Is 'light skin the right skin' Dark Girls - thoughts on the documentary

So I'm watching Dark Girls a documentary that looks at colourism within the African-American community. Watching the doc I am surprised by some of the comments;  I wasn't aware that some black women hated themselves because they are dark or believed no one would love them. I'm a dark girl NW45 if that means something to you and I have never had that problem. Growing up people have said to me your pretty for a dark girl and my friend's step dad loved to call me black, but it never affected me in that way. I've never felt that I'm unattractive because of my complexion; I've never wanted to be lighter - my sister is fair and both my parents are lighter than me. I did think why am I darker but not because I disliked being dark it just seemed weird;  especially when you're only 5 years old and DNA or regressive genes are outside of your thought process.

As I said I was shocked and surprised by some of the content of the doc, although I know some people dislike their skin tone and others try to change it by bleaching I didn't realise that it had such a profound affect on some people. All I can say is wow! Let me share some of the comments/scenes that stood out to me from the film :

'I felt like someone took a dagger to my heart when my friend said 'I'm glad the baby didnt come out dark''

'It's taboo for a dark skin man and woman to be together' - really!!

'Dark women are meaner because they've had to deal with more than white/lighter skin women.'

A woman saying they hated their father because their skin tone was inherited from him.

A young child picked the good looking and smart child because she is white and said the dark child is ugly and unintelligent.

I found this particularly sad;  we need to ensure we are promoting self-love within our children.

Even Viola Davies shared that she has used therapy to deal with childhood taunts about her tone.

Do watch the show you can catch it on Mr World Premiere. I would really love to hear your thoughts and what stood out for you. If you haven't got a spare hour you can watch the trailer to find out more about the documentary. 

Until next time
Nadie x

Products I love - foundation

I haven't found a product I love for a while but the other day I decided to try a new foundation, mainly because I haven't renewed my MAC card and refuse to pay full price for any MAC products. Anyway I've been hearing great things about the Revlon foundations so decided to check it out for myself and I love it. Let me tell you why:

1. Even with primer foundation seems to melt off my skin - it doesn't with this foundation.
2. My make up still looks good, contouring, blusher etc are still there at the end of the day on top of this foundation - I actually have to reduce the amount of blusher I apply to prevent myself from looking like a clown.
3. Skin isn't breaking out, clogged or looking luck lustre.
4. Base doesn't feel heavy, actually I look flawless without actually feeling like I have anything.
5. I've been able to start using my other primers which I always felt were a let down, especially as I need to restock my much loved Smashbox one.

I'm currently using the Revlon PhotoReady in Cappucino as I'm still sun kissed from my holiday. I can only say that I ADORE this product, based on the price, I think it was £8.99 and its performance. I use a foundation brush to apply my foundation, so the coverage is slightly heavier than if you use a sponge or your finger, but personally I don't feel that it looks caked on. In the after photo I have on primer - Smashbox, concealer - Sleek and foundation - Revlon, concealer applied using finger and foundation with a MAC brush.

Sorry about the quality of the photos - I blame the iPad.

Harvey Nicks - black girls wear red lippy too

So today I received this email from Harvey Nicks. I fell in love with Harvey Nicks aged 18 when I went shopping with my mum and she convinced me to buy a Christian Lacroix jacket.

I like Selfridges, but there is something about Harvey Nicks that I love, I've actually had dreams about the shop. So I was kind of disappointed when I received today's email (probably yesterday's actually - as just going through my emails after midnight) which suggests red lipsticks for women and only provides suggestions for pale i.e. blondes and olive i.e. brunette complexions.

Now I've got to be honest it would have been nice to include options for darker complexions, maybe not my skin tone (I can tell they are taking baby steps) but a caramel or cafe au lait would have been a great start. You can't go wrong with a great lipstick - and there's a red that suits every one of us, even if you are green.

So Harvey Nicks get with the program, you have some of the best disruptor marketing out there - so I expect more!! Let us all know what amazing treasures you have in one of the best beauty departments I've ever had the good fortune to spend money in.

Note to self reduce the use of so in one post.

Products I love - Jan 2013

I decided to start 2013 sans weave, making this decision at 2pm on New Years Eve wasn't my most sensible idea especially as I had to remove, detangle, wash, treat and then condition my hair before wishing in the New Year. Even though I've had my hair in a weave for 12 weeks it was in good condition and felt moisturised, I still wanted to make sure and decided to try out the Cantu leave in moisturising Shea butter http://www.cantubeauty.com/mobile/ for the first time and boy am I glad I did - I love it!

After a 16 week break from the creamy crack - I have quite a bit of regrowth,  the Cantu butter really helped me to be able to slick my hair into a top knot. My hair feels so lush! I asked a few others (fellow hair groupers) for their thoughts and their response has been really positive, with only one person saying they didn't like it as they felt it coated their hair. I agree it does have that feeling but in my opinion that isn't a bad thing,  it does contain mineral oil but it's quite far down the ingredient list, but the feeling is of moisture rather than an oily residue.  I would definitely recommend this product whole heartedly and at £3.49 it's well worth-it. If you use this product do let me know what you think of it.

