highlighter

Colours in the air…

~ somethinginthewayshemoves

I love it when a parcel arrives that I wasn’t expecting. Obviously it’s best when it’s a surprise from someone else. However, one of the few plus points of brain fog is I sometimes I forget what I’ve bought. Which means I end up sending myself mystery gifts.

When this Boots parcel turned up on my door it was exactly that kind of puzzle. I opened it to discover some colourful beauty treats. I can’t recall exactly when I ordered these things, but I must have been in a bright mood because the package was bursting with vivid colour. I must also have been feeling pretty cocky because this Nyx palette is not for the faint hearted.

Nyx ultimate eye palette

I have been admiring super bright eye looks on insta beauty accounts for a while now. I’ve also been lusting after this particular palette for a month or two. Truth be told, now that I have it I’m not sure my skills can do it justice. The blues, greens & purples I can handle. It was the yellow shades that grabbed my attention and after much messing around I’m still not sure I can conjure any magic with them. I suppose I’ll just have to keep practising.

ly h Kerr

The shadows themselves are a dream. The blend nicely and the pigment is strong with one exception. The lilac is for some reason a completely different consistency than all the other shades & to be frank, is utterly useless. That aside, their staying power is if anything too good, I struggled to completely remove the colour at the end of the day.

I wasn’t surprised to find nail polish in my haul. I can never look at make up without straying to the nail section. This Barry M gel polish in Flamingo is a great shade to counteract the winter blues.

ly h Kerr nail art

This is my first go at the coconut infused range, so can’t comment on the hydrating claims. I think I probably change my nails too to often to reap any benefits anyway. Application is very smooth, though and the gel finish is lovely.

Keeping with the pinkish tones is another Barry M (can you tell they’re my fav?) product. I love the Matte Me Up lip kits. The liquid lippie sets with a silky finish that does not budge. You can get through a whole day of eating, drinking & living with only a minimal top up required. I’m a fan of an exact match lip liner, the definition makes my lips pow!

Matte me up lip kit in Pose

ly h Kerr

Matte me up in Pose

My least favourite from my unexpected haul was this illuminating & setting spray. I had envisaged it giving a slight glow whilst holding my face in place. In reality it has a bronzey sparkle finish which is way to too deep for my skin tone & make up style. I might be able to repurpose it as a highlighter, but definitely can’t imagine spraying all over my face.

Mist & Fix illuminating setting spray

Shiny happy…

~ somethinginthewayshemoves ~ 8 Comments

Sometimes a person needs a wee treat. This week has been one of those times. So, I’ve gone right ahead and picked up some bits to cheer myself up.

I’m always up for a new a nail polish. Barry M is definitely my favourite ‘drugstore’ brand. Their liquid chrome range is deliciously shiny & luxe. I can’t wait to get this silvery dream on my fingers. Keeping with the metallics I also grabbed a new highlighter. This Iced Bronze strobe cream is little more subtle than the Galactic I already have. It’s cute warmer tone is perfect for a summer glow.

Barry M strobe cream & chrome nail paint

ly h Kerr

My next treat was part of a successful sale haul. Snapping up bargains that you love is fab, but when everything fits & looks great; peak satisfaction. I wore this bandeau dress to lunch with bestie & her baba. It’s perfect for steamy hot days like today.

ly h Kerr

Dress – Asos Curve

Kimono – H&M

Finally I got an ingenious device that is seriously upping my eyeliner game. I am forever jealous of girls who can create banging winged looks. I’m useless with eyeliner beyond the basics. This clever little stamp is changing that. Now I can have killer wings in seconds. I can’t wait to experiment more.

Pink eyeliner stamp

Eyeliner Stamp – EBay

ly h Kerr

Small pleasures can help a tiny bit when you can’t fix the big issues. In times of trouble, I always recommend you treat yourself.

Five cruelty free products you need in your make up collection…

~ somethinginthewayshemoves ~ 2 Comments

Today is a first for the blog. I love reading & supporting other blogs, so I am excited to introduce my first guest post. Madie is an awesome beauty blogger who can offer much more expertise than I could ever hope to muster. I hope you enjoy her tips for cruelty free must haves.

It is so exciting to see beauty companies making an effort to be cruelty-free! As an animal lover myself, it was not until recently I realized just how many products are tested on animals. In an effort to support a cruelty-free lifestyle, I have put together a list of my top five favorite cruelty-free products I can’t live without:

Tarte Shape Tape – $27.00

(Buy in UK here)

This concealer gives me incredible coverage and brightens up any area I place it. I like to use this under my eyes, on my nose, on my chin and my forehead as well as a spot concealer on my pimples and scars. I adore the doe-foot applicator as it applies the concealer effortlessly. A little bit goes a long way here so it truly is worth the money! Be aware, you can only find this (to my knowledge) at Ulta or on Tarte’s website.

