Review: Gelish Manicure

A friend of mine is trained in a beauty treatments, so i decided to try something new before a week away, and booked in with her to have a spray tan and Gelish manicure. i was heading to a festival, and i cannot bear to have chipped nails, so i figured getting this type of manicure would ensure that i have chip free nails for my time away.

So what is a Gelish manicure? Well many of you have probably heard of Shellac, known as being a two week manicure. this polish is put on by a professional (although i believe they now make a home kit) and is supposed to last 2 weeks chip free- obviously ideal for holidays. Gelish is a similar thing, a gel based nail varnish cured under a UV lamp, but from reading reviews Gelish is supposed to last a little longer, with most people saying that it has lasted them 3 weeks.

Gelish manicures also slightly strengthen your nails- BONUS!

Now i wasn't hoping for a miracle, with a week camping i was just hoping that my manicure would last me till the end of my festival. But i have to say i was blown away with the results of the manicure.

I opted for a bright orangey pink, and had a shimmery top coat put on top. This is what my nails looked like afterwards- the polish is dry after a few minutes under the UV lamp, so no sitting around waiting, and no chance of smudging! 

I loved the fact that my nails looked so glossy afterwards, the Gelish gives a high shine effect.

This is what my nails looked like after 4 weeks. I was totally amazed.

During the 4 weeks, i spent a week at a festival, 2 weeks at work as a receptionist (which KILLS my nails) and a week and a bit of working in London at an internship. I wasn't particularly careful with my nails, i treated them as usual, not even using gloves to wash up or anything so i was stunned that they lasted so long.

I paid £14 for my manicure, so it was well worth it, i have previously paid double that for a regular polish manicure!

i highly recommend Gelish, and will definitely be going back to have it done again!

*Update*

After the success of my Gelish manicure, i booked both me and my mum in for a Gelish as a birthday surprise (as well as matching spray tans)

These are our nails, i chose a bubblegum blue with the shimmer topcoat while my mum chose a raspberry colour with glitter.

Has anyone else tried Gelish? What did you think?

Kayla xxx

Style Crush : Keira Knightley

I have always been a huge fan of Keira Knightley, i idolize her looks, and how she holds herself in the public eye. She knows when to remain private, and how to stay well known without being seen as a celebrity.

She has recently got married, and in a contrast to many celebrity weddings, it was all completed under the radar, even the guests did not know about the ceremony until the last minute. Instead of a dress costing thousands of pounds, she wore a simple white dress that she had previously worn to a celebrity event years before. The few photos that have surfaced of her wedding, look beautiful. She looks her usual, effortlessly chic (no doubt having a low key wedding has reduced her stress levels!) 

I believe she is someone to admire, and i know i would rather my future children look up to someone like her, than celebrities from reality TV or diva pop stars.

On a personal note i really admire the way that she has refused to change how she looks to make her more Hollywood  She has been plagued with constant rumors of an eating disorder due to her natural slender frame, something i can relate to. YES she is super skinny, but as pictures show, she has always been that way, its her natural shape. I always find it unfair when people make up stories and do not consider how it makes the person feel. I also think it is unfair when people call naturally skinny people 'too skinny'. I suffer from this and i cant tell, you how much it hurts to hear ' oh you are far too skinny, you need to put on some weight, it doesn't look good.' If i was not eating to look this weight- then fair enough, but the truth is, this is my natural form!  So basically you are saying i am naturally awful looking. Also i find it funny that its ok to call someone too skinny, yet most of us would consider it rude to go up to someone and tell them that they are too fat! 

Keira has also refused to have breast implants or any other surgery to further her career, and this seems rare in todays society!

Anyway, as well as all of this, she always dresses impeccably! These are just a few of my favourite Keira moments.

I love this whimsical look, it reminds me of A Midsummer Nights Dream

Luxurious red silk for Chanel

Looking beautiful and carefree on her wedding day

At a premiere

I want this outfit so bad, very cute, in Vogue

Green silk dress worn in Atonement

Beautiful rich purple

White grecian column dress

This dress was later auctioned off for charity

Who is your stle crush?

Kayla xxx

Downton Abbey Fashion

So it has been announced that a clothing, beauty and home wear range is to be made, by the creators of Downton Abbey. It is to be sold both in the UK and in America, as the show is increasing in popularity in the states as well as here.

Im not sure what to expect from the range, hopefully the beauty range will feature light powders for those of us with super pale skin like the characters, in decadent packaging. Im also hoping for beautiful hair accessories, and lots of lace and chiffon blouses. Im hoping it is a fashion range and not just a replication of the costumes, which may be hard to style!

What do you think, would you buy something from the range?

Kayla xxx

Air hostess.... I like the way you dress

I always fancied myself as an air hostess- travelling the world, seeing the sights, and i have always admired the appearance of air hostesses, always polished.

'Trolly dollies' are known for their good looks and smart appearance, so really i wasnt at all suprised to hear that Richard Branson has asked a top designer to create the new uniforms for the Virgin Air Stewards and Stewardesses. I was however auprised that said designer would be Vivienne Westwood!   With th uniforms usually quite simple and plain, i wasnt sure how this would remain with Vivienne Westwood in charge of the designs. That said, i forgot to consider her incredible knowledge of tailoring  and form.

The collaboration between the 2 british brands is sqid to be a longterm thing.... Suddenly im wondering if i should become an air hostess after all! 

