25 Blogger Cliches

31 January 2017

Tomi Kay Does Beauty Blogger Blogging Blog Trends


Prior to blogging, I read a few blogs and spent countless hours on Instagram but I was oblivious to the trends among bloggers. Since joining the blogging scene, I have read a whole lot of blogs, followed Instagram pages and I have noticed a few similarities among bloggers, cliches one may call them. I have decided to share them.

1. Ikea Alex drawers - Because where else are you going to fit all those eyeshadow palettes


2. Ikea Skukar plant pot - Who cares what they were created for, I'm just going to store my for makeup brushes in them because everyone else is doing it


3. Fur rug - Can someone say Ikea ...


4. Ikea white desk - Let's hope it never gets dirty


5. Minimalist Instagram Theme


6. Acrylic Makeup Storage -If it's good enough for the Kardashians then its good enough for me


7. Cinema Lightbox - My blog name or blog post has to be in bright lights


8. Candles - especially Jo Malone


9. Marble Background


10. Succulents


Tomi Kay Does Beauty Blogger Blogging Blog Trends


11. Flat Lays - A good flat lay is worth more than a thousand photos


12. Rose gold props - The flat lay is incomplete without the rose gold


13. Flowers - Who knew Peonies were so photogenic?


14. Blurry Background - The beloved 50mm lens to create the perfect bokeh effect


15. Kate Spade stationery - I mean they look great on camera


16. Girl Boss book - Does anyone read the book or is it just for the aesthetics


17. Rings as props - especially rose gold



18.  MacBook/ Imac


19. Staged desk shots - Because a good desk shot can tell any story, just read the caption


20. Fashion Magazines - Vogue and Elle seem to be good blogger reads


21. Framed inspirational quote - She believed she could so she did


22. White, minimalist blog - Because all that colour is too distracting.


23. H and M home - Basically


24. Tea/ Coffee shots - Do you drink the tea after you post on Instagram? Or was the coffee never hot to begin with?


25. Macaroons - Are they ever eaten or just to be double clicked on Instagram?


This was a fun post for me to write and I hope you enjoy it. I am guilty of 14 cliches and counting because we never know, I may decide to visit the home section of H&M.

Have you noticed any of these cliches? Which ones are you guilty of?

January Favourites

27 January 2017












I honestly cannot believe it’s almost the end of January and payday has finally come. Oh how time flies. I wanted to share with you guys some of the beauty products I have been enjoying so far.




Every time I put on this foundation, I fall in love all over again. For me, Double Wear ticks all the boxes. Long lasting, amazing coverage and neutral undertone. What more could I ask? You can read my in depth review here.


Zaron Volumizing Mascara

I got this mascara as part of a Christmas present and I am super impressed. The mascara wand is really something. It separates the lashes and coats every single lash without clumping. I hardly ever have the patience for falsies so I love that this mascara gives an instant boost to my lashes by lengthening and adding volume. The only down side is Zaron is a Nigerian brand and not easily accessible in the UK.

I kept reading reviews about the Makeup Geek eyeshadows and decided to take the plunge and buy a couple to try out. Cocoa Bear is a lovely reddish brown eyeshadow. It is buttery smooth and blends very easily. Cocoa Bear looks perfect in my crease.
 

Corrupt is a buttery black eyeshadow with subtle shimmers in the pan that are not visible on the skin. It is amazingly pigmented, the colour payoff is just wonderful. The pigmentation is phenomenal, honestly; one swipe gives an opaque colour. It is also quite long lasting


NYX Eyeshadow Spellbound

I bought this eyeshadow because I read it was a dupe for MAC Sumptuous Olive, although I am unable to comment on whether it is a perfect dupe or not but I absolutely love it. Spellbound feels very smooth and blends with little effort. It is a lovely olive green shade that complements my dark skin perfectly. I apply this wet to intensify the colour and I apply it over an eye primer so it lasts all day.

