Bucket List #4 See Ed Sheeran in concert - COMPLETE!

Hello,

So, I have some exciting news. I CROSSED OFF ED SHEERAN ON MY BUCKET LIST, WOOHOO!

I was sooo lucky and was able to get some tickets for his secret Multiply Gig on Monday 5th May 2014; the tickets were limited and I was stoked to nab two.

I am seeing him in October but at £6 each and in my home city of London, I could not let the chance pass me by. It isn't the same as meeting him in the flesh which I wish was possible, but it was close enough and we had a great view on the balcony.

For those of you who don't know who Ed Sheeran is, 

a) where have you been? 

b) check him out here www.youtube.com/EdSheeran

Ed Sheeran is an amazing Singer Songwriter from England and his success with songs such as Lego House, The A Team from the album + (pronounced 'plus') has made him known and popular world wide. This gig was a promotion for his new album being released on 23rd June 2014, x (multiply) and ah it was perfect! He's such a talented guy, genius musician and a pro with a loop pedal!

Here are some photos from the gig and October couldn't come soon enough to see him again.

I shared this amazing moment with my boyfriend, who absolutely loved it in the end (he dreaded the waiting around). I'm so glad I've been able to experience - the atmosphere was amazing and his presence has the ability to have you screaming at the top of your lungs or make the room fall silent!

Thank you for reading, Gemma xxx

If you love Lush, you will love BOMB COSMETICS!

Hello again guys,
Today's post is a website I had stumbled across in March. As a Lush addict, I'm always on the hunt for similar products, if not better and this is where www.bombcosmetics.co.uk comes in. This company sells bath bombs, soaps, candles and other face and body goodies and in such beautiful and creative forms which is partly why I fell in love with them! They are reasonably priced as the total of this purchase was only £27.21 however, the package did take about 10 days to arrive so order in advance! 

Each product is handmade, natural ingredients and oils are used, the company are against animal testing and are cruelty free and they also use minimal packaging as well as being recycling hero's. 

So, here we go...

Candy Box Soap
£2.49

First of all, can we appreciate how cute this liquorice design is? It looks and smells good enough to eat.
This soap has wonderful Bergamot and Sweet Orange oils infused into its formula but one an instant smell, there is also hints of vanilla and caramel. 
This soap lathers brilliantly and smells divine.

Knickerbocker Glory Whoopie Blaster
£2.99

I was convinced that I needed this doughnut shaped bath item, my life depended on it haha! 
Whoopie Blasters fizz like crazy once placed into the bath. You can put the whole thing in or break it into pieces to last longer. This one smells fruity with tones of vanilla. Essential oils in this bad boy include amyris and thyme oils as well as cocoa butter.

Lime and Coconut Parfait Bath Blaster
£2.09

Another fizzy one! As the name states, this fizzy goodness smells like limes and coconuts. The essential oils include: coconut oil, pure amyris and lime oil.
This would be perfect for citrus lovers as it is very refreshing and clean.

Lemon Meringue Soap
£2.49

I think you'll be able to spot a trend here - citrus. I'm a big fan of the freshness, lemony, lime scents. And once again, the beautifulness of this soap is not disappointing.
May Chang and Ylang Ylang oils have been infused in these soaps to leave your skin smooth and soft and not dehydrating like most soaps. 

Orange Soda Soap
£2.49

I think this may be my favourite soap out of them all and its the simplest looking! The scent is to die for and strong which I love because it lingers on your skin.
Mandarin essential oils and a hint of green apples makes the soap so fresh and zingy. LOVE.

Jack the Rippler Soap
£2.49

This is where I put my hands up an admit that I'm an addict.. I purely bought this soap on the name, aaah!! As if I needed it, pure impulse. But, it does smell amazing - a bit like raspberry ripple ice-cream. This has a raspberry smell with a creamy vanilla inserted swirl in the middle with coconut and primrose essential oils. Not a bad impulse buy!

Coconut Mushrooms Tinned Candle
£7.99

This one wasn't for me - my mum LOVES the little coconut mushroom sweets so this was a perfect addition to her Mothers Day presents. 
Its a very, very sweet smell so I don't think it would be everyone's cup of tea, I love coconut but the sweetness kills it for me. My mum loved it though. The pink and blue inserts are probably my favourite part, presentation is everything, it sucks me in, it makes the candle look so beautiful.
Its approximate burning time is 45 minutes - according to the website. And they also state that pure Ylang Ylang and Clary Sage oils have been added to its ingredients. 




Pink Coconut and Lime On Bath Creamers
£2.09 each, sold separately

These tiny packages are like balls of melting creamy goodness for your skin!
Pink coconut: hello again coconut. This creamer is packed full of essential oils such as Lavender and Geranium and Cocoa Butter and Shea Butter for amazing skin.
Lime on: This happy looking soul (check it out on the website) is full of Cocoa butter as well as pure lemon and lime essential oils. Citrus - SHOCKER!


