CND Vinylux Nail Polish

Wednesday Beauty Buys

Weekly Top Coat

I have been itching to try out some of these shellac style polishes that promise a longer lasting finish without the expense or the use of a lamp.

These Vinylux polishes by CND seemed a good place to start.

CND vinylux Pink Bikini, Rubble and Weekly Top Coat

I ordered two colours - Pink Bikini and Rubble and the Weekly Top Coat.

My favourite nail polish brands are Essie, Orly and Jessica , but even with a good topcoat I only get a couple of days out of a manicure with these brands. It would be great to be able to extend this to 4 or 5 days. I tried the bloggers favourite top coat Seche Vite, but I found my nails chipped sooner with this. I think it is the quick dry variety that somehow causes a shorter wear time. The best top coat I have ever had had is the Orly Top 2 Bottom product.

These Vinylux polishes are easy to apply. The brush is a good size and carries an adequate amount of polish. You do need two coats as the first can look patchy, although this may be poor technique on my part! You then apply the weekly top coat. This gives a shiny, gel look to the finish that lasts.

The verdict? 

I didn't get a whole weeks wear out of my nails, BUT  I got a lot longer than usual nail polish!!

This stuff is very hardwearing and well worth the hype.

I am very hard on my nails . I am a cleaning junkie and an early years teacher - need I say more. If it lasts 4 -6 days on me then I am sure it will last even longer on a standard person! I also plan to try the topcoat out over normal polish - just in case it extends the wear!!

I got my polishes at Nail Polish Direct for £8.95 a polish and free delivery. They arrived well packed and quickly. I shall be back for more colours soon. 

Have you tried these polishes - how long did they last for you?

February Birchbox

and a little extra.

February Birchbox

I missed posting about my January box as I was so busy with work and then Dad got so sick there just wasn't the time or the inclination. By the time I got around to it my February box had already landed on my doorstep. 

However, there was one great little product in the January box that I can't go by without mentioning.

It is the Rodial night cream. It just smells and feels absolutely amazing on my skin. I think a full tube retails at around £75 - that'll be why then. I shall make sure that this little tube is squeezed to within an inch of it's life to get every drop out. It really hydrates and smooths the skin out overnight.

This month also has a great night cream in it as well.

Beauty Protector - Protect and Oil for hair

Eyeko - Skinny liquid eye liner

Coryse Salome ultimate anti age restorative night cream

Leighton Denny nail colour ( This is a gorgeous dusky pink when on - love it.)

Green and Blacks chocolate


The chocolate got eaten straight away so no close up of that one!

Wednesday Beauty Buys

Clairol Bee Strong Shampoo

I have been using Pureology's Shampoo for a while now as my hair has been very dry. My go to shampoo and conditioner is usually the Liz Earle combination for dry hair which I adore, but I had stored up the Pureology duo for an emergency so was using it up.

 However, I was puzzled at how quickly I was whizzing through it. I only wash my hair every three days and I use a small amount of it each time as a little goes a long way. No sooner had I started the bottle it seemed I was shaking out the last bit. Puzzled I confronted my OH who sheepishly confessed to having been using it ....daily! Gutted. 

I grabbed a sample I had from a magazine of the Clairol Bee Strong for damaged hair. I didn't have much hope. I've tried many off the shelf shampoos and they do nothing for my wiry mess of an excuse for hair, but this seems to be amazing. I have since got a full bottle of both shampoo and conditioner ( on offer) at the dizzy price of £2 each. I have used it 3 times and each time my hair feels strong and looks shiny. It handles well when drying and lasts three days without becoming greasy. It doesn't itch, which is always a sign of too many nasties in it for me so we will see. Of course it is not paraben free etc  and I would love to get my Pureology or Liz Earle back as soon as I find myself a bit of money off, but if you are looking for a drugstore alternative that does a good job I wouldn't rule this one out , not at all. Smells divine too - apricot and honey.

No 7 Beautiful Skin Cleansing Brush

Wednesday Beauty Buys

I have seen the benefit to using a facial brush on a regular basis so decided to buy a more robust one than my manual botanics one I was using. The Clarisonic, amongst others, are well out of my price range so I opted for the No7 cleansing brush from Boots. This retails at £29.99. I got this with a voucher so paid £24.99.

