"All roads lead to Rome".......

a short trip into Roman times.

Donna..... 

Hey, have you also noticed? The days are gradually getting longer and the birds are once again active? The colder and snowier the winter, the more we long for signs of spring :-).  I woke up this morning to the sound of the birds chirping away. To me all these are unmistakeable signs that spring is getting closer and closer with giant steps (i truely hope so :-))) When I hear the birds chirping it reminds me of a pleasant springtime season. It brings in blissful moments of peace and relaxtion and it always reminds me of the african morning with its beautiful sunrise...pleasantly warm and peaceful. What a great way to start off the day :-)

Main Gate into Saalburg Roman Fort - double ditches clearly visible. Since the entire outer wall stands in its original dimensions, one can get a good impression of the size of a Roman military fort.

With the forth-coming Spring nature slowly re-awakes to a new life and invites us to activities in the fresh air. For me it is time to celebrate the start of a new outdoor season. I love discovering nature and the outdoor activities around my environment. Since i am still a "newbie" in my home city, there is still alot left for me to discover. I cannot wait to finally put away these heavy coats and be off to more adventures :-)) 

the "outdoor season"  has begun!....are u ready? lets go!!!!

With the temperatures getting milder and milder, most of the outdoor activity centers are officially opening their doors again. Over the weekend i also officially started my outdoor program for the year 2012......i was once again out and about discovering :-). Today, i am going to share with you my first trip for this season. So its off to the "RÖMERKASTELL SAALBURG" (The Saalburg Roman Fort).

Porta Praetoria (Main Gate) of the roman fort Saalburg

Main Gate: Statue of Antoninus Pius and inscription. It commemorates that the German emperor Wilhelm II restored the roman fort..

In Roman times, the Saalburg fort kept watch over a section of the Limes in the Taunus hills.The Saalburg is the world’s only reconstructed Roman fort and archaeological museum. It is just next to the Limes World Heritage site, the ancient frontier between the Roman Empire and the Germanic tribal territories.

It was constructed about 90 CE, enlarged until about 210, and abandoned after 260. The fort’s garrison was made up of 500 to 600 soldiers – both infantry and cavalry.

The horreum (grain store) now houses the museum.

inside the archeological  museum

A bath house and guest house were located just outside the main gate. A village housing craftsmen, traders and tavern keepers adjoined the fort. The Roman road to Nida (today, Frankfurt-Heddernheim) was lined with graves and small shrines. It is likely that as many as 2,000 people lived here at one time.

remants of houses

Roman bath within the walls of fort Saalburg

Praetorium of the roman fort -(The Commanders Residence)

Principia of the Fort (The Assembly hall)

Interior of the assembly hall

internal courtyard of the principia

chillaxing..... :-)))

 The fort and village fell into disrepair when, due to increasingly strong Germanic incursions, the Limes was abandoned around AD 260. Today, the remains of the 550 km long frontier complex, which extend from the Rhine to the River Danube, comprise Europe’s largest ancient monument.

 Porta Decumana ....one of the main watch post

hide and seek with the romans ... :-)))

the Fort walls

The fort was rebuild between 1897 and 1907 to serve as open-air museum and research institute. In 2003, with the reconstruction of additional buildings, the first steps were taken toward the creation of an archaeological Park. In July 2005, the Limes (an with it, the Saalburg) joined the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. (source : Wikipedia and saalburgmuseum.de)

view from the walls....

 Not all buildings inside the fort have been reconstructed, instead leaving space for a park-like area with lawns and trees. 

quite interesting.... the tree swallowing the tablet:-))

It was quite an interesting, fun and historical day for me and i hope you all did enjoy going back in time with me :-) I wish you all a splendid week and until our paths cross again, stay cool as always :-))

bye bye.......see u hopefully soon on my next adventure :-)))

from "Deutschland" with luv,
Nakutana

Makeup how to...for "deep chocolate brown" ladies

My favorite Products....

