DUPE ALERT!!! (ELF & NARS)

Hi guys,

I found a great dupe for the famous Nars albatross highlighting blush!!! For those of you that dont want to cough out that much for a highlighter this is a great dupe alert!

Elf studio blush in gotta glow is a great dupe for Nars albatross. These two blushes look almost exactly the same, its just that the elf one can be a little more chalky than the nars, the nars one just seems to be more fine and smooth on the skin. 

Elf studio blush in gotta glow is $3 and Nars highlighting blush in albatross is $30.

Elf studio blush in gotta glow on the left and Nars highlighting blush in albatross on the right. 

COCONUT OIL!!!!

Hi guys,

This post is about coconut oil!... This stuff is like gold i tell you! it can be used in different ways for soo many different things. I thought i'd share some of the uses of coconut oil with you guys!

This is the brand i use, trader joe's coconut oil. You can get this from www.beautyrevng.com and www.thebeautyboon.com. But you can also get other types of pure coconut oil from alot of places, specially organic health stores, and also there are quite a few brands that i know that have pure coconut oil here in nigeria like RandR luxury (this is located on no 1 Niyi Okunubi st. lekki phase 1), Deva petals (gifty's duaghter in ikeja stocks this brand, no 25a toyin st, ikeja) and www.mymakeup.ng.

USES FOR COCONUT OIL: 

-Moisturizer                                                      

-Eye cream                                                       

-Preshave                                                          

-Aftershave
-Makeup remover                                                    

-Deodorant                                                     

-Hair conditioner                                             

-Hair gel                                                          

-Toothpaste                                                     

-Massage oil                                                   

-Sunscreen                                                      

-Stretch mark cream                                   

-Body scrub                                                

-Bug bites                                                     

-Skin problems                                             

-Stress relief                                              

-Eczema
-Toe nail fungus

-Head lice

-Mensturation- pain/cramps

-Migranes

-Parasites

-Gallbladder pain

-Enegry boost

-Asthma

-Stronger immune system

-Athletes foot

-Acne

-Cellulite

-Herpes

-Insect repellant 

GOODIES..... MINI HAUL FROM BEAUTY REVOLUTION!!!

Hiya,

These are a few goodies I got from www.beautyrevng.com...

-TRADER JOE'S ORGANIC VIRGIN COCONUT OIL:

These are the ways I use this oil:

-I use this oil to deep condition my hair. Either I mix it with any hair mask or deep conditioner and put a shower cap on leaving it for a bit before I rinse it off or I just apply it alone to my hair, letting it really soak in, then I put a shower cap on and leave it over night. This really makes my hair nice, soft, healthy and helps my hair grow.

-I mix this oil with pure vitamin E oil to use as an eye cream and also I rub this mix all over my face every other night just before I sleep.

-I mix this oil with cocoa butter and rub it all over my skin (specially on places that I tend to get stretch marks) this is soo good for the skin!

-NARS BLUSH (ALBATROSS): I use this blush as a highlighter.

-RED CHERRY EYELASHES (117): I use this eyelash when I want to go for a real dramatic eye look, the lashes are quite long and full.

MAKEUP HAUL FROM BEAUTY BOON!!!

Hi guys,

I'm super excited my goodies got delivered today!!! Finally got my anastasia beverly hills contour kit!!!! whoop whoop!!!! This contour kit is soooooo raved about in the beauty world its crazy!!!! To be honest after just getting this i can totally see why! I am soo in love! lol! *massive smile*
I'll be doing mini reviews on these products so watch out!.... Its always a good day when i get deliveries like this! :-)

-Anastasia beverly hills contour kit
-Up & Up precision blender
-Nyx soft matte lip cream
-Cargo bronzer
-Elf studio baked bronzer
-Mac prep+prime lip primer

MORROCAN OIL!!!

Hi guys,

I thought i'd share what my number 1 product is for haircare! Morrocan Oil!!!! Nothing beats this for me! This brand really helped my hair grow and become really healthy! (As you can see in the picture i have almost everything in their line lol). Absolutely love everything!

