Quinoderm on Dark skin. CAUTION!

I suffer from mild ( if you can call it that) acne and  have used Benzyl Peroxide based cream Panoxyl with great results and no problems.
Now my skin in the past 6 months has taken a turn for the worse and no other remedies were working. In desperation after finding out that panoxyl had been discontinued tried Quinoderm. BIG mistake. Did it help alleviate my spots. Yes. But i have been left with dark marks the likes of which i have never seen before! URGH. I thought because i had used a Benzyl peroxide product in the past, i would be OK. I wasn't. I've been left with horrible dark marks i am now having to get rid of, which will take months at the least. So if anyone with dark skin is planning on using Quinoderm i say be careful and you may be left with dark marks. Oh and it burnt! Oh how it burnt.

Texture Control Moisture Intensive Dual Conditioner. Could this be a dupe for Lustrasilk Shea butter and Mango cholesterol?

Back in the day on every hair board one deep conditioner that everybody loved was Lustrasilk Shea butter and Mango cholesterol. Naturals loved it, relaxed heads loved it, when it was for some bizarre reason  discontinued. Do the people at Lustrasilk have no internet connection?  It was a bestseller!
Anyway the only reason why i decided to take this little trip down memory lane was because of a deep conditioner i recently bought. "Texture my way, Natural Hair therapies Texture Control Shea Butter and Olive Oil Moisture Intensive dual conditioner"

I applied it to dry hair ( something i haven't done for a while) left it on for quite a while and rinsed out. My hair was easy to detangle felt soft, moisturised and as i was washing it out a fragrance arose. A memory awakened and like the memory of a love lost, a thought about Lustrasilk Shea butter and mango cholesterol surfaced

I...I.. remembered. It smelt like Lustrasilk, made my hair feel like Lustrasilk. Could it be?
If your hair loved Lustrasilk it may very well fall in love again with this, its Doppelganger ( kind of creepy)
BUT BE WARNED. IT CARRIES A TERRIBLE CURSE!
I'm joking it doesn't have a curse. It has something much worse for some people. A SILLICONE!
As the two people that read my blog know ( thanks mum and Dad!) i use sulphates so sillicones are no problem for me personally.  If you have a problem with them, then i guess skip it.

Its thick orange and quite creamy but yet still liquidy if that makes sense

Here is what the product claims to do and the ingredients.

Regular deep confitioning is essential for natural hair health and manageability. Texture Control Moisture Intensive Dual Conditioner is the right treatment for repairing, reconstructing and softening chronically dry, lifeless hair. This protein- rich formula is enhanced with Shea Butter and Extra Virgin Olive Oil to soften, strengthen, shine and revitalize lack-luster, hard-to-manage hair textures. When used either as a co-wash or rinse out conditioning treatment, this deep moisture therapy leaves hair feeling hydrated, softer and healthier, while stretching your natural texture, making it easier to comb & style. With NO SULFATES, PARABENS, PETROLATUM OR MINERAL OIL, its an ideal remedy to manage and soften coiled, frizzy, curly, wavy and mixed-textured hair.

Ingredients: Water, Glycerine, PPG-1 trideceth-6, Diectyldimonium Chloride, Shea butter fruit, Olive fruit oil, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Carrot seed oil, Panthenol, Soluble Collagen, Tocopherol, Nettle Extract, Rosemary leaf extract, horsetyail extract, Safflower seed oil, Polyquatenium-37, Propylene Glycol, Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Lanolin Oil, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Cetyl Alcohol, Cetearyl alcohol, parfum, d-Limonene, Propylene glycol, Phenyl Trimethicone, Dimethicone PEG-8 Laurate, Benzyl benzoate, Linalool, 5-chloro-2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one, 2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one, Hydrolized Quinoa, cl 42090(Blue 1), cl 16035 (Red 40)

Their website, where you can view the whole product range

 http://texturemyway.com/

TWO THUMBS UP!

Dimples Hot wax Mug- Remove hair and get a free Coffee mug!!!

Unwanted hair?
Broken a mug?
This product is right up your alley!
 Self waxing kits typically cost around £8.99-£15, in Tesco, superdrug boots etc. For something that you can often abandon halfway through due to- tiredness, boredom, pain and a just sod it! mindset,  I'm not washing a tenner down the drain. So i went off to my spiritual home of the Afro hair shops of South London ( never leave me) for the always significantly cheaper alternative. ( Seriously a giant bottle of nair is like £1.49. I'm not buying it for six quid from tesco! Allow it)
Anyway i didn't find the brands i have used in the past and instead  found Dimples Hot Wax mug. For £3.49. ( online its between £3-5) I have self waxed before and if you haven't try starting off with the self wax strips. This post is for experienced waxers! The reason i was going DIY is because of the horrible ingrown hairs i got on my last "professional" waxing session and the astronomical costs in the UK, plus the inept and offensive waxers i seem to find and  i was going it alone. Plus maybe you just don't want a stranger touching you or looking at your bits( if your doing it in intimate areas).

