Gems TV: Gemporia Diamond Cross Pendant

Looking for a last minute Christmas gift for someone special? I might just have found the perfect gift. 

This is the 0.25ct sterling silver Diamond Cross Pendant and it is currently priced at £99 on Gemporia but I have a discount code for you all! If you enter 10DIAMOND you will get 10% off all diamond jewelry across the site. The piece will also be on Gems TV tonight at 9pm and I may have a little mention along with some other bloggers so it's well worth a watch. There will also be the online action which you can purchase the piece from. 

This piece totally reminds me of those keepsake jewelry pieces that last a lifetime. My mum has something similar and she loves it, I don't think I've ever seen her take it off. So if you're looking for a special piece of jewelry then I think this could be well worth a look at. 

Would love to know your favourite pieces around at the moment? What will you be buying your Mum's this Christmas? 

Lorna x

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Christmas Gift Guide: For Him

Rip n Dip Cat Beanie, Personalised Beer Glass, Fred Perry Touch Screen Gloves,

Liz Earle Men's Try Me Kit, 

 Primark Christmas Jumper, Lakai Trainers, Lomography Fish Eye Camera

As Christmas is rolling around the corner - 10 days away to be precise, how did this happen?! I thought about doing a series of Christmas gift guides but then as everyone has done them I thought again. Girls are super easy to buy for; with all the sales and discounts around and with all the deals on beauty and clothes there is something for everyone and I doubt you'd need help selecting this (if you do, ASOS have 25% off everything at the minute and they have a great gift range!) so I thought about what we do all need help with at Christmas time: THE MEN! I've set up a little gift guide with a few ideas of what you could buy for the men in your life. It's a tough one but here is what I'd buy!

The Rip n Dip Nermal Cat Beanie is a firm favourite of my boyfriend's and is something I will need to buy for him in the future. He's been obsessed since he's seen it but unfortunately as it comes from America I wouldn't be able to get it here in time. Each beanie comes with a different Cat logo, none will be the same! So it's super different and super personal to you. 

Again with the personalised bandwagon, I was having a look at Home Wet Bar as most men love a good drink, and I thought the range of personalised Beer glasses they had are great! I chose this one as it wasn't too much and loved the simplicity of the single initial. Perfect for any beer drinker!

Touch Screen Gloves are amazing. I didn't even know about these until recently when I was shopping with my lovely friend Jess, she introduced them to me and I've been obsessed ever since. Really need to get myself a pair... and everyone else I know! I found a few nice pairs on ASOS and with their 25% off code at the minute you really can't go wrong. I chose these Fred Perry ones for the gift guide as they're a little more luxurious than others but there are plenty more to choose from! 

Perhaps Christmas is a great time to get the men in your life into skincare and what better place to start than with Liz Earle. This try me kit is a great way to get them started and see whether they actually use it. Callum loves his Liz Earle bits and I've seen plenty of other Blogger boyfriends using them so it'd be great to give yours a go with it! 

Something to get into the festive spirit? Christmas jumpers are all the rage this year and there are SO many around. Primark have some great ones in but that's if you can manage to get your hands on the sizes and styles you want. This one is one of my favourites but unfortunately I didn't see this one in store when I went shopping yesterday! You can pick them up on ebay with a bit of a price hike if you do really want one though! 

Trainers are always a good shout for the men. They wear them daily and they collect them just like we do with our shoes. I chose these Lakai Skateboarding ones as the black is such a wearable colour. 

A Lomo camera is a great idea for all those photographer guys amongst you. They're great fun even if they don't already have a collection of cameras, plus the pictures that come out of them are lovely. 

So that's just a few bits that I think are pretty great ideas. I'm still on the hunt for some presents though so would love to know what you'd go for! 

Lorna x

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New Year, New Hair Do? Well Nearly...

So... I got my hair cut! I usually go for the chop around once a year, maybe a little longer sometimes. I put it off and off and off and then get lots of it cut! I usually hate going so I don't often. I went to Headmasters in Harrow to use up a voucher I got at one of the Company events and I was pleasantly surprised. I had Stuart doing my hair, and he was great. I'm not the most knowledgeable when it comes to hair but he was so helpful! Usually I go a little shorter but I didn't quite brave it this time as I didn't want to hate it and well... I didn't! He styled it so nicely and actually I was really happy with it! It does take a little longer to style now, and I haven't quite got the hang of it yet but I will. Just give me time... 

