
Hear the stories of how endowed scholarships leave a legacy for generations to come on this episode of Diverse: a SWE podcast.
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Hear the stories of how endowed scholarships leave a legacy for generations to come on this episode of Diverse: a SWE podcast.
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*Links marked with asterisks are affiliate links, these help Ree with running costs of the blog
I was so excited to try out the brand new e.l.f. Cosmetics Soft Glam Satin Foundation and I am thrilled to say, I have every shade here to show you. So please do enjoy my review and swatches.

Infused with 1% Hydrating Hibiscus Complex, plus pomegranate, blueberry, and goji berry extracts.
There are 36 shades to choose from in the full collection. The shades range from Fair to Rich and include cool, neutral, and warm undertones.













I knew I was going to like this foundation because I have always been impressed by e.l.f.’s complexion products. In a nutshell, what I really love about it is that it has a lovely lightweight texture with a skincare feel, yet a little goes a long way with natural looking coverage.
Also, the finish is really nice. As promised, it is a satin finish with the perfect amount of sheen without it being overly shiny or glossy. It is great on texture, and it looks like real skin. I’ve been really enjoying how comfortable this is, and once applied, I kind of forget I’m wearing it which is great.
There are 36 shades to choose from and what’s great is that e.l.f. have a shade match guarantee so if you have any problems, you can return it. This is such a good selection for a drug store brand especially as the shades range from Fair all the way to Deep and Rich, across the Cool, Neutral and Warm undertones.
I am often a neutral shade when it comes to foundation, however, having played with a few different options from the e.l.f. Cosmetics Soft Glam Satin Foundation collection, I actually opted for a Cool shade, and it works really well on my skin tone.
So, the e.l.f. Cosmetics Soft Glam Satin Foundation claims to be suitable for dry, oily and combination skin. I’d say that you will particularly love it if you are on the drier side, and I believe it is very well suited to mature skins. Having said that, it isn’t overly shiny so I think oily skins will get on well with it too.
I have found that I can skip powder which is always my preference these days. If you are dry, I don’t think you will need to use powder. You may want to powder the t-zone if you are more on the oily side.
This applies and blends very easily. A small dot of product goes a long way and blends really nice over the skin. I love using it with the e.l.f. Ultimate Blending Brush. It has a nice big head, so it makes quick work of spreading and buffing this foundation into the skin.
It applies very smoothly and looks natural immediately.
I’d say this is a good medium coverage that’s easy to build. One layer really evens out my skin tone, covers redness and pigmentation, and just makes my skin look really perfected. You can easily build it up in any areas you need it.
I love the finish of this foundation. It is definitely satin as described, and I think it’s not too glowy and not too matte. You could call it a bit of a goldilocks foundation!
It has a lovely natural looking radiance that gives the skin a really healthy look. It allows the light to catch nicely on the cheekbones and high points of the face. If you are oily, you may want to lightly powder the t-zone, but see how you get on.
I have decided on shade 20 Light Cool and I think that’s my best match.
For my shade twins out there, my other matches are:


The e.l.f. Cosmetics Soft Glam Satin Foundation is £8 and available in 36 shades via the link below:
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*Links marked with asterisks are affiliate links, these help Ree with running costs of the blog
A brand new brow product has joined the VB Beauty line and it’s a gel that promises a very fluffy yet natural looking brow. Here’s the lowdown on Victoria Beckham Beauty FeatherFix.

Apparently the new Victoria Beckham FeatherFix brow gel has been two years in the making and promises a modern laminated effect with a mess-free finish:
Murumuru Seed Extract – to promote stronger, more resilient brow hair, while supporting growth and improving appearance
Panthenol – helps improve hydration, strength, thickness and shine of brow hair, as well as manageability and overall health
Biotin – helps improve hair strength and thickness, reducing hair breakage and shedding and enhancing its vitality
Film Formers – for strong, durable hold and flexibility while making brows appear fuller and more defined

There are five shades in the collection:

I currently have shade Taupe to show you:

To see all the Babyblade shades and swatches, read: Victoria Beckham Beauty BabyBlade Microfine Brow Pencil Review & Swatches.
Victoria Beckham Beauty recommend using the Crystal Clear shade for the most natural look. If you want a bolder look, then use the shade that matches your hair type. See above for shade information.

Comb FeatherFix through the brows and allow one minute for the formula to set the hairs into place.
For a laminated look with extra hold, brush slowly across the whole
brow and use the detailing brush to separate and lift brow hairs
straight upwards. Then use the back flat side of the brush to press hairs
against the skin.



