CONFESSIONS OF A MAKEUP ADDICT

Review: Urban Decay Naked Palette

2011-01-10T15:53:00.000-08:00

Hey there!

My latest find... this is a must-have, ladies, a MUST-HAVE. Everyone loves them some neutrals and I can honestly say I dont know HOW I managed without this palette...

HUGE shout out to my friend Neha for graciously making sure it made its way to me :)

Enough talk! Prepare to fall seriously in love...

Yummy, right? I know :)

x

I Ain't Got No Makeup On...

2010-11-03T14:19:00.000-07:00

...I'm just naturally THIS pretty!

Yes. Wouldn't we all love to be able to say that? Or at least think it - come on girls, let's keep the vanity within! Unfortunately not everyone is as naturally pretty as Jennifer Lopez or Katie Holmes.

Of course, you can always FAKE the naturally pretty look, and it's usually pretty easy to do as well. A few of you that I do a tutorial on how to look like you're not wearing makeup when you actually are, and just come off looking natural, pretty, fresh, all that good stuff!

So here it is ladies! Enjoy!

Hope you liked it! Keep those requests coming!

x

The Non-Makeup Video

2010-10-30T15:28:00.000-07:00

Hello there! :)

I'm going to throw a disclaimer at you before anything else: this isn't a makeup video. Or a skincare video. Or a beauty video. This is your cue to raise one eyebrow and say, "then what is it, Sana?!"...

It's a WHATS IN MY BAG video!

I love watching these videos on Youtube and I thought you guys might like to see me do one too! So I hope you enjoy it... and let me know if I should keep mixing it up in here with non-makeup videos and blogs too, sometimes!

Also... tell me what random things you have in your purse too!

x

PS: Next up will the tutorial for a no-makeup look that I'm editing at the moment... :)

Very Requested! Skincare Routine and Products!

2010-10-25T14:27:00.000-07:00

Hello my lovelies!

I hope you all had a fab weekend... So many of you emailed and commented asking for a skincare routine video that I decided that's what I would film next! And here it is... Enjoy!

Products mentioned:

Loreal Paris Perfect Clean Foaming Cream Wash
Clean & Clear Exfoliating Daily Wash
Olay Total Effect Day UV Moisturiser
Johnsons Baby Oil
MAC Gently Off Lip and Eye Makeup Remover
Superdrug Cotton Wool Pads

So do any of you have any hidden gems in your skincare routines? If yes, please do share! Any skincare tips and tricks are also highly welcome... we're all here to learn, after all!

Have a glowy-skin day!

x

Feeling Blue?

2010-10-20T16:33:00.000-07:00

Cheesy title. I know.

You know, there are sooo many different techniques of smokey eye makeup, and no one is better or worse than the others, but some are certainly easier to achieve. And that's what I try and keep in mind when doing a smokey look tutorial - it should be easy enough for even a beginner with makeup to handle. Having said that, if you guys want to see slightly more advanced techniques of smokey eye makeup, just say the word!

And for now, enjoy this rich, jewel-toned, peacocky type blue smokey eye...

Also, lemme know what you guys want to see next!

x

Trend Report: Winter 2010

2010-10-16T14:15:00.000-07:00

DON'T KILL ME!

Yes, I know I've been missing long enough to warrant you actually either killing me or forgetting that I exist - but please don't!

Sometimes... it's just good to take a break from everything in life. So that's what I did. And now that I'm back, I realise it's for the better because I missed it more than ever and I've rediscovered my love for blogging :)

On to the trend report... I've rounded up the hottest looks from the runways to show you what to do with makeup this winter and, more importantly, HOW to do it!

WINE STAINED LIPS: In keeping with our current obsession with vampires, this fall's most popular and most wearable trend is the wine-stained, berry lip. The bolder amongst us will rock it as a full on lipstick mouth, while the shy ones (my hand is raised here, ladies!) will turn to glosses, balms or lip tints to sport a softer version of the trend. Ofcourse, you'll need to keep everything else absolutely minimal - I'd recommend foundation and mascara only. Definitely no blush! And depending on your colouring, reach for purple-toned berry shades if you're light skinned or red-toned berry shades if you're medium to dark skinned!

RED NAILS: This one makes my heart singgg with joy! For the past few winters, dark berry and wines have been the nail polish shades of choice and while, admittedly, they look uber chic they can get a little bit dull after a while. I'm sooo glad it's red this time around! Why? Because red is a more fun colour, it's such an instant mood-lifter, it looks cute and chic at the same time and it goes with anything! OPI's Big Apple Red is my favorite... whats yours?

BOLD BROWS: Don't you just love how fashion keeps contradicting itself? This summer was all about bleached, barely there brows and now the bolder, darker, bigger brow is back! Don't go too pencil happy though, lol! I recommend sticking to the natural shape of your brow but just filling in any empty spaces or sparser areas with either a pencil (using a very light hand) or a powder eyeshadow (this gives a more natural look). You can make them slightly thicker by simply moving the pencil/angled brush in short upward flicks on the upper end of your brows.

GOLD SMOKED OUT EYES: Depending on where you live, winter is either holiday season or wedding season. Either way, gold smokey eyes are BIG for this winter and very easy to wear to almost any occasion. Stick to yellower, paler golds if you're light skinned, and warmer more burnished golds if you're medium to dark skinned. Application is super-easy: just a soft wash all over your lids and lower lashline, then use a clean blending brush to buff away any harsh lines for a soft, hazy but not perfect look.

As always, remember to work one trend at a time and stay true to your own personality and level of comfort with makeup. I'm thinking of doing a series of short videos for winter beauty trends... little tutorials to show how to make them more wearable. So let me know if that's something you would be interested in!

Much love and a hugely apologetic hug!

x

All images courtesy of www.elle.com

Copper and Blue Fun Eye Makeup!

2010-08-30T13:29:00.000-07:00

Hey, makeup addicts!

So many times I tell myself... break out of your neutral rut, Sana! Bolder colours can be sooo much fun! And I come up with pretty combinations that I wear in my room - but never out :P

I know. I know. I'm a chicken. Self confessed.

But I think this is a good look to break the barrier with... it's not totally over the top because the copper is still very earthy, warm and wearable but there's still a bit of a fun element with the blue accent!

Hmmm. Maybe next time I go out I can sport this with a navy blue ensemble? Or a plain black one? Let's see...

In the meantime, check it out and let me know what you think! That's right people, stop being lazy and give me some fun comments to read! :P

Hope you enjoyed that and thanks for watching - and for generally being lovely! :)

x

Let's Get Luscious!

2010-08-21T14:49:00.000-07:00

Hey guys!

Just putting my initial thoughts on Luscious Cosmetics out there...

Forgot to mention that I'm wearing the concealer in this video, by the way!

Bottom line: good quality, reasonable prices, locally available, nice packaging - what's not to love?!

Head on over to www.iloveluscious.com !

x

Video: How to Fill in Your Brows

2010-08-19T12:37:00.000-07:00

Hey guys!

Brows are probably THE most neglected feature on our face, and also one of the strongest! Brows can completely change the way your face appears... overarched brows can make you look surprised, overly slanted inwards brows can make your face look angry and short brows just don't frame your face as nicely as brows of the proper length!

Phew. That's a lot of "brows" in one sentence.

So I thought I would show you guys how to figure out the right size and shape for your brow - and how to fix them up to get to that desired shape!

As always, leave your comments and questions below :)

x

Video: Easiest Ever Smokey Eye!

2010-08-17T13:32:00.000-07:00

Hey lovelies!

Pull out that black cream eyeshadow because you are NOT going to be able to resist trying this out for yourselves! I have made the ever-unattainable black smokey eye as simple as it could get!

TIPS ON COMPLEMENTARY MAKEUP: Either go with icy/baby pink lips and cheeks, or go with completely nude lips and bare cheeks! If you think you can't pull off bare cheeks, dust the slightest hint of bronzer on your cheeks for a super chic look! In my opinion, a nude mouth, bare cheeks and flawless skin complement the black smokey eye the best!

If any of you divas try this out, do do do take a picture and send it to me! I'd love to see your efforts! Now get in front of the mirror and start practising...

Like I said... the classic black smokey eye will never go out of fashion ;)

x

Video: Updated Makeup Collection and Storage

2010-08-14T15:27:00.000-07:00

Hey, makeup addicts! I'm back with a new video and this time it's an updated version of my makeup collection as well as storage techniques that you might find handy!

Here's a link to the previous makeup collection video: http://sana-ansari.blogspot.com/2010/04/video-my-makeup-collection.html

How do you like to store your makeup? Share your tips and tricks in the comment box below with everyone, and spread the love!

x

PS: Coming up REALLY soon is an AWESOME video tutorial on the EASIEST smokey eye EVER!

Video: How to Wash Your Makeup Brushes

2010-07-29T13:19:00.000-07:00

So at the risk of sounding cliched, good brushes are an essential ingredient in the recipe for beautiful makeup!

However, investing in good brushes can be prettyyy darn expensive, so when you buy a good brush, MAKE SURE YOU TAKE CARE OF IT PROPERLY!

How? Find out below... !

Brushes that are well cared for can last years and years and years and years and... well you get the idea!

Happy washing!

x

Video: How to Contour

2010-07-23T16:28:00.000-07:00

Hey hey hey!

Apologies for playing hide and seek with your lovely selves but unfortunately personal problems had me pretty tied up this past month =(

Well, I'm back now! And hitting you up with a much requested tutorial on how to contour your face to really flaunt your bone structure, create some optical illusions, whatever you fancy!

Remember - no ones face is perfect (mine is FAR from, LOL!) and you shouldn't try to look perfect either... lets leave that to Barbie, shall we? ;)

x

Video: Peach Eye Makeup Tutorial

2010-06-24T05:20:00.000-07:00

Hey there lovelies!

For the summer, I think peach is just a lovely colour to wear in terms of clothing and makeup - its soft, flattering and extremely versatile! I came up with this soft peachy look last night - hope you guys like it! :)

You can totally amp up the glam factor in this simply by darkening the crease and outer corner!

Products used:
Soft Ochre Paint Pot
Expensive Pink Eyeshadow by MAC
Carbon Eyeshadow by MAC
Blacktrack Fluidline by MAC
The Falsies mascara by Maybelline
Warm Soul Mineralise Blush by MAC
Studio Fix Powder by MAC
Dessert Lipstick by Topshop Makeup
Perennial High Style Lipgloss by MAC

Rock the peaches and the pinks and good luck surviving this crazy heat! ;)

x

Benefit Haul and Review

2010-06-13T05:28:00.000-07:00

Hey lovelies! Recently, I tried (for the first time) some Benefit products and I thought I'd share my thoughts on these with you! Incidentally, Benefit is owned i LMVH group of companies - the same group that owns Louis Vuitton!

Products mentioned:

That Gal face primer
Powderflage powder concealer
Lemon Aid colour correcting eyelid primer
High Beam liquid highlighter

See you soon, lovelies!

x

Dear FTC, I bought and paid for these myself and hence I'm entitled to my opinion which, by the way, is completely my own!

The Blog Gets Its Own Email Address - this is getting serious!

2010-05-17T05:42:00.000-07:00

Hey lovelies!

Just want to tell you guys the blog has its own email address now *oooh... aaah....* :P

Feel free to email me all your enquiries at coamua@gmail.com!

And in case you're wondering, that stands for "Confessions Of A MakeUp Addict"! ;)

I've also added it to the "About Me" section on the right hand side of the page!

x

Video: Summer Haul and a bit of a Ramble!

