Gemma – Hellbent for Lipstick

Nails

Bourjois Manucure Toppings in Coral Bikini, Lilac Sand & Maliblue

June 19, 2014

As with all nail trends I was inevitably late to this party but I seem to have suddenly acquired quite a collection of nail caviar sets, and this the latest was a competition win from the lovely Pretty for Pence!

The trio contains three shades; Coral Bikini, a mix of red silver and gold, Lilac Sand in purple and silver and Maliblue, which is made up of blue silver and black. I’ve tried quite a few different caviar manis recently and I have to say I can see no difference between the original Ciate (£18 a set) and the Primark (I paid £1 for mine!) set, nor indeed this Bourjois offering somewhere in the middle at £6.99 each.

To apply you simply pour the tiny beads over the top of wet nail varnish and leave to set. None of them survive longer than a day or two, but they do give an amazing 3D effect whilst it lasts!

My favourite of the three is (unsurprisingly) Maliblue, but as I’m so into this look at the moment I think all three will find plenty of wear on my nails. If you’re like me and enjoy changing your manicure every few days anyway then it’s no extra bother to take it off and start again once the balls start going AWOL. If you are after something that will last you a whole week then caviar nails are definitely not for you!

The only thing I don’t really like about the Bourjois Manucure Toppings is that they don’t come with a funnel, which is pretty essential if you don’t want to throw away the inevitable spillage that occurs when you pour the beads onto your nails. Luckily I have a few from my other sets, but if you don’t have one it’s quite tricky to try and pour the beads back in even if you do collect them in a piece of folded paper. My advice would be to pop to Primark and grab one of their sets for £1 just for the funnel!

Overall I am quite smitten with this summery trio, so big thanks to lady luck and Katie from Pretty for Pence for bringing them into my life!

£6.99 each from Boots.com

Totally hellbent for loving a freebie!

– Gem

Beauty Boxes

Birchbox Review June 2014 – Global Strikers

June 15, 2014

With a cheerful nod towards World Cup season, the June Birchbox has a “Global Strikers” theme and a cute bag emblazoned with the Brazil flag colours. I’m a huge fan of the World Cup, and in fact delayed writing this very blog post so that I could enjoy the England V Italy match fully (IE prepare many beers!). Unfortunately it was a loss for England, but I enjoyed every moment of it none the less!

Before kicking off (hur hur) the first impressions of what was in my box, I have to do a tiny whine and say that some people received a Beauty Blender in their boxes, which is a very desirable find in any box at £26! I didn’t get one, and of course that is the luck of the draw with beauty boxes, and it sort of took away from an otherwise great box knowing I -could- have received such a great item and didn’t!

Embryolisse Lait-Creme Concentre

First up is a moisturiser from French brand Embryolisse (who I will admit I haven’t heard of before!). It contains shea butter, beeswax, aloe vera and soy proteins and can be used as make-up remover, repairing mask, after-shave care and as a baby-care product as well as being a moisturiser, so a very handy product! A quick swatch has left me with high expectations as it make my skin feel very soft!

5ml Sample

£12.99 from Birchbox.co.uk

Silk + Honey Shea Butter Hair Mask

The constant bleach/dye cycle I put my hair through means I need to use this sort of thing quite often to stop it going brittle and keep it in good condition, so I will definitely be giving this a try soon. When I looked this up on the Birchbox webstore I realised that this is the end product of a kit where you make this hair mask yourself, how awesome! I’m really into home-made beauty treatments so I think I’d definitely enjoy whipping up a batch.

Sample

£55 for the set from Birchbox.co.uk

O.P.I – Next Stop The Bikini Zone

I was very excited about possibly getting a mini-OPI polish when I saw the June Birchbox spoiler posts, I love the formula and I adore the tiny bottles (which look very cute lined up on display!). I got Next Stop The Bikini Zone from the Brazil Collection, a metallic purple with flecks of shimmer. It looks lovely in the bottle, but unfortunately I found it quite sheer and hard to build up colour on the nail.

In honesty it’s unlikely I will get much wear out of this particular shade as I tend to favour solid colours.

