Review of A4 Notes Chalkboard from Chalkboards UK

Chalkboard1SWI’ve wanted a kitchen notes board for quite some time, but I wanted to be sure of the quality I was getting. I didn’t want to settle for anything and wanted to ensure it would last me many years of use. So when I came across Chalkboards UK on Twitter, a Midlands based company, I decided to contact them explaining what I was after. Luckily they were more than accommodating and did a wonderful chalkboard that sounded the perfect size for my little kitchen. In exchange for a review I’ve been sent this wonderful product.

https://www.chalkboardsuk.co.uk/ are a company based in Stourbridge in the West Midlands. Part of the Porter and Woodman group, they specialise in designing and manufacturing chalkboards of all shapes and sizes. These can be purchased for businesses and industry or for home use purposes.

The board came wrapped up to make sure it wasn’t damaged in transit, and was professionally packaged to ensure it arrived in one piece. Not only that but it was sent by a courier which told me within an hour when the item would be delivered. I wish all companies took this amount of time and effort with their products. With all this attention to detail the chalkboard arrived in perfect condition.

ChalkboardSqSWSo what I noticed first of all was the quality of the board. The item is very well made and the detail that has been undertaken is excellent. Chalkboards UK sell a variety of sizes and various titled boards. This one simply reads ‘Notes’ which is perfect for my needs, but they make others which have different headings and titles. It’s a versatile chalkboard that is easy to write on and easy to clean, simply a wet cloth followed by a dry one gets it looking like new within seconds. A chalkboard is an addition every house should have.

Chalkboard8SWChalkboard5SW

Another great thing about this board is how light it is. I was surprised it wasn’t heavier considering it was A4 size, but the weight made hanging it far easier than I imagined. The board hangs from rope and has a wonderful ledge at the base for the piece of chalk to sit on when not in use. The size is perfect for writing large lettered notes or long lists if you can manage small handwriting with the piece of chalk.Chalkboard9SWChalkboard4SW

Chalkboards such as this one can be hung up anywhere with the ease of the string. I photographed mine on the wooden kitchen door as well as on the wall, before deciding where to hang mine permanently. It looked great in both places because of the white and black finish, it can easily be an addition to all sorts of kitchens. This board can also stand up if leaned against a flat surface.

Overall this product is very useful and of excellent quality, and I was impressed with both the customer service and the delivery. My review for the chalkboard is as follows:
5/5 for Appearance
5/5 for Quality
5/5 for Durability
5/5 for Value

ChalkboardSW    Chalkboard7SW

If you are looking to purchase your own kitchen notes chalkboard or if you want to browse any other products here is a link to the website starting with the kitchen boards https://www.chalkboardsuk.co.uk/product/wc642g/

Chalkboard2SWThank you to Chalkboards UK for allowing me to review this wonderful product, I will not only be recommending you within my blog but within my personal life as well. And I couldn’t imagine not having my chalkboard up in my kitchen now, you have given me a missing piece of my home life puzzle.

Sabrina

Piercings – My Experiences

On the blog today I am going to be discussing ‘Piercings’. To wear multiple earrings is back on trend this year, and considering I already have that I have felt pretty fashionable lately. I was never a fan of my ears growing up, I had to wear glasses as well, so when I was eventually able to get my piercings done as a teenager I felt like I was finally happy with the way my ears looked. Putting earrings in them made me feel like an individual, and with the range of jewellery available nowadays, it’s no wonder so many people are getting things done.

Whether you love them or hate them, piercings have been a cultural aspect of human life for thousands of years. The history behind them includes some mummified remains which were found to have pierced ears dating back to approximately 5000 years ago. Some body piercings go as far back as Ancient Rome. Facial piercings include African and American tribes, who used body piercing for spiritual reasons. More reasons for getting metal through your body in more recent decades include religious and self-expression. I have personally had mine done for aesthetic reasons.

