Christmas | What to Gift... The Teenager

Teenage girls are very easy to gift at Christmas. They are often so trend focused (thanks Instagram!), that there is always something new to gift, regardless of your budget. So, if you're looking for something to treat the teenager in your life, here are a few suggestions...

Get Handsy | Best Hand & Nail Products

If there is one thing I love to do, it's get handsy. Whether I'm shaking someone's hand or sticking two fingers up to some asshole (who deserves it, obvs), my hands and nails need to be on point. These are the products I use to make that happen...

The Tuesday Tip: Frosty Fingernails

Reaching for your favourite nail lacquer, only to find it's turned thick, gloopy and unusable, is annoying AF. Luckily there is a quick trick that will help you avoid this nightmare....

Holographic Nails

Sci-Fi just got sexy, thanks to a new beauty trend showing no signs of stopping. I'm talking holographic nails!

This trend has been spotted everywhere; gracing the hands of celebrities, numerous magazine pages and endless Instagram feeds. If you haven't seen at least one set of science-fiction-inspired claws yet, you must be a blind bitch...

Weekly Worship: Batiste, Queen Tea & Nails Inc

In the past few weeks I've been trying a tone of products. So many that my bathroom cabinet cannot take any more shit. It's 100% done. The problem is, I've been loving a huge amount of the newbies I've been trying, so there is only one solution. Bigger-fucking-bathroom.

One of those products is the new Batiste Marrakech Dry Shampoo (£3.29 Boots). I've declared my obsession with Batiste Dry Shampoo too many times to mention, so my love for the brand is nothing new. That being said, this new fragrance is gorgeous and is fast becoming my favourite in the range. The scent is inspired by aromatic flavours, imagery and sounds of Morocco’s bazaars - as is the cute can it's housed in. For £3.29 you really can't go wrong...

Weekly Worship: Nails Inc. Overnight Detox Mask

Price: £15.00 / $21.75 14ml

Stockists: nailsinc.com / feelunique.com

Being a beauty bad girl, I have my fair share of bad habits. The worst is that I bite the skin around my nails. I know, I know, it's disgusting... f**king disgusting, and it looks it. I hate it. Anyway, whenever I get nail extensions I'm able to stop biting the skin around my nails. Why this is I don't know but it's a miracle. So I recently got my nails done and decided it was time to repair my damaged skin and finally put my skin biting habit to bed.

The Tuesday Tip: Fix Dried Or Gloopy Nail Polish

If your nail polish has dried up or turned gloopy, do not fear! Bringing it back to life couldn't be easier. Simply add a couple of drops of nail polish remover to the bottle, tighten the lid and shake! In only a few short seconds your polish will be back to life and ready to use.

Be warned, although this trick revives a lifeless lacquer, it doesn't do it without compromise. Adding nail polish remover to a polish does weaken its quality and pigmentation. However once it turns gloopy it is unusable anyway, so what the hell...

Now, there is a second way to combat the god awful gloop....using the Mavala Nail Polish Thinner 10ml (£7.60 feelunique.com). This amazing product does exactly what is says and deserves a spot in every nail kit! Your final option is to invest in quality polishes from great nail brands; some of my favourites include Treat, OPI, Caption and Nails Inc.

The Gift Edit: Beauty Sets

If you are looking to get a gift for a true beauty addict this Christmas, I would recommend a gift set. There are a huge number of different sets available this year, ranging from makeup to skincare. Below are four of my current favourites...

The first comes from one of my favourite skincare brands, Dermlaogica. The set is Active Moist (£44.00 Selfridges / $58.00 dermalogica.com) and it contains 100ml of the much-loved Active Moist, along with 30ml of the Soothing Eye Makeup Remover and 4ml of the Intensive Eye Repair. These hydrating heroes will give all skin types a massive moisture boost that will leave them with soft, plump and glowing skin. Who wouldn't love that this festive season?

We then have the Rituals Tao Treat Collection (£17.50 uk.rituals.com / $31.99 bathandunwind.com). This bodycare set contains four hero products from its Tao range, including the Shower Foam, Body Scrub, Body Cream and Deodorant. What I love about the Tao range is the scent, it is not too overpowering, just fresh, simple and subtly sweet - the kind of scent that would be loved by just about anyone. The set cost £17.50, so it is perfect for those looking for something more affordable.

Next up is the Benefit Sexy & Scrumptious Gift Set (£29.50 Boots). This set contains everything you would need to put on a full face! It's got High Beam, Posietint, They're Real, Fauxmance Lip Gloss, Coralista Blusher and an eyeshadow palette with fluff shadow/hard angle brush. Benefit have a large collection of Christmas gift sets this year, so it's worth popping in to one of their stores or going online to see what else you can get your hands on.

Swiftly moving from makeup to manicures, the final gift set on my list is the Nails Inc. Autumn Winter Collection (£29 nailsinc.com). This gift set contains a trio of limited edition nail polish shades that include Battersea Park, Grosvenor Crescent and Uptown. Each colour is highly pigmented, chip-resistant and provides a high shine finish. Considering each Nails Inc. polish is £14.00, the cost of this set is pretty impressive - we're talking a £13.00 saving!

Weekly Worship: Madame LA LA, Dermalogica and Nails Inc

Price: £36.00 200ml

Stockist: feelunique.com

Madame LA LA Self Tan Mousse is loved by celebrities and celebrity makeup artists alike. It is a tinted lightweight mousse that claims to dry quickly and  provide hydrating skincare benefits. I have only used it once and I am already obsessed!

