This Week's Beauty Buys..

After last weeks huge naughty spending spree I was determined to put myself on the spending ban until the end of the month. Two days later I found myself ordering more makeup products online.. Oops. You will be happy/disappointed (I'm a bit of both) to know that this week I spent much, much less. But nevertheless there were a few bits I had to pick up. 

No.7 Beautifully Matte Makeup Base 40ml (Exclusively at Boots - £10.50) Another primer. I'm a primer junkie, I just can't say no. The good news is that this one is a bit of a multi talented primer and can be also used to soak up some of that mid-day shine! I was recently in my local boots store and chatting away to the really lovely No. 7 MUA about being an oily skinned gal and about my quest to have an everyday foundation base that matched my tan well and lasted on my slippery skin when she suggested that I get colour matched and then she could recommend a foundation for me. Low and behold, the colour that I was matched in wasn't available in the Beautifully Matte foundation (Waaaaaaah!) but was available in the Stay Perfect Range. I was a a bit undecided being as oily as I am when she suggested that I could take away a sample of the foundation and a sample of the Beautifully Matte Makeup Base. One thing I just want to say is how refreshing it was to actually be offered a sample without having to drop major hints and coming away feeling judged. I don't know if its just me, but I feel that some store assistants just don't want you to have a sample and I find this really sad. The No. 7 lady gave me a generous amount of each, enough to last me five whole days which really was enough time to tell if I liked the products.  This primer is a really thick and creamy feeling liquid that is quite frankly, a magnet for any makeup that you want to put on the top. Seriously, everything sticks like glue. I have had no breakouts whats so ever and this keeps even my super shiny spots matte all day long. You may be expecting a big ol' price tag with such a wonder product, but in reality £10.50 isn't a lot at all, especially for the huge 40ml that you receive. The packaging is fairly simple and plain but I do love that it consists of a squeezy tube which means you're not going to lose a single splodge. Upon dispensing this product onto the back of your hand you may notice it has an almost iridescent sheen to it, but this is no visible at all when you've smoothed it into your face. If you like the sound of this, go ahead and get a sample from your nearest counter - I'll bet my hat they'll be happy enough to give you one.

No.7 Stay Perfect Foundation in shade Warm Sand (Exclusively at Boots - £14.50) And of course, being so happy with my samples I had to pick up the foundation too. I think I have a serious problem with foundations at the moment. Even being as sneaky as I am at hiding them away, Chris has noticed how many I now own, and when this one arrived his exact words were "Another foundation, come on Gem no one needs this many". But seriously. If you haven't tried this foundation, you need to. I would say its in the same league as Mac Studio Fix Fluid; It has the same medium/buildable coverage, around about the same wear time, the same feel on the skin, very similar shades and the only differences that I can see are the bottle and the price. Mac's offering comes in at a whopping seven pounds dearer - and that's before you've bought a pump! How does one judge a new foundation I hear you cry, well I judge it on this - does it stand the test of time? A 12 hour work day will do perfectly. It does? Check! Does the colour match my skin tone correctly? It does? Check! Does my skin seem to agree with it? Yep? Ding ding ding, we have a winner! The Stay Perfect foundation is completely hypo-allergenic which means that its bloody unlikely you'll have a bad reaction to it, and even contains an SPF 15 for good measure. Again, my only gripe is that the packaging is very plain, but it does the job and considering I always thought No. 7 was for older ladies, I've been pretty impressed so far!

No.7 BB Lips Beauty Balm in Blush Coral 11ml (Exclusively at Boots - £9.00) One thing you have to say about me, if I find a brand I like I give it a fair trial on all categories. Enter BB Lips Beauty Balm. I love a lipgloss with good pigmentation and this seemed to fit the bill for me. I'd heard about these little babies a while ago somewhere and thought they sounded brilliant. Of course, when you're reading blogs you do tend to forget one or two products while you're mentally adding things to your shopping list and that's exactly what happened with these, they just fell off my radar. These lipgloss/lipbalm hybrids cater a whole host of benefits from beautiful colour, soothing nourishment and UV protection. Well, that kind of ticks all my boxes when I'm looking for a lipgloss. I picked up the shade Blush Coral because, as I mentioned in last weeks beauty buys post, pastel orange is having a bit of  a moment with me - I just can't get enough. This feels amazing on the lips, not sticky or gloopy and has a pretty good wear time of about 3 hours until its totally disappeared and you need another slick, quite impressive for a lip gloss huh? Also, I've heard tell that these are a supposed dupe for the Clarins Colour Quench Lip Balm, but I myself haven't tried one of these so I couldn't confirm. The packaging of the No.7 BB Lips is rather cute, with a squeezable tube and molded plastic applicator, which reminds me of the Lancome Juicy Tubes!

