MORPHE 35W PALETTE (SWATCHES AND REVIEW)!

I recently mentioned the MORPHE 35W palette in my latest blog post (What I got for my Birthday: Makeup Product Reviews!) where I basically said how great a value I thought this palette was for the amount and quality of shades you get in it! This palette can be purchased for £15.95 on BEAUTYBAY and it includes 35 warm-toned eyeshadow shades - all of which are wonderfully pigmented!

In this short post I'll swatch each column of colours (in the order shown to the left) and point out my favourites in bold, enjoy!

Swatches of shades 1-5.

Swatches of shades 6-10.

1. White/Cream base shade

2. Shimmery cream-brown 

3. Light coral orange

4. Warm brown with orange undertones

5. Shimmery mid-brown - absolutely beautiful colour, the pigment of this one is amazing and it feels so creamy when you swatch it.

6. Beige base shade

7. Champagne gold

8. Lighter coral orange

9. Another shimmery mid-brown with red/purple undertones - less shimmery than number 5 with a warmer undertone.

10. Matte mid-brown

Swatches of shades 16-20.

Swatches of shades 11-15

11. Orange-beige base shade

12. Matte light brown

13. slightly shimmery barbie-pink

14. Deep brown with a slight sheen

15. Deep purple-brown - beautiful matte colour, love the warm purple undertones to this one.

16. Very light, shimmery pink

17. True, deep orange

18. Purple with specs of gold shimmer/glitter

19. Another shimmery brown with red undertones - I think it's becoming obvious that I am definitely a person who likes shimmery browns.

20. Dark charcoal brown

Swatches of shades 21-25

Swatches of shades 26-30

21. Light orangey-brown base shade

22. Shimmery barbie-pink (much lighter and more shimmery than 13.

23. Gold-orange shimmery shade (looks more brown-orange in the palette)

24. Light, shimmery grey-brown

25. Deep brown-purple 

26. Light, shimmery orange-beige.

27. Mid-brown

28. Shimmery red-purple - Beautiful shade, has more of a red undertone than the other purples in the palette.

29. Dark purple

30. Glittery black - considering I don't go out much I don't know when I'll use this but the glitter in this is beautiful (it has shown up at all on the swatch).

Swatches of shades 31-35.

31. Light, shimmery champagne base shade - Very subtle, pretty shade (I love the champagne, shimmery colour.)
32. A very shimmery, true-orange
33. A light grey-blue - I'm really unsure as to why this colour is in the palette as it is meant to be a 'warm' shade palette (hence the 'W' in 35W). However, it's still a lovely shade, I just tend to use warmer shades.
34. Bright purple with a slight shimmer.
35. Matte black.

I'm really impressed with this palette and there's not really one colour I don't like; there are a few that I probably won't use as much as others but they're still all beautiful shades.
The texture of these is also very creamy and you don't need a lot of the darker/shimmery colours at all for a good colour pay-off. 
For £15.95, this palette is honestly great value for money! Especially for those of you who tend to go out a lot as there are endless possible combinations in this.
I'd be really excited to try another of the MORPHE palettes and plenty more can be found on the BEAUTYBAY website!


I hope you enjoyed this shorter post, thank you for reading!

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

 

MY FIRST BIRCHBOX REVIEW! (FEBRUARY BIRCHBOX)

I was super excited to receive my first BIRCHBOX!

The box itself was lovely! I loved the design and that the quote "Shine bright like a diamond" was printed in shiny, silver colour. 

Inside the box was an information booklet which contained information about the products and a small bag with the products inside. (The bag could probably be reused for holding shower gels, shampoos etc. - I think it'd be great to take travel-sized samples away with you on holidays). 

The BIRCHBOX subscription service is a £10.00 monthly payment and you receive 5 products in each box (you can also pay for a 6-month/12-month subscription where you can save money). You can read more about BIRCHBOX here and browse their website.

DOUX ME Face mask and Exfoliating
Scrub - £18.00.

