Manicure Monday: Maybelline Super Stay in 'Hot Salsa'

So I've decided to start a post (possibly weekly) to show off my latest nail varnish choices. Then it came to me.. 'Manicure Monday'!! I'm not entirely sure if this has been done before (I'll be most disappointed if it has, but I was proud of my idea nonetheless). Here it goes...

I present to you, the Maybelline Forever Strong Super Stay Gel Nail Color 7 Days in 'Hot Salsa' | £4.49. Well, that was a mouthful! I'll start by saying that this is the first one of these formulas that I have tried, and my verdict? A-ma-zing! As soon as I started to apply this, I knew it would be good. It's so smooth and non-streaky, plus the brush is the perfect thickness. The colour is gorgeous, but more of a coral/pink than red as it often appears in photos. It looks amazing on short squared-ish nails and I can't stop staring at my fingers with it on! It's super glossy and so far, the lasting power is impressive! (No chips for ??? days) I do have my usual base coat and top coat on, but some other formulas still chip regardless! I loved it so much that I put it on my toes too (I'll spare you a photo of that), and it looks equally as gorgeous. Really compliments my ever dwindling tan, but in general is just a very flattering shade.

Just in case it hasn't come across very well in this post.. I LOVE this varnish! I actually bought another shade while they were on 3 for 2 in Boots (when is there NOT a deal like that in Boots?!) so I am very excited to try the other one out (no doubt it will appear in a post soon).

I hope you like this new feature and that maybe you'll be tempted to try this formula, because I was seriously impressed, and think you might be too! Have you already tried any from this range? Please let me know by leaving a comment!

Mini Boots Haul

I was in town last week and had a little bit of money to spend from my Graduation present (result!!), so naturally I 'popped' into Boots. After about half an hour, my boyfriend sighing loudly, and numerous swatches on the back of my hand, I was walking out clutching a back of goodies. I'm never happier than when I am perusing the aisles of Boots - it's one of my favourite stores. These are the things I picked up, I'll do a general overview now and once I've had a few weeks to trial them all, you can expect some more in depth swatches and reviews.

Charles Worthington Volume & Bounce Texturising Spray | Currently £4.66 (was £6.99)
This is the only repurchase of the bunch, my third bottle of the stuff! After reading copious reviews of the Oribe Dry Texturising spray, I'll admit I was interested, but with the whooping £39 price tag, I just could not justify buying it. I have naturally thick, wavy hair, but sometimes it can look a little bit limp, so something like this is perfect for adding a bit of body. Now I haven't tried the Oribe one, but I have tried a couple of others, such as Vo5, and this one is definitely the best. It's like a texturising spray and a finishing hairspray in one, adding a little bit of grit to make lank hair a bit more 'oomf-y'. I love this spray and I will continue to buy it, especially as it's so often on a special offer in Boots! I've recently had my hair chopped into a long bob and this is just perfect for making it look tousled and a bit messy (but in the right way).

Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in 'Elusive 205' | £7.99 (bought on 'buy 1 get 2nd half price' offer)
This is the item I took the longest to decide over. I was stood at the Revlon stand for ages swatching a few shades over and over, holding them up to my lips, and asking my boyfriend to pick one! I even did 'ip-dip-doo' at one point! I settled on this colour because I always go for brights and I felt a nudey-pink would be a nice addition to my collection. I can't believe I haven't tried any of these matte balms yet! I have a few of the original formulas, but this is the first of the mattes. I will give it a trial and update you with my thoughts towards it in the next few weeks. I only hope the formula isn't too drying 'cos I HATE crusty lips!!

Revlon Colorstay Moisture Stain in 'Miami Fever 035' | £7.99 (bought on 'buy 1 get 2nd half price' offer)
I was so excited to find these on the shelves while I was browsing, I didn't think they were out til later in August!! I was going to pick up a few, but after reading a mixed bunch of reviews, I thought I'd play it safe and stick to one to trial. Again, I will upload a full review with swatches soon once I've had a chance to trial it out. The colour is a really pretty orange-toned bright red that's perfect for the summer. I haven't actually tried it out yet, but can I just say that the packaging is gorrrrrgeous! So sleek and looks much more expensive than a 'drugstore' product.

