Sunday, September 28, 2014

10 Amazing beauty uses of Baby powder


Hello Beauties!

Every now and then we come across a very pretty common item that somehow manages to become a staple in our beauty routine. From a cooking ingredient Baking soda to different oils, there are plenty of multiple use products out there. The on I'm excited about recently is Baby powder. This product has some pretty weird & awesome uses, whether you use it as an eyelash primer or soothe some irritated skin. I'm listing below 10 of the best uses of a Baby powder.



1. As a dry shampoo:
Are you out of your favorite dry shampoo? You are running late & don't have time to wash & dry your hairs? this product has got you covered big time.
Sprinkle some little baby powder underneath the top layer of your hairs to absorb the excess oil. If you have dark hairs, mix the Baby powder with the coco powder & for red hairs mix it with some cinnamon to match your hair color. Finger through your hairs to distribute it evenly, comb & style. You are good to go.

2. To prevent chafing:
Before you go out for running or stepping out on a hot day, sprinkle a little amount of baby powder on your thighs to prevent irritating skin.

3. As a sand remover:
If you are off to beach, carry a Baby powder bottle with you. As you are once done with your day & have sand stick anywhere on your skin it will help. Just sprinkle a little amount of Baby powder, rub & the sand will come off easily. As  it absorbs the excess oil, sweat & water which causes it to stick.

4. As an aftershave:
Shake some powder onto your skin once you are done shaving your legs or underarms. The cooling & drying effects works amazing as an aftershave, leaving you feeling fresh.



5. As a lash primer:
If you are looking for a product to give you some volume on your lashes, dust a little product on the roots of your lashes. It will work as a primer & give you fuller & sultry lashes without using the falsies.

6. As a setting powder:
Baby powder is an amazing product to use as a setting powder. Take a large powder brush & apply the minimum amount to keep it translucent. It absorbs the extra oil & stops your skin looking too dewy.

7. As a cooling face agent:
On hot summer nights dust a little amount of baby powder on your pillow & sheets. This will keep you dry 7 cool all night long.



8. As a deodorant:
Ran out of deodorant? No problem. Use baby powder under your arms & it will absorb the perspiration happening, plus leave you with a fresh scent.

9. Before waxing:
use some baby powder on the area you will wax. It will help the wax in grabbing the hairs better &  your skin will be soothed by the cooling effect of the powder.

10. To prevent foot odor:
Before wearing any sneakers or closed toes show sprinkle some baby powder into them. It will take care of any sweat (and therefore odor) that may happen. You can dust some powder post-wearing to keep them smell fresh for the next time you pull them out of your closet.

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Kate Moss Lasting Finish Lipstick review





Hello beauties!
In my recent visit to stores i picked up some more drugstore products. One of them was Kate Moss Lasting Finish lipsticks by Rimmel, London.
These lipsticks are available in 9 different shades & all of them are equally gorgeous. They have slightly fruity scent & each have medium to full coverage color.  The formula is creamy, very pigmented with a light reflecting sheen for added dimension. It is smooth & glides on the lips very easily & feels very weightless providing a very creamy finish. One more thing which I noticed is it doesnt settle into fine lines & stays smooth on lips.
The only drawback is that the formula isnt very moisturizing & you need to exfoliate and moisturize before applying it. Coming to its staying span- it stays on lips for 5 hours which is pretty good for its price tag.
The packaging is chic with matte black finish, Kate Moss signature & embossed Rimmel crown logo on top. Its one of the best packaged drugstore lipstick.
Its not everyday that I'm impressed with so many shades in same collection.
They are quite affordable & if you want to add few mattes to your collection without breaking bank, check them out.

What I liked:
  • The classy packaging
  • Creamy texture
  • Smooth application
  • Amazing pigmentation
  • Doesnt settle into fine lines
  • Very affordable
What I did not like:
  • Formula isn't moisturizing
  • Doesnt have staying power
Final Verdict:
Kate Moss Lasting Finish lipsticks are good for daily wear. All the shades will almost go for every skin tone. Super pigmented & housed in such a beautiful packaging will definitely tempt many of you to put your hands on them. I will definitely recommend this & might even end up re-purchasing . 

