SOURCE: OMABELLETV

Hey guys welcome back to the blog. Today I want to discuss something that's really important in the make up world and that is choosing the right make up for your skin type. There are so many makeup options out there and trying to figure out which works for you can be very tricky especially if you are a make up newbie. I will be referring specifically to oily girls like me, because that's my skin type and that's the type of makeup I know how to buy.

PRIMERS

The first base of most peoples make up these days is primer. Primers help to make your skin ready for makeup, so weather its large pores, oiliness or dryness there is a primer for you. If you have oily skin you should opt for oil free primers and primers which are specifically targeted at people with oily skin. 

Silicone based primers(usually come out as a transparent thick plastic looking gel consistency) are always a bad idea. Silicone based primers I find are really great for masking pores but aren't great for oily skin, it just has a way of making the oiliness of your skin appear even more, they are better for those with normal to dry skin. There are really good primers that aren't silicone based, that still help with minimizing pores, like the benefit porefessional primer

A really good affordable oil control primer for oily skin is the Rimmel stay matte primer and the great part is that they are readily available in Nigeria, either online or at local beauty stores that carry foreign brands.

So long story short, silicone based primers are a NO, NO and go for primers specifically for those with oily skin.

FOUNDATION

When it comes to foundations, as oily skin girls we have to be on the look out and not pick just any foundation we see on the shelves  just because someone said its a good one or you know someone who uses it and it looks good on, you have to consider if the person has oily skin first. 

If you have oily skin please opt for foundations which have words like matte or oil free or that specifically says for oily skin. I made a post on foundations for oily skin which can be readily found in Nigeria, you can check it out for some recommendations which I have. 

CONCEALERS AND BLUSHES AND HIGHLIGHTS

When it comes to oily skin the more powder products you use on your face the better, so while for your under eye you definitely have to use a concealer, for contouring I recommend just using a bronzer alone or just a darker powder, instead of adding more grease to your face. The same recommendation goes for blushes, instead of applying cream blushes opt for powder versions and the same goes for highlighters.

POWDERS

While powders are generally meant to mattify your face and absorb as much oil as possible from your face, there are certain powders that definitely do a better job at that than others while making your face look nice and not cakey. I also do find that if you have extremely oily skin, loose powders work better at mattifying your make up than regular pressed powders. HERE are a few very affordable powders available in Nigeria which are great for oily skin.

BROWS

When it comes to brows, opt for products that aren't so creamy another tip is to set your brows with a loose powder before you apply your brow gels and pencils, just to keep that area mattified all day.

Thank you for reading today's blog post and I hope it helps you in some way. Do have a lovely day.

I was inspired to make this post by a discussion I over heard a couple of girls having at one of my local beauty supply stores. They were discussing about how their oil always still peeks out so much just a few minutes after applying their makeup.

I couldn't help but chip in, I told them first of all that there are certain steps to take to prepare your skin for makeup if you have oily skin, I also enlightened them about the best kind of foundation to use if they have oily skin and the kind of foundations to look out for as well, I then went ahead to let them know certain foundation mistakes lots of us Nigerians make which includes not setting your foundation with powder or with the right powder.

In today's post I am going to share some affordable powder perfect for people with oily skin here in Nigeria. In no particular order.

The first on my list is from classic makeup usa, this is a Nigerian brand which first got famous because of their matte lip glosses, but I got a wind of their powder and decided to try it out. I have already done a full review on this powder here and I have to say that for a powder that cost only 1,500 Naira, this right here is the bomb.com. It doesn't have that much of a shade range but I do feel everyone can find a shade they can work with. It also does not break me out and is great for me to use even without foundation i. e on its own. I am in the shade medium.

Just as stated above the classic powders are really great. This here is their loose powder, I got it because after trying their pressed powder I was curious as to how good the loose powders were and I have to say they are really good for people with oily skin. They also cost 1500 Naira. I usually use this powder to set my under eye concealer. I use the shade medium I find that medium in the loose form is kind of lighter than medium in the pressed powder form.

N.B: WHILE I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THEIR POWDERS I HAVE TO SAY I REALLY DID NOT ENJOY THEIR BANANA POWDER  AND I STRONGLY DO NOT RECOMMEND IT. 

ALSO THERE ARE SO MANY FAKES OF THE CLASSIC MAKEUP USA PRODUCTS SO I DO RECOMMEND YOU GO TO AN ACTUAL CLASSIC MAKEUP OUTLET TO GET YOURS.

