June 2015 Favourites

Welcome to another Favourites post, I say this in every favourites post but hasn't June gone really quickly.

Avon Advance Techniques Frizz Control Lotus Shield

My hair can be a hot frizzy mess, so I am always on the lookout for any haircare products that are going to stop frizz in its tracks, enter Avon Advance Techniques.

Colab Dry Shampoo - London

The Colab Dry Shampoos were released near the end of last year as a collaboration with AModelRecommends (Ruth Crilly). I have watched some of Ruth's videos and I really like her so when I heard that she had a dry shampoo range coming out, I thought in for a penny, in for a pound.

Weekly Round-Up #4 (26th Jan 2015 - 31st Jan 2015)

Welcome to another weekly round-up of the last weeks posts, Enjoy!:

Mark Hill Bedazzled Anti-Humidity Shine Spray

When straightening my hair I always have to worry about frizz or the humidity, which then causes the frizz. So while in Boots I saw the Mark Hill Anti Humidity Shine Spray (my straighteners are made by Mark Hill, so I do have a fondness for his products).

Once my hair is straightend this is the last product I use as it helps tame the frizz and just stop the humidity going to my hair.

As you have probably realised that I love this product, it dsoesn't smell as well when spraying it into my hair so gives a nice scent to my hair as well once it is sprayed. I have repurchased this (Mark Hill products were on offer recently so grabbed 2 of them and sharpish).

Overall a great product to use after you have finished styling your hair to tame the frizz.

Thanks for tuning in

Gemma
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December 2014 Favourites

Welcome to another favourites post, I will admit this one is a small one (I only have four favourites from December), but still just as good.

June Empties

Welcome to my June empties, it still surprises me how many products I get through in a month.

On with the show:

Cotton Wool and wipes is the category that seems to make up a large percentage of my empties.

Boots Double Sided Round Cotton Wool Pads
I love these cotton pads for my face as they are so soft and not abrasive on my face, I already have another packet on the go

Superdrug Cotton Wool Buds
These are great for cleaning up nail polish mistakes, already have another pot on the go.

Cotton Buds
I have had these for ages and have just used them up, they were ok and did exactly what they say on the package.

My Baby Wipes
I use these just to clean my hands while I'm putting my makeup on in the bedroom, these were OK, I have another packet on the go as they were on offer but I wouldn't buy these again.

Handy Wipes
These are fantastic, they are multipurpose wipes so they are great for keeping in my bag (especially when thomas eats chocolate and gets it all over his face).

Morny Lily of the Valley Body Moisturiser
This was a lovely moisturiser, a really strong scent of LIly of the Valley and absorbed into the skin brilliantly. I would repurchase this again but I already have a couple to use so am on a body lotion/ butter ban.

I Love...Raspberry & Blackberry Body Polish
I loved the smell of this but it just didn't scrub the way I wanted it to, it just felt like it was tickling the skin then getting rid of any dead skin cells.

Dove Original Deodorant (Travel Size)
I put the large size in a favourites recently, and have just used up a travel size (I put this in my bag when I am on a night out)

L'Oreal Skin Perfection 3 in1 Purifying Micellar Solution
I love this micellar water, I would repurchase but knowing that I can buy the Garnier one which is exactly the same but contains more, I won't be buying it again in the near future.

The Body Shop Mango Body Butter
This is gorgeous, it feels so buttery and applies really well. The scent is so strong it stays on the skin for ages. I already have another small pot on the go already.

Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation - Porcelain
I wasn't that impressed with this foundation, this one was really too light for my skin (I ended up mixing it with the next shade in the range), and it just didn't seem to match my skin type.

Elegant Touch Rapid Dry for Nails
This is my holy grail when it comes to nail polish drying, it dries my nails so quickly and really does what it says on the tin, I already have another on the go.

2 True Pro Prime Perfect Primer
This was an ok primer, it worked OK, wouldn't repurchase this in the near future as I have a load of face primers to go through

L'Oreal Miss Manga Mascara
I liked this mascara especially the brush,the thin point really got into the inner and outer corners of the eyes and coated all the lashes. The only downside was the amount of product that got onto the brush and as you know that is one of my pet peeves..

