July Amitee Pamper Secrets Box

So here's the final box for july and it's the Amitee Pamper Secrets Box!! After receiving their Make-Me-Up box I was really excited about getting this one, and it didn't disappoint.

Murad Oil Control Mattifier SPF 15 - 10ml 
(Full Price £37 - 50ml)
I am definitely becoming a huge fan of Murad! So to find two Murad products in this box was amazing... there may have been a little squeal of excitement. The first Murad product was this oil control mattifying moisturiser. Mattifying moisturisers are great for people who suffer from oily skin because it is really important to keep your skin moisturised without adding to the problem and making your skin look shiny or greasy. So far, I am really impressed by this product, it gave my skin a matte effect straight away and my skin just looks alot healthier. I haven't been wearing it for 8 hours so I can't comment on whether or not it does last throughout the day but it's showing no signs of budging yet. From what I have gathered, people also use this as a primer and holds make-up in place really well. I did find applying my make-up over this was really easy but again I haven't tested out it's staying power yet.

Murad Exfoliating Blemish Treatment Gel - 30ml
(Full Price £51 - 100ml)
This product contains Salicylic Acid, Gycolic Acid and Hydrogen Peroxide among others, so is packed full of ingredients to help keep those breakouts at bay, without being too harsh. I can get quite sensitive skin and I didn't find this product irritated or stung my skin at all. It unclogs the pores and encourages cell turnover so that breakouts are dramatically improved. You apply a thin layer of this on your face and neck, twice a day after cleansing and it helps prevent future breakouts. Sounds good huh. I'm really excited to see if this is as good as the reviews, and the price, suggests it is.

Neom Organic Hand Cream - 50ml
(Full Size £20 - 75ml)
This smells amazing. The scent is Moroccan Blush Rose mixed with a hint of Black Pepper and Lime. Sounds like an odd mix to me but I love it. I just want to go light some candles and have a pampering session after using this it smells spa quality lush! It feels very soothing and moisturising on my hands, but even if it didn't i'd still use it just so I could smell it all day!!! Weird? No!!!

Yana Foundation
(Full size £25)
For this box you were asked to select a foundation shade beforehand. And lookey here we received... can you guess?... a foundation!! I chose the lightest shade because I am sooo pale and I always struggle finding a foundation that is light enough for my skin. But this foundation, is super light, I have never found a foundation as light as this one. The whole shade selection was great and I love the fact that you can choose a shade based on different celebrities skin tone (I chose Gwen Stefani). The coverage is pretty good, it doesn't cover everything but it hides any redness really well. Blemishes will probably still need the help of a concealer or you can build the foundation up. It's really easy to apply although I did find it dries very quickly so I think it's best to apply one area at a time and blend it in before moving on to the next area. I did find it felt quite drying initially but that seemed to have gone after a few minutes. The finish is quite matte, so it doesn't look greasy or shiny on the skin and gives a really nice fixed finish. I am really impressed with this foundation and I think it will last a good while because you only need to use a tiny amount and it does the job brilliantly. It's a bit disappointing that you can actually order these sample sizes for £1.50 on their website so the value of this product isn't great but it's really good to introduce people to the brand and I think it's definitely worth trying out their samples.

Green People  Nurture Body Lotion - 30ml
(Full size £18.95 - 200ml)
Last up is this gorgeous scented organic body lotion. It has a light citrus scent and feels very rich and hydrating on the skin. It's definitely a luxurious product suitable for all skin types including those with skin complaints such as eczema and psoriasis. Absorbs into the skin really well and leaves it feeling smooth and refreshed.
I love this box, I will use all these products and the value of the box is amazing. I think this is my fav box of the month actually, so that's high praise indeed.

What was your favourite beauty box this month??

July JolieBox

Hello :)

 So here it is, on time, the July JolieBox! After all the fuss last month I wasn't sure whether to carry on with my subscription, but I have to say, I am so pleased I did. This months box was packed full of amazing products, including a little bonus as way of an apology for the delivery issues. So all is forgiven!!

ETAT PUR Express Purifying Mask.
This is a white clay mask designed to absorb toxins, impurities and excess sebum. This alone is worth £7.50 and I always love face masks so was thrilled to find this. It is suitable for all skin types, including sensitive skin and it doesn't have a scent to it so absolutely anyone can enjoy this product.

