How To Apply Eyeshadow Pigments

Hey hey! Today, we're talking about eyeshadow pigments! 

An eyeshadow pigment is a loose shimmery powder that can be applied onto eyeshadow to give it more shimmer/vibrance. Eyeshadow pigment is more subtle than glitter, but it can still transform an eye look. 

It's much easier to apply than glitter as a lot of pigments don't require glitter glue/ primer to apply them. 

For this eye look, I used Inglot Body Sparkles in No 47. It has a pink undertone and I love using it on champagne or pink eye looks.

Before applying the eyeshadow pigment, I apply my eyeshadow because the pigment is meant to be used after applying your eyeshadow.

I use a pea sized amount of NYX glitter primer by rubbing it in-between my fingers and then dabbing it onto my eyelid.

After dabbing the glitter primer onto my eyelid, I immediately use a fluffy brush to dab a little of the pigment onto my eyelid. 

Left - Without pigment | Right - With Pigment 

Aand that's how to apply eyeshadow pigments :) 

Have a lovely weekend!

Oyime 

Lactose Intolerant? Tigernut Milk as An Alternative to Dairy

Hey hey! If you're lactose intolerant and you've been looking for an alternative to dairy or you've not heard about Tigernut milk and it's benefits, then this post is for you. 

I discovered Tigernut milk about 2 years ago at work. I was actually having tummy issues and I wasn't sure I wanted to try anything that had the word milk it because I'm lactose intolerant. I did a quick Google search and the few articles I read said you could definitely have tigernut milk if you're lactose intolerant.

Looking back, I should probably have waited to try it another day but me being me, I decided to try it that same day. The first thing I noticed was that it tasted so much better than almond or soy milk and my stomach felt much better after drinking it. 

So, I did a little more research and found out that apart from containing a good amount of Potassium, Magnesium, Vitamin C & Vitamin E and having a high fibre content, it also aids digestion among many other health benefits.

I learnt how to make tigernut milk and I did that a few times but now, I just order from "Tigernuts Republic". I usually order through their Instagram but they stock their milk in a lot of supermarkets here in Lagos. 

I love this brand because they have so many different mixes to choose from and their service is always really good. 

These are the mixes I've tried and I'm going to stick to the "Sweetened Plain" and "Datey Tigernuts". The other flavours (Chocolate Signature & Moringa Signature) contain ginger and I don't like ginger in my milk but I guess people seem to like it. 

Have you tried Tigernut milk before? What did you think about it?

Oyime :)

Is Eyeshadow Primer Really Necessary?

When I first started doing my makeup, I didn't really use eyeshadow primer because I didn't think it was that important. Now that I've been doing it for a few years, I can't do an eye look without using primer first.

Eyeshadow primer is simply a cream that is used on your eyelid prior to applying eyeshadow.

What Does It Do?

• It helps the eyeshadow go on smoother 
• It helps to prevent creasing of eyeshadow
• It makes the eyeshadow colour more vibrant
• It helps the eyeshadow last longer

My current favourite eyeshadow primer is Ben Nye Clown White. It will make any eyeshadow colour pop and is really good for cut creases.

I apply very little of it onto my eyelid and pat it in gently into my skin. I don't rub it in, but just pat it in to avoid creasing. 

Here's a side by side comparison on an eye look done with and without eyeshadow primer.

As you can see in the picture, the eyeshadow done without primer is slightly less pigmented and it took a few more applications than the eye look done with primer to get it to look this way.

It looks okay, but by the end of the day the eyeshadow done without primer would have creased and wouldn't look as pigmented. However, the eyeshadow done with primer would look almost as good as when it was first applied.

For this look, I used the OPV Oshun palette.

Do you use eyeshadow primers? What are your favourite eyeshadow primer?

Oyime :) 

My Current Favourite Deep Conditioner - Pantene Gold Series Repairing Mask

For years, I've mixed my rinse-out conditioner with oils and used the mix as a deep conditioner because it's not that easy to find a deep conditioner that works really well for my hair.

My sister told me about Pantene Gold Series and how it worked for her hair so I decided to try their Repairing Mask and leave-in conditioner. 

