Top Powders for Light, Medium and Full Coverage

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Hi My Lovelies,

First off, I just want to say a big thank you for all the responses i have received from the Rimmel Makeup Giveaway which is currently here on the blog till October 31st 2013. I am absolutely impressed and I am considering including an extra prize so we can have two winners. I hope everyone has been having a nice week so far.. Today's blog post is about my favourite powders to achieve light, medium and full coverage and they range from drug store to high street brands. I think powder is one of the most common makeup item for many ladies and I believe it is one of the staples in my makeup stash because it can totally transform my very oily face to sleek matte finish with a few swipes of my brush..let's get started...

Maybelline Fit Me Powder in 315 Coconut

This has already been featured in a few posts on here (read full review) because I really love the Maybelline Fit Me Range  as they are very affordable and excellent quality for a drug store brand. I started using the powder earlier this year mainly as my makeup bag powder for touch ups. For me, I think it works out as a light coverage powder mainly to blot out any shine during the day. I have used this on a few occasions like a normal powder and it has worked out fine but it doesn't last as long as I would have preferred. In terms of being buildable, I suspect it may be buildable for people with lighter complexions but it is not at all for me. It tends to look a bit too chalky so I tend to only brush it on really lightly. Overall, I think it is excellent as a light coverage powder especially for touch ups when you are out and about. For ladies with darker skin than mine, I am afraid this is darkest shade..hehehhe. Note to Maybelline: Could you consider creating a few more darker shades for darker skinned ladies? I promise the Fit Me Range sales will completely soar..For real!!

BellaPierre Mineral Powder- Compact (Cafe) and Loose Powder (Brown Sugar)

Again, this has been happily featured here (read full review) on Fashstyleliv with its own cheeky little post. I recently fell in love with the BellaPierre Range because it is made from minerals which had very good skin benefits for my skin and very good coverage. Although, they are made from the same ingredients and formular, I think the Bella Pierre Loose Powder offers a medium to full coverage while the Compact Powder gives full coverage although you need to build it up as you go along keeping in mind that a little goes a long way. I totally love both powders but I prefer the compact version because I feel it is less messy to apply as the loose powder gets all over the place. Having said that, the compact version needs to be applied with a light hand to avoid looking overly made up or having the infamous cake face. Overall, it is a good powder to invest in if you want to splurge as there  are quite pricey.

MAC Studio Fix Powder NC50

I am going to be honest, the MAC Studio Fix Powder in NC50 (read full review here) has to be my all time favourite. I have gone back and forth and cheated with so many other brands but I think this makes the absolute cut for me in many ways. It is a full coverage powder which means you can ditch the foundation and work this on its own. Sometimes, I may use concealer but I tend to use this on its own many a time especially when I am off to work. I love the solid black compact complete with a mirror which is excellent to stash in your makeup bag to help any future touch ups. I have since stopped using MAC foundations because they are not for me but the MAC Studio Fix range (minus the foundation) is one I always come back to because it is very good quality and I think the price is affordable for the calibre of product you get. This is a winner for me any day any time although I wish it was mineral based like the BellaPierre but I guess that will shoot up its price so it's best it remains the way it is.

So, these are my favourite current powders that I have tried so far. I hope you enjoyed this post. What are your favourite powders? See you in my next post...toodles...xxx

July 2013 Monthly Favourites- Beauty and Makeup Edit

Hi Lovelies,

I know you may be patiently waiting for the pictures from the African Fashion Week London which i attended exactly a week ago. I have been really working hard on the pictures because i have quite a good number of them so bear with your favourite blogger (What?? I'm Not!! All Lies, I can see through your heart, I know I am...lol). Anyways, I thought I may as well share some of my beauty and makeup favourites for the past month- July (Summer/Sunshine Filled Month). It's my first monthly Favourites Post and I hope I can keep it up depending on how you guys like it. I'd just dive into it to prevent further rambling. Sadly, the weather was a bit of a mess today so I had to take pictures from my desk so, once again, bear with me....

BellaPierre Mineral Loose Powder (Brown Sugar)

I have already reviewed the compact version of this powder here. I have slowly but fallen hard in love with the BellaPierre brand because they are mineral based and, as expected, very pigmented. They are pretty pricey which is why I had a nose around eBay for any deals. I got this loose powder as part of a set which I may review soon. I discovered the Cafe Shade was getting a little dark for me so I tried the Brown Sugar which is my perfect shade because it has golden/warm undertones. This is the only powder I use now as it serves as both my foundation, concealer and powder. I love it.

