HOUSE OF TARA | MAKEUP BRUSH CLEANER: Demo Video

Hey Guys,

So I shared the 13sec version of this video on my instagram page yesterday, and below is the link to the full-length video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7ub1h3I52I

This is the recently released House Of Tara brush cleaner.  Now I would say that this is not a 'deep-cleanse' brush cleaner and should not be substituted for regular brush cleaning. In my opinion, this is an 'on-the-spot' cleaner to be used when working on a client or yourself.

This brush cleaner contains alcohol. The presence of alcohol in the formulation allows for the brush to dry quickly so brushes can be cleaned whilst being used. But also due to there being alcohol, this cleaner should not be used on the same brush repeatedly, maybe once or twice, thereafter I highly recommend you wash your brush properly. Repeated use may cause your brush hairs to become extra dry and brittle, which will result in shedding and breakage.


Price: NGN 2,000
Where to Buy: House of Tara stores nationwide!

Laters,

Ez xxX

HAIRFINITY - My Experience

Hello there my lovelies!

You all know I am on a hair journey and I have been taking EXTREMELY good care of my hair. I am not so bothered about the length at this stage, more about the overall health and volume.

I do have a few problem areas and had noticed that growth in those areas were a little stunted, so when a picture of Kim Kardashian holding a bottle of Hairfinity came up on my instagram feed, I thought to give it a go.

I must admit, I did not do any research AT ALL on Hairfinity, and this was a conscious decision. I had heard the numerous side effects, especially with breakouts, and this did put me off a little but not completely.

Dosage
So the recommended dose is two pills a day, I decided to start off easy with 1 pill a day, at night. I decided to take it at night because I just felt like it will work better while my body is resting, dunno.... go figure!

Side Effects?
Anyways so I started off on it, first week didn't feel different or anything, but week 2 was when the madness started. I slowly started breaking out on my forehead, just a few tiny spots here and there and then they started spreading. It wasn't terrible, like I-Can't-Leave-My-House terrible, but when you go from having the occasional hormonal breakout (which is just a small pimple on the forehead or chin) to full-on minions all over your forehead, I think it's reason enough to panic.

Did I stop? Of course not! I thought I'd just up my water intake even more and it'll get better. Mind you, one thing you MUST do is drink at least 2Litres of water a day while you're on these. So I was already doing that and more but it did not seem to ease up. OMG guys, and THEN my scalp started itching soooo bad. Like itchiiiiiiing, it was the strangest thing. I didn't even realise it was the Hairfinity until someone commented on instagram that it made her scalp itch like hell! And I thought "Aha! so that was the reason". Enough was enough, I stopped taking them.

Yes guys, I quit! I am a Hairfinity-Quitter! It just was not worth it to me anymore, I think my breaking point was when the breakouts began to occur right along my hairline. I was was like "Naaaaah, it's not that serious". They were concentrated around my forehead and temple area, nothing happened on my cheeks, chin etc..

Did It Work?
Now I really have a hard time answering this honestly, even to myself. The thing with me is, I usually have a lot of things going on around the same time for me to like pinpoint what's really working. Take for example with my skincare, I could start using a new cleanser and then a few days later incorporate a charcoal mask once a week, fast forward a few weeks, my skin looks amazing... and I can't tell if it's the cleanser or the mask!! That's exactly what happened here I upped my water intake a couple months before I started taking Hairfinity, I started using a porosity correction conditioner which really helped in letting my hair benefit from the deep-conditioning treatments, and I also incorporated Jamaican Black Castor Oil into my hair routine every night. So, I can't tell you if the difference in my hair was from Hairfinity or these other changes, or even both :s

My hair did get 'fuller', like I could not believe the changes I saw when I had it relaxed a couple weeks ago, but I'm not completely sure it was solely down to Hairfinity. My last relaxer was on the 25th Of January, 2014 and my next was just a couple weeks ago, 31st May, 2014 (an 18-week stretch), and between this time I incorporated all the hair changes I mentioned above.

Where to Buy
The Beauty Boon
Price: N 5,800

I bought mine off The Beauty Boon, but I did receive an email last month from Hairfinity inviting me to the launch in Nigeria. So they are now officially in the country, but I have not got any information on their distributors.

