REVIEW: Urban Decay Primer Potion

If you get frustrated with creasing eyeshadow then urban decay primer potion might be the product for you. UDPP creates a smooth, dry base for your eye shadow to stick onto. This makes it last a lot longer than it would If you weren't using a primer.

Before I bought this product, I'd done WEEKS of research on how to make a home made primer. I tried the whole mix your favourite foundation with some moisturiser thing. I also tried using concealer and setting it with powder however non of these worked for me as I have combination skin. My eyelids are oily and will NOT hold make-up for more than half an hour.

The reason I went for UDPP was because after reading MILLIONS of reviews, it seemed to be the one that people preferred the most. (Of course there was also MAC paint pots but the price range at that moment just wasn't for me) 

PROS

1) it keeps my make up on pretty much ALL DAY so it is an effective eye shadow primer
2) It comes in a really cute packaging with a wand so the application is not very messy
3) The 'stuff' is transparent (though it looks peachy) so it doesn't affect any eye shadow that you put on top of it.
4) It has a nice consistency. Not too runny and not too thick.
5) It dries VERY quickly so you don't have to wait ages before applying your make up (like i had to with my foundation+moisturiser mix)

CONS

1) Whilst the packaging is cute, you will end up wasting a significant amount of the product because it is really difficult to get every single drop out of the tube.
2) For the amount of product you're getting, it is pretty expensive.
3) It can sting if you get it in your eyes (which is unlikely. I'm just very clumsy)

Overall, I'd say that this product is a must have if you like to wear make up especially if you have oily or combination skin like me. Though this is a highly valued product for everyone, I must say that it does not work for everyone, however it will work for most people.  There are other alternatives such as Too faced shadow insurance and MAC paint pots which I will be doing a review on later.

Spring&Summer 2012: BLAZERS

When it comes to dressing up, this season is all about colour!!!Adding a brightly coloured jacket or accessory not only makes you stand out from the crowd...but adds that sense of warmth and fun which is the essence of summer....It could be as simple as pairing some plain jeans with a brightly coloured top. or wearing a plain top with a bright print skirt.

If there's any clothing item that can be worn all year long...its BLAZERS!!, which I happen to be slightly obsessed with.
Blazers can be worn with almost anything...they can be dressed up or down and they have the power to transform almost any outfit. Blazers are also available in a variety of colours which can be mixed and matched i.e in the summer...I tend to wear more brightly coloured blazers whereas in the winter I tend to stick with the darker colours...but every now and again I switch it up. 

From left to right:
Hot pink blazer: Zara   
Black blazer: Primark
White Blazer: Ebay
Black and White blazer: Boohoo

Kim Kardashian rocks a hot pink blazer with peachy orange skinnies

Animal print: HOT or NOT?

They say animal print is one of those things you either love or you hate. I'll be honest...whenever I used to see someone in an animal print dress...the word 'CAVEWOMAN' just always came to mind. I'll admit, I used to think animal print was cheap, tasteless and tacky. 

UNTIL...
(dum dum dum)

I saw a picture of Snooki in some high waisted leopard print harem pants and I was like....hmm....
Harem pants have always been one of my many obsessions (again, you either love them or you hate them) so I thought i'd go on a hunt for some leopard print harem pants.

I wasn't really sure how to wear them at first so i went for the simple look and just pared them with a black marks and spencer tank top and a cream pearl detail shrug....
Now, lets just say animal print can be added to my ever growing list of fashion obsessions.

Regardless of whether or not you are wearing animal print,  you should always dress to accentuate your best assets. I have a small chest, waist and freakishly large hips so I tend to wear anything that is high waisted or has an empire waistline. So for me personally,  i only really tend to wear animal print high waisted trousers/ leggings. I also have zebra and leopard print stud earrings and headbands which i wear very often.

I do think that animal print has to be worn in a certain way and it's one of those things that can be easily overdone. The biggest thing to know when wearing animal print is NOT to wear 'matching' print items i.e an animal print top with animal print leggings.

Fashion faux pas

Also.. (and yes some people so this) DON'T wear two different prints, i.e. a zebra print shirt with a leopard print skirt. That just shouldn't happen...ever

Instead, wear animal print with something plain i.e a black/grey top or skirt...and if you're wearing a leopard print dress, pair them up with some plain black heels and minimal accessories.

Black people with blonde hair

So my sister and I were hanging out with our friends recently after she had her hair done, she'd gone from having jet black hair to a blonde/light brown weave. On one hand, she received lots of compliments but on the other hand, lots of people who we thought were friends teased her and made fun of her brightly coloured hair...which I didn't understand because there are dark skinned people out there with rainbow coloured 'smartprice' weaves who look more ridiculous than my sister and her blondish hair.

My sister and I

Granted, some black people look ridiculous with bright hair...i personally think that it depends on your skin tone. Its not necessarily a 'light skin dark skin' thing because my sister and I are similar shades but I would look ridiculous with her hair colour....just like she can't pull off red hair as well as I can.

