Keeping you in the loop

Her Royal Poshness has had a lot on her plate recently...

• After jet setting for 3 months in a row, I'm back home in Nigeria. Internet access is a bit tricky over here so pardon my random internet presence :)
• In those three months, I went to the make-up show NYC where I met beauty bloggers and they rock; I went to IMATS LA and I met a few YT gurus and saw a lot of things. I got plenty of inspiration from everything around me in IMATS. Pasadena is a beautiful place and I will be going back next year ISA. I also went to In-cosmetics Munich, that's a show for make up manufacturers and distributors. Its all about innovation and cosmetic ingredients. I loved it and I learned a lot
• I finally made contact with the company that will make my brushes. After searching for a long time, I found 3 companies at once that fit the bill in USA, Hong Kong and China. I'm taking my time about the whole process of creating my own brand because it will have an African exotic twist to it. Don't want my roots to be forgotten.
• I also found a few cosmetic manufacturers but given the nature of what I am trying to create, I need an experienced manufacturer.
• I graduated from Leeds University on the 25th of July, most of my family was present. It was a good day. I am currently Her Royal Poshness (BSc Hons). He he he...
• I am returning to medical school on the 24th of August and ISA I will be done with med school by the end of March. Once I return to med school, you will have even less of me because it is my final year and I want it to be the best. I will endeavour to make some scheduled posts so you always have something to keep you entertained
• I have decided to use Vimeo for my videos. I don't like how people turn a simple make up video into a battlefield on YouTube and since I cannot stop it, I have decided not to create avenue for it.
• How is Vimeo different? For starters not many people are on it. Every video will be embedded in HD on my blog so I don't have a 'channel' per se (no advert banners too!) and I can control who embeds my videos. Most make up videos are over 5 minutes long and on YT, the only way to do that is to be a guru. I don't want to be known as a 'YT guru' I think it takes a lot away from the actual person. I am subscribed to most YT gurus but I only watch a few videos (oops!). I want anyone who subscribes to my blog to do so because they want to, people who actually read the posts and enjoy them. So Vimeo it is.
  
• I have A LOT to giveaway if I can just get round to making posts! There's a set of 17 MAC brushes, some travel brushes, Nars blushes, a GHD styler, some anastasia brow kits etc. There's always something posh to win on posh-ville, so you better stay put. Currently I am giving away a 'Beloved' fragrance here. All my giveaways are international friendly, except when there are shipping restrictions
  
• I hope to gather as much inspiration as I can from home and more jet setting :) If you have any ideas or suggestions, my antennas are alert.

Stay beautiful...

Illamasqua

Illamasqua is now available from sephora.com and a lot of people are asking for swatches, that's why I'm reposting this :) The contest at the end is over but don't worry I will be holding another one soon.

What kind of UK blogger would I be if I couldn't even tell you all about our very own brand new brand?!

Ladies and gentlemen, now presenting...

ILLAMASQUA!!!

Make- up for your alter ego!

Actually Illamasqua is not that new. It has been in existence since last year but has only just started blooming. The essence of the brand is for you to unleash your alter ego i.e the person you want to be rather than the person you are. It's meant for you to expose your darker side. I like to think of it as a gothic brand because of the nature of the looks created with it and the colours, and it has this aura of darkness.

You can find almost everything you need to know about the brand on their website. They have a make-up artist/ professional programme but you must submit a CV and some other things to get in. I'm not sure about the benefits yet, as soon as I register I will let you know. They deliver worldwide, although some products are not available outside of Europe.

What's not to love about the brand? The colours are very vivid and long lasting. A lot of the eyshadows are matte but some are shimmery. They have creme eyecolours but most of them are out of stock because it is a new brand and they did not anticipate the products would run out so soon' (well that's what the store girl said).

Personally I have a quad eye-shadow and lip colour palette and I love them. Unfortunately (I'm not sure when) it will no longer be possible to create your own quad and you have to buy the colours individually :(

Upside: Very long lasting products; highly pigmented shadows and if you use a primer, you are guaranteed all day colour; a very wide range of mate colours, worldwide delivery

Downside: The lip gloss applicator- very messy stuff; the names of the products do not last on the product packaging, so 3 months down the line you can't remember the name of your favourite lip gloss; It's not readily available in stores- you either go to one of three Selfridges stores in UK or you buy it online; the packaging is not environmentally friendly (That's what I think anyway).