Shopping personality- Find out yours!

Hello Beauties!

Whether you like or not but we all have to shop at some points. Some of us(including me) love to shop till we drop & some try to park, get in & get out as quickly as they can.



Do you love shopping? or do you hate to shop? Can you spend hours in the mall, just looking, hardly making any purchase or buy everything? Do you shop when u need to or when u want to? If you are wondering which type of shopping personality you have, lets find out below.

Here are six type of shoppers. Lets see in which category you come in.



1. The Bargain Shopper:
If you are always looking for best coupons, deals & store-sales, then you definitely fits into this category. Always waiting for a good shopping festival & look around before you buy anything that catches your eye to make sure you have got the good deal. You like to get value of your money. You are smart, savvy & economical. This also means that you are up-to-date, about the latest trends & what's happening around. And all this is a good thing, if there is one thing you can count on these shoppers is that they will get you the best & lowest prices.

2. The Researchers:
What do you do when you have to buy a new dress? Do you look in magazines? Lookbooks? Visit 15 different stores & spend hours and hours on searching for that one dress? Look out for all stores offering that kind of dress?
Based on that information, you might buy or wait for new collections to come out? Well, then you are definitely a researcher.



3. The Impulse Buyers:
Ohh! that sure is a beautiful bag over there. You know it will go perfectly with your favorite dress. Such a beautiful color. Its some $500 and you never spend that much of  money on a bag. Something tells you  "But hey! who know when you'll see such a pretty bag again?And you know what to do next....... Buy it! Buy it! Just Buy it! Right now! This will be the best investment & most sensible purchase you have made." 
Until tomorrow, when in the morning you wakeup & realize you have some $30,000 in debt & you just spent $500 on a bag. Immortalized by Sophie Kinsella & her famous Confessions of Shopaholic, this personality cant resist what they love, No Price-Tags & no bars!

4. The Negotiator:
If your sole purpose is to win the battle with every single sales person they encounter. If "Everything is up for negotiation" is you mantra then  u definitely belong to this kind of shoppers.



5. The Loyalist:
Well  if you find yourself keep going to the same brand or store then you belong to this category. Having all the membership & discount cards from them, getting all the updates & even their staff knows your name then its very obvious that you are a loyalist.

6. The woman on mission:
This is the category where you know exactly what you want & wont settle for less. If you belong to this type , you are most likely organized, patient & like to plan ahead. When you go on shopping you dont like wasting much time & go-and-get what you want.

Thursday, September 11, 2014

No-Makeup makeup look - Feminine look

Hello Beauties!

I'm always in search for the ideas, tips & tricks to get that "No-makeup makeup look" which looks natural & still makes you look beautiful. For the summers I really like to put as less makeup as I can & still look fresh whether on a day out or a simple everyday look for my work & stuff. This summer i got some really good tips & products to get that flawless summer or day look. You can look feminine without tons of makeup. I'm sharing step-by-step tips to & product recommendations below so keep reading.



Step1: Apply a thin layer of foundation that exactly matches your skin tone. A shade lighter will work better than a shade darker. You can also use your favorite BB or CC cream which has SPF also. (For very light coverage & discoloration try Bobbi Brown Tinted moisturizer, BB+ cream by Ponds or MAX Factor CC cream)

Step2: Comb & fill in your brows with your brow product or use a clear gel to keep them in place. (Very important step. You can use Brow gel by sigma or ELF)

Step3: Apply pink or peach eyeshadow on your crease with a blending brush. Highlight your brow bone & apply some nude eyeshadow on your lid. (Use The Body Shop Shimmer cubes in Pretty Pink (Palette# 26) or Plumeria shade from Too Faced Summer Eye palette)

Step4: Add a layer or two of mascara & a bit on lower lashes. ( Try Dior Iconic Curl mascara or Benefit They're Real)

