*NAILS OF THE WEEK* MINNIE MOUSE

Quote of the week

"No, she wasn't beautiful in something as temporary as her looks. She was beautiful deep down in her soul"

*NAILS OF THE WEEK* COLOURFUL ABSTRACT

Fitness - Our goals!

So we thought we'd share some of our current fitness regimes and also goals that we'd like to achieve. We're mainly looking to tone up (NOT lose weight!) and generally become stronger and fitter and of course looking good! When people ask "How long are you going to keep that up for?!" We always say how it's all about having a healthy lifestyle in the long term and not having to sacrifice things but making better choices for yourself. It's not something we like to see as a "diet" because life is too short to give up things completely! especially things like cake and chocolate! It's all about moderation!

We'll also post our progress to let you know how we're getting on!

Manisha: I want to become fitter and improve my general health! I want to build my endurance and tone my body. 

Trish:  I want to tone my body in particular arms and core.  I'm giving the Insanity beach body workout a go, still early days but I'll keep you up to date with the progress. It's pretty crazy and you can definitely feel it the next day but shows that it's doing something!

Loveeee 

*REVIEW* Aussie 'miracle hair insurance' leave in conditioner

Aussie claims that this conditioner is a saviour for weak, distressed hair and that their unique formula, which has a drop of Australian Jojoba seed oil in it, detangles and helps protect hair from everyday wear and tear. The packaging of the bottle is simple and its simple to use as you can just spray it onto your hair directly.

My hair is dry and fairly hard to manage at times and I’ve been on the hunt for a product to make my hair more hydrated, soft and less frizzy! I spray this onto my hair after washing and conditioning as usual and it really softens and detangles my hair which is great because my hair is long, knot-prone and hardly ever tied up. So just a quick spritz after I towel dry my hair and it smooths my hair instantly and also the product isn’t heavy leaving my hair feeling weightless.  On top of all that the smell of this is absolutely lovely, it’s a very fruity fresh smell.  

Overall, I would definitely recommend this, I’ve been using this after every hairwash for about a month now and I’ve noticed that my hair is softer and more manageable. (See pictures above) even my natural hair (on the left) looks shiny and feels really soft! The price is reasonable too, just £4.49! I'm hoping to try the infamous 3 Minute Miracle deep conditioner as I’ve heard great things about it! 

What would you recommend ? 

RATING : 4.5

*REVIEW* KONAD Stamping nail art

I picked up this nail stamping kit when I went to Vegas a few years ago. There are different kits available but they all consist of a stamper, scraper and nail plates which have several designs on them. You apply the nail varnish onto the plate, scrape away the excess and use the stamp to pick up the design off the plate. All in all, I'm a BIG fan of KONAD and I still use it years later. Its really handy that you can always buy new plates with new designs when you get bored of the ones you have! Although I bought this in America, they have a UK website http://www.konad.co.uk and also if you search for KONAD on Amazon they usually have cheaper plates/gift sets

PROS ✓
- There are different plates with various designs to suit different styles. They have a range of small, whole nail and french tip designs too!
- It's pretty simple to use and the end result is very professional! A lot of the designs are hard to achieve when using nail brushes.
- Because the design is stamped onto your nail, it doesn't chip or fade easily and generally lasts a long time!

CONS ✘
- The set was fairly expensive - saying that I've definitely made my money's worth out of it especially as it can be used over and over! Plates are available on Amazon from around £3 which isn't too bad at all!
- Some intricate designs don't always stamp well but a good tip is to thoroughly remove the nail polish of the plate before each application. 

Overall, I'd definitely recommend KONAD to everyone! I'll most likely be using it in future nail tutorials so watch this space! 

RATING: ★ ★ ★ ★ 

OOTD - Playing with Pastels

Shirt - House of Fraser  

Shorts - H&M

Leaf bracelet - Peacock

White top - Topshop

Jeans - New Look 

Necklace - Primark 

Shoes - Deichmann

How to: take care of your nails

It is SO easy to forget about taking care of your nails or finding the time for it, but it is essential as the health of your nails can actually be an indication of your overall health too. It is really simple and easy to care for your nails between polishes and if you follow it through you will gradually see a difference with your nails having fewer breakages, growing faster and all in all, feeling stronger. Nails are made up of keratin growing on a nail bed which is rich in blood vessels, therefore, healthy nails should have a pink tinge. The cuticle is the layer of skin which meets the base of the nail. It has a protective function, covering the new cells that will eventually grow to form the nails. This is why... healthy cuticles = healthy nails 

NAIL ROUTINE

1) Remove all your nail polish. I recommend any liquid remover from Sally Hansen, Cutex or Boots own - they're all really good :) 

2) File your nails into your desired shape. Filing is easiest when they have been soaked either after a shower/bath or you can soak them in soapy water for 5-10 minutes. Also push your cuticles back using an orange stick and trim any dry skin with a cuticle trimmer. I personally prefer my nails with a square shape, I tried almond shaped nails but I didn't like them as much and also made my nails more prone to breakages :(

3) Nail Soak! There are so many different soaks that are beneficial for different nail types. Just make up the mixture in a container and soak each hand for around 10 minutes, massage the soak into your nails and then rinse thoroughly. Here's a few to try...