IMAN is also another really good brand, it is a little bit pricier than the classic powder as it cost about 4500-5000 Naira. It is still not as expensive as many high end powders out there and it works just as well. This is very readily available in Nigeria and is great for helping you control oil on top of your foundation or on its own.

Zaron is a Nigerian brand, I believe my mum got this powder to test out and I loved it so much after trying it that I decided to get mine. I believe it this cost about 4000 Naira. Its good to apply on its own and also great for setting your foundation.

N.B|| THEY ALSO HAVE ANOTHER POWDER, IT COMES IN A WHITE PACKAGING I BELIEVE IT IS THE TRANSLUCENT ONE, I HONESTLY PREFER THIS ONE TO IT.

Someone will look at this and be like, whaaaa..... This powder is honestly always in my makeup kit. Its great at controlling oil and it contains salicylic acid which helps acne prone skin. I use this under my makeup as a primer whenever I am not in the mood to use my Rimmel stay matte primer and also whenever I run out of my powder to use to set my under eye concealer, I reach out to this one and it works kind of like the air spun powders.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR STOPPING BY, PLEASE LEAVE YOUR COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS, I WILL BE HAPPY TO RESPOND.

Hello readers welcome to another blog post, so today we are going to talk all about whiter teeth. Normally it is recommended to see a dentist at least three to four times yearly and part of the things dentist do is help you with teeth whitening.

Things are pretty hard in Nigeria and the fact is that the average Nigerian can't afford to go to a dentist that's a fact. There are certain measures you can take even though you don't have the luxury of visiting a dentist as often as you would like just to make sure your teeth remains healthy.

Today the focus will be on the measures you can take for whiter teeth, I of course am not a dentist but these are just measures I found works for me and others I know.

STAY AWAY FROM DARK DRINKS AND FOOD(PREVENTION): This I was actually doing sub consciously because I just never liked dark drinks ever. What I mean by dark drinks are mostly drinks with dark colors like black tea, coke, coffee, beverages e. t. c, so basically anything that contains caffeine. The dark colors in these drinks tend to cause yellowing your teeth. People who drink a lot of coffee if you notice have really yellowish teeth.

BAKING SODA: Baking soda has really good way to whiten your teeth over time, it is a good abrasive agent and wipes off surface dirt really well, for best results I will recommend mixing it with your toothpaste and use maybe twice a week, or if you are in a country that has access to toothpaste infused with baking soda like the one that arm and hammer makes you could just use that. You tend to see changes over time.

HYDROGEN PEROXIDE: This is a really good way to whiten your teeth, hydrogen peroxide is a bleaching agent, and mixed with equal parts of water is a good way to help whiten your teeth, over time. You could mix your hydrogen peroxide with bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) and form a paste, leave in your mouth for a few minutes and rinse out. In Nigeria you can readily get hydrogen peroxide at places that sell chemicals, I am a microbiologist and I use hydrogen peroxide all the time and so it is readily available here. The best part is that if you can get a hold of the Arm and Hammer toothpaste, they contain both hydrogen peroxide and baking soda, and is guaranteed to whiten your teeth over time.

APPLE CIDER VINEGAR: Research showed that when ACV was used on the teeth of a cow it acted as a bleaching agent and whitened their teeth. It contains acetic acid which is a good anti bacterial agent and that's probably why it is great for teeth whitening. 

ACTIVATED CHARCOAL: Activated charcoal is not only good for you pore cleansing face and nose mask. This is a really great teeth purifying agent, it attracts dirt to itself and as such is great for teeth whitening over time. Activated charcoal is also readily available in Nigeria.

DISCLAIMERS: These things I mentioned are great but they are no toothpaste, none of them contain fluoride which is great for strengthening your teeth. Brush your teeth daily and you can incorporate these things maybe once to twice a week, as they could weaken your enamel if used too often. 

Prevention is always also better than cure, so if whiter teeth is really your goal and going to a dentist is something you can't afford to do as often as you should or would like, please adhere to the very first tip I gave on this post. Also see your dentist as regularly as you can for deeper cleansing of your teeth.

THANK YOU FOR DROPPING BY, PLEASE DROP A COMMENT, I WILL BE HAPPY TO RESPOND.

If you are here you are probably wandering what texturized hair is in the first place, you can find that out here. So while I strongly recommend texturized hair, just like anything there is always an advantage and a disadvantage. Today I am going to share some of the pros and cons of texturized hair which I have noticed over time.