So I visited Illamasqua at selfridges on Oxford Street London to get as much info as I could for you. Please understand that half way, I developed a headache and started seeing double and when I almost passed out I gave up the mission but I shall return again soon.

Here is what I got up to (clickable images):
Eye Shadows: left to right, top to bottom



This is what the Illamasqua matt primer looks like. There is also a satin primer which gives a kind of shimmery velvety finish. The primer is a pure white thick liquid but blends into the skin clear.



Drama, Fatal, Stalk, Fluke
Wolf, Christine, Sex, Succumb







Control, Spectre, Servant, Soul
Echo, Feline, Bronx, Stealth







Boomerang, Imagine, Slave, Feel
Heroine, Bruise, Truth, Forgiveness







Goddess, Tango, Justify, Virus, Illicit
Angst, Dance, Maybe, Can can, Rapture







Rapture, Maybe, Lick, Blame, Cry
Tempt, deity, Wicked, Dizzy, Geisha







Courtesan, Drama, Feint, ..., Never
Preen, Daemon, Creep, Wonder, Venus, Anja







Poem, Venom, Slink, Immortal, Vision, Idol
Vanian, Moonflower, Predator, Slap, Gypsy, Roulette, Vulgar, Trollo





Grope, Puzzle, Vapour, Gritique, Criptic, Sister
Yes, Torture, Bloom, Serpent, Gasp, Ambush, Suspicious, Moan





Lip glosses: Left to right, top to bottom
Absorb, Gender, Fume, Fierce, Mina, Embroil, Rescued,
Repulse, Torrid, Temper, Rage, Divine, Drag, Enchant,





Repulse, Torrid, Temper,
Indulge, Provoke,







Lily-Rose, Tantrum, Indulge, Liaison, Follow, Kindle,
Mistress, Frenzy, twist, femme, Torture, Fury





Lipsticks: top to bottom, left to right

Corrupt, Agony, Strip, Ignite, Underworld
Growl, drench, Poison, Brink, Blaze, Vengeance, Flicker
Utopia, Tramp, Liar, Prophesy, Faust, Ego, Diablo



Illamasqua also make brushes but I didn't buy any. I don't know much about those but next time I get there I will find out.

I hope you've been enlightened about Illamasqua. Feel free to let me know what you'd like to find out about the brand. This will help my next visit greatly.

You didn't think I was gonna post all this stuff and then leave you like that, did you?

Here's a photo of me (well my lips) in my favourite Illamasqua lip gloss. It is a gorgeous colour and will go with almost every skin tone. I have another one to give away and all you have to do to get it, is to correctly name the lip gloss at the bottom.







Stay beautiful...

Tagged

So I was tagged in one of these 10 things that are true stuff:

1. I believe in God. He means the world to me.
2. I bite my nails and my cuticles. I don't wear nail varnish because I work with patients and because every time I have to pray I must take it off- that's a nightmare
3. I love make-up. I hardly go clothes or shoe shopping but I can buy make-up everyday even though I wear very little of it. I hate most drugstore brands. It takes me a lot to buy cheap make up as I believe it is a cheap for a reason. I am into mineral make-up and 'ugly' make-up offends me.
   
4. I am picky about everything, from my food to my shoes to my pens to my flat. Everything has to be the best I can afford.
5. There is nothing more fulfilling for me than going places, meeting new people and making a positive impact. I love it. I can travel every week and not get tired.
6. I weigh exactly 40kg and I'm 5ft and half.
7. I am in hopelessly in love with a guy called Ibrahim. He is also a medical doctor. He is very hilarious and hates that I love travelling, he wants me all to himself. Have I mentioned that he is over 6ft?
8. I classify everything into good or tending towards good; and evil or tending towards evil. It makes my life easier.
9. I believe that sexuality can be controlled not chosen. As a result of the sexual nature of pretty much everything on TV, I do not watch TV (except sports). I cannot stand swear or rude words.
   
10. I dislike false things- false lashes, false hair, false nails etc. I have to use them sometimes, but only very rarely.
    

Venus - DiamondChiq

Say hello to Posh-ville's new Venus, Miss Habiba Sanusi.

