First off, I'm really impressed with the sample size! 15ml isn't half bad for a sample, half the size of a normal bottle. These are described a cologne spray rather than 'eau de parfum' or 'eau de toilette' meaning there is a smaller percentage of perfume oil in it, perfect if you're sensitive to fragrances or don't like fragrances that are too over-powering. Another reason a cologne is better for these types of fragrances means you can layer the different scents to create your own personal fragrance, which is something the brand prides itself on. 

Now, back to these specific scents. Baby Power smells just like baby powder. Literally the exact same scent! The same for Thunderstorm, it smells just like the aftermath of a downpour with that distinctive scent. I would say thunderstorm is more of a male scent so I've given this to my Dad, but it does smell great; a crisp, distinctive smell. But I've tried Baby Powder and although a cologne spray, it does linger for a while which is really nice. Personally I'm not overly keen on this scent as something to wear on a day to day basis, but in terms of being true to name and longevity it really is great, it's so true the name it's unreal! My mum loves the scent of baby powder so I've given this one to her, but I really want to try some of their other scents, particularly fresh laundry, passion fruit and red poppies. 

One of the best things about these fragrances is that they're so affordable! Only £15 for 30ml! A right bargain compared to some of the designer brands on the market.

You can find The Library of Fragrance cologne sprays in Boots but they only sell a select few. Boots currently have an offer for 2 for £25 on these sprays which is a great deal so go and check them out here.

You can find the full range of scents on the Library of Fragrance web page here. They also have a 'flash sale' page where a few of their scents are only £9.99. Passion fruit is actually one of the scents on that page so I'm definitely considering picking it up!

Have you tried any of the scents from The Library of Fragrance?

Thanking you,

Naomi

Now onto the actual product. On first swatch, I wasn't sure whether it would work very well as there is a fair amount of fall out and comes across as being very powdery. But using a soft brush has reduced the amount of fall out. Having such a powdery texture for me is a good thing as it means it's quite light and easy to blend. This is the lightest blush they offer, offering a more natural look which is what I look for in a blush. It's not massively pigmented, but just enough to give a flush of colour and it can be built up if you want a stronger colour. 

This has now become my go-to blush, replacing my MUA bon-bon blusher which is also £1. Considering this blusher is only £1 and from Poundland, it's pretty darn good bargain! I would definitely recommend having a gander next time you pass your local Poundland. They have a number of colours in the range so I'm sure you'll find your perfect shade!

Have you tried anything from Makeup Gallery?

Thanking you,

Naomi

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Want to see more from Makeup Gallery? Check out this post!

  I think these are meant to be a dupe for the Nars velvet matte lip pencil, but I've never tried them so I can't really compare them apart from price. These cost a mere £4.99 in comparison to £17.50 from Nars. 

The consistency of this was fairly creamy although a little drying on the lips. I would advise using a lip balm before applying it, it still dries matte it just means your lips feel a bit more hydrated. The colour is super pigmented, but does bleed a tiny bit, a lip pencil would be good to stop this. They have a wide range of colours from nudes to brights and a few with shimmer so there's something there for everybody.

The packaging is fine, I'm a little concerned about the plastic lid spilling or pushing down on the pencil itself, but for the moment it's fine. Also I need to invest in a proper sharpener as it is a proper pencil, which sort of concerns me as I'll end up loosing half the product in the sharpenings. If anyone has any idea on how to stop/save these bits, please let me know!

As you can see from the swatches below, Berry Much is a really deep plummy colour perfect for winter, and it looks great sheered out as well if you not into bold lips.

That's all for this review, overall so far I'm really liking it! It lasts a long time and I love the matte finish and the colour. Hopefully get my hands on some of the other colours soon!

Have you tried these new velvet lip pencils?

Thanking you,

Naomi

x

The newest ones are Peachy Keen (pink one) and Fawn Fancy (neutral/brown one). Peachy Keen is a coral pink which would be more suited for the summer. It has great pigmentation but it will stick to any dry patches to have on your lips. I'm not sure it totally suits me but I'm sure I'll find a way to make it work, maybe mixing it with another colour would work better.

Fawn Fancy is much more suited to my skin tone I think, although the packaging on mine isn't great as the bullet is a bit loose and scrapes along the side of the tube. It does mean I have to keep moving the lipstick back in to place which is bit of a faff, and it may end up breaking off soon. I haven't had this problem with any of the other lipsticks so maybe this was just a dud. But the actual colour is really nice, very pigmented, and I like to wear this along with MUA's Power pout in Rendezvous. Perfect for autumn!

