April Favourites.

Hi! 

It's that time again - the monthly favourites! 

I've really enjoyed rummaging through my stash picking out my favourite items from April - I may have gotten a little carried away! 

1. Barry M Gelly Hi Shine Nail Polish: I can completely see what all the fuss is about when it comes to these little gems. I wont say too much about them as I bet you're all fed up of people raving about them, but I have Papaya - a pretty coral/peach tone, Greenberry - an amazing turquoise/aqua and Prickly Pear - The most perfect lilac. I've been wearing these alot this month, and I have a feeling my love for these will carry on into May...

2. Soap & Glory Trick and Treatment Under Eye Dark Circle Concealer: I bought this concealer a few weeks ago after reading some good reviews, and it has not left my eyes since. I wouldn't say that it completely conceals the dark areas, but definitely improves and brightens the eye area, and teamed with my Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer, works wonders! 

3.Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in 'Soft Coral': Since Spring has reared it's pretty head, i've been sporting more pink and coral tones, and this lipstick has become an everyday essential in my make up collection! I always wear a balm underneath so I can't comment on how the formula glides onto unprimed lips, however onto a clear balm, this glides on and gives a lovely natural sheen which is not too glossy. 

4. Soap & Glory Lid Stuff: I have been looking for a nice matte neutral eyeshadow palette for a while, and when Boots had (& still have) an offer to receive this palette as a free gift when you spend £12 or over on S&G products, I thought i'd give it a shot. For every day make up this palette is perfect, and I've worn nothing but this palette on my eyes since I purchased! 

5. Revlon Matte Blush in 'Rose Rapture': I bought this back in March, and it's been a staple in my every day make up ever since. It's such a wearable, natural blush shade for my skin tone. I love it! 

6. Boots Ingredients Coconut Body Oil: I've been suffering with dry patches on my elbows and knees, and wanted to invest in a body oil to see if they made any difference. This solid oil smells gorgeous and melts onto the skin, giving a thick layer of moisture. 

7. Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Scrub: I've already harped on about this in a previous post, so I won't bore you with my rambling, but I am loving this scrub, and cannot get enough of the Sugar Crush range! 

8. Bourjois 1 second Nail Polish Remover: This nail polish remover has saved me so much time (and cotton wool pads) this past month! It's such an amazing product and removes nail polish so easily, leaving your nails clean and nourished by the almond oil included in the formula. A must have for anyone who changes their nail polish regularly! 

9. Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation in 200 Soft Beige: I have really been enjoying using the foundation. It's been my staple since January, and is perfect for giving my skin the right amount of dewy glow, without looking oily. The formula blends into the skin easily, giving medium coverage, which is perfect for me, as I hate nothing less than caking my face in thick foundation. It's purse friendly at £6.99, and has a light, fruity smell, which, along with it's SPF18 content, is perfect for Spring/Summer. 

10. Dunelm Mill Vanilla Candle: I wouldn't usually include a candle into a favourites list, however at the moment I am crazy for candles, and have been burning this little baby all month, so much so that i've burnt it down completely! The vanilla scent is subtle and relaxing, and at only £1, if I come across it again it will definitely be a repurchase. 

11. Good Things Five Minute Facial Face Mask: This has been my go-to face mask this month. With the weather warming up, i've been turning to masks which brighten the complexion, and this mask is quick and easy and does just that! The Good Things range is also free from parabens, SLS, animal ingredients and mineral oils, replacing them with natural oils and super fruit extracts like avocado and goji berry, making their range kinder to the skin. 

12. Garnier Summer Body Moisturising Lotion in 'Deep Sun Kissed': When it comes to this time of year, I like to steer clear of instant self tan (unless something crops up which I have to be tanned quickly for!), in favour of a gradual tanning moisturiser. This Garnier version is probably my favourite product of the entire month! Not only does it give you an even gradual tan with little/no streaks/patches, it smells absolutely gorgeous and reminds me of a previous holiday in Egypt with the boy. 

13. Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Wash: As with the scrub, I won't bore you with the details, but I absolutely love the smell of this range, and will definitely be repurchasing. 

14. Aussie Aussome Volume Shampoo: I have the type of hair that gets used to shampoo, so I tend to switch and swap my shampoo's around, however this one has been a constant for most of the month, as it leaves my hair super soft and shiny, with a gorgeous scent. I wouldn't say that it volumizes my hair a massive amount, but I have definitely noticed an improvement, and my hair is much easier to manage and less flat. 

