Gosh Cosmetics Velvet Touch Lipstick - #148 Sundown

Usually, I tend to sway more towards making a feature out of my eyes, rather than my lips. I'm not sure why, but I suppose it is habit! This means I'm not massive on lipsticks. I've got a fair few, and a few lipglosses/lipliners etc, I just never use them. So I've decided, in a bid to play around with my looks a little more, that I would start using these poor lip products that stay tucked away.

I decided to start with the Gosh Cosmetics Velvet Touch Lipstick. I have shade 148, Sundown. In the tube, this looks like quite a bold copper/auburn colour, which would be lovely for Autumn (I'm beginning to get annoyed that I'm only just trying it out now!).

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Monu First Defence Illuminating Primer Review

I have combination/oily skins so in order to give my makeup some staying power, I need to always wear a decent primer. This isn't as easy as it sounds. A primer for oily skin is not easy to come by and usually results in trial and error. I'm still not settled on one certain primer, which allows me to try a few different ones out. Hopefully I will find my perfect primer soon! In the meantime, I have found one that pretty much does the trick; the Monu First Defence Illuminating Primer.

Monu are a big skincare favourite of mine. I first discovered them when I was training for my NVQ2 in Beauty Therapy. We would only use Monu products for skin treatments such as facials and I still love the smell and the feel of them to this day.

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Christmas Tag

Hello Lovelies,

You may have noticed that I haven't been posting much recently, for which I apologise! Things have been pretty hectic over the past few weeks. I had a massive exam, followed immediately by my 25th birthday and then I've gone straight into a Christmas frenzy trying to make sure everything is sorted as soon as possible!

Birthday out of the way, and Christmas shopping pretty much completed, I thought it was about time I got back to the blog and gave you all something to read :)

I've posted a couple of Christmas Gift Guides (very sparsely) recently, so if you haven't already then make sure you click here to check them out and let me know what you think!

I saw this little Christmas Tag on Makeup-Pixi3's blog and thought it would be a nice little post to get me back into the swing of things, and also into the Christmas spirit!

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Hair Products Christmas Gift Guide

Treat your family and friends to some luscious locks pampering, or spruce up your own 'do this Christmas with some of these fabulous Hair Product Christmas Present Ideas!

1. Umberto Gianni Dazzleshine High Shine Hair Kit - £10
2. Toni & Guy Mini Gift Box - £10 
3. Studio London Hairbrush & Comb Set - £7.50
4. Remington Stylist Easi-Curl - £29.99
5. Superdrug Big Hair Kit - £19.99

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Eye Make Up Christmas Gift Guide

Keep your peepers pretty this festive season with some fab make up sets and eye palettes to help you, or whoever you gift them to, get gorgeous eyes! Here are my picks for Eye Make Up Christmas Presents:

1. Salonniere by Jenny Packham Shimmering Eyes - £16
2. French Connection Eyeshadow Collection - £12
3. Studio London Lash Stash False Eyelash Collection - £10
4. Studio London Natural Eye - £6
5. Flutter Pretty Purples Eye Palette - £4
6. Colour Unlimited On the Go Eye Palette - £4.50

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Bath Time Treats Christmas Gift Guide

Here is the first of my Christmas gift guides for you lovely lot! First up are some bath products, perfect for Christmas presents. 

Here are my favourite tub treats that would make great Christmas presents!

1. Lush Father Christmas Bath Bombs - £3.25 each
2. Soap & Glory You Do the Bath gift set - £16
3. Soap & Glory Bath Pillow - £8
4. Gok Complete Bathing Collection - £14
5. Leafy & Lovely Bath Salts - £2
6. Lush Hot Toddy Bubble Bar - £3.25 each

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Phyto Sublime Colour Protect Hair Treatments Review

I have another hair review for you lovelies, aren't you a lucky bunch?! So following stripping the red dye from my hair, and then giving it a little treat with the TRESemme Platinum Strength 60 second treatment shot, my hair was well on its way to getting back to it's beautiful shiny self. What I now needed to get my hands on was a decent protective shampoo and conditioner that would enhance and prolong colour, as I don't want to have to be recolouring again too soon!

