OPI THE PERFECT COUPLE

Firstly, I'm sorry blogging hiatus! Things got preeettty hectic over here this last week. Let's start off with the fact I now have a paid job! So my beauty obsession can continue to be satisfied whilst I'm at uni. Talking about uni - I move out on the 15th, which is less than two weeks away. Not only that, but on Friday the 13th I'll be in London for New Look's Fashion Week and on the 14th I'll be in Retford for some job training so currently I'm running around like a mad hatter trying to get things sorted for moving, going for more training in Retford (which is taking up a lot of valuable time) and trying to see my friends before they all move away. So I'm currently - on my one day off from everything - trying to type up lots of posts to get posting over these next two weeks. I'll be happy once September is over, I'm in a better routine and I can get back to blogging. I also managed to break my phone which I did all my blog photography on, but I'm now back with a bigger, better phone with a camera to rival many!

Anyway, on to the post...
On the 18th I'm going along to the Relaxation Den to have my first ever manicure! Crazy right, I've been obsessed with nails since I was around 15 yet I've never had anything done. So when they asked me what I wanted, I opted for gel polish to occupy my talons. I really want this to last me all through Freshers Week, and as my nails are incredibly brittle and break so easily I thought it time to give my nails a rest from the colour and a little bit of TLC.

In John Lewis I found a box with the infamous OPI Nail Envy and their amazing Avoplex oil for just £18.80, which is the cost of the Nail Envy itself - so I popped it straight into my basket (spending ban? What spending ban?). I've been using it for a couple of weeks and I really can tell a difference in my nails and cuticles. Now I'm not going to say that my nails are now hard, don't chip and don't break because that would be a lie, they do still break off occasionally but no where near as often as before.

On Nail Envy it suggests a weekly cycle of putting two layers on the first day, miss a day, one layer, miss a day, one layer etc then removing it at the end of the week and starting all over again. I think I'm going to change this up slightly and either do two layers then one layer everyday or do two layers each time and miss days - you catch my drift!
With Avoplex, I apply this everytime I do my nails. I let it soak in for about 20 minutes and then massage in the remainder. It's quite a dry oil which doesn't really offer immediate hydration, but my cuticles have been looking much neater and better tamed since using it - I rarely have to sort them out!

I can't say much for what nail varnishes wear like over this base as I'm trying to keep them free of colour for a while, but I'll give it a go soon! If you have any tips for manicures and pedicures (I'm scared about having a pedi! I don't do feet...) then please let me know! Have you tried the perfect couple?

You can find Hayley Loves on BLOGLOVIN' and TWITTER 

MAYBELLINE COLOUR SHOW NAIL PAINTS

As far as nail varnish goes, I'd call myself an expert. Harboring nearly 70 shades, brands and finishes, I really have given everything a good go yet no brand has really stood out to me. The Barry M varnishes take up a fair amount of my collection due to incredible colour range, and other than Essie I've never really found any affordable brand to offer such unique shades. That was until I came across the Maybelline Colour Show range...

When picking another Maybelline Colour Tattoo, I saw what an incredible range of colours this line supports - from Summer perfect Oranges, to daring Greens and some gorgeous darker shades that will be beautiful for A/W, you really will find something you love.

Having quite thin, brittle, peeling nails means I'm pushed to keep a colour on my talons for more than 4 days, even with a layer of Seche Vite, but these really do last up to 3 days sans top coat and 6 days with! The brush could do with being a bit thicker, but let's not be too picky. They're a perfect consistency and can often be opaque with just the one coat, however I like to add two just to intensify the colour and finish.

For £2.99 these are a steal and I'll definitely be picking up more! What do you think about these? Check out the range!

You can find Hayley Loves on BLOGLOVIN' and TWITTER 

SECHE VITE FAST DRY TOP COAT

As top coats go, the Seche Vite Fast Dry Top Coat is the mother of all nail colour sealers. Everyone and their mother has tried out this product, and rightly so!

