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Life And Life Thoughts

God I haven’t written a blogpost in so long, I nearly forget how to do it. And because I know a thing or two about SEO and the scary world of search engines, it’s going to be hard not doing all the technical things 🙂

Honestly, I just fancied writing my thoughts down, they might not even make sense, so apologies if I just ramble. The last year, for me has been an absolutely whirlwind of emotions. I lost my blogging mojo. I blogged cos I love it, I love beauty. But after doing it for nearly six years, I also loved the thrill of knowing people were actually reading it. Clicking on my posts, taking my words into consideration, looking at my photos.

I’m a small fish in all of this, and when the blogging business started to evolve and change, less and less people were tuning it. So, I just haven’t been active here. The drive disappeared. I’m still plugging away on social media. My favourite is Instagram, specifically stories nowadays. But, I’ve even pulled away from that a bit, it’s not the same, and it can be hard for some of the old school online content creators to be seen and taken seriously.

I’m 34, kinda common, kinda chubby and I curse a lot, I’m sure brands don’t have boxes to tick for any of those qualities. And that’s ok, I don’t need validation, I know I’m a ok, I’m grand and that’s enough 🙂

It’s not something I talk about a whole lot, but I struggle with my own thoughts. They hold me back, they make me fearful of a lot of things. I use humour on the outside to handle it. When I’m alone or with John it’s a different story. Life is a muddle. The last year of my life has been a lot of crying, fearing death, fearing life without my mother.

Trying to be strong for her, failing miserably because she’s stronger than all of us. Talking about funeral arrangements, worrying about the pain she might be feeling and will feel, and feeling guilty for thinking about life after she’s gone, what we’ll do, where we’ll live. It’s crazy because I’ve had some of the best moments in my life happen within this time too. Through my mam’s second battle with cancer, I’ve learned to let go a little more, be a bit more spontaneous. We’ve made some great memories together. I’ve made amazing memories with John and my friends. John’s business is booming, I couldn’t be prouder of him. There’s goodness within the haze of sadness.

This was going to be a life update. I thought I would start writing and come to some profound conclusion, something that might help me, or anyone who reads this. I can’t really, the world is a fairly scary place right now. But day to day, for each of us, it can be ok, every day we get through is a job well done. I often feel like I should have accomplished so much by now. I was decent in school, I’m semi creative. But who’s to say that’s the path for me? Maybe my path, or your path is just learning to like yourself more. To actually live in life more, rather than be afraid of it.

Have I fixed myself? Not in the slightest, but progression is key, no matter how small it is. And I’ve definitely done that. So those are my life thoughts 🙂

xxx

October 21, 2019/by Gem

Lifestyle, Youtube Video

Get To Know Me Q&A

It’s been a while since I sat down and did one of these videos. I think this was the last one! My eyebrows have come a loooonggggg way since then 🙂 This time I asked on Instagram if any of you had any questions. Thank god you did! So if you want to get to know me a little better, click on the video above.

Would ya look at me posing, pretending I’m reading the lovely questions. I definitely am not, I was just trying to get a thumbnail. Also something you might not know about SEO, it loves pictures, so here’s another one 🙂

I don’t give my whole life away online. I don’t think there’s any real need and also, I’m not a hugely interesting person. But I think it’s important to get to know me a little. Instastories is where you see a lot of it, but it’s nice to shake it up every now and again.

I was really digging this super easy makeup look too, so I wanted to show that off a bit as well. And for anyone wondering, cause I would be too! My awesome Ms Piggy jumper is from Zara. I got it while we were in Spain, but I know it was here in store too for a minute. Obsessed is not the word, although it isn’t the best quality.

In this get to know me q&a. I speak about blogging, kids, beauty and a few things in between. So grab a cuppa and a biscuit and have a click. I’d love to know what you think too. Do you really care about the people you follow online? Or do you just want to hear about makeup and that’s it?

Please do let me know. And as always, thanks for stopping by. I really appreciate it.

Gemma

xxx

November 16, 2018/by Gem

Lifestyle, Makeup Tutorial, Youtube Video

New Makeup GRWM & Life Update!

Forgive me. I thought I would sit down and use some of the new makeup products that have come my way over the past few weeks. Some are PR samples, some were gifts from lovely people and some I bought myself.

Then, I thought I would sit down, play with some new makeup and answer some of your questions. Still OK.

It kind of turned into using new makeup and having a bit of a therapy session though. And as a result, the video is nearly 30 minutes long! It was also a bitch to edit. When I am rambling I say ’em’ so much, it is infuriating!

As a beauty blogger, I don’t delve into my personal life all that much. It’s not really that necessary. You come here for the beauty chats 🙂 I don’t hide it either though. If you follow me on social media, I do dip in and out of life updates.

