I was introduced to Shea Moisture last year and have loved the brand ever since, I wrote a post about my first time using Shea Moisture here. I've recently received these Fruit Fusion products from Shea Moisture so I've been using them for around a month now. In the range I've been using the *Fruit Fusion Coconut Water Weightless Shampoo, *Crème Rinse and *Hair Masque; all of which have a beautiful fruity and coconut scent that fills the whole bathroom. I love that I can still smell the products on my hair the next day and after!


Here's a bit of history on Shea Moisture, the brand is a family owned and operated business that's been around for 4 generations. The products are natural, organic and sustainably produced, they also don't test on animals and strive to be sulfate and paraben free. They have a wide range of hair care, body care and skincare all with amazing ingredients, targeted results and beautiful scents. Shea Moisture is available in Boot's stores and online.

The Fruit Fusion range is good for fine, wavy and curly hair; after my bleaching accident back in December my hair is much much thinner than it used to be so I opted to try the hair care range for fine hair. My hair has always been wavy and I tend to use products that help me manage it when styling and it all starts with the cleaning and conditioning products.


A hydrating and nourishing shampoo that has a thin consistently but lathers up well, a small 50p sized amount goes a long way; my hair is short (chin length) and this is enough to cover my whole head. I actually like the thin consistently, I find it easier to run through my hair and massage into my scalp. As I've mentioned above the scent is beautiful, its so fruity and the coconut element definitely hangs around. Included in the ingredients is 100% pure coconut water which everyone knows is great for adding moisture and nourishing hair, a fruit fusion of fresh dragon fruit, lychee berry and green apple make up the fruity scent and add a weightless boost of energy to my thin hair. Lastly Imbe oil helps to lock in the moisture and protect the hair until the next wash. My hair not only smells amazing but feels it even if I just use the shampoo and not the other products along side it plus the bottle lasts ages with only a small amount used each time.


Following on from the shampoo, I've been using the Crème Rinse which is basically a conditioner with all the same ingredients as the shampoo so the product adds moisture, nourishes and protects the hair. This conditioner has the same scent as the shampoo but is a bit thicker in consistently but not as thick as a regular conditioner, again I don't mind the thin texture as it helps the product smooth through my hair. I always leave my conditioner on for a few minutes before rinsing off to let it go to work on my hair. My damaged hair always feel soft, smooth and luscious after rinsing this product off and continues to feel fabulous after drying.


To help with my damaged hair I was glad to receive the Fruit Fusion Hair Masque which deep conditions my hair; I've been using this masque once a week. Applying a scoop to my hair and combing through then leaving it for 30 minutes with a warm towel around my head. This has really helped with my hair, the ends are much much smoother and feel soft to touch whilst I have less breakage and fussy hair. The tub is massive so again will last a while especially using once a week, I bet I've got another 6 uses left in the tub now.


Each of Shea Moisture's products has; No Sulfates, No Parabens, No Phthalates, No Paraffins, No Mineral Oil and No Synthetic Colours. They are natural, ethically sourced and safe products that are easily accessible on the high street!!!

Not committed to a life-long tattoo or just want to see what a design looks like or its fancy dress time, Tattooed NOW! create realistic looking temporary tattoos... and they actually look pretty damn real!!

I was recently sent some of Tattooed Now!* designs to try out and being curious as to how real they could look against my actual tattoos I went ahead with the chance to sample them.
Tattooed Now! are designed by tattoo artists and designers so they are hand-drawn then printed slightly out of focus. This creates a realistic look once applied that's just like real ink sat under the skin. Not only do Tattooed NOW! have an extensive range of designs to choose from they also make custom designs so you could sample your tattoo with a temporary one before booking in for that real tattoo. Seen a celeb in a movie or film with tattoos, it could of been Tattooed NOW!, they have created lots of designs for the film and TV industry, think Game of Thrones!


To be honest I was sceptical at first, having used temporary tattoos as a kid and having a sticker like effect on my arm or leg wherever they might be. I have many real tattoos all over my body and decided to apply my first design near one of my newest tattoos. The results were pretty impressive, applying was just as easy as I remember, adding water to the transfer then waiting 30 seconds and sliding the backing sheet off. I was left with a decent looking tattoo of a vintage swallow* on my fore arm, at this stage the temporary tattoo was quite shiny even after drying but Tattooed NOW! have thought about this and supplied a mattifying gel which gets rid of the shine making the tattoo look even more realistic!

