NYC Nail Polish Spring/Summer '13 Shades

NYC, New York Colour, have some great Spring/Summer shades available! Below are a few I have chosen to show off.
The selection I have chosen consists of the NYC Expert Last Nail Polish which boasts 'up to 7 day wear' and the NYC In a New York Minute shade which states 'quick dry'. The review comprises of 5 shades; 2 glitter and 3 plain.
The bottles are easy to store with a good top to handle whilst painting. and the bottles are 9.7ml so they're great for a few uses over this season! NYC products are available to view on their NYC Online Store and available to purchase in Superdrug Stores/Online.

Left to Right: Gramercy Glitz, Lavender Cupcake, Raindrop, Long Time Lavender, Lights-Camera-Glitter - 9.7ml

Gramercy Glitz (155) Swatch

Gramercy Glitz CLICK HERE

Great for layering over other shades to turn a matte/plain colour into an eyecatching sparkly colour! I usually use two coats to enhance the amount of sparkle and glitter but you can play around with it to see how much impact you want.

The colour is really subtle, so it's not in your face and I find it great for work. I work in retail and whilst handling the tills, sock etc. my nails and hands get a bit battered, so even when it does chip because it's glitter you can't really notice!

The only thing I find is that because it's glitter, it is harder to get off compared to the others. It's not a problem and it isn't majorly hard so it doesn't bother me that much. The polish also gets quite thick once it's been opened and not used for a few weeks, as compared with the others which stay quite fresh. Also, worse than chipping it that when washing up, the heat from the water seems to strip the polish from my nails, so beware!

 




Lights-Camera-Glitter (105) Swatch



Lights-Camera-Glitter CLICK HERE
Pretty and eyecatching. I find that you can wear it in the day when the sun's out and at night to add some sparkle to an outfit. You can also layer it over the top of a subtle blue shade to jazz it up for a day-night look!

Again, when washing up the polish seems to just peel off from my nails :( But, similar to Gramercy Glitz, if this does chip (which I find only happens with my heavy duty work) it isn't too noticeable due to the glitter :) and it also gets thick and sticky too!



Long Time Lavender (190) Swatch



Long Time Lavender CLICK HERE
More of a subtle pink colour. It's perfect for matching with pink shades of an outfit, so I love using it this time of year! I use this shade as a base for Gramercy Glitz to glam it up a bit. I usually add 2 coats to create a thicker colour and coat. It dries really quick, so you can either paint your nails in advance or 30 mins before you go out, just enough time to make yourself perfect.

The first day the polish looks great, but after a couple of days, the polish seems to go very thin and come away from the tips of my nails. However, compared with Gramercy Glitz and Lights-Camera-Glitter, it's really versatile when washing up as it doesn't come off - great!

When taking the polish off, it's quite easy as there's no hard work in trying to rub it off hard.

Lavender Cupcake (257) Swatch

Lavender Cupcake CLICK HERE

This shade has such a cute name! I'm not sure about this colour. It's a pastel shade so it's perfect for Spring/Summer but I never know what to combine it with outfit wise! I apply 2 coats and this gives a great thick coat with no streaks. Similar to Long Time Lavender, the polish wears thin at the nail tips and comes away slightly, but is great with lifting, washing up and general day-to-day work.

It's really easy to take off with a cotton wool pad and some nail varnish remover - I use just a cheap and cheerful one and that works fine :)

Raindrop ( 325) Swatch

Raindrop CLICK HERE

This shade is a pastel blue colour. The colour compliments the Spring and Summer sunshine and blue sky, although I was a little disappointed with the consistency of the polish and how it was applied. You need to apply 2 coats of this colour as it looks very streaky with 1, but you have to be very thin with the coats and very quick due to the 60 second drying time. It was very thick though to apply which made it look too heavy on my nails compared to Lavender Cupcake. It was easy to take off with a regular nail polish remover although it did chip a little on the first day of application.

