My black Up Cosmetics Summer Lovin’ Goodies

Hello bea-uties,

Hope the lovely sunshine is giving you all that good summer feeling?!
Now, when it comes to some of my favourite luxury makeup brands, no other name tops it for me like black Up Paris does!

I’ve been following this brand for about 4 years now, then I wasn’t such a (mini) makeup junkie as I am now – but there was definitely something special about this brand that always kept me at the edge of my seat. Perhaps it’s because they’re thee only top, luxury, prestige makeup brand for women of colour – you just gotta love that right?
I recently was sent a special delivery from Paris (in the French accent) from black Up and boy oh boy, were the treats too much to handle? Yes, they certainly were! Get your purses at the ready because once I finish going over these beauties you’ll have no choice but to Usain Bolt-it to your nearest department store to grab all of these goodies.

JUM 19M – Matte Taupe Grey

JUM 23M – Matte Chocolate

 

JUM 21M – Matte Geige

First off, I’m a lipstick/gloss girl – I got it from my mother who wore countless lipstick in her hay days – though I kinda (weirdly) rebelled against the lippy and went in the direction of lip glosses, I finally gave up my love-hate relationship with lipsticks (wasn’t you mum) and started wearing them frequently. But now, move over sticks and glosses – I’m all about the jumbo lip crayons. I was sent three nude shades; JUM 19M – Matte Taupe Grey, JUM 23M – Matte Chocolate and JUM 21M – Matte Beige. I’ve worn these glosses the whole day and I can confidently say they don’t dry out as they are enriched with oils and give that velvety look.

The first one I tried was the Matte Chocolate (JUM 23M – Matte Chocolate) and felt like a proper melanin babe! This chocolate shade is everything!!!!! It’s super delicious to the eyes and I’m already trying to save as much as I can because if not it’ll be done before I can blink my falsies.

The Matte Taupe Grey (JUM 19M – Matte Taupe Grey) is super beautiful, I’m still on the hunt for a grey-brown lippie but this will certainly do. The Matte Beige is very cute on and perfect for any nude outfit.

I absolutely loved the Matte Beige (JUM 21M – Matte Beige), it’s super girly and bang on trend when it comes to the nudes family.

 

I’m not a good keeper of nails but I do love a bit of polish here and there. black Up’s nail polish in NVAO 13 Orange transports my imagination to somewhere in the Caribbean! I love how it bristles of the brush deposits a lot on my nails, I do wish the bristles were a little bit smaller or slightly pointed/angle for more precision around the edges.

Matte waterproof liquid eyeliner

Finally, how many eye liners can one girl wear? All at the same time if like me you get way too over excited. Now, I’ve got to admit I’m not a pro at applying eye liners but black Up’s liquid matte waterproof ones are simply irresistable! They make your eyes pop and give it that intense look that’s bang on trend. It’s been super hard finding liners that give that fine, precision line – until now of course. The applicator is soft and pointed so it’s very easy for me to use. It also allows me to build up how big I want my cats eye. I received five amazing, vibrant colour liners in: ELM 01, ELM 02, ELM 03, ELM 04 and ELM 05.
Who said it was easy being a girl??

Have a fab Friday xx

 

The First Lady Conference – Back With a Bang!

Hello there bea-uties,

Yuuuup, It’s been another long break – when life happens it really happens (lol), but hey life’s great, right?

So, I’m super excited to share with you and invite you along to the second FIRST LADY CONFERENCE, my seminar and networking organisation which was held last December for the first time.

Our first seminar and networking event was held at the Jurys Inn hotel on 12th December 2015 and we were privileged to have our first guest speakers being founder and TV host of Career Nuggets Morenike Ajayi, amazing beauty blogger FashStyleLiv and Vicki Igbokwe, creative director and choreographer of Uchenna Dance.

This year we have taken the stakes even higher and have bagged some incredible speakers. On Saturday 10th September 2016 at the Jurys Inn hotel, we are beyond excited to have our special guest speakers including international hair and makeup artist, Malkia Roberts, luxury makeup brand black|Up cosmetics, mumprenuer and founder of DesignHues.co.uk Nkechi Jaja and fashion and beauty blogger, entrepreneur and founder of HUGE magazine, Sandra Whiteman Daily.