First applied/dried

After applying Mattifying Gel

Next to my real tattoo I think the temporary tattoo could fool a few people and make people give a double take but the slight bit of shine still left on the temporary tattoo does give it away when super close up. However I believe if I didn't have this next to an actual tattoo, no one would know any different. I went ahead and applied one of the mini skulls from the letter designs* to my finger and again this looks pretty realistic and old-school style. The skulls looks like its been there for years which again creates a realistic look that could fool everyone!

Just after applying

Mattifying Gel applied

For anyone wanting to fool your family and friends, play dress up or just try out your first tattoo design, head over to the Tattooed NOW! website and order your temporary tattoos NOW!

Kiss lashes are always in my makeup bag now and as a girl that not so long ago was a novice to lashes, I’m now wearing them regularly especially for nights out, events or if I'm feeling a little fancy one day. I've found Kiss lashes to be the easiest to apply as I would say I'm no expert and its does take me while to apply lashes but I find this brand so much easier. You can read my first review of Kiss lashes here.

So we are here to talk about a pair of the nicest lashes I've ever tried and they are the sleekest too but first let me fill you in on the KISS brand itself. Kiss products are available in over 90 countries world wide after the brands success took off in the US in the earlier days and it wasn't long after the brand became stocked internationally. They are the worlds largest manufacturer and suppler of professional nail products and their lashes are very popular in many countries. You can buy Kiss products from Boots, Superdrug and Asda in the UK and many stores across the globe.


Kiss have many different lash styles and collections but I think this 5th avenue set is much more glamorous than the others even from the lash packaging to the full look of the lashes when they are worn. The 5th avenue collection is from the lash couture range but its been amped up a little, there are 3 styles available to choose from and here I have the 'Opulence'* style which I was kindly sent to sample.


For starters as I've said above the packaging is just gorgeous and feels glam in my opinion, they would definitely catch your eye in a store. The lashes come in their own little plastic box which is great for storing them in after each wear and it even has adhesive included too although I've been using one of Kiss's lash glue which has Aloe Vera in it. The plastic box can also be used to store other sets of lashes in the future too. The lashes themselves looks so voluminous in the box and feel so soft to touch.




You can pick up Kiss lashes in Boots and Superdrug stores as well as online. Let me know which styles you pick up in the comments. I'll pop a selfie on Insta of me wearing the lashes so you can see them in action so make sure your following me, search @gemsupnorth.

Have you heard of Hempz? They create skin care and hair care products using natural hemp seed oil which is super good for the skin and hair. I've recently been using some of Hempz skin care range, I was kindly sent a moisturiser, body wash and body scrub to sample and let me tell you I've been loving using the products especially the moisturiser.

Hempz have a few ranges to choose from including this Pink Pomelo and Himalayan Sea Salt range which I've been using over the past few weeks. Each of the three products is enriched with 100% pure natural hemp seed oil and is paraben-free, gluten-free and 100% Vegan; what's not to love about Hempz? Pink Pomelo has rich Vitamin C properties so this helps to rejuvenate the appearance of your skin whilst Shea Butter gives the skin essential nutrients and helps to protect against free-radicals.


Pink Pomelo & Himalayan Sea Salt Herbal Body Moisturiser*
This was my favourite of the three products to use as it smells beautiful and the scent is long lasting on my skin. I also particularly like that this bottle has a pump so its so much easier to apply and you never use too much product; I use one to two pumps of cream per leg so it does go a very long way. The moisturiser soaks into my skin beautifully and isn't sticky at all, I can apply this then put pants on pretty much straight away so theres no waiting around for the product to dry. I love that the moisturiser is natural and hemp seed oil is great for the skin, my legs can be dry so I try to use a lot of moisturiser especially after shaving my legs, I've been using Hempz for a few weeks now and I feel like my dry skin has lifted; my legs also look really healthy and smooth even the day after shaving.


