Face Mask Wednesdays

Hi Girls. As I sit here writing this post a face mask is sat on my face heating itself up nicely. Since the 2nd of January I have been popping on a face mask very other Wednesday in hope of getting my skin in to a better condition. This is year is hopefully going to be the year of skincare for me, and by the end of December I'm wanting to have a strict regime set in place that works for me.

Now on to the masks themselves. I picked up 4 Montage Jeunesse masks a while back and I'm using those up before I try out anything else. So far I have used the 3 chocolate ones, chocolate, white chocolate and orange hot chocolate and have a berry one waiting upstairs for my next pamper day in a fortnights time. Now I'm not going to say these things are miracle workers because they aren't. I have seen a slight change in my skin but nothing too drastic. All of these masks do achieve a really deep cleanse like they say they do, and my skin is always super soft and squeaky clean after each use, but nothing that lasts for a considerable length of time. I still get the odd breakout like before and my pores are still on the larger side, but then again non of them claim to have a lasting effect so I really cant complain, especially when you can pick this up for less than £1 per sachet. So for a quick fix, an extremely deep clean and a brilliant price these are ideal! Another thing I will say is, they smell amazing. My favourite so far has got to be the one I have on now, which is the Orange Hot Chocolate one, which smells exactly like Terry's Chocolate Orange.

I realise that if I used these more often, then there might be a long lasting difference in my skin, but for now I'm just going to stick to my fortnightly face mask routine and try out different masks hopefully finding something wonderful. I'll be sure to keep you updated. And if you have any recommendations for something that will clear and reduce pores please do let me know.

Much Love Gemma xo.

Tag: 50 Random Things About Me!

I've seen this tag all over so I thought I would jump on the bandwagon. I hope you enjoy reading it and find out a few new things about me.

Thank you Chloe for giving me the idea of putting a collage of photos on this post!

My birthday is April 17th.
I’m really girly, I love anything pink and sparkly.
My favourite animal is an elephant.
I used to hate strawberries but I am slowly developing a liking for them.
I went on a plane for the very first time on 14^th June 2012, I was terrified but I now love flying.
I get along with guys a lot more than I do girls.
I support Liverpool FC.
My favourite drink is Jack Daniels and Coke.
I used to go clubbing 2 or 3 times every week now I go out once a month if that, I got bored of it and settled down with my boy so going out drinking doesn’t appeal to me like it used to.
My favourite food is Lasagne.
And my favourite dessert is Sticky Toffee Pudding or Eton Mess.
My family come above anything or anyone in my life.
I’ve been through more heartache than a lot of people my age.
I have really bad anxiety.
I take the most care with my eyebrows, and they are the first thing I notice on other people.
I used to be anorexic, now I eat all the time.
I worry about money far too much.
I’m terrified of death.
Music used to be the biggest thing in my life, now I rarely listen to it.
I don’t know my limit when it comes to alcohol so I end up getting extremely drunk when I go for a night out.
I have a massive girl crush on Megan Fox.
I used to smoke but now I can’t stand it. I really want my boyfriend to stop.
I’m obsessed with cats.
I’m trying to teach myself to do the splits.
I really want to have children and settle down, sooner rather than later.
I love coffee but can’t stand tea.
I really want a horse.
I can’t stand water it petrifies me.
I wish I had unlimited money because I have really bad spending habits.
Christmas is my favourite time of year.
My boyfriend is the best thing to ever happen to me. He’s calmed me down a lot and has changed my life.
My best friend is having a baby girl in May and I’m probably just as excited for her arrival as my friend is.
When I buy skinny jeans they have to be super tight, I can’t stand it when they stretch.
Facebook does my head in with all the childish stupid people on it, but I can’t get rid of it! Because I’d miss it.
I love candles.
I’m really lazy, I love to sleep.
I am really forgetful.
Pole dancing is the one form of exercise I have really stuck to.  Everything else lasts for only a few months, where as I’ve been at pole for nearly 2 years now.
I love chip shop gravy so much that when we get a delivery I order an extra tub of large gravy to drink.
I have one sibling, a younger brother who will be 19 in July.
I really want to travel around America and Italy.
I still haven’t had one single driving lesson and I’m nearly 22.
I only have one tattoo but I really want more, It’s true when people say they are addictive.
I am terrified of needles but would happily sit there and be tattooed all day long.
I have a weird love for cute stationary.
I spend more money on makeup than anything else.
I love shoes.
I adore Russell Kane.
I have so many celebrity crushes I couldn’t possibly name them all.
And finally, I can’t stand spicy foods.