JANE IREDALE Tantasia self tanner.
This provides natural hydration to the skin whilst building up a colour to give a healthy glow within three days. This has a really nice citrus smell to it. I have never used a self tanner before, so I don't know what they usually smell like but I've heard they don't smell too good. But this one is lovely. Like oranges. I'm not sure if i'll use this just because I avoid self-tanners as i'm really pale. But it's only a small sample size so it'll be good for if I ever want to give self tanning a try. And as it's a gradual tanner it's not going to be disastrous and make me look like an oompa loompa... I hope.

NAILGIRLS.
Two gorgeous mini nail polishes. These are part of their medal collection inspired by the Olympics. In the collection you get 4 polishes for £12. (bronze, silver, gold and a 2-in-1 base/top coat) Which is a great deal considering their classic nail varnishes are priced at £10.50 each!! . I got the bronze and gold colours in my box. They are really pretty, with a nice shimmer. Quality is amazing and they apply really well. You also get cute little toe separators as a bonus! How nice!

WEN Sweet Almond and Mint Cleansing Conditioner. 

I love the packaging of this product. It just looks soooo pretty! It has quite a strong mint smell so if you don't like mint you may not like this one. But it does smell very fresh and clean. Looking forward to trying this!

ESSENTIAL CARE Organic Rose Moisturiser

Last of all is the bonus product. There were a few different ones you could get, some better than others. I got the Essential Care Organic Rose Moisturiser. I'm a bit disappointed as there were quite a few better products that I would have preferred to yet another moisturiser. But as far as moisturisers go this is a really nice product. It smells really nice, it feels light on the skin, absorbes well and is really hydrating. It's 15ml which again is worth £7.50. 

Eeek, just seen a spider on my ceiling so I'm going to quickly wrap this up and get the hell outta here. Love the July box, brilliant products, amazing value.Thumbs up *runs away*

Amitee Make Me Up Box

Hello! I think i'm getting addicted to these beauty boxes. Uh oh. This one is from Amitee and is one of their themed boxes. There's a choice of 3 or 4 and it's basically a one-off payment rather than a monthly subscription - and you get to see what's in this box before you buy!! So I bought the Make Me Up box because it looked really good and I love it when you get make up products in beauty boxes. I have enough moisturisers for the time being!! This came with next day delivery and I was so excited!!

So the first product was the Elemis Melting Face Gel which I was really glad about as I've been looking for a  new face wash and I love Elemis products. You apply the product on your face and neck, then wet your fingertips and massage it in, making the consistency become like a cleansing milk. It feels so lovely and smooth. Doesn't feel sticky and the smell is AMAZING. I think it smells of golden syrup... but apparently it smells of oranges. Either way... it's good









Next up are these Eldora Eyelashes. Really really excited to try these.I've never worn fake lashes before eek and now i can!

Also, got this NYX Ultra Pearl Mania Eyeshadow in Mink. It's a lovely golden colour, is really pigmented, blends really well and lasts really well. I absolutely love it. The colour is perfect for a summer bronzed look

Next was this Murad Skin Perfecting Primer. I have been wanting a primer for ages now so really happy with this one. This has 0.5% Salicylic Acid so not only does it minimise pores, even skin tone and stop shine it also fights and helps prevent breakouts which is a huge bonus. I haven't tried this yet but looking forward to giving it a go







Last of all was this NYX Colour Lip Balm in Asante, which is a really pretty rose pink. I was quite surprised by the colour payoff this gives, it does definitely add colour your lips. It feels very moisturising and has a gorgeous light scent. I don't think it's as good as other products like Revlon Lip Butters but it's still a hit

   Overall I loveeeee this box. Baragin for just £10!!! You can grab one here, or check out their other themed boxes. They also do a monthly subscription box which I signed up for so can't wait to get that.

Thanks for reading,
Holly xx

Barry M Nail Paint Collection

Hello!

I have gone a bit mad with nail varnishes in the last month so thought i'd share my collection of Barry M nail paints. Barry M is definitely one of my favourite brands for nail polish, their colour range is amazing and at £2.99 each it's a pretty good deal.

I love all these colours except for Spring Green.I actually hate this colour! It's very rich and I actually found this one to be quite streaky, and I just feel like I'm going to a Shrek fancy dress party or something when I wear this. And the photo's looked like I was posing as a dinosaur. Rawr. So yeah. I suppose it'll be good for halloween but can't imagine wearing this again otherwise,

The Peach Melba, Blue Moon and Mint Green are all lovely pale shades, great for summer and just really really pretty.

