Technic Carnical Vs Models Own Ibiza Mix

I thought I would do a little comparison post between these two top coats as they're pretty darned similar. And when better to do it than on a Friday night, it's not like I have a social life anyway ;)

These are the two bad boys I'm comparing. They're both pretty popular and also both rather lovely. Models Own nail varnishes retail at £5 from boots and Technic Carnival can be scouted out either on eBay of from Bodycare for less than £2. So Models Own is more than twice the price, but is it more than twice as good?

Yes. I hate to be the person that says 'buy the expensive one' and trust me it's never happened before(!) but in this case The Models Own offering is just better. It's got twice the glitter, more variety of glitter, it dries faster. And let's face it, it looks prettier, which is all we really care about. The only thing I will say for these is that Technic Carnival is rather Christmassy, the colours remind me of a beautiful Christmas tree and this will probably be adorning my nails along with a red polish in the near future. Also I would say that these are different enough to justify owning both.

P.S just to let you know, I reply to all comments on my blog, so if you ask a question make sure to check back! Also I can be found on twitter @theredoneblog so please ask any questions there!
This is all, 
Gemmm xxx

My Claddagh Ring!

I was taking pictures of some jewellery as part of my Textiles research and when looking through the pictures I thought it would be nice to show you my Claddagh ring. If you're Irish you will have seen a bijillion of these things, however they're not really popular elsewhere. You can buy them elsewhere quite easily though.

Although I was born and bred in England my family is Irish and Ireland is practically my second home. We go over a lot as we have family there and I love it. Have you ever met an Irish Postman? They are the friendliest people you will ever meet!

This is not my hand. A Claddagh ring is a symbol of love, the Crown represents loyalty, the hands represents friendship and the heart represents (can you guess??) love. If you wear it with the crown facing up it means your heart is taken, and if you wear it with the crown facing down it means you are single and ready to mingle. I wear mine upwards as I am in an imaginary relationship with various celebrities. I joke, I do actually have a real human boyfriend ( I know, who'd go out with me right?)

That's it really, it was a gift from my Mum for my 17th Birthday and I wear it every single day and love it to bits. If you're one for a cute story I recommend looking up the origin story of the Claddagh ring as it's quite adorable.
This is all,
Gemmm xxx

NOTD! Technic Carnival

I found these pictures whilst going through my camera, and was quite impressed with the general prettyness of these nails, definetley blog worthy!

The first nail varnish is Revlon cloud, these Top Speed versions are a massive improvement to the regular Revlon nail varnishes which are lovely but take for-ev-er to dry. Cloud isn't available from boots, but you can buy it on eBay here if you like. The second is Technic carnival, you can buy this on eBay but if your a cheapskate like me and want to only pay a pound you can stake out your local Bodycare. 

Why must I be cursed which such Effin ugly hands? I can't comment on the wear of these nail varnishes as I these pictures were taken a while ago and I honestly don't remember. However I usually find Revlon to last quite well, and glitter tends to last a long time (whether you want it to or not!)
This is all,
Gemmm xxx

Real Techniques First Impressions!

Firstly I apologize for my lack of internet existence, turns out A2 ( last year of college) is bloomin' hard work. However I missed my little corner of the internet so this is my attempt to claim it back.
Look what just arrived!!

My friends Dad goes to America sometimes for work, so being the savvy shoppers that we are we ordered some makeup as it's a good bit cheaper across the pond! These retail over here at £11.99 for the stippling brush and £9.99 for the blush brush. The two of them cost me £11 to buy from America. A Bargain I do declare!

I bought these two beauts as I've had very good experiences with Real Techniques brushes in the past (read: buffing brush). My first impression of the blush brush was DAMN THIS IS SOFT, and I preceded in rubbing it on peoples faces, cos that's the kind of gal I am! The stippling brush seems quite nice, it's a lot more flimsy than I had imagined and it's also a damn sight smaller than the buffing brush ( which isn't necessarily a bad thing). Also a pesky little hair came out of the stippling brush which did not please me!

Proof of that pesky little hair! P.s you would not believe how long it took my camera to focus on this.

I should point out that I haven't actually used these yet. These are literally my very first impressions so they may well be groundbreaking at applying makeup, or they could be naff. However as far as softness and prettiness goes I'm giving these top marks! I will report back in around a month regarding makeup application, as I want to give them a full test.
This is all, 
Gemmm xxx

Excuses, Excuses

So you might be wondering if I have a decent excuse for blogging so little during the summer? I should be blogging more seen as I don't have college work, but just to prove that I have a somewhat legitimate excuse I took these pictures to show you what my rooms looks like at the moment!

 Yep I'm decorating! It's been a pretty long process as I used to have wallpaper, so that had to be stripped and the whole room had to be plastered. ( Luckily I have a very nice uncle who is a builder so we didn't have to pay extortionate prices to plaster)

 I painted the ceiling yesterday and today I'm doing the woodwork! Exciting eh?

 Paint and whatnot. My old childhood sleeping bag being used to stop my desk getting paint all over it!

