Cheeky Chat Me Up Nail Paint - Moss-Behaving & KPT Green Awakening

Today I have a very special polish to show you. I loved everything about this polish from the word go! If you haven't heard of the brand "Cheeky" before, you have most probably heard of Cowshed!

"Introducing Cowshed's naughty little sister, Cheeky: the new brand promising to re-write the beauty rules!"

During October, Cheeky is launching a collection of 21 nail paints, 14 body care freshly scented products, hair care, cosmetics and opening a new parlour in Shoreditch which will cater to all things nails and hair. Apparently, if you go in for a 20 minute file and paint, they will offer you a bottle of Chat Me Up Nail Paint worth £7 to take home with you.

Here is a swatch of Moss Behaving, a dark forest green. The formula on this was perfection, I can't fault anything about it! Completely opaque in one coat although I used two just because I always have to use at least two coats of polish when doing my nails. If you like green polish, this one is for you!

Check out urcheeky.com for more details. They are also on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

This morning, I remembered that I still had some topper polishes to swatch and one of them would go brilliantly over dark green. I added a coat of Polished by KPT - Green Awakening, a shifting topcoat that shows copper, gold, green and the tiniest hint of teal. Also looks beautiful swatched over black.

You can purchase Polished by KPT directly from Katherine's Big Cartel website, (US & Canada shipping) but they are now also available at Shoppe Eclectic and Harlow & Co. In addition to polish, Katherine also sells beautiful polish jewellery.

*The products featured  in this post were sent to me for review.

Autumnal Colours - 2true Fast Dry Shade 12

Autumn is well and truly under way here. We've had strong gusts of wind and it's been raining all day! It gets dark really early as well which I hate! So I chose this shade to wear over the weekend! Wouldn't want to be all bright and perky now would we?!

This is two coats of 2true Fast Dry Colour Quick Shade 12. A greige creme which is actually more true to colour in the second picture, with a hint of brown undertones, my lighting was a bit off.

The formula on this polish wasn't as good as the last 2true polish I showed you here a couple of weeks ago. It becomes goopy very fast and doesn't apply as well. It's supposed to be a fast dry polish but that wasn't really the case.

*The product featured  in this post was sent to me for review.

Autumnal Colours - 2true Glossywear Shade 54

Isn't it really annoying when you come across a shade of polish that you actually really like and they have no name, only a shade number? That's how I feel about 2true Glossywear Shade No. 54, such a perfect Autumn shade with no name!

It's a really pretty deep sapphire blue shade with great opacity (2 coats here). The bottle says "up to 5 day wear" which is very true as it's the fifth day I've been wearing it and there's only minor tip wear on my right thumb. I'm really impressed with this polish - no fuss to apply and it's only £1.99 from Superdrug.

*The product featured  in this post was sent to me for review.

Aubrey Organics - Blue Green Algae with Grape Seed Extract - 3 Step Skincare

Today's post is something a little different to what you are used to seeing on my blog.

Always on the quest to find the perfect skincare routine, and now being pregnant too, I started using Aubrey Organics 3 Step Skincare System 3 months ago. Up until now, I've always used quite harsh products like Clearasil on my blemished skin but to be honest they didn't make my skin any better and still broke me out.

I searched the Internet for all natural, organic and cruelty free products but a lot of products which claim to be "natural" are actually packed with chemicals and toxic ingredients which I can't even pronounce. The ones that weren't, cost an arm and a leg which to be honest I wasn't willing to pay after having spent a small fortune on expensive skincare products that I ended up not using.

That's when I came across Aubrey Organics products on Amazon. I noticed that they also had a website and sold in the UK. I chose to go for their older line of products that come in these not-so-fancy bottles. If you go on their website now, it seems that they have re-formulated some of their skincare range as well as packaging.

Here is what I got:

Blue Green Algae Range (Combination/ Oily Skin):

• Facial Cleansing Lotion (118ml) - This is the first time using a face wash that doesn't strip all the oils and over dry my skin. Having had oily skin all my life, I used to think that only if my skin was "pulling" would it be squeaky clean. Now that's not the case as all I was doing was striping all it's natural oils which would make it produce even more oil. This product doesn't really wash off all your make up because it's so mild so you'd still need to use an alcohol free wipe prior to cleansing with this.

• Facial Toner (237ml) - I can't get over how gentle this toner is on my skin. Maybe that's because the toner I used before was so harsh that it would actually burn my skin a little whilst I was applying it. This toner makes my face feel so refreshed and silky.

• Moisturising Cream (118ml) - I was really impressed by the size of this bottle. I usually pay £9.15 for a pot of 30ml drugstore moisturiser and this is a 118ml bottle. It's going to last me way after the cleanser and toner have finished. The first time I used it, I was a bit taken aback by how rich and creamy it is considering it's a moisturiser for combination to oily skin and also by the very strong and overpowering scent, which I still can't get used to. However, I try to remember that it's made with natural oils (jojoba, Shea butter, evening primrose oil, soybean oil, etc), thus the rich and creamy feeling and the strong smell is quite natural and flowery, not "chemically".To my surprise, my oily skin skin seems to soak it right up. It just took me a while getting used to not having completely dry and matte skin like I've been used to for years.