I wanted to use a hot wax based product without strips because i read that this is best for those with curly hair and helps to reduce the chances of ingrown hairs.

Anyway the novel thing about this is it comes in a mug that you sit directly on your cooker. I prefer this to the microwave method and you must stay and watch the wax. The instruction manual is thorough and you MUST adhere to it. Waxing can be dangerous but if you follow the manufacturers instructions and use your brain, apart from pain you shouldn't have any problems.

I was happy with my results and followed up with an anti ingrown hair solution- Skintight. I will continue to use this and i'm going to try their sugaring version next.

What Dimples say:
http://www.lincocare.com/Brands/Dimples/Waxes/HotWaxMug/

Dimples Hot Wax Mug is suitable for removing hair from face, body, bikini line and underarm. The warm wax opens the pores surrounding each hair to provide a very strong grip, allowing hair removal at the root. Very effective for strong hair, especially around the bikini line and providing results lasting up to 6 weeks. Free from chemical additives, preservatives or fragrance and suitable for sensitive skin.

• Peel off wax
• For short and coarse hair
• For sensitive skin
• 200g 

Any queries contact me, and i will update you if anything happens. Bye

New product line alert: Aunt Jackies curls and coils

 Look what i saw when i went to the hair shop. Another addition to the curl products currently being cranked out at a fast pace by the mainstream hair company's years after the independents have trail blazed.

Aunt? Miss?  What next granny? Nana? Madame?

Hmm these products look strangely familiar???
http://www.missjessies.com/shop
These mainstream companies are cloning harder than the Samwer brothers!!!!
And about 5 years too late! Better late than never eh?
If the price point is good and the product works does it matter that its been "inspired"?

Well i like the names, there is the oh so clean shampoo
knot on my watch detangler
in control conditioner
and curl la la curl custard


http://www.auntjackiescurlsandcoils.com/

I would try if they had a deep conditioner or moisturiser.

Nice and curly same day repair creme conditioner review and ingredient list

Nice and curly same day repair creme conditioner

The ingredients look good the effect, not so much. I really wanted to like this. The ingredients look good, it smells like sherbert dip dab, the packaging is nice its cheap £2.99, what is there not to like?

Alas it just really didn't do anything. It wasn't good, it wasn't bad. I tried it a few times and the effect was meh.

Maybe it would fair better with heat???

 What they say:

Same Day Repair Creme Conditioner is designed to nourish, repair and condition your curls to

bring out the fab in your naturally curly style. Enriched with Aloe, Sea Grape Extract and Argan Oil,

Same Day Repair Creme Conditioner hydrates and nourishes each curl from root to tip, restoring

hair's natural moisture balance, elasticity and shine. Used daily or as often as you need Same Day

Repair Creme Conditioner will instantly love your curls back to life and back to fabulous! Same Day

Repair Creme Conditioner.... fabulous served daily

The directions say: After shampooing, massage a liberal amount of Same day repair creme conditioner throughout the hair. Massage into scalp and comb through with wide tooth comb. For more intense conditioning, let sit for 15 minutes with a plastic cap. 

as a co wash: Wet hair thoroughly. Distribute throughout the lengths of the hair and massage into scalp. Rinse and repeat.

It is most probably a dupe of the III sisters of nature conditioner since they are essentially the same product range  Want evidence? Click here!

If i can be bothered I'll use it with heat and get back to you.

Bye xxx

Revlon ColorBurst lipgloss Rosegold

A very pretty shimmery peach that I've layered on top of my lipstick today ( i never wear lip gloss alone)

What revlon say

A pop of weightless colour with vivid, mirror-like shine. Outshines everything but you!
•Micro-crystal formula for 5X the shine of patent leather
•Plush applicator shaped to curves of your lips for smooth, even application of colour
•Revlon ColorBurst’s Elasticolor™ technology for rich colour with a weightless feel
•Moisturizers and anti-oxidants such as sweet almond oil and vitamin E conditions and improves lip texture
•Available in 14 vibrant, on-trend shades 

I guess.
Its just lipgloss.

  
Lip pics soon!

The troubling Imagery of Sleek's new 2012 Collection.

