KIKO LIPSTICK SWATCHES

As promised, today I’ll show you my newest Kiko lip products. I got two new liners and four lipsticks.

The liners are Smart lip pencils in 709 Magenta and 710 Rouge Noir. I’m on a liner trip and Magenta will go nice with my berries, while Rouge Noir will go with the very dark lippies.

The lipsticks are, from left to right: Smart Lipstick 923 Peony Purple, and three Luscious Cream Lipsticks in 522 Black Cherry, 524 Taupe and 500 Shell Rose. I almost picked up 523 Black as well, but I figured I can always get it later.

The smart lip pencil has a normal packaging, but the Luscious lipsticks come in a really annoying packaging where you have to push at the top first before you can pull it apart. Pushing at the top always feels like I’m breaking off my nail. :( (edit: actually broke my nail later on. only open this with knuckle!)

Swatch time. Lipsticks in the same order as above, first Peony Purple, which is a shiny sheer violet color. I checked it and colorwise it is a dupe for MAC Heroine, but Heroine is of course matte and opaque.

Underneath is Black Cherry, which is a dupe for MAC Cyber, both in color and in finish. (Pfft I had typed Smoked Purple first. But that one is matte. Both Black Cherry and Cyber are creamy!) Black Cherry is very creamy and very dark. It’s easy to accidentally end up looking like Marilyn Manson had slept with makeup on.

Then there’s Taupe, which is, well, taupe. It’s certainly a unique shade of lipstick to have. It ends up darker on the lips than in this swatch and very obviously grey, I feel very witchy wearing it.

Last is Shell Rose, a very pale nude. I think it’s an ultra sexy nude, but the color is very unforgiving of any redness in the face.

All lipsticks are creamy and as such not drying at all. (Although I gotta admit for the intense colors I would have preferred them to be matte.) They don’t have the lasting power of a matte, but they manage four hours even with drinking and small snacks. Not a full meal, though.

The squiggles underneath are the lip liner swatches. The darker one is Rouge Noir, which is still not all that dark if you ask me. And the inner squiggle is Magenta. I like the smart lip pencils, they are super cheap and very long lasting. I’m not 100% sure about the colors though. I meant to wear Rouge Noir with Black Cherry, but now I’m thinking I have to buy MAC’s Cyber World lip pencil after all.

Out of all these my biggest recommendation is the nude 500 Shell Rose. It wears well and is the most normal color out of these, haha. It goes so well with intense eye makeup. If you like Heroine but wish it was sheer, check out Peony Purple.

Maybellinne Colorshow Bouquet

I put on a layer of Maybelline‘s 430 Bouquet as an accent nail atop of Essie‘s Stones n’Roses. I thought the colors would go well together. Bouquet is a glitter topper with medium sized and small white, pink and rose gold hex glitter in a clear base. The colors are so cute and would go with so many bases. However, application was difficult. I had to fish for pretty much every piece of glitter, which, considering that the glitter is not so big in the first place, is pretty annoying. Then I couldn’t drag it on, I had to pat it in places and it would still try to clump in one place! And then it dried to a matte finish, which made everything really patchy! So I slapped on glossy top coat (Essie Good to Go) and called it a day, which is why it doesn’t look very impressive up there. Sorry.

I am disappointed in this glitter, it is just as terrible as the L’Oreal glitter with exactly the same issues, except at least the L’Oreal glitter readily jumped onto the brush. If you want easy to apply glitter with good glitter payoff and shiny finish, look elsewhere (essence or OPI for example); the only reason to get this one is if you really want this exact color combination.

Lush Review

As a self-professed skincare junkie, I waver between being fiercely loyal to my 10 or so favourite skincare products and being willing to try just about anything to achieve flawless skin.

Serums seem to be the mode du jour of the skincare world, and I figured I would hop on the bandwagon. I purchased Lush’s “Full of Grace” facial serum on a whim thanks to a charming shop girl and the reasonable price tag of 14.95 CAD for a 20 g bar.

My first impressions were that the 20 g solid bar appeared somewhat inconvenient to use- Lush’s massage bars never impressed me, so I was skeptical of the format. The girl in the shop convinced me that this product was exactly what I needed to complete my skincare routine, showed me how to apply it with ease, and claimed the product to be long-lasting and at least worth a try.  Sold.

I have been using this serum every second night for two weeks, and I must say I am very impressed! Before bed, I simply wash my face as usual, apply my eye cream (Kiehl’s Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado), my moisturizer (Simple’s Replenishing Rich Moisturizer) and then finish with a generous application of Full of Grace. To apply the serum I simply rub the bar between my hands for a few seconds to warm the product, once there is a substantial amount on my hands, I then apply the product directly to my face. This product leaves the skin with a dewy (read: shiny) appearance, but fret-not, it will soak in as you sleep. I woke up after the first use with noticeably brighter and softer skin. Since then, I have not noticed a huge change in results between the first use and now, but I have woken up consistently with glowing skin, and I am incredibly pleased with this product overall!

