June Favorites2015!

Assalamu wa Alaykum/ Hi,

Today's post is going to be on my June Favorites. I have been liking enough new products this past month that I felt the need to show my favorites.

1) Cover Girl Ready, Set, Gorgeous and L'oreal Infallible foundation mix

 I began mixing these two foundations because I was between the two shades. But, I really came to like the finish that they gave me when they were combined. The L'oreal foundation is matte and the Cover Girl foundation is more on the luminous side. So, when I combine them I get a satin finish. I used this combo in my Summer Foundation Routine video.

2) Makeup Forever Pro Sculpt Duo #2

I was suckered in by the hype that was surrounding this highlighter! It's such a pretty gold color but it isn't too intense. Many people say that it is a dupe for MAC's whisper of gilt and Estee Lauder's Heat wave. While I don't have either of those highlighter, I've seen comparison pictures and they look different swatched next to each other.

In the picture above, I've swatched the two colors in the duo next to each other. The highlight is on the left and the contour is on the right. 

3) Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Luminous Light

I've been eyeing the Ambient Lighting powders since they came out.  I finally bit the bullet and bought one during the Sephora VIB sale. I didn't know which one to buy even though I always swatch them in store. I did some research and this one was raved about the most.  A lot of people say that they use it for all over their face but I'm a little too hesitant for that. I use it to highlight the highest points on my face and I love the natural glow it gives.

4) Urban Decay Afterglow 8- Hour blush in Bang

I apologize about the flash on this one. The top of the compact has the logo on it and it's clear so you can see the blush through it. This is good if you plan on storing it laying down. However, that also means that it doesn't have a mirror.

This shade is a vivid orange. To some people, like my sister, it can be startling. But, the powder is creamy and blends out wonderfully and looks like a natural flush on the skin.

This the blush blended out on the back of my hand.

5) Makeup For Ever Artist Plexigloss in 404

This shade looks more pink than it actually is. It has a lot more red in it in person.

I have noticed that these lip glosses are more pigmented on my hand than they are on my lips. The darker shades are more pigmented out of the entire range. This lip gloss isn't exactly sticky but it does stick to your lips. It has more of a tacky feel to it.

So, That's it.

What have you been loving lately?

Until Next Time,

Aleema

My Sephora Makeover Experience!

Assalamu wa Alaykum/ Hi,

So, to celebrate the fact that my birthday was yesterday I decided to use my complimentary Makeover at Sephora. I recently became a VIB at Sephora over the summer and the welcome kit includes a free complimentary Makeover. It's only one time though. As opposed to VIB Rouge members who can get it for free anytime.

I decided to go out to eat for dinner with my friends and I would get my makeup done during the hour and a half before. In the confirmation I was told to come 10 minutes early. I ended up being only 5 minutes early. It didn't really seem to matter because my skin consultant came at the exact time I was booked for.

She asked me what my skin type was and left to go gather products. Then my makeup artist came and asked what kind of make up I wanted to get done whether it be smoky or bright. I told her bright and that she could do whatever she wanted. I was up for anything. Then she left to go get products.

My skin consultant came back and prepped my skin. My eyes were closed for most of the time so I can't remember everything she used on me. I only remember the things she made a point to tell me that she was using. She told me she was using cleansing wipes from First Aid Beauty and an acne treatment from Clinique. She told that she used an oil as my moisturizer. I was concerned about that messing with the makeup that was going to be put on next. But, it didn't.

My makeup artist came back to color match me to what I believe to be the Lancome Teint Idole Ultra 24h. I don't know what shade but I think it's in 500 because I have a sample I'm trying out in that color. I didn't really care for the way this foundation wore on me when I tried it out previously but when she put it on it looked airbrushed.

Anyway, She showed me some purple eyeshadows from Make Up Forever's newly reformulated line and I gave her the go ahead. She spent quite a while focusing on my eye makeup. I don't mind at all because she ended doing a bright smoky eye on me and I know that requires a lot of blending. Also, she used the Benefit's They're Real Pushup liner and it seemed like she was having problems with it. It kept flaking onto my face. Even after my makeup was done I found a black speck here and there. She used the Anastasia Brow Wiz and the Dip Brow Pomade on my eyebrows.

She used a pinkish peachy eyeshadow from MUFE on my cheeks as a highlighter and it didn't emphasis my pores. She used NARS blush in Seduction on my cheeks. Lastly she used one of the new NARS lipsticks in the color Brigette I believe. She set my face using one of the Urban Decay setting sprays.

Here are some photos: I apologize my selfie taking skills were horrible that day!

After I ate. Some of my lipstick came off of course:

This one is after I returned. Was I wearing lipstick? Because I can't tell:

So, That's it.

Have had a makeover at Sephora? Did you enjoy it?

Until Next Time,

Aleema :)

Drugstore Haul/ Update

Assalamu wa Alaykum/ Hi,

I've done quite a bit of drugstore shopping over the past few weeks. It's partly because I've been searching for some products that I really wanted to get my hands on. For example the limited edition Wet n' Wild trios that recently came out. I still haven't found them. I've had to go to many drugstores in Manhattan because there aren't that many in my general area so I just decided to take the train and look around there. So this is what I picked up.

