Friday, November 27, 2015

Christmas Gift Guide

I couldn't help myself, I HAD to do a Christmas Gift Guide! I've added a range of different priced beauty products (and one wild card!) which will hopefully be tailored for all different ages. Enjoy and I hope it helps!

Christmas Gift Guide


1. Iconic Pro Lipstick - Makeup Revolution £2.49
http://www.makeuprevolutionstore.com/makeup/lips/lipstick/iconic-pro-lipstick/iconic-pro-lipstick-no-perfection-yet.html

If you're looking for a cheap alternative to a MAC lipstick without losing quality, then look no further than the Iconic Pro Lipstick range by Makeup Revolution. I can't rate MUR enough, everything is dirt cheap but of a really high standard of quality. The lipsticks come in a huge range of colours, perfect for a secret santa gift!


2. Sleek Eyeshadow Palettes £7.99
http://www.sleekmakeup.com/au-naturel-i-divine-au-naturel-i-divine# 

For less than £8, you can't go wrong with a Sleek eyeshadow palette. There are around 15 or so different palettes so you're not low on choice, you will find something in there to suit your gift recipient! For alternatives, have a look at makeup revolution eyeshadow palettes. You can actually win one of these on my instagram account at @g_beauty_blog


3. Ultra Pro Brush Collection - Makeup Revolution £12 (currently £8)
http://www.makeuprevolutionstore.com/christmas/ultra-pro-brush-collection.html

I love the MUR brushes and would definitely recommend this as a present! Quality is fab and it's a great present for a novice in the beauty world, as well as us beauty junkies. Honestly, anything from MUR is a good present.


4. MAC Lipstick £15.50
http://www.maccosmetics.co.uk/product/shaded/168/310/Products/Lips/Lipstick/Lipstick/index.tmpl

I've used Ruby Woo as the colour in the picture, but you can choose which ever one you wanted. I would advise going with a Matte, Amplified or Satin finish. I would also advise choosing a bright colour over a nude, only because it can be hit or miss with a nude and a bright colour is more likely to suit their skin tone. Obviously, if the said recipient doesn't like wearing bright lipstick, I probably wouldn't advise buying them one!
Colours I would advise: Ruby Woo, Russian Red, Lady Danger, Impassioned, Pink Nouveau, Full Fuchsia, Diva, Rebel.


5. White Company Candle £20
http://www.thewhitecompany.com/candles-and-fragrance/home-fragrances/candles/seychelles-signature-candle/

Ok so technically not beauty, but still a valid contender. I love White Company, I go in the shop and want to buy everything. I've pictured the Seychelles candle in the picture as it is my favourite scent, but there are loads of others to choose from. Yankee Candles are the obvious choice for candles, but let's be honest, White Company candles look much more classy. There are hundreds of things I could put on this gift guide from White Company but thought I would stop at the candle, seeing as it is one of the cheaper gifts. But I would recommend the photo frames, the scent diffusers, robes and everything else that they sell.


6. Laura Mercier Gift Sets - in the Glow Trio £25
http://uk.spacenk.com/en_GB/in-the-glow-trio/MUK200015992.html

The Laura Mercier gift sets are so pretty this year, I want them all! The highlight set is on the cheaper end of the gift sets, but is still good value for money. Although I don't own it myself, I have swatched most of the Christmas gift sets and none of them have disappointed. Laura Mercier is sold in most department stores, so make sure you're getting the best deal!


7. NARS Killer Heels Mini Lipsticks £29
http://narscosmetics.co.uk/en_GB/killer-heels-mini-lipstick-set/0607845038863.html#start=2

I am a sucker for lipstick sets and even more for limited edition products. You can't go wrong with NARS and I'm sure anyone who received this set would be very pleased! There are also other gift sets that I would recommend, such as the face palettes, but they can be quite expensive.


