Sales Haul

I went shopping the other day to have a little look if there was anything left in the sales.

My first stop was Boots and had loads of gift sets left over. I wanted this hand wash set so was glad when I saw they had loads left over, it smells gorgeous and was a bargain at £5.

Then I went to the Disney Store to see if they had anything for me my boys. I got them a lovely Jake and the Neverland Pirates hat and gloves set, and spotted these polishes reduced to £5.99 and I could not resist. I am a massive Disney fan, plus the colours are gorgeous and it was originally £20 so I had to get it.

I stopped by Lush and got the Yuzu and Cocoa Bubbleroon. This is my first Lush purchase and I cant wait to try it. (Wasn't in sale but thought id include it).

Finally I went to TKMaxx and was sad to see they had reduced the beauty section so much, there was hardly anything left at all. I was really lucky though and spotted these essie polishes for £5. There is a duplicate colour, but I will keep this for future giveaways.

Did you get any sales bargains?

Gem x

Favourites of 2012: Makeup pt 1: Face Products

So this post would usually be my monthly favourites, but seeing as it is the new year I thought I would do my favourites of 2012.

Foundation: My long term favourite has been Bourjois healthy mix, but recently I have discovered Rimmel 25 hour which gives more coverage. So the bourjois is great for a good skin day, and the Rimmel for a bad skin day.

Powder: Rimmel Stay Matte - Translucent. Just a great powder, keeps the oil at bay and gives a nice matte, but not cakey, finish.

Primer: Benefit That Gal - I love this primer, its great to perk up my skin when it is having a dull day. I also use this over my foundation under my eyes to disguise dark circles.

Blush: Vivo Baked Blush - Peaches and Cream - I really like this blush, its such a pretty colour. Maybe more coral than peach though.

Concealer - Revlon Photoready - A really creamy concealer that doesnt cake. Its not perfect for under eyes and when I do use it for that I make sure to powder like crazy or it will crease. But it is great for spots and discolouration.


 Gem x

My Hopes for 2013

Blog & Beauty Related
Comment more on other bloggers blogs
Try and use more of my makeup stash before buying new products
Post more FOTD and OOTD
Keep on posting NOTD and hopefully they will improve
Buy myself some proper nail art tools
Try and go foundation free for at least two days a week
Keep blogging as I am, when I feel like and keep enjoying it

Personal
Re-join Slimming world and stick to it this time
Loose 2 stone by the end of 2013
Have more belief in myself
Spend more quality time playing/baking/arts and crafts with my children





**Don't forget to enter my giveaway here**

What I got for Christmas :)

I have loved reading other peoples posts about what they have received for Christmas, so decided to do my own. I was a little apprehensive about posting as what I received compared to some is hardly anything, but I am so pleased and thankful for my gifts I decided to post anyway.

Christmas for me is all about my two little ones now, and me and my fiancé decided to only give small gifts to each other so we could spend more on our boys. The memory of my 3 year old coming into my bedroom on Christmas morning and shouting with glee 'Santas been' will stay with me forever. I had a fantastic day with my family, and I hope you all did too.

Here is what I got:

Yankee Candles from my Fiancé and children, watch from my parents and a Baylis and Harding gift set from my Aunt.

I love Yankee Candles and have always bought myself the small samplers as I couldn't justify the price of buying any of the jars, so it was lovely to receive one as a gift as I have always wanted to own one.

The watch was a lovely surprise from my mum. I had been given money off her so wasn't expecting a gift. We were out shopping and I saw this and told her I loved it but couldn't afford it. Unbeknown to me, she went back the next day and got it. So sweet.

I always love getting smellies for Christmas, I used to get loads but since having kids I don't really receive gifts for myself any more. Not that I mind, but it was lovely to receive this so I could give myself a little pampering session.

I also got money and chocolates from my grandparents, which was very much apprecitated. Watch out for a sales haul coming soon!

I hope you have had a lovely Christmas and have an amazing New Year! I am really looking forward to seeing all the New Years makeup / nails / outfit posts!

Gem x

Christmas Day FOTD

A quick post to show you my makeup for Christmas Day. I went for a traditional red lip, which is usually out of my comfort zone. I think it looks nice, but will probably be sticking to my pinks for the rest of the year haha.

