Friday 29 July 2016

OOTD - A Hot And Humid Summer Saturday

OOTD - A Hot And Humid Summer Saturday

Hello Lovelies

Recently here in England we have been having some lovely weather, it has been incredibly hot and then after a couple of days of unbearably hot weather we were left with some warm, humid days. On one of these warm and humid days, myself and Simon needed to pop out so I thought I'd show you what I wore.

OOTD - A Hot And Humid Summer Saturday S

I wore the skirt I showed in my recent haul post and teamed it with a vest top and some ballet pumps, I did take my denim jacket but it was so warm I didn't end up wearing it, it was dull outside when we left but it brightened up and it was so warm and humid I didn't really need a jacket. 

I opted for natural makeup using a tinted moisturiser and a natural eye look, my hair was in a pony tail as it was too warm and humid to wear it down. 

OOTD - A Hot And Humid Summer Saturday

Outfit Details

Pink Vest Top - River Island 
Skirt - Next  
Nude Ballet Pumps - Asda 
Denim Jacket - Next
Necklace - Tiffany


So those are my outfit details, I hope you liked it, thank you for all the love regarding my last outfit post, it is really appreciated, I'm so pleased you all seem to enjoy my fashion posts.

Thank you for reading, much love as always

Zoe x








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Tuesday 26 July 2016

Kiko Double Touch Lipstick

Kiko Double Touch Lipstick

Hello Lovelies

I have been loving liquid lipstick recently and have got quite the collection going on, one liquid lipstick I have in my collection is the Kiko Double Touch Lipstick in the shade Orange Red (109). My eldest daughter bought me the double touch lipstick on a recent trip to London after me saying how much I liked hers when she wore it. 

Kiko Double Touch Lipstick

Kiko Double Touch Lipstick

The Kiko double touch lipsticks are a 2 step lipstick, there is number 1, the colour and number 2 the clear gloss to put over the top of the colour. 

Kiko Double Touch Lipstick

The applicator on number one is a doe foot applicator and is easy to apply, in just one swipe I have a lovely opaque colour on my lips, I then use shade one which has a brush applicator and again is easy to apply, I did worry the gloss would go everywhere but it doesn't. 

Kiko Double Touch Lipstick

Kiko Double Touch Lipstick

The double touch lipstick shade I have is 109, Orange Red, it is a lovely orangey red shade as the name suggests, and is similar to MAC Lady Danger in colour. I use number one first, applying the red/orange shade all over my lips, that dries down to a matte finish and then I add number one, the clear gloss over the top. The finish is a beautiful opaque lip colour with a glossy finish. Over time the gloss does wear off and I'm left with more of a satin finish lip, but if you prefer a glossy look you can re apply the gloss anytime.

Kiko Double Touch Lipstick swatch of 109

The lipstick applies beautifully, it doesn't smudge or bleed and the gloss doesn't feel unbearably sticky, I really don't like lip gloss and never wear it so if you're like me and don't like that sticky feeling, don't worry this isn't horribly sticky at all. The gloss feels comfortable on the lips and over time as I said I'm left with more of a satin finish and then after a few hours of eating and drinking, more of a matte finish, but the gloss can be re applied at any time. 

The wear time of the double touch lipstick is incredible, it lasts for hours and is by far the most long wearing liquid lipstick I own, it really does last hours. The first time I wore mine, I applied it at lunchtime, visited my parents and then went to the cinema, we watched a 2.5 hour film, I ate and drank and then came home and chatted to my family for a couple of hours and we then had a takeaway and the lipstick was still on when I went to bed, it really is amazing. 

Kiko Double Touch Lipstick 109 orange red

In the photograph above I am wearing a MAC lip liner in the shade high energy underneath the double touch lipstick, high energy is also an orange/red shade and compliments the lipstick beautifully, giving a lovely orangey/red finish. I do also sometimes wear a true red lip liner underneath the lipstick which gives more of a true red shade with a slight orange finish, both look lovely, and the lipstick also looks beautiful when worn without any lip liner. 