8. Benefit Gift Sets - Real Cheeky Party £29.50
http://www.feelunique.com/p/Benefit-REAL-Cheeky-Party-Kit

I've included the feelunique link as it is sold out on the benefit website. I've already bought this set for two of my friends because it's such great value for price. The full size powders are usually £23.50 each, as well as the other products being around the same price. There are loads of different Benefit sets and I think any of them make a good present. The benefit of benefit (I did just go there) is that it is easily found on discount, feelunique often have discount codes as well as other websites.


9. Urban Decay Naked Palettes £38
http://www.urbandecay.co.uk/holiday-2015/naked-and-perversion/naked-palette

This is another product that you can always get at least 10% off, try feelunique or Debenhams. Out of the naked palettes, I would advise buying the first one out of all of them. It has the biggest range of colours that are wearable, in my opinion. I love all of the naked palettes but I definitely do use my naked 1 the most. The only issue with this is that there is a chance that the person already owns it. This is the order I would buy them in naked 1, naked 2, smoky and then naked 3. That is taking into account the variety of colours and the likelihood of people using it and the colours suiting them. They are all beautiful palettes and are always a great idea as a gift, money permitting.


10. Charlotte Tilbury Lipstick Wardrobe £220
Selfridges Link to Charlotte Tilbury Lipstick Wardrobe

Honestly, I just added this in the hope that someone would buy it for me. Jokes aside, it looks super pretty and if you can afford this for someone then that person is very lucky (and I am eternally jealous). Hint: there's 20% off Selfridges at the moment!


I know I will be publishing this on Black Friday, so you shouldn't have to look far for a bargain on any of these products. Otherwise, check out websites such as Feelunique, Debenhams and John Lewis for cheaper gifts. Feelunique always has some kind of discount codes, I like to google "feelunique discount codes" and trying my luck with any of the codes that come up. They also offer free delivery over £10 and they always deliver so quickly! It is ALWAYS worth doing a quick google to see if you can get the product cheaper elsewhere.

Edit: oops I forgot to add in Zoeva brushes! Definitely worth having a look at, I absolutely love them!

Happy shopping and I hope my gift guide has been of use to you!

Love, Gweni xxx

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Tuesday, November 24, 2015

GIVEAWAY - Winter Skin Package

With the quick turn of the cold weather, the lovely team at Organically Epic have offered to giveaway a Eco by Sonya Winter Skin Package on my blog! Eco by Sonya is an Australian company which specialises in vegan skin products.

It is worth well over £130, so you really are in for a treat! The rules are really easy to follow, you can do as many or as little of the requirements as you want. The more you do, the more likely you are to win! Simples. 



The package includes:

  • Winter Skin
  • Face Tan Water
  • Pink Himalayan Salt Scrub
  • Coconut & Mint Body Wash
  • Extreme Exfoliant Glove

All of these products are valued around the £30 each and are of a really high standard. I've been so impressed by Eco by Sonya products so far and I'm so happy to be able to give you the chance to win your own products. You can read all about the Pink Himalayan Salt Scrub here and the Invisible Tan here.

The competition is open to my UK readers only and the winner will be picked at random. You can login with Facebook or you can just pop your email in, they don't send you annoying emails so don't worry! It's just so that I can get in touch with you if you win. Competition ends on the 15th December 2015.

If you are tempted by any other Eco by Sonya products, check out Organically Epics website here. There is free delivery for November and December and you can even get 10% off with the code: gbeauty10. 

Good Luck and I look forward to announcing the winner on the 16th of December 2015.

P.S. Organically Epic is actually running a separate competition on their Instagram page, go check it out if you're interested in winning twice!



a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Monday, November 23, 2015

Invisible Tan Review

Aloha from the warm sands of... Birmingham. This week I have been testing out the Invisible Tan by Eco by Sonya, which was sent to me by the lovely team at Organically Epic. After the success of the Pink Himalayan Salt Scrub, I couldn't wait to get my hands on the Invisible Tan!

