Manicure it is!

After about 12 months of either having acrylics or UV gel my nails are weak and shot!  They're paper thin and yellow to a point that i look like i smoke a 100 fags a day! Of course i don't but it's prompted me to look at my nails in a different way.

I need a Manicure

Are you ready?  Here goes...

First of all I washed my hands..

My nails are dry and brittle

yep, i know man hands

1. After i'd washed my hands i buffed the tops of my nails very very gently to take some of the yellowing away, i didn't want to damage my nails anymore that they are already so just a very gentle once over was all they needed.

2.  I then shaped them as best as i could and because they're dry and brittle they've peeled and broken to odd shapes so until the get strong and grow my nails won't be a great shape.

3.  I then took a bowl of warm soapy water and put some cuticle cream onto my nails and cuticle, massaged it in and placed my hands into the water

4.  After a few minutes i took them out and gently pushed back the cuticle and cleared any off my nail plate.

5.  I try not to cut my cuticles very often as they're there for a reason but i did trim them slightly as after months and months of neglect they were in need of it.

6.  After this i removed any left over residue by dipping my hands into some more clean soapy water and dried them gently.

7.  I then took some exfoliator, I used a face one as this is gentle (Fern Cotton) to your skin but does the job perfectly.  I massaged it around my hands and then took it off with water and dried my hands with a towel, BINGO, my hands felt soft and fresh.

Yep still Man Hands

8.  Now for the colour.  I took the OPI base and top coat and applied one coat of this to each nail as this stops yellowing from your polish and provides a base for your colour to sit on

9.  Now it's time for your chosen colour.  I chose three  a teal colour from Miss Sporty, Mint Green by Barry M and Sunshine Arabian Glow by Avon and alternated them.

10.  Apply two coats of the colour thinly to your nails and allow each coat to dry fully.  Yes this will take longer but i find your colour will last longer if the colour is fully dry before applying the next coat.  If you have a nail dryer then lucky you it will help you paint your nails quicker.

11.  Next, apply your top coat and allow to dry then add some cuticle oil to your cuticles and  massage some moisturiser into your hands if you want to.

12.  Voila! Less of the man hands!

well kind of...

My nails are having a well earned rest!

Guilty or What!?

On Sunday as most Mum's will know it was Mothers Day here in England.  On Sunday in our house it was just another Sunday.  I woke as i usually do before everyone else, got my usual cup of  tea/coffee depending what mood i'm in and if i need to wake up or not.  Read emails and the Daily Mail online and then take a shower and prepare Sunday breakfast which usually comprises of a Bacon Butty or a full English (healthy version of course).  

Down the stairs came my daughter her grumpy morning self, then my Husband chirpy and annoying and then my son, hungry as usual.  NOT one word of 'Happy Mothers Day', i'm not really bothered if i'm really really honest....well a card would of been nice...even handmade...no not really bothered still, i can live with the fact that my children and husband don't care about Mothers Day just like i don't 'cough'..NO i DON'T, really i don't..

I began to make a joke about it to my son...'what day is it today'?  'I'm sure it's special'? My son 'erm, Sunday'...All day i joked about it being a special day until we got my Mum's for dinner later that day who incidently received a beautiful handmade cushion..ok it had a cheeky personalisation on it but it's a gift...

It's the thought that counts

Still no 'Happy Mothers Day', they're waiting until i think they've really really not bothered and when we get home from Nans they'll get their card out with a beautiful sentimental verse in about how much they love me...NO I'M really really NOT bothered, the day is overated...

My son's girlfriend came around when we got home later in the evening and said....you guessed it 'Happy Mothers Day'!! Ah thank you Sophie..i said, that's lovely. 'Have you enjoyed your day with your Mum?' 'yes' she said.  Myself and my brothers took my Mum and Nan out for a meal.  I bought her perfume, my brothers bought her clothes and jewellery and my Grandad bought her the biggest box of chocolates you have ever seen! 'oh how lovely Sophie' that sounds lovely.  

