Gold and Black Arabic Eye Make-up Tutorial

Hello my lovelies! I received a request a few weeks ago to do an arabic eye make-up tutorial. Personally, I'm not very fond of very dramatic eye make-up especially when it involves super black, over-the-top eyeliners. And if you aren't aware yet, arabic eye make-up is all about lining, emphasizing the shape of their naturally gorgeous peepers and lush eyelashes. It was a challenge for me to do a dramatic and not-your-everyday look, yet is still wearable and flattering to every eye shape. I chose gold and black because this combo looks very elegant and glamorous. You can even skip the striking eyeliner, do a simple winged one instead and you will still have a beautiful gold and black smoky eye.

These are the products I used:

Urban Decay Honey(gold) and Zero(black w/ silver microparticles) from the Deluxe Shadow Box Palette

MAC Blanc type

MAC Phloof

Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Gel Eyeliner

Bourjois Khol & Contour Eyeliner Pencil

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide on Pencil in Eldorado

(not included in the pic)

Urban Decay Primer Potion

YSL Singulier Mascara

Ardell Individual lashes

Ardell lash glue

1. Prime the lid using UDPP. Make sure to apply it evenly.

2. Apply Eldorado eyeliner on the eyelid and blend.

3. Apply Honey eyeshadow on top of the blended eyeliner. If you're wondering what's that white thingy under my eye, I dusted plain old baby powder to make cleaning up of the eyeshadow fallout easier.

4. Add Zero eyeshadow on the outer V.

5. Blend the black eyeshadow using a blender brush and drag it along the crease area. Do a windshield wiper motion to blend the eyeshadow effortlessly.

6. Use Blanc type eyeshadow to soften the black eyeshadow on the crease. Bring it up to the browbone to highlight.

7. Apply Phloof eyeshadow on the inner corner of the eye and only on the arch of the brow to add a bit of shimmer.

8. Draw a thin line under the lower lashline using the eyeliner pencil.

9. Apply black eyeshadow on top of the line to blend it out and to set it as well.

10. Now here's the fun part:) Line your upper lashline and wing it out. Extend the tail towards your temple using your lower lashline as a guide. Do a parallel line on your lower lashline. Apply blanc type eyeshadow on that space between the two lines to highlight it.

11. Curl your lashes, apply mascara and add false lashes. I used 4 individual ones on each eye.

12. Line the rim of your eyes (tightline and then the waterline). Drag both lines along the tear duct and connect them. Flick the tail following the contour of your eye.

The finished look:

This is the first ever requested look that I am posting and I hope she'll like it:) I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and stay tuned for more! Take care and see ya<3

My War Against Acne

I wish I don't have to write this post. I wish I could write about something else instead of this because it isn't the easiest for me to do. I know I'm being melodramatic. But acne is a very serious issue(at least to the 90% of our population who suffer from it). I'll skip defining acne because we all know what it is.

I mostly suffer from hormonal acne, one of the worst attacks came during puberty and another one when I got pregnant. Those were very painful experiences and although I wasn't plagued by cystic acne(deep painful inflammation under the skin), those small persistent spots were all over my face, neck and even on my back that I hated the way I looked. It affected my self-confidence and for a time, I stopped socializing because I felt like people were just staring at my acne(i had zilch knowledge about foundations and concealers then). It got better thankfully after a few visits to the dermatologists and plenty of topical and oral medicines. And when I say plenty, it's really PLENTY. I think that I've tried almost every possible treatment available, both prescriptions and over-the-counter ones including Roaccutane, anti-biotics, Retin-A cream, Differin, ProActiv, Obagi, etc. I've also used most drugstore brands like Neutrogena, Loreal, Clean and Clear, Vichy and many high-end stuff like Shiseido, Estee Lauder, Clinique, Clarins, Chanel, Guerlain and the list goes on, and on. If I didn't have this acne to deal with, my malnourished bank account would've been a lot fatter now hahaha.