Step5: Avoid powdery products & use cream or liquid cheek stain in pink or peach color on your cheeks. (Use Posie-tint & Lolli-tint by Benefit or YSL cream blush in #9 Baby Doll)

Step6: Use the stain or tinted balm on your lips. (Try YSL glossy stain in Rosy Vinyl or Revlon Matte Balm in Unapologetic)

Step7: Add a little liquid or cream highlighter on your cheek bones, T-zone & cupid bows. (Try HighBeam or NYX liquid illuminator)


These steps will keep you away from wearing too much makeup yet will give you that glowy natural look. I hpe you enjoyed & liked these steps. Do you have any suggestions? Let me know by leaving comments below the post.

XOXO

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

5 eye shadow mistakes to quit immediately

Hello Beauties!


Do you know that after lipstick, eyeshadows are the most loved makeup product? At some point we all have to take out that eyeshadow palette & create a personal style. For which everyone can use a little eyeshadow 101 once in a while & don't rely on mascara to do all the work.  Here are my 5 top tricks to help you on your next go around & do your eye makeup like a pro.




1. Skipping the blend:
The most important step of eye makeup is blending the eyeshadows together to get the most flattering dimension of your look. Obvious lines & un-blended eyeshadows look sloppy & non professional. Blend you eyeshadows from all the edges & blend all the colors together.  Eyes look best paired with a blend of colors along the brow bone, upper lid, crease & lowerlash. So the next time you do eye makeup, remember to blend, blend, blend & blend!





2. Blending with the palette applicator:
The mini applicators that come in eyeshadow palettes are convenient but however the sponge tip applies large amount of pigment at once which is nearly impossible to blend. The excess product starts falling of on your cheeks which spoils your face makeup. Where, the brush applicator helps you to dab off the excess product & buildup as you go.





3. Applying too much product below the eye:
Very important to always apply less product & just tightline your lowerline line. Excess or too much eyeshadow on lower lash will drag your eyes down & make you look tired. Darker colors can give you that raccoon eye look which no one likes.




4. Concealer application:
Here is the chicken-or-egg scenario for beginners. Do you apply concealer before your eye makeup? or after it?
The hard & fast rule is always after! Stray shadow can fall off & attach to precisely applied concealer, which is hard to correct. Instead, dab the concealer after completing your eye makeup to get the pro look.




5. Matching the color to your eyes:
Many of us think that the green eyeshadow will go perfectly with green eyes, right? No, wrong!  Applying the same color shade as your eye dilutes the color of your eye. Always select the color opposite on the olor wheel to bring out the color of your eyes for e.g Yellow or golden tones will pop the blue eyes while green eyes look bet with the plum & lavender shades.

I hope you all do great & improve your skills with the help of these. Do you have any suggestions or tips? Do share them with me in the comment box below.

Stay Blessed!
XOXO

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Avoid 5 foods to prevent acne

Hello Beauties!



We all want that clear & acne free skin but sometimes we dont understand what is causing them. We try loads of products & tips n' tricks to control them. Acne is the biggest problem for some teens & they cant seem to find any solution. But the key is eatng right & avoiding the food that cause acne. Yes! There is food that cause acne. And by food its not just fried food, there is more to avoid for preventing acne.

So, when now we actually know that there is food that cause acne & more skin issues we have to be careful. In this post I'm listing the food to avoid for solving the acne issues.




1. Diet Soda:
May be many of you don't know but diet soda is such a horrible thing for your skin, it not only can make your skin super irritating & inflamed, but it can make your acne worse too. Since it contains the aspartame that increases the acne breakout & it also lowers the pH level which result in more acne.



2. Sugar:
Sugar is another very harsh ingredient for acne. If you take very high glycemix index then it can make your skin unhealthy & it can cause acne too. Sugar causes spikes which is an indirect reason of pimple producing hormones & sometimes when we eat artificial chocolates & other artificial treats, it increases the blood sugar which indirectly sabotage the skin system.