• Soothing Mask (118ml) - I really like this mask although it's not the best clay mask I've tried. It's creamy and feels slightly self warming when applied to the face, it doesn't dry on like your usual clay masks. I leave it on for about 15 minutes and when I rinse it off, my skin feels clean and hydrated but in a dewy way. I haven't had any breakouts at all since I started using this mask but I guess the other products in the range may be helping with that too.

• Lip Balm - They send you a free lip balm when you spend £30. I love this lip balm although I have a drawer full of them. As this one is made from all natural products, it's the only one I would wear overnight, plus it contains no SPF so it's probably more suited for overnight anyway. I wake up with supple and moisturised lips in the morning.

The cleanser and toner are nearly finished and although I would gladly re-purchase the majority of these products, I tend to get quite bored if I keep to the same skincare routine for a long period of time. So I've already been eyeing up a few more products I'd like to incorporate into my skincare routine.

What is your skincare routine? Do you change every so often or do you like to stick to the same products for a very long time?

NOPI - Selena Polka Dots & Bows

Today I'm sporting some polka dots and bows on my nails, a cute combo I can never resist. I used Nicole by OPI  - Selena from the Spring 2013 Selena Gomez collection as a base. It's a very pretty peachy pink, exactly the type of colour I'd go for. The only thing letting this polish down is the formula. I found it to be very streaky and I needed 3 coats to cover up patches, I don't know if that was just my bottle.

The bow is made up of black and silver loose pieces of hex glitter and for the polka dots I used Barry M Black and a doting tool.

Here are the other Selena Gomez collection polishes I received. More manis to follow:

 

Nicole by OPI polishes are now available at Superdrug stores nationwide and retail for £7.99.

For more information, visit nicolebyopi.com, follow on twitter @NicoleByOPI and become a Facebook fan.

 

Polished by KPT - Plumeria and Fluorescein

Today I have two more Polished by KPT polishes to share with you. A thermal and a bright neon glow polish. Let's get right into the swatches!

Plumeria is a pink holographic thermal. It shifts from a very light baby pink, almost a clear silvery colour when warm, to a bright berry pink when cold. You can see how it transitions in the photos below. This is 3 coats on it's own.

Fluorescein is a neon green jelly packed with scattered holo that glows under UV light. It's a little on the sheer side, the pictures are 2 coats and there is still vnl. You would probably need 3 coats or to wear undies for full coverage.

You can purchase Polished by KPT directly from Katherine's Big Cartel website, (US & Canada shipping) but they are now also available at Shoppe Eclectic and Harlow & Co. In addition to polish, Katherine also sells beautiful polish jewellery.

*The product featured  in this post was sent to me for review.

piCture pOlish - Shocked

Hi guys!

Can you believe it's 1st September already? Summer is almost over although I am told that we are to expect a few more days of heat over here. Holding onto high temperatures as much as I can although I'm excited that Autumn is just around the corner.

Today I have another piCture pOlish collaboration shade to show you - Shocked. This vibrant pink jelly with scattered holographic particles was in collaboration with Shatter me Claire. Due to it's jelly nature, you will need 3 coats for full coverage but the formula is flawless as we've come to expect from piCture pOlish.

Oh yes! And as you have most probably noticed, I filed my nails back to squares. Although I like ovals/ almond shape, they're just not me. I think squares suit me much more.

Yet another amazing piCture pOlish/ blogger creation! I just love that scattered holo in there!

 piCture pOlish can be purchased directly from their website - picturepolish.com.au. They do international shipping. You can also purchase it at various etailers throughout the world. Check out their Network page for more info. You can keep updated on any piCture pOlish news via their Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

*The product featured  in this post was sent to me for review.

Polished by KPT - Color Therapy

Apart from "Glow The Blues Away", this polish was the other Polished by KPT beauty I couldn't wait to try! I always thought the glitter mix in this one was super funky and interestingly bright.

It's called Color Therapy and it's a mix of neon pink, coral and green square and hex glitters. The clear base is also packed with scattered holographic pigments and the glitters glow under UV and black lights which makes it all the more fun.

At first I tried it over a white base on a nail wheel but fell in love with this colour combo the most. The blue base is Miss Sporty Pop Fiction.

You can purchase Polished by KPT directly from their website, (US & Canada shipping) but they are now also available at Shoppe Eclectic and Harlow & Co.

*The product featured  in this post was sent to me for review.

Shimmer Polish - Karen

It's been a while since I've worn a Shimmer Polish. I still have a few left to try out and some of the darker glitters I have coming up will be perfect for Fall.

Today I'm wearing "Karen". A purple and pink glitter bomb with some additional scattered orange, blue and silver glitter. I layered one coat of Karen over La Femme Angel which is a vivid pink with purple undertones and compliments the colours in the Shimmer Polish nicely.