It's been a long time coming, me purchasing the cult product, I used to be addicted to applying nail varnish - in one night I would apply a colour, remove it, apply, remove, apply until I was completely happy with it, so my nails are still absolutely wrecked. Through all the obsession though I never used a base or top coat, I didn't really find it a necessity but I would constantly complain that my nail paints chipped like crazy.
Anyway, I finally caved and picked it up in a blog sale and jeeeesus, I cannot believe how amazing it actually is. It leaves the most beautiful shine (to the point I can read my phone screen clearly in my nails reflection - CRAZY) and smooth finish and dries within a couple of minutes meaning I can do all the things I suddenly need to do once I've painted my nails such as go to the toilet, feed the cats, pull my trousers up, you get the gist...

It definitely makes my nail colours last a couple of days longer than they usually would however I find that it doesn't really tend to chip, the colour will just peel off my nail. That sounds disgusting, but I'd rather have a couple of chips on my nail than just one finger without nail varnish, non?

It's fairly easy to pick up Seche Vite, you can buy it online at Cult Beauty, Feel Unique or from some Boots stores. I've also seen it in John Lewis! I definitely recommend giving it a go, it's a little pricey but well worth it.

Are you interested in doing a beauty box swap? Follow THIS link to take you through!

With all the hype over GFC being discontinued, I'd LOVE you to follow my blog via BLOGLOVIN'

It's a no from me, Nails Inc..

Nails Inc Feather Effect in York

I hate to write a negative review, especially when I didn't buy the product, but lets just jump straight in there.. good lord this nail varnish is horrific!

I absolutely LOVE Nails Inc, I've actually repurchased some of their shades because I love them so much, and I don't think I've ever repurchased a nail varnish. But I've been so let down by this one - I thought that the "feathers" would be softish, you know what I mean! Instead, my tights now have a huge ladder and my face a really lovely red scratch where this bad boy has gauged a hole out.

It took me a while to get to enjoy the colour/effect. On first thoughts, I really thought it looked like I'd dipped my fingers into some hundreds and thousands, but it started to grow on my slightly, it certainly looks different. It applied okay, surprisingly. The consistency was nice and it wasn't difficult for the feather effects to transfer unlike some glitter shades. After it dried, my nails felt so... stiff. Quite heavy and like I'd put 10 coats of a matte colour on, it was so strange. It also chipped really easily - you can see a big chip on my second nail, and it hadn't even been on 24 hours.

My nail polish remover and cream soon became my best friend to give my poor nails some much needed TLC.
Have you tried any of these? Perhaps you had a better experience than I did! Do let me know in the comments :)

You can find Hayley Loves on BLOGLOVIN' and TWITTER

my top 5 spring nails

First off can I just say, at first I thought the top images were pretty cool in the sunlight and all that. Now I think it looks so bloody ridiculous hahahaha.

Anyway! Spring is very, very gradually making an appearance and after my latest nail colour/care haul (linked here) I think I've decided which shades I'll be pairing with my outfits this season. As a rule, pastels look like ass on me, seriously, my chipolata fingers - yes, I just accurately compared my fingers to small sausages - just can't pull them off, but I was converted by the Essie shades that I picked up.

First off is the L'Oreal Resist & Shine Titanium in shade 505. I think this has been discontinued now, I've never seen it in Boots or Superdrug,but it is on the Boots website just not in this shade. I picked this up for like £1.99 in TJHughes and I am absolutely in LOVE. It really reminds me of Chanel Holiday which for all you expensive nail colour lovers, will be a much loved dupe. It's a gorgeous red with orangey undertones which leaves an incredibly glossy finish as you can see above. This is going to be seeing a lot of wear this Spring/Summer from me!

