Beauty Bay Black Friday Haul

I don't think Black Friday has ever been as good as this years! As much as I want to save and spend my money on love ones this Christmas, I couldn't help but sneak onto Beauty Bay to have a little splurge. The whole of the Beauty Bay website was 30% off and so I went a little mad but managed to knock it down to these great pieces and I got them all for such a steal so I wanted to share them.

Starting with LA Girl, one of my favourite brands you can get from Beauty Bay, I made a little repurchase and something quite new to try. One of my favourite concealers of all time is the LA Pro Conceal Concealer in Porcelain and so with it being 30% I had to get it again as my own was almost finished. 

My other little LA Girl purchase was their White Pro Coverage Foundation which I am so excited to test and trial. This is something I think is going to come into great use because a lot of my foundations are too dark for me so this seems like the perfect thing. I have not tried this out yet, but once I have, I will let you know if it is a game changer.

Next up is something I have been waiting to try for ages and I finally picked it up. It is the ever so famous Milani Baked Blush in Luminoso. I have been a little bored of my current blushes in my collection and just because I have heard so many great things about this one, I just need to try it. I have only swatched it so far and it is crazy pigmented, saying that though, it is also quite powdery, so I am going to see how thing plays out on the face.

Misslyn is a brand that I definitely want to try more from and so I picked up this bronzer and contouring powder in Beach Please. This packaging gives me proper The Balm vibes and I really wanted to put it to the test to see whether it is my new favourite drugstore bronzer. This bronzer was so affordable and the quality feels amazing, I also got quite lucky since this shade looks pretty good for me.

I was in desperate need of a new highlighter brush and so I picked up a super popular one known as the Morphe M510. I knew I needed to try this out, so many people claim it is the best highlighter brush ever and it looks like it has potential. It has a really long handle which feels a bit weird to me but hopefully it all works out well and this becomes a new staple brush in my collection

One of my many makeup addictions is single pan eye shadows especially Makeup Geek ones and so when they were on 30% I had to pick up a few more on my wishlist. I really want to do an updated Makeup Geek Eye Shadow Collection so let me know if you want to see that, but I don't really want to go into too much detail on the shades I picked up in case that post does fall through. 

The first shade I got was Beaches and Cream which is a matte light nude colour. I thought this would be perfect just as a super basic crease colour for any look I am doing. 

I then got the shade Chickadee which is a yellowish orange, again another matte. Since I am constantly wearing warm tones, I thought that this would make a staple crease colour.

Third shade was Bitten which is a matte deep purplish. I wanted this because I thought it would make a more wearable dark shade, rather than using a black. I also think I could create some really pretty smokey eyes which this shade.

Final eye shadow I got, and the final product in this haul is the shade Time Travel. This is a super dark teal shade, and like all of the rest, a matte. On the website this looked more like a dark green but in real life, it has a bit more of a blue tone but I am not mad at it. I have really been trying to experiment with some more colour on my eyes recently, especially blues and greens as they are not my typical orange and red shades so when I saw this on Beauty Bay, I really wanted it.

Swatches top to bottom: Bitten, Time Travel, Chickadee, Beaches and Cream, Beach Please, Luminoso

What did you pick up in the Black Friday sales?

Grace xx

Three !

Thank you is what I want to get across in this post today. A lot of you might not actually know this but three years ago today, I set up a gmail account, created a blog, wrote and posted my first ever blog post  and three years is a flippin long time especially on a platform like this. I started this blog when I was only 12 years old, probably a bit clueless from the start, but it was the best decision I have ever made. Now I am 15, sitting my GCSEs next year and after that, moving onto the start of m career. It's crazy that majority of my high school life and the early years of my teenage years, have been documented on my blog. Obviously, my blog is your typical beauty blog but I can tell just by reading my old content just how much I have changed and grows as not only a blogger but as a person. The girl you image writing this now was completely different to the girl setting up that account three years ago, some changes good and some bad. 

