Black Radiance Shine Control Primer Review

Hello there!

Today I bring you a review on the primer I've been using for the past month or so. It's the Black Radiance Complexion Perfection Shine Control Primer. That's a mouthful!

For those of you who don't know, Black Radiance is a cosmetics line intended for women of color that can be found at select Walgreens. I first tried an eight-pan eyeshadow palette and a mascara which I immediately fell in love with. One of the nice things about this line being made for women of color is that the eyeshadows and such are ridiculously pigmented. 

If you read my blog on a consistent basis, you'll know that I recently ran out of my HG primer, and was looking for a drugstore product to replace it. I tried the Boots No. 7 Mattifying Primer but I absolutely hated it. Eventually I ran across Nouveau Cheap's review of the Black Radiance primer. She absolutely raved about it, and it wasn't too expensive, so I went on the hunt.

And, of course, none of the Walgreens in Maine carry Black Radiance. Thankfully, I found a very nice woman in one of my swap groups who bought the primer and sent it to me.

I really like this primer a lot. It does an awesome job at keeping me almost completely shine free (though not lately..but I think that's my moisturizer more than the primer), and I rarely have to use powder before 2 pm or so. That's 6 hours of wear with little to no shine! The other thing is that when I do have shine, it's usually only around my nose which is a big deal for me.

If you're looking for a cheap drugstore mattifying primer, I'd highly suggest this one. A little goes a long way (I use about a pea size amount every day) and it really does keep me matte for a long time. 

Confession time: It's better than my HG primer.

Does that change my opinion on my HG primer? No. Does that make me want to use it less? No. 

But it does keep me matte longer than my HG primer does. Even if it doesn't smell like pomegranates.

Suave Moroccan Infusion Shampoo and Conditioner Review

Let me start this review with a fact: I have never liked Suave's products. We used to use them when I was younger, and my dad still does, and I've never been happy with them. The shampoo is okay, but I always thought the conditioner was watery and didn't do a single good thing for my hair. 

I've steered clear of Suave for as long as I've been choosing my own hair products which is why it's kind of a miracle I even decided to try them in the first place. But, I had been watching EleventhGorgeous on Youtube talk about their hair troubles, and in one video, Stef mentions that Pantene products are heavy and weighed their hair down.

Now, I've always been a loyal Pantene girl. It has been my go-to shampoo and conditioner for years now. But I had been having problems with my wavy hair being not-so-wavy because of product build up. I thought it just happens and then you go to the salon and they fix it for you. It never occurred to me that the products I was using was causing it to be that way. 

To combat my product build up, I had started to use the (strangely enough) Suave Clarifying Shampoo and it was actually working pretty well for me, but I decided that it might be time to try something new in my hair care routine. 

I was intrigued by the Suave Moroccan line, but I was wary of trying it full-size because I'd had such bad experiences with Suave in the past, but after reading NouveauCheap's review of the products (her hair is incredibly similar to mine), I decided I wanted to give it a go. I tried to find some samples or travel sizes, but eventually, they were on sale 2/$6 at Walgreens, and I just went for it.

And holy wow, was it a good choice. 

First of all, the formula of these products is great. The shampoo is thicker than the other Suave products I've tried which was a big improvement for me, and the conditioner is a wonderful consistency. Both the shampoo and the conditioner cover and feel like they cling to my hair but at the same time wash really clean. I no longer feel the need to use the clarifying shampoo on a weekly basis. Second, my hair has improved a ton. It's light and bouncy and soft and the waves are nice and piecey. 

In short, I'm totally in love with the line. I have abandoned my Pantene for Suave, and, as of now, I'm not looking back. I still think their Naturals line is awful, but I'll stick with the Moroccan Infusion line. Props to you Suave! You've turned this non-believer into a lover!