Ecotan invisible tan

Eco by Sonya is an Australian company which specialises in vegan tanning. I have written about the company in a previous post all about the Pink Himalayan Salt Scrub. You can also read more about the company on Organically Epics website here.

The product describes itself as a self tanning crème which delivers a rich honey tan in one application. And yes, it did deliver just this! It is aimed for those with medium/olive skin tones, which suited my faded tanned skin. 

To prep the skin, I used my trusty salt scrub in the shower. This left my skin feeling really smooth and ready to go. I then popped a generous amount onto a tanning mitt and distributed it evenly over my body. I really didn't have to try to hard to get the product to sink into my skin, it just rubbed in perfectly by itself. It had a really similar formula to moisturiser.

Ecotan invisible tan

I was then instructed to leave it on for 8 hours and washing off. I popped the product on before bed and woke up the next morning and just had a quick shower. I could feel it a little bit on my skin but it definitely wasn't uncomfortable. It just felt as though I had moisturiser on. Honestly, I was so knackered I fell asleep straight away!

I purposely hadn't changed my sheets as I anticipated there might have been a stain or two, but I have had a good inspection and there is nothing to be seen! It has left the tiniest slight scent of the tan though.

Now, let's be honest, it wouldn't be a fake tan if it didn't have a particular smell. I found that the cream does have a relatively strong smell but it isn't unpleasant. It's really difficult to describe the smell, but I would go with lemongrass fake tan. This smell left as soon as I washed it off the next day.

As for the tan itself, I have found it to be a lovely layer onto my tan. It genuinely looks as though I have just had a couple of extra days in the sun. It is not at all obvious that it's fake. As it is an invisible tan, it is intended to just give you that extra little bit of tan rather than change your entire skin colour. I have been advised to use two layers though to get a deeper tan, something I will definitely have to try in the future. When I do, I will make sure to post a picture on Instagram, so make sure to follow me on @g_beauty_blog!

Ecotan invisible tan
I am excited to see how this pans out over the next couple of days. At the moment my skin feels really soft, moisturised and brown! I'm so happy to have found a tanning product that really suits me and my skin. I was worried that I might end up looking a little orange, but this has not happened at all. It has just deepened the tan that was already there! Happy days.

Fast forward a week and the tan faded really gradually by itself. I hardly noticed it leaving which is a huge bonus! My skin never felt dry and I couldn't smell the fake tan on me after I had that first shower the day after I left it on all night. 

The product is said to provide five full body applications and I am sure it will provide that, if not more! I only used it on my arms this time, I wasn't getting my legs out so it seemed like it would be a waste of product!

All in all, I have been really impressed with this product. It left me looking sun-kissed, moisturised and glowing. I had absolutely no trouble in its application or with it fading away. I would definitely recommend this to any of you fake tan enthusiasts out there! 


Make sure to use your 10% discount with the code: gbeauty10 

Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed this post! Let me know what your thoughts are. 

Love, Gweni xxx


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This post contains press samples but all opinions are my own.
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Monday, November 16, 2015

Instagram Christmas Giveaway

This year, I am hosting a Christmas Giveaway with Jess from Jellybluesblog.co.uk on Instagram! I am so excited to be doing this, I really enjoyed hosting a giveaway a few months back and I hope this will be as successful.



Jess and I have both bought a few bits ourselves to combine together to make the ultimate Christmas package! Check out what Jess is giving away here. 

Christmas Gifts that I have included:

Zoella Fizz Bar Collection
Sleek Eyeshadow Palette in Au Natural 
Sleek True Colour Lipstick in Russian Roulette
Barry M Red Nail Varnish

 
 





HOW TO ENTER

Christmas Giveaway
Win meeeeee

Ah yes. The important part. 

We've tried to keep the giveaway as simple as possible, so we have kept it just to Instagram.