NYX Eyeshadow Liquid Gold

Liquid Gold is a deep copper gold eyeshadow. It’s not exactly a true gold, neither is it a copper shade but a lovely blend of both colours. This eyeshadow has a smooth formula and glides on easily. It is very pigmented, I honestly cannot believe the price. Such a great value for money.

W7 Banana Dreams

This banana powder is a really smooth, finely milled, high quality powder. It was love at first try. It is absolutely amazing to set my under eye concealer. The silica contained in it keeps oil under control. It does not crease and doesn’t look ashy on my dark skin. This powder photographs perfectly, there is no white cast and it come off ashy on camera. I also prefer the packaging of this powder as opposed to the shaker bottle that other banana powders come in.

Cherry Blossom is everything. This liquid lipstick never fails. It is a blue-toned red lipstick – my favourite kind of red. It looks wonderful on my dark skin. The lipstick has good staying power, it still looks good on the lips even after a sumptuous meal. It dries to a lovely matte finish but isn’t uncomfortable on the lips and it doesn’t flake like many liquid lipstick. It applies on smoothly and I didn’t experience any patchiness.
 




I have had my eye on this perfume since I took a whiff of it on my friend, so when I stopped by Boots and found a set on offer as part of their Boxing day sales, I knew it was meant to be. It’s such a sexy scent without being overbearing. It has a feminine fresh scent but is not overly sweet. It’s sensual enough to wear in the evening and still able to attract compliments during the day time. Plus the rose gold bottle looks great on any dressing table.
My sister left this pencil at my place and her loss is my gain. I am allergic to the Soap and Glory skincare products so I never tried their makeup items for fear of allergies. But this kohl pencil is everything. It is a creamy, highly pigmented black matte eye pencil. It doesn’t run and it is long wearing. I am highly impressed.

Burnt Pepper is a warm terracotta matte blush. With this blush, a little goes a long way, it is really pigmented. It is very creamy and soft, making it a dream to blend. It looks wonderful on my skin tone and gives the perfect flush of colour and it is long lasting.

What beauty products are you enjoying this month?

Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation

24 January 2017



Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation Review


For the longest time, all I knew about Estee Lauder was their skin care range which my mum used religiously. I couldn’t believe they stocked makeup. I was even more surprised to find that they catered for darker shades.

Over a year ago, after reading and watching a good number of reviews about this foundation, I decided to take the plunge and purchase the Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation. At the Boots counter, I was recommended this foundation in the shade Truffle, this shade was not perfect for me and I had to resort to mixing the foundation with a different one. I have absolutely no problem with mixing my foundations to create the perfect shade. The problem for me is that when I spend £31 on a bottle of foundation, I honestly don't want to have to mix it to make it work. It is safe to say I was not impressed with this foundation the first time around. But I believe in second chances so I decided to give the Estee Lauder Double a second chance. I went into the store to get matched for the second time around and this time, I got matched with the shade Deep Amber 7N1. I can say that Deep Amber is the one, it has a beautiful neutral undertone which I almost never find in foundations that cater for the darker woman.


Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation Review


Estee Lauder Double Wear comes in a beautiful see through glass bottle with a gold screw cap. The bottle has quite the luxurious feel to it. It does not come with a pump which can be very annoying because sometimes I overestimate the product I need and end up having to waste some. The upside is that the MAC pump fits the Double Wear bottle perfectly so I just use that.

I am always on the lookout for a long lasting foundation with a flawless finish that of course, matches my skin tone. I can say that I have found all of this in the Estee Lauder Double wear. It is marketed as a medium coverage foundation but I think it is more full coverage. This foundation is lightweight but is quite pigmented and has an opaque coverage. It is very buildable and a little does go a long way. Although this is a medium to full coverage foundation, the consistency is neither too thick nor too runny.

It has a beautiful finish. As a girl with oily skin, I am very impressed with how matte this oil free foundation is. It is also neither drying nor does it settle in the pores. This foundation dries matte and it is water resistant. It also endures heat. I wouldn’t go as far as to say it is sweat resistant, but it does well with higher temperature. Estee Lauder claims that this foundation is transfer resistant, I can’t really comment on this as I always set my foundation with powder that usually transfers.