The Madness
What's 'the madness' you ask? I might MIGHT go back to taking them later on.... Can't even believe I am typing this because the scars from the breakouts haven't even cleared up! It won't be for a few months, or maybe never... I don't know. But I didn't chuck them in the bin so you never know.

Now with that being said, I want to hear from you guys that have tried Hairfinity.... Did you breakout? Did you power through the breakouts, did they stop after a while? If you had no side effects at all, I'd also like to hear from you,

What's your Hairfinity Experience?

Laters,

Ez xxX 

PRODUCT REVIEW | KUDDY COSMETICS - Blush Crush Palette

Hey Everyone,

I know I'm not the only one that comes across a product and you just don't expect much from it. This next product I am about to review was just that, and then it proved me so wrong!

There are so so many things I have learnt and discovered through blogging, one of them being the numerous indigenous makeup brands we have got. I was recently asked to consult for a soon-to-launch online shopping platform and they wanted to know how many Nigerian makeup brands are on the market, and while working on this project it dawned on me, there are actually a good number of them out here! And I know I am not even close to having discovered them all.


Kuddy Cosmetics (KC) is one of the oldest makeup stores we have here in Nigeria, and they recently (I believe) launched their own brand of makeup products. KC owns exclusive distribution rights for a number of international makeup brands, including China Glaze nail polishes and products. Yup that China Glaze stand in Ebeano Supermarket is from KC. Don't know if any one of you have stumbled across a site called Iyaoloja? Well, Iyaoloja is also owned by the Kuddy Cosmetics family.  I had a little Q&A session with the brand, just to get a better understanding of how they operate and products the bring into the market. You will find all this at the end of this post :)

I received a few products they carry in their store, as well as their Kuddy Cosmetics 'Blush Crush' Palette.

Kuddy Cosmetics 'Blush Crush' Blush Palette* - N3,000

I honestly wasn't really expecting much from this palette, and I blame this on the 'makeup snob' in me. Now, by 'not expecting much', I don't mean I thought it would be horrible or anything. I just thought it would be another nice collection of blushes to have.

I almost love being proven wrong, because this little palette just blew my mind. It's contains six different shades and about every hue is covered in this palette, you could also mix and match to get a desired shade if you wanted. It's got peach, corals, pinks and a lovely bronzer. The bronzer (top right colour in the picture above) contains a bit of shimmer that completely melts away when blended in and how pretty is that bright blue-toned bright pink in the bottom-left corner. I haven't got round to using every single colour in here, think I've used about 4/5 of these. My favourite are the two colours at the top.

Unfortunately the blushes in this palette are not named, but I have swatched them from left-to-right top to bottom (hope that makes sense). But LOOK at how pigmented every single shade is? I have literally used this every single day since I first tried it. It contains six blushers and can easily be carried around. I also have a MAC blush palette which I have slowly been building, but it seems I'll leave that for a little bit and just use this one. It's much smaller and more portable. The size of each individual blush is like half an inch smaller the MAC blushers. I will advice you use a VERY very light-hand when applying these, because a little really goes a long way. They are buttery smooth and blend into the skin, no blotches here.

This palette is sold for N3,000 and available to buy via the  Iyaolaja online store.

Products like this really get me excited and take me back to the reason why I LOVE blogging, because I honestly doubt I would've picked this up and I could've missed out on such a brilliant product!

Q & A Session with Kuddy Cosmetics

Q: What other Kuddy Cosmetics products do you have apart from the Blush Palette? 

A: Products by Kuddy Cosmetics include: makeup fix spray, waterproof foundation with

spf, hd powder, lip gloss, facial toner and wash, makeup brushes - 20 pro

brush set with waist bag, 12 pro brushes in compartment, 7 pcs personal

travel brush set, powder brush, foundation brush, duo eyeshadow

brush,stippling brush(coming soon), and flat eyeliner (coming soon). We

also have 8 pack powder puff, foundation round foams, and wedges (beauty

blender coming soon). We have a lot more to be launched in the coming

months!

Q: Could you please clarify  the difference between Iyaoloja and Kuddy Cosmetics. 