The second two are Wild berry and Red siren. My favourites! Wild berry has been a favourite lipstick for a while now. I actually did a full review of it here. But in general it's a great lipstick and an amazing berry colour!

Lastly we have Red siren. This is more of a cherry red rather than a true red colour but it's still a build-able colour to get a nice bright red. It is a little dry or waxy when applying it but I can look past this as it gives a great colour. I do have a more expensive one from the body shop which gives a more glossy look, but I'm starting to prefer this one as it has a matte finish and lasts a little bit longer.

Overall for only £1 they're not half bad! They all have good pigmentation and are actually matte and stay on your lips throughout the day. The packaging lets them down a bit as the writing rubs off, the lid becomes loose and in one case the bullet is loose. But the actually product is worth it for only £1. Superdrug are currently having a 3 for 2 across all cosmetics so you can now get 3 of these for only £2, that's less than 70p each!

Have you tried the Matte collection from MUA?

Thanking you,

Naomi

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Luckily there is a sticker on it with the English translation.

So as you can see, the packaging is a lot sleeker and less clunky that the ones we have here in the UK. Instead of a long, clear lid it's just a simple little top which actually clicks on and doesn't slide off like the UK ones. There's a tiny little wind up wheel at the bottom which again adds to the sleekness of the product. Also the pastel colours are really pretty and reflect the berry flavour of the balm. 

This, like the other ones, claims to have 8 hour moisture which is a slight exaggeration, maybe 4-5 hours, but even this is a lot longer than the originals so it does have a good time to keep lips moisturised. The formula is creamy and moisturising, not too greasy and doesn't have a tint or colour to it. Often coloured lip balms don't have as much moisturisation so I like that this one isn't coloured in any way.

The taste and smell. Offt I LOVE it! I love berry scents and tastes so this is perfect for me. It reminds me of the Hubba Bubba blue berry bubble gum, which brings back some memories! The flavour stays around long enough but isn't over-powering in any way. I've also got the other two scents that pound world stock - Mango Pie (Ingrid - Miss Glamorazzi on youtube has bought this one) and Soothing Cherry and I love them both as well. (I've bought another cherry one which you can win in my giveaway which you can enter here!)

I would definitely recommend getting your hands on these! If you've not got on with the ones we have in the UK, definitely give these a go!

What's your opinion on the Maybelline Baby Lips?

Thanking you,

Naomi

x

Have you entered my very first giveaway? Win a make up bag full of goodies here!

Why hello there...

Long time no see! I won't go into details of where I've been as I did a life post recently which will give you all the details (check it out here).

For my return to blogging post, I'm very excite to be doing a review of some jewellery which was sent to me by the lovely Holly from Lune and Luck! 

The items that were sent to me are the Gold Band midi rings, the Rose Stone ring, and Gold Bar ring. Unfortunately the gold bands and bar rings only come in one size, but this is only a starting out business so I haven't got a problem with that as they can be worn as midi, pinkie or normal rings depending on your size. Also the rose stone ring is adjustable which means it can fit just about any size which is great! 

They're so pretty and elegant with just the right amount of detail! I'm a tiny bit disappointed with the Gold bar ring as it's already going 'coppery' after a few wears and it's meant to be gold plated so I need to put some clear polish over it, but the other rings are totally fine. They're a really affordable price for the quality and design as rings like this could cost a lot more in places like Topshop, and primark rings don't tend to keep their colour for very long at all. 

They are beautifully packaged in this purple gift bag, and to ensure they arrive safely they were wrapped in individual plastic sealed bags. It also includes this little handwritten note which adds a nice personal touch to it. They would make a perfect gift or as an affordable treat for yourself!

There is so many other wonderful designs to pick from so make sure you check out the website: Luneandluck.com

Check out the website and let me know what your favourite is!

Again a massive thank you to Holly for sending me these lovely items!

Thanking you,

Naomi

x

*This item was sent to me for review purposes, all opinions are my own, email me if you wish your product to be reviewed on my blog - naomijoyhollands@gmail.com*

First of all, you get 200ml which is the same as the L'Oreal micellar solution, but you pay a lot less. The packaging is really sleek, with the plastic being really sturdy with an almost frosted effect, which makes it look more expensive than it is. The dispenser is a very small hole so you have to squeeze the bottle to get the product out, which is great as you get hardly any over-use of the product; you can get the exact amount you want, unlike others.

