Acetone V'S Acetone free

If you paint your nails then nail polish remover will always have a place among your products. Most nail polish removers contain acetone but more and more companies are bringing out a acetone free version. I have been using the same Sally Hanson nail polish remover for a while now and although I always see it on the shelf in the chemist had never tried the acetone free version, but due to some recent soreness and drying of the skin around my nails and at only £2.45 I decided to give it a try, and compare the difference, if any between the two.

The first time I used the acetone free one I have to admit I was a bit frustrated. I was so used to my polish coming off quickly and easily, and the acetone free one does take longer to remove any polish, but I decided to stick with it, and after a few times of using it, the time difference didn't seem to matter because the soreness around my nails had gone. To me that was my main reason to use the acetone free one and it had worked, and to be honest my nails did look and feel better, but saying that did I stick to it? No I didn't because sometimes I just want to do things quickly, but I have started using the acetone free one as well, when I have more time and by using them both I feel as though my nails are getting better treatment, because we all know that acetone isn't good for our nails but sometimes its a case of the quicker the better and acetone definitely makes removing polish quicker.

Finger paints- Choco mint

Ever since I received my prize from http://giveawaylifestyle.blogspot.co.uk/ I have been obsessed with the Finger Paints nail polishes, they are really amazing, it's just a big shame that we can't get them here in the U.K, but if anyone knows of any sellers please let me know. This colour is Choco Mint and I know that mint coloured polishes are quite big this summer but one problem that I always have is the application, it usually takes 3 or 4 for an even coat, but this was perfect in 2 coats, and its such a beautiful colour with an amazing shine.
Something else that I have noticed about the polishes that I received from the U.S is that they are all 15ml, which is bigger than most of the polishes here, so over all I am in love with American polishes, so if you hear of any blog sales please let me know :)

I forgot to take a picture before I stamped it, and I am still quite new to this stamping thing, so please be kind

I really do love this colour and think it will be one that I use all year round

Benefit Pocket Pal

To me Benefit has always been one of the higher end make up brands, so when I decided to treat myself to something from Benefit I had a good look, and had a good read of some reviews on blogs and decided that I would try the Pocket Pal. I had heard great things about benetint plus the Pocket Pal had a gloss too and considering it was the first time I had ever bought a lip or cheek stain, instead of paying £24.50 for the full sized version, the pocket Pal was only £15.50, so if I didn't like it then I wouldn't of felt that I had wasted as much money, so the Pocket Pal seemed a perfect purchase.
I have to admit I was a bit dubious of it as it seemed quite a bright red, and me and bright red lipsticks do not get along, but I love the fact that you get something for your lips and cheeks in the same product.

It is quite a simple design, in one end you have the benetint which has a brush applicator, and then in the other end you have the gloss which has a simple gloss applicator, just like you would find in any normal lip gloss.

I was actually pleasantly surprised by it, more than pleasantly surprised, over joyed by it, its now my favourite product that I own. It feels so light on my lips, nothing like lipstick, and I love the colour that it leaves, not too red but red enough to make an impact. It lasts for hours too, I can put it on in the morning, go out for the day and it will still be on my lips when I get home, fantastic! To be honest I have used the gloss but I actually prefer using it without, because I am one of those people who's hair always gets stuck on my lips, weather I wear my hair up or down, and that's just horrid and well sticky.I do use the tint on my cheeks and I love the way that looks too, it always make me look lovely and healthy(even if I do so).                     

 

After 4 hours wear

This was the first product that I had bought because of how many fantastic blog reviews I had read about the Benetint like the one by Holly over at  Miss Holly and really I wish that I had spent that bit extra and just bought the Benetint, but hey at least I have a fantastic gloss for nights out. This is definitely something I am going to buy again and it has also made me interested in buying more Benefit products and although I thought it was a bit pricey at first, I now think that its's well worth it's price tag.

Pedikur hand and foot cream

For me this has been an amazing product. After having my feet in Ugg boots for many months and considering that summer was right round the corner ( I received this before the heat wave ), my feet needed some serious pampering before I would be willing to let anyone else see them. When I received the hand and foot cream I was pleasantly surprised that I got a good explanation of the product and a guide on how to use it plus a pair of cotton moisturising socks, so there was going to be no mess at bed time.

It is pretty self explanatory and as it says in the leaflet you do not to need to use the cream on your hands as much as you do on your feet. Its so easy to slip it into your night time routine, in fact I have been using one night, having a night off, then using the next and so forth. All you need to do is smother your feet in the Pedikur cream, slip the socks on and go to sleep, simples. 

I have been doing this for 2 weeks now and I have noticed a real difference, my feet are lovely and soft and some of those horrid hard skin areas on my feet have gone, which is great because it was just in time for this heat wave. As for using it as a hand cream I used it twice a week, and it does leave your hands lovely and soft, but for me this is more of a foot cream and one that I would happily buy, and at £10 the price is quite fair too.