15. Champneys Spa Skin Conditioning Cleansing Milk: I have been using this cleanser as part of my nighttime routine all month and I love it! It's thick and creamy enough to remove my make up, whilst retaining moisture in my skin. I'm not loyal to one cleanser, as I am yet to find my holy grail, however I would happily repurchase this. 

What have you been loving this month? 

The Bikini Body #1 | The 30 Day Squat Challenge.

Hello! 

Slightly different post today. 

With the weather getting warmer and those precious Summer months approaching fast, I've turned my attention to my body, and ways to get that bikini body that I feel confident showing off. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not in the slightest overweight, nor do I feel like I need to 'lose weight to feel good about myself'. I do, however, get just as anxious and body conscious when the time comes to strip down for bikini season. No matter what shape or size you are, there will always be a part of your body that you wish you could improve upon. For me, it's my legs, bum and tum - I just wish they were a bit more toned and a little less wobbly.

Well, it's time for me to stop wishing and make this a reality. With little more than a month before June (skimpy clothes season), I have decided to kick start my bikini body starting with my behind.

The Squat Challenge.

Warning: This challenge is not for the faint hearted. For those of you who have been a gym member and have participated in a toning class know how gruelling and painful squats can be. The aches and pains felt the day after are almost unbearable, however to get that booty beautiful and perky, it's a price i'm willing to pay!

I began this challenge today, and found that 25 squats this morning (and i'll do another 25 later tonight) was manageable. I think they key to success with this one is to break the squats into reps throughout the day, rather than all at once (I'm looking at day 30 - 250 squats in one go? No thankyou!) 

The great thing about this is it doesn't take as much time out of you day as you might think. 25 squats literally took me maybe a minute? I'm sure that we can all spare a couple of minutes a day out of our lives in order to perfect our little bottoms?

If any of you fancy doing this challenge, or have any tips/ideas on how to get 'bikini fit', I'd love to hear from you, so just drop me a comment below! 

Gem. Xx

Spring Nails: Nudes V's Pastels.

Hi! 

After the lovely sunny weekend we've just had, i'm in a really Springtime mood, which calls for a post on Springtime nails! I always opt for a nice, muted tone for the Spring, and I'm forever switching my nail polish between Nude and Pastel colours. 

I recently discovered fragrance direct, an online fragrance and discount cosmetics store. How i've only just found out about this is a mystery, it must be the worlds best kept secret! In case you haven't visited this site before, they sell certain brands at VERY discounted prices! These Essie Nail Polishes were only £1.99 each! EACH! That's a £6 saving per nail polish. They also stock brands such as Rimmel and Bourjois amongst many. Although they do have limited shades and stock runs out quickly, it's well worth checking out! 

Barry M's Gelly Hi Shine Nail Polishes must be one of the most blogged about things this year, and it's clear to see why. An array of gorgeous pastel shades to suit everyone, the formula is glossy and easy to build up. I find that two thin coats gives complete opaque 'colour of the bottle' colour, and emulates that of a gel manicure, giving natural shine without the need for a top coat. (Although I usually wear one anyway!) 

Models Own in 'Coral Reef' is a new favourite of mine. Not quite pastel, but still a very pretty shade for both the spring and summer, the formula is great and for me, lasts 3/4 days without chipping. 

Which nail trend have you been sporting this Spring? 

Gem. Xx

Soap & Glory Sugar Crush: The Review

Hey! 

I've been using my Soap and Glory Sugar Crush Body Wash and Body Scrub for roughly 2 weeks now and feel I've had enough use to give my two cents on these citrus-y goodies. 

The Sugar Crush range from Soap & Glory is fairly new to the S&G range. I'm not a massive fan of the usual soapy fragrance that S&G come out with. It's ok, just not my preferred fragrances, however when browsing boots a month or so back during their 3 for 2 on bodycare, I stumbled across the Sugar Crush range, and it converted me.

The fresh fragrance immediately hit me. It's hard to describe. There are notes of fresh, zingy lime, brown sugar and almost a creamy yoghurt. To me, it smells like key lime cheese cake! So good you almost want to eat it! 

The first of my items is the Sugar Crush Body Wash. I've already said how good the scent is, but the other thing which immediately caught my eye is the size. For £6.50 you get an enormous 500ml tub! As with all Soap & Glory products, the packaging is quirky and cute, which is a nice touch, and I do like the pump applicator, as it makes dropping body wash in the shower a thing of the past! 

As you can see from the above image, the body wash has a creamy consistency, more of a shower cream than gel, and this does mean that it doesn't lather up as well as a gel might, however it does have a luxurious, moisturising feel on the skin and leaves skin feeling soft, with a zesty aroma. 

