CANTU || PRODUCT EMPTIES

When it comes to my natural hair, coconut oil and water is the way to go. I have used so many products on my natural hair, some I liked and some I don't want to remember using. I don't stock up on hair products like I used to because I've learnt that less is more. This isn't my first time using CANTU hair products, I have used the CANTU Argan Oil Leave-In Conditioning Repair Cream, and my hair loved it. If you have natural hair -like I do- you either have heard a lot about this brand or have used it yourself. 

CANTU Shea Butter Conditioning Creamy Hair Lotion | When I apply this hair lotion onto my hair, it leaves my hair smelling amazing and extremely soft. I use the hair lotion in my hair to moisturize my hair before I apply my braids, and I use it on my braids as well, to add some shine. The bottle isn't completely empty, and has a little amount left, that I am trying to last me until I repurchase another. The hair lotion is a bit on the pricey side, but it's worth it because it made detangling my hair a lot easier and faster. 

CANTU Shea Butter Define & Shine Custard | Truth be told, I do not know the technical difference between hair gel and hair custard. But now that I have tried both, I prefer using a hair custard than a hair gel. I did not get to try out a twist out or a wash n' go using the custard -since my hair was braided- but I used it to tame my baby hairs, and it kept them in place a lot longer than if I used gel. I used the custard in my mother's 4a/b hair and it made her curls stand out. Just like the hair lotion the custard is pricey, well pricier than the hair lotion, but I don't regret purchasing it.

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Email: info@brittneymathurin.com

NEW YEAR, NEW BLOG

Happy New Year! I hope that this new year is already starting off great for all of us. May this new year be a year of change for many of us -in a good way, whether it is spiritual changes or most importantly, changes in ourselves.

I took a long break from blogging for a while, mainly because I was going through a lot of changes in my life, and I needed to regroup, reorganise and set my priorities straight. When I first started blogging, I was so excited to see it grow and to start friendships with some amazing blogging sisters, but then I got a little bit discouraged mainly because of personal reasons.

Now that the New Year has started, I realised that I shouldn't let people's actions deter me from doing what I love, because of their lack of originality. No matter how many times people try to do what you do, they can NEVER be you. I started blogging for a reason, and I will continue to blog until my reason becomes clear, and people who read my blog becomes inspired. Life is too short to worry about others and how they're trying to make it in life. Which is why one of my resolutions for this year is to, "Focus on ME".

I know that a lot of you have realised many changes in my blog layout. I worked really hard on it, and I hope that you appreciate the changes that I have made. I look forward to getting better at doing my makeup, and sharing with you all, a few of my makeup tips and tricks, as well as OOTD, etc. Please stay tuned, because there is a lot that I have planned for my blog for this new, amazing year.

Thank You! To all those who have stuck by me and continued to follow my blog, and to those I may have inspired. Comment down below, and let me know how you feel about the new layout for brittneymathurin.com.

You can follow me on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook to stay connected. 
Email: info.brittneymathurin.com

LIEBSTER AWARD

Hello Everyone! I know, I know, did I disappear off of the face of the earth? Did I forget that I have a blog? Or did I forget about you guys? The answer is no, no and of course, no. Truth is, there are a lot of changes going on in my life right now that is taking me some time to adjust to, all of which I will address in an upcoming blog post simply to inform you guys about why I have been away. But first, I have some super exciting news that I am so grateful and so thankful for, to share with you guys.

The beautiful Mercedes Viera, creator of "Merzy's Corner" has nominated me, Brittney Mathurin (yes me) for the Liebster Award. I have seen a lot of these awards on other blogs, but I never thought that I would be nominated for one. Thank you oh so much Mercedes, you're such a sweetheart! Please head over and check out her amazing blog (Merzy's Corner).

The Rules:

• Once nominated, make a post thanking and linking your nominator's blog.

• Include the Liebster Award's sticker in the post as well (you can copy it from above).

• Nominate 10 other new bloggers that have 200 or less followers who you think are worthy of this award and include their links in your post. Also, make sure that you let them know they've been nominated by commenting on one of their posts. You can nominate the person who nominated you.

• Answer the 10 questions asked to you by your nominator (these questions should be on their post). And make 10 questions of your own for your nominees to answer.

• Finally, copy these rules onto your post.

Merzy's Questions:

Where are you from?

I am from the simply beautiful Caribbean island of St. Lucia!

What do your friends think of your blog?

Well, those that I have told about my blog are very supportive about it, and I am grateful for that.

Favorite makeup brands?

This is a hard question because living in St. Lucia it's hard to find the higher end makeup brands. The majority of the stuff sold here are drugstore brands so I would have to say NYX. 

