Current Beauty Favourites: First Edition 2018

Hi beautiful people,
I'm trying to be more consistent with my posts, but it's hard. There's plenty to write about but I haven't had the time to sit down and collect my thoughts about all the products that I've tried out over the last couple of months.
I tried my hand at monthly favourites last year but I think I lasted all of 3 months? So here we go again, this time I've titled the posts as "current favourites" because they don't necessarily change month-to-month for me.

#1 SVR Sebiaclear Crème SPF50 for combination to oily skin (50ml)

Anyone with medium to dark skin, knows the struggle of finding a high SPF day cream that won't gives that grey lavender tinge or make us look "casket-ready". I've been using this since January and one tube lasts about 4 months; which is not bad considering I use it every day. I've only just repurchased. This creme is thicker than the Body Shop Skin Defence Multi-Protection Essence SPF 50 (which was a favourite in 2017) but its not greasy. It has a neutral scent (not unlike other sunscreens), it's easily absorbed into the skin and it has a dry touch finish. I wear it on it's own or under my Lancome teint idole ultra 24hr foundation without any issue. This one is a keeper. It's available at most Clicks stores and online.

Never leave the house without suncreen.

#2 Missha Time Revolution First Treatment Essence &  #3 Time Revolution Night Repair Science Activator Ampoule
I have been in love with K -beauty since my first haul on holiday to South East Asia 5 years ago. I got this as free gift when I purchased the Time Revolution Night Repair Science Activator Ampoule at a Missha store in Singapore last July. I wish I was more conscientious in taking pictures of my skin when I start a new skincare product. I use this essence twice a day on most days after toning, but before moisturiser, serum or a sheet mask. This essence contains yeast ferment lysate and helps to
soothe texture, moisturising, balancing, brightening, and has anti-ageing properties. 

The Missha Night Repair serum has been touted as the cheaper dupe for the Estee Lauder Night Repair serum and the Lancome Advanced Génifique Youth Activating Serum; all 3 contain yeast ferment lysate. I alternate it with the Naruko Night Gelly and The Ordinary Vitamin C suspension. 
It has no scent and it's easily absorbed into the skin, without leaving any sticky residue or film. I've reached the pinnacle in my skincare journey: I no longer wakeup with a greasy face in the morning (That's a win for K-beauty right there).
My skin has definitely improved in terms of texture its much smoother and my blemishes fade away more quickly (I'll attribute this to the combination of this Essence and the night repair serum). I've gotten to the point where I can go out without foundation. Yay! 

It's available in South Africa from SAMIKA and Pink Cosmetics. Or you can purchase from YesStyle for really good deals but the wait time is ~2 months.

#4 My Natural Hair Edge Gel
I have never been one to "lay edges" maybe because I was yet to find the one. This edge gel is so good that it can slick down type 4 edges without a brush (Sorcery! I tell you). It's soft and flexible, so it's easy to manipulate. The fragrance is like the other products in the range, a light herbal floral scent. It's available from Beauty on TApp and Shop for Life.

sLay those edges

#5 Camille Rose Naturals Sweet Ginger Cleansing Rinse
Alert the media people, I have found my holy grail shampoo. It smells like cupcakes...I love cupcakes. This one is hyped up on YouTube  and I was curious if it would be THAT good. It is! It suds up like regular shampoo but it doesn't dry my hair out and I can detangle with it and leaves my hair soft and manageable.A little goes a long way so this current bottle should last me a year. It's available at Style Studio and Beau2you.co.za

Wash Day Heaven

#6 Juvia's Place The Festival Palette
I love all my palettes from Juvia's Place. This latest like the others is full of brights in mattes and shimmers. I can do so many looks with this palette; from neutral to bright and bold. Everyone should try at least one Juvia's Place palette.  Here's my full review for the palette. 