I also picked up the Sugar Crush Body Scrub. As with the body wash, the scrub comes in a sizeable 300ml tub which retails at £8. What I love about this scrub is the fact that is doesn't leave a slimy residue. Most sugar scrubs have a somewhat oily layer that's left behind. I don't mind this, however I love that the Sugar Crush doesn't do that; all that's left behind is smooth, buffed skin. 

This seems as though it might be quite an abrasive scrub, however once applied to skin, it's actually quite deceptive, as it doesn't feel too harsh at all, and buffs away dry skin gently, but effectively, leaving my skin feeling nourished and smooth. 

The only qualm I have with this range is the lasting fragrance on the body. With a smell this amazing, i'd love it to last on my skin post shower, however I can only actually smell this for a limited time after my shower before it disappears, which is a shame. 

Soap & Glory also have a buttercream in their Sugar Crush Range, which is a thick body butter with the same lovely fragrance, which retails at £10.50 for 300ml. This may seem quite expensive, but when you think The Body Shop sell 200ml pots of Body Butter for £13.00, it's actually quite a good deal. 

Which of the S&G range are your favourites? 

Gem. Xx

The Spending Ban: No Willpower But The Prettiest Shoes!

Hello 

Well, as the title suggest, my spending ban has come to quite the halt. My boyfriend Arron is over the moon with his shiny £10 winnings, and I am pretty annoyed that I couldn't even last 2 weeks without spending. 

I'll start at the beginning. I have been on the hunt for the perfect pair of tan wedges since last summer. Wedges are my favourite kind of heels, and tan is a colour that can be used almost all year round. Yesterday, I found them. I found the perfect pair whilst having an afternoon browsing the shops. I was in TK Maxx - an unlikely treasure chest of goodies - and there I saw them; tan, wedge heel, in my size, gorgeous, perfect fit, etc etc. I had to have them, but somehow talked myself out of it because of my spending ban bet. 

Today, myself and the boy had the afternoon to ourselves, (naughty me probably should have been doing Uni work!), and I talked him into walking to town so that I could show him the shoes that I was so devastated by. As soon as I saw them again I knew I had to give up. They're the prettiest wedges I've seen, and fit like a glove, so much so that I instantly picked them up, and, with Arron laughing with joy at my non-existant willpower, made my way to the till. 

I failed. 

But I have the prettiest tan wedges that I'm over the moon with! And at £34.99 for Guess shoes, which usually retail at between £80-£120, got myself a little bargain as well. 

 

So pretty aren't they? I can't wait until the weather warms up and I have an excuse to wear them! 

And since I had well and truly given in on the ban, I also took advantage of River Island's 20% off student shop in, and got myself a gorrrgeous new purse, bracelet and earrings. 

Wahhh, photo-heavy post - sorry! 

Moral of my story; never make a bet that involves not shopping! 

Gem. Xx

Benefit Boxed Blushes: 10, Coralista & Sugarbomb: Review

Hey! 

Hope you're all well and dandy! I have to say, I am loving the weather today. My trusty cropped denim jacket made an appearance for the first time this year. I'm a massive denim hoarder, so the second I can swap my coats and jackets for a little denim number I am one happy bunny. 

Anyway, back on topic, in todays post I shall be reviewing my Benefit purchases from a week or two ago. For those of you who read my blog, you'll know that whilst browsing the online aisles of eBay late one night, I stumbled across a private seller stocking Benefit Boxed Blushes. I have been wanting Coralista and Sugarbomb for quite some time now, but the £23.50 price tag had put me off purchasing. The seller on eBay, however, had full sized items at the amazing price of £6.99!! That's a saving of £16.50. As you can imagine, I got a little excited and filled my basket with 3 different blushers; 10, Coralista and Sugarbomb. 

As with all Benefit items, the packaging is eye-catching and individual, giving each item it's own unique style. 

Benefit 10.

'10' is a highlight and contour set. It comes in a 10g box, and, with all Benefit's Boxed Blushes, comes with it's own brush. Although the brush is soft, other than to swatch, I haven't used them, and probably won't, as I prefer to use my own brushes. 

I have swatched both colours onto my arm, however the lighter colour, the highlighter, is very light and sheer and you can't see it very well as it's close to the skin tone on my arm. I have been using this to highlight my cheekbones, and the darker colour to contour and give definition to my face. It's a little too dark for my skin tone, so I do have to use this sparsely, but used in moderation, it can produce some nice results. 

