Leighton Denny Crystal Nail File

Leighton Denny Crystal Nail File

Until fairly recently, my nails were in a pretty sorry state. I had issues with peeling, breaking and ridges, and consequently, I found I was having problems with nail polish chipping and peeling after only a couple of days of wear. I actually worked my way through quite a few different types of base coats and top coats before I realised that the products I was using weren’t the issue and that the condition of my nails was to blame. So, I decided to go back to basics and after searching around online for recommendations, I invested in a few different products to help get my nails in shape.

I bought quite a few different things to help with the problems I was having, including a bottle of Orly’s Cutique to soften and remove my horribly dry, damaged cuticles, a bottle of Boots Expert Nail Strengthener to harden up my paper thin nails (this is actually really good stuff considering it’s so cheap!), and a decent nail buffer to help smooth ridges. But, the product I invested in which I feel has made the biggest difference to my nails is, Leighton Denny’s Crystal nail file. Described as the ‘Rolls Royce’ of nail files, it’s won numerous awards (it almost always pops up on glossy magazines top 100 product lists), promises to simply turn nails to dust and to make filing quick and easy. And my god, it really does do a brilliant job!

Before purchasing a Leighton Denny file, I was using a no brand, cheapy glass one I’d picked up at Boots last year, and while it did an ok job at shaping my nails, it didn’t really leave the edge of the nail completely smooth. Leighton Denny’s does exactly what’s promised and actually makes filing my nails a pretty pleasant experience. It shapes and files quickly and easily, it never drags, and it never ever leaves the edge of my nails feeling rough, jagged or uneven. Since replacing my cheaper file with this one, I’ve noticed a huge improvement with the peelies, have had no splits, and have seen a positive improvement with the overall condition of my nails.

See, unlike traditional metal nail files, or emery boards, crystal files are designed to gently file and actually seal the nail edge, which in turn helps to prevent the nasties (splits and catches) mentioned above. They’re also extremely easy to keep clean, and don’t wear down like traditional files. In Fact, Leighton Denny’s crystal file comes with a lifetime guarantee, so if the surface of the file diminishes in its efficacy, the product will be replaced free of charge. Pretty good, eh?

Leighton Denny Crystal File Guarantee

As you can probably tell, I’m incredibly happy with my purchase and with the results I’ve seen since I started using it. I think the other products I’ve been using, along with generally taking more time over my nails have helped to improve the condition too, but I really think I have my Leighton Denny file to think for the lack of peelies and splits I’ve had over the last few months. Overall, it’s a fantastic product and one I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend. In fact, I’d say it’s quite possibly one of, if not the best nail product I’ve purchased, and I wouldn’t be without mine. 

Available from the signature Leighton Denny site (£12.00). There's also a larger file available (£15.00), and a set which contains both the small file and a larger version (£27.50).

What sort of file do you use? Do you have a favourite nail strengthener?

Butter London Nail Colours On Sale At BrandAlley

BrandAlley currently have a great, Butter London sale going on, with lots of lovely colours and sets on offer!

Sets of three, Butter nail colours, in lots of different colour combinations are £18.50, duo sets are £15.00, and sets which include a top coat, base coat and a polish are £21.00. Not a bad deal, considering they cost £12.00 for one bottle at Zuneta and Hq Hair!

The only slight snag with BrandAlley, is they wait until the sale ends before dispatching goods, so delivery does take a while. The estimated dispatch date on most of the Butter sets is the 1st of May. Still, there are some bargains to be had if you're willing to wait a while for your goodies.

www.brandalley.co.uk

Orange & Peach Lips, Nails & Cheeks

I know it’s not quite summer yet, but the brighter and slightly warmer weather we’ve been having here over the last couple of weeks has had me reaching for brighter, summery nail and make-up colours. One of the shades I’ve been sporting on nails, lips and cheeks a lot over the last few weeks is, orange. The zesty, bright hues have been fished out of the stash, along with some softer, peachy shades that were picked up last year, so I thought I’d do a little picture post and share some of the colours I’ve been wearing.

Chanel Cashmere, June & Miami Peach

Chanel Cashmere - A peachy/salmon shade shot through with lots of delicate gold shimmer. Cashmere is the first Chanel polish I ever purchased and it sat, unloved in my polish drawer for a long time, as I wasn't sure if I liked the colour on me. I rediscovered it recently though, and have been enjoying the soft, golden peach a lot over the last few weeks.

Chanel June - Again, I wasn't sure if the colour worked with my skin tone after first swatching it, but after giving it another go, I've fallen in love with the soft creamy apricot shade.

Chanel Miami Peach - I purchased this last year and wore it a lot during the summer months. It's a juicy coral/orange which contains tiny, gold shimmers. It's sheer, has an almost jelly type finish

and looks delicious on fingers and toes.

Leighton Denny Do Me A Flavour & Nails Inc Candy Orange

Leighton Denny Do Me A Flavour & Nails Inc Candy Orange - Both are bright and summery, vibrant oranges, which look fab on fingers and toes.