On Lush’s website, Full of Grace has a 4.6/5 rating, as well as a 95% recommendation rate.

Worth-noting, is the richness of this product. I recommend only using this product at bedtime, or on a day you are simply lounging around the house. This is not a light enough formula to go underneath makeup.

Overall, I recommend this product to those with normal, dry, or sensitive skin, as well as those with concerns such as uneven skin tone, as someone who seems to “collect” acne scars, this product has been a huge help. Even if you are simply looking to pamper your skin from time to time, this product may prove to be a fantastic addition to your skincare regimen!

Spring Nails

When I’m in Doha I only have a small amount of my makeup collection with me, so when I’m at my Mum and Dad’s house and I have it all to hand, I get very excited.

I’ve been having a clear out and reorganising what I’ve got and the lovely spring sunshine has me reaching for lighter, brighter shades.

These are my current favourites.

I’m a big fan of holding onto and reusing those shades I’ve accumulated over the years. I don’t buy many new ones now and I’m certainly not worried about keeping up with every new trend going. The most important thing for me is having nails which I love regardless of when these shades were released!

These shades are Ciate Pepperminty, Nails Inc The Southbank, Sephora by OPI BYOBoy, Ciate sugarplum and 17 Sherbet Lemon and you can bet that these will be appearing on my nails for the next few months on a pretty regular basis.

Which shades do you reach for in the spring?

So, what is Argan Oil?

I’ve never heard of argan oil since the workshop.
I’ve never been very thankful to bring home one Oil of Argan bottle and a facial soap.
I’m a fan of FREE and I’m always brave to try (just as long as the product claims to be chemical free and all-natural).

I’ve tried a couple of oil based moisturizers but they never worked well on my skin and I ended with big , bad and red spots on some part of my face. So I switched back to my old trusted and tested aloe vera gel to do the work (it’s all really natural where I pick the leaves, tear it open and rub the gel against my face at least 3 times a week).

When I bring home the OIl of Argan at home, I tried it immediately and oh-yes, I was very surprised when I wake up and felt my skin feeling softer than usual and I can see how it looks visibly soft and clear in just one use.

Please take note that I wasn’t paid to try this product. I’m talking from my own personal experience.

I basically fell in love from the first use and what do people do when they are in love? In my case, I investigate. I scoured the net to know about why it’s so freaking good and I learned these:

From Wikipedia:

Argan oil is a plant oil produced from the kernels of the argan tree (Argania spinosa L.) that is endemic to Morocco. In Morocco, argan oil is used to dip bread in at breakfast or to drizzle on couscous or pasta.

(Ah, just like olive oil.)

The production of argan oil, which is still mostly done by traditional methods, is a lengthy process. Each nut has to be cracked open to remove the kernels, and it is said that producing one litre of oil takes 20 hours’ work.

Internationally, there is now much interest in its cosmetic uses. Moroccan Oil uses Argan oil in their range of hair care products, and this brand has become a world leader in the specialized use of argan oil in hair care. Other manufacturers such as L’oreal Paris Kerastase use argan oil in their Elixir Ultime hair treatment.

There a handful of recommended use of Oil of Argan but I’ll just highlight my 3 best favorite:

#1: Face Moisturizer

After washing your face at night, massage a few drops of argan oil directly onto your face and neck. It absorbs quickly and is not greasy. If you want to use it as a day moisturizer apply it at least 5 minutes then apply your power or your liquid foundation.

#2 Whole-Body Moisturizer

Once you see amazing ways that Oil of Argan benefits your face, do not hesitate to use it as your whole-body moisturizer! If you have dry patches on your heals, elbows or other areas, massage an extra drop into those areas for relief.

#3: Lip Conditioner

Oil of Argan benefits more than just your skin and hair; it makes for a wonderful lip treatment or chap stick substitute! Rub in 1-2 drops, and wipe away any excess.
This will not only heal any cracked lips, but also keep your lips soft, smooth and conditioned.

How to Store Oil of Argan?

So I’ve read, that you keep bottles out of direct sunlight, and sealed tight. It is recommended to use the oil within 6 months of opening for optimal benefit.

The Balm Nude Tude Palette

I had seen this yummy little palette appearing on several Instagram accounts recently, so I decided to buy it and see what all the fuss was about.

Nude Tude contains 12 beautiful eyeshadows that are satiny-smooth and range from light, neutral colours to bolder, more daring shades.

You can layer the shades, and build up the colours to add emphasis and definition to your eyes.  They are really nicely pigmented, and whilst there is a little bit of fallout, it’s not a massive amount.

I have only had a little play with it so far, but I am definitely looking forward to spending more time seeing what gorgeous looks I can create.

There will be a future post once I have had the time to really explore what this palette can do.