DECEMBER GLOSSYBOX REVIEW!

Hi lovelies,
After a very busy time at uni lately, the December GLOSSYBOX which contained five items was definitely a welcome treat. 

The first item in the box was a full-sized Luminzer palette from essence which contained a pearly highlight, a rose highlight and a golden highlight (this retails for £3.00). The palette is a generous size and the colours of the highlights are very pretty - my personal favourite is the rose shade. However, they have quite a bit of glitter in them rather than just being shimmery which isn't my favourite but I'm sure this wouldn't bother everyone!

The second item in the box was a REVLON nail polish in the shade "Gray Suede" which usually retails for £6.49. This is definitely my favourite item in the box! I love REVLON nail polishes and this colour is absolutely gorgeous. Although its described as a "gray suede" I definitely think this is more of a pink-nude colour with hints of grey tones. Very very happy with this item!

The third item in the box was a GOSH Mono Eyeshadow in the shade "dark green" which usually retails for £8.99. This shade is a very deep, forest green with a lovely shimmer - for someone more confident with their eyeshadow, I'd apply this with your finger rather than a brush to get a more intense colour and this would look absolutely gorgeous for the current season over Christmas time!

The fourth full-sized item in the box was a semi-matte lipstick from MDMFLOW in the shade "Bossy" which usually retails for £18.00. Glossybox subscribers got to choose between two shades of this lipstick for their box which was a nice idea to get the shade which you preferred. The lipstick is packaged as a gold bullet which is really cute and the shade is a cool-toned brown-pink shade (they describe it as taupe on the information sheet) which is a really unique colour I haven't really seen before. Although this looks mostly matte on the lips, it doesn't feel as drying as other matte lipsticks and you can still rub your lips together as you wear it. 

And finally, the last item in the box was a "Browcote" from the brand Lipcote - an eyebrow setting gel. This waterproof, transparent gel claims to hold your brow hairs and eyebrow products for hours with a weightless finish. I have tried this and the gel was really nice, the little brush went through my eyebrows well and the gel didn't feel uncomfortable when it dried. However, I'm not sure how long this would last as it doesn't feel like your brows are completely set in place indefinitely. But apart from that, I'm happy since I needed a brow gel anyway!

Overall I'm extremely happy with this months GLOSSYBOX and there's still a chance for you to receive it too if you subscribe soon - if you do so through THIS LINK it will also get your 20% off your first box! 
Thank you for reading as always, 

Holly Amber X

UNDER £20 GIFT GUIDE (HOME AND LIFESTYLE)!

Hi lovelies! Welcome back to another gift guide - this time centred around home & lifestyle!

NEXT Customisable Light Box

So this first section is mainly concerning "homeware". There are plenty of Christmas pieces I could talk about here but by the time these gifts are given, Christmas will only be for a day more so that's a shame! However, there are still other lovely piece I can share with you!
NEXT have some beautiful homeware pieces in all year round - one lovely present that can be personalised is a "Customisable Light Box" which comes with lots of letter pieces, punctuation and one heart and star.
This comes in either small (£12) or large (£25) but would make a lovely present which can be used in many different rooms and be changed around throughout the year!

Gold Mirrored Glass Tray from Oliver Bonas

Christmas is also a time to buy gifts for people that they probably wouldn't buy themselves. This beautiful Small Marble Jewellery Box from Oliver Bonas is a lovely example of this - for £19 I don't think I'd buy this for myself but it would make a gorgeous present or, for someone who likes to display their jewellery, this gold mirrored glass tray for £12 from Oliver Bonas would be another gorgeous present !

Desinio Prints (including the World Map Poster in Gold)

A more personalised present is always nice too! Desenio is a company who do some lovely prints so you can have a look at their website here. There are so many prints you can choose from on there so there really is something that you can tailor for everyone! My personal favourites are the World Map Poster in Gold, the Pink Elephant Poster, the Watercolour Cactus Poster and the Your Mind Poster, to name very very few! (If I'm being honest I love them all).