If you like a red lip and are loving liquid lipstick at the moment like I am, I would highly recommend the Kiko Double Touch lipstick in the shade 109 orange red, it is a beautiful opaque orange red shade that lasts for hours, I get so many compliments when I wear this lipstick and I will definitely be re purchasing another one once it has run out. I would also like to try some of the other shades in the double touch range, there are 16 shades in the range and next on my wishlist is Watermelon (108). 

If you would like to try the double touch lipsticks, you can find them on the Kiko website HERE for £6.90. 

Have you tried the double touch lipsticks? Do you have any shade recommendations for me? Let me know in the comments.

Thank you for reading, much love as always

Zoe x




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Saturday 23 July 2016

My Current Beauty Favourites - Faves, Raves And The Not So Funky


Hello Lovelies

Today I have my very first "currently loving" post, back in the days of YouTube I used to make monthly video's called my Faves, Raves and Not So Funky's which were basically all the things that month which I'd liked, loved and really not liked either. I often write currently loving, random favourites posts, where I share my love for all things non beauty related including tv and film, food, apps, websites, bloggers and you tuber amongst other things, and in my last currently loving post I asked if you would like to see a currently loving beauty post and I had lots of messages saying yes you would, so this is my first currently loving, beauty favourites, I will share with you a few products I've been loving and tell you why I like them and also a product I really haven't got on with recently. The products are in no particular order and will be listed at random. 

Faves & Raves

Skincare

My Current Beauty Favourites

The first product I have been loving are the Superdrug Micellar Cleansing Facial Wipes, they are incredible and only £1.29 for 25 wipes, they do a fantastic job at removing my makeup and they don't dry my skin out at all, usually when I use makeup wipes my skin feels tight after using them but that doesn't happen when I use these at all, they are excellent and remove a full face of makeup with ease and without the need for scrubbing, these are the best face wipes I have ever used. I have been buying them for around 12 months now since my lovely friend Gemma recommended them, I don't always use face wipes but I do like them to remove my makeup before my skin care routine as I find my cleanser lasts longer if I remove my makeup first and these are fantastic. If you would like to try them, you can find them on the Superdrug website HERE for £1.29.

My Current Beauty Favourites

Next up is the Eucerin 3 in 1 Dermato Clean Micellar Cleansing Fluid, I was sent a whole bunch of Eucerin products last summer and this was one of the products I was sent, I absolutely loved it and have re purchased it since, a couple of times. It is fabulous and I mostly like to use it in a morning for a quick cleanse before the rest of my skincare products. It is a cleanser, toner and makeup remover in one, it is brilliant at removing makeup and leaves my skin feeling soft, smooth and hydrated and I can highly recommend it. Had I not been sent this product, I wouldn't have ever picked it up but it is amazing and now I re purchase it as soon as it's running low, if you want something super easy to remove makeup, cleanse and tone this is the product you need, you can pick it up on the Escentual website currently 1/3 off HERE for £6.00 or on the Look Fantastic website HERE for £9.00 inc free delivery. 

Nails

My Current Beauty Favourites


The first nail product I have been loving recently is an old favourite of mine and a nail polish I recently re purchased for the 3rd time, it is a Barry M Gelly Hi Shine in the shade Grapefruit, I love this polish and when I wear it I get so many compliments on it, when I wore it recently and filmed some snapchat video's, so many people sent me snaps asking me what polish I was wearing. It's a lovely, bright summery pink and looks gorgeous on both the fingers and toes, I love it and highly recommend it, it's an ideal summer polish. You can pick the polish up on the Amazon website HERE for £3.99.

