Collective Beauty Haul!

Over the last few weeks I've been a little bit naughty and instead of spending all my hard earned money on Christmas gifts, I have been spending it on Christmas gifts for myself. Oops! Well what's a girl to do when all the best offers are on at this time of the year?
I Thought I would share with you a little collective haul of what I've bought recently.

Starting with this beautiful little duo. These are Soap & Glory's 'Flake away' and 'The righteous butter'. Flake away contains shea butter, sugar and peach seeds and is a body scrub/polish. While the butter contains again, shea butter, and aloe vera. I wish so badly that smellyvision was real as I cannot explain to you with any of the words in my knowledge just how amazing these smell. They're sweet, feminine and softly floral. They are the perfect scent for every single woman. I don't actually know of one person who doesn't like the scent of these and what's even better is that they do the job that they're supposed to. I bought two travel sized pots, as I had never actually tried any S&G products before, with the thought that I could just use them on my face for a while to see how I liked them. And boy do I like them!? My face hasn't been this soft in a very long time and as I mentioned in a previous post I get quite dry skin on my face around the cooler months. That hasn't been a problem at all since I started using flake away. I like to wash my face as normal, scrub it all over (obviously avoiding the eye area) and then rinsing, patting dry with a towel before applying the body butter all over my face. The only issue I have with the righteous butter is it takes ages to sink in. I'm talking 30 minutes to an hour before your face stops being sticky. But it's worth it for the end results so if you don't like having that sticky feeling I would recommend using this before you go to sleep allowing it to sink in before morning. These two are definitely a 10 out of 10 product.

 

 

Next are a few nail products. First up are the two Maybelline color show polishes. The red shade is called "Downtown red" and the purple shade is called "Noite De Gal" which translates to Night Gal.
The formulation of these polish's is lovely, while they're quite thin and you do need to use two to three coats, they are perfect for a busy lifestyle. I found that they don't chip at all and they're really long lasted. I did mention one of these in my November favourites so if you're interested go check that out.



 

 

 

And secondly I bought three Barry M Nail paints. I believe they are all either limited edition or special effects or something along those lines but they're all amazingly beautiful. The black one 'espresso' is a matte effect polish which I adore. I think matte polishes look great with nail art. I have done a few designs with the black and the gold that I very may well do a blog post/tutorial on in the very near future.. if you're good! The gold is absolutely beautiful and is part of the foil effects range of Barry M. I have a few gold polishes in my collection and this is by far the most like liquid gold. I love this. And the final is the most beautiful silver glitter top coat. You barely need any of this yet your nail is covered in glitter. It has a transparent base but after two or three coats of this you can barely see anything but glitter. I've seen a lot of people on Instagram who are just going wild over this polish. The great thing about Barry M is that they're so affordable and so brilliantly formulated and pigmented. You can never really go wrong with Barry M.


I have recently got a few things for my face as well as you can see in the picture. Firstly is Collections "Pressed Powder" in the shade "18 Ivory". This is simply a replacement for my old one, as you may have seen in a previous post, was on it's very last legs. This powder is brilliant and something I use every day simply to set my foundation in place. I like the fact that it doesn't look orange no matter what foundation I use it with as I have found that with some other powders that was the case, for instance the Maybelline Fit Me powder foundation did not like to be mixed with many other foundations at all. Collection are absolutely brilliant for base products like their foundations powders and concealers.

Next is something I never thought I'd actually buy, and that is Technic's high lights daily highlighter. I saw this in bodycare for about £1.99 and when looking at a tester they had open I was a bit off put by it. Not so much the actual product itself but the packaging. The brush inside is just terrible, it is flimsy, twisted and just feels cheap. However the product is just fantastic. This is a really very nice highlighter which looks fantastic on the top of the cheek bones and under the brow bone. I'm so glad I picked this up as it really is just a total bargain for a brilliant product.

Speaking of testers, you may notice that the next thing shown in the picture is just that, a tester. But please don't think that I've been thieving haha! No, this is from poundland and to be honest I can't say I have ever heard of it previous to seeing it. It is Rimmel London's wake me up intense radiance shimmer touch, in "004 shimmering sand". All in all it's again a highlight but this one has more of a bronzing effect. Like the wake me up foundations it is very bright and this is actually packed with glitter/shimmer particles. I did find this a little hard to get used to using to begin with but now I've found that applied correctly in the right places this can really lighten up your face. This is great as it was only £1 but I can already tell it is going to last a very long while.

And finally from Osiris Avise is this amazing CC cream in "Natural". I love to wear this on days where I'm feeling pretty good about my complexion as this is very light and sheer whilst having good coverage where needed. A little of this goes a long way and although it is winter now, it has SPF 15 and UV protection which is awesome all the time. I love this CC cream and have been using this near enough most days the past few weeks. It gives such a perfectly natural look that I would recommend this to all.

If you have me on Instagram (irishlouisegemma) then you may have seen a post I uploaded not long ago about a free gift I got when I spent £15 on Bourjois products in Boots. Those products are shown below along with one thing I bought to get the gift.
Firstly is a sample size of their volume glamour max holidays mascara which is brilliant. It creates a really voluptuous lash look and has great lasting power, I also found that it elongates lashes wonderfully.

Next is a lipstick that I actually purchased to get the gift, and that is from the shine edition in shade "21 rouge making of". I love this lipstick, it's not totally pigmented but is very buildable so with one swipe you can have a nice tinted gloss look, but with two or three swipes you can have a lovely bold red lip look still with the gorgeous shine. The lasting power of this lipstick is brilliant also and I am absolutely in love with the packaging as I think it's adorable. I will definitely be getting a few more colours in this range.

