{Nailed It} L'Oreal Press-On Nails

For the sake of nostalgia, I decided to put my feelings about press-on nails aside (junior high flashbacks, anyone?) just long enough to test out L'Oreal's Colour Riche Press-On Nails in 'Midnight French.' The finish caught my eye immediately (cute, right?), and it reminded me of this manicure I never quite was able to replicate. Fun finger effects aside, here's the low down on the kit:



The nails were quite easy to apply, but since they skewed a little larger, it was hard to find matches for some of my nails. And even though I followed the directions to a t, one fell off mere hours later. All in all, they felt fake and frumpy, and my stance on press-ons has forever been reaffirmed — no matter how cute the finish. xx

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{Beauty} Ikat Nail DIY...

Who's ready for the easiest DIY mani ever? I've done the whole ikat nail wrap thing in the past, but I never realized just how easy (and inexpensive) it is to recreate the look yourself. It's literally as easy as one-two-three!

 

Essie // Butter London // Deborah Lippmann

Just paint your nails a bold base colour (like red!), and once that dries, make narrow, asymmetrical shapes in white. Using a small brush, paint your third colour (blue anyone?) in the center of the white shapes, finishing it off with a top coat... What a cinch!

Thanks for reading friends, and if you have any fun, easy nail DIYs of your own, I'm all ears! xx

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{Beauty} The Studded Nail Wrap...

Always down for a good nail wrap, I jumped at the chance to try Essie's studded nail wraps when I came across them a few weeks ago and was pleasantly surprised with the result. Not only did they last forever and bring new life to a classic red mani, but they got compliments every which way I turned. Not to sound too definitive or anything, but I would go so far as to dub the studded mani (in wrap form or otherwise) the top nail trend of the season... But I'm dramatic like that.

Soooo, what's your favourite nail trend this season? Any must-trys? Spill! xx

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{Nailed It} Metallic Sharpie Mani...

I love painting my nails as much as the next girl, so when I saw this metallic Sharpie mani on The Beauty Department a while back, I couldn't wait to try it myself. It's probably the easiest manicure I've ever done, and so long as you have a decently steady(ish) hand, I'm sure you'll agree. The best part? There's no limit to what you can do! Chevrons? Sure! Polka dots? OK! Hearts? Why not! Just do yourself a favor and don't skimp on the top coat — Believe me, that marker will fade right off. xx

Details: Essie nail polish in Turquoise & Caicos; Sharpie in metallic gold

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Best Fashion Moments of 2012

I can’t quite believe 2013 is nearly upon us. I swear 2012 went by extremely fast – faster than it has before. I hope everyone had a good year and next year is even better for you! Lots happened in 2012 – from the Olympics to the Diamond Jubilee to London Fashion Week...again. Anyway, I've compiled a list of the best fashion moments of 2012 (in no particular order). So here goes...

On the red carpet...

One of the most famous carpets in the world, of course and it holds some of the most wonderful dresses and outfits to ever be seen.  I was looking through some of the events and selected a few of my favourites from this year. Obviously this isn't all of them but these are definitely some of the best.

Kristen Stewart - Not a fan of her or Twilight but love this dress.

 Alexa Chung in Marc Jacobs - Never fails to impress.

 Jessie J in Falguni and Shane Peacock - I discovered this designer from this outfit and love the designs! 

Krysten Ritter in Christian Dior -  Love the sheer vs opaque

 Blake Lively - She always dresses so well - watch out for a post on her in the future. 

Sofia Vergara in Marchesa -  Marchesa is amazing!

 Taylor Swift in Maria Lucia-Hohan - Being so tall, Taylor Swift can wear the nicest midi dresses.

A truly amazing dress. 

Studs, studs, studs!

One huge trend this year has been studs and spikes. Look around any clothes shop and you will see at least 20 items or so with some form of stud or spike on it. I love this trend (you can see my spike necklace here). It's not something I would have gone for last year but it's definitely grown on me. 

Ballgowns

There was an exhibition on at the V&A this year celebrating British Glamour since 1950 and showcasing some of the most wonderful ballgowns. I was lucky enough to visit this and the dresses are even more amazing in real life than you see in photos. If you haven't been yet, try and go before the exhibition closes because it's well worth the visit. The great thing is there is a whole section downstairs with dresses from 1950's onwards - all spectacular of course -  then you go upstairs to the current ballgowns and Oh my God! The only downside is you're not allowed to take photos. 

Decorating your nails

OK, I don't know whether this is a thing for everyone but I've noticed (especially within my group of friends) everyone has got in to the obsession of painting their nails. I personally never paint my nails but it seems to have become a trend this year. One of my friends even has a blog devoted to nail polish (check it out here) and another also does regular nail posts! (see it here). The problem is whenever I try putting nail polish on, it never seems to turn out as good as these...

Kelly Osbourne wins Ultimate Style Award

I've never really liked Kelly Osbourne - she's only famous due to her parents and I don't like either of them as well - but I'd say this award is well deserved. She recieved the Ulitmate Style Award at the Cosmopolitan Women of the Year awards. What makes her stand out from the rest is probably the huge transformation from her frumpy, goth look to stylish, elegant and fashion forward. Below are some of her best outfits and a before and after shot (you can really see how much her fashion sense has improved).

Before...

After...

Top button done up

A huge trend that continued from 2011 into 2012 was the collar trend - one of my favourites and fingers crossed it stays with us for the duration of 2013.

  

And GB win again...

Who could forget the most memorable Olympic games of all time? The Opening Ceremony, all of the Gold medals; Not to mention the GB kit designed by Stella McCartney...

London Fashion Week

LFW was of course here again for another two seasons. I was very impressed by all of the collections this year - they all seemed to have stepped up a level - and my favourite three were probably Erdem, Bora Aksu and David Koma. 

 Erdem

 David Koma

Bora Aksu

Sarah Burton recieves OBE

Very well deserved. She keeps the Alexander McQueen brand alive with her incredible designs plus she created the brilliant Royal Wedding dress for Kate Middleton last year. 

They're my favourite - what were your fashion moments of 2012?

Happy New Year!

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