Jemma Kidd Dewy Radiance Creme | Review

firstly - can i get a boohoo for jemma kidd going into administration? this is the saddest news ever! (in the beauty world, at least) i havent been a JK fan for long but my loyalty to the brand has been built up quickly! i know the light as air foundation is a beauty blogger favourite but as it is notoriously hard to get rid of now, i will be doing a quick review on the dewy glow all over radiance creme! (still available - grab it whilst you can! its amazing!)

i have this product in the shade 'iced gold', a golden toned highlight as opposed to its 2nd shade 'rose gold' which is more pink toned. this product is essentially a creme highlighter but can be used all over the face to provide a glow and/or on the body to create highlight and definition. i apply this using a screenface dual fibre brush and just sweep it over my cheeks before i apply my setting powder. it can be used with or without a base underneath but i only tend to use it when i have foundation on, to give an extra glow to the skin.

this product retails at around £18 so if you can find it anywhere - stock up before it flies off the shelves!

i cannot believe JK has gone into administration - i am a huge fan of their creme products including the highlighter and blush. not to mention the thousands of girls now without a foundation! GOD FORBID!

did you guys have any favourite jemma kidd makeup school products?

emma xo

Yankee Candle - Christmas Cookie | Review

its that time of year again - CHRISTMAS! and what better than a trusty yankee candle to get yourself in the mood?! the sicky sweet scent of this months pick is 'christmas cookie' - a repurchase of mine - which fills any room with an immediate memory of christmas baking and home comforts!

i picked up this badboy from clintons for £19.99, pricey for a candle - i know. however theres something about the yankee candles thats just a cut above the rest. the scents are varied and extremely strong, they burn for HOURS and the wax melts down the sides of the jar as opposed to regular candles that just burn down the centre.

not sure what scent i'm going to pick up next but as this is a large jar, i have a feeling i'll be waiting some time before it burns out!

whats your favourite yankee scent?

emma xo

Soap and Glory GLOW JOB | Review

aloha!
glow job - an attractive name to some, and one of soap and glorys most glorified products. sadly i am not convinced. i am so disappointed in this product! it claims to be a daily radiance moisture lotion. amazing, i thought, as i picked it up in boots for £9. i am a big skincare fan and any excuse to wear less makeup but still have glowing skin sounded good to me. alas when i got it home, and rushed to the bathroom mirror to pop some on, i was left a little bemused. the bottle says; 'squeeze a pea-sized measure of GLOW JOB onto your fingertips, then rub together to release the bronze from inside the beads and blend. apply to your face in upward circular motions then just get up and glow!'. so there i am, following the instructions, and not only did i find it hard to burst the bronzing beads between my fingertips, but when i applied it to my face, i was left with an extremely uneven and strange looking colour.

perhaps the product is just not suited to my skin, i found it to be very red toned, whereas i have a yellow undertone. it was, although i'd only applied a small amount, very obvious on my skin and not at all natural looking. i bought this originally as i'd seen it reviewed by Ruth Crilly from 'a model recommends' where her skin looked beautiful and glowy. miss crilly has notoriously fabulous skin and perhaps this aided the product to work to its full potential.

i have tried to use this product in many ways an have found  the best way is with a bit of extra moisturiser added to it after having burst the beads. on the other hand, it still doesnt look great and definitely isnt hassle-free, which is predominantly why i chose to purchase it.

i hadnt tried anything from soap and glory before and am now a little put-off! have you guys got a favourite from that range?

emma xo

Why Do You Wear Makeup? | TAG

bonjour mes amis! its sunday and the weather is totally miserable in london, spent all day trying and failing to create a website - technology 1, emma 0. so i thought i'd steal a little tag from my good pal jess from the vanity account asking why do you wear makeup?

1. When did you begin loving make-up?

i probably became properly interested in makeup when i was a bit older, maybe about 15, but i do remember going into town and applying lipgloss every five minutes just in case i saw any 'cute boys'. alas i did not, and even if i had, what difference was a bit of lipgloss gonna make? applying a full face of makeup near enough every day began in year 11 i'd say. we weren't allowed to wear makeup to school unless it was natural but i managed to get away with a bit of founation, bronzer and mascara.

