Must Have Beauty Products

My Dearest Beauties,

Call it whatever you want to call it, makeup bag essentials, basic beauty products, or all the makeup I own; these beauty products are the building blocks of your collection and even your makeup routine. I think that some of you ladies that don't really care for makeup own at least one of the products I'll mention.

1. Concealer, because at one point in your life you thought I need something to cover the huge zit on my chin! Concealer is a must have and a savior because if you choose the right shade you get to be flawless in the most undetectable ways. No more under eye circles or blemishes.

Retrieved from www.makeupforever.com

2. Blush, because who doesn't like to look healthy and glowy? I know I do, and as a makeup junky I consider it very important because again I like looking healthy and glowy.

Retrieved from www.chanel.com

3. Eyebrow Pencil/Powder, specially as we get older our eyebrows start to get bald spots that make our eyebrows actually lose their purpose of framing our faces. Eyebrow product is a basic!

Retrieved from www.anastasia.net

4. Mascara, plus eyelash curlers. They go hand in hand, the eyelash curlers open up your eyes and the mascara helps your get darker lashes which will compliment your eyes and make them pop, no matter what.

Retrieved from www.lorealparis.com

5. Lipstick, in any shape or form, go for the formula and and variety of shades that make you feel like a million bucks. Creamy nudes, candy pinks or Valentino red shades, have the selection that works for you.

Retrieved from www.benefitcosmetics.com

These are the beauty products that I consider essential in any lady's beauty drawer, but, I would love to find out what are your must haves, leave them down in the comments.

Much love,

Samar

Autumn/Winter Smokey Eye for Hazel/Brown Eyes

My Dearest Beauties,

Plums and dark warm browns are really in this season. They are not only beautiful colors to use for a smoldering smokey eye but they are also very flattering against hazel and brown eyes. If you have been reading my blog for a long time you may have seen my lovely cousin in a previous makeup pictorial, see it here. So, without further due, I am going to try to explain the steps to achieving this look.

I started off by applying Clinique's Acne Solutions Liquid Makeup, concentrating on the center of the face and diffusing it with my fingers to the edges and neck. I concealed the under eye circles and highlighted the cheekbones, bridge of the nose, center of the forehead chin and cupid's bow with Maybelline's DreamLumi Touch Highlighting Concealer. I don't rub this on the skin but I rather tap it away until it is undetectable. Applying a highlighting concealer helps to sculpt and lift the face which gives more dimension. I set all of that liquid makeup with translucent powder in order to keep the face as fresh as possible. My favorite is Chanel Poudre Universelle Libre applied with Real Technique's Blush Brush.

The key to a great eye makeup is layering. I like to start off by applying a creamy or gel type product. For that I heat the tip of my Dali pencil in Electric Mauve just a tiny bit with a kitchen lighter. This transforms it into a gel that will easily glides onto the eyelid without having to tug or pull on this delicate area. Once I apply it on the eyelid and lower lash line, I blend the edges with the warmth of my fingertips. I then pack the lovely and matte MaxFactor Mono Eye Shadow in Dark Plum #8 using an Ecotools flat shadow brush. Once again, blend, blend, blend. I love to line the upper and lower waterline of the eye with an intense Dali Black Pencil. The combination of the glittery and shimmery base with the matte shadow gives a dimensional and interesting finish to the eyes.

I take the lightest eyeshadow color in the Benefit's Cabana Glama palette and apply it to the inner corner of the eyes to bring light and open them up. I, then, use the Real Technique's Duo Fibre Eye Brush with Hoola bronzer from the same palette and blend it just over the plum color to wrap the smokey eye up and make the lovely Lorena almost look like she was born with a smokey eye on.  I also go in with the the Real Technique Duo Fibre Contour brush with Hoola again, this time I use it along the hair line, a little on the temples and on the sides of the nose to warm Lorena's complexion up.

To finish the skin off I use a very fresh and shimmery blush, on the cheeks blending it up towards the temples, from Benefit called Coralista using again a Real Techniques Duo Fiber Face Brush. Duo fiber brushes are great because they allow you to build up color slowly which helps you avoid applying too much product. Remember that it is easier to put more that to take off.

