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