Natural Beauty: Alison Claire Mango Body Butter and Mango and Coconut Hand Cream Review

Sorry about the rubbish pic, these proved very difficult to photograph, the rubbish lighting didn't help. 

Alison Claire are a natural beauty brand who believe in pure products and specialise in sensitive skin. 

I discovered the brand on Twitter, where they were looking for beauty bloggers to review samples of their products. I have extremely sensitive skin, so I tend to use natural skincare where I can so I jumped at the chance to review this. 

I was kindly sent two small sample pots of the Mango Body Butter and Mango and Coconut Hand cream.

Oh my gosh, these both smell so amazing! They are so scrummy and I found it difficult not to lick them off my skin, haha!


Mango Body Butter

I only received a small sample, so cant really comment on long term use, this goes for both products. I managed to get two arm and leg uses out of this little pot though, so a little goes a long way. It is not as thick as some body butters, which I prefer and it sinks into the skin quickly, leaving it soft and smooth. The best thing about this product is the smell and the fact that it is natural and hypo-allergenic. The Mango Body Butter retails at £15 and is available for the Alison Claire website here.

Mango and Coconut Hand Cream

Again, this smells amazing. It is a lovely consistency and sinks in well, leaving my hands nice and smooth. The product retails at £7.99 for 200ml and is available to buy from the Alison Claire website here

Over all opinion

I love these products and they are reasonably priced. They smell amazing and would be great for someone like me who has sensitive skin, and like natural beauty products. 

Gem x

Clynol Repair Revive Shampoo and Leave-in Instant Keratin Filler Reveiw

I'm going to start by giving you a little background on my hair type. I have thick, highlighted, shoulder length hair. I have been highlighting my hair every 5 months or so for 10 years and my hair is in pretty good condition considering, although it is a little dry on the ends. As my hair is so thick, it does tend to get a little frizzy, nothing major though, and it is difficult to style and keep in place without a ton of products. I wash my hair every other day and always use a conditioner.

Clynol are a brand I have only recently become aware of. They are a professional hair-care brand, created and shaped by stylists and is available in salons and on-line. I received the Repair shampoo* and Leave in Keratin Treatment* to review., which are part of the new Clynol Repair Range which has been formulated for dry, damaged hair. 

The first time I used the shampoo and treatment, skipping my usual conditioner as I wanted to test out the two products on their own. For my hair, without the addition of a conditioner the two products didn't give my hair enough moisture and left it feeling a little dry. I decided to try the two products along with my normal conditioner and I must say they worked much better. My hair was left feeling smooth and tamed and my ends felt less dry. Clynol do a conditioner in this range and I think I may have saw even better results with the Recovery conditioner. 

Revive Shampoo RRP £8.90
I like this shampoo. The packaging is very sleek and professional looking, completely what you would expect from a Salon professional brand. The smell is gorgeous, sweet and floral and it is the longest lasting scent I have experienced with a shampoo. Usually I wash my hair and the scent fades pretty much as soon as my hair is dry. With the Clynol Revive shampoo the scent lasted two days until I washed my hair again. I was walking along wondering who's perfume I could smell when I realised that it was my hair. The scent alone makes this product a winner for me. The shampoo used in conjunction with a conditioner leaves my hair feeling smooth and under control. Usually my hair is a little frizzy but this controlled it a lot used along with the Leave-in treatment. 

Leave-in Instant Keratin Filler RRP £10.15
This product contains liquid keratin, which is part of the basic structure of hair. It is meant to strengthen and reduce breakage by up to 95%. I cant comment on long term use of this product at the moment but from the short while I have been using it I really like it. Used in conjunction with the Shampoo and my usual conditioner this left my hair feeling really smooth. You apply this to towel dried hair after washing and on application I could feel a difference, it left my hair really soft and under control. Like the shampoo I absolutely love the smell of this product and it is very long lasting too which I like.

Overall
I really enjoyed using these two products and I could definitely feel a difference after the first use along with my usual conditioner. The scent of the product is a big plus for me as it is gorgeous and long lasting. Both products offer protection from heat and the damage caused by colouring hair, which I really need as my hair is coloured and I use heat styling tools on it often. I am going to continue to use both products to see whether long term they will give me the results. 

Gem x

NOTD: Dot Flowers

I created this simple nail art by using a hair grip! (bobby pin) They are a great alternative to dotting tools, If like me, you like doing simple nail art but don't want to invest in professional tools. Most people already have them lying around somewhere. I also bought a cheap pack of paint brushes the other day to use for nail art. 

