MICROBLADING || SHUMAILA'S BEAUTY

Before

Let me dive right into it and say: I love my eyebrows! ...I'm even asking myself why I didn't get Microblading done ages ago as I was so unhappy with the way they looked. When I was a teenager I messed them up by plugging them way to much and they never grew properly back.🙄 As I grew older I cared so much about them and I guess I reached a point now, where I just didn't want to worry about them anymore. I have to admit, I've seen loads of bad Microblading results out here and I was scared that I will end up looking the same, but I guess you just have to inform yourself very well about the salon you're going to and go for a consultation and look at their clients results. 

I was very lucky and had the opportunity to get my eyebrows done at Shumaila's Beauty and they couldn't have done it any better, to be honest. When I arrived I was welcomed by the owner Hafsa, who was lovely and greeted me by my name. It's the little things that are important to me and I really rate it high when someone is prepared for their next customer. I was a little nervous when my beautician Margaret introduced herself and offered me something to drink. She explained everything in detail how the Microblading treatment will be done and and made me feel very comfortable and in good hands. She's super lovely and professional and she even speaks German, too, which made me feel like home a little. 

Before we started the treatment she drew the eyebrow shape on she thought is best for me after looking at my old pictures, where I drew them on with a pencil, looking at my preferred shape, colour and after doing some measurements to be really precise. It took us like an hour until we achieved the perfect shape because Margaret and I wanted to be 100% satisfied.

She put some anaesthesia on my eyebrows so I won't feel any pain during the treatment and indeed I didn't feel anything. She picked the perfect colour for me and I'm really amazed how professional everything was done. During the treatment we spoke a lot and I didn't feel uncomfortable at all. I pictured all this way worse than it actually was, haha. After the treatment I looked into the mirror and even though it was just done and not healed at all, I was already super happy with the result. Can you imagine the feeling when you don't have to be careful anymore that your eyebrow pencil might come off?😂 AMAZING! I love the shape and how natural it looks! Oh yeah, the results will look much darker than it will come out in the end, so don't panic if you think it's too dark.

I documented my eyebrow healing process some days after the treatment to make people aware of how their eyebrows will change. On day 1 and 2 there was no difference from the day I've got it done, just that my skin around wasn't irritated anymore and the redness was becoming less. On day 4 and  5 my eyebrows really started to heal and skin and colour were coming off, basically just like a normal healing process. So don't think it's not normal and start to panic and have a little patience until it's fully healed. Margaret gave me some creme to put on, which I've been doing every night before going to bed or whenever my eyebrows felt dry to help the healing process and they actually healed quite quickly. On day 7 most of my skin had come off and colour has faded, which is now the perfect colour matching my hair. You'll probably see a lot more selfies of me now, lol. 

I'll be going for a touch up after two weeks of the treatment to fill in gaps but afterwards it can last up to 18 months depending on your skin type. After the touch up I will show on my Instagram stories how they'll look when the gaps are filled in. Can't wait!
I'm already enjoying my eyebrows so much! They're just perfect! 

If you're thinking of having a consultation or just want to go for it, visit Shumaila's Beauty website or call for an appointment on 0208 504 6723.

Love, Drea

xo

Day 1

Day 2

Day 4

Day 5

Day 7

This post was written in collaboration with Shumaila's Beauty. 

Pamper Session at Shumaila's Beauty Salon

After a stressful January, I finally had time to take a little 'me-time' and do what makes me feel good, which is mostly a lot of sleep, a good workout, a healthy meal and some pamper time. Shumaila's Beauty invited me down to their salon in Leytonstone to get some treatments done just in time for Valentine's day. 

When I arrived the lovely Sadaf welcomed and greeted me by my name, which felt so good! I love when people are prepared and pay attention to their clients. She kindly took my coat and offered me something to drink - It was freezing cold so a cup of green tea was just right! What I noticed when I entered the salon, it is just SO pretty! I LOVE white interior and I immediately noticed the pretty mirror on the wall behind the reception. The attention to detail with the huge chandelier and the flowers as well as towels in tone with the logo of the salon makes the salon just stand out. A very calm and warm atmosphere.

After a quick chat I was escorted into the massage room for my full body deep tissue massage. The lovely Sadaf gave me some time to change and was super sweet by reassuring that I was fine throughout the treatment. I'm very sensitive when it comes to massages but she did it just perfect! The room had dimmed light, very relaxing music in the background and lit candles to make me feel relaxed. I was so impressed that the massage table was heated as well and I felt very comfy covered with a fluffy blanket. She even asked me if I'd like an extra heater in the room - so sweet! Before Sadaf started she informed herself a little bit about how sensitive I am and if I'm allergic to anything as well as where I think I need to be treated the most. I didn't realise I had been that stressed that she even noticed it in my shoulders and neck. What I really enjoyed was the foot massage!!! I'll have a foot massage any day over basically anything, lol. One hour of pure relaxation and I just didn't want it to end. After the massage I was offered another green tea to stay warm and relaxed and I was able to have some more moments to relax laying down on the massage table. If you ever go to get a massage there, ask for Sadaf - she's super sweet, more than friendly and goes out of her way to make you feel special.

