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Gem's January Faves 2015

January has been and gone, we are officially into 2015, where is the time going? The end of a month means monthly favourites in my world, and so I am here to divulge some of the things I have been loving and using throughout the month of January 2015.

I firstly have something I have already prattled on about here so I’ll keep it short.

Rimmel Nude Foundation

You can read the full review if you want my full opinions on Rimmel’s Lasting Finish Nude Foundation, and to see it on the skin. This has been the only foundation I have pretty much used in the month of January though. It is cheap,has good medium coverage, long lasting…and I like it! That pretty much sums it up 🙂

Up next I have one of my Christmas presents.

Black Leather Accurist Watch

Accurist Rose Gold and Black Leather

My Accurist rose gold and black leather watch. I have been wearing this nearly every day since I got it. I think it’s very classic but understated and seems to go with everything. It’s also light and comfortable. It is actually a man’s watch, but I like bigger watches so this appeals to me. I want one of these in every colour 🙂

I am a big believer in washing your face thoroughly before bed with a cleanser or a face wash whatever you use. I wear waterproof mascara and liner alot and these can be a pain and a bit messy to take off with a cloth or you hands so I like to use an oil based makeup remover just on my eyes to make washing my face then a little easier.

Botanics All Bright Eye Makeup Remover

This Botanics Soothing Eye Makeup Remover was on sale in Boots. I think it was less than €3, so picked it up to try. It does a really great job. I don’t even look when I am doing it. I just soak two cotton pads in it and gently rub my eyes with. It does the job really great. It’s also meant to condition your lashes which is a plus. If you are looking for an affordable paraben free range, give the Botanics in Boots a look.  I really like the face wash from this range too, I really recommend them.

I think I mentioned this in a favourites post gone by, but I am throwing it again because I have not been able to get enough of it this month.

Yonka Invigorating Dry Skin Toner

This is the Yonka Invigorating Dry Skin Toner, which is an aerosol toner. Do you like the Caudalie Beauty Elixir? Well then you’ll love this. It smells sooooo nice and earthy and it is really calming and hydrating on the skin. It contains lovely things like Lavender and Thyme (hence the smell) .It’s pricey but I need to buy a full sized bottle of it!

I have a couple of duo items up next.

Penneys Mittens Soap & Glory Whipped Clean

The first is the Soap & Glory Whipped Clean Shower Butter and then these funny little exfoliating mittens that I randomly picked up in good oul Penney’s. These two together for me are a match made in heaven. The wash is really emollient and moisturising on the skin and feels really luxurious. I’ve found using this with the exfoliating mittens really nice, as although I am getting rid of any dead skin cells with the abrasive gloves, the wash keeps the skin feeling nourished and looked after. The Whipped Cream smells of almonds which I am not a fan of, but I suck it up 🙂

My next duo are for the lips.

Rimmel Lip Liner Eastend Snob Charlotte Tilbury Bitch Perfect

This is Rimmel’s lip liner in Eastend Snob and on of the Charlotte Tilbury Lipstick Charms in Bitch Perfect. How pretty and tiny are these lipsticks? We both got the little trio of lippies for Christmas. Mine is mashed a bit, sorry. I did that after a few alcoholic beverages and didn’t twist the bullet back down properly.

I am not really a nude lip person very often. But just something about this duo made me feel comfortable. Perhaps because it’s more of a pinky nude, so I don’t feel completely washed out. I’m pale enough as it is 🙂 Eastend Snob is a great liner to have if you are looking to slightly over draw your lips or you just want to even out your lip line.

East End Snob Bitch Perfect

My last favourite for this month is the Fuchsia Pro Collection Palette.

Fuschia The Pro CollectionFuschia The Pro Collection

I have been reaching for this so much of late. It’s great that an Irish brand are doing these pans that you can put into a zpalette and customise the colours to suit yourself. I had never really used the Fuchsia brand until we were kindly gifted these at a blogger Christmas Party. This one was prefilled, I did not choose the colours, but the colours in it are lovely. There is something for everything and everyone from cool tones to warm, neutrals to brights and shimmery to matte. The colour pay off is really nice and they blend well too. They also come in an array of colours and finishes. I will be investing in more for sure.

There you have it. January summed up in beauty products. That’s what we are here for, right?

Thanks for reading my ramble.

Gemma

xxx

 

 

Nima Brush Artistic Collection

Nima Brush by the lovely Niamh Martin. They are an irish based company creating gorgeous makeup brushes. I have known this brand and Niamh for quite a while. The company have really being going from strength to strength.

The Artistic Collection is the latest launch from Nima Brush. They say they are a “range of brushes designed for the professional artist in mind, using precisely shaped brush heads and the softest fibres, but which are also suitable for the everyday wearer with step by step instructions on how to use each brush”

The handle of the brushes are a lovely duck egg colour with a velvet, nearly rubber feel and a gold ferrule which I am in love with. The handles on these brushes can be difficult to keep clean due to the material they are made from so they need a good scrubbing with warm water and baby shampoo to get them clean.

There are 20 brushes in the collection. You can buy them in customisable sets or you can buy them individually. Each brush is named after supporting female figures in Niamh’s life. Prices range from €10-€22. You can shop this collection or any other collection from Nima Brush on www.nimabrush.com

I picked my favourites from the collection to talk about.