Saturday Questions 26th January 2013

I can't believe its the last Saturday of the month, it looks like this year is going to go just as fast, or if not fast than last year. Scary thought! Here's my 10 questions for the week.

1. Mood: 

Happy. 

2. What is your signature sleep position? (back, side, stomach, etc) 

On my side, left hand side to be precise.

3. Current nail polish: 

Non suprise, suprise. I might paint them after my shower though, because I'm going out for a meal tonight.

4. What was the last song you listened to? 

I honestly cant remember!

5. What is your favourite fruit?

Raspberries. I also love Apples and Grapes.

6. What is your dream car? 

A White Range Rover.

7. Do you like to clean? 

Sometimes. I'm really OCD, so I like everywhere to be neat and clean, expect for when it comes to my bedroom. I don't have the patience to clean that! I do keep it organised though.

8. What is your favorite Subway sandwich (if you don't go to Subway, what is another kind of favorite sandwich you have?)? 

Meatball Maranara with extra cheese.

9. What is your favorite pair of shoes? 

My black New Look heels with studs on the back of them.

10. Weekly goals:

Do a workout everyday, and get fitter.

Hope you've all had a good week,

Much Love Gemma xo.

Instagram Post #3

I kind of neglected Instagram a few weeks back and hardly posted anything, but over the past week or so I've collected up a fair few pictures and eventually have enough to make a decent collage to show you guys :)

The first 2 pictures are from over three weeks ago, I eventually tried out my Chocolate Face Mask from Montage Jeunesse and I loved it. I got this Ohana Raspberry Lemonade from a sweet shop in Liverpool its amazing. Americans come up with the best things!! I'm trying to get into a routine of putting on a face mask every other Wednesday and last week I tried the White Chocolate Montage Jeunesse one. Can you tell I'm obsessed with Raspberry? I went to the shop last week and came back with these Raspberry flavoured treats. We eventually got snow where I live a few nights back. It was all gone by the next morning so the only picture I got was this dark one :( luckily as I type this the snow is coming down sooooooo heavy :) so hopefully its going to stick around for alot longer this time!! I started the Be Fit in 90 workout a few days ago, to get into shape so fingers crossed I have a nice toned bod in the upcoming months. I just had to pick up 2 of the new Rimmel Apocolips Lip Lacquers the day they came out. Me and the boy got a Domino's half and half pizza, I ate 2 slices and was full so thought I would snap a pic for Instagram before I carried on eating. And finally I'm stilling so excited about picking up Rose Diamond after work yesterday. I cant wait to use it!!

Hope your all well and the weather isn't causing too many problems where you are. Don't forget to follow me on Instagram and leave yours in the comments so I can follow you :)

Much Love Gemma xo. 

L'Oreal Elvive Extraordinary Oil

Hi Everyone, a quick review for you today. Some time last year I picked up the L'oreal Elvive Extraordinary Oil, but I have only been using it on a regular basis for the past month or so. So I figured now would be a good time to let you all know what I think.

First of all I love the packaging, its made from very thick and heavy glass making it look and feel really luxurious. And the smell is gorgeous which is probably down to the fact it is made up of 'a precious blend of 6 flower extracts'

Now for the product itself. It can be used in three different ways -

before shampooing for luxurious nourishment

before styling to protect and transform the hair 

and as a finishing touch for softness and shine

I've used the oil a few times in each way and I love them all. I mostly use it as a heat protectant or a finish and it leaves my hair beautifully soft. I think my hair has really benefited from using this regulary because even when I don't use it, my hair is much softer than it has ever been. It doesn't make my hair greasy or weigh it down at all, which I was really concerned about before picking it up. In my opinion this is a fantastic product and anyone could benefit from it. The one I have is suitable for any hair type and there is another variation for those with colour treated hair. I decided to go for the first one, even though I do have coloured hair, simply because I'm trying to grow out the colour and was hoping this may speed up the process. So far the colour has faded but I couldn't possibly say if it is down to this oil or not. At £9.99 its brilliant value for money and will last you an extremely long time, definitely worth purchasing!