I do love a brow gel for a nice fluffy and full look and this one is pretty easy to use, especially if you prep the brow with a pencil first.
The comb is great for getting into the hairs, and it deposits a nice amount product. I really like the way you can use the flat side of the brush to press the hairs against the skin to get a bolder, more laminated look.
I have been using the Taupe shade over the Taupe Baby Blade pencil and they are a brilliant duo for soft and fluffy, natural looking brows.
It gives a very light hold to the hair, and if you like something a bit stiffer, this may not be for you. It is fairy fluid and more of a liquid than a gel texture, and if you have unruly brows, it may not be enough for you.
I am really loving the Taupe shade which gives me soft definition without looking too heavy.
It is fairly pricey at £32, but if you’re a VB Beauty fan, it won’t shock you, and I have to say, they are the most beautiful brow gels to look at. As always, the packaging has been nailed.
If you are looking for something a bit more affordable, I really like Boy Brow, For more info on that read: Glossier Boy Brow Review.
The Victoria Beckham Beauty FeatherFix Brow Gel is £30 and available now via the following link:
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hihi everyone, I hope all is well! It’s now more than 1 month after my texture release and so now is a great time to share my thoughts on it! I have played around with my hair and had a few wash days too and I have a lot of thoughts to share!
My hair- I have very fine, low to medium density 4c hair. I’ve been natural for 13 years. This texture release would be the 1st time in 13 years I have ever done a chemical service and also the first time I have straightened my hair, done a silk press.
I got my TR done at Maison Style, full review here. One of the main reasons why I did the TR was that I wanted to try something different with my hair this year because I wanted to wear it out more. I wanted to be a heat trained/straight natural so that I can do that easily. After getting the TR and talking with Andree, I have decided not to go down this route. Why?
Because I have very fine hair, my hair is more prone to heat damage. I actually didn’t know this until Andree said at my app. Fine hair has fewer layers compared to coarse hair making it more fragile. I think I have some heat damage in the top area of my hair after the service because its straight and limp as compared to the rest of my hair. And this is with lots of heat protectant and a good routine prior to the TR. Whilst I don’t really wear my hair in its curly state, I still want healthier hair so becoming a straight natural and having lots of silk presses will cause a lot of damage even with a good moisture/protein balance routine.
I have low to medium density hair and this is disguised very well when my hair is in its natural coily state. It feels fuller and thicker. I prefer thicker hair so I was very surprised to see my hair on the lower density side after it was straightened. To be totally honest I did not like that. There’s nothing wrong with having this density, density is genetic however because I prefer a fuller head, I just didn’t like it. I made some clip ins to add extra body but I don’t want to rely on this every time I get my hair straightened. No clip ins in the pic.
My blowdried hair still appears fuller so if anything I can go down the route of a blow dried natural instead of getting silk presses. Blow drying is not nearly as damaging as a silk press in terms of heat damage. Still I would have to be careful on my very fine hair
In terms of the condition of my hair, my hair feels so soft and the curls are more elongated. I don’t have as much shrinkage as before so it makes washing my hair just a little bit quicker. I do like the TR for this.
If you have fine low density 4c hair just manage your expectations of a TR, especially if you haven’t seen your hair silky straight before. I say this because almost 98% of the videos I watched were on 4c coarse high density hair so of course my image of what I thought my hair would look like was a bit skewed especially since I had also never seen my hair straight after I went natural. What about my relaxed days? Well there was only ever 1 time I was able to get my hair proper silky straight because this person actually knew what they were doing lol, all other times my hair was still slightly puffy and honestly my hair was more in braids than relaxed and out. My silky straight relaxed hair was also on the thinner side infact my silky straight natural hair is actually a bit ‘thicker’.
Will I get a texture release again? No. Because the main reason why I wanted one was to aid my straight natural journey and since my hair cant tolerate that much heat frequently, there’s no need for it. Whilst I’m loving the relaxed curl pattern and the condition of my hair, its just not enough to justify the service. Will I change my mind later? who knows
Will I recommend it? YES. If you have coarse high density hair, you will probably love it and benefit from it more
I don’t regret getting the TR, I’m so happy I’m finally trying something different with my hair and taking much better care of it! I will have my 1 month wash day post TR up soon! I’m ending my hair challenge of no braids or wigs as I’m planning to get braids soon for the summer as an actual protective style lol. I’ve had my hair out for the last 6 months and need a mini break. Over the last 6 months too, I have worn wigs for a total of 1 week spread over many days. I’m really proud of myself for it! I don’t remember a time I’ve had my own hair out for this long! and taking proper care of it too.
I really hope you find this post helpful. If you are thinking of getting a TR, make sure you read up on it as much as possible whilst watching as many videos as you can. Try and watch vids of people with the same density & texture as yours, it will help you manage expectations. If you have hair like mine, there isnt that many videos for us fortunately lol so hopefully my posts on TR help
take care

Hear from two women engineers who were featured in the IMAX film “Cities of the Future” in this episode of Diverse: a SWE podcast.
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