How I Style A Statement Red Skirt!

I am constantly seeing red pieces floating around the fashion industry and I am loving it. Red has always been a well loved colour of mine, probably from my brother and dad supporting Liverpool, but yeah and so I have been on the hunt for a few bold red pieces for my wardrobe. Before I start, I do also want to apologise for the awful lighting in these photos but I was really happy with this outfit and wanted to document it.

Obviously the main piece of this outfit is the skirt which I will link with everything else at the end of this post but as you can tell it is this fairly bright red shade. It did actually look a lot bright when I ordered it off line but getting it, it is quite a muted bright red shade if you get what I mean. This skirt is a mini length and it is in a stretchy denim material which I love because it is super flattering and just hugs my figure which I love. I wear this just above my hips to give it a high-waisted fit and so then I can wear high-waisted tops with this.

I decided to pair this with a cropped grey t-shirt which I love. It is super basic but I love how it has a slight high neck. I love how it is not super skin tight but it still has some structure to it. With this skirt, I feel like it maintains a super basic theme but because the top is grey it just makes the skirt the stand out since it is the main piece in this outfit.

For a jacket since it is getting colder now I am wearing this super oversized, light-wash denim jacket. I felt that because it is oversized it would just give this outfit a more comfy/casual vibe. This jacket is also distressed so it is super day-time appropriate. I also find that because it is a light blue denim shade that is goes really well with the grey and red.

To finish off this outfit, my shoes, just super basic with some plain white trainers. Plain white shoes you just can't go wrong with, they go with everything, and once again making this outfit super casual. It also doesn't hurt that these trainers are super comfortable and I also really love how they are low cut as I feel like, with the high-waisted mini skirt, they both really help to make my legs look longer. 

Top - https://www.missguided.co.uk/petite-grey-roll-sleeve-crop-top-10052800-grey

Skirt - https://www.missguided.co.uk/red-denim-super-stretch-mini-skirt-10061766

Jacket - https://www.hollisterco.com/shop/uk/p/oversized-denim-jacket-9831726?originalStore=wd

Trainers - https://www.jdsports.co.uk/product/white-adidas-originals-honey-lo-womens/236057/

How would you style a statement red skirt like this?

Grace xx

Glam Hair and Makeup - Highlighter as Eye Shadow?

I love trying out new makeup, I think it is so amazing when you can create something totally different each and everyday. Saying that, I have came to the conclusion that a lot of my makeup looks are the same but you know what? I like it so I am still going to share my makeup looks with you. I do want to start creating more fun makeup look so maybe let me know what you would want to see, whether it is a colour theme, or a certain product you want me to include. Anyways, I really loved the way this look turned out and I also really loved the way I did my hair so I thought that I would just share what I did to achieve this. I used some different products so I hope that switches it up for you a little bit.

Hair-

Actually this was my hair in the evening but throughout the start of the day they were in two dutch braids so after taking the braid out they already had a bit of a curl. Saying that, I wanted a more of a curl instead of a wave so I took my Babylis Curling Wand and just started to curl random pieces of hair in different directions just to add more texture. I did lots of random pieces of hair, but I did make sure that there was plenty of curl on my side fringe, thing, just so it framed my face. The curls were super random and messy but I found that it just gave me plenty of texture but to hold it, I used the SHOW hairspray just throughout my whole hair. I then added about half a pump of the Wella Oil Reflections Hail Oil and just ran that through my fringe and ends of my hair to just add a little shine and gloss to my hair. As you can see that is all I did, I just let it loose but styled it a little.

Makeup- 

I am going to try and not ramble as much as I usually do when I type up a makeup look but we will see how this goes.

I always prime before anything so I am just spraying the Primark Primer Water and letting that sink in before doing my brows and eyes.

For brows, since the eyes are going to be quite bold, I want super strong and bold brows so my favourite for the effect is the Anastasia Beverly Hills Dip Brow Pomade in Taupe as you might be able to guess. I just use this with an angled brow brush and just run it through my brows filling in any sparse areas. Since I am quite messy with the application of the pomade, I am just going to clean up with some concealer, my favourite at the moment being the Hard Candy Glamoflauge Concealer. I apply this with a flat eye shadow brush and blend it out with a little beauty sponge.

