Quick review: MUFE Full-coverage Concealer

You really need to take the name of this concealer seriously, when it says full-coverage it really means it.

I wanted something to target blemishes, without caking my whole face with a thick product. This concealer is thick but also creamy once you get it on the skin. It is easy to apply, but you do need to work quickly as it doesn't have that much slip and sets quickly.

Now when I say set, I also mean that too. It doesn't budge all day and seems to have held up to its water and humidity-proof claims. It is worth noting that I do set my makeup with a cheap translucent powder.

Because it is so thick you can't use it under the eyes without it settling into the fine lines. I have mixed it with creams and serums, but this has been a bit hit and miss, maybe it is just a case of blending really, really well, and most mornings I don't have time for that.

A little goes a long way and looking at my 15ml tube I expect it to last a long time. The colour selection is huge, but it does dry a shade darker so I would look out for that when making a selection. For reference, I'm shade 5.

You can buy Makeup Forever from Debenhams, here, and if you are in Oman there are dedicated Makeup Forever stores you can check out.

Dubai beauty haul

For a bit of a change of pace, we visited Dubai last weekend. It's a five-hour drive from Muscat, and it feels like entering another planet; the contrast between the places is so huge. Having not purchased any beauty products for six months -- I'll pause and let you take that in for a moment --  I was keen to see what was new and treat myself for being so restrained for so long.

Make-up has a whole new meaning for me since moving to the Middle East; frankly, it's not so fun. The heat here means makeup just melts off your face no sooner you step out the door. After watching a video by Lisa Eldridge about pinpoint concealing, I decided that is the approach I need to take: a light base to even, and a thick, full-coverage concealer for the problem areas.

So with this in mind I picked up a few things.

The first stop was Makeup Forever, which is available in Muscat, but the staff are so unhelpful (to the extent that they don't even acknowledge you have entered the shop) that I haven't actually tried anything yet. I know the HD foundation is meant to be good, but I picked up the Full-coverage Concealer (shade 7) and Aqua Brow (shade 23). I 'm not sure if the Aqua Brow is something I can get used to, I expect it will need a lot of practice, but on the day the makeup artist did such a good job of making it look easy (and my brows amazing) that it had to be purchased.

Next was Sephora, and I picked up the Nars Tinted Moisturiser in the shade L3 Groenland, which I really hope I have matched myself to correctly. I had a rather useless sales assistant who thought it was appropriate to match me to my hand rather than my face.

I also picked up another shade of the Cream Lip Stain (shade 6). I discovered my love for these after my last trip, although I heard they have changed the formulation so we'll see if the love remains with this shade. The shade looks a little light in the image, but it is actually a mauve/brown colour.

Finally, I also threw into the basket, rather impulsively, the Sephora Airbrush Foundation brush (number 58). I have, and love, the concealer brush, and this feels exactly the same, but it is a rather odd pointed shape. Having used buffing style foundation brushes for so long, it will be interesting to see how this compares.

So that's it, a modest haul from Dubai. I really want to hone in on products that really work for me. I feel like I have a good collection when it comes to skincare, but not so much when it comes to base products.

I feel it was quite a modest haul considering how long it has been since I purchased anything new. Look out for full reviews soon.

Playing...

So far, so good with the 'enjoy my makeup more' pledge. I had a good old session of piling products on my face the other night, and considering that most of the things were the new products I had been hoarding, I thought I would share my thoughts so far.

After years of eyeing the Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick, I took the plunge and it's finally mine. I remember first seeing it in John Lewis over 10-years ago when I started university and wanting it ever since. I always resisted because of the price and I would purchase everything that looked vaguely similar in an attempt to save the money. I chose the bronze shade and having now used it I wonder if it is too "dirty" looking, or maybe I just piled too much on. I will experiment some more and post a full review later.

I also played with two shades of the Bourjois Roue Edition Velvet. I actually own a third shade, which was my first purchase, and I have had the review in the drafts folder for months, but I loathe the colour on me so much that I didn't even want to put it on to take a picture. The two colours I have now, Nudist and Don't Pink of It, are much nicer, and while I am still not convinced I like the formula, I know I will attempt wearing these more.

Now, me and eyebrow pencils have a bit of a turbulent history, I won't dig out my end-of-year photos to show you why exactly, but let's just say I was a bit heavy handed. So I then stuck to powder, and more recently tried a gel. I don't really remember what prompted me to purchase Kiko's Precision Eyebrow Pencil; a comparison to the Anastasia Brow Pencil, perhaps? I tried it out with my lightest hand, but it didn't really add much in the way of definition. I'll keep playing though, I expect there is a fine line between a light and natural and a heavy-handed drawn in look. In the meantime, tips for using an eyebrow pencil correctly would be much appreciated.

