How Good Is This £5.99 Foundation?

The Collection Illuminating Touch Foundation is £5.99, I know, I was shocked too! I am not going to lie, I was a little skeptical to try it out just because it is so inexpensive, I didn't think that it would work but I also figured that most of you might be curious as to how good an inexpensive foundation is and so I am just going to do a little review of it today.

Like I said before, this is called the Collection Illuminating Touch Foundation and as always the links will be below. This foundation is super accessible, you can get it from Superdrug for £5.99 but Collection always have offers on so maybe hold on a you might get a great deal.

Before I get into my own thoughts, this is what Superdrug describes the product as, "A luxurious silky foundation that gives medium to full coverage for a flawless, radiant finish that lasts. Joining the infamous Illuminating Touch Concealer, the Illuminating Touch Foundation provides a radiance-boosting, hydrating base in six classic shades."

I am going to start off with the product itself, it offers 6 shades which I think is great for a drugstore foundation and I actually chose the shade Porcelain which is the lightest. Instantly, I knew that it was going to be too dark for me while I was pale, so when I came back off holiday, that's when I started to try it. Just be aware that if you are fair or even a little bit fair, then just know that there is a good chance that this is not going to match you. It also has a subtle orange undertone, which I can get away with because my skin has a naturally yellow undertone, but if your skin is a little cooler then this is definitely not for you. I think if you are a medium skin tone or if you fake tan a lot this is definitely a good foundation for you but if you are fair and still want to try it, I like to mix it with a white or extremely pale foundation.

Onto the formula, so instantly after putting it on my hand it was a little thicker than expected but it still moved a little. Applying it on the skin, it was very easy to blend and I would describe the coverage as medium, and that it which two full pumps for the whole face. I must also point out that you can feel this on the skin, it isn't the most lightweight but it is still comfortable. The finish is not as dewy as what I was expecting but I think depending on the primer, it could range from finishes, but on it's own, I would call it a satin finish as it is not completely matte but it is not all that dewy. I think any skin type could wear this but it will be dependent on the primer you put underneath it as I have used a few primers and they all give a different finish.
For application I love this with a dense buffing brush and then I like to go over it with a damp sponge or a less dense brush just to make sure that everything has settled in nicely. That is usually my application for foundation and I found it to work perfectly. I also think that concealers and powders sit really nicely on top of it and give a really flawless base to work with.
I have worn this a few times and I would say every time, it has lasted super long. Usually my foundation is the first thing that comes off, even when I set it, so I was super shocked by the turnout of this foundation. I will point out that after 6+ hours, it does start to go a little oily and fades in areas but it is nothing a little powder can't fix. If you do have oily skin, I would say to bare that in mind because I have combination skin and it does go quite oily throughout the day.

I am going to finish off with the packaging, which I really love. It comes in a glass bottle which you wouldn't really expect fro a £5.99 foundation but it does and I love the frosted finish. I love how simple and sleek it looks which the clear bottle and bold black writing, and it has a pump which just makes application so much easier.

Overall, I think that this foundation is amazing for the price, it is not a favourite but I think I will still continue to use it and experiment with it more so maybe it might become part of my daily routine. I would recommend this to people with dry to combination skin just because I think it won't last as well on more oily skin but I think Collection offer a foundation for oily skin similar to this, so let me know if you want me to try that one out. If you are a beginner to foundation then I am not sure whether this would work for you just because it is a little heavy and if you are working with a few hit and miss shades then it could end badly. I will say though, if you want to try it, go for it because I was pleasantly surprised.

Would you try this foundation?

Grace xx

Links Mentioned:

Collection Foundation: http://www.superdrug.com/Make-Up/Face/Foundation/Collection-Illuminating-Touch-Foundation-Porcelain-1/p/556518

LABELS? Sexuality? Vegan? Cruelty Free?

I have been wanting to do this post for a while but I have been struggling to find the words, so I am really happy that I am ready to share this post. This post might turn out to be a bit of a mess but I just want to keep it super rare and honest.