Stuart said something really interesting while cutting my hair, he said that a lot of people have been coming in for the chop with the newly colder weather so it made me wonder whether any of you have braved it? Let me know in the comments below!

Lorna x

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Brighton Stagette: The Stag do v.s The Hen do

Brighton Stagette*: a weekend of fun and frolics with some of my favourite bloggers? How could I say no! 

Eclipse Leisure, the stag night company invited 8 bloggers down to Brighton for the weekend for the full 'stag' experience. Oh, I was excited. I'd never been to Brighton before so I was excited to see what all the fuss was about. I met up with Georgina at the Victoria station before getting the train to Brighton to meet the others. We headed over to the St Jury's Inn, the hotel we were staying at and got our room keys and met Jamie, our guide for the weekend! 

Before we went we were asked to come up with cheeky/naughty stag names for each other to go on the back of each others t-shirts. I was given the task of coming up with Ellie's name. It was a tough one, but I got there eventually with a little help. I thought about the things she loves and if you read Ellie's blog or watch her videos then you will for sure know all about her love of Disney! Her favourite princess is Belle and while discussing it with my housemate Joe, he came up with Princess Belle-END! Genius! I can be so uninventive sometimes. I had also been texting Georgina and she asked me to send one over for her too - while mentioning one that her friends came up with - Orgy Georgie! I couldn't not send that one in could I? Georgina had the task of coming up with mine... Oh boy!

We got our T-Shirts and the name was revealed... 'Spunk and Wet Dreams'. Oh, Georgina! I wanted to kill her just a tad, but it was hilarious! We went up to our room and changed into the rather dashing atire - ready for our activity. We headed downstairs and met all the other bloggers. I knew the lovely Ellie already, she's one of my best blogging friends so it was super lovely to see her and the other blogger - it was so nice to meet them all! 

The activity was revealed - GO-KARTING! At first I didn't expect too much, but boy, I can't even tell you how much fun I had! The total highlight of the weekend. I want to do it again in a heartbeat... please, anyone? Let's race! I wasn't great at it, but I didn't care - it was that much fun! Ellie was the champion! 

We then headed back to the hotel to get ready. A sneaky bottle of wine for pre-drinks and 45 minutes later we were all down and ready to head off to the pub! We went for a quick drink before heading over to the Indian restaurant, Chaula's for dinner. We ordered, and were super excited for the food! Unfortunately, it took a super long time and left us running super late and the food left a lot to be desired... I wouldn't recommend! 

We then headed to Platinum Lace, a strip club. Well it wouldn't have been a stag do without one right? I'd never been before and it was definitely an experience but we didn't have time to stay long so it was a quick glass of bubbly and then we were off. 

We ended the night at Shoossh with quite a few shots and a bottle of vodka and mixers. We had our own VIP area so it was nice. A little empty when we got there but as the drinks flowed, so did the people. We finished the night with a cab to a Kebab shop and then walked back to the hotel. 

It was so much fun and was lovely to meet and see all of the other bloggers - Jayne, Gemma, Annie, Ronke, Tee and of course Ellie and Georgina. Head over to their blogs and follow them if you don't already - well worth a read! 

Since being at home and thinking about this post, it got me thinking about the comparisons to a Hen night. I was looking at a survey by Spa Breaks* and it said that the most popular activity on a Hen Night is something relaxing - like a trip to the spa and honestly this doesn't surprise me at all. It got me thinking a lot about which sort of thing I'd prefer - the crazyness of the go-karting or a relaxing day at the spa, and honestly I don't know! Perhaps I'd try and squeeze them both in? 

What would your idea hen/stag do be?

Lorna x

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Sponsored Video: Breast Cancer Awareness - The Tweeting Bra

Today on the blog I'm sharing a new Breast Cancer awareness campaign by Nestlé Fitness to bring awareness to the importance of self examination - the task we're always forgetting.They have come up with the campaign of the 'Tweeting Bra' to bring up this awareness with something we use a number of times daily - social media!

The 'Tweeting Bra' is the first bra that actually tweets - I know, I couldn't quite believe it myself either! They really have done everything now, haven't they... This bra is worn by the Greek celebrity Maria Bakodimou and every time she takes her bra off a tweet is posted to the @TweetingBra account to remind everyone about the super important task of self examination. 

It's super important, and I for one will put my hands up and admit that it isn't something that I do. Even after attend the BCA press day. I should, but I just forget. The tweets will pop up in your twitter feed, giving you a gentle reminder about it - which I think is something we could probably all do with!