Priming the eyes now, I am using the Mac Painterly Paint Pot and then setting it with the RCMA No Colour Powder. This just preps my eyes and gives me a clean canvas ready for eye shadow. Starting with eye shadow, I am just going to take Colourpop Pressed Shadow in Issues and apply that in my crease just to start building up some colour. Going in with a slightly darker colour, Makeup Geek Single Shadows in Creme Brulee, just in the crease again but focusing it more on the lower portion and outer crease. I am also just going to put a little bit of this shade on the lower lash line too but smoking it out a little just so that it is a little more dramatic. Going in with a more warm orange colour, Makeup Geek Single Shadows in Early Bird, I am just going to pack that on the outer corner and then blend that a little through my crease too. Also bare in mind that every time I add a new shade, I always go back in with that initial colour just to help further blend everything and make it look super seamless. I am just going back and forth between those three shades until I am happy with the opacity of each colour but still making sure that it has all blended. My final colour before the lid shade is Makeup Geek Single Shadows in Cocoa Bear, and I am focusing this on the very outer corner but building it up slowly as I keep blending it with the other shades. Finally for the eye shadow, the subject of this look, the Ofra X Nikkie Tutorial Everglow Highlighter but I am taking the darkest shade which is an almost copper colour and just packing that all over the inner 3/4 of the lid with a dense shadow brush for maximum pigment. Just to make everything blend, I am taking that darkest matte shade and just putting that where the shimmery shade meets the outer corner and just make the two blend a little together. For liner, I am using the Soft Smudge Kohl Liner from Seventeen and just putting that on my upper lash liner and water line but keeping it on the outer portion just so it doesn't close my eyes up. Finishing off the eyes with some mascara, I am using that Collection Volumax Waterproof Mascara and just putting that on my top and bottom lashes, after curling them of course.

Just before I start the face, I will just take any makeup wipe and just clean up and rough edges I may have made with the eye shadow just so I can have a crisp line when applying my foundation and concealer. Since I do get quite oily throughout the day, I am going to take the Freedom Pro Matify Primer, and just put a little bit of this on my nose, chin and middle of my forehead just to smooth the pores and prevent oil seeping through. For foundation, I am using the Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation and just using about two pumps of this on my whole face and blending it in with a beauty sponge for a super weightless but still even finish. Under the eyes and just to highlight, I am using the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in the lightest shade, again blending it out with a beauty sponge, but I am setting the areas of my face straight away with the RCMA No Colour Powder and just packing that on with a small, dense face brush. For some cream bronzing, I am using that LA Girl Pro Conceal Concealer in Toast with very light hand and just blending it out until it looks super natural and like skin. Again going in with that under eye powder just to set the whole face but I am not packing this on, I am just using a little bit to just set and slightly mattify the whole face ready for face powder products. For bronzer, I am just using the shade out of the Urban Decay Naked Flushed Palette in Native and just applying that where I put that cream bronzer before to just intensify it a little. For blush, I am using the two middle shades out of the Makeup Revolution Blush Palette in Blush Goddess on an angled face brush and just blending that across that apples of my cheeks. Finally for some glow, I am using that Ofra X Nikkie Tutorial Everglow Highlighter again but actually for its purpose. I am applying this quite generously on the cheekbones, brow bone, above the brow, inner corner, tip of the nose and a little on the cupid's bow.

To finish, I am lining my lips with Mac Pro Longwear Lip Pencil in Oh Honey! and then filling it in with the Colourpop Ultra Satin Lip in Likely. Once that has set to its satin finish, I am going to top it off with the NYX Butter Gloss in Creme Brulee for a super glossy finish.

Would you wear highlighter as eye shadow?
Grace xx

My Autumn Makeup Bag Must Haves!

I am so excited for autumn, I just can't help myself and so I wanted to share with you some makeup products that I am going to be wearing throughout this season. Obviously wear what you want no matte the season but I know that these products in particular are going to be staples in my daily makeup routine.

Not really sure on the order I am going to do this in but a base product I know I am going to be wearing a lot is the Collection Illuminating Touch Foundation. I have reviewed this so I will be sure to leave the link at the end of this post alongside other reviews I have done. Anyways, this foundation is super glowy and hydrating so that is why I know that I am going to be wearing it a lot. In the colder months, my skin tends to be more on the dry side and so I am going to want a foundation that just makes my skin look healthy and moisturized. The coverage is good as is how comfortable it is and so I think that it is going to be a staple

A blush that screams autumn to me is the Makeup Revolution Blush in Now!, it is a beautiful, light pinky plum shade with a little bit of shimmer in it. I find that I always wear this around the colder seasons as those plums and pinks start to show in peoples makeup so I add it to my own. The pigmentation of this blush is great and so I find myself using a very light hand but just dusted over the cheeks, it adds a beautiful pop of colour. I also think that I will be using this a lot as an eye shadow, maybe a little in the crease mixed with some browns could look super cool and autumnal.

I know I am not the only one whole is so super pale coming into autumn and winter, so because of this, I find it really hard to find a bronzer shade that is not too orange on me. The Barry M Light Contour Kit is my favourite for when I am feeling pale. The two darker shades are for contouring or bronzing but I just tend to mix the two and use it as a bronzer. They are super pigmented but they blend really nicely and so it looks super natural on the skin. I don't like the highlighting powder at all so I won't be using that but the contour colours are perfect for autumn.

