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 →

Mac Cosmetics Skincare Haul – Cleanse Off Oil & Fix+

Whilst I’ve always been a massive fan of Mac Cosmetics and their never-ending array of limited edition collections, up until now I haven’t really ventured into their skincare range. Sure there was the briefest of moments with an SPF 50 cream (don’t ask me which) bought for a first holiday with an ex which combined with the Turkish … Continue reading →

Music Monday – Call Me Maybe Abercrombie style

I really don’t know how this song passed me by, but it did, for a while at least. About a week ago I finally heard the much hyped song Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen and since then I haven’t been able to get it out of my head. I’ve been listening to this … Continue reading →

Budget Wedding Buys

I’m feeling a tad smug tonight as I managed to get some wonderful bargain goodies for our wedding. The bubble wands were £3.75 for a pack of 24 wands in the Paperchase sale. They don’t seem to be on the website so I’d recommend checking your local store. For a while now I’ve had this … Continue reading →

Music Monday: Bride sings Christina Aguilera as she walks down the aisle

Usually Music Monday is reserved for songs that I just can’t get out of my head, but this week I’ve decided to combine my love of cringey wedding PDAs with my weekly whenever I remember Music Monday posts. So without further ado, I present to you the bride who chose to sing Christina Aguilera’s The … Continue reading →

Weekend Wants

Give a little thought for me as you read this as I’ll be helping my dear mummy at the local village fete where I’ll no doubt be inappropriately dressed for whatever weather is thrown at us! H&M Black Sandals | Canon EOS 550D DSLR | Miss Selfridge Green Maxi Dress | KMS FreeShape Blow Dry … Continue reading →

Solestruck review and Jeffrey Campbell Buttermilk Lita reveal

For months I’ve had my eye on a pair of Buttermilk suede Jeffrey Campbell Litas, but every time I’ve looked online they’ve been completely out of stock. Thankfully I’m not a girl who gives up easily and about a month ago my patience was rewarded by US shoe site, Solestruck, who proudly proclaimed the shoe … Continue reading →

Primark Neon Nail Varnish Collection – Review

Last weekend I made the exciting discovery that my JC Litas had finally arrived from the US (I’ll be doing a review of them and the company I used soon), unfortunately they were a 35 minute drive away and I was without a car. To make matters worse the depot was closing in an hour … Continue reading →

Tie the Knot with Topshop

As a fully fledged bride to be I know first hand the trauma that comes with searching for that elusive dress that transforms you from girl next door to full on princess. Each time I set foot in a boutique and tried on a dress either impossibly small or many sizes too big I longed … Continue reading →

NOTD: Speedy Jubilee Nails

In honour of the Queen’s jubilee I’ve opted for this easy peasy patriotic manicure. Have a great long weekend lovelies xx

Summer in a Bottle – Acqua Di Parma Blu Mediterraneo Collection

For a while now I’ve been searching for the perfect Summer scent. Last year it was Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb and the year before it was Estee Lauder’s Bronze Goddess Eau de Perfume. Unfortunately both are now empty and I’ve been left wondering what to replace them with, As you can probably guess when it … Continue reading →

A Lita Bit Of Love

If you’re loco for Litas but not quite as keen on the price I have good news for you, the awesome guys over at Office are offering customers 15% off all orders which makes the lovely Litas just £102 (and they ship for free in the UK)! All you need to do is enter VCJBLE … Continue reading →

A Girl on a Mission

So here’s the deal. I’ve got far too many clothes that I don’t wear (show me a girl who doesn’t?!) and a love/bordering obsession with Jeffrey Campbell Litas. So I’ve set myself a little challenge to sell as many of my unwanted goodies on ebay before next Thursday in order to cover the cost of … Continue reading →

Weekend Wants

Every once in a while I have crazy thoughts of breaking free from the office and the usual 9-5 6 or 7pm slog and living an existence based on one very simple rule – I’ll spend every Summer on the beach and every Winter in the mountains. Sadly I don’t see a time when this will … Continue reading →

Mac Hey, Sailor! Collection Powder Bronzers – Pro Longwear & Bronzing Powder Swatches

You may not be able to rely on the sun for that bronzed look at the moment, but that’s no reason to be looking pasty. With a range of 4 bronzers in the latest Mac collection there should be a bronzer for all skin tones. The bronzers are split into two camps, Bronzing Powder and … Continue reading →

Mac Hey, Sailor! Collection Lipstick Swatches

If you’re still not sold on the latest Mac collection, Hey, Sailor! worry not. I’ve swatched some of the collection to help you decide which items deserve a seat at the captain’s table and which should be thrown back to sea. So far I’ve covered off the Powder Blushes and the Crew Highlighter so take a peek if you’ve … Continue reading →

Mac Hey, Sailor! Powder Blush Swatches – Launch Away! & Fleet Fast

I think it’s safe to say that a lot of you stumbling across my blog for the first time recently have done so because of my swatches of Mac’s Crew Highlighter from the Hey, Sailor! collection. Personally, I’ve not been a big fan of this collection as the two items I wanted to get ended up … Continue reading →

Decisions, decisions… 18 and East Plate Print Dresses

Recently I stumbled across 18 and East, an independent womenswear brand inspired by the vibrant music, fashion, blog and film scenes in and around East London. A quick look at their website led to me do my usual thing of filling my shopping cart full of beautiful clothes only to then leave it abandoned long … Continue reading →

Sleek Blush by 3 Pumpkin Palette Review

Here is the last in my series of reviews on the Sleek Blush by 3 range. If you’ve missed my review of Lace or Sugar you can find them here and here. Those of you who’ve read my blog for a while will know I’m not one to go on about packaging as lets face … Continue reading →

Recession Busting Beauty – Mac Mineralize Skin Finish Dupe

What do Mac’s Mineralize Skin Finish in Soft and Gentle and Accessorize’s Merged Eyeshadow in Golden Caramel have in common? Admittedly on paper these two products are completely different. One is a highlighter and the other is an eyeshadow but when swatched these two become one. Can you spot the difference? Ok, so they’re not … Continue reading →

Weekend Wants

With payday seeming impossibly far away I’m trying to resist these beauties. 18andEast Gathered Dress | Mac Mineralize Skin Finish in Soft and Gentle | Zara Spinwash Crockery | Miss Selfridge Designed By Tropical Shift Dress | Mediterranean Coffret Diptyque Have a good weekend lovelies! xx