-MORROCAN OIL LUMINOUS HAIRSPRAY STRONG FLEXIBLE HOLD
-MORROCAN OIL MOISTURE REPAIR CONDITIONER
-MORROCAN OIL MOISTURE REPAIR SHAMPOO
-MORROCAN OIL CURL CONTROL MOUSSE
-MORROCAN OIL INTENSE CURL CREAM
-MORROCAN OIL HAIR TREATMENT
-MORROCAN OIL RESTORATIVE HAIR MASK

MINI ELF HAUL

Hi guys.

Just got these beauties from www.thebeautyboon.com. I have really been loving ELF products recently! I think for how affordable they are they are great products! There are a few hits and misses for me but definitely more hits!!! The quality of alot of their products are amazing (for the price)! I've also noticed that they are great dupes for alot of high end products (will do a review soon on great elf dupes).  Anyway so these are the products i got....

-ELF STUDIO SMALL TAPERED BRUSH
-ELF STUDIO BLUSH (CANDID CORAL)
-ELF STUDIO BLUSH (GOTTA GLOW)
-ELF MINERAL PRESSED MINERAL BLUSH (CABO CABANA)

ELF STUDIO SMALL TAPERED BRUSH.

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION: The tapered head of the small tapered brush makes application easy for reaching small crevices for a flawless finish. This precision brush is perfect for contouring and creating even coverage. Use with powder to set under the eye, on the hollows of the cheek to contour with bronzer, or use with foundation to achieve a light finish.  

HOW I USE IT: I use this brush with my powder to set my under eye concealer mostly. I have also tried using it to contour (this brush kind of reminds me of the real techniques contour brush, like they have almost the same shape) it fits perfectly on the hollows of my cheek. But i have to say i prefer using it to set my concealer, it works perfect for me. I really love this brush, since i got it i've used it every single time i put on makeup.

(L-R): ELF MINERAL PRESSED MINERAL BLUSH (CABO CABANA), ELF STUDIO BLUSH (GOTTA GLOW), ELF STUDIO BLUSH (CANDID CORAL)

PRODUCT DESCRIPTIONS:

ELF MINERAL PRESSED MINERAL BLUSH (CABO CABANA): Creat a beautiful flushed look with this all natural, enhancing blush. This innovative pressed powder creates a silky smooth texture that blends like a dream for everyday wear. Infused with vitamine E and Grape to nourish the skin and provide anti-aging benefits for a more revitalized look.

ELF STUDIO BLUSH (GOTTA GLOW AND CANDID CORAL): The soft sheer texture blends into the skin for a silky finish. designed to be worn alone or layered for more depth. Highlight your complextion with a subtle healthy glow.

HOW I USE PRODUCTS: 

I use the elf mineral blush in cabo cabana on the apples of my cheek as a blush, its a beautiful coral with like a satin finish to it. This blush is really pigmented, so i use a light hand to apply it. Love this blush! 

I uses the elf mineral blush in gotta glow as a highlighter, it just gives me this nice glow! This is said to be a dupe for the famous nars albatross (and i have to say i have both and it really is a great dupe, will do a review soon on both powders so u guys can see).

I use the elf studio blush in candid coral as a blush when i want to have a nice glow to my skin. Its a bit shimmery, its like a coral with a gold undertone (dont know why in the picture it shows up more gold, i promise u it doesnt really look like that) i dont really use this on the apples of my cheeks, i wear it more high up like on top of my cheek bones (if that makes sense) it just gives like a nice sunkissed look. 

Lots of Love,

Lin. xxx

CURLFORMERS!!!