I then go on and fill in the lips with this amazing Seventeen lip pencil and then add a little shine with Dior's clear gloss. Last but not least, is L'oreal Lash Architect Waterproof Mascara on the top and bottom lashes. A smokey eye calls for a LOT of mascara. I didn't show it, but I did use some Samoa Clear mascara on the eyebrows to ensure they are not moving around.

This last picture was taken with the camera's flash on to see if the makeup passes the picture test. Help me be the judge. Tell me what you think on the comments below.

Remember that you can use any products that you have at home to achieve this look. In case you are to buy any of these, know that I only use my trusted products for makeup pictorials. I hope you found this fun and useful.

Much love,

Samar

Morning After a Night of No Sleep Makeup Look

My Dearest Beauties,

Whether you didn't get enough sleep because you were out partying or because you had too many things on your mind, makeup is an amazing tool we can use to make ourselves look pulled together and as if we got the ideal seven hours beauty sleep. Unfortunately, we have to wake up the next morning and either go to work or uni, or even just run our daily errands, but I know from myself that looking ghostly affects my mood a lot (plus the lack of sleep). Think of it as a pick me up!

You wake up with a dull complexion, extra dark under eye circles, and sometimes it goes as far as your skin breaking out. If you were out partying the smoke and alcohol dry it out completely and it looks extra dull.

I was inspired to give you my tips after a night of less than three hours of sleep that made me think it would be interesting to actually think of my makeup routine for those days when I feel like that.The aim is to add radiance to your skin, cover under eye circles and break outs, make your eyes look awake, finally boost your confidence level and even change your mood.

Face washed with cold water to tighten everything and letting the moisturizer sink in.

Face

I start by using my everyday moisturizer to give my face life again. I drink my coffee and let it sink in and work with my natural oils. I also apply some EOS lip balm to start preparing my lips for lipstick. I then go in with L'oreal Paris Le Teint Accord Parfait (equivalent to the american true match). I dot it on the center of my face and smooth it, using my fingers, out onto the edges so that I end up with no makeup lines. This foundation has a truly undetectable and satin finish. You can go really thin and cover everything or layer it for a full on look. Once I even out my face I go in to cover dark circles, and you guessed it, I am using Benefit's Boi-ing because on days like these I only use ultra trusted products. To give my face life, I apply Dali's bronzer  with my index fingertip as a highlight on the tops of my cheekbones (I find it is too glittery, shiny and light to use as an actual bronzer). This adds a little shine to my face so that I do not look so dull. Then I go in with Dali's blush on the apples of my cheeks, I blend the highlighter on the top of my cheekbones really well with the blush I added on the apples of my cheeks. Think of blending till you look like you were born with a natural flush. My tip for that is using a clean blush brush so that you blend without adding any additional product. Notice: I didn't powder! I want my skin to look extra natural and radiant. Plus this foundation gives me a really demi-matte finish which I powder only around four hours later.

Face Procucts

Eyes

When your eyes are extra swollen and have huge bags and dark circles; the best thing to do is go light on the eyes but use something effective. Think, all matte eye shadows. You want to recess the swollen lids while still adding some definition. I start by smoothing Benefit's Stay don't Stray eye primer with my ring finger tip to make my eye shadows last longer and appear more vibrant. For that, I use this NYX palette, I just apply the darkest shade (similar here in the color betrayal) of the palette all over my mobile lid and under my lower lash line (don't go too thick, we don't want to look like we got punched in the eye). I use a flat Ecotools brush to apply the color and blend it with a fluffy eye shadow H&M brush. Then, I go in with Dali's white eyeliner on the lower water line, this covers the redness and makes my eyes look wide awake. I curl my lashes with Tweezerman's lash curlers and apply L'oreal Paris Lash Architect 4D mascara. As a last note, I use the same shadow to fill in my eyebrows (it is a matte cool toned brown that is good for eyebrows).

Eye Products

Lips

I have a love affair with these Rimmel Apocalips lippies. They are the perfect marriage between a lip gloss and a highly pigmented lipstick. These are perfect with color pay off and have an amazing shine that lasts and lasts and lasts. I cannot say enough about them. Go for a peachy nude like the shade Luna, because it will make your face look a bit tan. But, you may also choose to go for a fun bright color for an instant pick me up with the shade Apocaliptic. I am obsessed.

Lip Products

Eyes Close up

Complexion Close up

What are your thoughts on this look? What do you usually go for to change your mood after a really bad night?

Much love,

Samar