Blueberry Colour Pop

Hey lovelies,

How are you all enjoying spring so far? Looking forward to summer? :) I love springtime as a season second to autumn, not just for the warmer weather, but because it's an excuse to give my beauty cabinet a good old spring clean! (Pun intended)

Now when it comes to nail polishes, I'm usually a fan of darker, more gothic hues. There's something about black, purple metallic and statement red shades that I just love! I think it's because pale skin pairs so well with deeper colours. But last week while shopping for make-up, I threw my usual nail polish rules out the window and bought this fresh sky blue bottle on impulse. 

I've never tried out any Models Own beauty products before, so I'm always a little bit skeptical as to the quality I'm going to get with some high street brands. But after manicuring my nails with this gorgeous 'Blueberry Muffin' shade, I was pleasantly surprised and will definitely be buying more of these nail polishes in the future!

You have to apply at least 2 coats in order to get that bold pop of colour, but the product itself doesn't streak or leave a 'lumpy' texture unlike certain other nail products, so that's always a bonus. The only thing that did confuse me was the fact this polish is supposed to be scented. Unfortunately, I think this is more of a marketing gimmick than an actual blueberry-scented nail polish.

Has anybody else tried nail polishes from the new Models Own #fruitpastel collection - what are your thoughts?

Here are a couple of images for today's spring inspired nails...

Brand: Models Own - Shade: Blueberry Muffin - Candle: Souvenir from a previous fashion event 

Cool comic effect created by moi ;)

The full 'scented' collection - next on my list is Banana Split!

Gotta include Lita Ford's 'Blueberry' as it's one of my fave glam rock classics! \m/

Note: First 2 images taken by Myself (Dawn)

Fashion, Beauty & Lifestyle Tidbits - A/W '14

Hey Bloggers,

How are we all enjoying Autumn '14 so far?? Here is a selection of fashion, beauty and lifestyle snapshots taken over the past couple of months. As always, I like to document my musings, purchases and trips in visual form, especially as autumn is my all-time favourite season... that and I don't have an Instagram account! ;) Feel free to leave any comments below - which pictures do you like? Also, I would love to read your autumn related blogs, so you're more than welcome to share those too.

Scenery/Street Art

Beautiful Sunset - Docklands, Preston.

'The Butterfly Effect' - Serpentine Wood, Kendal.

Cute Bee Graffiti Art I spotted just around the corner from my sister's apartment - Manchester. :) 

Cafe

You can't beat a smooth Viennese coffee topped with whipped cream during the chillier months!

Flexing my photography skills in Starbucks ;)

Fashion

Killer heels, London Calling printed socks, tartan leggings and vintage pinstripe pencil skirt.

This tee has been worn to death - I LOVE its faded font and simplicity!

Nude stiletto pumps, black lace anklets, monochrome leggings and embellished pencil skirt.

Manicures

Orly pristine white manicure with leopard print nail decal detailing.

Orly green manicure worn with my 'go-to' black accessories. 

Autumn Beauty Essentials

Autumn wouldn't be autumn without a statement red lip!

Novelty lip balm with a fresh cucumber/mint scent - gift from my Twinny. :)

I always keep some Nivea lip care goodies in my travel make-up kit. I'm using the luscious watermelon balm at the mo - it has a natural pink sheen which acts as a good lipstick base, and the scent is out of this world!

From L-R: Lilac Hair Chalk, Rimmel 'Brit Manicure' Polish in Ivory Tower, Rimmel 'Velvet Matte' Polish in Sumptuous Red, Baby Pink Hair Chalk.

Scent

Shay & Blue 'Sicilian Limes' Perfume - officially my new favourite scent!

Note: All Images taken by Myself (Dawn)

Purple Rain...

Hey Bloggers!

Long time no see ;) Hope you've all been keeping as busy as I have lately? This morning's post is inspired by two things: 1. One of the new season's most uplifting shades, Purple. 2. The legend that is of course, Prince.

For those who are wondering how the 2 link together and who may not be huge Prince fans, it was actually revealed at last week's BRIT Awards that he would be performing a 'secret' gig in Manchester. I was so gutted that I couldn't go! But needless to say, his classic hit 'Purple Rain' along with my new American Apparel 'Violet Panache' Nail Polish are making up for that fact whilst keeping me inspired.

