Peachy Tones

After the lacklustre weather we've been having lately it does seem a bit premature to be rocking summery makeup in the rain, but I have been swayed by these peachy offerings this month.

Ok, I admit that the mask is peach- scented and the lipstick is more of a burnt coral, but still they are part of the same family. These were mostly treats for finishing my degree and I've been pretty pleased with them all.

 I have got at least two face masks on the go, but something compelled me to buy the Origins Drink Up Intensive as the high dose of hydration seemed appealing. It has become necessary if my skin is looking flat or dry, and applying a thin layer once a week leaves my skin glowing, plump and velvety in the morning. The Nails inc. shade You're a Peach was a freebie from Instyle in May (or April?) and managed to give a suitable alternative to a nude nail whilst still being work friendly. I have never really veered towards peachy tones on my nails before; but was complemented on the shade many times and it doesn't clash with my warm toned skin (something that orange nails tend to do!). Here's a swatch.

My stubby dinosaur claws fingers, everybody ;-) But you can see how this shade can suit many skin tones without looking too stark. The polish lasts around 4 days on me with Sally Hanson Double Duty Base and Top Coat. The lipstick I picked up is Vegas Volt by MAC. I feel somewhat late to the party reviewing this, but as this is my first bold MAC lipstick this is truly a showstopper. Ravishing looked slightly corpse-like on me, so Vegas Volt is a perfect substitute for deeper skintones due to the amplified finish. I like to mix things up by lightly dabbing on the lips for a peachy daytime look or applying directly from the tube for a neon orange effect at night. 

   
Most of these have been on heavy rotation throughout May and June, so this could serve as a monthly favourites of sorts. But generally I am in a bit of a make up rut as I want to be more bright and summery, but the clouds have other ideas... here's to a bit more sun!

NOTD- Nails Inc's Bluebell

Have you ever been against the idea that absolutely any colour can be worn on the nails? I used to reject this theory, only wearing black, purples and dark greens as I knew they worked well for me.  After slowly coming round to the effect of neon orange on my nails earlier this year, I'm trying to buck the trend - albeit with little baby steps. Throughout spring and summer I've been tempted by pastel blue shades that I feel are far too stark to work for my skintone (Topshop's Pool Party and Essie's Absolutely Shore spring to mind). Luckily, I managed to get my perfect blue shade thanks to a freebie in June's Instyle magazine.

Nails Inc's Bluebell is a tad purple toned, but still looks bright enough on its own to be considered a true blue pastel shade.  To get the purple to show up more, I layered the polish on top of Essie's Chinchilly, which despite its hyped status, is itching to get more use as it looks extremely muddy next to my golden toned skin. I always use Sally Hansen's Double Duty as base and top coat as it makes my polish super durable, sometimes lasting a whole week without chipping! This has been one of my favourite nail colours this summer and I think I've found the perfect combination for a low maintenance girl like me.

I always recommend Nails Inc polishes as they are long lasting and I have always been impressed by their formulas. What are your manicure must haves? Have you been making the most of the magazine freebies this season?