Wednesday Wishlist #6: The Christian Louboutin Nail Polish

Just look at it...

Source: Christian Louboutin

I can't stop thinking about the Christian Louboutin Nail Polish...literally nothing can get that out of my head.  I've settled for the fact that I don't need anymore nail polishes, and I've even grasped that I'll never own a pair of Louboutin shoes, but the fact that I don't really need this is just something that I can't get my head around because at this point in time, it's all I need.

The new nail polish though is just all kinds of beautiful.  It's a home accessory  that would sit beautifully on display in my bedroom, combined into the perfect red nail polish; I honestly feel like if I splashed out the £36 for this shade nothing would leave my fingers tips until Spring 2015.  You can't get more of a glamorous red than Christian Louboutin.

There will also be around thirty other shades including nudes, noirs and pops, but that's a wishlist for another day...

Source: Bagaholicboy.com

Source: Bagaholicboy.com

Shortest Wednesday Wishlist ever.  There is nothing that I want more this week.  Just this...please.

What is on your wishlist this week?  Will you be splashing on this luxury nail polish?

L'Occitane Extra Gentle Shea Butter Lotion For Hands & Body

I've never bought anything from L'Occitane before - I technically still haven't.  The L'Occitane Extra Gentle Lotion For Hands & Body is a moisturiser that sits on the sink in the bathroom where I work, and it's something I'm secretly starting to love!

It's a Shea Butter lotion, but I don't think it smells like other Shea Butters I've tried.  I think this one stands out to be a touch more perfumed, yet really fresh!  If I had this at home, I'd be cracking it out after hopping out the shower in the morning, because it smells amazing - so clean!  When I use it at work, the scent is a real pick me up and lasts quite a while before disappearing.

The consistency is a lot more fluid compared to most of my other moisturisers.  It comes out of the pump really easily - thumbs up for the pump application - and a little does go a long way .  Last week, I had a random bout of dry skin across my legs and forearms, to the point that they looked a little scaley despite not feeling particularly dry - I massaged a pump of this on each limb and any dryness was instantly eradicated!  Everytime I have used this lotion, it always leaves my skin feeling perfectly moisturised and refreshed.  As well as shea butter, L'Occitane have also used honey extract and oat milk to really help soften and smooth your skin, as well as discourage any skin irritations.

The lotion absorbs into the skin really quickly, which is ideal for me.  I'm really not a fan of using a hand cream at work in case it leaves a residue - I hate drawing and using my tablet at work with sticky hands!  I always feel dirty if there is any stickiness, because I feel as though dirt sticks to the stickiness of my hand cream...anyone else think like that, or is this just crazy, clean Carly coming through??  (This hand cream also is described on the back of the bottle to help the effects of dryness from excessive washing...my dream!?)

At £17.00 for 300ml, it's not the cheapest moisturiser you could buy, but it really is a treat for the skin!  I'll definitely be picking myself up a bottle, and will be checking out what else L'Occitane have to offer.  Before this, they weren't a brand I've ever ventured into, but I've been left seriously impressed!

Have you tried anything from L'Occitane?  What are your recommendations?

Popup Paris WizzNadine Diamond Candle

This week has been a bit of an exciting one around where I live.  You may have seen on the news that a diamond was launched "into space" with a helium balloon, which then popped and landed on the ground.  It formed a finders keepers treasure hunt for the diamond, housed in a small, steel box, and it landed within a five mile radius of where I actually live.  Queue the excitement, constant calls from my sister giving me updates, and me wishing it just happened to land in my back garden - did I mention it's worth £12000?  Well...I haven't found it, and as far as I'm aware nobody has, but I might not need to look far for a diamond as I have this.  (Believe me...you'd know if I'd found it!)

This is a Popup Paris candle!  I actually got this candle as a Christmas gift from Liam, but it wasn't until a few weeks ago that I actually lit it.  It was safely stored in a drawer ready for when we got our house together, which at the time, I didn't think would have been this quickly!  Popup is a brand that I have only ever seen on Firebox, but after reading up on their website, they are a company led by two young men who seem to be full of fun - just have a read of the Popup About page!  One from a family of diamond merchants, and the other from a family of financiers.

I have the scent WizzNadine (was listed as Grenadine when Liam bought it!) and I have to say it smells absolutely beautiful, and I'm so pleased that Liam chose it.  He did really well, considering he bought it blind online!  It smells really sweet, yet a bit powdery - kind of like Love Hearts!  It's light, and sweet but doesn't overpower the room.  I think when lit it's almost a subtle hint of fresh sweetness.  On the website, it's described as "mouth watering, and mischievous" and "its sweet fragrance will bring you everlasting moments of tenderness!"  Not totally convinced on that one...but nevermind!

The Popup candles are extra special, because one in fifty contain a diamond which could be worth a £1000 depending on which size you get!  Mine is a small version which cost £19.99 - it's really small, so gets lit rarely, but it also comes in a large version which costs an almighty £49.99.  I haven't found a diamond in my candle just yet...it won't be a £12000 diamond, but if that one doesn't turn up under my nose, here's hoping for one hidden in my living room!

Have you tried Popup candles?  Have you ever found a prize in a candle?