3. Dairy:
Cow's milk contains many nutrients & growth hormones & it is very healthy. But sometimes these growth hormones disturb the regular hormones & can cause acne. Sometimes the milk can irritate your skin horribly & increases the production of insulin in your body that results in pimples on your skin.



4. Vegetable Oils:
Trans fats & highly processed vegetable oils are the major reason of pimples & acne, normally they just irritate the oil gland of skin & that makes our skin to breakout. This list includes all vegetable oils like canola oil, corn oil, margarine & other vegetable oil. If you really have to add oil to your diet then try extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil as it not only keep your system healthy, they are also good for clearer acne-free skin.




5. Spicy Food:
Consumption of food with excess spice it harmful for health & body's system. There is a myth that spices are good for health & one should avoid salt, but the fact is, you should not eat too much spices too. They are not only harmful for our health but are harmful for our skin as well. Excess use of spices leads to inflammation sensation in your digestive track & increases the skin ageing process.

To end the post I would like to give you my quick tips for healthy skin. Eat clean, exercise & drink alot of water to get clear & glowing skin. What are your tips to keep your skin acne-free? Leave them in comments below. I would love to know them.


xoxo

Saturday, August 9, 2014

3 easy ways to get perfect beach waves

Hello Beauties!


The overall summer look is all about making you look free-spirited & naturally beautiful, & no look is complete without good hairs. You see  loose braids & wavy-sun-kissed locks everywhere at the beach, brunches & parties during summers. While there are braids to cover up you on your bad hairs day or to give you a fresh look but there are beach waves too, to give you that ultimate summer style. They look fabulous with summers dress & colors, they can be done with your day at beach or a more fancy look at night. 

While you go to the beach & let the sea salt filled breeze wisp your hair to get lust-worthy waves, that's not really practical for many of us. So, the next best thing is to creating the look at home. No matter what is your hair texture, there is trick for you. From products to naturally turned strands here I'm sharing 3 ways to rock that look without spending hours to master it. 



1. Post Blow dry bun:
If you are in hurry & have not much time styling your hairs then this is your answer. If you wash your hairs in the morning & want beach hairs for the night out, then blow dry 3/4 of your hairs. While they are still little damp twist your hairs in 3 to 4 tiny buns depending on the volume & length of your hairs. Secure the buns with bobbi pins just above the nape of your neck. These will look cute throughout the day & before the night falls your strands will be dry & ready to wear as waves. 
When you are all done dressed up & done makeup, remove your bobbi pins to take down your buns & run your fingers through them & spray your locks to hold & secure the waves. 




2. Using the curling wand:
Use a thicker curly wand to get the perfect saloon finish beach waves. Just wrap your hairs around the wand & wait for them to be curled, you will be left with beautiful beach waves. For less hair damage & quick curls use a titanium curling wand. But if you don't have a thicker curly wand don't worry you can still get the look. Curl you hairs at night with the thinner curly wand & sleep on them. Next morning just comb them through your finger & spray to hold the curls. You will be left with curls & waves plus it will save you that extra time in the morning. 





3. Braiding your hairs:
Another best way of getting long-lasting beach waves is braiding your hair the night before. Keep in mind that this works great with the thicker hair or you can divide into two braids depending on your hair thickness & the type of look you want. 
Start by spraying your hair with a little water before bed, keeping them damp not wet. Then braid your hair & go to bed in the braid. In the morning, let your strands down, run your fingers through them to separate the locks & spray a strong hold but wearable hair spray. the effect will be more of a back & forth waves. 

All 3 ways will leave you with the effortless chic-hair & all of these can be achieved in 10 minutes. While all deliver great results, curling wand's one is a showstopper. 
I hope you enjoyed reading the post as much as I did writing it & don't forget to share with me below how do you achieve your sexy beach waves this summer in the comment section.

XOXO

Sunday, August 3, 2014

My July Beauty Favorites 2014

Hello Beauties!

