BEAUTY LOVES - BERRY LIP AND LIQUID LINER

I must admit, I probably do take more selfies than necessary. But, like most women I have some periodic self esteem issues, so when I'm having a good face day, I feel the need to share it with the world, for their approval. Every 'like' is a little boost - especialy when most days I look like I have been dredged from a swamp most mornings, and not a nice swamp.

When it comes to working face days, the berry lip and/or liquid liner have been my beauty saviours - making me less crypt keeper more cute.

Berry lip courtesey of H&M, goofy teeth are models own!

Liquid Liner from W7

What hae been your beauty saviours this month?

Gems x

BEAUTY BUNDLE COMPETTION FEATURING ELEGANT TOUCH, NIVEA AND TED BAKER

Yes, it has arrived, the competition I have been promising you guys, for all your continued support. It still surprises me that people still stop by and say nice things to me. It has really helped boost my confidence over the years, and as a result helped me cope with my issues with mental health. That feeling of isolation totally disappears when you realise how many others are going through similar things. It has been a real privilage to me to reach out to some of these people and the gratitude I feel can never be repaid.

So to rejoice at how much I love blogging and that I want to give back a little, I picked up some beauty goodies to giveaway that will keep your hands and lips looking beautiful through the winter months.

Up for grabs for one lucky winner is the Glitter Face Ache nails from House of Holland for Elegant Touch, Ted Baker Nail and Lip Duo in Peach Perfect, and Nivea Luscious Lips Tin. If you have any questions about the giveaway, please ask.

I'm sorry but the competition is only open to people from the UK due to postage costs, but I will have a competition for international enteries coming soon I promise.  Please no spam enteries or follows and immediate unfollows, as I check each entry and invalid ones will be disqualified. The winner will be contacted following the Rafflecopter draw and must claim thier prize within 72 hours or another winner will be chosen.

Good Luck Everyone!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Gems x
 

LILY ALLEN FOR ELEGANT TOUCH

I have made no secret of the fact that I am a huge Elegant Touch fan. It is my go to brand for all things nails, and I have become a total convert for false nails after believing for way too long that they were too difficult to apply, or that I would end up with fingers stuck together for all eternity. Oh Gemma, how wrong you were! They are so easy to apply and you have a gorgeous manicure that lasts for 10 days - so I have totally been making up for lost time, as I'm sure you have seen in many outfit posts...

1. House of Holland in Royal Explosion.
2. Elegant Touch Express in Bright Marble.
3. House of Holland in Tie Dye For.
4. House of Holland in Block Heads.
5. Candy Dip in Blueberry Crumble.
6. House of Holland in Sweet Tooth.

I became quickly obsessed with the fabulous collections by fashion design legend Henry Holland, so you can imagine I was jumping for joy when Elegant Touch announced that they were collaborating with nail art queen, Lily Allen...yes she of beautifully bejewelled and quirky printed nails. I just knew it was going to be some serious nail candy and I was right.

The Lily Loves Nails collection pays homage to Lily's hometown of London and are inspired by her trademark high fashion meets street style. The seven different oval and stiletto shaped designs are named after song titles and themes from Lily's albums, and show the flair she has for nail art - confident, quirky and cool.

1. Knock 'Em Out.
2. Hard Out There.
3. Sheezus.

Not for the shy and retiring girl, the Lily Loves collection features explosions of glitter, metallic shapes, matte prints, jewels and London landmarks - perfect for adding a pop to any outfit! Apply with glue or use one of the awesome Elegant Touch Super Adhesive Tabs if you like to switch up your manicure often.

The nail art queen herself says: "I'm thrilled to be collaborating with Elegant Touch on the Lily Loves Nails collection. It's a dream come true. nail art is a huge part of my life and a vital part of my personal style. I love changing-up my nails, sometimes 3 or 4 times a day, and I'm so excited to bring out this collection so you can choose your favourites and do the same!"

With so much loveliness to choose from it was hard to pick just one set to grace my nails with first, so after a long internal debate, I finally settled on LDN - I really fell for all the London landmarks silhouetted against a beautiful evening sky. I love the soft oval shape, that can be easily filed to a shorter length for my days spent at the computer, without losing any of the design...

Prices range from £6.99 to £8.99 (quite the bargain for 10 days of fabulous nails) and are available now through the Elegant Touch website and in Superdrug stores.

Thank you Elegant Touch, for another fabulous collection. What does everyone else think of the Lily Loves Nails line?

