'Saran Wrap' Nails (Clingfilm)

I have been a bit into nail art recently. Only really easy nail art though because I am still crap at nails. I have seen these 'Saran Wrap' or Cling Film manicures popping up a lot recently so decided to give them a go. 


They are really easy to do. First make 10 little balls out of cling film. Then paint your nails in a base colour of your choice and let it dry completely. Then you paint another colour on top and while its still wet you get one of the little cling film balls and dab it onto the nail. It will leave a really cool marble-like effect on your nails.


I chose two similar colours for a subtle effect, but you could go for bright clashing colours for a more out-there look. 


Gem x 

Lauren Conrad Inspired Hair Using Silhouette (Competition Entry)

Imediate PR are holding a competition over on twitter, where a group of bloggers were sent three products from Schwarzkopfs new range of hair products designed for coloured hair. The range is called Sihouette and the products we were sent were the Colour Brilliance Strong Hold Hairspray, Mousse and Extreme Gloss Spray. With the products, we were challenged to recreate a celebrity hairstyle of our choice.

If I was given the choice to have any Celebrities hair, it would be Lauren Conrads. Her hair always looks amazing but still relaxed. So When I had to chose a celebrities hair to recreate, there was no doubt I would chose hers.

I chose this look in particular as it looks really glamorous with the volume at the top, but the loose curls make it look effortless. Although it does take a bit of effort, with the right tools it is quite an easy hairstyle to achieve.

Heres how I did it:

1. Before drying, use a golf ball sized amount (for thick long hair) of Silhouette Colour Brilliance Mousse. Dry then curl hair. I used  my Babyliss Curling Wand. Concentrate on the underneath of the hair as the top section will be pulled back.
2. To get a more relaxed curl, run fingers through hair, then spray with Silhouette Colour Brilliance strong Hold Hairspray.
3. Take a triangle section of hair from the back and backcomb. Spray the hair that has been backcombed with Silhouette Colour Brilliance Hairspray. Clip into place.
4. Smooth the top layer of hair over the backcombed section very gently, until you get somethibng like picture 4.Then take two sections of hair from either side and clip in place. Spray generously with Silhouette Hairspray. Then use Silhouette Colour Brilliance Extreme Gloss Spray to give a lovely finishing shine to the look.

It is really quite difficult to take pictures of your own hair. I think I may need to invest in a tripod. Here are a few more shots from different angles so you get more of an idea of the finished look: 

• Silhouette Colour Brilliance Strong Hold Hairspray - This hairspray has been especially formulated for coloured hair. It has a UV filter and helps to prevent colour fading. This is great for me as I colour my hair regularly and always find that my colour fades quite quickly. It is not at all sticky and holds the curls really well.
• Silhouette Colour Brilliance Mousse - I used this mousse after I had washed and towel dried my hair. I used a golf ball sized amount as I have very thick long hair.If you have thin shorter hair I would suggest using less than this. My hair was so much more under control after using this. I found it was much less frizzy and helped my hair curl nicely. The mousse also has a UV filter in it to help protect coloured hair.
• Silhouette Colour Brilliance Extreme Gloss Spray - No self respecting Celebrity would be seen without glossy shiny hair. My hair is not very shiny at all, so this product helped give a bit of a shine to my hair. It doesn't make it greasy at all, just gives a nice shine to the hair. 
• Babyliss Curling Wand - for the curls
• Normal Hairbrush (mines from Primark)
• Hair grips

I really love the way this hairstyle turned out. I wore it on a night out and it made me feel quite glamorous. My style lasted all night and the curls stayed put nicely, but brushed out easily at the end of the night. 

What do you think of my hairstyle? Have you entered the competition? If you have leave your link below, Id love to have a look.

Gem x

Garnier Miracle Skin Daily All-in-One BBCream Oil Free Review

I had tried the original version of Garniers BB Cream and hated it, due to the fact that it left my face looking like an oil slick. I really wanted to love it as the coverage was great and the skin care properties really appealed to me. But alas it wasn't to be, my combination oily skin didn't like it and I just looked like a grease ball.

When I heard that Garnier had brought out an oil free version, I was so pleased. I hoped that it would be oily skin friendly and matte, but still with the great coverage of the original. I wasn't disappointed.