 

Next up is the 3D effect gloss volume and shine elixir in shade "06 rouge democratic". I wasn't ever really one for glosses as I hate having to reapply my makeup every few hours or so, well, that was until I got this however. This gloss has changed me, it's beautiful, it's pigmented and I swear on everything I love it smells and tastes like refreshers. If you don't live in the UK you may not know what refreshers are but if you do, go buy this gloss and eat a bit and come back here and just be like wow, she was right. ...Apparently I get very passionate about cosmetics that taste like sweets! haha.
Next up is a nail polish in shade "24 rouge escarping". This polish is super pigmented and extremely chip resistant which is great however it takes an absolute life time to dry which I hate however the colour of it is pretty much worth the wait. I'm loving the pure vibrant red look right now.

 

And finally is a smokey eyes trio in "01 gris dandy". I'm not sure how I feel about this yet. While I love the applicator and the fact is stays on for hours without smudging, it's just not as pigmented as I'd hope for. I have plenty more black eye shadows that are as black as possible just like this looks, however when applied this is just sheer and grey. Hopefully I can find a way to wear it that suit me fine. But anyway considering this was a free gift I shouldn't really complain hey? Thanks Boots, you babe.

 

Finally are a few purchases I received today from Avon. First is their nail enamel in "night violet" and is part of the diamond collection. I love this polish, it's deep and dark but very glitzy. I feel this is a perfect every day winter nail look however with the Barry M glitter top coat shown earlier over it could be a perfect party look?

Next is the plump pout lip gloss in luscious mauve which is a lovely peachy nude colour gloss that smells and tastes quite minty. This is going to be something to used to as when you're wearing it your lips tingle for ages as it works it's plumping magic to make your lips fuller. The look it gives though is gorgeous.

Then we have the super extend mascara in black. I haven't had chance to use this yet as I already have mascara on today, however the brush is very familiar to a few I have used in the past which I remember created a very thick and full lash look so hopefully this will do the jobby just right. I will keep you updated on this to let you know if it's a flop though.

And finally, possibly my most favourite product of this whole post, is an ultra colour lip crayon in "reddy for me". I adore this so much. It is the most perfect matte red lip colour. This has stayed on all day and has barely worn off. It's super pigmented and doesn't feel cakey or balmy like some lipsticks do. You can barely tell it's even on. I really do love this, and I must invest in some more of these lip crayons simply for the formula and price!



 

 

That's it for today collective haul which I really hoped you enjoyed reading and has inspired you to go out and buy some of these goodies if not for yourself (like me) but for others as beautiful Christmas gifts.
I have one last post (maybe two, dependant on the nail art one) due to do before Christmas. Keep your eyes peeled for a red lip party look!
Much love, G x

 



November Favourites!

 

So November has been and gone in the blink of an eye again. Hell, its pretty much mid December now. How does this happen? How do I get so busy all of a sudden that blogging becomes a distant memory? This November favourites post is well over due but anyway, here are some things I have been loving throughout November.

 
 



First up is a recently purchased foundation. It's the match perfection foundation by Rimmel London in the shade "103 True Ivory". I really like this foundation as the match is so close to my skin tone that it looks super natural but has a really good thick coverage thus to hide all my facial nastiness. I can't really find a fault with it. It blends amazingly well, it feels like silk on the face and best of all it's super affordable. Like most high street foundations this sits comfortably in the under £10 mark which for a 30ml bottle isn't bad at all. Especially considering you barely need any of this on to achieve the perfect look! Rimmel are on top form at the moment, I've said it before and I'll happily say it again. Next to their Wake me up foundation I think they've got foundation formula's down to a T.

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the eyes this month I've been grabbing for this pretty much daily. Maybelline's colour tattoo 24 hour cream eyeshadow in "35- on and on bronze" is so beautiful and perfect for the autumn. I really love how versatile this shadow is too. While it's very pigmented you can control the depth of colour really easily. Some days when I don't feel like having a heavy eye look I will just sweep this all over the lid and be ready to go. And on other days I do like to build this up for a darker more metallic eye look. I find using a brush with this does help control where it's going as with it being a cream it can get a little messy. I love how this lights up the eyes with its' shine without being glittery or sparkly. It is sophisticated and goes pretty much with any look you create. I especially love this with just a slick of liquid eye liner and a nice nude lipstick.

 

And as always I team this up with another of this month's favourites, Avon's eye primer. Oh my days I must rant and rave about this daily. I just can't get enough of it. I find it stops any eye make up from moving throughout the day. It prevents fall out when using powder eye shadows and with it being a beautiful light cream colour you can wear it alone as an eye shadow all it itself. I also sneakily use this as concealer if I'm in a hurry and it has the coverage to do the job. This stuff is honestly my saviour this autumn.

 

 

 

Also on the eyes this month I've been adoring this combination. First I like to line my lower and upper lash line with this Bourjois queen attitude kohl kajal liner. I've had this for so long it's amazing. I must have picked it up around this time last year and it became one of those products I forgot I owned until I found it lurking away in a drawer somewhere. And unsurprisingly I've grown to love it all over again. It is SO pigmented and it just will not budge from that water line for hours on end. I find it hard to find a liner that will last there so this is a miracle for me. With it being nearer to the end however it has become hard to use as a regular eye liner so I do only use it on the water line now, however this is where it looks the most fantastic anyway.

 

I pair the liner with this trio eye shadow pallet by Collection. This pallet is called "2 naughty in nude" and as you can see holds two powder eye shadows and a cream base/highlight colour. I don't really touch the cream colour much but I love the powders so very much. The beige looks fantastic either alone or as an inner eyelid highlight and brow bone highlight. And the dark brown is just superb. I like to sweep this all over the lid really making sure I build up the colour as much as possible. Unfortunately you can't really tell in the picture but it isn't just brown. It has really gorgeous red and purple undertones and teeny tiny bit of glitter in it too. On, it doesn't look glittery, just bright and vibrant and utterly breath taking. As these are by Collection you can imagine that they are stupidly cheap. If you buy yourself ONE thing this month, make it this.

