Update: Where Have I Been?

 Since we last spoke, a whirlwind of things have been happening and though I've missed blogging I have been forced to prioritize everyday things over being able to sit down for a minute and produce content. Not to worry, they have been mostly good things but they have demanded quite a lot of my time. 

I have pondered whether I should share what's been happening, and how much I should share and I've decided to share only that which will affect this blog moving forward so as to maintain some privacy for my family and myself but still keep you guys in the loop a bit. So I'll stop rambling and give you my updates:

1. We're having a baby!!!

I learnt that contrary to popular belief, you're pregnant for more than nine months. I have found myself seeking out mommy blogs of calm mothers who juggle earning as well as being caregiver and I feel like that will be an added element of the blog in the future. I know that our lives will change beyond anything we can imagine so I am just taking it one day at a time and trying not to figure out how or who I'll be after the birth.

2.  I have closed/ put on hold my jewellery business

When I first started Namesake, I was working for myself and could handle quality control, processing and customer service because I could structure my time. Once I started working for someone else it became a definite struggle. It required using a delivery man, and someone who was unfamiliar with following up with customs and/or customers to handle queries. Further, asking clients to wait eight hours for a response to an inquiry was not a good idea. Eventually, because I could not get the help I needed, we decided to close the store for now.

3. I've been assigned more responsibility

I am now in charge of more than just myself. This means ultimately I have less time for myself at work but more things to do. This has required some massive re-organization in the way I carry out my daily tasks and requires me to learn and carry out management skills I had previously relied on infrequently. I now have to actively work on growing myself as a person and an employee and it's been quite the learning curve.

4. I'm writing a book...

Sigh. I'm writing a book I hope to finish by the end of this year. I feel compelled to write it and to finish it. I will be sharing snippets right here on the blog so you can look out for that. I really really hope you like it and will be able to see my vision and why it's so important for me to write it.

There are many more changes I wish I could share with you. Some you will notice if you pay close attention over time, others will have to remain a secret. I have a new appreciation for personal style and clothes, now that I can't fit into 80%  of my pre-pregnancy wardrobe so I know I will be curating my style and the things I talk about on this blog more carefully from here on out.

Thank you so much for sticking with me through this time and look out for more posts in the future.

'til lata,

*Jane

Read More

Review - Maybelline Color Sensational Vivids Lipstick

When I got into wearing lip colour I started out with berry tones, plums and reds - all pretty safe options for my skin tone but then I saw and fell in love with Kerry Washington's lip color on the cover of Elle Magazine and then even more so the new trends with orange and coral lip colours so I went and picked up the Mabelline Color Sensational Vivids Lipstick in 'Electric Orange' No. 880. It wasn't quite the shade I wanted so I also picked up ''Vibrant Mandarin' No. 885.

                             

I've had the lipsticks now for a couple of months and have worn them out on different occasions to get a proper feel for them. Here are my thoughts thus far:

Packaging

Left - Electric Orange ; Right - Vibrant Mandarin

The packaging is relatively simple and fuss free with a square, faux metal base and a transparent neon cap. The name and number of the lipstick is printed on a sticker on the bottom and the actual colour is pretty close to the colour of the sticker. The cover is the standard snap/pull off cover and you get to the bullet by twisting the bottom. There is nothing fancy but because the cover is neon, it is easy to distinguish from your other lipsticks.

Pricing
The lowest price point I've seen this at is $750 JMD and the highest at $990 JMD so you will be spending more than say a Jordana lipstick but definitely less than a MAC lipstick. I personally don't think that this is bad for the price as Maybelline lipsticks are pretty much reliable.

Application
When you open the tube the first thing that will hit you is the smell. Both smelled slightly different but they had the same base scent. The smell reminds me of if you were to mix the smell at the end of a vanilla candle with play-do. It's not a pleasant smell and it lingers so that you can smell it on your lips for about an hour or so. So boo to that. 

Above - Electric Orange; Below - Vibrant Mandarin

Separately from that however, the colour is true to form and what you see on the bullet is the color pay off you get. The application is therefore almost opaque which is excellent for women of colour because this means that you don't have to apply concealer to get the true colour of the lipstick. Application is smooth because the lipstick is quite moisturizing and has a creamy glossy finish. However, if you layer it on you will see it start to drag and the colour streak a bit. For this reason, I would say to get the best result, apply lip liner to your lips first and dot on the colour rather than swiping it on. If you are going to go lipliner-free then application with a lip brush should help you avoid that streakiness if you intend to layer.

Durability
The product is not one of the long-wearing lip colours offered by Maybelline and therefore will transfer and rub off, but unless you are eating or making out, the colour doesn't fade for about four hours. It also doesn't dry out the lips leaving you with that shriveled lip effect some long wearing lip products cause.

Results
The Vivids lipsticks are true to their name - they provide a bright, basically opaque, creamy colour for the times when you want a bolder look. If you want to tone it down, rim your lips with a deeper coloured lipliner and blend it into the lipstick to bring down the contrast or, mix it with sheer gloss for a lighter feel. I even mixed mine with another lip colour to create a colour I felt more comfortable wearing during the daytime. You can see that diy here .

All in all, this is an excellent solution for those that want great colour pay off but don't want to shell out for higher end lipsticks. I would give this a 7.5/10 with my only complaints being the inability to layer the colour easily and the off-putting smell.

Have you tried these out yet? Which colour are you loving?

Do you have a product you'd like me to try out and review before you buy it? Shoot me an email or leave me a comment and I'll give it a try.

Till later,
**Jane

(I am an Amazon Affiliate and image links are Amazon Affiliate links)

Read More

Review - MAC Mineralized Skin Finish Natural

Whoever invented MAC MSF Natural is a genius and I am quite frankly confused as to why I did not hear about this until recently. I've had this product since August and I can now declare that this is love.

The MAC Mineralized Skin Finish Natural is a multi-use product with an excellent silky finish that stays put and does not break you out. I am HUGE fan and I will go as far as saying that if you don't have this product go out and get it pronto.But, I digress shall we proceed?

photo credit

 

Packaging
This is a standard MAC product so it comes in standard packaging with a transparent cover, in a large black pot. It has a push lever rather than the snap closure which makes it easier to open than your standard compact. The product is molded into a dome shape which makes for easy swiping with a brush. The one drawback is that it does not come with a mirror so you can't just throw this in your bag and go. I have read a couple reviews and there is a call for an addition of a mirror so maybe MAC will heed the call and add this later on.

Read More