Love Tip Top Nails and VO5

Today I'm giving some love to Tip Top Nails and VO5!

Follow these links:

Tip Top website

Tip Top's Facebook Page

Tip Top on Twitter

Follow these links:

VO5 SA website

VO5 SA on Facebook

Spread some love to these two great brands for sponsoring goodies in the Christmas hampers that you could win in my Christmas giveaway.

Miss Claira-Bella

Xoxo

Love Revlon

Seeing as this week is the last week to enter my Christmas-ey giveaway, I will be spreading the love to the sponsors who have generously popped a few things in the hampers which you could win!

Links

Revlon SA Website

Revlon SA on Twitter

Revlon SA on Facebook

Give Revlon SA some love!

Miss Claira-Bella

Xoxo

Blink hits the big screen!

Last Friday the very generous Blink Mints, invited me to the premier of their long overdue launch onto our our big screens. They took a very smart step by gaining the hearts of young ladies (and gents) along side Edward, Bella and Jacob in Breaking Dawn Part 2.

Oh, I'm just hanging with the guys :)

All the guests were spoiled with delicious snacks at Sterkinikor Sandton City as well as being treated to drinks and popcorn inside the cinema.

One of the stunning Blink ladies.

Yummy finger foods to snack on.

 It really was an amazing evening out with the stunning blink ladies and it was great to finally see the fun and energetic advert. Thanks Blink Mints! Don't forget to watch Breaking Dawn Part 2 (huh, like you need a reminder) and shout "Woohoo" when you see the blink ladies dancing!

Follow Blink mints on Twitter and like their Facebook Page.

Miss Claira-Bella

Xoxo

 P.S. This is my 200th post! YAY!!

Ear Ring Wishlist

View my Ear Ring Wishlist Pinterest board here.

Colour my life: Purple

Follow my purple Pinterest board here.

YouTube Favourites: Simple Little Pleasures

Simple little pleasures on YouTube is my water marble nail art guru. She has over 80 video's on water marbling and has tips on how you can achieve the perfect marble look :)

Here are a few of my favourite water marbling video's from Simple Little Pleasures.

 Valentine hearts

Devil and Angels

Poolside Neon

Four Leaf Clover

Subscribe to her channel here. Don't forget to check out some of my water marble nail art designs by clicking this link.

Miss Claira-Bella

Xoxo

Crabtree and Evelyn has been busy!

This has been an incredibly successful year for Crabtree & Evelyn in South Africa. They have revamped several of their stores and on top of all that, they have managed to release numerous new and exquisite collections.

I was recently invited to their Hyde Park press event but could not make it. The lovely ladies at the store still kept a few samples aside for me so I am here to chat about how truly beautiful the new Himalayan Blue Fragrance collection is.

My Himalayan Blue Hand Therapy Sample Pot

The Himalayan Blue Fragrance Collection is inspired by the early British explorers, taking you into the heart of the Himalayas, tracing their search for the exquisite mythical blue poppy. The Himalayan Blue Fragrance Collection is a treasure trove of indulgence that includes Eau de Toilette (R650), Bath & Shower Gel (R280), Body Lotion (R300) and Hand Therapy (280).

My Himalayan Blue Body Lotion Sample

Crabtree & Evelyn's infamous hand therapy smells divine with the exotic Himalayan blue scent. The scent lasts quite a while. I applied it before playing around on my PC and the scent left me in a happy high for about an hour as well as giving my skin a strong boost of 'the good stuff'.

Their body lotion is just as amazing as the hand therapy. When I smell this lotion, the first thing that pops into my head is a picture of a really stylish and successful business lady. It has a thinner consistency which makes it a really elegant summer body lotion. I wouldn't recommend this scent for ladies who are younger than 25 because it is a mature scent but this is just my personal opinion.

The Himalayan Blue Story Book

When visiting the stunning Hyde Park store, I spotted this cute 'story book' containing small sizes of  the Himalayan Blue Hand Therapy, Body Lotion and Shower Gel. This would make a great Christmas present for an aunt, your mom or even grandmother.

Remember to visit your nearest Crabtree & Evelyn store to test out all the fantastic collections. View their store locations here. Visit their Facebook Page and if you like what you see then click the 'like' button!