Favorite part of your makeup routine?

My favourite part of my makeup routine has to be applying lip liner/lipstick. I just think the lip colour  that you choose is what brings your makeup look together. It is like the icing on the cake for me when applying my makeup. 

Why do you blog?

The reason why I blog is because I love makeup and anything beauty related and I also love writing, so finding a place where I can express my love for these two things at the same time, is the reason why I blog.

What colors are your walls?

My walls are an off white, creamy colour and forest green. I'm not really a fan of the forest green.

Where do you take your photos?

I take my blog photos on the floor in the balcony in my house, which is where I get the best lighting. As for selfies, I take those standing in front of my bedroom window with my pink flower curtains in the background.

Where do you do your shopping?

My favourite place to shop in my country is definitely M&C Drugstore cause they sell lots of really good makeup, skincare, and hair products there, and as for online shopping, I would say Amazon.

Favorite nail color to wear?

I love, love, love nudes, but my favourite nail colour to wear when I feel a bit extra is definitely a deep, plum red.

Favorite blogger?

My favourite blogger is Morgan Stewart, the creator of BOOBS & LOUBS. She is the type of blogger that many of us consider being a "lifestyle blogger", mainly because she posts about EVERYTHING! I just love how real and expressive she is when she writes a blog post. I just cannot get enough of her.

I Nominate!

Londonstagraam

Liza Tait-Bailey

Shy Nature

My Questions:

• What is one makeup product that you stock up on?
• What inspired you to blog?
• Coffee or Tea?
• Who is your celebrity crush?
• What is one makeup product that you regret buying?
• What is your favourite movie?
• Do you tweeze, wax or shave your eyebrows?
• What part of the world would you love to live in?
• Would you rather go one day without makeup or one day without your phone?
• What is your favourite thing in your room?

Sorry guys, but I couldn't think of 10 bloggers because those that I had in mind have already been nominated for this award, but I hope you guys enjoyed this blog post. See you soon in my next blog post! 

TROU AU DIABLE BEACH RESTAURANT

Hey lovies, I don't know if you guys have realised a few minor changes to my blog, like my new favicon (you know that little picture thingy in the address bar of my browser). Anyhoo, I recently went to Trou Au Diable Beach Restaurant at Anse Chastanet Hotel in Soufriere, and the experience was one that I surely had to share with you guys.

As soon as we arrived we were greeted very nicely and placed at a table where we were able to have a pretty decent view of the sea. After scheming through the menu (because I was a little too distracted by all the boats and the amazing view of the sea, that I didn't take my time to go through it), a beautiful waitress named Vanessa, came to our table and she was so pretty, had a bubbly personality and was really kind. She took our orders and told us to wait for just a few minutes (which it really was a few minutes), and she would be back with our food. The decor for the restaurant was themed around my country's traditional madras which was used for the tablecloth, napkin and was worn by all the workers there. This made the place feel so much more comforting, bright and colourful.
P.S. I sincerely apologize for any mouth watering that these pictures may cause, but I am going to warn you guys about how colourful and amazing each and every meal looked.

                    Chicken Noodle Soup                                   Coconut Shrimp Beach Salad

For our first course, I had Chef Blackie’s Soup of the Day which just happened to be Chicken Noodle Soup and was served with garlic butter creole bread which was incredible. I literally had every last drop of that soup, and my mother had the Coconut Shrimp Beach Salad with farmers greens, pomegranate onions, nuts and citrus dressing and she was only able to eat half of it (that's how much salad that was in that bowl). 

                  Char-Grilled Chicken Breast                                    Line Caught Fish Du Jour

For our second course, I had the Char-Grilled Chicken Breast with sweet potato salad, local grilled vegetables and chimichurri sauce. I don't even know how to begin describing this for you guys because my mouth is already watering. That chimichurri sauce with that perfectly cooked chicken breast and oh so sweet potato salad had me dancing in my chair, and I don't dance in public so that should give you an idea of how good it was. My mother had the Line Caught Fish Du Jour with green banana lyonnaise, souscaille and caribbean pumpkin slaw. All she said to me was that the fish was the best fish she has ever tasted and that she would love to go home with a bowl of that sauce. Oh, that is chocolate drizzled on that plate (stop it Brittney, it's just food control your taste buds).

I also got a fresh, fancy looking glass of fruit punch which I couldn't finish because the food already did. I'm not to sure as to exactly what was in that glass, but I could taste lots of bananas, pineapples and mangoes. The banana added some sweetness to the fruit punch while the pineapple and mango added just the right amount of sourness to it.

