May Favourites!

Honestly, where has this month disappeared to? I can't actually wrap my head around the fact it's June tomorrow, which means it's 30 days until my days as a University student are over and I have to move back home. Crazy. Anyway, on with this months top 10 products... 

Over exposed image or what?! Sorry!! The lighting in my room is just weird today... I'll have to retake this one and replace it at another time... 

1. Bourjois Delice de Poudre Bronzing Powder: I have been loving this little chocolate flavoured beaut this month, and have worn it to contour my cheekbones practically every day. It's subtle enough for everyday use and definitely one of my favourite drugstore bronzers. 

2. Benefit They're Real Mascara: I am such a sheep, and when bloggers from all around started raving about this one, in typical Gem style, I had to have it. My student budget didn't quite stretch to the £18 full sized mascara, however a few weeks ago Elle Magazine had a mini sized freebie, so I snatched it up to see what all the fuss was about. I absolutely love it and wear it most days. I shall definitely be stretching the budget for a full sized version one I run out of this! 

3. The Body Shop Vitamin E Lip Care SPF 15: As we've had a sprinkling of sunny days this month, I've been reaching for a lip balm that not only will keep my lips hydrated, but will also give me protection from the sun. This little balm does just that, and has been my most used balm of the month. 

4. The Body Shop Seaweed Clarifying Toner: I have the weirdest skin. Sometimes it's oily, sometimes it's dry, sometimes it's normal. This means I constantly have to have different types of skincare available for whatever mood my skin is in. This month, it's been oily, meaning i've been reaching for my most mattifying products. This toner has been great to use before bed, and helps to get rid of the last traces of make up, whilst banishing any excess oil. 

5. Benefit Coralista: Coralista is the most perfect peachy pink toned coral blush, and I've practically wore nothing else this month. It's fairly similar to Nars orgasm, in which it's highly pigmented with a nice shimmer running through. I've been loving wearing coral lips, and this blush is the perfect companion. 

6. Good Things Miracle Mattifier Moisturiser: Did I mention I've been producing oil by the bucketload this month? Out with my normal moisturiser, and in with the mattifying one. This is great at giving my skin a matte finish, whilst also moisturising and giving my skin the nourishment it needs. This also acts as a great base for make up; I feel like I don't need a primer when wearing this. 

7: Le Mas Des Collines Lavender Pillow Spray: I've been having real trouble sleeping over the last few months. I'm a worrier, things play on my mind, and before you know it, I'm wide awake and panicking about the silliest little things that are out of my control. I picked up this pillow spray at TK Maxx for £2.99 and although it hasn't really sent me straight to sleep, it helps to create a calming atmosphere, and i've found myself spraying it not only on my pillows, but on my wrists and pulse points. If you don't like lavender scents, i'd steer clear of this as it's very strong, but I quite like it as it reminds me of my Grandma's garden when I was younger. 

8. Next Eau Bloom Eau De Toilette: I wouldn't usually stick in a perfume unless it was something special, but i've been reaching for this one a daily basis; it's definitely a favourite for this month! I'm rubbish at describing scents, but it's very light and crisp, fruity yet almost floral. It's basically the perfect Spring/Summer fragrance, and it's very cheap. I picked up this little 10ml bottle for £3.50, and I'm already half way down so I may have to pick up the 30ml bottle for £6 soon! 

9. Miracle Oil with Argan Oil: This is Aldi's version of Argan Oil, and for saying it was only £3.99, it works a treat. I've used this after every wash and it's helped to keep my hair soft and protected at the ends. I'm not sure, as my hair grows fairly quickly, but i'm certain my hair has grown a bit more than usual since using it too! 

10. Goldwell Curl Love Curl Cream: I talked about this is my The Perm That Killed My Hair & The Products That Brought It Back To Life post, and it really good after a shower on towel dried hair to keep curls in place without making them frizz out, which is a problem with my hair. I've been wearing my hair naturally curly/wavy a lot more since having my perm, and this cream has been my go-to product for a natural style. 

What products have you been loving this month? 

Real Techniques Core Collection.

Hey there lovelies! 

