Friday 26 July 2013

St. Lucia Beauty Haul

I'm obsessed with purchasing beauty items abroad, whether it's natural locally produced goods or just a product from a mainstream line that is not available in the UK I'm always on the lookout for something new...


L-R: African Black Soap, Raw Shea Butter, Sulphur Soap, Coconut Oil, Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Intensely Smooth Leave-In and Garnier Fructis Fall Fight Strand Saver Anti-Breakage Spray.

I will post full reviews at a later date as I have only tried the sulphur soap so far, which I loved: it immediately dried out my spots and bites (my skin had been acting up for a while), the only negative is the scent so I stick to using this at night (whilst sleeping alone of course). 

I swear by Garnier hair products for both my weaves and real hair so I'm excited to try these two products; the Triple Nutrition line is incredibly hydrating especially the conditioner which I make sure I stock up on the USA.

Saturday 20 July 2013

New Nails!

Carnival is over so I needed a new look.


My nails were done by the lovely Mel who also did my lashes for carnival. Find her Upstairs Beauty City, Brazil Street, Castries, St. Lucia. 726-9600.

Don't forget to tell her Megan sent you!

St. Lucia Diary Pt. 4: It's Carnival!

So after an intense morning at J'ouvert, we were ready for the road! As I previously mentioned, it is truly a miracle that we even managed to wake up and arrive on time. Here are our costumes: we were in the Phoenix section in Just 4 Fun, the only item missing are our leg pieces which we hastily put on on the side of the road.


Wednesday 10 July 2013

St. Lucia Diary Pt. 2: Colour Me Red and Sexy in Black

Colour Me Red
I have to admit that I was far from excited to see Machel Montano again, don't get me wrong he's an amazing performer who never disappoints, but I was more excited to see Bunji Garlin at Sexy in Black. Anyway after a LONG day of going in to town, collecting our costume and rushing to get dressed in 30 minutes we arrived at the Beausejour Cricket Ground about midnight, I couldn't tell you who was performing, as we rushed to grab some food and drink  immediately. We caught the tail end of Ricky T's performance before we headed into the crowd to watch Machel, we were front and centre of course! 

Machel's performance was good as usual, the vibe and energy was MAD. He sang all his classic hits, current songs and songs by other artists; the crowd was hyped all the way through. The highlights for me were when he threw a bottle of his rum into the crowd which I almost caught, but instead got in my eye, sitting on the shoulders of a stranger only to be pointed out by Machel, and when he sang The Fog (the song I was waiting all night for) the crowd went crazy literally dancing in the fog; I had no complaints about the night except the red powder that Machel's people threw into the crowd was quite a struggle to remove!

Monday 8 July 2013

Carnival Prep


I decided to write this guide for anyone who may be new to taking part in Carnival or 'playing mas' as we call it. Prior to this summer, despite attending many soca fetes etc I had never actually gotten round to joining a band, hopefully this will give you an idea of what to expect, especially if you are going abroad!

Sunday 7 July 2013

St. Lucia Diary Pt. 1

We landed in St. Lucia on Friday, ready to drink and party the night away! After about an hours drive (which feels like a lifetime after an 8hr flight) we finally arrived at the hotel to chill out and get dressed for the evening. First stop was a quick bite to eat on the strip (Reduit Beach Avenue), then onto to the Gros Islet Street Lime; at first I was bored and unimpressed with the music (Dance, Pop) there were a lot of tourists congregated front and centre, so we just chilled on the sidelines drinking rum punch.

Later on when the vibe changed and the DJ played Soca, Dancehall and Reggae, we really began to enjoy ourselves; nothing beats the freedom of dancing in the streets! We danced without a care in the world, drank and danced some more...we impressed a few of the locals who had no idea us Brits could party like that...

All in all I had a great night, I was feeling the vibes, the people were friendly and I was having a great time until some c*** stole my phone from my bag, I was livid to say the least and ready to swing for someone and I made that very clear! Luckily some locals including someone I met from J4F helped me to call my phone, although I never got it back and managed to block the phone, I was mostly annoyed about the photos we had taken that night which I never got to share and never will, which sucks! It also ruined my blogging plans, so I was pretty pissed to say the least...but such is life and luckily I had my BB, and most of my contacts on other devices. I refused to let it ruin my fun, but I wished the most evil thoughts on the person who did it lol!


