On this Thanksgiving Day there are so many things to be thankful for. Life, family, good grades, good finances, love, and MAKEUP. Makeup has come so much farther than the ole’ powders and heavy blush. Our beauticians tell us some makeup products and trends they are most thankful for. Here are some of their responses.
“Concealer. It’s everybody’s friend. Thank God for concealer! For me, I don’t like when makeup is too heavy, and I don’t have to put on my foundation too heavily because of my concealer. When I’m going on the road I can put it on my spots, under my eyes, do my brows, put on my powder and I’m gone.
I’m also thankful for mascara. Without lining the top lashes with eyeliner, mascara gives your eye that open, fresh look.
I’m happy that tinted lipgloss came about. If you don’t want the heavy matte lipstick and want to take some time off in the week for your lips to revive and replenish itself, use a tinted lipstick. Many tinted lipgloss have ingredients like vitamin E and shea butter. So it’s like taking care of your lips while looking fab without that heaviness of lipstick.
– Crystal
- “Highlighter. Sure we can appreciate the natural look, but when a woman adds that swipe of highlighter, it just brightens up the face and adds a little glow.
- Eyeshadow. Where would cut creases be without eyeshadows, and where would makeup be without cut creases? Let’s just think about that for a little. Eyeshadows have truly become a staple in makeup looks; even the neutral tones ones.
- Liquid Foundation. It’s about time we did away with the dusty makeup powders that use to dominate the makeup world. When you think about it there were a lot of makeup powders that didn’t even cater to women of all complexions. I love that liquid foundations are available in different shades and helps to add more coverage while moisturising the skin.”
– Shauna
- “Eyeshadows. Back then eyeshadow use to take a backseat and was never really used to its fullest potential. The shades were often dull and they use to come in a very restricted range of colours with the little Q-tip applicator. To be honest, those dull greys and pine green shades never did women of colour much justice. Today, eyeshadows are available in glitter, there’s a lot of shimmer, and this way women and makeup artists get to play and experiment with colours and create some really bomb looks; especially the cut crease.
- Blush. Thank God we don’t wear it so heavily now. That’s really all that needs to be said about blushes. Just, thank God!
- Lipstick. Very similar to the evolution of eyeshadow, lipsticks have really come far from the regular degular red, cream lipsticks. We now have matte lipsticks, we have glitter lipsticks and I’m really loving the development of ombré lips.”
– Shenelle
- “Instagram brows. I’m shouting from the mountain tops how thankful I am that they’ve [women] stopped with the ‘sharpie marker’ brows. Those were just too dark.
- I’m really loving that makeup brands have really started catering for women of colour. This year, by far, we’ve had a lot of brands that have ventured into darker shades of foundations.
- I also appreciate how far makeup has come. Everyone now wants to look good. Even those who didn’t want to try it before, they now want to venture into makeup, have tried at least one item, and have fallen in love.”
– Keneisha
- “Matte foundations I know much like myself, many ladies out there have oily skin. I’m so happy matte foundations were made so we don’t have to walk around looking extra oily, especially at night time events. It’s really not cute when the camera’s flash picks up on oily skin, and it’s not always convenient to be blotting your face every minute throughout the day to get rid of excess oils.
- Lashes. OMG! I thank God for lashes. Lashes always have a way to make the face pop, and add a lot more vibes to makeup looks. It really helps to give a perfect finish. Once you wear lashes, it’s really hard to appreciate a makeup look without them. Once you go lash, you never go back.”
- Eyebrow pencils. LOL! Can you imagine how we’d look if we had bomb cut creases, THE fullest lashes, highlighter glowing from outer space, and then … your naked or super thin, jagged eyebrows? Kudos to those out there will naturally thick and beautifully shaped eyebrows, but I don’t have any! So Thank God for eyebrow pencils!
– Shameka
- Glosses. Thankful that they’re back. ‘Winter’ is coming and this is precisely the time when lips need a lot of TLC so they don’t look dried and cracked. That’s why glosses need to be our best friend.