So what if you do love them, but you’re having trouble deciding what you should get, or where. Well in this blog post today I’m going to be explaining about my own experiences with piercings and the aftercare, and how I feel about it all now that I am much older than when I first decided to get my piercings on my body.

IMG_1558

My first piercing experience was when I was thirteen years old. I got my lobes pierced, and I wanted them done for a long long time. My mother had decided that you’re too young as a child to understand the implications of having something through your body that needs looking after and caring for. So I was told to wait until I was a responsible teenager. That time came and once the summer holidays started I was off to get my ears done. I had them done at Claire’s, and they pierced with a gun. If I had known this before hand I wouldn’t have gone there. It was painful, a real pinch, and they insisted we pierce with yellow gold, even though I had sensitive skin. My lobes didn’t heal within the six weeks they were meant to, and I ended up going back to complain. Luckily we spoke to a nice woman who suggested changing the studs to a sterling silver or a surgical steel, so I did this, and within two weeks my ears were healed. I kept earrings in them almost constantly for a year though, because my skin kept trying to heal over at the back. Even after all these years of having the holes, if I don’t wear earrings for a week they begin to heal. If you think about getting a piercing always go to a professional, either a piercing salon who specialise in all sorts of piercings, or one registered at a tattooist (bare in mind you may need to be eighteen on these premises).

My favourite piercing is my navel. I had this done in the summer after I turned sixteen, and I had to beg my mother for over a year before she gave in and took me to have it done. A number of years ago the piercing was done in two parts, a piece of metal is pierced through the skin, and then the jewellery is quickly inserted afterwards. Now I hear they do it all in one smooth movement which makes it quicker and less painful. I won’t lie to you, it did hurt, but not to the point where you would faint, unless you’re particularly bad with pain. I felt a little light headed when I sat up afterwards, but that was more to do with your body going hot and into a state of shock because of what you just put it through.
My piercing healed very well, and within a few months I was able to change the bar. I always wore a bar in it, because I loved it, and I found it to be a flattering piece of jewellery. You must continue to clean and look after your piercing in the months after it has healed to ensure it stays good. I love all the different kinds of jewellery you can purchase for a belly piercing, it’s so versatile. I haven’t grown much since I was sixteen, luckily, so the piercing hasn’t become misshapen, and I wear jewellery in it every day.
All these years later and I still love mine. Here are a few pictures from over the years so you can see how it looks with varying bars in it. You can get metal bars, jeweled bars and even plastic ones, perfect for soaking up the sun because the metal doesn’t get hot. I do like the jeweled ones the best, you can easily match them with your outfits. Like I said this is my favourite piercing, it is most definitely a part of who I am as a person.

navelpiercingWhen I was eighteen I decided I wanted to get another part of my ear done. The helix or pinna part of the ear is done with a needle through the cartilage of a persons ear. Even though I looked after this piercing like all of the others, the trouble with any cartilage piercing is that if you knock it, get your hair caught in the jewellery, or even sleep on it for hours at a time, it can cause issues. This was the trouble with my piercing. I would often sleep on the other side and end up rolling over in the night unaware, and then that caused no air to get to my piercing. It took 18 months to heal completely, and although I really liked it, I would always remind myself of how long it took to be usable and wearable. After a year I made the decision to change the bar to surgical steel one with a flat base for the back of the ear, this was much better in terms of caring for the piece. I haven’t gone back to using any other jewellery in this piercing, I now only use flat backed bars where you can change the heads. I buy mine from ‘Body Jewellery Shop’ and find they have both excellent service and advice about types of jewellery.
Here is a link to the stud that I currently wear in my helix piercing, I love this stud, and this online shop do a lot of variations to it, perfect if you want a large selection to find your individuality.
http://www.bodyjewelleryshop.com/online_store/steel-internally-threaded-labret-stud-heart.cfm
Below is a recent image of my left ear, as you can see I’m wearing my heart labret stud in my helix and a simple plain bar in my tragus. I am wearing a trio of stars ranging in size in my lobes as well.
CurrentLeftEarSW

