Cracked Nails

There has been a new invention in the world of nails recently and that is cracking nail polish. It is a fantastic creation and one that is so simple and effective.

I have only seen two brands on the market which make cracking nail polish and they are BarryM and OPI.

However, I'm sure as the craze catches on even more than it already has done, more and more brands will start producing it.

OPI is the more expensive of the two, at around £10.50 a bottle, but it has a larger range of colours (black, white, red, blue, silver, navy and turquoise).

BarryM is most definitely the more affordable nail polish, at an amazing £3.99 a bottle. However, it only has a limited number of shades (black, white, pink and blue).

On the other hand, price is very much a factor, as you can buy two colours and it still won't add up to one bottle of OPI. It also works just as well as the OPI equivalent, so why pay more!

To get the cracked effect, all you need to do is follow a few simple steps.

Step 1 - Paint your nails with a contrasting shade to that of your cracking nail polish and leave to dry.

Step 2 - Paint one layer of cracking nail polish on your nails. Make sure you have quite a lot on the brush the first time, as several strokes will ruin the effect.

Step 3 - Once the cracked nail polish has dried, use a clear coloured top coat to ensure long lasting nail colour and a shiny finish.

There you have it, amazing nail effects without spending a fortune in a salon!

Colour In Your Lips

I was fascinated when I discovered the existence of this product. Such a simple and inventive idea, I wanted one as soon as I saw them.

This product - Revlon Just Bitten, is a new type of lip colour. It's totally different to the look and feel of a lipstick, but it ultimately gives you the same end result...beautiful coloured lips.

It's designed exactly like a felt pen. You colour in your lips with the pen, as you would colour a picture with a felt pen, (keeping in the lines of course!).

Similar to the BarryM lipstick I wrote about in my first blog, it stains your lips with colour, for a long lasting look. Great for a day at work or a party, when you don't have time or want to keep reapplying your lipstick.

Also, it will not smudge or streak, which is a clear advantage over a normal lipstick.

Another great thing about this product is that it comes with a stick of lip balm at the other end of the pen, which keep your lips feeling supple and shiny.

If your lips are feeling dry at any point whilst wearing the lipstain, just put a bit of the balm on and they will feel as good as the first time you applied it.

Revlon Just Bitten comes in ten different shades, meaning that there's a colour to suit everyone.

Just remember to put the lid back on properly so it doesn't dry out, as we all know how annoying it is when that's happened to our favourite felt pen in the past!

Lipstick Lover

One can never have too many lipsticks...can they?!

Having finally caved and admitted to being lipstick obsessed, I thought it best for lipsticks to be the first product mentioned in my new beauty blog.

Coming in all different shades, with so many brands on the market is it a wonder that I have gone lipstick mad!

As shown in the photo above, a lipstick can even come in green...

This unusual product is a fantastic invention by BarryM, which turns a different colour depending on your skin's pH level.

Mine happens to turn bright pink and that suits me just fine, as at the moment the brighter and bolder the lipstick the better!

The only slight problem with this lipstick is that it is a lip stain...so be very careful where you put it or you'll have real trouble getting it off again! Then again, on a more positive note, you'll have beautiful (possibly bright pink) lips for hours and hours.