DIY Chrome Mirror Nails!

Chrome nails are E V E R Y W H E R E!!!

Today I got thinking and came up with a way to recreate the look without buying a single sponge tip applicator or tiny overpriced 2g pot of pigment!

First things first, you're going to want to prepare your nails. All the tutorials I've seen online call for gel polish, curing lamps and non tacky top coat, but never fear! I recreated this look using regular polish. Let's get that base coat down!

I'm using my -almost empty- Sally Hanson Double Duty.

Next up is picking your base colour. I first tested this out over the pink that was already on my nails, and opted for a good old black on my ring finger. Obviously you can try this over any colour you want! 

I used two generous coats of Barry M Black.

You're going to want to wait until whatever colour you chose is touch dry to completely dry. I've found the next step works best if the polish is still slightly wet, but if you get sidetracked and your polish dries completely, slick on a thin layer of topcoat and all is saved. 

The next stage is where my discovery comes in. When I saw the mirror nail videos starting to slowly flood my facebook, I thought I already owned a product that looked rather similar. I took my super sliver shiny Sugarpill Grand Tiara Loose Eyeshadow and decided to rub it into my nail varnish. AND IT WORKED! The outcome seems slightly more dull than the specially designed 'mirror powders', but it still has the same amazing effect. 

I dipped my -CLEAN- finger into the lid of the jar, picking up a tiny amount of silver powder and gently rubbed it into my slightly tacky nail polish, being careful not to rub the polish around my nail. 

And there is the finished look! I topped off my nails with a generous helping of Seche Vite as always. My photos don't do the silver justice, it looks pretty damn amazing.

Please let me know if you try this out, tag me in your photos on instagram @littleever1 and subscribe for more! 

Eve xoxo

Treating Keratosis Pilaris

So I've been meaning to write this post for a while, but there were a few things I wanted to test before sharing them with you. I've suffered at the merciless hands of Keratosis Pilaris for a loooooooong time and I thought it was about time I shared some of the tips and tricks I've tried and tested over the years.

First off, if you don't know what Keratosis Pilaris is, you're one lucky person. It's the bane of my existence. Well, maybe it isn't that bad, but it can be rather annoying. To put it as basically as possible, I have really rough little red bumps on the tops of my arms that simply won't go away. These are formed by a plug of keratin that is built up at the base of the hair follicles in affected areas (it can happen pretty much anywhere aside from the soles of your feet and palms of your hands, but is most common on arms, thighs and bums). I'm lucky in that I have a silky smooth behind and my legs are soft enough, albeit a little stubbly, and these annoying keratin bumps mainly congregate on the tops of my arms.

Tip 1: Stay hydrated!

This is literally the meaning of life, the universe and everything. No wait, that's 42, my bad. Whenever I've been to the doctors for whatever reason, the first thing they always say is to drink plenty of fluids, and they're right! Staying hydrated is important in general. I drink a gargantuan amount of water (and pay the consequences by visiting the bathroom a million times a day but, swings and roundabouts) and although I can't say for certain that it has had a direct effect on reducing my KP, it certainly helps your body to function correctly and flush out all the bad stuff. DRINK WATER!

Tip 2: Exfoliation!

I've used many many methods of exfoliating in my brief 21 years, the weirdest of which being a pumice stone designed to remove calloused skin from feet, WHICH I DO NOT RECOMMEND. I would occasionally scour my arms in the shower and essentially scrape off the bumps, leaving my arms as one massive open sore. DO NOT DO THIS. I didn't do this very many times before realising that it was the stupidest idea ever, but the damage was already done as I have loads of tiny scars on the tops of my arms as a result of my idiocy. Not cool. Now that I have a functioning brain *citation needed* I like to use something not so abrasive. Once a week I will give my arms a good old scrub with an exfoliating glove to gently remove any dead and dry skin lurking on the surface. Sometimes if I'm feeling the need for a more gentle scrubbing, I'll reach for Flake Away or The Scrub Of Your Life from Soap & Glory. 

Tip 3: Moisturise!

My moisturising routine begins in the shower. After I've washed all the necessary areas, I like to take a shower gel on my exfoliating glove and give my arms a damp good seeing to! Pun intended, sorry. I never notice any difference between gels that claim to be moisturising, so for me anything will do. After I've rinsed off my arms I like to take a walnut sized amount of the Nivea In-Shower Body Moisturiser and coat my arms, leaving it on while I condition my hair. I rinse that off and voila! My skin stays smooth for the day without that sticky moisturiser feeling. I'm really not into putting creams and stuff on my body straight after showering, so for me this stuff is perfection.