I really want to try other shades from NYC such as Mint Macaroon (253) CLICK HERE which looks beautiful for summer sun and going out in the evening sunshine.

RATING:

Price; 4 STARS The range of polishes shown are priced at £2.49 and £1.79, or 3 for 2 in certain Superdrug stores at the moment - plus you can use your NUS card. The pots are quite big so they're good value for money.

Promises; 3 STARS NYC claim that a variety of the polishes last up to 7 days, which is true. Even though the majority of the polish was still fresh and thick, after a couple of days the polish at the tips would start wearing away and start to come off. The 60 Minute Quick Dry Polish was quick to dry but then again this made the polish very thick and hard to apply my desired 2 coats. So you need to be quite thin with the polish.

Ease of Use; 5 STARS The brushes are great at covering the nail and evenly distribute the polish. They dry quite quickly too so you don't have to wait ages for them to dry or worry about smudging.

Would I recommend to a friend?; Yes These nail polishes are easy to store and use. There are a range of colours to suit every mood and the glitter varieties are great to turn a day look into a night look in minutes.

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NIVEA Lip Care Collection

Whatever season it is, our skin and hair takes a beating whether it's too dry, sore, chapped or in need for some general TLC.

Nivea is one of my favourite brands and I love their handy lip care range. There are a number of varieties to suit your needs and to help soothe, protect and moisturise.

NIVEA Lip Care - Hydro Care, Soothe & Protect, Milk & Honey, Soft Rose, Pearly Shine - 4.8g

I've taken a selection of Nivea Lip Care products to review as I think they're handy to pop in your bag when you're off to work or out and about and they're great products to generally take care of your lips. I receieved a set of NIVEA Lip Care products for Christmas and been using them for a few months!

 Nivea HYDRO CARE CLICK HERE

"..Intense and long lasting moisture...non greasy"

This balm is one of my fave! It's so simple. The blue colour of the packaging symbolises the hydro water reference which definitely comes through the product. The moisturising feeling lasts such a long time due to the pure water and aloe vera, and it doesn't feel too heavy on my lips either due to the light formula. The balm isn't greasy which is great as if it gets on clothes etc. it won't mark too easily. It also has SPF 10, great for protecting my lips in the sunshine!
 It might not have a jazzy over the top packaging and immense colour, but this balm is great! It's always in my handbag and goes wherever I go! 

Nivea SOOTHE & PROTECT CLICK HERE

"..Specially formulated by Nivea skin care experts to provide immediate relief for sore, chapped lips."

My lips suffer A LOT during extreme weather conditions such as the winter months and when I have a cold and I find using this balm really helpful. This balm is similar to Hydro Care I have to re-apply it regularly as it's not as greasy as Vaseline but I do feel it working and I am thankful for anything that soothes my dry and chapped lips when they are in dyer need.

 

Nivea MILK & HONEY CLICK HERE

"..Pure and Natural - inspired by nature and contains rich caring honey and healthy milk extracts"

The packaging reminds me of summer, yellow symbolising the sun and the Honey extracts. The balm is enriched with natural ingredients which is great for your skin and lips. It smells mainly like flowers but you can also smell the honey coming through too. When I first used this I did need a good few applications to feel any mositurisation, but after a couple of times of using it, it glides on fine although after 10 minutes, my lips did feel a bit dry again and chappy so I feel like I needed to keep applying it.

Nivea SOFT ROSE CLICK HERE

"..to provide a velvety feeling with a rose sheen"

The pink packaging is right up my street! I love the rose design on the lid - feminine and girly. I have to apply the balm a few times to get a real velvet and smooth feeling but it doesn't leave my lips feeling icky or dry afterwards, although I don't see any Rose Sheen. This might be down to the colour of my lips and will vary from person to person.

