What's on my Face? Neutral Glam

Are you tired of my eyeshadow attempts yet? Why can I not keep the colour in my crease please? I feel like I put the shadow there and it fades after 5 minutes! Any suggestions? This has been my go to look recently, the simplicity - albeit trying to stop the colours fading,  is what appeals to me. I have concluded that I really lack patience for any kind of elaborate eyeshadow look so whenever I feel like it is not going too well I just overcompensate with the highlight- can you tell? I think I am going to try something really extra for my next What's on my Face? post... maybe glitter? or a crazy colour? We shall see...  This look also features my new favourite highlighter from theBalm.. if you are a blogger you know the one! ... if not it is listed below :* (post coming soon!) :)

Base

Foundation: The Body Shop Fresh Nude Foundation -Tuscany Chesnut

Concealer: Estée Lauder Double Wear Concealer - Deep

Powder to set concealer: Collection Pressed Powder - Translucent

Eyebrows - Kiko Eyebrow Sculpt - No 06 Blackhaired

Eyes

Transition : MAC Swiss Chocolate

Crease : MAC Embark

Lid: Makeup Geek Cocoa Bear

Tear Duct: Mary-Lou Manizer from theManizer Sisters

Eyeliner: theBalm Schwing Liquid Eyeliner

Mascara: Barry M That's How I Roll

Lips

theBalm Pretty Smart Lipgloss - Grrr!

Finishing touches

Blush: MAC Raizin

Highlight Mary-Lou and Betty Lou Manizer from theManizer Sisters

'We have to dare to be ourselves, however frightening and strange that self may prove to be'- May Sarton

Christine x

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p.s. I randomly decided to start changing the quote I use at the end of my posts... even though I live by 'Be your own kind of beautiful' I felt like it was time for a change... I hope the quotes encourage or inspire someone xx 

Magnitone Barefaced - #SpringCleanMe Update

Hi all! This is a quick update on the #SpringCleanMe challenge that I have been taking part in using the Magnitone* I have been using the device for just over 15 days and wanted to check in and document how I have been finding the experience! Please check out my first post for more details about the Magnitone and my first impressions! 

Surprisingly, I have not had to charge this thing once since the first charge! Although I have only been using it in the mornings I thought I would have had to charge it by now so one point to Magnitone!  The brush head has retained its shape and it is relatively easy to clean. I am quite paranoid about the brush head being as clean as possible before it goes on my face so I scrub it after every use with Dove bar soap and leave it to air dry and that seems to work out fine. Magnitone recommend that you change the brush head every three months so I am quite excited to look into the different brush attachments they offer (I will probably change it after two months because I am paranoid about these things!) . The brush really is 100% waterproof- I have used it in the shower and it has been fine!

As I mentioned in my first post, the sensation takes a bit of getting used to but after about a week, I was ok with the vibrations and it actually started to feel quite therapeutic. You can really feel the bristles getting to work on your skin and the after feeling is one of super smooth feeling skin. I did have a minor breakout after the first few uses, that nearly made me give up on using it but thankfully it did clear up after a few more days use. Although it cleared up I have stuck to only using this once a day because I think it would be a bit much for my skin if I tried to use it more :(

I definitely think that my skin feels much smoother than when I first started using the Magnitone and this has definitely been a strong selling point for me. My moisturiser and primer seem much more effective as I really feel that they are sinking in to my skin rather than just sitting on the surface.  It was hard for me to replicate the same lighting in these photos as the ones in my first post so it is hard to say, but I am not convinced that the appearance of my skin has changed that much. For instance, I don't think the appearance of my scars has necessarily improved or that my face looks any brighter as a result of using the brush. Magnitone do not specifically say this will happen anyway so I cannot really complain. It serves its primary purpose, which is to deep cleanse and tone your skin and I am happy with that...

All in all I am liking how clean this gets my skin. It is really easy to use and now that I am used to the sensation I think it is more effective than manual cleansing simply for the fact that it works my cleanser deeper into my pores. I will definitely do another post at the end of the 30 days for a final update!

*This brush is a gift sent to me by Magnitone PR. This post is not sponsored. Use the code BUZZOFF to get £20 of a Magnitone Barefaced. 

'Beauty in things exists in the mind which contemplates them' - David Hume

Christine x

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My Blush Collection - Women of Colour Friendly?

Blush has recently become my favourite makeup product to apply.. After highlight that is. In fact I would choose to emphasise my cheeks and lips over eyes any day. There's just something about that little pop of colour and glow that is so satisfying to me!

I feel like blush is a little bit like nude lipstick- remember when we all thought it was a no go until MAC Chesnut? No.. Just me? Lolz. Most blushes, in my opinion, can be worn by women of colour. I have italicised this because I thought it necessary to emphasise the broad spectrum of shades that fall within that term. I have heard many times that some blush shades are not for women of colour- I think it is a little bit much to make such statements.. advise me on flattering shades, yes, but please don't tell me something is not for me!

