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

Review: Anastasia Beverly Hills Summer Liquid Lipstick & Waterproof creme color

Assalamu wa Alaykum/ Hi,

Today's post is going to be on the two products I picked from Anastasia Beverly Hills' summer collection. I know that she is coming out with some more liquid lipstick colors in July and I plan to pick one of those up too.

The two products I have are the liquid lipstick in Craft and the water color in Ice Blue. The lipstick is $20 and the waterproof creme color is $18

Craft is a pinkish berry color. 

This was my first time trying the ABH liquid lipsticks and I have to disagree with some of the negative reviews that they've received.

• It does wear off if you eat greasy food. I had a hamburger and fries when I wore this lipstick and it only wore off in the middle of my lips. However, everywhere else it was fine.
• It reapplies well. I reapplied the lipstick, after I ate, to the middle of my lips and it blended in with the lipstick from the first application well.
• It doesn't bleed outside the lip line. Since this dries matte, it stayed within my lip line.
• You can feel it on your lips. Especially on the inside of your lips where the lipstick ends, that line is noticeably dryer. However, it's not restricting.
• It didn't go into the lines of my lips. However, I know some people said that it was the light colors that settled into the lines of the lips. 
 

 

I picked up one of the waterproof creme colors in the shade Ice Blue. Ice Blue is light bright blue. It reminds me of a sky blue.

• It's more moisturizing than I thought it would be. It's not exactly creamy but it wasn't dry like I expected it to be. 
• It dries relatively quickly. So, you have to be fast with it. You can't apply it to both eyes then blend it out.
• You can use it as a base or a as an eyeliner. Some people have used the pink/reddish colors as lipstick. I used it as an eyeliner in the picture below.

So, I really like the two items that I picked up and I plan to pick up more things from this brand.

So, That's It.

Have you tried anything from the summer collection? What did you like?

Aleema :)

Review: Bare Minerals Lash Domination Mascara

Assalamu wa Alaykum/ Hi,

This going to be my last review on the mascaras from the Lash Stash to go box from Sephora.  I didn't review the Lancome Hynpose Drama because I have previously written a review on that a little over a year ago. If my opinions change then I'll do another post about it, but I don't want to have too many mascaras open at the same time.

This mascara retails for $18 at Sephora. So, it's a little cheaper than most of the mascara's that come inside the Lash Stash box.

The packaging is made out of a silver reflective plastic. The wand has plastic bristles like I prefer. However, I find the shape to be a little odd. The bristles spiral around the wand.

Here are the claims on Sephora's website:

What it is:

A do-it-all mascara for larger-than-life lashes. 
What it does:This volumizing, lengthening, thickening, separating, long-wearing mascara does it all. The exclusive ProTwist180™ Wand is spiraled 180 degrees to curve around lashes and coat from all angles with intense black color. 

This mascara is volumizing. However, not to the point that it becomes clumpy. I'm not sure about the lengthening aspect it. My lashes are already pretty long so I didn't notice any additional length. It does separate very well. It's why there was no clumping. It fans my lashes out very nicely. It doesn't look like you're wearing mascara. I did notice that this mascara, like most mascaras for me, smudged on my right bottom lash line a little. Very few mascara don't smudge on me there. 

Also, I will be using this mascara in my next YouTube video that will hopefully go up on Thursday. So, if you want to see perform through video you should check that video out. If you like it please subscribe.

So, That's it.

Until Next Time,

Aleema

Review: Blinc Mascara

Assalamu wa Alaykum/ Hi,

Today I'm reviewing the Blinc Water resistant Mascara. I've never heard of Blinc before I got the Lash Stash to go box. So, I was curious about this mascara. I'll tell you now, it's my least favorite out of the entire box.

It doesn't have a specific name as far as I noticed. On the Blinc website it's under 'Mascara.' It retails for $26.

So let's look at the claims of the product.

