Tiny Haul: Diva at Miss Selfridge jewellery

Hello :) Once upon a time for a (ultra fussy) girl like me finding cute, quirky, original and non tacky accessories on the UK high street was like looking for a needle in a haystack. First came the wonderful Accessorize bringing quirky cute jewellery to the masses. Then came Topshop who make the most gorgeous fashion forward jewellery. And now most stores cater for us kawaii loving fashionistas!

There is one shop, that in my opinion stands above the others.......the wonderful Miss Selfridge! It is impossible to go there and leave with nothing!

Just when I thought they couldn't get better this season they really have upped their game with some of the cutest original pieces I have seen on the high street.

Its a miracle I left with just these two!

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Bunny earrings £10.00

Pastel wing ring £7.50 (not yet available online)

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The ring on......my manicure definitely does not go with it! :P

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Are any of you also fans of Miss Selfridge jewellery?

Marina

xo

Fashion Friday: Lightweight Fifi Lapin grey scarf

Hello :) Are you a fan of Fifi Lapin? She is the worlds most stylish bunny!

If you do not know who she is I recommend that you check out her blog ***here***

Being a huge fan I was overjoyed when I found this little scarf a few weeks on ebay. Its so adorable, lightweight and perfect for spring. I have had compliments on it wherever I am from the girls on the MAC counter to the elderly lady in the health food store! 

In fact I love it so much I have since bought the pink one as well which I await patiently.

If you want to get one for yourself click ***here***  :)

Would you wear this scarf? Are you a fan of lightweight scarves for spring? 

Marina

xo

NOTD: More nail art sponging Fun! :)

Oh no! Not *more* sponging!

What can I say I love it! 

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What I used:

Base colour Models Own 'Black Magic' 2 coats

Sponging Colours: Models Own 'Sterling Silver', China Glaze 'Passion' and Gosh Holographic

Cheap Tesco sponge cut into small wedges

Marina 

xo

NOTD: Models Own Black Magic with Konad roses

Hello, another quick Konad NOTD :)

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What I used:

Models Own 'Black Magic' (2 coats)

Konad plate M65

Models Own 'Lili's Pink' as a stamping polish

Nubar Diamont topcoat

Marina 

xo

FASHION POST: My cute Spring 2011 picks

Hi everyone :) I LOVE fashion and all things ultra cute so I thought id share with you some of my favourite picks for Spring.....hope you like!

1) Every girl need a statement ring and they don't get cuter than this unicorn! If you haven't seen the latest jewellery from Miss S you really must go now as the new stuff is amazing.....they have really upped their game!

£10 from Miss Selfridge

2) A pretty ladylike bag that's the perfect size for your daily essentials. Its not cheap but this isn't throwaway fashion....think of it as an investment piece :)

£215 from hervia.com

3) Irregular Choice are not to everyone's taste but I think they have the most drool worthy shoes.....this one has little bunny beaded details which makes them a must have in my eyes

£80 from spoiledbrat

4) Pearl and Floral sunglasses. These sunglasses really stand out among the masses of sunglasses on the high street in the moment. They are by River Island so there is gorgeous attention to detail.....these beauties look way more pricey than their modest price tag.

£15 from asos

5) Headbands are always an essential accessory in my eyes. This Japanese kanzashi one really stands out from all the boring ones on the high street

£22.13 from Petal Mix on etsy 

6) This pretty little blouse is the perfect way to add a bit of subtle kitsch to your work wardrobe 

£24.50 from Dorothy Perkins

7) Cath Kitston prints are the epitome of spring/summer and this pretty but roomy floral satchel is perfect for school or uni

£68 from Cath Kidston

8) Have you jumped on the double finger ring wagon yet? If not give the high street clones a miss and pick up this gorgeous one from Betsey Johnson :)

£30.00 Betsey Johnson at Karmaloop or Regencies.com

9) This pretty dress is actually from last years Max C spring/summer collection but judging by the high street anything with bird print is on trend again......not that this matters as its super cute anyway!

also available in blue :)

On sale for £22 at ASOS

10) Need a cheap way to brighten up last years Spring mac? The answer is a cute brooch! There are so many cute ones around at the moment, here are a few of my fav's:

£8.00 from Kategarey.com

 also £8.00 from Kategarey.com

£7.50 from Miss Selfrige

£8.50 from Topshop

£41.09 (for set of three) from BrainbowShop on etsy

£19 from seaofbees on etsy

£9 from Accesorize

Do you like any of these items? Are you even thinking about your Spring wardrobe yet? 