{This photo was taken on my dads DSLR (Olympus E-520) which I am currently borrowing. It was taken in low light, I think this is where DSLRs are better than a compact, the flash. I really hope he lets me keep it a bit longer, I'm going to have a photo session tomorrow just in case}


Products used:

• Rimmel 25 Hour Foundation - 100 Ivory
• Vivo Baked Bronzer - Sunkiss
• Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder - Translucent
• Collection (2000) Lipstick - Valentine
• Lancome Hypnose Drama Mascara
• Rimmel Gel Eyeliner - Black

Did you go for a bold lip or a more neutral?

Gem x

Calling all Bloggers! Want a £50 Amazon Voucher?

Daxon are offering fashion bloggers a £50 voucher for Amazon or Threadless in return for joining their blogger network.

All you have to do is add their badge to your blog and write a post letting other bloggers know of the opportunity. You can find all the details here.

This is such a great opportunity, especially after Christmas when I know a lot of us will be strapped for cash. The offer is running until 31st December so hurry!

Gem x

My Christmas NOTD: Santa Nail Art

I hope you all had a wonderful christmas. I know I did and I am now paying for consuming my body weight in chocolate with a bad stomach.

This is how I  painted my nails for Christmas day. The red is Nails inc. St. James, which is the perfect Santa Clause colour. I used tape to help with the lines and sectioning colour which made this mani pretty easy to do, with such great results. Even my left hand looked just as good as my right (left handed).

What did you have on your nails this christmas?

Gem x

My Favourite Make up Brushes: Face Brushes

Following on from my last post  which you can read here, here are my favorite make up brushes for my face.

As you can see, I love the Real Techniques Core Collection. Before I got it, I was mainly using my fingers to apply foundation. It totally converted me to using brushes for my foundation and now I will never go back to using my fingers again.

Flat Top Kabuki Brush from Poundland: I got this brush in Poundland and didn't have high hopes for it at all, but it turned out to be great. It is very dense and I use it to apply finishing powder. It does shed a little, and isn't really soft, but it does a great job and for a pound I can over look these little problems.

Real Techniques Contour Brush: I use this as my blush brush. Its the perfect size to be a little more precise with blush positioning, which I like. Its also great to use with a contour powder on the cheeks and temples.

Real Techniques Stippling Brush: I love this brush for applying cream blush and also to stipple foundation over areas on my face that needs a little more coverage.

Real Techniques Buffing Brush: Available in the Core Collection, this brush really does deserve all the hype it gets. It applies my foundation quickly and evenly. Its also great for blending blush when I have been a little too heavy handed.

What are your favourite make up brushes?

Gem x

**CLOSED New Years/ 400 Followers Thank you GIVEAWAY ***

I wanted to do a little giveaway as a thank you to you all. To every one who visits my blog, and especially those who  take the time and leave a lovely comment, thank you.

I started my blog 11 months ago now and I never imagined how much I would enjoy being part of the beauty blogging community. On the whole it is so supportive and lovely.

all products have been purchased by myself, the l'occitane and weleda were from beauty boxes, but never opened and need a loving home. 

So on to the prizes... You could win:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

My Favourite Make-up Brushes: Eye Brushes

I have quite a few eye shadow brushes in my collection, but these are the ones that I absolutely love and use almost every time I do my eye shadow. I have the starter eye set from Real Techniques, and while I do like them, I don't love them and feel I have better brushes in my collection. The blending and eyebrow brushes are too large, and the shadow brushes are not quite dense enough.

Here are the eyeshadow brushes that I love:

NYX Smudger Brush: A great little brush that does what it says on the tin - Smudges eye shadow onto the lids. I like to use this to apply shadow on my lower lids. It is a little on the scratchy side but it works so well I am willing to over look that. I got mine from the NYX website for £5.50

The next three brushes are from the Too Faced Teddy Bear Hair Professional 5 Piece set which I got from Boots for £38. Link. A little pricey, but well worth it All the brushes in the kit are brilliant, but these are my stand-out favourites. They are so so soft, work incredibly well and are 100% cruelty free.

TF Angled Brow Brush: Amazing for filling in my eyebrows and using with gel liner. 1000 times better than the RT one, I found it way too big and not precise enough for me.