Gems x
*Nails provided to me by Elegant Touch for the purpose of this review, all opinions are my own.
 

ELEGANT TOUCH CANDY DIP REVIEW AND TUTORIAL

Sometimes working as a freelance beauty, fashion and everything else writer, you will find that clients sometimes disappear and your work is never published. During my work for online magazine Femside, I recieved some goodies from the lovely people from Elegant Touch to create some tutorials and reviews. The last one for the delicious Candy Dip never made it online, and I felt it wasn't fair to such a wonderful brand, so I have decided to publish it here on my own blog to give them the recogntion they deserve.

Indulge A Sweet Tooth With Elegant Touch Candy Dip

Every girl loves a bit of glitter, whether they will admit it or not – it brings a little bit of sparkle to our everyday lives. But, rather than dress head-to-toe in glitter and risk looking like a disco ball, us girls often like to add just a touch of the shiny stuff to our nails. But it is time we admitted it, glitter nail polish is an absolute nightmare...

Glitter nail polish is notoriously annoying to apply – if you want a decent coverage, instead of a few flecks of glitter on each nail, you need to apply coat after coat of the stuff, which takes forever to dry. So any little knock and the whole effect is ruined and you have to start all over again – for someone as clumsy as me, this is an almost certainly.

Then, when it comes to taking the polish off, you are in for a big job – you will find the glitter bonded to your nails stronger than Kanye West is bonded to his feelings of self-importance (sorry Kanye). You have to spend a frustratingly long amount of time soaking your nails in polish remover to rid yourself of the glitter, only to find bits stuck all over your hands for the following week. There must be an easier way.

Elegant Touch steps in to save the day once again. They have already solved the problem of getting a speedy manicure with their Express Collection and the problem of finding a long-lasting, super funky false nail with their House of Holland Collection; now they give us girls fuss free glitter nails that are easy to apply and easy to remove, with their new Candy Dip range, costing £4.49 each and available exclusively at Superdrug and on the Elegant Touch website.

With a range of four super sweet colours – Bubblegum, Peppermint, Lemon Sherbet and Blueberry Crumble – there is something to satisfy every sweet tooth. In your super cute box, shaped like a retro sweet shop, you get 18 double-side nail stickers, three pots of different glitters and an instruction booklet with idiot-proof step-by-step instructions.

So Let's Go To The Candy Shop

1. Elegant Touch professional Nail File – other nail files will work, I just prefer the professional range from Elegant Touch as they are of really good quality, multi-functional and they last forever.
2. Elegant Touch Professional Nail Buffer.
3. Elegant Touch Professional Cuticle Pusher and Nail Cleaner.
4. Cotton wool pads.
5. Elegant Touch Get 'Em Off False Nail and Nail Polish Remover.
6. Your choice of Candy Dip, I have chosen the purple loveliness of Blueberry Crumble.
7. A pair of clean, nail varnish-free hands that have been soaked in warm soapy water for five minutes to soften the cuticles.

You need a good canvas before you create your glittery masterpiece; you wouldn't paint the Mona Lisa on a grubby old napkin would you? So make sure your nails are well prepared before you get Candy Dipping, so you have the best possible nail surface so the sparkle lasts as long as possible.

1. Push back your softened cuticles into the nail bed with your Cuticle Pusher.
2. Use your nail buffer to smooth out any ridges and imperfections on the nail surface.
3. File the tips of your nails to a smooth neat finish.
4. Clean each nail with an acetone-based nail polish remover to ensure that the nails are free of moisture and natural oils.

You now have the perfect canvas for applying a sweet treat to your nails, whilst ensuring that they will stay healthy both during and after your glitter manicure. So, now it's time to get to the sticky part...

1. Chose the correct size sticky tab for your nail, it should fit as snugly as possible to ensure that you get full glitter coverage on your nail. Choose the end of the tab which best fits your cuticle, the straight or curved side.
2. Apply the sticky tab to the nail starting at the cuticle and smooth flat and even over the nail.
3. File off the excess sticky tab to give a perfect fit to your natural nail and peel off the protective film.
4. Get out your glitters and place on a flat protected surface (you don't want to have to vacuum up glitter for 10 minutes afterwards like I had to) and dip the entire nail into the pot of glitter; shake off any excess.