My skin has improved a lot ever since, but still far from perfect. Because what I have is hormonal acne, I still get nasty breakouts here and there. Whether if it's that time of the month, or if we travel, if I don't get enough sleep, or if I'm too stressed, these all lead to one thing, an ugly pimple or two, or more. I also have hyperpigmentations as remnants of the previous breakouts and they sure don't look pleasing at all. These things do fade in time, but it takes a while. I'll be sharing my present regimen on how I combat acne. Please remember though that I am not a professional and what I'll be discussing is based on my own experience. I chose these products based on the reviews I've read in the internet and some I bought out of desperation. I also want to point out that every skin is different, what may work for me might not work for you, vice versa. Skincare is very personal, that's why I've been debating whether to make a post about this or not. But I thought I might be able to help someone out there so I decided to do it anyway. Aside from these treatments, healing should also start from within. Don't forget to eat healthy, include fruits and vegetables in your diet, drink at least 8 glasses of water a day, have at least 8hours of sleep and exercise regularly. I admit though that I don't drink enough water, I drink too much Pepsi and I hate exercise so good luck to me hahaha.

Clarins Gentle Foaming Cleanser
-I use this foaming cleanser twice a day, morning and evening. It is a very light, refreshing cleanser. It doesn't give that squeaky clean feel that I usually get after years of using gel cleanser for oily skin. But it leaves the skin cleansed and moisturised. I started using this 2 months ago and I feel that it helped calm my skin during a recent stint of breakout after we went to vacation.

Clinique Clarifying Lotion
-I use this toner once a day at night, after I wash my face. I moisten a piece of cotton, then just gently run it along my face. It removes any dirt/impurities that wasn't caught by the facial cleanser. It helps close the pores and preps the skin better so any treatment you apply after it will work more efficiently. I use it only once a day because my skin is fairly clean in the morning so I don't need the extra cleansing step and because my skin feels a lot drier when I use it twice a day.

Clinique Spot Treatment Gel
-this is by far the best spot treatment I've used. I bought it a year ago for hubby but he was too lazy to use it and his acne vanished without any help(lucky him). I started using it on my spots recently and they healed a lot faster, within a day or two. They don't leave a lot of hyper-pigmentation behind which is huge relief. The downside, it stings!

Clinique Clearing Moisturiser
-again, I got this one for hubby but it turned out that a year later, I would be needing it for myself. I usually swear by my fav moisturiser when my skin is well-behaved, another one from Clinique, the Dramatically Different Moisturing Gel. The Clearing Moisturiser is a great help when my skin is on a breakout spree. It's very lightweight, keeps the oil at bay and leaves the skin well moisturised, but not in a greasy way.









Clarisonic Mia
-this is a wonder gadget. It's an electronic facial brush that is waterproof, so you can even use it while in the shower. It rotates and pulsates, thus massaging the face while it buffs away dirt and dead skin. It exfoliates the skin mildly and cleans really well. I've used other facial brushes before from the Body Shop and Shiseido and they're no where as effective as the Clarisonic. I use it at night. I wet the brush head, add a tiny amount of cleanser and massage it all over my face. It has its own timer so it'll stop by itself after one minute. I am so in love with it. Even though my skin is still far from flawless, it really helped a lot in making my large pores a little less noticeable because it unclogs them after every use, my blackheads are greatly diminished and my skin feels a lot softer and smoother too.

I use Retin-A cream when my skin is already clear of breakouts, it gets rid of the remaining hyperpigmentations. It is also very important to use sunscreen especially if you'll be out under the sun. You can also opt for moisturisers or foundation that has spf in them. I'm hardly stepping out of the house during the day so I can get away with products that don't have spf. But if I do, I usually use the Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protection Lotion.

The best piece of advice I can give is to visit a dermatologist as early as possible if you're suffering from persistent acne, especially if it is the cystic type. The earlier you treat it, the better because it'll save you from the deep scarring that is usually more difficult to get rid of than the breakouts. The experts will have a better understanding of your skin type and can give you treatment that suits your needs.

I hope I didn't bore you with this post. And if you're one of the lucky human beings out there who doesn't have to worry about acne, then I'm so jealous of you:(( and I'm not kidding:D

Take care and see ya<3

Tightlining Tutorial

Hello everyone! I hope you're all doing good today. I have been receiving questions about tightlining ever since I made a post about eyeliners which you can read here. I was not in a very good mood to do a full eye make-up tutorial because my eyes are very droopy and looking very tired these days, so I decided to make a short tutorial on how I tightline instead.

Tightlining is a very easy way of adding a bit of glamour to the eyes without wearing a lot of make-up. It makes the lashes look a lot fuller and defines the shape of the eyes in a very natural, "sans maquillage" way. It is a simple process but might look a bit intimidating to beginners. It involves using an eyeliner to darken the roots of the upper lashes and the small strip of flesh under the upper lashline.

