Let's get Candid! Revlon review.

My very first foundation was a Revlon one. I have a lot of fond memories of that foundation. For starters: it was the first foundation that actually fit my skin tone. I felt very sophisticated and grown up. Soon I started to venture in to other foundations and naturally other favourites arose. Which is why I was especially excited to take it back to basics for my latest review. When I saw the new Revlon Photoready CANDID foundation I had no idea that it even existed to begin with. Yes, I am not the coolest of bloggers.

Although the packaging was probably the drawing card for me ( I am only human) ,  I have to admit that the words "anti pollution foundation" was the thing that ultimately convinced my broke ass to buy the foundation. Apart from having an amazing natural finish, the foundation actually contains ingredients that protects against anti blue light aggressors. This refers to the light that emanates from digital devices such as computers and smart phones. It also leads to photo aging (aging from exposure to light) and considering the staggering amount of time we all spend on these devices; I figured it would probably do me some good to have even a little bit of protection.

There are so many things I love about the foundation. The texture is so creamy and blendable that it feels like you might be spreading butter across your face. (Not that I have ever done this but still). Just one layer gives you that barely there look. Although I like to add a little extra on my nose and underneath my eyes. The coverage is also amazing to me and all without that heavy feeling. I really hate when I am frequently aware that I am wearing foundation. I have mentioned the beautiful packaging but I want to take special moment to mention the pump/tube hybrid. It just makes life so much easier for me. No leakage and I get to control exactly how much product I use. All in all this my favourite Revlon foundation so far and I am going to keep repurchasing until Revlon decides to send me a complimentary stash. HA!

This little tube of love retails for R149,95 (22ml) and I am currently using shade 400 (Macadamia). The range also includes the Photoready Candid Concealer and Photoready Candid Setting Powder which I cannot wait to dip into. How are you liking the range?

TILL LATER, LAUREN!

Behind the scenes: CATRICE's eye foundation

Have you ever spent what seems like an eternity on a beautiful eye look just to have it half disappear in the middle of the day? Or half of the glitter you have applied to your lids end up on your cheeks? Yep, as melodramatic as that sounds: no one likes wasting a good eye look. That might be the main reason I was so intrigued by Catrice's Eye Foundation.

Now you might be wonder why on earth would I need this in my life but the real question is: why would you not? It's waterproof and matte which means there is no need to reapply your make up during the day.

The primer creates a smooth canvas for both powder and cream eyeshadow. You  guys know the struggle of cream eyeshadow when it creases or glitter that won't stay. I have a glittery cream eyeshadow that I adore and trust me, with this eyeshadow primer,  it won't budge. Not even if you pay it to.

So you see, I have really found this eyeshadow primer useful. It has made my life so much easier and I am definitely going to repurchase (It retails for R69,95). Are you using an eye primer that you ready to tell the world about? Start with me, I would love to hear from you.

TILL LATER, LAUREN!

Ola Rio!

Essence recently released 4 eyeshadow palletes that had everyone in the beauty world buzzing. Needless to say I was ecstatic to get my hands on my favourite of the four "Ola Rio". Believe me when I say I nearly had to fight someone for it.

The palette consists of 9 gorgeous shimmery and matte colours and I am especially enamoured with the burnt orange and plum shades. The colour pay off is wonderful and there is minimal fall out which I appreciate.  The lighter shades are perfect for day time looks and the darker shades make for striking night time looks.

These 9 shades are highly pigmented and inspired by the sunset in Rio de Janeiro and I cannot wait to show you the looks I have been been creating with this palette. This is the only palette I reach for everyday.

A few quick swatches.

Have you bought any of the four palettes? I adore this one so much I'm actually thinking of venturing into the others as well. I've been brushing up on my make up skills so I'll probably (maybe)  post a few eye looks soon.

TILL LATER , LAUREN!

Mask Off.

I'll be really honest with you, the wet, cold texture of using a sheet mask always reminds me of that time in school I got hit with a wet soccer ball in the face. Not a pretty sight I tell you. But, now that I am getting older and my skin concerns have escalated to things other than teenage break outs, I found myself being brave enough to give sheet masks another shot.

Ponds recently launched three new  serum sheet masks and even though the word "korean"  on the packaging initailly grabbed my attention...I was really keen to find a sheet mask  that could possibly change my mind. I bought two out of the three masks and I could not be more ecstatic.

Yes the gooey, wet texture is still there but this time I didnt mind so much. According to the packaging the  "Firming" mask contains Collagen, Hyaluronic Acid and Brown Algae extract and promises to boost skin's natural plumping power while the "Brightening" mask contains Niacinamide, Vitamin E and Sea Daffodil and boosts skin's glow from within. Each sheet has a 30x serum intensity and you feel the difference the moment (and long after) you use the mask. That is what really stood out for me; that amazing feeling ages after I have used the mask. They retail for R49,95 each and they are well worth it: trust me.