Stay tuned for more!

Thursday 4 July 2013

MCHG: Happy July 4th!

Hip Hop N More

After just one listen of the album, I'm hooked; the production is solid from start to finish. So far Tom FordCrown and Part II (On The Run) stand out to me, but I predict that this album will stay on heavy rotation throughout the summer!

My Inflight Essentials

Although I'm no stranger to flying, there are two things about air travel that I hate: packing and the impracticality of being stuck on board for a minimum of seven hours (I'm strictly a long-haul traveller). These are things that despite the repeated experience can easily be irritating. I've created a list of my top five essentials for flying, but I would love to hear any tips from readers, so feel free to leave a comment below.

1. Comfort is key. My staple outfit when flying consists of the following: leggings, a loose flowy top (long enough to cover my bum), flats that are easy to remove, a cardigan or my go-to I heart NY hoodie to keep warm and my favourite cashmere scarf. I have never understood the purpose of being overly dressed up for a flight, not only do you look ridiculous, but it's annoying to be stuck behind you in the security line. I am not suggesting anyone wear a tracksuit, just keep it chic and sensible, and for the record my choice of outfit has never prevented me from getting the number of the hottie seated next to me...take that as you will...

2. Less is more when it comes to hand luggage. It's wonderful that Virgin have literally doubled the weight of their cabin baggage allowance, however it's usually unnecessary to make full use of this, at least not when you are heading to your destination. My personal favourite when it comes to hand luggage are Longchamp bags; they're lightweight, fold down to virtually nothing and are able to fit tons of items. I find it easiest to travel with as little as possible in the cabin, it allows you to roam freely around the airport and means that you can keep your belongings under the seat for easy access. The exception here is on a return flight from NY when a folded travel version of the Le Pliage from inside my case is stuffed with as many shoes as possible to avoid excess baggage fees!

3. Gadgets. This will probably read as a huge plug for apple, but I cannot be without my iPhone, iPod, iPad combo! I don't think I've used in-flight entertainment since 2010, it's actually better now than it was then, but I much prefer my own films and music. Seriously I can keep myself so entertained with various gaming apps and the Godfather trilogy that it any delays or disruptions almost bearable. Also without my phone, how would I be able to Instagram the ubiquitous shot of the air plane in the clouds/on the runway to let everyone know I'm leaving the country?

4. My hair/beauty products are a must...especially on an overnight flight. First an foremost the moment I step on the plane, I wrap my hair. It's a black girl thing, and yes I have no shame doing it in public...between the cabin air and the fabric on the seats your blow-out will be wrecked otherwise. I would be lying if I said I try to smuggle as many things as I could into those clear bags they give you, the truth is I can get by on Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream, tissue (Kleenex Balsam only if you must know), anti-bacterial gel of some sort and shower gel, toothbrush and toothpaste in case (God forbid) my bags are delayed. Yes cabin air is awful, but it doesn't have a detrimental effect on my skin, frankly I'm more concerned with getting some sleep which leads me onto number five...

5. The best nights sleep possible is imperative! Headphones, sunglasses (I can't get with the eye masks) and a neck pillow are three non-negotiable items when I travel. Not only do the sounds of full blast ignorant rap music soothe me when I'm try to sleep on a plane, but they help to drown  out the sound of any screaming babies or precocious children seated nearby. The sunglasses keep me looking fabulous as I doze off next to the aforementioned hottie that I always seem to be seated next to, and the neck pillow prevents me from embarrassingly leaning onto a stranger when I'm not on a plane with adjustable headrests...

As you can see I'm pretty low-maintenance when it comes to flying, it doesn't it excite me nor does it send me into a hysteria...I just want to arrive at my destination in one piece and enjoy the 35 degree weather!

Monday 1 July 2013

Haute Caribe: In the Spirit of Carnival

"Carnival is fashion and fashion is carnival...you can't separate the two..."

This video is an oldie but goodie that explores the fashion industry in Trinidad and features several talented designers including as Anya Ayoung Chee. Not only does it highlight the Caribbean as a serious contender in the fashion industry, but it also serves as a reminder that many of the exotic resort collections created by the big European fashion houses draw on the Caribbean for inspiration...

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