Current Wish List

Don't you always find yourself lusting over things and creating mental wish lists despite promising yourself that you're trying to save? Here, I have created a little (not so little price tag!) compilation of items that I have been absolutely lusting over, and somewhat drooling over online. 

Let's start with my personal favourite - the beautiful Gucci Dionysus bag (buy it here)
This bag has spiked in popularity recently, if you're a fashion addict you've definitely had a moment of desire for this bag! The Dionysus was introduced in the Fall/Winter 2015 collection and it has since blossomed in the fashion blogging world. Described as a 'structured top handle bag' this little beauty features a bold sliding silver chain and a centre buckle shaped as a tiger spur. For me, this metal design adds to its wearability! You can dress this item up or down and still look effortlessly chic.

Being a 'bootie' girl, I tend to wear ankle boots pretty much all year round! Seriously, you can find me in a little dress in the midst of London's Summer season, but I'd still pair my outfit with a pair of ankle boots and a fedora hat to add that little bit of edge. These Saint Laurent Babies 90 Suede Ankle Boots are gorgeous! They feature that gorgeous length that goes just above the ankles, which in my opinion, brings the illusion of extra length to your legs. (buy them here)


Now an exciting confession, I recently acquired my first pair Céline sunglasses (post pending) but as always this means that the flood gates of desire have opened and quite naturally, I want more. Oh a girl can dream! These Céline Audrey Sunglasses feature a beautiful grey toned tortoise shell which I think works quite nicely with the bold design - bringing it an element of softness once worn. (Buy them here)

I'm not really a watch kinda gal, in fact I can confirm that I have never really worn a watch more than a handful of times. I just feel my wrists are too small and anything looks too overpowering for arm candy. However, I have been recently lusting over rose gold, but also mesh metals! This Cluse watch might just be an exception! Gorgeous mesh watch from Cluse here 

I think it's fair to say I don't need any more lipsticks, especially no more nude coloured variations. However, I recently swatched a shade of Mac's Lipstensity colours and I loved the creamy texture. It definitely has more sheen to their normal range, however I would compare it to the 'Amplified' lipstick range - perhaps just slightly less opaque. Mac Liptensity here

What are you current want and needs?

Saina
xo

It's In The Details

Today's post is a little snippet of what I've been reaching for a lot in the past couple of weeks - just a quick insight into my current loves.

Nars Sheer glow is the perfect day time foundation for me. I apply it with a beauty blending sponge (I love the Real Techniques Miracle Sponge), creating a thin layer for a natural day time coverage. You can also use a slightly heavier application, by layering the foundation for a more full coverage, yet natural, appearance. Although my skin tends to get slightly greasier on the t-zone area, I have had no issues with this product in terms of excessive oiliness - I tend to carry my Mac MSF with me everywhere anyway. For concealing any stubborn blemishes, I dab this Bare Mineral's 'bisque' concealer and it does a great job at covering scars!

Nars Laguna bronzer is a very natural 'glow' looking colour on my yellow tone skin, and although it doesn't add much in the bronzing department, it does a great job at creating a defined and *contoured* face. If you want a lot of warmth and depth of colour added to your complexion, and you have medium-yellow toned skin, I would suggest you give Nars Casino a go.

On lazier days, I ditch the winged liner and apply a swipe of this Sephora brown eyeliner closer to the lash line, just enough to add slight definition and then I coat the lashes with a mascara that separates the lashes whilst creating volume - this Mac Haute & Naughty mascara is great for that! I also put a stroke of this 'highlight' shadow by Mac, into the tear duct area to create the illusion of a wider and brighter eye. Finally, I've been finishing my minimal look with my one of my all time favourite Mac lipsticks, Yash.

As a self acclaimed lover of all things silver, I'm always reaching for a few silver bits of jewelery to complete my outfit. I've rediscovered this aztec inspired piece from Primark - the assortment of stone colours really stand out on an all black outfit, and this necklace just gives off a very vintage vibe. Love it.

Vintage Shop Browsin' : OOTD

Those in fear of double denim look away! So today I made a trip to one of my favourite London locations in hopes of finding a few vintage gems at a flea market - Angel Islington. The weather was a bit of everything today - we had a few moments of sun yet the wind was in full force today, which made me question my fedora choice one too many times.
Leather jackets are my Spring time staple. They're the perfect addition to any outfit with the right amount of layering and warmth. In London we're at that stage where winter coats are too much though we can't skip jackets totally just yet. This outfit, apart from being an example of how double denim can work, is an example of layering.

The jeans I'm wearing here were bought from Topshop in the mid-season sale for...£5. They are two sizes up from what I usually wear but due to their 'Leigh' style the material is tight, so they don't appear too loose or gather at the legs. Although this exact pair are no longer available, here is a link to a similar pair that are still in stock on the Topshop website.
Yet another Zara basic tee - I'm a sucker for Zara's basics! These are the most flattering tshirts I've found to date, and I love everything from the deep V neck to the light airy material.  
This shirt is an example of how great some vintage finds are - I found this light denim, over sized piece was found in Rokit a few years ago. You can find similar shirts in almost every charity shop!