Today's post is my review of the Real Techniques Core Collection. I've been meaning to do this post for a while but kept forgetting to take pictures, then when I did remember my brushes were dirty! I've finally gotten around to doing it so without further ado.... 

As I'm sure you're all aware, Real Techniques are designed by pro make up artist Samantha Chapman, and are designed with the aim of making professional looking make up easy for us normal peeps. 

The core collection consists of 4 brushes which are aimed at creating a flawless base. As Ms Chapman says, "great looks start with a flawless base". 

I'm not a massive fan of the cheap plastic packaging that this collection came in, however I usually throw packaging away so I guess it doesn't matter too much. I'd have preferred something sleeker looking, perhaps in a more eco friendly cardboard box? The set also comes with a black 2 in 1 case and stand. I travel a lot to see my boyfriend, (who very nicely bought me this set - good boyfriend points Arron! =)) so the travel case has been very handy for keeping my brushes together, and out of harms way. I doubt i'll ever use it as a stand, however. 

Each collection has a colour code. The core collection, as you can see, is gold. This is particularly handy if you are in a rush and need to find a certain brush quickly. There's nothing more annoying that having to empty your entire make up bag or pot of brushes just to find one thing! 

The buffing brush is probably my favourite from this collection, along with the contour brush. This brush is meant to be used with powder and mineral foundation. Now, I don't use powder foundation, so I have found a use for this brush as a stippling brush. It's a fairly similar shape and size to the Real Techniques stippling brush anyway, so I have been using this with my Rimmel Match Perfection foundation, and find that it creates a flawless look, giving a seamless finish, that my other foundation brushes just don't give. 

The contour brush is meant to be used with highlighter to contour the cheekbones. Again, I don't always use this brush as it's intended purpose. I find that this brush is perfect as a blusher brush. I like to apply blusher to the apples of my cheeks, and sometimes my blusher brush is just too big, however this one allows me to create more of a subtle glow. 

I think maybe you're starting to see a pattern here...I use this brush not as a foundation brush, but as a concealer brush, as I just find it too small to use with foundation. As a concealer brush however, it's the perfect size. 

Finally we have the detailer brush. This is my least used brush, as I have been trying to use it as an eye brush, and failing. I've recently actually looked at what this brush is meant for; concealer and/or lips, and hung my head in slight embarrassment. I've since began using it as a lip brush and I feel that I may get a bit more wear out of it now. 

Although I don't actually use the majority of these brushes for their intended purpose, I have found that they do work for me in my own way. All brushes are soft to the touch, don't absorb too much product and do help to create more of a flawless finish to my skin (however impossible a mission that may seem). I'd highly recommend this set as a starter kit for people who want to start using a higher end brand, but don't want to spend those higher end prices. This kit, and each of the others (I think) retail at £21.99 at boots, however Amazon occasionally sell them for a few pounds cheaper. 

Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette | The Review.

Hi! 

First of all, an apology. I haven't blogged since the 21st. This is unusual for me, as I like to post at least once a week, but i've been so busy with final touches for my assessment, and then we had the bank holiday weekend, and then I planned to write this post last night after seeing Iron Man 3 with my friend but we ended up going for a drink and a chat afterwards so it didn't happen and before you know it, it's Wednesday and you realised you haven't even started one of the 3 reviews you wanted to do this week!   Anyway, I'm finally getting around to my first of those three reviews and that is the Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette. 

I have lusted over the Naked palettes for quite some time, but the £36 price tag somewhat deterred me from buying. Student loans are great, but when you're an Art Student paying for materials for your course as well as being a serial shopoholic, sometimes you have to bypass the nice stores and head for Primarni, which has meant that for the longest time i've bypassed the Urban Decay counter at Debenhams. I finally broke down and gave in just over a month ago, purchasing the Naked Basics Palette at the more reasonable price of £20. Still fairly expensive, however you get 6 eyeshadows which makes the average price per shadow £3.33. Not too shabby when you think of it that way, and much cheaper than the likes of Nars and MAC. 

The packaging is sleek and simple, but with an air of sophistication shown by it's velvety smooth rubbery casing and embossed lettering. The only qualm I have with this is that I'm scared to leave it outside of the box for fear of the case getting grubby and marked. It doesn't seem like the type of packaging that would be easy to clean. 

