Life Edition: Registration (FINALLY) Complete

Some of you may not know this but other than running a beauty blog, I'm a long distance student with UNISA i.e. University of South Africa and I'm studying a BCom degree in Financial Management.

I quite enjoy balancing my work with my studies, being a mom to a very outspoken and awesome 2 year old  as well as blogging. It all gives me a sense of purpose and direction.

Like most things in life, its not easy but the fact that I enjoy it makes it truly worthwhile. Im trying my outmost best to have a schedule and routine but at times life pretty much takes over.

I know I haven't been active lately but all that will change.

Now that registration is finally completed, I have a lot of exciting posts I look forward to putting up on my blog

I want my blog to be a true reflection of my life and who I am, not just a beauty junkie lol!

BEAUTY RUMOUR MILL: Garnier Micellar Extra Gentle Cleansing Wipes

Word in the SA beauty community is that these much anticipated wipes from @garnier_sa are now available in SA 

PHOTO CRED 📷 @beauty_bulletin

Description: "New Garnier Micellar Extra-Gentle Cleansing Wipes contain thin silk fibres in a thick, soft wipe.

Soaked with Micellar water, they are specially formulated for make-up removal on sensitive skin. 

Like a magnet, the cleansing agents capture impurities and lift away dirt from the skin. No need to rub to efficiently remove make-up.

The result: In a single step, your make-up is removed and your skin feels refreshed and soothed."

Although I reviewed the Garnier Micellar water (below), I'm still keen on trying out the wipes. 

You can read my review on the Micellar water for combination to oily skin right here ------> 

http://justcallmetseke.blogspot.co.za/2015/11/garnier-pureactive-micellar-cleansing.html?m=1

My 5 Minute Foundation Routine For Summer

I've been reaching my Bobbi Brown Even Skin Foundation a lot lately. 

It's safe to say it's made it to my go to foundation for summer because of how light it feels and the minimum effort it requires to blend it into the skin. 

I didn't enjoy using it during the winter months because it didn't give me the full coverage that I desired. I would end up mixing it with the Estée Lauder Double Wear Foundation.

I use the Real Techniques Expert Face brush to mix it with the Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector BB Cream to get a dewy finish and then I'm all good to go. 

Avon Cream to Powder Foundation

I bought this foundation because it was on sale and I was looking for foundation  I could wear everyday and use to touch up when I needed to. The thing I like about this product is that the color selection is very good, however it's tough to get an exact match from a catalogue if you're buying for the first time. Luckily, caramel is my perfect shade. 

This is the 2nd cream to powder foundation I'm using. I've used the MAC Studio Fix Powder Plus foundation which was really nice, I don't know why I never repurchased it again actually. 

I use the sponge that comes in the compact to apply the Avon Cream to Powder and the coverage is flawless . It leaves such a natural finish without looking too cakey. 

I always apply moisturizer and the Maybelline Baby Skin Primer before I apply the foundation and it lasts the whole day. 

After application I it leaves a dewy finish but soon after its powder like. It doesn't oxidize and it doesn't leave a matte finish. 

This is my go-to foundation for touch ups because it fits so perfectly in my bag and I will be repurchasing it again

Gosh Lip Pencils

These velvet lip pencils were my first introduction to GOSH Cosmetics. I bought them on a whim when I was looking for a nude and red lip color whilst at Edgar's and it was love at first swatch

They are called velvet lip pencils but they apply creamy and leave a matte-like finish. I suggest exfoliating your lips with a lip scrub if you're going to apply them on their own without lipstick which is how I prefer them

"Simply red" is a stunning red perfect for daytime. It's my go to red when I'm going for a look that's not too dramatic 

"Nougat crisp" is a nude pink

"Antique rose" is mauvy pink

The first downside of these lip pencils is that they have to be sharpened. Twist ups are just so much more convenient. The 2nd downside is that they can't be used on their own. They are good only for lining the lips and to use underneath lipstick  

I can't compare them to the MAC lip pencils because I don't use any of them but for their price they are pretty okay

They retail for R110 at Edgar's 

My 4 favorite fashion / beauty / review blogs PART 1

Sometimes when I consider a beauty purchase or want to know if I should spend my hard earned money on a product or not I try my level best to get as much research on it as possible. Before the Internet I used to peruse Elle and Cosmopolitan magazine  but since I stopped buying them religiously - because I realized I'm not their target market - (that's another topic for another day), I now have my go to blogs which I rely on for first hand information on the latest products

I've numbered them in a particular order, from the one I find most reliable (number 1) to the ones I read just for fun 

thestyleandbeautydoctor.com

This blog is run by Caribbean-born, U.S. based blogger, Danielle Gray. I enjoy her in-depth posts  and the effort and process that goes into reviewing products. But mostly, I love how you can tell that she really enjoys blogging. Not only does she blog about makeup she's an image consultant too. A legitimate one at that. As in she has the papers to prove it. Now that's really something.  

thatigbochick.com

This blog is run by Nigerian born, UK based blogger Dimmah Umeh. I came across her page via on Instagram and I've been reading her posts religiously ever since 

makeupalley.com

Some of the reviews on makeupalley are hilarious and some are downright ridiculous. I check this site out mostly when I'm not sure wether to purchase a product or not. If there's too many unwavering reviews I don't even bother but if most of the reviews lean towards the positive I'm most likely to consider the product

fashioninflux.co.uk

This blog is run by UK based blogger Lydia Rose, I mostly enjoy this blog for the high end make up reviews. Not only does she blog about makeup but she merges both her loves fashion and beauty so effortlessly. The theme of her blog is quite minimalistic and her style is really one that I could see myself rocking. So chic yet so comfortable 

Which are your favorite blogs? 

LA Girl Blush Collection

I wasn't keen on getting any of these blush palettes until my favorite blogger [styleandbeautydoctor]  posted a review on them. So the moment I was at Dischem and I saw them at the LA girls counter I immediately grabbed one. I couldn't decide which to pick from because they all looked so beautiful.

This blush palette is absolutely amazing. It comes with 2 blushes, 1 bronzer and a highlighter.

I ended up picking the Spice palette because it looked like it would suit my skin tone and most especially because it doesn't lean too much towards  pink and the blushes in this particular palette seem more of a light orange and peach.  The highlighter is more on the gold side which is perfect for that summer glow radiant look. The bronzer is perfect for contouring. 

My favorite out of the two blushes is the darker one because it stands out so nicely on my skin. The lighter blush just disappears so I don't reach for it often unless I'm going for a full make up face and I mix it with the more pigmented blush and add highlight on top 

 Overall, I absolutely love it! It's perfect for traveling and also for beginners who are just getting into makeup because it's versatile.

The only regret I have is not buying another one, more specifically the "Glam" palette, but that can always be fixed