2. How do you feel without make-up? 

if id been asked this a year ago i would have said HIDEOUS I WOULD NEVER GO A DAY WITHOUT IT. i literally used to put a full face of makeup on just to sit around the house. after a solid year of taking proper care of my skin and investing in good skincare products, i now revel in the days i dont have to put a load of makeup on. as a beauty advisor i have to slap it on a bit day-to-day but on my days off i leave my skin to breathe and couldnt care less about what i look like!

3. What do you like about make-up? 

i love experimenting with makeup and creating crazy looks for photoshoots etc, but for day-to-day wear i love that makeup can reflect your mood. i always used to think this was a dumb phrase but come to think of it, if im a bit upset or angry i ALWAYS have smokey dark eyes. if im excited to go out or feeling energetic i wear red lipstick. i think of makeup as art and i love that everyone wears it differently. you cant be right or wrong with makeup - its an opinion.

4. Three 'Holy Grail' items -

MAC studio fix concealer (my shade NC30)

NARS Laguna Bronzer

Bourjois Volumiser Mascara

happy remembrance sunday guys, i tag you ALLLL!

emma xo

REVIEW | toni & guy hair mask

i confess, i'm much more of a skincare gal than haircare and rarely look after my tresses as well as i'm supposed to. having long, bleached hair, its a real struggle to keep it nourished and healthy without making the roots greasy. i've used multiple shampoos, conditioners, hot oils and crazy hair repairing products in the past until i got to the point where i just gave up and let it...well...die.

my hair was in a pretty dire way at the beginning of september and when i was in florida i purchased a small bottle of argan oil. i really saw a difference after using it for two weeks on holiday but found it a little impractical when i returned home. i popped into boots on a lunch break from work and purchased a toni and guy hair mask. i assumed it would be pretty pricey, given the repuation toni and guy have, but it was surprisingly reasonably priced at around £7.99.

i have used it once a week, every week, since i bought it. i dont need much on my thin hair so i still have about half a tub left. i can notice a huge difference the day after washing my hair and have definitely seen long term results over the past few weeks.

as far as the 'for blonde hair' goes, i cant say ive noticed anything change regarding the colour or vibrancy of my hair. this may be because its a prevention as opposed to a feature of the mask.

overall i have been very impressed with this product and my hair is finally looking less straw-like and much thicker on the ends.

emma xo

empties!

long time no speak - sorry i'm such an awful blogger. i'm not even going to pretend i've been doing anything interesting. just working, hating working and wishing i wasn't working. you know the drill.

moving on, i've had a pile of empty products growing in a bag in the corner of my room and thought it was time gave them all a mini review and said whether i'd repurchase. hope you enjoy...

first up my trusty olay beauty fluid for normal/combination skin. nothing new here - just a moisturiser that does everything i need it to! really nourishing and easily absorbed, i've already purchased a new bottle!

next is the rimmel wake me up foundation. i featured this in a haul a LONG time ago now and its taken me a while to finish it. i blame this mainly on the fact that i cannot be parted with my drugstore foundation of choice - revlon photoready. the wake me up formula contains SPF which is handy during the summer but i found it a bit shiny on my skin. it has medium coverage and was a really good colour match for my skin tone (i am 103 true ivory). all in all i definitely wouldnt rule out buying this foundation again as it is essentially a very good foundation at a very reasonable price. i, however, think the revlon photoready works best for me.

no surprises here, its my holy grail bioderma. by far the best product i've ever bought and i cant see a day when i wont repurchase this badboy. its notoriously hard to get rid of as it is a french brand and not sold here in the UK. i buy mine on ebay but a little birdie told me that they may begin stocking this angel in harrods very soon so keep your eyes peeled!

another product i featured a while ago was the estee lauder advanced night repair. this little 50ml bottle has been like the gift that just keeps giving. i use this without a doubt every evening before i go to bed and it's taken months to finish. with a price tag of £57 i can safely say i've got my moneys worth! i was skeptical at first because of how small the bottle is but it has lasted an extremely reasonable amount of time. i will definitely be repurchasing this mini bottle of radiance and repair. it does exactly what it says on the bottle - repairs your skin. no spots, no scars, no redness - its amazing.