A lipstick I want to mention is the Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Amazing Grace. I would describe this as a dark raspberry pink and it is so beautiful. Matte lips are not my favourite, I tend to top every matte lip off with a gloss but I find this lipstick formula is super comfortable and not too matte looking. The colour screams autumn to me and it is the only shade that gets me out of my comfort zone. 

Another lip product worth mentioning is the Barry M Matte Me Up Liquid Lip Paint in Minimalist. Even though I bought this in spring, I am still yet to wear it because it is a dark nude I think it is much better suited for the colder seasons. Again with it being matte, I am likely to top it with a gloss but never the less, the colour is stunning and I am super excited to wear it and finally test it.

For eye shadow, I know I am going to be using the MUA Matte Essentials Eye Shadow Palette because even though it is an all year round palette, I like how it contains super basic and neutral colours. All of my palettes tend to contain the same oranges and browns, all on the very warm side and so I think this palette will just be a good way to ease me out of my warm neutral habit. The colours are super simple and so I think they will go with anything I pair it with but for mattes in the crease, I am going to be digging out of this a lot.

A pigment I had to mention is the Mac Pigment in Handsome Price. This is a beautiful dark brown shade with a super intense sheen. Paired with that matte MUA Palette, I think that this will make an amazing eye look, just super simple but dramatic. I love how metallic and intense this pigment is and even though they can be a pain to work with, I think the look they give is worth it. I don't think that I will be using this daily but for a dramatic eye look, this will be a must.

What is your autumn makeup essential?

Grace xx

Links mentioned:

Collection Foundation Review - http://gracexkate.blogspot.co.uk/2017/06/how-good-is-this-599-foundation.html

Charlotte Tilbury Lipstick Review - http://gracexkate.blogspot.co.uk/2016/11/my-first-luxury-makeup-purchase.html

MUA Matte Palette Review - http://gracexkate.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/mua-matte-eye-shadow-palette-review.html

Mini Clothing Haul - TRY ON

Since my last try on haul went down so well I was planning on doing a second one, maybe not this soon but it just happened. At the moment, I have been on a clothing shopping rampage if that is even a thing but recently I have just been hit with inspiration and the need for some new clothing pieces, especially coming into autumn. This haul contains five pieces so it is not big at all but I just wanted to talk through the a little bit, so I hope you enjoy. It also contains some brands I don't usually buy clothes from so it is a little different.

This first piece is from Urban Outfitters and it is just a cropped t-shirt but it is in this super unique yellow shade. I can see yellow being super on trend this season as I keep seeing it everywhere so this fits in perfectly. I have also been on the hunt for a super nice slogan tee and this is perfect. On the front, on my left it says "Only The Strong Survive" in a super dark, almost black, navy but then on the back it says that same quote but twice and right across in the middle. I feel like this is just a super cool twist on the regular slogan top and I think the colour will be great for all year round as it is bright but neutral if you get what I'm saying. I love the shape of this top as it is slightly boxy so it is super flattering on me and because I got it in a bigger size to what I would usually get, it is not too cropped which is what I wanted. Since this was from Urban Outfitters, it was a little more on the pricey side and this top did cost £25 but honestly, the quality is amazing and I know that I am going to wear this loads and because I can wear it all year round, I don't mind spending a little more on it.

Next up is something from Primark which is probably the steal of the season. I love a good checkered shirt for autumn/winter, I think they are so festive, great for layering and so easy to style. I knew that this year I wanted to get a new one as my old one was getting a bit small and worse for wear so when I saw this one in Primark I knew I needed it. This is literally the most basic navy and red checkered shirt but the best part was, that is was £9 which is incredible. I got this in a size way to big for me because I plan on wearing it just super oversized so it has a more relaxed and casual look. I am so obsessed with this piece and I know that it is going to be a staple come the end of this year when it begins to get colder so you can expect to see it make an appearance a few times.

The last few things are from MissGuided starting with this bright red denim skirt. If you follow my twitter then you might have seen my debating whether of not to get this red skirt over just a regular blue denim but long story short, I took the plunge and got the red. What I loved about this denim skirt was because it was stretchy denim which is so great for me as I find it so difficult to find a skirt in proportion to my height, hips and waist so the fact that this was stretchy made me want it even more as I know that it would fit me and flatter me more than my other skirts. I was so happy when I tried this on as it just hugs my figure perfectly and so I think I need it in every colour because it is just a perfect fit and I am obsessed. The red was very risky for me but now trying it on, I think it will be quite easy to style with just a cool slogan tee or a basic top. I love how this skirt is high waisted as now I can wear it with cropped pieces and not have to worry about showing too much skin. Even though this is red, I think the colour makes it a great all round piece for every season as I can wear it with tights and a knitted jumper in winter but also with a cropped vest and sandals in summer. I also need to mention that this was £20 which I think is great for such a good quality skirt and one I know I am going to wear loads.