Lipstick Queen Aloha

I have been wanting to add Lipstick Queen's Aloha to my collection for absolutely agggges, and I finally convinced myself to do it whilst watching one of Estée's YouTube videos.  You know one of those occasions where you bargain with yourself - "That looks gorgeous...I swear if that is that lipstick again, I'm getting it right now."  Well it was, and low and behold, it went into my basket and promptly arrived through my letterbox last week!

First impressions of the lipstick was that it is a lot smaller packaging wise than other lipsticks that I own.  The packaging is gorgeous though; a bright orange, metallic tube with a lilac Lipstick Queen logo.  If you're after that satisfying lipstick click, you won't find it here, but you do have to put a tiny bit more force to wedge the cap into place.  I also think the packaging is slightly more weighted, so helps give it that higher end feel.

Aloha is part of the Endless Summer collection, and it's the perfect sheer cherry red.  It applies perfectly, and it's not completely necessary to crack out a mirror every time you want to reapply.  The colour builds easily if you wanted to put on a bit more of a pop (see below - left is one swipe, right is two!) but will only build to a medium sheer - you won't ever get full opacity.  It's great for every day wearing and I wear this a lot for work.  I love lipstick, but nobody I work with tends to wear make up, so I feel as though strutting in with an opaque lip would be a bit OTT (I've even mostly cut back on my usual cat eye!) but a sheer lip is perfect for me!

It feels to me like a really glossy lip balm; similar feeling to the Soap & Glory Gloss Sticks, except not remotely sticky at all.  Aloha has a blend of Vitamin E and Candelilla Wax, so it really does feel like a nice lip balm and leaves lips beautifully moisturised.  It also has an SPF 15, so is perfect for Summer wearing!  I only wish I had this sooner so that it could have accompanied me on holiday!

Wear time is pretty good for a sheer lip, but it's not amazing as you'd expect.  I noticed that the balm feeling did last for around an hour and a half, but the noticeable tint left after three hours so I needed to reapply at lunch time but that's no biggie.

I really, really like this lipstick and I'd love to buy more from the collection (particularly Stoked!) but at £18.00 a lipstick, it's just not something I could justify again, especially because it's essentially a tinted lip balm!  I think that it's just too much money for me to be able to afford to stock up on, but I do love it and wear it a lot more than most of my other lipsticks.  I managed to buy mine at £15.50 from Feel Unique when they had a 15% discount site wide, but it's also in stock at Space NK.  Even though I won't be rushing to buy more from the collection, I'd buy another Aloha instantly if I ever ran out!

Did you pick anything up from the Endless Summer Collection?  What's your favourite sheer lip shade?

Bleach London DIY Dip Dye Kit

Bleach London is a brand I've constantly admired, but a brand that I never thought I'd dip my toes into.  I've done a lot to my hair in the past, and have dyed my hair on and off for years, but bleaching my hair was never something I thought I'd do.  I was scared blonde wouldn't suit me, and I feared the damage that bleaching could do to my hair.

A few weeks ago, I decided to grow a pair and finally jump on the bleaching band wagon by opting for an ombre on my hair.  I am way late to the ombre party, but I just don't care!  I thought about booking in at the hairdressers, but having just got back from holiday, things are a bit tight and to be honest, at home kits can often be just as good!

I did a bit of research before opting for Bleach London's DIY Dip Dye kit, which contained two sachets of bleaching powder, a unique blending lotion to banish the dip line, an intensive moisturising mask (which was amazing!!), brush, gloves and a mixing pot.  I was so, so nervous before bleaching my hair (as you might have seen on my Twitter account) - I have quite dark hair which still has remnants of a red dye from years ago on the bottom two inches of my hair.  I was convinced that I would come out with a botched bleach job.

With a little assistance, the Bleach Kit is surprisingly easy to use.  I think working solo on my hair would have been so difficult, so if you decide to have a go, be sure to have a friend to help!  The results are far better than I ever anticipated, and the colour of my hair has been lifted really well.  I am left with some brassy tones, but I completely expected to be considering how dark my hair was initially.  I left the bleach on for a total of forty minutes, but if I had left it on any longer, the bleach would have started to really damage my hair, and I would have risked some serious breakage.

The only downside is the blending lotion, which didn't work out for me as well as I would have liked.  My hair is naturally straight and when I leave it straight now (which I usually do every day) you can clearly see a dip dye line.  I am opting for choppy, textured waves in my hair from now on which is hopefully disguising and blending in the bleaching line.  Despite my worries though, I've had lots of compliments on my hair since doing it, and a couple of people have even asked where I got it done - hurrah for at home dyes!

I'll be picking up a toner to make it a touch lighter, but in the mean time I've picked up a silver shampoo and conditioner which is helping calm down the brassiness.  I might even throw on another kit in the next few weeks as it cost me just £7.00  from Boots, which compared to salon prices is a total bargain.  Maybe I'll have a play with the Super Cool Colours too - I've always wanted some pastel shades on my hair, and maybe someday soon I'll be brave enough to test those waters!  But I might opt for taking a trip to the Bleach London salon to do a full head of colour!

Have you tried anything from Bleach London?