NOTD Barry M Speedy ~ Stop the clock

I recently bought two of the new Barry M Speedy Quick Dry polishes, the first of which I blogged about here so next up is this one, Stop the Clock, a gorgeous cross between lemon mousse & vanilla ice cream!

I was fully expecting to have to apply 3 coats of this one, as with In A Heart Beat, but funnily enough, this covered much better in only 2 coats.

I really, really love this colour for spring, it's just like I've dipped my nails into a bowl of melted vanilla ice cream.  Again, it would look slightly better without the pasty skin colour going on here but still! Please excuse the dry cuticles, I should've oiled up before the photo!

This has lasted much longer than the other colour surprisingly enough, so in my opinion, the formula of this particular shade seems a bit better.  I'm not sure why, it just is!

The one thing I forgot to talk about with the other review though was the brush which is flat & curved on the tip so fits the base of my nail perfectly.  It covers in just two swipes & as I only had to use two coats of this, it really did dry rapidly.  I did apply Seche Vite on top though for added shine & strength!

The Barry M Speedy Quick Dry nail paints are currently £3.99 each or 2 for £7.00 at Boots.

What do you think, does this shade float your boat?!

Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet ~ Peach Club

*Warning, perfect spring/summer lip colour alert!!!*

I love these liquid lipsticks & this is the fourth shade I've bought but I've only reviewed one, how weird???  Here's my review on Frambourjoise for those who haven't seen it & I'll get on to the other two asap.  But for now, here's Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet in Peach Club.

As you can see, it's a classic sponge doe-foot wand & it just takes a couple of swipes for perfect, precise application.  This shade is a fabulous corally orange, bright enough yet not too in-your-face & really is a great addition to any spring/summer makeup bag!

Although it's a matte formula, this feels so silky & comfortable on the lips, it's hard to believe that it lasts as long as it does.  I can eat lunch, drink several coffees & maybe sneak in a wee biscwit (sorry, I can't say the word normally now after the Fox's advert!!) & the colour will still be pretty much intact.

This shows how opaque the colour is as this was just the lightest of swipes on my thumb.

Ooooh, I really love it & it'll look even better with a hint of a tan, it's time to hunt out the facial gradual tanner methinks!!  Apologies for the dragged through a hedge backwards look!! ;)

Are you a fan of these lip colours?

NOTD Barry M ~ In A Heart Beat

It's no secret that Barry M are my go-to polishes, they're cheap (and nearly always on offer somewhere!), the colours are great & the formulas are superb - the Gellys are my absolute favourites - so whenever they release new polishes, I'm all over them!

Their newest releases are easily identifiable by the black & white chequered lids, a nod to the new Speedy Quick Dry formulas & there are 9 new shades, all pastel hues.  Two colours in particular caught my eye, this one, In A Heart Beat, a soft coral pink & Stop the Clock, a rich vanilla ice cream shade, which I'll review in a day or two.

Unfortunately, I have mixed feelings about this polish.  I adore the shade & I think it's perfect for spring (although it feels a bit odd wearing it now!) & yes, it really is very fast drying.  But......it's very streaky & took 3 coats to get an even-ish coverage but to be honest, it could've done with an extra coat for the perfect finish.

I started, as always with my China Glaze Strong Adhesion base coat & then applied the 3 coats of colour.  Although there was a sheen, I prefer the high gloss finish of the Gelly polishes so I left them for 10 minutes to see how they dried & then applied a coat of Seche Vite top coat (not how you're supposed to apply this btw!)  In the 10 minutes before I applied the top coat, they felt totally dry to the touch although I'm not sure they would've passed the handbag or toilet test at this point!! (You know, delving in your bag or doing up your jeans after the loo without damage!!)

10 minutes after the top coat though they were well & truly hardened & dry so it still only took around 30 minutes to dry totally.  Although the manicure itself took longer with the extra coats.....  Having said all of that, pale shades are notoriously bad for coverage so next time I might try it with a base of opaque white, which usually helps.

