Mini Haul

Apologies for not being active for awhile, being a student nurse is well and truly eating up all of my time! But not to fret retail therapy is always the answer, as well as other things I picked up three products, Mac Prolong wear Paint Pot in Bare Study, Mac Lipstick in Creme Cup and Urban Decay Vemon. I'm absolutely in love with all of these beauties. 

Mac Prolong wear Paint Pot - Bare Study

I've heard a lot of good reviews about the Mac Paint Pots yet until this point I did not own one, as a treat I picked on up in Bare Study. This is a soft beige colour with a gold pearl which looks stunning on the eyelid alone or great to build eyeshadow onto.  This product is extremely long lasting, I would go as far as staying this product would last all day without moving or fading away. As a nursing student this product is perfect for just quickly applying on them early mornings, it also doesn't look too much. I would definitely purchase another MAC prolong wear paint pot, probably in Camel Coat or Painterly - Comment below your favourite shade, I'd love to have a little collection. 

Mac Creme Cup 

I finally said 'hello' to Creme Cup, the fifth addition to my growing Mac lipstick collection. I'm normally not a pink lipstick girl but I couldn't say no to this creamy light blue pink shade. I feel this would be suitable on any skin tone and any for occasion day or night. This lipstick is a cremesheen which means it is super creamy on the lips, not drying but also not as long lasting as a matte lipstick.

Urban Decay - Vemon

Creamy badass luxury, indeed, once again Urban Decay you have completely done it for me. Finally, for a while I've been meaning to pick up autumn lip colour for the new season. As berry lips are very now I wanted to originally pick up a dark berry shade but when found 'Vemon' by Urban Decay it was love a first sight! This is a stunning dark pinkish purple is creamy, long lasting, hydrating and nourishing all in one. Next I can't wait to buy 'Shame' which is Urban Decay's darkest red berry shade, also perfect for this time of year.

What's your favourite shade?
HolleyMaire

Rouge à Lèvres

British summer time is great don't get me wrong but autumn will always be my favourite time of year. Beautiful scenes, going back into education or work, a fresh start, colourful leaves falling from trees buying that new coat and scarf, halloween, bonfire night but my absolute favourite thing is digging out them darker shades of makeup and rocking them day and night.

Here are my three favourite red shades for the new season, without a doubt this collection will grow by the end of autumn. If you have any suggestions for me, leave them below because there is nothing   I love more than buying a new lipstick especially a darker one! 

Top to bottom - Mac 'Viva Glam 1',  Urban Decay 'Manic' & Rimmel Kate Moss '107'

Mac - 'Viva Glam 1' - £15.50

Mac have probably the biggest lipstick collection I have ever seen, if you were to think of any colour  in the world and walk into a Mac store you'd probably find it. There is no doubt about it, Mac lipsticks are my all time favourites, they come in so many formulas, are a great quality and smell beautiful! 

'Viva Glam 1' is a red that definitely deserves more credit. It's a beautiful blue toned browish-red that I would say was a little more toned down than the  famous Ruby Woo by Mac. Never the less this lipstick is very pigmented, applies easily and stays put for hours. I think this would be a great shade that could be worn day and night now that the weather is cooling down. 

Urban Decay - 'Manic' - £15.00

I have a huge love for Urban Decay, when I was growing up I went through countless dark eyeshadows and eye liners by UD but this is my first ever lipstick. I'm absolutely in love with the packaging, the gun mental sliver tube looks great with the purple and the individual lipstick shades. If  I could be a lipstick I'd be an Urban Decay one, it's so me! (Very strange, I know) I can't wait to pick some more up but I've been so stuck on what shades to buy, I love them all, its impossible to decide!

'Manic' is from the Revolution collection and is a creamy red with light pink undertones. It's super long lasting, hydrating on the lips and nourishing. The formula is a little sheer but can be build up to a very pigmented colour. Check this out here.  All together beautiful and I can't wait to get using this more in the new season. 

