Nail Rock: Rockits Nail Art Kits

Nail Rock: Rockits Nail Art Kits

The trend for nail art is going nowhere. Everywhere you look there's a new finish, a new adornment and a new trend to get your head around. Although I've never been sold on feathered nails, caviar nails or anything in-between, I can totally get on board with sticking bits and bobs on your nails like it's 1993. Nail Rock may be more known for their nail transfers and creative stick-on designs, but with these cute little kits they're channeling their inner Ciate and bringing something new to their very fussy and creative table. Available in four different colour ways, each including unique adornments, these cute kits bring everything together that you may need to create your own bespoke nail art. Each pack includes a nail varnish, a matching furry coating, plus three different types of nail adornments which make the different looks and possible creations infinite.

 With their first dip into the nail varnish market (they've only ever produced nail accessories before,) they've made a pretty decent polish that applies easily and leaves a strong coat of colour. Although I personally hate the fluffy coatings that seem to be so popular, their version is perfectly wearable. What I do love though are the cute little adornments that you can stick on to your wet nail to create a rocking look; you can even mix and match the colours, effects and accessories from different kits to increase the possibilities and combinations even further. Although the smaller adornments stick easily onto the nail, the giant pearl bow was a big struggle for me - no matter what I did it just kept pinging off. The only addition I would make to each kit would be a little tube of nail glue to ensure everything stays in place as long as you want it to. Regardless, at £10 each these really are quite a bargain; I haven't seen a kit contain so many pieces for such a little amount (Ciate usually charge more than double for half the contents.) If you're a nail art fan you really can't go wrong - you'll have totally rocking nails quicker than you can say "blingtastic."

The kits are available exclusively in Topshop stores and via their website, in four combinations (green, blue, purple and red) for £10.00 each.

Resurrect Your Style

Resurrect Your Style

As you all know, I had my hair chopped off a few weeks ago by the lovely people at Toni & Guy. I love my new style but it very much depends on having a large amount of volume so I can channel sex kitten rather than little boy. (Ok, it’s not that short, but it don’t look good!) It’s all well and good when I style my hair in the morning, but by lunchtime it’s lost most of its volume and zhuzh (technical term) my hair every five minutes. By the end of the day it’s lost the will to live completely and needs a hellovalorra hairspray to get it back on track. When I was getting my barnet sorted the lovely T&G ladies told me about a few of their products and this one caught my attention – Resurrection Style Dust. It literally expands in the little pot when you shake it which had me hooked.

The dust comes in a little pot with a ‘salt shaker’ top so you get a little out at a time. The texture of the dust is surprisingly tacky (I presumed it would be like dry shampoo) but I guess this is what helps it to stick around – excuse the choice of words! All you have to do is apply it to the root areas of your crown and anywhere else you want a bit of volume and zhuzh to your hearts content. It literally expands before your eyes, creating a really volumised look in seconds. Like I said, the formula is tacky so you need to wash your hands and be careful when you touch your hair so this may not be for everyone, but I love it. The best thing though is that to resurrect your style you simple zhuzh your hair again and it expands... simples. This lasts all day and only needs a little bit more to get you through all night too. It’s perfect for going from office to bar or for taking out on the town to sort your hair out at 3am (or 9am depending what you’ve been up to!)

Jo Malone: At Home

Jo Malone: At Home

Our favourite fragrance brand has made the brave step into home fragrance with the launch of their first collection, entitled 'Scent Surround'. It makes perfect sense to me that they've diversified into room sprays, diffusers, drawer liners and sachets to make your home smell as beautiful as your skin. Available in Lime Basil & Mandarin, Pomegranate Noir and Red Roses, these are sure to make you want to sit on your sofa and enjoy the beautiful scents circulating you.  

"Any room, any occasion, transforms when it's styled with scent. A way to personalise your home with candles, and room sprays. Because the ambience of your home should be as inviting as the fragrance on your skin. To uplift, to wind down...or simply to add an air of luxury. The fragrant glow of a candle immediately fills a room with an inviting atmosphere. Understated and sleekly designed. Personalise your home with unexpected scents that are always adored." 

The iconic packaging has also been turned on its head, with cream taking a back seat in favour of a sleeker black - I like it a lot. I've got a room diffuser to take out and play with, so I'll be sure to come back and share my experience with you soon! Would you invest in a Jo Malone home fragrance? 

