Product Review: Laura Mercier Oil Free Tinted Moisturizer
Posted: March 29, 2012 Filed under: Beauty, Black Women, Make Up | Tags: John Lewis, Laura Mercier, Lightweight, MAC NW45, Mocha, Space NK, Tinted Moisterizer Mocha 1 CommentI am just LOVING this weather! Spring has certainly sprung and as the temperature soars one often considers adapting their make-up routine. Wearing a full face of foundation can become uncomfortable and you may want to opt for a lighter option such as a tinted moisturiser.
I tested the cult tinted moisteriser by Laura Merceir last week.
Laura Mercier - the creator of the 'flawless face'
The Laura Mercier brand has garnered a loyal and fervent following. Mercier is a leading makeup artist and is famous for creating the ‘flawless’ face and counts Madonna, Sarah Jessica Parker and Julia Roberts as faithful clients. She created the brand in 1996 and the Tinted Moisturizer (n.b. I will only spell moisturizer with a ‘z; when referring specifically to the product – sorry – being pedantic!!) soon became one of the best sellers and has won a plethora of industry awards.
To be honest, I have never worn a tinted moisturisers, as I crave coverage and believed that tinted moisturisers would not provide the level of coverage I desired, however there are those days when I do not want to or need to wear a full coverage foundation, thus I thought it was about time I gave one a try! A quality tinted moistiriser would be a great alternative.
I have tried other products from the Laura Mercier range and I really rate the quality so, what did I think of the Tinted Moisturizer?
Colour Match
There are 4 shades in the range that would be suitable for darker skin tones; Caramel, Tan, Walnut and Mocha. Walnut and Mocha are the latest shades to join the range.
The formulation has a yellow undertone – and not the usual oragny undertone that darker liquid foundations tend to have and as a result it was a PERFECT match for me!!
🙂
It blended in well and literally dissaperared into my skin. As I have mentioned in my previous product review posts, I usually wear MAC’s Studio Fix compact in NW45, so if this is your shade, you should find that Mocha will work for you.
Now you see it...
...now you don't!
Colour Match :10/10
Coverage and Wear
The product is available in two versions, the original and an oil-free version – which is what I opted for and which comes in the brown tube (featured above). As I reserched more about this product I came to understand that the formulation is buildable and could provide additional coverage, should that be the finish that you desired. Though I was some what skeptical of this claim, I was blown away with the performance of this product! It is quite thick in texture- which was unexpected – but this means that a little goes a long, long way – which is good news – because at £33, it is not the cheapest of bases on the market, but I am sure that the 40 ml tube would last for AGES!!
I applied the moisturiser with my fingers and was able to build up the coverage as needed, without it looking cakey or uneven. The coverage was excellent – akin to that of a foundation…it really would be a credible option for the summer months as it is lightweight and felt undetectable.
The moisturiser dries to give a dewy finish, so I did feel the need to dab on a little sheer powder, but once set, it did not budge! The quality of this product is beyond marvelous and with a SPF of 20 it really is the all-in one, convenient product for a speedy, yet flawless finish!
Coverage and Wear: 9/10
Marketing Support
The campaign for the new darker shades that were to added to the Laura Mercier range actually caught my attention last year and I featured the ad in my blog post ‘Model Behaviour‘. I love the strapline; ‘flawless has many faces’.
Niche brands such as Laura Mercier tend not to spend lavishly on advertising, but I have seen the ad in a recent issue of Marie Claire magazine. There is a limited amount of visibility in store and online, but I feel the brand is still very much a beauty aficionado’s secret!
I hope that this post will encourage more women, especially women of colour, to try this brilliant brand!
Marketing 8/10
Where can you buy this wonderful product?
Top Black Beauty Bloggers courtesy of Coco & Creme
Posted: March 27, 2012 Filed under: American, Beauty, Black Women, Blogging, Make Up, Women | Tags: Afrobella, Black Beauty Bloggers, clutchonline.com, cocoandcreme.com, Curly Nikki, Erin Bailey, Scandalous Beauty 1 CommentI came accross this fabulous post a few days ago, posted by Coco & Creme, a sister blog to the leading US online magazine for the ‘young, contemporary’ women of colour, Clutch, and I thought I would share it!
Featuring the heavyweight black female bloggers from accross the pond such as Afrobella, Curly Nikki and Scandalous Beauty – follow all of these ladies for the latest news and views on the best hair and beauty buys for the woman of colour.
