Favourite Nail Art of 2014

Hello lovelies, and Happy New Year! For my first post of 2015 I'm going to share my favourite nail art of 2014 with you all. I was going to do a big favourites post on everything, but just never got around to writing it all out properly so instead I'm just going to share ten or so of my favourite manis.








So there are my favourite designs of 2014. I really branched out of my comfort zone with nail art this past year and I'm so happy with all I've learnt and discovered and conquered and produced for this blog. Here's to another year full of nail art!

Thank you for reading my blog!

- Melissa.

p.s I'll link these photos to their original posts very shortly.

August Favourites

Hi everyone! This monthly favourites will probably be a quick one as I don't think I've got many favourites to share with you all. So let's jump into it!

My fave designs were my splatter nails, watercolour nails, bright mix 'n match and my blogiversary nails. 

Another favourite of the month, even though I only did it yesterday was the reorganising of my nail collection! I spent about three hours organising all my polishes and I'm so happy with how they are now because I had wanted to sort through them for a while now because I found myself only using the polishes that were on my shelves and not in my draws. Here's how the three draws ended up:

I currently own 178 polishes (not including base/top coats) and I'm sure soon enough I'll reach the 200 mark! I might have to invest in more storage by then.

Other favourites include (in no particular grouping):

• Rimmel Natural Bronzer in Sun Bronze - I've recently gotten into trying to contour my face for nights out and I found the bronzers I had in my collection were too shimmery to pass off as natural shading. I think I first saw this bronzer in one of Lauren Curtis' videos and I loved how it looked because of the it's matte finish. I'm not the best at contouring and I only do it very lightly, but I love this bronzer and the way it changes my face shape, even if I'm the only one who really notices it haha.
• Gone Girl By Gillian Flynn - This book is very different to what I usually read so I was very happy when I ended up loving it. I'm the type of person who enjoys reading the book before I see the movie, not because I think the book is always better but because I like to imagine it all in my mind before having the movie version imprinted into my head every time I read the book after seeing the movie. It was such an amazing book though and I found it very hard to resist reading ahead because there are so many plot twists and turns. 
• Lush's American Cream Conditioner - I've always wanted to try Lush hair products so I picked up the smallest size of this conditioner when I got a gift voucher for my birthday for Lush. My favourite thing about it is how it leaves your hair smelling; exactly like the way it smells in the bottle. It does a decent job of conditioning as well but I'm savouring the product I have left because it's a bit too expensive to buy all the time.
• L'Oreal Paris Elvive Smooth-Intense Shampoo and Conditioner - In saying that I love the American Cream conditioner, I have to back track and talk about my all time favourite shampoo and conditioners. The Lush conditioner is good for the days when you want everyone to be able to smell your hair but the Elvive range is excellent for leaving your hair smooth and shiny. I rediscovered my love for it in August and I'm mad that it's taken me so long to go back to it. I barely use any hair treatment after towel drying because it leaves me hair so smooth and easy to brush through without the extra help from treatment.
• My Drunk Kitchen: A Guide to Eating, Drinking & Going With Your Gut by Hannah Hart - Hannah Hart is one of my favourite YouTubers and so naturally, when she released a book I had to get it. I haven't read through it all, but it's so funny and witty and a really good read so far. And I imagine the rest of the book is the same. I love it; along with advice there are cleverly titled recipes that look a lot of fun to make and eat. I'm very happy she's gotten as far as she has, she deserves all the recognition. 
• Chi Chi Glamorous Eyeshadow Palette in Nudes - I'm not sure if I've ever had this in a favourites before but I skipped July so I don't think I have. I saw so many Australian beauty bloggers on YouTube and Instagram using these palettes so I bought the Nudes one from Target a few months ago. I got the Nudes because I was just starting out with eyeshadow and didn't feel like I'd be any good with the other palettes. But I love this one, it's simple enough to wear during the day and glamorous enough to wear for a night look. Maybe soon I'll expand my range and buy another version.
• Maybelline Express Remover - I posted about this the other week in my swatch post but it's definitely a favourite this month. It's so easy to use and does an excellent job of removing polish. It makes doing a few designs in one day much easier!

I had a few more favourites than I thought but I think that's because I hadn't done a favourites post since June. But there you go, a little insight to the things I've been loving this past month.

Thanks for reading!

June Favourites

Hey everyone! I seriously cannot believe June is over. I swear I was only just writing my May favourites, and I know everyone says that all the time but I literally have no idea what I did with the month of June! But, here we are again and here are my favourites.