FREEBIE!
I think this product is the Miss Tangleberry Buttercup worth £2.20 but I'm not completely sure, sorry! This does smell very much like Cocoa and Shea Butter. 
According to the website, the Miss Tangleberry Buttercup includes pure Frankincense and Sandalwood for relaxation. 




FREEBIE!
Addictive Soap, I couldn't find this on the website being sold individually but it is featured in the Paradise Lost Gift pack. 
Its such an interesting looking soap - as always - and smells bizarre on a first sniff but I think its quite floral, a very subtle floral smell. I cant wait to open this and see what scents explode from this bar!

I really recommend this company if you love Lush or even just bath products in general, I'm certain that you will not be disappointed! The freebies were such an amazing surprise gift too, I couldn't say many more positive things about this website.

Thank you for taking your time to read this, 

Gemma xxxx

Bucket List!

Hey there guys! 
This post may be more for my benefit but I think bucket lists are great ideas for everyone. Everyone has hopes, dreams and wishes and bucket lists allow you to keep track of where you want to go in life and what you want to do.

Be successful, be happy, be adventurous, be spontaneous, 

be determined and most importantly.. BE YOURSELF.

1. Travel somewhere hot
2. Blog at least three times a week!
3. Go to Reading Festival
4. See Ed Sheeran in concert
5. Go Skydiving
6. Visit America
7. Have scuba diving lessons
8. Attend a masquerade ball
9. Learn how to surf
10. Bungee Jump
11. Pass my driving test
12. Get married OUTDOORS
13. Go whale watching
14. Visit Germany/Poland, specifically concentration camps

15. See the Northern Lights

16. Go to Thailand with my mum

17. Sleep under the stars

18. Own my own house

19. Live in the countryside

20. Have a spa break

21. Spend the night in an expensive hotel

22. Go glamping

23. Watch the sun set on a beach

24. See Green Day live

25. Ice skate fluently, without being scared or falling over

26. Own a pinball machine

27. Adopt a ginger cat

28. Visit Disneyland and Orlando Universal studios

29. Have children

30. Buy an expensive handbag worth regretting the money spent

31. Visit Ancient Egypt Sites: visit Valley of the Kings, see/have a boat trip on the Nile.

32. Gain the confidence to make more YouTube videos

33. Go fruit picking

34. Have a paint fight

35. Make ice-cream

36. Volunteer at a soup kitchen

37. Go sledging 

38. Go to an outside movie

39. Go to a water park

40. Go on two contiki trips

I think they're a great idea and I can't wait to do all this stuff!

Gemma

xxx

Tanya Burr: Lip Gloss and Nail Varnish Review

After a VERY long 3 week delivery wait, goddamn you Feel Unique, my Tanya Burr Lip Gloss and Nail Varnish finally asrrived- woo hoo! So here we go...

Vampire Kiss, £6.99

This colour is certainly darker than the camera captures, it's highly pigmented and not too sticky. The colour is a solid dark red which is buildable without getting thick and heavy, you can wear little for a hint of red or add a full coat for a very pigmented red colour. I wore the lip gloss alone, however, I think I might put a lip liner on underneath for a fuller colour and better lasting power (these do last a good hour or two on their own though, better than most!)

Who else hates sticky lipgloss? I know I'm not alone here. In England, our weather has been super windy and hairy lip gloss lips are not attractive! At first my hair did stick a bit but after, I had no problems and it was still glossy and shiny.

The second lip gloss colour I ordered was Aurora. This is a pale, nude pink with a sort of silver very fine glitter. Both glosses I ordered are cream lip glosses (there are shinier ones) and therefore, they are both similar in formula.

I'm not normally one for pink or glosses and I think that's due to never finding one that suits me. So, if you're in the same position, BRAVE IT! I did and I do no look back, I love these lip glosses so much and I will definitely be buying more colours.

 Next from the Tanya Burr collection I bought two nail polishes which you can buy from the same stores and are £5.99 each. This nail varnish is in the shade Penguin Chic and may I add, I love the name of her whole collection, its based on her favourite things and somehow, the match colours perfectly - such a clever idea.

Penguin Chic is a lovely grey/taupe colour but I think it's a bit like Marmite, you either love it or hate it. My mum hates it and I love it!

The formula is very creamy and easy to apply, it dries amazingly quickly but you do need two coats which is pretty normal anyway. The finish is extremely shiny and I love it. I have worn this nail varnish for a good week without it chipping. AMAZING.

The second colour I added to my large nail varnish collection is Midnight Sparkles which is a very dark purple with lighter purple flecks of glitter. In dim lighting it can look black but in daylight and good lighting, its very purple and sparkly. 