It is always great to discover what is happening in the States, and I am becoming increasingly impressed with the quality of the digital content that these entrepreneurial, innovative and enterprising women are creating – such powerful brands and successful businesses!! Black women in the States have really utilised the web and social media to carve out incredible niches – allowing their voices and opinions to be heard…and shared!
They are a true inspiration and I hope that I will see many more Black British women take to the web and create an identity for themsleves and the women they represent.
Hair we go again…
Posted: March 24, 2012 Filed under: Black Women, Hair, Women | Tags: Black woman judge, Black women in London, Black women leaders, Curly, Essence.com, Hair, Kinky, Michelle Obama, Relaxed, Straight, Time.com 2 CommentsBeing the First Lady of the most powerful nation on the face of the earth cannot be easy, with the eyes of the world on your every move – but does being the first Black First Lady come with additional pressures?
Illustration by Nicole Fineman for Time (2009)
Like most females that hold positions in public office, Michelle Obama is scrutinised from head to toe on her choice of attire, whether she should bare her arms or not, which designer she was wearing etc etc – but where the similarity ends with her peers in the political class, is with the attention that her hair has garnered since her husband took office, and it shows no sign of abating if the reaction to the image below is anything to go by.
I am not my hair... no really I am not !!
The image hit my Twitter timeline mid -week and since then the gained momentum and has gone viral – I have seen the image featured on the Twitter and Facebook timelines of friends and followers from America to Africa, Europe to East Asia!!
The image is courtesy of the powers of Photoshop, and it seems that the originator has yet to be identified….
Before and After (well sort of...)
…and the plot thickened when the photo in question came to the attention of blogger Maeling Tapp, author of Natural Chica. Essence.com reported that Tapp’s Twitter followers began sending her messages saying that Obama’s hair looked a lot like her own…and upon further inspection it does seem to be the case.
Tapp states in the Essence piece:
“A lot of people who follow my blog said, ‘I had a feeling that was your hair,… It’s kind of surprising that other people recognize my hair so well.”
Hair today, gone tomorrow! Mrs O wears the blogger, Maeling Tapp's hair well.
Like Mrs Obama, I can relate to my hair being of extreme interest, especially in the professional and corporate environment. This Time.com photo essay is a case in point – an international current affairs magazine painstakingly documenting the evolution of a First Lady’s hairstyle??!! This is crazy!
My issue is not whether Mrs. Obama wears her hair curly or straight, but that, in my opinion, her hair garners so much attention due to the fact that Black women in a prominent position is still a novelty.
In one sense, you can understand the fascination that people of other ethnicities have with our hair – I am currently working on a project that is addressing this particular issue, and it has become apparent that our hair is a complete enigma – and most questions and queries, to which one could take offense, are really asked out of sheer curiosity.
I have worked in the fashion and beauty industry for some of the world’s leading brands, and even here in London, one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world, I was often the only Black person, and almost certainly was the only Black woman working in the head offices of these brands. Even within the beauty industry – which I expected be more enlightened – I was always being asked about my ‘ever-changing’ hairstyles, if my hair could be touched and how is it that my hair grew so long over night!
The long and short of it is (no pun intended) that I and women like myself are still all too absent in many sections and areas of society.
We have no presence in countless offices across the city, thus when we do make an appearance it can take our colleagues and peers a while to adjust to our normal hair and beauty routines…but in most parts adjust they do, and they come to the realisation that we have much more in common than that which makes us different.
Judge, Baroness, Entrepreneur...will you be next?
As more and more Black women secure positions of leadership, face the media and take their place in mainstream society, I am looking forward to the focus being on what is in our heads as well as what in on it.
It’s Me! Black beauty & hair magazine’s Blogger of the Month!
Posted: March 22, 2012 Filed under: Beauty, Black Women, Blogging, Hair, Magazines | Tags: beauty blogger, beautyplulselondon, Black Beauty & Hair Magazine, blogger, Blogger of the month 6 CommentsThe latest issue of the UK’s ‘best selling Black magazine’ , Black beauty & hair, hit the shelves today…..
….. and yours truly is the blogger of the month!
How cool is that??!!
🙂
Thanks to all of my followers, both of my blog and on Twitter! I love writing my blog and I love interacting with you all!
Do grab a copy of the magazine and let me know what you think….
…and if you are thinking of starting a blog, but are stuck as how to begin, my advice to you is to JUST DO IT (you know – like the Nike ads)!
