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Adventures in Rotterdam

October 27, 2014

Rotterdam Adventures51Rotterdam Adventures21Rotterdam Adventures11Rotterdam Adventures111Rotterdam Adventures101Rotterdam Adventures81Rotterdam Adventures61Rotterdam Adventures41Rotterdam Adventures31Rotterdam Adventures131Rotterdam Adventures121

 

I’m finally back and recovered from my latest trip to the mainland to see my other half, and thought I’d share some of my favourite moments from the trip to cheer me up.

Considering how many times I’ve been to Rotterdam now I realised that I’d not seen quite a few of it’s more famous landmarks, so we took a stroll through the north of the city centre where you can find the famous floating cube houses. Just across the way is the new market with it’s gorgeous foodie mural and delicacies of all kind (including my favourite stroopwaffel ice-cream <3).

On the other side of the city I finally got a good look at the Maas river, including the olde docks and striking Erasmus bridge. The sun was shining with bright blue skies for most of the week, but it was especially enjoyable along the riverside when we stopped to nibble on some frites special – chips with Dutch mayonnaise, shoarma sauce and tiny chopped raw onions – yummy!

Most yummy of all though was our adventure to Bij Resteraunt Spirit. A vegan buffet restaurant that satisfied all the cravings of my deepest dreams! As you can see from my plate I just had to try lots of things including risotto balls, chilli setain, gourmet cabbage and rocket ravioli – what a mix! I’ll definitely be taking another trip there next time I’m in the Netherlands, and in the mean time will be crossing all my fingers that someone in the UK catches on to this awesome idea!

Finally here is an obligatory selfie from our adventures!

IMG_1236

Totally hellbent for Rotterdam!

– Gem

Tags

The Make-up Addict Tag

October 8, 2014

The Make-up addict tag

We were tagged by the lovely Jaq at Lazy Days Beauty (you can read her answers here) and we have to say we’re feeling quite guilty at admitting to quite how much make-up we have accumulated and just how deep the cosmetic addiction goes. Not guilty enough to stop us buying more though!

 

What product do you still keep buying more of despite having plenty in your collection?

Gem: Er. Everything? Lipsticks and palettes are probably the products I find hardest to resist. 

Pants: Yeah again – everything, but mostly red lipsticks :oS.

What’s the one product you can’t live without?

Gem: Eyebrow pencil/powder. I think it’s the one thing that makes me look well put together even if I’m having a bad skin day or have bags under my eyes. If I could stretch it to two though I’d definitely throw a good concealer in there!

Pants: I’d have to say eyebrow powder/pencil and gel. Gem and I were discussing this on the way back from the gym yesterday actually. If we had to go without all our makeup, we could definitely survive providing we had good eyebrows.


Favourite makeup brand?

Gem: Benefit, I’m well aware that I can only wear one blusher at a time but that doesn’t mean I don’t need them all! 

Pants: Hmm I’m also a massive fan of Benefit, but theBalm is also definitely on par for me.

How big is your makeup collection?

Gem: Far too big.

Pants: Problematic.

And how do you like to store it?

Gem: I have a four drawer dressing table with a three drawer unit next to it that houses things that I don’t reach for very often with acrylic storage on top for my lipsticks and everyday essentials. Then I have a work make-up bag and a gigging day make-up bag and two zebra print hard cosmetics cases. Plus the piles that accumulate all over my office. God it’s just everywhere…

Pants: Well, I have a dressing table next to my bed with one drawer and plenty of items on top, but I also have a Malm unit with the mirror on the top, three little drawers and three big ones. Unfortunately I tend to hoard a lot of my makeup in my craft room where it’s out of sight when I’m yet to review it, so I’d say it pretty much takes over everywhere!

How many items of makeup have you got in your handbag at the moment?

Gem: Six lipsticks, three lip-balms, a concealer and an eyebrow pencil. That wouldn’t be too bad if I didn’t tote a separate make-up bag around with me usually too! 

