Uoma Beauty

It's been over a month since I last wrote a beauty related blog post, the break was completely unintentional. The Black Lives Matter Movement on social media became the focus on my attention and I just had no desire to post anything beauty related. One of the things I've been doing as an act of active anti-racism is spending my money on Black Owned brands and companies. I figured one of the ways I can help in a very small way is to promote Black Owned Beauty Brands as it's something I have such a huge interest in. Over the past month I've come across so many incredible brands that I had never heard of before. A brand I had heard about however is Uoma Beauty. One of things that first struck me about Uoma Beauty when I started looking at their products was their homepage message which states :

"Our weirdo in chief is a rebel with a cause"  

"Her mission, using her platform, is to empower all those who have been left out. Every person deserves to walk into a beauty hall and feel inspired and included." 

I absolutely love this message and I think it's something that all beauty brands should aspire to. There is no excuse for not having an extensive shade range anymore. It should come as standard, there should be something for everyone. Nobody should walk up to a makeup counter and not be able to find a foundation shade to match their skin. 

"The world is beautiful because we are all different and colourful in our unique way and this is why Uoma Beauty exists. To celebrate uniqueness, to bring people from all ethnicities, gender, sexual orientation, sizes and of all ages together in a colourful celebration of co-existence."

The Uoma Beauty Founder, CEO and Creative Director is Sharon Chuter who has worked for Revlon, L'Oréal and Benefit Cosmetics. Born in Nigeria she has drawn inspiration from her Afro Heritage and created modern and innovative products that are suitable for all skin tones. You can read more about Uoma Beauty here. 

The product I was most excited to try was the Say What?! Foundation. It has 51 shades and 6 custom formulas to cater to the unique needs of different skin colour groups, or as they call them "Skin Kins". For example, their formula for Dark Brown skin addresses the most common skin concerns for that skin tone which is dullness and the most common skin type is oily/combination so this particular formula has ingredients to brighten the skin. It is such a genius way to create a foundation range and something I have never seen from any other brand. This alone made me want to buy from Uoma Beauty. 

The website also has a shade matching feature which matches you based on foundations you already have. I used it and was matched to shade T1N (I compared it to the Urban Decay and bareMinerals foundations I have that feel are the best shade matches for me). You can see the comparison swatches below to see how accurate the shade finder is. This is the shade I probably would have picked for myself anyway, despite being cool toned with some redness, my neck is more neutral so I tend to go for neutral foundation shades. I could probably have used T2N either but the former is a more dead on match for my skin especially in the Winter when I have less freckles. The formula for the White Pearl (very fair skin) range is formulated to help with hypersensitivity and redness which are some of the common skin concerns of very fair skin. 

The formula in general claims to be weightless, long-lasting, adjustable coverage, vibrant matte yet hydrating and has a blurring technology to minimise the appearance of pores and softens fine lines. 

I have to completely agree with all of the claims. I was slightly hesitant about the matte finish but I needn't have worried as this foundation gives you the best of both worlds. It looks and feels hydrating and depending on how you prep and finish your skin you could definitely wear this whether you have dry or oily skin. I tend to prep with a more hydrating base as I prefer a dewy finish. This is where the Beauty Bakerie (also a Black Owned Beauty brand) Baking Oil comes in as it gives a really smooth and hydrated base, perfect for underneath this foundation. 

I also bought the Stay Woke Concealer which I ordered in shade T1, which is actually slightly darker than the foundation so next time I'll probably order T05 or T075 as I'd prefer it slightly lighter but this shade does still work on me. This is again a lightweight, creamy formula that blends out so easily and covers what I need it to cover. I'm really loving it, so much so that it's a rival for my beloved bareMineral Serum Concealer. I've swatched it beside some of my other concealers below so you can hopefully you have some kind of reference. 

