Monday Manicure: OPI Nail Lacquer Sparrow Me The Drama

You know you have a nail polish addiction when you find polishes that you can't even remember buying. This is one such polish. I have no idea where it came from but hey, it's in my collection now so let's go with it.

OPI Sparrow Me the Drama Nail Lacquer

OPI's Sparrow me the Drama is part of the Pirates of the Caribbean Collection. I think it came out a while ago but you can still buy it, probably for a fraction of the price.

What suprised me most about this pink polish is how wearable it is. Most pinks are girly and loud and scream "look at me!" This one however is so subtle that you could even, dare I say it, wear it to work or even an interview. A dusky, creamy, pastel pink, this is both femininie and sophisticated. I used three coats but you could easily get away with two. I think it's quite a cool tone and it really suits my skin tone, even though I've seen it work on paler skins too.

As always the quality of these polishes is fantastic, no streaking, bubbling etc.

Nicky Clarke Salon (re)opening at The Mailbox Birmingham

Nicky Clarke is one of the UK's leading celebrity hairdressers. With four UK salons, a line of hair styling products and tools and an OBE to his name, as well as a host of celebrity clients including models, actors, pop stars and royalty, it's not hard to see why Nicky has built a reputation as one of the hardest working hairdressers around.

Nicky Clarke at The Mailbox salon. Image c/o Jas Sansi

When an email entitled "Nicky Clarke" landed in my inbox, I couldn't believe it contained an invitation to not only see the newly opened Mailbox salon, but to meet the hair legend himself too!

Newly opened on Level 7 of The Mailbox, the Nicky Clarke salon was previously located downstairs on Level 3.

Laura from Luxx Mint, Nicky Clarke, Sarah from The Style Floozie and Me - Image c/o Sarah

Kicking off the evening with a few bubbles, the intimate group prepared their questions ready for the Q&A. Clad in a sharp navy suit, we were introduced to Nicky before he took to the floor to answer our questions.

Advising the group on how to achieve an at-home up-do, the right way to wash hair and what to look for in products for fine or thick hair, personal style advice was on hand to the female and male members of the audience.

I had a great evening, met some fabulous people and have to say that Nicky is an absolutely lovely, down to earth guy.  This is definitely one night that I won't forget and I have to say a big thank you to Sam at Rewired and Octavia and Maria at Octavia Coates.

To check out more images of the night click here.

MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation SPF 15 NW22 - Product Review and Swatches

I'm currently looking for the perfect everyday foundation, one that's not too thick and matte, dewy but with enough coverage to even out my skin.

MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation available here

I picked up MAC Studio Fix Fluid as I tried it in the shop and really liked the finish. For me, it's perfect; just the right kind of dewy finish without looking and feeling greasy.

The shade is NW22 which I think is pretty close to what I need. It's perfect for golden yellow skin tones which is great for me as the yellow in the foundation counteracts the redness around my nose and chin. It's maybe just a touch too yellow fot me but it's still a good enough match to be wearable.

Daylight swatch

Studio light swatch

I like the creamy consistency and it's easy to apply. I use either a foundation brush or sponge and both work well. It's also really buildable so tend to go for a light base layer and then keep adding to my nose, chin and central cheek area to cover redness.

I think the coverage is a medium working up to a medium/heavy which works really well for me as the skin on my forehead and most of my cheeks needs less coverage than my T Zone, meaning that I hate to apply too heavy a foundation all over when parts of my face don't need that much coverage. It's good at covering small blemishes but you will probably need a little extra concealer for bigger blemishes and spots.

It lasts for around 7 hours and it does get a bit shiny around my nose and chin but powder helps combat this

The packaging makes it quite difficult to get the product out as it's a screw top lid that comes off and you can't squeeze the bottle as it's glass. Also, the lid gets dirty really quickly as it's a rubber finish.

It also contains an SPF15 which is great!

The downside is the smell which is pretty chalky, but at £21.50 it's really quite good value.

What do you guys think of Mac Studio Fix?

L'Oreal Elvive Triple Resist Masque - Review

As much as I love the caramel colour my hair goes when it's been highlighted to high heaven, what I don't like is the dry straw like texture it gives to treated hair.

On my search for a good hair mask, I came across this; L'Oreal Elvive Triple Resist Masque with reinforcing serum.

L'Oreal Elvive Triple Resist Masque available here

Here's what I love about this product:

1. The size - it's a huge 300ml pot of product and at around £5, it means you can afford to slather on the product.

2. The price - £5 is pretty decent for a hair mask

3. The smell - it smells like a salon, one of my favourite smells :) 

The product itself is a glossy white and a comfortingly thick, gloopy consistency. I leave it in for around 10 minutes, just because I'd rather leave it in for longer and make sure it has time to sink in. It washes out easily and leaves hair definitely softer, smelling lovely, less tangled and is smoother after blow drying.

Overall, it's a really good value conditioning treatment that can be used every week guilt free.