Block Orange is one of my favs, and I'm not usually into really bright colours but this one is amazing. It just makes me feel all set for the summer.

Dusky Mauve is a deep purple colour with a hint of red glitter. This is a really nice going out or evening colour

Retro Coral - This was released as part of their retro range to celebrate their 30th anniversary!! The packaging is really cute, and you can choose from 5 colours. I got the coral free when I spent £6 on Barry M products and i love it, very pretty!

Mushroom is a really sophisticated, neutral day time colour which would be great for work as well as it's just a subtle grey/brown colour

So yeah there's my little collection of Barry Ms nails varnish. What's you're favourite Barry M nail colour?

Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream

Hello

I just received my free samples of the Maybelline Dream Fresh BB creams so I thought I would share my views on it. First of all, if you're not sure what a BB cream is, it's essentially a tinted moisturiser jam packed with other skin benefits. So it's a lot lighter than a foundation, but still adds colour and evens out your complexion. So this particular BB Cream claims to be an 8-in-1 skin perfector that does the following.

• Imperfections looked blurred
• A natural looking glow
• Fresh feel
• Compliments skin tone
• Skin looks smooth
• Hydrates
• Protects with SPF 30
• Oil free, non greasy

Imperfections look blurred

I would say they do look slightly blurred, but this only gives a very light coverage so it by no means covers up imperfections. If you have a lot of blemishes you will still need concealer and might prefer using a fuller coverage foundation rather than a BB cream. This is very light, it evens the skin tone and it kind of blurs imperfections - but doesn't make them invisible. If you have good skin then this would be amazing just on its own

A natural looking glow

Definitely agree with this. It gives the skin a healthy natural looking glow and doesn't make the skin appear greasy or oily like some BB creams can. Brightens up the skin and gives a really nice finish. It's not mattifying and gives a more dewy look but if you prefer a matte finish you can add powder on top.

Fresh Feel

Yup - doesn't feel greasy or drying just very fresh and hydrating, doesn't really feel like you're wearing any makeup at all which I love

Compliments skin tone

For me I found that it blended so so easily, much better than any foundation I've used and it just sinks into the skin really well and evens out your skin tone. It comes in 4 tones, as far as I'm aware all the samples come in the shade light, so if you have light or fair skin definitely try out the samples which you can get here. The other shade are medium, dark, and universal glow

Skin looks smooth

As already mentioned it's not mattifying, but it gives a natural looking glow and makes the skin look very natural and healthy. I guess that counts as smooth looking... It doesn't make you look ...scabby or anything so yeah. Smooth. Thumbs up. (moving on...)

Hydrates

Very hydrating and fresh feeling. Doesn't leave your skin feel tight or dry. It is pretty much a tinted moisturiser so it just feels like you have moisturised your face rather than put any makeup on. 

Protects with SPF 30

A huge added bonus to this BB cream is that it contains SPF 30 so it's protecting your skin at the same time and apparently the sun will be making an appearance some day soon.

Oil free, non-greasy

Doesn't look or feel greasy at all which is great because I know a lot of other BB creams can leave your skin feeling a bit on the greasy side. I have naturally oily skin and I didn't find this made my skin look oily at all, just quite dewy looking so I think it's one that all skin types will be able to use.

Overall I think this product is pretty great, I personally don't really like wearing foundation especially in the summer, so this is perfect for just adding a little bit of colour and helping to even out skin tone. You can add concealer and powder if needed but otherwise this is perfect if you want to look like you aren't wearing any makeup, keeping it very natural and healthy looking, and it is so light you don't feel like you're wearing makeup either. But if you want  more of a full coverage then this probably isn't for you

Clinique Redness Solution | Review

The Clinique Redness Solutions is a green tinted protective base or primer with SPF 15, to help reduce redness and improve the skins complexion. The description says "Extra gentle, physical,broad spectrum daily protection from UVA/UVB exposure that can aggravate skins with persistent or reactive redness. Corrective green tint immediately reduces redness. Oil-free"

I'm not really sure how I feel about this product. Firstly, when I apply this, I did not find it was that good at immediately reducing redness. The redness on my cheeks looked almost the same (I have very pale skin with pink undertones so my cheeks are very rosy), and redness from any blemishes looked slightly better I suppose, but it didn't improve it a whole lot and so I wasn't really impressed. Some people have reviewed this product and said it made their skin look an offish green colour and to be honest I didn't find this either. It blended really well, did not leave me looking like a little alien creature, but as I said, it didn't do a great job at balancing out any redness either. I also don't think this made makeup application easier, as some primers do.