I use lots of new makeup products in this video. Some I have used before, some are brand new out and some are just new to me. I give you a run down of my impressions and how they apply, as well as talking a lot of shit too 🙂

I have posts already on the Essence Collection here. Also the Tarte Shape Tape aswell here.

There’s some new products from The Body Shop and Catrice being put to the test too.

The makeup ended up being a simple bronzed eye with a pop of colour in the water line and a mauve lip. Very me and I ain’t mad at it 🙂

As always you can click on the video above to watch or go directly to my YouTube channel by clicking here.

If you manage to get to the end, I thank you with all of my heart 🙂

Gemma.

xxx

********CONTAINS PR SAMPLES**********

August 25, 2017/by Gem

Makeup

Sleek Solstice Highlighting Palette

Ok, I finally gave into the hype and picked up the Sleek Solstice Highlighting Palette!

There has been so much talk about this over the last few months about the Sleek Solstice Highlighting Palette after people like Jeffree Star have gotten their hands on it and have been loving it.For some reason, even though it’s been so readily available here in Ireland I just never picked it up. But with so many people talking about it and loving it. I had to give it a whirl for myself. So here are my first impressions :).

The description on Boots.ie about it is ‘Sleek MakeUP’s Solstice Highlighting Palette instantly enhances the complexion with a radiant glow.This versatile face and body highlighting palette suits all skin tones and includes two baked powders, one luxurious cream formula and one silky shimmer powder. The highly pigmented metallic finishes add a radiant glow and a luminous sheen to the skin.Packaged in a stunning rose gold compact with a mirror and a mini powder brush, Solstice can be used on cheekbones, the cupids bow, inner corners of the eyes, bridge of the nose and can be swept across the décolletage to create a lit-from-within glow.’

The packaging of the Sleek Solstice Highlighting Palette is really pretty and a little different for Sleek considering most of their products are encased in sleek (get it? 🙂 ) matte black. It has a magnetic closing too which I always appreciate, less stress on our perfectly manicured talons! It has a large mirror on the lid as well.

You do get a little brush inside, which isn’t the worst brush ever to come free with a palette, but I personally won’t get any use out of it.

The 4 shades have names which I always really like, it just helps us distinguish between them.

The first one is ‘Ecliptic’.

This is a rose gold shimmering cream highlight.

‘Hemisphere’.

This is a baked dusky rose powder.

‘Subsolar’.

A pale yellow gold powder. Probably the most subtle shimmer of the bunch.

And then finally, ‘Equinox’.

A baked peachy champagne shimmery powder.

First impressions are good! The cream and all three powders apply really nicely to the skin without too much effort. Ecliptic is probably a little too dark for me to wear as a cream highlighter or base, so I would probably use this on the eyes, but if you have a deeper skin tone than me, it will work really nicely. The colours are a bit frosty in my opinion so be wary of that if that doesn’t float your boat.

All Four Swatched Together

Blended Out On The Skin

They do apply better more opaquely with your fingers. I had a quick play with them on my mug (without any other makeup on may I add) and with a highlighting brush and they applied more wearable I think, and gave more of a shine to the skin than a frost.

I think I am really going to enjoy playing with this palette. I am sure I will be talking more about it on Snapchat and the likes, so be sure to be following me on there if you want to keep updated 🙂

I picked up the Sleek Solstice Highlighting Palette in store from Boots, Henry Street, Dublin. It seems to be sold out at alot of stands, but they were fully stocked. Boots have stock online too here, the Sleek website here is sold out. Cloud10beauty is another place that’s great for buying Sleek here although they are sold out at the minute too. So keep an eye if you’re in the market! I paid €14.49 for the palette, it does vary in price by a couple of euro depending on where you get it.

So tell me, what do you think? Do you think it’s worth the hype? Have you bought it already? Let me know 🙂

xxx

June 14, 2016/3 Comments/by Gem

Bargain Buying, Makeup

Makeup Revolution Rose Gold Lipsticks

When I saw these Makeup Revolution Rose Gold Lipsticks, I knew at first glance they had to be mine. I am a sucker for anything rose gold…it’s an illness really.

I went to the couple of Superdrug‘s in Dublin and neither had them instore which was a pain, but I eventually ordered them last week with their new ‘Fortune Favours The Brave’ Palette, which I have swatched here, if you’re interested 🙂

There’s Five in the Makeup Revolution Rose Gold lipstick range and I managed to get my mitts on all of them, which I was quite happy about as the nude shade had been sold out when I had looked on their website before.

Let’s start with how cute the lipstick bullets are.

Now I know they look quite similar to Mac lippies, they are lighter in weight though (which I don’t personally mind) and they have the colour of the lipstick on the bottom, which I personally love 🙂 Saves you having to open every one of them to find the shade you are looking for.