Tatted tape @beyoutifulxm

Anastasia Modern Renaissance Palette – $42.00

(Buy in UK here)

Can you say, holy grail?! This is by far one of the best palettes I own! I was so nervous to invest in this palette but it truly has never let me down! I love to use this for soft and natural looks as well as bold and creative ones. The formula of these shadows is amazing and the pigmentation is nothing short of incredible! If you don’t have this in your collection, you need it!

Anastasia renaissance @beyoutifulxmAnastasia Renaissance @beyoutifulxm

Wet n Wild Highlight – $4.99

( Buy in UK here)

These are by far the best drugstore highlights I have found to date! The formula of these highlights is so creamy and soft. I really do cover my whole face in these– it’s so hard not to! If you’re looking for something inexpensive but still pigmented, these are for you!

Wet n wild highlighter @beyoutifulxm

Buxom Lip Gloss – $20.00

(Buy in UK here)

This lipgloss is so good! I use this almost daily as it adds not only intense shine to my lips but plumps them up as well with its tingly mint scent. My favorite shade to use is “White Russian” but all of them are stunning! This formula is extremely buttery and doesn’t leave too much of a sticky residue. But, I get that $20 is a lot for a lipgloss; if you want something comparable in pigment and wear, I would suggest the NYX Butter Gloss (also cruelty-free!).

Buxom lipgloss @beyoutifulxm

Colourpop Eyeliner – $5.00

( Buy in UK here)

Ah, Colourpop, how I love you so! Colourpop is one of those brands that you become instantly obsessed with as soon as you try their products! I am a huge fan of their glosses, highlighters, eye palettes and lippies; but, their eyeliners are really something special! At only $5, these liners come in tons of shades, apply effortlessly and are long-lasting– even in the waterline! And, if you buy $30 worth of Colourpop (trust me, it’s easy to do!) you get $5 off of your order.

Colour pop eyeliner @beyoutifulxm

I love that beauty brands are finding other methods of testing their products. There is no sense in a helpless animal suffering in order to make a lipstick, am I right?! What are some of your favorite cruelty-free makeup products? Do you make a conscious effort to shop cruelty-free brands? Let me know with a DM or a Tweet.

Hi, Everyone! My name is Madie and I have been writing this beauty blog for just over three years now! I am from Chicago, IL, USA and work full-time while managing my blog. While it gets hard and sometimes I fail, I ultimately love this blog, and the blogging community, too much to give up. So, if you want to follow me on my blogging journey, click here to subscribe so you never miss a post! I also am active on Twitter and Instagram. I even do live GRWM’s on Instastories!

Thank you so much for reading! XO

Yellow days…

~ somethinginthewayshemoves ~ 2 Comments

As I got older I shifted my cosmetic buying habits from ‘drug store’ to designer. I felt as my skin aged I needed to spend more to get the same effects. The recent boom in dupes & high quality high st brands have almost completely reversed those spending habits. Increasingly I am finding that things I pick up for pennies are just as good if not better than those luxury brands. Which brings me to one of my current make up favs, Primark.

If you had told me 18mths ago that I’d be raving about Primark beauty products, I’d have screamed bullshit. Yet, here I am. Every time I go into any Primark I leave with a bunch of beauty products. As I’ve said before, their products are 100% cruelty free & the price point is impossible to argue with. Last week I picked up their Radiant Primer & I was not disappointed. The primer feels great, gives a lovely glow & really extended the life of my foundation.

Primark radiant primer

Radiant Primer – £3

I also popped some eye products in my basket. I loved the idea of Glitter Tips for my lashes, but once I got it home I realised it worked for so much more than that. It has a lip gloss style applicator, so can add a wee bit of shimmer to eyelids, lips & even cheekbones. It’s a multi functional gem. I haven’t actually tried it on my lashes yet, but I definitely will next time I do a more shimmery eye. My final beauty purchase was a super sweet yellow eyeliner from the Eye Candy range. I wanted something to go with my Nyx liquid eyeliner & it works perfectly. I covered my whole lid & lower line with this softer yellow. It really made the brighter Nyx liner pop. I think it’ll also look fantastic with a softer, pastel eye too. All round thumbs up for all three products.

