However, in the natural hair care industry it can be incredibly difficult to find an organic clean product - and honestly, it’s quite concerning. Why is this happening? Are natural hair companies cutting costs at the expense of black women? Are they seeing people with afro hair as an easy consumer - despite our very complex/ varied needs and hair types? Do they pour more research and investment into mainstream hair care because it’s easier to get caught by the masses? Are the correct people who understand our needs at the management of these brands? Or are brands hiding behind the pretence that they’re not black owned but ‘black led’ (whatever that means anyway)?

I don’t know what it is exactly, but I’ll explore it more in an article in the near future.

After a bunch of research I did when learning about product ingredients, there was one that stood out to me the most - glycerin. I was excited by its admirable qualities (lightweight, non-greasy, softening) and began looking for products that had a lot of this. But alas , I was met with long long ingredient lists that only had the good ingredients sprinkled on top, like they were being all stingy about it. I couldn’t understand why there just wasn’t an accessible product I could get in the UK that was loaded with the good stuff (Design Essentials, PLEASE come and park yourselves on the shelves of Boots right this instant!)

Maybe it’s the go getter in me but I couldn’t take it anymore - I realised I could purchase the ingredient itself, instead of getting a watered down version of it. I ended up buying a large bottle of 100% glycerin for me to use personally. I started to add drops of this to my deep conditioner, and got excited realising I could use it as an emollient for my skin!

For the best results, and to make the most out of my products, I developed a little deep conditioner cocktail for me to use every wash day (which is currently every 1-2 weeks). My cocktail consists of:

• Keracare Intensive Mask (a beautiful thick mask that builds hair elasticity and repairs my hair strands)

• Redken Extreme Length conditioner (for my retention journey)

• Glycerin

The reason glycerin is such a star product, is because it’s a humectant. This means that glycerin draws moisture from the air, and it retains it. It’s like a strong sponge that keeps moisture in, and lets your hair use it and hold on to water for longer time. Deep conditioning your hair is the most moisture intense step of a wash day. So, when you load your hair with your deep conditioner, and add the heat cap / steamer, adding this humectant in will not only help the products work better, but it’ll help lock in all the moisture so it doesn’t escape at all. This is so important because brittle dry hair is a top reason for hair breakage. Dry hair = easy for strands to snap. The easiest way to remember this is by thinking of spaghetti. You can’t ‘snap’ cooked spaghetti after it’s been boiled in water. You’d have to cut it.

‘Cocktailing’ hair products is also the best way to get your own unique wash day routine. Not necessarily using different products for each step, but within each step. It’s normal to use two shampoos (clarifying and moisturising) so why not two conditioners? Or if you need a more cost effective option, buying a cheaper conditioner and letting it serve as the base so you can add better ingredients on top can also work well. Before I prioritised length retention and breakage, I’d opt for the Garnier 5 in 1 mask, and load it up with raw ingredients such as Alma powder and different oils.

I find it so important to take the deep conditioning step of your wash day very , very, seriously. And if you’re going to spend the most time on any step (other than detangling) it should definitely be this one! Once I’ve apply my cocktail, I add on a heat cap for a full hour with medium heat, and after I’ve taken it off my hair is extremely soft, with my coils nourished and relaxed. Exactly how it should be.

Other than using glycerin to supercharge my deep conditioning process, I love mixing it with rose water, and a few drops of jojoba oil in a spray bottle to hydrate my hair daily. Now, a slight disclaimer - I live in the very humid UK, there is always moisture in the air for the humectant to function properly. If you live in more drier conditions, be sure to mist your hair consistently to give the humectant fuel to do it’s job better - or you may be at the risk of drying your hair out, and making it heavy with product.