Benefit Porefessional Primer

As always, I have a post here on the Benefit One Prime Day set (review here) where this mini sample of the Porefessional Primer was included. Initially, I wrote in my post I was not convinced to buy the full size yet, now I can proudly say I would buy a tub of this primer if there was one. I have grown to love this primer and now I understand why it has been raved about so much,  making it one of the best selling primers. It helps my makeup last longer and I have noticed the appearance of my pores have decreased with continuous use. In this hot summer weather which predisposes me to a shiny face, this primer has helped in preventing that, making it one of my favourite products for last month and this month I daresay.

Lancome L'Absolu Rouge Lipstick (Shade 06 "Rose Nu")

This was a free sample received with one of my purchases in Lancome. I have a post here on the rest of the samples I received with my purchase. This was my July weekend lipstick and sometimes,  I wore it to work. It is a rich rose pink colour which I think flatters any skin tone and i think it is one of the Lancome L'Absolu Rouge best sellers according to their website. The formula is moisturising and has a slight lustre to it plus it has good lasting/staying power. I am so lucky to have three of these samples because this lipstick is the business. A full size version retails for £21 so you can see why I am guarding my three samples very closely.

Bobbi Brown Hydrating Face Cream

Again, I got this as a free sample from Bobbi Brown and I absolutely love it. I love the packaging of this freebie to begin with and the contents don't disappoint at all. It feels very hydrating (you feel it instantly) and leaves my skin really soft and ready for makeup. If you suffer from dry skin, you need to check it out as it contains Algae Extracts which moisturises and hydrates the skin while the Caffeine Extract soothes the skin. Even if you have normal skin, the weather can rob it of much needed moisture and this is one way to replenish and hydrate your skin among other ways including drinking a lot of water. I have been trying my best to get the most out of this sample as the hefty price tag of £37.50 for the full size is no where near my alley. AT ALL...:-((

Illamasqua Powder Blush "Create"

This has made a little appearance in the blog post on the Illamasqua's Alter Ego Mystery Box Review. It was one of the mystery products inside and I think it slowly becoming one of my favourites. It is a peachy coral blush which is flattering for many skin tones especially if you are dark skinned like me then this would be a flattering shade for you especially in the summer and if you have lighter or paler skin, you can use this lightly or use it as a contour which is why i love how universal this blush is.

Black Opal Mini Kabuki Brush

I only recently discovered this mini kabuki brush. My sister gave this to me a little while ago or maybe I pinched it (advantages of having an older sister- you get to pinch all their makeup and clothes). I love this brush because it is small and fits into my makeup bag. Apart from that, it is perfect for applying loose powders especially my Bella Pierre Mineral Foundation Loose Powder previously raved about above. It evenly distributes it all over my face without a fuss and I wonder if there is a bigger version of this because I would buy it in a heart beat. The bristles are really soft and fluffy. I am not sure where my sister bought this but I think it must have come in a set with a Black Opal blush or something similar. I think it is actually meant to be a blush brush but who cares? you can make it multi-task.

Body Shop White Musk Fragrance Mist
I don't know about you but I am a big lover of fragrance mists because they leave my body feeling fresh and pleasantly scented. I love to apply this straight from the shower because that's when the body absorbs fragrances more and retains it longer. Body Shop has a wide array of these fragrance mists and I love all of them. This is my 3rd bottle so far, having tried other scents. This scent is White Musk which has always remained my all time favourite. I use this everyday and sometimes at night after a shower. 

Ed Hardy Love Kills Slowly Miniature Perfume (7.5 ml)

Can we just take a minute to admire how cute this miniature bottle looks? I have to say this has to be one of the cutest miniature bottles I have come across. I got it as part of an Ed Hardy Love Kills Slowly set a little while ago. I may do a review of you want (just leave a comment). I love this scent so much and it has become my new handbag perfume. It has a fruity scent which is a mixture of citrus and mango. I love how it lingers for a really long time and it just smells very summery. I wish this bottle was refillable though because I would totally re-use it..

Marks &Spencer Citrus Hand Wipes
Last, but certainly, not the least, I have been loving these M&S Citrus Hand Wipes. I carry them with me everywhere to wipe my hands and it does its job perfectly. I am not really a fan of carrying hand sanitisers around and I need to be doing that especially this summer. I prefer moist hand wipes because they give you the feeling of having freshly washed hands. This M&S version is extremely refreshing leaving my hands with a nice citrus fragrance. It has been most useful this summer when there is so much dust and grime in many places especially on the tube/train.


