Beauty Products I’ve Been Using This Summer

July 27, 2018July 27, 2018Leave a comment

Ah summer time.

What’s not to love about it?

Aside from the sticky weather that occurs at times, at least we don’t have to hide inside the house like a hermit. Plus you can change into lighter clothing, maybe even lighter hair (like myself), and a nice dark golden brown tan to boot. Of course the beauty regiment has to change due to the warmer season. Here are a few beauty products that I am currently using this summer.

1. Clippers

Since I am not in any way planning to grow out my hair, I have to maintain that crop style. Wahl’s clippers are easy to use, making life for me 10 times easier without heading over to a barber. All that is needed is a hand mirror just in case of any hair that is missed from cutting it.

2. L’Oreal Blue Powder Bleach

Now this right here is the gold for hair lightening products! So easy to use in my hair, plus I can hardly smell the dreaded scent of bleach. Now I have weird hair in terms of the colour. Growing up, well into me being 19, I have dark brown hair with natural red highlights, however my hair has gotten much darker over the years, and if I need to dye my hair a unique colour like for example pink, bleaching my barely there hair is a must in order to even achieve the colour. With this powder you need to mix it with a cream developer in order for the bleach to be activated. These activators come in volumes, I think 40 is the highest (and most potent), so I have volume 30 which has more than done the job! I use these tools because I know that I will be using this for the whole summer and not just one occasion. The bleach is a big tube so you will be getting your money’s worth which is about $32.00, I got it 50 percent off!

3. Kiss Express Hair Color

Okay the colour displayed above is not the right one that I am using. What I have is K51 cherry cola, and the colour is like a pinkish red combination. Since it is semi permanent, it does fade into a pinkish blonde colour, and still looks amazing! Plus this product has no ammonia along with no peroxide. The price is very reasonable at just five dollars.

4. Black Soap

This soap can save lives… or just bless the skin, one day at a time as it has so many benefits. I use this to wash my scalp along with washing my face, as it is great for dry scalps, acne, premature aging and clearing discolouration. You don’t have to pay a hefty price for such a skin miracle worker. All of the ingredients are natural (which include plantains, shea butter etc.) if the soap bar is brown, the ‘black’ colour has more unnatural ingredients that don’t have the same benefits. On a side note, this soap has been around for centuries, originating from West Africa, more so Ghana, and has a huge part in the African diaspora as countries like Trinidad, Jamaica and the U.S. (more particularly African Americans) have created beauty products based all on black soap.

5. Apple Cider Vinegar

This product is another blessing for the skin! Like black soap it has all of the needed benefits to combat acne, dark marks and wrinkles, but the smell is left to be desired. I can’t wear this during the day so I use it as a toner during the night. Again, in relation to black soap, I suggest buying the organic version as it has the benefits provided above.

6. Pro Filt’r Foundation by Fenty Beauty

I finally bought the foundation from this ever growing makeup line by Rihanna, after what seemed like a constant sellout. It’s a full coverage foundation that lasts the whole day and it’s cruelty free. Now I have oily skin, and I have read many articles stating that it oxidizes, for me I have not yet run into that problem. With oily skin, there’s always a tendency to for this to happen which is a pain in the ass. However Sephora sells the upper scale product that is a descent price for this makeup store ($42), plus I can’t go any cheaper since I had struggles with it either being the right match, or worst is oxidizes within three hours in the summer. Now I will also point out that when it comes to brown skin, in order to find the right foundation, you need to know your undertone. Some people have red undertones, while others may have a pink, or even blue undertone. For me I have a yellow undertone, so a foundation may match by medium brown skin, but it is is red, blue or pink in undertone… it does not match my skin. It looks off, and can either look pasty or too dark. With Fenty Beauty, I was able to match 370 as it is a warm undertone. I can’t stress enough the importance of makeup lines being more inclusive with all skin tones. It’s a must in 2018. Thank heavens for Fenty Beauty!

