Nip + Fab Kale Fix Moisturiser

I have combination skin - so I have an oily t-zone and the rest of my skin is dry. For the longest time it was hard to find a moisturiser that worked for me.

NOTD | Eternal Optimist

It's been a while since I treated myself to a manicure so today I decided to do just that. My middle nail broke a few days ago (bummer!) but I refused to let that stop me from getting them done! Described as a spiced tea rose colour, Eternal Optimist by Essie has become my favourite nude pink. It's a shade that can be worn any season, day or night and is perfect for those who love to wear nail polish but not a fan of colours.

I absolutely love nude shades of nail polish such as this, as they are easy to wear and look great on most if not all skin tones; a classic in my opinion. This application was done professionally however I have used it in the comfort of my own home and have achieved the same great results. Two coats were applied which dried fairly quickly, leaving a streak-free creme finish. 

I will most definitely be purchasing more shades from Essie and if you're interested in getting some yourself Essie polishes retail at £7.99/15ml available from selected Boots and Superdrug stores xo

Afro Hair & Beauty Live 2015

Three years after I went to my first one, my sister and I ventured yet again to Afro Hair & Beauty Live at the Business Design Centre in Islington (24/05/15). I took some pictures, received a shedload of freebies and make a few purchases. The great thing about this convention is that products are sold at a discounted price, which meant that I bought some old favourites and new buys at a lower price. Another great thing is that we are able to sample and buy products that are not yet available in the UK!

Singing competition - The main stage with hosts Amanda Star (far right) and Reuben Christian (left)

Diligence Barbers models *swoon*

After a long day we decided to go for a quick bite at Five Guys which was close to the venue. It was both our first times eating here and we were not disappointed... with the burger. I found the fries to be a little burnt but the taste wasn't terrible.

The great thing about this place is that you can build your own burger. I had a bacon cheeseburger with pickles, lettuce and BBQ sauce. YUM!

Because who doesn't love freebies?!

My purchases consist of 6 products; shea butter (not pictured) and extra virgin olive oil, KeraCare hydrating sulfate-free shampoo - I received it as a sample from my first visit and loved it so was really happy to buy it at a great price, ORS Curls Unleashed (exclusive! not currently available in the UK), Mixed Chicks deep conditioner and Cantu Shea Butter leave-in conditioner.

I made sure I made it to this years show as in the last year I have been transitioning my hair. Yup after 11 years of relaxing (or perming whatever you call it) my hair, last September I decided to go natural. By that time my last relaxer was in June so next month I'll be one year natural, yay! It definitely hasn't been easy so far but with this new age of YouTube and blogs, which I didn't have when I was natural before, it is helping so much! I'll probably have some more posts on my journey in the future as well as some pictures, if you guys would like that! Also, let me know of any tips to help with the transition or blogs I should check out for natural hair xo

New In

These are just a few pieces I've bought over the last couple weeks. I haven't done a lot of shopping this year (shock!), whenever I go out I just play with old pieces to come up with new outfits, like my last outfit post. But these are some things I've seen during the current sales and couldn't not buy.

I'll start with the fashion pieces.

The first thing is this cute light jacket (heavy cardigan?) from H&M. One thing that irks me about season sales, is that the things on sale are usually from the previous season so everything on sale now coming into summer, is from winter.

However, I think this jacket will be perfect for the current spring weather and those chilly summer nights. It was £29.99 but I bought it on sale for £15. I already have a few outfits in mind with this jacket so watch this space!

The next thing I couldn't help but buy were these lovely suede Penelope banana heels from Office. I don't have a pair of banana heeled shoes but I've always found them really interesting.

For those who don't know, banana heels are just slightly curved to give a unique shape to the usual heels. Although I've only worn them around the house, I love them and they seem quite easy to walk in. I can't wait to take them for a spin! I bought them on sale for £25 down from £65.

Next is this absolutely gorgeous smelling perfume Princess by Vera Wang. I recently saw a deal on WOWcher that was selling it for £24 with the RRP being £60 (100ml) so I just couldn't pass it up! I'm someone who loves fragrances and I am always looking for new scents to try. I remember a couple years ago an old friend recommended it to me but I just didn't get round to buying it. I'm really glad I did as it smells amazing! A very feminine scent that will be perfect for the Spring/Summer - personally I think it can be worn any time of year. It is a floral scent with notes of vanilla, golden apricot, mandarin meringue, water lily and dark chocolate.

Lastly, I picked up a few new lip products from KIKO. I love lipstick so I'm actively trying to include more in my collection. One of the tips I've picked up that I found works well for me is the easiest way to wear bold or colourful lipstick is to start with a brown lip pencil.

Precision lip pencil in Chocolate Brown (315) // Smart lipstick in Cherry Red (909) &  Classic Rose (918)

I bought this one on sale for £2.90 (RRP £4.20). I loved how it looked so much that I went back and bought two more! It also looks great with these lipsticks that I bought on sale for £2.50 (RRP £3.90). I love a good nude and once in a while like to shake things up with a red lip. These lipsticks are super silky and smooth-gliding! xo

Baobab Breakfast Smoothie

On days when I'm not really in the mood for a huge breakfast, I go for a nice refreshing smoothie. This is a simple smoothie as I am only just getting into the whole smoothie thing, but hopefully after sometime I will have more creative concoctions. Not only does it make an amazing breakfast, this smoothie also makes a great afternoon pick-me-up as Baobab is full of vitamin C (6x more than oranges!), which helps with energy metabolism and reduces tiredness and fatigue. Vitamin C also contributes to the normal formation of collagen in the skin, so promotes good skin health. Baobab also has one of the highest antioxidant levels in the world, so combined with the blueberries, this smoothie is a nutrient loaded treat that will benefit you in the long run.
If you are interested in purchasing your own powders you can visit their website www.aduna.com.

