I initially found this favourites quite hard to pull together, as I haven't been trying that many new products this month, and I didn't want to just post about products i've already spoken a lot about. Having said that I wanted to talk about a few select products that have really surprised me this month and I wanted to give a bit of a first impressions on them.

If you caught one of my recent posts, then you will have seen that I recently had the opportunity to try out the L'oreal Smartbond Treatment as my local Regis Salon (of which you read my post here) and they very kindly sent me the L'oreal Smartbond 3 Conditioner* (£12.99) which is step three to the treatment of which you use at home in between salon treatments. I've used this a few times now, and although my hair is still amazingly soft after having the treatment i've noticed that this has continued to make my hair feel like it's been treated at a salon. Although it is early days and i've only had one treatment, it's definitely something I would highly recommend to anyone, who like me has quite damaged hair.

A recent purchase of mine that I never thought i'd make was for the Missguided Babe Power Perfume (£28). A friend of mine recently wore this and I couldn't get over how amazing it smelt so of course I jumped straight on their website to order it and of course I made sure to use their 30% student discount that they had on at the time. For me it's the perfect summer scent and has a lovely mix of fruity and floral notes, which is right up my street when it comes to fragrance. If you're on the hunt for a new fragrance that isn't going to break the bank, then i'd definitely recommend trying this out.

Lastly for this months favourites is the Nadia HNC Gel Nail Starter Kit* ($99.99) which is the perfect at home gel nail kit for anyone wanting to start trying gel nails at home but without the toxic chemicals that some kits contain. Although I did only receive this  a couple of weeks ago, I wanted to share my first impressions on this kit as it one of the best at home gel nails kits that I have tried. The kit comes in a small cary case containing everything you will need, including base & top coat, five polish shades, cuticle oil, LED lamp and a few different tools to help you achieve some cute nail art looks. The gel polish itself is of an amazing quality and the shades are so beautiful that i've found it hard to choose which shade to go for! I will be sharing a couple more posts on this kit in the coming weeks, with a few nails looks and also a more in depth review, so if you want to find out more on this kit then stayed tuned for that.

So those a few products that i've enjoyed over the past few weeks, of which I will be sharing more about over the next few months once i've really gotten to grips with all of them to give a more full review!

What products have you loved this month?

For many people that annoying thing about gel nails is the fact that you need a UV lamp to sure the gels, and gel nails are an absolute pain to remove but I happily go through all that for the long lasting and amazing finish. However Rimmel's latest release makes gel nails easy to achieve at home whilst still having that salon looking finish.

The Rimmel Super Gel Nail Polish* (£5.99) is Rimmel's first two step gel based nail polish which is designed to give you that salon finish and superior colour that lasts up to two weeks. What makes this two step system amazing is that they contain a patented gel colour system that works with natural light to cure the nails, making it easy to achieve gel nails at home and without the use of a UV lamp.

These gel nail polishes work quite similarly to how you would paint your nails with an ordinary nail polish in the sense that you apply a couple of coats of the gel colour, allow those to dry and then apply the gel top coat, and again allow that to dry. The difference however is that there is a built in base coat into the gel colour, so no need to prep the nails before applying the colour, and then applying the top coat leaves the nails with an incredible shine and a smooth finish that is durable, so you won't get any of the pesky marks in your nails.

As I have my finger nails done professionally I haven't used these polishes on my finger nails as of yet, but I have been rocking one of the brighter of the shades on my toes for the past week or so and so far i'm loving these polishes, and how amazing my toe nails look. These gel nail polishes are available in a variety of shades, and Rimmel kindly sent over five shades for me to try out and I can't wait to try these out in the coming summer months.

If like me you love your gel nails, but would prefer to have the opportunity to do them in the comfort of your own home and have them be easy to remove, then i'd highly recommend trying out Rimmel's latest release!

Have you tried out Rimmel's Super Gel polishes yet?

Although i'm a bit of a newbie when it comes to gel nails, out of all the brands that i've tried Semilac has got to be the best in terms of formula and consistency as I find them so long lasting on the nails, and their selection of shades is so wide. I personally love their nude shade range as the shades are just to die for and  if you're a nude nail kind of girl like me then you're bound to love them as well.