I guess I have just gone on a bit of a tangent there but I just want to thank you. Whether this is the first post that you have read by me or whether you have been with me near the start, I really appreciate you reading the words I type and looking at the pictures I take. I genuinely don't think that anyone read my first few blog posts when I first posted them because I didn't really know what blogging was, I just wanted to give it a go and I went in completely blind. Now though, I am surrounded by some of the most supportive people in my life, and a lot of them probably don't know it but they do a lot for me by just commenting on a few of my blog posts with the nicest complements.

Who knows what the future holds, but I really hope to have this little thing for a long time. I know I have been a little all over the place recently and I don't really fancy listing my excuses but it is just the combination of lost motivation, no ideas and just being very busy from an educational point of view. That doesn't mean that I want my blog to take a back seat but that is just the way it has happened recently, but hopefully, I will be back next week posting to normal. 

Back onto the topic again now though, I just want everyone who is reading this to know that I am so grateful for them. Genuinely, having a blog has been one of the very few things that I love to do and I hope that shows by how long I have been doing it for. I would not be typing this right now if I didn't love and adore what I do. Makeup, beauty, fashion and just having a little chat via some pictures and some typing is what makes me happy is the way to put it simply. I have such a passion for what I do and I hope that comes across.

Apologies for making this post so long and a bit all over the place, but summing it up, thank you for the best three years and I can't wait for what the future holds. I love you all so much,

Grace xx

Current Favourite Songs ATM

I would like to think that I have quite the variety of music taste, and at the moment, it is covering a whole lot of genres and decades so I wanted to share this mix with you all. If you have any music recommendations could you please comment them because I love listening to new music and rediscovering some that I may have forgotten about.

Post Malone - Rockstar

This song doesn't really scream me but there is just something about it that I really love. I haven't really heard a lot from Post Malone but I definitely want to after becoming obsessed with this song because I really love it. I love beat and I just think it is a really good song

Matt Terry - Sucker For You

I know Matt Terry won X Factor but I never warmed to him that much while he was on the show but when this song just randomly came on m Spotify, I gave it a try and I actually quite like it. Vocally, I think it is really good and the song itself is quite unique. It is one of those songs that can get stuck in your head very quickly so you have been warned.

Dion - Runaround Sue

Sticking to that X Factor theme, Sam Black who is a contestant this year actually sang this song for his first audition and after I heard him sing it, I instantly fell back in love with this song. Runaround Sue was released in 1961, so it is fairly old but I love the whole vibe of it. I listened to music a lot like this when I was a lot younger and I forgot just how much I loved this sort of music. It is such a feel good song and after hearing Sam Black sing it again, it has became part of my daily playlist.

Pray - Sam Smith

I don't need to tell you, but Sam Smith's new album is just perfection. I have always been a huge fan of Sam Smith and I didn't think his albums could get any better, but it just did. His album has been on repeat since it has been released but if I had to pick a favourite song, currently it is Pray, but then again, it is always changing. I really love this album because it is like nothing in the charts at the moment. I also really love the soulful and religious style of his music on this album, it is so different but still so powerful and raw which I love. You need to listen to this album if you haven't already.

How Long - Charlie Puth

Again, I have loved Charlie Puth's music for a while now and his new single was no exception so I cannot wait for his album. How Long is such a catchy song and it just makes you want to dance. I also really love Charlie's voice, it is so different to any other artist and it is so refreshing to hear.

What Lovers Do - Maroon 5 ft. SZA

Another super catchy song that just makes you want to dance around your room. Maroon 5 are so great at coming up with the best super fun songs and this one was probably my favourite one that they have released all year. I love the beat of this and just the how composition of the song is great. Definitely worth a listen.

Nirvana - Sam Smith

Back onto Sam Smith, but this song is a little older that I have just rediscovered. The vocals on this song are just insane and as much as I attempt to sound like Sam Smith, you just can't. After rediscovering this song, you can't stop me from listening to it.

River - Bishop Briggs

Another random kind of song but I just love it. I love the powerful and motivational impact this song has on me, it just makes me feel so great. I love how this song climaxes and you just need to listen to it.

