I want to send a quick birthday shout out to Dorothy, an avid ghost reader of my blog, who happens to be my sister from another mister... Kidding! Same mister.

I love the fact that we not only share clothes, but the most beautiful of memories, thank you so very much for being an awesome sister! My life would be super boring without you. As you begin a new year today, I wish you happiness, health and prosperity. Happy Birthday!!!

Hard to believe that I was once intimidated by red lipstick.

So over that!

Now, for all you ladies out there who are still not comfortable spotting a red lip, maybe the quote below will change you mind? I hope it does :-)

“Beauty, to me, is about being comfortable in your own skin. That, or a kick-ass red lipstick.” — Gwyneth Paltrow.


I have a confession to make, I'm currently cheating on my other lipsticks with this little number and no, I'm not remorseful for my infidelity, read on, you'll understand why.

Packaging

Classy is what pops in mind when I look at the packaging.

The shade name and ingredients are mentioned on the lipstick case, very practical, the lipstick itself comes in a matte black base and silver A-shell with a simple twist up packaging and a tightly closing cap which makes it easy and convenient to carry in a handbag, clutch, even in a pocket! Total win!

Scent 

If you know me on a personal level, you're aware that I'm a sucker for anything with the smell of vanilla. The sweet vanilla scent of this lipstick always gets me when I swipe it on my lips. 

Color

Yassss! Just...


MAC Ruby Woo is a blue based bright red lipstick, it has a cool undertone and it reminds me so much of the lipstick that Taylor Swift usually wears during her performances or red carpet looks in general.

The finish is the mattest matte you can ever imagine. Because of this, I find it’s quite drying on the lips, but nothing that a lip balm can’t solve. The pigmentation is amazing, one or two swipes of the product and your lips are completely covered.

Ruby Woo is such a versatile color, it is one of those classic reds which won’t discriminate how it looks on you. I call it the “safest red” as I believe it can’t go wrong on any skin tone. 

Price

I'm still a student, with a slim bank account to back it up, honestly speaking, if you ask me, this lippie is pretty pricey, it retails at Kshs. 1500. You get value for your money though, the payoff is excellent.

If you're interested in buying this lipstick in Kenya, you can get it at either of the two MAC stores in Nairobi, one is at Village Market, the other at Garden City Mall.

Formula

Ruby Woo is a retro matte which means it grabs on to the lips better than a creme or glossy product. Plus, it's red and reds always leave a stain behind on the lips, the combination of high pigmentation and its matte texture make this a very long-wearing lipstick, but of course, this doesn’t mean it will look as good after a few hours, a meal or a couple of drinks. It will fade, and possibly highlight any imperfections on your lips as time moves on. Make sure, as I always do, to carry the tube of lipstick with you and a mirror so you can touch up as necessary. This will ensure you look polished and perfect all day.

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I would recommend this lipstick to any lady looking for a perfect, super long-lasting red lipstick, but all in all, MAC Ruby Woo should definitely be in every woman's makeup stash.

 Ever tried this lippie? What are your thoughts on it? Let me know.

Have a great weekend and a beautiful week ahead!

Xx

Explaining why I've been away in full detail would take more time than both of us have. But in a nutshell, the past two weeks were not exactly pretty, excuse me for starting with bad news. I had a few personal issues going on which sorta forced me to take a break from blogging, looking back though, I feel it was only logical and the best option.

Until I can't take it anymore, I rarely talk to people about my problems, I assume they have their own baggage to deal with haha! So I choose to "spare" them of mine.

However, I do hope I grow comfortable enough to talk about my struggles on here and soon, because I'm assuming that my life just like your life is not without difficulties. If I talk about what I'm going through, I believe it will help both me and someone else out there who is going through a similar situation.

Speaking out, talking about what bothers you, is quite liberating, regardless of whether it falls on the right or wrong ear. It's of course a brave and reasonable step too in terms of finding a solution to whatever is troubling you.

Before I embark on one of my favorite subjects (read: makeup!!!) I want to end my little "sob story" by saying that, it's okay not to be okay, not having your sh*t together is perfectly okay, heck! It's human!

No matter how horrible you feel, remember these words; it shall pass.

Keep praying, it's amazing how talking to God can make you feel better in an instant, keep dreaming, push yourself to get closer to achieving those dreams, keep counting your blessings, keep appreciating your family and friends. All will be well.

I'm back in campus, we're three weeks into the semester, this post is obviously overdue, but I thought creating a post on my makeup essentials for school would be fun.

I consider myself a novice in the world of makeup, as you can see, I use the most basic of products.

1. MAC Matchmaster Foundation 8.0

I love this particular foundation, it always evens out my skin tone and gives it a flawless complexion. When going to campus, I often aim for a natural and effortless makeup look, I never want to appear overdone and this foundation helps me achieve that.

I got it at the new MAC store at Garden City Mall. Matchmaster Foundations go for Kshs. 4600 and come in a 50ml bottle.

I wouldn't mind trying out MAC "Mineralize" Foundation in the near future, I've heard a lot of good stuff about it.

2. Urban Decay Naked Lipgloss

Sometimes I wake up feeling super lazy, especially on Mondays and days that are "Mondayish" so I simply apply moisturizer after cleansing my face and put on mascara and this awesome nude lipgloss.

3. Sleek i-Divine Sunset Eye-shadow Palette


Whenever I look at my eye-shadow palette, I can't help but be amused at the fact that I'm never going to use some colors and that I have only one favorite color.

If you're interested in buying this kind of palette, I advice that you buy it from Super Cosmetics, it's way cheaper there compared to other retail stores.

4. Max Factor False Lash Effect Mascara

Immediately I saw this mascara, it called my name, so I had to carry it home with me.

It's one of those products I've bought without reading its reviews on-line first, but ended up loving it anyway. It's definitely a great mascara.

5. Blending Brush

Well... It's actually a powder brush, but I use it to blend out everything when I've put on my foundation and a little powder. 

6. MAC Ruby Woo Lipstick

Oh my God! Every woman needs this lipstick in her life.

Enough said.

7. Nivea Soft Moisturizing Cream


This is my go-to moisturizer, I apply it before putting on foundation.

By the way, if you want your foundation to look really good on you, after applying moisturizer wait for a minute or two before applying foundation, that's a trick I learnt off some beauty blog. Thank me later!

8. Davis Brown Eyeliner and Lip-liner Pencil

I actually use this to fill my brows, it does a pretty decent job considering I paid only Kshs. 20 to call it mine.

9.  Eyebrow Brush

I use this to shape my brows... Gosh! I'm I the only one who is obsessed with good looking eyebrows?

I strongly believe that if your eyebrows are 24/7 on fleek, your life is perfect, because eyebrows are EVERYTHING!

10. Maybelline Baby Lips Lipbalm - Cherry Me

This is a must have item for me, it completes me, if I could I would go on several dates with it and eventually marry it.

Aaah!

I'm trying to convince you that this lipbalm will make you happier than your boyfriend ever will. Girl! Go out and get yourself a tube! That's an order... I kid!

11. Sleek Makeup Translucent Powder (Deep)

I often use it to set my foundation and sometimes I dab it around my t-zone area to keep my face from looking shiny.

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I'm a firm believer that looking good results in feeling better about oneself and in turn helps to achieve great things in life. Always put an effort to present an appealing image of yourself to the world.

Are you back to campus? What are your makeup essentials? Feel free to share!

Much Love!

Xx

I'm really excited to share with you my experience at a place dubbed Kenya's second most popular national park after Masai Mara.

I intentionally put Lake Nakuru National Park at the bottom of my travel bucket-list while living in Nakuru Town.

Talk about saving the best for last! :-)

The memory of riding through the safari game park in a bus is still fresh in my mind.

Within minutes of  the drive, I spotted a vast lake from afar, acacia woodland, intercepted with grassland everywhere.

Driving deeper into the park, I couldn't help but giggle with myself when I saw a troop of baboons, which reminded me, all too well, of a hilarious story narrated to me as a little girl, of how the baboon ended up with a sore bald a#*! Haha!

We drove on, my camera at hand. I was greatly fascinated by the amazing terrain and rolling landscapes that offered prime vantage points for spotting wildlife, every now and then, I found myself snapping away, wanting to capture the beauty of it all, thank goodness our driver was nice enough to bring the bus to a halt whenever someone requested him to stop so we could take better shots of the many wild animals we met on the way; zebras, rhinos, waterbucks, buffaloes, antelopes, warthogs, impalas.

The best part of my tour was definitely when we were heading towards THE LAKE!!! 

One quick fact before I proceed, what Lake Nakuru National Park has that other major parks in Kenya don't have is flamingos.

Watching and taking photographs of the pink flamingos and pelicans fishing the shallows was the ultimate highlight for me.

Baboons are always so funny to look at! Lol!

Apparently, since 2014, the water levels in lake Nakuru have been on the rise, as you can see, a good number of trees have been submerged and are all dried up due to the fact that the water is saline. The rise in water levels also affected the population of flamingos, it forced some to flee, but water levels are prone to fluctuation and depending on the time of year or your visit, the flamingos may be back in residence.

Lone tree.

Marabou Storks... These particular birds are scavengers, they often feed on dead/ left overs of dead animals in the park.

Flocks of both lesser and greater flamingos!

So freaking beautiful!!!

Yassss to THE VIEW!!!

Enjoying the view of the lake from a cliff.

My "obligatory tourist photo" hahaha! Yvonne was here!

Buffaloes!

Impalas!

During the rainy season, Makalia falls, as I was informed by my tour guide is truly magnificent. 

Makalia falls was our last stop before heading back, at this point I was exhausted! 

Waterbucks!

I thoroughly enjoyed my safari game drive at Lake Nakuru National Park. I will forever remember it as a place that offers great adventure and learning experience.

If ever you're in Nakuru, I advice that you visit the place too, you will without a doubt have the time of your life. 

Xx