Foundation File; C.A.K.E Cosmetics Daily Wear Foundation

Foundation Files; This is where I test out different base products, from concealer to powder, tinted moisturiser and foundation etc, over a period of 7-14 days and post my findings. (Follow me on Instagram, Twitter and Bloglovin so you don't miss a post) So let’s get started!!!

First off some information about me; Skintype: Combination (leaning dry in winter and Oily in Summer). Shade Reference: in between MAC NC45-50/NW43. Undertones: Yellow/Neutral.

TheFoundationDirectory; FoundationFiles - C.A.K.E Cosmetics Daily Wear Foundation 

Brand: C.A.K.E Cosmetics

Name: Daily Wear

Coverage: Medium

Shade: N95

Swatch: 

TheFoundationDirectory; Foundation Files - C.A.K.E Cosmetics Daily Wear

What The brand says: Introducing C.A.K.E Cosmetic's Daily Wear Foundation. The light-medium coverage foundation, has a silk like feel when applied to the skin and will leave your face feeling hydrated. Achieving flawless skin has never been so easy. A coconut oil based foundation that diffuses the line of make-up & skin, the lightweight formula leaves the complexion looking natural & radiant. 

Wear time (with/without primer): Unfortunately as this shade is too dark and too red for me, I did not wear it for a full day, I did however apply it to my face around the house for a couple of hours without primer or powder and it wore well. 

Price (ml): £13 (30ml)

Pros: Affordable
Comes in a pump bottle
Catered specifically for women of colour
5 shades
The website gives comparisons to other shades in other brands to help find your shade

Cons: Limited accessibility
Difficult to tell the order of the shades as they don't appear to follow a similar numbering system

Suitable Skin Types: All who like a radiant finish. 

Ingredients: Aqua (water), Propylene Glycol, Coconut Oil, Cyclopentasiloxane Ethylhexyl,Dimethyl Paba Talc, Cyclohexasiloxane Caprylic/Capric,Triglyceride Stearalkonium Hectorite,Dimethicone,Stearic Acid Boron,Nittide,Cyclomenthicone Pvp, Triethanolamine,Potassium Cetyl Phosphate,Tocopheryl Acetate, Mica, Xanthan Gum Dimethiconol,Propylene Carbonate, Imidazolidinyl Urea, Propylparaben,Ammonium Acrylates Copolymer Ethyhexyl,Palmite,Silica, Silica Dimethyl Silylate Butylene, Glycol Capryl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol,Sodium Hyaluronate,Hexylene Glycol, CI77891,CI77499,CI77492,CI77491

Oxidation: There is a very slight oxidation with this as it dries down, but it's very difficult for me to tell as the foundation is too dark for me to begin with. 

Any Other Information: C.A.K.E cosmetics was created by Stevie Newman, she saw a gap in the market with the lack of affordable foundation shades for women of colour and decided to do something about it.  

Conclusion: Unfortunately I am not going to be able to give a thorough review on this, as the shade I was sent is too dark, I did apply it to my face around the house though so I can give an initial impression. I really like the way it applied, even though coconut oil is the third ingredient, it did not feel oily, it kind of dried down in the similar vein of a dry oil. I love the way it blended well into my skin and look very skin like, with a natural sheen before any powder was applied. I am definitely intrigued enough to want to purchase this in my actual shade. 

Availability: Cakecosmetics.co.uk & Superdrug.com (not yet listed on there)

*Rating: Like (based on my initial impression)



*Ratings; Hate, dislike, Like, Lust, Love

Curlformers Curlspiration Day

TheFoundationDirectory; Curlformers Curlspiration Day

Why didn't you all tell me about Curlformers by Hairflair? I've seen these about for ages, but for some reason have never ever tried them. So of course I jumped at the opportunity when invited to Taylor Taylor Salon for a Curlspiration day, which essentially involved me getting my hair and nails done in the gorgeous Taylor Taylor Salon. If you are reading this thinking what the hell are Curlformers, well read on and let me tell you.

TheFoundationDirectory; *Curlformer's Curlspiration Day

Curlformers are the world's only patented heat free hair curlers, they are suitable for all ages (I wouldn't use them on a baby...obvs), hair types, wigs and weaves with absolutely no risk of heat damage. There are 3 different sizes, starting with the tightest curl you have Corkscrew, Spiral and Barrel. There are also 2 lengths, long and extra long. To use them you take the included styling hook and feed it through the Curlformer, then on damp hair, take a small section of hair, ensuring that all the hair is securely in the hook and pull the hair through the Curlformer (sounds complicated, but you get the hang of it very quickly). Once you have completed your entire head, you can either air dry (I have slept in them) or use the Softhood, also by Hairflair and a hairdryer to dry your hair. Once your hair is completely dry just pinch the root of your hair and pull the Curlformer to remove, then style. Voila the perfect curl. If my explanation has confused you even more, no worries there are numerous videos on the Culformers website here. 

TheFoundationDirectory; Curlformer's Curlspiration Day

On the day the long barrel Curlformers were used on my dampened kinky straight textured weave and dried with the Softhood, I absolutely loved the finished result. If you are rubbish at curling your own hair like me, or don't want to use heat on your hair, then you need these in your life!!! They also have some great brushes I have been loving, check it all out at Curlformers.com. 

