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

WHAT I GOT FOR MY BIRTHDAY - MAKEUP PRODUCT REVIEWS!

Hi everybody! Im now officially 19 - my last teenage year which is a scary thought. Usually, I can't justify spending £30/40.00 on one makeup product so I thought my birthday would be a perfect time to receive things I've been wanting for a while.

ANASTASIA BEVERLY HILLS
Contour Kit.

Top Left to bottom right:
Vanilla, Banana, Sand,
Java, Fawn and Havana.

The first thing I received (I know I'm very late jumping onto this bandwagon) was the ANASTASIA BEVERLY HILLS Powder Contour Kit which is £39.00 on the CULTBEAUTY website. I got mine in light/medium as I'm really pale right now and I like my counter to look quite natural. You get six different shades (3 are bronzier shades, 3 are lighter shades) which are all removable. I think I'll get a lot of use out of most of these! However, the highlighting shade "sand" isn't as good as some of my other highlighters so I probably won't use this one as much. I'm really impressed with the other shades though, they're all lovely colours for contouring with and are very pigmented - a little goes a long way with the bronzier shades! You can also purchase individual shades from the website now if you were to run out of one.

MAKEUP REVOLUTION
blush palette.

The second thing I received was the MAKEUP REVOLUTION Blush Palette in "Golden Sugar" which is £6.00 on the SUPERDRUG website.

Shades from bottom left to bottom
right, then top left to top right.

I am so impressed with this! For starters though, most of the shades in this palette are, in my opinion, much more like highlighters rather than blushers which is completely fine for me - I get much more excited about highlighters than blushers.

The pigmentation of these shades is amazing, especially for the price you pay! I absolutely love the first shade which is a very white, champagne shade but be very careful with how much of this you use - I dipped my brush in this twice yesterday and I looked like I'd be dipped in a bath of it. 

A couple of the shades have a little bit of glitter in which some people may not like in a highlighter but I can look past that for these shades with how beautiful they are!

BENEFIT Roller Lash.

The next product I received was the BENEFIT Roller Lash Mascara which can be purchased for £19.50 - bloody expensive for a mascara if you ask me (hence why I didn't purchase it myself). However, I do understand why so many people love this mascara. It gives your lashes so much length and curl and the packaging is absolutely beautiful (I'm a big fan of BENEFIT makeup packaging). 

I don't usually like rubber brushes like this one but its quite easy to use - it claims to "hook and roll" meaning it separates, lifts and curls each individual eyelash and I can see the difference from my usual Fairy Lashes mascara by JELLY PONG PONG (which is also a very good mascara, just less volumising).

Im not sure if I will re-purchase this when I run out of the product because of the price but we'll see how much my love grows for it until that time comes.

Natural Matte palette by TOO FACED.

The next palette I received I am so in love with - the TOO FACED Natural Matte palette which can be purchased for £27.00 from the TOO FACED website (or £32.00 from the DEBENHAMS website).

Top to bottom: Heaven, Cashmere Bunny,
Sexspresso, Lace Teddy, Strapless, Risque,
 Nude, Honey Butter and Chocolate Cookie

The palette comes with a "how-to-glamour-guide" which contains instructions for three different looks the palette is made for creating (a 'day' look, a 'classic' look and a 'fashion' look). This would be really good for someone wanting to buy a palette which they can achieve different looks from - the shades can be combined in so many different ways for both day and night. 

The shades themselves are beautiful - my personal favourites are "honey butter", "chocolate cookie" and "strapless" and all of the shades are so easy to blend. I definitely think this palette is worth the money as I'll be getting so much use of out it. I will admit it was slightly smaller than I had expected but the packaging and product is beautiful nonetheless. 

MORPHE Palette - 35W.

Another palette I received was the MORPHE 35W palette which contains 35 shades and can be purchased for £15.95 on the BEAUTYBAY website. 

All of these shades are quite warm colours - there is a combination of matte, satin and shimmery shades which are all really pretty and pigmented. In the picture to the right I picked out a couple of my favourite colours to swatch but they are all really impressive and the palette as a whole is a great price considering how many shades you get. There are many more MOPRHE palettes I'd suggest you look through before choosing one to buy as it was a very hard choice for me!

NYX Liquid Suede
Lipsticks.

The last makeup product I received was the NYX Liquid Suede Lipsticks (which are essentially matte liquid lipsticks). I got mine in the shades "Soft Spoken" and "Vintage" and these can be purchased on the BOOTS website for £6.50 each. 

The packaging of these is very pretty! I also love the applicator which is slightly slanted, making the product easier to apply. I am extremely surprised and impressed with the formula of these - they dry down to matte quite quickly and I wore "Soft Spoken" yesterday for about 7 hours and it wore really well (considering I was eating and drinking a lot, I only reapplied twice). With any matte lipstick I'd advise you to exfoliate and moisturise your lips beforehand as they can be quite drying but these lipsticks didn't dry out my lips too much and didn't sink into every tiny line on my lips as I find most matte lipsticks do. I'd suggest using a lip liner with the darker colours as they are slightly harder to apply - I'm definitely going to purchase some of the lighter shades!

