Yolanda G

12 MINI TWIST HAIR STYLES | How to style mini twists on natural 4A/4B hair

2019-01-01T22:52:00.000+00:00

Super excited about the support on my first video back on Youtube after 3 years- How I do mini twists for natural hair (linked in case you missed it). I decided that when the video reached 1000 views, I would post another one. Thanks to you guys, I has now passed a 1000 so as promised, here is my second video: "12 MINI TWIST HAIR STYLES | How to style mini twists on natural 4A/4B hair". As Youtube videos are a lot of work, I do like to make sure that each video gets enough views before posting the next one. Now the best way for a video to get recommended to other people in Youtube is if it thinks people are enjoying the video. In other words, the best way to get a new video as quick as possible is by showing your support by giving a thumbs up, subscribing and watching the whole video!

So, back to this video. I wanted to share my mini-twist hair styles as I thought that made sense after showing how I instal them. Another reasons was because, as mentioned in the video, I don't normally do that many different styles with my twists. As this is meant to be a protective style, I decided that I have to switch the styles up so I am not putting to much stress on one particular area of my hair. So this video was for me to discover new styles too. Also, I am not the best at doing different hair style so this is intended to help someone with intermediate hair styling skills like myself, or even a beginner who is new to natural hair.

Space buns on twisted natural hair

Now space buns is a hair style I loved to do on my stretched natural hair, yet for some reason I had never done it with my twisted hair. It may seem like a straight forward style but I show in detail exactly show I do the buns in the video. Main reasons is because when I used to watch videos on how to do space buns, I noticed every one uses a different method for the actual buns and a lot of times- it's hard to get two identical buns. With my method, which I use on my natural stretched hair as well, they turn out the same way each time. The method works for untwisted hair too. In the video, pay attention to how I am twisting my hair first, and which direction I twist and then which direction I use when I put the bun in place.

Top knot bun with fringe on twisted natural hair

This is another favourite of mine. I usually wear my hair in a top knot bun when it's twisted, but when I want it to look a little bit nicer, this is the style I usually go for. Again, I show in the video which method I used to make sure the bun is always perfect!

Make sure you check out the video for all 12 styles so you can find a favourite!

Half up half down on twisted natural hair

Hair down with gold cuffs on twisted natural hair

Ponytail with gold cuffs on twisted natural hair

Bun with twisted fringe on twisted natural hair

Please let me know if you have any feedback on the video and if you have any video suggestions. Also, I would love if you'd support by sharing your favourite style on Pinterest, as it really helps to share my blog post!

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How To Do Mini Twists On Natural Hair Tutorial

2018-12-21T14:26:00.001+00:00

After two years away from Youtube I am finally back. I have a better camera, lighting and most importantly I have got a great place to film. For me to know that people are still interested in my videos and want more- I would be so grateful if you could view my video and share some love by giving a thumbs up and leaving a comment. Any video suggestions would also be greatly appreciated. So please watch the video below for a tutorial and/or continue reading this blog post for all of the detailed info on my mini-twists.

For the past 2-3 years mini-twists on my natural hair has been my favourite (and pretty much only) protective style. The reasons I love it is because my hair styling skills are limited, I can't canerow, I have never done twists or braids with extensions and simplicity is really key for me. I can do these twists with little preparation and although they take a while, they can stay in for weeks and during that time they require almost no upkeep. All of you ladies with tightly coiled afro hair can probably relate to my struggle of putting natural hair into a bun, with the mini-twists this is not a problem. I am still experiencing breakage in my hair so this time around I am going to try to switch up how I style my mini-twists to prevent always wearing them in a top bun. Stay tuned for my video on how to create different styles while wearing your mini-twists.

Installing the twists

As you can hopefully see in my video tutorial, I divide my hair into four sections and start with the back section. Each section takes about an hour so in total it usually takes me four hours to instal these twists. I do my twists on dry, stretched hair for length retention. There are two ways you can do this, either twist on blow dried hair or put your hair in braids (as if you were doing a braid out) after washing and leave to dry. Once dry, brush the hair out in a heat less blow dry fashion (tutorial here) and then start twisting. I almost always use the ORS HAIRepair Coconut Oil & Baobab Anti-Breakage Conditioning Crème or Cantu Coconut Curling Cream if I've run out. The reason I tend to use the ORS product is because it is a hair leave in, but it doesn't feel like it contains too much water which helps prevent the stretched/blow dried hair from reverting. When you start twisting, applying a small amount of product onto the twist, mainly focusing on the ends, to "lock" the twist, apply product to end and twirl it.

Maintenance

The twists are very low maintenance but the main things in terms of maintenance for these would be refreshing the twists (look wise), moisturising and how to keep them at night. Once a week, I would re-twist the perimeter of the hair if needed, using a small amount of water or leave- in. At night, I divide my hair in two sections and put those in a low bun. I twist each section before making it into a bun (I will show this in future videos) and then put on a scarf to sleep in. You could leave the twists for two weeks or one months if you can go that long without washing your hair. Depending on your hair type or how easily it gets tangled, you might be able to even wash your hair in twist. I saw this in a video recently by Laila from Fusionofcultures so if you're interested in washing your twists, have a look at that.

Styling

As mentioned earlier in this posts, I tend to wear my mini-twist in a top bun like the one you see in the first two pictures. However, I am looking to switch up the styling and I am planning to do a styling video if I can come up with some more easy to do styles! In these pictures you can see how it looks wearing it out. Although less noticeable in the pictures, my hair is a little to thin to wear out. I'd love to wear it this way hopefully in a year or so if my hair recovers from the damage and gets fuller.

If you've made it this far in the blog post, thank you so much for reading! If you enjoyed it, please share my posts on your social media or even better, Pin one of my pictures to your Pinterest board.

Let me know what you though of this post and video and what you would like to see next!

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WAHL Afro Styling Range By 5ive

2018-11-26T20:09:00.000+00:00

"The power of professional styling in your hands"

Today I have a really exciting review guys, I will be reviewing WAHL's afro styling range by hair celebrity stylist and former afro stylist of the year- 5ive! I am sure I am not the only one who grew up using the WAHL hair dryer on the left in the picture below, in fact, I don't think I ever had a hair dryer from another brand. Therefor I was very excited an honoured to have WAHL send me these products to review. This styling range was created in order to give you the confidence to create salon worthy styles at home and is described as follows:

"Suitable for every hair type and texture, this range provides full styling control with a variable heat straightener, a powerful hairdryer for unlimited styling capabilities and a root styler to effortlessly smooth out frizz"

WAHL Afrostyling PowerPik 3000, £24.99

So the hair dryer I am reviewing, PowerPik 3000 is the one one the right in the picture below.

Description from WAHL's website (link above in title):

"The Powerpik 3000 delivers 1800 Watts of powerful performance for ulta-fast drying results. With 3 heat and 2 speed settings to provide maximum styling control and a cold shot to set your style. Includes a pik attachment designed for reaching hard to dry areas and 2 concentrator nozzles for precise styling. Fitted with a hanging loop, 3m salon length cable and removable air filter for easy cleaning"

In the box you will get the 1800W PowerPik 3000 hairdryer, pik attachment, two concentrator nozzles and an instruction booklet.

As I had an older version of the WAHL PowerPik hair dryer I thought it would be interesting to do a comparison between this and the older version. So the first thing you'll notice is the design which I personally think is an improvement with the PowerPik 3000 but I don't mind the previous designer either. The first noticeable thing when it comes to actually using the hair dryer is that the buttons are different and placed differently to before, as you can see in the image below. The PowerPik 3000 has two different speed settings and three heat setting for improved control- this is a feature that is missing in the previous model. The cold shot is present with both models and is definitely useful as I usually will use it once the section I am working on is completely dry or in between to prevent over heating. When using the old dryer, I've found myself pressing some buttons by accidents due to where they are placed- and I had less of this problem with the new PowerPik 3000 version.

WAHL Afrostyling Hair Straightener, £32.99

Description: "The Wahl Afro Hair Straightener which, endorsed by top Afro Stylist – 5ive, has variable heat temperature and ceramic coated plates which helps create a sleek and smooth finish"

Now I am not an expert when it comes to hair straighteners, I've always had one and I straighten my hair once in a while. My old one looked pretty rough so I was super excited to try this. Since I received this product I haven't straightened my whole hair but I tried a section for the sake of the review. The website described the ceramic plates as a technology which makes the straightener reach your ideal temperature quicker, maintains a constant heat which in turn allows even heat distribution throughout the length of your hair for a perfect finish! Also, as you can see it has rounded edges which in my experience is great if you want to use your straighteners to create curls/waves.

The design is super sleek with this digital display showing the temperature the straightener is set to. The minimum temperature you can use is 150°C and the maximum is 230°C. This is going to be really useful for the next time I straighten my hair, I've never had a straightener with different heat settings before.

WAHL Afro styling Root Styler, £29.99

This is a product type I've never tried nor really heard of before. I did a Google search and I can't find another product like these- so I think it's safe to say this is quite unique and innovative.

Description: "Designed to work close to the root, the styler will smooth out coarse and frizzy hair whilst adding volume and lift. The heat protectant double guide comb system provides a safe way to style by enabling you to get the ceramic coated barrel extremely close to the root. The variable temperature settings ensure this styler is suitable for afro and mixed textured hair"

So I think this was pretty forward to use (that is if I am actually using it correctly), but at least I was able to get it to work. When I first tried them I actually used them during a youtube video I was filming so I've included some stills which hopefully give you an idea of how the product is used and the results. I had blow dried my hair using the hair dryer and then tried the root styler on blow dried hair. The pieces I tried turned out really straight, very close to the root. I can see this being useful if you're doing a sleek bun or any style where you want sleek and straight edges.

I tried it two different ways but I think the way I did it below, putting the hair "on top" makes more sense and was more effective.

What styling tools do you use and how often do you use them?

Have you tried this range?

x

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(*) These products were sent to me to review

Nylah Hair Care Products Review- Super Botanical's Conditioner, Strength and Shine Shampoo Cream, Magic Star Comb and Herbal Hair Tea Growth

2018-02-04T21:14:00.000+00:00

Hi everyone!

Today I will be reviewing some hair care products from the UK brand Nylah: the Nylah Super Botanical's Conditioner, Nylah Strength and Shine Shampoo Cream, Nylah Magic Star Comb

and the Nylah Herbal Hair Tea Growth.

Let's start with the obvious, the packaging! The packaging is amazing and that was actually the first thing that caught my attention when I first came across this brand, the name is nice, the logo and design looks luxurious and clean but with some nice patterns included which I think represents the heritage part beautifully(their tagline is Heritage, hair and science).

Here is a little bit of information about the brand from their website:

"Named for my beautiful daughter, for her wonderfully kinky, afro hair that delights and inspires me. For the people who need haircare products that are safe, gentle and effective. For people who believe that their hair says something about them and their backgrounds, their heritage their roots. For women who love to simply be ourselves: creative, inspirational, strong and beautiful."

So the brand is a UK brand which caters to afro hair and it is also a black owned business.

Nylah Super Botanical's Conditioner, £14

"Super Botanical's Conditioner Restore and protect your hair’s natural moisture with our rich and creamy double strength conditioner. Loaded with essential amino acids, and super botanicals, this fast-acting formulation softens and moisturises hair to help prevent breakage. Carefully formulated to a P.h 4.5 to help re-balance your hairs cuticles and lock in moisture."

