Mini Collective haul feat. Primark, Tx maxx, Lush and a vintage find.

Hello ♥

Today i wanted to show you a few of my March purchases i have recently picked up. I have been trying so hard to keep my spending to a minimum and even tried to give up spending for lent. As you can see from this post, I failed! 

First up are my two new gorgeous purchases from TX Maxx. I love then both so much. Below is a mustard Bessie Wallet which cost £9.99. At the moment i am using a six year old leather Ripcurl wallet which unfortunately has now seen its last day. This Bessie wallet features three rows of credit card holders and a zipped coin pouch on the side. I also love how it is big enough to pass as a clutch bag. this is definitely one of my favourite finds. 

This handbag was also brought in Tx Maxx. It was a little bit more money than i wanted to spend on a handbag at £29.99 but i couldn't put it back on the shelf so had to buy it. The only other bag i own is a brown cross body satchel so i really needed to buy a larger 'smart' bag. What attracted to me most about this bag was the snake skin pattern and ox blood colour. I have always loved snake skin and i think its coming back into fashion so i will be using this bag a lot. The brand is DSUK which can also be found on Brand alley but these go for £58.

From Lush i picked up two things. A Bubblegum lip scrub for £5.25 and a small piece of soap in Rock star costing £5.64. I have already shown you guys the lip scrub in a previous post and its just the best product have brought this year. The rock star soap was the only one on the lush table i was attracted to. I don't know what is it about me at the moment but I'm just really into Bubblegum scents. This may sound bad but i have left the soap in the packet because i am currently using it as a room fragrancer. Does anyone else do that? When i do get round to using it i will pop a review on here for you guys. 

I also picked up a few things from Primark. I can never go into the city without going into this shop. I did well though as i resisted the urge to fill my basket with all the lovely dresses they have in at the moment. I actually only wanted to pick up some new T-shirts for my new boys but ended up buying three little things for myself. I brought a three pack of cute panda shoe liners (one missing in the pic as it is in the wash), Red flats that were in the sale for £4 and a ox blood maxi skirt also in the sale for £5. 

The other day i finally received my vintage buy from Ebay. I won the bid for £10 + p&p and so so happy with this dress! I think its from the late 70s/ early 80s and is a beautiful light blue skater style dress. The pastel blues and whites are perfect colours for spring. I plan to do a post of me wearing this dress soon, but it probably wont be till the weather warms up a little. 

That's it for now. I hope you enjoyed this post. 

Gem xx

Ways to Follow Gemma's Thoughts and Loves

Hello 

This is going to be a very brief post just to give some ideas on how to follow 'Gemma's Thoughts and Loves', which I felt was needed with all the google reader drama going on through twitter at the moment.  Also, I thought it might be handy to write a post with links to every single place you can read my blog through and also to say a big hello to any new followers. 

If you are a new follower/ reader, Hello and welcome. I love all my readers and appreciate each and everyone of you. Without you guys i would have given up on the blogging world a long time ago. My blog is a little space of happiness, fashion, beauty and a little taste of my family life thrown in at the weekends. I do try to post everyday but sometimes real life will get in the way. 

(image: we heart it)

Ways to Follow and places you can find me!

Twitter:

My Twitter handle is @gemma_stevens if you wish to come chat to me. I am currently really enjoying the #fbloggers and #bbloggers chats and have met some great peeps through there. Twitter has taken over my life and find i check it at least four times a day. 

Blog Lovin:

Blog Lovin is the new GFC according to most bloggers. Twitter has recently gone mental with bloggers trying to get everyone moved over to this site. I agree that Blog Lovin is a better way to follow and read blogs. Its so much simpler to use so please seriously consider following me this way. I will love you for ever. 

Facebook:

Admittedly i don't really use Facebook as often as i should do. Twitter has taken over my life but i still share any new posts through there. So if you want to know when a new post is up, Facebook is a great option. 

Hello Cotton:

Hello cotton is a bit like blog lovin but instead you are able to search for specific topics of interest. I am a regular on this site as it is a great way to discover new blogs. I am under my old blog name 'Gemma's Beautiful finds' on there as i haven't figured out how to change it yet. However it still links back to my main blog. 

