Sunday, November 27, 2016

VIP Treatment with World Duty Free

G Beauty: VIP Treatment

G Beauty: VIP Treatment

G Beauty: VIP Treatment

G Beauty: VIP Treatment

G Beauty: VIP Treatment


After having recently worked with World Duty Free, reviewing some of their travel exclusives, I was also offered VIP treatment if I was heading through an airport! As I was going through Manchester in August, Caroline kindly arranged for me and my friend, Kimberly, to be given some VIP treatment. 

I was met by Ellen at the Duty Free in Manchester, Terminal One who took us straight to the Aperol stand. The bartender made us a delicious Aperol Spritz whilst Ellen told us all about all the different alcohols that the stand has had in the past, Ciroc being one of them. Once we we're filled up on bubbles, we were ushered over to Jo Malone for more! 

The girls at Jo Malone were really lovely, and took some time out to talk about their products. Although I often visit Jo Malone stores, I am usually far too poor to buy anything so it was nice to be given a real tour of the products. We were given a spritz of their most popular fragrances and shown how all of the different products worked. I really loved the English Pear and Freesia fragrance.

Once she gave us a little tour, we were sat down and given a hand and arm massage with a glass of Prosecco. We were given the option of what fragrance we wanted with our massage and both me and Kimberly went for the English Pear and Freesia. This fragrance was used in the soap and then she used a limited edition cream to do the massage. Jo Malone offers these complimentary massages to all passengers, definitely worth checking out if you're going through an airport!

The hand and arm massage was lovely, definitely would recommend getting one before getting on a flight! I was nice and relaxed before boarding. The lovely woman who looked after us, I wish I could remember her name because she was so nice, chatted to us about some of the services that the shop provided. Apparently you could order your products online beforehand and pick them up from the airport or even buy products on departure and pick them up when arriving back in the UK! As there is a 100ml allowance, I thought the picking it up on arrival was a really handy service - especially as you don't have to pay tax on the products! 

After that, I was given a bit of a tour of the Bobbi Brown products they had on their stand at the back of the Jo Malone store. There were a few travel exclusive sets, including brushes and an eye set, and a good selection of their main products. I was also shown the limited edition shimmer bricks, which were so beyond beautiful but they had unfortunately gone out of stock. Sad times for Gweni. 

On the MAC counter, Ellen was telling me about how they offer 5 minute makeovers, usually focusing on the eye or the lip. So of course, we headed over to the MAC counter. One of the makeup artists kindly went through the art of over-lining the lip with me. Although I've sort of mastered the basics, it was nice to be shown properly. She used Soar lip liner, Faux lipstick and Myth lipstick as a highlight in the middle. I never took a photo of my lips, but they looked fab and I've been over-lining my lips ever since!

That concludes my little VIP trip with World Duty Free at Manchester Airport. I had so much fun and learnt a lot about the products and services available at the airport. When you're next going through an airport, definitely try and take advantage of these services, especially as they're free!

Thank you again to Ellen and Caroline for making it happen and thank you for reading!

Love, Gweni xxx



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Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Shadow Switch Dry Brush Cleaner


G Beauty: Shadow Switch Review

G Beauty: Shadow Switch Review

G Beauty: Shadow Switch Review

G Beauty: Beauty Essentials Shadow Switch Review

I've been testing out this little beauty for the past couple of months, and I can confirm that it has revolutionised my life. Ok, slight exaggeration but it really has changed my makeup routine for the better. Gone are the days of having questionable marks all over my dressing gown! 

The Shadow Switch is a dry brush cleaner, which does exactly that. It's so easy to use and I use it everyday with my eyeshadow brushes. All you do is take your dirty brush, rub it against the sponge and you have a clean brush! Obviously it doesn't actually wash your brushes, but it does get the excess eyeshadow off the brushes - allowing you to reuse the brush for a different colour. 

As someone who wears eyeshadow everyday, this has become such a massive lifesaver for me. I wish I took a photo of my dressing gown before I washed it, because it looked so grim! Now I can just use my little Shadow Switch instead. 

I'm not 100% sure of the science behind it, but the wiry sponge clearly picks up the eyeshadow off the brushes to let you carry on using the brush. I am yet to need to wash the sponge, but it is as simple as running it under hot water and letting it air dry! It is recommended to refill it every 2 months, but I've had mine for about that long so far and I'm still alive. 

