A Month In Instagram #3

March has been an incredibly busy month for me! I celebrated a birthday, went out for food and drinks quite a lot, and lost the best dog in the world (see my story here). I documented most of this daily using my Instagram account (gemmaford) however I like posting a selection of the photos on here for any non-Instagram users/followers.

Birthday Haul

 

On 20th March I turned 22 (cue Taylor Swift). I had a lovely few days around my birthday (possible birthday celebration post to come) and received some lovely gifts. I thought I would show you all what I got, not to show off but just because I'm a nosy parker myself and hauls are my favourite posts.

Make Up Haul
I received a little bit of cash from my grandparents and used some of that to treat myself to a few things in Boots, they had 3 for 2 on which meant I got a couple of extra things for free. I'm planning on reviewing most of the products so this will just be a quick run through. So, I picked up the Seventeen cheek stamp in Stare Struck, the Sleek matte lip cream in Party Pink, the Seventeen shimmer brick in Pink Bronze, two of the Rita Ora for Rimmel nail polishes in Lose Your Lingerie and Oragasm, one of the Barry M silk paints in Pearl, a Soap and Glory lip balm in Juicy Peach, a Seventeen solo eye shadow in Ivory Coast, and a nude Rimmel Scandaleyes eye liner.

Soap and Glory Birthday Box
I received this from my brother and sister, who know I love Soap and Glory. The box includes my favourite shower gel which is Clean On Me, a tub of the Righteous Butter (another fave) and a loofa.

Ted Baker Nail set and Aussie Miracle Hair Insurance
I received the Ted Baker nail set from my brother and sister also. The set includes two new shades-a candy pink called Sweet on You, and a pink glitter paint called Champagne Sundays. I got the Aussie Miracle Hair Insurance spray from a friend who knows I have just discovered the brand. The spray is a lightweight conditioning spray which is designed for weak and distressed hair, perfect for my tangled hair!

Marshmallows and Sekonda Watch
I got both of these gifts from my mum and step dad. The Marshmallows are just a little treat they know I love, but the watch is my absolute favourite present. Its a gorgeous rose gold, and has rose gold pearls and gem encrusted pearls connected to the face of the watch, and then a rose gold chain. The watch also comes with a beautiful bracelet, I haven't taken off the two since I got them.

I had an absolutely lovely day and I'm very lucky to have such wonderful people in my life who helped me celebrate and bought me such lovely gifts.

Sleek Face Contour Kit

 

I know for some the very thought of contouring frightens the life out of them, however over the last few months I have really enjoyed experimenting with different contour products, trying to create the perfect sculpted look. I have to admit, I haven't had any issues using bronzer to sculpt my face, as long as its not a shimmery bronzer as a matte product is much better to contour with, however I have been eager to get my hands on this contour kit from Sleek because I have heard many good reviews.

The contour kit contains a contour powder and a highlight powder. I have been using my Real Techniques contour brush to apply the contour powder to the hollow of my cheek bones, my temples and the sides of my nose. I find when used properly this does create a lovely sculpted look and lasts quite a long time which is another bonus. Sleek products are well known for their pigmentation and this powder is no different, very little of the contour powder is needed as it can quickly look very dark and heavy on the skin and borders on the ridiculous side a bit. So just be very careful not to load too much product onto the brush!

The highlighter powder is beautiful and applies like a dream. I have been using my Real Techniques buffing brush to apply this to my cheek bones, brow bone, the bridge of my nose and my cupids bow. It creates a lovely glow to the skin without being too shiny or shimmery.

Together these too powders work brilliantly however one must be careful not to overdo it with the contouring powder! But overall this kit is brilliant, especially for those just starting to experiment with contouring.

Has anyone else tried this product, or anything similar?

Losing A Pet

Taz was the oldest of our 4 dogs, a golden Labrador that we adopted from a rescue centre 11 years ago. On 13th March 2014 we made the heart-breaking decision to put Taz to sleep. Taz had been suffering for a while; he had severe arthritis, a heart murmur, was profoundly deaf, had cataracts and had quite a few lumps which we guessed were tumours. However we had always said until Taz stopped wagging his tail and coming to greet us, we wouldn't take any drastic action. The day before Taz died he didn't touch his morning meal, something that never happened with Taz, he loved his food. The following morning, he wouldn't come out of his bed, and when he tried his back legs gave way. We all knew this was the day we would have to say goodbye. After a few hours of comforting Taz and making sure he was comfortable, the time had come. My step dad lifted Taz into his car, tears streaming down his face as he did this. I couldn't bring myself to go with my parents to the vets, it was too heart-breaking. My mum told me his passing was very peaceful and that the suffering left his eyes almost instantly. Our old boy had gone, a day we knew was coming but none of us had prepared for.

