Make up Show Live ( at the cumberland hotel marble arch)

If you could just go back in time, ( when the angels were singing, violins and harps in the background) lets say, to around a month or so ago, when I was ranting and raving about "the make up show live" event that was going to take place on the 26th August at the plush " Cumberland Hotel" in marble arch, OK, stop right there, let me break it down for you like this, today ( yes today!) is the 26th August 2012 ( just visualise me saying that slowly! it, is, the, twenty, sixth, of, august, twenty, twelve!) it is now 11pm, in London, and if you haven't guessed already, I've been to the show already...( yesss I've been) ...errhmmmm.

I had bought a VIP ticket, ( which would've been £45) from "wowcher" which cost me £17.50 ( OK yeah) and if you were to go on to the "make up show live" website, it lets you know what you are entitled to when you buy a VIP ticket, one of those things were you could attend a certain workshops, "eye makeup master class"  " introduction to makeup" and the other thing was the "goodie bag" down below is a photo of the so called "goodie bag" and its contents...

 A White paper bag with red tissue paper inside

 

 

A Packet of eyelashes, Jane Carter's nourish & shine, The Body Shop's "Japanese cherry blossom body lotion 60ml, "The Body Shop's " high shine lip treatment, Eye Shadow brush from "mink London", and a colour pack by Natur Vital...

 

 

Really?! Really?! REALLY!

 

I mean, are they having a laugh, is this what buying a VIP ticket gets you, People have departed with £45 of their hard earned cash, only to come out with this, goodie, bag!

 

 

"what a bag of crap"

 

I was so excited to be getting this goodie bag, and was fuming when I saw its contents!

 

Believe it or not it wasn't all bad, I did attend a makeup workshop, which was very very good, and my note pad is filled with new knowledge, I also met the wonderful lady who created "gidore" Lukwesa Burak" she was giving me natural hair advice..

 

Would I go again, NO..and even though I paid £17.50, for something that would've cost £45, I think £17.50 was far to much to pay for an unorganised, event....

 

I was meant to stay until 4pm, but left at 2pm, as I was shocked to find that there wasn't even Major make up brands there, from when you don't have even @sleekmakeup, at a make up show, there just wasn't any point...

 

big huge massive let down!

 

S xx





Are you, the nice friend?!

Breaking it down

OK, let me explain to you what a nice friend is, a nice friend is a person who is always there for you no matter what, a person who will always listen to your ramblings, and not even question why it is you haven't bothered to ask them " so, how are you!". A nice friend is there at the drop of a hat, which is fine, there is nothing wrong with that at all, as i am " the nice friend" ...but ( and yes there is a big huge, massive, BUT!!) be careful, as there are certain types of friends who take pleasure from feeding off of you ( they live for it, as they know, you are " the nice friend" who never says no!) let me break a few of these feeders down for you...

• The "Friend who isn't happy until your miserable" ...meaning that so called friend is only around when things are going bad for you, you know the type, they never called you 6months ago when you told them your engaged, but as soon as they find out your man cheated on you, its all " ahhh babes, he was a d**k head anyways, you want to go out tonight?!" yeah, because, that helps! low and behold you get back together, you will not hear from them for a good while! My advice, do not pick up the phone to them
• The " I know its a lot to ask, but can you" friend...now this type of friend only calls you when they need a favour, ie, money! bearing in mind  they still haven't payed you back the last ten times you loaned them money ( sorry, more fool you) and they've just finished telling you about their two week stay in Barbados, how it was so cheap, blah blah blah! My advice is before they finish off the sentence, tell them, " sorry I don't have it" as one day you're going to need that cash back, and they will tell you, sorry I don't have it...
• The " it's all right i'll pay for you friend"...lets not even go there, all I am going to say is I was bought up not to rely on anyone false stop, if I don't have the cash to go anywhere then I'm not going nowhere! when someone tells me, " I'll pay for you" its goes in one ear and out the other ( i hold no grudges) because I know its not going to happen, hay what can I say, if it makes you feel good! lol! My advice, don't really listen to these people, it's pointless..
• The " you only hear from them when they don't have a man" friend! errrrhmmmmm ( yes i am clearing my throat for this one!) this really annoys me, this type of friend could've called you for the last two weeks twice a day! but as soon as the catch a man, you don't hear from them at all!  it come like, there in the film " misery" so what, is your man locking you up in a cottage somewhere, I mean, are you playing the role of "James Caan" and your man playing the role of " Kathy Bates" is this the reason why, you can't get to the phone, keep breaking comitments?! in my eyes there is no excuse for this kind of behaviour, none..I can not understand people who do this? do you not value your friendships? and do you not think that its insulting, when you only call when you've broken up with you your other half, bearing in mind you were together for two years, oh you suddenly remember , moi! right then, OK. My advice is, you must know how they are by now, just get used to it...when they do finally call you, and are in shock that your now living in Spain, LOL! 

