Benefit Cosmetics "Puff Off" Review

Hi Girls

As you all will know from the late night and early morning post from me, I don't get much sleep. And when I do sleep it usually doesn't last very long.

I attended Benefits event two weeks ago and they unveiled their new product "Puff Off" I had a eureka moment when I stopped and thought "Yes Grace, this could be the answer to those puffy, dark eyes of yours" and boy was I right. I have been testing out "Puff Off" for the past two weeks and I had to share this amazing product with you gals.

Many women ( and men, we can't forget you lot) suffer with puffy, swollen under eyes due to the stress and strains of day to day life. Late nights, long days and the occasion all nighter which can lead to unattractive eyes the morning after.

Personally I find my eyes get sore and tired if I have done any of the above, or all of the above haha and nothing feels nicer then applying a product that will cool, calm and refresh those tired eyes.

Benefit have produced this amazing new instant eye gel to help smooth out the look of puffies.

To be honest, at first, I didn't care if this product worked or not, the packaging had me at Hello :) I am a sucker for cute packaging and Benefit you have really out done yourselves this time. It's a miniature iron for god sake! What girl in their right mind would pass this baby without a second glance. Some would want it, if for nothing else than a cute Instagram picture haha.

But seriously, the product actually does work and here is where it is going to be a game changer in your skincare routine.

This hypo-allergic, nickel free mini iron applicator fits perfectly into the inner corner of your eye, is cool on contact and irons away any fine lines and wrinkles. Genius! The formula of this gel helps to reduce puffiness and has a cooling agent that is so refreshing on the eyes.

I use "Puff Off" daily if not twice daily when I am having a particularly hard day. It has light diffusing particles that illuminate any under eye black bags and leaves that areas beautifully highlighted. I definitely feel and see a massive difference in my under eyes since using this product. My eyes which are normally dehydrated and dark, are now smooth as silk and brighter than ever.  It is now a staple in my beauty pamper routine and a makeup bag must have. I think it will be staying in mine for the long run.

I hope you girls go out and try it. "Puff Off" is launching in stores on January 31st and retails for€30.50

Buy if from Benefit Cosmetics here

Let me know if you try it out and thanks for dropping by.

Stay beautiful

Love

Grace xox

Diptique - Figuier Candle

Hi my loves.

Today I met some of my youtube girls for a spot of lunch and a browse around the makeup counters :) One of my favourite things to do on my day off is head to the department stores and lust over all the amazing beauty products they have to offer.

We headed to Space NK where I was hoping to purchase Hourglass Ambient Lights Blush Palette but unfortunately it was out of stock as it was a limited edition palette. (Wehhhhhh ) I then decided to  purchased the Diptyque candle in Figuier as it had been on my wish list for  the longest time. 

 I love everything about the Diptyque range from the packaging to the scents and the wide variety they offer. 

The only thing I dislike is the price point but oh well we all need a treat now and again, isnt that right ladies :)

I will definitely be trying more of this range and I already have my eye on the vanilla scent. It is to die for. If you want to know more about these beautiful candles you can shop Space NK here

It is such a gorgeous shop, I would spend hours in it if I could 

Love 

Grace xox

NYX Baby Pink Lip Combo

Hi my loves,

I think I may have found my new favourite baby doll pink lip combination ever!

As you all know I am a huge NYX fan, not only because they are so affordable but because the quality of their stuff is outstanding. As a makeup artist, finding good quality products you can trust is amazing, I am constantly on the look out for new hot products.

This baby pink combination is perfect for valentines day or all year round. It will have the boys falling over you.

First up in this foursome (no pun intended haha) is this stunning "my lips but better" lipliner in the shade "860 Peekaboo Neutral" It creates the perfect base on the lips and even looks natural when over -drawing your lips. We all want those Kylie Jenner lips, don't we.

This beautiful matte lipstick in the shade "Audrey" is just gorgeous worn alone but topped off with the Butter Gloss  in "Merengue" is a match made in heaven.

I am not the biggest lover of matte lipsticks as they can be quiet drying and irritate my lips so I always like to apply a gloss and there are no glosses that compare to the butter glosses from NYX. They are buttery soft and silky smooth, never sticky and smell divine :)

If you are more of a one woman lip product person, then the jumbo lip pencil is for you. This jumbo lip pencil in "720 Honey Nectar" glides on, is packed full of pigment and fills in your lips for that Kylie-esque look we all desire. This is a run out the door but still look fabulous type of product and has found a new home in my handbag.

Everyone always asked where you can buy NXY in Ireland so I will leave their full stock list here for you :)

Let me know if there is any other NYX products you think I should try. 

Go forth now and buy :)

Love 

Grace xox

Benefit's Roller Lash Mascara Review & Demo

Hi ladies,

Today I bring you exciting news of a brand new product that is launching with Benefit Cosmetics on the 28th of January.

I was kindly invited to the launch of Benefit's brand new mascara "Roller Lash" on Wednesday and was so excited to attend. I met with my amazing Youtuber friends, Melanie Murphy and Eimear Byrne and we headed to the event.

