My first shellac aka gelish manicure

So, I’ve recently been enjoying treating myself to manicures since I gave up biting my nails 3-4 months ago. I had been biting my nails from as far back as I could remember and after several failed attempts at trying to give up over the years, I was able to finally bite the bullet and go cold turkey. Anyone who is a regular nail biter will know that it’s not an easy habit to give up but strangely, I haven’t found it too difficult and will do a post on how I stopped for those who may be interested in knowing.

Since January I have been going for regular manicures and when I last went (Saturday 14^th April), the nail technician persuaded me to try a shellac manicure instead of my normal manicure and polish. I  thought “why not” as I had been interested in trying this out having read up on the results – the thought of a 2 week chip free manicure did appeal.

So after my cuticles had been pushed pack and nails filed neatly, the technician applied the base coat and then applied 3 coats of the shellac polish followed by the top coat. Following each of the coats my hands were placed under a UV lamp for 2 minutes. Lastly, as I removed my hands from the UV lamps following the top coat, she used a tiny bit of product on a tissue and wiped over each of the nails to remove any sticky film that may have been left. Below are the results;

The shellac application actually took the same amount of time that a standard manicure and polish would have taken, if you were to include the time you have to spend waiting for a manicure and polish to fully dry. It cost me £25 pounds compared to the £12 that I usually pay for a manicure and polish, so it is more than double the cost. However, from experience, a standard manicure and polish usually lasts me around 4-5 days before the polish starts to chip and I usually succumb by reaching for the polish remover on the 7^th day. Bearing that in mind, I was interested to see how the shellac would fare in comparison. I was somewhat sceptical of the supposed 14 chip free-ness, however, 10 days on and I have been very impressed with the results. For me personally it is unheard of to still have the majority of the polish still intact after 7 days. I will post pictures that I have taken over the course of my shellac experience so that you can see the full effects for yourself.

There are a few things that you need to bear in mind if you’re considering trying a shellac manicure. Firstly, when the 14 day period passes and the polish starts to chip away and you decide that you want to start afresh, you need to either have the polish removed professionally at a salon or purchase the shellac removal wraps along with 100% pure acetone. You  cannot simply remove the polish with standard nail polish remover – I suppose this proves the point that the the shellac is heavy duty, however, I still may try this as I’m not particularly keen on having to use pure acetone on my already sensitive nails. I have seen that you can purchase the removal wraps cheaply off of ebay which is what I may do if I have no luck with standard polish remover. Further information on how to remove the polish can be found here

Another thing to be aware of is that you should perhaps opt for a colour that you know you will be happy to see on your nails for 2 weeks +. I’m not sure that my bubblegum pink was the best shade to go for as the colour hasn’t gone so well with some of my outfit choices so in hindsight perhaps a universal red would have been a better option. The other point to mention is that  you will  not have the luxury of picking from an array of different shades – at the salon I went to I only had a choice of 8 shades to choose from. The range of colours may depend on the particular salon that you go to so be prepared for this. The lack of choice may appeal to those of you who want to make an quick decision but for those of you who prefer a more unusual shade, the shellac may not cater to your needs. I understand that CND, who created the shellac nail polishes, are working on more shades which should be widely available soon so this problem is not likey to persist.

Overall, I would say that my experience to date has been a good one but I will provide an update after the 14 day period and will let you all know what the removal process was like.

The below pics were taken 6 days after the shellac manicure;

Would be interested to hear the thoughts/verdict from those of you who have tried a shellac manicure.

Best

Rakhsana xx

Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser

I thought I would throw a skincare post into the mix for good measure! I am still very new to the world of blogging but I knew it would not be long before I would have to give this product a mention. This is because this is the one product that I have been incredibly loyal to – I have been using this religiously since I was 20! Yikes, that was a very long time ago! It is, of course, the amazing Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser. I’m pretty sure that by now you have heard about this wonder cleanser but if you haven’t – where the hell have you been...!!?

This cleanser is regularly voted the best and has won several skincare/beauty awards. It tends to score highly in the ‘green’ categories and this is because it is derived from naturally active plant based ingredients (science bit!) making this incredibly gentle on the skin. Liz, herself, was a successful beauty journalist however, suffered with eczema over the years. One of the reasons she created this cleanser was to tackle her own skin problems and in doing so, she managed to create a cleanser which today sells one every 30 seconds! As I understand is also gently enough for those who suffer with psoriasis.

I have to say that I’m not especially surprised that this cleanser is as renowned as it is. I started using this product around 2005 and not many people had heard of the product or Liz Earle for that matter. I, myself learned about this wonder cleanser after purchasing the ‘Beauty Bible’ which was a book based on product reviews from normal folk who had been picked to sample a number of beauty products. The genius of this book was that a lot of the lower priced products trumped the premium brands, hence the reason I rushed out to grab a copy. I found that the Liz Earle products had generally scored highly so decided I’d give them a go, thus creating my own love affair with the brand. The ‘Beauty Bible’ was created by a pair of beauty journalists called Jo Fairley and Sarah Stacey – you can have a look at their website here Beauty Bible

Purchasing this book as a teen was a slightly dangerous gamble as I found that I wanted to own most of the winning products. I think it was around this time that my obsession for skincare products started and I properly started adhering to a skincare routine...

