The Shelf Life And Death of Beauty Products: How Long Should You Keep Your Makeup?

If you just can’t decide when and if to part with your favorite lipstick, or that fabulous mascara that turns heads everywhere you go, it’s good to keep in mind that using makeup for longer than it’s intended to last might lead to serious health problems and can even take a toll on your look (the opposite from what you’re trying to get) like: eye infection, conjunctivitis, acne, cold sores and rashes.

Of course your question is “When should I throw my makeup away, then?”

We have good news and bad news. The bad news is there is no universal answer to this. It all depends on multiple factors such as: the formula, consistency, brand and area for which the product is for. The good news is, we, at Vivien Kondor have put together a little guide for you, so you don’t have to spend half a day checking the expiration date on each and every cosmetic product you own.

It’s good to bear in mind that all cosmetics should be stored in a cool, dry, place and as soon as they get dry, develop a funny smell or the texture changes it’s time to toss them.

Mascara & Liquid Eyeliner

By far the biggest offender on this list, mascara and liquid eyeliners have a life span of only 3 months at best. Every time you dip the wand into the tube you’re letting bacteria in, be it from air or your eyes.

If it starts drying out sooner than 3 months, do not under any circumstances try to add water or worse, saliva to it. The bazillion of eye infections you could get by doing that is just not worth it.

Liquid Foundation, Cream Eyeshadows, Cream Blush and Generally, Cream Everything

While in the store, it can last for well above 2 years, but once you pop that cap off, you’ve got between 6 and 12 months to use it. Keep away from hit and humidity, and watch for any change in texture or smell.

Keeping it longer than that might give you rashes or breakouts.

Face Powder & Blush

Not being water based, gives these products up to 2 years expectancy. Just watch out for any change in smell or color. Also if the texture becomes so hard, that you can barely get some on your brush or sponge, it’s time to replace it.

Oh, and while at it remember to change or clean the sponges and brushes on a constant base.

 

 

Powder Eyeshadow

Though similar in composition to blush and face powder, its proximity to the sensitive eye membrane, makes it not safe to use for more than 3-4 months.

Lipstick

Not containing any water, the number one item in any lady’s purse, the lipstick, can be kept for more than a year.

Signs that it might be time to replace it are: dryness and stale cooking oil smell.

Nail Polish

We might have a winner here! Nail polish never goes bad from bacteria. It does sometimes happen, however, to become all dry and clumpy and then it needs replacing.

The handiest tip regarding nail polish, that we can share with you is: keep it in the fridge to preserve it longer and shake the bottle thoroughly before each use.

Did we leave anything out?

Let us know in the comment section below.

Social Media: something to think about

Social media has become a huge part of daily life, with some even forming careers from it. Advertisers target those with a large social media following, and there is even a luxury hotel in Sweden that offers free accommodation to those who have followers in their thousands – so long as they post updates of their stay onto their account(s).

Image source: Women Outside The Box

It is no wonder that something so huge and influential is the cause of so much controversy. Internet bullying has been fueled single-handedly by social media and internet chat-rooms, and the term ‘trolling’ didn't even exist until recently. It seems that being able to hide behind a protective profile that can quite easily mask who you are and where you’re posting from can encourage people to speak out in a way they wouldn't dream of if they were in a face-to-face situation. You don’t necessarily have to deal with the consequences of your actions online as you would out in the real world.

It can be very easy sometimes to surround yourself with negative opinions of social media. To simultaneously scroll through your Facebook newsfeed whilst claiming that you ‘hate Facebook’ or that your newsfeed is ‘full of rubbish’ is the norm nowadays. Social medic has found itself labelled with a very bad reputation.

That being said, social media was made to allow us – as individuals, brands, musicians, bloggers or whoever we are choosing to be (social media gives us that choice if we want it)  - to have a page/profile/account that is completely our own. A place to market ourselves and our brands in any way we see fit, without any external interference. It is entitlement to freedom of speech at its very best.

How often is it today that we are able to produce something solely based on our own desires? Without the way that somebody else wants it to be, time, money or one hundred other obstacles standing in our way. On our social media sites, we have complete control to shape it and come across however we want too. There is always the danger of being misunderstood or of causing offense with your views and opinions, and of course there are rules and regulations that control the nature of the content we are posting, but in terms of our own choices, there is nobody stopping us from posting whatever it is we want to post.