- Lemon juice (yellow nails)
- Milk and olive oil (weak/brittle nails) *my fav!*
- Any essential oils e.g. lavender (dry nails)
- Orange juice (slow-growing nails)

4) Buff your nails using a 4 way buffer - this will help to smooth out any ridges/bumps to give a clean finish when you apply the nail polish.

5) Finally, apply a good base coat which will help to strengthen your nails and also protect them from colour damage. I absolutely LOVE Sally Hansen's range especially this Double Duty Strengthening base and top coat - it's my secret to keeping my nails long and healthy! 

AND FINALLY you are ready to paint and decorate away :) If you're sitting there thinking "ain't nobody got time for that" your nails will honestly thank you for it, so give it a go!

*REVIEW* Garnier Nutrisse Fiery Red 6.60

So I decided to do a review on Garnier Nutrisse's Ultra Colour in Fiery Red. With it being the first time I was dyeing my whole hair and with such a change of colour I was a little worried with how it would turn out and also whether it would suit my skin tone. I have to say I couldn't have been happier with the results! In fact I was pretty surprised as my hair was dark brown but the red stood out even in natural lighting. So far I've dyed my hair twice (in January and June) and although the red colour is hard to maintain it faded to a nice brown colour which I quite liked. 

Because I dyed ontop of my ombre hair, the red on my ends was very intense but still had a gradual fade which worked nicely. 

TIP TO MAINTAIN COLOURED HAIR

Use a colour protect shampoo and conditioner to enhance and help to maintain your colour for longer. Some hair care products can strip away the colour of your hair, so ensure you buy haircare products that are aimed at preserving colour. I used Elvive's colour protect range as I'm generally a fan of their haircare range!

RATING: ★★★★★

Skin care tips

Some basic skin care tips! :)

Facemasks help to get: refined pores, increased hydration, even skin tone, firmer skin tone and helps to de-stress

Have a skin care routine and stick to it! Find products that suit your skin type! 

Using ice on your skin can reduce pores and help with acne scars. My pores look smaller, my skin glows more and I break out less too! It's a good idea to apply ice under a thin cloth, just to prevent any capillary damage   
                                                                                                 


Use honey! I love honey on my skin - it makes my skin glow and reduces any spots/ scars. Apply honey once a week for best results 


 Sandalwood powder helps with keeping your skin clear, it is great for reducing acne scars and softening the skin. Apply rose water to the powder and apply it on your face leave for around 20 minutes


Drink lots and lots of water! Water helps your skin to glow and helps to get rid of toxins from the body.  Eating healthily shows its benefits on your skin too!


Use sunscreen , make sure to remove make up completely and avoid touching your face too much as the oils and dirt from our fingers can cause breakouts!

 M x

Whip it real gooood: DIY Avocado & olive oil hair mask

If you suffer from dry/dull or colour damaged hair, this mask is an AMAZING fortnightly deep conditioner that will leave your hair feeling silky and nourished. Its really easy to make and can be made using inexpensive ingredients that you will probably have at home :) Hair masks are so beneficial and by making them using easy to find ingredients you will save money, time and improve the condition of your hair at the same time (err BONUS!). They act by closing the cuticles on the hair shaft and as a result this reinforces it's protective barrier which means shiny, healthy and silky hair! 

WHAT WILL YOU NEED:
- Half a ripe Avocado (if you have longer/thicker hair you may need a full one!)
- Extra virgin olive oil 

METHOD:
1) Scoop the flesh out the avocado into a mixing bowl
2) Mash using a fork (you can use a food processor to get a smoother mixture!)
3) Add a teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil
4) Mix together until there are no lumps and you will be left with a smooth creamy paste

*At this stage you can also add a few other household ingredients like honey, yoghurt or even other oils (coconut/almond). *

5) Apply the paste to dry unwashed hair starting from the ends up to the roots. If you have greasy/oily hair I wouldn't recommend taking it all the way up to your roots, I personally just concentrate the mixture to the ends. Once you've done this, tie your hair into a bun and cover your hair using a plastic carrier bag and this will help to lock in the heat.
6) Leave it in for about an hour and then wash your hair with your normal routine. Be sure to get all the bits out!
7) HELLOO amazing hair ;)

* Disclaimer: Please remember to try a 48 hour tester patch before trying any new masks. Even though natural ingredients are used, theres always a risk of developing a reaction! *

Hope you love it ♥

T x

First Post!

hey everyone 

So we'll make this short and sweet

we are both students in london and finally decided to start a blog about all things beauty and more

watch this space for posts! 

Trisha&Manisha xoxo