Quick! Paint the town ... pink and win £250 of beauty products.

To say that I am not in the mood for blogging is an understatement. I am still very much excited about beauty products and very much still into keeping up with my blog subscriptions but I seem to have lost the drive to blog about my beauty experiences. But sometimes, events take precedence and I need to make exceptions. October is not only the month holding my favourite day of the year (Halloween) but it's also the month where beauty brands around the world unite, go pink and do their bit to raise awareness about breast cancer and raise money for the cause.



You will perhaps recall me posting about 'Paint for Life' the cute nail polish trio that Beautyuk released in support of Cancer Research UK and the moving story behind its creation. This week, BeautyUK is doing something pretty special: they are holding a pretty fabulous competition over on Facebook:





Post a photo of you wearing pink nails on their facebook page and you could be on your way to win £250 of beautyuk products.

For the chance to win the MASSIVE £250 BEAUTYUK HAUL simply paint your nails pink, strike a pose, upload a photo anytime before 11.59pm on the 7th October. Up for it? Get more details on Beautyuk's facebook page, get painting, strike a pose, snap and have fun most of all.




I am not taking part in the competition, I am too involved in the creation of this set and I think it wouldn’t be fair if I won the competition, but if I won, i’d be wanting to spend some of my prize stash on the whole special effects glitte nail polish collection, so glitter-tastic Models Own Mirror Ball doesn’t want you to see it  This stock photo doesn't do it justice really. In real life, these £3.49 babies are out of this world!



disclosure: I am not affiliated with Beautyuk and didn’t receive any compensation to write about this post and the facebook competition.

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Candy Crazy

The world of cakes & confectionery seem to have unleashed the  creativity of nail companies in a big way, this year. We have seen  NailsInc released their sprinkle collection, MUA won the heart of the  nation with their loveheart collection and now it's the turn of  Beautyuk to have been inspired to release a candy collection: a range of candy coloured nail polishes at the sweet price of £1.99 each.





The first 'candy' I couldn't wait to sample with was Bonbon, a  gorgeous shade of sunflower yellow. I am a big fan of yellow nail  polishes. My favourite yellow nail polish is actually another polish  from Beautyuk, called yellow peril which is absolutely flawless and  opaque in 2 coats. So I was a bit nervous to wear Bonbon in case it  wouldn't be as good as yellow peril.


Bonbon applied very well, with  absolutely no sign of streaks or patchiness, the common problems which  you usually encounter with yellow polishes. My photos (please forgive me for the state of the awfully short nail of my index finger) show 2 coats of  bonbon applied very hastily. Three coats would have been better to  conceal the 'white line' perfectly, but I am quite content with the  coverage that 2 coats provided me.







Dolly Mixture is a bright, luminous {and almost neon in certain lightings} shade of coral mango orange and it's just utterly gorgeous.  Again, only 2 very easy coats were applied on my nails. A little bit  of white edge can be seen on the ring finger but it doesn't bother me  too much.











Lollilop excited me a lot. The opacity is fantastic, this is a true 2  coater, like the nail polishes Beautyuk used to do up to the release  of their urban jungle collection. If you were to buy a beautyuk nail  polish, I would still prefer it if you chose to purchase the set their paint for life set, the set they released in support of Cancer  Research but if you wanted just one shade of pink, lollilop would be a  great option.  










The pieces de resistance of this collection, in my opinion are the  last two shades which feature Beautyuk's new matte finish technology.  I wouldn't define the finish as pure matte and my photos still show  quite a bit of shine but in real life, the finish reminded me a little  bit of the rubber finish from Illamasqua's Theatre of the Nameless  Collection mixed with a glazed cherry appearance. The cherry on the  top is the coverage: they are both opaque in one coat.









When I apply a nail polish, my first coat is usually the sloppiest and  the second coat is there to even everything out, especially the edges.  So if I had known that Jelly Bean (the bright purple) was going to be  opaque in one coat, I would have definitely tried to be neater the  first time round. So even though, the 'white line' was totally  concealed, I felt the need to apply a second coat, just to even out  the edges and even out my sloppy mess.


So when the time came to play with Gobstopper, the semi matte  turquoise, I felt I was more ready to apply it properly and tried to be as neat as I could in just one coat. Gobstopper is a stunner, so much  so that I had to give it more exposure (3 photos instead of 2) and I  can't believe this is only £1.99.












A candy collection wouldn't be complete without its very own skittle manicure, right? So please allow me :)






And what the heck, I have added some 'smarties' dots on top.







what: Beautyuk Candy Collection of nail polishes
how much: £1.99 each
where: Beautyuk online and Superdrug stores nationwide
disclosure: polishes were offered for review purposes

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‘Tabasco’ Nails

Hello, my name is Liloo and I am addicted to Tabasco Sauce. It's not my fault, it's the way I've been brought up, we are raised to like spicy food and there is always some king of spicy sauce to accompany a dish. Don't get me wrong, I couldn't eat a vindaloo or something like that but I enjoy spicy food. Tabasco sauce is the just perfect way to add a spice to anything and I even carry a bottle in my handbag, and use it at work to accompany a bland diet soup, to spice up a big mac and all sorts. When I am invited to eat at someone's place (I don't remember the last time this happened though) the bottle stays in my bag as I think it would be a bit rude for the host, like the host didn't prepare a food which is tasty enough. In my country, it wouldn't be rude to pile up the spicy sauce on the side of your plate, but at the same time, the host would be offended if you ask for salt.