2010-05-15T19:00:00.000-07:00

Hi lovelies! I recorded this sooo long ago... about 8 days ago, and till now Blogger just wouldn't upload videos! But its finally up so yay!

Just showing you guys some summer-related things I got recently... and a bit of a ramble!

See you soon! xxx

Product Rave: Superdrug Eyeshadows

2010-05-14T13:58:00.000-07:00

Hey lovelies! You know how I always say that the only thing more amazing than makeup is inexpensive makeup? Well, Superdrug just proved my point!

Superdrug is a massively popular drugstore chain in Britain and they have just released their own line of makeup called Make Up Academy (MUA). Their line offers eyeshadows, glitter eyeliners, blush, lip gloss, you name it. And the most amazing bit is... EVERY SINGLE THING in their line is priced at ONE POUND EACH!

How unbelievably amazing is that?!

Obviously, I caved and decided to try their eyeshadows. I placed an online order and two days later a little package showed up. Always on the hunt for an excuse to procrastinate while studying, I ripped into it right then and there and had a bit of a play around! So this is what I got...

(don't forget to click on the pictures to see them in all their enlarged glory!)

And now for the individual break down!

Number 6: A shimmery teal, very mermaid kind of colour. Not the best pigmentation of the bunch, but still decent!

Number 11: LOVE this colour, its so me! You know I love my browns and bronzes! A gorgeous shimmery brown with gold flecks running through. Awesome pigmentation.

Shade 12: If there's one thing you MUST buy from this range, its Number 12 eyeshadow. Looks kinda blah in the pan but its actually a warm, reddish-brown with green reflects. A lot of people have compared this to MAC's Club eyeshadow and they are incredibly, incredibly similiar - MACs brown is slightly, ever so slightly more cool toned than this one. An INCREDIBLE colour. Amazing pigmentation. Will suit all skintones.

Number 7: Has for some reason photographed grey! But its a dark, shimmery green! I promise! Very frosty and very good pigmentation too.

Number 18: A bit of a disappointment - this colour looks soooooo gorgeous in the pan. But the pigmentation on this is fairly rubbish... you need to really build layers up to get it looking anything like the colour in the pan. Maybe because its a matte shade?

Number 5: A very pretty, shimmery, grassy green. So bright and wonderful for spring. Specially in keeping with the pastels trend. The pigmentation on this is not the best, but is certainly good enough.

Number 4: Another winner of the bunch. Light shimmery lilac. Such a pretty pastel for spring! Very pigmented too.

Number 20: This was surprisingly good! I never expect much from drugstore black eyeshadows, particularly matte ones. But this is really really good. Solid matte black, excellent pigmentation. Not enough to go everywhere (like Carbon can be sometimes) but just enough to look good.

And some swatches for your viewing pleasure! Without flash, these ones...

And with flash to give you an idea of the shimmery prettiness!

Overall verdict: I definitely recommend these eyeshadows for a number of reasons:

First of all, the range of colours is pretty good.
Secondly, the pricing is just too good to be true.
Third, the packaging is quite decent keeping in mind the price point.
Fourth, the pigmentation on most of these is very, very good - comparable to high end brands.

Its so tempting to think, 'oh but that one isn't good and nor is that one...' but if 2 out of 8 swatch poorly, I think its fine KEEPING THE PRICE IN MIND! And even the poorly pigmented ones can be built up in layers... I reckon the extra effort is worth the bucks you're saving!

Will definitely post some looks using these eyeshadows after the exams... Till then, have you used MUA makeup? What was your experience?

x

FTC: Bought and paid for everything myself! Completely honest review! I ACTUALLY love them!

ATTENTION HATERS!

2010-05-14T13:16:00.001-07:00

Ok, so I'll keep this short and sweet.

Recently, I have been getting some hater comments on my posts and videos so here is my message to all the haters out there! Don't bother, you're wasting your time and energy and I'm certainly not going to stop making videos or posting blogs because I get wayyy more appreciative comments than I do mean ones!

And unfortunately, I'm too thick-skinned to let your lovely words affect me :)

This blog is and will remain a positive space. I will not publish any hater comments. Save your breath ;)

Video: Summery, Beachy Bronze and Coral Look

2010-04-27T16:17:00.000-07:00

Hey lovelies! How are you guys doing? Summer is OFFICIALLY HERE and what better way to kick it off than with a tutorial for a summer look!? This bronze and coral look is super summery, and so easy to do!

By the way, I recorded this video right before leaving Karachi and have been trying to upload it for the past two days but it just wouldnt upload and I couldnt figure out why! So, on a whim, I sat down and re-edited and made it super super concise! And voila! It uploaded! Maybe the 24 minute (previous) length had something to do with it ;)

So now Ive brought it down to about 13ish minutes... excuse the choppy editing though!

Also, the last bit of the video got cut off... I dont know why... :(

In that last bit I explained that upon my return to London I will be buried in books for the next few weeks so please, please bear with me and excuse my absence till the end of exams! And then I will BOMBARD you guys with videos! ;)

Hope you enjoy this one!

PS: I was thinking of recording random ramble vlogs with my laptop webcam every now and then during my breaks just to fill you guys in on whats happening... What do you think!?

Video: Turning Your Day Makeup into Evening Makeup

2010-04-20T01:39:00.000-07:00

Hey lovelies! As promised... here is a follow up to the last video showing you how to take the daytime makeup I showed you into evening makeup!

It takes just ten minutes and a few easy steps and you can turn your naturally pretty daytime look into a glammed-up, dramatic look! So if you're interested in learning how to do that, check out the video below!

Hope you enjoyed that! Remember... eyeliner and mascara are FUNDAMENTALS of a glammy, dramatic, evening makeup look! ;)

Video: 5 Minutes to a Flawless Face Look

2010-04-17T08:23:00.000-07:00

Hey lovelies!

Thought I'd post a video of the 5-minute routine that you guys loved so much... ofcourse it took longer than 5 minutes in the video because I was talking and going a bit slow so you could see what I was doing!

Enjoy... By the way, the next video I upload will show you how to take this very day look and transform it into an evening look using just a few simple steps!

Hope you found that helpful!

Video: My Makeup Collection

2010-04-15T04:52:00.000-07:00

Hey lovelies!

IM SO EXCITED!!! THE FIRST VIDEO FOR THE BLOG!!!

Hahahaha... there's not much more to say; I hope you guys enjoy it and excuse the sniffling (I have allergies at the moment...)!

Hope you enjoyed! Leave comments and feedback please so I know how to improve! And send in your requests for a video tutorial =D

Makeup Trends for Summer 2010

2010-04-11T04:26:00.000-07:00

Hi, lovelies! I hope you're all well and gearing up for Summer!

Apologies for my absence - I've been recuperating at home, thoroughly enjoying my Easter break by doing absolutely nothing after an insanely busy term! Summer is now almost upon us and I've put together a little trend report for you guys, based on what was hot and heavy on the runways!

Pastel Eyes: Pull out your pastels for the summer, baby! This summer the eyes are all about light, cool pastel shades - think baby pink, icy blue, lilac, spring green! No need to get too technical or creative with the looks... a soft wash over the lid is all you need! Its really all about the colours... go as light or bright as you dare!

Turquoise Liner: Another eye look favourited on the runways - turquoise lined eyes! Don't be shy now - we're talking straight-up, piercing, bright TURQUOISE! With this look though, its best to be minimal... let the liner be the focus of the face and keep everything else subtle and soft, as shown below.

Rosy Cheeks: This is probably the easiest trend to follow and will likely be the most popular. Get a flushed, rosy glow on your cheeks by sweeping on some bright pink powder blush or blending a cream blush with your fingers. Keep the blush wayyy high up on the cheekbones though - lower down or on the apples of the cheeks is too old-fashioned!

Extreme Lashes: For the more daring fashionistas amongst you, here's a real bold trend! This summer the eyelashes are going to the extreme...put on some falsies for in-your-face lash power, or even just pull out that clumpy mascara you never use and apply copiously to mimic the false lash effect! Editor's tip: holding the mascara wand vertical instead of horizontal will really help to achieve this thick, clumpy, look-at-my-fierce-lashes look! Put on as many as 3 coats!

A word of advice: when it comes to following trends you must must must rememer two things - less is more and be yourself.

Follow one trend at a time... if you go out with crazy lashes, bright eyeliner, icy blue eyeshadow and bright cheeks you WILL look like a freakshow. I promise. Take my word for it. So take on one trend at a time and wear it well!

Secondly, dont blindly follow and mimic the makeup you see on the runway - runway makeup is meant to be exaggerated, its worn by models and created my leading international makeup artists. Take from the runway looks the essence of the trend and then make it your own... if you cant pull off the pastels, that's fine, either tone it down till it works or opt for another trend which suits your face and personality better. You'll look much better if you're genuinely comfortable and happy with your appearance!

Happy Summer 2010! Stay beautiful!

x

All images courtesy of www.elle.com.

My Holy Grail Foundation: Chanel Vitalumiere

2010-03-09T08:58:00.000-08:00

In the beauty world, Holy Grail (HG) is used to refer to a product that epitomises absolute perfection, everything that you could possibly look for in a product.

Once you find your HG anything (foundation, mascara, concealer, etc etc) you DON'T let it go.

So far, I had only found my HG concealer - the Bobbi Brown corrector in Peach (those of you who have read my "3 makeup things I can't live without" post will know how much I adore it)...

Until... about a month ago while browsing in the House of Fraser cosmetics department on Oxford Street, I decided to pop over to Chanel and try the "Lumiere" range of foundations. Now these include ProLumiere (for the professional look), LiftLumiere (to reduce signs of ageing), MatLumiere (to give a matte finish) and the original - VitaLumiere!

After a quick discussion with the lovely Chanel artist about my skintype, what kind of coverage I'm looking for, etc we decided that VitaLumiere was the way to go. Ten minutes of patch testing later I had found my perfect colour - 20 (also referred to as Clair or Cameo). She applied it all over my face and when I turned to look at the mirror, love happened.

The Vitalumiere had given my face just the right amount of coverage, yet still remaining true to its satin finish. What this translates into in layman's terms is that it evens your skin out wonderfully, and gives it, WAIT FOR IT, that PERFECT ALWAYS-SOUGHT-AFTER GLOWY SKIN look!

Not too matte, not too greasy - just the perfect dewy, my-skin-has-always-been healthy-and-I-drink-8-glasses-of-water-a-day glow! I could go on and on...

Its reasonably priced, too. You get 30mls for around 30 pounds - the same price you pay for Bobbi Brown or MAC foundations and this is more of a high-end brand than those!

I thought I should include a picture of myself wearing it - this is from my birthday last Saturday. I'm so pleased it comes out looking lovely in pictures too. If you can see the glow around my eyebrows, on my nose and the higher points of my cheek, that just shows you what a dewy finish it has. Yet not over-the-top glowy to make me look greasy!

A word to the wise - if you have problem skin or acne, spots, etc, I suggest you try ProLumiere because VitaLumiere won't give you enough coverage. But if, like me, you have mostly decent skin with a few irregularities here and there, you'll love this.

So there you have it - my HG foundation: the Chanel Vitalumiere!

Has it won over the hearts of anyone else out there?

Skincare Reviews: Neutrogena scrub & Loreal moisturiser!

2010-03-07T11:45:00.000-08:00

Hey my fellow makeup addicts!

For me, the discovery of good skincare products is cause for celebration enough to justify a little dance in the middle of my room. I guess that's just because I've tried so many products and been disappointed more often than I'd have liked!