1. Repeat for all nails with whichever glitter you choose.
2. For longer lasting results, seal the glitter with a top coat – the topcoat is not included in the kit, but you can pick up a really good one for a few pounds. The top coat will prevent the glitter from shedding, so no random spots of glitter on your face, which is always a good thing.

All that is left to do now is show them off at every available opportunity – wave them round in bright sunlight to dazzle everyone in the surrounding area; they made me smile every time they caught the light, especially after being disappointed with glitter nail varnishes in the past.

So, How Was The Candy Shop?

I have to admit that I was rather sceptical at first when I got the bits and bobs out the cute box, I thought it would be a right nightmare to do and that there would be glitter everywhere except the nail. I couldn't have been more wrong. The moment you pop your nail with the sticky tab on into the glitter, it sticks fast and with a full and saturated coverage that is better than any glitter polish I have tried in the past. And the shine and shimmer is just dazzling – they really do sparkle and it only took me 10 minutes to do all my nails and get a really dramatic manicure.

Another of my concerns was that the stickers would fall off at the mere mention of water, but this too need not have been a worry. I wore my candy dip for three days and they lasted through many showers and multiple hand washes – the application of a top coat certainly helped in that respect.

When it did come to removing the sticky tabs, it could not have been easier – all you need to do is gently lift the wrap from the side of the nail and slowly peel off side to side, it takes seconds. If there is any sticky residue, it will come off easily with a little nail polish remover. There will be no damage to the nails after removal, they will be just as healthy as when you applied.

I do wish that there were more sticky tabs in the kit and there is only really enough for one full set of nails, but you can use the glitter in your other nail art projects, as it sticks rather well to nail polish, it will just take longer to remove. But, despite wishing there were more stickers, I would definitely recommend Candy Dip; I had great fun doing it and I loved the effect I created. For my next Elegant Touch Candy Dip, I am going to try an ombre glitter effect, so stay tuned for that one.

If you are a fan of Candy Dip, you will probably also like nail wraps – little stickers you pop onto your nails for an instant manicure. Elegant Touch have a great selection of nail wraps and here are some of the ones I have my eye on...the Acid Graffiti wraps are my absolute favourtie. 

 Elegant Touch Nail Wraps: 1) Leopard Aqua; 2) Acid Graffiti; 3) Dotty Hot Pink; 4) Deckchair Brights.

Also, hang onto your hats ladies as the seriously awesome new House of Holland collection is set to drop soon, my nails are tingling in anticipation.

Don't forget to check out my other Elegant Touch reviews and tutorials for their Express Collection and their House of Holland Line.

BEAUTY REVIEW: STEAMCREAM

It was my birthday a little while ago and one of the gifts I recieved was a little miracle tin that has comletely revolutionised my skincare regime. The litlle miracle is STEAMCREAM, a multi-functional cream that can be used on the face, body, hands and feet. Just think, no more buying separate day and night creams for the face, then more creams for hands, body and feet. One cream to rule them all (sorry I watched the Lord of the Rings recently).

STEAMCREAM Affection - Same Here.

This versatile lovely is a totaly revolution - high-quality, all natural ingredients are fused together with a shot of steam (hence the name). This makes the cream really light, meaning that is provides super hyderation, absorbing into the skin in a flash. I have been using it morning and evening for five days now and I have noticed a real different in my skin. There have been no new pesky breakouts and my skin is brighter, softer and smoother. My hands have also seen the benefit, being a lot less dry than normal - I'm expecting it to improve further too. Plus the slight lavander scent is to die for.

Not only is is suitable for all skin types, but it is eco-friendly and all natural, which can only be a good thing. The ingredients are perfect for calming problem skin and for quenching the thirst of dry skin. Orange flower water, oatmeal and vegetable glycerine help hydrate the skin, whilst almond and jojoba oils, and cocoa butter soften and smooth the skins surface. Each tin is lovingly handmade in their product kitchens in the UK and Japan.

Now to the eco part for all the warriors out there. For one, it is an all-in-one cream, reducing the amount of products you need to buy, also reducing the amount of packaging. The tins are gorgeous and are perfect to reuse to store nic nacs once the cream has gone. All the materials used in STEAMCREAM are totally sustainable and the cream has low preservative levels meaning it biodegrades easily. There is no animal testing, they compost organic waste, recylce, and responsibly use energy. Vegans are not left out as STEAMCREAM is approved by the Vegan Society. I think STEAMCREAM may be operated by angels.