This year we believe is going to be an epic year, especially since our sponsors including Melariche, DesignHues and creative personal shopping site Silk Rose Creative are going to be giving away some incredible good bags and prize draws.

If you go to one event this year let it be the First Lady Conference, we’re guaranteed that you’ll be inspired!

Its absolutely FREE so go get your tickets at http://www.eventbrite.co.uk and search for ‘The First Lady Conference’

If you wish to exhibit for a fee of £40 email firstladyconference@hotmail.com or call 07956610920

 

INTO THE NUDE – MY WISH LIST

 

Hi bea-uties, hope your week has been as fab as mine!

Right I’m going to waffle on a bit because its been ages since I did a fashion post and I’ve been storing a lot of wish lists online.

I’ve been obsessed with the shade nude for way to long now, in fact I’m getting sick of myself buying every lipstick shade in nude (post on that coming soon – and you’ll see what I mean).
Lately I’ve been having mini makeup hauls almost every week.

So here’s a snippet of what I’ve been storing up online – these will not be my wishlist for very long (eek sorry credit card,  again!!!)

 

Miss Selfridge Nude Ripped Jeans £38

 

Oh my gwassh these Miss Selfridge jeans are killing me. These jeans are so me. Standard!!! Having recently been brave enough to attempt wearing ripped jeans (from seasons ago – oh I don’t follow trends hunny, I reinvent them, haha!) if these do not go on my wish list there’s no point wishing at all. There are two shades that I love, one a brownish-nude and the other a lighter nude and because making these kind of decisions is so, so hard, I’ll just have to squeeze space in my wardrobe for the two.

 

Pretty Little Thing Larissa Jumpsuit £35

My first attemot at wearing a jumpsuit was a New Look one I purchased to wear to a friend’s bridal show last month. I always like to look non-conventional when I go to events, it just gives me the chance to play around with clothes and step out the box a little. Honestly looking back at the pictures I took I look very much like I’m wearing a baby’s romper. I guess this is partly because I have added a teeny tiny weight and also I did go for a champagne afternoon tea. But this Pretty Little Thing number is heading straight to the wish list. As I’ve grown a little more confident in wearing these bad boys this one is right up my street in terms of style. I love the gathered waist on this as it gives the illusion of a small waist (no we haven’t started waist training yet). The deep V neck line is perfect for a thin, long, multi-strand necklace and the ruffles along the cold shoulder is perfect for a summery twist. At £35 I think it’s a little steep for PLT but hey as long as it looks fabulous on. Not complaining.

 

Dune ‘Doreen’ Handbag £70

I’m all about ladylike dressing me and I love a good, strong and feminine handbag – this Doreen number from Dune is so cute and very prim and proper.

 

New Look Satin Embroidered Bomber £34.99

Bomber jackets have always been a big fat no no for me. I’ve always thought they look best on guys and that’s it. I did purchase one a while back and I was hoping it would have some structure and form to it but it was quite the opposite. Since then I’ve never looked at one. Until New Look came out with these real cool ones that I’ve been eyeing from the corner of my eye whenever I’ve popped in. the embroidery gives it a very girly touch and would look awesome with the Miss Selfridge jeans.

 

Pretty Little Thing Bodysuit

Pretty Little Thing has such a fab collection of bodysuits its always hard to not add everything to the basket. But I’ve gone soft for their smoking halter neck number. If I pair this with a full skirt I’m sure to have a Marilyn Monroe moment.

 

Pretty Little Thing Sunglasses £7

Since I’ve started wearing contacts I’ve loved wearing sunniest. Last summer I didn’t buy much as I was really crushing on Quay sunglasses but was too tight-fisted to part with £35 for a pair. And so these Pretty Little Thing ones are a nice enough dupe. I’m a very proud bargain hunger so these are perfect (until I spot a sale).

 

Miss Selfridge Embroidered Heels £65

Miss Selfridge has always been one of my favourite shops since school. In fact, my first work experience was at Miss Selfridge and they’ve always been on point with fashion. I’m loving these embroidered beauties – time to get that pedi!

 

Next Nail Polish £4

One of the high street makeup brand that I love the most are Next’s nail polishes. To be honest when I first bought one a while back I was very reluctant to spend four quid but the minute the first stroke went on my nail i had a WOW moment! The polish stayed on for a whole week without a peeling off and that made me really value it – now I want them all.

