Nail Wraps - Review

Nail Wraps: £4.50 Asda

So last night.. I lost my nail wrap virginity! I'd been wanting to try out some of these for a good while after seeing various bloggers raving about them, but just wasn't sure if I'd be even be able to get them on my own fingers! I'd seen a lot of amazing designs on Asos, but for almost £7 a set, I just couldn't do it knowing that there was a high chance of them going hideously wrong. I spotted this set, and a few others hidden amongst the clothes section in Asda and thought I'd give them a go, at the slightly cheaper price point of £4.50. They had about 6 designs in store, some of which you can see in this blog post I found on google. The watermelon style wraps are so cute as well, as are the pink flowery ones! Though I'm confused as to why all but the ones I purchased, are only £4? Maybe the people at Asda have cottoned on to the fact that these are the most desirable of the selection and can get away with that cheeky extra 50p... I can't really complain too much though, I am so happy with the results and would say they are definitely worth the price. 

The wraps come sandwiched between sealed plastic wrapping and are easy to peel off ready for application. You literally just stick them over your nails like you would a sticker, I never used to understand how this would possibly work, but trust me, it really does! The wraps sticky adhesive side hardens after a few hours and fuses the wrap to the nail. It says on the back to use as soon as the packet is opened to prevent the wraps drying out, but it took me about 2+ hours to get them all stuck on and they all worked fine :) 

I think the key to getting good results with wraps like these is patience. They are fiddly and it can take a good few attempts to get the wrap to sit in the right position on the nail, but once you nail that part (budumdum tshhh) it's pretty much plain sailing. You just fold the excess wrap over the end of the nail, pull it tight and file it off. Though again, patience is key, I got slightly file happy and ripped off half of one wrap accidentally and had to cut the larger spare wrap to fit a smaller finger, but it worked ;) 

  

So far the wraps have lasted a day with no chips or tears and I was pretty sure they weren't going to last the night. The adhesive really does harden well and I'm no longer worried about them peeling off while I'm in the bath or asleep! :') I don't think they'll have the staying power of my usual nail routine, but I'm hoping they'll last a few more days at least! 

These wraps have definitely inspired me to try out different brands of nail wraps and I'm thinking of repurchasing these same ones for my birthday weekend in a few weeks time. I really do love them!

Has anyone else tried these wraps from Asda? What did you think? I'll keep you updated on how long they last!

Katt xo

[EDIT: They lasted around a week which I was very impressed with, not in perfect condition, but the pattern of the wrap disguises any imperfections really well!]

Bargain Of The Week #4

Trousers: £14 Asda

It seems I can't get enough of Asda at the moment! I picked up these cute printed trousers and another gorgeous dress this week, and for £14 I only have good things to say about them! Firstly, they are so, SO comfy! I often have difficulty with trousers, I have pretty sturdy calves and thighs in comparison to my waist, and trousers or jeans never seem to sit just right, but these slid on like a dream ;) They aren't restrictive in the slightest and so much more comfortable than a pair of jeans! 

I've wanted a pair of printed jeans/trousers for a while but have been reluctant to actually take the plunge and buy a pair! Mainly due to price, but also the question of.. can I actually get away with wearing these, and pull them off?... This pair from Asda, I must admit, are relatively 'safe'. The print is simple and it's pretty difficult to go wrong with simple black and white, but this is why they're so great! They're actually much more versatile than I first thought, I wore them fairly casual with my studded Topshop pumps, but I'm thinking about wearing them with a chiffon shirt and wedges for a night out next week!   

Jumper: Topshop (old)

The only thing I'd bear in mind if buying a pair of these beauts is that the sizing does come up maybe a size bigger than usual! As the material does give slightly throughout the day. Other than that I have absolutely no complaints!

What do you guys think of these trousers? How would you wear them!

Katt xo

Bargain Of The Week #3

Jumper: £14 Tesco

I spotted this Jumper on a quick trip to Tesco with my Mumma and fell in love with it. I love the pastel tones and I think it's a great way to buy into a trend without breaking the bank! The weather is back to it's usual dreary self, so this jumper's currently keeping me snug whilst spending some time with the fam, however it'll also be great to chuck on to keep warm on cool evenings in the summer. I like that the sleeves are cropped and it's not too long either, which means you can get away with dressing it up a bit!