My Current Beauty Favourites

Next up for nails is the Essie Gel Couture top coat, I recently picked this up along with one of the Essie Gel Couture polishes, I also love the polishes, they have incredible wear time and are brilliant so I can recommend them too but for me the top coat is the star of the show because I can use it with all my nail polishes and it makes them all last so long. I love China Glaze polishes but I hate that they chip so easily and usually if I get 24 hours wear time out of a China Glaze polish it's a miracle, but when I use the Essie top coat it lasts for at least 4-5 days which is unheard of normally, my Barry M polish above lasted 8 days before chipping too, it is an amazing top coat, it isn't very very thick either like the Essie Gel setter and so far hasn't gone gloopy at all, I love it and highly recommend it, it gives an amazing shine and my polishes last so well. If you would like to try it, you can find it on the Superdrug website HERE for £9.99 currently on a 3 for 2 promotion so you could pick up 2 of the polishes plus a topcoat for just £19.98 which is amazing! 

Body

My Current Beauty Favourites

I have been loving the Fenjal cleanse and moisturise shower oil recently, it is amazing and leaves my super dry skin feeling very soft and so soft that I have been able to skip body moisturiser which is incredible, my skin is very dry and I also suffer from eczema but since using the Fenjal my skin has felt super soft and silky. Fenjal claims the shower oil will provide 8 hours of hydration and I have to agree, it's brilliant, it contains beta-carotene and vitamins D, C, E which help to fade scars which is good, I don't have too many obvious scars so I can't comment on that side of things but it is super hydrating and makes my skin feel lovely and soft, if you would like to try it, you can find it on the Boots website HERE for £5.49.

Makeup

My Current Beauty Favourites

The first makeup item I have been loving is this lovely palette by Kiko, it is a blush and bronzer palette and was part of their limited edition Best Friends Forever collection, the palette has 2 lovely blush shades in peach and pink and a bronzer, the shades can be used separately or swirled together. I have been wearing both the blush shades together and it looks lovely and creates a lovely summery blush look. 

My Current Beauty Favourites

The palette is so handy and the products are fantastic, they apply well and last all day on the skin. I haven't used the brush that comes with the palette yet but I will give that a go soon, I don't really like mentioning limited edition products but this is so nice and since I've worn it a lot I wanted to mention it. Although this is from a limited edition collection, Kiko have some stunning blush products which you can find on their website HERE

My Current Beauty Favourites

Since buying the L'Oreal Nude Magique foundation I have used it each time I have done my makeup and I really like it, it gives a lovely light base for the summer but can be built up if needed, it looks lovely on my skin and lasts all day. I use my Beauty Blender to apply my foundation so I have used that to apply this foundation too, it does come with a sponge applicator which is ok but I prefer my BB to apply it with. I do have a full review post on the foundation showing photographs before and after if you're interested in a more in depth review but overall I really like the foundation and would recommend it, the only downside to it is that you don't get much product, I wish it came in a bottle because I have only used it around 10 times maximum and I don't think I will get many more applications from it, I flipped the sponge over and it has given me more product so if you do have this and feel it's drying out, flip the sponge over and you will get some more product from it, it is a lovely foundation, if you want a nice light to medium summer base I would definitely recommend this one, you can find it on the Superdrug website HERE for £14.99 cosmetics are currently on a 3 for 2 promotion.

Not So Funky

My Current Beauty Favourites

My current not so funky is this twin pack of cushioned nail shapers from Superdrug, I have really struggled recently to find a decent nail file, the ones I used to buy from Boots seem to have disappeared off the radar so I picked some up from Asda which were rubbish and now I have worked through my supply of PR freebies too so I picked up this 2 pack from Superdrug. Unfortunately these are rubbish, the paper peeled off the first time I used them, they're were ok at filing my nails the first couple of times I used them but now the paper has peeled really badly and they feel smooth and are just generally rubbish and I can't use them at all now and I only opened them a couple of weeks ago so I am pretty fed up with them, I wouldn't ever buy them again and wouldn't ever recommend them to you either, I am so disappointed with them and they are definitely my current not so funky! 

So those are all the beauty favourites I've been loving lately, and one beauty item I really don't love. What beauty products have you been loving or not loving recently? Let me know in the comments section below. 

