Samantha Morris Prints (Featured in Britain and Ireland's Next Top Model House)...

If any of you are fans of Britain and Ireland's next Top Model 2011, you will know that the house they live in is well designed with unique, funky items here and there - little quirky things that you wish you had in your own house/bedroom...or is this just me?

I was recently contacted by the lovely Christianne, who is the PR lady for Samantha Morris (designer and print maker). Now I'm not going to lie, before she contacted me I personally didn't know who Samantha Morris was. However when I was introduced to Samantha and her work I was instantly interested and attracted to what she did, as it was right up my street.

I love unique items that add a little quirkiness to a room, a letter, a kitchen, a parcel and so on and so forth...especially if it involves Fashion/Beauty, which in this case, it does!

Samantha Morris has designed three specific prints that are featured in the house of Britain and Ireland's Next Top Model 2011. I was so excited to see these prints because of the massive fashion connection! Here they are in the house:

                                     Picture courtesy of Christianne Lambert.

As you can see the prints have a fashion 'high heel' resemblance and are inspired by Alfred Hitchcock who is also a lover of fashion. The 'Hitchcock Shoe Series', as the prints are called, depict three of his most chilling films: The Birds, Dial M for Murder and Rear Window (In order from top to bottom), all with that fabulous Samantha Morris (Keep Glam and Rock On) twist!!!

You can see the prints in the house when the girls get emails from Elle Macpherson.

If you want to see the prints up close and personal, visit Samantha's fabulous website here. The prints are under the 'Prints Charming' section. I love all her quirky little section names and slogans :-). The prints are £25 each (without frames), they are 30cm x 40cm and all fit in standard frames. They are limited edition, so won't be there forever - I would snap them up while you can :-).

I have 'The Birds' print and I absolutely adore it! I feel somewhat special having it, I think mainly because I am hugely into Fashion but also Film so combining the two on a print is amazing. However, I have to say I love the fact that the print is one of three by Samantha Morris in the house of Britain and Ireland's Next Top Model 2011 - and I have one!

Samantha also designs stationery, tea towels, mugs, cushions and much more, all with fabulous slogans and designs!

I would definitely recommend having a look at Samantha's website - if your anything like me, you will fall in love with her designs, products, prints and slogans :-).

I am really tempted to buy some of her other unique items, either for myself or as presents :-).

Thanks so much for reading my post - please follow, like and comment :-).

Much Love Gem XxOo

You can find me on YouTube here.

You can find me on Twitter here.

Disclaimer: Samantha sent me my print for review purposes, but I have not been paid to do this post. All opinions are my own and 100% honest.

Topshop Beauty...

As you are all probably aware, Topshop started selling beauty products back in 2010. The products have simple, but effectively sweet and chic packaging, which looks great on any dressing table or in any make-up bag. The cute spots and stripes add a fun element to the make-up, but don't take away the fact that the products are suitable for all ages.

I don't tend to shop online as much as I did last year (before the beauty products were released for sale) and my local Topshop has next to nothing beauty wise in store. I'm lucky if I go to my local Topshop and they have more than a couple of nail polishes, whereas if I go to a Topshop elsewhere, I'm blown away by the choice. So, the only time I really am able to look at the Topshop beauty products (wide range) is if I go to Birmingham or London.

I recently was given the opportunity to test and review some Topshop beauty products and I'm not going to lie-I jumped at the chance. I haven't been able to splash out as much recently, so although I have wanted to buy many items from the Topshop beauty products range, I have had to be a good girl.

Anyway, I have had so much fun trying out different items and some I liked and others not so much. I didn't choose the products myself to review, I was just sent a range so it wasn't biased that I was sure to like every single thing. Some of the items don't seem to be available online anymore for some reason, so I won't be able to provide links for all. Instead, I will put the prices in as I am talking about each item and I will put the Topshop website at the bottom of my post. You might be better off going into a Topshop store though (especially Birmingham and London as they have more of a range-I am not sure about anywhere else, apart from where I live where it is pants lol).

I'm going to start with Lipsticks...

From left to right: On The Town and Ohh La La.

My first impressions of these colours were mixed, when I first saw the orange/coral one I absolutely loved it! Mainly because I am really into coral/peach colour make-up at the minute. I have to apply it thinly and sparingly, as if it is too bright it doesn't suit me as much-but I still love the colour! The purple one on the other hand, I was unsure about. When I swatched it on my hand (the morning I received it), I still wasn't sure. It is quite a sheer colour, which I know quite a lot of my subscribers on YouTube like. However, with me I tend to go for block colours (whether bright or subtle) not sheer. I just don't think they suit me as much.