A label, the new thing that the 21st century are obsessed with, whether it is a lifestyle like "Vegan" or "Cruelty Free" or whether it is something more personal like a relationship status or your sexuality "Single" or "Gay". Either way, I think, they are overused and I hate them, so let me get into why.

I hate labels because I just think you are giving a person one word to associate them with. For example, if someone comes out to you as gay, some narrow minded people are just going to refer to you as the "gay friend" or the person I know who is "gay". I think that this is just wrong, there is so much more to a person than their sexuality or that one label you have given them. I only named a few examples but it could be anything from "fat", "smart", "lonely", "virgin", if anyone ever referred to me as one of these, I would truly be offended. This is because I would like to think that there is so much more to me than my intelligence, or my physical appearance etc.

Another reason I hate labels is because they make everything official. I do apologize that if these next few things I say offended you in anyway but I just need to say it.

Why I don't label myself as cruelty free? I know this is a sore subject but I hope you can just hear me out. Cruelty free is usually associated with beauty products or at least that's what I know it as and I know all sorts of things are tested on animals but I am just going to talk about the beauty side of things as that is what my blog is mainly about. Now, only over the past 6-9 months or so have I been educated on animal testing and before then I was buying whatever I wanted not knowing the cost and those things, I still talk about today. I don't label myself as cruelty free because I know that on my blog I am going to talk about things tested on animals because they are still part of my collection or share a photo on instagram including a Mac Lipstick because I still wear it. I do this because I want to keep it real, I am not going to throw away or sell a makeup product tested on animals if I love it, but what I will do is try and find an alternative that is cruelty free. Nowadays I feel like the smallest of things make a huge difference but they are not appreciated, let me give you an example. My skincare routine use to consist of Liz Earle, Nivea, St.Ives and Clean&Clear, all of which test on animals and so gradually over the last few months I have been buying cruelty free alternatives but still to this day I don't have a fully cruelty free skincare routine because I am still yet to find alternative I love just as much. The thing I find sad about this though, is that if I was to share this on my social media, I wouldn't be appreciated for making small, slow changes, but I would be slated for not having a complete cruelty free skincare routine or whatever. Still to this day, I am making little changes but buying cruelty free makeup and slowly finding a whole new beauty routine that is cruelty free that I love just as much as my last routine. For example, for my birthday, I have asked for only cruelty free makeup now to me this is an improvement but to everyone else, I should have done that from the start. 

To conclude, I don't label myself as cruelty free because it is a gradual process for me and if I slip up, I will slated for lying or slipping up or not caring but the sad thing is, is that everyone makes mistake but those mistakes me make are the things that get remembered not the changes and improvements we have made.

Now onto, why I don't label myself as straight? Again, a little bit of a touchy subject but I did want to cover it in this post. If people ask me who I fancy or my sexuality then I do say boys or straight but that is because they are asking because they want a one word reply and so I generally use those words which I hate doing but just feel like I have to. Saying that, if I have a chat to someone about my sexuality, I always say that I am generally attracted to boys but there are some girls I would much rather date than some boys out there and so if the right girl came in at the right time then yes, I could turn bi, or gay or whatever terms you want to give me but I would just rather say that I am attracted to an ambitious, trust worthy and respectful partner, not a boy or a girl. On the whole, I am more attracted to boys but that doesn't make me 100% straight because, if I am being totally honest, I don't think !00% straight people exist.

For a general overview, why do we use labels? are they easier? are they simpler? do we base judgment off of them? do we label people ourselves or do they label themselves? do people care about labels? Personally, I am just me, I am not straight or cruelty free or smart or fat, I am just Grace. I do me and you do you, so why do we need labels? We like them because they group us into these categories but one day it could drive us all to insanity. 

You can agree to disagree with me on any of these topics but I just wanted to share that with you. I would love to hear any of your thoughts down in the comments, whether they agree or disagree with me. Feel free to message me on any of my social medias if you have any questions about anything I have talked about in this post.

I hope I have inspired some of you to reject labels and just let people be themselves without giving them a title to refer to them as.