Other home accessories gift ideas I have listed below:

• Copper Finish Alarm Clock (since it seems everyone is obsessed with copper lately!) -£8.00
• The Zoella "Naps Fix Everything" Cushion - £12.00
• Oliver Bonas Set of 4 Gold "Geo Teaspoons" or Set of 4 gold "Tropical Teaspoons" - £19.00 
• TKMAXX Copper Geometric Lantern - £12.99
• Set of two Cookie Jar Mixes (with cookie cutter and cookie stamper) - £12.00

Starbucks Festive Mug and Chocolate Coin

And now onto food and drink! As always, Starbucks do not disappoint with their mugs! BOOTS are selling a Festive Starbucks Mug and chocolate coin for £8.50, a set of two Starbucks Glitter Espresso Mugs with Almond Biscotti for £10.00, and a Starbucks Sprinkler and Mug for £12.50 - to name a few!

For those who like a spicier taste - the Nando's Fiery Trio Rack would be an excellent present. This includes the hot, extra hot and extra extra hot sauces from Nando's for £12.50! Another spicy Nando's present is the Hot Pack which includes the hot sauce, hot marinade and a silicone marinading brush for £10.00 and would be good for  someone who likes cooking with their spices!
Or for those with a sweeter taste - the Starbucks dusting set would be perfect for the cold season! This includes a chocolate, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg flavoured dusting for £10.00!

Other food and drink gifts I have listed below:

• The Nando's Sizzler Set (medium sauce and sizzler pan) - £18.50
• The Green & Blacks Testing Collection (24 miniature chocolate bars) - £12.00
• "Fizz Selection" (Peach fizz, bucks fizz, peach bellini & kir royale) - £12.00
• Malibu Kilner Jar Gift Set (Malibu Rum, Sugar Stars and Kilner Jar with Straw) - £10.00

Thank you very much for reading lovelies! 

Holly Amber X

£20 AND UNDER GIFT GUIDE (BEAUTY AND PAMPER)!

Hello lovelies!
So here is the first of three gift guides for this December based around beauty and pamper treats! 

NO7 Winter Nudes Collection

There are so many lovely pamper and beauty gifts each year! I especially love +Boots UK 3 for 2 offer they have each year on their gifts - one gift on this offer is the NO7 "Winter Nudes" nail polish collection which is £12.00 and contains 5 shades of nail polish from a metallic gold to a dark plum. 
Another gift on this offer is the Soap&Glory "She's the Gloss" set of 4 Mother Pucker lipglosses for £14.00. Considering just one of these lipglosses is usually £9.00, these four handbag-sized versions are a great deal! You could even split these 4 up for four friends as a stocking filler! 
+Soap And Glory do lovely sets each year and there's so many to choose from right now!

Below I've linked some other lovely beauty treats from boots:

• Ted Baker "Double the Dazzle" set (tinted lip balm and nail polish) - £8.00
• SLEEK Mini "Matte Me" Collection (4 mini matte lipsticks) - £5.00
• NO7 "Glamourous Nudes" eyeshadow palette (8 shades) - £10.00 or the NO7 "Ultimate Eyeshadow palette" (20 shades) - £20.00
• Soap&Glory "Glamorama" Set (Mascara, Eyeliner, Lipgloss, Face Powder, 3 Eyeshadows and Brush) - £20.00
• Ted Baker "Sparkle and Shade" set (Mascara, 2 Eyeshadow Crayons, Eyeshadow Trio, Eyeliner, Eyebrow Pencil) - £18.00
• SOAP & GLORY "Tricks of the Shade" set (2 blushes, 3 eyeshadows and lipgloss) - £14.00

