JANUARY FAVOURITES

Well hello there!

Welcome to another favourites post where I will be sharing with you some beauty items I have been loving throughout the month of January. Who else thinks January flew by?! Last year it went so slow but I feel quite the opposite about it this year. In Essex it has got extremely cold over the past week or so and I am not a fan of it, after Christmas I am well and truly done with Winter - bring on Spring!
Enough rambling, let's dive into my January favourites...

Revolution Mattifying Primer

To be honest I always questioned whether primers actually worked, but I still applied them because it was an extra step in my makeup routine. As I have a combination skin type my t-zone will always start to get oily after wearing the makeup for 4/5 hours. After receiving this in the Revolution 12 Days of Christmas box I decided to give this a go. I apply this under a matte foundation and let me tell you I have noticed a huge difference in the longevity of my makeup. I don't know what magic is in this primer but it makes me skin stay matte for around 6/7 hours which is very impressive to me. If you have a similar skin type to me then I would definitely recommend this primer, plus its drugstore so that mean's its cheap! 

Primark Falsh Lash Effect Mascara

If you are looking for a very inexpensive everyday mascara then this is the one for you, I think this was literally only £2 which is an absolute bargain! This mascara claims to give extreme length, definition and volume and I completely agree with all of them. I was so shocked at how good this was at lengthening and separating my lashes I don't know how they do it for such a low price. The only thing I don't like about it is that it is quite a wet formula, it goes all over my lids which is annoying but when it dries down I just get it off with a spoolie. As I wear it for work, it doesn't bother me that much because I don't wear eye shadow during the week. If you like the sound of this go to your local Primark and pick one up!

Mario Badescu Facial Spray

I got 4 bottles of this facial spray for Christmas and I have been using them every single day. I will use them for before my makeup, part of my skincare routine, wetting products and as a setting spray. They smell amazing and my favourite scent is the Rose Water one. I just feel like they do the job and can be definitely be used for different things. You can get this either for £7 or £11 which I think is good, especially if you wanted to try it and wasn't sure what they will be like. When I use up all of the scents I am going to be purchasing the huge bottle of this! 

I Heart Revolution Strawberry Cheesecake Palette

I also received this eye shadow palette for Christmas in the Chocolate Heart Gift Set (which is still available!). My favourite colour is pink, so it was no surprise to me that I would love the colour story of this palette. I have used this a few times since getting it and I am loving it! The pink shades are not as good quality as high end which is obviously a given but they are super pigmented and easy to blend. This is my favourite I Heart Revolution eye shadow palette by far, and this is a limited edition palette at the moment which you can buy in a set. If you like the look of it, I would get your hands on it ASAP! I hope so much that they bring it out permanently, and if you would like to see this palette in action you can watch that below.

So those were all of the products I was loving throughout January!

Thank you so much for reading,

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GLOSSY BOX OPENING | JANUARY 2019

Hi guys, firstly I'm so sorry I haven't been posting much. The past couple of posts have been collaborations and I haven't properly uploaded since the beginning of the month, I've just had to come away from blogging for a few weeks to find myself in the blogging world again. I am back now and have decided I am not going to put pressure on myself to upload every week, instead when I feel like I have produced good enough content that I am proud of. It's just so hard blogging, having a full time job, uploading 2 videos a week to YouTube as well as keeping up with social media! I hope you don't mind this decision, but get excited as I have a couple of good opportunities coming up!

Now let's get on with today's post which is of course the next Glossy Box opening, I couldn't miss this out - I do it every month after all! Also, sorry this is going up pretty late in the month.

This month's box is all about keeping our beauty resolutions easy with some face and hair care, along with a beauty tool so let's dive in!

Avant Skincare Face & Eye Night Cream

I am not the greatest person at skin care, I am trying to get into it more in 2019 so I'm not quite an expert yet! I do have moisturisers, a serum, cleansers, toners etc but the one thing I don't have is an eye cream. As you can imagine when I saw that this was a face & eye cream I thought what a result I don't need to go out and buy one. This has Hyaluronic Acid in it so you know this is going to be hydrating and I love to keep my skin nice and hydrated. It says it will help rejuvenate tired eyes, even your skin tone, minimise pores and it will smooth your skin! This sounds amazing and guys this product retails for £98!!!!!! I'm not kidding it says it here right in front of me, I cannot believe it. I am so excited to try this and you will definitely hear about this from me again if it is as good as I hope it is.

