Rebel Nails Glittering Bronze Snake Nail Wraps and a SPECIAL OFFER!

I was recently sent some gorgeous Rebel Nails Nail Wraps to try out. As my nails are really quite tiny, I think they would be far too fiddly for me to do, plus there would be hardly any design on them. So I have offered them to my sister to try out. She couldn't wait to try the Glittering Bronze Snake ones first on Saturday.

Glittering Bronze Snake nail wraps are absolutely stunning in real life but I found it really hard to capture their beauty on camera and do them justice.

These are brilliant for the party season!  We all fell in love with them.

Full instructions on how to apply them appear on the packaging and on the Rebel Nails website so I am not going to mention it here. They do take a little while to do (my sister managed hers in around 20-25 minutes) but the results are worth it. My sister also said she didn't find them to be that difficult to apply or achieve smoothness from the wrap.

I am really looking forward to seeing the other wraps on her,  they will be on the blog soon.

*SPECIAL OFFER*


Rebel Nails are offering BeautySwot readers a 10% discount off all orders - you can claim your discount by entering the code  BeautySwot at check out. Code is valid until 12 December 2011. So hurry!


(Note - shipping is charged separately)

Glittering Bronze Snake Nail Wraps from Rebel Nails cost £7.99 and are available by clicking here

InStyler® Rotating Hot Iron - Hair Tool

You may have seen the Instyler being advertised on the TV as the ulitmate 3 in 1 hair tool. I was lucky enough to be sent one to review. I am going to do a full review of the InStyler later this week but I just had to share with you the results of a play I had with it last weekend..This was what I created using the InStyler as a curling tool.

www.instyler.co.uk

Soap & Glory Make Up! - Review

It is here!

Popular skincare brand Soap & Glory have not just dipped their toes in launching a cosmetics collection but positively taken the plunge with a whole range of fabulous make up products to choose from. I was sent a few items from the collection for review.

The brand hasn't strayed from its fun, gloriously retro style packaging and names which undoubtedly is one of the appeals of Soap and Glory.

Products sent for review -

SHOW GOOD FACE - 2-in-1 Foundation and Primer in shade Honey - £11 for 30ml
SOLAR POWDER - Powder Bronzer/Highlighter in Bronzo- £11 
THE DAILY DOUBLE - Lidshadow and Liner Stick Pencil in Ultra Violet/Plum Plum - £8.50
LID STUFF - Flawless Finish Eyeshadow in Smokey Dokey - £10
SUPER - COLOUR FABULIPSTICK in Red My Lips - £9


SHOW GOOD FACE - 2-in-1 Foundation and Primer in shade Honey

Show Good Face is a 2-in-1 skin energising foundation and primer which promises to give a dewy, bright flawless finish. Available in 6 shades, I was sent the second down from the darkest (Honey)  which is unfortunately most definitely not suitable for my skin tone.

Texture wise it is quite runny and its scent is quite pleasant. I personally found it to be more like a tinted moisturiser as opposed to a foundation as the coverage is quite light, sadly I didn't find it made me look flawless, whilst I looked nice in the flesh, in photos my pores still showed through. My skin was nice and bright looking though

As the shade was so wrong, I wasn't able to really test the product as I would have liked (ie layer it on a bit thicker..) and therefore I do not feel I can give it a proper review.

SOLAR POWDER - Powder Bronzer/Highlighter in Bronzo

This was my favourite product from all the bits sent.

I like the packaging, it is not going to smash if you drop it . Bronzer on one side, mirror on other. Solar Powder is available in one shade Bronzo. Blendable, buildable colour, this is a really nice matte bronzer that gives a lovely warm tone to the skin. I really liked it, very very nice!