TheFoundationDirectory; Curlformer's Curlspiration Day

*All photo's courtesy of CurlformersOfficial

Beauty Blender Masterclass; The things you didn't know you could do with a Beauty Blender!!!

TheFoundationDirectory; Beauty Blender Masterclass

 On an unexpectedly hot day in September I toddled along to a Beauty Blender Masterclass, not expecting to learn much more than I already knew about beauty blenders, oh how wrong was I?! Beauty Blender exclusively use a unique material that is not found in any other makeup sponge, once wet the water fills the pores of the sponge so it doesn't soak up any further makeup, you just 'Wet, Squeeze and Bounce'. There are a couple of exception to this beauty blender mantra, but we will get to that later.

Firstly did you know there was a body blender? That's right a huge flat shape (think huge egg sliced right through the middle), that can be used to apply fake tan, body shimmer etc to large areas of the body and keep your hands clean while doing it.

TheFoundationDirectory; Beauty Blender Original (Pink)

Then of course there's the original Pink Beauty Blender, that can be used to apply foundation, powders, primers, cream blush etc. The shape allows for impeccable blending with a professional finish, no brush marks and if you usually have issues with products 'balling up' when you try to layer them, this will help prevent that.

Next up is my absolute favourite of the entire bunch, and one of the exceptions that doesn't conform to the 'wet, squeeze, bounce' mantra. It's the only sponge in the line-up that is designed to be used dry, it's the Blotterazzi, the first washable, re-usable alternative to blotting papers. It's a flat teardrop shaped sponge that you press against the skin to gently absorb oil without disturbing your makeup, it comes housed with 2 in a cute mirrored air vented compact that can easily fit in your handbag for on the go touch-ups. The sponge is super easy to clean, using the beauty blender cleaner, or what I've done, which is with anti-bacterial hand washing soap. This is great as it allows you to get rid of shine, without leading to a cakey build-up from the over use of powder. I touch-up less with powder since using this, and when I do use powder I feel it applies better as I can get rid of the oil first, I think this is a must for my fellow combo/oily skin girls. Beauty blender state that each sponge lasts 60 days, so the 2 in the compact will give you 120 days of use, but to be honest I think I will get longer use out of mine, I haven't even touched the second sponge in the compact and have had them for about a month now and the first sponge looks great and is still going strong.

TheFoundationDirectory; Beauty Blender Micro Mini

Next up is the Beauty Blusher and Micro Mini, as the name suggests the first is for the use of application of cream or powder blusher. I actually prefer to use this to blend under eye concealer and liquid/cream highlighters on the face. The micro mini is designed for this and also to contour, but personally I find it a little small, so just stick with the beauty blusher for this job, although micro mini would be great for contouring/highlighting really small areas like your nose, brow bone etc. It can also be used to apply eyeshadow, that's right, eyeshadow. Especially if you like to apply those one and done washes of colour over your lids, now I haven't tried this myself, but the pro makeup artist that demonstrated this at the masterclass and made it look super duper easy.

TheFoundationDirectory; Beauty Blender Liner Designer

Finally and the only thing in the beauty blender arsenal that actually isn't a sponge, (so again doesn't comply to the 'wet, squeeze, bounce' mantra) other than the cleanser of course, is the Liner Designer. This is set to make doing those instagram enviable winged liners, achieveable for non-professionals like myself. The 3 different sides are designed to help create different angles, curves and shapes to suit your eye, perfect to use with all types of eyeliner. Not only that, but beauty blender has thought of everything, the compact that houses the Liner Designer actually comes with a suction cup and a 5x magnification mirror. So you place the compact at eye level with the little suction cup, rub the liner designer between fingers for 10-15 second to warm it up, this allows the tool to adhere to your skin and stay in place. You use the longer side for dramatic cat eye looks or shorter side for a more subtle look.

I'm sure in all this there's a beauty blender for everyone and all bases are covered, not forgeting the liquid and solid beauty blender cleansers that allow you to maintain and keep your blenders in tip top shape. Beauty Blenders can be found here, here and here.

Are you a beauty blender fan? Did you know all these beauty blenders (and more) existed?

Tsaka Deep Clean Facemask

What do you do when you leave your country to go and study in a new country and then find your skin starts playing up trying to adapt to the new climate? Launch a new skincare brand that will cater to your melanin rich sensitive skin? No, me either, but that is exactly what the formidable Celmira Amade did when she came and study here in the UK. Celmira came to the UK in 2010 to study International Business, almost overnight her skin suffered from blemishes, dryness and uneven skin tone. She searched the British highstreet trying to find natural based products designed specifically for her melanin-rich skin to no avail, and eventually settled for make-up to disguise rather than treat the problem. It was not until she was offered a skin bleaching cream in a local beauty store that she realised she had to do something about this, makeup and skin bleaching were not acceptable alternatives. Despite some hesitation Celmira took that leap, influenced by ancient Mozambican beauty recipes from her grandmother the British based vegan brand with African roots, Tsaka (pronounced Saka - meaning happiness in the Ronga dialect of Mozambique) was born.