Soap & Glory Soaper Spa Set

In terms of pamper treats, there are so many of these at BOOTS too! You can trust Soap&Glory to supply a brilliant pamper set each year - One of this is the "Soaper Spa" which is £20.00 and includes a shower gel, body buffer, body butter, hand cream, foot cream, headband and shower puff. A good pamper set is always welcome - there's nothing better on Christmas day than having a shower/bath with all your new products and then pampering yourself afterwards! They also do smaller pamper sets such as the "Simply the Zest" set and the "Take your Pink" set, both for £10.00.
For a more mature present-receiver, the NO7 Youthful Skincare Collection includes all the things you need to look after your skin - a hot cloth cleanser, facial oil, day cream, night cream, eye cream and muslin cloth - all for £20.00!
And of course, no pamper session would be complete without a candle! My personal Christmas favourite is the "Christmas Cookie" scented candle from Yankee which is extremely sweet to smell at first but burns a lot milder and smells absolutely yummy!

Other pamper gifts I think would make lovely presents I have listed below:

• Cath Kidston "Blossom Hand Treats" set (Hand Wash and Cream) - £9.00
• Sanctuary Spa "Pick a Treat" set (face wash, exfoliator, salt scrub, body scrub, bath soak, body wash, hand cream and body puff all in a little jar!) - £13.50
• Champney's Manicure Moments Kit (Mini Hand and Nail Cream, Hand Scrub, Nail Polish, Nail Polish Base & Top Coat & Glass Nail File) - £14.00
• St. Tropez Instant Cracker (Instant Tanning Lotion) - £5.00

I hope you enjoyed this first gift guide! Keep your eyes peeled for more to come!

Happy Christmas shopping!

Holly Amber X

OCTOBER GLOSSYBOX REVIEW!

Hi lovelies!
So a few days ago I received my October GLOSSYBOX in its usual pretty pink and black writing packaging with 6 beauty goodies inside (four of which were full-sized!)

So the first full-sized item I received was a lipstick ("lip cream" as its referred to) from the brand TRIFLE COSMETICS which retails for £12.95. Although the packaging is cardboard on the outside, I absolutely love the design! Its decorated with little cartoons of the ingredients included in the lipstick (I believe) such as papaya, passion fruit and guava, very cute! The lipstick is a pink-nude shade in quite a sheer formula which claims to mattify on the lips - your basic everyday shade (I think the shade name is "exotic fruits"). The only thing I'm not keen on is the scent of the product but I'm sure once its on the lips it won't be noticeable!

The second full-sized item I received I was the least impressed with. This was the PS.. Pro (PRIMARK's new 'pro' range of makeup) Longwear Lipliner which retails for £3.00 and is in the shade 'Red Carpet Red'. The colour itself is quite nice (a dark red) but when I applied it to my lips it was extremely patchy and spread like a felt tip meaning I couldn't line my lips properly. I will give it props for being "long-wearing" - I couldn't bloody get it off! However, I can imagine a lighter shade to be less patchy and it may be a good product to wear under lipsticks in that case.

The third full-sized item I received is the UNIVERSAL BEAUTY COSMETICS "Secret Flush" (a soothing cream blusher and lip stain duo) in the shade "Nectar" - a pretty peachy-pink with a slight shimmer. This product retails for £15.00. I love the spotty black and white packaging - extremely cute and its one of my favourite things we received this month! 

The fourth full-sized product in the box was the BEE GOOD Honey & Camelina Facial Exfoliator which retails for £10.50. The product claims to polish, hydrate and calm congested and dull skin - after trying this out myself, I can say that it is a really nice product! The scent of honey is very subtle which is nice and its also not too harsh on my skin with the added bonus of vitamin E packed in there. This was another of my favourite products!

The fifth product in the box was a "Magic touch" body cream from RITUALS containing rice milk and cherry blossom - the full-sized version of this product retails for £19.50 but the sample was a pretty good size anyway! This is everything I like in a body cream - a nice calming scent which is also fresh at the same time as well as being a moisturising formula
. 