So as you can see above, the key claims for this conditioner is that it is moisturising and strengthening. It contains humectants, some detangling agents and a lot of natural emollients such as Shea Butter, Jojoba Oil and Crambe Seed Oil. The latter is one which I had not heard of before (INCI Crambe Abyssinica Seed Oil) but the packaging says it is Ethiopean Crambe and after some quick research I found that it is known for its high Erucic Acid (omega 9 fatty acid) content and for being a very stable oil. It is definintely very creamy and softening and it smells of sweet orange oil, which is one of my favourites. I always detangle with my conditioner and my hair seems to be extra tangly compared to others, therefor it is very rare that I found a conditioner to have amazing slip. The first time I used this conditioner my hair was especially tangled and I after trying it a few times I found it to have medium slip, in other words I would prefer it to have a bit more slip for my particular hair type. In terms of the price point, I know smaller and start up brands have to have higher price points- it is understandable. However, I am personally a bargain queen when it comes to cosmetics so I would have liked it to be a bit lower. However, a lot of high quality ingredients are in the formulation- so you would definitely get your money's worth.

If you have been reading my blog for a while, you'd know that I always try to include the ingredient list as I myself find it quite annoying when it's not included. For some reason I took the picture of the product information and not the ingredient list (although you can see the ingredient list a little bit. I would refer to the website but the ingredients are not listed there. If you want to see the full ingredient list feel free to send me a dm on Instagram (@Yolandaas) or comment on this blog post and I will send it to you.

Nylah Strength and Shine Shampoo Cream, £12

The second product is the shampoo cream. I personally have never tried a product marketed as a Co-Wash, but I'd like to think such a product would be similar to this one- which is marketed as a Shampoo cream- in case anyone was wondering what the difference is. This is a really nice formulation which definitely is very creamy- and will still clean your hair properly. The cleansing agent, or surfactant is a mild syndet (synthetic detergent) called Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate. It has been shown to be more gentle to the skin barrier, than soap and other surfactants. I did get some lather the first time I tried it, and a little less the second time, which probably was due to how much product that was or wasn't in my hair at the time of washing it. The shampoo cream also contains humectants and emollients like Glycerin and Shea Butter which is great for natural hair. I believe the scent is the same as for the conditioner, sweet orange- but I could be wrong. Either way it is really pleasant and not overpowering.

Now to the Nylah Magic Star Comb and the Nylah Herbal Hair Tea Growth (both linked). Despite planning to quite a few times- I kept forgetting to use the herbal tea, which is a hair rinse. I was very excited to try it but I've been keeping it in my food cupboard with my regular teas, so when it's time for wash day I always forget. However, the herbs it contains (Nettle, Rosemary, Peppermint and Horsetail) are all known to have great benefits for hair. Nettle is said to naturally inhibit DHT (hair loss causing hormone), Peppermint and Rosemary are said to stimulate hair growth and Horsetail contains Silica which is supposed to strengthen hair strands. There is not that much to say about the wide tooth comb as I am sure you are all familiar with this hair tool. It is good for detangling tightly coiled afro hair. I see a lot of naturals with tightly coiled hair types mention different detangle tools as their favourites so make sure you try different ones to establish which one is the best for you. I have recently found a paddle brush to work well for me. I use this wide tooth comb if I have to detangle my hair slightly between washed, but for my wash-detangle session I need the paddle brush to make sure all tangles are removed.

Overall I really loved using these products. They all contain a lot of strengthening and nourishing natural ingredients and none of the products contain Parabens, Mineral Oil, Synthetic Fragrance, Artificial Colours, Formaldehydes, SLS or SLES which is good if you are sensitive to any of these. I have to add as well the the founder is very nice and she has done a great job creating this brand!

Have you tried these products, and if not, will you be trying them out?

xx

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(*) These products where sent to me to review

Curls Blueberry Bliss Curl Collection Review- The Aloe and Blueberry Juice Curl Moisturizer, The Blueberry and Coconut Hair Milk and The Blueberry and Mint Tea Scalp Treatment

2017-10-04T12:00:00.000+01:00

If you have been following my blog since I started years ago. You'd know that I initially was doing a relaxed-hair healthy hair journey. At this stage I loved going to the afro hair care store and testing new products. One of the products I tested and reviewed on my blog (read here) were the Curls Coconut Sublime Conditioner, Curls Curl Souffle and the Curlicious Curls- Cleansing Cream. These were all amazing and smelled like a mix of Coconut and Caramel. For the time it was, I found them to be very innovative with products like the cleansing cream, years before the Co-wash trend kicked off and brands started to realise.

Now onto the new products. They are all new additions to the Curls Blueberry Bliss Curl Collection and consist of a spray hair moisturiser, moisturising milk and scalp oil. All of them have the same scent which I supposed is supposed to be a "blueberry scent"- I love the scent personally but I think they more so smell of sweets or sort of fruity! In my review below, please find direct links to the products within each product title. Here you can view the full ingredient lists.

The Aloe and Blueberry Juice Curl Moisturizer, $13

Description:"Refresh, revive, and rejuvenate 2nd day curls with pure aloe and blueberries. Formulated with certified organic aloe leaf juice (strengthens hair, adds shine, combats frizz) and blueberry extract (repairs damage, prevents breakage, encourages hair growth). NO sulfates, silicones, parabens, artificial oils, or fragrances."

First off is the Aloe and Blueberry Juice Curl Moisturizer which comes in a spray bottle. In addition to moisturising and refreshing your hair I find it to be a good detangler. I currently only wash my hair bi-weekly, so I've used these products as a weekly refresher. I used this spray to re-wet and re-moisturise as well as to detangle it. The ingredient list doesn't disappoint with the second ingredient after water being Aloe Vera Leaf Juice followed by Glycerin.

The Blueberry and Coconut Hair Milk, $15

Description: "Blueberry & Coconut Hair Milk, formulated with certified organic coconut milk and blueberry extract guaranteed to moisturize the driest curl, condition overworked tresses and encourage hair growth all in one step! NO sulfates, silicones, parabens, artificial oils, or fragrances."

The second product I tried out was the The Blueberry and Coconut Hair Milk. Just like the other products, it smells like sweets and I used it as the next step after the Aloe and Blueberry Juice Curl Moisturizer. It is very moisturising but quite light weight. If you have looser curls, these two products might be good for using just after washing your hair. I personally would use products like this to re-moisturise my hair as I need a thicker/creamier product straight after washing my hair.

The Blueberry and Mint Tea Scalp Treatment, $12

Description: "Formulated with certified organic blueberry seed oil, corn mint and coconut oil proven to enhance hair growth, soothe and refresh dry, itchy scalp, and relieve itching. NO sulfates, silicones, parabens, artificial oils, or fragrances."

Last but not least, the Blueberry and Mint Tea Scalp Treatment. The oil comes in a dark glass bottle, which is the best way to store oils as it prevents them from oxidising. Inside there is a actually a dropper, something I haven't seen before for a hair oil. But when using it, it was actually very useful as it's very long and reaches your scalp easily. The only problem with the dropper is that it can spill quite a bit, which is a little bit annoying. Not everyone uses scalp oils but I am personally an avid user of them as I want to prevent scalp dryness and flakiness after shampooing and I always put peppermint oil in my oils mixes to give that tingling/soothing feeling (check out my blog posts on DIY oil mix here). I have tried quite a few scalp oils to review in the past and this is the first one that has actually replaced my home made mix. It is super light, smells of fruits mixed with mint, it gives the tingling feeling that I love as it contains Menthol (a constituent in Peppermint essential oil).

The products are available to buy at www.curls.biz and I have linked each product in the title if you want to have a look and see the full ingredient lists.

Overall I really enjoyed using this range. I am so impressed by the scalp oil- I actually haven't used my own scalp oil mix since I got it. The products all smell yummy and worked really well to re-moisturise my hair. As I mentioned previously, I would recommend these as main moisturisers for looser curls or as a refresher-re-moisturiser for tighter curl types like my own.

Have you tried this range, or the Curls brand in general?

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24K Bio-Gold Capsule Collection- Gold Water, Day Cream, Day Cleanser

2017-09-17T11:30:00.000+01:00

As you can see, I am trying something slightly different and very exciting- skin care products containing colloidal gold. To be more specific, they contain 24k gold, are by a company called Bio-Essence and are now available at Superdrug. I have linked each product (in their title) to where you can buy them and read their full ingredient lists.

So why would you use gold on your face?

Now, oddly enough there isn't much information on the brand's website, nor on Superdrug's website on the actual benefits on colloidal gold in skin care. From my own research I have found that colloidal gold is supposed to be anti-inflammatory with antioxidant properties. To find out if these benefits are real you really have to try for yourself! I definitely believe the benefits of gold are real- even the ancient Egyptians were convinced and used to wear gold and bury their loved ones with gold as they believed they possessed unsuspected healing powers..

Bio Essence 24K Gold Water, £16.99

Description: "Intensive Nourishment & Treatment Power of an Essence + Light-Weight Texture Of Water; 24K Bio-Gold is so light-weight that it allows another layer of additional toner, without leaving any burden on skin."

This product slightly differs from your every day- it comes in a luxurious glass bottle and there cannot be squeezed out but rather "poured" out of a small hole. I read a few other reviews which mentioned that they did not like this and found it hard to dispense the product. Personally, I didn't find it an issue. The consistency is gel-like and the hole at the top was a perfect size to pour product onto a cotton pad to use. You will see actual gold flakes in the product and might even spot some on your face- however once you have worked the product in they sort of disappear. The formulation is very non-drying and if you have oily skin you might not have to apply any moisturiser after using this.

As you can see, there are loads of gold flakes in the toner and they look absolutely amazing. Using these in the morning and evening feels great and they look so good in my bathroom cabinet.

Bio Essence 24K Gold Day Cleanser, £6.99

Description: "24K Bio-Gold Skin Awakening Day Cleanser lathers into rich, fine foam which cleanses thoroughly to reveal clean and supple skin without dryness. Unique formulation with 24K Bio-Gold, Bio Mineral Amino Acid, Bio Rice Fermentation Essence and precious herbal extracts, is rich in anti-oxidants to help skin fight against free radicals, protecting skin from premature ageing and promotes radiance from within."

This is my favourite out of the three! I'd say it is a cream cleanser, but not the cream cleanser that doesn't foam and you wipe it off. This cleanser foams as it comes in contact with water and forms a creamy lather. When I first tried it, it really reminded me of the Clinique Foaming Sonic Facial Soap as it leaves that soap- film feeling on the skin when used (which is not a problem, just an observation). I did have a look at the ingredient list of the Clinique facial soap and the products have fairly similar top ingredients, so if you like the Clinique cleanser- I am sure you'd like this one. When you're wearing makeup there is no need for any additional steps before using the cleanser, just rub it into your hands with water and massage into your face and all your makeup literally melts away. I have used this when wearing a full face of makeup, including liquid eyeliner that does not budge at all during the day and it all comes off with one wash. This is a huge plus for me as I never really used nor liked those makeup or eye makeup removers.

Bio Essence 24K Gold Day Cream, £15.95

Description: "Bio-essence 24K Bio-Gold Day Cream SPF25 awakens your skin and protects it right from the start of the day. With high anti-oxidant power, 24K Bio-Gold is rapidly absorbed by face and neck to fight free radicals; Non-greasy formula glides on easily for superior hydrating and moisturising effects; Protects and maintains skin’s radiance in the day."