Recently I've been using a new facial scrub and moisturiser that seem to be working out pretty well for me so here's a mini review on each!

Neutrogena Deep Clean Invigorating Foaming Scrub: this is such an awesome product to kick start your day with... it has a really energising, refreshing minty smell that instantly wakens the senses and when using it my skin felt kinda tingly and cool, as though I was lathering mint all over it. I will say that the name puzzles me a bit because this scrub didn't really foam at all... but other than that (and that really wasn't a huge deal for me at all) I'm really impressed.

After using this my skin felt really fresh, alive and super squeaky clean down to every last pore! Yet it didn't feel stripped or dry or tight... it was still soft and supple, just very clean and fresh. I'm totally won over by this scrub!

Loreal Paris Triple Active Day Multi-Protection Moisturiser: Phew... it takes me as long to say the name as it does to use this product! :P This is from the Loreal Dermo-Expertise line, for those of you interested, and the packaging promises protection, hydration and radiance. The main features of the moisturiser are Vitamin E, Ceramide and it's UV filter.

When I first scooped this cream out of the jar, the texture made me think "uh oh, this is going to be thick, greasy and Nivea-like!" but then I applied and blended it into my skin and I was thinking "whoa... what just happened!" because this is a very lightweight moisturiser that sinks quite comfortably into your skin.

Now I will say this: if you live in London or elsewhere with a cold and dry climate, this probably won't work for you unless you really lather it on which will result in going through the jar fairly quickly. But if you live in a warmer, humid climate this is an EXCELLENT moisturiser to invest in.

I know that whenever I'm back home my dilemma is - no moisturiser hence skin dry OR moisturiser but skin greasy in 30 minutes?

Protection - yes! Hydration - certainly! Radiance - not so much...

So have you tried either of these products? Loved it? Hated it? Let us know!

x

IMATS Haul - Reviews, Swatches, Photos

2010-02-25T14:54:00.000-08:00

Hello, makeup addicts! I hope you're all well!

So I've put off doing the IMATS haul post for ages (yes I know!) simply because I decided to give you a review as well... and I need to use things for a certain period of time to be able to give you a not-rubbish review on them ;)

Without further ado... presenting, my IMATS haul!

1) MAKEUP DESIGNORY (MUD): This was my first experience with MUD and I'm very pleased. I got 12 eyeshadows for £25 which is RIDICULOUSLY cheap and they threw in the empty eyeshadow palette for FREE! Now thats a bargain... The eyeshadows themselves (as the swatches show) are beautifully pigmented, shimmery, easy to apply and a pleasure to blend. I highly recommend MUD!

If you look real close, I've written colour names on top of the eyeshadows!

And swatches to back my claims...

Visit http://www.makeupdesignory.com/ for more information - they ship worldwide!

2) OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE COSMETICS (OCC): I also picked up two pigments from OCC randomly, just because I wanted to try out the brand! Im pleased to report that these pigments are AMAZINGLY pigmented - the colours are just incredibly rich and complex (as opposed to a flat gold or a flat white). These cost me £5 a piece which is again incredibly reasonable since you get sooo much product!

Visit http://www.occmakeup.com/ to try these, and try their amazing Lip Tars as well! Im dying to get my hands on those, Ive heard so much about them!

3) ROYAL AND LANGNICKEL: I also picked up a mixing palette for when I use all these pigments wet - so handy! And, believe it or not, £1!

4) NAKED COSMETICS: I'm a bit on the fence about these... 18 of these cost me a whopping £60! Now they apply beautifully when wet, and so-so when dry... is that enough to justify the cost? Im still struggling with that one. The colours are beautiful though, and I doubt I'll ever finish these in one lifetime... (self-consolation? yes? no? maybe?)

Naked Cosmetics pigments come in sets of 6...

5)CROWN BRUSH: This is definitely the stall where I spent the most money and saved the most money! I spent between £60-70 here but if I had bought that many brushes from MAC or Bobbi Brown, I would have ended up spending a good £800-900! I INSIST that everyone visit http://www.crownbrush.co.uk/ immediately! They have such a wide range of products that there's bound to be something that you'll like... their brushes are of incredible quality, soft, good quality handles, no shedding, etc. I dont think I can ever justify buying a MAC brush again!

That's all, folks! As usual, if you have any questions, fire away in the comments below!

FTC disclaimer: I bought all of the above with my own money unless specificed, I'm not associated with any of these brands and this review contains honest, impartial opinions!

Requested: The Basic Makeup Kit

2010-02-15T12:59:00.000-08:00

Hello my lovelies! I hope you're all well, and I hope everyone had a lovely and eventful Valentines day! =) I was requested by a follower of the blog, the lovely Nida, to do a post on a basic makeup kit, something that one could start with and then build up as you become more and more of an addict ;)

So I've compiled a list of the most basic things that I feel should be in everyone's makeup bag. I've mostly used MAC products as examples because I feel that MAC is a universally popular brand but if you want brand specific recommendations or cheaper alternatives for a particular thing, just leave a comment and I'll definitely get back to you!

And, yes, I really do feel that these are things NO woman should be without...

1. Concealer/Corrector: This is one thing that I feel every single person out there can benefit from, it just makes a HUGE difference. Use concealer if your undereye circles aren't too dark, and corrector if they are really severe. If you're using a concealer I would recommend any formulation by MAC. If you're using a corrector, Bobbi Browns correctors are the best thing EVER made.

2. Foundation/Tinted Moisurizer: I would recommend a liquid foundation because it goes on beautifully and gives the skin a glowy look which powder just doesnt do. If your skintone is mostly alright (not many blemishes, uneven colouring, etc) go for a light to medium coverage. Otherwise, use a full coverage foundation. Again, MAC and Bobbi Brown have amazing liquid foundations - you cant go wrong.

3. Powder: I highly recommend getting a pressed or loose powder which you can use to set your concealer and foundation - this is essential to getting your makeup to stay on. MAC's Mineralise Skinfinish Natural is AMAZING (it can also be used alone for a really light foundationy look) otherwise they also do a loose setting powder which goes on translucent. I would personally recommend a pressed powder for beginners because loose powders can be a bit difficult to handle.

4. Eyeshadow: I would say invest in some basic neutrals - blacks, browns, skintone colours, highlight colours... Definitely have a look at some pre-made palettes because you get great value for money and lots of shades in one palette. You will probably find a good neutral palette by most brands! But MUST HAVES are black, dark brown, your skin tone colour and colours a couple of shades darker and lighter than your skintone!

5. Eyeliner: I would say have one basic black or dark brown (try them both out and see which looks better - black is more strong, brown looks subtle) pencil, and one liquid/gel formula as well. Gels are much easier to work with, in my opinion, check out MAC's Fluidlines.

6. Mascara: I would recommend a natural mascara for day wear (MAC Plush Lash) and a more dramatic one for night time (MAC Zoom Lash).

7. Blush: Opt for powder... much more workable. For daytime, have a nice soft baby pink/rose pink (the pink can be cool or warm depending on whether you're cool toned or warm toned). Examples are MAC Blushbaby and MAC Dollymix. For night time, go for something with shimmer, like MAC Springsheen. Cool skinned beauties will find that pinks look better on them, and warm skinned beauties will find that corals and bronzes suit them better!

8. Lip stuff: Have one lip pencil which is the exact same colour of your lips (MAC Spice or Subculture seem to work for South Asian women). As far as lipsticks and lipglosses go, play around! Get your basic pinks and browns ofcourse, but see if you like something else too.

So there you go... but remember, the abovementioned colour and tone recommendations are just rules of thumb and RULES ARE MADE TO BE BROKEN! ;) So while this is a nice bunch of stuff to start your kit off with, you can always experiment with colours and see what works for you!

Check this out to get some ideas for a basic brush kit...

http://sana-ansari.blogspot.com/2009/11/brushes-101.html

Happy belated Valentines, lovelies!

x

IMATS LONDON 2010!

2010-02-02T18:18:00.000-08:00

Hello my lovelies!!!

I was lucky enough to attend the London IMATS 2010 show and I'm so, so excited and happy to share my experience and pictures with you! IMATS is the International Makeup Artist Trade Show which is held annually in 5 cities across the world. Among the makeup fraternity, its just referred to as "the show" which gives you an idea of what a huge deal it is!

IMATS brings together makeup artists, students, lovers, sellers, buyers and everyone in between! There are great makeup brands selling goods at discounted prices, makeup competitions, lectures and seminars by leading makeup artists from the industry and just the chance to meet and talk to people who share the passion!

So rather than bore you with more words, Im going to tell my IMATS story through pictures! Click on a picture to enlarge.

Welcome to IMATS!

It was insanely busy... even at ten in the morning...

The makeup students, hard at work creating their masterpieces for the student competition...

I was lucky enough to meet the famous Koren of EnKore Makeup!

The AMAZING Crown Brush stall...

The extremely pretty (but extremely overpriced) Yaby Cosmetics!

Makeup Forever! Which I sadly wasnt tempted by at all...

I believe this was the Makeup Artist Provisions stall... that's all foundation and concealers!

More Crown Brush goodness...

The Alcone stall!

Naked Cosmetics! Aren't their pigments LUSCIOUS?!

And ofcourse, Illamasqua cosmetics!

Tom Savini!!! THE GOD of special effects and prosthetics makeup!

More Crown Brush... I just couldnt get enough!

Many makeup stalls had live models to demonstrate face and body painting...

The Makeup Museum - I loved this exhibit because it really opened my eyes to how much you can do with makeup. Its not just about the pretty. Infact the pictures below arent about the pretty at all!

I hope you enjoyed this! Im going to be putting up my IMATS Haul post next!

Sneak preview of the haul post: IM BROKE.

Till then, lovelies!

BLOG SALE

2010-01-25T15:37:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the first ever blog sale!

The numbering system is a simple grid one... each pigment will have a number and alphabet corresponding to it, for example the matte black towards the right of the bunch will be C10! As is obvious, there is no G1 or G12 - that row starts at G2 and ends at G11!

I only have one of each of the pigments shown so buying will be on a FIRST COME FIRST SERVED basis. So, for example, the first person to comment saying they want to buy F11 will get it - and subsequent comments for that colour will be useless so dont waste your time ;)

Happy buying, everyone!!!

BTW, you can enlarge the picture by clicking on it to view the colours better! The pigments with the black cross over them are those that have been sold, Ill keep updating the picture as more and more comments are added but it is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to make sure the pigment you want hasnt been bought yet, because I might not be able to edit the picture immediately!

Dont worry if your comments aren't showing up immediately - that's only because comments for this site are moderated and have to be approved by me so it might take some time!

Now get commenting! ;)

Blog Sale: Preliminary Information ONLY

2010-01-25T13:48:00.000-08:00

Hello my lovelies!

As promised, Im putting up the blog sale tonight! Now this post is NOT the blog sale post, this is just a preliminary post to give you all the information you need and just to show you some pictures of the pigments up for sale!

1. To buy a pigment, you have to comment on the post titled "Blog Sale" which I will post AFTER this one, stating the following: your full name, email address, country of residence and which pigment(s) you would like to buy.

2. Instead of putting an individual picture for each pigment, Ive put them all together in one picture and come up with a numbering system. I will explain this numbering system in the "Blog Sale" post. You MUST quote the pigment number in your comment, otherwise I wont know which one you want!