Thank you for reading, much love as always

Zoe x


✿ Post contains PR Samples or Gifted Items 
























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Friday 22 July 2016

OOTD - A Super Casual Look

OOTD - A Super Casual Look

Hello Lovelies

I recently did some online shopping and last week posted a huge summer fashion haul sharing with you what I picked up in that haul. The problem with posting fashion hauls is that it is very hard to show the items and make them look nice so I asked if you would like me to feature some outfit posts on my blog showing the clothes I purchased and lots of you said "yes please", so today is the first of those outfit posts. 

Today's outfit of the day or OOTD as they are known in the blogging world is an outfit I wore recently to pop to do some shopping, I say shopping I actually popped into the Next sale briefly and had my brows done at Benefit and picked up some goodies there, so not exactly a huge shopping trip. 

It was a typical British summers day so the weather was dull, cool and raining which seems strange now as I am writing this post on the hottest day of the year so far wearing shorts and a cami and perspiring rather a lot, but on the day in question it wasn't a nice day at all so I opted for something comfortable and casual that would also keep me dry.

OOTD - A Super Casual Look

OOTD - A Super Casual Look


Outfit Details & Where To Buy

Denim Jacket (old) Next - Similar HERE - £30.00 available in sizes 6-22
White T Shirt - Next - Similar HERE - £7.00 available in sizes 6-26
Khaki Twill Joggers - New Look (at ASOS) - HERE - £14.99 available in sizes 6-18
White Converse - ASOS - HERE - £45.00 
Watch - M&S - HERE - £18.00  
Necklace - Tiffany 

So that's my outfit, I hope you like it, it was super casual and very comfortable for popping to the shops and wearing on a day when the weather wasn't brilliant.

I will continue to post fashion posts since so many of you have asked for them, if you have a particular fashion post request or any post request please let me know in the comments or feel free to tweet me or email me. 

Thank you for reading, much love as always

Zoe x



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Tuesday 19 July 2016

The Benefit Brow Bar - My Experience

The Benefit Brow Bar - My Experience

Hello Lovelies

I'm pretty sure you will have heard me say how much I hate my brows, I have non existent eye brows, my brows just don't grow at all. I don't know if it's my PCOS that makes them fall out because it makes my hair fall out, or if it's my medication, but they just don't grow. I am also absolutely rubbish at filling my brows in and no matter what I try they just never look right, I only started to fill my brows in a couple of years ago and at first I used to lightly run an eyebrow pencil through them, then I tried MAC Omega eyeshadow and an angled brush and more recently I have been using ABH Dipbrow Pomade and an angled brush but still I wasn't entirely happy with my brows, I think my brows look best using the dip brow but they're not how I want them and they just don't seem to ever look nice/right. 

Recently I was watching one of Liza's video's and her brows looked amazing so I asked her what she was using and she uses the Benefit Precisely My Brow pencil, I decided that I would go and check it out next time I could. 

Last Saturday I visited a Benefit counter and was served by a lovely girl called Olivia, she sat me down and I told her all about my brows and how much I hated them and that they didn't grow. Olivia spent time with me showing me the products on offer and trying various different products on me, she was so lovely and extremely helpful too and she spent ages with me, I didn't feel rushed at all she was so lovely, we spent ages chatting about makeup and my brows and I felt like the most important customer in the world. Once I had decided on the products I liked best from the selection Olivia showed me and tried on me, (haul and review coming soon) Olivia spoke to me about having my brows waxed and tinted by Benefit at their brow bar, I decided since they had a slot in a few minutes time I would have it done.  

The girl who did my brows was called Ruby, she was so nice, she sat me down and she spoke to me about my brows and asked me how I wanted them, I explained that they don't grow and we discussed how they are pretty non existent because they are so sparse and because they are blonde they look non existent, my brows have never looked nice and I explained I just wanted nice brows but accepted she wasn't a miracle worker. 

