Hi everyone,
I decided to take the next step and buy my own domain. Hooray!! 🙂
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I’ll be honest, I saw all the YouTubers raving about this so I jumped on the bandwagon to join in the fun.
I have a correcting palette by Kryolan but it never hurts to add to your collection. Right? 😬
I bought the correcting concealer in orange for pigmentation/dark circles and the green concealer for redness. I also wanted a normal concealer for my under eyes so went with Light Ivory. A lot of people use these concealers for contouring and highlighting but I was more concerned about their concealing factor!
So let’s begin with the concealer. It is meant to be a dupe for the MAC Pro Longwear Concealer. I’m not sure I would call it a dupe though. I’ve used the MAC concealer before and there are quite a few differences, one of them being the consistency. MAC is more of a liquid concealer whereas this is more creamy.
I rarely buy a foundation/concealer online because it is so difficult to go in blind and try to establish the right shade for your skin tone but I decided to be brave and after looking at the swatches, I went for Light Ivory.
The colour turned out to be darker than what I was expecting but as I blended it out it wasn’t as noticeable. Did it cover my dark circles? I’ll be frank – my circles aren’t bad and it struggled to cover them. I suppose you can build coverage but the initial coverage was quite sheer even though the concealer has a creamy consistency. I used a damp sponge to work it into my skin and it blended in nicely. I was concerned it would crease or fade and it didn’t, which was a nice surprise.
Finally, I just want to mention the applicator. I know many have complained about it being unhygienic but my issue was with the excessive amount of product that emerges after a light squeeze. I found that frustrating – more so with the correctors, as you only need a small amount.
Would I buy it again? No. It’s a good concealer for youthful eyes that require very little help in the under eye department. I wouldn’t buy this if you’re wanting to cover dark circles!
On to the Green Colour Corrector, which is a light green and if too much is applied, it’s difficult to blend out. You only need a very small amount and I mean tiny, as this bad boy is quite pigmented. Like I said before, you have to squeeze the tube quite gently to get the desired amount. However, once blended and foundation is applied on top, it really does help to alleviate redness.
Lastly, the Orange Corrector, which helps with covering dark circles. I need to point out that this corrector is most suited to those with medium to dark skin. If you do have fair skin, you need to go for a corrector that is pink/peach in colour. I’ve recently learnt that LA Girl are now selling a peach corrector for lighter skin tones.
This is very pigmented so, once again, a tiny amount is sufficient to cover dark circles/hyper pigmentation. The correctors are also quite creamy and easy to blend which helps with application.
The correctors are brilliant – especially being so inexpensive. Plus you can pick and choose what shade you want as opposed to buying an expensive palette of colours, in which most shades are useless to you.
The concealer on the other hand was more ‘you-get-what-you-pay-for’. If you’re after light coverage, then this will work for you.
💋
R E V I E W • 7
‘Sheer’ was the main reason I bought this. I fancied something light I could wear on a daily basis. Although this isn’t heavy, it’s not sheer either. I suppose you could make it sheer by adding a little moisturiser to it but on its own it will give light to medium coverage.
It’s advertised to hydrate your skin – the formula apparently improves your skin’s texture and brightens your complexion. It felt and looked natural on my skin. I was able to blend it easily. It didn’t leave me with a glow though – more a semi-matte/slight dewy finish. But for that reason, I chose to skip powder.
It doesn’t do very well in the heat. I would say it lasted for about 4-5 hours before it started to fade.
I feel the name is misleading. ‘Sheer’ and ‘Glow’ are two words I would not use to describe it. Maybe it’s just me. Considering I spent over £30 on it – I’m expecting it to do what it ‘says on the tin’!
While I’m having a little rant, I’ll add that they do not provide a pump. I can’t tell you how annoying it is when it comes to using it. I dread wasting it – as you have to pour it out. If you do want a pump, you’ll have to pay extra for it. That makes no sense to me – it’s a high-end product. It should come with a pump.
This is catered for anyone with normal to dry skin. I don’t think I would recommend this to anyone with oily skin due to the dewy finish.
I’ll end on a high note and it’s one of the things I love about NARS and that’s their colour selection ranging from fair to dark skin tones. You will easily find a shade that’s suited to you.