Another piece from MissGuided is from the sale so I am sorry if you can't get it in your size but I did want to mention it as I think it is going to be my new favourite piece for autumn. This is, as you can tell by the photos, a dark grey, acid wash, lace up sleeve jumper which sounds super complicated and it is but let me explain a little more. The jumper itself is a very slightly crop and it has a sort of high roll neck, it is in this super dark, almost black, grey acid wash and along each sleeve is this criss-cross lace up piece which ties at the bottom. When this first arrived, it was an absolute mission to try and figure out as the lace up pieces were way too long, the neck part wouldn't fold over but now that I have figured it all out, it looks great. The lace up sleeves was what really drew me to the piece, I just think that it is super on trend at the moment but still super cool and unique. I love how with the lace detailing you can adjust them so you can get a more tight fit or something a little more random and oversized which is what I would probably go for. The colour is something super different for me but as a whole, the piece is super edgy and it gives me a proper grunge-vibe if you get me. I think this would just be so great with jeans and boots in autumn just for a super basic look but with the detail, it makes it that little bit more detailed and special. This was one sale from £30 reduced to £18 so I did get a very good deal and almost half price but the quality is a whole other thing. This jumper feels so heavy and think, it is incredible, I know that this is going to keep me so warm and you can just tell when you feel this piece that it has been made well, so definitely a good purchase from me.

Probably finishing off this post with the most boring piece but I love a good staple. Going back a few weeks ago, I went through my wardrobe to realise that I had no plain tops so that needed to change. I picked up a few but the one from MissGuided I bought was this plain grey, crop top. I love boxy crop tops like this as I find that I am just so much more comfortable wearing them over those skin tight ones that just make me want to suck in the whole time. Anyway, I love the fit and shape of this as it is boxy but it also has a high neckline which I think is super cute and a nice touch. I chose grey because I find I wear grey a lot, especially on my upper half and so grey was a good place to start with colours for plain, basic pieces. This was also a steal at £5 which is great and I don't really think you can get any better especially since the quality is great. I find that it is made with a good material, it is not super thin and see-through and it holds its shape really nicely. Pieces like this last a life time and never go out of style as they are just essentials to pair with anything so I am glad I finally picked up a basic plain top.

What's your favourite piece from this haul?

Grace xx

Tackling A Blog and An Education! *a ramble

I wanted to do a little bit of a different post today, even though you could consider me as a beauty blogger, I still want to offer a variety of content to keep myself interested. Currently in the blogging community, there are a lot of teenagers bloggers that tackle both a blog and their education, me being one of those. Since I have been tackling a blog and school for almost three years now, I think I have a few tips that you might find useful so that is what I wanted to speak about today.

The amount of times I have chosen to write a blog post over finishing a piece of homework is astounding but really, prioritising is key to finding a balance. Argue about it all you want with whoever, but whether you like it or not, your education does come above your hobbies and so making your school work the main target is key. This isn't me saying that you must get all of your weekly homework done before you can even think about writing a blog post, it is me trying to say that finding a balance between the two is key, which I guess is what I am trying to say throughout this whole post. What I tend to do is, I'll make sure that I have time to do both, I will set myself as long as I need, realistically, to finish everything and I will just fit it all in. The order never really matters too much to me because I am the sort of person to get all of my work done anyway but if you are not, then maybe try and do majority of your work first. Something that has worked well for me, is that I will do all of my school work during the week and then the weekend is left for me to just focus on  my blog, I know a lot of people do this and honestly, I find it to be quite effective. Obviously, depending on your workload might depend on how much spare time you will have but even if it is just a Sunday morning that you dedicate to your blog, it is totally worth it. It could be because I have had a blog for three years, but I find myself having withdrawal symptoms a lot with my blog. Truly, I don't think I could go a week without writing or creating some form of content and so having just those few hours to myself of a weekend to create whatever content I want is a must. Overall though, the main thing I have to say is treat your education and homework as the priority but your blog is almost like you break in between your work. I know it can take some time, but finding that balance is key for staying on top of both.