The consistency of the oil free version is a lot more watery than the original, so I wasn't expecting a lot of coverage but it does give great coverage. It dries to a matte finish on my skin, but didn't highlight my dry patches. I did make sure to moisturise before applying though.

It definitely blurred my imperfection as can be seen by the pictures below. The lasting power of this BB cream is great, I get about 6 hours wear before it fades, it doesn't go greasy at all on my skin even without powder. 


I love the matte finish of this BB cream. Its matte but not completely and still gives the skin a little glow. I tried it on my mum, who has good skin and it looked amazing on her. Her skin looked perfect, so I would recommend this to any skin type except maybe dry. 

Overall I am very pleased with this product. I love the fact that it is matte and has good coverage. I chose the light shade and the only thing that I am slightly disappointed with is the fact that it oxidises after about 5 minutes to a more orangey tone Its not full on orange but it the oxidation is noticeable. This is fine for me at the moment as I am still slightly tanned from my holidays ( and with a little help from St Tropez), but during the winter when I am extremely pale, I would find this a bit of a problem. For the time being though this has definitely taken the place of my foundation as the coverage is amazing.

So here are some before and after pictures, I had a nasty break out at the time of this picture so I apologize for the state of my skin in advance...

Rating 4/5

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain Review (Shade: Honey)

I was in Boots the other day when I saw that these were on special offer for £5.99 (usually £7.99), so never being able to turn down an opportunity to save money, I picked one up.

I chose the shade 'Honey'. I swatched it and it looked a really pretty colour unlike any other lip products I have in my collection. Its a deep pink, sort of berry toned. I think it looks quite sophisticated .

On application they have a lovely minty smell and apply nicely. I always use a lip balm underneath any lip product as I tend to have dry lips. The 'balm' part of the product wears off on me in around 2/3 hours, but the stain lasts much longer. I dont find the product drying, but neither do I find it moisturising.

I would definitely recommend these, they are a great product, and the stain in them lasts ages. I plan to get a few more of these when I go to Boots next. I have my eyes on the coloulors 'Lovesick' and 'Darling'.

Have you tried these yet?

Don't forget to enter my giveaway to win an Essie nail polish plus lots more :) click here.

Gem x

Weekly weigh in

I lost 1lb this week! I am happy with that. My weight loss has slowed down a lot and if I could loose a 1lb a week every week I would be happy. I am undecided on my target weight. To reach my 'ideal' weight according to BMI I need to loose another 2 stone. But I am thinking of loosing another stone and calling target there. I will see how I feel when I get there.

Gem x

Two Ways to Wear: Ombre Nails

I apologise in advance for the state of my nails. I need to find a good cuticle oil which isn't too pricey, so If you have any suggestions let me know!

I have seen ombre nails popping up on lots of blogs and I wanted to try the trend out for myself. I googled 'ombre nails tutorial' and came across a tutorial which involved painting the two colours you are going to use on a piece of paper and dipping a sponge into it. Then dab it onto the nails and repeat until desired effect is achieved. I had planned on linking back to the tutorial but I cant for the life of me find it argh! But here's the end result and pictures of the process. I was so proud of how these turned out as I am so useless at painting my nails. From a distance they looked awesome haha.

I have also seen ombre nails in the form of a dark to light colour on every nail. I think it was on Blake Lively so I decided to try this out too. This type of ombre nails is definitely the least messy and easiest to achieve.

Have you tried the ombre nails trend yet?

Gem x

ASOS £100 Challenge

Here is my entry to the £100 ASOS blogger challenge, which is a competition being run over on Discountcoder.com. You needed to put together 'the hottest outfit you can' for £100 or less to be in with the chance to win a £100 voucher for ASOS.

I'm sure you are all aware of this challenge by now. It has been popping up on a few blogs I read and it looked like a lot of fun, so I thought id give it a go! 

Asos have a huge price range on their sight and luckily I came across this gorgeous dress for only £22. I absolutely love it. Its a statement dress so I kept the jewellery and accessories pretty simple. I chose the geometric shaped earrings and bag to tie in with the bold print on the dress. 

1. ASOS Bodycon Dress In Rocco Print £222. ASOS Smooth Collar Necklace £103. ASOS Triangle Doorknockers £104.ASOS Metal Bar Detail Envelope Clutch £185. ASOS Awake Wedge Ankle Boots £35
Total - £95
What do you think of my outfit? Have you entered the competition yet?Gem x

Benefit High Beam Dupe...From Poundland?