Gem x

Bloggers Share The Love #1

Following on from my last post, here is my Bloggers Share The Love post.

I only decided to do this series tonight, so I have had to have a good think and try to remember my favourite posts of the week. I have an awful memory so I may have missed some out. Next week I will be more thorough. I am going to choose three favourite posts and one Favourite Find.

Favourite Posts of the Week 

1. Ramblings of a Beauty Bird - My Current Top 5 Makeup Products Under 5 Pounds
This post was only published today, but it was my favourite of the week. As you know I really love a bargain, so this post was perfect for me. I really enjoyed the suggestions and now have a few more products on my ever growing list of make up I must try.

2. Big Fashionista - So pay me maybe?
I loved this post. It made me laugh and lightened my day a little, everything you need for a great post!

3. Strawberry Blonde Beauty Blog - 5 Micellar Waters 
I really want to try a Micellar water and this blog post was so informative and made me want to try them even more. The post was so well written and researched, I loved it.


Favourite Find

Cute Polish - http://www.youtube.com/user/cutepolish
I discovered Cute Polish this week while searching for nail tutorials. I have been getting into nails lately and needed some inspiration so googled and found this amazing YouTuber. I think I am a bit late to the party as she already has over 600,000 subscribers (wow) and I can totally see why.

Great Giveaway
The Cameras Lying - Nars Orgasm Giveaway
An amazing giveaway with the chance to win, you guessed it, Nars Orgasm blush. I have always wanted to try this blush but cant justify paying £20 for a blush at the moment, so to have a chance at winning it is great.

And a special link to Alison from Maliberry Makeup for inspiring this idea :) 


I hope you enjoyed this post and have checked out some of my links. Let me know if you do,
Gem x

#bbloggers...Share the Love!

I don't like negativity and bitchiness and try to avoid it wherever I can. I had to leave the #bbloggers chat this evening as I didn't like where it was going. The topic was 'What annoys you about other bloggers' and I saw a lot of tweets criticising the way some people do things on THEIR blog. Its their blog, let them do what they like I say.

Enough negativity, so, I wanted to find a way to 'share the love' so to speak. I mentioned on twitter that I wanted to create a more positive hashtag where lovely bloggers came and only chatted about make up and nice things. I am such a disorganised person, so I would never be able to organize that. 

I have seen a few blogs do link love and I love the idea, so I have decided to start a weekly blog series called ‘Bloggers Share the Love’. I will post this every Sunday and the post will consist of the following;

• Favourite Posts of the week – self-explanatory really, posts I have enjoyed reading the most.
• Favourite Finds – Any lovely new blogs/youtubers I discover in that week will be featured. 
• Great Giveaways - Any giveaways I have entered and think should be shared.

I am a fan of Beauty, Fashion, Lifestyle, Food and Nail blogs, so I will not be limiting this series just to beauty blogs it will be open to all. 

I know a lot of bloggers feel the same way as I do, so it would be great if you could get involved and write your own 'Bloggers Share The Love' posts. I think it would be a great way of finding and sharing new blogs. 

If you decide to join in and write the post, it would be great if you could use the hashtag #Lovelybloggers to share your post and love :)

Do leave a comment below to let me know if you are going to join in with this series. 

Gem x

OOTN: George@ASDA

This is an outfit that I wore out for a meal the other day. Both the leggings and top are from George @ Asda and were a complete bargain at £8 and £6 respectively. The leggings have studs down the side of them, they don't really show up on camera well.

My necklace is from ebay and my blazer is a charity shop find. My shamballa is a gift. I am wearing knee high boots, you cant really tell from the photo. They were from the no longer existing company ShoeDazzle. I got them in their final sale for £9.

 I love this outfit and think it looks really smart, great for an evening out.

Gem x

Avon SuperShock Max Mascara Review

I am very fussy when it comes to mascara. I want volume more than length as I have longish eyelashes already. I don't want any clumps and I prefer a more dry formula but with no flakes. Not a lot to ask hey?

I love the packaging of the mascara. Teal is one of my favourite colours so its a winner for me. The wand is nice and chunky which I like in a mascara. I would prefer a more tapered end though as I like to use this to catch the smaller lashes at the corners.

