OPI 'Gaining Mole-Mentum'

As usual I was fabulously late to the party when it came to OPI's latest Muppets collection, Muppets Most Wanted, but while on a rare trip to the Trafford Centre I popped into John Lewis and my eyes were instantly drawn to this little gem.

Gaining Mole-Mentum is a mixed metal and rose glitter polish suspended in a clear base. The glitter type itself is most commonly described as 'shredded' and as such is a welcome change from the usual circular, hexagonal or square glitters that most polish people make..

Below, you can see the polish firstly in natural daylight, then in artificial light both with and without flash.

I tried this polish over both a light greige kind of colour and then over plain black and was pleased with the versatility of the colours. Unlike the majority of glitter polishes, which tend to be very much suited to the festive period, this is a polish that can carry through every season effortlessly if paired with the right base colour.

My only grumble about this gorgeous glitter would be that due to the jagged shapes of glitter, the occasional piece will stick up and stubbornly refuse to stay flat to the nail. This can somewhat be sorted by applying a topcoat but the best option is to apply the polish slowly and remove any pieces that don't sit flat...

...Which leads me nicely onto application. The wonderful thing about this glitter is that you really do have the option of applying it sparingly or covering the whole nail if you choose to (though always make sure to use a strong base coat!) In my swatch I applied one thick coat but you can very easily apply one thin coat if you like. Unlike some glitters, the consistency of the clear base is thin enough for the polish to remain fluid and for the glitter not to merely cling to the brush and stay there for the rest of eternity (American Apparel, I'm looking at you here!)

Of course, OPI doesn't come cheap and a polish like Gaining Mole-Mentum will set you back somewhere around the £12 mark, so this is very much a 'treat yourself' kind of product but it's ever so worth it.  So go on, treat yourself ;)

Have you tried anything from Muppets Most Wanted?

R x

FOTD: Josh Widdicombe Live

So, people of the blog world, it's been a while. I've mainly spent the past (however many) months being either a student and ill. My poor little blog was neglected and I attempted to start again on Wordpress but alas, it just wasn't the same. So now we're back with a new name and a slightly new look and I hope some of you might still be lurking in the shadows.

Yesterday my friends and I took a trip to see the comedian Josh Widdicombe live at Leeds City Varieties Music Hall and I thought I'd share my FOTD...

(For anyone wondering, the dress is from Tu at Sainsbury's... of all places!)

Base: 

YSL Le Teint Touche Eclait in 'BD40'

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in 'Light'

YSL Touche Eclait (lightest shade)

MAC Studio Careblend Pressed in 'Light'

Cheeks:

MAC 'Omega' applied as a contour

Illamasqua Cream Blush in 'Rude'

Eyes:

Sleek Brow Kit in 'Light'

Benefit 'Call My Buff' eyeshadow

Benefit 'Gilt-y Pleasure' eyeshadow

Urban Decay 'Flash' eyeshadow used as eyeliner

Benefit 'They're Real' mascara

Lips:

NYX Lip Pencil in 'Rose'

With the exception of Urban Decay 'Flash' and NYX 'Rose', all of these products are my go-to everyday favourites and all come highly recommended. 

Here's to many more blog posts in the near future and I hope you've all been well while I've been away. Thanks as always for reading,

R x

European Beauty Haul Part 1 - Essence, P2, Catrice, Make Up Factory & Astor

Long time, no...write? I was in Germany and France for a while with my family, dealing with the loss of a much loved pet and am now experiencing camera issues, so it's no surprise that SSD has suffered a little as a result. Luckily for all you beauty lovers, I was thoughtful enough to take some basic photos of my first purchases while still in Germany so while I'm sorting my camera out, I thought I'd share part one of my European beauty haul with you all.

1. I found these two in a shop called Douglas (how German does that sound...not!) which was basically a beauty shop. I picked up Isadora's 'Creme de la Creme' after reading and conversing about it ages ago on a blog so when I spotted the Isadora stand I hunted it down. I also picked up BeYu's Shimmering Top Coat in '743'. I love this because the glitter is holographic (my favourite type of glitter polish) but the chunks are square instead of circular or hexagon shaped. 

2. Here we have Essence's 'Mrs and Mr Glitter', 'The Boy Next Door' and 'That's What I Mint'. I absolutely LOVE Mrs and Mr Glitter. Just before going away I had seen photos of mermaid-esque nails on Instagram and when I saw this top coat I had visions of creating my own. The Boy Next Door is a nice, shimmery, vibrant blue and to say these polishes are all so cheap, I was impressed with the wear of them.

