I am back in my Makeup – Experimenting zone, and back to wearing some eyeshadows. I have been having a makeup detox as of late and was using the same products over and over again (because when it works, why change it?). But after binge watching every video Jeffree Star has posted on his channel, I decided it’s time again to get those palettes out and create some looks. In this video, I tried using my newest palette from TooFaced the “Semi-Sweet” Chocolate Bar and was super happy with the results. A full review with swatches are coming next week on the blog, so stick around.
If you have been a long time reader of my blog, you might have gotten the idea that I am simply a Lipstick Junkie. I can never say No to a new color or a new collection or a new finish. I have to have them all and I need them now. After long years of trial and error, I have become a self-proclaimed expert on everything related to my lips, I know what works and what doesn’t and have found such amazing lipsticks that have become my holy-grail products that I feel the need to compare the new products to them. The new additions should be at least as good as my all-time favorites to stay in my permanent collection and go through a lot of trial on my behalf, so that I can know they are worth the talk.
As you may have guessed from the title, we are discussing the newest addition to the Maybelline lipstick family, the MATTE Lipsticks. I was drawn to the name itself, since I am the hugest fan of matte lipsticks an/or stains and prefer this finish to any other in the market. The only other finish I love is the Amplified one from MAC, that is creamy but very pigmented at the same time.
These lipsticks come in the Blue/Green packaging and come in around 12 shades (might be lying here, not really sure). The ones I have are the following:
RAVISHING ROSE
SIREN IN SCARLET
DIVINE WINE
Here is the general review of the Matte Lipsticks:
The color pay-off is superb, you get the color in the bullet from the first layer and it could be built-up for a more rich color.
The color choice in the collection is really impressing, you can find different shades of each color, thus making sure you could find the best shade for your skin tone.
The finish is actually not that Matte as I have hoped it to be, it is more similar to a creamy matte (amplified finish by MAC)
Since it is more creamy on the lips, it is not drying at all and sits very comfortably all day long
The wear time is about 3 to 4 hours, which is not bad considering its creamy finish
this is solely my opinion, but I think it would last longer and apply better when mixed with a lipliner.
In general, I was really impressed with this Collection and highly recommend you give it a go, especially if you are looking for an affordable rich-colored lipstick in the drugstore. The retail price is around 16,000 / 18,000 LL (around 12$) and could be found in all supermarkets and pharmacies.
You can catch my full and more detailed review on my Youtube Channel. Click the video down below.
Contouring – you are either into it or you should be!
I don’t think there is a single person out there who doesn’t know or have heard about Contouring in some form or another. Although the Kardashian sisters made it popular not in the best way possible, they did shine the light into the art of highlighting and contouring in make-up. No perfect look would be complete without adding some highlight and a little bit of depth under you cheekbones, so do not forget these 2 easy steps to finish any makeup look you are doing.
Here are my 2 easy steps for a sculpted face:
After these 2 easy steps, you end up with a naturally sculpted look. You have to remember that every face is different and you have to do what is best for your face shape. The main 2 rules you have to follow are simple: to apply the darker shade (contour) on the areas you want to hide and the lighter shade (highlight) on the areas you wan to emphasize.
Although it’s pretty hard to find a good and easily accessible Contour Kit in the drugstore, L’Oreal has made it easy this year and launched the perfect contouring palette that would be a staple in any makeup bag. The product itself, comes with 2 shades and a user guide and gives you step-by-step tutorials on how to apply for the best kind of results.
*This post is not a Sponsored Post, the product was however sent to me for trial and consideration. All thoughts are my own.
Another year has passed and my obsession with makeup products hasn’t ceased at all, I may even say it grew bigger. While my collection hasn’t grown that much in size, it grew in its value and use. I no longer cling to products just for the sake of having them in my collection, but instead keep only those that really work for me and that simply make me happy.
This year has been big for a lot of trial and errors regarding new products and new brands and I am hoping this year would be even better and more successful. I promise that I would document my “Beauty” journey in more details on the blog, and what better way to start this than with a recap of all my beauty essentials that I couldn’t live without this past year.
So, here are my TOP BEAUTY PRODUCTS for the year 2015, in no particular order.
PRIMER: Clarins Beauty Flash Balm. A new discovery for me this year, since I have never thought of myself as a primer lover, but this little tube made me get the whole obsession with priming your skin before foundation. What’s great about this product is that it could be applied on casual days without any foundation on top of it, and makes your skin look healthy and glowy in an instance. I have the sample size, but I am definitely purchasing the full size once this is done.