As I jet out to Australia today, I wanted to keep this post short and sweet, and get onto the main point of this post as the lovely team at Semilac are collaborating with me on this post in order to give you guys a little giveaway, which I think is super generous of them and I know whoever does win them will love them just as much as I do. So if you're a lover of gel nails, and have your own at home UV lamp, and want to try out some of the Semilac UV Hybrid Gels (£8.75), then make sure to enter the giveaway down below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Terms & Conditions
1. UK entrants only (sorry to anyone outside of the UK).
2. This giveaway will run for two weeks, starting on 24th Feb and ending on 10th March.
3. You must enter the giveaway via the Rafflecopter form above.
4. Any spam or giveaway account entries will be deleted.
5. The winner will be contacted on Twitter via DM and will have 48 hours to respond before another winner is picked at random.

Goodluck everyone!

Rewinding ever so slightly, so i've had acrylic nails since around July/August time of which I get redone at least once a month by a close friend of mine/my family, who just knows exactly how I like my nails. Generally I always have gel nails on my acrylics as gels last so much better than your normal nail polish, as gels never chip and the colour stays vibrant and shiny so much longer in comparison to normal nail polish. Being a lover of gel nails, i've been trying out a couple of brands in the past few months that have not only just impressed me, but also the lovely lady that does my nails (so much so, she has since purchased products for her own clients) and if you too love your gel nails, then these brands may be well worth checking out!

The first brand of gel polishes that I was introduced to, through my nail lady was Bluesky who do an absolutely amazing array of gel colours and she absolutely swears by them for her clients, as they are really easy to work with, last really well on the nails and are really affordable! One of my favourite shades is Pink Champagne (£6.50), which is a beautiful glittery pink that I often have as an accent nail on the ring finger nails, and is probably my most worn shade from Bluesky. Another favourite of mine is Suede Seduction (£6.50), which is a gorgeous nude pink that works hand in hand with the glittery pink, and I often love having a nude colour on my nails instead of a loud/bright shade as it suits my very minimal/monochrome dressing style. Not only do Bluesky stock a large range of polishes, they also have a massive selection of kits and tools, meaning you can easily do your own gel nails at home, and even though I usually have my nails done for me, it's so handy to have your own lamp if you decide you want to change the colour!

Moving onto a brand that i've recently been introduced to, that my nail lady now also loves is Semilac who I recently worked with on my Christmas gift guides, and they ever so kindly sent me one of their  Starter Kit Semilac 3* (£70) which essentially has everything you need in order to do your own gel nails at home with a mini uv lamp, nail files, removers etc. Semilac have a lovely range of shades to choose from, as well art gels specifically designed for nail art and also a wide selection of kits and accessories. One of my favourite shades from Semilac is their UV Hybrid Gold Disco* (£8.75) which as the name would suggest is beautiful glittery gold shade, which i'm wearing on my nails above and I absolutely love it as i'm huge fan of glittery nails! With that i've paired it with the UV Hybrid Pink Rock* (£8.75) which is a lovely nude pink that has a bit more of a pop to my usual nudes, but these two shades again work hand in hand. I find that Semilac gels, although a little more pricey to last really well on the nails and the consistency of the gels are really nice to work with.

Lastly for my current gel nail loves is a more budget brand, that is major throwback for me as I used to use 2True makeup back when I was in high school a good eight or so years ago, and they've since expanded their range to include a selection of UV Gel Nails! Now, their colour range isn't as wide as your typical gel nail brand but they have your staple shades that you can't go wrong with from time to time, and i've been loving trying out some of their shades! As i've mentioned far too many times in this post, I can't beat a nude pink and i've been loving their UV Gel 'Blush' Polish* (£4) which is a lovely baby pink nude that i've been wearing as a more subtle colour for when i'm not feeling a glittery nail. I've also been loving switching up two bolder shades UV Gel 'Poppy' Polish* (£4) and UV Gel 'Berry' Polish* (£4) on my toes, and gel nails on your toes is a godsend as i'm sure i'm not the only one who hates painting their toe nails, but with gels the colour lasts so well and never gives the impression that you haven't painted your toe nails in months! For a more budget option, I would really recommend trying out 2True, especially if you're new to gel nails and don't want to break that bank.

The new Models Own Colour Chrome Collection contains ten molten metal shades, which give a stunning luxe liquid metal effect to the nails, that is like no other. 

I've always wanted to delve into the metal nail trend but usually to achieve them you'd have to go to a nail salon, which means spending more money than it's worth. So with the release of this new Models Own collection, it means you can get metal style nails with a super shiny foil finish for just £4.99 a bottle! 