That control, that freedom, at this time, is something that is massively under-rated and unappreciated.

It seems a huge shame that due to some peoples misuse if what should be an incredible tool social media faces daily ridicule and scrutiny. However every now and again when you feel so exhausted with social media you find yourself hovering over the ‘delete account’ button, it is never a bad idea to take some time to remember what an amazing and important platform social media is, and how much more positively we would feel about it if we only treated it with a little more of the respect that it deserves.

What do you think? Let us know in the comments!

Until next time, 

The Vivien Kondor Team

New products - exclusive first look!

In September 2014 a new cosmetics brand set up a stand in the NEC, Birmingham at Autumn Fair, ready to proudly introduce to the world their first range of products - 42 nail polish colours. Fast forward eight months and that same range has well and truly taken off, is being blogged and tweeted about world-wide, as well as being shipped all over Europe and further afield.

Oh how far we have come since setting up our small stand in the NEC.

Today, we have some very exciting news for you. We thought it was about time we came up with something new. Enter the new collection. Nine brand new colours, in new bottles, with brand new formulas. These colours are unique, easy to use and have the most gorgeous shimmering finishes, each crammed with tiny flakes of sparkle to really give it some extra flare.

We have made a huge effort to improve the quality of these polishes, and are so excited for you to try them for yourself.

They are of a higher quality and much more unique than our current collection of standard polishes. We have used a special formula to create the liquid - and they really are something special!

Names, retail prices, release date and all other important information will be released soon, but we couldn't wait any longer and just had to show you what's coming up! Keep an eye on our social media channels (links to the left of this post) for updates on these polishes and our other up-coming products, and don't forget all existing products are available to buy right now on Amazon or by vising www.vivienkondor.com.

For now though, we'll let the pictures do the talking...

Until next time,
The Vivien Kondor Team.

Vivien Kondor wants you!

Truth be told it can often be difficult for a brand to read their customers and know how they are feeling. Orders may be coming in, social media content may be being shared and liked, which is great; but it doesn't really tell us how you feel about us as a brand and how we’re doing.

This has led us to something a little different this evening on the Vivien Kondor blog, we would like some feedback from you, our lovely customers, followers and readers.

We are rapidly approaching the launch of some pretty new and exciting things here at Vivien Kondor London, and there is some really cool stuff going on behind the scenes that we can’t wait to share with you. But before we do, we’d love to know from you (the people who matter most) how we’re already doing, or have done in the past, so we know how to change and grow, for the better, in the rapidly approaching future.

Think back through your experience with us as a brand, perhaps you’ve brought products or received products from us for review on your blog. Perhaps you only know us through our social media sites or have recently stumbled across this blog and are enjoying what we post. Whatever your input into what we do, no matter how small or insignificant you feel that input may be, we want to hear from you!

Do you love our products? Or think we could improve them in some way? Love the content we post or feel we could be a little more engaging? And what about this blog? This here blog that we are still trying to make sense of, do you like what we post here? If there are certain subjects or articles that you have enjoyed more than others, we urge you to let us know. Blogging and reaching out to people on social media is extremely difficult, as you never know how your content will be taken on the other end, whether people are going to find it interesting, intriguing, comedic or go in the opposite direction and find it pointless or even offensive.

We are still very much a new brand, and even though we are constantly growing and learning and have come on in leaps and bounds since our launch, we are still trying to make sense of this new world we have found ourselves, in, and let’s face it, without you guys we wouldn’t even be here.

So please feel free to comment on this post with your thoughts of the brand and our products, due to previous experience with us or simply seeing what we’re doing online. You can also reach out to us on our social media sites (links on the buttons to the left of this post - check out our new Pinterest page!) and give us a follow or like if you like what we’re posting – that always counts as positive feedback to us!

Don’t forget to hashtag #vivienkondor.

Until next time,

The Vivien Kondor Team

Think pink

We've been treated to an unbelievably glorious week here at VKHQ, and the sun has shone proudly every day. If one thing is going to get us excited for summer, it's the arrival of blue skies and sunshine, and the first thing we think of as soon as we have gotten over the initial sunshine-induced excitement? Our nails.

