Category: Commentary

The Monday Edit, February 22, 2021

Published on by Nikki2 Comments

Some articles to read, videos to watch,

and words to think about for the week ahead.

Articles to Read

If you haven’t heard yet, Hautelook is on its way out. The sales that the Nordstrom owned company typically features will be incorporated into the Nordstrom Rack website. Nordstrom Drops Hautelook from Bloomberg.com

I watch a lot of remodeling, house flipping, and real estate type shows. Considering how often they are featured, you would think that someone would mention that farmhouse sinks are high maintenance. Check out this article to find out the reasons you may not want a farmhouse sink after all.

I’ve been living in my current place for over a year now and I’m still looking for entryway solutions. I’m working with a very small space so most suggestions have been too large. I finally found an article that has some slim options. 9 Tiny Entryways with Seriously Big Organization Ideas from apartmenttherapy.com

Videos to Watch

I’m not a minimalist nor do I have plans to become one, but I still find a lot of value in the videos from Ronald L. Banks.

Continue reading “The Monday Edit, February 22, 2021” →

The Monday Edit, February 8, 2021

Published on by NikkiLeave a comment

Some articles to read, videos to watch,

and words to think about for the week ahead.

Articles to Read

I discovered the girllovesgloss website while looking for reviews of the MAC Face and Body Mixing Medium. In this post she talks about how to use some MAC Pro products including the mixing medium.

Are you someone who gets dressed everyday to work from home? That’s how I am and it really helps get me started and have a productive day. But make no mistake, despite the pandemic, not everyone gets to work from home. Here’s some work wear inspiration for those who still have to make the trek to the office. What to Wear to Work (Vogue UK)

Speaking of working from home, Karen from Makeup and Beauty Blog recently talked about sheer foundations she is loving.

There’s hard work being done to move us toward a more inclusive and diverse beauty industry. That work continues with an interview with the creator of the website Brown Girl Hands, Hannah Harris. Harris talks with Beth Gillette about her reasons for starting her website and Instagram account and the importance of brown skin representation in brand photography.

Videos to Watch

But seriously, has anyone tried the MAC Face and Body Mixing Medium? In this video, Senior National Artist for MAC, Fatima Thomas, features the product.

Watch makeup artist, Fatima Thomas at work
Continue reading “The Monday Edit, February 8, 2021” →

The Monday Edit, January 25, 2021

Published on by NikkiLeave a comment

Some articles to read, videos to watch,

and words to think about for the week ahead.

Articles to Read

Since I have sensitive skin, I’m constantly having trouble finding an exfoliating routine that doesn’t cause irritation. After coming across this article, The Best Exfoliating Acids for Sensitive Skin, on POPSUGAR, I decided to take a closer look at lactic acid. The POPSUGAR article breaks down which acids work for different skin concerns. Even if you don’t have sensitive skin, you may find the information helpful for other problems like acne or inflammation.

I currently use products that contain salicylic acid and niacinamide, so I did some additional research to make sure trying lactic acid wouldn’t cause an issue. I learned from The Skincare Edit that you can use acids and niacinamide together if you alternate them. So now I’m curious to see if alternating my products will improve my results. If so, I won’t need to incorporate anything new.

In non-beauty news, an updated article from theInventory, details phones under $500 that don’t suck (according to Gizmodo). They are calling these budget phones, which of course, depends entirely on what you can afford. But it caught my eye because I don’t know if I can bring myself to pay the price for another iPhone once my current XR stops working. Time will tell.

Videos to Watch

I’m not really into the “clean” beauty scene, but when I am interested in brands that market themselves that way, it can be difficult to find good reviews from a dark skin perspective. I recently came across the YouTube channel Keeping up with BB and have been enjoying her videos. She posted her 2020 Clean Beauty Favorites and it’s worth a watch if you have been interested in brands like Saie, Ilia, Vapour, and Fitglow Beauty.

Continue reading “The Monday Edit, January 25, 2021” →

Palette: The Beauty Bible for Women of Colour

Published on by Nikki2 Comments

Don’t let the title scare you away; regardless of skin tone, the information in this book can be helpful. The publishing of this book is a necessary addition to the few makeup guides still available in print. I found out about The Beauty Bible for Women of Colour by Funmi Fetto from Vikeejeah on Youtube. Vikeejeah and four other YouTube Creators collaborated to each cover three products mentioned in the book. You can find all the videos from the collaboration linked in the list below.

