Favourite Summer Nail Polishes

I paint my nails at least once a week if not more. I have always found painting my nails was the perfect excuse to sit down and watch TV without doing anything else because I had to sit and wait for my nails to dry--of course! Summer is the absolute best time to play around with bright nail polishes and funky patterns. Lately I've been rocking two colours on my nails (5-year-old style), which I personally love because I have the hardest time choosing what ONE colour I want to put on my nails.

I've also really been diggin' Essie nail polishes even more lately, and they have a summer line I'm dying to try. I find that this brand's polish has the perfect consistency; a mixture of liquidy and yet still thick enough that it is perfectly pigmented on your nails after just two coats. The only colour that I've had more trouble with is the light pink "Fiji" colour which can come out streaky unless applied with a very careful hand, and three coats of polish.

Otherwise recently when I made a trip down to the US I found some cheaper nail polish brands at Wal-Mart that have also been great (especially when they only cost $2). While these tend to chip faster than higher end nail polishes (such as Butter London and OPI) I'm not bother becaused I love painting my nails so much. Most weeks' I'm happy once my polish starts chipping because it gives me an excuse to paint my nails again.

Anyways, below are some of the polishes I find myself reaching for again and again this summer season, hope you enjoy!

From left to right: 'tart deco', 'lapiz of luxury', 'mod square', 'fifth avenue', 'play date', 'coat azure' 

From left to right: Salon Perfect 'Perky Pink', butter London 'Slapper', love & beauty 'Cucumber Melon', ZOYA 'Julie'

P.S. I think one of the best jobs in the world must be creating names for nail polishes... I absolutely love how clever all Essie names are, and the British flair of butter is what helps me choose from their awesome selection of colours

xxCarli

Beauty Blender Review

I've recently made the decision to purchase a beautyblender.  After seeing so many rave reviews on YouTube and other blogs, I decided to see what all the fuss was about.  The ice-cream cone shaped sponge was much smaller than I was expecting, but quickly learnt (with assistance from the shop assistant) that this magical applicator grows when held under water and dried with a towel.  I find this the perfect applicator for Spring and Summer make-up, as it makes any foundation look dewy and not at all heavy.  No one wants a cakey face in the hotter months of the year, and the moist application of the beauty blender evenly spreads your product of choice without laying it on too thick.

I love the two different ends of the sponge, as I use the wider side to apply foundation all over my face and then the smaller side to apply my under eye concealer.  I've tried the beautyblender with two different foundations and one BB cream and I can honestly say that it has worked wonders on all three of these products (all from different brands).  After only having this applicator for a month I can say that it has quickly become my favourite way to apply foundation and have used it every day since its original purchase.

I bought my beautyblender at a small (and wonderful) beauty boutique in Montreal, QB, Canada but I know that these treasures can also be found in Sephora.