Even with my oily skin, I did not experience any break outs with this foundation. This foundation has an amazing lasting power. It has stood the test of time. I have worn it for over 10 hours and it still looks great. The Double Wear foundation blends very easily, it spreads evenly on the skin to create the flawless base I am always looking to get with my foundation.

Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation Review

They have an amazing shade range which each come in Neutral and Warm undertones. One thing that sold me on this foundation is the fact that it comes with a neutral undertone for my dark shade. I find that most foundations for women of colour, tend to be too warm. Another beautiful thing I noticed about this foundation is that unlike most of my other foundations, it does not oxidise. The foundation does not change colour as the day goes by, so what I see at 9am is what I get at 5pm.

I love the Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation so much, it has knocked off all my other bottles of foundation and has won a spot in my list of holy grail foundations.

I wouldn't recommend this foundation to someone with dry skin because it is oil free and dries matte but if you are like me and you have oily, acne prone skin then this is a perfect foundation for you. Also the SPF in the foundation may not go well with flash photography. I never take photos with flash so I am unable to comment on that fact. You are also able to get a sample that last 10 days so you can try out the foundation and see if you want to commit to a full sized bottle.



What is your holy grail foundation?

How I Lost 6kg in 10 weeks

17 January 2017

Tomi Kay Does Beauty How I Lost 6kg in 10 weeks

About 3 years ago, I lost 15kg and I felt I was a little too skinny, so I decided to gain a bit of weight.
The idea was to gain a little bit of weight so I could be a UK size 12. I kept on ignoring the signs, the need for bigger sized shirts, the snug trousers, the larger pooch and the size 14 labels on my clothes.

I decided to weigh myself for the first time in 18 months and, lo and behold, the scale read 85kg and my BMI screamed obese with a BMI of 30.2. I wouldn't agree with my BMI characterising me as obese but I did believe I was overweight and I did not like it. I took a page of Jim Rohn's book, 'if you don't like how things are, change it you are not a tree'. So I decided to do something about my weight. I am one of those people who are always trying hoping to lose weight. However, this time, I decided to really focus and go for it. I wasn't sure if I would lose any weight but I developed a game plan.




Tomi Kay Does Beauty Fit Bit App


Fitbit App:
I downloaded the Fitbit app. I used it to count my steps, input my calories and measure my outgoing calories. I love Fitbit because it counts calories lost based on your physical activity and bmr (amount of calories you lose just by being alive). As I did not do any other exercise apart from walking, the app was mainly instrumental in counting and recording my steps.

Calorie Counting:
Using my Fitbit App, I was able to monitor my calorie intake. I know it sounds exhausting but once I got the hang of it, I didn't need to do it all the time. I would input the calories in all my meals. I basically ate between 1200 to 1500 calories a day. Counting my calories was a big eye opener for me. l measured my food and I was shocked to see how much food I should actually be eating.

Healthier Eating:
With keeping my calories in check, I realised I had to eat healthier to reduce calorie intake without a constant hunger pang. I reduced the amount of oil - vegetable and palm oil - I consumed. I replaced vegetable oil with olive oil and fry light. I started eating vegetables, I was surprised to find I actually liked them. I filled half my plate with veggies sans the salad cream. I started eating wholewheat pasta and spaghetti; and they taste quite as good as their white counterparts.

Low Carbs:
When I started counting my calories, I realised how many calories were in my favourite carbohydrates - bread and rice. I was a big rice eater. I could eat rice for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack. For me, I realised I couldn't control my intake of rice and bread so I cut them out of my diet and replaced them with sweet potato, wholewheat pasta and wholewheat spaghetti.

Snacking:
I started keeping watch of what I was snacking on. I found that between my lunch at 12noon and dinner at about 6pm, I got hungry so I decided to be smart about my snacks. In the afternoon, I snacked on either mini breadsticks, carrots, fruits or a spinach and egg pot.