I’d love to know which deep conditioners you’re obsessed with, or what ingredients you like to play around with. I hope you’ve enjoyed this article! Stay tuned for my next one x

Here’s the link to where I purchased my pure glycerin.

xDesola

I used this look as an opportunity to try out new products I’ve been eager for, and I’m so glad I did. It’s best to try new makeup products in a safe environment, instead experimenting right before heading out to plans. Especially if you are a black girl like me, the sheer amount of shock horrors I’ve had in using a product that makes me look like a ghost is unbelievable. If you’re excited about trying a new product (I mean, who isn’t?) and are tempted to skip the trial, please trust me when I say don’t!!

Here is the full breakdown of my look, but I will be focusing on the products marked with a star. These were the things I tried new, as well as my non negotiable items for a perfect base finish.

1 - Too Faced Born This Way Concealer in shade Caramel. 2 - Charlotte Tilbury Beauty Light Wand in shade Pillow Talk. 3 - Huda Beauty Easy Bake Loose Baking Powder in shade Cinnamon. 4 - Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Foundation in shade 15N. 5 - Pat McGrath Labs Dark Star Mascara x Perma Precision Liquid Eyeliner. 6 - Made By Mitchell Curve Case in shade Deep. 7 - Jordana Ticia Lip Liner in shade Midnight Mocha. 8 - Anastasia Beverly Hills Lipgloss in shade Sunbaked. 9 - Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Powder Duo in shade Granite. 10 - Revolution Conceal and Define concealer in shade C13.5

MADE BY MITCHELL CURVE CASE - SHADE DEEP … £30 from Boots

For the past few years, I have been relying on the Fenty Sun Stalk’r bronzer in Mocha Mami to achieve a snatched defined cheekbone. However, recently I felt it just wasn’t enough anymore. Perhaps it’s because my makeup has evolved now - before I never used setting powders, blush was a maybe for me, and I went completely cold-turkey on false lashes (which wasn’t actually a bad idea). My bronzer went from being the only standout product on my cheeks, to being lost amongst all the other products on my face, resembling more of a blush if. I needed to get into contour, but I honestly felt too overwhelmed to even BEGIN.

Then enters the Curve Case.

When I first tried the Curve Case I was only borrowing it. I couldn’t decide if I wanted to waste my Boots Gift Card on a product I never had before. I was very concerned about the blush choices to say the least (I’m more of a deep berry wine blush girl), and could those contour shades really snatch my face?

Looks can be deceiving, and this toy looking, kiddy styled, playful palette exceeded my expectations! The contours were perfect shades for my skin tone. Considering how I was used to bronzers (Mocha Mami will forever stand as a pillar of my makeup kit), I appreciated how this didn’t feel like I was putting charcoal on my face. It was warm and easy to blend out, perfectly melting into my skin whilst still giving the defined structure I was after. The options on this palette are perfect as the deepest shade still had warm undertones.

Am I breaking the rules by liking a warm contour? Ah well, sue me!

But seriously, I do think warm vs cool contour is all depending on the skin tone you have, and your makeup goals. I LOVE looking warm and sun-kissed, but I still wanted a product with more precision than a powder bronzer.

In regard to the blush, I did honestly love how they showed up on my skin. Again it was perfect - but just not 100% my cup of tea. If I wanted a super glam, it’ll be berry blush all the way. But for my more lighter glam I will definitely be picking this up.

CHARLOTTE TILBURY BEAUTY LIGHT WAND - SHADE PILLOW TALK … £31 from ASOS

Did I really hunt down every WHSmiths (TG Jones) , Sainsbury’s, Marks and Spencer’s, Tesco, and Asda to find the ELLE x Harper’s Bazaar magazine with a full sized CT Pillow Talk highlighter freebie?

Of course I did.

Was I able to find one? No.✨

Did I go on the Hearst website to pre-order one for £8? Yes, yes I did.

I got this absolute weapon on such a bargain, but I would pay triple for it!

I’ve not really dabbled in liquid highlighters, but the CT wand is making me never turn back - you cannot get this level of shine with powder highlighters. And if you get anything similar, it’ll look patchy, unblended and inconsistent; one side would be a blinding shine, the other side is giving subtle shimmer. I found that measuring my highlight with a liquid formula is much better for me - I know that just one drop on both sides will be enough.