3. I purchased the P2 Pure Color lipstick in the shade 'Kärtner strasse', which is an everyday dark nude shade and perfect for people like myself who have slightly darker lips than average. I also picked up the Astor Color Last VIP lipstick in the shade Bubbly, which is a gorgeous vibrant pink shade and was probably my most worn holiday colour in the end. I also picked up this P2 profi concealer palette because concealer palettes have always intrigued me but are rare here in the UK. I have only used the green and pinky-purple concealers but so far I've been fairly impressed with their coverage and staying power. The Catrice 'Absolute Nude' eyeshadow palette interested me because there are so many UD Naked dupes out there and I'm a sucker for nude eyeshadow. I purchased all of these things (plus the Essence polishes and the P2 polishes below) from DM. Finally for make-up, I picked up the Make Up Factory Automatic Eyeliner in '24' from Müller (that shop is insane) and fell in love with it instantly. I also went back and picked up shade 21, but that will be in part 2.

4. Given that drugstore products were SO much cheaper in Germany than they would ever be here in the UK, and also given that my holiday money was pretty much entirely for feeding my beauty addiction, I went a little bit crazy polish-wise. I picked up two of the P2 Rich Color + Care polishes in 'So Fresh' (green) and 'So Cool' (blue), as well as one of the Color Victim polishes in the shade 'Artful' (PERFECT with Essence's 'Mrs and Mr Glitter') and one of the Last Forever polishes in the shade 'Lovely Moment'. 

5. P2 also had a huge range of nail care type products so I picked up their Anti-Split coat, two of their Quick Dry Sprays (there were only two left, and they were so cheap...) and their Nail Food Ananas. 

I'll be writing up proper reviews of the products I've actually tried soon but do let me know if there are any you'd like me to review. Have you tried any of these products? Let me know in the comments below because I've missed you!

Thanks for reading,

Rachel xo

Twitter: rachelizabethxo

Personal blog: rachel writes

Instagram: iRachey

Email: rachel.soshedances@gmail.com
Tumblr: lookintothestorm.tumblr.com
YouTube: soshedancesxo

Hidden Gems

Hi guys :) So, in the midst of this crazy British heatwave recently I haven't really been posting at all. My poor little blog has been seriously neglected and so has my make-up bag. I can't be the only one who cringes at the thought of a full face of make-up in such heat, can I? 

My mum and I had a wander around our local Asda on Monday and I picked up a couple of bargains that I thought I'd share...

I love having a mooch about the jewellery and cosmetics sections of supermarkets. I often find a nice necklace in Asda and it's not a secret that I'm a fan of their £1.75 own brand nail polishes.

This trio of ethnic-themed adjustable (so suitable for all finger sizes, hurrah!) cost either £4 or £5. I love finding rings like these to add to my collection and throw on with a simple outfit. Rings are definitely my jewellery weakness. I spotted these and just had to have them. £5 (maximum) for three rings is a decent price and I'm looking forward to wearing these.

I've been hunting for a necklace like this for SO long but nowhere seems to sell them. I spotted this and picked it up straight away. I love everything about it, but mainly I love the fact that it looks a bit like bunting. I have issues, OK? ;) This necklace set me back £5 and made my inner material girl very happy indeed.

Finally, I picked up two polishes. The first, a golden, metallic toned colour is called 'Beach Bum' and could be described as 'metallic sand'. I've already worn this and while the colour is gorgeous, the fact that it's metallic leaves it rather prone to streaking. I also picked up another Matt Finisher, which is just a plain matte topcoat. I very rarely do matte nails, so for only £1.75 it makes sense to pick up a cheaper polish than a more expensive one. If you're a student or just on a budget, I definitely recommend you check out the George range of polishes (but NOT other cosmetics).

Have you found any hidden gems recently? Feel free to share below in the comments :)

Thanks for reading,

Rachel xo

Twitter: rachelizabethxo

Personal blog: a single doubt

Instagram: iRachey

Email: rachel.soshedances@gmail.com
Tumblr: lookintothestorm.tumblr.com
YouTube: soshedancesxo

Summer Tribal OOTD

Skin: Vichy Dermablend Concealer/Foundation in the shade Opal

Sleek Face Form Kit bronzer

Eyes: MAC Omega eyeshadow

Urban Decay 24/7 liquid liner in Perversion

Benefit They're Real mascara

Brows: & Other Stories Worcester Taupe eyebrow pencil

Gosh brow gel

Lips: & Other Stories Melton Sunset lipstick

Top: Warehouse (at Debenhams)

Skirt: Primark

Belt: Zara (from a dress)

Necklace: Bijou Brigitte

Sandals: Primark

Nails: Essie Licorice

Rings: Topshop

Hope you're all enjoying the summer sun!

Thanks for reading,

Rachel xo

Twitter: rachelizabethxo

Personal blog: estoy mejor sin ti

Instagram: iRachey

Email: rachel.soshedances@gmail.com
Tumblr: lookintothestorm.tumblr.com
YouTube: soshedancesxo

Recent Nail Art Tutorials

Hi guys :) Today's post is just a quick one to leave you two nail tutorial videos I filmed this weekend. I plan on uploading more so feel free to subscribe if nail art interests you :)

Easy DIY Floral Nail Art Tutorial



Monkeying Around Nail Art Tutorial




Hope you enjoyed :) If you have any questions or requests for nail art tutorials feel free to leave me a comment somewhere and I'll get back to you.