To accessories, I've kept things pretty basic - don't I always. Obviously, I opted for the Miss Selfridge fedora, again. I'm also wearing my small Michael Kors bag, it's the perfect size for just the necessities - there's nothing worse than rummaging through a flea market with the weight of a heavy bag weighing you down. Finally, on my feet I'm wearing my firkenstocks (fake Birkenstocks) which I bought from Primark last year.

Hope you've been enjoying your Bank Holiday weekend!

Saina
xo

Spring Splurge: Current Want & Needs

So here are a few items that have been sitting in my virtual shopping basket and I've seriously been lusting over, some of which I'm going to have to get my hands on before I miss the chance! 

This gorgeous knitted jumper is from H&M, picture it with tapered black trousers and a pair of white trainers - beaut. Sadly enough, they only have larger sizes left on the website that I don't think I could make work even with the 'over-sized' look, but I'm still trying my luck in stores!

I think every girl has a Balenciaga sitting in their virtual basket, and mine is this Arena Giant 12, Mini City in black. This bag is everything, it can be worn both dressed up or down and the gunmetal, silver hardware on it is absolutely gorgeous. Of course this item is one that will sit in my virtual shopping basket for a tad longer than all the rest (great example of me trying to make myself feel better). 

Birkenstocks were all the rage last summer, but something tells me the trend is here to stay for a while - if you're still in two minds about birks, this is your chance to grab yourself a pair and make the most use out of it. Although I have pair of Primark Birkenstock (I call them firkenstocks fake + birkenstock) lookalikes that I got last summer, I'm ready to invest in a more sturdier pair and these white ones have caught my eye. 

Now I'm not much of an eye shadow wearer but I've been eyeing this all matte shadow Basics palatte from Urban Decay - it seems to have wearable natural shades that are perfect for defining the eye. Find it here. 

I'm a self confessed Fedora addict so I'll probably always have one sitting on my wishlist, this one is from Penmayne London and retails for over £300, but you can find similar styles for much less in most high street stores. 

Now I should have probably mentioned this first as I want these the most and for some reason I still haven't picked a pair up since last year! These classic Ray Ban aviators feature mirrored green lenses with a soft brushed gold metal - absolutely gorgeous. I've tried these countless times and fall in love more and more each time. 

What are some of your Spring want and needs?

Saina 

xo

In My Kit: Travel Beauty Must Haves

Today I wanted to share some of beauty favourites and the contents of my travel makeup bag, which help keep me 'glam' on the go..
For keeping my skin fresh with an almost-perfect base, I like to use Laura Mercier's Tinted Moisturiser (shade Bisque). This evens out my skin tone as I tend to have some redness on my nose and cheeks, and although it doesn't cover all imperfections out completely it creates a more 'naturally flawless' face. As mentioned before my t-zone area is the most oily part of my face, so Mac's MSF lives with me everywhere I go. A light handed dusting of the finely milled powder goes a long way, and does a great job at keeping shine away without looking chalky.
As a long term user of Bare Mineral's skin makeup, I've grown a love affair with this bronzer in the shade Warmth. This is definitely a red based bronzer so it isn't great for defining and contouring your face, though it does a great job of creating the illusion of sun-kissed skin.

Although I've developed quite the 'signature' look featuring my everyday feline winged liner, on some of the more lazier days I like to focus just on the brows and lashes (at the least) to keep me looking healthy (alive). Benefit's Roller Lash is perfect for those no liner days, as it seperates the lashes whilst curling them. And the best part? The curl is held all day! I also keep my 'Gin & Tonic' perfume by The Library of Fragrance with me as it's super travel friendly - this 30ml bottle is the perfect size for my makeup bag, and I've never had issues with the lid coming off.

For an everyday lip I wear Burt's Bee's lip balm underneath one of my favourite matte nudes - Mac's Yash. Due to the texture of this lipsticks, I need to carry a lip balm with me to avoid any gathering of dry, dead skin and this Burt's Bee's addition does the trick. Yash accompanied by No 7's Precision lipliner in 'Nude' is the perfect nude combo on my skin tone, so I never leave the house without this holy grail pair! I also like to keep this nude lip Mega Shine gloss from NYX (colour Natural) just in case I fancy changing up a matte lip to a more glossier look.

What are some of your glam & go items?

