A Violet Tinge

Ah, my burnt little crumpets!

My scathed scones, blameless though you are, and seething with the unjustice of it all, forgive me! I may have left you too long in the oven! I was lost, my dears, lost to your piteous bleats! For I was admiring my latest acquisition, as it shone with a potent lustre! Almost as potent as this third cup of coffee.

Revlon Icy Violet! 

Lookit!

Checkit!
Get yo' own, homie G dawg shiggity diggity boom boom!

(Coffee--in this town, we blame...ze...coffee).

Giggity (doesn't the stupid headband make me look like someone from Mortal Kombat?)
LUSH Sophisticated cream shadow, Smashbox Icon cream shadow, Dior Extase Pinks, MAC Tilt/Star Violet

Understated 'violet'...it mutes down the lips so they gently complement the cool-toned eyes.

A great formula, better than the regular line I think, because it is that bit more balm-y and hydrating. Frost-frightened little lambs need not refrain... Tis not frosty in the least, the 'icy' in the name refers only to a subtle dusting of splendour. Although the doctor has been nudging me to get my eyesight evaluated... 

Background: ze company, zey were kind enough to re-release five previously discontinued lipsticks, voted for by ze peoples. 

Mais...un petit probleme.. zey are of ze limited edition variety. Alackaday! (More informative, less annoying post here)

I refuse to get so attached to les ojets zat I indulge in 49 backups. Although...c'est une possibilite, n'est-ce pas?

In any case, Icy Violet...when thou dost finally drop, plippity plop, from the market stands, and when the last little stub bids us adieu, you shall be missed. You are like MAC Fluid refined, less ostentatious, less deadening. You are like a Clinique Plum Perfect, but less greasy, a softened gleam, less out-of-this-nebula metallic. 

Violet, plum, withered prune colours, zey are my favourite! 

And so I shall share, in this same post, oui, in this very one (it must be your lucky day!), ANOTHER GOOD VIOLET-ISH PLUM-ISH LIPSTICK!

Zut alors! I see you sway...clasp your walking stick for support. My dear! You must not faint with the excitement of it all! Smelling salts, Marie! Bring the smelling salts! 

Anyway... I give you...Dior Prune Daisy...

Lise Watier Les Cuivres palette on eyes, over Smashbox Icon cream e/s

No lipliner used, believe it or not. This guy is so tenacious, vibrant, and awesome. I wrote a (coffee-charged) post on him somewhere here, bemoaning the reformulation, condemning it. 

I WAS A FOOL!

2013 Beauty Favourites

Trumpets! Unfurl the flags! Confetti! Parading horses! It's time...

Following are some beauty favourites from the past year. Not necessarily the most used items, just ones that make my heart flutter.

Hopefully, it is useful. In any case I had fun compiling it.

 L-R: Elizabeth Arden Poppy Cream Color Intrigue lipstick, Anna Sui 701, Elizabeth Arden Cassis Ceramide lipstick, Anna Sui 303, Elizabeth Arden Neoclassical Coral - Center: Cargo 'South Beach' lipgloss quad/wheel/thingamajigger

Poppy Cream: The red to surpass all reds. The formula was creamy, superb.
It has been replaced with "Power Red" in the Beautiful Colour line. Out of sheer obstinacy, I will not be purchasing that one, although I have swatched it to compare, it has NOTHING on Poppy Cream.

Anna Sui 701: My perfect nude lips. More on the honey side of nudes, than pinky/beige. Formula: feels sheer, but opaque. I use Lizzy Arden's Sugared Kiss lipliner beneath it, if I can be arsed.

Cassis: I love berries, I love plums, and this is the best one of my collection. The ceramide lipsticks have an amazing formula, smooth, not too creamy, it actually imparts a lot of moisture and colour to dry lips. Fine shimmer, nothing frosty. Understated compared to other berries/plums that I have, but not in a boring way. Luxurious, slightly weighty, golden packaging.

Anna Sui 303: A fun pink, the closest to "bubblegum pink" I can pull off on my skintone.

Cargo South beach lipgloss quad: I can't stand gloopy gloss, this is an extremely soft, like, softer than butter, formula. It is also quite moisturizing, like a soft, creamy balm. Doesn't feel heavy/sticky/gloopy andn gloppy.
Pigmented enough to be stand-alone lip colours.

Lypsyl, Dior Rose balm

Lypsyl: Cherry flavour reeks, plan to get the basic, unscented one, once this is fini. Dunno what's so special about it. The ingredients seem straightforward enough. Still, it's a little miracle. Weightless feeling on the lips, sinks in well, just need to apply a couple of times a day. It isn't one of those "addictive" balms which do more harm than good, and dry out lips over time so that you have to constantly reapply.