Hi guys,

Got this curlformers a few months ago, and i have to say they are just brilliant!!! I really love it! Its a great way to get spiral curls without heat. Its actually quite amazing the kind of curls this thing produces with out heat and the best part is the curls really lasts for long! I've got natural hair and its very hard to get curls that lasts with my natural hair (unless i put them in rollers and go under the dryer for like an hour and a half, cause my hair is really long! But i hate sitting under the dryer, and also dont like putting that much heat on my hair) So when i found this product i was really excited! Like seriously you guys need to try this stuff out!
You can check out the video on their website on how it works- www.curlformers.com. They have different types on the site, some for long hair, some for short hair, some for tight curls, some for loose curls, basically they have different types of packs depending on what exactly you want. I got the EXTRA LONG SPIRAL CURLS CURLFORMERS STYLING KIT, this comes with 40 extra long and wide curl formers, 2 styling hooks and styling instructions. This kit is ideal for long hair up to 22 inches (55cms) long.

This is what the curls look like (on the right). Great stuff!!! I love the results!!! :-)

KEEP YOUR MAKEUP BRUSHES CLEAN!!!

Hi guys,

These are the 2 products i use to clean my makeup brushes! The MAC brush cleanser and The ELF brush shampoo!

MAC BRUSH CLEANSER: This one product will clean, disinfect and condition the brush fibers so that brushes will last longer, it is convenient to use ans is specifically designed to extend the life of high quality brushes. Brush cleanser leaves your brushes smalling fresh and clean, and helps shorten their drying time.
This costs £11 or $15. Sorry i didnt buy this in nigeria but i know its available at the mac store in lagos (not sure how much for though).

ELF BRUSH SHAMPOO: An anti-bacterial brush cleanser for thorough cleaning in-between makeup applications. Disinfects brushes to provide a fresh and clean application every time. Washes away traces of dirt, makeup, oil and debris from your brush while conditioning the hair to provide a clean and soft application for every use.
This costs $3. You can get this at Ebanor supermarket in lekki phase 1 for 1,000 naira.

ROSE WATER!!!

Hi guys,

Rose water has many benefits and can be used in various ways to benefit your skin and overall well-being. No matter what your skin type is – this “wonder of nature” can bring you handful of goodness!
First of all, let’s talk about some benefits of rose water:
Rose water can bring benefits to all skin types, it can help sooth and cool sensitive and irritated skin, balance and cleanse oily skin, rejuvenate, soften and tone mature skin, revitalize and add beautiful glow to the normal skin. Rosewater is filled with anti-oxidants and various vitamins, therefore, it can help prevent the signs of ageing and nourish the skin.
Rose water also has natural antiseptic, anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties.

So, what are possible uses of rose water for beautiful skin and your well-being?
1) Use rose water to prevent or reduce eye puffiness.
Just place a bottle of rose water into the fridge for half an hour and then, apply some of it on a cotton pad and gently place it on your eyes. It will help sooth the tender skin around your eyes and prevent or reduce eye puffiness.

2) Freshen your face throughout the day by spraying rose water mist on your skin.
Especially, in the summer time, rose water can become your faithful friend and helper, caring for your skin like nothing else; just spray rose water mist on your face (or you can also apply it using a cotton pad), it will instantly freshen your skin, naturally hydrate and nourish it, adding wonderful radiance and glow. I, personally, love keeping a bottle of rose water in my fridge in the summer and spray my face with it multiple times throughout the day.

3) Add 2 cups of rose water into your bath for divine and unforgettable experience. Rose water will soften and add freshness to your skin, it also will leave amazing scent of fresh rose on your body. Isn’t it a perfect treat for our beauty?!

4) Use rose water to soften dry skin.
Ladies with dry skin can experience amazing benefits of rose water. When you apply rose water on your skin – you can notice soothing and softening effect of it straight away.

5) Rose water can also work as a natural makeup remover. Just apply rose water on a cotton pad and gently remove your makeup with it, gently massaging your face. To create even more effective makeup remover – dampen the cotton pad with rose water and apply a little bit of liquid coconut oil on top of it, mixing rose water and coconut oil – this natural skin care product for removing makeup is one of my favorites! It efficiently removes makeup not only from your face, but also, can be used on the gentle skin around the eyes. Never rub harshly nor stretch your skin while removing makeup, because we want to keep our skin young and beautiful for a very long time, right?!

