Chilli DAWG...

I visited an American style diner at the weekend and had my first ever chilli dog.  It was immense!!

My healthy eating CLEARLY went out of the window but it was sooo good!  They had milkshakes on their menu that I think may have completed my life too but sadly I can't have dairy so it was a no go!!  Sad times!!

NOTD: Sunburst Orange

I've never worn orange on my nails and now I have discovered this gem I cannot get enough of it!

NOTD: Orange and Pink Tape Mani

I've never done a tape mani before and it was a bit of a fail...

This week's Cupcakes...

My regular blog readers know I love all things nail and all things cake! ;P  When I have time I try to bake for the homeless shelter which is run by a Church in the City.  This week's goodies:

Vanilla cupcakes with white chocolate buttercream... mmm!

It's funny because I started doing this during lent but it's continued... if I miss a week I feel a little guilty cos they get so excited when this 'Cupcake Girl' rocks up!  Hehe!!  Bless 'em!

OPI It's A Wrap Review

This post may be a lil pic heavy so you are warned!  This is the OPI nail repair kit... note plaster around nail break!

Girl Crush of the Week

Caggie Dunlop is my girl crush of the week.  Made In Chelsea is definitely a guilty pleasure of mine and each week I tune in to see how the other half of this world live:

I love Caggie's style; it's quite diverse!  She will be all cosy and natural in a mens cable knit jumper one minute then dressed to the nines in a skimpy red dress with heels to die for the next!  She also can be quite bohemian and even hippy like?  I like how she can do that and change; not everyone can.  It's a quality I admire lots :))

Artsy Wednesday - Inspired by Shoes

Really!!!  Picking ONE pair of shoes for nail inspiration was like picking a favourite child!  On the up side though I'd be MILES worse if it was a handbag... my handbags are actually my babies!!  

Anyway... this week's mani: 

Inspired by:

Best buttercream ever!

I tried a new recipe at the weekend for white chocolate buttercream icing and OH EM GEE!!  It's amazing even if I do say so myself...

The recipe was sooo easy too... 4 tablespoons of normal buttercream icing.  3 taplespoons of double cream and 100g of white melted chocolate!  Simples!!

I made two batches of vanilla cupcakes and topped half with white chocolate buttercream and half with chocolate fudge buttercream.  For toppings I used a mixture of honeycomb pieces, white chocolate curls, white chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips and butter-toffee popcorn!  They went down a storm! :)

Salmon Fishing In The Yemen

Every time I hear 'Yemen' I think of that episode of Friends where Chandler pretends he's moving there to get away from Janice rather manning up and breaking up with her!

On Sunday I went to see Salmon Fishing In The Yemen and can I just say I really enjoyed it!

Totally girl crushed on Emily Blunt throughout the entire film and giggled also... it was really funny!  It's definitely one of the better films I have seen of late... I've seen a few which have been total rubbish!  But this one was light hearted,  comedic and almost philosophical!

Without spoiling the film for you I'll mention one of the 'visuals' that cracked me up; when 'they' arrived at the Sheiks estate in Scotland... his armed guards were wearing their traditional wear... with the added addition of a tweed jacket!  The juxtaposition (have I used that in the right context?) really made me laugh!  Things like that popped up throughout the film and it's right on the money with my sense of humour.

Also, Ewan McGregor's character was hysterical.  You've got to watch it to appreciate what I mean!

FOTD: Pink Lips

This was Saturday's face of the day:

NOTD: Nude, Meet Me On Venus

After my massive nail fail I opted for a very safe option, Leighton Denny, Meet Me On Venus...

I think this is one of my favourite nudes.  (Everything is my favourite...I'm so fickle!)  I obviously adore Supermodel (click on name to see swatch) but this is really good 'go to' nude too.  It's softer than Supermodel because it is has a pink/lavender hue to it and it's also a very delicate shimmer whereas Supermodel is a solid opaque creme.

If you're a person who finds it difficult wearing nude shades I really would recommend this polish because I think it'll look good on the majority of skin tones.  It's warm because of the slight pink tone in it but cool because of the slight lavender... it's really hard to describe!!  (I'm rubbish at describing shades... sorry!)  Anyway... my point is this... if you've struggled with nudes because the base of them are too peach or wishy washy... try this one :o)

Hope you all have a fabulous week! Happy Monday!

Nail Fail No 2

WHAT is wrong with my artistic streak?  Where has it gone?  I'm worried I've burnt it off at the gym! Look...

Nail Fail!!! :(

For those of you who read this blog regularly you will know I have a current love for the leopard mani.  However this leopard mani was a totes nail fail!

