Ojon Rare Blend Moisture-rich Cleansing Conditioner.

Here's a review I wrote for brownbeautytalk.com, enjoy.

Co-washing, the art of using conditioner as shampoo, has gone commercial and is no longer reserved for the natural haired girls. With all the talk of sulphates being bad for your locs, companies have not only been churning out sulphate free alternatives, but are now dipping their toes into the idea of using conditioner as shampoo.

 

 

Ojon have released their take with the Rare Blend Moisture-rich Cleansing Conditioner, the founder of the company discovered the native Ojon tree in the tropical rainforest in Central America. In one year each tree produces less than 8,000 nuts, which only produce 3 cups of ojon oil. As you can imagine it is not cheap (£18.50 for a 250ml bottle), but not that expensive either, considering the oil is extracted using traditional eco-friendly methods and referred to as nature’s golden elixir. It is said that this potent and pure oil have a natural affinity with hair, restoring radiance, suppleness, bounce, body and volume to even the most damaged hair.

As you can imagine I was intrigued to see how it would work on my kinky, natural and dry hair. To start with it smells amazing and contains a blend of 7 oils including pure ojon oil, palm kernel oil, kukui seed oil, coconut oil to name just a few.  It’s sulphate and glycerin free and is geared towards those with curly, wavy, dry breakage prone hair. I was surprised at the gentle lather this produced, despite containing so many oils. This walked the fine line between cleaning my hair without stripping it, despite it being overloaded with product come wash day, but not weighing it down. Ojon also state there is no need to use a separate conditioner when using this, so great if you’re short on time, washing in between wash days or washing more frequently than usual.

As my first dip into the Ojon brand I was definitely impressed with how my hair felt even after only one use, my hair felt clean, hydrated and nourished. I have definitely incorporated this into my hair care routine, and am intrigued now to try other products from the range. I will of course still be including sulphate free clarifying and hydrating  shampoo’s intermittently to prevent product build up, especially on the scalp.

Have you tried anything from Ojon? Are you happy that co-washing is going commercial and no longer reserved for brownbeauties with natural hair?

 

The post Ojon Rare Blend Moisture-rich Cleansing Conditioner appeared first on Brownbeauty.

bareMinerals Bare Skin Pure Brightening Serum Foundation and perfecting face brush!

I took the opportunity to pick up the latest Bare Minerals Foundation and accompanying brush while in Atlanta recently, it's not due to launch in the UK until around September, but I think QVCUK while have an early pre-launch at the end of June.

 

The bottle is colour coded to represent the shade of the foundation inside, I was colour matched to the shade Bare expresso number 19 of the 20 shades available. This is touted to be the first liquid mineral foundation, formulated without water, silicone, oil, parabens or fragrance. It is hypoallergenic and non-comedogenic and contains a non-chemical SPF of 20, it also contains vitamin C to help brighten the complexion. The brush has a little dip in the centre, once you shake the foundation well, you apply 1-6 drops, depending on the level of coverage you want to achieve and buff it into the skin. However I actually prefer to use my Real techniques buffing brush, so I don't think the brush is an essential purchase.

 



 



Bare minerals developed the tag line Shake, drop, buff to help you remember, you have to ensure you shake this foundation well, as it contains no binders it has a tendencey to separate. Despite the 20 shades I think darker skinned girls may still struggle to find a shade match, also the undertone of the darker shades isn't great, which doesn't help in shade matching.

 

SwatchedBlended

 

I would say my colour match is pretty good, although it does look slightly strange if I try to build up the coverage, but once the rest of my make-up is applied it looks ok. It controls oil well if my combination skin is properly prepped i.e. primer, light moisturiser etc. As my first ever bare minerals foundation, it's a lovely light weight formula, that evens out the skin quite well and is great for the warmer months. The omission of the usual nasties and addition of vitamin C and SPF is a nice touch, it's good to know something you are using can benefit your skin in the long run.

 

Will you be trying this new foundation once launched? Have you tried it already? What are your thoughts?

 

Thanks for visiting the blog today

 

Cane and Austin Ultra Sheer Weightless SPF50 Sunscreen.

I purchased this Cane and Austin sunscreen towards the end of last summer from SpaceNK, the one I was using at the time was making my already summer oily prone skin oilier. It's a chemical sunscreen, which is most effective when applied on bare skin, as it needs to interact with skin cells to be most effective.

 

This stuff is great, it's an extremely white watery liquid when it comes out, but does not at all leave a white cast and sits beautifully under make-up. It isn't cheap at £32 for just shy of 60ml, but it's fortified with anti-oxidants including green tea, vitamin E and Co-Q10, it's oil, alcohol and paraben free and has photo-stable technology.

A lot of brands are now bringing out there versions of this kind of transparent ultra sheer finish, but at the time I purchased this it was quite unique and is now one of my favourite sunscreens. This has an expiry date on the bottom (month and year), which I think is great, sunscreens become in-effective after a while and you wouldn't want to think you're being protected when you're not.

Have you tried this sunscreen or anything similar?