TheFoundationDirectory; Tsaka Facemask

First in this skincare brands line-up is the Tsaka Facemask, the first beauty line in the UK to formulate with rare plant extracts from the Olacaceae family that are only found in Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Madagascar extensively. Paying tribute to time tested traditional African beauty recipes, each ingredient is wild harvested, hand picked and processed with heat. The mask has high anti-inflammatory and smoothing properties, that minimise post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, it deep cleans and detoxifies without clogging your pores, while regenerating and hydrating your skin. The big difference with this face mask however is it's preservative free formula, which is enabled due to the lack of water in the formula. That's right the mask doesn't come premixed, it's water activated so you add water when you are ready to apply it to your face, mixing a teaspoon of water to half a teaspoon of mask together.

Celmira is very hands on, splitting her time between studying at University of Cambridge and travelling back and forth to Mozambique to ensure that only the purest ingredients are used in production. As if giving us a British vegan African fusion skincare line, designed specifically for melanin rich skin wasn't enough. Celmira has also made the commitment to leverage 2% of it's profits to achieve beautiful things in the communities where the ingredients are sourced, utilising a beauty brand to sprinkle happiness and touch the lives of many.

I have to say I found it a little alien at first, trying to get the right proportions of water to product, and when I applied the mask to my face it felt like I wasn't applying very much. But then as the mask hardens it turns white, and you can see the mask become more apparent on the skin. It doesn't feel like your traditional facemasks, so not too tight or drying, and my skin felt clean and soft after use.

If you are looking for natural vegan skincare, designed specifically to work in harmony with your gorgeous melanin rich skin, that is free from Preservatives, Hydroquinone, Lead, Heavy alcohol, Synthetic Fragrances, Sulfate, Mineral Oil and Animal derived ingredients then you cannot go far wrong with Tsaka, I can't wait to see what else the brand has in store for us.

Prices start at £17 and the Tsaka facemask can be found here.

Superdrug's #ShadesOfBeauty Campaign

So Superdrug have stepped forward and acknowledged the lack of products on their shelves for women of colour, they are not the only ones of course, but they are the first to make an official pledge to address the lack of diversity on the highstreet. They've made a commitment to address this with the #ShadesOfBeauty campaign, they've signed TV presenter June Sarpong as the official ambassador, to help raise awareness of the issue and drive change.

TheFoundationDirectory; Superdrug #ShadesOfBeauty Campaign

Superdrug commissioned independent research, almost 600 Black and Asian women were questioned, and the outcome is probably no surprise to you and I. 70% felt the high street doesn't cater to their beauty needs, 55% want more affordable makeup available for their skin tones and 75% think there isn't enough advice and guidance on the high street for their beauty needs, to name a few outcomes.

TheFoundationDirectory; Superdrug #ShadesOfBeauty Campaign

As a start Superdrug have over 100 products available in 140 stores that cater to Asian and Afro hair, these include brand like Shea Moisture, Dark and Lovely, Vatika, ORS & Palmers to name a few. They have redesigned the website to create an area specifically for Black and Asian products, met with all their makeup suppliers and challenged them to expand the shade range of their foundations, Maybelline have confirmed new darker shades by the end of the year. They've also added new brands that cater to brownbeauties like Cakecosmetics, which will also be available online from August. If your local store doesn't carry the full range you can order online and get free instore delivery, or home delivery if you are a beauty clubcard member. I do hope however that things actually end up on the shelves and not just online, so we can swatch and pick appropriate shades.

Aallexxy with June Sarpong Ambassador for Superdrug #ShadesOfBeauty Campaign

I'm so happy Superdrug is doing this campaign, I mean it's only 2016, hopefully other drugstores will take note. I know Boots have already expanded and include more haircare brands for women of colour, so hopefully it can only get better from here.

Do you feel enough is being done? Have you noticed a difference in your local Superdrug?

Facial and Heaven Skincare by Deborah Mitchell

TheFoundationDirectory; Heaven Skincare and Facial by Deborah Mitchell

I was super excited when I got an exclusive invite for a special evening with Founder Deborah Mitchell of Heaven Skincare and beauty therapist. Heaven is a luxury British organic skincare brand, founded in 1991, the key ingredient in most of her products is Bee Venom. Deborah came up with this potion in a dream, her sister is a bee keeper, so she knew a lot about bees. She has now patented her 'secret' mix as Abeetoxin, a complicated formulation of bee venom, honey and natural botulinum harvested from bees.

TheFoundationDirectory; Heaven Skincare Bee Venom Mask - Gold

Deborah's infamous Bee Venom Mask is sold in 3 tiers;
Silver (£7.50-£82) - this contains the lowest amount of Abeetoxin as an introduction to the masks, but also good for those with sensitive skin. It's more like a rich cream than a traditional mask, and appeared to disappear from the surface of my face within minutes of application. It contains essential oils like organic Rose & Lavender, also organic Marshmallow, organic Shea Butter, vitamin E, Beta-Carotene, obviously Bee Venom, Abeetoxin & Honey. It's said to control facial muscles for an immediate tightening & lifting effect, it firms & releases collagen, relaxes muscles, and interestingly can help with pain.You apply a thick layer, leave for 10-20 minutes and then wash off. You can also apply it on top of your usual moisturiser or as your moisturiser, I've not trialled it in this way yet though, but it did feel very hydrating upon application so I can see how it would work. I cannot comment on the anti-ageing effects unfortunately, because even though I'm in my 30's wrinkles are not something that is a concern for me, but a great preventative measure and really nice moisturiser.

Black (£163)- her bestseller and Gold (£352), which you can only buy once, as it uses the Queen Bee Venom and there's only one in each hive. But don't forget this is an organic brand, so Deborah is now a 'Guardian of the Bees', because she donates a percentage of all her profits to bee charities and the way she extracts the venom actually saves the bees lives.