What is your current favourite song?

Grace xx

Fall Glam Makeup Look - Dark Red Lip and Gold Eyes

I love a good dramatic makeup look all year round, but especially in autumn/ winter, it just all ties in so well. With it being autumn and winter, the darker lips and gold eyes are coming out so I wanted to do a little makeup look dedicated to those two things. 

Even though this look includes a dramatic eye look, which I will do first, I just prefer to prime first before anything because while I am doing my eyes, it will also the base to get tacky and set before foundation. For this look, I used the Urban Decay Self Adjusting Primer because I wanted something that was going to make me look flawless and I wanted a full coverage base just because I feel like it looks great with a dark lip. This primer is so lovely and I really don't talk about it enough, it is pricey but it is definitely something that the high street don't offer.

For eyes now, I am just priming them with the concealer I will use later and I am also setting them with the face powder that I will also mention later. For actual shadow though, I am starting with Makeup Geek Early Bird just in the crease and making sure that I blend it super well so that the look is super seamless and pretty. I am then using Freedom Bad Behaviour on a small crease brush but still blending that super well but just focusing it more on the lower portion of the crease. Finally for the crease and the outer corner, I am using Makeup Geek Cocoa Bear on an even small brush and focusing that right on the outer portion of the crease but I will still blend that so there is no harsh lines. For the star of the show, I am using Freedom Gold Digger on a damp flat eye brush and just packing that on all over the lid. This will cause a little fallout so that is why we have done the eyes first but the finish is just so metallic and bold that a little fallout is worth it. Just to finish of the eye shadow, I am highlighting my inner corner and brow bone with a bit of Makeup Geek Shimma Shimma just to bring in a little more light into the eyes again. For mascara I am using the Collection Volumax Waterproof on my top and bottom lashes. I love this mascara for a bold look like this because it is super black so it just helps to match up to the dramatic shadow.

Onto the base now, like I said before, I wanted something full coverage, so I am using my favourite which is the LA Girl Pro Coverage Foundation. This is such a beautiful foundation that just makes you look incredible. I would definitely recommend it, especially for the price. Sticking with the full coverage, I am using the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer just to highlight my under eyes, chin and nose. I like to use this with a sponge just so it is not too heavy and doesn't crease. To also prevent creasing, I am setting my under eyes and anywhere else I have highlighted with my Anastasia Beverly Hills Banana and Vanilla Powders. These mixed just gives the perfect highlight under the eyes which just helps to brighten up my complexion. For the rest of my face though, I am using the littlest bit of powder just because the foundation is quite a satin finish so I don't want to mattify it too much. I am using the LA Girl Pro Powder just one a huge fluffy brush and I am pressing it into my skin.

This order is a little all over the place, but I am going to do my brows now and for that I am using the Collection Brow Powder in Blonde and Dark Brown. I like to mix both shades of this, keeping the lighter shade nearer the front of my brow and creating a bit of a gradient. These are fairly new brow products in my collection and I am still learning to use them but so far they are quite nice. If you do decide to try these though just be careful if you are heavy handed because sometimes you can apply way too much product at once and that could make or break your look so you have been warned. As always I am just setting that too with some clear gel, my preferred choice is the Collection Colour Lash Mascara in Clear.

Finishing off the face now with some bronzer, my choice being the Makeup Revolution Matte Bronzer which I have totally fallen in love with recently. It is just such a natural colour and finish and it just looks so good on the skin. Adding a bit more structure to my face now with some contour. Again, my favourite is the Anastasia Beverly Hills Fawn Powder, it is the perfect undertone that is not too grey. It also blends like a dream and doesn't go patchy which is what you want when you are not too great at contour yet. Onto blush and highlighter, both of which I am using out of the Urban Decay Naked Flushed Palette in Native which is an oldie but a goodie and a face palette I'd recommend to anyone.