You do have something to say, a unique point of view, a valued opinion – so share it with the world!
Boutique Chic
Posted: March 21, 2012 Filed under: Beauty, Fragrance | Tags: Boutique, Diptyque, Do Son, Fragrance, L'Air de Rien, Mayfair, Miller Harris, Oyedo, Philosykos, Scented candles, Tubéreuse 2 CommentsI love the beauty halls in the major London department stores such as Selfridges, John Lewis Oxford Street, Liberty and Harvey Nicks…the convenience of being able to purchase all of my favourite brands all under one roof is a boon and the in store theatre, promotions, window displays and the opportunity to discover new, exclusive brands all add to the joy of beauty shopping….
I'm a beauty shopper, looking for some peace...GET ME OUT OF HERE!!
…sometimes, however it is nice to leave the hustle and bustle behind and visit the stand alone boutique of individual brands.
That is exactly what I did over the last weekend – and how lovely it was indeed.
I visited:
Diptyque – Brook Street, W1
Miller Harris – Bruton Street W1
Although department stores are convenient, they can often feel impersonal, but this was not the case at all with the stores that I visited – I was not just another faceless customer, the staff went above and beyond to make me feel welcomed and valued. Also, I very much prefer niche fragrances that are unusual and eclectic, so thought it would be a nice change to take the time to rediscover the beautiful stores that house these creations.
Diptyque
I was actually on my way to Space NK on Brook Street, when I happened upon the Diptyque store. I had had no idea that this store was located here (which is very unusual for me!!), and was shocked to learn that it had been open for 3 years! The store is quaint and petite, but is perfectly formed. I adore the Diptyque range!
Diptyque, Brook Street
The candles are divine and extremely long lasting (my favorite scent is Tubéreuse) and the although the cult fragrance that has amassed a dedicated following is the fig based Philosykos, I prefer the fruity scent of Oyedo.
Sweet and sensual...just like me 😉 !!
The Diptyque consultant was extremely knowledgeable and took her time to introduce us to the latest fragrance, Eau Rose (£60.00) and also demonstrated how could be combined with Philosykos to create a whole new fragrance….which I actually found to be quite appealing . This was a surprise – as not only am I not Philosylos’ biggest fan, neither do I take to well to rose scented fragrances! So it goes to show that the staff can play a critical role in assisting you to discover a new experience that you might have otherwise discounted.
At no time, did she try to ‘sell’ me any thing (unlike many department store ‘spritzers’ ), but was happy to answer all of my my questions and allow me to peruse the beautiful surroundings at my leisure…pure heaven! I left with a cute sample of the fragrance Do Son, which contains – you guessed it – tuberose! The other ingredients of berries and flowers create a concoction that is sweet, but not saccharine and is perfect for every day wear.
Miller Harris
Ever since I was given a bottle of L’air De Rien over 5 years ago, I have been besotted with the fragrance and the brand behind its creation. I will have to do a separate post on this fragrance because it is SO gorgeous…
The brand’s creator and the nose behind the fragrant offering is Lyn Harris.
Lyn Harris has been working in the fragrance industry for more than twenty years and founded Miller Harris in 2000. She spent five years training in France at one of the highly prestigious schools of the perfume elite in Paris and then Robertet in Grasse.
Lyn in her fragrance laboratory (looks like fun)!
The Mayfair flagship store offers a peaceful retreat from the bustle of Bond street with a Fragrant Tea Room at the rear of the store. I arrived at the store at about 6.15pm…not realising that the store closed at 6pm! The door was locked but the lights were still on.
Miller Harris - Bruton Street
As I was peering through the window a member of staff appeared and came to the door. I expected her to say we are closed and advise me of the opening times for future visits….but no, she opened the door and invited me in! ‘You have made your way here to see us’ she said and welcomed me as if it was 12 o’clock midday!
NOW THAT IS WHAT I CALL CUSTOMER SERVICE!!!
We chatted about the fragrances and candles and as you can see I didn’t leave empty handed!
It was just so refreshing to receive genuine customer focused service – to see someone go above and beyond the what was reasonable to expect.
In the word’s of the Mastercard adverts – this is priceless.
Rock of Ages
Posted: March 16, 2012 Filed under: Beauty, Black Women, Women | Tags: Aging, Anti-aging, Black Don't Crack, Church hat, Diana Ross, Essence magazine, Grazia, Iman, Marian Robinson, Michelle Obama, Stacey Dash 2 CommentsI was flicking through the latest issue of Grazia magazine yesterday and was thrilled to see that yet again Grazia has used a beautiful black model for the main beauty feature!