I HAVEN'T HAD CURTAINS FOR THREE WEEKS! I had to take the rail down so it could be plastered, then I was waiting for the plaster to dry and I can't put them up till I've painted! ARGH! As excited as I am to be getting my room decorated I am seriously missing having a lie in!

I will more than likely put pictures up when the whole thing is done, here's hoping it won't be much longer than a week!

This is all,

Gemmm xxx

Oh Primer Potion, I Think I Might Love You...

With the purchase of my Naked Palette came my Primer Potion. And a magical potion it is! Okay, that's a bit of an exaggeration but I like this enough that I have put aside the money to buy the full size one when this runs out.

 This is one of those products that you don't know how much you need it until you have it. I was always very skeptical about the need of a primer but now I can't do without it! Even if I'm only wearing a little liner or something I still use this because it evens out this skin on the eyelid beauitfully!

In short I seriously would recommend this product. I'm curious about wether it's the product or the use of a high end primer I'm enjoying so much though! Hmmmm

This is all,

Gemmm xxx

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain

I'm such a bad blogger. Between it being very busy with friends for summer and decorating my rooms my little corner of the Internet has been rather abandoned! But today is my first free day of summer so far and I'm going to pre-write a few posts to try and keep on top of things.

I've had this less than two weeks and I cannot stop using this! I seriously really like this and will be buying more colours as soon as they come back into stock!

 The packaging is fine, it does the job. I like the applicator as you can easily apply this without a mirror, but because it's pointed you can really outline and shape your lips if you feel like it.

I won't compare this the the Revlon Lip Butters as they are just totally different, the only thing I will say is that it is 100% justifiable to own colours from both products! I also won't compare this to the Clinique Chubby Sticks as I have never used them ( not for lack of wanting)

I love how hydrating this is, if find that most balm type products have a really bad lasting power but this smashes the stereotype which is wonderful. I wouldn't say the stain lasts a really long time, however it doesn't fair spectacularly well with food and drink. I really like this and intend to but a couple more whilst they are still on an the introductory offer of £6, normally £8, so a little saving!

This is all,

Gemmm xxx

Bourjois Lipstick In 53

I seem to do a lot of lipstick posts, it's not just that I own a lot of them (which I do) they're just quite easy and nice to review. Anyway here's another one from my collection, it's a Bourjois lipstick in the colour 53 Brique Chic.

 I saw this in the Clearance in boots, I'm not going to lie to you,I bought it because it was £1.50 and it was Bourjois. My shopaholic ways truly have gotten the better of me haven't they?

The packaging is quite obscure but I really like it, the only problem is that my aunty has one of these and the little toggle has broken on the side so she can't get at it anymore. Hopefully this won't happen to me!

Oh Gosh is my skin this pale!

The colour is not very me at all, It's actually the only red lipstick I own, I'm much more of a pink girl. But I do actually really like this, it's brown based so it's not as hard to pull off as a shocking red. I'm really enjoying having a colour that isn't very me!

Quality wise this wears nicely, but it does that thing where it stays on the outside of your lips and fades a lot towards the inside. Anyone know what I mean? It's also quite stiff in the bullet so it can only be sheered out a certain amount.

This is all,

Gemmm xxx

Revlon Lip Butter In Strawberry Pie

Lip Butters' eh? They're massively popular and loved by all, and I have to say I'm right on the bandwagon along with everyone else. This was the first color that I bought ( I have three) and it's in Strawberry Pie.

I'm a big fan of the packaging of all the Revlon Lip products, they do look very luxurious, especially for the price. I love how moisturizing these are, I get quite dry dull looking lips and I'm a fan of any moisturizing products.

 This is probably the brightest lip butter Revlon do, the smooth texture means it can be massively sheered out and you can just get a nice tint of color like below. I have to say that I do prefer wearing bright colors in the format of a proper lipstick as it's better at staying put, even so I do reach for this a fair amount.

The only real hang up I have about these is that they seem to melt a little. Remember those two or three days when it was sunny in England? Well I did feel that the product became a little too soft and difficult to apply. In normal circumstances I do like this a lot!

This is all,

Gemmm xxx

My Favoruite Nail Varnish!

Could this actually be my favorite nail varnish?! It's a beautiful pastel blue, it looks amazing with a variety of top coats and being from Essie, the quality is great too!

I just love this, I don't have any negative points, the nail varnish is wonderful! I don't know the exact colour as I bought it discounted from TK Max, but my guess is that it's 'bluebell'. I could be wrong though. I should mention that I am aware at how awful I am at painting my nails. Considering how often I do so my skills at it are abysmal!

This is all, 

Gemmm xxx

Illamasqua Blush In Tremble

I've decided that I'm going to have to start doing some scheduled posts. In summer I can be super busy for a week and have no chance to get on my Laptop, then I'll have naff all to do for the next three days! Sadly my little blog is suffering from my unorganised life!

I bought this blush as a bit of an impulse buy! I wasn't intending to spend £16.50 on a blush but I had some money form work so I thought I'd treat myself! Similarly to the post on my Mac Lipstick *here* this is going to be more of an 'is it worth the money' post.

