Winter Nailpolish Picks...(High-end Edition): Chanel

I am without a doubt a nail polish believer, and I feel these little magical bottles of colour could brighten and or elaborate our mood. As promised from a while ago I would continue and write about "Winter Nail Polish Picks... The High End Edition".  I love "Drugstore" nail polishes as much as the next girl, and thats why I dedicated a post to some of my favourites for the Winter season. I understand "High End" nail polishes are expensive, and that they could run double or triple the price to the "Drugstore" polishes, but they are the luxurious little treats I would once in a while treat yourself to in which my heart would pitter patter as it is applied onto my finger tips. Magical. 

1. Chanel  #531"Péridot" 

This polish is truly a unique colour, and at the time when it first came out there was no second polish that could duplicate it. This unique colour is a mix of a bronzy gold with a metallic greenish teal running through it.  It applies evenly with 2 coats, and goes on very smoothly, or should I say metallically? I would suggest wearing a top coat as it would enhance the colour, and make it look like a piece of art on the nails. Truly a special polish. 

2. Chanel #525 "Quartz"

This polish is a shimmery bronzy taupe. It is absolutely beautiful on the nails during the winter months. If there is one thing that Chanel does right in their nail polish and lipgloss range it has to the the "Shimmer" component. The micro shimmer they have in their polishes is what makes some colours so hard to duplicate with another polish. 

3. Chanel #505 "Particulière"

I love my "taupe" polishes, and "Particulière" is one of my most used taupe's of all time. It is a soft taupe which glides onto the nails, and is even with about 2 coats. I would suggest to apply a top coat with this polish for it does chip within the next 3-4 days.  I am sure there will be many drugstore taupe's that are really similar to "Particulière" , but the thing I love about this polish is how compliments my yellow skin tone, and doesn't make my hands appear grey.  

4. Chanel #509 "Paradoxal"

There is probably a million and one reviews on the ever so famous "Paradoxal " polish by Chanel. It was highly sought after when it was first released and I heard from some girls online that they were willing to purchase a bottle for 50 dollars on Ebay. After getting my hands on one I finally understood where the hype was coming from. This polish is a dark grey-toned purple which contains an infinity of iridescent shimmers of all colours running through it. It is a dark colour on the nails, but it will certainly stand out in the crowd.

A Little Comparison....

When I bought "You Don't Know Jaques" by O.P.I, I thought maybe just maybe it was a dupe for Chanel's "Particuliere" however it is much darker and more opaque, and I would wear the two on completely different occasions. Next to it is "Paradoxal" by Chanel. 

A little Christmas Lush Haul and Review

We have now officially entered the holiday season, and even though many of us celebrate different holidays, I think we can all agree that this time of the year is always one to look forward to. For me, I celebrate Christmas, and there is often that very common question of, "What makes it feel like christmas"? Well for sure visiting the Lush store and having all of the Christmas collection to shop from reminds me of Christmas. I grew up with these familiar scents that return every Christmas, and recently I popped over to the store and picked out a couple Lush goodies that I have here to share my thoughts on. 

The first item on the list was "Cinders" Bath bomb. This is a classic Lush Christmas bath bomb, it returns just about every year because of all the love people show towards this small orange ballistic. This bath bomb is described as a spicy, soda scented bath bomb, and should fizz and crackle, almost as if you were sitting next to a fire place. Quite honestly I did not hear any crackling and so the image of the fireplace was kind of a disappointment however the scent of this bath bomb is what makes me running back for more every year. It has a warm scent full of spices, and is an absolute joy to bath in. 

Next on the list of "Classic" is the Christmas Eve Bubble Bar. I would recommend using this just before bed, as it gives off a beautiful and calming scent of jasmine, and lavender/ylang ylang. With about half of this bubble bar my bath water changed into a light blue colour and I had a bath full of bubbles. The bubbles are super soft on the skin and makes the water feel like cashmere. I would highly recommend this bubble bar as a relaxing treat before bed. 

Onwards to the Limited edition Lush soap "Yog Nog", this soap is described by Lush as  "Made with soy yogurt and a dash of festive spice, Yog Nog has that unmistakable creamy texture with a fudgy, spicy blend of clove bud and ylang ylang"  I really wanted to like this soap, as a matter of fact the first time I saw this soap I made a note that I would get this one instead of my Christmas favourite "Snow Cake" soap. While it does smell like a ginger bread cake dry, after using the soap it smelled just like cloves and spices that may have gone bad.... I don't know if this makes sense but it smelled like rotten spices on the skin. I very much regret purchasing this soap and will for sure be running back to purchase "Snow Cake".

Last but most definitely not least is my favourite, the "So White" Shower gel. Basically when using this shower gel on the skin it almost smells as if you jumped into a bath of fresh green apples. The "So White" scent also comes in a bath bomb form, and when I saw that they had made a Limited-Edition shower gel of this I immediately gave it a sniff. In the bottle this does not smell like the "So White" Bath bomb, however on the body, the scent is exactly the same as the bath bomb and lingers on the body the whole day. It feels super soft on the skin and leaves you smelling delightful and super fresh. If you are a fan of fruity smells I would highly recommend this shower gel. 