Finally for the lips, I am using the NYX Suede Lip Liner in all over the lips for that super dark, rich red lip that we all love so much in winter. You can leave this matte if you want, but I just love gloss, so on the centre of the lips I am using the Colourpop Ultra Glossy Lip in Fairy Floss. This gloss doesn't really give off too much colour but it just makes your lips look a little plumper which I love.

What do you think of this makeup look?

Grace xx

Berlin 2017 - A Lil Photo Diary

Grace xx

What Makeup I'm Taking To Berlin

Even though it has been about a week since I was in Berlin, I thought that there is still a chance I could get a few posts up. Almost every time I go travelling, I tend to do a post exactly like this and while I think that sometimes it gets repetitive, you all seem to love them, and I actually find them really useful to look back on. I also really love reading other people's versions of this post as they just give me an idea of what peoples tips and tricks are for when packing their makeup for a holiday.

I did only go to Berlin for 2 nights and I did only have hand luggage so I needed to pack very harshly, but I think I did a good job so I am just going to start.

For base, I packed two mini primers, one from Mac and one from Benefit. These have been sitting in my draws for a while, half used so I just thought I would bring them both, finish them both while I was in Berlin, and just bin them in the hotel so I have a little space left in my liquids bag. Carrying on with base, I brought the L'Oreal True Match for the same reason as the primers. I only had about three pumps left and so I brought it with me so that I could finish it while I was away. This probably wasn't the most educated decision but I can't only wear one concealer, I have to mix at least two. I brought the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer for my more full coverage concealer and the Seventeen Stay Time Concealer to lighten it up a little and to not make it as heavy. My Seventeen concealer was also running out so I put that in the bin, in the hotel as well. I am going to skip a little and do the palette last which has a bunch of face powders in but for blush I brought my ride or die which is the Kiko Blush in Provocative Pink.

I tried to keep my brow products as small and compact as possible but I also wanted a product that was super quick and easy to use. The Freedom Duo Brow Powder was my choice just because it is so easy to use and you just can't go wrong with it. I also brought a mini brow gel from Primark just because it was super small and it takes up no space at all.

Skipping the eye shadow, because that is in the palette too, for eye liner, I brought the Seventeen Eye Kohl Liner in Black just because it is my favourite black liner. I probably could have done without it, but it takes up no room and it is just a good product to have in case I could've wanted to add some more definition to my eyes. For mascara I brought a mini Benefit one, just because it was so small and even though it was fairly full, I still threw it away as I just didn't like it as much as I thought I did and I knew I wouldn't have used it if I brought it back home with me.

Lips was probably the hardest for me to pack just because I wanted to take so many with me. For a lip balm, I brought the Tangerine EOS, just to help prevent my lips from getting chapped. For lip products I brought the Mac Oh Honey Lip Liner, because I can't wear any lip product without a liner on underneath and this is just my current favourite. I brought Mac Velvet Teddy for a dark nude, Jeffree Star Cosmetic Liquid Lip in I'm Nude, for a lighter nude option and then I also brought the Colourpop Mini Lippie Stick in Cookie, just because it was so small, I was great just to have in case I wanted to touch up throughout the day. I obviously couldn't have packed without a gloss, so I brought the NYX Butter Gloss in Fortune Cookie, it goes with everything so this was just a simple decision really, plus the packaging is fairly small for a gloss so perfect for my little liquids bag.

As I was packing, I cam to the decision that I would just use an empty magnetic palette an fill it with as many different products as possible. I actually think that this worked perfectly and it is probably going to be something I do all of the time now. In case you want to know about the empty magnetic palette, it is by Freedom and it is honestly so great, it comes with a mirror as well which is great because nothing else I was bringing really had a big clear mirror. I am just going to list all of the single pans I brought with me now and then explain a little about some soon.