Top-Bottom: Candy Orange, Do Me A Flavour, Miami Peach, June & Cashmere

Two coats of each in the photo above, apart from Miami Peach and Cashmere, which are both three coats.

NARS Bohemian Gold & Dior Peachy Adventure

NARS Bohemian Gold - The shimmery taupe shade in the duo gets a lot of love, but until recently, I'd barely touched the peachy/salmon colour. After playing with the shade, I've found that it does create a really pretty look when used with a light hand and paired with the taupe colour. It actually works quite well used as a blush, too! 

Dior Flight in Peachy Adventure - The gloss and shadow in this palette were a bit of a disappointment, but the peach blush is lovely.

Chanel Coral Reef & Jemma Kidd Coral

Chanel Coral Reef Glossimer - A juicy peach with lots of gold shimmer. Used alone it's a little bit too sheer on my pigmented lips, but it works really well when paired with La Pausa.

Jemma Kidd Coral Silk Touch Gloss - A vibrant orange in the tube, which looks surprisingly natural when it's on. It leaves lips with a glossy hint of orange, non-sticky colour.

NARS Happy Days Velvet Gloss Pencil - A fresh peachy/pink coral infused with tiny, delicate gold sparkles. I love the non-sticky formula and texture of these, and will definitely be grabbing a few more of the available shades this year.

Chanel Rouge Coco La Pausa - A peachy coral shade with golden/coppery shimmer. The formula and finish are excellent, and the colour is a fantastic summery shade.

Revlon Peach Parfait Lip Butter - A shimmery peachy pink. Again, formula and finish are both nice. And these are a bit of a bargain at £7.99 a tube.

L-R: Revlon Peach parfait, Chanel Coral Reff & La Pausa, Nars Happy Days & Jemma Kidd Coral

Have you started wearing summery brights yet, or are you making the most of pretty, spring pastels?

Becca Pewter Eye Tint Swatches & Review

Last year I picked up two Becca Eye Tints in a Lookfantastic sale, and both colours quickly became firm favourites. I reach for Baroque on a fairly regular basis to add a simple wash of natural colour, and Vicuna is used almost everyday to even out my lids and create a base for other shadows. The range of shades available in Eye Tints is fairly small, but there were a few other shades I’d had my eye on for a while, which I recently picked up.

Becca Eye Tints: Pewter, Romanticism, Baroque & Vicuna

For those of you who haven’t tried Eye Tints before, they’re basically cream shadows, which glide on like a crème and set to a powder. They’re described as being long-lasting, water and crease resistant, and easy to apply, and they’re packaged in the same 7ml squeeze tubes as the brand’s Beach Tints.

Pewter is described as a rich, grey black on the Becca site, which is a pretty accurate colour description. It’s definitely the richest, most pigmented Eye Tint colour I own and unlike the others I have, is completely shimmer free. The colour is absolutely perfect for creating a smoky eye, and it also works incredibly well as a base for other shadows, and as a replacement for pencil on the lower lash line. I don’t often apply pencil to my lower lash line, as I find it sometimes looks a little bit harsh on me, but a little bit of Pewter smudged along my lashes creates a lovely, soft look.

Becca Eye Tint: Pewter

Like the other Eye Tints I own, Pewter is unbelievably quick and easy to apply and blends with very little effort. The texture is most similar to Baroque and is slightly thicker than Vicuna and Romanticism, which sometimes separate slightly in the tube and need a good shake before they’re used. A tiny amount (about the size of a grain of rice) is enough to create a wash of budge-free colour on both eyes.

Pewter Applied With Amure & Silesia (Enigma Palette)

Lasting power is one of the things I love most about Becca’s Eye Tints. Once they’ve been applied and have had time to set, they really do stay put all day. I get no problems with fading and have had absolutely no problems with creasing on my oily lids, which is fantastic.

Becca Eye Tint: Pewter

Becca Pewter

All in all, Pewter is an excellent shade for creating a quick and easy smoky eye, and I’m really glad I’ve added it to my Eye Tint collection. The formula and texture are both excellent, as is lasting power and finish. If you’re a fan of Becca’s Eye Tints or a fan of the smoky eye look and want something that’s quick and easy to apply, Pewter is definitely worth checking out.

Becca Eye Tint: Pewter

Available from Lookfantastic & Beauty Expert (£20.00 for a 7ml tube)

Have you tried Eye Tints? Do you have any favourite products for creating a smoky eye?

Soap & Glory Sunday: The Daily Smooth Body Butter

Last Christmas I acquired quite large selection of Soap & Glory products, and have been gradually working my way through the various lotions, potions, butters and glosses since. I think I’ve managed to test most of what I received now and thought I’d start a little series of posts on the goodies I’ve tried. I’m kicking it off today with one of the body moisturisers I received, The Daily Smooth Body Butter. 

Soap & Glory The Daily Smooth Body Butter

The Daily Smooth is described as an amazingly-effective dry skin formula body butter lotion. It contains rosehip seed oil and cocoa butter, and is scented with one of the brands body spray fragrances, Mist You Madly, which contains notes of bergamont, blackcurrent, magnolia, freesia, vanilla and musk.