Of course I couldn't resist a couple of lip products too. The main catalyst for my order was this photo of Taylor Anise wearing the Boss Gloss Liquid Marble in the shade No Stoppin which you can see me wearing below. It's such a beautiful, comfortable and long-lasting gloss with a glass like finish. It contains lychee extract to protect and soften the lips too. This is a big winner for me and I'm already contemplating what other shades to get. I couldn't not get a matte lipstick too so I bought the Badass Icon Matte Lipstick in the shade Tina. This formula is probably the most similar to my favourite Lisa Eldridge True Velvet lipsticks. It's so light, smooth and comfortable with the most amazing pigment that lasts incredibly well too. It contains mango butter for hydration too, so it doesn't feel like you're wearing a matte lipstick at all. The shade is so beautiful, I love orange reds so I know I'll get lots of wear out of this. I swatched it compared to some of my other favourite orange reds for shade reference. 

L-R: Uoma Beauty Say What Foundation T1N, Urban Decay Stay Naked Foundation 10NN, IT Cosmetics CC Cream (Fair), bareMinerals BAREPRO Liquid Foundation (Fair)

Top- Bottom: IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Concealer (Light Ultra Fair), Lancôme Teint Idole Concealer (010 Beige Porcelaine), bareMinerals bareSkin Concealer (Fair), Uoma Beauty Stay Woke Concealer (T1)

Badass Icon Matte Lipstick Tina, Boss Gloss Liquid Marble No Stoppin 

Uoma Beauty Tina, MAC Lady Danger, Clarins Spicy Chili, Charlotte Tilbury Tell Laura, Lisa Eldridge Velvet Morning

Beauty Bakerie Wake and Bake Baking Oil (also available on Boots, Look Fantastic and Cult Beauty)
Uoma Beauty Say What?! Foundation (T1N) (also available on Cult Beauty, Beauty Bay and ASOS)
Uoma Beauty Stay Woke Concealer (T1) (also available on Cult Beauty, Beauty Bay and ASOS)
*Clarins Glow 2 Go Blush & Highlighter Duo (02 Golden Peach)
Fenty Beauty Match Stix Matte Skinstick (Amber)
Glossier Brow Flick (Brown)
Soapbrows Brow Kit
Kevyn Aucoin Eyelash Curler
*Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion
Bodyography Glitter Pigments (Eclipse and Halo)
Maybelline The Falsies Lash Lift Mascara
Glossier Cloud Paint (Puff)
Kevyn Aucoin Glass Glow Face (Prism Rose)
Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Powder (1 Fair)
*Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray
Pixi Glow Mist
Uoma Beauty Badass Icon Matte Lipstick (Tina) (also available on Cult Beauty, Beauty Bay and ASOS)
Uoma Beauty Boss Gloss Liquid Marble (No Stoppin) (also available on Cult Beauty, Beauty Bay and ASOS)

I'm loving all four of the Uoma Beauty products, as you can see the foundation is a great shade match and despite being a matte finish, my skin still looks radiant. It's one of those foundations that actually looks better as the day goes on. I definitely have more of their products on my wishlist including the Double Take Contour Stick and the Black Magic Carnival Colour Palette and the bright pink Badass Icon Matte Lipstick in the shade Whitney. Have you tried Uoma Beauty or are there any Black Owned brands you would recommend for me to try out next?


Emma x

*PR Samples

**Glossier products are affiliate links, if you choose to shop via those links I will receive a small percentage of the sale but it won't cost you anything extra.

Pregnancy Loss Three Months On- Finally Getting Some Answers

I have been putting off writing this post for the past week because I feel like once I write it there will be nothing else to say and I don't want it to be over because that means my memories of my boy are further away. 

About ten days ago we got a call from one of the bereavement midwives to say that we would have our follow up appointment by phone with a doctor on the 9th, which was a week ago. 

It was an emotional weekend as we anticipated what we would find out during the phone call. We've had three months with this immense feeling of dread hanging over us, wondering what would come of all of the test results and the post mortem examination, if anything at all. We knew it was a possibility that we would never find out what went wrong and we had to try and be ok with that. 

On Monday, I finally got to see my family after three long months of being apart. It was a welcome distraction as I spent the whole weekend in my head thinking about it all, reliving what happened and trying to think of every possible outcome. 