Claims:
If you're looking for a no-hassle, no-smudge mascara that you can take throughout your day with no re-application, blinc mascara is your answer. Instead of painting your lashes like conventional mascaras, blinc mascara forms tiny no-smudge, water-resistant "tubes" around your lashes. Once applied, these mascara tubes bind to your lashes and cannot run, smudge, clump, or flake, even if you cry or rub your eyes. Whether your daily activities take you from the office, to your sweaty workout or out to dinner, your lashes will look as good in the evening as they did when you first applied blinc in the morning. blinc mascara will add volume and length to give you a radiant natural look that lasts all day. Only when you are ready for removal, the tubes will effortlessly slide off your lashes into your hand without the use of a harsh makeup remover.
blinc is better than water proof mascaras. All it takes is the combination of warm water and gentle pressure, from your fingertips, a washcloth or water pressure (i.e. shower) and the tubes will slide off your lashes effortlessly. Upon removal you will actually see the tiny mascara tubes in your hand!
Great for sensitive eyes, mascara from blinc has been clinically tested to be non-irritating making it ideal for contact lens wearers and active people in search of a mascara whose look, hold and ease of removal is without compromise.

The wand of this mascara is a classic spiral bristle wand.  

Pros:
This mascara is really black.
It separates lashes very well.
Water  resistant.

This mascara does come off easily when you rub eye your eye gently with water. It doesn't come off like normal mascaras, however. It comes off in "tendrils" or "tubes" like Blinc likes to call them. They don't look like tubes to me.

Cons:
This mascara is very wet and takes a while to dry.
This mascara doesn't provide volume or length.

In the pictures above you can see the mascara on my eyelid. It transferred from my lashes when I blinked. The mascara hadn't dried yet. However, it didn't smudge once it did dry. It lasted until I took off later that night.

Bottom Line: Like I said before this mascara is my least favorite. It's nice to have a water resistant mascara in the Lash Stash to go box. However, I probably wouldn't go out an purchase it. All it's really good for is darkening and separating your lashes. So, if you want a natural look that's water resistant. You should give this a try.

Until Next Time,

Aleema :)

Review: Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes Mascara Review

Assalamu wa Alaykum/ Hi,

Today I'm going to be reviewing the second mascara in the Sephora Lash Stash to go box. This mascara is Tarte's Lights, Camera, Lashes 4 in 1 mascara. This mascara is another popular one. The first mascara that I reviewed was Too Faced's Better Than Sex mascara.

The description on the Lash Stash box for this mascara is: lengthens, curls, volumizes, and conditions lashes.

This mascara retails for $20. Which is a decent price. It's 3 dollars less than the Better Than Sex mascara and the They're Real mascara. On the Tarte website the product is described as: a lengthening, curling, volumizing, and conditioning mascara infused with olive esters to condition, treat, and protect lashes.

The product claims are:

• clinically proven to increase lash volume by 330%
• dermatologist tested 
• ophthalmologist tested

Tarte didn't create a lot of drama around this mascara like Benefit and Too Faced did with theirs. They tell you everything you need to know and that's it.I kind of like that. They let the mascara speak for it's self. They don't hype it up. 

I've heard some people described this mascara as wet. However, I have to disagree. I find this mascara to be on the dryer side and I appreciate that. It means that I can layer it and I won't have to worry about it clumping on me.

The wand on this mascara is not made out of plastic like the They're Real mascara. It's a classic mascara wand. It looks like nothing special but it's really good as separating and defining lashes.

With one layer my lashes look very natural and defined.

With a second layer my lashes look much more dramatic.

I was curious of what my lashes would look like if I layered this over a coat of the Better Than Sex mascara:

I probably wouldn't layer those two mascaras unless I need a dramatic eye look. I know some girls would wear their mascara like this on a regular basis. However, it's not my cup of tea. I want my lashes to look more noticeable, volumized, and lengthened while still looking natural. When layered those two mascara it looked like I was wearing mascara. It didn't look bad. I just don't prefer it unless it's a special occasion.

I like the idea of a mascara that conditions because a lot of times when I remove my eye makeup a lash or two will come off. No matter how gentle I try to be. I haven't seen any effects of the conditioning aspects of this mascara. 

