Naturally Green!!!

Common eyeshadow colours we tend to play with are usually, pink, purple, blue, brown and silver.  These are pretty safe colours that go well with many different skin tones.  Green is not a colour we use very often.  We usually think green is a very bold colour that should only be reserved for a big night out, or for the very brave.  However, the right shade of green can look pretty natural and appropriate for a day out or for work.

I've used 3 different shades of green to give you an example of how natural it can be.

1) L'Oreal Infallible eyeshadow in Permanent Khaki
2) Makeup Forever eyeshadow in 57
3) Makeup Forever eyeshadow in 93

Permanent Khaki paired with MAC eyeshadow in Mulch

Apologies that the Permanent Khaki looks silver but it's actually a deep shade of khaki green

Permanent Khaki paired with MAC eyeshadow in Electra

Makeup Forever in 57 and 93

So there you go, three different combinations of green, all with a very natural finish.  The last look has a surprisingly pastel finish and is perfect for a spring look. 

You never know how the colours are gonna look like on you.  If you're in a makeup store and love a colour you see, ask a makeup artist to try it out on you rather than just testing it out on your hands.  It may look more natural on your eyes than it does in the pot. 

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair!!

I don't know how many of you religiously read reviews on beauty products but there are a number of products that have had amazing reviews from users all over the world.  Yes, you'll see reviews in magazines and articles that show you before and after photos, but how do you know if any of those are actually digitally enhanced?

I'm about to do something that I consider quite brave and in order to do so, I will strip off all my makeup and show you every flaw on my face.  I recently bought the Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair serum.  I've heard great things about how it's one of the few products out there that not only prevents future damage to the skin but also repairs it.  I was battling between trying out Strivectin SD and the Advanced Night Repair serum and decided to go with the latter because it had outstanding reviews and the former, although has a lot of hype around it, did not have stellar reviews.

The Advanced Night Repair promises to reduce the signs of aging such as fine lines, wrinkles, scars, age spots etc.  Apparently, it is so popular due to its effectiveness, a bottle is sold every 8 seconds around the world. I have been noticing lines forming on my forehead over the last year and I'm not so sure if they have gotten worse or I'm just more aware of them because I no longer have bangs to cover them.  Nevertheless, the fine lines and past acne scarring have been bothering me a lot and I'm determined to find a product other than botox that will get rid of them or at least significantly reduce them.

So, over the next few months, I plan on showing you the progress, starting with this blog in which I have only used the product for one night. Keep in mind, I am also using the Estee Lauder Idealist Skin Illuminator which is supposed to reduce dark spots as well.  However, I do believe any significant progress would be more credited to the Advance Night Repair as the Idealist Skin Illuminator had some pretty average reviews. 

Here are my problem areas!!  Let's see if there is a difference in about a month or so. You can be the judge for yourself and I promise you these photos will have no photoshopping at all. 

Problem: Fine lines across my forehead and especially on both the left and right sides

Problem:  Acne scarring and uneven skintone

Problem: Acne scarring and uneven skintone

Playful Eyeliners!!!!

A fun and young look that's super trendy is the single line of coloured eyeliner on your eyes paired with a black or brown mascara.  It's a great look for teens and girls in their early 20s for everyday wear.  For those of us who are a little older, we can pull this look off too but stick with more conservative colours like deep purple and blue.  This is a great way to give your eyes a little pop of colour when you have no time to fuss with eyeshadow. 

I used a deep purple/plum pencil eyeliner from MAC.  This is the most flattering colour for any age and any skin tone. 

I used a blue pencil liner from Makeup Forever's Aqua Eyes line.  Blue is a great, eye catching colour.  It can be a little daring depending on the shade of blue you pick but it will brighten up your eyes for sure.  For girls who generally do wear blue eyeshadow, this is a great substitute for those mornings you just couldn't get out of bed early enough to do the whole works. 

I used Illamasqua medium pencil in Torment.  Yes, this pinkish red is a little unconventional but I just wanted to show how you youngsters out there can play around with the range of colours available. Try out some, pink, green, gold, silver orange etc.  It's fun and easy and while you are in your teens and early 20s, you may as well take advantage of the fact that you can get away with this type of playfulness.


So where can you find a fantastic range of coloured eyeliners?

Illamasqua has amazing colour pencils in all shades and sizes for use on your eyes, face, lips and body.   They have a smooth texture that glides on your skin beautifully.

MAC fluidliner is another great option.  I have one in Blacktrack but it comes in a wide range of colours.  Use an angled brush to apply it.  It will give you the best control!!

Makeup Forever has a range of super waterproof pencil eyeliners that come in a range of fun colours.  The Aqua Eyes pencil liner in blue is one of my beach vacation must-haves.

Favourite Makeup Pros and Cons

You've probably noticed from all the different blog entries I've done, that there are several makeup products I use over and over again.  I do indeed have my favourites but just like anything in this world, nothing is perfect...well...almost nothing.  Some things do come close to perfect but even those have their pros and cons.  Here's a list of my absolute favourites and the good and bad about each one. 

K-Palette 1 Day Tattoo Real Lasting Eyeliner

Pros:  Provides great control when doing fine lines and great control overall.  Lasts all day long and has a perfect, jet black liquid liner look.

Cons:  Not as waterproof as the name indicates it should be.  When it comes in contact with rain, tears or any type of water, it doesn't just smudge...it runs!!!!


MAC Duo Fibre Brush

Pros:  Spreads my foundation evenly whether it's liquid or powder.  Helps to achieve a beautiful, natural finish with great coverage.