Saina
xo

Beauty Buys

It's been quite a while since I've had a beauty splurge, but with some neccessities running low in my stash, I just had to make a trip to Selfridges to stock up!
Nars Sheer Glow (shade Santa Fe): 
I'm sure I've mentioned this foundation before - but Nars Sheer Glow foundation has never failed me. I use this foundation on a daily basis. When used with a beauty blending sponge (I love the Real Techniques Miracle Sponge), you can sheer this foundation out in one thin layer for a natural day time coverage. But you can also use a slightly heavier application, by layering the foundation for a more full coverage, yet natural, appearance. Although my skin tends to get slightly greasier on the t-zone area, I have had no issues with this product in terms of excessive oiliness - I tend to carry my Mac MSF with me everywhere anyway.
I've said this before, but my skin is extremely sensitive, and prone to cyctic acne breakouts. Though I haven't had any problems with this product reacting on my skin *touches wood*
Benefit Roller Lash Mascara: 

 "It’s a roller for lashes! The eye-opening Hook ‘n’ Roll™ brush grabs, separates, lifts and curls…while the instant curve-setting formula holds for 12 hours." - Benefit Cosmetics

That's enough to get anyone trialing a new mascara right? I'm giving this one a go as my hunt for THE perfect mascara still continues - here's hoping it's everything it promises to be! (Review  upon request).

Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara:

This product is meant to be a dupe of the Benefit Roller Lash - obviously I had to pick up both and make the comparison myself... Right?

Mac Blush (shade Harmony):

This product is a repurchase - that's commitment right there! I first got my hands on this gem in Canada, but I somehow managed to misplace it upon my travels (grrrr). This blusher is one of the best 'contour' shades on my skin tone. I tend to place it over the top of my bronzer, but only in the hollows of my cheeks and alongside my nose to create that shaddowy illusion. 

*Tip* If you already have Benefit's Hula bronzer then there's not much point in investing in Harmony as the two are very similar in shade and results!

Bobbi Brown Metalic Lipstick (shade Berry): 

I picked this lip colour up on a slight whim and a random outburst of convincing myself that for some reason, I needed it. My logic? 'You can layer this with your matte muted pink-brown shades to add sheen'. I'm a sworn matte lip fanatic, and I only own a handful of lipsticks in my collection - most of which I barely reach for. But with the English weather not seeming to make its mind up, it's left my lips in a bad condition. Therefore, my matte lipsticks do not set as well as they should and I've had to layer them with something more moisturizing. This product reminds me of the Clinique Chubby Sticks in the sense that it has slight colour with more of a lip balm effect. Once worn alone, this product gives off a subdued rosy-pink or berry shade with a metallic sheen but once layered on top of a matte nude it brings dimension and fullness to the lips. 

Anastasia Dipbrow Pomade (shade Chocolate):

I'm sure if you read or follow a few beauty blogs or Instagram pages, you've been exposed to the rave around this product. I first set my hands on the Anastasia Dipbrow's late last year, but the colour I purchased was too dark and gave my eyebrows a very unattural appearance. A further problem I had with the product was it's lasting power in the pot - the product became rock solid and extremely dry to use after a month or so! I repurchased this product in hopes of achieving a slightly natural colour pay off and also hoping the product will last longer. 

What have been some of your recent finds? 

Saina 

xo

Current Skincare Favourites

Following a skin mishap, I took it upon myself to seek a handful of new items to put into my routine. Surprisingly, I've come across a few staples that I don't see myself giving up on any time soon.
For reference my skin is combination - oily, with the occasional dry patches around the nose and mid forehead. However, following a trip to the beautiful city of Prague, my skin seemed react awfully to the colder climate, leaving me with a bad episode of xerosis. This resulted in my skin becoming extremely dry and visibly scaly all over - no amount of heavy duty moisturizer seemed to relief the issue.

Product 1:
The first product I used after my trip was The Body Shop Camomile Cleanser - you can understand why I initially gravitated towards this item - dry skin + oil cleanser = better skin? Although oil cleansers are not usually solely targeted just at dry skin (they work wonders on oily skin too!) But this product did inject some well needed moisture back into my face.
How to use this product:
The directions for this product are pretty basic, pump the product into your hands and massage onto your dry face, gently massage it around your eyes and into the lashes to break down and remove your mascara fully. The oil is slightly runny in texture and emulsifies around the face like a dream. I then use a hot muselin cloth to wipe off any excess.
Results:
This cleanser does not leave your face feeling like a greasy mess, and neither does it leave you with a tight feeling dry face. Thanks to the camomile ingredient, it's a gentle formula and leaves your skin feeling fresh, hydrated and silky smooth. 

Product 2:
I found this facial soap after one too many trips to my local Lush store, and was attracted to the fact that it's supposed to exfoliate (with extracts of wholemeal bread) and revive the skin whilst maintaining moisture (with organic coconut oil) and hydration, using the best essential oils (such as wheatgerm and hop oil).
How to use this product:
With a touch of water, lather the soap in your hands and work into the skin in circular motions to really allow the wholemeal particles to spread and exfoliate your skin. Although I haven't come across any negative reviews of this product, I like to use this only 2-3 times a week to really give my skin an exfoliating cleanse. I also find that using the same 'wow' factor product every single day can run the risk of your skin becoming 'used' to the pampering - therefore eliminating the glow factor results.
Results:
This soap is amazing! It has dramatically improved the condition of my skin, transforming my dull looking and feeling skin into a healthy and glowy wonder. I found that my oilier t-zone area has become less greasy, allowing makeup to sit and last longer on my face. My pores have also definitely minimized since using the Movis bar - absolute bread winner!

