(Extremely Late) September 2014 Favorites

Hey guys! I know I'm SO late but here are my September Favorites. I thought I should upload anyway since this post was ready LONG back but since I forgot to take a pic of one of the products I kept putting it off but not anymore! I just thought I'd upload this without it anyway, lol.

These are the products I've wow-ed over every time I reached out for them in my makeup routine the past month. I also included swatches wherever possible so you can get an idea of the products. Hope you like it!


1. Laura Mercier Silk Cream Foundation & Maybelline Fit Me Concealer

The foundation:

Great coverage, my perfect color match, blends easily, gives a demi-matte to matte finish depending on your skin type, lasts a really long time (I once accidentally slept with my makeup on and believe me when I say the makeup looked pretty good the next morning too!). Definitely recommend!

The concealer:
Although I use my Mac Pro Longwear Concealer for bigger events and parties pretty much all the time, I found myself using this quite a lot too the past month. On the days I don't want to wear foundation I just go with this under my eyes and on the high points to my face (forehead, bridge of the nose, cupids bow, chin). Great coverage, blends easily, and gives a beautiful natural finish.

3. Benefit That Gal Face Primer
I have the mini size I got in a gift bag from Sephora on upgrading to VIB status a long time ago but I only just started using this. I love how it visibly brightens the face, leaving the skin feeling more hydrated and can I just say how amazing this smells (like strawberries and cream <3)

4. Laura Mercier Brightening Loose Powder
Just a great powder to set my concealer and T-zone when I don't want extra coverage to my foundation. A little goes a long way and prevents my concealer from creasing.

5. Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray
This is magic in a bottle. I've been using this for nearly two years now but now when I ran out of it (again) I had to resort to the Makeup For Ever Setting Spray or Mac Fix + and then I realized how much more I loved it! Sets your makeup, takes away the powdery finish to give a natural one, never emphasizes your pores or fine lines and the best part is if you spray a little much it won't make your face all sticky or your pores more visible (unlike the other two I mentioned).

6. Sleek Contour Kit
I mentioned this in my UK Haul from a few months back and honestly ever since I can't stop using this! Earlier I only used to reach out for the bronzer shade in this (awesome neutral tone, can sheer it out to give a light bronzed look or build it up for a heavy contoured effect). But lately I've been loving the highlight color too! Its a perfect pinky-champagne and will look great on all skin tones.

7. Tarte Amazonian Clay Blushes in Tipsy and Exposed
These are my ultimate fave blushes! I had my brother get this for me last year when he was vacationing in Malaysia and haven't stopped using these since. These have an amazing lasting power, they're non-powdery and the best part is they are so user friendly! They're easy to blend and you can always sheer it out to give a more natural flush to the cheeks or build it up for a more heavier look. Both these colors are my faves.

8. Marc Jacobs The Lolita Palette
Amazing pigmentation, blends like a dream and the color selection is beautiful! This is the only palette in my collection that I've used so frequently since the Urban Decay Original Naked Palette. The only possible complain anyone can ever have with this is that you have to use it carefully to avoid shadow fallout. But honestly, I don't mind :)

9. Makeup Studio Jewel Effects in Shine
My favorite thing about this glitter is how fine this is! Gives the shine of glitter without looking chunky or too obviously glitter like. You can use this in my so many ways! (Let me know if you would like a post on the many ways you can use this!)

10. Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in Showy
These crayon type twist up lippies have become my fave over the past few months! I love the matte finish these give. I have three more shades but I've been loving the purple tone of this one! I know it doesn't look purple toned at all in the pictures (because I took these before sunset so my cam picked up only the warmer tones) but its a beautiful pink-purple shade.

11. Mikyaji 22K Brow Shaper
This is the little devil I forgot to take an individual picture of! (its that skinny golden thing on the top of the cover picture) Fave brow pencil of the moment. Great price, very easy to use and lasts a long time on the brows!

WHERE TO BUY:

Laura Mercier: www.selfridges.com
Maybelline and Revlon: Centrepoint in Salam Mall/ Andalus Mall/ Mall of Arabia
Benefit and Marc Jacobs: Sephora in Red Sea Mall/Mall of Arabia
Sleek: www.sleekmakeup.com
Makeup Studio: Makeup Studio Store in Salam Mall

Thats it for this post! See ya in my next :)

Get in touch with me via my Facebook/Twitter.

MAC Pro Longwear Concealer Review & Swatches

Hey guys!
Today I will be reviewing the MAC pro longwear concealer for ya'll. I hope you find it helpful :)

Packaging:
Its sort of a glass bottle with a pump. Although, I'd say one pump gives a LOT of product, and its kinda hard to do a half pump, so I usually end up wasting a little bit of the product every time cos I don't really need it. I think MAC can definitely work on that pump a bit more.

