Introducing Kuddy Cosmetics Nigeria- Initial Review

If you remember my recent post on Highlights of my Nigeria Trip, you would have noticed that I mentioned a beauty haul mainly of Nigerian indigenous brands which I picked up and I promised a haul post. Today, I will be introducing Kuddy Cosmetics to you. First off, this is an initial review, more like a show and tell, so I am not going into any in-depth review yet; rather I will post a final review of the products I love best from the range. At this juncture, I would recommend a nice cup of tea/coffee/latte/frappe or your favourite drink because this is going to be a really long post and I am apologizing in advance.

Background

Kuddy Cosmetics started off as a makeup store (they still are) for all things beauty, skincare, hair care, nail care, etc with stores all over Lagos, Nigeria. Recently, they launched their own brand- Kuddy Cosmetics which I was lucky to try and purchase some items when I recently was on holiday. They are one of the oldest makeup stores in Nigeria with enviable rights of distributions of some highly sought after international brands including China Glaze, Ardell, Makari, Queen Helene, Black Opal to mention a few. They also stock MAC, Clinique, Bobbi Brown, Estee Lauder and the list seems to be endless. To top it off, they also own distribution rights to some indigenous Nigerian makeup brands including Tara, Zaron and of course, their own brand Kuddy Cosmetics. I popped in to the Kuddy Cosmetic Store Headquarters in Trade Fair Complex Lagos as I do with my mum and sister for some retail therapy. I was fortunate to meet the owner of the brand who is so soft spoken and gentle and you would never guess she is the owner of this growing empire because she is ever so humble.

Kuddy Cosmetics

Kuddy Cosmetics recently launched a range of products including Hair extensions, Skin care, Makeup tools and of course, makeup which is my favourite of the lot. They stock the following products:

Skincare-Facial Cleansing Wash, Facial Toner( all enriched with Green tea) and Vanilla and Musk Hand and Body Cream

Makeup- Makeup Fix Spray, Waterproof Foundation with SPF, HD Powder, Lip Gloss and a Blush Palette, Primer

Hair Extensions: Human Hair extensions with different lengths

Brushes and Tools: Powder Puffs, Powder wedges, 12 –piece Pro Brush set, 20-Piece Pro Brush set complete with a waist attachment which is perfect for Makeup Artists, Travel Brush Set, Foundation Brush, Powder Brush and a duo eye shadow brush. They are currently working on launching more products.

Kuddy All Matte Invisible Pore Primer*

First off, I really like the packaging and I am so pleased that it is very easy to dispense because when it comes to this primer, a little goes a long way. The packaging reminds me of Black Opal which is a brand I also like. Like the name implies, it is aimed at reducing pores and mattifying the skin. I used this the first day after I received it because I was keen to test out how it held up in the hot and humid weather in Nigeria. It applies really easily and it acts as the perfect barrier between your skin and makeup. It contains silicones which lends it its smooth feeling when it is applied on the skin. I actually like how easily my foundation applies after I use this. In terms of its mattifying power, I have to rate this very highly simply because my foundation stayed put all day and the weather was super hot in Nigeria; needless to say,  I was (and still am) very impressed. I only got a little oily on my forehead around 6pm which was not bad seeing that I applied my makeup around 8am. Using it here in London is even more amazing because my foundation does not budge at all..all day even in the faux Summer we have now. I am so pleased I got to try this primer.

Kuddy Waterproof Foundation with SPF 15 -Shade 1A

I have had a long affair with other high end brands like Clinique, MAC, Bobbi Brown, YSL, etc so naturally,  I had little hopes for this foundation.Can I just say I have been blown away by the Kuddy Foundation? Just like the primer, I really like the packaging, it just feels so smooth and sleek and although it is plastic, it feels so luxurious and I love it. Onto the product, I liked how this matched my skin (a very good match) and it applies really well especially with my Real Techniques Buffing Brush and best of all, it dries matte. I paired this with the Kuddy Primer and the results were very impressive.This foundation deserves its own review complete with swatches which I am working on because it is indeed lovely. It is the one product that has remained one of my favourite from the Kuddy Range and I still reach for it every other day because it feels really light against my skin even though it has very good coverage.

Kuddy Blush Crush Palette

Can we just take a moment to appreciate these gorgeous shades? Honestly, these pictures do not do this any justice at all and my camera was definitely not playing ball when I took these photos. I may have to say this is one of my favourite blushes and this is coming from someone who is very picky with blushes which is why you see only very few reviews of blushes over here. The individual blushes are not named but it does not matter because your eyes can do the naming for you. The shades are complimentary on a variety of skin tones so even if you are pale, olive skinned, dark skinned, whatever undertone you may have, you will find something within this palette for you. The pigmentation is shockingly vibrant and long lasting and I really did not expect the quality given the price. Again, this deserves a full review complete with swatches, don’t you think? Absolutely!!