I definitely don't shy away from using cheaper beauty products, especially not when it comes to moisturisers. But you know that feel a more high end face cream can have to it? That's exactly what I noticed when I tried this. It is a light feeling cream with gold flakes in it, but when applied onto the skin it feels very luxurious and rich, it feels like an expensive cream (and it kind of is). I am sure we all by now the benefits of using SPF in your creams daily, it protects against sun damage which can cause wrinkles and also protects against hyper-pigmentation. Despite this many day creams use an SPF amount considered ineffective, like SPF 15- I like that this cream has a higher SPF which will provide longer lasting protection against sun damage. If you are in an extremely sunny country I would suggest reapplying throughout the day or using a cream with higher SPF.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed using this product range. The formulations are great and they all feel like high quality products and also- they all look amazing! If you are into "natural" ingredients then this might not be the range for you as they do contain ingredients like Mineral Oil, Butylene Glycol and TEA amongst others (they also contain a lot of ingredients like natural extracts). If you are interested in reading the full ingredient lists please click on the links in the titles.

Let me know what you think about colloidal gold in skin care and if you have tried it?

xx

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(*) These products were sent to me to review

Tropic Skin Care Good Skin Day Resurfacing Serum, Sun Balm SPF 50, Tinted Skin Shade Facial Sun Protection and Mangosteen, Thyme and Mandarin Body Wash

2017-07-26T12:00:00.000+01:00

Very excited to review these amazing skin care products from Tropic Skincare. Tropic skin care offers high quality skin care products which are all Vegan and Cruelty free. All of their products are free from Parabens, SLS and SLES, Petrochemicals and more (see all here). It was founded by Susan Ma who appeared on the Apprentice in 2011 and has received a 50/50 partnership from Lord Sugar.

I think most bloggers (and anyone else that has ordered online) can agree that it's a really nice surprise when a company makes that extra effort with your parcel. As you can see, along with my products I received biscuits, a to-do note pad, a pen, tea and a makeup bag- which was lovely.

Good Skin Day Resurfacing Serum, £42

The first product is the Tropic Good Skin Day Resurfacing Serum. This is a a restorative serum that "resurfaces the top layer of skin to reveal a brighter, more youthful looking complexion overnight". The key ingredients in this are Lime Pearl Extract, Glycolic Acid, Willow Bark, Papaya Enzymes and Hyaluronic Acid. As my skin has been very problematic lately, this has been a great help. Acids chemically exfoliate your skin so essentially it helps you get rid of old skin quicker. If my skin has been bad and is on the way to clearing up- this seems to speed up the process. It would also work if you have Acne scarring for example or hyper pigmentation. My skin is normal/dry and a tip is to first apply an oil around the driest parts of your skin (nose or sides of nose, around eyebrows and around mouth) and then apply the serum to the rest of your skin. Use this product 1-3 times per week, less if your skin is sensitive or dry. Also- remember to use sunscreen during the day after using acids on your skin as they make your skin more photosensitive.

Sun Balm SPF 50, £16

Next up is Tropic Sun Balm SPF 50, described as "A highly effective facial sunscreen balm for those areas of the skin prone to burning". Unfortunately I have not been abroad since receiving these products and thus not able to try it out that much. If you're on holiday somewhere where it's extremely sunny (or if you are of lighter skin tones and are more prone to sun burn) you can apply this to areas like nose, lips shoulders or any part which might burn quicker. During the heatwave a month ago or so, I was using this on my tattoos when sunbathing to prevent fading. I love this product and I'd say it's quite unique- I haven't seen many sun balms like this in the shops and definitely not one that mainly consists of natural ingredients.

Tinted Skin Shade Facial Sun Protection, £24

This one is another product which really impressed me- Tropic Skin Care Tinted Skin Shade Mineral Facial Sun Protection SPF 50. I'd say being black you'd definitely be sceptical when it comes to any form of tinted cream. In my experience, if they are dark enough they tend to have a way too red undertone making you look orange. I was so pleasantly surprised when I first tried this and saw that it was an exact match to my skin tone. It's quite rich, but blends amazingly and I would even say it gives quite a bit of coverage as well. Another thing worth mentioning is that this formula includes the physical sunblock Zinc Oxide. This is common in more natural sunscreen formulas and it is very effective- however it is known to leave a white cast. The fact that it didn't leave a white cast even on brown skin was pretty impressive.

Mangosteen, Thyme and Mandarin Body Wash, £10

The last product is the Tropic Skin Care Mangosteen, Thyme and Mandarin Body Wash. This one was actually recommended to me and it definitely didn't disappointed. Sulfate free body washes can sometimes be a bit to runny and also they might not foam as much as a "regular" body wash. I was pleasantly surprised to see that not only was it a creamy body wash but it was also foaming quite a lot! Thoroughly enjoyed this and I have unfortunately already finished it.

Overall I was very impressed by all of these products as the quality was amazing.

Have you tried any of these?

xx

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(*) These products were sent to me to review

How to get (booty) gains after a gym- plateau

2017-07-15T12:30:00.000+01:00

This post is aimed specifically at people who have been going gym for a while and feel like their muscle gains or just strength increase have become stagnant. If you are just starting out at the gym, all of these points will still be applicable and would also work as good starter advice. I am writing from my own experience and things I try to keep in mind in order to keep me motivated to go gym, increase and push harder. As my gym goals are currently focused on lower body- I am focusing on Booty gains, however these tips would be applicable to other types of gains too.

Set goals

Setting goals will give you direction, keep you motivated and driven as you are working towards something. Think of a mixture of long term goals like; become more healthy, increase stamina and lose or gain weight as well as shorter more specific goals to keep you motivated, like; train x amount per week, do two leg days per week, do abs every other day, squat 50 kg by August. When setting goals it's important to be realistic and not setting yourself up for failure. If you currently go gym once or twice per week, don't get carried away and set a goal of gymming four to five times per week. Instead, set a goal of two or three. As this goal is easier to achieve, chances are that you do achieve it- and the sense of accomplishment when doing so will encourage you to carry on and do better. If you always set goals that are too ambitious, you could end up failing- which will just make you feel discouraged. Writing down your goals is important, there is something about taking the time to write down your goals and then being able to either tick a box/circle or cross them out once you achieved them!

Track and write down gym routines

This is one of the more recent things I have started to do. When I was gymming on and off years ago I used to write down all my gym sessions in an app, it was tedious and didn't allow full control over how and what I wrote as it had to be typed into the app. I then tried just writing down work outs casually in my notes, something I also got tired of eventually. So this time around I spent some time thinking about what would be the best way to write down my routines. At first I was thinking note book, but the OCD in me did not like that. I wanted something more organised so I went for a day planner. There's a whole page for you to write your exercise and it's easy to go back and see the exact date of the work out. This also allows space to add comments. I add comments like "increased" or "gave good glute-burn" or anything else that's notable. If your memory is bad like mine, or you are forgetful, make sure you write down the exact routine and weights used in your phone while at the gym so that you can transfer this information into your day planner afterwards. This has helped me a lot- I can go back and look at specific comments about work outs and analyse what made a work out more or less effective. I am trying to increase weights for a few exercises, so I can go back and see how long have I been doing a specific weight or how long did I do the previous weight before increasing.

New gym clothes/equipment

Get some new gym wear as motivation. How you want to do this is entirely up to you. I am sure that you have heard the advice that new gym clothes will motivate you to go gym. This is especially common with people who are just starting out, they feel motivated, buy a ton of gym clothes and think that alone will keep them motivated enough to consistently go to the gym. If this works for you, please do it this way! However, my tip is to set specific goals (as mentioned above) and then gift yourself once a goal is reached. If you're goal is to squat 100kg, note down the treat you will give yourself once you achieve this. Now you can squat heavier and you can keep increasing while looking good in your new gym gear. Brands like Fabletics offer gym wear that works well but is also stylish, which will have you feeling and looking great in the gym!

Switch up your routine

By switch up your routine I don't necessarily mean the usual "change up your exercises" (although this could be beneficial too). I am referring to changing up your reps and sets or even the way you train. Although I have been training for a few years consistently, I am not a PT or a professional so I will not list specific set and reps combos, however I will say play about with pyramid sets, drop sets, super sets and tri sets. Explanations and examples of these can be found on most bodybuilding websites. You can also try out different forms of exercises (I am personally Not good at this). If you always train at the gym, try doing classes or working out outdoors or even playing a sport.

Don't blindly trust Instagram

Now don't get me wrong, there is plenty of good advice and serious trainers on Instagram and other online platforms. However, there are a lot of people who don't necessarily know what they're are doing, but they are still giving advice. This is not a dig at them and it also isn't to say don't take their advice- but just take everything you see online with a grain of salt as there are so many different opinions and advice out there that it can get overwhelming. You can of course browse Instagram for new exercises but make sure that you double check everything you see with trustworthy sources.

Since tracking my routines and regularly increasing weights I have definitely seen some gains, but I am always looking to improve my routines in order to achieve even better results and of course, enjoy my training even more. In the past, I would do 3 gym days per week. Most would agree this is too much, so I changed to 2 days per week. This has worked fine, but with 2 days a week (not on set days) there is a possibility that one week you might do Monday and Thursday one week, and then next week you could technically do Thursday and Sunday- leaving a whole week between two leg days. This definitely will not help your gains as your training is not very regular. Therefor I have this week switched my leg day routine up to every 3 days. Every three days technically is 3 days a week (some weeks, if you are doing Monday, Thursday, Sunday) but the following week it would be Wednesday and Saturday which is 2 days in one week. I would definitely recommend planning your leg days this way as you're training consistently which in turn will help you increase weights consistently.

What do you do when your training hits a plateau?
Have you tried any of these tips?

xx

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(*) This is a sponsored post

MontBleu Glass Files Review- Glass Foot File, Zodiac Nail File, Tweezers, Glass Cuticle Stick

2017-01-30T12:00:00.000+00:00

Hi Everyone!

Today I have some really excited products to review- glass nail files and nail tools from Mont Bleu. These are all available at https://www.design-glassware.com and I was kindly sent them to review for my blog. Now I have been blogging for many years and if you have been a follower of my blog during my first years of blogging you would remember that I mainly wrote about nail care and nail varnishes. You can see all of my posts about nail care here.

I have to admit it has been a while since I posted any nail related posts and that is why I am so excited to share these products. As of a few years back, I have only used glass nail files anyway. The first one I tried was from Superdrug or Boots, then I bought one in Sweden and the last one before these was from Primark I believe. What I like about glass nail files is mainly that they're not disposable like the emery board files- they can last for a long time and you can easily clean them. All of the ones I've tried previously actually broke in the end so that kind of defeats the purpose.

My Mont Bleu files have all lasted so far- and in all honesty I've had them for quite some time as my review is a little delayed due to a hectic University schedule. So I can definitely say they are of great quality and the best quality I have tried so far. Oh and lastly- they all come in convenient and nice cases as you can see.

I received a generous package containing all of the nail tools above. I believe I mentioned I like purple (my favourite colour) and that I'd like the Pisces nail file and as you can see I received loads more.