In the evenings when I'm getting into bed, I like to top up the moisture by applying a lotion or body butter so that when I wake up my arms remain silky smooth. It's no secret, I am absolutely awful at remembering to moisturise, but it really does make all the difference. I've gotten myself into a routine and after a couple of months of applying lotions every night, I've seen drastic improvements in my skin. The bumps are minimal and sparse. The redness still remains but the appearance isn't something that bothers me all that much. I wish I'd taken before and after photos because the difference is HUGE! Some of my new favourites for regular moisturising are the Garnier Ultimate Blends Body Lotions, which are perfect for me as they aren't greasy or sticky at all, the Garnier Ultimate Blends Restoring Body Butter and Multi-Purpose Soothing Balm which are great for night time as they're a little more substantial, (I've also used the Soothing Balm on my face and it's great!) and Aveeno Daily Moisturising Lotion. The Aveeno lotions don't smell that great, but work wonders for my KP.

There are loads of ways to help reduce symptoms of Keratosis Pilaris, and no need to splurge on expensive creams that contain urea. I've heard that using coconut oil in the shower supposedly works a treat, but I'm yet to try that as I can't stand the idea of having to clean an oily bath. 

If you have any tips of your own for treating KP, be sure to let me know in the comments. If you try out any of the things I've mentioned (NOT THE PUMICE STONE NEVER DO THAT) I hope they work for you! 

Thank you for reading! 

Eve xoxo

Sugarpill x Edward Scissorhands Palette

My fast fingers managed to snatch me something exciting. Something limited edition. Something pretty damn cool. I got myself the Sugarpill x Edward Scissorhands Eyeshadow Palette.    -internal screaming-

'Twenty-five years after the world fell in love with Edward Scissorhands, Sugarpill presents a limited edition palette that combines dark romantic shades with sweet suburban pastels inspired by the modern fairytale. These six cutting edge new eyeshadows allow you to create countless inventive looks ranging from metallic smoky eyes to retro housewife chic.'

Never judge a Sugarpill eyeshadow by it's swatch. Their shadows can be dry and patchy when swatched on bare skin (above) but on the eye over a primer they transform into the most amazing, pigmented and smooth shades.

I got mine from Cocktail Cosmetics for £26.

Were you fast enough to snag this limited edition badboy? Are you still trying to control your tears after missed out? Leave me a comment! 

Thanks for stopping by :D 

Eve 

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Kat Von D Monarch Eyeshadow Palette

Soooo my friend (hello Allie) went to America recently and of course she was armed with a list of my Sephora demands. Today I'm going to share swatches and first impressions of the Kat Von D Monarch palette, eeeeep.

Firstly the layout is pretty good, you get 3 larger pans of the highlight shades and the rest are sort of separated into warm, neutral and cool tones. Definitely a palette to suit a large range of skintones. 

Entomology, Wrath, Papilio, Summerfly.

I wish I'd filmed my reaction when first touching these shadows. THEY ARE SO SOFT! Silky soft, maybe even softer than a babies bum. The first block are all warm tones, perfect for autumn, or all year round if you're anything like me. We all know Wrath is right up my street.

Telepathy, Killing Jar, Delaney, Vanish.

The next shades are what I would call neutral tones, although they do lean more towards cool. Telepathy is the first full shimmer shade I swatched and my jaw dropped at how soft it was, although I would be careful as soft shadows can mean fallout. 

Tiny Death, Disintegration, Shadow Box, Deadhead.

The last block are cool tones. I took this photo at a jaunty angle so you can see all the shimmer hidden inside Tiny Death. I like the addition of a black in the palette, but I don't think I need anymore black eyeshadow for a good 10,000 years. The last two matte shades weren't as soft as the others, but you can't win them all. 

I can't say anything for the blendability of these shadows, but if these first swatches are anything to go by I think we'll get along just fine. Overall I'm really really really REALLY impressed with my first Kat Von D experience. Anyone that is unsure about this palette, don't be, you definitely need it. 

Kat Von D Monarch Eyeshadow Palette is available from Sephora for $46. If you're a UK inhabitant like myself Sephora does ship here, but BEWARE OF TAX it's added on after you start to checkout. 

Follow me on Instagram @littleever1

Thanks for stopping by :D 

XXXX

Batalash for Saucebox Palette Swatches and Review

So I wasn't going to buy this pallette, then the more I told myself not to buy it, the more I needed it and now here we are.

I'll be honest with you, I know nothing about Batalash, except from I now know they have impeccable taste in eyeshadow colours. These colours are so me it hurts. Why was I trying to convince myself I didn't need it?!

The first shade we have is Vanilla, your standard off-white 'vanilla' shade. 10 pale points to me because this is almost my skin tone. 

Next is Winter Brown. I saw someone on Reddit describe this as a sh*t brown and now that's all I can think. It's a lovely warmish brown with a hint of a mustard undertone.

