HAIR CARE ROUTINE (HAIR JOURNEY)!

My hair before cutting and
heat damage at the end of
2005 (aged 8).

I've always had so much trouble with growing my hair since I had it cut to my shoulders when I was about 10. 8 years later and my hair is finally growing and feeling healthier - but there is definitely some changes I had to make. Enjoy some embarrassing pictures throughout :)

The length of my hair at
the beginning of
2011 (aged 13).

The first problem was that, between the ages of around 12 and 16 I either straightened or curled my hair near enough every single day WITHOUT heat-protectant - What was I thinking? Honestly, I've now cut out straighteners/curlers near enough altogether but i understand not everyone feels comfortable doing this or some people just like doing their hair! This I completely understand, it's the reason why I used to use them so much but if you do choose to do that, please use a heat protectant spray! The one I've been using for a very long time now is the TRESEMME Keratin Smooth Heat Protection Shine Spray (which is currently on discount at ASDA at £2.00!) I used this after I towel-dry my hair by spraying and combing through before I blow-dry or spray and comb through dry hair before using any heated appliances. 

Another obvious damage to my hair was done through colouring - I've had my hair so many

Purple-coloured hair in 2011
(aged 14).

different colours (red, purple, blonde, ginger, dark brown, black) which I did through home-colouring. I choose not to colour my hair anymore and if I do want to dye it again I'll definitely be going to a hairdressers who knows what they are doing. Home-colouring caused unneeded damage to my hair and the colour tended to fade quickly anyway - I think everyone goes through the teenage phase of experimenting with the colour of their hair but I wish I hadn't.

Very short, very dark brown hair
in 2010 (aged 13).

I would definitely suggest investing in a good quality hairbrush as we often damage our hair a lot when combing it through and combing out any knots - breakage can occur especially when combing through wet hair as this is when it is at its most fragile. I recently bought and reviewed the TANGLE TEEZER which you can read here, and I still stand by it as a great product, I have no regrets!

LEE STAFFORD Argan Oil and TRESEMME heat protectant
and hair masque.

I would say I wash my hair either 2 or 3x a week as my hair really doesn't need to be washed any more than that! I used to wash it a lot more often and I found that my hair became dirtier quicker when I did, and as I stopped washing it so much my hair just adjusted to the new routine. When I wash my hair I like to use the the Keratin Smooth shampoo from TRESEMME (the same line as the heat protectant) which is also £2.00 at the moment at ASDA! Then I follow by using the TRESEMME Keratin Smooth Deep Treatment Masque  (also £2.00 at ASDA) which I leave on my hair for around 10-15 minutes then rinse off. I've been using this hair mask for such a long time now and it leave my hair feel so smooth, shiny and hydrated afterwards. I definitely recommend trying it out! If you're interested I'd grab it from ASDA whilst they are all on offer as they are usually around £5.00 each.

In between washes I also use the Lee Stafford Argan Oil (Nourishing Miracle Oil with Pro-Argan complex) to treat my hair where it may be slightly dry - it smells lovely and doesn't make your hair look greasy at all - its lightweight and my hair looks smooth and silky after use. This can be purchased at BOOTS for £11.99.

Hair extensions - 2014 (aged 17).

One last thing I used from the age of around 14 to 17 was clip-in hair extensions. I was so desperate to have longer hair but I really disliked my natural hair so didn't feel I could stop using my heat appliances on it. So I turned to clip-in hair extensions which, at the time, I really was happy with. 

However, when I look back now, they looked so dry and terrible after the first few times I straightened or curled or washed them. 

They were also so inconvenient - clips popping out everywhere or being able to be seen (I'm sure many girls can relate to this) and when I look back now it feels like wasted money. 

My hair currently.

They were around £40-£50 each time I purchased new ones and over those three years I spent a lot on them. The clips also used to pull at my hair which I'm pretty sure didn't help the growing process and it made me even more insecure about my real hair - I literally never wanted to go out without them. Now, I'd never go back to hair extensions personally, I've learned to love my own hair and I feel so much better for it. It's not the length I want it yet but it's getting there.