Batiste Rethink Dry Shampoo
Now I live on dry shampoo I use it all the time, I even have a mini in my handbag! The rethink range I'm pretty sure is new and they are infused with strengthening keratin, coconut, avocado and collagen to refresh, repair, soften, hydrate and revive your hair! The spray is also invisible and feels lightweight on your hair, I love their normal dry shampoo but I am very excited to try this one as it helps with volume which is something I do not have at all in my hair. If you love dry shampoo like me and are looking for something to give you volume as well, then I would definitely check this out!

Maybelline Blender Foundation Sponge
This is a latex free foundation blending sponge that will apparently deliver an even coverage and a smooth finish. I don't know about you but I'm not the biggest fan of sponges like this, I don't think it is big enough for foundation. However, this could be good for blending out under eye concealer or baking under your eyes instead of using your regular sponge. It will be one of those things where I need to actually try it for myself to see if I will get on with it. It seems quite overpriced at £5 but I will have to try it.

Hask Repairing Deep Conditioning Treatment
I don't ever use hair masks but I should really try them, it's just another step in your bath/shower routine and I'm just being very lazy. These treatments are infused with different oils and extracts to repair, soften, smooth and strengthen your hair. I mean it sounds amazing, whether I have the effort to do it or not is another question! Let me know in the comments if you've ever used a hair mask before and if you think they are worth doing.

-417 Facial Micro Luffa Foaming Gel
This gel is formulated with minerals, rare plant extracts and vitamins to leave your skin feeling clean, soft and fresh. You work the gel into damp skin in circular motions to gently exfoliate and remove your makeup. Exfoliating is quite an important step in your weekly routine, you should exfoliate 1-2 times a week to get rid of any excess dirt and dead skin. You can never have enough exfoliating products so I am looking forward to giving this ago! The full size of this is worth £22.71 so it's not the cheapest on the market but let's hope it's a good one.

So that was everything in the January box, if you want to sign up to Glossy Box you can here.
Thank you so much for reading,

Want to see more from me?
Twitter: alixholdenx
Instagram: alixkateblog
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JANUARY FAVOURITES

Well hello there! 

I feel like I'm posting this every week because of how fast the time is going! I'm actually going to Paris with my mum on Saturday for a couple of days, which I'm so excited for! As it is the start of the month of course it is favourites time again!

My first favourite of the month is the Makeup Revolution HD Pro Amplified Palette in Mega Matte, I did mention this in my Makeup Revolution Haul a couple of posts ago. I did buy this at the beginning of the month and I absolutely love it, I cannot put it down! The 2 setting powders look sooo smooth on my skin, the light contour shade is perfect in my opinion because it is not too cool and not too warm. I also love the blush shades, I mix the first 2 as the third one is a tad too dark for my skin tone. The palette costs £15 and I think it is completely worth it especially for 8 huge pans! It is a bigger palette so not extremely travel friendly but apart from that I have nothing negative to say about it. You can buy this here.

My next favourite is the Primark Primer Water, I have been using this non stop. I love the simply packaging, it looks very neat. The spray dispenser is really good, not too harsh but does evenly distribute the product. It is silicone free, alcohol free and oil free which is good for my skin type as I tend to stay away from oily products. When spraying this on my face before makeup, it does leave the face slightly tacky which is good as that means the foundation will stick more to my face. I do actually spray this is on my face as a setting spray as well because, it has hydrating properties in it and I don't like having a powdery face. Did I even mention this is £2???? Absolute bargain so definitely pick this up if you are after a new primer spray.

My third favourite of the month is the Bare Minerals Matte Liquid Lipstick in XYZ. I received this in the Send Nudes trio gift set for Christmas. I love the formula of these liquid lipsticks, they are very lightweight and creamy. They have a nice a smell as well, it is quite chocolately which is just delicious. They are a tiny bit drying which is expected for a matte lipstick, but I have tried worse! They aren't extremely drying and they do feel very comfortable on the lips. I really like the packaging of them, it is simple with a black lid and frosted glass. I really like the applicator as well, it is small enough to evenly spread the product across my lips. This colour is my favourite out of the 3, it is a really nice browny nude which you know I love. I don't think you can buy this separately but I will link the Send Nudes trio set you can buy.

My next favourite is the Spectrum Blush Crush A05 brush. I love the Spectrum brushes, number 1 because they are so pretty and number 2 because they are super soft! I need more of them because I only have a few. I actually use this brush for contour, as it is a smaller angled brush and I have a small face I feel like it chizzles out my cheekbones much easier. It is quite precise as well, it does not distribute the product all over it keeps it where you are moving the brush. This brush only costs £6.99 which I think is so good considering the quality of it. You can buy this here.

My last favourite of the month is the Mac Extra Dimension Skinfinish in Double Gleam. It looks a bit more golden in the pan but when you swatch it, it is a true silvery highlight. For paler complexions this is the perfect highlighter shade, it is extremely blinding and pigmented. I don't find that it clings to my texture, it looks very smooth and this highlighter lasts all day. It is quite pricey at £24.50 but trust me it is completely worth it, I love the simply packaging and the Mac pattern imprinted in the product. You can buy this here.

So those were my January favourites.

Thank you so much for reading,

Want to see more from me?

Twitter: alixholdenx

Instagram: alixholdenx

Bloglovin': alixkate
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GLOSSY BOX OPENING | JANUARY 2018

Well hello there!

This may only be the third time receiving Glossy Box, but I am still loving them. I can't get over how good they are, especially for what it is worth compared to the £10 you pay for the box. This box is for the month of rejuvenation!

In this months box you get:

Boots Beauty Beneath Supplements - These supplements have 19 nutrients in them which is supposed to help make your skin healthy and glowy. They boost your own collagen production, fade fine lines and wrinkles while giving you very soft skin. You take 2 capsules a day and around 4 weeks is when you will see results. I might give these a go! I'm not that great at taking tablets but you never know it might make a really good difference. They have given the whole 4 weeks supply and these retail at £39.99.

Apicia Cream Blush - This a 'deep honey pink' cream blush that claims to nourish your skin. I have just swatched it and the colour is a super pretty light pink/coral colour. I don't really use cream blush but maybe this will convince me to use it more often. This is a full size product that retails for £22! 

Nail Medic Nail and Cuticle Energizer - This is a reparative oil that will give some TLC to any brittle nails, split cuticles or dry skin. I have never heard of this brand before but they sell all sorts of treatments for your nails so I am interested in seeing how good this is. It is full size and retails for £5.99.

Evelyn Iona Cosmetics Green Tea Primer - This primer has moisturising ingredients including avocado oil and green tea extract. I am quite excited about this primer as it claims to nourish and protect your complexion, reduce the appearance of fine lines and pores and makes your makeup last longer. It is also cruelty and paraben free, I hope this works because it sounds very promising! This is a full size product (which is quite small) and retails for £22.

Dr Botanicals Moroccan Rose Superfood Facial Oil - Now facial oils are that one product that scare me, to me facial and oil just don't go together. However, this does smell amazing as it is scented with rose. I do want to try them, I think it's because I'm worried I will break out as I have a combination skin type. Whether or not I end up trying it, it does retail for £55 at full size so I am happy they have included this as maybe one day I will face my fear!

So that was the January 2018 Glossy Box - bit of a mixed opinion about this month, but mostly good. It is so nice to have new things sent to you every month so it isn't just the same old same old.

You can sign up for Glossy Box (here), or if you use my code ALIX-R3 you will get a 20% discount!
Thank you so much for reading,

Want to see more from me?

Twitter: alixholdenx

Instagram: alixholdenx

Bloglovin': alixkate