Tumblr

I use tumblr on a regular basis. I never write anything on there as its just a photo dump for me. I share new outfit posts and love reblogging all the amazing pictures i find. I follow back anyone who follows me on tumblr. I just love this site. 

So that's everywhere that you can find Me! I am hoping to start up a little shop soon on this blog too which is exciting. I also have a notebook full of new post ideas coming up. Thats new things to look forward to. 

I hope this has been a useful one for you, and please consider following me through bloglovin if you already follow me on GFC. I really hope they don't shut it down. Fingers crossed! 

I hope you are having amazing weekends and are looking forward to spring/ summer! 

Gem x

My Amazon Wish List Part 8: Vintage Fashion Edition

Vintage Wapiti Printed Dress £21.99 / Mint Green pleated dress  £19.99 /
Karl Lagerfeld Tee /  Sodamix Vintage Dress £7.99 /
Fox Messenger Bag  £4.80 / ALDO Cutri Hand Bag £50

My Giveaway is ending soon to win an Amazon gift card , please check it out. 

Gem xx

A day in the city: An out fit post

Dress: Primark

Scarf: H&M

Bag: Ebay

Shoes: Office 

Jacket: H&M

 Mint Nails: Topshop

Hello 

Today i am wearing an outfit that i wouldn't normally wear. I have a few body issues so I tend to stay well clear of horizontal stripes. However, i absolutely love this dress and strangely feel it's quite flattering for my figure. I brought it last year from Primark for my honeymoon in Ibiza and never wore it, so today decided to wear it for the first time. As its so cold today and not really maxi dress weather, i had to team it with my cropped denim jacket from H&m. For a pop of colour i styled the dress with a neon pattern scarf from H&m and cross body bag from Ebay. 

If you are interested in my mint nails, the varnish is from Topshop costing £5. Pastel nails have to be favourite shade to wear during spring time. 

Gem xx

My Mother's Day: A lifestyle post

Hello ♥

Yesterday was Mother's day as you all will know. I had a really lovely day, which was all planned at short notice but very successful in my opinion. I was treated to some beautiful daffodils from my sons (above) and my hubby brought me the nicest Thornton's chocolates. How cute is the box! 

Being the most forgetful couple ever, we completely forgot to send off our mother's day cards to my mother in law. We felt awful so decided at last minute to travel to the Isle of Wight to surprise her.

We took the very early morning ferry from Southampton with tired eyes and dreams of being back in our warm beds but it was going to be a fabulous day so that got us through. On our arrival, we hid from the house ready to shout surprise only to find our mum had gone to church. We were slightly too early. All was OK though, my husband's sister was home to greet us and help us prepare her gifts on the dining room table. When she did get home, her face was a picture. She was so happy to see us and to the give the boys lots of cuddles. I wish i took more pictures from this time to show you guys but it completely slipped my mind. After lots of chats, cakes, and a cuppa we decided to visit the local Owl and Monkey sanctuary as the boys have been bugging us to go for a while now. As always, it always turns into children's day rather than Mother's day. However, i am a huge monkey lover so was secretly excited about going there. 

The Owl and Monkey haven were offering free entry for Mums on Mother's day which was a lovely bonus. Especially when there were six of us all together and visiting these places isn't cheap. The sanctuary was lovely though, smaller than i expected but we had a nice time. Below our a few of my snaps from the day so you can kind of get the idea of what we saw and got up to. 

Sporting my new boots from Boo hoo. 

We only stayed at the Monkey haven for an hour as it was so cold. I can't believe this wintry weather we have having at the moment. I guess the whole of Britain is wishing for summer to hurry up right now. We decided for our afternoon entertainment to pop to Morrison's for cakes, sandwiches and scones to create a nice high tea followed by a film. Again, i forgot to take photos of this, so sorry about that.

Overall,  my mother in law and I had a lovely Mother's day. So many memories were made and cakes consumed. How did you spend your Mother's days?

Gem xx

P.s I am currently holding a giveaway. Please check it out. x

March 2013 Glossybox review

Hello ☆

This morning i received my Glossybox and this months is a good one. I skipped reviewing the February box due to problems with the courier, resulting in the box not being delivered till the end of February. I felt this was too late to review, knowing that you all probably have seen what is in that box. To be honest, the contents weren't that exciting to write about. 

