NEW HAIR: BEFORE AND AFTER

Over Christmas, I decided to cut my hair. As always I immediately regretted the decision as soon as my long hair fell to the ground. However, I've grown to like it. It is a bit of a nightmare trying to tie it up for hospital though!

Before

After

RETAIL THERAPY IN MANCHESTER

I like to think that I'm not a materialistic person. Worshipping man made items have never appealed to me so I hate buying things for myself and when people buy things for me. (Except for my family of course as they sort of owe it to me for me being in their lives!)

Myself and three of my friends decided to exploit the free weekend we had to go to the Trafford Centre in Manchester to do a bit of shopping.

The fact that the centre was filled with Christmas decorations and lights got me even more excited about my favourite holiday of the year being just round the corner. 

ARIA HAIR CURLERS

The woman that's obsessed with my hair (my one of a kind mother) bought this for me as a birthday present. I have wanted these for a long time after reading a lot of good reviews on a number of blogs.

I decided to buy the 25mm barrel as I wanted bigger curls for my hair. The packaging is ultra cute and you can buy the curlers in lots of different designs. I stuck to black as everything I own is either black, white or grey.

In each box you get the curling wand (obviously!), a heat proof mat and a glove.

Tight curls look terrible on me because of the shape of my face; so the thicker barrel allows me to produce natural curls. 

Pros:

• You don't need any heat protective spray due to the technology of this 
• No need for hairspray! If I curl my hair in the morning, it stays exactly like that until the end of the day and leaves loose waves the next day
• Heats up in seconds
• Small amounts of moisture in the air won't get rid of the curls

Cons

• It's quite expensive but it should be seen as a great investment

£5 GEL NAIL VARNISH

"In accordance with the professional dress code, medical students are prohibited to wear nail varnish whilst in a clinical setting and must keep their nails cut short..."

This is a completely valid condition that medical students have to abide by. Considering the fact that I'm on placement in the hospital at least twice a week in second year, makes it extremely difficult to paint my nails. Nonetheless,  I still have a growing collection of nail varnish which I use during the holidays.

Recently, I bought Model's Own Hyper Gel nail varnish. It supposedly gives you a gel-like finish which requires no UV. I was sceptical to say the least when I first came across it but the lady at the stall persuaded me to buy it and try it.

I was quite impressed by how long the application lasted (just over a week) and you only need one coat. The only downside to this nail varnish is that it takes FOREVER to dry. I'm talking a minimum of half an hour to an hour! 

Turquoise Gloss

So if you have the patience, I would definitely recommend this brand for a cheap alternative for gel nails.

PINK FOR A BROWN GIRL?!

People who are close to me know that I'm a sucker for lipstick. You will always see me wearing some shade of lipstick and at least two of them can always be found in my handbag. 

It's a nightmare trying to find a shade of pink lipstick that suits my skin tone. I either end up looking like Nicki Minaj during her Barbie days (never a good look!) or it doesn't even look like I have anything on.

Shade: Midimauve (Satin)

You can just about imagine my pure joy when I walk into Mac and find the perfect shade. With the help of a wonderful make-up artist, I was able to find a satin lipstick - Midimauve. It perfectly compliments my skin and makes my face look naturally brighter.

So for the ladies that are a slightly darker shade of brown and fancy a lipstick that looks natural; here are some tips for when choosing a shade that helped me:

• Don't go for pinks that are close to brown. It will make your lips blend into the rest of your skin and it's hard to define the lip line.
• If you fancy something bold, go for bright pink which has a warm undertone. It looks great against dark skin and would be perfect for a night out.
• The best thing to do would be to get professional help, you don't want to spend around £20 on a lipstick which looks terrible on you!