In my opinion, people should be able to do what they want (within reason) and not be criticised for it or be accused of being 'fake' when clearly they may just be trying out new things...(she's in that awkward teenage rebel stage) And I certainly dont think that it is right to judge others purely by the way they look. There's clearly a difference between having blonde hair because you think it will make you beautiful and having blonde hair because you felt like switching things up once in a while....

Personally i think...its not the thing that's wrong....its how you make use of it. Besides, I've heard of some black people having naturally blonde (or at least light brown) hair....are we supposed to criticise them for that???

PROTECTIVE STYLE: Crochet braids

Ok....so a lot of people in the UK don't know what crochet braids are, so I thought I'd do a post to explain it because I get so many questions when I have crochet braids in.

Crochet braids are a protective style i.e a style that protects your natural hair such as braids, twists, cornrows e-t-c.
Its a very simple (possibly time consuming) process. Basically your natural hair is cornrowed (usually to the back) and then the braids (curly hair extensions: see picture) are attached onto the cornrows.

PROS
1) It looks very natural and it is very good if you want to grow out your hair as its minimal maintenance.
2) If you like big curly hair...then this is your style
3) The older it gets, the more natural it looks
4) All you need is a crochet hook and a comb. No specialist equipment needed
5) Synthetic hair is relatively cheap

CONS
1) It can be very time consuming depending on how fast you are
2) it can be an absolute PAIN to take out
3) Curly hair tends to tangle a lot so you will need a good hair detangler. (I use a home made one)


These were my first set of crochet braids (:

If you are interested in learning how to do crochet braids, here is a video tutorial by one of my favourite youtubers.
Hair used: Freetress waterwave which can be purchased from the Pak Cosmetics website.
Any questions, e-mail me at nubianpride@live.co.uk / tweet me @Ray_Ray49

RECIPE: Natural Hair moisturiser

Ok...i'm hoping this isn't just me but i find that I can never be happy with any store bought hair moisturising product simply because it does not work on my hair. And after two years of experimenting and trying out different things, I took it upon myself to learn how to make my own.

Reasons why home made products may be better suited to your hair

1) The ingredients will be completely natural. You don't need to worry about harsh 'sulfates' or preservatives that may harm your hair strands.
2) The ingredients are usually cheap.
3) The recipe can always be adjusted to suit your hair type.
4) It is usually petroleum free so you can go put your tub of BLUE MAGIC in the bin!!! 

RECIPE
½ /part Vegetable glycerin
½ part rosewater (or normal water)
3 drops of rosemary or peppermint or eucalyptus oil to inhibit mold growth. (this can be substituted for any essential oil of your choice)

Combine ingredients in an spray bottle. Shake well with each use.you can adjust portions to fit your hair type. 

Moisture is the key to growing afro-carribbean hair so I moisturise my hair daily and wear a lot of protective styles. I also use a leave in conditioner as well as a detangler when combing through my hair.

Note: This moisturiser will work for natural AND relaxed hair as afro-carribbean hair IN GENERAL tends to be very dry.

Rosewater can be substituted for water if you cannot get rosewater from your area. I usually order mine from Ebay and I use it because I love the scent.
My hair is super dry so i use 1/2 part glycerine. Glycerine is a humectant (it draws moisture in from the air) so for me, I need quite a bit but not enough to make my hair greasy. If you feel that you only need light moisture, then you do not have to use as much glycerine as I do.
Other humectants include honey  and castor oil. Sometimes I use honey instead of glycerine, sometimes I use both. It really depends on your preference.

Natural Hair Protective style: BUNS

:o :o :o

where to start.....
BUNS are my absolute favourite protective style to do. Buns are considered a protective style because they tuck your hair ends away...sealing in moisture and protecting them from harsh conditions that could potentially strip moisture away from your hair i.e heat and wind.
To be honest, buns still leave the rest of your hair exposed but I find that the most important thing in retaining hair length is protecting your ends. The ends of your hair are the oldest part of your hair strands...and so they're more prone to split ends and breakage. So if you take care of your ends, you will retain more length in your hair. Buns are literally my go-to style because:

• they're quick and easy to do and require little manipulation
• you can adjust them to fit your style/personality i.e high buns/low buns/ faux buns/slick buns/curly buns/messy buns
• they look so freaking fantastic!!!!!

I tend to wear faux buns a lot when my hair isn't in some other protective style, however this requires you to buy extensions which in all fairness are relatively cheap depending on where you buy them from.

The easiest bun to do is a sock bun. You don't really need any extensions and if you dont want to buy a sock bun thingy then you can always make your own out of socks and tights.

Here's a tutorial on how to do a sock bun.
Any questions, please leave a comment or e-mail/tweet me. (nubianpride@live.co.uk / @Ray_Ray49)
(: