NOTD Chanel Coco Blue

With Flash

A quick spring NOTD for you today.  I received this a couple of weeks ago from my mum for my birthday and I haven't been able to try it out until now as I've I've only just removed my Shellac.

This is one of Chanel's recent limited edition shades that was released in the Spring with two other blue-hued polishes, Blue Rebel and Blue Boy.  I believe this is the only one of the three that is limited edition.

No flash

I found the colour on the nails to be virtually identical to that in the bottle - a gorgeous pastel blue cream.  The photos seem to show a more vibrant colour similar to China Glaze's For Audrey, but in reality it is much more subdued.  

The polish applies smoothly and evenly and has a similar consistency to other Chanel polishes.  It can be quite runny so you do need to take care when applying, although the wide brush allows for easy, one-stroke painting.  

The photos above show three coats.  I could have managed with two but I found it looked slightly more opaque with three.  I find Chanel polishes to wear very well on me, despite not using a top-coat, and I can easily go for 3-4 days before any chips or tip wear appears.

Verdict

Whilst this may not be a unique shade for many, it is unique to my collection and I always have a fondness for Chanel polishes due to their easy application and great consistency.  A perfect shade for Summer, I suspect I will be wearing this a lot over the next few months.

4/5

Price - £17.50

Where to Buy – Debenhams, Boots, Selfridges, House of Fraser

April's Hits and Misses

I know I am ever so late with these, but I actually did write this post a couple of weeks ago - its just been hiding in my drafts!  This month, I've fallen in love with a few new products and rediscovered a couple of old favourites.

KMS Quick Blow Dry Spray

I discovered this through the now defunct Carmine box and its become a staple of my blow dry routine.  I'm not going to say too much about it as there will be a review coming up this week, but suffice to say, I have been very impressed.

Jo Malone Nectarine Blossom and Honey Cologne

This is so fresh and summery and feels very light, making it the perfect daytime perfume for warmer days.  It is sweet but not cloyingly so and lasts throughout most of the day for me.  I've been wearing it constantly and have had quite a few compliments on it!

Nars Orgasm Blush

This is much-loved as you can probably see!  Before I was properly into makeup, this was the only blush I owned and I wore it every day.  I've had this one for about three years and, although I now have lots of other blushes in my collection, this is always the one that I reach for if I am unsure about which blush to wear with a look.  It really does go with anything!

Revlon Lip Butter in Tutti Fruitti

 

I'm jumping on the Lip Butter bandwagon here but it is totally justified with this colour!  I reviewed it here, along with Lollipop and Creme Brule and although I adore all three shades I own, this tangerine is so flattering and just screams Summer.  

Dr Hauschka Facial Toner

I reviewed this last week here as part of the Dr Hauschka Cleansing Ritual and for me, this was the stand out product.  Refreshing and cooling, helping to close my pores after I've cleansed, I have been really enjoying using this toner on a  daily basis.  I never really understood the need for a toner before, and whilst I wouldn't say it is an essential part of your beauty routine, it is a nice addition and it has certainly left me skin feeling a lot softer as of late.

And now, over to this month's misses...

China Glaze Flip Flop Fantasy - review here

 

'Chiptastic' is probably the best way to describe this polish!  It took several coats, applied streaky and the formula was very difficult to control, and after the time and concentration I took to apply it, it chipped the following day!  Love the colour but it is very high maintenance!

Alpha-H Handcream - review here

 

I think I may have been expecting miracles with this handcream for the price I paid (£22!) but I was disappointed to find it couldn't compete with my trusty L'Occitaine hand creams.  You don't always get what you pay for!

What have you been loving recently?  Have you tried any of these products?

China Glaze Flip Flop Fantasy

As part of my mini haul of China Glaze products from US eBay, I picked up Flip Flop Fantasy, initially released as part of the Poolside Collection in 2010.  

Neon accents are very on trend at the moment and although I have yet to embrace the trend fully in my clothing, I can totally get on board with neon nails!

The colour in the bottle is seeringly bright and I am happy to announce that it remains suitably dazling when swatched and used on the nails.

The finish is semi-matte, as is common with many neons andI tend to use a top coat with it as I prefer the shiny, glossy look.   I did however find that it applied very streakily to the nails and it required three coats before it started to even out.  It was also quite liquid and difficult to control on the nail, although I have found this is common with other China Glaze polishes.