6) You can also use rose water as your perfect natural setting spray. Yes, rose water can be applied (sparingly) over the makeup as a setting product, providing beautiful, healthy glow and amazing dewy finish.

7) Use rose water as a skin toner.
Regular use of rose water as a toner can help prevent rinkles (slowing down aging process), tighten pores and add a wonderful glow to the skin.

8) You can use rose water as an after-shave, to prevent irritation and sooth the skin. Not only it can help make your freshly shaved legs feel softer, but also, rose water will leave its amazingly wonderful scent on your skin!

9) Aromatherapy.
I can’t help but mention that you can use rose water as an ingredient of aromatherapy. Researches have shown that aromatherapy can have tremendous positive effect in helping fight stress, contribute to more sound sleep and even can help us be more positive!

So guys when buying rose water, please pay close attention to the label, not all fragrant waters are made equal, and while some brands sell the real byproduct of rose oil production, others offer reconstitutions of varying quality. Food and cosmetics grade waters are the best and can be found at middle eastern and indian stores, whole food and gourmet shops too. I use cortas rose water, this is a great recommended lebanease brand, this product is made out of pure distilled rose petals, with no additives. I didnt get this from lagos, but i have spotted another brand of rose water on www.sizzelle.com it's called heritage rose petals rose water, heritage is a great brand too, so you can try this out.

I hope you found these natural skin care tips useful. Please, feel free to ask any questions and share your secrets on how  you like to use rose water for beautiful skin and overall welling.

Stay beautiful!!!

(by the way as u can see in the picture i poured some of my rose water in a mist spray bottle,  this way its easy for me to just spray on my face when i want to hydrate and refresh my face through out the day, or when i want to use as a setting spray for my makeup for a beautiful healthy glow and dewy finish. I also use this as a body mist sometimes cause it smells great!)

EXFOLIAGE FACIAL BRUSH!!!

Hi guys,

I found this face brush a few weeks ago at Ebanor supermarket in lekki phase 1, it was upstairs in their beauty section, when i saw it thought it was pretty cute and really wanted to try it out so i got it. It was pretty cheap (sorry cant remember exactly how much it was, but know it was less than 1,500 naira). I was a little scared at first to use it, cause i really dont like experimenting that much with new things on my face, but when i took it out the pack and felt the brush it was just soooo soft, i figured it cant do that much harm lol, so i went ahead and tried it, and i tell you i loved it! It felt really nice, soft and gentle on my skin wasnt harsh at all and i felt it really gave my face a good polish! I use this brush with my face wash, so basically i rub my face wash on my face then i use the brush to scrub before rinsing off. I dont use the brush every day, i use it like 3/4 times a week (though i do feel the brush is soft enough to use everyday i just cant be bothered lol.) This is definitely a good ulternate for all them really expensive face brushes, I've tried a few and honestly think this does pretty much the same job!

SUNSCREEN!!!

Hi guys,

I can't say enough about the importance of wearing sunscreen!!!! Its surprising but there are an alarmig amount of people who brave the UV Rays without applying sunblock! (i mean is skin cancer not scary enough?!).
For those who dont wear sunscreen, you will regret not having worn sunscreen when you look at your skin compared to friends and family who have worn daily sunscreen 20 years from now. This is an honest straight up personal advice!
These are the top 5 reasons why i believe everyone should wear sunscreen:

1. The ozone layer is depleting and your body needs shielding from harmful rays.

2. Skin cancer rates are on the rise and sunscreen has been proven to decrease the development of skin cancer.

3. It helps to prevent facial brown spots and skin discolorations.

4. It also helps to reduce the appearance of facial red veins and blotchiness.

5. It slows down the development of wrinkled, premature aging skin.

My favourite sunscreen is the Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunscreen, spf 45! I love this sunscreen! its really lightweight on the skin, its comes in different levels of spf , from spf30-100 (isnt that amazing! love it!). This product also doesnt leave my skin feeling greasy or shiny like most sunscreens, its also water resistant. It really just has a great feel to it in my opinion. Love this sunscreen. You can buy this at Ebanor Supermarket in lekki phase 1, have spotted this there a few times. 