Sleek makeup has been around for nearly two decades. It started off as a brand that catered to  non white women. It was mostly sold in Afro hair shops and was a budget brand. The brand then launched in Superdrug. It got a lot of online fame with its pallettes which lead to it rebranding itself to be for "everyone" whilst discontinuing many shades of lipstick and foundation that suited darker skins.
They began to change their advertising to include this new demographic of "everyone" aka white, by using more and more "ambiguous" models and catering to beauty bloggers and collaborating and certain events.

Was I becoming bitter then? To be honest it left a sour taste in my mouth, but its something that has happened is happening now and will continue to happen. The only British brand to cater to dark skins became "mainstream" which often means us darker skinned people get in a word shafted. Whatever. It happens. Its business. I see many non white women buy from the likes of Rimmel, Bourjois and Max factor etc and they neither advertise with anyone with skin darker than white and certainly do not create any products for us! But i suppose their reasoning is  white women will not buy from a brand that heavily features ethnic minorities.

I had already said see ya to Sleek after their ridiculous "natural collection" where the blush did not even show up on my skin. But today i stopped dead in my tracks.

As you know 2012 has been the Queen's Jubilee and the Olympics. The best of British etc etc etc. Well Sleek have a 2012 collection to coincide with this. A pout polish named  glory, an eyeshadow palette named pride and a blusher named Glory.

Hmmmm.

Anyway nothing wrong with that. What i find disconcerting is the choice of Imagery in conjunction with the language  used with this.

The model is blonde and blue eyed ( her eye colour is actually "enhanced")

she has the British flag in the background. A crown on and Jewellery entwined on her wrist with royal imagery as well. The blusher has a statute on it and a little cute button saying "i love GB". With Glory, Pride and Honour is the tag line.

Now i have no problem with patriotism or Nationalism.

What i dislike is this.  Britain  is a nation full of different peoples. Due to the UK's Policy of empire building and Imperialism. For a Brand that claims to be for "everyone", that was even able to expand due to ethnic minorities lining its pockets,  this collection's imagery and language is a farce. In a time when Devolution is a hot topic, where the riots of last summer actually revealed things that people did not want to see, where we even have a 2012 Olympic team that is multicultural, this is what Sleek Makeup have come up with. Really??? Sleek. Really? You couldn't show all the peoples that makeup this Sceptered isle?? Coming together in a positive way?

I guess you're not really British unless....................... *giggles*

I'm not even going to go deeper down the Rabbit hole with what i could say.
Suffice to say me and My sister will never purchase another product from Sleek.

African Pride Shea Butter Miracle Buttery creme

I di not have high hopes for this product. I had used Beautiful Textures Curl Control Defining Pudding and  HATED it. So since i found out these very may well be the SAME product (Click the link for more info) CLICK ME TO FIND OUT THE TRUTH. THE RED OR THE BLUE PILL?

I was mad. Anyway i was messing around on the weekend and decided to give this product a whirl. I was looking really for a hair moisturiser and something thick and heavy, not really a styler since i don't wear wash and go's and hairstyles of that nature.  I also do not mess with my hair when wet so all pictures are of DRY hair.


Lets go!

 Ingredients: ( i spy a cone.)

( if you can't see the pics and want the full ingredient list, leave a comment or go to the contact me section of the blog and ask me on twitter or email me and I'll write it out for you )


Anyway on hair that had been moisturised with rosewater glycerine, i applied the buttery creme. My hair was dry and just taken out of a braid

Before

 After ( sorry about the pic quality)

I then was bored and put it all over my head in a bantu knot for maybe half an hour.

If you already have a curl pattern blah blah blah it does define it. Here's another random pic

Sorry my other pictures are all really BAD.

The product does not elongate like it claims, but it does define hair when added and also when used for  twist outs( my twist out pics were worse than these!) I don't wear my hair out like these pictures but if somebody does wear  wash and go style i would probably use this and then maybe some sort of gel on top. It is quite good. I think it would be fab on a nice short cut.

I however wanted it for its moisturising properties and its just OK. I feel like it leaves a residue/film and my hair does not feel properly moisturised if you get  what I'm saying. It has a nice smell.

Its claims:

African Pride®’s Shea Butter Miracle™ Butter Créme gives amazing manageability, softness and shine to naturally Curly, Wavy, Kinky-Coily Mixed Textures, plus perfect for Transitioners.

Benefits:

• Nourish & Soften Curls, Coils and Waves
• Stretch & Elongate Curls and Kinky-Coils
• Smooth and Tame Frizz

I would say it does smooth and tame frizz but any elongation properties are temporary. 