Image: Grazia - March 2012
The feature is not colour specific, but focuses on the latest hi-tech, anti-aging products that are on the market – the no-surgery approach to holding back the years.
Image: Grazia - March 2012
I had to smile to myself though, because the choice of model and the content of the feature was somewhat ironic ….has the beauty team at Grazia not heard that ‘Black Don’t Crack’ ???
This widely used term refers to the fact that black skin tends to age very well and the ‘signs of aging’ that the beauty (and cosmetic surgery) industry target with a plethora of products, devices and procedures – crows feet, fine lines and wrinkles, dark under-eye circles and puffiness, loss of elasticity – are not a major concern for the average woman of colour.
I am sure that you have all heard about, commented on and have formulated an opinion regarding the recent survey of 1,936 American adults conducted by The Washington Post and the Kaiser Family Foundation that found that while black women are heavier than their white counterparts, they have higher self-esteem and a better body image. I believe that this higher self-esteem can be also be partly attributed to the fact that the majority of black women do not abhor the aging process.
Now don’t get me wrong, aging is very much a reality for black women and eventually all of the ‘signs’ I mentioned above will begin to surface – however, in my experience, the onset of these changes in the beautiful, strong black women that have been a part of my life were never viewed in a negative light – in fact they was celebrated!
The leading ladies below typify the adage, ‘Black Don’t Crack’ , they are the essence of fabulosity!
Stacey Dash, 46 (45 in this image!)
Denise Lewis MBE, 39
Oprah Winfrey, 58
Iman,56
Diana Ross, 67
Now you may be thinking that if you were a celebrity -with stylists, facialists and personal trainers at your disposal, you would look fabulous too, right??
Well all I can say is that for me, the most stunning, resplendent black women that I was surrounded by as I grew up, were those with whom I attended church.
I grew in the Pentecostal church, and it was here in particular that I saw Black women of all ages – young women who were just blossoming and the matriarchs who had held the fort for decades – dressed to the nines and looking spectacular week after week after week.
An essential item of attire that conferred a regal finish was the indispensible church hat.
Oh happy day!
When these women were dressed in their matching hat, suit, bag and shoes – you saw a confident, beautiful, representation of the black woman, one who celebrated her external appearance as she tended to her internal, spiritual being.
These women are our mothers and grandmothers, our aunts, our sisters and our friends. As a young girl, and now as a young women, women such as these continue to inspire me.
In 2009, just after the historical election of Barack Obama as the President of the United States of America, Essence magazine ran this cover of First Lady Michelle Obama and her mother Marian Robinson.
I still have a copy of the magazine on my coffee table, it is such a beautiful depiction of black womanhood and I love it so much! Mrs Robinson was 72 at the time that this image was taken… she looks amazing!
Age ain’t nothing but a number – embrace your outer beauty – which can only be a reflection of your inner confidence and the love that you have for yourself.
Afro’s & headline fashion shows AW12
Posted: March 14, 2012 Filed under: Beauty, Black Women, Fashion | Tags: Afro, AW12, Black models, Fashion Week, Natural Hair Leave a commentAfro’s & headline fashion shows AW12.
A great follow up to my post Afro-tising! If you are not following Afroblush, you should be!
Enjoy!
Product Review: Ideal Flawless Invisible Coverage Foundation by Avon
Posted: March 9, 2012 Filed under: Beauty, Black Women, Make Up | Tags: Alesha, Avon, Earth, Foundation, Ideal Flawless, Sable 6 CommentsIn its 125th anniversary year Avon announced the launch of the new Ideal Flawless foundation range last November, whilst simultaneously announcing that Alesha Dixon would be the brand’s Beauty and Empowerment Ambassador.
She's got Talent! Alesha Dixon for Avon UK
According to Avon, Ideal Flawless boasts “an exclusive patent-pending formula, with skin matching pigments – that lets the light pass through” , thus trumping normal foundations in producing “an invisible veil of coverage to enhance and not hide the skin”.
The foundation comes in 16 shades and Avon has produced samples of all of the shades, which are what I tested and which are available from your local Avon Representative.
I have to admit that from the colour swatches that I saw in print prior to trying the range, I was convinced that there would not be a shade suitable for me…
….so how did I fare?
(Just a reminder that I am reviewing the product based on the following criteria: Colour Match, Coverage and Wear and Marketing Support).
