recent beauty purchases

Hello beauties,

After a recent allergic reaction on my face, I went on a hunt to find skin care items free of SLS, parabens and alcohol. I was pretty much looking for a new skin care regimen that included products specifically tailored for sensitive skin and without all the crap that most companies love to put in their skin care line. I checked out Avene and most high-end brands, but to my dismay most of the products contained parabens, SLS or Alcohol.


As a last resort, I stopped by the Vichy counter at my local pharmacy to see if they included any of the above mentioned ingredients. I found these 2 items that didn't:

I got the Purete Thermale Purifying Foaming Cream Cleanser and Cleansing Micellar Solution (Bioderma solution dupe). They were reasonable priced and also 30% off! I was a happy shopper.

I will post a skin care routine post soon.




















I also decided to place an order on strawberrynet.com for the Laura Mercier Mineral Powder in Natural Beige. The Mineral foundation is supposed to be dewy looking and is also paraben free. Score! I haven't really used it yet, but will post a review once I have used the product enough.

Last but not least, I caved in and placed an ebay order to get my hands on the discontinued Chanel Soleil Tan de Chanel make-up base and bronzer. This came only recently and so far I have only smelled it. I must say, it smells divine! The only down side is that the bronzer has 5 different parabens on the list of ingredients. This is a shame. Especially since I am trying to buy paraben-free products as much as possible as of recent.

So far I like the Vichy items I got and can't wait to use the make-up products as well.

Have you tried any of these products? Which brush do you use for the Chanel bronzer?

Love,

Maya

Signature Look

I had been meaning to post this for a while, but was struggling with an allergic reaction and pretty much used very minimal products and no make-up for about a week. Once my skin cleared up, I decided to finally take a picture and post this post.

This is pretty much my signature look these days: Perfect base, light blush/bronzer, heavily smudged lower lash line with Kohl or neutral eye shadows and tons of mascara. On a night out, I also like to add some lipstick.

Products used:
MAC SFF NC25 mixed with a tad NC30
MAC Bronzer in Refined Golden
Milani Luminous Blush (♥)
Nars Smudgeproof eyeshadow primer
MAC Teddy and Smolder Kohl smudged around eyes
Lots of Mascara - mainly L'Oreal Volume Million Lashes and Clinique Sumptious
Labello
MAC Angel lipstick (Frost)

This look never fails me. What is your signature look?

Love,
Maya

My MAC lipglosses - Review & Challenge

 My MAC lipgloss collection is fairly small and since I hardly use them I decided to do a review and weekly challenge with them before taking them back-2-MAC.

What's the challenge?

• Use MAC lipgloss of choice every day for the upcoming week

Now on to the reviews!

 


 
Underage:
Underage is  probably one of the most popular MAC lipglasses. It's a nude milky pink shade that has very subtle shimmer to it that disappears once the product is on your lips. It has the distinct Vanilla scent that all MAC lip products have. The consistency is thick and gooey. It's quite sticky. Like all MAC lipglasses, I find this product to be too sticky for my liking and not moisturizing enough. The consistency will emphasize dry skin and you must make sure to have well moisturized lips when using this product. The colour probably works best for lighter skintones. I find that it washes my NC25/30 skin out.

Rating: 2 out of 5
Will I repurchase? No.

Lychee Luxe:
Lychee Luxe is also a lipglass. It's a gorgeous corally shade that has some sparkle to it. I bought it on a whim when I couldn't get my hands on Queen Bee. Like Underage it is gooey, sticky and not moisturizing. The smell is lovely and if the consistency of this lipglass was better I would quite like it. The shade will probably suit warmer and medium to dark skin tones best.

Rating: 2 out of 5
Will I repurchase? No.


Venetian:
Venetian is a lovely Lustreglass. It's less pigmented than lipglasses, but has a lovely consistency. It's smooth, doesn't emphasize any dryness and is not sticky. It's a deep red and almost has a slight cool undertone to it and subtle red shimmers. It's also got the yummy Vanilla scent to it. I love wearing this with black eyeliner and tons of Mascara.

Rating: 4 out of 5
Will I repurchase? Probably not. (I don't get much use out of it).

