Posts Tagged ‘Oh it’s a Black Thing’

You will never find a black girl without some kind of hand moisturiser in her bag. (If you do come across one, well then she’s an anomaly.) If her hand cream runs out, trust me, it’s a mini disaster. As this time of year, it is even more essential that hand cream is a permanent fixture in my handbag. As one constantly on the lookout for products that work (old, new, cheap, or pricey -if it work’s, I’m loving it), I’ve been trying out tons of creams to stop my hands from looking like Keith Richards’ face. My favourites at the moment are as follows:

AESOP Resurrection Aromatic Hand Balm. Not too sticky, smells amazing with Mandarin, Rosemary leaf, Lavender, Cedarwood and Orange extract. And the packaging is so cool.

Floris Hand Treatment Cream. It is infused with so many bits like Babassu, Vitamin E and Aloe Vera that it cannot be anything but good.

Jo Malone Vitamin E Nourishing Hand Treatment. Super great to put on before bedtime. (What is it about night time that wants to suck every bit of moisture from you!?).

Crabtree and Evelyn Hand Therapy. An old favourite. I am such a sucker for the nostalgic, but not too twee, packaging. The Rosewater is divine, but there are tons of other fragrances to choose from – okay perhaps not tons, maybe four or something.

Last but not least, God bless L’Occitane. Their products always have Shea Butter in them, which I love anyway, but I have a soft spot for them for a completely different reason. When I popped into the New York store a few years back, I was recovering from a nasty car accident and still had some dressing down my neck and across my chest. The wonderful store manager came to speak and sympathise with my plight , and by the end of it she was like my new best friend. We hugged, she gave me millions of samples and I have loved L’Occitane ever since. Nice story, huh? And it’s all true.

I have talked about the issue of black hair on this column before but you really don’t have to have black hair to find this upcoming Chris Rock film absolutely hilarious, and super educational. Here is the YouTube trailer for it. Looking forward to it hitting the big screen!

There are a number of things that, when they hit the market, even beauty writers like myself roll their eyes and think, ‘oh great, yet another item to elongate the daily beauty routine.’ However, I have totally fallen in love with something that may be seen as an unnecessary addition to an already mammoth regime that involves an oil cleanser, toner, scrub, mask, moisturisers, night cream, eye gel, dark spot diminisher, etc, etc. I’m exhausted just thinking about it. That ‘something’ is facial mist. And yes, it is completely necessary.

Right now I am loving Omorovicza’s Queen of Hungary Mist. Based on an original beauty recipe made in the 14th Century for the Queen of Hungary – hence the name – the fundamental purpose is to rejuvenate the skin, correct skin tone and brighten the complexion. And I tell you, it works. I spray it after I’ve moisturised and it makes my skin look ten times better. So much so that I’m almost tempted to go into the office make up free. Almost. Just almost.

Omorovicza Queen of Hungary Mist is available from Cult Beauty , £45.00.

Yesterday Beverley Knight launched her new cosmetics line ‘K’ exclusively at Selfridges – with Chaka Khan joining her as she belted out some tunes with that unmistakeable voice. Music and make up, what could be better? The new range covers 15 products, from  oil-free foundations through to eyeliners and highlighters. We caught up with the lovely lady at the launch. Read on…

What was the inspiration behind your collection?

I wanted to create a cosmetics line that would service women like me, of darker skin, who always struggle to find products that cater for our colours. Whilst I wanted K to be accessible to all skins with the generic products like lipsticks, the primary focus and cornerstone products i.e. foundations and powders, were to be for dark skinned women.

Have you always had a love for beauty? When did it begin?

I have loved make up since I was a young teenager. I was always spending my pocket money on music and make-up. I would make up my own face, and the faces of my friends as I got more confident. As an adult I bought books on how to apply make-up and achieve different looks.

How long did the collection take from your vision to actually hitting the shelves?