One last thing. I have only ever used this hair oil. So I unfortunetly can't compare it to the more expensive options out there. I'm looking at you Moroccan Oil, I've been dying to get that for such a long time! And although I probably will try out a few more to see if I can find better, if your a first timer with hair oils like I was and don't want to spend a ridiculous amount of money I would strongly recommend getting this to try out.

As always thank you for reading,

Much Love Gemma xo.

Saturday Questions on a Sunday?! 20th January 2013

Hi Everyone! Apologies for the lack of posts this week and the fact this is a day late! I'm having major laptop problems so I've only been on it a few times over the past week. I am desperately hoping its going to last long enough to write this post. I'm in need of a new battery and charger and running off 10% of power right now. So enough rambling before it dies completely, here's my 10 questions for the week

1. Mood: 
Annoyed at the fact my laptop is broke!
 
2. Glitter in your lip gloss: yay or nay?
Mostly nay, but every now and again maybe.
 
3. Can you freehand draw a good circle? 
Yeh I think so.
 
4. Current nail polish: 
Rimmel Metal Rush Purple Reign.
 
5. What is your favorite type of accessory to wear? (earrings, bracelet, headband, etc.) 
Bracelets.
 
6. TV, video games, or internet? 
Internet.
 
7. Current hairstlye:
It's been left natural today I am just about to wash it.
 
8. Do you like public speaking? 
Not really.
 
9. What is your favorite fit of jeans to wear? (boot cut, skinny, flare...) 
Skinny, and I mean really skinny. I've just bought some 'skinny' jeans that are actually quite baggy and I HATE it :(
 
10. Weekly goals:
Sort my laptop out!!

Again sorry for the delay! I will be back to regular blogging when my laptop is sorted!

Much Love Gemma xo.

Saturday Questions! 12th January 2013

Hi Everyone! Hope your having a nice weekend so far. Here's my 10 questions for this week.

1. Mood:

I'm really happy today :)

2. Can you say the ABC's backwards without stumbling?

I very much doubt it!

3. What is the closest green object to you?

A packet of chewing gum on the table in front of me.

4. Current nail polish:
None as per usual.

5. What is your favorite song at the moment?

Pitbull - Don't Stop The Party, I love it. Gets me in the mood to go out everytime I hear it.

6. Current outfit:

My onesie, dressing gown and slipper boots, I'm having a lazy day today.

7. What coverage of foundation do you prefer most: light, medium, full, or none at all?

Full.

8. What color are the walls of your bedroom?

Purple, Pink and Silver, It needs decorating desperately!

9. What is your zodiac sign?  Do you think its characteristics represent you?

Aries. I'm rather firey and impatient like an Aries and I'm also caring of others, but some characteristics don't represent me at all. For example Aries are meant to be very trusting where as I trust hardly anyone at all. So I'd say its about 50/50

10. Weekly goals:

Start saving some money!! I want a holiday and more make up/clothes!!

After Christmas Beauty Buys

Hey Everyone, In today's post I'm going to show you the recent beauty bits I've bought. Unfortunetly only 2 of them were sale items! So lets get started..

sorry about everything going on in the background i need to learn some basic photo editing