Now for the thumbs up bit. I used this product before going to Whipsnade Zoo to be a zookeeper for the day (which was amazing). It was a really hot day and we were walking around here there and everywhere mucking out rhino and elephants enclosures and all that. And that's no easy task let me tell you. They do make a mess. So it got very hot at times and I could feel my face going red. And when i go red I go red! Like bright red. In fact it's more of a plum and a tomato having a party kind of red. So i was thinking "Oh my god i'm going to look awful in my photos" However, at the end of it I looked in the mirror and my face wasn't red at all and my makeup looked exactly like it did when i first applied it. Usually my makeup likes to melt off my face within an hour or two. So i was pretty amazed. And after looking through my photo's my skin was not the horrific colour I thought it would be! So I think this product is really good for preventing redness from heat but not really for covering up or balancing pre-existing redness. In terms of making makeup last longer, I've found this is kind of hit or miss. Sometimes it seems to work, sometimes it doesn't and my makeup looks a mess after a couple of hours. I have no idea why.

I love the packaging, and this will 40ml bottle will definitely last ages and ages. But for £16 I won't be repurchasing this.

Body Shop Purchases | Review

I picked up a couple of products from The Body Shop last month and have been trying them out and they have now become a part of my daily routine. I absolutely love Body Shop products and I always find so many things I want from there... it's quite bad really I could buy half the shop.

.

The first thing I got was the Coconut Beautifying Oil and the smell of this is just so so nice. I love the smell of coconut and you can definitely smell it throughout the day after you've applied it.

The description is "Dry oil for body, face & hair. Moisturises, Smoothes, illuminates" I have to admit I've only used this as a body oil. I have very oily skin so am not keen on using it on my face but I think it would be great for someone with dry skin to use as it is very moisturising and does give a nice glow. It is really easy to apply, skins nicely into the skin and doesn't leave it feeling greasy at all.


This cost £9 which at first I thought was pretty pricey, but the product goes a long way, and even though I feel I've already used quite a lot, my bottle still looks almost full. I think it's definitely worth the money.

The only thing I would criticise is that I really wish it came as a pump. The bottle looks lovely and it is nice packaging, but it get's a bit messy and sticky after a few uses. It's not a major problem, but a pump would definitely be an improvement in my eyes.



The next thing I chose was the Seaweed Clarifying Toner for combination/oily skin. This is actually the first toner I've ever purchased so I can't really compare it to others, but I have seen great results from using this product.

"Pore minimising toning liquid to remove impurities and reduce excess oil". I definitely agree with the description. It is amazing how quickly I saw an improvement after using this product.
 I have to say I don't use this on my chin because it broke me out, and I thought my skin was just purging so I kept using it, but the breakout didn't go until I stopped using it on that area. But for the cheeks/nose/forehead it has been great and I love it. For one, it got rid of all the blackheads on my nose which I have never found a product that does that. It's never been a problem because it's something that's not noticeable to anyone unless they're like.. up in my face having a good look round ... (creepy)... and most people have them so I've never been too bothered about that. I have tried a few exfoliators and facial scrubs before with no results, but using this product made them go completely which is a massive bonus. Again, I don't have a problem with large pores either, but I could still see an amazing difference after using this.

It is really mattifying, improves complexion, makes the skin more even and it feels so refreshing. Your skin feels so fresh and clean after applying this and it also helps remove any makeup that may be left on the skin. This is £7 and is an absolute bargain. Even though I can't use it on my chin as it breaks me out there for some reason, I have seen amazing and really fast results on the other areas, so would definitely repurchase this.

The last item I got, also from the seaweed range, was the Seaweed Mattyfying Day Cream for combination/oily skin. Because my skin gets quite oily, I wanted a moisturiser that was light enough to control oil throughout the day without making my skin look really shiny or greasy, or adding to the problem. This definitely does the trick. As it says on the packaging "Moisturises dry areas, controls excess sebum in shine" and I 100% agree. It feels very fresh and light when applying and absorbs into the skin really easily. It's not heavy at all but still leaves your skin feeling hydrated. And this is only £4!!!



So there's my little lot of Body Shop purchases. Really happy with all of them I think they are all reasonably priced. Love love love The Body Shop!!