I think the first time I put on this mascara it flaked a little. I don't know if that is because it was my first time using. It hasn't flaked since then.

Bottom Line: It's a good mascara. It's worth a try if you're curious but it's not my favorite out of the Lash Stash box.

So, That's it.

Have you tried this mascara? Did you like it?

Until Next Time,

Aleema :)

Review: Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation

Assalamu wa Alaykum/ Hi,

I haven't bought a new foundation in a while. Since my Urban Decay Naked Skin foundation broke, I've been looking to buy another one. Instead of buying that one back I wanted try something different. So, I bought the Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation.
Also, the Naked Skin foundation is $39 while the Double Wear foundation is $37. They're both a little pricey but aren't up there with likes of YSL and Chanel. Urban Decay has been raising the prices on a lot of their products lately. Which is an issue for another blog post.

This product comes with 1fluid ounce which is standard for most foundations. It comes in a glass bottle with a gold top. I don't think it would be the best idea to travel with this foundation. It does have some weight to it. One con I have with the packaging is that there is no pump. I've seen some people replace the gold cap with a pump from other brands like NARS and MAC. I think I may have to sacrifice the luxe look that the gold top provides for the practicality of a pump. I have the shade 6W1 Sandalwood. It matches me perfectly. I matched myself so I'm pretty proud.

The consistency of this foundation is thicker than the Urban Decay Naked Skin foundation which is very light. It's also definitely thicker than the L'oreal Magic Nude Liquid Powder foundation which is really watery. However, the Double Wear foundation will still run down the back if your hand.

The claims on the box are:

For all skintypes. 15 hour staying power. Looks fresh and flawless through heat, humidity, nonstop activity. Won't change color, smudge, or come off on clothes. Lightweight and so comfortable, you believe it's long wear. Medium buildable coverage. Won't clog pores. Oil-controlling. Oil-free. Fragrance-free. Dermatologist- and  Ophthalmologist-tested.

I'm not in the practice of keeping my makeup on for 15 hours. So, I cannot attest to that. However, I can say that this foundation lasted 6 to 7 hours. I've never worn it longer than that. Especially since it's summer and I'm not as busy as I usually am during the semester. The coverage on this foundation is medium and it can be built up to full. I have applied with both a beauty blender and a brush. They both blend it out nicely. This foundation does set fast so I don't recommend placing all over your face before blending it out. It would be best to do one half of your fast at a time.

I've never applied more than one layer. I have added more foundation to cover blemishes in certain areas. I did have a few breakouts when I was trying out this foundation. It covered them nicely but you could still see the raised bumps. I don't think anything can cover that. I did notice that it transferred a little when I wiped the side of my mouth with a napkin while I was eating.Someone on YouTube said that happens only if you apply any type of powder or other makeup over it. I don't know how true that is. I didn't notice any transfer onto my hijab. I do wear a translucent powder over this because my skin is very oily. I did notice that this foundation kept me matte for 10-20 minutes. Which is longer than any other foundation. My oiliness is a problem. I'm not as oily when I don't wear makeup. Also, I got less oily throughout the day with this foundation on.

Bottom Line: This foundation gets my stamp of approval. It's good for my oiliness during the summer. However, I wouldn't wear it every day.

So, That's it.

Have you tried this foundation? Will you?

Until Next Time,

Aleema :)

Review: Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara

Assalamu wa Alaykum/ Hi,

I thought that I've already found the mascara for me. It did everything I wanted and needed it to. That mascara was Benefit's They're Real mascara. It made my already somewhat long lashes longer without any pesky fibers that I despise.

I've heard the hype surrounding the Better than Sex mascara. I mean, it's hard not to. The name alone catches you're attention. However, I try not to follow the hype too much. It seems almost like fate when I saw the Lash Stash to go box set for $25 online at Sephora.

Five mini mascaras and a voucher for full size for $25? That's a steal! I was kind of hoping that I wouldn't like this mascara. I was already happy with my favorite and mascaras at Sephora can really go up in price.