Rimmel Kate Moss Matte Lipstick - '107' - £5.49

I've been loving the Kate Moss collection by Rimmel for years but I especially like the matt lipstick collection. I have a few different shades from both collections and I've never been unhappy with any of them. 

My all time favourite is the lipstick in '107'. This is a beautiful very pink toned red/plum colour an absolute must have for autumn. It contrasts well with my fair skin and brightens the face completely, I often get complements when wearing this one. This is easy to wear day and night, I wear a light layer during the day and build it up for an evening. It's just perfect especially for the price! 

Over the Autumn and Winter I want to build up a reds and darks collection so if you have any ideas please let me know in the comments!

HolleyMarie

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Soap & Glory Skincare

Soap & Glory products are ones I've always associated with Christmas, I've bought for friends and family but never actually used any of their products myself.  Recently I visited Boots in hope of finding some new products to refresh my skincare routine and these beauties caught my eye. Boots currently have an offer on all Soap & Glory products, buy one get one half price, I always love a bargain so this offer was to good to turn down.  

Soap & Glory - Drama Clean - £6.00 

'Drama Clean' is a cleansing water perfect for removing dirt and make up from the skin effortlessly. There is no rubbing required, I simply pour a small amount onto a cotton pad and place over my eye makeup, hold for a few seconds then remove to find my eye makeup almost completely gone. I then place a fresh cotton pad again to remove the stubborn leftovers. It's so quick and easy, I wonder why I ever went through the years of cream cleansers and make up wipes!  This product uses both cool cucumber water juice which famously refreshes the skin and Vitimins A and C to soften the skin. This product smells amazingly fresh and really does leave the skin super soft. 

Soap & Glory - Peaches and Clean - £8.00

'Peaches and Clean' is the perfect pair to 'Drama Clean' as it also is great for removing make up and deep cleansing the skin.  I usually use this after I've used 'Drama Clean' to ensure my skin is completely clean. Application is really easy, I just wet my face with warm water, take a few pumps and rub into the skin in circular motions and then wash off. This cleanser is gentle and soothing on the the skin making it feel lovely and soft! 'Peaches and Clean' is perfect on all skin types on a morning for brightening the skin as this cleanser gives the you a natural glow or on a night for cleansing any makeup or dirt away. 

I'll definitely be buying a Soap and Glory Moisturiser to make this a perfect threesome in the future as well as probably bath products and makeup from their ranges.

What are your favourite Soap and Glory products?

HolleyMarie

August Favourites

August is coming to an end and I've had a really great month of relaxation and spending time with the people I love, I hope you all had a lovely summer too. I thought this would be a great time to share with you my August Favourites! 

Make up 

1) Mac Studio Fix Fluid in NW13

This month I discovered my new favourite foundation and that is the very famous Mac Studio Fix Fluid. I'd be surprised if you haven't heard about this or if you've heard a bad word about it, it's very much raved about. Well I'm going to join the crowd because I absolutely love it! The oil free foundation has a natural matte finish with a medium yet buildable coverage. I found this absolutely perfect for my pale skin in the shade NW13. This foundation lasts a long time and looks just as good hours into your day.  Check out the original post. 

2) Mac Lipstick in 'Hug Me'

I've bought a few lipsticks this month but this is my favourite! 'Hug Me' is a lovely smokey rose colour in a lustre finish. This finish was great over the summer as it is sheer, creamy and not at all drying on the lips. A perfect nude for me. Check out the original post.

3) Seventeen Wow 3 Way Highlighter 

Just buy it! You won't regret it I promise. In the past Seventeen have been a brand I've over looked, after reviewing some of their products in this post I discovered some great makeup that I will continue to repurchase time and time again. This highlighter can be used in three ways, as a primer under foundation, you can mix it with foundation to make it more dewy (a lot like Mac Strobe Cream) or you can use it as a highlight on foundation. With bronzer this makes my cheek bones look more defined and adds a healthy shine to the face that doesn't look greasy. I love it! 

