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

 

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

 

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!