Our dogs are part of our family, they structure our day and we make plans around them. For those who don't have animals in their lives, its hard to understand this, but losing Taz was losing a member of our family, and we all shed many tears that day. To see him suffering and in pain was the worst part because he was always such an active and happy dog. It was also devastating to see our other lab, Maddie, who has never known a day without Taz. Her heart was breaking too, and the worst part was she couldn't understand it. For us, losing Taz was in the foreseeable future, and it was something we had talked about for almost a year. When that moment finally came to say goodbye to the dog that had provided us with so many happy memories, we all found it very hard but we knew it was the right thing for Taz and he was ready for it.

Life has been strange without him, when someone asks me how many dogs we have now, I still want to say 4. Or when I peg the washing out and Taz isn't there to trip me up, or when someone opens the back gate and then you have to spend 10 minutes trying to get Taz back inside the garden. Its the little things like that that I miss. I still expect to see him walk out of the kennel, or come and say hello when I go into the garden, I guess that is something I will get used to but its very strange.

We are all giving Maddie and the other two dogs a lot of attention now, they need it because they've lost their leader. Losing Taz was a lot harder than I ever expected, and seeing the rest of my family (including the other dogs) suffer from his loss is just as hard. He was a brilliant dog and we can still laugh at the memories he gave us.

Rest In Peace Taz, our old boy x

Lush Feeling Younger Skin Tint

As Spring is on its way, I have found that I've been wanting to create a much more dewy, glow when applying makeup. I picked this up just before Christmas (you can see my mini Lush haul here) however I have only just started using it. I originally was after a Lush pigment however the ever-so-friendly staff in Lush suggested I go for skin tint instead as I wanted something to use as a highlighter.

 

I have been using this tint in two different ways. The first is as a primer under my foundation. I have been applying a small amount all over my face, rubbing it in like I would with a moisturiser. I find my makeup looks much brighter this way and gives a much more natural glow. The second way I have been using this is applying on top of foundation to highlight certain areas such as the cheekbones and the brow bones. I use my Real Techniques buffing brush to buff the highlighter in and this creates a much more sculpted highlight to the face rather than an overall glow.

 

I absolutely love this product. Its very well pigmented so I use hardly any of the product which means this little jar should last me AGES. It is also very easy to blend this product, both with fingers or using a brush as it is a creamy consistency. I just think its a very versatile product and is unlike anything else in my collection.

 

Has anyone else tried this? What are your thoughts on the Lush pigments? I would love to know!

Top 5 Spring Nail Polishes

So as we step into Spring, the colours I decide to wear tend to change, and my general style because a lot brighter and my palette more pastel. I have quite a lot of pastel polishes however I thought I would show you my top 5 polishes that I think are perfect for spring time.

Rimmel 60 Seconds Rose Libertine

These polishes are pretty great-they dry super quick and leave a lovely glossy finish so are perfect in a rush. This is a rose pink that applys much lighter than it looks in the bottle. This colour is very subtle and is workable with lots of other shades, and is great from transitioning from daytime to nighttime without any hassle.

L'Oreal Colour Riche in Opera Ballerina

This is probably the palest polish I own, but I think it is the perfect nude as it has a classy feel to it. It is slighty pink toned however has the most beautiful glossy finish to it. I love this polish for wearing everyday as I can get away with it at work (naughty) yet still looks polished for everyday.

Barry My Nail Paint in Peach Melba

As the name suggests, this is a beautiful peach shade and, as with most Barry M paints, is quick drying and long lasting. For me, this is such a fresh colour and is perfect for the warmer months. This is quite a subtle colour and works well for most occasions.

Collection 2000 Hot Looks Fast Dry in Dynasty

This is a perfect pastel shade, a lovely light lilac that has a slightly glossy finish to it. I actually picked this up in a pound shop so I don't know if its still available in stores but there are plenty of similar shades. I think this shade works well for all seasons as it is so versatile.

Bourjois So Laque Glossy in 04 Amande Defile

The pastel green is perfect for Spring as it has a lovely fresh feel to it and is a bit different to other shades I would normally wear, however this nail polish takes an absolute age to dry but does leave a lovely glossy finish, as the name suggests.

I'm very excited about Spring arriving, everything seems so much happier and jollyier (don't thnk that's a word but I'll work with it).

I would love to know your recommendations for Spring time polishes!

Sleek Life's A Peach Blush

Sleek is a brand I have only recently discovered, I already have their Rose Gold blush which is beautiful but I knew I wanted a new blush for Spring so I decided to opt for Life's A Peach. Some have named this a duplicate for the Nars Gina blush however I haven't tried the Nars blush out so cannot pass judgement.

What I like about Sleek blushes are their excellent pigmentation-I find I only ever need a dusting of the product on the brush to create the desired effect. This shade is a beautiful peach colour, as the name suggests, and gives the cheeks a fresh look that is perfect for Spring. I have found that if too much product is applied then the cheeks go from peach to orange very quickly so just be careful there. However I do really like this blush and it has been perfect to wear during the day and looks beautiful teamed with bronzer as it gives a very natural 'glow' to the skin.

Has anyone else tried this shade? Or does anyone have any recommendations for other Sleek products?