The final thing in the box is a mystery product! The Mystery shampoo we received is said to be "a classical bestseller which has had an update"! Although I'm not sure on what this product is, it does smell very familiar (the scent is sooooo fresh and gorgeous) and it was everything that a good shampoo is meant to be!

The overall retail price of the 4 full-sized products in the box is £41.45 so when you only pay £10.00 for the box, that's definitely a brilliant deal (especially with two luxury sized samples). You can still get your hands on the October box I believe so if you're interested you can sign up to GLOSSYBOX here which will give you 20% off your first box!
Thanks for reading lovelies, I can't wait to share next month's box with you all!

Holly Amber X

SEPTEMBER 2016 GLOSSYBOX REVIEW!

Hi there lovelies!
I've been missing a monthly beauty box treat to myself, from myself so when I saw a sneak peak of what was in the September GLOSSYBOX, I re-subscribed and I was extremely excited to see the postman at the door Saturday morning with it in his hand!

The box's design was the "editor's choice" Red Edition by the beauty director of Red Magazine and inside were 5 items plus a bonus sample of a product! Each GLOSSYBOX also comes with an information card telling you about the products and their normal retail prices which is really helpful.

The first item in the box was the thing I was extremely excited for after seeing the 'sneak peak' in my email - a luxury sample size of the Too Faced 'Better Than Sex' mascara which usually retails for £19.00. I have been wanting to try this mascara out for such a long time now so I can test out this sample before buying the full-size version! Its a brilliant, buildable mascara which both thickens and lengthens lashes and after trying it out I am definitely impressed. The packaging is beautiful and, as a bonus, GLOSSYBOX sent out the waterproof version which is even better.

The second item was the full-size version of the Rodial 'Smokey Eye Pen' which retails for £17.00. It is basically an eye-liner style black kohl product which you can use either as a neat eyeliner or smudged out to create a smokier look. It has a very creamy texture which is extremely pigmented and is really easy to use to create whichever look you are going for! 

The third item was a full-size version of the 'Antioxidant Lip Balm' from the Organic Pharmacy which usually retails for £12.00. I absolutely love receiving lip balms as they always come in handy, especially as we approach the colder months and my lips start to dry out easier. The balm includes ingredients such as shea butter, honey, cocoa butter and rose hip which give it a lovely scent on the lips as it slowly sinks in and moisturises. 

The fourth product I was thrilled to see in my box - a full sized REVLON Gel Envy Diamond Top Coat which usually retails for £7.99. This is by far the best line of nail polishes I've ever tried and you can read my review of them here. This top coat definitely gives the 'diamond' effect as it creates a beautiful shine whilst preventing chips and preserving your manicure for longer than usual - I had just started to run out of this product so perfect timing to receive it in my box!

The fifth product in the box was a full-sized 'Hydro Face Mask' from Vitamasques which usually retails for £7.99. I'm not usually a fan of sheet masks but this one claims to be made from a slicker material which prevents slipping on the face whilst holding in as much moisture as possible, slightly different to your usual sheet mask. It also claims to hydrate your skin for up to 120 hours so we shall see!

Also as a bonus I received a sample of the BODY SHOP Himalayan Charcoal, Puryfying Glow Mask which retails for £15.00 in the full-size. I believe this to be one of the five natural-based, 'vegetarian' face masks the BODY SHOP has created and I actually wanted to give these a try - this sample will allow me to test it out on my skin without buying the full-size to do so! Lovely addition to the box!

The overall retail price of the 5 main products in the box is £63.98 so when you only pay £10.00 for the box, thats definitely a brilliant deal (especially when four out of the five products were full-sized!). You can still get your hands on the September box I believe so if you're interested you can sign up to GLOSSYBOX here which will give you 20% off your first box!
Thanks for reading lovelies, I can't wait to share next month's box with you all!

Holly Amber X

REAL TECHNIQUES MIRACLE COMPLEXION SPONGE REVIEW!

