August Favourites

Hi everyone, favourites time once again. This year has seriously been the quickest year ever!! I can't quite believe there is only a few months left til Christmas. But enough of that here's what I was loving in the month of August!

 

Yankee Candles - Strawberry Buttercream and Black Cherry

 

 

My non beauty favourites this month have been these two gorgeous Yankee Candles. I absolutely love the scent these give off when burnt together. Strawberry Buttercream smells very sweet, almost like the smell of baking cakes and Black Cherry is just a strong cherry scent. The two together fill my room with a sweet and fruity scent that is absolutely delicious. Neither one overpowers the other and I don't find the scent to be too sickly sweet. Strawberry Buttercream can get a bit much when burnt alone but Black Cherry cancels that out and burning together they are an absolute dream.

 

Essie Eternal Optimist and Barry M Princess

 

 

Another duo I have been loving are these two polishes I mentioned a few weeks ago. Essie's 'Eternal Optimist' is a gorgeous dusky rose colour that is fully opaque with two coats. Its a really lovely subtle colour that would be perfect for an occasion like a wedding or christening. Or even just for work when you don't want something that stands out too much, but still want a nice wash of colour. I have been pairing it with Barry M's baby pink glitter 'Princess' from their Royal Collection using this on just my ring fingers for a glitter accent. The glitters in this are not at all chunky and glide on the nails perfectly. I absolutely love these kind of glitters and would love some more, If you know of any I might like please comment below. All I seem to find are horrible chunky ones that go on the nails in patches. I've been switching up my nail colours a lot recently but throughout August I kept coming back to these two because I think they look so chic and classy together.

 

MUA Undress Me Too Palette

 



Again another product you have seen recently. My apologies but as you know I am at the minute out of a job and looking for work, so I have had to make deal with my current beauty stash because I can't afford any new products. I also think this featured in a favourites way back but that just goes to show how much I do really love it. I reach for this palette every single time I put make up on weather that's for, the eyebrow colour Lavish, a mixture a of a few shades for a complete eye look or just a highlight colour. I always go back to this palette because its just a perfect everyday palette that can be used for so many different looks. There isn't one colour I don't use in here. I have a lot of other palettes and this is not my favourite of the bunch buts its definitely the most used.

 

DHC Deep Cleansing Oil

 

 

Last but not least, and the only product that has not yet been featured on my blog is my first ever cleansing oil. I got this in the Summer edition of the Latest In Beauty Glamour Beauty Edit box a few months back. And I have been loving it ever since, although dispensing the oil has been a pain (there's a only a tiny hole for the product to come through when you un screw the white lid) this really is an excellent product. When massaged into a dry face, then wiped away with a muslin cloth soaked in warm water, it really does remove every scrap of makeup without irritating my skin or leaving it oily. The only problem I have with this product, except the dispenser, is the fact it can not be used on the eyes. Let me tell you if you put this on yours eyes it will temporarily blind you! In the products defence it does state to not use it on eyes but I tried it anyway, and although it removes eye makeup like a dream the momentary blindness and fuzzy film it leaves over the eyes is just not worth it!! So all in all a great product that I absolutely love I just wish it was friendly on the eyes. I am wanting to purchase an oil that can be used all over the face so let me know any suggestions you may have.

 

That's it for another month. What were you loving in August?

Much Love

Gemma xo.





What's on my bedside table

I saw many of these posts floating around a few months back and now that I'm back blogging I thought today I would share my version. Here's what I keep on the table next to my bed.

 

It's rather over crowded but I like my little set up. First up we have two gorgeous Yankee Candles, both gifted to me by my lovely boyfriend. The medium sized one is Strawberry Buttercream that he bought me for my birthday, this is really sweet so definitely not for those of you out there that don't like sweet scents, it can get rather sickly after a while. In all honesty it smells like all the other cakey scents they do but with a hint of strawberry, I absolutely love it. The small jar, Black Cherry is one he decided to pick up as a little gift when he got paid this month. It literally smells like cherries and it’s gorgeous. The two of them burning at once smells devine, really fruity and sweet, absolutely perfect for a nice relaxing night.

 

Behind these I have my red Guess glasses, I have two pairs of these, red leopard print ones for when I'm in the house and a nice cream neutral leopard print for when I'm out and about, that I keep in my handbag. Then there's a load of beauty products. On the left hand side I have all my perfumes and other smelly's. I have my Dove roll on deodorant, Chanel Coco Mademoiselle perfume, Elle by YSL perfume, Lady Gaga's perfume, along with a few other bottles, and a ton of testers from beauty boxes, gifts with purchases etc. I've also got a mini L'occitane shampoo, conditioner, body wash, body lotion and soap that I took from a hotel I stayed in (probably shouldn't admit that online but never mind) Then there’s just a few body sprays from Soap and Glory and Lynx. And a room spray from Avon.

