Oxford St. Lush & Christmas haul

Everyone knows two of my favourite things in the universe are Christmas and Lush so its no surprise that when the Lush Christmas range comes out I want (NEED) everything! Unfortunately, buying everything kind of exceeds my budget so I had to satisfy my lush needs with a few carefully chosen bits and pieces. These products are a little bit special to me too as I bought them from the Lush on Oxford Street, somewhere I'd been desperate to visit for a while.

Star Dust Bath Bomb:

This I love because its sparkly without being too over the top. I'm all for sparkles but I'd prefer not to leave the bath looking like a human disco ball so the subtlety of the glitter was something I particularly liked. I'm not really sure how to describe the scent of this, it's quite a generic lush scent but its a scent I really like; not too overwhelming but still nicely fragranced. It also has a hidden surprise as the core is blue so the water turns a really pretty colour.

Golden Wonder Bath Bomb:

A Christmas staple! A glittery present with a hidden, colourful surprise - yes please! This is another product with a sweet but fresh scent which I love, in fact, there are few Lush scents that I don't love to be honest, but this one is really good. It's also a total bargain since it's so big, it would make a perfect Christmas present!

Satsuma Bath Bomb:

For me, this super cute bomb would be a brilliant twist on the traditional satsuma in the stocking (or, if you're like me, a Terry's Chocolate Orange). The scent of this isn't that orange-y if I'm honest, its quite fresh and fruity, which is always a winning combo. The only downside to this is that it's an Oxford Street exclusive, so unless you live around the London area it might be hard to get your hands on. :(

So White Bath Bomb:

Like Star Dust, this seems to have a slight shimmer and again smells really fresh and isn't too heavily scented. It also contains a surprise centre too! While this doesn't scream Christmas it's definitely good for a relaxing bath to melt away the post-Christmas stress!

Butterbear Bath Bomb: 

This is a Christmas edition of one of my all time Lush faves (Butterball) and possibly one the cutest products they do! I love putting this in the bath as I always feel so super moisturised and silky soft afterwards! Definitely recommend, especially if you're not a lover of strong scents and prefer something a little more simple and delicate in your tub.

As I said, I bought these in the Oxford Street Lush which is 3 storeys (spa then two floors of Lush-ness!) and every Lush lover's haven! So of course I took some photos of all the piles and shelves and tables of products:

As I said, every Lush lover's dream! Let me know your favourite Christmas Lush product, I'm always looking for new stuff to try!

                                                             Love, Grace x <3

London, Baby!

For a while now London has been at the top of my list of places to visit and back in November I finally visited! So many people claim that it's their favourite city so I went with suuuuper high hopes (no pressure, London!) and I can definitely say I was not disappointed.

We - my family and I- went on a coach trip for the weekend to see the sights as well as to see the West End show Wicked (which was a-mazing!!).

I visited Covent Garden Square which was so beautiful and possibly the prettiest market I've ever been in. It was also completely unexpected as whenever I've people talk about it I'd imagined an actual square garden with flowers and benches, surrounded by shops so it was a pleasant surprise for me to see what it actually is! We also saw Big Ben, the London Eye, Trafalgar Square and Buckingham palace as well as taking a stroll through St. James' Park, the Soho area and down Oxford Street - the Lush store is mahusive!

Also, despite all the buses, which were literally everywhere, we decided we'd walk around instead which meant I got funny looks from everyone as I attempted to SatNav my way around with my Maps app, haha!

The definite highlight of the entire trip though was seeing Wicked on the West End. I love a good musical and this is easily one of my faves! I genuinely teared up during 'Defying Gravity' because Elphaba's vocals were insane! I loved it so much I'm going back in February to see it again! :)


Which cities are your favourite? Let me know where else I should try and visit.
                                                                          
                                                   Love, Grace x <3

                                                                          
                                                                                   
  

Primark makeup

Now autumn has well and truly arrived I decided it was time I made my makeup look a little more seasonal and buy some berry toned lipstick. This was definitely pushing me out of my comfort zone as normally I'd steer clear of any dark colours, convinced my pale complexion could not pull off such colours. However, I was determined to make at least one suit me but just in case my mission failed I was reluctant to spend more than a few pounds. Obviously, no one likes wasting money so when I saw these lipsticks in Primark I was extremely happy!

Primark is pretty much known for being one of the most reasonably priced shops in Britain (and their adorable homeware, of course) so it came as no surprise that their makeup range was just as cheap. For less than £5 I bought 2 velvet matte lip crayons (£2 each) and a lipstick (90p). Bargain!

I have been wearing the lip crayons more than the lipstick as I really love the colour of them both. I purchased the shades Wine, which is a deep red and Shameless, which is a dark purple-y red shade. The pigmentation in these is very good, especially for the price and you can build the colour which gives you the option of having a subtle tint or a bold pout. Surprisingly, I prefer Shameless out of the two, which shocked me because its so far out of my makeup comfort zone. The only negative is that the staying power of this product isn't fantastic and it transfers quite easily, although for the price, these lip crayons are seriously good!