 

 

 

On my lips this month I have been wearing this one heck of a lot. Also by Collection, this is the lipstick "Tallulah" from the Deluxe collection. Although it looks a bit of a Barbie girl pink it's not. It is just a really lovely light nudish pink colour and although highly pigmented it can applied to look astonishing. This is my go to lippy when I'm wearing a heavy eye look as it brings the whole look together perfectly. The formula is really nice to, it is creamy and sits well on the lip. The staying power it has it probably that of your average lipstick. The only drawback to this that I have found it the scent. It reminds me of the lipsticks I would use when I was about six. It a sickly chemically scent and while you may love it I personally can't stand it. Once it's on the lip you really don't notice it though, which is a good job really!

 

 

 

My favourite nail polish this month has to be Maybelline's Color show nail polish in "352 Downtown Red". Oh you know how I love my burgundy red's this time of the year and this polish is no exception to that collection. You can see the colour in the picture so I wont go in to that too much but the formulation of these nail varnishes is just fantastic. You do need a good two coats as the first coat can look a little opaque however once that second layer is on the colour looks just sensational. Also I had one of these polishes on (but in a deep purple colour) for four days. Four days. Yes, four. And that's without any chips, just looking perfect. I don't know what it is that makes these so damn amazing but I literally want the whole collection of these. And oh yeah, they're also ridiculously cheap. They have a nice wide application brush as well which while is not quite as wide as that of Rimmel's 60 sec collection, makes applying the nail varnish quick, easy and neat. I love these polishes. Someone go buy me them all please.

 

 

And finally on this months favourites list is my new Bourjois bronzer. It's the chocolate one that bloggers and vloggers alike rave about. I never really got the concept of this. Why would you want to smother your face in chocolate? It'd be sticky and gross. Then I took the plunge and bought it. Let me tell you I resented paying what I paid for it. That was at least until I brought it home and put it on. Oh man, word's can't even describe what a good bronzer this is. Even in autumn when I like to avoid using bronzers this is just perfect. It leaves your face looking really naturally sun kissed what with the minute bits of shimmer in it just brightening everything up perfectly.
And yes, the best thing about this is that it smells like chocolate. I think I use this daily more so I can sit there smelling it for ten minutes before I actually go to put it on my face. Well done Bourjois for bringing something girls love in to another thing girls love. Chocolate and make up, wicked. Now all they need to do is find a way to make this edible!


That's all that I have been loving this November enough to mention in a blog post. Hopefully I wont be so snowed under with working and seeing people and general Christmas festivity so much throughout December that I will have more time to blog. I've so many ideas as well. You'll have to keep an eye out for upcoming posts and also, leave me comments on what to blog about. I'd love to hear your suggestions!

Much love, G x



Holiday Hangover Make Up "Cure" Tutorial!

  

 

Around the holidays we're all prone to having a little drink, however sometimes that little drink turns in to a right old binge. Hey, we're only human. I used to think I was one of the lucky few who could avoid hangovers. That was until the other day when after a few too many Sambuca's the morning after was not one in which I felt like breathing. Worst of all I looked as bad as I felt.
After nipping in to my workplace and getting slaughtered by my colleagues I went home to grab the slap! So here's my tutorial on how to beat the teasing that comes with hangovers.

Step 1: Face.

Start with a clean face. I like to wash my face as normal and then moisturise to try renew the skin a little. First apply concealer ensuring you cover all blemishes and really knuckle down on the under eyes. Mine were looking particularly dark that morning. I used the ever loved Collection (2000) lasting perfection concealer in the shade "light 2" by applying small dots under the eye and tapping with my ring finger to properly blend it out while getting the maximum coverage possible.
Next apply foundation in your usual way. I used a recently purchased foundation that I adore. This is Rimmel London's match perfection light perfecting radiance foundation in the shade "103 true ivory". The thing I love about this foundation is the choice of colours available. I apply this with my favourite foundation brush by Barbara Daly cosmetics blending it in seamlessly with my concealer. This foundation is really great for hiding a hangover as it lights up the face beautifully. I then set it with my Collection pressed powder in the shade "18 ivory" which as you can see is on its last legs.

 

Then I when it comes to blush I like to use this step to really brighten the face as hangovers really wash out your face of all it's lovely natural colour. Opt for bright colours as appose to darker berry toned ones. I used Rimmel's lasting finish soft colour blush in "050 live pink" and with a fluffy brush washed this all over the apples of my cheeks lifting slightly up towards the temples.
Next you want to highlight your face. I avoid bronzer as I'm trying to add light to the face and bronzer is a dark kind of light. Is this making sense? I used the aforementioned Collection blush in "04 trouble". I apply this a lot more generously than I would on a usual day focusing on the tops of my cheeks, down the nose and a little on the forehead to lift the high points of my face and add a gorgeous soft glow.

 

 

Step 2: Eyes.

When applying make up to the eyes avoid the lower lash line. As you will more than likely have dark circles due to the hangover you really need to step away from them. Personally I apply nothing to the area including mascara. Begin with an eye shadow primer. I used the Avon one in "light beige" before applying the Maybelline color 24 hour cream eye shadow in "35 on and on bronze". I love this eye shadow so very much. As you can see it is a beautiful metallic brown which means the shimmer in this is going to help light the eyes up making you look more healthy and potentially hide those dark circles even more than the concealer. I apply this with a fluffy eye shadow brush all over the lid, smoking it out towards the brow just a little.

Next apply a thin line of eye liner, staying away from a dramatic flick as you don't want your make up to look to heavy. I used the Collection Extreme 24 hour felt tip liner in "1 black". Finally curl your lashes and apply your favourite mascara. Today I used Seventeen's dolled up mascara in "black". This mascara is fantastic for giving a good permanent curl all day long and doesn't give any fall out through the day at all which will help keep the lower eyes looking clean, fresh and light.

 

Step 3: Lips.