Pink Pomelo & Himalayan Sea Salt Herbal Body Scrub*
I use a body scrub around once a week, usually before shaving my legs so I can get a closer shave. When using body scrub I want to feel like my skin is fresh, clean and free from any dirt, built up or nasties. This Hempz body scrub is really soft on my skin and wasn't rough when being used, the product isn't greasy like some scrubs can be and none of us want to be sliding all over the tub so this was a real advantage for someone as clumsy as me. Again the scent is beautiful and really does stick around for a while on the skin, I can use this before bed, apply the moisturiser and wake up in the morning with the lovely scent on my skin. Hempz body scrub has all the natural elements inside just like the moisturiser but also has vitamins A, C and E which help to protect skin from any natural oxidants or elements again fighting free-radicals. I believe this scrub gives my skin an extra boost of softness and works well with the moisturiser to smooth my skin.


Pink Pomelo & Himalayan Sea Salt Herbal Foaming Body Wash*
Lastly to complete the trio of products is a foaming body wash so your Pink Pomelo & Himalayan sea salt skin care routine starts with this body wash. Enhanced with all the same natural ingredients as the other two products and with the same scent, I can't get enough of this body wash; my shower is filled with a beautiful scent, clean and fresh skin and lasting results. The wash foams up so less product is actually needed, you can use this on a shower puff or just use your hands to cleanse your skin. I don't seem to of used much of the wash at all as the foam spreads out and just a few pumps are needed; yes this product also has a pump action lid which again is an advantage. This nourishing body foam is the start of my skin care routine and again works really well with its sister products to help my skin feel; soft, smooth, clean and fresh.


Hempz is available from a few online retailers, you can see their stocklist here and they are affordable too. With small bottles of moisturiser priced at £3.99, I think this is great natural and budget brand that should be in everyones skin care routine.

I can't believe the weekend is already over, I've been counting down the days for festival season starting and my first festival this year was Slam Dunk Festival. I was mega excited for the festival, the bands that were playing are some of my favourites and it was a first time experience for me as I've never been to Slam Dunk before. It's always been on my list of things to do and I'm still gutted I missed last years festival but sometimes its not always possible to do everything.

Anyway me and my friend Nat headed to Leeds on Friday, we was staying at the Ibis Budget which wasn't too far away from the train station or the festival site which was good. I always find staying at Ibis hotels pleasant and cheap so its a win-win all round. We decided to get some shopping done and find Almost Famous before heading to the Leeds University Student Union to exchange our tickets for wristbands; this was an excellent perk of being in Leeds the day before as it saved so much time on Saturday morning and no long queueing to get our wristbands. The Union was open from 5pm until 9pm to collect our wristbands so we headed over at around 5.30pm, there was a short queue but nothing major and it was moving quite quickly; as we was leaving the Union the queue was getting bigger so getting there early was best.


Saturday morning came around early and although I'd been awake from 7am I was ready for a busy, fun-filled, packed out day. We headed to a pub for some food whilst planning our schedule for the day using the Slam Dunk App on our phones. It was clear at this point that we wouldn't be able to catch every single band and some decisions had to be made. We started by entering the festival site at the south entrance, we wanted to explore the site and find your feet with the location; we was already familiar with where the arena was so that wasn't a problem. The Slam Dunk app was super helpful and we used the map to navigate around; the app also notified us when our next scheduled band was about to start.



After wandering around the festival site it was time to head over to the Jaegermeister stage (First Direct Arena) for out first band of the day; Four Year Strong. There was a massive queue to get into the arena but it was moving, we opted to queue for the seated area, we got into the place as the band was starting. I'd been in the arena previously at a First Direct bank event; you can read that post here. The place is set up theatre style so no matter where your sat, you've got a good view of the stage. My friend left me to go watch some other bands at the other festival site so I decided to move forward in the seated area as and when I could, once Four Year Strong went off there was loads of spare seats closer to the front.