Even though they're from the same collection, the formula, to me, is different. It may be the glitter or maybe I got a dodgy nail varnish? But when applying, it seems too thick and almost gooey, ikkkk, and the first coat is always VERY uneven.. Also, it seems to chip quicker. But, the colour certainly makes it worth its flaws.

Here are a few more pictures of the packaging and the lip gloss applicator (which is also great too).

Thank you for reading and let me know your favourites! And if you haven't tried these products, I highly recommend them.

Gemma xxx

Elf order/small haul!

Hey guys!
So, a week back I made my first purchase from elf cosmetics - YAY! After the drama of missing my parcel delivery and having to wait a whole 5 days more to collect it I was soooo excited to pick it up. 
Eyes Lips Face (elf) here in England can mainly be purchased online at eyeslipsface.co.uk and as an in-store make-up shopper, I hadn't delved into the world of elf yet. So, I started small(ish) and this is what I ended up purchasing...

If you've read my January Favourites, you'll know how much the winter weather effects my lips. All this wind and cold here in England makes my lips very dry and I've tried everything to make them better and forever seeking products to keep my lips soft and luscious!

Lip Exfoliator

£3.75

For this price, I thought I could not go wrong. The smell of this product is divine! It is the sweetest, vanillary and buttercreamy smell. I think its so strong that it mat be off-putting for some. 

I'm extremely excited to try this product and I think that the packaging looks like an expensive lipstick for just £3.75.  

   

Studio Mineral Infused Face Primer

                                              £6.00

My usual primer - MAC Prep + Prime Skin Refined Zone - is coming to an end and whilst browsing I found this one and thought, hey, it can't help to try something new and at £6 I couldn't argue. I have swatched this product on my hand and it had a gel consistency which was quite thick which could be interesting, but it definitely made my skin feel silky smooth which will be perfect for foundation application. I suffer with large pores so fingers crossed that it will have a good effect on them.

Studio Makeup Mist & Set

£3.75

In the beauty world, setting sprays can be a hit and miss. I have normal/dry skin and sometimes my make-up can lack a healthy dewy look and with sprays like this, I can achieve a dewy look and make-up that lasts all day - perfect! No one likes it when your make-up starts to look old and with this small bottle, its perfect to keep in your bag and give your make-up a spritz for a fresh look without others knowing you applied your make-up 3 hours ago.

5O Piece Makeup Artist Palette

£15.00 (on sale now for £10)

This palette includes 40 eyeshadows, 5 blushes and 5 bronzers. On first impressions, the matte packaging with 'eye lips face' printed on it with a clip clasp to open, the palette looks sleek and expensive. On the inside there's also a mirror the size of the palette which is great for travelling a with a wedding in April far away, this will be perfect!

Below is a swatch of eight of the eyeshadows included in the palette, some matte and some shimmers (ugly scratch not included, only if you want an excited puppy!). The colours are relatively pigmented, more so than I had expected, I think they will be easy to apply ad great to blend - I will do some looks using this palette. 

Below shows the range of blushes and bronzers. For me, any bronzer products are a hit or miss as I'm so pale.. Some can look muddy, some can look orange and sometimes they can be stupidly glittery! The lighter shades may work for giving my skin some colour and liveliness and good for contouring but the last two may be a bit too dark for me. I love the subtle pink blush from this palette (the second one on the left) and cannot wait to try it out! Fingers crossed it matches my complexion! 

Below is a picture of the palette. There are two layers, the eyeshadowss and then the combination of blushes and bronzers, the two simply sit on top of eachother within the palette when shut.

Thank you for reading, I hope that you've enjoyed this post!

Gemma x

January favourites!

Hello and welcome to my first ever post!
First of all, I'd like to tell you a little about myself before I launch you into my world of beauty. My name is Gemma and I'm a uni student from London. I'm very much a beauty and fashion enthusiast and I'm hoping to share my passion with you and my blog will consist of favourites, collections, hauls, first impressions, lookbooks and handy tips and tricks!

This is me... 

                                                       

And I look forward getting to know you!

LETS GO!
Its that time, the end of the month already - where does time go? Its 2014! And of course, floating around are many January favourites whether from blogger's or YouTubers.
To my favourites I'm going to have 4 categories: beauty, skincare, random and film.
So lets start with beauty..

Rimmel Kate Moss Matte Lipstick

Shade: 111

£5.49, currently on offer in Boots for £3.99!

I adore the Kate Moss range of lipsticks, I take my hat off to her! Not only are they super pigmented and easy to apply, they rarely smudge or fade. Sometimes my lips are prone to getting dry in this fabulous England weather so I make sure to have a lip balm or lipgloss at hand for this lipstick but since purchased (about 2 or 3 months ago) its been hard to find a red, matte lipstick which compares to this one!

Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer

Shade: Light

£4.19

After seeing this so many times on YouTube being reviewed by many beauty gurus such as Sprinkleofglitter and Tanya Burr, I felt it was only right to try it out and I do no regret it one bit! Luckily for me, dark circles aren't really a problem - yet - but redness and breakouts/spots are! I've previously tried MAC concealers but they seem to be too drying and make my skin look unhealthy. This concealer is light, with a full coverage, long lasting and most importantly NOT DRYING! I feel like everyone should go and try this now, its so worth it and LOVE LOVE LOVE!

Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter
Shade: Juicy Papaya  
£7.99

Another favourite lip product of mine! The past two weeks have been a nightmare for my lips, they've been dry and chapped in the morning which isn't a good look for anybody. After exfoliating my lips and leaving some Carmex to sink in, before I leave the house I pop this on and put it in my bag. Lipsticks have been too drying but this Revlon Lip Butter has been perfect! The soft orange/peach colour gives a natural look meaning it can be combined with ANY make-up look and the hydration is the same as a lip balm so that you don't have to worry about chapped lips out in public, hoorayyyy.

Next category, SKINCARE! I've also thrown in some haircare too because hair matters too!

Tea Tree Water - 100g

Lush, £3.95

This stuff is a life saver! Having a break out? USE THIS. I'm prone to terrible breakouts and spots around my chin, they're not constant but when they happen, I know about it and they cluster together, ewww! As soon as I spot signs of this, I use this product after cleansing, morning and night and it takes a day or two to clear up completely. A combination of this Tea Tree Water and Tea Tree Oil or gel from The Body Shop is perfect!

Tangle Teaser Orange

£10.99

I've been lucky enough to be gifted frizzy hair. Gift? Who am I kidding, its a nightmare. I wake up in the morning and birds nest is an understatement, it's so knotty and tangled, it can be so painful to brush. Investing in this tangle teaser makes me wonder why I've never bought one sooner. I did lose it recently and had the biggest strop because I now feel like I don't know what I'd do without it. Pain free, tangle free hair - yes please!

 Aussie Shine and Vibrancy Leave-in conditioner

£4.49

Admittedly, at the age of 19, I've dyed my hair more than humanly necessary. I use a good hydrating conditioner when washing my hair but I still lack that sleek, shiny, healthy look to my hair sometimes, even when I leave it to dry naturally. Once my hair is dry and styled, I spritz some of this spray into my hands, rub them together and distribute evenly through my hair and whoooosh! SHINE! It makes my hair look and feel so healthy and soft and I could talk forever on this product.

Almond Hand and Nail Cream

The Body Shop

30ml £5.00, 100ml £10.00 (both 50% off right now!)

The weather in England is not good for the skin, and my hands especially can get dry. I have tried a few hand creams but nothing that works so well or smells so amazing. It smells like cherry bakewells, who wouldn't love that? And a pea size amount goes such a long way, it lasts forever, making every penny worth it. Say goodbye to dry winter hands and hello to gorgeous hands. Also, before or after a manicure, this rubbed into your cuticles works a treat!

A bit like me, RANDOM. 

The Big Headband, Along Came Betty

Exclusive to Tesco

Around £3

Fed up of trying to tie my short hair up out of my face to put my make-up on or washing my face, I knew I was in need of a big headband. When I was in Tesco, I spotted this pink one with a huge detachable bow for around £3 which I thought was a bargain. Its not too tight, the cloth material makes it great to wash, no hair in my face and it makes my morning and evening routines a lot less fuss-free!

Peanut Butter Oreo's, £6, Tesco

Reeses Pieces, 63p per pack, Tesco

Sun-Pat Choc-a-nut, £2.00

AH PEANUT BUTTER! Not the healthiest of foods or snacks but after discovering my love for peanut butter after hating it as a kid and hating peanuts left me surprised and ever since, an addiction has occured.. These are some of my favourite peanut products this month. Also, with the choc-a-nut spread, if you warm up some milk and stir in a teaspoon of the butter, you have a peanut butter hot chocolate - perfect winter drink!

Butterkist Sweet Microwave Popcorn

£1.99

Another foodie one, popcorn. After watching the popcorn scene in The Croods, I've craved popcorn and loved eating it! This pack has three microwave packs within it and there's nothing better than hot popcorn in your own home which also tastes soooo yummy!

M-M-M-MOOOVIE of the month.


Oh The Hunger Games series, how you've captured my heart. 
I went to the cinema in November to watch Catching Fire and I know that its now January, but from November to January, this series is all I can think about! I'm currently reading The Hunger Games and I'm glued, even if I know the plot, it's gripping. I cannot wait for Mockingjay, to complete reading the book series and buying and watching Catching Fire a million more times!!

Thank you for reading, I hope that you enjoyed this post!
Gemma xxx