Review: Born Pretty Store Leopard Print Hand Rest

Now that I am working on my home nail room, I am still making room for improvement as to client comfort and the latest addition to my set-up is this cute leopard print hand rest cushion, courtesy of Born Pretty Store.

Up till now, I have used rolled up towels for my clients to rest their hands on while I'm doing nail art but they flatten out so they are not that comfortable and so I was looking for a cute, girly and comfy hand rest.  At the same time, I wanted one that is big enough for the client to rest her hand comfortably while it is not bulky so I can carry it with me when I am doing a client's nails at their home.

This cushion is the perfect size and it is just the right softness and clients have commented that it is quite comfortable and ergonomic.  I can also say that it doesn't interfere with me working on the client and it is completely washable.  It does take some time to dry so if I have more than one client in one day, I would brush it clean in between clients and since it is a little furry, it is easy to brush away the dust from it.

I would recommend this hand rest to anyone who does nail services as it is very convenient to carry around and clients can have a sturdy base on which to rest their hands!  The price is $4.74 per unit and shipping is free worldwide!

PR Sample

First e.l.f. Cosmetics Haul of the Year!

Hello cupcakes :) Sorry for not posting this earlier but I needed to really go out and enjoy some company this weekend as with work and all, I was really missing my social life so on Friday, after I got some rest from my night shift, me and Johan headed out for the whole day and yesterday, after my day duty, we headed straight out with our friends for some drinks and catching up on life in general :)

Anyways, so on Friday, I came home to my little brown box from e.l.f. cosmetics *yayy!!* Johan was by my side and he just couldn't help shaking his head in pity and disapproval at my reactions as I opened the box really carefully not to damage anything and as soon as I made sure there were no damages what's so ever, I took everything out of the packaging to have a play with lol.  

Enough rambling, here are some photos of the products, quick swatches and some initial impressions.  Reviews will follow once I have thoroughly tested everything :)

Studio Glitter Gloss in Ruby Raspberry

Studio Eyeliner & Shadow Stick in Pearl/Glow

Studio Lip Liner & Blending Brush in Wine

Mechanical Eyelash Curler

Essential Brightening Eyeliner in Gilded

Studio Contour Brush

Swatches from top to bottom: Studio Eyeliner & Shadow Stick in Pearl/Glow

Studio Glitter Gloss in Ruby Raspberry

Studio Lip Liner & Blending Brush in Wine

Essential Brightening Eyeliner in Gilded

Studio Lip Liner & Blending Brush in Wine

Studio Eyeliner & Shadow Stick in Pearl/Glow

Studio Contour Brush

So far I have only tried the Contour Brush and the Mechanical Eyelash Curler and I can say I'm very happy with them! As scared as I was of the Eyelash Curler, I find it is quite easy to use :)  I have also worn the Glitter Gloss as soon as I took it out of the packaging and I can honestly say that I rubbed my lips together several times and I didn't get any cuts from the glitter and it wasn't that gritty at all.  I'm most impressed with the pigmentation as for a gloss, this is really pigmented.  

So that's it for this haul post ladies :) Have you got any of these items? Do you consider getting any of them?

Review: Montagne Jeunesse Virgin Olive Face Masque

Do you know the one secret ingredient that will help with you with your new year skin care resolutions? It's none other than Extra Virgin Olive Oil which is renowned for it's rich vitamin E content and skin nourishing properties.  It is a staple ingredient found in most (if not all) kitchens worldwide and apart from its uses for alimentary purposes, it has also been used to prepare purifying skin care preparations for thousands of years especially in Ancient Egypt.  For example, you can mix some Extra Virgin Olive Oil with bottled water in a container to make up your own natural make-up remover.  You can also mix it with other ingredients to make a nourishing and deep-cleansing mask for your face... 