I don't know, you may disagree with me on that one, however I think it all comes down to what you feel comfortable wearing. Remember that powder blushes are also very versatile- they can be layered, blended down to a soft wash of colour or built up for intensity and even used as eyeshadow. Obviously there are certain shades that will be more flattering on you but don't dismiss a gorgeous colour too quickly- because all it may need is a little extra blending or some layering! Take Nars Orgasm for example, it's one of those shades that is apparently not for women of colour. On fairer women of colour this can absolutely be a gorgeous blush with the gold shimmer giving a lovely glow. On deeper skin tones it works as a gorgeous highlight shade with a soft wash of colour- the warm gold shimmer is very complimentary on my skin tone for example. 

Below, I have linked some amazing posts/vids from other bloggers who have suggested certain blushes for women of colour with various skin tones: 

Deeper skin tones: Natalie from Discoveries of Self  and Danielle from TheStyle and Beauty Doctor

Medium to Deep skin tones : Lizzie from Britbeauty

Olive Brown to Tan/Medium skin tones: Hitesha from Hiteshashah and Jovita from Mr Jovita George

Leave links in the comment section to any great posts/vids you have seen .. it's good to share!! :D

My collection

I usually hate doing this but I decided to arm swatch all of these because I couldn't think of anything more painful than trying to show them on my face! Obviously no one will be applying these as heavily as I swatched them but hopefully you get a fair picture of what they are like :) (They will all feature in a What's on my Face? post at some point!)

First up is the Sleek Blush by 3 palettes. These blushes are super pigmented and intense, if you don't apply these with a light hand you will be blending for a lifetime. The pigment on these means they would all work well as eyeshadows too!

       L-R 1.FLAME- Furnace, Bonfire, Molten 2. PINK SPRINT - Pink Parfait, Pink Ice, Pinktini 3. PUMPKIN- Lantern, Squash, Pumpkin Pie

1. Sleek Blush by 3 - Flame 

Furnace - Earth toned peach with a hint of shimmer - the shimmer isn't too intense so this works as a great day time blush

Bon Fire - Warm, Matte red- intense colour that is a bit difficult to blend, once blended it's beautiful. (Dupe for Nars Exhibit A)

Molten - warm coral with gold shimmer- really gorgeous shade that gives a lovely glow. Very wearable on deeper skin tones, on fairer skin tones this is gorgeous when applied with a lighter hand 

2. Sleek Blush by 3 - Pink Sprint

Pink Parfait - deep matte raspberry - gorgeous on deeper skin tones - needs to be applied evenly with a very light hand or it can look a bit patchy

Pink Ice- bright matte fuchsia, reminds me of MAC Candy Yum Yum lipstick- a very bold shade that needs to be applied with a light hand 

Pinktini - matte muted raspberry- very smooth and the easiest shade to blend of the three

3. Sleek Blush by 3 - Pumpkin

Lantern- red toned coral with iridescent shimmer, quite similar to Molten in the Flame palette but it is a little pinker

Squash - satin light pink - not glittery but there is a sheen to it, applies smoothly and takes a bit more blending on me for it to be more wearable

Pumpkin Pie - bright matte orange, my favourite shade out of all three palettes- blends to a lovely glow although it applies a little chalky

L-R C.A.K.E Tropicana, Burberry Russet Blush, Kiko Beige Rose, MAC Raizin, Burberry Rose Blush, C.A.K.E Lucky, Nars Taj Mahal, Nars Orgasm

4. C.A.K.E Tropicana - Warm coral with gold shimmer- gorgeous blush! Really similar to Molten but applies much smoother

5. Burberry Russet Blush No. 01 - Medium terracotta with a slight iridescent and gold shimmer - would give a gorgeous warm look to fairer women of colour. I often mix this with MAC Raizin 

6. Kiko Beige Rose No. 106 - Muted medium brown with a slight iridescent shimmer, very similar to Burberry Russet Blush but a little cooler toned

7. MAC Raizin - Matte reddish brown, the blush that I wear on a daily basis! Stunning on deeper skin tones, applied slightly lower it can be used as a contour shade. 

8. Burberry Rose Blush No.03 -  Coral rose with slight shimmer , wearable on my skin if blended well. Goes well with a bold lip and can be blended with a bolder pink to make it a little more subtle

9. C.A.K.E Lucky - Muted plum pink with gold shimmer- applies very smoothly. Unique shimmer gives this blush an edge. I think this would be very flattering on tan-medium skintones

10. Nars Taj Mahal-Warm burnt orange with rich golden shimmer. The blush of all blushes...! (ultimate violation when I dropped this *welp*). Very pigmented and looks gorgeous on deeper skin tones 

11. Nars Orgasm - peachy pink with shimmer. Applies smoothly and gives a gorgeous glowy finish 

Similar shades

n.b. Kiko Beige Rose is a little more cool toned than Burberry Russet. Lucky is a more plum based than Orgasm but the shimmer effect is very similar. C.A.K.E Tropicana applies smoother than Sleek's Molten and is a little more golden.