Secondly in the line up is Essie's Orange, It's Obvious which is great for wearing a bold nail with more understated clothing. I wore this when I was wearing a plain black outfit and I feel it really just made me feel a little brighter! I finally dipped my toe into the ocean that is Nails Inc. I managed to pick up two mini 4ml varnishes for just £1 each from a local charity shop. One of the shades was Pink Fizz which has gained me plenty of compliments these past few days. The main thing for me is that this lasted me FOUR days with just two tiiiny chips at the end. Incredible. I never get anything like that no matter how I do my nails. I hate to say this has been discontinued as well, boo :(

Another contender on the Spring line up is Essie Muchi Muchi, a milky pink nude that is just so PRETTY. It does take around 3/4 thin coats to achieve an opaque finish, but I quite like to be able to see the white tips of my nails. Finally an odd colour out of the lot, but none the less a beautiful one, is Essie Navigate Her. A gorgeous pale, creamy green that is just lovely. Really beautiful.

So what are your favourite picks this season? Let me know down below :)

You can win some Essie and CK nail colours in my giveaway!

You can find Hayley Loves on BLOGLOVIN' and TWITTER

some craaazy nail colour/care haul!

Well, I couldn't fail even more than I have done on already this (unofficial) spending ban. I swore to myself "I'm not buying anything until I go to London, nope, NOTHING." And then I came across Essie being sold in TJHughes for £1.99. Yes. You read right.

I couldn't resist picking a couple up, then I saw down the road they were selling 2 nail varnishes for £1.00, so I picked up two Maybelline MNY shades (one not pictured here). I got the two Sally Hansen nail treatments for £1 from work, and the others I don't even know when, why or how much I got them for, but I don't regret a single thing. I think my Spring/Summer collection is pretty much ready to go now!

You've seen my review on the Models Own Pro varnish - I'll link it here - and I've tried two of the Essie colours, I'm yet to trial the daring bright orange shade, but I'll let you guys know how I get on with them.
One top coat I'm dying to try is the Astor Top Coat which leaves a velvety matte finish - no doubt it will end up in a NOTD post!

I also picked up Technic's High Lights, which I've heard is a pretty good dupe for the High Beam(?!) from Benefit. Now I can't say whether it is or not, but the brush on this one if horrific, but there'll be a post soon enough, I'm sure.

I've been having some skin problems recently, so I turned to my beloved Origins to give me advice and some products to have a good go with, so I'll be trying these out!

Don't forget to enter my GIVEAWAY! There's some more nail varnish there too ;). 

who knew a nail varnish could smell so good?!

This Models Own Pro Matt Blue Nail Polish is something I came across on a whim really. I was just having a gander round Boots and saw the clearance part, and found this beauty for £3.20!
Even though I knew this was exactly the same shade as my Cobalt Blue from Barry M, I went ahead and got it anyway.
It wasn't until I painted it on and saw it dried matte that I decided to check the shade - Matt Blue

What am I liiike! Anyway, I'm so glad I picked this beauty up! It applied beautifully, not gloopy at all like other matte shades I've tried, and dried really quickly. The finish is beautiful, where as with most mattes look really dry and tend to peel and crack, this just looks like any other average polish.
I love that there's still a slight shine to it, yet it still looks completely matte, if that makes sense...!

Finally, the smell of this is GORGEOUS! It smells like holidays, coconut and the sea. I've no idea why, no where does it claim to smell nice, but even the day after applying it I can still smell it well!

Definitely a thumbs up product for me, guys!

MY GIVEAWAY WILL BE UP SOON!
Thank you so much for getting me to 100 followers! You've no idea how much it means to me, you bloody lovely people.

ready for spring #1 - cobalt blue

I'd say Spring is one of my favourite seasons - it's not too warm, not too cold, it's light in a morning, light-ish when I'm leaving work, and it's the perfect time for bright looks. Over this next week, I'll be posting 'Ready for Spring' articles, so keep your eyes peeled and be ready for Spring yourself!

Barry M's Nail Paint in Cobalt Blue is absolutely beautiful. It's a lovely, rich colour that is perfect to brighten up any outfit.
I'm sorry my nails are pretty grubby in this picture - I actually painted them on a bus so I couldn't apply a top coat, but when you do, they look glossy and can be very eye catching.
It applies like a dream - two coats and you're left with an even, opaque finish.

This is definitely going to be a staple in my Spring/Summer collection. I have plenty of blues, yet this one always stands out the best.

What's your must have Spring shade?

my new year beauty resolutions

I never, ever do New Year resolutions, I'm so awful, I never stick to them (well, who does?).
I think it's time I started to stick to a proper routine and learn things I wouldn't try/think I was able to do. So have a look at my resolutions!


1. Take my make-up off at night.
I can be incredibly naughty, more often than not! I'm just sooooo lazy and I always think "my skin will be fine in the morning, I'll only be putting it back on" but lately I've been getting a couple of spots and I can't believe just how important it is to take my make up off and let my skin breathe whenever I have the chance.


2. Don't skimp on skincare.
I'm already well on my way to completing this resolution. I recently forked out a fair bit on Origins skincare products. I've never heard a bad thing about this company, so I've put my trust in them!
I usually just get Simple products, and it's usually just the same things, but I use so much of it and spend a mediocre amount that it would probably be more worthwhile to use better products that last a bit longer? I dunno, I'm just hoping that it does it's job - I've not been let down so far!

3. Try new make up looks.
I really want to give new make up a go. I find some eyeshadows I can't even go near, because for some reason, it just looks ridiculous with my eyebrows. WHY?! Please someone answer that for me.
A big look I want to try is dewy skin. I love the look, but I always tend to apply a fair amount of powder to try and cover up any nasty parts, so I just can't seem to get it. It's my Benefit make up session in a few weeks, so this will be a look I'll be asking for help with! This leads me nicely onto my next point

4. Get my foundation colour matched.
I always assume and go for the lightest shade of foundation because I think that is what I am, and I find it difficult to get used to anything else, but whenever I've gone to make up stands and a assistant has guided me to a product, they usually go for one that's a bit darker than I'd go for, then I'd panic and get a lighter shade. I HAVE to stop doing this! They're the experts, not me, I'm going to have to trust them and for once, look different.

5. Give my nails a break.
I admit it, I very often bite/peel my nail varnish off. How awful is that?! As a result, my nails are thin, brittle and have started peeling from the middle the to tip of my nail, if that makes sense? It's such a bad habit, I end up doing it when I get nervous. I think it's time I paid a little bit more attention to those, got some decent care for them and kicked the habit.



What are your resolutions? Feel free to shout at me for any of my bad habits, it'll definitely give me a kick in the right direction!

NOTD: dusky mauve

Second post today you lucky people! I just wanted to show you today's chosen shade.

My nails are still a lot shorter than what I prefer, but I really wanted to find out what you guys think of this colour?! Ever since I got it, I've been loving and hating it. It's actually a bit lighter than pictured, but I really wanted to get the purple sheen in the bottle. This varnish is two-toned, violet and mauve, like the Metal Rush ones from Rimmel except it's not so noticable. Fair enough, it's not full of glitter and shimmer like this season is loving, but I love the violet shine which I think will be gorgeous this season.

What do you think? Do you love or hate this?

h&m antique gold nail polish

First off IGNORE MY GRIMY NAILS. I'm so embarrassed to have them cut so short and ugly, but they were so brittle I thought I best cut them down now and have fresh, (hopefully) nice nails ready for Christmas.