murad blemish spot treatment - a HERO product in my eyes. this little baby zaps blemishes off your face within hours. forget sudocream, witch hazel and old wives tales. this stuff is, pardon my french, the dogs bollocks. anyone with breakouts and blemishes can use this and be confident that the little blighters will be significantly reduced in hours. i have used this in conjunction with the murad blemish control cleanser which no doubt has helped my acne prone skin to clear up. cant recommend this enough - already repurchased.

last but not least - the caudilie beauty elixir. i had previously owned the 30ml bottle but this time had to buy the 100ml. i use this product as a toner but in all honesty i have no idea what it's supposed to do. over the past few months it has added that extra something to my skin. its glowing, smooth and radiant. the smell is beautiful - i am usually opposed to using highly fragrant products on my face as i am prone to breakouts but this doesn't anger my skin at all. will definitely repurchase but perhaps try to use more sparingly next time!

so thats that! see you in another few months... just kidding, i HAVE to get back into blogging more regularly.

what products have you guys been loving this month? any empties?

emma xo

bloglovin!

<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/4112045/?claim=9wdspdtwx9g">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

evening skincare routine!

this post is all about my current evening skincare regime. i have become a skincare obsessive over the past few months and feel myself wearing less and less makeup! this is very unlike me as i have spent most of my life caking on makeup to cover blemishes or scarring, however after using the following products, my skin has had a new lease of life! dont get me wrong i still get the occasional breakout, but in general my skin is in a much better condition these days!

to remove makeup and cleanse, i simply use my bioderma crealine h2o on 3 or 4 cotton pads and wipe them all over my face. i also use a face wash 2/3 times a week (murad blemish control clarifying cleanser) however i don't tend to use it every evening as it dries out my skin. to tone i use my caudalie beauty elixir which i ADORE. its a spray bottle, i tend to just spray a few pumps into my hands and gently pat it into my skin. the smell is gorgeous and it can also be used as a makeup refresher throughout the day. i then use my estee lauder advanced night repair serum. i spoke about this in my last post and cannot recommend it enough - its also great if youre suffering from breakouts and/or problem skin - it just tends to clear everything up and generally improve the quality of your skin! over the more dry areas of my face (around the edges and occasionally my nose) i use the h2o+ hydrating treatment which is an odd but beautiful product. it is essentially a deep moisturiser and hydration booster which works incredibly well over dry skins. i avoid my t-zone with this gel as i find it makes me more oily throughout the day. i then apply my olay beauty fluid, which is actually a day fluid, all over my face and neck. this is my go-to moisturiser and one i always reach for when i just want to take my skin back to basics. i have the normal/dry/combination version but they also sell a sensitive version. eye cream-wise i use skyn iceland's icelandic relief eye cream which i pay gently around my optical bone. i find that this really reduces puffiness around my eyes and gives a cooling sensation - great for after a sleepless night. and finally we move onto lip care - i use the leighton denny cuti-lips balm which is an amazing 2-in-1 gel for cuticle removal and lip nourishing. i find it has quite a greasy texture which i love for my evening routine but i don't tend to use it so much during the day!


so, where can you get your hands on these goodies? well, olay and estee lauder ANR are available in boots for around £6 and £54. i purchase my bioderma on ebay from an amazing seller who i will link here, for around £13. i purchase my caudalie beauty elixir from feel unique for £9.90. this product is pretty dear and i will admit, doesn't last as long as i'd like, but its definitely worth the money! finally we have the h20+, skyn iceland eye cream and leighton denny's cuti-lips which you can either pick up online or in the brand new marks and spencer beauty department ! they retail at £27.50, £38 and £7 (in the order i previously mentioned). the m&s beauty department is very hard to get hold of at the moment, with only high street kensington having launched. stratford city is next on the 14th of june though so be sure to check it out whether you live in london, go shopping in the area OR you're coming to the olympics this summer! stratford westfields is right next door to the olympic park so pop into m&s to check out the beautiful products they've brought in.