The lipsticks are velvet finish and are designed to smooth, moisturise and nourish lips. They don't dry out the lips and are matte in terms of no sparkle. They do have a shiny finish-so you don't really need to add a shiny lip gloss on top as they look perfect on their own. In my opinion, I feel they are really pigmented. You don't have to be too hasty applying the lipstick, they are full of colour and a quick swipe is really all you need-I didn't need much anyway for full colour lips. The only thing I would say beforehand is make sure you have smooth lips before applying this, because they do accentuate any dry patches you might have, even slight ones. These lipsticks are currently £8 each.

Nail Polishes...

From left to right: Sandy Lane and Dust Storm.

On first impressions, I have to be honest, I wasn't sure about either of these colours. I will tell you why. Sandy Lane just didn't appeal to me colour wise. I have very pale skin and I thought that this would be suited to those with a bit more of a tan than me. Dust storm I wasn't sure about because it was an iridescent colour and quite transparent (it wasn't a block colour). Again, the same as with lipsticks I tend to stick to block colours in nail polishes and have never myself bought a sheer colour as I always thought if you can hardly see the polish on your nails, what's the point?

How wrong was I?! I tried wearing Dust Storm first for the simple fact that it was a purple/pink colour (I love purple). You do need two coats of this, but you do with Sandy Lane aswell, so it doesn't really matter that it is quite a transparent colour-two coats will provide full coverage (well it did for me anyway). I must admit that when applied and dried (which took about 2-3 minutes) I was quite taken back by how beautiful it was. Now, I know you might think that's a bit over the top, but this is coming from someone who doesn't go for these types of polishes. It is such a gorgeous purple iridescent colour with pink sparkle. I will definitely not be so ignorant to polishes like this in the future and I will test them or try them out.

So, if you are like me-give them a chance, you might be surprised, especially with this one! It lasts just over a week without chipping and I must admit I don't always apply a top coat under or over the polish. So if you do, you might get more wear out of it :-). Sandy Lane on the other hand, has all the same features as Dust Storm (drying time, chipping time, two coat coverage), but I just wasn't keen on the colour. I did try it, but it didn't look right and so it didn't stay on my nails that long before I took it off. I might try it when I have a tan or when I fake tan and see what it looks like then. These nail polishes are currently £5 each.

Skin Tint...

I received this in light and I was interested and keen to try it as I am fussy with foundations/tinted moisturisers as I struggle to find ones that suit my skin tone and aren't too heavy. My perfect foundation is Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua-B20, so I like light foundations that still provide coverage and am always looking for foundations/tinted moisturisers to match this. The first thing I noticed about this skin tint was the smell. It smells like Johnson's baby lotion-the pink bottle. Such a lovely smell.

This is what it looks like when first pumped onto my hand...

So already you can see it is darker than my skin tone and this is meant to be the light version :-/.

Rubbing it in...

You can see how dark this is. So putting this on my face (which I did when I first received it), I wasn't too keen to be honest. It took some serious blending in and even when I had finished it still didn't look or feel right-it just obviously isn't meant for me.

This is what it looked like blended all the way in...

  From left to right: hand with skin tint on and hand without the skin tint on.

You can see that the hand with the skin tint on has a little bit more colour to it than the hand without. So you can tell it has been applied. It took some serious blending though. I also found that it is quite heavy and thick for the face. It also doesn't provide much coverage. It's not so much greasy but I knew I had it on, whereas with the Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua it doesn't feel like you are wearing anything (I compare it to that because that's what I prefer-so if I can find one similar that's cheaper, that would be fab, but this isn't the one). I feel this would be good for an instant wash off tan, people with the same skin tone as me could get a darker version which would work fab for the body, but I wouldn't recommend it for the face. However, for day to day use, this isn't for me. On the Topshop website there are currently two reviews, both 5 out of 5. So it is clear some people really like it-it just goes to show, don't be put off by this if you do have the same skin tone as me because you may find it works for you :-). This skin tint is currently £10.

Waterproof Mascara...

