Quick & Easy Autumnal Nails

Following on from my last post, these nails are an easier alternative and something fun and relatable to Autumn. I chose to involve warm colours, like the deep pink, along with the basics of black and white. The black nail varnish was in fact from a set of nail art pens and polishes called 'Igzo Nail Design.'

Again, Kyoung-Hwa kindly did my nails for me, but these can be achieved by almost anyone.

She firstly did two coats on each nail of each colour, and for the ring finger started off with a simple plain white coat.

Because Kyoung is a nail artist it was easy for her to paint the black stripes with the same black varnish used on the thumb and a normal sized nail varnish brush. However, if you aren't too confident with doing nail art (I know I'm not) then there are a lot of tools or nail art pens that you can buy that make doing things like stripes really easy and simple to do.

To finish she did a final coat of 'Rimmels Nail Rescue Varnish' to hold the colour and make my nails stronger. I used to forget this step when doing my nails, but I find now that it is really vital, as it is what creates the difference between my nail polish lasting 2 weeks rather than 2 days.

I think these nails are perfect for the colder months, but even so the colours could be substituted for pastels and brights in the spring and summer. I find that this is a really simple nail look to do for the less confident, however, it still looks moderately detailed and is more fun then a plain colour.

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this post and maybe even try this design out yourself! Be sure to check out my previous nail post which was slightly more creative.

Gina x

Clown Nails

For Halloween this year I decided to dress up as a clown and I chose to go full out and paint my nails accordingly. Fortunately for myself, my brother's girlfriend Kyoung-Hwa is a nail artist and lives in the same house as me, so she kindly painted them for me. I looked at a couple of photos on Pinterest and came up with the idea of colourful spots on each nail and a clown on my ring finger.

Apart from the clown, these nails are actually pretty simple to re-create. All you'd need to do is paint a white background on your nails and preferably do a couple of coats so that the polish is nice and thick. Then using any tool or object you can find of a flat circular shape you can begin to add the dots. The size of the tool you use depends on the size and diameter you want your dots. Some common house objects you can use are the bottom of a paintbrush or pencil and even the small ball on a hair grip.

I chose blue, green, yellow and pink for the dots as they all complemented one another. We didn't have a yellow nail polish at home so we used some paint instead, which worked just as well.

If you're feeling adventurous or have a very steady hand then you can try and recreate the clown. Kyoung-Hwa used a very thin paint brush for the lines and used red and black paints rather than varnishes. For the red colouring which was used to fill in gaps she used a minute nail tool which made sure every gap was coloured in.

After my nails were painted she added a hardening coat to ensure the colour lasted on my nails and it also prevented chipping. Some people like to use a base coat, but I find that varnish lasts a long time on my nails so I didn't feel that it was necessary.

Although these nails were created for Halloween, they could be painted for any fancy dress party, a carnival, festival, for an event involving any bright colours at all, and even on a normal day to add a bit of fun and colour to your nails.

Check out my next post which will feature a more casual, easy, autumnal nail design.

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this post or took a few ideas from it!

Gina x

GRWM Ed Sheeran Concert

Todays post is a 'Get Ready With Me' and I decided to show you a look that was quite dressy but still casual. I wore this for the Ed Sheeran concert at the Capital Fm area in Nottingham. I'm going to structure this with a step by step process, including how I did my hair and makeup and the outfit I wore.

I always start by doing my hair when I'm getting ready as it takes the longest to do. Also when I curl it I like to leave a little time before I go out for the curls to drop. I also wear hair extensions usually to add volume and thickness to my hair. The extensions I use are Dirty Looks HK Full Head Hair Extensions which are 20-22 inches in the shade Paparazzi Highlights. Over the years I've tried out a range of different hair extensions and it seems these are the ones I always come back to. The quality is very luxurious as the hair is all real and it has just the right amount of shine. I only wear 2-3 wefts as my hair is almost the same length anyway. These extensions can be curled, straightened, washed and dyed and if kept in good condition can last around a year.

Dirty Looks website: http://dirtylooks.com/

Using Tresemmé's Curling Wand I wound my hair around it and curled it away from my face. I did a looser curl for the bits of hair around my face just to frame it. I added a spritz of Urban Iced Raspberry and Vanilla Hairspray to keep the curls in place and to add volume to the crown of my head.

Next up was my makeup. I decided to go for a fuchsia lip with a neutral brown smokey eye. I'm in love with smokey eyes at the moment as they make my eyes appear much bigger making them pop and stand out. Some people are able to pull it off everyday, but unfortunately for me it takes too much time so I took this opportunity and added a winged line to it. I thought this was a fun makeup look due to Rimmel's Apocolips pink lipgloss/stain, but didn't seem too casual like my everyday look.