At just £12.95 for a tin, or £20 for one of their special duo packs, I think it is a real bargain as a little goes a long way.  I recived the Affection tin, but I am loving some of the others, check out my faves...

1) Vanity; 2) Envy; 3) Richard.

I am thinking about getting one of their super duo packs for my next blog giveaway - is that a prize you would be interested in?

Gems x

A BIT OF A BIRTHDAY HAUL

Well I made a bunch of you jealous,  by telling you that the boyfriend took me on a shopping spree for my birthday last week, and since that jealousy totally fuels my power cells, I though I would try and get a bit more by showing you what he bought me.

To be honest, I was pretty disappointed in what the stores had to offer, that could be because it is mid-season and they are trying to get rid of their crap before the new season starts. But, I did get some little gems and the boyfriend was very patient as I dragged him around...

First up is this little jersey skater dress from H&M - I have never been a lover of pink, but I do love the over-sized floral print and deep back. Now I just need some sun to wear it in, oh wait here's some...and it's gone!

Skater Dress, H&M - Same Here.

Next up was Primark, people may not like the whole disposable fashion thing, and that's fine, but my wardrobe would be very empty without it as I don't have a designer budget. Primark is great to pick up those few pieces to boost up your summer wardrobe and this floral shift (which you can see I have already featured here) and a couple of great tops, I particularly love the sporty chiffon number. I was also delighted with my Rolling Stones pajamas, which you can see on my Instagram feed.

Dress and Tops, Primark - In Stores Now

The finally clothing store I had success in was Dorothy Perkins as their sale was on and I can't resist a good rummage and found this lovely smock dress for just £7 in the sale. And don't forget I also got a clutch bag and necklace (not from the sale) that I am giving away, just follow the link to the competition.

Smock Dress, Dorothy Perkins - Same Here.

No birthday would be complete without some books to read over the summer and I have been excited about these 3 for a while, particularly the sequel to The Shining, Dr Sleep. I will be sure to let you know what I think of them when I have read any of them...you can get some really good deals in WH Smith right now, including half price bestsellers.

Finally, I managed to get the lovely bf to buy me a lip scrub from Lush, I had been wanting one for ages and the fact that he thinks they are totally bogus, it was made all the sweeter. The bubblegum one smells divine and I cannot wait to try it...expect a review soon.

Bubblegum Lip Scrub, Lush - Same Here.

Am I lucky or what? What guys have you been buying, or wanting to buy recently?

Gems x

ELEGANT TOUCH CANDY DIP

In recent months I have made no secret in my new found love for all things false nails - this doesn't mean I have totally turned my back on nail polish, I still have plenty in my collection, just at the minute I can't get over the ease and convenience of false nails. They take 10 minutes to apply and you get a week of chip-resistant, perfect and sometimes outrageous nails - something I could never achieve with nail varnish, not without a miracle or divine intervention anyway.

My brand of choice is Elegant Touch, I love the variety of their styles and their quality and durability; I am a massive fan of the House of Holland collection and am very excited about their new neon collection, plus how lovely are these Sweet Sherberts - you can check out my detailed reviews and tutorials of their Express Collection and Sweet Tooth House of Holland Nails on Femside.

Last month, when I first heard about their Candy Dip range, I knew I had to give them a go. Available exclusively at Superdrug, Candy Dip is a way to get fuss free glitter nails without having to apply 500 coats of glitter nail varnish.

Inside your cute candy ship box, you get three pots of glitter and 14 double sided nail stickers. Simply put, you choose a sticker that fits your nail, file off the excess and pop your sticky nail into the glitter of your choice, and voila sparkly nails that dazzle. Apply a top coat and the glitter wont shed and will last longer - it's genius!

They lasted through several showers and my compulsive hand washing, so they are way more durable than I could have imagined. And when it was time to say goodbye, they simple peel off - At just £4.49 a piece and four lovely shades to choose from, I think they are quite the bargain. Stay tuned to Femside for my full review and tutorial.

What do you guys think of Candy Dip, do you think it will be something you want to try?

* Nails sent to me by Elegant Touch as part of a review for my work with Femside, all opinions are my own.

Gems x

HOUSE OF HOLLAND FOR ELEGANT TOUCH NAILS

For those of you that know me well, you will know that I am seriously into having fabulous nails, but being the thrifty type, I'm not going to go for a professional manicure every week, unless they will accept a little dance or a rant about boys in skinny jeans as payment - I mean come on boys, give your 'boys' some room.

