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