Sparkle and Shine

Glittery and sparkly infused makeup products are always quite like marmite in the beauty world. You either love a little sparkle or you really don’t. I for one definitely love it! Although at Christmas time it really is the excuse to drown yourself in glitter and sparkly stuff and no one will even bat an eyelid. Glitter might seem a little scary for some but there is some easy ways to add a little sparkle to your look. I’ve rounded up some of my favourite ways to add that sparkle and shine to your festive beauty routine…

Base Products 

Adding anything glittery or sparkly to your base is always a bit intimidating but there is easy ways to do it without looking like you’ve used one of those glitter roller-balls (remember those!?). Highlighters are a completely obvious one. When it comes to going out or particularly at Christmas time I always look out my most intense highlighters. I am currently loving the Mary Lou-Manizer which adds a gorgeous sheen to the cheekbones without adding large flecks of glitter. If you want to see more of my highlighter picks check out my edit here.

Blush is also a great way to add a little glimmer to your cheeks without overdoing it. Nars Orgasm is a classic, a gorgeous rose pink shade with gold shimmer running through it. A lot of people find the gold shimmer off-putting but it isn’t really detectable on the skin, it adds a beautiful glow to the cheeks. The Hourglass blushes are also another great pick as they have highlighting properties to really brighten your appearance.

Eye Products 

Eyeshadow is one of my favorite ways to add a little shimmer to my look. I am forever a shimmer over matte kinda gal when it comes to eye products so I have quite a lot of products that fit the bill. One of the best products to really get your glitter on is Pigments. They always appear like they are a right hassle although after trying a couple from Mac I am totally obsessed and don’t really find them too much bother! Mac have a great variety of shades and they look super beautiful and intense on the lid. I talked about my pigment set here. I totally now have my eye on Mac Copper Sparkle and I also so need Vanilla, what a gorgeous inner corner highlight!

I also have a couple of gorgeous sparkly shades from Nars. The first being from the Steven Klein collection, Stud, a gorgeous pewter bronze shade which is one of the most beautiful eyeshadows I have ever seen. I spoke about it here but it is definitely a must have and a fail safe option when in doubt! I also picked up one of the cream eyeshadows from Nars last year, the shade Interstellar which is a gorgeous metallic silver shade which is great if you are more into your silvery shades rather than gold tones. The formula is also super creamy and the shade is greatly pigmented too!

Nail Polish 

A completely fail safe option for adding glitter, probably my favourite too! I love a good bit of glitter on my nails whether its all over as a top coat or as an accent nail for just a subtle hint of sparkle! I spoke about the Nails Inc x Alice and Olivia set here which holds one of the most beautiful gold glitters.  The shade Gold Goddess is perfect for the festive season and can be built up to a fully opaque finish. Another great glitter option comes from Essie who have a great range of sparkly shades. I picked up Summit of Style which is from last year’s winter collection although can still be picked up from Amazon. This is one I know I will be wearing over the Christmas period as an accent nail teamed with probably something berry toned!

How do you get your glitter on?

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Nails Inc x Alice & Olivia

I am having a bit of a Nails Inc moment. Previously I had a little thing for the Victoria Beckham collaboration which was all kinds of amazing and now my attention has diverted to the newer collaboration with quirky fashion brand Alice & Olivia. Excitement was an understatement when I heard about this new range as I totally admire the Alice & Olivia brand so I was excited to see what they would come up with. Inspired by her fall collection, the range has 70s boho and rock and roll vibes. Fall nail shades are definitely my favourite and all these shades have autumnal written all over them.

Unlike the VB set, there is more than two shades. To be exact 7 unique shades, 3 unique to the mini set and 3 other different shades released in the usual sized bottles with one shade being carried as both a mini and normal size. The price point is also much better! The individual polishes are the usual Nails Inc price while the set of 4 minis comes in at £25. Of course me being indecisive and not settling on one went for the mini set which includes four beautiful fall inspired shades. Being mini they are super cute too!

Starting from the top left, Next to Nothing is the lightest colour option in the range. It is a sophisticated milky nude pink which is such a classy shade and a great transition shade from the warmer season to the colder. On the complete other side of things, Ruby Night Sky is a much intenser shade. A deep burgundy purple-y shade that will be great as Autumn gets into full swing. Nothing beats a good berry red shade and Paris Rouge is the perfect example. With a sheen-y finish this deep berry toned shade will look great come Winter. Lastly, what’s this time of year without a bit of glitter? Gold Goddess is what it suggests. An intense gold glitter that looks great as an accent nail or for the whole shebang perfect for the festive season. I know this will be one I reach for come Christmas time.

The nail formula itself is also really good for each shade. Like most Nails Inc polishes, they are easy to apply and only need a couple of coats. The longevity is impressive too with all shades lasting really well on my nails especially the glitter shade which didn’t really want to leave my nails. Overall a beautiful fall nail range that I can’t wait to get more wear out of in the next few months. I now need to pick up those other shades particularly Rose and Poetry…heart-eyed emoji’s everywhere!

What is your favourite fall nail shade?

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