TheFoundationDirectory; Heaven Skincare

Deborah started out at 17 years old as a mobile therapist, she has been quoted as saying 'when I put my hands on the first person I ever treated, a strange, life-changing feeling came over me.....Now if I don’t do enough treatments, I suffer; it’s therapeutic for me'. Deborah can quote a long list of some very important royal clients and A-list celebrities including Camilla Parker Bowles, Kate Middleton, Gwyneth Paltrow, Robert Downey Junior and Victoria Beckham to name a few. So when I got the chance for her to lay her hands on my face (feet and hands included) I jumped at it, she doesn't only just do facials, but reads your aura/heals while she's at it. In the luxurious setting of the Langham Hotel room, I laid down while Deborah read my aura, I have a lot going on in my head she chimed (she's not wrong there). She cleanse, massaged and treated my face, neck, décolletage, hands and feet, it was a wonderfully relaxing experience and my face felt clean, plump and glowing after.

TheFoundationDirectory; Aallexxy with Deborah Mitchell following Heaven Skincare Facial

I have to say the packaging and overall presentation of the brand is gorgeous, when you expect to see a tub, it's actually a pump, it's clean, sophisticated and luxurious. Deborah has a great down to earth, vivacious bubbly personality, you can tell she really cares about her clients. If you are looking for a great British luxury organic brand with a focus on anti-ageing this is definitely for you, check out the range here.

The Limited Edition Rituals of Karma Summer Collection

TheFoundationDirectory; Rituals of Karma Summer Collection (image cred: rituals.com)

Rituals have created a limited edition summer collection called, The Ritual of Karma. According to ancient Hindu belief, living with good intent attracts positive karma, that is good or bad luck being viewed as resulting from one's actions. Rituals have devised a four step routine using the products from this collection to help practice the art of good karma. I'm not sure how this routine will do that exactly, but it definitely gives you food for thought and is relaxing and pampering in the process, which will hopefully put you in the head space to think good thoughts, which is a start.


TheFoundationDirectory; Rituals of Karma Body Cream (image cred: rituals.com)

I received two items from the five in the collection; The Ritual of Karma Body Cream (£19.50) and Shower Oil (£8.50). The body cream is a rich creamy moisturiser that contains gorgeous shimmer particles, that look great on my skin tone. I really love this body cream, it's perfect for summer, rich enough to moisturises the skin but not at all heavy or sticky. And the shimmer particles are an added bonus, I've almost used up this 200ml tub, and will need to repurchase for my pending summer holiday, can you imagine my skin shimmering away in the sunlight by the pool?! Don't worry I won't forget to apply sunscreen, if only this body cream contained an SPF, that would have been the cherry on the cake. The body cream has a light refreshing scent, as it combines the floral aroma of White Lotus, with refreshing Bergamot, bliss!!!

TheFoundationDirectory; Rituals of Karma Shower Oil (image cred: rituals.com)

Next is The Ritual of Karma Shower Oil, this is a lightly foaming shower gel that nourishes while it cleanses, leaving the skin soft and clean with the same scents as the body cream. If prolonging a tan is something you look for this will help, as it nourishes and hydrates the skin, ensuring you lose less pigment.


The collection also contains a Body Scrub, Shower Foam and Bed & Body Mist, but hurry at it is limited edition. You can find the collection here prices start at £8.50.

Kiko Cosmetics Summer Collection

I had the pleasure of attending the launch of Kiko Milano's Limited Edition Summer Collection, inspired by the passion to travel, I have to say I was awe struck by the gorgeous packaging straight off the bat. The packaging was designed by designer Ross Lovegrove who's known for his futuristic and conceptual work, he was given the brief to design beautiful products you can take with you anywhere. This fits well with Kiko's overall ethos to provide functional and affordable products, that look and perform far better than there actual cost. The result? The collections gorgeous golden lust worthy packaging, that I'd be happy to pull out of my bag for on the go touch-ups absolutely anywhere.

TheFoundationDirectory.blogspot.com; Kiko Summer Collection

This huge collection includes a DD Cream, Cream & Powder Foundation, Bronzer, Eyeliner, Eyeshadow, Mascara, Lipstick, Lip Oils, Highlighters, Makeup brushes, Baked Blushers, Fragrance and another gorgeous make-up bag I'd rather use as a clutch bag (Click here to see what I'm talking about). I haven't managed to try everything I received from this massive collection, partly due the size of the collection, but also because the foundation I got in the goody bag actually doesn't match my skin tone. I'll pick some of my favourites so far from what I have.