Overall, I must say that I am not a fan of lipglasses and regret buying them. I don't like the quality and the price tag that comes along with it. There are much better alternatives out there that are cheaper, such as Revlon's lip glosses. I may check out creamsheens and other lustreglasses once I use up some of my products.

What do you think of MAC lipglosses? Are they worth the hype?


Love,
Maya

Revisiting: What am I using right now - Tag

This is a tag from 2009 that I decided to do again. I tag anyone who wants to do this tag and Get Gawjus (http://www.getgawjus.com/), Saadeh from Shadowy Lady (http://shadowylady.blogspot.com/), Sandra from 15 steps, then a beauty blog (http://www.15stepsblog.com/), Laura from buy now, blog later (http://www.buynowbloglater.com/) and http://delytefulspeaks.blogspot.com/.

Please check out the blogs of these lovely ladies, they're fantastic!

Shampoo: Pantene Pro V for Dry and Damaged hair. I like it, however, I will be looking for something Paraben Free. Recommendations welcome.

Conditioner: Moroccan Oil Conditioner. LOVE. Paraben-free and amazing conditioning properties. Yes, it's a little pricey but it's lasting me forever.

Styling products: None. However I do use Moroccan Oil after I wash my hair. This has seriously saved my hair.

Shower Gel: Milk & Honey and Almond by either Palmolive.

Body moisturizer: The Body Shop's Body Butter in Sheah Butter. Again, need to find something Paraben-free

Face moisturizer: I use quite a few simply because I haven't found my holy grail item yet.

Morning: Mainly Yes to Carrots - Moisturizing Day Cream, Estee Lauder Revelation and Nivea Daily Moisturizer.

Evening:
Estee Lauder - Advanced Night Repair Serum, Yes to Carrots - Moisturizing Night Cream

Deodorant: Fa and CD

Fake Tan: Clarins' Instant Smooth Self Tanning

Cleanser: MAC's Cleanse-Off Oil, Estee Lauder Gentle Eye Make Up Remover, Garnier Essentials Toner, Balea wash gel

Exfoliator: St. Ives Apricot Scrub, Yes to Carrots Facial Cleanser

Primer: None

Foundation: Mainly MAC Studio Fix Fluid in NC25 mixed with NC30 to finish them up. Sometimes I will use Nars Sheer Glow or Estee Lauder Double Wear Light.

Foundation brush: My hands or EDM Long Handled Kabuki.

Concealer: MAC Select Moisturecover in NW25 or MAC Select Cover Up - Again trying to finish them up.

Powder: Generally not a fan of powder, as I do like a slightly dewy finish. Everyday Minerals Olive or MAC Blot Powder

Blusher: MAC's Dainty, Milani's Luminous or Nars' Madly

Bronzer: Nars Laguna

Highlighter: Dior Amber Diamond

Eyeshadow base: Nars Smudgeproof eyeshadow base

Eyeshadows: MAC: Soba or Era all over the lid, Mulch smudged under the bottom lashline, or Naked Lunch all over the lid with Mulch in the crease, UD Naked palette

Eyeliner: MAC Blacktrack Fluidline (trying to finish it up)

Curler: none

Mascara: Estee Lauder Sumptious, L'oreal Million Lashes

Lipstick: MAC Creme d'Nude or Jazzed, Smashbox Pout

Lipgloss: Smashbox Pout

Nail Colour: You don't know Jacques - This seriously is my all time favorite polish!

Your turn!

Love,
Maya

Clarins Haul and Mini Review

I guess I just can't resist great deals. I had been eying the Clarins self tanners and lip gloss in no 2 for a while. When I saw that the Instant Smooth Self Tanning was down to approx. 28 usd and the Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector lip gloss had 20% off, I counted myself lucky and guess what - caved in! I am pretty excited about the recent purchases, even though I haven't tried the lip gloss yet in an effort to finish my current lip glosses.

Mini Review:
The self tanner is formulated for the face and can be used before make up application. It contains Dimethicone and works like a primer, smoothing out face lines and helping your make up last longer. I find that it is less orange than most other self-tanners and achieves a natural tan within 2 applications. I used it two days in a row and then again after about 4 days to maintain it. So far it hasn't broken me out. The only con is that it is in a jar and only 30 mls.