I was sent this mascara in Raven which is Black. The brush is an even all round brush, medium sized. I first noticed when taking the wand out of the tube that there was a lot of product on the brush and I had to wipe some off onto the tube before applying because I don't really like clumpy lashes, which is what the wand looked like it would produce with all that product. If you apply mascara with a heavy hand you will more than likely experience getting this on your lids, as the formula of the mascara is quite gloopy. I love love love the colour of this-I know it is just Black but it is deep Black and I love Ultra Black mascara on my lashes, it just makes them look more defined and makes my eyes stand out. After I wiped the excess out on the tube, the application went without any trouble at all. The mascara does last all day without flaking or smudging. The mascara I can say definitely lengthens and thickens the lashes-it really makes your eyes stand out. It looks like you are wearing false lashes, but without the worry of them falling off. I can't really comment on the waterproof feature of the mascara, as I haven't experienced getting my lashes wet whilst wearing this. However, I have to say it does take a while to get off :-/ so this is probably the waterproof feature kicking in :-). This mascara is currently £8.

Gel Liner and Liner Brush...

The gel liner is in Ink (Black) and I was really happy to receive this as I have never used a gel eye-liner. I have always stuck to Kohl pencil liners. I was a little bit unsure about this because I have always stayed away from liquid liners because I don't seem to have the knack when it comes to applying them, so I thought this would be the same. However, I was pleasantly surprised with how easy this was to apply. The liner brush is perfect with this and the gel liner goes on really smoothly, so there is no dragging of the lid. Again, as it is deep black, it really makes the eyes stand out. It doesn't smudge and lasts all day without budging. It doesn't fade throughout the day either, it stays a solid, block colour-it's perfect! I love using this and there is so much product in the tub it is going to last for ages. The gel liner is currently £8 and the liner brush is currently £4.

Kohl Pencil Liner...

I received this in Dragonfly, which is a Metallic Green, although it looks black. It is a really really dark Green. I'm confused about this colour because on the Topshop website pictures, the colour is green, you can tell it is green. However, I have swatched this everywhere, in different lights and it still comes out as the above swatched colour-which looks black :-/. You can surely say that the colour is intense. The pencil is so so soft when applying this liner, which is perfect, there is nothing worse than a hard pencil liner dragging across your lid :-(. It is really easy to apply and tends to stay in place, but I have found that it doesn't stay put as much as the gel liner does. You can blend and smudge this a lot easier-for a smokier eye. It does have a sparkle to it, but it is seriously minor and subtle, so nothing too daring, just pretty :-). I love this as I wear coloured liner pencil on my top lash line all the time-so this is perfect for me. This kohl pencil liner is currently £4.

Semi-Permanent Liner...

I received this in Infinite and this is one super long lasting liner! It is for sure called 'semi-permanent' for a reason, although I would call it pretty much permanent. If you are someone who is always on the go, in a rush, never stops throughout the day and is always worrying about smudging your make-up. This is definitely a product for you. It stays put for ages! Definitely all day and if you weren't to take it off, I wouldn't be uncertain about it lasting days maybe even a week :-/. I was shocked at how smudge-proof this was and I thought the gel liner was good! It does have a subtle shimmer, but nothing that is going to be too much for a day look. You can smudge this before it dries for a smoky look, but you have to be quick lol. It does recommend on the packaging to use an oil based make-up remover to get it off...highly recommended! I love this product though-I'm tempted to get more colours! This is currently £8.

Now onto a product I have bought myself...

Cream to Powder Blush...

Picture courtesy of the Topshop website.

I have mine in Neon Rose (above). It is gorgeous and described as being coral on the website. It doesn't really look like a coral colour in real life-I don't think. It is more of a deep pink. When applied it gives a really rosy glow to the cheeks. It is really easy to apply/blend and a little goes a long way. I have found with this that it can accentuate dry skin a little, if you have it. So I would recommend moisturising especially well if you are going to use this. I do love the blusher though and it lasts for ages which is great! I really want to get the more peachy colours in this type of blush :-). This is currently £6.

I absolutely love Topshop beauty products and although there are some products that aren't for me, there is definitely a huge range to choose from to find the right products :-). Most items that have faults (in my opinion) make up for it in other ways. There is definitely something to suit everyone! Have a look in your local Topshop for their range of beauty products or have a look on the Topshop website here.

Have any of you lovelies tried Topshop beauty products?

What are your favourite products and your not so favourite products?

Thanks so much for reading my post-please follow, like and comment :-).