4) Seventeen Stay Time Concealer 

Without a doubt this has been my go to summer concealer, I've probably used it everyday.  This concealer gave me my summer confidence to go out without wearing foundation and just this product and a powder. This  concealer covers spots effortlessly, is great under the eyes and doesn't crease. It's safe to say that this concealer does what it says on the tube and stay on all day, great for them long summer days out when you're not thinking about reapplying makeup. Original post here!

Skincare 

5) Lush The Scared Truth Face Mask

I've tried many Lush face masks in the past and I love every single one of them but this one somehow seems to stand out from the crowd.  I've been using this 2/3 times a week for the past 3 weeks and my skin has never felt better. I usually have very dry skin and I feel this face mask is the reason why my skin feel moisturised and soft a lot of the time.  My complexion looks brighter, more radiant and my skin is clear of spots completely (for once!) I would definitely recommend this to anybody with dry skin, its a god sent. Read more here.

6) Thea Walnut and Chamomile Body Glow Polish 

This month I received some samples from Thea skincare for me to review. I never expected to end up writing about one of these in my favourites but this Body Polish is an absolutely beautiful exfoliator. I was happy to discover that this product was rough enough to remove dry skin leaving my skin feeling smooth and soft but gentle enough to not make the skin sore or red. This product was perfect for refreshing the skin by naturally exfoliating all dead skin cells away but also moisturising as it includes ingredients such as Aloe Juice which seals in moisture allowing new skin cells to grow and Jojoba oil which hydrates the skin. Full review here.

7) Nivea soft

Who doesn't like a multipurpose moisturiser? Nivea soft is a great moisturising cream for everyday use. It has a light formula with Vitamin E and Jojoba Oil that refreshes skin leaving it very soft. This comes in a perfect squeeze-y tube that can be just thrown in a bag and carried around with you then pulled back out and used on the face, body and hands. This was great on them hot summer days. 

Brush

8) Real Techniques Expert Face Brush 

After wanting one of these for a long time, I finally picked one up. My foundation has never looked so natural on my face, this is definitely one that deserves its hype. The brush is super soft and dense, perfect for buffing in foundation, leaving you looking absolutely flawless all day long. I feel my face colour is more even and smooth looking after using this brush. Original post here!

Clothing

10) River Island Black Jersey Twill Blazer 

I usually never write about clothes on my blog but I'm letting my new blazer be the exception. (Please ignore the mirror shot, I don't have any other pictures) I love this is boyish fit blazer that is just in time for the new season,  I can't wait to dress it down for university or dress it up for meals in town. At only £40 I couldn't say no. 

Blogs 

11) longhairandlashes - Grace 

Grace has a lovely little blog that will leave you beauty lovers lusting over huge hauls that are filled with great products. This was one of the first blogs I followed and has always kept me interested! 

12) TillyEnn - Tilly 

Tilly is another blogger that I have been loving this month. After reading some of her posts I actually went on a huge Soap and Glory hunt myself! Thanks for the inspiration and a low bank balance Tilly. 

With summer almost over who's looking forward to Autumn make up and fashion? I can't wait to dig out the dark vampy lips and buy a new jumper! 

Thea Skincare Review*

 

*Disclaimer -  100% truthful and my own honest opinions on any products I review. 

Earlier this week I received a lovely surprise parcel from Thea Skincare including two sample products for me to review. I was especially excited about trying these products as they are vegan, not tested on animals and include high percentages of natural ingredients if not completely natural. As you may know if you've read my blog in the past that I have a huge love for products which are made from mainly natural ingredients, in my opinion nothing can be better for your skin. 

Thea - Walnut & Chamomile Body Glow Polish - £21.95 per 200g

The first product I used was the Body Glow Polish. I used a generous amount and rubbed it into my skin in circular motions. I was happy to discover that this product was rough enough to remove dry skin leaving my skin feeling smooth and soft but gentle enough to not make the skin sore or red. From reading some information which was included with the samples I believe this product was inspired by local villagers from Lake Malawi, who exfoliate their skin with fine grains of sand, rocks and stones. I think its wonderful that the creator of Thea was inspired by actions so natural, there really is nothing better than going back to the roots when creating a new product. 