Product 3: 
Hyaluronic acid has been the ongoing buzz in the beauty world as one of the favourite skin enhancing cosmetic ingredients. Skin care junkies swear by HA because of it's ability to retain water 1000 times its weight - therefore helping your skin to remain moisturized from within, smoothing out any dullness and fine lines and helping your skin appear fresh, plump and hydrated. HA comes in many forms of serums, masks and moisturisers - most of which also come with an expensive price tag.
Balance Active, a popular skin care range, known for it's high quality products with more affordable price tags offers this 30ml HA Max Hydration serum for £4.99.
How to use this product:
I use this product twice a day, everyday, just before applying my day/night moisturizer. Using it's pipette dispenser, I place a large pea size amount in the palm of hands and massage all over my face. The product does not leave a greasy residue on your face but sinks into your skin rather quickly - much like water on skin!
Results: 
This product is beauty sleep in a bottle. My skin looks and feels rejuvenated after use, helping my moisturizer and makeup to sit better on my face. It has also eliminated the dry patches of skin around my chin and nose.

Product 4:
Now I'm sure I've raved about this product before, but I wouldn't forgive myself if I couldn't mention it once more!
How to use: I use this twice a day as my sole moisturizer. I also use this as the final step in my nighttime skin care routine, and as a the base to my daily makeup application - the gel like formula works as a great foundation primer!
Results: 
La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo - where do I begin? This is a single skin care solution to all your skin imperfections . Does you find that your skin becomes clogged? Do you suffer from acne? Or perhaps you are prone to whiteheads or blackheads? This product will combat all of these issues by removing bacteria, dead cells and excess oil. The moisturizer then hydrates and soothes your skin with it's healing ingredients such as Linoleic Acid. 

Long-haul Beauty Survival Kit

 

We've all seen the likes of Kim Kardashian, and Victoria Beckham being papped at international airports, looking superbly fresh-faced and picture perfect, and we've all wondered just how they do it. A plane is not the most glamorous of settings, but with help from a few cult favourites, you can transform that cramped seating and musky recycled air into your very own pamper sesh.  Today's post is a little snippet of my beauty regime on long-haul flights, which is quite fitting as I'm due to go to Canada this week. Here's my list of tips and recommendations: 

Hydration - Although I'm quite good when it comes to drinking enough water on a day-day basis, I take extra precaution before and during a flight. This not only avoids me from feeling dehydrated and rather travel sick, but also maintains hydration for my skin. Make sure your body is well and truly hydrated before boarding your flight, but also ensure you grab yourself a big bottle of water for throughout your flight! 

Cleanse - I'm a big fan of not wearing any makeup during flights (especially long ones for that matter), and therefore brave the bare face through security until I am tucked away in my seat (or bed for the next few hours). However, I'm sure many people prefer even a light coverage, and that's why I reccommend you taking an effective cleanser. I prefer the Bioderma Sensibo H20 - it's perfect at removing every trace of makeup and dirt, and you do not require water with this product. I also reccomend you take both some face, but also eye makeup remover wipes with you, I'll be taking these Witch cleansing wipes as I've used them before and my skin has not reacted to them (not usually a fan of face wipes). I also highly recommend the Halo travel size makeup remover wipes if you intend on wearing eye makeup before your flight. These do an excellent job at removing every trace of eye makeup!

Moisturize - I've chosen to take this Neal's Yard Power Berry moisturizer as it does a perfect job at your boosting your skin's radiance, and its rich antioxidant ingredients (such as acai, bilberry and goji berry) protects your skin. Of course, I don't go anywhere without my La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo, this holy grail product will act as my lightweight moisturiser and makeup base, which I apply half an hour before landing. Any eye cream is better than no eyecream (or so I like to tell myself). This Balance Snake Venom eye cream will be used generously around the eye area, which is incredibly prone to drying and creasing whilst on flights. Another beauty must is my Nuxe Reve de Miel lip balm, this is not only one of my faveourite lip balms, but I also tend to use it as a lip scrub too. My first application acts as a slight scrub, and a second layer as a heavy duty lip moisturizer. This is perfect to layer on before you go for your mid-flight nap, as you'll wake up with beautiful soft lips. I know some people are not a fan of this products scent, so I've also included another faveourite lip care product - the Balance Me Rose Otto Lip Salve. Finally, I'm taking this Body Shop Coconut hand cream to ensure my hands are nice and moisturised throughout my flight. 

Sleep - I've never been able to sleep whilst traveling, whether that be a car, train, plane etc. I just cannot seem to do it. However, during my last trip I decided to pick up these Kalms Natural Remedy tablets - the natural plant extracts used help relieve elements of anxiety and irritability. Although these tablets didn't help me in getting 5 hours sleep, but what they did was allow me to become more relaxed by bringing relief to any periods of worry or stress. This time, I've also decided to take this cute eye mask with me in hopes of getting at least an hour or so of sleep! (please, please, please). 

I really hope this post is of use to somebody, and I would love to hear if you have any recommendations.

