Noire Tropical Beauty

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Category: Reviews (page 4 of 25)

October 14, 2015

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NoireTropicalBeauty MUFE Ultra HD foundation dark skin review

Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Invisible Cover Foundation

I don’t wear foundation about 99% of the time, but when I do, I look for something that helps me even out my skin tone and that feels like it is almost not there.  My philosophy, at least when it comes to foundation is, less is more. I know that everyone right now is about that full coverage….but I’m not here for that.  I want my skin to look flawless…but like I was born like that. Enter the Ultra HD Invisible Cover Foundation on dark skin.

Make Up For Ever has already established themselves as the leaders in both waterproof makeup and products that have amazing performance under the newest video technology.  Over the past few years, MUFE has be reformulating their entire line to get ahead of the changes in TV and film.  They have already brought out an entire new line of gel-textured eye shadows, which by the way, are mind-blowingly good!

NoireTropicalBeauty MUFE Ultra HD foundation dark skin review

The Details

This is an update to their original HD foundation, and this time they have made it even lighter in weight and added hyaluronic acid which helps make it suitable for all skin types.  It aims to give flawless, next best thing to skin coverage when viewed in 4K and 8K technology.  So what are 4K and 8K? Right now standard HD video is 1080p, and basically 4K is four times better than HD and 8K is 8 times.   So it’s called UHD (Ultra HD).  So if you think you can see every pore and wrinkle now, wait until UHD becomes more common! 

Back to the review.  So the existing line was reformulated and the colour range was also expanded to a fantastic 40 shades! 4…0 shades! There are few companies out there that boast of so many.  If you find a line with 20-25 shades, you would consider that luck.  They have also renumbered and broken the line up into Y(yellow based) and R(red based) shade.  If you look at some of the bottles, they have also included the corresponding shade number from the older line.  I picked up shade R530 which is shade 180 from the old line.  I love that they have not forgotten us darker ladies and have given us such a selection. 

NoireTropicalBeauty MUFE Ultra HD foundation dark skin review

My shade: R530=180

Packaging

NoireTropicalBeauty MUFE Ultra HD foundation dark skin review

Love the pump top!

The UHD comes in a cylindrical, plastic bottle with a pump top and it contains 30ml of product which is pretty standard.  This makes dispensing much easier to control and you won’t run the risk of wastage from having to decant or breakage of the bottle.  The pump works quite well and dispenses a small amount of product. 

By the way, check out my video review or keep reading below the fold for more!!

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New Product Launches: NARS Audacious Mascara & Kohliner info and review

July 31, 2015 / / 0 Comments

NARS Audacious Mascara and Kohliner

We are fast approaching New York Fashion Week and the upcoming season, so there are tons of new products coming out, which makes me very happy!

Over the past 2 years or so, NARS has been quietly reformulating and repackaging their entire lineup. And the results have generally been amazing! I love the sleekness and sophistication of the line!

So Francois Nars and his team have added to their Audacious line with a brand new mascara and kohliner. By the way, if you have not read my review on the Audacious Lipsticks, here you go! It is one of my favourite formulas ever!

According to NARS, this new Audacious Mascara will replace all their currently existing mascaras and they have removed them from stores and counters.

NARS Audacious Mascara

For the Audacious Mascara:

The wand, exclusively designed with over 200 molded bristles and lengthening hooks evenly grips and coats lashes from root to tip while simultaneously separating, lengthening, and amplifying with every stroke. Our first-to-market formula is long-wearing and stays soft and flexible, lending itself to maximum buildability. 

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I finally tried Shea Moisture’s Jamaican Black Castor Oil line! What did I think?

June 24, 2015 / / 1 Comment

Shea Moisture came out with the Jamaican Black Castor Oil (JBCO) line late in 2014. I wasn’t really keen on trying it out, because I have always shied away from using castor oil as it is one of the heavy, ‘greasier’ oils and has a noticeable smell.

Fast forward to this year and I was looking for something new to try. I have been using my usual routine for ages.

I ended up buying the JBCO Strengthen, Grow & Restore w/Shea Butter, Peppermint & Keratin Shampoo, Treatment Masque and Leave-In Conditioner. The packaging is a bright, buttercup yellow, which makes it easy to see on a shelf and all the products have a faint, butter smell that is quite pleasant. These products are formulated for natural, chemically processed, colour treated or heat styled hair. And for those concerned, the keratin in this is hydrolyzed protein which is a larger protein chain that has been broken up in to smaller pieces so that it can fit into the cracks of the hair shaft therefore strengthening the hair. The problem with the Brazilian or keratin smoothing treatments found in popular salon treatments is that there are ingredients other than the keratin that contain formaldehyde or produce formaldehyde gas when heated.

