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10 WAYS TO KEEP YOUR MAKEUP OIL FREE
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DEWY MAKEUP FOR OILY SKIN
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- PRODUCT LIST
- Clinique dramatically different hydrating ID Jelly
- Nars Smooth and Protect Primer
- Makeup Forever Mattifying Primer
- Melanie Mills ‘Deep gold’
- R&R Baobab oil
- Benefit Goof Precisely my Brow Pencil #5
- MAC Concealor NW45
- Colorpop Dream St Eyeshadow Palette
- Maybelline hype sharp eyeliner
- Maybelline Volume Express Mascara
- Viola Beauty Lashes (Eugiee)
- Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation Pecan C6
- Nars Radiance Longwear foundation
- Nars Radiance Creamy Concealor Amande
- Laura Mericer deep translucent powder
- Sacha Buttercup setting powder
- Nars Blush ‘Taos’
- Mac chestnut lip liner
- Anastasia Beverly hills ‘bronzed’ lipgloss
- TOOLS USED
- CVL Beauty Brushes
- Evita Joseph Brushes
- SO Aesthetics Brushes
MATTE MAKEUP USING MY CURRENT FAVORITE PRODUCTS
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- PRODUCT LIST
- Nars Smooth and Protect Primer
- Makeup Forever Mattifying Primer
- Benefit Goof Proof Brow Pencil #5
- MAC Concealor NW45
- MAC Burgandy times 9 Palette (Honey Lust and Embark)
- Maybelline hype sharp eyeliner
- Maybelline Volume Express Mascara
- Viola Beauty Lashes (YO-YO)
- Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation Pecan C6
- Nars Radiance Creamy Concealor Amande
- Laura Mericer deep translucent powder
- Sacha Buttercup setting powder
- Nars Blush ‘Taos’
- Bobbi Brown lipgloss ‘Nude’
- TOOLS USED
- CVL Beauty Brushes
- Evita Joseph Brushes
- SO Aesthetics Brushes
INFLUENCER TEA PARTY: WITH MOSHOODAT
One of the perks of creating beauty content and blogging is the occasional opportunity to meet and talk to people in the beauty industry. Once there is champagne, cute decor, laughter, words of support you can promise it will be a lovely time. I have been to a few influencer events and each is very unique in its own way.
Yesterday at the Viva Concept store in East Legon we met with Moshoodat NYC based makeup artist, content creator and creative direct and overall she described herself as a free spirited artist without limiting herself in a box with a particular title. She has worked with A-list celebrities, works with brands to create unique content, creates campaigns that are very relevant and impactful. I am certain you have seen her images floating on instagram.
Some of the Beauty, fashion & lifestyle content creators present were: Eny @thestylennovator , Debbie @Debbs_bjuku, Jessica @jesiscah, Christy @chriskata and Akpene @sun_diataa (Miss Universe Ghana 2018)
Beauty Brands: SO Aesthetics, R&R luxury and P.B.H(Pretty Black Hands) polish
Interboxcomms creatives digital agency put this event together and it turned out beautifully.
Goodie bags: One of the things I low key look forward to are the goodie bags this one some exciting products. It had an ankara bonnet from Isokenenofe which I had been eyeing for a long time, baobab oil and lip butter from R&R Luxury, eyeliner from SO aesthetics and nail polish from PBH polish.
It was quite a lovely afternoon having tea and meeting Moshoodat, Valerie (founder of R&R luxury), Sacha (Owner of SO aesthetics and Viva concept store).
The highlight of the event was probably the intimate makeup workshop with Moshoodat. It was such an interactive session where we got to see and learn how she combines skill and art to create her makeup looks. It was all about how to achieve a flawless glow, skin like makeup and learning about how Moshoodat had grown in her craft and art.
The rest of the day we spent taking pictures and filling up with all the pastries that we put our diets on hold for. I am actually looking forward to the next event as I always leave these events feeling more inspired and motivated by others’ experiences.
FAKE MAKEUP PRODUCTS AND THE DANGERS IT POSES TO YOU!
