Friday, December 31, 2010

HARMATTAN FEVER!!!

Hey guys,its the eve of the New Year  If you are in Nigeria & other West-African Countries(From what i learnt in Geography,the Dusty & very Dry Winds move from the North[Sahara] to South[Gulf of Guinea] during the Harmattan season).

So for whoever is Familiar with this Time of The Year,You'll Know that it comes with Dryness in all forms,From Ur Hair,to ur Skin,Ur Lips,Every Part of ur Body suffers from the Dryness,including your Nasal Passage.

So in order to deal with the challenges that come with this kind of weather,you need to MOISTURISE,MOISTURISE & MOISTURIZE SOME MORE.Here are a few tips:

HAIR: As much as possible,you need more of leave-in moisturizers that leave little or no residue on your hair.This last bit is because you will find that your hair needs more moisture than it did previous weeks/months ago & if you use any heavy moisturizers that are waxy or very oily,you will have loads of build-up & you will need to wash your hair every often.

HUMAN HAIR WEAVES: Though you can't see this,the weave you have on,has the capacity to accumulate dust even more than your own hair & so in this crucial time,you will need to wash your hair once a week,depending on how long you have them on for.Your special care routines still apply.

LIPS: These have the tendency to get chapped easily & the key to keeping them extra moisturized is having a Lip Balm(Vaseline,Chap Stick,Chapet & the likes) worn beneath your Lipstick.This will keep your Lips moisturised as you go about & prevent Chapped Lips,which could be very painful at this time.

For deep conditioning & an overnight care,you can reach for your Shea Butter. These will stay longer than your Lip Balm & hence,why i suggested you use it at night.Moisturizing Lip Goss containing Vitamin E is also a very good option.

SKIN: For Black Skin,there is every likelihood that after mositurizing & are hit by the full Glare of the Harmattan, you skin happens to still look very dry. To avoid this happening, you can mix a little bit of your EVOO(Extra Virgin Olive Oil) or your Baby Oil with your Moisturizer. That way,even when your moisturizer is absorbed by your skin, your Skin still has that Moisturized Look.

MAKEUP: For those with Oily Skin,this is a very fun time for you because Shine is reduced.But that doesnt mean you shouldn't moisturize before applying makeup. There is every tendency that you break out if your skin isnt getting the amount of moisture it needs. SO please,please & please,MOISTURIZE!!

See you all in 2011 & be ready to see a newer & better looking Blog.Cheers All!

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

HOW TO SPOT FAKE MAC PRODUCTS!!

Hi Guys,how have u all been?Im aware that as the Holidays draw closer,we all feel the need to splurge on Clothes,Shoes,Gifts & Makeup.Something a sister told me,made me feel the need to touch this subject.

Undoubtedly,MAC products are the most popular products you hear about,Both on the internet & in the market, but most people aren't aware that there are FAKE MAC products out there.When i heard that a MAC 88-colour Palette was sold to that sister,i knew i had to speak up quickly,because she got the product for a Lump sum,only to find out that it was fake,the contents were Chalky & Powdery.

Same way i hear people proudly say they sell MAC 24-brush sets & i wonder where people placed their integrity, but as i've come to understand, they just aren't well informed.

It could be most painful when you spend the same amount of money on the fake and find out you paid that much for a less than $1 product, i've bought one fake and i vouched it would never EVER, happen to me again.

FACTs you should know:

FACT 1:


MAC makes no such palette.The only palettes that MAC makes are empty palettes which are then costumized by filling them with refill pans.MAC makes the 4-eyeshadow & 15-eyeshadow empty Eyeshadow palettes & the 6-Blush Empty Palettes.They also have readily selected 4-pan shadow palettes & 6-pan palettes from the various holiday Collections.

MAC also makes the Individual Eyeshadow pots & Pigments that are readily available in all MAC outlets, Pro stores, et al.They all look something like this:

15-pan & 4-pan Refill Palettes (Here's mine :  My Eyeshadow pallette)

Seasonal MAC Collections

Single Eyeshadow Pots

MAC Pigments(which are highly concentrated loose colour powders that contain ingredients to help it adhere to the skin.)

This is what the Fakes look like:

If you are familiar with the Coastal Scents Palettes,this is an exact replica with a different name printed on it:


Notice that this particular one is similar to the way the Sleek palettes look:


Another thing to note is that MAC products are never sold cheap in any way.Even if they are having some form of Sales, you usually get about $3-$5 off the retail price. Agreed they are pricey, but with them you get value for what you paid for. Its also good to do your research before purchasing any beauty product. That way you stay informed & avoid spending loads of cash on the fake.

FACT 2: MAC makes no such thing as a 10,20,30-brush set ooo(As Yorubas love to emphasize). They sell their makeup brushes individually or in special sets  & they look something like this:


MAC 'Pret - a - Porter' LIMITED EDITION Brush Set

 MAC 'Heirloom' LIMITED EDITION 5-FACE Brush Set

MAC 'Heirloom' LIMITED EDITION 5-EYE Brush Set
The Fake MAC brushes look something like this:


Your best bet would be to go to a proper MAC store, MAC online store or check the Duty-Free shops at airports when you travel. Avoid buying MAC products on Ebay and other funny sites, because no1 will be held accountable for your error of judgement.

I hope this article proves helpful to all my sisters out there who just loooooooooove Makeup or happen to be makeup artists and don't know.Have a Great Christmas in advance.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

HAPPY NEW MONTH!!

Hi Dear Readers,its undoubtedly the Last Month of the year & apart from it being my Birth Month(4th of Dec),its also a time to reflect on the Resolutions u made & if you kept them.

Its also a time to Thank God for his mercies & protection towards you because without his Grace & Mercy,where would you have been.here's wishing you a very Blessed Month.

Thank You for being avid readers of this blog,we would appreciate some form of feedback from you.Questions are also very welcome.

Warm Regards
Pretty K