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

Neutrogena® Ultra Sheer® Dry-Touch Sunscreen SPF 45 feels like you have nothing on, but offers broad-spectrum protection to help prevent sun damage.

This formula uses Avobenzone to provide advanced protection against damaging UVA and UVB rays, along with Dry-Touch technology for an ultra-light, non-shiny finish. Fast-absorbing, water-resistant and a non-oily formula.

Heavy sun protection never felt this light on your skin.

This product features Helioplex®, a breadth of stabilized sunscreen technologies that delivers superior protection from the sun. To learn more about Helioplex® Technology.

• Broad Spectrum UVA/UVB
• water resistant (80min)
• Non-comedogenic (won't clog pores)
• PABA-free

MAC LIPSTICK DUPES!!!

Hiya....

I found these and thought i'd share....

MORPHE BRUSHES!!!

Hi guys,

Just got these two brushes from www.beautykink.com. They are both blending brushes... I just love makeup brushes, i'm honestly an addict! I have a million brushes and still can't seem to get enough! I'm going to do a post on all my brushes soon so be on the look out.
These brushes are morphe brushes, morphe makes great affordable brushes, alot of makeup artists love these brushes, they really do a great job! These are from the morphe studio pro line.

 (L-R):M412- DELUXE POINTED BLENDER & M433- PRO FIRM BLENDING FLUFF BRUSH

THE BODY SHOP TEA TREE OIL!!!!

Hi guys,

So this post is about the body shop tea tree oil... I really love this stuff and cant live without it! Its one of my beauty staples for sure!!!! This stuff just does wonders! I use it whenever i get spots, i just dab a little on the spot and i kid you not by the next morning the spot's gone!!! Its just great!
Tea tree oil can be used in different ways for a whole bunch of different things, these are a few great ways to use tea tree oil:

1. Use a dab to treat acne.
2. An anti-fungal for treating Athlete’s Foot, eczema, various yeast infections, etc.
3. An antiseptic to be used on cuts and burns.
4. An anti-viral: it may lessen the symptoms of colds and flu. Try using a few drops in the bath.
5. Add to a vaporizer to loosen chest congestion.
6. Add a small amount to shampoo to destroy head lice.
7. A small amount added to your bath can help with persistent body odor.
8. Treating sinus infection.
9. for dandruff and dry scalp.
10. In the form of aromatherapy, tea tree oil is used to treat colds, persistent coughs, acne, toothaches, and sunburn.

MAC LIPSTICKS!!!!

Hi guys,

These are some swatches of our favourite limited edition mac lipsticks that are now available permanently!

MINI HAUL- GIRLY ESSENTIALS

Hiya....

Few days ago i ordered a few things from www.girlyessentials.com. I have ordered quite a bit of things from this site that i love, they have all these cute things, really nice variety of different kinds of products, and they deliver really fast (like next morning)... definitely worth checking out. These are the things that i just ordered...

DIOR 5 COULEURS DESIGNER ALL-IN-ONE ARTISTRY PALETTE!!!!

 708- AMBER DESIGN

Dior has created 5 COULEURS DESIGNER, an ultra-professional and totally new version of the mythic 5 COULEURS palette. Five different textures have been brought together in a single case to create eyeshadow styles through layering. 1-BASE light, 2-COLOR iridescent, 3-SHADE satinity, 4-SHINE pearlescent, 5-LINER mat represent the 5 essential steps used by professional makeup artists to draw attention to the eyes and create ultra-graphic eye makeup looks.

MY MASCARAS!!!

Hi guys,
These are all my favourite mascaras!!! I really love mascaras (as u can see i own quite a few).... i think mascaras are just such an important part of your makeup routine, they just make your eyes pop!!! I love it!