I will be testing their Avocado, Olive and Basil collection next so don't forget to follow me on Twitter to be kept in the loop ;)

Miss Claira-Bella

Xoxo

My O.P.I Manicure

Way before I started blogging, I admired many international bloggers on the internet machine because they have access to such amazing brands that we don't. One brand that I was most envious of was O.P.I. International bloggers swooned over this nail, hand and foot care brand and most quality reviews surpassed fellow salon brands like Sally Hansen and Essie.

 I hung my white flag after searching for O.P.I in South Africa without any luck. There was no way I was going to afford importing one or two bottles myself. But then...I FOUND THEM!!

 I was shopping at Edgars one afternoon and spotted the O.P.I stand. I felt like I was looking at a famous celebrity. I wasn't sure if I should just stand and stare or if I should actually touch them, so ended up doing a little of both.

After tons of searching I got in touch with Twincare who is the official distributor of O.P.I in South Africa and they were kind enough to send me a few products to test.

In this post I will show you my "O.P.I Manicure" using O.P.I nail products.

The first polish I tried was "Pink Friday". It is such a pretty pastel/bubblegum pink with a rich creamy 'look-n-feel'.

My O.P.I manicure

The application of this polish couldn't be any smoother! There were no streaks which I often find in "milky" polishes. I applied two coats to achieve the colour you see in the bottle but if you would like a lighter just-as-pretty-pink then just apply one coat.

O.P.I's Pink Friday RSP R135.00

I immediately fell in love with the colour because it is almost exactly the same as Tip Top's Melting Marshmallow which, if you remember, I was crazy about at the end of winter (read the blog post here).

O.P.I's Pink Friday is almost exactly the same as Tip Top's Melting Marshmallows

I don't think this colour could ever get old. Such a pretty Spring and Summer colour and could also be worn as a 'pick-me-up' in the colder months.

 

Image Source

This colour is actually from Niki Minaj's O.P.I collection so to any fans out there, you need to get this!

I also applied O.P.I's start to finish base and top coat to help the manicure last longer. I will reviewing it in another post.

O.P.I's Avoplex Cuticle Oil To GO RSP R165.00

Cuticle oil is one of those things that you wait a really long time before you see any results because you have to let your nail grow out. Cuticle oils provide oil and moisture to your nail bed which, in turn, helps your nails grow stronger and healthier (just like applying fertilizer to your garden, to make your flowers grow faster and more beautiful). As far as results, I can only report back in a few months but I will chat about the actual application and formula.

Avoplex cuticle oil bristles

What makes this cuticle oil so special, is the "on the go" features. It has a brush instead of the usual roller-ball with baby soft bristlesd! I love that you don't have to use your fingers to rub the oil in. I always end up getting oil on my cellphone and PC keyboard which is a mission to clean!

 This cuticle oil isn't really an oil, it is more of a gel-like formula to prevent oil running all over your fingers. All of these make it the perfect on the go cuticle oil! I am confidant that I will see great results in a few months as I apply it at least twice a day.

You cand find these products at Selected Salons, Edgars, Stuttafords and Clicks Stores. Go ahead and like O.P.I on Facebook as well as follow Twincare on Twitter. Do the same for me here and here. Don't forget to subscribe by email in the block in the top right corner of this page.

I will be doing more reviews on this amazing brand, next week! TTFN.

Miss Claira-Bella

Xoxo

P.S. There is a similar colour to Pink Friday called "It's a girl" which could be the perfect favour for a gender reveal party :)

Christmas Giveaway

Hey!

Head over to my Christmas Giveaway tab above (or click here) to enter my Giveaway with these awesome sponsors:

 

Cant wait for your entries!

Miss Claira-Bella

Xoxo

In my sample basket: Palmers Cocoa Butter Formula

This week I took the time out to enjoy Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula with Vitamin E which I use as a hand and elbow lotion.

"Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Body Lotion, made with pure Cocoa Butter, enriched with Vitamin E, in a soothing emollient base, heals and softens rough, dry skin, smoothes marks and tones skin. An excellent all-over-the-body moisturizer and after tanning butter. Also available in a fragrance free formula." Source

For some reason I thought this was a South African manufactured product, possibly because of it's "cheaper" packaging but it is actually manufactured in the USA. *FYI*

What I loved

My number one love is the scent! It smells just like when you bake a chocolate cake and me being an avid baker, I just cant stop sniffing myself after applying this lotion. It really moisturises my skin and I can see the benefits of the vitamin E because my skin looks luscious and is a lot plumper. 

