WISHLIST

Hello my loves,

So today I thought it would be fun to do a wishlist of some of my beauty picks. This year has been incredible with some of the biggest launches and the beauty industry has grown so much.

There have been so many collaborations and new releases, so I thought i would pick 5 products to go into my wishlist, hoping to soon get my mitts on.

1.  FENTY BEAUTY Pro Filt'r Hydrating Longwear Foundation in 330

Fenty beauty... omg can we take a minute to appreciate the queen Rihanna. She has smashed it with all products that have been released for Fenty and I'm so excited about this one. A lot of people loved the pre filt'r foundation that was initially released, however, its matte formula was not suitable for dryer skin tones, so Rih actually listened and released a hydrating formula. I am obsessed with anything that will give my skin a healthy glow look. I have heard nothing but great news on this foundation so I'm hoping to try this out soon.

2. ANASTASIA BEVERLY HILLS- JACKIE AINA PALETTE

Jackie, Jakie, Jackie, Jackie, Jackie, Jackie, Jackie! Jackie, Jakie, Jackie, Jackie, Jackie, Jackie, Jackie! This palette retails for £46 and wow this is the most iconic collaborations I have ever seen. Jackie Aina is one of the funniest, down to earth YouTubers I know and I know that every colour in this palette will be brown girl friendly. Anastasia Beverly hills formulas never fail to smash it out of the pond so I am so eager to try this out.

3.  FARSALI - Liquid glass

Ok, so this product is not makeup, but is essential before applying makeup! It is a radiant skin serum and is perfect si you are wanting to achieve the perfect glass skin. It contains Hyaluronic Acid to replenish moisture and plump the skin. Farsali always kill their releases, and their products are magical! I really want this product as I am such a fan of the glass skin trend.

4. ANASTASIA BEVERLY HILLS- LOOSE SETTING

Powder

Anastasia knows their products inside out so I know they have made a killer product with heir new loose setting powders. I am always on the hunt for a good powder, it is a sale in your makeup kit! They have released a couple of shades, however, the banana shade is something that I'm eyeing up as its a brightening powder especially fro under the eyes.

5.  HUDA BEAUTY Life Liner

HUDA is releasing product after product. seriously Huda, take all my money please. I was so surprised with this latest release. Huda Beauty’s dual-ended eyeliner has you covered whether you’re nailing the cat-eye flick or a dramatic smoked-out look. There is a liquid tip and a creamy pencil end – both of which are intensely black, matte and can be trusted to stay put without smudging! I mean everyone needs a good eyeliner, and this is supposed to be super black and super long-lasting, which is what I need as I always feel my eyeliner smudges off after a few hours. For £22 you can't go wrong.

That's all for my wishlist folks.

Davina

x

LASER HAIR REMOVAL

Hello my sweethearts,

Just wanted to come on here and talk about my laser hair removal journey. Is tarted this journey around last year where I went to one of my local beauty salons for a consultation. I had been contemplating for laser hair removal for more than a year at this point and have done a lot of research on it. When I went to this salon, I received a full consultation where my facial hair was examined on the thickness and colour as well as the growth. I received information packs on hat type of technology was used, the pros and cons, aftercare and essentially how to prepare yourself for the laser sessions. Soon after that I paid a £10 deposit and came back the week after for my first ever session.

My experience...

As you would expect, I was very nervous as different people react differently to the lase, and I was also scared about the pain levels. My first session was absolutely amazing. My beauty therapist knew how to talk me through what she was doing which was very relaxing. They gave me some protective eyewear and then a gel was applied to the areas that were going to be lasered. The initial ain was around 4/10 for me. After this session I waited 4 weeks in between for the next. It is recommended between 4-6 weeks, but I noticed that I had very rapid regrowth so I decided to go in after 4 weeks. All together I had 10 sessions for my face and neck. I would say that is started noticing a difference in my hair growth in my 5th or 6th session, as there were only patches of hair were still growing. After my 10th session, I noticed a full stop to my hair growth however after a month or two I had stubble regrowing. I went back into my salon and they spoke to me about why regrowth can happen, sometimes it's just the hormones in the body which sadly nothing can be done. I am now going in for top-up sessions so hopefully with a few more sessions, I will be completely hairless.

How does it work?