Thank you as always for reading! 

Holly Amber X

JANUARY GLOSSYBOX REVIEW!

Along with the new month comes the exciting thought of receiving my monthly GLOSSYBOX subscription - waking up to the knock on the door and speaking deliriously to the postman as I was still half asleep must have been entertaining for him. 

The first item in my box was the UNANI Dermo Defense Face Mask which was a full-sized product (I can't find an English/American site where this product is listed on but it is £11.36 on this Spanish website). I was really excited when I saw this face mask product as I've been wanting to purchase a weekly face mask for a while now. It is a herbal-based formula which cares for a protects the skin. It is said to be targeted at sensitive skin and you are advised to use this once or twice a week by applying, leaving for 10 minutes and then rinsing off.

When I first used this, I was surprised and slightly put-off by it's consistency - it's not like any face mask I have used before. It is a very very thin consistency, almost water-like, which seems to absorb into and not sit on the skin as many face masks do. 

I can't say it's my favourite consistency but I'm predicting this is due to the herbal base of ingredients; it just wasn't what I was expecting. It did seem to hydrate my skin and leave it feeling soft but it didn't feel like it had been cleansed or give me as deep a clean as I would have liked from a face mask. 

The second item in the box was a simple red nail varnish from ANGELE Paris (I can't find a shade name or code) which retails for £6.32. Again, I can't find a website where this is sold which is slightly annoying. This isn't my favourite nail varnish - its very thin and states that you would need two coats and a top coat and the brush is not a paddle-style brush. I'm sure it's not a terrible nail varnish to many other people but I'm so lazy when painting my nails; I like to be able to apply one coat with an easy-to-use brush and I'm done. 

Swatches of the GLOSSYBOX
Mauve Eyeshadow.

The third item in the box was a GLOSSYBOX eyeshadow in the shade "Glossy Mauve" which retails for £7.10 (not that I can find a website where it can be purchased, again). I'm very glad mine wasn't broken when it arrived as I've saw this happen in quite a few people's boxes this month. The colour itself it definitely my type of shade - a purple-brown shade -and it has a nice satin finish. The formula seems okay; I think it would apply better wet where it would be a lot more pigmented. I definitely would not apply this with your finger as, when I have tried to swatch it, the product sticks to my finger and near enough none of the product applies to the back of my hand without a lot of effort. It's not a bad eyeshadow, but no where near my favourite.

The fourth item in the box was a luxury-sized sample of the MADARA Cellular Repair Serum  which is £38.00 (for the full-sized version).

"The clinically proven serum from MADARA combines a cell repairing bio-complex alongside revitalising birch juice (the wonder ingredient the beauty world is currently buzzing about) to plump skin, while boosting hydration and radiance"

I like the consistency of the product and it has a lot of good reviews about minimising wrinkles and giving a youthful, instant lifting effect. However, I hate the scent of it so much,  I wouldn't complain if it was subtle or if the scent wasn't as strong when it sets into the skin but it stays on the skin for a very long time. It does say to follow with a moisturiser which got rid of the scent but it really put me off using it again. I'm not sure how often I will be using this or how I will fit it into my skincare routine. I may give it away for someone else to try (it may just be me who dislikes the scent). 

The final product in the box (and the only one I seemed to really like this month) was a TEEEZ Oasis Gem Lipstick in the shade "Coral Onyx" with a satin matte finish (this can be purchased for £11.93 as quoted on the information leaflet but I cannot find it on the website). I don't own a lipstick this colour so I was really happy with the shade, the formula is also really good and I like that it sets to a slightly matte finish which doesn't look or feel drying on the lips. It claims to last for 8 hours but I haven't worn it for that long yet - the finish does make me think it would last for quite a long time though.

"Coral Onyx" TEEEZ lipstick.

I also loveeeeee the packaging! It's so different to anything else I own and is really attractive. I think this will be a lovely formula and shade for the summer.