Nails:

These were my favourite designs for the month! The first one is a crappy phone photo of a mani that never made it to the blog because of various reasons but I plan to recreate it in the future and photograph it before it chips etc.

I bought quite a lot of new polishes this month and because of that I think July will be a no-buy month (or at least I'll try). I haven't swatched or tried them all out, majority are still sitting on my untried shelf, but I know I wouldn't buy any polish that I didn't like. You can check out my instagram on the side of my blog to see the polishes I've bought!

Make Up: 

I bought a lot of make up this past month as well, some of my favourites were:

• Chi Chi's Viva La Diva Lipstick in Hollywood Wannabe and Bring It On - both are matte finishes, which is my favourite finish in a lipstick, plus they're so pigmented! These are my first ever Chi Chi lipsticks and I'm already in love; I want a lot more.
• e.l.f Cosmetics Studio Blush in Tickled Pink - I'm a sucker for blush and I had heard a few good things about the e.l.f blush so when they recently had a 40% off sale, I picked up a few products (most of which I haven't tried out yet) and had to get a new blush. It's very easy to apply and has a great colour pay-off even when you use a small amount.
• Real Techniques Expert Face Brush - I had been on the hunt for a good brush that allowed me to buff my foundation into the skin as flat brushes weren't working. This was on sale when I got it so it was a few dollars cheaper, but it's worth it. I'm very happy with how my foundation sits on my skin now.
• L'Oreal Base Magique Primer - You would have read about this in my bellabox review last week but I've since used it a few more times and I really love it. It's velvety finish really leaves a good base for my foundation and I've found my skin hasn't become too oily too quickly during the day when I wear this. I will definitely be buying this.

Skincare:

If you live in Australia, you would have heard about the skincare goody bag that Priceline had two weeks ago, well I picked one of them up and have found a few new favourites from either the bag or what I purchased to get the bag.

• Biore Deep Pore Charcoal Cleanser - As I discovered very quickly, this product is quite drying so I only use this once or twice a week when my skin feels particularly gross or after a long day of wearing make up. It's such a good cleanser, it's very strong and cools your face which makes it feel really refreshing. It seems to do what it says it does, so I'm happy with that!
• People For Plants Mist Toner - When my skin became particularly dry I used this to refresh and hydrate it. I had never used a mist toner before this and now I don't think I would ever go back to normal toners. It's quick and easy and doesn't make me feel like I'm just wiping all the toner away while applying it. Plus it smells great and is free of any nasty stuff.

I got so many products in the goody bag that I can't possibly try them all at once otherwise my skin will hate me even more, so I've slowly been going through them and finding new favourites but so far, the two above are the ones I've been using the most and the ones that have been the best.

This is only a small favourites post because even though I bought a lot, I haven't used them all because I always take my time with new products, so I hope you enjoyed this quick favourites for the month of June!

May Favourites

Hello there! Does anybody else think that May went by very quickly? Because it definitely feels that way to me. Today I've got a few new favourite things, but not a whole lot! Let's get to it.

Nails:

I didn't do a whole lot of nail art this month because I was sick for the first half, but these three were my faves anyway!

Beauty:I tried out a few new products this month and thanks to Chemist Warehouse's annual half price cosmetics sale, I got a bunch of them quite cheap! (I'll do my best to link where I bought them from).

• Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer: I got this in the shade ivory, which is the lightest one, and of course being so pale, it's still a little too dark for me. But when teamed with the right foundation shade and a good under eye setting powder (see next item) it does a good job of concealing my dark circles and brightening my eyes. I do use this to also cover up pimples but I don't use a lot.
• E.L.F High Definition Undereye Setting Powder: I purchased this a few months ago from Kmart when they redid their make up section and I didn't love it at first because it's got small glitter specks in it and I didn't see a need for them. But then I got used to it and I thought 'who cares, glitter is amazing' and fell in love. It sets my concealer really nicely and sort of blurs out the lines and prevents creasing. If you're worried about the glitter, don't be. I always fear that someone will ask why I've got glitter under my eyes but so far no one has so I keep on wearing it, plus who cares haha.
• Rimmel Match Perfection Loose Powder: I picked this up because I hadn't had a loose powder for a while and now I don't know why I ever went so long without one. I love loose powders! The one I got is in the shade 001 Transparent so it doesn't add any extra colour and sets dewy foundation really nicely. It's not cakey at all like I find some pressed powders to be so I'm very happy with this product!
• Maybelline Fit Me Foundation Stick: I needed a new foundation for going out/matching fake tan and I was going to repurchase the liquid form of this but it really doesn't go well with oily skin, so instead I picked up the stick in 120 - Classic Ivory. It's so damn easy to apply, which I love and it's very buildable without looking like too much because it leaves you with thin layers each time. It claims to be shine free, but anyone with seriously oily skin knows that's impossible for them. But I'm very pleased I picked the stick up and I'm considering getting the lightest shade for everyday use.
• Anastasia Clear Brow Gel: I've already mentioned my love for this product in my bellabox review here so I won't go on about this. But it is definitely an amazing product and I hope that it never, ever runs out (even though I know it will).