Thanks for reading
Holly xx

Broadway Impress Nails

Hello :)

I'm not a big lover of false nails. I wear them probably couple of times a year and that's all. And I usually prefer the natural looking, french manicure style false nails, which I think just looks very classy and pretty and fresh. But I saw these in Boots and I had to get them they looked so pretty! They are stick on nails from Broadway and were available in a lot of different patterns and colours. Basically the glue is pre-applied so you just peel off a protective layer and then pop them on your nail. Easy! You get 24 nails in 12 different sizes, a mini nail file in case you need to adjust the sizes to better fit your nails, and a  prep pad to cleanse your nails before application. I didn't have to use the file as I found a size that fit every nail pretty much perfectly

Broadway imPress Nails: Lovestruck

Ok so the downside to these... they are pretty short. I don't bite my nails or anything so I usually have quite long natural nails, and to wear these I had to cut them down pretty short so my natural nails didn't show over the false one's (not a good look i would imagine). But I've never found that with other false nails i've tried. Also I know some people have said they are a bit on the small side,especially the thumb nails. They fit me fine but I think some people have found that they were too small for their natural nails and didn't fit very well. I think most people should be okay with them, maybe those people just had ... larger than average thumbs ... who knows.

Another downside, within half an hour one had fallen off,within 24 hours three had fallen off. BUT, i did decide to do the cleaning right after I applied them (because i'm a weirdo) and so was scrubbing around and having them under the water a fair bit. Which obviously didn't help. Plus I don't think I applied much pressure when I put them on. So I re-applied them (you can use glue to re-apply them once they've fallen off - but I didn't have any so just used new ones) and they are staying on much better now. So I think it was my own fault they fell off that soon. They are said to last around a week so we will see.

I am in love with these nails though! They are so so pretty. And so easy to apply. I admit they are a bit pricey, I bought them for £8.99 in Boots, but i'm sure you can get them cheaper on eBay... I definitely recommend them especially if you have short nails anyway, they are perfect if you are in a rush or need a quick upgrade, and they are just generally lovely. I'd wear them for any occasion, hell i'd wear them even if i'm not going anywhere. Love love love them

June JolieBox

Hello

So I ordered my first ever beauty box last month ... eee so exciting!! For anyone who doesn't know, Joliebox is one of a few popular beauty boxes, which come as a subscription for around £10 a month plus p&p (usually around £2.95) and you get on average 4-5 high end beauty samples.

I opted for the Joliebox because looking at what products had been included in previous months it looked really good, and it's a french brand with lovely expensive french products which is very appealing to me. So I ordered the Joliebox for June,which just happened to be their 1st anniversary/birthday! Bonus! So the box was promised to be a bit special. However, it is now a week into July and I have only just received it. There were a lot of unhappy customers after an issue with the labeling and boxes being delayed / sent to the wrong people. So not the best service. But I do think it was a one off and at the fault of UK Mail rather than Joliebox so will have to see how it is this month and then I might change to a different beauty box depending on how it goes

So anyway, because it was their anniversary box, the box design was a bit different to usual. There were two different designs. One was a plain bright orange, and one was a really pretty girly looking box. I got the bright orange. Which was a bit disappointing. Not really into neon oranges. But there you go

In the box you get a JolieMag, which is a nice little read, has some information about the products that have been included in the box and other beauty related articles. You also get a Jolieticket which gives you a prize!! Cool huh. Well my prize was a 10% off code for the Joliebox website (not including beauty box). Not so cool. Lets face it 10% off isn't exactly amazing. Hmm. You get a list of all the products in menu form which looks quite cool I love the presentation of it, it just looks really... posh for lack of a better word haha. You also get this cute little nail file as an anniversary bonus! It's nice but you can't really get too excited over a nail file can you??!

On to the products....

L'occitane

Ok so the first product in the box was this 15ml pot of L'occitane Angelica Hydration Cream
"A smooth facial cream that reinforces natural skin hydration and leaves the skin looking radiant and fresh"
I think I would only use this as a night cream because it feels quite thick and heavy on my skin which I don't really like for during the day. It smells really nice though! Will see how it works out

The next product was this Elysambre lipstick. A girl can never have too many lipsticks right, so I was really happy to get this. It doesn't seem to have a name but the number is 206. It's a deep pink/rose colour. 

I hate the actual packaging of it it's like a brown plastic tube and just looks cheap and horrible. Packaging is quite important for me as I like having things on display like on my makeup table so I like things to look pretty. This does not. But never mind I'll deal. 

The lipstick itself is lovely, quite pigmented and a nice consistency so I am overall really happy with this.