Application:
Its a liquid concealer so its very smooth to apply. It dries nicely after applying so you know its really set in place, although if you are someone with more wrinkles or crease lines or someone with oilier skin, I do recommend you set it with a good undereye powder. 

Coverage:
Coverage wise I'd say its almost full coverage. Although you can easily sheer it out a little if you apply using a damp beauty blender. You can see in the pictures below how pigmented this concealer is!

Longevity:
This is the best part. It is so long wearing its crazy, at least for me. Once I went out to a party and after coming home I slept with my makeup on. When I woke up in the morning my concealer still looked so fresh! It holds extremely well under moisture too!

Final thoughts:
I have loved this concealer since the first time I bought it last August! I finished one bottle and a month back bought another one so I'd say one bottle would last you a long time since a little goes a LONG way! This works excellently on blemishes, and even better under your eyes as it does not crease or settle in lines. It doesn't matter what you apply it with, I've used it with a brush, beauty blender and even my fingers and it does the magic each time! Excellent for parties, brides and even in the summers.

Who might not like it:
People with extremely dry under eyes or anyone who doesn't have any under eye bags to begin with can find it unnecessarily heavy.

Quick tips:
Apply with
*a damp beauty blender for lighter/thinner coverage.
*brush for heavier coverage/ on blemishes etc.
*fingers for a more natural and blended finish.

Price:
Around 100-120 sr (I believe it was 105 sr)

Where I shop MAC at:
Red Sea Mall

Pictures and swatches:

MAC Pro Longwear Concealer

MAC Pro Longwear Concealer

I use the shade NC20

MAC Pro Longwear Concealer Swatches

If you have any questions leave them in the comment section below or reach me at my Facebook or Twitter:)

Sephora Lipstick Haul: First Impressions & Swatches

Heyy there :)

I've been to sephora twice this past month and picked up three lip products. Two of them I picked up at a 20% off (exclusive for VIB members) which was suuchh a steal!

There'll be swatches at the end so stick around :)

1. Sephora Glossy Lip Pencil - #05 Glossy Pale Pink

Its a warm glossy pink perfect for everyday! Also the fact that its crayon style makes it so easy to use. However, its a bit on the sheer side and so the lasting power isn't that great.

2. Sephora Lipstick #08

This is actually a repurchase since I gave the last one to my sister several months ago. I have loved this for long and let me just start off by telling that this is one of the most long wearing formulas I've ever tried. Even soap and water has nothing on this! Its a beautiful muted pink with slightly mauve undertones and a completely matte finish. I love wearing this with grey smokey eyes.

3. Sephora Cream Lip Stain #01

This is also one of the most long lasting lipsticks I have! Its a warm tone, almost like a chilly red which you can't go wrong with. Its goes on like a cream/liquid at first and dries completely matte, and will not budge unless you have ridiculously oily food. One of my faves!

Here are swatches. 

From top to bottom- Sephora cream lip stain #01, Sephora matte lipstick #08, Sephora glossy lip pencil #05

On the 25th of June Sephora held this Beauty Invite thing for which VIB's got an invitation beforehand, although it was open to all. It was a really fun event with snacks like mini sandwiches, macarons, drinks and even a mascot which was the most funniest thing to me (imagine a huge mascot in a makeup store, that too with a ghutra haha. Ghutra is a scarf like thing arab men wear on their heads, I'm sorry I'm just awful at explaining.)

Also, they had free gifts for VIB's which was so awesome and I thought I'd share this with you guys.

If you shop and sephora often and don't have a VIB card yet then I'd definitely recommend you apply for it! Definitely worth it because you get to know about the latest brand releases, exclusive discounts, free gifts, beauty events and pretty cool stuff like that.

Click the link below to learn how you can get the VIB card:

http://www.sephora-me.com/card-program/pid32.html

Goodie bag I got at the beauty invite

So thats it for my haul and first impressions! Don't forget to leave me your feedback :)

Where I shop Sephora at:

Andalus Mall

Salaam Mall

Red Sea Mall

Mall of Arabia

If you have any questions leave them in the comment section below or reach me at my Facebook or Twitter :)

Marc Jacobs Beauty Has Arrived!

Helloo errbody!

I just got this email from Sephora yesterday and really wanted to share this exciting news with ya'll!

Marc Jacobs is now in KSA!

I can't wait to check it out :D

What brand to you wanna see here next? I really want to see Laura Mercier, NARS, Stila here.

Updates like these will be up much quicker on my Facebook and Twitter Page so don't forget to check them out!

Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette Review & Swatches

Hey there :)

If you read my last post- the UK Makeup Haul, you probably saw this coming!