Maybelline New Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser | £7.99 (bought on '3 for 2' offer)
Another product that has been out for ages but I still haven't got round to trying it. I suffer with oily skin (although since changing up my skincare routine it is definitely improving), so anything that claims to mattify the skin while also filling in pores is promising in my eyes! I do have some pores on my nose so I'm interested to see how this lives up to its claims.

Maybelline Forever Strong Super Stay Gel Nail Colour in 'Hot Salsa 490' and 'Mint for Life 615' | £4.49 each (bought on '3 for 2' offer)
Entirely influenced by Amelia Liana, I picked up Hot Salsa, thinking it was a bright red shade, but in the flesh it's actually quite a bright pink/coral. They were on a deal, so of course I had to pick up another one .. it would be rude not to!! I'm always on the search for the perfect mint green, but I always find that they're too green for me! This one looks like a perfect really pale mint, so I will report back with swatches and my thoughts on the formula (spoiler: I LOVE IT!)

So there you have it, my mini Boots haul described within an inch of its life! I couldn't resist not including this photo of my little puppy Mac, who was very intrigued by my outdoor photography session. Luckily he didn't pick up any of the items! I'm sure he had his eye on the nail varnish for himself!! I just love how curly the fur on his ears is!!

The 'Not So Glam' Review: Sure Maximum Protection

As the title suggests, this isn't the most glamorous of subjects.. anti-perspirant. Regardless, we all wear it (or at least most of us probably do!) and it's even more important in this recent heatwave we've been having here in England. I'm going to be completely honest here and admit that I struggle with sweating. I'll fill you in with my 'story'.. I know, I know, it's gross, but actually it isn't - it's a completely natural reaction that our bodies do in an attempt to cool us down (I have this on great authority from Dr Dawn on This Morning). I still don't want to sweat though! For years I have struggled to find a deodorant that makes me feel confident all day, and I'm forever reapplying and checking myself. Sometimes I'll find one I like, but after a few months of use my body seems to become immune and it stops working again. I know that clean sweat doesn't smell, but often I'll have a shower in the morning, apply some deodorant straight away and only a couple of hours later I feel it doesn't smell as nice as it did at application! It's so frustrating, because I know I'm clean! Sometimes it depends on the type of top I'm wearing, which is equally frustrating! On the same This Morning episode, Dr Dawn suggested that sometimes scented shower gels and deodorants can actually interfere with the pH of your skin and that can cause the smell, even though you've showered. So at the moment I am trialling washing my armpits with a pH neutral shower gel to see if that helps (I will keep you posted).

I suppose I should get on with the review of the product: Sure Women Maximum Protection in 'Everyday Fresh' | £5.00. I thought I would pick this up as it promises 48 hour protection and an anti-wetness formula. It's a cream consistency, that you twist up through the little holes and apply to your armpits. The instructions tell you to apply it at night, before bed, to let it work while you sleep, then again as necessary. While I don't feel that the protection lasts 48 hours (do these things ever?!), I am impressed with the anti-wetness formula. I feel like I'm definitely dryer than usual. Most of all however, it smells really nice all day. It's a really fresh smell, which I always favour, and I don't feel like my sweat (ew) seeps its way through as it normally would. To avoid my body becoming resistant to this one, I'm going to swap about a bit, using a spray deodorant sometimes and maybe a different scent from this range. I've been using this for a few weeks now and I am impressed.

Now that I feel you are probably very familiar with my armpit region (sorry about that, possible T.M.I?), I will leave it there! I know it's not a topic many people like to talk about, but if you're anything like me hopefully this might show you that there is light at the end of the sweaty tunnel!

Do you have any recommendations for me to try? I would love to hear your suggestions!