Hi lovelies!
I was long overdue buying a new makeup sponge after using my Nicka K one for so long so I thought I may as well choose one of the most popular sponges to try out - the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge (which I purchased for £5.99 at BOOTS but I'm sure it's cheaper at super drug at the moment). 

It comes nicely packaged with tips on the back and the suggestion of watching the online tutorial which I think is really helpful for first-timers - Real Techniques tend to always provide these tutorials which is brilliant. They call it a 3-in-1 sponge as it has a flat edge for applying liquid products such as foundation all over the face and even in harder-to-reach areas, a pointy end to target small blemishes and a rounded end to blend all over or to use with powders.
The shape of this sponge is quite different to my last which has a ridge in the middle for easy-holding but this doesn't bother me at all and its no different to use/hold. 

DAMP.

DRY.

You can either use the sponge dry to give you more of a full-coverage look when applying your
foundation/powders/concealer etc or you can use it damp by rinsing it under water and squeezing out the excess to give a more dewey, softer look to your skin (the sponge expands quite a bit when damp).
I find that with first use, your foundation will tend to soak up into the sponge but once that has happened, it soaks up barely any foundation on second use which I had expected anyway. It definitely gives me a really beautiful finish with my foundation and I find it to work better at giving an even, flawless finish than my previous sponge.

One thing that I was disappointed with when taking the sponge out the packaging was that I ripped a tiny chunk out of it with barely any force so I do worry it will rip quite easily which never happened with my last sponge. However, this sponge is incredibly soft and bouncy which is good for application of products but may be why it ripped so easily.
My only other criticism is the colour and this is obviously just personal preference but it is such a bright orange and looks so dirty after just one use but this isn't a massive issue at the end of the day.

Overall I think it's a good, all-round sponge for a brilliant price that will be easy for anyone to use whether its your first time using a makeup sponge or you're a sponge enthusiast. Make sure to clean your sponge after every few uses to prevent product/bacteria build up and you'll be good to go!
Thanks for reading!

Holly Amber X

MAYBELLINE LASH SENSATIONAL VS BENEFIT ROLLER LASH - FIRST IMPRESSION!

Hello lovelies!
I'm definitely late jumping on the Lash Sensational bandwagon since near enough everyone owns/has owned this in their lifetime, except me, until now!
My current favourite mascara has been the BENEFIT Roller Lash which is on the higher price-end for a mascara (£19.50 at BOOTS) so if I could find a cheaper alternative with the Lash Sensational (£7.99 at BOOTS) then brilliant!

PACKAGING
The Roller Lash packaging is definitely prettier and feels a lot higher quality but I feel as if this contributes to the price whereas I'd rather pay less for a simpler packaging design. The handle of the mascara wand is easier to hold than the Lash Sensational however, as it is a rubber material.
The lash sensational isn't even close to how pretty the Roller Lash packaging is but I don't dislike it at all - its compact and pleasant to look at so I can't complain.

MASCARA WAND
The Roller Lash has a slightly curved rubber wand which has small "hooks" which apparently help curl the lashes. The Lash Sensational wand is very similar in that it is a slightly curved, rubber wand but this one is slightly bigger. They're both very similar which is why I'm guessing many people compare them.

LENGTHENING
I find the Roller Lash to be slightly lengthening but I do believe it would work better for those with lashes that are already long, unlike mine. However, it does curl the lashes well, giving the appearance of longer lashes.
Although a slightly clumpier formula, the Lash Sensational lengthens my lashes A LOT more and I can apply multiple coats without it looking too clumpy. This did take some getting used to and I have to spend a little more time on completing my mascara but the overall look is much longer in the end.

VOLUMISING
I definitely believe the Lash Sensational too be better at volumizing as the formula is thicker. It can take some practice as it can be a "clumpy" mascara when applying for the first time but when you get the hang of it, it makes the lashes look much better in comparison to the Roller Lash, which doesn't do much for volumizing. However, I'm pretty sure the Roller Lash doesn't claim to be a volumizing mascara, simply more curling and lengthening so I didn't expect this anyway.

