Nailing the dark side this Halloween

Whether you're a Halloween fan (and I think it's clear I am) or just looking for some Autumn tones here are some that have made their way into my testing pile recently. 

Despite celebrating their 30th birthday just recently and being Germany's no 1 selling make up brands, ARTDECO is still fairly new to the UK market. I was introduced to them via the Mystical Forest collection, inspired by 'enchanted forests'. I have are 702 Couture Dark Queen*  and 794 Couture Dim Grey* still left to try and 700 Couture Mystical Heart* which I loved. It's a darker version of Chanel Rouge Noir and I really enjoyed wearing it and it's made a home straight into my stash. Unlike 707 Couture Crown Pink* which I really expected to love but didn't. I expected a richer raspberry type shade but it is more of a reddy brown which I don't favour, despite compliments and my mum has subsequently pinched it from me as she was such a fan.

In terms opacity I can only speak for those I have tried and they both required two coats to achieve the look I desire. Both lasted longer than I expected with only Crown Pink which I'm still wearing now experiencing some chipping, largely due to an IKEA visit at the weekend!

If you prefer your gel nails then Sensationail have you covered. I've yet to try Midnight Rendevous* but I hear it's great with glitter on top but Moroccan Rouge* was on my nails last week. This was a bit of a strange one for me, it was a rich burgundy but with a shimmer through it which I can't decide if I loved or not. Unlike the red I used to test my Sensationail Starter Kit out with this was a little harder to apply, as darker shades often are. Some nails I thought looked great others not so much and it all depended on the light I was in. Of course this is no fault of the polish, merely my application skills and possibly why I've been cautious at testing Midnight Rendevous. That said the love for Sensationail gel nails continues and my biggest problem remains removing the colours and fighting the urge to go straight back in with more gel when I have other products to try.

What nail colour will you be sporting on Halloween?

*This post contains press samples

September 2015 Favourites

Throughout the month I have a page in my notebook where I list down products or 'things' that I have been enjoying throughout the month. Whilst there were a few other things of note it was these three that stood out to me and I decided, less is more.

First up we have my latest obsession, Snapchat. I've downloaded the app numerous times but did not have a clue what I was doing. Not to mention with all the other areas of social media I'm trying to keep up with did I need another? Apparently I do. For those who don't know its for you to upload a 10 second video or image, your 'snap' where it will sit for 24 hours and then disappear into the world wide web.

As someone who is interested in vlogging but lacks the time and skill at present to film and edit 'proper' vlogs this is perfect. Just recently you will have seen me snapping the tidy up of my dressing table as well as sneak peeks at products I'm testing at the moment. The images are great for when you have something not quite instagram worthy but still want to share.

You can find me under username FlorenceandMary.

Next is an old favourite, Mac Syrup lipstick. I have had this lipstick for years and as you can see its well loved. More recently I've swerved the neutrals for my reds and to be honest I don't reach for Mac that often but lately I've been craving a nude lip of sorts as I play around with darker eyeshadows and this does the trick. It's now found a 'permanent' home in my everyday make up bag.

A product I forgot to include in the photograph (and didn't like the ones I retook yesterday!) but still wanted to mention is the Lorac Behind the Scenes Eye Primer. I'm lucky enough to own both Lorac Pro Palettes and with each of those comes an eye primer. I always reach for eye primers before big nights out but on a day to day basis it's something I skip. As I'm having a sort through of my make up collection I wanted to test this out and see how it compared to the Urban Decay eye primer I would usually use and whether it was something to keep. The first thing I've noticed subsequently is both the Urban Decay and Lorac eye primers are comparable and work well at maintaining the longevity of my eye make up but it's the Lorac one that stood out initially as I'd not used the UD one for so long and thought the Lorac was amazing. In short eye primers are now part of my daily make up routine.