I teamed up a 'nude' beige shade with pink and red and instead of doing black leopard highlighted spots I opted for white.  Stupidly!

Has anyone seen any nail designs where the white works and if so what colour combos?  I really fancied a 'lighter' leopard mani! 

Happy Friday!

Found this image and thought it is apt!

Whatever you guys are up to this weekend I hope you have a marvellous one!

OOTD: Being Patriotic

My outfit of the day is very patriotic to my home town!  (Well...City really!)

My brother bought this tee for me for Christmas... he done good cos I LOVE tees... I live in them... usually Wildfox or the linen/cotton mix ones from Zara.  Not that I'm boring or predictable in any way!  ;) 

This one from Electrik Sheep has fastly became a fav of mine... so much so I need it in the pink and the burgundy which are on their website.  LOVE!  If you like something there is zero harm in getting it in every colour right?! ;P

NOTD: Leopard Mani

I've done a few leopard manis now and this one is one of my favs as I love browns and reds together:

St.Moriz Fake Tan Review

If you read my blog last week you'll know that I was very excited to get my hands on a bottle of St.Moriz Dark Self Tan Mousse!

NOTD: Nail Sponging

This is the first time I've attempted nail sponging; it's a nail effect that I've never really came across but I am relatively new to 'nail art' I guess.  Here is my first try:

Girl Crush of the Week

My second admittance of girl crushness is Rachel Weisz:

I think she is naturally beautiful in every way.  It also known that she has said that botox should be banned for actors like steriods is for athletes.. hats off to her for that!  This makes me fall for more... intelligent, beautiful AND sassy! :))

Artsy Wednesday - Flowers

Afternoon you gorgeous lot!  This week's Artsy Wednesday theme is flowers:

I was so unsure what to do because I've only ever once done a 'flower mani' so my head wanted to try the vintage rose look again BUT my heart wanted daisies.  Mainly in memory of a dear friend of mine, Lucy (@littlemunchkin).

My Fav Sunglasses

Probably once a year I make a sunglasses purchase.  A decent sunglasses purchase that is.  I have a bit of a love for designer shades:

This is my first pair I bought almost ten years ago and I still wear them to this day.  They're Stella McCartney and I bought them for £105.  

My Tapas Face

On Sat night I manned up and shrugged off my feeling sorry for myself-itus, got dressed, put my face on and went out for tapas and sangria with my besties:

I wore an olive green knee length dress so I went for a green eye rather than black.  I used Mally's Evercolour Automatic Waterproof Eyeliner in Fierce Forest.  I always think I suit olive green with being fair but with brown eyes... I love Mally's eyeliners too... I have never used better.  

Leighton Denny QVC TSV 20th April 2012 - Avec Pics!

Following yesterday's post on Leighton's TSV launching on QVC this Fri I now have pics!!  (I HOPE this is the right product info... obv you never know until the actual launch!)

The first shade in the above pic looks like that could be the new one called 'Sunburst'.  The purple in the middle is 'Maroon Me Knot' from the Castaway collection.

Versatile Blogger Award

Claire over at May_belater nominated me for a Versatile Blogger Award! (Thanks so much!)

Here are the rules:

1.Nominate 10 bloggers who are relatively new to blogging
2.Let them know you have nominated them
3.Share 7 random facts about yourself
4.Thank the blogger who nominated you
5.Add the Versatile Blogger Award logo to your blog post


So here is my bit...

My Seven Random Facts
1.I can't have milk... unless I want to suffer from horrific stomach cramps afterwards!
2.I LOVE M&S's spinach pesto pasta with pine nuts...mmm.
3.I never had any hair until I was 4.  I was a BALD baby :(
4.I'm currently driving around in a car without a registration plate on as it fell off... oops!
5.I am genuinely devastated that the current season of Desperate Housewives is the last.
6.I would love to be a professional gun dog trainer.
7.I have a pass for the cinema which I pay for but hardly ever use... I may need to sort this fact out!

My 10 Versatile Blogger Nominees
Blonde Ambition (fellow North East girly :)) )
Pretty Purple Polish (fellow Artsy Wednesday clan member)
Pink Chick Claire
Gnarly Nails
Fingers Polish Mania 
Rock N Polish
A Pretty Obsession
Ohh So Glam!
Beauty Gnome (another fellow Artsy Wednesday clan member)
Obsessive Compulsive Nail Painting Disorder

Feather Mani - Where to buy

Following my post on my feather mani the other day I've had an influx of people asking where I got the feathers from...

