Wonders of Beauty

Guess what's back in my life?! Yes, the popular Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation! Those that have been following my blog for a long time would know that this foundation was my ride or die about 3/4 years ago before I ditched it for the Lancome Teint Idole Ultra. All this talk about the new NARS Luminous Weightless foundation had me wanting a change from my Lancome foundation. Unfortunately being nowhere near any NARS counters, I was unable to get a sample of the foundation. I wasn't going to spend £32 on something I couldn't try before hand. Also, I came across a few not so positive reviews of the foundation that put me off.

I've been aware that Estee Lauder have extended their range of shades in the UK for darker skin since I used to use the 'Double Wear' foundation back in 2011. One of my main issues back then was that I couldn't get the foundation in a good colour match (I used to use '6N1 Truffle') without having to mix with a lighter shade. Who has time for that? For some reason, the ladies on the Estee Lauder counters recently kept colour matching me to '5N2 Amber Honey' but every time I tried this shade, the tone looked off. I took it upon myself to ask for a sample of '6W1 Sandalwood'. This shade is perfect for me! If you're '#11 Muscade' in Lancome Teint Idole Ultra then this shade should also be a really good match for you. I know in the picture below the colour looks really off and much darker than my skin tone but my arms are lighter than my face. It all comes together nicely after I've completed my makeup application.

Estee Lauder are quite generous with their samples. My sample bottle lasted three weeks (using it everyday). Before the end of the first week, I was reminded why I fell in love with this foundation in the first place. I can't believe I ever stopped using it! Older and wiser in this makeup game, I definitely know how to get even more natural results with this foundation. Although it doesn't come with a pump, I've been using the equivalent to about 1/1.5 pump for my whole face and I've also discovered that it works best with a damp Beauty Blender.

Most of my thoughts and feelings on this foundation outlined in the review written in 2011 (click HERE) still remain. As mentioned earlier, my application of it has changed. If you would like an updated review, do let me know and if anything, be sure to get yourself a sample because I do think this foundation is one of the best out there!

Who has given this foundation a try and what were your thoughts on it?

Makeup - 18:41

What's New | Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation

Guess what's back in my life?! Yes, the popular Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation ! Those that have been following my blog for a...

I didn't really pick up many items last month. Most of the products I purchased were actually repurchases of products I previously owned. Products that were also purchased recently but not pictured include MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural Powder and MAC Luxury Powder Puff. I didn't bother to include them in this post as you've probably seen them many times throughout my blog.

I was running low on staple eye products - L'Oreal Paris Superliner (link) and L'Oreal Paris Voluminous Mascara (link). Usually I alternate between buying the Superliner in black lacquer and the original black one. This time I went for black lacquer as I was reminded of how intense this shade was. I've also used the L'Oreal Voluminous Mascara for years. It definitely gives your lashes a thicker appearance. This mascara can be quite hard to get hold of at times as it's usually sold out! As Superdrug were having a 3 for 2 offer on their L'Oreal Paris products, I wanted my third option to be one that I hadn't tried from their line. After much deliberation, I decided to pick up their Brow Artist Plumper (link). Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe this is a fairly new product in their range. The Brow Artist Plumper is a brow gel and is used to set your brows in place. It is also said to intensify and make your brows appear more voluminous. I've never played around with brow gels so I was quite excited to try this out and so far I'm quite happy with it. It is available in three shades - blonde, brunette and transparent. I picked up the transparent one as I'm currently using the Anastasia Beverly Hills Dip Brow Pomade therefore didn't see the need for a tinted one.

I'm sure I've made it very known that I've been desperate to get my hands on the new NARS Audacious lipsticks (link). With all the rave reviews, I really wanted to see what the hype was about (you know I always get sucked in). They are said to give opaque coverage in one stroke. A factor which some say justifies the price (£24). Initially I wanted the shade 'Barbara' (described as a tan rose) so badly but then 'Jane' (described as a terracotta rose) started calling my name too. As usual, I was torn between the two shades. Enough is enough with my love for nude lipsticks (for now) so I decided to pick up Jane.

Personally I would say Jane fell under the coral family and the colour can pull off slightly different depending on your skin tone. It's a lovely Spring/Summer colour and I look forward to wearing it during the upcoming warmer months.

