Empties

Hiya, I hope you've been doing well! I know it's been a while, but this is going to be a long one so grab a snack and get comfy. I wanted to make this blog post because recently I have been really enjoying reading these myself. Before we get started don't forget to follow my social media so that you can keep up with my upcoming posts; the main ones I use are Instagram and Twitter, my Twitter is gracedoesbeauty and my Instagram is gracedoesbeautyxoxo!

The first category I split these into is hair products...To begin with we have the L'Oreal Paris Elvive Colour Protect Caring Conditioner which is £4.49 from Superdrug. I am going to be straight up, personally I wouldn't repurchase this. Although I don't have dyed hair, this doesn't leave my hair feeling particularly nourished, which I think is a pretty standard thing to look for in a conditioner. Next up we have the Dove Nutritive Solutions Intensive Repair Shampoo which was £2.69 from Superdrug. This and the matching conditioner are my  absolute holy grails! They leave my hair feeling so moisturised and instantly detangle any knots. This product is also really affordable, which is always a bonus! My next empty is this TRESemme Restructuring Treatment Masque (£5.49 from Superdrug). I would definitely repurchase this, it felt so indulgent to use! I used this once a week and it left my hair feeling so silky smooth. The final empty I have in this category is the Batiste Coconut & Exotic Tropical Dry Shampoo that was £2.99 from Boots. I use this pretty much every day, to add volume and texture to my hair. This is really reasonably priced and an absolute must have for me, the scent is great too! Furthermore, this product is vegan and not tested on animals!

The next category is make up and make up removers. I thought I'd give these PS...Love Your Skin Gentle Cleansing Wipes a mention, as they were only £1 for a twin packet from Primark. Obviously they don't work wonders but they definitely get the job done. I will 100% be repurchasing these, they are perfect for keeping on your bedside table for the times you simply cannot be bothered to remove your makeup properly. Furthermore, these are fragrance free which make them ideal for sensitive skin. Secondly, I finished yet another packet of the Simple Spotless Skin Quick Fix Cleansing Wipes, which were £3 from Superdrug. These are an everyday essential for me, and are my first choice when it comes to face wipes. There is not much more I can say about these other then that! Thirdly we have the Garnier Skin Active Express 2in1 Eye Makeup Remover that was £3.49 from Boots. This is so much more effective than your usual micellar water when it comes to removing eye make up, and I really do believe that it cares for your eyelashes. I will be sure to buy this again, as I am really missing using it! The next item is these Eylure Exaggerate Fake Eyelashes which were £7.25 from Boots. I will not be repurchasing these, as unfortunately the great look they gave did not last long as they spent most of the evening awkwardly hanging from my eyes until I reluctantly ripped them off. I'm going to talk about the next two items collectively, as they are variants of the same thing. I tried out the Garnier Skin Active Moisture Bomb Tissue Masks in the super-hydrating rebalancing mask and the super-hydrating revitalising mask. I LOVED these! They were only £2.99 each, which is as inoffensive as it gets. On the packet it says to use these one a week, however I would easily use one everyday due to the noticeable difference. This is a affordable, indulgent product which I would definitely repurchase! Next up I have the Bioré Charcoal Pore Strips, which are £9.49 for six nose strips from Boots. I'm not going to lie, I love these, and they are a staple in my skincare regime. I can't deny their effectiveness. However, I can't help but feel they are about overpriced. I wish they were more around the £6 mark, as I feel that would be more reasonable. Another skincare empty I have is the Clean &a Clear Advantage Oil Control Cream Wash (£4.89 from Superdrug). I couldn't live without this, it is one of the two face washes I use daily and I have already brought a replacement. This is an everyday product for me which I cannot see myself not using, at least for the foreseeable future. I have two more Simple Skincare products to talk about, first of which is the Simple Purifying Cleansing Lotion, which was £3.80 from Boots. This did its job, however I don't feel the need to repurchase as I use a cleansing makeup remover which is more fitting for my needs. The other Simple product is the Soothing Eye Balm (£4.02 from Boots). As someone who suffers from under eye circles and puffiness, I find this and the Simple Eye Roll On really useful. I use both everyday and night, as I find they really soothe and refresh my eye area. The final item in this category is the LUSH Popcorn Lip Scrub, £5.75. I'm a sucker for any lip products, and this one did not let me down, although I'm pretty sure I've eaten more than has gone on my lips...I already have another of these, and I am still using it religiously.

