Review - Revlon Color Stay Foundation

Review - Revlon Color Stay Foundation

3.15.2014

I don't use foundations on an everyday basis, and only reserve it for special occasions like a wedding or a party, yet I've bought two foundations in the past month, seriously no rhyme or reason! In case of Revlons Color Stay Foundation, I was leaving for my friends wedding and wanted something that was full coverage and would last ages which is what the claims for this particular foundation are, so I got my hands on one. Let's see how it really fared.. 

First things first, this foundation comes without a pump but I've used foundations that lack pumps before so it doesn't really bother me. The fact that the actual consistency of the foundation is non-watery and runny ensures that even without a pump, you're not left with a mess on your hands or down the bottle. Since I chose the shade online, and tried my best to do a lot of research ad swatch examination, the shade I ordered is actually a lighter than what I would wear but a little bit of mixing with one of the darker foundations in my collection, solves that problem.

On to the actual foundation itself, it is freakin fantastic! It stays on for hours without oxidizing or getting patchy along with giving you medium-full coverage with the first layer. While it wasn't necessary, I wanted to see how the foundation fared when a second layer was applied, and boy was I pleased. It didn't get cakey or make me look like a mannequin which is always a good thing in my books haha. I have incredibly dark circles so it didn't completely cover those, but in all honesty I've never had a product that could completely eliminate those pools of darkness beneath my eyes haha. Other than that, all the redness and  unevenness on my face was gone immediately after I applied the first layer of foundation with a very light hand.

The only thing you need to be careful about is being very quick to blend it, otherwise you're in for a ton of buffing and unflattering results. Start with small portions of your face, apply a bit of foundation and immediately start buffing it in before moving on to another part and repeating the actions. The finish you're left with is a semi-matte one, my absolute favorite.

Please excuse the lack of anything on my face in this before and after where I have nothing but good old moisturizer slapped on in the before picture. As is visible, my skin tone is evened out naturally, the redness around my nose and chin area has dissapeared and to some extent my dark circles have also been reduced.

As embarrassing as the before picture is for my to post, I really does show how this foundation gives off a 'natural' finish even though it is a full coverage foundation. While it is not the lightest foundation to wear, I certainly expected my face to feel caked up after application, and I'm glad to report that it didn't.

I would definitely recommend this foundation to those who are looking for something with full coverage and amazing long lasting properties, on a budget! It is believed to be an almost exact dupe of MACs Pro Long Wear Foundation, and while I haven't tried that, I'm more than pleased with my purchase. Also the fact that the combo-oily skin version didn't dry out my face or turn it into a grease ball after a couple of hours is worth mentioning.

PRICE - 

American Drug Stores - $9

Local Facebook Stores - Between 1500 & 1800 

I got mine from Beauty Hub (click HERE) for PKR 1500.

Have you tried any of Revlon foundations? Since I'm highly impressed with this one, I want to try out more! Not that I need any more foundations in my life haha.

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Luscious Cosmetics Master Makeup Collection - Part 1

Luscious Cosmetics Master Makeup Collection - Part 1

3.12.2014

If you're in Pakistan, and keep up to to date with the latest makeup related releases, there's no way that the talk of Luscious Cosmetics and their collaboration with Ather Shahzad hasn't whizzed by you! I literally let out a gasp when I saw the initial sneak peaks of what the Master Makeup Collection looked like! The idea behind this collection is bringing forth products that have been designed in collaboration with Ather Shahzad, where his expertise in professional and bridal makeup of over 20 years is used to create portable palettes that will help you achieve the same professional salon style looks, at home! As if that wasn't enough, the Luscious Cosmeitcs Website has a feature where you can choose any of Ather Shahzads stunning makeup looks and you will be guided with step by step instructions and the exact products used to create the look! Talk about sharing lots of tips and tricks! Click HERE to direct yourself to the feature page.

 The Luscious Cosmetics Master Makeup Collection features a whooping 48 eye shadows, 4 blushes, 2 highlighters, 5 lip glosses and 5 lipsticks. In this blog post, I will be reviewing the visually stunning lip gloss and lipstick palette! 