My second product that I love is Smashbox's primer. I had previously been using MAC's Prep and Prime or Make Up Forever's HD Primer. Unfortunately I had run out of the HD Primer so was solely using MAC. Now that Smashbox is stocked in (larger) Boots it's so much easier to buy and as a product I've always wanted to try I decided to purchase. Now I've tried it I can honestly say I won't be using anything else. I absolutely adore the finish it gives me; before even putting on my base I already feel that my skin is half way to flawless. My foundation stays on longer, it's easier to apply and has an improved finish. I also feel like I use less and I've started using my Sleek BB creme again - which I fell out with in the autumn.

The biggest wake up call for me on how good the Smashbox primer is, is when I inadvertently misplaced it - I was running late and it wasn't in my make up bag so I used the MAC primer. Lets just say there is no contest - I need to buy another bottle just in case this happens again.

I'm a product junkie so if you have any products that you would like to recommend let me know. If you've used any of the products featured in 'Products I love' then feel free to share your feedback.

Nadie xxx

PS Happy New Year - I hope 2013 is filled with joy, love and laughter in abundance.

Product I love - hair conditioner

So I've decided to rest my hair from the creamy crack for a while; and am currently having a long stretch - aiming for 16 weeks. I've been wearing a weave for 6 weeks but the hair was in a need of a revive.

I'd purchased the Macadamia natural oil deep repair masque for my relaxed hair but had only used it once. With the other products I use I found it slightly over moisturizing which was great but it just meant I had to change the frequency of using oils and other products on my hair - which took a little getting used to.

Last night I used the masque on my hair (weave - I paid for it so it's mine) and my hair has a gloss to it that it didn't have before. Unfortunately I don't have a before photo to share but this has definitely made a difference; I now have really shiny hair that also feels smoother.

Anyway I would definitely recommend this product if you are in need of an intensive deep conditioning treatment. When comparing it to the Moroccan oil deep masque I would also say that this provides better results.

I purchased online for £13 but I think it retails for £24, I just searched for sellers of the product and who was cheapest.

If you do use it let me know what you think.

Make up

As a former Make Up Artist, I have a tonne of products that I have bought, tested or have randomly picked up from somewhere and sometimes I dig a random product out of one of my make up boxes and use it. The usual reason for this is that I can't find my fave mascara, blusher etc etc, anyway although I normally forgo powder after applying foundation,  as I prefer a fresher look, the Jubilee weekend was one where I needed my foundation to stay put and therefore had to dig out my loose powder. I'd totally forgotten I had this product in my kit, but now it is one of my staples, the finish is amazing and I've actually taken to carrying the full MAC Select/Sheer loose pot around with me in my handbag for when I need touch ups. But don't take my word for it, check out a friend's comment, who asked  to test the powder on a night out this weekend 'What powder did you have? The one I used in Sway Bar, [it] gave a really nice finish'. What more can a say!

Some of my old work

Considering getting back in the game - what do you think?

Mainstream beauties??!!

Just a quick post to say:

As featured in Pride's May issue

1. I'm loving that beauty for black and asian women is being discussed in mainstream publications. If you haven't read http://www.stylist.co.uk/beauty/the-changing-face-of-beauty#image-rotator-1 then please do.
2. Glamour UK tweeted 'Afro envy' to encourage its followers to view a gallery image of Solange (I <3 Solange) @ the Met Ball. Glamour UK I have Afro envy too!!!
3.  I participated in a Pride Beauty Roundtable,  catch up on the conversation in May's Beauty edition.

Essence's 30 most beautiful black women in history

Beauty is most definitely in the eye of the beholder but in honour of America's Womens History Month (who knew) Essence have pulled together a list of the 30 most beautiful black women in history See the list. Although I don't agree with all of them, it might have something to do with bias - if Susan L Taylor wasn't an Essence editor would she have made it!? I think it's an interesting concept and it made me think about my top 10 (in no particular order):

• My gran - although nearly 80 my gran is a very attractive woman, but when I look back at photos of her from the 50s I sometimes wonder if it's actually Dorothy Dandridge.
• Michelle Obama - not because she is the most attractive women in the world but generally because she oozes a warmth and strength that is beautiful.
• Marsha Hunt
• Lauryn Hill
• Dorothy Dandridge
• Dr Patricia E. Bath intelligent and beautiful - the first female black doctor to receive a patent for laser cataract removal surgery
• Dorothy West and Zora Neale Hurston - two of my favourite authors who I always imagine as being stunners, just because their writing is beautiful
• Cleopatra - she had men falling at her feet so I'm guessing she was amazeballs
• Nichelle Nichols