Left to Right:

Benefit POREfessional Primer

Urban Decay 24hour Liquid Liner

Rimmel London Apocolips in 303 Apocoliptic

MAC Prolongwear Foundation in NC15

MAC Studio Finish Concealer in NC15

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer 

Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette

Rimmel Eyebrow Pencil in Hazel

Ecotools Eye Brushes 

Cosmopolitan Blush Brush 

MAC Prolongwear Concealer in NC15

Benefit They're Real Mascara 

Real Techniques Buffing Brush 

Benefit The Bronze of Champions Kit

Okay, so for the outfit I decided to wear dark colours which consisted of mostly black apart from my skort which was the main attraction of the outfit. Although it had a floral print it wasn't girly or too feminine. In addition I found that it sat comfortably, unlike most skorts I own which can be uncomfortable but because of it's stretchy fabric this skort was fine. I like the wrap effect as it adds a little more to the look, making it more interesting. I decided to wear tights because the weather was quite cold out and I didn't want to brave it for the walk there (although this look would look fine without tights.) I wore my leather jacket to keep me warm, and this jacket has to be a staple in my wardrobe at the moment. These boots too are very comfy and surprisingly easy to walk in. The buckles also make them edgier. 

Wrap skort - New Look £17.99

Black cami - New Look £9.99

Leather Croc Print Jacket - TXMax 

Boots - Boohoo £29.99

As for jewellery I accessorised with a chocker from Topshop which has an attached Yin Yang necklace dangling from it. The colours of these worked well with the outfit.

Part of a set - Topshop £12

Here is the finished look! I've also included a photo of myself and my friend before the concert, and although you can only see half of my face it was the only close up photo I had that showed my makeup. I apologise for the poses.

Thankyou for reading! I've decided to do another post following on from this one, which will be about the concert itself, so for any Ed Sheeran fans I'd recommend the upcoming post for you. Sorry that this has been slightly late but I've got a lot more idea's so I'll be hoping to keep on posting regularly.


Gina x

Zoella's Autumn/Fall Makeup Look

Today's post is something slightly different. I wanted to do a makeup look, but I was so inspired by Zoella's Autumn/Fall Makeup Look on her beauty channel, that I thought I would do my interpretation of it. Her look was based on a berry lip colour and gold eyeshadows.

Zoella has been a big inspiration of mine when starting a blog and I've been subscribed to her youtube channel for a few years now, and I'm proud to say I was with her at 300,000 subscribers. She's become a huge star recently, having had her book 'Girl Online' released, her beauty range 'Zoella Beauty' make an appearance in Superdrug and she's even hit 6 million subscribers!

    Check out Zoe's video here!

I'm going to guide you through how I recreated this look, however I made a few personal changes and used some different products.

Firstly on my skin I used the 'Simple Light Moisturiser' and Benefits 'Porefessional' to prep and prime my skin. Although Zoella didn't include this step in her look, I think it is really important to prepare your skin for makeup, not only to protect it but to keep your makeup lasting all day. This primer especially helps reduce the look of large pores and it helps to even out the colour of my skin.

  

Next up, I used MAC's 'Prolongwear Foundation' in NC15 which gives a matte finish, and lasts a for a good 8 hours on my skin. Zoe used Nars sheer glow foundation, which unlike Prolongwear it gives a dewy finish. However, I prefer more of a matte finish on the skin in the colder months. The concelear I used is also MAC and again is Prolongwear in NC15. I find the concealer and foundation work well together and both give off the same finish. This concealer has a very thick consistency, so is full coverage, but for me its the only concealer (of the ones I've tried) that does justice and covers my under eye circles. I used the Real Techniques 'Buffing Brush' to blend these in together and into my face. I love this brush as it gives an airbrushed effect, making the face look flawless. Real techniques brushes are also not too expensive and they're are so many- theres one for everything! 

On my cheeks, I only used one product which was Sleeks 'Face Form' palette in the shade 'Light.' I used the brown shade to contour my cheekbones with Real Techniques 'Contour Brush.' Zoe used this brush to blend in her concealer, which I have also tried previously, and it works both ways because of it's versatile shape. I then took her advice to do a rosy cheek as I am quite fair, and I thought this would add more colour to my face. I used both the highlighter shade and the rose pink shade, as they blend well together and complement one another. The highlighter added a soft glow to the top of my cheeks which shimmered when it caught the light. I used Bare Minerals 'Flawless Face' brush, which packed on the colour nicely. 