TF Blending Fluff Brush: The perfect size for getting into my crease, blends shadow perfectly.

TF Angled Eye shadow Brush: A large brush, great for getting the base colour all over the lid.

So there are my favourite eye shadow brushes. What are yours?

Gem x

Amie Skin Shield Daily Moisturiser Review

Amie Skincare is a brand that was founded by Fiona Parker, who was inspired to create a skincare range for young people that didn't use any harsh or unneccesary chemicals. Amie products do not contain any parabens, mineral oils, petrochemicals, SLS, and is not tested on animals. It is also extremely affordable with products costing no more than £5.95.

I love the ethos of this brand, as I am concious of what I put on my skin and try to avoid products that contain the chemicals listed above. I also love the fact that they are so affordable.

I was kindly sent the Amie Skin Shield Daily Moisturiser to review, so read on to find out what I thought of it.

Firstly, I love the smell of this product. I cant put my finger on what it smells like exactly but it kind of reminds me of honey. The product is a lovely consistency, no to thick, and sinks into my skin with ease. It leaves a lovely dewy finish to my skin so I love to use this in winter when my skin is much dryer than usual. It may not be that great for people with oilier skin, though they do have a mattifying moisturiser in the range.

I have really sensitive skin and the product worked really well with it. It didn't break me out like a lot of moisturisers do, and it didn't leave my skin too oily. I found it worked well as a day cream, but I still used a more deeply moisturising lotion for my night cream.

Overall I am loving this moisturiser, and would recommend it to anyone with normal to dry skin, who are  on the look out for a new, harsh chemical free skincare that is also very affordable.

Have you tried any of the Amie Skincare range?

Gem x

Cute NOTD: Lady Bird Nails

A quick NOTD post today. I did this a few months ago now but found the pictures on my laptop and thought I would share. I think they are really cute!

Gem x

Carmex Classic Moisturising Lipbalm Review

I suffer with dry lips during the colder months along with many others. I have tried all sorts of lip balms, but Carmex is my all time favourite.

Firstly I love the flavour and the way it makes my lips tingle, its really soothing. The packaging is really handy and you can easily just pop it into your bag.

It really does what it says on the tin and moisturises my lips and keeps them from chapping. If you are struggling with dry lips this winter, I definitely recommend trying Carmex.

A short and sweet review of my favourite lip balm, what's yours?

Gem x

Chloe Eau De Parfum Review

When it comes to perfume, I know a lot of people have a signature scent. They may wear other perfumes for different occasions, but there is always that one scent they come back to. I have tried so many over the years, but haven't found my signature yet. Well... That may have changed. I am in love with Chloe Eau De Parfum. Here is my review...

Chloe Eau de Parfum is described by Escentual.com as follows; 

Chloe is a light and fresh yet seductively strong and self-possessed scent, capturing the creative, confident individuality of a free spirited woman with an utterly innate sense of chic and natural sexiness.The fragrance playfully twists notions of femininity, taking the classic beautiful rose and translating it with modernity into a vibrant, powdery floral Eau de Parfum. It is translucent, turning warm and seductive, totally addictive.Top Notes: Peony, Freesia, Litchi. Heart Notes: Rose, Lily-of-the-Valley, Caribbean Magnolia.

What I think;

From the first spritz I fell in love with this perfume. It smells so chic, elegant and strong, but not overpowering in the slightest. It is light and fresh, sexy, and very chic. It is a scent that can work day or night, a classic.

This is the longest lasting perfume I have ever tried, it lasts all day. Even my mum asked me what perfume I was wearing as it smelt so nice, she never normally notices these things ( I definitely didn't inherit my love of everything beauty from her). 

It truly is a gorgeous scent, and the bottle is just as gorgeous. I love the design and  the ribbon detail, It looks amazing on my dressing table. 

Chloe Eau De Parfum (50ml) is available from Escentual.Com here, for £44.20

TK Maxx Haul: Jemma Kidd Back Stage Makeup Set

I have only recently discovered the amazingness of TK Maxx. I have always known about it, but I have always dismissed it as a bit of a jumble sale. When I was 15, me and my friends used to spend our Saturdays shopping in the nearest city, and we would always call into TK Maxx and have a good laugh at how awful some of the clothes in there were.