The lipstick I purchased for no other reason than the fact it was called Rosewood, which any PLL fan will understand. I won't lie, its not my favourite lipstick in the world. The formula, for me, is a little too oily and feels quite slick and slippery on the lips but the pigmentation is quite good and it is a very wearable shade. If I were to describe it, I'd say it was a nude berry (if that's a shade?).

Overall, I'm quite pleased with all three of these products and while they're unlikely to become staples in my makeup bag they've allowed me to push my own boundaries without breaking the bank. I'd fully recommend trying them out if you're looking for some new shades, like I was, because now I know which shades suit me and can find the right ones from my favourite brands.

                                           Love, Grace <3 x

Halloween Lush

As we all know Halloween is at the end of the month and that means one thing: Lush Halloween products! Being a Lush fanatic myself I couldn't resist popping in to pick up some new products. While my local Lush didn't have all of the products in, I was still spoilt for choice and definitely had to restrain myself. Still, I came away with four gorgeous goodies that will ensure a month of spooky soaks!

The first product I picked up was this Sparkly Pumpkin bubble bar which, for me is a Lush Halloween classic. I'm pretty sure I've had one of these every year for the last 2 or 3 years. As it's a bubble bar it makes insane amounts of bubbles, which I love! I also absolutely love the fact that this is sparkly; glitter makes everything a thousand times better! The only way I can think to describe the smell of this is Irn Bru (for anyone who doesn't know what that is, it's a fizzy drink with quite a weird taste and its the same colour as this bath bomb actually haha.) Personally, I quite like the smell of this though, so don't let my dodgy description put you off!

Another repurchase, this is the Lord of Misrule bath bomb. I love the colours of this as it's one of those bath bombs that has different coloured layers and is just so pretty and pleasing to watch. I really don't know how to describe the smell of this, the only thing that springs to mind is powdery, which isn't a smell at all. According to the website it smells of patchouli and black pepper oil but I'll let you decide, give it a good ol' whiff next time you're in Lush. Again though I really like the smell.

I'm pretty sure this little guy is a new addition to the Halloween range and he is just so cute! I think he is my favourite smelling bath bomb of the bunch. He smells sweet but not overly sweet which I like as I'm not into the sickly sweet scents. He's spent the last few days sitting on my desk so my room smells amazing! This bath bomb turns the bath a really vibrant orange and makes a really satisfying fizz sound. Definitely going to purchase another of these!

My final purchase was the Autumn Leaves bath bomb and this is the one I had the intention of buying when I went into Lush. I'm a lover of autumn and this definitely embodies autumn. Lush's website says this smells of grass which isn't the most appealing scent in the world, however, I'd describe the scent as quite spicy and musky. I'm not too sure about the smell of this, I think its definitely an acquired scent so if you're not a fan of unusual, musky scents then this might not be for you. Thankfully, I quite like it so I'm excited to use this. As this is another new addition I've yet to actually try this one out so I'm interested to see what colour this turns my bath as the bath bomb itself is super colourful.

Overall I'd say my trip to Lush was definitely successful and, as always, Lush have outdone themselves with all of their Halloween products! Let me know which Halloween product is your favourite and if you can describe the scent of Lord of Misrule because I swear it's impossible!

                                                     Love Grace <3 x 

It Beauty Innovations Brushes

Recently, I took my first trip to Homesense and I honestly think I've found my new happy place! I'd heard so many people rave about this store but wasn't sure there was one near me so when I found one I was beyond excited (yes, I'm aware how sad that makes me sound haha). The whole point of my trip was to buy a new lamp as I've recently redecorated my bedroom and that was the last thing on my list, however despite all the gorgeous ones they had, none of them were quite right - although I was sorely tempted by a stunning copper one that would have been perfect if it was a little smaller.

The trip wasn't entirely wasted though as I picked up this gorgeous set of makeup brushes. I've seen a lot of people using this style of brush and loving it so I couldn't resist trying these out! Plus they look so pretty and the copper ties in great with my room décor!

The set contained three brushes: a large and a medium round brush and a small, thin brush. I've been using the bigger brush for foundation and it blends my foundation out so well and gives a really nice natural finish. The brush is also quite dense so it picks up a lot of product too. 

I haven't actually found a place for the medium brush in my everyday make-up routine yet as it is a little too big to blend my concealer with but its also too dense to apply blusher with as it picks up wayyyy too much product. However, if you're someone who uses cream products like cream blusher and bronzer then you could use it to blend those out.

 The little brush is great for blending concealer around the nose as its just the right size to fit in the little crevices. Its also great for applying highlight around the brows as its thin enough to trace the brow arch with so it's come in quite handy for that too! 

All three brushes feel amazing on the skin too as they're super soft and have quite a velvety texture.