Kuddy Cosmetics  HD Powder*

Is it bad that I have never tried any HD powder before this? Nah, I think I am good. I was actually quite excited to try this as expected given that it was my first HD Powder. It comes in a nice tub complete with a powder puff which I don’t really use. I just tilt a little powder onto the lid and lightly dust my face with it with a large powder brush. It’s just the perfect finish to my makeup. No matter how much of this powder you use, you never stand a chance of having a cakey look. The only down side is the little holes inside the packaging does not have a screw lid so travelling with this means you have to be really carefully else, you may experience some spillage. Other than that, I really like this and I use it every time as a finishing powder and it can also act as a mattifier and a setting powder.

Kuddy Cosmetics Makeup Fix Spray*

I am going to be honest; I am not a fan of any Makeup fix including the cult-favourite MAC Fix Plus. I just don’t like spraying anything on my face after applying makeup because I wear contacts and many silly accidents have happened while trying to be funky with makeup fix sprays. I tried this a couple of times and I decided it was not really for me as makeup fix rather I love using it to moisten my makeup brushes just before application and it is amazing. If you love MAC Fix Plus, you may want to give this a whirl because it feels just like it. If you are like me and hate any makeup sprays, use this with those eye shadows that are not well pigmented; it makes it more vibrant and increases their lasting power...thank me later J

Kuddy Cosmetics Lip Gloss Smoothie*

I did not actually use this until I came back to England and my lips started acting funky. The weather somewhat got them really dry and my current favourite nude/matte lipsticks were just not the same. Enter this lip gloss, it feels thick but on application, it just sinks in and maintains the gloss without that added stickiness that is associated with many a lip gloss. I actually like this a lot and it can be worn on its own or on top of a lipstick. I also like the packaging because it is clear and the wand/doe foot applicator is really nice and applies the product really well.

Kuddy Cosmetic Vanilla and Musk Hand and Body Cream*

Longest name ever but it has the most amazing scent you can imagine from a combination of vanilla and musk as its major ingredients. Although, it comes in a small tub which indicates it is chiefly a hand cream, I have been using this for both my hands and body because it smells amazing. It is moisturising and the fragrance lingers for a good while which is lovely especially after a fresh bath. I wish it was in a tube because it would have been my handbag hand cream. I wonder if there is a bigger size because it would be perfect as a moisturiser especially with its non-greasy texture

Kuddy Cosmetic Eye Primer*

Last but not lease is the eye primer which I was very excited to try out. From the packaging, I liked the creamy look but I was quite apprehensive about its application because it had no doe foot applicator, however, it applies really well with my fingers.This really helps my eye shadows last longer and appear vibrant. One sad thing though is the packaging. It is not very sturdy and it eventually broke before I made it back to England and I think I may have just been unlucky with this one. I reach for this product more often than I normally do for other primers mainly because I actually like it and its lasting power is excellent.

                                                                     

Where to Buy

They stock all their products on a market store website which is also under the Kuddy Brand and it is called IyaOloja which is Yoruba (one of  Nigerian's major languages) and it translates to the "Mother of the Markets" literary and I can assure you, this website caters to all beauty, skin care and hair care needs. I only recently stumbled upon this website and it is a perfect way to buy various brands especially if you live in Nigeria and they can even deliver to your office address which is fantastic. It’s sad that they don’t do international shipping because if they did, I would have been ordering quite a few products now but I am pretty sure they are working on this. You can also buy them in Kuddy Cosmetic Stores all over Lagos Nigeria and their details can be found here on their website complete with contact details, addresses and telephone numbers. If you follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, you will be the first to know of any discounts they have on offer.

Cons

As with my reviews especially with products sent for my consideration, I always include the cons to keep it balances so you my readers can make your own conclusions and not take my word for it based on my experiences. With Kuddy Cosmetics, I was seriously blown away with majority of the products sent to me. But here is one draw back for me: 

1. No International Delivery/Shipping: I am pretty sure they are working on this but they only deliver within Nigeria which is a bummer because I know their products will be well appreciated across the shores especially among ladies who have darker/warmer skin like myself that find it really hard to find nice and inexpensive makeup that has great quality.

Other than these, I love majority of the products I received and it was so much fun writing this post and taking these lovely pictures. If you made it to the end, I love you..No seriously I do!!! I usually don’t read very long posts except it is very engaging and I am hoping you can classify this as engaging.. See you in my next post..x

Disclaimer:Products marked with Asterisk (*) indicates that they were given to me for consideration. As always, all opinions are mine and I have not been swayed/compensated for my review.