Being busy with the Ramadan & Eid preparation the month of July passed by very quickly. I hope you all took full advantage of this blessed month & remembered everyone in your prayers.
With the start of each month or season our beauty routine has to be changed accordingly. July, being the hottest month here, I opted for more of skin care and putting on less makeup. As its too hot & with warm weather my skin becomes oily & I start having acne issues (which is so annoying when Eid is just around the corner).
Most of the beauty products were same like Ponds BB+ Cream, Maybelline Great Lash Mascara, Sweet Rose blusher By H&M, Vaseline Total Moisturizing Lotion. But I also tried few more products specially for my skin care routine. These are the products which I loved using throughout this warm month.


1. Garnier Fructis Split Ends Serum:
I have been on a search for a perfect hair serum that will solve all my issues & trust me I got everything in this one. This serum makes my hair super soft & frizz free. I see very less split-ends & damaged hairs. I dont know about others but for me this works best as a heat protection & makes my hair very manageable. Its very easy to apply & to style my hairs. Another plus point, it smells so citrus-fruity which is good for summer seasons. I absolutely love this product & recommend. Definitely repurchasing & not looking for anything else.

2. Nivea  Daily Essential Soothing Toner:
This is a soothing toner for dry to sensitive skin.  It has Almond oil which really helps in moisturizing the dry skin & makes it look healthy. This formula is Alcohol free which helps your skin from drying or breaking out. I use it at night before applying my moisturizer. I'm not much of a toner person but when I started using it, I was really impressed that it didnt make my skin with dry or tight feeling. This products works for me really good & if you have dry or sensitive skin do try this toner you will see the difference yourself.

3. TBS Cammomile Gentle Eye Makeup Remover:
I got this remover during TBS sale last month in 60ml bottle which is a mini travel size. The product is good for daily eye makeup removing. It removes the eye-makeup completely without irritating them. It has more of a watery consistency, not oily, which I like because the skin around my eyes is already oily. It suits every skin type. But if you are wearing a heavy eye makeup or dark eye shadows, this product is not an option. So, I like to remove my daily wear eye makeup with this remover. I leave it on with cotton pad for like 10 seconds & then with 1 or 2 swipes it removes my makeup.

4. TBS Vitamin  E Overnight Serum in oil:
I was so confused when I first time heard about this product. I was like, "What on earth is a serum in oil?". But after trying it I got all the answers. Its pretty much exactly what it claims: A serum in oil, so, you get the benefit of both; serum & oil in one product. This product saves me the step of applying my serum first & then the oil(s). This serum absorbs in skin very quickly & is like a dry-oil. I have seen a big difference in my skin & it truly is an 8 hours of sleep in a bottle. My skin looks more more hydrated, moisturized & I have also noticed my skin tightens & no pores after its use.  The product is total worth your money & is one of the best facial oils I have tried. I recommend it & will be repurchasing it.

5. Victoria's Secret Bombshell perfume:
This fragrance is one of my favorite for summers as its very girly & fruity. It makes me smell fresh through out the day. I get alot of compliments wearing this fragrance & is my go-to-fragrance these days. I'm loving it for summers but definitely not my signature or year around fragrance. If you are looking for something that smells clean & fresh you should definitely try this.  I love the bottle white stripes & little bow on top.

6. Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet in Nude-ist:
If you guyz follow me on my Instagram or my Blog you probably know that I'm obsessing over these Matte lippies from a while now. All the colors are so beautiful & the formula is so great.  I adore all the colors & for this month I kept on reaching for the Nudist shade. Its a berry-pinkish-nude. I loved wearing this color for soft & natural makeup look. I love applying it once & I dont buildup. It stays on my lips for hours & meals. I absolutely love these & definitely will be in my favorites always. For complete review click here.

Here are my beauty favorites. What were yours? Do you have any recommendations for the next month? Please share in the comment box below. Love you guyz.

XOXO

Monday, July 21, 2014

Garnier Fructis Split Ends Serum review

Hello Beauties!

