Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains

Since the summer, Revlon's Just Bitten Kissable balm stains have been my go-to lip product.  A lip stain/balm hybrid which is easy to apply, isn't drying and leaves a gorgeous stain in your lips was always going to be in my good books.  The balm stains are packaged in a twist-up pencil form, meaning there's no need for sharpening, and the pointed tip results in accurate application.  The balm feels moisturising on the lips, doesn't tend to cling to dry patches and leaves a lovely wash of colour with a slight sheen.  As the balm wears off (after 2-3 hours), your lips are left slightly stains which can either be topped up with a reapplication, or just put a slick of lip balm or gloss over the top.  These are available from the likes of Boots and Superdrug for £7.99, although some shades were released in the USA and not the UK, and are only available over here through eBay.

I have four balm stains - Romantic, Cherish, Charm and Lovesick.  Romantic is a slightly orange-toned red which is a really wearable shade.  The stain isn't as long lasting as I expected, but it's still a gorgeous colour, and is what I have been wearing on an almost daily basis recently.  Cherish is a light blue-toned pink, which has a slight frost finish to the balm, however this fades after a few hours leaving behind a subtle pink stain.  A very easy shade to wear on a daily basis.  Charm is one of the shades that was only available in the USA, so this was purchased from eBay.  Unfortunately the seller I bought from is currently out of stock, but there are plenty of others available.  This is a slightly shimmery pale peachy nude colour which looks beautiful when first applied, but doesn't seem to leave much of a stain on my lips, which is a shame.  Lastly, Lovesick is a very bright blue-toned pink which stains my lips for hours.  This has been my go-to lip product for going out over the last few months, as it's a gorgeous bright colour and if you forget to reapply throughout your night, there is still a lovely stain left behind.

As you can probably tell, I am a big fan of these balm stains.  I'm not the sort of girl who remembers to reapply her lipstick every few hours, and I'm always snacking on something so my lip products are forever wearing off, meaning something that leaves a colour behind is right up my street!  I'm now fancying yet another kissable balm stain in Rendezvous - a beautiful bright orange, I'm just not quite sure if I'm brave enough to pull it off!

OPI Nail Envy Nail Strengthening Polish

This is literally the best nail product I have ever used.  About six months ago, my nails were terrible.  They were thin, flaking, broke easily and were just a complete nightmare.  After a bit of internet research I found OPU Nail Envy, but was a little put off by the hefty price tag (£18.55?!). I ended up buying it from my usual eBay OPI seller.

This is a clear nail varnish, which is designed to be applied daily for a week, then removed and the process starts again.  However, surprise surprise: I forgot.  I now tend to use this as a base coat and a top coat each time I apply nail polish- much easier.  Apparently this is still effective over other polishes.  Even though I haven't used this product in the intended way, the benefits from using it are outstanding!  My nails grow quicker than ever, they're strong, there are no more flakes, they haven't snapped in weeks and my nail varnish lasts much much longer.  It also acts as a base coat, preventing darker colours from staining my nails.

I would 100% recommend Nail Envy to anyone looking to speed up the pace their nails grow or strengthen their talons.  There are a wide range of Nail Envy products available (Dry & Brittle, Soft & Thin, Sensitive & Peeling etc), so you can choose one best suited from the problem you're suffering from, although I found that the original formula worked perfectly!

Have you tried Nail Envy? What products do you use to keep your nails in top condition?

Mistletoe and Wine

Merry Christmas! Hope everyone had a lovely day yesterday, I was lucky enough to have an amazing Christmas with my boyfriend and family, I'm so grateful for all my gorgeous presents! Christmas is my favourite time of the year, and I'm a little sad that it's over now, but I still have another two weeks at home before I have to go back to uni :) Here's a few photos from Christmas day at my house.

presents for my boyfriend, Christmas nails (OPI James Bond collection), home made Christmas cake,  

home made Christmas log, perfect Christmas morning attire, hoodie from my boyfriend,

gorgeous Pandora ring (thanks Rob :)), nicest/most beautiful perfume ever, all my gorgeous presents,

messing about with my boyfriend, the worlds biggest bottle of Budweiser!

Merry Christmas :)!

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Romantic

I am a huge fan of the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable balm stains, the newest addition to my collection is Romantic - a festive red stain with orange undertones and a glossy finish (Superdrug, £7.99).

I've been fancying red lips for a while, and what better time of year to give it a shot than Christmas?! I was a little nervous of trying out bold lips on a daily basis, but this is actually really wearable!  I love the pencil-like packaging, making it really easy to apply and eliminating the need to sharpen it.  The only problem with this is that I don't find it stains my lips anywhere near as well as the other shades (I'm looking at you Lovesick - that bad boy stays put for hours!).  I still adore the colour, and am more than happy to re-apply when necessary.  This is 100% the colour I'll be wearing on my lips on Christmas day - who can believe it's tomorrow?! I hope you all have a fantastic day - Merry Christmas :).

Winter Wishlist 2012

Is it just me or is there something about buying gifts for people that makes you want to treat yourself? Over the last month I've found myself lusting over so many things I can practically hear my bank balance sobbing.  Here's hoping that Santa's listening...

007 OPI collection - First things first: how good is Skyfall?! I wasn't expecting to be impressed when I headed to the cinema to watch it with my boyfriend, but I loved every second, and I've developed a huge crush on Daniel Craig! Oops!  OPI's collection to celebrate 50 years of James Bond is divine, I love the look of Goldeneye, The Spy Who Loved Me, On Her Majesty's Secret Service and Live and Let Die.

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Romantic - I've got a bit of an obsession with the Revlon Balm stains, I love them! The colours are beautiful, they stain my lips for hours and they taste minty - mmm.  I already have Lovesick, Cherish and Charm, and I'm feeling brave and fancying the red one.  There's something christmassy about red lips, so it's the perfect time of year to treat myself!

MAC Peaches - This is just gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous!  I've been fancying this for such a long time now, I have another MAC sheertone blush in Pinch O Peach and it is just a perfect formula.

Urban Decay Naked2 - I was lucky enough to have the first Naked palette for Christmas last year, and I absolutely adore it.  I use it almost daily, and have even hit pan on one or two of the shades :(!  I've had my eye on the Naked2 since its release at the beginning of the year, and I'm still crossing my fingers that one day it will be mine!

Pretty Polly Suspender Tights - During the winter months I really am that crazy person who ventures into the freezing temperatures on a night out with bare legs.  I know, I've lost my mind.  Maybe having a cute pair of tights that are a little more exciting than plain black will tempt me to avoid hypothermia over Christmas, but aren't quite as crazy as some of the styles available - check out these bad boys!

Marc Jacobs Dot - Tell me this isn't the sweetest perfume bottle you've ever seen?! And on top of that, it smells incredible, a mixture of floral and fruity means it's right up my street, yes please!

Hopefully I'll find some of these under the tree on Christmas morning!  What've you got your eye on this winter?