- Metallic lippies. Theses have a unique way of adding oomph to beauty looks, and we’re entering the season with a lot of glitter and sparkle. CHRISTMAS!
- Setting spray. Think about doing your best face beat. Lashes, cut creases, contour, WINGED eyeliner, highlights and all the works. Then you go outside for 2 seconds in the Jamaican sun and your face just melts right off and falls to the pavement right before you. TRAGIC! I love that setting sprays have been designed to keep makeup looking snatched !
– Samantha
Which makeup looks are you thankful for and which ones are you grateful have stopped ? Comment below and join the fun.
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Christmas is in the air and so are all of the overwhelming thoughts of what to get the special people in your life for the festive occasion. This time of year particularly calls on our hearts and wallet to gift someone a present that’ll make the season all the more merrier. For some of us, we have the gift of gifting, for others, we need a little suggestive help to get the ball rolling.
Luckily for you, Fontana Pharmacy is that one stop shop and go-to for all your Christmas gifting needs.
Finding a gift for that or those special ladies in your life can be a Christmas nightmare. Women are drawn to so many different styles. From purses to perfume, makeup to money, Pandoras to flowers, household decor and so much more – the list could be endless; because let’s be real, a woman’s taste can be just as complexed as the woman being.
Here’s a list of things you can gift your lady for the Holidays.
Perfume and lotion – Many women take pride in the fragrances they choose to ever so gracefully mist their bodies with. One particular fan favourite for lotions and body fragrances is Bath & Body Works. The fragrance have, in fact, become quite the collectable.
Makeup – Fontana Pharmacy has become the ladies’ hub for beauty consultations and supplies. For this Christmas season there will be a slew of makeup products on sale; this way you can stretch your dollar farther and get more bang for your buck. HINT HINT, she’d want items such as concealers, foundations, Pomi brushes, Pomi eyelashes, lipsticks, eyeshadow palettes and so much more. When you get to a Fontana Pharmacy nearest you, be sure to ask our beauticians for help to pick just the right ones.
Home Decor – A gift like this is for the decorator in your life. Fontana Pharmacy offers a wide array of home decor options to choose from; from bath to bedroom or any other living space in the home. Help her make her dream home/room that much more of a reality.
Wine and candles – Help her to unwind after a long day’s work with an assortment of scented candles coupled with a chilled, smooth bottle of wine. Perhaps a Barefoot Wine or Stamp of Australia Pink Moscato would do the trick.
Hair Products – Is she a natural or healthy hair enthusiast? Help her to fall even more in love with her mane by gifting her a few of her favourite or new hair care products.
Journals and diaries – Is she an organiser? Help her put together her thoughts and tasks in one of these fashion forward and downright cute journals.
Quoted mugs – Remind her of how awesome she is and how proud you are of her even when she’s at work or on the go. These mugs have a funny, unique, stylish and precise way of helping the both of you to express yourselves.
Photo album – A picture is worth a thousand words and printed photos are much more sentimental and outstanding. Help her to collect all her special memories in this sleek and stylish photo album, or compile an album for her and show her how much you’ve been enjoying the journey.
Gift certificate – Perhaps you want to get her everything but you’re just not quite sure if you’d pick the right style or colour. Give her a gift certificate charged with any amount you’d like and allow her to meet her heart’s contentment at Fontana Pharmacy.
For many more options and ranges, visit fontanapharmacy.com or the nearest Fontana Pharmacy outlet. Take the time out and show her how much you care.
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Time to get real! Here’s everything you need to know about the Alikay Aloe Berry Styling Gel.
For a while I was stunned as to how to prepare an intro to tell you about Alikay Naturals Aloe Berry styling gel. I was stuck for a while because every time I thought I had something to work with, I’d counter myself by remembering that there are other gels that persons are more familiar with and have already read and viewed raving reviews about; so who am I to come to you with something different?
Truth is, I can only come to you as the truthful hair enthusiast that I am. I absolutely love when people find products that’ll help them to fall more in love with their hair. So, I have no choice but to bring it to you as is.