 Now first things first, how classic does the gold and black packaging look! Love the Ather Shahzad signature on the packing and the palette itself and the little blurbs that are at the back of the palette telling you a bit about the palettes and the shade colors along with their names! I love products with well thought off names, so having the lipstick and lip-gloss shades named after Pakistani supermodels is a brilliant idea in my opinion! The sleekness & sturdiness of the palette along with the huge compact mirror and a high quality lip brush it comes with makes it THE palette to take away with you on trips or excursions, or just to quickly pop it in your bag for on the go touch ups!

 

The packaging is a definite winner but what about the actual products inside? Let me just sum it up in a single word, they're fan-freakin-tastic! Starting with the lipstick palette, you get five stunning shades of matte finish lipsticks that include two nude shades, a vibrant coral, a bright pink and a red with orange under tones. There is something for everyone in this palette, whether you like to play it safe with neutrals or love to make a statement with bold and bright lips. The color are perfect for on the go, since you can start of your day with sporting either of the nudes for a casual, laid back look and change it up to one of the brighter shades at night. All you need to transition your look from day to night is in this palette! 

Pigmentation - Amazeballs! These lipsticks are the one-swipe-and-you're-done wonders! 

Lasting Power - 4 to 5 hours, with mild eating and drinking. They fade evenly and all the shades leave behind a pretty even stain that lasts for around 2 more hours totaling the over all staying time of these lipsticks to roughly around 6 hours! 

Finish - Semi Matte / Matte

MEESHA 01 - Named perfectly after the model who is known for her edgy-ier looks, the shade is a bold red with orange undertones making it seem like you've mixed the two shades together to create that perfect balance. 

MEHREEN 02 - Hello my favorite everyday lipstick! This 'darker' nude, a my-lips-but-better shade is definitely going to be the first shade I finish up from the palette! Doesn't wash me out, and actually brightens up my face which should be visible in the swatch above as compared to the others. 

NADYA 03 - Definitely the shade for bright coral lovers, its almost neon against my skin tine! Very much appropriate for the upcoming summers. 

IMAN 04- The shade I wanted to love since Iman is my favourite super model of all times, but the shade of nude is just way too light for my skin tone, making it look dark and patchy (should be obvious in the swatches above as compared to the others). If you're a fan of the concealer lips look, this is definitely your shade, I sadly won't be getting much use out of it. The good news is that this should be the most amazing nude for skin tones lighter than mine.

CYBIL 05 - This shade is my definition of the perfect Barbie pink! Its bright and fun and surprisingly flatter my skin tone since most bright pinks don't and I tend to shy away from them for this very reason. This, on the other hand, is a winner!

 

Now coming on to the lip gloss palette, older readers might know about my aversion to lip glosses in general due to their sticky/tacky/hair-getting-stuck-on-lips properties.Well guess what, if you're like me, you've hit the jackpot with these non-sticky lip glosses. I'm not the biggest fan of the glossy look in general and prefer mattes but most of the girls love their lips glossy, and these colors are just that, super glossy and creamy! 

Pigmentation - Almost all of the  lip glosses being light shades, they deliver the color that is shown in the pan. The berry-ish shade (Rachel) can be built up to make it super intense. 

 Lasting Power - All of the shades lasted around 2 hours on me, do not fare well if there is eating or drinking involved, but that is the case for any kind of lip gloss. 

Finish - Initially seemed sticky when swatched on the hand, but not at all when applied to the lips. All the shades are creamy and glossy, and even the ones with glitter are smooth and non-gritty!

NADYA 01 - On my lips, this is basically a milky nude. Perfect for topping a bright lipstick with which you want to tone down.

NATASHA 02 - An almost clear / super light coral shade with subtle gold glitter that is NOT gritty at all! I resent glosses which have chunks of glitter in them that you can actually feel if you rub your lips together, and this one thankfully isn't that! 

VINNIE 03 - A darker / nude-er version of the first shade, shows up a bit better against my lips. 

ZARA 04 - A subtle pink shade with light gold and silver glitter that doesn't make your lips look like a disco ball and once again, thankfully, isn't gritty!