We like summer nails here, because really anything goes. Winter nails are very much focused around darker colours - deep reds and pruples - and at Chrismtas time reds and golds take over, but in summer, you are free to take your pick of whichever colour you fancy! Neons, metallics, blues, greens, yellows... there really isn't a colour that you can't wear in summer.

A firm favourite here; is pink. Truthfully, various shades of pink can be worn at any time of the year, but there is something about pink in summer. Shades of pink can be feminine, cute, sexy and are always fun. We have a fairly large range of pink nail colours in our current collection, however we have four to show you today that we can't wait to use this summer!

117 - Shiny Baby Pink

A cute, girly polish that is subtle enough to wear during the day whilst being pretty enough to take you right through until night.
Perfect For: A day shopping and lunching in the sunshine with your girls.

118 - Rose Pink

Similar to Shiny Baby Pink with a slight edge. A hot pink to bring out the confident summer goddess in you!
Perfect For: Warm evening drinks.

130 - Neon Pink

No summer is complete without a seriously bright pink. From UK festival to Ibiza boat party, there's no way your nails will go unnoticed with this polish.

Perfect For: That summer festival you're counting down the days until!

135 - Pink Glitter

Glitter is the ultimate accessory all year round. Wear Pink Glitter this summer on its own or over already painted nails to instantly spice up your look.

Perfect For: Sparkling on the beach or by the pool on your summer holiday.

Whatever you're doing this summer, make sure you do it with fabulous nails, and - most importantly - have fun!

Don't forget to keep us up-to-date on your summer plans and summer nails, we always love hearing from you. Just get in touch on our Facebook, Twitter or Instagram accounts and hashtag #vivienkondor.

Until next time,
The Vivien Kondor Team

Vivien Kondor and Miss Universe GB

A few weeks ago we announced our partnership with Miss Universe GB for the 2015 competition here. We will be the platinum sponsor - the headline sponsor for the main event and during the build-up.

This means that we will be lucky enough to support the girls on every step of their journey towards the Miss Universe final. We will, of course, be on hand to provide them with any cosmetic products they may require and will make sure there is never a naked nail in sight. We have already gifted each girl with one of our gorgeous gift sets of six polishes, to introduce ourselves and allow them to get to grips with our products - and have had wonderful responses from them all.

Some of the MUGB girls after receiving their welcome gift from us. Taken from our Instagram page.

As much as the Miss Universe pageants are about celebrating beauty, they run so much deeper than that. Did you read this post about self acceptance, and how incredibly important it is to be happy in your own skin? This is what the Miss Universe pageant is all about, self acceptance, confidence, ambition and the act of using these qualities to help others.

Miss Universe GB run a campaign entitled 'Not in Vain', which has become a huge part of the competition. The campaign has been developed with the goal aims of empowering women and making a difference. The website (which you can find here) states the following about the Not in Vain campaign:

"Empowering women: As an organisation run by women, for women, we are keen to encourage young women to grow in confidence, build their self-esteem and reach for their goals. By being involved in the Miss Universe Great Britain process, our contestants will meet other like-minded women who are intent on growing as individuals. The Miss Universe Great Britain event brings us together and provides us a great platform to celebrate womankind.

Making a difference: The Miss Universe GB brand provides a unique experience for young women from all walks of life to come together to fund-raise as a unified group for good causes. The platform, coupled with the vision, enthusiasm and determination of our contestants provides an incredible opportunity for individuals to raise money in a way, which may nor always be possible independently. Since being involved with the Miss Universe organisation, the Miss Universe GB competition has raised thousands of pounds for charity."

The adopted charity is Strongbones Children's Charitable Trust, an incredible charity who support the families of children suffering from conditions of the bone including brittle bone disease, bone cancer and arthritis. To check out their amazing work or find out ways to help yourself, visit the website here.

Every year at the Miss Universe Great Britain final, the finalist who is believed to have promoted and embraced the Not in Vain campaign most successfully is presented with an award.

Strongbones and Miss Universe GB handing over £6,000 to children's services at Queen's Hospital thanks to the contestant's fundraising. Source: Strongbones.