I am so broke at the moment. All my spare money is going on paying bills or saving for out trip to Disneyland Paris in November, so I have hardly been buying any new beauty products. I suppose this is a good thing really as I am rediscovering some old favourites. I have a plenty of things to blog about so that's not a problem either.

I do love a good bargain and I love to have a rummage around the 'beauty section' in Poundland. I have had some great finds in there, including a Lilac Sally Hanson Nail Polish which I love and retails for £6.99 in Boots next door.

 I usually steer clear of the brands I am not familiar with in there including this one. Its called 'Chit Chat'. The name just screams high class and good quality. I think it is aimed at the teenage market, and is a brand that is 'exclusive to Poundland'. I know many products that are in one branch of Poundland wont be in the next, but with this brand I think it is sold in all of them.

It looks such a rip off of High Beam, but as it was only £1 I thought I would give it a go. I have a mini High Beam which I love but couldn't justify buying the full priced one in my financial predicament.

I will get on with the review and compare both products...

    Top: Benefit Bottom: Chit Chat

Blended out. Left Benefit, Right ChitChat

The outer packaging is very similar, even down to the white lid. They are both the nail polish type packaging and have the little brush attached to the lid. The brush on High Beam is great, keeps its shape and applies the product nicely. 


The brush with the Chit Chat highlighter is useless. It has completely lost its shape and the product applies unevenly because of this. But I can look past this as I usually dot the product on and blend with my fingers, or use my Real Techniques stippling brush to apply it. I have never really come across a 'budget' brand that has great quality packaging anyway. 

When the products are heavily swatched there are some differences in the colour and amount of shimmer. I would say that the Chit Chat highlighter has more white in it and the Benefit more pink. The glitter in both products aren't that detectable in normal light, but under harsher light I can see it. Chit Chat it is slightly chunkier than Benefit, but not at all chunky if you get what I mean. When blended out, they look like the same product. Both are a pinky white colour and give a nice glow to the skin. 


The formulation of both is also slightly different. The Benefit is more of a creamy consistency where the Chit Chat is more watery. The Benefit is slightly easier to blend and get it to go where you want it to go, but the Chit Chat is by no means hard to apply. 


In the name of research, I wore both Highlighters on each cheek bone for a day, and found that they looked the same and lasted for the same amount of time. 


Overall I think that Benefit High Beam has a slight edge over the Chit Chat highlighter in terms of packaging and ease of use. The Chit Chat highlighter is a good product and I found that I ended up with basically the same results. It is definitely worth giving the Chit Chat a try, it is only a pound after all!


Have you bought any beauty products from Poundland? 


Gem x


Don't forget to enter my giveaway, to win an essie polish of your choice, plus other goodies.  ENTER HERE

Monthly Favourites: June

I know I say this every month, but I cant believe July is here already! Here are the five products that I have been loving in June...

• Benefit That Gal Primer
• Benefit Porefessional Primer
• Benefit Eye Bright
• Too Faced Natural Eye Palette
• Revlon Lip Butter in Strawberry Shortcake

Three out of my five products are from Benefit! As you all probably know in the June issue of Glamour UK magazine there was a free gift, which were mini benefit products. I have been loving both the primers so much. I use That Gal when I am going for a more fresh faced natural look, and the Porefessional for when I am going out in the evening and I want shine free long lasting makeup. 

I have had eye bright for ages now, in fact I think I may have gotten this free with Glamour a few years ago! I hadn't really used it much but this month I have been using it in the water line and tear duct. It doesn't last forever in my waterline, but it does last a decent amount of time. If you are unfamiliar with eye bright, it is a very light pink coloured fat pencil, with quite a creamy formula. If used in the tear duct and water line it makes you appear more wide eyed and awake. 

I know I have included the Too Faced Natural Eye Palette in my May favourites but I really do love this palette and again have been wearing it pretty much every day. Its great to create a understated neutral eye look. 

Lastly, I have been loving my Revlon lip butter in Strawberry Shortcake. I love how it acts as a lipgloss and lipstick in one, and I think the colour is quite flattering for my pale skin tone. 