One of my favourite blushers is the Sleek Sahara Blush (link). It's a nice warm toned blush that I would describe as an orange-brown. I would definitely recommend it to darker women, especially those who struggle to find blushers that lean more natural. I believe it's an everyday wearable shade that not only complements my skin tone but can be worn by a variety of people with different skin tones. For those that are darker in tone, scared of wearing blush and want to ease into it, this is definitely one for you!

Has anyone tried the L'Oreal Brow Artist Plumper or NARS Audacious Lipsticks? Would love to know your thoughts on them!

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Makeup - 19:41

What's New | L'Oreal Brow Artist Plumper, Superliner, Voluminous Mascara and NARS Audacious Jane

I didn't really pick up many items last month. Most of the products I purchased were actually repurchases of products I previously ow...

I know a lot of you have been waiting for this review but I wanted to make sure it was tested out for long enough before giving you my opinion. Though the Sacha Buttercup Setting Powder has been raved about by top YouTubers (in particular WOC), I couldn't seem to find any reviews before making my purchase. As you know, I use the Ben Nye Banana Powder to set my under-eye concealer and I haven't gone without using it for a very long time. In my opinion, I don't have an issue with the banana powder being too light for my skin tone but I really wanted to try this as an alternative as it's said to be a better tone and much nicer in texture. This review is based on how well it works to set my under-eye highlight although it may be used to set your whole face.

Believe it or not but I haven't once touched my Ben Nye powder since using this powder by Sacha Cosmetics. I've really been liking the buttercup powder but I may alternate between the two. I'm not sure if you can tell from the picture below but the buttercup powder is much smoother in comparison. Where the buttercup powder is more fine in texture, it literally dissolves into your skin and doesn't cake like the banana powder can have the tendency to do if you're not careful with it. It blends so seamlessly! No matter how much you pack on, it doesn't look dry or accentuate your fine lines any further and most importantly, sets areas it's applied to. I don't find that it clings to any dry areas one may have as often my Ben Nye Banana powder can cling to areas where I've applied a matting primer. If you are of a medium to deep skin tone, please give this powder a try - especially if you have issues trying to get the banana powder to work for you. For those that find they need to go over their banana powder with a powder of their skin tone to tone it down, you will prefer this powder as it doesn't really give off that white cast nor does it pull off ashy. I believe it can also be used as an all over setting powder for medium to medium dark skin tones but I have no desire to use it for this purpose. It may be a little too yellow to work well on fairer skin tones.

An issue I have with this powder is the packaging! I absolutely hate it. It has a sifter but it still can be quite messy. Even though the Ben Nye style of packaging is not great, I much prefer it to the Sacha one as it's slightly easier to control.

I will mention that I don't feel as though it absorbs oil as well as the Ben Nye Banana powder but it still does a good job in doing so. If you are really oily, you may have to blot at least once throughout the day but this may be nothing new to you.

The Sacha Cosmetics Buttercup Setting Powder is available from www.absolutekolor.co.uk (UK/EU) or www.sachacosmetics.com (US)

Price: £12.50 (1oz./28g)

Has anyone tried the Sacha Cosmetics Buttercup setting powder yet?

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Beauty - 11:47

Review | Sacha Buttercup Setting Powder

I know a lot of you have been waiting for this review but I wanted to make sure it was tested out for long enough before giving you my ...

Cleanser - 20:08

What's New | Sacha Buttercup Setting Powder and Mary Kay Products

Mary Kay products never disappoint and you should already know from previous posts that I use their Creme-to-P owder Foundation in '...

Bella Minx Lashes - 13:59

Bella Minx Lashes | Valentine's Special Sale

Let your eyes do all the talking this Valentine's Day ladies. There is a 25% off sale on the Bella Minx Lashes website for 48 hours o...

I'm not usually one to discuss hair products as I'm not a hair enthusiast and I don't really know much about natural hair but I thought this product deserved some recognition. Many people are on some sort of hair journey to achieve healthier hair and are staying far away from relaxers as they find them damaging. Whilst being natural, it can be difficult to manage or achieve certain hairstyles without the use of excessive heat on a regular basis, eg. maintaining a bone straight weave as this requires your hair to blend seamlessly with the extensions. The use of chemical free straightening systems are becoming more popular as we're desperate to find ways which allow us to be more versatile with our hair. With these systems, your hair will eventually revert to its natural texture or you can choose to revert it yourself using specific shampoos, etc.