A: Kuddy Cosmetics focuses mainly on wholesale, distribution, and retail at our brick and mortar stores. With the online environment, Kuddy Cosmetics would be launching an online portal for makeup artists, wholesalers, salons, and retailers to purchase their bulk orders with considerable convenience within Nigeria. They can start registering now, and would be alerted once our portal is ready for business. Minimum quantity of 3/item and N50,000 order total. Whereas IyaOloja.com currently focuses on the online retail market of beauty, fragrances, and in the future grow into other market segments. Unlike Kuddycosmetics.com, there would be no minimum order set, and at a slightly higher sale price.

Q: At the MINC event it was mentioned that Kuddy Cosmetics was one of the

first Nigerian makeup stores. So this means other brands are also sold under Kuddy cosmetics? 

A:Yes! Kuddy Cosmetics focuses a lot on providing authentic products to our clients and in order to do so properly, most of the brands sold in our stores are via exclusive distribution rights from the product manufacturers into Nigeria's market. Our major brands are Black Opal, Kuddy Cosmetics, Makari, Queen Helene, Ardell, China Glaze, Bump Stopper, Alpen Secrets, Pielor, Bio Balance, Petal Fresh, and so, so, many more (we work with about 300+ brands). We also support local brands like Tara and Zaron.

Contact Information
Shop Addresses:

Delta Plaza Shops F17-19

Trade Fair Shopping Complex

Off Badagry Express Way Ojo Lagos Nigeria

08055190366

Shops A69-70, off Road 1.

Ikota Shopping Complex VGC - Lekki Lagos Nigeria

+234-8055190369

+234-8055190360

22 Osolo Way

Ozde Plaza Shop G10 & G11 Ajao Estate Lagos Nigeria

+234-8055190365

182/184 Broad Street Apongbon Lagos Nigeria

+234-8055190368

+234-8055190362

106/108 Ago Palace Way, Okota Isolo Lagos Nigeria

+234-8055190367

9 Bankole Street Lagos Island Lagos Nigeria

08055180366

Websites

Kuddy Cosmetics 

IyaOloja

Social Media

Instagram: @KuddyCosmetics 

Twitter: @KuddyCosmetics

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/kuddycosmetics

Apologies if this post is a little longer than you'd like, but I am all about sharing information and for me when I can find out a little more about the brand, besides just the products they sell, I'm all in!

Hope you enjoyed this review!

Laters,

Ez xxX

FIRST LOOK | FABULOSITY COSMETICS

Hi Everyone!

Last month I was contacted by Fabulosity Cosmetics to review a few of their products. Prior to being contacted, I must admit I had never heard of this makeup brand. I immediately asked if they sold their own brand of makeup or they were online retailers of other brands. They responded saying that 'Fabulosity Cosmetics' was there makeup brand offering lip products, eyeshadows, foundation, concealer.. etc. My interest was piqued because I really enjoy trying out indigenous brands, especially now that a LOT of them raised the benchmark in terms of the quality of products they bring to the market.

A couple emails later I received my items.

I was sent a concealer, a pressed powder, felt-tip eyeliner and a eyeshadow. Before I go any further with this need to say, I wasn't really sure whether to publish this post simply because majority of the products I was sent I could not review due to various reasons.

The powder and concealer were not a match for me, so could not review these. The eyeliner I reacted to, something in the eyeliner happened to irritate my eye. The first time this happened I did not even realize it was the eyeliner, until I used it a second time. 

I cannot discredit any product I am sent simply because they did not work for me, but at the end of the day I owe it to you guys to be honest. Every single one of us is different and whatever doesn't work for me, may not necessarily be the case for you. With that said I did quite like the eyeshadow I was sent.

It looks like a peach shade in the pan, but when applied is a soft champagne frost-finish eyeshadow. This eyeshadow is buttery smooth, but not one of the most pigmented shadows I own. 

Nevertheless the pigmentation worked for me in this case, because it provides a light sheen of colour to the eye. And I wore this alone with a flicked-out black liner along the top lid. I assume this will be a nice brow highlight and tearduct colour. Could also be used to highlight the cheeckbones, although I never tried this.

Details
Website: www.fabulosityonline.com
Telephone Number: 08165589844
Facebook: www.facebook.com/fabulositycosmetics
Instagram: @FabulosityCosmetics
Twitter: @FabulosityC

Laters,

Ez xxX


I am giving away a Foreo Luna Mini worth NGN31,500. To win, check out the simple competition rules here: Win A FOREO LUNA MINI Courtesy BeautyInLagos!

