(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.

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 :)

UK Makeup Haul

Hey there :)

So its been a month since I returned from my trip to the UK. I don't ever buy this much of makeup at once but this time, I bought quite a lot of stuff- kind of a crazy amount! But that's sort of what you do when you go for vacation, right? (lol!)
The things you will be seeing in this post is sort of a peak into what I'll be posting about in more detail in the next few days.


THE HIGH-END STUFF:

1. URBAN DECAY & SMASHBOX 
Starting out with the much-hyped about palette which I was insanely excited to get:

URBAN DECAY Naked 3 eyeshadow palette

Urban Decay Naked 3 eyeshadow palette

Then I stumbled upon this lil thing which TOTALLY STOLE the naked 3's spotlight:

SMASHBOX Full Exposure eyeshadow Palette

SMASHBOX Full Exposure eyeshadow Palette

2. LAURA MERCIER STUFF

I was very excited to try the Laura Mercier products since I heard so much about them- So I got a highlighter and the much loved and talked about- silk cream foundation from their line.

(From L-R): LAURA MERCIER Peach Mosaic Shimmer Bloc, Silk Cream Foundation 

LAURA MERCIER Peach Mosaic Shimmer Bloc

3. GIVENCHY

I know Givenchy is available here as well but I totally forgot about it at the time! 

That nude lipstick is currently my fave nude :)

(From L-R): GIVENCHY Healthy Glow Powder in no.3 Ambre Crosiére, Le Rouge Lip color in Beige Mousseline

(From L-R): GIVENCHY Healthy Glow Powder in no.3 Ambre Crosiére, Le Rouge Lip color in Beige Mousseline

4. ELIZABETH ARDEN STUFF

 Haven't worn the lipstick YET, but this lip liner, oh boy its become my fave!

(P.S, I totally forgot to take a picture of the actual bullet part of the lipstick, but don't worry cos I'll probably be doing in depth review and swatches of these products soon!)

(From L-R): ELIZABETH ARDEN Lipstick in Red Door Red, Lip Liner in Ballet Blush

THE DRUGSTORE STUFF:

More than anything else, I was totally looking forward to checking out the drugstore makeup there. Totally inexpensive compared to Jeddah!

5. BRONZERS

I haven't tried either of these enough to speak about them much- but I'm so STOKED about the Sleek bronzer!

(From L-R): SLEEK Face Contour Kit in Light, MAYBELLINE Dream Sun Bronzing Powder no. 02

(From L-R): SLEEK Face Contour Kit in Light, MAYBELLINE Dream Sun Bronzing Powder no. 02

6. LIPPIES

Haven't tried many of them yet, but loving the Revlon ones and the Collection one!

(From L-R): SLEEK Matte Me in Brink Pink, REVLON Matte Balms in Complex and Elusive, COLLECTION Cream Puff Lip Cream in Cotton Candy, MAYBELLINE Color Sensation Lipstick in Tantalizing Taupe.

7. BRUSHES! 

Real Technique's brushes amaze me! They are inexpensive and really good quality. The blush brush has become my fave for a diffused and natural bronzed look

(From L-R): 1st three are from the Real Techniques travel essentials kit, the last one is the Blush Brush.

I guess I'm good to go without any more makeup for at least a year!

If you'd like to see swatches and/or reviews of any of these products let me know in the comments section or you can contact me on my Facebook :)