No. 7 Set for Summer (Purchase two or more No.7 products and receive this free gift worth £22.00) Another cheeky one guys but I had to include this. How amazing is this for a free gift?! Included is a sample sized BB Lips in Blink Pink, a full sized Nail Colour in Duck Egg Blue, A sample/travel sized Extreme Length Waterproof Mascara in Black and a Stay Perfect Eye Shadow In 'Middle Shade' from Good Earth Trio. I know some people love free gifts like this and I know some hate them. Hey, even if you only get one thing you think you'll use for free surely you're onto a good thing?! I asked and apparently this offer should be on for another few weeks - so if you've had your eye on some No.7 products, now's a good time to go and get them!

Real Techniques Sam's Picks Gift Set (Escentual - Reduced to £25.40) Even though I really didn't need them, I ended up getting some more makeup brushes and you may find it utterly ridiculous that I bought this set just for the Multi Purpose Brush which I have been lusting after for so long now. But I know I'll find a use for all of them anyway, even the ones that are duplicates of ones already in my collection. There are six brushes in this set; Multi Purpose Brush, Buffing Brush, Essential Crease Brush, Setting Brush, Pointed Foundation Brush and Fine Liner Brush which works out at just £4.23 a brush - which ever way you look at it, that's absurdly good value! This brush kit would make a great gift for someone that's new to makeup, or to any beauty love (as well as a brilliant treat to yourself!).

Garnier Micellear Water (Boots - £4.99) A repurchase! And a must have in my cleansing routine. I use this water after using a cleansing lotion/balm/butter to 'double cleanse' which is essentially just making sure everything is off my skin. I find this micellear water to be soothing and cooling, perfect on those warm summer nights. (Yes, I did just have a little sing of Grease - Summer Nights to myself.. Don't judge).

Bare Minerals Quick Change Brush Cleaner (Feel Unique - £8.75 110ml) A makeup lovers essential! This is just the perfect lazy girls cleanser. If you haven't got time for a deep shampoo or are too lazy for it (beauty sinner here) a quick spritz of this will remove colour and bacteria from you brushes while leaving them smelling divine and dry in a couple of minutes! So that's it for beauty buys from my this week guys. Even though I feel guilty, I didn't spend too much did I?! I think I need someone to take away my bank account! What have you been buying this week?

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Another Good Reason To Buy Cosmo This Month..

It seems that every one has gone crazy for Glamour magazine this month, with its choice of free gift from clinique including the ever elusive Chubby Stick.. But upon my quest to find said Chubby Stick, I did come across a lip/cheek crayon from New CID Cosmetics. 
In Cosmopolitan this month, as well as their usual well written articles, beauty reports and celeb gossip you can expect to find a free gift - a choice of either a lip and cheek crayon in Rose Tint, Strawberry Souffle or Plum Cordial, but if lip crayons aren't your thing you could always opt for the New CID Black Mascara.
I picked up the Plum Cordial lip and cheek crayon, as a substitute for the Chubby Stick I was originally looking for, and am quite pleasantly surprised. This crayon is not all that different to the Chubby Sticks, has a beautiful fruity scent and is a sheer but very pretty colour.  I've been hunting for the perfect plum for a long time, so to get one for free in my usual mag is definitely a good thing!
If you had your heart set on the free Chubby Stick in this months Glamour magazine but are struggling to find one, why not take a look at these crayon offerings in Cosmo?

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Why I Got Into Blogging..