HEGAI & ESTHER - Product Review

Hi Everyone! Hope you're all well and getting into the Christmas spirit!

Today I wanted to let you all know how I got on with a few products that I was kindly gifted last month. Hegai & Esther (H&E)  is not a brand that is new to the BiL. I discovered them at the first Lagos Makeup Fair I attended, to read that post click here.

So when I bumped into the lovely Gbemi at an event and she kindly offered me some of her new products to try out, I could not resist! (Gbemi is the lady behind the brand, H&E)

She was so generous as to give me an ENTIRE brush set, I could not thank her enough and two of her gel eyeliners.

Hegai & Esther 12-piece brush set* - N13,000 but currently on Xmas offer for N10,000

The brush-roll contains 12 full-sized brushes. I have been using a couple of the brushes over the past weeks. They are very light-weight, which I wasn't used to at all. All the other brushes I own are quite 'heavy' in comparison. I have a few favourites already, the eye-brow spooley has got to be my new found love. I always nick the little disposable ones they have on display at makeup counters, particularly MAC, as I didn't see the point in spending money on a full-sized spooley when I can get loads of free disposables. But I can honestly say I have used the full-sized one from H&G every single day and it makes a huge difference. From the longer handle, to the densly-packed rigid bristles, my eyebrows thank me everyday. Another favourite of mine is the angled blush-brush. I use this to contour and apply my blush. The powder brush is super-soft. I love the selection, they've pretty much got it all covered.

Overall, these are good quality brushes, very soft and not 'scratchy' at all. They pick up product nicely and I have not experienced shedding. I particularly like the naming scheme they adopted for their brushes, nothing fancy just simple things like 'Powder' 'Eyeshadow' 'Eye Smudge', simple and straight to the point.

When she handed the little gel pots to me I didn't know what to expect. I love gel-liners, but I've never bought them in any colour other than black.

So when she proceeded to tell me that she actually uses one of them to fill in her brows! I was intrigued. I mean I mostly use eyeshadows, and occasionally pencils, to fill in my brows and I do own the Sleek eyebrow palette that's got the powder and gel duo in it, but I didn't really pay attention to the gel product

H&E Waterproof Gel-Line in 'Peacock'* - N1500 but currently on Xmas offer at N1200

She sent me two colours, this one is called 'Peacock'. A nice emerald green. I love jewel tone makeup products in general. The gel-liners come with a handy mini slant-brush, which is quite decent quality in comparison to other such brushes that come free with products.

The swatch above isn't really a good one, as it may lead you to believe this product isn't very pigmented, but trust me it is. It's very pigmented, although I believe the other colour I was sent is a lot more pigmented, as you'll see in a minute. This can be used along the bottom lash-line for that pop of colour and I have been using it right above my regular black winged-liner look. Like I place it right above my black liner, blending them in just at the top, so there's this subtle incorporation of colour on my lids, works a treat. It can even be used as an eyeshadow base!

H&E Waterproof Gel-Line in 'Nubia'* - N1500 but currently on Xmas offer at N1200

I have used this every single day since I got it to fill in my brows, and I love it! It's the perfect shade of brown for me, not too dark and just light enough. Don't be fooled by the colour you see in the pot above, for some reason it looks a very light brown colour, but once you break the surface, underneath it's a nice dark-brown, exactly like the swatch below.

See how pigmented 'Nubia' is. I had these swatches on my hand and straight after went in for a shower and I have to tell you these did not budge. So when it says these are waterproof, they really are.


I really did not know what to expect with these products, but I always keep an open mind. These products are awesome and I will definitely recommend them, especially the gel-liners. I just cannot say it enough, but we really need to pay attention to our own home-grown talent. These indigenous makeup brands are really worth looking into, especially if you are a new makeup artist just starting to build your kit.


Details
Hegai & Esther
Address: 21/25 Akinsanya Street,
By FRSC Compound Ojodu, Lagos.
Telephone: 08035806183, 08128145774
Email: info@hegaiandesther.com
Website: www.hegaiandesther.com

Laters,

Ez xxX

HOUSE OF TARA - Product Review

Hello hello!

Thank God its Friday!!! *buzzing*

Got another review for y'all, I already introduced the brand in this post here. So if you need information on where to buy and contact details, they can be found at the end of that post. This will be a long read, so grab some snacks and settle in!