 (from L-R): Yves saint laurent volume effet faux cils luxurious mascara (1-black), L'oreal voluminous x5 mascara (extra black), L'oreal voluminous x4 mascara (black), L'oreal naturale mascara(blackest black), L'oreal mega volume collagen 24h mascara (extra black), L'oreal telescopic mascara (carbon black), L'oreal lash architect 4D (black lacquer), Maybelline the falsies volum' express mascara (blackest black)

 (from L-R): Maybelline the rocket volum'express mascara (very black), L'oreal voluminous original mascara (blackest black), maybelline smoky eyes volum'express (intense smoky black)

MAC LIP GLASSES!!!!

Hi guys,
these are some of the mac lip glasses i own........

(from L-R): mac fafi lip glass (5), mac plush glass (bug baby), mac lip glass (002), mac lip glass (lust), mac lip glass (russian red)

RIRI HEARTS MAC- HER COCOA EYESHADOW QUAD

MY NYX EYESHADOWS!!!

 (top): Dance the tides (nms16)
 (bottom row L-R): volcano (es154), copper (es16), golden (es12), nude (es03)

(top row): Sizzling Samba (LIR09)
(bottom row): Amazonian Babes (LIR03)

MY FAVOURITE FACE PRIMERS!!!

Hi guys,

These are all my face primers! I love them all! I use them at different times (depending on how i feel lol). Face primers are just great, really helps keep makeup on your face longer so you don't end up with a blotchy/uneven face, also makes application of your makeup nice, easy and smooth, alot of face primers also protect your face, some come with spf, some also mattifies and brightens.... really depends on what you want, you can get loads of different kinds of primers to suit your skin. These are my favourites... (the only one i got in lagos is the mac prep+prime, got this from the mac store in The Palms Mall, sorry... got all the other ones when i travelled).......

SMASHBOX PHOTO FINISH FOUNDATION PRIMER SPF20 DERMAXYL COMPLEX
DESCRIPTION: Prime, protect, and correct in just one step! This anti-ageing primer creates the perfect canvas for foundation application. Worn alone or under foundation, this unique formula helps to reduce the and pores for visible softer skin. Spf 20 helps guard against harmful UVA/UVB rays. Winner of Allure magazine best of beauty editor's choice award for best primer.

 SMASHBOX PHOTO FINISH MORE THAN A PRIMER BLEMISH CONTROL 
DESCRIPTION: Banish blemishes! This perfecting primer treats breakouts, provides oil-free hydration and keeps skin clearer over time. Clinical testing showed women had clearer skin in just 2 weeks.

 

BENEFIT THE POREFESSIONAL PRO BALM

DESCRIPTION: Quickly minimize the appearance of pores & fine lines for smoother-than-smooth skin! Apply this silky, lightweight balm alone, under or over makeup. Translucent, oil-free formula complements all skintones and helps makeup stay put. Contains a Vitamin E derivative, known to protect skin from free radicals.

RIMMEL LONDON FIX & PERFECT PRO PRIMER 
DESCRIPTION: Foundation glides on more smoothly, more evenly and wears longer. Or wear alone for an all-day fresh and even complexion. Smoothes to minimize pores, Resurfaces for an even complexion, Brightens skin all day, Mattifies and eliminates shine, Protects skin from environmental aggressors.

MAC PREP+PRIME SKIN
 DESRIPTION: An ultra-fluid lotion formulated with special-effect silicones. Calms and soothes the skin, blots away excess oil, and evens out skin redness, improves the lay down and application of foundation or powder.

CHANEL SHEER ILLUMINATING BASE 
DESCRIPTION: Completely reformulated, this Sheer Illuminator Fluid acts as a light source on the surface of the skin, while also giving a feeling of total comfort.

TOO FACED PRIMED & PORELESS PURE PRIMER
DESCRIPTION:

• Erase Pores & Imperfections: Virtually erases pores, softens lines and perfects your complexion leaving skin ready for bronzer, powder, makeup or nothing at all.
• Customized Formula: More To Love:
• 100% oil-free formula
• Virtually erases pores and imperfections
• Regulates surplus oil production on the skin’s surface, minimizing shine and improving skin’s overall texture
• Soothes & brightens inflamed skin while reducing future pigmentation concerns