We all have different types of hair issues & the most reported one is Split-ends. Because of everyday's hammering on our hairs, like blow drying, straightening, curling, heating & styling, leaves them dry & rough which results in split ends. At some point we all have this hair issue, its recommended by the experts to get our hairs trimmed after few weeks. But hey! my hair doesnt grow that fast & if I keep chopping them off like that soon ill be having very short hairs.



So, we have to find another solution, where this product comes in. Today's review is about Garnier Fructis Split-Ends Serum which acts like a bandage to them. It states "Dont cut split-ends, seal them!" 

The product claims to be a bandage for the split-ends & instantly seal them. The serum has liquid-gel consistency which is very easy to apply & absorbs quickly in the hairs. It can be applied on dry hairs but it is recommended to apply on damp hairs right after you towel them. After applying the serum you can style your hairs as usual with a notable difference in shine & smoothness.

The formula is enriched with Amla fruit oil which helps moisturizing your hairs without making them greasy. It also helps to control the frizz though it is not mentioned anywhere on the product. It makes the hair look healthy, shine & manageable without much efforts. It can be used as your daily hair care product.

It comes in a 50ml cute orange bottle with  pump on top. You can twist the top & pump the desired amount of product on you palm. The packaging is cute & travel friendly. It low on pocket & great at effectiveness. It has an amazing citrus fragrance, like a blend of apricots & oranges which is also good. 

My take on the product:

I heard some bloggers talking about this serum & I have been looking for a good formula from very long which will help covering my all hair problems. I have ombre hairs which means my ends were more dry & damaged then the rest of my hairs.  I used it after shower on damp hairs. It just took 1 pump of product to apply on my hairs. The texture is very runny & spreads on hair very easily. 
As soon as I applied this product, my hairs felt so smooth & soft + this product de-tangled them. I noticed less frizz & split-ends. After styling it made my hairs look better & very manageable. The visibility of damaged hairs & split ends reduced after the continuous use.  Definitely a highly recommended product as it is budget friendly & gives you very good results. Apply it on dry or damp hairs. Also recommended for blow drying.

Price: 30SAR approx.
Available: Hyper markets & Pharmacies.
Sizes: 50ml only

Thursday, July 17, 2014

Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet

Hello beauties!


Matte lip finish lover be prepared to meet the new Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet in eight gorgeous colors. They don't only give you that perfect matte finish but they are long lasting too. I'm super impressed by its soft texture, light weight & uber pigmented formula - what else would you need from a lip stain?
This launch is like Bourjoise has stepped back & watched everyone put their formulas into market, learnt from their mistakes & then produced one of the most viscous lip product. This formula is enriched with evanescent oils, its incredibly sensuous formula provides a soft, second skin feel, without drying or fading away.
The best part is these stains do not budge, just apply these lacquers on your lips & watch in amazement as they last for almost whole day. It will take sometime to & efforts to come off with makeup remover, best for those who doesn't like touching ups. The name is a little deceiving as  'Velvet' suggests lighter finish, but let me tell you once these have dried down they are full on mattes with a powdery finish.
The packaging is kinda classy to me, it looks very expensive. Its comes in a rectangular shaped bottle like lip gloss but its not a lip gloss. Its a liquid lipstick which are more fun. The slanted brush wand is nothing fancy but cottony and the pointy tip gives you that perfect precision-ish application.
This is definitely one of my favorite launches of this year.
I got my hands on 3 colors other 2 colors which I wanted were sold out. I scored 03 Hot Pepper, 04 Peach Club & 07 Nudist.

Left to Right: 07 Nudist, 04 Peach Club & 03 Hot Pepper

03 Hot Pepper is a very bright orangy red.
04 Peach Club is a peachy color.
07 Nudist is a berry-pinkish nude color.




Final Verdict: A highly recommended lip stain for everyone. A must have product for every lip lacquer lover. The staying power is amazing without fading away after couple of meals. Give it a try & I'm sure u'll love it. One more suggestion "Go for bright colors or go home".

Tip: Before application make sure your lips are exfoliated & conditioned.

Available: @ all Bourjois counters across KSA.
Price: Costs around 80SAR

For the application results check out my Instagram.
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