Longevity wise, I'm only 2 days in to the manicure & am already getting tip wear & a couple of tiny chips, which is a tad disappointing.  So while I love the shade & will use the polish, I much prefer the gelly polishes so will stick to those - I hope Barry intends to release more of those shades very soon!!  It'll be interesting to compare this with the other shade I've bought.

What do you think, is this your sort of shade?

Marrakech clothes

So with only 3 weeks to go until our trip to Marrakech, I decided I had to go through my wardrobe & choose my final picks to take with me.

We're only there for 4 days but as you may have seen on my Instagram yesterday, the predicted forecast is (fingers crossed!!) due to be around the 20-25°c mark, in which case we'll need cooler - but still conservative - clothes for the day with something warmer for the evenings.  Everything I've chosen can be mixed & matched with each other so although there's not a great deal, I can make quite a few different outfits in total!  I'll run through the list quickly but you can get all the details from my Polyvore if you click on the picture.

For the bottoms, I've chosen a pair of relaxed skinny jeans (I'll wear these to travel in), black jersey wide leg trousers, a navy maxi skirt & a plain black maxi dress, ideal to wear with one of the lightweight kimonos thrown on top of it.

The tops I've chosen are 2 longline vests in burnt orange & navy (I may take a white one too), a navy v-neck t-shirt (for travelling in), a mustard top & my new striped boat neck top.

I bought 2 kimonos at the end of last summer to wear as lightweight jackets, ideal for covering my shoulders should be enter somewhere where bare shoulders are frowned upon.  Either can be folded up small & put in my bag.  I will also pack my denim jacket & new navy jacket I bought in Next last week (again, I'll travel in this), but it isn't online so it must be one of last season's.

Shoe-wise, I decided to forego any sort of heels & take only 2 pairs of flats.  I wanted a closed-in pair as it'll still be cold here when we leave so the Freckle Ice from Clarks are perfect.  I have 3 pairs of these now & they are honestly the best ballet pumps for me as they support my arches & are ridiculously padded!  Then I'll take my pewter sandals from M&S, which granted, look minging on the photo but look great on, honestly!!  Again, they're really padded & comfortable for walking in.

I'll only take a couple of pieces of jewellery as I'd like to buy some whilst we're there but I do need a scarf or two, & these from Alice's Wonders are lovely.  I'll take my Clarks tan saddle bag for the day & a beaded clutch for evening.

And not forgetting a swimsuit, sarong & sunglasses!  I'm just taking a plain, boring black swimsuit because I like to wear my leopard print sarong & I don't want to clash!!  I also need to get to the opticians to have new prescription lenses put in my sunglasses but I'll not be going back to Vision Express after the chronically slow service I'm experiencing at the moment with my new glasses, grrrr........

As a lot of things I'm taking I bought at the end of last year & they're no longer in the shops, I've had to choose similar pieces on my Polyvore set but you get the jist!!  I will do another post with photos of the actual clothes I'm taking....I might just do a wee packing video too, we'll see!! ;)

Totally going off track here but does anyone have difficulties with their posts when they add a Polyvore set?  It either totally changes my font & I can't adjust it or like today, my type width will only go to the width of the photo, not across the full page????  It drives me bonkers, does anyone know how to remedy this?

Anyhoo, that was a very rambly post, sorry but I'm getting a tad excited now, hee hee!!!

Is there anything I'm missing?

NOTD Seche ~ Mischievous

Hmmm, my daughter has pointed out that I have 5 or 6 near identical polishes, all variants on the infamous Rouge Noir by Chanel, my favourite shade ever - I disagreed....but yes, actually I do!!  Well, here's another one but I promise I'll show you some other colours next!!

Although I've used Seche Vite top coat for years, I'd never tried any of their polishes until I picked up this one, Michievous.  Although I'm very impressed by the application of this, I've found it hasn't worn as well as other polishes, the Barry M gelly polishes for instance.  Having said that, I'm still 5 days in & it's just starting to chip so still not bad!!

