DIY Gel Nails with SensatioNail

DIY Gel Nails with SensatioNail, £60 for the starter kit with LED nail lamp, £10 for each colour

I've always loved a bit of 'salon at home', so the opportunity to do my own gels was way too much of a temptation to pass. If you've got a steady hand and a bit of patience, then you'll be able to create beautiful gel nails whilst watching New Girl on the sofa/in your PJs/tending to a butternut squash risotto.
I'm no nail expert, but thankfully this kit is as easy as they come. The instructions are really straightforward, it's pretty much: Step 1. Apply base coat and cure for 30 seconds. Step 2. Apply colour coat and cure for 60 seconds. Step 3. Repeat step 2. Step 4. Repeat step 1. Rocket scientists, don't sweat it.

You're not tied to a salon appointment and it works out much cheaper in the long run. The DIY option isn't for everyone (I often relish those hours in the salon - and no doubt the finished effect is more professional) but if you're fed up of chipping and want to step up the hardiness of your varnish, then this is a quick and fuss-free fix. It's rather fun too.
I was also really impressed by the huge range of colours available. I love a dark, glossy gel nail so I opted for SensatioNail's 'Dusk til Dawn' shade for my fingers, and the more summery red 'Spoiled Diva' for my toes. Both looked beautifully bold, gorgeous colours for statement nails.

To remove I used Magis Foil Nail Wraps, £9.95 for 50. Never scrape off the gel - no matter how tempted - as this is bad for the nail bed.

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Be Spooktacular this Halloween

Last minute Halloween party with no outfit? DISASTER, non? Fear not and think fast, as you have the essential tool kit right in front of your eyes. Behold the potential of the humble make-up bag:

In five minutes you can create this 'drop dead' gorgeous effect, for free, without using harsh face paints which can dry out the skin.

My Frankenstein tool-bag consisted of:

Red lippy (cheaper the better, don't be using your Chanel Rouge Allure on this look!) I used Rimmel's Lasting Finish, in Alarm 170, £4.99, available from Boots.
Red Gloss (for that oozy blood effect) I used Maybelline's Superstay Tint Gloss in Lasting Pink, £6.99, available from Boots.
Black, blue, green and purple eyeshadows (again, the cheaper the better) I used a mixture of brands, ranging from Rimmel's Colour Rush Mono Eyeshadow in blue and green, £3.99, from Boots, to a highly pigmented pink MAC Eyeshadow in Tease to Ease, £16.50, available from MAC Cosmetics. Of course it all depends on what you have handy in your bag - but rusty browns and greens are great for creating an authentic-looking head wound. Joy!

My top tips for getting ghoulish:

1. Apply your usual base make-up. This will help to prevent the additional effect make-up from absorbing/shifting on your skin.

2. Start with the shadows. Blend black shadow into the sockets of your eyes, hollows of your cheeks and temple area. This will instantly give you a skullish appearance. Spoooky!

3. Blend in blues and pinks to the black shadow around your eyes, making the skin appear bruised and zombiefied.

4. Take a bronze shadow and apply to where you will be creating a head wound. Apply red lipstick in a wound shape, then add more bronze shadow to create a dirty, bloody wound. I use eyeliner to create contours in the wound, i.e. make it look deeper, by outlining one edge and smudging slightly. Add a few dabs of gloss over the top for a really sticky, bloody effect.

5. Add comical stitches as your heart desires using black eyeliner. Great fun.

Muwahahaha! Who said Halloween needn't be glamourous?