Pants: Hmm not too many actually. My current hand bag has a lipstick, a lipbalm, some headache balm, three hand creams (why!!!!) and a blusher. Although usually I take a little makeup bag with me too so these are just bottom of the bag products.


If you could raid another blogger’s stash, who would it be?

Gem: Lets go right for the big dogs and say Pixiwoo as I’m pretty sure they have everything I’ve ever wanted ever plus an unending stash of Real Technique brushes!

Pants: Hmm this is hard. I might go for Miss Makeup Magpie – her collection seems to range from budget to the more expensive end of the market which gives a nice variety.


How long does your usual makeup routine take and how many products do you use?

Gem: I can do my daytime make-up in about fifteen minutes, but I do like to take a bit longer if I have the time! I use primer, PoreFessional, foundation, concealer, power, blusher, highlighter, brow powder, eye primer, some combination of shades from Naked 3, eye-liner, mascara, lipstick and lipcote so that’s fourteen. Gosh that’s quite a lot isn’t it. Stage make-up can take a lot longer with a much bigger list! 

Pants: I guess it depends where I’m going. If I’m just popping out for 5 minutes, then 10 minutes of mascara and eyebrow application will do me. If we are going on stage, I like to spend longer perfecting my base and even longer playing around with my face at the venue. If I’m having a can’t be bothered kind of day, then I generally just moisturise and if I want to make a bit more effort I’ll add in some eyebrow powder and gel, primer, face powder and mascara. Anything over this usually involves concealer, eye primer, highlighter, bronzer (for a little contour), eyeshadow, eyeliner, blusher, lipstick and lipcote if I’m not using a stain oh and makeup setting spray.

Have you ever bought makeup knowing you wouldn’t use it?

Gem: I can’t resist any sort of bargain, so I’ve definitely picked up things I knew I probably wouldn’t use just because it was on offer. This is why I am both poor and drowning in make-up!

Pants: Probably 60% of the time, of which I blame Gemma entirely.

Tag a few other makeup addicts to do the tag!

We’re tagging:

Simone of 30 Something OAP
Aimee of Aimee Belle Blogs
& Mish of MishMreow

Totally hellbent for waaaay too  much make-up!
– Gem & Pants

Lifestyle

Pretty Budget Stationary by Wilkinsons – Balance Collection

October 3, 2014
Wilkinsons Budget Pretty Stationary

Wilkinsons Budget Pretty Stationary

Wilkinsons Budget Pretty Stationary

Wilkinsons Budget Pretty Stationary Notepad

Wilkinsons Budget Pretty Stationary Notepad

Balance Weekly Planner Pad [£1.00]

Balance  A5 Notebook [£1.50]

Balance A5 Ring-bound Notebook [£1.50 – not available online]

Balance Set of Three Shopping List Notebooks [£0.75]

Balance Handbag Pen [£2.00]

Just when I thought I had successfully navigated September’s “Back to School” without a massive and unnecessary stationary haul…

I get a lot of my stationary from Wilkinsons, they always have office necessities and lovely non-necessities at much lower prices than WH Smiths, Paperchase and Staples. I found this whole pretty set for under a tenner, and with lovely birds and a colour scheme that almost matches my hair, -and- a new work project to make a thousand notes about I just had to have them!

The full collection has a whole array of items including a nail file and a compact mirror and starts at only 25p, but I stuck to the bits and pieces I actually-sort-of-needed….this time!

They are all lovely quality for the price, and now I feel ready to get organised and fill them all with millions of ideas! I think the planner pad is going to be perfect for plotting out blog posts and keeping me on track in general, and I just love handwriting when it comes to both brainstorming and lyric writing so I always have to have a notebook on hand.

You can check out the whole collection online  here, or find them in Wilkinsons stores.

Totally hellbent for new stationary meaning more productivity!