The items I managed to pick up in the sales were the 2 Body Shop products, I was after a new shower gel and was determined to pick up the Ginger Sparkle one however they were all sold out. So I opted for the Cranberry Joy Shower Gel instead, the smell is so fruity and delicious, and I really wish they did this range all year round because I love fruity scents. A little goes a long way with this and it really foams up as you massage it into your skin. I'll be distraught when I use it all up. This was in the sale and only cost me £2 for 250ml. Like I said I was orginally after the Ginger Sparkle Shower Gel because I adore the scent. When I noticed it was all sold out I just had to grab one of these mini hand creams because I refused to leave without something with the ginger scent (sad and pointless I know, but its my favourite scent at the minute and I needed it) The smell is really gingery and sweet and kind of smells like cheap coke (am i the only one that thinks that?) and I absolutly love it! The cream itself is very thick in texture and makes your hands feel wonderfully soft, its not greasy but does take a bit of work to sink into my hands. I find that with any hand cream I use though, so it doesn't put me off at all. This also cost me £2 and is a 30ml tube. If I'm not too late I think I will definitely pick up the Body Butter next time I'm in The Body Shop.

The other 4 products I picked up were from my shopping trip in Liverpool. I talk about the Topshop nail polish in this blog post. Next I bought my first ever thing from LUSH. The Comforter Bubble Bar, which cost me £4.25. This smells amazing its really fruity and I cant wait to use it. Expect a blog post once I've tried it out because I just know already I'm going to love it!

And finally I had to take a trip into MAC. I was after a new brow colour because mine is quickly running out. I picked up 'Mystery' eyeshadow with out realising it was a satin finish (this means it has ever so slight shimmer in it) Thankfully I have tried it on my brows and it is a perfect match and you cant see any hint of shimmer! I am going to be buying a new matte colour for my brows in the near future and using this as a shadow colour but for now its good enough for use on my eyebrows.

The second thing I bought from MAC was a lipstick. I picked up 'Girl About Town' which is a very bright fuscia pink with blue undertones. In a word the colour is amazing. The lighting in that photo does not do it justice at all! I've always been a fan of bright pinks and this one really is beautiful. The formula is very creamy and glides on really smooth adding lots of moisture to the lips. Regarding staying power I am not sure yet because I tested it then wiped it off again, but I think for these kind of finishes you get around 3 or 4 hours of wear. This lipstick cost me £14 and the shadow was £12.

As always thank you for reading and I hope you have enjoyed this post.

Much Love Gemma xo.

Recent Nail Varnish Purchases!

Hey Everyone! I've been a little bit obsessed with Nail Polish recently, even though I hardly ever wear it because of work, hmm, a waste of money? I think not! I'll get use out of them all eventually. 

Here's 4 that I've got recently..

(l-r, topshop firework, rimmel metal rush purple reign, nails inc st. james, gosh holographic hero)

and the swatches..

(l-r gosh holographic hero, nails inc st. james, rimmel metal rush purple reign, topshop firework)

Topshop - Firework, This is my most recent purchase from when I was in Liverpool a few days ago. I wasn't actually going to buy anything from Topshop, I was browsing the Nail Polishes for ages but resisted and walked to the counter with my friends without a single item, then this was amongst a few other polishes by the counter and I just had to have it! Its a beautiful lilac glitter with tiny chunks of multi coloured glitter in it as well. I've only tested this out once and I absolutely love it! Its a really lovely lilac colour and needs about 2 coats for a full on opaque finish. It costs £6.

Rimmel Metal Rush - 80 Purple Reign, This is another one I bought on a whim when I was out shopping because I liked the look of it. The metal rush collection has been out for about 3 months from what I can gather. This one is the plum purple colour with a slight hint of gold/bronze going through it and in some lights you can see a hint of blue. This is another really beautiful polish and again takes 2 or 3 coats to become opaque. This cost me £3.99.

Nails Inc - St. James, I got this free in the December issue of Glamour magazine (Glamour is £2 and Nails Inc polishes are £11 so this was an absolute bargain!) St James is your classic red and seeing as  I for some bizarre reason have no true red colour polishes I had to pick this one up (there were 4 choices with the magazine) As with the others a few coats and the colour is opaque. Applied on its own it is super shiny anyway but with a top coat over it, it has a gorgeous shine! This is the polish that has been gracing my toe nails recently.

