Long, Luscious & Curly Lashes

My Dearest Beauties,

Some of us were not blessed with those amazing super long, thick and curly lashes. Well, don't worry, a lot of mascaras out there got us covered. My lashes are of the same nature as the hair on my head; they are thin and straight. I tried a lot of different mascaras claiming to hold the curl while adding volume and length. Unfortunately, my lashes ended up longer and thicker but they were never perky and curly. Having really oily skin made me try waterproof mascara and that was when I realized that waterproof mascaras are the only ones that hold the curl.

Let's just jump right into my current eyelash routine. You will end up with curly lashes that are longer and thicker at the same time. I use three super effective products:

1. Tweezerman Eyelash Curlers: I carefully curl my lashes as close to the base as possible. 
2. L'Oreal False Lash Effect Lash Architect 4D Waterproof Mascara: this mascara adds length by adding tiny micro fibers. I use it from the base to the ends of my lashes to secure the curl. But, because it is very lengthening I concentrate most of the product on the ends of my lashes.
3. Dali Full Volume Mascara: I finish off with this volumizing mascara and I concentrate it on the base of my lashes. I love this one because it makes my lashes thicker without clumping them together, which is always a plus for thin lashes.  

What is your mascara routine? Tell me in the comments!

Much love, 

Samar

No Makeup Makeup Pictorial

My Dearest Beauties,

We all need that makeup look to resort to when we are in a hurry or maybe when we simply do not feel like putting in the effort. This makeup is even useful for school, work, a flying day,  a picnic, and for a day-to-day basis. It is a pick me up look, so that you won't look like you just got out of bed and hit the road. This look will make you look put together and to the eyes of many, it will look like you are not wearing any makeup at all, hence the name.

1. Start off with a clean face that already has all the skin care on (moisturizer, sun screen, eye lotion, wrinkle treatment, whatever it is you use).
2. Conceal. I use the Benefit Boi-ing concealer in shade # 03 under my eyes to conceal the circles. Note that I don't go all around the eye because I use the natural pigment of my upper lid as a shadow. Use the same concealer to hide any blemishes or undesired pigmentation. Make sure to blend away the edges with the use of your fingers or brushes.
3. Powder. I use stay-matte sheer pressed powder oil free by Clinique all over my face. As the name implies this powder intends to mattify your face without adding tons of coverage. I use it to set my concealer (having oily skin I don't want the cream concealer to move around and crease) and to give my complexion a more evened out look. I apply powder with a Ecotools brush.
4. Eyebrows. Don't ever forget to give your eyebrows some love, remember they not only frame your eyes but also your face; so if you are not naturally blessed with perfectly shaped brows then go ahead and give your eyebrows a little filling. I use Seventeen Longstay Eyebrow Shaper in shade 90. 
5. Mascara. I use one coat of Maybelline The Collossal Volum' Express Waterproof first and then I go ahead with Dali Vibralash, both in black. This combo gives me volume, length and separation; which results in flirty and fluttery lashes without going OTT (over the top).
6. Blush. Blush makes you look healthy and glowy, I use a natural but satin shade on my cheeks by Chanel, 99 Rose Petale. I apply blush with an Ecotools brush.
7. Lips. Finish off with a Lip Maximizer Collagen Activ by Dior. This will give your lips a nice shine, moisture and a cool plumping effect.

Now, you are all done, this literally takes me under ten minutes. It doesn't require any extravagant makeup skills and it will make you look awake, healthy and radiant. You don't need to use these same products, I just share them with you because these are the most trusted products in my makeup collection. For something like a no makeup makeup always go with your most trusted products, because you know that they won't let you down.

If only I looked like that when I wake up every morning! Thank goodness a little bit of makeup can do a lot. Tell me what you think of this look in the comments.

Much Love,

Samar

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Welcoming Fall with a Manicure

My Dearest Beauties,

Inspired by one of my favorite J. Crew sweaters.

The dark shade is # 280 and for the light shade I used Fluo Magenta both from Dali of course.

What do you think of this classic nail color with a tiny twist?

Much love,

Samar

Back to School Makeup Look + Mini Product Reviews

My Dearest Beauties,

Reem and I wanted to come out with a makeup look that is wearable and durable. We also wanted it to give a very a awake and healthy look provided that it'd be almost undetectable. We came up with this.

I picked out products that I know last a long time and don’t need any touching up during the day. Now, the main thing to keep in mind with a back to school makeup is that the main aim is to look pulled together and presentable without much effort. These simple steps will make you look much more awake and ready to attack your day at school with full confidence.