No doubt I'll ill be keeping these in my skincare regime for a long time to come. I am keen to know however, have you used these masks? What was your experience like? I would love to hear from you.

TILL LATER, LAUREN!

Redirection

Disappointments used to hit me very hard.To the point where it was sometimes so crippling that it didn't make sense to ever try again. I would have this victim mentality so often that I didn't even consider the fact that, whatever it was that I wanted, might not have been in my best interest.

We often feel lost and disapointed when things don't work out the way we expect them to. Frequently we have built a whole narrative around that specific idea. How it will impact our lives, what others will say and in a way we somewhat prepare for that situation way before its actually happened. It becomes a slice of your reality which is probably why the dissapointment can be so paralyzing sometimes. This is how I used to feel. Whenever something would not work out according to plan I would take it personally. Why me? What did I do to deserve this? It's easy to fall into the abyss of self pity.

 Lately, I've been trying to look at things with a different perspective. This came about when I a had a "wow I dodged a bullet" moment recently. It dawned on me that in most cases when I was desperate for something to go a certain way, I ended up being glad (maybe even relieved) that I had after all not gotten what I wanted. You see, I firmly believe in redirection now. Those little hiccups along the way or those huge stumbling blocks are put in place for a reason and I am glad I have finally realised that.

There is absolutely no reason to spend time wallowing in your sorrows when you should be looking for the lessons that came with it. And I know this is much more difficult than it sounds especially if you are going through some real shit. But trust me...things will turn out the way they are meant to be...and you'll be delighted that, you too, dodged a bullet.

TILL LATER, LAUREN!

Toasted Brown

Last year was all about matte lipsticks for me. I was on a mission to find a good, budget friendly matte lipstick and while, that went very well, I was pleasantly suprised  to find a beautiful, brown, creamy lipstick and all by accident.

Maybelline's Toasted Brown Colour Sensational is an absolute joy to use.

First of all the rich brown colour suits just about everyone and the creamy formula glides on and sits comfortably on the lips. I just love how it feels.

Another thing I adore about this lipstick is the fact that it smells like freshly baked biscuits.  I say I encountered this lipstick by accident because it came as a freebie with another product I bought. So I never intended to actually buy this lipstick but, I will definitely repurchase it. The lipstick retails for about R140 and the hue is called 755 Toasted Brown.

I'm on the lookout for more new lipstick to try out now so I would appreciate it you share your favourites with me.  Drop me me blog links aswell.

TILL LATER, LAUREN! 

Look posts and life lessons

Wow. Can you believe we are only a few days away from the new year? What a rollercoaster 2018 has been. I'm really surprised that I made it through without having some sort of a breakdown. It's been a rough one.

But let me not pretend 2018 was all bad. For starters, I got engaged this year to my best friend. My child is happy and healthy and excelling at school and I finally feel like I've found a balance between work and a social life. 2018 is also the year I made a conscious decision to put my mental health first. With the year riddled by so many celebrity suicides; it was no longer something I could take lightly.

Lastly, this year I learned to accept  this body of mine exactly as it is. I'm no longer walking around thinking I have be a certain size in order to be fashionable or stylish. I appreciate my curvier body and I work with it instead of trying to cover it up.

I'm not one to do look posts too often but I couldn't resist showing of my fanny pack :) While I love being on trend, comfort will always be my first priority. I just wanted to do a simple boots and jeans combo because this  is something I would actually wear on a regular day. I'm so glad my love convinced me to take some pictures. I hope you guys enjoy it.

What is your wish for 2019? I would love to hear from you .

*Jeans, glasses and fanny pack : Mr Price
*Boots : Miladys
*Top: gifted

TILL LATER, LAUREN!

Pencil me in.

I live for pencil skirts. They are just about the only kind of skirts I can wear without looking frumpy. When your behind is as big as mine you dont take chances looking frumpy. 

However, pencil skirts are often associated with the more formal or corporate world and its not an item you would consider to be casual. But fashion leaves nothing untouched. I love the idea that a pencil skirt can be dressed up or down. This post is dedicated  to finding ways to making the pencil skirt an everyday item instead of only for the office.

Denim anything is the perfect way to bring some casual into your wardrobe. And a plaid shirt; but tuck it in to give you that carefree but polished look.

Or try a bad ass leather skirt and take it a step further with a leather jacket.

If its slightly chilly outside pair your pencil skirt with a shirt and sweater. Side note: how cute is this skirt?

Be your most authentic self. Add layers and over-the-top shapes if your skirt is more on the plain side.

Last, but not least. Switch up the footwear. Nothing says "modern" like adding a pair of sneakers.  Add a lightweight bomber and you are good to go.

How do you wear your pencil skirt? I would love to hear from you!