Finally apply your lipstick. You want to steer clear of nudes and darks. Nudes will add notice to the skin being washed out and dark berry tones will look far too much with such a dark eye look. I opted for Rimmel's Kate Moss lipstick in "05". It is a beautiful deep rosey pink colour and if applied correctly will really bring this look together beautifully. I like to just dab it on the lip and smudging out with the ring finger to control the colour as much as possible. I keep adding more until I reach the pigment I desire. I think a nice red lip would look nice with this look as well if you're more confident with your make up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

So that's it. Follow those 3 simple steps and you should have the perfect No More Hangover look, giving you the confidence to walk the streets under full knowledge that only you know how you feel. And anyway, just because you feel like crap doesn't mean you ever have to look like it too!

 

Much love, G x

 

 

 

 

Little Treats.

 

I personally think that treating yourself is essential to keeping yourself happy. I'd noticed that, as is the norm around this time of year, I end up spending all of my money on Christmas presents. And I actually enjoy buying myself new things. Treating yourself doesn't even have to cost to be fair. A few days ago when shopping in town I ended up in Boots looking for a certain hand wash for my Granma and while I was in there I, naturally, wandered to the make up counters. There was quite a few things I wanted and as sad as it is I started to get a little bit down at the fact I couldn't buy any of them until after the big day. However, when I went to pay for the hand wash the nice lady behind the till informed me that I now had around 700 boots advantage points. Well hello free treats.
So here's what I "bought".

 

Firstly I picked up the Collection Extreme 24 hour felt tip liner. I've had this before and I really liked it but unfortunately I lost it. I'd had it a good 8 months until then and it was still really full of product. I've had felt tip liners that dry out really quickly or that don't work well over eye shadow. But the Collection one just shows unstoppable with these

kind of things. It has a liquid liner effect finish

and is SO easy to apply. It literally takes no time

at all to create the most perfect winged liner look.

Would it be reckless to say that I genuinely think

this is my all time favourite felt tip liner?

 

 

Next I bought a Collection lipstick. Now, I didn't really know this was happening until it hit stores, but it appears that Little Mix have collaborated with Collection and brought out their little range of make up within the Collection brand. Looking at it now, I think it's a little odd and I can't get my head around it. Basically there are 4 girls, each with their own 'look' and way of styling meaning each girl brings for example one nail polish, one lipstick, one eye shadow ect; thus limiting the range to 4 shades of each product. Which sort of makes me question, what's the point? I didn't like one of the nail polish colours and the eye shadows were in some really odd packaging that put me off so I didn't really take much notice of them. However I do like two of the lipsticks. One I think was maybe by Perry and was a really vibrant classic red colour but I have one by Calvin Klein that is almost identical. So I went for this one by Jade, and yes it is called "Jade". I absolutely love this lipstick as it's the perfect deep nude. It's not entirely cream so it doesn't give you the 'concealer lip' look but instead it has really pretty pink and berry undertones. The formula is lovely and creamy whilst being super pigmented and it has a really nice staying power.

And finally from Collection is this gorgeous blush in the shade

"04 Trouble". As soon as I saw this I knew I'd love this and oh

lord do I love this? Although it was clearly formulated to be a

blush I actually use it as a highlight due to the amount of

shimmer it has in it. I think that it makes a really good highlight

and is perfect for Autumn/Winter as I like to drop bronzer near

enough completely and add a glow to my face with highlighter

alone. This is just perfect, down to the beautiful printing you can

see in the picture. I think I'll be heartbroken when it's all faded

off.

 

 

Now, that's all I bought on my little treating shop but it's really not bad to say it cost me nothing at all. Each item was £2.99 however Collection were on a 3 for the price of 2 offer which I can never resist. I'm really happy with these products as they all together look fantastic for a nice natural every day look and what's best is with the lip and cheek products being so simple it really allows for me to go all out with my eyes, making them my best feature which I love to do. So yes, I think that has curbed my need to shop for a few more weeks, besides all the Christmas shopping I've STILL got to do.
Nothing to add on to the wish list today as I'm starting to think I might just want Boots gift vouchers and nothing else! Haha!!
Much love, G x

Morning Shower Routine!

I'm very particular with my showers. I don't like a cold shower or a shower that's as hot as hell fire. And when it comes to cleansing my body I never do baths. A bath is for relaxing in my mind. However, when I have my shower just right, it leaves me feeling excellent. So, here's how I get my morning shower perfect.

Before I jump in I wash my face with any every day soap, brush my hair and brush my teeth, I do this while the water is warming up. When I get in the first thing I do is wet my hair to get it out of my face and begin deep cleansing with this Tea Tree facial scrub. I seriously adore any kind of scrub, face or body and this is one of my favourites for every day use. The scent is just so fresh it's perfect for morning use as it really wakes you up instantly. The cleansing beads in it are wonderful too, there's just the right amount and they're not too harsh on the skin as something such as a salt scrub would be. It does a great job of removing excess oils and dead skin from the face thus making your skin feel super healthy.

When I've rinsed this off after a good scrub with it, I go ahead and use this body mud. I have fallen so hard for this this autumn. It's been in the bathroom for years now, in fact i'm pretty sure Boots don't even sell 'the SPA' range anymore but it still smells good and it hasn't gone off, so I'll still use it. Essentially this contains Pelan mud (whatever that is) and has vitamins, minerals and amino acids in it which leave your skin seriously soft and instantly toned. It has a clay like texture and takes a lot of work with the fingers to warm it through to create a kind of facial mask but it's well worth it. I apply this and leave it for about 10-15 minutes while I wash the rest of my body.