L-R Sleek Molten, C.A.K.E Tropicana, Kiko Beige Rose, Burberry Russet Blush, C.A.K.E Lucky, Nars Orgasm

Jheez thank you if you read all of this! I am thinking of doing something similar with my lipsticks but I will probably have to break that up into different posts. What do you think?

What is your favourite blush shade??

'Be your own kind of beautiful'

Christine x

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Magnitone Barefaced - #SpringCleanMe

If you follow me on Instagram (shameless plug) you will have seen that I received a Magnitone* last week! I met the Magnitone team at a Bloggers Hangout event (post here) a few weeks ago, and I received an email from Magnitone a while after the event saying that I had been chosen to be a Spring Cleanser and would be receiving a Magnitone Barefaced! Before I start I just want to thank Magnitone! Thank you soo much... I really appreciate it! xxx

If I am being honest I don't really know much about cleansing brushes. I remember there being quite a few Youtube videos comparing the Foreo Luna and the Clarisonic a few years ago but that's where my knowledge ends. What I do know is that these facial cleansing brushes are supposed to deep clean your skin in a way you would not be able to do manually.

n.b. I haven't personally read any UK based reviews on the Clarisonic but there are loads of reviews on Youtube that you can check out. Same for the Foreo - the lovely Liv from FashStyleLiv has a very in depth review on her blog also. The Foreo and Clarisonic brushes start from £99. The Magnitone brushes start from £70.

What Magnitone say the Barefaced does:

"Barefaced! Vibra- Sonic Daily Cleansing Brush deep- cleanses pores, tones and beautifully conditions your skin" ... The daily cleansing brush "deep cleans, empties out pores and tones skin"

Key features

100% waterproof

20 second timer- and 1 minute stop

Interchangeable brush heads

The brush is a compact handheld device and comes with a cool magnetic USB charger that just 'clinks' to the brush.  You are meant to charge it for 12 hours when you first get it. I charged it for the first time four days ago and haven't charged it since. It's not 100% clear as to whether you can use this more than once a day, i.e. morning and evening. It just says 'daily' in the instruction manual so I have just used it once a day for the past few days.  The brush has two settings, one for deep cleansing( Gentle Vibra-Sonic Deep Pore Cleansing) and one to boost circulation (Pulselift toning mode). It comes with one brush head (Active Clean Brush Head) and you can buy different heads from Magnitone which range from exfoliating heads to ones for sensitive skin.

First Impressions

I am taking part in Magnitone's #SpringCleanMe Challenge where they are encouraging users to be on "Operation Clear Skin in just 30 days"!  I am not changing anything else in my skin care routine and I am going to try and stick to using it.  I have used the brush for a few days now and I can definitely say that if you have never used a cleansing brush before, the sensation can take some getting used to. The brush vibrates and pulses as you move it over your skin. Although it is quite gentle, it still feels very strange. I learnt on the first day that you really shouldn't press the brush head in to your skin but rather let it glide over your face as you move it in circular motions. 

After the first two uses, I noticed a few spots on my face that were not there before *welp*.. Magnitone say that this is perfectly normal after the first few days of use so I am going to keep on using it and hopefully it clears up. My skin does feel a little smoother but I think I need to use it a little more in order to make a full judgement on its effects, however my skin does feel very clean after using it!

Magnitone is encouraging everyone to go Barefaced! I love the concept behind their campaign. As much as I like makeup I think it's great to feel confident and comfortable in your own skin. 

Below is what my skin looked like before I started using the brush. I obviously don't have the greatest skin...I don't really get blemishes any more but I have scarring and the texture of my skin goes through phases, but it's mainly dry. I am hoping that using the brush will help smooth my skin out and improve the texture overall. I don't expect it to get rid of the scars but maybe it will improve the appearance of them a little. We shall see! I will hopefully do another post at 15 days and then at 30 days!

If you would like to try the Magnitone you can use the code BUZZOFF to get £20 of a Magnitone Barefaced . However, please do your research before you commit to getting any cleansing brush! There is a heap of different technology behind these brushes and you may find that another brush is more suited to you.

Have you used a cleansing brush before? What are your experiences with them?

*This brush is a gift sent to me by Magnitone PR. This post is not sponsored. Magnitone did not pay me to write this post, neither did they coerce or threaten to harm me if I didn't write this post ;) All views are my own. 

