? Have you started your Christmas shopping?

Elizabeth Arden Beautiful Color Luminous Lipgloss

To be honest, I'm not usually a fan of lipgloss, I much prefer the depth of colour, comfort and wear of a lipstick. However, as soon as I saw the Elizabeth Arden Beautiful Color Luminous Lip Gloss in Intriguing Violet from their Untold Color Collection. I knew I just had to have it, so I picked it up as part of my payday haul a while back. At work, our No7 counter is right next to the Elizabeth Arden counter, so it's no wonder this lipgloss caught my eye, as it was so different to anything I had seen before: an almost neon violet-purple colour with flecks of glitter that captures and reflects the light beautifully.

I'm slightly gutted that there's no limited edition packaging for this range, however the classic gold and silver packaging you can't go too far wrong with, as it keeps the premium feel. And don't you just love the small peep-window to the product, teasing you with the wonderful violet flash of colour?! Just a quick note, that no matter how many pictures I can take of this lipgloss, it cannot capture the same magic is has in reality.

I love the big size of this doe applicator, as it means you don't have to swipe it over your lips numerous times to get the gloss on. Instead, it's a lovely thick formula that glides on easily, without having too much of a heavy, sticky feel to it, yet it's nice and moisturising too. And I just love the handy mirror on the side, why don't all lip products do this? 

OH MY GOD the glitter pigment is just OUT OF THIS WORLD, it runs through the entirety of this gloss, there is no let-go whatsoever, and on its own the violet shade of this product is actually stronger than I thought it would be. The glitter shines all colours from blue to purple to gold to silver, and like I mentioned before, my camera just can't capture the beauty of this lipgloss in its entirety. 

I thought I'd slick this gloss over the top of one of my favourite Match Made lipsticks, the shade 255 Raspberry Silk from the Stay Perfect range. Although the reformulated Stay Perfect range have a high moisture content to them, they are matte in their finish so some can find it slightly drying and heavy on the lips, so a slick of gloss can do a world of favours. I adore how the gloss adds such definition to the lipstick without altering the colour, LOOK AT ALL THAT GLITTER AND SHINE. Intriguing Violet certainly keeps me intrigued, that's for sure.

Okay, so for £17 it is a bit on the pricey side for a lipgloss, but I'm seriously impressed by this offering from Elizabeth Arden. Especially with all the current trends to be rather flat colours in lipglosses, it is great to see an offering with such a strong glitter that can be worn on its own or over the top of another colour. Not to mention that for a lipgloss it's not too bad on the wear: okay, so the gloss wears off after about an hour or so, but the glitter somehow stays put, and has little effect on wear on top of another colour. I can't wait to wear this during party season, I think it's just perfect for it if you don't want to go with a heavy glitter on the eyes.

I just need a purple lipstick/lipliner that will compliment this lipgloss perfectly, any suggestions out there?

#NOTW - Week 2

Now that autumn has well and truly made itself known, with the shift in season comes a shift in colours, and not just where clothing and eye makeup are concerned. I've been really bad recently after I grew my nails to a decent length, I gave them a good nibble and they're back down to a fairly short length, boo. So, it's back to square one and painting my nails to stop me biting them more, it's the perfect excuse to wear a mix of autumnal colours. 

I like to wear a nude colour on my nails when they're quite short as I think it distracts from their actual length. But I also like to mix it up a little bit and add a couple of accent nails: I love painting the ring finger, but I tend to throw the same colour onto my thumbnails too, I think it gives a more uniform look, if that makes sense! I think No7 banged the nail on the head when it came to this Deep Wine shade from the Gel Look Shine range. It's a perfect deep, rich wine colour, with notes of burgundy and plum, although the camera certainly picks up more of the burgundy than the plum. This makes for a perfect pairing with the Practically Perfect shade from the Stay Perfect range, the perfect nude for my pale skin.