This palette inspired by West African festivals

#7 Stila Stay All-Day Liquid Lipstick in Beso
Stila makes my favourite formula for liquid lipsticks; they last through the day with minimal fading and no feathering. I got this in a mini/deluxe as a free gift for purchasing two Stila items at Woolworths. It's a classic red lip, not as blue toned as Fiery (another favourite of mine), it's a dupe for Ruby-Woo in terms of colour but not wear: Ruby-Woo feels more drying on the lips. This shade suits every skintone and I love that. 

The Classic Red Lip; Stila liquid lip in Beso

Have you tried any of the products? What are your current favourites? Let me know in the comments below. 

See you in my next post, 

xoxo, 

One Week,One Palette Challenge: Juvia's Place Saharan II

Hi loves,
I'm back with another "one week, one palette" challenge with the Saharan II palette from Juvia's Place. It's a relatively new palette from the company that was inspired by the Saharan desert,  the Mosaics, Colours and Spices of Morocco. Th e formula of these shadows different from previous palettes but the quality and pigmentation is excellent; the mattes have soft velvet feel and the metallics and duo-chromes feel silky to the touch.

As with my previous palette,

• My lid base is the Urban Decay Primer Potion in Caffeine
• Eyeliners are all from Essence cosmetics
• Mascara is either Maybelline Colossal Big Shot Mascara and L'Oreal False Lash Wings
• On my face is the Stila One Step Illuminate and the NYX Cosmetics #nofilter Powder in Cocoa
• Light contouring or bronzing is done with Fez in the Saharan II palette and Aby in the Saharan Blush Palette Vol I 

Look #1

Crease: Taza
Inner and outer corner: Fez
Centre lid: Aziza
Liner: Super Precise Liner

Lips: Urban Decay Vice Lipstick in the shade Conspiracy

Look #2

Crease: Taza
Outer lid: Zohra
Inner + Centre lid: Nomad
Inner: Hadiya

Lips: OFRA x Kathleen Lights  Liquid Lipstick in Havana Nights 

Look #3

Crease: Fez
Outer: Fez + Zohra
Lid: Marrakesh

Lips: Stila Cosmetics in Rubino

Look #4

Crease and Outer Corner: Fez
Centre Lid: Berber
Inner: Aziza

Lips: Stila cosmetics Liquid Lipstick in Amore 

Look #5

Crease: Taza
Inner + Outer Lid: Berber
Centre Lid: Chefchaouen
Outer corner: Fez

Lips: L'Oreal Pure Reds Collection  - Doutzen 

Bonus Look: One shadow smoky eye look

Base: NYX Cosmetics Jumbo Eye Pencil in Black Bean smudged over the lid and then apply a sheer layer of Aziza all over the lid with a fluffy brush

Lips: Urban Decay Vice Liquid Lipstick in Pandemonium

Where to buy: In South Africa, this palette is available from Beauty Gifts by Melanie and Fashion Police Online. Or you can get it directly from Juvia's Place Online store (They do ship internationally). 

Have you tried out the Saharan II palette? Please feel free to tag me in any looks that you recreate. 

Until my next post, 

xoxo

Make-Up Review: Maybelline Fit Me Matte + Poreless Foundation

Hi peeps,
Here's another that took forever to make to our shores.
After years and years of hearing beauty influencers wax poetic about this Maybelline foundation, we finally get to try it out .... YAY!!!

Here's the blurb from the Maybelline website about the foundation

WHAT IT IS

Fit Me Matte & Poreless has been designed for normal to oily skin. Its blurring micro powders refines pores while shine is being absorbed for a natural matte finish.

BENEFITS

Fit Me Matte & Poreless foundation fits both skin and texture for natural finish and poreless looking skin.

HOW TO USE/APPLY

Apply smoothly and evenly to your face and blend with your fingertips.

Of I went to Dischem to swatch and hopefully find my shade. I initially chose 352 Truffle but when I applied it and looked at my face in natural light the foundation was too light. So I went back to Dischem and swatched the dark shades and mixed a couple and decided to pick up 365 Espresso as well.