- Freedom Highlighting Powder in Queen

- Freedom Highlighting Powder in Bad Habit

- ABH Powder in Banana

- ABH Powder in Vanilla

- ABH Powder in Havana

- ABH Powder in Fawn

- Makeup Geek Shimma Shimma

- Makeup Geek Early Bird

- Makeup Geek Tuscan Sun

- Makeup Geek Cocoa Bear

- Freedom Shadow in Gold Digger

- Freedom Shadow in Sweet Life

- Freedom Shadow in Burnt Bridges

- Colourpop Single Shadow in Issues

When putting together this palette, I managed to fit in my face powder, under eye powder, contour, bronzer, highlighter and a huge variety of eye shadows. I also had a lot more space than what I actually needed so I did add a few things in that I probably didn't need to, but there was not harm in that. Everything I packed were my favourites of favourites, I didn't want to bring a loose powder to set my under eyes so I brought my ABH powders, I probably didn't need that extra highlighter because Shimma Shimma works beautifully on the cheekbones, but I had the room so I just brought it anyway, and while I was there, I actually mixed the two. For eye shadows, I brought things that I could mix and match into as many combinations as possible. I brought a lot of mattes because they are my biggest weakness and I only brought two shimmer shades, one to highlight and one a little darker, just in case I wanted something all over the lid. My colour scheme for my eyes were obviously warm tones but I brought a mix of pinks and oranges which all matched so whatever I used, there was almost a 100% chance that it would match.

This post is already quite long so I am not going to talk about the brushes I brought but if you want to see that in another post then I definitely will, but you should be able to see by the photos what kind of brushes I brought, just to make sure that there was something for each part of my makeup application.

Do you think I packed well?

Grace xx

Cruelty Free Makeup Brands I Love Part Two

Last time I did a post like this, you all really seemed to love it and a lot of you wanted to see a part two so I thought that I would get that up as soon as possible. If you haven't seen my last post all about cruelty free makeup brand I love, I will leave a link to it at the end of this post. There isn't really much else to say but I do hope you can see from this post just the number of brands that don't test on animals.

Starting with a brand I have loved since the start of my makeup journey and that is MUA. This is a super affordable makeup brand that you can buy from Superdrug. There products are super affordable and from what I have tried, I have really enjoy most things. Obviously, not everything works for me but my favourites from MUA have to be their lip and eye products. You all know how much I love the Fire Vixen Eye Shadow Palette, it is so amazing and crazy affordable, I also really love their 6 shade eye shadow palettes that they brought out at the start of this year. As for lip products, I love their £1 lip liners, they are amazing for such a small price and I also love their liquid lipsticks. They are definitely not the best I have ever tried but they are a couple of pounds and I just don't think you can go wrong with them!

This is another drugstore brand except you can actually only get this brand from Boots and this is Seventeen. Once again, some of their products, I first tried out when I was first getting into makeup and I still love and use some of them now. I should honestly try more from this brand because everything I have tried, I have loved and they have became staple in my daily makeup routine. My favourite product from them has to be their Define and Conquer Contour Kit, it is so amazing and the best affordable duo compact. Saying that, their Stay Time concealer is another favourite as are their brushes. No one speaks about Seventeen brushes and that might be due to the very small selection they have, but the ones they do have are amazing and beautiful and the whole point of this post, cruelty free.

A high end brand that I love a lot has to be Too Faced. From their adorable packaging and the quality of their products, I can't say enough good things. I still have a lot to try from them but I definitely plan to very soon. As of what I have tried, I love a whole mix of their products, most of them being lip products though. I love love love their Melted Matte Liquid Lipstick, the Melted lipsticks and their Peach Oil Lip Gloss. As for other products, you all know how much I love their Sweet Peach Eye Shadow Palette and also their Sweetheart Blushes are so cute and they just look so beautiful on the skin. Their products are on the more pricey end but definitely worth the money if you are looking for something a little more luxury.

I really haven't tried enough from this brand, but what I have tried are some of my all time favourite makeup products. I am obviously talking about Kiko. This is a brand you can only get from their own stores or online, but definitely give it a look because some of their products are to die for. For me, their price range is sort of the in between of drugstore and highend, as I find that some things are a little more luxe but they also have a lot of products that are great value for money. My favourite product from Kiko has got to be their Provocative Pink blush, I talk about this in almost every makeup look I do, it is just so perfect. A close second favourite product though, has got to be their Wet and Dry Eye Shadows. These are so super beautiful, perfect for that all over the lid shade and the colour selection they have to offer is insane. I will also point out that I loved their lip oil but once I had ran out of mine, I couldn''t find them again so I a not sure whether you can get them anymore.