This is three coats with the Practically Perfect shade to get it to be opaque; even with my short nails, two coats still shows the white tips. I personally don't mind using three coats to get the desired look as the coats are fast drying with this formula, and I've never actually got through a full bottle of nail varnish before, so this could be the first! The Deep Wine shade is with just one coat as this colour is so heavily pigmented, but for wear I have added another coat to ensure it will last, and keep its high shine finish.

A change from my usual bright colours I love to wear on my nails, but this is certainly weather appropriate right now in Britain, and I love the simplicity of the combination in the colours. The No7 vouchers are back in Boots again, so when you spend £4 in store you'll receive a set of vouchers which will get you £5 off the No7 skincare range and £3 off the No7 cosmetics range, and I would certainly recommend you pick up the Deep Wine shade, it's the perfect addition to anyone's range, especially for just £4 with a voucher.

What's on your nails right now? What colours are you loving?

Allocation Haul

With my position as a No7 advisor, of course we're expected to use and wear No7 products, hence we get a set allocation every three months so we can choose the products we want. My allocation has just come up, and, as usual, I'm spoilt for choice! Luckily, my decision was made easier as I have a few favourites that need replacing, not to mention some new goodies to try..

(L-R: Beautifully Matte Foundation; Protect and Perfect Advanced Serum; Exfoliating Sponge; Shine and Tint; Instant Radiance Under-Eye Concealer; Lovely Lashes Mascara; Pop and Glow Cream Blushes.)

Beautifully Matte Foundation, in the shade Cool Vanilla: One of my all-time favourite foundations..I'm actually comparing this to another foundation in an upcoming post, so I'll hold off on the detail for now.

Protect and Perfect Advanced Serum: An improved formula based on the original Protect and Perfect serum. Yet again, this product is worthy of a standalone post, but trust me, it will be worth the wait!

Exfoliating Sponge: A new product to me, as I'm used to having exfoliatiors in the form of a liquid, or even a cleansing brush, so I'll be interested to try this out..although I've now got visions of using a Brillo pad on my face, eek! (FYI: if you don't know what a Brillo pad is, it's like a metal scourer that you use when washing up to remove tough grime and dirt)

Shine and Tint, in the shade Posy: A brand new No7 product, that has just launched this week. There are five colours to choose from, and they vary from reds and berries to this more nude shade. As mentioned in my No7 Match Made Lipstick Service post I have struggled to find more nude/natural colours, so thought I'd give this one a go to add to the collection. 

Instant Radiance Under-Eye Concealer, in the shade 10: Yet another new product launch from No7 this week, and this is a much-improved formula from its predecessor; more coverage, thicker texture, light diffusion technology and a wider range of colour choices..so far, so good! 

Lovely Lashes Mascara, in the shade Black: Now my favourite mascara, both for natural volume and a more intense look, I actually reviewed this earlier in the year if you want to take a look.

Pop and Glow Cream Blushes, in the shades Mango Sorbet and Classic Rose: I already have a Pop and Glow Cream Blush in the shade Rose Blossom, I actually use it most days as it's a fabulous formulation. In actual fact, I also reviewed this earlier in the year. Because I use this one so much, I felt I needed more colours, especially as the seasons change and my make-up look changes, a pastel pink isn't always suitable hence the nod towards a more peachy and deeper pink tone.

So a couple more reviews to come to keep me busy I'm sure! What are your favourite No7 products?

Exciting News!

A lovely early morning post, as I've just woken up to the news that this very blog has reached 50 followers on Bloglovin! 

Thanks to everyone who's followed me so far, it's been great to know I have people reading out there, somewhere! If you haven't already followed me, why not?! Head to bloglovin.com/daisyloop to access my Bloglovin profile, and click here to look at this very blog via Bloglovin. :)

Back with the next post of my October Challenge this evening, keep your eyes peeled!

Autumn Wishlist

I don't know whether it's because it's been so unseasonably warm, sunny and dry these past couple of weeks or so but I can't say I'm really thinking much of autumn at the moment. And this picture sums it up perfectly: credit where it's due, this photo was actually taken by my boyfriend when we took a day-trip to Kendal, near the Lake District in the North-West of England last weekend, on our walk up to Kendal Castle - a lovely day. But with the colder mornings creeping in, it will soon be upon us no matter how much we try to cling onto the last hope of summer, and I know I need more autumnal clothes before I get caught out!