But I have now realised it is a Mecca for beauty enthusiasts who love a bargain, aka me. I picked up an Orly set a few weeks back and earlier in the week got the Jemma Kit Backstage Kit.

Its like a grown up version of the make-up set I used to have as a kid. It comes with a primer, colour correcting concealers, a cream highlight, eye shadows, blush and a setting powder. Basically everything you could need, in a neat little set.

I got it for £7.99 and I am really glad I bought it. I love everything in there, especially the eye and lip primer and the pink colour corrector for under my eyes.

I would definitely reccomend this if your TK Maxx has it in stock.

Here is a stock photo of the kit, as I managed to drop mine on the floor and smash the setting powder, so wanted a pretty picture on the blog.

image source

And mine, a bit messy... Smashed and I was a bad blogger and swatched before the pics haha.

Have you had any TK Maxx bargains recently?

Gem x

John Greed Pandora £250 Blogger Challenge

Pandora Silver Bracelet £55. Charms clockwise: Pandora Silver and Amethyst Floral February Birthstone Charm £45 Pandora Blue Faceted Murano Glass Charm £30 Pandora Silver Open Heart Charm £20 Pandora Silver and Citrine Floral November Birthstone Charm £45 Pandora Periwinkle Stars Murano Glass Charm £30

Total: £225

I have always wanted to own a Pandora bracelet. There is a Pandora shop in my local mall and every time I go past it I stop to admire the gorgeous charms I could only dream of owning.

So when I was contacted by John Greed Jewellers to take part in a blogger challenge, where you have to design your dream Pandora bracelet, of course I gave it a go!

We had a limit of £250, and with so much choice on their website, coming up with a final design was so difficult.

I really wanted my bracelet to be extremely personal, to tell a story. I want it to be something I can show my grandchildren when I am older and explain what every charm means to me. I decided to design mine around the most special and important thing in my life; my children.


The two birthstone charms represent my childrens birthdays - November and February  I have two boys, so the two blue charms represent them. The light blue with stars my youngest and the dark blue my eldest and the heart charm in the middle represents my love for them.

I love this bracelet, I think it looks amazing and is something I would truly cherish. Fingers crossed for me in the competition :)

Gem x

Pebble Grey LED Cosmetic Makeup Mirror Review

Recently on Twitter, Pebble Grey, a company who specialise in Illuminated mirrors and bathroom accessories, were looking for bloggers to review their new LEDCosmetic Makeup Mirror. I applied and was kindly sent one to review for my blog.

The mirror comes very nicely packaged, so would make a perfect gift or stocking filler. The mirror is extremely light weight and feels really sturdy and well made, perfect for popping into your handbag for on the go touch ups.

The LED lights are very bright and powerful, and I found it extremely helpful to use when plucking my eyebrows as I could see every last little hair.

The mirror is currently on offer at £14.99, It may seem a little pricey but the quality of this product is great. You can purchase the mirror direct from their website here.

They also have a fantastic range of illuminated bathroom cabinets, which you can view here.

Gem x

MUA Cream Blush in Bittersweet Review & Swatches

I have been waiting to get my hands on these MUA Cream Blushes for what ages. I have been popping into my local Superdrug every time I am in town to check if they have had them in, and the other day I was in luck. I chose the shade Bittersweet. It was so bright and pretty, it had to be mine.

The pigmentation is amazing, and they blend really well. To apply, I used my fingers and then blended with my Real Techniques buffing brush.

Bittersweet is a really pretty bright pink, which when used with a light hand, gives a nice natural glow to the cheeks. It could also be built up for a stronger colour. I loved the colour so much, I even used it on my lips, it gives them a nice matte light pink colour.

The lasting power is great. With a primer and foundation underneath, I got about 4 - 5 hours wear out of it before it faded a little. I guess with the matching powder blush on top it would last even longer.

MUA Cream Blush are available from the MUA website and Superdrug stores for £2, which is an absolute bargain. I am definitely going to pick up the other colours they have very soon.

Gem x

November Favourites

So the 1st of December is hear already! I am really looking forward to Christmas and New Year now, but I haven't even started the shopping yet, oops.