3.75ml Mini

£11.95 for 15ml from Birchbox.co.uk

Yves Rocher Sheer Botanical Lipstick in Marron Glace

Lipsticks are one of my favourite make-up items to find in beauty boxes as I rarely seem to end up with shades that I won’t wear! I actually adore this lipstick already, Marron Glace is a brown toned nude, very my-lips-but-better! It has a gorgeous scent from the infusion of cherry oil, and left my lips feeling amazingly soft and moisturised. Will definitely be looking for a few more shades from this line!

Full Size

£9.90 from Birchbox.co.uk

Naobay Body Radiance Lotion

Finally an organic body lotion from Spanish brand Naobay. Full of natural ingredients and with a lovely light lemon scent this will definitely be making it into my festival mini-products bag.

30ml Sample

£14.00 from Birchbox.co.uk

LIFESTYLE EXTRA: Birchbox Brazil Inspired Keyring

I do like the little lifestyle extras you get with Birchbox (but I totes like it best when it’s food!). This very summery keyring is quite cute and very fitting for a summer filled with World Cup excitement!

Overall I’d say this -is- a pretty good box, but I can’t shake being miffed that some people got a £26 Beauty Blender and I didn’t! If you’d like to get one of your very own, a monthly subscription costs £10 (+P&P) from Birchbox.co.uk!

Totally not hellbent for being green with envy!

– Gem

Beauty Boxes

Love Me Beauty June 2014 – Edition 1

June 13, 2014

I’ve been watching the front door like a hawk ever since I saw this months beauty boxes showing up on my Twitter and Instagram feed and the first to make an appearance was this amazing selection from Love Me Beauty!

Unlike other subscription boxes where you get sent a random selection, Love Me Beauty allows you to pick the exact box you want from three menus (though individual shades can still vary!)

This month I chose edition 1 and I love absolutely everything inside!

Model Co Shine Ultra Lip Gloss in “Fairy Floss”

I was never much of a gloss person, but I’m a big fan of the Model Co formula and have a few shades that I like to dip into now and again. I’d never have chosen this colour for myself, Fairy Floss is a lilac-tinged pink but it’s very sheer on the lips. It has a very light sweet fragrance and feels really rich without ever feeling gloopy. The packaging is well worth a mention, very sleek and stylish with a built in mirror that is SO handy for on the go application!

Full Size

£12.00 from modelcocosmetics.com

NYX Cosmetics Nail Polish in Pastel Lavender

Another shade that I don’t think I would have picked for myself, but actually I think it will probably get some wear as it almost perfectly matches a very pretty 50’s style dress I bought last year (and nothing is more satisfying then colour matching nail polish for a special occasion, right?)

The formula is lovely, and impressively fast drying for a none-fast-dry polish. I’ve not tried many NYX products but this has made me very curious about the rest of the range!

Full Size

£3.00 from nyxcosmetics.co.uk

Montagne Jeunesse Brazilian Mud Fabric Masque

Everyone loves a good face mask, right? This one includes purple Brazilian mud, acai berries, avocado and a whole host of yummy natural ingredients and is Vegetarian Society approved. However a scan over the ingredients shows that it includes Lactoperoxidase which is of milk origin. I’m a heavily vegan-leaning vegetarian and I haven’t drank animal milk for probably a year or so now, so I’m not so sure I am comfortable putting it on my skin either. It’s a dilemma, and one I will have to think about long and hard. I really like the sound of this mask but I don’t in honesty think I can use it without being full of mega-guilt at poor Daisy and her cow friends.

Overall I really like the ethics of this company, and an accompanying pamphlet talks all about their animal friendly ethos and green ways (including their own wind turbine!) but then I can’t quite understand why a company that says “Animals are our friends – that’s why we don’t bash bunnies or add bits of animals” consider milk an animal-friendly additive!

