Gem and Jo's Polish Picks

It's that time again! Here are our polish picks for this week!

Gem's Pick:

                                   

So this week I decided to stray from the blues that I usually wear and try a green instead. The green varnish I'm wearing is from Primark and was part of a set of 4 nail varnishes which were only €2.50 from the P.S. range!! I thought it was a brilliant bargain until I used the polishes. Unfortunately for all you girls out there who love a bargain, I am sad to say that when it comes to polish, the more expensive, the better the quality. 

                        

First off, it takes about 5 layers of polish for this to become opaque and even then its not total cover. And to make this worse, it seems to take forever to dry! You need about 3 hours to apply it and after all your hard work and dedication to making dinner with your elbows to avoid ruining your nails, the varnish just cracks anyway. I love the colour of this polish but the formula is just poop.                     

                                

I applied a layer of Topshop's Mermaid holographic nail polish to my ring finger for a bit of sparkle and thankfully it stopped the Primark polish from chipping. 

To be honest, these pictures (and any others I took) don't show the true colour of this polish, it's more of a Kelly green than a mint. It just doesn't seem to photograph very well. 

I would love to be able to recommend every nail polish I use to everyone, however we all know that there are a few dud ones out there and this just happens to be one of them. The only recommendation I would give this polish is for parents who want a first time polish for their little kids to try. It comes off easily and doesn't stain your nails so it would be perfect for kids who aren't allowed nail polish in school. 

You can get it from Primark stores, check out their website Here. 

Jo's Pick:

This week I decided to go down the green route as well and painted my nails using Barry M's nail paint in the colour Mint green (way to be creative with the names there, Barry M!). This is a really pretty, creamy mint green colour (as you might have guessed from it's name!).  

This nail polish gives off a really pretty shine which I love about it and it is super opaque after only two coats. It does however take a little long to dry compared with some other fast drying nail polishes but that's not much to ask since it really lasts for a long time on the nails. I tend to be really hard on my nails,but this didn't chip easily at all. I was actually super impressed. 

You can find Barry M nail paints in Boots for  about €4.59, in the UK and Ireland. Unfortunately I don't believe that you can purchase this in the US but hopefully they'll rectify this soon. Check out Barry M's website here.

So there you have it our lovelies, our polish picks of the week. Let us know what you think in the comments below, and as always thanks for reading!

Until next time, 

Gem and Jo's Tea Time

Well hello there, today we are going to be super sophisticated and show you guys our favourite teas! Yum!
Since about January, both of us have been really into tea, from green teas to black teas. We love all sorts of flavours and brands!
Here are some of our favourites! (these are not in any order).

Gem's Picks    
1. Tetleys Original blend

I love me some black tea and ever since I was a child my mam has always bought Tetleys! I like to make it with boiling water, stir for 1-2 mins, add 2 spoons of sugar (it's where I get my sweetness from) and a good heap of milk! 

I usually buy mine from Tesco and they nearly always have extra free packs!









2. Twinings Mint Green Tea

My recent discovery of green tea slowly turned into an obsession! I absolutely love this tea, the mint makes everything feels so fresh!! And if you have a cold it works really well to open your chest up and makes it easier to breath! Perfect for this coming winter! 

I make mine with boiling water and a dollop of cold water to cool it a little, then I leave the bag in for 2-3 mins, take it out and enjoy! 

I buy mine from Tesco (They even have it on 2 for €3.00!!)








3. Earl Grey Green Tea.

This green tea is just lovely! The slight hint of lemon makes it so refreshing to drink and is made the same way as the mint one above! (A spoon of sugar or honey helps to dull the strong aftertaste!) I buy this brand from Aldi which means its really inexpensive!

4. Twinings Fruit Blend in Strawberry and Raspberry.

This is my ultimate summer tea! It is so refreshing, hot or cold! 

I make my iced strawberry tea using:

• 5 tea bags (made using a mixture of boiled water and cold water)
• a lot puréed strawberrys (no pips)
• caster sugar (sweetened to your preference)!

Leave it in the fridge for a couple of hours, stir and enjoy with one of those fancy little umbrellas!
Perfect for garden parties!
I buy mine from Tesco (These are on 2 for €3.00 too!!)








Jo's Picks 

1. Heath & Heather, Green tea and lemongrass. 

This tea not only tastes great with a light citrus flavour, it also combines the benefits of both green tea and lemongrass.
I brew this tea with boiling water and steep for about 1-2 minutes. I then add a bit of cold water so that I can drink it without scalding the mouth off myself.
Find it here
                                                                                    Buy it here


2. Twinings Cranberry Green tea. 

This tea is great if you want green tea but are in the mood for something a bit sweeter. This is also great if you want to start drinking green tea but are finding plain green tea a bit sharp. It's super yummy!
I brew this tea with boiling water and steep for about 1-2 minutes, and then add a little cold water.
Find it here
Buy it here
                                                                                    I bought mine from Tesco here 





3. Twinings Pineapple & Grapefruit Green Tea

 This tea just tastes like a tropical island. If you like citrus(y) flavours and feeling like you're lying  in the sun listening to the waves as tropical birds fly through the air, then this tea is for you. It does all that and even has the benefits of green tea. Can't get much better than that! And trust me, living in Ireland, you can do with a bit of tropical every now and again.
I brew this tea with freshly boiled water and steep for about 1-2  minutes (while wearing a sun hat and sunglasses!!).I then add a bit of cold water (seeing a trend here?).
Find it here
Buy it here
I bought mine from Tesco here



4. Barry's Tea Gold Blend. 

If you didn't know it already tea is huge in Ireland, especially black teas like this one. This one is without a doubt my favourite black tea.
I brew this with boiling water and steep for about 1-2 minutes giving it a stir. Add a bit of milk and you have a warm hug in a mug. Seriously nothing beats it for comfort. Dip in a chocolate digestive or a Kitkat and it's heavenly!
Find it here
Buy it here
I bought mine from Tesco here

Thanks for reading and we hope you enjoy these teas as much as we do!! If you have a favourite tea let us know in the comments and don't forget to tell us how you like to brew it! That's the fun part!
Until Next Time!