Another makeup brand you can pick up from Superdrug or TAM Beauty is Freedom. I don't see enough people talk about this brand because it is so good and they make some amazing products. I won't lie, there have been some products that I have just not agreed with, but others I have fallen in love with so I will say that this brand is all about trial and error. My favourite product from Freedom has to be their single pan refills, they are in such a beautiful formula, with great pigment and they are a dream to apply. I recommend them to everyone because they are so underrated! The Secret Rose Eye Shadow Palette, is a close second though, this palette is £4 and it is so amazing and such a steal for the price. I also really love their mattifying primer and their Fixing Spray. Definitely look into this brand though if you want something super affordable because they really deserve more hype.

The final brand I am going to talk about is LA Girl. You can get LA Girl online from Beauty Bay if you are from the UK but I am pretty sure it is more accessible in the States. Anyway, this is again, a super affordable brand and for me, they make great products all round. It's very rare to find a brand that you love everything from but from what I have tried from LA Girl, they are close. I love a right mix of what they do, but my favourites have to be their face products, cream and powders. You would have heard me mention them before but I love their Pro range, that being their Pro Coverage Foundation, their Pro Conceal Concealer, for cream contour and highlight, and I am currently getting a long well with their powder, but I still need to try it out some more. In terms of their powder products, I really love their Blush Palette and their Strobe Lite Powders. Both are in a super great formula while them both being super affordable. I am just also going to mention, that I love their Kohl Eye Liners, especially the brown one, I use it all the time!

Products I love from each brand (and any reviews I have done):

MUA
Fire Vixen Eye Shadow Palette - http://gracexkate.blogspot.co.uk/2017/08/mua-15-shade-fire-vixen-eye-shadow.html
Matte Essentials Palette - http://gracexkate.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/mua-matte-eye-shadow-palette-review.html
Velvet Liquid Lipstick in Tranquility
Lip Liner in Caramel Nougat

Seventeen
Define and Conquer Contour Kit
Stay Time Concealer
Eyes Brush
Cheeks Brush

Too Faced
Sweethearts Blush in Candy Glow - http://gracexkate.blogspot.co.uk/2016/12/day-18-early-christmas-present-first.html
Sweet Peach Eye Shadow Palette - http://gracexkate.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/too-faced-sweet-peach-eye-shadow.html
Melted Matte Liquid Lipstick in Child Star - http://gracexkate.blogspot.co.uk/2017/02/a-treat-or-two-to-myself.html
Peach Oil Lip Gloss in Papa Don't Peach - http://gracexkate.blogspot.co.uk/2017/02/a-treat-or-two-to-myself.html
Melted Lipstick in Chocolate Milkshake

Kiko
Wet and Dry Eye Shadows
Provocative Pink Blusher
Lip Oils

Freedom
Fixing Spray
Pro Mattify Primer
Secret Rose Eye Shadow Palette
Pro Lipstick in Juicy Lips
Pro Refills - http://gracexkate.blogspot.co.uk/2017/07/freedom-pro-artist-hd-eye-shadow-and.html

LA Girl
Pro Coverage Foundation - http://gracexkate.blogspot.co.uk/2017/08/just-bunch-of-first-impressions-ft.html
Pro Conceal Concealer
Glow Blush Palette
Strobe Lite Powder in 120 Watt - http://gracexkate.blogspot.co.uk/2017/01/5-products-5-first-impressions.html
Brown Kohl Eye Liner

Comment below some of your favourite cruelty free brands?

Grace xx

Links Mentioned:

Cruelty Free Makeup Brands I Love (Part One) - http://gracexkate.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/cruelty-free-makeup-brands-i-love.html