Full Size

£1.49 from montagnejeunesse.com

Beauty UK Eye-shadow Collection in Earth Child

This tiny little palette is adorable and full of earthy neutral shades that should suit every skin tone. The shadows are all very creamy for such a budget product, but do need to be built up a bit as they are not very heavily pigmented. In all honesty I don’t think the formula is a scratch on MUA or Make-Up Revolution’s similarly priced offerings, but I do like the tiny size which makes it perfect for travel or festival make-up bags.

Full Size

£3.99 from beautyukcosmetics.com

Urban Vega Purifying Day Cream

I’ve tried this day cream before and my skin really got on with it, so this sample size is a nice reminder to go out and purchase some more! With neem oil, witch hazel and spearmint this really is a great choice for us ladies of slightly oilier skin, and also did wonders for my disgustingly oversized pores. It’s also worth noting that it is free of parabens and SLS and is Vegetarian Society approved! The only reason I didn’t rush out to repurchase this before is the lack of SPF, which makes it a little redundant for me in the summer months.

10ml Sample

£14.99 from urbanveda.co.uk

Bonus – £10 Flavourly Voucher

For those inclined to try gourmet specialities this looks like a great food subscription service, but as there is no vegetarian menu (at least not that I can see!) this isn’t for me! Still £10 off brings the price of a box down to only £10, and it’s great to be able to try out such things at half price!

Find out more at flavourly.com

Overall another awesome box from Love Me Beauty, if you’d like one of your very own all three menus are still available for £10 (+P&P) from Lovemebeauty.com!

Totally hellbent for so many full size products!

-Gem

Lifestyle

100 Happy Days PT. 1

June 10, 2014

I imagine most people see me as some excitable happy sprite who is always full of positivity and…rainbows and stuff – and I am that person most of the time. Sometimes when I’m alone things aren’t so technicolour, I suffer from a lot of anxiety in private. Couple that with a long distance relationship (always the stuff of emotional highs and lows!) and some pretty stressful dealings with work and certain former associates, and I sometimes find myself in that little grey cloud. It’s easy for me to linger there and let all the negativity swarm me, but I find a small spark of happiness can blow it all away.

The #100happydays website asks “Can you be happy for 100 days in a row?” and I’m looking forward to being able to say yes!

I’m already 1/10 of the way there!

1. I picked up guitar properly again for the first time in years, and have happily kept up with it this time (she says only 10 days later!)

2. Shopping always makes me happy, I found these cute shabby chic pieces in B&M for only £2.99 each!

3. Day three marked the end of the first 12 weeks of my healthier lifestyle, as you can see from my exercise chart I worked out a lot!

4. My Dakesis band-mates mean the world to me, I had a rubbish day but going through old pictures of our adventures cheered me up to no end!

5. Shopping again! There’s a theme here! I found these lovely treasures in a charity shop – just look at that spotty bag!!!

6. One of my best friends cooked for me for the first time in the many years we have spent together in a band. I’m happy to say it was amazing and I’ll definitely be bullying him to cook for me more!

7. This is Stark (the king in the north) one of my trio of feline accomplices. He’s been ever so poorly this week, but a trip to the vets and some medicine has perked him right up again.

8. Cleaning brushes, the bane of every make-up aficionado right? Well I’ve switched how I clean them and now I can do them all in under 10 minutes without getting wrinkly hands! I should really put up a post about this at some point!

9. I’m one of those vegetarians who struggles to get by without meat replacement, so I grabbed a basket full when I spotted some of my favourites reduced in Holland & Barretts!

10. You’ve probably seen us plugging this all over our social media! Pants and I are running Race for Life on Sunday and our drummer Adam wrote a very cheerful and inspiring blog post over at IsItProg? I do like being called radiant, but I hope he isn’t actually planning on throwing tomatoes at us! If you want to sponsor us you can do so here!

So far my picture choices tell me some very obvious facts about what it is that makes me happy – shopping, music, animals and friends. Not bad things by a long shot! My boyfriend arrives from Holland on Thursday and I get to keep him for the whole summer, so expect a whole bunch of Roderick related #100happydays incoming!

If you’d like to keep up with my daily posts you can follow my personal Instagram here (I follow back!) and Twitter here!

Tell me about something that makes you smile and share a random spark of happiness!

Totally hellbent for positivity!