Colour Match
Despite being 125 years old, Avon has adapted with the times and is very much a 21st century business, with a massive social media presence on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Yet the Avon brochure is still very much central to the direct sellers’ business model and it was in one of the brochure that I first saw the colour swatches of the two darkest shades; Sable and Earth and came to the conclusion that there was not a shade suitable for my skin tone as they both looked rather light…..
….well how wrong I was! Earth has a very orange undertone and upon application it seemed that it was the wrong shade because of this tonality, but as it dried, the foundation oxidised and became quite dark – in fact too dark for my skin tone.
I am assuming that this was due to the colour matching technology. I was not impressed by this dramatic alteration, I would have expected the adaption to have been far more subtle, given the boast of the advanced formulation. As a result, Earth is woefully misrepresented in the brochure and thus it really is essential to try a sample prior to purchasing.
Sable has a more yellow undertone, far too yellow for me upon the initial application. Once again the product ‘adapted’ as it dried and the colour contrast was minimised, but still it was by no means perfect….
…and perfection ladies is really what we need to strive for. Watch this video created by a US Avon Representative.
Personally, I think that the foundation used on the black model is not a good match – the contrast between her face and her neck and chest is far too evident. The foundation is too dark. This is just one of the challenges we face as dark skinned women when selecting a shade of foundation. The colour of your foundation needs to match your neck and chest area as well as blend into the skin of your face.
Colour Match: 5.5/10
Coverage and Wear
I did wear both of the foundations to test the coverage and wearability (I stayed in all day mind you!). I found that the coverage was light to medium, and did not sufficiently conceal my darker blemishes…although to be fair to Avon, the amount of product that you get in the samples is only enough to just about cover the face once…I am sure that if I were to have more product and was able to apply a second coat I may have achieved better results….but I could only work with what I had!
The foundation did blend well, but I found that as it dried it felt tight on my skin, not as malleable and flexible as I would have expected.. The finish was matte and it did stay but the tight sensation remained throughout the day.
I was quite disappointed with the performance of the product on the whole – the oxidisation and the overly dry finish reminded me of the foundations of the early 90s, before much of the technologies and scientific breakthroughs we are accustomed to today had been discovered and incorporated into the latest range of foundations on the market. Avon is one of the the largest cosmetic company in the world and spends millions of dollars on R&D, yet this product for me just felt a bit…well…old school.
Coverage and Wear: 4/10
Marketing Support
Avon can redeem itself with the marketing support that accompanied the launch of Ideal Flawless...to an extent….
As fore mentioned, central to the high profile campaign is the Avon brochure.
Avon launched the product with additional supporting material such as Facebook and Twitter campaigns, YouTube videos and press ads – something which I haven’t seen Avon invest in for some time.
Alesha is stunning and her appointment as Avon’s beauty ambassador garnered a vast number of PR mentions – which is a boon to any brand!
I wanted to love this campaign…I really did…but I have to admit that it just seemed a little ‘light’…if you get what I mean….
I think that it would have been wonderful to have seen an Asian and dark skinned black model accompany Alesha, to truly demonstrate the breadth of the colour range to the end consumer.
Ah well…never mind!
Marketing Support: 6/10
So for me Avon’s Ideal Flawless is, unfortunately, a no – but if you have tried it do let me know what you think!
Afro-tising
Posted: March 5, 2012 Filed under: Black Women, Hair, Marketing | Tags: Advertising, Afro, Benetton, Natural Hair, Oscars, Solange Knowles, Viola Davis, Vogue 8 CommentsI was browsing through the current issue of Marie Claire magazine and I came across the latest Marc Cain SS12 campaign ad.
The model’s afro-esque hair style really caught my attention.
The next day I travelled to central London and as I was exiting Oxford Circus tube station, the new Benetton SS12 ads also caught my eye – again beautiful models – black and white – sporting afro-inspired hair!!!
Here are some more images from the lighthearted, playful campaign, that has the signature Benetton look and feel – young, fun and fresh!
Natural, afro hair is on the up and up and is being fully embraced by women of colour in droves Recent research conducted by the market research agency Mintel, showed that the natural resurgence in the US has resulted in sales of relaxer kits dropping by 17% over the last 5 years (Black Hair Care US- August 2011, Mintel).