3. For readers in London and Karachi, there is no minimum limit on the number of items you can purchase. For readers anywhere except these two cities, I apologise but you must buy ATLEAST 7 pigments so I can ship to you without incurring extra costs. Feel free to buy more!

4. Each pigment has 5 grams of product which allows 50-75 applications, and all of them are priced at TWO POUNDS EACH/300 RUPEES EACH/3.5 AMERICAN DOLLARS EACH.

5. Last, but certainly not least, I have personally tested these generic brand pigments and can assure you that they are excellent in terms of quality - color-wise and longevity-wise. I will NEVER sell anything to my readers that I would not wear myself. And this is about the cheapest you're going to find pure pigments, so go crazy!!! ;)

Happy buying, and thank you for your support!

Blog Sale Coming up!

2010-01-24T17:20:00.000-08:00

Hey my lovelies!

Im super pleased to announce the first ever Blog Sale! Im going to be putting up nearly 90 pigments for sale, they're priced at only 2 pounds each and you get 5gms of product which allows for 50-75 applications.

Ill post the product pictures Monday night, to purchase a pigment you simply comment on the post (each pigment will have an individual post) stating your full name, email address and which country you're from, and ofcourse that you want to buy it! The first person to comment on each post buys the pigment!

Happy buying!

x

5 Minutes to Flawless? YES, PLEASE!

2010-01-23T11:58:00.000-08:00

Hello, my lovely makeup addicts!

It would be awesome if I had unlimited time every day to put my makeup on but, sadly, thats rarely the case. Most mornings involve me pressing the snooze button till I have half an hour to get to class which gives me just about... 5 minutes for makeup. Just barely.

So I've perfected this little 5 minute routine of mine which Im quite proud of because... well, it only takes 5 minutes, and also because it gives me a Bobbi Brown-type naturally pretty flawless look.

This look is all about flawless, healthy looking skin, naturally flushed cheeks, just a hint of lip color and very subtly defined eyes. And here's a step-by-step on how to achieve that!

1. After washing my face, I gently pat it dry (I dont remove ALL the moisture from my face) and immediately apply a generous amount of my moisturiser.

2. I give the moisturizer literally 10 seconds to settle, and then before it sinks into the skin I apply my foundation. I do this by putting a drop of foundation on my right cheek and then blending it in (using one or two fingers), then I move to my left cheek, then forehead, chin and upper lip and finally the nose. Use gentle, circular motions to blend and really take your time with this. You can use just a little foundation but if its blended well it can look absolutely beautiful!

3. While the foundation is settling into my skin, Ill take a tiny amount of concealer on my ring finger and dab it on the under eye area. Using very gentle, patting motions I blend it under the eye, in the inner and outer eye area and (very lightly) on the lid. Ive learnt from experience that its always best to use a little concealer at first - layering it later does not give a cakey effect, but putting too much on in one go does.

4. After the foundation & concealer is on, I'll apply a cream blush (cream blush always gives a healthier glow) to the apples of my cheeks. Smile - you know the round part that comes up? Thats where you want to apply it for a natural looking flush of colour. I do this with my fingers as well.

5. Then, I take a nice big fluffy powder brush and some loose setting powder and gently set my make up with it. Dont apply to much - believe me, a little goes a long way! When you're done applying, the skin should look a LITTLE mattified, but the dewy, healthy glow should still remain!

6. I then apply a matte bronzer (shimmer is too much for daytime, in my opinion) to my temples, in the hollows of my cheeks and jawline just to add some dimension and warmth to the face.

7. On the eyes, I want very subtle, natural definition so I apply just one coat of mascara, and immediately seperate the lashes using a disposable mascara wand or a lash comb.

8. Finally, I dab some pink/berry colored lip balm on my lips, massage it in well and then remove the excess with a Kleenex. This leaves a nice tint of color on my lips which I then seal in with clear lip balm or Vaseline.

And here's the finished product! (Which pictures dont do justice to, by the way...)

PRODUCTS I USE

Foundation: MAC Studio Sculpt SPF 15 in NW 30
Concealer: Bobbi Brown Tinted Eye Brightener in Medium
Setting Powder: MAC Prep and Prime Transparent Finishing Powder
Bronzer: Nars Bronzer in Heat
Blush: Bobbi Brown Sheer Color Cheek Tint in Sheer Coral (Limited Edition)
Mascara: Bourjois Clubbing Mascara
Lip Balm: Sleek Makeup Pout Polish in Perfect Plum and Vaseline

Whats YOUR 5 minute routine?

FTC disclaimer: I bought and paid for all of the above mentioned products. I havent been paid to mention them nor am I affiliated with any of the above mentioned companies.

Review: Bourjois Clubbing Mascara

2010-01-20T07:51:00.000-08:00

Hey, makeup addicts!

I have to confess - Im an idiot. When I was packing to return to London, I was so frazzled and all over the place (just because things weren't the best at home and I didn't want to leave my family) that I left behind a LOT of stuff I should have brought with me.

Which includes my MAC and Bobbi Brown concealers. Ouch.

And my brand new MAC mascara. Double ouch.

I refuse to buy concealer because I have half of my MAC one left and a whole pot of the Bobbi Brown corrector, so Im just making do with the Bobbi Brown tinted brightener (btw, I have to post about this product, so much to say!) which I did manage to throw in at the last minute.

But I figured I could use the opportunity to try out a drugstore mascara like Ive been meaning to for a while.

Now the popular opinion is that in terms of drugstore makeup, Bourjois is quite solid. So a couple of nights ago, I found myself perusing the Bourjois display in the makeup aisle of my local Superdrug. They have quite a few different mascaras but I always look for a volumising one and hence I picked the Bourjois Volume Clubbing Ultra Black mascara!

Now here's what Bourjois claims about the product: "Double-sided volumising brush with product reservoirs + vinyl formula enriched with intense black mineral pigments. Tested and loved by clubbers".

My verdict: Holy grail material, guys. Seriously. This is priced just under £9 which is about the high end of the average drugstore mascara price spectrum but it PERFORMS. Worth EVERY penny.

It is much, much blacker than other mascaras Ive used and it adds killer volume to my lashes - wait for it - WITHOUT clumping! It clumps just a bit at the roots of my lashes but that actually ends up looking amazing because it gives my lashes a thicker, fuller appearance, sort of like you're wearing eyeliner when you're not.

Last night I applied two coats of this and BAM! It gave me a false-eyelash, doll-eyed effect!

So here's a picture of my eyes with and without Bourjois Clubbing... judge for yourselves!

What do you think? Have any of you found your holy grail mascara yet? Which one is it? Let us know!

x

FTC disclaimer: I bought and paid for this product. Im not affiliated with this company and this is my honest opinion!

3 Makeup Things I Cant Live Without Contest Winner!

2010-01-20T07:36:00.000-08:00

Hello all! I hope you're all doing very well... I've finally resurfaced and started living a normal lifestyle! For the past week Ive been hiding in my room working away at two essays that needed to be submitted within a week of landing in London. Yikes. Its done and dusted but can I just say... I am NOT looking forward to the result.

Moving on to better, happier things! :) Im awfully delayed announcing the winner for this contest but nevertheless, here it is! By random selection... the winner of the '3 makeup things I cant live without' contest is ABEEHA MUSHTAQ!

Congratulations, girl! And thank you so, so much to everyone who entered! I have another fab fab contest coming up, as well as a bit of a blog sale... details will be up in the following post, so look out for that!

Have a lovely Wednesday, everyone! :)

x

Apologies!

2010-01-13T13:16:00.000-08:00

Hello my lovelies!

I hope you've all been very well! Please please accept my apologies for completely falling off the face of the earth all winter long - this was not planned at all! Along with my brothers wedding (which was lovely) there have been some unfortunate events in my family as well (the most serious of which were my mother and grandmother's hospitalisation) and so I had not one second to myself the entire time I was back home!

Im back in London now though and returning to the familiar routine - which will ofcourse include blogging :)

Thank you so much for your understanding and patience!

x

PS: Lather on that moisturizer - this winter is nasty!

The Return of Me! And Some Reviews...

2009-12-23T14:21:00.000-08:00

Hello my lovelies!

So sorry about my mini disappearing act but I arrived at home 2 days ago (hello, yummy home cooked food!) and have been caught up in a whirlwind of wedding preparations since then! However, I have got things (vaguely) under control now so I'm back to posting regularly, hopefully! :)

A couple of weeks ago I purchased 2 products that I've been using pretty regularly and feel comfortable reviewing for you - they're both at the lower end of the price spectrum (hurrah!), one is skin care and one is makeup. Let's start with makeup!

ELF Dual Cream Eyeshadow Duos: These are one and a half pounds each, and available on the ELF website. They come in a range of 9 duos so you have a fantastic range of 18 colours to choose from and I find almost all the shades wearable. However, I tried wearing these as eyeshadow on their own, and they crease and fade in 2 hours! Since I had to justify the purchase (!), I was determined to get some good out of them, so I used them as eyeshadow bases and voila! These work wonderfully as bases underneath your regular powder eyeshadow. They really bring out the colour of your eyeshadow so much more - so, for example, if you layer the dark brown under your brown eyeshadow you would get a much more intense result than if you used a colourless or skintone eyeshadow base.

This is what they look like in the packaging... (packaging feels super cheap and plastic-y but thats ok since it contributes to the low price, I just wish they had atleast put the names of the shades on the back of the containers!)

Here's a shot of all 9 without flash...

And with flash!

And ofcourse, swatches... (without and with flash, respectively)

On to the skin care product! Concealer is one thing I wear religiously and I wish I could say that I'm extremely careful when applying it and I dont tug or pull at the skin around my eye but that would just be an outright lie :( Most of the times I'm in such a hurry that I just slap the stuff on and blend pretty vigorously which, I have noticed of late, is resulting in... *sigh* ...wrinkles and fine lines :(

So I set out to rectify this horrifying, horrifying problem. Number one, I have PROMISED myself that no matter HOW much of a hurry I am in, I will NOT treat the skin around my eyes roughly. Number two, time to invest in an eye cream :D

Garnier Nutritionist Regenerating Eye Cream: this is a drugstore product that cost me about ten pounds. Before I give you my opinion on it, I'll show you what the product claims to do for you..

So in essence, this product is making some pretty tall claims - reducing bags, dark circles and fine lines! I've found that it definitely does make a difference with the bags under your eyes as well as a pleasantly noticeable difference with the fine lines, but sadly it did nothing for my dark circles. To be fair, I dont think I've ever come across a skin care product that did anything for my dark circles! But would I buy this cream just for the fact that it visibly reduces my fine lines?

YES.

The tube looks tiiiiny but I've found that you can use a tiny dot of cream for each eye so I would predict that this will last me about 3-4 months with daily usage.

That's all from me for now, lovelies, but the next post I do will be on my makeup collection; that's a post I hadnt planned on doing myself but so many people have requested it that I decided to go ahead and do it...

Till then!

(Attn FTC! These products were purchased by me using my own money, Im not affiliated with either company nor am I being paid to do these reviews, this is my honest opinion!)

Tutorial: Chocolate Brown Smokey Eye

2009-12-14T16:47:00.001-08:00

Hello my lovelies!!! I hope you're all well and gearing up for the winter break and holiday season... I know I am, Im flying back home at the end of this week for my brother's wedding and I cant wait!

So this morning I worked on the brown smokey eye tutorial... and since the pictures are shot in daylight the colours are kind of faded which Im not appreciating :( In real life it was a lot darker and smokier than what it looks like here...

Anyhoo... lets get started!