Saina
xo

Autumn Sun OOTD

Hi lovelies, today's post is another ootd - these are some of my favourite types of blog reads, and I love doing them too. This outfit is an example of my usual monochrome casual getup, with an added splash of colour brought in from accessorizing. On more casual days, I tend to just throw my hair up into a messy ponytail, and opt for a nude lipstick - and today's look was an accurate depiction of that.

 

The sunglasses featured in this outfit, are my Classic Ray Ban aviators with a gold frame (I've practically worn these for 2 years straight). This faux leather jacket was purchased last year from H&M, similar ones can be found here. I've paired my Topshop white Joni jeans with a basic Zara tshirt - these tshirts are less 'slinky' than others that I have found on the high-street, and therefore do not look too much like pj's (am I the only one that feels like white tshirts look pyjama-y?)

For some people, the heeled Chelsea boots may be an unnecessary addition for a casual day out, but over the passed year I have embraced a sleeker and more classy look by adding a slight heel to my casual style. Am I the only one that feels more feminine and slightly more mature by wearing a small heel during the day? These boots were bought two years ago from Topshop (anyone remember the Topshop Allegra craze?) but I'm sure you can find similar ones that are in stock at the moment.
My handbag is the Michael Kors Jetset Safiano in black, with gold hardware.
Finally, this Topshop scarf is my new favourite addition to my wardrobe, it's that gorgeous mustard-camel colour and instantly lifts a neutral outfit.

What are your wardrobe style essentials? Do you have any staple Autumn pieces?

Saina
xo

My Top 5 Mac Lipsticks

Today I am going to share with you my top 5 Mac lipsticks, and these are the shades that I genuinely reach for the most (I promise). Firstly, I thought I should begin with a little disclaimer about my lipstick preferences in terms of formula, finish and shades. In terms of formula I prefer hydrating, creamy textures that don't dry out the lips as I have naturally dry lips that are prone to peeling (gross, I know). Here's where we are faced with a predicament, I prefer my lipsticks with a matte finish. This can be quite problematic as I need to ensure my lips are in good condition prior to lipstick application, otherwise I'm left with bitty lips with gathered dead skin around the edges (there's no graceful way of putting this description, trust me I tried.

However, after years of dabbling into different brands, both high street and high end, I've found that Mac's Matte lipsticks work well for me. This brings us to my preferred colour groups, which I must admit I'm a bit adventurous with lips as I always tend to keep my eyes quite minimal. Though I don't have a preferred colour range, I do tend to reach for neutral shades more on a daily basis. So here's my top 5 lipsticks from Mac:

 

1) Taupe (Matte) - Described by Mac as a "muted reddish taupe-brown"
This lipstick is one of my favourite lipsticks (Mac or not) and I've worn it to death. Mac's Taupe is a gorgeous red toned brown, a sort of brick colour that instantly lifts a very minimal earthy makeup look. On me (NC30 for reference) this lipstick is a definite brown, though if worn on a darker complexion it may appear as a soft brown-nude. This is a matte lipstick that applies extremely smoothly, and tends to dry from a creamy application to a wearable matte finish. I can wear Taupe for about 3-4 hours before having to reapply, as drinks can tend to make the lipstick seem a little patchy.

2) Mehr (Matte) - Described by Mac as a "dirty blue pink"
Mehr is my all time favourite lipstick, and I often find myself having to steer away from it as it makes me neglect the 50- odd other lipsticks I own! For someone that hates pink lipstick on herself, I absolutely adore this shade! On me this tends to mimic a more pinky nude, but if worn on lighter complexions the pink will definitely be further accentuated. This shade gives me the illusion of fuller lips, and once paired with the right lip liner it can transform a lip look quite drastically. This lipstick is also very creamy and non drying on the lips. However, unlike Taupe, this colour does not go patchy at all, and actually wears to a stain almost. This gives it a wearability of 5+ hours! I love this lipstick!

3) Honeylove (Matte) - Described by Mac as a "light beige toned with rose"
This is a recent purchase of mine, though I used to have an exact dupe of the shade from Wet & Wild (post upon request). This is a nude with a more brown undertone, that wears as a cool toned dark beige with a retro matte finish on my lips. From all the Mac matte's I own, this one is the most non-hydrating, and your lips definitely require some prep before application. Despite this, the lipstick has extra long staying power, and just as other nude lips, you can get away with a little bit of colour fading. 

4) Viva Glam III - Described by Mac as a "muted brownish plum"
Now when I first purchased this lipstick over a year ago, I somehow managed to convince myself that it was a limited edition shade. You can only imagine the excitement when I recently discovered this is a permanent shade from the Viva Glam rage. This shade is a gorgeous plum with brown undertones, which I like to wear both during the day for casual looks, and in the evening to dress up an outfit. This lipstick applies less creamy than most Mac mattes that I own, however it's lasts at least 5 hours before requiring re-application. I would recommend applying lip balm over the top every hour to avoid any skin gathering.