I still remember when I first heard about the release of the Naked 3 palette how excited I got. Later, when I saw its pictures I was kinda bummed. To me it looked like pretty much the same thing as the Naked 2 palette. But, when I saw in depth swatches on Temptalia's website I realized this IS very different from both the previous editions. So I decided to get it and here's my review!

Urban Decay Naked 3 palette

Urban Decay Naked 3 palette

This palette consist of 12 eyeshadows and they have a beautiful rosey-tone to them. This is what sets them apart from the previous two editions of the Naked palette. It also comes with an awesome dual ended brush with a flat shader on one end for packing on eyeshadow and a fluffier one on the other end to help with blending.

Packaging:

The packaging feels just like the Naked 2. And even though it feels so sturdy and luxurious I really dislike that. Quick sad story: I used, abused and dropped my original Naked palette several times and it still held up so well. But all my Naked 2 needed was one drop, and BAM! It shattered :( Thankfully I didn't lose any of the shadows completely.
So all I can say is, all is good with the packaging just do not drop it, I repeat, do NOT drop it.

Pigmentation:

I'd say that all of the eyeshadows are beautifully pigmented (urban decay eyeshadows almost never disappoint).
Except trick.
Trick was indeed a tricky eyeshadow. When I first got the palette I was disappointed with its intensity but after using it a couple times, that is after a little bit of the top layer of the eyeshadow got used up I could really start to see more intensity in the color. I guess its one of those eyeshadows who take a little longer to bloom into their color than the rest :P

Texture:

Texture wise, I was put off by some shades particularly with Dust and Trick as they do tend to give a lot of fall out on application so you have to make sure you do your eye makeup before your face makeup to avoid having eyeshadow all over your face makeup. This was very sad for me because these were the shades I was most excited about and it let me down in this category.
However all the other eyeshadows in the palette are beautifully smooth and don't cause much trouble.

My favorites:

So far I'm loving Dust (when I use it wet or with Fix+ from MAC), Nooner, Liar and Blackheart.

ROUND UP:

I really like this palette because of its rosey-tones. The only trouble-some eyeshadows were Dust and Trick but they go on absolutely beautiful if you spray some Fix+ from Mac on the brush and then apply the eyeshadow to the lid. These are nicely pigmented and last very long especially with a good base underneath (you can use a concealer that doesn't crease, or I recommend you use them with the 

Urban Decay Primer Potion).

SWATCHES:

CLOSE UP: Strange, Dust, Burnout, Limit, Buzz, Trick

SWATCHES: Strange, Dust, Burnout, Limit, Buzz, Trick

CLOSE UP: Nooner, Liar, Factory, Mugshot, Darkside, Blackheart

SWATCHES: Nooner, Liar, Factory, Mugshot, Darkside, Blackheart

Which Naked Palette is for you?
If you are someone who likes rosey-tone eyeshadows this palette is for you. However, if you are someone who leans more towards warmer, bronzey- tones then I recommend you check out the original Naked palette. And if you like taupey, cooler- tones then I recommend you the Naked 2 palette.

Do I have a favorite?
Yes I totally do! Nothing can beat the original Naked palette!
I wore it SO often throughout 2012 and 2013 that now I put it away so I can use my other palettes :)


So that's it for my review. I hope you found this helpful. If you've any questions feel free to post on my Facebook or in the comments section below.

Where can I shop urban decay?
Sadly it is not available in jeddah but you can easily shop for it online :) I recommend Debenhams: http://www.debenhams.com/beauty/urban-decay

Comment down and let me know below which naked palette is your favorite if you have any, or which one is in your wish list :)

A little something about me :)

Hello there pretties!

This is my first ever post on this blog, and what better way to start out than to introduce myself?

My name is Aamna, I'm currently 17. I have an almost unhealthy love for makeup. I love experimenting with new makeup, trying on different looks, checking out whats new in the market etc.

Apart from that I am very much into fashion! I think just trying on different clothes, shoes, handbags etc to compliment your body and personality is a lot of fun and can make you learn a lot about your personality.

My previous blogging experience:

I used to be a part of Vicinity Makeup with my sister, which we closed down a few months earlier because of many reasons. However, it was a truly amazing experience, and I got to learn a lot from it. 

This is one of the major reasons why I'm finally starting up this blog, because I miss writing about all these things I love.

So yeah, I'm here to share my love of all things fashion and beauty.

If you have any requests/ ideas for any specific type of posts, please let me know in the comment section below :)

And oh, inshaAllah I'll soon be starting a Twitter and/or Facebook page. Then hopefully it'll become easier to talk to you guys!

My first post will most probably be a makeup related one. So stay tuned.

Until then, take care :)