 

 

 

  

Next I go ahead and start washing my body. Lately I have been using this Sanctuary Spa foaming shower mousse. I don't think that this is the most amazing product in the world to be fair. I received this as a gift and was thrilled as I've heard pretty good things about Sanctuary Spa yet unfortunately I was disappointed. I don't think this is to be any way reflecting to the brand itself, I think it's just the concept of a shower mousse that I don't get on with. While the scent is beautiful and zesty it takes a lot of this product to thoroughly wash the body with. About three pumps of this will do one arm. Saying that however I have used this about four or five times now and still have over half a bottle left, also the pump that delivers the foam is super handy as I hate trying to open bottles with wet hands. I think I've been using this product for the sake of finishing it and getting rid of it as I hate wasting things, especially things that were thoughtful gifts.

 

 

Next I go ahead and wash my hair. I don't generally buy specific shampoo's as I live with three other people and there's always shampoo lying around. At the moment the shampoo I've been using is this Palmolive anti-dandruff shampoo with wild mint and sea minerals. Essentially this smells like head and shoulders and cleans the hair so, as far as shampoo goes, this is alright. I wouldn't go out and buy this myself though as I find it makes my hair feel a little brittle towards the ends and I don't like to use conditioner every time I wash my hair but when using this shampoo I do have to. 

When using this I do the typical 'lather, rinse, repeat' scenario. I always use shampoo twice as someone once explained it to me like this. The first time you shampoo you're breaking down the dirt that lies in your hair then the second time you shampoo you're actually removing that dirt. Weather this is true or not I have no idea, however, having dirty hair is not a chance worth taking. It's better to be thorough. After rinsing this out I go ahead and grab my conditioner. Right now I'm using a Tesco's own brand 'Pro Formula' conditioner.

This is a conditioner that gives best results to dry or damaged hair which is great for me as I tend to have mistreat my hair in the past with excessive dying. This conditioner contains keratin and Argan oil which, although I don't know the science behind them, leave the hair feeling absolutely amazing. I've had great experiences with Argan oils before and my heat protector has keratin in it as well, so combined they really do make my hair feel not just silky soft and smooth, but really well fixed and healthy. This conditioner is perfect for someone with a smaller budget as well as it's usually under the £3 mark which is a great deal for such a big bottle. The packaging doesn't thrill me which is a shame as I like things to look nice on my bathroom shelving. Maybe that's just me being picky. Overall I've found this conditioner to be pretty great however it does come second to the Tresemmé cleanse and replenish conditioner mentioned in my empties blog post. Once I've left this to sit for about 3-5 minutes I rinse it out.

I then spray a fair bit of this Herbal Essences 'bee strong' strengthening cream in to the middle section and ends of my hair. This is basically a leave in conditioner that helps repair the hair while leaving it looking shiny and feeling soft to the touch. I'm really liking using this as my hair feels all the better for it. The scent to the 'bee strong' range is beautiful as well. It's really sweet as you'd expect with a honey based product. I apply this to wet hair and run it through with my fingers or a wide toothed comb to ensure it is evenly distributed.
 

Once that's done I then wrap my hair up in a towel in the classic 'turban' manner and get out of the shower. I pat myself dry with a towel before applying a moisturiser. The one I've been using recently is this Calcot Manor 'the lazy evening moisture soufflé'.

I've had quite a few things from Calcot Manor, including a salt scrub and a bath soak and I absolutely love it. I think it's pretty much a rip off of Sanctuary Spa what with the colour scheme and whatnot. However it's affordable and decent quality when it comes to the actual products. The calcot manor range do two scents as far as I'm aware. One is quite a floral sweet scent with tones of rose and fruit, but the one I love and am using is more of a zesty fresh scent, quite like that of Sanctuary Spa. This moisturiser is really really really nice on the skin. It soaks in quite fast and a little bit goes a very long way. Also what's best about it is that the scent sticks around for ages. I find myself sniffing my arms and hands quite a lot after using this, potentially making myself look like a complete loon but hey, who cares right?

 

So there's my morning shower routine. After all this I then get dressed, slap some make up on and get on with my day feeling wide awake and ready for life's little tricks and trials. I hope you enjoyed reading this. Let me know in  the comment section below if you have any questions or suggestions on what to blog about.

 

 

Next on my Christmas wish list is this.

 

 

I loved chiffon blouses last year and I think it's something I will be into again this winter. I love the colour of this and the lace detailing on the shoulders is beautiful. The contrast of deep purple to an almost gold cream is sensational. I love the classy side to shirts like these and think they're perfect for family occasions or night's out as they're just so smart with the right things. This is for sale at £7 at Tesco right now. Absolute bargain. I love it!

Love, G x

  

October Favourites!!

October has been and gone, and I'm hoping that I'm not the only one who thinks that it literally flew by. It honestly feels more like June than November. October has been quite a good month for me actually. What with having 11 whole days off work! That was nice. I've also been getting back to grips with Autumn and how to style not just my face, but my life, around it. So here follow my monthly favourites.

Firstly, eyes. I have been absolutely loving this eye shadow pallet from VIVO. For those who don't know, VIVO is essentially Tesco's own brand of affordable make up and realistically it's actually very good. This is their "Unprotected" pallet. Interesting name hm? But the colours inside as you can see are just amazing for the Autumn/Winter seasons. This month I've been loving the first and second shades on the top row (Escape and Forever) as an inner eye highlight, the first on the second row (Wisp) as an all over lid colour and then smoking the look out with the second on the bottom row (Devine). This creates the most perfect autumnal brown look while the shimmer to them gives the eyes a nice glow, making me feel bright eyed and bushy tailed.
Now, the mascara. Oh my GOD! The mascara. This is Rimmel London's Scandaleyes Lycra Flex mascara in the shade "001 Black". I adore this mascara. Applying this on curled eye lashes just looks immense. The formula is very thick but still applies evenly with very minimal clumps. When wearing this my lashes look fuller and thicker. I can't find one fault with this mascara at all, which is really saying something. And the best thing about this? I got it for free from Boots after spending £10 on other Rimmel London products saving me the retail price of around £8. What more can a girl ask for?