7. Makeup Forever

So since it is summertime, I do tan a bit from being outside (yes black people tan also). I had to point that out since I get so much comments on if I get darker, or not, and that I don’t need to (colourism being taken place). With that being said in order to match the rest of my skin, I still have this line of foundation that I mix with Fenty Beauty’s due to it being a little darker. Plus my products last longer, and I haven’t six months of buying this product (not recommended in using).

8. Stunna Lip Paint by Fenty Beauty

For me, this lip paint is a must for everyday use! It’s such a beautiful colour that compliments any skin tone. Even though it is over $30, the matte product does not dry out your lips, and it is long-lasting. No need to redo you lips after lunch or any time.

9. Gloss Bomb by Fenty Beauty

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This is becoming a Fenty Beauty affair! Maybe, in the near future Miss Fenty herself may hire me as a spokesperson for using her products; a girl can dream big. For me this lip gloss is a reminiscence of a throwback. As a teenager all I would wear is lip gloss, but it has been 10 years since I’ve donned the look due to my love of lipsticks. Gloss bomb creates the theme of makeup, no makeup look, equating into enhancing someone’s natural beauty. It’s pretty much for the days where you’re not in the mood for such a dramatic look that… say a red lipstick brings. This is simple and natural while still feeling beautiful.

10. Sun Screen

This is a must, I don’t care what skin tone you fall under, everyone needs to wear sunscreen during the summertime. Skin cancer is not a fun journey, plus I’ve seen people, including ones who have brown skin have skin cancer. That SPF blocks any of the harmful rays from the sun, plus you can still get darker, unless you want sun block. Please stop the nonsense of black people not needing sun screen. We can use less than light skin tones but that does not mean you don’t have to use it, plus if you have freckles, moles or any marks on your skin, this is all the more reason to wear sun screen or sun block.

11. Country Apple by Bath and Body Works

This fresh fruity scent is perfect for the summer! I’ll most likely use this all throughout the year since it’s not a strong scent. It’s evident that black people love our lotions so clearly this blog post would be nothing without talking about a good cream for the skin. Sorry I had to say it!

Enjoy the summer!

4 Things That Are Different Without Using Social Media

July 23, 2018July 23, 2018Leave a comment

So it’s been exactly 23 days since I’ve deleted most of my social media accounts. Time just seems to fly. I have noticed a few changes, some that are obvious, some that aren’t. With this being said, I will keep this blog post as brief as possible since this anti social media journey has only started three weeks ago, I will will keep tabs on how this journey is going. Here are three things that I have noticed that is different without using the media platform.

1. Less Urgency To Check My Phone In The Morning

Pretty much every morning I had to check my instagram to see if there were any updates on anyone including celebrities, plus it was something to do before heading to work. This routine at times did waste a lot of time… almost to the point where it got too much in the way of errands I had to do.

2. More Hobbies

With hobbies, I get to focus on the things that I love doing whether it be more reading, more jogging or anything else that comes to mind. Plus I get to see what choice of travel is on the horizon within the few months or next year… we will see.

3. More Contemplating

This may seem like an obvious point, but my mind has been cleared from all of the social media life, therefore making me be more aware of myself in terms of life in general. Where I’m at. Where I want to be, and how I will get there. Also not putting up with any nonsense from anyone… knowing that my self worth is not devalued or taken a notch down by anyone.

4. Happier

Knowing that I am not in the loop with other people’s life events has been ironically more fulfilling for me. It was nice to see what people were up to, but the constant need to be in the loop of that along with depressing news was a constant downer, now I don’t have to worry about this anymore. Also posting pictures, statuses and anything else: just waiting for likes and comments, I no longer have to worry about updating my profile.

I’m Breaking Up With Social Media

July 1, 2018July 1, 2018Leave a comment

I would never think that I would be at this point in my life where I was done with social media. Checking Instagram on a daily basis was like a ritual for me… I had to keep up to date. With who?

People.

It is cool to catch up and see what your friends, family, coworkers and acquaintances are doing, but this can get destructive… on so many levels.

Many who really know me are aware of my educational background. Having been both a Journalism and Public Relations Graduate… my professors could not stress the importance of having a presence of social media… we as students were ingrained with creating accounts. Yes I’ve already had Facebook (which a huge majority of people do) , but when your professor has a class on how to create a twitter account becomes the relevance, you realize that social media is a big business drawing in the consumers. This business knows how to struck a chord with people due to the personable factor.