Bourjois Fan-Tastic Volume Mascara
An OK mascara but again had a load of product on when the brush was pulled out of the packaging.

IKEA Sinnlig - Spa Day
This was a lovely candle and just for £1 I think they smell lovely. The candle burned for ages and really scented the bedroom. I would repurchase this again

IKEA Sinnlig - Clementine
This was so lovely and reminded me of summer so a great candle for the summertime. I would repurchase this again.

Thanks for tuning in

Gemma
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June Favourites

I will admit I haven't got that many favourites this month so it might be a short post.

VO5 So Smooth Control Cream
This I used quite recently, but I have had it for ages (I think that is the old packaging), I applied this to damp hair before blow drying my hair, I then put the straighteners through my hair and it just made such short work of straightening my hair. This goes down as a repurchase when it runs out as it was that good.

The Body Shop Mango Body Butter
I bought the small version of this body butter as I wanted to try it out, and I completely fell in love with it, the moisturiser is just so buttery and just melts into the skin. The scent just lasts for hours and it's such a great moisturiser for summer.

Makeup Revolution Redemption Palette - Iconic 3
This I bought from the Superdrug website, I had read and heard great things about the Iconic palettes and that this one was a dupe for the Urban Decay Naked 3 for a fraction of the cost (I have the Urban Decay Palette on the way so can't wait). The shadows are just so pretty, and I will admit I am set in my ways when it comes to eyeshadow (browns are my thing), so this was just a break from the norm and added a bit of colour to my day.

MUA Blusher - Lolly
I have started to dip my toes into bronzer (that was a great experiment and went well), so I have started with blusher. I bought this one from MUA for £1 (inexpensive so if it went wrong it wouldn't break the bank. This applies well and blends well on the skin as well, this is quite a darkish pink and gives a great pop of colour to the cheeks.

The Body Shop Chocomania Lip Butter
I love the chocomania range (as you all well know), I have had this for a while and thought I would finally start to use it. The lip butter smells gorgeous and feels really buttery when applied to the lips. The staying power of the lip butter is good and fiind myself only applying every so often.

B. Nail Polish - Peach Melba
With summer somewhat here I thought it was time to apply a bright colour to coincide with the warm weather. This is a lovely orange coral shade that becomes opaque after 2 coats, the brush is absolutely huge and applies to the nail really well. I love the size of the brush, I've never seen a nail polish brush that size.

Bourjois Rouge Edition Lipstick - Rose Tweed
This is a lovely pink nude colour, this applies really well to the lips and just goes on in just one swipe. The colour is great for when you just want a natural lip colour.

Thanks for tuning in

Gemma
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May Empties

Welcome to my May Empties:

 First of all I will start with haircare:

Style Essentials Anti-Frizz Serum
I really love this serum, it stops my hair from frizzing up after I've washed it and you only need a small amount to work it into the hair. I have already repurchased a new bottle.

Boots Expert Build Up Removal Shampoo
This is a brilliant shampoo, it really removes any buildup in my hair from the week to leave it really clean and fresh, and I already have a new bottle ready to go.

Vosene 2-in-1 Anti Dandruff Shampoo
When it comes to a shampoo I am picky especially as I do suffer from the dreaded dandruff, I have tried god only knows how many anti-dandruff shampoo's but this one really does work, it smells lovely and comes in under £2 so it is really inexpensive.

Boots Double Sided Round Cotton Wool
I love this cotton wool as it is really soft on my face and not to rough.

Superdrug Baby Wipes
I always keep a packet of baby wipes on my vanity incase of any spillages or to wipe my hands of any excess product.

Superdrug Oval Cotton Wool
I love this cotton wool so that I can clean my brushes, the cotton wool is quite rough on the skin but works really well on my brushes.

Superdrug Face Wipes
I don't use these every day just if I have a late night and am too tired to go through my evening routine, they are just a back up.

Lush Rub Rub Rub Body Scrub
I love this body scrub, it really does exfoliate my skin brilliantly. I haven't bought another tub yet as I have a load of body scrubs to get through at the moment.

