#NOTD As festive as I'm going to get. Barry M Magnetic Nail Polish

What could be more festive than nail polish the colour of a glittering Christmas Tree? I'm not very good at detail so on my quest for ultimate nail art nirvana I am testing out magnetic nail polishes.

348 Magnetic Green Sparkle£4.99 from BarryM.com

 I think it is a fairly festive colour. (I really am not one for precision and detail, I have neither the time or the patience).

ALWAYS USE A BASE.

I had a nightmare once with green nail varnish. It stained my nails and made me look as if I was moldy. The horrors of getting it off will scar me for life.

I always opt for Nails Inc Hyde Park Base Coat. £12. (Buy it here).

The next step is to layer a thick coat of the varnish and allow it to dry completely.

One thick coat allowed to dry completely.

If you don't let it dry properly then air bubbles start to form and the effect won't work properly. 

Then coat the nail with another thick layer of varnish. IMMEDIATELY hold the magnet over the polish for at least 10 seconds. The lid has a nifty little groove to place your finger in, but be careful not to press to hard as the polish smudges all over the lid. Yes, I am that clumsy.

I have left this photo unfiltered to see how evergreen the colour actually is.I am impressed with the polish, it is fairly thick and dries quickly so I didn't have to wait for too long. 

Set the pattern with a layer of your favourite topcoat and the end result is very effective, I am tempted to get the other colours to mix and match the magnetic pattern, but first I shall wow a lot at the thriftiness of this boutique effect.

How festive are your nails?

Thursday's travel-sized tresses: ORGANIX Moroccan Argan Oil Shampoo & Conditioner

You may, or may not be aware that I am trying to pace myself on the products by doing some serious sachet training. We can all go rushing out to the shops and spend on the latest development in the hair care and cosmetics industries. No not me. I'm using samples from beauty boxes and travel sized products to sample and review.

This week the shampoo and conditioner trying to tame my unruly, dry, fine and brittle hair is the renewing Moroccan Argan Oil Shampoo & Conditioner by Organix.

Travel sized Organix Moroccan Argan Oil Shampoo & Conditioner 88.7ml £1.99

Oils are a big thing now, right? Argan oil, mythic oil, macadamia oil? Oils feel so much more luxurious, especially in this cold weather where central heating blasts is and frost dampens it. Short of putting honey on my hair I tried the next best thing.

At £1.99 you get a fairly large sample, worth pretty much a whole week on my shoulder length hair. The only way I can think to describe the product is like the Royal Jelly talc and body lotion sets, slightly peach in hue with a rich exotic scent.

You can buy the full size shampoo & conditioner at Boots for £6.99 a piece. 

They claim the formula is hundreds of centuries old. I am sure they mean the oil and not the shampoo, did they use shampoo hundreds of centuries ago? The shampoo lathers into an indulgent foam but the conditioner merely coats my fine hair with protective sheen. My hair is left feeling soft and shiny but still quite brittle.

I'm sure Morrissey would approve of this highly environmentally friendly product using post consumer resin, whatever the hell that is!

Healthy ends. What more could you ask for? 

Thursday is obvs the day to talk about hair. Click here to see more Thursday Tresses.

Sachet Training #2 Liz Earle Sheer Skin Tint Beige 02

Today I decided to give my face a bit of a breather. I soaked it in the last of my Night in Shining Armour by Soap & Glory overnight. It has such a truly sumptuous and luxurious scent to it. (Again with the witty name; always a sucker for a witty name!) I mentioned it in my first ever blog. You can't go without a night cream; it provides an ultimate base, before you even mention primers and BB creams.

Well it just wouldn't be Soap & Glory without its trademark wit and retro packaging.I'm considering a change for my next skincare staple, it feels as if my skin is getting used to this one, and sometimes my face can feel rather oily in the morning.

Liz Earle's Sheer Skin Tint 02 Beige

I haven't tried Liz Earle before but I was lucky enough to get a few samples from a friend. I feel I am making a more informed choice about products since joining the blogosphere and people RAVE ABOUT THIS STUFF! Well lots of people are posting stuff as she appears to have an advent calendar, I've been distracted by TattooedTeaLady's Liz Earle's Advent Calendar. (You can click here to see her post of the first week's goodies!)

I always opt for the warmer shade to my skintone. I can be drastically pale but I prefer to have a honeyed glow. In this case it was beige 02 as it said it would suit most caucasian skin tones. I'm not sure the inside of my wrist is the closest colour to my face but here is a swatch!

I was surprised at the amount of coverage it gave from such a frugal droplet. I found it quite difficult to spread as the formula is quite thick. I loved the feel of it on my skin, it was refreshing, but nowhere near light weight. Disappointed slightly, I dabbed dots all over my face and tried to stretch them together. I found it difficult to blend, it took a whole lot longer than usual. 

After it had settled in I felt it gave long lasting coverage as this photo was taken after several hours wear, and the thick balmy consistency tricked my mind into believing my skin, albeit briefly, could face the cold wind for a few hours. 

It was nice for a day off foundation, but I'm sure I'd end up using too much product if I bought a whole tube. The sachet training has paid off.

What tinted moisturisers do you love? 

Thrifty Beauty Haul

So, I won ten pounds on a Christmas scratchcard. Nope I'm not feeling festive either, not yet anyway. I thought how I could spend this free ten pounds, and I chose to make good of the offers forced upon us because it is December, not Christmas just December. 

Organix Renewing Morrocan Argan Oil Shampoo £1.99

Barry M Bold Gold Waterproof Eyeliner £3.99

Barry M Nail Paint 352 Pink Sapphire Glitter £3.99

Barry M Nail Paint Boots Xmas Special

Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl 012-Bronze  £3.99

Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl 001 Black £3.99

Rimmel Precious Stones High Coverage Nail Polish 002 Ruby Crush

HAUL ON! 

Hopefully this will soothe my unruly hair. I have read lots about the Organix range and their packaging is a staple for shampoo shelves. I thought I would take the plunge, and in keeping with my  strict sachet training I am going to make this travel sized bottle last. I can't be doing with drowning my hair in product, it's just far too fine.

It's so darn dry, the cold isn't helping.

See how dry my fringe is? That is the healthiest part of my hair, it gets a trim EVERY DAMN MONTH. Perhaps I am asking a lot, but we shall see.

My headphones were firmly in my ears. Beethoven Was Deaf being the album du jour I marched in to Superdrug to reap the rewards of their 3 for 2 offer and bought these for a scandalous seven pounds and ninety eight pence. Waterproof eyeliners are a winner in this weather with my eyes running from the cold. The red polish will do for the Christmas season nicely thank you very much!

Well we shall talk about the Bold Gold later but I cannot wait to try these eyeliners. They feel so luxurious and are heavy in pigment so you get a lovely bold colour. I have swatched them for you. 

I think the black will take a bit of colouring in, luckily I have plenty of Rimmel's waterproof gel eyeliner to hand in case it does not fit the job.

Scandaleyes : always a sucker for a witty name.

Rimmel London Precious Stones 002 Ruby Crush.

Now I am not generally a fan of silverish glitter shades, I much prefer gold flecks. Anyhow I was intrigued by this polish, quite pleased with the coverage it gives. THIS IS NOT GLITTER SUSPENDED IN CLEAR POLISH. It is the other way around or something?

What do Barry M do best? Nail Paint. Look at this lovely high glitter count that I got free after spending six pounds on Barry M cosmetics.

It is all about the high glitter/holographic look this season I figure, so I am right in there!

[Obligatory arty splash]

So what did I spend my six pounds on to benefit from such a lovely offer? I only went and got a Barry M Bold Gold waterproof eyeliner to match my party dress. That way I can sob all the way through the Queen's speech and no one will notice.

Not really. What a vulgar picture I painted for you there. Crying over a speech. No way.

IT IS LIKE TINSEL IN A BOTTLE, 'NUFF SAID.

To top the whole lot off I went back to Superdrug and spent one hundred pennies on a MUA eyeshadow. 

Personally I think it will suit my ultimate Christmas dress. I have seen such a beauty and one day, oh one day it will be mine. Let's see this eyeshowdow in its glory...

These have been recommended, as long as a good primer or base is used it gives a heavy and silky coverage. I can't wait to try all these products and see how they fare. 

Have you got your party look sorted? I'd love to see your party look preparation so feel free to leave me links and comments! 

So I spent a whole £15 and got my haul on. Lets see yours!