 Thank you very much for reading! I was so excited to try these out to review and share with you all as I know spending money on makeup is risky business when you're not sure if its worth it! I hope this was helpful and a big thank you to my parents, boyfriend and friends for buying me such lovely presents and giving me a lovely birthday as always.

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

NOVEMBER GLOSSYBOX REVIEW!

As always, the box came un-damaged and in its beautiful pink and black design. Upon opening the box I was extremely excited. I had received 3 full sized items and 2 travel sized items (which were still a surprisingly decent size).

The first product I came to in my box was a REVLON SUPER LUSTROUS LIPSTICK which can be purchased on the BOOTS WEBSITE FOR £7.49.

REVLON Super Lustrous
Lipstick.

"Pink in the Afternoon"

Each GLOSSYBOX subscriber this month got to choose between 4 shades of the lipstick. I can't remember the other three shades they had offered but the shade I decided on was "Pink in the Afternoon" - a beautiful, classic pink colour. 
The creamy consistency of these lipsticks is amazing; it makes my lips feel so plump and hydrated whilst being long-lasting at the same time. The lipstick itself contains vitamin E and avacado oil which gives it its moisturising properties.
The only thing I dislike about the lipstick is the scent, but it is barely noticeable after applying and it wouldn't put me off purchasing another of these in a different shade.

MUA Undressed Palette.

The next product I came to was an MUA eyeshadow palette (the UNDRESSED palette.)
I have previously bought many of these palettes and loved the eyeshadow formulation so I was happy to receive another which I hadn't previously owned.
Although these palettes are only £4.00 at most high-street makeup stores, you get 12 beautiful shades which are surprisingly good quality for what you pay.
In the picture to the left, the shades are (from the bottom, upwards) Cool Grey, Fuel, Henna, Tawny, Bronze ore, Lion, Hazel, Gild, Fawn, Rose Ash and Puff. 
I personally think these shades are beautiful, metallic shades which could be used for everyday wear or creating a smokey-eyed look for any occasion.

EYLURE Eyelashes.

The next item in the box was some EYLURE NATURALITES fake eyelashes which also came with the adhesive glue. I was very happy that they included some fake eyelashes which were natural-looking as I really dislike dramatic eyelashes for myself.
These lashes are "sweet and subtle" and add natural volume to your existing lashes without it being too obvious that they aren't your own.

They are suitable for all eye shapes, can be cut down to fit smaller eye shapes and can also be re-used.
There are so many different eyelashes you can choose from on the EYLURE WEBSITE for around £5.00 each and they are wonderful quality.

ROYAL APOTHIC Cream Creme Body
Lotion.

The next item I looked at was one of the two "travel-sized" products.
I had never previously heard of the brand ROYAL APOTHIC so I was intrigued to test out one of their products - a body lotion. 
First of all, the packaging of this product is gorgeous! I love the colours and design used - very appealing.
The instructions for use are to "massage into slightly damp skin after bathing to seal in the moisture". 
I'm not sure what the scent of this product is exactly as I can't find it on the packing or information sheet included in the box but it's very fresh and pleasant with some floral properties - nothing too overwhelming. 
The consistency of this product is very moisturising, creamy and absorbs into the skin quickly. 
"Formulated with milk proteins and lactic acid, this rich cream soothes, softens and hydrates dry skin without ever feeling greasy. Nourish your skin as you indulge your senses with subtle fragrance."

Due to the product being travel-sized, I will probably use this mainly as a hand-cream over the winter months as to not run out too quickly. It can be purchased (full size) on the ROYAL APOTHIC WEBSITE FOR £14.50. 

EMITE MAKE UP Diamond Heart (Illuminating)
Primer.

The last product in the box was also the other "travel-sized" product - EMITE MAKE UP's Diamond Heart (illuminating) Base Primer.
I was slightly concerned about the size of the product but when I tested it, I found that you need barely any product at one time anyway as it spreads quite far.
It feels very light on the skin and the scent is very pleasant but again, not overpowering which I like very much. It gives a very subtle, illuminating sheen to the skin which would look beautiful under foundation to give you a glowing complexion. 
"This peach fluid balances skin tone, boosts radiance and creates a smooth finish, perfectly prepping skin for the day (or night) ahead."
I am extremely excited to try this out under my foundation - I have very high hopes!
The full-sized version of this product can be purchased on the EMITE MAKE UP WEBSITE FOR £25.90.



The overall total of the products in the box this month is just over £57!
Although this isn't as high a total as the previous boxes, it is still 5x the amount you actually pay for the box each month which is pretty good value to me! 
Im so pleased with all 5 products I have received this month - wonderful choice from GLOSSYBOX.

I am very excited for the upcoming partnership of GLOSSYBOX with NARS and I will definitely be purchasing the box! Information about this can be found here, i really do urge you to have a look!

I am also excited for next month's GLOSSYBOX after reading the small message at the bottom of the information leaflet:
"Next month, we have a very exciting collaboration on the cards - a beautiful box to match. Beauty blogger Really Ree will be guest editing the Rose Gold collector's edition GLOSSYBOX - December has never looked so festive"

If you are at all interested in subscribing to GLOSSYBOX and receiving the December box, I'd really appreciate it if you did so through this link as I receive reward points :)

Thank you very much for reading!

Holly Amber x