That's it folks. I hope you have enjoyed this little post and I hope to finish up the pictures of the AFWL as soon as possible. I hate to see pending draft posts on my blogger dashboard and it always makes me want to edit the pictures faster so i can publish it. Can we take a moment to have a little TGIF dance even if you are at work right now? I just did..Cheers to the weekend and see you in my next post... tooodles...xxx

Tag: What's in my Makeup Bag/Pouch?

Hey Lovelies,

I love how we are progressively inching towards the end of the week right into the weekend. I cannot wait at all. I am not sure if everyone is as nosy as me but i love taking sneaky lil peeks into my friends makeup bags. I don't go into handbags tho; I feel that's stepping outta line. I feel makeup bags kinda gives me an overview of a ladies' personality. If the makeup bag is filled with loads of makeup items, I usually conclude she is a beauty junkie. I just love taking sneaky peeks into them. Hahaha no need justifying my obsession with makeup bags. So, if you are anything like my nosing-into-makeup bag self, read on to find out what is in mine and if you are not, you can still scroll down anyways. No harm whatsoever, I promise. Having said that, the items in my makeup bag tend to change depending on what season we are in, how I feel and what products are my current favourites. Let's get started.

The Makeup Bag

I love this lil makeup bag because it is purple. I love purple as a colour because it feels glam to me but not in a shiny or blingy way. It signifies royalty which I am; just kidding but I am the daughter of the Most High God so that qualifies, doesn't it? Anyways, back to the makeup bag.

I got this little gem from H&M last year and it is just a simple pouch with a zip and some cute ruffle details all around the top perimeter. I had a black and white makeup pouch before this but it kept getting dirty due to my brushes and foundation so I decided to go for something more colorful. 

Also, this makeup pouch has a snake like PVC texture to it which makes it look a lil bit more expensive than it is. I got it for £2 and I think it is an absolute steal given how lovely it looks and how well it has served me.

Foundation/Powder- Bella Pierre Mineral Foundation Powder
I have already raved about this in a separate blog post here so I won't repeat myself. I loved this powder and I still love it because it doubles up as both a foundation and a powder. If I need to touch up, I usually whip out the powder puff if I am in a very public place or I use my Real Technique Brush if I am in a rest room with a nice big mirror. 

To be honest, I have seen major improvements in my makeup since I started using this powder including reduction in my makeup routine steps as I use this both as a concealer, foundation and powder so I have less steps to take. 

Also, I have noticed I have become less shiny during the day with this and my touch ups are becoming less required to my delight. If there is anything I don't want to forget at home when I am out and about, it has to be this powder. LOVE it.

Concealer- MAC Studio Finish Concealer
I know what you are thinking; " I thought you said you use the Bella Pierre Powder as a concealer, foundation and powder?" Hahaha, yes I do. 

I use this mainly for my eye brows and any very stubborn dark spots especially if I am going out from the office to a meeting or for an outing. This is one of my Holy Grail concealers because it works for me. Although, it may clog up my pores if I use too much of it but I still love it so much and I always turn to it for when I want a super flawless finish to my face. 

It is a major staple in my Makeup bag and it is almost finished now. It has been rocked so much so that it looks severely battered but it is all with pure love, I promise.

Eye Pencil- Sleek Brow Pencil in 191 Brown
I find it really hard to find brow pencils that match my eye brows perfectly but Sleek is one of the few brands that do it for me. I buy most of my other eye pencils from Nigeria when I go back on holidays. 

To be honest, it should not really be in my bag but sometimes I accidentally rub my brows and a part of it is wiped off making me look like a little imp with uneven eye brows (I am not sure imps even have eyebrows, I know golliwogs have though). That's why it has found a prestigious place here in my makeup bag to fix up any accidental brow wipes. 

Lip Liner- Vitalis Lip Liner in 345
This is a fairly unknown brand because no one seems to have heard about it. I got this from PAK Cosmetics and it was 3 for a 1 pound and I love it very much and regret not buying a whole stash of it. I only use one in my makeup bag though.

 It is the perfect lip liner for many of my lipsticks because I am very partial to nudes, brownish pinks and neutral lipsticks. I pair this with my MAC Hug Me lipstick and it is perfect. 

Lipstick- Varies but Today is MUA in Shade 11
I think lipstick is one makeup item that can brighten up your face from a stressful day at work or any day at all. It is one of my favourite makeup item because I get to change it ever so often so I never have any staple one in my makeup bag. 

Formerly, I always had a nude and bright one in my purse for work and outings but I soon got bored and just stuck to carrying just the one. I have not been doing a lot of outings as such so I stick to browns, nudes, neutrals and flesh tone.