Much Love Gem XxOo

You can find me on YouTube here.

You can find me on Twitter here.

Disclaimer: I would just like to add that even though I have been sent these products to review (apart from the Neon Rose Blush), I am an honest person and all my thoughts and opinions are my own.

Pictures: All pictures unless otherwise stated are my own. If you wish to use them please credit my name by them-Gemma Tranter.

My Current Wish List (August 2011)...

There are sooo many things that I have had my eye on recently. However, due to me and my Fiancé saving for our wedding and just generally not being able to splash out as much as I have wanted to-I have had to refrain from buying all the beauties that I would like :-(. So, I thought I would share my current wish list with you all...it'll be cool to see which of you lovelies have any of the items and which of you want the same items as me :-).

There are a fair few things, so prepare yourselves...ha ha.

First off, I have been after some merged blushers for a while now. I would love to have a pink one, a peach one and a bronzing one. I just like the look of them and the fact that they have more than one colour in them. The Accessorize ones have really been taking my fancy especially these two below. The pink one is called 'Diva' and the bronze one is called 'Bombshell'. You can get these from Superdrug and on the website at the moment they are £5.50 each. You can see them here.

                                  Pictures courtesy of the Superdrug website.

I am majorly into cute, flowy day to day dresses that I can either wear bare-legged, with tights or with leggings. I love this one from Asos-the green is a little different as I usually go for dark, neutral or coral colours in clothes. However, I love the colour of this and the scalloped style collar is so cute and goes all round the back aswell! I could see myself wearing this a lot and feeling really comfortable and girly in it :-). At the moment it is £35 from Asos, you can see it here.

Picture courtesy of the Asos website.

I love coral/peachy colours at the minute, whether it be in make-up, accessories or clothes. I have wanted this make-up item ever since it came out, as I have tried the Benetint and Posietint from Benefit. I didn't buy the full size products of these, but I had them free in Glamour Magazine (June 2011). I did have to buy two magazines to get these two products, but I love them and use them all the time! When I spotted the ChaChatint, I fell in love with it, but it is £24.50 at the minute on the Boots website and I can't really justify spending that when I don't really NEED it, I would just like it. Anyway it is described as a mango colour-so I can imagine it being a peachy/coral colour and you can see it here.

Picture courtesy of the Benefit website.

This necklace I have wanted for a long long time.

Picture courtesy of gemsinvogue from Etsy.

The necklace seems to be really hard to find anywhere else but Etsy. There are a lot of different sellers that sell this style of necklace-some are real gold/silver some are just plated and so range in price. I would love the above gold one and preferably real gold so it doesn't discolour. There are also some really pretty different coloured crosses (also side crosses) and the below turquoise one has also really caught my eye...so pretty! Like I said there are a lot of sellers that sell this style of necklace but you can see the search results here.

Picture courtesy of DelicacyJ from Etsy.

I have seen this bronzing powder spray in many people's hauls on YouTube and to be honest I did see it in Boots last time I was out shopping, but I opted for another bronzer instead of this one as I wasn't sure about it. However, after seeing people use it on YouTube, I would love to try it out for myself. It is the Bourjois Delice de Soleil Bronzing Powder Spray for Face and Body. It is available at the minute for £7.99 from Boots and you can see it here.

Picture courtesy of the Boots website.

I live in the UK, so the next product I can't get here, but it is something I have seen many a time on YouTube and just something I would like myself. It is the EOS Smooth Sphere Organic Lip Balm-just a simple product, but I like that it is a little bit different. I also love the fact that it is 95% organic, 100% natural, aswell as being petrolatum and paraben free-bonus! From the EOS website (which I could order from, but the shipping is quite expensive considering I only want one :-/) at the minute they are $3.29 and you can see them here. I love the sound of the Strawberry Sorbet and the Lemon Drop.

Pictures courtesy of the EOS website.

I have also had my eye on some espradrilles lately. A nice black and navy blue pair would be lovely :-). I know that many places sell them, but the below ones from Asos look really nice. The navy ones are currently £6 on sale and you can view them here. The black ones are currently £5 on sale and you can view them here.

Pictures courtesy of the Asos website.

I actually ordered the below skirt a few months ago from H&M and when some of the other items I ordered came through, the delivery note said that the skirt was out of stock and that I wouldn't be receiving it. However, I still love it and it is on sale at the moment but my size is currently (surprise, surprise) out of stock, so I don't think I'm ever going to get it. It is currently £3.99, reduced from £7.99 and you can see it here. I love how I could just tuck a vest top into it and it would feel really comfy and casual, whilst also being summery and girly.

Picture courtesy of the H&M website.

I'm loving these two jewellery items from Asos at the minute. The gummy bracelets with hanging peace sign charms are £6 at the minute and you can see them here. The extra long pendant with heart charm necklace is currently £6 and you can see this here.

Pictures courtesy of the Asos website.

There are some mineralised blushes from Mac (that remind me of the Accessorize merged blushers) that I would love to get my hands on. The ones I like the most are 'Feeling Flush and 'Warmth of Coral'. They are both £19 and you can see them here.

Pictures courtesy of the MAC website.

I have wanted a tapered face brush for a while now. Mainly to use for contouring and the one I like the look of the most is the MAC one, it is £37 and you can see it here. Does anyone have this brush? Is it worth the price? Does anyone know any other tapered face brushes that are slightly cheaper?

Picture courtesy of the MAC website.

There is a NARS blush that I really like at the moment. It's called 'Torrid' and it's a coral shimmer colour. It's £20.50 from Asos, you can see it here.

Picture courtesy of the Asos website.

There is a dress that has been really popular lately, that I would just love to have! I have seen it on a website called Own The Runway and Frankie from The Saturdays has been seen wearing it. It is a belted tailored pleat dress and on the website it is £26.99, you can see it here. I love the red colour, but would also love this dress in black.

Picture courtesy of the OwnTheRunway website.

I love play-suits and am loving this one from River Island at the moment. It is £40 and you can see it here.

Picture courtesy of the River Island website.

I have had my eye on these river island earrings for a while. I had vouchers for River Island a while ago and the week before I had the vouchers I went into River Island and spotted the earrings and really liked them. However, as I didn't have the money at the time and knew I had vouchers coming to me, I waited. A week later I went back to get them and it was typical that they weren't there any more. They are £10 and you can see them here.

 Picture courtesy of the River Island website.

There are also some other earrings from River Island that I like and they are quite similar to the ones above. They are £9.99 and you can see them here.

Picture courtesy of the River Island website.

A fellow YouTuber/Blogger (Liv Jordan-iclelivzi) has recently started up her own business making and selling bracelets mainly but also some necklaces. They are really cute, all hand-made and I think they all or most of them come with a little 'made with love' charm. You can view her YT video introducing her business here. I have my eye on one of her bracelets in particular and it's a full pearl bracelet. It is £5 and you can see it here.

Picture courtesy of The Vintage Cave website.

I have been looking for a black stone ring for a while. I have seen loads about but I have tiny fingers, so really I need extra small or an adjustable ring. I really like this kind of design...

Picture courtesy of the Topshop website.

I just don't seem to have any luck when it comes to rings. This one is from Topshop and at the minute it is £7.50, you can see it here. Has anyone seen any around that is the same kind of design stocked in extra small or adjustable?

I have looked at this dress several times in Topshop, I love it! They have several crochet dresses, but I like this one because it is floral and coral :-). My kind of dress. It is £29 and you can see it here.

Picture courtesy of the Topshop website.

I also like this one for £36 from Topshop, you can see it here.

Picture courtesy of the Topshop website.

I have been after a cropped denim jacket for a while and the one I like is from Topshop for £42. I have some Topshop vouchers at the moment and have been saving them for when I go into town to get this one. You can see it here.

Picture courtesy of the Topshop website.

I have been loving the 'scalloped hem' style of clothes recently and I would love to own these shorts. They are £30 from Topshop and you can see them here.

Picture courtesy of the Topshop website.

Lastly (you'll be glad to know), I recently saw these on Twitter and they are called Pommallows. They are basically marshmellows decorated in different toppings-something a little bit different. To be honest, they are really reasonably priced and look delicious. They range from 50p to £10, you can see them here.

Picture courtesy of the Pommallows website.

Do any of you have any of these items?

Does anyone know any better deals for similar items?

Or are you all just wishing you could buy them, like me? He, he. 

Thanks so much for reading my post lovelies-please follow, like and comment :-).

Much Love Gem XxOo

You can find me on YouTube here.

You can find me on Twitter here.

Disclaimer: I would just like to add I haven't been asked by any of the above companies who sell the above items, to advertise any of the items I have stated above. This is my own genuine wish list for this current time.