 

 

On the right hand side I have all of my skincare products, minus my cleansers and exfoliators that live in the bathroom. My everyday skincare items in here are, my Garnier miscellar water, Nivea eye makeup remover, Liz Earle toner, Clarins HydroQuench moisturiser, La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo +, YSL eye cream and a Clearasil spot cream. I also have a load of others I use from time to time including products from L'occitane, Simple, Nivea, Coola, Monu Spa, L'Oreal and loads more. I really do not know why I have so much. Lastly there is my full size Soap and Glory Hand Food and Heel Genius, and my boyfriend’s No7 moisturiser that I practically forced him to buy and he only ever uses once in a blue moon. Oh and that piece of card you can see with a baby’s head on it. Is my gorgeous invite to my goddaughter's christening, which asks me to be godmother, I intend on keeping it forever.

 

 

So that's what my bedside table looks like; organised chaos. Like the majority of things in my life. Thanks for reading, and if you haven't already done this, I tag you all :)

Much Love

Gemma xo.

March Favourites

Hi ladies, Every time I do a favourites post I always say to myself, next month I'll post this before the second week of the month but I just can't seem to do that so here I am on the 8th April eventually telling you the products I was loving in the month of March.

My first favourite product is an extremely popular one from Soap & Glory -

 

Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Scrub - I had been after this product for such a long time after hearing so much about it on blogs and falling in love with the scent on a trip to Boots. For months I pondered over weather to buy it or not, but never did! Eventually back in February I bought it, although I didn't use it til last month. I absolutely fell in love with it after the first use. The smell is even more amazing with use, its a gorgeous mix of brown sugar and lime, that for some reason reminds me of Coca Cola. It also does a fantastic job of exfoliating your skin leaving it super soft and smooth.

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo - When I bought the Sugar Crush Scrub I also purchased the infamous Effaclar Duo, that has been dubbed as the must have product for problematic skin. I won't go into too much detail, as I am planning on dedicating a full post to this product. But it really did start to work for me last month and has become a staple in my skincare routine.

And finally my favourite makeup items from March

Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine in Lychee - I love the new Gelly Hi-Shine formula from Barry M. They are fully opaque in 1 or 2 coats and are super shiny without the use of a topcoat. Lychee was my first colour from the range and I love it. Whenever I wore nail polish in March (if your a regular reader of my blog you will know that this isn't actually very often) this is the one I chose, its a beautiful beige nude that works well even with my super pale skin tone. You can read my review of this here!

Nivea Raspberry Rose Lip Butter - As you may or may not know I love anything Raspberry flavoured/scented and this is no exception! I bought this on a whim one day and have been using it most days ever since. The smell is gorgeous. And the formula is lovely and creamy that leaves my lips really soft. It isn't as good as my Carmex lip balm but when my lips are slightly dry I apply this to give them back a bit of moisture. It also slighty tints my lips a very light pink which looks really nice on days where I don't want to wear a lipstick.

YSL Volume Effect Faux Clis Mascara - I have been using this mascara constantly since I got it and it's my favourite out of all the mascaras I have tried so far. Although it's on the pricey side it is really good. It gives amazing length and volume to the lashes and looks fantastic on a night out without the need for false eyelashes. If you would like a more in depth review, feel free to ask!

Once again I actually found it really difficult to come up with a decent amount of products to feature in this post. Because I really haven't been finding any new products that really take my fancy. I hope you enjoyed reading about these 5 little gems though.

Sorry for the lateness again.

Much Love Gemma xo.



Montagne Jeunesse Mud Pac Face Mask

Hi Girls, I feel like I haven't done an actual Beauty post for so long now, So I've decided to tell you about the Face Mask I used on Wednesday when I had a bit of a pamper, (you can read about that HERE.)

The Mud Pac mask is my 6th from Montagne Jeunesse. And I really do like them, They are perfectly sized sachets that give enough product to cover the whole face. And for only £1 each (from Wilkinsons, they vary from around £1 -£3 depending on where you buy from) they are really good value for money. This one does exactly what it says and gives you a really deep pore cleanse. After applying this and then removing after 15 minutes, my pores were clear and my skin was really soft. It didn't irritate my skin at all and was lovely and relaxing as I sat there with it on my face. It dries like a clay mask and I weirdly like the feeling of not being able to move my face properly when it is completely dry. The only thing I was disappointed with was the colour of the mask itself. From the picture on the front of the package I was expecting a bright turquoise green colour but instead was greeted by a light milky green! Non the less it worked, so in the end I wasn't too fussed. I would definitely repurchase this a long with my other favourite, the Hot Chocolate Orange mask.

 (an amusing picture of the mask on my face and the colour that I was so disappointed with)

If your after a cheap deep cleansing mask I would recommend going out and finding this. Or having a look at the other masks in the range if your looking for something else. They are fantastic :)

Much Love Gemma xo.

Wednesday Afternoon Pampering

Hi Lovelies, if you follow me on Instagram (gemmaferris91 if you would like to) then you may have saw a picture that I posted about an hour ago - 

(instagram picture)

As its my day off I decided I would give my skin a good clean and pamper, because I've been noticing some imperfections which I thought I may be able to clear up. Here's the products and what I did.