Grace xx

Empties #1

I feel like it has been forever since I have done an empties post. Please let me know whether you like this sort of blog post and I will be sure to do more. These products have been collected over the past few months so there is a good range of beauty products to share.

Soap and Glory Scrub Of Your Life
This body scrub is so amazing, this is only a mini but I find that I only scrub my body fully once or twice a week so it has taken me a while to run out of it. The scrub is quite intense but the scent is quite soft and pleasant. I love this scrub and it is probably my all time favourite so I will continue to repurchase it, but I have quite a few back ups of it at the moment so I won't be getting a new one anytime soon.

Soft and Gentle Anti-Perspirant
This is probably so boring but I thought I should mention it anyway because everyone uses deodorant. I am not too picky with deodorant, I sort of use whatever I have in the house, but this one is nice and smells amazing. I am not very likely to repurchase this right away but it was definitely nice to use.

The Body Shop Moringa Body Milk
This formula is so lovely, once again it is a mini but I will definitely end up repurchasing it. It is very different to any other moisturizer from The Body Shop is it is very thin and lightweight. Saying that it is very thick and moisturizing. The scent is not great so I hope that they do other ones, this scent is just a little too floral for my liking, but I will definitely get round to buying this formula again.

The Body Shop British Rose Body Butter
You may or may not remember but I got this in my Body Shop Advent Calendar last year and I have finally ran out of it. The Body Shop Body Butters are some of my favourites of all time and this was not exception. The Body Shop so a few different formulas in their body butters and this one is more on the lighter side, which I don't actually mind. The scent is a very floral, rose scent which is not my favourite but it was pleasant on the skin. I will always be repurchasing these body butters but I am not sure whether it will be in this scent, just because I prefer the more fruity ones.

I Love... Lemon Sorbet Whipped Sugar Scrub
I have already mentioned this in a favourites I am pretty sure (linked here), but sadly I have ran out of it now. The best part about this scrub is the scent, is is a super sweet and citrus scent, not one for if you like something soft but I am so obsessed which this scent. The scrub itself is barely a scrub, it barely has any exfoliating bits in it so I always used it with some exfoliating gloves but the scent made it for me. I am not likely to repurchase this again but I hope they do other products in this scent, like maybe a shower gel because it is the scent that I am in love with and would recommend.

One Direction Our Moment Perfume
I honestly bought this back when I was about 11 years old so when I found it back in my collection, I just wanted to use it up. Finally I have ran out of this, as I find it so hard to finish perfumes but I actually quite liked using this. It is not my favourite scent but it was nice for day to day. I would describe the scent as a light, floral, sweet scent but I don't think I will repurchase it, just because I have other perfumes that I prefer.

Herbal Essences Bee Strong Shampoo and Conditioner
Herbal Essences do some of my favourite shampoos and conditioners, but these were the first things I tried from their brand but they made a great impression because I still use their products most days. This duo made my hair feel and look so great, plus is smells so good. There is a good chance that I will repurchase this duo again but I am currently trying out a few of their other scents and ingredients.

Primark Face Wipes
I love love love these wipes, they are so handy and useful on my dressing table. Don't worry, I don't use these to remove my makeup but being a blogger, I use them to clean off swatches or dirty packaging and they just do the job. I go through these wipes like water and I am constantly repurchasing them because you get two packets for £1 which is just incredible.

Nivea Micellar Water
Just like the wipes, I always have micellar water on the go whether it is just to clean my face or to clean up eye shadow or something. Micellar water is so useful but I find that every brand does a similar thing so I am not too picky. There have been some micellar waters that I just don't get along with but for the part I just tend to switch between this one and the Garnier one. I will end up repurchasing this again but I am currently using the Garnier one, but both are great and do exactly what I need from them.

Freedom Pro Studio Fixing Spray
I feel like this spray has lasted me years but it has been so handy to have. This spray does a little bit of everything, I use it a little bit like Mac Fix+ . It is great for setting or prepping your makeup while you can dampen your brushes to make it more pigmented. I also use this like a facial spray just to cool me down if I got too hot. I would definitely recommend this spray but I probably won't repurchase it anytime soon.

Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer
I feel like this has been empty for ever, but it was such a good concealer. It is definitely a favourite from the drugstore but I am still yet to repurchase it again. This was actually my second tube of this, but I have just found others I prefer at the moment. This concealer was great coverage though and was really beautiful under the eyes to highlight with. I just wish that they had a lighter shade in this as the lightest shade is still a little dark for me, when I am pale.

Maybelline Brow Drama
I have had a love hate relationship with this brown gel. The colour was good but the applicator was just too excessive and sometimes it made my brows so crunchy, which I couldn't stand the feeling off. Saying that, I did really like this brow gel, it didn't let me brows move throughout the day and the formula of the gel was really nice. I am not sure whether I would repurchase this just because there are others I want to try.

Revlon Lash Potion Mascara
Sadly this mascara, I think is discontinued but it was a good mascara. It was not a favourite but since I got it in brown, it was lovely for just day to day for a super natural look. I actually really loved the packaging of this but the product inside was just as lovely. The wand did sometimes make my lashes look a little clumpy but it was nothing I couldn't solve. I am not too sad that they discontinued this mascara as I probably wouldn't repurchase it anyway but I did enjoy using it.

Benefit They're Real Mascara
I really love this mascara and I have the unpopular opinion of thinking that it is better than Roller Lash. You have seen this mascara a few times on my blog so I won't go on too much but it is beautiful for length and volume, plus the product is super black too, which I like. I probably would repurchase this again at some point but not soon.

Soap and Glory Sexy Mother Pucker Lip Gloss in Rose and Shine
I have had this for about 18 months and I just love it. If you like the super tingly sensation of a lip plumper, you will adore this. The shade is a super pale pink but I just love the formula. It didn't take me long to go through this, as it is only a mini but I already have another mini which I am sure I will love just as much.

Do you like these empties posts?
Grace xx

What's in my Travel Makeup Bag 2017

It has been about a week or so since I have came back off my holiday, but while I was in Jamaica, a lot of you requested I do this post. I have done a few travel makeup bag posts before and I feel as though in every one I have over packed for it, saying that, you seem to love them so here is another excessive amount of makeup I took on holiday with me.

I am just going to go in the typical order of makeup so for primer, I brought just two mini samples. Sample are great for travel because they are super small but will last you while you are there, although it is a risky thing since you have likely not tried the product yet, they are great. If I really hated these primers, I would not have been too bothered because I only wore makeup of an evening and so I took it off straight away so really, I probably didn't even need primer. Anyway, I brought the MAC Skin Visage Primer and Benefit Porefessional, neither of these are spectacular but they did the job and since they are not empty yet, I will take them on a few more holidays. For foundation I took my ride or die, the L'Oreal True Match, you all know how much I love this but I needed a foundation I knew I would love. This has a little spf which doesn't hurt but the coverage was great and I adore the finish. Most problems with bringing a foundation is that it won't match you come the second day, that is if you are going to a sunny place, so I brought the shade Golden Ivory, which matches me when I have no tan and then I brought a mini W7 foundation sample in a few shades darker to mix come nearer to the end of the holiday. I do this every time I travel and I find it so useful as you can custom your colour and again with the samples, they take up no space!

Onto concealer, I took three! I took the Collection Lasting Perfection Colour Correcting Concealer in Green for some colour correcting, in case I wanted it. I actually found this really handy as I got a little sun burnt and green counteracts red so that was great. Then I brought the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in Fair to either spot concealer or add even more coverage to my under eyes, but my main concealer for my under eyes was the LA Girl Pro Conceal Concealer in Porcelain.

