Four 2021 Beauty Trends

I think most of us are happy to see the back of 2020. Here are some 2021 makeup trends we can look forward to. 

1. Pantone's 2021 Colours of the Year are Ultimate Grey and Illuminating yellow. Expect to see these colours in nail polishes, eye shadows and eyeliners. A report by WSGN predicts that the colour Al Aqua (blue) will be popular with blue mascara, technicolour lashes and blue stripes in hair. 

2. Dewy skin , natural skin and lighter bases/foundation  According to Tery Barber (MAC Cosmetic’s Director of Makeup Artistry) " People want their foundation and concealer products to look like their skincare." So look out for skin tints and BB creams. 

3. Eyes will still be the focus due to mask wearing. Past fashions such as 50's flicked eyeliner, 60's lashes, 70's and 80's jewelled eye shadows as well as the sultry eyes seen in 00's will make a appeareance in the year ahead. Long lasting formulas will be popular because it will elimate the need to touch our faces while re-applying makeup. I'm all for long wearing formulas I either forget to reapply or sometimes too lazy lol!

Brands will expand their eyeliner range with brighter colours to match your masks. Multi-chromatic eye shadows will be trending, a fashion set by Pat McGrath Labs in her Divine Rose II palette. Other examples are the Danessa Myricks Beauty Twin Flames , Ciaté London's Shadow Flip.    Nabla Cosmetics,  JD Glow Cosmetics, and Karla Cosmetics.

4. Embellishments/ Euphoria. Face stamps, stickers and gems are predicted to be big this coming year. According to Pinterest, searches for "butterfly eye makeup" was up six times. If you prefer to decorate your nails rather than the face then take some inspiration from pintrest who found that searches for "indie nails" were up 21 times year-on-year, while "smiley face nails" were up nine times (fyi you can get the smiley face stickers from Ciate)

Cheers to a better year ahead for all of us!

Sleek Cleopatra's Kiss Highlighting Palette Review

Sleek's Cleopatra's Kiss highlighter palette contains four highlighter shades: two powder shades in rose gold and pink and two cream shades in bronze and gold. The palette also comes with a small black flat brush, but I've been using my fingers to apply the cream highlighters and a large fluffy eye shadow blush for the powder highlighters. The gold packaging gives it a luxurious feel and the palette is quite compact and therefore it's easy to travel with. 

This palette is quite glittery, so if you're not a fan of glitter this isn't the palette for you. The pink powder highlighter is basically silver glitter without any colour pigment to it. The gold cream highlighter looks like a champagne gold in the swatch but is actaully a true yellow gold and doesn't have much pigment just gold glitter. The bronze and rose gold shades show up well but they are quite similar in colour. The cream highlighters are marketed as lightweight and they do feel creamy and lightweight on the skin. 

Sleek's highlighting palettes are popular but I've always steered away from them as the cream highlighters contain ozokerite wax, which isn't bad or toxc in anyway but I've found that when it's in cream blushers it makes the red patches on my cheeks sting. However since highlighters are generally placed higher up than blusher this wasn't a problem.

I think £9.99 is a good price for a four shade highlighter palette with a mix of different textures  but I wouldn't choose this one because of the glitter and the lack of pigment. The bronze and rose gold show up well but they are similar in colour. Using these shades means I would only use 50% of the palette on a regular basis. I would recommend you buy the Sleek Face Contour Kit instead, while you only get one highlighter it's a lovely champagne gold that's pigmented and free from glitter. As for Sleek's Highlighter palette in Cleopatra's Kiss -I do think that ther are better highlighter palettes on the market. 

Priced £9.99 Boots

Christmas Shopping at UK Black Owned Businesses

This year I've compilied a Christmas gift guide from UK, black owned small businesses. The most direct and sustainable ways to support the Black community is to shop at Black-owned businesses, this will help keep some small businesses afloat, strengthen the commuity and help you discover brands you wouldn't otherwise have heard about and find unique presents. During my research I'm glad that I found out about Sancho's Shop which sells sustainable and ethical fashion and found other brands to support over Christmas and beyond.

ONLINE GIFT SHOPS & HOMEWARE

Kazvare Made it

This is a London-based “illustration lab” that sells pop culture influenced prints, books and homeware online. Their products have been sold in stores such as  Oliver Bonas and Scribbler. This adult colouring book would make a good gift for a dog lover. 

KitsCH Noir

Cherelle started out designing and selling greeting cards that 'uplift and celebrate the beauty of a more inclusive and diverse society.' Since then the business has become a multi- award winning brand that has been stocked in Paperchase and Moonpig and now sells notebooks, note pads, prints and cotton lunchbags! I think that this 2021 Affirmation Diary would make a nice present to a young pre-teen/teenager. 

Avila.diana

Avila.diana is a greeting store that also has a section selling prints, notebooks and mugs. If you know anyone who is a nurse then lookout for the 'Phenomenal Women Collaboration' which has two prints to choose from. ( the prints say 'women' on them so just a warning if you wanted a gift for a male nurse. )

Self made Candle

Founded by Ricki Lawa, his shop sells candles that are vegan-friendly, soy candles that are hand-poured in London. What makes them stand out is that the label on the candles contain plant seeds and once you're done with the candle you can use the empty glass jar to plant the seed and watch it grow!  They have created a limited edition ‘Conscious’ candle which is fragranced with geranium essential oil to help de-stress and descrease anxiety. The candle retails at £24 and £5 from every candle sold is donated to the Black Minds Matter UK charity. They also sell candle making kits too!