have a lovely jubilee weekend everyone,
emma xo

skincare products i cant put down!

to start with, i'd just like to apologise for my lack of blogging for the past few weeks! in this time i've turned 21, finished university and secured myself a beauty consultant job. pretty sweet, right? so, after these mad and stressful past few weeks, my skin has well and truly suffered! i've found myself reaching for two relatively new products in my skincare regime and i'm going to review the pair of them for you now.


after purchasing the bioderma crealine h2o solution for cleansing a couple of months ago, i have seen a dramatic difference in the quality of my skin. in general, i am getting less spots than before and my skin is much less red. not only do i use this at night to take off my makeup, (amazing for removing eye makeup, no stinging at all!) but i also use a small amount in the morning, before toning and moisturising, to clean any impurities off my skin, before applying a fresh face of makeup! i have been very set in my ways for the past few years - despite being a makeup artist, i have always used simple face wipes to remove my makeup and then whacked a bit of moisturiser on afterwards. i always found makeup removers and cleansers very oily and that they left a residue on top of my skin. after finding this, i can officially say i am hooked and will never go back to my face wipe ways (unless i've had a few too many vodka and lemonades... )! this product cannot be found in UK stores as it is a french brand. i however, purchased mine from eBay for £12.90 HERE! it is a 500ml bottle and lasts ages! i've used about 5 cotton pads worth a day, every day, for the past two months and am only half way through the bottle. 


secondly, on the slightly more expensive side of skincare, is estee lauder advanced night repair. i know what you're all thinking - another blogger favourite that is so obviously overrated. i did too. but, what with my excessive spending in boots, i'd gained nearly £70 worth of advantage points, and decided this was the time to test it out. quite frankly, i wasn't willing (or rich enough) to justify spending £54 on some serum, so getting it for free was extremely satisfying! the first evening i used it, i was sceptical. i don't think much of the smell, and as much as i loved the feel of it on my face, the feeling left on my fingers after rubbing it in, was less than desirable. i wont lie, i did feel a little special using this delightfully packaged product, and it did give a lovely finish to the skin from the second i applied it. when i woke up the following morning i was pleasantly surprised. don't get me wrong, its no miracle - you don't wake up looking like an angel! my skin was more plump, much more moisturised and my blemishes had been reduced considerably. i began using this product about one month ago and every time i use it my skin just gets better. i think it'll take a few more bottles before i do wake up looking like an angel, however my skin is the best it's looked in a while. this product retails at £41 for the 30ml and £54 for the 50ml.

so, now i am officially a beauty consultant, i will be posting all sorts on here about different products and the effects they've had on my skin. i can't say where i am working yet as i think they're trying to keep it pretty hush hush, but i can say that the skincare offers are incredible and i'm so exited to start working!


have you guys used these products before? what are your skincare must-haves?
emma xo

perfect polish

good afternoon dolls. it's a rainy day here in london and i'm feeling less than 100% so i thought i'd take the time to organise some of my nail polishes. like many girls, i hoard nail polishes like they've been discontinued. honestly, the majority of mine are dried up and entirely unusable - god knows why i feel the need to stash them away and pretend that one day i'll use them again. but today i've been reunited with some old favourites and it has inspired me to mention a few of my favourites. i've whittled it down to five and made sure they're all different. so, here goes...!

here we have the ultimate barbie pink: rimmel's '270 hot shot', a lovely nude: models own in 'nude beige', a perfect plum: rimmel's '410 trend spotting', an insane metallic: 'mirror, mirror' by sephora, and finally chanel's 'pirate' - everyone's must-have red.

unfortunately sephora products cannot be bought in the UK but if you're ever in paris or the USA, there are plenty of sephora stores that are worth a look around. i purchased 'mirror, mirror' in paris last summer for around €5. all of the other polishes mentioned can be found in boots and superdrug stores around the UK. rimmel polishes tend to cost around £5, models own are also £5 and chanel's are a steep £17.50. the shade 'pirate' is (i'm almost certain) discontinued, however chanel's 'dragon' is a VERY close match, and equally lovely colour.

i have also chosen two of my favourite top coats. jessica's 'brilliance' and sally hansen's 'hard as nails'.