The formula is good. A little on the wet side but dries very quickly and is easy to build up. I am a three coats of mascara type girl, I love volumised lashes. This mascara does clump very slightly, but not much at all.

It thickens my lashes nicely and also adds a slight bit of length. Overall I am pleased with this mascara and would definitely pick it up again if it is on offer in the Avon catalogue.

Gem x

House of Fraser Blogger Challenge

House of Fraser have set a challenge to bloggers. Come up with a key look for next season from www.houseoffraser.co.uk and be in with the chance of winning £200 worth of HoF vouchers. 

There is a huge selection on their website which made choosing an outfit very difficult, but here is my final look: 

Mango Dress | Boots | Gloves | Cardi | Bag 

The pure look, clean lines and no fuss, is set to be big this autumn. I chose this outfit for its chic and simple look. The white Mango dress will compliment any figure, with the grey cardi adding an extra layer for the colder autumn months. 

I think this outfit would look great for a date and it could also be made work appropriate by adding black or grey tights. 

Have you entered the competition? What do you think of my outfit, are you a fan of the simplistic look?

Gem x

MUA Undressed Palette Review and Swatches

I was lucky enough to win this palette through a blog giveaway. I was so pleased to win as I really wanted this palette but hadn't got around to buying it yet.

MUA are an amazing make up brand that offer quality products at affordable prices and I must say that they have exceeded themselves with this palette. All the shades, (bar one but we can let them off for that as all the others are amazing) are highly pigmented, easily blended and gorgeous.

I have been using this palette almost everyday since I got it, even using shade 3 to fill in my brows. It is the perfect neutrals palette and you can create a simple neutral day look to a more sultry smoky eye.

The pigmentation as mentioned is amazing and the shadows blend and stay on all day (with primer). If you haven't got it already, what are you waiting for?

I highly recommend this palette and at £4 its the perfect price too.

Gem x

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Off To Ibiza: Daisy Butter Newlook Comp

Over at Daisy Butter I spotted this amazing competition in collaboration with Newlook. I love creating and styling outfits so I had to take part. Here was the brief:

"Imagine you are going to Ibiza for a long weekend. Create a post on your blog stating which items from the New Look store you would wear to complete each of the following outfits on your holiday. You have 5 outfits for 5 occasions, so which items would you wear and why? 

Choose from: Travel Style, Poolside, Beach It, Sunset Supper, Beach to Club."

So I imagined I was off to Ibiza and came up with these 5 outfits:

|| Jeggings || T-Shirt || Scarf || Bag || Shoes || Cardi || 

Travel day. You may have an early flight or the weather at home may be miserable, either way its probably going to be cold so its always a good idea to layer. You choose light weight clothing like this cardi, as its not bulky and can be packed away easily. Its also quite cold on the plane and you don't want chilly legs, so you wear jeggings. Only crazy celebrities like VB wear heels on an aeroplane, so flats are the way forward. You chose these grey slipper shoes for ultimate comfort.The bag is big enough to fit all your in-flight essentials and any duty free you may pick up.

|| Sunglasses || Swimsuit || Bracelet || Headband || Wedges ||

A day by the pool. Your staying at a chic hotel and want to look stylish when lounging by the pool. The cat-eye glasses add retro glamour while the cut out swimsuit shows off your curves. The chain bracelet picks up on the chain detail in the swimsuit and they tie in together perfectly. The fishtail headband and the wedges complete the look. 

|| Crop Top || Shorts || Bikini || Bracelet || Sandals ||

A day at the beach and you decide to embody the Ibiza hippie style. The lace crop top and distressed shorts along with the ombre bikini are bang on trend and give off the hippie relaxed vibe. The elephant bracelet adds a little quirky detail to the outfit. 

|| Earrings || Shoes || Dress || Bag || Ring ||

Sunset Supper and cocktails. You choose a white bird print dress to compliment the tan you have acquired after the last two days sunbathing. The feather earring tie in with the bird print and the perspex heeled shoes add a little twist to the feminine feel of the outfit. 

|| Bikini TopBottoms || Skirt || Necklace || Earrings || Shoes ||

Your last day. You decide to make the most of it by going straight from the beach to the club. This gorgeous embellished bikini will look great at either locations. To dress up the outfit you add these amazing accessories and a pair of dazzling wedges. 

I really enjoyed this competition and I have fallen in love with every outfit I created. Newlook have an amazing range on their website and I loved picking my favourite pieces and turning them into an outfit. My absolute favourites are the travel day and beach to club. They are both so wearable yet so stylish in different ways.