Packaging
The foundation comes in a 30ml squeeze tube; similar to the dream velvet matte foundation which also comes in a plastic tube. I don't really have a problem with it; a lot of the drugstore foundations ar packaged in plastic, it's cheaper than glass. The advantage of plastic is that if you drop it, you're not going to loose all your product. The foundation number is printed on the front of the tube and the name is printed on the back with the  ingredient list.

Application
So I had to mix two different foundation shades to get my perfect shade; I mixed the two foundations in equal parts. A pea-sized amount  was more than enough for my entire face.
I started out applying the foundation with an oval brush, but I didn't like how it was applying, So I used my fingers, which is what they recommend anyway.
The finish is a soft matte and coverage is light to medium, which I like since I do like a more natural finish to my foundation. If you have dry skin, you might not like this foundation because it did feel dry. So you might want to use a hydrating primer underneath this foundation.

Wear Test
I tested the foundation for a week with three different primers currently in my stash:
The Ordinary High-Adherence Silicone Primer
Stila Cosmetics One Step Illuminate
NYX Cosmetics Angel Veil Skin Perfecting Primer

I don't normally set with powder, but I do use a setting spray and I used my setting sprays with the foundation:
Urban Decay All-Nighter
NYX Matte Finish Setting Spray
Maybelline Superstay 24hr Setting Spray

I didn't notice any difference in the look and longevity of my foundation throughout the day (> 8 hours) with the 3 primers.

In terms of performance of the foundation; my face was matte until midday and then I noticed a bit of shine around my T-zone (I have combination-oily skin) but it wasn't bad, I had a glow and I could get away without blotting all day. However, the foundation does tend to fade around the mouth and nose, so it's not long-wearing. It didn't minimise the appearance of my pores, it even seems to make them more visible, especially on my nose 🤔.

Wear test. You can't really see this in the pictures but the foundation does fade around my mouth and nose. But I'm impressed with how it held up during the day, because I didn't look like a grease ball the end of the day. Even without blotting. 

Final thoughts
Overall, I think this is a decent drugstore foundation; for me it's definitely better than the velvet dream matte foundation, which I tried out last year. I didn't like that one at all; the undertones of the foundation were wrong and it settled into my smile lines a few hours after application.
I think this foundation will be great for wearing out for a couple hours out to an event or something because it's not a long wearing foundation.
If you want a long wearing foundation from Maybelline, then go for the SuperStay; I've never tried it because it doesn't come in my shade 😒(Shade selection is really disappointing for this one).
In terms of shade selection, this probably the best we've seen from Maybelline in South Africa. I wish they'd brought in the Fit Me range for the USA as that has 40 different shades and is much more inclusive, especially at the dark end of the spectrum.

I don't need this in my life...nope!

You can buy the foundations at Foschini Beauty and Zando online. Although, this is only recommended if are sure of your shade. If you're trying the foundation out for the first time, I suggest you go into the store and swatch before making a selection. It's available at Foschini, Dischem and Clicks stores. Though some stores do not have the full shade selection.

Price wise, the foundation is at R 99.95, but it's on special at Dischem for R 92.95.

Have you tried out this foundation? Did you like it?
Let me know in the comments below.

See you in my next post, 

xoxo

Hair & Beauty - May Favourites

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 Hello lovelies,
Can't believe another month has gone by, this year is flying past way too quickly.
Anyway, I thought I'd share some of the products I really enjoyed using in May.

1. Stila Liquid Lipstick in 09 Amore
You all know how hard it is to find a neutral or nude lippy when you have dark skin. This is my one..my go to lippy because no matter my eye makeup it always looks good and never out of place. It's described as a "deep plum sheen" but with my skin tone this looks like a mavey taupe. Stila liquid lipsticks are long wearing and they don't feather, which is awesome.
Price R 285 at Woolworths 

