Look post: Xylon Kenzo

The other day I did a quick little photo shoot with my favorite person in the world. Xylon is at the age now where he wants to pick out his own clothes and I am having so much fun seeing how his style is developing. I tend to not focus to much on where I buy his clothes but, rather on the quality. I also love matching sets because its really easy to throw on. Usually we would put a denim jacket over this set depending on the weather.

I really love how these turned out especially since I took them on my phone. The kid clearly enjoys being in front of the camera 

 

*Tracksuit- PEP stores

*Shoes- Nike

TILL LATER,LAUREN!

Payot: Masque Charbon

 Hi everyone! 

I know it's been a while since I have posted but, to be honest, this pandemic just sucked  the life out of me. I was uninspired and unmotivated and really not in the mood to blog about anything . However, with life returning to somewhat normal, I have a few beauty, fashion and lifestyle posts lined up. Let's dive in to the first product I am beyond excited to share with you! 

Now I'll be the first to admit that I am the queen of beauty on a budget but, this mask is definitely worth your coins. The mask is ultra absorbent and aids in deep cleansing and exfoliating combination to oily skin. It also rids the skin of toxins,excess sebum and impurities thanks to the charcoal and kaolin it contains.  The french brand was created in 1920 by Dr. Nadia Payot and if I'm being completely frank, it seemed a bit out of my range purely because its a bit pricey. So needless to say when I got a good deal on the mask, I jumped at the chance to use it. 

What I adored about this mask was how amazing it smelled to begin with.  You know how most charcoal masks dry to an impossibly hard cast, this one does the exact opposite. Also you don't have to scrub half of your face of to get it all of. I've seen a major change in the few weeks I've been using it. The first week however, a few pimples appeared but, I figured it was just the charcoal pulling the impurities to the surface.

Lets just say if I can, I will repurchase this mask without a doubt. I look forward to the next few weeks if masking. Do you mask? What is you favourite one at the moment? I look forward to hearing from you  

TILL LATER, LAUREN  

Black Friday

Just a little throwback look post to what I wore on Black Friday. Yes, I was working so I didn't spend much time looking for bargains. Nevertheless,  I guess  I still saved money either way.

*Bodysuit, jacket, skirt and glasses : Mr Price
*Stockings : gifted
*Shoes: Legit

TILL LATER, LAUREN!

Maybelline Super Stay matte ink - Lover

Every now and then I find a lipstick  that tick all the boxes for me. Amazing quality, great price, amazing staying power and of course a colour that looks beautiful when I wear it. This time around that lipstick  comes in the form of Maybelline's Super Stay Matte Ink.  Let me tell you, in my books, this lipstick is unmatched!

Just a quick review. It took me a while to settle on a colour because I kind of wanted them all at once but I settled on #15 Lover. This pink is absolutely stunning on my lips. Not only does it stay on (no matter what you go through) it also doesn't leave your lips feeling stiff and dry. Yes you can actually smile.

I just wanted to share how much I  adore this lipstick and I am definitely going to repurchase (in almost every colour) . They retail for R159,95 and I got mine from Dischem. Have you used the Maybelline Matte Ink Lipstick yet? I  would love to hear from you.

TILL LATER, LAUREN!

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!