From conception to finished product has taken around two years. Having been asked by other companies if I was interested in developing a perfume, or a book or some kind of extension of the “Beverley Knight” brand and declining them all, I was determined that K would have a reason to exist other than my own celebrity. Answering a glaring need in the cosmetics industry with a great quality range made sense to me.

What would you say is your favourite product in the collection?

I am very proud of the foundations and powders, but my absolute favourite product is the lipgloss! I love ruby and blackberry in particular!

Who is your favourite make up artist?

My favourite make up artist of all time is the late great Kevyn Aucoin. What a shame the world lost such an awesome talent. His work showed me just how far you could push a beauty look. He could make a simply pretty face look extraordinarily beautiful. I loved how he would transform RuPaul in particular. I wish that he could have made me up.

Who has your favourite make up ‘look’?

I love, and will always love Naomi. She was the model that made me sit up and take notice. She was an obviously black girl as opposed to being mixed or very light  skinned. A look that I could relate to. Through her I could really see how seasonal beauty trends could work on my own skin. Every black girl I knew copied the Kevyn Aucoin look created for Naomi’s lips dark around the edges, the colour getting much lighter as you graduate toward the centre, making the lips look even fuller than they already were. A revelation for all black girls everywhere teased for having full lips!

If a girl could only buy 3 products which ones should they be?

I would spend on the pressed powder, the mascara and my beloved lipgloss. They form my everyday face and these three basics see me through.

K by Beverley Knight is now available at Selfridges, 0800 123 400

This is a feature I came across on the New York Times website that I wanted to share. So fascinating hearing black women talk about their hair. I don’t think people realise how much of an issue black hair is. Politically, historically, and otherwise. My sisters and I could have a conversation about hair for hours – seriously. Though that conversation tends to be more frivolous than anything else.

Anyway, have a listen. The lady with the Naomi Campbell do – can you believe her husband never knew her hair wasn’t her own until recently? Hilarious.

Ah, forgive the silence; I have been holidaying in sunny Sardinia, but don’t worry, I didn’t leave my beauty head at home.

A lot of black women I come across think that being on a beach holiday is the perfect opportunity to be a ‘natural’ beauty – i.e. no base, Vaseline instead of lip gloss, etc etc. I, however, beg to differ. Of course I am not an advocate of looking like Jordan meets Danny La Rue while walking along the beach, but come on ladies, even on holiday, there is a reason God gave us Mac, Nars, Lancome et al. So with that in mind, despite packing lots of ‘just in case’ products, these five things turned out to be my fail safe beauties.

Prestige Mascara - Okay I have used tons of mascaras – some that cost three times as much as this – and I have to say, this mascara has blown me away. It’s great! You get really thick, full lashes and it doesn’t smudge. Though I have no idea if it’s waterproof – I can’t swim so the water never got past my chest. For those who didn’t know, swimming and black hair are not really great buddies. £4.99, available at Boots stores nationwide.

RMK Oil Cleanser - When I die and go to heaven, as well as my purple velvet made to order sofas, I will be taking this cleanser. It is the one thing that cleans my face perfectly regardless of the hardness of the water. Available at Selfridges.

Elizabeth Arden 8 hour cream – Great for sunburn, peeling and a multitude of other skin complaints. Yes, black people burn in the sun too! Available at all good department stores.

PIXI Lip Blush – I love this lip stain. It is matte – without being drying – giving you super-natural looking bee stung lips and a colour that lasts nearly all day. £16.00 from www.pixibeauty.com

Olive oil - On day two of my holiday I went to the supermarket, bought the biggest bottle of olive oil I could find and literally doused my hair in it. “Why?” you ask? Because the sun was turning my hair into straw, that’s why! The olive oil worked wonders though; my hair really softened up and by the end of the week I had a semi normal looking Afro.