On to one of my favourite parts - eyeshadow! Before I applied any eyeshadow I primed my eyes with Urban Decay's 'Eyeshadow Primer Potion' and although I forget to use this sometimes, it really helped keep my eyeshadow in place and prevented any shimmer or glitter falling onto my face. I used three shadows from MUA's 'Heaven and Earth Palette' which are similar dupes for Zoe's MAC eyeshadows. This palette only costs £4 and with the primer I find they work just as well as eyeshadows from the Naked palettes aswell as MAC. On my lid I used the top far right shade and I used ECOTOOLS 'Large Eye' brush (bottom) which ensured that my whole lid was covered. In my crease I went for the colour next to the one I'd previously used. This was a dark brown, shimmery shade, and although Zoella wasnt too heavy on contouring her crease, I decided I would go full out with more of a brown smokey eye. I used ECOTOOLS 'Highlighting' brush (second down) which is the perfect size for my crease. I then ran this same colour under my eye in the corner and outer half of my eye with ECOTOOLS 'petite eye shading' brush (top.) Finally I added the top left colour on my brow bone to add more dimension to my eyebrows, using the ECOTOOLS 'Angled Crease' brush (third down.)

Although Zoella didn't add liquid liner, I much prefer it and thought it would complete my look. Using Urban Decay's '24/7 waterproof liquid eyeliner' in Perversion I created a basic wing and followed the line all the way across my upper lash line. After curling my lashes I applied 'They're Real' mascara by Benefit, which has always been my #1 mascara! To fill my brows in I just followed my usual routine, with 'Professional Eyebrow Pencil' by Rimmel in the lightest shade '002 Hazel.' Then to make sure there were no loose hairs, I gently applied 'Brow This Way' brow gel by Rimmel in '001 Blonde.' 

Now for lipstick! I decided to use 'Diva' by MAC as it's one of my favourite Autumn lipsticks and it has a gorgeous berry undertone. I took Zoe's advice to line my lips first and using the same lipstick and ECOTOOLS 'Smudge' brush I went round the outside of my lips and started to fill in at the sides. I then applied the lipstick all over, but dabbed at it a little with my fingers. This is because 'Diva' can come off as a browny, deeper red, but when wiped off there was a really lovely berry red shade underneath. This lipstick is also a matte finish which worked well with my matte skin and contrasted with the shimmery eyes. 

Last but not least I sprayed my face with the 'All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray' from Urban Decay, which helps keep my makeup in place throughout the days and nights. Honestly when I use this my makeup does not budge! 

Here is the final look! I also decided to do my hair as Zoella did, as it completed the look. 

Thank you for reading! I know this may have seemed really long winded, but there was so much information that I wanted to get in. I hope you have found some products you want to try out, or I've even convinced you to try this out yourself! If not then I hoped you enjoyed this post. 

Gina x

Yellow Tartan OOTD

This is my first OOTD, so heres hoping you all like it!

I decided to go for a versatile look, something that could be worn throughout the day and night for a variety of occasions. It could be worn on just a normal day out shopping, or on a more casual day substituting the boots for a flat shoe. Furthermore, it could be worn on a night out as it can appear as dressy, and could even be worn to a meal. I also attempted to use colours that fitted to the Autumn season. 

Hat: Primark
Yellow cami: New Look
Tartan skirt: New Look
Leather Jacket: TXMax
Boots: TXMax
Necklace: Primark 

This yellow cami is actually really comfy with plenty of flow in it which is good as I didn't want it to be tight and I love the combination of the cami and the skirt, because the colours work well together. The most common tartan colours are those of red and greens, so I wanted to mix it up a little and try something different with yellow and navy. The skirt itself has proved popular in my wardrobe as its easy to throw in a bit of pattern and colour into an outfit without being too much. I also love the warm toned yellow in the cami, as it's easier to wear than a more vibrant cool toned yellow. 

I'm loving these hats at the moment as it adds class to an outfit and they're great on a bad hair day (which I was having on this day). I find that these hats are flattering on most people and give the appearance of longer hair, you can also get them really cheap depending on where you shop! 

These shoes are a holy grail of mine! I always turn to them if I'm wearing black tights and they can be worn in the evening and daytime, so they come in handy a lot. I love the chunky boot look, as it adds a bit of grunge to an outfit without being too over the top. Cut out boots are more interesting and make your foot look slimmer, which I suppose is a positive! Unfortunately mine are a bit scuffed and aren't in great condition. 

I decided on red nails as it went with my red lip, which I thought added more vibrant colour to this outfit. I also accessorised with a silver statement necklace and a few silver rings. I thought this was the right amount of jewellery as its easy to over do it. 

Rings on index and middle finger: Primark
Other ring: Bottlekiln

I also love the scaly, snake skin texture of the leather jacket because it gives an outfit more edge, in particular in this outfit I wanted a few different textures running through it, otherwise it can come off a little plain. 

Thank you for reading, I hope you liked my OOTD, and I can't wait to do more of these in the future! I also hope to get a better camera, so I apologise for the quality of some of these photo's. 

