NOTD: O.P.I & Models Own | Pink upon Pink |

O.P.I. // 'Be A Dahlia Won't You // £11.50  // Models Own // 'Hot Stuff' // Mirrorball Collection // £5.00

As you probably already know, I am a huge fan of the colour pink. Teamed with pink sparkles, it is pretty much the best combo out there. The base shade of this duo, O.P.I's 'Be A Dahlia Won't You', is one of my favourite nail varnishes in my collection, which I received as a gift a few Christmases ago from my sister. A deep shimmery hot pink, it adds dimension and depth compared to my other opaque polishes. I love both kinds of finish, but for this time of year I think shimmer looks a bit more festive. I love the look of O.P.I bottles, and the wide brush makes application easy and quick. The formula is also lovely and thin which makes it easy to build up layers and an opaque colour in max 3 coats. Minimal tip wear occurs in 1-2 days - not the best but there is no major chipping which is a plus point.

To jazz it up a bit more, I chose Models Own 'Hot Stuff' for an accent nail which is featured in their Mirrorball collection, that in my opinion one of their best launches. A clear polish, it features large chunks of gold, pink and iridescent glitter. I also like the colour coded top makes it easy to pick out of my ever growing nail varnish stash. In order to get a good coating this needs a few layers but it looks so nice once layered up. The only annoyance is that it is such a pain to get off but I suppose that is the case with all glitters. 

I think these nail varnishes together make such a good pairing - even the lady who served me in the Body Shop said how much she liked it, which is always a good sign! I also have a lip product which matches this perfectly which I will be popping up a review of soon. It is annoying that the colour hasn't come out as well on camera but I'm blaming the gloomy lighting! What is your favourite pink nail varnish? xxx

November Favourites

This post is quite late as we are nearly a week into December, however I had a few things I wanted to share this month that I've really enjoyed. These type of posts are one of my favourite to read, so wanted to pop my two cents up on the internet too.

Origins Drink Up Intensive: In a recent empties, I finished a sample of the normal Drink Up mask which I really enjoyed using. Considering my skin has been so dehydrated recently I decided to pick up a full size of the intensive version to give me that extra boost. It's worked wonders, smells divine and a little goes a long way. I'll be sure to post a proper review soon.

The Body Shop Spiced Pumpkin shower gel: I picked this up on a whim when I walked past the shop and saw they were having a sale. I bought this for half price at £2 along with 'Fuzzy peach' and am really enjoying using it. It's not the usual kind of shower gel I would go for as it isn't moisturising but the sweet yet spicy scent is perfect for this time of year.

Boots Botanics Rosewater Toning Spritz: After finishing up my Lush toner I wanted to try something new as I wasn't completely wowed by it. I picked this up after seeing a recommendation of it (can't remember which blogger, sorry!) and am so pleased I did. It has a strong rose scent which I enjoy and anything with rose water seems to agree with and aid my skin. I also really like the nozzle on it as it delivers a fine mist, which the Lush toner didn't. A full review of this is to come.

Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish: I know I've already waxed lyrical about this, but after finishing my bottle of it I tried out a new cleanser as I like to keep my options open. However I missed this, picked up another bottle and fell in love again. I think I will always have to have this in stock as it is definitely a holy grail item for me. It takes off makeup with ease, smoothes and softens my skin and has really helped with my dehydration issues too. Read my full review here.

MAC MSF in Lightscapade: A full review was recently put up on this product here, but I couldn't not mention it in my favourites. I've used it pretty much every day and think it is just so pretty both in the pan and on my face! It is finely milled, easily blended and very buildable - you can use it for a subtle shimmer or layer it on for more definition. It's so lovely and perfect for any occasion.

Tea variations: I've always loved a good cup of tea but recently I've branched into new flavours. I'm particularly enjoying Earl Grey at the moment (from Aldi) along with cinnamon tea (Holland and Barrat) with half a teaspoon of honey, which is great for this time of year. The latter choice was influenced by Sammi :)

Essie Carry On: Featured on a recent NOTD, this is a perfect shade for autumn/winter. It goes with loads of outfits, and complements the berry tones I've been enjoying wearing on my lips. I don't own anything else like it and think its a great addition to my nail varnish collection.

OPI 'I Lily Love You' (R) and 'Be A Dahlia Won't You' (L): Firstly, how cute are the names of OPI polishes?! I received this last christmas as a gift from my sister in a set of 3 and they are just so me. If I was a nail polish I would definitley be a combination of the two. They are beautiful on their own but this month I've been loving layering the glitter over the top of the hot pink as they really compliment each other. I'm sure there will be a NOTD post dedicated to them soon.

Do you like any of these products? What were in your favourites for November? xxx

Added Extras #1

(Sorry for the not so great picture!)

Since coming home for reading week I've come down with a nasty cold which I've been trying to keep at bay for weeks and just feel generally rubbish. I think the stress of third year is getting to me so I've been trying to chill out as much as possible. One of the best things about being at home is having my own bathroom and having a bath every evening, especially as the weather gets colder. Therefore, I've been taking the time to use this to my full advantage and treat myself a little to make me feel better. These products are something that I don't use every day and are therefore little 'added extras' when I want a bit of a pamper. 

I bought a few lush bath bits before coming back to treat myself and I've been enjoying using the Sunnyside bubble bar to make my bath time a bit more special and luxurious. At the moment the weather and my illness has made my skin look pretty crap - dull and dehydrated with a few blemishes to top it all off (you can tell I'm the picture of health...) so I've been adding some masks into my nighttime skin care routine to combat some of these problems. I began with the fab pore by Soap and Glory to give a deep clean and help reduce my pores, but the jury is still out on this one and I'm not sure if it lives up to my Origins Clear Improvements. I followed this up with Origins Out of Trouble mask which is great for calming down blemishes and leaves my skin lovely and smooth. I've run out of my Drink Up sample though to complete this 'triple threat facial' so will be purchasing this asap to rectify the dehydration issue. For my body I used my favourite scrub of the moment which is Soap and Glory's Flake Away which smells amazing and leaves my skin nourished and radiant.

Once out of the tub I completed my skin care routine and added my serum of choice - Estee Lauder's Advanced Night Repair into the mix. I received this as an extremely generous surprise present from Matt and boy am I glad! It evens out my skintone and injects radiance and moisture back into my skin. I then slathered on some of the Body Shop's Peppermint Cooling Foot Lotion before popping on some socks to put some moisture back into my feet. For the last step my nails got treated to O.P.I's 'Play The Peonies' with a layer of 'Disco Heaven' by Model's Own to inject a little winter sparkle.

What are your added extras for autumn? Do you have any product suggestions for dehydrated skin? xxx