NEW IN: MAC Heroine and Extras

Hi beauties!

I have been on abit of a self-imposed beauty purchase embargo. However, I have had my eye on the MAC Heroine lipstick for the longest time. When I saw that a store was having a general sale, I caved in and bought the coveted tube and as we all know it never rains beauty products, it pours..or something like that. So, I decided to get a few extra things that I also found interesting or too reasonable to pass up. I can't give exact prices at the moment, because the sale price was applied to all goods bought. Unto my mini haul...

1. MAC Heroine Lipstick - N4,000

2. Anastasia Dipbrow Pomade in Chocolate - N4,500

3. Real Techniques Expert Face Brush - N2,800

4. Elf Eyeshadow Brush - N800

5. Covergirl Make-Up Masters 3-in-1 Sharpener - N700

Now that I have unleashed the dragon, I have my eye on a few new lipsticks: MAC Who's That Chick (MAC Riri x MAC Lipstick), MAC Toying Around (Playland Collection), MAC Goddess of the Sea (MAC Alluring Aquatic Collection), MAC Mystical (MAC Alluring Aquatic Collection), Pure Heroine (Lorde for MAC), MAC Candy Yum Yum. 

I know it's quite a list. Any suggestions? Have you tried any of these?

xo

Abby

HENNA CHIT CHAT

Hello beauties!

I was in the Northern part of Nigeria recently and I used the opportunity to scout for some henna…at a supermarket. I was with a colleague who was from the region and she wanted to know what I wanted the henna for…I informed her that I needed it for my hair and she assumed that I meant the NaturVital Henna Extract conditioner (which I had used and loved). I corrected her, telling her that I needed it for my hair and she gave me an odd look. She had henna on her hands…so I knew she knew what it was…but she just couldn’t fathom why I wanted to put it in my hair.

Henna has been reputed to act as a really good conditioner for the hair. Real henna gives a reddish tint to your hair and contrary to popular belief Henna only gives off a reddish tint…not black, not neutral, not blonde…unless mixed with other products…which is another story entirely. Worthy of note is the fact that Henna is permanent…it bonds to the hair strand but still allows moisture to penetrate the strand. Also, the quality and source of the Henna are very important and body art quality is the standard.

My hair is in a scraggly state at the moment and I’m using all my options…so Henna is where I’m at right now. One thing I will say though is that my hair looks shiny and a little healthier. I “protective style” my hair immediately after each Henna treatment; so right now I haven’t seen the full effect. 

I’ll post a how-to soon enough…but it takes me ages to prepare the stuff and apply it that I must warn that it is not for the faint of heart…. 

xo 

Abby

CHIT CHAT: ALOE VERA GEL

I had ‘real-live’ Aloe Vera growing in my front yard but I still had to go out and buy this. I know… I cannot even remember why I bought it but since the tube says ‘Bio Active Skin Treatment’, I suppose it was probably for my skin. Your guess is as good as mine.

There are different brands of Aloe Vera gel out there. Most pharmacies have natural Aloe Vera gel which I hear quite a few people drink.  Anyway, I found a new use for this baby. I use it to sleek back my hair, especially when my new growth starts to wind its way into the tightest coils possible.

Here’s what I do: 

1. I wet my hair a little with some water (sometimes I substitute this with a moisturising spritz);

2. take the bristle brush and brush back my edges;

3.  spread some aloe vera gel on my hair using my fingertips;

4. spray some water on my brush;

5. brush the gel into my hair; and

6. I tie a scarf around my head.

Sometimes I sleep in the scarf or I carry out this process just before I have my bath. When I am ready to go out, I just whip the scarf off and bob’s your uncle.

This simple tip has taken me from ‘Ooooh! Crazy hair!’ to ‘Sleek and fabulous’. Hopefully, you catch my drift.

Thanks for checking in.

xo

Abby

APPLE CIDER VINEGAR

APPLE CIDER VINEGAR ·          Hair? ·          Skin? ·         Nails? Wonder Food Alert!!! fromlagoswithlove.blogspot.com

 

Apple Cider vinegar is one of those multi-use products that alternative and natural beauty bloggers rave about. After reading some reviews online, I bought a bottle of the stuff. Some of the uses and benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar include:

1. As a natural skin toner

2. For weight loss

3. As a hair rinse to close the cuticles and make hair smoother

4. As a detox

5. As salad dressing

6. For diabetes, causing a reduction in blood sugar levels

7. Clears up acne 

8. Reduces bad breath

9. Helps with acid reflux

10. Helps reduce dandruff

11. Helps soothe sorethroats

12. Helps restore skins pH  balance

13. Soothes upset stomachs 

14. Soothes muscle pain from exercise 

15. Helps alleviate athletes foot

Whether these benefits have been scientifically proven is another story entirely.

A few of the reviews I read, stated that ACV is best taken in its organic form, with the 'mother' still included. 

This is the brand I currently use.