          1. Follow Jess and myself on Insagram - @g_beauty_blog and @Jellybluesblog

          2. Repost the Christmas Giveaway picture (as shown above or here

          3. Add the hashtags #GJBgiveaway and #christmasgiveaway and tag Jess and I in your caption

          4. Let us know what your favourite part about Christmas is! (Optional - but so much fun!)


The giveaway is open until the 10th of December 2015 and the winner will be announced on the 11th of December 2015. It is also open internationally and it is 10 entries maximum a day. The winner will be picked at random!

Best of luck to everyone and I hope everyone enjoys the festivities this year.

Love, Gweni xxxx 

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Friday, November 06, 2015

Praire Charms Box Review

I know, I know. I'm about 2 months late writing this post. Oops! Moving on with the show.

At the start of the summer, Prairie Charms got in touch with me via twitter asking if I wanted to be a part of their next subscription-esque box. Although I usually do say no to blogging opportunities that include paying for things yourself, but something about this brand got me excited. It was a little more interesting than just beauty products, as the box is supposedly tailored to you and your tastes and I was told that my blogs name would be advertised in the box.

Prairie Charms Box Review

I have filmed an unboxing video and I will eventually get it edited and popped onto the old interwebs. But for now, my degree is my number one priority! All good things come to those who wait. And work hard on their degree. I hope. 

From the photos, you can probably see how pretty and colourful the box is. It was a Luau Party theme and they really did stick to it. I love bright colours, especially pink and blue so it was very aesthetically pleasing to my eye.

Prairie Charms Box Review

Prairie Charms Box Review

There were loads of cute little confetti type presents in there which I had assumed we're put in especially for us bloggers to use in the backgrounds of our pictures. I sadly left them at home so they won't be making an appearance in my blogposts soon, my deepest apologies. 

I was also sent an assortment of sugary american snacks. I ate those bad boys up in pretty much one sitting of 2 minutes. Sorry not sorry. They were yummy (from what I remember!).

Prairie Charms Box Review

There were a few hair pieces in there as well. A clip with a shell on it and some hair ties. I've been wearing the ties quite often and I am a fan. They don't leave a kink in your hair and are really comfortable to wear. They're also really cute. I love my scrunchie as well. I would have preferred to have gotten the box at the start of the summer though so I could have gotten some more wear out of them!

Prairie Charms Box Review

My second favourite piece from the box was the necklace I received. It's just a simple chain with a black bead on the end. Unfortunately, I think it was sized for a child. The chain is absolutely tiny and does not fit around my neck. I am a little disappointed to be honest, considering I am quite obviously not an 8 year old. I don't have a particularly thick neck either, and I am even quite a small person (big up 5ft) so I don't think I am the problem here. I didn't notice this until after a couple of weeks ago (around 2 months after receiving it), so I think it might be too late for something to be done about it.

EDIT: It was an anklet. I'm an idiot.

Prairie Charms Box Review

Last but never least, my favourite piece was easily the floral headband. I am princess of all things pretty and colourful when wearing this headband. I quite often wear it whilst doing my makeup, much to my housemates enjoyment (hi girlies :)). I love it and makes up for the fact that I can't wear that necklace! 

All in all, would I get another box? Probably not. I'm sorry. The Prairie Charms team are absolutely lovely and I couldn't fault them at all. They always replied to my messages and are positively delightful. BUT for £22.50, it just isn't really for me. My blog link was written in very tiny print on the back of a card and I had paid for the box sometime in June and it didn't arrive until the end of September. The team did send me emails keeping me updated on the boxes but I never felt like I knew when the box would arrive. 

Also, I'm more of a makeup kind of person so it just isn't in my best interests to spend a lot of money on jewellery subscription boxes! If you love these kind of things then I would most definitely recommend them. Everything in the box was of great quality and it was really fun, the colours used were beautiful and it was really fun opening the box and getting it in the post! Even if it was 2 minutes before I was leaving the house to go on holiday!

As always, I hope you enjoyed my post! Have you ever gotten anything from Prairie Charms before? 

Love, Gweni xxx 
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