The Shampoo.

JBCO Shampoo

It is a clarifying shampoo that is sulphate-free and all natural. It contains apple cider vinegar that clarifies the hair as well as balance the pH, which in turns strengthens the hair. It comes with 25% more product (16.3 fl. oz.) than their normal shampoos. It colour is light brown and is extremely creamy and moisturizing. I was surprised at how lovely it smelled and it did not have the heaviness of castor oil. It lathered quite well, was moisturizing and it did not dry out my hair at all. My hair did not feel stripped. It contains peppermint, but I did not feel the typical tingly-ness or burning.

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Sacha Cosmetics Intense Matte Lipstick in Wicked: Swatches + Review + Video

March 30, 2015 / / 2 Comments

 

Hey!

I was finally able to pick up a Sacha lipstick from their recently launched matte collection. I grew up on Sacha Cosmetics that it was the only brand available in Trinidad and Tobago that catered to women of colour. We did get some foreign brands, but there weren’t a lot of options.Anyway, lipsticks have made a huge comeback and so have the 90s! Right now, matte lips are in and they come in a variety of forms and people are wearing darker colours all year round! Sacha Cosmetics released their Intense Matte Lipstick collection late last year and they have been popular both online and at home. Certain colours have been sold out for a while!

So I found myself, in Trinidad, at The Falls At West Mall at the Sacha store. They carry all their products that you may not be able to find at a store like Pennywise. They also have someone that can help you with colour selection. I paid TT$30 and on the website they are listed at US$10 and I bought the colour Wicked.

Sacha Cosmetics Intense Matte Lipstick

Wicked is a deep chocolate brown with a touch of red in it.  Completely matte, drying but not there is a certain creaminess to it. At least on dark skin, it isn’t your super vampy colour and I would wear it during the day. The packaging is standard and plain, not the best quality or fancy but it holds the product. There is a fairly distinct smell, and it reminds me of fizzy cola. I get almost full coverage with one swipe and it does not apply patchy.

Here are some swatches of the product.

Swatch

 

On me!

 

In a nutshell, I liked this! It is a good product and not too drying. And I am glad that we have good makeup options available. I need to pick up some of the other colours as they come back in stock. But also check out my video review (yes, finally, I’m making videos!).

Video will be available when live…

Let me know what you think of the lipsticks. What is your favourite colour?

You can find Sacha products at The Falls At West Mall, Pennywise outlets all over Trinidad & Tobago and online for international shoppers.

Laters!

Overall grade: B+

FTC Disclosure: Products were purchased by me, Noire Tropical Beauty.  All opinions expressed are 100% honest and my own. I have not been compensated for this review.  For more information, please see my Disclosure Policy.

REVIEW: Body Beautiful On d’Avenue – The go-to place for natural hair care in Trinidad & Tobago!

January 14, 2015 / / 1 Comment

 

While visiting Port-of-Spain over Christmas for some much needed sorrel, parang and hot sun, I paid a visit to the boutique on Ariapita Avenue in Woodbrook, specializing in carrying most of the popular local and international hair care brands. This is of course “Body Beautiful on d’Avenue”.

Upon walking in, I was immediately impressed at how much the store had expanded and the number of brands that they have added. As a matter of fact, I think they have one of the largest collection of natural products on the island, and rivals stores in the US for variety.

I chatted with the lovely owner, Alison Goddard, who emphasized that she wanted to give Trinbagonians quality, proven choices and she has included 10, yes 10, locally-made natural brands.

natural hair product in trinidad & tobago

Me with Alison Goddard, owner of Body Beautiful on d’Avenue

These include Happy Curls, Happy Girls, Kylex Naturals, Eco-Truffles, The Mixtress J Cosmetics and Yousentials. Of course you can get foreign brands like Oyin Handmade, Giovanni, CURLS, Alikay Naturals, Design Essentials, As I Am, Carol’s Daughter, Eden BodyWorks, Afexan and Shea Moisture (they have both the Jamaican Black Castor Oil and the Manuka Honey collections).

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