We were blown away at the amazing set up Benefit had for this launch party. A huge truck was fully decked out to resemble a 60's hair salon. It was incredible and we were all very excited to hear about Benefits new baby. Mark Rogers spoke and demoed the new mascara and went into so much detail about the research and reasoning behind "Roller Lash" which I am very honoured to be able to share with you now.

Benefit wanted to create a mascara that would cater to customers with very straight lashes and  smaller eyes. They wanted to create something that would really curl, lift and hold the lashes in place all day, and that, they did. The inspiration behind Benefits "Roller Lash" was hair rollers. They are the one hair tool that women have used for years and that work best. They wanted to create a mascara that would mimic hair rollers and that was when "Roller Lash" mascara was born.

Months of research and development (with a few tiny hiccups along the way) went into creating this product.

The end result is outstanding and can be see for themselves in below pictures.

The lashes appear lifted, fuller and blacker than black. Exactly what all women want!

I tested it myself :) 

BEFORE

 AFTER

My review and demo of Roller Lash

Let's get into the mechanics of this product

The Brush -

The brush or wand of a mascara is the most important factor when considering a good mascara. It can make or break a look. Benefit created a few different brushes before hitting the jackpot with this bad boy. It is almost invisible to the naked eye but this brush contains tiny hooks (like those in hair rollers) that catch and lift each hair of your lashes creating the curl we all desire! 

You can barely see them in this photograph but believe me they are there :)

The Formula -

The formula itself also plays a vital roll in the overall payoff of mascara application. Benefit has created a formula for "Roller Lash" that has 12-hour curve setting power (tried and tested). Perfect ink black shade, lash conditioning ingredients (which protect and repair lashes and help to build up the mascara) and is also easy to remove (unlike "They're Real"). With all of these combined, Benefit has created the perfect mascara for every lady. What more could we ask for.

The Wiper -

This is a part of the product that many people aren't aware of and is the part inside the mascara tube that prevents too much mascara from leaving the tube and delivers the precise amount of product for ideal payoff.

The Results -

97% said it visibly lifts lashes

87% said it gives long-lasting curl

94% said eyes look more wide open!

Now all thats left for me to say is go out and pick a tube up for yourself to see how amazing it is! I was blown away by this product and couldn't wait to get home and try it out myself.

Hope you enjoys & stay tuned for more :)

Love

Grace xox

The Secret To Weight Loss

Now that I have your attention, Let's get real. There are no secrets. Its all about what goes into your mouth and how much you move your body.

I have decided that every friday I will post about weight loss, healthy eating and fitness. 

In the last few months I have let my diet go and decided that as it is the new year I will try lose some weight (how cliché of me) When I say some weight I mean about 2 stone (15kg) and get back to my old body and feel confident in myself again.

I have had some health issues in the past that have made me gain some weight but now I am in a happy state of mind where I want to begin this new healthy lifestyle and keep it going.

In todays post I want to share with you the biggest attribute when it comes to weight loss and that is FOOD

Food is the number 1 factor that will either help or hinder you on this weight loss journey.

The rule to weight loss is as follows

Many people believe if they continue eating as normal but exercise that they will lose weight. That is not the case. When it comes to weight loss diet is the most important factor.

You must consume a clean healthy diet in order to lose weight and exercise comes second to help stay fit, tone the muscles and also lose weight.

I wanted to share some of the food I purchased this week and give you an idea of what you should be eating. This is not everything I will be eating but it is a lot of my staple things to get me through my week. 

I like to stock up on a lot of fruit and veggies to make salads, to have with dinner or to snack on with hummus or cottage cheese. Cottage cheese is extremely low in fat but very high in fibre and if you can get past the mushy consistency you will love it. I love it with these Nairns oat cakes with are a slow release in energy and low in sugar.

I am a huge peanut butter fan and before I knew any different I would pick it up in my local supermarket off the shelves. That was until I discovered it was highly processed and full of bad fats. I now opt for almond butter or natural peanut butter which is far healthier. I love to have this on bananas or apples and it is so delicious it is a treat for me and feeds my sugar craving.

Speaking of sugar, I have mentioned it before, ( here )mbut sugar is your worst enemy. It is in almost all processed foods and does nothing but turn to fat once consumed. You wont believe how much sugar producers put into food to make it taste better. Even foods you consider somewhat healthy contain grams and grams of sugar. Take a blueberry flavoured yogurt. It could contain up to 14gm of sugar, a can of coke, 23gm the list is endless. 

Next time you are in a supermarket take a look at the sugar contain of the foods you are picking up. You will be shocked.

When grocery shopping it is best to keep to the outer aisle of the shop as they contain most of the natural non processed foods i.e fruit, veg, dairy etc. the inner aisle are packed full of processed crap that our bodies don't want or need.

When planing meals it is important to think of what you are actually eating. Each meal should contain some sort of protein i.e meat, chicken, eggs, nuts and should contain some fruit and vegetables.