I love anything yellow; my phone, a handbag, several dresses and even one of the walls of my bedroom are some shade of yellow, so autumn is the perfect excuse to liven up my wardrobe with the mustard variety. I'm actually shocked I don't already own a mustard yellow jumper, so I'm most definitely on the look-out for one, and this beauty from H&M seems to fit the bill..I just don't like buying online, I still much prefer to try before I buy, so I'll have to see if it's made its way into my local store.

Is it bad that I also love it in grey too? I'm not usually a fan of grey, but I think my opinion has changed..I'm sure my boyfriend will be pleased! 

Keeping on the yellow theme..I'm just gutted I missed out on this when it first hit stores! If you haven't guessed already, it's the gorgeous wool mini skirt from Marks & Spencer. I've seen many women of various ages wearing it and I bloody love it! (And it's most definitely more of a yellow-lime rather than a green-lime.) I just hope it comes back into stock either online or instore, as I've got to try the red one and it's just perfect to team with some black opaque tights and a cosy black jumper over the top of a shirt..just as it's styled on the website actually, ha! Okay, so it's £25 which I wouldn't usually pay for a skirt, but for the quality and the wear I would get out of it, it's definitely worth the price tag.

Moving across to cosmetics: for as long as I can remember, I've used eyelash curlers as mine would just point downwards without that lift, and I've tried various brands throughout the years, but never the illustrious Shu Uemura offering. Lately, my bargain Primark pair just aren't cutting it anymore, especially as a couple of my lashes have disappeared from my right eye..hence why I want to try the Mavala Eye-Lite Double Lash Night Treatment to help with their growth, as they're growing back but they're taking a while. I've always suffered with shorter lashes, so I'm hoping this will help with that as well as building their strength. 

Keeping with the eye theme and I've had mine set on this L'Oreal Color Riche Mono Eyeshadow in 301 Escape in Bordeaux: the perfect autumn berry for the eyes by the looks of things, and I love to mix things up when it comes to colour on the eyes. I've also heard many mixed reviews about these eye shadows, and I'd love to give them a go as they sound almost creamy to apply, which is what I love as they tend to have less downfall.

What's on your Autumn Wishlist this year? Have you already got some of these products?

OCTOBER CHALLENGE!

As you may be able to tell, I've yet again fallen out of the blogging habit, but there have been times where I have sat down, brainstormed and drafted so many posts, to realise it's 9pm and I haven't taken any photos, which require daylight and I have work early the next morning..so the posts get put off until I have a day off, but then I'm busy on my day off..and it goes on. 

So I was texting the boyfriend as usual in the evening after a day at work last week, and we ask each other what we're up to: I'm actually drafting a new blog post, after having a brainwave from browsing on Bloglovin', and he's got his Wordpress set up properly, yay! He's been looking to start an outlet for his writing for the while, but now he's had the inspiration and time to do it, and we were saying how we could motivate each other to write, when I came up with the idea of an October Challenge to get the both of us into the swing of things: post everyday for the month of October..

So here we go! If you want to see what my lovely boyfriend Jack is up to this month, head on over to odeavenue.wordpress.com 

Do I really need a toner?

First up in my "Do I really need..?" series

I never thought I needed a toner, until I started reading various beauty blogs: their thoughts and reviews on various products. Then I realised I was using much more cleanser than I needed, just to remove the last remnants of my makeup, because my skin wasn't "squeaky clean". Yet trying to find an affordable toner that does the job proved to be quite the task for my combination skin..