The final category is body, and the first empty I want to talk to you about is Coco Loco Coconut Oil, £2.49 from Aldi. I'm obsessed, in fact I'm considering doing a whole separate post just on the uses of coconut oil! What could be better than a product with a host of uses. Technically this could have been put in all of the categories, as it isn't exclusive to any single one. The second thing I'm going to mention is this Salt Of The Earth Spray Natural Deodorant, £3.99 from Holland & Barrett. As someone who has both sensitive underarms and furiously sprays their body with perfume, particularly throughout the warmer months this is perfect for me. It is the most effective deodorant I have found, and the fact it's a spray means you can reapply throughout the day without having to use a roll on and transferring sweat back onto the roller ball. Another great thing about this product is that it is vegan, and not tested on animals. Thirdly, I used up all of this E45 Intense Recovery Hand Cream, which was £4.19 from Boots. Admittedly, I'm guilty of over washing my hands, so there's nothing I love more then a thick, intense moisturiser to coat them in, especially overnight. This did just that, I think it is possibly the most soothing hand cream I have come across for dehydrated hands. I would definitely like to repurchase this, I am just in the process of using up another, but it simply cannot compare. The final items all came in Christmas sets, which you'll remember me talking about if you read my What I Got For Christmas blog post. The first items I used up were the Baylis & Harding Vanilla Frosting Hand & Body Cream and the Candy Cane Shower Creme. Although they both smelt lovely, I wouldn't repurchase these as I feel they aren't something I would buy for myself. The other items I received in a gift set were these Sanctuary Spa Green Lemon & Orange Blossom Body Wash and Body Lotion. These felt so indulgent to use, I found the scent really unique and I was pleasantly surprised with it. The final products from gift sets I am going to mention are the Soap & Glory Clean On Me and the Scrub Of Your Life. Out of the gift sets, this was definitely my favourite. I adore Soap & Glory products and it is the one thing from these gift sets that I have and would repurchase for myself.

Wow, this is without doubt my longest post to date! Thank you so much if you have stuck around and made it to this point. I would be really grateful if you could leave a comment on this post as I spent such a long time preparing for and writing this post. Finally, don't forget to follow my social media, my Instagram is @gracedoesbeutyxoxo and my Twitter is @gracedoesbeauty. Enjoy the rest of your Sunday!

Trends I'm Loving: Embroidery

Good morning, I hope you're having a wonderful Easter! This week I thought I would share a current trend I'm absolutely obsessed with; embroidery. The past few weeks I've come across everything from embroidered bags to chokers to jumpers, and my heart aches for it all! I'm going to talk about a piece I own, as well as some things I've had my eye on. Without further delay, let's get started…

I picked up this gem from Primark, as soon as I laid eyes on these beautiful jeans I knew they had to be mine! By this stage I had been eyeing up embroidered clothes for a while, and I knew this would be the perfect place to start. They are mom style jeans with turned up bottoms in a light blue denim wash, on the bottom of the leg and the opposite hip are the most gorgeous pink flowers, alongside perfectly placed rips.

Now onto the pieces I've been loving...New Look is definitely one to watch if you, like me, love this trend. I've spotted two stunning pieces in there; this black biker jacket as well as this grey bird jumper. I tried these on in store with the Primark jeans I mentioned above, and it was honestly a dream outfit! Topshop also has some great pieces that tick this box, like this the black shaped box bag which I have been lusting after for weeks - I love the studs on the edges, too! (I can't actually find a link to this, so I will insert a screenshot below). Finally, this is the thing that kicked off my obsession: these MADAME black heeled boots. These have to be the most amazing pair of shoes I have ever seen!

