ANKARA TREND CONTD; ACCESSORIES

Hey beautiful people, I'm back.

I talked about the ankara craze in one of my earlier posts but I didn't get around to talking about the accessories. Fabric accessories are taking the fashion world by storm and ankara is no exception.
Whew! Where do I start from?....bangles, chunky necklaces, rings, bowties, hair bands, scrunchies, head wraps, belts, earrings, bags, clutch purses, sandals and SHOES!! Like I said earlier, I'm still working up the guts to rock this trend but I absolutely adore the way it looks on people!! ....very beautiful, colourful and oh so DARING. I have a few purses of my own that I purchased from upcoming entrepreneurs whose contact details I will share with you so you can hit them up if you are a fan of the very AFFORDABLE and GOOD stuff...like me...lol
Take a look at some nice ankara accessories. Feed your eyes

You can purchase these accessories from most nigerian online fashion stores like JUMIA or KONGA.....OR you can hit up the people I ordered from;

Cassandra
08060500528
Twitter : @cuzoaccessories
Email: sandie4real2003@yahoo.com

Kemi
08060334078
Instagram: @khem_ie

Would you rock ankara accessories? or are you still working up the guts like I am...Hope you try this trend though!

Stay beautiful!

SIMPLE BEAT

Hey beautiful people!!...... who wants to talk makeup?!!!

I do anyway...

This look I'm about to share with you was done a while back and a lot of people loved it and since we are talking beauty....I thought to share!

It's a very simple smoky eye done with peach,gold and a very dull black with a bit of shimmer.

In this look, I used colours from my Fashion 21 palette;it has just matte colours all through. When I got this palette, I threw the protective transparent cover inside away without realising that the names for the respective colours were indicated on it. I'll try my best to describe the colours so.......BEAR WITH ME!

A list of the products I used and where I used them

EYES

Sleek eye pencil in brown (Eyebrows)

Milani secret cover cream concealer in 03 Honey (Eyebrow highlight and under-eye)

Avon eye shadow primer (all over my lid)

A nude pigment from Fashion 21 palette (Above my crease and into my highlight); you can use any nude pigment you have

A dull black from Fashion 21 palette applied with a precision brush (crease and outer V)

A peach pigment from Fashion 21 palette (lid)

A gold pigment from Clinique trio palette (tear duct)

NYC precision eye liner (upper lash line)

Sleek eye pencil in black (waterline)

Covergirl mascara on my natural lashes...

FACE

Timewise matte-wear foundation in bronze 4 (all over my face)

Milani mineral makeup in Warm (to set my foundation)

LIPS

Zaron lip liner in Cappuccino

Milani nude lipstick

L'oreal HIP lip gloss in Pretentious

Notice that I didn't contour or highlight my face in this look because I didn't want to but I'll do a post where I'll do that soon enough. Hope you like this look.. If u have any questions,I'd love to see them in the comments section. Mwuah!

Stay beautiful!

ACNE TALE OF WOES

YEAH! true story beautiful people.......

I've been battling acne for as long as I can remember. You honestly do not want to see the endless list of products I have used in an attempt to battle this, all to no avail.

From drugs prescribed by dermatologists  to over-the-counter topical treatments to ridiculously expensive, highly recommended products!..WHEW! It has indeed been a struggle.
Ofcourse there are some splendid days for me when I just have a few zits and there are crappy but manageable days when I have bad breakouts and scarring but makeup gets me by (bless makeup!) and then there have been really terrible days when I could not even leave the house,mostly when I'm reacting to a product. The bizarre part about my situation is that the rest of my skin is flawless...unlike others who experience this on their back,chest,arms etc. Guess we can't have it all, can we?

In my search for the right product to end my sorrows..lol, I have come to realise that acne, in most cases is genetic. Of course  it can be worsened by using the wrong products for your skin,dirt clogging your pores and all that. Acne caused by those factors can be treated but the kind of acne that never goes away... is probably genetic and will eventually go away with time and I mean........TIME!...LOL.
The best we can do is apply the right products to keep it under control and KEEP OUR HANDS OFF! (I totally need to practice what I preach *rme*). I try as much as possible to stay away from oil-based products and I invest in matte makeup and most importantly non-comodogenic makeup. I also try...Lord knows I try to refrain from using so many products at once on my face which is kinda hard, seeing as I love makeup.

 I am trying to come to terms with it though because after all said and done.....I'm still the same person and I take solace in the fact that I will soon be rid of it. After all, I'm not getting any younger!
Any possible control measure is welcome (that's if I haven't tried it). I'd love to know what my fellow people in the struggle  have tried.

Reviews of the products I've tried in my search for perfection COMING SOON..........

Stay beautiful!

THE SUN; OUR WORST NIGHTMARE

Hello beautiful people, we are talking about the sun.......I've heard so much bull about sunshine giving vitamin D, they say early morning sun to be precise. The idea is that the sun isn't as severe early in the morning.
My opinion.......SUNSHINE IS SUNSHINE! and the kind of sunshine we have nowadays, whether early in the morning or late in the evening, is anything but mild.