Another piercing of mine is my Tragus. This was a decision that I took months to decide whether or not to go for it, because I have fairly small ears and I didn’t want to risk the piercing growing out, or it looking ridiculous. I went to a local piercing and tattoo studio for this one, and trusted their expertise. The lady was very thorough and explained to me the after care and complications that could happen with a piercing like this one. Even though it was a risk, I have had no problems with other piercings and decided to go for it. Years later and fully healed I’m so glad that I did it, although without any jewellery in it the hole is quite an eye saw, I don’t know what I will look like when I’m old if I ever have to remove it. But for now I always wear a bar in it.
The piercing did hurt to have done, and it is a tricky one due to the placement so close to the face, however once your jewellery is in, it’s often a very flattering accessory and I love mine. There are lots of different jewellery available for it now, because it has become a very popular placement in the last few years.

I had several lobe piercings in my late teens and early twenties. I love how multiple earrings look together. Here is a photograph of both my ears from way back in 2009 when I had recently had my Tragus done. I love how with lobe piercings you can wear studs, or hoops or long earrings, or a mixture of all three. The possibilities are literally endless!
I only wear surgical steel or sterling silver in my ears, but that is a personal choice. I know there are many choices on the market.
EarsSo am I contemplating anymore? Not at the moment, although there are some I have seen that I would love to have. I love the latest jewellery that is available and I would love to have some piercings to compliment the ones I have now. But I do also have small ears and some types of piercings are not suitable for everyone. You also have to consider the healing time, if it will take longer than a couple of months will it be a problem for your school life, work life or for your health. Operations and scans and other medical situations often require you to remove all jewellery, so there are lots of things that you must consider before going ahead with a piercing. If you haven’t had one before, I recommend that you have a talk with your local piercing artist, and discuss the implications of pain, healing time and also whether or not your piercing choice is susceptible to growing out. I have been very lucky, but some peoples bodies reject their choice and this can lead to scarring.

There is another choice nowadays that people can make, if they only want to wear these kinds of jewellery occasionally. You can get great fake pieces now that you just open and slide on, and then push closed just enough to hold on to your ear. Here is one earring that I own, that can be worn on the ear or other body areas too. Easy to use and light enough so it doesn’t hurt to be worn all day. Just ensure that you get a size that is appropriate for you. This flower one that I have is a little big but stands out nicely if you wear it with other floral accessories.
Another choice for some is magnetic earrings too.
I would love to try out some smaller fake piercings if anyone can recommend any, or if you have a product you can recommend me to review.
FakePiercingOneI hope you have enjoyed reading about my experiences, if you have any questions I would be happy to answer any that I can, just leave me a comment below. Thank you for reading.

Sabrina

7 Day Photography Challenge

So for those who don’t already know I am actually a real photographer. By real I mean I wouldn’t say that I was a professional as such, but I have been published several times and I have a BA Hons degree in the subject… So in your eyes if that makes me a professional then so be it. But I am a photographer, I put my heart and soul into making pictures on a daily basis.

So why am I telling you this?! Well I am writing this blog post while processing some photographs that I have made recently, many were taken opportunistically on my iPhone… and I really wanted to share some with you. A string to my photographic bow is nature photography, it is my main passion in life. You all see me using my photographic talents on my blog, but that isn’t necessarily what I do all the time. In fact I photograph nature more than I photograph items and products for my blog.

So not only did I want to share my images but also share a side of myself with you. So here it is, a week of photographic challenges. A friend has given me this to complete and instead of updating a post daily with photo’s I may have made I have just selected the images from the challenge and now I am sharing my whole week with you. The images are situated below with their category title, I really hope you enjoy looking at them. Do feel free to leave me a comment if you want, and it’s just nice to be able to share my passion with you all today.