The five shades are:

‘Chauffeur’

This is the nude of the bunch.

Girl’s Best Friend’

This a hot pink.

‘Red Carpert’

Which is of course a classic blue toned red.

‘Diamond Life’

A more cherry red shade.

And finally, ‘Private Member’s Club’

A dark berry shade.

All of the Makeup Revolution Rose Gold Lipsticks have a shiny finish to them. As you can see the pigment on the lips varies from shade to shade. The nude, pink and red seem to have a richer colour pay off then the two darker shades. I can’t really give you any indication of longevity or anything as I have yet to wear any of them for a long period of time. I can say they are comfortable to wear on the lips though.

You can pick up the Makeup Revolution Rose Gold Lipsticks from their website here and they will set you back £3, which is not bad at all, right?

March 23, 2016/1 Comment/by Gem

Makeup, Monthly Favourites, Skincare

Beauty Favourites 2015

I know so many wonderful bloggers have done their version of beauty favourites already so apologies if you’ve been inundated. I think it’s a really great idea though and I haven’t done monthly faves this year, so I thought I would do a yearly round of my beauty favourites 2015!

First up is an easy one. I know the Urban Decay Gwen Palette came out late in the year, but it has become one of my most reached for eyeshadow palettes.

I am completely head over heels for it. There is neutrals galore, transitional shades, fun sparkly shades and even a couple of cray cray shades to keep things interesting. Gwen, I bow down to you and can’t wait to see the new releases you and Urban Decay have up your sleeves for 2016 🙂 Full swatches of the palette can be seen here and I even did a makeup look with it here if you fancy a nose.

Next up is the very coveted Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Champagne Pop.

No joke I have used this pretty much everyday since I got it. When I first got my grubby little mitts on this in mid 2015 it was only available in America. Now the lovely people of Spacenk are stocking it here, so everyone can bask in the Champagne Glow. Another one of my 2015 finds was the brush I use to apply the Pop 🙂

This awesome F28 brush from Blank Canvas Cosmetics. The lovely Ashling from Total Makeup Addict introduced me to this beauty and I will forever be in her debt for it. It’s the perfect cheek bone highlighting tool.

My favourite setting powder of 2015 would have to be the Chanel Vitalumiere Powder Foundation.

I have pretty much used this exclusively for the past year.

I have a whole review if here. It’s a foundation so there is coverage with it, which I personally like. You can build it up or thin it out depending on application or what brush you use so it’s really versatile. Pricey but versatile 🙂

My next beauty faves are a little more pocket friendly.

Again I have a review of these here, but they are two of the All About palettes from Essence. Essence have a few different colour choices in these really handy eyeshadow palettes and they cost less than a fiver, bargain! Oh and they’re damn pigmented too!

2015 was definitely the year of budget friendly favourite for me. Another one is the Catrice Glamour Doll Waterproof mascara.

For the latter half of the year this is the only mascara I was (and still am now) using. And what do you know, I have a full review of it here 🙂

My favourite under eye concealer duo have been the Catrice Liquid Camouflage and the Flormar Perfect Coverage.

Cheap as chips and together for me are a dynamic duo. You can see them in action here.

My favourite blush of the year has to be the Max Factor Creme Blush in ‘Seductive Pink’.

This is just the easiest blush colour to wear. It goes with everything. I love the formula of these too. They blend so nicely. You can see it swatched here if you fancy a nose 🙂

My lip liner find of 2015 probably has to be Whirl by Mac.

This lip liner got a life of it’s own in 2015. It’s a great all round colour though that you can use on it’s own, under nudes and even under darker and brighter shades of lippie. It’s great for evening out the lip line too. I have it swatched here if you want a closer look.

The Only Lipsticks from Rimmel are another makeup find of 2015 that I am very happy with.

They came at the end of the year I know, but I’ve been obsessed with them so I had to include them. These two lighter shades have been the ones I grab for most but I own six of them and I wear all the shades alot. I love the finish, the pigmentation and the price point. (yep, I have them all swatched here 🙂

I have two facial skin care faves for 2015 that I wanted to add in aswell.

Serozinc from La Roche Posay.

I think I’ve gone through about 4 of these so far and I will repurchase! There’s a full review of it here, but I use Serozinc as a toner, to freshen up my makeup and as a finishing spray when I am finished my makeup. It’s a great all rounder.

My last fave is from the Oils Of Life range from The Body Shop.

This is their Intensely Revitalising Gel Cream. I use this as a night cream. I have oily skin, so heavy creams can sometimes clog my pores. This stuff feels so light on my skin and soaks in really quickly but still leaves behind nice soft hydrated skin. May I add it smells incredible too!