*I do not take credit for the images in this post

TILL LATER, LAUREN! 

It's a REVOLUTION!

I remember buying my first matte lip kit not too long ago. It was very cheap and, everytime I wore it, I couldn't smile. Luckily, I have since learned from my mistakes. 

I'm very hesitant when it comes to trying new products because I always think, if its not broken why fix it? But,I was beyond curious when I saw everyone raving about Revolution Make Up on social media. Initially, I wanted to try out a foundation but, the matte lip kits had my attention right from the start. Allow me to tell you what I thought about the product.

The Revolution Retro Luxe matte lip kit  contains a lip liner and a matching liquid matte lipstick. The shade I chose is called Echelon and it's a beautiful blush shade that actually suprised me. I'm usually into browns. I love the texture because its not dry at all and I can actually smile with this one on. Bonus!  The lipstick looks and feels gorgeous for most of the day and when I do reapply it doesn't feel uncomfortable. We've all been left a little tight lipped by matte lipsticks before.

I adore the packaging as well. The black and gold box looks chic and expensive. And the best part is that it doesn't cost an arm and a leg. This retails for R124,95. How often do you find a liquid lipstick that is affordable and great quality? I love it when I can actually afford something and it doesn't leave me dissapointed. (Unfortunately some of us still have to buy our own things lol).

So now I'm setting out the get to know the rest of the Revolution crew and  I look forward to it.  Is there any Revolution products you think I should get? I would love to hear from you!

TILL LATER, LAUREN!

Trend post: The dad sneaker

Who would have thought that something  so impossibly unattractive  would become so incredibly  COOL. Do we have Kanye or Virgil Abloh to thank for the dad sneaker becoming the  ultimate  style symbol?

I remember  when I first saw the Yeezy collection and thinking  "who would pay for something  this ugly"? And now, I desperately want a pair. But this is a tricky trend to pull off.  It could either go surprisingly right or horribly wrong. It seems that the only rule is the uglier the sneaker; the higher the confidence level has to be.

Remember  when Kim was parading around in biker shorts and dad sneakers? If that's not the epitome of confidence than I don't know what is. The actual reason I fell inlove  with the trend is because  of blogger Sian Eckles from www.ivywolfe.com . Not only is she the queen of the dad sneaker, she makes it look sexy and effortless. Which is what I think the trend embodies.

The fashion industry is moving away from the notion that something has to be painful of uncomfortable in order for it to be recognized as "fashion". This is definitely  a concept  I want to embrace  wholeheartedly  which is why I was inspired  to write this post.

So what are your thoughts on this trend? Is it something you would try? I'll wait until I find a pair that speaks to me and by then it would probably be long forgotten. But for now...I don't see the trend going anywhere. Except maybe a few front rows.

*I do not take credit for the images in this post.

TILL LATER, LAUREN! 

On the fence: Beauty Edition

Hi everyone! 

Hopefully  the week has been  treating you well and if it hasn't, we can only go up from here. I had a lot of fun doing my previous  post (On the fence) so I decided to extend  the series to beauty products as well. While I'm not necessarily on the fence about  the two products  I'm reviewing  today...I was in the beginning.

 I am a  creature  of habit so it's not unusual for me to stay inside my comfort zone.  I had been looking for  a new mascara for quite some time and I have had my eye on this one from Maybelline for longest time so I decided to take the plunge. I'm also not someone who takes hand cream too seriously ( not that I like being ashy), but its just never been a proirity. Let's talk about the products.

This mascara really frustrated me in the beginning. I kept getting it all over my lids, but I was determined to give it a shot because  I have heard amazing things about it. I'm not sure if it's the small brush or just the way I was holding the wand, but I couldn't get a proper application  at first. However, I was dead set on liking this cult favourite. I paid less than R100 for this one so I'd say it's not a bad investment  for such a low price. Eventually I figured out how to handle the small brush properly and now I reach for this mascara  everyday.

Maybelline Great Lash in Blackest Black.

The hand cream from  Isabella  Garcia   was a gift from my mom and it really surprised me. I'm unlucky enough to pick up greasy, not easily absorbed formula's but this one is exactly  the opposite. This one is part of a limited edition  set of three so I have two others to try as well but, so far I'm thoroughly impressed.

 It contains notes of white musk, amber, orange blossom, coconut and rhubarb. Fancy hey? It's amazingly creamy without  the greasy residue and leaves my hands both looking and feeling gorgeous. I guess I'm converted  now. The Isabella Garcia  La Parfum Creme Trinite retails for R325 on takealot.com last time I checked.

Isabella Garcia Last Parfum Creme  in Hypnotique

Are there any products  that you were not completely  sold on at first but adore now? Or maybe the internet really hyped up a product and it left you dissapointed. Tell me about it.  I would love to hear  from you. 

TILL LATER, LAUREN!