My skin has been suffering from the cold and the central heating this month, resulting in it becoming much drier than usual, so a few of the products mentioned have been great for moisturising and brightening up my skin.

Here are the products that I have been loving this November;

1. Morrisons Sensitive Toner - I bought this as it was 59p. I didnt have much hope, but it has really improved my skin. It is much brighter, and it really helps my moisturiser to sink into my skin.

2. Benefit That Gal full review here - I know I have included it before, but I just love it so much and have used it almost every day this month. Its amazing for brightening up dull dry skin, and also over foundation for my dark circles.

3. Barry M Nail Pain in Amethyst Glitter review and swatches here - Such a pretty, opaque glitter polish, perfect for Christmas.

4. Revlon Photo Ready Concealer - A creamy concealer, really works well when my skin is drier than usual. I use this on my spots and acne scars as I find it a little too heavy coverage for under my eyes.

5. Amie Skin Shield Daily Moisturiser SPF 15* - This moisturiser is brilliant to brighten up dull skin. My skin looks radiant after I have used it. It smells amazing and is such good value too.

What products have you been loving this month?

Gem x

Pencourage

Pencourage is a new social media site where users are encouraged to write journal entries containing their innermost thoughts. Things that you could or would never share on the likes of Facebook or Twitter. The beauty of this site is that everything you write is anonymous.

You can follow other peoples journals, share photos and videos, even music.

I think this is a great idea for a site. I find writing to be very cathartic, sometimes I want to write a post on my blog that is very personal, but I find it too daunting. This site is a great way to get your feelings out without ever having to reveal your identity.

Have you heard of Pencourage? What do you think?

Gem x

My Christmas Wish List: Beauty Under £20

Christmas Wishlist

1. Liz Earle Gorgeous Skin Gift - Normal/Combination Skin £16
2. Benefit Porefect Radiance Set £9.50
3.OPI Skyfall Mini Set £12.95
4. Too Faced Glamour to Go - Spun Sugar Edition £19.50
5. Soap and Glory Soaper Heroes Mini Set £13


I have two little boys, so for me, Christmas is all about them. I am really looking forward to seeing their faces on the big day after Santa has been. To make sure they get everything that they want this year (my three year old has a list as long as my arm) Me and the Fiancé have agreed to only spend £20 on each other this year.

I have whittled my list down to these five. I cant decide between the Liz Earle set or the Too Faced set. I may treat myself to the other stuff if it comes up in the sales. I know I will be first in line on boxing day morning at Boots, I go every year. They reduce the price to 50% off so I stock up on things for birthday presents for the year.


What is on your Christmas wishlist this year?

Gem x

Barry M Rose Quartz Glitter Nail Polish

Look at me. A few months ago I swore I couldn't stand glitter nail polish, and now I have featured two on my blog in as many weeks! My mind has well and truly been changed, especially now Christmas is coming, expect even more bling on my nails.

I bought this in Boots along with another Barry M polish, Amethyst Glitter. Rose Quartz is more of a top coat glitter, so I have used a peachy nude colour as a base and used one coat of Rose Quartz on top. I also used a Nails Inc top coat.

I think they look great, and the glitter isn't so full on that it is not daytime appropriate. I wore this for 4 days before I noticed chipping, I have really bad nails though so you may get an even longer wear time out of it.

Gem x

Ebay Wishlish #1

1. Peplum Dress £14.99 +2.99 p&p 2. Iphone Case £6.99 free p&p 3. Handbag Organizer £2.29 free p&p 4. Bodycon Dress £11.99 + 2.99 p&p 5. Spiked Bracelet £0.99 free p&p

What Was In My Travel Makeup Bag?

I am such an over packer, I always have been. I was only going away for 5 days but managed to take about a months worth of clothes with me. On the Make up side of things, I thought I did pretty well. Though, I did have to spend about an hour whittling down my selection of make up to take with me, and it was really painful to do it.

Here's what I eventually decided to take with me...

• Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation - My skin was great before I left so I had planned on using my BB cream. I brought this as a back up in case my skin flared up and unfortunately it did. Must have been the French water...One time when being an over-packer comes in handy.
• Garnier BB Cream Oil Free - As above, I had planned on using this but had to use a foundation instead as my skin broke out in painful cystic acne. 
• Rimmel Gel Eyeliner - I used this to create a chic cat eye, I was in France after all.
• That Gal Primer - Used under my foundation as a primer and over it around my eyes to disguise dark circles.
• Rimmel Blush - Really old, unsure of shade name and pretty sure its now discontinued. Its just a pretty pink which can be used mixed or separate. I used the darker colour to contour.
• Revlon Photo Ready Concealer - Used to conceal my spots.
• Carmex Lip Balm - A life saver as I was spending hours everyday outside in the cold. This is an amazing lip balm that does what it says on the tin. 
• Soap and Glory Thick and Fast Mascara - My current favourite mascara, could not leave the country without it. 
• Revlon Lip Butter Strawberry Shortcake - I knew my lips were going to get chapped, so I decided to pack this. Combined with the Carmex my lips were actually ok. I used a small layer of this to give a sheer wash of colour to my lips. 
• Naked 2 Palette - I used the light brown shade for my eyebrows and the lightest matte colour to even out my lids. 

For a make up addict, I think that's pretty good packing, don't you think?

Gem x

The Happiest Place on Earth...

If you are following me on twitter, you may know I have recently been to Disneyland Paris. I went for 5 days with my partner and two little boys and we all had a fantastic time.

We flew from Bristol and stayed in the Santa Fe. The hotel is currently going through a major makeover and our room had just had its make over, literally the room stunk of paint! To my boys delight it was decorated in the theme of Disneys Cars, it even had Lightning Mcqueen bedsheets.

The park itself was really busy. Unfortunately we had booked unknowingly in the French half term, so queue times were around 40 minutes average. Luckily my boys didn't mind queuing at all and we still had a great time. My favourite ride is The Pirates of the Caribbean and I took my 3.5 year old on it and he loved it, so I was really happy.

To celebrate their 20th Anniversary, Disneyland Paris have a new nigh time spectacular show called Disney Dreams. It was amazing, honestly the best Disney show I have ever seen. You can view YouTube videos of it, but nothing compares to seeing it in person. If you are a Disney fanatic like me and can get over to Paris this year, I highly recommend you get to Disneyland Paris to check it out.

I didn't have much time to take loads of pictures, we were too busy enjoying ourselves. I did manage to get a few nice ones though!


My boys wouldn't stand still for a photo, this is the best photo of us together, haha!

Here are a few others I took...

Rimmel Scandal Eyes Kohl Eyeliner in Nude Review & Swatches

I managed to sneak this eye liner into my trolley while doing the weekly shop in Morrisons, along with a glittery nail polish. I had seen it on loads of blogs but was unsure whether to get it as I love my Benefit Eye Bright. But it was on offer for £2.99, plus I get 10% Staff discount (every little helps!), so I thought I would give it a go. Glad to say I am happy I did. 

The eye liner is really creamy and glides onto my waterline easily. As you can see from the swatches the colour is slightly darker than my skin tone. I was slightly worried at first, but as you can see from the photos it subtly brightens up my eyes and makes them look more awake.

I have really watery eyes, and the pencil lasted a good 4 hours on my which I think is great. Compared to Benefit eye bright, I think this one is great for a more subtle, daytime look, where as Eye Bright is great for a more dramatic look. This pencil has made its way into my every day make up routine.

I definitely recommend this pencil if you are looking for a good water proof eye liner to brighten up tired eyes.

Gem x

NOTD: All About Nails (Tesco) Plum Raisin

Before I started blogging, I used to shy away from darker colours on my nails and usually stayed safe with light pinks. I think my nail polish collection has quadrupled and I have a whole range of colours from nude to black now.

I love this colour, its a really vampy dark plum and I think it would look great on everyone. The formula is great, if you read my blog you may know I have a penchant for these polishes. I have posts on other colours here, here and here. They are available in larger Tesco stores for a mere 99p. They last for around 3 days on my nails, which is amazing as my nails chip really badly. This is two coats, the only problem I had with this polish is as its so dark, it is really messy to apply. This is down to my wobbly hands more than anything though.

You can pick up this polish from Tesco for 99p.