'Be your own kind of beautiful'

Christine x

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Spring Tryouts + Skin Care Routine

It's Spring!! I am excited about this for many reasons- 1. I am almost done with the first year of my MA *ahhh* 2. My birthday is soon ;) and 3. It's warm! (ish).  This is normally the time that I like to switch up the products I use and I have been putting a few new products to the test in the lead up to the warmer months. I thought this would be a good time to also share my go to skin care products..

Makeup removal

Ok confession... before I got this Micellar Water thing I just used my toner to loosen up the makeup on my face before going in with my cleanser. Do not do this lolz... It makes no sense. I sometimes used wipes but I just found that, because I was using 3+ wipes each time, I was constantly buying wipes! So recently I decided to switch it up and try the Garnier Micellar Water. I know these Micellar waters are really popular and I thought they were just over hyped but trust me it actually works! I just soak my favourite cotton pads with it and everything comes off! 

Cleansing

I am not someone that has endless skin care products...I haven't changed my cleanser and moisturiser in a very long time, I literally swear by The Body Shop's Tea Tree and Vitamin E Ranges. Like my hair care.. I find something that works and stick to it! I love this cleanser and toner combo , the Skin Clearing Facial Wash gets my skin super clean - super fast after I remove my makeup! 

I am convinced that The Body Shop Skin Clearing Toner is the reason I do not get blemishes but I also 100% believe that your skin can get used to certain products so I have been switching it up with the Pixi Glow Tonic.

I am sure that every blogger and their grandma has heard about this and probably tried this. I am definitely late on the bandwagon! I haven't used manual exfoliation techniques for quite a while now as I feel like most exfoliators are quite abrasive and I am definitely that person that goes over board with the scrubbing :(  I decided to give acidic exfoliation a try instead and I must say I have been loving it! I use this roughly three times a week, day and night, mainly because I am not convinced it is safe to use AHA's every day ( apparently you can use this twice a day!). I alternate this with my Body Shop Toner and it just keeps my skin looking bright and polished.

Moisturising 

I recently stopped using The Body Shop Vitamin E Eye Cream because I stopped seeing results :( also I don't think I really need one as my skin has been looking much brighter because of my new toner combo. The Vitamin E Intense Moisture cream however!! I love this cream so much, I always buy the intense version because I have dry skin. I use the exact same products mentioned above, morning and night except for the cream - I love using an oil at night to combat dryness. My usual go to is The Body Shop Vitamin E Overnight Serum in Oil as it just makes my skin feel soft and replenished in the morning! I've recently started trying out a new oil however...

The AMAZING Liv from FashStyleLiv was nominated to send a bottle of the Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Oil* to a friend and she asked me if I was interested in trying it! I obvs said yes! lolz I was literally having a moment when I received the package from Elizabeth Arden in the post *welps* It's weird because Elizabeth Arden is a brand that I wouldn't ordinarily buy.  The brand reminds me a bit of Estée Lauder and the likes- those brands that actually do really amazing products but you tend to associate with a slightly older generation. Recently I have been loving Estee Lauder products (the double wear concealer is amazing!) so I was not hesitant about trying this out. 

I have been loving using this! The oil is so soothing and it gives me a similar effect to The Body Shop Oil.. this one smells much nicer and is a little lighter in my opinion, which I love.  It has the added benefit of being a body and hair oil too.. I have used it a few times on my body but I really like the way it makes my face feel in the morning so I probably won't use it as a body or hair oil because i want to save it lolz. Thank you so so much Liv for hooking me up with this! Guys please go check out her blog and YouTube! She does some of the best beauty posts and gives great advice!!

Other new tryouts

Urban Decay All nighter Makeup Setting Spray- no but where has this been all my life! Char from Memoirs&Musings recommended this to be during a BrownBeautyTalk on Twitter a few weeks ago and I decided to pick one up! When I put this on my makeup does not budge! I love it! I think I am going to pick up the Loréal Infallible Fixing Mist to be using as an every day setting spray and leave this one for special occasions because it costs 22 whole British pounds.

Mour Mour Creme - If you have read any of my hair posts you will know that Shea Butter is my thing! The Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter range and pure Shea Butter is pretty much all that goes in my hair. I got this cream in my MyChocoBelle box ( a beauty subscription box service for Women of Colour!) recently and I have nearly finished it!  I have only ever used Shea Butter that people have bought me from Sierra Leone, or other African countries,  because I never know which Shea Butter, in UK shops, is authentic.  I don't know where this Shea Butter is from but it is everything! The essential oils are so good for my hair too.. I will definitely be repurchasing this. 

What products are you trying out this Spring? What are your go to skin care products?

*Items marked with an (*) are PR samples or gifts. This is NOT a sponsored post :) Elizabeth Arden don't know me like that (obvs) ;) 

'Be your own kind of beautiful'