I always get super excited when the new season's fashion and beauty colours arrive. In this case I'm all about purple tones at the moment. Not only are darker hues a sultry alternative to black, but if worn in pastel, this is about as Spring-friendly as it gets. Take my American Apparel Nail Polish for example. This is a rich, metallic shade with subtle hints of glitter thrown in for good measure. So if you don't have time for nail art, this is a great alternative as you're getting colour, gloss and glitter all from one polish. :) Take a look at the colour below and let me know your thoughts? Also, what are your must-have colours for Spring 2014?

Midi Rings: Accessorize, Nail Polish: American Apparel Metallic Polish in 'Violet Panache'.

Note: All images taken by Myself (Dawn)

Fashion Icon: Nicki Minaj

As much as I don't rate her music all that much, Nicki Minaj is truly a style icon in her own right when it comes to pulling off quirky fashion trends.

Ever since she first burst onto the rap music scene back in 2010 with her debut album, appropriately entitled, 'Pink Friday', I have always noticed Nicki's individual sense of style and personality. It just goes to show that some celebrities can stand out from the crowd for any number of reasons... for Nicki Minaj, it's her striking charisma and Hawaiian looks that get my vote.

Nicknamed 'Harajuku Barbie', what I love about this lady's style is her ability to wear anything and everything, and wear it with confidence. For me, fashion is very much about making your own way and not following any one trend in particular. Fashion and beauty are so diverse in that they can transform a person's look entirely, and Nicki is the perfect role model for transforming her day to day look - I would definitely call her a style chameleon.

Although she may come across to some people as slightly O.T.T, I love her eccentric outfits and make-up choices, and I'm always eager to see what style she will come up with next!

Whether she is playing dress-up as a Punk on the cover of Marie Claire Magazine, amping up the neon factor whilst promoting her MAC Cosmetics campaign or wearing just about every type of wig there is, Nicki Minaj is certainly an inspiration to fashion followers and art lovers alike.

Note: All images are not taken by me.

Bon Jovi Fever! - Etihad Stadium Gig, Manchester - June 2013

Saturday 8th June saw me and my twin sis, Faye heading to our 4th Bon Jovi gig, and it's safe to say that we were as giddy as school girls, haha! Ever since we became Bon Jovi's number one fans back in 2004, we have continued to follow their success and over the years, have laughed and cried to their many number one hits.

For us, going to a Bon Jovi gig is not just any ordinary gig... the emotional connection we have with the band members and the ability they have as performers to connect with their fans on a personal level is truly unique, and we will continue to follow the Jovi clan for as long as they are willing to make music :) We have a connection to this band that conjures many euphoric memories and allows us to celebrate our love for rock music.

So onto the day of the gig where we managed to buy tickets very last minute (only a few days before the gig as they were originally priced at £75 per ticket!) Faye being the bargain hunter she is, managed to track down a much cheaper deal on Groupon, and so made our entry into the Manchester gig possible! :)

The beauty this time around was that Faye lives very close to Etihad Stadium where the gig was held and this made the experience all the more enjoyable as it was much less stressful for travelling. In the spirit of getting merry before the gig started, we drank delicious cocktails that Saturday afternoon and blasted Bon Jovi's greatest hits DVD from Faye's Balcony, just to get us rockin' into the party mood of course ;)

After 2 hours of washing and styling hair coupled with glamorous make-up application, we were ready to see our guys perform a fantastic set list (the songs they performed are listed below). I particularly enjoyed their cover of 'Roadhouse Blues' - a 'Doors' classic! Despite being thoroughly disappointed that Richie was not on stage, he was there in spirit and in my opinion, this show was still their strongest yet! After performing a 3 HOUR long set, Jon, David and Tico proved that they are still every bit as full of energy as they were back in their humble beginnings :) 

Me and Faye both bought a concert programme each as we do at every Bon Jovi gig, to keep as a souvenir. 

I have no doubt that Richie will rejoin the band before the next tour and that they will all continue to make fantastic music together - BON JOVI FOREVER! \m/ xxx

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Note: All images with * caption were taken by Myself and My Sister, Faye. All other images are not my own.

Fashionable Snapshots...

Note: All pictures taken by Myself (Dawn)