Showin Some Love

We're on a little blog break, but we wanted to show some love to a few other Caribbean fashion and beauty bloggers out there. This great idea was initiated by Jeneille (see her blog below) over at Beauty by Jinjer ; also check out some of the other fab Caribbean bloggers

Roxanna at Foxy et al reviews L.A. Girl High Definition Concealer.

Keren at Keren Nicole gives us an easy way of removing glitter nail polish

Jeneille of Beauti by Jinjer shares with us her favourite nudes for women of colour.

Jules at A Fashionista Named Jules rocks a Bohemian inspired dress that she made herself.

If you would like to be featured in a future Caribbean Beauty and Fashion Blogger Report, please e-mail Jeneille at jinjera(at)gmail(dot)com.

See you all in a few guys!!

Debbie 

One Love: Jamaican Blogger Tag

There has been a little tag going around the Jamaican blogosphere and we were tagged by the lovely Ashleigh over by The Pink Socialite,  the gorgeous Lorrane of Haute People and the wonderful Afayah of Beauty Jamaica to participate, so let's jump right in!

Here are the rules of this tag:

Title your post "One Love: Jamaican Blogger Tag"

 

 Link back to the blogger who tagged you (you may add a brief definition of what a tag is for the benefit of your readers)

 Copy and paste the rules at the beginning of your tag

 Copy and paste the questions as well so readers know what's going on

 Answer the questions

 Tag 7 other Jamaican bloggers to continue the trend. Kinda forces you to make friends, no? 

QUESTIONS

1. Why did you give your blog its name? (If it is named directly after you, try and make your answer interesting. eg: Did you feel nervous at all about putting your name out there? Did you just lack creativity at the time?)

Quite honestly I (Debbie)was thinking of a name that sounded different/unique and I don't know why the word Exotic stood out, but it did. We initially named our Youtube channel Exotic Jamaican Girl then the blog ensued afterwards and the name Exotic You sounded just right, so we stuck with it :)

2. Why did you start blogging and why do you blog now?

We both have an obsession with all things beauty and fashion related so the blog was an outlet for us to express ourselves, then we realized that we could use the blog to help anyone out there looking for beauty and fashion tips.

3. Do you think being Jamaican influences your blogging style?

Being Jamaican influences everything we do, because it's who we are. We are inspired by our surroundings and we are currently loving the fact that more Jamaicans are taking fashion and beauty seriously. We wanted our blog to be very "Jamaican-centric" (yeah we just made up that word) so that we address what the Jamaican ladies want to know about fashion and beauty in Jamaica, but also balancing it with our personal fashion and beauty preferences.

4. What do you think about the increase in bloggers in Jamaica?

We are loving that there are more Jamaican bloggers because we can all learn from each other as we all have our own unique style of blogging.

5. What is your favourite thing about being Jamaican?

Our favourite thing about being Jamaican is definitely the fact that we get to be surrounded by other Jamaicans. Jamaicans are amazing people, our personality always shines bright anywhere that we go.

6. Ackee and saltfish or “(mackerel) run down”?

Shannon: Ackee and Saltfish (my favourite food!!!!)
Debbie: BOTH...duh??!

7. Stew peas or stew chicken?

Shannon: Stew peas (these questions are making me hungry...haha)
Debbie: Both...duh??!

8. Tastee Patties, Juici Beef Patties or Mother’s?

Shannon: I am obsessed with Tastee Patties, I could eat a Tastee beef patty EVERYDAY!!!
Debbie: Bwoy Tastee is better, but Juicy Beef makes nice veggie patties though.

9. Pantucky or KFC?

Shannon: KFC! (breast and wing, one original and one bbq...lol)
Debbie:  Kentucky of course! Hot wings combo or a number 2 or 3 :) and a coleslaw or a corn and a biscuit...lmao! All this food talk is making me hungry, can you tell I'm a BIG foodie (or just hungry belly). Not a big fan of the pan chicken.

10. What do you hope to be the future of blogging in Jamaica?

To actually see that blogging has grown so much over the years is great! we definitely hope the blogger community continues on this upward trend for the future, and just as a side note...... if anyone is out there contemplating whether or not to start their own blog, our advice is to just go for it! blog about what you love; it can be a lot of work and you might encounter some negativity but it is a very rewarding experience when you know that you've helped someone out along the way.

We tag:
IrieDiva
Natalia Oh!
Exquisite Faces JM  
Jessiker Bakes
ExclusiveUMPF

NYX Series: Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencils

I have been neglecting my NYX series but I've brought it out of hiding with my favourite NYX products which are the Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencils; I swatched the ones that I have collected over time just to give you guys an idea of the shade range that is offered. If you need a better idea of the total colour range of the jumbo pencils, you can check here.

Here's a close up of the jumbo pencil itself

So here are my swatches for you guys :)

The NYX Jumbo Pencils have a creamy, blendable texture and can be worn as an eyeshadow or eyeshadow base. They come in a wide array of colours that will intensify any makeup look as you can see in the swatch below and best of all they're available at Significant Details in Kingston, so if you're looking to try them out you can head on down there for yourself. The only con about the product is that it is a bit difficult to sharpen, but that can easily be remedied by melting them down into a small container so it resembles the Maybelline Color Tattoos.