What do you think of my outfits? Have you entered the competition? If you have, leave your link, I would love to take a look at your entry.

Gem x

NOTD: Hello Kitty

Hello! Today I have another NOTD for you. Its a bit of a cute and fun one, not one for everyday, but would look cute for a night out.

I was browsing for nail ideas and came across a few Hello Kitty nail designs and loved them, so decided to give it a go myself. Here's the finished result.

I entered these nails into Makeup Geeks weekly challenge. Usually it is a challenge to create a makeup look inspired by something, such as summer. But this week it was to create nail art. I knew I didn't have a chance at winning for my skill, but Marlena is lovely and also gives a prize to one entry at random and guess what? I won! I am so pleased. The prize was a Sephora manicure set and I am so excited to receive it!

What do you think of my Hello Kitty nails? Do you like fun nail designs or do you like to keep it simple?

Gem x

200 Follower Giveaway

So it was only the other day I was holding my 100 follower giveaway! I am so grateful to everyone who likes my blog enough to click that follow button, especially those who leave lovely comments. So to thank you, I am holding another giveaway, yay!

This time it is to win a MAC lipstick in the colour of your choice (permanent line or viva glam). I will be ordering from Debenhams as I don't have a counter near me, so check here to see if your favourite shade is in stock :).

I have decided to give rafflecopter a go so enter on the form below. The only thing I ask is that you are a follower of this blog via GFC, are based in the UK and are over 18/have your parents permission to enter.

Good luck,

Gem x




a Rafflecopter giveaway

Chit Chat Juicy Lipstick: Poundland Bargain

I am a self confessed bargain addict. If something has a reduced label on it, I am like a moth to the flame. I love rummaging around the beauty section of Poundland and have had many great finds like Revlon nail polishes and Stila dry shampoo. 

I have always been somewhat put off from buying from Poundlands own make-up range, Chit Chat. For a start, the name 'Chit Chat' doest exactly scream hight quality. But the other day I decided bite the bullet to give it a go, its a pound after all. I asked myself If brands like MUA and e.l.f can make good quality products for a cheap price then why cant Poundland? 

I started off gently and bought this liquid highlighter and loved it, so went back and bought some more goodies. 

Today I am reviewing Chit Chat Juicy Lipstick in Damson. It is a lipstick in a packaging that is not dissimilar to the Clinique Chubby Sticks. That's where the similarity in these products end though as the Chubby sticks are a balm and this is a lipstick. 

I was expecting a horribly drying, hardly pigmented, frost finish lipstick that didn't last 10 minutes on my lips. But what I got left me pleasantly surprised. Its is a very pigmented lipstick that glides on effortlessly and isn't at all drying. It looks quite moisturising on the lips, and lasts as long as you would expect a reasonably priced lipstick to last. There is also no frostiness in sight, bonus. 

From the packaging, you would expect a more red colour, but the colour is a gorgeous deep pink.  It looks great for an evening look, but also can be worn in the day as a statement pop of colour. 

Overall I love this lipstick and it is a steal at £1. I definitely recommend you try it out, for a pound you cant really go wrong!

Have you tried any of Poundlands own make-up range?

Gem x

VIVO Baked Blush in Peaches and Cream Review and Swatches

I love my VIVO Baked Bronzer, so when I was in Tesco the other day I had to get myself this blush. I have had my eye on it for a while now. It is a gorgeous peachy pink colour with subtle shimmer and looks lovely in the pan and lovely on the skin. 

It is quite pigmented, but not hugely which I think is about right for a blush. It can be built up to the desired amount so you don't end up looking like a clown. It lasts a good five hours before fading slightly. I wear mine with foundation and a primer, so it may not last as long with out these. 

Vivo cosmetics are available exclusively in Tesco stores or online at http://www.vivocosmetics.co.uk/ and the Baked Blushes cost £4, which is a bargain if you ask me. 

Have you tried any products from the Vivo range?

Gem x

Gradient glitter tipped nails NOTD

I'm not usually a fan of glitter nails, but I think these are a great way of wearing glitter without it being too full on.

I painted my nails with a peachy nude base coat and allowed it to dry completely. Then I put a layer of silver glitter polish half way down my nail and let it dry. Then I put another layer of glitter on that but stopped about two thirds of the way down to create the gradient effect. I put a few more layers on the nail tip and voilà, gradient glitter tips. 