Do you like the embroidered trend? What is your favourite piece I have mentioned in this blog post? I hope you enjoyed this at-a-glance look at some of the items I've been loving recently. Follow my social media to find out when I next post - @gracedoesbeauty on Twitter and gracedoesbeautyxoxo on Instagram. Thanks for reading!

Morning Routine

I hope you've been doing well lately! I'm sorry I haven't made a blog post in awhile, I needed to take some time out to focus on myself. Anyway, I'm back - and I couldn't think of a better way to resurface than to share my (painfully realistic) morning routine with you. I hope you enjoy this and that you may even find it relatable!

5.30am
To my horror, I am abruptly awoken by my alarm. I actually have two alarms; one of my iPhone next to my bed, the other on my iPad across the room, which is placed there in an effort to prevent myself returning to my warm, inviting bed. However, this is somewhat inevitable, as after turning off my alarms I almost always return back to my bed. At this point I debate whether to go to school or just roll over...for the sake of this blog post I'll go with the first, as otherwise it would end here and continue when I wake many hours later!

5.40am
Once I've put on my biggest, fluffiest dressing gown I go downstairs to make myself a warm drink. Lately I have been loving the Pukka Womankind blend which is a delicate blend of organic cranberry, rose and sweet vanilla. Whilst the kettle is boiling I take my morning dose of Floradix, it helps greatly with fatigue so I slurp it up happily! Once I've made my tea, I go back to my room and flick through Mind, Body, Spirit magazine (which by the way I am obsessed with). It is also around this time that I uncover my budgie, Tooticky and my Guinea pig, Pickles, who also share my room.

6.00am
Sadly, it is finally time to remove myself from bed. I open the curtains and make my bed so that I am less tempted to dive back in (mind you, not that this always works). This is when I go downstairs for breakfast, which is undoubtedly a bowl of Coco Rocks! I'm definitely a breakfast person, I can never skip it unless it's absolutely necessary. At this time I also have my first coffee of the day - I mean, they say start as you mean to go on and at this point I definitely intend to drink many more cups of coffee throughout the day! At this point I scan through my social media too.

6.30am
As soon as the clock strikes 6.30, I'm off to get ready as there isn't a second to waste. If you want to see an in depth version of what I do at this point, you should read my morning and evening skincare routine and my back to school makeup routine. No matter how much of a rush I'm in, I always spritz on some of my Roberto Cavalli perfume, which I received for Christmas and have been using religiously ever since. It's such a unique smell; a truly mature and sophisticated scent.

7.40am
Well, 7.40am ideally but more often it's another story...I pull on my trusty green Topshop parka in attempt to protect myself from whatever the day throws at me, as well as my school shoes, before grabbing my school bag and walking down the road to catch the bus. Soon after I arrive this point I plug in my headphones as, I don't know if this is just me, but I really cannot socialise so early in the morning.

There we go! That's pretty much everything I do from the minute I wake up to the minute I leave the house, I hope you enjoyed reading this blog post. What are the key parts of your morning routine? Follow my social media to find out when I next post - @gracedoesbeauty on Twitter and gracedoesbeautyxoxo on Instagram. Thanks for reading!

February Collective Haul

Good afternoon! I thought I'd share my monthly beauty, makeup and accessory  purchases with you. These are from a variety of shops: H&M, Select, New Look, Primark, Superdrug and  Boots. Hopefully this will bring a bit of fun into this grey, February day, as I know I for one love hauls. So without further ado, let's get to it!

Let's start with New Look. I was desperately in need of some new socks and the selection in New Look was just too cute to resist! I know socks may not necessarily add anything to an outfit from a visual point of view, but I always seem to have a spring in my step if I'm wearing adorable socks like these. They were £2.49 a pair, or three for £5. I also picked up a Shadow Duo Blending Brush for £3.99. I really wanted some more eyeshadow brushes and wasn't yet ready to splash out on Real Techniques ones. I really want to up my eyeshadow game, and I thought this would be a good place to start. The final thing I picked up in New Look was this Buff Lip Scrub, £3.99. I'm that person that is constantly applying Vaseline, I always seem to have dry lips so I am hoping this will help.