My everyday lippy - Stila liquid lipstick in the shade amore

2. King of Skin Body Butter 75g
My guilty pleasure... bath products from Lush! I need strength to resist the temptation everytime I walk into a Lush store. The last I was there I decided to treat myself and pick up the King of Skin, it has rave reviews on the internet and I felt like trying something new. It's a solid bar (with banana and avo and cocoa butter) that works in the same way as the body Ro's Argan Body Conditioner (my favourite lush prodcut of all time); you rub it into your skin after your shower to wet skin, rinse off the excess and pat yourself dry.
Price R 110 at Lush 

3. Urban Decay Naked Smoky Palette
The love affair with UD is rekindled! It's winter again, I'm more inclined towards my more neutral palettes...sometimes. This is my only neutral palette left in my collection after cleaning out earlier this month. I love this palette because of the steel greys and golds; its perfect for a neutral smoky eye, from understated to drama!!!
Price R 850 at Foschini Beauty, Urban Decay Stores (only in Gauteng) and  Urban Decay online store

4. L.A. Girl Strobe Lite Powder in 110 Watt
I'm a sucker for a good highlighter, and even more when the price is right. These powders launched in Dischem two months ago, I swatched all of them; some I didn't like all of them, but this one is awesome. It's an ice white powder that isn't as finely milled as my Gosh cosmetics Giant Sun Powder but it looks really good on me and it lasts all day.
Price R 149.95 at Dischem

5. Eco Essentials Cleansing & Nourishing Shampoo 500ml
I've been using this shampoo for a couple months. It's a low-sud, gentle cleansing shampoo; sulphate-free and silicone-free. It leaves my hair feeling moisturised and soft (#nostripping). My full review of some of the products from this locally made range can be found here.
Price R 99.95 from the Eco Essentials website

7. Caivil Fusion Oil Hair Root Nourisher 125ml
I've mentioned this product before in my post on building a natural haircare regimen. It's a pomade, kind of like a hair food sans mineral oil. I fee like it's underrated because this contains castor oil, shea butter and essential oils to stimulate growth. I use it to seal moisture into my hair when install braids and locs. It also gives mad definition for twistouts and its not greasy.
Price R 29.95 at Clicks and Dischem 
 
6. SVR Sebiaclear Sebum Regulating Anti-Enlarged Pore Mattifying Care 40ml
I've been using this mattifying cream in my morning routine for the last two and half months. it's from a French skincare brand SVR Laboratoire Dermatologique that launched in South Africa earlier this year. I apply this onto my face after my serum, after which I apply my sunscreen and makeup. It's really helped to minimise the amount of blackheads especially along the my hairline and ears. I'm also not as shiny when I hit the midday mark. I'm still deciding which other products from this range I would like to try.
Price R 185 at Clicks, but it's currently on sale for R 148

7. Skin Defence Multi-Protection Essence SPF 50 PA++++ 40ml
So when you're as dark as I am, there's always an issue with finding an spf cream that doesn't leave you ashy with a blue-grey tinge. Here's a link to a video by Evelyn from the Internets and Nikki that illustrates this point hilariously #thestruggleisreal.  This sunscreen is designed to give you sun protection..obviously and also protect you against environmental pollution because it has anti-oxidants...at least that's what The Body Shop claims. I use this as a day cream, the last step in my morning routine. You can wear it under your make up...it's that good. And good news melanin-rich sisters ....no ashy blue-grey tinge YAY!!!
Price R 220 for 40 ml and R 285 for 60ml, available at The Body Shop and Clicks  

8. My Natural Hair Moisturizing Butter 125ml 
I'm not going to wax poetic about how much I love this product again, you can read my full review of the entire range here. I've been using for my twistouts and more often as a moisturizer when installing my braids and locs. 
Price R 79.99 on My Natural Hair online store and R 99.95 at Clicks 


I have to the end of my post.
Have you tried any of these? Which did you like best? Let me know

See you in my next post, xoxo

Make-Up Review: High-end vs Drugstore Foundation: NARS & Maybelline

Three posts in one week...I've been procrastinating when it comes to writing up my reivews...so I'm playing catch-up. 
This is another makeup posts; here I'm reviewing two foundations, one high-end  the NARS Velvet Matte Skin tint, and one drugstore, the Dream Velvet hydrating matte foundation.
This isn't really a comparison post: I just want to give my thoughts on two similar products.