Grandad!? Grandad!? Even her lovely Grandad got her Mum something!...NO, i've told you i'm NOT bothered, really i'm not...

Not a peep out of my lot until my daughter was being tucked in and given a kiss goodnight at 10.00pm by her mum...'night Mum, Happy Mothers Day'...ah ha! Someone remembered!!

Tonight (Tuesday two days later) guess what was waiting for me? 

A bottle of wine

A vintage style cup

Lindt Chocolate

and a bunch of flowers!

SEE!!! THEY DO LOVE ME!!!

P.S. The cup isn't for the wine before you ask!

My Chavtastic earrings!!

I love these earrings!  I love them especially as Isobel my daughter found them for £1.00 and bought them me, bless her...  I wouldn't normally go for something so large but when i put them in with my hair tied back i thought...mmmm, they don't look that bad.

I'm wearing these today and although they're driving my ears mad as they're cheap metal I'm still wearing them..for now anyway.

This is what i'm wearing today with them

But don't worry i have a Primark cami top underneath in black! Also from Asos

Bought these from Asos for £28.00

I bought these fabulous shoes for £10.00 from New Look at the weekend

 

Last but not least my chavtastic earrings

It would be far easier to take a photo of me but i have no one around to do so unless i go outside and stop some unsuspecting pedestrian and ask them to photograph me whilst i do a very bad imitation of a model pose! MMMM? Perhaps not!

MAC Mineralize Rich Lipstick

You may have guessed i like MAC!

I've just received an email from MAC and thought i'd share it with you.  Don't know about you but i have really dry lips recently so the more moisture the better!  

Moisture Rich Lipstick

Makeup for Mature Women by Pixiwoo

As yesterday I was talking about my makeup bag i thought I'd share with you a makeup tutorial from the lovely Pixiwoo girls again.  

Some of the products the girls use maybe out of reach for some us but you can use your products as the principals will still work the same I'm sure.

Let me know what you think by commenting below.  OH! and please don't forget to follow my blog i'm lonely around here, ha ha

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YFJDzJbHU0

 

What's In My Make-Up Bag?

I thought i'd do a post on make-up..well my make up seen as i'm trying to re-establish it.  I'm trying new products and trying to wear foundation!  After following the Pixiwoo girls i thought i'd go out and try a few products so off i trotted into Manchester and went to Estee Lauder who quite frankly didn't listen to a word i said and just tried to sell me an £80.00 skin care kit and kept saying over and over again it was the last one! AND? Am I bovered....NO!! I'm not, i came to you to ask about foundation and one for very dry skin!  Needless to say after i allowed her to forcefully sit me down and try skin care and a tiny bit of foundation on the back of my hand i got up and went over to benefit who were brilliant!.

I'm a stickler for customer service and nothing gets my back up than it being done badly.  I worked for years in fashion retail and if i was to blow my own trumpet i'm bloody good at it!! BUT that was because i was taught by the best.  
A Benefit lady came over to me and asked how i was as i was looking rather confused.  I proceeded to tell her i needed a foundation for my very dry skin but something light that wasn't going to clog my lines and make them look worse than they are.  She took me over to a young girl, introduced me to her by her name and introduced me after asking my name.  I sat down and I was shown a few products that matched my skin, and applied them to my face. The assistant was very attentive and very educated about the product!  Fantastic service.

I didn't buy anything from Benefit though as i wanted to now try MAC.  I told the assistant at benefit this and she was courteous and well mannered and advised me to call back if i needed anymore help.  She wrote all the products i had used onto a record sheet with their fabulous vintage design on...just the most divine marketing & design.  

Off i trotted into MAC in Selfridges who again were equally attentive after leaving me for a while to try the products (didn't jump on me as soon as i walked in). An assistant called 'Polly' i think came over asked me if i needed any help.  I told her my story.