Gosh - 549 Holographic Hero, This was actually a prize I won from ScarlettLondon blog. It's a special edition polish called Holographic Hero. In a word it is amazing the holographic effect is really nice, its silver with a variety of other colours as it hits the light. It says its a one night only polish, which is very true. It didn't last long at all on my nails, maybe a day until chips started to appear, I've read on blogs that it has lasted for up to 2 days but I wouldn't expect much more. Its a perfect polish for nights out and is opaque in 2 or 3 coats. It will set you back £4.99 if you can get hold of it. I'm not sure how readily available it is now.

I hope you like my very first review type post. I think the pictures turned out quite well for my first attempt. I'm rather pleased. Much more to come I can assure you

Thanks for reading. Much Love Gemma xo.

Saturday Questions! 5th January 2013

I've decided to make 'Saturday Questions' a weekly feature on this blog, each week posting 10 different questions. Sometimes I'll adapt questions for different occasions etc, others will just be totally random.

1.Mood: 
I'm good, except for the fact my throat is killing and I keep coughing.

2.What was the best part of your week?
Shopping in Liverpool yesterday with 2 of my best friends.

3.If you HAD to choose one: drastic hair color change, or drastic haircut?!
Probably drastic hair colour I don't think I could cope with short hair.

4.Current nail polish:
This is really weird but yesterday I bought a lilac glitter polish from Topshop, called Firework. When we finished shopping and went for something to eat before our train home. I decided to test out my new polish on one thumbnail so that's still painted but the rest aren't :/

5.Where do you keep your handbag when you are home?
In my bedroom, unless I've been out then it will be sat by my side until I take it upstairs.

6.Current outfit:
Pink skinny jeans, Topshop top and my fluffly slipper boots :)

7.Are there any TV shows you are really loving at the moment?
2 Broke Girls and Made In Chelsea, I love them.

8.Do you change your makeup routine with the seasons?  How is it different for fall?
No, I just wear whatever I fancy. Although this autumn/winter I've been wearing dark lip colours. I'll probably continue wearing them until I get bored though, not because of season changes.

9.Do you sleep with your bedroom door open or closed?
Closed, always have always will. I never sleep with windows or doors open!

10.Weekly goals:
Put away my Christmas decorations and tidy my room.

Hope you have all had a lovely week :) Feel free to answer these questions too, and send me the link :)

Much Love Gemma xo.

The Liebster Blogger Award

Hi Everyone! A few days a go I was nominated for The Liebster Blogger Award by Sparrow Mint and I am just getting round to writing about it so thank you very much for the nomination :) much appreciated.

If you haven't heard about this award already, its basically to help people with less than 300 followers get their blog more recognised and out there! I think its a great way for people like me who are just starting out to make other people aware of their blogs. The rules are as followers:

Each person must write 11 random facts about themselves.

Answer the 11 questions their nomination giver asks.

Nominate 11 more people and make 11 questions for them to answer.

11 Facts About Me,

I have a tattoo of 5 stars going down the back of my neck

I'm terrified of Daddy Long Legs

I have a wardrobe full of clothes I don't even wear

My boyfriend is nearly 2 years younger than me, but still acts maturer than me
I've never been to London :( really want to go though

I became obsessed with make up around 3 years ago but have only just started blogging

I'm a qualified Beauty Therapist but work in a Cafe

I love cheese more than any other food

I'm secretly (well not so secretly really!) a massive One Direction fan

I would love to be friends with Charlotte from Geordie Shore and Millie Mackintosh (Made In Chelsea)

I went on a plane for the very first time last year

Questions From SparrowMint,


What is your favourite genre of music? I honestly don't have a favourite, Ive been through phases of only listening to rock and metal to only listening to rap and dance music. I now listen to any type of music that takes my fancy.
Which beauty blogger would you be best friends with, if you could? Zoe from Zoella or Tanya Burr
What's your all time favourite drugstore make-up product? Rimmel ScandalEyes Eyeliner
Your top 3 favourite films? Taken, All the Twilight films and The Parent Trap (one with Lindsay Lohan)
Which trend/hype do you hate/or don't get? I cant really think of any :/
What's your beauty secret, that you swear by? Cleanse, Tone and Moisturise everyday!
Whats your favourite hair care to use? Hair Oil. I love the stuff, I'm currently using the L'.real Extraordinary Oil  
Who is your favourite actress & actor? Megan Fox, I love her! I have a massive girl crush!
What's your favourite scent? Perfume wise I'm loving Boss Nuit right now, in general I LOVE anything Raspberry scented
If you could be an animal or mythical creature, what would it be? A cat, I don't know why I just would
Can you really fall in love at first sight? Personally I don't think so no.