Nivea PEARLY SHINE CLICK HERE

"..with precious Pearl and Silk extracts, combines long lasting moisturisation and a beautiful pearly shine which leaves lips silky smooth and velvety soft"

Pearly Shine is similar to Soft Rose, the packaging is attractive because it's a pink metallic colour and it claims to not only moisturise your lips, but leave them with a hint of shine! The balm smells really nice, like sugary sweets, yum. It goes on really easy and I don't need to apply it as much as others. After a while, it still feels moisturising and doesn't go all dry and cracked. This balm contains SPF 10 which is great for the outdoors to help protect against harmful UVA and UVB rays, especially in the summer sunshine.

RATING:
Price; 5 STARS The price of the lip balm products varies depending on what one you pick but they're all very reasonable! All major drugstores, pharmacies and supermarkets stock various NIVEA lip care products and you can save a few pennies if you use your NUS card too!

Promises; 4 STARS Some of the lip care products didn't work as well as others. My favourite is Hydro Care because you can feel it moisturising for a while after the application and it's not greasy. Most help the chapped and dry lips so they did the job, but you need to find the best appropriate one for you.

Ease of Use; 5 STARS The balms are naturally quite hard when first used, so after a couple fo applications they glide on very well. The Hydro Care and Pearly Shine balms are great and you can really feel them moisturising for a while after. The packaging is nifty - easy to hold and store in your handbag and makeup storage at home.

Would I recommend to a friend?; YES Being quite small, the balms are easy to store and use. There's a variety of different lip care products to suit whatever you're looking for and some have natural extracts as well as adding a tinted shine/colour. 

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Dairy Milk Presents.. MARVELLOUS CREATIONS

Dairy Milk have recently released a couple of NEW chocolate bars called Marvellous Creations.

Dairy Milk Presents..

Marvellous Creations Jelly Popping Candy Shells - 200g

"A chocolate bar filled with jellies, popping candy and candy shells isn't exactly ordinary. Luckily we're far from ordinary here at Joyville."

Marvellous Creations Cookie Nut Crunch - 200g

"Combing cookie, crunchy caramel and caramelised nuts with delicious Cadbury Dairy Milk sent our joy-o-meter spiralling to new levels of marvellous."



Marvellous Creations 200g

 The first time I tried Marvellous Creations was the Jelly Popping Candy Shells in the smaller bar. I was a bit sceptical about trying these because the description and ingredients are so unusual! Dairy Milk's trademark purple colour is obviously used as the main colour theme of the packaging so that you can easily pick it out amongst other chocolate bars on the shelf. The two different flavours can easily be distinguished by the pink and green colour themes - pink symbolising the Jelly Popping Candy Shells and green symbolising Cookie Nut Crunch. Each bar shows a graphic of what the chocolate bar looks like showing a sample of the main flavour and ingredients.

To be honest, the use of bright colour schemes, intricate fonts and eccentric and fun TV adverts for the chocolate bars give the impression of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Wonka Bars, which I think was the intention!

 

Jelly Popping Candy Shells

Main ingredients: Milk Chocolate Fruit Flavour Jellies (6%), Sugar Coated Cocoa Candies (6%), Popping Candy (4%)

 The candy shells are very similar to mini M&M's and little Smarties - they're small and crunchy! You can instantly taste the popping candy in your mouth which is a weird sensation- it's not too overpowering but you know it's there! I couldn't really taste the jelly in the first few pieces of the bar, but when I did further in, it was really chewy. I personally didn't like the jelly pieces but then again the bar wasn't over filled with it.

 

Cookie Nut Crunch

Main ingredients: Milk Chocolate with Pieces of Biscuit (8%), Crunchy Almond Caramel (5%), Chopped Roasted Caramelised Hazelnuts (3%)

 The Roasted Caramelised Hazelnuts and Crunchy Almond Caramel remind me of Dairy Milk Fruit and Nut. The pieces aren't too big which makes it easier to eat - great for my sensitive teeth. The pieces of cookie/biscuit are reasonably big. When the bar is broken up into pieces, you can see the pieces of biscuit poking through! You can definitely taste them, breaking the thick chocolate taste up. I can only describe it as hardened chocolate Ben and Jerry's Cookie Dough or a Praline chocolate bar! This one is my favourite!