Breast Cancer is actually the most common cancer in the UK - around 55,000 people are diagnosed with it each year. Early detection is so important as it means that the survival rates are improving and with constant new ways to help us remember to check like this, we really should have no excuses to take that minute out of our day every so often to just check. 

If you would like more information on the 'Tweeting Bra' campaign then head over to their website, twitter or with the hashtag #tweetingbra where you can follow and keep up to date with the latest goings on with the 'Tweeting Bra'!

I've followed, will you? 

Lorna x

*This post features sponsored content from Nestlé Fitness but all of the views featured are my own

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The Perfect Girls Night In?

I love a good girls night in. As a student it's pretty unexpected but I'm not going to lie, it's my total guilty pleasure. I love a good night out, but nothing beats that relaxing night in with the girls and waking up feeling totally relaxed and WITHOUT a hangover. Total bonus right? 

A survey by Ladbrokes Bingo showed that 70% of women prefer a girls night in* and I am not surprised in the slightest. My night in's are usually pretty impromptu because I live with 2 of my girlfriends, which probably means that they happen a little more often than they would if we planned them. Your probably wondering what my perfect girls night in would be? Well it changes often but the general recipe stays the same. BEAUTY... all the way.

The Beauty Treats

I think by now we will all know that I'm a little obsessed when it comes to beauty and what girls night would be complete with out some of it (and by some, I totally mean a lot). Skincare is a must; a good cleanse probably with my beloved Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish and then on to the face masks. My favourite at the minute has got to be the Aesop Parsley Seed Cleansing Masque, but I am partial to a little bit of a change an with the winter coming around I absolutely love using the Origins Drink Up Intensive Mask as it's super hydrating and smells amazing!  

If we're really treating ourselves we will go for a hair treatment. I'm loving the Phillip Kingsley Elasticizer at the moment, a great pre-shampoo treatment. I would usually opt to put this on at the end of the evening while we're still chatting! 

Nails, nails, nails, nails! Could I be any more excited? With my extensive collection, we love to have a good rumble in my polish draw to discover a few shades! My picks today were some beautiful purples: Kolor Kubes in Berry Burst*, Topshop's Adrenalin and Jacava's Blackberry Fool*. If we're a bit stuck for time I love using Broadway Nails imPress nails* - press on nails that apply so easily. There is an amazing shade range and they last a super long time. I am super impressed by them after giving them a couple of goes. Usually a super short nail kinda girl but these have totally converted me. Perfect for the lazy beauty addict... The Kiss Nail Wraps* work just as well - I love using these on the accent finger on top of the imPress nails, easy application too!

The Entertainment

A good movie usually works best, perhaps a good ol' chick flick? I remember cracking out Mean Girls in one of our latest evenings. That film NEVER gets old. If we can't find a film we fancy then we'll usually just stick to watching the TV or browsing on the net. Or if all else fails we will talk...and talk... and talk... and talk. We're girls, we're allowed right?

The Food & Drinks

Potentially one of the most vital parts of a girls night in, very close to the beauty (and that's coming from a total beauty addict). We love a good glass of wine, White Zinfandel is my favourite or perhaps a cocktail. But if we're perhaps a little hungover from the night before we love to go for a cup of tea or a hot chocolate. Perfect to cuddle up with a blanket while watching a film. 

Snacks come next. We love a pizza just like the next man but if that's not what we go for... Popcorn is always there and Dina is Queen at making it! Sweet, Butter Salt, Salt & Pepper, Nutella... Whatever flavour you want, you name it - she can do it! Mmmm, popcorn. 

I love a good girls night and honestly, all this writing about it has made me super excited for the next. When are we having one girls? 

Would love to know what are your top tips for the perfect girls night in!

Lorna x

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Guest Post on Tea & Lead with my favourite A/W Nail Polish Shades

As a lover of nail polishes, when my lovely friend Alice from Tea & Lead mentioned she was needing guest posters I jumped at the chance to post about some of my favourite A/W shades. It was a tough decisions and I managed to whittle it down to my top 5 and have posted about them over on Tea & Lead here and have included some swatches for you all. 

Let me know what your favourite A/W shades are? I can always add a few more to my collection. A girl can never have too many nail polishes right? 