I took the opportunity to ask my gorgeous sister, who is currently training to be a hairdresser, what she thought would be good and she managed to get her hands on a little samples of the Phyto Sublime Colour Hair Treatments.

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TRESemme Platinum Strength 60 Seconds Treatment Shot

This TRESemme Platinum Strength 60 second treatment shot was actually part of my August Glossybox, and I have to say, I wasn't that interested in trying out when I saw it. My hair can be such a nightmare with different products, but since I stripped the red dye from my hair, I felt like maybe it needed a little TLC so decided it would be worth a go.

After washing my hair with my normal shampoo, I applied contents of the little bottle onto my hair. It was very much like a normal conditioner. The instructions say to avoid your roots, and concentrate on the ends of the hair.

I have quite long hair, so this little bottle only just covered all my hair, in all honesty I probably would have liked a little more. If I was shopping for it myself, I would definitely have bought two bottles, the only reason I didn't was because this one came from my August Glossybox.

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Removing Red Hair Dye using ColourB4

As you guys will have noticed from various pictures posted on my blog, I have been a long-term red-head imposter! I felt that the vibrant red hair had done it’s time and it was time for a change back to something more simple; something that perhaps didn’t require me to be constantly topping up my colour every 2-3 weeks to keep it looking the way I wanted.

I wasn’t sure what colour I wanted to go to, all I knew is I wanted a change and I wanted to avoid a disaster!

After speaking to several hairdressers and other people, I began getting a little concerned when people were constantly telling me that red was the most difficult colour to remove and I would probably have to spend some time being an odd colour as it would be so tricky to get an even, decent colour, especially after frequently dying my hair bright red for a year.

I decided to bite the bullet on Monday and went out on my lunch break to grab the bits and bobs I needed for my transformation.

I opted for ColourB4 in extra strength, although this took some deciding. I was torn between this one and the ColourB4 made for frequent use. Although looking back, both would have probably done what I needed, I opted for extra strength, having heard all the comments about red being tough to remove.

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How to get the most out of your face mask

Face masks should be pretty simple. Cover your face, wait a bit and relax, then take it off and voila; perfect skin! Although you can do it like that, there are a few thing you can do to increase the effectiveness of your mask.

Here are my tips to making the most of your face mask and getting glorious skin!

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Revisited: Bare Minerals Matte Foundation in Medium Beige*

At the beginning of September, I wrote a post about my first impressions of  Bare Minerals Matte Foundation in Medium Beige as part of my alphabet blog challenge, giving my first impressions on this product.

In something I don't usually do, I am writing a 'revisited' post, so I can give you my thoughts after a few weeks of using the product regularly!

As I said in my first post, this product was sent to me by the lovely team at Chemist Direct who offer the Bare Minerals Matte Foundation in several shades for the great price of £21.66!

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Halloween Nail Water Decals from Sparkly-Nails*

The lovely team from Sparkly-Nails have sent me another wonderful treat to tell you all about. Before, I have been lucky enough to try out their nail dotting tool and paints, as well as their nail gems!

This time, I have a Halloween themed set of nail water decals!

These halloween themed decals have some really cute designs to get your nails all prepped for October 31st!

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Balancing a Busy Lifestyle

I’m a busy bee a lot of the time and often find myself having to juggle several things at once. I know I am certainly not the only one and wanted to share some of my hints and tips for balancing a busy lifestyle!

So, at the moment, I am juggling:

• A full time job as a Marketing Executive
• Studying for my diploma in Marketing Communications 
• Obviously, my blog
• Wedding planning (eeeeeek!)
• & a pretty hectic family and social calendar

Most people turn around to me and say, “well why don’t you give something up?" Truth be told; I don’t want to, and why should I. Although I’m busy, it’s manageable and I always make sure I don’t run myself into the ground. Here’s how!