sally hansen's 'hard as nails' can be purchased in boots and superdrug stores for around £4.75. jessica products are slightly harder to get hold of in stores however can be found in many beauticians and salons, as well as online. you can find their website here, where they supply multiple colours, shades and nail treatments.

my favourite nail products and colours change regularly but these are definitely my most used! what are your favourites?

emma xo

whats in your makeup bag?

so i've seen a few of these 'whats in your makeup bag?' and 'whats in your hand bag?' type blogs/vlogs over the past few months so decided to do a quick one myself! as a makeup artist, people probably assume i take great care in my skin care and makeup regime. the truth is... i try. i'm a student, i'm 20 years old and quite frankly, i'm a lazy sod. i don't wear a great deal of makeup in my every day life but i do have lots of products in my makeup bag that i use when i'm going for lunch, going to university or on a night out.

 above is my makeup bag for everyday use. it is from all saints, think it was around £50 which is extortionate but it was a gift, i promise!

a sneak peak into my messy makeup bag! 

 above we have pretty much everything i would ever need to use for a day or night basic makeup look. there are a few foundations in there, my favourite is chanel vitalumiere aqua which i wear in the shade '20 beige'. i always have vaseline to hand and for a day to day lip colour i usually stick with mac lipstick in 'creme de nude'. included here we have models own eyelash curlers, bobbi brown black ink gel liner, illamasqua satin primer, bourjois volumiser mascara, bourjois bronzer and highlighter, witch concealer, mac eyeshadow in 'tempting', revlon lipstick in '140 kiss me' and the list goes on! in day to day life i tend to stick with a tinted moisturiser, a bronzed cheek, lashings of mascara and a nude lip, however if i have more time to get ready i occasionally add a smoky eye or bold lip.

 now, dont get me wrong, fingers are one of the best tools when it comes to makeup application, but i do have 6 brushes i swear by. from left to right; real techniques samantha chapman buffing brush, screen face fine liner brush, mac 239 shadow brush, illamasqua powder brush, bobbi brown brow and lash brush, and finally the mac 266 angled brush.

...having said that, here is a small collection of some of my makeup brushes.

does anyone have any recommendations regarding makeup/tools i should be using day to day?! is there something i'm missing out on? :)

emma xo

HAUL!

hey dolls! just a quick one today. i went into town to return something to boots and ended up spending 45 minutes browsing various makeup counters, resulting in a hefty bill of cosmetics when i finally got to the till! in my defence i did need a new foundation after my HORRENDOUS experience with bourjois healthy mix (sob sob). i actually loved the product but ever since the second time i used it, the pump wouldn't let out any product, despite there being plenty in there. i would definitely buy it again for the quality of the product but i couldn't bring myself to buy it again just yet and face another 2 months of aimless pumping!


i ended up buying two foundations today, one which i have used in the past and always seem to go back to - revlon photo ready in the shade '004 nude'. the other was rimmel wake me up in '103 true ivory'. after reading many reviews about the latter product i decided i'd give it a whirl so a review about my experience will be up within a few weeks time! staying with skin perfecting, i also purchased the collection 2000 lasting perfection concealer in the shade '2 light'. i was sceptical after hearing about this product, mainly because, in a naive moment, i didn't think collection 2000 would have much to offer. HOWEVER! i used this on a photo shoot recently and couldn't believe the coverage. it is creamy and light but covers almost any blemish/spot so i couldn't resist buying myself a tube, and at £4.19, you cant go wrong! 


another trusty product i always seem to go back to is the '070' eylure lashes. these lashes are perfect for a natural but glamorous look and can be worn day and night. i have worn these lashes on multiple occasions and can definitely recommend!


last but by no means least, LIPS! i bought two lip products today, one gloss and one 'butter'. the gloss is by barry m in the shade '11' which is a beautiful corally pink. i have used barry m lip glosses before and adored the texture as they're not too sticky, but this is a new shade for me so i'm eager to try this out! the second product i purchased is the almighty revlon lip butter. i got the shade '080 strawberry shortcake' and OMG i wore this on my lips this afternoon and my first impressions are very good! they smell gorgeous, the packaging is beautiful and the 'butter' is actually highly pigmented. i will be reviewing this product properly after a few weeks of use, but as a first impression, its looking positive! 