TheFoundationDirectory.BlogSpot.com; Kiko Summer Collection

First up is the Endless Sky Volume Effect Mascara £12.90; As the name would imply, this is a volumising mascara, and it's great at doing that, but not so much lengthening. It's a very nice very black mascara that stays put all day, it has a medium sized brush that tapers to a point. I really like this mascara, but I do pair it with a lengthening mascara (which I do a lot with my mascara's) to get the benefits of both volume and length. The Dessert Dunes Bronzer £22.90 is another item I like, not because it actually bronzes my skin tone, even though I have the darker of the 2 shades available. I used this as a finishing powder to add a subtle glow to my face. This bronzer is absolutely huge, a massive 20grams to be precise, very reminiscent of something from Tom Ford. It could also be used as a subtle highlighter depending on your skin tone. Next up is the Mirage Lip Stylo £13.90 (aka Lipstick), I have 2 of the 16 shades and 11 Soul Blackcurrant is my fave, the deep fuchsia shade is right up my street, when I want to opt for bold colour on my lips, see it in action on my instagram (Aallexxy) here. The next item I'm going to touch on is the Lip Oil £10.90, which I feel is a brewing trend in beauty. This is a great glossy textured moisturising lip oil that has no colour, but is available in three scents, hence the different tints I have the vanilla scented option. The scent is not overpowering or sickly, which is nice, it just gives some hydration and sheen to the lips more than anything. It's a nice alternative to applying a balm, while out and about. And finally is the Makeup Pochette £16.90, which as mentioned previously, I'd more likely use as a clutch bag on a night out.

TheFoundationDirectory.blogspot.com; Kiko Summer Collection

What do you think of this new collection? Have you picked up any items yet? See the collection here, prices start from £8.90.

Kiko Cosmetics - The Artist Collection

(Source: Kikocosmetics.com via google)

The Italian brand Kiko bring us The Artist Collection, inspired by the world of art and looks at your face as the canvas and these products are your artist's tools. We can now all be our own artist and create a work of art on our face. I love the idea behind this collection, and the collection itself doesn't disappoint, all at very affordable price points.

The full collection consists of;

• Glacial Light Soft Sifter Foundation £12.90
• Velvet Loose Mineral Beauty Powder £10.90 – 4 shades
• Blending Wave Multi color Blush £10.90 – 4 shades
• Fine Art Eye Pencil £5.90 – 6 shades
• Signature Eye marker £6.90
• Artist Powder Face Brush £13.90
• Artist Foundation Face Brush £13.90
• Artist Eye Duo Brush £11.90
• Artist Pochette £9.90
• Blooming Glow £13.90
• Glowing Pearl Cushion Highlighter £8.90
• Artist Stroke Mineral Loose Eye shadow £6.90 - 6 shades
• Colour Click Lipstick £6.90
• Fine Art Lip Pencil £4.90 - 6 shades
• Artist Pochette - Make-up bag £9.90

TheFoundationDirectory; Kiko Artist Collection

Firstly I love the packaging of this collection, the clean white with splashes of colour, how the lip pencil is literally shaped like an artist's pencil and the push click delivery system of the lipstick. I will be discussing the latter 5 items on the blog today, starting with the Glowing Pearl Cushion Highlighter, that literally has a cushion ball applicator like how an artist may use a sponge to smudge colours into a canvas. You twist the applicator up from the bottom, and the smudge or dab onto areas of your face you would like to highlight. It's a gorgeous pale golden shade, that can either give a subtle lit from within glow or built up for full on look for you highlighter fiends out there. Then the Colour Click Lipstick that's very reminiscent of Chanel's lipstick delivery system, where you push the bottom of the lipstick and it pops out. There are 5 shades in total, I have the shade 03 Clamourous Strawberry, it's a bright pink shade. This lipstick is super creamy and glides on the lips, it has a satin finish. Then I have the Fine Art Lip Pencil in the matching shade, which is highly pigmented, creamy and also glides along the lips. They have a sort of rounded triangle shape, in the guise of an actual artist's pencil, great for stopping it from rolling away while you're doing your make-up. Now for the Artist Stroke Mineral Loose Eye shadow, I have the shade 05 Skill Blue, a super glittery royal blue colour. I love the mesh style delivery system in the packaging, so if you dropped this eye shadow you wouldn't make as much of a mess as with typical loose eyeshadows. And finally is the Make-up Pochette, a gorgeous make-up bag that I would be more inclined to carry as a clutch bag on a night out lol!!!

Kiko is a great affordable brand, that offers great quality items at affordable price points. If you would like any items from this collection, I wouldn't hang around as it's limited edition, you can find what's left of it here.  

Mahoghany Naturals Review and Giveaway

TheFoundationDirectory; Mahogany Naturals

 If you follow me on twitter and Instagram you may already be aware that I am now a Brand Ambassador for Mahogany Naturals. Mahoghany Naturals is a brownbeauty owned brand, created by Tope Beesley in 2012, Tope is an award winning curly hair stylist and certified aromatherapist and created this brand to address the needs of Curly and Afro textured hair. The brand has recently gone thorough a re-branding and is expanding it's product range to address hair, face and body with an adult and kids range. This brand creates spa quality natural and organic products that are cruelty free and vegetarian friendly, they are hand made in small batches to maintain freshness.

TheFoundationDirectory; Mahogany Naturals

I was sent my first batch of items from the brand that included the Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo, Brazilian Butter Damage Reverse Treatment and the Luscious Hair Milk. The Damage Reverse Treatment is an amazing strengthening treatment, if your hair loves protein it will love this deep treatment, my hair instantly felt stronger after the first use and it smells absolutely amazing. This treatment is for those with dry, damaged and colour treated hair and it is a pre-shampoo treatment applied on damp hair. It contains an array of Butters including Brazilian Nut Butter, Shea Butter, Cocoa Butter to name a few as well as Aloe Vera, Avocado Oil, Emu Oil (see full list of ingredients on the website).