Other:

• My new phone! I recently updated from a slow iPhone 4 to an iPhone 5C and I love it. I chose the 5C because I like the design so much more, I hate the metallic sorta look that the 5S has going on. I never thought I'd be confessing my love for an iPhone considering I was an Android person for several years.

I think that is pretty much it for my May favourites! Not much else has wriggled it's way into my fave things and I've been sticking to my usual things more than trying a lot of new stuff. Hope you enjoyed this post!

April Favourites

Here are a few of my favourites for the month of April, instead of just nail favourites, I've decided to do a random array of things that I've been loving this month because it's a bit more fun and gives you all an insight into my life outside of nails! (Plus I haven't bought any new polish for a while).

Nail Related Things:

These four designs were my favourites for the month, I didn't do a lot this month, but I was particularly happy with the following ones. 

I've also been loving the Essence Studio Nails Caring Nail Oil - it's the first cuticle oil I've ever used and while it may not be the best it's very cheap and a little goes a long way. It's done quite a good job of moisturising my cuticles when they're very dry and in desperate need for some hydration. 

That's probably it for nail related things, because I haven't actually tried anything new in the past few weeks, I've mostly been trying to use what I have before I splurge on more items.

Make-up/Beauty:

This year I have started to really get into beauty related items, and maybe that's where I've been spending my money instead of on nails. But don't fret, I won't become a beauty blogger (maybe). My favourite things this past month have been the following:

• Rimmel Stay Matte Primer - I've never used primers that much before but I knew I needed one so I picked this up at Priceline and so far I love it. It makes my skin look smooth and gives my foundation a nice base, it's also made foundation application sooo much easier because of how smooth it makes my skin.
• Australis Make Up Finishing Spritz - this is just a lifesaver if you tend to go a bit powder crazy. I picked this up in March and it has been a favourite ever since then, it smells absolutely lovely and is just an awesome spray that really sets your make up and keeps it looking fresher for longer.
• Maybelline's Hyper Glossy Liquid Liner - I've only recently started using liquid liner and so far, this is my favourite of the few I've tried. It's smooth and super easy to use and doesn't smudge which is always a great bonus.
• Face of Australia Impact-Full Volumising Mascara - this is hands down my all time favourite mascara. I didn't like it at first, but this past month has really set it in stone as my favourite. I only need a few coats and I no longer need to use two mascaras to get the effect I want, this one does it all.
• Australis Fresh & Flawless Pressed Powder - I imagine a lot of people might already be familiar with this powder but I've only just started using it, and while the lightest shade is still a little too dark for my skin tone, I do use it when I want a full coverage look and it's amazing at what it does.

Skincare:

I've had troublesome skin for quite some time now due to reasons I can't change and while that bothers me a lot, I do my best to manage it however I can. 

• Lush's Mask Of Magnaminty - this is probably my favourite skin product ever. It's genuinely amazing. I was looking for a Lush face mask that was natural and good for the skin but I didn't want to fork out almost eighteen dollars for a mask that only lasts three weeks, so that's why I got this one, which lasts a few months. It's refreshing and exfoliating and leaves my skin feeling smooth and looking brighter. 
• Sukin's Foaming Facial Cleanser - just before the new year I had a bad allergic reaction to some skin products that had salicylic acid in it, so ever since then I've only used natural/vegan products and Sukin has been a lifesaver. I mostly use the Oil Cleansing Method to cleanse my skin, but I found lately that my skin needed something in between those nightly washes and that's where this particular cleanser of there's came in. It's light and fresh and does a really decent job of cleaning my skin in the mornings.

Other:

• I recently bought the Sony Reader and I've been loving reading books on it, it's so light and easy to use and I can't believe it took me so long to actually get one.
• The TV shows Person of Interest and The Following. One thing me and my mum love to do is watch TV shows together and these two have been our favourites. We can't get enough of them and are absolutely hanging out for the final episodes (by the time this publishes we'll have seen the finale for The Following). 
• Broad City - I watched this whole series in one night and I'm so glad it exists, so much so that I watched it all again the next week.