This product was perfect for refreshing the skin by naturally exfoliating all dead skin cells away but also moisturising as it includes ingredients such as Aloe Juice which seals in moisture allowing new skin cells to grow and Jojoba oil which hydrates the skin. When reading the ingredients I was pleased that this product includes Vitamin E which I believe to be a must have in all skin care products as it has skin healing properties, something that I personally look for due to having stretch marks from loosing weight and scars from an operation. This ingredient is great to look out for if you have any skin imperfections like me! The only downside to this product I could find is that it doesn't smell great it's not awful but compared to some of its competitors that I've tried its not as good smelling. 

Overall, I really like this body polish, its full of natural ingredients, it exfoliates as well as moisturises and it leaves skin incredibly soft. 

Thea - Ultimate Toning Body Cream - £24.95 per 200ml

After using the Walnut & Chamomile Body Glow Polish, I moisturised my skin using the Ultimate Toning Body Cream. This cream has a lovely consistency that is easy to apply to the whole body.  When applying this product I only had to use a small amount before I was satisfied with my skin which was left hydrated and soft. Unlike the Body Glow Polish I actually love the smell of this product as it has a lovely floral fragrance. 

Again this product uses both Aloe Juice and Organic Jojoba oil which moisturises, hydrates and cleans pores. As well as this the product includes DMAE and MSM which tones the skin, making it stronger and more supple by actively regenerating cells. I love that this product is suitable for all skin types but is particularly effective on sensitive or irritated skin. Overall, I feel this product is a great body moisturiser and may be great for ageing skin or problematic skin types. 

Thank you again to Thea for sending me these samples,  I am very impressed and would recommend these products to others, I will be purchasing the Walnut & Chamomile Body Glow Polish in the future as my skin is feeling gorgeous! 

Be sure to check Thea Skincare out

Website - www.theaskincare.com

Twitter - @theaskincare

Facebook - SkincareByThea

Mac Lipstick Wish List

Is it just me or does being in the blogging community bring you a lot of cravings? I mean, ever since I started reading great blogs about amazing products my wish list has been sky high! The main product I just can't get enough of is MAC lipsticks and I know I'm not alone here. As a newbie to MAC my lipstick collection is only small, currently I own four these are; Viva Glam 1, Spirt, Shanghai Spice and Hug Me. When the finishes are such high quality and they come in every colour imaginable with a gorgeous scent, how can you not want more? 

After reading a lot of blogs including these lovelies I have came up with quite a large wish list. These are my most wanted lipsticks: 

High Tea - Lustre -  'Beige- pink with pearl'
Hue - Glaze - 'Soft pale pink'
Creme Cup - Cremesheen - 'Light blue pink'
Pink Plaid - Matte - 'Dirty blue pink'
Plumful - Lustre - 'Blossoming rose-plum'
Lady Danger - Matte - 'Vivid bright coral-red'
Ruby Woo - Retro Matte - 'Very Matte Vivid Blue Red'
Russian Red - Matte- 'Intense blueish red'
Rebel - Satin - 'Midtonal cream plum'
Diva - Matte - 'Intense reddish burgundy'

(Thank you bloggers for inspiring me!)

I'd love to hear about what your favourites are, maybe you have one of these and would or wouldn't recommend it to me? Maybe you know a better alternative to one of these? or maybe you feel I've missed out something amazing? 

Lets talk lipsticks?

HolleyMaire

Brand Review: The Body Shop - Cosmetics Edit

Well it's Monday guys, I hope you all had a lovely weekend. This means that its time for the second post in my Brand Review series, if you missed out on the first post be sure to check it out here. This week I decided to share with you a brand review on one of my favourites, The Body Shop.  Basically, there's nothing else to it, I love The Body Shop and after reading some comments on my previous posts I noticed that quite a lot of you share this love with me. So, I thought this would be a topic for you and anybody interested in trying products from The Body Shop. 