 

Primark Lipstick £2

Now lets not even get started with Primark’s lip ranges – the lip pencils are out of this world (post coming up so I won’t spoil it for you) and the lipsticks are not far behind. I love shea butter and the fact that its part of the ingredients in this moisture rich lippie with vitamin E is like, yasssssss!!! You know at £1.50 a pop every single colour that exists is on my wish list.

 

Michelle Keegan at Lipsey Duster Coat £50

This duster coat by the Michelle Keegan range at Lipsy is all that and more! I’m yet to own a duster coat as I’ve been scouring for the right on – but now I’ll scour no more. I love the gathered detail around the shoulder and just the whole fluidly of the fabric is just beautiful – now this is definitely on the wanted list.

 

 

bbl x

 

My NY City Glossy Box Goodies (May edition)

Hello bea-uties

I received my May Glossy Box goodies and I must say I was super excited and had high hopes for what I’d find inside. These boxes are pretty exciting and seriously they are addictive. I sat comfortably on my bed about to find out which city I was going to get and whether the contents would represent that city for real.

As I peeped inside, underneath the tissue paper I spotted something delightful –my fav Proper Corn in my all-time delish flavour lightly sea salted…yay!!!! I love this corn so much it’s the best, honestly I would have been happy if that’s all the box had inside (I’m a big foodie). I stuffed my mouth straight away and forgot to take a pic of it, so I’ve got to confess that the one you’ll see below in the pic is one that I bought…………and that one is long gone too!

This month’s box is pretty neat, I like everything I got, except for the Hairon Zero Crease Hair Tie because I haven’t got the slightest clue how to use it – will probably YouTube-it and see!

Other goodies my came box with were….

Absolute New York velvet lipgloss in Rumba, which does glide on the lips nicely but I’m not sure that I’m crazy about it just yet.

 

The Revlon mascara is one of my fav as well, but because I’m new to Glossy Box I didn’t get a chance to choose the one I wanted from the selection they had, so the lovely peeps at Glossy selected the super length, which is exactly what I would have actually chosen so I’m quite chuffed about that.

 

I love the Bee Good Youth Enhancing Plumb & Firm Moisturiser and although the instruction card says to use a pea size I do squirt quite a lot. Yes it is smooth but I personally wouldn’t say that it leaves my skin dewy and glowing.

The Hawaiian Tropic Protective Dry Oil was quite an interesting pick as I’d never heard of it before. Since there isn’t much sun in London, I thought I’d save it for when I go on holiday but today I decided to use some over my legs and arm. The coconut and guava flavour lingers around for a little while, but to be honest I’m not very keen on it as a flavour. I may have to book an emergency holiday just so that I can really put it to the test, (any excuse to get away).

I’m really loving Glossy Box right now and so looking forward to the June box to see what goodies I’ll be filing my shelf with.

Are you also a beauty box subscriber? Drop me a line and tell me which one’s your favourite or any other recommendations you think i can try – I’ve already accepted the fact that I’m going to be a beauty box addict so trust me my credit card knows the score (wink!).

x

 

My First Glossy Box Subscription

Hello bea-uties,

Ok so I laugh at myself now because a few years ago I wasn’t such a beauty fan. All I knew was foundation, a bit of powder and that was literally it. Cue a few Youtube videos alter and I’m hooked!! Even when I don’t need to I find myself happily waltzing into Superdrugs or Boots, or online to ease my beauty cravings.

When beauty boxes first surfaced I wasn’t that bothered. They seemed interesting enough all right but I just wasn’t hooked. And I think that was because I was still developing my desire to be more beauty conscious (chuckles) and I’m still developing it.

There are now tons of beauty boxes around both in the UK and some that I’ve found in the US and further afield. And so the more I see one beauty box after another, the more intrigued I became. But still I wasn’t convinced it was something I wanted to sign up to. On a recent scan of Google I came across an article that was listing the top 10 beauty box subscriptions in the UK and Glossy Box was number 2.