Next is Cinnamon, probably as close I can get to my beloved Mac Brown Script without it actually being Brown Script. It's a gorgeous matte warm reddish brown and probably one of my all time favourite colours. It screams autumn. I'm so ready for autumn. 

Finally on the top row we have Lace Noir, your standard black eyeshadow. I've seen people online complaining about there being a black shadow in this palette, but for me this is a great addition and ties the top row of mattes together nicely.

Deep breaths Eve, deep breaths. This shade really gets my heart racing. Enigma is a beautiful metallic copper and so pigmented it makes me want to cry. I did the lightest touch in the pan for this swatch. Amazing.

Electro is another shade that makes me want to weep. We know I love Thrash from the UD Electric Palette, and I also love Mint Soda from Sugarpill. This is like their beautiful lovechild. This colour was the selling point for me. Sooooold!

The next shade is Popper, the runt of the litter, if you will. If you've read any other reviews of this palette you'll know this isn't as pigmented and amazing as the rest of the colours, dare I say a bit of a let down? It's more of a satin finish than the others on the bottom row. I did 3 layers for my swatch.

Finally, we can end in a happy note. This is Nova, a metallic plum. This is one of my favourite colours to wear at the minute and I'm so glad I have this shadow in my paws. It looks gorgeous with Cinnamon and Winter Brown in the crease. 

Overall I'm over the moon I got my hands on this palette. As far as I know this is limited edition so grab yours as soon as possible. I got mine in the UK from Cocktail Cosmetics as always, where it's priced at £39.95. That does seem steep, but you're getting 8 massive pans of excellent quality eyeshadow which work out at a fiver each. What are you waiting for?! 

Thanks for stopping by, if you've made it this far double thank you! 

Follow me on Instagram @littleever1 

Don't forget to subscribe! 

Eve xoxo

Urban Decay Naked Smoky First Impressions + Swatches

Are we excited?! This week saw the launch of the newest Naked palette here in the UK, and being the UD junkie that I am I was ALLOVER the pre-release. This palette arrived in my eager hands yesterday and after playing with it a little bit, I'm going to share my first impressions with you. Hold on to your hats folks, this is going to be a long one.

HIGH is the first shade we come to in the palette. It's a perfect shimmering champagne, ideal for inner corner highlights. This is reminiscent of Sin but with a more neutral undertone.

DIRTYSWEET is next, the name reminds me of T-Rex.. You're dirtysweet and you're my girl! Get it on! Bang a gong get it on! Okay enough of that. This is a light golden honey bronze shade with plenty of shimmer. Perfect for making blue eyes pop and a good every day shade. 

 

RADAR is a warm shimmering brown with what looks like tiny flecks of gold and silver running throughout. We first saw this shade in the Vice 2 palette. The formula has changed somewhat since then, as my Vice 2 Radar is chunky and full of glitter. 

ARMOR is a taupey silver grey with TONNES of glitter. I used this yesterday and holy fallout batman. I would suggest using this with a setting spray to ensure you don't end up with grey glittery cheeks. 

(Always one out of focus argh!)

Next is SLANTED, a blue steel shimmery grey. This seemed to be kinda sheer but I'm sure it can be built up nicely on the lid.

DAGGER is a deep blue toned grey with a satin finish. This shade looks so tasty I could eat it. Again this seemed kinda sheer, but that's nothing a little layering with a flat brush won't fix. 

Next is BLACK MARKET, a satin deep grey/black. This shade is Divine with a capital D. I can't wait to pack this allover my lid with a dash of Dagger in the crease.

Next is the shade people were most excited for, SMOULDER. A blackened aubergine purple with a satin finish, Smoulder really stands out within this palette and would look great allover the lid blended out with Whiskey. This isn't the vibrant purple you might be expecting though, it's definitely a black base with purple shimmer but beautiful non-the-less. 

Next is PASSWORD, a taupey grey matte. This shade looks quite light in the pan but swatched it becomes rather dark. 

WHISKEY is a medium warm-ish matte brown. I'm really excited to have this shade in the palette as I love playing around with warm and cool tones together. This is definitely going to be a go-to crease colour.

Next is COMBUST, a matte skin-toned dusty peach/pink. This would make an excellent transition colour or a good allover shade for a 'your lids but better' look. Lol.

And last but not least, we have THIRTEEN, a satiny off-white cream shade perfect for brow bones and inner corners everywhere. This shade disappears into nothing on my skin because I'm so ghostly pale, but would make an excellent highlight for anyone with skin darker than a sheet of A4.

Naked Smoky is priced at £38 and is available NOW from the Urban Decay UK website and arriving soon at Debenham's. 

Will you be picking up this palette? Have you fallen victim to the Naked appeal? I know I have. 

Leave me a comment, follow me on Instagram @littleever1 and thanks for stopping by! 

Eve xoxo