House of Tara is an indigenous makeup brand which has undergone a total makeover and I am loving it!

I was sent a Matte LipColor, Blusher, Bronzer, Eyeshadow Trio, HighShine LipStain and a Kabuki brush.

House Of Tara HighShine LipStain in 'Nehanda'*

First up is the High Shine LipStain. I already expressed how much I loved this product here and I am happy to have another shade to added to my collection. 

When I first pulled this out the box, I just stared at it. It's nothing like the shades I'd typically go for. Even after swatching, I still wasn't convinced. But when I wore this, I could not believe how gorgeous a shade it was. For some reason it gives my lips a much fuller illusion and is the perfect deep-caramel tone. I love rocking this with a purple eye, it really warms up my face and pulls everything together. Just like the other lipstain I own, this is very pigmented and applies beautifully. Really haven't got anything bad to say about this. Love it!

House of Tara Blusher in 'Dariya'*

Next up, an interesting blusher.

When I opened this up, I went "What in the world?". I'm telling you, House of Tara really brought the surprise factor with the selection they sent me, a lot of the products really surprised me, in a good way. Just LOOK at the pigmentation of that Blusher! It's a bright red with orange undertones and trust me a little bit goes a long way, you don't want to be heavy handed with it at all to avoid looking like a clown. And I honestly feel like this will be gorgeous on ladies with darker skintones, it'll be that perfect flush of colour on the cheeks. Look at it swatched and blended in the bottom right picture. It blends into a nice 'rust-like' shade. I also feel like this will work well as an eyeshadow too! Seems like a great shade that can be blended into the crease of an intense black/brown smokey eye! Really plan on trying this out soon.

House of Tara Trio Eyeshadow in 'Omoge'*

First glance, really liked the colour selection in this trio

After swatching, wasn't too impressed with the colour pay-off.. Not as pigmented as most of the eyeshadows I own. You can see from the swatches on the right.Weirdly enough, I quite like the gold shade in there for some odd reason, if I had to pick, it's my favourite. And the medium brown I have been using in my crease as a transition colour and it's similar to 'Cork' by MAC or 'Buck' in the UD's Naked Palette. Just that medium-tone perfect soft-brown shade.

This Bronzer is the one product that I STILL haven't got round to using yet *hangs head*. But in my defence this is simply because I have got like a gazillion bronzers and highlighters it's a mission to get through them. But from the swatches above I know that I'll love this bronzer. I love to have that nice glow on my cheeks. I am going to pop this in my Mobile Makeup Bag and use it throughout the day for touch-ups! (if you don't know what a MMB is checkout this post)

House of Tara Matte LipColor in 'Kontagora'*

My absolute FAV of the bunch.

Just LOOK at the colour and pigmentation of that lipstick. I could not believe my eyes when I saw it! I actually got excited! It is the most gorgeous blue-toned pink, Hot Pink! And the swatches did not disappoint either.

I posted this picture on my instagram page and most of my followers agreed. I am now curious to try out a few more shades from their lipcolour line! It's matte, but this is not drying and all, infact I will say it's a 'moisturising matte' lipstick. It doesn't drag during application and is very forgiveable on the lips. But please apply some lipbalm before application and this should be the norm when applying ANY lip-product, prep your lips first!

House of Tara 'Buff Powder' Brush*

This buff brush is similar to a kabuki brush, but with a slightly longer handle. The bristles on this brush are nice and soft, not scratchy at all. And I experienced very minimum shedding with this. I have used it everyday since I got it to apply my blot powder when I start to get a little shiny. The bristles are densely packed together so it picks up product very well. I love that it is small enough to fit into an MMB. No complaints about this one.

Really pleased with these products. If you are thinking of purchasing any of these and have a few questions, just let me know in the comments section below and I'd be more than happy to answer them :)

Hope you all have an awesome weekend!

Laters,

Ez xxX

KAYGE COSMETICS - Introduction & Review

Hey Everyone!

Hope you lovelies had a good weekend and are well and truly over the dreaded ‘Monday-Blues’. I’ve got a relatively new makeup brand to introduce you guys to, and I’m quite excited about this one.

The brand is called Kayge Cosmetics*, and they contacted me last month asking to send me over some of their stuff to try out.