It has two speeds, but I tend to stick to the slower rotation. The bristles are soft and do not damage the skin in any way. I use it once or twice a week for exfoliation and toning. It seems to give my skin a nice gentle massage and tightens everything up! I apply my usual cleanser, add some water then massage with the brush for a minute or so.  I don't think I would spend any more money on a facial brush for the benefit it gives, but for £25 it certainly is worth it. I did also look at the No7 cleansers and toners, but yet again so many have a high alcohol content - seems like you just can't avoid it at all!

Have you tried a Cleansing Brush?

Deal Changers for My Hair

Products to Tame the Frizz!

If you have a mop of hair that falls naturally into place after washing then I envy you and you won't understand my need of hair product! If you have hair like mine that has a mind of it's own then read on.....

My hair , if left , is something akin to a wiry, frizzy mess and takes some work to get it to look mildly presentable. I have the sort of hair that seems to react violently to strong products and either hangs limply because the product is too heavy or flies free and frizzy because the product is just not right. There is no rhyme nor reason to it.

If I had to pick a word to describe my hair it would be 

UNPREDICTABLE 

So, after many years of trial and error I have come up with a list of my top styling products that tame my hair.

• I do use two or three products on my hair at a time

• I don't use a load of product that weighs the hair down but layer a smaller amount of the products in my hair

• I don't put each product all over my hair, just in the area I need it. e.g healing oil on the ends.

Sebastian Volumpt Spray

This is a root spray gel for volume. It works wonders for root lift . I love this product. It really brings shine to my hair too.

Sebastian Mousse Forte

This is more of an all over volume mousse, but when I use it I apply it more where I need it and then comb it through the rest of the hair. It is not sticky at all and brings amazing lift and volume that lasts over a few days . It makes my hair feel really light. A fantasic product for big hair!

Beauty Protector

This is a protect and detangle spray. It makes my hair smooth and soft and tangle free. It gets rid of the frizz and seems to prevent it frizzing up again during the day! I did a separate review on this product I love it so much here.

Macadamia Healing Oil Spray

I always found the normal healing oil a little heavy for my hair, but this spray is delightful. I got the smallest size to trial, but will be getting the biggest when I can! I use it on wet hair before I style and occasionally on dry ends between washes. It eliminates dryness almost completely. It is one of those "no brainer" products.

Sebastian Shaper Zero Gravity

This is a lightweight, brushable, control hairspray. It gives a light mist of spray, but not heavy control and brushes out easily. I use it to hold my hair during styling and find that my hair lasts days longer if I do . A revelation!

TRESemme Instantrefresh

This is a dry shampoo to remove oil and boost body. I used a whole bottle and more of this whilst camping this year. It is a great dry shampoo. It smells lovely and does not leave a residue behind. It is very similar to the KMS one, but a lot less expensive! A great find.

What is your current favourite hair product?

Design ©2012 Another New Day

www.takingachanceinlife.blogspot.uk 2012 - 2013

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A "Free" Product?

With my Boots Vouchers

I managed to buy our fridge freezer for the new kitchen off the Boots Electrical site. This meant I had , with my existing points a whopping £45 in points to spend! Boots also refunded the delivery fee of £19.99 on our fridge freezer due to the slightly unpleasant sales experience I had. That and an apology and I shall say no more - the matter for me is resolved!

I went and had a look at the Smashbox palettes that Boots are now stocking. I have had my eye on these for a while, but as usual I was tempted away from my intended choice by this gorgeous palette that is a limited addition.

Smashbox Palette - Another New Day Blog

It is called Fade to Black and has a lovely selection of browns, golds, shimmers, matts and a shiny black that will be perfect for the Christmas season! It is a slender box that sits neatly in the hand and contains a useful eye shadow brush too. 

I think most of my Boots points will be heading in this direction for the foreseeable future - I predict a new love affair beginning.

This is not particularly cheap at £32, but comparable with other palettes of it's quality. I have been wearing these colours almost every day since buying this and they are great. I do find with the darker colours they do drop a bit on application, but this is not a huge deal for me . It is easily compensated for by the gorgeous depth of colour and the fact that they look as good as new at the end of the day....they just last and last. I find the application smooth and even and although one swipe of colour is enough for me you could build up a really dramatic depth of colour with two or three layers if you were more adventurous. 