Inside the palette are 6, neatly presented shades showing the shade name of each, which is helpful if you wanted to buy an individual shade. The palette also has a mirror, perfect for on the go touch ups or travelling. 

Left To Right | Venus | Foxy| W.O.S | Naked 2 | Faint | Crave

The palette consists of 6 shades, 5 of which are matte. I much prefer to use matte shades so this palette really suits my tastes, and the nude colours are perfect for day to day wear, and can be built up for a smokey evening look. As far as I am aware, only 'Foxy' is available in the Naked 2 palette, Although 'Crave' is very similar to 'Blackout', also in Naked 2. Other than that the other 4 shades are exclusive to the basics palette; which is great as you won't be buying a palette of colours you already have if you own Naked 1 and 2.

Venus: Venus is the only shimmer shade in the palette, adding a touch of sparkle if needed. It's an off-white shade with a decent amount of shimmer, which looks lovely dotted in the inner corner of the eye to brighten the eyes.
Foxy: Foxy is a yellow based matte cream. As I have found with every shade in this palette, it's highly pigmented and blends like a dream.
W.O.S: Walk of shame is another cream, however this time more pink toned. I think Urban Decay have really done well with creating a nude palette to suit all skin tones.

Naked 2: Naked 2 is probably my favourite shade. A gorgeous creamy matte mushroom/taupe, it looks amazing all over the lid on it's own, or blended with a lighter/darker shade.
Faint: A deeper, almost dirty matte brown which looks great blended into the crease for a defined, smokey look.
Crave: Pure matte black. I rarely use this as I don't use black eyeshadow, however I have heard great things about this shade as an alternative for eyeliner. I'm currently rebuilding my eye brush collection so I have yet to try it, but it sounds like a good alternative.

Overall, I'd highly recommend this palette to anyone who loves a neutral eye look as this little baby has everything a girl could need!

Rimmel Kate Lipstick in '03' | The Review

Evening ladies! (Or gents, you never know! ;)) 

Hope everyone is all good, my assessments started today so I've spent all day with the boy, carrying my (heavy) sculptures up two flights of stairs, painting walls and part of the floor, whilst rushing around like headless chickens tracking down tutors for various bits and bobs. It's safe to say that we are shattered! Still, 3 more days until three years worth of hard work will have come to an end, and I will have completed a degree in BA Hons Fine Art. Scary stuff!! 

Anyway, today's post is a review of Rimmel's Kate Lipstick in the shade '03'. 

I really like the packaging of these lipsticks. Not quite as chic as Mac or YSL, however out of the drugstore brands, I do think this Rimmel packaging is by far one of the nicest, on par, in my opinion, with the gorgeous packaging of the Revlon Lip Butters (Which I am STILL yet to try! *Sob*) 

The shade '03' is a nude, with a slight hint of peachy pink. As with all the Rimmel Kate Lasting Finish Lipsticks, it feels extremely moisturising to apply, and gives great colour pay off after only one swipe. 

As you can see from the swatch above, it's quite an opaque and creamy formula, which gives a lovely nude look without overdoing the brown tones, which is perfect for me, as I tend to stick more with the peachy toned lips. I have heard that this is a very good dupe for Mac 'Shy Girl', however I don't own it so can't really comment on just how much of a dupe, however texture wise, it is fairly similar to the Mac formula, perhaps with less staying power. On a good day this will stay on my lips for an hour or two before I need to reapply, however for the £5.49 price tag, that's something I can live with. 

Rimmel Kate Lasting Finish '03', lightly applied. 

Have you tried any colours from this range? What are you favourites? 

The Perm That Killed My Hair & The Products That Brought It Back To Life.

Hello! 

Wordy title, sorry! Hope you're all having a fab weekend so far, I am enjoying doing absolutely nothing - Uni assessments start next week so i'm chilling in preparation for the mayhem that will follow! 

