So before I was kindly gifted this  British Beauty Box, it is safe to say I was a 'subscription box virgin'. Don't get me wrong, I have always loved the idea of them and think they're a great way to try new products but I just never decided to bite the bullet. After trying this box out, I have no idea what was holding me back and truly regret waiting so long. This beauty box is a little more premium than some of the boxes you get and you receive at least 3 full-sized products which I think is brilliant for the £35 monthly fee. 

So in my box, I was really happy with the variety of products I got in it and I liked that they were all brands I had never heard before as there is nothing more disappointing than receiving products you've already heard about. Well that's my opinion anyway as I feel these boxes should encourage you to try new products and explore different brands at a much more affordable price. You have the option of purchasing yearly or quarterly with the option to cancel at any time! A perfect little treat all year round!

I am so glad I was given to opportunity to try this box and will happily explore others from now on without holding back! Have you tried any subscription boxes?

Gemma x

Nothing brightens up a bedroom like flowers/plants do and they are my favourite piece of decor to add. If you looked in my bedroom you would see a lot of greenery but now and then I like to add a pop of colour with flowers. I was kindly gifted this hatbox from Haute Florist and was pleasantly surprised. By far they are the best quality of flowers I've had as they are still growing strong well after a week and are looking healthy. The brand and packaging looks very luxurious as is exactly the gift I would want to give someone (and then keep because I love them too much)!

Gemma x

As some of you will know I am a teacher and sadly my Summer holidays are coming to an end. I've recently really found my love for blogging again, especially Instagram wise and plan to continue with that for as long as I can juggle with work!

I'm also starting a brand new job this time round which I'm super excited about. I started to lose my passion for teaching and decided it was time for a change. 

I'm shortly going to be heading to New York with my boyfriend and I cannot wait! We are going to do the basic attractions, shop and try out all the typical New York food places. We will also be celebrating our birthday out there at a nice restaurant as our birthday is only a week apart Usually we would get an airbnb somewhere but it makes sense to do it in New York as it's only a few weeks later!

Apart from that, life is good! Like really good! I'm hoping to move out with my boyfriend or at least seriously start looking next year. I got a new job with a promotion. So far, everything is bliss.

Gemma x

I will never forget the first time I put on fake tan because since then I never looked back. Fake tan life is great, I don't know how or why but I just feel so much better when it's on. My outfits look better, my skin looks better, I'm not the only one? The only downfall to fake tan, which I'm sure everyone will agree with, is the smell. My boyfriend always takes a whiff and you can tell by his face that the smell is a little odd. When I found out about this Coconut range from Fake Bake I was mesmerised and had to get my hands on it! 

First of all, the application was amazing! I had never used a serum like application but it took less time to apply than a mousse I usually use and it didn't streak at all! I will never go back to be honest. It is a medium shade and honestly I wish I had got darker because it gave me a great colour the first day but just a glow after that. When it came the smell it definitely wasn't as strong and you could smell the hint of coconut. Of course there was a slight fake tan smell but I even got it boyfriend checked and he said it smelt much better! I got these kindly gifted by Fragrance Direct and would recommend them with fast delivery and great offers!

Gemma x

I brought this dreamy ;) lighting not too long ago from Primark as I felt like something was missing from my bedroom. Usually people tend to hand photographs over their bed but I had already had some in another location and didn't want to over do it! I have been seeing a lot of lighting like this however they were personalised such as names or quotes. They were stunning but I noticed not many lit up or they were a bit more than I wanted to spend. When I did spot this in Primark I almost ran to it as it was perfect! All it needs are 2 AA batteries, now I don't want to deceive you guys but I did edit out the wire for aesthetic purposes but honestly the wire is clear and barely noticeable. Mine sits nicely beside my headboard and was so easy to put up with two small nails!

Gemma x

I never used to be a soppy, romantic type who would openly admit how in love I am and post lots of love quotes but since meeting my boyfriend things have certainly changed! I have always loved surprising people and being thoughtful which then turned into my romantic side coming out. I would choose a homemade meal with candles and flowers over eating at a fancy restaurant. I would choose a cabin in the woods over a 5* hotel. I would choose a handwritten card over buying gifts and luckily enough I have a boyfriend who is also good at surprises, thoughtful and romantic and makes me feel so lucky. It also helps with saving money and keeping things exciting in the relationship which is why I think we have got stronger over the year we've been together. Here are my top 5 date nights that I would recommend doing with your partner!

1. (Stolen from my bf) Buy their favourite snacks, grab a card and write something person to them and set this up as a surprise in another room. Chuck some fairy lights over or candles to add some warm lighting and romance!

2. Grab a blanket and basket and go for a little picnic. We have done this often in different locations and has been really fun! You could make it fun by turning it into a little challenge - both grab 3 items each that you think the other person will like!

3. Turn your bedroom into a cinema by putting the mattress on the floor with lots of pillows and blankets. Adding my favourite touch - candles and fairy lights and don't forget the popcorn!

4. Have a pamper night in. I don't care what guys tell you but they definitely love a face mask so grab a mask, cream, nail file whatever you can talk your partner into and relax together. This is also a great time to treat each other to a nice massage to properly unwind.

