How to: Acid Wash Nails

When looking around other blogs a few weeks ago I was inspired to recreate this acid wash nail idea that I came across. I thought they were really unique and cool, and believe me, the amount of comments I got from people on these nails wondering how I did them was insane! So enough of me waffling, on to the instructions.

1. Prep your nails. Trim and file your nails to how you like and then apply a base coat to ensure that your acid wash nails stay on for as long as possible without chipping. I used a base coat from colour couture however I wouldn't recommend it.

2. Paint two coats of your base colour and allow to dry completely. I used cobalt blue from BarryM as I was creating a denim effect, however the colour is entirely up to you.

3. Once your base colour is completely dry, paint a layer of white over the nails that you want the acid wash effect on and allow to dry completely.


4. Finally, once that is dry it's time for the fun bit! Dip a cotton bud in some nail varnish remover and gently swipe over the nail. Take your time with this and allow the nail varnish remover to remove patches from the layer of white on your nails. This will create the acid wash effect. With this effect it's not about perfection so don't overthink it!

5. Lastly, use a clear top coat to seal in your colour and prevent chipping.

TIP: Do not lean heavily while using the cotton bud and nail varnish remover, work gently, otherwise you will end up with a big mess! Trust me.

And Voila! Amazing nails! 

Don't forget to comment, subscribe and share! It helps me out a lot! XO

Make-me-over Like: Mary-Kate and Ashley (hair edition)

This weeks Make-me-over post is inspired specifically by Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen's hair. I absolutely adore their hair and always have! I can remember watching their movie Billboard Dad and then reading one of their style books and just wishing I had their hair. However now being older and now being equipped with styling tools and products, it's not that hard to achieve a look which is pretty similar.

I know that not everyone has the same hair type and so it would be impossible to give one set of instructions and one product which would work for every type of hair so below I hair gone through the 3 main hair types; straight, wavy and full on curly.

How to get this look: 
1. For naturally straight hair:
If you have naturally pin-straight hair it can be difficult to create texture and hold in your hair. It always seems to just look limb, right? Well here's a trick, brush your hair out before you take a shower and then just leave it after you get out. Yes that's right, I said don't brush your hair. For those of us who are freaks over our hair, it will be hard. But trust me. Then, after NOT brushing out your hair use some James Brown Photo Fabulous Mousse and apply to the roots of your hair.Then take the one product which is essential for you straight haired girls, Bumble and Bumble Texture Hair Un-dressing Creme. This will become your holy grail product for achieving this look. Nothing beats it for me and I have been perfecting this look for years. Simply spread on hands and scrunch through your hair. Start with a small amount and build up.Then, leave your hair to dry naturally. Lastly, once your hair is completely dry, use your curlers to grab random pieces that you feel need a little touching up to add a bit more texture. This has to be done messily otherwise you will ruin the texture you already created. And Tah-dah! Done.

2.For naturally wavy hair:
If your like me and have wavy/loosely curly hair which sort of changes how it looks every time it drys and you fancy your hair looking like Mary-Kate and Ashley's, then you've lucked out. For hair of this hair type it's easy, after all you'are half way there already. So you can either wash your hair and comb it out as usual or leave it and not brush it out. For us girls with hair like this it doesn't really matter, but just to warn you sometimes it can get a bit out of hand if you don't brush it! Next, you are actually going to be using the same product as for straight hair, Bumble and Bumble Texture Hair Un-dressing Creme. Rub this between your hands and apply throughout hair, starting with a small amount and then building up. Scrunch your hair for roughly a few minutes to create wave and loose curls and that's it! Leave your hair to dry and your done!

3. For naturally curly hair:
I understand that curly hair may be a hand full to take care of, and perhaps not the easiest to style but I think it is gorgeous and if you are trying to achieve this look I think I have managed to figure out a way that those of you with very curly hair can achieve this look. Start with wet, hair, you are definitely going to comb your hair out to make it easier to work with. And next, instead of using the hair un-dressing creme like before use the Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray. Spritz generously throughout hair. This will use your natural curls to create the desired  look by mattifying them and roughening them up a bit so as they are not so perfectly neat and curly to give that surfer, beachy style. Let your hair air-dry and then when completely dry run straighteners lightly through your hair, sectioning in big chunks. This will smooth down your curls to more of a wave but do not completely straighten your hair, just remember the key to this look is not to over-think it.

For all 3 hair types I recommend the James Brown Photo Fabulous Volumising Shampoo and Conditioner.