...but wait! You don't have to do that because Montage Jeunesse have already done all the mixing and they came up with their newest Virgin Olive Face Masque for you to treat you skin with; no mixing in the kitchen! It is all conveniently packaged in a 15g sachet ready for use!  They have added the likes of Organic Fair Trade rich shea and cocoa butters which will leave your skin deliciously deep cleansed and Aloe Vera which will help cool and soothe your skin. Organic Fair Trade ingredients mean that you are getting the ingredients in the purest form possible and you are supporting the countries of origin and harversters of such ingredients! Did you know that Olive Oil also has a high content of antioxidants which help delay the aging process of the skin? 

The masque itself is very rich and creamy and it is a pleasure to apply on the face as the smell is not over-powering at all and you know you are using a natural beauty product just by taking a look at the ingredients.  I like how Montagne Jeunesse explain what each ingredients is and the only non-natural ingredients are the ones written in black.  Also, Montagne Jeunesse are BUAV approved as they do not test on animals and their products are Vegan friendly!

To get the best possible results out of this masque, cleanse and thoroughly moisten face with warm water. Apply the masque evenly to face and neck, avoiding eyes and lips. Relax for 10-15 minutes and feel the Olive nourish your skin. Rinse with water, pat dry. Treat your skin twice a week.

Being an avid fan of Olive Oil as a beauty ingredient, I am sure to stock up on this masque which by the way has left my skin looking much brighter and supple!

UK consumers, you can get this masque from ASDA and from www.montagnejeunesse.com for only £1.10 RRP.  Fellow Maltese readers, you can get MJ masques at Peacocks, New Look and major supermarkets.

PR Sample

Review: Born Pretty Store Nail Art Practice/Display Stand

I was feeling inspired to do some nail art designs for my nail art portfolio the other day and I had the perfect excuse to try out this practice stand from Born Pretty Store! As soon as I saw it on their website, I immediately thought on how convenient it would be to practice nail art on a larger surface rather than on a simple nail wheel.  So, it goes without saying that when I was given another opportunity to review another product for Born Pretty Store, I jumped at the chance of giving this a go!

The Nail Art Practice/Display Stand comes in box and you have to assemble it yourself which is really no big deal. There are instructions on the back of the box and they are very easy to follow and you will complete the stand in next to no time! Here are some more photos to help you:

The stand parts as they are supplied

Fit part A into part B as shown in the picture on the right and then fit part C to close them together.

You will end up with individual blocks like the one below:

        

Fit the individual units into each other like a jigsaw and you will get this circular stand.

Alternatively, you can keep the part where all part B's where held together and use the stand horizontally.  I prefer to use it as a circle.

Lastly, attach the small snowflake shape in the middle of the circular stand to hold it all together!

As you can see, the stand is very easy to assemble and although it is made out of a hardish foam, it feels very sturdy and also comes with 40 small pieces of double-sided tape so you can affix the nail tips to the stand and have a steady base on which to work.  In the picture on the right, you can see a piece of double sided tape in the middle of the false nail.  These double sided tape pieces can be used only once but once you use them up, you can still use more double sided tape or blu-tack to work with.  I was worried that the foam would rip off once I pulled the nail from the stand but that didn't happen so this further proves the stand is made out of good quality material!

I'm really pleased I got this stand to practice my nail art on as it is very ergonomic and with me being OCD that I keep everything clean, I find it is next to impossible to mess it up with nail polish.  Here's the stand put to good use:

Also, as the name implies, you can also use the stand to display your nail art work on so that clients can see it!  A final word on this product would be the retail price... $3.38! Pretty affordable isn't it? And with shipping being free for anywhere in the world without a minimum order amount, it is even more affordable!

What do you think of this product ladies? Would you consider giving it a go?

PR Sample

Online Shopping Experience ~ Nail Supplies {Part 2}

Silly little me forgot to include to Viva La Nails in the other post so here are my thoughts about this online nail supplies store.  I was introduced to Viva La Nails after reading about a blogger sample pack they were offering on Stavroula's blog and I decided to give the site a go.  I was really pleased with the fast dispatch and arrival of the products and they are very good quality products at competitive and affordable prices.  The shop owner is a nail technician herself so she really knows what clients want!  Free shipping to the UK, Ireland & Europe is offered on spending £25 and they ship worldwide at a very affordable rate of £2.95.  I did order a few more times from the website and I was never disappointed!