Before Ruby started my brows she spoke to me about any medications I was taking and medical conditions and I had to read through some information and tick if I had any of the conditions listed or took any of the medication listed. I had to sign a form and was offered a patch test but declined it as I have had lash tints in the past and have my hair dyed. Ruby tested the wax on my hand and also offered me a lip and chin wax, I didn't have that as we both agreed I didn't need it. Ruby applied the tint to my brows first and then removed it and showed me in the mirror asking if I would like to go a little darker and we both agreed I should go a little darker. Ruby tinted my brows and then waxed them, she also used some small scissors and eye brow tweezers to tidy up above my brows. 

Once my brows were done Ruby showed me in the mirror and I actually welled up and got quite emotional, my brows looked so much better, Ruby gave me a hug and was also emotional, she said my brows looked amazing and I have to agree they did. Because I had had the waxing Ruby patched up my makeup adding some foundation and concealer and she also popped some product through my brows. Olivia had gone for her lunch break just before my brow appointment so she didn't get to see my brows when they were finished but I'm sure she'd be pleased with how pleased I am with them. 

I am so happy with my brows and cannot recommend visiting the Benefit brow bar enough, my friend Khila has her brows done by Benefit and we spoke about it last time I saw her but I was a little worried in case my brows didn't look right but now I have had them done I will definitely be having them done again, Ruby recommended every 4 weeks but said I may be able to go longer because I am only fair. 

Overall I am so happy with my brows, they look so much better, Ruby said that in time I may be able to get more of an arch depending how they grow and if they grow which would be amazing but for now I am extremely happy with them. 

My Brows Before & After


The Benefit Brow Bar - My Experience

Please excuse my no makeup face in the photographs, you can see that my brows look much better, they have a better shape and are a better colour and they frame my face too. I haven't used any product on my brows in these photographs but I do have some posts coming on the products I picked up from Benefit and how I am going to use them, and I am going to write a post on the different products and have photographs showing my brows before and after using each product. 

I am really pleased with my brows and the way they look and I hope you think they look better too. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience visiting the Benefit counter and both Olivia and Ruby were so lovely and extremely helpful too, I cannot wait to use my new products but at least if I'm having a no makeup day I can just pop a bit of mascara on and I'm good to go and will look a little more alive with my new brows. 

Thank you so much to Olivia and Ruby, you made my experience fabulous and I will definitely be back. I visited the Benefit counter in the Manchester Boots store because I don't have any local Benefit counters, to book in to have your brows done at a Benefit Counter local to you click onto this link.

Have you had your brows done at the Benefit Brow Bar? Keep an eye out for my next beauty haul where I will show you which products I picked up and of course I will have review posts of all the products I purchased soon too. 

Thank you for reading, much love as always

Zoe x

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Saturday 16 July 2016

A HUGE Summer Fashion Haul Including Primark, New Look, ASOS And More

A HUGE Summer Fashion Haul Including Primark, New Look, ASOS And More

Hello Lovelies

Today I have a huge fashion haul for you, I have things from quite a few different places including Primark, New Look, ASOS, Next plus other places, this post will be quite picture heavy I'm afraid and trying to photograph clothing isn't easy so if you would like me to do some outfit posts wearing any of the items shown please let me know in the comments, but for now I shall crack on with the haul. 

New Look

A HUGE Summer Fashion Haul Including Primark, New Look, ASOS And More

A HUGE Summer Fashion Haul Including Primark, New Look, ASOS And More

The first thing I got from New Look are these cropped trousers, they have a small floral print on a black background, they're elasticated at the waist with a black drawstring tie and pockets to the sides and a single pocket on the back, I thought these could be dressed up with sandals and a cami or down with converse or espadrilles and a black t shirt. They were £17.99 and come in sizes 6 - 18.

A HUGE Summer Fashion Haul Including Primark, New Look, ASOS And More

Next up from New Look are these Khaki jogger style trousers, these aren't typical jogger material and feel like cotton trousers, they're super comfy too. They are elasticated waist and have a drawstring at the waist, they have pockets at the sides with gunmetal coloured zips. I wanted something casual to wear that's different from leggings or jeans and these I think will be nice with a white t shirt and converse and a denim jacket. They are £14.99 available in a size 6-18.