5) Yash - Described by Mac as a "deep neautral"
As I wanted to keep this post as true to life as possible, I had to cheat and include yet another nude shade. Yash has to be the best fitting nude lipstick for my fair-medium olive skin complexion due to its peach neautral tones with slight hints of yellow. However, if worn on fairer complexions this colour will definitely create a deeper beige look, and may be deemed a little too heavy to be classed as a 'nude lip'. This lipstick paired with a dark smokey eye look creates the perfect balance without making my lips appear as if they have a white cast. Yash is definitely one of Mac's more hydrating matte lipsticks and applies very smoothly and evenly.

I hope you enjoyed this post, and I would love to know what some of your favourite Mac shades are!

Saina
xo 

Olympia Beauty: NYX Cosmetics Haul

As promised, this post is about the little gems from NYX Cosmetics, which I managed to bag at the Olympia Beauty Show. Prior to this haul, I had dabbled into NYX products and there were two items that I had hopes of finding at the exhibition - the 'Xtreme Shine Lip Cream' lip glosses and their finely milled, pigmented blushers. Although the stand featured all their range, the stock seemed low at my time of visit and many colours had sold out. However, I did manage to snatch a few shades of both products and I have swatched all the items below. In addition to these items, I bought my first NYX Mega Shine Lip Gloss in ''Sugar Pie" which is a champagne based nude with slight shimmer running through it - I have heard quite a lot of about this lip gloss and it's non-stick formula, so I'm keen to layer it over nude lipsticks. Finally, I grabbed two Round lipsticks in the shades "Strawberry Milk" (pale pink) and "Circe" (peach toned true nude) - these lipsticks are super creamy and very pigmented (think Mac's Amplified lipsticks).

I checked and compared the prices online and found that the products were being sold at a slight discounted price at the show. All the products are quite cheap (£5 and under), being retailed at your typical 'high street' brand prices, but the products are definitely not of cheap quality as they have great colour pay off and long wearability. All these products are available on the NYX website, though I must admit, the online swatches are not really true to colour, making it extremely difficult to find the right shades.

Do you have any NYX favourites?

Saina
xo

OOTD: Monday Calls for Cocktails

For many of us Monday calls for a serious episode of post weekend blues as we dread making our way back to work/school. Despite my wardrobe choices being a part of the darkest colour palette possible, the weather in London today was absolutely beautiful. As a result myself and my friends decided to go for a few drinks in the evening whilst the sun was still making a definite appearance! As always my outfit was quite minimal, though I allowed the accessories do the talking - the strappy heels and my classic Chanel with gold hardware. I also put my hair in a sleek top knot *bad hair day alert* but I went for a bold berry lip colour to bring that edge to the overall look.
My outfit features a new firm favourite of mine and an absolute bargain-buy - the Primark strappy heels. These heels were bought in the sale (as if Primark needs a sale) for £8! I instantly fell in love with these beauties, and I just knew they had to be mine - you can only imagine my excitement when I found out they were almost half the price at the till (originally £14).

Lightweight Zara Knit Jumper - here
Topshop Blue Black Leigh Jeans - here
Heels: Primark

Bag: Chanel 2.55 Medium Classic flap Bag with gold hardware 

Lipstick: Mac's Viva Glam III - here

I hope you've made the most of the sun and your Monday hasn't been too awful!

Saina
xo

The Olympia Beauty Show

This weekend I was lucky enough to receive tickets to attend The Oympia Beauty Show, an exhibition including innovations and techniques for all beauty professionals to browse and purchase. Located in Kensignton Olympia's Great Hall, the show hosted over 550 brands from varying sectors of the beauty industry. In addition to big beauty reveals, there were competitions, international guest speakers, and live training sessions from a selection of experts. The stands included every aspect of the industry imaginable, from teeth whitening treatments to facial fuzz eliminators, or spray tanning sessions and eyebrow tinting to nail art training.

When I first entered the hall, the sight was rather overwhelming. Each and every corner was filled with stands surrounded by keen crowds and the thought of hurling my way through seemed impossible. So here's my tip of the day, look at the floor plan, mark which stands you want to see and immediately embark your journey towards finding them! Not only does this avoid you slowly dodging your way through stands you don't really care for, but also gives you a chance to pick up that last lipstick before it's out of stock.

Did that subtle hint give you an indication of what I was really there for? Makeup, of course. As soon as I discovered NYX Cosmetics had a stand featuring ALL their range, I was, shall we say, a tad too excited? I mage my way to the end of the hall where the stand was located, and knew it was a case of survival of the fittest, allowing no room for manners or orderly queues! Evidently, I was not the only one excited for NYX making an appearance, and I had to make a dive into the heaps of people to snatch whatever I could. I did manage to purchase a few things, and which I will feature those in a later haul post.

I spent the rest of my day wandering around live sessions including The Art of Makeup and The Art of Body Painting competitions, which included artists and body painters showcasing their phenomenal body art creations in hopes of being crowned Makeup Artist and Body Painter of 2014. It was a very educational and well-organised event, and I must admit I did pick up one or two tips along the way. My only complaint would be that there were not enough makeup offerings, especially when compared to the 100+ stands dedicated to nails. Though that's just down to personal preference!