I can remember the first time I ever wore makeup. I was in year 5 at primary school, going to a school disco and my mum applied some eye makeup for me as a special treat. I can still remember looking back at myself in the mirror when she had finished and thinking that the blue shimmer eye shadow and mascara looked amazing. And so my obsession with makeup began. Of course, I was never allowed to wear makeup usually at that age, but my weekly pocket money from my Granny started going toward Lipsmackers balm's and clear lipgloss tubes from superdrug. Fast forward a five years and you could find me nagging my mum as we walked around Tesco for a new mascara or eyeliner to be added in with the weekly shop. Since then my products of choice have changed, gone are the days I would traipse up and down the aisles of boots, desperately trying to get as many products as possible for ten pounds!  Makeup, for me has always been my passion. For some its clothes, bags, music - but for me cosmetics are my one true love. I have friends that I know find applying makeup a bit of a chore and find my pleasure in it absured, but for me its my favourite part of the day, closely followed by getting into bed at the end of a long day! There isn't one area of cosmetics that doesn't interest me. After starting to collect hoard makeup for a couple of years and becoming a regular reader of a few popular beauty blogs I decided it was time I turned my hand to it. Through blogging I've discovered new products, brands and techniques and feel that my knowledge is growing daily. I've taken my collection and added to it, grown and developed my style of makeup. Looking back at old pictures I've learnt to laugh at my makeup faux pas! There seems to be a lot of accusations flying around of people starting beauty blogs in order to gain freebies which, if they are true, I find to be quite disturbing. There's no doubt that everyone loves something for nothing, but how can anyone expect PR company's to invest money in sending you samples of products if they cant justify it? Personally, I've never received anything and that doesn't bother me one little bit. For one, my meager blog following although greatly appreciated by me, is small by anyone's standards and therefore wouldn't warrant any PR company's interest - but getting some free goodies was never my intention when I created my Blogger account and shakily typed out a poorly written review. I simply wanted an outlet for my passion. There's only so many times you can waffle on to your colleagues or friends (or boyfriend, sorry Chris!) about a particular new lippy you've found, or the best facial cleanser from The Body Shop. I craved being able to talk to an audience that have the same interests as I do and that would appreciate unbiased and true reviews on cosmetics, hair and skin care products. I will never beg company's to send me items to review or test - for me half the pleasure of blogging is going out and shopping in the department stores for new products and researching products before I spend my hard earned cash on them. I don't post everyday, in fact sometimes I find that I've gone a whole four or five days without typing up a blog post, or recording a video for YouTube - but I do what I can in my already busy schedule and I will never post because I feel I have to - blogging is not a chore for me, but rather an enjoyable pass time.  Although I'm not the most vocal of bloggers I feel privalidged to have met some amazing people by getting involved conversations and group chats - Jasmine Mcrae for instance is a fellow beauty blogger whom I have come to class as a friend and who has encouraged me to move forward with my blogging.  When someone asks me 'What made you get into blogging' I sometimes struggle to come up with an answer straight away, but after some long and hard thinking I've come to this; I love makeup, I love writing, I love socialising, I love spending money and I love feeling that, even if its all in my head - that something I do has some importance. Because it makes me happy, because even in my loneliest moments I feel I have a purpose. And that's why I got into blogging..

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Tips On Going Blonde/Lighter

When I made the decision to go blonde, I tried to do some research into it - you know the kind of thing, what prep I should consider doing, what products I should use both before and after the big change, how to keep it healthy and looking good etc but struggled to find anything on the world wide web.
If you follow me on Instagram or Twitter, you'll know that on Thursday I had my first treatment to going lighter/blonde done, and am absolutely thrilled with the results so far! I have already planned to have some more blonde put into my hair in a few weeks time.
From This;                                                                                

To This;