Here is what I thought about each of these nail tools:

Glass Foot File, €16 "Glass foot files and callus removers. Scrapers from Mont Bleu will gently remove hard skin and calluses, without any damage to the underlying skin and no danger of cuts or bleeding. The perfect alternative to your old pumice stone and metal scraper, glass scrapers are very durable and extremely hygienic. "

Before I was sent this product I didn't even know there were glass foot files. As you can see- it's made out of thick glass with the top part being the "handle" part and the top, clear part being the file part. I believe one side is more rough than the other but neither side actually feels rough. The result with this was actually amazing! I have previously tried Pumice stones and regular foot files and even thought they can remove skin they can sometimes leave your skin feeling a little rough- the opposite to what you want. With this file my heels are super soft every time I've used it, and I also feel like I have to use it less often than I would if I used a regular foot file or pumice stone. This is actually one of my favourite tools out of the ones I tried and I would purchase this myself if it ever breaks (which I doubt it would).

Pisces Zodiac Nail File, €10: "Zodiac sign glass nail file “Pisces” made with SWAROVSKI® ELEMENTS. File is 135mm/5.32 inches long and supplied in velvet sleeve."

3-piece Nail File Set with Crystals for Women, €27: "Set of 3 glass nail files “Comet Color” in 6 charming color variations, made with Swarovski crystals. The set includes large (195 mm/7.68 in), medium (135 mm/5.32 in) and small (90 mm/3.54 in) crystal nail files."

As I have 5 different nail files, I am not going to review them all separately. The three matching ones which are purple and pink in different sizes are part of this 3-piece set. They have a ton of different combinations, I have looked through them all on the website. As with all of the tools I receive the quality is amazing and I personally think these would make perfect gifts, and so would the Zodiac nail file that you can also see in the picture. The medium sized one is standard size just to give you a reference. The smallest one would be suitable in a small makeup bag, for travel or to keep in your hand bag- the large one I actually haven't used so far as I tend to reach for the standard size one- but this could work well for Pedicures!

Glass Nail File in Hard Case, €9: "Glass nail file in hard plastic case for extra damage resistance, 125mm/4.92 inches long; Purple color. Czech made glass nail file."

I love this one! I haven't actually seen this design anywhere else and to be honest I wouldn't have thought of it either. Glass files are great but they can be a little bit sharp and even though they are of good quality- they are glass and could break if they were damaged somehow. That's why I love this one as it has an actually case to protect it- making it perfect to keep in your handbag! I used to always try to have a nail file in my hand bag before, I don't even carry makeup in my bag or anything but I often find myself needing a nail file which is why I've kept this one in my handbag ever since I got it. Also great to bring if you're travelling! I can confirm it does get through air port checks if you want to bring it as hand luggage.

Slanted Tweezers, €4.99: "Slanted tweezers for shaping eyebrow hair, made of stainless steel, purple silicon covered for easy holding"

I am definitely a Tweezer person- I have always done my own eyebrows, by plucking with a Tweezer and I have to admit Tweezers can be a bit of a hit or miss. I like the fact that this comes with a case and of course that it is purple, however I can't say it's the best Tweezer I have ever tried in terms of grabbing small eyebrow hairs so I find myself reaching more for my other Tweezer. I tend to bring this one with me when I travel though as it's still decent.

Dual-end glass cuticle pusher for manicure and pedicure, €5.49: "Dual-end cuticle pusher made of glass. Achieve healthy looking nails in minutes with perfectly designed glass cuticle pusher. Length 92 mm / 3.62", Diameter 7 mm / 0.28"."

Here is another favourite of mine and really impressive product! I always use the wooden cuticle sticks so this type of product was definitely new to me. It was hard to get a really clear close up pictures of this one with my camera, one end is the sharp end to clean under your nails and the other is the actually cuticle "pusher". They are both of actual file material so I am a little cautious using this under my nails to clean them as I would with a wooden one. I tend to use this more to push cuticles down- the facts that it is a file material makes it more effective than a wooden cuticle stick to push down cuticles without leaving any "residue" behind.

Overall I loved these products as I am sure you can tell and I would definitely recommend that you visit their website which I linked in the beginning of their post or check out their social media accounts which are linked here: Twitter Pinterest Facebook Google+

Do you use glass nail files and how do you like them?
Have you ever seen or tried a glass foot file?

xx

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(*) These products were sent to me to review

October 2016 GLOWWBOX Review

2016-10-30T17:48:00.000+00:00

Today I will be reviewing the October 2016 GlowwBox. I am sure you have heard about GlowwBox by now, but if you haven't- it is a monthly subscription box containing 6 beauty products that are aimed at darker skinned girls. Above, you can see the contents of the box I received. I received 5 full sized products and one smaller sized product (the bath milk).

Andre Walker- Ultimate TKO Conditioner, £14.99- This is a conditioner which can be used as a deep conditioner if left in for longer. It's from a brand new range called "the Gold System" by America's leading stylist Andre Walker and it is a Keratin therapy for textured, coarse or dry hair. Now my hair is coarse and also happens to be very damaged- so the fact that it contains Keratin is perfect for me. The formula has a very subtle scent and is pretty thick, but when applied it has a lot of slip and you really don't need a lot. Initially when I saw the small container I thought, this can't be enough for more than one wash. However I've actually used it for my last two wash days as a deep treatment and I have half or more left. I loved it as a deep treatment and my hair felt soft and tangle free after using it.

Mixed Chicks- Dual Quick Stick Foundation & Bronzer, £16.99- This is another brand new product and I received two different shades just to ensure I got a good match to my skin tone. As the name suggests, it's a two-in-one foundation and bronzer stick from the brand Mixed Chicks. It comes in 5 different shades and promises high coverage and silky smooth skin feel. It's also Gluten free, Paraben free and not tested on animals. Now, the shade that match my skin best was the lighter one but the bronzer which was lighter and a better match for me- was actually the bronzer for the darker shade, which I found a bit strange. I've really enjoyed using the foundation, it's very moisturising and I'd say it's more of a dewy rather than matte look (which is my preference, and I don't have oily skin so it's not a problem for me). I used the bronzer almost like a highlighter as it gave a really nice golden glow.

Here is a look I shared on my Instagram (@Yolandaas). I used the Mixed Chicks foundation as a base and the bronzer as a highlighter. It gave a great glow on it's own but as it's a liquid product I used a of tiny bit golden eyeshadow on top to "set" the highlight.

Eye of Horus Goddess Pencil, £15.00- I have actually reviewed this products years ago, you can check out the review here, where I shared information about the product and also a makeup look using it.

Lucy Annabella Date Night Organic Bath Milk, £43 (full size)- Unfortunately I was unable to try this product as I don't have a bath tub. It is a bath milk with "a seductive blend of Patchouli, Ylang Ylang, Nutmeg, Palmarosa and Mandarin essential oils". I love the scent and I could see this being very relaxing and aromatherapy- like in a hot bath.

Saturated Colour Multitasker (Seductive Damson), £3.50- This product is a two in one lip liner/eye liner. The shade is called "Seducative Damson" and it's a deep purple- perfect for autumn. Purple is my favourite colour so I will definitely be using this as a lipliner all over my lips instead of lipstick. I have worn it once already and it's pigmented and creamy with great coverage.

Benecos- Quartto Eyeshadow (Beautiful Eyes), £6.95- This is an eyeshadow palette with four different shimmery shades- light pink/white, purple, pink and brown. Initially I tried to create a makeup look using all products, including this one for the eyes. These shades would have been perfect for an Autumn look but they weren't no where near pigmented enough. When swatched, the colours hardly even show, except for the darkest shade. When used on the eyelids, neither of these were easy to work with or pigmented enough to stay on the lid.

So what did I think of this month's GlowwBox? My two favourite products were the Andre Walker- Ultimate TKO Conditioner and the Mixed Chicks- Dual Quick Stick Foundation & Bronzer. Overally I really enjoyed the box but if I had to choose- I would have preferred if there were less eye makeup products in it. A couple of years ago I would have said the contrary- as I was very into experimenting with makeup looks. If you're a regular customer and sign up for the GlowwBox you fill out a quick survey so that they can personalise the box so this would probably not be an issue. There were also two other body products in this month's box so overall there was a great variety of products.

Do you receive any subscription beauty boxes? Have you tried GlowwBox?

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*These products were sent to me for free to review.

IMAN Cosmetics Review & Ingredients- Sheer Finish Bronzing Powder, Second to None Luminous Foundation, BB Creme, Luxury Moisturizing Lipstick, Luxury Lip Shimmer

2016-07-27T18:45:00.000+01:00

IMAN Cosmetics UK- Review & Ingredients
- Sheer Finish Bronzing Powder, Second to None Luminous Foundation, BB Creme, Luxury Moisturizing Lipstick, Luxury Lip Shimmer

Keep reading to see what IMAN Cosmetics products I used to achieve this look

Hello Everyone! A few months ago I was contacted by IMAN Cosmetics UK who wanted to offer me some products to review. Of course, I was more than happy to do so and I was sent this generous bag of full size and a few sample size products.

Now I am sure you've heard of IMAN Cosmetics, but in case you have not or if you just want to know more, here is the information I received about the brand:

"MAN Cosmetics, is an American cosmetics brand founded by the iconic Iman Bowie. The complete range of IMAN makeup and skincare is now available online, enabling IMAN lovers across the United Kingdom to purchase their favorite products in 3 clicks from their computers, tablets or smartphones. IMAN Cosmetics foundations, lipsticks and the brand’s new classic BB Crème is available in all shades.
The website is designed to answer all beauty issues from women with dark skin tones across the UK, offering make up video tutorials, beauty inspiration and tips from professional make up experts.
Finding the perfect shade is made easy with the “Meet your match” page, where the customer is guided in matching the shade she may have worn in another brand with an IMAN Cosmetics shade."

When I was offered to review their products I had a look on their website and mentioned some products I was interested in (the bronzer, BB Creme and the Nude lipstick). As you can see I received those and a lot of extra products which was very exciting!

Now, first I would like to show you the look I created using some of the products and below I will review the products individually and show some before and after pictures for the face products.

I have actually been sitting on these products for quite a few months, other than busy schedule it was due to the fact that both the BB Creme and the foundation were slightly too dark. I figured I would wait a couple months until summer time so that I would have a tan, however, London summer never came but fortunately I recently went on holiday (to Sweden ironically), but the weather was great and I got a very nice tan! When I got back I thought I'd try the products again and I was happy to find that due to my recent tan- both the BB Creme and the foundation were now the right shade.

I decided to go for a bronzed/nude look, using the BB Creme in place of my normal face moisturiser, the next to none foundation applied using a Real Techniques buffing brush, bronzing powder and the nude lipstick (Nude 598, pics further down) finished off with some nude lipgloss ("muse", pics further down)

IMAN Cosmetics Sheer Finish Bronzing Powder- £20.50, Shade: Sand

This is one of the products I choose. It's a nice shimmery bronzer as you can see in the picture. When it's applied, it's not too shimmery which I would have personally liked. I use this to contour, so just to define cheek bones or, like now, if I am tanned I might apply it lightly to cheek bones similarly to how you'd use a blusher- just for some extra colour!

IMAN Cosmetics Second to None Luminous Foundation, £24.95, Shade: Clay 1

This is a powder foundation, it's not one of the products I personally selected but I was kindly gifted this product anyway. As mentioned previously, when I initially tried the face products, I did not have a tan and they were too dark for me. As I created the look for this review, the shade was now fine and initially I tried applying this product using the puff which came with it (and as instructed on the packaging).This didn't work for me as it didn't spread the products out and applied it all patchy. Then I tried applying it with my Real Techniques buffing brush, sort of working it in into my skin using a circular motion and oh- my- god! I honestly haven't used powder foundation before so I expected quite a powder and possibly dry look. However, as I applied this I noticed that it gave a full coverage (see below), my skin is far from flawless at the moment so there was quite a lot that could be covered and smoothed out. This is the product out of all that impressed me the most! I have put together a collage below so that you can compare the before and afters and also the BB creme results vs. the second to none foundation results.

