Beauty Musings: BB Creme vs Bronzing Powder

So if the month of September was all about things that make me happy then this month of October is definitely dedicated to you my fabulous readers and things that I think you might find useful. What's the point of giving you all random facts about myself without even helping you out sometimes. Life is about giving and taking no?

This is also my very first "beauty" post. I don't really consider myself to be a beauty buff of any kind. I didn't really start wearing make-up till I was well into my university years and I was generally never really that into my appearance. That's not to say I went about looking like a wretch o, I just never really thought about it so much. However, one day I was on my way to work and I noticed my selfie game was particularly weak, yeah I take selfies on the way to work sometimes, don't judge me. I hastily sent the pictures to my friend and she informed me that it was because my make-up game was even weaker. I was distraught but resolved to find a solution to this! Hence this post.

I have naturally combination/oily and super sensitive skin and so the plan was to find out which product between Bobbi Brown's bronzing powder and BB cream would give me light to medium coverage and last longer in the day.

So I applied each product in the morning while getting ready for work arond 6.30/7 a.m. and then did no touch ups through-out the day till I took the "End of the Day" picture around 5pm.

The bronzing powder in 'Deep 4' which is a long term favourite of mine and the first ever powder I bought. It gives a nice coverage and I love how light it feels. It looks really good in the morning but by the afternoon my face was super shiny and I had to keep blotting my face throughout the day.

Bronzing Powder Morning Shot. Excuse the shower cap. Haha

Bronzing Powder afternoon shot. Check out that sheen yo!

The BB creme is in 'Dark', I got it a couple of months ago and I love it! It has really good coverage too, right in between a powder and foundation but didn't make me feel too 'made-up'. It lasted quite nicely through out the day and I definitely got a lot less shine than with the bronzing powder although it tends to have a very 'dewy' feel when first applied and needs to be given a few minutes to sink in.

BB Cream morning shot.

BB Cream afternoon shot.

If your skin is quite oily and like me you can't be bothered to reapply powder every few hours, then I think the BB Creme is a better option. If you have normal skin and are just looking for light coverage for day to day use then I'd go for the powder! I personally still use both and alternate depending on my mood and how late I am to work but I still instinctively reach for my powder most times!

What brand of BB creme/ tinted moisturisers/ powder do you use on an almost daily basis?

The Naked Convos: War Paint

Hey peoples, this is a post I wrote for The Naked Convos today. The comments were quite funny sometimes so I was wondering what you guys thought!

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Hey guys, Reni here again. Twice this week, aren’t you lucky? Today we will be talking about war paint. War paint you say? Yes. War paint. For those who are still a bit confused, war paint is a “pigment or paint used to decorate the face and body before a battle.” Still don’t get it? Fine, I’d just come out and say it. We are talking about make-up! Now I’m sure all the males want to run away but please stay with me guys… Your input is most definitely required on this one.

As I’m sure most of us know by now, Tiwa Savage got married last weekend and her party was full of celebs and socialites alike. Everybody was dressed to impress, as they should be, but what really struck me was not the different styles that were contorted from the aso ebi of the wedding. No no, it was the paint that each woman seemed adorned with, from Tiwa herself to all the distinguished ladies in the house, everybody was at the ready. It was a war and it was every lady for herself, war paint looking just right in order to outshine the other ladies in their quest to finding the perfect single or not-so-single guy to call their own. These days it almost seems like if you don’t have a professional make-up artist on speed dial for these sorts of events then you will most certainly be carrying a big fat last.

But why is it though? When did the make-up artistes job go from doing “wedding make-up” for just the bride and bridal train to doing it for the entire congregation as well? Even those that clearly have no access to a MUA or even YouTube and a mirror find their way in order to hop on the bandwagon. Why do some people allow themselves to be oppressed?? Using foundation that is clearly about 3 or 4 shades lighter than their skin tone and all sorts of nasty colour combinations on their eyes just to be part of the club? Even those women that go for my personal favourite, the “natural look”, whilst I would be the first to admit that they look absolutely flawless, the amount of pancake-ing that goes into achieving that look is phenomenal! Trust me, I’ve seen it done before. The other day an uncle of mine made a remark about how one girl in a group was the most down to earth because she wore the least make-up. I’ve never laughed so hard in my life; it took that girl 1.5 hours to look that way sir! Beliee dat.

Okay, I feel like I’m starting to sound like I’m anti-make-up or something, which I really am not. I’ve even had my make-up professionally done once before, just for fun by my good friend from Eeda’s Atelier and whilst I do enjoy wearing make-up, I feel that some women have the wrong intentions. For instance, people always say that make-up should enhance your natural beauty but isn’t giving yourself a smaller nose, a cupids bow on your lips and higher cheekbones just a face-lift in disguise? Some ladies pile on the powder and foundation, layer after layer hoping that it will eventually be thick enough to conceal some of their deepest insecurities. Unfortunately, it will never be enough. Ever.

I’m quite curious as to why girls wear so much make-up sometimes though. I know for me personally, it gives me a little extra confidence boost and I would feel oppressed if I was the only bare-faced girl in a room full of nicely made-up people so I wouldn’t go out looking stupid. But, is giving my face a beating every single time I want to step outside truly necessary? Or is it better to be at the ready at all times? I just don’t know, and this is where you guys come in to help me!

Today’s question is kind of simple; Guys, do you like it when ladies come to weddings and other social events looking less like themselves and more like Nicki Minaj? Or are you for the “natural look”? Ladies, the question today is even more straightforward; why do you wear make-up? Haha.

Use the comments box to express you!