The actual product is a beautiful deep orange, and product separates as it's oil-based so you need to give it a good shake before you use it. Although it is not branded as a micellar solution, it does effectively the same thing and removes your make-up really well, particularly foundation I find. Because it's an oil based product it does leave a residue on your skin but it's not necessarily a bad thing as the oil moisturises the skin, whereas most micellar solutions have dried my skin out. Leaving it on to soak in leaves your skin feeling really soft and smooth. This means you could use it just as a face oil/serum and it would do just as good a job as the more expensive serums that are on the market. Personally, smell and/or taste are big factors in most products I buy, and this doesn't have a particular smell or taste on the lips unlike some (the B micellar solution at superdrug smells and tastes awful!) which is another great plus to this product.

The only down side to this product is that it isn't the best at removing eye make-up, and I'm not massively keen on the oily feel on my eyelids. Also it doesn't take long for the product to separate again after shaking it, so you often have to shake it between using another cotton pad, but this isn't too much of a problem. 

Overall it is great as an oil/serum for your face and also great at removing foundation/base makeup, but you may need something a little stronger/something more like a micellar solution to remove eye makeup and harsh lipstick. But for only £1 it is a really good product! 

The NSPA Ultimate Cleansing Tonic is available in ASDA stores.

Have you used this before? How do you remove your makeup? 

Thanking you,

Naomi 

x

Why, hello there...

So I found my new favourite beauty product! I bring you, the Matte lipstick by MUA in Wild Berry.

As you can see, the writing is starting to wear off already, which shows you how much I use this! The packaging overall isn't the greatest as the lid isn't very tight and is prone to falling off, and I'm not too keen on the white. But it is only £1 so I can't really complain too much. Also the coloured bit at the end is actually the same as the product inside so you don't have to guess what's inside using stickers which are often no where near the actual colour.

Although the product looks very dark, it actually comes out a lot 'sheerer', which even though it's meant to be matte, I prefer this. It gives such a great colour which isn't do daring for the day but can also be built up to make a more vibrant colour for the evenings. 

This swatch was just a few strokes so you can see how it can be built up. It isn't completely matte but it definitely isn't 'shiny' like some lipsticks can be. On the other hand it doesn't last particularly long. If I want it to stay a bit longer I put a lip balm on under (normally baby lips cherry me) but this does mean it doesn't have a matte finish, although this doesn't really bother me.
I'm going to be doing a current lipstick collection post soon so make sure you look out for that!

Overall a fantastic product, amazing colour at such a great price! Really want to try the nude one in this collection.
You can get this lipstick from superdrug for £1



Have you tried the MUA £1 matte lipsticks?



Thanking you,

Naomi

x


don't forget to check out my blog sale! x

Why, hello there...

I know I'm a bit late on the band wagon, but I've been testing this out for a month and wanted to share it with you! I won the St grape competition to win one of their scrubs, so I thought I would give you a review of it!



First of all I was very impressed with the packaging it came in. It's such a pretty box and it even comes in a cute tissue paper wrapping to protect it. I kept it in the box until I got round to using it!



To be perfectly honest, I was a little bit disappointed with the actual product packaging. I was expecting it to be glass, but it was frosted plastic. I guess glass wouldn't be practical in case it smashed, but I found this a little 'tacky' (sorry!).



I'm not a particular fan of the smell, which was really annoying. It kind of smells like musky - something your grandma would use. Some people have described it as a smell you might find in a spa, but I'm not sure about this. The company says this product it uses all natural products and it's hand made which is kind of a bonus, but I'm more concerned whether the product actually does the job.
The granules are very fine, which is good for sensitive skin or for just a normal scrub, but if you want to get rid of some serious dry skin, this isn't for you. It sort of turns into a creamy substance and runs down my legs. But if you have sensitive skin it's really good.
The amount you get for the price isn't particularly impressive, but I guess because it 'au-natural' it is going to cost a bit more. It's normally £12 for 150g which isn't a massive amount, but again I guess you pay for the natural products and it's hand made.

Over all it's not too bad, but I still want to try a soap and glory one to see how they compare.

What do you think of St Grape products?

Thanking you,

Naomi

x

Why, hello there...