The first product I came to in the box was a sample-sized version of the DOUX ME Comforting Face Mask & Exfoliator which retails for £18.00 on the BIRCHBOX website. First of all, I've not heard of this brand before but I really like the sound it from doing a little research - they're environment-focussed and try to use natural, organic ingredients (listing them all clearly in a way that anyone can understand). 
It contains ingredients such apricot oil, cammomile and marshmallow extracts (can't say I've heard of a product containing marshmallow before). It can either be applied as a mask by using a thin layer which you wash off after 7-10 minutes or as an exfoliating scrub by applying in circular motions.

NUMBER 4 Prep and Protect Spray - £20.00.

I've not tried it on my face yet but on the back of my hand the exfoliation doesn't seem to harsh and it left my skin feeling smooth and soft! It doesn't have much of a scent which is better than a bad scent - I'm very much looking forward to trying this out.

The second product in the box was a sample-sized NUMBER 4 Lumiere d'hiver Super Comb Prep & Protect spray which retails for £20.00 on the BIRCHBOX website. You apply this to towel-dried hair by spraying and then combing through before styling as normal. It claims to strengthen and repair hair strands as well as detangling and taming flyaways.
Although this is a sample-sized product I think it's quite a generous size and I'll get quite a few uses out of it! 

SPECTRUM COLLECTIONS Tapered Powder
Brush - £7.99

The next product I got in the box is one of my two favourites -  A SPECTRUM COLLECTIONS Tapered Powder Brush which was (obviously) full-size and retails for £7.99 on the BIRCHBOX website. 
First of all - how BEAUTIFUL is this brush!? It's extremely soft (I can't stop feeling it at the moment!) and I love the design of these - definitely my favourite brush design I've seen (apart from the REAL TECHNIQUES Bold Metals collection) with it's pale pink handle and ombre blue to purple bristles.
The tapered end means you can be really precise with the brush and I'm really happy to receive this as I haven't got a smaller powder brush. Make-up brushes are definitely one of my favourite things to receive - very impressed with this product!

COHINE Hand & Body Lotion - £19.00.

The next product was a sample-sized COCHINE Water Hyacinth & Lime Blossom Hand & Body Lotion which retails for £19.00 on the BIRCHBOX website. The packaging for this product is really nice as it feels like you're using a luxury brand product; you also get quite a lot of product for a sample-size (I'll be using my sample as a hand cream). The scent is also really nice - quite subtle with a hint of lime. I like receiving hand/body creams in sample sizes as I very rarely get through a full-sized version of this type of product anyway! This was a nice little addition to the box.

The second of my favourite products (and final one) in the box was a full-sized, LOC (Love Of Colour) One and Done Shadow Stick in the shade "Champagne Problems" which retails for £8.00 on the BIRCHBOX website. 
Each subscribers got to choose between two different shades - I chose "Champagne Problems" as it was definitely my favourite type of shade, a champagne-gold with silvery undertones. The other shade was "Perfect Cents" which I believe was more of an orangey-gold (it looked like a lovely colour, just not what I usually go for). 

I am extremely impressed with this product! It has such a creamy formula which is so easy to blend out and I think they definitely need to produce more shades of this! It claims that it is waterproof and that it can last up to 11 hours without creasing - I haven't tested it for that long yet but I've had it on my wrist for nearly 2 hours now and it hasn't changed one bit from when I applied it.

I'd love to try out more shades from this product and other products from the LOC brand as I'm so impressed with this.

Overall I am so pleased with my first box from BIRCHBOX - there isn't one product that I'm not looking forward to trying out or that I disliked. I love that they supplied a range of brands, to try out some of which I'd never heard before, and their sample sizes were generous! I also like the fact that the two best products (in my opinion) were the full-sized products in the box. I am extremely excited to receive next month's box now and I urge you to check out their website and subscription service!

If you are at all interested in signing up for a monthly subscription (which you are able to cancel at any time), I'd really appreciate it if you did so through my personal link!
Thank you for reading,

Holly Amber X

Note: Today I reached 5000 views on my blog which made me so happy - thank you to every single person who takes 2 minutes out of their day to read a post, I appreciate it so much, it's so encouraging! I was always so nervous about starting something like this until I took the leap and had a bit of faith in myself - 5000 may not seem a lot to some people but to me it represents a lot of time and effort on my half and love and encouragement from your half :)

"And suddenly you just know its time to start something new & trust the magic of beginnings"

MY LAST GLOSSYBOX? (FEBRUARY GLOSSYBOX REVIEW)!