 All in One Face Base : £14.00 & Extra Virgin Minerals Compact Foundation: £16.00

First up is two base products which have been great to me over the years.

Starting on the left with the All in One Face Base, this is a lovely little compact with build in mirror which is great to carry around with you.  It's called the All in One Face Base because it is a foundation and powder in one neat compact. You can use it dry for a light matte finish or wet for a medium coverage. To do this I just wet the end of my foundation brush then rub it in the powder, this turns the powder into a liquid.  I mainly only ever use it wet for on-the-go touch-ups. This powder would be more suited for oily skin as if I use this on a dry day I can end up with skin flake offs. 

Next, is the Extra Virgin Minerals foundation which also comes in a mirrored compact, perfect for on the go. As you can see this product used to be much loved as I have hit pan. I say 'used to' because again this product would be more suited to oily skin and unfortunately my skin has recently changed. This is a cream-to-powder mineral matte foundation for a medium buildable  coverage. This product did come with a flat brush but I threw it away because the bristles constantly fell out onto my face, what a pain! 

I would recommend these two products to anybody with oily skin in the market for a reasonably priced matte foundation or powder. 

Super Volume Mascara : £10.00 & Liquid Eyeliner £9.00

Starting on the left with the Super Volume Mascara. If you have read my blog recently you will know that I also included this mascara in my 'Back to' Picks post,  this is one of the most wonderful and glamorous mascara I have ever used, I couldn't miss it out. It is definitely volumising and does not smudge, flake or run. There is no clumping at all and lashes actually look rather natural. 

Next, the Body Shop Liquid Eyeliner. Now, I used to be a huge liner fan, around this time last year I wouldn't leave the house without drawing my wings on first, so I have a fair bit of knowledge about good and bad liquid eyeliners. This one is perfect. It's super easy to apply, smudge resistant and it stays on all day, what else could you want? 

Lip and Check Stain in Rose Pink: £10.00 & Shimmer Wave in Bronze : £16.00

This Lip and Cheek stain on the left comes in two colours. This one is Rose Pink and the other is called 'Coral', I've used both an in my opinion this one is a lot better. This product is duel use, the lip stain is great for adding intensity to a lip gloss or as a base for lipstick and can also be used on the cheeks as blusher. It's save to say this is also a brilliant dupe for the Benefit 'Benetint', it's almost the same colour and it's of the same quality. 

Finally, and as always I've left the best till last. This bronzer is absolutely perfect, I use this almost everyday and it is definitely one of the best bronzers I've ever used. The five waves of colour blend together beautifully to create either a light tint or a built up bronzy glow. Using this product makes it easy to create a different look every time.  I often use the waves separately, sometimes I use the darkest shade for contouring and the lightest shade as a highlight. The best thing is the complements I get after I've used this bronzer, it really does brighten a pale face. 

What are your favourite products from The Body Shop?

Holley Maire 

All Things Lush

Granny Takes a Dip bath bomb - The Sacred Truth face mask - Phoenix Rising bath bomb 

Before busy September comes along and we say goodbye to the summer holiday I'm taking very opportunity to relax as much as possible! In my opinion there's nothing better than relaxing with a Lush product or two after a long week. Its true, I'm a Lush addicted, I also wrote a post recently about my Top Five Lush Products go check it out!

Lush - Granny Takes a Dip £3.25 

When wondering around Lush I noticed this little beauty that I'd never seen before.I believe that Granny Takes a Dip is one of their newbies, always wanting to try something new I had to buy it. I'm so glad I did, this bath bomb is probably one of the biggest I've seen, the colours pink, blue, red and green just slowly melt and bubble into each other which is so relaxing to watch.  Leaving your bath water a gorgeous baby pink colour

This bath bomb has a lemon scent which helps you feel refreshed. Lemon oil is known to boast your mood while ginger oil is antibacterial and refreshing. Black pepper is also an ingredient which is warming, making your bath even more relaxing. After soaking with this bomb in your tub your skin will feel soft, silky and moisturised. I would definitely repurchase and recommended this.