Dove Original Deodorant
I love this deodorant, I keep the compressed version in my bag so I can always top up while I am out and about

Kleenex Shine Absorbing Sheets
As you know I have oily skin, and these are fabulous for helping to combat it during the day but also helping to keep my makeup in place.

No7 Brush Cleanser
As you know I love this cleanser so once I start to get low I make sure I have a back up ready (my back up is currently going low so time for a trip to Boots).

Nivea Daily Cleansing Wipes
I really like these wipes as they come in a big pack for under £3 from my local Home Bargains store, as I said with the Superdrug ones, these are just if I have a late night and am too tired to go through my evening routine.

Superdrug Cotton Wool Buds
I use these all the time for cleaning up any nail polish mistakes when painting my nails, as they fit round the nail brilliantly.

Natural Collection Lash Care Mascara
I was using this mascara as a way to stop my lashes from drying out when I applied mascara. This worked really well and I will repurchase in the future as it was inexpensive for £1.99.

Natural Collection WaterGuard Mascara - Black
A really good waterproof mascara that didn't flake on me and very inexpensive as well at just £1.99. I would repurchase this again.

Bourjois Volume Glamour Max Holidays Mascara - Black
I really love this mascara so am sorry to see it go, I will repurchase this again but once my mascara collection has gone down a bit more

N.Y.C. Showtime Mascara - Black
This was a really good mascara, because the brush was small I was able to get into all the hard to reach places. I would repurchase this again but as I said with the max holidays mascara I will wait until the collection has gone down.


Thanks for tuning in

Gemma
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April Empties

 

Welcome to my April empties, it always surprises me how much I actually get through it a month. Anyway let us get on with the show:-







 

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water - This is a great cleansing water, I love that you get 400mls for 4/2.99 (depending on where you shop) and it lasted around 2 months of constant use to get my makeup off and just general cleansing.

Tresemme Heat Defence Styling Spray - I love this heat protectant, I use it all the time when I am straightening my hair as it really protects my hair from high heats and doesn't make it feel greasy afterwards.

Garnier Ultimate Beauty Oil - I love a body oil after a bath/shower as I feel that a bath/shower takes more moisture so the oil just gives an intense hit of moisture. I wrote in my post about this that my hands got greasy and made it hard to use the pump. Once I stopped have a stupid moment I realise to spray it all over first then rub in. I did like this oil but it is a bit pricey about the same price range as The Body Shop Beautifying oil so I would repurchase if it was on offer.

NYX Matte Finish Setting Spray - I was iffy with this product and in some ways I still am it had a weird smell and when I sprayed the product it just seemed to go everywhere but my face and for £8 I don't think I would purchase this again.

Lush Rub Rub Rub Body Scrub - This is the second time this has shown up in my empties and it probably will show up again. I love this scrub it really does clear all the dead skin and leaves my skin feeling really soft. I will be repurchasing when I've used up some of my other body scrubs.

Superdrug Oval Cotton Wool Pads - I went through 2 packets of these which is quite amazing, but I do love these to spot clean my brushes with the No7 Brush Cleanser. They are oval so I can really swirl the brush around the pad, I already have a backup packet in place.

Bodycare Pink Round Cotton Wool Pads - I like Bodycare's cotton wool pads as they are really soft on the skin, and these were pink so it was quite a novelty. I would purchase these pads again when I am next near a Bodycare shop

Pure Baby Soft & Gentle Baby Wipes - I used to do my makeup in the bathroom but over Christmas my partner got me the No7 light up mirror so I have sorted out a little vanity area for me but I have applying products then opening another product and just making a mess. I use a baby wipe to clean my hands while applying then I properly wash my hands afterwards to get rid of everything.
These were OK baby wipes which I got from my local Home Bargains shop for under £1, I would repurchase again as they were ok.

There's my empties, I hope you enjoyed yourself, and where there any products there that you have been using and loved/hated.

Thanks for tuning in

Gemma
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April Favourites

Welcome to my April Favourites, I am sorry I know I am running 2 days behind so expect a bombardment of posts this weekend to catch up.

I haven't got many favourites this month, I've been on a use up month at the moment, I will admit there are mostly nail polishes in the post as I have used some great ones. Now on with the favourites.