More like a general blogging tip now but scheduling and pre-writing content is so useful. I do this all year round, like right now, I have at least one post a week for the next month and a half because I am crazy like that and I like to stay on top of things. Being honest though, it is just a great way of stay organised. I have this constant fear of running out of ideas, or not having enough content, or even not being able to get my words out properly so I find that if I have some back-up posts just saved on my laptop then I can just whip them out. Timing is also something to keep in mind though, obviously you don't want to be sharing your May favourite in August or your spring lip picks in autumn but just some good all year round content that you can just save for that "just in case" moment. You can also just plan posts for the next month or so and get writing. I tend to write my monthly favourites posts about a week in advance but things like new releases, I like to get their reviews up on any spare day I can, and then there are posts that I can fit in anywhere. Pre-writing posts are just so handy, especially when you have a routine to your upload, like me with Sundays at 10am and Tuesdays at 5pm. When managing school with a blog, I find the best time to get a bunch of posts pre-scheduled is during the holidays, or even the weekends. Obviously, it does come with the whole promoting thing but that you can just slow down but the actual blog content can just be done in advance. If you have never scheduled a post before, then it might be a little different for you to actually organize a prepare posts in advance, so I am to going to lie, it gets some taking use to, but if you do need to manage a blog and school then I think it is the best bet you have at staying on top of both.

A bit like what I said in the previous paragraph, doing things in bulk is a good tip I stick to. When I am in the right mood, I can write a whole months worth of posts in a few hours or I can take my next weeks worth of photos in a morning, that is because I am in the right mind set and I like to take advantage of that. I tend to take about five different blog post pictures in the same session because I have either planned them or I spontaneously thought of a new post that I want to do soon. Not going to lie, some of the posts I don't follow through, some I save for months later and some of for the next day so I get a good balance. Just having a massive bulk session of doing something blog related is super helpful instead of just taking the pictures, writing the post and promoting the post all within a day of posting it just to do the exact same thing again in a few days. For example, I am on a bit of a blog post writing rampage right now, that just means that I am in a super chatty mood and I am ready to talk about all the rubbish I want to talk about. Today, I could probably say that I am going to write three whole blog posts and get them scheduled for the next month or so. I find that when I write my posts in bulk, they are a lot more chatty and just a lot more me, so it creates my best content I find because I am just in the right head space.

Even though I was suppose to be giving advice and great tips in this post, I have came to the conclusion that I might have failed, just a little bit. Anyway, I hope you liked this very chatty post and maybe gathered more of an incite as to how I juggle school and my blog.

What is your number one tip for handling a blog and an education?

Grace xx

Autumn Lip Loving!

Autumn is here and truly, I could not be more ready! I could do a whole post about why I love autumn but one of the reasons is the makeup. From the smokey bronze eyes to the dark nude lips, I love it all. Anyway, today I am going to share ten lip products that I am going to be wearing a bunch over the next few months.

I have said this one thousand times but matte lips is just not my favourite, saying that, some of the most beautiful shades are in matte lip form so I just have to manage it. A matte lip formula that I get along with though is the Colourpop Ultra Matte Lip in Midi. It is a mauvey pink shade that is not too dark so I find it to be quite wearable. This looks good with most of the eye looks I wear so I know that it is going to be a staple in my collection this season.

A lip shade that is quite out of my comfort zone it the Jeffree Star Lip Ammunition in Celebrity Skin. It is quite a dark grey/brown nude shade which is a little different for me as I like more pale nudes but for autumn, this is super appropriate. This is not a matte lip or anything, it has quite a satin finish but it is super pigmented and comfortable on the lips. I love pairing this with a bronze, golden eye so I can see that being my staple look this autumn.

Another liquid lip that I am super excited to wear is the Barry M Liquid Lipstick in Minimalist. I bought this back in spring but have still never worn it because I just felt like the colour was always too dark for what I wanted but I have been waiting for September to roll around so that I can finally wear it. Obviously, this is me just being super picky as no colour is just for one season but the colour does scream autumn to me. It is just like a dark warm nude shade, very trendy at the moment but because it is matte, I am likely to be pairing this with a gloss on top most of the time.

A lipstick that is my go-to in autumn is my Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Amazing Grace. Yes I have done a post about this in a past, which I will link at the end, but I did buy it for the name. Saying that, it is the perfect shade to get me out of my comfort zone. It is quite pink which is not typically "Grace" but actually, I think it suits me. It is quite a mid raspberry pink shade but I love this in autumn/ winter and pairing it with a super simple eye so that all of the attention is on the lips. This is also probably the only matte lip I can wear without a gloss, because it feels nothing like a matte lip. It is so comfortable and it is not drying at all so I love this formula and would love to buy more, but they are quite expensive, I must say.

The first gloss in this post I am going to talk about is the NYX Lip Gloss in Beige. Don't let the name fool you on this one as it is nothing like a beige shade which is so confusing to me, but it is actually just a true pink. The gloss is fairly pigmented, it definitely gives off some colour so I tend to wear this on its own. It is not a sticky gloss, it is super comfortable and it smells great which is just a bonus. I love wearing this on a super natural makeup day and this on the lips, just makes the look super fresh and natural.