The designs i have to say are lovely. There are indications that they are influenced by the 1940's, and of course they are beautifully tailored. The women are dressed in a red suit, while the men wear a burgandy 3 piece suit

The new uniforms are said to be introduced this month

What do you think of them? 

Kayla xxx

Great Gatsby

Forgive the delay in posting, it has been such a busy time in my personal life that its been hard to keep on top of blogging! However i have so much to post about, fear not.

Now going to the cinema is something i do pretty much only with my partner. However sometimes there are films that we dont always both want to see. I desperately wanted to see the Great Gatsby, having studied it at college, and it being one of the reasons i went from hating English at school, to adoring my literature classes. Obviously as a fashion student i was equally keen to see the film in order to check out the beautiful costumes (courtesy of Prada.)

Not surprisingly my partner did not share my enthusiasm. I did not particularly wish to see this film on my own, im not brave enough to go to a cinema on my own! Fortunately my mum accompanied me on this little trip, and after talking to a few friends it seems i was not alone, quite a few of my friends also took their mums to see the film.

I had mixed emotions about the film. When you study a text so intently, you only set yourself up for disappointment, you read all the lines in your head and imagine how it would all be portrayed, and if the actors interpret it differently, it just isnt the same. I have to say though, on the whole i really did enjoy the film. There were a few lines which i read differently, but generally i felt it was interpreted really well, it still held a 1920's theme but still seemed really modern, as if we were experiencing the 1920's for the first time too.

Im not a huge fan of Carey Mulligan, she kind of came out of nowhere and became a bit of a fad, but she had a hard role to play and i really think she did a great job. i never thought anyone would do Daisy justice but i enjoyed her interpretation of the role.

Everything about the film oozed glamour, the set the brilliant costumes and the way they portrayed Gatsbys famous parties.

Carey really suits the 20's look as seen here in Vogue.

"A knee-length dress in octane-coloured tulle, lined in matching silk cady and embellished with Swarovski crystals."

"A bustier dress, embroidered with pearls, stones and sequinned fringing, inspired by a modern take on the Twenties silhouette."

"An orange organza dress, covered with plastic, scale-like, sequin embroidery, inspired by Prada's autumn/winter 2011-12 show."

"A multi-striped sequinned dress embroidered with plastic, inspired by Prada's spring/summer 2011 collection"

What did everyone else think of the film, and the costumes? I would love to hear your opinions.

Kayla xxx

Cosmo Masterclass

So back in April i went to the Careers Masterclass held by Cosmo magazine in London. Tickets were around £30 i think and i can honestly say it was well worth it, i am going to keep an ear out for any future events they offer.

Once i arrived i was greeted with a free copy of Cosmo and a glass of champagne- very nice!

After a bit of mingling with other students, interns and professionals, we moved on into the main room. In front of us sat Pat McNulty- the digital editor for Cosmo, Cherry Healey who is a well known television presenter, Jazz Kaur- the head of PR for Benefit, Chloe Melish- another PR professional who has worked with celebrities such as Lady Gaga and Nicole Mowbray who works for the Daily Mail. The Editor of Cosmo Louise Court also took to the stage, and became our presenter for the evening.

I was very excited, i am a HUGE fan of Cherry Healey, i love the documentaries she does, and im also a huge fan of Benefit makeup.

The evening really helped me plan out how i was going to work towards getting the career i wanted.

Here are some pieces of advice i jotted down.

Chase up emails you have sent in regards to jobs/internships. But don't chase up too soon, instead of looking keen you will end up hassling people.

Once in an internship- make yourself indispensable. Do all you can for everyone and make sure people notice how much you are needed. This may make you more likely to receive a paid job.

Being keen and well-read is vital. If you land an interview, reference a wide range of media sites, magazines and TV news stations. A keenness and interest in the world around you is important too

Networking is key in the beauty industry – get to know people in your industry if you possibly can. My last three jobs were thanks to people I met through other people.  (Jazz)

If you find yourself stuck in a job or internship with nowhere to go, then don’t be afraid of looking elsewhere. 

Never underestimate the power of flattery 

If you don’t have a Twitter account, I’d wonder why you wanted to work in this industry

To top it off, we all received a HUGE goodie bag, including a full sized Benefit mascara  ( if you haven't used "They're Real" you should!). The mascara alone is worth around £20, let alone all the other goodies so it was worth the trip even just for that! I can also highly recommend the DHC facial cleanser. I never thought washing my face with oil would do my skin any good at all but it really does wonders. As well as all the other bits and bobs i also received a full sized Palmers body lotion and i have to say it is the best moisturiser i have ever used, it soaks in easily yet goes a long way, and it carries a very subtle sweet scent that my boyfriend cannot resist.

In May there was another masterclass, a blogging one that unfortunately i could not attend, did anyone go? Was that as useful? If anyone knows of anymore events let me know, i would love to go to more.

Kayla xxx

CHRISTIAN LACROIX to design for the house of Schiaparelli

"CHRISTIAN LACROIX will design a couture collection for the house of Schiaparelli. The famed designer will be collaborating with the storied label on a one-off 15-piece collection honouring the legacy of designer Elsa Schiaparelli."

(Vogue)

The collection will not be unveiled until next month- so expect a picture heavy post then! It is to be unveiled in Paris at the location of the brands original workshop, and the pieces are said to be updated interpretations of the brands most famous pieces.

Kayla xxx