Lagos Beauty Haul

There’s something I find so immensely satisfying when I go on holiday, which is taking a day out to explore all the beauty haunts around the country/city I’m in and then smuggling hauling all my beauty finds back to the UK (insert me rubbing my hands with wicked glee here)

I recently came back from a 2-week holiday in Lagos, and what I found so exciting about the Lagos beauty landscape is that it really is the best of three worlds. I went to a mixture of shops and discovered:

1)   Independent/up and coming own brands

2)   Easy access to products and brands from the US with no restrictions like we would usually have in the UK, think retinol, skincare brands, makeup brands and natural hair brands

3)   Easy access to products and brands from everywhere else in the world

I honestly felt like a child in a candy store and had to contain my spending. Here are the few bits I picked up as well as the beauty stores I got them from

Namaste Organics – a natural skincare brand based in Lagos, I picked up their Bentonite Clay Hair and Skin Mask as well as their African Black Soap Body Wash. I had heard some really positive reviews about the brand from friends whilst I was there and what I was particularly interested in is that they are using natural well known ingredients but combining them with other key ingredients and essential oils to increase the benefits to the skin. 

I picked this up from L’Espace, which is a retail concept store in VI. Their beauty section upstairs also has a fantastic array of natural hair brands such as Shea Moisture, Karen’s Body Beautiful and Kinky Curly.

I then grabbed the Neutrogena Acne Stress Control Power Cream Wash and On the Spot Treatment. The Neutrogena website in the states has a large number of ranges that we don’t get in the UK and I thought these would be great for tackling any potential breakouts.  The Power Cream Wash contains 2% Salicylic Acid and Glycolic Acid and the On the Spot treatment contains 2.5% Benzoyl Peroxide, again another difficult ingredient to pick up in the UK. I got these from a store called Poised in Ikeja City Mall.  They are the equivalent of Boots and stock a vast selection of brands.  Word of warning though, if you live in Lagos and are planning a visit, the store isn't exactly neatly arranged, so be prepared to do a little digging around.

Next up in Ikeja, was Allure Cosmetics Store where I picked up Cerave Foaming Facial Cleanser and Kuu Spa Turmeric Salt Scrub Bath. Recently launched, this store has everything you need for your skincare, hair care and beauty needs. It’s owned by the lovely Mandy who happens to be a friend of my sister’s and she is an absolute trove of beauty tips and information.

My sister uses both Cerave and the Turmeric scrub, which I had already tried out and loved. I had gone to Lagos with my usual glove exfoliating sponge and lets just say the heat and humidity had literally laughed out loud at me. Seriously guys the heat in Lagos doesn’t play! I realised I needed something a little bit more heavy duty and this scrub was it. I came out baby soft and silky smooth. The Cerave Cleanser is one I have had on my list for a while, its packed full of Ceramides, Nianacinamide and Hyaluronic Acid and gently cleanses whilst also moisturising the skin. I’m thinking it might be perfect for winter mornings in the UK and when I’m using more acid based exfoliators.

Next on my list was the makeup store, Giftys Daughter, also in Ikeja, but they have a few other branches so do check them out. They have a great selection of makeup brands; from Nars, Fashion Fair, Urban Decay, Ben Nye, Nyx and Wet n Wild Cosmetics etc.  I picked up the Nyx Nude Pink Lipgloss which I have been wanting to try for a while.

Now technically not a beauty store but it was one of my favourite stores in Lagos, so deserves a mention was Regalo. Based in Centro Mall in Lekki, it’s another retail concept store with the most amazing furniture and home ware, aromatic teas, artisan products and beautifully scented candles.

It was there that I fell in love with the Abidjan Candle from Yswara, a South African brand. It’s a soy wax candle with the sweet smell of amber and vanilla.  The smell is beautiful! What I also love about this candle is that when burned it reduces to a fragrant massage oil that can also be applied to the body.

Finally I popped into House of Tara, in the same Lekki Mall.  One of the biggest makeup brands in Nigeria, the branch in Centro Mall is a lovely white space with a great selection of products. I struggled to only select a few things but finally picked up these two gorgeous eyeshadow trios in Inem and Omoge.

And that’s it, my Lagos Beauty haul. Have you tried out any of these products before?  What did you think? What other beauty stores and brands in Lagos would you recommend? Would love to know in the comments below