Right now their line consists of just lip products. So in the picture above you can see the sort of lip products they have, LipGlosses, LipSticks, LipStains and LipPencils

They were generous enough to ask me to pick anything I wanted, I didn’t want to be too greedy so I chose two items. Imagine my surprise when I got my package and saw that they added in a few more bits. I literally squealed! Lol. I was sent a lipliner, lipstick, 2 glosses and a lipstain, basically an item from each line.

Kayge Cosmetics Lipstick in 'Mist'

 First off is the lipstick in 'Mist'

This is a neutral/nude shade. If you follow me on instagram (@BeautyInLagos) you already know I love my 'My-lips-but-better' shades of lipstick, especially for the office. And this falls right into that category. It's a nice warm nude shade, with a creamy consistency and lustre finish. I really like how it feels on my lips and it's gained a well-deserved spot in my 'nude-lippy' rotation.

Kayge Cosmetics LipGlosses in 'Flirt' & 'Melon'

Next up are the lip glosses

L-R: Flirt & Melon

Absolutely in love with the colours I was sent. I  picked out 'Melon' and 'Flirt' was selected by the vendor. These lip glosses are super pigmented. I found them teeny-weeny too thick during application but once applied and blended, it just melts in. They are not sticky at all. They can also be lightly layered over lipsticks too. Been wearing these a lot over the past week and it's pure love! They've got two different lipgloss variations, 'Matte' and 'Shimmer'. Both these glosses are in the 'Matte' family.

Kayge Cosmetics Lipstain in 'Cotton Candy' & LipPencil in 'Nude'

Last up are the lipstain and lip pencil

This lipstain I picked out because I was instantly drawn to the colour, but would you believe I am yet to use this! Unbelievable, I know. But I did swatch it and it is very very similar to MAC's 'Saint Germaine' lipstick. I cannot give a full review on the texture and how it feels on the lips, but I will let my instagram/twitter peeps know when I do use it. The lipliner is a light-brown shade. Perfect for lining the lips, this doesn't give the sort of depth I prefer when combined with a nude lipstick/gloss, because it's too light. So it simply adds a bit of colour round my lips. But it will work differently with everyone because we've all got different lip-pigmentations. I feel this will show up a lot more on people with warmer/darker pigmented lips. I pair this a LOT with the 'Mist' lipstick and they work perfectly together. It's a nice creamy lip pencil and easy to blend in.


Now most people when it comes to lip products like to know how long the wear lasts before re-application. To be honest, I'm not all too bothered about how long a product lasts on my lips. I'm just one of those that don't mind re-applying when they feel like. Like, I am THAT girl who whips out her lipgloss/stick mid-convo and re-applies, no mirror required, anytime anywhere! lol. I did try to pay attention to type up this review, but I got bored. It's just not me, I'm more bothered about how the product applies, in terms of if it's too dry and dragging on my lips, or in the case of glosses if it's too sticky or thick, the scent and of course the colour payoff. Those are my parameters for deciding if I like or dislike a lip product.


Information
Website: www.kaygecosmetics.com
Stockists: Gifty's Daughter Lagos No. 25A Toyin Street, Ikeja Lagos & No. 6 Khana Street, Dline Off Olu Obasanjo Road, PortHarcourt.
Twitter: @KaygeCosmetics
Instagram: @Kayge27


I am loving these indigenous makeup brands, the quality of their products is really top-notch. As much as we all love the big international brands, let's not overlook some of our homegrown talent. They really have stepped up their game. I really love these products I was sent from Kayge Cosmetics and I hope you all enjoyed this review!

Laters,

Ez xxX

AJALI - All Natural HandMade Cosmetics Company

Hey Everyone,

Hope you all enjoyed the little holiday we got yesterday, I know I did. Maybe a little too much, because I am currently nursing the worst cold :(.

Anyway, today's post is all about introducing you guys to an all-natural skincare company based here in Lagos. Personally when it comes to my all-over-body skincare (sans the face), I LOVE all-natural products, especially body-scrubs and lotions. So when I was contacted by Ifeyinwa, of 'Ajali', I was immediately interested.