A few days ago I posted on my instagram story asking beauty companies in Ghana to contact me to collaborate this year on products that they make or retailer, however it had to products that were certified. It started a conversation in my dm’s which made me realize even more why this conversation should be had over and over again to bring to light the real effects of using products that are not certified.
First of all I am highly particular about what I use on my skin because your skin is the largest organ of your body and immediately absorbs products into the blood stream. The pore in our skin are the entry point for anything to enter our body. The science of it is a bit complicated you can click here to read more
Social media also serves as a platform to allow us to see what the western world has to offer us when it comes to beauty products. We see all these new launches and trends and we all want to try it out to help improve our makeup game. Buying and shipping these products to Ghana is expensive and unreliable for individual consumers. So consumers usually turn to local retailers and other sources to get these products.
Beauty Products in general is expensive but you are better of buying the expensive genuine product rather than a cheap fake product. I will share with you the reasons why you should never buy fake products and how to spot fake products.
- Skin infections
- Hyperpigmentation
- Permanent neurological damage in children
- Kidney toxicity
- Fertility products
- Birth defects
- Gastrointestinal toxicity
- Liver toxicity
- Skin infections
- Skin cancer
How to spot fake makeup products 101
Pricing: Do your ‘googles’ and check the original price of the product online, convert it to cedis to be sure. A 30$ Mac studio finish powder cannot not be sold for 120 cedis or less period. It is not a great bargain it is an indicator it is not from the original Mac store. It does not make any profitable sense for a retailer if they bought an original product for the original price to sell it so cheap. FYI although products go on sale, beauty products usually go on sale for about 10-15% discount.
The retailer: Get to know the retailer you are purchasing the products from. Ask questions like where do they get the products from, which stores or online companies are they from, why are the products ridiculously underpriced, are they agents for any of these brands etc. I understand you probably just want to buy your product and go but if you check the side effects I have listed above it is worth asking all these questions.
Compare to the original product: Go online and check the original packaging of the product online and compare it to the one you intend to buy.
Buy from Brand original retailers: To avoid all the hustle I just mentioned above you could purchase directly from the distributors below:
1. Maybelline products from the maybelline stations at the Accra mall
2. Mac from the Mac stores at Accra mall and Westhills mall,
3. Estee Lauder and Lancome from the West hills mall
4. LA Girl from the retailer here
5. Clinique from Accra Mall (Galaxxy store) and West hills mall.
These are the few pointers to at least help you avoiding fake products on the market. If you have any other recommendations share it below.
Currently the only beauty retailers I can recommend are:
- Juben house of beauty
- Beauty marked Gh
If there are more you can vouch for let me know below.
P.S This post is meant to start a conversation we should have started a long time ago, fake beauty products are harmful to us. They go on the skin and enter our bloodstream directly. The more we speak about this the more we are aware of what we buy and retailers will do better.
Travel Guide: 7 things you need to do in Singapore
Singapore literally blew my mind, I’m still in awe of how a place could be so beautiful. It is hard to imagine this country was once mostly covered with water and now its is considered one of the most expensive places in the world. If I could describe Singapore in 3 words it would be Sophisticated, Spotless and expensive. You pretty much have to budget a spend of $100 (500 cedis or about 138 Singapore dollars) a day to spend. As part of our honeymoon we went to Singapore for 7 days, it was filled with a lot of sightseeing, trying different meals, shopping (no doubt!) and relaxing. I vlogged as much as I could but I doubt I captured the night lights, the fantastic architect of the buildings as much as I would have loved to show, because it is just one of those places you need to experience for yourself.
Visa process
Singapore is visa free for most nationalities including Ghanaians holding a Ghanaian passport. We breezed through immigration with just a few questions about where we will stay, our final destination and how long we’ll stay for. Also make sure to have a printed Itinerary of your hotel to prove you are there just for tourism
Flight
We used emirates airlines from Accra which lasted for about 7 hours to Dubai and from Dubai to Singapore was about 6 hours. Including transit time our journey was a total of about 17 hours.
Hotel
There are different types of accommodations available for you to pick from hostels, hotels, serviced apartments etc. Check on booking.com for all the available options.