All these products are pretty affordable and easy to find. 

Maybelline Super Stay 24H Concealer. Use this to lightly conceal under eye circles and any blemishes. This formula is very long lasting and doesn't move at all (not even on my oily skin). Dusting some loose powder is good to lock it in place just to make sure you won’t have trouble with it.

Maybelline Color Tattoo 24HR in shade 45-Infinate White. Apply this to the inner corner of the eyes to make your eyes pop and look more awake. This cream shadow sets and doesn't move at all. Great for school! 

Dali Brown Khol Pen. Apply this to line the outer corner of the eye (top and bottom). You can smudge it with a finger for the undetectable definition or you can leave it as it is and have super defined eyes. I chose brown because it is a lot more natural than black. This eyeliner pen will give you great color pay off and it will sure stay put all day.

Samoa Clear Mascara. Brush it through your eyebrows to tame them and keep them in place all day.

Dali Mosaic Blush Powder. Apply this to the apples of your cheeks to give yourself a healthy look. This product has great color pay off so be careful and don’t over apply. Remember you can put more but you can’t take off. So start with a small amount and build the blush to get the desired effect. This product is really cool because you can swirl your brush through the tiny squares and create your custom blush shade.

Maybelline The Collossal Volum’ Express. Apply a couple of coats to your lashes and get the most voluminous clump-free lashes ever. I love this mascara. It gives an amazing effect and it doesn't smudge at all, which is one of the most important features in mascara.

Bourjois Rose Cachemire-82 Lipstick. Apply to the lips. I love this shade because it is very pearlescent. So it looks like a gloss but it actually is a lipstick, which gives it more longevity. 

There you have it. Easy and with the use of not so many products. I hope you like this look. Tell me what makeup look you wear to school. 

Much love, 

Samar

My Take on Ombre Manicure using Dali Nail Polishes

My Dearest Beauties,

I think you may have noticed that I have a slight obsession over blue nail polish. To top that, ombre nails have been catching my eye all this season. I gave it a try and thought I would show you what I came out with.

I used all Dali Le Maquillage nail polishes. They have an amazing selection of nail polish colors, that have really good formulation and dry really quickly.

I used the shades: 286, 260, FBb. (from darkest to lightest)

I personally loved the darkest shade. It is the perfect shade for us ladies that love the almost black shades. The light shade of blue is a really nice warm based powder blue.

These nail polishes are not only pretty but they also help the Children's Cancer Center in Lebanon. So, don't feel bad if you want a bunch of them because 5% of the proceeds will be going straight out to help the fighting children.

What do you think on my take on ombre nails?

Much  love,

Samar
  

A Review: Dali Eye and Lip Liners

My Dearest Beauties,

Dali is one of those brands that we see at the supermarket and at some makeup stores all the time. They have a wide selection of makeup and nail polishes. Dali is an inexpensive brand yet the most impressive in terms of quality. Today, I am going to be reviewing the eye and lip liner pencils that I have collected throughout time. Whenever I am at the supermarket I always take a look at the Dali counter and pick out a nail polish or some kind of liner.

Let me tell you about the eye liners in depth, they are phenomenal! They are very inexpensive, they stay put all throughout the day and the color selection is amazing. I just love these! From the black shade to the other more fun colors, these eyeliner pencils are a must have in your collection, they will not hurt your pocket but they will add a lot to your makeup kit. I personally use them on my lower lash line or even as an eye shadow base. They are so well pigmented and formulated that they work wonders under eye shadow, you will see how your eye shadow will appear more vibrant and will last longer when you apply and blend these on your lids underneath the shadow. These pencils are super soft and easy to work with, which is, again one more plus. I do not have all the shades but there are many more available, Dali offers some matte liner and some shiny ones.

From Left to Right: No 101, Electric Bronze, Electric Pistache, Electric Sky, Electric Mauve, Electric Deep Blue, No 09

The lip liners are equally as good quality. They are creamy and easy to apply and they stay put for very long. Again I don't own all the colors, but that is because I use the same lip liners with different colored lipsticks, just to give dimension to my lip colors. They are very well pigmented as you can see in the image and again, you can pick them up from your local pharmacy or supermarket for a great price.

From Left to Right: No 55, No 60, No 62

Have you tried Dali products? What are your thoughts? Tell me in the comments below!

Much Love,

Samar