When I nipped into h&m today, not planning on buying anything, I saw their amazing sale, especially on jewellery, then I saw these gorgeous varnishes on top of the stand and I HAD to buy this shade. In the photo, it looks, well, gold, but really it has a lovely pine green tinge to it which is what sold me! It's very shimmery, which fits perfectly for this season. Unlike most shimmer varnishes I own, you can't feel the glitter at all, the finish is incredibly smooth rather than bitty like I find with Barry M shimmers, so much so that I don't feel it needs a top coat which is brilliant because I've ran out!
It's quite thin, I used three layers to get the opaque finish I wanted, but maybe this means it will take longer to go gloopy? You could definitely get away with only two layers though.

Pair these nails with your LBD and neutral lipstick and you've got a perfect Christmas party outfit. I'm definitely going to plan my festive outfits around this shade because I can't get over how pretty it is, especially on longer, non-ugly nails like mine hahaha!

What do you guys think to this colour? Do you have any favourites at the moment?
I'd love to get talking to you guys so feel free to comment, it makes my day!


Take care everyone, and wrap up warm!

my wishlist #1

1. DKNY Be Delicious Eau So Intense 30ml £35

After getting Golden Delicious last Christmas, I fell in love with the DKNY fragrances. I really want to try this, surely a higher concentrated perfume is going to last longer?

2. Silver Flatform Shoes - River Island. On Sale at £8 

Literally just purchased these and I want to cry with happiness! They're absolutely gorgeous. I'm not too sure what to wear them with yet, so any suggestions would be so appreciated!

3. Dark Grey Dip Hem Maxi Skirt - River Island £15

I think I'm starting to like these now that the 'craze' is coming to an end. I don't think it'd suit me, but hey, it's a wishlist, right?

4. Essie Nail Colour - Boots Shade: Dive Bar £7.99

So, so expensive for a nail varnish, but tat colour is so gorgeous! If you know where I can get this kind of shade but a cheaper version, I'd so appreciate it.

5. Stargazer Print Chunky Platform Heels - New Look £29.99

These are officially on my Christmas list. I love the heel on them, I think if it was just a normal straight heel, I probably wouldn't be as attracted as I am. Love these though, hope I get them!


If you do wishlists, leave me a link in my comments, I'd love to check them out and get some ideas for myself! 

my 5 empties #1

I wish I had a better camera so these images looked much better, but bare with me!

1. No7 Creme Touch Face Powder £8.50

2. Barry M Nail Paint £2.99

3. Maybelline The Falsies Black Drama Mascara

4. Simple Soothing Facial Toner £2.99

5. Rimmel Lasting Finish 25 Hour Foundation £6.99

1. This No7 was such a good buy! It applies really well with the aid of a large brush and smooths out my complexion. It lasts well and also keeps it's colour good. When I was getting to the end of this product, I started to use another powder and used this as a highlighter.. sort of! By flattening out the brush into a line, I'd put the end of it into the powder and apply it onto my cheekbone/above blusher/bronzer whilst still in the line. It looked really good as it was slightly paler than my other powder. 

I hope that made sense! 

2. Anyone that knows me will know I am a massive nail varnish fan! I love Barry M because it's affordable and has lovely colours. To me, it being long lasting doesn't matter so much as I tend to change ever few days. I love this shade, it's not one I would usually go for but I will definitely be buying it again when going for a more natural, nude look.

3. I love the whole range of mascaras by Maybelline, but this was probably the first one I bought and I loved it ever since. It creates both volume and length really well in only a few applications, but it also grabs every lash creating a much fuller look. 

4. To me, this Simple skin care range are the best, high street brand out at the moment, I use most of their items, but sadly not this anymore! This toner makes your skin feel smooth and clean as well as looking fresh and even. I'm currently using a Garnier toner at the moment, so let's see what this is like and whether I should return to this one.

5. After using this foundation for around 2 years, my skin started to work against it, and it just didn't sit properly on me, it didn't look right. I've used many more since then but no foundations have worked as well as this one. It's a perfect shade for me and gives the best coverage. It feels light and it smells gorgeous!

I'm sad to see these go, but what are your opinions on these? Do you have any good alternatives? Let me know!