In a time where the confidence of young women and the ability to embrace self-acceptance is more challenging than ever, it is competitions like this that not only help to remind us of the amazing things that can happen when you accept yourself for who you are, but of the things we take for granted along that self acceptance journey, and the ways in which we can help others, no matter how big or small.

To find out more about Strongbones, Miss Universe Great Britain or the Not in Vain compaign, visit the websites linked below:

Strongbones | Miss Universe GB | Not in Vain

To get involved in the conversation, tell us about your experiences or cheer on the girls, visit our Facebook, Twitter or Instagram pages and use the hashtag #nailedit. We would absolutely love to hear your stores of how you have #nailedit for charity.

Until next time,

The Vivien Kondor London Team.

Cosmoprof 2015 in Bologna, Italy

A couple of weeks ago we were lucky enough to attend Cosmoprof in Bologna, Italy as exhibitors in the British Pavilion.

As a brand, we try to attend as many exhibitions as possible in order to spread the word about our products and get our name heard. Attempting to reach out to just the nail polish consumers in the UK is difficult enough, but when you have to begin to think about larger companies from both here and abroad stocking your products and shipping them to stores around the globe, the task becomes considerably more daunting.

Thankfully, exhibitions like Cosmoprof are there to give you a helping hand. Instead of having to go out and visit companies that you could potentially work with one by one, exhibitions such as this put everybody in one place. It's a very exciting thing to be a part of, and each day brings something new and different to the table.



We have been to a fair few exhibitions in the UK, as both visitors and exhibitors, and we have a pretty clear understanding of what they involve. There is no UK exhibition however, that could possibly have prepared us for the size of Cosmoprof... it is huge, and we mean HUGE.

Have you been to the NEC in Birmingham? If so, imagine that, twice. It really is that big. There were beauty exhibitors from all over the world showing off a huge array of products, from spray tans to waxing and eye brow tinting to perfume, anything you can think of to do with beauty, chances are you can find it at Cosmoprof.

Cosmoprof is not exclusive to Italy, and exhibitions of the same name are held in Las Vegas and Hong Kong yearly. It really is a world-wide event and in a much bigger and more exciting league to any exhibition the brand has been able to experience before.

We were so honoured to have been able to exhibit at such an event, and more exhibitions and events like this are just around the corner as the brand continues to grow; Las Vegas and Hong Kong watch out for Vivien Kondor!

P.s. We also managed to do a little bit of sightseeing while we were in Italy, and it didn't disappoint!

Until next time,

The Vivien Kondor London Team.

Delving deeper into the cosmetics industry: why make-up means so much more than what is on the surface

According to CTPA (the Cosmetic, Toiletry and Perfumery Association), in 2013 the EU cosmetics market was worth EUR (€) 72 billion.

Also according to CTPA: “cosmetic products are enjoyed by millions of people all over the world contributing to healthy lifestyles, well-being and confidence in appearance – feeling confident about one’s appearance rates as the most important factor for building self-esteem. This is a consistent finding from several years of research, conducted by CTPA since 2004, and comes above having a large group of friends, being financially successful and even having a supportive family.”

Research such as the above proves the importance of cosmetics in 21^st century life, and it is very interesting to read exactly how much of an impact our personal appearance has on our self-esteem. Cosmetics have become a huge part of everyday life and people who were once labelling it and unnecessary and shrugging off the idea of it generating huge profits and jobs for the country, are now beginning to sit up and take notice. It has escalated to mean considerably more than the simple act of enhancing or changing your external appearance. Cosmetics runs much deeper than what is on the surface.

Self-confidence is a huge issue in today’s culture. Despite stereotypes, it is not limited to women and it is certainly not limited to the young. Magazines, music videos, TV shows, movies and all forms of media are constantly bombarding us with images that represent generic beauty, beauty that fits whatever the most current trend is at that time. It seems that it is becoming increasingly more difficult to go anywhere without being faced with the media's idea and portrayal of beauty. It has been said a million times before, and there are thousands of articles and blog posts floating around the internet about this issue, but it will not be enough until people begin to realise and understand that they are free to be whoever they want to be, whether or not that version of themselves matches up to the media’s definition of beauty, is irrelevant.