Finding Eve's Roots

If you're looking for affordable prints then this Etsy store is the place for you. These minimalsitic inspired prints range from £6-£24 with the majority priced at £6-£8.

ONE STOP ONLINE SHOPS

Yard and Parish

Yard and Parish sells jewellery, clothing, beauty and homeware. They have a lovely Self Care Discovery box (£49.99) which contains a Minzaani Shea Sucre Lip scrub and body butter, a Tanaka handmade Earle Grey, Bergamot and Cardamom soap, a candle from Liha and a gold rimmed trinklet plate from Afton by Palm. Also check out Line and Honey, they have a gorgeous lounge satin line art scarf (£25) as well as this minimalistic Eyes to the Sun print (from £18) . I also love these Spiral Omi earrings from Relic London they are made from gold plated silver with a simulated pearl (£30.)

Sancho's Shop The Home of Sustainable Fashion

If you are after an ethical and sustainble gift then Sancho's  is the place to shop. This brass 4 ring stack (£14)  are handmade by Bombolulu, a social enterprise in Kenya who not only create beautiful jewellery but provide opportunities for people with physical disabilities. The rings are nickle free. Another option are these  unisex lioness t-shirts (£22) which are made from 100% fair trade organic cotton and are available in black and white from size XXS-XXL. Alternatively slippers make such a cozy, practial gift and these Egos slippers (£39) are handmade using pure new wool and eco friendly dyes. They are designed in Denmark and made ethically in Nepal. They have a double sole to be extra comfortable, They come in blue, black, dusky rose and natural grey. If you're looking for a pampering gift then this Organic Soothing Aphrodite Facial oil by Magic Organic Apothecary (£28) may fit the bill. It is a blend of hydrating rosehip oil, damask rose, yarrow and geranium. Rosehip is rich in antioxidants and fatty acids which help to restore skins elasticity, calm redness, irritation and protect against environmental stress that can lead to age spots, fine lines and wrinkles. 

Ebonyx  describes itself as an Afrocentric marketplace, a hub for African goods and inspiration. 

I love this Vive Con Style  'Progress not Perfection' note book (£14.99) because this mantra sets realistic, motivating goals for study or work. I love it so much I'm going to pick one up! This sustainable handmade back pack from Kirosha Krochet (£65)  is made from recycled t-shirt yarn and PU leather. If you're looking at jewellery then this flags of Africa necklace (£14.44) from Isura Jewellery is made from gold plated stainless steel with a 45cm (18″) chain that you could layer with other gold necklaces. If you're buying for someone who's into vegan beauty then  The Mango Girl bundle (£45.97) may be the answer. The bundle contains a toner and anti aging face mask and serum. The Rose Aloe toner is rich in Vitamin C to brighten and tone the skin.The anti-aging serum is blended with carrot infusion and aims to stimulate collagen production and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. The face mask contains green tea to help reduce the signs of premature ageing by improving the elasticity of the skin. It also contains cucumber, watermelon and apple extracts. On orders over £25 Ebonyx will donate to the Deworm the World Initiative.

KIDS

Our Kids Trove

This online store was set up by Pamela who felt it was important for children to have access to toys and dolls that are culturally diverse to represent, educate and empower children. They sell teddies and elephants made from African print fabric, dolls that are bi-racial/mixed, black, white with red hair or have viligo (which I imagine would start a coversation explaining and educating what the the skin condition was.) They also sell books, quizes, puzzles and games. 

Mythical Canvas

This store sells plimsols that can be decorated with fabric pens. The founder David feels that art is important for developing children's creativity and confidence. He wanted to convey the message that ‘there are no mistakes in art.' Plimsol packs include stencils, fabric pens, straps and white canvas shoes which currently retail at £22-£25.

Imagine Me Stories

Imagine Me stories sells children's books in which black and ethnic children are represented. The founder wanted to see that "every child grows up seeing their realities reflected in books and that all children are able to read diverse stories about different experiences." They also have a book subscription service and one off boxes.

FASHION

Everyday Froyo

Everyday Froday sells lots of cool slogan tees and sweatshirts, such as "I am my ancestor’s wildest dreams” “ powered by jollof!" and "Stay Woke" (£24.99) below.

Maroon Dawta

Maroon Dawta sells African inspired t-shirts with prices that range from £14-17. I like the unisex Balance T-shirt below (£17) it's available in black and navy with sizes ranging from S-3XL.

Inoir 

Inoir sells sporty, shapewear clothes. Some tops have a Calvin Klein/Armour/ millennials aesthetic and others feature African prints.

SPECIAL MENTION Alero Jasmine I love the clothes that they sell but since everything is sold out at the moment you need to wait for a restock. 

JEWELLERY

Omolola jewellery 

Faetured in Cosmoplitan, Omo Lola Jewellery is a sustainble business selling afforable, modern jewellery. They also have the popular gold cowie shell earrings  that are sold out everywhere else on sale!  

Cowie Shell Hoop Earrings £3.30  /  Gold Cowrie Shell Earrings £14.50 / Bola Earrings £16.50

Thea Smartt Henry

Thea Smartt Henry makes jewellery from polymer clay. She likes expiermenting with the different textues she can make, so pieces may look like they are made stone, metal and china. Her style is modern/ artsy, some are influenced by batik patterns, bubbles, stone and flowers. 

Link to earrings