– Gem

Empties

September Empties

September 30, 2014
September Empties

September Empties Gonna give you the heads up that the title is a bit of a fib!  I’ve been building up a shamefully huge stash of empties over the summer, so this is probably more like June/July’s empties that have lay in waiting for me to get my blogging groove back! Any other bloggers out there find that they end up with boxes and bags full of empties everywhere just waiting and begging to be posted? Anyway, onto the first lot of things I’ve used up! September Empties - Soap and Glory

Soap and Glory Heel Genius Foot Cream (£5.50) I swear by the Avon Footworks Heel Softening Cream most of the time, but this is definitely a close second favourite. The fresh almost-peppermint scent is delicious and it never fails to leave my tootsies feeling pampered.

Repurchase? It’s unlikely that I will buy it for myself as I usually (hint hint double hint) end up with some S&G bundles including Heel Genuis at Christmas  

Soap and Glory Scrub ’em and Leave ’em (£8.00) Probably my favourite of the plethora of S&G scrubs. I find I can make a tub last for ages with some restraint, but usually I blast through one of these in a month because they are SO amazing.

Repurchase? Definitely.

Soap and Glory Peaches and Clean (£8.00) I’ve been using this cleanser pretty much continuously since January and I’ve yet to find anything that leaves my skin feeling as soft and clean. It melts off my make-up in seconds and even makes my oily skin (and it’s horrible big pores) look clean and fresh no matter how badly I’ve been treating it.

Repurchase? I’ve got a couple of bottles stashed away so I never run out!

Soap and Glory The Righteous Butter (£10.50) The only body butter that comes close to perfection.

Repurchase? Another S&G treasure I keep stockpiled, so yes!

 

September Empties31 Avon Naturals Body Lotion in Black Cherry and Nutmeg Hand and Body Lotion (no longer available) I really love the Avon naturals range, but find it really frustrating when I find a scent I like that they stop producing. This was definitely one of my favourites, so I’ll be heading to Amazon and Ebay to track down another bottle when my stash of Avon hand and body lotions runs down!

Repurchase? If I can find it!

Avon Footworks XXL Heel Softening Cream (£2.45) You can expect to see one of these in practically every empties post ever as I easily go through one tub a month. Definitely the best foot cream I’ve come across, it’s unscented (usually, though sometimes they do release scented versions) no fuss, and works to keep my feet soft whether it’s flip-flop or boots weather. I smother this on before bed with a pair of moisturising socks and it is absolutely magic!

Repurchase? Absolutely!

Rituals Laughing Buddah Fortune Scrub (£9.00) I was actually quite underwhelmed by this scrub, which is surprising as I’m a big fan of Rituals in general. Though the smell was frankly divine, the scrub itself seemed scratchy yet somehow less effective than more comfortable counterparts. The only upside really is that I got this free with a magazine for a few quid so didn’t shell out the full price for something I didn’t really like very much.

Repurchase? Unlikely.

The Beauty Parlour Hand Lotion (no longer available) I found this hand lotion in a Morrisons January sale if I recall correctly, and though I really loved the scent and the texture (very similar to Soap and Glory Hand Food, not that you’d guess at all from the cheeky packaging!) a quick search on-line makes it seem as though this product is no longer available direct from anywhere, though there are a few floating around on Ebay. At the 99p I paid for it, this is a great dupe for Hand Food for those who want to save a few pennies, but unless this brand resurfaces for the supermarket Christmas gift aisle it might be lost to the beauty world forever!  

Repurchase? I’ve got a couple of Hand Foods on the go at the moment, but I probably would pick it up if I saw it!

 

September Empties41 Avon Naturals Apricot and Shea De-tangling Spray (£1.00) Another great Avon find, this is second only to the Aussie offering when it comes to de-tangling sprays., and tends to be a whole lot cheaper! It has a gorgeous scent and is an absolute god-send for getting a brush through hair that has been headbanged all over the place. I finished the last of this off post Bloodstock Open Air festival, which was probably the worst case of birds nest hair I’ve ever had!

Repurchase? Ayup!