As the title suggests, and if you read my blog regularly you might know that a few weeks ago I got a perm. Basically, my younger Sister is in her final year of studying hairdressing, and I am her official guinea pig. Don't ask me why I let her talk me into these things, but she knows I'm a sucker for having somebody play with my hair all day. Anyway, she has to do certain hair related things to pass the course: cuts, colours, styles etc. The one thing she struggled to get clients for is perming - enter the guinea pig. She begged and begged me to do it, we even sat down with her tutor and talked about ways to create makeshift perming rods to make bigger, looser waves rather than springy curls. Eventually, she wore me down and I agreed to have the perm. 

This is the result: (I apologise for the shocking quality, they were taken on my phone - I can't wait to get rid of you, Blackberry) 

Ahh, look at my luscious long locks *Sniff*. Looks pretty nice right? Well, I was happy with it. I tend to have naturally wavy hair, so summer beachy waves tend to be my go-to style. The perm kind of enhanced my natural waves. I was warned that the perming lotion *may* make the ends of my hair slightly dry, however I had no idea just how dry! 

From that day, my hair became a nightmare. Yes, the curls were in and the curls looked lovely, but to the touch, my hair was in the worst condition of it's life! I've always somewhat prided myself on my ability to have healthy, shiny hair in excellent condition - I have a shelf full of various products to prove it. I remember way back at the end of middle school when I was about 14, our teacher gave us all slips to fill in a sentence about each of our classmates that we got to keep. I still have my little bundle of slips and the majority of them said "She's quiet, but has amazing hair, and has great hairstyles to try". I rest my case. I love my hair, so naturally this dry, awful state was unacceptable to me, and i've been spending every waking hour since lathering products on my head to attempt to bring it back to life. 2 weeks on and after having to get the sister to trim my hair (an entire INCH came off!! Might as well have been a mile!) I've finally gotten my hair back to it's smooth and shiny self. I couldn't have done it without these miracle products: 

1. Macadamia Nourishing Leave in Cream - What can I say about this cream? It's amazing, i'm actually contemplating splashing out on the full sized bottle which is rather on the expensive side. I use this after washing and conditioning my hair, and use it as a leave in conditioner. It banishes frizz and leaves my hair feeling and smelling lovely and soft. 

2. Andrew Collinge Perfect Endings Leave in Conditioning Spray - I use this in a similar way to the Macadamia cream, although this one comes in spray form. It just helps to add moisture to the hair, combatting any dryness. I also use this daily on dry hair just to perk it up and give it some life. 

3. Aussie Aussome Volume Shampoo - I'm not one for splashing out too much on shampoo, I'd rather spend on conditioning treatments, however I do believe that if your hair is suffering for whatever reason, do spend a little more on shampoo, as it does make the difference. Although this version of Aussie is targeted on creating volume, it's still made my hair feel and look healthier. 

4. Boots Ingredients Honey & Jojoba Intensive Hair Mask for Dry, Damaged Hair - This was my hair to a T!! I've had this mask for a while - I like to rotate masks so they do tend to last a while. This one is super affordable, and I slather a handful of this all over my hair, then sit back and relax in a warm bath for 20-30 minutes. The directions to state to leave it for 5, but I like to give my hair a real treat! This is the first of 3 hair masks I have used to give life back to my hair, and I just feel this one was quite repairing and nourishing. 

5. Goldwell Twist Around Curl Styling Lotion - I actually bought three goldwell products just after my perm, two of which are featured in this post. This curling lotion is a favourite of mine. It's basically a styling spray, so you spray into your hair before curling with a wand or straighteners, and it helps to keep the curls in. Now that my perm is set, I can choose whether to straighten, curl or leave au natural, and this helps me to create defined curls that last when using styling tools. It also has the most amazing banana scent! I've been known to ask my sister to go a fetch it so that I can spray it onto my hair EVERY TIME I'VE BEEN IN for the past year! Even when my finished style isnt curly! I love the smell that much! 

6. Goldwell Curl Love Curl Cream - Another of my Goldwell products, this curl cream is to be used on towel dried hair, and creates smooth and defined curls with no frizz. Directions state to apply a small amount to towel dried hair, scrunch curls into place and either dry with a diffuser, or air dry. I have been using this on days where I leave my hair to dry naturally into it's wavy state. It has definitely helped to banish frizz and smells lovely too! 