Packaging wise I can't fault this. When you spend a lot of money on an item you want it to look nice, whether we like to admit it or not the look of the packaging is important! This looks super sleek and expensive and is exactly what I'd want for the money!

I got this around two months ago and have used it more than 3/4 of the time since I bought it. As you can see I haven't even brushed off the embossed layer! If we're talking value for money you only need a tiny but of this so It's gonna last you a while! Also regarding longevity during the day I've noticed a significant difference between this and my drugstore blushers. 

 

The sales woman recommended I get the colour Tremble, so I did! I would definitely recommend asking them to recommend a colour for you.

Is it worth it?

This is a luxurious product, it looks beautiful on the skin and in your makeup bag! I love owning it and I am really glad I spent the money on it. However If you're new to makeup and want to experiment with colour/style then I'd suggest getting four or five cheaper blushers. But if you want something that is fancy and a bit more grown up then I love this!

This is all,

Gemmm xxx

NYC Mosaic Bronzer

Along with the rest of the world I am a devoted fan of the classic Bourjois chocolate bronzer *here* and don't get me wrong I still love it. But I've actually found a bronzer that is cheaper that I love just as much! (shocker right!)

 Sadly as with a lot of cheap packaging all of the writing has come off, but the case is sturdy enough so I shan't complain too much.

 What I like about this is the mosaic style, it means that (to an extent) you can customise the contour colour. Which is nice if you are ridiculously pale like me. I've also used the separate sections for eyeshadow and I've used the medium colour for contouring down the nose.

Now this will depend on the person, but what I like about this is that it's a little less pigmented than the Bourjois one. For people with darker skin this will be a major downfall, but personally I like this as the result is a little more subtle. In addition a lot of bronzers come up orangey on pale skin whereas this doesn't to the same extent.

All in all this is £2.99 and well worth giving a go if you're in the market for a drugstore bronzer. One day I might buy Nars Laguna or Benefit Hoola but between this and the chocolate bronzer I'm sorted for the time being!

This is all, 

Gemmm xxx

Cosmetics Fairy Purchases

Hello lovelies! So this post has been a long time coming, simply because I hadn't bothered to take the pictures. My lovely friend was trying to hunt down some Wet n Wild eyeshadow palettes for me for my birthday and found this gem of a website.

http://www.cosmeticsfairy.co.uk/

I should point out that this isn't a sponsored post or anything, it's just a little known about and very useful website! Basically they sell lots of makeup incredibly cheap, there's a lot of discontinued products as well and the cherry on the icing of the cake that is well priced makeup is that it's free shipping over £10.

Not including the presents my friend got me, this is what I have ordered from the website. There's actually a lot of high end stuff on there, the Essie nail varnish is probably my favourite find!

I think these are still available in regular retailers but they're cheaper on this site and I fancied giving them a go!

Can't even express my love of this, I will be sure to do a NOTD eventually, it's a hot pink with a gorgeous iridescent blue undertone. love.love.love

I'm pretty sure these were all 50p each ( no more than £1). The trio and quad are both Rimmel and the single is Bourjois. They come like this as they were meant to be testers for stores, but worry not they arrive untouched! 

The Wet n Wild stuff! Living in Britain I feel like I hear so much about this brand but it's so hard to come by! I love the eyeshadow, I like the blush but sadly I'm not too keen on the Cream eye shadows. That a good enough summary?

I'm impressed my camera focused so nicely on this.

Oh the trials and tribulations of shopping on the Internet! I accidentally bought a blue mascara that I will almost definitely never wear. Boo!

So yeah, I just thought it might be a little helpful to do this post. Plus I know that there's a worry that sites like that aren't going to be legit, but this certainly is.

This is all,

Gemmm xxx

No7 Lipstick in Cherry

Well hello there gorgeous! I'm feeling a lot better now, thank you for your get well soon comments! I'm also in rather a good mood as my room got plastered today which means I can paint it in about four weeks and I shall have my dream(ish) room by the end of summer! YAY! I'll probably put pictures up if it's a success and people would like that? Anyway I'll get on with it shall I?

I picked this up from Boots for a fiver with one of the vouchers, so normally it costs £10, which is only £3.50 less than a Mac Lipstick so I was expecting good things. You can find it *here*

 I love the packaging, it's so sleek and grown up, but it's also sparkly which is obviously a bonus in my book! Quality of the packing is great too, I really have noting bad to say about that packaging.

It's fine Mr. Camera, it's not like I wanted you to focus or anything!

The colour is called Forever Cherry, it's very bright and is a gorgeous shade of pinky red. It's actually a little too bright to wear casually for me but I do really like it. Quality wise this is quite creamy, which is good in the sense that you can sheer it out to a less vivid colour. However it does mean that it tends to slip and slide a little bit. Not too much, but this will transfer onto a glass when your drinking and that kind of thing. 

Overall for the fiver I paid I love this, the quality is really nice, however I don't know if I would pay the full £10. On top of that the colour selection in the No7 lipsticks, although varied, doesn't really appeal to me very much. This was the only colour that really stood out for me.

This is all,

Gemmm xxx

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