I follow this treatment with the Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo that is full of happy scalp ingredients to gently, but thoroughly cleanse your hair without stripping it, a very difficult combination to achieve. This shampoo will clean your hair, balance your scalp, smooth your cuticle and remove buildup. It contains Apple Cider Vinegar as the first ingredient, which will help maintain the hair and scalps PH level, remove buildup without stripping the hair of it's natural oils.
It also seals the hair cuticle, making hair smoother, softer and shinier helping hair maintain moisture and prevent split ends, it also treats dandruff and itchy scalp, works as a natural detangler and encourages hair growth. Need I say more, if you struggle with the smell of Apple Cider Vinegar, this maybe a great alternative. It also contains Avena Sativa Oats, Shea Butter and Argan Oil to name a few, I was worried this wouldn't lather up, but it creates a beautiful gentle lather, while being sulfate free.

And next is the Luscious Hair Milk a daily leave in conditioner and moisturiser, great for dry damaged hair in need of intense moisture, it reduces breakage, detangles, moisturises and defines curls. It can be applied to damp or dry hair and is great for use before blow drying, which is how I like to use it. It contains Sweet Almond oil, Mango Oil, Vitamin E among other things and also smells great.

This is a great truly organic natural luxury brand, that creates great products that work without all the nasty's we all want to try and avoid. The Damage Reverse Treatment is £40, the Shampoo is £20 and the Luscious Hair Milk is £25 all are 250ml and if you head over to my instagram now, there's a giveaway to win this amazing Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo. To check out the rest of the range head over to Mahoganynaturals.co.uk, you can also find her products here and here as well as in Xsandy's Hair & Beauty Shop in Lewisham Shopping Center.

Have you tried anything from this brand? Any recommendations of what I should try next?

Pretty Honest; The Straight Talking Beauty Companion

I get really weary of buying beauty books and the like, just because there's so much available for free on the internet, I always wonder what extra I'm going to get that I haven't already heard, read and watched for free. However I had actually been contemplating this purchase, so when given the opportunity to review it I jumped at it, as I like Sali Hughes straight forward and honest approach to beauty.

TheFoundationDirectory; Pretty Honest by Sali Hughes

The great thing about this book is you can read the chapters independently, so for a busy working mum like myself I can skip straight to the sections of interest, and have the book to hand to draw on whenever I need it. One of my biggest bugbears is 1. Assuming I'm wearing makeup to cover up bad skin (I love skincare just as much as makeup), 2. Assuming because I wear makeup I'm unintelligent, 3. Assuming because I wear makeup I'm shallow, ok so that's more than one. Reading the introduction in this book was like have a good natter with my bestie; ranting and moaning about the same thing and realising you really get each other. But it's also nice to hear it from a well respected journalist, almost gives it extra validation, if it was ever needed.
 

TheFoundationDirectory; Sali Hughes - Pretty Honest

After reading the Introduction, the chapter on Skin Types and Managing Counter Staff (great tips by the way), I jumped straight to the section on Foundation, and by the second page I read this.....'And how women of colour manage to leave the department stores without attacking a make-up counter with their handbag is beyond me, so under-served or plainly ignored are they by very many brands'.....I fell in love with Sali even more.  

 

Now I haven't had the chance to read the book cover to cover (see busy working mum reference above), but I do feel like I've got a treasure on my hands, I'll make reference to this book time and time again, after all there's nothing better than being curled up on the sofa, drink in hand with a good book.

Sali Hughes Pretty Honest is out now in paperback, you can find it here, here and here.

Do you buy beauty books? Have you read this one? What others would you recommend?

Byterry Light Expert Click Brush Foundation for Darker Skin Tones

If you follow me on instagram and/or snapchat (Aallexxy1) you would have seen that last summer I got invited to a Byterry event for the launch of a new high tech foundation for the busy on the go woman, it was Light Expert Click Brush, I eagerly and excitedlyattended. So you can understand my dismay/frustration when, even with 6 shades on offer, the darkest shade was no match for me.

Byterry Light Expert Click Brush Event last Summer (darkest shade on offer)

During the event they were questions from fellow brown beauty bloggers as to why this was the case, we were promised that these were in the works, but due to the high tech formula they were taking longer to develop and perfect than the lighter shade counter-parts. It was a synchronised eye-rolling moment for us all, as I personally felt it was another line to fob us off, especially as we were told we could use the current darkest shade (see above) to highlight. So to my delight fast forward to about a week ago when I got an email from the Global Brand Ambassador for Byterry inviting me to a Light Expert Click Brush Workshop for darker skin tones at the office in London. I obviously went along, expecting maybe 1-3 extras shades for brown beauties, much to my delight they are planning to expand the range by 6 shades and wanted input before mass producing the products for a September release.

TheFoundationDirectory; New Byterry Light Expert Click Brush Shades

Pictured above are lab samples, so I don't know the official shade names, but I did get to apply this foundation on my skin. If you like a lightweight serum textured base with light-medium coverage, that can be applied on the go, on top of pre-existing makeup without caking then this is definitely for you. If you follow me on snapchat you would have seen how the makeup still looked pretty after several hours of wear, once I receive my official sample I will do another post with swatches and wear time, I can't wait for this to be released.