Thanks for visiting the blog today

Alex

Urban Decay's Naked Skin Ultra Definition Loose Finishing Powder!!!

Urban Decay have been rapidly expanding their Naked range, I picked up the Naked Skin ultra definition Powder from Debenhams website a while ago, and I have been absolutely loving it!!! It comes in 5 shades and I have the second to darkest shade in the range, medium dark, it smoothes out the skin perfectly and never looks powdery and cost £22.

Urban decay say the powder is a silky, weightless, finishing powder that blurs imperfections, sets make-up and controls shine while leaving a luminous demi-matte finish.

I agree with most of that, but if you are super oily you will still need to touch up during the day. I have been absolutely loving this powder, it smooths and plumps my skin, which is contrary for a powder and never looks cakey. I'm tempted to pick up the pressed version for touch ups on the go.

Have you tried this powder or anything from the naked range? Any recommendations of other products from the naked range? Have you tried the pressed version and do you like it?

Thanks for visiting the blog today

Alex

Tom Ford's Unabashed Eye and Cheek Palette on darker skin.

My first ever Tom Ford beauty purchase comes in the form of this limited edition eye and cheek palette, it contains 3 eyeshadows, a blusher and highlighter/bronzer. I figured it was a great way to sample a few different things from the brand in one go, and with House of Fraser offering 10% off with an additional £5 off code that I had, reducing the high end price of £68, I justified this purchase to myself. Plus I had been searching high and low for swatches on a darker skin tone, with very little success, so here they are.

As this palette is limited edition I wanted to get this post up as soon as possible, as of writing this it was still available on the Harvey Nicholls, Selfridges and House of Fraser websites.

Sunlight through a windowThe palette is huge, with a mirror in one end, it comes in a gold box with a dust bag. The white and gold compact is gorgeous and screams luxury.

Flash

Flash

Sunlight through a window

It only arrived this afternoon, so I haven't had a chance to play around with this palette on the eye. While swatching the eyeshadow's felt extremely smooth, the glitter shade felt almost wet in the pan, and the pigmentation of the blue shade is intense. I can't wait to start experimenting with looks and I'm super excited to delve into the Tom Ford beauty arena.

 

I'll be updating this post once I've had a good play and posting looks on instagram (aallexxy), come and have a look.

 

Have you splurged on this palette yet? Are you tempted?

 

Thanks for visiting the blog today

 

Alex

 

 

Lancome Miracle Air De Teint foundation

The latest base release from Lancome comes in the form of this lightweight almost waterlike foundation, similar to others from the same company like Giorgio Armani and L'oreal, but with a better shade range available to UK consumers. I have shade 11 (I'm usually a shade 10, which isn't available in this formula), which is not as yellow based as I would like, however due to the light coverage it's forgivable.

Lancome claim the foundation is light as air with blurring technology that is weightless, for a translucent complexion (not sure what that means), that's matte while being radiant for the ultimate no make-up make-up look.

The formula is matte, while being glowy and controls oil well, although extremely oily girls may still need to touch up during the day. The foundation is lightweight, with light to medium coverage, so extra concealer maybe required. I have enjoyed using this foundation, it gives the kinda coverage I like for day-to-day use, I think I'll really enjoy using this during the warmer months.

• Have you tried this foundation yet? What are your thoughts?

Thanks for visiting the blog today.

Alex.

Eyeko Tinted Brow Gel!!!

So I've had this post sitting in my drafts for ages, I recently purchased a new tube of the Eyeko brow gel and thought about this post, as a beauty blogger constantly trying new products its a big deal when one is repurchased. This is a tinted brow gel that comes in one 'universal' shade, it works perfectly on my deeper skintone and dark hair, the squeezy tube means it will last for ages, I'm still scraping some product from my old tube.

Loads of brands are now releasing brow products with a much smaller wand, but I feel Eyeko was definitely one of the first, which is genius, your brows are such a small area of your face, and if you have sparse brows like mine even smaller than average lol!!! So a huge mascara sized wand isn't ideal, such a simple thing, but makes a huge difference.

In addition to the the tiny wand, the formula also contains keratin (the protein that makes up hair and skin) and gingko bilabo, which are said to work to condition and thicken the brow and it is paraben free.

It's great worn alone or over other brow products like pencils or creams and I absolutely love it, the pictures below show the product applied alone.

 no brow gel

Only brow gel, no brow pencil


(Please excuse my brows, they haven't been threaded in months)

I love this brow gel, it's lasts all day and holds brows in place, it's a nice addition to know that something that will be used daily can be a benefit in the long run.

Have you tried any eyeko products? Any other eyeko recommendations?

Thanks for visiting the blog today

Alex

Foreo Luna Review!!!

So I'm sure you've heard about the new cleansing device thats causing a storm in the beauty world, the Luna, developed by a swedish brand called Foreo. Immediately I saw this I wanted it, let me start off by saying I don't own/have never used the clarisonic or anything similar, for whatever reason it has never appealled to me. I've been using this for almost 6 weeks now and finally ready to share my thoughts.