PRICE POINT
If you have the money to splash out on the Roller Lash, it is not at all a bad mascara and gives a much more natural look to the lashes. It was a lovely treat as a birthday present for myself and I still use it on makeup days where I want a more natural look. 
However, I would much sooner recommend the Lash Sensational if you are going to be using this type of mascara day-to-day as it is a lot cheaper. I prefer the overall look when using this mascara in comparison to the Roller Lash but it is all about how you prefer your lashes to look. If you're looking for natural length and curl - Roller Lash, if you're looking for stand-out length and volume - Lash Sensational.

I hope this was helpful and thank you for reading!

Holly Amber X

NYX LIQUID SUEDE MATTE LIPSTICKS REVIEW! (WITH SWATCHES)

Hi lovelies!
I recently purchased another shade of the NYX liquid suede lipsticks- I purchase mine from BOOTS for £6.50 where there are 12 shades available - so far, I own the shades "Vintage", "Soft Spoken" and "Kitten Heels".
These liquid lipsticks contain avocado oil and vitamin E so I find them a lot less drying than most liquid lipsticks. When they are applied I find that I only need one coat for a completely opaque look mostly (as I'll explain later on) and they dry down to look matte whilst being slightly sticky - this means they don't feel as drying on your lips and they stay on longer than other liquid lipsticks. However, because they dry to a slightly sticky finish they do transfer onto things if you eat/drink etc.
I can definitely vouch for their long-lasting power - I wore "Kitten Heels" from 7pm till 3:30am the other night, only having to reapply once just in the middle of my lips. I find that these lipsticks layer perfectly so theres no worry with this anyway. 

I love the shade "Kitten Heels" the most - I have found it to apply the best and sit the nicest on my lips. It is completely opaque with just one coat and isn't too hard to apply - a true red, I'm in love and think every single person should buy it.

The next shade is "Soft Spoken" which looks like a pink-nude in the tube. However, on the lips I find it to be darker than it looks. This one is mostly opaque with one coat but may need a little more in the middle of the lips. I recommend using a lip liner with these lipsticks as they are quite liquidy.

The last shade I own, "Vintage", I couldn't even get a decent swatch of. This is the darkest colour - a reddish-purple - and I couldn't get a an even coat of it on my lips. Without a lip liner this shade is near impossible to apply. It slips everywhere and seems so much thinner in consistency than the others. I find the darker the shade, the more patchy these lipsticks are and its shocking how much I love "Kitten heels" and how much I dislike this one. 

If I had to complain about anything with these lipsticks in general it would be that I wish there were more nude-toned shades or just more shades altogether! Some of the 12 shades aren't as wearable for myself - such as "Stone Fox" which is a very dark grey or the purple shades "Sway" and "Amethyst" and I can imagine them to present the same problems as I have with "Vintage". However, if you enjoy more outgoing and fun shades such as bright purples, bright pinks and oranges, I'd suggest trying them out.

Thank you for reading as always,

Holly Amber X

PLAYA DE LAS AMERICAS, TENRIFE (AUGUST 2016)!

Hi lovelies, hope you're all well.
Last week I returned from the beautiful Tenerife which I've now visited three times with my family. Each time we have stayed in the same area of Playa De Las Americas in the chain of Parque Santiago hotels which are brilliant with lovely, friendly staff. It is honestly the perfect family location with the beach a 5 minute walk away, too many restaurants to count, a variety of shops, the most amazing waterpark - SIAM Park and the offer of water sports (not to mention the ridiculous tan you get in the Tenerife sun).

Siam Park Wave Machine Pool.

My lovely, lovely little family X

Holly Amber X

SLEEK "EYEBROW STYLIST" EYEBROW PENCIL!

Hello lovelies!
So another recent purchase of mine is the SLEEK "Eyebrow Stylist" eyebrow pencil which can be purchased for £6.49.