Left: swatch with base | Right: swatch without base

Hope this is helpful, and you can check out my other NYX posts on the Soft Matte Lip Creams and Lipsticks in the mean time.
Have a great day guys!
Debbie

Thank You

We wanted to take this time to thank everyone who cast their vote for Exotic You during the week long voting period, it means a lot to us. We might not have captured first place in the public votes, but we are extremely happy nonetheless that our blog been so well received and this is what motivates us to continue making posts for you all. In our eyes we have already achieved a great deal....Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

New Hair Goodies

Hey beauties, over the past few months we've collected some new hair goodies. Some we've never used before and others are repurchases. If you see anything that you would like us to review, just leave a comment.

Shannon's Hair Goodies:

1. Creme of Nature Argan Oil - Oil Treatment

2. Creme of Nature Argan Oil - Moisture & Shine Shampoo

1. Tropic Isle Living Jamaican Black Castor Oil Hair Food

2. Tropic Isle Living Lavender Jamaican Black Castor Oil

3. Tropic Isle Living Jamaican Black Castor Oil

1. Organic Root Stimulator Olive Oil - Edge Control

2. Organic Root Stimulator Olive Oil - Smooth-n-Hold Pudding

3. Organic Root Stimulator Olive Oil - Oil Moisturizing Hair Lotion

Debbie's Hair Goodies:

1. Shea Moisture Deep Treatment Masque
2. Cantu Shea Butter for Natural Hair Deep Treatment Masque
3. Cantu Shea Butter for Natural Hair Coconut Curling Cream

1. Aloe Vera Oil
2. Aussie Moist Conditioner
3. Tropic Isle Living Lavender Black Castor Oil
4. Tropic Isle Living Black Castor Oil Hair Food

1. Revlon Perfect Heat Tourmaline Ceramic 1" Styling Iron

Toodles,
Debbie & Shannon

Highlight Powders: Ben Nye Banana Powder vs Black Opal Deluxe Finishing Powder

One element to the achieving that perfectly chiseled face is  knowing how to highlight the face correctly. Today I'm going to talk about the Ben Nye Banana Powder, which has taken the beauty community by storm recently and an old favourite of mine the Black Opal Deluxe Finishing powder in Medium. I initially heard about both these powders through Youtube, so here are my thoughts on each of them.

Ben Nye Visage Powder in Banana

Price: USD$7.95 for the 1.5ounce bottle at www.makeupmania.com

Amount: I purchased the 1.5ounce bottle but there is also a 3 ounce bottle available


Packaging: small conveniently sized plastic container 
                 has a small sifter barrier at the top
                 there is no powder puff

Texture & Appearance: finely milled, smooth texture but with a light yellow 'banana' tint to it.

Application: I will either use a makeup sponge to pat on the product in the appropriate highlighting areas for a more intense finish then I'll dust off the excess with a powder brush, or I'll use an eyeshadow blending brush for a lighter application for an everyday look. It applies very smoothly.

Results: The yellow tint of the powder gives me that perfect bright under eye look. In the initial application it appears very light, almost white against my dark skintone, but when blended in it gives a bright highlight to the face, without looking too overbearing.

Final Thoughts: it is an excellent powder and the price can't be beat. I see this powder working great for a variety of skin tones. I must mention that Ben Nye also makes other shades of highlight powders for WOC if you're not too fond of this one such as Sienna and Topaz. The Ben Nye Visage Powders can be used as all over face powders as well.

Rating: 4.5/5

Black Opal Deluxe Finishing Powder in Medium

Price: I estimate that I paid around JMD$1000

Amount: 1 ounce

Packaging: small plastic container
                 has a sifter barrier
                 does not come with a sponge

Texture & Appearance: similar texture to the Ben Nye powder but this has a more 'skintone' colour as you can see in the swatch below.

Application: I use a similar application technique as I do with the Ben Bye powder.

Results: As I had mentioned this powder has a more skintone shade which actually blends in to my complexion a little bit better than the Banana powder. It highlights the face just as well and it also has oil controlling properties.

Final Thoughts: This is a great highlighting powder if you are around my complexion ( for reference I am an NW47 in MAC and shade 178 in the Makeup Forever HD foundation). This powder is readily available for us Jamaicans in pharmacies and beauty supply stores so it may be the better option for most of us in terms of availability. The Deluxe Finishing Powder is made to be used as an all over face powder so it does come in a variety of shades for WOC.

Rating: 5/5

Here are the swatches:

Ben Nye & Black Opal Powders Heavily Applied

I honestly love them both and will use them interchangeably, I can't choose between the two because I get great results with both, so I will leave it up to you to decide ;)

I hope this was helpful to you guys and I'll see you in my next post...take care
Debbie.