Specific salons have different technologies that they use so best to read up on this and or research before you commit int it. I used the  Elysion laser machine which delivers square pulse technology which ensures evenly distributed pulses, eliminating any loss of energy during the shot. The integrated crystal freeze system ensures the skins surface is kept cool and protected always.

How much did it cost?

It cost me £80.00 per session however this was a seasonal offer but it is worth talking to your clinic in order to negotiate the best price plan for you. It is a long term investment and considering the amount of waxing and threading I would pay for every 2 weeks, I thought that this was a reasonable price point.

Preparing the skin for laser?

preparing the skin was easy. Before any session, the night before I would take a face razor, I buy mine on amazon and they are super cheap for packs of 3. I would have my face and neck completely so that I am completely hairless for the sessions. In between sessions I was not allowed to bleach, wax or thread the hair as the laser is trying to kill the follicles at the root. Therefore the only hair removal method I used throughout the laser hair journey is shaving which sounds scary but it did not affect the thickness of my hair at all!

Pain thresholds?

Like I said when I first strated it was around 4/10, however as each session is carried out, the intensity of the laser is increased, this is so that the hairs become shocked causing the hair follicles to die. As each intensity was increased, my pain threshold also increased. When it reached my max intensity, the pain was around 7/10. It was more f a pinching sensation than pain, and this only occurred when the laser hit tough hairs.

What's next?

For some people, they require fewer sessions, usually around 6-8 sessions, for me as I have much thicker and darker hair I needed 10 sessions and top-ups. I am glad that I went for it as it has helped my self-confidence and reduced the amount of times that I needed to visit the salon for threading or waxing.

That's all or today's post folks, let me know what topics you want me to discuss.

Davina

xo

ARA LONDON 24K GOLD BEAUTY OIL

Hello my loves,

Hope you all are keeping well! So today I have something so exciting to share with you all. I tried ou the Sativa beauty oil (24k gold) by ARA London and my oh my has it changed my skin game. Before we get into that, I just want to share some background info you guys might be interested in.

So what is ARA London? 

ARA London is a luxury skincare brand that uses ancient remedies with modern science to bring the best ingredients into one bottle. They have 3 products currently out, but the one that I have tried and tested is the Sativa oil.

Why is it so good and what are the benefits?

So this bottle is packed with all the goodness you can think off. This includes amino acids, minerals, vitamin A, B, C and E as well as antioxidants and fibre. As well as treating the skin long term with these ingredients, there is also added omega 3 and 6 fatty acids which help to defend your skin from everyday pollutants and infections. Who doesn't love an all in one product? The product is finished off with flakes of pure 24k gold which not only looks stunning but also is known to get rid of fine lines and prevent the effects of ageing. 

The product is packaged in a beautiful glass bottle (again, getting your monies worth) and is very travel-friendly. It fits into any bag, I love to keep this in my makeup bag when I'm travelling cause I love to apply this as a base before my makeup and can I just say, my foundation applies seamlessly with this oil! You get 15ml in each bottle, but trust me, a little goes a long way so you will only need the tiniest amount to cover your face and neck.

What has your journey been like?

So I started using this oil more than a month ago, and I can see a noticeable difference. Everyone has been complimenting on how natural and glowy my skin looks. I would class my skin type as combination and this oil works really well for me. The great thing about this oil is that any skin type can use this, even if you have oily or dry as the oil absorbs quickly into the skin leaving just a dewy finish. This oil is more aimed at problematic skin (acne and scarring), and for me, it has worked wonders. I have been breaking out less and my skin texture has improved (very smooth and fewer pimples). Some of my old scarring from previous breakouts have gone and has left an even skin tone all over. I use this product day and night, every time I wash my face, I apply this all over my face as the last step to my skincare routine. I have honestly just replaced my daily moisturiser with this oil and I can never go back to anything else. 

Cost?

The Sativa oil retails at £29.99 and every penny is worth it. The oil lasts you ages, up to 2-3 months as a little goes a long way. 

Ingredients: 24K gold, papaya oil, black cumin seed oil, sweet almond oil, sunflower seed oil, tea tree leaf oil and limonene. 

*It is also important that I mention, as the website advises, that you do a skin patch test 48 hours before use as it does contain fine organic ingredients*

I promise you, you won't be disappointed, if you have problematic/ pigmented skin then look no further. This product will work for you! 