Wearing one of new shades of Byterry Light Expert Click Brush with Terry Degunzburg (Founder)

I have to say this is very impressive from the brand, it shows they really care and what to embrace the woman of colour as a serious customer, with much larger brands choosing to ignore us, it's nice to be able to write this post. I also got to met the founder herself Terry Degunzburg, and watch her in action, again you would have caught this all on my snapchat. I have to say she is absolutely brilliant, she took the time to take pictures with us all, applied makeup to some, and asked what our thoughts were on her product. They also asked what other brown beauty friendly products we would like to see from the brand, telling me this isn't going to be a one off situation. This is a great example to other brands who say it can't be done, more like they don't want to do it, Byterry have secured a customer in me from this as a result.


Are you excited for the new Light Expert Click Brush shades? Have you used anything from this brand before? Do you have any recommendations?

Radiant London Salon Launch

I'm sure my fellow brown beauties know the struggle of finding a good hair salon in London, in fact I'm sure any woman can relate!!! So when I was invited to the launch of Radiant London Salon in Bermondsey, following their refurbishment I knew I had to pop down and check it out.

So what sets them apart?! Well an in house cocktail bar serving an assortment of soft and alcoholic drinks, complimentary to clients getting their hair done, an ultra modern virtual mirror with built in Lumen lighting, controlled through an app, so you can capture your salon fresh do moments after getting it done and share with friends and family instantly through social media. They also have an app you can download that features their pricing, opening times, hairstyle inspiration and much more. The Croydon branch (yet to launch) will also have an in-house DJ on Thursday, Friday & Saturday's, this might be the first salon where you go to get your hair done, rave and then go home lol!!! They also have a great in-house nail technician who did my nails using shellac gel during the launch event (check out my instagram), and even in the rushed environment on the night due to a long list of people wanting to get their nails done, I was impressed with her work.


At the launch event the lovely Brunetta, owner of DemureLashes, was manning the Lash Bar and applying her great mink strip lashes on the night. I also got a look at the wigs displayed on the Wig Bar, Radiant can create these customers specifications, whether you bring your own hair or they provide it for you.

TheFoundationDirectory; DemureLashes/Radiant Salon Launch

Now of course all this means nothing if they are no good at doing hair, or if the customer service is not on par, Rita Balogun (please note female, brown beauty owned and to boot she's Nigerian, yes I'm bias lol) takes pride in delivering an excellent customer experience and wants to take this to a new level, ensuring all customers receive star treatment and have a 'radiant' experience. I am yet to get my hair done in this newly refurbishment salon, but they have been nominated for several awards by Black Beauty/Sensational Awards and L'Oreal Professional Awards and have a celebrity clientele that includes the likes of Laura Mvula and AJ Odudu.


Just check out their instagram (radiant_salon) for examples of their work, the Bermondsey branch will open its doors to the public on Tuesday 2nd March, I look forward to having my first 'radiant experience' in the newly refurbished establishment.


Will you be paying Radiant a visit?


Alex

DHC Beauty Lift

DHC introduces the ultra hydrating Beauty Lift Series, a range of products to hydrate, smooth and give skin an instant firmer feel and appearance, the collection is different in that it has a lightweight, calming formula compared to some more heavier anti-ageing options. The range includes 4 products; Beauty Lift Lotion (Toner), Beauty Lift Essence (Serum), Beauty Lift Milk and Beauty Lift Cream.

          

The Beauty Lift Lotion (Toner), is the first step to be used after cleansing, DHC call their toners lotions because there said to be just as hydrating as a lotion and I can vouch for that. This is a hydrating toner said to reduce the look of fine lines and prepare skin for moisturiser, it contains Oat Kernel to provide vital moisture, Ceramide-3 to promote barrier strength, Pentapepide-18 to improve elasticity and minimise expression lines and Mevalonolactone to ensure all this essential hydration is held in the skin. If you're like me and love a spray toner, decant some of this into a spray bottle and mist over skin, it'll feel plump, soft and hydrated.

TheFoundationDirectory; DHC Beauty Lift Range

Beauty Lift Essence is a hydrating serum featuring an advanced formula of botanicals and peptides combined with olive oil, it's very lightweight and absorbs quickly into the skin, while still leaving it plump and hydrated.

Beauty Lift Milk is a lightweight moisturiser that has similar key ingredients to the toner, this moisturiser will be great for my combination skin come warmer weather, to hydrate it without creating further oil and a great base for makeup.

Beauty Lift Cream is a deeply moisturising and rich formula that I prefer to use overnight, when I do, I wake up with plump, soft and hydrated skin. Dry skin ladies will love this, all year round to beat dry flaky skin. All these products are fragrance and paraben free, and so should be suitable for even those with sensitive skin. The products range in price from £34-41, but are currently on sale on the DHC website here till the end of the month. Selected DHC products can also be found here, here and here.

Have you tired anything from the range?

Thanks for visiting the blog today

Alex



Dermalogica's HydraBlur Primer

When this cute little package landed on my doorstep in December I was surprised and fell in love instantly, I mean look at that gorgeous personalised makeup bag, and everyone knows I love a good selfie. So I couldn't wait to open and see what would aid my pursuit of the perfect selfie lol!!! Obviously the contents of the selfie prep pack are more important than the packaging, and I'm pleased to report it didn't let me down.