I  decided to pick the 3 brushes out of all the ones I own from the collection that I have been picking up religiously everyday since I have gotten them. They have quickly just become part of my routine.

Nima Brush The Artistic Collection (1)

First up is “Blaithin”

Blaithin Nima Brush The Artistic Collection“Blaithin” is a tapered brush, that I have been loving for contouring. The end of it picks up the product, gets it into the hollows of your face and then the bristles around the tip blend it in seamlessly. It is also so soft on the skin, so you don’t mind spending all of that time making sure your contour is blended 🙂 The “Blaithin” retails for €16.

BlaithinNima BrushI have been loving the eye brushes I have, but this one in particular has really become a favourite in my collection.

Nima Brush The Artistic Collection The Patricia

This brush is called “Patricia”. It is a duo fibred brush, and like “Blaithin” is tapered at the end.

Patricia The Artistic CollectionNima BrushThis is a smallish eye brush, and the domed head makes it great for diffusing your transitional colour in your  crease. It can also be used to distribute colour all over the lid, and I love it from blowing out colour on my lower lash line. It’s a soft brush but stiff enough that you don’t end up with shadow where you do not want it. It is multi functional, and I get alot of use out of it 🙂 The “Patricia” retails for €10.

My last choice from the Nima Artistic Collection is the “Grace”

Nima Brush The Artistic Collection The Grace

When I saw this brush I knew exactly what I wanted it for, under eye concealer! The “Grace” is a like a foundation brush in miniature form.

GraceGraceAgain I picked a tapered brush, this wasn’t on purpose I promise! This brush is perfect for getting around the contours of your eyes or your face in general and blends cream products beautifully. It is small but it is big enough to get the job done quickly and that is what you want in the morning. The “Grace” retails for €16.

So there you have some of my fave picks from the lovely Artistic range from Nima. They are fab and it is great to see an Irish run company doing so well.

Thanks,

Gemma

xxx

Gem's Spring Nails 2014

I am a nailpolishaholic. If you follow me on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram you will know I like to post obnoxious pictures of my painted nails on a regular basis…I do apologise 🙂

So I trifled through my collection to talk about the nail polish colours that represent Spring in a nail polish bottle for me. By all means you can switch and change brands and shades, these are just what I own.I am a firm believer that if you have and use a good base coat and top coat, you can use any brand of coloured polish and it should last pretty well on your talons!

I have very recently downsized my collection in order to fit them onto my  new acrylic wall rack. So I threw out all the polishes I was hoarding in boxes and only kept the ones I know I would actually use:

Nail Polish Acrylic Rack

So onto my picks for Spring:

My Spring Nail Polish Picks

Firstly I had to pick a hot pink. A hot pink is essential in Spring for me, it looks fab on your fingernails and your toenails and goes with everything, and helps accentuate a tan whether it be natural or from a bottle 🙂

Nail Polish

I chose a BarryM colour. These polishes are so readily available in Boots and Superdrug, they are cheap and they have such a wide range of colours. I love them.

IMG_2662

Barry M Limited Edition 029

Barry M in Limited Edition 029

Next up I chose Peach. Peach is a colour that screams warmer weather to me. It’s the colour of icepops and sweets 🙂 It’s a good colour to have for those, who do not want to go crazy with their nail colour as it can look quite subtle and clean on the nails. I chose another Barry M polish, shock horror, this was a cult buy for last summer within the blogosphere!

Spring Colours

 

 

Barry M Peach Melba

Barry M Peach Melba

Barry M Peach Melba 318

 

 

 

 

Next I chose… another Barry M pastel tone! I’m sorry but they’re lovely 🙂 I have a good cross section of brands in my collection but Barry M are really good and the pastels are lovely and creamy. Two coats and you’re good to go! So I chose a pastel lilac tone.

Spring Nails

I love this colour and lilac is very on trend at the minute. Again, if you are afraid of colour, even use something like this on your accent nail for a touch of something different.

Barry M 308

Barry M 308 Barry I/C

Barry M 308 Barry I/C

I have a sky blue shade chosen for my next spring nail polish. I think this sort of shade looks great on all skin tones and looks really interesting on long and short nails alike. It can really jazz up a look without going too over board.

Spring Nail Colours

This is an Essie shade, I love Essie polish from the point of view that their colour selection is amazing and the polishes themselves are easy to apply and do not need much working with. However, I will say they don’t last aswell as some other brands of polishes and they cost a small fortune here in Ireland, if other brands do the same shade for cheaper I say get it!

Essie Polish

 

Essie Mint Candy Apple

Essie Mint Candy Apple

Lastly, I chose a shade that is not for the faint hearted. This shade of nearly apple green sums up Spring in a colour to me. If you’re someone like me who loves bright colours on their nails, rock the hell out of it, if not this would be a great accent colour on the ring finger or whichever finger you choose to be brave with:

Spring polish

This particular polish is a Revlon polish. Revlon do a great formula of polishes, I have a few of them and they are some of my firm favourites. I can’t wait to give their new perfumed range a go 🙂

Revlon Polish

 

Revlon 510 Sassy

Revlon 510 Sassy

 

So there you have it, my spring nail wardrobe. I am rarely without nail polish, I don’t feel put together without it. Whether it is to compliment your look with a similar hue to your clothes or makeup or for it to contrast it, it all looks good in my book 🙂

Thanks letting me ramble on,

Gemma

xxx