Gem x

Maybelline 24 Hour Color Tattoo Collection

When these products were released there was a slight hype surrounding them and I couldn't wait to go out and buy them. I am glad to say that for me, they lived up to that hype.

I have three of these now and I love them all. If you don't  know they are gel/cream eyeshadows which claim to last 24 hours. I have never worn them for that long but I have worn them a good 12 hours and they lasted really well with no creasing or fading.

 I have reviewed On and On bronze in more detail here. Taupe I found to have a slightly thicker consistency which made it a little tougher to apply than On and On Bronze. It is also the only matte of the bunch. Eternal Silver was the same consistency an On and On Bronze and applied like a dream.

They are such good products and a steal at £4.99. I plan on getting the remaining colours for my collection soon.

What do you think of these, did they live up to the hype for you?

Gem x

Simple Daisy Nail Art

I found this really simple nail art tutorial on the lovely Holly Arabella Blog. Link to direct blog post here.
It is really simple to do and the end result is lovely.

I originally wanted my ring finger nails to have the daisy on, but they didn't work out too well so I did them on the middle nail instead. I also found doing my left hand difficult (left handed) my hands were very unsteady but with a little patients it turned out well in the end.

I used Nails inc Bluebell for the base coat, Boots 17 white polish for the petals and Collection 2000 Orange Punch for the centre of the flower, but it would look great using any colours you want.

For the daisy, you have to wait until the base colour is completely dry. Then paint an L shape in the white colour. Wait for that to dry then paint a diagonal line in the middle. Then wait for that to dry and paint the dot for the centre. It does take a bit of time waiting for the polishes to dry but it is worth it for the end result.

Have you come across any good nail art tutorials recently?

Gem x

OOTD: Apricot Dipped Hem Dress

I bought this dress when I was in Westfield London. I love the colour, jade and turquoise are my favourite. Its a dipped hem midi which I love and it was in the sale in store and on Apricots Website for £20. Bargain.

It comes with a belt but I had to buy another as the sales assistant left a security tag on the original, and I didn't notice until I was back over the Severn Bridge! I got the belt along with a tan coloured one in a pack from Tesco, and they were only £2.50 which I think is great.

The necklace was another bargain from Ebay. It was only £3.69 including postage and came the next day.

I wore my trusty black court shoes from Newlook which I have had for a while now, but they are still available on their website for £19.99.

My bracelet was from Matalan. It cost 80p, there was a big jewellery sale on at the time I bought it.

As you can tell, I rarely pay full price for clothing. I love sales and eBay and charity shops.

Gem x

July Favourites

1. Impulse Love Puzzle review here - A fruity-floral fragrance perfect for summer. I find Impulse so handy as you can just pop it in your handbag and top up as the day goes along.

2. Garnier Miracle Skin Perfecter Oil Free review here - I have been wearing this almost every day in place of foundation. I love the matte finish and the fact that it has skin loving properties. 

3. St Tropez Everyday Body Moisturiser - A freebie from the July issue of Elle magazine, I really like this gradual tanner. I have been using to to keep my tan topped up as there is not much chance of doing it naturally with the weather we have had recently. The results are a natural looking streak-free tan which takes about three applications to build up. 

4. Orly Mini Ancient Jade - I have been loving this colour and wore it during the burst of sunny weather we had recently. Its perfect for summer. 

5. Benefit That Gal Primer - If I have been wearing foundation at all, I wear it with this. It really helps to brighten up my complexion and gives a smooth base for me to apply my make up.

What have you been loving this month? 

Gem x

Impulse Love Puzzle: The Perfect Summer Fragrance

A couple of weeks ago I was offered the chance to try the new limited edition fragrance by Impulse.


I love Impulse, I have been using it since I was a teenager and always have a can or two on the go. They are so handy to just pop in your handbag instead of carrying an expensive bottle of perume around, and you can top up your fragrance as the day goes on. 


Love Puzzle is a limited edition fragrance and has been developed by the world-famous 'nose' of Dior and Calvin Klein, Anne Gottlieb.


The fragrance is very nice and apt for summer. It is fruity and floral and is quite unique. I am a fan of fruity scents so this is a winner for me.  


Impulse Love Puzzle is available in stores now and available until the end of summer. 


Do you like Impulse? What is your favourite summer fragrance?


Gem x