Gem

Hauls

Elf Clearance Haul & Swatches

June 6, 2014

Yes I went shopping again, but as I did it in my pyjamas does it really count? My bank balance says so. However thankfully this massive haul came at a very purse friendly price of £20ish, ELF prices are low even at the full whack, but with a huge clearance sale and a free gift I definitely got more than my moneys worth!

Here are my swatches and first impressions of the haul, as well as the contents of the free gift.

Baked Blush in Peachy Cheeky, Pinktastic, Passion Pink & Rich Rose [£1.98]

A girl can never have too many blushers, right? I hope not because this is a very blush heavy haul! These four are all absolutely lovely, though they have a fair bit of shimmer which I know some people like to avoid for cheek products. Rich Rose is looking like my favourite at the moment but I’m looking forwards to giving them all a good try out!

Baked Bronzer in Saint Lucia – [£1.98]

As a happily pale lady I never use bronzer all over, but I’m always on the look out for great subtle contour products and I think this is one would be a perfect shade for me if it wasn’t quite so shimmery. I’ll probably use this as a light blush when I get a bit of colour to my skin over summer, but if you are pale but still like to bronze up I’d wager this is well worth trying out.

Tinted Moisturiser SPF 20 – Porcelain [£2.25]

I don’t like wearing too much base in the hotter months, but I do like to layer up the SPF. This is very thin coverage, but feels very light on the skin, perfect for those no-make-up-make-up days.

Studio Cream Blush in Vixen – [£3.25]

I remember everyone going crazy for these when they first came out, and I somehow managed to overlook them at the time. I was surprised at how huge the pot it, definitely something to leave on the dressing table rather than squeeze into a make-up bag. The pigmentation is very bold but it does blend out very easily, just use cautiously if you are in a hurry!

E.L.F Essential 3-Piece Nail Polish Set in Mysterious – [£2.25]

I have a love/hate relationship with ELF polishes, and picked this up as I own the middle shade (Metal Madness) but find the consistency too gunky, I was hoping it was just a problem with that bottle but unfortunately it seems the formula must be to blame. The purple and Navy shades are lovely though and I do like the adorable mini-bottles.

Primer Eyeshadow in Sexy Silver [£1.25]

I adore my Elf Eye Primer and use it almost every day, so I thought it couldn’t hurt to try a darker shade that doubles up as a colour it it’s own right. It’s very metallic and shimmery but could only really be used with similar or darker shades.

Baked Eyeshadow in Dusk [£1.98]

I love wearing smoky silver eye looks on stage and seem to have built quite a collection of silver shades (Three alone in this haul! Eek!) Dusk is very pigmented and works well over the top of the Sexy Silver primer. The pan is huge, the same size as the blushers so I imagine it will go off long before I can manage to use it all!

Diva Mystery Collection – Jumbo Lip Gloss Stick in Pink Umbrellas [£2.95], HD Blush in Diva [£4.50], Waterproof Eyeliner Crayon in Pitch Black [£3.95] & Long Lasting Lustrous Eyeshadow in Celebration [£3.95]

I was pleasantly surprised by the “Diva collection” free gift, and all four are things I will definitely get wear out of. I already have a few of the Jumbo Gloss Sticks and they’re great for throwing on a quick wash of colour. The Waterproof Eyeliner Crayon is going right in my festival make-up bag as the thought of rain resistant black eye-liner that can be blended into waterproof black eye-shadow excites me quite a lot. The HD Blush in Diva is going to take some getting used to, I managed to get it all over my hands whilst trying to do a swatch and it is extremely bright, pigmented and easy to get absolutely everywhere! Finally last but not least another silver eye-shadow to add to the collection!

Did you pick any bargains up in the Elf clearance sale?

Totally hellbent for thinking three silver eye-shadows and seven blushers in one haul is completely acceptable.

