My Gel/UV Polish Collection & CCO Review & tutorial ♥

CCO Gel/UV nail polishes £3.36 each from this eBay seller

Hellooo! I really feel like I'm getting my blogging mojo back, which is so good because over the past couple of months I have been falling behind, especially after blogging so often to never at all! I guess everyone has those kinds of months at some point but now I am in my new room I feel like I need to blog more to show off how pretty it is! I hope you are enjoying my new picture backgrounds, I am still experimenting so bear with me! Anyway I hope you enjoy today's post!

When I worked in my cousins hair and beauty salon last year I was always getting my nails done with Shellac Gel nail polish, it was such a treat for my ever breaking and peeling nails. When I left the salon  to work elsewhere I missed getting my nails done all the time. I am sure I would still get them done for free but I don't want to ask and I don't want to pay £10/15 a time to get them done elsewhere, so I thought I would invest in a UV lamp from Banggood and some decent gel polishes that don't cost a bomb like the Shellac ones do. I was so happy when I came across these ones on eBay. I have purchased from this seller on 3 different occasions and I have never had any problems. My items arrive quickly and safely each time. The polish lasts on my nails for about 8/9 days which is so good for me because it gives my natural nail time to grow and strengthen. My nails don't grow very long unless they have these polishes on them!

TUTORIAL:

First I apply a uv base coat onto my natural nail (featured on the far left of the picture above) and cure under the uv lamp for about 10 seconds. I then apply a thin layer of my chosen uv colour without touching the sides of my nails/skin, as this will cause the polish to peel at the edges and come off later on, I then cure the coloured polish for 2 minutes, I repeat this step two more times to get a thick and bold colour. When I am happy with my nails I apply my top coat (featured on the far right of the picture) and cure for a further 2 minutes. When I am finished I take a small amount of nail polish remover on a cotton pad to remove the sticky residue from each of my nails. It is important you don't remove the sticky layer until the end, after you have applied your top coat as your uv polish will not set properly and will not work. A lot of people recommend you only use 99% Isopropal alcohol but I find that Acetone/nail polish remover works just as good, it leaves my nails shiny and strong!

Do you have any gel nail polishes? (: 

January Favourites 2014 ♥

The first month of 2014 is almost over, what... not another one of those years! I can tell this year is going to fly by just like last. I've heard a few people say that as they get older time flies much quicker but I didn't think at the age of 18 time would be going this quick for me!? I have almost been in my new job a year?! Wowee! Anyway, I hope you enjoy reading my January favourites and I hope you all enjoy your weekend!

Netflix - £5.99 a month

I finally bought myself a 6 month Netflix subscription, yay! I live in a remote area so I can't get freeview on my TV in my room and I don't always want to sit in the living room to watch TV so I thought Netflix seemed like a good alternative. Tonnes of films and entire TV box sets for £5.99 a month!? I was wondering when they would email me with the catch.. but nope, no catch! Of course I did some research into which online film/tv providers were the best before I bought my gift card subscription, for me Netflix seemed to be the best one, Lovefilm doesn't have as many up to date tv shows as Netflix  does, so I ruled that one out. I would highly recommend getting yourself an online gift card (if your like me and you don't want to give them your bank details for a direct debit every 6 months) or a subscription, it is worth every penny but I am warning you now.. you might get addicted to even more TV shows like me!

Naked 2 Palette - £37

I am pre warning you, this palette is going to be featured on my blog yet again after this post! I am so in love with it, it made my 2013 favourites and now it is in my monthly favourites. I would feature it in every months favourites but after this week I think you will all get the idea, I love it. If you own this palette you will understand where I am coming from when I say it is just everything you could ever need in one. The colours are perfect, highly pigmented, blend effortlessly together and most of all, they last all day! I could rave on and on but I will leave that to its own blog post. This is the only eyeshadow palette I have used since I got it for Christmas, all my others have been tossed to the side for now..

Superberry Exfoliating Face Mask - £2.59 Superdrug

I love using Superdrug's face masks, they don't break out my skin and the tubes last a long time! I adore the smell of this face mask, it smells exactly as described in the name 'Superberry' it is lovely. There are tiny crushed up raspberry seeds mixed into the mask which act as an exfoliator. My skin is left feeling smooth and refreshed after I rinse off the mask with warm water and a muslin cloth.

Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic - £13.25

I have been mainly using this skin tonic in the mornings after I have washed my face, however, I also like using it on days where I don't want to wear any foundation or BB creams as it brightens up my skin and makes it appear clearer and more radiant. I love the fresh and floral smell of this product, it is lovely to wake up to first thing in the morning.

CCO UV Gel Nail Polish 'Overtly Onyx'- £3.25 from this eBay Seller

This month I have really been loving this gun metal dark grey/black UV polish, I have a UV nail polish collection post coming soon, so keep an eye out for that. I love using these polishes as my nails don't grow very long and they tend to break easily but with these they grow and stay strong for about 2 weeks with the polish still on and not chipped, woo!

Burberry The Beat For Women Eau De Parfum 75ml - £45.00

I used to wear this perfume all the time when I was about 14/15 and I loved it, but like most perfumes I have, I got bored of it after a while, so I stopped using it. I finally got it again this Christmas and I haven't stopped wearing it, I love it and the memories it brought back to me when I first sprayed it on Christmas day were so strange! It's weird how a smell can remind you of 2 years of your life!? It has a very soft, warm and floral scent, which fits in all year round! Go try it next time you are in Debenhams!