The little pot is pretty small, which makes it very transportable. I always take it with me if I'm going away for the weekend. It's light as well, so it doesn't make your bag heavy either. I am a huge lover of anything pink as well, so I was automatically drawn to the pink design. 

It is intended for just eyeshadow brushes, and this is what I use it for, but I'm sure you could use it for other brushes as well. As long as what you're wiping off is a powder product, rather than a liquid foundation, I think you could definitely use it! 

This has been one of my most used gifted product to date, and one that I would definitely recommend to every beauty lover. If I hadn't been gifted it, it is definitely something that I would have bought myself - especially at the low price of £5.99! 


If you're looking for a stocking filler or a little secret santa present, definitely have a look at the Shadow Switch. It really has made my dressing gown so much cleaner! 


You can buy your own Shadow Switch on Amazon below! 




Thank you for reading. 

Love, Gweni xxx 



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This post contains press samples and affiliate links but all opinions are my own.
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Wednesday, November 09, 2016

Decluttering Your Makeup Collection - Guest Post

G Beauty: Declutter Your Makeup Collection

G Beauty: Declutter Your Makeup Collection

G Beauty: Declutter Your Makeup Collection

Hello, G Beauty readers! I'm Alyse from LumiÃ¨re & Lens and I am obsessed with makeup. Like most other beauty obsessives, I have amassed quite a collection of red lipsticks, eyeliner, foundations... you get the picture. Recently, I embarked on a mission towards living more minimally and had a massive clear out. If you love makeup as much as I do, you probably have a collection that needs minimising as well! If you fancy a declutter then I have a few tips to share with you! 

Use It or Lose It

I have only one rule when it comes to decluttering and it is, "If you don't use it, throw it out." If you're like me, you may hang on to products because they look good on your vanity, they're designer, or they were expensive. Chances are, you have the same tried and true products you're probably reaching for, right? For example, if you have 15 red lipsticks, keep the few you always reach for and toss the rest. Will you really use them all up before they go bad?

Keep An Eye on Expiration Dates

Yes, makeup goes bad! Buzzfeed provided a handy guide to makeup expiration dates. Most beauty and skincare products have a small symbol located on the back that tells you when it expires from the day you opened it. For example, my Laneige sleeping mask expires in 12 months as does my NYX primer while the nail polish gets a solid 36 months of use. However, it's a good idea to use common sense with regards to what you keep. My mascara has an expiration date of 6 months, but it will dry out long before that. Creams and liquids tend to go off faster. If a products smells, changes colour, or doesn't look right, toss it! Your skin will thank you. 

Sanitise the Keepers

While I make no exceptions with creams or liquids, most solid products such as bronzers, eyeshadows, lipliners, etc. can be sanitised with 91% isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol. I keep a bottle of it handy and liberally spray down eyeshadow palettes, blushes, and setting powders with it. Eyeliner and lipliner pencils can be sharpened and sprayed to clean off their tips.

Preventing Future Clutter

Once you've downsized your makeup collection, you can take steps to avoid future clutter. I know full well how easy it is to TREATYOSELF to new makeup. The next time you're tempted, ask yourself: how much wear will I realistically get out of this? Is it worth the money? Do I have something similar and do I use that product often? Am I buying it just to have it? If you're going to pick up something, make sure you'll get good use out of it.

Everyone has their own methods of decluttering, but these are the guidelines that worked for me. I hope you find these tips useful! Do you have a huge makeup collection or ideas on how to declutter?

Alyse xxx



A huge thank you to Alyse for writing a guest post for me. How beautiful are her pictures and how handy are her decluttering tips?! I know I'm hugely guilty of holding onto products and forever buying new ones, despite not needing them. I will definitely be looking to follow some of these tips to save myself some money!

Make sure to go and check out Alyse's blog - http://www.lumiereandlens.com/ for more great tips. You can also follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

Thank you for reading. 

Love, Gweni xxx



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Tuesday, November 01, 2016

Blogger Halloween Party

Blogger Halloween Party

Blogger Halloween Party
From Left to Right: BillieJessica, Natalie, Alice, Loren and Chantel

Blogger Halloween Party

Blogger Halloween Party

Blogger Halloween Party

Blogger Halloween Party

At the end of October, I was lucky enough to attend the Blogger Halloween Party! Since moving back to Birmingham, I've been attending a lot of blogger events and this was one that I really enjoyed. I love meeting fellow bloggers in real life, it's nice to spend time with people who also spend a silly amount of time on the internet! 