Dior balm: Feels very thick and "protective." Imparts the slightest bit of pale pink colour. Need very little, but still, as you can see, I've hit pan.

TOP L-R: Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy, MAC Typographic, Annabelle Smudgepot gel liner, LUSH Sophisticated cream shadow, Pupa Luminys Silk 701
MIDDLE: Revlon Naturally Glamourous palette, Fyrinnae Snow Leopard, Electric Stardust (discontinued), Immortality, Estee Lauder Cream Shadow Mochachino, Benefit Strut cream shadow.
LAST: Lise Watier Eye Shine in Fauve, Anna Sui pen eyeliner in 500, Elizabeth Arden Smoky Eyes Powder pencil, Artist of Makeup 9-pan eyeshadow palette, Benefit Big Beautiful eyes palette.

Fyrinnae Stuffffs: Pixie Epoxy-great little base to help glittery eyeshadows stay on instead of scattering onto your cheek (the cheek!). I use it as an eyeshadow primer, too. It works well with loose e/s. Snow leopard eyeshadow is a gleaming taupe. Electric Stardust is a colour-changing mint-green. Immortality is a basic black with multi-coloured glitter.

Eyeliners:
Annabelle smudgepot gel liner: I find it better than Bobbi Brown, etc. Also better than the more inexpensive Maybelline/Essence/WetnWild gel liners. It is very creamy, but a tiny bit spreads out across the whole eye, so it's not as cakey as some others can be, esp if they are built up. Easy to manouvre or build up, dries perfectly opaque, crisp blackest of blacks, and doesn't hurt when used in the waterline.
Lise Watier Fauve: Lavender taupe. Smooth, no tugging necessary. Je use it for the lower lashline, it gives the perfect amount of defining shadow, but the subtle shine/shimmer also makes the eyes look a bit bigger and shinier than if it were an opaque colour. Stays on all day, but you have a little window to smudge it out across the lid if you please.
Anna Sui pen eyeliner in 500: This is amazingggggg. It's a rich brown with a golden sheen running through it, soooo pretty. It is a great liquid eyeliner formula, in a felt tip pen form. The felt tip is fine, precise, but flexible, and can be turned on its side, so you can get a thinner line inwards, and thicken it outwards in ONE FELL SWOOP! You turn the end once, and you get enough 'liquid' for both eyes (unlike other twisty-pen liners where you have to turn again and again).
Elizabeth Arden Smoky Eyes powder pencil in black: You get a hazy line, so it looks instantly smokey. It is a sophisticated, smudged-out sort of look, and it lasts all day for me. It is pigmented, but not overly so (not like those overly-creamy, newfangled 'gel liners' which I don't like).

Eyeshadows:
MAC Typographic: Tis the divine Matte2 formula, smooth, rich pigment, blends well. A basic almost-black. You can build it up to black. Very versatile. It gives that powder kohl look, without hassle of fallout. I love it for outer V or to soften the edge of eyeliner... Everyone should have this.
LUSH Sophisticated: Gleaming lavender taupe, exact match for Lise Watier's Fauve. Cream shadow that you apply with a sponge applicator, great formula. it works well as a base for any taupe looks, or alone blended at the crease.
Pupa Luminys Silk 401: MY VERY FIRST TAUPE. Baked eyeshadow, it is actually more massive than in the pic (I have used it so much that the round dome shape has flattened, and I've hit pan). Shimmery pale brownish taupe. Lasts allllll day without primer.
Estee Lauder Mochachino: A cream shadow which never creases, yet not too thick and annoyingly paint-like. My fave cream shadow formula, better than Shiseido, etc, imo. Colour is a taupe with a bluish shimmer, builds up to a darkish cool brown.
Benefit Strut: Stands alone (although I have used it with other colours) as an all-over lid colour, with black liner (in waterline too).. A bluish-greyish, shimmery, Young Hollywood, smokey eye look for the masses! ( Caveat: needs some sort of eye primer.

Palettes:
Revlon Naturally Glamourous: Inexpensive, assortment of brown eyeshadows with a taupe thrown in for good measure. Good quality, except for the white-ish shadow (comes out as a dirty muddy pale...something. Not pigmented).
Artist of Makeup palette: Good formula! Addictively beautiful colours! The 9-palette is very useful! Magnetized! Have used it nonstop since acquisition! A closer look:

L-R: St Tropez, Hush, Espresso, Hollywood, Marrakech, Bare Canvas, Cocoa, Brazen, Nutmeg

Benefit Big Beautiful Eyes: A no-brainer, basic neutral look, the concealer isn't bad (I use it to clean up edges or define the eyebrow half the time). Comes with useful little brushes.