I think that's about it for this month's favourites! I'd love to keep up with this and do another at the end of May, so we'll see how many things become my favourites this month! If you enjoyed this slightly more in-depth look into my life then please let me know so that it encourages me to keep it up!

Favourite Things of 2013

Since the year is over, I thought I would do a big post on all of my favourite things for 2013, such as polish, products, treatments, designs etc. I've been trying to finish this post for a few days and if you follow me on instagram, you'll understand why some things take me a while. But anyway, 2013 was a good nail year for me, I realised my love for nail art and decided to follow that career pathway by starting a course in Nail Technology and then I decided to create this blog. And while I haven't been the best at updating it lately, I'm trying my hardest to create things that I love and feel proud of. So thank you to everyone who reads this blog, whether you follow it or not, I appreciate you all.

All of these lists are in no particular order!

Nail Polish:

• My Boyfriend Scales Walls - OPI
• Mock Snob - Revlon
• Suzi Says Feng Shui - OPI
• Grapetini - Savvy
• Big Hair, Big Nails - OPI
• Bamboo Shoot - Sally Hansen
• Royal - Revlon
• Magic Croisette - L'Oreal
• Liberty - W7
• Metropolitan - L'Oreal

Bottom and Top Coats:

• 24/7 Nail Base - Essence
• Pro White Hardener - Essence
• Insta-Dri Anti Chip Top Coat - Sally Hansen
• Matte Top Coat - Revlon

Other Nail Products:

• Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream - this is probably my overall favourite nail product. I don't talk much about my nail care routine but I always try to use this while I'm in bed watching a movie or some TV so that it has time to soak in.
• Sally Hansen Cuticle Eraser + Balm - I recently bought this and have only used it a few times, but I loved it instantly. It smells amazing and while it's a bit thick it does everything it's supposed to. I usually apply this whenever I have enough time before painting my nails and then I use a cuticle stick to push them back and sort of scrape away some of them. I do find I have to wash my hands a few times before it feels gone, but it's no big deal for how great it makes my cuticles look.
• Acetone - it may be silly to put this in the list, but I only discovered acetone in 2013 and it's a miracle. It is really drying and tends to give me headaches but it's useful, it's great for clean up and it's great for water colour designs (which you know I love). I bought a big bottle from Big W for about $11 about four or five months ago and I've barely used half.
• Dotting Tool and Brushes - I purchased nail art tools for the first time in 2013 and I wouldn't be able to do half the stuff I do without them, so they're all definitely a favourite this year.
• Vaseline Healthy Hands + Stronger Nails Hand Cream - this hand cream is my number one, I use it every day and it lasts forever. I've had the 75ml since July and I think I've almost run out. It doesn't go on thickly or leave a slight residue, it soaks completely into your hands and they feel amazing after applying it

Designs:

This last one is a bonus because I haven't posted it yet (and I'm not sure I will, but it's still a fave).

My goals for 2014 nail wise to is to figure out lighting/editing and get that sorted, because looking at all these photos gives me anxiety because of the difference in tones in each of them. And to post more frequently/do a lot more nail art. I hope everybody has enjoyed this post and hopefully you'll be seeing something from me very soon.

September Favourites

As you may have noticed, I haven't posted the last day of the challenge. Yesterday I started a new job after being unemployed since January and I planned to do my nails after I finished, but I underestimated how exhausted I'd be after learning so much in one go so I just didn't have the energy to do my nails and I wasn't even sure which nails I wanted to honour. I think that means I failed the challenge, but I completed every day but one so it doesn't feel like too much of a fail. Eventually I'll complete the prompt, but for now I want to share my favourites designs for the month.

I posted this onto my instagram yesterday but I also wanted to share it here to sort of round up the challenge and apologise for not doing the last day. These were my all time favourites of the challenge; they were the ones I was most happy with. And seeing the watercolour nails makes me miss my square nails so much, so I think I'll definitely be growing them out again.

So far, I'm not sure which days I'll be posting, over the next few weeks my work days will change a bit, but I'm hoping to at least post once or twice from Thursday to Sunday until I figure things out. And at the end of each month I might do posts like this, with some of my other favourites for the month, such as what new polish I've bought or what nail care I've been using. Maybe I'll even do some haul posts (which might include other beauty products). 

But for now I'm going to have a few days break until the weekend. I really enjoyed doing the challenge and I hope everyone loved seeing what I came up with!