It was £2.79 for a 6oz jar and i think its very good for the price considering its performance and the ingredients( apart from that cone) don't seem to be bad at all.


Thumbs up as a styler but since i wear my hair in "in styles" i may not repurchase.

Seeing Double AKA The curious case of African pride, beautiful textures, nice and curly AND III sisters of nature.

My Sherlock Holmes Icon is warranted. Over the past couple of months I've seen curl products pop up in the Afro hair shop. Dr Miracles have come out with a line ( yeah really, after the curls are yuck, straight is good advertising line they've been peddling for the past couple of years) ORS curls unleashed, sofnfree nothing but curls, III sisters of nature, beautiful textures and I'm sure many more will reach our shores.

Well last week i spied that African Pride have come out with a "back to natural" range for mixed textures. I opened the bottles and immediately the smell and texture of the products harkened back to the beautiful textures products i had used. ( with not great results)

Today i spied the "nice and curly" range and the gel of that range smelt suspiciously like the III sisters of nature products. Which i used to disastrous results!

Well silly me bought them anyway. I bought the Shea butter miracle moisture intense buttery creme from African pride and the Nice and curly same day repair creme conditioner.


At the shop i was convinced that maybe the products that smelt and felt the same were perhaps using the same base ingredients, so when  i got home some internet sleuthing was needed.  The results are turned up made me realise what an idiot i had been!

The African pride back to natural range and the Beautiful textures range have the same product design! The only difference is the African pride packaging is made up of orange yellow and green and the beautiful textures is red orange and yellow. They even have the same circular flourishes and language.
DUH!!!!

Anyway they are both produced by strength of nature. The only difference is African pride products are cheaper than beautiful textures. Even the photography and makeup of the models is the same! Oh more fool me.


Now onto III sisters of nature who i found out fall under the umbrella of the rastagroup. They make the Jamaican mango and lime stuff amongst others. Well nice and curly is made by them too! Again i don't know whats going on in terms of performance and I'm not sure about the price point either. The products had just come into the shop today and the guy just made up a price for me.

Anyway I'm not sure why this whole same product in different packaging shenanigans is going on for, but I'll tr out both products this week.

Clarins Rouge Prodige 110 Litchi Lipstick review/swatch

I really like this lipstick. Its a pinky brown lip colour that glides on smoothly is very moisturising and smells lovely. In terms of packaging and texture the revlon lip butters look like  a direct rip off to me , however for someone like me with naturally dark pigmented lips the colour pay off of the clarins is better.

Its a lovely shade and a great pink for darker complexions if you don't want to go bright or neon, but understated and pretty.

Does it last? It claims to, but in my opinion all lipsticks have to be reapplied and to be honest I'm always eating when i go out so i can't really gauge its long lasting claims.

Dominican Blow out in London. Dominican hair republic salon review

Sorry i've been away. Moving plus stomach problems plus losing camera= madness.

So lets start this review off.  For the past couple of years the Dominican blow out and Dominican hair products have been popular on various internet channels. From websites to blogs to forums. The Dominican blow out has been praised by some and damned by others. Its either a affordable way to get straight hair or  damaging to hair and a  physically painful experience.
In the part of London i live in there is a huge Latin American contingent, however very few from the Spanish Caribbean, therefore you may find south American hairdressers but not specifically Dominican. 
However i spotted Dominican hair republic, and after researching  found out that its been open for over two years!
Now i had been scared off by reports from the US. That natural hair is frowned upon, you'll be pressurised to  a perm, they will hit you with a broom and tell you to exit their establishment if you dare to show up with natural Afro hair and so forth. ( I'm just kidding on the last one!)
But i was going to  take one for the team.

I went in a couple of days before and talked to the owner about getting a blow out. To be honest due to the language constraints i wasn't sure if we fully understood each other, but i think we both got the gist.

I went in on a Saturday and there was only one hairdresser( not the owner). The other 3 people were also Spanish speakers so there was a little awkwardness at the beginning as we were all 

But with the offering of a celebrity gossip magazine all Ice was broken! They were lovely, warm and very hospitable. Soon we were getting on fabulously.

So the actually salon is very clean and nicely decorated. It reminds me of a nice living room, very warm and welcoming and spacious. It was very light and airy as well.

I was offered a coffee and i got down to waiting. It took AGES! So if you are in a hurry, please do not expect to get down soon. There was only one hairdresser and she's thorough so go on a day where you don't have anything and go early. ( They open 10:am). I'm used to waiting in hairdressers so I'm just warning you. ( its a black thing)

The clientele and their hair was diverse. Naturally straight/wavy, relaxed, me a natural and a  greedy weave*.  There were Spanish and non Spanish speakers and all ethnicities so don't fell no way about going there whoever you are and whatever your hair type.