I believe for two days I scrolled this article up and down reading the writers review and clicking the links that lead directly to each beauty box’s web page. I’m telling you I did a thorough research as if I was about writing a dissertation or something. Finally I succumbed and fell head over for Glossy Box. Why Glossy Box? Not because the writer had listed them at number 2 (for I assumed that was just her opinion, but then reasoned that this brand must certainly be special).

I loved the Glossy Box website, loved the packaging, loved the cute crown-esqu logo – but most of all and because I’m a bargain hunter, the price at only £10 a month was perfect for me because I wasn’t spending too much on a product I wasn’t sure whether I was going to like or not. I think for 5 products the price is very good as obviously combined they are worth much more.

So my first box arrived and the contents inside weren’t what I’d usually rush out to buy, however I do like trying out new things and this was a starter box so I definitely had high hopes for the next box.

My two fav products were the Leighton Denny Miracle Mist speed drying nail polish spray – as if the lovely peeps at Glossy knew that I was completely hopeless at applying and keeping my polish in place without smudging it within seconds.

And then the Nails Inc nail polish was a sort of bubble gum pink (sorry I didn’t quite get the name of the colour, although something was written on the bottom quite faintly that I couldn’t read very well).

I also love that it comes with a little info card that tells you what products you’re getting inside. I’m quite impressed and can’t wait to show you my second Glossy Box (the city edition – I won’t spoil the fun and give away which city I got, but I can tell you I was well chuffed with the contents).

So, here’s what was in my starter box….

Leighton Denny Miracle Mist – speed drying spray for nails

Nails Inc polish

So Susan Haute Light highlighting pencil

Studio 10 Brow Lift Perfecting Liner

-417 Catharsis Vitamin Mineral Shampoo

 

 

Big Up to Black Up Cosmetics!

 

Well hello there bea-uties,

Wow it’s been a mighty long time since my last post (about the First lady Conference event of which I’ll definitely do a very short review on soon). Sometimes life suddenly throws things at you that you just never expected. I’ve definitely had a few challenging months but now that that’s all over, I’m super grateful to God for His blessings. I’m happy to be back writing and looking forward to some exciting things in the pipeline that I’ll hopefully be sharing with you.

But in that challenging time one little surprise I received got me really, really excited, and actually made me feel quite special. So I got home one day and I found a small, slightly battered brown box that was patiently waiting for me on my bed. When I finally noticed the box I kinda, almost (weirdly) felt, ‘ahhh poor box where on earth have you traveled from?’ The weird thing is I love receiving post and the first thing I tend to do is look where it’s coming from. And so I picked up this delicate, cute little box and what did I do? Yep checked the address of course. The only word my eyes were drawn to was ‘Paris and I was most intrigued as I didn’t have a clue who could have sent me something from Paris. I eagerly ripped the already shattered box open only to find that the amazing and lovely people at Black Up cosmetics had sent me some goodies. Now, this really brightened up my day. As I dug my hand inside the box and pulled out one thing after another I just found myself ooohhhing and aaahhhhing and feeling really spoilt. It was such a touching surprise and I gotta say that the products are fa-bu-laaasssss!!!

So I received this like super amazing protective primer, anti-shine loose powder and kabuki brush. Now I’ve been using these products for about two months now so I can give a really good and honest review on it and here it is below…..

Base Protective SPF 25 Protective Primer

Ok, I mean, where do I even start with this primer….it is like the bomb! So Black Up introduces their first primer with SPF and there’s not an ashy finish in sight. It glides on beautifully and is packed with some serious goodness such as antioxidants that strengths the skin against our harsh environment.

It also mattifies and helps to control excess sebum production. What I really, really love about this primer is that it has a nice medium-thick consistency that feels more like a face cream. I’ve gone as far as not putting on any face cream and gone straight for this primer. The beauty of it is that it moisturises my skin and I trust it and feel confident that my makeup will stay in place – and it does.

Another great point about this primer is that it combines daily UVA/UVB protection for all skin types, but even more it’s a winner for protection against UV light for darker completions. See, I don’t just follow any beauty fad, whatever product I buy has to be right for my skin. Like most black skin types I have slight pigmentation and so I’m very careful about what I pick and choose to use, especially for my face. For me this primer is a winner and should be in every woman’s makeup kit.