Lush - Phoenix Rising  £3.25

Phoenix Rising is one of my favourite bath bombs because its packed with colour leaving your bath water a bright purple-y fuchsia which is just gorgeous. This bath bomb has a lot of fizz making it spin around like crazy making pretty patterns in the tub. After the purple layer an unexpected minty green layer appears which you can see in the second picture (kind of).

Fair trade shea butter makes the skin feel nourished while organic jojoba oil naturally moisturises. Similarly to Granny Takes a Dip, this bath bomb will also make you feel uplifted and refreshed due to its ingredient bergamot oil which is in the citrus family. The thing I love the most about this one is its rich fragrance, it smells like cinnamon and other exotic spices. Just lovely and also well recommended to all of the Lush fans out there!


Lush - The Scared Truth £6.25

Basically Lush face masks are probably the best you'll ever use, if you haven't tried one, you need to! This one is called The Sacred Truth and its the first time I've ever used it. I actually received this face mask as a freebie for returning 5 black plastic tubs with the Lush recycling scheme, check it out here. This one was recommend by a Lush staff member for dry skin and it worked absolute wonders!

 The application was easy, the formula was thick but smooth and really soothing on the skin, I placed a thick layer on my face for 5 - 10 minutes then washed it off. I was really happy with the results, my complexion was brighter, very moisturised and smooth. Lush face masks are recommend twice a week and have a use by date of three weeks due to fresh ingredients. 

 This face mask uses 99% natural ingredients such as fresh papaya to stimulate and brighten skin, shea butter making skin nourished and hydrated, honey which as an antiseptic ingredient and ginseng root for skin conditioning.   

Whats's your favourite bath bomb or face mask? 

HolleyMarie

'Back to' Picks

Well the end of the summer is definitely looming, with only a few weeks until the schools, colleges, universities are open again for the autumn term, I thought it would be a great time to share with you my 'Back to' picks. With the aim of creating an everyday look that is light, quick to apply and suitable for all ages.

Max Factor Face Finity All Day Flawless Foundation - £11.99 & Natural Collection Corrector Stick £1.99

Being a student I know what them rushed mornings can be like. The Max Factor Face Finity is a great 3 in 1 primer, concealer and foundation and is brilliant for them mornings when you are in a bit of a hurry!
Before using this product I do like use a moisturising primer because I have dry skin but if you don't have this problem the foundation may be fine without as it has a build it primer.

When applying this foundation, I firstly apply it like a concealer to the under eyes and any imperfections I may have on that day. This is quite a thick foundation which means that it does make a reasonable concealer. If not, the Natural Collection Corrector Stick may be for you.  This was  a godsend when I was at school as it removes any redness on the skin. This works as the creamy green colour of the concealer contouracts the red, colours that are opposite each other on the colour wheel neutralise each other.

 After that I use a brush and buff the liquid into my whole face. This foundation leaves you will a beautiful matte finish which is really long lasting. Again, great as you probably don't have time to be topping up your make up during your school or college day.

The Body Shop Super Volume Mascara - £10 & Bourjois Liner Feutre £6.99

Next up is eyes, when I was at school I could never be bothered to get up and spend time on eye shadow, I basically only put on the bare essentials. If you like an eyeshadow add this is here.

The Mascara I have chosen is The Body Shop Super Volume Mascara, I originally bought this as a night time mascara but it surprising looks really natural on the eye lashes. This is a great quality leaving lashes looking lovely but not over done, there is no clumps after use and isn't at all messy. When I use this product it never takes much mascara to get the desired look meaning one tube will last you a long time.