RACHEL 05 - My absolute FAVORITE shade of the palette! Love the almost brown-berry shade that looks fabulous against my skin tone. I've never ever finished a gloss in my life, this one though, is going to be my first. Lifts up my skin tone and ahhh, can't even explain how amazing this is.

If it isn't obvious by my review, I LOVE these palette for their portability, sleekness and how amazing the formula of the products inside is. Now all you guys need to do is - 

1. Go to your local cosmetic store.

2. Pick up the Master Makeup Collection Lipstick Palette.

3. Swatch it on your hand.

4. Fall in love.

5. Buy it!

6. Thank me later (haha)! 

 

Here's a picture where I wanted to show how easy it is to use these palettes for on the go, but sadly, the end result consisted or awkward posing, and chipped nails! Oh boy. 

Price-

Ather Shahzad Lipstick Master Palette - PKR 2250

Ather Shahzad Lip gloss Master Palette  PKR 2150

While these palettes may seem to be a bit on the pricier side at first glance, the quality of the products inside, an excellent full sized lip brush and the packaging completely justifies it and makes sense. 

SHOP - Online here! 

& in-store at all your local cosmetic/departmental stores. 

What is your favorite shade? Or which palette would you be picking up? Let me know in the comments below. Until next time, tc.

*PR Samples

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Haul - The Royal House Accesories!

Haul - The Royal House Accesories!

3.08.2014

I'm not the biggest jewellery and accessories fanatic in the world, I just tend to forget about quickly clasping on a bracelet or slipping on a ring before I go out but lately, I've started to collect necklaces and rings because that, at least, is something I wear at times and it just doesn't sit in my jewellery drawer gathering dust haha. Obviously whilst hauling it is easy to get carried away when you see adorable pieces of jewellery that may be super cute, but not something you would actually wear haha.

First up is this statement necklace, and boy is it colorful. I love how light it is and how it doesn't give my neck a workout when I wear it haha. Perfect for spring with something plain underneath! Price - PKR 800

Now I can't even describe how bright and neon this shade of yellow is. Over here, thanks to my dear old pint and shoot it looks like a daisy yellow but in reality this is exact shade of a highlighter yellow. Remember those yellow highlighters from your good old school days? This is the same shade but somehow with the gold is kinda balances out the in-your-face-ness of the necklace haha. I love the combination of yellow and gold in this and since it's incredibly light and you can barely  feel it around your neck, I might be ordering a few more pieces in different colors! Price - PKR 480

I've heard alot about the evil eye bracelets and rings and all the superstitions behind them, so when I saw this one I ordered it not realizing how scarily real the eye balls would look. I swear the first time I held the bracelet I was a bit wary of all these blue irises staring back at me haha! Price - PKR 350

My ears are pretty sensitive so wearing something heavy is just out of the question for me. Surprisingly these pretty turquoise double flower earrings are, like all the other pieces, incredibly light. I'm not the biggest fan of dangly earrings since I feel like they make me look 'aunty-ish (for the lack of a better word haha), but these were too cute not to order! Price - PKR 450

 

These earrings in particular are alot smaller than I initially expected them to be, but that only makes me want to wear even more. The design is inspired by ones that Rihanna wore somewhere, with a gold lion on a black background. Definitely unlike the other earrings I typically go for haha, but I really do like them so here's to hoping I get to wear them soon. Price - PKR 380

Rings I can definitely do! I love wearing rings, and they are perhaps my favorite jewellery items. I had ordered one of these gold bow rings before but sadly I lost it, so this time I ordered the gold and silver variant and I LOVE them both! Excellent quality rings, that look super cute but not too girly at the same time. Price - PKR 200 (each)

Now saving the best for last, I kinda went over board with all the midi rings! They were just too adorable for their own good, seriously! I wouldn't wear them all together like I have in this picture when I actually  have to go out but I always have one or two of these on my pinky fingers! Love how dainty and tiny they are! Price - 450

As much as I love Haroons for jewellery items, they are getting a bit too expensive for the quality that they offer so I started to look for online Facebook pages that sell jewellery and I came across The Royal House. Some of the stuff I ordered online through them, while the rest I bought from a festival where they were exhibiting. I've had a lovely experience both times, and the rates are excellent as well, definitely a shop I would recommend. There's alot of Kundan and traditional jewellery that they stock along with this stuff and more if that floats your boat more :) 

Until next time, tc. 