5. Surprises! No matter how little or big it is I think it's the most important thing to keep a relationship alive. Nobody wants to be with someone and begin to get bored. A nice, simple surprise I did in the past was when my bf had a long day at work so I picked him up from the station. When he was in the car I told him to look in the drawer and there were his favourite chocolates! It could even be trying something new like an escape room or a new restaurant together!

Gemma x

Okay, so I have now found my newest addictions - perfumes! A while ago I would be using the same fragrance day and night and never really switched it up, I think I just got comfortable. I'm so glad that has now changed as I have discovered so many amazing scents including these four above!

I like to try and change my fragrance every season and get a new day and night scent to spruce it up. Fragrance Direct have kindly sent out these new fragrances for men and women that not only look stunning but also smell great too. For women, I went with la vie est belle and black opium which are classics but with a new design which I am in love with. Personally I use la vie est belle in the day as it has a fresher and fruiter scent and then black opium in the evening as it has a more sexy smell. For men, I chose some new scents - Eros Flame by Versace and Infinite by Hugo Boss. Infinite has has the usual, gorgeous male scent that I love where as Eros Flame took me by surprise and was little more fresh and fruity but still amazing.

What perfumes are you wearing at the moment?
Gemma x 

Skincare products and routines are becoming so much more hyped recently am I right? I'm not complaining as my skin has never felt better and I love a good excuse to go and buy new products to try but currently I have been sold by these beauties. For Christmas I was treated to a Pixi skincare set and I have never tried them before. Admittedly, it did take me a while to open them and use because the packaging is adorable with the pastel colours. The scent of these products are perfect for skincare making you feel cosy and calm but I am particularly impressed with the peel and polish and how such a simple product can make me face glow! I also am in love with the glow tonic as it is very refreshing but also very kind on skin as some can be a bit too harsh...

Pixi is definitely my new favourite skincare brand, not only could I sit there and photograph them all day but also constantly use them. Which skincare brand is your go to?

Gemma x

After speaking with a few friends I’m definitely not the only one who struggles with gift ideas when it comes to Mother’s Day. For me, it’s just been Christmas and my mum’s birthday so when it gets to mother’s day panic mode is on. Surprisingly this year has been made really easy for me when The Perfume Shop got in touch with me about their new Marc Jacob’s Daisy collection. Their fragrance is something I’m sure everybody is familiar with but when I was shown this packaging it surprised me. Their bottle has been given a summer makeover and will make you dream of summer. There are four different bottle designs with this being one I was kindly gifted and is also my favourite! Aside from the bottle the smell is as fabulous as ever and really has a summer fresh smell.

This is a new addition this year so unless your mum is a shopoholic then this is bound to be new to her collection. Starting at £57 with the bottle being a healthy size get over to The Perfume Shop and bag this number while you can! (Maybe even one for yourself?)

Gemma x

I've been feeling poorly for the past few weeks and if there's one thing that can cheer me up, like most girls its shopping! Some of these were top ups of my favourite products and others brand new like the Primark lashes which are stunning on. I went into Primark knowing that a lot of people rave about their eyelashes and spotted these from their glam lash collection. They were the more expensive of their range but they are definitely very realist looking as in the lashes look almost like mink ones. I've worn them a few times are they are very glam but actually so comfortable to wear!

The rest of my purchases were my restock as they really are my favourites. Starting with the Urban Decay all nighter foundation - this never fails me. Its just the right coverage and also very mattifying which is something I love in foundation. Next was my Anastasia Brow Gel which I was unsure to repurchase. I don't know just for me can I justify that amount on a gel when any gel would work the same. I ended up repurchasing not only to treat myself but as much as I was unsure I can't knock the product, it works for me! Next purchase was of course the Laura Mercier powder which I don't even have to go into detail with as everyone will agree it's the best powder out there. Lastly, my Kiko bronzer... I actually don't know of any bronzers so when I hit the pan on my current Kiko I panicked - do I go for a new one or do I stick with something I know and love. After searching around I decided to stay with my Kiko product as it's nice and buildable but also a really good bronzing shade for me! 

What's your makeup favs?

Gemma x

I always tend to get bored of my room and can’t help buying myself some new pieces to give it a little bit of a revamp! My go to place is primark at the moment for gold decor and is where I picked these two snazzy pieces up! The memo board and this gold hexagon shelf are now some of my most loved pieces in my room as they’re super quirky and of course - gold! Honestly couldn’t tell you the price of them from my head but they were no more than £10/£15 which I think is amazing! 

The board comes with gold and black plastic pieces to design your message. Apart from the letter, the rest of the frame feels of good quality and nice and study when on my wall! With the shelf I was unsure whether to have it standing or hanging on the wall as it has both options but ended up using it as a storage frame rather than shelf! I popped on a photo frame and some stationary bits next to my computer and am in love! 