Kabuki Brush

When I started buying some proper makeup brushes I kinda had a ‘thing’ for kabuki brushes. I don’t know why, maybe it’s the name or maybe because I read in an article sometime ago that these brushes were the best for applying foundation. The funny thing is that I was bent on buying as many kabuki brushes as I could – but actually only ended up buying one. This kabuki brush from Black Up is super cute. I love it because it does its job so well. The bristles are super soft and when I use it with the anti-shine powder it gives me a natural and even finish.

Anti-shine Loose Powder in NPLI O

Now I’m not no MUA and so rightly as I’m still trying to master the lighter concealer shade under eye effect……it’s been a bit of a pain trying to finding the right setting powder but this loose powder right here is the bees knees. I started using this powder about a week after receiving it because it wasn’t the right shade to use on my whole face. I started using it over my concealer (I use either Manhattan high cover concealer in sun beige, L.A. Girl Pro Conceal in cool tan or warm honey or sometimes both) with the Black Up kabuki brush and it has made all the difference. Since wearing this powder its really helped control the shine on my face and I love the matte look it gives – cos right now I’m obsessed with everything matte. I’m so pleased with the look it gives me I’ll be purchasing shade NPLI 2 or NPLI 3 so that I can use it on my whole face.

Not only is Black Up Cosmetics a great brand that I’ve followed and admired for a few years now, I love that the brand keeps on creating innovative products that really enhances the beauty of our skin.

Merci beaucoup Black Up xx

 

The First Lady Conference: Countdown To the Event of the Year

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Boy oh boy how hard can it be to juggle career,business and pleasure? And I’ve certainly missed the pleasure of putting up posts and there’s so much to post hence why I’m due a weekend treat to schedule all the goodness I have to share with you.

One of the exciting things I have been working on is of course my upcoming event The First Lady Conference. I must say that so far it’s been a smooth ride organising it hence the new flyer design. The First Lady Conference is all about women inspiring women and I can’t say this enough. I cannot wait to sit under the feet of the five great speakers who’ll be dishing stories of their startups and careers,  tips and some serious advice.

It’s really not an event to miss (if I do say so myself). I’ve got Belxs Lndn coming along to do make up demos (check out my post with her), gorgeous goodies and cupcakes by enormously talented fashionista, mother,  blogger, cake pioneer, Ria O of Flossy Sunday (www.flossysunday.com).

We’ve got a great film crew coming to film the whole event and I’m so looking forward to having pictures taken on our FL red carpet and a while bunch of little surprises.

I’m sending a special invite to you all, would absolutely love to see you there, so if you’re in town for that date do get online, early bird tickets are just£13.59, just follow this link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-first-lady-conference-tickets-18775203138 to secure your seats.

Check out the flyer below for more details. Hope to see ya’ll there.

The First Lady Conference: My Event of the Year

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Good morning bea-uties

Well I hope you’ve all had a sound sleep cos I feel like I need another eight hours. However,  this brings me to a very important and exciting announcement. ….drum roll please…..I’m hosting my second event (in years) called The First Lady Conference,  an organisation I founded this year to bring successful and inspirational women together to share secrets of their triumph to the top of their careers and businesses.

The idea came about as my film director friend Femi always refers to me as the First Lady of Ghana. It just used to give me a real boost and he’s one to really encourage me to go for my dreams. Femi was the one that really inspired this move and that’s why I so believe in the power of words and knowledge.

The First Lady Conference is all about women inspiring women! It’s all about living our dreams! The conference is held twice a year,  the Autum/Winter programme, held towards the end of the year, which we’re holding on Saturday 12th December.  Our Spring/Summer programme is going to take place in June 2016. And what’s with the A/W and S/S reference you may ask?  Because I’m a fashion junkie and I simply cannot separate myself from the beauty of fashion. And also of course it’s always going to have an element of fashion related surprises!

So for this Autumn/Winter conference this year I’ve bagged some great and inspiring women I’ve met and people, let me tell you they are seriously loaded with wisdom, knowledge and some great secrets that will inspire you to succeed no matter what. We’re having speakers from the world of TV, blogging,  beauty, magazine, dance, ministry and business. Next year we’re going to have even more!