Cons:  I do take care of my brushes but this one seems to shed easily.  In fact, there's always a hair or two left on my face after using this brush. 


Missha Perfect M BB Cream

Pros:  It has a wonderful texture and gives great coverage with a very natural finish that lasts all day.

Cons: Not dark enough when I've been out in the sun and I'm more tanned than usual.


Majorlica Majorca Glam Lash Mascara and Maybeline Volume Express Cat Eyes

Pros:  Both create thick, clumpless lashes that lasts all day.  They are extremely waterproof, don't smudge and are the mascara I like to use when I'm at the beach.

Cons:  Incredibly difficult to remove even with the best eye makeup removers.


MAC Studio Fix Powder Plus 

Pros:  Works great when layering with other liquid foundations for maximum staying power.  It's also really easy to apply.

Cons:  On its own, it doesn't last all day on my oily skin. 


MAC Paintpot

Pros:  It's a great cream shadow that lasts all day.  It works great as a base under powder eyeshadow and makes it last even longer. 

Cons:  The product gets dry after some time and becomes a little hard to extract from the container. 


And finally here's the one product I have absolutely ZERO complaints about!!!

MAC Powder Eyeshadow

This is my ultimate favourite and what I think many people would agree, the best quality eyeshadow!!!!  Even on oily lids it doesn't get into your creases.  It lasts all day long and has great build-able colour intensity.

If there's a product you use that you have absolutely no complaints about, let me know what it is!!!  I'm always interested in trying out makeup products that have great reviews.  

Natural False Lashes!

False eyelashes have been a huge trend for many years.  Before moving to the UK, I thought it was probably just really big in Asia due to the fact that most of us have very short and scanty eyelashes.  After coming to the UK, I've realized it's incredibly popular here too.  Adding falsies to complete your overall look is great but some lashes are just a little OTT for everyday wear.  Stick to natural looking eyelashes that add volume rather than thick, long, glamour lashes.

Here's a look at some ways to emphasize your peepers!!!

Corner Lashes:

A great way to make your lashes appear longer but natural is to use eyelashes only on the outer corners of your eyes.  You can either buy the ones that come in individual bunches or cut the ends off any pair you already have at home

Cris-Cross Lashes:

I find this to be the most natural look of all when it comes to full length lashes.  This type of falsies add a lot of fullness and natural length without being over the top.  These are great for a big night out as well.  If you want to create even more natural fullness, just double up on the lashes.

What You Should Avoid for the Day:

Lashes with thick hairs clumped together can look extremely unnatural, like the ones I wore for New Year's Eve!!   They are fun for events and fancy dress parties but not for the day.  Thick, fluttery half lashes should be avoided too if you want a natural look.  It's really easy to tell what will be over the top!  If they look really thick or really long, they won't look natural!!

The Kim K Smokey Eye Look for Hooded Eyelids!!!!

Two weeks ago, I shared a video with you of Kim Kardashian's makeup  artist doing a smokey eye look on her.  The look consisted of a paler lid with dark corners and creases, highlighting a significant contrast between the two colours.  Now, as I mentioned in that blog, this look is a lot easier to accomplish if you have deep set eyes as you have a natural receding crease to follow and your eyelid space is thick enough for the lighter colour to be seen.

I promised to do the hooded eyelid or monolid version so here it is!!!


For girls with hooded eyelids or monolids, we need to apply the darker colour slightly above our natural crease if we want the lighter colour and contrast to be noticeable.

The line has to be drawn precisely and then blended out.  A pencil brush is the best way to do this.  After applying a lighter shadow all over the lids (stopping just above your crease), apply the darker colour on your corners and above your natural crease as well, creating an illusion of a deeper crease when your eyes are open.  Blend to soften the harsh edges.

Kim's makeup artist only applied eyeliner on her lower lash line.  I feel naked without eyeliner on my upper lash line but for the purpose of emphasizing the colour contrast, I suggest you skip it too.  Because our eyelids are narrow, applying eyeliner on the upper lash line will cover too  much eyelid space.  Complete the look with a pair of natural false lashes and you're done.

This is not an easy look to accomplish but keep on practicing and you'll get better.  Play around with different tools as well.  You may find using something other than a pencil brush easier. I like to keep things natural but feel free to make your darker colour even darker than what I've done. 

On my eyes:

• MAC eyeshadow in All That Glitters and Contrast
• Kryolan eyeshadow in white
• MAC Prep and Prime in Medium
• Diorshow waterproof eyeliner in black
• Rimmel Max Volume Flash mascara in black

L'Occitane Cherry Blossom Gift Set!!!

Last week, my cousin Hanis and her husband Faizal stopped over in London on their way to Paris.  They stayed with me for two nights and it was a ton of fun.  I loved having them over and it's just so nice to have family visit when I'm so far away from home.  

Anyway, I was so touched by the gift they got me and I wanted to share it with you because it is honestly my new favourite scent.  I've bought products from L'Occitane in the past and always loved them but I've been stocking up on Bath and Body Works over the last few years as I love sweet smelling body products. 

The Cherry Blossom gift set came with a shimmer body lotion, shower gel, hand cream and bar of soap.  I wish Internet had some kind of scent application because this range smells so amazing.  It's sweet and floral at the same time and totally what I love.  If you're a fan of summery, sweet scents that make you feel so yummy, this is one to try out.  I LOOOOVE IT!!!  And the packaging is so pretty as well. L'Occitane products are also very high quality and well worth the splurge.  

Check out my gift!!! 

The pretty box!!

The gift set!!

Thank you Hanis and Faizal!!  I enjoyed your visit and wish we had more time together!!!