Nails // Soigne Botanique in Cerise

 

Who doesn’t love a red nail? It’s such a classic that suits everyone. This particular colour is a cherry red and I adore it, it’s such a perfect colour for this time of year and adds a bit of colour to the day. This polish is by Soigné Botanique and is called Cerise, I received it a good few months ago now in a birchbox. I’m a little surprised I haven’t blogged about this sooner as it’s a fab product!

Firstly how cute and sophisticated is the bottle?! It reminds me of channel. Secondly it applies so well, the brush is easy to use and I only needed two coats. Thirdly the colour is so dreamy! It lasts for quite a while and is hard to chip, which for someone like me who is constantly trashing their nails is a life saver. I am definitely going to be trying out more of this range in the future!

Yankee Candle Indian Summer Collection

I am obsessed with candles, my house is filled with them and is we come into the colder months there is nothing nicer then getting home after a long day and snuggling on the sofa with lots of candles lit. They just create such a nice atmosphere.

Yankee Candle has to be one of my favourite candle brands and when I spotted that they had just released a new range in time for Autumn I just had to try them so treated to a box of their sample sized candles. I am terrible for doing this, if I really fall in love with a particular scent I end up caving and buying the full sized version!

So the Indian Summer Collection consists of the following 5 candles...

Honey Glow

This is such a gorgeous scent! I wouldn’t say it has a strong honey smell thought, but that's probably a good thing as I think I would be too sickly then. This instead is more sweet and floral scented, it really is gorgeous. I wish you could do scratch and sniff on blogs as I'm not sure how to describe just how good it is! This is definitely one I would be considering getting a larger version of!

Amber moon

This is a lovely sweet musky scent with a hint of citrus. Its not my favourite in this collection but it still is absolutely lovely.

Ginger Dusk

I'm not a huge fan of ginger, so it came as no surprise to me that this is my least favourite. It has a really strong spicy citrus scent and reminded me of cloves. Also something I'm not a fan of. Its just a bit too strong of a scent for me.

Lake Sunset

I adore this candle! It is gorgeous! The scent reminds me of the smell that hits you when you walk into a Yankee Candle Store. Its a soft scent and slightly floral. This may be heading my way at some point in a large jar!

Wild Fig

This has to be my favourite scent of the collection. Its very fruity, fresh and strong and feels like a really fitting scent for this time of year. I know I am going to be treating myself to a large jar of Wild Fig. Its a really gorgeous scent that lingers and smells amazing!

These candles are gorgeous and make me feel all cosy! There is a real mix of floral and fruity scents with this range so there is something for everyone. What’s your go to scent for candles?

Motivational Monday #30

Apart from the fact this quote comes from my childhood hero, a man who I can’t believe isn’t with us anymore, this quote is so fitting to me right now.

I often chide myself if things go wrong and get annoyed, especially lately when life has had a little extra stress to it. However I strongly believe that everything happens for a reason, and when things go wrong it can actually lead you down a new, more exciting path! So mistakes can be wonderful, embrace that fact!

Happy Monday lovelies!

15 Things I Love About Autumn

source

 

It’s officially autumn right? I can’t express how much I LOVE THIS TIME OF YEAR!! I’m a complete sucker for all things autumn, there are so many good things about it, and so let me share my reasons!

1.    Halloween – Fancy Dress and Candy what’s not to love?!

2.    Crispy air – I love the cool air of autumn, it’s so refreshing.

3.    Autumn colours – the changing colour of the leaves outside is so beautiful.

4.    Autumn candles – Bath and Body Works have a Pumpkin Spice Candle that is to die for, it smells delicious.

5.    Scarves – I can’t wait to bring all mine out of the cupboard and start wearing them again!

6.    Lazy beauty routine – no more pedicures or shaving my legs for a few months, hurrah! Err I’m single so hairy legs are ok!

7.    Chunky knitted jumpers – the baggier the better!

8.    Boots – I have already started browsing for my new winter boots, I think I am going to end up with some black ankle boots this year.

9.    Blankets – I love them! When I was younger I always thought blankets were for grannies but I now own numerous blankets and love getting comfy on the sofa with a big pile of them!

10.  Netflix / Box sets - I can indulge in a ridiculous amount of box sets without feeling any guilt that I should be outside! I have a ton lined up ready to go. Hello PLL, Orange is the new Black, Game of Thrones....

11.  Leggings- with the above baggy chunky jumpers! Kind of like wearing your pjs to work, making one very happy Gemma!

12.  Chai lattes – yummy and are pretty much autumn in a cup for me!

13.  Fireworks night – my favourite night of the year! I heart fireworks so much they bring out the five year old in me – cue lots of ‘ooooooooh’s’ and ‘eeeeeeeeeeeee’s’.

14.  Comfort food – hello soup!

15.  Roaring fires – I love being able to light the fire as well as turning on the heating!

Do you love autumn as much as I do? What’s your favourite thing about this season?