First I thought I'd head to my trusty No7 and snap up the only toner they do in their range: Soft & Soothed Gentle Toner. I chose this as I thought it would compliment the rest of my No7 skincare routine the best, even though as a No7 advisor I know that our cleansers do not need a toner to follow, as the cleansers don't leave any residue on the skin..hence why we only do the one toner! Sadly, this didn't work out for me, probably due to the fact it's a hydrating toner. After the first use, overnight I had developed multiple little pimples of spots across my chin and jawline, which, even when I was suffering with my worst acne, I never had these types of spots, and I had done nothing different with the rest of my skincare routine. I hate to give No7 products a miss as I find them generally great, however this just didn't do it for me, but I think this toner would be great for normal/dry skin types to balance the skin out after cleansing, especially as it's alcohol free. Not to mention that it's £8 for 200ml, and it would be even more of a bargain come round to the £5 off No7 voucher time!

Back to the drawing board, as I searched online for a toner suited more towards a combination skin. Dare I say I struggled, until I came across the Seaweed Clarifying Toner by the Body Shop. Again, very reasonably priced at £8.50 for 200ml, and with rave reviews online, I had to see what all the fuss was about. As you look at the skincare stand within The Body Shop, straight away they are categorised by their ranges, and what skin types they are catered towards; the Seaweed range is specifically targeted for combination/oily skin, and there is also the Tea Tree range, but this is more for blemish-prone skin. If only I knew about this range earlier..

I love everything about this toner! 1) First up, the packaging; simple yet effective, it dispenses just the right amount of product onto a cotton pad without overloading it and wasting any toner. It's pretty robust too, it doesn't leak and you can see exactly how much is left. 2) This toner will last AGES. Because it dispenses just enough, and a little goes a long way, even if it's used more than once a day it's gonna last a long time before it needs repurchasing. And there's no denying I'm going to repurchase this toner, it's just slotted into my skincare routine perfectly: 3) Replacing my third pad of cleanser for one pad of toner means I use less cleanser, yet this toner goes deeper than my cleanser to pull out every last bit of makeup and dirt from my pores, without drying my skin out yet balancing my oils out, you can instantly feel it tighten your pores to stop any dirt making it home. 4) This toner smells divine; fresh and of the sea, it's a joy to use this product! I could go on and on, can you tell I'm impressed? 

Do I really need a toner? Yes, I most certainly do! And if you've got combination skin just like me, I'm sure this would be great for you too. Do you use a toner? 

No7 Match Made Lipstick Service: in depth.

It would be rude of me not to write a post about this, but I thought I'd leave it until after the launch, so I could get to experience how it has gone down with customers.

A brief history of the Match Made Service

Back in the summer of 2012, No7 revolutionised the way we choose our foundations, and is set to do the same with our lipsticks. After rigorous testing and scientific research of over 2000 British women, a unique colour palette was created to give a range of foundation shades that were true to skin colour. From this, a colour measuring device was developed and is used, in larger Boots stores in the UK, to measure skin tone, enabling people to be matched to one of the seventeen true to skin shades of foundation within the No7 range, with various formulas, coverages and finishes on offer. Since the service was launched, nearly one million people across the UK have experienced the Match Made Service, and with complimenting concealers added to the range in 2013, the service is still as popular as ever. Hence, after much more research and testing, the Match Made Lipstick Service has been born.

And now for the sciencey bit!

I'll try not to bore you with this, but it is interesting to see how they got it down to the final colour choices: 700 potential lipstick colours were first set against the 17 skin tones; those that clashed were ruled out, and those that complimented more than one skin tone remained. This left them with 60 potential lipstick colours, and from this the final 43 colour lipstick range was chosen, with at least 14 colours to suit each skin tone: 29 colours in the Moisture Drench range, 14 colours in the Stay Perfect range. All of the new colours are categorised into six key shade groups, to help understanding between the No7 advisor and customer when it comes to choosing a colour(s) - Coral, Plum, Red, Light Pink, Dark Pink and Natural. Note: the key reading is not taken from the lips, it is the same skin-tone reading that is done to find a foundation match within the No7 range. And, if you hadn't already guessed, it's more than one lipstick.. So it's great news if you've already had your match, but it's also a great opportunity if you haven't, as you can get your foundation, concealer and lipstick sorted all in one go! 

The service that answers that all-important question: "What suits me?"