In this post, I'll be reviewing the Repairing Mask, which I use as a deep conditioner because I've used it a bit more than the leave-in conditioner and I'm not too sure how I feel about the leave-in yet.

Ingredients 

Water, Stearyl Alcohol, Silicone Quauaternium-26, Behentrimonium Chloride, Cetyl Alcohol, Histidine, Panthenol, Panthenyl Ethyl Ether, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Fragrance, Benzyl Alcohol, Disodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone.

What It Claims To Do

Water activated to allow deep penetration. Helps restore strength and manageability for all hair types.

How I Use It

I use it without mixing it with any oils after shampooing my hair. The first time I did this, I wanted to test how the product worked alone and surprisingly, it worked really well.

My Thoughts

It has a strong flowery scent but it's not overpowering. The consistency is not too thick but it's also not too light. Even though I have thick strands, the consistency is thick enough for my hair.

I like the fact that I don't have to mix it with any oils or butters and it actually moisturises my hair and makes it a bit easier to manage, just like it says. I hope it keeps working for my hair because I intend on repurchasing it when I run out of it. 

I ordered mine from Beautiphic and you can order it from them here.  

What's your favourite deep conditioner? Have you tried this Repairing Mask before?

Thanks for reading!

Oyime :) 

Product Reviews - TRESemmé Moisture Rich Luxurious Moisture Shampoo & Conditioner

When I first went natural, I read reviews on so many products and tried out a lot of them.

I had read good reviews on TRESemmé but I never got around to actually trying out their products.

A few months ago, I ran out of my shampoo and conditioner and decided to finally give them a try. Also, it was easy to find and not too expensive so I was like why not? 

SHAMPOO 

Ingredients 

Aqua, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glycerin, Carbomer, Citric acid, Cocamide MEA, Dimethiconol, Disodium EDTA, Glycol Distearate, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Mica, Parfum, PEG-45M, Phenoxyethanol, PPG-12, Silica, Sodium benzoate, Sodium chloride, Sodium hydroxide, TEA-Dodecylbenzenesulfonate, TEA-Sulfate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene, Linalool, CI 77891

Product Details

The TRESemmé Luxurious Moisture Shampoo and Conditioner system delivers optimised hydration that targets dryness and helps lock in moisture where your hair needs it most. Created for daily use, this advanced moisturising system with vitamin E helps restore vibrancy and makes dry, damaged hair soft without weighing it down. This moisturising shampoo delivers a salon-healthy look and enviable shine.This gentle moisturising shampoo enriched with vitamin E helps to restore softness—and is formulated to deliver hydration right where your hair needs it most. 

My Thoughts 

I'm about halfway through the bottle and I really like this shampoo. I shampoo my hair once a month so I need something that will get rid of buildup but won't strip my hair of all its moisture. This shampoo does that for me because after I use it, my hair and scalp feel clean but not stripped. I'm definitely going to get another one when I run out of this one because it's a bit hard to find shampoos that work well for my hair drying it out.

CONDITIONER 

Ingredients 

Aqua, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Amodimethicone, Behentrimonium Chloride, Cetrimonium Chloride, Dipropylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Lactic acid, Magnesium chloride, Magnesium Nitrate, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Parfum, PEG-7 Propylheptyl Ether, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium chloride, Tocopheryl Acetate, Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene, Linalool

Product Details

The TRESemmé Luxurious Moisture Shampoo and Conditioner system delivers optimised hydration that targets dryness and helps lock in moisture where your hair needs it most. Created for daily use, this advanced moisturising system with vitamin E helps restore vibrancy and makes dry, damaged hair soft without weighing it down. This moisturising conditioner delivers a salon-healthy look and enviable shine. This lightweight formula with vitamin E works with the moisturising shampoo to brilliantly revive dry and damaged hair. 

My Thoughts 

I don't really like the conditioner. It's okay but I'm probably not going to repurchase when I run out of it. I usually like mixing my conditioner with shea butter and a few oils so I can use it to deep condition, and it works okay but my hair doesn't feel as moisturised as I know it could be. As a rinse- out conditioner, I guess it's fine but there are other products that work better as both a deep conditioner and rinse-out for my hair. 