First of all, sorry about not being very organised with my posts, I've had quite a bit on recently (and I'm lazy..). Secondly, this is my first ever Real Techniques brush! I've wanted this one for ages so I'm very excited to be reviewing it!

For a start I love the design. It's such a nice, sleek shape and looks really professional. I also has the Real Techniques logo on it along with the type of brush. I'm not a huge fan of pink, but I really like this colour! It's really pretty and a great contrast against the matte black end.

The actually brush is made of synthetic hairs, with duo fibres. It is so so so soft! It's really dense which I like because it makes it easier to apply on foundation. Most people use this for blush but I like using it for my foundation. It does seem to take up quite a bit of product compared to other foundation brushes, but it does have a flawless finish. It does give quite a light coverage so It's not great for people who want high coverage, but it definitely does its job! Also as a plus it is so easy to clean, no stain or anything! I really want to try the expert face brush as everyone seems to rave about it and gives more coverage, but for the moment I'm very happy with this one for the moment!

What's your favourite real techniques brush?

Thanking you,

Naomi

x

Why, hello there...

I bought this Lip butter from Superdrug (check out my beauty haul here) as it's been on my wishlist for quite some time now! It's my first Lip butter so I thought I would give it a review!

Mine is in the shade 'Macaroon'. It's a pinky brown colour and also has a tiny bit of glitter/shimmer in it. I'm not a massive fan of the shimmer, but there isn't much of it so it's bearable and still wearable (yes, that rhymes). The formula is really nice and glides on really well and it's really soft, hence the 'butter' name. I'm not overly keen on the diamond, cushion effect on the packaging, but the fact it reflects the colour is really nice and it's really sleek.

It's not quite as dark as the picture suggests (can you tell I was cold when I took this picture). The colour doesn't really last very long on your lips but this doesn't bother me too much. It's very easy to apply and even when it wears off you don't have to worry about it looking flaky. 

You can buy them here and they're currently only £5 in superdrug.

What do you think about the Revlon Lip butters?

Thanking you,

Naomi 

x

Why, hello there...

I received this sample the other day and couldn't wait to try it out!

It is such a lovely fresh scent! All the mumbo-jumbo on the card doesn't really make a whole lot of sense, but it does have a certain mix of fruity and floral, meaning it's not too over powering and gives it that fresh scent. It does say lemon and mandarin in the description which is probably where the fruitiness comes from. I have no idea what 'pink pepper' is meant to be, but this is just a really nice scent! You can get this scent from Fragrance direct for £59.95 

Have you tried this scent?

Thanking you,

Naomi

x

Why, hello there...

Just a quick little post to show you this sample I decided to get the other day. I didn't know whether I would like it or not, but I thought why not. It's actually really nice! It's not to over - powering, but it definitely has a distinct smell. It's a really fresh, fruity floral smell with a hint of vanilla which is what the description of it actually says! Definitely a good present for a teenager or anyone who's a fan of Justin Bieber, you can get it for only £20 from fragrance direct.

Are you asking for a fragrance for christmas?

Thanking you,

Naomi

x

Why, hello there...

I love this product! I saw another blogger saying they really liked it, so I found a travel size one to try it out. I will definitely be purchasing the full size! I always thought most face scrubs are ok, but didn't have enough 'scrubbing' power. This one has plenty. It has loads of little beads in it so it's great to waken your face up in the morning. It also smells really great, so refreshing and a hint of the apricot, but not too overpowering. Also as a plus, the packaging is really nice, and in ASDA the full size one is only £3!

Have you used St Ives? What face scrub do you use?

Thanking you,

Naomi

x

Why, hello there...

I bought the L'Oreal mincellar solution about a month ago, so I think it's time I reviewed it!

Why, hello there...

I was sent this shower cap a while a go, sounds like bi of a random product but it's really nice!

Save the Blow dry Shower cap*, £14.95 I've never really used a shower cap before. I always wanted to invest in one for those 2nd day hair days, but I still want a shower. Most shower caps are quite flimsy looking and not very appealing. But this one is genuinely so pretty! It has lots of different pink bows all over it and it's just so cute!

Its special selling point is that it has a special towel lining on the inside, which protects your hair from getting damp. It really does work! They also say that you can turn it inside out for when you put a hair mask on.

(inside out) The only downside to it I would say, is that because the frill at the bottom is made out of the towel it takes a while to dry off. But other than that it's pretty darn good! It is quite pricey but the quality is brilliant and its just really pretty! Thanking you, Naomi x