Faux Snakeskin Nails

If you want something snazzier than greige this Autumn, I recently wore these grey snakeskin design instant manicure nail wraps. I've had them for a few months and always thought they were a bit too showy for every day wear. I am not brave enough for animal print nails for an every day look.

However, this Autumn I plucked up courage to wear them and now they have become a favourite. I feel a bit of a prude for overlooking them for so long, and a bit silly as they've received so many compliments.

The best thing I like about this design is that they just work with every outfit and occasion. I just prefer them to nail polish, which is why I haven't reviewed any nail polish for the longest time. I don't feel like wearing it and when I do it chips within a nanosecond or smudges!

So my advice this Autumn if you're not quite ready for bold colours, is to go with this sort of design, it speaks volumes in terms of style. It certainly beats the latest craze sweeping the US for using naturally shed snakes skin embedded in clear polish or gel nails.

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Available from Rebel Nails for £7.99 per set for fingers or toes.

These nails were reviewed as a PR sample.

My stress-free make up choices for every day

I thought you might like to see my current day to day make up. If you have a collection of make up, it can be a daunting in the morning deciding which items to choose. I find it a bit paralysing and sometimes I just need to grab what I need and will perform well.

So let's start with the face!

Foundation versus tinted moisturiser? That depends on the weather, how my skin feels and where/what I am doing during the day. This Liz Earle Sheer Skin Tint is only used on days when my skin is super clear as it offers no coverage but used sparingly is a nice SPF15 moisturiser. My advice with this product is to figure out the threshold amount to use, because if you are generous with this product you will end up with, as GetLippie likes to call it and I agree, "sticky face" and no amount of powder will tamp it down. I went for the darkest colour which is still a little light for my skin tone but blends away easily enough.

The foundation is by Daniel Sandler and is the dark shade. It has a screw top and integrated spatula. The flip top is the concealer and mirror. I find the foundation works really well with my skin and moisturiser which is oil based. My sister cannot use this foundation as she uses a water based moisturiser. The two simply don't work together without using a primer to separate the two layers.

The yellow powder is a setting powder that I prefer to use instead of a translucent or skin coloured pressed powder. I find that it adds luminosity without draining my skin of its natural undertone. It is made by Lumiere cosmetics.

The blush is a current favourite by Sleek MakeUP and is the nude shade. It's pretty perfect in terms of colour and pigmentation. I am still hankering for a cream/gel version that will last throughout the day as this will fade as it is a powder.

I favour a lip stain, and this one is quite unusual because this range offers colours I can't find anywhere else. This one is called Tropic by Lipstains Gold and is an orange/spice shade. Perfect for day wear and it lasts and lasts for hours even through eating and drinking. It does not bleed so you don't need to use a barrier or lip pencil and looks great with gloss.

Finally on to eyes, I like to keep it simple. I don't use a primer as I use concealer and powder which, in my opinion and experience, works just as well if not better than an eye lid primer. It is also quicker

I am a big user and collector of "neutral" palettes, I think they are incredibly versatile if they are made up of mainly matte colours with a couple of shimmers. This is the Nude collection by Sleek MakeUP.

I use a cocoa coloured pencil, brown doesn't show up and black can be a little harsh so to find a mixture is really good. This one is by Inika and is called 02 Coco. I also brush a little through my brows and set with a dark brown eye shadow from the palette.

I then curl my lashes and apply a mascara. This has to be one of my favourite mascaras and is by Beauty Without Cruelty. It's simply perfect for me. No clumps or flakes, it gives great length, separation, a bit of volume and it is very black.

I use what I think is a minimum number of brushes; two for eyes, a foundation/stipple brush, powder brush and blush brush.

Some of the items have been purchased by me and others were sent as samples for my review. Nothing makes it into this box unless it performs well, I don't have time for tricky products these days!

I like to change my make up as I discover new loves and faves. I always make sure I keep day to day items in a separate box like this. I expect when baby is born, this will become my saviour in terms of time and brain capacity!

Where do you keep your favourite, every day make up items?