Anyway, back to Tabasco: I absolutely love it and when I saw this 'spicy' red nail polish from Beautyuk, it instantly reminded of Tabasco Sauce and I just had to have it. There is one problem straight away with this polish: I don't know what it's called and I don't know if it comes in a separate bottle. I could have sworn it was released in their recent collection but I can't find it anywhere. I found 'Tabasco red' in the 'west end girl' £4.99 miniature set and it's without a doubt my favourite nail polish of the set. Trust me to like the polish which isn't sold separately and doesn't exist in a full size version.









Tabasco was lovely to apply and took 3 coats to reach the opacity you see on my pictures. This is one more coat that I would normally like to apply but the colour is just so divine, I am happy to forgive that. 'Tabasco Red' screams summer for me. If your outfit allows for it, it would accessorize your hands perfectly at a barbecue, when you are about to tuck in that big fat juicy burger on a limited edition sunny day. The set is definitely worth getting for this colour alone.





What: 'Tabasco Red' in Beautyuk Nail Polish Gift Set (no.4)
Where: Superdrug shops nationwide and beautyuk online store.
How much: £4.99 for 6 mini polishes
Disclaimer: Purchased with my own pennies

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Hope on my fingers

This is proving harder than I thought to write. How on earth am I supposed to  objectively and critically review a product which I am so passionate about and  which little ol' me has helped creating? It is not without a certain degree of emotion that I would like to share with you my swatches of 'Hope', 'Love' and Strength' the  nail polishes part of the Beautyuk 'Paint for life' box set.







Moved by one of their fans' wishes, Beautyuk Cosmetics took the pledge to raise  £50,000 for Cancer Research UK and designed a range of nail polishes to help them  reach their target. While thousands of women are undertaking the annual 'race for  life' race throughout the country, BeautyUK is inviting you to support the Cancer  Research UK charity and to 'paint for life'. For each £5.99 'paint for life' trio  set sold, they are donating £1 directly to the charity.


The shades are gorgeous. Hope is a delicate pastel pink which could double up as  French manicure base if applied sheerly. I would describe Love as a shade of  carnation pink and Strength, the deeper of the set as a bright hot pink. The  formulation was very easy to work with, although they needed 3 coats instead of the  2 I am usually used to. Before playing with my paint for life set, I had a pre  conceived idea about Hope. For me, it looked too pale and it was not going to work with my skin tone. 3 coats later and I was in love!

*cue avalanche of photos*

 

You know what’s handy? it’s the names on the bottles

and last but not least this is strength. At this point, I would like to thank my spell check as I always always spell it wrong!

I think Beautyuk did a marvellous job with the paint for life trio. The shades are  lovely and would suit a wide range of people, from the shy and who only want a hint  of pink to the lovers of bold and bright talons.

Which is your favourite shade?
Will you be ‘painting for life’?

Further Information
Availability: The paint for life trio is available in Superdrug shops nationwide and online (£5.99)
BeautyUK Cosmetics Aid for Cancer Research UK: http://www.beautyukcosmetics.com/paint-for-life
Beautyuk twitter: @beautyuktweets
Paint for Life Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/paintforlifeuk
Paint for Life Twitter: @paintforlifeuk #paintforlife


Disclaimer:    
The box set was purchased by myself.

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Painting for Life

Just over a year ago, there was a blog competition where participants had to create  a nail polish just for fun to win some BeautyUK Cosmetics makeup. One fan of the  brand, Sam, expressed a wish to have a range of pink polishes designed to raise  money for a Breast Cancer Charity. Sam's inspiration was her mum, going through the  ordeal of cancer but who 'still wanted to look nice and have painted nails'. Beautyuk Cosmetics was so touched by the idea that they have been working hard for  the past year to help Sam's idea see the day.



The day has come and with the help of  a beauty blogger, BeautyUK went on to develop and release a 'Paint for Life' trio nail boxset with the aim of raising £50,000 for Cancer Research UK.  I feel really moved by this initiative, there is so much more I wish to say.  Perhaps I’ll share more when I show you my swatches. For now, I just want to keep it short and sweet. It is so heart warming to see, how an everyday girl next door, fan of a cosmetic brand can touch a cosmetic brand so much so that they take a pledge to raise £50,000 for a good cause.








The Paint for Life boxset consists of three shades of pink nail polish. Each bottle is individually named with ‘hope’, ‘strength’ and ‘love’. From every £5.99 set sold, £1 will be donated directly to breast cancer research.