As the theme was Halloween, I made a slight effort to make myself look scary. I got hold of some fake blood and white face paint, and made myself look like I had been murdered. I was running pretty late and didn't have as much time as I would have liked for the look, but happy with it nevertheless. The event was actually really close to where I live, it took me less than ten minutes to walk. I got a LOT of weird looks, despite it being 2 days before Halloween! Don't want to brag BUT I even got comments from strangers in Tesco. 

The event itself was so much fun. Everyone had made an effort to dress up, which was really great to see. I wouldn't be able to choose my favourite out of everyones looks, but I did really like Natalie as Wednesday Addams and Chantel's makeup! All of the bloggers I spoke to were really nice and I loved getting to speak to so many different bloggers. So many had travelled pretty far as well! 

I'm a little bit useless with activities in these events, but I gave my best go at drawing a pumpkin. I'm really proud of Charles, even though he didn't win anything. I even felt as though I should have taken it home to show my parents. There were a few other activities going on as well, including scariest selfie and a scavenger hunt. Again, I was pretty useless at them but they added that extra little bit of fun to the event. 

There were a few brands at the event as well. The brownies on the Goodyfull stand were to die for, to the point where I may or may not have eaten at least six. Sorry not sorry. Although I'm not a food blogger (I struggle to feed myself on a daily basis), I enjoyed chatting with Lex about the products.

The girls on the Dr Botanicals were also really lovely. I didn't spend enough time testing out the different products - I had a lot of fake blood on me and didn't want to dirty all of the pretty bottles! The one product that did stand out for me was the Rose Oil. The formula felt amazing on my skin and I am a huge fan of rose scented things.

Blogger Halloween Party

Blogger Halloween Party

The one stand that really caught my attention was The Perfume Studio stand. There were loads of little bottles out in a row, and all of us bloggers were given the chance to make our own little perfume! Ben was really lovely and talked us through the company and the workings of a perfume. After he talked us through the ins and outs, we were given the chance to smell all of the different scents and create our own. From choosing 4 scents, I have ended up with a little bottle of a floral scent called "G Beauty"! I have since worn the perfume and it smells absolutely gorgeous, if I do say so myself. The perfume smells so pretty on the skin and lasts a really long time. The scent is very me!

The Perfume Studio, based in London, is a company that allows you to create your own scent. The company uses really high quality product, which was easy to know from having a quick smell of the different scents. Ben was telling us all about the experiences that they offer, including private experiences for Hen Parties. Those experiences take a much longer time than our little experience, but I genuinely think they're such a great idea for a Hen Party! It's something really fun to do, that everyone can get involved with. Just need to find myself a husband now. Jokes. There were also gift sets available, all at a very reasonable price. I will definitely be looking into the company again when Christmas shopping comes around!

Blogger Halloween Party
My Raffle Winnings!

Blogger Halloween Party
ALL OF THE GOODIES

Blogger Halloween Party

I was eyeing up the raffle prizes all afternoon, there were so many of them and they were all so good! I bought £12 worth of tickets, all of which went towards Mind charity. Usually, I'm absolutely pants at raffles. After the disappointment of not winning the Urban Decay Vice Vault at the Bloggers Blog Awards (still bitter), I didn't think too much of my chances of winning anything at this event. How wrong I was. 

I ended up winning THREE times. I have absolutely no idea how that came about! I was lucky enough to be given some travel guides, some false lashes in a pretty box and some Punkypins! I didn't realise my number had been called the second and third time, as I was too busy trying to get snapchats of my previous winnings! There were some pretty cool prizes out there as well, it seemed as though a lot of bloggers managed to win a little something to take home.
Speaking of taking things home, we were given the most generous goodie bags to take home! Considering the event was free, I was absolutely not expecting to be given such a great little bag. You can see from the pictures that we were really treated. I'm probably the most excited about the Lola eyeshadow, I've been wanting to test them out since forever, and the L'Oreal lip balms. I'm pretty excited about the nibbles as well, casually keeping me alive for the next few weeks. I love how there's a huge range, something in there for all us different bloggers. I think Kirsty and Ashton are giving away spare goodie bags on their twitters - definitely go and check them out!

Thank you again to Kirsty and Ashton for organising such a fun day and such great prizes. It was a pleasure to attend and I hope to be going to more events like these again.

Thank you for reading.

Gweni xxx


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