Donna......

that´s me in my natural state......no enhancement, no makeup :-))))

I LOVE BRIGHT COLORS.....(you all know this by now), so why limit it just to my clothing :-))  I have always been attracted to this vibrant makeup colours in gloss magazines and i was like, surely black women can also get away with wearing such colours :-))
When it comes to makeup,  alot of dark skinned women seem to think that we can not wear bold and bright colors.... i use to think so myself until i came across some fabulous makeup "Afro Divas" on youtube. There are thousands of videos out there with great "how-to" videos for dark skin women. What i do to get inspiration is to look out for videos with ladies of a similar skin tone like mine...."deep choco brown" :-)  Over the years i came across some amazing videos on how to wear bright and bold colours. Through these video tutorials and lots of experimenting at home, i finally found what colours best suit my skin tone.

I personally love my makeup to be as light and natural as possible.....no crazy eyes or lips or a too heavy foundation. I believe makeup should enhance ones look but not change it.
So how do you go about finding makeup that works for you? Firstly, you would want to make a list of the types of makeup products you are interested in buying and then make a budget of how much you are willing to spend or can afford to spend on makeup so you don´t go overspending on beauty products :-)

My next step was to find the perfect foundation. For me it has to give a very natural finish and also match perfectly my skin tone. So i visited a makeup boutique / cosmetic store that allows testing. When there don´t hesistate to ask for assistance from the professionals. I did but unfortunately in my case it wasn´t of much help. If you live in Germany like i do it won´t come as a surprise to you that there are hardly any cosmetic stores which carry makeup products(foundation and blushes) for the "deep brown choco" skin. I tried several cosmetic boutiques and stores with very little or no success. When i did find one it either had very very limited products for my skin tone or just not the texture i wanted.

checking out the MAC cosmetic shop in Frankfurt

see who was there with me.....Lucy!!!.  She was of  great help in deciding which product best suits me :-)))

In one of this rare shops that carry my skin tone...(it was a MAC cosmetic shop),  i decided to do a test . The lady at the makeup counter unfortunately found only 3 foundation products that came close to my skin tone. Tried them on and 2 out of 3 was just not my kind of look. The third product(MAC Match Master foundation) was a perfect colour match and did look good too but unfortunately it is a liquid foundation....not the consistency i wanted. My skin doesn´t support liquid foundations, it feels like my skin is suffocating and it looks very unnatural on me... it makes me look like i have a painted face....kind of ashy look (like a black Geisha) :-))
I love the powder mineralized products best because they are very light weight and give a very natural finish. Unfortunately for me the stores out here don´t carry these products in deep shades......well, i had to find an alternative to the cosmetic shops.

got some help from a professional......

So if you are a deep brown tone like myself and you live in Germany......i guess this option of visiting a cosmetic shop to do some testing might not bring you much results :-(((
I wonder why these shops keep ignoring us "deep brown choco" sisters....how long will it take for them to finally realise they have to go some shades deeper......Well, not to drive myself further crazy with checking out shops and hoping to finally find one....i just took on my second option which is now my best option......Online Shopping. The great thing about online shopping is the endless variety of products to choose from in my colour range and the option to compare prices until you get the best deal. Also one is not limited to a particular shop, or even country. Since Germany is not so "deep tone"  friendly when it comes to makeup, i just have to cross over to a more "deep tone" friendlier country....thanks to the power of the world wide web:-)))
So i presently get most of my products from the UK and in exceptional cases from the USA. If you live in europe i would advice you first check out the european online shops or Ebay(great deals) and if you are not successful then you can check out the american online shops or Ebay.  This is to avoid paying import taxes......no import taxes(within european union) compared to the US where import duties most offen come into play.

my everyday look.....i love it natural .....just a sheer coverage with mineralized powder and a glossy lip balm

If you are a begginner in the makeup game, i would advice you first experiment with less expensive products before you follow the hype and go directly for the designer brands. Later on when you know what look suits you best, then you can check out the designer products...this will save you lots of cash especially when you are still just experimenting.  If you want to experiment with something, check to see if the company offers samples and use those for "try outs"....i wished i knew this as a beginner...would have saved me lots of cash :-))
Please don´t assume that expensive means better, that is not always the case. What works best for me is having a good combination of both high priced designer products and the less expensive drugstore brands. With this combination i can have the best of both worlds without having to spring my budget or break the bank.....this is just perfect for me :-)