A liquid lipstick that I love but am constantly forgetting about is the Too Faced Melted Chocolate Liquid Lipstick in Chocolate Milkshake. It is such a beautiful warm nude, super wearable and in an amazing formula. I love this liquid lipstick because it is not matte so it was basically made for me. The pigment is great, it is super comfortable and the finish is not glossy or matte, it is just a super natural finish. I feel like the reason I just forget about it is the applicator, for me, it is just quite awkward and I feel like a lot of the product gets absorbed. Whenever I do wear this though, I love it, it goes with every look I do. Hopefully, I am going to be wearing this a lot more in autumn and winter!

For a gloss that is great for all year round, but one I wanted to mention is the Buxom Full-On Lip Creme in White Russian. This is near to a clear gloss but it does have a little bit of a pale pink colour to it but it is not too pigmented. I love this gloss on its own or with any lipstick underneath and it just makes my lips look wet, which I do love the look of. It also has a plumping effect to it so it makes your lips super tingly and I personally love that. I wear this all year round, and I know I have spoken about this a lot but I just love it so much so it was worth another mention.

Another gloss that is a little bit of a throwback for me is the Artdeco Hydro Lip Booster in 36. Around this time two years ago, I bought these Artdeco glosses in a few different shades and I remember being so obsessed with them. I still love them but this shade in particular has to be my favourite as it is just a dark brown shade. This gloss has got some pigment to it so I do tend to wear it on its own but they are so comfortable. I love these because they remind me a lot of the NYX Butter Glosses as they are not sticky whatsoever and just so beautiful on the lips.

A final gloss I am going to mention is the Bare Minerals Buttercream Lip Gloss in Far Out. This lip gloss formula is amazing! They are pigmented, creamy feeling, super wet looking, not sticky and so comfortable, which to me is everything I look for in a gloss. This shade is almost metallic looking, it is a super pale nude shade with a gold shift to it, but it is still wearable. I love pairing this on top of any lipstick just to give it a little extra something and like I said before, I like wearing gloss over matte lips so it is very likely that the gloss I put on top will of any matte lip will be this one, just because it goes with everything

The final product I am going to talk about is the MUA LUXE Velvet Matte Lipstick in #ten. This is such an unusual nude shade for me it is quite pale but also quite orange toned which is not something I had previously owned before this as my pale nudes tend to be more on the pink side. Anyways, this might not be super autumnal but since it is on the more warm side it goes with all of those burnt oranges and reds that I tend to steer towards in autumn. Again this is a matte finish so I will top it off with a gloss like what I have previously mentioned but this is a super pigmented and creamy formula so even on its own, it is fairly comfortable.

Left to right - Artdeco Hydro Lip Booster in 36, Bare Minerals Buttercream Lip Gloss in Far Out, Buxom Full-On Lip Creme in White Russian, NYX Lip Gloss in Beige, Too Faced Melted Chocolate Liquid Lipstick in Chocolate Milkshake, Colourpop Ultra Matte Lip in Midi, Barry M Liquid Lipstick in Minimalist, Jeffree Star Lip Ammunition in Celebrity Skin, MUA LUXE Velvet Matte Lipstick in #ten, Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Amazing Grace

What is your staple autumn lip product?

Grace xx

Reviews of products I have mentioned

Bare Minerals Buttercream Lip Gloss in Far Out - http://gracexkate.blogspot.co.uk/2017/08/just-bunch-of-first-impressions-ft.html

Buxom Full-On Lip Creme in White Russian - http://gracexkate.blogspot.co.uk/2017/08/just-bunch-of-first-impressions-ft.html

Colourpop Ultra Matte Lip in Midi - http://gracexkate.blogspot.co.uk/2017/08/colourpop-my-thoughts.html

MUA LUXE Velvet Matte Lipstick in #ten - http://gracexkate.blogspot.co.uk/2017/07/mua-luxe-velvet-matte-lipstick-review.html

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Amazing Grace - http://gracexkate.blogspot.co.uk/2016/11/my-first-luxury-makeup-purchase.html

Skincare Favourites ATM

Skincare has been something I have been neglecting a lot recently, but getting back into the swing of things, I have a few products I want to share with you all. Easing myself into the cruelty free beauty lifestyle, I have been testing and trialing out a lot of products, but while I am still doing that, I thought that I would just share a few. If you do like this post though, then do let me know in the comments whether you want a full cruelty free skincare routine and I will do that for you all!

