THE SUNSHINE BLOGGER AWARD

Well hello there!

I was very kindly nominated by Luci Barker for The Sunshine Blogger Award. Thank you so much for the nomination, make sure you check her blog out!

The rules for this one are:

1. Thank blogger(s) who nominated you in the blog post and link back to their blog.
2. Answer the 11 questions the blogger asked you.
3. Nominate 11 new blogs to receive the award and write them 11 new questions.
4. List the rules and display the Sunshine Blogger Award logo in your post and/or in your blog.

1. What's your dream job?
To be honest, I don't really know, even at 20 what I want to do. I love blogging so much and eventually want to get into YouTube but I'm not brave enough yet. If I could do either of those full time that would probably be my dream job yes, but you have to be so lucky to end up doing that. 

2. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?
Australia!! That is my number 1 destination to travel to (even though I am not keen on flying), but I know it would be totally worth it.

3. If you had an unlimited amount of money for 1 year, what would you do or buy?
Ooooo this is a good one, the usual loads of makeup. A lovely home for me and my boyfriend to live in, a flashy car and dogs! Would give money to my friends and family. Also I would actually invest as well, probably with properties so when the unlimited money ends I am still getting other sources of income.

4. What is your all time favourite film?
Oh this is a hard one because I have seen so many. I love all types of films and I can't pick just one but a few of my favourite films are: What To Expect When You're Expecting, Shutter Island, Crazy Stupid Love and The Green Mile.

5. Why did you start your blog?
Combination of my love for makeup and I have always loved writing. I wanted to start a blog over a year ago, but just didn't have the confidence to.

6. If you could describe your style in 1 word, what would it be?
I don't really have a specific style, I'm just either all glamed up or completely dressed down with hardly any makeup. 

7. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Hopefully still blogging and maybe have started a YouTube channel. 

8. If you could only wear 1 makeup product, what would it be?

Now I have my eyebrows microbladed (will be doing a post on this eventually), definitely concealer!

9. What are your blog goals for 2018?
To stay on top of it, being more organised e.g. bulk taking photos. Also, to be more active on social media with interacting with other bloggers.

10. What was your favourite childhood TV Show?
Either Zoey 101 or That's So Raven.

11. What's your favourite memory?
Again I have had so many good ones so it is hard to decide on one but probably big family holidays when I was younger or last year, spending a weekend away with my boyfriend at Brighton.

The 11 bloggers I nominate:
Bryony Baker
Holly Gladwell
Stephanie Vivienne
Jess Clare
Bronia Jane
Lauren Ann Beauty
Hannah Jayde
A Daily Dose Of Holly
Nina Louise
Just A Little Bit Of Lauryn
Life Of Little Things

My 11 questions for you:
Why did you start blogging?
What was your favourite lesson in school?
What is your favourite makeup item?
When you're not blogging, what are you doing?
Do you prefer breakfast, lunch or dinner?
Has blogging given you more confidence?
Are you more of a shoes or handbag gal?
Where would you love to travel to?
What is your favourite film genre?
Do you believe that everything happens for a reason?
Are you a dog or cat person?

So that was my Sunshine Blogger Award post, again thank you to Luci for nominating me.
Thank you so much for reading,

Want to see more from me?

Twitter: alixholdenx

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ABH AMREZY HIGHLIGHTER REVIEW | IS IT FOR PALE SKIN?

Well hello there!

I am sooooo excited to be doing this post for you today, my boyfriend very kindly bought this for me on Valentines Day which I am so grateful for. I am going to be reviewing the Anastasia Beverley Hills x Amrezy Highlighter - eeeekkkk! When I saw all the press release for this I knew I wanted to get this, it looks so stunning and I have watched a couple reviews because well...I did just get too excited. This highlighter costs £29 and is limited edition which makes me sad, so I am so glad I got my hands on it. 