Click on the picture to enlarge and see a more detailed view

As you can see, in the first picture is my bare skin with no product except face moisturiser. The second picture is when I had applied the foundation- you can see how smooth my skin looks and it really provided great coverage. The third picture is using the BB creme only and the last picture is with a layer of BB creme finished off with a layer of the foundation.

IMAN Cosmetics BB Creme, £20.95, Shade: Sand Medium

This BB Creme contains SPF 15 which is a plus! I have used this as an every day product in place of my normal face moisturiser. As you can see in the comparison picture below, it does give quite a dewy and borderline shiny finish. When I took the picture I had just applied the products and I didn't finish off with powder or anything which possibly made it look a little extra shiny. If you have oily skin (which I don't) then you would most likely need to blot your face with some powder when using this BB Creme. If you have dry skin you'd be fine with just this product alone. The coverage isn't amazing, but looking at my picture above, you can see that it does provide some coverage but not as full as the foundation, which is pretty much what a BB creme is supposed to do! I am off to holiday again soon and I will definitely be using this as the shade is perfect for my tanned skin and it will provide a low SPF factor as well.

For the lip products, I decided to just show you the shades, to see the actual product and the packaging, please look at the picture at the top will all of the products. There is one full sized lipstick (Nude 598) and one full sized lip gloss (Socialite) and the rest are sample sized (but still decent sizes). The lipsticks are very creamy but I have to say that when I wore them, they lasted without re-applying through the London heat wave we had last week and also after I ate.

The Lipsticks

1. IMAN Cosmetics Luxury Moisturizing Lipstick, £12.95, Shade: Baby Doll 2. IMAN Cosmetics Luxury Moisturizing Lipstick, £12.95, Shade: Hipster 3. IMAN Cosmetics Luxury Moisturizing Lipstick, £12.95, Shade: IMAN Nude

The Lip Glosses

1. IMAN Cosmetics Luxury Lip Shimmer, £14.95, Shade: Socialite 2. IMAN Cosmetics Luxury Lip Shimmer, £14.95, Shade: Debutante 3. IMAN Cosmetics Luxury Lip Shimmer, £14.95, Shade: Muse

For the look below, I used a layer of the lipstick in shade Nude 598 and a layer of the lip gloss "Muse" on top- this to me was the perfect nude combo!

Overall I would definitely recommend these products as I feel they are much needed (as they offer a great range of shades especially for brown and black skin tones), they are a black owned business and they are all great quality!

What do you think of my look &

have you/will you be trying this brand?

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(*) These products were sent to me for free to review

Natural Potions LTD Review- Natural Potions Body Butter, Cleansing Balm, Lip Balm & Natural Potions Nourish & Strengthening Hot Oil Treatment

2016-04-28T20:24:00.000+01:00

Natural Potions LTD Review- Natural Potions Body Butter, Cleansing Balm, Lip Balm & Natural Potions Nourish & Strengthening Hot Oil Treatment

Today I am reviewing some products from a company called Natural Potions Ltd which offers natural handcrafted skin (and some hair) products. Behind this brand is husband and wife Fatimah Anwar and Mohammed Kolia who had their vision for their natural skin care company in the middle of the Ngorongoro crater in Tanzania (Read their story here, they've even included a picture of this crater, it's beautiful!). As a Cosmetic Science student with knowledge of making products myself, I find it interesting to review natural companies because I want to know what separates them from other similar companies and also what they can offer- that I could not make myself. With DIY's and easily accesible information from the internet there are so many natural companies created by people who are not more qualified than any other person (no disrespect to them, but it just means you could easily do what they do). However, I was very impressed to hear that this husband and wife duo have between them; degree in Organic Skin care, Law Degree, Pharmaceutical experience (qualified pharmacist with experience working in Boots).

They decided to start off with 6-8 anhydrous products (meaning they do not contain water & also therefor do not need to contain preservatives) and I have had the chance to review four of these; Natural Potions Body Butter, Cleansing Balm, Lip Balm & Natural Potions Nourish & Strengthening Hot Oil Treatment. Most of their ingredients are certified Organic, Vegan and Fairtrade and you can read more about them here.

Natural Potions Body Butter £6.99, 50g.

"A rich & deeply mositurising body butter which hydrates your skin for a smooth and supple finish."

Now for the first product which is a body butter. Although it doesn't say, I believe (I could be wrong) this is a whipped butter with oils, it has a light and fluffy consistency similar to that of whipped Shea Butter. However it doesn't contain Shea Butter but instead Cocoa Butter and Mango Butter. The first thing I noticed about this was how light it felt when applied to my skin, it melts immediately and spreads very well which was very impressive. In addition to the butters it also contains Sweet Almond Oil, Jojoba Oil and Sweet Orange Essential Oil which gives it a really nice fragrance. Sweet Orange Oil is actually my natural fragrance of choice and if you go to the DIY section of my blog you can see that I have used it multiple times.

Key ingredients and their properties:

Cocoa Butter: A butter high in fatty acids and antioxidants, hydrating the skin deeply & helping to reduce signs of ageing, wrinkles & stretch marks (information from Fatimah, one of the owners)

Full ingredient list: Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Mangifera Indica (Mango) Seed Butter, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Citrus sinensis (Sweet Orange) Oil Sensitisers: Limonene, Linalool

Natural Potions Cleansing Balm, £6.99, 50g.

"A nourishing cleansing balm that clears face of dirt, grime & make up resulting in a radiant & illuminating glow. For all skin types. "

Now here is a product which I have never tried before, a cleansing balm. I do enjoy natural products and have tried a lot of them, especially when it comes to using oils for makeup removal. The products I've tried before are Cleansing oils (emulsifying oils) and natural oils using the Oil Cleansing method. Now this cleansing balm would be quite similar to the latter, as it contains oils and butters only and no emulsifying agents (agents that will make the oils mix with water and rinse off, like in the DHC cleansing oil). The directions say to massage the product into your face to melt away the makeup, excess oil and grime and then remove buy holding a warm muslin cleansing cloth over face before wiping away (I assume they mean Muslin cloth soaked in hot water, at least that is how I do it). This is an amazing way of removing makeup and the only downside to this method is having to use a face cloth every single time. If I have worn makeup, I remove it using the method just described and afterwards I use my normal face wash followed by my face toner (the last two steps are optional). To my suprise, it really did leave my skin glowing and despite me using quite a strong face cleanser afterwards my face was still soft from the cleansing balm. This product doesn't contain any essential oils as fragrance but it has a very pleasant smell although I am unsure how to describe it. My only guess is that the scent is coming from either the Rosehip Oil or Kukui Seed Oil as I know the other oils don't have a scent.

Key ingredients and their properties:

Argan Oil: Argan Oil has anti aging properties and has firming qualities due to its high content of essential fatty acids. It is also anti inflammatory and reduces irritation on the skin

Rosehip Oil: Rosehip Oil is also high in Vitamin C and as a result has skin brightening properties, helping the skin tone to become even (a huge concern with skin that is not Caucasian).

Both Argan Oil and Rosehip Oil are know for their skin regenerating properties as well their function to remove scars and blemishes.

Both ingredients were chosen for their ability to heal the skin and brighten its tone. (information from Fatimah, one of the owners)

Full ingredient list: Argania Spinsosa (Argan) Oil, Aleurites Moluccana (Kukui) Seed Oil, Mangifera Indica (Mango) Seed Butter, Rosa Canina Fruit (Rosehip) Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Beeswax, Tocopherol (Vitamin E).

Natural Potions Lip Balm, £3.49, 15.g

"Description A conditioning and repairing lip balm."

I really like the formula of this, compared to other natural lip balms I'd say it's quite oily in terms of Butter/Wax to oil ratio which just makes it really soft on your lips and shiny and it smells of Lemon Oil! Only criticism I have about this would be the size of the packaging, it's rather large for a lip balm. I don't really mind but I guess a smaller size would be preferred just because it's more convenient to bring along with you in your bag or pocket.

Key ingredients and their properties:

Sweet Almond Oil: Has anti inflammatory and moisturising properties

Coconut Oil: High in essential fatty acids making it the perfect emollient for lips and is anti inflammatory, perfect for those with sensitive lips

Castor Oil: Thick and heavy making it a rich moisturiser but also gives the lip balm a glossy feel keeping it on the lips for longer

Full ingredient list: Mangifera Indica (Mango) Seed Butter, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Beeswax, Sunflower Lecithin, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Peel Oil Sensitisers: Limonene, Citral, Linalool, Geraniol

Natural Potions Nourish & Strengthening Hot Oil Treatment, £7.99, 100ml

"An intensive treatment to enrich your hair with essential vitamins, conditioning & firming your locks to give them strength & shine. "

A hot oil treatment for your hair is definitely a good idea if you want your hair to get some extra nourishment as well as protect from the harshness of your shampoo when you're washing your hair (If used as a pre shampoo treatment). The way I use it is dividing my hair into 8 sections, sprizing some water and then applying the oil while finger detangling. As the top ingredient in this is Coconut Oil, it is a solid, in a bottle which is definitely a minus in my opinion as it means you can't get any product out unless you heat it somehow. I placed mine in a bowl of boiling water and although it did liquify completely straight away, it's pretty inconvenient. However, if you want to use the oil warm (as in hot oil treatment) then you would have to do this step anyway. The oil worked well with finger detangling my hair and after shampooing, my hair still felt soft and not dry at all. The smell is Ylang Ylang from Ylang Ylang essential oil, this is another one of my favourite essential oils so I was happy with the scent.

Key ingredients and their properties:

Coconut Oil: Anti-bacterial, anti-fungal (very good for scalp problems), anti-inflammatory & very rich in fibre, Vitamin E (a natural anti-oxidant), Vitamin K and Iron. It has also been shown to be able to penetrate the hair shaft due to its fatty acid structure.

Argan Oil: Contains unsaturated (contain double bonds) Omega 3 and Omega 9 fatty acids so it is able to penetrate the hair shaft and repair damaged hair follicles, provide nutrition to the hair and restore its shine.

Avocado Oil: high in vitamins and fatty acids, giving it a reputation of having a higher degree of penetration into the dermis than most carrier oils. It boost scalp health by helping clear scaly skin and increasing hair growth

Ylang Ylang essential oil: Research has suggested that it has influence over normalising sebum secretion thereby stimulating hair growth and ensuring that the scalp is moisturised reducing hair loss and dandruff. It therefore is very functional without compromising on scent.

Full ingredient list: Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Argania Spinsosa (Argan) Oil, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Cananga Odorata Flower Oil Sensitisers: Linalool, Benzyl Benzoate, Farnesol, Geraniol, Benzyl Salicylate.

Check out Natural Potions:
Website~Twitter~Instagram

Have you tried this brand and
what are your favourite natural skin and hair care products?

xx

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L.O.G Cosmetics Hair Care Review- Heads Up Shampoo, Hair She Goes Leave in Conditioner & Tickle Tickle Deep Conditioning Pumpkin Spice Puree

2016-04-27T12:30:00.000+01:00

L.O.G Cosmetics Hair Care Review- Heads Up Shampoo, Hair She Goes Leave in Conditioner & Tickle Tickle Deep Conditioning Pumpkin Spice Puree

Hi Everyone! I am so excited to share this review of L.O.G Cosmetics hair care products. It's a brand I have been trying out for a few months and I have just posted my video review/demo which you can watch below. If you do, please show some love and like & share the video!