I struggle finding reliable self tanners but this one is a keeper. It applies easily and evenly and does dry really quickly - important when you're short on time. The colour begins to build three hours after application and, when it does, you're left with a beautifully bronzed body! No streaks, no mistakes and no fuss!

Price: £52.20 / $56.00 30ml

Stockist: dermalogica.co.uk / ULTA

I am a big fan of hydrating products as I swear I have the most dehydrated skin on earth. For me, the Dermalogica Skin Hydrating Booster is the ultimate saviour. This serum deeply hydrates the skin and keeps it that way hours after application.

Unlike other hydrating skincare products, this bad boy absorbs quickly and doesn't leave a tacky film on the skin. It is thin and watery in texture and just a small amount is needed per use. I have been using the Hydrating Booter daily, for the past two weeks, and have seen a dramatic improvement in my skin health and texture. I freaking love it!

Price: £15.00 14ml

Stockist: nailsinc.com

If you're a regular reader, you'll know that I've developed a huge soft spot for Nails Inc. The brand recently announced a collaborative collection with Brit beauty Alexa Chung. I was introduced to the new range last week and even got to try one of the polishes. I got my hands on Alexa Leather, a black leather effect polish, and I absolutely love it!! It is one of Alexa's six fabric-inspired shades, which also includes silk, cashmere, lace, camo, and sequins.

In addition to teaming up with Alexa, Nails Inc has also undergone a big brand makeover - another thing I've been loving this week! The famous cylinder bottles have now been replaced with stylish rectangular bottles and - in Chanel-like fashion - the rectangular lids pop off to reveal easy-to-hold cylinder handles, ribbed for a perfect grip! Interestingly, the nail polish brushes have also changed - they are now flatter and fatter, just how I like it!

Weekly Worship: Nails Inc Newbies

Price: From £12.00 / $11.00

Stockist: nailsinc.com / Sephora

Nails inc has launched a few gorgeous, eye catching collections lately and I have fallen head over heels in love with each of them. Britain's favourite nail brand used to play it safe when it came to colour and texture, however in the last few years it has really brought some amazing  polishes to the nail counter!

The new collections include Garden Party, an English countryside-inspired range packed full of pastels, matte and metallic glitters, and Floral, a SS14 fashion-focused collection filled with romance and (you guessed it) flowers! The other new additions are Latex Effect Polishes, super smooth polishes with a waxy finish to die  for, and 2 in 1 Colour & Pop Art - gorgeous polish duos that have a strong summer colour at one end and a glitter effect top coat at the other!

Whatever the colour or effect, these nail polishes apply easily, pack some serious staying power and make your nails pop. I couldn't think of anything better to worship this week...

Swatches from left: Richmond Gardens Floral Polish, Westbourne Gardens Garden Party Polish, Shoreditch High Street Latex Polish and Sheraton Street Cavendish Place 2-in-1 Colour Pop Art.

Review: Nails Inc Gel Effect Polishes

The Promise: "Gel polish provides a high shine, super glossy finish without the need for a UV lamp or soak off. Gel effect polish contains the same plumping technology as a salon Gel manicure to provide a flawless, high gloss manicure".

The Price: £14.00 / $14.00

The Stockist: lookfantastic.com / Sephora

Tested Colours: Mercer Street (blue), Mayfair Lane (dusky pale pink) and Downtown (pink)

The Application: These polishes go on like a dream! They are formulated with a very high level of solid pigments, so the colour glides on effortlessly and evenly without creating any nasty streaks. The polishes also come equipped with an extra wide brush, helping make application even easier - two strokes and you've covered an entire nail! Once the polish is applied, it dries incredibly quickly - much quicker than most standard nail polishes out there.
 
Interestingly, the bottles feature a colour matched, high gloss cap that reflects the gel effect finish of the polish. Perfect for knowing the exact colour you're going to get before you buy!

The Results: These polishes make good on their promise - they create an amazing gel effect. Whether or not a top coat is applied, they make nails look uber glossy and shiny. Also, when it comes to longevity, these gel effect manicures lasts a good six days before the polish begins to chip and lose it va va voom.

Now these gel effect polishes don't provide the same level of shine as a UV gel manicure but they come very close and, considering they cost half the price of a gel manicure, that is pretty impressive!

The Pro: The Nails Inc Gel Effect polishes provide an AMAZING glossy finish.

The Con: I am not the biggest fan of the cap. It is not as comfortable to grip as the cylinder shaped caps that come with most nail polishes. However, this doesn't effect the way the polish applies.

PR sample

News: Fashionable Fingernails

Britain's favourite nail brand, Nails Inc., has collaborated with three of the best emerging British designers to create a limited edition capsule collection.

The new collection, that launched in time for London Fashion Week, features thee nail polishes created by up-and-coming British designers Teatum Jones, Emma Shipley and David Longshaw. The first polish is Sloane Street, an almost-neon hot pink designed by Teatum Jones. The second is Colville Mews, the perfect nude deigned by Emma Shipley and the third is Hallam Street, a dusky purple designed by David Longshaw. And, if the polishes weren't pretty enough, check out the beautiful packaging - those boxes are for keeps, am I right??

The collection is available at nailsinc.com, with each polish costing £12.00 / $11.00. As this is a limited edition collection, the polishes will only be available for six weeks or while stocks last.