I haven’t tried Mist You Madly, but I certainly want to after giving the body butter a sniff. The scent is fruity, floral, and feminine, and sticks around for a while after application, too. Consistency wise, The Daily Smooth is quite thick and creamy, but softer and has a bit more ‘slip’ to it than most body butters I’ve tried. The texture is similar to a thick lotion, and it spreads well and sinks in quickly.

I absolutely loath anything that leaves a greasy film or residue on my skin, and I’m pleased to report that S&G Body Butter doesn’t. Once I’ve applied and rubbed it in, what I’m left with is silky smooth skin that’s delicately scented with the lovely, fruity fragrance. I’m almost sure I see a slight sheen on the areas it’s been applied to as well, but there’s no mention of light reflecting particles on the tube or the site, so I might just be seeing things. 

Soap & Glory The Daily Smooth

Overall, The Daily Smooth is a great, reasonably priced body lotion. Perhaps not the best choice for those with really dry skin as it’s not the most hydrating moisturiser I’ve tried, but fab for normal skin that’s in need of a bit of hydration. The scent is lovely, as is the texture and silky smooth feeling that’s left behind after application.

Available from Boots (£8.50 for a 250ml tube). You can currently pick up a free 500ml S&G shower gel when you spend £10.00 or more on selected Soap & Glory products, too.

Have you tried The Daily Smooth? Any favourites from the Soap & Glory range?

Clarins Ever Matte Foundation Swatches

Ever Matte is the newest addition to the Clarins foundation range. It’s described as a light weight, skin perfecting fluid foundation, and contains plant extracts and minerals to fight unwanted shine. It’s aimed at oily and combination skin types, and according to Clarins, the finish is natural and long lasting.

 I’ve tried quite a few of the bases from the Clarins foundation range now, and have really liked most of them. Their Truly Matte base felt nice and did a pretty good job at keeping the oilies at bay, and the brand’s Everlasting foundation is one of the most natural looking and long lasting foundations I’ve tried. I’ve read quite a few reviews on the newest foundation in the Clarins line-up over the past few weeks, and was eager to try it, so I grabbed a few samples from my local counter last week.

I normally use the shade, Nude 105 in Everlasting, so I assumed I’d be the same in the brand’s Ever Matte foundation, too. It seems the shades run slightly darker, though, and 104 Cream is a better match for my NC15/20 ish skin tone in the Ever Matte. The consistency is quite similar to Everlasting – quite thick and creamy, and it also has the same watermelon scent, which I personally quite like. It applies and blends really well, feels nice and light weight, and dries to a natural, matte finish. I was a little bit surprised at just how natural the finish is, actually. I was expecting it to be a little bit heavy and ‘flat’ looking, but it manages to create a matte finish, which somehow looks radiant and glowy, too. 

Clarins describe Ever Matte as being a medium coverage base, and I’d definitely agree. It covers redness and blemishes nicely and builds well without looking cake-y or heavy. I still need a blob of concealer on more difficult to cover areas, but overall, it evens everything out well.

Ever Matte is available in eleven different shades, which cater well for light and medium skin tones. Those with very light or very dark skins might have problems finding a colour match, though.

Clarins Ever Matte Swatches: 103 Ivory, 104 Cream, 105 Nude, 107 Beige & 108 Sand

Clarins Ever Matte Swatches: 109 Wheat, 110 Honey, 111 Toffee, 112 Amber & 113 Chestnut

So, I guess the most important question is, how well does it do at keeping the oilies at bay? And the answer is, really well actually! I’ve been using Ever Matte for the past few days, and finishing it with my regular NARS loose powder, and I’m really impressed with the wear time. I’d say I get a good five hours wear before my oily areas (t-zone) need blotting, which isn’t bad at all. Ever Matte also wears evenly, doesn’t cake, and I’ve had zero problems with oxidation/colour change.

Overall, I really like Ever Matte, and will certainly consider purchasing a full size tube when my current bottle of Everlasting runs out. Coverage and feel are both nice, as is the finish, and lasting powder is good, too. 

Have you tried Ever Matte? What do you think of it?

Leighton Denny S/S 2012 Castaway Collection

Leighton Denny’s Castaway collection consists of six, summery shades, inspired by warm sandy beaches, crystal blue waters and desert islands. 

Blue Lagoon - A fusion of teal and turquoise create a stunning, exotic creamy blue.

Coconutty - A mouth watering milk chocolate, infused with subtle gold shimmer.

Shipwrecked - A fresh pistachio, creamy green.

Coral Reef -  A sizzling red-coral, inspired by the tropical colours seen in recent designer collections.

Message In A Bottle - A luxurious sandy nude with a cream finish.

Maroon me Knot - A vibrant violet, perfect for Spring/Summer. 

I'll definitely be adding a few of these beauties to my ever growing Leighton Denny collection. Blue Lagoon, Coconutty and Shipwrecked all look like gorgeous, fresh summery shades, and are a nice change from the oranges, corals and bright pinks I tend to stick to.

All shades are available from the official Leighton Denny site, and beautybay.com, where worldwide postage is free. They're £11.00 each.