Weekend NOTD

The weekend past manicure featured Nails Inc Neal Street which is a beautiful teal colour.

This applies likes a dream and with only one coat for full opacity.

My only gripe with this polish is that when I bought it I didn't realise it was a matte finish (why can't there be a little more info on the bottle?).  Me and matte polishes don't mix.  There's something about a flat finish that doesn't appeal to me, although saying that give me a matte finish foundation any day over dewy.

I swiftly applied Barry M's 3 in 1 Nail paint to counteract the dullness of Neal Street and voila....

....we have a lovely, glossy result.  What a perfect combination!

Now to veer off topic.   For those of you who don't know, I'm getting married next September so you can probably guess a lot of my spare time is consumed by planning the wedding.  Is this something you guys would be interested in reading about.  If it is please leave me a comment.  I have a lot to organise and your opinions are always welcome.

L'occitane goodies

My intentions were to purchase a hand cream and only a hand cream but isn't that how it always starts?  I ended up leaving the shop with a little more in my bag and my purse a little lighter.

I've been continuously hearing/reading good things about L'occitane hand creams so it was about time I tried one for myself and i'm impressed.

I picked up the shea butter hand cream in the travel size.  I keep this on my bedside table and apply it religiously every night.  I slather a generous amount on my mitts before bed, paying close attention to my cuticles and a bit of rough skin I have on my middle finger (a curse from holding a pen too hard and incorrectly I might add).  In the morning my hands are soft and appear smoother.

I also picked up a shampoo and conditioner from L'occitane which I will talk about in another post.  I  ended up spending a bit more than I normally would on any hair care product but in my opinion they are well worth it and I will be making repurchases.

FYI: Nails are Marvala Grey (free with August edition of Elle magazine)

What else MUST I try from L'occitane?

First Experience with Gelish

During the week before christmas I had the sudden urge to get a more longer lasting manicure, one that would see me through the holidays and withstand all the cooking and cleaning.

Now i've dabbled with OPI Axxium before and really enjoyed this treatment but its more expensive in my salon than the Gelish so I thought this was worth a try.

Luckily I managed to nab a last minute appointment the day before Christmas Eve.  I couldn't believe how quick the application was.  My nails were complete in half an hour and that included soaking them first whilst the beautician finished up with another client.

To keep with the festive theme I chose Hot Rod Red with Good Gossip on top to add a bit of sparkle.

On my nails the Gelish lasted three weeks and my nails grow quickly so I definitely got my moneys worth.  Unfortunately I failed to take any pictures and am only realising now but thought I would continue with the post anyway as I will certainly be treating myself to Gelish again.

Seeing how simple the procedure was has really inspired me to try it at home and i've already been browsing eBay for UV lamps and Nail Harmony colours.  For those of you who carry out DIY Gelish at home and have any tips please leave a comment below.

On an exciting note (well for me anyway), my very first Glossybox is winging it's way to me.  This is the first beauty box i've subscribed to so we shall shall if I keep it up.  Right now I'm avoiding any spoilers of whats inside the box, namely Gemma's blog.

Hope everyone had a lovely weekend!