Have you tried any TRESemmé products? What were your thoughts?

Have a lovely week!

Oyime :) 

My Favourite Online Makeup Vendors in Nigeria

Things have changed a lot over the years in terms of buying makeup in Nigeria. 

Products that would have been so hard to get can easily be gotten now and delivery is mostly next day and even same day sometimes. 

Here’s a list of the places I’ve bought makeup from on either their website or Instagram: 

1. Fabbie Beauty: I bought my ring light from Fabbie Beauty about a year ago after doing a lot of research on ring lights. I tried looking for reviews online but I couldn't find any I could trust. Ring lights are quite expensive so I was really wary about spending money on a place I wasn’t sure about. I stumbled on Fabbie Beauty's Instagram page and saw a number of reviews so I decided to give them a try. The service was really good and I got my ring light the next day or 2 days after I ordered. I haven’t had any issues with my ring light since I got it, and it’s still in very good condition. 

2. RTM Online Store - RTM is basically Sephora in Nigeria. They have most of the products you would buy in makeup stores outside Nigeria and I was so happy when I discovered them. You can either order from them on their Instagram or walk into their store to shop.

3. Yanga Beauty - Yanga beauty is my current favourite Nigerian brand because they have really amazing products that can compete with some International beauty brands. You can either order through their Instagram, WhatsApp or on their website.

4. MBP Beauty Store: I ordered my makeup chair from MBP Beauty Store through their Instagram a few months ago. Just like with my ring light, I did a lot of research before getting it. I actually had a bad experience with another Instagram vendor when I first tried ordering a chair so I was a bit scared when ordering from them, but the service was good and I haven’t had any issues with my chair so far.

5. Teeka4 Beauty & Makeup Shop: I ordered from Teeka a few months ago when they were having a month long sale on a number of their products. You can order from them on their website as they don’t take orders through Instagram. I got a few sets of lashes from them and the delivery was fast and the lashes were amazing. I also like that they do reviews and tutorials on Instagram featuring the products they sell.

6. Beauty Rev NG: This was one of the first few places that I ordered makeup online from a few years ago. The last time I ordered from them, I got my Juvias place got Masquerade palette.

7. Beauty Kink: This was also one of the first few places I used to order makeup from. I always referred everyone to them because they had a wide variety of products and their service was really good. They have a store in Davida Mall, Lekki so you can walk into the store or you can order from their website.

8. Beautiphic: I don’t order makeup from Beautiphic (formerly Olori.ng) but I order most of my natural hair products from them. They have really good service and one of the fastest deliveries out of all the vendors.

Do you order makeup in Nigeria? Who are your favourite vendors?

My Current Natural Hair Regimen

Hey hey! Hope your week was awesome. 

My natural hair regimen hasn't changed much in the past 2 years because I've figured out what mostly works for it. My hair has been in protective styles for most of the year because I've been a bit lazy with it and I also wanted to see if I would retain more length with protective styles. 

So, for most of the first half of the year, my hair was in wigs. After shampooing my hair with Tresemme Moisture Rich Luxurious Moisture Shampoo, I would deep condition with Tresemme Moisture Rich Conditioner, mixed with a little shea butter and glycerine. My hair benefits a lot from steaming and lucky for me, my sister gave me her hair steamer so I use the steamer to deep condition once a month.

To moisturise, I used my Kinky Curly Knot Today, mixed with glycerine, shea butter and a little castor oil. I typically kept my cornrows for 3-4 weeks.

This worked for me and I seemed to be retaining length. However, I was missing how I looked in braids so I got blonde braids in May.

Before getting my braids done, I shampooed and deep conditioned with the same products I use when getting my hair ready for my wig. This time though, I blow dried my hair because I was getting blonde braids and I wanted my hair to look as neat as possible.

I currently have grey braids which I'll do a post on sometime soon.

A few days after getting my grey braids, I spritzed my scalp with a mix of water, glycerine and castor oil and my scalp was itching badly because of the castor oil. I should have added a carrier oil like grapeseed oil to my spray bottle because, you shouldn't use essential oils alone but I've run out of my grapeseed oil. To help with the itching, I sprayed my scalp with a mix of water, glycerine, aloe vera gel and peppermint oil and it helped a lot. 