If I decide not to wear eyeshadow I feel that my eyelids look to bare so I like to quickly put on a bit of eyeliner. This Bourjois liquid felt-tip like liner is perfect for this as it glides on nice and easy. As I'm going for an everyday look I only add a thin line but I feel this finishes the eyes off. This is probably my favourite liquid eyeliner of this style, its a one I'd recommend to anybody.

Rimmel Lasting Finish Blush in Santa Rose - £3.99 & MAC Lipstick in Hug Me £15.50

I've gone for subtle pink shade for both lips and cheeks, this will add a everyday amount of colour to the face, perfect for school.

This blush by Rimmel is probably one of my favourite drugstore blushers, its perfectly everyday and a gorgeous smokey rose colour. I'd say this is a great blush for anybody with fair skin but it would suit all skin colours due to the colour being buildable. The only disadvantage to this product is that it is a small size, making it hard to get an even spread on a brush. If you like a less subtle look add a darker blush or a bronzer here!

Last but definitely not least is the MAC lipstick in Hug me. If you have been reading my blog recently you will know that I've have quite an obsession with lipsticks, especially MAC ones. This one being my most recent purchase I had to give it mention as its a perfect match to the blush in my opinion! Hug Me is a darker smokey rose colour with a lustre finish meaning the formula gives a sheer coverage with a sheen. 

Have you tried any of these products? I'd love to hear what you think. 

HolleyMarie 

Brand Review: Seventeen

Seventeen is an area in makeup I've never really ventured too. Made by Boots in England I thought that this small cosmetics company may not be up to much to as much as other high street brands. Knowing that Boots are successful with their other cosmetics chain, No7, I thought I'd give their products a try.


Seventeen Eyes - Eyeshadows - £3.89 each

 Left to right:  Ivory coast -  Statuesque -  Mardi Gras

Firstly I picked up these single eyeshadows in three colours. The first is Ivory Coast, this is more of a transparent shimmer than an actual colour, as you can see from the picture it's not very pigmented. I find this can be good for a base or for in the tear duct.  Next is Statuesque which is a shimmery rose gold/bronze, I love this colour its my favourite out of the three. Finally, Mardi Gras is another metallic shade in a gold/brown. 

I must admit, I'm a new fan to eyeshadows and I still have to learn a lot. I used to just throw on some liquid eyeliner or something like the Maybelline Colour Tattoo cream eyeshadows, so I feel investing in some cheaper eyeshadows is a great idea before committing to a high end palette.

Overall, for the price of £3.89 each I feel these eyeshadows were a great purchase from the high street.

Seventeen - Faslifeye HD Mascara - £6.99

As soon as I saw this packaging I thought this mascara could be a possible dupe for the Benefit They're Real, being my curious self I had to buy it. So I've been using this mascara all week and I have to say I have mixed views, don't get me wrong this product is great for maximising the size of your lashes. I'm unlucky to have small eye lashes myself so products like this are my essential must haves  because of this I have tried quite a few from the hight street and this one is bare average. Although this mascara does increase the size of lashes it definitely  does not lengthen and add volume to the degree that is shown on the picture, or at least for me it doesn't. If you're looking for something new to try at an average price I'd say this would be a great to look into if you're looking for a Benefit Dupe, this is not your product. 

Seventeen Skin Wow Highlighter - £5.99 Seventeen Stay Time Concealer - £4.49

Leaving the best till last, I'd like to introduce you to my new favourite liquid highlighter and concealer. I couldn't be more impressed with these two products especially at small prices like they are. 

Firstly starting with the concealer, my go to concealer in the past has been the Collection Lasting Perfection because I love the formula and how long it lasts. I feel this Seventeen concealer is almost identical to the collection one with the only difference, that it is not as thick but provides the same coverage. This product covers spots effortlessly and is great under the eyes. This concealer feels more expensive than it is and smells like a Mac product. 