Rings: £2 for set Primark

These rings from Primarni are also another great way to buy into the pastel trend on a budget. They can be worn individually, which is how I'm wearing them today ;) or they also stack up and can be worn as one big statement ring. I think these are so cute and pretty, and they'll definitely get a lot of wear. I'll probably mix them up with other rings or maybe just wear a single one on its own. 

Necklace: £1 Primark

What do you guys think of this jumper? Would you wear it? Has anyone else bought these rings from Primark! I really do love them :')

Hope everyone is having a wonderful easter! Nothing better than having a little break from everything and having some time back home. Later I plan to eat my body weight in chocolate and watch some cheesy films with Mother :) 

Katt xo

MUA Lipstick - Review

MUA Lipsticks: £1 each, Superdrug

I picked up these lipsticks a while ago actually, but have only just got round to reviewing them! I grabbed these and a couple of other cheapy products in Superdrug to give them a go, and determine if they are in fact worth bothering with! At only a pound each I didn't expect an awful lot, but I've read a lot of mixed reviews so thought it was only fair to try them out for myself.

I chose these two shades, the one on the right a more 'solid' colour and the one on the left is laced with glitter and has a more of a 'shimmer' to it. 

Before reviewing the product I feel I need to comment on the below picture. Each MUA lipstick comes individually wrapped in plastic wrapping, and when I unwrapped the both of mine I was so disappointed to find that there was a load of product smeared in and around the mechanism of one of the lipsticks. I know that a lot of people would say, 'oh it's only a pound, what do you expect', but I really feel that if a company is selling you a product it should be in perfect condition! Irrelevant of cost price. This little mishap managed to put me off before I'd even swatched the colour, and I've heard a few people complain about the mechanism breaking completely so I think this is an issue MUA/Superdrug need to address!

MUA Lipstick Shade 15

RIGHT! Little moan over! Back to the lipstick! 

I actually love the colour of this and it is defo my favourite of the two. On first glance the lipstick looks almost plastic, but it actually applies pretty effortlessly, gliding on easily. The lipstick has a fairly high pigmentation which was a pleasant surprise! I expected the colour to be fairly watered down when applied, but after a few layers the colour builds up nicely. It's a lovely coral shade, that appears much more neutral when applied to the lips and is a very wearable, summery colour, more suitable for daytime, as it does need topping up every couple of hours. 

MUA Lipstick Shade 5

This shade, in comparison to the previous, is totally different in that the pigmentation is pretty much non existent. The colour in the tube appears to be a cute, soft pink (I have such a weakness for Barbie lips :')) but when applied seems much more like some kind of solid lipgloss or balm. Even with a good few layers of colour, the shade doesn't build up at all. It does tint the lips slightly, but only really gives them a bit of a shimmer. It's definitely nothing to write home about, but I have been using mine to freshen up my face when I'm not wearing makeup. It's the kind of product you chuck in your bag and use for emergencies or if you're going for a (very) fresh faced look.  

Overall I am glad I decided to try out this brand for myself. If I do consider buying anymore of these, I'll most probably steer clear of the more glittery shades and stick to the solid colours. For a pound these lipsticks are worth it if you fancy trying out shades you wouldn't usually consider, or need a quick makeup fix. If it's longevity you're after, these lipsticks aren't for you. 

One thing I do really like about these lipsticks is the little colour swatch in the end of tube, which is a pretty good likeness to the lipsticks true shade. These makes it a lot easier and quicker to find the shade you're rooting around for. These little swatches do unscrew and I've read a lot of people saying that they are little lip glosses, but I'm not entirely convinced they are.. For a start I can't even fit my finger in the tiny pot, and some are a lot harder to get off than others. I'd much rather the ends didn't unscrew as I'm conscious that they could pop off in my bag and unwittingly cover my phone/ipod/other makeup with product. 

The packaging is most certainly this products weakness, it's fairly unattractive and seems temperamental. I'm also unsure why the shades don't have names, just numbers, which can be confusing. Other than that I am surprised at how much I liked shade 15! and I'll most probably take a trip back to Superdrug to see if there are any more shades similar to shade 15 that take my fancy ;)

Has anyone else tried these shades? or MUA lipsticks in general? What do you all think?

Katt xo