The People I Nominate 

Katie Louise at talkffashion
Victoria Magrath at inthefrow
Naomi Cooper at naomijadex5
Kirsty-Anee at 5feet10
BettinaHearts at bettinahearts
Jess Slater at jsandmakeup
Sandy at absolutebeaut
Emma Dunderdale at blameitonvogue
Chloe at chloesway (i know Chloe has slightly more than 300 followers but I love her blog and she deserves more, she was also my first subscriber which I appreciate alot)
Emily at onewaybeauty
Your not really meant to tag back but I cant think of anyone else so.. sparrow-mint 

My Questions To My Nominees

1. Why did you start your blog?
2. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
3. What is your favourite food?
4. Whats your biggest interest, fashion or beauty?
5. Whats your favourite tv program?
6. What is the best holiday you have ever been on?
7. Have you ever had surgery?
8. What qualifications do you have?
9. Do you have any piercings or tattoos?
10. What is your biggest fear?
11. What was the first high end make up product you owned?

Please check out the 11 people I have nominated, I love all of their  blogs and I'm sure you will too. If you have already been nominated for this award, sorry please ignore this post!

Much Love Gemma xo.

What I Got For Christmas

Hello Everyone!

I thought today I would show you what I got for Christmas, To some people it may look like I got nothing at all and for others it might seem like I got too much. Personally I think I got a lot and I am extremely grateful for everything I have been given. I am in no way bragging about the things I got, I just enjoy seeing other peoples presents and decided I would let you take a look at mine. I hope you enjoy this post :) It's my first attempt with my camera so bare with the quality of the photos. I will get better I promise!

As you can see I did get a fair bit. I love animal print, so I received a leopard print peplum top from one of my friends, along with a skull necklace that you cant actually see on this photo and a snake effect nail polish, as well as the 'friends' photo frame you can see in front of my GHD's. Its a wooden plaque of the word 'friends' with a love heart photo frame above the 'i' she put one of my favourite pictures of me and her in the heart and it is now hanging above my bed. Sticking with the animal print theme my boyfriends parents bought me the softest leopard print hat with ears and pom poms on it! Lastly for the animal theme another friend of mine bought me a skirt with a tiger on the front of it, along with the red spiked loafers at the front of the picture!

My main presents were my camera off my dad. The Enrapture Totem Styler off my brother. And the Limited Edition Cherry Blossom GHD's from my boyfriend.

My boyfriend also got me. A shamballa type bracelet, a box of Lucky Charms and the cutest cat keyring I have ever seen. I love cats, lucky charms and glitzy jewellry and I was in desperate need of some new straighteners so all of his gifts were perfect!!

Off my Auntie I got a 'Hunks Calender and some 'Flashing Snowman Chocolate' my Auntie and I are really close so funny presents like these aren't rare! Sorry if the cause offence to anyone reading this!

picture taken from my instagram page

From another friend of mine I got some fluffy pink and white slipper socks. 2 baths sets, a set of 6 shimmery loose eyeshadows and a mirror with a diamante skull on the front of it. From my boyfriends grandparents I got a little Jack Daniels giftset containing a small tumbler glass and a 50ml bottle of Jack Daniels. And lastly from another Auntie, my uncle and cousins I got a white picture frame with 3 photo slots that I forgot to include in the first picture. From other relatives like my Grandad and other Aunties and Uncles I got money which I am saving for my shopping trip to Liverpool on Friday.

And that's everything. I hope you liked the presents I received. I love them all and I am so grateful for all of it. As always if you have done a post like this please send me it. I would love to see them.

Much Love Gemma xo.