– Gem

Nails

ETOS Feather Effect Nail Polish in Blue Bird and Purple Bird

June 4, 2014

ETOS Feather Nail Polish Purple Bird Blue Bird

If you read a lot of our posts you will no doubt know that I have a long distance relationship with a delectable Dutch man, which means I often just pop over to the continent (Sounds very swish and glamorous when I put it like that!) for mini breaks to see him. Of course I take a keen interest in Holland’s cosmetics, and of the few I’ve actually tried this brand is my favourite.

Etos is the Dutch the equivalent of Boots or Superdrug, selling drugstore to mid-range cosmetics on every other street corner. I’ve got quite a few different colours and finishes from their range and they all cost a bargainous €2.00 – €3.50. I picked up Blue Bird and Purple Bird on special offer so got both for €3.00.

I’m really into my glittery nails but I’m trying to ease off the all-over-in-your-face-sparkle-argh-you’re-burning-my-eyes-with-your-disco-ball-nails, so I’ve been flittering around with a couple of Barry M confetti polishes and decided I could definitely add to my “subtle glitter” nail collection.

Blue Bird and Purple Bird are both clear polishes with rectangle slithers of glitter. The swatches below are only one coat, so I theorize that each pot will last approximately forever…

The drying time was very quick,and the bonus with such glittery topcoats is that you (usually…hopefully!) get a few extra days out of your manicure because the clear polish adds a layer of protection over the colour beneath.

I got five days out of this stuff on my nails, not bad for a budget own-brand!

Unfortunately Etos polishes aren’t available in the UK, but everyone knows someone off on a weekend trip to Amsterdam, right?

Volledig hel gebogen voor mijn nederlands pools collectie (en de nederlandse vriendje is niet slecht;))

– Gem

Candles, Clothing and Fashion, Lifestyle, Make-up

An Accidental Haul Part 2

June 2, 2014

You know when you really shouldn’t go shopping but you do anyway? Well I blame Pants entirely (and you can see her haul post here!) and can’t be held responsible for my inability to say no to a good bargain shop! As we are both supposed to be saving money for festival season at the moment we limited ourselves to only four shops – Primark, Superdrug, Boots and Poundland.

Boots – Primark £10

I felt an overwhelming sense of guilt as I bought these as Pants had been after them for ages, but they only had clown sizes left! Luckily I’m a UK size eight shoe, so I always seem to get the best of the sales. I’ve got some customization plans for these, studs and chains and basically all the things Pants wanted to do to hers (sorry…not sorry Pants!). I figure they’ll get plenty of wear on stage, and even though they have a heel, it’s not too unreasonable to think I might be able to last a few bands at a festival in them.

Black Dress & Lepoard Print Dress – Primark £5 each

I already have both of these dresses in other colours, but they’re so comfortable and perfect to throw on with a pair of leggings and some boots for work, that I always pick up a couple more whenever I’m on a Primark binge.

3/4 Leggings – Primark £2.50

It was warm enough to show my calves for about three minutes last week, but I got these just in case we have another five minutes of summer!

Lace Skirt – Primark £3.00

I couldn’t help picking up this lacy skirt, I have always had a weakness for black lace! I’m planning on turning this into either a mini or a strapless dress for stage, and the best thing is if it all goes wrong I’m sure I can do something crafty with my bargain find!

The Little Mermaid Pyjamas – Primark £8.00

I saw these cropping up a few times on my Instagram feed, and knew I had to have them! My PJ collection is quite ridiculously large now, but when they are this cute I can’t help but add to it!

Zebra Tote Bag – Primark £1.50

As you can probably tell from my current bedspread, I love zebras! You can never have enough totes (especially if you are eco-friendly and prefer not to pick up new plastic bags every time you go shopping!) and you can definitely never have enough adorable zebra-in-pink-stilettos-totes.

Shoe Liners – Primark £2.50 & Socks – Primark £2.00

I am physically unable to leave Primark without at least one set of new socks. Not the most exciting of things, but I just adore the feeling of brand new fresh socks! I picked up a pack of five shoe liners for the gym and some cute bunny socks!

Embellish 3D manicure set – £1.00

I’m not sure I’ll ever get round to trying out the 3D mani (though I have quite a few sets already! =s) look, as it seems a bit fussy and messy. I do however love the blue shade, so even if I never use the balls I’ll certainly get some wear from the polish.