So anyway. I got a wash, deep condition, roller-set, blown out and flat iron. The roller-set itself gets your ends straight so if i had a looser hair type or a relaxer , a light blow out is all you need after that.

I totally forgot to see what products she was using. But they smelt nice. 

 I have natural Afro type 4 hair and the hairdresser was gentle, i had no pain and the heat was not too hot at all. I was expecting hot hot heat, the type known only in the underworld. But it was nothing! No burnt ears, no burnt neck, the dryer wasn't that hot either. It was kinda a let down lol.

Now i know what your here for. The pictures *insert glorai swanson in sunset boulevard photo*

My hair is quite thin and flyaway, that's just genetics mayne, and I'm mad I'm STILL shoulder length like really? My hair grows sooo slowly its ridiculous. Anyway its weird having straight hair but its fuzzified now and i like wearing it up and experimenting with hairstyles.  Its been good actually. I feel like such a bad natural. All for only £20. ( at time of going to print)

So in conclusion

Pros
Gentle handling
Welcoming and polite
Thorough and precise and great hairdresser
Can deal with ALL hair types
Affordable
Cons
Wait time
Language barrier- I used my tiny Spanish knowledge 


Will I go back again. YES. Do i highly recommend them. YES

Their website, including address and contact info
http://www.dominicanhr.com/aboutus.html

*Greedy weave- a weave excessively long and thick. Hence the name greedy. "You're already getting a weave girl, don't be greedy."

III Sisters of nature/ 3 sisters of nature curly whip pudding

How much do i hate thee? Let me count the ways.

This product is horrible. Let me just get that straight out of the gate.  It is billed as "Frizz free, soft fluffy curls, defines curls, waves, twists for kinky styles" and that it "compares to Miss Jessie's curly pudding".  What did it deliver? Flakes upon flakes upon flakes upon flakes. It will cover, it will envelope your hair in flakes! You will look as if cornflakes were crushed in the heavens and sprinkled throughout your mane, that's what you get.

OK. Let me tell my story. I initially tried it on hair that had been washed maybe 3 days prior and only moisturised with rosewater glycerine. I thought maybe that's why the section of hair i used it upon was flake city, because it wasn't totally clean. Fair enough. So i used it a week later on clean hair(i use sulfate shampoo's and clean thoroughly) and while my hair was drying i saw the flakes. I had to blow-dry the flakes out of my hair. I used actually three of their products afterwards  and i was not impressed, but I'm going to use them separately again just to see if it was only the curly whip pudding that flakes.

It didn't really define my hair either. I would advise you to skip this altogether.

Directions: Apply curly whip to hair that has been shampooed and conditioned. Then part damp hair in large sections. Use fingers as comb when applying a generous amount of curly whip pudding to hair. Finally let hair airdry.

Ingredients: Deionized water (aqua), polyquaternium 10 PEG 14, Glycerol, DMDM Hydantoin, carbomer, PEG33 and PEG8 dimethicone, triethanolamine, sodium polyacrylate and ethylhexylsterate tridecety-6, fragrance (parfum), aloe extract(aloe barbadensis) soybean oil (glycine soja) babassu oil ( orbignya oleifera), honey, macadamia nut oil ( ternifolia), papaya extract( carica), avocado oil (persea gratissma), bay laurel extract (lauris nobilis), sweet almond extract (primus amygdalus), chamomile extract (anthemis nobilis)

It smells like bubblegum though and is purple. That's a plus eh? Am  i happy that i only  bought a sample size. In the words of M. Bison

sorry the pics look dirty, I've been carrying this pot in my bag for a week or two.

Retail price i saw £6.99. Sample size £1.99

Dabur Vatika Naturals, Olive Cactus, Hair fall control styling cream

Yes that is how long the name of the actual product is.
Big name, but tiny amount!
This is a hair cream from the popular Dabur range of haircare products from India.( although this product is manufactured in the United Arab Emirates) There a few hair creams  in the range ranging from lemon to henna and a night treatment amongst others, but for my hair this has been the best. Here are its claims


Olive- Gives complete nourishment
Cactus & Others- Strengthens hair & fights hair loss.