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Review - The Balm Nude ' Tude Palette

Review - The Balm Nude ' Tude Palette

3.04.2014

I've always used drugstore eye shadows so during the Black Firday / Cyber Monday deals I decided to dip my toes into the world of higher ends eye shadows and see what the faff is all about. The Balm is more of a mid range brand, not quite drugstore yet not high end either, but boy would I be wiling to spend a lot more for this gem that is the Nuda 'Tude palette!

Starting with the packaging, It's sleek, sturdy and definitely travel friendly. The card board doesn't look or feel flimsy at all and the magnetic closure actually does it job and keeps the palette shut when you are not using it, so no danger of the palette opening accidentally and all the gorgeous eye shadows inside chipping! What I also love about the packaging is the thin slide-able sleeve that it comes with, just an extra layer to protect the packaging from getting all grubby and dirty!

Now there are two variants of the palette, the first is the 'naughty' one which I have with all the cheeky ladies, the other is the 'nice' one, which is the exact same palette and everything but without the scantily clad ladies haha. I love the mirror, it more than enough to do your makeup if you're getting ready in a room with four to five other girls for a wedding and there's a waiting list for the mirror haha (this actually happened at my best friends wedding lol) It also come with a double sided brush but I only really use the liner side of the brush.

Coming on to the shades, there is something for everyone in this palette. Unlike other 'nude' palettes which usually house the same hues from one particular color family, this is pretty diverse. You get beautiful shades to highlight with, then you have variants of silver/grey shade, a lovely khaki-ish/ color along with a perfect crease shade and a dark, burgundy one among others. When it comes to the finished there is alot of diversity since you have the shimmery shades, the satin finishes, shades loaded with glitter and then fabulous matte ones as well!  This palette is literally the definition of an all-in-one.

Here are the swatches for the first row of shadows. All of them are incredibly pigmented and so easy to blend, especially if eye makeup is not really your forte. I love the shade 'stubborn' as an inner corner highlight, 'selfish' for a quick all over wash of color and 'sophisticated' to darken up the edges just a bit. The shades' sexy' and 'serious' are amazing matte ones, and in the image above they've only been swatched once, no crazy layers of building up the colors required. 'Serious' is a super matte black which I substitute for liner quite alot due to its amazing staying power!

Coming to the bottom row my favorites hands down are 'sultry' the perfect crease/transition shade, 'seductive', a stunning gold/bronze/khaki shade that is my most used one from the palette, and 'silly' a dark brown with copper-ish under tones and specks of gold glitter! I've never been one for really dark and intense smokey eyes, so this is perfect for people like my who want that smoke-y eye effect but can't work with black alot.

Here's a super quick eye look that I did with 'stand-offish' as the inner corner highlight, 'seductive' on the first half of the lid and a combination of 'sultry' and 'sophisticated' at the outer corners and a bit on the crease. I've also lined the lower lash line with a bit of 'silly'. ( My dead old point and shoot washes out my eye looks like no other so just pretend that the colors are a bit more vibrant than they seem in the eye look pictures, and excuse the brows, time to get them shaped haha! & excuse the dark circles, the only editing I do on my pictures is a bit of cropping and clicking the auto-correct button, how I wish Photoshop were my friend! )

These super pigmented, highly blendable and long lasting shades (without a primer as well, but apply an eye primer underneath, and these will stay on all night!) make this an ideal on-the-go palette. I only took this palette with me for a friends wedding ( a three day event ) and seriously didn't feel like I needed any other shadows, this palette had all the colors that I would actually need and use! 

I would recommend this palette to everyone - from beginners to somewhere-in-between people like me, and to professionals / MUA's. It is that high quality!

Price- $36 ( A bargain for the quality that you get, plus keep an eye out on The Balm website since they do have incredible sales from time to time. I got mine for 40% off, woohoo! ) You can also order from local stores like Makeup & Accesories, Beauty Hub & HASH.

Hope you liked the review. Please leave your thoughts in the comments below! I love going through them :) 

Until next time, tc.

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