And that is it for my little pre holiday treat at Lush, I will most likely be back there again real soon this winter so stay tuned for some more Lush hauls, and reviews. 

xoxo Coco

Winter/Fall Nail Polish Picks... Drugstore Edition

I am a huge believer in nail polish. I believe it is that little something that adds the magic to the ends of your finger tips. It is the tiny minuscular, yet totally noticeable addition to your outfit. On days where you need an extra little boost to get up and get out of bed, I believe that the nail polish you choose to pamper yourself with, will give you that extra little confidence to rise and shine. It's equivalent to having sprinkles on a lonely vanilla cupcake, or cheesecake bits on your frozen yogurt. Enough rambling, in this post I will share with you some of my all time favourites for the fall and winter times.

1. O.P.I "You Don't Know Jaques"

This is a colour that can be found on my nails for most of the winter, it is a mix of a dark brownish taupe,  that has a beautiful glossy finish on the nails. This is one colour that I think I won't ever get tired of, instead I think it really can create a edgy look to your outfit, that is both sophisticated yet casual. This is definitely one of my most worn winter polishes.

2. Sephora by O.P.I "I'm with Brad"

This polish has been with me for around 3 years, I have to be quite honest that I don't wear this colour quite often, however it is saved for those specific holiday days, for those special days where I need a little extra warmth in the cold weather. This polish has a vampy red base with a mix of bronze, and has an iridescent shimmer. Around one coat is far enough for this polish to dazzle throughout the holiday seasons.



3. Topshop "Prim and Proper"

Now moving onto some of the more wearable shades for the everyday work-time friendly occasions. This nail polish I remember I purchased for around less than 5 pounds in London, It is a muted light rosy pink shade, and on the nails it gives a hint of colour but is still very calm and subtle.  This polish has a very glossy finish. It barely requires a topcoat, and the colour distributes evenly on the nail with around 1-2 coats. I would highly recommend this colour.





4. Essie #764 "Lady Like"

This is by far my favourite... let me say this one more time... my absolute favourite nail polish of all time. It always surprises me of how much I love this super subtle lilac-beige. This colour makes your nails look incredibly sophisticated and elegant, it would be one of those polishes to wear with a super expensive classic Chanel bags. I adore this polish and for around $8 I would highly higly recommend this as an all-around timeless polish.

5. Revlon #011 "Sheer Rose"

Just as the name implies, this polish is a "Sheer Rose" colour with an iridescence running through. It is around $5 at the drugstores, and is a stable in my everyday nail polishes. This colour reminds me alot of O.P.I's "Bubble Bath", not in the colour itself but the sheerness of the colour. It is almost a wash of extra shine on your nails, yet it provides a very clean and polished look. It applies evenly with 1-2 coats, ofcourse you could build up the colour for a more opaque look. I would recommend using a top coat with this colour, it does tend to chip a little on around the 3rd day of wear, but if you are a fan of light rosy shades, this would be one to check out.

6. Butter London " Yummy Mummy"

And finally I cannot finish a post about nail polish without a "Nude" colour. This may look quite similar to Essie's "Lady Like" polish which I have shown in this post, however "Yummy Mummy" has more of a beige-grey undertone, whereas "Lady Like" is more of a Lilac- beige. Applying 1-2 coats is by far enough however I would recommend a top coat to this polish since it does chip quite easily. This Polish runs for around $18 at most department stores.  This is a really work friendly polish, it gives a simple, yet very natural look.

Thats it for now, my dear readers, I will shortly be posting a "Designer Edition" to my picks for Winter/Fall Nailpolishes. Hope you go give that a read... in the meanwhile I hope this post gives you some new ideas for glamming up those nails. For now stay warm, stay happy.

xoxo
Coco

November Days

I'm sitting here on a chilly November afternoon thinking and brainstorming of what to blog about but quite honestly the feeling of this cozy autumn weather itself is enough for a blogpost. On these so called "sweater weather" days I love taking walks out on the canals of Amsterdam, and as it gets a little windy  the feel of the cool wind brushing on my cheeks makes them flush naturally. Oh and of course the "Pumpkin Spiced" Lattes from Starbucks and every little cafe around town has one or many of their own festive Fall treats. And how can I forget one of my weekly routines of sitting by a lovely little soup shop and sharing a steaming-warm bowl of pumpkin soup with a friend and just sitting there and being amazed by the spectacular yet natural fall of the autumn leaves. And lastly the fall classic, is to be wrapped up in a "too big for you" sweater, where you look like a giant fluffy cat with a tiny little head, cuddled up with your favourite pillow or boy, and enjoying a good read with the candle lights burning, and a hot cup of chai tea. These are some the little things that I enjoy in the Fall time, Im sure there are plenty others, but these memories are what reminds me of how much I love this chilly yet warm season. 

Pumpkin and Broccoli Soup

                                              

Currently Reading: The Night Circus

Starting a Blog

Nervous... I have wanted to start a blog for a very long time, to write about the things that I love, places I go, hobbies I have, foods I enjoy, and ideas I have. I guess this is where I should start. Good luck to me :) and lots of luck to the readers who find this little blog about this little girl in a big world.