7. Carino Miracle Oil with Argan Oil - Ahh Argan Oil, everyone's current best friend. Again after towel drying my hair, I pour a small amount into the palm of my hand, rub together and apply evenly to the lengths and ends of my hair to help protect and nourish. Unlike other products with Argan Oil I have tried - Body Care's version, I'm looking at you - it leaves no oily/sticky residue on the hair, just a soft and shiny finish. 

8. Henna Treatment Wax Deep Conditioner - The second hair mask I have been using in an attempt to calm the locks is this one from Body Care. This was actually a massive bargain at only £1 for a huge tub - I've barely made a dent in it and I've had it ages! I slathered loads of this into my hair, paying special attention to the ends and wrapped my hair in a towel for an hour before rinsing out. This was the first deep condition I used after having the perm, hence the drastic one hour leave in time! It really did the trick though - left my hair feeling a lot softer than it had done. The ends were still dry, however this was before my cut - I doubt anything could have brought the ends back to life. 

9. Avon Planet Spa Mediterranean Olive Oil Conditioning Hair Mask - For those of you who haven't tried the Planet Spa range from Avon, I urge you to give them a go - they're excellent quality products! You might already know I love Olive Oil products; the moisturising quality olives give is second to none, and this mask is definitely living up to my expectations of the magic of olive oil! Even now that my hair is back to normal I've still kept this baby in my bathroom to give myself a bi-weekly treat! The texture is thick, creamy and has an indulgent scent. It's honestly a pleasure to use, and leaves my locks feeling smooth and ever so soft! 

Oh dear, I rambled again - Sorry about that, but there you have it. The 9 products that, with the help of a trim, brought my hair back from the dead. 

What products help you when your hair is in need of help?! 

Also, I have a new twitter account for my blog so feel free to follow @TheGemMine for updates on my blog and further ramblings! 

May Wish List.

Hi! 

Hope everyone's having a great week so far! It's a bit here and there for me. My final assessments start next week so this week is a bit hectic, painting studios (and the studio floor - who paints floors?!) in preparation for displaying our work. Scary stuff! 

The good things about this week are that three years of hard work are coming to an end soon (yay!), and I bought me and the boy tickets to see Lee Evans next September! (YAYYY!) For those of you who don't know Mr Evans, firstly, do you live under a rock? And secondly, he is my all time favourite comedian - I saw him a couple of years ago and literally cried, I was so happy to finally see him live! Anyway, this has let my bank balance looking more sorry for itself than I had thought, meaning my beauty and fashion wish list is growing, as I can't bear myself to part with any more cash! 

Here is my wish list for May. 

Firstly, I apologise for the shoddy quality of my makeshift collage - photoshop is not my friend, so basic photomontages will have to do! 

1. River Island | Coral Skater Skirt | £16 | 2. MAC Cosmetics | Powder Blush in 'Melba' | £17.50 | 3. John Lewis | Enrapture Extremity Heated Rollers | £54.00 | 4. ASOS | Black Disco Pants | £30 | 5. River Island | Acid Wash Denim Skater Skirt | £18 | 6. MAC Cosmetics | Lipstick in 'Coral Bliss' | £14

What are you lusting after this Month? 

All Dressed Up & Nowhere To Go. || OOTN

Evening! 

Being a Tuesday night, you'd think going out would be the last thing on somebodies mind, however, for those of you who are/have been students, you will know that midweek partying is the norm. 

Being in my final year, things have been pretty hectic for me and my friends, with deadlines and all nighters left, right and centre, so you can imagine my delight when a lot of my friends final hand in date  was today, and there were talks of going out to celebrate. YES!! Finally, a night with the girls! 

Unfortunately for me, they are all now tucked up in bed, exhausted after a day of displaying work and umpteen all nighters catching up with them. (Did I mention we're all Art & Design students? Long days in the studios are the norm for us - none of this cramming for an exam the night before or spending two days writing an essay only to then have two months off before the next assignment. Design is HARD!) Anyway, going off topic, celebration night has been postponed, so I am left (as the title suggests) all dressed up with nowhere to go. Rather than waste this and climb straight into PJ's, I thought I'd make the most of my newly free night, and do my first OOTN post! 