My current lipstick obsession is the MUA Shade 11 and I am sure you can tell from how worn out it looks and the MUA logo is half gone. It has made an appearance in my makeup bag for many days now running for a few weeks which is rare. It used to be MAC's Hug Me (blog post here about it) which is almost finished now so I have switched for a little while. I pucker up my lips when I am done with lunch and on my way home...

Lip Treatment- Nivea Lip Care in  Soft Rose
I used this a lot when the weather was really bad but it has still remained in my bag because I still occasionally have dry lips. Taking care of the lips is something many people tend to overlook but it is very essential especially if you like wearing lipsticks and worse still, if you like Matte Lipsticks like MAC's Ruby Woo. 

If you have dry/cracked lips and use Ruby Woo, you will not be pleased, be rest assured about that. I usually don't wait for my dry lips to appear, I nip them in the bud with the Nivea Lip Care in Rose which is such a pretty color. 

I use this before my lipstick everyday and it helps to achieve smooth application of my lipstick. This is a staple for sure in my makeup bag. On rare occasions, I wear this alone in place of lipstick and it is still okay but it is very RARE.

Mascara- Model Co.  Fibre Lashxtend
Y'all know I am not a big fan of mascaras because they get in the way of my contacts and could be clumpy but this has made me rethink my decision. 

To begin with, I love that it is Lengthening versus Volume because volumising mascaras are the major culprits for clumping and messing with my contacts. I love how light the formula is and it has minimal, if not, non-existent clumping. It is really lovely and is a new entrant into my makeup bag and I feel it is here to stay. 

Also, it has a small cute mirror at the back that helps when you want to apply it without whipping out your mirror and trying to balance everything. I got this as a freebie in the July Issue of Glamour Magazine. It was an absolute steal because it retails for £16 but you get it free with Glamour Magazine which cost £2 this month. I actually got two of these; one for my makeup bag and a backup. Hahaha

Eye Liner- L'Oreal Super Liner Black Lacquer
Asides my new love for mascara, eye liner used to be the only eye makeup I loved wearing. L'Oreal is my favorite brand. The L'Oreal Black Lacquer is a felt tip eyeliner which is really black and waterproof.

It is perfect for my winged eyeliners or just straight nice lining. I actually have a blog post here on my favourite eye liner...check it out. This is an old time favourite and staple. Although, it is waterproof and it literally does not budge all day, I still keep it close for a touch up especially if I am going out after work to switch up from classic wing to a deep almost gothic winged eye liner.

Makeup Brushes
I try to limit the amount of brushes in my makeup bag because it is really small and these makeup brushes tend to mess up the inner lining of my makeup bag as you can see from one of the pictures here. 

My all time favourite brush is my Real Technique Buffing Brush. This brush is everything; it is excellent. One of the softest and easiest brushes to use and it definitely helps in achieving flawless makeup. I use this for touch ups mainly. 

The next brush is my ELF eye shadow brush which has been converted to a concealer brush ever since I bought my Bella Pierre Mineral Foundation. I use this mainly to dab on some of my mineral foundation to conceal some dark spots because it is soft and actually does the work as well as any concealer brush I know. 



The next brush I believe is from Gosh but I may be wrong, I have had it for so long and I am not sure where I got it from. It is meant to be a small angled brush which it still is. I use it on those occasions when I need to re-jig my eyebrow or to apply my MAC studio finish concealer to many stubborn dark spots. I only go for brushes that can fit into my makeup bag although the Real Technique brush presents some slight issues in that respect but my love for it conquers all issues :-)

Perfume- Flo Atomizer
I think ladies should definitely have a small perfume in their bags to freshen up when you have been to public places like the loo and some transport system like the Tube, Buses, Molues/ Danfos (My Nigerian Homies would know this) and even some cabs. I hate the old smell that comes with transport which is why I carry this little treasure in my makeup bag. I am not in the habit of carrying glass perfume bottles on my bag because it could get damaged which is why I bought this cute little atomizer.



I bought this from Debenhams last year but you can find it anywhere including Amazon and Ebay. It has not left my makeup bag except when I want to refill it. I larrve it. It is known as an Atomizer and it can be refilled easily by unscrewing the bottom and spraying directly into the enclosure. It is useful for mixing all your perfumes to produce a different exotic cocktail of fragrances you love.

That brings me to the end of the sneaky peek into my makeup bag. I hope your nosiness has been partially satisfied like mine has on many ocassions. Let me know what you have in your make up bag in the comment below and products that have been staples in your make up bag. Catch you in my next post....xxxx

Have you entered the Gamila Secret Cleansing Bar Giveaway Contest? It is Open now and International...Check it out here

Have an amazing week ahead...xx

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