The Glamour Beauty Power List 2014 from Latest in Beauty

I have seen a ton of blog reviews and tweets about The Glamour Beauty Power List 2014 from Latest in Beauty over the past couple of weeks, all raving about it! Not wanting to miss out and needing to check it out for myself I caved in and made the purchase!

For £15.99 you get over £80 worth of products, and boy was I excited when I saw what goodies were inside the box!

Here is what you receive...

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser - I have been lucky and received this in a couple of boxes now and I adore it! I can never afford the full sized version so am beyond happy to have received it in this box!

Eyeko Eye Makeup Remover wipes

Phillip Kingsley Daily Damage Defence – a leave in conditioning spray – I am keen to see how this works as I’m currently on a mission to get my hair to a decent condition at the moment.

Laura Mercier Foundation Primer – THIS is my favourite product in this box! This has to be my favourite primer, and if I were to by this size in the shop it would set me back £18.50 – more than the total I paid for this box!!

James Read Sleep Mask Tan – probably the only product in this box I won’t really use. I’m not really a fake tan lover.

Bourjois Volume 1 Seconde Mascara – I can’t wait to try this one! I am always looking for bigger lashes so can't wait to see if this does what it says on the tin.

Nude Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick – Nude lips are yet again having a moment and I still haven’t jumped on the band wagon! I like bright lips, usually in deep pink shades so nudes are more than a bit different for me. Keen to try it out though and see if I can pull it off!

Glamour subscription for their digital edition.

I think this is one of the best beauty boxes I’ve invested in for a while. It’s got so many great products in that I can’t wait to try. I am glad I caved in and treated myself!

Have you tried any of these products?

I&K Clip in Hair Extensions from Hairtrade

 

I want long hair. I am desperately trying to grow it but it seems to be having a pit stop just below my shoulders, grr!!! So hair extensions are a very happy resolution for girls like me who are desperate for a bit of length. They are fun to use and you can create some amazing looks with them.

When I was given the opportunity by Hairtrade to try some of their extensions I was beyond excited! I decided to go for the I&K Clip in Straight Hair, the chocolatebrown shade and 22” long. This is roughly how long, in a dream world, I would like my hair to be!

I&K Clip in hair extensions are made from 100% real human hair extensions, each extension has a decent amount of hair on and the clips are good quality that attach closely to the root to make them look as natural as possible. I received 10 clips in pieces with 18 clips attached, plus 2 pieces without clips which I would class as a full set of hair. However I do have fine hair so I think if you had thick hair you may need to sets.

 

 

My current hair do...

It is that awkward in between length that hangs just below my shoulders and the colour is dark brown with blonde streaks around the front that frames my face. I was a little worried that with the blonde bits the extensions would stand out like a sore thumb. However I was really chuffed as the extensions match my natural dark brown colour spot on! I couldn’t believe how well it’s matched!

How to attach them...

These extensions arrived with the clips already attached! Wahooo! I have had extensions before where you have to sew on the clips which aren’t fun. I found these extensions really easy to apply. I started applying the larger extensions to the lower level of my head and worked my way upwards, layering them with my natural hair. I then added the single strips where there were gaps. You just slide the clips in. I tend to back comb the area I want the clips to go and use a little hair spray. I find this helps keep them in place, we don’t want clumps of my hair falling out and freaking everyone out!

I&K Clip In Straight Hair in Chocolate Brown (22 inches)

 

This set costs £72.99 which is a great price for natural hair extensions. These are fantastic quality and I have seen them for a lot higher price elsewhere so think this is a bit of a bargain to be honest.

Overall I am really pleased with this set of extensions and they will definitely be making regular appearances! I’ve been playing around with up dos and plaits. All look so much better with a bit more hair! I completely LOVE the way these look up or down! The bonus of these being made from 100% real human hair is that it can be cut, coloured, straightened and curled.

 

What do you think? Do you wear hair extensions?

Introducing Pearl Divine // 1000 Bloglovin Followers Giveaway!

I AM SPEECHLESS! A couple of weeks ago I received a little email to say 1000 of you lovely people follow ‘Lipsticks and Lashes’ on Bloglovin!

I still can’t get my head around the fact that people even stop by and check out my little space on the internet, let alone take the time to follow, comment and email me. I feel unbelievable humbled and would like to say a massive THANK YOU to every single one of you!

I have been making Jewellery for a while now, mainly making items i wanted to wear myself but couldn’t find in the shops. I then started selling pieces to friends and giving pieces as presents to people so figured id dip my toes into selling my goods on Etsy. My pieces are primarily necklaces that feature natural gemstones as well as few gift pieces like magnets and key chain. All items i have made myself. So Pearl Divine has been created!

To celebrate this exciting mile stone as well as the recent launch of my shop Pearl Divine on Etsy, I have decided to run a giveaway!

One lucky person can win one item of your choice from Pearl Divine. You can choose from any item currently on sale in the Pearl Divine shop on Etsy at the time the winner is announced

This giveaway is open internationally and you can enter by using the raffle copter below. Winners will be announced at the end of the month! I will be checking the winner is genuine and not some made up account!

Good Luck lovelies!

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway