Gem and Jo's Outfits of the Day

So this evening we were meeting up with some friends for a few drinks, and as it is socially acceptable, we got dressed. Here's what we wore.

Gem's outfit:

Top: Primark €10.00

Jeans: Vila €35.00

Shoes: Primark €15.00

Jo's Outfit:

Top: €6.00

Trousers: Next €38.00

Shoes: Oasis €35.00

Necklace: Stradivarius €6.00

Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed, let us know what you think in the comments, we love to hear from you. 

Until next time,

Gem and Jo's Healthy Hands

With winter slowly creeping in one thing everyone should take care of is their hands! The cold weather seriously dries out those little handies and the result is the unsightly hangnails and red raw hands that we all hate!

If you don't know what a hangnail is then we shall enlighten you! A hangnail is the little pieces of skin (and sometimes nail) that stick up and often cause bleeding around the tips of your fingers and your nail beds. 

To prevent these annoying and painful little buggers you can follow these few simple steps! 

1. Soak your hands in warm water and then cut off any dead skin. Be careful not to cut the healthy skin as it will bleed and could be susceptible to infection. Ouch! 

2. Push back your cuticles regularly! You can do this after a shower so the skin is soft and it won't be as harsh or damaging. Cuticle remover is also pretty handy (haha, punny!). This one from Mavala removes your cuticles really gently and easily. Apply it to your nails, leave it to sit for 2 minutes, then gently push back your cuticles with a cuticle pusher. 

3. Apply cuticle oil! This can be bought from most drugstores and is a lifesaver! We like to apply 1 drop on every second nail and then spread the oil over every finger, massaging it in gently as we go.

4. An alternative to cuticle oil is cuticle cream, such as this Cath Kidston one that Jo loves! All you have to do is rub it into your cuticles, leave it to soak and then wash it off! Just like that, super soft fingers!

5. Use moisturiser after washing your hands or working in water (such as washing the dishes!). A good idea is to buy a matching set of hand wash and lotion so that it looks cute on your sink and is good for your hands!

6, Invest in a warm, chic pair of gloves, they will seriously save those hands! And always keep a little tube of hand cream close, Gem loves to keep Champeny's Hand and Nail cream in her handbag and Jo keeps L'Occitane's Rose Velvet Hand Cream in hers!

7. If you've neglected your little fingers, don't fret because this Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream is a lifesaver! It's really thick and moisturizing and is great for using anywhere on the body, like your lips or elbows. We use it if we have super cracked or dry hands. If you're looking to really indulge your hands, lather it on then slip on a pair of cotton gloves overnight.

There you go, some helpful steps to keep your hands in tip top shape this winter, use them wisely, (the tips and your hands!) and as always, Thank you for reading. 

Until Next Time,

Gem and Jo's Sunburn Saviours.

Now we know what you're going to say, "but Gem and Jo, summer is already over". However, if the weather forecasters are to be trusted, September is set to be warmer than normal, so this post could come in handy! To be brutally honest, every time the sun comes out Irish people tend to soak it up in huge amounts and the consequence? Sunburn, really bad sunburn.
Our fair skin is just not made to take excessive amounts of UV rays and without fail, Irish people leg it outside and forget to stop and slap a little sun cream on. If you are like Gem, aka ginger and pale, or if you just have fair skin then this is the right post for you! Without further adieu here is our Sunburn Saviours!

 First off don't let yourself get to the stage where you're desperately looking for aftersun. Start your day off with a little suncream and every now and then during the day top it up! It takes 5 minutes and saves you a whole load of pain in the future.

Garnier Ambre Solaire's range of transparent suncreams are perfect for everyday use as they go on really quickly and don't take forever to dry in! Plus Gem recently found their Wet Skin version, which can be applied to wet or dry skin, perfect for if you plan on having a swim in the lake with your friends! 

If you do get to the stage where you have suffered some burns, do not fret, we have all been there and there are options to make yourself feel a little better while it heals! 

1. Pure Aloe Vera gel is absolutely amazing and when kept in the refrigerator, can instantly soothe burned skin! Gem's mam picked this version up in Lanzerote on her last visit and everyone in the house loves it! Whether you're burned from the sun or looking for a little more moisture for your skin, this is perfect product! 

2. Soap and Glory's Righteous Butter is another great product, we don't advise using this on very burned skin but it is just right for skin that saw a little too much of that great ball of fire in the sky. This too has aloe Vera in it along with Shea butter to really soften your skin! Soap and Glory say to use this product on damp skin! 

3. A great home remedy for sunburn is to have an oatmeal bath! Just pour a half or a whole cup of dry oatmeal into a cool bath (cool so it doesn't shock your skin and free from bath salts or perfumes), mix it well and jump right in! Afterwards let your body air dry so you don't wipe the oatmeal off and voila, sunburn has been soothed! Well, at least temporarily. 

4. If you have been out in the sun long enough to get burned, you have been in the sun long enough to become dehydrated! Sunburn dries and dehydrates your skin and in order for it heal, you have to hydrate it from the outside (moisturise) and the inside (drink lots of water!). When you're in the sun ALWAYS keep a bottle of water or juice beside you and keep on sipping! 

Main point? Don't let yourself get to the point of sunburn! Prevent it and then you won't have to worry about finding that t-shirt that doesn't hurt your shoulders. If you wear makeup on a daily basis, add a little suncream to your liquid foundation. Even though most have SPF in them, it's generally not enough to save you from burning.

If your sunburn starts to blister we don't recommend using any of these products! Get yourself to a doctor and ask for advice! Burns can get infected really easily, be careful and keep the area clean. 

Thanks for reading guys, and we hope these forecasted sunny days come to fruition as much as you do!
Until Next Time,

Gem and Jo's Polish Picks

Yet again, it's Polish Picks time! Take a look below for the wondrous nail products we've used this week!
Jo's Pick:

This week I decided to stray away from the blue and green shades and go for something a little bit girly-er and try out Sinful Colors nail polish in the shade candy coated (does the name remind anyone else of candy crush? or am I alone on this candy crush obsessed island of mine?!). This is a beautiful creamy lilac purple colour. 

What really drove me to try out this polish was the colour. I really wanted to try something a little bit brighter and more feminine and this was perfect. The polish comes out very true to colour on the nails and only two coats are needed to achieve a fully opaque look. It was also a treat to apply and didn't come out streaky at all. Sinful Colors does tend to have brushes that are on the skinnier side so those  of you who are more accustom to using polishes with wider brushes like Bourjois or Wet n Wild may find that application is a little daunting at first, but it really is just as easy to apply. The polish doesn't chip easily (even on my nails and I like to beat my nails around the place), and it also dries fairly quickly.  

I found my bottle of nail polish at my local boots store for €2.49. If you live in the US you can find Sinful Colors in an array of magical places such as drugstores and supermarkets like Target. Unfortunately it's a bit harder to find it in Ireland and the UK but definitely check out your local Boots store, you might just be in luck. Check out Sinful Colors' website here

Gem's Pick:

This week I've decided to go back to the blues, I know I know I should really try to mix it up a bit but I really do love blue! My closet is literally exploding blue and so, naturally, my nails should match. I chose No7 Stay Perfect Nail colour in the shade 'Duck Egg Blue'. So cute! 

This polish is gorgeous and is a real treat to apply! It takes 2 coats to achieve a completely opaque look and best of all, it's quick dry!! One thing I look for in a quality nail polish is how quickly it dries because I just cannot sit still long enough to let it fully dry and I end up with streaky, messed up nails. This No7 does the trick and dries super quickly after application, meaning you don't have to wait 10-15 minutes between coats! 

The colour is gorgeous and is really true to what you see in the bottle! It's a really bright, playful shade which is just what I was looking for to start back to college this week! The bottle claims that this is a highly pigmented colour and I could not agree more, it's gorgeous on and off my nails! (Hopefully it stays on though!) 

I got this nail polish when I purchased a couple of other No7 products and received a free gift which you can check out Here. 

However you can take a look at the whole range of No7 Stay Perfect nail colours Here. This is a really high quality nail polish and for just €8.00 you can't go wrong! Plus there is a huge range of shades! 

Thanks for reading! Let us know what you guys have been wearing on your nails lately and if you like any of the colors above. We really do love to hear for you guys (it brightens our day!).

Until next time, 

Gem and Jo's DIY Body Scrub

We have been on a bit of a coconut oil kick lately, You might have seen our DIY hair mask post where we used coconut oil to make our hair lovely and shiny, but we also love using this magical stuff to make our very own body scrub. Body scrubs can be super expensive some times but this scrub can be made using ingredients you can find in your local supermarket for super cheap. So lets jump right in and we'll show you guys how to scrub your way to super soft and silky skin.

What you'll need:

1.Coconut Oil 

2.Sugar

3.Lemon Juice

4.A container to store the scrub

5.Measuring spoons and cups

How to make it:

1.

Add three table spoons of coconut oil to the plastic container. 

The coconut oil acts as both a skin softener and a moisturizer.  

2.

Add Two table spoons of lemon juice to the mixture. The lemon juice acts as a weak chemical exfoliator and will also help to soften the skin. 

3.

Add a cup of sugar to the mixture. We use sugar here as opposed to salt as salt can be drying on the skin and we want incredibly moisturized goddess like skin. Sugar helps to moisturize your skin and acts as a physical exfoliator to remove dead skin cells and all the kind of icky stuff that we don't want clogging up our pores!

4.

 

Place the lid on your container, and in the wise words of OutKast, shake it like a Polaroid picture, (or if you're old fashioned you can just give it a good stir). And voila, there you have it, your very own, incredible smelling, Body scrub. Go forth and be silky soft and moisturized!

How we use it :

We like to use this scrub about once a week in the shower. We love using this before shaving to give us marvelously smooth, soft and silky legs. We don't however recommend using this wondrous mixture before self tanning, as the oil in it can react with tanners and you could end up looking like you've painted army camouflage all over your body... not good (unless of course you are going for that look, in which case more power to you, we don't judge here!).  Also if you do have particularly sensitive skin we recommend, like with all things, to try it out on a small patch of skin before tackling your whole body, (we don't think you'll have a problem with it but precautions people, precautions!). Just use this lovely stuff on wet skin, wash it off with shower gel and marvel at your velvety soft skin. 

Thanks for reading, we hope that you'll enjoy this scrub and if you do try it out be sure to let us know what you think. 

Until next time

 

Gem and Jo's DIY Hair Masks

After a hectic couple of days and dying our hair numerous times this year (Take a look at our Hair dye post Here) we decided that a hair mask would be perfect to relax and rejuvenate our hair!

While we were in college this week one of our friends sat down to have lunch with us and we could not believe how good her hair looked! It was fabulous and flowy and pretty and we wanted that for our hair too!! Definitely some hair jealously! We asked her what she used and how it looked so good and all she said was "coconut oil". We've used coconut oil before but for some reason we never thought to try it out in our hair. So after we finished work the both of us ran to Tescos and picked up some unrefined coconut oil for just €2! 

                                      

So we were told to heat about 2 tablespoons each in the microwave until it's melted and then wait a little while until it's not hot enough to melt your head or face off. When it's cooled, spread it all over your hair and all the way down to your ends massaging it in gently. The you wrap it up into a bun (you can use a shower cap or plastic bag of you want) and go about your Saturday business, which for us was watching reruns of Friends.

                           

It looks gross in your hair and unfortunately doesn't smell like coconut at all, which is very sad! However it works miracles! It really leaves hair super soft and healthy! We left it in our hair for 2 hours and then washed our hair a couple of times with our chosen shampoo until the greasiness was gone. 

Gem used: 

Jo used: 

If you want even more goodness for your hair add an egg to the hot oil and mix it all up! The egg is a good source of protein for your hair. (hair is actually 91% protein so the more the better!)

Thanks for reading guys!

Let us know if you guys have any DIY hair masks or a favourite brand in the comments! 

Until next time, 

Gem and Jo's Top Tunes

So we are some serious music lovers and we decided to share with you guys what songs we have been loving for the past little while. 

Gem's Favs:

 

G.R.L. - Ugly Heart

Taylor Swift - Shake It Off

(I love that she doesn't take herself seriously!)

Milky Chance - Stolen Dance

Maroon 5 - Maps

(It doesn't hurt that Adam Levine is H.O.T.)

Misterwives - Vagabond

(For those of you in the dark, this is the theme song for the tv show Finding Carter!)

Jessie J, Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj - Bang Bang 

Jo's Favs: 

Black Keys - Howling for you

Rediscovered this song this month after re-watching the first season of once upon a time and now can't stop listening to it

The Districts- Long Distance

A rainy Sunday morning kind of song

The Kooks - Forgive and Forget

The Madden Brothers - We Are Done

Young the Giant - Apartment 

 Not the newest of songs but still great!

So there you have it, the songs we have been enjoying for the past while. Thanks for reading and let us know what you think in the comments! 

Until next time,

Gem and Jo go to the Dublin Coffee and Tea Festival

Tea Anyone? Coffee? Well we had lots of both this weekend at the Dublin Coffee and Tea Festival in the RDS! Thanks to Jo's family friend Jerry, we got our hands on some complimentary tickets to go to this awesome, super hipster event that was only on for the weekend.
We had a absolute blast, and not just from the amount of coffee and green tea we drank!
We got to sample and taste tons of different brands of tea and coffee from some of the best baristas and coffee companies from not only Ireland but from around the world as well. 
Our favourite was Java Republic, and not because they were serving full sized, free tea! They had an amazing array of flavoured teas, which are all organic and their packaging is all fully biodegradable, even the really cute little silk teabags! We tried a ton of their teas but our favourites were:

Blood Orange Tea. 

You can buy it online Here

Peppermint Tea 

You can buy it online Here

Gunpowder and Mango (Surprisingly doesn't contain gunpowder!)

Buy it online Here

Now the great thing about the Java Republic tea is the teabags are reusable for up to 3 times! But we didn't take their word for it so when we went home we tested it and low and behold, it actually works! Any other teabag would have melted into icky-ness after the second time or so. 

What was really cool was that we also got to chat to Jerry about the coffee and tea industry and how it's growing and improving at a super crazy rate. We learned that coffee is the world's second biggest commodity after oil and that you can now even get a diploma in coffee. We also got to learn a lot about how many different teas and coffees are made and got to see some of the processes used in action. 

The exhibition also had prototypes of the latest coffee making technology including this amazing tap that you can have installed into your kitchen counter-top that makes coffee from a menu on your ipad. Everything is controlled from your ipad from the amount of milk you want right down to how much sugar and water!

We also got to try out a load of different exotic teas and coffees like this green matcha tea. Although this tea may look like gross green liquid, but this stuff is great for you. It is known to increase metabolism, energy and decrease stress. We have heard a lot of great things about matcha tea and we were so excited to try it out and have a taste 

Along with all the amazing teas and coffees on offer, the exhibition also had a chill out zone where you could have a bit of a rest and drink your yummy hot drink and just relax for a moment. 

There was also live music in an outside area where you could just chill and soak up the atmosphere.

After having spent the day immersing ourselves in tea and coffee, we decided to head out to Dun Laoghaire to round off the day. The weather was gorgeous and we went for a bit up a stroll around. We even managed to bump into author Lee Child!!! Don't believe us? Just check out the picture above, he's in it we swear!  

After all that busy excitement we finished off our day with dinner in the Real Gourmet Burger restaurant in Dun Laoghaire where we had some really tasty food. The chips were amazing. if you are in the area definitely check it out. 

We had such a super day out. Thanks so much to Jerry Hughes for giving us the chance to experience the amazingness that was the Dublin coffee and tea festival. We had so much fun. 
As always thanks for reading be sure to let us know what you think in the comments section below, we always love to hear from you. 
Until next time,