So that leaves me to be my own manicurist and don't get me wrong, I love my nail varnish, but it can be such a bloody pain. Nail art is out of my league because I have the shaky hands of a 100-yer old that drinks 50 cups coffee a day, so it's just your basic single shades for me. Applying it can also be a bit of a chore, it can look like I've just threw the bottle of varnish at my hand and hoped some lands on the nails.

It can take a ridiculous amount of time to do and then 10 minutes later you get a big bloody chip in one of the nails - That just turns me into the Incredible Hulk: "GEMMA SMASH, GEMMA DESTROY". So I have no idea why it has took me this long to discover false nails, I think I was scared that I would end up with nails stuck everywhere but my fingernails and hands permanently bonded together.

I've got over my fears and I am seriously loving the House of Holland collection of nails for Elegant Touch. I have tried a few styles and in just 10 minutes (including nail prep time) I have some seriously gorgeous nails that make me feel like a total glamour-puss - my hands do get waved around a lot more, they make me theatrical!

Tie Dye For By House of Holland for Elegant Touch - Same Here.

All you need to do to prep your nails is push the cuticles back, buff the surface of the nail so they are nice and smooth and clean with a nail polish remover to remove any residue - then you are ready to get sticking. Elegant Touch have a great range of professional tools, to make sure your nails are perfectly pampered, all of which are available at Boots, online and in store.

To apply the nails, spread a thin layer of glue over the entire surface of the nail and apply the nail at a 45 degree angle from just above the cuticle to tip and press down to bond for 4 seconds. If there are any rough edges you can file those away and then enjoy your super exciting stiletto nails, wave them around a lot, make sure everyone notices them, who cares if you look crazy.

Easy to apply and even easier to enjoy, I'm just in love with false nails, I am a total convert and what is the real selling point, is that they look just as good when trimmed down to be computer friendly for us writers and social media addicts.

You can see a more comprehensive review and tutorial of the House of Holland nails on Femside.

Are you a fan of falsies?

* Nails sent to me by Elegant Touch as part of a review for my work with Femside, all opinions are my own.

Gems x

GETTING NAILED!

I have never been one to paint my nails too much - it isn't because I don't like the way it looks, I actually love the way it looks, but I just don't have the skills. I would love to have feminine pretty hands with gorgeous and girly painted nails, but every time I try, I don't just paint the nail, I paint most of my hand and the surrounding environment too. I'll never be a brain surgeon with hands as steady as a paint mixer.

In this economic climate (I watch the news), it's not a possibility to go and get my nails done every week, and with my epic clumsiness, I can't rule out the possibility that I will trip up and wipe out the whole salon. Well now nail technicians can finally relax, because I have finally discovered nail wraps.

If you are slow on the uptake like me, nail wraps are essentially stickers for your nails that you just file into shape. They last around 7 days on fingernails and up to a whopping 6 weeks on toe nails - totally amazeballs!

Look 1

 The Nail Wrap: Metallic Nails, Rose Rouse

• Cross Bust High Low Maxi Dress by Love, Topshop
• Wide Cut Red Belt, Romwe
• Guess D-Hondo-B Peep Toe Heeled Shoes, ASOS
• Cubic Clutch, Cactusrose
• Illamasqua SS12 Human Fundamentalism Lipstick in Liable, ASOS
• Biker Jacket, H&M

Look 2

The Nail Wrap: Sheekee Cheetalious Blue Full Cover Wrap

• Neon Hart L/S Tuck Collar Shirt, General Pants
• Runaway Jeans Teal, MINK PINK (currently on sale on official site)
• Retro Woven Black Belt, Romwe
• Pack of 20 Mix and Match Gummy Rings, ASOS
• Multi-Spike Drop Earrings, ASOS
• Villa Envelope Clutch, Forever New
• Point Toes Black Flat Shoes, Romwe

Look 3

The Nail Wrap: Getting Nailed, Trendy Union Jack

•  Cath Kidston Antique Brass Tiny Union Jack Drop Earrings, ASOS
• Stripe Sear Buckle Belt, ASOS
• Barb Heart Muscle Tee, Ksubi
• Pointed Toes Black Boots, Romwe
• Gathering Eye Square Lock Messenger Bag, General Pants

How do you guys think I did styling my nail wrap choices - I promise to show you some pictures of my efforts with nail wraps soon.
Good luck getting nailed!