I have been offered to get party lashes done by Harpreet after my massage and I was really excited! Harpreet entered the room with a bright smile and made me feel comfortable very quickly - she was super nice and attentive and there wasn't one second where I felt uncomfortable. After she had a closer look at my lashes noticing that they're already quite long, she recommended the LVL treatment instead of the party lashes. I was thrilled as I heard so much about it but never tried it myself. I loved the way Harpreet was excited for me to get this treatment and we just kept talking and talking! She even offered to tint my lashes to make them stand out more, which I of course accepted.

To get this treatment it's best to get a patch test done just before to make sure you're not allergic to anything as eyes can be very sensitive. I filled out a form and she asked me some questions about allergic reactions, if I had this treatment before, if my eyes are very sensitive etc. and then she talked me through the whole procedure beforehand as well as while applying the treatment so that I knew what was going to happen. 

The LVL treatment took about 40 minutes and it didn't feel uncomfortable at all. I was amazed by the outcome! My lashes are naturally long but now I can see the full effect as they are curled now- btw on the pictures below I'm not even wearing mascara! 

Anyone who had individual lashes damaging their own natural lashes like me, this is the perfect solution. I'm definitely going back as one treatment lasts about 4 weeks and I believe costs about £40. For those whose lashes are not as long naturally and want to get this treatment, it's suitable for for you, too. Also, try castor oil mixed with coconut oil and apply it every night before going to bed, my lashes grew very quickly.

To all my East Londoners, if you're interested in any treatments just in time for Valentine's Day, I can highly recommend Shumaila's Beauty and the special Valentine's offers- there are 6 salons in London, their prices are reasonable, I'm totally satisfied with the result and the beauticians are super sweet and accommodating. 

What more can you wish for!?

What did you do to get #ValentineReady? Comment below!

Love, Drea

xxx

This post is in collaboration with Shumaila's Beauty

Last Minute Holiday Gift Guide - Edition 2016

One week until Christmas and I'm in the same situation as last year, the year before and the year before, lol. Last minute Christmas shopping kind of became a ritual. My problem is, when I think of gifts early then I tend to go overboard and try to buy expensive stuff even though it's not necessary to spend my entire salary on gifts and end up broke, lol. Not that my loved ones don't deserve it but you can make someone happy with some simple flowers, a card or just a visit. Nonetheless, if you are Christmas shoppers, I do have a last minute gift guide - which is secretly my wish list - for you. I put a lot of thought in these gifts and some of them I personally been wanting for some time, are really needed or will just come in practical. 

Love - Drea 

xxx

Blueberry Bliss!

Today it's all about Curls Curls Curls! First of all I would like to thank Curls for sending out their Blueberry Bliss leave in conditioner! As I told you guys before, I usually don't use leave in conditioners but I also never tried them before and they turned out to be quite good for my hair. This leave in conditioner has a lot of good ingredients for your hair such as organic blueberry fruit extract, that is rich in vitamin C and B, organic coconut oil - the medicine for literally EVERYTHING - organic aloe barbadensis leaf juice and chamomile flower extract. All these ingredients have promote hair growth, prevent hair breakage and keep your scalp hydrated. I really like using this product for the whole purpose of the good ingredients and that it keeps my hair defined. I use a walnut-sized bit of it after I dried my hair to get shape in it and it looks frizzy especially after drying it. There comes the "but".. lol. As I already told you guys, I'm not a big fan of extreme scents, I don't know why but I just can't have any other scents on me mixed with my perfume, especially not in my hair. So I'm sure Curls made a lot of girls happy with the blueberry smell, I'm just not a big fan of any kind of fragranced hair products. Nonetheless, the product is really good for my hair, so I will use it from time to time at least.

Hope this helped!

Love, Drea

xxx

Details:

Curls

Heaven On Your Skin...

If you haven't tried Heaven products yet, then you should go for it! Deborah Mitchell has spoilt us with the Weekend-Kit for our #BloggersNightIn and there was a little something of everything you need for a weekend away. I have tried some Heaven products before and I really liked the Peppermint Clarifying Hydrogel Toner and the SOS Oil Serum (Read about it here) I must say, the SOS Oil Serum is life! I've been using it for quite a whole now every evening, I mix 2-3 drops with my anti-ageing moisturiser from Sephora and it leaves my skin soft, hydrated and it helps to blemish the pigmentation on my right cheek. I haven't really noticed a difference when using the toner until I tried to leave my original products behind, meaning that you get the best results out of their products when only using Heaven products.

The Weekenders Skincare Kit contains a cleanser, hydrogel toner, moisturiser and a Bee Venom product. When ordering it, you can choose between your types of skin so it'll be adapted to each person. The Age Defiance Cream is my favourite product in the kit and is a good moisturiser, especially under make up - it helps to reduce your skin look dry. What I like about it, is that it contains Tea Tree Oil, which helps to restore the skin balance and reduces scars or breakouts. I'm a fan of everything that contains Tea Tree Oil as it has proven to work well for me.