What's your current hair regimen? Does it work for you?

Have a lovely weekend!

Oyime :)

I Got Blonde Braids for the First Time!!

Hey hey! How has your week been? It's the first day of the month and I'm starting it off with a post on my blonde braids which a few people asked me about.

About 3 months ago, I was trying to decide what style & colour of braids to do. I thought about grey, purple & blonde, and decided on blonde after watching a video of Ronke Raji on Youtube getting blonde braids done. I really liked them so I decided to give blonde a try.

I used about 4 packs of 'Expressions' Colour 27. Unlike Ronke's braids which she did about 4 layers of ghana weaving on each side of the front, I only had one layer each in the middle while the rest of my hair was done in single braids. This is why my braids ended up being really full, which was good and bad. Good because I liked how full it looked, but bad because it was a bit heavy.

At first, I didn't like the colour because it just seemed so bright, but I got used to it after a few days and then I started loving it. I also got so many compliments on them :)

What do you think of these braids? Would you ever get blonde braids?

Oyime

7 Romantic Perfumes for Valentine's Day/Anniversaries

Hey guys! Hope your weekend went great! Valentine's Day is practically here so you can think of this as a gift guide if you procrastinated (like me in putting up this post), and you're thinking of getting a perfume(s) for someone next Thursday.

I've always loved perfumes since I was young thanks to my mum. She has been gifting me perfumes as a birthday gift or for Christmas since I was like 13 and I love it! 

My taste in perfumes is constantly changing but a few of the perfumes on this list have been constants since like 2010. These are 7 of my current favourites from the most  to least expensive:

1. Coco Eau de Parfum Chanel 

This perfume has a strong tobacco scent. I love it because of how strong it is. It has an "oriental, spicy fragrance" and would also be a perfect birthday or anniversary gift.

2. Hermes Elixir des Merveilles 

This perfume has a floral & woody scent. It's probably my 4th favourite on this list but every time I use it, someone makes a comment saying how much they like how I smell. 

3. Giorgio Armani Si

Where do I start from lol. I don't think this perfume really needs any introduction because I know how popular it is. I just started using it about 2 years ago and it smells amazing. 

4. Lancôme La Vie Est Belle 

I also discovered this perfume 2 years ago when I got the tester twice at the Essenza store and at the Lancôme store in Boots. I loved it so much I decided to get it as a birthday present to myself and, just like the Hermes I get compliments almost every time I use it. As you can see, it's almost gone so I've kept it in the corner for some months. It has a very romanic scent if that makes sense lol. It would be the perfect Valentine's day gift. 

5. Calvin Klein Euphoria 

This is cheaper than the first 4 perfumes on the list but still comes close in terms of scent and staying power. This is another perfume a few people have asked me about when I've used it and it's way more budget friendly. 

6. Lacoste Sensuelle Eau de Parfum

The first place I discovered this perfume was my mum's table. It was on my list of perfumes to get for a while and then I got it as a Valentine's Day gift 2 years ago.

7. Britney Spears Midnight Fantasy 

Okay, so this perfume might be the last on the list (because it's the least expensive) but out of all the perfumes on this list, I've had it the longest. This was the first perfume I ever bought for myself in my first year of uni and I've bought it every time I've run out of it since 2010. It has a sweet floral scent. and the pink version of it ("Fantasy") also smells amazing. 

What are some of your favourite perfumes? Have you used any of the perfumes on this list? 

Have a beautiful week!

Oyime :)

Orange Butterfly Makeup Look

Hey hey! How's your week going so far? 

I've always really liked creative makeup looks but for some reason, I never tried a really creative  because I wasn't sure I would be good at it. 

This look really wasn't as easy as it looked and it took a while but when I was done, I absolutely loved it. Then, I felt silly for not trying creative looks all this while just because I wasn't sure I'd be good at it. Now that I think of it, if I didn't like how it turned out all I'd need to do is keep practising (which is what I'm doing).