It says it can be used as a Pre- Shampoo treatment or as a hair cream. I use it as a hair cream.  It has only four ingredients: Extra Virgin Olive oil, Cactus extract, Panthenol and Perfume. So it is silicone free which is good for those who follow no silicone hair regimen's . Its thinner than a butter but thicker than a normal lotion texture, but its very light. It has a light pleasant fragrance and is great as a moisturiser. If you do wear your hair in wash and go styles be warned that this does not elongate nor define but is strictly a moisturiser. I wouldn't use it primarily for braid outs or twist outs either, without some other product layered on top. I really love it though, it leaves my hair soft, moisturised and easy to detangle. Its cheap- £1.99-£2.49, has few, yet good ingredients and for me is easily available. The only, only fault is its tiny!!! It is only 140ml! There is enough to do my hair maybe 2- 3 times. ( i am heavy handed) If your hair is over shoulder length or very thick it won't last long at all! That's my only gripe i wish it came in like a giant tub size. ( like their deep conditioner)  For my fine natural Afro, Type 4 hair i give this two thumbs up!! Try it.

P.S
I'm seeing some new tub sizes in the hair shop so maybe they are making it bigger? Who knows

Laval lipstick in Cerise review. Rihanna pink lipstick dupe

First dupe post?
Oh.
I wasn't looking for a dupe, i just wanted to find something new. I have branched out of nude coloured lipsticks for me and dipped my toes into red. Sometimes. But i have had a problem with pinks for a long while. Its hard for me  because although i do like the colour i don't want to run the risk of either having pepto bismal lips or just looking all out deranged.
So i spied this lipstick called cerise by Laval and thought, hey why don't i try it out? Its cheap and i can see what the colour looks like on me.

Laval lipstick Cerise. .Holla!

I love it! Its a deep dark hot pink and is actually kinda flattering. ( Urmm excuse where i went outside of my lip line on the left there, it was a slight cosmetics malfunction and won't happen again)

It also looks almost alike to Pop star Rihanna's lipstick circa flattering hairdo years

so if you have ever wanted this lip colour try Laval lipstick in Cerise.

Does it last i hear you say? Yes and maybe too well. Its a pain to get off. It stays on all night and even after a night of sleep. Yes i went to bed with my makeup on and yes i am well aware that i am now doomed to a face like a crater filled moon, a barren womb and no man of woman born shall marry me.

So anyway its long lasting, looks good on dark skin, does not dry out lips and is cheap as chips. ( less than £2. Whats not to love?

Available online and in a market stall near you.
Laval cosmetics  i salute you

Jourdan Dunn - Burberry Spring Summer 2012 Campaign. New shades for darker skintones

So this photo was recently tweeted by Burberry

for their Spring/ Summer 2012 Campaign.
I vaguely recollect Burberry having a makeup collection and certainly didn't know they did any darker shades.

Oh. According to BelleSugar, they didn't.

Designer Christopher Bailey is a man of his word. Back in 2010, we spoke to the Burberry creative director when Burberry Beauty first launched. At the time, the line had no foundations for women with dark skin tones, but Bailey promised that some were on the way. Now, the makeup line has delivered, with four new foundation and concealer shades for darker skin tones. Both the Luminous Fluid Foundation and Luminous Compact Foundations are now available in Trench No. 10, 11, 12 and 13 and the Sheer Concealer is now available in Amber No. 5, Hazelnut No. 6, Walnut No. 7 and Mahogany No. 8. The shades, part of The Natural Luminosity 2012 Collection, are available at David Jones Bondi Junction, Bourke Street Mall and Chadstone. Great news, no?

 http://www.bellasugar.com.au/Burberry-Beauty-Launches-New-Shades-Foundation-Dark-Skin-Tones-22390314

Will these be available in the UK?
Its funny now all these makeup ranges are just discovering black women exist in the UK.
I still lol at YSL's explanation that the reason touche eclat wasn't available in darker shades for over ten years is because they didn't have "the technology".

(Picture depicting YSL Beauty scientist: Roger, will my mind ever be able to reach the heights that will allow me to make a concealor for anyone darker than tan?)


Well i give them more points than Rimmel who have Solange as a spokesperson yet make no darker shades of foundation or concealor.

Solange wears foundation not from us. K thanx bye


What say you?
If anyone tries it come back and tell me how it goes.

revlon super lustrous lipstick blackberry 640

May this be, my perfect red?

Not this black berry.


This blackberry. Number 640.