Gem x

Too Faced Romantic Eye Palette Review and EOTD

I was going through my make-up stash the other day and came across this. I have had it for a while now and I haven't really used it much as I should. I have been stuck in a neutrals rut when it comes to eye shadow lately, so I decided to do a little review on it, along with a look. Read on to find out more :)

I really like this palette. There is a nice variety of colours and you can create pretty pastel feminine looks along with darker more sultry ones.

The packaging, as is the case with all Too Faced products, is gorgeous. I also own Naked and Natural eye but this packaging is by far my favourite, its lovely and I like to leave it out on my dressing table.

The palette contains 9 shadows with the ones that will be used all over the lid containing the most product. The shadows are grouped in rows; Day, Classic, and Fashion, and have corresponding instruction cards with an idea of how to wear them. This is great for people just starting out in make-up, and for people who need a little inspiration.

• Day:
• Soul mates - a cream with slight yellow undertones. Slight shimmer and glitter 
• I Do - a grey taupe
• Un-Veil - a very dark brown

• Classic: 
• Kiss the Bride - a light matte pastel pink
• Cut the Cake - a cool toned light purple, slight shimmer
• First Dance- dark purple, again cool toned.

• Fashion
• Bouquet Toss - a greeny beige colour
• Honey Moon - an olive gold with a lot of shimmer
• Ever After - a dark brown, slightly more warm toned than Un-Veiled with lots of shimmer and glitter.

These are the best I could get the swatches as the weather has been bad all day. The lighter shadows are less pigmented than the darker ones, but I think this is great as you can have a very subtle wash of colour, or you can build it up for a little bit more pop. They have a soft and buttery texture and blend like a dream, just make sure to tap/blow off the excess on your brush before applying as there is a little bit of fallout, nothing major.

 The only one I had a slight issue with was kiss the Bride (light pink) as my eyelids have quite a lot of pink in them already, and it did look a bit like I had pinkeye before I took these steps: I use an eye shadow primer and then apply NYX jumbo eye pencil in milk all over my lids as a base. I then apply Kiss the Bride and it comes out a lovely pastel pink. 

I did a look using the palette but as the light was so bad, and then my camera died, this was the best of the bunch unfortunately. I used Kiss the Bride all over the lid, Cut the Cake on the outer third of the lid and in the crease and First dance in the outer part of the crease and on the bottom of my lid. I used nyx jumbo pencil in milk as a base along with asda primer, and lined the top lashes with Rimmel gel eye liner. My mascara is Benefit Bad Gal, and I used Eye Bright in the water line and tearduct.

Just like the other Two Faced shadows I own, these last all day with out creasing on me even with out a primer. They are great quality and definitely worth considering for your collection.

Overall a great palette which can be used to create a number of looks. Amazing quality, you wouldn't be disappointed if you purchased this (in my opinion :D)

Rating
Pigmentation:4.5/5
Overall: 5/5

Do you own any of the Two Faced palettes?

Gem x

What Was In My Holiday Makeup Bag

I love reading these types of post, so as I have just recently come back from lovely Majorca, I decided to do a little post on what I took with me.

 I love to over pack and if I don't take everything but the kitchen sink feel a little panicky. I think I did quite well though with my makeup, clothes on the other hand, I didn't do too well with.

The one thing I didn't pack and could have done with was a hair dryer, as the one provided with the hotel room was pants. It was one of the ones that you have to keep your finger on the button for it to work, needless to say with very thick hair I came home with a sore finger haha.

So enough rambling here is what I took with me on holiday, makeup wise.

Face

• Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation - a great foundation, not too heavy and gives a lovely natural glow. I didnt use this during the day as I spent it in the pool with my little ones so this was only really used in the evenings. 
• Benefit Porefessional - love this and the size is so handy I just had to take it away with me. I used this under my foundation in the evenings.
• Benefit That Gal - again such a handy size to take away. I love this just as much as the porefessional but used this mainly on its own in the day to give my skin a little glow.
• VIVO Baked Bronzer (not pictured - lost in transit!) - I used this to bronze my skin (obviously). I tanned quite well on my body but my face didn't at all so I used this to try and even it out a bit! I also used it on my shoulders and décolletage to highlight my (slightly) bronzed skin. 
• Revlon Bare It All - One of my poundland bargain finds, this is a gold based highlighting cream which I can only get away with using if I am tanned. It gives a lovely bronzed glow to the skin. 
• Benefit Powder Time Lover - I love this kit! Its so handy to take away and has lasted me absolutely ages. I got it over a year ago in the Debenhams sale for £12.50 (bargain), and it contains mini versions of Dandelion, Coralista and Dallas. 