Now, L.O.G Cosmetics is a brand which uses a lot of high quality natural ingredients. They do makeup and hair care products but I will only be reviewing their hair care range today. I mentioned in my video that a lot of the hair care products have Aloe Vera Juice as the first ingredient (the ingredient with the highest concentration) instead of water which definitely shows that they use high quality ingredients.

£16.99 Tickle Tickle Deep Conditioning Pumpkin Spice Puree

"Our Pumpkin Spice Protein Puree is a creamy conditioner that is designed to strengthen weak hair cuticles, prevent damage, and tantalize the senses. It is guaranteed to repair brittle hair textures with its amazing blend of pumpkin extract, cinnamon, nutmeg and organic pumpkin seed oil."

First up is this deep conditioning treatment. I was so impressed by this as a lot of fully natural conditioners tend to have little to no slip (in my experience), and I have tried a lot of products! You can even see in the picture how creamy it is. It has a subtle vanilla scent and contain a lot of amazing ingredients like Aloe Vera Juice, Shea Butter, Natural extracts (Yucca, Horsetail & Nettle), Natural Oils, Vitamins, Hydrolysed Keratin. I do suggest you watch the video so that you can see how shiny my hair looked after I had used this and also how easily it spread when I applied it. With any conditioner I always have to use a ton, but I really didn't with this one. It's not a massive jar and despite that, I got 4 uses out of it.

£15.99 Hair She Goes Cocoa Latte Leave in Conditioner

"Say no to dry brittle hair! HAIR SHE GOES is guaranteed to nourish your curly or dry brittle hair.Its made from coconut milk and moisturizing cocoa butter, very light weight leave-in and promises to rehydrate even the driest of hair types leaving your hair soft and manageable."

Now to the leave in conditioner, called "Hair She Goes". This too contains Aloe Vera Juice as the first ingredient, followed by Coconut Oil then Behentrimonium Methosulfate which is used to give the product more slip. Overall this didn't give me too much slip as in I would use it to detangle, this wasn't a problem though as I applied it onto already detangled hair as you can see in the video. It made my hair soft and I actually blow dried my hair with this in as I was just about to put braids in.

£15.99 Heads Up Shampoo

"Heads up for Our 100% natural shampoo is enriched with a soothing blend of organic peppermint and sweet essence of dark chocolate. Got naturally kinky hair? We’ve got you covered with our 100% natural conditioning shampoo your hair will be cleansed, revitalized and ultimately moisturised."

This actually isn't a shampoo as it doesn't contain any synthetic cleansing agents like Sulfates. It is a castile soap but it is so rich and creamy that I would say it pretty much looks like it could be a conditioner, until it comes in contact with water and starts to lather (if you want to see exactly how much it lathers please check out the video). I guess another way you could describe the formulation is more of a cleansing cream or Co-wash. It reminds me a little bit of the Curls cleansing cream that I used years ago when I was relaxed/transitioning. I way very impressed by this product because it really did cleanse and condition my hair at the same time, if you watch my video review you can see that after I rinsed the product out, my hair actually looked not only conditioned but also had a healthy sheen to it- something I don't see a lot with the bleached parts of my hair. Sometimes I do detangle with Shampoo and you can see in the video that due to this shampoo being so creamy it was very easy to detangle.

These three products can be bought separately and I have included the price and direct link if you want to check them out on the website. You can also buy them in a set called "Itchy Scalp Trio" for £47. Overall I was very impressed by the quality of these products, they are all quite pricey but you literally get what you pay for. I do get quite a few Nigerian ladies on Instagram (@Yolandaas) asking me about natural hair products so I am happy that I finally have some products I can recommend for my naija sisters, as these are available in Nigeria. To purchase in Nigerian you can contact them via telephone 09084991140 or check out their Nigerian Instagram page.

Hope you enjoyed this review guys and if you are interested here is where you can find L.o.g Cosmetics online:

Website, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Nigerian Instagram

What is your favourite natural hair care products?

xx

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(*) These products were sent to me to review. This is not a sponsored blog post, but it includes a sponsored video.

UFit High Protein Health Drink Shake Review- "Milk with added oomph!"

2016-04-24T16:53:00.000+01:00

UFit High Protein Health Drink Shake ""Milk with added oomph!"

Hi Everyone! I am so excited to be back with another fitness post as it has definitely been a while since I posted one. I am more active in the gym than ever so definitely expect more fitness posts in the future. If you want to check out my older fitness post you can check them out here.

I went to a blogger's event a few months back and was lucky enough to meet the people behind the UFit drink, the Protein drinks company. They were super friendly and told me about the concept behind the drink and let me try all the different flavours. As I really liked it, I am so glad I got the opportunity to proper review them and try some more.

Now why would you need a drink with extra protein? Most of us are familiar with gym goers drinking or eating extra protein to build muscle. This is the main reason that I drink and eat protein personally. However, in addition to building muscle protein can provide you with energy, benefit your hair and nails and also make you feel more full. In other words, whether you go gym or not this is a great drink to just bring along with you in your bag, or pick it up from the shop if you do not have time to make a smoothie or mix a protein drink in a shaker. When I was trying out these drinks I was going through a tough term at University and towards the end, exams. So even on the days when I didn't go gym I found it very convenient to bring one with me in the morning if I didn't have time to make breakfast.

What does it taste like? I remember being told at the event that the Strawberry one was their best seller, and I did try both flavours there and then. But as chocolate is my favourite flavour I still thought that would be my favourite. I have to admit that I found myself reaching for the Strawberry one and I also ran out of them before I ran out of the Chocolate ones. The taste is quite similar to Yazoo milkshakes and there is no taste of any protein or any "grittiness" in the drink at all. In fact, it's pretty watery (in terms of consistency not flavour) and very smooth which is a huge plus compared to other protein drinks. They both taste pretty sweet, but not too sweet. In my opinion, some protein drinks and snacks can almost feel too heavy but this went down very easily and once or twice I actually had two in a day just because they taste nice.

"UFIT is our best selling high protein nutrition drink, specifically formulated with passion and goodness to support active and healthy lifestyles! UFIT comes in a delicious chocolate or strawberry flavour and is bursting with 22g of protein and added vitamins and minerals. Just pop one in your bag or grab one at any time during the day for the healthiest, high protein snack."- http://theproteindrinksco.co.uk/product/ufit/

What are they ingredients? They both contain 22g. of protein and 3.2g of dietary fibre as well as added Vitamin D, E, C and Selenium and Calcium

Picture borrowed from: http://theproteindrinksco.co.uk/

UFit High Protein Health Drink Shake Chocolate flavour ingredients:

Ingredients: Skimmed Milk, Water, Whole Milk, Milk Protein, Dietary fibre, Fat reduced cocoa powder, Vegetable oils (Sunflower, Corn), Beta glucan, Trisodiumcitrate, Stabilizer: Carrageenan, Dextrose, Salt, Flavour, Sweetener: Sucralose, Vitamins & Minerals: Sodium ascorbate, Vitamin E acetate, Sodium Selenite, Vitamin D3.

Picture borrowed from: http://theproteindrinksco.co.uk/

UFit High Protein Health Drink Shake Strawberry flavour ingredients:

Ingredients: Skimmed Milk, Water, Whole Milk, Milk Protein, Dietary fibre, Vegetable oils (Sunflower, Corn), Beta glucan, Trisodiumcitrate, Stabilizer: Carrageenan, Dextrose, Salt, Flavour, Colour: Carmin, Sweetener: Sucralose, Vitamins & Minerals: Sodium ascorbate, Vitamin E acetate, Sodium Selenite, Vitamin D3.

Pros & Cons

It's tricky to write up pros and cons as it just varies depending on your personal opinion. The drink contains no added sugar like a lot of other milkshakes and protein drinks, however it does contain the sweetener Sucralose. It is ready made which I am sure would be a pro to most people as this is very convenient. Another pro is that it is quite readily available and stocked in a lot of "normal" stores compared to some fitness products which are only stocked in health or fitness stores. You can find the drinks at stores like Superdrug, Tesco, Holland & Baretts and Ocado. However, I actually found it available at my local corner shop and I believe it is stocked at my local gym too!

Check out the protein drinks company on social media if you're interested:

Website, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook

Have you tried this drink and what do you think of protein drinks?

xx

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(*) This product was sent to me to review

BLOW DRYING DAMAGED NATURAL AFRO HAIR ROUTINE, 4 YEARS NATURAL

2016-03-26T11:30:00.000+00:00

BLOW DRYING DAMAGED NATURAL AFRO HAIR ROUTINE

Hello Guys!

In this video I am showing you the way I blow dry my hair. This particular product combo will work well for damaged hair and if you want to prevent heat damage. The ApHogee products contain a lot of protein and silicones and work as heat protectants as well as putting protein back into your hair..

If you enjoyed this video, please like and share and subscribe if you're not subscribed all ready :)
Click here to subscribe

What is your blow drying routine for your hair, and do you have a favourite product combo?

xx

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Trying Out: Healthy Hair Studio By Enitan: 100% Luxury Egyptian Cotton Hair Cloth

2016-03-09T12:30:00.000+00:00

Healthy Hair Studio By Enitan: 100% Luxury Egyptian Cotton Hair Cloth

So excited for today's review guys. I am sure you have all (especially within the natural hair community) heard of people using T-shirts to dry their hair instead of a towel as the fabric of towels isn't very gentle on your hair and can cause damage. Personally, I never tried it because the thought of using a T-shirt to wrap/dry my hair wasn't that appealing to me, however I do recognise that using a normal towel is probably not the best for your hair. This is why I was really excited when I was contacted about review this product. The lady behind the idea has her hair studio and she didn't want to use damaging towels on her clients' hair, nor did she want to use T-shirts as that just wouldn't professional. She therefor created this product with the intention to use for her client as there are none (or few) similar products out on the market and decided to offer them for sale as she saw a demand for them.

Picture borrowed from website: http://www.agidee.com/healthyhair/: Healthy Hair Studio By Enitan: 100% Luxury Egyptian Cotton Hair Cloth

Here is some information on why you might want to stop drying your hair with regular towels and try out the Egyptian Cotton Hair Cloth, £10.50:

"Stop using towels on your hair. Traditional towels are made with a harsh abrasive fabric which will lift the hair cuticles and create frizz. Wouldn't you like your bantu knot out or twist out to be more defined ?

The richest in thread count and smoothness of this Egyptian cotton hair cloth will reduce friction which means less breakage. Wouldn't you like your air dried hair to give have a more polished look?This 100% egyptian cotton hair cloth will remove excess water from your hair rather than all the moisture. Wouldn't you prefer to keep as much moisture as possible in your hair after you deep condition"

Now let me start of by saying that the hair cloth will arrive in a nice parcel and will be wrapped with a cute bow as you can see in the first picture. The cotton looks like it has a bit of a silky texture to it as it is so smooth. AsI have been using this cloth for a while and didn't get around to taking the pictures before, mine is a bit stained.