As I already know my skin-true shade, Cool Vanilla, I picked up one of these handy cards that lists all the colours within the new range that best compliment my skin tone. These cards are available at all No7 counters in the UK, subject to availability. I have found that the swatches aren't exactly accurate to how the colours look in the bullet, but it gives you a pretty good idea. The great news is that with the new colours being brought in, the formulation of the lipsticks themselves have been improved too, yay! The Moisture Drench range are so much more pigmented and longer lasting than their predecessors, and the Stay Perfect range are much more nourishing on the lips. I already have six colours from the range: four Moisture Drench, two Stay Perfect..and I'm in love. I adore bright colours as it is anyway, but knowing that they compliment my skin tone gives me that extra confidence to wear the colours with pride. Saying this, I've also gone for a couple more natural looking shades, which I wouldn't usually go for, but yet again, knowing it compliments my skin tone gives me that confidence to wear it. 

Now to go picture crazy..!

You can see from these swatches how the colours transfer from the bullet to the lips, and how all the colours work in harmony with my skin tone. It's quite amazing to see how the different tones of pink are all still so warming to my skin, and most especially the red too. Even 700 Soft Tulip, the most "natural" of the selection is still complimentary, and I would usually surpass this kind of colour in favour of the brighter styles you see here. Saying that, Soft Tulip is becoming an everyday favourite, what with the rise in popularity of the 90's nude..this is my take on the trend for now. And with the finish of the Moisture Drench range being more satin, even the stronger colours I find are very wearable regardless of age, as the colours pack a punch without being harsh. I would say that they're not necessarily long-wearing, as it can transfer onto glasses when drinking, but the general wear of colour is a good couple of hours or so.

Instantly you can see the difference between the Stay Perfect and Moisture Drench: the Stay Perfect are a true-matte finish, and with that the colours are a bit stronger too. However, even with the matte finish, they are not drying nor uncomfortable on the lips. I find with these lipsticks, compared to the Moisture Drench, is that the colour reacts more the natural acidity of your lips throughout its wear: 255 Raspberry Silk gets deeper and much more pink whereas 505 Auburn Whisper takes on an almost red tone. For the longevity, these are spot on, even if you wanted to pop a slick of gloss over the top. I just wish there were more colours in this range; even though there are some classic reds to choose from, sadly none are complimentary for my skin tone. *sad face* At least I get my fix with the Moisture Drench lippies! 

Have you tried the service yet? What are your thoughts on the process and your opinions on the choice of colours?

Payday = haulin'.

So when payday rolled around this month, I was in desperate need of both things that I needed and wanted; as you can see, it's quite a mix too!

Needed:

1. Lacura Cotton Pads: Yes, they seem so mundane, but they're needed. I go through them very easily, so I don't want to be paying a lot for them, yet they still need to be of a great quality. This is where Aldi comes up trumps yet again! 99p for a twin pack of pads that don't fleece? Yes please! (I know you can get these twin packs anywhere for pretty much a similar price, but these are seriously the best I've ever used.)
2. No7 Beautiful Skin Eye Makeup Remover: Definitely one of my holy grail products..and I know that term is used all the time these days, but this eye makeup remover is the only one for me that doesn't irritate my eyes; even the Simple, Johnson and Nivea ones (to name a few) made my eyes sting, even though I don't find my eyes to be particularly sensitive. Not to mention, the No7 remover is an oil-water formula (shake it to wake it! Cheesy I know..) which removes the toughest of waterproof makeup known to man, yet doesn't dry my eye area.
3. John Frieda Precision Foam Colour: Okay, so I didn't need this quite yet, as I don't tend to dye my hair that frequently because the colour is close to my natural hair colour, just a bit richer..but when it's going for half price at Boots, a girl gotta stock up! (Note: the offer has now changed to 3 for 2 across haircare, both instore and online.) Again, like with the eye makeup remover, this is now the only dye I use, it's just bloody brilliant. (And one bottle still manages to cover my rather long hair.)
4. Tresemme Heat Defence Spray: The only heat defence that doesn't leave my hair feeling weighed down or with any residue once dried, and certainly keeps my hair in tip-top condition, that's for sure, even with all the blow drying, straightening, curling and updo-ing for work. Also, a bottle lasts me ages, even with my thick, long hair so it's definitely worth its price.
5. Aussie Miracle Moist Shampoo and Conditioner: I briefly mentioned in an old monthly favourites post that I was loving this range, and I'm still using these shampoos and conditioners with no build-up, and just like the Tresemme, I'm sure these are helping my hair to stay healthy. (The reason I keep saying this is because I haven't had my hair cut in over eight months..naughty, I know, but no split ends or visible damage whatsoever *touch wood*..I just want it to groooooooow!)
6. VO5 High Volume Hairspray: I only started to use this after Tanya Burr used it in a hair tutorial she did based on a Blake Lively updo, and I love it! It doesn't leave my hair feeling tacky or crispy, yet it has brilliant hold in both everyday wear and extreme hold for updo's, curls, etc. It brushes out super easy too, doesn't dry my hair out..it's just fab, and it's relatively cheap too.
7. Garnier Ultimate Blends Dry Shampoo: I'm not a regular user of dry shampoo, but I had been using one of the Tresemme ones, which was fab, but at over £5 a pop, I didn't want to be paying that much, so this one caught my eye, as it specified that it leaves no residue: essential for my dark locks! Let's just hope it lives up to that promise..I can't tell you how much I dislike the Batiste ones, both the smell and the colour it leaves my hair..nope, just nope, even the ones made specifically for "brunette" hair.

Wanted:

1. Elizabeth Arden Beautiful Color Luminous Lipgloss: At work, our No7 counter is right next to the Elizabeth Arden counter, so when their Untold Colour Collection (Autumn Collection) launched, this instantly caught my eye, as it was so different to anything I had seen before: an almost neon violet-purple with flecks of glitter that the light captures and reflects beautifully..I can't wait to use this to "jujz" up any drab autumn days.
2. Topshop Nails: A girl can never have too many nail polishes, right? After going on holiday with some of my girl friends and seeing the brilliant quality of the Topshop nail varnishes firsthand, I was won over and finally took the plunge with a gorgeous, almost mustard yellow by the name of "Carnival", which doesn't seem to be on the website, but I think it's perfect to brighten up an autumnal day.
3. Real Techniques Mini Brush Trio and Miracle Complexion Sponge: I am a HUGE lover of the Real Techniques brushes, for both personal use and work use, I recommend them to anyone and everyone! But I knew I had to add to my collection, and the mini trio are just too cute to dismiss, although I might not use them as they are intended, as long as they do the job I have in mind..especially the sponge, I have only heard good things about this, and although I never use a sponge (I love my brushes too much) I am intrigued to see if this can actually live up to the hype and give just as good a finish as my beloved Expert Face and Stippling Brushes can.

I also had a bit of a splurge in Primark..you've gotta take the bull by the horns, as they say, and it was my first visit to Manchester City Centre for quite a while so I ended up spending over £60 in there alone..! I do love that place! 

Is there anything in particular you like to treat yourself to come payday?

#NOTW - Week 1

In a bid to stop me biting my nails so much (I tend to go through phases: grow them until they're lovely and long..but when they get too long, I bite them all off. :|) I'm keeping my nails painted in lovely bright colours, which is getting my nails to be the perfect length! 

For work, really, I do have to wear colours by No7 so we can promote the brand, if asked what I'm wearing. To be fair, and this opinion goes back to before I worked for No7, they are my favourite nail varnishes in terms of colour, wear, brush and texture!

This week is only a short week for me at work, I'm only in three days because of the bank holiday (yay!), so I'll probably wear another colour this weekend, but at the moment I'm loving Purple Bouquet from the Gel Look Shine range by No7. It's perfect for this time of year, where we're still clinging onto the slight hope of summer here in Britain, yet the weather is letting us down; the colour is bright, but not too in-your-face, enough to brighten your day, and because it's that kind of purple, I find it tends to go with a lot of things rather than clash with them. I also think it's going to be a great colour going into autumn, clashing perfectly against a thick, mustard jumper..let's just hope I can find one when I go shopping in Manchester on Sunday, it's been a while!