Packaging
The packaging is beautiful, it is very sturdy plastic and it feels super luxurious. It has the black lid with the gold stars and writing on the front, and on the bottom it has a description of the product and a quote from Amrezy herself. On the inside you can see that it has a mirror which is nice for when you are on the go, and has Anastasia Beverley Hills on the bottom of it which makes it look more expensive. The pan itself.....as I thought omg it's stunning. It looks like a wave in 3D and the shade is a pale gold. It does as Amrezy says, looks like a sun in a compact.

Application
I could not believe it when I swiped my brush in it, but it has zero kick back. It is not powdery in the slightest and it looks wet on your skin! I love the look of this highlighter so much, I have never seen a highlighter look like this on my skin before. You really don't need to get a lot of the product on your brush because it is very pigmented. 

Longevity

As always I test the longevity whilst at work, so I end up wearing the product for about 8/9 hours. I didn't expect no less from ABH but this lasted all day long with no flaws whatsoever. It was still fully pigmented when I went to take my makeup off and still looked as if I just applied it.

Opinion

Do I think this highlighter is worth £29? To be honest it completely depends on what your opinion is on it, you are paying for the brand and Anastasia Beverley Hills is a high end brand. I only own a few of their products purely because I can't afford to keep buying high end makeup. So because you are paying for the brand, that's why it comes with the beautiful packaging and the amazing quality of the product as well. Also, this is limited edition so it is not going to be around forever. Yes - I do think it is worth £29, all things considered the highlighter is such good quality and looks amazing on the skin. Is it for pale skin? I saw so many people say that it looks fine on pale skin and that got me very excited as I was scared it wasn't going to. When I tried it for the first time, it does show up a bit too dark for my skin and you could see it when I looked forward. However, I do think in the summer when I have a tan this will look so much better and blend more into my skin tone. If you are even paler than me and you wear light makeup, then I do think this will be too dark for you which is so annoying. Apart from that if you have light-medium skin tones this will look stunning on you and I do really like this highlighter. Everything about it is all you want when it comes to highlighters, just wish it was a tiny bit lighter. I will be testing this out more to see what it will look like when I bronze up my face more and when I have fake tan on.

So that was my review on the Anastasia Beverley Hills x Amrezy Highlighter.
Thank you so much for reading,

Want to see more from me?

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MAKEUP REVOLUTION PRODUCTS YOU NEED TO TRY

Well hello there!
Makeup Revolution are a drugstore brand that sell very cheap products that have amazing quality, and I feel especially over the past year or so they have really stepped up their game! You're probably bored of me saying it but I love Makeup Revolution, so much that I own a lot of their products and I thought for today's post I would share with you my all time favourites. 

Ultra Contour Palette

I am pretty sure this was the first ever contour kit I ever bought, I have had it for a very long time - so long that the writing has completely rubbed off of the front! It is such a good travel friendly palette with sturdy plastic packaging and a big mirror. In this palette you get: 3 face powders, 2 contour powders and 2 highlighters. My favourite shades in this palette are the middle contour shade and the silvery highlighter. They all blend really nicely and it is only £8! It is such good value for money, and you can buy this here.

Conceal & Define Concealer

You have obviously heard all of the rave about these concealers and too right because they are so good! I have actually reviewed this which you can read about more in detail, but you will not be disappointed if you buy these. For starters they are only £4, the packaging is nice and it is super full coverage! I use shades C1 and C3, and you can buy these here.

Soph x Makeup Revolution Eyeshadow Palette

This is a beautiful eyeshadow palette, you have everything you would ever need. I love how versatile it is, you can go for a basic neutral look or you can add pops of colour. It has a white and a black which I think is so crucial in any eyeshadow palette and it has beautiful shimmer shades for on the lid. The quality of this palette is amazing considering a price of £10! Some colours do require slight building but for the price you can't expect exceptional quality, you can buy this here.

Luminous Luna Liquid Highlighter

I am someone that does not reach for liquid highlighters all the time, I only use them occasionally so I would never have spent £30 on one. However, when Makeup Revolution came out with exact dupes of the Cover FX Enhancer Drops I could not resist. These retail for £6 which is insane, I have watched so many comparison videos and they are literally the same thing just different price tags. Now I have 3 of them, this shade in particular is my favourite as it is perfect for my skin tone and you can buy this here.