I've been contemplating lightening my hair and having some blonde put into it for a long time, I'm talking years, and so I had well and truly made my mind up on this one, this was no spur of the moment. I should also note that I am not an expert when it comes to hair care, these are just the steps that I took. Stage One - Prep You've decided you want to go blonde/lighter? The first things you should consider are; your colouring - what skin tone, eye colour and natural hair colour do you have? Speaking to your hairdresser will help you decide what shade of blonde you should be aiming for to ensure that the colour you end up with will suit you. The condition your hair is in; If, like me, you've changed your hair style/colour/texture more times than you care to remember then there's a strong chance that your hair is going to be damaged. Applying bleach (very damaging) to already damaged, dry and brittle hair could be a recipe for disaster. In this case that you need to go about helping to hydrate your hair - for this I used a ton of different shampoo's, conditioners and treatments for about five months before I had any lightening treatment performed. You should also be realistic about how much of your length you will lose when bleaching your hair. I went for the option of having around two and  a half inches cutting off, as blonde hair has a tendency of snapping off in damaged areas anyway. Time and cost; are also two factors you should consider before taking the plunge - the cost of going blonde can be very expensive and time consuming. You may not get the results you are looking for straight away depending on how your hair takes to the bleach. You may also decide that you want to go lighter or darker after your first couple of treatments - can you afford to decide you don't like it, and have a stylist correct it? You should also decide whether you are going to attempt to bleach your hair DIY or are going to a professional to have the work on your hair carried out. I would always recommend seeking the advice of a professional when undertaking such a drastic change. I myself went to a hairdresser that has been doing my hair for a long period of time and whom I trust. My hair stylist told me that the best way to lighten my hair would be to go with a full head of foils as this would be the least damaging option and wouldn't be too stark of a change. I would also suggest taking pictures of what you want the end result; to look. This will give your stylist a really good idea of what you are looking to achieve. I would also advice looking at people of a similar colouring to yourself.  Stage Two - During During your hair appointment/consultation it is imperative that you are as honest as possible with your stylist, even if you feel awkward about telling someone you don't like the finished product. You are paying good money to have your hair done, and should therefore be left 100% happy when it is 'finished'. If you are unhappy with the shade/tone - tell them. If you were expecting something different - tell them. If you don't think you're on the same wave length - tell them. If you want to help ensure your hair ends up the way you have envisioned you must take charge. It may seem a little ballsy, but trust me, they'll understand! They may not be able to do anything right away, but they will be able to explain to you why your hair has gone that shade, and what can be done about it. If you are having your hair gradually lightened, caring for it in between hair appointments is a must. Helping to keep your hair healthy, happy and hydrated is key to achieving beautiful locks. You can also ask your stylist if they do in salon treatments, or recommend any treatments that you can do at home.  Stage Three - The Final Product  So you've gone as blonde/light as you want to and your happy with the final product. A couple of products that I would recommend are from the John Freida Sheer Blonde range, which caters for many different blondes. There is of course the 'Go Blonder' range, which can dry hair out - anything that lightens your hair is going to be packed full of chemicals and so is going to cause damage, however, if you do indeed want to go two shades lighter then I would definitely recommend these as they are a modern day Sun-In. I am currently using the John Freida Sheer Blonde Moistorising Highlight Activating Shampoo and Conditioner for Darker Blondes - which claims to help brighten your highlights whilst hydrating the hair. Blonde hair can end up looking a little dull, which is why a good purple/silver shampoo is imperative. I'm using the John Frieda Sheer Blonde Colour Renew Shampoo which neutralizes brassy tones and helps to restore salon fresh tones in just three washes.  Bleach can be very unforgiving on the hair and so the use of leave in conditioners and hair masks/treatments may be nessacary. A few good ones that I've come across are the Bleach London Reincarnation Mask, Aussie Three Minute Miracle Re-constructor, Aussie Miracle Hair Insurance Leave In Spray, TRESemme Restructuring Deep Conditioning Mask, Boot's Own Ingrediants Coconut and Almond Intensive Hair Mask & 100% Pure Coconut Oil. You must take care when brushing your hair when wet with freshly bleached hair as it can be very brittle and can snap very easily. Investing in a soft bristle paddle brush can help to reduce this. I would also advise using heat tools such as straighteners and curling rods as little as possible whilst rebuilding the strength and health of your hair.  So those were my tips on lightening your hair. I hope they were of some help and if you are going blonde, good luck!

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Bourjois - The Top Three Newbies

Hello gorgeous! So I feel like I haven't really been blogging recently, and I had a little break from filming YouTube video's over the weekend - do you ever feel like you just need a few days away from it all? That's what I've been having - no makeup, hair up in a pineapple, practically living in sweat pants. But I feel better for it, and I'm ready to get back into the game!

It would seem that Bourjois are really up-ing the game when it comes to 'drugstore' makeup brands. I can't remember the last time I picked up one of their products and wasn't impressed. Admittedly, I would like to see some branching out from the norm, eye shadow palette perhaps? But still, most things in their makeup line impress. Which is why I felt I just had to pick up another couple of products from them. I have really been trying to cut back on the spending recently but as hard as I try, some things I just cannot resist. I also use the excuse that they're cheap enough, so just a little treat hey?

