Beauty Brands - Are we particular?

Beauty brands. There are so many currently in the market. Mainstream, startups, designers, even high street shops have started their beauty sections.

How do we choose the right one? Do we go based on hype? most popular/influential? Most expensive? Cheapest?

In order to be specific, beauty brands can encompass makeup, skincare, nail care, and hair care.

I had a question posed to me a few days back. Would my go-to beauty brands be changing after the black lives matter movement?

I tried not to answer the question on the spot. Luckily was able to get out of it. However, it got me thinking about beauty brands and how we choose those to go with.

My personal opinions:

In order to choose beauty brands, I have a clear system/beliefs. I am a dark-skinned combination. Normal/oily (on my T-zone).

• Know your skin type. Focus on brands that have products for your skin type.

• Must know what ingredients do not work for your skin type

• Don't buy into any hype.

• The order of the ingredients matter

• Investigate the product. Read reviews.

• Always, always do a skin patch test. Had a terrible allergic reaction a few years back.

Now to brands with products that work for me.

Skincare (Body):

• Super health skin creme - Beauty pie. (beautypie.com)

• Bathandbodyworks body butter and body lotions (bathanddodyworks.com)

• E45 cream (boots.com)

• Lanolips Lanolin all over (cultbeauty.com)

• I always mix my body products with marula oil, wild argan oil (The ordinary range) and Bio oil (boots.com)

I recently purchased from 2 new brands, however, since they are being tested, will not mention them now until I have done a good wear test.

Skincare (Face)

Morning:

• Cleanse with Bodyshop Himalayan charcoal purifying clay wash (bodyshop.co.uk)

• Apply Glossier the solution with a cotton pad (glossier.com)

• Serums - The ordinary Buffet, Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% and Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA (Boots.com)

• Oil - Hemp seed oil from boots ingredients (boots.com)

• Face cream -The ordinary Natural moisturizing factors + HA (boots.com)

• Must not forget sunscreen. Use Heliocare 360 Oil-Free Gel SPF 50 or La Roche-Posay Anthelios Ultra-Light Invisible Fluid Sun Cream SPF50. Either of these do not give you that white cast.

Evening:

• Cleanse with Bodyshop Himalayan charcoal purifying clay wash (bodyshop.co.uk)

• Apply the ordinary glycolic acid 7% with a cotton pad (boots.com)

• Serums - The ordinary Buffet and Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% (Boots.com)

• Oil - rose hip seed oil from the ordinary (boots.com). Alternate this with Avocado Melt Retinol Sleeping Mask from glow recipe (glowrecipe.com)

These are my holy grail products for the face and body.

Been challenged to try other brands. Challenge accepted. Over the next few months. Will be changing my products every 4 weeks to test new products. Glow recipe, beauty pie, Ole Henriksen, Elemis amongst others. My face is already screaming!

Makeup brands

For makeup brands, rather mention the brands rather than the products I use from each as these change quite often.

• Chanel**

• H & M

• Nyx**

• Mented cosmetics**

• Range beauty**

• Pat McGrath**

• Mac

• Perricone MD**

• Glossier**

• Laura Mercier**

• Nudestix**

• Becca

Those with stars refer to brands I have complexion products from.

In recent months, I have been more open to alternative beauty brands. Discovered Range beauty and Mented cosmetics which are fantastic and black owned. Cannot sing their praises enough and deserve more recognition than when they currently have.

Laura Mercier and Chanel need to expand their shade range. Do not consider myself that dark and already almost at the end of their shade range if not the end. For reference, I am a Deep 32 in Pat Mcgrath foundations, Cocoa in Nyx born to glow foundation.

Now, you know mine. What works for you? What brands or products are your holy grail? Are you still on the hunt for yours?

Talk to me!