My friend Kamaya and I have been long time fans of Eco Styler Gel. However, whilst walking throughout the hair aisle at Fontana Pharmacy, arbitrarily reading what some of the hair products could do and their ingredients, the Alikay Aloe Berry Styling Gel particularly piqued her interest.
So you know as the hair enthusiast that I am, I was all …
The first thing I gotta tell you about this product is THE SMELL. This product is a candy store on its own ! I guess that’s where the ‘berry’ element comes in because it smells like strawberry heaven; even it’s consistency is keeping with the fun theme, closely resembling jello/pudding. Watch out for the ants with this one, the scent is pretty strong. However, don’t worry, as it dries the scent goes away.
On the other hand, I must admit that the only downside to this product is that it’ll leave behind its strawberry goodness on your fingertips, tinting your fingers to a reddish hue. But don’t worry guys, it’s nothing that some good ole’ water can’t fix.
Nonetheless, the packaging is just as tropical as the scent, using a mix of colourful hibiscus flowers and other tropical flora to call forward the kinky, curly, wavy and straight hair types to indulge in the natural goodness.
The problem many people can’t seem to escape with gels is its ability to make the hair crunchy, stiff and hard. Kamaya noted however, that this gel in particular allowed her hair to have movement unlike her usual Eco Styler. She explained that her curls felt free and loose and was soft to the touch. She was equally amazed when she realised that once fully dry, her hair had no flakes.
Kamaya’s hair is 4a and although she was initially a little heavy handed with the product, she remarked that had her hair been wetter, less product would’ve been needed. Nonetheless, she marvelled at the moisture her hair had despite the amount she’d used. The next day she was happy to report that even though she’d slept on her hair, her curls were still in tact and didn’t even need a touch up … not even at the roots y’all.
The instructions advises using a nickel size (about the size of $20 JMD) and work it through wet or dry hair. BUT!! Let’s be for real, nickel size amount does NOT exist in the natural hair realm.
Alikay’s products are made from all natural and organic ingredients which was one of the major selling points for Kamaya.
The product contains Aloe Vera, coconut oil, almond oil, vitamin E and a lot of other hair flourishing stuff. What’s also good about this product is that it’s safe for coloured hair. Why not style and treat your hair at the same time? It’s a great addition to your product stash, especially for the minimalist naturals out there.
Below are Kamaya’s results.
Pass through the Fontana Pharmacy nearest you and pick yourself up Alikay’s Aloe Berry Styling Gel.
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‘Tis the season of giving and I have just the giveaway to make the upcoming Christmas season even more memorable. I want to give one blessed reader the chance to win a product from the Hempz Pure Herbal Extracts Vanilla Plum line. Continue to read for a review of the line’s sugar body scrub.
The Hempz Vanilla Plum Sugar Body Scrub is amazing and then some ! It’s like a magic potion in a jar.
When I opened the 7 oz jar, there was a little oil on the surface hinting to me that they’d actually infused an oil into it – quite possibly hemp seed oil (nature’s great source of natural proteins, vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals). I gave the mixture a quick stir, and on my damp face I’d applied it. It felt similar to how sugar would melt on your tongue. It was warm. As I rubbed it in the sugar particles went to work with exfoliating and gently scrubbing my skin – nothing painful that felt like gravel on my face. The product is made to exfoliate and polish the skin.
CONFESSION ! I’d tasted just a little to see if it was actually sugar and not a sugar substitute, and heads up , it’s the real deal. It tastes sweet.
The product doesn’t lather per se but it works well with the water to give even distribution.
The Sugar Body Scrub contains the perfect duo; the sugar gets off the dirt and the other oils that’s in this great mix imparts and locks in so much moisture.
It common for me to have a shower and race to my room to get some lotion on my skin before I turn into an ash ball. I can usually feel the chlorine in the hard water drying out my skin as I shower.
This time, I had a shower first so I could get the best out of the scrub. With my skin feeling dry and tight already, I applied the scrub and I must say it transported me somewhere else. I felt like I was in a spa getting a sweet, relaxing pampering. The smell of the scrub was so present yet so subtle. Even after I came out the shower, I was able to take a cool stroll to my room because I’m telling you … it felt like I’d already gotten and locked in all the moisture my skin needed.