Transportaion
Download the Grab app to get around or the head to the closet train station to purchase an MRT ticket for a more affordable way to travel. Be sure to download the MRT map to know what stops you’ll be getting off at your destination.
My vlog has a lot more information on places to eat, places to visit and everything you need to know about traveling to Singapore.
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WEDDING PLANNING IN GHANA Q&A | COST, BUDGET, VENDORS
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There are three things that amaze me—no, four things that I don’t understand: how an eagle glides through the sky, how a snake slithers on a rock, how a ship navigates the ocean, how a man loves a woman. Proverbs 30:18-19
Vendor list
Decor @letsbeseated – 0501-581-966
Photography @stevemorrism –
Videography @rippleeffect – 0264-444-444
Makeup @mzl4wson –
Hair @senamsdayspa
Nails @polishdbeautybargh – 0208916401
bridesmaids dresses @rarepassions
Wedding gown @pistisgh – pistisghana.com
Maid of honor dress @pistisgh
Groomsmen suits @tkencollections – 0249-388-957
Stationary/Invitation cards @bytalata 0506-100-398 – www.bytalata.com
Venue @kempinskiaccra
Cocktails @cocktails_n_co
Bouquet @orchideaflowers – 0246-923-333
MC @Matthewansah – 0243-721-993
DJ @DJpage_killercutz – 0507-035-756
Event centres
- Jandel Limited @jandelltd
- Unique Floral limited
- Chandelier Event centre @chandelier_gh 0243-837-842
- Wan-shi Gardens @wanshigardens
- Crystal park @crystalparkgh
- The event centre (New) Boundary road east legon
TRAVEL GUIDE: LANGKAWI ISLAND, MALAYSIA
Langkawi
It is one of the nicest beaches in Malaysia, if not the best. It is surrounded by many other islands including islands of Thailand. Langkawi is inhabited by Malays with most of them being muslems (Alcohol is duty free and available to those who prefer, however pork is not). The to do list on this island is endless from parasailing to jet skiing to island hopping and exploring the waterfalls and everything nature has to offer you will be in for an activity packed holiday. Our hotel had a private beach so we enjoyed most of our time by the beach.
The visa Process
The visa application form/requirements
Flights, tickets and hotels
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We booked our tickets about 2 months ahead through an agent. For hotel reservations we booked on booking.com . In Langkawi we stayed at the Andaman resort. It had its own private beach which was a piece of paradise for us the sand was sparkly white and the ocean was so blue and cool which was perfect for the hot sunny days at the beach. The hotel is located in a thick rainforest, so we pretty much lived with the monkeys and birds. We were given a heads up to make sure we did not leave our doors or windows opened else the monkeys will raid the minibar.
- Grab (download the app)
- Hotel transfer
- Local taxi
Payment
Have enough cash for food and tourist attractions, hotel bills can be paid by card but everything else is by cash. You can change money at the airport they had the best rates.
Entertainment
Lastly we had an amazing outdoor spa session at the V wellness Spa , it was the best massage and facial I have ever had yet. We had an amazing time on the island, I do not have any bad things to warn you about because we did not experience anything like that. If you have any questions to ask I would be more than happy to help.
Thanks for reading.
PHOTOS: BACKSTAGE WITH MAYBELLINE at the GAFW 2018
Hi loves,
This past weekend was super busy and fun all thanks to the amazing team from Maybelline Ghana who gave me and other the bloggers the chance to come backstage to experience the beautiful chaos that happens behind the scenes.
The key makeup artist for the Glitz Africa fashion week 2018 was award winning and first time Ghanaian makeup artist at the 2018 New York fashion week Alexandrina. She lead the team by demonstrating on Miss Universe Ghana 2017 the gorgeous Ruth Quarshie. The team of makeup artists were kept on their toes as models buzzed in and out to get their makeup done.
The main theme of the makeup for the Glitz Africa fashion show in Miss Alexandrina’s words was ‘skin skin skin’ ; so dewy fresh looks was the main look for day 1 with different lip colors depending on the pick of the designer. For the base artists use the Maybelline fit me poreless foundation, Maybelline brow drama to fill in the brows and the Maybelline vivid hot lacquer on the lips.