Next I went into Select where I picked up a few accessories. I brought these pastel telephone wire hair bands for £3. They came in a set of four and to be honest I've wanted some of these for a while. I love having my hair up, when I get home the first thing I do is put my hair up in a hideous updo. I hate the awkward kinks and waves it leaves in my hair though, so I am hopeful that these telephone wire hair bands won't have that effect. The other accessory I bought from Select was this grey bag Pom Pom which was £3.50. I had one of these before from Topshop, but it eventually broke, so I decided to pick this one up. I think these are so sweet, they really add something to a plain bag.

After that I went into H&M. I have never actually tried any of their makeup, however when I went inside it was hands down the first thing that caught my eye. Without hesitation I picked up five eyeshadows; Baci Di Dama (a gorgeous brown shade with orange undertones), Sahara Dawn (a stunning deep purple shadow), A Pretty Penny (a sublime copper eyeshadow), Paradise Lost which has to be my favourite (a nude pink shimmery shade) and last but not least Supernova (a light pink, almost white, sparkling shade). They were £4.99 each and I could easily have picked up one of every colour. I swatched the eyeshadows for what must have been half an hour, I couldn't get over how pigmented they were! Whilst in H&M, I was distracted by their body mists, which were only £2.99! After spraying all of the testers, I settled upon the Ruby Pomegranate Body Mist which smells beautiful, a new favourite to say the least!  

Fourthly I went into Superdrug and Boots. (I thought I would lump these two together as they sell pretty much the same stuff, at least on this occasion I could have brought these items from either of the two shops). I re-purchased several items; Clean & Clear Advantage Oil Cream Wash, Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water, Garnier Fresh Eye Makeup Remover and the Simple Eye Balm and Roll on. If you've been reading my blog for a while, you may recognise those products from  this  post. The five products I just mentioned are ones that I use in my everyday skincare routine.  I also picked up two new products, one which I'm sure you will have heard off...the Biore Free Your Pores Deep Cleansing Charcoal Pore Strips (£9.49). This have been raved about over the past few months, so I just had to try them out. I've used two of the six strips, and it is a part of my weekly pamper session that I very much look forward to. The other product I picked up was the Simple Kind To Skin Moisturising Facial Wash, £3.45. I am yet to try this although I am sure it will not disappoint. I was hoping to re-purchase the Simple Spotless Skin Triple Action Face Wash but it only seems to be available at the supermarket, nonetheless I am sure I will love this facial wash.

Last stop was trusty old Primark. I could honestly wonder round this shop for hours upon end, it's one of those shops that has so many hidden gems. Everytime I go into Primark I find something I like, I love how it's affordable for young people like me, allowing us to keep up with the latest trends. With that being said, on this particular trip I just grabbed some essentials, such as this three pack of 80


Denier Appearance Tights, £3.50. Half term is coming to a close and there is nothing worse than digging through your draws searching for a pair of tights without a ladder on a Monday morning.
Primark is the only place I buy tights from, I don't see the point in splashing out on something I only really wear for school. I also got these Gentle Face Wipes, which came in a twin pack for just a £1! I don't use these as my main makeup wipe, instead I use them for wiping foundation and smeared make up of my hands when I am getting ready, or to get that final bit of mascara off. Last but not least, I picked up this Choco Delight scented hand sanitizer for £1. It was one of the things by the till, which I can never leave without picking up. This really does smell divine!

There we go, that was all the interesting bits I picked up this month! That has got to be one of my longest posts to date, I just love talking about new purchases! I would really appreciate it if you could follow my social media to keep up with all of my upcoming blog posts; my Twitter is @gracedoesbeauty and my Instagram is gracedoesbeautyxoxo. Thank you so much for reading!