1. Start off with a clean, moisturized eye and apply the eyeshadow base of your choice. I used Urban Decay Primer Potion.

2. Using yor finger, apply a cream or gel based eyeshadow product which is a medium to dark brown all over your lid, but dont go above the crease. Ive used one of the Cream Eyeshadow Duos from ELF.

3. Now take a flat, stiff eyeshadow application brush and pick up some matte or shimmery dark brown eyeshadow. Whether its matte or shimmer is completely up to you, Id say if you're wearing this during the day then opt for matte because you dont want to be too over-the-top. But if its for a night look, then definitely go with shimmer because this look is BEAUTIFUL with shimmer shadows. Ive used Handwritten by MAC which is matte.

4. So this is what it should look like...

5. So then you pick up a slightly stiff blending brush or a crease brush (with no eyeshadow on it) and start working it back and forth on the edge of the dark brown shadow. Dont go below that or you'll lose the intensity of your lid colour. You just want to smoke out the edge and get rid of that harsh line.

6. This is what you should have...

7. With the same brush, pick up a softer, lighter brown and place it just on the edge of that line you just blended. So half the brush would be on that smoked out part and the other half would be on the bare space above it. Work your brush back and forth until you've created a nice gradient of colour.

8. It should look something like this...

9. Finally apply a highlight which is close to your skintone with a big fluffy brush. Again, apply the highlighter with a very light hand - too much can look tacky. Use a dark brown eye pencil and line your lower lash line two-thirds of the way in, and inside your waterline as well. Add mascara and you're done!

By the way! I didnt opt for heavy eyeliner or mascara because, again, this was a daytime look for me. Feel free to go as crazy as you like! ;)

And some full face shots...

Hope you enjoyed this! Try it out on yourself - this goes beautifully with all skintones and all eye colours!

3 Makeup Things I Cant Live Without Contest!

2009-12-12T07:09:00.000-08:00

Hello my lovelies...

So I hope you're all well!

I thought I would do a bit of an interactive post this time... and since I need an excuse to do another competition here it is!

So here's how it works... all you have to do is comment on this post and say what your three makeup products that you cannot live without are. You have till the 12th of January, 2010 to do this and on that date a winner will be selected RANDOMLY from all the comments posted! You dont have to be a follower of the blog to enter this contest but I do ask that when commenting you put your full name down or atleast the initial of your surname just so we dont have any issues with common names!

The prize is another ELF Mini Makeup Collection palette complete with eyeshadows, lipglosses, brow powder, blush and more!

And to get the ball rolling... here are my three indispensable makeup products:

1. Bobbi Brown Corrector in Peach

What dark circles!? This makes me look like I havent missed an hour of sleep all my life.

2. MAC Mineralise Skinfinish Natural in Medium Dark

This is perfect to set my concealer and foundation, and sometimes when I want a low coverage look I just use this as foundation itself! Gives the right amount of coverage and a really nice glow!

3. MAC Brow Shader in Maple/Soft Charcoal

Perfect for filling in my brows and making them look decent!

These are 3 products that are part of my every day routine - I could leave the house having used just these and skipping on the blush, lip stuff, etc... so yeah these are probably the 3 things I couldnt live without haha!

Time to share, lovelies! And good luck for the contest!

x

I did it!

2009-12-11T16:41:00.000-08:00

Hey my lovelies! Im SO excited to share this with you... I DID IT!

I GOT ACRYLIC NAILS!

I decided that having presentable-looking hands was far more important to me than entertainment and socialising so Im going to cut back on my personal expenses each month to save up for the refills but I am SO HAPPY now that I have them!

My hands look so nice now! Ive NEVER had nice nails ever in my life!!!

(cant you just tell how excited I am? :P)

So here's what they look like...!

My natural nail bed is just miserably tiny and to top it off my nails are extremely weak and prone to breaking. They never grew evenly. They never looked nice. Period.

This isnt anything over-the-top of fake looking, or atleast I think not. But they just seem so unreal to me... maybe I should have done a before and after... or maybe its better I spared you the pain of looking at my natural nails :P

The entire procedure took about 40 minutes, I got it done professionally at a nail bar near my place, it set me back by about 25 pounds but I left EXTREMELY happy.

Oh, the nail colour is OPI's Mrs O Leary's BarBQ! (dont you just love OPI's crazy names?)

Till then, lovelies!

PS: CANNOT stop looking at them... ;)

Contest Winner!

2009-12-11T11:37:00.000-08:00

The contest for the ELF Mini Makeup Collection ends today and the winner is...
Sherry Mobeen!!!

A HUGE congratulations to Sherry and thanks to everyone who participated! Sherry, you will be contacted shortly for your information and the prize will be despatched to you asap!

PS: There's another contest coming soon - another chance to win another amazing ELF Mini Makeup Collection so keep your eyes peeled!

x

Tutorial: Neutral Day-Wear Look

2009-12-09T03:42:00.000-08:00

Hello my lovelies! Here's the neutral eye tutorial that I know so many of you have been waiting for :)

Just a warning: I dont find the pictures particularly helpful for this one simply because I feel like the colours aren't showing up as much as I'd like them to. Sorry about that! Also, the colours used for this look will vary from person to person depending on your skintone so rather than just naming shades, I've tried to explain what kind of a colour you should be using too! Enjoy ;)

1. Start off with a cleansed, moisturized eye and apply your eyeshadow base all over the lid till the browbone.

2. Taking a big fluffy brush, apply a matte eyeshadow all over your lid that is one or two shades darker than your own skintone, preferably from the reddish-brown family. Im an NC30 in MAC Foundations and I used Soft Brown eyeshadow by MAC.

3. Should end up looking like this... extremely subtle but you can just see a hint of colour.

4. Dust off the same brush you used and and use it again. Pick up a matte eyeshadow that is exactly your skintone or maybe one shade lighter and lightly dust it all over your browbone area. Ive used Malt eyeshadow by MAC.

5. Then take a slightly smaller, stiff blending brush or a crease brush, and pick up some matte dark brown eyeshadow. It should be dark enough to show up on your skintone. If you're dark skinned, use black eyeshadow instead. Ive used Handwritten by MAC.

Just PRESS the tip of the brush into the outer corner of your eye as shown below - so we're just literally depositing the colour there at this stage...

6. So now you have a nice unblended blob of brown on your outer corner... like this....

7. Dust the same brush off, and use it to feather this colour in towards the lid. What does "feathering" mean? It basically means use LIGHT, SHORT brush strokes which start from the brown and move inwards towards your lid. This is a very quick movement so no long strokes. Once youve done this for a bit, you should find that your darker colour has blended into the lid colour. Dont over blend, you dont want to lose the dark brown completely. It should look somewhat like this...

8. Using a dark brown or black gel or liquid eyeliner, apply a VERY thin line to your upper lash line. It should barely show! Ive used Blacktrack Fluidline by MAC.

(pencils can be rather messy and this look is all about subtlety so I wouldnt recommend pencils unless you're super-adept at using them!)

9. And this is your finished look! Its subtle but it really defines your eye. And it shows up more in real life than in these pictures, I promise!

Here's a clear picture! FINALLY!

This is my favorite neutral look... super easy to do and it looks so effortlessly pretty.

Im going to show you the products I used down below...

Malt Eyeshadow...

Soft Brown Eyeshadow...

Handwritten Eyeshadow...

Blacktrack Fluidline...

Big fluffy brush, smaller crease brush and bent eyeliner brush...

I hope you enjoyed this! Dark brown smokey eye coming up this weekend! :)

Short and Sweet...

2009-12-07T19:09:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone!

I did it! I submitted my essay and Im finally free!

Till tomorrow, atleast... because I have another one due on Friday. But today is my day off, I desperately need some R&R.

So this is going to be a short and quick post just to say hello and mention some things. First off, the competition is ending in THREE DAYS! So if you havent entered do so now, and if you have then keep at it! Secondly, did you know Confessions of a Makeup Addict has a Facebook group? I'll post the link below... come join us on Facebook too!

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=184063762899&ref=ts

Tomorrow is going to be all about essay prep all over again but I'm going to do the neutral eye tomorrow night so yay! Ill edit and post tomorrow night as well because so many of you are waiting for this!

A quick preview: its going to be a dead simple look, something you can do really quick in the morning when getting ready for school or university or work, extremely wearable and something that everyone (regardless of skin tone and the shape of your eye) can pull off!

Till tomorrow, lovelies!

x

I'm excited about Aussie...

2009-12-05T14:43:00.000-08:00

Hello my lovelies! I hope you're all doing well... I am bang in the middle of a huge assignment that's due on Monday and I feel like im making no headway. NOT a good feeling.

Anyhoo, I was taking my break and I thought I'd share with you something that I picked up at my local supermarket today. Its not a makeup product - its hair care!

Till now Ive been a loyal John Frieda Brilliant Brunette fan but I noticed that in the past couple of months it wasn't really giving my hair that extra oomph anymore. Sure enough, it makes my hair super soft, moisturized and it actually does enhance the browns in my hair! But just... you know... the OOMPH...

And now that Im almost at the end of my current Brilliant Brunette, I thought I'd try something new. Aussie is a brand that has intrigued me for a while now but I just never got around to trying it... Ive definitely heard good things about it in the past... So when I saw it on offer (any 2 bottles for £5) I spontaneously picked up the Aussome Volume Shampoo and Conditioner!

Im going to try it out tonight so Im excited about this! I hope it works out well... but Id love to hear if any of you have had Aussie experiences... let me know!

Also, Im consideringgg getting *dramatic pause* acrylic nails!!! My nail bed is so small that Ive realised my nails will never grow to a nice length but Im just a bit hesistant because of the price factor. Apparently you have to get refills done every two weeks and they cost £15 every time - OUCH. But I really need to figure something out before end December because I want to have nice nails at my brothers wedding!

Help! Recommend! Suggest! Whatever!

Tutorial: Black Smokey Eye

2009-12-03T17:20:00.000-08:00

Hello my lovelies!

So I hope you're all having a lovely week so far. As promised, Ive prepared a step by step tutorial for a black smokey eye. Please excuse the fact that I have mascara on right from the beginning (instead of applying it right at the end, as it should be!) but I did this tutorial immediately after coming back from class... I already had mascara on... And I thought I'd just go with it...

So enjoy yourselves and leave comments, tell me what you thought and how you think I can improve before the next tutorial!

1. Start off with a clean, moisturised eye. Apply an eyeshadow base all over your eyelid and up to the browbone using your finger. You can use Urban Decay Primer Potion, Benefit FYI, Too Faced Shadow Insurance or any of MAC's paint pots or paints in a colour that resembles your skin tone.

2. Apply a coloured base for your look. This will help to really enhance the colours of the overall look. Since this is a black smokey eye, I chose to apply a black base all over my eyelid (NOT going past the crease). This is MAC's shadestick in Sharkskin but you can use any cream or gel based product. It doesnt have to be perfect or even neat as this will all get covered up!

3. Take a stiff, flat eyeshadow brush, pack on some matte or shimmery (depending on your preference, Ive used a bit of both) black eyeshadow and PAT the brush gently all over the black base. Don't drag the brush across the lid, just pat it gently. Youre packing the eyeshadow on, not sweeping it across.

4. This is what you should end up with... apply little and keep adding more if need be. Its easier to add than it is to take it off!

5. Take a fluffy, fairly stiff blending brush and sweep it back and forth in your crease, exactly on that harsh black line. We're going to blend that line out till we can't see it... keep going back and forth in a windshield wiper motion till you're satisfied that the line is completely blended.