Gemma x

You usually can't take me away from a black shoulder bag so it was no surprise getting this little number from the one and only heaven of bags - River Island. I am lovingggg the texture on this bag with the little gold detailing (my favourite colour for everything) and there are a few little compartments on the front. If you like having compartments then this isn't the bag for you as I wish there was a zip inside and the pockets at the front were bigger but then it does make me carry less which is a good thing too! I can use this for night outs, casual day time or even take off the handle and use as a clutch!

Where do you get your bags from?

Gemma x

Not too long ago I was sucked into the hair extension phase and honestly I loved every minute of it until my hair grew and the up keep was getting too much resulting in me taking them out. I know I had gone from having thick hair to my natural, thinner hair but I'm almost certain my hair was a lot thinner than usual. For most girls I know, hair means a lot so I was so gutted and unhappy with my hair, I just constantly wanted to tie it up and hide it away. 

I began to do some research into some proper products to help with the quality of my hair as honestly, the most I'd ever use was a heat protector and even that was occasional (oops). I came across this hair burst brand in Holland and Barretts and Superdrug and they had amazingggg reviews. For me, I wouldn't class them as cheap. The shampoo and conditioner was around £20 and the hair elixir £15 so I did expect to see some results if I had invested in them. The aim of the brand is natural products to boost your hair growth and get as much length as possible in the shortest time while also strengthening  your hair and protecting it from breakage (the bain of my life).

I've been using these products for about a month now and honestly my hair growth as come from no where. It began at my collarbone and has grown around 2-3 inches as well as my hair finally starting to feel thick and healthy again. I was so happy with my results especially as I do love a good full head of highlights and I can still get my hair to grow! Definitely give these a try!!

Gemma 

Since this being my first Christmas spent with a boyfriend, boy how I've realised how hard it is to buy for men! For my dad and grandad it was easy just to get them a voucher or something but I couldn't do that to my boyfriend as that would be no fun to unwrap. I feel like skincare stuff always goes down a treat as there's no way they wouldn't like them but then there's so many brands I've never heard of which makes my indecisiveness 10x harder - this is where Nivea comes in...

Until recently, I had never heard of this brand let alone tried out their products. I know what you're thinking, where have you been hiding huh Gemma? But honestly I don't think it's a brand that crops up a lot, maybe because their products are a little more advanced than others who knows. 

Not too along ago was my birthday and my sister kindly got me these from BeautyBay to try. Minus the fancy terms, the red bottle is basically a home skin peel and the product on the left is a strong toner. These products do need to be used carefully as they are to improve your skin texture, so I wouldn't go overboard if I were you... Both products I felt had an effect straight away, they gave my skin a tingly feeling that wasn't uncomfortable but also brightened and softened my skin. I've been using them for about a week now hoping that it will even my skin texture and will definately keep you updated. 

Have you tried this brand before?

Gemma

I know it's a bad habit (with also lots of good), but I love trying out new cosmetic/skincare products. I think you can class that as a hobby right? Now for some of you I'm sure ItCosmetics isn't a new cosmetic/skincare brand but it wasn't too long ago that it was launched in the UK and I am so happy it is now in my life. Now I know this is a super bold statement but after trying on these three products I'm ready to say that this may be my new favourite go to brand! I have never been so impressed with every single product that it straight away was swapped into my daily products. The packaging is simple and sleek and the quality of the products is something you cannot fault (I will go into detail later in the post). The price point I would say is fairly similar to MAC's price points and oh so worth it too...

So the three products I had tried was an eye concealer, mascara and eye liner. I wear eye liner the majority of the time when I go out so for me it's important that I find a pigmented, thin and easy applicator which this eyeliner easily ticks off. Can I also mention that it has some sort of super powers when staying on, you can't get it to budge but it's not a nightmare when taking off of a night which is so good. Trust me, I've done a lot of things with this eyeliner on and it's still perfect. 

The mascara is stunning, not as impressive as the others but still stunning. With one application your lashes look long and full and it doesn't rub off onto your eyelid/skin. I really like the applicator as it is easy to grip and apply too!

This concealer. Let me tell you if you haven't had sleep since 2003, this concealer will cover that up with ease! Now it's super important that you use the tiny amount and slowly build up as it is a thick consistency and can easily looked 'caked' but if you apply it right, it will mask away any lack of sleep you may have. It is in the £20 mark which is a lot compared to my Collection 2000 concealer but honestly with the little amount you need it would probably equal out anyway.

I am so impressed with the brand that I cannot wait to try the other products, especially as halloween is around the corner! If you haven't tried it out, you needed to!

Gemma x

My birthday is coming up in just over a month and I am a huuuuge birthday lover which is why during this period of the year more than ever I like to treat myself a little more than usual. It might be trying out some new beauty products or going for a bold piece of clothing I wouldn't usually wear to simply treating myself to a nice cosy night in with my favourite snacks, drinks and films. Therefore, it's inspired me to do a new feature for the next few weeks and hey, if it goes well maybe even longer. 

'Feel Good Friday' will be a range of different posts of what makes me currently feel good. Next week is a cheeky collaboration with IT Cosmetics showing off some new products that make me feel my best when putting my face on and hopefully inspires you guys to try something new or invest back into that luxury makeup piece you once had that made you feel glam.

Gemma x