Gem x

My Memories Digital Scrapbooking Software Review and Giveaway

I was recently contacted by My Memories, an award winning digital scrapbooking software company. They asked me if I would like to host a give away on my blog where one of my lovely readers could win a free digital download of My Memories Suite, worth $40.

I love being creative with photographs and creating digital scrap book pages and cards. I usually use Photoshop for this, but I know a lot of people find it complicated, and it is very expensive to buy.

 My Memories Suite is really simple to use and you can create all sorts of things from calenders to personalised cards. I even used it to create the collage in my last post, which you can view here.

There are lots of backgrounds, embelishments, fonts and more to create your own pages, and there are also installed templates. You can also buy add ons from their website in the form of kits. These cost from $4.99 and include digital papers and elements.

I recently went to Disneyland Paris, and used the software to create this collage. I love it, and I am definitely going to be using it to design my own scrapbook including all my photos from Disneyland!

Giveaway

My Memories is giving one follower of this blog the chance to win a digital download of the My Memories Suite worth $39.97. The giveaway is international, will run for 3 weeks, and I only have a few simple rules;

1. Must be a follower of my blog.
2. Visit the My Memories website and let me know what your favourite digital scrapbooking kit is.

For additional entries, you can;
a. Like the My Memories Facebook page here
b. Follow My Memories on Twitter here

To enter, simply follow the instructions on the Raffle Copter form below, good luck!.






a Rafflecopter giveaway

#KeratinSleek - Clynol Keratin Sleek Review & Before and After Pictures

I was lucky enough to receive these amazing products to take part in a competition run by Immediate PR. To be in with the chance of winning £250 worth of spa vouchers, all we have to do is post a before and after picture using Clynol Keratin Sleek products.

I have really thick hair which is frizzy and can be hard to manage. In my before picture, my hair has not been blow dried so it is wavy and quite frizzy, with no shine to it at all. After using the Clynol Keratin Sleek products, my hair is so shiny, sleek and just looks amazing!

Here are the products I used...

1. Keratin Sleek Shampoo* £9.35 - I used this shampoo twice as my hair was quite full of product and needed a good deep clean.
2. Keratin Sleek Treatment* £10.65- You can leave this on for 2 minute for a quick fix, or for 5-10 for a more intensive treatment. I left it on for about 3 minutes, due to me being in a rush as usual.
3. Keratin Sleek Blow Drying Balm* £9.15 - Use this on wet hair before blow drying.
4. Keratin Sleek Oil* £10.40 - The finishing touch. I used a small amount and concentrated it on the ends of my hair as they are very dry and it gave my hair extra shine.

And my before and after pics...

I loved using the products and although this is a four step process, my hair didn't feel weighed down at all, just really silky, smooth, and shiny! I would definitely reccomend these products to anyone who is looking for smoother, sleeker and shinier hair. You can get these products from HairTrade.com here, they even have discount off the RRP, bargain. :)

Gem x

NOTD: Barry M Amythist Glitter

I picked this up in boots when the 3-for-2 offer was on. I wanted to try a multicoloured glitter polish and this one by Barry M caught my eye.

The picture is of two coats and a white base (MUA All Nude), and I think it looks pretty opaque. Its gorgeous and perfect for party season statement nails.

I love how opaque this polish is, and would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a little bling in their lives.

Do you love a glittery nail?

Gem x

Amie Radiant Dawn Exfoliating Wash Review

I am not a huge lover of skincare, and you wont find many skincare reviews on my blog. This is mainly because I have awful skin which is acne prone and very sensitive, and not many products agree with it. If it doesn't like a certain ingredient in it,  it will break out, or dry out. I had a horrible experience with Avene Gentle Gel Cleanser where my skin was totally dried out and took weeks to get back to normal. You can imagine that I am very reluctant to change a routine that is working for me.

When I was offered to review Amie skincare though, I thought I would give it a chance. The products are designed with sensitve skin in mind and avoid harsh chemicals. I recieved the Radiant Dawn Exfoliating Wash and the Daily Radiance Moisturiser. Today I will be reviewing the face wash.

The Review...

The packaging is very nicely designed, maybe with a younger audience in mind, but I really like it. It is a squeeze and go type. I think a pump dispenser may have worked a little better with this product as I do find it to leave the lid slightly messy, but it does the job. 