************ updated on Monday 14 May ***********

Please click here or on the picture below to see my swatches:

Further Information:Availability: The paint for life trio is available online and in superdrug shops nationwide (£5.99)
BeautyUK Cosmetics Aid for Cancer Research UK: http://www.beautyukcosmetics.com/paint-for-life
Beautyuk twitter: @beautyuktweets
Paint for Life Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/paintforlifeuk
Paint for Life Twitter:  @paintforlifeuk


Disclaimer
The box set was purchased by myself and I received no incentive to write about this. This post is just driven by intense joy and emotion to have been part of the creative process of this initiative.http://bit.ly/hopenlifehttp://bit.ly/hopenlife

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St Patrick's Day Nails

I've been looking for a special occasion to show you this. I thought what better  than St Patrick's Day to devote a little part of my blog to this stunning green  nail polish. This miniature nail polish from BeautyUk, would you believe doesn't  have a name and was quite difficult to source. It used to be part of a 6-piece  miniature gift set called Midnight Minx. Whilst it still seems to be available on the website, it looks like that this particular shade is now discontinued in the new sets.





This green polish  was applied very smoothly, gave me perfect coverage in 2  coats. Fans of 'Cha Cha' from China Glaze will love this much more budget  friendly alternative. I am in love.




Whether you celebrate St Patrick's Day or not, have a lovely week end everyone :)
xx

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Peach Melba Nails and exciting news...

The Peach Melba (French: pêche Melba  is a classic dessert, invented in 1892 or 1893 by the French chef Auguste Escoffier at the Savoy Hotel, London to honour the Australian soprano, Nellie Melba.[1] It combines two favourite summer fruits: peaches and raspberry sauce accompanying vanilla ice cream. (source: wikipedia)


Peach Melba is also the name of a gorgeous shade (no.72) of peach polish by BeautyUK (source: liloopedia). Many pale or pastel polishes tend to be streaky or patchy. Not with this one. Application of peach melba was, as per usual a doddle and a pleasure.  The overdose of pictures will give you a pretty good clue on how much I have enjoyed this polish :P


 

 
My pictures show 3 coats but some of you might prefer to put 4 coats. (see close up at the bottom of this post)


 
I got a little bit fruity and wanted to pose with my beloved mango butter.





Then I got carried away and tried a little bit of  nail art. Oh dear. Well it was fun to play.







Peach Melba was sent me for review purposes and I was waiting for the right opportunity.  Well, there couldn't be a better moment to indulge in a little bit (or a lot) of Beautyuk. The brand has just garnered th support of 5000 fans/likers on their Facebook and to celebrate their achievements, they are offering all their customers a discount of 20%. Just enter the voucher code Face5000 at checkout and your discount will be applied automatically.





Be quick, offer will end on Saturday, 20 August, when the Xfactor starts. yaaaaaaaaaay!
I've placed a cheeky little order myself today. If you're good, I might blog about it next week, state of my nails allowing it of course.  Looking for inspiration on what to buy at BeautyUK? this might tempt you :)


And last but not least, BeautyUK is touring England at the moment and offering free makeovers, in a  bus! Click on the bus or here to see where the BeautyUK bus will  be going next. (picture source)








Peach Melba retails at £1.99 in the glam nail range (9ml) or £2.99 in the salon range in the salon professional range.

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Flapinko eyes and a reminder…

How do you remind your readers that your blog giveaway is ending soon, while all the violence and vandalism has been going on in the streets of England? Not without a degree of uneasiness and awkwardness, that's for sure. I hope you will excuse this frivolous post while all this is still unravelling.

This is to remind you to my international ‘flamingo’ blog giveaway has been extended by one day and will be ending on Thursday 11 August, at 23.59 BST (UK time) If you haven’t yet entered this is your chance.


For about a year now, I had been wanting to do a fun and bright makeup look mainly using pink and blue. I had forgotten about it, until I saw the Miami Pop Collection Palm Beach (pink) polish from 17 Cosmetics (see it worn on my nails here). So I decided to inspire myself from the packaging of the bottle to create this makeup look today. I had fun doing it and I hope you like it :)











To create this look, I used mainly 3 eyeshadows: the 2 pinks from the  BeautyUK Night and Day palette, and Vanilla from Mac. The blue eyeliner is Ben Nye Magicolor Liquid Paint in Blue ML07.

I also wanted to use some fancy fluttery and feathery eyelashes to try to mimic the feather on the flamingo. It’s a combination of Ardell 131 and Eldora Lashes (S203). They are very hard to photograph but in real life, they are so much fun. I love them!





and now for the obligatory picture of the full face, decidedly grumpy, and wearing with my usual black photograph t-shirt. On my lips, I am wearing ‘Cotton Candy’ Cream Puff from Collection 2000 which I am absolutely obsessed about at the moment.

That’s it. Thank you very much for reading.
Please click on the flamingo picture below to enter the giveaway.

 

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