ASOS

A HUGE Summer Fashion Haul Including Primark, New Look, ASOS And More

A HUGE Summer Fashion Haul Including Primark, New Look, ASOS And More

Years ago I bought a black maxi dress from Asda and wore it so much it needed binning and have been looking for something similar ever since, I found this one on the ASOS website and it is about as similar as I'll get I think. It has a scoop neckline at the front and a v back and is very comfortable to wear, it does have a seam under the bust area and down the front which I'm not keen on but to be honest you can't see it. The dress is £20.00 and available in a size 18-30 from the ASOS curve range. 

Next

A HUGE Summer Fashion Haul Including Primark, New Look, ASOS And More

A HUGE Summer Fashion Haul Including Primark, New Look, ASOS And More

I picked a few things up from Next and the first is this skirt, it comes to just above my knee so not too short and has an elasticated waist with a pink drawstring detail with a tassel finish. I have a pink cami that this will look lovely with. The skirt is comfortable and I imagine would be cool if we ever get any summer! 

A HUGE Summer Fashion Haul Including Primark, New Look, ASOS And More

Next up from Next is this bright fluro cami style vest top, I always buy my cami style vest tops from Next, they are really comfortable and a nice length and they wash really well too, depending how many you buy depends on the price, one is £4.50 but you can buy 2 for £8.00 or 3 for £12.00 and they come in a variety of different colours. They are available in sizes 6-26 and are also available in petite and tall as well as regular.

A HUGE Summer Fashion Haul Including Primark, New Look, ASOS And More

Lastly from Next is this plain white t shirt, I have been on the hunt for a plain white t shirt for some time and believe me when I say they are harder to track down than I thought, but this one from Next is nice, and isn't too thin or thick and feels lovely on. It has roll up sleeves and a pocket on the chest. It was £14.00 and comes in a variety of colours and is available in sizes 6-26.

River Island

A HUGE Summer Fashion Haul Including Primark, New Look, ASOS And More

I picked up some more leggings from River Island, I always wear these leggings and have done for many years, they are high waisted and a good thickness, you can't see through them. They wash well and last well too and if you're looking for some leggings I can highly recommend them.

Sainsburys

A HUGE Summer Fashion Haul Including Primark, New Look, ASOS And More

A HUGE Summer Fashion Haul Including Primark, New Look, ASOS And More

When food shopping in Sainsburys recently they had 25% off their TU clothing range, Simon and I had a look round and we picked up a couple of bits for Simon and some new PJs for me, they are super comfy and to be honest I would go out of the house in them if I could, the bottoms are so pretty and look like summer trousers, with a black background and bright floral print, they are elasticated waist and cuffed at the bottom. There are many days when I am unable to get dressed so these are brilliant for those days as they don't really look like PJs. They were £7.50 originally £10.00, unfortunately I couldn't find a link online for these.

A HUGE Summer Fashion Haul Including Primark, New Look, ASOS And More

A HUGE Summer Fashion Haul Including Primark, New Look, ASOS And More

To go with my PJ bottoms I picked up a 2 pack of PJ tops, they are vest top style in mint green and pink and both go really well with the bottoms. Again there isn't a link for these online but they are available in store for £6.00 for the 2 pack. 

Primark

A HUGE Summer Fashion Haul Including Primark, New Look, ASOS And More

A HUGE Summer Fashion Haul Including Primark, New Look, ASOS And More

Last year my lovely friend Khila bought some shoes from ASOS and I loved them, they were cream leather espadrilles with a navy toe and super nice but they never had my size and they have never been available since, roll on to this summer and Primark have these which are practically identical, they are so similar if I were Peter Kay I would say they are "chocolate fingerez" and in fact did say that when I saw these in Primark. They are really comfortable and only £8.00 which I don't think is too bad at all for some summer shoes, they are cream pleather with a navy toe and an espadrille bottom and they have a hard sole. I thought these made a change from my ballet pumps and converse on days when a full shoe is needed i.e. when it rains, as it always does here in England! These look lovely with lots of outfits and I know I will get a lot of wear out of them over the summer. Unfortunately I cannot link to these but they are £8.00 and sold in Primark stores.