I Wore

Blazer - Primark

Top - Dorothy Perkins

Jeans - Primark

Boots - New Look

Necklace - Dorothy Perkins

Cross Bracelet - River Island

Love Bracelet - Accessorize 

Stacking Rings - Primark 

Bag - Primark

Nails - Rimmel 5 in 1 Nail Treat Top and Base Coat & Models Own Nail Polish in 'Coral Reef'

Face

Rimmel BB Cream 'Light' 

Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation '200 Soft Beige'

Soap & Glory Trick and Treatment Under Eye Dark Circle Concealer 'Bright On' 

Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer - Soft Beige

Bourjois Delice De Poudre Bronzing Powder

Benefit 'Coralista'

Eyes

Soap & Glory It's About Prime Eye Primer 'Bright Light'

Naked Basics Palette 'Naked 2' all over lid, 'Venus' on inner corner and 'Faint' on outer corner

Maybelline Mastershape Eyebrow Pencil 

Benefit 'They're Real' Mascara

Lips

The Body Shop Mango Lip Butter (Base) 

Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in 'Soft Coral'

Toodles! 

The Summer Body #2 || The Tanning Edition.

Hi! 

Today I bring you the second instalment of my Summer body posts. I don't think i'm the only person who starts to frantically buff, polish and tan their bodies to perfection in time for that unexpected day where the sun comes out and it officially becomes 'flashing the flesh' weather. If you're like me, then there is nothing worse than NOT being prepared for this and having to either walk around with pasty legs all day, or hiding them and feeling too hot! I've put together a selection of my current tanners of choice to show you how I achieve my summer glow. 

Garnier Summer Body Gradual Tan Moisturising Lotion 'Deep, Sun-Kissed Look' - Meet my new love in life. I cannot rave about this enough. A lot of people rave about the Palmers gradual tan, however for me, this is the holy grail gradual tanner. I have been using this for about a month now in between my usual body butter. Using this every 3ish days keeps a constant healthy glow to the skin, without streaks! It also has the most amazing fruity smell which I could go on about all day! If you're looking for a new gradul tan, this is the one for you! It also comes in a light version for paler skin. 

Fake Bake Wash Off Instant Tan - This tan does exactly what it says on the tube. I tend to use this only when I need a quick fix - for those days where perhaps i'm not prepared for a 'legs out' moment, or for when i'm feeling particularly pasty and want a quick pick me up. I wouldn't repurchase this, as I tend to steer clear of wash off tans, and this came in a Fake Bake set. It's ok, however not a product I tend to reach for often. 

Fake Bake Sun kissed Self Tan - Part of the same set is the self tan. If you are familiar with the Fake Bake range, you've probably come into contact with something similar to this. To use, you slather all over the body (Using a tanning mitt - Do NOT use hands, I made that mistake once thinking I could quickly wash my hands after, resulting in orange hands for 2 days!). Wearing loose clothing, sleep in the tan overnight, and shower off lightly the next morning. As this version is made for fairer skin, the result isn't as orange/dark as you might imagine, however it gives the skin a layer of light colour, which lasts between 2-3 days before wearing off. The one good thing about this is that it doesn't wear off and leave patches. In my experience it fades evenly. I don't think that this set is suited to my skin, as it's very light, and doesn't give me enough of a tan, however the formula of the products is fine. 

St Tropez Everyday Gradual Tan Moisturiser Light/Medium - The final tanning product I have at the minute is the St Tropez Gradual Tan. I only have this in a small 75ml tube; it came as a magazine freebie, and as St Tropez is a bit on the pricier side, I use this sparsely, usually as a facial tanner. The formula of this lotion is thicker than all other tanning lotions I have, and I tend to apply a small amount onto a cotton pad and wipe all over my face after toning, but before applying my normal moisturiser. I have tried to apply this to my arms and legs, however I found that it left streaks, so for me, using it as a facial tanner is the best way to make it work, as it doesn't streak or fade leaving patches. I'm undecided as to whether I'd ever repurchase this, I just can't make up my mind whether I could justify buying the full-sized product. 

Which tanning products are you using this Spring/Summer? 

Toodles!