Pickles n' Tickles by JJ

I'm breaking the silence for you, Blue Grumpster , with a foundation review, though I'm afraid that  Fenty Beauty  may not have that cool, sarky blue shade that you are. I can only hope that you're yellow - like me because, let me tell ya, there's a whole lot of delicious, warm shades in that collection of 40 colours.  Shade 390 (warm)  So, I've been wearing this stuff for a few days, presenting myself in various, albeit, tropical weather conditions. And, here's what I think.  Light and non-greasy .  Well, it's soft matte. In fact, I expected it to be dry, and flaking off of my skin by midday, but it doesn't. It's light enough for me to gradually build in the kind of coverage I'm looking for, and more importantly, the foundation stays - on my skin, at least. I don't even need to set it with powder, and I love how it refuses to dislodge from my skin, even after a massive sweat session. Truth is, this is probably why I think it...

AS I'm typing out this post, I'm drenched in a luxurious concoction of premium east-african shea butter, rosehip oil and glycerin, scented with drops of ylang ylang and lavender essential oils. My skin is gleaming, reflecting the light from the window, and the scent, oh so intoxicating. The potion is soft and stable at room temperature but melts like butter on a hot bun when it hits the skin. I smell like the sweet offerings for the god of the skies, like an ancient temple or an Indian bride on her wedding night. Whatever, I smell so good right now. Ylang ylang, on its own puts me off but with lavender, it's mild and mysterious. It's  been deeply satisfying making my own lotions, creams and balms. Last night, I attempted a whipped body and hair cream. Unrefined shea and organic cocoa butters as the base with a teaspoon of glycerin, rosehip and coconut oils, bound by the humble rosemary and lavender essential oils. I had so much fun melting, mixing and beating the oil...

OILS and I go a long way. My mom used a lot of oil on me, growing up. As a teenager, baby oil was my go-to daily face moisturiser. I didn't know then what I know now about synthetic oils but it worked for me. In my early 20s, I fell in love with pure essential oils. I was introduced to the world of Culpeper during work. Then, I was gifted a 50ml bottle of jojoba base oil with two precious bottles of 10ml rose and geranium essentials oils courtesy of Culpeper. I was set for life and I've never looked back ever since.  Over the years, I have depended on and dwelled solely in beauty oils. Recently, I've started learning about healing through essential oils. It's been a huge eye-opener for me. Essential oils are just not skin deep, they're simply so much more than that. The potent substances extracted through steam distillation from various shrubs, flowers, roots, skin and seeds could have incredible healing powers when used with sensitivity, respect and knowledge....

THERE is an old joke about my dad getting my mom todrink rose water when she was pregnant with me so she could birth a child with the coveted rosy fairness. Asians in general associate beauty and perfection with a fair skin. The fairer you are, the prettier. It's an asset. Men look for fair-skinned wives so they could produce beautiful, fair-skinned offsprings.  Upon my birth however, my dad became the butt of the joke while my grandma had the last laugh. She lived on for almost 30 years after that to tell and repeat the story of the rose water recipe. Apparently I was the darkest baby in the baby room with the deepest indentation between the lower lip and chin :)  It's funny how a notion with such frivolous flavour still continues to manipulate the present and future generations on their definition of beauty and self-worth. I can't say it bothers me much because I'm confident in my own chocolate skin. After all beauty is in the eye of the beholder, no? ...