Sabrina

1. Flowers – Yellow Rose
IMG_2164

2. Wild Animal / Bird – Magpies fighting over bread
DSC02528Proc

3. Sky – Blue today
IMG_2133

4. Food – Chinese (Crispy Chilli Beef yum!)
IMG_2140

5. Domesticated Animal – My Beautiful Cat
DSC02660

6. Still Life – Clock
IMG_2198

7. A Favourite Thing – The Countryside
IMG_2182

June Primark Haul

PrimHaulPicIt’s been some time since I’ve been to Primark, and by that I mean I haven’t shopped there since about October last year. I would usually pop in every quarter of the year to look at the latest trends and update my wardrobe. But due to circumstances beyond my control I have had to wait several further months before I could get any true retail therapy in there.

I did leave myself a budget to stick to before I went in, and I made a pact with my husband to not buy any more dresses (I have a whole wardrobe just for my dresses and it’s full). Once inside the store I smiled with happiness that it wasn’t too crowded and I got my basket. Let the shopping commence! (Insert smug emoticon here).

So let me tell you about my recent experience at my local Primark. I was very pleased to see a great deal more staff on the floor than there was the previous time I shopped. They were eagerly folding and rearranging the various stands and railings after each group had picked up what they wanted. I enjoy browsing and taking it all in, providing its not like sardine humans at Christmas… (i detest clothes shopping at Christmas).

My usual way of shopping is to begin at the top and work down, the top being my body and not the shop floors. I go for tops and things first, move down to waist and lower and end with accessories and shoes. Though this trip was more about revamping my torso part of my wardrobe, mainly because I had cleared out a great many old t-shirts and long tops earlier this season.

So beginning with all manner of tops and tees I began to wander and I was soon tossing all manner of things into the basket I was carrying. I picked up crop tops, t-shirts and even (i guess you would call them) dress-tops. I was quite impressed with the choice this time around. Nothing else caught my eye until I went to find a changing room and ended up grabbing a summer hat, I don’t actually own one (until now) so it was something I was happy to spend money on (and for a bargain £2 in the sale how could you not love it!).

I sorted out my basket as I waited for a cubicle and soon I was in it trying on my items. I was lucky that half of them looked good or great and after I had finished I had rejected 8 out of the 16 items I went in with.

So what of the 8 items, well here is a mass picture of most of them from when I got home and I looked at my haul all together. I had told myself not to pick up lots of navy and black, as I do tend to go for those colours on a general basis. I was happy that I could choose other colours and that they suited me. Summer, in my opinion, is the perfect time to try something new, and for me, that was more colour in my clothes!

PrimarkHaulJuneSWI will now outline my favourite pieces from my haul, and I’m throwing in some photo’s too for a little outfit inspiration!

I’ve purchased a few cold-shoulder clothing pieces like tops and dresses from high street stores since the start of SS16, but in Primark I found something a bit different. It was this fabulous ribbed crop top which I fell in love with before I had even tried it on. When it fitted my figure like a glove I just had to take it. It’s rare for me to find fashion that fits so perfectly. With stripes and Britain colours I just loved the design and the fit of this item, and was happy with the price as well at £5.00.

Prim07Dress-tops, as I like to call them, are a staple in my wardrobe. I haven’t had many new ones in the past year though and when I saw a pair with a dip hem back I just loved the style. I wasn’t sure how they would look on me because I’m classed as the top top end of a petite, just shy of standard height. I usually have issues with lengths of clothing especially jeans and things. But I loved how these tops looked on my figure and were perfect on my shoulders. They were only £7.00 each which I thought was a decent price for the length of them.

Prim02Prim01
Prim09There were two styles, one white with a black pattern that reminded me of a Buddhist mandala. And the other was black and had the pattern of the moon cycle and read, ‘Crescent Moon, Half Moon, Full Moon’. I was and still am a huge twilight fan, so although I wasn’t looking to buy anything black I loved the idea of this design, so I tried on both, and loved both.

Prim03Prim15

I was most impressed with the t-shirts that Primark had this visit. Some had such lovely designs and I was very happy to try them on and find that they were true to size as well. Here are a few shots of the t-shirts that I got in my haul. I particularly like the Britain flag made from butterflies and the symbol feathers tee, so there are close-ups of those.