After wearing dark colours since around October, I'm ready to see something brighter on my nails now.  I'm looking forward to the new spring releases from Barry M & Essie - watch this space!!

You can currently buy Mischievous for only £3.79 here at Look Fantastic.

What colour is on your nails at the moment?

Favourite gowns of the BAFTAS 2015

Following on from my Golden Globes post, I thought I'd show you my picks from the BAFTAs.  I'd love to get really dressed up like this, even for just one night!!

Amy Adams in Lanvin

Edith Bowman in Luisa Beccaria

Julianne Moore in Tom Ford

Julie Walters in Adrianna Papell

Kristin Scott Thomas in William Vintage

Laura Bailey in Emilia Wickstead

Rosamund Pike in Roland Mouret

Although I adore these gowns, there were quite a few 'meh' outfits on show at the BAFTAs this year, in my humble opinion of course!!  And don't get me started on some of the Grammys outfits.....!!

I can't wait for the Oscars red carpet now!

40th Birthday Lust List

40th Birthday Lust List by fortytherapy 

With my 40th birthday rapidly approaching & family constantly asking what I'd like for a present, I sat down with my ipad & starting trawling the net to see if I could give them any suggestions.  There's quite a bit on my Polyvore set so I am in no way expecting to receive everything on it, it's more for my reference in case I ask folks to club together for one special gift!!

I'd love a classic black evening bag & although I adore the Marc by Marc Jacobs one & may have to hunt it down whilst in New York, the one from Zara is gorgeous too & would leave more pennies for other things!

After winning my box of goodies from Elemis last year, I've been in love with these products & would love to replace them.  The night cream is not cheap though at £95 a pot, eeek!

I really would love a new watch more than anything.  I've never been bothered about watches in the past (as displayed by my 21 year old Accurist divers watch currently on my wrist!) but recently, I've really fancied a lovely watch.  I took a peek on The Watch Hut & found these watches by Tissot & Citizen, both of which I love.  I have tried on the Tissot watch but not the Citizen so I need to try & hunt one down as I love the pop of teal on the face.

Next up are these fabulous rings from Thomas Sabo.  I love big, bold & quirky rings - hence the skull ring! - & there are some beautiful ones on the website, I could've chosen so many more.

Jo Malone Wood Sage & Sea Salt cologne, need I say more?  This scent is delicious & I can wear it without it giving me a pounding headache within an hour, a problem I have with a lot of other perfumes so I might have to get some from Duty Free!

Now the camera is a bit of a cheat as my hubby very kindly bought it for me last year but it had been on my list for a while so I kept it in!!  It's such a fab wee camera that offers just as much as a DSLR but without the changeable lenses.  I wanted something more compact that would fit in a smaller cross-body bag on my holidays as I would otherwise have to take a whole other camera bag if I hauled my DSLR around with me!  I love the funky retro styling of it & the red is fab.

And to finish, no birthday is complete without a lipstick or two from MAC.  I'll be in NYC just 2 days after my birthday so I will hold off & get some whilst I'm there as they are a lot cheaper in the States, even with the sales tax added on!

Sorry there's not links to everything but my PC is about to crash & burn I think - it's taken me two %&*("@+ hours to just get this far, it's soooooo slow :(

What did everyone else get on their birthdays (not specifically 40th birthdays!!)

NOTD China Glaze ~ Out Like A Light

Following on from my new found love of all things grey, I've been wearing this gorgeous charcoal polish for much of the winter.  It's such a classy colour, dark & rich but not as black as the photo shows it.  I tried taking photos in so many different lights but it still showed it darker than the real shade, you'll have to trust me on this one!

The photo above was taken 5 days into the manicure so there is very slight wear on the tips but it's still a super long lasting polish when teamed with my manicure super duo, China Glaze Strong Adhesion base coat & Seche Vite top coat.

This is Out Like A Light by China Glaze & it is available for just £3.95 (rrp £8.95) on Nail Polish Direct.