Rouge Edition Velvet in Nude-ist £9.00 Since picking up my first Rouge Edition Velvet I have been hooked. The colour pay off, the texture & consistency and the time that they last on the lips are all amazing, whats not to like? When I saw that Bourjois had released some more colours into the line I couldn't help but get one. Being a nude-lip girl through and through meant that one glimpse at the Nude-ist was game over. I had to have it. This offering is a beautiful mauve-y pink colour with the slightest hint of brown. It lasts just as well on the lips as the more vibrant colours and doesn't especially dry them out. Application can be a little tricky, however you can avoid this by using a lip brush to apply around the perimeter of the lips.

Instant Dry Nail Drops £5.99 I love changing the colour of my nails. I'm very indecisive and although you can usually find me sporting a muted shade, I do like to change them up every couple of days. Another thing you might know about me is that I am very impatient which of course means that my freshly painted nails nearly always end up smudged and messy. I've been interested in the multitude of 'instant dry' products on the market but always put off by the prices. Enter the Bourjois Instant Dry Nail Drops. Directions state that you apply one or two drops onto nails that have been painted with a colour and/or a top coat, leave for a minute and nails should be dry (or almost dry!). Sounds pretty good right? No more painting nails before bed and smudging them whilst I sleep, Yippee!

1 Seconde Mascara Waterproof Black £9.99 I have always been a mascara hoarder, since being a young teenager, it has been my product of choice, which of course meant that after the hundreds of reviews I had read on this one had got my interested to say the least. I decided to get the waterproof version as it boasts a twenty four hour hold, something that definitely interests me. The brush - as you will have been told many times no doubt - is possibly the weirdest I've seen, but somehow it works. A quick coating of this mascara leaves lashes voluminous, lengthened and jet black. Ticks every box, right? Its quite easy to get off with a good cleanser, which surprised me as I usually really struggle with waterproof mascara.  Have you got any of these products? What do you love from Bourjois? 

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Competition Prize & Unboxing - Video

Hello you!
The goodies from Makeup Revolution that I won from The Style Lane last weekend arrived today, and so I thought I would do a prize un-boxing! 

Hope you enjoy!

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Sleek Eyebrow Stylist

Eyebrow products are something which I really am addicted to. A new product launch? I'm on it like a flash. My eyebrow product collection is pretty large, and I have no plans to stop collecting yet, I like choice when it comes to filling in my brows. I've been 'into' my brows now for about four years, and really since well defined brows became a 'thing'. I've tried a multitude of products, pencils, gels, fibres, wax, powders, felt tips and crayons and although I've found some very good products that work well and that I enjoy using, I'm constantly on the look out for the best.

When I saw that Sleek has released a new eyebrow 'crayon' a few months ago, I popped one into my metaphorical basket asap and sped off to the check out, picking up other bits as I went of course. Its taken me until now to review this, because I don't stick to one product for my brows every day, I use what I feel like, and its very rare that that will be the same thing from day to day.

The packaging of this brow crayon is, well, sleek. Its a lovely, good size plastic barrel with the name 'Sleek' embossed onto one of the lids and the website embossed on the barrel. It has two ends, one is the crayon which doesn't need sharpening as its a twist up mechanism and the other is a built in 'spooly' to groom your brows and to brush out excess product.

I got this crayon in medium 717 which is quite an ashy brown. I know that some people hate high street brow products because they can be too warm and have a lot of red pigment in them, this one doesn't. This crayon appears to be made up from a mix of wax and pigment and if you're a little too heavy handed can stick your brow hairs together and to the skin underneath. However, with a light hand and a regular brush through, I've found this product works very well. It gives off enough colour without that 'sharpie' appearance and doesn't look too over done. It helps to keep brows in place for at least 7-8 hours and doesn't 'melt' off on hot, humid days.

I would definitely recommend this Sleek offering to those of you that perhaps do not already own a similar product as it is good, but not unlike others of its nature. Those of you that already own a 'crayon' type, I'd say you probably don't need this. It doesn't do anything amazing, and it just a basic eyebrow tool, but a good one at that.

You can purchase the Sleek Eyebrow Stylist for £5.99 here

 

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June Favourites 2014; Video

Hello you beautiful lot! 
With it being the first of July, I thought it was about time I got my June Favourites up. This is my first ever 'favourites' video, so if you've got the time I'd really appreciate you having a little watch!
Thankyou all so much for your continued support!
Lots of love, xxx

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