Palette The Beauty Bible for Women of Colour Book Review and Swatches

I do want to mention that some of the write-ups in the book are more helpful than others. Some anecdotal parts aren’t that helpful in terms of how a product works, but I haven’t noticed any items that I felt wouldn’t be workable for deep skin tones. Overall, I have enjoyed reading through this book and am excited to check out some products I haven’t tried before.

I thought it would be fun to showcase some of the products covered in the book that I have tried. The book does cover skincare and hair care, but I’ll only be focusing on the makeup portion.

Palette: The Beauty Bible for Women of Colour Book Review and swatches of featured products

Foundations

Two of the foundations in the book that I have used are the Estee Lauder Doublewear and Nars Natural Radiant Longwear foundations. I already have a review of the Estee Lauder doublewear foundation, so if you want more details from a dry skin perspective, you can check that review out.

As for the Nars Natural Radiant Longwear, it is still fairly new to me, so I’m still getting a feel for it. You can tell in the swatches below how matte the Estee Lauder is compared to the NARS’ Radiant finish. The one issue I have had with the NARS formula was that it accentuated texture really badly until I got my shade right. It looks much better on me now that I’ve switched to the shade Tahoe instead of Huahine and Syracuse. You can see me wearing the NARS Natural Radiant Longwear in the shade Tahoe in my profile picture (on the sidebar, at the bottom of the page on mobile, and on my about me page).

Update June 1, 2024: You can read my review of the NARS Natural Radiant Longwear foundation by clicking here.

Estee Lauder double wear shade 5w2 rich caramel and nars natural radiant longwear shade tahoe swatches on medium dark skin
L to R: Estee Lauder Double Wear 5W2 and NARS Natural Radiant Longwear Tahoe
Continue reading “Palette: The Beauty Bible for Women of Colour” →

The Monday Edit, January 18, 2021

Published on by NikkiLeave a comment

Some articles to read, videos to watch,

and words to think about for the week ahead.

Articles to Read

As we continue in the new year, many of us may be trying to practice healthier habits.  Like many people, I struggled with weight loss in the past.  I didn’t want to continue calorie counting forever and I didn’t want to feel like I was depriving myself.  Eventually, I was able to lose 66 lbs and keep it off.  I feel like my focus on making lifestyle changes rather than dieting is what made the difference for me.  This article from The Every Girl stood out to me as something that may help someone get into that “lifestyle change” frame of mind.  Here are 15 Ways to Eat Healthier This Year (Without a Diet).

I often get frustrated when I hear people talk about passive income.  I find that they often leave out the crucial point that there is a lot of hard work that has to be done first.  But, if you understand passive income only works if you already have some money or have made money through hard work first, I think this article, 31 Smart Passive Income Ideas That Actually Work on GatheringDreams.com is a good place to start for good AND realistic information.

Videos to Watch

Former makeup artist for MAC and NARS, Melissa Alatorre, walks us through the newly reformulated Make Up For Ever primers and gives techniques for use. 

Now that I live in a much colder climate, I’m on the hunt for a rich night time moisturizer that will pull double duty in helping me with some hyperpigmentation.  If you too struggle with dark spots, Dr Alexis Stephens shares the BEST Moisturizers for Hyperpigmentation on her YouTube channel.  She details what makes these moisturizers effective and gives recommendations for light, medium, and heavy weight moisturizers.

Words to Think About

It’s ok to gain insight and perspective from people who don’t think exactly the way you do.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider sticking around. You can check out my Brands A-Z index if you want to know what products I have posted about in the past.

Disclaimer:  I purchased all products featured with my own money.  For my full disclosure policy, click here.

Mac Studio Fix Sculpt and Shape Contour Palette in Medium-Dark/Dark Swatches (+ Why Isn’t There More Variety in What Products Are Reviewed?)

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In a time when inclusivity in the beauty industry is front and center, I am often surprised that some products that have been on the market for years never make it into the conversation. The analytics prove time and time again that new releases are going to get the most attention. I think it would serve everyone better if we also took some time to shine some light on previously released products.

Trust me, I understand feeling left out of what everyone is talking about, but we also need to learn to do what is best for us regardless of the hype. We can not change who we are or how we look to suit a new release, but we can seek out products that already meet our needs. That is what I mean by variety, moving toward a time when you can visit different blogs or YouTube videos and see various featured products.

There used to be a time in the “beauty community” of blogs and YouTube when everyone discussing the same products was the exception, not the rule. Regularly seeing a better variety of products helped people discover new items. This variety also offers a view of different product uses since needs and preferences vary. Of course, you can still find out about new products and techniques. My point is that if a product is not part of a PR blitz, you will be hard-pressed to find information about it.