As you can see you can use the hair cloth as you usually wrap a towel around your hair, or as I have used it above, wrapping it like a head scarf. For me the latter alternative was really convenient because sometimes I like to sit with my hair towel for a while, allowing it to "towel" dry. Although the hair cloth is quite big, it isn't bulky and thick like a towel and whichever way you choose to wrap it- it will stay on your head and won't feel heavy.

Just a picture to show you the actual size of the product, in this picture it is folded so it is twice as long. Also, for this type of product, the quality and the fact that this is an independent company, I personally think the price £10.99 is pretty amazing!

Check out Enitan on Instagra, @Eniagidee or visit the website http://www.agidee.com/healthyhair which is where you can purchase the product.

Have you tried any hair wraps or hair cloths?

Or do you use a towel/t-shirt?

xx

(*) This product was sent to me to review

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Earth Kiss Miracle Clay facial Hydrate & Million Year Clay Facial Revitalise Bamboo Sheet Mask Review

2016-03-06T14:55:00.000+00:00

Earth Kiss Miracle clay facial Hydrate Bamboo Sheet Mask

Million Year Clay Facial Revitalise Bamboo Sheet Mask Review

Today I am reviewing the Earth Kiss clay bamboo sheet face masks. I got two face masks to review and they are the Earth Kiss Miracle clay facial Hydrate Bamboo Sheet Mask and the Million Year Clay Facial Revitalise Bamboo Sheet Mask. They are available to buy for £1.99 from the Earth kiss website (direct line) and also from Holland and Barretts.

Earth Kiss offer a lot of different face masks including pore cleansing, detox, rejuvenating and what in my opinion makes their face masks different to those of other brands- are they exclusive and carefully selected natural ingredients.

Their "key- ingredient" is the Himalayan Shilajit which is described by them as follows:

"Himalayan Shilajit, a rare form of powerful mineralized organic matter, contains 85 plant micronutrients that help to naturally rebalance the skin and body, restoring its natural beauty. One of the most important ingredients in Ayurvedic medicine, Shilajit was known in ancient Indian scriptures as a potent skin rejuvenator. Found in wild spiritual Tibetan mountains, this precious life force energy is collected from the natural crevices of the high peaks of the Himalayas."

Earth Kiss Miracle clay facial Hydrate Bamboo Sheet Mask

"A natural bamboo sheet mask with Argile clay and Baobab- wonder why we call it Miracle Clay facial? Because it is not only bursting with minerals and 85 micro nutrients that nourish, it also cleanses your skin. It is a marvellous experience!"
Key Ingredients: Argile clay, Baobab, Mandarin oil, Dead sea salt, Rose Geranium oil

Million Year Clay Facial Revitalise Bamboo Sheet Mask

"A natural bamboo sheet mask infused with the wonder of Rhassoul Clay from Morocco and Juniper, to purify and revitalise your skin in minutes"

Key ingredients: Key Ingredients. Rhassoul Clay, Juniper, Lavender, Dead sea salt, Dead sea mud, Mandarin oil

Earth Kiss clay bamboo sheet face masks ingredient list

Now to the results. My first thought was to figure out if there is actually any benefit to using the "sheet- face masks" compared to the normal liquid face mask that you just apply to your skin. I have previously tried one sheet face mask but it wasn't a clay one, it had more of a gel texture so it was a little bit messy. Now with these, when you take them out the packaging it will be a folded sheet with product on it, as you can see in the picture below.

The sheet is pretty big, but because of how there are cut outs, you can pretty much "adjust" it to ensure it fits your face and shape properly. It has more than enough product on the sheet, but not too much so that it's messy. I obviously tried two face masks only so I cannot comment on any long term results. However, I have used a lot of clay face masks before and in my opinion the biggest cons with clay masks are that they can leave your skin feeling a little dry and they can be hard to rinse off. Now these Bamboo sheet face masks didn't have those disadvantages, because of them being sheets they were obviously really easy to remove and the remaining product on your face was super easy to rinse off. Also, these face masks were super moisturising and didn't make my skin feel dry. For the purpose of the review I left my skin to dry for a while after removing the product so I could see if it would go dry or not, but it actually felt very moisturised.

As you can tell, I really enjoyed these face masks and I would use it once in a while when I feel like treating my skin a little bit. Lastly I just wanted to mention that the Earth Kiss was very informative and they also had this video about their face masks that I wanted to include.

Have you tried these or any other sheet face masks?
What did you think of them?

xx

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(*) These products were sent to me to review

Barry M Chisel Cheeks Contour Kit For Medium To Dark Skin Tones Review

2016-02-23T12:00:00.000+00:00

Barry M Chisel Cheeks Contour Kit For Medium To Dark Skin Tones Review

Hi Guys! Today I am reviewing the Barry M Chisel Cheeks Contour Kit For Medium To Dark Skin Tones as it has just been re launched in Boots and Superdrug.

I like contour kits, it's not something I would use daily but I like to have one for when I do a proper full face of makeup, I had also just run out of my old one so I was really happy to try this product out.

I actually have a Contouring & Highlighting Chart tutorial on my blog already, so check this out if you want to see how I contour my face.

So there are instructions inside of the packing on how to use it. The text is a bit too blurry in my picture so I am going to write the instructions in short;

1. Light Powder: To highlight: dust over cheek bones, chin, length of nose & centre of forehead.

2. Medium Brown: To bronze, sweep the powder across cheeks, forehead and nose where the sun would naturally hit.

3. Dark Brown: To sculpt, apply to hollows of cheeks blending towards ears, along hair line and down the sides of your nose.

I personally didn't find the light powder too useful, only because I already use a regular face powder and as for highligher, I really like the shimmery kind. However I think this shade could be good for setting under eye concealer for instance or as a highligher for skin tones darker than mine. I used the medium brow on my temples, under chin as a light contour powder and the darkest one only for my cheeks. Comparing to previous contour kits I have tried (see here), this shade is a lot darker, but very creamy and easy to work with. The dark colour looks slightly intimidating at first, but I applied a bit onto my Real Techniques brush and it was really easy to blend.

Ingredient Check:

(√) Mineral Oil/Petroleum

(√) Silicones

(/) Parabens

(/) Butylene/Propylene Glycol

Picture of what the contoured cheek looks like but with flash and after I applied highlighter

The finished look!

What do you think of this looks guys? :)

Do you contour your face, and if so,
what product do you use?

xx

(*) This product was sent to be to review

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How to: Strengthening Henna Treatment for Natural Afro and Curly hair

2016-02-16T12:00:00.000+00:00

How to: Strengthening Henna Treatment for Natural Afro and Curly hair

I finally have a new video for you guys. I decided a while ago to try a Henna treatment on my hair, mainly for the treatment purpose as it is said to strengthen your hair and make it shiny. I wouldn't have minded more of a red colour to my hair from the Henna, but I also didn't take any steps (such as leaving henna mixture to set to release the dye) to get colour out of it.

Please watch the video for more detailed instructions or just follow this short summary:

Purchase natural henna powder. Make sure it is just henna powder and not a mixture of different powders or synthetic dyes. The powder should look green/greyish.
Mix according to instructions on the pack if given, otherwise use the same powder to water ratio that I used in the video.
Add your favourite conditioner and oil of choice and mix.
Apple to hair wearing Gloves and wrap with cling film when done.
Leave for a few hours then rinse

My hair definitely had a orangy/copper tone to it afterwards. I was hoping it would help blend my regrowth a bit but I didn't get enough red colour for that. However, for some reason when I put my hair in a bun, the red tone was a lot more visible. The pictures of my hair out are from the next day when I blow dried my hair and the pictures with my hair in a bun is 2-3 days after.

If you want your hair to be dyed from the Henna, I would suggest using a high quality natural henna, and leaving the mixture to set over night or at least a couple of hours after you mix it, so that the dye will be released.

I believe I mention this in the video, rinsing the Henna out of my tightly coiled afro hair was an absolute nightmare. I am not sure if it was the henna I was using or maybe the fact that at first I tried to just wash it out with conditioner. If you use Henna I recommend rinsing it with a shampoo multiple times to get all of the Henna out of your hair.

Have you done a henna treatment before?
If so, what Henna powder did you use and did it dye your hair?

xx

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African Fashion Week London 2015 WITH MOTIONS UK VLOG || EXCLUSIVE BACKSTAGE FOOTAGE~ RUNWAY FOOTAGE ~ Outfit & Hair Style ~ UK Bloggers

2015-08-18T12:30:00.000+01:00

African Fashion Week London 2015 WITH MOTIONS UK VLOG || EXCLUSIVE BACKSTAGE FOOTAGE~ RUNWAY FOOTAGE ~ Outfit & Hair Style ~ UK Bloggers

Last week I attended African Fashion Week in London 2015 at Olympia in West London. I was there with Motions and the rest of the brand ambassadors as Motions were the sponsors. I was so excited to attend because I hadn't been to African fashion week or London fashion week either before.

Check out my African Fashion Week vlog below, it's my first ever vlog so I'd love if you watched and gave some feedback. If you don't want to watch the whole thing, feel free to skip to the part that interests you the most :)

Exhibitors mentioned; Motions, Fashion Fair, Chikizia Luitu, Ekamu brands, Primavera fitness, Chairs by Naddine, JEKKAH, TOTE

1. My Motions outfit for the day and how I wore my hair (Afro puff)
2. The venue and footage of the Motion stand where I was working and all of my fellow blogger friends
3. Some of my favourite pieces by the African Fashion week in London 2015 exhibitors (see list below)
4. Exclusive backstage footage, see what the models and makeup artists get up to backstage / Fashion Fair makeup shown by head makeup artist @AbbieMayMUA
5. Footage from the show during the first day of African fashion week in London 2015.

Me @Yolandaas, @EyeDahFineMe @TheLondonCurls

Left: Aicha @Blackhairvelvet, Motions France brand ambassador

As I am new to vlogging, I focused so much on getting video footage that I kind of forgot to take pictures. I did take a couple with my camera and the rest are phone pictures either taken by me or sent to me from the person in the picture in question.

The Motions area. Hair styling going on

My hair style of the day was the afro puff! I actually love this hair style because it's like a mix between wearing a bun (which I love) but still showing off your fro/curls. Since my hair is a little bit longer it get's too tangled though and I can't wear this style more than a couple of days. By the way, my hair is 3 years and 4 months post relaxer :)

Look of the day: Afro Puff

Guys, my I didn't do my eyebrows uneven, they just aren't levelled naturally. It's really annoying but hey what can I do lol. I'm wearing my every day makeup which is Maybelline mascara (the cheap pink & green one, £5), 2True eyeliner (£2.99 superdrug), Collection concealer £2.99 and blusher and highlighter. What do you think of this look?

Have you been to African Fashion Week in London or London fashion week?

What do you think of the vlog?

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* Background music for my Youtube video provided by http://chunkdoutbeats.com/

*I am a brand ambassador for Motions. However this is not a sponsored video and I am not affiliated with any of the other brands.

Natural Afro Hair Tutorial: How to style Ankara/African Print Scarf || Side Swept Flat Twist Out with Scarf & Nefertiti Earrings

2015-08-16T19:29:00.000+01:00

Natural Afro Hair Tutorial: How to style Ankara/African Print Scarf || Side Swept Flat Twist Out with Scarf & Nefertiti Earrings

Hello everyone! My laptop keyboard was broken for ages and now it's finally fixed, I have a lot of posts coming up, this one being the first one. The African print/Ankara print scarf (and clothes in general with African prints) can be seen everywhere at the moment. A lot of my fellow UK natural hair blogger friends wear them and it really inspired me to try one out. Instagram is also a great source of inspiration for African print scarves!

