We are just about to enter perhaps one of the most stressful times of the year financially and creatively, however, it's also one of the most fun and the most rewarding. Shopping for others can be quite testy, but in the end, when you find that perfect piece for that special someone there is nothing more satisfying. Come shop three fashion and three amazingly fabulous beauty buys with me for your glamorous best friend!
Nail polishes that don't have that awful, chemical odour to them — this is a beauty product junkies dream come true! And now there are not only one, but three adult ranges of nail varnishes that have sweet and succulent scents. Scroll through to learn all about the ranges from Rimmel, Revlon and Dior here!
Orange nails varnish has always been on the top of my list in the Summertime. My obsession with it started when I discovered Clam Bake by Essie and my clementine crush has only grown over time.
So when I heard about the range of nail varnishes that Becca Cosmetics launched (a brand you know that I adore), I got super excited in particular for a colour called Tangerine Dream (£12).
This bright sunset coral shade goes on smooth, it doesn't streak, and it packs serious shine. Also, it dries fast and is free of formaldehyde, toluene, camphor and di butyl phthalate. Becca has put a lot of work into creating this formula and I can't recommend it highly enough. Shop even more orange nail options below and let me know which colour you like most!
Yesterday in the UK, the collaborative nail varnish range between Jason Wu and Creative Nail Design finally launched. CND has been working with Wu backstage at his fashion shows for the past eight seasons and was so wooed by him that they decided to join forces, and create a nail range together. Jason said, "Every season I play with different ways of using colour in my collection, so it was a natural choice to collaborate with CND on a capsule of nail colours that reflect my aesthetics."
The capsule collection consists of four colours and a clear topcoat that sell for £49.95. The colours include:
For shoe-addicts everywhere, this is the best time of summer - the shoe sales! I'm especially excited about the Kurt Geiger sale which started this weekend. It was so tricky to choose between Marc Jacobs or Chloe but I was really looking for some gladiator sandals that would go with my new Butter London polish.
I found a KG purple and silver pair that provide a great contrast to the putty-coloured FashPack polish (£10). Butter London is one of my all-time favourite brands - the colours are spot-on for this season and there are no carcinogens, like formaldehyde, toluene or DBP in their formulas.
Originally I thought that a mushroom shade on the toes would look odd and more than a little unflattering, but it actually looks, well, just very cool. It also means you can paint your fingernails bright red or pale pink without that old-fashioned, matchy matchy look.
I also like the idea of choosing your footwear after you've picked your polish — how decadent.
In summer I flip between aiming for stylishly low-maintenance, in hommage to Ms Moss, and wanting to look perfectly polished like those Upper East Side Gossip Girl. Does anyone else suffer from Summer Beauty Schizophrenia?! Finally, though I've got my summer nail varnish colours, erm, nailed.
I'm still loyal to my long-suffering MAC Twink Pink - a fabulously shimmery frosted pink shade that sounds horrific but looks pretty and office-worthy on. I'm really excited though about my recent Essie purchases. Carousel Coral is one of the most wearable corals I've seen, much more bittersweet pink than orange, but still bright and fun for cocktails with the girls. Not a Cosmo though, that would clash - a Grasshopper would look better!
Mistique Pink has a name that makes me cringe, but is the perfect, pale petal-pink shade and has a matte consistency that reminds me of the paint you might see at an Upper East Side apartment. Serena would approve. 
I also recommend, Fiji, a pretty, ballerina pink colour and Shop Till I Drop - a classic nude with a hint of coral-based pink. These pale shades look laid back, yet elegant, for the summer and are much easier to wear than Essie's newly launched neon shades. Though I have to admit that the high-voltage violet polish, Bermuda Shorts, is fast becoming one of my favourites.
What do you think - do you prefer pale pinks and nudes in the summer?