Shimmer Polish are very dense glitters and can be worn on their own if you apply 2/3 coats.

You can purchase Shimmer Polish directly from Cindy's Etsy store. There are also lots of beautiful swatches and product information on their website and Facebook page.

*Some of the products featured  in this post were sent to me for review.

  

piCture pOlish - Marine

Here's one more piCture pOlish beauty I got the chance to swatch in the past week. It's suitably named Marine and it's a rich pigmented teal creme which applies easily in two coats.
Colour like these usually stain my nails really badly but I had no problems with this one. I'll probably wear this polish a few times in the next few months as it's a perfect transitional colour from Summer to Autumn.

piCture pOlish can be purchased directly from their website - picturepolish.com.au. They do international shipping. You can also purchase it at various etailers throughout the world. Check out their Network page for more info. You can keep updated on any piCture pOlish news via their Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

*The product featured  in this post was sent to me for review.

Polished by KPT - Kelvin Bleu and Hot Like Wasabi (thermal polishes)

The wonderful Katherine from Polished by KPT recently sent me some of her polishes to try. If you visit her shop, you'll see an extensive line of bright and dark thermals, funky glitters and toppers as well as holo and neon/ glow polishes.

Today I'm showing you two thermals - Kelvin Bleu and Hot Like Wasabi. All Polished by KPT polishes are 3 free (no toluene, no formaldehyde, dibutyl phthalate) and cruelty free.

Kelvin Bleu is a medium periwinkle blue when "cold". Capturing the transition in this one was easier than the others. My hands were really hot when I applied it, thus the very pale shade of blue...

...but as soon as I dipped my hands in ice cold water, the blue transition became much more evident and darker. In the winter it would permanently look like this as my hands are always cold.

The transition for "Hot Like Wasabi" was much more difficult to capture. Maybe it was because I swatched these when the weather was really, really hot here and by the time I removed my hands from cold water, they were instantly hot again.

Hot Like Wasabi is is a yellow/ green scattered holo thermal polish. I didn't layer this one over white which I think would have made it slightly paler. The first picture is what it would look like "hot" and I just about managed to capture the tips transitioning to a brighter green in the second picture.

You can purchase Polished by KPT directly from their website, (US & Canada shipping) but they are now also available at Shoppe Eclectic and Harlow & Co.

*The product featured  in this post was sent to me for review.

 

piCture pOlish - Vampire

Here is another gorgeous piCture pOlish shade which I can see myself wearing various times this Fall. It's called Vampire and the name completely suits this blood red jelly! Squishy and gory, perfect for Halloween!

This is two coats but you can add a third coat to get a deeper burgundy red colour!

piCture pOlish can be purchased directly from their website - picturepolish.com.au. They do international shipping. You can also purchase it at various etailers throughout the world. Check out their Network page for more info. You can keep updated on any piCture pOlish news via their Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

*The product featured  in this post was sent to me for review.

Jacava - Blueberry Muffin (Flaked and Studded)

You may remember the mani I did with Jacava Marrakesh Nights and not long ago, the slanted french tip mani with Jacava Pink Whisper and Candy Floss. Well, today I have another Jacava polish to show you. It's called Blueberry Muffin (love that name) and it's a lilac creme. As with all the Jacava polishes I've tried so far, the formula was amazingly opaque and easy to work with. Jacava is quite pricey but their formulas and consistency won't let you down.

As I've mentioned before, all Jacava polishes are '8 free' (free from DBP, Camphor, Formaldehyde, Toluene, Collophane, Parabens, Phthalates and Animal Ingredients) and of course they are also Cruelty Free.

Oh... and you may be wondering about my nails!!! Yes, for the first time in nearly 3 years, I have rounded them off. I am currently letting them grow almond shaped but because they were super square, I had to file down quite a lot to start rounding the edges in. That is why the tips are still slightly squared off but hopefully they won't take too long to grow!

I then added a coat of Essie Shine Of The Times and some square gold studs from the Born Pretty Store.

You can purchase Jacava directly from their website - http://www.jacava.com/. and they also sell through Feel Unique.

Don't forget to check out their Facebook page for amazing swatches and manis from other girls as well as competitions and promotions.

*The product(s) in this post was provided for review purposes 

piCture pOlish - Candy

Finally the day has arrived! I'm going off on holiday tomorrow and I'm super excited! Although it's been really warm in London recently, I really need a holiday in a place with some sea and sand.

Before I go, I will leave you with one of my favourite piCture pOlish lacquers - Candy! This colour really surprised me because it just looked like a standard barbie pink in the bottle but once I put it on my nails, it really popped. Some pinks really don't go well with my skin tone but I absolutely adore how this one looks on me. It makes my hands look really tan too, or it may have just been the lighting that day!

This is 2 coats of Candy with some nude leopard on the accent nail:

 

 

piCture pOlish can be purchased directly from their website - picturepolish.com.au. They do international shipping. You can also purchase it at various etailers throughout the world. Check out their Network page for more info. You can keep updated on any piCture pOlish news via their Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

*The product featured  in this post was sent to me for review.