Thanks for reading and watching!

Rachel x

Twitter: rachelizabethxo

Personal blog: estoy mejor sin ti

Instagram: iRachey

Email: rachel.soshedances@gmail.com
Tumblr: lookintothestorm.tumblr.com
YouTube: soshedancesxo

Meet the Blogger: house in the sand

Hi guys! Today I have an extra-special post for you. I've been chatting to music blogger Vanessa for a while now and when I tweeted about the idea of interviewing a blogger, she jumped at the chance. I love her blog because it's a brilliant example of where hard work can get you. So, without further ado, I'm thrilled to introduce you to Vanessa...

1. Tell us a bit about yourself and your blog

I’m a big music fan from the South of Germany. I live by the motto "the only way you fail is when you don’t react” (lyrics written by Jim Kroft) and believe in the saying "what you put out in the world is what you’ll get back".

The thought behind my blog is it to get unpopular bands/solo artists a bigger fan base and to put them into the spotlight they deserve. Also it’s kind of the road into my future as a journalist.

2. Why did you decide to start your blog?

I decided to start blogging on a really boring Wednesday afternoon. I have been a writer for quite a while and I wanted to improve it, connect with people and get my thoughts 'out there'. After blogging for about six months the idea of becoming a music blog popped into my mind and well... here I am.

3. What is your proudest blogging achievement?

That is a really good question! I think it was when I got my press card for a Tom Odell concert because of my blog. (You need press cards to take your DSLR camera with you here in Germany.) But I also love the 'smaller' moments where great musicians just tell me how much they like what I do. That’s a really wonderful feeling!

4. Is there anything you dislike about the blogging world?

Yes, the jealousy. I’ve experienced that from the very beginning when some musicians helped me out and their fans took it completely wrong and started to talk not the nicest things about me and my blog. It was kind of depressing for me because I didn’t (and still don’t) really understand why you would get jealous about something you could do yourself. Everyone can blog. Everyone can do what they love.

5. What are your hopes for the future of your blog?

I hope that I can grow with this blog and do lots of cool things and never quit because of the down phases. And I hope that I will keep on meeting more wonderful people and stay in contact with the ones I already met. A few more readers would be quite nice too, haha!

And since mine is a beauty blog after all...

6. Tell us a bit about any German beauty brands you can think of or that you like

The first one that comes to my mind is the brand called 'essence' – it’s a drug store brand and basically offers everything you need – eye shadows, eye liners, brushes, make up, nail polishes, etc. Their limited editions are my favourites because they’re always really creative and the products are mostly worth a buy.

Another brand I really like is called 'alverde' which is a natural cosmetics brand. They also cover the whole beauty section. I personally love their blushes and lipsticks. High quality – affordable prices.

7. Are you into beauty? Which are your favourite products if so?

I definitely am into beauty. But I used to care about make up a lot more a while ago, nowadays I care a lot about skin care and keeping my skin and hair healthy.

Besides that I’m really into nail polishes (that’s definitely a reason why I love your blog!). I totally suck at nail design but I love painting my nails. My favourite nail polish brand would be Essie – I love their colours and how long the polishes stay on your nails.

8. Are there any other blogs you would recommend?

Yours, definitely!

I love the blog 'Dirty Little Secret' written by my friend Ola, a beautiful model with an amazing taste in clothes. Whenever I need some inspiration I just head over to her blog.

Another blog I really love is 'London Calling' by a great friend of mine called Jana. Her blog is basically one big bubble of inspiration. Jana and I share the same interests (music and photography) so it’s always really nice to see what she’s up to.

There are lots of other great blogs which I will be introducing on my blog soon. 

9. How can my readers get in touch with you if they want to know more?

Either they can come over and visit my “house in the sand“ and discover some really talented musicians, talk to me on Twitter or see what I’m up to on Facebook. You can find all the links on my contact page.

So, please head over and say hi to Vanessa :-) I'll leave all of her links below underneath my own. If you have any more questions for her leave them in the comments below and I'll be back next week with some more beauty themed posts.

Thanks for reading,

Rachel x

Twitter: rachelizabethxo

Personal blog: estoy mejor sin ti

Instagram: iRachey

Email: rachel.soshedances@gmail.com
Tumblr: lookintothestorm.tumblr.com
YouTube: soshedancesxo

Vanessa's Twitter: vanyhoney
house in the sand Twitter: houseinthesand
Vanessa's blog: house in the sand
Vanessa's email: houseinthesand@web.de
Vanessa's Facebook: house in the sand

P.S. apologies for the hideous line spacing... Blogger hates me. Haha.