Primark eye candy eyeliner

Primark lash glitter tips

K- Pop Eye Candy Liner – £1

Lash Glitter Tips – £2

I used the primer on top of my Body Shop tea tree pore minimiser & under Laura Mercier cream foundation. I was pleased with the dewy results. This isn’t my most beautiful face ever, as I have been feeling pretty terrible. Believe me, though, it’s a startling improvement on how I looked au natural.

ly h KerrBlue eyes with yellow make up

Next on my list is of things to try is the Blur Primer. I haven’t been able to find it yet, so if you know of any Glasgow adjacent Primark who stock it, give me a shout.

Rhapsody in blue…

~ somethinginthewayshemoves

Another Friday, another cosmetics quickie. I’ve been really struggling with sleep this week and my tired face needed serious help. All hail, Nyx, to the rescue.

It’s amazing what a pop of bright colour can do to a weary visage. I went for blues to compliment my eyes & me likey the results. I already have a few of the other vivid brights liquid eyeliners, so I knew how good they are. The sapphire doesn’t disappoint. Mixing with the black liquid liner & white pencil on my lower lid really worked. As a less then expert eyeliner applicator I’m definitely in favour of the fine tip on this one.

I did a little bit of experimenting with this gorgeous icy blue mascara. My lashes are too blonde to use it on its own, but it works well on my lower lashes. Plus I added a wee flick the the ends of my outer lashes on top of my regular black. I kinda like the effect.

The star of the show is absolutely the lippie. Liquid matte in this amazing purple tone will definitely get you noticed. I never used to bother with lipstick, but am now a total convert. The more dodgy I feel, the bolder my lips gets; I find a really vibrant lip is a wonderful distraction.

I finished off my cruelty free face with my usual Barry M strobe stick, body shop tea tree primer & Laura Mercier foundation. I have to admit to being pretty chuffed with the end look. Especially considering the sleep deprived canvas I had to work on.

Anyway, I took my pretty painted face (& the rest of me) off for a date night with the Toyboy. We had yummy Mexican & an obligatory margarita; no Mexican meal is complete with tequila. We then hit the cinema to watch Red Sparrow in the comfort of reclining chairs.

I had mixed feelings about the movie. I wouldn’t advice it for anyone who is sensitive to sexual violence. It’s a tad heavy on the ‘America is morally superior’ front, but otherwise quite an enjoyable spy thriller. The reckoning chairs are an unambiguous hit. I only ever want to watch films tilted from the repose of a luxurious angle.

Project Post it & this week’s diy manicure also came along for the ride. Well, a girl has to maintain her personal brand 😉

Body language…

~ somethinginthewayshemoves ~ 5 Comments

On Tuesday night I braved the first flurries of snow & headed to The Body Shop’s blogger night. I haven’t attended many blogger events recently because they’ve just been a bit too much for me, but I am so glad I pushed myself to get to this one.

Sauchiehall st, Glasgow

The Body Shop really know how to do a blogger night. They had all the usual snacks, fizz & goody bag bases covered. More importantly the actual substance of the evening was fantastic. The staff gave detailed, enthusiastic & succinct presentations on products & campaigns. They really took their time with product demonstrations. I was very impressed with how knowledgeable everyone was & how well they tailored free samples to individual blogger’s needs.

The Body Shop goodie bagi

ly h Kerr

It was a particular delight to discuss skin masks with Dawn. Her product knowledge was spot on & she guided me expertly to the perfect mask for my skin. Along the way we had a really nice talk about body positivity. It was lovely to meet someone so charming, comfortable with herself & supportive of other women. I’ve already given my British Rose fresh plumping mask a try & my face felt divine apres treatment.

Along with discovering new products I was reassured that the Oils of Life range I currently use is a good fit for me. Plus the skin moisture analyser proved how good a job it’s doing. My initial reading was 60% hydration, which I’m told was good. After application of Oils of Life moisturiser & the rose mask it jumped up to 85%. That’s a pretty impressive result.

I was happy to hear that The Body Shop intends to increase it’s vegan reach. They aim to ensure every new product the introduce is entirely vegan. I look forward to seeing this roll out. They also continue their work to end animal testing, which I of course fully support. You can sign their petition here.

Follow up posts on my new Body Shop discoveries will be surfacing as & when I give them a thorough trial.

A fortnight in pictures…

~ somethinginthewayshemoves ~ 3 Comments

The weeks seem to be flying in, but no matter how many go by it is still winter. I feel like spring will never come. Anyway, the weather freezing weather keeps on, so there is less excitement to share. Nevertheless, I thought I’d give you a peek at my highlight reel.