Benefit Coralista.

Coralista, as the name suggests, is a gorgeous coral pink blusher. Deeply pigmented with a very slight shimmer, this is my most used out of all three. It's the perfect tone for Spring, and gives me such a lovely glow. I would recommend applying this sparsely though, and building, as being so highly pigmented, you can easily get into a mess! 

Benefit Sugarbomb. 

Last, but not least, is Benefit's Sugarbomb. As you can see from the images above, this is more of a bronzer/blusher, and contains four different shades. Instructions state to swirl all four colours together to create a glow of warmth, however I guess if you wanted to, you could use each shade individually. As with Coralista, this comes in a 12g box, and is highly pigmented, however easily buildable if applied sparsely. I imagine that once summer gets into full swing and I have a bit more of a natural glow, this will become a firm favourite of mine! 

Overall I'm really happy with the quality of these little blushes, and if, like me, your bank balance doesn't allow higher end products, check out eBay. There are some real bargains to be found out there...I know for a fact that Benefits 'They're Real' Mascara is available for under £10, which, once my   Rimmel 'Scandaleyes' has been used up, will be my next mascara as i've heard such good things about it!

Do you own any Benefit Boxed Blushes? Which are your favourites?

Toodles! 

Gem Xx.

The Body Shop Seaweed Ionic Clay Mask: Review

Hello! 

I know I harp on about The Body Shop like they're the bees knees, and you're probably sick of hearing it, however I had THE biggest haul in January, and for those of you who read my blog regularly, you'll remember that i'm in the middle of a spending ban until June 1st, meaning that I won't have any new purchases until then so here comes another review from my stash of already owned goodies... 

The Seaweed collection from TBS is something I'd been wanting to try out for a while, but with this mask alone being £12.00, I held off. That is until they had a mahoosive 40% off sale on everything online including sale items. Enter Gem, who wiped out the stockroom i'm sure, and ended up roughly £60 lighter....(probably not the wisest of moves, but I was 'stocking up')....picking up anything and everything she could lay her beauty mitts on, including the Seaweed Ionic clay Mask, for the more reasonable price of £7.20. 

I've always thought my skin fell into the 'normal' category, however the past year I've been noticing changes to my skin, some dry areas, some oily, some normal, depending on what my skin feels like really. At the time of buying this, my skin was having a massive attack of oiliness, so from all the varieties of masks available, I decided to go for the one suited for combination/oily skin. 

I alway love the purifying effects that clay masks have on the skin, drawing up any impurities, especially blackheads, which i'm sure you'll all agree are, along with spots, the skins nemesis. 

The mask comes in a 100g plastic tub, with packaging typical to TBS style. The mask itself is a thick creamy texture, which dries white. This is helpful to know when the mask is ready to take off, however directions do state to apply in a thin layer around the face, being careful to avoid eyes and lips, and removing with warm water after 10 minutes of using.

 A lot of reviews i've seen of this complain that there are no directions, however I found them easily. They are located on the bottom of the tub, if you peel back the first layer of the sticker. 

After reading reviews of this, I felt like I needed to leap to its defence! So many people have complained about 2 things: the scent, and stinging sensations. 

The scent: The clue is in the name really, it's a seaweed based product, so it's hardly going to smell like flowers! It has a fragrance that is hard to explain, it's almost the smell of the sea, but more intense somehow, and has notes of earthy tones, whilst also being incredibly fresh. I guess whether you like the smell or not is up to you as an individual, however I quite like it, and occasionally you'll find me having a cheeky sniff. 

Stinging Sensations: So many people have said that this product makes their skin sting so much that they have to remove it within minutes of applying. I can't comment too much on this as that has never happened to me. I get a tightening sensation, which to me says that the mask is working, however i've never felt uncomfortable wearing it. All I can suggest is that if you have sensitive skin, maybe this mask would be too harsh for you? 

The one negative thing I will say about the Ionic clay Mask is that it claims to purify and cleanse the skin. To me, this means to remove impurities. Like I mentioned above, to me, this means those pesky little blackheads. Now, the clay does work its magic and bring any blocked pores to the surface, however in my experience, it does little more to remove the impurities, instead leaving them on the surface of the skin. For me, this is only half a job, however at least it does bring them to the surface, so I can't complain too much! 

Overall I think that this little mask does a decent job at making my pores appear smaller and my face tighter, however for the full price tag of £12, i'm not sure i'd be venturing out to buy another! However if you want to buy it, I just received a 35% off your order voucher code. Just enter 35OFF at the ckeckout! Enjoy!