This is my first ever Smashbox purchase, but I shall be returning. I got given a few samples and loved the foundations so am saving up my Boots point again!

Design ©2012 Another New Day

www.takingachanceinlife.blogspot.uk 2012 - 2013

All personal images are owned by Another New Day

unless stated otherwise.

Images may not be downloaded,manipulated or reproduced without prior written permission. All rights are reserved.

Commercial or Private use without explicit written consent is prohibited and action will be taken through UK and worldwide copyright laws.

A Woman's Prerogative

To change her mind.

I have found that I have changed my mind on a couple of products that on first use I simply wasn't impressed with. Sometimes , however hard you try to like something at first it simply does't fit or work for you, but over time you begin to reach for it as you find it actually does what it says " on the tin"

I have a couple of products that when I first tried them out I really didn't think I would get on with them, but have ended up repurchasing and using again ....

Fickle ...moi?

1)The first is the Nip and Fab CC eye fix. 

I did a review on the CC cream and eye fix here and was not overly impressed , although did not completely write the eye fix off. However, I now have used it all up and repurchased it. I find it great for wearing under the eye, on top of my Bobbi Brown corrector. It gives a lightness to the eye area and also is great for a bit of contouring down the centre of the face. It has a lovely reflective quality to it without a unnatural sheen. I have the light shade.

2) The second product is a more recent purchase, but I have worn it constantly since buying it - the Bourjois Colour Boost. At first I felt it was too runny , but it actually is a lovely product and very easy to apply. The colour I have is Red Sunrise and is absolutely gorgeous. Love it. My original review is here. It is a Watermelon colour, not quite pillar box red , not pink. So much cheaper than the Clinque Chubby Sticks and a nice change from the Revlon Lip Stains.

I am wearing both products in this sheepish selfie.

Channeling the long fringed look as modelled so beautifully by Susie So So

I am trying to take the approach with my toiletries that I have with my wardrobe at the moment and am just using up what I already have. I have decided that my weakness is definitely in this area. At those times when I am trying to be careful with what I spend, I can convince myself that somehow it doesn't seem so bad to pop an extra lippie for £4.99 in the supermarket trolley, but of course it all adds up and I do have rather a great collection building up. I am going to see how long I can last without buying anything new. That is of course, after I have managed to obtain the "Notting Hill Nude Moisture Renew Lipstick" by Rimmel that seems to be eluding me in our sleepy part of the world! 

Design ©2012 Another New Day

www.takingachanceinlife.blogspot.uk 2012 - 2013

All personal images are owned by Another New Day

unless stated otherwise.

Images may not be downloaded,manipulated or reproduced without prior written permission. All rights are reserved.

Commercial or Private use without explicit written consent is prohibited and action will be taken through UK and worldwide copyright laws.

Protect and Detangle

Wednesday Beauty Buys

Beauty Protector

I have gone against a lot of what I have said before in repurchasing this product. 

It is a case of " don't throw the baby out with the bath water" . In other words, I don't want to discard every product because I am suspicious of one ingredient - alcohol denat.

This does have alcohol in it, but I shall overlook that for the benefit it seems to give my hair. 

My hair is dry at the ends from having colour applied to it and from being blow dried and straightened at regular intervals. I find a great shampoo and conditioner helps, but to keep it conditioned, shiny and tangle free when I am styling it this has been the only product lately that has worked. 

I don't know what it is that is in it that makes such a difference, but my hair is really soft and shiny and easy to manage when styling. 

I got my product through the Birchbox shop here. I don't think it retails on the High Street.

I am also using two great mousses for volume lift at the roots. Phyto Intense Volume Mousse  - review here and a new sample I am trying which I LOVE. Sebastian Mousse Forte. It keeps touchable volume with no dryness, on day 2 as well. I shall be tempted to buy a bottle when my sample runs out! You can get this reduced on Beauty Bay here.

What hair styling products are you loving at the moment?

Design ©2012 Another New Day

www.takingachanceinlife.blogspot.uk 2012 - 2013

All personal images are owned by Another New Day

unless stated otherwise.

Images may not be downloaded,manipulated or reproduced without prior written permission. All rights are reserved.

Commercial or Private use without explicit written consent is prohibited and action will be taken through UK and worldwide copyright laws.