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OOTD: Debra Chigwell Printed Dress

At the weekend, I headed up to Shropshire to celebrate my future father-in-law's 50th birthday!

I wanted something a little different so I could stand out a little bit and this dress was the perfect choice!

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Amy Childs Perfume Review

I know it's not a new fragrance, since it was released in 2012, but since it is one of the prizes in my October Competition, I thought I would write a little review of Amy Childs' perfume!

In it's cute little purple discoball-esque bottle with clear lid and a little heart shaped Amy Childs charm draped across it's neck, the bottle is really sweet and very party girl, perhaps giving you a little taste of the scent inside.

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October Glossybox

It's that time of the month again, where my monthly Glossybox arrives on my doorstep, full of lovely treats! This month, the box came with an autumnal theme of Dark Romance.

Here are the products I received:

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Zebra & Pink Nail Art

Alphabet Challenge - Z - Zebra & Pink Nail art tutorial

So I have finally made it to the final post in my alphabet challenge blog series, and what better way to end than with a cute nail design?! Here is my Zebra and Pink Nail Art Tutorial.

Here's what you will need for this nail art:

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My favourite bloggers

Alphabet Challenge - Y - You: My favourite bloggers

Here's the penultimate post in my alphabet challenge blog series. It's been fun but also difficult.

This is a bit of a different post for me, rather than focussing on the products, I'm thinking about the bloggers. I've come across so much blogger drama recently, luckily none that I have been embroiled in, but I've certainly witnessed it, and it's not very nice guys!

I've spent a while wondering what happened to the fun community, where people shared interests, chatted about their favourite products and made friends. Now, I can see bloggers acting afraid to post what they really think, because of how other people will react to it.

STOP IT.

Post what you like, and that includes when you are commenting or tweeting, but switch your brain on. There is no need to be mean about another blogger and what they have written. They are entitled to their opinion, and if you don't agree, then so be it. Instead of heading up a bitchathon, why not take the time to write your own opinions in a post of your own, from an objective point of view. So what if you don't like the dress she wore in her OOTD post? She likes it so let it be. Perhaps she doesn't like the way you've styled your hair today? Everyone is different.

So, as inspired by a fellow blogger

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Xtra Special Giveaway

Alphabet Challenge - X - Xtra Special Giveaway

We are almost at the end of my alphabet challenge blog post series, so I thought the best way to celebrate would be with an ‘xtra special giveaway! (See what I did there?)

This giveaway has a little bit of a twist! I have 3 prizes up for grabs and you can choose which prize you would like!

As per my usual giveaways, the more activities you complete, the more entries you can get! If you select more than one prize, your entries will be split for the draw.

For example:

If you pick all three prizes and complete activities to gain 30 entries, you will get 10 entries for each prize.

If you select one prize and complete activities to gain 30 entries, you will get 30 entries for that prize!

The prizes are as follows:

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Wedding Guest Outfit feat. Debra Chigwell

Alphabet Challenge - W - Wedding guest outfit.

Okay, so forgive me that my alphabet challenge blog series has over run into October which was not intentional but September became so hectic that it became difficult to fit everything in! Along with all of that, I had my fiance's sister's wedding to attend this weekend, and that means time for a gorgeous outfit!

This navy dress is from Debra Chigwell. If you are a regular here, you will have seen an announcement in my previous posts that I do now blog for Debra over on here site.

Click here to check out the Debra Chigwell blog!

I couldn't help showing off one of her lovely dresses at the wedding, so I picked Debra Chigwell's Smart Navy Bow Dress. It has a deep V neck, that leads down to a large ruffled bow across the middle of the dress.