Gina x

Autumn Haul

Progressing on from my previous post, I have decided to include an Autumn haul. So, over the past few weeks/months I have been browsing the shops and have purchased a few things for the colder months, and although this is an Autumn haul most of these clothes will last me through winter. I have used a bit of inspiration from my mood boards, however some of these are just random buys.

Firstly there are these two high neck crop tops. I don't usually wear high neck tops as I find them uncomfortable, but the fabric on these two was so soft and stretchy that they didn't clench too tight at my neck. Both of these colours too are perfect for Autumn and can be paired with pretty much anything as they're simple and plain.

Burgandy high neck crop top - Topshop £10
Green high neck crop top - Topshop £10

Here we have another high neck crop top. I found that these colours although are quite bright and summery are good transition colours from summer to autumn as it includes orange and warmer tones. I also find that these tops are flattering around the shoulder area. The other tops and cami's are basics, as I never know when I'm going to need plain colours in an outfit. I also find that they're good for comfort. As i've mentioned before stripes are a must have all year round.

Blue and orange crop top - River Island £12
White cami top - Topshop £6
Stripy cami top - Primark £2

Grey t-shirt - Primark £3
White long sleeved t-shirt - Primark £3

This yellow cami really stood out for me as yellow is one of my favourite colours and this yellow in particular was more of a warmer yellow that I thought would fit right into A/W. The blouse was a much needed piece that can go with almost anything to be dressed up or down as mentioned in my last post. This navy skirt was a random buy but I know I will get a lot of wear out of it as I find navy is a colour that suits me and midi skirts are also really flattering. The green shift dress was possibly one of my favourite purchases. The bottle green colour is definitely my favourite this autumn (and you've probably heard that enough times already), again because its plain it can just be thrown on on a lazy day or decorated with a scarf, belt and some jewellery when going out. Not only that, but it was such a bargain at £5!

Yellow cami - New look £9.99
White Blouse - Primark £9

Navy Skirt - Primark £8
Green shift dress - Primark £5

I decided to get myself a pair of ripped jeans as it gives me a bit more variety rather than wearing my black skinny jeans all the time. They also give off a more casual look. The tartan skirt really stood out for me and I think it will go great with the yellow cami. The scarf looked really 'autumny' to me and I thought it would be nice to add to a boring, plain outfit. The wool cardigan was really warm and cosy and so I thought it would be perfect in the colder months!

Aztec print scarf- Primark £4
Black wool cardigan- Primark £12

MOTO ripped stone wash jamie jeans- Topshop £42
Yellow tartan skirt - New look £14.99

       



























Onto accessories! I got myself a floppy hat which I'm so glad about! I was debating getting it for about half an hour until a woman came over to me and told me it suited me and that I should go for it seeing as I'm young. I thought that was really cute and was what tipped me over to buying it. These scrunchies were too cheap and cute for me to resist and I tried to go with an autumn colour theme. I'm so happy with my bag and purse and they were such a great offer! As I've said before I love black bags and although the purse isn't matching its close enough!

Floppy hat- Primark £7
Arrangement of scrunchies- Luvyababes £1 each

Bag- TXMax £32.99
Purse- TXMax £7.99

So, this is some of the jewellery that I've bought over the past few months. The pandora ring was actually a present in April, so I've kind of cheated it into this autumn haul, but I wear it so often it managed to sneak it's way in! In autumn I find that I wear a lot of black so this triangle earring set appealed to me. The 5 rings came as a set and were so cheap I couldn't resist. I love ring sets too, I think it's really pretty to wear an assortment of rings on your fingers. The last set of earrings are abit more glamorous, but I really liked the combination of navy and gold.

Pandora December ring- Pandora £40
Black triangle earrings- Primark £3
Silver ring set- Primark £2.50
Navy and gold earrings- Primark £3

I've been needing a statement necklace that goes with everything and is quite simple and plain for a while now! I wanted something that was really variable so it would work on a glamorous night out but would also look good with a plain t-shirt and jeans. I decided that silver was the best colour for this and it suits my complexion better. I thought this did the job at a cheap price as well!

Silver necklace- Primark £4

Finally, these are the two coats that I bought for A/W this year. The first is either a love or hate piece, but I fell in love with it! Lilac is one of my favourite colours and quilts are really coming into trend this season. The only issue with this coat is that it makes a lot of noise whenever I move and it sounds like I'm wearing paper! But nonetheless, its waterproof as well as a great fit. This next coat is amazing and such a bargain! It's exactly what I've been looking for a while now and its so warm but can become itchy if you have it on against skin, so I make sure I'm wearing something long sleeved underneath.

Lilac quilted mac- Topshop £55

Grey A-line coat- TXMax £45

And that's all for my Autumn haul! I hope that this gave you a few idea's or if not then I hope you find some nice buys for A/W. Thank you for reading!

Gina x