This issue, no matter how it is interpreted by each individual, has helped to catapult the cosmetics industry into the billion-pound industry it is today. The media’s interpretation of beauty and their way of forcing that interpretation on us, has caused us as a nation to be more self-conscious than ever before, more aware of our appearance than ever before and more likely to flock to Boots on a Saturday afternoon to pick up the latest cosmetic collections than ever before.

Building up your individual style is one of the most effective ways to express yourself. Experimenting with your appearance in whichever way, particularly at a younger age (come on guys, we all did it!) helps to shape us into the person we are becoming. Experimentation and expression are key factors when developing your own self-identity.

To feel confident in your appearance is a huge step towards all-round self-confidence, and without meaning to sound horribly cheesy, if we are confident with ourselves there is very little we cannot achieve (we know, we know, super cringe – but hear us out!) Being self-confident eliminates our thoughts and cares (to a certain extent) of what other people think of us. If you are happy with yourself and those closest to you love and accept you for who you are, then what does it matter what anybody else thinks? What a wonderful way to think, ey? Self-confidence is the first major step towards self-acceptance, and self-acceptance makes for a considerably easier life.

All that from just applying a bit of lipstick in the morning to brighten up our face… who’d have thought it!?

What are your thoughts on self confidence? Do you find it extremely difficult, or have you found peace with yourself?

We'd love to know what you think.

Until next time,

The Vivien Kondor London Team.

Nails for the warmer months

With spring beginning to make itself at home, we think it's about time we brought out the brighter colours, more appropriate for the warmer days and shorter nights. Not a dark red or deep purple in sight...

Pictured (l-r): !07-Lime Green, 117-Shiny Baby Pink, 118-Rose Pink, 125-Metallic Blue, 128-Coral, 129-Tangerine, 133-Butterscotch

Sometimes winter can feel like the month that never ends, we spend half of it rushing around getting excited for Christmas and New Year, and once the festive period ends, it seems as though the first two months of the year last twice as long as they should. When spring finally begins to announce it's presence, it gets us so excited for the coming months, longer and warmer days, holidays, beach trips, picnics in the park, summer festivals... the list goes on. As soon as that first ray of sunshine peeks through the clouds after winter, we start yearning for summer.

In preparation for the sunshine and the summer months, we have picked out seven colours that we absolutely love, and feel are perfect to get you in the mood to wave goodbye to winter. Here at Vivien Kondor, we pride ourselves on experimenting with unique shades that you don't stumble across often, and we think that some of these are absolutely perfect for this time of year; don't you agree?

107-Lime Green

Lime Green may be a little out of your comfort zone (it is well known that green is significantly difficult to pull off); but what is more perfect for spring and summer than green? Green is everywhere you look during these months, on the trees, on the ground, it is all around. It's also one of the first signs that spring has arrived; when everything begins to look greener. Lime Green is not too harsh or overpowering in it's tone, and makes the perfect springtime nail colour for those looking to treat their nails to something new.

117-Shiny Baby Pink

Although Shiny Baby Pink can be worn all year round, it is a real classic girly baby pink that is just perfect for spring. Quite the opposite to Lime Green, Shiny Baby Pink is incredibly easy to pull-off and it is the ultimate colour for the transition between colder and warmer months. If you are looking for a classic colour that is undeniable for spring, Shiny Baby Pink is the essential edition to your nail polish collection.

118-Rose Pink

Another nail polish essential for those who love all things girly, Rose Pink is a classic pink with much deeper, richer undertones. We think this colour is perfect for a summer festival (for those of you who aren't brave enough to rock our Neon Collection, which we also label as 'perfect for festivals'), for a weekend away in the country or on the beach somewhere in Spain, Rose Pink is extremely versatile while being so suited for the summer months it should have sunglasses on!

125-Metallic Blue

A colour now for those who are not into the 'standard' summer pink shades, or for those who simply want to try something new. Metallic Blue is a cool sky blue with a metallic and shiny finish. This is another example of a great festival nail, but would also work brilliantly well when chilling out at the park in the sunshine with your friends. You could very easily wear this colour all year round, but we think it works really well during the summer months to add cool tones to any outfit.