It also claims to help sooth marks which, I assume means scars and other pigmentation but I haven't really applied it to any problem areas so I will have to test that another time.

I love the consistency of the lotion. It isn't watery but it isn't too thick which makes it the perfect lotion for both Winter and Summer. 

What I disliked

This specific product from Palmer's does contain parabens and with my "paraben research", I am not a huge fan of the ingredient.

I have heard tons of great things about the Cocoa Butter Formula for stretch marks which was specifically designed for pregnant ladies. I am keen to try it out one day for my pregnancy stretch marks or even if I start working out, to tone skin.

Cocoa Butter Formula for Stretch Marks

Overall I think this would be something I could invest in during winter, just because they come in rather large sizes and they are quite affordable.

I think you can get Palmer's at most 'Drug stores' like Clicks, Dischem, Pick'nPay and other Pharmacies. I am not sure about the prices but I do remember them being really affordable.

Have you tried this well known lotion?

Miss Claira-Bella

Xoxo

Stashy Nails {Video Tutorial}

Here is my very own mustache nail art tutorial.

This is a super easy nail art design that takes just a little bit of practice. Don't forget to check out the original design by Cutepolish here.

If you try this design, please send me pictures via Twitter and Facebook! Also, don't forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel for more awesome video's over here :)

Miss Claira-Bella

Xoxo

More GOSH Reviews

Here are a few more GOSH products and what I thought about them.

GOSH's Velvet Touch Foundation Primer, RSP R190.00

This is a must have product! It fills any fine lines and deep pores you may have, to give you a silky smooth surface to apply your foundation onto. Unfortunately it does have a very silicone-like feeling but it really does it's job. It has no preservatives and is perfume free which is great because this product gets right into your pores and you don't want any irritation to occur.

I can't really tell you to go buy this product because every lady has their own preferences and you might hate the feeling on your skin but I love it and it makes my foundation smooth out really nicely.

Tip: Because of the silicone texture, you can apply a tiny amount to any strands of hair that don't want to stay in place. I've tried, it works really well!

GOSH's Argan Moroccan Hair Oil, RSP R89.00

This hair oil is enriched with Omega 3 and 9 which moisturizes and soften's frizzy and unruly hair. I have applied this to my clean, damp hair and then blow dried it. I did notice a difference in the frizzy-ness and my hair was a lot shinier but I'm not convinced it is because of the 'oil benefits'.

Again, this product has a very silicone-like feeling and very little oiliness, meaning you would get the same results if you used a pure silicone based hair product. I am hoping to see the oil benefits as I time goes by and my hair becomes easier to style or styling time is minimized.

GOSH's DNA no.3 for Women, RSP R129.00

I am not much of a fragrance type of gal but I must say I have gotten in the habit of spritzing a bit of perfume on before leaving the house. One of my recent reaches that I find myself applying often, is GOSH's DNA no.3 for women.

It has a light 'creamy' scent which gives off a very sophisticated vibe. This powerful yet timeless fragrance contains mild citrus, white flowers, white cedar and cashmere. I definitely recommend testing this out at your nearest GOSH stand!

I will be reviewing more GOSH products soon so follow me on Twitter to be the first to know.

Also, follow GOSH cosmetics on Twitter and like their Facebook Page. You can also visit their website to get the deets on what all their products are about.

Any of these products tickle your fancy?

Miss Claira-Bella

Xoxo

A little 'Essence' of beauty

A lot of beauty bloggers recently received a package from Essence with some new products to test out and tell you lovely ladies about. I was one of the spoiled bloggers and here I am with my honest reviews for their very affordable skin care products.

Starting with my favourite product first, Essence's Pure Skin Natural Cover Moisturizer,

Essence's Pure Skin Natural Cover Moisturzer, RSP R29.95

I guess you could call this a BB cream but it doesn't have as many vitamins or skin benefits. I'm going to rather put it in the 'tinted moisturiser' category. This natural cover moisturiser is designed specifically for skins with "issues". If you have spots, blackheads and any other skin imperfections then this baby is for you! It contains clearderm which is an acne fighting ingredient so you shouldn't have as many breakouts if you use this every day. 

I love how this moisturiser gives a really natural matte finish to the face and is absorbed into the skin really quickly. This is perfect for a relaxed day at home or even a casual day around the office. I have been using this as my foundation and it does a great job. I would have made this product a must-have is if it contained an SPF. 