As well as skincare, I have a few little skin accessories too, so starting with those, I have been loving two things from the Real Techniques Prep and Prime Set, which I got for my birthday a month or so ago so I have had plenty of time to use them products. Actually when I first got the set, I didn't think that I would use either of these things, but surprisingly they do come in use when I want to be a little extra with my skincare routine. Sadly, you can't buy these on their own but if you do want these sorts of products then you could buy the set or look for another brand that sells these. The first of the two I am going to mention is the Beauty Spatula which I must admit is such an extra and unnecessary product, but I have been using it so I'm going to talk about it. Basically this is just a plastic spatula that you use to scoop out your products out of their container. There is some benefits to this, the main one being that it is much more sanitary and could help prevent breakouts, but to be quite honest, I haven't noticed that to be my case. I find that this product just helps to evenly distribute my creams across my face and when I do other peoples makeup, I think that this will be very useful.

The next product out of the set I am mentioning, is the Under Eye Reviver which I have been loving. Again, I thought that I wasn't going to use this accessory much, but I have actually really been liking it. Since the little ball thing on the end is metal, under the eyes, it is so super cooling. How I use this, is, I will spray my face with some toner or just water and then use the eye reviver just under my eyes back and fourth about 10 times and then moisturize. I find that if I don't dampen my face, it kind of drags my skin, which doesn't feel great but with damp skin, it feels lovely. Honestly, I have not noticed my under eye bags just disappearing but weirdly, my concealer has been doing on a lot more smoothly recently, so that could be a combination of things, but I am sure that this has made its contribution.

I don't use masks enough, as much as I love them, I am just so lazy and can never be bothered. Saying that, I bought a new face mask a while back to try and get myself to use them more. The 7th Heaven Dead Sea Mud Mask is what I picked up because it was super affordable and I have always loved their masks that come in the sachets so I thought that I would try the tube version. I tend to use this about once a week and I love it. Not going to lie, I do forget to use it sometimes, but when I do use it, it makes my skin feel so clean and fresh. I mainly like using this if I have worn a full face of makeup all day and I will just wear this mask for 15 minutes after cleansing to just extract all of that extra dirt that might not have been removed otherwise. I would definitely recommend this mask and this brand because they are super affordable and really lovely to use.

Oh how I love coconut oil, it is just perfection. I could do a whole blog post about coconut oil and its uses because the list is endless but I am just going to talk about how I am currently using it in my skincare routine. Coconut oil is a product I use daily for multiple different things, but of an evening, during my skincare routine, after I have moisturized, I get some of the coconut oil on a spoolie that you get on the end of some of your eye brow brushes and I just coat my eyebrows and eye lashes in coconut oil. I have actually noticed a huge difference with using this, my lashes are longer, strong and just so much healthier while my eyebrows are growing fast and looking again, healthier. I actually did this daily for about a month or so but now I do it about three times a week and the results are still great. Something like this should be a staple in peoples routines if they have damaged brows or lashes but I do think that it can get neglected. I know you can do this technique with a few other products, like Vaseline and stuff but for me, coconut oil is the most inexpensive and most effective for me. This step is a little extra but I do think that most people should include this in their weekly skincare routine just to keep the the fine lashes and brow hairs in excellent condition.

When I am wearing a lot of eye makeup or a stubborn waterproof mascara, The Body Shop Camomile Eye Makeup Remover is the one to come and save the day. Like I said, I only use this on heavy eye makeup days but it is so useful to have. I only have the mini but I know I am going to getting a full size when this runs out. I find myself using very little of this product because a little bit does go a long way and I like this a lot because it doesn't strip my eyes or doesn't sting my eyes which is amazing. It removes all of my stubborn eye makeup and it is just great, highly recommend!

The final product I am going to mention is the Superdrug Vitamin E Intense Moisture Cream, and this is my obsession. The Superdrug Vitamin E range is very hit and miss for me, some products and love and some I hate but this moisturizer is a love love love. I treat this as a night cream as it is quite thick and creamy. This has been on rotation with a few other night creams over the past few months but this is my go-to and ride or die. I am constantly going back to this and before this I was using a night cream tested on animals but this is better and cruelty free so it is just perfect. Considering I have quite combination skin, this works great, it is thick so using a small bit will cover your whole face but when I wake up in the morning, my skin is so glowy and hydrated which is what I want. I am not sure whether people with oily skin would like this but if you are combination to dry, definitely give this a go!

What skincare product have you been loving recently?

Grace xx

Current Makeup Bag Favourites

Just thought that I would add in an extra post this week because I really wanted to share with you some staple products in my makeup routine which I have really been enjoying lately. Obviously, these will not be in a monthly favourites because they are not discoveries or anything like that but they are products that I have been reaching for a lot and wanted to share with you. 

These products are also like products that are perfect for the transition between summer and autumn, which I am so excited for.

PS... Primer Water

I am not going to do this in any sort of order but starting with this primer water which is £2 from Primark, and it is great. To be honest, I am not really sure whether this would make a good primer on its own because I always pair it with a pore filling primer for a smoothing finish but I really love this just to prep and hydrate the face. The spray and bottle etc. are all great, a lot of product comes out in one spray so three sprays can cover my whole face. Once I have sprayed it, I just tend to blend it in with a fluffy face brush just to make sure the product has sunken into the skin. Would definitely recommend this just as a little prep before makeup just to wake up the skin and enhance the amount of time it wears for.