So those are all the things in my summer fashion haul, which item/items were your favourite/favourites? As I said it is hard to show clothes in blog posts so please let me know if you would like to see any of the items in a fashion post. 

I do have a beautiful necklace that I bought recently too but unfortunately it didn't arrive until after these photographs were taken, I will sneak it into my next haul for you although that may be a beauty haul  but I'm sure you won't mind, it's so pretty. 

Thank you for reading, much love as always 

Zoe x








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Friday 15 July 2016

Essie Gel Couture Polish And Topcoat

Essie Gel Couture Polish And Topcoat

Hello Lovelies

I'm pretty sure by now you know how much of a nail polish addict I am, in every haul post I write there is a nail polish or at the very least some sort of top or base coat in the post. I recently spotted that Essie had launched their new Gel Couture range of polishes plus a top coat and with Essie being one of my favourite brands I couldn't wait to try the new range and when I saw they were on a buy 1 get 1 half price deal in Boots, I thought it would be rude not to try them.  

There are 25 shades of the Gel Couture polishes available in the UK plus a top coat, which is a shame because in the US there are 42 shades available, I chose the shade On The List a bright coral shade and I also picked up the top coat, I ordered my polish and top coat from Boots online and I have to say I was a little disappointed when they arrived as the top coat bottle was badly scratched, it's no biggie but I like everything to look nice and it doesn't. 

The Gel Couture bottles are different from regular Essie nail polish bottles and have a "twist" effect to them, said to be inspired by the swirl of a dress on a fashion runway. I like the bottles, they are a little difficult to store but they look nice. 

Essie Gel Couture Polish And Topcoat

Essie Gel Couture Polish And Topcoat

Essie claims the polishes last up to 14 days when worn with the top coat but as always it does depend on your nails and how much you use your hands and how hard you are on your nails. When I saw the new range I immediately wanted to try it, I used to have regular gel manicures at my local beauty salon, I love the look of a gel manicure and since various different brands have launched their take on the "DIY gel manicure" I have been trying out different brands but never really found that perfect DIY gel manicure. Since Essie is one of my favourite nail polish brands I had high hopes for the Gel Couture range. 

Application

The brush on the polishes is a nice wide round tip brush and the wand of the brush is also twisted like the bottles to deliver the right amount of polish to the nail and give an even coverage without flooding the brush with polish. 

Essie Gel Couture Polish And Topcoat

The brush on the top coat is a nice wide brush, it doesn't have a rounded end like the nail polish brush and the wand of the brush isn't twisted but it is easy to apply and the top coat goes on in one easy stroke. 

The Gel Couture is a 2 step system meaning no base coat is needed, Essie have used specialist pigments to help avoid staining for people with porous nails and those prone to staining. The 2 step system is a super easy system, Essie recommend 2 thin coats of polish followed by 1 coat of the top coat. 

I followed the application instructions and did not apply a base coat, I applied 2 thin coats of polish but unfortunately my nails looked very streaky and even after 3 coats some of my nails still looked streaky so I had to apply a fourth coat to most of my nails. I think with the darker shades 2 coats will be fine but 2 shades were no where near enough with the coral shade I bought. The top coat isn't as thick as I thought it would be, if you have used the Essie Gel Setter polish, the Gel Couture is not as thick as the that, it isn't thin but not as thick as the Gel Setter, my Gel Setter top coat started to go gloopy after a little while but so far so good with the Gel Couture top coat, I will of course let you know if anything changes. 

The polish was nice and easy to apply and has an average drying time, the twisted brush does stop the brush flooding with polish but you do still have to wipe the excess off as normal. As I said I had to use mostly 4 coats of polish allowing each coat to dry fully in between and then I applied the top coat. 

I did take a photograph of my nails after 3 coats to show you how they looked.