Have you used this mask? Do you like it? 

Gem. Xx

Spending Ban Update: I'm doing well...well - I'm holding up OK. My lovely boyfriend did allow me to  order some Barry M Gelly nail polishes as I had tried desperately to get my hands on a few shades before making this little bet, so i'm now the proud owner of Papaya, Prickly Pear and Greenberry! However that's the ONLY allowance I'm allowed. He won't even let me buy any new make up brushes. *sob*. Still, £10 is a stake here so I shall make do until June 1st! Xx

A Spring Clean & A New Look.

Hi! 

I've had a little time on my hands as of late, and decided to give my blog a facelift. This is a work in progress, and as i'm really indecisive, a few different designs may appear before I find 'the one'. 

This is basically just a courtesy post letting you know that The Gem Mine is under construction, and i'd love any opinions on what to change/what to keep etc! I'm feeling pastel polka dots at the minute, what do you think? 

Toodles for now! 

Gem. Xx

My Morning Routine #1.

Hi! 

Hope you're all good! 

Today I thought I'd share my morning cleansing routine with you. I love reading/noseying into other peoples daily routines, so here's your chance to nosey into mine! 

These items are the products I have been using in a daily basis since Christmas 2012. I bought some of these products when I was running low on funds, so hopefully I will be able to show that beauty on a budget doesn't mean cutting corners. Just because a price tag is low, it doesn't necessarily mean that the performance of that product will also be low. 

From Left to Right: Lush Ocean Salt Facial Scrub, Lush Herbalism Facial Cleanser, Clean & Clear Blackhead Clearing Cleanser, Boots Essentials Cucumber Facial Toner, Boots Essentials Cucumber Moisturising Lotion, Boots Essentials Cucumber Eye Gel. 

The first thing in my routine is Lush Herbalism Fresh Facial Cleanser. As the name suggests, this product is packed full of natural ingredients, and helps 'with spots, grease and calms troubled skin'. This cleanser works differently to any cleanser I have used before. To use, you need to scoop out a pea sized amount onto your hand, and mix with water until it becomes a smooth paste. Then apply to your face in circular motions and wash off with luke warm water. 

As you only need a small amount each day, and I use a different cleanser at night, this has lasted me since christmas, with pretty much daily use I still have roughly half left, so the £5.95 price tag isn't bad considering how much use you get out of one pot. 

I then follow with Ocean Salt, also from Lush. Ocean Salt is a sea salt based facial scrub, and I try to use this scrub at least 3 times a week, usually every other day, depending on whether I feel I need a scrub on that day or not. It has a fresh, ocean-like fragrance, and contains sea salt to exfoliate and lime and lime oil, coconut oil and avocado butter amongst others to soften and nourish the skin. My skin always feels so fresh and clear after using this, and I do feel it's a facial scrub I will be repurchasing soon. 

From top to bottom we have: 

Clean & Clear Blackhead Removing Cleanser - My routine continues into my bedroom, where I use this cleanser. I've had this cleanser forever, it never seems to go down! Using a cotton wool ball or pad,  I use this mainly on my T-zone areas, and it just helps keep any blocked pores at bay. 

I then move onto my boots essentials range. I was running very low on funds when I first bought these, and with each item in the range at £1.50, I figured these would suffice until I could afford something better. Little did I know that these little bargains would become a staple in my skincare routine. For a range of products so cheap, they really deliver on quality, and if you're on a budget, I really think this range is worth purchasing. 

I firstly use this Boots Essentials Cucumber Toner. Again using a cotton wool ball, I sweep this toner all over my face, and feel it really gets my skin ready for a moisturiser. At the minute i'm using the Boots Essentials Cucumber Moisturiser. This is quite a light moisturiser with a faint cucumber scent, and the entire range also comes in a fragrance free version for more sensitive skin. What I will say about this moisturiser, is if you have specific skincare requirements; very dry/very oily etc, maybe this isn't for you. My skin is generally normal/combination with occasional oily areas, and it is great for me, however my sister has used it and she has dry skin. It does hydrate areas of her skin that are more normal, however she needs something a little more suited to dry skin. Finally, I have been using the Boots Essentials Cucumber Eye Gel. I chose a gel rather than a cream, as I always feel eye gels always make my eyes feel much more hydrated and bright. This one is no exception and always makes my eye area feel a little more vibrant. 

If you have any questions about any of the products in my routine, feel free to comment below. 

Toodles! 

Gem. Xx