Leighton Denny QVC TSV Friday 20th April

I cannot wait for this!  I have scoured pages on 'tinternet' for details and here is what I can gather:

QVC UK have a Leighton Denny Today's Special Value launching on Friday 20th April 2012.

The collection will include 6 full size 12ml polishes plus one other product.

One of the polishes will be a colour from the castaway collection.  One will be a Crystal Finish top coat and one is a new colour called 'Sunburst'.  Leighton has been touch with his 'Angels' and informed them that the collection will be bright and summery and also include a storage case.

If I spot any pics floating around I'll update you all... until then... I'm trying to be patient!

NOTD: Nails Inc Baker St Caviar/Fish Egg Mani

I love this neonesque blue!  Nails Inc Baker Street is definitely a head turner:

New Nail Shape

I was a bit bored of my nails and rather than do anything drastic like cut them all off I shaped them more round:

I used the only nail file there is to use; my Leighton Denny Crystal nail file!  And above are my nails are painted with Leighton Denny's Supermodel.  I think it is possibly my favourite shade EVER! 

Feather Mani

Lindsey over at Neverland Nail Blog is currently hosting a nail art competition; you can check out the details with the link.  For me, what is magical to me is feathers.  I love coming across one, especially when one just randomly floats by, seemingly out of nowhere.  Feathers therefore were my inspiration for this mani:

Feather mani with Instagram (cos I love that app!)

Girl Crush of the Week

I am a girl.  I fancy boys.  Well, men.  I like my men to be real alpha male men.  But I can still appreciate and crush on girls too!  I think it's a healthy thing...

My first girl crush that I will mention is Kayla Collins, a playboy bunny:

Artsy Wednesday - Stripes

Hello girls!  This week's Artsy Wednesday's theme was stripes! As I haven't got the most steady hand I opted for Zebra stripes!

Nail Polish Love - Barry M Blue Moon

I can't get enough of using Barry M's Blue Moon recently... it's like I'm addicted!!

Have you got a fav shade of the moment?  I seem to be using blue moon is almost every mani I do! 

Beauty Product I can't wait to try... St.Moriz

I am a slight tanorexic during the summer months.  I embrace my pale over the winter but as soon as the first bit of sun shines I'm all about the tan!

I'm usually a St.Tropez girl; being honest I've never used anything but as they were the first brand I ever tried and was always happy with the results.  However, I'm trying to be more economical on my expenditure on all things beauty!  As a beauty addict and general girl... my passions can be pricey!

St.Tropez have just realised their new dark formulation which sounds right up my street but it was priced £32.99 in my local Boots.  Whereas this gem, St.Moriz is £2.99...a £30.00 saving!!  So I'm gonna try it and let you know my findings later this week.  Plus the thing that has really made me pleased to try it out is the service from St Moriz has been superb!  I had difficulty tracking a bottle down so I tweeted them and literally within minutes they replied... that means a lot to me.  Good service adds to an overall product experience in my opinion!

Have any of you tried this?  Have you got a fav fake tan?  Or do you embrace your pale?

FOTD: Before and After

Eeeek how brave am I??  Posting a pic of my FACE sans makeup!

To end the Easter hols on a high I went out for dinner so I made a bit of an effort.  Don't get me wrong it's not much... not much compared to some blogs I follow anyway...

This is me without a stitch of makeup on and with rollers in the crown section of my hair.

NOTD: Pink and Purple Leopard RF

I fancied something uber girly today so I turned to OPI.  They never let the inner girl in me down:

Easter Sunday OOTD

What does Easter make you think of?  Rabbits?  What do rabbits do?  Hop?  Jump?!

This is where my outfit inspiration came from... so out came my camel jumpsuit:

OOTD: Shopping trip

I am NOT a girl who can strut around a shopping centre in heels.  I always wonder at said girls in amazement... teetering around, gliding from one shop to the next... AMAZING!!  If this was me I'd be hobbling around with blisters, walking like I am just taking my first steps!!

For me, shopping = flats!

FOTD: Shopping with a coffee stop with the wife!

With it being a long weekend here in the UK, every self respecting girl needs to partake in a bit of retail therapy right?

For said shopping trip this was my 'look':

NOTD: Leopard Print Mani

REALLY loving leopard print at mo girlies!!

My New Fav Drink

Who woulda thought I'd like Guinness?!?  It's worlds apart from my usual Argentinian Malbec or Spanish Garnacha or an Alsace Gewurztraminer (I'm a wine snob!)  Apparently it's good for you too so guess what I'll be drinking this weekend?! ;P

Hope you are all having an amazing Easter and eating lots of chocolate!!