I’ll be taking a short talk on a career as a fashion lecturer (obvs! ). There’s going to be a talk show format with Reveal’s beauty writer, makeup demos from a Charlotte Tilbury makeup artist, crazy prize draws, delicious cupcakes from Flossy Sunday Cakes and not forgetting fabulous makeup and beauty good bags.

We’re also all about giving back and each year we’ll work with a charity that supports the wellbeing and safety of women. We’re all about empowering the next generation of women. So 10% of ticket sales will go to our chosen charity.

I’m absolutely delighted because it’s going to be a seriously fun and fabulous time.

The First Lady Conference takes place on Saturday 12th December 2015 at the 4* Jury’s Inn hotel in Croydon, from 12-4pm. The event will be filmed and photographed with red carpet arrivals taking place from the world go.

To purchase your tickets go to: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-first-lady-conference-tickets-18775203138

and….

For further information email: firstladyconference@hotmail.com

I’ll definitely be bringing you more info as time goes.

Looking forward to seeing ya’ll there!

X

Fashion: OOTD – My Bold Floral Wedding Guest Outfit

Hey there gorgeous people,

Well the wedding season is in full swing and I for one is enjoying watching my girlfriend’s plan their wedding. Last year alone I attended six weddings back to back, including my brother’s in Ghana. And next year I also have 4 back to back so I’m pretty excited!!

This weekend I headed to the first (of two) wedding of this year and I must say it was beautiful. From the church service, with its poignant messages, scriptures and meaning of marriage thoroughly melted my heart.

So my outfit was a little floral full skirt dress I purchased from Untold at House of Fraser.It’s a slight off the shoulder number with seriously bold floral print that I though would be perfect for the wedding. I teamed it with my accessories of the moment, my luminous yellow strap heels and bag from New Look.

I had so much fun with my make-up. I’ve (temporarily) gone back to M.A.C. after purchasing their Pro Longwear pressed powder in Dark Plus – and it was fabulous!!! I usually wear drugstore pressed powder and I find that half way through the day my smile line looks like a squiggly, little black line on my face. It was a little annoying but with the M.A.C. Pro Longwear powder, I’ve looked cracked-free throughout the whole day.So I went back and got a sample of their Pro-Long Waterproof liquid foundation to test with the powder and it’s just such an oh-so amazing pair.

I’ll definitely be doing a post on that so do look out for that coming up real soon.

xx

Fashion: OOTN – My Black and White Assemble , With a Pop of Colour

Hello bea-uties

I wanted to share this outfit post with you guys from last night – I hit the town for my friend’s one year wedding anniversary and in celebration we dined at the Brazilian restaurant, Cabana. We had a wonderful time and me being me with my pina colada obsession, had three glasses – yes three!!

So, the story with my oufit is that I originally wanted to wear something fitted as I knew it was going to be a dressed up kinda thang!! It was not until I was inspired by a friend’s skirt I saw on her (whatspp) profile picture, that my whole outfit completely changed. I love being inspired and I make it a point to appreciate when I see a sister looking on point. And so I created this look in my mind. I wanted a top that had cut-away shoulders, but I also really like my off-the-shoulder tops and decided to go for that look.

I’ve mentioned before that I have 16 (or so) pencil skirts, but I don’t have any other type, so this is literally my first circle skirt…….and I loved wearing it. It’s so playful, super flattering and easy to wear. I’m definitely going to be investing more in these kinda skirts.

I decided to throw on this amazing collarless jacket from H&M that I’ve been eyeing. I love clashing prints and this was classic and subtle, but still quite bold.

For my makeup I got really excited because I wore lashes that I put on my self (sad it sounds, I know), but hey I was super excited when the lashes stayed on because I’m not really a fan of them unless I’m having my makeup done professionally. The ones I’m wearing are actually from Primark and I bought them from there because I didn’t want to spend lots and mess it up. And I must say that I was pleasantly surprised!! It’s called i-Envy, (I think) I think they’re a new label they’re stocking.They looked good and stayed on the whole evening – well done Primani. I’ll do another post on my makeup and show you guys what I used on my face, but until then I hope you guys like my oufit!! It would be great to know what style of skirts you also like – inspire me!!.

Outfit details: Top – Primark, Skirt – Forever21, Shoes – New Look, Bag – New Look, Jacket – H&M, Earring  -Primark, Rings – Primark