I had to immediately document my experience. I didn’t want you guys to miss a beat of this great stuff. I somehow felt like I didn’t even need to lotion because my skin just felt naturally content with its moisture level. And I’m telling you !! I’d be ashy grey as if I’d been kicking a bag of flour had I not used this.
It didn’t feel oily but my skin felt succulent, soft to the touch, thoroughly moisturized but not dripping in oil like a festival or French fry. I’d recommend this to anyone !
It was made to exfoliate and polish and it does EXACTLY that. Even my palms felt moisturized. It’s great for use before bed so you can feel smooth against your cool and refreshing bedsheets during the Christmas season. This product will make the perfect gift for you or any loved one you have in mind. You can check out and purchase Hempz Pure Herbal Extracts products at any Fontana Pharmacy location or visit fontanapharmacy.com.
Have you tried any of the Hempz products before? Would you like to?
To win the Hempz Vanilla Plum Herbal Body Moisturiser Hydrate and Soothe lotion like this post and comment Fontastic Christmas Giveaway. Winner will be randomly selected on a day to be announced. Local entries only.
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Makeup foundations come in almost every shade to help women across the globe find the right match to help them even out their skin tones and even cover up minimal blemishes. Of course, with such an important task it is only best for foundations to come in various forms to help get the job done.
Amongst the most popular types are:
Liquid foundation -this type of foundation, as the name suggests has more movement and is more ‘runny’ or ‘wet’ than the other foundation types; not too ‘runny’ as the formula is actually thick enough to be applied properly. This is because they’re largely oil or water based and does a good job at providing good coverage as well as helping to moisturize the skin. This type of foundation is best matched all skin types especially dry.
Stick – this foundation type is largely used in the theatre or for camera production since it does an excellent job at covering blemishes or dark circles. It’s heavy consistency may prove to be too much for everyday use, but would nonetheless be most suited for women with oily skin because as it dries it will quickly blend in. However, for women with dry or combination skin there is a risk that this foundation type will cause the skin to look even drier.
Powder – this foundation is often used as a fixer upper and can be used to make touch ups. As the name hints, there is no moisture provided by this foundation and is best suited for the minimalist woman who has oily skin. The powder would soak up some of the oil on the skin. Remember, this foundation comes in loose and pressed forms.
Pressed powder Loose powder
Cream – This foundation type is obviously on the creamy side, and can provide moisture and great coverage for blemishes, dark circles or even minor scars due to its thick, rich and slightly oily consistency. Women with dry skin can count on cream foundations to give the skin the moisture it needs, concealing power and an overall glossed and shine finish.
You can come into any Fontana Pharmacy near you and have a consultation with any of our beauticians to help you find the perfect shade and foundation type for your unique skin type. Have you tried any of these foundations before? Which works best for your skin? Comment below and let’s start a conversation.
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Oh Yes! Leave-in-conditioners; they really make the world go round. It can be used to moisturise your hair, help fight frizz, act as a styler and the list goes on. Local brand, EG Wellness Brands went to work in the lab to come up with a leave in that would serve up some serious moisture. True coconut & olive oil leave in conditioner was made to protect and repair dry, brittle and damaged hair.
What better way to get honest feedback but directly from the horses mouth, right? I spoke to my friend Tracy, who is seemingly addicted to this stuff and has already gone through THREE bottles! It must be good because Tracy is a natural hair enthusiast and only goes after credible products; so if she went for this THREE times, well it must be good.
“When I was about to buy it at Fontana I was hoping that it would actually work for my type 4 hair and that it would live up to the hype. It actually smells nice; like mint. When I was applying it, it felt tingly on my scalp which I really liked; it felt like if I had put some peppermint oil on my scalp.”
FUN FACT! The leave-in contains peppermint oil which will leave the scalp or any part of the body feeling cool and refreshed. It promotes hair growth because of its ability to stimulate blood circulation.