Batiste Dry Shampoo in Floral and Flirty Blush (£2.99) The standard for dry shampoo I think, this isn’t my favourite scent (I like the tropical best) but it works as well as any other. I try not to wash my hair more than once a week to preserve colour so this is one product I just couldn’t live without.

Repurchase? Always

Aussie Three Minute Miracle (£4.99) This is the same conditioner I’ve used since I first stared experimenting with bright hair colours, and though it’s not the colour-specific type I use regularly, I find the reconstructer is the best for repairing all kinds of damage.

Repurchase? Yeeees  

Avon Naturals Chamomile and Aloe Vera Care and Repair Conditioning Balm (No longer available) Geez, c’mon Avon, please stop discontinuing all my favourite products this month! This is (or alas now was) a great little pick me up, espcially for my horrendous split ends

Repurchase? If they re-release it!

 

September Empties51   Dermatalogica Clear Start Breakout Clearing Foaming Wash (£13.00) I was quite excited when I got this in the last ever Miss Glossybox (Which I wish they would bring back so much!) but it sat unused for quite a while, however I totally fell in love with this facewash on the first use! It’s been my in-the-shower facewash ever since and I’m a little bit heartbroken that it’s run out now. Still it’s well worth the price and I’m sure I’ll go back to it once I’ve run out of my far too large stash of face washes!

Repurchase? Yup

Balance Me Moisture Rich Face Cream (£24.00) I’m quite a fan of Balance Me, I love their company ethos and their products never fail, but I just couldn’t get too enthused about this moisturiser considering the full price. This sample has been great for throwing in a gig bag but I don’t think it impressed me enough unfortunately.

Repurchase? Unlikely

Philip Kingsley One more Day Dry Shampoo (£13.50) Undoubtedly the best dry shampoo I’ve ever used, I got this in a Glamour Beauty Edit box and I’ve tried to make it last as long as I can! As wonderful as it is though, I definitely can’t think about spending £13.50 on a hair product that I usually go through so quickly. Maybe I’ll treat myself and ration it out between Batiste!

Repurchase? Maybe

 

September Empties61 Jelly Pong pong Fairy Lashes (New style – £18.00) Don’t you just hate it when your favourite mascara dries out? This was a second repurchase after I first tried Fairy Lashes in a Glossybox, but it looks as though they’ve stopped selling this specific mascara and have replaced it with the new Curl Fairy Lashes. I’m of course willing to give the new one a try at some point, but I have a lot of other mascaras to get through first!

Repurchase? At some point

Tresseme Platinum Strength 60 Second Treatment Shot (£1.49) These are great little treats for a pamper night, though I find that I do need two to fully cover my long thick hair! This was another Glossybox find, and one I’ve already repurchased a few times. You can never have too many hair masks and treatments to counter the amount of bleach it takes to get blue hair!

Repurchase? Yes!

ELF Mineral Infused Face Primer (£6.95) Probably the best budget face primer your money can buy. This does have that silicone-y texture that some people don’t like, but I found it gave me a great base for my foundation and helped keep everything in place for much longer. I’ve since invested in some slightly higher end primers that I do prefer, but I’d definitely go back to this if I wanted to save a few pennies!

Repurchase? Maybe

The Body Shop Seaweed Mattifying Day Cream (£11.00) As someone with naturally shiny skin, I’m always looking for ways to try and get rid of the oil slick look, but as lovely as this moisturiser is (aren’t all Body Shop moisturisers lovely?) I didn’t feel that it really stopped my skin being shiny.

Repurchase? No

So that’s all for this especially long empties post! Have you tried any of these products?

Totally hellbent for a slightly less bulging empties box!

-Gem

Hauls

Essential repurchases from The Body Shop

September 29, 2014
The Body Shop Mini Haul

The Body Shop Mini Haul

With the near constant special offers available at The Body Shop I never have to wait too long to grab my essentials at way below the high street price! I was pretty sensible this time and managed to get an absolute bargain on four of my all time favourite products.