On Day 2 it was more of smokey dark eyes, so of course the Maybelline colossal Kajal liner was used to darken the eyes. The male models for Tokyo James had stones placed carefully placed all over their faces as the look.
Day 3 was all about color, Nonnistics went for a bold blue liner with nude lips. The artists used the blue Maybelline color tattoo liner to achieve this look.
The finale for Maybelline was the Maybelline runway which was the highlight of my weekend with the team. The models looked fantastic, each with a different colorful look as directed by Alexandrina. Below are some of the images from backstage.
Check out my vlog for backstage content: BACKSTAGE WITH MAYBELLINE AT THE GAFW 2018
Photo credit some images: @phloshop
To shop Maybelline products in Ghana: click here
HOW I GOT MY SKIN ENGAGEMENT DAY READY!
Hi my lovelies,
Over the next few weeks I’m going to be sharing with you as much of my planning and preparations I made for my engagement day. There isn’t a better way to start than sharing my beauty favorites, I’m a beauty girl it is just right.
Although my skin is not problematic I do get the occasional spots and I dreaded it happening on the big day. I could literally wake up any day with an unannounced spot and it freaked me out a bit.
I knew stress would be high, so I focused mainly on planning my time well so stress was at a minimum and making sure my skincare regimen was A1. For someone like me who gets easily stressed I had to focus on intentionally calming down when I got stressed. High stress levels has been related to the causes of pimples and acne in women (FYI).
I’m going to focus on the products that I used, but the biggest factor for me was my monthly facials and reducing stress. Although I must add that your diet and water are also crucial in getting your skin flawless for your big day.
Clinique Anti blemish Cleanser
I think if you’ve been a regular reader this product would not come as a surprise to you, because I’ve been using it for time and it has not failed me. It keeps my spots at bay, I sometimes get a little panic attack anytime I realize I have almost ran out of it. Towards my big day I got 2 bars of the cleanser as back up, I was not taking any chances incase it was out of stock at the mall.
Clinique Moisture Surge
I’ve spoken about the clinique moisture surge 72 hour replenishing moisturizer on my blog, instagram and my youtube channel. The weeks leading to the big was so busy I did not have much sleep and the anti blemish cleanser I use has the tendency to leave your skin a bit dry. The moisturizer has hyaluronic acid and aloe vera in it which tends to hold water in the skin for long hours and it is very evident in the morning after I used it at night. It is a product I will continue using over and over again, I don’t think I could ever stop.
Cici Glam Rose Water
This product is new in my skincare regiment, however I think its there to stay. If you love taking care of your skin you’ll know the amazing benefits of using Rose water, it is an excellent product. I spray it on a cotton and use it as a toner after cleansing my skin. It gets rid of oil and dirt, it reduces acne, it is healing and maintains the health of your skin. The cici glam rose water comes in a 100ml spray bottle, you may want to get 2 or 3 as back up incase you are paranoid like me.
Clinique Super Defense SPF 20
This post could have easily been a beauty favorites post, but will my big day be complete if I didn’t have my favorites? It is helpful to start prepping your skin at least 6 months to the big day to know which products work for you and those to avoid. You do not want your skin to get inflamed or irritated by a product you have not used before close to your big day. The clinique super defense SPF 20 was what I used as my day moisturizer, it contains SPF which is like a blanket to protect your skin from sun damage. Sun damage cause wrinkles, sun burn and for darkens acne scars on your face. I never left home without using my day moisturizer.
Niobe Elemis Mattifying Facials
I started getting monthly facials from March when the engagement was in September. As I mentioned earlier my skin is not too problematic so 7 months was enough time for me however, the earlier the better it is to get your skin to heal. I have a more detailed blog post on my facials at Niobe coming soon. This part of my skincare regimen was very crucial to keeping my skin smooth and flawless.
All these products and services are available to you in Accra.
For clinique store information and where to shop click here
For cici glam rose water click here
Niobe Spa click here
I hope you found this helpful if you are getting wedding for your engagement day or wedding day, or you just need skin care advice. If you have any questions leave it below!