Essie Gel Couture Polish And Topcoat

The photograph above shows my nails after 3 coats of the polish, hopefully you will see if you look closely that my thumb nail, ring finger and little finger nail look streaky, I could maybe have gotten away with 3 coats but I like an opaque finish to my nails and to me this is not opaque. 

Once I had finished applying the polish, and had applied the top coat, I was thrilled with the way my nails looked. 

Essie Gel Couture Polish And Topcoat

I was really pleased with the finished look of my nails, I love how opaque they look but I think they should do after 4 coats! The shine is amazing, my nails looked so glossy and super shiny and I do think they looked like I'd had a gel manicure. I received so many compliments on my nails when wearing the polish, lots of people thought I had had a gel manicure too. 

How The Polish Wore

I am so impressed with the wear time of the polish and am pleased to report that my polish lasted for 13 days before chipping, the chip was a small chip on the side of my nail and was barely visible. The polish also wore on the tips of my nails and grew out at the base of my nail where my nails had grown, they didn't look as lovely on day 14 as they did on day 1 but I am seriously impressed with how the polish wore and on day 14 they didn't look horrendous but you could see the wearing. I removed the polish on day 14.

Essie Gel Couture Polish And Topcoat
After 14 days

Essie Gel Couture Polish And Topcoat
After 14 days

Will The Top Coat Work With Other Polishes?

I have used the top coat with other polishes I own as I thought I would be asked if it was possible to wear it with other brands and how it performed if I did, so I wore the top coat over a Barry M Gelly Hi Shine nail polish in the shade Grapefruit and the polish lasted 8 days, this is unheard of for a Barry M polish on my nails, I usually get around 4 days from a Barry M Gelly Hi Shine polish. I had leg waxing and pedicure appointment when wearing the Barry M polish with the Essie top coat and the beauty therapist treating me thought I had been to another salon for gel nails. I also received a lot of compliments especially from people who follow me on Snapchat and watch my little vlog style video's on there.

My eldest daughter also used the top coat over the China Glaze polish Flip Flop Fantasty which usually chips within 24 hours of her applying the polish and sometimes a lot less, it can chip as quickly as a couple of hours after application which it had done the last time she wore it, but with using the Essie Gel Couture top coat her nails lasted 6 days without chipping, that is incredible wear time and completely unheard of, I haven't ever had any China Glaze polish last me that long, they all usually chip within 24 hours. My daughter is a professional makeup artist so uses her hands all day everyday, she opens makeup packets and palettes all day long and washes her hands a lot so polishes don't usually last long on her and the most time she gets when wearing polish at work is around 3 days maximum.  

Any Negatives?

There is a negative I'm afraid, as I said this is a 2 step system and Essie have used specialist pigments to prevent staining. Unfortunately I experienced the worst staining I have ever had with any nail polish, so I would 100% recommend using a base coat, both my daughters used the polish and also experienced staining, my nails are still very badly stained over 2 weeks after removing the polish, so I will definitely be using  a base coat before I use the polish again. 

Essie Gel Couture Polish And Topcoat
My stained nails.

The staining won't put me off as I will use a base coat in future, the product is so amazing that it out weighs the staining and it is something that can be avoided by using a base coat. The staining and the fact I needed more coats are the only negatives I found with the polish and top coat but neither are big problems and certainly won't put me off purchasing more shades or continuing to use the shade I have.

Overall I am incredibly impressed with the Essie Gel Couture polish and top coat, the application was easy and the wear time incredible, I was also really impressed with the way other polishes wore when I used the top coat with them, I would 100% recommend you try the Gel Couture polishes and top coat, I will definitely be purchasing more shades so keep an eye out for a beauty haul and some NOTD posts soon. 

If you would like to try the Gel Couture polishes and top coat, you can find them on the Superdrug website HERE for £9.99 currently on a 3 for 2 promotion inc free bag with 3 products. Or the Boots website HERE currently on a buy 1 get 1 half price promotion. 

Have you tried the Gel Couture polishes? Let me know in the comments. 

Thank you for reading, much love as always

Zoe x








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