The lovely team at WizardPR were kind enough to send me a few of the shades and i'm so excited to try them out. First up is Chrome Green* (£4.99), as the name suggests is this beautiful metallic green shade that I wouldn't usually go for but this shade is actually stunning. I'd definitely rock it with an all white outfit to bring a pop of colour to the nails. Next is Chrome Gold* (£4.99), which I liked the look of before I even received these and the shade is beautiful. I can just imagine myself rocking this, with a nice tan during the summer. Finally is Chrome Silver* (£4.99), my favourite from the range and I can see myself getting so much wear out of this one!

What I love is that these nail polishes aren't like your standard metallic nail polishes, they have a slightly different finish that appears quite matte on the nails with a sheen to them. You only need one coat, which is great if you're in a rush but two coats just makes the colour appear more vivid.

Overall i'm really impressed and I cannot wait to rock these in the summer months, especially with a good (fake) tan!

Have you tried out the new Colour Chrome collection?

Kicking things off with the typical red and a recent addition into my collection is the Rimmel 60 Seconds Rita Ora Nail Polish (£3.69) in the shade 'Raw As Night', which is this beautiful true red shade. I love a nice bright red around Christmas time as it just really livens up the nails, and as I can't usually wear nail varnish because of my job, when I do I don't want it to go unnoticed! Another red shade, but my glitter nail varnish of choice is the Essie 'Toggle on Top' Nail Polish (£8.95), which I picked up in their winter collection this time last year. It's the perfect red glitter that you can wear on its own, but also layered on top of other shades. I'd pair this with the red shade, wearing it on my ring finger nail to give it that accent of glitter.

Another shade I love around Christmas time is a simple white and my current go to is the Rimmel 60 Seconds Rita Ora Nail Polish (£3.69) in the shade 'White Hot Love'. Painting the entire nail with this, and then going in with the glittery red just adds a lovely festive touch and I may actually try out this nail combination for Christmas day. Lastly i've got a deep purple/red shade that again I love around Christmas time as it just reminds me of mulled wine and deep red lipstick, all the things that happen during Christmas time. This is Essie 'Recessionista' Nail Polish (£8.95) which I usually wear more often on my toes, as its one of those shades you just can't go wrong with. I also love wearing it with an accent of glitter on my ring finger, or you could spruce it up with a gold or silver to make it that little more festive. 

What are you wearing on your nails this Christmas?

This collection is designed to highlight the skin with the use of vibrant tones, so it works similarly to how white nail varnish works when worn with a tan. As I fake tan a fair bit in the summer, i'm always looking for a way to spruce up my tan and make it a little more noticeable.

Out of the collection I own, four of the five shades but I wanted to talk about my two favourites as these are the shades that i've got the most wear out of. 

First up is Models Own Sun Hat* (£4.99), which is a lovely vibrant pink shade. I've been wearing this on my toes as it looks so good with a pair of white sandals, the two combined really make a tan pop. The second shade i've been loving is Models Own Beach Bag (£4.99), which is a vibrant orangey coral shade that is to die for. I've been looking for a shade like this for such a long time. I love wearing this shade on my finger nails as it really does stand out and it's a perfect summer shade. I also own the shades Flip Flop and Bikini but I haven't really worn them enough to comment just yet.

As for the formula, I find two coats is enough to get a good coverage and with a top coat it stops it flaking off within two days. Overall it lasts a few days tops, but usually by then i'll have wanted to switch up the shades. 

Have you tried out any Models Own polishes? What shades should I try?

I'm sure you all own a bottle of crackle nail polish, whether it's the BarryM ones or another brand but i've used my Nails Inc Camden Crackle Topcoat and i've used this as a topcoat over the Revlon Mad for Mango, which makes the perfect orange shade. I applied two coats of this, allowed it to dry and then applied the topcoat to give the crackled effect. Easy and simple.

The polishes I picked up are from Color Clubs 'Girl About Town' Collection, which I hadn't really heard all that much about but I loved the look of some of the shades available. As I didn't like the look of all the shades in the collection, I picked up a quad set as I really liked 3 out of the 4 shades in it and the other shade i'll probably give to one of my friends or something.

The first shade I got from the collection is 'East Austin', which is this lovely orangey coral colour with a slight hint of pink to the shade. Now i've been on a mission to find a shade like this one but i'd had no luck but I think i've finally found it - I just wish I had when it was summer, as this is a perfect summery shade. Next up is 'Wicker Park', which is this girly pinky lilac shade. Again, i'd been hunting for a shade like this and I own a few very similar but this one is the prettiest as it has a really subtle pink undertone to the lilac that again is perfect for summer. Last but not least, is 'Williamsburg' as really pretty purple shade that has copper pinkish glitters running through it. I don't know why but this got me so excited for Christmas, as it's one of the nail varnishes that i'd usually wear around that time of year!