“I got great slip when I’d apply it to my wet or dry hair and it feels so moisturised, even days after I felt the moisture still there. The formula isn’t oily, ‘wetty’ or greasy either; it’s thick and rich. I love to use it to detangle my hair. When I put it in my hair was instantly softer. The day after application it felt SO moisturised and soft. It stayed on my hair and didn’t leave it feeling weighed down. I grew from ‘in-like’ to ‘in love’ because of all these things PLUS I didn’t have to apply it everyday, unless I felt the need to. I’d keep buying it and would recommend it to others because I believe it’s moisturising and a very good product.”
You can stop into a Fontana Pharmacy near you and snag yourself this early Christmas present.
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Ahh Halloween … For some, Halloween is a time to stay in, do nothing, dress up, go to costume themed parties, or simply binge watch scary movies online, eat candy and not feel guilty.
There are some people who’ll go all out to commit to their Halloween costume; and there are others who didn’t want to spend the extra cash to buy an outfit, but made extra special care to represent and go all out in with their Halloween themed makeup.
Much like the squiggly brow trend, women and makeup artists have been out here slaying the Halloween themed face art ! It’s so intriguing to look at, and process such masterpieces. I can’t even draw a straight line with a ruler or freehand a circle much less to be able to apply such precision and incorporate such fine detail on the human face ! Not even paper!
For the first time in a long while I’m at a loss for words. Let’s just bask in the awesomeness that is this pixel inspired Halloween look.
Like seriously, where’d this inspiration come from ? I’m amazed!
Wow, just looking at this makes me feel like I’m an uncreative lump, but I just can’t look away. It’s so beautiful!
Is there a YouTube tutorial for this ? Haha. I probably can’t execute something as detailed as this anyway. Why’d I even ask?
It’s gonna be a starry night because she just brought the galaxy to planet earth, and we’re here for it !
Talk about turning drab into fab. And a touch of colour and imagination really carries this conventional skull look past the boundaries.
My spidey senses are tingling and I’m pretty sure Spider-Man is proud wherever he is.
Bambi reincarnated.
Ever since the premier of IT – the evil clown inspired horror film, many makeup artists have invested some serious time to recreate the eerie clown that is Pennywise, or have pushed past limits to produce their own creative spin on it.
What do you think of these Halloween themed makeup looks? Comment below and start the conversation.
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Women apply makeup for a variety of reasons. We apply it to feel more confident, enhance our beauty, cover blemishes, or practice the craft among several other reasons. But what happens when our execution isn’t as flawless as we think? We’d go about our day only to pass by a mirror and realise it wasn’t as on point as we’d thought.
Five of our beauticians here at Fontana Pharmacy shared some of their most embarrassing makeup mishaps.
“Sometimes I’d be smiling, and smiling with customers like everything is okay, and there’s lipstick on my teeth! It’s mostly with glosses and red lipstick.”
-Samantha
“I did my makeup once in very bright light, and of course I thought it was perfectly matched. I felt so confident in myself. I sometimes feel like I don’t need to look in another light to confirm if the colour is okay, and that’s a very bad thing. So I did my face and left to go on the road, and while I was on the road there was even a case where someone said to me ‘so how yuh bleach yuh face and not your neck?’. When I actually stopped to look in a mirror, there was this horrible line of demarkation by my jawline (demarkation comes from your foundation being too bright). My entire foundation application was so light it looked like I was bleaching. That was a very horrible experience.”
-Keneisha
“Whenever I’d have my eyelashes on, walking like I’m cute then someone turns to me and says ‘oh your eyelash is lifting off’. LOL. That is embarrassing!”
– Shameka
“When I just started to use creams to contour, I didn’t blend it well. My boyfriend said it looked like I had a beard. I went on the road thinking my makeup was on fleek and on point. I’d noticed that some girls were looking at me and when I observed it … I realized it [my contour] was very harsh. I tried it recently and now it’s hot because I’m more experienced in makeup. Using a sponge won’t work with this, the brush is better.”
– Shauna
“My cream foundation shifted ! It legit moved ! It just looked horrible. There were little spots of foundation all over my face and that’s not how I left the house. The time it took for me to leave the house and get to work it moved. I looked in the mirror, and I could see my actual skin at the crease/corner of my nose. There was no foundation at the corner of my nose ! I never wore it ever again. The palette is still there.”