Quick Tip: Jewelry Organizer

I love wearing knobs, but I always find myself losing at least one out of the pair because they are tiny and easy to lose. I really needed a perfect way to store them, so I came up with the idea of storing them in my travel container or in my daily medicine storage containers. If your container is large enough you can even store rings if you like.

Check out more organizational tips here


Take care beauties
Shannon xoxo

Self Esteem.....

...... What does it mean to you?

Debbie

Beach Party Fashion Collage

I was asked by the lovely Ms. Carey-lee over by Exclusive Umpf to do a fashion guest blog post a while back so I decided that I would share the looks that I created with you guys. I basically created four looks that would be perfect for a beach party.

Shannon
xoxo

VOTING PERIOD EXTENDED

Hello everyone, the Jamaica Bloggers Association (JBA) recently decided to extend the public voting period until midnight this Wednesday, January 16, 2013. We would sincerely appreciate it if you would continue to vote for us until then; just click on the logo below and it will take you directly to the voting point.

THANK YOU!!! once again to everyone who has voted for us and will continue to vote for us. If you have problems with the site registering your vote, wait several minutes and continue to click the "Click To Vote" button until your vote is registered and the number increases; sorry about that guys.

Debbie & Shannon

The Low Down: Martina's Nails Place

The 'Low Down' is basically a new series that we would like to jump start for 2013 on our blog where we visit various local business that operate within the beauty industry such as spas, hairdressers,etc and we give you our personal experience and feedback on the location.

We begin the series with Martina's Nails Place, the hip spot for trendy nail designs. I initially heard about the nail spa through Spa Week 2012 and I actually purchased a gift card for discounted services which were acrylic tips application and a pedicure. The nail shop is located at Shop #12 Princeville Plaza on Constant Spring Road and it's a small yet cozy setup. The owner Martina is a friendly and jovial person and so is the staff, but  her nail art skills are what draws many of her clientele to the business. Strewn across her Facebook page are pictures upon pictures of trendy nail art designs from polka dots to Pacman; no design is too technical or difficult for them. I put my stamp of approval on this place and if you've been let me know what you think, until then, take a look at the pictures of her work and price list below.

Price List

MANICURE................................$1,000.00

PEDICURE.................................$1,200.00

FRENCH TIPS...........................$2,200.00

REGULAR TIPS.........................$2,000.00

RE-POLISH.............................$500.00

SOAK OFF...........................$300.00

REFILL............................$1,000.00

She also does shellac and gel nails.

My Nails done by Martina

A look inside the store

Pedicure station

Until next time guys!
Debbie

Nail Inspiration: African Print Fabric

Hi guys, I love vibrant and bold nail art but at times I can run out of ideas on what design to create on my nails, so I looked to basic things around me for some inspiration and I found some inspiration for my nail designs, this time around it's a piece of African fabric that I had laying around. The bright red-orange and yellow colours definitely caught my eye. It was a bit tedious because I had to mix a few nail polishes in order to get my desired colour, but I love the bold and loud colours. Take a look at my inspiration and execution and let me know what you think about it.

Until next time guys, stay inspired!
Debbie.

Japonesque Professional Parian Spirit: Review & Demo

Hello friends! I have another product review for you as well as a little demo/how to on the Japonesque Professional Parian Spirit Brush Cleaner. I picked this up at Ulta simply because I was curious and wanted to try out a new brush cleaner. I'm very happy that I decided to get it, it works very well at cleaning, sanitizing and deodorizing my brushes, so I'm gonna give you the 411 on this product.

 

The brush cleaner cost USD$12.00 which is not bad seeing that you get 4.25 fluid ounces of product and some other brands of parian spirit can get pretty pricey. It's great for makeup artists on the go, the everyday girl who may not have time to always deep clean her brushes after every use, and it's excellent for travelling, as it takes the hassle out of cleaning your brushes when you're not at home. The spray nozzle makes it easy to apply the cleaner to the brushes and it has a pleasant orange scent which leaves your brushes smelling fresh. It dries very quickly (about 3 minutes) so you're ready to use your brush again almost immediately. I must note that you should still try to deep clean your makeup brushes at least once a week with soap and water since this is meant to be a quick fix for dirty brushes.

How To/Demo

Here's how well the brush cleaner works on my Real Techniques powder brush and Sigma concealer brush.

See all the makeup residue left behind?...yuck!

You will need paper towels or an actual towel, whatever you prefer and a hard surface.

For the powder brush, I lightly saturated it with the cleaner and began to swirl the brush in gentle circular motions and as you can see it works perfectly at removing powder residue from brushes.

Concealer brushes can be a little trickier to clean because liquid or cream based concealers can really stick to the bristles of your makeup brush, but with a little elbow grease it quickly dissolves the cream/liquid residue. I cleaned this brush using a zig zag motion and I applied a bit more pressure to get in between the bristles.

Now my brushes are clean, conditioned and sanitized and ready for use

I would definitely recommend this cleaner to any and everyone and I give it 2 thumbs up!

What do you think of the Japonesque Parian Spirit Brush Cleaner guys? or have you tried any other brush cleanser?
Debbie