Available now priced between £20.00 and £45.00

Benefit: How to Look the Best at Everything makeup kit

Benefit: How to Look the Best at Everything makeup kit

The key to makeup success is knowing what products work well together and how to build up a complete look. Sometimes it's a real challenge knowing what to use or how to apply the various concoctions that include primer, foundation, concealer, highlighter and blush - and that's before you get anywhere near the eyes! Benefit have taken a little bit of the worry out of everyone's routines with this cute little kit 'How to Look the Best at Everything.' The cute book contains Porefessional primer to help minimise the appearance of pores while creating a barrier between makeup and skin, Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow foundation (read more of that fabulous must-have here,) two variants of Boi-ing concealer so you can mix your perfect shade, plus Hello Flawless powder to fix the whole lot into place. There's a step-by-step guide of how to apply, plus a little brush to pat everything into shape before applying any other products. I love the fact that the products can be removed and used on their own, or popped into a travel bag, especially the great concealer tray which will come in very handy for someone like me that doesn't leave the house without some touch-up. The only thing that doesn't come out of the box is the powder (a little annoying) but when you've used everything, you can even remove the card holder and re-use this as a keepsake box for all your bits and bobs. This is a great introduction to Benefit's face products, as well as a perfect gift for someone you know loves Benefit products. If only there was a box that told us how to dress...

The 'How to Look the Best at Everything' kit retails at £24.50. Available in light, medium or dark.

Melvita: Life is Rosy

Melvita: Life is Rosy

The easiest part of your cleansing routine to forget is often the very end part. You've removed your makeup, you've cleansed and buffed the skin and then you go to tone... Is it worth it? What does it actually do? Can I face to use yet another product? This is actually a really important part of the routine as not only does it help to remove the last traces of impurities and product, but it helps to re-balance the skin and ensure it's able to absorb moisture effectively. Toner is a really loosely used term, but we all generally get what it means and understand it's part of the essential daily maintenance of skin. These two products from Melvita do that and more, providing a light final touch to skin while giving you a sneaky sniff of turkish delight.

Melvita is an organic brand, so there's no harmful chemicals or alcohol which can work against skin or strip it of essential oils. The products both contain wild rose petal extract, which not only gives it an amazing scent, but also helps to rejuvinate and moisturise skin. The 'fresh micellar water' removes makeup, cleanses and tones all in one while targeting areas of the skin to provide the perfect amount of hydration where needed; you can use this on its own or after washing the face for an extra clean feeling. It doesn't leave skin feeling tight or in need of extra moisturiser, but refreshed and healthy. If you're a 'no fuss' kind of gal then this is perfect for you, making skincare very simple yet effective; you just need one swipe of this on cotton wool and you're done.

The 'rose extraordinary water' has become something of a cult product with those in the know. Its unique gel texture melts onto the skin to remove impurities, whilst firming and helping to contour the face. You can use this either before or after makeup - it's somewhat a flexible product that just really helps to keep skin looking and feeling healthy. I've been using this before bedtime moisturiser, as well as after the shower to leave my skin feeling comfortable and ready for makeup. It's a universal 'must have' that is almost as multi-tasking as vaseline... You'll be discovering new uses for this and wondering how you ever lived without it. At £14.00 and £14.50 these are both reasonably priced, considering the purity of the ingredients and the size of the bottle. The brand is definitely on the rise in the UK, so grab a small part of France and get tres chic before anyone else.

Find out more about the rose range on their website.

Benefit: Watt's Up?

Benefit: Watt's Up?

Benefit just keep knocking them out of the park. The newest release from the cheeky brand from San Francisco is this cute, yet practical, soft focus highlighter. During the winter months you have to tone down the bronzer, so highlighters are the easiest way to create definition and contouring. This cream-to-powder finish is perfect for creating a really subtle light on cheekbones to inject a dash of health into cold cheeks.

The product is double ended, with the highlighter being in stick form on one end and a soft foam smudger on the other. The highlighter is not unlike a chubby stick or fat balm, sweeping over the cheeks directly to enable light to be added to the specific areas required. It's quite unusual to have a highlighter in this form, but it definitely has its benefits - not smashing in your bag for one!

The colour is a soft gold with a hint of peach that blends into the skin, creating very subtle shimmers that catch the light. It turns into a powder-type finish, meaning that it's perfect for those of you that don't like a dewy glow. Its handy little pack is genius, making it perfect for taking around with you without fear of busting it - the highlighter is double contained, so there's no way it's going to highlight the inner lining of your bag! Another great little product from Benefit that delivers on all accounts.

Available now priced £23.50 (Ok, it's not cheap but the pack makes it worth it!)