FOUNDATION: PUPA Active Light Foundation. Another discovery that I swear by, and I am not going to talk a lot about it here, since I wrote a full on review a couple of months ago. You can read all the details, here.
CORRECTOR: Garnier BB EyeCream. Although it is said to be a concealer, it actually acts as a corrector in my opinion. With its very peachy undertones it works perfectly in counteracting the dark circles under the eyes. Highly recommend you give it a go.
CONCEALER: Maybelline Age-Rewind Concealer. As much as I was trying not to mention products that couldn’t be found in Lebanon, I couldn’t choose another concealer, since this is the only one I have been using everyday for the past 6 months. If you have a chance to pick it up when travelling, you wouldn’t regret it. Best concealer ever ( in combination with the Garnier BB Cream0
POWDER: Guerlain Meteorites. There is something about this product that makes me love it so much, but I wouldn’t be able to explain it properly since I do not have words to describe how it works. It is simply magic. It gives a glow that is not sparkly or shiny, but a healthy glow instead like you are glowing from within. This powder doesn’t act as a mattifying powder, so if you have oily skin, I think you should stay away from this product, but if you are like me, normal to dry skin, this product it everything.
BRONZER: Samoa Second Skin Foundation. This is a foundation that I use as a cream bronzer, and it works perfectly in my opinion, even better than powder ones. I apply the product with my fingers and work it into my skin with a buffing brush. The result is flawless contouring that sticks all day. I think any other foundation in a couple of shades darker than your original skin-tone would work perfect, too.
BLUSH: Rimmel London Blush in Pink Rose. I don’t have anything special to say about this product, other than it being perfect for any makeup look that I want to create. This shade is the perfect shade and a no-brainer to use, so that’s why it stays in my daily routine. Plus, the quality of this blush versus its price is impeccable.
EYESHADOW PRIMER: MAC Paint Pot in the Shade Painterly. I took me a long time to make this purchase, but I am so happy to have it in my collection, because it works perfectly as a daily nude eyeshadow, when applied on its own, or a base when applied under any powder shadows. It makes the eyeshadows look more bright and stay put for longer during the day.
SINGLE EYESHADOW: MAC Patina. This shade could only be described as a perfect everyday color and that’s exactly how I’ve been using it. Everyday (or at least every other day)
EYESHADOW PALETTE: Naked by Urban Decay. For over 3 years now, this palette has been loved and used by me. I wouldn’t imagine my makeup routine without it, since I love every single color in it. Till date the urban decay eyeshadows are one of the best I have tried and would even throw away every other palettes I have and happily use this one for the rest of my life.
LIQUID LINER: PUPA Liquid Liner in Black. The BEST liquid liner in the market and period.
PENCIL LINER: MAC Teddy. For the days when I wasn’t doing the cat-eyed look, and wanted to go for something softer, this bronzy-brown liner was the perfect addition to my makeup. The texture of this line is very smooth, thus making the drawing part very easy on your eyes ( an important detail to know when using a pencil liner, since the eye area is very sensitive)
MASCARA: L’OREAL Telescopic. Another product that doesn’t need a lot of explanation. It gives the best volume and length than any other mascara out there, plus it holds the curl perfectly, too.
LIPSTICK: Provoc Lipliners. If I had to pick only 1 favorite for the past year, it would be pretty easy, since the PROVOC lipliners were the best discovery of the year. They are the smoothest and the most long-lasting lipsticks that I own, and are so affordable that it makes me so happy to admit that I own every single shade they have. Some of them are not my ultimate favorites, but they are all amazing in application and pigmentation. My favorite shade is 21 Sealed with a Kiss.
It may come as a surprise to some of you, if you haven’t been following me on Social media, that I have changed my hair color again. This time I went to the only shade that I haven’t tried yet, which is RED. After being a blonde for almost a year know ( you can check the post of how I went Blonde, here), I felt that it doesn’t reflect my style anymore and I wanted a change.
At first, I was going to get back to my roots and back to the natural shade of my hair, but then I thought we live once and I can get back to my color whenever I want. So, that’s how I went with Red, since it is a bit different and calm at the same time. The shade is not fixed yet, as I am deciding what shade of Orange – Red I want to end up with.
If you are interested, I can do a whole post about my hair journey, and what are my thoughts on hair coloring in general.
I want to thank my hairdresser JULIANO ASMAR for always doing the best job ❤
playing with fashion 