  

RATING:
Price; 3 STARS The price of these bars is more expensive compared to the standard Dairy Milk. I personally, think that £2.49 is rather expensive for one, although the only reason I have and would purchase these Marvellous Creations chocolate bars is on promotion.

Promises; 5 STARS You can really taste the ingredients! You can feel and hear the popping candy and taste the cookie/biscuit and jelly - nothing I have tasted before!

Ease of Eating; 4 STARS. I have quite sensitive teeth and find it hard to eat hard food, but I found the chocolate quite easy to eat. Eating a large bar is quite hard and you can't really be on the go with it, so I would prefer a smaller bar to take with me to Uni and work.

Would I recommend to a friend?; YES. The chocolate is so unique and different. I have never tasted anything like it before and it's just like Willy Wonka. I'd recommend buying whilst the chocolate is on promotion, but you can always try the smaller bars!

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Herbal Essences BEE STRONG

 I've blogged about Herbal Essences before and how much I LOVE their Beautiful Ends shampoo and conditioner, but they've recently bought out a new range which is aimed at strengthening the hair. Bee Strong shampoo and conditioner is a strengthening serum for damaged hair and is enriched with honey and apricot extracts.

As mentioned before, the Herbal Essences range are all available in 200ml and 400ml bottles. Obviously, it is recommended that if you have longer or thicker hair, the 400ml bottles are more appropriate! The bottles are bright nectar yellow colour, linking with the 'Bee Strong' name. The shampoo and conditioner is enriched

"...with a serum-infused formula for moisturised softness... This rich and creamy shampoo and conditioner leaves your hair strong against combing damage for silky-strong lock you will love."

Herbal Essences BEE STRONG Shampoo and Conditioner £1.89 from £3.79 for 400ml

Don't get me wrong I LOVE my Herbal Essences 'Beautiful Ends' and I've tried a few other variations too, but I was not disappointed with this product!

I've been using Herbal Essences 'Bee Strong' for over a week now and it has left my hair feeling irresistibly soft and shiny- even more when the Spring sun hits it! The smell is gorgeous too, just like summer and it has left my pillow smelling nice after every night too! I think, or it may be me, that my natural highlights seem more defined after using it, but this could just be me!

I still blow dry my hair and style my fringe, but as it's quite long - combing and knots and tangles can be quite a pain! Therefore, I am going to rotate using the two variations, 'Beautiful Ends' and 'Bee Strong' so that I can get the benefits of both in rotation so my hair stays silky and shiny but doesn't get tired of the same one! BUT obviously I'll purchase them when they're on offer! Check it out, it's NEW!

RATING:
Price; 5 STARS Herbal Essences is on promotion regularly at local supermarkets and drugstores in town, so I can grab a bargain whilst also using my NUS Student card to save a bit more too!

Promises; 5 STARS My repeat purchases speak volumes as with other Herbal Essences products I've continued to use them for over a year and a half. I have long hair and it's damaged with brushing and tangles, so after using Bee Strong, not only does it smell gorgeous, it feels amazing!

Ease of Use; 5 STARS. The different variations of size, 200ml and 400ml make great use of how long your hair is. The shampoo lathers up so well.. what more can I say?

Would I recommend to a friend?; YES. There are so many variations there is bound to be one type to suit your needs! Plus they smell great and work wonders!!

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Superdrug Face Mask; Deep Cleansing Fruit Mask

This face mask is the last one from the 4 that I bought a few weeks ago. The face mask I will be reviewing today is the Superdrug Deep Cleansing Fruit Mask. It's ideal for all skin types and contains Raspberry, Blueberry and Cranberry Fruit extracts. The mask is combined with Peach Kernel oil which makes it smell peachy and like yogurt that helps to hydrate, smooth and protect the skin.