Years ago if anyone had suggested that I should use an oil cleanser to get better skin, I probably would have slapped them. Like most black women I have quite oily skin, so why would I put more oil on skin that churns out more than the Middle East? Oil on skin to me meant a million spots and blemishes. Now I know better.

My first liaison with an oil cleanser was with Eve Lom. I was shocked at how well this thick oily gooey substance would loosen black heads from my skin. The ingredients include hops (yes, the thing they use when making beer), chamomile, clove, eucalyptus and lots of other bits that I can’t quite pronounce. What does it matter when it works, eh? It comes with a specially made muslin cloth that I also think is a miracle worker. It works with the cleanser to clean and exfoliate. I have literally seen blackheads on the cloth afterwards. (And it’s not because I scrub too hard!)

Another fabulous oil cleanser to try is the SKII Facial Treatment Cleansing Oil. I have never known anything to take make up off so thoroughly. It does leave a little bit of an oily residue so if you’d rather not have have that make sure you use a cloth similar to the Eve Lom version.

RMK’s Cleansing Oil is also fabulous. It emulsifies really well and does not leave a residue or sting the eyes, which is a huge bonus. 

Next on my list to try is Shu Uemura’s High Performance Balancing Cleansing Oil, so I’ll let you know how I fare. As you can tell, I have been totally converted to oil cleansers and my skin has never looked better. 

RMK available at Selfridges, SKII and Shu Uemura available at Space NK. 

One of the biggest issues I have with Afro hairdressers is that they tend to be on the outskirts of central London and their time keeping… well let’s just say it’s legendary. Put it this way, clients have been known to leave the salon at 2 o’clock in the morning (I kid you not). So with that in mind, I am always on the hunt for hairdressers that deal with Afro hair, are relatively central AND are relatively good at telling the time.

And so, imagine my delight when I stumbled across yet another salon that ticks these boxes. De-Lady is just off Victoria Street in Victoria. It is only a tiny, homely place – on a street that also sometimes doubles up as a raucous market – but they do absolutely EVERYTHING for Afro hair. From relaxers to treatments to amazingly real looking, Cheryl Cole rocking hair extensions (Peruvian or Russian? Take your pick).

What impressed me even further was the fact that they also do BRAIDS! YES! A braidist in central London! Wonders will never cease! I have not found ANYWHERE in central London that does braids. Usually having braids means going to areas where you’d either have to wear a bullet proof vest or hold on very tightly to your purse. Otherwise you’d make an appointment with a home based stylist who has to have a break every 2 seconds to cook rice and stew /wipe her screaming child’s nose/ change the babies nappies/ pick up the other child from school/ eat/ rest/eat again/phone a friend etc etc.

So yes, De-Lady is a super breath of fresh air. They are professional, fun and they have a bevy of upmarket (and down to earth) clients whose conversations range from why you should buy Oscar de la Renta’s £10,000 wedding dress to the addictive debacle called Katie and Peter. The salon may not have the snazziness of a million pound hairdressers in Knightsbridge but the lovely owner, the brilliant services (they also have a beauty treatment room) and fabulous products (Keracare, Phyto, L’Oreal Professional) they offer make it really worth a visit.

De-Lady Salon, 21 Strutton Ground, London SW1P 2HY. Telephone 0207 222 1934 or visit http://www.de-lady.co.uk

Candles for me are a thing of great beauty. I light them and they actually make me feel beautiful. Yes, really. In the words of that famous song by Charles and Eddie ‘Would I lie to you baby?’ Recently I’ve been having a lot of candle infused conversations. One French lady has an annual New Years Eve Party which involves every one of the 250 guests bringing at least one candle. They are all lit and everyone dances the night away to the scents of Jo Malone, Tocca, Cire Trudon (love the packaging!), Diptyque and the like. There’s a part of me that thinks ‘Wow, how amazing’, but then there is another part of me that is running away screaming, ‘IT’S A CULT!’. 