Now, on to the Wow 3 way highlighter from Seventeen. I prefer liquid highlighters to powder ones because I have very dry skin, this means there is less chance of my skin becoming flakey. It's called the 3 way highlighter because it states you can use it in three ways. You could use it as a primer for a highlighted base, add it to a matt foundation to make it more dewy or highlight the cheek bones. In reality this is not a great primer but is amazing for lightening foundations and making them less matt, if you like that look or just fancy a change. By far the best way to use this is as a highlight for the cheek bones, with bronzer this makes my cheek bones look more defined and adds a healthy shine to the face that doesn't look greasy.

Overall, I'd recommend these two products to anybody looking on the high street for a liquid  highlighter or concealer. 

Have you ever used cosmetics from Seventeen? If so, did you like them?

HolleyMarie

Liebster Award!

So today I was tagged by Emma at justaswild to be part of the Liebster Award. After actually looking into what this was I started to like the idea. Basically it's a tag for starter bloggers (under 200 followers) with the aim of supporting each other to get noticed. Emma wrote a great post go check it out! Hopefully this will let you know more about me and other great bloggers. 

Emma's questions

1. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

Australia. Who wouldn't want to live there? hot weather, beautiful beaches, good job prospects, big cities but also country towns and their wildlife is amazing.

< - I mean just look at it ♥

2. How did you think of your blog username/URL?

Holley is my first name. I was never given a middle name but I always wanted one, so I gave myself one just because I can. I'm a little weird like that. Holley Marie Johnson. 

3. Cats or Dogs?

Definitely dogs. I'm an animal lover to be honest but I've had dogs all of my life and couldn't imagine not having one. In the future I'd love to have a Miniature Schnauzer called Alfie and a Toy Poodle called Aspen. 

4. Favourite clothes store?

I shop everywhere! Sometimes I go into a store and love everything other times theres nothing at all I like but if I had to choose I'd probably say River Island as theres always a pair of shoes or a handbag  I'm lusting over.

5. If you could only have your hair one colour for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?

Just a natural brown, at least I'd not get to bored of it and its never going to be out dated. 

6. Who's your style icon?

Robin Lawley - If you don't know, she an Australian model. I just like her because she's a 'real size' model unlike other stick thin models out there. I'm a curvier girl, I naturally have a wider frame so aspiring to be skinny is just unlikely. If I could have the body of anyone, I'd have Robyn Lawley's.

I had to put a picture in. She's just stunning. 

7. Do you like to fake it? (such as fake nails, hair extensions and false eyelashes)

Not so much, I'm not against it, I actually think fake nails, hair and eyelashes can look lovely. I just don't go for it a lot. Maybe just special occasions or nights out etc.. 

8. Which do you prefer make up or fashion?

Make up, it's a huge love of mine and it always has been. I think there will be always be a place in my life for a Mac lipstick or Nars blusher!

9. What is something you couldn't live without?

Tea. I must drink at least 4/5 cups a day. My morning doesn't feel the same without it. (I'm actually going to make one right now) 

10. What are you passionate about?

Equality - The world would be a better place if people were just nice to each other and accepted that 'difference' is a good thing. Everybody should be entitled to equal opportunities. 

11. What's your favourite book?

I don't really have a favourite, I like true crime and true stories. 

Here's who I tag

Long Hair and Lashes

pipsqueak

London Beauty

Beauty Billboard

Vegantarian Lifestyle

The Daydreamer

Pretty little writer

What kay does

Lauren wears Prada

Beauty and bolder

Shannon Plant

My Questions for you ^

1) What was the last item you bought?

2) Why did you want to start blogging?

3) If you could have any career what would it be?

4) Whats the scariest thing you have done?

5) What achievement are you most proud of?

6) What is better money or love?

7) Have you ever cried because of a film, book or tv show? If so what was it?

8) Which country would you most like to visit?

9) What is your favourite all time skincare, makeup item and hair product?

10) What music do you like? Name an artist or a band?

11) What was the last thing you learned?

Here are the Rules

1. Link back to the person that nominated you in your post

2. Answer all questions they have given you

3. Nominate 11 more bloggers with less than 200 followers to nominate for the award

4. Think up 11 of your own questions for your nominees to answer