I am just going to skip the powders because they are in a custom palette which I will talk about later, so onto other face powders. Bronzer, I brought Benefit Hoola because it was a mini version and it is a really universal shade so I knew it was going to match me with or without a tan but the one thing I hate about this is the small box packaging. It is so hard to get my whole bronzer brush in there with an even coating, but apart from that, it worked great. Blush was easy, I brought my all time favourite, the Kiko Provocative Pink Blush. This is perfect for travel, it has a mirror, it is compact and the colour is so versatile so it goes with any look. Highlighter was again another easy one, The Balm Mary Loo Manizer, it is my staple highlighter plus, with it's gorgeous golden undertone, it looks incredible with a tan.

I am now just going to get into the custom palette I brought because it is a mix of eyes and face. This is just an empty magnetic palette from Freedom and I love this one because it comes with a mirror and the quality is amazing for such a small price. You can put quite a lot in this palette but I added in 9 eye shadows and 4 face powders. All four face powders are from Anastasia Beverly Hills and they are in the shades, Vanilla, Banana, Fawn and Havana. The matte white eye shadow is from Nyx and it is called Whipped Cream and the rest of the eye shadows are from Makeup Geek. The shades are Cocoa Bear, Shimma Shimma, Tuscan Sun, Desert Sands, Early Bird, Rockstar, Corrupt and Creme Brulee.

Moving onto eyes, I thought that I could double up my concealers and use them as an eye primer also but I did bring a cream eye shadow. I brought the Maybelline Colour Tattoo in On and On Bronze just because, it is a super quick product that I can just throw on my eyes, blend the edges and be good to go, just for a quick eye look. I didn't bring any liners just because I didn't feel like I would have gotten much use out of them and my mascara of choice was the Mac In Extreme Dimension 3D Black Lash Mascara. Having a waterproof mascara wasn't too important to me as I would only wore makeup of an evening so I wasn't going to be swimming in it or anything like that.

For eyebrows, I brought the Elf Brow Pencil in Taupe just so I had a more natural option instead of my Anastasia Beverly Hills Dip Brow Pomade in Taupe, which I did use most nights because I find it super easy to apply and it makes my eyebrows look incredible. Both brow product though were super handy to have since I could range from something quick and easy to something a little stronger and more dramatic. I then brought a mini clear brow gel which is just from Primark so that my brow didn't more throughout the day.

Finally for lips, I brought one lip balm which is the EOS Tangerine Lip Balm just because it is compact and works nicely as a prep before any other lip product I put on top. I brought one lip liner, which is definitely becoming a new favourite the Misslyn Lip Liner in Rosewood, it goes with every lip product and lasts for ages. I brought two glosses, both of which I love, the Too Faced Sweet Peach Lip Oil in Papa Don't Peach and the NYX Butter Gloss in Creme Brulee. I chose gloss over a lipstick because I find they give a much more beautiful finish and I also wanted to keep my lips in a hydrating state. Final lip product I brought was one for a more bolder lip look, the Soap and Glory Gloss Stick in Technicoral. It is a beautiful coral/ orange which I found out, looks great with a tan.

I am not going to go into detail about my brushes but you can see by the photo the range of brushes I took. Most of them I have spoken about before but if you have any questions about a specific brush then you can drop me a comment and I will get back as soon as I can.

Did you like this chatty post?

Grace xx

Stepping Out Of My Comfort Zone!

Firstly, I want to apologise for the awful quality photos, this blog post was a very last minute collaboration and thanks to the unpredictable England, I have had no opportunities to take any quality photos.

Now that I have that out of the way, today's blog post is all about breaking the boundaries and wearing something completely new. We all have at least one item of clothing that we bought out on a whim thinking, "Oh, I am never going to wear this, but I'm going to buy it anyway!", I know I have been there. That's what today's blog post is all about, wearing something new and taking a step out of your comfort zone.

The lovely people at Dia&Co got into contact with me and inspired this post. They are a plus size clothing brand that is all about embracing your shape or size and feeling confident in every way. I can't even express how important it is for you to feel all kinds of beautiful in what you wear and so I challenge all of you to step out of your fashion comfort zone. Share it on Instagram, Twitter or even do a blog post like me. If you do wind up breaking your comfort boundary, then leave me a comment and I will check it out. I will also leave a link to Dia&Co at the end of this blog post so you can go see what they are all about.