TheFoundationDirectory; Dermalogica's HydraBlur Primer

So what is this HydraBlur Primer? HydraBlur is a skincare primer hybrid, Dermalogica wanted to create a primer that would not only benefit makeup application, but also skin health, and who better to do that really?! So what did they come up with? A lightweight, mattifying, blurring primer, that leaves skin with a silky smooth finish. The good thing is that mattifying doesn't mean drying, HydraBlur offers intense moisturisation, natural coverage, blurs fine lines and wrinkles and refines pores for all skin conditions especially dry and dehydrated. It contains H2ORelease Complex of Hyaluronic acid, Algin and Trehalose to optimise hydration levels throughout the day. Abyssinian Seed Oil also helps maintain moisture levels, but also smooth's skin texture and tone. Wu-Zhu-Yu fruit extract enhances skin's radiance by boosting microcirculation, micro-encapsulated tint releases upon application to provide natural coverage and mattifiers reduce shine, disguise fine lines and create a soft-focused blurred effect.


Now two things in makeup raise my eyebrow instantly (think quizzical look), that's things that claim to blur and one shade does it all tinted products. But this actually does gives a minimal blurring effect to the skin and does not leave my brown skin ashy or grey looking, in addition it instantly mattifies, but my combination skin is not left dry or dehydrated in the current cold climate.


I honestly have to say I didn't think I would like this primer this much (see raised eyebrow comment above), but I have fallen for it, what more can you want; hydration, blurring, mattification (not sure that's a word), increased makeup longevity.... Oh, I'm sure you're waiting for the catch, well here it is....it cost £38! But if you want that hybrid between makeup prep and skincare then I would definitely check this out, it's just launched and is available here, and comes in a nice squeezy tube so you can get every last bit of your product out.


Thanks for visiting the blog today


Alex

 

LUSH Christmas; Reusable Gift Wrapping (Knot Wraps)!!!

No one does christmas quite like Lush, the sparkly bath bombs, snowmans, peeping santa bubble bars and sparkly shower jellys. Not to talk about the smells, it's an explosion of christmas in a store. What got me most this year though were the Knot Wraps, did you know last year we used enough wrapping paper to go around the world 9 times, shocking right?! So Lush came up with the idea of tying your loved ones presents up in reusable gift wrapping in the form of beautiful scarves, some which are made of organic cotton and others are made from recycled plasctic bottles, yes you read that right each scarf is made up of 2 plastic bottles.

TheFoundationDirectory; Lush Knot Wraps

The idea is based on a traditional wrapping cloth called Furoshiki, used in Japan to wrap everything from gifts to groceries. All you have to do is visit your lush store, pick your chosen items for your loved one and the design of the Knot Wrap that most takes your fancy, and a member of staff will wrap them very creativily for you. You can also buy online, and and watch the video for various ways to tie your knot wrap, whic one are you going to try?! The Handbag, The Bottle Wrap or the Plaited Handle to name a few. Your loved one gets a little bit of christmas happiness from lush, as well as a Knot Wrap that they can treasure and use over and over again, with the added bonus that your also helping the environment. And at only £4.50 each, what's not to love?!



ThefoundationDirectory; Lush Winter Wonderland Christmas Gifting


If this is all a bit too fussy for you, or you want a bigger selection of items for your loved one, don't forget Lush will still have there usual Christmas Gift Sets that come beautifully pre-packaged. Like the Winter Wonderland gift above, it contains 20 of Lush's most popular bath bombs, bubble bars and bath melts for £82.95.

You can find the items here. Do you know what your choice will be this year? Knot Wrap, Gift set or both?!



Trilogy Makeup Be Gone Cleansing Balm!!!

My first foray into the Trilogy brand was through their Rosehip oil Antioxidant+ Facial Oil in 2013. Rosehip Oil is the brands signature ingredient, after New Zealand based sisters and founders of the brand discovered how potent it was, and this is supported by independent clinical studies for the reduction of scars, stretch marks and wrinkles. They wanted to develop a brand that was truly natural and organic, and prove that using natural skincare doesn't mean you have to sacrifice on performance and results. Since it's launch in 2002 the brand has expanded it's skincare range, and one of the more recent additions is the Makeup Be Gone Cleansing Balm*, accompanied by a sustainably produced, organic cotton, unbleached face cloth (of course).

TheFoundationDirectory; Trilogy Makeup Be Gone Cleansing Balm

Cleansing balms are such a staple in my skincare routine, I can no longer remember a time when I wasn't slathering a balm over my face, it's one of the items I will always have in my skincare arsenal. This balm combines a blend of rich plant oils, including Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Mango Seed Butter and Rosehip Seed Oil to name a few. It's been formulated to remove even long-wearing and waterproof formulations of makeup, including foundation, mascara and lipstick. I usually use a micellar solution, wipe and/or eyemakeup remover prior to the use of a balm, but I did put this through it's paces on a full face of makeup. I applied it to my dry made up face, massaged and remove with the included organic cotton face cloth and warm water.

TheFoundationDirectory; Trilogy Makeup Be Gone Cleansing Balm

I have to say MakeUp Be Gone is the perfect name for this, you almost feel as if you can skip double cleansing, but I do then move on to my second cleanse. It leaves my skin clean but not stripped, and there's no residue. I honestly expected this to be more expensive, but it's £19.50 for 80ml and an organic cotton face cloth, if you are in the market for a truly natural and organic cleansing balm you can't go far wrong with this. 

 

You can find Trilogy products at an array of places now, including Trilogyproducts.com, boots.com and feelunique.com. Have you tried anything from the Trilogy brand?

*Pr Sample