Disclaimer: What works well for you, might not work for you. I have combination skin and big pores and my T-zone is very oily.

Hope this helped!

Love, Drea

xxx

Shea Moisture : Hair Magic

I've always been a fan of the Shea Moisture hair masks but haven't tried anything else from them yet, so I'm very happy they sent me these products to try! Thanks again!
What I love about Shea Moisture is that they use natural and certified organic ingredients, they are sulfate free and paraben free, so only the best for you hair. And that's how it should be. We all love our hair and want to make the best out of it, so why not treating it with good products? Right! I have tried so many drugstore products but now using some of She Moisture's products, especially after I take out the braids, I feel like they haven't gotten the best results for my hair.

I've been trying the Raw Shea Butter Restorative Conditioner for about two weeks now and it has been a blessing for my hair! It feels like it's reviving again after having the braids. For their products I have noticed that a little goes a long way. I only use a little bit as I have very thin hair, so it won't be too heavy on it and it just seems like it last forever. I guess it's more suitable for thicker hair or afro hair but it still does a good job when I just don't exaggerate.

I've heard so many good things about the Coconut & Hibiscus Curl & Shine Style Milk, even fro, my friends back in Germany but I don't know why I never gave it a try. Anyways, now I've tried it and I have to say that I can only use the smallest amount to style and define my curls as it is a heavy product. I do love the smell of it though. I'm usually a person who doesn't like strong smells of products on hair and skin but this one is quite decent and I don't mind it in my hair at all. I dry my hair first, which usually leaves them quite fizzy but using the lotion then makes my curls defined and very soft, loving it! I can really recommend this product for any type of hair!
Check out their website for more products! They have a huge variety and there's something for everyone! I really wanna try their skincare - The problem skin line and the rose oil mud mask!

Shoutout to Shea Moisture for sending me the products! Thanks a lot! 

Love, Drea

xxx

Heaven Skincare

My highlight this week was being part of the LFW Bloggers Hangout Event and I had the best time! I met so many like-minded people and very talented bloggers as well. The location was a bit smaller than expected but it was very crowded and the room was filled with good energy, passion and inspiration! 

The very first stand I went to when I arrived was Deborah Mitchell's Heaven Skincare. Lauren was really friendly and welcoming and explained all the details about the products. Their skincare is based on a range of anti-ageing, all-natural skincare containing organic ingredients as Deborah Mitchell is a beauty therapist who created her own all-natural organic products along other beauty treatments. The products have been developed for a radiant to help heal skin conditions, from blemishes to eczema. To make it short: Everything organic sounds good to me since I have very sensitive combination skin that adapts to the weather. 

I have only started using the products on Monday but in all honesty, I can already see changes on my skin. It looks much clearer and is softer and seem to control oil breakouts, which I have quite often. The hydrogel contains my two favourite ingredients in skin products: Organic Lavender and Organic Coconut. It also contains Organic Peppermint, which I found very interesting at first but it is cooling on the skin and it balances oily and dry skin. The gel is a toner and also cleans, primes and hydrates, meaning it makes the skin smooth, shine free and keeps the pores closed. I use it after washing my face with a cleanser and apply it with a cotton wool. My skin feels very soft and refreshed after using it but I have to say I'm not a big fan of the peppermint, nonetheless, it's a great product! 

Lauren gave me another product to try at home after I've told her that my skin is very sensitive, adapts to the weather and about my pigmentation. The SOS Oil Serum is based on all organic Grape seeds, Sunflower and Olive Oil and contains Organic Carrot Oil, Organic Calendula Absolute. I feel like this is the product I have been missing all along. I'm usually more the basic type and use coconut oil before I go to sleep or my Sephora anti-aging night cream. I mix it with my night cream and use only one or two drops. My skin feels very clean and hydrated in the morning and it seem to help fading my pigmentation and blemishes. (I used Bi Oil before, which was very good as well) The oil contains Vitamin A, B, E and beta Carotene, which treats acne, repairs damaged skin cells, hydrates and protects your skin form ageing. The best thing is, that you can use this oil even with shampoo for dry hair ends and add it to your hand cream. I can really recommend this product!

As I was speaking to Lauren, I saw someone getting her eyebrows tinted and obviously I was immediately interested since these days it's all about the eyebrow game. My eyebrows are never ON FLEEK though, lol. I had never tried it before but heard a lot of good things about it and I just recently read a blog where it was recommended. I am very satisfied with the result and don't even have to be too bothered to leave the house without doing my eyebrows since there's already colour on it. I can recommend this to anyone who already has a nice eyebrow shape, then you really don't have to do anything anymore. I've only had it for some days now but the colour is supposed to last up to 4 weeks. 
Here's a little video on how it was done. 

I hope you liked my review and I'll be posting very soon again!

Love, Drea

xxx