have you guys tried these products before? anything i should know?!

have a lovely weekend - lets hope the weather stays as nice as its been this week!

emma xo

agenda beauty!

a few months ago i was contacted by agenda beauty, a new makeup brand, to test and review some of their products. after looking through their catalogue, i chose 7 products that caught my eye and then agenda beauty sent me them in the post!

the first thing that stood out to me was the 'lipduet' shown below! half red and half gold, this product is so versatile. the colours can be used together to create a shimmery red, or used separately for more of a bold statement. this lipstick is wonderfully moisturising, doesn't dry out my lips and the colour stays pretty well all day!

above is a swatch chart of all the products i tested. from left to right; shimmer dust in gold dust, glittery glitz in ultra shock, eye colour in pink pint, eye colour in moon walk, cheek colour in trojan warrior, lip colour in seduction, lip duet in tropical (gold side, then red side).

my favourite product is the lip colour in seduction which is a beautiful, shimmery hot pink. hot pink sounds scary for most people but i assure you its very wearable and the colour stays on wonderfully. in addition, being the glitter obsessive that i am, the glittery glitz in ultra shock was also a contender for first place! used in moderation, this product is very wearable for nights out but is also fantastic for dramatic makeup shoots or fancy dress!

the eye colours i got in pink pint and moon walk are lovely pastel pressed powders that can be used for a more natural look. i personally dont like wearing heavy pinks on my eyes so the pink pint colour is perfect for a day look! moon walk would make a lovely base colour for a smokey eye or could be used alone as a shimmery grey shadow.

finally, the shimmer dust in gold dust and cheek colour in trojan warrior are beautiful and would suit almost all skin tones perfectly. the shimmer dust can be used as an eyeshadow but also as a highlighter on darker skin in very small amounts. it is highly pigmented, easy to blend and stays on well. make sure to apply a primer on your eyelids before using this as a shadow to avoid creasing. the trojan warrior cheek colour is a lovely warm brown, perfect for a subtle blush during the day or for heavier application at night. this product leaves a lovely finish to the skin and doesnt make your skin look too 'cakey'!

overall i was extremely impressed with the agenda beauty products and would highly recommend them, not only to makeup artists but to everyone. these products are very reasonably priced, ranging from about £7-£10 and come in multiple shades to accommodate everyone. this company do NOT test on animals and are designed for all skin types and not dependent on race or gender! couldnt ask for more really, could you?!

thanks for reading, i'm going to try to be a bit more active on my blog from now on and should be posting some photos of these products used on my skin within the next week so keep your eyes peeled :)

emma xo

argan hair oil review

i am a SUCKER for adverts and am forever getting conned into buying expensive products when even i know that there is cheaper stuff out there thats just as good! so, in a bid to make my hair grow, i browsed the internet in search of cheaper versions of the famous moroccan oil sold by lee stafford and other brands. it didnt take long for me to find this little beauty - argan oil!

i bought the smallest bottle as a trial run - its £4.99 and you can buy it here

there are both pro's and con's to this product. it definitely moisturises and improves the condition of your hair but with regards to growth, i cant say i can see any! it is a brilliant skin moisturiser and has made my nails a lot stronger - something VITAL in these cold winter months! an unfortunate design flaw in this product is the screw-cap. you should only use a TINY amount of oil on your hair, any more and it can look greasy. be careful when pouring!

all in all, its a great product and i can't tell any difference between this and branded moroccan oil. at £4.99 it's a steal and worth giving it a go! let me know how you get on with it :)

emma xo

skin care essentials!

hi guys :) as a makeup artist i love to experiment with makeup and am constantly piling on the foundation before a night out. however, after suffering from acne in my teens, i have to be extra careful about products i use and my skin care regime!

