Fragrance Blending with Demeter

Nothing has ever stopped women (and men) around the world from layering different perfumes/colognes and creating different scent combinations. Except for the fact that most of us don't know what we're doing and might be a little nervous about accidentally smelling like an over-perfumed granny. With people talking about things like "top notes", it's easy to think that they're talking about music, and not the initial smell of a fragrance.

Demeter Fragrance Library has given us the tools to experiment and create our own scents with their Foolproof Blending Duos and Trios. With the assistance of the Canadian Beauty Bloggers Network, I was lucky enough to test these and report my findings for my lovely viewers.

Hask Hair Care: Review

While some women just pick whichever shampoo or conditioner are on sale, many women are looking for hair care products that meet specific needs. 

Often, the standard promise of moisture and shine is good enough. However, we often crave something a little more: tame fly-aways, help prevent split ends, rejuvenate our hair.

Hask has multiple products to suit your needs, and I have a few that I'd like to show you. Most of Hask's lines include a shampoo, conditioner, hair mask and oil.

Mani Monday: Blue & Gold

Thought there was no better way to bring in the new year with a little blue & gold mani.

Best of 2015: Makeup, nails and skin

Happy New Year!

While people often like to put the past behind them and focus on the future, I decided to take this time to reflect on the past year. In 2015, I've come across many great (and not-so-great) products. Here are the products that I thought were the Best of 2015.

Christmas Giveaway 3: Time to Relax (International)

I wanted to thank my readers and for all your support during the past year. If you're just joining in, there's still some time for the essence cosmetics giveaway (ends at 11:59pm on Dec 30)

Holiday parties, late night get-togethers and that big New Years party has probably left your skin wanting a little more.

Christmas Giveaway: 2 essence prize packs

I wanted to thank my readers and for all your support during the past year. I have one more giveaway coming up that'll be international, so make sure to keep coming back for your chance to win! If you're just joining in, there's still some time for the Inglot + Benefit giveaway.

Christmas Giveaway: Inglot + Benefit

It's giveaway time!

I wanted to thank my readers and for all your support during the past year. Over the new few days, you can expect to see a few giveaways here on Gemstone Beauty, so make sure to come back for your next chance to win!

Bite Beauty Review + Swatches

There's no denying that Bite Beauty makes some of amazing lip products. But did you know that they're Canadian and cruelty-free?  Continue reading to learn more about the brand, its products and some swatches.

Mani Monday: Ugly Sweater Mani

'Tis the season for Ugly or Tacky Christmas sweaters... But if you don't want to take up precious closet space, or if you want to step up your game, you can partake in the latest fashion trend:

Christmas sweater nails.

Mani Monday: Mountain Calling Reverse Stamping

When it comes to nail art, there are many different techniques and skill levels. One easy to spruce up your mani is by stamping. You can even take it up a notch with reverse stamping. Continue reading to learn about this technique.

MoYou London Now in Canada

MoYou London is a UK based company dedicated to making your nails look awesome. With a variety of stamping plates and polishes, you can make your manicure look like a salon pro did it.

Their are currently over 30 themes with an astounding total of over 500 stamping plates. Themes like Tropical, Gothic and Festive are just the tip of the iceberg. There really is something for just about everyone!

Mani Monday: Circular Dotticure

I wasn't sure what I wanted to do. One thing lead to another, and this is the outcome.

For this mani, I used :

Essie Chinchilly as the base colour
Essie In the Cab-Ana for teal dots
Essie Under the Twilight for the dark purple dots
Ceramic Glaze 24 Karats for the gold Dots
Essie Matte About You as the top coat



And of course, my lovely dotting tools from Born Pretty Store.


Overall, it was a fun manicure, that, as someone at my work pointed out, ended up matching my shirt the next day.

Lorac Unzipped Palette: Swatch + Review

Lorac isn't a brand that is easily accessible in Canada. Those of us who want it, need to either order it from the US or take the trek and get it ourselves. And that's exactly what I did.

Mani Monday: Stamped Arrows

I may be a little late, but I'm back with a new Mani Monday!

I'm still around...

Hey guys,

Just wanted to drop a quick message to all of you. I'm still around, just in a bit of a funk right now. I recently started a new job, which takes up much more energy than my previous employment, and since I'm still in the learning phase, it has sucked all of my brain power.

I have a list of items that I have to swatch and review and I do plan on getting them all up, but right now, I'm focusing on putting my brain back together. Hopefully by Monday I'll start having my Mani Monday posts back up, and I'll get everything back on track from there.

In the meantime, thank you so much for your patience, and I look forward to sharing everything with you in the next couple weeks.