My day to day fashion choices are as simple as jeans and a t-shirt. I don't like to wear skirts or dresses or anything sleeveless without a jacket. That's just me, we all have something we don't like about ourselves and that's okay, but I know recently I have been so stuck and bored of what I wear. It has taken a while, but I have stepped out of my jeans and t-shirts and into something different but still something I feel confident in.

 The outfit I have chosen to share with you is super simple but I am so happy with the way it looked. I actually ended up wearing this on holiday, just to test the waters a little bit but I know now that I am going to get loads of wear out of this dress. 

(All links are at the end of this post)

The dress is a thin, strappy swing-style dress in this beautiful dark blush shade. Looking at this on the hanger, I thought that it was going to hug all the wrong places and the colour was going to wash me out. The swing style is actually beautiful though, it doesn't cling to any of my insecurities and I feel as though the mini length really flatters my shape. I really love the details on the straps as I feel like it just adds a little extra something without have to go all out with jewelry. The colour is actually my favourite part, it is so versatile, you could pair this with tights and a coat in winter or some converse in the summer. This colour is definitely one for all year round and I think it would look great on a range of skin tones.

I paired this dress with some wedged sandals in this dark tan shade. Sadly, I don't think that these are available anymore but you could probably find similar as they are a very basic style of shoe. I really loved the wedges with this outfit as it was a little more evening appropriate and adding a few inches to my height doesn't hurt.

Would you ever step out of your comfort zone?
Grace xx
Links Mentioned:
Dia&Co - https://www.dia.com/
Dress - https://www.hollisterco.com/shop/uk/girls-dresses-dresses-and-rompers-6962773/must-have-strappy-swing-dress-9088349_03?ofp=true

Colour Correcting Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer Review

Can we just appreciate the tongue twister of a title that is!

Colour correcting has been hanging around the makeup world for a while, but only recently has it started coming out of its shell. A fair mixture of high end and drugstore brands have been coming out with their own versions of colour correcting and today I thought that I would review the one from Collection.

The Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer is a cult favourite in the makeup world and so when I heard that they were releasing colour correcting versions, I knew I had to try some. I love the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer is a huge favourite of mine and so I was desperate to see whether this formula was anything like it, lets see how I got on.

Collection offered three shades in their colour correcting range, a green, yellow and a purple. Immediately I gravitated towards the green just because I do suffer with unpredictable skin and my cheeks are naturally quite red. I will not go into too much detail, but green counteracts the redness in your skin but each colour does a different thing.

My initial thought on this concealer was that it had a much lighter coverage than the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer. The green colour was very pale and muted which I think, didn't make the coverage as effective as it could have been. Saying that, it blended out nicely and foundation and concealer went on smoothly after.

After trying it out some more, I am settled on the fact that it is quite light coverage and light-weight formula. It does counteract the redness on my spots and cheeks but doesn't make them completely invisible. The formula is very creamy and I prefer to blend in out with a sponge. When I apply foundation or concealer over this, it continues to hide the redness and gives my skin a maximum coverage, flawless finish. I have not noticed massively, but this does last underneath my foundation and doesn't budge throughout the day.

I  hope that you can see by the photo, the green is very pale and quite pastel looking, and I think that if it was a more brighter green then it would do a better job at colour correcting but it would also be more of a mission to make sure that the makeup goes on top doesn't let the green show through.

Overall, I would recommend this concealer to a beginner as it is a neutral green that you can't go heavy handed on. The colour will still counteract the redness on your face but it won't be too much, which will make it easier to hide. The formula is super easy to work with and it does last all throughout the day. Obviously the price is a huge plus to this as they are drugstore and most of the time, on offer but I don't think that I will be getting anymore of these. They were not awful to try but they just didn't do anything great for me and it is a step that I could probably skip in my daily routine.

What colour correcting product do you recommend?