The picture I saw on Instagram was done with lime green eyeshadow but I don't like how that colour looks on me so I went with yellow and orange.

I used Juvia's place 'Zulu palette' because I wanted the eyeshadow to really 'pop' and it didn't disappoint.

What do you think of this look? 

Have a beautiful week!

Oyime :)

Makeup Post - Orange Is The New Black

Hey guys!! How have you been and how is your year going so far? I'm already a bit behind on my January goals but I'm trying not to be such a procrastinator this year.

A few people have noticed that I love doing makeup for photoshoots and editorials and I really do because it brings out my creativity and I'm able to learn something new each time.

For this shoot, when the photographer suggested the look to me, it was something I hadn't done before but I was excited to see how it would turn out.

For the eyes, I used NYX Jumbo pencil in 'milk' for her waterline and bottom lashes, and for the top liner, I used my Juvia's place Zulu palette mixed with Inglot duraline (because I didn't have orange liner). This is what I mean when I say shoots help me to be more creative because when you don't have what you need, you have to improvise.

PRODUCTS USED 

FACE

Kiko Milano Face Base 

Revlon Colorstay Foundation

LA Girl Pro Concealer (Beautiful Bronze) 

Ben Nye Setting Powder (Topaz) 

Milani Powder (Deep) 

EYES

Mabrook Brow Pencil
Yanga Beauty Browlution Pencil

Juvia's Place Zulu Palette 

NYX Jumbo Pencil 

Sisi Lade Lashes 

LIPS

MAC 'So Chaud'

MY 2019 HAIR GOALS

Hey guys!! Happy New Year!! How was your holiday? 

I wouldn't really call December a holiday for me because it wasn't that different for me work-wise. My siblings were around though, which was pretty awesome. I definitely didn't go out as much as my sister but I ended up going to the beach twice, went for a Wizkid concert (which I slept off at before Wizkid came out) and watched "Queen Moremi the Musical" at Terrakulture (which was amazing). 

For part of December, I had my hair in a bun and for the times I felt like looking extra dressed up, I attached my Afrinaptural extensions to my bun. I also had my hair in a wig for about a week in December. 

Last year, I don't think I really had any hair goals for 2018 and if I did, I didn't really work towards them. This year though, apart from the usual healthy hair goals I always say I have, my goal is length retention! A lot of the time, we feel like our hair isn't growing but we're really just not retaining most of our length. In order to do this, I'm going to do these things:

1. Protective Styles for no more than 3/4 weeks: I realised that I retained more length the year I was getting braids every 3 weeks, not necessarily because the protective style was braids but because after 3 weeks of having the braids I would take them out, shampoo my hair and deep condition. 

2. Deep condition more often: If I'm keeping my protective style for not more than 3 weeks most times then I'll be deep conditioning more often than I have in the past 2 years. 

3. Trim twice this year: I actually trimmed my hair twice last year so I guess I did that right. I'll probably get a trim in June and in December. 

Do you have any hair goals for 2019? How do you plan on achieving them?

Oyime :) 

The Tea Room Lagos Restaurant Review

Hey guys! How are you and how was your weekend? Mine was pretty awesome. My cousin got married so my weekend basically started from Wednesday (which was her bridal shower) up until the white wedding on Saturday.

We had her bridal shower at the Tea Room Lagos which is a very pretty, picturesque new place in Lekki. 

The first thing you notice even before you get into the restaurant is the beautiful decor. There's a balloon display at the top of the first flight of stairs, and then a wooden booth right opposite the entrance which is perfect for pictures. There's also a cute patio but I unfortunately didn't get pictures of this.

The restaurant is decorated with a lot of flowers which was awesome because it was like the place had been decorated for us.

In terms of food, the food was lovely. I had the "American Breakfast" which was pancakes  & eggs and it was really good. I think everyone also loved their food. 

In terms of service, it was a bit poor. The food took a while to come out and our waiter made a number of mistakes. However, that could just have been a bad day or it could have been because they just opened. 

My meal cost N5,000 which is a bit pricey but it tasted really good so that made up for it. 

Have you been to any new restaurants lately? What was your experience with it?

Thanks for reading and have a lovely day!

Oyime :)