firstly, i cannot stress enough how important it is to have moisturised skin! even if you have oily skin and are prone to spots, its still essential to moisturise! i have trialled a few products over the years and have decided that the best for me is olay beauty fluid. this product is usually about £5, which is a bargain. i use mine twice daily and it lasts few a good couple of months when i buy the 200ml bottle. im almost 21 (practically an OAP, i know.) so i dont want a moisturiser that is too heavy or that sits on my skin for too long. olay beauty fluid is perfect for applying all over the face and neck to achieve an evenly moisturised complexion and therefore better looking makeup!

moving on to face wash/scrub. as i said, i have suffered pretty badly with spots in the past and a few years ago went to the extreme of using mens products on my face to get rid of the little buggers! much to most skin care specialists and makeup artists horror, it worked for me. everyone always says 'you shouldnt scrub your skin', 'the skin on your face is sensitive', 'thats a boys product, you're a girl!' BLAH BLAH BLAH. point is, it works for me. i use oxy for men face scrub. it is a fairly runny face wash with grainy particles which, i find, helps soften my skin and remove excess makeup. if you have sensitive skin, this probably isnt the best product for you but i wouldnt rule it out completely. it can be used once a week or even once a fortnight for the occasional deep cleanse!

removing makeup, especially after a night out, is every girls worst nightmare. the removal of fake eye lashes that are holding on for dear life and pull half of your natural ones out in the process, the lip tint that NEVER COMES OFF or the waterproof mascara that seemed like such a good idea at the time (because when you drunkenly burst into tears for no apparent reason, your eye makeup is the top of your priority list). no one wants to come in, remove everything 'properly' and lose an extra 20 minutes when they could be sleeping or, ya know... eating pizza. face wipes are the quickest and most skin friendly way to remove makeup. i use simple kind to skin but any un-fragranced wipe will do the trick. to avoid blemishes, blocked pores and unsightly spots, ALWAYS take your makeup off before you go to bed. your hangover is going to be bad enough without your eyes being glued shut with eyelash adhesive!

every once in a while, we all enjoy a face mask! the singular packets sold in the supermarket or high street are great if you have the money or if you dont regularly use them. a great alternative however, is neutrogena's 2 in 1 face mask/wash. this product can be used as a daily face wash or as a mask every now and then. having used this mask for a year or so now, it has greatly reduced the redness of my skin and always provides a clean base for my makeup! it is extremely affordable at around £4 and lasts for months.

i've used these products for a good few years now so can definitely recommend them! i am however, always in the market for new skin care products so if anyone has any suggestions i will give them a go!!! if you follow me on twitter, you'll know that i bought some argan hair/skin/nail oil a few days ago - i think i will review that in my next blog post!

i'm off to get ready for this evenings american themed night out! its the superbowl tonight! giants vs patriots - who are you supporting?!

emma xo

dream team

tanya burr and jim chapman are the cutest couple in the WORLD.

just a quick one today, but something that has to be blogged about!

you've probably all seen a lot of tanya burr, a youtube beauty sensation, but if you haven't - its time to google! she is amazing at what she does, seems like a lovely girl, and to top it off she's absolutely beautiful. her makeup tutorials have enticed a worldwide audience and she has, in the past two years, become one of the most subscribed beauty bloggers! with tutorials ranging from brigitte bardot to olivia palermo, tanya talks you through anything youll ever need to know about makeup!

her boyfriend jim chapman also has a youtube channel focussing on male grooming and style. he's humorous, intelligent and has great style - i would definitely recommend his channel to any lads needing some style inspiration!

Tanya Burr YouTube Channel

Jim Chapman YouTube Channel

look how pretty they are! now, why wouldn't you trust them with your style?!

have you guys got any favourite beauty or style bloggers/youtubers?

emma xo

the dreaded outfit post...

i find the whole idea of posting an outfit a bit cringey to be honest! i LOVE seeing what other people are wearing and where they've got their items from but it's taken me a few days to pluck up the courage, get down with the kids, and post a bloody outfit!


despite the freezing temperatures today in southampton, it was a very sunny day! after going to the gym, i decided to pop into town and ended up looking pretty summery. i did look a bit silly rocking my sunglasses and denim jacket when everyone else was wrapped up in scarves and winter coats but still, here goes;

grey top - topshop

black maxi skirt and brown belt - new look

cream studded pumps - topshop

bag - mulberry

my mulberry bag never leaves my side. i cant part with it for more than a day. it was a gift from my parents last summer and since i got it i don't think i've ever used another bag during the day!