Next, Essence's My Skin Tinted Moisturizer,

Essence's My Skin Tinted Moisturizer, RSP R29.95

The first thing I noticed when applying this tinted moisturiser is the scent. I love that it has a slight fruity scent that reminds me of cocktails on the beach *Bliss*.

This tinted moisturiser has a little less coverage than the natural cover moisturiser (previous product) but this isn't always a bad thing because you can gradually build your desired coverage. If you want a really natural look than only apply a small amount and if you want more coverage, apply more of the product or do a few layers. Unfortunately it wont cover really bad pigmentation or dark beauty spots/freckles.

This tinted moisturiser also contains cleardem which will help with acne breakouts and stubborn blackheads. It also claims to moisturise your skin for 24 hours which I believe it could (I only wore it for about 8 hours).

I really wish I knew about tinted moisturisers in high school. I had horrible breakouts and imperfections and products like this would have helped a lot!
Just take note that the two products above contain Parabens. I know many ladies are superstitious about the ingredient so take that into consideration when buying these.

Another keeper, Essence's My Skin Cooling Eye Roll-on,

My Skin Cooling Eye Roll-on, RSP R34.95

I really love this cutie pie! It helps take away any puffiness commonly found in tired eyes. It contains cooling hydro gel and cucumber extract to give your skin a quick boost of refreshment. I have gotten into the habit of applying this to my eyes as soon as I wake up in the mornings, before I apply makeup, and it actually works pretty well.

You could get the same results by just rinsing your face with cold water but this is really handy to keep in your cosmetic bag or even in your hand bag. You can apply this over your makeup so if you have a hangover at the office, Essence has you covered ;)

My curious boyfriend applied this as soon as I opened my package and he said he felt a burning sensation. I thought he was just being a ninny but I also felt it every few days/applications. I think that if you apply too much of the product at once, the hydrogel heats up to the same temperature as your skin and that is where you get the "heated feeling". It doesn't leave red marks or anything and it only lasts like 60 seconds, while the gel dries.

A BIG thanks to Essence for letting me test these great products. I have done many reviews on Essence products and the quality you get for your buck exceeds my expectations every time!
I highly recommend trying the products in this post. They are really affordable so you have no excuse ;)

Oh, and don't forget to follow Essence South Africa on Twitter and like their Facebook Page. Do the same for me here and here.

Got your eye on anything?

Miss Claira-Bella

Xoxo

The Modern Girl Guides

I spotted this website called girlguides.co.za on twitter and immediately thought "Do girl guides still exist?". Now I was thinking of that community of young girls in uniforms, who learn how to sew, cook, tie ropes, make decoupage'd eggs etc. (which my sister was a member of, about 15 years ago). 

The old Girl Guides

To my surprise this is NOT one of those groups! Instead I came to learn that GirlGuides is a very modern, tech website, with a group of very tech smart ladies who speak about all things technological from a ladies' perspective. Nothing irritates me more than when a man says "You wouldn't understand" when it comes to technology. 

I suggest visiting their site for awesome reviews and advise on anything you may need to know about. I have found many helpful articles and I feel rather empowered knowing more than my boyfriend in some technological departments ;)

Oh and they have a really awesome giveaway with Fujifilm where you could win a pink digital camera in support of breast cancer awareness. Check it out here.

Image from GirlGudes.co.za

Follow GirlGuides on Twitter

and like their Facebook Page.

Sisters are doing it for themselves!  

Miss Claira-Bella

Xoxo

YouTube Favourites: Rachhloves

Here are some of my favourite video's from one of my favourite YouTube beauty guru's, Rachhloves!

I love how she is really sweet and down to earth even though she's super pretty and she has the potential to be a "Blonde biatch".

View more of her video's here.

Miss Claira-Bella

Xoxo

*Little Whispers*

My Boyfriend's Manicure

Guys never really groom themselves properly and often end up looking more scruffy than when they started. The number one example are a guys' nails. Guys usually wait two weeks before realizing their nails are too long and they just chew them off with their teeth. They also have the toughest cuticles that are long enough to make a leather rug!

Every lady secretly wants their partners to take a bit more care about their grooming routine...sometimes we just have to step in and do it ourselves!

My Boyfriend and I "What a Hottie" Grrr ;)

Seeing as I am a nail fanatic, I cringe when I see the state of my boyfriend's nails sometimes. You can clearly see the thought process that went through his mind. "Ah, my nails are long but the clippers are upstairs...I'll just bite them off and neaten them later"...and that "later" never comes.