 

Next, Lips. My favourite lipstick this month has to be the Loréal Paris Color Riche lipstick in "290, plum passion". This for me is the most perfect deep berry shade out their next to one of the Kate Moss lipsticks. The formulation of this is creamy and thick making it last literally all day on the lips. It has tiny sparkles in it giving the appearance of what I think is a fuller lip which I adore. I must of bought this last Christmas time and I remember being really in to it but then obviously summer hit and I felt it'd be quite gothic wearing it in the warmer seasons. The smell of the Loréal lipsticks as well is to DIE for. It's a scent all of it's own but it is gorgeous. The only problem I find with this lipstick is that it smudges quite a bit. That's where the lip liner comes in. Yes, the white stick is in fact a lip liner. It is Rimmel London's moisture renew universal transparent lip liner. I've fallen for this. I hate the idea of having to buy a different lip liner for every different shade of lipstick I buy so this is just a wonderful idea. And it does the job, when wearing this my lipstick stays in place for hours on end. I love it. Thankyou Rimmel.

 



Now, face. My daily foundation this month has been Collection's Lasting perfection ultimate wear foundation in the shade "Ivory 2". In the autumn I take pride in my vampire like paleness and always opt for a light foundation. This I've found is perfect, next to a Barbra Daly foundation I have this is probably my favourite. Considering Collection products are nearly always on offer this is essentially a perfect affordable daily foundation. It has great coverage and, as advertised, does have the 16 hour wear. Minimum. Also this foundation is outstanding for me as it's oil free and I have very funny skin so anything oil free for me is wonderful due to preventing spots. Nobody likes having spots now.
Now the blush. This is the only Natural Collection thing I own and after purchasing this I've been left wondering why. This is in the shade "Sugar Plum" (possibly the cutest name around) and is the most beautiful deep berry toned shade blush I have ever seen. It's so super highly pigmented that I've found I barely need any on my brush to create a lovely natural finish. Again, berry tones are just wicked for Autumn and after wearing this almost every day for the month I've received compliment after compliment about this. A little old lady who came into my workplace even said I looked "lovely and rosey" bless her. It really made my day. All in all this blush is a winner!

For nails this month I've really been grabbing for the deeper tones. The first is the Rimmel London (what is it with Rimmel London recently, really at the top of their game) 60 seconds varnish in "320 Rapid Ruby". I've posted about this nail varnish before so I won't go into mass detail about it. But I really have been loving it this month. It is just the perfect deep red chip resistant quick drying varnish. I love it.

And secondly is a nail varnish from New look's collection "Gold by Giles". Unfortunately I can't find a name to this and as I've had it over a year I can't remember their ever being one so I don't know if it has just rubbed off or if they are unnamed. However, it's just a really lovely deep purple colour that sets quick and lasts long. I've found myself reaching for this more than I should be really. I find it's nice alone or as a base colour to the Avon top coat featured in my last blog.

 

I've been getting back into wearing jewellery this month too.

  

Both sets of earrings are from New look I believe. I think again I bought them some time last year but they've both been worn quite a lot this month. I like the teal triangles worn with my hair up in a messy bun as they add a nice touch to a dark outfit. And the pointy gemstone earrings literally go with pretty much everything. I love the old metal look too which is also a massive factor to the necklace. I got this from Claire's Accessories quite a few years ago now and as time has passed it's ultimately lost some quality. It's chipped and the metal look is worn but really that just adds to it's appeal I think. It is quite a large pendant on a long chain and looks just lovely with dark tops as well.

 

 

So sorry about the picture quality of my bag but I had to use flash to show the true colour of it. I adore this bag. I had been eyeing it up in Tesco's for weeks and weeks until one day I went and saw it was half price. Yes, this beautiful burgundy bag with gold embellishments was only, wait for it, £6!! Biggest bargain ever really. I've fallen so hard for this bag. The quality of it is amazing, the colour is beautiful and considering it's quite a small bag it's really actually quite roomy. It holds all the essentials so I can't ask any more of it. Oh I just adore this I really do. It's become my every day handbag.

 

Lastly are three things that are not beauty or fashion related in the slightest but are things that I have been obsessed with this month.
First, scented candles. When autumn arrives scented candles are lit. Fact! I've been loving the big jar candle shown in the picture. It's scented like spiced cinnamon apples and is just gorgeous.
 

Secondly is a coffee syrup that tastes like gingerbread. This stuff is so strong that I genuinely believe it will last me for the rest of the year. Mind you, that's not really a very long time. I love this stuff as I'm really fond of flavoured coffee anyway.
 

Last but not least in any manner, is my pumpkin. If you have me on Facebook you'll have already seen this but I'm just so proud of it. I'd never carved a pumpkin before in my life before this so to see myself create something that, not to be big headed, is quite good does make me happy. I ended up giving this to my next door neighbours as they were having a Halloween party for their young daughter who loves her cat. Apparently she loved it so all is well.

 

 



That's it for my October favourites. I've really enjoyed this last month so here's hoping November will be just as good.

 

 

 

As an add on to my Christmas list, I would quite like these shoes.

I've seen these on Asos and I think they're lovely. The heel isn't that big which is great for me and I just love strappy sandals. Yes, I may be thinking ahead for next spring/summer but there's no faults in that. I think they're actually a New Look make and right now they're on sale at £12 so I'm hoping the sale wont have finished by Christmas. Unless... Anyone? No? ;) Oh well, here's hoping.

 

Love ya, G x



Avon Haul!

So here we are again, it's the day before payday and I already know that I will be broke by this time tomorrow. I know I do it to myself so I really shouldn't complain. But yes, I bought some things from Avon which may have left me skint for the week but it's okay, because it's my last little self splurge before Christmas. So I will tell myself that I'm allowed even though that is just a massive massive lie.
I've had these things for about a week so I've had just enough time to use everything well enough to review them honestly and let you all know my honest opinion of them. So, lets begin.