Ajali* is an all-natural handmade cosmetics company which was launched recently and they create 100% natural handmade products using ingredients indigenous to West Africa, suchs as: Shea & Cocoa Butter, Virgin Coconut Oil, EVOO and Aloe Vera gel. Currently they stock 3 different products Whipped Shea & Coconut Butter Body Souffle, Sea Salt Body Scrub & Raw Sugar Polish. And all these products come in 4 scents: Original (unscented), Peppermint, Grapefruit & Lavender.

Sea Salt Body Scrub in Grapefruit & Butter Body Souffle in Peppermint

Ifeyinwa kindly sent me two out of their three products to try out: The Butter Body Souffle and Sea Salt Body Scrub

I broke the bloggers cardinal rule which is 'Always photograph before you try!!'. I just could not wait to try these out I completely forgot. So these images will have to do.

Sea Salt Body Scrub in Grapefruit

This was my favourite of the two I was sent. First time I used it I think I was a little overzealous with my application. As it was my first time I did not know how coarse the grains were so I did scrub a little too hard, and that proved quite uncomfortable. I eased up on the pressure immediately, although it did take me some time to get used to the grains. But when I used it the 2nd time around, I was a pro at it.

So my method of exfoliation is I first apply the product using the palms of my hand and working it in with circular motions and then I go over again with my exfoliating mitts. With this, I did not need to go over my skin a second time with the mitts. From the first application, I absolutely felt the difference, my skin felt AMAZING, even my palms were super soft. I have to say, none of the scrubs I have used so far had left my skin feeling that smooth. I typically exfoliate twice a week, but with my weekend exfoliation I tend to spend a lot more time getting all that dead skin off. This scrub has got oils in it, so there will be that pesky 'film' left on your skin afterwards, and since I always shave my legs right after I exfoliate, I find that this film really gets in the way. So my 'workaround' is to then go over my skin again with my regular mesh sponge and a bar of soap (or shower gel). This gets rid of most of the oil-residue from the scrub and allows for me to get a nice close shave.

All in all really really loved using this scrub, I got three full uses out the tub I was sent. If you love to exfoliate your skin like I do, then I definitely recommend you try this out. But please go easy on your application, my skin is sensitive so the grains did take some time to get used to. But as with all things skincare, everyone's skin is different. But go cautiously at first, then increase the pressure as you like.

Right after exfoliating with the scrub, I followed with this Body Butter. It's got peppermint in it and this really helped to soothe my skin. It sank fairly quickly into the skin and kept it moisturised all day long. But I did have a couple gripes with this one. First off, the scent, didn't really like this. I would describe the scent as a little 'medicinal'..lol. You might pick this up and be like "What the hell was Ez talking about", but that's the best word I can use to describe the scent. I was suffering from a random bout of nausea at the time and this did not help one bit.

Also I wasn't too fond of the texture either, it was a bit 'paste-y'. But once you warm it up by rubbing it between your palms it just melts and applies like any other 100% raw sheabutter product.

But all this didn't deter me from using the body butter, I loved how it soothed and moisturized my skin right after I exfoliated. So I always reached for it right after exfoliating and it really worked a treat! They do offer other scents in this, so might be worth a try looking into those and if you don't mind the smell of peppermint, then this one's your guy!

From the picture above, I CLEARLY enjoyed one more than the other! I completely finished the scrub (left) and will be repurchasing it. While the Peppermint Body-Butter will be used every time I exfoliate my skin, which is twice a week! Oh and another thing I loved about the scrub is that it did not dry up. I forgot this one time on my window-sill in the bathroom and with direct sunlight hitting it, it did not dry up! I was very impressed.


All in all, I will definitely recommend Ajali products. There is nothing like using 100% natural organic products for your skin. And sheabutter has got a smidge of SPF in it, so even if you ever forget to apply sunscreen, you'll always have some on.

Details
Company: AJALI
Website: www.ajali.com.ng
Telephone: 08178919385
Twitter: @ShopAjali
Instagram: @ShopAjali

Pricing:
Butter Body Souffle: N2000 for 100ml & N4500 for 500ml
Body Scrubs: N1500 for 100ml & N3500 for 500ml



I was discussing with a friend recently about exfoliating the skin and she said that exfoliating twice a week is a bit too much? I don't think it is! Do you??

Always remember to follow-up with a moisturizer and sunscreen right after exfoliating, VERY important!!

How Many Times do You Exfoliate?

Laters,

Ez xxX