*

I came across this foundation on YouTube a few weeks after its launch. I had been looking for a light foundation to add to my routine. Now there are people who will kill me for saying this but I'm not a fan of the MAC foundations: I've tried Studio Fix in NW50 and Matchmaster in 8.0 but my shade always runs a bit red and they just feel heavy on my skin. They also transfer like you won't believe.
I wanted to try something as good as the Lancome teinte Idole which blew my mind as to how good it was, in terms of shades available and overall performance of the foundation especially during our hot african summers.
So my friends were in the states during the summer this year and I requested some goodies from afar since NARS isn't available is South Africa.

1. NARS Velvet Matte Skin Tint Broad Spectrum SPF30 in the shade Polynesia Dark 1
I've been using it for over two months and I'm loving it. It's light and the shade fits me perfectly, even with the change in season (I've gotten darker). I've mainly used it in conjunction with the One Step Bronze primer from Stila. half a pea-sized amount is enough for my face, since I prefer light to medium coverage. I apply the foundation with my fingers or a beauty blender (I've not tried applying it with a brush). I apply the rest of my makeup and set my face with a finishing spray.
Here are some selfies:

NARS Velvet Matte Skin Tint

Packaging: Squeeze tube, 1.7 fl oz (50ml)
Appearance: Liquid foundation, slightly runny
Features: Broad spectrum SPF 30, Available in 12 shades
Price: U$ 44

2.  Dream Velvet Hydrating Soft-Matte foundation in the shade Coconut 95

This foundation has been out on the South African market for less than 6 months, and to be honest I was very skeptical about trying it out. Here are my reasons why:
1. There are only 7 shades available with coconut as the darkest. I wasn't sure it would fit my complexion. (There are never any testers for this in Clicks).
2. This foundation has no SPF, and that's not on!

But I pivoted and decided to give it a go since I remember my first ever foundation, many many moons ago was the Dream Matte mousse which I loved (Maybeline was the first to introduce dark shades in South Africa...I'm talking espresso and dark cocoa).

The Body Shop recently, introduced their Skin Defence Multi-protection essence SPF50 PA++++, first high SPF cream that doesn't give me a white cast...halellujah! life has been given!
So I apply this mosituriser after cleansing (it doubles as a primer) and then apply the foundation with a beauty blender. The finish is a soft matte natural finish, that's doesn't leave me looking monotone super powdery and washed out. I was worried that about the fit because coconut has some yellow undertones but it oxidises just enough to look natural.

Maybelline Dream Velvet Soft-Matte Hydrating Foundation

Packaging: Squeeze tube, 1.0 fl oz (30ml)
Appearance: Gel-whipped foundation
Features: 7 shades available in South Africa (12 shades on the USA site)
Price: ZAR 110 (U$ 10.99)

Both foundations wore really well throughout the day; I experienced just a tad bit of shine along my T-zone by lunch time which gave me a bit of a glow and not grease :-)
By the end of the day my face was still holding and one could definitely get away with going out for dinner with a bit of blotting - you wouldn't have to re-do your face.

Swatches: Left: NARS  and on the Right: Maybelline

Verdict: Which one do I prefer? Honestly, I prefer the NARS for 2 reasons: SPF and shade (It just fits me better), also it's cruelty-free (its dififcult to find foundations for women of colour that are cruelty-free). But, $44 is a lot of money. If you have a good day cream with SPF you can get away with using the Maybelline foundation. It's a great foundation, if you're a beginner and good drugstore alternative for the NARS if you're not willing to spend $44 on a foundation.
The downside to both these foundations, is the shade range. both shades reviewed here are the darkest on offer. If you're darker neither of these will fit you. Both NARS and Maybelline, do have darker shades for some of the other foundations...so all is not lost.

Happy  Friday everyone,

xoxo

N

*images from www.narscosmetics.com and www.maybelline.co.za