I made this expensive mistake myself when i started using makeup.....i was looking for foundation products with a perfect match to my skin tone.....so i followed the hype and went directly for the high priced designer products but i later on found out most of the foundation products in their range did not really give me the look i was comfortable with, ......so i started experimenting with the less expensive drugstore brands and i was amazed to see what great products they also have to offer. Today, my favorite of all drugstore brands is Maybelline. They have amazing products for dark skin women. In their range i finally found one of my favorite foundations and i feel very comfortable wearing it. It gives me a very natural finish. The quality is top and the price is amazing, what more can i ask for :-))

Mind you though, i am no profi makeup artist, so this are just my opinions based solely on my experience experimenting with products. I am not a daily makeup wearer....i do it mostly for special occassions so this is also reflected in my "not so extensive, but just good enough for me" collection :-))
Below are my favorite products after years of experimenting.....

my "not so extensive, but just good enough for me" collection :-))

Foundations:
My favorite is the Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse in the colour "Cocoa"....
This is top on my list for drugstore foundations. The "Cocoa" colour is a perfect match for my skin tone. This is one of the foundation i can wear on a regular basis. It doesn´t feel heavy & suffocating like most fluid foundations. It has a consistency like a chocolate mousse, light & airy....it feels like being bare-skinned. It just melts into the skin giving a very natural and sheer finish.  This is perfect for people like me who want very light coverage. The way i apply this is using a clean finger to sweep on a tiny amount on my forehead, chin and cheeks then i blend it in with circular motions, using a dense kabuki brush. This gives me a great finish. If you want heavy coverage this product is not the best for you.

It has a consistency like a chocolate mousse, light & airy

Maybelline Dream Matte mousse in color "Cocoa"

My second favorite is the Bare Minerals Original in the colour " deepest deep" .....
This is top on my list for high-end brands. This is really one of the best mineral powder foundations out there. I love this product. I would recommend you get samples and play around until you have the right colour before you go ahead and get one. It is on the pricey side but worth every penny. I buy this product directly from their UK website.
Click here...to read more about this product and also to buy one if interested.

Bare Minerals in the colour "deepest deep"

My third favorite is the MAC- Mineralized Skinfinish pressed powder in the colour "Deep dark"...
The only down side to this powder for me is the price. But it is worth it. This is a sheer powder with a little sheen to it but almost unnoticeable on the skin. One can use this over a foundation or just on its own. I love it because i can use it on a daily basis without any foundation. I apply this directly on my mosturized face with a fluffy kabuki brush or a powder brush. A little trick i use is to lightly dampened the powder brush or kabuki brush with water before applying the powder. This gives me a velvety, flawless and very natural sheer finish. Don´t worry about the wet brush doing any damage to the powder....this is a baked product so it goes back to it´s natural state when dry. I got this tip from one of the "Make-up Gurus" on youtube called Gossmakeupartist. He is amazing and has great videos and lots of tips. I wish i had him for a friend then i would never have a bad makeup day ever :-))) Click here to check him out.

MAC mineralized skinfinish in colour "Deep dark"

Blushes:

For the longest time i was always sceptical about blushes . I just could not imagine if it will look ok on my deep brown skin tone but thanks to online tutorials i finally did give it a try. I did play around with some colours until i finally found what best suits me. I mostly wear blushes when i am going for a special look on a special occassion. My favorite blushes are from a brand called Sleek. Sleek is a UK based cosmetic company and their blushes are very popular on youtube videos. I can’t say enough good things about my Sleek blushes! If you are looking for quality on a budget you should definitely check them out. The price is fantastic and they have some amazing colors that really gives the high-end brands a run for their money. Compared to high brand products this is very cheap and you even get more quantity too. There is no beating this combination :-))

i love my Sleek blushes....i will definately be getting new colours come summer :-)))

The sleek blushes are very pigmented and will last all day, so you need a light hand when applying and a blush brush to blend out. I use a fluffy angled blush brush to apply them. The price is fantastic.  The only down side fo me is most of them are limited collection so you won´t find them on the website but if you do an Ebay search you will definately find them. But with so much product inside a compact i might not be needing any refills anytime soon. A compact is going to last for years :-)) My favorite blush colours from their range are:

Scandalous - this is an intense bright red colour. It looks scary in the compact but looks fabulous on the cheeks. It sinks into my skin beautifully and it has "that glow" to it.

scandalously red......what a pop of colour :-))

Aruba : the Aruba blush is from their Caribbean Collection. I wasn't sure what to make of the colour when I saw it It’s bright, it’s orange and so pigmented. At first i was like Gosh!!! orange on a deep brown skin? no way!!! but how wrong i was. It looks amazing on brown skin. This is my summer colour and i love it because it can be used as a day time look without looking too dramatic. One of my all time favorites.

my all time favorite......