Vanilla Body Mist (£7.50)

This is my absolute favourite body mist in the world – I think I’m onto my sixth or seventh bottle by now. I like to take this along to gigs to freshen up after an hour on a sweaty stage, and despite the glass bottle I’ve luckily never had any accidents!  I always get a lot of compliments on this scent and find that it easily lasts as long as a good EDP. There are a few other fragrances I’d like to try from The Body Shop (especially the Raspberry EDT that Pants reviewed here)but I find that I come back to this one time and time again.

Early-Harvest Raspberry Shower Gel (£4.00)

My favourite of all the fruity shower gels on offer (With the new Argon Oil range there are now 10 different delicious scents!). I really think you can’t beat The Body Shop for shower products in this price range and I’m super-eager to finish off the bottle of scrumptious Honeymania I’m half way through at the moment so I can delve into this berry heaven.

Strawberry Soap (£2.00)

I’ve never been a fan of using soap on my skin, this is actually what I use for washing my make-up brushes. Unorthodox I know, but it’s the fastest way I’ve found yet and The Body Shop soaps are vegan friendly unlike some of the dedicated brush cleaners out there.

Vitamin E Moisture Cream (£11.00)

This was one of the first products I ever tried from The Body Shop and remains a firm favourite years later. Pants is the undisputed queen of the Vitamin E range (as demonstrated in her posts here and here!) but I always find myself dipping in and out of this simple but reliable face cream between other favourites. This is also the perfect moisturiser for mixing in with foundation on those days when you want a lighter finish.

 

So there you have it, one very restrained mini Body Shop haul that should have cost £24.50 but swung it’s way to me for a bargainous £11.09!

The offers change all the time but currently you can get 30% off when you buy three items or 40% off when you buy five items both in store and on-line with the code RADIANCE, so if you’re planning on restocking or trying something new head over to The Body Shop now where you can also bag free delivery on orders over £25!

Totally hellbent for reliable favourites

– Gem

Fragrance

Christian Lacroix Ambre for her EDP

September 28, 2014
Christian Lacrois Ambre EDP Avon

Christian Lacroix Ambre EDP Avon

Christian Lacroix Ambre EDP Avon

I’ve become quite a fan of Avon perfumes this past year but the new collaboration fragrance with Christian Lacroix has set my heart all a flutter.  The official blub reeled me in right away –

Christian Lacroix Ambre is announced as the scent that awakens the senses and imagination, intense, sensual and desirable, belonging to the category of chypre-gourmand fragrances. It opens with mandarin oil and juicy berries, leading to the heart of absolute rose, jasmine and rosewood and the base of amber and liquid caramel.

– and lets be honest, the packaging is very lovely for a budget friendly fragrance! I’d say you can definitely pick out the sweeter mandarin and berry notes, yet it never becomes cheap and fruity. The amber and caramel base keeps it in a decidedly grown-up-with-a-sweet-tooth territory and works so well with the brighter fruitier scents.

I’ve no qualms whatsoever  about displaying this next to perfumes that cost quadruple it’s price, and imagine I will be wearing it quite often throughout the impending autumn and winter, in fact I’ve only had the bottle for a week and I’ve already made a fair dent in it!

I find you do have to build up quite a bit to get it to last all day, but I’ve always been quite trigger happy with fragrance so that’s never a problem for me! I’m hoping we will be seeing a shower gel/moisturiser launched at some point, as I find laying and building up Avon fragrances helps a lot.

Christian Lacroix Ambre is available exclusively from Avon and will be launched officially in Brochure 17 for £20 including the lovely cosmetics bag and three full size Avon products as a free gift. If you’re too impatient to wait there are a good few dotted around on Amazon and Ebay right now.

Totally hellbent for designer fragrance that is very easy on the eye, nose and purse

– Gem

Beauty Boxes

Glossybox September 2014

September 22, 2014
Glossybox September 2014

Glossybox September 2014

 

Glossybox have fallen into my bad books lately. Not only have I received some terrible customer service but also I’ve found the past two boxes a little lacklustre. Considering I was singing their praises to the high heavens till recently, I still have hope that they will be pulling out some awesome boxes again but for now I can’t say that I’m particularly impressed.