But back to the Cleanse & Polish. I recall I was using an Olay cleanser which I used to wipe off with a cotton pad but I realised the very first time I used Cleanse and Polish what I had been missing out on – I had never known clean and refreshed skin quite like it! The was amazed at how gentle it was and how my skin did not look red or feel completely stripped which is how it had felt previously when using the Olay cleanser. I knew I was onto a winner when I could gently rub this product in and around the eye area without any kind of stinging sensation, and then marvelled when every last trace of mascara and concealer was simply wiped away using the amazingly exfoliating muslin cloth.

This cleanser is basically a 2 step cleansing process. Phase 1 is the cleansing which requires you to apply the cleanser to your face and massage the product in circular motions. The cleanser itself is a white, creamy, almost mousse like consistency and once you start massaging in, it transforms to a clear, quite greasy looking consistency and this is when you need to grab your muslin cloth to wipe away the cleanser and the grime... And boy does the grime slide off and evidently so as your muslin goes from a beautiful white to a grubby cloth. I usually give the cloths a good rinsing under the water and the product build up does tend to wash out. You can pop them into the washing machine on a weekly basis so long as you don’t go too overboard on the detergent front as this would not be great for your skin. 

This cleanser also wins awards in the ‘best value’ category as it is an affordable cleanser. At £24 for a 200ml tube which does tend to last me a few months (using twice a day), this is not a great deal of money to spend. I prefer the 200ml tube because I have ultimate control over how much of the product  I will use and I can squeeze every last bit of product out meaning that for me, this really does end up being a good value buy =)

Everything about this cleanser is gentle, from the skin calming ingredients, to the moisturising texture on the skin and the beautiful smell! The muslin cloth provides you with a great clean not to mention the right amount of exfoliation to leave skin feeling smooth. 

I managed to find another use for this product which made me fall in love with it even more. In the last few years I have developed an allergy to animals (awful if like me you are a cat lover) to the point that if I stroke a cat and then accidentally touch my face, I breakout into hideously large, lumpy, itchy, angry looking bites on my face. The only way I can combat these and bring the redness down is simply by dabbing on some Cleanse and Polish onto the affected area. As if by magic it starts to work a treat and within half an hour, said bites will have disappeared with redness subsided. This, no doubt, is down to the antiseptic benefits of the cleanser which contains eucalyptus. Another two LE products which are great for similar symptoms are the ‘Spot On’ spot stick (link - Spot On) and the ‘Eye Bright Soothing Eye Lotion’ (link – Eye Bright) - I will do separate posts on these products. 
 

I follow my daily cleanse with a spritz of the Instant Boost Skin Tonic (link - Skin Tonic), which just wakes up the skin beautifully but I do not follow with a LE moisturiser because I prefer to wear one with an SPF. 

Those of you who may be flirting with the idea of trying this – do it! You will not be disappointed. From experience this cleanser makes a great xmas pressie for those who have not used it and I know this because everyone I have bought this for ended up being as loyal to the product as I am. One of the friends I purchased this for has oily skin and I was a little concerned that he may find the consistency of the cleanser far too greasy and therefore not enjoy using it, however, he is now a regular user. This cleanser really is suitable for all skin types. There have been jokes made by my pals that I should get a job in the Liz Earle PR department because I rave and rave so much about their cleanser but the fact is I could not imagine using another cleanser. I know of a couple of people who decided to switch cleansers out of sheer intrigue and they ended up reverting back to Cleanse and Polish because the other cleansers they used just did not live up to it. 

I realise that this blog post is now longer than even I had anticipated but I just wanted to add a couple of final thing about the Liz Earle brand itself. The experience of ordering online is an absolute dream. Their website is uber user friendly and incredibly informative but best of all when you get round to ordering, your order arrives in the most beautifully wrapped packaging. You don’t want to unwrap because it all looks so gorgeous! They also always send you a miniature sample of another of their products to try which is a great touch. The other point to mention is that Liz Earle is an advocate or using organic, botanical and ethically sourced ingredients. Whilst a lot of the ingredients are sourced from British farmers, the more exotic ingredients (argan oil, eucalyptus etc) are sourced from developing countries such as Morocco, Sudan and Kenya. It’s always good to know that a product you enjoy using was made ethically and responsibly :-)

If you couldn’t already tell, I LOVE LOVE LOVE this cleanser. This is my absolute Holy Grail beauty product. The one product I would simply struggle to get by without. It’s rather apt that I am blogging this because I am running dangerously low and MUST head to John Lewis tomorrow after work to stock up. I’m afraid I’ve left it too late to place on online order as I’m not likely to receive a beautifully wrapped package by tomorrow evening ;(

Best,

Rakhsana

xx

My favourite Mac lipstick of all...