Final word

A real friend will be there no matter what, they will not only call you when they need something, and they will not make empty promises,they will not exploit your kindness, some people are only meant to be in your life for a season, and some people you will have to let go..

Just be careful who you call a friend..

Keep on being " the nice friend" as you shouldn't make no one change your nature..

xx S

Adornment365 ( natural hair salon in brixton)

As of right now, I am on a natural hair journey, from relaxed to natural the last time I relaxed my hair was in January of this year..

So, if you have natural hair or making that big step to embrace what god blessed you with, then I would recommend you go and check out "Adornment365" which is based in "Morleys" in Brixton..

My Experience at the Salon

I was so excited about this consultation that I arrived extra early! when I got there I was greeted very nicely, told to have a seat, and asked if I wanted any tea or coffee! at this point I new that this was the place I wanted to come to over and over again! After about five minutes I was given a form to fill out which had various questions on it such as " how much water do you drink" " how often do you exercise" "what shampoos do you use" etc etc....

When it came time for my consultation, the stylist toke me to a quiet corner took my form and then it began...we spoke about what it is I want to achieve in regards to my hair, any breakage, etc etc...we found out that I am a product junkie ( whoop whoop!) which is not a good thing in the stylist eyes, after which the stylist the assessed my hair and scalp, I was then informed that I have a " whole lot of different textures going on, but I am lacking in protein, I need to drink more water ( hmmm it wasn't a good idea to say that I'd only had a lucazade that day!) and she explained why ( even though I know it all already, I thought that was very good advice!) When I told her about the products I use to moisturise my hair, she was impressed, but told me my hair needs more, like natural Shea butter etc etc, also it would be good for me to have steam treatments...

All in all, I had a fab time, not only is the salon always busy, the staff seem very friendly, and their hair looked good! which is always a sign of a good salon in my opinion..

The consultation is not free ( sorry ahh-bout that!)  it cost £5.99, lasts 20-30mins, but its so worth it, I came out there with a lot more knowledge, and two hair products.. ( so I have so much to give away!) I was told to stop switching up my products for a while, and just stick to a few...for me, that's going to be hard, as I love chopping and changing..

" Adorment365, also sell natural hair products, and make there own also..I bought there famous " the smoothie" and I love it already, but will not review it yet as I've only had it a few days, also there " organic hair oil"... if you want some hands on advice, if like me your going Au-natural, give this place a try, but book in advance as they are always busy."..

The hair salon is in  the huge department store "Morleys "in Brixton, you can not miss the department store as it is across from Brixton tube station...