A highly pigmented red based lipstick which looks fantastic on dark skin. Seriously if you are olive to dark brown this will most certainly suit you sir. You can wear it sheer or layer it. Its brown base means its very flattering and its like a dark brick red. I went to dinner and then out afterwards and only had to reapply once ( of course i used a lip pencil first). My sister says it reminds her of a constance carroll lip colour she rocked in the 90s and suffice to say i will be keeping this in my bag. Oh and here is my lovely assistant aka big sister wearing it with a brown liner,

and here's a swatch from my arm

It actually looks Darker on then in the photos. Weird. Anyway i picked mine up on a market stall ( Oh the shame!) so I'm not sure if its in stores or online, but a quick Google looks like its readily available on the net and quite cheap. So if you're going for a dark red try this.

Creme of nature Argan oil shampoo and intensive conditioning treatment

Before i delve into my review, just for anyone googling and wanting a quick skim, Yes to the shampoo, No to the conditioner. Lets move onto why. I actually bought the conditioner first, as i was looking for something new. More fool am I. I can't lie my first bad experience was all on me. The instructions SPECIFY that one must use heat when deep conditioner with this product, however i contrary to this used it, just with a plastic cap on my head. It made my hair feel terrible and waxy. ( I was away from my bonnet dryer attachment and just needed to wash my hair FAST) Because that first time was my fault, i decided to follow the instructions the second time round explicitly. This time round was a much better experience. I was under the dryer for fifteen minutes, my hair come out soft and elongated ( if you wear your hair in wash and go's and want more curl elongation this is a good deep conditioner to use before styling) yet it still felt a bit weird. I found it quite water, didn't help with detangling at all and smelt very perfume like. Not in a good way either. Like cheapo pound shop perfume. Nevertheless it did its job fairly well, but i would not be repurchasing. If you don't have access to a form of heat for deep conditioning don't bother.
It also contains Dimethicone.

Maybe it would work better on relaxed hair. I don't know

Lets move onto the shampoo. Now this was a much happier experience. I used it quite by accident as it wasn't purchased by myself and i really like it.  It is sulfate free and left my hair feeling soft and clean. It didn't dry it out at all. I give it 3.5/5


Both retail for just under £4.00




 Shampoo:
Ingredients: Aqua, Trideceth-7, Carboxylic Acid, Decyl Glucoside, Glycol Stearate, Polyquarternium-10, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Disodium EDTA, Quaternium-15, Perfum (Fragrance), Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, CI 14700(Red4), CI19140(Yellow 5).


Intensive Conditioning treatment
Ingredients:
Ingredients: Aqua (Water) (Eau), Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Dicetyldimonium Chloride , Polyquaternium-32, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Paraffinum Liquidum (Mineral Oil) (Huile Minerale), Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Honey (Mel) (Miel), Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Cocodimonium Hydroxypropyl Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Panthenol, PEG-12 Dimethicone, Lanolin Oil, Phenyl Trimethicone, PPG-1 Trideceth-6, Polyquaternium-10, Amodimethicone, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Hydrolyzed Wheat Starch , Isostearyl Ethylimidazolinium Ethosulfate, Parfum (Fragrance), Methylparaben, Ethylparaben, Propylparaben, Butylparaben, Isobutylparaben, Phenoxyethanol

What i'm using at the moment: dr darren mckeown's AHA Active Radiance Cleanser

This is just an introductory review of Dr Darren McKeown's AHA active radiance cleanser, since i have only been using it  for one week and  i want to be able to give an honest longterm ( 6 weeks minimum) review.
I walked into superdrug and was surprised to see a product containing AHA's in a high street store( i never see them) and to be honest i was eying it up for a good two weeks. It was bizarre though  that all the other products in the line were on offer but not this one. I decided to go online ta-da! and found a "better than half- price" offer online. Its not a cheap product- i think it retails for £12.99  and so i was over the moon.
I have developed acne recently (urgh) and have really tried many things to combat it. I'm not hoping for perfect skin, i just don't want to see a billion spots when i wake up in the morning. I had read about AHA's and acne for a while and in skincare in genral  and was willing to take the chance.

When it comes to any sort of skin regimen i proceed with caution. I have sensitive skin that has recently transformed from dry to oily( i have no idea  why either) blemish prone and being black much more susceptible to scarring. So if something is bad for my skin there is not that much help for it out there once damage has been done.
So here comes the nitty grityy.

I use it only at night, followed by a heavy moisturising cream( when i wake up i use water only- followed by sunscreen)With any AHA product USE SUNSCREEN.
and i follow directions EXPLICITLY- two to three pumps on face for 2-3 minutes. Oh how it stung! The first day it stung, ow! I was a bit frightened but i read that all AHA products do. After the third day my skin was fine and  i dropped down from 3 minutes to 2 just to be safe.