Habiba is a 26-year old northern Nigerian from Funtua, Katsina state. She developed a fragrance line called BeeLoved Fragrances; and has just launched her first perfume from the range, 'Beloved'.

Beloved is a female fragrance designed by Habibah, a top-notch perfume with a specialty in professional quality, delicately made to suit you in whatever mood or sense you fit.

It is a fragrance, which celebrates success, strength, love and life.

It is a fragrance for the lady in you, the 'lady-chiq', the 'lady-class', the 'lady-power', the 'lady-substance', the 'lady-teen' and whatever lady you are.

If you know anything about Nigeria or its history, especially that of northern Nigerian women, you will find it is polluted with oppression, forced marriages, lack of education and poverty.

Habiba has done very well indeed to create her own fragrance line. She has had to overcome numerous personal and health challenges to get to this point. In fact you might be amazed to know that it is the first succesful fragrance line from Nigeria. Nigeria and Africa generally have waited long enough to break into the beauty market and it's about time. This is a significant achievement for Habiba, for northern women and for the country.

Naturally I dived at the opportunity to meet the beautiful icon herself over lunch at Zizzi in London and this is what she had to say:

Habiba tell us a bit about your self
My name is Habibah Sanusi, I'm from Funtua, Katsina state. I am a sojourn & adventurer, currently studying while establishing myself as a professional fragrance designer.

What inspired you to start a fragrance line?
The line is inspired by my alter ego and my clearessence. Im a big sucker for scents, that is my passion. Growing up I never knew I would eventually become a perfume designer. I always thought and dreamt of how cool and awesome it would be having my name on a perfume sitting on my dresser and store shelves. My biggest inspiration is my memory of my mum. She taught me to indulge in this form of creativity while I was a kid and my life in general. My brand influences come from Estee lauder and Jennifer Lopez.

What is behind the 'Beloved' scent and design?
It is a signatory fragrance, heavily influenced by my life. All my favourite things are included in it, from my best scent lavender, to the colour purple, to how unique and cute the bottle is designed. The fragrance is designed in a way that best describes me. It is also celebrating my life, love, success and strength. In a nutshell, 'Beloved' is me.

Tell us how the journey has been so far
So far so good, its been a very marvellous and memorable year since the day I started playing with scents to get which scent was perfect to my nose. God has shown me favour and Alhamdulillah.

What can we expect from BeeLoved fragrances in the future?
Well I intend to keep you on your toes. Beloved is just the introduction to a unisex range, a range for the younger market and some twists and splash should be expected.

What advice can you give to the numerous young ladies out there who want to dive into the deep ocean of beauty?
Go for it, focus and make it happen. Make it a dream to live not a dream to fancy! The sky will be just the beginning.

When I received 'Beloved' from BeeLoved Fragrances, it came in a gift-wrapped package. It kinda reminded me of Kissable Couture by AJ Crimson. I have to say the scent is amazing! It was love at first smell for me. I love the packaging, the bottle, everything. It really is a lovely perfume, not your average Joe. It reminded me of Estee Lauder's beyond paradise, my sister of Arden's provocative woman and my friend of CK's Euphoria. Anyone can relate to this fragrance. This is my 64th perfume and it has kicked Dior's Hypnotic Poison out of the top spot.

If you are looking for an ideal gift, this is it. At £50/€55/$65/N12500 for 50ml, this Eau de Toilette is right up there with the likes of Chanel's Chance.
You can order Beloved here and BeeLoved Fragrances is worldwide. I have been informed it is just a temporary site until a new high profile site is made, so stay tuned.


You know how Her Royal Poshness loves to be hyper-generous with everything and you also know HRP cannot do a product cover without a giveaway so one lucky person can get this fragrance for free. Unfortunately as this is such a high-class gift, you must be a citizen of posh-ville or a subscriber to enter the contest. All you have to do to win is tell HRP what Habiba's alter ego scent is. Leave your answer in the comment box below. You can find this information in the post, on the website or the facebook fan page.

Stay beautiful...

I'm back and kicking

From all my globe-trotting! I missed you all.

IMATS was wonderful I have a lot of product reviews to do. My dad got me a super high definition camcorder so it looks like someone is gonna be making videos (eek!)

I will soon be globe-trotting again. Too many things happening round the world :P