Have you tried any of the products?

What other Clarins products do you love?

Love,
Maya

Guerlain Haul

It's been a while since I last blogged, but I promise, I am still here.

My drugstore finally put up a Guarlain counter and to my surprise had a Blush G tester! I got super excited as I had been looking for one for months and no one seemed to have it here.

They only had 2 available and 20% off. I decided to cave in and get it. Hell yeah, I do need another blush in my collection.

I also got some freebies, which convinced me even more.

I got the Guerlain G blush, a complimentary brush set, Idylle body lotion and a gorgeous lip gloss in Violine.



Simply gorgeous...




Travel size brush kit...I always need more brushes!



Kiss Kiss



What other Guerlain products would you recommend? Do you have any of the products listed above?

Love,
Maya

Neutral Blushes

Many people generally go crazy for nude lips and nude eyeshadow. How about nude blushes though? You all know what I am talking about: Neutral coloured blushes that give you the right amount of natural blush and will magically sculpt your face without being obvious.

Nude/neutral blushes are generally warm/neutral toned with hues of light brownish pink, peach or plum. Most nude blushes I have seen are either matte or satin for a natural appearance. The perfect nude/neutral blush for you personally depends on your skin tone and undertones.

After looking through my blush collection of nude/neutral blushes, I realized that it's fairly moderate sized. In the past, I haven't really been thrilled about them...well, until about a week ago. You may ask why? Well, I just love my peaches and light pinks. But after having been wearing my favourite nude blush for the past week, I am sold! I am talking about Nars Madly, which I have owned for a while. Nude blushes lift your face without being overpowering. You can simply wear your favourite foundation, a neutral blush and mascara and you are ready to leave the house. Minimal, quick and really beautiful.

Neutral blushes can also used to bronze up your face or in correlation with a more pigmented blush on the apple of your cheek.

Below you will see my nude blushes, including swatches.


In order of appearance: Nars Madly, Clinique Bashful Plum, MAC Prim & Proper (LE) and Barry M Natural Dazzle


Estee Lauder Deluxe All-Over Face Palette (LE)



Me wearing Madly.


Also wearing MAC SFF NC25, L'Oreal Voluminious and MAC Jazzed

What is your favourite nude/neutral blush?

Love,
Maya

Chanel Haul

Hi lovelies,

After hearing about Chanel discontinuing their Pro Lumiere foundation, I finally decided to cave in and buy it. I am currently a MAC NC25 in SFF. I tried both 30 and 40, but found that 30 was slightly darker than NC25. The difference between 30 and 40 is about half a shade, so technically I could get away with either. 40 would probably be an NC30 - 35 equivalent and great as my summer shade. That being said, I did find that this foundation is a little heavier and probably best for spring/fall and winter. So I went ahead and chose 30 cendre.

I had also heard amazing things about the Teint Innocence foundation (liquid) and that it was unfortunately discontinued as well. However, the counter I went to, still had them! Woohooo! And with a $20 discount and vouchers from work, I simply had to try it as well. I chose 40 in the Teint Innocence as it felt lighter and suitable for summer. I will probably use this more in summer or even mix the 2 throughout the year.





I will write an in-depth review with swatches once I have tested the foundations enough.

Have you tried Chanel foundations?

Love,
Maya

March Favourites

Hey guys!

For some reason I tend to be quite boring and stick to a similar look with neutral eye shadows and the same cheek combo. Also, for the 2nd half of March I was in Germany and only took a limited amount of make up with me. Without further ado, here are my favourites for the month of March!

On my face I have been wearing MAC's SFF in NC25 mixed with Nars Sheer Glow in Punjab for a more dewy look. This combo allows me to have a semi-matte finish with a glow that will last for most of my workday. MAC's dainty has been my favourite blush this month - again. On some days, I skipped the blush tho and only used MAC's bronzer in refined golden.



As far as eye shadows go I pretty much wore a light shimmery neutral all over the lid (MAC prance or naked lunch) and a darker shade in the outer corner and crease (MAC satin taupe or mulch). Sometimes I would also use one of the darker shades on my bottom lash line for a more sultry look. Even tho the cooler toned eyeshadows prance and satin taupe look gorgeous together, I must say that the combination of prance and mulch brings out the cooler brown tones in mulch. If you own both eyeshadows, you must try this!