my hair is currently looking a bit of a funky colour. normally i'm bleach blonde but a few weeks ago had it dyed 'dark brown'. alas it didn't do much to my bleach loving barnet and now it's kinda ginger! i'm trying to rock it for as long as possible but i have a feeling i'll be back to the bleach SOON!


you wouldn't know it from the sorry sight of me today but i am actually a makeup artist so i will post a few beauty faves soon!


anyone else got a favourite bag/item they can't live without?!
emma xo

'it does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live'

as many of my friends know, i'm shamelessly obsessed with harry potter! partly because i have a not-so-shameless crush on daniel radcliffe (don't judge me), but mainly because JK rowling is a genius and once i start reading, i can't physically stop. i've probably read each book over 20 times and they never get old! i began reading harry potter and the philosopher's stone again last week and am having to limit myself to one chapter per night in order to avoid completely losing all sense of reality.

pretty sure i want to get some sort of harry potter related tattoo... nothing too obvious though! don't wanna look like a complete nutter/muggle. i did my dissertation on 'celebrity obsession' and came across a few portrait tattoos of daniel radcliffe in the process. seriously freaky stuff.

although the films are undeniably amazing, the books MAKE harry potter. to be honest, if i hadn't read the books, i wouldn't have a clue what the films were about half the time! every time my family goes to see harry potter in the cinema, my mother (harry potter traitor who hasn't read the books) never fully understands or appreciates the magic of the story. the journey home is usually spent with me explaining harry potter's life story to the rest of my family.

talking of harry potter, daniel radcliffe's new film 'woman in black' is out in the UK on the 10th feb 2012! putting the fact that i'm in love with daniel radcliffe aside, this film should be amazing. i saw the play twice when i did GCSE dance/drama and absolutely loved it! it was PETRIFYING in the theatre so with all the special effects on film, i'm gonna guess i'll be sleeping with the light on for a few weeks after!

watch the woman in black movie trailer here !

anyone else a harry potter/daniel radcliffe fan?!

emma xo

PS. best quote of all time; 'it is our choices that make us who we are, far more than our abilities' (OH YEAH GO DUMBLEDORE!)

'im an island! i'm bloody ibiza!'

okay, i have done an appalling job so far of doing regular blog posts but i do have an excuse! i've had a mad week of uni hand-ins so now i've finally done all my work, i can commit myself a bit to this!

one of the reasons my work has taken me such a long time is that i keep getting distracted by the thought of going to IBIZA in the summer! i cant help myself, every 5 minutes i'm looking up different nights out, photos of our hotel or deciding what i'm going to dress up as at zoo project this year!

i went to ibiza last year with a few of my best friends from home and can honestly say it was the best week of my life! its such a cliche but ibiza really is one of a kind. it is an incredible atmosphere, everyone's always in an amazing mood and i didn't see one fight the whole time i was there. (contrary to magaluf 09. i dont want to talk about it.)

so here's a few snaps from my 2011 trip to ibiza with the best people in the world...

 privilege club - tiesto!

pukka up boat party pre party! 

pre drinks - amnesia, chase and status/nero :) 

zoo project! think we're gonna go a bit crazier with the costumes this year! 

my bestests before zoo project :) 

LEGENDARY promoter jamie. or 'loopy jamie' as he called himself... 

final night, watching the sunset after dinner at cafe mambo! 

on the pukka up boat! with a random guy... BEST DAY!

i would highly recommend ibiza to anyone that hasn't been. no one should go through life without having gone! 

already started my 'ibiza body diet', which, quite honestly, i cant see lasting until ibiza. i'm currently doing the dukan diet which is a protein based diet, with no carbs and no fruit and veg for the first week. i never eat veg anyway but i'm really missing bread and potatoes! what i would give for a bacon double cheese burger! i will be blogging (moaning) about this diet in weeks to come but so far, it seems to be working!

anyway, i shall try to post a lot more this week because i have the week of uni!

emma xo