The two shades, I like to just swirl my brush on them together

THE DAILY DOUBLE - Lidshadow and Liner Stick Pencil in Ultra Violet/Plum Plum

I quite like the concept of eye shadow pencils and this is nice and soft, very easy to get a nice colour fast but you do need to blend it quickly! It is long lasting. I don't think I would have chosen this colour myself but it does complement my green eyes. My only reservation is that as I am not all that great at thin lines I do find it hard to make the liner look thin as it has a wide nib..I need to be a bit lighter handed I guess

Swatch of The Daily Double in Ultra Violet and Plum Plum

LID STUFF - Flawless Finish Eyeshadow in Smokey Dokey - £10

SMOKEY DOKEY contains 4 shades for a perfect smokey eye. DiamonDust, Chine, Black Gold and Smokin'

Chine is a good highlighting shade, Diamondust is a glittery and shimmery silver, Smokin' is a flat smokey grey and Black Gold is a bit of strange one as I cannot detect any gold in it but it does have tiny flecks of smooth silver to provide a slight shimmer

SUPER - COLOUR FABULIPSTICK in Red My Lips - £9

Fabulipstick features ULTIMELT™ lip shine & shaping technology, 3-D PLUMP™ peptide complex, Shea Butter, Monoi Butter & Vitamin E.  The lipstick is supposed to soft, smooth dewy pout....


When I saw the package said 'RED MY LIPS' I assumed this was going to be a red shade but as you can see it quite clearly isn't ..perhaps not the best name for this shade which actually is a really gorgeous pinky brown. It is nice to apply, going on smooth and feels moisturising, it certainly didn't dry out my lips. Another winner, I would certainly try out the other shades from the range.

The two products that I find myself reaching for the most are the bronzer and lipstick - I leave you with a picture that uses the bronzer, eye shadow pencil and lipstick.

Have you tried Soap & Glory make up?

Daniel Galvin Salon At The Corinthia Hotel London

I was recently invited along to the Corinthia Hotel in Whitehall to experience a detox or tint treatment and blow dry at Daniel Galvin's latest London salon within the hotel's Spa.

The Corinthia is an elegant and stunning 5 Star Hotel situated in a perfect location for major tourist sites. I was lucky enough to get a tour of the restaurants and bar and the exquisite and ultra relaxing ESPA spa which really is something to be seen with your own eyes. I cannot wait to return to this hotel.

Before our treatment's we were shown the VIP 'ultimate makeover' room. The Movie Makeover Room is a private room where VIP's and celebrities can be styled and pampered in complete privacy.

Ultimate Makeover Room

The room features a fully functioning office for busy executives, a bank of DVD's for those who want to relax with a glass of Champagne and has enough space for makeup artists to work alongside the stylists. I was most  intrigued by the mood lighting, innovative Kino Flo lighting can recreate outdoor lighting effects, perfect to see how your makeup will look different lights!

Daniel Galvin Salon

I opted to have the Detox Miracle Solution before my blow dry. This is a nourishing treatment containing Vitamin C. It enters the hair through the cuticle to remove pollution and product build up, then closes the cuticle to leave a transparent-like shine. It is suitable for all hair types but unsuitable for use on grey hair.

My hair afterwards...

Very glamorous! I felt like a movie star as I left the Salon.

My hair looked brighter, felt lovely and was given volume and waves.

*A detox treatment is £20 and a blow dry ranges between £41-£59. For more details click here 

Inside the November Glossybox

I wasn't expecting to receive November's GlossyBox as I am not a subscriber. So when the postman knocked with the familiar packaging I couldn't help but smile and feel excited to open it up and reveal its contents. I would imagine that a subscriber has those same feelings :-)

If you have yet to discover what a GlossyBox is please click here for more info.

Inside my GlossyBox (there were a few variations on products sent out)

Arbonne FC5 Cooling Foot Creme 15ml tube (full size product £19 for 118ml)
Dead Sea Spa Magik Gentle Cleansing Facial Wash 25 ml tube (full size product - £8.80 for 150ml)
Illamasqua Freak Eau De Parfum 1.5ml (full size product £59 for 75ml)
Nail Rock Designer Nail Wraps in black and white stripe design (£6.65/pack)
Philip Kingsley Elasticizer pre shampoo treatment 40ml tube (full size product £52.10 for 500ml)


My thoughts


I must admit to being a little disappointed that there wasn't any make-up in November's box however I do feel that they have fulfilled their brief... 'Every month, GLOSSYBOX delivers a mix of 5 exciting product miniatures packed in a beautiful box for you to test at home..'