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Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy Noir Perfume Review

Alphabet Challenge - Viva La Juicy Noir Perfume

This perfume sample was actually received in my August Glossybox but it seemed too perfect to save it for the 'V' post in my alphabet challenge post series! The last few letters of the alphabet are becoming difficult! The Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy Noir perfume was released earlier this year and is the big sister of the existing fragrance, 'Viva La Juicy'.

Even from the bottle design, you can tell it's going to be a little bit more sophisticated and mature than the fun-loving Viva La Juicy!

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Untold By Elizabeth Arden Perfume Review

Alphabet Challenge - U - Untold by Elizabeth Arden

I've already reviewed three products from the September London Edition of Glossybox (Eylure Pre-Glued Lashes, Rimmel Stay Blushed Liquid Blusher & Be a Bombshell Onyx Eyeliner) and here is a fourth for you! Definitely proves that for me it was one of the best Glossybox editions for a while!

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25 Beauty Questions - The Beauty Tag

Alphabet Challenge - T - Tag

I saw this Tag post and realised I hadn't done one for a while! So I thought I would have a go at 25 Beauty Questions!

1. Do you apply your foundation with a brush, sponge, or fingers?
It depends on the product actually. For liquid, I prefer a sponge but will use a brush for creams etc

2. Do you apply your eyeshadow from light to dark? or dark to light?
I don’t wear eyeshadow on a daily basis but I guess I would say light to dark

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Rimmel Scandaleyes Retro Glam Mascara Review

Alphabet Challenge - S - Scandaleyes Retro Glam Mascara

Two Rimmel reviews in one day?! Aren't you some lucky readers! As the second alphabet challenge post of the day, S, I am reviewing the Rimmel Scandaleyes Retro Glam Mascara for you.

I am not very loyal when it comes to mascaras. When it comes to replacing my mascara, I usually go for the one with the best review at the time. With this one, I actually bought it quite soon after its release just to try a new one!

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Rimmel Stay Blushed Liquid Blusher Review

Alphabet Challenge - R - Rimmel Stay Blushed Liquid Blusher

Another alphabet challenge post for you; and another product from my September Glossybox - The London Edition! This time, it is the Rimmel Stay Blushed Liquid Blusher.

I don't often wear blusher, certainly not on a day to day basis. My skin can be quite oily at times as well, so I had never considered a liquid blusher as I was afraid of adding any extra shine! Surprisingly though, I have become a little bit attached to my Rimmel Stay Blushed Blusher!

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Quiz Clothing Wishlist

Alphabet Challenge - Q - Quiz Wishlist!

Another Wednesday wishlist post for my alphabet challenge blog series, and this time I've been having a browse on Quiz's website, which is full of gorgeous clothes! I've picked 3 of my favourite dresses from the site to share with you in this Quiz Clothing wishlist.

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Eylure Pre-glued Eyelashes Review

Alphabet Challenge - P - Pre-glued lashes

Now here's a product I never thought I would try out... Eylure Pre-glued lashes. I have quite nice natural lashes, but I'm always after enhancing them. If you missed it, I posted about taking care of eyelashes as part of my Alphabet Challenge, earlier this month!

I've never trusted them... I prefer to stick them on myself and then I knew they are secure and I know how long my glue is going to last or how far I can push it!

However, after the lovely people at Glossybox sent these to me in my September Glossybox - The London Edition, I thought it would be rude not to try them at least.

I took the opportunity at my fiance's sister's 21st birthday last weekend. I knew it wouldn't be a mad night full of dancing, but I did know it would be a late one, so I thought that would be the perfect time to test these lashes out!

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Be a Bombshell Onyx Eyeliner Review

Alphabet Challenge - O - Onyx Eyeliner Review.

This lovely little eyeliner treat was part of my September Glossybox - The London Edition! I've got a huge array of eyeliners from pencil to gel and liquid by a number of fab brands, but I've never tried an eyeliner with a felt tip. I prefer to keep my eyeliner quite thin, and I think I have assumed that it may be quite difficult with a felt tip eyeliner pen, but receiving the 'Be A Bombshell' Onyx black eyeliner in my September Glossybox has given me the perfect opportunity to try one out!