Skincare:
Neostrata Toning Solution Level 2: Keeps my skin smooth, clear (not this week though as I've been too lazy to use it), and seems to brighten it a bit. AHA, BHA? Am covered.
Saeed Ghani Rosewater mist: I use it every day, under moisturizer, over makeup, last thing at night... Was misting it in Little Love's face yesterday, to his delight... Here is his testimonial: "gah goo ba ba da mmm mmm." I like it very much, it's a hoot and a half!
Bioderma Hydrabio Riche moisturizer: Perfect for sensitive, dry skin. Superbly moisturizing, yet light texture, sinks in. Gives a nice boing to the skin, or maybe I imagine it. Has niacinamide not too far down the ingredients list, so here's hoping it's contributing some brightening effect.
Burt's Bees Radiance Night Cream: Just a good night cream, that, of the many ones I've tried, doesn't irritate or break out my skin. Rich and moisturizing, absorbs well on top of freshly misted skin, so long as I am cognizant of using only the teensiest amount. Downside: scent isn't the best,, but JE NE GIVE A DAMN PAS!

Didn't photograph: my fave body skincare, perfume, bronzer, blush, foundation. You need something to anticipate, don't you?

AOM: It will make your heart flutter

Artist of Makeup: never have I anticipated a product launch more. If you know of Zukreat Nazar, you might know what I'm talking about. She has glorious makeup tutorials, which I adore for her elaborate Arabic style. The way she does eyes up is simultaneously too much, and just right. That sweet spot.

Anyway. She used awesome products in said videos, right? Contouring sticks, eyeshadows, blushes. And they looked pretty excellent but they were from her upcoming makeup line...WHICH TOOK FOREVER TO COME OUT. The wait period was excruciating!

When the site was finally up and running, I spent an hour(s)(s)(s) hunched over trying to figure out what to get. It looked so GOOD! Some of it didn't appeal to me, admittedly (the blushes-not a blush person, honestly. And foundations...I will never cheat on Vichy Dermablend! Never! Never! Except with Shiseido!). I toyed with the idea of maybe spending baby's university diaper fund on the magnificent pro HD eyeshadow palette and big fat professional brush kit. But...I'm not a pro. I'm an aficionado.

I got five neutrals loosely inspired by my Dior Rosy Tan. Neutrals, to better suit my warm, medium toned skin. Although I use the Dior palette daily (it is a perfect, harmonius blend of understatement), I have issues with 1. pigmentation 2. the tone (it was definitely made with lighter skin in mind) 3. creasing.

These were meant to pick up where that lacks.

So.

They are, in a word, though I despise the word, fabulous. Tres so. Substantial pigment yet they blend beautifully.

Cast:

1. Bare Canvas - a creamy, smooth pale peachy-pink (a warm pastel pink), with a sheen. The texture is similar to Wet 'n Wild's Brulee eyeshadow, but...smoother, if that is possible. I would compare it to NARS' All About Eve palette, the texture is something like that. It is almost overly-smooth, by which I mean your brush may pick up too much. You may have to dust it off a bit, if you are into more subtle looks. This is my favourite because it brightens the eyes so well.

2. Hush - A scrumdiddlyumptious soft mauve, similar to the top shade in Guerlain's Les Fumes, but with gentle micro-shimmer running through it. Satin finish. This is well-suited for hazel and green eyes, particularly, and I can't wait to try it on my mother, who, indeed, possesses such a pair.  [edit: OMG, I DROPPED IT REALLY BADLY, AND IT CRUMBLED TO DUST JUST NOW!! :'( I should've gotten a palette to put it all in...]

3. Nutmeg - Warm matte. Soft. Smooth. No issues with chalkiness or powderiness. Maybe a bit too warm to be an everyday crease shade for EVERY look for me, but I can see it working on some people. It plays reaaaally well with the other characters in this movie, though. (edit: just wanted to add that I have seen Zukreat use this several times as a bronzer/contour shade, so it is multi-purpose!)

4. St. Tropez - Bling. Zing zang zoopity zoop. A mixture of fine shimmer and glitter, which adds dimensional interest to what could otherwise be a dull Mac Woodwinked dupe. Very very gold. It actually matches my gold wedding jewellery perfectly. A good pick for desi brides, then. Very smooth, and it picks up the warmth of aforementioned Nutmeg, they make a good team. A+.