I have taken up the task of doing his nails at least once every two weeks, although he has gotten into the habit of telling me when they need to be done (what a spoiled little turd).

Here are some tips and tricks on how to give the guy in your life (boyfriend, dad, brother or even son) a great mani that wont leave him feeling like a girl.

#1. Don't set up a "Spa" type of setup. This will most likely cut a huge chunk out of his manhood before you've even started. I suggest just casually sitting on the couch with a cushion and small hand towel on your lap where he can place his hands.

#2. Once you realise that a mans nails are the thickest things ever, your life will be a lot easier.

Things like nail clippers and nail files, need to be the 'heavy duty' type. I took out my little nail clippers (in the picture above) and my boyfriend just laughed at me. He then proceeded to take out "the big guns" which helped soo much!

Men don't continuously buff their nails and wear nail polish so their nails aren't thinned out and have tons of moisture, making a really great combination for strong, healthy nails. Maybe we should take a few notes from them ;)

#3. Start off by clipping the nails with a pair of nail clippers. I love really short nails on a guy but I'm always careful not too cut too short because that is frikin painful. Depending on the length, cut the nails so that there is a small strip of white showing. I do this step very roughly because the plan is to file the nails afterwards.

Just Clipped

 #4. Filing will just finish off the nails and you have more control of how short you want the nails to be. You probably know this but I'll 'say' it anyway; don't try make a square shape for the ends of the nails, rather stick to the natural shape which is round. Because a mans nails are quite thick, there will often be sharp edges after filing so I suggest taking the nail file and filing it at a 45degree angle on the tip of the nail to take away sharp edges.

Just filed

#5. The next battle are the cuticles. Men aren't in the habit of pushing their cuticles back daily so you have a thick band of skin on the nail and they're really tough and dry.

Long, rough cuticles

Soak his hands an warm water and if possible, use a hand scrub/mask to help moisturise the skin. I soaked my boyfriend's hands in a bowl with Sh'zen's Spa Manicure for 5min. This is one of my fave manicure products because it works really well and it's perfect for man hands because it has a citrus scent, in stead of a, "I feel like a lavender princess" scent.

Soaking for 5-10min

#6. Once the his cuticles are soft, take a cuticle tool or orange stick and carefully push back his cuticles. Even though they are tough and long, it still hurts if you use too much force or do it too quickly. There is a very soft patch of nail under the cuticle and if you press hard against it, it can damage the nail and cause a lot of pain.

#7. I also took a 4 way buffing block and lightly buffed away any major ridges on top of the nail. Don't buff too much because completely smooth nails aren't very masculine. (This step is optional)

Neat cuticles and pretty buffed nails

#8. Apply a hand cream or cuticle oil to help the nails get a boost after being "tortured"

And your're done!

After doing his nails many times, I thought that it would be really handy to have a mens nail product range. I know you get hand creams etc. but a nail range would encourage men to look after their hands and nails a bit better. Do you know of any?

I hope this was a helpful post! Thanks to my awesome boyfriend, Malcolm, for letting me use his hands for this post. Follow him on Twitter (@howsemj) and send him some nice comments because he was super shy about me posting this :)

Miss Claira-Bella

Xoxo

Garnier BB cream {Video Review}

Better late than never right? Here is my Garnier BB cream (Miracle skin perfecter) review.

Your thoughts?

Don't forget to click on these links:

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And dont' forget to subscribe to future blog posts via email, in the top right block on this page!

Miss Claira-Bella

Xoxo

Smells like Christmas

I am beyond excited to see that The Body Shop has 3 special ranges in the spirit of Christmas. They are Merry Cranberry, Vanilla Bliss-mas and Ginger Bells!

Here is a pic of the flyer I received with all the info on the Christmas-ey products:

I have my eyes and nose tuned in to the Ginger Bells, which sounds utterly delish and 100% Christmas-ey (I love eating ginger treats at Christmas time)! There is also a reason for me sharing this information; The Body Shop has a 3 for 2 special on at the moment so you could save a lot of money if you start your Christmas shopping early.

Follow The Body Shop on Twitter and like their Facebook Page.

I think these products are really special and I wouldn't mind getting them for Christmas ;)

Miss Claira-Bella

Xoxo

It's Movember

Image from 9gag.com