This is two coats of the colour after three days of wear, and silly me forgot to put a top coat on! (A habit of painting my nails in bed, just before I go to sleep.) Hence, the slight wear at the edges of the nails..oops. Saying that, I've been doing a lot of things with my hands, and there's no big chips and still a high shine finish.

If you've never tried the nail varnishes from No7 before, I certainly recommend you do so when you next get one of the £3 off vouchers you always get when you shop in Boots, and you never quite know what to do with them. The Gel Look Shine range hosts 14 different shades, ranging from nude to bold and includes a top coat. What's different about this range, compared to your traditional nail varnishes is that the colours are highly pigmented and the formula is slightly thicker (note: however, not gloopy), which I tend to find gives a longer wear and helps to smooth out any ridges/dents on the nail. 

Okay, so I can't say I've tried "gel look" nail varnishes from any other brands (yet), but I'd say that these are a great starting point in terms of colour, ease of application and long wear. I find the brush, which is the same in No7's standard Stay Perfect range, is the perfect size for my diddy nails; it only takes a couple of sweeps to coat my nails, and there's no faffing around with trying to get an even coat, as this is instantly achieved. 

At £7 (or £4 with a No7 voucher), I say: why not? Some of my favourite colours are from this range, so I wouldn't be surprised if you see more of them in my future #NOTW..

What nail varnish colours are you loving at the moment? 

Inspired

Yes, I know..I've been slacking again. But now that I've had my lovely break away from work and home life for a week, I've had the time to refocus and see what I want to achieve in the coming months; both professionally and personally, and this blog rates highly in these. 

So whilst I'm in an inspired state of mind, I'm going to bulk-write plenty of blog posts to get me back into the swing of things, and I'm very excited by everything I want to write about :) keep your eyes peeled..

Summer Lovin' Tag

Sorry, I'm slacking again! In the meantime, I've been tagged by the lovely Libby at blowofbubbles.blogspot.co.uk to do the Summer Lovin' Tag.. here goes!

Summer Lip?

This has to be the amazing No7 BB Lips I reviewed in my last post, especially the shade Geranium, the perfect sheer, summery coral!

Summer Nail Polish?

This is hard, as there's so many shades I love! When I'm at work, I usually have to wear No7 and I am so lucky, I am spoilt for choice when it comes to vibrant, summery shades! At the moment, I'm wearing a gradient nail of No7 Gel-Look Shine in Mint Treat and Stay Perfect in Cheeky Chops, which is a brilliant splash of colour. Saying that, I managed to snap up the Yellow shade from Seventeen's Juicy Neons collection, and I can't wait to wear this on holiday! 

Summer Starbucks Drink? 

I can't quite remember the name, but I remember that when I was travelling for work last summer, and it was a scorcher, both when I was in Lancaster and Carlisle I wound up in their Starbucks to order some Lime Cooler, perfectly refreshing and thirst-quenching when it's so hot! And I think it was low-cal too with no added sugar, bonus!

Summer Song?

There's so many, but at the moment I'm loving The Vamps' collaboration with Demi Lovato for their latest single, Somebody To You. Every time it comes on the radio when I'm driving, I just have to turn it up and sing along. It's even on my running playlist, and even though it's on shuffle it's come up a few times to spur me on when I need it most!

Summer Accessory?

Now that I'm driving, I have to have sunglasses to hand no matter what, even on hazy days when the sun's peeking through. Saying that the pair I've been using has been a good ol' Primark job I've had for a couple of years, they've served me so well that I've just invested in a second pair! I have such a small head I have to get small frames, not your fancy aviator or any other style and these do the job perfectly without swamping my face.

Summer Book?