5. Espresso - Matte cool-toned brown. It blends out into almost a plummy shade. No issues with patchiness, which was my main concern.

So...following are some swatches, apologies as I have naught but an iPhone cam. :(
They look soooo much nicer in person. Swiped on with fingers, and no primer.

Nutmeg, Espresso, St. Tropez, Hush, Bare Canvas

See how nicely they sit on the skin? Particularly the mattes; rare to find mattes like this. On the lids, they blend and sit beautifully, perfect for a minimalist look as well as a standard "brown smokey"--and things in between (cut-crease, the Old Hollywood eye, etc). I went over the swatches a couple of times (did the same for the following Dior ones), because this is my first time swatching and I barely touched the product for the first swipe.

Arrogant comparison to Dior Rosy Tan shades (right of each AOM shade), although they are not supposed to be dupes, I just wanted to compare the colours.

(As you can see, the Dior is very well put together, almost too well put together, as it looks like a haze of meh on my lids.)

I'm wearing 'em today. No primer yet no creasing.

On my way to the pediatrician, not a calculus exam, although you'd be forgiven for thinking so, given my odious expression.

Lizzy Arden's smoky black pencil, L'Oreal Double Extend Beauty Tubes 'scara, aforementioned Artist of Makeup e/s,

Omorovicza tinted moisturizer mixed with Shiseido Perfect Refining foundation,

Guerlain Terracotta liquid blush in Spicy Coral, Omorovicza Sunkiss bronzer, Essence Bronzer in Blondes,

Dior Nude glow sculpting powder in a shade much too pale for me, and ....Dior Nude "lip blush" (eye roll) in Trench.

 So in conclusion:
1. Get these. If not today, next Sunday.
2. Don't be une massive dope like me--acquire one of the empty (9, 15, or 30) palettes, so you don't end up dropping the unprotected little shadow and have to repress it. *weeps*
3. Well done, Zukreat.

Miss Dior Cherie Bow (Review)

I had to get the Miss Dior Cherie Bow palette. The packaging = glorious cuteness, cute gloriousness, whichever way you look at it (on your head or sideways).

In terms of a review, I don't want to be honest.

I want to praise it to the skies.

 I love it and have been using it EVERY DAY since acquisition.

But the truth is that it...no I won't say it! OK I will: only the eyeshadows are good.

Of which there are only three, and pretty dull colours. They work better in conjunction with other shadows, useful to have, but so boring on their own.

The gel liner sucks. It smudges, hard to get on lids, etc.
The lipgloss is moisturizing but also, sucky. I have a Dior travel palette in which EVERY ITEM is a keeper, glosses included, it's puzzling why they would release something so mediocre. Recession chic... Sheikh Recession..

Frankly, most people require each item to dazzle / delight, in a palette, in order for them to fork over their life savings. But me different (loco).
This is the 2nd time in a row Dior has disappointed me. I was still reeling from the bitter letdown, that was their travel brush set (brushes shed, don't work as well as my Ecotools ones...could've spent that cash on two sets of Real Techniques)...

But all's well that ends well. Because I get a genuine thrill of little-girl-joy from it, something I haven't gotten since the days of tea parties with teddy bears, Mrs Bunny, and the whole string of her "friends and relations". I find excuses to use it every single day. This is something Minnie Mouse would keep in her purse along with a string of plastic pearls and a slice of cheddar.



Day look

Estee Lauder Mochachino cream shadow as base, followed by all three eyeshadow shades, lightest to darkest. Nothing on lower lash line.

Same look carried into evening (Arabic smokey eye):

Essence's black gel liner on both upper and lower lash lines, winged out. (Tried to use the gel liner included in the Dior palette, but it was a fail)

 In between the two wings, a flick of the palest pink eyeshadow.

More dark shadow piled onto lid. More mascara.
 Nothing on waterline.
 Quite authentic, as I saw many Saudi women do this exact type of makeup.

Items used:

Omorovicza Queen of Hungary Mist

Guerlain primer

Omorovicza Complexion Enhancer (not in pic)

Diorskin Nude Sculpting Powder

Annabelle Haute Chocolate used to contour

Estee Lauder cream shadow Mochachino

Dior Cherie Bow Palette

MAC Expensive Pink on outer 3rd of lid (to add warmth)

Fyrinnae Evocation on inner corner (sparkle)

Rimmel Paradise lipstick