Lorna x

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E.L.F: Waterproof Eyeliner Pen, Lip Lock Pencil and Glitter Eyeshadow

E.L.F Waterproof Eyeliner Pen* - £2.50, Lip Lock Pencil* - £3.75, Glitter Eyeshadow in Night Owl* - £2.50

I used to be obsessed with Eyes Lips Face when I was first getting into makeup. Their affordable prices meant that I could afford to try out a large range of products like I was seeing all of these bloggers doing. I wanted a piece of that lifestyle that I was forever reading about and E.L.F gave me that. I was forever ordering in bulk whenever any great deals came up or discount codes and I was shortly becoming obsessed. Just like any other beauty blogger, I then became obsessed with the next best thing and started exploring into other brands and products. I still looked on E.L.F and fancied a few bits and pieces but I just never really got round to ordering it for one reason or another so when E.L.F recently contacted me asking if I wanted to try out a few bits, I jumped at the chance.

I love a good Eyeliner Pen and actually one of my old favourites was from E.L.F, so when I saw this in the package I was pretty excited. I am such a clutz when it comes to eyeliner, especially when I'm trying to give it a bit of a winged effect. I'm forever rubbing it off with a makeup wipe trying to get that perfectly even winged liner but I usually end up with super red skin underneath before it is achieved. These eyeliner pens make this chore so much easier as it feels like your literally just drawing it on. I usually apply this over a much darker black eyeliner as I like my liner to be super black! It lasts well and I would definitely repurchase this as it is super affordable!

I used to really like the studio range from E.L.F, it is affordable but still feels as though it is a little luxurious with its sleek black packaging in comparison to the cheaper looking plastic of the normal range. Slightly more expensive than said normal range but I like them both all the same. This Lip Lock pencil is a clear, thicker nibbed lip pencil. You apply it prior to the application of your lipstick and it works as a barrier to stop bleeding etc. I really like using this as you don't need a different lip liner colour for each lipstick you use - this is great for the lipsticks I don't have a matching lip liner for!

A glitter eyeshadow, who could turn that down? A beautiful gunmetal grey glitter perfect for using in a smokey eye for a night out. I haven't used this to go out in yet as I haven't had a big night out in a while, but the next time, I will be jumping at the chance to use this bad boy! It looks beautiful swatched and I can only imagine how gorgeous it will actually look around the eye! 

I have totally got my love back for E.L.F and will be bringing out some old favourites and hopefully making some new!

What are your favourite E.L.F products?

Lorna x

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Celgenics: Moisturiser Light and Eye Essential

Celgenics Moisturiser Light* - £40 and Eye Essential* - £45

Celgenics is a brand that I am slowly getting to know quite well and boy am I enjoying it. I wrote previously about their Deep Cleansing Lotion and Classic Rose Water Toner and how much I enjoyed them. The Cleanser is super soft on the skin! Marian, the lovely lady who owns the brand kindly offered to send me some more of her beautiful products to review and of course I couldn't pass this up. I love skincare and am always on the hunt for something better, something more, something that makes my skin that much better. 

The Moisturiser Light isn't actually all that light so don't be fooled by the name. I have pretty dry skin and actually this moisturiser is aimed at dry/combination skin which I was pretty surprised about. I expected the moisturiser to not be enough for my skin, but surprisingly it was. It works to rebalance a combination or problematic skin to try and reformulate it into more of a normal skin type. It works to moisturise while still combating oily areas. I love this, it has a subtle scent which I don't generally enjoy but it smells so natural which actually it is. I love this product and will definitely continue to use it! 

The award winning Eye Essential is one of the products I was most excited about trying. It works with anti-ageing properties and although I don't really need this yet, I still want to start using it to combat early signs of ageing and also to try and reduce my dark circles! I haven't been using it for as long as the moisturiser and haven't noticed any difference yet, which honestly I don't really expect to, but either way it moisturises my under eyes and feels lovely on the skin. It revitalizes my under eyes and that is what I want in an eye cream. It's super luxurious like the rest of the product range and the natural ingredients mean that you don't have to worry about what you're putting onto your skin!

Just like the previous products I reviewed, I'd definitely recommend these too. They are great and feel super lovely on the skin. The natural scent smells lovely and they are filled with natural ingredients. I honestly can't wait to try more. Marian mentioned that they might be creating a serum and I cannot wait to give it a whirl as I know it will be as great as the other products!

Have you tried any products from Celgenics? 