Grace xx

Links Mentioned:
Colour Correcting Concealer reviewed - http://www.superdrug.com/Collection/Lasting-Perfection-Concealer-Correction-Green-6-5ml-Green-2/p/732246

Mini Haul

I know that it seems like I have been doing a lot of hauls recently but I know you like them, so I will continue to share what I have bought with you. This haul is a little random and it includes a few beauty and clothing pieces.

For clothes I bought this super cute bralette from Holister. They had so many options but I chose the halter neck style in this peach, floral pattern. This is so comfy and I think it will look great on holiday with a sheer top over and a pair of shorts. It was £14, which I think is a great price because Urban Outfitters and PINK sell them for so much more and the quality is very nice.

I then got a super soft pair of shorts from Pull & Bear, they were £7.99 and they are honestly the softest thing ever. I am always wearing these shorts, as pjs or to lounge around in and when I am on holiday, I can use them as a cover up.

I got one accessory and it is actually from Claire's, which takes me back a little bit as it was the shop I adored most as a child but I went in there looking for some really affordable hoop earrings and came out with exactly what I wanted. These only cost £2.50 which I think is such a bargain as they are quite big and I know I will wear them a lot. Hoop earrings are definitely coming back into trend so I can't wait to wear these throughout the year.

From Boots, I picked up another Nyx Butter Gloss but this one in the shade Fortune Cookie. The formula of this gloss is one of my favourites, it is not sticky but very pigmented and glossy looking. This shade is a pale nude which I know I will be wearing a lot. I am constantly growing my collection of these lip gloss and I would highly recommend them.

From Superdrug, I then got a foundation from Collection, it is the Illuminating Touch Foundation and I got it in the lightest shade. I have heard mixed things about this foundation but I wanted to try it out because it is so affordable and it might actually be good. There will be a review of this either up now (linked here) or coming soon, so you can look forward to that.

Again from Collection, I got one of their new Collection Colour Correcting Concealers in Green which I have been dying to try. There will be a blog post on this coming very soon and I cannot wait to test it out some more. It is currently on offer, so if you want to try it, you are best getting it now.

Which review do you want to see first?

Grace xx

Glam Day GRWM ft. Some New Things

This is a bit of a spontaneous but I really enjoyed writing my last tutorial and so I thought I would do another. A few of these products were actually brand new so it is also a little first impressions. I would call this look a daytime glam as it is quite a dark, brown smokey eye with super glossy lips and lots of bronzer.

I started off with my eyebrows and began to fill them in with an Elf Brow Pencil in Taupe. This was brand new and it was my first time using it, and it worked pretty well. It made my eyebrows look a little bolder but still looking super natural at the same time. Since it was brand new, it lacked a little pigment but I think as I get through to the creamy part of the pencil, it might work a little better. Since I wanted my eyebrows a little bolder, I went in with the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Pomade in Taupe and just applied that through my eyebrows. This just strengthened up my brows which I wanted since I new my eye shadow was going to be a little bolder.

Onto eyes, I primed them with the Hard Candy Glamoflauge Concealer and just cleaned up my brows as well. I just blended this out with my fingers and waited for it to get a little tacky. For my eye shadow I used the Nip+Fab Eye Shadow Palette in Sculpted which I will be doing a whole post on but this was my first time using it. I used the matte, white shade to set the primer and began in the crease with some light, matte browns. I then built up some darker shades into the outer corner until I was happy with the look. Then on my lid I used the top right shade which is a beautiful, shimmery brown with gold reflects. This looked amazing with the outer corner and so to finish it off, I applied some more of that matte white onto my inner corner and brow bone. I skipped the eyeliner and went straight in with mascara and an old favourite, the Maybelline Colossal Go Extreme Mascara. This just opened up my eyes and helped add to the dramatic eyes.