Mega Matte Palette

Since the first contour palette, I think they have changed their formula slightly because these powders are so soft, they blend out beautifully on the skin and they are very pigmented. This is not the most travel friendly palette as it is huge but the pan sizes make up for that I think. The palette has a translucent powder, a light powder, a banana powder, 3 blush shades and 2 contour shades. They are very finely milled and feel almost creamy to touch, I almost cried when the pan smashed in the middle of the contour shade. It is slightly more expensive at £15 but I think it is completely worth the price, and you can buy this here.

Soph x Makeup Revolution Highlighter Palette

I have done a review on this as well but this is one of my favourite highlighter palettes. Purely because of the price and of how pigmented these are! My favourite shade is obviously the lightest one (as always) and I don't tend to go for the pink or purple shades. This palette is only £8 and you need to have it in your collection! There is also a shade for everyone, so again it is very versatile and you can buy this here.

Guest List Eyeshadow Palette

This palette is jam packed full of warm toned eyeshadows which are my favourite and the packaging is glittery rose gold - what isn't to like? I thought that these were limited edition, but they have actually confirmed they are permanent which is good because I love this collection. I have 3 of the eyeshadow palettes in the collection but this one is by far the best one in my opinion. The shadows do require a little bit of building but for the price, you can't really complain. It costs £10 and if you like warm tones like me then you should definitely try it! You can buy this here.

Platinum Ingot Highlighter

This is the newest product I have from MUR, I have not had it very long but I thought I would give it a quick mention. I must say that the formula is really different from their other highlighters, it is not powdery at all and feels very smooth when you touch it. This is the perfect shade for my skin tone as it is a white icy shade, and these are only £4! They come in 2 other shades Rose Gold and Gold but I think they will be too dark for me. You can buy this here.

Matte Lip Kit
I only reviewed this product a couple of posts ago, so if you would like to read that you can here. Again, such good quality for the price. These are very pigmented, I only needed one dip of the product to cover my entire lips! The shade I have Echelon is a beautiful pink/browny nude which I think will suit so many skin tones. They are a tad drying but every matte lip is going to be and they last for ages! These retail for £6 and you get the matte liquid lipstick and lip liner, and you can buy this here.

So those are my favourite Makeup Revolution products!
Thank you so much for reading,

Want to see more from me?

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GLOSSY BOX OPENING | FEBRUARY 2018

Well hello there!

I have another Glossy Box opening for you and this is for the month of February. This is probably my favourite box yet! I am obsessed with the design on the box, it has lipsticks, lips, lollies, rainbows and hearts on it, and the bottom of the box is neon pink. I am definitely keeping it for storage.

In this months box you get:

 Sleek Makeup i-Divine Eyeshadow Palette - I was very happy to see this in the box as I am very familiar with the brand. I don't think everyone gets the same eye shadow palette but my one is the 'Vintage Romance' palette. All the shades in this palette have glitter in them and omg I swatched these and they look amazing! I know finger swatches are not the most reliable but I am looking forward to testing this out. This is a full size product and it retails for £8.99.

Skin Chemists Aqua Repair Facial Serum - I love face products that hydrate your skin as my face get can really dry. This is actually suitable for all skin types which is good, even if you have oily skin and you have received this I would still try it. It is supposed to minimise redness and deliver deep hydration. I am really excited to try this because wait for it....this small 30ml bottle is full size and it costs £64!!! My mouth dropped to the floor when I saw that price, I assume that this will be amazing.

Ciaté London Nail Varnish - Again another familiar brand in the box which is good to know, I didn't even know that Ciaté made nail varnishes. I get my nails done so I won't be using this on my finger nails but will definitely be using it on my toes. Everyone gets different colours and I got the shade 'Seas Of The Day', it is the most beautiful bluey green shade. This is also a mini so not full size, but I don't use nail varnish very often so I'm cool with it. This mini size retails for £6 and the full size bottles retail for £9.