This straightening system is suitable for natural, transitioning or relaxed hair!

Weave is my best friend but I have natural hair so if I'm not wearing a closure, there needs to be a way for me to maintain a straight style. I discovered the use of straightening systems a few months back. I've tried one other straightening system by Beautiful Textures but maintaining straightness with this brand was too much effort for me as you needed to regularly use a specific shampoo and conditioner for best results. I will say it made my edges very straight although not for a long time. I prefer the results of the ORS system as my hair looked and felt healthier, the results last longer and it also requires less work.

The ORS Straightening and Strengthening Treatment is said to last 4-6 weeks before your hair reverts to its original texture. As I draft this blog post, I am on week 4. The pictures below were also taken at the same time. The system recommends using their HAIRepair shampoo and conditioner to maintain your straight styles but it doesn't state that the use of these products are a must. I have washed/treated my hair with my usual products and I found that as I washed my hair, it was gradually reverting to its normal texture but not fully. This could be because I didn't use the recommended products but I'm not sure. Regardless, my hair was more manageable than before the use of this product as I now have slightly stretched curls (which I'm assuming will return to it's natural state in a few weeks as it did with the Beautiful Textures system) and I was able to blow dry straight without really needing to use straighteners after. This product does require the use of heat (blow drier and straightener) after the first application of the treatment to seal in the products, so if you're someone who does not use heat at all, I wouldn't recommend this product to you.

I did find that my hairline did not stay straight for the whole 4 weeks. There appears to be reversion and as you cannot use this particular system more than once within a 4 week period, I tend to straighten my edges when necessary.

I am NATURAL. Unfortunately I wouldn't be able to tell you my hair type as I'm not really clued up about these things. These pictures were taken towards the end of week 4 and yes, my hair is due for another wash.

All in all, I think straightening systems are good for those who are 100% natural or in particular for those who are transitioning as it allows you to manage the difference in textures more easily. You are also able to maintain straight styles for a lot longer. For those who are relaxed, it gives you the option to stretch out your relaxers which could be beneficial to your hair.

Have you tried any straightening systems? If yes, which one do you recommend?

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Hair - 15:53

Hair | ORS Straightening and Strengthening System

I'm not usually one to discuss hair products as I'm not a hair enthusiast and I don't really know much about natural hair b...

I know we're approaching the end of January but as this is my first post of 2015, Happy New Year! Following from my last 'What's New' post on the Tom Ford lipstick in Deep Mink, it would only make sense for there to be a 'Lipstick Diary' post so I can share my thoughts on the lipstick so far and images for you to see what it looks like on.

As you know this is my first lipstick from Tom Ford and I was more than curious to see what the hype surrounding his lipsticks were all about. Well, you definitely know that you are wearing an expensive lipstick when you have this on. I agree that in terms of quality, there is a difference compared to the other lipsticks that I own. The texture is lovely! The lipstick feels so lightweight, smooth and luxurious on the lips - almost like a balm. I haven't had any issues with it being drying and I don't find it to accentuate any fine lines or imperfections further; your lips stay hydrated and plump. As you can see it has a creamy finish so for those who only like matte lipsticks, this one may not be for you but I do know that Tom Ford does have a range of matte lipsticks now.

My only regret with this lipstick is the shade (not a major regret). Remember I told you that I was torn between 'Deep Mink' and 'Sable Smoke'? I really think I would have preferred 'Sable Smoke'. I feel as though this shade is too 'plain Jane' for me (I could be saying that because I'm so used to lighter shades) and I only find myself reaching for it when I want to look more natural and I'm not going anywhere special. In saying that, it's a great everyday and wearable shade for most, especially women of colour but to think £37 is being spent on a lipstick I wear when I'm not going anywhere special, is it worth it? Don't get me wrong, I may not be too keen on the shade but I do love everything else about the lipstick so I definitely see myself purchasing another if I wanted to treat myself. I guess 'Sable Smoke' will be next on the wishlist.

This lipstick is available from Selfridges (link) or John Lewis (link) for £37.

What are your thoughts on this lipstick?