The title of this months box is 'Get Chic with Glossybox'. The products included are based on getting that glossy, city chic look from the office to the club. The usual product leaflet is accompanied by a little paper travelling book which features tips of where to visit in many cities and also some cute stickers which i am planning to place on my travel memory box. Quite a handy little bonus in my opinion. 

In my box i received five products, all of which i know i will definitely use! I am so glad i didn't cancel my subscription after last months disaster.

• Tresemme Extra Hold Hairspray. For me, receiving this travel size can of hairspray couldn't come at a better time. I literally ran out of mine yesterday. Also, i am really happy with the size of this product, it is a perfect size for my handbag. Tresemme is a great brand and i have never had any dramas with their products. I am very happy with this one. 

• Nails Inc in Bruton Street - A classic dusty pink shade is which is a perfect sophisticated colour. Full size polishes cost £11 and so i rarely buy these but the are very good quality polishes. Will be sporting this shade for mother's day i think. 

• Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream - I have read quite a few fabulous reviews about this product and have been meaning to try it for a while now. This medicated 8 hour cream can be used on lips and body, which will come in handy while the weather is still freezing cold. The ml size is pretty generous as far as samples go and I think it is the perfect handbag size.

• Jelly Pong Lip Blush - The only full sized product in the box which is worth more than the entire box including p&p at £12. This is an amazing chunky crayon lip stain which is fairly similar to the ones from Revlon and Clinique. I feel the colour is a little too bright for me but will still try it out. 

• Juicy Couture, Couture La La.  I always love to receive new perfume samples to test out. I find i tend to stick to the same ones though. Personally i am not a fan of Juicy Couture but this perfume is quite nice. The scent is a perfect light floral but slightly fruity scent and will be great for the summer months.  

Overall, a great box this month. If you would like to subscribe to glossy or buy this month's box, Here is the link: Glossybox.co.uk

Gem x

P.s I am currently holding a small giveaway where you could win a £20 Amazon gift card. Check it out here: My 100 followers give-away. 

A little bit of beauty on a Friday: Topshop Highlighter review

Hello ☆

Happy Friday! I find it is definitely the best day of the week as you cant beat that feeling of knowing that the weekend is here. During the week i rushed into the city to pick up some art supplies for my two boys. However, being a shopaholic, i couldn't resist popping into Topshop for a quick peek at their new spring/ summer range. So many lovely outfits to swoon over! I need to win the lottery as soon as possible. Anyway, i didn't buy any clothes but instead picked up a couple of their makeup products. I brought a couple of their pastel nail polishes for £5 each, which i will review later on but today i want to talk about their highlighter which i picked up for £10.  This product has been on the top of my wish list since before Christmas but i never got around to buying it for whatever reason. Knowing me it was probably the £10 price tag (yes, I'm tight). 

The Topshop highlighter comes in a black sturdy box with cute kitsch stars, just like all their beauty products, which i totally love! The product itself is encased in a white, round compact which features a tight clasp which prevents any nasty spillage in your handbag. The only negative thing i can say is that the compact doesn't come with a mirror which can be a little inconvenient. 

The highlighter comes in shades Crescent Moon and Sunbeam. The only one they had in stock at the time was sunbeam, so i settled with that. I wasn't upset by this, i actually love the shade but i think it will be better for summer when i have a little more tan on my face. Sunbeam is a beautiful gold highlighter with yellow undertones. It contains a small amount of glitter which leaves a glowy shimmer on your face. The product comes in the form of a powder product, but it does not feel powdery or chalky at all. It feels quite smooth and soft, and applies smoothly and easily on the skin. Only a little powder is needed for that glowy look so I foresee this product lasting me a very long time which justifies me paying the £10 for it. Also I found it to be easily applied with both a brush as well as with fingers, making it easy if I want to touch up during the day and do not have a brush on hand to do the job. 

Over all, I absolutely love this product and the golden shimmer it leaves on my face. I wore it to a little gathering the other day and so many people complimented me on how healthy it made me look. I definitely recommend giving this one a try. Have you tried this product or do you use any other highlighters that you think i should try?

Hope you have a great weekend.
Gem xx