So what is this odd looking device and how does it work? I have the full sized Luna, which is a cleansing and anti-ageing device (I'm in my 30's afterall), powered by T-sonic pulsations. The full sized luna comes in 3 different colours depicting the different skin types it caters to, I have the pale blue one for combination skin, and it cost £145. However I used a 35% discount code I found on youtube, valid directly on foreo.com, but it has now expired (I did post it to my instagram acc - aallexxy). It's recommended you use a non-clay based, silicone free cleanser and no facial scrubs, to a make-up free face, it has 8 speed settings. It doesn't require new brush heads, the silicone material prevents bacterial build up and is gentle but thorough on the skin, and one charge is said to last 450 uses.

Cleansing side

Initially I used my Emma hardie cleansing balm, after using a baby wipe to remove make-up, big mistake. I broke out after a few uses, I put this down to not thoroughly removing my make prior to using the Luna and possibly because I used it in conjunction with a cleansing balm. Now I've been doing this for a while, minus luna, and my skin was in pretty good shape prior to purchasing the luna. Foreo insist it is designed to be used in conjunction with your current skincare, minus ones mentioned above, I asked on instagram. So now I use my emma hardie balm to remove my make-up and then use the L'occitane gel cleanser in conjunction with the luna, much better results and my breakout started clearing up in a matter of days. I then use the anti-ageing side at night, once I've applied my toner, serum, moisturiser etc. I apply the luna to the recommended points prone to wrinkles between the brows, crows feet and laugh lines.

 Anti-ageing side

In the mornings I use the luna in conjunction with the ELF mineral cleanser, love this stuff and so does the luna, which is water-proof so can be used in the shower. I wet the luna and turn it to my desired speed setting, It pulses every 15 seconds to indicate you can move onto a different part of your face, it pulses in 3 quick successions after a minute and will completely switch off after 3 minutes to prevent over use.

 Charger and pouch

So after a rocky start I am actually starting to really enjoy using my Luna, I'm glad I persevered. I feel it actually helped clear up my break out quicker and I feel my under eye area looks more taut, which I didn't expect to see as wrinkles are not a major issue for me, people usually think I'm younger than I am.

Have you tried the Luna, what are your thoughts? Are you excited for the next release from foreo? An electric toothbrush?!

Thanks for visiting the blog today

Alex

My top 5 blogposts of 2013!!!

So 2013 has been a massive year for my blog, I actually posted my first post in October 2012 and then another the following month, but due to postgraduate studies I put blogging on hold. My next post was in March 2013, and I have tried to post consistently since. Being a working mum, my day job has nothing to do with beauty, it's not easy to find the time. Inspired by viviannadoesmakeup, I decided to put together the top 5 blogposts of 2013:

1. Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Dim Light; this is unequivocally my most viewed blogpost, I think this was the start of a powder revolution, non cakey powders, that add a glow to the face.

2. Nip+Fab glycolic fix cleanser and exfoliating pads; I think this year glycolic acid was a big hit, people stopped being scared and embraced it, I have since used a few other glycolic products and love it. I am currenlty looking for a new addition (possibly pixibeauty glow tonic or REN's offering).

3. EX1 Cosmetics; This is a cosmetics range specifically designed to cater to asian, yellow/olive, mediterranean skin tones. I have currently hit pan on the powder, and am definately going to purchase another. Love it!!!

4. Maqpro Mandy Gold palette; The main thing I use out of this palette is the orange corrector, it's great under foundation to prevent foundation going grey or ashy where hyper-pigmentation is prominent, or to help make light work of covering blemishes.

5. Chanel Les Beiges; chanels addition to the light as air powders that can be used to set foundation, as a bronzer or to offer light coverage on no make-up days.

Thank you all for your support this year, I'm going to organise a giveaway in the new year, so stayed tuned. I'm looking forward to what 2014 has to offer, I wish you all a Happy New Year and a blessed 2014.

Thanks for visiting the blog today.

Alex

YSL Youth Liberator Serum Foundation!!!

So by now you have probably already heard of YSL's latest addition to their base family, it's their first serum foundation, it's infused with a unique complex called Glycanactif complex. It's touted to revive skin's youthful brightness and enhance the complexion's natural colour tone, said to work even better in conjunction with the Forever Youth Liberator Serum, to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and leave the skin looking firmer. Now as is the way with these things, I have not used the foundation long enough to comment on these claims and I do not own the serum, but it's a nice thought to think the foundation has extra added benefits during wear, as appears to be the trend recently.

Anyway back to the Foundation, I have shade B70, the darkest I've seen. It's a good match to my skintone, albeit a little beige, it blends out really well. It's contained in the most glorious glass bottle I've seen for a while and comes with a handy pump.

No Flash                                                        Flash


(I'll add a picture of me wearing it once I get a good shot)
It's gives a good medium coverage, with a lovely satin finish, it's on the pricey side of £34, but I bought it with 15% off from Feelunique. I like this foundation, one critic is I would like it to have more yellow in it, but it gives my skin a lovely glow and lasts well with minimal touch up's during the day, I apply it with fingers and/or my real techniques buffing brush.

Have you tried this foundation yet?

Thanks for visiting the blog today.

Alex