Top: SLEEK Brow Stylist
Bottom: Soap & Glory Brow Archery

I initially went to BOOTS to pick up either my regular brow pencil, the Soap & Glory Archery (Brow Tint and Pencil) which is £10.00 or the Soap & Glory Brow Archery which is £8.00, both in the shade "Brownie points". However, when

I got there both were sold out in my shade and I was in desperate need of a brow pencil so went on the hunt around the other brands.
That's how I ended up at the SLEEK stand, which is a brand I really do like, looking at their brow products. I was surprised to see the "Eyebrow stylist" pencil which looked extremely similar to the NO7 Eyebrow Sculpting Pencil, but cheaper! On the one end there is the pencil which is slanted at an angle to help with precision and the other end has an eyebrow brush which is extremely helpful to have alongside the pencil. The packaging is extremely plain with the SLEEK logo barely visible on the one end of the product but this doesn't bother me too much, as long as the product itself is good then I can look past the packaging.

The product comes in three different shades ("light", "medium" and "dark") but there was not a tester for "medium" so I went to the "dark" to test the texture. I found it was a lot less stiff than the NO7 product which I liked and the shade definitely wasn't as dark as I had expected looking at the swatch on my hand. This put me in a dilemma of which shade to get. 
I asked one of the sales assistant if she had another "medium" tester but she simply replied she hadn't which wasn't very helpful. Worried that the "medium" wouldn't be as cool-toned as the "dark", I ended up going for "dark".

When I got home, I tested the pencil on my eyebrows. If you plan to get this product I do suggest you use a very light hand as it can be extremely pigmented - this isn't a bad thing at all! It may just take a little getting used to since I used to press quite hard with my S&G pencil. The colour wasn't too bad towards the end of my eyebrow where I fill them in fuller but I do find it too much for the front so I'll probably use a lighter eyebrow pencil there.

Overall I think this product is brilliant considering the price you pay! Some may not like the very small range of shades on offer or the packaging, but the texture of the product and design with the eyebrow brush at the opposite end is great. I am definitely impressed!
Thank you for reading, you lovely people!

Holly Amber X

TWO WONDERFUL REVLON LIP PRODUCTS!

I recently took a trip to BOOTS which lead to me to two new purchases - both lip products, both REVLON and I am in loveeeee.

I'm a person who's always looking for the perfect nude lip products and after trying the following two I am extremely happy and they're all I have been wearing since I bought them. 
The first of these products is the (relatively) new REVLON Ultra-HD Matte Lip Colour in the shade 'Seduction' (a peachy-pink nude) which is £8.99. I'd been looking for this shade for weeks and it was always sold out - I can see why as its my favourite shade out of the line by far.
I love the packaging of these with its frosted-glass looking plastic tube which you can see the lip colour through. I also quite like the scent of the actual product - it's slightly sweet but even if you disliked the scent you cannot smell it once it sets on the lips anyway.
The product has quite a 'moussey' texture and I find that it doesn't actually set down completely matte on my lips but I've found this with other matte lipsticks with this texture too such as the NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams. This means that it doesn't last on the lips for as long as a liquid lipstick does but this doesn't bother me too much as I've been pairing it with my second lip product anyway.

The second product I've been loving is the REVLON Super Lustrous Lipgloss in the shade 'Super Natural' which is £6.99. This shade is less peachy than the Ultra-HD Lip Colour but pairs beautifully with it as its a little more sheer anyway. The packaging is again quite simple but very pretty and elegant but I much less like the scent of this one. However, this doesn't matter to me anyway as you cannot smell it on the lips either once you apply it.
I just think the shine this gives your lips is absolutely beautiful and it makes them feel a lot more hydrated. The texture is quite sticky but it is bearable and means the product stays on a little longer than other lip glosses. 

I am defintiely loving this lip product combination and will be continuing to wear them daily for a long time. Good job REVLON!
Thanks for reading as always,

Holly Amber X

GROWING LONG, HEALTHY NAILS!