6. This is what it should look like once you're done blending...

7. Pick up a dark grey eyeshadow with the same blending brush and sweep it across the area where you just blended out the harsh line in the same windshield wiper motion. This will create a gradient of colour... and the black will appear to be fading into grey...

8. Once you've applied and blended the dark grey, take a clean blending brush and a white or silvery highlight colour and sweep it across your browbone. Dont tap as you did earlier, that will make the highlight too intense which can look tacky. Take a flexible fluffy blending brush and just gently swish it across the browbone - the highlight should show but in a subtle, beautiful way. Something like this...

9. Take a small eyeshadow brush or a smudger brush, pick up some black eyeshadow and very carefully pat it on on your lower lash line. Again, go light and then build up as much as you like... In the next picture I have a very faint shade of black on my lower lashline but then I darkened it up... Dont go all the way in on your lower lashline. Stop where your lashes stop.

10. Now, Ive lined my inner lower waterline with black kohl pencil (MAC's Black Russian) and intensified the smudged black line on my lower lash line. Ive already got mascara on but this is the point at which you will apply your mascara. Two coats ATLEAST!

And this is your completed look - a dramatic black smokey eye!

I hope you enjoyed this - Im waiting on pins and needles to hear some feedback! ;)

God bless Sleek Makeup!

2009-12-01T16:54:00.000-08:00

Don't you just LOVE it when cheap makeup turns out to be so fabulous it leaves you stunned?

I do.

Which is why I'm over the moon about Sleek Makeup! I stopped by at my local Superdrug after lectures yesterday for some retail therapy and found myself at the Sleek makeup counter. After playing around with a lot of products I decided to purchase (completely on a whim) a tinted lip conditioner (one of four colours), a lipstick and a blush.

I was going to post about those yesterday but when I played around with them and discovered how amazing the tinted lip conditioner was, I knew I had to go back and get the other three colours as well. So here are some initial thoughts on the complete line of tinted lip conditioners, a lipstick and a blush from Sleek Makeup!

Sleek's tinted lip conditioners are called "Pout Polish" and they have SPF 15 which is a big plus, ofcourse! Check out the super cute packaging...

So here are the four colours... in the top row we have Chocolate Kiss 948 and Pink Cadillac 947 and in the bottom row we have Electro Peach 946 and Perfect Plum 949. This is what they look like with flash...

And this is what they look like without flash....

Plum Perfect: this is by far the most pigmented of the four! It's a deep plummy-wine red shade and if you really layer this on it gives the coverage of a liquid lipstick, not a lip conditioner! The gloss wear time on all of these is about 4-5 hours, but after the gloss wore away on this one it left my lips with the prettiest tint of red! Very wearable!

Check out how pigmented it is!

Chocolate Kiss: in the jar this looks EXACTLY the same shade as Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate, I swear! Made me hungry! But it goes on much much sheerer, I would say this is the least pigmented of the lot and it just very lightly tints your lips with a caramel colour... this will come off very pretty if your lips aren't very pigmented (like mine) but if your lips are pigmented themselves I imagine this would probably just show up clear.

The swatch really shows you how sheer it is!

Pink Cadillac: for some reason this has photographed far more orange than it is... in the jar this looks about as hot pink as hot pink can get! It looks pretty scary but it goes on slightly sheerer which just serves to make it a very pretty, raspberryish pink on the lips. Im sure this would look amazing on very light skintones.

The swatch shows the real colour... this is SUCH a pretty shade of pink...

Electro Peach: this is another one that I was really scared to try because in the jar it is just a bright, unbelievably orangey-coral colour! Thankfully though, and Im not quite sure how, but it translates into a soft, wearable coral on the lips - I really, really like this one and I can see myself wearing this a lot.

See! Even the swatch looks scarily orange! I dont know HOW it manages to look so good on the lips...

So to sum up, the Pout Polishes are incredibly creamy and smooth to apply, they are long wearing (4-5 hours is pretty good for a lip balm, I reckon) and the colour selection is small but Im sure you'll find atleast ONE to suit you! Don't let these scare you off though - they're a lot more wearable than they look in the jar! Just over 3 pounds each.

Flamingo Blush: this blush caught my attention simply because it looks like an EXACT dupe of French Pink Blush by Bobbi Brown which is the most gorgeous, vivid shade of bright pink that gives ALL skintones a pretty, naturally flushed look. Im all for finding cheap dupes of bigger brands of makeup so I picked this up and, boy, am I glad I did. The only thing Im going to say is that in terms of colour, pigmentation, blendability and wear time, it is the EXACT SAME THING at a FRACTION of the price. I would really recommend this blush to everyone out there because its suits every single skin tone... use a light hand though because its pretty bright!

The outer packaging... I love Sleek packaging... Its so cute...

And the product itself... haha you can see my camera in the mirror :)

Majestic Lipstick: this is part of Sleek's True Colour lipstick range and can I just say this range is VERY aptly named. Honest to God, you get the exact same colour on your lips as you see in the tube... which, by the way, is very rare, EVEN with MAC and Bobbi Brown. And Im talking about a single coat, not layers upon layers.

Majestic itself is a really, really, really dark PURPLE. I KNOW. Ive never worn purple lipstick in my life but I figured if its costing me about three pounds it wouldn't hurt to try. This is a red-based purple though, not a blue-based purple so Im happy to report that it didnt look half bad on me! I was afraid it would make me look jaundiced but it really didnt... it goes on intensely pigmented with a light glaze finish. Wear time is about 5-6 hours without eating or drinking. LOVE. Love love love. Autumn-Winter, here I come!

The product photo and swatch are so useless, I dont even know why Ive posted them because its coming out maroon!!! What's up with that?! Sigh.

Bottom line: I love Sleek. I am a die hard fan now. And I urge you all to cross over to the dark side as well. Its not every day you find amazing stuff which is cheap and easily available.

http://www.sleekmakeup.com

What. Where. Why. How.

2009-11-29T18:25:00.000-08:00

Hello my lovelies!

This is not some retarded makeup look that I chose to share with you - it's the what, where, why and how of eyeshadow placement. Using different colours I've created an eye diagram to show what goes where, why this is and how it should happen.

So here's a picture of my eye... excuse the unruly, un-filled in brows! And that little black dot on my lashes... that was a rather big clump of powder which somehow got stuck there. You dont need to see that. Trust me ;)

Below the picture is a colour key explaining what each of the colours represents... Enjoy!

Black: this is the inner one-third of your eyelid. Usually, you would apply the lightest colour to this portion using an eyeshadow application brush.

Red: this is the middle-third of your eyelid. Here is where you place the medium colour, again using your eyeshadow application brush.

Grey: this is the outer third of your eyelid. You should apply the darkest colour to this part, using an eyeshadow application brush. This part is normally blended out using a blending brush. Note: the green lines are overlaying the grey - so the grey area is present underneath them as well, you just cant see it.

Green: this is your outer V! And its called this because it looks like a sideways V. If you were to apply one shade all over your eyelid, you can amp up the look by applying a darker colour just in your outer V and blending it for a softly smokey look with added dimension.

Blue: this is where your crease would be when you open your eye. A really easy way of adding depth to your eye or a little bit of drama to your look is to add a darker colour in your crease and blend out really well using a blending brush! But remember, no visible lines!

Purple: this is the above-crease area. On this portion, your crease colour starts softly fading away and becoming lighter and lighter till it meets your...

Yellow: Highlighted portion! This is your browbone, where you will place your highlighter and what brush you use depends on what kind of effect you want - if you want a really obvious highlight, pack it on with an application brush, if you want a subtle effect softly swish it on with a blending brush!

This eyeshadow placement technique (lightest in the inner corner and getting darker as it goes out) is just one of MANY more! But its the most popular and that is why I chose to use it. There are so many other ways to do it... starting with the darkest colour at your lash line and and then softly fading away into the lightest shade on your browbone, etc etc.

I hope this helped a little bit! Let me know what you thought by leaving a comment below - it feels really good to hear from you and get some feedback on how you think the blog is getting on :)

Brushes 101

2009-11-29T16:59:00.001-08:00

A lot of you have asked me to do a post on brushes and here it is!

Before I get started, I just want to clarify that the brushes shown in these pictures are my own and they are from various brands. I haven't stated the brands or the brush numbers on purpose because I dont want you to think that THIS exact brush is the one I'm saying you should have - these images are just to give you an idea, you can buy something similiar from where ever you please!

I'd be more than happy to make brand specific recommendations so if you want something in particular, leave a comment below and I'll get back to you!

Face Brushes

The one face brush that I feel no woman should be without is the basic, fluffy, rounded face brush. Depending on the size of your face, you can get a medium or large sized one. This brush is a major multi-tasker so you can use it to apply all manners of powders - loose and pressed. That covers foundation, setting powder, bronzer, highlighter, blush (if used carefully!) and mineral powders as well. Make sure to choose a nice fluffy one that has a rounded edge - that way you'll have no harsh, unblended lines on your face!

And ofcourse, it must be super super soft - you want to powder your face, not exfoliate it! Generally, brushes with natural hair are very soft, but some synethetic brushes can be surprisingly soft as well.

This is a typical rounded face brush...

This is a similiar one, just as fluffy but slightly flatter - thats ok, too. This has a slightly more tapered finish to it, which can be helpful in powdering the nose, jawline, around your eyes, etc.

For liquid/cream primer, foundation, highlighter or blush, you'll need a brush with synthetic bristles - natural hair brushes tend to just get very clumpy and yucky with liquid/cream products! Featured below is a typical flat synthetic bristled brush - look for one with a rounded edge like this one. These tend to give a nice sheer finish as well. Poorer quality synthetic brushes often leave streaks on the face, as a result of the bristles clumping together. To avoid this, get as soft and dense a brush as possible.

Blush is possibly one of the hardest makeup products to apply - it takes ages to perfect the technique of applying blush at just the right spot but when you do, it makes ALL the difference. I'm talking about taking ten years off your face right there. Ofcourse, to do this properly you'll need a good blush brush.

Blush brushes are generally of two types - rounded like this one...

Or angled like this one...

It's not the case that one is better than the other - honestly, it is just a matter of personal preference. I've asked so many makeup artists and this was the response I always got. Personally, I like using the angled blush brush better just because I feel it sits more comfortably on my cheekbone. Regardless of which one you use, you want to make sure its reasonbly dense and very soft. It should be stiff, but not too much - if its too flexible you'll end up with blush all over your face, if it's too stiff you'll end up with a harsh line of pink which will take you FOREVER to blend out.

(Btw, you can also use your blush brushes for bronzer, highlighter, contouring - get creative!)

The last in the series of face brushes is the concealer brush! Because concealers/correctors are either liquid or cream finish, its most advisable to use synthetic fibre brushes. You can use either a round-ended concealer brush or a square-ended concealer brush - both are shown below. These can cover up dark circles, redness around the nose, darkness around the mouth and any zits or pimples that need to be banished!

Eye Brushes

The most basic eye brush is the eyeshadow application brush; like the one in the picture below, this should be a FLAT, very densely packed brush. This is because you will use this brush to APPLY the eyeshadow, not to blend it. A flat, dense brush will pick up lots of colour without losing any in the bristles (as cheaper brushes often do) and deposit it right on the lid without any fall-out. I would highly recommend that you get a natural hair eyeshadow brush, they are just far more superior than synthetic ones. Here's what it should look like...