Red Berries & Orchid Tin Candle – Primark £3.50

I adore scented candles, but what I love even more than that is scented candles that leave you with a pretty storage tin once they’ve burnt away!

Soap & Glory Hand Maid Antibacterial Hand Cleansing Gel – Boots [£2.50]

I’ve started stocking up for festival season, and I never step foot into a field without antibacterial hand gel! Usually they smell of cheap vodka, but this one smells delicious!

Soap & Glory Flake Away Mini Scrub – Boots [£2.50]

Another festival essential, I’ll be stocking up on all my favourite minis over the next month so that I’ll have a plethora of nice treats to pack!

MUA Matte Lipstick in Lilac Belle – Superdrug [£1.00]

I loved the first five colours released in the MUA Matte Lipstick range (reviewed here) so I knew I had to get the two new colours recently released. I found Fawn Fancy a few weeks ago, but this is the first time I’ve been able to put my hand to Lilac Belle. Given how much I’m into pinky/purple lipsticks at the moment I think I’ll get a lot of wear out of it!

MUA Intense Colour Eye-liner in Snow White – Superdrug [£1.00]

The make-up was 3 for 2 in Superdrug, and even though I didn’t really need this, I figured why not. My old white eye-liner was getting a bit crumbly, that’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it.

MUA Inense Colour Lip-Liner in Red Drama – Superdrug [£1.00]

Er..it was 3 for 2…did I already say that. I definitely didn’t need this.

Andrea Fulerton Nail Boutique Figer & Toe Twines – Superdrug 0.74p

One of my toe separators has gone missing so I figured why not try these out as they were only 74p on clearance!

Oil Burner & Tealight Holder – Poundland £1 each

I’ve been looking for a new burner for my Yankee Candle tartlets for a while, but I’m glad I held out because this one is lovely and much cheaper than some of the others I was eyeing up! I couldn’t resist the cute little lantern, it’s intended for outdoor use but I think it will look just as lovely on my vanity!

Travel Bottle Sets – Poundland £1 each

More early festival prep, but I also use these a lot in general anyway. Between the band and a boyfriend overseas I spend a lot of time in transit, so it’s useful to be able to take a small wash-bag full of minis and small bottles.

Johnsons Baby Cotton Pads, Screen Wipes & Zebra Pens – Poundland £1 each

Just a few of the more boring essentials I needed to pick up, though the zebra pens were a great bargain as I usually pay about £3.99 for a set elsewhere.

W7 Rock ‘N’ Roll Eye Shadow in Envy and Sage – Poundland £1 each

Oh my god. Why has no-one thought to put loose pigment in a roller ball before? (If they have please spam me with links so I can buy them all!). I was having a good search around the otherwise bare beauty section and I idly found an open tube to test out on the back of my hand. All I can say is I was blown away by how pigmented and mess-free they are! I love loose mineral shadows, especially glittery ones, but I always make such a mess – with these tubes you can get the colour right where you want it without any fall-out at all! I’ve already spotted a few other colours here that I just have to pick up!

So overall not too much damage done to my bank balance, but some nice treats and bargain finds that will tide me over till the next time my shopping urges appear!

Totally hellbent for “oh what the hell lets go shopping” days!

– Gem

Candles

Sunday Scents: Chupa Chups Strawberry Scented Candle

June 1, 2014

Being a vegetarian the sweets of my youth are often completely off limits due to frankly revolting ingredients of animal origin, but Chupa Chups fruit lollies are one of the treasured few that are not only vegetarian but vegan! I’ve been able to continue loving Chupa Chups sugary scents (and flavours!) well into my cruelty free lifestyle so when I saw this candle in Poundland I knew it was definitely for me!

I wasn’t expecting too much from it, and it’s not the most fragrant candle I’ve ever used, but actually it has a gorgeous sugary strawberry scent that filled the room in a few minutes.

There was no burn time listed on the packaging, but it’s a decent 85g so should last out a good few hours – I’ve had it going since this morning and it’s got plenty of life left in it.

