Author Archives: Noire Tropical Beauty

About Noire Tropical Beauty

Noire Tropical Beauty is the creation of Nerissa Alleyne. She hails from the twin island Republic of Trinidad & Tobago but currently resides in the beauty/fashion capital of the world, New York City (Harlem to be exact!). She is a lover of makeup, colour, a Product Junkie, freelance makeup artist, eternally devoted to M.A.C. but just getting into other brands like MUFE and NARS. As a graduate of Princeton University and using her background in Chemical Engineering, she is interested in the science behind the product and the balance between beauty and function. She also began her natural hair journey years ago and enjoys discovering and supporting companies that cater to natural, kinky, curly, coily beautiful hair! Huge fan of Oyin Handmade, Qhemet Biologics, Karen’s Body Beautiful and Anita Grant! Mini mixologist. Anything purple. Period. For reference, Nerissa has dark skin (M.A.C. NW 45, Bobbi Brown # 8 Walnut, MUFE HD Foundation in #178). She loves exploring makeup lines, beauty traditions and customs from all over the world, especially for women of colour (African, Latina/Hispanic, Middle Eastern, Indian, Asian and anyone else not mentioned!). There are a lot more products available now, but sometimes women still feel limited in their options. Nerissa hopes to showcase beauty from all over. In her spare time, she is an avid listener of great international music and is currently working on increasing her repertoire of international dance such as Middle Eastern (Raqs Sharqi), West African, Samba and Salsa. Thinks that futbol is the game of gods!!!!!!!!Yankees fanatic!! Dream: to own my own makeup company! Questions, comments, preguntas??? Email me at noiretropicalbeauty[at]gmail.com Follow Noire Tropical Beauty on: Facebook Twitter YouTube

Sale Alert: Bobbi Brown Friends & Family Sale

Sale Alert: Bobbi Brown Friends & Family Sale

image courtesy of Bobbi Brown Cosmetics

So Bobbi Brown is having an online F&F sale.  Here are the details!

  • Location: online, www.bobbibrown.com
  • When: April 16th -18th, 2012 (ends midnight ET)
  • Discount: 20% off your order
  • Added details:  Get Free Shipping with purchases over US$65 and donations will be made to the charity Dress For Success Worldwide

NARS Summer 2012 Collection feels like a vacation…

NARS Summer 2012 Collection feels like a vacation…

…. somewhere warm and relaxing, and these earthy tones would pair perfectly with the bold, punchy colours of spring and summer!

Image courtesy of NARS Cosmetics

Summer brings with it a cocktail of warm earth tones and brazen shimmers. Eyes glisten in icy peach and matte apricot, or shine in iridescent orchid and blue. Lips are subtle in a glossy nude beige pink, or bold in matte strawberry red. A delicate seashell pink lends nails a flattering hue for an overall look that’s sizzling, sophisticated and—like so many summery moments—simply unforgettable. summer brings with it a cocktail of warm earth tones and brazen shimmers. Eyes glisten in icy peach and matte apricot, or shine in iridescent orchid and blue. Lips are subtle in a glossy nude beige pink, or bold in matte strawberry red. A delicate seashell pink lends nails a flattering hue for an overall look that’s sizzling, sophisticated and—like so many summery moments—simply unforgettable.

THE COLLECTION

Click here for the collection details…

Ready for some high fashion?….Presenting Thakoon for NARS Nail Collection 2012

Ready for some high fashion?….Presenting Thakoon for NARS Nail Collection 2012

International fashion designer and Thailand-born Thakoon has teamed up with NARS to bring out a vibrant, nail polish collection, inspired by  Indian spice markets, that is right on trend.

Thakoon for NARS Nail Collection 2012

Fashion and beauty have always gone hand in hand. Now, those hands have the nail polish to match. Introducing the Thakoon for NARS Nail Collection, the brand’s first collaboration with a fashion designer in the nail category.
Already frequent collaborators at New York Fashion Week, founder and creative director Francois Nars has partnered with Thakoon Panichgul to develop a limited edition, six-shade nail collection.
In conceptualizing the shade range, Thakoon was inspired by the vibrant colors found in Indian spice markets. The highly saturated, high-shine shades come in an opaque finish, perfect for spring. Formula is long-wearing, chip-resistant and toluene-, formaldehyde- and DBP-free.
Since his first collection in 2004, the Thailand-born, Nebraska-raised designer’s clothes have graced chic, modern women around the globe, including Jessica Alba, Marion Cotillard, Rachel Bilson, and First Lady Michelle Obama.

Click here for more details!

NOTD: First spring mani!!!

NOTD: First spring mani!!!

My nails for the week!

My manicure!

I decided to kick spring off with some lighter colours.  I’ve being wearing straight up vampy colours all winter long.  I am so glad to start rocking my brights and pastels!

Details after the jump!

Maybelline Great Lash LOL & Lancome Hypnose Doll Lashes mascara war!

Maybelline Great Lash LOL & Lancome Hypnose Doll Lashes mascara war!

One post…two reviews!

So, I’m going to review the Maybelline Great Lash Lots of Lashes and the Lancôme Doll Lashes.  I decided to review these two as they both had similar, unique brushes and I wanted to see if one could be used as a dupe for the other.

First the individual reviews.

In the red corner…Maybelline Great Lash Lots of Lashes (LOL)!!!

Maybelline Great Lash Lots of Lashes

Click here for more of the review!!!

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics is bringing a Garden of colour this Spring!

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics is bringing a Garden of colour this Spring!

Hey!

So Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics, is releasing their Spring/Summer 2012 collection on March 23rd.   Closely following the hot trends of bold, saturated colours and colour-blocking, OCC presents The Garden.

From OCC:

Spring has sprung at OCC and hidden among the lilacs and pansies is a different shade of floral. Inspired by psychotropic and poisonous plants, this collection turns traditional spring pastels upside down, injecting them with hallucinatory notes of nearly-neon vibrancy.  Mixed in are more subtle neutral lip shades, meant to be paired with a dizzying flash of color on the eyes, in this garden of earthly (and unearthly) delights.

The Garden Collection:

Lip Tar – a mix of brights and neutrals (as seen in the image from L to R)

OCC Lip Tars, image courtesy of PR

Click here for more!

Smashbox’s Be Legendary Lipstick makes me feel like a legend!!

Smashbox’s Be Legendary Lipstick makes me feel like a legend!!

When Lori Taylor tweeted last December about some new lipsticks that Smashbox was bringing out, I was intrigued!  I was eager to feed my newfound passion for lipsticks.  Fast forward to the new year and I couldn’t wait to place my order!

Smashbox’s Be Legendary Lipsticks are new for Spring/Summer 2012.

Smashbox's Be Legendary Lipstick

There are 22 shades, from neutrals to brights to deeps and they also come into a variety of textures from mattes to creams to shimmers.  Smashbox also added shea butter and antioxidants Vitamin A and E for the creamy lipsticks.  The shea butter adds creaminess and moisturization properties and the essential vitamins act as antioxidants and therefore can protect the lips.  The matte shades also contains Vitamins A and E.

Click here for the review!

Want to get inked?? Try Maybelline Color Tattoo 24hr Eye Shadows

Want to get inked?? Try Maybelline Color Tattoo 24hr Eye Shadows

So there has always been a desire to have long-wearing makeup and now pretty much every major cosmetic line brings out makeup that promises to last and last.  No one wants to work on a look only for it to crease an hour later.

Just in time for this season and NYFW, Maybelline brought out 10 new shades for their new Color Tattoo By EyeStudio 24hr Eye Shadow.  These come in glass pots with black screw caps that look very similar to M.A.C.’s Paint Pots.  Speaking of Paint Pots, they contain 5 gms of product while the Maybelline product contains 4 gms.  The thick-walled glass makes the containers durable and I had no problems with the seal on the cap.  I really liked that Maybelline chose to release a good mix of really bright, bold colours, with some neutrals as well as both shimmer and non-shimmer textures.  They are described as a cream/gel and again the texture is very similar to the Paint Pots. Very creamy and smooth, although the shimmer shade that I tried was slightly less creamy than the matte shade.  They also have really good pigmentation and they can be applied lightly for a sheer wash or more heavily for and opaque finish.  Dry time is pretty quick so that you have to work quickly to apply product to the eye.  Typically for a creamy product that comes out of a pot, I use a stainless steel palette knife but you could also use a synthetic brush or your fingers to scoop out the product!  Maybelline has marketed this new product as just a cream eye shadow, without use a base or in combination of other shadows.  I tested this new item on my upper eyelid, without the aid of a primer or setting with a powder eyeshadow.  I got about 5 hours of wear before I saw the first signs of creasing and it was minimal.  While my eye shadow looked fine for the rest of the day, I don’t think that this will last for 24 hrs.  Which is not a bad thing anyway. Who really needs all that?

Now to the colours!

The first is #35 Tough as Taupe.

Maybelline's Tough as Taupe

Click for more photos and swatches!!

Sale time!! Urban Decay Spring Friends & Family Sale 2012

Sale time!! Urban Decay Spring Friends & Family Sale 2012

Image courtesy of Urban Decay

Sale alert!!

Urban Decay is having their Friends & Family Sale!!!

Click here for more!

New York Fashion Week AW’12: Cocktails & Couture, Look # 3

New York Fashion Week AW’12: Cocktails & Couture, Look # 3

I was really excited to go to this event, created and hosted by beauty and lifestyle blogger Lianne Farbes of The Makeup Girl.  Cocktails & Couture brings together some amazing bloggers, fashionistas, PR gurus, photographers and brands.  Some of these brands include Lierac, Proactiv, Aveeno, Clairsonic, tarte cosmetics, Hpnotiq, Atopalm and PopChips.   I loved the idea that this event was held at the Caravan Stylist Studio in Midtown Manhattan.  The place was packed, vibes were flowing and I was able to meet some amazing people!

Including Ms. Lianne Farbes…

Me, with Ms. Lianne Farbes

More pictures here!