Steve Laurant Lip Tint - We have seen this brand before as it featured in the December box, and I love that liquid eyeliner I have used it a few times and it is really good. This product is called a lip gloss on the box, but it is definitely a lip balm. It has a slight nudey tint to it which is pretty and it has the most boujeeist packaging for a lip balm I have ever seen! It is a glass container with a rose gold lid, it feels very luxurious. This is full size and it retails for £17!

Studio10 Beauty Makeup Glow-Plexion Mist - Never heard of this brand before but it sounds like a good product. This mist will prime, refresh and hydrate your skin which sounds good to me! It is a primer but it says that you can use it as a setting spray as well which I tend to do anyway. The packaging is super cute, it is grey, white and silver which is a bit of me. It has a lot of claims on the bottle: it smooths, illuminates, refreshes and brightens dull and lackluster skin, helps refine skin texture and reduced the appearance of open pores. Lets hope it works! This is the travel size and it retails for £14 and the full size retails for £26.

There are a few more products listed on the card so I'm guessing not everyone will receive the same products, but I am really happy with the ones I did get. If you would like to subscribe to Glossy Box, then you can here.

So that was this months Glossy Box.

Thank you so much for reading,

Want to see more from me?

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MAKEUP REVOLUTION MATTE LIPKIT REVIEW

Well hello there!

I really enjoy doing reviews for you so I am coming at you again with another one! This is for the Makeup Revolution Retro Luxe Matte Lip Kit in the shade Echelon. I will also be doing a wear test as well, because this is matte I expect it to last a long time. Makeup Revolution have 3 different types of lip kits: matte, metallic and gloss, and all of their lip kits retail for £6 which is such good value for money. Lip kits all started when Kylie Jenner released them, but they are so much money and because I'm in the UK the shipping would cost a fortune. If these lip kits are good, then I am going to stock up!

Packaging

The matte lip kit boxes are matte black with gold accents, it is quite small and not an overly bulky box which I like. It has the shade name on the front and the top, but what I have noticed after taking the products out of the box is that the shade does not match the colour of the lips on the box. Which can be a bit confusing, so maybe try looking up swatches online before buying. I love the lid of the matte lipstick, it is copper/rose gold and at the end of the lip liner is also the colour of the product. These lip liners are ones you have to sharpen which is not my favourite but for how cheap this lip kit is, I can deal with it. As it is a lip kit it comes with 1x matte liquid lipstick and 1x lip liner, the packaging for them is very simple and basic but I like that.

Application

Even before I applied this, I love the dofer applicator! It is not too big so it is perfect for distributing the product on your lips without accidentally over drawing them. It feels super creamy when applying and omg these are so pigmented, I didn't need to dip the dofer back into the tube as it covered my lips with the first dip. Once applied, it took about a minute or so to dry down completely. It is completely transfer proof and budge proof so if you need something that is not going to move around, then this is the sort of lip product you would need. I also love the colour of this lipstick, it is a pinky brown nude shade. There is a slight scent to it but it is very subtle.

Longevity
As this is a matte lipstick, it is going to be drying which it was but I was expecting that. I tested this on a night out and it was on for about 8 hours. The pigment was on my lips for a long time, which I was very impressed by but by the end of the night it had faded around the lines of my lips. The colour was still there on my lips but not fully opaque like it was at the start of the night.

Opinion

For starters the price is amazing, £6 for a matte liquid lipstick and a lip liner?! I would buy this over and over for that price. Also for us in the UK it is very easy to get hold of. I would honestly buy these over the Kylie lip kits, they are too pricey and with shipping fees you end up spending a fortune. I love the colour of this lipstick, it is very me and I don't usually like drying matte formulas but this is really long lasting. The only thing I don't like is the fact that the lip liner needs to be sharpened, which is so lazy of me but nobody got time for that. I need to pick this up in a couple of their other shades because these are amazing! If you are interested you can buy these here.

So that was my review on the Makeup Revolution Matte Lip Kit, let me know if you would like me to review the glossy lip kits and I am very keen to try them.