London Fashion Week and New Look Q&A - SS14*

Since London Fashion Week is finished and all eyes are on Paris, now is a great time to reflect on what we saw in London before it hits the highstreet next season.

New Look wanted to hear my thoughts on the shows, designers and emerging trends for SS14 and I'd love to share them with you too.

1. Do you have a favourite designer?
How could I choose just one? I love Elie Saab for glamorous eveningwear, Philip Armstrong for playful dresses, Burberry Prorsum for classic looks and Erdem just for being Erdem.

2. What was your favourite collection?
One that I felt resonated with my personal style was Osman Yousefzada. Clean lines, crisp silhouettes and classic colours are all things that I look for in my trans-seasonal wardrobe. Influenced by India and the East, he avoided the obvious and instead picked out elements such as embroidery, lace and repetitive pattern to subtly reference the look.

J.JS Lee

3. Do you think the event is important in promoting the fashion industry?
London Fashion Week is a hotbed for fresh young talent. I think London has a reputation as the maverick of fashion. It's a great mix of newer designers such as House of Holland and Giles Deacon  and more established houses such as Burberry and Mulberry which is what keeps it interesting.

Ryan Lo

4. Describe London Fashion Week in 3 words
Fun. Fearless. Exciting.

5. Is there any particular celebrity you base your fashion on or would you call your style individual?

Although I don't go out to follow any one celebrity, I adore the way that Alexa Chung keeps is classy and casual, Scarlett Johansson's flirty and sexy eveningwear and Monica Belluci for just oozing Italian glamour. 

Simone Rocha

6. What are the 5 most inspiring blogs you follow?

I follow so many!! Some of my bookmarks are Tanya Burr, Pixiwoo, Caroline Hirons, VIPXO and Fashion Train.

What did you guys think of LFW? Looking forward to next season?

No 7 Moisture Drench Lipstick in Waterlily - Product Review and Swatches

This might just be my first No7 lipstick, and I bought it full price without one of those £5 off coupons as I just couldn't wait.

No7 Moisture Drench Lipstick in Waterlily available here

As I was looking for an everyday pinky beige nude colour, I picked this up as the shade is really natural.

The Hype
Nourish your lips with No7 Moisture Drench Lipstick, this moisturising formulation keeps your lips smooth and soft.

Hypo-allergenic
Fragrance free
SPF 15

Picking your Perfect Lip Colour

Colour effect - Intense colour

Benefits - Moisturising, SPF & Hypo-allergenic

Finish - Satin/Semi-Satin

The Verdict

Whilst I was expecting an everyday creamy colour, what I completely failed to notice in the shop was the shimmering gold undertones. I've looked up a few other swatches and it doesn't seem as obvious elsewhere but on me I think it's really strong and actually looks frosted.

Daylight Swatch

Studio Swatch

A creamy pink, the consistency is thick and creamy (duh!) and yes moisturising although not as much as I'd expected. It does leave lips looking soft and shimmering though with a semi matte finish.

The colour is quite flattering on paler skin tones and blondes but I think on me looks quite outdated. I think it's the glimmer but it just doesn't suit me!

However, I've seen it on paler girls and they just look so much better in it than I do. 

At £9.50 it is quite expensive for a drugstore brand but the packaging and formulation do feel quite high end. There's obviously been a lot of time put into the product and into formulating over 30 different colours; now excuse me whilst I go and look for the right one.

L'Occitane Repairing Shampoo and Conditioner Review

L'Occitane En Provence is well known for it's creams and lotions, but not so much for it's haircare.

Recently released, L'Occitane has formulated a repairing shampoo and condioner especially for dry and damaged hair. The Aromachologie products contain five essential oils (ylang-ylang, sweet orange, lavender, geranium, angelica) and plant-derived amino acids, which help repair the hair fibre. With an anti-breakage complex, the silicone-free formula also helps smooth hair scales and envelops even the most fragile hair in softness. Additionally, Vitamin B5 has been added in order to help smooth, soften and protect hair fibres.

L'occitane Repairing Shampoo and Conditioner available here

And so I put it to the test. As you can see, I picked up some 35ml minis instore and tried out the shampoo and conditioner for myself.

The first thing to strike me was the herbal scent, which verges on masculine; don't worry though, it washes out and doesn't smell of anything when it's dry.

With a medium lather, the shampoo did a good job of detangling my hair. The conditioner has a semi transparent gel consistency and washed out easily.

After using the two together my hair felt really clean. I did expect my hair to feel a bit more hydrated/moisturised as it's a repairing treatment but I didn't think it was especially hydrating on the highlighted ends of my hair. This leads me to think that it's probably better for untreated hair.

However, I was really pleased that this didn't irritate my scalp and actually think that's the best thing about these products, as I know a lot of people have sensitive scalps.

Retailing at £15 for 300ml, these are a little over pharmacy/high street prices but not by enough to make you cry! I think it's great for general use on untreated hair and offers pretty good value.

Have any of you guys tried this yet?