Personally I haven't tried any of these brands apart from Illamasqua so will find it interesting to discover new brands and the specific products that have been chosen to represent the brand this month.

I am looking forward to trying Freak perfume as I don't manage to visit an Illamasqua counter very often living where I do, so I was pleased to find the sample included in the box as I have been dying to find out what this smelt like! My one criticism would be that it is just a tiny vial, it would be lovely if GlossyBox sent out perfume miniatures as opposed to perfume samples. 

I have yet to try nail wraps so once again it was fantastic to open the box find them inside as it has given me an opportunity to try them out.

I love anything hair related hair, especially things that are going to make my hair shiny, and to be able to try out a Philip Kingsley product (which I consider to be a high end) and not have to shell out £52 first by being sent a good size sample is fab. 

OK - a cooling foot creme is not something I would really consider 'exciting' and perhaps more suited to Summer but even so I can see it coming in handy after a long day shopping or being on my feet all day. With the facial wash, I would probably keep this as a handy travel product for night's away from home.

Conclusion

Mixed feelings..As a beauty blogger perhaps these were not the most exciting products to have been sent out but if I put my 'consumer' hat on, I have received what I had signed up for - 5 products to try contained in a very nicely packaged and useful box. I said way back in May that its success would depend on the quality of the GlossyBox being maintained month in month out and I think so far some months have definitely been more successful than others. 

Eyes Of The Day - EOTD

Today's Eyes Of The Day actually belong to my sister - she has beautiful big brown eyes. These were her eyes on Saturday night.

She used just 3 products

Eye Shadow - L'Oreal Quad Pro Hazel Eyes - Colour 1
Eye Liner - Collection 2000 - Fast stroke Eye Liner in Black
Mascara - Rimmel Extra Super Lash in Black/Black


Just gorgeous, I would love to have big eyes!!

Estee Lauder Pure Color Long Lasting Lipstick - Bitten Fig

The Estee Lauder advertising campaign for their new Tom Pecheux created Pure Color Lipsticks range completely lured me in. I had to have the actual lipstick that the model (Constance Jablonski) was wearing as it looked like something that would really suit me. I asked at many counters to no avail, none of the counter staff knew which of the 40 shades it was. I think that if a company is going to have a campaign they really should let the staff know which products are going to be featured. I know I wasn't the only one to ask!

By chance one day I was flicking through a magazine and in tiny lettering I saw the words 'Bitten Fig' on the side of the page of the advert. I have never seen an advert mentioning it since but managed to contact Estee Lauder's PR department who confirmed that Bitten Fig was the shade used. 

The next issue I encountered was that not one of the counters I visited had a sample for me to try..but I was sure this was going to be a good shade for me so I went ahead and bought it anyway.

I have been a fan of Estee Lauder products since the age of 18 and have had quite a few of their lipsticks during that time from nudes to the darkest purples. The Pure Color lipsticks packaging is very attractive and the casing weighty.

The Pure Colour range is available in two finishes - Satin, lasting creme or Lustrous, lasting shimmer. Both promise medium to full coverage and to be long lasting and fade resistant. Packed with conditioning products to keep your lips soft and smooth, they smell wonderful.

Bitten Fig is from the shimmer collection.You can see the sparkle in the swatch below. 

However, sadly I think that I built up Bitten Fig so much in my head that when I finally owned it I was disappointed as on my lips it seems to go on quite flat and I don't think that it is as flattering as I had imagined it was going to be for me..

Above is a shot with flash,  it comes out looking paler than it does on my lips. I have added a full face shot so you can see how it looks. This was taken in the Summer at the height of my hay fever sufference..so excuse the extra tired looking eyes. 

This was the second (and last) time I wore it, since then Bitten Fig has languished in my drawers. I am not convinced it is really me.. What do you think?

This hasn't stopped me wanting another lipstick from the collection. I love the fullness of colour and the texture of the Pure Color range. I am forever stopping at a counter swatching shades to find my next purchase but this time I will take my time choosing and perhaps have it applied before buying.

Estee Lauder Pure Color Long Lasting Lipsticks cost £18.50