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Nail Art Tips and Tricks

Alphabet Challenge - N - Nail Art

I love a bit of nail art. I only recently started experimenting with it when I got bored of watching my fiance on his xbox games or watching the football (the downfalls of only having one television in the flat...!) Now, if he says he wants an evening playing GTA5 then I grab my nail stuff and have some fun!

Here are some of my tips for creating your own amazing nail art!

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Superdrug Sugar and Spice Self-Heating Mask Review

Alphabet Challenge - M - Mask

Okay, so I know it would probably make more sense for this to be the S post in my alphabet challenge, but I wanted to tell you about it now!

This was a bit of an impuls buy for me, and you will have seen it mentioned in my Haul post from a couple of days ago. I noticed the Sugar & Spice Self-Heating facemask while I was stood in the queue at Superdrug, and for 99p, I couldn't resist giving it a try.

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The London Edition of Glossybox

Alphabet Challenge - L - London Edition of Glossybox

It's that time again lovelies, here is my September Glossybox for you to peek into! And to coincide with London Fashion Week, this one is the London Edition.

For starters, this is the nicest box I have received from Glossybox! I love the Union Jack across the front! The red tissue paper with the white sketches and the dark blue ribbon are also lovely! Props to Glossybox designers for this one!

The usual Glossybox mag has also stepped its game up this month! Rather than a leaflet, it's a real magazine, and it looks fab!

Initially, when I opened my box I was a little disappointed, but this was only because I had seen piccies of other boxes who had received HD brows sets and I would have loved one. HOWEVER, after closer inspection, I was really impressed and completely forgot about ever wanting the HD brows set!

Here are the contents of my box:

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How to get Kissable Lips

Alphabet Challenge - K - Get Kissable Lips!

Pucker up ladies! It's time to learn how to get gorgeous kissable lips with a few of my favourite lip care tips!

Just like the rest of your skin, you need to take care of your lips, especially as we are moving into the colder months as they can be really exposed to the weather when you are outside!

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Jimmy Choo Wishlist

Alphabet Challenge - J - Jimmy Choo Wishlist

Who doesn't love a good designer shoe?! I could browse online for ages just staring at designer shoes and if it wasn't for the price tag, I would have a wardrobe full of them! Here is my current Jimmy Choo Wishlist.

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My Week on Instagram

Alphabet Challenge - I - Instagram

So this is a new kind of post for me! A little peek into my life via my Instagram! I was thinking about doing one of these each month, so this is a nice little tester to see what you guys think! If you don't already, then make sure you pop over and follow me on Instagram (dollfaceemmy)

Here are a few pics of my September so far!

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Superdrug Haul

Alphabet Challenge - H - Haul

Ooooh I love being able to treat myself. Not a massive splurge, but I have bought myself a few goodies so I thought I would let you take a peek in my shopping bag!

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Guest Post! Get glowing skin by dermatologist Jennifer

Alphabet Challenge - G - Guest Post!

Summer is coming to an end, the daylight is slowly becoming shorter, the tourists have gone home and the hours and hours at the beach have slowly diminished.

This doesn’t mean the fun has to stop, it only means you have to prepare to head back to class or work and look great doing it! I’m here to guide you into the wonderful world where you can shine bright like a diamond!

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Debra Chigwell D185 Fragrance Review*

Alphabet Challenge - F - Fragrance Review

The fabulous Debra from Debra Chigwell has sent me this gorgeous perfume to review just for you guys!

Before I get into the review, I thought I would let you know about my little collaboration with Debra! If you follow me on twitter, you will already have heard a little bit about this, but I am really pleased to finally announce that I am the official blogger for Debra Chigwell!

I was really excited when Debra and her team approached me with this exciting collaboration after they read my Debra Chigwell Wishlist post! 