I also have to add that if you do decide to texturize your hair here are some texturizers that worked for me.

CONS OF TEXTURIZED HAIR

• Over processing is the first con of texturized hair, no matter how careful you are, a few pieces of your hair will be more processed than the others. There are measures you can take while texturizing your hair to greatly minimize over processing.

• Next will have to be the fact that even though texturizers aren't as harsh as relaxers, you are still putting a chemical on your hair.
• Next con for me will be the fact that you run the risk of getting your hair lighter, i. e if you do not go the extra mile of always using a neutralizing shampoo after you are done with your texturizer application to balance out the acidity you just applied to your locks. If you don't you will run the risk of getting your hair lighter than the natural color over time.
• New growth, yes with texturized hair you have to deal with new growth, and even though it is easier to stretch out your next texturizer application because the both textures are so close, unlike when your hair is completely relaxed and you have totally different textures to work with. You will still find it a little harder to deal with your hair when your new growth becomes a lot.
• You have to spend money to buy texturizers quarterly every year.

PROS OF TEXTURIZED HAIR

• Your curls are looser and easier to manage.
• You spend less money on products to maintain your hair, for instance my hair is 4c type and before I texturized my hair, I had to spend money on more expensive products just to help me properly detangle my hair but now many regular conditioners can easily detangle my hair, even the regular VO5 works great for me both as a regular conditioner and a deep conditioner on days when I can't afford a proper deep conditioner. But when I was completely natural, I used way more products both in terms of quality and quantity.
• My styles aren't as stressful to achieve, because yes I still have curls but they aren't so tight, so basically I achieve good results still but without stressing too much.
• Wash days take lesser time.
• Detangling is easier and takes lesser time too because my curls aren't so tight.

So basically, I think so many people get super frustrated with their natural hair but still don't want to relax their hair, texturizing is a good alternative, trust me many people wouldn't even know the difference unless you tell them. It's just hair and yes you are to take care of it but you shouldn't be a slave to it. 

If you decide to texturize your hair and you do it properly, it really shoudn't be such a big deal, and for me personally the pros are better than the cons but obviously it is just my opinion.

Thank you so much for reading today's' blog post, please feel free to leave a comment, I will be more than happy to respond. Have a lovely day and week..xoxo.

So, welcome to another blog post, you can drop your email so you don't miss out on future blog post. Today we are going to discuss something very common and nothing to be ashamed of, we all didn't create ourselves. Knock knees are really common amongst tall people and people on the fatter side and while there are very minor ones which are barely noticeable there are others which are and those are mostly who this post are for.

Knowing to dress for your body type is important, while I am an advocate for people wearing what they want, the fact remains that knowing your body type and dressing accordingly helps you look better, and boasts your confidence more because you can cover up what you are not so comfortable with and extenuate what you really like about your body.

DOS AND DON'TS FOR DRESSING WITH KNOCK KNEE

DONT: Wear short things no matter how really tempting they are, especially those really short gowns and skirts. They have a way of shortening your legs and making your knock knees more obvious.

DO: Wear things instead that cover up your knees but still show some skin and sexiness, opt for midi and maxi dresses instead That hug you in the right places and whenever you want to show some skin you could wear the ones which have slits at the sides.

Personally, I prefer the slits being at the sides rather than the middle , it just looks better on knock knees. If you do insist on wearing really short things, I would say that shorts look better on knock knees than short skirts, they show off the full length of the top part of your legs better and if you have boots it makes your bottom appear wider there by balancing out your top part(If that makes any sense)

If you are on the taller side

If you aren't so tall and also good for tall people too.

DON'T: Wear leggings or pencil aka skinny jeans under any condition, just forget it. The whole purpose of leggings and skinny jeans is to show off your legs and extenuate it. If you still insist on wearing them just wear em with high waist boots that are really wide at the top.

DO: Opt for more wide legged pants, palazzos, boot cuts and straight pants rather than pants that are tight from the knee down.

Instead of showing off your legs when you wear these types of pants, show off something else. 

Show off your flat belle and chiselled abs in a number like this, you can opt for a wide legged pant with a cropped top or brallet. 

Even if you are on the fuller side and aren't comfortable showing off your belle, you could always wear a high waisted pant with some kind of body suit to show off your curve.

DO: Show off things instead about yourself that you love, weather it is a little cleavage or the smoothness of your skin with those off shoulder numbers.

DO: Accessorize, take the attention away from your legs with accessories and bold colors. Dare to wear bold pieces and colors.

I hope this helps someone, If you have any thing to add you could drop a comment and I will be happy to respond. 

So I just made a post about natural hairstyles and I figured this will be a good follow up to that post. Natural hairstyles are cute and all but the wrong products could make your hair come out wrong and also make it not last as long as you want it to.

In today's blog post I will share with you certain products and tips that has worked for me when it comes to achieving a good natural hairstyle that last.

HAIR MOUSSE: Hair mousses or the magic foam like I like to call them are the top on my list when it comes to styles that hold. When it comes to natural hair styles the lesser the amount of water content in the product used to style the better. A good quality hair mousse will hold your hair style in place without making your hair hard and ashy looking. This one from Cantu is a really good one and it helps that it is readily available in Nigeria.

TIP: Because of the effect of  the holding effect of hair mousses, please make sure to apply a leave in or some form of hair moisturizer prior to applying your hair mousse just so your hair has moisture in it. If you are also struggling with hair dryness a hair mousse may not be for you.

Hair gels are another good way to retain your curls, I really like the aunt jackies' don't shrink gel because they get the job done without making my hair overly hard and unmanageable or sticky, the effect of the gel fades off on its own too and I don't have to re wet my hair just so I can de tangle it and style again. Just like the mousse apply some leave in or moisturizer first. If you are also have really dry hair don't make this a habit. The popular eco styler is also a good alternative.

Curling custards are the next on my list. They are really thick and have little water content and as such help your style come out beautifully while retaining it. Personally' I mostly like using some kind of curling custard or a really thick hair lotion when it comes to styling my hair, It doesn't hold my styles as good as long as a hair mousse or gel would but it does hold and it always leaves my hair moisturized at the end.

Well now your style looks good and can hold better even when in a humid atmosphere but you still have to make sure you cover your hair with a satin bonnet and if for any reason you have to get under the rain  always take both your satin bonnet and your shower cap.

Thank you so much for stopping by please leave your comments below, I always respond ASAP.

I am honestly getting so bored of seeing so many people with natural hair out here on these streets with one constant natural hair style which is the high puff.

There are so many other styles you could rock as a naturalista or curly hair girl and one secret most people don't know is that these styles stretch out your hair and separate your coils as well, this prevents more breakage and also stops that top knotting that we 4c girls get a lot. In essence most of these styles actually do your hair more good that harm, as a matter of fact I will advice that you do them more often than you do your high puffs.

So Even if you have really short hair you could still try opting for styles like Jerry coils once in a while, you know just to switch things up.

TWIST OUTS: 

The first will be twist outs, weather it is the three strand twist or regular twist outs they are a good way of styling your hair while stretching it out and preventing top knots as well, therefore reducing breakage.

three strand twist out

Regular twist outs

FLAT TWIST OUTS:

FLAT TWIST OUTS are honestly my favorite when it comes to natural hair styles because to me it stretches out my hair really well and I just get more curls that way with lesser amount of work, also instead of my hair going upwards it settles more downwards after I take my twists out (if that makes any sense). 

I especially love the ones with the BANTU KNOT COMBO at the end as seen below, it always comes out really pretty.

BRAID OUTS:

BRAID OUTS are like twist outs but obviously you braid it instead and the curls do come out tighter, it is also a really good way to style your hair, personally I find it to be too much work so I hardly opt for braid outs.

BANTU KNOTS:

The BANTU KNOT OUT is another way to achieve a really beautiful hair style. I love the bantu knot outs because it can be stylish enough to carry out as a bantu knot alone.

and it also comes out beautifully when you loose the knots out as well.

Bantu knot out

HOW TO PRESERVE YOUR PROTECTIVE STYLES

So now you have done that protective style and it is night time and you are wandering how you could preserve your style.

The first way is to just wear your satin bonnet and to just re fluff your hair with your Afro comb when you wake up.

Another way is something called the pineapple method and this is mostly for those who have really full and long hair. Just pineapple your hair like seen below with a satin scarf making sure you cover your back and sides well especially if you aren't sleeping with a satin pillow case.

HOW LONG WILL MY PROTECTIVE STYLE LAST.

These protective styles could last you anywhere from 3 to 6 days depending on the products you used to style them and also the width of the style i. e the smaller your Bantu knot for instance the tighter the curls and you also get more number of curls so it will last you longer.