First off is the Mega Effects Mascara in "Blackest Black". Yes, I bought this for the novelty of it. I think its just adorable. The little spade like applicator though makes applying the mascara really easy. If you're like me and have a habit of stabbing yourself in the eye with a mascara wand then this is something you need in your life. Honestly I have had this mascara on every day since I got it and its just fabulous. It gives you a really even but thick 'false' lash look which I am all for as I'm very much in to the dramatic eye effect, especially in the Autumn/Winter seasons as I find there to be much less rub off under the eye from the lower lash line. Although saying that, I haven't found any wear with this mascara. The formulation of it is really very thick but it sets within 30 seconds or so, so there is really a good all day wear out of it. Out of ten, I'd easily give this an 8.

 

 

 

Next up are Three eye liners and a brush. There isn't a lot I can say about the brush, other than it is an eyeshadow applicator with a blending sponge on the other end. My reasoning for buying this is simply because the smudging brush on my Maybelline New York Master Smoky eye liner is past the point of being clean now. And as the Avon one was only about £3 I though, why the heck not?
Now, the eye liner above the brush in the photo is from the Mega Impact collection and is in the colour "Colbat". As you'd maybe imagine it's a really intense vivid navy blue colour. Honestly, when I ordered this I didn't anticipate how pigmented it would be but my days, it is the brightest eyeliner I own. Strangely enough after playing around with it I've found that it looks incredible on both the upper and lower water line. It adds a really awesome difference to a smoky eye look which is handy really because I've been trying to venture out and find new looks for this year. Who wants to stick to the same old look day in day out huh?
Next up above the blue is my favourite eye liner in the history of eye liners. It is from the SuperSHOCK Collection and is in the colour "steel". I have also, literally, been wearing this daily since I bought it. I bought this with the idea of straying from black eye liner every day as I was just getting a little bit bored of it. And steel is just a fantastic deep metallic grey colour which again is so super pigmented it's just not real. I've had a super shock eye liner in the past and the thing that pulls me in with them is there lasting power. You apply this, and ten seconds later its as if you've used liquid eye liner. Unlike most kohl's it just does not budge. I am amazed by it and I can tell you now I'm going to be stocking up on these bad boys.
And finally, the top liner, is from the ordinary Avon collection and is called "Green". Oh Avon with your adventurous names you. I bought this because I though, hey, its Autumn. Why not try something autumnal with my makeup. Thus, this was bought. I know you can't see very well in the picture but its actually a really lovely kaki mucky green and under the lash line it does look fantastic. Particularly with brown eye shadow. I like it a lot but I feel as if this is going to be on of those things the lasts me forever.

Next is an eye shadow trio names "Onyx Quartz". I really like the design of this. Its very compact and as you can see it has a little drawer for the applicator. Adorable. I chose this compact as I thought the white, black and dusky rose would make for an interesting smoky eye. However although the colours are beautiful the actual formulation of the eye shadow lets the whole thing down a little in my opinion. I've tried to love this but after using it a few times I have to say I've just been so disappointed in the amount of fall out there is. It's really difficult for me to apply cleanly and I've been getting frustrated having to reapply concealer after the original application has been sprinkled with black. Also the eye shadow is very sheer and really not very buildable at all. Give it time I may find a way to make this work until then I will just be saddened by it.
And in the little glass pot is the best eye shadow primer I have used. It's so silky and gives a tint of colour as well. I've found that this works quite well as a concealer on days where I don't need much coverage. A tiny bit of this goes such a long way as well so although it's in the smallest pot ever I genuinely think this will last me a long while. I'm really happy I bought this to be honest. It's just superb!

 

Next is a nail varnish top coat named "Rose Golden". I love this, words can't explain how much I have come to depend on this. It's really similar to the rimmel London Aurora top coat I posted about a few weeks ago but this is just so much nicer. This looks amazing on top of greys, greens and blacks. I've been experimenting with this loads and I just adore every look I've used it with. It has various sized little orangey gold flecks and tiny little silver glitter bits in it. It dries super fast and doesn't leave my nails feeling thick with varnish. It doesn't chip easily and the glitter doesn't scrape off during the day like I've found with some glitter top coats. I really have nothing bad to say about this. I love it. Just, love it.
And the two lipsticks. Again, love them. The packaging for them is tiny and I mean, tiny. I got two colours. "Light Rose" and "Very Berry". The formulation for these is really creamy and feels real moisturising when it's on. However I have found that I have to reapply them quite a bit to keep the colours vibrant as they're quite glossy and sheer. I think these were on offer when I bought them at 2 for £3 which really you just cant go wrong with can you?

 

And finally I got this little box cosmetics bag as a free gift. I didn't think I liked this at first but I've come to like it quite a bit really. The size of it is just excellent as it holds a very decent amount of make up. I think I'll mostly use this when it comes to travelling as it's just that bit too big for every day use. Really though it's not bad for a free gift. And who would I be to complain about it?  

So that's it from Avon. I'm really quite surprised by the value against quality concept with it. I had all these ideas growing up that only rich ladies bought things from the Avon catalogue but honestly it's so affordable. If you don't already receive a copy of it I would look in to joining. I'm glad I did anyway.  

 

Now for the Christmas wish list this post. Dear Santa, I would rather like this.

This is the Ted Baker "Lips Made For Kissing" set. It's available at boots now for £15 and I really really really really really really really really REALLY want it. I've been very good this year and I personally think that I do deserve this. Going to have to speak nicely to that mother of mine. The colours of this just look fantastic. I would literally wear every colour. Oh Ted, why do you do these things to me.
Guys, hold out hope for me yeah?
Love you, G x

 



 

  

 

 



First Empties Ever!

It is a sad time in my life when I run out of one of any one of my cosmetics. And over the last few weeks that seems to have been happening a lot. But fear not, I do compensate by restocking. Probably not the best idea when it's coming up to Christmas. So I thought today I would write my very first ever empties blog. Is this going to hurt?