Mark Hill Anti-Humidity Spray - When I do straighten my hair I have nightmares about my hair just frizzing out so this spray helps keep my hair frizz free, which for me is always good. It feels really light on the hair and doesn't feel like it is going to make my hair greasy by adding more product onto the hair.

Dove Original Antiperspirant - I always have a bottle of deodorant in my bag it is one of my bag staples. I had a travel sized of the dove orignal and forgot how great it smells so I had to go out and buy the compressed version.

Models Own HyperGel (Cornflower Gleam) - I aabsolutely love this light blue colour it looked brilliant on the nails and applied so well. I wore it for 4 days before I took it off to change the colour and it hadn't even chipped. I think if I left it on it would've lasted a lot longer on my nails.

Butter London (HRH) - This I wore to match an outfit I was wearing for a colleagues leaving party. This is a gorgeous purple colour and reminded me for the Cadbury's wrappers for Dairy Milk. The brush was quite small but allowed to get into the hard to reach bits.

MUA (Frozen Yoghurt) - This was such a different colour for Spring, it wasn't a pastel purple but it was just a hint darker then a pastel purple. It applied to the nails really well and dried really quickly.

Models Own Speckled Egg (Magpie) - April was Easter month and Models Own brought out their Speckled Egg collection. This was a gorgeous turquoise blue with speckles. It applied really well and looked amazing on the nail the speckles really did look good.

Thanks for tuning in

Gemma
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January Favourites

* Denotes gift

Welcome to January Favourites, and it's already the end of January and the start of February (where did January go so fast?).

As you can see from the basket I have a wide selection of favourites this month.

1. Boots Expert Build Up Removal Shampoo
This is a fantastic shampoo for my hair, I use it once a week and it completely removes all the excess oil from my hair.

2. Expert Face Brush - Real Techniques
Where has this brush been all my life, it is fantastic (I bought another one as I loved it that much), I may have to add another one to my collection.

3. Kleenex Shine Absorbing Sheets
These I bought on a whim and thank god I did, these are fantastic to use during the day to take any excess oil off of my face to stop my make up slipping.

4. L'Oreal Glam Shine Stain Splash - 306 Bonnie
This is fantastic, when I put this onto my lips it felt just like putting water onto them, and then the texture of the lip gloss changed and it became much thicker (I will have to add some more to my collection).

5. Beauty UK Eyeshadow Palette - No.7 Naked
I'm known for my love of neutral colours especially during the day while I am at work (during the weekend neutrals are gone), this palette had such a good range of shades that I could use during the week while I was at work that I could wear a different colour every day.

6. Espresso - Barry M Matte Nail Paint
This is a great nail polish, went on really easy and I do love a matte nail colour, even though this was black it still looked good on the nail, and looked quite classy as it was a matte polish.

7. I Love...Raspberry & Blackberry Super Soft Hand Lotion*
I actually received this as a stocking filler as I love the smell of raspberries, and this hand lotion is lovely, as soon as it goes onto my hands you can smell the raspberries, and it doesn't make my hands to greasy but keeps them really moisturised.

8. Superdrug Strawberry & Raspberry Shower Gel*
As I said I am a sucker for anything smelling of raspberries and this one is another fantastic one (I originally got a travel size for Christmas and just had to get the normal size). I will admit it has such a weird consistency, like a jelly almost but it makes the shower smell of raspberries (Pure heaven for me).

9. I Love...Raspberry & Blackberry Refreshing Body Spritzer*
Another stocking filler I received, but I will repurchase this again. I like a body spray as I just spritz it all over to give off a nice smell.

I hoped you like my favourites of January and tune in tomorrow to see what I managed to use up as well.

Thanks for tuning in

Gemma
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Boots Expert Build Up Shampoo

I was looking for a shampoo that would deep clean my hair, I have very oily hair, and something that would just really get in to all the nooks and crannys and remove it all would be fantastic.

I was perusing the aisles of Boots and came across the Boots Expert build up removal shampoo, and I thought I would give this a try.

Now with any shampoo that says that it is going to remove any build up in your hair then even to me that tells me to only use it once a week, otherwise it might strip your hair of any nutrients that it needs.