Prim06Prim08Prim10

Another crop top that I tried on and really liked was this pale turquoise ribbed crop top. It was thick enough to wear individually and was soft and comfortable when I tried it on. Once again it was a true-to-size fit for me which made it all the more appealing. I’m hoping to pair it with skinny jeans (like in this pic) and with shorts on the warmer Summer days.

Prim04Along with all of the items above I also bought a long yellow t-shirt that had a nice rounded hem, and I also had a t-shirt that had a ‘Hogwarts’ design, I grew up with the Harry Potter books and so I thought it was about time I had something to express my joy of them. Another tee that I loved was a plain white one with tiny hearts on it, I had a pinafore dress at home that I wanted to wear over the top of this one. And we cannot forget the hat I spoke about earlier.

I really hope you have enjoyed checking out my Primark haul, and that maybe you have some inspiration of items that might be in your local store!

Prim12Prim11

★ Sabrina ★

Regime London Coconut Quench 30 Day Trial and Review

At the beginning of May I was one of a lucky few that were chosen to test and review Regime London’s latest cosmetic capsules. The nutricosmetics that I have trialed for the month of May are ‘Coconut Quench’. These tablets contained a ratio of 20:1 Coconut Water equivalent to 4000mg. And each capsule also had Hyaluronic Acid of 240mg inside.

Every evening in May after my meal I would take one of the capsules with a full glass of water. From day one I was interested to see if there would be any noticeable changes within a trial lasting just 30 days.

RegimeLondonHere is an image of me holding my sample that had just arrived in the post. I have no makeup on here, and I wanted to keep that a running theme throughout this trial and review. Any photographs in this blog post with me in them have not been enhanced and I decided I wouldn’t wear any products on my skin to show the full effect of the use of these capsules.

Regime London MeI won’t lie to you the capsules were pretty large to swallow, but then if you realise how much is encased within one they are actually quite small, and I would say they were an average size for a larger capsule. They are a similar length to the vitamins you can get with a great number of nutrients in them. Easy enough to swallow if you’re used to taking any tablets around this size.

Regime01I had no problems or side effects with this product and I had no issues in sticking to the routine of having the capsule every day.

Regime03In this image I was down to my final two tablets. I must admit that by the final few days I had begun to notice a slight difference in my skin, it seems a little firmer than it was a month ago. On my face I have seen a reduction in the bags under my eyes. Before anyone asks if that means I have just gotten more sleep then the answer is no. Throughout May I have been working my usual shifts at my day job and I haven’t had any time off this month in order to rest.

I’m going to show a triptych now of my face, with no makeup on, not even a face cream. I’m doing this to show the immediate difference of my skin during this one month trial. From left to right we have an image taken day one of taking the capsules, at day fifteen and the final 30th day taking the coconut quench. I would like to point out as well, that I drink two litres of water a day and moisturise my skin daily as well. I believe it is a combination of these factors that has allowed the coconut quench to work to its maximum capabilities in my body.

triptychregimelondonSWAs you can see the dark circle under my eyes are slightly reduced in the final image compared to that on day one. The final image (right) was taken 30 days after taking the first capsule. I have noticed as well that the lines around my eyes such as crows feet (when I smile broadly) are also slightly fainter than they were a month ago.

The ‘Coconut Quench’ product states that it is a hydrating formula that is meant to increase skins moisture content. That in turn can make skin look and feel better because the skins hydration has been increased. The question is now, do I believe that this has worked for me? Honestly I have noticed a subtle change, not just on my face as I just mentioned above, but for my skin overall, especially I have noticed it to be softer and firmer on my arms.

Considering I am only 28 years old, I usually wouldn’t purchase products such as this, because I believe in a healthy diet and exercise at this stage in my life. However once those things no longer work for me in the long term, and its time to turn to other forms of making my skin look young, capsules are definitely something I would consider.