The voucher comes in a sleeve and on the back you can choose which mascara you would like a full size of and there's a barcode that has to be scanned in store.

Although you can buy this box set in online at Sephora.com, you cannot redeem the voucher online.

Each mascara comes with some sort of description.  For this mascara the description is:

separates, coats and curls to voluptuous perfection.

This mascara retails for $23. It's up there with Benefit's They're Real mascara. I'll be comparing them a lot in this post because I feel like these two mascaras are competing with one another.

This the description on Too Faced's website: Take home our Better Than Sex mascara and all your desires for lush, incredibly intense lashes will be fulfilled. One application of our collagen-fueled formula and touch of our specially shaped brush will leave you begging for more. One coat and lashes are full, defined and stretched to unbelievable lengths. Two coats and they’re reaching unbelievable heights of drama. Three coats and you’ll believe in magic.

More claims:

• Film-forming Polymer for smudge-proof, all day wear
• Acacia Senegal Tree Extract to nourish, thicken and lock curl in place
• Unique Peptides for the deepest, intense black possible
• 1,944% more volume
• 100% saw longer lashes
• 100% saw dramatic volume
• 93% saw base-to-tip curl
• 8 out of 10 say it’s the best mascara they’ve ever used
• 3.4 out of 10 say great lashes are better than sex
• 3.1 out of 10 agree that this mascara is so good, it’s better than sex
• Vegan Friendly 

It was love at first swipe. After my first application I literally stared and said "wow." For the second and third bullet points I didn't notice a change in my actual lashes as far as their condition goes. 

This mascara is volumizing. Not too volumizing though so it's not clumpy. However, it has the potential to be. If that makes sense. You should be careful with it. When you pull the wand out of the tube a bit of product collects on the end. As for the curl, I cannot really speak on that. My eyelashes have a natural curl. This mascara is one of the best I've ever used. It's in my top 3. It's definitely giving the They're Real mascara a run for it's money. For the last two claims, I'm pretty sure they put them there for giggles. I can't really attest to those claims. :)

In the picture on the right I'm wearing Benefit's They're Real mascara and on the left I'm wearing the Better than Sex mascara. My lashes are so much more visible on the left.

The wand has been described as a hourglass shape. It's fuller at each end and thinner in the middle. I don't know how that affects the application but I am a firm believer that a wand makes 75% of a mascara.

Bottom line: I love this mascara. If you're contemplating it you should definitely try out the sample size. I still love my They're Real mascara. They're going to have to duke it out for my #1 choice.

Also, yesterday Too Faced sent out this video which I knew was coming but is still funny nonetheless.

So, That's it.

Have tried this mascara? Will you?

Until Next Time,

Aleema :)

Review: Smashbox Photo Matte Anti-Shine Primer

Assalamu wa Alaykum/ Hi,

If you have been read a few of my blog posts you may or may not know that my skin is naturally oily. Therefore, I am always looking for new ways to keep it matte. Due to the heat in Dubai, my skin was even oiler. My Urban Decay De-slick setting spray wasn't cutting it anymore. I bought this primer from the Sephora in the Dubai Mall.

The product comes in a squeeze tube which is convenient. It allows you to control how much product you use. You only need a small amount.

Here is the claims of the product as written on the packaging:

This cream gel formula instantly absorbs oil and minimizes the appearances of pores, leaving skin shine free for up to 8 hours. Wear alone, over/under makeup or dab on for touch-ups.

Does this product keep my skin oil free for 8 hours?

No, It didn't last for 8 hours. When I first bought it I was pleasantly surprised that it managed to suppress my oil at all. I will say that I feel that this primer is better at reducing my oil than suppressing it completely. For the first couple of hours I was shine free but after that I noticed my oil coming through just not as much.

Does this product minimizes the appearance of pores?

Not really. If it did, it wasn't noticeable to me.

I've applied this product alone, under, and over makeup, and it performed the same.

I believe that this product costs about 165 Dirhams. I know I got ripped off once again. But, this primer was out of stock in Dubai for about 2 weeks, and when I checked Sephora website it was out of stock online and in stores in the US.