Debra is lucky enough to have some massive celebrity clients including Imogen Thomas, and some of the gorgeous cast of TOWIE. 

Now, onto the fragrance review!

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How to Take Care of your Eyelashes

Alphabet Challenge - E - Eyelashes

So you take care of your hair, your skin and you nails, but do you take care of your eyelashes?

Just like the rest of you, your lashes need a little bit of loving. If you take care of them, you have more chance of getting and maintaining longer, fuller eyelashes. These are my top tips for taking care of eyelashes:

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Top 10 Ways to Treat Acne

Alphabet challenge - D

Today's post is brought to you by a lovely guest blogger and skincare expert! Jenifar from MTSrollers lets you into her top 10 ways to treat acne!

At least once in a lifetime, we all face the grave problem of acne. A face dotted with red pimples not only makes you look less attractive, but also lowers one’s confidence the self-esteem. However, you don’t have to live with acne forever. It doesn’t take much to treat acne.

Acne can be very troublesome, especially when they leave behind ugly scars on the face. However, you are not the only one facing this problem. There are plenty of people just like you, aggrieved from acne. Mostly, scars caused by acne disappear on their own, but sometimes one may have to take help of acne treatments for getting rid of these scars.

Here are top 10 ways to treat acne:

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My Top 5 Concealers

Alphabet Challenge - C

I'm not going to lie, I am never loyal when it comes to products like concealers. I've tried many in my time, and here are my top 5 concealers!

First bonus point - all of these concealers are affordable and can be found in high street drugstores such as Superdrug!

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Bare Minerals Matte Foundation First Impressions*

Alphabet Challenge - B

I was lucky enough to be sent a foundation that I have always wanted to try, but never actually gotten round to it! The lovely people from Chemist Direct, sent me over a Bare Minerals Matte Foundation in Medium Beige to try out and share with you guys!

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The September Alphabet Challenge!

So, for September, I have set myself an Alphabet Challenge!

Throughout the month, I will be working my way through the alphabet with a range of fashion, beauty and lifestyle posts, right the way from A - Z.

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Wednesday Wishlist #10 - Fragrances

Who doesn't love having a vast array of fragrances, all lined up so you can pick a different scent every day? Okay so I don't quite have that (yet) but if I did I would definitely make sure these 4 fragrances were ready and waiting for me! Here's my current perfume wish list.

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Emite Makeup Eyelash Curlers Review

I have been in search of a new pair of eyelash curlers for a while now, but haven't managed to find any I like until my August Glossybox arrived. This month, my box had a lovely pair of Emite Makeup Eyelash Curlers. Emite Makeup are a Swedish brand that have some lovely products. You can see Emite Makeup's website here, but make sure you click 'translate' or are fluent in Swedish. Some of their stock is lovely.

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Jelly Pong Pong 2-in-1 Shadow/Liner Review

In my August Glossybox this month, I received a lovely new product from Jelly Pong Pong. I have been relatively pleased with any Jelly Pong Pong products I have tried out before. I have reviewed the Jelly Pong Pong Fairy Lashes Mascara and also the Jelly Pong Pong Lip Blush before this product. The Jelly Pong Pong 2-in1 Shadow/Liner comes in 4 colours; Plum, Bronze, Steel and Black, which I will be reviewing today!

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August Glossybox

Glossybox time again ladies. This may be my last post about one, I am debating cancelling my subscription for a while and perhaps trying out one of the other box subscriptions, but I'll make that decision in the next few days! For now, here is what I received in my August Glossybox!

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Essie Nail Stickers in 'A to Zebra' Review

I received these Essie Nail Stickers in 'A to Zebra' in my July Glossybox. I've nevr been a fan of nail stickers, I've always found them too fiddly and they start to peel of really easily, or they are stubborn and refuse to come off at all!

I was debating as to whether I would actually bother trying them out, but on one boring night at home, I gave in and had a go!

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