Baobab is often referred to as The feel good fruit because of its amazing health benefits:

 - 6x more vitamin C than oranges
 - 2x more calcium than milk
 - more potassium than bananas
 - almost 50% fibre (great for digestive health!)
 - high in antioxidants

Serves 1
 - 1 tsp Aduna Baobab Superfruit Powder
 - 1 banana
 - 200ml almond milk
 - 1 or 2 handfuls of blueberries

Add all the ingredients to your blender, blend until smooth then enjoy!

One way I might improve this smoothie in the future is by adding a few tablespoons of oats to give it that real breakfast feel xo

Beauty Basics | Nivea Daily Essentials Oil Free Moisturising Cream

Hey Guys,

So this month I'm loving Nivea's Daily Essentials Oil Free Moisturising Day Cream. I've been using this moisturising cream for a few months now and I am loving the results. I have really oily skin and I found that other moisturisers I'd use would either increase the oil on my face or do nothing at all. I saw this product in Superdrug and saw that it was targeted specifically for oily skin so I thought I'd give it a try. All in all I'm very pleased with the results. Since using this moisturiser I've noticed that my face is a lot less oily and I've had a lot less breakouts. It also cleared up the cluster of spots that I had on my forehead for what seems like forever. I use it alongside a new product I've recently added to my skincare regime, Bioré Deep Pore Charcoal Cleanser. I have only just started using this but I absolutely love it and what it is doing for my skin. I'll provide a more in-depth review after about a month of using it, but things are looking good so far.
Obviously I don't want to completely get rid of the natural oils on my face as they are quite beneficial therefore I only use these products once a day. The cream is lightweight and has a lovely subtle scent, it also controls the oiliness while still moisturising my skin. I would definitely recommend this product for anyone with oily skin looking for some control.

Also, I am always looking for new products to try so if there are any products you can recommend for oily skin please let me know xo

NOTD | Red Black

HI GUUUUYS!!! *waves frantically* :D

I know, it's been a hot minute since I blogged. As you (should) know I'm in my last year of uni and let me tell you it is definitely challenging! I'm doing all I can to get the best I can which means prioritising my time and unfortunately my uni work beats blogging (and just about everything else in my life), which explains my hiatus. I have a few new things that I've bought and outfits that I really want to share with you guys, so I'm going to try my best to do so :)

Today though I'm just going to show you a nail colour I've been loving a lot at the moment. Red Black by Barry M has been my go-to colour these winter months.There's something about the colour that I think is just perfect for the time of year, and not to mention I love how it looks on my nails.

I hope you've all been well! Oh and Happy New Year lol xo

NOTD | Park Ave

Tried something a little different on my nails... Been admiring this colour for a while now so decided to give it another go, and I'm glad I did. I love how it looks on my nails and I think it's one of those colours that will suit any skin tone. Definitely enjoying having this colour on my nails at the moment xo

NOTD | Nude Berry

Hey guys,

I decided to put two of my most loved nail colours together, with Berry Ice-Cream by Barry M (shown here) as my feature nail and my favourite nude (shown here) on the rest of my nails. I've seen a lot of people with this style (having two colours with one as a feautre) so I decided to try it as well xo

NOTD | Forever

*2 coats applied

You may remember the post I did last October about the nude nail polish my sister got from the Dominican Republic (if not, click here). Well, my sister made a valid point that once it finishes, it's gone. I love the colour so much that I want to wear it all the time but I also want to have it for a long time. Therefore I've been looking for other nude colours that I could wear on a more regular basis; the first contender being 'Forever' by the Seventeen range at Boots.

Nude colours are perfect for people who don't like too much colour on their nails and those who want colour but can't e.g. due to work. One of the main difference between the two is that the Fashion Nail colour is a pinky nude, whereas this one is more dusty. The colour is a nice subtle nude suitable for various skin tones which retails for £2.99.

If you know of any other nude colours you think I should try, please let me know xo

NOTD | Pinking Of You

Hello lovely readers!

A few weeks ago I purchased a Wowcher deal for a manicure & pedicure for £15, and this week I redeemed that offer. They had a few colours to choose from but I decided to go with Pinking of You by OPI. This is my first time using OPI nail lacquers and I really like the colours they have to offer. The lacquer goes on very well; I only did them a few days ago but they seem to be lasting quite well.

For those interested in mani/pedi's, waxes, massages and stuff like that you should definitely sign up to Wowcher as they have a lot of great deals xo

New In: Sleek Makeup

Hey!

I decided to take advantage of the 3 for 2 deal that Superdrug are currently having across all makeup and bought a few pieces that I've been eyeing up recently. I'm a huge fan of Sleek makeup as they always cater for my skin colour and girls both darker and lighter. The blush is called Coral and is a subtle orange-y colour (on the Sleek website they give swatches of how each shade will look on different skin tones.) Barely There is my favourite; it's a pink nude which I like to tone down with a light brown lip liner. Papya Punch is also a lovely colour but I find it quite hard to use because it's matte, so if anyone has any tips on how to apply matte lipstick, please let me know!

Hope you're all having a lovely bank holiday weekend xo