I have really oily hair (sounds better than greasy to me), and since I have been using this I have noticed that it does take longer for my hair to get oilier (which is brillaint).

The shampoo comes out clear, and you use it just like a normal shampoo (rinse and repeat if necessary).

I am in love with this shampoo, it really does deep clean my hair and remove all that oil (and any products that I may have used during the week) and I will repurchase this again.

Thanks for tuning in

Gemma

Superdrug Style Expertise Anti Frizz Serum 30ml

I bought this serum during skint week, the nozzle had broken on my John Frieda anti-frizz serum and it was just making a mess everywhere, so to save money I bought this to give it a try and at only £2.99 the price was quite reasonable.

You only need a small amount to rub onto your hands and then just run it through your damp hair (I use this as soon as I've come out of the shower/ bath)

This is quite a good product and I will be repurchasing again, to me it was a absolute dupe for the Frizz Ease serum and at a fraction of the cost.

Thanks for tuning in

Gemma
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Use Up December

I have set myself a task for December, use up any products that I have that are half empty. I've decided to do this for a couple of reasons:

a) Clear some space in my bathroom
b) Not to buy anymore skincare, haircare and so on until they are used up.

and

c) It's Christmas so I will probably get a shed load of smellies for Christmas, so will need the room for them.

A sample of the products that I have to use up are:-

• Shampoo
• A shed load of deodorants
• Body Sprays
• Dry Shampoo
• Nail Polish Remover
• Cotton Wool
• Moisturisers
• Bubble Bath
• Shower Gel

You will be able to catch up with how I am doing the beginning of January (I may post halfway through December to show you how I am doing)

Thanks for tuning in

Gemma
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Batiste Dry Shampoo

DISCLAIMER: All opinions are my own and product was bought with my own money.

When I have straightened my hair and want to keep the style in for a couple more days before my hair goes back to its natural state of an explosion, I use Batiste's Dry Shampoo. The dry shampoo comes in a range of scents and some even come for specific hair types so there is a very wide range to choose from.

The ones that I have been using recently are the Cherry and Tropical scent (Tropical is going to be featured in my November Favourites, a heads up for you).

I love the scents coming off of these ones especially and they work brilliantly in the hair, they stop my hair from looking greasy and makes my hair smell lovely.

What is your favourite from the batiste range?

Thanks for tuning in

Gemma

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Rub Rub Rub - Lush

I was in Lush a while ago and the sales girl asked me if I had tried their body scrub 'Rub, Rub, Rub', my reply was of course no I have never tried this before. So after a 5 minute demonstration of the scrub and the results on my hands, I was sold and bought a tub right there and then.

Rub Rub Rub

As you can see like all Lush packaging it is simple but quite eye catching because of its simplicity.

Inside the tub

The actual product doesn't look that appealing it's all seasalt and basically a tub of blue goo, but it does smell lovely (reminds me of the beach and the sea)

On the Hand

All you need to do is put some on your skin and rub it in. I will forewarn you that if you want a really deep scrub put the product on before you go in the shower, if you want a softer scrub put it on while you are in the shower.

Once it's all rubbed in

As you can see once it's rubbed into the skin the product changes colour, once you wash the product off (I did my hand as a dry scrub) the product turns really smooth under the water and it leaves your skin feeling all smooth and lovely.

You can also use it in your hair to add volume (I've not tried this yet as my hair has got enough volume and any more I might get arrested for noise pollution)

It retails at Lush for £8.25 for 330g, this tub has lasted me awhile and is only a quarter full (will probably feature in my October empties)


Thanks for tuning in

Gemma
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Welcome to Beauty Skool Dropout

Welcome to Beauty Skool Dropout

This is new territory for me blogging about beauty products, but I buy them all the time, I love to indulge in the girly arts once in a while.

I have been blogging on another blog (My Simple Life) re nail enamel and a cosmetics clear out that I had but I didn''t know if my blog was becoming too saturated with different things. So I decided I might try my hand at a beauty blog and see what happens.

So welcome to my journey through various elements of the beauty sphere.

thanks for tuning in

Gemma
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