128-Coral

Coral is a very unique shade, and one that we are really looking forward to wearing this summer! Mostly pink in colour, this gorgeous shade has obvious undertones of orange and blends together to create the most beautifully individual colour! This is a wonderful colour to use when spicing up an otherwise-plain outfit and catches the light in the most magical way as you move, looking differently from every angle you view it at. This colour is our top pick here at VKHQ - and comes very highly recommended.

129-Tangerine

Another unusual and unique colour, tangerine is arguably the perfect summer colour. Bright, fresh, warm and deliciously orange, this colour reminds us of beautiful summer sunsets.This is most definitely one of the harder shades to pull off, as it doesn't wear as easily as a pink shade would, for example, however the uniqueness and prettiness of this shade simply cannot denied. If you are looking for complements galore on your gorgeous summer nail shade - Tangerine is for you!

133-Butterscotch

If you have followed our blog and/or social media sites for a while, you will definitely be familiar with this shade. As we are committed to creating new and unique shades alongside the tradition nail colour here at Vivien Kondor London, we began a quest to create 'Neon Gold'. This was our first attempt (not too bad for a first try ey!?). To read all about this shade, its creation and transition into the Butterscotch that we know and love today, click here. We have had a lot of interest in this shade due to the originality and uniqueness of the colour, and we feel there is no better time of year to rock Butterscotch than summertime. It's just so perfect for this time of year; don't you think?

Remember that all our products are still on sale in the Amazon store (find that here) - but hurry, this sale will end very soon and we'd hate for you to miss out on updating your summer nail polish collection for a fraction of the usual price! We'd also love for you to check out our brand new website! Everything you will need to know about the brand is here, with links to all social media sites and the blog, as well as a place to buy Vivien Kondor products right from us! Find that here.

Thank-you for stopping by and we hope that some of the colours above caught your eye. Make sure you keep us up-to-date on your purchases, your favourite summer nails or just your plans for the summer! Pop over to our Twitter, Facebook or Instagram pages if you haven't already and say hi, and don't forget to hashtag #vivienkondor.

Until next time, 

The Vivien Kondor London Team

Buying social media followers

It’s officially the weekend! Hopefully you've had a great week.

This week at VKHQ, we have been thinking a lot about a subject that has recently been drawn to our attention; the act of buying social media followers. Fake accounts that have been created for the purpose of following accounts that have brought them. 

Baring in mind, a lot of social media sites have now become wise to this, and perform regular clear-outs of fake, inactive or spam accounts.

Image Source: Mike McCready

There has been a fair amount of attention recently drawn to the act of companies/brands, bloggers and average Joe’s dreaming of being ‘internet famous’ buying themselves social media followers. It is an issue that has been gradually growing in popularity recently and more and more people are becoming aware of this option.

A few weeks ago, we posted this post discussing whether or not the saying ‘good things come to those who wait’ is a good motto to live by, or whether we should go out and make things happen for ourselves.

In a time where dreams and ambitions are easier to chase and more achievable than ever, it appears that shortcuts such as this have begun to pop up, but just as we discussed the idea that it is more realistic to make something happen for yourself, does it not then go hand in hand with the idea that it is much more fulfilling to earn something through genuine hard work, rather than buy your way in using alternative and less-then-genuine methods?

Everything seems to be more accessible these days. Advice on launching new brands and businesses is on hand at the end of a simple Google search, hundreds of new blogs are being set up daily and more people are flocking to university than ever before every September in order to set up their dream careers in their early twenties. Sometimes it can seem as though every young person has their own blog, YouTube channel and a 2:1 from a half decent university. It is getting harder and harder for us all to avoid that dreaded question: how do we stand out from the crowd?

A quick scroll through Facebook/Twitter can give us a pretty good insight into the new blogger, new brand or new product we've stumbled across while online or overheard our friends talking about, and you can usually guess the size and success of a blogger or business by the amount of social media followers they have, right? More followers = more people interested in that account, their products, blog etc. At least that’s how it used to be.

More so now than ever before, it is incredibly easy to click that ‘buy now’ button and bag ourselves thousands of new followers quicker than it takes us to make a microwave meal. So how do you really know whether the social media account you’re scrolling through has a truly impressive amount of followers, followers they have worked hard to gain, or if they have simply caved in under modern day pressure and brought themselves a social media quick-fix?