The September 2014 Glossybox is designed by Karen Millen, and though I can honestly say I don’t think I’ve ever stepped foot in one of their stores, I do like the London imagery that covers the box this month.

Inside there are two full size products and six samples along with a £25 off voucher for Karen millen stores when you spend £150 (unlikely).

 

Glossybox September 2014 Model Co More Brows

ModelCo MORE BROWS Fibre Gel

The first full size product is a brow gel from ModelCo in light/medium. I saw the preview video with Binky from Made in Chelsea before the box was shipped and I was quite excited about this product, but I can’t say I’m particularly taken with it in person. I’ve tried these wand applicator brow gels before and I find them messier and less precise than my usual powders and pencils. Honestly this is likely going to end up in the back of a drawer somewhere unused because it’s just not enough to tame and shape my rather sparse brows, if you’ve naturally got a thicker brow though it would probably work a lot better for you!

Full Size

£14.95 from www.modelcocosmetics.com

 

Glossybox September 2014 mythic masque

L’Oreal Professionnel Mythic Masque

Next up is a replenishing and nourishing hair mask from L’Oreal. I was initially quite looking forward to trying this, but when you have to towel dry your hair before applying then get back in the shower to rinse it off? Who has time for that! It smells delicious and I have seen good things about this all over the web, so maybe I can convince myself that going through the bother of drying only to condition once more is a good idea (or more likely I’ll just apply it to wet hair >.>)

75ml Sample

£17.99 for 200ml from www.lookfantastic.com

 

Glossybox September 2014 SkinPep

SkinPep Enzyme and Acid Peel & Dark Circle Eraser

I do love getting products from lesser known companies but with only one sachet of eye-cream and two 3.5ml sachets of the face peel, I’m not sure if there’s enough product to really get a feel for them. The full sizes come at a pretty penny so it would be nice to get a slightly bigger sample to decide if you want to invest further or not. I really don’t feel that even a bundle of such sachets constitutes a place in Beauty Boxes if I’m honest, does anyone else feel this way and prefer to get at least a decent sized sample of even very high end products?

2x 3.5ml sample and 1x 2ml sample

£89.99 and £44.99 from Skinpep.com

 

Glossybox September 2014 Nails Inc matte topcoat

Nails Inc Westminster Bridge matte Top Coat

The only thing I really got excited about in my September Glossybox was this lovely matte topcoat from one of my favourite brands, Nails Inc. I’ve been wearing quite a lot of matte nails recently, but with a topcoat you can turn every polish you own matte! It’s a full size bottle which will last for absolutely ages, the brush is so easy to use and it dries pretty quickly for those of you (like me) who are always in a hurry to get your nails finished. Best product by a mile!

Full Size

£12 from NailsInc.com

 

Glossybox September 2014 Vichey

 

Vichy Normaderm Night Detox and Hydrating Care

I’m a big fan of Vichy skincare and even though these tiny samples are only 3ml, because they come in tubes rather than sachets you can likely get a few uses out of each one and thus a better feel for the products. The addition of both a day and night cream means these are perfect for throwing in an overnight bag for any impromptu adventures. I’ve not tried either of these creams before but both are products I’d be interested to purchase so even though I’m usually pretty meh about small skincare samples I’ll let this one slip just this once!

2 x 3ml samples

£12.00 for 40ml and £15.50 for 50ml from Boots.com

 

So overall I have to say this isn’t one of the best boxes I’ve received by a long shot, very heavy on the skincare samples and only one product that I can really get excited about. I’ve not seen many reviews for alternative products this month though, did you get anything different in your box?

Totally hellbent for Nails Inc saving the day

Gem

News

Back on Track

September 3, 2014

 

Ever notice how you see a lot of posts about “Getting back into blogging” or “Getting your blogging groove back” around this time of year? I can totally appreciate the slump of activity that happens over summer and then the sudden rush of content once the new school year starts.

