Name: Grace
Age: 21
Degree: Fashion Marketing
Degree year: 2nd Year
Do you stick to a beauty routine?
Until about 3 years ago, I used to wash my face with a bar of soap and moisturise my face with the Hollywood Beauty Cocoa Butter, which I also used on my body.
I actually started paying attention to my skin once I started wearing makeup. Foundation is my favourite part of a makeup routine and I love getting that ‘skin but better’ look with a perfect match.
Although I’ve never really suffered from breakouts, after layers of powders, colour correctors, and foundations, I started to see texture on my skin. I developed a skincare routine to try and tackle it.
My skincare routine does change every couple of months (or when I get bored), and my skin changes a lot depending on the weather, hormones, and my diet, which has been all over the place for the past year. I’ve finally jumped onto the acid craze after months of a very simple routine and I’m enjoying the results.
What are your favourite skincare products?
I absolutely adore the Cerave Hydrating Cleanser.
I’m a victim of a shiny (see your reflection kind of shiny) nose, and in the past, I’ve always gone for oil busting, exfoliating cleansers like the St Ives ones (terrible, I know) because I like that scrubbed clean feeling. Cerave’s hydrating cleanser leaves you feeling clean but not stripped, and it’s also fragrance-free which is great.
After cleansing, I love using this rosewater from Asda – it smells and feels great and is less than £1, so an absolute steal. Sometimes I pour this into a spray bottle and apply it throughout the day for a little refreshing boost.
What are your favourite makeup products?
NYX butter glosses are some of my most coveted items. The shades Praline and Ginger Snap are the perfect nude lip glosses that are black-girl friendly.
The NYX soft matte lip creams are also great – they stay soft and velvety without drying you out and hardly transfer, so they last all day with minimal touch-ups. I love the shades Copenhagen and Madrid for a matte deep red lip colour.
Anything you’re guilty of doing (or not doing)?
I absolutely hate cleaning my makeup brushes. I find the task quite tedious, and I never seem to get them clean enough, even after multiple cleans. I’ve tried battery-powered brush cleaners in the past before which are supposed to make the job easier but haven’t really had much luck, so I tend to avoid it altogether. Very gross, I know.
Are there any skin issues you struggle with?
I had eczema as a child, grew out of it eventually, but still struggle with fairly dry and textured skin. I started using a Vitamin C serum with my sunscreen and this amazing retinol and rosehip oil serum at night-time, which has helped loads.
How did you learn to do makeup?
I’m definitely a product of my generation so I learned most of what I know about makeup from YouTube tutorials. There weren’t that many dark-skinned YouTubers to watch at that time (it’s much better now!) – so I mostly watched Patricia Bright, Jackie Aina, and this video by Nikki Thot about a thousand times.
What/who inspires you makeup-wise?
I honestly love makeup that focuses on the skin. I love people like Mali Magic and Nina Park who specialise in that kind of airbrushed but still dewy look.
I also really love Celine Bernaerts and Pradaolic who have a really fun and experimental take on their makeup looks but keep it simple enough for lazy makeup lovers like me to follow.
What are your favourite hair products?
Very controversial but I love Cantu products. I swear by their entire ‘Natural Hair’ line and even got my boyfriend onto the shampoo and conditioner – which are my favourites. If you have fairly dry and curly hair, it works wonders.
Any beauty secrets?
Use your setting/finishing spray to dampen your brushes or sponges instead of water. It means the spray product is applied in a much more targeted way and does a better job at setting the makeup to your skin.
Also, to avoid a shiny nose, powder it with a product that matches your skin/foundation and avoid liquid foundation on that area.
Is there a specific product that you are endlessly looking for and still haven’t found the perfect one?
After years of trying the ‘affordable dupes’ for translucent powders (Ben Nye, Black Opal, RCMA Powder, Revolution, and more) that never seemed to match my skin or forgoing them altogether, I’m finally looking into investing in some good ones.
Makeup products that keep your makeup from moving are essential right now, especially as we enter what is bound to be a busy and sweaty summer – with masks included!
Take a look at the last ‘In the Beauty Bag‘ episode with Fashion Editor Daisy Bradbury.