Rimmel Match Perfection
Sadly this foundation is not cruelty free so I did start using this just to get rid of it but it is a beautiful foundation. There are other foundations I love but I have been reaching for this one a lot recently. I like it a lot because it is very glowy and makes my skin just look so dewy and healthy which is my aim all year round. I find that this foundation is super appropriate for summer because it is super lightweight but the coverage is great and the finish is obviously beautiful so this has been great to me over the past few weeks. Usually, I apply one to two pumps and apply it with a sponge just all around my face and that gives a super natural skin-like finish but it still covers everything I want it to.

Anastasia Dip Brow Pomade in Taupe
At the moment and intense brow has been everything for me. I have been wear a very insta-brow look a lot recently and it is all because of this product. I don't wear this every time I wear makeup because it can be a little time consuming and all but when I am going glam or full coverage or doing a lot of eye shadow, I like to have very sharp and clean brows. I am probably not the best when talking about application but I tend to do my brows before any other part of my makeup and use an angled brow brush. I put the pomade all through my brows but making the tail of my brow the most filled in and lightly filling in and blending the rest to give a little gradient but I will always carve out my brows because I always get super messy so just bare that in mind. I really like this pomade though because it is super easy to work with, the pigment is great and it blends well so when I over do my brows, it is quite easy to manipulate it.

Seventeen Soft Smudge Pencil Eye Kohl
Even though it is summer and most people tend to go light on the eyes, I have just been craving eye liner which is a little weird but I kind of love it. This Seventeen liner has been my favourite because it is pigmented and creamy but it does not get half way down my cheeks throughout the day. I tend to only wear this when I have a lot of eye shadow going on to bring some more definition to my eyes and I am really liking how it looks. I always seem to put it on my upper lash line and my water line and even though it can look intense, I find it to be really flattering.

Makeup Revolution Ultra Bronze Bronzer
Who knows why I am obsessed with this because I don't even know but I am. Firstly, I love how it is weirdly big, I think it is funny and I like swirling my brush in such a big pan because it is the little things that make me happy. Saying that, the colour of it is just beautiful, not to orange, not too red and plus it's matte so it looks super natural and I love it. There is pigment to this product but it is not overwhelming and so I don't find myself going overboard when I use this. I have just been wearing this a lot recently and I just had to mention it. Plus it is like £3 which is mad but I would definitely recommend.

Too Faced Sweet Peach Eye Shadow Palette

This eye shadow palette is always a favourite but around June time, I found myself neglecting it and so in August I had to pull it back out and play with it some more. I just love the super basic colours in it, I tend to stick to the matte browns and light shimmery shades but I love working with this formula and they never disappoint me when I wear it. I am definitely going to try and step out of my comfort zone and play with some of the purples and the green but we will have to see.

Colourpop Ultra Satin Lip in Likely
This liquid lip is everything! I have already review this and I will link it below but I had to mention it because it is so amazing. At the moment I have been wearing very warm, colourful eye looks and so I found myself struggling to find a lip that would match but this has matched every look. It is basically a warm, peachy nude lip but it is not too dark, light, warm or orange, it is just a perfect universal colour and I think it looks really flattering on. I also like the formula because it is not fully matte and it is super comfortable but still has a pretty finish and great pigment. Out of all of my lip products, this and my next product have not been put down since I got them.

Buxom Full-On Lip Cream in White Russian
Honestly, could be my favourite gloss of all time but it is definitely my favourite gloss at the moment. This gloss is a light nude which is not too pigmented, not sticky, long wearing, wet looking, goes with every lip colour and looks good on its own so what more could you want? I know that you might not believe me but if I have just mentioned everything you look for in a gloss, you need this. At the moment, I have been wearing this on top of Likely and on its own a lot. It just makes your lips look wet and it is so comfortable to wear. The pigment is not great and I'm not going to lie, sometimes I want more pigment but sometimes it is nice to just have an almost clear gloss to just add something to your lips. I cannot recommend this gloss enough to you guys so definitely try it if you are a gloss girl.

What makeup have you been liking recently?

Grace xx

Review of some of the products:
Too Faced Sweet Peach Eye Shadow Palette - http://gracexkate.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/too-faced-sweet-peach-eye-shadow.html

Colourpop Ultra Satin Lip in Likely - http://gracexkate.blogspot.co.uk/2017/08/colourpop-my-thoughts.html

Buxom Full-On Lip Cream in White Russian - http://gracexkate.blogspot.co.uk/2017/08/just-bunch-of-first-impressions-ft.html