Deep Cleansing Fruit Mask

'For a youthful-looking radiant complexion'



Deep Cleansing Fruit Mask - 15ml - BUAV Approved - Paraben FREE

 The Deep Cleansing Fruit Mask sachet is 15ml and says that the 'Natural clay deeply cleanses the skin from dirt, oil and impurities, leaving it silky soft and radiant'. When I ripped the sachet open, it smelt like peach and vanilla yogurt! It's a very pale pink/peach colour and was quite thick to apply, perfect to get all over my face. There was plenty in the sachet to over my face and wasn't irritant on my skin throughout the whole application.

Deep Cleansing Fruit Mask Sample

After the recommended 10-15 minutes 'leave-on' time, the mask still hadn't dried completely. I may have put too much on or it may just need longer. This didn't really put me off to be honest. When I started to wash the mask off with warm water, the mask broke up very well so i didn't need to scrub unnecessarily although I found it a tad difficult to wash the mask off of the flannel.

RATING:

Price; 5 STARS. £0.99 each or 4 for 3 when I purchased them! (27/04/2013).

Promises; 4 STARS. This face mask smelt lovely and fruity! It did take longer to dry compared to the recommended time but left my skin soft and feeling fresh.

Ease of Use; 5 STARS. The mask was thick and creamy, making it easy to apply and get out of the sachet. There was plenty in the sachet to make sure it covered my face.

Would I recommend to a friend?; Yes. The smell of the mask was really nice and you could really smell the peach kernel oil. For 99p you can't really say no.

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Superdrug Face Mask; Fruit Sorbet Antioxidant Peel-Off

After using two normal face masks, I thought I'd give the Superdrug Fruit Sorbet Antioxidant Peel-Off Mask a go! It says that it's ideal for all skin types so I thought I'd have nothing to worry about there. It has natural extracts such as raspberry, cranberry and red grape so it's a vibrant colour when it's on your face.

Fruit Sorbet Antioxidant Peel-Off Mask

'Revitalises and helps protect skin.'

Fruit Sorbet Antioxidant Peel-Off Mask - 15ml - BUAV Approved - Paraben FREE



The Fruit Sorbet Antioxidant Peel-Off Mask sachet is 15ml and smells like raspberry/strawberry jelly when opened! When I started to squeeze the mask out of the sachet, I could see that the mask was bright red, really thick and sticky! It was quite hard to put on, and I didn't feel there was enough in this sachet compared to the others I've used as I was really squeezing the last bits out.

Fruit Sorbet Antioxidant Peel-Off Mask Sample

When it came to peeling the mask off, I didn't actually think it would work, but was I surprised! I picked a bit under the chin and peeled the mask off slowly. It did hurt a tad around the eyes and upper lip.. but it really worked!! My skin didn't feel tight or dry like the last one and the smell was on my face all night! I smelt like a jelly!

RATING:

Price; 5 STARS. £0.99 each or 4 for 3 when I purchased them! (27/04/2013).

Promises; 4 STARS. This face mask didn't leave my skin dry or tight. It smelt really nice all night and did peel off extremely well!

Ease of Use; 3 STARS. This mask was so sticky! It was hard to apply because it was very thick and stuck on my fingers and was quite hard to get out of the sachet.

Would I recommend to a friend?; Yes. I was a bit sceptical about the mask peeling off but it worked! It did hurt a tad but it didn't irritate and it was a really nice surprise!

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Superdrug Face Mask; White Chocolate Mousse Mask

I used the Superdrug White Chocolate Mousse Mask last night. It says that it's ideal for normal to dry skin, which I think would perfect for my skin as it's in between! It's enriched with cocoa butter, almond oil and Shea butter so you can imagine the smell when the sachet is opened!

White Chocolate Mousse Mask

'Cleanses and deeply nourishes skin.'


White Chocolate Mousse Mask - 15ml - BUAV Approved - Paraben FREE

I learnt my lesson from the first time of using the Superfruits Exfoliating Mask and only ripped the sachet open a bit so it didn't go everywhere! The White Chocolate Mousse Mask sachet is 15ml and smells more like yogurt than white chocolate.

White Chocolate Mousse Mask Sample

It went on quite well, but it wasn't as thick as I thought it would be in comparison with the last as it was smeary and patchy when it dried. I left it on for 15 minutes, as directed and washing it off was fine. It did make my bright pink flannel go slightly lighter due to the mask, and it did take a while to wash out, but other than that it was quite easy to wash off. However, although my skin felt really soft afterwards, my skin was left dry, even though the sachet says its 'ideal for normal to dry skin'  so I wasn't very excited about that :(

RATING:

Price; 5 STARS. £0.99 each or 4 for 3 when I purchased them! (27/04/2013).

Promises; 2 STARS. This specific face mask states that it is ideal for normal to dry skin, but after using it my skin felt quite dry.

Ease of Use; 4 STARS. After learning my lesson, it was easier getting the mask out of the sachet with a smaller tear at the top, although the mask dried smeary and patchy even though a thick layer was applied.

Would I recommend to a friend?; Maybe. I didn't like this mask much. It smelt more like yogurt than chocolate and it left my face feeling tight and dry. Although, if I was to recommend this to a friend, I would advise them to think about their skin type and probably recommend another.

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Superdrug Face Masks; Superfruits Exfoliating Mask

I've been a bit ill lately with my endometriosis and University stress, so I haven't really had much time for 'Me' time. I recently went into town for a few major bits and as I was in Superdrug, I saw these face masks! I've never tried them before and the bright little packets with various fruits etc. sold it to me! Over the next few weeks I'll be using these regularly and blogging on each one!


Superdrug Face Masks - 15ml - BUAV Approved - Paraben FREE

There's also a men's mask too! I'd love to get Simon to try it, but we'll see.. coming soon if I can persuade him!

At the time of purchase they were 4 for 3, at 99p each. All masks that I bought are BUAV approved and Paraben free as Superdrug is against animal testing. There are various other masks available, check them out on the Superdug website. Here are the 4 I bought:

 

Deep Cleansing Fruit Mask

'For a youthful-looking, radiant complexion.'

White Chocolate Mousse Mask

'Cleanses and deeply nourishes skin.'

Fruit Sorbet Antioxidant Peel-Off Mask

'Revitalises and helps protect skin.'

Superfruits Exfoliating Mask

'Deeply purifies pores and smooths skin.'

Superfruits Exfoliating Mask Sample

 Last night I used the Superfruits Exfoliating Mask. It's ideal for all skin types and is enriched with raspberry, cranberry and blueberry fruit extracts so it smells gorgeous!! The sachet is 15ml and is easy to tear but it's quite hard to get the mask out as it goes all over the sachet and is a bit messy. BUT there is a lot of it and I can easily use whats left for another night in the week!I left it on for the advised 10-15 minutes until it dried, when tight and hard. Washing it off with warm water after was so easy! The exfoliating particles really worked into the skin and the mask came off without effort so it didn't irritate my skin with unnecessary scrubbing! The smell was still on my skin all night and it didn't leave my face feeling really tight and horrible like other products.

RATING:

Price; 5 STARS. £0.99 each or 4 for 3 when I purchased them! (27/04/2013).

Promises; 5 STARS. This particular face mask states that it purifies pores and smooths the skin. My nose and forehead suffer from pores and they felt smoother after using it! Plus it smells amazing!

Ease of Use; 4 STARS. Getting all of the mask out of the sachet is a bit tricky and messy but when I massaged the mask onto my skin it felt quite thick, didn't run and the exfoliating particles didn't grate or irritate when applied.

Would I recommend to a friend?; YES. So far I am really happy with the price as they're great value for money, the various other masks available, the smell and how you can use them quite easily!

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