Now, as I said i've never tried out any Color Club nail polishes before but i'm so happy I got my hands on these. They are so cute, as they come in really little bottles that are really travel friendly but have just enough product in them before they start to go gloopy. The brush on the nail polishes are just a bog standard brush, which I don't mind at all as long as I can apply it. So far, these seem to have a good lasting power but I do need to get my hands on a good top coat!

Have you tried out any Color Club nail polishes?

The Maybelline 'Mint for Life' Nail Polish is this lovely mint green shade, as you can probably tell from the name of this shade and in my eyes is probably the nicest mint nail varnish I have ever owned although I still have my eyes on Essie's 'Mint Candy Apple'.

I've been wearing this on and off ever since I bought it a few weeks ago and I can honestly say I love the everything about this nail varnish. It applys really easily with a wider brush that covers the whole nail in one brush stroke and it dries super quickly. As it is described as a gel nail varnish it is kind of thicker than your typical nail varnish meaning you only need two coats max to get a really nice coverage that lasts for such a long time. I think i've managed 5 days so far without any chips and that was without a top coat! 

This shade is also perfect if you want to brighten up your nails, especially as bright/pastel colours are very on trend this summer as always. All in all i'm pretty impressed and i'm tempted to get a few more of these Maybelline Super Stay nail varnishes.

Have you tried this nail varnish yet?

From one of their most recent collections the Ice Neon Collection, Models Own 'Bubblegum' is this beautiful neon pink that dries with a lovely matte finish and adds a lovely pop of colour to any outfit. I find I only need to apply a couple of coats to my nails and it dries super quickly making the task of painting my nails very effortless and I find this to last really well on my nails. I love this nail varnish as a way of rocking the neon trend we are seeing everywhere this summer, but in a somewhat subtle way. 

As you can see, the shades I have chosen are very summer appropriate shades with hints of pastel mints coming through and blues which bring the cloudless summer skies to mind. Especially with the weather we've been having here in the UK, now is the best time to rock some summery shades.

Starting with Rimmel's 'Sky High', a beautiful turquoisey blue shade that glides onto the nail with ease and dries so quickly that you can apply a second coat within a minute, top stuff. Next onto BarryM's 'Ridley Road' from their Texture Nails range, is a lovely mint green that dries with an interesting sand paper feel to it that looks really cool on the nails. The Headline Colors 'Poolside Party' is one I received in a GlossyBox and basically forgot about, oops. It's a lovely ocean blue shade that could brighten up any outfit within minutes. One of my all time favourites, the Topshop 'Easy Breezy' is my go to green, a kind of dulled down pastel green that is perfect if you're going for a more subtle feel to your nails. Last but not least is the BarryM 'Turquoise', which I have owned for years is a lovely sky kind of blue. I remember buying this a few years back in the hopes to add some colour to my nails during the summer and it has been a loyal one. I should probably repurchase this sometime soon seeing as it's almost ran out.

Have been rocking blue/green nails this summer?

The Models Own 'Bubblegum' from their Neon Ice Collection is a perfect pick when it comes to adding a bright splash of neon pink, especially with neon being a huge trend at the moment it allows me to channel this without it being too in your face. As always the Topshop 'Easy Breezy' (review here) is always one I opt for a lot during the warmer months as it adds a subtle pop of colour to my nails that I really like as I don't tend to wear green nail varnishes all that often and it is somewhat different take on the pastel nail trend we always see throughout the summer months.
My favourite nail varnish ever as you all are fully aware is the Revlon 'Charming', which is a beautiful pastel lilac nail varnish that will always be one of my go to nail varnishes for the summer as we all know pastel nails become the craze in summer and I found this to be the perfect pastel shade for me. I was rocking it all last summer. Staying with the pastel nail varnishes, the Rimmel 'Sweet as Sugar' from their I Love Lasting Finish Range is another one of my favourite nail varnishes, this really pale pastel almost white shade with a tint of blue is really pretty and makes me feel really girly, i'm not sure why though.
Last but not least is my my newest nail varnish, the Sinful Colors 'Island Coral' (review here) which is a really pretty orangey coral shade, different to the normal coral shades we see everywhere. I'm really loving this shade at the moment as I seem to opting for it more over my other nail varnishes as it's an easy way to add a nice pop of colour to my outfits.

What nail varnishes are you opting for this summer?