So is the crap about the sun giving vitamin D true?....Oh well it is...BUT HAVE YOU SEEN THE SUN OUTSIDE THESE DAYS?! It is not for the weak, I promise you. Please don't console yourself that you are soaking up vitamin D when you are frying under the hot sun. Get this....................

Exposure from the sun enables the body to synthesize vitamin D true enough,but honey, as you soak up the sun's rays, best believe you are setting yourself up for serious skin damage. Oh yes you heard me!!
Research shows that there is uncertainty about cancer risk from sunlight so there is no recommendation by any health body to soak up direct rays of the sun. We are all advised to incorporate our vitamins into our food instead. the sun's UV rays can harm your skin within only 15 minutes of being outside,even on cloudy and cool days (surprising huh?!).
So sweethearts, the sun isn't backing down and we aren't either, get out your arsenal and LOVE YOUR SKIN!...What you'll need:

• Sunscreen: I can't overemphasize how important this is.
• Clothing made from tightly woven fabric. Sheer clothes offer no protection. If they must be worn, use a sunscreen.
• Sunglasses: They protect your eyes from the sun's rays. failure to protect your eyes could lead to lower cataract risks. IT IS NOT A SHAKARA SOMETHING!
• Hats: To get the most protection, wear a hat with a brim that shades the face, ears and back of the neck or better still,take out your umbrella. Be ready for the stares though..lol
• Mineral makeup: Fortified with SPF  so you can look good while battling the sun.

Hope to do a post soon on the importance of sunscreen and how to wear it. Till then.....

Stay beautiful!

ANKARA TREND

Hey there beautiful people!!

This is a trend that I am particularly excited to try out but I'm still working up the guts to 'werk' it.
The ankara trend is one of the raves out there right now; from blazers to high waist skirts to ah-mazing dresses to cropped pants to harem pants.....and then the most fashion forward of them all....ACCESSORIES!!!!!
Whoop! bags, bangles, earrings, rings, brooches, bowties, clutch purses, shoes, sandals......NAME YOUR POISON BABY!!! But the post on accessories will not happen today sha...lol
The ankara craze has come to stay and has even been spotted on foreign celebrities

Our very own Solange spotted on ankara

Fergie rocking the ankara trend

Rihanna and the Kardashians have also been spotted rocking the ankara trend. People have even gone a step further to mix ankara with other fabrics like chiffon, sequins, lace, raw silk, linen, cotton and even leather (Yes LEATHER!) thus making this trend more versatile.

What do you think? Are you a fan of the ankara trend?

Stay beautiful!

EYEBROW SCULPTING TUTORIAL

Hello beautiful people! So I will kick off with the most common makeup faux pas of the everyday woman... EYEBROWS!! (rme)
Your eyes are the most defining feature on your face. A perfectly sculpted eyebrow is paramount to achieve a perfect makeup look. Thousands of makeup artists have tutorials regarding this topic in English language. Lord knows I have even seen some tutorials in foreign languages. Google is your friend o! I wonder why we still have scarecrows roaming the streets. Your eyebrows should look somewhat like the picture above (oh yes that's me *flips hair*). It doesn't have to be exactly the same arch but it should be properly sculpted and not too thin and not crazily arched either. Sounds like rocket science I know, but trust me it's not.

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW

• Where your eyebrow starts depends on how slim you want your nose to look. The distance between your eyebrows define your nose bridge.
• Your arch should begin at the end of your pupil. Trace a straight line from the end of your pupil upwards to your brow. That is where your arch should begin.
• To end your brow, trace a straight line using a pencil from the end of your nose through the corner of your eye upwards to the brow. There you have your mark.

I will find time to do a step by step tutorial but for now, you can visit this link http://blushlybeauty.wordpress.com/2013/08/16/step-by-step-eyebrow-tutorial/  for a step by step tutorial. She covered everything and I think you'll find it helpful. I couldn't have said it better.

 THIS IS WRONG!!!!

THIS IS EVEN WORSE!!!

SCARECROW ALERT!!!!

 

 

Please beautiful people, work that arch, check out the tutorial and PLLLEEEEAASSSEE let me know how it goes. I  would love to hear from you.

 

 

Stay beautiful!



 

Welcome!!

Please forgive the ridiculous picture...lol. I am so excited!!!
Ok! so i finally got the balls to do this. A wise friend said; 'You don't necessarily have to know what you are doing, just do it!!' (well , not in all cases), hence the birth of this blog. I guess the next question is what exactly this blog is about. My answer.....anything and everything that interests me; fashion to skincare to makeup to product reviews, basically whatever I want to share with you sweethearts.
Before y'all get so excited,I implore you not to have soaring expectations so I don't fall short of them. I promise to share as much as I can with you and I look forward to learning from you. So...............

SIT BACK, READ AND ENJOY!

Stay beautiful