And ofcourse once you've got the eyeshadow on you'll need to blend! Hence, a blending brush! Now this brush should be the opposite of the eyeshadow application brush - longer bristles (to allow for more flexibility of movement), not as densely packed bristles and a rounded, fluffy appearance. The softer and fluffier the brush, the easier it will be to blend colors into each other, into the crease, whatever you need. Pictured below is a very good example of what a blending brush should look like...

No - this isn't an eyeshadow application brush again! But it is a mini version of it! I like calling this the Smudger Brush because thats exactly what I use it for - sometimes if I apply eyeshadow on my lower lash line, I use this to blend it out. If I'm doing a very complicated look with many colors and I cant use a huge blending brush, I use this one for more precision-blending. Use it to blend powders, pencils, kohls, whatever! VERY HANDY!

I'm in love with this next brush. This is an angled eyeliner brush and it makes eyelining SO easy. I use it with my gel eyeliner and I get a perfect line everytime! Because its angled, it gives you really good control over the movement - ofcourse you can use a flat ended version of this too but I just prefer this so much more. Its completely flat and very tightly packed with bristles, extremely stiff too. Oh and I use this with my eyebrow powder too!

This is the same rounded concealer brush as the one featured above - again its a great multi tasker so you can use it for concealer, primer, cream eyeshadow, what-have-you.

This is a brow and lash comb. Again, another brush that is ESSENTIAL, in my view. I would never spend more than two pounds on this brush - just get it from the drugstore! Use the sythetic bristles to comb out your eyebrows and keep them look well-groomed and the plastic side to seperate your lashes post-mascara! Because lets face it, any mascara that adds a decent amount of volume and thickness to your lashes WILL clump - I've just resigned myself to seperating right after!

Brush Care

Occasionally, you will find the odd inexpensive brand of makeup brushes that will leave your heart filled with endless joy. But for the most part, good makeup brushes can be quite expensive. So think of them as an investment - because they are. Good quality makeup brushes, if properly cared for, can last for up to TEN YEARS. Here's how...

1. Spot clean your brushes after EVERY use. What's spot cleaning? Grab a cotton pad, throw some brush cleaner on it, work your brush back and forth on it (repeat if necessary) till your brush is clean and then reshape the brush and lay it flat to dry.

2. Dont lay your brushes flat to dry on a towel or cloth, that's going to leave them with a funny smell. I usually lay them carefully at the edge of a table so that just the bristles are off the edge.

3. Once a week, deep clean your brushes. Take them all to your bathroom sink, put a pea sized amount of your REGULAR SHAMPOO in the palm of your hand, wet the bristles of the brush by running them under tap water and work it in circles in the shampoo till all the gunk is out. Rinse well. Squeeze out extra water. Reshape. Lay flat to dry.

4. When running your brush under water, ALWAYS hold it so that the bristles are facing down... this way you wont get water inside the wooden area of the brush which can loosen the glue which holds the bristles together and completely wreck the brush.

5. Some people prefer using baby shampoo for deep cleaning because it keeps the brushes softer - I just use my regular shampoo because... I couldn't be bothered, I guess? And my brushes seem fine. So its all good. Just dont use anything to wash your brushes that you wouldnt use on your own hair!

I'm more than happy to answer any questions you have - just leave a comment below!

Short Update

2009-11-28T17:53:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone!

I hope you're all having a lovely weekend and I hope your Eid and Thanksgiving went wonderfully well!

I've been having a bit of a blah weekend... it's never fun being away from home on Eid but I did get to see some extended family today which was nice. But I miss home the most on Eid. And its been raining ALL day. Literally.

Moving on... I'm not going to be posting anything substantial today because I've ordered my camera (so looking forward to that!) and I'll be picking it up in store tomorrow so I'll be back to posting then...

...and tomorrow's post is going to be all about brushes. Which ones you need, which ones you absolutely dont need, which brands are good for brushes, how to look after your brushes, all that good stuff. So stay tuned.

Till then, enjoy the rest of the weekend!

x

And Finally... The Contest!

2009-11-26T19:20:00.001-08:00

*EDITED ON 11/12/2009 - THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED*

Allow me to introduce my first ever blog contest!!! YAY!!!

Im really really excited about this (as if you couldn't tell...) and Im just going to get right into it and tell you all about the rules and the prize and everything!

The rules: To qualify as the winner, you must introduce the highest number of new followers to the blog! Its that simple! Whoever you introduce must 'follow' the blog and once they have become a follower THEY must comment on THIS post and leave their own full name and the full name of the person who referred them, so for example, "my name is ABC and I was referred by XYZ".

The time limit: This contest is active from the 27th of November, 2009 till the 11th of December, 2009 - 2 weeks only!

And finally... drumroll please...

The prize: A fabulous 27-piece Mini Makeup Collection Kit from ELF Cosmetics worth £15!

This awesome all-in-one compact has 9 powder eyeshadows, 1 cream eyeshadow, 1 blush, 1 bronzer, 10 lipgloss shades, 1 brow powder, 1 eyeliner pencil, 1 dual ended eyeshadow applicator, 1 face brush and 1 precision lip brush!

Feast your eyes on this, ladies...

Isn't it absolutely gorgeous? It looks even prettier in person! And it literally has everything you would need for a complete look so whether you're going travelling or you have a long day out of the house all you need to do is toss this in your bag - its light, compact and stylish!

Here's another picture for your viewing pleasure...

One of you is going to be the lucky winner so get crackin' and tell all the ladies you know (and the men you think might be interested!) about Confessions of a Makeup Addict! ;)

Good luck to everyone!

x

Stop The Press!

2009-11-26T19:11:00.000-08:00

I JUST received this email from ELF Cosmetics right as I posted the ELF update!

Today, 27th November 2009, is ELF Cosmetics' second birthday!

And as a birthday treat they're giving FREE SHIPPING on all orders over 5 pounds* as well as a FREE SUPER GLOSSY LIP SHINE** with ever order placed! This offer is just for the 27th of November, 2009 so hurry and get yourselves over to www.elfcosmetics.co.uk!

AND A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ELF COSMETICS! :)

x

*5 pounds excludes shipping. EU code is 2TODAYEU and UK code is 2TODAYUK. One code per order.
**Random Super Glossy shade automatically added to every order.

ELF Update!

2009-11-26T17:57:00.000-08:00

Hello my lovelies!

I hope you're having a good week... mine's been a bit of a dragger because I'm meant to be working on my essays but I've been procrastinating and hence feeling very guilty. Sigh.

I've got two pieces of good news to share but before I get started I just want to extend an extremely heartfelt and HUGE thank you for all the support and encouragement you've been giving me about the blog!

This blog means so much to me in my own little way and I'm honoured and humbled that you've reacted so positively towards it.

Every time I read a lovely comment from someone it just pushes me to try and make it even better for you! So THANK YOU EVERYONE! :)

So the first piece of good news is that today I properly properly tried out some of the ELF products and when I say I tried them properly I mean I gave them the 'how does it last through the day' test.

I used the Corrective Concealer palette and mixed the nude and beige colours to conceal my under-eye circles - it worked beautifully and it lasted right till night time!

I also used the Warm Bronzer and again, it just gives me the most natural glow EVER. And unlike many high end brands I've tried this bronzer stayed put all day.

So I'm reassured that I made a good investment! :)

The second piece of good news is huge! And I feel it deserves its own post! So go check out the next one! ;)

x

Coming Soon!

2009-11-25T17:26:00.000-08:00

I'm planning on having a blog contest really soon!

I haven't decided the details yet but it will be something really simple, I promise and the winner is going to get...

*drumroll please!*

...a fantastic ELF Cosmetics product worth 15 pounds!

Stay tuned for more details!

x

Eyes.Lips.Face.

2009-11-25T13:19:00.000-08:00

Hello my lovelies!

So as I mentioned in my very excited post from this morning, my ELF Cosmetics package arrived today! I had been so excited about getting my ELF products because I've heard such good things about them - mainly that you get really good products at ridiculously low prices.

First, a little bit about ELF Cosmetics. ELF stands for Eyes Lips Face and it is a cosmetics line that aims to provide quality makeup for the average consumer who isn't looking to shell out the big bucks. And thats exactly what they do. Unlike other brands at the lower end of the price spectrum, they have a SPECTACULAR range of products. They also have a line called the ELF Studio line which consists of products for professional use - but I think these are so lovely and so affordable that everyone can use them.

Ive been playing with these all day and now you get to share the joy - pictures, swatches, reviews... the full deal!

So this is what the stuff looked like in the box... Yay! :)

And this is the complete haul all laid out nicely on my desk....

I love the packaging. Specially the shiny embossed image on it featuring the product inside.

Right, lets get to the individual product breakdown! This first item here is the ELF Cosmetics Warm Bronzer (from the Studio line, £3.50). As you can see the palette is divided into four colours - a light nude beige, a pinky nude colour, a gold-brown and a true bronze (btw, that line is a shadow on the upper half of the palette, sorry about that!)

This bronzer is so, so lovely... its so soft and finely milled and it goes on really sheer but in a GOOD way. It gives my skin the perfect natural-tan effect. Yum. Obviously, you can apply each colour seperately but I like to use a big fluffy brush and swirl it around in all the colours to get a little bit of each :)

Here's a closer at the Warm Bronzer... Can you see that lovely shimmer? Its absolutely gorgeous!

And here are some swatches...

This next product is just SO EXCITING! This is the ELF Eye Transformer (from the Studio line, £3.50) and it is basically a palette consisting of four shades of opalescent eyeshadows - green, gold, pink and lilac. These can be worn under, over or blended in with any darker eyeshadow and the result is a beautiful, completely unique new color! I tried layering the lilac over Carbon from MAC (a matte black) and the end results were so pretty! I am in LOVE with the concept of this product. Big big thumbs up.

Here, you can really see the colours of the transformers (?!)...

And here are some swatches! You cant really make out the colours here...

Next up: the ELF Corrective Concealer palette (from the Studio line, £3.50). This little beauty gives you four corrector colours in one palette at a FRACTION of the price other high end brands do.

I'd been so reluctant to invest in a corrector concealer palette because they're usually so expensive but I knew I had to have this as soon as I saw it! These concealers are really creamy and easy to apply, they go on slightly sheer so I did have to build it up but they definitely do the job!

Here are some swatches... a nude, a beige, a green and a pink! Anyone fancy a post on colour correcting and colour theory soon? Leave a comment down below if you do!

This here is the ELF Complexion Perfection palette (from the Studio line, £3.50) and its meant to balance your complexion out, create a radiant effect on the skin and absorb excess oils.

I was pretty sceptical about this product because, to be honest, I wasnt expecting much at £3.50 but it works. It really does even out the skin tone but I felt like it overdried my skin to a certain extent. As in, I could see a slightly powdery finish on my face which I then had to sort out by spritzing on MAC Fix+. That might be because (thanks to winter) my skin is a little drier than usual nowadays. Sigh.

I havent swatched the Complexion Perfection because there would be no point - its meant to go on colourless and hence it doesnt show up in a swatch, or atleast it barely does!

This pencil is the Lip Definer and Shaper (from the Studio line, £3.50) and before anything else, I love that it comes with a sharpener built into the lid - how handy! This pencil is dual ended - one side (dark brown) is meant to be used a lipliner to define your lips and the other side (shimmery champagne) is meant to be used in the cupids bow and just outside your lips EVER SO LIGHTLY to shape them, creating a fuller effect.

Perhaps I should do a tutorial on that... yes, no, maybe?

The Define side...

and the Shape side...