With Flash

In terms of wear time, it was only a couple of days before it began to chip, and when it chipped it flaked off in large chunks - there was no trying to cover it up with crackle polish like I normally do when I encounter short wear times!

Without Flash

Verdict

The colour is gorgous, both in the bottle and on the nail.  However the issues with application and the short wear time meant it was just too much hard work for me.  I will be saving it for specific nights out and for when I am craving statement nails! 

2/5

Price - £6.59

Where to buy - Sally's, US eBay

A Guide to Buying Beauty Products on eBay

Now before I start, I want to say that you purchase products from eBay at your own risk and that if it sounds too good to be true it probably is. That Mac blush you are getting for half price brand new many not be authentic....

 

But how do you make the most of eBay when purchasing beauty products? Well, I primarily use it for purchasing products that are not available  in the UK or are much cheaper in other countries.  

 

Nail products are the obvious hot purchases with brands such as OPI and China Glaze less than half the UK retail price on US eBay, and they are still a very good deal even when postage is factored in. Two sellers I have has particularly good service from are beautyzone2007 and enchantedbeautyspot who, between then, sell all the major US polish brands. Delivery usually takes just over a week.

 

In addition to nail polish, I've also bought some products that are not available at all in the UK, such as two versions of the Carmex Moisture Plus Sheer Lip Tints in Berry and Plum. I adore the peach and pink ones we have here in the UK, but after contacting Carmex and discovering they currently have no plans to sell the Berry and Plum ones here, I knew I had to track them down, and eBay was my friend!

 

Other useful sellers are French Pharmacy UK - for difficult to find French pharmacy skincare and the Liz Earle Factory Outlet store, which has Liz Earle products cheaper than retail - just be aware that the packaging may be damaged or printed incorrectly.

 

I have occasionally bought high-end cosmetics from eBay and you can find some good deals if you check carefully. Make sure the seller isn't selling hundreds of the same eyeshadow and check they are using their own photos not stock photos.  

I've managed to find US exclusives and limited edition products that have been out of stock everywhere, but you do have to be careful.  Go with your gut instinct.  These kinds of products are usually available for retail price, so you don't tend to  find many bargains, but you may be able to track down difficult to source items.  I know some people sometimes also manage to uncover new testers of lipsticks such as Guerlain's Rouge Gs for sale.  These are obviously cheaper than the ones you find on counters but they are without the gorgeous heavy packaging, which I know I personally couldn't do without!

I hope this has gone some way to giving you a few pointers for purchasing beauty products on eBay.  

Have you ever got a great deal on beauty products on eBay?

Can you recommend any good sellers?

  

Review: China Glaze Hunger Games - Riveting and Agro

I read The Hunger Games trilogy a couple of years ago, and was engrossed in them from the outset. In keeping with the current trend for theming nail polish colours and sets around films, China Glaze have released a collection loosely based around the movie.

I picked two polishes from the range: Riveting a bright shimmering red orange, and Agro, an olive green / gold hybrid with an almost frosty finish.

 

Riveting is unusual for a Summer collection release- it is a colour I would more traditionally associate with Halloween!

The polish on the nail looks almost identical to the colour in the bottle and the shimmer is very evident. It is almost a golden shimmer, and I found this to make it unique in my polish collection. Application was three coats although you could easily manage with two. I did find that the formula was very liquid and runny though, and rather difficult to control. It was easy to load the brush with too much product and this made for a tricky application for someone as clumsy as me! I'm not sure if this is always the case with China Glaze polishes, but it was certainly true of both of these.

Agro is another unique colour and one I think will be gorgeous come autumn. Again I used three coats, not so much to achieve opacity but more to even out the polish as it did have a tendency to show brush strokes. 

I was a little disappointed with the swatch colour of Agro as I would have like more of the golden shimmer / duochrome finish to show through. It looked a little flat on the nail, especially when compared with all the promise of the bottle but it is still very pretty.

L to R: Riveting and Agro (with flash)

Verdict

These polishes are both unique to my collection and whilst they don't scream Spring, I'm especially looking forward to wearing them both come Autumn. The only fail for me was the formula as I prefer a slightly thicker product, finding it much easier to apply. If you are prepared to work with it though, these colours are lovely, and they provide an interesting change from all the corals and pastels currently doing the rounds.

4/5

 

Price - £6.59

Where to buy - Sally's, US eBay