Thank you so much for reading,

Want to see more from me?

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MAKEUP COLLECTION SERIES | PRIMERS

Well hello there!

I am kicking off today's post with the start of my makeup collection! I don't know about you but I am so nosy, and I love knowing what makeup people have in their collections. I am going to list every product I have of the particular item, and tell you what my favourites are.

Benefit Porefessional

Benefit Porefessional Matte Rescue

Primark Primer Water

Miss Sporty Insta Glow Primer

Nyx Pore Filler

Urban Decay Optical Illusion Complexion Primer

Nyx Born To Glow

Elf Hydrating Face Primer

I actually have more primers than I thought for someone that does not use primer everyday. My favourite primers that I own are definitely the Urban Decay Optical Illusion Primer, it is so good for smoothing out your skin texture. The Primark Primer Water which is hydrating whist being tacky on your skin, and the Elf Hydrating Primer which is essentially a moisturiser. They all do different things but my skin changes day to day so depending on how it is on the day, I will use the appropriate primer.

So those were the primers in my collection! My foundations will be the next post and believe me, I have a lot!

Thank you so much for reading,

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ZOEVA BASIC MOMENT BLUSH PALETTE REVIEW

Well hello there!

For today's post I am coming at you again with another review! This time we are going slightly higher end than drugstore, and it is for the Zoeva Basic Moment Blush Palette. Zoeva is not the most expensive brand, I think it is reasonably priced but it is slightly more expensive than drugstore. This palette is essentially a contour palette as it includes a contour shade, a highlight shade and a blush shade. Not quite sure why it is called a blush palette because it is definitely not, but nevertheless I do like the look of this palette and it costs £13.

Packaging

It has cardboard packaging that is pink and white ombré which is so pretty, I love how simply and elegant it looks. It closes via a magnet which is very sturdy so it will shut securely, and it has very slim packaging as well which is good for travelling. When I open it up, straight away I notice there is not a mirror. That is a bit annoying I would prefer it if there was, especially because this is a more expensive face palette with only 3 pans. 

Besides that as mentioned there are 3 different products in this palette: 

Yet To Come (pink blusher)

Liquid Clock (light gold highlighter)

Unfinished (cool toned contour)

Application

These shades, all 3 of them are very pigmented! Even swatching them on my arms, it shocked me how well they showed up. This palette I would say is more suited for light to medium skin tones, I can just about get away with it. The contour shade is definitely cool toned and a tiny bit too dark for me, but as long as I lightly tap my brush in the pan and get rid of the excess it looks really nice. The highlighter is a stunning gold shade, again is that tiniest bit too dark but I can get away with it. It looks so smooth on my cheekbones and I love this highlighter. The blusher is a coral colour, it is more of a natural shade and is buildable which I do like with blushers.

Longevity

As always I have tested this out many times whilst at work, so that is a minimum of 8 hours. Whenever I come home after wearing this palette all day, it has stayed on and does look very good still even after a long day. As the blush is natural, it does not show up as much as the contour and highlight so I don't notice it as much even when first applied. However, the other 2 do still look very pigmented.

Opinion

I have been using this A LOT recently and I have really been enjoying it. It has been in and out of my everyday makeup bag, as I have been using the Makeup Revolution Mega Matte Palette as well. The palette is super travel friendly with how slim and small it is, hence why it is in my everyday makeup bag because it can fit in there! To be honest I don't know why I haven't tried Zoeva products before, all their packaging is so nice and if their products are all as pigmented as this palette is, then I definitely am going to buy more.  As I have been using it a tonne, it is obvious that I do really like this palette and if you have not tried this then it is 100% worth it. This isn't even that expensive for how good the product is. If you are thinking of buying this, then you can here. There is also an eyeshadow palette in the Basic Moment collection, which is a very cool and neutral toned palette and I will link this here for you as well.

So that was my review on the Zoeva Basic Moment Blush Palette.

Thank you so much for reading,

Want to see more from me?

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