Finally is the Sensationail at home gel nail kit*. You may have read my review post here but if not in short this is a quick, simple and long lasting gel kit that you can do in the comfort of your home, taking the same time as any normal nail paint job. The nails lasted a good two weeks with some minor chipping towards the end which I think was as much to do with my not sealing the ends of the nails as general wear. I also found it didn't lift as obviously as salon gel manicures yet when I went to remove them it came off far easier. My overall experience with this kit is a good one and it was telling that as soon as I removed them I wanted to reapply again for ease but I was restrained and allowed my nails a rest for a week.

So there you have a short and sweet favourites post this month, what have you been loving?

*This post contains press samples

Sensationail Nail Starter Kit Review

Sensationail Nail Starter Kit*

I've happily jumped on any nail trend there is from acrylics to fibre glass nails  - is anyone else old enough to remember them? Currently it's all about gel nails whether you're a fan of Gelish, Biosculpture or simply rely on a top coat that gives the appearance of a professional manicure. But what if you want the professional gel manicure but have neither time nor money to visit your local salon? Sensationail have the answer.

Sensationail is the number 1 selling home gel nail system in the US and after just one use I can totally see why and have am already hooked. I was recently sent a Sensationail Nail Starter Kit* to try but for one reason and another it had languished in the testing drawer as I'd decided I needed to devote a significant portion of time to test it. How wrong was I. This is the quickest, simplest kit to use and is no less time consuming than a regular nail polish paint job.

Each kit contains a gel cleanser, primer, base/top coat, your colour and a Pro 3060 LED Lamp. I received the french manicure kit but acknowledging my nails wouldn't look their best with a french manicure I treated myself to the colour Scarlett Red. 

First you prepare the nails by filing and lightly buffing the nail with the enclosed nail file. Next use the lint-free wipes (also enclosed) to clean the nails with your gel cleanser. Apply the base coat and cure under the lamp for 30 seconds for each hand. Follow this with two coats of your colour, curing for 60 seconds at each coat and finish with a layer of the top coat, curing as instructed. Finally wipe the nails with the gel cleanser and you're done. Yes it really is that simple. 

Simple though it was I did learn a few lessons from this first attempt at my own gel manicure. Firstly the LED lamp will work/light for 60 seconds at a time. As such if you're doing a 30 second cure I would advise painting both hands and then swapping over at the 30 second beep. I appreciate the additional 30 seconds saved won't make too much difference but it will mean you're not 'wasting' the lamp being on without use. 

Secondly the most important thing I'll stress, and please don't ignore the instructions like I did, do cap the nail by running the brush along the nail tip. I didn't do this and whilst it hasn't made any dramatic difference there is wear that wouldn't be there had I done this and it also allowed my nails to exposed to snagging. Likewise make sure you cover the whole nail, the same as with a regular polish if a corner is 'free' it'll be more than likely to chip or break. 

Other than these 'user errors' I have no complaints whatsoever and have subsequently sang the kits praises to anyone that will listen. You can take a look at my Sensationails (see what I did there!) over here. 

By now I'm sure you're all saying well this sounds great, how much? The Sensationail Nail Starter Kit costs you £69.99 which I appreciate sounds pricey but when you remember a salon gel manicure will cost you anywhere from £20 upward and the Sensationail Nail Starter Kit will provide up to 10 uses you're looking at approx £5 per manicure. It doesn't sound too bad when you work it out does it?

And when your equipment runs out? You just pick up any one of the kits available. Personally I will replace the primer and top coat but the cleanser is really just nail polisher remover and we all have a stash of orange sticks, nail files and the like don't we. And of course there's an array of nail colours to choose from, priced at £15 whatever mood you're in.

This is the perfect product to put on your Christmas list or make use of your Boots Advantage Card points if you can't wait till payday. If you're a gel nails fan you won't be disappointed. I'm a week in with my manicure and apart from the wear mentioned at the tips, the manicure still looks good as new. It's unheard of for me to spend a Sunday not thinking of repainting my nails.

The only downside? At some point I'm going to have to remove them and no one likes that job do they.

Have you tried an at home gel manicure kit before or does this tempt you?

*This post contains press samples.