Next S/S '15 wishlist

Next S/S '15 wishlist by fortytherapy 


Oh I do love playing around with Polyvore when the new season clothes come out!!  Next is my go-to store & has been for many, many years.  It's affordable, it's stylish, it's current & most importantly, the size range is fantastic so this is where I usually head.  I think most people buy basics & wardrobe staples from Next & I've decked my 3 children out in their clothing for the last 17 years!!

Here are some of my favourite picks from the new releases.  I've stuck to basics as there's an awful lot of pastels around for S/S (not just in Next!) but I really don't do pastel shades, they just don't suit me so I'm not going down that route.  I noticed they're doing a high waisted version of my favourite denim leggings so I must go & try these on in store - any help holding in the mum-tum is fine with me!

I've previously blogged about wide leg trousers being around again at the moment, as are flared jeans *punches the air!*  I find these shapes very flattering on my body shape so I can't wait to pick up some new ones.

I love the black long utility shirt dress & the animal print collarless coat has my name written all over it, oh yes!  I picked up the navy jumpsuit the other day & it's a lovely heavy fabric that hangs beautifully but I do have something very similar already so I will have to show restraint on this one!

The other items are things that would be perfect for accessorising on my trip to Marrakech (5 weeks & counting!!!) & I just love the coral face on this watch.

I also spotted this complete outfit, which I bloody love!  This is totally something that I would wear & I really would like the fringed sandals, they're gorgeous!

I'm now off to trawl through a few more sites to see what's catching my eye at the moment......I could be some time.......!

Rimmel ~ Brow This Way

I bought this just before Christmas but hadn't actually used it (I forgot about it, whoops!) so here's my first go with a wax/powder eyebrow duo.

This is the Rimmel Brow This Way in shade 003 Dark Brown.  It comes with a double ended soft angled brush, one end for the wax, the other for the powder & a mini spoolie for brushing through the brows & blending.

For a drugstore brow kit, I have to say that I really impressed with this.  Now as I said, this is my first try with a wax/powder duo so I may have been a wee bit heavy handed - you really do need only the tiniest amount as it's surprisingly well pigmented!  You apply the lightly tinted wax first & then follow with the powder to set the colour.  Can you see the huge amount of difference it's made to my brows, it's fantastic!

I don't ever bother filling my brows in the daytime but this would just be amazing for an evening makeup.  Hopefully after a few practice runs, I'll get the application spot on but suffice to say, this is definitely a keeper!!

Brow This Way is £3.99, such a great price for this gem of a product!

Benefit ~ Roller Lash Super-curling & Lifting mascara

Unless you've been living under a rock these past few weeks, you will/may have noticed the huge amount of press for the newest release from Benefit, the 'super-curling & lifting' Roller Lash mascara.  This is not yet available to buy but you can however, grab a freebie mini version with the March edition of Elle magazine right now!

Now, I wasn't overly impressed by the blogger favourite They're Real mascara by Benefit (read my post here) so I was pleasantly surprised to find I much prefer this one.  The plastic curved wand is styled on velcro rollers with tiny wee hooks that grab, lift & curl the lashes.  I can't comment on the curling effect as my lashes are naturally curled but I will agree that the brush grabs & lifts the lashes with ease.

Unlike the They're Real wand though, the bristles aren't sharp & spiky so it's very comfortable to use & although the formula is quite wet, it's very light-weight & doesn't spread all over the eyelid - result!  It visibly lengthened my lashes but didn't offer a huge deal of volume as you'll see by the following photos but it is super-black.  I've taken shots before, with one coat & with 2 coats so you can see the difference for yourselves!

The burning question is, would I buy the full-sized version when it's released?  To be honest, probably not which is bizarre seeing as I think it's a pretty darned great mascara.  I think someone with straighter lashes would benefit (sorry!!) more from this as I can get the same results from a mascara half the price (L'Oréal False Lash Telescopic, in case you're wondering!)  I will say though that the formula does last 12 hours as it promises, it doesn't flake or smudge & hoo-bloody-ray, it removes very easily, which was my biggest bugbear with They're Real!

Roller Lash will launch in March & will cost £19.50.  Will you be trying it?