Whilst washing it my face felt so smooth. It was weird, like washing a freshly waxed floor or something! Very smooth i felt like a mannequin

 It felt squeaky clean but not like your face is stripped at all.


The claims of the product are
"AHAs are the secret ingredient to luminous skin. Clinically proven to promote cell turnover, they help restore a glowing, radiant complexion and softer skin. We have added active apple AHA - a complex of glycolic, malic and lactic acids - to natural cleansers and created this daily wash to sweep away dull, old skin cells, remove excess oil - even stubborn make-up – and reveal a glowing complexion. Shea butter and panthenol help lock in moisture and plump skin. Sulphate free, to reduce the chances of irritation "


I'm not using it for luminosity factor or smoothness but to see if it will help my skin, and to be honest i do feel like it has. I know its early early days, but i think my skin looks better (placebo effect?) i've only had a few new spots ( and its that time of the month tmi! when my skin goes haywire) and i do feel like my skin does look better and more radiant.

Anyway it is sulphate free and i will be back tomorrow with a full ingredient list ( left it somewhere) and check back in 6 weeks for a full report.

BYE

shikakai powder. Heaven sent for dry/prone to build up scalps.

I admit i use sulfate shampoos, i have to. In the natural world its a taboo, but they are the only thing that will get my scalp clean. My scalp is so prone to build up its awful. I've tried everything frequent washings to infrequent washing and its the same result. So until it sorts itself out  I'm stuck. ( my scalp goes on swings and roundabouts every couple of years)

 The problem is i often have to shampoo several times, leaving my hair horrendously dry and making styling my hair that much harder.
 Well I've found something that doesn't eradicate my need for  sulfate shampoo, but does lessen it.  Its Shikakai powder. I am aware that i am a billion light years behind the Ayurveda bandwagon but i never thought it would work for me. Oh and i couldn't be bothered.
What the powder does is, it brings to the surface any buildup or debris and then only one round of shampoo is needed. It also makes your hair appear darker and with more sheen.
There are two main brands I've seen readily available in asda and Afro hair shops, its Hesh and Ayuuri. I prefer the Ayuuri because it is more finely milled.

 Now HEED MY WARNING. Follow the instructions on the packets EXPLICITLY. DO NOT, i repeat DO NOT leave the powder on your scalp for the allotted time. Why? Because if it dries you can not get the damn granules out of your hair!!! It'll feel like coffee is in there. Believe me i learnt this the hard way.
Both retail for around £1.99 or cheaper  and depending on how big your head  is and how thick your hair is can last i say 4-6 washes. Don't make too much either i always make that mistake.

Ever felt bad for buying a product because it goes against your principles?

 DR Miracles Daily moisturizing lotion review


I had a problem. I was in a bind. I had only a couple of pounds on me and i needed a moisturiser. Fast. I went to my local Afro hair shop/BSS and that's when the trouble started. I was rooting around, i was tired, i just wanted to pick something up and go. Listlessly wandering the isles i steered my way towards a product range i never go near. Dr Miracles. Why you asked? Because of their (past?/present?) advertisements. That in the words of Run DMC "Go a little something like this"

Google them there are worse. That's right they usually depict natural hair as being "yuck" and then the problem solver being a Dr miracles relaxer!!! Why did no one tell me this before??? Anyway the inference that natural afro hair is disgusting and needs to be fixed put me right off their range. I'm not their desired customer so i just look the other way. Until now.

I was a natural haired traitor. I bought their daily moisturising lotion, and you know whats worse. It was GOOD! Damn, damn, damn. I bought it because it was £2 i needed a quick fix and it was freely available. How can something so bad feel so good????

If you like heavy products this one is for you. Too much can leave hair feeling greasy( i don't mind that) and if you set your hair in styles such as twist outs and braid outs etc, it does give definition. It smells kinda nice too. Its silicone free, but not paraben free

 INGREDIENTS:
Aqua (Water) Deionized, Sorbitol , Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Petrolatum, Sorbitan Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate SE, Mel (Honey), Simmondsia Chinensis (JoJoba) Seed Oil, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Aloe Barbabadenesis (Aloe Extract), Stearic Acid, Caprylic / Capric Triglyceride, Polysorbate 60, PEG 25 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Cyclohexasiloxaine, Propylene Glycol, Methylparaben , Propylparaben, Diazodinyl Urea, Fragrance, Benzyl Benzoate, Citral, Citronellol, d-Limonine, Geraniol, Hexyl Cinnamic Aldehyde, Lanalool.

Would i buy it again? I have principles so I'm on the look out for an alternative.  But if push comes to shove....... ( Never count on me when the revolution comes i don't have the mettle)