Meal Prep:
I think this is one of the biggest things that helped me lose weight. I started planning and packing my meals on the weekends because I found when I did not have food prepared, I ate whatever I found. I ate Golden Syrup Oats for breakfast everyday.

Water Intake:
Prior to my weight loss journey, I barely ever drank water. I took orange juice, ribena, all types of squash and different fizzy drinks but I almost never drank water. In tracking my calories, I realised how many empty calories I was consuming from all the sugary drinks I was taking. I decided to eliminate every sugary drink for water. I didn't just drink water, I took 2.5 - 3ltrs of water every day. Whenever I got bored of plain water, I added some 'no added sugar' squash to my water to give a bit of flavour.

10,000 steps:
I wanted to exercise, I told myself I'd workout every other day to Fitness Blender workout videos but I guess my willpower is not that strong so I decided to concede to what was in my power - walking. I used Fitbit app to monitor my steps and ensure that I took over 10,000 steps every day. I used every opportunity I got to walk and this helped me to burn calories.

Tomi Kay Does Beauty Scale


Weekly weigh-ins:
I weighed myself every Monday about the same time on an empty stomach to make sure I was keeping myself in check. I lost between 1 and 2kg on most weeks.

Cheat days:
I enjoyed eating healthier and I did not miss rice as much as I thought I would have but the weekends were difficult for me to keep up with my diet. I think weekdays are easy for me because I have a clear structure of the day but the weekend can go any way so I decided to be flexible with myself. On the weekend, I did not maintain my water intake because all that water came with a lot of toilet breaks that I could not afford on the weekend. Basically Saturday and Sundays were cheat days but I was careful with cheating. I still only drank water and I was careful not to go overboard.

I started my weight loss journey on 6th July 2016 at 85kg, some weeks were better than others and by 12th September 2016, I weighed 78.9kg. After this, I was offered a new job, moved cities and started getting myself settled in a new city so I fell off weight loss wagon but I was careful not to gain more weight.

As at today, I weigh 77kg but I am getting back on the wagon as I my goal weight is 69kg. 69kg is just a guide, my actual goal is to be a size 12.

What are your best weight loss tips? 

Zoeva Rose Golden Luxury Brush Set Review

10 January 2017



Tomi Kay Does Beauty Zoeva Rose Golden Face Brush Set Review






It was an uneventful Monday morning, I was sitting at my desk hoping and praying that the day would pass quickly when I got a parcel at work. I had thought it was a mistake but when I opened the parcel, I was hoping that I would be able to keep it. After a mini investigation, I deciphered that one of my dear friends was giving me an early Christmas gift. As much as I don't like surprises, I enjoyed this immensely. 



Tomi Kay Does Beauty Zoeva Rose Golden Brush Set Review




102 Silk Finish Brush


The Zoeva Silk Finish brush does exactly that, provides a silk finish. I am a full coverage foundation kinda gal and I find that this brush gives an amazing airbrushed finish. I mainly use it with my liquid foundation and I love the look I get but I have also tried it with my powder foundation and can I say wow, it gives such a lovely flawless full coverage. This helps to buff foundation in effortlessly without looking cakey. 

106 Powder

This is such a soft and fluffy brush. It is great for applying all over powder and giving the face a lovely finish. This brush is so fluffy that it picks up the right amount of powder without moving around foundation or concealer. It works well for loose and pressed powder.

110 Face Shape

This brush has short and densely packed bristles. It is great for contouring and sculpting. It fits perfectly into the hollow of my cheek which makes it perfect to contour with. This brush works well with liquid, cream and powder products.

127 Luxe Sheer Cheek

This super soft brush is great for applying blush to the cheeks. The angled shaped makes for precise application. It also works well to contour. It gives the most natural flush of colour on the cheeks.