When I tell you I was an terrible nail-biter for well over a decade I'm not lying and its a common misconception that these years of biting can do damage to future nail growth (from my experience anyway). I really wish I had a "before" photo to show you but I doubt I ever would even think to take a photo of them when they were so badly bitten.

The hardest part is giving up the habit of biting them which isn't actually that hard once you start to see an actual nail tip growing after what feels like a lifetime. Then comes the task of maintaining this without your nail falling to pieces - chipping and cracking and flaking every time you touch something. So here's a couple of tips that come in handy!

1. USE A CUTICLE OILS AND HANDCREAMS!
A very easily forgotten part of looking after your nails is to revitalise them with hand creams and oils as this will help to prevent flaking. This is extremely important after drying out your nail with nail polish remover, water etc. The cuticle oil and handcream I use regularly are from the BODYSHOP's Almond Hand Care Range and they smell absolutely delicious, an added bonus!

2. KEEP THEM PAINTED!
Another common phrase I hear is "Oh no! You need to let your nails BREATHE" and I honestly don't think my nails need to do that when they are technically dead the moment they appear from my nail bed. So, ignoring this comment, my nails are so much stronger when painted - even if this is just a clear layer or two of base coat and top coat. When doing this its also very helpful to "wrap" the nail polish around and under the tip to prevent it peeling!

Revlon Colourstay Gel-Envy Nail Polish.

3. CHOOSING A NAIL POLISH!
Although any type of polish on your nails can help to keep them stronger, I've definitely found using a "gel" type nail polish is a lot better. My definite favourite "gel" polish is the Revlon ColourStay Gel-Envy nail polish which you can read about here.

4. CUTTING AND FILING.
Another tip I'd give to someone trying to grow bitten nails is to keep them short at first. For one, it takes some getting use to having longer nails which means you may break them easier and, secondly, the nail may be a little weak at first to withstand being longer. Also, make sure to file in one direction rather than back and fourth as this is more likely to cause cracks and splits in the nail. For someone prone to nail biting, having a nail file on hand can prevent this if a nail does happen to break!

5. REMOVING NAIL POLISH!
To make nail polish removal easier, you can prep for this by using a peel-off base coat which could reduce the use of nail polish removers altogether. However, if you do use a nail polish remover, make sure this is acetone free as to reduce dehydration and flaking! If you tend to switch up your nail polish regularly, a peel-off base coat would definitely be your best option!

There are plenty more things I'm sure you can do, especially nutritional wise, to grow strong, healthy nails but these five tips I find help me out massively!
Thank you for reading as always,

Holly Amber X

KOLYMPIA, RHODES (JUNE 2016)!

Hello Lovelies!
So recently I went on holiday with my lovely boyfriend for a week to Kolympia, Rhodes in Greece and I had a beautiful time. We stopped at the Imperial Resort and Spa in Kolympia which was honestly the most beautiful hotel with the loveliest staff, I couldn't say a bad word about it! The reps from Thomson and TUI were extremely helpful also and were always on hand through each step of travelling and our stay at the hotel. Im extremely sad to be back after such a lovely week.

The View From Our Balcony.

Atlantica Imperial Resort and Spa in Kolympia, Rhodes.

Kolympia Beach.

Boat Journey to Lindos.

Acropolis of Lindos.

Lindos Town.

Mountain Walk Up to Tsambika Monastery, Kolympia. 

Old Rhodes Town.

I had the most wonderful time with the most wonderful person in the loveliest of places. It was lovely to destress and just relax for the whole week and I can't wait for more holidays with my favourite person in the future. We chose the perfect location to relax in whilst being able to travel to the towns of Lindos and Rhodes within 40 minutes where we shopped and saw some beautiful sights. It's always sad to come back home but memories of our first proper holiday together will always be there.

Thank you for reading!

Holly Amber X