Here's what Bragg  says:

Ingredients:

Certified Bragg Organic Raw Apple Cider Vinegar is unfiltered, unheated, unpasteurized and 5% acidity. Contains the amazing Mother of Vinegar which occurs naturally as strand-like enzymes of connected protein molecules.

Information:

Bragg Organic Raw Apple Cider Vinegar is made from delicious, healthy, organically grown apples. Processed and bottled in accordance with USDA guidelines, it is Certified Organic by Organic Certifiers and Oregon Tilth; and is Kosher Certified. Bragg Organic Raw Apple Cider Vinegar is full of zesty natural goodness. Non-GMO Certified. It’s a wholesome way to add delicious flavor to salads, veggies, most foods, and even sprinkle over popcorn.

Apple Cider Vinegar has been highly regarded throughout history. In 400 B.C. the great Hippocrates, Father of Medicine, used it for its amazing health qualities. No refrigeration required.

My two cents:

I am a  sucker for any product  that can be used for both my hair and skin, and ACV does this and more. I bought a bottle of the GNC brand ACV, but it ended up in my kitchen and was used to clean vegetables.So, unfortunately, I cannot give the best review on the subject. 

Recently, I was researching possible solutions to hard water. I wash my hair myself and the water I use is hard water which is not too good for the hair because of the high mineral content. My hair was also feeling very dry and I read somewhere that doing an ACV rinse would restore the pH balance of my hair. So, I was in a pharmacy one day when I saw that they had Bragg's ACV and I was ecstatic and noted that I would return to buy a bottle. Ghen. Ghen. That's how I got back to the store and I was told that they had run out and didn't know when they would be restocking. I went back a million times and yet they didn't have any. So, I was out shopping at the Palms and the spirit led me into HealthPlus and that's when I saw the bottle staring at me from the shelf..

Hence this long post. If you are looking for Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar in Nigeria, stumble into a pharmacy near you. Also, when purchasing any other brand, read the label to see if it comes with the mother or lift up the bottle and if you see a cloudy substance at the bottom, it might have the mother.

Hope this helps someone.

xo

Abby

MAC FIX +

Hi beauties.

  What MAC says: 

"An aqua-spritz of vitamin and minerals, infused with a calm-the-skin blend of green tea, chamomile, cucumber, topped off with the fresh, natural, energizing scent of Sugi. Adds radiance, finishes makeup. Spray it on. Skin drinks it up!"

My two kobos:
This is one of those products that I bought because I stepped into the MAC store looking for something else that was not available and then decided that there was no way I could leave without at least buying something.

Where do I start with this product? First, as a bit of a background I have oily skin and trust me when I say that I can fry things on my face and moisturise a room full of ashy elbows and knees. 

If you have oily skin, please think hard before you buy this. The first time I used it, I was going for a party. I had a selfie moment and was shocked when I saw how oily my face looked in the picture, it was like I made up with shea butter and just dabbed on powder in patches around my face. It was then I realised that this product was a definite no no. So it literally just sits on my shelf now.

I have however found a few uses for the product:
1. When I'm lying around on a hot day and I have nothing else to do, I grab my Fix + and spray it liberally on my face and on the face of anyone within spraying distance. It has such a soothing smell.

2. When my makeup looks 'way too fresh' for the time of day, I spray some on so it looks like I've had the makeup on all day.

And that's it.

xo

Abby

CRAVING: Rhassoul Clay

I was reading something online about how rhassoul clay makes your hair very soft. This slightly piqued my interest but I pushed it to the side. I have been using henna for almost two months now, so I am not one to shy away from natural (and tedious) beauty regimes but it isn't every bandwagon I jump on (hopefully...). So, imagine my curiousity when I stumbled on this same mysterious substance online, while trying to purchase some products. 

That's how I started my research into the substance and honestly, I like what I have read so far. I have saved a bunch of these to "my cart" on one of the online stores. I will do a bit more research before I buy and hopefully, I'll love it. Some of the reviews I've seen contain words such as 'moisturises', 'soft', 'brightens', 'conditioner', 'smooths', and 'detox'.

Where can you get it?

sizzelle.com 

Price

 N1850

 

xo

Abby

 

REVIEW AND SWATCH: REVLON SUPER LUSTROUS LIPGLOSS in CORAL REEF

Hi beauties.

My two kobos:

This lipgloss is a pretty coral shade. It has a thick consistency and can be quite sticky. It  comes with an applicator which makes it easy to apply. It can give off an oily-lip look if you are not careful. It applies sheer but the colour is buildable to give a subtle coral lip. It is good for daytime looks and falls into the work appropriate category. It goes really nicely with a subtle neutral eye and can be worn over a neutral lipstick such as MAC Fresh Brew to give it that extra pop of colour.

Swatch:

This lipgloss has been in my stash for awhile, so I'm not sure where you can get this. I will update as soon if I find similar lipglosses.

xo

Abby