Regime02I would like to end this post by saying how much I appreciate the opportunity that I have been given in reviewing this product and would like to thank Regime London for choosing me and my blog to write a review.

RegimeLondonSW

The No Makeup, Makeup Look

The biggest thing I have seen in the celeb magazines lately, has been the no makeup, makeup look. Which involves wearing makeup that matches your skin tone and to not over do the other aspects of putting your face on, such as too much blush and no over the top eye looks.

I personally really respect this trend, and would always prefer to look natural instead of coming across as having ‘put it on with a trowel’. I think women look far more beautiful with subtle aspects of makeup that enhance their already unique features.

NoMakeupLook1For me, I nearly always wear mascara on my eyes and powder on the skin on my face to reduce redness and any uneven skin tone. I felt that I already achieved this look on a regular basis, so I wanted to show how I did this and what products I have used. As you can see in the image above my makeup is subtle, used to mainly hide dark circles and blemishes and to remove any shine from my skin.

So having decided to give this a go for the blog, I wanted to show the difference on my face between what my skin looks like bare and with subtle makeup. I will be achieving this by doing a half and half photograph. One half of my face will be made up and the other will just be as it is – completely natural.

The image below shows me achieving this, and I don’t see a great difference unless you get very close up to my skin. The powder I chose has covered a few blemishes and the light application of mascara has enhanced my lashes just enough so my eyes look awake. Half my lip has lipstick on it, a shade similar to my own lip tone. If you look closely the bags under my eye have faded compared to the natural look of my skin and the powder also hides any pimples on show.

NoMakeupLook2So what products have I used for the makeup half of this look. Well the mascara I used was a gentle application of Rimmel London’s Super Curler 24 hr Mascara (a little goes a long way).

The eyeshadow is from Makeup Revolution Elements 3 and is a light brown to match with the colour of my hair and eyes.

The lipstick I like to use is a natural look one which compliments my lip colour. It’s from L’oreal Paris Made for me Naturals collection and is for ‘Dark Brunettes’ Number 240. (I’m not even sure if they make this anymore but I bought several a couple of years ago and this is my last one).

And finally the powders I use are Rimmel London Stay Matte pressed powders in shades Silky Beige and Transparent, by using both I create an almost contour effect, using the lighter shade around my cheek bones and brow bones and the beige one for all over coverage. I finish with a very light dusting of Rimmel Lasting Finish Blush in Pink Rose, just patted onto my cheek with a brush.

I am interested to know what people think of my natural makeup application and look. As you can tell I like Rimmel London products! Do you have any product recommendations for me? I will leave you with a picture of myself from the other week, exactly the same makeup application but in some natural light where it can be appreciated a bit more.

Thank you for reading, have a lovely day.

★ Sabrina ★

NoMakeupLook3

June Treat Box Reveal

JuneTreatBox1June has arrived with some sunshine and a treat box which is filled with baking theme items! I have to admit that I love to bake even though I’m not very good at it, I have perfected brownies but with cake I am still learning! The items in this box will no doubt be of great use to me over the summer months as I continue cooking and making the perfect recipe.

JuneTreatBox2JuneTreatBox4JuneTreatBox3So it’s time for the big reveal! I have chosen to photograph the products in more detail this month so you can really see the quality of things you are getting from the treat box.