Image Source: The Huffington Post

Within the ‘good things come to those who wait’ post, we discussed our views here at VKHQ that it is about quality, rather than quantity when it comes to engaging with people. What is the point of having 10,000 followers if only 1,000 of them are bothered about what you’re posting? What’s the point of looking like you have thousands of followers at first glance when, after searching through your page, it’s clear to see that only a handful of followers are actually engaging with your content?

 At the end of the day, a follower count is only ever going to be a number at the top of a screen, it seems to us that it is much more about posting relevant and engaging content. And anyway, if you are posting content that people enjoy reading and are interested in, they will, one-by-one, press that follow button in order to read more.

The option is there, and with the internet becoming more and more crowded with people trying to make their voices heard, it is inevitable that some will cave under the pressure and take this option. 

The big questions is, is it worth it? Not only are social media sites regularly decluttered of these accounts, but the followers that you have purchased won’t do anything. They won’t share your posts or draw attention to your account, they will inevitably just sit, inactive, in your followers list.

What do you think about the act of ‘buying’ followers? Do you think the positives outweigh the negatives? We’d love to hear your opinion.

As always, get in touch with us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and let us know your thoughts, and don't forget to hashtag #vivienkondor.

Have a great weekend.

The Vivien Kondor London Team

St. Patrick's Day 2015

Hello and a happy Friday!

Can you believe this is the first post of March? We know it's said at the beginning of every month, but this year really is going so fast! 

Image source: Quotes Blog

March is one of our favourite months of the year here at VKHQ. The 'beginning-of-the-year' blues are really starting to melt away as we welcome in the cheerier months, springtime is on the horizon and everything starts to look a little prettier as the trees and ground start to spout this years flowers and blossom, it really is a lovely time of year.

March is also, of course, the month of Mother's Day (check out our Mother's Day gift guide here) and of course, St. Patrick's Day.

St. Patrick's Day falls on 17th March, and arguably one of the most well-known traditions is to wear green. Green is a notoriously difficult colour to pull of, particularly on the nails. As a guide, and to give you a little helping hand, we have three green Vivien Kondor shades to show you with the help of three lovely bloggers, Sherbert London, Nail Lacquer UK and Taras Talons. 

Image Source: Sherbert London

108 - Mint Green

Easing you in with what we believe to be the most wearable of our green colours; is Mint Green. Slightly darker than the traditional mint green, this colour is cool and has tones of blue that help balance out the green. Very easy to wear, perfect for the spring months and a gorgeous shiny finish make this colour an absolute winner for those who want to celebrate without standing out too much this St. Patrick's Day.

Image Source: Nail Lacquer UK

107 - Lime Green

Still very wearable whilst being much more obviously green than Mint Green, Lime Green is a personal favourite for us here at VKHQ. It is perhaps not a colour you would think to reach for, and may be a little out of your comfort zone, but we think it's the absolute perfect colour for the Spring months; so why not try something new? Gorgeous, light green polish with a creme finish that shines without topcoat, Lime Green is the perfect choice for those who are feeling a little more daring this St. Patrick's Day.

  Image Source: Taras Talons

127 - Neon Green
Not for the faint-hearted; Neon Green is the ultimate green polish. Perfect for those who really want to make a statement, or great for anybody creating nail art in need of a splash of bright green. If you're feeling brave, really want to stand out from the crowd and show your Irish pride, or simply love the colour green - this is definitely the polish for you. 

Can't decide which colour to go for, a real lover of anything green or just really looking forward to trying something completely new? You're in the right place! Our gift set; 'The Green Collection', contains all three colours shown above and is on sale right now in the Amazon store! You could own all three of these polishes plus a gorgeous gift box for just £6.49! You will struggle to find a better deal anywhere else, so why not head over to our Amazon store and check it out? All our other products are also currently on sale for amazing prices, find them all here.

However you are celebrating we hope you have an amazing St. Patrick's Day! We'd love to see your St. Patrick's Day nails, or hear about your plans for the day, so get in touch with us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and let us know! Don't forget to hashtag #vivienkondor.

Have a wonderful weekend, and we'll see you back here next week.

The Vivien Kondor London Team