To find out more go to the website www.adornment365.com

xs

My Hair Oils.....as of now

Here are some of the oils I have been using..... because I am currently transitioning from relaxed to natural, I really have been doing a lot of "moisturising and sealing"  or I will use an oil and mix it in my conditioner just for that extra boost, you know, you might have bought a conditioner, because some youtube hair guru, has ranted and raved about it, reaching out to you through that computer screen, ( you know, you saw that glo around them when they were speaking, you know what I mean! you do!) and you thought to yourself        " yess, I need that product now" only to find that it didn't work for you, do not leave conditioner sitting in the back of your cabinet, bring it to the front and use it, just add your oils to it...and if you can not be asked to do that, give it to one of your friends, it might just work for them...

My Hair Oils

From left to right

Ojon Instant Restorative Hair Serum 50ml £22.00..I'm just going to put it out there, I, love, this stuff! I use this before I heat style, or in my conditioners, of my "pre poo"...my hair comes out so soft..with an added bonus of helping to strengthen the hair, yes it is not cheap, but, worth every single penny! you can buy this from www.qvcuk.com or www.ojon.co.uk if you order straight from the site, it's free, and you get a free gift also!

Avocado Oil 100ml £2.49... I apply this to my rubbish conditioners or if I am going to do a "co wash" I will put this on my hair the night before, then wash my hair with conditioner only ( this is called a co wash) and it works a treat. I bought this from a seller on ebay called "eNAISSANCE" they sell alot of oils and raw butters...

West Indian Castor Oil 150ml £2.29...I bought this with high hopes but sadly it didn't work for me, but I do still use it in my conditioners, or pre poo's..I bought this from my local juliets hair supply shop..

Moroccan argan oil 100ml £6.99 from boots...this product smells so so so nice! I only use this if I am going to blow dry my hair or put my hair in a bun..you can get this from www.boots.com

Vatika Enriched Coconut hair oil..This product stinks so bad! I only use this when washing my hair with shampoo! this one was free for me at the hair show but you can find it in your local Juliet's or Ace or Sabinas.. for under £3.00

If you are on a natural hair journey or a healthy hair journey like myself, you do not want your hair to get dry, as dryness will make your hair brittle and brittleness will cause breakage...and remember if you love your hair, your hair will love you back....

S xx

MUA LIPBOOM (created with Alexandra Burke)

Let me start this review by saying that whenever I went into superdrugs I never really gave this brand a look in ( what, i guess its just the snob in me errhmm) I always used to think why is it so darn cheap?! until that is I heard they had a sexy hot ( and yes I'm saying hot like Austin Powers!! yeah baby yeah!)  celebrity on board who goes by the name of Alexandra Burke ( hmmm the power of the celebrity)  so naturally I went on a mad, crazy hunt, for these products....

This is a 4in1 product..meaning you can wear the lipstick alone, wear the gloss with the lipstick in the centre of the mouth, wear the gloss on top of the lipstick all over, or wear the gloss alone.

"At the time I was hunting for these, superdrugs had their 3for2 on all makeup, so yes, I, was more crazier then usual!"

 This is how the product is packaged

 This is what it looks like! fancy huh!

 Matte lipstick & Glitter Gloss

OK, so as you can see from the pictures above, the product is double sided, so one end you have the matte lipstick and the other you have the Lipgloss...the picture directly above, the colours are, from top to bottom, Cheeky,Vibe, It's A Situation..

" Cheeky"

Cheeky Lipstick on top and gloss underneath

" Vibe"

Vibe Swatched on my arm

 "It's A Situation"

Cheeky- is a baby pink, with blue undertones

Vibe- is a (hmmm how to explain this) peachy nude

It's A Situation- is a beautiful purple 

My Verdict

I really like the fact that the product comes double ended, the lipstick side is very creamy, and highly pigmented, that alone is very impressive for such a cheap product, but, I did find myself re-applying a lot, but in saying that, it didn't dry out my lips like some other major brand matte lipsticks. The gloss side of it, I did like the look of it on, but i didn't like the feel of it on, as I am a huge fan of glitter glosses, but I do not like to feel the glitter on my lips, and sadly the glitter bits in this gloss I found way, way, to harsh..so I can't wear this on my whole lip, just the centre..For £3, they are OK, would I buy them again, no...