The wash is a 2-in-1 cleanser and exfoliator, but being a daily use it isn't at all harsh on my skin. It is a gel with small exfoliating particles in it. I do still like to use another exfoliator twice a week (Soap and Glory Scrub Your Nose In It) to give my skin a boost when it is feeling particularly dry.

The wash leaves my skin looking radiant and feeling really soft. It doesn't bother my sensitive skin at all and my skin doesn't break out. 

It is great for my skin at the moment, which is leaning a little on the dry side.

It is scented though, and I know some people are sensitive to perfume in products, so you should be aware of this. It does smell really nice though! 

Overall a great cleanser for people with normal to dry skin looking for a radiance boost on a budget.

Gem x

GUEST POST: Travel Make-up Tips

Today I have a guest post for you by the lovely Cariadity. I highly recommend you head over to her blog and follow, you wont be disappointed! I am currently on holiday at Disneyland paris, and these tips are so relevant and helpful to me.

Hiya, I'm guest posting for the lovely Gem today I'm a fellow Welshie and I usually blog at Cariadity if you'd like to wander over for a look!
Today I'm going to share a few travel make-up tips that I picked up over the last few years, I find myself packing quite a lot these days from weekends away, to weekends home from Uni and for visiting my boyfriend.

Above is the make-up I took on a recent trip, MUA undressed palette, Rimmel eyebrow pencil, Benefit Bad Gal lash sample, Benefit Porefessional sample, Maybelline dream fresh BB, Collection 2000 lasting perfection concealer, Revlon lip butter in macaroon. (Click for my reviews)

1. Cheap/easy to replace
My biggest worry when I take my make-up out of the house is that it will get lost, stolen or left behind. So I try to stick to cheaper high street brands because I know that if the worst did happen I could replace everything relatively easily. Like in the picture above the benefit products are free samples, the MUA palette was £4 the BB cream was £7.99, the concealer £4.19, lip butter is £7.99 and the eyebrow pencil £2.99 so the whole set could be replaced for £27.16 which is less than one decent high end foundation!

2. Samples
Samples are perfect for travelling as they are usually a great size for packing light, they are free (with magazines, from make-up counters or from product websites) it's also a good opportunity to try out new products too, but best to give them a test before you leave as you wouldn't want to end up away with only a sample of foundation 3 shades too dark.

3. Options
When your away plans seem to change at the last minute and I always end up somewhere unexpected, so I like to take some options in case I want to change my look. A palette like the MUA one covers simple day time make-up but can also be used to create a more intense look for evenings out.

4. A whole look
I like to take enough make up for a whole look. It might seem like a good idea to skip eyeshadow or an eyebrow pencil to save space but I find these are the little things that make a big difference between looking polished or looking like you have just slapped it all on.

5. Easy to apply
I love to take a tinted moisturiser like the BB cream and a lip butter because they are so easy to apply, I end up putting make-up on while in the car or on trains so anything needing a precise hand is out.
Hope you have found these tips helpful!

Cariadity xxx

Thank you so much to Cariadity for being my first guest poster! 

October Favourites

You know the drill by now...here are the products I have been loving this October....

1.  MUA £1 Powder I didn't have high hopes for this powder as it was only £1, but it is great! It sets my make-up perfectly and keeps the shine at bay. The only thing I would say is if you are extremely pale, this wouldn't be for you as it is maybe a tad too dark for me. I just make sure to blend down my neck.

2. Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation Now the colder weather has set in I find myself with dry skin. I love this foundation for a dewy winter glow, but have to make sure to use a primer (usually that gal) as it loves to cling to my dry patches otherwise.

3. Burberry Lip Cover Mini in Rosewood I acquired this from a past Glossybox, the Harrods edition I believe. Initially I wasn't sold on the colour but now it is Autumn and lots of bloggers have been embracing darker lips, so I decided to join in! I really like this colour and it is suitable for day or evening wear. The formulation is a dream and it feels very moisturising on the lips. I only wish I could afford to buy a full sized version.

4. Elf Mineral Blush in Joy I cant stand the fact that this is a loose powder and extremely messy, but it is a gorgeous colour. It is very similar to Benefit Dandelion and looks really pretty and delicate on pale skin.

What have you been loving this month?

Gem x