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