Brilliant service and again fabulous customer service without being pushy at all.  I did buy from MAC as i found in the little time i'd had Benefit on my face it felt a little cakey and heavy and by the time i'd got to MAC i wanted it off my face. This doesn't mean that Benefit wasn't good, it just means that the foundation i had tried didn't suit me, i love Benefit and will be going back to buy a moisturiser.  MAC's did however feel light and sat well on my skin.  I didn't need a great deal of it on my face either!  I bought a primer, foundation and one of their fabulous lipsticks! 

Here's my haul..

Other items in my make-up bag

MAC lipstick
Chatterbox
Lady Danger

Wearing MAC Chatterbox

Gosh
Manderina

Maybelline
Lasting Drama Gel in black

Brushes
Body Shop blusher brush
Eyeshadow blender brush from Superdrug
Body Shop Eyeliner sponge pencil for powder eyeliner
Barry M eyeliner brush (I love)!!

Miss Sporty Kohl Eyeliner
015 basalt

My fave lipstick
Rimmel
Coral Queen (just love it) it really brightens up my skin tone which is very pale!

Avon Duo - true colour
Black Pearl

Acccessorize
Translucent Face Powder

Accessorize Blush
8 - Quiver

Collection
Mascara - Longer lash lengthening Mascara

Colour Sport
My very over used Eyebrow Grooming Kit that should be thrown out but i love it

Temple Spa Lip Treats - Just divine

Lucca
Sanremo
Cortona

Avon
Glazewear Shine - nude

Perfume

My guilty pleasure!...shhhuusshhh please don't tell anyone!
Shilpa Shetty Perfume!!  It costs me about £2.60 off Amazon and i'm always being asked what perfume i'm wearing!  I bought it for Christmas 2011 for a £1.00 (shameful i know but if you don't tell her i'm definitely not) on a Christmas Stall fair for my then 13 year old daughter who wanted some perfume.  I didn't want to buy her anything expensive as she was only 13 so i bought this unopened unused as a little stocking filler.  When she wore it she smelt beautiful so i sneaked a little on me.  I bought some and have been wearing it since and so has Isobel and refused a more expensive perfume this year!   At night when i'm going out somewhere i wear a 'Hermes' one but to be honest i still love my little 'Shilpa'...Isn't it sad that if it were £60.00 a bottle it would have more street cred and more pretentious gits like me wearing it with pride...  I'm not pretentious at all really so i say that in jest so I should be shouting it from the roof tops that you don't have to spend a fortune to smell good but i do have a problem with perfume however as it does tend not like my skin so i struggle to buy one i really love therefore i do go for the more expensive one's.   Shilpa Shetty perfume however will remain in my everyday wear but silently...ha ha  SORRY Shilpa love...

Cheap Smells

Amazon UK

My make-up bag is from Primani (Primark) Current stock at £3.50 bargain!

For other links please visit my 'more fabulous' page above xx

The Best Foundation For You..

I've discovered Pixiwoo Tutorials on You Tube one day whilst looking for tips on make up, foundation in particularly as i don't wear it as i feel that i look like and feel like i'm dressed in drag.  As i'm older and my face is starting to wrinkle and sag and grey and dry out...oh the joys of getting older, i feel like foundation just shows everything and exaggerates the lines more! OK my skin isn't as bad as that yet! But i am really starting to see the changes in it.

I'm 44 now and definately starting to feel that i have to now start to change the way i dress to avoid looking 'Mutton dressed as Lamb' and the way i wear my make-up.  What i used to wear doesn't suit me anymore in  the style stakes and make-up.  I DON'T though want to be a fuddy duddy! INFACT i refuse!  I've never gone along with fashion in fact always say to my 14 year old daughter it's best to be stylish and not fashionable.  I'm going off on a tangent here aren't I!! 

If you haven't already pop along to the Pixiwoo girls on You Tube and look at their tutorials.  Not all of them are for us 40 somethings but you  can always adapt them to suit you.

Here's one i found useful on Foundations.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4DIcJfOS2Q

Be warned though the Pixiwoo girls are beautiful!