The only problem I have is that I can't seem to find the brand that makes these brushes anywhere! According to the packaging and the logo on the brushes, the company is called It Innovation Beauty but I've searched every possible combination of those three words into google and nothing has come up! If anyone knows where I can find this brand please let me know because it's seriously sending me insane!!! Other than that though, I'm very happy with my first Homesense purchase! :)

                                                               Love, Grace <3 x

                                                                                

Review: Wycon Makeup

Recently, on my trip to Italy, I did a little bit of shopping in Blue Garden, the local shopping mall. Whilst wandering round I came across a Wycon Cosmetics shop and since I'm a fan of Kiko, another Italian make-up brand, I was more than a little intrigued. I'm also, as most people are, a lover of a good sale and couldn't resist popping in when I saw the huge sale advertised in the window!

The products I picked up in Wycon were mainly eye products but I bought a lip crayon also.

XXL Pencil Eyeshadow:

I am a fairly big fan of an eyeshadow crayon especially when I'm feeling too lazy to properly apply my makeup as they make it look like you've actually put in effort. Hence why when I saw this on sale I was quick to add it to my basket. The first thing I loved about this product was the colour. I got the shade 03 Salmon which is a super pretty, glittery, nude-pink colour and is perfect for a basic nude makeup look. I also love how easily the eyeshadow glides on the eyelid making for easy application. My new lazy day staple eye product.

Long Lasting Eye Liner:

I think this might be my favourite product of the bunch! I'm a huge fan of a gold eye look so when I saw this I knew I had to buy it.  I purchased the shade Amber 22 which is a deep metallic gold and  I'm in love with the colour of this eye liner! The pigmentation is also amazing and the creamy texture of this liner means it glides onto the eyelid so nicely and it can be blended out to create a smudged effect. I've also used it underneath my eyes and since I've got blue eyes it really made them pop.

Intense Eye Pencil:

I was so impressed with the pigmentation of this when I tried the tester that I bought two. The shades I purchased were 10 Marrone and 21 Marrone Metacllico which are both brown. 10 is a dark matte shade and 21 is a slightly lighter shade with a little bit of a sheen. Both are gorgeous on the eyes and compliment a smoky eye really well. Their slightly creamy texture makes them easy to smudge out too so, again, these are perfect for a smoky look.

X Matt Chubby:

The final product I purchased was a lip crayon in the shade 02 Rosa Ciclamino which doesn't seem to actually exist on the website but judging by the images I'd say the shade 05 Cotton Candy was the closest. The colour is a deep rose shade that I found was really buildable. Again, the pigmentation was great, as was the texture. Unlike a lot of matt lipsticks, this didn't leave my lips feeling really dry and the staying power was also really good. One of the best matt lip crayons I've tried.

Overall, I'm super impressed by all the products and the pigmentation of all 6 products was incredible. I loved how affordable it all was too!  I'm in love with this brand and can't wait to buy more of their products - I'm pretty sure they ship to England. Fingers crossed they do!

                                                            Love, Grace <3 x

Italy

If you've read my last couple of posts, you'll know that I recently spent a week exploring northern Italy and I blummin' loved it! Italy is one of the most beautiful countries I've ever seen and I'm 100% certain I'll be going back!

Throughout the holiday I stayed in Riva Del Garda which was a gorgeous town with such a nice atmosphere and breathtaking views of lake Garda. I also got to visit two other villages around the lake, Limone and Malcesine (pronounced Mal-chez-ny) which were also so picturesque however they're set in the mountains so my legs were completely dead by the end of the day! Obviously, I visited Venice and Verona too, you can't explore northern Italy without visiting two of the most well known cities, can you? Again, both were such vibrant, beautiful cities, although Venice was a little too crowded for my liking.

Riva Del Garda:

We stayed in a small, family-run hotel named Virgilio and it was so nice, I particularly liked the view from my balcony at night.

The town itself was so quaint and beautiful. There wasn't too much hustle and bustle but it also wasn't completely dead either and between water sports on the lake and the shopping centre, there was always something to do. Plus, the hotel had free bikes which meant my dad, my uncle, my sister and I got to experience the city like a local as bikes seemed to be the main transport in the town - there was even a cycle route that covered the whole town so we didn't miss a thing.

Verona:

We visited Verona on a fairly busy day as there had been some sort of exhibition on in the centre, but nevertheless the city was amazing! I walked part of the huge, ancient wall that surrounds the city and visited the balcony from Romeo and Juliet.

Venice:

Venice is a place I've always wanted to visit and I was not disappointed. It's every bit as gorgeous as I expected and despite it being packed with people, I still felt I really experienced the city. The weather was so hot too so ice cream was much needed and much appreciated since Italian ice cream is super tasty! We all managed to fit a gondola ride into our visit too which was a lot of fun although my sister was not too keen. It definitely provided a nice break from all of the hustle and bustle of the streets and we got to see all of the little back streets as well. 

Limone:

Also I'm in love with Italian gelato. The one I enjoyed in the picture is ananas (pineapple) - it's my favourite Italian word haha!

This was honestly one of my favourite holidays, I spent 5 days in this beautiful country and I was in love from my first. Can't wait to go back someday.

                                                         Love, Grace <3 x