The Toyboy put on a charity punk vs funk gig to support medical aid in Palestine. I wouldn’t have said that either genre was really my thing, but I actually really enjoyed some of he bands. Dopesickfly & Velveteen Riot being my favourites. I recommend you check them out. The night was a raging success, thanks I’m sure in no small part to my incredible purple lippie.

ly h Kerr

There have been the usual mix of clinic appointments & nights on the sofa. All that time hiding from the cold has given me plenty of opportunity to do my nails & the occasional trips out have been good Project Post it opportunities. Excursions have mostly consisted of eating & cinema. Both are excellent comfort activities. Vegan eating on high street continues to get easier. I am loving this shift because it indicates that veganism continues to rise, but also as it means I can have chocolate cake.

Nail artProject Post It

On the movie front I’m giving a thumbs up to 3 billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri & Black Panther. I am also very much in favour of the reclining chairs at Odeon Luxe. Catch up Cineworld, those seats are a dream for my poor spoonie body. The lazy nights in have yielded recommendations for Britannia & Critical. Both take a minute to get into, but persevere; it’s worth it.

The last week or so has been fairly cocktail laden. Birthday drinks for a friend gave me a chance to finally taste a Candy Floss Martini. A thing I have been hankering after & which absolutely lives up to expectations. Get one. Right now. Some high stress nonsense led to homemade strawberry margaritas with a lot of tequila. Admittedly not a great long term solution, but certainly an ideal way to temporarily let off some steam.

ly h KerrStrawberry Margarita

I got flowers from my Mum, a card from my man & rocked some damn cute looks. I also captured a few beautiful winter moments. Yes, this season can be stunning, but it’s still too bloody cold!

Upside down standard lamps Project Post It

Project Post It

Blurry sunset

Oh & the cats in my life continue to be gorgeous.

Cute cats

Just a girl in a t-shirt…

~ somethinginthewayshemoves ~ 6 Comments

On Monday night I finally made it out of house. I’ve been having a fairly bad flair and struggled to do anything at all last week. With the pain a bit more manageable & a brand new dress to wear I was excited to step out.

Cinema & sushi night with my sister is an enjoyable, but low impact excursion. It’s perfect for when I’m not feeling tip top. As is this t shirt dress. It’s super comfy & cosy whilst also being beautifully cut. The vivid print is just what is needed to chase away the January gloom.  In short it’s effortlessly perfect. 


Dress – Monki

Shoes – Primark

I also tried out some new slap. Barry M is one of my current make up favs. I’m absolutely loving this range of metallic lip paints & their strobing cream has ousted every other highlighter in my make up bag. 


Matte me up in Allure.

Strobe cream in Galactic.


After a week of jammies & greasy hair I felt pretty good. A thorough catch up with my sis & a giant Diet Coke left me feeling much improved. 



Incidentally, we saw Darkest Hour. Gary Oldman was great, but the film was only ok. If you know anything of Churchill you probably won’t appreciate this portrayal of him as the ordinary people’s hero. I wouldn’t rush to see it. 

Merry Christmas, Baby…

~ somethinginthewayshemoves ~ 5 Comments

Welcome to crimbo limbo. It’s that time of year when it is totally acceptable to wear your jammies all day long & ignore all the usual food (& drink conventions). Do you want champagne for breakfast? Have it, just bung a little fruit juice in. Fancy a piece & potato? Knock yourself out, carb on carb is GOOD. It’s anything goes & I love it.

I have had the loveliest Xmas, but there was was a lot of running around & really late nights followed by early mornings. So, I’m enjoying a little down time. Before I turn off entirely I thought I would share a little of my Christmas. 

Happy plus size woman in velvet dress
Dress – SimplyBe

Xmas #ootd was one of my gifts from my lovely Mum. She hit it out of the park with this one. It’s so sumptious. I am in love. 

I did Xmas eve in the pub with the toyboy & his friends, but retired to mum’s house early. Jim jams & old movies is the way to welcome Xmas day. 


We got a tiny bit festive for Xmas eve drinks.

Mum & I rocked Xmas day together. Seven brides for seven brothers, delicious vegan dinner & a lot of my new highlighter made for a good day. I spent the evening at the TB’s parents. Christmas bauble cocktails, even more pressies, a freestyle Mary & Joseph rap and multiple Santa suits completed my day. 

Necklace – Kracken Jewellery

I also got to watch both my niece & nephew open their presents via FaceTime. Their happy wee faces were definitely my festive favourites.

I am lucky girl with wonderful friends & family. Oh & I got the most excellent gifts too! I hope you all had an equally fabulous festive period. 

And of course it wouldn’t be Xmas without a festive manicure. So, here’s all of my December nail art efforts. 



I now intend to do a whole lot of resting in preparation for kicking 2018’s arse. See you in the new year.