Don’t get me wrong I’ll never abandon my powder highlight, but I prefer to use that on much smaller areas, such as my nose or my brow bones. It’s easier to control in smaller sections, unlike liquid highlighters that can spread to the point of no return.

HUDA BEAUTY EASY BAKE POWDER - SHADE CINNAMON … £34 from Boots

This is no new discovery. But how dare I make an article about my base without talking about the literal glue of my makeup!

Now, I know a lot of women love to use bright under-eye powder, but I find this is too much for me. I prefer to use powders that are very close to my skin tone. So, I’d use a bright(ish) concealer, but then mask it with a coloured setting powder. This way there are glimpses of the bright concealer, but it’s not overly accentuated because the powder tones it down.

The Cinnamon Bun shade is pure perfection for me. Originally I was terrified - my first ever powder was the Beauty Bakerie Flour Setting Powder. I was absolutely obsessed, but after it ran out I couldn’t find anywhere to re buy it in the UK. I had trial and error with a few questionable chalky powders, and finally found the mother of all setting powders in the Harrods Beauty store.

I like to dab this under my eyes and across the bridge of my nose, and it provides me with the most unreal smoothing airbrushed effect.

Thank you for reading - I hope you enjoy my recommendations, please let me know what you think!

x Desola

“Why don’t you just go in store and test out products then?” is a valid question, but honestly that doesn’t always make a difference for me. I’ll never forget that harrowing John Lewis trip I did for a new Charlotte Tilbury foundation - I was colour matched stupidly wrong and didn’t realise until I made the 1 hour trip back home! Live laugh love x

I am a strong advocate for researching before you buy, and ditching the super quirky “impulse” buying habits. Because of this I wanted to launch my ‘In The Beauty Stash’ monthly series where I share my curated list of beauty faves I’ve discovered. I don’t know about you, but I am tired of seeing trendy beauty products that are mediocre at best (Camille Rose deep conditioner, I am looking right at you). This series will be your no nonsense guide for beauty products I think are worth getting.

Without further ado, let’s crack on with the first volume:

1. La Roche-Posay Cicaplast B5 Anti Bacterial Cleansing Gel … £16.50 @ LOOKFANTASTIC

I’ve been using this face wash since December. It is now March. Do with that info as you will! I have absolutely zero complaints as it does everything a face wash should do; its anti bacterial properties enable a proper cleanse but still leaves the skin hydrated. It is not dramatically foaming (I’m convinced a lot of face washes make themselves foam a lot just to seem like it’s doing something) and therefore does not dry out my eczema prone skin. This product is also so gentle it could be used on babies! In fact, you could get more for your money as it’s not strictly just for the face, it’s also safe to use on the rest of your body.

2. La Roche-Posay Cicaplast B5 Multipurpose Repairing Balm … £19.50 @ LOOKFANTASTIC

I shave quite often, and LOVE exfoliating. If not for this balm I would be absolutely done for. After a couple days of using by skin barrier has miraculously restored, and for the first time since in a while, my skin is genuinely baby soft. It locks in moisture like no other and has a silky silicone like feel to it. I’ve always wanted super glass smooth skin and thanks to this product I am getting there. Just like the cleansing gel, it’s a multipurpose balm so you can use it everywhere and on babies too! A little goes a long way with this balm, so it certainly is value for money.

I MUST warn you, despite this product being unbelievably good, it leaves a white cast. Because of this, it is best to use it if you’re staying at home (unless it’s not as noticeable on your skin tone), or in your night time routine. I am still on a lookout for a more wearable face cream, so please let me know your recommendations!

3. Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 6% Mandelic + 2% Lactic Acid AHA Liquid Exfoliant … £14 @ Paula’s Choice

I purchased this exfoliant in a trial duo with the Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Exfoliant toner. I actually wanted the 2% BHA toner for a long time (we’re talking months), but I never got it because I was too afraid of it being too harsh for my sensitive skin. I was they were selling this and the 6% Mandelic + 2% Lactic Acid AHA together in travel sizes, and thought it’d be better to trial them both to see which is a better fit for me.

This product is the reason why my dark spots are finally fading away. It has brightened and evened out my skin so quickly in the space of just 1 week! I used it mainly at night, as I haven’t gotten into my SPF as much as I should be. Not only has my complexion improved, but my pores and skin texture is significantly better. This and the La Roche-Posay Cicaplast B5 balm together is the best skincare combination I have seen in a while.

I bought the travel sizes to save money, and honestly? A little goes a long way when you use your hands. Using cotton pads is such a waste because most of the product gets absorbed by the cotton pads, only giving you like 60% of the product you spent your hard earned money on.

4. The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% and Zinc 1% Serum … £5 @ LOOKFANTASTIC

I’ll be honest, this product isn’t like the others I listed where I saw changes in less than a week. I started using it in December, and I feel as though I’m only seeing the true effects of it. I must say it is perfect to use alongside my other products. I see it helping the maintenance of my refined pores, and helping to keep uneven skin tone at bay. It’s super cheap so I don’t feel like I need to use it sparingly. I can use it day and night, and like to go for it whenever I’m taking a break from the Skin Perfecting 6% Mandelic + 2% Lactic Acid AHA. Definitely worth having in your skin care bundle.

I hope you enjoyed my first “In The Beauty Stash” article. I will certainly be doing a new one every month, and very possibly more than one in a month! I’d love to know what you think about my recommendations, and if you have another face moisturiser for me to try.

Thanks for reading!

x Desola

After countless attempts of starting up a YouTube channel, creating video content for beauty brands, and even trying to make it big on TikTok, I have finally found a platform that (I hope) makes sense for me.

This time 5 years ago I launched a blog titled ‘xdesfan.com’ where I developed my own little corner of the internet exploring beauty and fashion. I posted mini photoshoots of me modelling my handmade sewing creations, I spoke about my newest beauty finds and makeup looks I loved, and really just did whatever I felt like! I was 19, stuck studying a law degree, and my little baby blog became my escapism.

During all of this, I remember thinking to myself “why the heck aren’t I getting any readers?!”. I started to wish I was in the early 2010s, where it was super cool to have your own blog and everyone was excited to post on the internet, authentically. Looking at iconic careers such as Victoria Magrath’s success with her Inthefrow blog, to Chriselle Lim, Aimee Song and Chiara Ferragni, I was feeling defeated that I was “in the wrong era”.

I developed a love for something that felt extremely outdated.

SO, I ditched my mini photoshoots and articles, and began to create short form content on social media. It was the start of the 2020s, and all anyone had the attention for were 10 second quick snappy content. It was so difficult for me to go from freely writing paragraphs, to making 20 second videos cramming and compressing every step of a full face of makeup. It felt so hard to have my own voice within the never ending chain of reels, flooded with micro trends that lasted 2 seconds.

Despite my seemingly negative takes on social media and short form content (it can be AMAZING, and there are so so many talented creators), I’m glad I forced myself to adapt. With the help of my loving partner (he taught me everything I know in content creation) I learned how to record and edit videos so well to the point I do it as a full time job now! If I hadn’t tried to adapt, and I stayed on xdesfan.com forever, who knows where I would be now.

However, the girl who loved to write freely about beauty and fashion is still alive and well (seems a bit cringe to say but you know what I mean). Since being obsessed with the Girls Life magazines at 8 years old, my love for articles never died out.

I hope to reignite my writing hobby and use this space as a literal canvas board for me to talk about any and everything beauty related. As cliche as it sounds, I want it to be my own virtual diary about my natural hair journey, makeup styles I love, new products etc. There also may be completely random yet in depth articles about the beauty industry too, just so you know.

Although xdesfan.com is gone now, you can find the archive of all my past posts and creations at xdesola.com in the ‘blog’ tab.

Thank you for reading, I hope you like it here!

x Desola

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