Marina

xo

NOTD: Models Own Top Turquoise with silver circles

Hi :) Just a quick stamped NOTD

What I used:

Models Own 'Top Turquoise' (2 coats)

Konad plate M65

Models Own 'Sterling Silver' as stamping polish

Marina 

xo

Something new: Using Scotch Tape for nail art

Hello :) Most of you will be no stranger to those little manicure strips you use to do a french manicure and some of you may even tried using sellotape to achieve a french manicure look. Much to my frustration I have never had any luck using these methods......when I peeled up the strip or the tape it would ALWAYS take off my base colour polish.

A few weeks ago I was reading the wonderful Ash Lillys blog  and she did an amazing striped manicure using Scotch tape. I had heard of Scotch tape but had no idea how it differed from normal tape and even now im really not sure! So if anyone reading this knows please enlighten me :)

I decided it was worth a try and went on the hunt for it. I found it on offer in Tesco for just £1.00. Here is the one I picked up:

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I am sorry for the life of me I can't get this image to upload the right way round!

Anyway much to my surprise this tape works! You simply cut it into little strips and block off the area's you don't want to paint and wait 5 seconds, peel it off then voila!

If you have no idea what im talking about click ***here*** for a wonderful tutorial on a criss cross design :)

 What I love about this simple tape is you really can create so many different looks with it and its even cheaper than sponging nail art! 

Here are some of the looks I created when playing around with the tape:

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 This is the one that I think turned out best:

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With flash:

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For this one my base colour was the lovely China Glaze LOL, I only used one coat which I think was a mistake as I think it looks a bit sheer in real life. The silver is Models Own Sterling Silver. 

I have only used the tape a few times now but its safe to say I love using it! 

I can get straight clean lines that id never be able to do freehand. 

You can do really simple looks (french manicure) or do really complex patterns with lots of lines.

So what do you think? Have any of you tried this nail art method? If not would you ever? 

Marina

xo

NOTD: Lots and lots of dots :) oh and happy V'day! xo

Hello :) This little NOTD reminds me of a 60's print. Such a simple look that requires only a dotting tool and whatever nail colours you want to combine :)

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What I used:

Miss Sporty Pink no 12 (2 coats)

For the dots: Models Own 'Lilac Dream', Models Own 'Snow White', Rimmel Strawberry Fizz and more Miss Sporty Pink no 12

Cheap dotting tool

No topcoat (bad Marina!)

  ♥♥♥Happy Valentines day everyone ♥ ♥ ♥

Marina 

xo

NOTD: Models Own 'Snow White' with pretty ribbon effect Konad

Hello, I had been looking through my many Konad plates pondering what one to use I discovered the pretty swirly almost zebra print on plate M69. I have so many plates I have never used......I really need to change this!

This design made me think of pretty pastel ribbons so this is the design I tried to create using the double stamping technique:

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What I used:

Models Own 'Snow White' (2 coats)

Konad plate M69

Models Own 'Lilac Dream' & Konad pastel pink as stamping polish

Nubar Diamont topcoat

Marina 

xo

Review & NOTD : Nubar Diamont Seal & Shine Topcoat

Hello, After much pondering I purchased Nubar Diamont for £5.60 from feelunique.com

Here is what Nubar say about this topcoat:

'The ultimate in quick dry top coats, this topcoat perfectly and completely seals any polish or nail art for extreme wear & shine. The final step for beautiful, long lasting nail color…One topcoat that seals and shines with UV-Protectors. Non-yellowing, fast drying, high gloss finish, chip resistant formaldehyde free, toluene free, phthalate (DBP) free'

What I think:

I agree with the above! This topcoat dries super fast and leaves such a gorgeous glossy finish! Wearability is good, I had no chipping until the second day which is a miracle for me!

There is a problem.....which if you are a nail art fan is a deal breaker....it smudges your Konad! :(

Here is my nails after applying the topcoat around 5 minutes after I finished stamping:

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What I used:

Miss Sporty Pink Number 7 (2 coats)

Konad pink pastel stamping polish

Konad zebra design plate M57

Nubar Diamont topcoat

There is some smudging *sighs* Thankfully this was just a test manicure and I was going to take it off anyway or id be rather annoyed!

But if you are prepared to wait a while to make sure it is bone dry you can achieve a smudge free result:

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Please excuse the shinyness on my fingers....I had cuticle oil on.

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What I used:

Models Own 'Peacock Green' (2 Coats)

Miss Sporty 'Zodiac' as stamping polish

Flower on Bundle Monster plate BM12

Nubar Diamont Topcoat

I say a while....I got ready to go out before I applied one coat of Diamont so it would have been at least one hour after I finished stamping!

With this in mind I rate this topcoat 7/10. It is perfect for applying straight after you apply your nail polish for a super glossy finish. If you are nail art fan who does not like to wait this is not the topcoat for you. If it did not smudge my Konad it would be a 10/10!

The hunt for the perfect topcoat continues! 

Any recommendations? (brands that are not animal tested only please)

Marina 

xo