TIA BHUVA saree silhouette

Hello, my lovelies!

Hope you are all doing fantastic. I want to start off by saying a massive Happy New Year to all my lovely followers. For me, personally 2018 was a rollercoaster of a year, with so many highs and lows, but I am so grateful for the opportunities and the growth that I have seen in myself.

I am so excited for 2019, and I want to create more and more content for you guys so please leave me any more idea suggestions down below and I would love to do them for you.

Anyway, rambling over, I received a lovely message a while back from a follower who wanted me to review the Tia Bhuva saree silhouette. I had posted a saree post alongside wearing the silhouette underneath on my Instagram, and I think you guys would be interested in knowing why there is so much hype around a saree skirt? I am going to try and answer all your questions.

First things first, you guys need to go to your saree closet and chuck out all those 50 shades of saree skirts in all the colours you own. I'm telling you because after you purchase this silhouette, it will change your saree game, I PROMISE!

So a little information on the product itself. The website sells 3 different types of lengths, one for the petite gals, normal length and my tall girls. Which means there is a length for everyone so no more trying to DIY your own saree skirts to make them shorter or adding extra fabric to make it longer. Your prayers have been answered. 

Next, once you have chosen the length type of the saree silhouette. you have the option of choosing which colour you desire. I personally went for the nude colour as it is a versatile colour and can be used under any colour saree. If you do want other colours, they also do black, red, blue, white and caramel which if you ask me are the necessities. 

You also have the option of choosing which size skirt you want, ranging between XS-XL, so again, a great range of sizes to cover all of us. it is a stretchy material, so if you are someone who is between sizes, maybe go for a size down as they can stretch. I am a UK size 10 and I bought the saree silhouette in size small.

Let's talk about price, the main concern for most people. Now, 1 saree silhouette retails at $68.00 Canadian dollars for any size or length, no matter which option you pick, everyone pays this price which I think is pretty fair. This is roughly £39.97 in pounds, which I know may seem a little pricey for a saree underskirt and that is understandable. Normally a cotton underskirt is no more than £15 or maybe even less if you got your bargains from Green street or your aunty bought some from India or Srilanka. When I did receive it, I immediately understood as to why this was the retail price. The quality of the skirt was outstanding, the material was so soft, thick enough and most importantly stretchy. It is so stretchy and comfy I almost think I'm wearing leggings or yoga pants under my saree to the point that I think I can do a roly-poly in it.

The skirt has an elasticated waist in which you just slip on and then two ties at the top just to tighten and secure. Very different from the traditional underskirts in which the strings get lost or are not too comfortable around the stomach. The elasticated waist makes all the difference, now I never feel like I'm suffocating when I'm eating too much at all the Asian events.

Shipping also cost me $18 Canadian dollars, which is around £10.58. Again, this was expected because items need to be shipped from Canada and had to be tracked and sent to the UK. Delivery charges do differ, depending on which country you are trying to ship to which is clearly stated on the website! It claims on the website that it normally takes up to 5- 7 business days, I got mine in around 5 days which is pretty quick.

When the item arrived. I also had to pay tax to get the item once it had been delivered (U.K.), so make sure to do your research before you order to see whether you will have to pay taxes depending on your location, it is not guaranteed if you will get charged or not. It is not included within the retail price, so please be aware of this.

Onto some comparison pics...

1. Saree using the Tia Bhuva Saree Silhouette - really hugs and accentuates your curves, all in the right places.

2. Saree with a normal cotton underskirt - off course the normal underskirts add no shape and falls straight down, this makes it look a lot frumpier and less curvaceous.

I don't need to say anything more, as you can see for yourself the massive difference between the two! I really can't ever go back to a plain cotton underskirt ever! The shape that the saree silhouette adds is EVERYTHING, it gives me so much more confidence and the saree just drapes and sits so well.

Overall, I must give this saree silhouette a 5/5. Yes, thank you Tia for creating this fantastic creation as I feel like you have made wearing sarees so seamless and stress-free. The quality is out of this world and website information (sizing and shipping) is very useful! The only improvements I would like to see is the colour variety, but again I am more than happy to use my nude silhouette for nearly every saree I own. For every saree obsessed girl out there, you need this girl...ASAP!