I’m a real (sort of) grown up with a round-the-year job so it’s not so much that I go home for summer or enjoy a flood of new inspirational uni stationary in September, rather that I’m in a long distance relationship and the only extended time we get together in during his university break in the summer. We’ve had a wonderful summer together, but parted ways tearfully on Sunday when he returned to Holland for his final year of studies. Being in a long distance relationship can be very trying even with an end in sight, but the upside is that every moment together is absolutely cherished.

1908085_10152257033957791_1678075985183714971_n

So whilst I’ve still been spending far too much on cosmetics, and have had plenty of inspiration to write posts, quite simply I’ve been drinking up the time with my other half and blogging has fallen by the wayside. I have the handy back-up of sharing HBFL with Amie who has kept content flowing in my absence, but in truth I’ve really missed my little corner of the internet and  feel really good about a sudden rush of inspiration for writing and blogging in general.

It can be a bit intimidating writing that first post after such a long break, but here I am and once this one is out of the way I can get back to the far more interesting topic of shiny make-up.

Totally hellbent for getting back into the swing of things.

Gem

 

Beauty Boxes

Stars and Stripes Glossybox July 2014

July 20, 2014
Glossybox July 2014

Glossybox July 2014

Glossybox July 2014

I have returned from hibernation! There are plenty of reasons why I took a little break from blogging and left HBFL in the very capable hands of Amie for a few weeks, but I shan’t go into them now for there are shiny treats inside this pretty stars and stripes box and playing with make-up is always more fun than waxing lyrical about mushy feelings!

This is an awesome box with four full size products and a generous 15ml sample, I adore the packaging and although it’s a tiny minuscule thing on the scale of importance I’m a little bit in love with the red filling!

Glossybox July 2014

Bellapierre Cosmetics Ltd Mineral Lipstick in Ruby

Wowza! I do so love a red lip so this was a perfect pick for me. I’ve used a few Bellapierre products before but nothing from their lip range, I think after this I’ll definitely be looking to pick up a few more. Ruby applies so easily, the texture is very creamy but doesn’t feel like it slips even after a few hours. The pigmentation is great and there is a gorgeous shimmer finish that isn’t too glossy. An amazing find that gives me a great interest in checking out the other shades in the range.

Full Size

£20 from bellapierre.co.uk

 

Glossybox July 2014

ABSOLUTE New York Perfecting Eyeshadow Primer

I’ve not heard of ABSOLUTE New York before but I’m already a big fan of this eye primer. It has a lovely texture and dries to a soft finish that gives a good smooth base for any colour. I can’t comment on longevity without giving it a few trial runs, but for application this is a great little find.

Full Size

$4.99 from Nicka.com

 

Glossybox July 2014

Carmex Lip Balm

I’m a sucker for lip balms and have a shamefully large collection, however I think I can definitely make room for one more pot with this little treat. Carmex is one of those classic brands that everyone has heard of but I’ve never been particularly tempted to try it out.  I can see now though why it is a favourite amongst celebrities and make-up artists though, in one quick pat on my lips it made them feel smooth and moisturised, it is slightly greasy feeling but I don’t mind that so much. The menthol leaves a slight pleasant tingle so it might be worth some caution if you are very sensitive to such.

Full Size

£2.69 from Graftonsbeauty.co.uk

 

Glossybox July 2014

Color Club Nail Polish in Glossy Seal 

I’ve dabbled with a few Color Club polishes but none as lovely as Glossy Seal. This inky teal-tinged blue is right up my street and surprisingly I can’t find a shade similar in my collection. The formula is a dream, application was quick and streak-free and one coat was enough for an even opaque finish. Love love love!

Full Size

$8 from Shopcolorclub.com

 

Glossybox July 2014

Juice Beauty Green Apple SPF 15 Moisturiser

This was the least exciting product in the box at first glance, but one sniff of the gorgeous apple scent and I was sold! My only qualm is the SPF 15 seems kind of redundant in this sort of weather, I think I’ll hold onto this for the colder months when I can be a little less strict with keeping my facial SPF above 100.

