According To Gem

UPDATED: Bank Holiday Beauty Blog Sale

*UPDATED* as of 31/10/13 Being the cool kid I am I’ve spent the first half of the bank holiday weekend getting our house neat and tidy. I’ve even finally tackled the mess that was my make up stash which is great news for me as I can now find everything easily and even greater news … Continue reading →

Would you like to write a guest post for According to Gem?

Last night I joined the iFABBO and BlogTrends twitter chat on how to grow your blog readership. For upcoming bloggers I think events such as last night’s are crucial, not only for giving sound advice on blogging but also for networking with fellow bloggers. One of the key discussion points was guest blogging. Personally I … Continue reading →

Count your blessings not your flaws…

So it’s been a while… I’m an onwards and upwards kinda girl so I’m not going to write some long, drawn out explanation as to why I haven’t been blogging, heck with the wordpress issues I’ve been having of late I doubt I even have any readers left! But if you have stuck it out … Continue reading →

Tuesday Tune: Chemicals – Various Cruelties

After such a great start to the year I’ve been slacking somewhat on the blog front. There’s so much going on right now that I actually wouldn’t even know where to begin if I were to start. Instead I thought I’d share one of my absolute favourite songs of the last few weeks. No matter … Continue reading →

#MotivationMonday Not all those who wander are lost…

Image from Pinterest For a long time I’ve considered my restlessness and lack of contentment as a flaw, but this year I’m flipping things on their head and am going to consider the positives that come with it. I have a natural curiousity that drives me to push boundaries and explore the world around me. … Continue reading →

Blogger Challenge: My Top 5 Under £25 In Love With Fashion Sale Picks*

In Love With Fashion Sale Picks I gave up on BeautySets for a while as I just found the whole process a bit clunky, but when I discovered you could now create fashion sets I thought the latest ILWF blogger challenge was the ideal time to give it another try. The best improvement to BeautySets … Continue reading →

My Worst Products of 2013

So I’ve already shared my top products of 2013 so it seems only fair to keep the balance and share with you the products that in my opinion didn’t live up to expectations. Dr Jart+ Pore Refine Recover Primer – £18 I’m a huge fan of Dr Jart and up until this product the brand … Continue reading →

#MotivationMonday – Everything will be okay in the end.

Image from Pinterest I’m hoping 2014 will bring a lot of change, but I’m aware that 2014 can’t do it alone so I’ve decided to take a break from Music Monday and instead start #MotivationMonday where I’ll start each week with a fitting quote that’ll remind me to stay focused and make 2014 my year of … Continue reading →

My Top Products of 2013

It’s belatedly that time of year again when I share with you the products that made 2013 great. As it’s a new year I’m not going to bore you by repeating the products that featured in my top beauty products of 2012 as whilst they’re great and all if you wanted to read about the products … Continue reading →

Review – Superdrug Naturally Radiant Brightening Hot Cloth Cleanser

Given I’m not a fan of the Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser this is reportedly a dupe of I must admit I had pretty low expectations for Superdrug’s Naturally Radiant Brightening Hot Cloth Cleanser (boy that’s a name and a half!). That said when I spotted it on offer for less than … Continue reading →

My 2014 Resolutions

Image from Pinterest So it’s a new year, which means it’s time to think about what’s important to me and what I hope to achieve in 2014. Last year I wrote my 2013 Blogging Resolutions, but this year I feel I need to focus on my life and embrace the changes a new year brings, … Continue reading →

Swatched – Lily Lolo Molten Bronze Mineral Eye Shadow Quad*

I’m a sucker for new brands so when the ladies at Lily Lolo got in touch to ask if I’d like to try something from their new Classics & Metallics Collection I just couldn’t say no. I opted for the Molten Bronze eye shadow quad, a gorgeous selection of shimmering metal-inspired hues that will look equally … Continue reading →

Review – L’Oreal EverRiche Perfect Elixir Masque Spray

Whilst I’m a complete scaredy cat when it comes to going to the hairdressers (honestly I thought it’s only men that have an issue with how long an inch is!) I am a huge fan of those little L’Oreal power shot treatments that you get in salons, so when I heard of L’Oreal EverRiche Perfect … Continue reading →

Music Monday: Christmas Wrapping – The Waitresses

Tis the season to be jolly, but I just can’t seem to find my Christmas spirit this year and apparently copious amounts of Baileys doesn’t count. Unfortunately I can’t find the official video for this song anywhere but this seems equally festive. Merry Christmas folks! Enjoy! xx

Walking the Golden Gate Bridge

This time last week I donned my scarf and blazer and hopped on the muni to the Golden Gate Bridge. Rach and I were a tad hungover after our work holiday party so we decided the best cure was a walk along the bridge. I’m always a little apprehensive when visiting iconic landmarks as so … Continue reading →

Foodie Friday: The American Grilled Cheese Kitchen

It wouldn’t be a trip to San Francisco without some good ol’ fashioned mac & cheese. Feeling particularly drained after a long morning shopping I took to Google to find the best mac & cheese in town. Which is where I discovered the wonder that is The American Grilled Cheese Kitchen. Behind these unassuming doors … Continue reading →

San Francisco in pictures – 2013 edition

Those of you who follow me on Instagram will know I’ve been off visiting buddies in America this past week. I’ve got a few haul posts from my week in the pipeline but thought I’d start by sharing some pics from my week away. It’s no secret I adore San Francisco, it’s my home from … Continue reading →

Music Monday: Counting Stars – OneRepublic

This song has been on constant repeat on my Spotify for a little while now, which seems a good enough reason as any to feature it in Music Monday.

Weekend Wants – Winter Warmers

Suzie Check Scarf – £19| Dubarry Galway boots – £299| Cable-knit jumper – £14.99| Larkworth Tweed jacket – £179| Allastone Sock Set – £14.50 Excuse the mass alliteration in the title, but with the winter weather upon us it seemed appropriate to pull together a quick post on my favourite items to keep toasty warm … Continue reading →

I Love… San Francisco

Forget “I left my heart in Beverly Hills”, there’s only one city that’s captured my heart and that’s San Francisco. In fact I’ve even been known to contemplate moving to the city of fog my love runs that deep. Unfortunately I’m yet to find someone to offer me sponsorship else I’d be on a flight … Continue reading →

Music Monday: A Little Death – The Neighbourhood

No matter what else is going on in my life I always find a reassuring constant in music. It’s my sanctuary, a place where I find comfort in other people’s words. I stumbled across this little gem of a track whilst away with work last week and instantly fell in love. Those of you of … Continue reading →

Review – HealGel Eye*

Ever since I saw Charlotte’s too good to be true review of the original HealGel (back before the change in packaging) I’ve wanted to put it through its paces. So when the kind folks over at HealGel asked if I’d be interested in trying a few of their products I leapt at the chance. Aside … Continue reading →