You’re not going to find the richest true scents in a candle that only costs £1.00, but if you want a quick sugary fix that is very reminiscent of the confectionery branding I’d definitely recommend checking this candle out.

Have you tried the Chupa Chups Strawberry candle, or any others from the range?

Totally hellbent for cheap thrills and sugary treats!

– Gem

Favourites

May Favourites – Gemma

May 31, 2014

Boxed Blushers from Benefit [£23.50] and W7 [£1.99 – £3.99]

I don’t know what it is but I love a blusher or bronzer at least twenty times more if it comes in one of these boxes. The two brands I own are worlds apart in price but I’ve been loving every single one of them this month! They take up a lot of space in my make-up bag, but you know I don’t even care – it’s worth it!

The double bonus was that my newest additions (Coralista and Hoola) were practically free! I received Hoola as a gift for changing from a monthly Birchbox to a six month subscription, and then tallied up the rest of my points to pick up Coralista for a bargain £3.50!

Real Techniques Brushes [£5.99 – £23.99]

Oh just all of them.

I’ve been using the duo-fiber set for a long time, but earlier this month I purchased three more sets in this haul and fell completely in love with every single one of them! Special mention has to go to the much coveted Real Techniques Buffing Brush though, I really don’t know how I got so far in life without it! If there was ever a product that actually lived up to it’s blogger-hype it’s this!

Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette [£37.00]

This was a birthday present from Pants back in March, and I just love love love it! I’d say I use it 9/10 times for my everyday make-up look, but have taken it to a few gigs with me too and adore the smoky looks I can make with it! Another massively hyped product that I’ve totally fallen for!

Elf cover stick [£1.95]

A rediscovery from my stash – I picked this up on a whim when I needed a quick cover up and my usual concealers were all stashed away in a travel bag. I had completely forgotten how perfectly this matches my skin tone and have worn it in lieu of full foundation every day since the sun decided to rear it’s head over rainy England.

Soigne Nail Varnish [£11.00]

This came in my May Birchbox and I’ve had it on my nails three times since then! I love the formula and the colour is very sleek and classy (not something I usually aim for with my nails!). I don’t think I would justify spending this much on a single nail polish, but I’m definitely going to have a long lasting love affair with the pot I do have!

Slim Pasta, Rice & Noodles [£2.49]

If you’re trying to loose weight these are an absolute godsend! They smell a bit fishy when you open the pack, but once you rinse them and add a sauce or seasoning they really aren’t too dissimilar to their starchy counterparts. If you want to cut down on calories without cutting back on portion size or carbs you should definitely give these a go! They are also vegan and gluten free!

Golden Manowar T-shirt [$29.95]

Alright I’ll admit, this is the most disgusting, garish thing I own, but I just adore it. I picked it up at the Birmingham one-off show in 2011 and have worn it to absolute death since then! It’s actually far too big for me now, but I can’t get enough of it’s deliciously tacky gold shiny eagle with a six pack.

Hearthstone – Free to play

I’ve been playing far too much Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft this month, it’s like a sort of Magic: The Gathering style on-line card game for the World of Warcraft universe. It’s free to play (but you can buy extra “card booster packs” for real money) and a lot of fun if you are into this sort of awesome geekery. They’ve just released it for the IPad, and I’m waiting as patiently as I can manage for either an IPhone or Kindle Fire version soon! You can download it here for free.

Inferiority Complex by Matt Jones

The lovely Matty J has been working on some solo pieces in between scoring all the orchestration for our next album, and I’m absolutely blown away by how amazing it is! Of course I’m a little biassed, Matt is my favourite guitarist in the world and one of my absolute best friends, but he has some seriously good technical playing on this track. Even if metal isn’t your thing, give it a try and see – you might like it!

So that’s all the things I’m loving the most this month, are there any of your favourites in my list?

Totally hellbent for finishing this post a little faster so I can go back to my Hearthstone!

– Gem

Empties

May Empties

May 30, 2014

So I’m hoping that doing a monthly empties post will convince me to finish up loads of almost empty products (to make room for some new ones of course!) clogging up my beauty storage! Plenty of products here that you will definitely see again in this sort of post, is this telling me that I need to mix it up a bit next time I go shopping?

Soap & Glory – The Scrub of Your Life – [£7.00]

I’ve yet to find a Soap & Glory scrub I don’t love, but this is definitely my favourite. This was the final tube left over from the mountain of S&G I received for Christmas and I’ll be rushing out to get another one as soon as I’m done with my Soap & Glory The Breakfast Scrub!

Repurchase – 100%

Dirty Works – Glow Girl Buttery Salt Scrub [£4.00]

I also adore the Sainsburys range of Soap & Glory style products, and this is probably the best of the bunch. The only problem I find with these pots is they don’t seem to last as long as a tube, probably because I dig my hungry fingers in to scoop mountains of product out! Either way this is a really nice scrub, but it’s not that much cheaper than Soap & Glory and doesn’t quite have the same luxurious feel.

Repurchase – If it was on special offer I probably would!

Aussie Three Minute Miracle – Colour Mate [£4.99]

I’ve stuck religiously to the Aussie Three Minute Miracle range since about 2008, and flitter between the Reconstructer and Colour Mate depending on the state of my hair. I can’t recommend this conditioner enough for anyone with damaged or dyed hair, it’s the only thing that lets me get a brush through my locks after a night of headbanging!

Repurchase – 100%

Avon Footworks – Beautiful Heel Softening Cream x 2 [£3.50]

I get through a couple of these almost every month, they’re my absolute favourite foot cream and they keep my heels soft and pretty no matter how much I’ve been on my feet. I tend to use them with cotton moisturiser socks at night time to wake up with perfect tootsies every day.

Repurchase – Already got a huge stash!

The Body Shop – Raspberry Body Butter [£13.00]

This has always been my favourite Body Shop body butter, and when they discontinued it a while back I actually hung onto this tub for -years- yet never used it. Finally it’s time to go to the bathroom bin in the sky to be replaced by the new The Body Shop raspberry range!

Repurchase – Definitely can’t wait for the new one!

Sure Long Lasting Protection – Clear Aqua [£2.10]

It’s quite hard to get excited about deodorant, but I am a fan of the compressed eco-friendly update. The smaller size makes it great for throwing in a gym bag or tour supplies too!

Repurchase – Most likely

L’Oreal Paris Skin perfection 3 in 1 Micellar Solution [£4.99]

I absolutely love this, but I have to say I’m unlikely to purchase this again now that I’ve tried the Garnier offering at half the price for twice the product.

Repurchase – No, changing to cheaper brand

Simple Kind to Skin Cleansing Facial Wipes [£3.25]

I know face wipes are the skincare devil of late, but we all have times when we just need to get the make-up off as quickly as possible and make sure our face is at least sort of clean before we pass out. I’ll admit I don’t use them very often at all these days, but it never hurts to have some lying around for when you’re too drunk to tell the micellar water from the vodka.

Repurchase – Yes

Maybelline Dream Smooth Primer [£8.99]

I used to be massively in love with this primer, but as it got to the end of its life it started to feel a bit too sticky and silicone-y on the skin. We had a good run, and it definitely helped towards creating a smooth make-up finish, but there are other primers that feel more natural that I’ll stick to in the future.

Repurchase – Unlikely

Maybelline EyeStudio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner 24H [£7.99]

This was a great eyeliner at first, but I found it dried up very quickly. There’s probably more than half of the pot left, but it’s just too hard to even try and use.

Repurchase – I’m loving my new Rimmel Scandaleyes gel liner (reviewed here) so probably not.

Eyeko Skinny Mini Liquid Eyeliner [£12.00]

I adore this eyeliner and have another two waiting in the wings to replace it, my only concern (that you can probably tell from my hoarding) is that they dry up very quickly, and I’ve already gotten through three or four of them. For easy cat-flicks on the go though, you really can’t beat one of these. Plus they are so tiny you can make space for them in even the smallest make-up bag!

Repurchase – Already done so!

Totally hellbent for having more space for new things!

– Gem