I left work early on Tuesday so that I could be at home with Simon for the appointment. The midwife rang us with the doctor there with her and we both held our breath as she said she had a lot to go through. Seven pages of results which she would summarise for us and send to us by post later so we could read more thoroughly. 

I had no idea what she was going to say. As she went through my blood results and said they were "unremarkable" I kept thinking just get on with it, just tell us you don't know. She said Milo was the perfect size for the amount of weeks gestation and that they found nothing out of the ordinary in the post mortem, by all accounts he was perfect.

She said they got the most information from the placenta. When they examined it they found that it was inflamed which meant there had been an infection. I asked if she had any idea what could have caused it and she said there was no way of knowing. It could have been absolutely anything. I had no symptoms of anything wrong until the day before and I was sent home from the hospital that night with the conclusion that it was just something that can happen during pregnancy and it should go away. She said there was no sign of infection in my blood or urine. Basically there was no way they could have known it was an infection. I doubt there's anything that could have been done when I went into hospital the night before anyway. I'm sure the damage had already been done. 

I did feel somewhat relieved after we heard all of this. Relieved that we finally had our results but also frustrated and filled with sadness that if it wasn't for the infection, by all accounts Milo was developing perfectly and would have been fine. I keep thinking is there something else I could have done, was there anything out of the ordinary but I couldn't think of anything looking back. 

We will never ever have closure. There is no way that closure is possible for us because we have a lifetime of should haves and would have beens and I wishes in front of us. There is no way to avoid that. This is as close as we will ever get to having any kind of closure. 

We both felt a certain amount of weight lifted from us, although there are still unanswered questions about where the infection came from, I have to try and accept that I will never know. Or be as ok with it as I can be. 

I also wonder about being sick the week beforehand and if that had anything to do with it. If my Covid-19 test was a false negative and if I actually did have it and that affected the placenta. Apparently it has caused miscarriages and stillbirths and I wonder if that's what happened to me. It's something I will need to ask about once I get the full report. It won't really change anything but if there are more answers I would like to have them.

I was so drained last week that I took most of the week away from social media. I did try to keep up with what is happening in the world right now, the Black Lives Matter movement and try and share important and helpful information when I could. I also knew I needed to try and re-energise myself or I wouldn't be any use to anyone. I spent time talking to family and friends and my wonderful sister, brother-in-law and niece dropped us over a care package that evening. My brother and sister-in-law also dropped some flowers in to me which was such a thoughtful surprise. Work was hard because my mind was so preoccupied and people were asking me about it because they knew we were expecting our results. It was good to talk about it but also difficult to re-live everything. I now know that for me, talking and being open and honest about how I am feeling is the best thing that I can do for my mental health. All of the thoughts that I know are ridiculous, all of the things I know are not true or scenarios I hypothesise about because thats just the way my mind works. I try and share as much of it as I can with Simon and my family and friends. 

There is also that fear of burdening others. I don't want to seem negative all the time, I don't want people to feel drained in my company, in work or on the phone. I don't want people to worry about what to say to me or feel sorry for me. I'm trying to think of the positives. With everything that is happening in our world right now my problems don't seem to compare but I know that it's all relative to your own life. If anything though, all of this has made me want to make a difference in the world despite it being one that my son will never get to experience. I want to make it better, I don't want the next generation of marginalised people, Black, People of Colour, LGBTQ+ to have the same horrific experiences as those who have come before them. I'm making a commitment to focus my grief and empathy and love on trying to make whatever small differences one person can make and to stand up against injustice and for what is right and for those who's voices have been ignored and silenced for far far too long. 

So what next? I don't know what the future will bring. Everything seems so completely uncertain, both for us and for the world as a whole. All I truly know is that the love we had for our son will never be gone, we will keep it with us and use it every day of our lives. I may not get to shower him with my unconditional love but I will honour his memory with everything I do and try to be the best person I can be. I know I will fail, time and time again but I will keep trying. I have to for Milo. 

My beautiful son, I will love you for eternity and much longer than that.

Emma x