Saina 
xo

My Current Favourite Foundation

My skin is no stranger to trialing new foundations, however I have recently discovered a new favourite that instantly gives my skin that.. oomph? The L'oreal True Match foundation glides softly over my face creating that revitalized healthy glow without looking sweaty and feeling tacky to the touch. What makes this foundation for me, is how it reverts a bad, lifeless skin day to a beautifully blurred out, brightening finish. I have been testing this foundation out for a few months now, and I have had no problems with it in terms of break outs and reactivity (touches wood frantically). My desired way of applying this base is with the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge . By gently dabbing the foundation into my skin with a damp sponge, I am able to apply a sheer but buildable coverage, without leaving my skin looking caked on. The use of this form of application with this product creates a semi-matte finish on the skin, leaving it feeling fresh and able to breathe!

And if that hasn't swayed you, here are further points that have helped this little bottle of goodness earn a well deserved holy grail title:

• This product comes in a glass bottle with a pump - no cheap plastic or neon colours here!
• Buildable coverage without looking heavy faced
• SPF 17 (great for those who are lazy with SPF - I'm pointing at myself here)
• Lightweight
• Lasting power on my combination oily skin - 7-8 hours 
• Over 20 shades across 3 helpful undertones - warm, cool and neutral 
• Retailed at £9.99 (Repeat this point until persuaded) 

Have you tried L'oreal's True Match foundation, what are your thoughts? Do you know of any similar offerings?

Saina
xo

New York Beauty Haul

Now by no means is 15 lip products justifiable, but I’m going to try my hardest here! As most of you, I’m assuming will already know, most of the USA’s drugstore products are not available to us in different parts of the world. Or often, we have to wait for months until something as simple as a lip balm can be released to the UK’s beauty market. Therefore my mission for this trip was to hit the drugstore’s in full force and grab as many things that I’ve been lusting over.

Evidently, the incredibly cheap brand Wet & Wild won me over! With lipsticks and blushers priced around $3 I took no chances and grabbed almost every shade that suits my complexion and I can confirm they were my star purchases of the trip. The Wet & Wild matte lipsticks are products that I’ve not heard anything about, but the risk I made was totally worth it as these are now my favourite matte lips. The texture of these products are moisturizing when first applied and then dry to a semi matte, velvety finish with incredibly long staying power.

A US trip would not be successful without an EOS lipbalm, I picked up this one in ‘Strawberry Sorbet’ and it’s just your average lip balm with quirky packaging- not much to add to that. I also picked up a Maybeline Color Whisper in the shade ‘Lust for Blush’ a natural, pinkey nude with an added sheen – very moisturizing and due to the added buttery texture the lasting power is not great. Re-application is required after 15 minutes!

A product that has always gained my interest is the Ben Nye Banana Powder, so I picked up a bottle and I’ve loved using these over my t-zone and under eye area over concealer. It’s an extremely, finely milled powder with a non chalky finish allowing your own skin to shine through but keeps greasiness at bay.

Of course I had to hop on to the bandwagon and pick up a bottle of Makeup Forever HD Foundation – although due to the hot weather I’ve been sticking to Tinted Moisturizer and haven’t been able to test this product out yet. Another cult product is Sephora’s Mineral Powder brush, so I quickly picked it up and I’ve loved the finish this gives to my skin and it’s quickly replaced my Real Techniques Buffing Brush! From Sephora, I also picked a Color-Adapt Bronzer, Highlight in ‘Star Dust’, an eye crayon in ‘Matte Dark Brown’ and a waterproof eyeliner in  ‘Cocoa’ and I’ve been pleasantly surprised by these.

I discovered a New York based brand called Nikka K and picked up a couple of their eye crayons and lip products, the crayons have a living power of a few hours, so I’ll suggest an eye shadow primer before application.

A few NYX blushers and lip products were quickly placed into my shopping basket too as I’ve been wanting to test these out for months. Once again, the reviews and raves have not failed me and these products have earned a spot in my favourites.

Finally, I picked up a couple of mascara’s – Revlon’s Grow Luscious, and L’oreal’s Telecsopic Shocking Extensions. And a lipstick from Milani in the shade ‘Nude Crème’ which is basically a dupe for Mac’s Hue both in texture and colour. 

Let me know if you would like an in-depth review of any of the products! 

xo

Review – Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Natural Bronze Gradual Tanning Moisturizer:

If you know me personally then you would most definitely know that I hate tanning, whether that be a natural tan, sunbed, spray tan or a tanning product. Of course many jaws will drop, frowns will be formed and eyes will be rolled at this remark, however I just don’t think I look aesthetically pleasing once I catch the sun. My natural skin is not exactly pale so I tend to embrace the natural ‘tan’ in my skin tone, rather than try to enhance it. I have a rather pale olive skin tone, with yellow undertones – this means when I tan, which I do incredibly easily, my skin turns to a golden brown colour. Sounds beautiful, I know, but it just does not suit me!