- Milani Powder Blushes

These blushes are limited edition. I found them at a local Walgreens. There were four colors but I only ended up picking up 3 and I only kept 2. I gave one to my mother.

This blush is a very soft muted pink color.

This one is the one I gave to my mother. This is another soft pink just a little brighter.

This one another pink that seems more brighter and pinker than the last.The third that I didn't buy is called 'warm petals' and has more brown in it than the others. I may go back for it. These were $6.99 each.

I didn't put up swatches of these blushes because they swatch horribly. I believe that this is due to whatever is holding them in the rose shape. However, they're easy to pick up with a blush or powder brush and look very natural on the skin.

-L'oreal Magic Nude Liquid Powder

When I saw the commercial for this foundation I was curious to say the least.  I'm not going to say too much about this foundation because I have a separate review post for it coming next. But, it does go from liquid to powder like it says. I got this in the shade 330 'Classic Tan.' Which is different normally any 'tan' color is too light for me.

-Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Dark Spot Concealer

Everyone raved about the other Instant Age Rewind concealer but I didn't hear much on this product. I got the color Medium/Deep. It's the darkest color but is still too light for me. I suppose I could use it as an under eye concealer. Now, I still need a dark spot concealer.

-Maybelline Colorsenstional Vivids + High shine lipgloss

I'm quite enamored by Maybelline's new Vivid collection hope to get a couple more shades soon.

I got the lipstick in the shade 900 'Hot Plum.' It's a fuschia pink/ purple. The lipgloss is in the color 100 'Raspberry Reflections'.

It's a bright purple shade and I think it goes nicely with the lipstick. So, I like to pair them together a lot. The lipstick was $8.99 and I got the lipgloss half off for about 4 dollars.

-Rimmel Stay Glossy lipgloss

I ended having to take off the plastic that had the name of the shade this lipgloss is. So, I'm not sure what the name is. It's a pretty peachy pink color. This was 3.99 at Target.

-Rimmel Show Off Lip Lacquer

I went to my local Walgreens and found one of these in the color Nova which is a light pinkish/ lavender color.  It was the only one there. The rest were sold out. That should have been a sign. I bought it for $4.99 the set price  online and in store for Walgreens. It wasn't until I got home that I realized that it had been opened. I returned it and didn't find another Walgreens that sold them for hours. When I did there were only 5 shades and I picked up this one in the color Big Bang. This red is really bright and pigmented. It stays on your lips for a good amount of time.

I ended paying $5.49 for this one and that's without tax. Of course things in Manhattan are more expensive. :/

- Jordana Lip Pencil

I felt I needed a lipliner for the MAC lipstick I recently bought. It tends to smudge a bit. There weren't many sales. I managed to find this lipliner by Jordana for $2.99 I believe. It's in the shade 'Sedona Red.'

- L'oreal Color Caresse Wet Shine Stain

I really wanted to try this. I heard mixed reviews about it. I've heard that they are supposed to be a dupe for the YSL Glossy Stains. This applies wet. It feels like water but then its like it becomes plastic because you can layer it up to get a darker color. I got this in the shade 188 'Coral Tattoo.' 

So, that's it for the haul.

As for the update, I will be studying abroad in Dubai during the upcoming fall semester. I'm leaving next week Friday night. I plan to vlog while I'm there. The vlogs will be posted on my YouTube channel.

Until Next Time,

Aleema  :)

First Impressions: Inglot Blush + MAC lipstick

Assalamu wa Alaykum/ Hi,

On Wednesday I went to 34th street to buy a blush palette because I'll be going to the Caribbean on the 13th because my sister is moving there and wants company for the ride. So, I wanted one blush palette to take with me opposed to having 4 different blushes in my makeup bag. So, I started to search for one a week before I went to Inglot. I've heard that they're products are really good so I decided to go into the store and see if I liked their blushes. Also, the palette alone was much cheaper than MAC's so that helped me make my decision.

Above is a picture of the blush palette I customized. I wanted a range from a nice coral color to a pink. I've added the numbers of the colors to the picture. The colors 27 and 29 look much darker and brown online for some reason. But, those were the numbers on the packages the blushes came in. These blushes are very soft and pigmented. The texture is almost creamy. I've swatched the colors below.

63 was picked for me by a friend and the sales associate recommended when she saw that I selected it. So, I'm eager to see how it will look on me. The next thing I bought was a MAC lipstick. This is my first MAC lipstick. I'm still learning how to wear lipstick. It's not as easy as it looks.

This lipstick is in the color ladydanger. Orange seems to be my color for the summer. I wasn't so bold to go with orange and I had a feeling coral wouldn't show up on my lips so I got a reddish orange. In the picture to the left I put a gloss over it. It was one of Revlon's colorburst's in Sunset Peach.

So, That's it for now.

Until Next Time

Aleema :)