– Crystal
Have you ever experienced a makeup mishap? Comment down below and join the conversation.
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Dry hair … It’s our biggest nightmare and has the ability to ruin any colour treatment, wash and go, twist out or bantu knot out.
Can you imagine a wash and go with just the right amount of volume but it’s dull, and looks and feels dry? The root of the problem? Your roots; more specifically your scalp.
Dry hair is usually brought on by a dry scalp that does not produce enough natural oils (sebum) to moisturise the scalp and by extension the hair shaft. In other cases of dry hair, enough sebum is not produced to coat the entire hair shaft which lends to breakage since parts of the hair are drier than others.
The most obvious and common solution to this problem is to simply add moisture to help your hair. Products such as conditioners, hair masques, hair lotions, leave-in conditioners, moisturisers and oils were designed to do just that, help provide and lock in moisture.
One product worth taking note of is Jamaica-made Crème de la Crème Moisturiser by Ettenio. It was made to combat dry and damaged hair by infusing some of the best moisturising agents nature has to offer. The all natural moisturiser contains ingredients such as distilled water, marshmallow, coconut milk, Jamaican black castor oil, aloe vera juice, honey, shea butter and many others. Having been made from organic ingredients, its smell is subtle and not heavily fragranced.
The formula is heavy, thick, and creamy; very similar to a body cream. Such a consistency lends to a lot of added moisture because it has its own ability to moisturise, and having been infused with natural oils, it has it’s own sealing property.
In the previous blog post, you would have noted that I’d cut my hair off because I didn’t like how dry it looked and felt. Even with short hair, my dry hair problem had not gone away. I picked up this product at Fontana Pharmacy to be my moisturiser, but as I read more into the product description I realised it could be a styling product for coils and braid outs etc.
In the picture below, I’ve only used Ettenio’s Crème de la Crème and Kirby’s 100% Pure Jamaican Black Castor Oil. Here are the results after I stretched my roots to add volume.
I spritzed my hair with water, raked in some of the product, followed by castor oil. I then smooth the product into a very small section of my hair using my fingertip and twist the end around my index finger to form the coil. When air dried, my hair was soon soft and was visibly moisturised.
If you’re tired of dry hair, try combining Kirby’s 100% Pure Jamaican Black Castor Oil and Ettenio’s Crème de la Crème Moisturiser to style and ensure your hair’s health. Both products were made in Jamaica and are available at any Fontana Pharmacy near you.
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Do you ever just want thick, full, long, healthy hair in the quickest and fastest way?
I’m always looking for a conditioner or styling product to help strengthen and grow my hair since I’m way too lazy to do a protein treatment – even if it’s every 6 weeks. While at Fontana Pharmacy, I crossed the OGX Biotin and Collagen Conditioner and after reading the label, I became really intrigued. It promises to infuse nutrients into every strand and create an appearance of thicker, fuller, healthier looking hair. I bought a bottle for myself and here’s why it should be a staple product.
- The ingredients. This conditioner has an exclusive blend with vitamin B7 biotin, collagen, and hydrolysed wheat protein. All these cook up to make the perfect agent to grow, strengthen and thicken hair. It can be used to strengthen hair after bleaching, colouring, flat ironing/heat styling, and can be definitely be used for relaxed hair on wash days.
- Very moisturising. It feels very moisturising and makes the hair feel soft whilst its still in and conditioning the strands. Even when I washed it out, my hair felt like a freshly washed blanket; so smooth, soft and fluffy.
- It has slip. The consistency of this product makes it great for detangling.
- Smells great. It’s hard to pinpoint the exact fragrance but I promise you, it smells SOOOO YUMMY and the scent lingers even 2 days after.If you’re battling dry, limp, or brittle hair I encourage you to stop in the nearest Fontana Pharmacy to pick up and take a nice whiff of the OGX Biotin and Collagen Conditioner. Your hair will definitely love you for it.
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