What can we find in June’s box, of course there is a card, this months reads ‘You’ve Gotta Risk It To Get The Biscuit’ which is a phrase I have used plenty of times in my life already, and I had a little chuckle at it as I opened the box up. Inside the first thing I noticed was a wonderful baking spatula of fabulous quality. There are some pegs (mine were cupcakes) which can be used for photos or recipes or decoration. Inside the treat box you’ll also find a notebook designed for anything cookery related you’d like to make notes on. Also there is a delicious biscuit (I had to stop myself eating mine because I wanted to make sure I photographed it) and mine had such a cute face on it too! In this months treat box there is a packet of chalkboard stickers – something I’ve never seen before – fantastic for people who haven’t got a kitchen big enough for an actual board! You will also find a pencil – mine was pink and read ‘Star Baker’ which is just lovely especially if you enjoy watching bake off! There will also be a teabag and mine happened to be popcorn flavour green tea which is something I drink anyway so I’m intrigued to try this flavour. And finally you have some biscuit nail files which are cute and always handy for a ladies handbag.
JuneTreatBox6SW
JuneTreatBox5SW
JuneTreatBox7SW JuneTreatBox8 JuneTreatBox9  JuneTreatBox11 JuneTreatBox12 JuneTreatBox17SWJuneTreatBox10
JuneTreatBox14
JuneTreatBox15SW
JuneTreatBox19SW
JuneTreatBox21 JuneTreatBox22SW JuneTreatBox13JuneTreatBox18JuneTreatBox23SWI’m very pleased with all of the items in this treat box and once again so impressed with the effort and the presentation that these lovely gifts are sent out in.

JuneTreatBox20SW

So what has been my favourite item from this months box. I couldn’t choose between the spatula and the notebook. Both are so useful and perfect for myself and my daily life. I know that both will be used and enjoyed.

If you would like to order your own treat box then you can find Treatbox by searching that keyword on Facebook and/or visit their website to subscribe for your own treat box https://treatboxuk.com/

The beauty of subscribing to treatbox is that you’ll pay a one-off fee for whichever amount you choose, and then each month your box gets sent to your door. Inside could be a range of gifts from homeware to accessories, edible items and other useful things, as well as trinkets, jewellery and inspirational quotes too!

I have really enjoyed my three month subscription to treatbox, and if you aren’t sure on whether to try it or not I would say order a one off box, and then if you’re happy with it you can always subscribe after it 🙂 Check out my previous posts all on the treat boxes I have received so far, in the unique category off my homepage called ‘Treatbox’ just for these reviews and reveals.

★ Sabrina ★

Essie Nail Varnish Review

Essie is a brand from the US who specialise in nail varnish/lacquer with a huge range of shades, they have been supplying salons since 1981 with their fabulous nail polishes and now gels.

EssieDietCoke

As some of you might know Diet Coke were running a promotion at Boots stores in May where you could purchase an Essie Nail Polish with a Diet Coke for a special price. Before now I hadn’t ever tried the Essie brand, and I wanted to take advantage of this promotion and reach out of my normal brand comfort zone, and try something new.

I popped down to my local boots and out of the three shades that qualified with the promotion I liked the pale pink one the best. It was called Fiji and I hoped that it would go better with my skin-tone. I own a lot of dark reds and blues, and one of the shades was a deep red colour, and I wanted to try something new and out of my usual choice range.

EssieOneI was pleasantly surprised with the quality, the nail polish applied smoothly and had a lovely shine to it. The colour I chose suited my skin tone and looked very flattering with a range of outfits as I wore it over the weekend.

It was a fairly thick lacquer, which was great because you could wear it with just one coat if you changed the colour regularly anyway. I could only wear mine for a couple of days before needing to remove it due to work commitments, so when I came to take it off I was surprised how much remover I needed. I think the quality is excellent and would have remained on my nails a long time without many chips if I had let it. I may test this theory with another essie purchase in the future to see how it stands up to other brands I have reviewed recently.

Light shades seem to be on trend this year, and I don’t own many bright colours, so I think I definitely made the right decision by choosing this one. I hope to get more in the near future because there are so many shades available to try! Especially if you go to larger boots stores, I found the range very good in my local.

Overall I think I have been converted to the essie brand, mainly because of how impressed I have been with the quality of this product. I find that it is obviously more expensive than what I am used to purchasing, but I am hoping to save up some boots points and when I fancy trying another shade use them to treat myself on this. Maybe I will review more in the near future – watch this space!

EssieTwoSWDo you have any essie shades that you’ve purchased this year that you can recommend? I would love to hear other peoples experiences too.

★ Sabrina ★