15ml Sample

£35.75 for 50ml from Naturisimo.com

 

So overall a pretty amazing box for me personally, especially the cosmetic colour choices!

If you want a Glossybox of your very own you can pick one up for £10 (+P&P) from Glossybox.co.uk.

Totally hellbent for a beauty box full of things I will definitely use!

– Gem

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100 Happy Days PT. 2

June 25, 2014

Silly as it sounds, finding something every day that makes me smile even if only for a moment really does help with the ups and downs of life. I’ll admit I skipped a few days purely out of forgetfulness, but this is a challenge I’m determined to see through so I’ve picked back up and set an alarm on my phone to remind me to find something every day!

Here is 11-20 of my #100HappyDays!

100 happy days 11 12

11. One of my favourite things in the world is the simplicity of a good power walk with my best exercise buddies Amie and CJ. I’m a cat person honestly, but I just adore taking CJ for walkies. We went to nearby Cofton Park and did a few KM to burn off all the nervous energy that builds when I know my significant other in en route!

12. And here he is! Roode is now officially here for the summer, though I strongly suspect he is here to fuss over my darling Helena rather than spend time with me sometimes! The two of them are just inseparable and it’s adorable.

 

100 happy days 13 14

 

13. One of the best perks of having him here is the amazing vegan delicacies he so masterfully creates. You might have seen Amie and I waxing lyrical about De Vegetarische Slager (Or in English The Vegetarian butcher!) before, it’s a delicious vegan meat substitute that is scarily realistic. It’s currently only available in The Netherlands and I think Belgium, but we order huge bags of it every time Roode comes to England to tide us over till they (hopefully!) start selling it over here.

14. So we know now that it’s all over for the England football team in this World Cup, but I was full of optimism here before the first match. It’s the agony and the ecstasy of World Cup football that I love, and at the very least I can still cheer on the Dutch team (who actually DO stand a chance of winning with the way they are playing!)

 

100 happy days 15 16

15. Here we are right before Race for Life! We beat our previous time and did a lot more running than walking this time so it was a really big personal achievement for us both!

16. My prize arrived from the lovely Katie at Pretty For Pence! I had a nice stream of luck this week from competitions which made me feel less bad about a spending ban as I still have plenty of shiny treats incoming! You can see the review for the Bourjois Manucure Toppings here!

 

100 happy days 17 18

17. Sometimes nothing beats a surprise visit from a friend when you’re feeling low. Simon has been like the big brother I never had since before even my teens and I cherish every moment we have together now we are sort-of proper grown-ups who can’t sit around in our PJs all day watching rubbish films and eating pizza.

18. Summer Solstice is one of my favourite events of the year and we celebrate the longest day with a trip down south to Glastonbury, Avebury and Stonehenge. Here we are at the top of Glastonbury Tor in the scorching mid-day heat! Unfortunately we couldn’t stay to greet the sunrise this year as I had to teach in the morning, but we had a great time shopping in the awesome treasure troves of Glastonbury and exploring the gorgeous landscape.

 

100 happy days 19 20

19. Another competition prize arrived! This time from the lovely Simone at 30 Something OAP. I asked her to pick out the Models Own shade of polish for me and she chose this amazing blue velvet glitter which I adore! She also kindly sent two bonus goodies – an anti-stress mud mask (which I totally need right now!) and some Kleenex shine absorbing sheets which have been doing a great job of keeping me from looking like an oil slick in this heat!

20. I’ve been feeling like I need (another) healthy kickstart so I’ve started juicing. Yes I’m starving and craving carbs like you wouldn’t believe, but absolutely nothing feels healthier than a raw vegan diet. Let’s see how long I can keep it up!

 

Once again #100HappyDays has done it’s magic and I feel much more positive after this post than I did before it. If you’re interested in starting the #100HappyDays challenge to bring a little burst of positivity you can check out the website here.

Totally Hellbent for the little things making a huge difference.

– Gem