Remember business always comes first.

I feel like owning a social media account is like being in a relationship. The first couple of months are really great, you can’t get enough. You have to be post something on a regular basis, while always needing to see how others are doing. Life’s good, you feel good, there’s almost a rush of euphoria that you experience from getting your first 40 likes on Facebook. There’s a weird feeling that you’ve accomplished something in life. Beyonce would understand how those likes felt. But… this starts to change. How do you get more of that? How do you get more likes? This becomes a competition. Sort of like if you don’t have the etiquette to obtain the likes, the views and enough comments, the attention goes elsewhere? Who was giving you that attention anyway? All of that talk about the really personal matters that are being posted on Facebook statuses, Twitter accounts along with Instagram makes me question if this is therapeutic… or just another way to get likes? This is a rhetorical question.

There’s also a need to compete with others including family, those same coworkers and worst, some of you ‘best friends’. Jealousy is a bitch, it cuts to the core, is selfish as fuck, and does not care who it hurts, but trust me it does hurt. At the same time, everyone is trying to keep up with the cookie cutter appearance… like as if life is good. Posting about that trip you embarked on can create FOMO (fear of missing out) on the people that are in your circle of close friends. Or if a classmate (pretty much a stranger) posts about their engagement… you start to compare yourself. Thoughts run in your mind like why aren’t you at the same level as them. Are you pretty enough, skinny enough, thick enough, is your skin enough… the insecurity rises. You feel like you’re not doing your part… it has to be your fault. Almost sounds like a toxic relationship.

You start to remember why you created these accounts in the first place. Oh the good memories. Trust me there are great aspects to social media. For instance, I have family all over in countries like the States, England, and of course the small island of Trinidad and Tobago, but then there’s also other platforms that are less stalkerish. It’s great catching up with them. Plus I have this blog, so Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest have been great platforms to get my writing out there for my introverted ass. With that being said, this was all I was focusing on… my blog. I grew more and more less interested with people especially classmates that I have not seen in 14 years and their life… I just did not fucking care. People love posting their personal business as well, it was never my thing. There’s a weird need of approval, trust me I’ve been there in many other ways. I was growing more agitated when a friend would be talking shit about some other girl but yet, there they were, posting a selfie like they are in harmony and life is good. I grew tired with keeping up with appearances. I guess that was what it was—-I was growing up.

Another aspect to point out is that you really know who your friends are when removing ‘social’ apps. With less superficiality removes the fake and toxic people out of your life. Having ‘friends’ on these platforms is comparing it to Monopoly money. When you get rid of the money, you will see who was real and who wasn’t.

Don’t get me wrong, if you have social media, I’m not judging you at all. I still have Youtube and WordPress which are forms of social media, but it’s less invasive like other ones mentioned. However for me, I had to do this, detox myself from what once brought me joy. This was my way of growing up and realizing that you do grow apart from whom were once your best pals. It happens for many and yes something did happen for me on a personal level, but I’m not telling you!

Me growing up also meant that I was believing in my worth while not depending on the likes, loves, comments, even the amount of followers that I had. Removing myself from what can turn out more destructive. The epiphany of self love creates a sense of not being treated like second class. There are those who are right now in that toxic relationship where yes… they get the jewelry, the clothes… etc from their significant other… misconstruing it with being spoiled. Nope. I may be no expert myself on this topic but if they are belittling you in any way…that is not being spoiled. It’s superficial… just like those likes, comments and followers on social media. With superficiality, it creates a feeling of emptiness along being stagnant. It is those hard times that you go through when you realize who had your back. So I removed pretty much most of the social media platforms to not just sit there in the background, watching other’s pretentious forms of the good life.

When I knew my worth… I knew that what people thought about me was none of my damn business. Keep the mystery alive.

I’d like to keep it that way.

Hammer Style Girl

All About The Culture

Month: July 2018

Beauty Products I’ve Been Using This Summer

4 Things That Are Different Without Using Social Media

I’m Breaking Up With Social Media