Eyes

• Soap and Glory Thick and Fast Mascara - my favourite mascara at the moment, so naturally I had to take it away with me. It isn't waterproof though so I only wore it in the evening and hence why I also took...
• Rimmel Scandal Eyes Waterproof - Actually was a waste of time taking with me. What a rubbish mascara. Didn't give me any extra length or volume and wasn't completely waterproof! Not sure whether to write a review or just chuck it in the bin!
• Avon Glimmersticks Diamonds in Charcoal Grey - I am yet to review this one but I love it. Its the perfect colour to put in my water line when doing a smoky eye (I find black to harsh for me) and its also a nice change from black. 
• Rimmel Waterproof Eyeliner in Black - I quite liked this product, and I love the fact that it has a smudger and sharpener built in to it. Very handy. 
• Too Faced Natural Eye Kit - I love this kit. I got more use out of the gold colour than usual as it looks nice with a tan. I also use the taupey colour in the top row to fill my brows so I didn't need to take a brow pencil with me.
• GOSH Click and Conceal - I used this as an under eye concealer and it does the job nicely, although does need to be set really well as it will crease.  
• Benefit Eye Bright - Used in the water line, also in the tear duct for a wide eyed look. 
• George/Asda eye primer

Lips

• Mac Viva Glam Nicki Minaj - The perfect summer lipstick colour 
• MUA Lipstick in Juicy - Another lovely summery colour. Sort of light corally pink and one I wouldn't be too bothered about losing. 
• MUA Lip Balm - Just a simple lip balm, nothing special about it and it goes on quite clear. I do really like the smell though.
• Figs and Rouge Balm - In case I had dry lips while away.
• ELF Glossy Gloss - Ballet Slippers - My favourite gloss at the moment. Its a lovely nude colour and also smells lovely.
• Maybelline Dream Touch Blush - Peach - I used this as a lip colour with the elf gloss over the top and thought it looked really nice :)
• Revlon Lip Butter - Love this for night or day.

Gem x

Post Holiday Weigh In

So I am back from my holidays. I had a wonderful time eating and drinking what I pleased for 2 weeks. The results are +5lbs on. I am ok with that as I expected a big gain, and I really enjoyed and didn't want to deprive myself Whilst I was away. So I am back on track this week and thinking positive. Hopefully I'll get the 5lbs off ASAP! Gem x

Pop Of Colour FOTD

The weather here has been so bad over the last couple of days. What a contrast to last week when there was glorious sunshine. To cheer myself up I decided to go for a summery bright makeup look today.

Here are the products I used...

• Benefit Porefessional
• Bourjois Flower Perfection Foundation Shade 52, review HERE
• Collection 25th Anniversary Palette, Teal colour in tear ducts (red arrow on products).
• Soap and Glory Thick and Fast Mascara, review HERE
• VIVO Cosmetics Blush & Highlighter Duo in Sweet Peach, review HERE 
• MAC Viva Glam Nicki, swatches/mini review HERE
• *Not Pictured* ELF Glossy Gloss in Pink Candy

My Guest Post on Where Are My Knees

Just to let you know, I have a guest post on my weight loss story up on Where Are My Knees blog. Its a great blog all about weight loss, definitely worth checking out if you are losing weight or thinking about losing weight!

http://wherearemyknees.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/guest-post-by-gem-from-gem-seren.html

Gem x

Holiday Clothes Haul

I am off on my holidays Tuesday, and since I have lost weight I dont have much of a summer wardrobe that fits. Any excuse for a shopping spree :). So heres what I got. I went to Primark and ASDA. I still have a few more bits to pick up but I am only going for a week so I do have most things.

I also got some Jewellery in Primark. I love the necklace and bracelet and think they go well together, and would look lovely with the maxi dress from Primark :). 

Gem x

May Favourites

I know this post is a little late as we are now 8 days into June (where has the time gone?) but I wanted to share what I have been loving over the month of May.