On days with minimal makeup I generally just slapped on MAC's bare study (which I am trying to finish) and tons of L'Oreal's Voluminous Mascara.



What were your favourites last month?

Love,
Maya

MAC Pink Power

Hello beauties,

I recently went to MAC to see what I would like from the Wonder Woman collection as it was only launched last week. Because I am on a budget, the only thing I could justify getting was the Pink Power MSF. It seemed unique and very multi-purpose. I am glad I was able to restrict myself to one beauty purchase. The Mineralize Skin Finish comes with 3 colours: A shimmery champagne, a warm toned matte brown and a frosty peachy pink shade. They can be swirled together or used separately as a highlight, blush and bronzer.

Initial thoughts:

Let's start with the packaging. Some may call it gimmicky and ugly, but I think it's funky. Unfortunately it comes without a mirror. The product itself is humongous. It contains 20 gr of product. WOW. I haven't used it enough tho to give a detailed review. The shades in this compact are probably best suited for warm NC15 - NC37 skin tones. The bronzer shade is quite warm and looked a little orange on me. I will see how it looks when I have a darker skin tone during the summer months.

The blush is gorgeous. I have compared it to my all time favourite blush Dainty and Nuance. It's a little lighter and peachier than Dainty but pinker than Nuance.

The highlight is pretty, but like most MSFs a little too shimmery for my taste. The blush and highlight colour should therefore not be worn together, unless you're going for a disco ball look.





*Swatches on my underarm; probably around NC20
**No idea what's up with the last picture.

What did you get from the Wonder Woman collection?

Love,
Maya

Late February Faves

As recently mentioned, I am trying to finish some of my products which means that I generally only reach for a few products. I may switch up an eyeshadow, but that's about it. Without further ado, these are the products I have been reaching for on a daily basis:

Mac Studio Fix Fluid
There's not much to say about this foundation. To me it's a solid foundation that doesn't fail me during a work day. I use this in NC25 during the winter months and it's a perfect match. It covers my redness and any discoloration and has a natural matte-satin finish. The MUA matched me to NC30 but that one oxidizes badly and makes me look way too orange during the paler months of the year.

MAC Bare Study Paint Pot
It's a nice champagny colour with a nice sheen that will stay put for about 6 hours on my oily eyelids. It does last a little longer when I add an additional eyeshadow on top. I generally like using Naked Lunch, all that glitters or the taupy colour from Nars' earth angel duo. I have had this paint pot for a while and need to make sure to use it before it goes off.

MAC Shell Pearl Beauty Powder
This is a gorgoeus pinky peach blush with a golden sheen to it. I apply it with my mini 187. Perfect go-to shade that's not too over the top for a day in the office.

Chanel Ultra Correction Line Repair
Nice smelling serum. I love how it smells and feels. Not sure if it did anything miraculous for my skin. Honestly speaking, I most probably won't be forking out a fortune to buy a full size of it.



Honorable mentions:

Moroccan Oil hair products - I have been using these for the last few months. Thanks to the oil, I have been able to grow my hair. So yes, Moroccan Oil = Love.

Yes to Carrots Day Cream - I love the smell of this and how moisturizing, yet easily absorbed it is.

What products have you been loving in February?

In & Out

Wow, it's been ages since I last posted.

Without further ado, I will list my current Ins and Outs.

IN

Finishing beauty products. Well, I do have many and it's taking a long time finishing even one. Even though I am not on a no-buy, I am working on becoming more frugal. Update soon.

Spring! I cannot wait for spring. Today's blue skies and sun were just gorgeous.

Europe Vacation - I'll be flying to Europe for 10 days in March and I cannot wait!


OUT

Work. I need a vacation seriously!

Studying for exams - I am totally procrastinating which is making things worse.

Lusting over beauty products - I have way too much already.


I will be trying to blog more regularly.

Upcoming posts in no particular order:
- Foundation Overview
- Nars Sheer Glow revisited
- Favourite Blushes
- Top 10 Favourite eyeshadows (Mac and Non-Mac)
- Favourite Nail polishes

What are your Ins & Outs?

Maya