Gelac disaster

I've always thought that nails are quite an important part of a woman's appearance - the look of your nails can tell what type of person you are! During my early years at university I started getting acrylic nail extensions, which at the time I thought were amazing. They gave me the constant feeling of glamour and made me feel so much more feminine. Saying that, when they started chipping and peeling they looked hideous and took a lot of money to maintain - clearly not a great choice being a student. So I decided to go au naturel and try to look after my own nails by using vitamin e creams and getting all the potions necessary to have great nails.

I soon got bored of this and having heard recently about Gelac nails I decided to give them a go. Biggest mistake ever. The process of putting them on is ok, the gel dries pretty quickly so you can do things after that you can't normally do after normal nail varnish. Also, the nails did look very glam when they were first finished. I opted for a french manicure so it would go with every outfit, under the impression that it should last for up to 14 days.

I was very much misinformed. My nails started chipping after the first couple days and looked so horrible after about 4 days that I had to take them all off. When I decided to get Gelac I was also told that your nails underneath would be strengthened - however when I took mine off (properly) my nails were very weak and peeling underneath! I'm now back to square one with my natural nails, trying to strengthen them again, and more than likely going to weaken them with my next great beauty idea!

So if you want my advice ladies stay away from Gelac. Shellac is the same idea but may be more conditioning for your nails and have longer lasting power. I may have to try and let you know!

My rating for Gelac: 2/10 - Looked great to begin with but peeled too quickly and left my nails weakened underneath.

Under-eye bags be GONE!

Three days into the new job and I'm loving it! The role is perfect, the people are lovely and the beauty products are amazing. More updates to come once I've tried and tested the products! Recently, I've been on a mission to find an under-eye concealer that conceals and illuminates for a reasonable price.

Usually, I'm a devotee of YSL Touche Eclat. It captures the light and banishes those pesky tired and dark eyes. It really is an amazing product. But at £24 it's a bit out of my price range at the moment which upsets me...very much.

So I have been on the hunt for an under-eye concealer that doesn't make the sensitive skin around my eyes dry out. It has been an effort let me tell you! As I've said before I'm a beauty snob and prefer to buy high-end products but recently my bank hasn't been too pleased with my spending so I am trying cheaper options.

My mission was proving to be difficult as many of the cheaper brands were very heavy under my eyes (even with a light layer) and made them look even darker. As my last attempt I tried Collection 2000 as the name of the product caught my eye. Collection 2000 Illuminating Touch is a lovely product to use and I highly recommend it. At £4.99 it's a bargain and offers four shades to choose from (my colour is no.3 Glow).

The light product really does brighten up your eyes and stays put for most of the day. I'll admit that it doesn't equal the quality of YSL but for its price it is definitely amazing! I really do recommend it for people that don't want to pay for the higher end products. The soft brush makes the application of it very therapeutic and you look glowing for your commute to work! It can also be used to brighten up the complexion by applying it to the forehead, the bridge of your nose and the top of your lip to create a beautiful cupids bow. Go GLOW!

Easy to apply, good staying power, great coverage - 9/10.