After the disappointment of my previous GLOSSYBOX, I was wary to receive my February edition - I hate being disappointed. However, I was optimistic that the January edition just wasn't for me; it didn't mean it was a bad subscription service.

This month's GLOSSYBOX was better than the last, but I'll explain my thoughts about my subscription to GLOSSYBOX as a whole towards the end. 

The box itself was, as always, beautifully designed and I've kept all of my boxes each month which I use to store my make-up or skin care products - they're really sturdy and I've saw people use them for many different things!

The first product in the box was an MUA PowerPout Glaze in the shade "Spellbound" (each subscriber got the chance to pick which shade they wanted). These can be purchased for £3.50 on the MUA website (or most drugstores) and they come in 6 different shades. MUA is definitely not my favourite brand for any type of lip products - I do like their highlights and eyeshadow palettes though. 

Unsurprisingly, I didn't particularly like this product (but it was not as bad as I had expected). The colour itself I don't like even though I had watched lip swatches before choosing my colour - it's a very sheer, shiny red colour which seems to rest on top of the lips. However, the consistency is only slightly tacky which I was happy about although I'm not sure how long it would last on the lips. 

The next product in the box was a set of slanted tweezers from the Vintage Cosmetics Company which can be purchased on their website for £8.00 - although I absolutely love the design of these (they have the cutest floral pattern), I already have about 4 pairs of tweezers. Definitely not a wasted product though, I just didn't necessarily need these.

The third product in the box was a Wilkinson Sword Intuition Sensitive Care shaver which can be purchased on the Superdrug website for £6.49. Again, this is not necessarily something I needed and I much prefer receiving makeup/hair products from GLOSSYBOX. I can't say I know a lot about razors but it states that it is good for sensitive skin as it moisturises as you shave and so requires no type of shaving foam/gel etc. It also states that it contains vitamin E and aloe vera. 

The next product in this month's box was a Nicka K 24-hour waterproof eyeliner in the shade "NYA41 - Dark Brown". I was especially pleased with receiving this as I was in search of a dark brown eyeliner. It comes with a wind-up eyeliner pencil on the one side and a small smudging sponge on the other end and the product itself is so creamy and pigmented! I would definitely recommend this eyeliner but I can only find it on the Nicka K (American) website for $5.99. However, if you can get your hands on this product you won't be disappointed at all, especially for the price you pay! 

The last product I received in the box was a NAOBAY (natural and organic) protective, volumising hair mask. I'm really excited to use this - I absolutely love the scent (although I'd be terrible at describing it). 

"This mask contains natural triglycerides that add density and volume to hair. It also features organically grown Shea Butter and Argan oil. Formulated for all hair types"

I was surprised at the size of this product also, will definitely get a couple of uses out of this. On the information sheet it states that it can be purchased form the NAOBAY website for £10.64 but I haven't been able to find this link myself.

Overall, the products in the box this month totalled to just over £30.00 and I wasn't over the moon with all of them. After receiving my box this month I made the decision to cancel my subscription with GLOSSYBOX for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I just haven't enjoyed the products I've received as much in my last couple of boxes - I understand that you can't expect to love every single product you receive but I feel as if the products do not match up to the first few ones I received. I think this can be seen in my reviews as well since I subscribed up 6 months ago. 

Also, each month the total retail price of all of the items in the box has slowly declined and I have started to receive cheaper products from brands I don't necessarily like (such as MUA, Essence etc). It is all a matter of opinion and I know many people who still love GLOSSYBOX and their customer service is brilliant - I just don't feel as excited as I previously was when waiting for my box each month and, although I may re-subscribe in the future, right now I've made the decision to try a different subscription service...

BIRCHBOX! 

So, in the next couple of days I'll be receiving my first monthly birch box and I will be sure to review and give my first impression.

Thank you as always for reading!

Holly Amber X

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