EYES | MAYBELLINE VOLUM' EXPRESS MASCARAS

Hi all! Back with some make up talk for you today, and in the spotlight is make up brand Maybelline. Maybelline launched in Kenya earlier this year (along with power house brand Revlon). It's great to see international make up companies embracing the Kenyan market as the HUNGER is out there. I have got to admit though, I'm only a recent convert to Maybelline. I actually used to walk past their counter in make up shops for a long while, not quite seduced by their products, until around a year and half ago or so. I don't know what persuaded me to do it - maybe it's a rebranding and clever new marketing -  but since trying out their products, I am a huge fan and there is no going back!

So you've wandered down to your nearest stockist, and you're confronted with a shelf full of product. Where to start? Look no further than the Volum' Express mascara range.

SKINCARE | SIMPLE EYE MAKE UP REMOVER

There is probably nothing more annoying than trying to shift that stubborn eye make up from your eyes after a big night out. If you've ever made the mistake of trying to get rid of your eyeshadow/mascara/eyeliner/glitter with a baby wipe (like me), you'll know how bad of an idea that is. You only manage to move about 1/2 the product off your face, and the rest kind of gets ingrained in your skin and you wake up in the morning looking like a panda.

TRENDS | IT'S ALL GONE A BIT DOTTY

I'm baaaaack...! So sorry for being gone so long. Between completing my Masters dissertation (#thevalleyoftheshadowofDEATH), job hunting, and starting work again, I have literally had NO time :( But the important thing is that FTTLP is back. I've got some great posts already lined up for you in the next couple of weeks, so let's get straight to it!!

If you'd been keeping your eye on the catwalks this past Fashion Month, you'd practically have to have been blind not to notice polkas EVERYWHERE. Different colours, different sizes, overlays... Let's not call it a revival, cause let's be honest, polkas can never go out of fashion. But I am so here for the re-celebration of this oh so fabulous trend. I am a true sucker for a dot-adorned garment and own several tops and dresses covered with spots. There's something that's so feminine and demure, yet playful about polkas. And, paired with the right cut and length, you can even make a dot super sexy.

HAUL | RECENT BEAUTY BUYS

Hi lovelies! I’ve had chance to pick up a few beauty bits since I’ve been back and I'm here with a review. Most of my beauty purchases in Kenya tend to be on impulse. I occasionally pop into a Super Cosmetics or into Our Price next to Jamia Mall (speaking of which, can somebody tell me what’s happened to Our Price, it’s closed!!) to have a proper browse, but that’s maybe once or twice a month.

The first two goodies I picked up were from Suzie Beauty. I’ve been monitoring the Suzie Beauty line while I’ve been away and I’ve been dying to get my hands on this Kenyan brand! I made a dedicated stop at my nearest stockist (find your local stockist HERE) to check out the products. I tested out the foundations (although I couldn’t find a colour match, SB do promise to release two more shades in September, so fingers crossed I come up lucky), lipsticks, eye shadows and make up brushes.

After a lot of uhm-ing and ah-ing over the eyes shadow shades, I opted for the colour ‘Usi’. Usi is a highly pigmented blue-black matte shadow, with tiny multi-coloured shimmers running through it. But as you can see from the picture, it’s really not a shimmer/metallic shadow per se – the shimmery flecks are so tiny, they act as almost to deepen the colour and give some depth to the solid matte look. You only really see the shimmer quite close up and when moving in the light.  

WELCOME

Without much further ado, welcome to FTLLP! One year in the making (in my mind at least), I’m finally ready to dominate a little slice of the internet and infuse a little bit of magic.

Who am I, anyway?

In a nutshell: Olivia, 24, Kenyan born, Mancunian bred (#thecityisRED), humanitarian lawyer by training, and creative by calling. Stuff junkie (read: shoe, bag, jewellery, clothes, makeup…basically, anything-that-looks-nice junkie), notorious over-packer (I am the woman at the airport with seven pieces of luggage in tow), involuntary-eyebrow shade giver, lewd-lyric lover and full of life!