This is the most expensive item on my list - and it cost £5! This is the ELF Small Makeup Brush Holder... I love the sleek matte black finish. So chic and yet so functional.

The brushes in there are mine... they didn't come with the Holder (haha, I wish!).

I also bought the ELF Daily Brush Cleaner - it comes in a HUGE bottle (250ml!) and it only costs £3.50!!!

I have a mixed opinion about this product... I really like the fact that it works brilliantly for spot cleaning (cleaning brushes quickly; it takes about a minute for brushes to dry using it) but Im finding it difficult to get used to the fragrance. Its a really, really sweet overpowering smell and I'd much rather that it was fragrance-free (ELF Cosmetics... if you're listening please make this a fragrance-free product!).

This is the ELF Dual Pencil Sharpener (£1.50) - its the big one on the right that you can use with regular pencils and thicker pencils as well. And the one on the left is free! :) Works perfectly!

ELF Shine Eraser is a pack of 50 blotting sheets (£1.50) absorbs excess oils on the skin, mattifies the skin and minimises the appearances of pores. Ive only used it once so I cant comment on the minimising pores bit, but it definitely cuts down the shine!

Wow. This has been a long post.

All in all, I'm really impressed with ELF Cosmetics. The shipping was SUPER fast (got my stuff in 2 days!) and everything got here in perfect condition. And for the price I paid I am really, really happy with their products :)

Head over to www.elfcosmetics.co.uk to check it out for yourself :)

Coming Soon!

2009-11-25T07:32:00.000-08:00

I'm super, super excited.

My ELF Cosmetics order just arrived. Everything is so lovely!

I cant wait to write all about it and show you everything but I need to get my hands on a camera first.

Speaking of which, Im looking to buy a good digital camera - any recommendations? I'll need something hi-res so that product photos and swatches really show up in all their glory...

Till soon!

x

Yay!

2009-11-24T17:15:00.001-08:00

I think I'm finally getting the hang of this formatting business! :)

Lip Stuff...

2009-11-24T15:39:00.000-08:00

...that I'm really liking at the moment. With the usual MAC stuff (brand loyalty, anyone?) and one other product that really, really surprised me. In a good way.

MAC DAZZLEGLASSES: In the picture below are (from left to right) Stop! Look!, Phiff and Love Alert. For those who are unfamiliar with dazzleglasses, these are a super-sticky, glittery, sheerer version of the regular MAC glosses. They really are very sticky, and this may be a put off for some people but I don't mind too much because the stickier the lip product, the longer it stays on! They have the most beautiful tiny flecks of glitter in them which somehow doesn't look too over-the-top when worn on the lips. One thing though, the colour you see in the bottle is definitely NOT what you get on the lips. These go on super, super sheer - Love Alert, for example, can look pretty intimidating in the bottle but it goes on as a medium strawberryish tint. That might just be a good thing though... glitter + strong pigmentation = a bit too much maybe?

Next up are two lipsticks - a high end brand and a drugstore discovery. And I adore them both equally. On the left is Darling by GOSH Cosmetics - it comes ridiculously close to being the most perfect nude lipstick ever. Considering that I bought this for under 5 quid, I didn't expect much but I was completely blown away by this product. The colour is the perfect combination of a fleshy pink and a true beige and the formulation is WOW. It goes on super smooth and creamy and lasts for upto 5-6 hours. The only drawback is that if you put too many coats on straight from the tube (as I often tend to do!) you can end up looking a little deathly pale. The key is to apply very little product, either with a lip brush or straight from the tube but with a very light hand. On the whole, five stars for GOSH Darling!

Next to GOSH Darling is Dark Side, a limited edition product from MAC. I cant remember for the life of me which collection this was from... I THINK it was the Marilyn Minter collection but I'm probably wrong. This is the colour that you wear when you want to make the following statement...

Autumn. Has. Arrived. With a bang.

Dark, vampy, berry shades of lip products were all over the Fall/Winter 09-10 catwalks and it's clear that MAC is paying ode to the hottest colour of the season. This one is definitely not for the faint-hearted... as the swatches show it is very strongly pigmented and what you see in the tube is exactly what you get on the lips. This is an Amplified formula which means its really glossy and call me crazy but it does give my lips a slightly fuller look (which the Amplified formula is supposed to do). Another really nice product!

(Im just not sure when Im going to stop wearing it as a tint and build up the courage to wear it as a full-on lipstick!!!)

And here are some swatches for your viewing pleasure...

Without flash... (Darling BARELY shows up - its that very, very, very light pink patch on the left!)

And with flash!

It's been such a long day, London weather is being HORRID and I am exhausted. This was my unwind session. I'm so tempted to just get into bed now but no... must. complete. essays.

Sigh.

Hope you had a lovely Tuesday, and thanks for reading!

Know When to Say Goodbye!

2009-11-22T19:26:00.000-08:00

It's sad but true - despite how much you've invested in it (and how little it's been used!), that bottle of Chanel Mat Lumiere foundation has to go when it reaches its expiry date!

It happens to everyone... You buy something, play around with it for a few days and then soon enough it finds its way to the back of your makeup drawer where it lays unnoticed for ages, hardly used. But makeup that is past its expiry date can be really harmful for your skin, so it honestly is better to toss it!

I've compiled a list of (most) commonly used makeup products and how long you can keep them before its time to say goodbye. And its pretty useful to keep track of when you've purchased things so you know when to toss them - in a diary, on your computer, little labels on the products themselves, whatever floats your boat!

LIQUID AND CREAM FOUNDATIONS - 2 YEARS
CONCEALERS AND CORRECTORS - 2 YEARS
POWDERS - 2 YEARS
MASCARA - 6 MONTHS
LIPSTICK - 12 TO 18 MONTHS
LIP AND EYE PENCILS - 12 TO 18 MONTHS
EYESHADOW - 2 YEARS
POWDER BLUSH - 2 YEARS
CREAM BLUSH - 2 YEARS
MOISTURISER - 2 YEARS
EYE CREAM - 6 MONTHS
SUNSCREEN - 2 YEARS
FACE CREAM - 2 YEARS

Stay safe!

x

Shadesticks 101

2009-11-22T18:46:00.000-08:00

As promised, this is a short post on how to get the most out of your shadesticks.

If you have oily skin, I imagine shadesticks might be really easy to apply, but for people with normal or dry skin, they can be quite difficult to put on straight from the stick. They tend to pull a lot on the skin around the eyes which can lead to premature wrinkling - no, thank you! So here's a couple of ways that you can use your shadesticks and still (hopefully!) keep those wrinkles at bay...

1. You can roll the shadestick between your palms or hold it close to a lightbulb for about 30 seconds before using it just to warm the product up a bit - this will make it go on much more smoothly (and no, it's not harmful for the shadestick).

2. Or, you can just apply the shadestick to the base of your index finger, get a decent amount of product on there and then apply it to your lid using your finger - hence controlling the pressure you apply to your delicate lid area.

Hope this helps!

Recent MAC Haul!

2009-11-22T16:03:00.000-08:00

So I went to the MAC store in Covent Garden the other day, APPARENTLY to help my friend buy some daily wear makeup - she ended up getting ONE blush and I ended up with an entire HAUL! Ah... the joys of being addicted to makeup.

In my defense, though, I did get products which I had been eyeing for a while and really thought about before getting - they weren't (all!) impulse buys :) And I've had this stuff for a while now so I can give you a review as well! Yay! Ok, let's get straight into it...

I purchased the Studio Moisture Tint SPF 15, shadesticks in Sharkskin and Beige-ing, Rubenesque paint pot and eyeshadows in Malt, Soft Brown, Handwritten, Fig. 1 and Flourishing.

1. STUDIO MOISTURE TINT SPF 15: my new love. This is MAC's take on tinted moisturiser and I love this product so much I've been wearing it every single day since I bought it. First off, I just love the concept of tinted moisturiser because its so much easier and quicker to get your foundation and moisturiser on in one go... and because it's a tinted moisturiser this product gives really sheer coverage which I am a big, big fan of. It's just enough to even out the skin tone but it looks so natural and it really gives your skin that "glow from within" - LOVE. I've got mine in Medium Dark but I think thats just a smidgen too dark for me (I'm an NC30-35). I could get Medium instead but I kind of like the slightly tanned look Medium Dark gives me. I'm completely sold on this product. Completely.

2. SHARKSKIN AND BEIGE-ING SHADESTICKS:
I was really unsure about getting shadesticks because I'd read so many reviews from people that said they were so difficult to work with and they really pulled and tugged on the delicate eye area - which is something that sounded far too wrinkle-inducing for my taste. But shadesticks have also been known for being amazing eyeshadow bases so when I spotted a couple of them lying around, I figured I'd find out the truth for myself... and you know what, they're okay. Yes, if you apply them straight from the tube they do go on really dry and they do pull on your skin, but there are ways to get around that (that's in the next post!). These work AMAZING as a base for eyeshadow; Beige-ing is a beautiful pearl colour shot through with gold shimmer and Sharkskin is black with silvery shimmering flecks. Absolutely gorgeous. And both these colours are so versatile - I can see these working on very fair skintones as well as very dark ones. Sharkskin can be layered as a base underneath any eyeshadow to really make the colour pop. And Beige-ing can be used on its own as an eyeshadow when you want a really subtle but pretty, delicate look.

3. RUBENESQUE PAINT POT: Rubenesque is my first ever paint pot - well, second technically but the first doesnt count because it was a neutral base colour ;) Anyhoo, Rubenesque is a gorgeous peachy-gold colour thats shot through with gold and pink very, very finely milled shimmer. This would be a great base under all sorts of gold, pink, bronze tone eyeshadows or even on its own. It goes on super smooth and its a dream to work with, but paint pots do dry quite quickly so any blending needs to be done fast.

4. EYESHADOWS: I'm really getting into matte finish eyeshadows lately; all the ones I bought are matte or matte-squared finishes. On the whole, I find matte eyeshadows a lot more wearable, they're great for day-time looks and a matte smokey-eye looks effortlessly, amazingly sophisticated. Obviously, these are really good in terms of pigmentation, longevity and blendability - and that's no surprise because eyeshadows are one of MAC's most popular products. Right, individual break-down time: Malt is exactly the same colour as my skin tone, a mid-tone pinky-beige colour that acts as a great subtle highlight. Soft Brown is a clay colour - that's pretty much the best way to describe it. Handwritten is a gorgeous chocolate brown, great for smokey looks or just in the crease to add some dimension. Fig. 1 is a beautiful, dark purple - it's not too red and it's not too blue, this is the perfect purple, in my humble opinion. Flourishing is a deep sea-weed green, this one reminds me a lot of henna!

And here are some swatches (eyeshadows on top, then shadesticks, and then paint pot right at the bottom, the liquidy one on the left is the Studio Moisture Tint)... with flash on top and without flash below it (talk about stating the obvious!)...

So there you have it. One of my recent hauls... I hope you enjoyed reading this, please excuse the insane formatting - I clearly have a lot to learn!

Have a great Monday, everyone :)

And so it begins...

2009-11-22T10:02:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone!

Welcome to my blog page - wow, this is my first blog ever, I'm so excited! I'm a self-confessed makeup addict - I'm addicted to all beauty-related things, love trying out new products, playing with makeup and I dream of being a makeup artist - one day! Fingers crossed!

This blog is basically going to be about products I've tried and tested, those that have impressed me and those that failed the test, looks and colour combinations I come up with and just my random makeup related thoughts and experiences!

Thanks for visiting my page, and I promise to have a more useful and interesting post up soon ;)

x