What you'll need:
Black Pencil
Gel liner(optional)

Procedure:

1. Dip the pencil on the gel liner (like you're writing a dot on the gel). Go immediately to step 2 if you don't have a gel liner.

UD 24/7 Glide on Pencil liner dipped on MAC Blacktrack Fluidline

If you're wondering about the gel's container, I back-2-MAC'ed it a few months ago and because it wasn't completely empty, I scraped the remaining product and transferred it to this vessel:)

2. Push your upper lashes slightly against the lid so the small strip of flesh under the upper lashline is exposed. You can either do this while looking straight at a mirror or you can also lay a small mirror on a flat surface then look down at it if you're more comfortable.

scary I know:D

3. Guide the pencil gently against the roots of the lashes and the area shaded above.

4. And here's the before and after look.

bare eyes

tightlined

The seemingly trepidating steps aren't as horrible as they look. And as you can see, my lashes look a lot fuller and my eye is looking more defined after tightlining, even without mascara. Your eyes might shed a few tears initially but as they get used to it, it'll get better. Practice makes perfect:) If you're feeling lazy but still want to look a little more polished, just do this step,add a few coats of mascara, apply blusher on the apples of your cheeks, add lipgloss and you're ready to go.


I hope you liked this tutorial and stay tuned for more! See ya<3

Product Review: Benefit Porefessional

Hello my lovely readers! i know, i know you missed me:) I missed you too...I won't be explaining now why I was MIA for a while, but I'm assuring you that it's for a good cause. I will try to update my blog more often from now on promise, so please keep on supporting me by visiting this site regularly.


Today I am going to do a review of a face primer, the Benefit Porefessional. I've been testing this for a month already and I'm glad to report that it didn't break me out nor caused an irritation to my skin(my skin is actually on a breakout spree right now but that's another story). Be wary though if you're allergic to silicone because this primer is silicone-based.


Let's look at the product closely. This is what it claims:


Benefit The POREfessional
"What it is:


A PRO balm that minimizes the appearance of pores.


What it does:


The POREfessional quickly minimizes the appearance of pores. Apply this silky, lightweight balm to achieve translucent pore coverage and smoother-than-smooth skin. Pores…now you see 'em, now you don't!"




Packaging


This primer comes in a squeezy tube container which is a very good thing because, first, it is very hygienic. Dipping a finger on a tub of product can always contaminate the entire thing if you aren't careful. Next, controlling the amount dispensed is very easy with this one and is very convenient because all you'll need is a tiny blob for each application. The bad point, if you aren't very very patient, during the last days of it, you might not be able to squeeze every single molecule without massacring the tube:))

Application

There are two ways to apply this product. You can apply it to clean, lightly moisturized skin then pat on problem areas and blend with fingertips. Now you can follow it up with your usual foundation routine or if you're one of the lucky girls out there, you can just leave it as is. You can also apply it over makeup by lightly patting it on, and then blend.

My Experience

Benefit The Porefessional looks like a tinted cream at first glance. It is very silky to the touch and has a very light citrusy scent but the smell doesn't linger for long. Although it has a bit of tanned tint, it applies sheer and is invisible after it is blended. I'm totally in love with this product!It glides smoothly on the skin and makes it feel so soft and silky. It makes foundation glide on seamlessly, combats oiliness and most important of all, minimizes the appearance of my pores. I just put a small amount on my finger, dab (very important, don't rub!) it around the areas where I have large pores, i.e. around my nose and the cheek area and the rest of my T-zone(forehead, nose, chin). I'm also impressed by it's longevity, I usually wear it for 6 hours or more and it holds up really well and to think that I have one of the oiliest faces on the planet:))

a tiny amount is all you need

before application

after dabbing Porefessional

with Giorgio Armani Lasting Silk foundation on top

after 8 hours of wear

As you can see, it reduced the size of my pores dramatically and I am really amazed that even after 8 hours, it still looks good and doesn't make me look like an oil factory. Although, I still want to see how it will perform during summer because my skin is notoriously oily when the temperature goes up. Will I repurchase? Definitely.

Benefit The Porefessional is priced at 132SR for a 22ml/0.75 US fl.oz. which is kinda steep for such a small tube, but a little amount goes a long way so I'm sure this one will last for quite some time.

I hope you enjoyed reading this post and do let me know if you try this product. Take care and see ya <3