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, 

Hair & Beauty - June Favourites

Hello Beautiful people,
I can't believe half the year is gone 😱 I still have so much to do before this year is out.
Here are my favourites for the month of June.

Some of my favourites from last month 💜

1. Juvia's  Place Nubian II palette
If you follow me on instagram, then you know how much I love my The Masquerade palette from Juvia's Place. I decided to purchase this Nubian II (pre-loved from Janet Pink) for everyday toned down neutral looks. I love this palette, because I can the dark shades for eye shadow and as blush/contour and the light shimmer shades as highlight. This makes it perfect for travelling, I only have to pack one palette.
Here are some of the looks achieved with this palette:

Price: R 650.00 from SAMIKA, R 950.00 from Pink Cosmetics
If you live in the US (they ship to some other countries as well), you can order directly from Juvia's Place for $ 19.99.

2. Essence Lights of the Orient Bronzer 02 Oriental Beauty
For those with deeper darker skin tones will understand my point of view: I've never been sure of how to use bronzers, since the shades are usually too light to have the same effect as intended for those with lighter skin tones. But I've figured it out; instead of using bronzer to warm up my face, I use it as an under eye and forehead highlight powder. I love the finished effect I get with this bronzer from Essence. 

Price: R 47.95 (it was a limited edition, but I've seen a few in stock at Clicks Tygervalley).

3. My Natural Hair Strengthening Oil 100ml
I've already waxed poetic about the My Natural Hair range here; but I have to highlight How much I enjoy using this oil. I use it to seal when I moisturise on wash day and then 2-3 times during the week. It's also superb for sealing when installing braid and twist extensions. I love it because I don't end up with a greasy mess. It works great as a scalp oil.
Price:  R 79.99 on My Natural online store, R 99.99 at selected Clicks stores

4. Native Child  - Shea butter cream 125ml
I was in Windhoek for a while and it is super dry, just harsh on the skin and the hair. So I decided to pack this shea butter cream from Native Child for my hair instead of oil. It's thick mainly consists of shea butter along with avocado oil and aloe vera gel. I really like this one, #nogrease and a little goes a long way. Also, it's locally made, #proudlysouthafrican.
Price: R 79.99 from Native Child online store

5. The Body Shop Matte Lip Liquid in Windsor Rose, Mauritius Dahlia and Sicily Iris
The Body Shop recently launched matte liquid lippies in South Africa and I am here for it.
I've got 3 of the shades; one nude and two dark shades. I love how these wear, they're very smooth and velvety when applied. they don't dry down like the Colourpop liquid lipsticks, so they do transfer and fade after eating. I however am not complaining because they're decently priced. I will definitely be adding at least two more to my collection.

Matte Liquid Lip in Windsor Rose

Price: R 85.00 (but I made use of the sales; 20% off or 3 for 2 specials)

6. The Body Shop Spa Of The World Hawaiian Kukui Cream 350ml
I'm a sucker for a good body cream; I've been eyeing the ones from the Spa of the World range for years but the price though...
Clicks had a 30% off in May, so I took that opportunity to purchase one of them. This cream has a velvet butter consistency with a faint floral scent. I love it! It's not heavy at all and it's easily absorbed into the skin and the moisturising effect is long lasting.
Price: R 380.00 ( I got it for R 266.00).

And those were my favourites for the month. What prodcuts did you enjoy using last month? Let me know in the comments section below.

See you in my next post, 

xoxo

N

Hair & Beauty - May Favourites

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

 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

April Hair & Beauty Favourites

 Hi loves,
Can you believe that it's almost winter? Time is flying ...faster than I would like.
I thought I'd share some of my favourites among the products I've been using recently.

1. Fountain - The Hair Molecule
I believe in taking multivitamins to supplement a healthy diet; they can't replace eating well but they do fill in some gaps. I've been taking Vital Hair, Skin & Nails for more than 5 years and they work really, but I was curious about liquid supplemments that have been launched in the last couple of years. I decided to try this food supplement from Deciem. I've been taking it for more than a month now (two teaspoons a day), I haven't done a length check but I've noticed that the amount of hair shed on wash day is much less. I'll be taking these for two more months before I do a full review.
Price: $ 39 (from Deciem) and ZAR 712 (from Bay One for Africa)

Image from www.deciem.com

2. The Ordinary - 10% Niacinamide + 1% Zinc
My second favourite is another one from Deciem, but the from the The Ordinary; which is one of their skincare ranges.  The premise behind this rnage is to provide effective skincare, at a reseaonable price. I decided to try the niacinamide (vitamin B3) solution (purchased from SAMIKA) as I've been struggling with hormonal breakout and subsequent blemishes. I've been using it every morning for the last month after cleansing and toning. The dark marks along my jawline have deifintely faded and my pores aren't as noticable anymore. It alos works really well under my makeup, so it's definitely a keeper. I'm looking forward to trying some of the other products from this range: I've got my eye on the Glycolic acid toner and the "buffet". 
Price: $ 5.90 (Deciem), ZAR 230 (SAMIKA) and ZAR 149.98 (Bay One for Africa)

Image from www.Deciem.com

3. My Natural Hair - Strengthening Oil
My Natural Hair is a locally produced haircare range that launched in 2016 (I've done a full review on all their products and you cna find it here). My hair is currently in a protective style; I've been wearing gypsy/bohemian faux locs for the last four weeks. I used this oil to seal moisture into my hair strands when I installed the locs. I've also been using as a scalp oil. I love using this oil because its light and non-greasy, easily absorbed.
Price: ZAR 79.99

Image from www.mynatural.co.za

4. Hada Labo - Mild Peeling Lotion
My friends travelled to Asia in April and I took this opportunity to request some asian skincare goodies. I've been wanting to try out peeling lotions but I didn't want to jump directly to strong acids, so I decided to start with this toner with gluconic acid. It's got a light acid scent not unlike highly diluted apple cider vinegar. I've been using it in the morinings after cleansing; It's refreshing and not drying at all. It's a keeper and I'll ahve to find a way of stocking up seeing as it's not readily availble in South Africa.
Price: MYR 54.80 (Watsons Malaysia)

Image from www.hadalabo.com.sg

5.  Lancôme - Teint Idole Ultra 24Hr in 14 Brownie
Change is season, comes with a change in skin tone; I get a shade lighter in the winter and my yellow undertones are more pronounced (my bb creams run a little too red) and this foundation is the only one I can wear all year round without getting "mask face" it's super light, so it doesn't feel like I'm wearing foundation. It's also long lasting, I wear it all day without re-touching. This is my absolute favourite foundation!
Price: $47 (USA Lancome website), ZAR 499.00 (www.woolworths.co.za)

Image from www.lancome.co.uk

6. Sephora - Cream Lip Stain in Always Red
whenever I wear this liquid lippy, I get nostalgic; this is the first ever liquid lipstick I ever purchased. I got it at a Sephora across the square from the Spanish steps in Rome. So when I wear it, I think of one my favourite cities. It's the perfect shade of red and it looks good on everyone. 

Image from www.sephora.com

 

Always Red

And those were my favourites last month.What products did you enjoy using last month?

See you in my next post, 

xoxo,