Hope this helped! Leave a comment below saying which celebrity you would like me to do a Make-me-Over blog post on next week!? I'd love to hear what you thought! P.S. I got Twitter, tweet and follow me @_stylediary 
XOXO

Make-me-over Like: Kendall and Kylie Jenner

Here is my second Make-me-over blog post ever, this one proved a little trickier to film and edit but hopefully it will be OK  I am still working on everything as it is far from perfect but I will get there eventually, hopefully! So I was pretty close to my set deadline of having a new one posted every Sunday, however I will admit it was a few minutes on the wrong side of the deadline due to me cutting it close and then the uploading speed. Whoops!

Anyway I hope you enjoy watching and leave a comment saying which celebrity or famous person you would like to see next! I would be thrilled to get a suggestion or any feedback what so ever! Don't forget to follow me on Twitter  @_stylediary.

Fitspiration - Workout Clothes to Get You Motivated

Workout Clothes to Get You Motivated:

Tomorrow I plan to start a health/fitness kick as I am not feeling very good or confident about my body image. However at the same time I can't seem to get motivated or enthusiastic about starting. As starting a fitness and health kick is often the hardest bit for us I have decided to look at photographs of celebrities that I look up to and aspire to be and look like to see what clothes they wear to workout. I am now going to insert photos of the outfits I liked the most:


Miley Cyrus

                                                                  Nina Dobrev








Ashley Tisdale            
                                                               
                                                                   Mila Kunis




I hope for any of you that were trying desperately to scrape up some motivation to get fit like me seeing these celebrities in there 'fabulous' workout gear as helped you a little bit. Lets do this once and for all, lets get fit for summer 2013! Leave a comment below of what you wear to workout and who is your celebrity body crush?

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DIY: Safety Pin Bracelet

I hope you like this video tutorial, as you can see I have had a lot of fun this weekend making videos to upload to my blog so I hope you enjoy them because there will definitely be more of them!

DIY Bracelets, what you will need:
1. Scissors
2. String or elastic
3. Beads
4. Around 80 safety pins
5. Clear nail varnish.


P.S I hope this is better quality, made this to make up for the poor quality Make-me-over video which disappointed me. Used my iPhone for this one, but if this still isn't better I have a even higher quality camera that should definitely be good quality. As you can see I am still learning the ropes of the whole recording and editing process!

Make-me-over:Like Millie Mackintosh

I've decided that every week I will post a 'Make-me-over:Like..' which will include a short video. These posts will be inspired by the style of a celebrity or any other famous person. The style book that you see in the video was the inspiration to my blog's name - fashionandsylediary. I had always planned on doing something like this which included the book but didn't realise just how long it would take. So I have now made the decision that I will upload one of these posts complete with a video every week.

This week my inspiration is Millie Mackintosh, from the hit reality TV show Made in Chelsea, who I adore! Leave a comment saying who's style you would like me to make a post on next week! Posts will be every Sunday!

Bumps be-gone! Soap and Glory Scrub of Your Life Review

With Spring/Summer fast approaching it will be no time before bare arms and legs are out on show. However what about the bumps on the backs of your arms, dry elbows and shins? Well this is exactly the reason I bought Soap and Glory the Scrub of your life (£7 at Boots Stores). I mainly bought it for my sister and I as we both have a very servere form of bumps on the back of your arms. Over the past few years we have made several attempts to get rid of them. However we never noticed enough difference to stick at it.

This is where The Scrub of Your Life comes in. During the first use I noticed its pleasant smell. It's not overpoweringly scented but nicely fresh. Also while using it I was impressed by the texture and formula. The grains/granules seemed to be just the right size as I could definitely tell that they were making an impact but they didn't feel abrasive or irritate my sensitive skin.

My sister and I have come to the end of the bottle now and I will definitely be buying another one. The difference it has made to my arms is amazing, they are by no means completely smooth but after a few months of more scrubbing they will undoubtedly be 'as smooth as a baby's bottom.' To use a common cliche.

If you also suffer from bumps on the back of your arms that make you self-conscious about striping down to tops and tanks in the warmer months, then join me in preparing months ahead for such occasions. Soap and Glory the Scrub of Your Life is up there with my favourite products of all time and I would suggest that you try it. However, warning, it's addictive!

Clashing Classy?

Yep that's right clashing has officially become classy. Pair your favourite print top with your favourite print skirt. Don't worry about looking 'over the top' or like Ugly Betty, it's one of this season's fashion trends!

In all seriousness, don't take what I just said to literally, I'm sorry but Ugly Betty will just never be a good look. However it is true, bright coloured prints and patterns are in. Digital-print is this seasons galaxy print. Peter Pilotto showed off a stunning selection of dresses all in digital print. They are unbelievable!  