Firstly starting with beauty related items it seems I've only been running out of face products. This is honestly my favourite Primer. "Primed & Ready" by COLLECTION. Oh my days I could not get enough of this stuff. I'm pretty sure it retails at about the £3/£4 mark so it is well worth it just for the price alone. However I've only ever seen it available in the 18ml size which is honestly not enough. I would say I probably got about 10-15 uses out of this which really isn't too great. But let me tell you, after using this primer you literally could see no kind of flaws on my natural skin. My pores appeared non existent and any redness or blemishes I knew about looked so minute I could barely notice them. I will definitely be repurchasing this.

Next up is my all time favourite liquid foundation by RIMMEL LONDON. I used the wake me up foundation in "100 ivory" and the match to my natural skin tone was just sensational. I actually adore this foundation more than humanly reasonable. But there are so many reasons why you should. Firstly the lasting power is just immense. I can put this on at 7 in the morning and not need any touch-ups all day. Secondly just the way it looks. It says on the packaging that it gives an anti-fatigue effect and radiant glow. Now I don't know about the radiant glow as I have to wear powder foundation on top if I want to feel comfortable however it is amazing for the anti-fatigue effect. Put this on the morning after a late night and you'd not know the difference. If you want to trick people in to thinking you get 8 hours sleep a night then this is the foundation you're after. I know I never get that much sleep but you'd really never know. Now, I do want to repurchase this more than anything but the problem is I already have another one but in the shade "200 soft beige" and while it is still pretty amazing it's just that bit too dark for Autumn. Maybe it'll go on the Christmas list?

Next is the MAYBELLINE NEW YORK Dream Matte Mousse in shade "005 Porcelain". I have literally had this foundation for almost a year. It got to the point where just as I was finishing it off was when it had started getting a little funky and past it's best. It was just getting a bit dry and cracked. Nothing like the soft, light and well whipped consistency of when it bought it. Although I really liked this foundation in the summer I'm actually quite relieved it's over and done with now. Porcelain. When I think of porcelain I think white, pale, ivory. But no, this really is quite orangey which is not on my ok list. I found I had to spend a whole bunch of time really really blending this in well to get rid of the orange tinge it gave. Although I never had to use a powder on top as it was quite powdery in itself and yes, exceedingly matte which I love. This is one of those products I want to love, and I want to repurchase but I really don't think it'll happen. Unless I found an even lighter shade in it. But honestly I don't think one exists. So it's a very sad farewell to the dream matte mouse.

Also from MAYBELLINE NEW YORK is not one, but two of the FIT me! pressed powder foundations both in the shade "120 classic ivory". Now you may think that because I have used two of these that I must love it. However I'm not sure that's the case. Yes, it's a really good powder foundation. Yes, the coverage is great (when you use enough). Yes, it's affordable at about £6-£8 but they just run out SO fast. I couldn't really believe it when I'd had one for about 5 weeks and I had to go out and buy another. I'm not really sure why I did in all honesty as thinking back I feel like I've completely wasted my money. As you can see in the picture they are not actually completely out, however they're at that point where I really can't get any more out of them with a brush. What I will do though is crumble them up in to the Dream Matte Mousse pot and use it as a loose powder. Mainly because I love the glass packaging of the mousse. Anyway I definitely wont be repurchasing this. Maybelline, what are you doing?

Now on to shower related products. Firstly is the TRESemmé cleanse & replenish Remoisturising conditioner. I love love love love looooveee this conditioner. Usually when I stick to one conditioner my hair gets a bit bored of it and doesn't really feel as nourished after 3/4 washes but with this, oh no, that was definitely not the case. After every single use of this my hair felt amazing. I really do think Tresemmé are exceptionally underrated. I honestly felt like id just been to the salon every time I used this. I can't remember the exact price of this but I believe it was on offer at around £4. Now, £4 for a 900ml bottle of conditioner is good at any stretch of the imagination. This conditioner lasted me literally about 3 months too, and that's not just with me using it. Even my sneaky older brother was dipping in to it every now and again. The big git. Now I went to repurchase this two days ago at Tesco but unfortunately they were out of stock. But I will get my hands on this again. Be it the last thing I do (Over dramatics, yay!)


And finally in my empties collection is my all time favourite thing in the history of my life. The Original Source Vanilla milk and Raspberry shower gel. There is no greater thing in the world than this smell. I don't care what anyone says. Being realistic it's a decent shower gel. It isn't too sticky, it's not weak, it's affordable and it works. I can't complain about the formulation of this. But it's the smell. The smell bought this for me. If Original Source were to bring out air fresheners or car danglys or whatever I would buy the lot. I only finished this two nights ago so I haven't had chance to buy it again, but I will. Oh, and at the poundshop they had this in a handwash form which is now sitting nicely on my sink. Love it.




 So that's it for my very first empties Blog. I am now hopelessly depressed about all these things I have to go out and rebuy. So depressed it hurts. I hate shopping. Gosh. I'm also pro at sarcasm.
Now for the Christmas wishlist. What do I want? Hmmm... Oh yeah, this.

 

The BOURJOIS PARIS Blush in "48 Cendre De Rose Brune". Believe it or not, I only own 1 bourjois item which is the Queen Attitude Kohl Kahjal eye liner. Now, I found out through watching EssieButton's youtube videos that this shade blush is the very first shade Bourjois ever created and that makes me want it so bad. I don't honestly know why but the idea of having something so classic in my make up collection excites me. Also the packaging of pretty much all Bourjois products is just so so beautiful. I think the only packaging that doesn't pull me in so much is that of the Healthy mix line, so the foundations and serums and concealers. I think it just looks a bit bland. But honestly, look at that picture. It's just so feminine and cute and gorgeous and lovely and pretty and god I want it now. Hopefully Mr. Claus will be generous this year.

Love, G x