Tomi Kay Does Beauty Zoeva Rose Golden Face Brush Set Review

317 Wing Liner

I have a fear of the wing line, although I am getting better at it, most times I skip it. Whenever I decide to brave it and give myself a wing, I usually use a liquid liner or an eyeliner pen. So I have never used this brush for what it was originally intended for but this is an absolute staple in my makeup routine. I use it to fill in my brows and it works great. It works well with both cream and powder products. The bristles are short enough for a controlled application. 

231 Luxe Petit Crease

This is the first brush of its kind in my brush collection and I keep asking myself how I ever did my eye makeup without it. It is such a precise brush and perfect for applying colour to the crease and outer V. It is absolutely perfect for me because I have small eyes. This is the brush I have been missing in my kit.

142 Concealer Buffer


I thought I wouldn’t find any use for this brush because I never spot conceal, I find the coverage I get from my foundation and powder to be just sufficient and I blend out my under eye concealer with a blending sponge so I was sure this brush would be wasted in my collection. I have, however, used this brush almost everyday since I got it. I absolutely love it to blend out the concealer around my eyebrows. This brush prevents me from having the annoying halo effect that comes with applying lighter concealer around the eyebrows. It makes blending concealer effortless.


227 Luxe Soft Definer


This brush works great for eyeshadow application. It can be used to apply colour all over the lid in a quick sweep. It is also amazing to blend eyeshadows and create that perfectly blended eye look. This is my go to for a smokey eye. 



Tomi Kay Does Beauty Zoeva Rose Golden Face Brush Set Review


These brushes come with white bristles and that kept scaring me because I thought that soon as I start using them, I won't be able to get them white again. I have discovered that to be untrue. Washing them is super easy and they all return to their former glory that I don't want to dirty them all over again. The brushes are all very soft and I can see why this set is a blogger favourite. All the brushes in the Zoeva Rose Golden Luxury Brush set are sold individually just with a different handle so you don't have to commit to the set if you don't want to. I love that this set comes complete with all the tools required to create the perfect beat. 


Do you own any Zoeva brushes? Which ones and what do you think about them?

2017 Blog Resolutions

6 January 2017

Tomi Kay Does Beauty 2017 Blog Resolution Stock Photo




Happy New Year Folks!!! I hope you've had a wonderful holiday and that the holiday weight comes off quickly. 2016 had quite a few new beginnings for me - I started a business, I started blogging, I unexpectedly got a new job, I moved to Manchester, I started saving seriously - to name a few. In all, I think 2016 was a good one and I have such high hopes for 2017.

Last year, I started this blog and I never realised how much I would come to love blogging. My blog has become so important to me so I have decided to set some goals I would like to work towards this year.


Create and stick to a blogging schedule

When I started blogging, I didn't create a schedule; I wanted to blog twice a week but the lack of a schedule made things disorganised. In 2017, I want to post on Tuesdays and Fridays weekly at the same time. Lord, help me!!!


Schedule blog posts

My blog's draft section is filled with so many unfinished posts that almost never get completed. I find that I only ever complete a blog post when I am ready to post it, which means, that if I get busy or life gets in the way, I won't be able to post. This year, I am aiming to have posts written and scheduled to go out to maintain consistency.

Diversify content

I want to mix things up a little. My blog will be focused on beauty but I want to infuse some other aspects of beauty outside makeup and I want to create some lifestyle content too.


Tomi Kay Does Beauty 2017 Blog Resolution Stock Photo


Work on my blog design

I don't know if I am going to get a new theme all together or just tweak this one to my liking but I want my blog to have larger photos. I also want to work on the mobile site. My current theme, is a free one that I edited to my liking. In doing that, I messed up with the way the mobile site looks so I want to work on that to ensure my blog also looks great on mobile devices.


Improve photos

I want to develop my photography skills. I want to improve my flat lays. I also want to mix up my photos, try different backgrounds, use some props. I am interested in getting some sort of lighting so I don’t have to depend solely on daylight.

There you have it, my goals for 2017. Let me know if you posted any blog goals for 2017, I would love to have a read.
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