Tips and Tricks

I always love to read about different beauty tips that people have. I always find that whatever I read, I try out and see how it works. After years of being a beauty junkie I've come up with some tricks myself.

Tip #1 Softer lips

You will need: 

-Chapstick with SPF 

-Regular office tape 

-Toothbrush

-Your favourite lipstick (Mine's Dolly Pink by Barry M)

With the sun recently peaking out of it's winter coma, it's probably a good idea to give your lips a little TLC. It's probably best to do this at night or in the morning when you brush your teeth. First take two pieces of tape, small enough to cover both your top and bottom lip - this will take off all the dead skin cells (Have a look at the tape after to see for your self - it's gross!) Then brush your lips with toothpaste, not too hard. It will tingle after and give that plump look without the fillers. Once your done add some chapstick to get the moisture back in your lips, the slap on some lipstick and your good to go.

Tip #2 Keeping rings from turning green:

You will need: 

-Your favourite ring 

-Clear nail polish (Mine's NYC clear polish)

Everyone always has this problem - it's the curse of only being able to afford costume jewellery. This is the simplest trick and takes seconds. Take your ring and paint the inside of it with clear nail polish - give it about two coats and wallah! Just keep applying coats every month or so and your finger will never turn green.

Tip #3 Softer skin

You will need: 

-Any type of lotion

-Baby oil 

-Loofah  

This is a great way to get super soft skin on the go. Get yourself a really good loofah and scrub your skin dry. A lot of the time you read to do it in the shower but I think that it gets more dead skin off this way. Just remember not to do it so hard as you'll end up with sore red skin. Once your done Lather with lotion and let dry. For instant shine and glow, add a dollop of baby oil. 

What kind of beauty tricks do you have up your sleeve?

Crocodile rock

I really love when beauty brands bring out the specialty nail paints like caviar pearls, shatter paint and magnetic effects. Once again my favourite brand Barry M has proved to not disappoint with croc nail effects polish. For those that have tried the shatter nail polish it sort of does the same thing but rather than giving it a cracked appearance it gives the effect of crocodile skin - probably why it's called "croc effects."  I really prefer the croc style to the shatter as it can look kinda messy. I've always been afraid to wear black but pairing it with a bright colour underneath looks so cute!

When I first got it I was so excited and put it on straight away over my already dried nail polish. Stupidly I didn't read the label where it said in big bold letters DO NOT APPLY TO DRY POLISH! Oops!

I would recommend layering it on in a medium to thick amount as if it's too thin it won't look right but it's too thick it turns out to be clumpy. Even if it takes you a couple tries, don't get discouraged as the results are amazing!

I used a bright coral colour and topped it with croc nail effects in black.

Love it? Get yours here!

Desert island "beauty discs"

Everyone's heard of the phrase desert island discs and you've all been asked the question of "if you're stranded on a desert island, what music would you have with you?" or "what celebrity would you take with you?" That's all fine and well but if I was really stranded on a desert island I'd be more concerned with the lack of beauty products that I'd be without so here's my desert island beauty discs.

Love those Barry M colours! They scream "I'm stuck on a desert island but my nails look great." 

I can't live without chapstick and I love the cherry flavour - It's delicious!

Flowerbomb is my favourite and will keep me smelling good!

Just because you're stuck on a desert island doesn't mean you neglect your eyebrows! I love the Shavata heart shaped tweezers - they're so cute!

I'm going to say it's a tropical island so why not keep with the theme and use Batiste in Tropical!

I always use sunblock, even in the winter as you can never be too safe - so that's coming too!

Studio Fix has always been the best at covering up blemishes.

Lipglass in C-thru has been a staple for years. Love it!

Now let's change desert to dessert island and all is good. 

What's in your bag?

I always get asked why my handbag is so heavy and I usually reply that it's all full of necessary things. Here's my necessities:

Foley and Corinna Handbag: A celeb favourite! This mid city tote is the perfect beige colour for the hot summer months. It's definitely my go to bag for spring!

Louis Vuitton zippy wallet: I love a large wallet - I don't know why but I've never been able to cope with a small one. This LV favourite fits everything from receipts to cash and coins.

Altoids mints: I always have chewing gum or mints on me. These Altoids smalls are my favourite brand but I think they only sell them in the US. If you get a chance grab some in the wintergreen flavour, they're the best!

Rosebud Salve: If you've ever read about any celebrities boasting about their best beauty products, then chances are you've seen this on there. I've been obsessed with this lip balm since I was about 13 and it's absolutely amazing. I'm usually pretty good about trying new beauty products but with this is one, I've never been able to part.

Betsey Johnson sunglasses: I love these glasses! I think it's the California girl in me but I always carry sunglasses with me. I'm an optimist so I'm always prepared for any sunny day that may appear. Rihanna even has them! See it here!

Dolce and Gabanna reading glasses: I've never been good with wearing reading glasses but with 20/10 vision, I've been forced to use them. When I went to pick my pair I couldn't leave without these D&G red rimmed glasses.

Leopard print diamante compact mirror: Not in a vain way but I think it's a good idea to carry some sort of compact mirror with you wherever you go... you never know when you need to check to see if lipstick has smudged onto your teeth! This mirror has saved me from lots of embarrassing moments!

Paul Smith for women perfume: I like to carry some sort of spray with me for when I need a touch up when I'm on the go. I've got quite a collection of perfume but this week my favourite is this Paul Smith one. It's such a girly smell and really makes me feel refreshed.

MAC studio fix: I don't know anyone who doesn't love MAC, I personally love any kind of makeup they produce and this studio fix is perfect for covering up any dark circles or blemishes.

Barry M nail paint: I tend to keep whatever polish I have on my nails in my bag in case I need to do any emergency touch-ups. My new favourite is the magnetic range by Barry M.

Like my bag? Get yours at Revolveclothing.com 

Nickelodeon star Victoria Justice is a fan! 

One Tree Hill star Shantel VanSanten has mine in beige!

What's in your bag?

Mag-nificent!

Of all the different nail polishes out there, the magnetic nail polish range by Barry M is by far the best! I've been mulling over for a while which brand I was going to go with and I never could decide. I found some too expensive and some too cheap looking but when I had another sneaky browse through Boots the other day, I set my eyes on this one in magnetic blue. My over all rating is 5 out of 5 stars! The only tip I would give to new users is you have to hold the magnet really close to the wet polish... almost touching which took me a while to figure out. I kept holding it about an inch away from the nail and was really disappointed when nothing happened. When I finally got the hang of it I was pleasantly surprised when it made the design it promised. Some of them even turned out looking like Union Jacks! Have a look at the Barry M website where there's a few other colours to choose from.

Have you guys tried any of the magnetic ranges? What did you think?

Red isn't just for Christmas

I love a Sunday browse through Boots. I always leave a happy camper - usually with another varnish to add to my collection. This trip, I brought back this fab polish from Barry M. This is the first time I've bought something from Barry M and I'm really pleased that I did. I have your regular bright reds and deep reds but nothing like this.I don't know how I've never noticed it before but I absolutely fell in love. I'm a big fan of red and not just for Christmas. This colour goes with everything and really makes any plain outfit pop.

What do you guys think of the colour?

Nail Paint by Barry M in Red Glitter