I've read a fair few already this summer, with many more downloaded onto my Kindle ready for my holiday. I'm currently in the middle of The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes, one of my favourite authors, who you might of heard of for Me Before You, another awesome book! It's not exactly a light summer read, it's actually a story set in two periods of time: World War One and the present, and it's not your typical girly love story. I've just gotten to a very interesting part so I'm not going to give it away, but you should most definitely give it a read if you love a book you can't put down.

Most Excited for?

My holiday, isn't that obvious?! Only three weeks until I go too, I can't wait!

I tag any fellow bloggers reading this, after all it's just a little bit of fun :) 

And concerning my "concealer dilemma" I had the other day..I've tried something new with my current concealer and that seems to be doing the job, so it's back to the drawing board for my next post, due tomorrow I promise! Until then,

No7 BB Lips

*as promised, I'm back! And I'm back with a product I adore, especially at this time of year..*

It seems that every brand has put their stamp on the beauty market with their take on BB, CC and, soon, DD products. However, don't let this put you off the No7 BB Lips.

Before I became a No7 advisor, I had braces and felt as though I could never wear colour on my lips. Don't get me wrong, I actually loved my braces and I never hid them, I loved smiling away because that's just who I am..but I just didn't like wearing lipstick/lacquer, the furthest I ever got was a slick of tame lipgloss or lip balm. Now, I love the prospect of colour, and my face isn't complete without some form of colour-bursting lip product! 

Back to the BB Lips..these actually launched just over a year ago with six shades in the range, and Berry Rose caught my eye straight away.  

My selection of BB Lips, from left-right: Berry Rose, Geranium, Blink Pink, Blush Pink.

They are described as "an all-in-one lip balm that provides 3 lip-loving benefits of: beautiful colour, soothing nourishment and UV protection." As you can see, they are in a squeezy lipgloss style tube, with an angled applicator to go straight onto the lips, super easy.

As you can see from the swatch, the colour is very true to how it appears on the tube. I love how rich the colour is and is so wearable it can complement any look. The texture is thinner than that of a lipgloss, yet has the shine of a lipgloss, but not as sticky as a lipgloss..so an all-round winner in my opinion! 

A great big "tick" against beautiful colour that's for sure. In terms of moisturising, it is certainly a lightweight product - in my opinion, not as heavy as a lipgloss or lip lacquer, and I find that it definitely doesn't dry my lips out at all. Okay, so the product itself doesn't last all day, but what lip balm does? So yes, you do have to keep topping it up if you want the colour and shine to remain, (I'd say the shine lasts for around an hour, and the colour stains for a while before that wears off) but it still keeps your lips lovely and nourished: tick.

I love these so much, and it's clear that others do too, that No7 introduced a seventh colour to the range, as part of their "Summer Collection" this year: Geranium.

I'm not usually one for corals that sway on the orange side, as I can never find one that suits my skin tone..until now. This has become my favourite summer colour, I wear it pretty much every day! And I get so many compliments whilst wearing it, so it must be doing me a favour. ;) It's still so pigmented too, yet the sheer-ness takes away from the harsh bright orange that comes along with the original Gay Geranium lipstick from the No7 range.

I'm such a fan of this range, I also have two more colours! First up, Blush Pink, for a more natural look:

Finally, Blink Pink, which actually disappointed me a little:

As you can see in the swatch, a lovely bright baby pink, yet on the lips there's only a hint of colour, which I suppose isn't too bad on a minimal make-up day.

In terms of UV protection, I haven't quite managed to put this to a proper test yet: it states that it has an SPF of 15. Because of this, ideally, they'll make a great alternative to lipsticks when going abroad..and this is exactly what I plan to take out with me to Portugal when I go next month, so I'll be sure to report back on how they perform on that front. I'd still recommend to buy at least one..or two right now, as they're just brilliant, at just £9 each and they're on offer instore and online now at "buy one, get the second half price", which is across No7 cosmetics, why not?! (and if you happen to do any other shopping..yes, it's No7 voucher time again, which means you can get £3 off No7 make-up, and the best news is that it can be used with the "buy one, get the second half price" offer, winner!)

Coming up Friday..I have a concealer dilemma, and I need help!