When I attended Natural Hair Week 2015 I came across this brand called Anaisarts, it's run by a lovely lady who not only sells a ton of amazing African print scarves, but also Afrocentric type jewellery. I bought three scarves and these brown, wooden Nefertiti earrings- check out my video below to see all of them and for more information.

If you have followed me for a while you'd know that the side swept flat twist out used to be one of my favourite hair styles, especially during my transitioning days (check out my transitioning posts here) so I decided to revisit this hair style, but with a twist (literally lol).

Please watch the video to see how I got this hair style or follow this short tutorial in writing:

Make a side parting, and either cainrow, flat twist or just tuck in the remainder of your hair.
Try on the scarf to make sure it looks right with the parting
Remove the scarf, and start flat twisting the hair that you have left out
You can either twirl the ends, put perm rods & do a hanging bantu knot
Put your night time scarf on and leave at least 12 hours to dry

Please let me know what you think about this hair style and how would you, or have you styled the African print/Ankara print scarf?

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Motions For Natural Textures; Deep Conditioning Masque & Smoothing Conditioner and Motions Weightless Conditioning Shampoo Review & Demo Video

2015-03-28T22:59:00.000+00:00

Motions For Natural Textures; Deep Conditioning Masque & Smoothing Conditioner and Motions Weightless Conditioning Shampoo Review & Demo Video

Very excited to share with you my first review as a Motions Brand Ambassador. If you haven't already, please check out my post about our first brand ambassador meet up (link)which is when we received these goodies. The Deep Conditioning Masque & Smoothing Conditioner are both from the Motions "For Natural Textures" range which has got loads of products especially made for us naturals!

Motions Natural Textures Deep Conditioning Masque

So, let's start with my favourite.

Claim & Results: "Motions deep conditioning masque is an intensive weekly treatment, with Shea Butter, Coconut and Avocado Oils that bounces back dry, parched curls to the manageable ringlets you desire". I will definitely say that it leaves your hair very moisturising. Bare in mind that this is a conditioning/moisturising deep treatment and not necessarily a strengthening one. If you are looking for a protein deep treatment I would suggest trying out the conditioner which I am reviewing as well.

Formula: The first thing I noticed about this deep conditioner is that the formula is pretty thin, and runny. However, as soon as I started applying the product I noticed two things, the first is that despite the runny formula it felt very rich and nourishing and the other thing is that the spreadability was very, very good and you really did not have to use much at all! I am a person who always has to use a ton of conditioner to cover all parts of my hair so believe me when I say you did not have to use a lot! This of course means that the slip was very good as well which made it easy to detangle.

Ingredients: As mentioned in the claim, it contains Coconut Oil, Avocado Oil & Shea Butter (in that order, Coconut Oil being the 9th ingredient after Dimethicone). This explains why it feels very rich & nourishing! Other nice ingredients are Panthenol (Provitamin B5) & Chamomile flower extract.

Ingredient Check:

Mineral Oil [/]
Silicones [x]
Parabens [/]
Sulfates [/]
Butylene/Propylene Glycol [x]

Motions Weightless Conditioning Shampoo

Claim & Results: "Go from flat to full volume with Motions Weightless Conditioning Shampoo. The formula cleanses to remove dirt and residue, while the conditioning agents give your hair incredible body and bouncy. Great for fine hair". This is definitely a clarifying shampoo which will give your hair a thorough cleanse. It contains sulfates so some of you might prefer to use a more gentle cleanser, or to just use it occasionally when you're hair needs a proper shampoo. I personally do not mind sulfate shampoos as I feel like I want to properly cleanse my hair every week making sure I get rid of any dirt and product residue. As I mentioned (quite a few times lol) in the video review, I had gone one extra week without washing my hair so I had a lot of product in my hair. This means that the shampoo will lather less, and seem a little more gentle because there is so much product in the way. When I rinsed, all the old product build up had been removed and my hair didn't feel dry.

Formula: The formula is clear, like most clarifying shampoos. I am writing this before I am editing the video but there should be a picture of the formula in the video. As I mentioned before I had a lot of product in my hair already so I did have to use quite a lot of shampoo to make it lather, but I would say it lathers well, or like any sulfate shampoo.

Ingredients:

Cleansers: Now, the primary surfactant (the main cleansing agent) in this shampoo is Sodium Lauryl Sulfate. This is known as the strongest and "harshest" sulfate (Sodium Laureth Sulfate is the more gentle version but this is also considered harsh) and isn't widely used anymore. However, the secondary surfactant is Cocamidopropyl Betaine which makes the overall formula a lot more gentle. I didn't feel like my hair was too stripped or too dry after using this, so this ingredient isn't a problem for me!
Conditioning agents: Mango Butter, PEG-12 Dimethicone, Polyquaternium 10, Panthenol (Provitamin B5) and Tocopheryl Acetate (form of Vitamin E). Other interesting ingredients which both promote hair growth are: Niacinamide (Vitamin B3) and Biotin (Vitamin B7 or Vitamin H). It also contains Sunflower, Chamomile, Black Elderflower and Cowslip flower extracts.

Ingredient Check:

Mineral Oil [/]
Silicones [x]
Parabens [/]
Sulfates [x]
Butylene/Propylene Glycol [/]

Claim & Results: "Motions Smoothing Conditioner, made with Shea Butter, Coconut and Avocado Oils, detangles and softens unruly curls to lock in moisture and manageability". This conditioner has a ton of great and nourishing ingredients. It definitely moisturised my hair, however, compared to the Motions Deep Conditioning Masque, the slip wasn't as good. The masque definitely left my hair easier to detangle.

Formula: The formula is quite thick and creamy, more so what I would expect of a deep conditioner. However it felt great in my hair and left it soft and moisturised. I would recommend this if you've got damaged hair, for example from straightening, blow drying or dying your hair because it contains Hydrolyzed Keratin which is strengthening.

Ingredients: This conditioner has got some great conditioning agents.. here are some of them (not full ingredient list, but in order) ; Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Coconut Oil, Shea Butter, Avocado Oil, Panthenol (Provitamin B5), Tocopheryl Acetate, (Form of Vitamin E), Hydrolyzed Keratin, Honey Extract

Ingredient Check:

Mineral Oil [/]
Silicones [x]
Parabens [/]
Sulfates [/]
Butylene/Propylene Glycol [/]

What do you think of Motions hair products?
Have you tried any of these?

xx

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* Products given to me to test & review

Braidout Video Tutorial For Natural 3C/4A/4B/4C Hair || UK Blogger || #MotionsBA

2015-03-22T12:05:00.000+00:00

Braidout Video Tutorial For Natural 3C/4A/4B/4C Hair || UK Blogger || #MotionsBA

I am back with another Youtube video guys. I actually filmed it over a month ago but because I was still stupidly playing music in the background while filming, it kept getting copyrighted and I re-edited and re-uploaded three times. Anyway it is finally up. I would love some feedback on how I can improve my videos and or video suggestions! :)

I didn't mention any specific products for this tutorial only because I use different products all the time at the moment. I still don't really have a favourite combination and I have been reviewing a lot of different products. However, as you can see in the video I do use Eco Styler gel for my edges (I took the pictures before I did my edges, I forgot lol) and Dove Serum to prevent frizz while taking the plaits down.

Do you remember my first ever braid out post from last year (here)? My hair almost looks shorter & tbh I think I prefer my results from last year. I mean we all know what shrinkage is but I can't fully understand how my hair actually looks shorter even though it's grown a lot, oh well!

Thanks So Much For Reading
& Watching

xx

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Announcement: Motions Brand Ambassador/ Brand Ambassador Dinner Meet Up

2015-03-21T16:23:00.000+00:00

Announcement: Motions Brand Ambassador/ Brand Ambassador Dinner Meet Up

Hi Everyone! I am glad to announce that my blog is back again after the long break I've had. What's even more exciting is that I am now a brand ambassador for Motions, this was confirmed a few weeks ago and I wen't to a dinner with Motions and the three other lovely brand ambassadors.

THE MEET UP

A week or so after I was contacted by Motions asking me if I was interested in joining their Brand Ambassador Programme, they arranged a meet up so that all of the Brand Ambassadors and the brand manager could meet. The meet up was at the Thai restaurant Busaba Eathai in West London and the food was amazing! During the amazing dinner we were given some Motions hair products, a brand ambassador booklet and some updates and general information about Motions and why we were chosen as the brand ambassadors. Like Davina from the London Curls said, we are all opinionated girls with a passion for hair care, but I like how we are all pretty different and some of us are natural, some wear weave etc because hopefully together we will be able to represent all types of women and hair styles.

Please check out these lovely ladies websites & channels;

Andrée Marie, Hair Stylist, http://www.andreemarie.com/
Osa, Youtuber, https://www.youtube.com/user/SincerelyOghosa
Davina, Youtuber/Blogger http://www.londoncurls.com/ https://www.youtube.com/user/TheLondonCurls

ABOUT MOTIONS

I am so glad to be able to work together with one of the biggest afro hair care brands, especially now that it is a part of Unilever! I am sure you all know the brand, whether you've been using it recently, or like me you remember it as one of the first brands you used during your childhood. However Motions have given their brand a little make over with new packaging and a variety of products that cater to all types of women and different hair styles/preferences. If you know me personally you know that I am obsessed with the colour purple and even more the combination of gold & purple so I absolutely love the new packaging. Their product line includes products for natural hair, relaxed hair and products for straightening natural hair. Check out all of their products here (selected Motions products are now available at Superdrug, yay!)

About the brand ambassador programme (information from the booklet:

To start with, we were all chosen because of our passion for hair care, fashion or beauty and our social media following.
Part of the brand ambassador role is to attend events, debates, meet ups on behalf of Motions.
We will regularly try out and review Motions products on our Youtube channels or blogs.
At the end of the programme we will receive an Official Unilever/Motions Hair certificate.

Thank you so much for reading and stay tuned for my updated wash day routine featuring these Motion products and even sooner- my first braid out tutorial video!

https://www.youtube.com/user/YolandaasY/videos

ATT. Brands & PR Companies & Social Media Friends x

2014-11-19T15:13:00.001+00:00

27.03.14 UPDATE: BLOG OPENED AGAIN. NEW BLOG EMAIL ADDRESS: YOLANDAAS.BLOG@GMAIL.COM. IF YOU'VE EMAILED MY OLD BLOG EMAIL YOLANDAGWLD@ME.COM.. BETWEEN AUGUST 2014-NOW, PLEASE FORWARD THE EMAIL TO MY NEW BLOG EMAIL ADDRESS.

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Due to me being ill my blog will remain inactive until I am well again.

BRANDS / PR COMPANIES

-Blog email will not be read

-If you have mailed me in the last couple of months, they have not been replied to due to the reason above.

-Any brand waiting for a product review: I will do any blog reviews I've missed out on while being ill, once I am better

-Again, if you sent me products months ago and I haven't reviewed them- it is due to the same reason as above.

SOCIAL MEDIA

-sorry in advance for comments that I will not reply to during this time and sorry for those who have messaged/commented without receiving a reply back.

-this goes for all my social media channels. I am currently logged out of all of them.

Thanks for your patience and for understanding! :)

Brands and companies, sorry about the inconvenience.

Yolanda x