Overall – it’s a good foundation for light coverage but not very long lasting. I don’t think I would buy it again I’m afraid.
R E V I E W • 6
I actually bought this in a rush. We were going on holiday and I needed something easy to pop into my makeup bag. I didn’t read the reviews beforehand so wasn’t sure what to expect but reading that it’s sweat, heat, humidity and transfer proof – I knew I had to buy it. Oh and they claim it stays on for 25 hours. Now this is a tube full of promises!
Now, as much as I love makeup, I love my skin just a little bit more. I wasn’t about to keep it on for that long. I doubt anyone would. I get it – it’s long lasting but 25 hours Rimmel? Really? 😑
It’s provides medium to full coverage. I remember my skin being quite angry and I needed something to cover up my imperfections! This did that and I felt it made my skin look flawless. I actually didn’t even bother with concealer. I used a sponge to get the best quality finish. You’ll need to set it with powder, as it felt a little sticky and shiny. Nothing that powder can’t fix!
This foundation seemed to get better as the day went on. At first it felt like it was sitting on my skin but as the day progressed it melted into my skin -in a good way!
I was afraid it would cling to my dry patches but surprisingly it didn’t. It was able to withstand the heat and humidity. I didn’t feel as if my makeup was melting off, however in hindsight it was probably not the best choice to take on holiday. I prefer to wear light foundations or a BB cream when I’m away – sometimes I’ll let my skin breathe and wear nothing apart from sunscreen. Your skin needs a holiday too!
It lasts long. Not sure about 25 hours but it lasts the whole day. That’s one of the things that really impressed me. Remember, it’s a highstreet foundation yet has a lot of high end qualities.
It’s worth the money but the colour options are poor for darker skin tones. Sigh. Come on Rimmel!
⚠️They’ve since changed the packaging to a glass bottle (I have the plastic tube).
R E V I E W • 5
When I first applied this blush, I wondered why I hadn’t turned to Makeup Geek before, for all my makeup needs. I’ve always heard good things about this brand.
I think this blush would be more suited to anyone with a fair complexion. It’s a pinkish-salmon colour which is the perfect colour for me, as it brings a natural flush to my cheeks.
The texture is a smooth, buttery, matte powder. It’s highly pigmented so a little goes a long way and it blends so beautifully. This colour won’t budge. It will last all day. I was really impressed considering this is less than half the price of the NARS blush.
I bought this from beautybay.com for £8 (about 40 QAR).
A great product at an affordable price. Looking forward to trying a lot more of their products.
R E V I E W • 4
Sorry for the late review guys – it’s been a crazy day!
Is this the most over-rated blusher ever? This was the thought running through my mind as I contemplated parting with my money for this popular, shimmery sensation.
I suppose I do need to warn those who prefer a matte blush to steer clear of this one. Me? I love blushers with a bit of sparkle and that’s exactly what this is. It’s a perfect peachy-pink with a golden shimmer. It’s sheer but it’s advertised to be exactly that. You only require a small amount for a natural, flushed look. If it is too much shimmer for you, it can always be worn in the evening for a gorgeous glow.
If you like applying highlighter after your blush, you can pretty much skip that step as this highlights your cheeks beautifully. I personally think this would suit most skin tones – fair skin tones get a natural flushed look and medium to dark skin tones get a bit of warmth and a subtle glow.
I just want to talk about NARS packaging – I mean, why? Seriously, it’s like black rubber – so anything sticks to it and it just looks awful. Sigh.
I paid £23 (around 130 QAR) from the UK. I think it would be a bit more in Sephora (here in Qatar).
So the million dollar question is – is it worth the money? In one word; no!
Sometimes I feel we are paying more for the name than we are the product. So much hype over this blush and although I absolutely love it, I feel you are able to get so many similar blushers at more affordable prices. ‘Coralista’ from Benefit is a similar shade (although more peachy than pink) and Sleek has a shade called ‘Rose Gold’ which is similar although it is a tad more peachy. Milani has a very similar shade called ‘Luminous’. These are to name but a few but there are loads out there.
All in all – a lovely shade but a lot of similar products out there if you don’t fancy spending too much.
R E V I E W • 3
I seriously need to buy more of these bad boys. I was going to review a high end product today but I saw this and wanted to share it with you all.