Lorna x

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Introducing Jacava London

L-R Jacava Polish in Passion*, Topcoat with UV Inhibitor* and Blackberry Fool*  all £14.50

I am a totally nail polish hoarder. I need every shade... they all just look so pretty in my drawer! So when Jacava London contacted me asking me if I wanted to try their polishes of course I said yes! What nail polish addict wouldn't... I am totally in love with the shades that they have sent me and the packaging is just wow. It is beautiful and looks so luxurious. I've never seen a bottle like it! I was a little unsure that it would fit in my storage with my other polishes but it definitely did. They are tall, but they're not THAT tall. 

Passion is a beautiful dark pink/purple shade, perfect for A/W; I can imagine painting this on my nails through out the autumn! Blackberry Fool is a slightly lighter version of a pink/purple shade. The image doesn't show it's exact colour as it was really hard to capture it on camera but it is something actually I don't have in my collection. That perfect mixture of pink and purple which isn't too much of either, oh I'm in love... The Topcoat with UV Inhibitor is pretty quick drying and super glossy and although I've only used it with these shades, the UV Inhibitor is said to keep whites, white for longer and that I something I cannot wait to try out. The wear of these polishes is pretty good, although for me I usually take off polish before it gets too chipped anyway as I get bored of the shade! The pigmentation is great and isn't streaky at all. 

I'd definitely recommend these if you're looking for a luxurious polish to pick up! I can imagine these would be great to give as a gift too! They sell some in set's which would be great for this! 

Lorna x

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Introducing Veil Cover Cream

Veil Cover Cream Demonstration Kit* - £40.64

Veil Cover Cream is a total new brand and actually a totally new product to me. I've never really thought about the need for products to cover up in such a way and although I probably did now that they existed I just had never thought about trying them. When Veil Cover Cream contacted me to try this out I was a bit sceptical as I hadn't ever seen anything like it but after tweeting about it asking who else had tried it I had to see what all the fuss was about. I had a really great response, so many women telling me what a great effect the product had had on their lives. One woman mentioned how it changed her wedding day for the better and made her feel comfortable in herself to make her feel better about herself. So in essence, it isn't just a product, it's something that can have this overwhelming effect on specific people and honestly help people for the better! 

It isn't something I genuinely need myself, but I wanted to share with you all the product and the idea of cosmetic camouflage as after hearing those women's stories I need you all to hear too! Veil Cover Cream is a super thick and heavy coverage product that can be applied as a concealer where needed or as an all-over foundation. It should be applied to freshly cleansed and toned skin, much like any other makeup. It can be applied in any way you like - if using like a concealer, I'd probably use my finger and then a brush to blend. You can the apply the Veil Finishing Powder over the top to set the product. It should then be fully camouflaged and completely unnoticeable - as you can see on the cover image! 

I think this is such a great product, and they have a brilliant shade range and have a sample pack that you can order prior to making the full purchase which the cost would then come off your next purchase so you're not wasting any money making sure you get the perfect shade for you. 

If this is something you feel like you may need or know someone that would then honestly I couldn't recommend it more. I've never had a response like that to a tweet and I know that there will be plenty more people who's lives have changed through this product. We all know that beauty can have such an effect on people and if something like this can up someone's confidence that much then no one should be able to stop them! 

Have you tried Veil Cover Cream before?

Lorna x

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Introducing Charmed Ivy Jewelry

 Dainty Cross Ring* - £2.50 & Studded Cross Earrings* - £1.50

Charmed Ivy is a new online jewelry store at affordable prices and it really is super cute! They sent me a couple of pieces to review and I'm actually really happy with the selection. Both gold, which I would say is the finish that I choose to wear the majority of the time. I usually find it goes better with what I'm wearing. 

I was really happy with the studded earrings as of course we all know that I love a good ol' stud! I don't really wear earrings though as my ears get irritated really easily. So I may pass these onto someone else or may keep them for a rainy day when I do decide to wear some as they are super cute and totally my style. 

I was a bit apprehensive when I saw the ring because although I really did like it, rings don't usually fit me that well so I just assumed that this would be the case here too. I put it on and voila it fitted and not just, it fitted perfectly! And on a number of fingers. Boy was I happy. I love the simplicity of the design, and I love that it isn't too out there so would work well with a number of other rings as well. 

I love the jewelry  and I would definitely recommend it. It's super affordable and even if you didn't love the pieces as much as you thought you would, if you'd wear them a couple of times then you honestly can't go wrong at that price!  

What are your favourite pieces? 

Lorna x

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