 Try cut out most white processed carbohydrates i.e white bread, pasta, rice. They contain nothing but sugar. Instead substitute them for good carbs like sweet potato or quinoa ( a super food, grain high in protein) 

Eat smaller meals more often to avoid binging. Snack on fruit (preferably in the morning and before noon as they are high in natural sugar which takes longer to digest) Almonds are extremely high in protein and release energy fast, veggies and hummus.

Keep it simple and clean, add in some daily exercise and you are flying.

Trust me, I have been there and done it. Now I am doing it for the second time and this time its gonna last.

Let me know what type of healthy posts you would like to see.

Love

Grace xox

My Top Highlighters

Hi my loves,

Today I am going to share my top highlighter with you, some a old some are new. Let me know in a comment what your favourites are.

Ok I know I talk about this highlighter to death but it really is the best one ever. I have seen so many people mention it in the best of 2014 videos and all of my favourite and well trusted beauty blogger rave about it. I am totally obsessed with The Balm "Mary Lou-Manizer" It is the most beautiful highlighter and I wear it on a daily basis. It is so finely milled and doesn't have large chunks of glitter like most highlighters have. I just love it and cant get enough of it.

Buy it here

Next is a product that I also wear daily and it is strobe cream from Mac. I love this underneath my foundation or just on my cheeks on days when I don't want to wear foundation. It gives a stunning glow and really illuminates your makeup. This product can also be mixed in with your foundation to give it more of a glow.

Buy it here

A new product to my makeup collection is this "Radiance Boosting Beauty Fluid" from NO. 7. I have only been using it for the last month but I am very impressed. I like to wear this on days when I am going for a warmer more golden tone to my look. It works exactly like the strobe cream but is a more golden tone. I apply it under my foundation to give my skin a dewy finish.

Buy it here

"Soft & Gentle" from MAC is an oldie but a goodie. I love this highlighter for myself and also on clients. It goes amazing with all skin tone and it lasts forever. It have a beautiful champagne tone to it.

Buy it here

These next two products have been pushed to the back of my makeup drawer and I have only really started to use them again this month and realised how much I loved them. "High Beam" and "Moon Beam are old products of benefits but they are so gorgeous and have lasted me years. They blend beautifully into my foundation to give a gorgeous highlight. I love the glow from moon beam it is the more golden toned highlight.

Buy it here

Has anyone tried the hourglass ambient lights highlighters? They are next on my list :)

Thanks for reading

Love

Grace xox

Top Brushes For Starting Out

Hey girls & guys.

Sometimes trying to get your head around the different types of makeup brush out there can be a hard job especially if you are a newbie to makeup. Today I want to share with you some of my favourite brushes.

My top pick for a foundation brush would be the "F24" from Blank Canvas Cosmetics. In past years I have always used a flat top kabuki style brush from sigma but in 2014 I was converted to this round top foundation brush. It is the best brush I have ever used for foundation and makes apply it effortless. It leaves no brush strokes and I have had the most flawless looking foundation since using this brush. I highly recommend all brushes from BCC and you can buy the F24 here

Next brush is also from Blank Canvas Cosmetics and it is the "F40" brush. This baby is a smaller fluffier version of the F24 and I love this for applying my cream contour. It helps to blend out my contour so easily and blends it into my foundation perfectly. I love this brush so much it is one of my all time faves.

Shop this brush here

This brush is a new one for me and I love it to apply primer or my strobe cream with it. I especially love this brush to use on clients. I used to use my mac brush but I find the brush from "Face up to it cosmetics" gives me better control when working on a clients face. It is also super soft.

You can check out these brushes here

This small powder brush from Crown Brush is my all time favourite brush for setting your under eye concealer. It is so amazingly soft and I love to use this with my banana powder.

You can buy this brush here

Again from Crown Brush is this gorgeous fluffy blending brush ( C441 ) that is a dupe for the MAC 217 and is perfect for eyeshadow and bending colours into the crease. I love how soft it is and gives a seamless blend to all eyeshadow. If you only could have one blending brush then this is my recommendation.

Last from Crown Brush is the eyebrow brush that I have had for years. It is a life saver when it comes to brows as it is double ended with a spoolie on one end and a angled brush on the other. It makes filling in your brows so simple as I usually find that part of my makeup more of a chore.

Find this brush here

Last brush is from real techniques and it is the large blush brush. I am obsessed with this brush for my blusher and couldnt finish my makeup without it. It is so soft and the large shape of this brush makes blending your blush so easy. I also love the fact that the handle is pink :)

Shop this brush here

I hope you liked that post. This would be a great starter kit for anyone as it includes all brushes you need to create a beautiful look.

Love

Grace xox

Fashion Look Book

hey my loves.


I recently picked up some new outfits from River Island and wanted to share them with you. As some of you may know I work at River Island so I get a pretty good discount. I also love their clothes they are so affordable and style. Everything is always bang on trend.

The outfits pretty much speak for themselves and I also filmed a fashion look book you can watch here

Hope you enjoyed.

Love

Grace xox