I stayed at the Jaegermeister stage to watch Creeper which was one of the main bands I wanted to see, I'd pretty much planned my day around seeing them play. Up until now I'd missed Creeper at Download Festival and when they played Manchester back in December so I was even more excited finally see them play. Creeper did not disappoint and played a lot of my favourite songs, Hannah also performed a new song along which was so emotional and actually gave me goosebumps; that girl can sing! The whole band got involved in the rest of the show and really gave it their all, I can't wait to watch them again. Shortly after Creeper's set, State Champs came on stage opening with my all time favourite song from them and playing their new song Dead and Gone 3 songs in; another total banger! I decided to leave a little before State Champs finished to try to make the Creeper signing which was the in Kerrang! Signing tent at the other site.



Luckily I made it back to the signing tent in time to meet Creeper although this was really the bands fault as they ran over the time slot a little and made sure everyone in the queue got to meet them. The band was so lovely and had a chat to each and everyone one of us and I was able to get a photo with Will which was a complete bonus! The band signed my ticket but Monster Energy was handing out flyers which could be signed so if you didn't have anything to get signed, you could use this flyer. Next to the signing area was the Merch Tent, this area was filled with band merch and festival merch; I grabbed a Creeper t-shirt of course then headed to the Fireball stage to watch Zebrahead.


A few of the stages in this area was situated outside so it had a real festival feel to it, Zebrahead were playing on one of the smaller stages but still put on a great show, there was even a panda crowd-surfing on a rubber dingy so you know, it was pretty damn awesome! We grabbed drink from one the many bars and then headed to the Fireball tent to get temporary tattoos and have a go on the photobooth, Fireball was giving out free samples whilst we was there so we was able to try Fireball which was delicious and not what I was expecting; the flavour is really nice and not too harsh at all. We grabbed a free temporary tattoo which a member of the team applied for us and I bought a pin badge whilst I was there too; we also got given a guitar pic from the team.


At this point we had a short amount of free time so we had a wander around, caught a little bit of Lower Than Atlantis's set, had a sit down then I headed back to the Jager stage, my mate stayed at the other stages for a while. I wanted to catch PVRIS at 8.15pm but I got straight into the arena so managed to watch Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes too, another added bonus and an extra band than planned. I've watched Frank Carter play on the TV and the band always puts their all into any set, it was even more special to be in the crowd for this set. I'd come into the standing area to watch PVRIS and was even able to grab a Slam Dunk t-shirt on my way in which I'm glad I did as they didn't have my size left at the end of the evening. PVRIS came on stage and really owned it, I was impressed with Lyndsey's voice and her musical instrument talents; she played keyboard, guitar and drums whilst also being the lead singer of the band; total bad ass.


The standing area was pretty big and so my mate could find me when she arrived I stayed near the back of the room in front of the sound tech but I had a really good view and the barrier around the sound tech gave me something to lean on in-between bands. Nat met me well before Good Charlotte and she managed to watch a bit of PVRIS's set too; she said she would totally watch them again too so I've got a mate to go watch them with next time they tour. The headlining spot was taken by Good Charlotte, we wanted to watch Jimmy Eat World but made the decision to catch GC as we didn't want to risk not getting into the other stage area if we left half way through plus I'm pretty glad we didn't leave now as GC put on an extremely amazing show; this is the second time I've watched them and it was definitely better than the last show!


Good Charlotte opened with some old favourites including; 'The Anthem', 'Girls and Boys' and 'Keep Your Hands of my Girl' then followed with some newer songs and the latest release 'Actual Pain'. We'd been given a free GC mask earlier in the day so this came out for the new song, I was happy to hear the new song live and it's already been added to my Spotfiy playlist. GC are one of my favourite bands and I've followed them since being a teenager which is crazy, they will always be relatable, perform well and I'm so glad they made that come back 3 years ago; don't leave us again guys!


Slam Dunk was a new experience for me, a great experience at that and I will definitely be back next year, this is now on my not to miss festival list. The pop punk scene is something I never wanna grow out of and don't plan too either. Bands I'd love to see next year would be; Fall Out Boy, Paramore, Rancid, I Prevail and The Distillers. Plus Bowling For Soup will always be favourite of mine too plus they are so much fun to watch and jump around too!

Now Slam Dunk is over with, I'm looking forward to Download Festival at the beginning of June. There will also be a review up about my time there after the event but keep an eye on my Instagram for updates whilst I'm there!