Lots of older generation Africans do not associate candles with beauty and luxury. No, they associate it with depressing nights of power cuts spent clumsily getting burnt by melted wax, batting away mosquitoes and sweating furiously because the air conditioning is broken and the heat from the candle makes your situation ten times worse. They also associate it with your house burning down and weird rituals (our French lady friend would be frowned upon very much indeed).

So yes, for them candles are bad. But I bet if I send them some of my favourites, they’ll change their minds. I love Floris candles – old school and still up there with the best of them. For those who might find the Jasmine and Rose too sweet, the Grapefruit and Rosemary is super fresh and absolutely fabulous. Jo Malone - of course – is also divine. The scents are really rich and last forever. Well okay, not quite forever, but a pretty long time. Vintage Gardenia floats my boat, but look out for the Deluxe Limited Edition Tea Box of candles coming out this autumn, too. It’s a must for any candle aficionado. Another personal favourite are Tocca candles – especially the ‘Florence’ – they are to die for and super chic. A fashion insider fave.

Ah just as soon as my ‘foundation woes’ post went up, I had a call from the lovely girls at BECCA to show me what they had to offer in way of make up that looks great on black skin. I was super impressed when I arrived at their Pelham Street boutique. Gorgeously lit, beautifully decadent with feathered curtains, comfy sofas, chandeliers (I LOVE chandeliers!) It really was the perfect ‘dressing room’ setting, ideal for playing around with various face paints with the help of the friendly make up artist.

I’ve never been able to get over the trauma of having my make up done in the middle of a horribly busy department store that shall remain nameless. It was like being shoved through a conveyor belt in a meat market.

Anyway I just started using Becca’s stick foundation in Chocolate and it is FANTASTIC. It glides on really easily and makes me look like a much better version of myself –i.e. I just look like I am naturally gorgeous. Come on, no one actually wants to LOOK like they are wearing foundation. Oh and it also has SPF 30+ which is impressive but unsurprising seeing as the founder – Rebecca Morrice Williams – is Australian. What else can I tell you? It is only slightly longer than the middle of your palm so it is so easy to cart around, which truth be told most foundations are not. All in all, Becca, bravo!

Read the musings of an anonymous beauty writer who happens to be a black woman with a thing or two to say about the state of beauty for women of colour every week on Cult Beauty.

As a young girl, following my bath, my mother would oil my skin with cocoa butter and olive oil. She always felt that if you were not properly moisturised you looked ‘poor’ and didn’t come from a ‘good home’, (Go figure). Needless to say, by the time she finished, you could literally fry an egg on me. Oh yes, parents are so reasonable.

Nowadays, I still feel the same way about not wanting to be so greasy. At the same time, I would like a body moisturiser that is oily enough to really moisturise black skin. I have searched and searched and it’s actually quite difficult. Lots of black girls I know have reverted, in their frustration, to the old school classic – Palmers Cocoa Butter. This is deemed to be the original and the best and I do love it too but it can make me feel quite hot (not in a good way) and also after a while the sweet smell that I loved as a child starts to make me nauseous.

I’ve tried the Body Shop Body Butters which are pretty good but strangely not always heavy enough in the winter. So what to do? I’ve discovered the joys of Body Oils – they definitely bridge the gap.

Abahna’s version in Frangipani and Orange Blossom is the first one I discovered and it has been an absolute godsend. It smells delicious and comes in gorgeous packaging. Also with the spray format, you don’t end up with more oil than you actually need. I also love the Miller Harris body oil in Fleur Oriental and Ila Body Oil for Vital Energy. They are a fabulous way to wear a pretty fragrance in the summer. Korres’ Coriander Body Oil was also impressive – particularly since I thought I’d hate it – the African in me thought ‘Why would I put coriander on my skin?’ But hey what can I say, I can’t explain it but it just works.

Read the musings of an anonymous beauty writer who happens to be a black woman with a thing or two to say about the state of beauty for women of colour every week on Cult Beauty.