Pedikur do sell other products which you can find here

*Product sent to me to review

Mellow Yellow ?? Avon Sunshine Yellow

So yellow isn't a colour that I would normally reach for but after seeing it on the character Jenny Gross from Winners and Losers* (ITV 2) and seeing how amazing it looked on her, I decided to try an all yellow manicure. I only own one yellow polish and that is Avon's Arabian Glow nailwear pro in sunshine yellow, and I only just got that from my big sister as part of my early birthday pressie. I was a bit concerned that it would be a bit too 'yellow' making my hands look a bit washed out especially as I am so pale already, and I was also nervous as I don't really wear colours this bright

                               *pictures don't show the true brightness because the weather is rubbish, so couldn't get a good picture
I was disappointed because even after 3 coats it wasn't even and still had streaks visible, it took 4 coats to get an even coat that I was happy with, and on a couple of nails 5. I actually love the colour, it's bright and summery and it goes with pretty much anything I wear, although I wouldn't recommend wearing a bright yellow top, but at the moment I am wearing a lot of maxi dresses and for them this is a perfect colour. I have had a few compliments too, one even from a stranger, but my boyfriend being a typical man says that it looks as though I am carrying lemons in my hand, but what does he know!! I really do think this is a great colour and I know a few people are wearing yellow polish at the moment but I think if and when the sun comes out, more and more people will be wearing it on their nails

*I just wanted to tell you about the show Winners and Losers, it really is a great show it's about a group of women who went to high school together and then drifted apart, they all met up again at a school reunion and decided to buy a lottery ticket with which they won. It brings them closer together, but can money buy you true happiness. I love this programme, I watch it on ITV2 on a Sunday afternoon. My favourite character is Jenny Gross ( Melissa Bergland) who is a plus size girl with a heart of gold, anyway enough of me rambling on, if you get a chance, watch it, you won't regret it. Here is a link to the official page winners and losers

My little secret weapon- Avon liquid freeze

I am someone who likes to change their nail polish on a regular basis, but I am also someone who suffers with pillow print (or P.P as I call it ). I am one of those sleepers who tucks both their hands under the pillow while asleep, believe me I have tried to stop this instead of sleeping on my side I have slept on my back but no matter how hard I try my hands always end up under the pillow at night, and it seems to me that if I paint my nails any time after 3pm I end up with P.P. I tried some fast drying topcoats but none seem to work for me, it was getting to a point where I was planning painting my nails days in advance to know that they had enough time to dry, mad I know!I had decided to buy some Seche Vite fast drying topcoat as I have read some great reviews on it on a lot of blogs, in fact I don't think I have read a bad review, and I had managed to find some on Amazon for about £7.00, which for the happiness it would bring me I thought was a good price. In fact I had planned on getting it this week, but at the weekend I went to my sisters to stay  as it is was my birthday, she gave me my present and part of that was Avon's liquid freeze quick dry nail spray.

*picture from google

If I am honest I hadn't even heard of it, but it really is a godsend. It does exactly what it says it really is a super quick dry top coat, and at the moment it is half price which makes it £3.00, so its super cheap too!  What I love about this is that you paint your nails then just wait a minute or so and then spray your nails. I usually get 2 nails with each spray,  it will leave an oily residue on your fingers but I rub it into my cuticles, I'm not sure if its helping them yet, but its certainly not hurting them. Then a minute later my nails are dry with a lovely shine to them. Now to me this is amazing, I love the fact that I can paint my nails at 9pm use this spray and not get P.P. The price is great too, usually you get 50ml for £6.00 but like I said it's on half price offer at the moment, so I promptly bought myself one to add to the one my sister had bought me and this will always have a place in my nail collection.

 Do you suffer from Pillow Print?? Do you have any tips to quick drying nails??

Its my birthday and I'll cry if I want to

I am writing this post in advance, I will still post it on Sunday, but as it's my birthday I will be with my family and have 1 or 6 glasses of wine inside me.
So today is D day or should I say B day. Yes it's my birthday and I have been dreading this day for ages. 3,0, two little numbers when put together are a big number or old number I should say. You hear of people growing old gracefully and although I respect them, I don't want to grow old gracefully or disgracefully, I just don't want to grow old. I want to be Peter Pan or Patricia Pan as I am female. I feel as though my 20's have shot by so quickly, it's not fair I want to be 21 yr old again but realistically it's never going to happen, unless a special juice is made that can make you 10 years younger (if you do hear of something like that, please let me know). 

The way my life is at the moment I do know that my 30's will be happier than my 20's, I was a very very wild child and I then extended it to my early 20's, believe me I had enough wild times for me plus a lot of other people. Things have now settled in my life, I am close to all my family (not always the case), I have a great 14yr old stepson and have been with my partner 8 years, so life is good, I just wish I had the knowledge I have now when I was 20. So now I am a member of the 30's club joining Kate Middleton and Kelly Clarkson, I wonder if they felt like this when they hit the big 30? I can't keep moaning though, nothing I say or do is going to change the fact I am 30, I just need to invest in fantastic beauty products and watch my wrinkles (closely).


I am lucky though, I am having a great dinner with my family and will be having plenty of wine, and although it's a cliché I do feel older and wiser, hopefully I can make my 30's the new 20's.
Then again I do see other bloggers/women who are in their 30's and they look amazing, so that may be me. Just give me 6 months to get used to being 30.