Right, so seeing as I got the first ‘proper’ post out of the way, I thought I’d delve deeper into lipsticks and base my second proper post on said topic too! So you should know by now that I didn’t start off appreciating the importance of lipsticks. I guess you could call me a late bloomer in that respect but once I did get going I have realised that applying a bit of lippie really can provide that finishing touch to complete any makeup look.  

In the past I have tended to go for the easier option of purchasing a universally nude shade rather than go for a more noticeable vibrant lipstick. After growing bored of my collection of nudies I decided to be slightly more daring and hunt for a pinkier shade which would not look harsh against my asian skin tone. I’m generally an NC42 kinda shade which would constitute a cool undertone in Mac terms...

So off I marched to my nearest Mac store (the new store in Stratford Westfield had just opened and I was looking for an excuse...) to find a lipstick which did not fit the usual criteria. I must have spent a good 10 minutes swatching eligible lipsticks and admiring the spectrum of shades and finishes available, and could easily have spent another 10 minutes (easily done  I know), before a lovely assistant asked if she could help. I explained that I only ever wore nude shades and was after a nice pink or coral lipstick. She instinctively grabbed a few shades and within seconds I was in front of a large mirror getting ready to trial the colours. The first we tried was ‘Lovelorn’ and I have to say, it was love at first sight! This was the perfect definition of what I was looking for. I did not want a complete bubblegum, barbie pink. 

I wanted something wearable, which would suit my skin tone but at the same time make a statement. This lipstick ticked all of the boxes – I could not stop smiling and then realised that I should perhaps stop before the kind assistant wondered which asylum I’d escaped from and move slowly away from me...

 

I did come away from this particular shopping trip with a couple more Mac lipsticks – I will post reviews on the other purchases but as this post is about my all time favourite Mac lipstick, I thought it unfair to give a mention to the others.

I truly heart this lipstick; however, as this lipstick is a Lustre finish, it probably won’t be a fave for all. Lustre lipsticks tend to be less pigmented as they provide slightly more moisture to the lips along with a sheeny finish which is great for my dry lips.

 

What do you guys think and do you have a favourite pinkie toned lipstick?

Best,

Rakhsana

xx

My very first Mac lipstick!

Having scratched my head over how to start my blogging experience in terms of which post I wanted to open with, I decided that I would go back a few years and reminisce about my first ever Mac lipstick purchase. I still remember the day well.  Having always pooh-poohed the idea of wearing lipstick (I always believed lipstick was made for those blessed with an Angelina-esque pout and that those without should stick to gloss or balms – mad I know!!) I finally took the plunge and sauntered along to the Mac counter in Selfridges to join the ‘I need the assistance of a Mac pro’ queue. 

After a short wait I was paired with a lovely, smiley oriental girl whose own makeup looked minimalist but very pretty nonetheless. My brief was simple. I wanted the lipstick equivalent of Mac’s Lust Lipglass. For those who are not familiar with Lust, it’s a muted pink verging on the taupe side and quite simply a universally flattering shade. Whilst she was unable to find an exact match to this gloss, she did come up trumps in finding me a lipstick which was greatly comparable in shade; we both decided on ‘Hug Me’ which Mac describe as ‘flesh pink’. I would say that this accurately describes the lipstick. If it’s a pinky lipstick that you’re after, this will not be the shade for you as this gears towards the brown

There were other factors which contributed towards the choosing of this particular lipstick. I explained that I did tend to suffer from dry lips, particularly in the winter and this was another reason I steered clear of lipsticks whilst opting for moisturising balms instead.  She therefore advised that I go for a Lustre lipstick as this would provide my lips with a sheer colour with a sheen finish which would combat any dryness. As I was taking the lipstick plunge, I didn’t want a lipstick that was too obvious in colour and this shade was perfect for adding that slight bit of colour wand a glossy finish which almost resembled a pigmented balm. I would say that this is my perfect MLBB (my lips but better) shade.  I’m already on my third lipstick in this shade and I can’t see myself getting bored of it any time soon. It’s definitely my ‘go to’ lipstick on a day to day basis, whether at work or meeting friends.  This purchase triggered the start of my love affair with lipsticks - that’s not to say that I went on a mad lipstick shopping spree but I did tend to be more open and objective when visiting make up counters. If I am to be completely honest, I probably ended up making a few lipstick faux pas in all my enthusiasm (posts to follow...) but the point is that it opened my eyes up and made me explore the idea of allowing colour to be placed on my lips!

 

What was your first ever Mac lipstick and do you have a MLBB shade? Let me know!

Best,

Rakhsana

xx

Hello!

After a couple of years of watching youtube videos from prolific youtubers like Pixiwoo, I have decided to get in on the action and have finally set up my own personal blog. This blog will be my space to share my thoughts and feelings on all things from cosmetics, clothes, food; basically anything and everything that affects my day to day life! I have a slight obsession/addiction to makeup so am rather excited about getting started and interacting with those who share similar interests to me.

This is my first post to say a big fat hello (HELLO!!), roll my sleeves up and start blogging!!

xx