These compare to the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eyeliners. I’ll go as far as saying they’re a pretty good dupe! I say this from experience, as I have the UD pencils in my collection but unfortunately UD are another company associated with Israel – so no more UD products for me.
The Bourjois pencil is creamy and glides on like a dream. It’s enriched with jojoba oil to allow easy application. On top of that, the formula is waterproof. The colour is highly pigmented and so vibrant. The staying power is extremely good for a highstreet liner. You can use it on top of your eyelid, on your waterline and underneath your lower lash line.
The only downside is that it’s too creamy. When sharpening the pencil, I found there was a lot of wastage. However, there is a solution to that; before you sharpen your pencil, pop it into the fridge for half an hour and then sharpen.
A big thumbs up from me.
R E V I E W •2
This brand seems to be gaining popularity, even from some of the YouTube gurus!
With this palette, you get 8 powders – with only three of them being contour shades, two baked highlighters and and three lighter shades. The lighter shades include a light beige powder which I tend to use as a setting powder, a yellow toned powder for brightening and a light, shimmery peach for a subtle highlight.
Before I go on, I need to point out that this palette would only really suit fair to medium skin tones. It would be great if they could release a palette for darker skin tones, as I was really impressed by the quality. When talking about high street products, you tend to have low expectations. Well, don’t. This palette brings a lot to the table and let me explain why.
The contour shades consist of one medium toned brown, a cool-toned brown and a warm, dark brown. It’s extremely difficult to find a cool enough shade for pale skin, especially in a highstreet brand. A lot of the cheaper products are warm toned, which just means they’re slightly on the ‘red’ side so would suit warmer toned skin. This for me, was perfect. The colour was surprisingly pigmented and also very blendable. The colours are creamy and smooth. I normally reach for my Kat Von D palette, that I love, but lately I find myself using the MUR palette.
The baked highlighters are pretty. One is an in-your-face highlighter. You can’t miss it. It’s sparkly, shiny and very pigmented. I have to say this is my favourite out the bunch. The second highlighter is so subtle that you can barely see its there. It has a slight shine to it. If you’re after more of a natural glow, then this could work for you. The third highlighter, which isn’t baked, is between the other two. Not too subtle, not too harsh and not for me. I’d rather use this as an eyeshadow.
All in all, this is a brilliant palette for the price. I only paid £8 (40QAR). I would definitely recommend to any beginners who want to learn the art of contouring, especially if you don’t want to spend too much.
R E V I E W • 1
Whilst I was in the UK I decided I was going to find a decent gel eyeliner and not leave until I found one. Luckily for me – I found it. 💃
For me, MAC’s Fluidline eyeliner in Blacktrack was the best gel liner around. However, since I’ve started to buy ethically – I’ve had to start looking elsewhere. There are so many options out there and it can be a daunting task searching for something that might not work for you.
I bumped into my old makeup teacher and he recommended Illamasqua’s liner. He was using it on his clients and compared it to MAC’s liner. Before I knew it, I was online, popping it into the cart. 🙈
I was sceptical at first but it really proved me wrong. It works like a fluid liner in the form of a gel so it’s easy to work with. I find that with a lot of liners you have to work fast, as they dry quickly. You know that feeling when you’re tugging at your skin? Well, you won’t get that problem. This just glides over the eye making it so easy to use.
You can also use it as a base for a smokey eye. You can smudge it all over the lid and then apply your black eyeshadow on top for a more intensified look.
Once it’s on, for me, it lasts all day. I didn’t have any problems in this department. It’s able to withstand the heat of Doha and all the sweatiness that goes along with it. That’s good enough for me. However, I have read reviews where there have been complaints of it smudging – but for me it didn’t.
The colour pay-off is a rich, gorgeous black – not as bold as the Inglot liner but a lot darker than the MAC liner.
I’ve finally found an eyeliner I love so I’m a very happy bunny! 🐰
You can order yours online on the Illamasqua website. They deliver to Qatar. http://www.illamasqua.com
…so I’ve decided to do it again…
7 reviews in 7 days starting from tomorrow! I have a great mix of products I want to share with you all.
The first one will be Illamasqua’s Precision Gel Eyeliner.
Seriously – this is on the same level as one of the best liners out there. What eyeliner is that, you say? You’ll find out tomorrow! 😛😉
loveyrmakeup 