Having said that, because my arms are usually more exposed than my legs are, I always find my legs to be incredibly pale and not balanced with the rest of my body. For that reason I was on the hunt for a subtle tanning product to just equalize the colour distribution all over my body, and that’s when I find this gradual tanner.

Now, I think everyone has at one point in their lives loved the original Palmer’s cocoa butter moisturizer, so when I set eyes on the gradual tanner I felt an odd nostalgic and comforting vibe from this bottle. This product claims that it ‘Builds & maintains a natural looking tan for all skin types’ – and well, I agree.

This is a perfect tanning product for beginners (like myself) as it’s extremely easy to use, no fuss, no mess and you use it just like you would a normal moisturizer. I like to apply a couple of pumps worth and evenly distribute it by rubbing it into my exfoliated legs and feet. What is extremely important to me is the smell of tanning products, the feeling it leaves it on my legs, and the colour result. This product ticks all of the above. After application, there is a sweet cocoa butter meets chocolate scent, though it does not linger on for too long – at least it doesn’t smell of the chemicals that other tanning products smell of! It also feels extremely light on the skin, it absorbs quickly and there is no sticky, greasy aftermath. More importantly the colour payoff – what amazes me most about this product is the results. I’m not sure if there’s something about the way it reacts with skin tones but it gives me the perfect colour, matching the rest of my body and leaves my skin looking completely natural. 

I really would recommend this product if you are looking for a colour boost, or to even out your skin tone.

xo

Review: Garnier Pure Active 2in1 Tinted Spot Roll-On

Today, I am going to share with you a somewhat review/recommendation that I think deserves more attention than it receives. I found this little beauty in TKmaxx a year ago, and with the price being around the £5 mark I thought I’d give it a go and throw it out if I didn’t see results. But oh how I was pleasantly surprised!

The Garnier Pure Active 2in1 Tinted Spot Roll-on (gosh, what a mouthful!) works as a concealer over blemishes but also treats problematic skin whilst concealing it. Sounds perfect right? Due to ingredients like Salicylic acid, herbasmooth and mineral pigments, this product soothes skin, reduces spot size and keeps them at bay.

*Just for reference, I have combination skin (leaning towards the dry side) that is highly sensitive and prone to breakouts. *

I will start by declaring my love for the application of this product, the roller ball design makes it so easy to swipe onto blemishes and due to its light consistency you do not have to spend time worrying about blending it in or setting it into your skin. I prefer to swipe the roller ball on top of any blemishes then lightly tap it in using my finger. There’s also something oddly refreshing and soothing about the metal roller ball against your skin at 9am when you need a boost to wake you up! Though it is extremely light on the skin, this is a full coverage concealer, leaving a smooth, even finish. It covers scars and spots like a dream but also leaves the skin looking natural, as if you’re not wearing any product at all.

Now, concealer aside – how does this product work as a spot treatment? On bad skin days, I skip my whole makeup routine and only use this all over blemishes and by the end of the day all spots have reduced in size and redness by significant amounts. I have also found this product has helped with blemish scars, and over time they have become more faint.

For the purpose of this review I tried to consider any downfalls this product may have, but I don’t think it has any! I highly recommend this concealer treatment, and I’ve found the cheapest place to buy it to be here.

NOTD: Rimmel Salon Pro Kate Moss Polish in 'Punk Rock'

I am pretty sure you’ve all heard the buzz around the Rimmel London Salon Pro, Kate Moss polishes, but here’s a short review of how I got along with the shade ‘Punk Rock’. As you can see in the image, this a purple toned dark grey with a high shine finish. This polish has Saina written all over it – I pretty much wear dark colours all year round with the exception of nudes and pastels. At one point in my life I wore only black nails for a whole year!

When I saw the polish stand in Boots I almost instantly gravitated towards this bottle knowing it was my favourite out of the range. What I love the most about this range is the brush size, a wider brush allows easier and quicker application, with smaller nails being painted in one swipe. The range also boasts a long lasting, chip resistant finish that should last up to 10 days – however having worn another shade from this range (post coming soon) for the past 5 days I found the edges to peel off due to its somewhat thick, gel like consistency and a few chips here and there. So I’ve decided to give this one a go and see how much wear I can get out of it before needing to switch things up.

xo

NOTD – Essie - Power Clutch:

So after a few days of wearing Essie’s loud and proud orange, ‘Fear & Desire’ I was eager to get back to my neutral nails. Today, I applied Essie’s Power Clutch onto my nails, which is a deep, green toned grey with a cream finish - this shade is part of Essie’s Autumn 2011 ‘Carry On’ collection. After applying two coats, I find that the green is definitely cancelled out and the colour edges towards a dark, charcoal grey.  Despite being a big fan of Essie polishes, I must admit this colour does not have great lasting power but this does not stop it from being one of my favourite shades. With my usual application of Seche Vite topcoat, I can go about 2 days without any chips. I wish I could wear this colour longer without having to worry about colour chipping away, but I still love the shade!

xo