Mixed Gems Must-Have Beauty List

1. Leighton Denny Crystal Nail File

2. Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream

3. Kerastase Masquintense Bain Satin 3 Epais (Thick)

4. Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish

5. St Tropez bronzing powder

6. Lancome Teint Idole 24h foundation

7. Garnier oil-free BB Cream

8. MAC Pigment in Vanilla

9. Illamasqua Sealing Gel

10. Inika blusher in Peachy Keen

11. Clarins HydraQuench serum

12. YSL Touche Eclait concealer

13. Orly Cuticle Pen

14. Tweezerman slanted tweezers

15. DUO Adhesive eyelash glue

16. MAC, Medusa’s make-up and Crown Brush make-up brushes

17. L’oreal Revitalift 10 Repair serum

18. Eyebrowz eyebrow powder

19. Benefit High Brow Glow pencil

20. Peaches and Cream eyelashes in No.9

Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish

This cleanser is designed to remove every inch of make-up and deep-clean at the same time. You apply it to dry skin, massaging it into the skin and even your eyes, and then rinse it off with the muslin cloth included. Not only will this help to remove the formula but it gently exfoliates, too. As someone that has been known to wear make-up that verges on drag queen, I can vouch for the fact that it gets rid of even waterproof eyeliner and mascara.

What I like about this cleanser is that it isn’t strongly scented but still very fresh; you’ll pick up on soft notes of eucalyptus and chamomile. It is in very simple packaging and would be suitable for either men or women. From my sister to my mom, everyone in my family that has used it has loved it.

A true miracle worker, Cleanse & Polish has changed my skin from being oily and spot prone to fresh, glowing and clear. An absolute must-have for everyone.

uk.lizearle.com

Moroccanoil – not just for hair…

Naturally the texture of my hair is very curly and coarse, but since using the oil I’ve found it much easier to manage when straightening.

After washing my hair, I apply 3-4 pumps of oil to the bottom of my hair. I pay particular attention to the ends as these are my driest area, and then work my way up to my roots.

Moroccanoil is very rich and you’re left with thick layer on your hands. It smells divine so why waste it? I massage any excess into my arms and legs while they’re damp to lock in extra moisture. My hairdressers, Tammy and Cristie at Voodou in Liverpool, even told me that they add a few drops into their bath.

The verdict? I’m happy with the results so far and am eager to see how my hair will feel in a few more weeks.

Leighton Denny Crystal Nail File

Showing us his Crystal Nail File, Leighton advised that we should use this every few days to file our nails. Telling him that I had weak nails prone to peeling, he said that I should file them regularly so that no moisture was able to get into the layers of my nails. This is what causes them to peel.

Since then, I’ve used Leighton’s nail file, base coat and top coat with every manicure and the results have been amazing. My nails are strong, grow to a much longer length and have only peeled a couple of times. The nail file makes your nail crumble to a fine dust, it is very bizarre. It does, however, mean that achieving the perfect shape is easy and can be achieved with real precision.

Leighton’s top tip? The shape of your nail tip should match the nail bed to elongate your nails. For example, if your nail bed is quite round, you should file your nail tips to mirror this.

Feelunique.com often have great offers on Leighton Denny products – I would thoroughly recommend that you sample his nail file and be sure to tune into QVC for personal demonstrations from the man himself.

(P.S – a northern guy with a great sense of humour, he was absolutely lovely!)

Going Ombre: Top Tips

Here are my top tips to keep your ombre looking gorgeous:

1. Keep your hair moisturised, this is the best way to lock in colour. I love the Nutritive range from Kerastase for hydrating my dry hair.
2. Added some blonde to your hair? Try using a silver shampoo or treatment every so often to keep the colour really vibrant. I love Lee Stafford’s Hot Shots 4 Blondes.
3. Protect your hair when styling. Heat damaged hair will cause colour to fade more quickly.
4. Don’t over wash. Use a dry shampoo to keep fresh on bad hair days and make the most of your colour treated hair.

 

How to remove Shellac nails at home

Shellac nails, although fabulous, aren’t cheap, and so I was never too keen on purchasing their removal pouches. Here’s my cost effective method of removing them at home.

What you’ll need:

– Boots own brand nail polish remover
– A nail file
– Flat cotton pads
– Strips of tin foil

Firstly, take three flat cotton wool pads and cut them into quarters.

Next, cut ten strips of tin foil, each about an inch thick and three inches long.

Taking a regular nail file, slightly buff the top of your nails. This will make it easier for the acetone to penetrate them.

Soak a cotton quarter in nail varnish remover and place it over one of your nails. Then, use the tin foil to wrap it up tightly and allow it to soak.

After 1o minutes, the Shellac should be quite soggy and easy to peel off. Use a nail file to buff away any left over traces.

Make sure you finish off with a hand cream to rehydrate your hands. I love L’Occitane’s Cocoa Flower Hand Cream.