Sahara: This has a sand-like brown colour. It gives this warm glow when applied to the cheeks. For someone my shade this is a not so intense colour. I use it as a bronzer and then add  some shimmering highlight to have that beach holiday look :-))
If you were a little heavy on applying blush and you love your blush shade too much to let it go, top it off with bronzer to soften the look.

this gives my cheeks a  warm bronzy beach-holiday look :-))

swatches ........on my "choco brown" skin :-))

Highlighters:
I love using shimmery highlighters for a golden glowly look. My favorite shimmer highlighters are from H&M cosmetics and ArtDecor cosmetics.

my all time favorite...i am almost running out.....love the shimmery gold effect :-))

Lips:
For daily use, i wear mostly lip balm and i add a neutral colour gloss for a glossy look. When i wear lipstick i go for the colour stay 24 from Maybelline. They are very long-lasting and very intense and i love the fact they come with a lip balm . My favorites are the berry red- "Burgundy 585" and the dusty pink- "Rose Dust 185"

very intense and long lasting

the only lip colours i wear.....:-)

I also love to use lip pencils to outline my lips before wearing lipstick. I found some matching pencils (from the drugstore brand Essence) for my favorite lipsticks . I use the lip pencils from Essence in the colour "Red blush 08" and "soft berry 05". To line my eyes, i use an intensive Khol Eyeliner also from Essence. Essence has great quality products for unbeatable prices. In Germany, Essence products can be found in all the drugstores like DM, Schlecker or Müller or even online.

my lip liner pencils and eye pencils......

Eyes:
For eyeshadows, my signature colours are neutrals. I love earth colours like brown, beige and also shimmering golds. My favorite eyeshadow palette is from the brand Essence called Sun Club. I love using neutral shades for my eyes because it gives this natural, nude look i love. For my lashes, i use a black mascara. My favorite is also from Essence, called maximum defination. I love it due to its flexible brush shape.....this works great on my curly afro lashes :-))

my all time favorite eyeshadows.....neutral shades from Essence "Sun Club"....that´s all i need :-))))

voloume mascara with a great brush, perfect for my curly afro lashes :-)))

Brushes:
I have just 3 makeup brushes(an angled fluffy blush brush, eyeshadow brush and blending brush) and 3 foundation/powder brushes(a short-compact kabuki brush for my foundation, a fluffy kabuki brush and a round shaped powder brush, for my mineralized compact powder. I store my brushes in ordinary cups and not special brush holders:-). I came across these animal printed-safari cups i could not resist having. Since i found them too pretty to use for drinking tee or coffee, i decided to use them as my brush holders :-)))

my short compact kabuki brush and my fluffy kabuki brush......

my safari brush-holder.....:-))

If you are really into makeup and love to experiment with different looks, then i will recommend you check out these two "Afro Makeup Divas" from the UK and USA. They belong to the favorite Afro ladies on you-tube and have great tutorial videos. They always have new tips and looks from daily wear, to divalicious to dramatic....have fun but while at it don´t forget to wash and clean that face every night before bedtime to get rid of all that colour :-) I personally use baby wipes as a makeup remover and this works great and is very gently on the skin  :-))
Check out the youtube tutorials. Click here for "Beautybyjj" from the UK and click here for "Destinygodley" from the USA.


Anyone can wear bright makeup colors especially if I can :-)). It all boils down to 3 things.
1). How you apply...... 2).Your Style.... 3).How good you look wearing it.....so don´t be afraid of colours...go ahead, experiment and colour up your life :-)))

a little dramatic for that special occasion......

with my favorite "Aruba" blush and "Rose Dust" lipstick and some shimmering highlighter for the eyes .....

with my Maybelline Dream mousse foundation and my berry red "Burgundy" lipstick

a little dramatic with the scandalously red blush....."Scandalous" from sleek :-)))

Hope my post was of some help especially to those thinking of starting up with makeup and have no clue where to begin. Wish you all a great week and stay cool until we meet again.


from "Deutschland" with luv,
Nakutana