Final Thoughts: I give this product a thumbs up. I think it is better to be used for touch ups though.

So, That's it.

Until Next Time. :)

September Favorites

Assalam wa Alaykum/ Hi,

I've been in Dubai for over a month now and I've only posted once...I think. Anyway, I love it here. I've been so busy sightseeing. But, since Eid is coming up (Eid Mubarak!!) I have off from classes and pretty much all my friends left Dubai. -_- At least I'll have some free time to post more. So,I haven't done one of these in a while so I figured why not.

 1) Benefit's Fake up: I have a separate review for this concealer. So, I'm not going to review it again now but I love it. All the evidence of my late nights disappear with this!

2) Revlon Nearly Naked Pressed Powder: I've written about this powder before. This one is in the shade Deep, the darkest shade I believe. I bought this one just before I left NY. I originally had the shade Medium/Deep. I tanned and untanned repeatedly since I've been here. So, I'm glad I picked up Deep before I left. The powder is so soft.

3) Inglot blush palette: I originally made this palette for my trip to the Caribbean. However, I decided to bring it with me to Dubai also. I wore the darkest color on the left for my birthday. I had dinner with friends at the Cheesecake Factory. Sadly, I was slacking in my posts and didn't put up the pictures from that night. Anyway, I have a post up with the blush colors if you're interested.

4) Benefit They're Real mascara: I think I'll love this mascara until I die. I'm so infatuated with it. I just wish that they made a waterproof version of it because the heat and humidity here is really testing my makeup.

5) Revlon's Lash Potion mascara: I really like this mascara it gives my lashes a nice natural pretty look but They're Real is still my favorite.

6) Victoria's Secret palette: I'm not sure if this palette has a name but it is the first palette that I have ever owned and I'm rediscovering it. I have one main fav out of this palette for the moment. It is the mint green eyeshadow in the bottom row. I actually use as a liner in my bottom waterline because I can't find an eyeliner in this color. I've been looking everywhere! The only company that sells it that I'm aware of is Nars and there is no Nars in Dubai. They were out of stock of it in Sephora before I left too. :(  If you know where to find an eyeliner in a similar color let me know!

7) Sephora palette: I don't know the exact name for this one either but it looks like a Sephora shopping bag. I think it's the medium size one. I'm loving the black and brown gel eyeliners in this palette. Gel eyeliner is becoming my thing right now. As you can see I've started to hit pan on the black gel eyeliner.

So, that's it.

P.S. I've been thinking of doing a haul post but I don't know if I should do it as I shop like a 'Dubai Mall haul' or at the when I go back to NY as a 'Dubai Haul.' Let me know what you think.

Until Next Time

Aleema :)

Open Box: Sephora

Assalam wa Alaykun/ Hi,
I received an order I made from Sephora a couple weeks ago and decided to share it. It was a small purchase just one thing but I received a number of samples. I love getting samples. It's free stuff! So, I always utilize as many coupon offers as I can. So, let's get started:

I'll start off with the samples. The first one is La vie est belle by Lancome.

I love the way this perfume smells. I may consider buying it when it runs out. However, I'm also in love with Bright Crystal by Versace.

The next one is Marchesa Parfum D'Extase.

This perfum has a standard perfum smell. It's okay but I probably wouldn't purchase. The next one is Soap and Glory Face Soap and Clarity.

 I haven't tried this soap yet. So, I can't give any real comment about it. The next on is Benefit's Some Kind a Gorgeous in medium in a to-go size.

The packaging for this is cool! It's supposed to be a record player.

At first glance I thought the color matched me perfectly. And it did. It matched my hand perfectly. Which of course is much lighter than my face. Go figure!

Right now I'm trying to use it as a concealer. I'll see if that works. It's too cute to just throw away. Finally, my purchase for this order was Clinique's Acne Solution Clear Skin System.

So, far this has been working to clear up my face. It's going slowly though.

So, that's everything. 

Until Next Time :)