Onto the face, I primed with the Nivea Men Post Shave Balm and just blended that all over my face. I have been testing out some colour correcting products lately and so I used the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in Green. I applied this to any red areas of my face which is usually my chin and cheeks. This just helps to neutralise the redness and this concealer does a great job as it is not too heavy. I am then mixing two foundations together just to get the perfect colour, the Rimmel Match Perfection and the L'Oreal True Match foundation. This combination is super lovely as it offers great coverage while leaving a super dewy finish. With the colour corrector underneath the foundation, it makes my whole face look a lot more even. For concealer and highlighting my under eyes, I am using the LA Girl Pro Conceal in Porcelain, which is my current favourite at the moment as it is super full coverage but not so heavy that it makes my under eyes crease.

I then set my under eyes straight away with the Anastasia Beverly Hills Powder in Vanilla and Banana which is the perfect duo for me as it is super brightening while preventing my concealer from moving. Just to lightly set the rest of my face, I used the Rimmel Stay Matte and just dusted that over my face with a fluffy brush. This powder works great because it prevents me from getting oily on my t-zone but lets the foundation underneath still look luminous. For bronzer, I am using the Mac Mineralize Skin Finish in Medium/Dark which is actually a pressed powder but because it is in a darker shade to my skin tone, it makes a great bronzer. The powder blends so beautifully on the skin but it is a little orange which is what I have to be careful of when I apply it. Keeping the blush and highlight super basic with some favourites, the Kiko Provocative Pink Blush and the Mary Loo Manizer by TheBalm. You all know how much I love these two products so I will not dwell on them for too long.

For lips, I lined them in with the Misslyn Lip Liner in Rosewood which is becoming a new favourite. The colour is super perfect for every nude lip and it makes my lipstick/lip gloss on top last longer. My gloss of choice was the Stila Lip Glaze in Peach which, like the name suggests, a beautiful peach shade. This combo is so perfect for spring and summer as it is super fresh looking and slightly colourful.

What is your current go-to makeup?

Grace xx

May Favourites!

I have made it a "thing" now that my first post of every new month is a favourites and since I only came home from my holiday yesterday I apologize if this is a little rushed but I hate missing uploads, so I hope you enjoy anyway. During May, I was a little all over the place so there will be a separate holiday favourites blog post but this one is just going to summaries some of my key products and things from May.

Soap and Glory Super Plump Moisturizer

This moisturizer is just incredible, I am so hooked on this thing, you are going to be hearing about it loads. Soap and Glory skincare is still quite a new thing to me, but the things I have tried, I have really enjoyed. This moisturizer is my new favourite for both the day and night, it smells incredible, keeps my skin super hydrated and gives my skin a gorgeous luminosity to it. The one thing I wish this moisturizer had was spf but I can manage without that. If you have dry or dull looking skin, you would love this moisturizer, I have been using it religiously this month.

Misslyn Lip Liner

Makeup has been kept super simple this month so I haven't got too much to share apart from this lip liner. Saying that, you are not going to want to miss this gem. I recently hauled (linked here) this but I have had it a while since I bought it on quite a whim. Misslyn is not a brand I have ever tried or heard much about, but I bought this off Beauty Bay just to try because it was so cheap. I got a lip liner just to compare it to some of my other drugstore ones and I must say, I really like it. The pigment is there and the shade Rosewood, although I bought it for the PLL reference, is a beautiful nude shade. What I love most about this formula though, is the fact that it is so creamy which I find unusual in such an inexpensive lip liner. Would definitely recommend this to anyone, also did I not mention, it is under £3.

I feel as though lots of artists have stepped up their music game this past month and I am not complaining. I have chosen my top five this month but I could have included a lot more as a lot of great songs for summer have started to be released.

Nial Horan - Slow Hands

Harry Styles - Sign of the Times

Camila Cabello - Crying in the Club

The Vamps - Hands

Selena Gomez - Bad Liar

How To Get Away With Murder

My final favourite has to be this TV show. If you are friend from my school, you will know just how much I love this show as I have been trying to get everyone hooked on it. How To Get Away With Murder is basically about a defendant attorney who teaches some collage students exactly what the title says, getting away with murder. The show is so addictive and good, every plot so far has been so clever and exceeds all previous expectations. If you are interested in law and crime, then you would love this show and even if you don't give it a try and let me know what you think.

What did you love during May?

Grace xx