MUA is a British brand and can be found in most superdrugs, or on line at www.muastore.co.uk there products are very affordable, a few of their products are only £1, right now they are giving away a free nail lacquer with every order...

S xx

My Summer (no foundation) Foundation (by S)

As you know summer has finally arrived in London! seriously I was starting to loose all hope, now I can wear my flip flops and summer clothes instead of looking at them, tutting, all the while moving my head from side to side...

I tend to see a lot of females with loads of foundation, the whole works, full on, and if that's you, then do you!  but as for me I like my foundation to be as light as possible, and Dewey looking, so that's not shiny or matte, just in between, Dewey..,.

"Just to let you know that my colour in M.A.C is NC50"

From Left -Right, Elf's tinted moisturiser SPF20 in the colour "espresso" which is there darkest shade, M.A.C Select Cover-Up in NC50, M.A.C Mineralize SkinFinish in "Dark".

The First thing I do is apply my elf tinted moisturiser with a foundation brush, making sure it's well blended, then I apply my concealer, If you have flawless skin you can skip this step! ( lucky bug you!) after that I apply my skinfinish, which sets my moisturiser and concealer, and this is my summer foundation routine, simple quick and easy...

Elf Tinted Moisturiser £3.75
M.A.Cs Select Cover up NC50 £14.50
M.A.Cs M.S.F £21.00 in Dark

I am so in lust with the elf tinted moisturiser, I mean, for a 25ml tube for under £4, it is ahhh-ma-zing, it provides good coverage, and with the added SPF20, aloe, cucumber vitamins A,C and E, it really is a steal! MSF is perfect for setting liquid foundations, if you have good skin you can wear it alone, or if you are of a lighter complexion, you could contour with it...Ive tried other concealers from mac, but this is the one I always come back to ( trust me, i need it!) for me, it provides the best coverage for my dark marks.

"you can only purchase elf products on line at www.eyeslipsface.co.uk" as for the M.A.C products you can go to your local outlet or on line www.maccosmectics.co.uk

On the left is the Elf tinted moisturiser in espresso! on the right is M.A.C Select cover up concealer in NC50!!!!! so if you are NC50, look how close in colour the elf product is to the M.A.C!!!!!

Hope this helps someone out there who is looking for a simple summer foundation routine!

S xx

KIKO ( bargains! whoop whooop!)

Hello All I hope that you have been enjoying the lovely weather we have been having in London this past week, fingers crossed there will be more to come!

Anyhoo, ( and yess I did mean to say "anyhoo" not anyhow!)  I went to westfield yesterday as I had a craving for "Byrons" and if you do not know about this fantastic restaurant, err, where might I add, have you been, there everywhere, and there burgers, and milkshakes are to die for, hmmm hmmm hmmm! ok enough of me reminiscing about my sexy lunch! errrhmmm, moving along swiftly!.....( you know i had a pretzel after that,yeah! hmmmm, happy days!) 

KIKO

One of my friends had been raving about this brand for ages but every time I went to westfield something about the shop just did not look that inviting to me..until yesterday that is, they have a fantastic sale going on at the moment so I am going to show you my bargains...

From Left -Right 

Extra Shiny lipstick in 127, Matt Moisturising effect lipstick in 09, Crackle Nail Lacquer in 608, Magnetic Nail Lacquer in 708, Nail Lacquer in "sparkle 229"...

The above picture is the sparkle lacquer with the blue crackle on top....

The orange one is 127 which is a burnt orange, the one behind it is the matte lipstick and its a light plum colour 09..


The Nail Lacquers were all £1.50, the Orange lipstick £3.00 the purple £2.00


I have never tried this brand this is why I didn't go crazy and buy a whole load...if you want to know more about the brand just go to WWW.KIKOCOSMECTICS.COM

I will post an update review during the week...

So if you want to try this brand head up to westfield now while some items are on sale or go on line...

S xx