(l-r montagne jeunesse mud pac mask, soap and glory peaches and clean, no7 beautiful skin cleansing water, simple anti-blemish moisturiser, la roche-posay effaclar duo, soap and glory scrub your nose in it, liz earle instant boost skin tonic)

First of all I soaked a cotton pad in my No7 Beautiful Skin Cleansing Water, to make sure there was no make up residue left on my face. Last night I was so tired all I did was use this cleansing water then went to sleep so there could well have been some make up left on my skin from yesterday (yuck!) Then I cleansed with Soap and Glory's, Peaches and Clean Cleansing Milk, leaving it to soak into my skin for an extra few minutes to ensure a deep cleanse, then removing in circular movements with one of my Liz Earle muslin cloths soaked in warm water. I got this cleanser when I ran out of my beloved Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanser, and although its a lovely product and hasn't done anything bad to my skin I don't think I will repurchase it, I'm too set in my ways with my LE cleanser which I adore! Whilst I was in the shower and my pores had opened up with all of the steam and heat I applied the Scrub Your Nose In It Face Scrub from Soap and Glory, I applied this to my t - zone with my fingers, and then buffed it in a bit more with an exfoliating brush, that I have from when I did Beauty Therapy in college. Again I left this to soak into my skin for a few minutes then using the same technique as before I removed it with a muslin cloth. Once I'd had a shower and my face was dry, I applied the Montagne Jeunesse Face Mask with a face mask brush and left that on for 15 minutes, whilst I sat back and relaxed. Once that had set I removed it with warm water on a flannel and spritzed the Instant Boost Skin Tonic all over my face to refresh my skin (as you know I love this product!). Lastly I finished off with some of my Effaclar Duo and Simple moisturiser for a double helping of blemish fighting goodness.

After all of that my skin is now feeling super clean and soft. My pores are all unclogged but still haven't shrunk. And there is no sign of any oilyness on my t - zone. I really enjoyed this little pamper session and would do it again if I ever wanted a really deep facial cleanse and hour of relaxation! There's nothing better than taking some time out to relax and pamper yousrelf!

If you would like reviews of any of the products I have used, then please do let me know, as I would be happy to do that for you guys. And also any product recommendations for reducing pore size are VERY MUCH WELCOMED so please tell me of any wonder products you use, as large pores are something that really bug me and I want to get rid of!!

Hope you enjoyed this post. And if you haven't had a pamper for a long time, go and have one, it makes you look and feel so much better! And everyone loves that!

Much Love Gemma xo.

February Favourites

Hi Beauties, Sorry for the lateness of this favourites post but I just couldn't decide what to feature in it. So here's 5 of my most reached for products in the month of February!

First up a skincare product -

Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic - I bought this way back in September (i think) and I have been using it every single day since and I love it. Some people don't use a toner at all and think its a pointless step in their skincare routine. I on the other hand have been using them everyday since doing Beauty Therapy in college. I'm not sure if my skin actually benefits from it, because I haven't stopped using toners at all for the past 5 or 6 years, but I really enjoy using them, they really freshen up the skin and make it feel really clean and clear. I use this after cleansing. I spray it 4 times on a cotton pad and sweep it across my face, to make sure my face is completely clean and make up free. The smell of this toner is absolutely gorgeous and it really wakes my skin up, once I finish this I will definitely be repurchasing it.

Herbal Essences Hello Hydration Deep Nourishing Intensive Mask - I've been really looking after my hair recently and I think this has really helped. Since using it my hair has been really lovely and smooth. I use this at least once a week and I really like it. I reviewed it here if you would like to take a look.

MAC Girl About Town - This was my first MAC lipstick that I bought back in January. It's a gorgeous bright fuscia pink and I fell in love with it as soon as I laid eyes on it. Whenever I go out I use either this or the Rimmel Apocalips I'm about to talk about.

Rimmel Apocalips Big Bang - As you may know from reading this review I went out and bought 2 Rimmel Apocalips' the day they came out. I thought the bright pink I bought would be my favourite but in actual fact Big Bang is, this bright true red has been my most reached for since purchasing them. I've never owned such a red before, its really lovely and bright. The Apocalips themselves are really good too. They feel like a gloss when applied but dry to a beautiful matte finish. With the amazing pigmentation of a high end lipstick. I'm sure a well be extending my collection of colours very soon.

MUA Blusher Shade 2 -  I've been using MUA's blusher in shade 2 everyday I've wore make up in February. Its a lovely light dusky pink colour with ever so slight shimmer in it. The pigmentation is actually rather good for a product costing just £1, one quick swirl in the pan is enough to give my cheeks a lovely flush of colour. For only £1 I will definitely pick this up again, I have 3 of the 6 shades but this one is the one I use most. (As you may be able to tell the blusher in the very first picture in this post isn't actually shade 2, because the writing on the front of the packaging has completely faded and I wanted you to be able to see what the blushes look like, so I used another one of the colours in my collection so sorry if that causes confusion, also apologies for the messy packaging, I forgot to clean it before photographing)

Hope you enjoyed this most, and maybe have a few ideas of new products you would like to try out. What were your most reached for products in February? Be sure to let me know.

Much Love Gemma xo. 

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.