Continue reading “Mac Studio Fix Sculpt and Shape Contour Palette in Medium-Dark/Dark Swatches (+ Why Isn’t There More Variety in What Products Are Reviewed?)” →

On Wednesdays We Window Shop (July 8, 2020)

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Make Up For Ever Aqua Resist Smoky Shadow Stick, Natasha Denona Bronze Eyeshadow Palette, Covergirl TruBlend So Flushed High Pigment Blush

If you follow the beauty industry closely, then you know that new releases are happening all the time.  So let’s discuss what new products are on my radar right now

Covergirl Trublend So Flushed High Pigment Blush in 360 Sweet Seduction Swatch and review
Covergirl 360 Sweet Seduction

Covergirl TruBlend So Flushed High Pigment Blush, $7.99 (I ended up purchasing this blush, see the review here): I’ve been upset that Covergirl discontinued their baked version of the TruBlend Blushes for so long now.  I am happy to see a relaunch of the blush line but disappointed that it isn’t the baked version being released in a larger shade range.  There are still only 3 shades being offered so it remains to be seen how versatile the shades will be across skin tones.  Covergirl is claiming that this formula has a “cream-feel,”  which makes me wonder if it will have a similar look on the skin as the old TruBlend formula.  If you’ve given any of these a try, let me know what you think of the formula.

Make Up For Ever Aqua Resist Smoky Shadow Multi-Use Waterproof Color Stick, $23.00:  I really enjoy this brand and it feels very underrated these days.  This vegan formula can be used as a shadow or liner and promises to be creaseless, smudge-proof, and waterproof. 

The last eyeshadow crayon I can remember using was the Milani Shadow Eyez Pencil in Cafe-Au-Lait.  Now that eyeshadow crayons seem to be easier to find in a better variety of shades (Covergirl, Laura Mercier, Bobbi Brown), I wonder if we’ll see Milani bring those back. UPDATE January 28, 2022: Milani has started to release shadow sticks again. The Gilded Shadow Stick retails for $6.99 and comes in 4 shades.

I’m pretty sure people never stopped using the NYX Jumbo Eye pencils, but I think they used to have more shades.  I’m interested to see if anyone on Youtube will review these.  I know MakeupShayla usually features Make Up For Ever new release, so if the brand sends out PR on this release maybe she’ll get them.

Continue reading “On Wednesdays We Window Shop (July 8, 2020)” →

On Wednesdays We Window Shop (June 17, 2020)

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e.l.f. x Jkissa Fur-Ever Eyeshadow Brush Set, Fenty Beauty Slip Shine Sheer Shiny Lipstick, Mac Cosmetics Shot of Colour Lip Oil in Punch-Drunk Love, Maybelline Color Strike Cream-to-Powder Eye Shadow Pen in Ace, and NYX Cosmetics Sweet Cheeks Soft Cheek Tint in Bombshell

If you follow the beauty industry closely, then you know that new releases are happening all the time.  So let’s discuss what new products are on my radar this week

e.l.f. x Jkissa Fur-Ever Eyeshadow Brush Set, $25.00:  When it comes to affordable brushes e.l.f. has some of the best.  This caught my eye because I don’t have a lot of experience with the e.l.f eyeshadow brushes and this set has me curious.  I do like the face brushes I have from the brand, but I’ve only used one of their eye brushes and that was years ago.  So far the reviews I’ve seen have been positive.

Fenty Beauty Slip Shine Sheer Shiny Lipstick, $22.00:  I’m a fan of tinted lip balms especially on days when I only want to do my brows and wear a little something on the lips.  The brand is promising sheer color, shine, and moisture.  I can’t fully tell, but it looks like every shade has some shimmer in it, even if it is not overt.  I don’t typically like that in a lip product because it often feels gritty and sticks around on the lips even after the color has worn off.  There are a few products that have shimmer particles that aren’t an issue, but I find that harder to come by.  In concept, I would think that these will be similar to the Maybelline Shine Compulsion Lipsticks ($5.98 – $7.99) and the L’oreal Colour Riche Shine Lipsticks ($7.18 – $10.99), both of which I think are great products.  If you don’t know, Ulta Beauty has the highest prices for drugstore cosmetics.  So that is why I gave such a wide price range for the two drugstore lipsticks.  Walmart and Target have the best prices on drugstore makeup.

Continue reading “On Wednesdays We Window Shop (June 17, 2020)” →