Many African – American celebrities are staunch advocates of wearing their natural hair and Oscar nominated actress Viola Davis’ natural style garnered numerous column inches and commentary as she steeped out onto the red carpet at the recent awards ceremony. My Twitter timeline went CRAZY!! Tweets and retweets flew across cyberspace as natural hair bloggers and vloggers, beauty critics and others commented and congratulated the actress’ stylish mane.
Viola Davis wearing Vera Wang...and her natural hair! Stunning!
One thing I love about being a black women, is the many choices we have in how we can wear our hair – be it chemically relaxed, in its natural form or accentuated with weaves and extensions. For me, what is more important is the fact that we have the CHOICE to express our individuality, personality and sense of style in the way that feels right to us.
For the month of February, another poster child for the Naturalista’s, Solange Knowles, was British Vogue’s ‘Today I’m Wearing…’ Photo Blogger of the month.
Two of my favourite looks of the month are shown below – her unique, individual style is the epitome of today’s empowered black woman.
Image: http://www.vogue.co.uk
Image: http://www.vogue.co.uk
I love!!
Black and Blue
Posted: March 2, 2012 Filed under: Beauty, Black Women, Marketing, Music, Women | Tags: Blue Plaque, Bobbi Brown, Elisabeth Welch, English Heritage, NARS, Revlon ColorStay, Ruby Woo, Russian Red 1 CommentOn the 27th February, the singer Elisabeth Welch (1904 -2003) was commemorated with an English Heritage blue plaque in south-west London. She is the second black women to have received this hounour (the first was Jamaican born nurse, Mary Seacole).
Welch in her element (Image: BBC)
Born in New York, Welch had a rich cultural heritage through her father John, who was Native American and African-American and her mother Elisabeth, who was of Irish and Scottish descent, however like many African-American performers of her time, found greater success in Europe than in the United States.
After starting her career in New York, Welch performed in popular clubs in Paris and London, and, later, in British films.
She settled in London in 1933, which remained her home until she passed away just a few months shy of her 100th birthday.
The 1930s saw Welch become a trailblazer for black women in Britain. It was the decade where Ivor Novello wrote songs for her; Paul Robeson was her leading man in films; and Welch enjoyed popularity as a cabaret star of London’s cafe society.
In 1931 she introduced the famous torch song “Stormy Weather” to British audiences. Watch her singing it here many years later in 1980 (more about this performance is written below).
In 1934 she was the first black broadcaster to be given her own radio series, Soft Lights and Sweet Music, by the BBC. Her many radio shows include two guest appearances on Desert Island Discs.
In the later years of her life Welch stopped the show once again in the 1970 musical, Pippin, made new records, and also gave what was perhaps the most startling appearance of her film career in Derek Jarman’s Tempest (1980), at the end of which she sings a typically poised version of Stormy Weather surrounded by a chorus line of leaping, high-stepping sailors. There were those who thought she was the best thing about that controversial interpretation of Shakespeare.
In high old age, Elisabeth Welch continued to sing with great aplomb; recordings from the mid-1980s indicate greater maturity of interpretation than ever. In 1992 stars gathered at the Lyric Theatre in London to pay tribute to Elisabeth Welch in the Crusaid Concert; where she was given an unprecedented five standing ovations.
She was also known for her style and class as well as for her voice.
Recreate her classic old school, glamorous look.
Create a smooth matte base with Studio Fix compact foundation by MAC (£19)
For decades, a red lipstick paired with strong black eyeliner has been the vanguard of makeup for any showbiz starlet. Accentuate the eye by sweeping a golden eyes hadow across the entire eye, right up to the brow bone. I like Silent Night by NARS (£16.50).
NARS Single Eye shadow - Silent Night
Revlon ColorStay Liquid Eye Pen
Line the eye with a liquid eyeliner pen for ease of application (Revlon ColorStay Liquid Eye Pen in black is ideal, £8.99 ).
Curl lashes and then apply lashings of thickening mascara. I love High Impact mascara by Clinique ((£16) for its intense black pigment.
A show girl must have ruby red lips – and in my opinion Ruby Woo by MAC (£13.50) works well with a lighter skin tone such as Welches, but for a darker tone such as my own, I prefer a deeper red with blue undertones – my all time favourite is Russian Red by MAC. Apply with a lip brush, blot – then apply a second coat.
Russian Red by MAC
Finish with an illuminating bronzer, such as the cult classic Shimmer Brick in Bronze by Bobbi Brown (£30.50).
Who will be the next black woman to be recognised in this way? I hope we do not have to wait to long to find out!
beautypulseLONDON 