Although I wasn't thrilled with my GLOSSYBOX this month, I usually love this subscription service and I won't be cancelling my subscription - I'm sure that I won't always love the products I receive and I'm sure other people who received these products might have reviewed them completely differently to I have and thats the decision you make when subscribing to a service which sends you different products every month. I won't give a sugar-coated review about how I felt about this month's box as it would be pointless in me writing about them but I am hopeful that next month's will be better and I still believe that, for what you pay, you get the chance to try out some wonderful products. 

If you are interested in GLOSSYBOX please read my previous reviews and visit their website - if you decide to subscribe for one month, three months or even more, please do so through this link as I receive reward points. 

Thank you for reading, 

Holly Amber X

MY FAVOURITE 5 MAKE-UP BRUSHES!

A couple of years ago the only make-up brushes I'd ever used were a normal powder brush and a small eyeshadow applicator - little did I know about the wonders of all the other make-up brushes there were out there!

My absolute favourite make-up brush which I use daily is the Expert Face Brush by Real Techniques, sold for £9.99 in BOOTS (although I would check in some supermarkets which sell these, like ASDA, as they're sometimes discounted). Before purchasing this brush I really didn't know what I was missing. I used to use their Stippling Brush to apply and blend my foundation but it never really worked for me so after a long time debating, I purchased this. 

And what a brilliant decision it was! It blends my foundation beautifully and it is the softest brush I own, I apply the foundation either to the back of my hand or onto the brush directly and apply it to my face evenly in circular motions. The most important thing is creating a good base to put your make-up onto so starting with a brilliant foundation brush is a good idea - if you don't own any make-up brushes I'd definitely suggest purchasing this to start your collection!

The next of my favourite brushes in the Bold Metals Angled Powder Brush (103). I received this in a set of three Bold Metals brushes at Christmas which is currently on offer at £25.00 instead of £64.00! I can't find the brush on it's own on the BOOTS website, I think its only being sold exclusively in the set for now.

Its such a fluffy brush which I specifically wanted for soft contouring - as its so big its doesn't give you a harsh line but the angle of it makes it wonderful to contour your cheeks with. I absolutely love the design of the Bold Metals collection - it makes them look so expensive and luxurious.

Also from this set, I received the Bold Metals Tapered Blush (300) which is sold separately for £24.00. Again, the design is beautiful - this one is more a rose-gold colour rather than the  Angled Powder Brush which is a more true-gold colour. Although this is stated to be a blush brush, I prefer to use it for my highlighting as it has a tapered end - this means you can use it on smaller and broader areas. Both of these two brushes are so soft and fluffy and blend out any product amazingly - they don't hold onto much of the product either.

The next brush in my top 5 is a very affordable brush which I think I purchased for £4.00 at BOOTS - the Cheeks Brush from SEVENTEEN. I can't seem to find this on the BOOTS website but I'm sure they still sell them as single brushes in store - on the BOOTS website there is the SEVENTEEN Make-up brush Explosion set which has this brush in and is currently half price at £6.00 (and it includes 4 other make-up brushes). I purchased this as a quick decision as I wanted a more precise contouring brush than the one I had which wouldn't give too harsh a line. It's slightly tapered and I was pleasantly surprised at how soft it was and how easily it blended out my contour. I can't say I had high hopes for this brush but I was so impressed and I use it daily now for the smaller areas I want to contour - a brilliant affordable brush!

And finally, my fifth favourite brush is the simple but brilliant Real Techniques Powder Brush which is sold at BOOTS for £12.99. It may not be the most exciting brush to some people but I was so happy to get this, it's by far the softest and best powder brush I've ever used and it's relatively affordable compared to other high-end powder brushes. I think the most important brushes to get right are your base brushes - foundation, powder and concealer (which I am yet to find a brilliant brush for). If you haven't purchased a make-up brush before, I'd definitely start with the Powder brush and Expert Face Brush from Real techniques - they are very good investments and apply your make-up so well! 

As always, thank you for reading and I wish you all a very happy new year full of wonderful, happy things!

"Do good and good will come to you"

Holly Amber X