But like any fashion trend, on the runway it looks amazing but if your like me, as much as you would like to, you don't have the lifestyle quite right to wear one of these designs. So I have picked out a few of my favourite pieces that I found, that are more suited to us 'normal people.'

Firstly, this Pelmet Skirt from Topshop (£40):

Next, to add a soft touch of pattern to your outfit, this gorgeous sweatshirt from French Connection:

(£55)

And lastly, these green semi-circle studs again from Topshop (£10): 

Trend Watch - The Tux

Tux inspired outfits are all the range for SS13 and have been seen frequently on the runway this season. As seen at New York Fashion Week on the Ralph Lauren and Alexander Wang runway.

Loving the style and being bold enough to wear your own tux inspired outfit are completely different things. It's often not seen as a very wearable everyday trend but more something that is explicitly high fashion. However, if you stop to think about it, in your wardrobe do you have a simple blazer? Almost everyone does and almost everyone also see's a good blazer as a staple piece. There you have it, without even realising you are keeping up with the trend of the moment.

So now that you have come to realise that your fashion sense is so good that you are subconsciously ahead of the trend by owning that blazer, why don't we move on to different ways of styling it.


Blazers are perfect for looking casual, smart, effortless and put-together all at the same time. I think of blazers as chameleons - they are able to adapt to whatever environment you are in. With blazers you will never look out of place.

You can simply pair your blazer with jeans for a classy everyday look. In this picture Poppy Delevingne is wearing a pale nude/white blazer, however this look would work equally as well with a different colour of blazer also. This outfit is a light, fun take on the tuxedo.





If you are going out and you want to look cute and girly, believe it or not but a blazer might just be the thing for you! Pairing your traditional black blazer with a pretty, soft skirt in a grey tone and a simple vest top or blouse is the way to go. Lauren Conrad pulls this look off flawlessly! Credit where it is due!



So perhaps you're not ready to go all out with this trend, like Amanda Seyfried (who looked stunning!), but hopefully this helped to inspire you and give you ideas on how to incorporate this trend into your outfits. Are there any other trends you'd like me to do a Trend Watch blog post about? Let me know!

Multiple Ear Piercings

Recently I have been obsessed with the look of multiple ear piercings. Since I got my standard first lobes pierced (when I was thirteen, i.e two and a half years ago!) I have been dying to get another. A year ago my sister got her double done on one ear which I think looks really cute and nice but since she is my sister I don't want that done as well. We already look enough a like as it is! Also since then double lobe piercings have sort of spiraled completely and now almost everyone at my school has them. So in a bid to be a bit more original I have dismissed double lobe piercings as an idea.

So I have been googling endlessly trying to find an idea that I really like and have found a few things. Before I post pictures I just want to say I know they still aren't very original or 'hipster' as some people might  say but they are perfect for my style. (they are also piercings that if I ask enough my parents might let me have!)

Ideas:
1. double helix/cartilage

  

As seen on Miley Cyrus and Kendall Jenner.



2. Triple Forward/Anti Helix

What do you like best? Let me know, after all it might be done to my ear! 

Topshop Makeup

Topshop Makeup

A couple of weeks ago I bought my first Topshop makeup products. I had always loved the packaging as it is very cute but had been a bit skeptical about the quality of the product itself. After having used both products for a few weeks now I can honestly say that I love both of them and would definitely repurchase them and add more Topshop products to my collection.

The two products I purchased are, Topshop Smokey Eye Palette in Constellation and Topshop Cheek Duo in Desert Sun.

The Eye Palette contains 4 different colours as shown, which are all extremely wearable and the colour can  be built up for a more intense look. I can see myself getting lots more wear out of this eye palette in months to come as it has become my staple palette for a variety of looks. Pigmentation is good, obviously not as great as designer brands such as Bobbi Brown or Dior but it is better than the two Mac Frost Eye shadows that I own. 

The Cheek Duo is by far my favorite bronzer and blush of the moment and probably will be until it runs out! I can't get enough of this product and use it everyday without fail. I simply LOVE IT. The bronzer side does contain a lot of shimmer which normally isn't my favorite thing but I like to use this product along with my matte Hula bronzer from Benefit. I use the Hula bronzer to contour and then I swipe this bronzer up my cheek bones for a summery glow. The blusher side of this duo is a pale, dusty, pink which complements the bronzer really well. I like to lightly brush this blush onto the apples of my cheeks for a subtle hint of colour. I cannot stress how much I love this product and I recommend it to everyone!