 Painting of The Pitons (Historic Landmark)

We were all done with our meals and it was time for dessert. but we had to wait a bit. While we waited, I walked around and snapped a few pictures of some of the most beautiful wood carvings and paintings which were all carved and painted by the locals which to me is truly astonishing. I think this is a great way to add economic benefits back to the people of the area, which I later learned to be one of the main purpose of the restaurant and surrounding buildings.

Very Berry                                                          Coffee Loves Toffee  

For desert, we decided to have ice-cream. I had Coffee Loves Toffee which had lots and lots of coffee ice-cream and toffee, topped with a strawberry. I could not finish it all because of how strong the coffee was in it. My mother had Very Berry which as the name suggests, was filled with berries and chocolate and tasted really sweet, it too was topped with a strawberry. 

My mother was so fond of dessert that she asked the chef for a special plate of dessert to take home. She got a scoop of coffee ice-cream with nuts and a mini chocolate tart, and passion fruit drizzled all over her take away plate. 

I honestly had such an amazing time at this lovely beach restaurant and I would surely revisit to try out some of their burgers and other delicious eats.  

I also want to thank you all for over 2000 page views, and 74 followers on Bloglovin'. Whoop! Whoop! Thank you guys so much! 

REVIEW || BLACK OPAL

Hey lovies!! I know I have been away for a while and I haven't posted as much as I should, but I am trying to develop a schedule for posting. I am thinking two or three days out of the week including Monday and Friday. Those are not the official dates, but I will update you guys on the dates that I have chosen. Please comment down below if you guys have any thoughts or recommendations.

If you guys have not heard about Black Opal, then continue reading my review all about it.
Black Opal is a brand which specializes in makeup for darker skin tones like myself. Since I leave in the Caribbean I haven't experienced a problem in finding the right shade of foundation but finding a good quality foundation is a much larger task. Black Opal's products are very affordable in St. Lucia and you can find it at numerous beauty supply stores.

On another note, I tried a little bit of blogger type photography. I am not a professional at all and you guys know that I am a new blogger (noob lol), so I'm still getting used to this new blogger lifestyle. I'm not to sure if I did great a job or not or if I have succeeded, but at least I tried and did a little something. "Practice makes perfect", so I guess I'm gonna keep on trying. If you guys like the pictures please let me know in a comment down below.

I've been wearing makeup for almost two years now, and I remember the first foundation that I used, my mom bought it for me and it was Black Opal Creme To Powder Foundation. I remember how smooth and airbrushed my skin looked and the first time I ever wore it to go outside, I remember getting a lot of compliments from my cousins and neighbours. To this day, I haven't repurchased it because my shade "Beautiful Bronze", seems to be the most common shade in my country, which means they run out of it very quickly. Instead, I decided to buy the Black Opal True Color Creme Stick Foundation, and I haven't been its biggest fan. The foundation is great, but I just don't like it as a stick. For me, it was hard to blend it out into my hairline and my neck using my beauty blender. I don't use it anymore but my mother uses it and she seems to like it more than I do. I'm happy with the coverage and it does remind me of the Creme To Powder Foundation.

Please note that a lot of these products are not in my correct shade. The Black Opal Even True Concealer was actually on sale when I bought it (lucky me). Mahogany was the lightest shade that was available at the time so I had to get it, and did I mention that it was on sale? As a concealer, I would not rate it a ten or anything close to a ten. If you're seeking for a light coverage foundation then this product is a great replacement for your foundation. One of the things that I am not a fan of was the roller ball application (I think that is what it's called), where you press the ball onto your skin as you roll it all over where you are applying the concealer. Sometimes you have to press really hard for the concealer to come out, which hurts (ouch!!). This product also has a very watery consistency which makes it very easy to blend but after a few hours the concealer seems to disappear, not literally disappear, but it doesn't appear as prominent as it should.

The last Black Opal product that I own is the Black Opal Oil-Absorbing Pressed Powder. This product actually belongs to my mother hence the reason why it is in the shade "Truffle" (which is not my correct shade). Although it is a bit dark for me, you can't really tell when I apply it very lightly over the Black Opal True Color Creme Stick Foundation. Overall this is my favourite Black Opal product because it does exactly what it is meant to do -which is to absorb oil- and it lasts for a very long time. By the end of the day, when I need to freshen up my makeup, just a few dabs of this product and I honestly look brand new. This product is definitely up for a repurchase but in my correct shade of course. 

Thank you all for reading my posts and for all of my 60 followers on Bloglovin'. Air hugs and kisses to you all!!

DISCLAIMER:

All of the items listed above were bought with my own/parents money, and these are my personal opinions about each product. 

Feel free to use my pictures, but I would appreciate giving credit.