Yes Nurse Hand Cream

I had this in my eco Glossybox and have been using it pretty much every day since. I love how soft it makes my hands and also that it is quite affordable at £4.95. The fact that it is eco-friendly and natural is also a nice bonus.

Too Faced Natural Eye Palette

If I had been wearing eye shadow in May it would have been from this Palette. I love it so much and you can see from the pictures it is well used. I have the Naked 2, but I rarely use it and opt for this one when I want a barely there subtle eye. The shadows are such good quality and blend so well. I use the top row most and I think 

Velvet Revolver is my all time favourite eye shadow. It is a taupey-brown colour which is perfect for the crease or use all over the lid. As I am fair I also use this as an eyebrow powder and it matches perfectly. When I run out of this I am going to have to repurchase it! 

Revlon Bare It All Lustrous Lotion in Pink A Boo

I got this from the Pound Shop and I love it. It is a multi-purpose highlighting cream which is also very moisturising. It can be used alone as a highlighter or mixed with your foundation for a dewy glow. It is discontinued by Revlon, hence it being in the pound shop now.

For £1 it is an absolute bargain. I know the pound shops have different stock from week to week, and it differs from shop to shop, but it is worth keeping an eye out for it. I have found it available on-line from fragrance direct at £1.99, still a good deal HERE. 

ELF Glossy Gloss in Ballet Slippers

This gloss is brilliant, one of the best I own. Its not too sticky, gives good colour pay off and smells divine. It is usually £3.50 but I got mine when they were on offer for only £1 each! I have another colour, Candy Pink, but this is my favourite. It is a peachy nude colour that looks great alone or layered over a lipstick. I particularity love it with MAC Shy Girl. 

NYX Smudge Brush

This little smudger brush is great for, well, smudging eye shadow! Its also good for using in the crease for more intricate looks, and as a liner brush for powder shadow. It costs £5.50 and is available from the NYX website HERE.

Gem x

Weekly Weigh In #2

I had a terrible week which culminated in me having a Dominoes Pizza and practically eating the whole thing to myself. Oops.

I only put on half a pound though, so considering one slice of Dominoes is about 260 calories I am pretty happy with that.

I am going on holidays on Tuesday for a week, so hopefully I will get back on track once I am back.

Loss this week: +0.5 LB

Total: - 35.5 LB


Gem x

Blog Button Swap

If you would like to do a blog button swap, please leave a comment below. I only ask that you are a follower of my blog first.

VIVO Baked Bronzer Sun Kissed Review

I needed a new bronzer and as I am going on holidays in 9 days, I decided to get a cheap one so I would be able to take it with me and not worry about it being broken by the oh so careful baggage handlers. 

I had been hearing great things about VIVOs baked bronzer, and own their regular duo blush and highlighter in Peach (review HERE ), so when I was in Tesco the other day I picked one up.

 It costs £5 and I think there were three shades to choose from. I decided on the lightest shade called Sun Kissed as this seemed the best one for my pale skin.

It is a lovely peachy bronze colour, not at all orange. It isn't matte, but not overly shimmery and I cant detect any glitter in it. It blends easily and lasts really well, and when I am wearing liquid foundation and a primer it pretty much lasts all day. 

It also seems like this is going to last me ages as it is a domed shape and the pigmentation is great so you only need to use a small amount.

Have you tried any of the VIVO cosmetics range? What's your favourite bronzer?

Gem x 

Benefit Freebies With Glamour Magazine, July 2012

It feels like I havens blogged in ages. I have been making the most of the lovely weather we were having, as living in Wales you don't really see the sun much and when you do it is a big deal! It was glorious weather and I spent most of my time down the beach. Its all back to normal now, rain rain and more rain, boo!!

Anyway, I'm sure most of you will have heard by now that for their July Edition, Glamour Magazine have teamed up with Benefit Cosmetics and there is an amazing freebie on offer with the mag. Its a choice of either The Porefessional 7.5mls, That Gal brightening primer 7.5mls, and a mini Bad Gal mascara.

The full size That Gal is only 11ml and retails at £21.50, so you are getting £15 worth of product for £2, amazing. Being the cosmetic junkie that I am I picked up three copies of the magazine and got all 3 products on offer. I have only tried That Gal so far and I am loving it. I am planning on going out this afternoon and hunting more down!

Have you got Glamour mag yet? 

Gem x