I haven't been liking my current supply of base products recently, the colour just seems off for all of them. My Urban Decay foundation and Bourjois CC cream are a touch too light, and my Bella Pierre Mineral Foundation seems orangey. Living in this heat and humidity I want something that lasts all day and is light, but still offers coverage and something that has enough of a shade selection that I should be able to find a perfect match. Suggestions are welcome.

NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer

Something happened as I neared 30: dark circles appeared. Actually, I think they were always there I just never noticed, or cared, and now concealing under my eyes is one of the things I can't skip on a daily basis.

This concealer from Nars is hands down the best I have ever used. The application, the wear, there isn't one area that it falls short for me.

I use the shade Custard (medium 1), which is a great match for my skin tone. It both brightens my under eye area and I can also use it to conceal blemishes.

There are a few things I love about this concealer:

1. It's creamy. Yes, the name gives that away and because it is creamy it is hydrating and easy to blend into the skin, which is particularly important for me for anything applied under my eye. Once it is there, you barely notice it, it looks and feels natural.

2. The colour doesn't oxidise. I hate to think of the number of times I tried to apply a concealer to blemishes alone only to end up highlighting them by having orange spots on my face.

3. It doesn't crease. This is a first for me with any under eye product, I was even told by a makeup artist trying to sell me her product that I wouldn't find a brand that doesn't crease under the eye (surprise, surprise I didn't walk away with that concealer).

4. It is buildable. On a day to day basis, I apply this only lightly and one layer for medium coverage, but it can be built up for a fuller coverage.

5. It stays put. On the most part, on particularly humid days I need a touch of powder to help.

I would recommend heading down to your local counter to have a colour match, there is a very generous shade collection so no one should be excluded. Having a colour match also gives you the opportunity to to just let it sit on the skin for a while, I was instantly convinced and had to purchase a back up since Nars is not available in the Middle East and it seems to frequently be out of stock in the UK with the much deserved hype that surrounds out.

Finally a brief note on the packaging, it is simple but elegant and most importantly the doe foot applicator makes it easy to apply directly on spots and under the eye. I use a brush to blend, but fingers work just as well.

The Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer costs £22 and can be purchased from Space NK, Selfridges and Liberty. I heard rumours that Nars was coming back to the Middle East, but only in Dubai (of course).

MAC Modesty

Another wedding related beauty buy and my beauty momento of the second day of celebrations. MAC's Modesty lipstick.

I owe Safiya of Frooti Beauty thanks for this lipstick discovery, after deciding on my eye and face makeup the final step was lipstick and MAC Modesty stood out as the most obvious choice.

It is a cremesheen formulation and therefore not as long-lasting as the matte Russian Red I have previously shown, but the colour makes up for that and you can still get a good 4-5 hours wear before needing to touch up. 

At least against my skin tone, and with my lip colouring, this works well as a "your-lips-but-better" shade. That said being the neutral nude pink it is is neither too cool nor warm, I expect it will suit almost everyone. It is also one of those shades that suits whatever eye look you go for, so great if you want to keep your makeup bag minimal. It also doesn't need a lip liner unless you want that defined lip look. I use the Burberry lip definer with it (another wedding discovery) in the shade Rosewood. Otherwise slap it on on its own and you are good to go.

What can I say, can you tell I love it? That said I do have my eye on Twig as my next purchase. I remember clearly a brown lipstick that I loved from Max Factor, one of the first I ever purchased that they then discontinued, I think Twig might be a good replacement for it and potentially my new love. Let me know your favourite MAC shade, and what you think I should check out next.

You can purchase Mac Modesty for £15.50, here.

Wedding day beauty: Western style

As I mentioned yesterday, I had two wedding parties in Eastern and Western styles. The second set of celebrations was the main event for me, the one I had been the most involved in making decisions for. Makeup wise I knew I wanted a heavily eye based look, with flawless looking skin. I also knew I wanted FrootiBeauty to do that for me having admired her style for so long.

We did a trial and I discussed the look I was going for, sharing with her a few pics I had found on Pinterest too.

The two eye looks we tried, I went for the one on the left. 

I have no idea how but in the flesh there was no harsh contour of the blush, only in the photos. On the day I decided that I wanted the blush not to look so stark in the photos. Very impressive effect though. 

I've shared pictures from the trial first, which show the makeup the best, and below are pictures of the day itself so you can see how everything worked together and how it looked in different lighting and at different points in the day.

There were a lot of wedding makeup inspired purchases before and after the day including:

MAC Modest Lipstick
Burberry Rosewood lipliner
Urban Decay 24/7 concealer (shade NSA)
Inglot Gel Eyeliner (Black)
MAC Soft and Gentle Mineralised Skinfinish

Apart from the above, I know she used a combination of brands on the day to create the most flawless base. I believe Urban Decay's Naked Palette featured as part of the eyes. She also supplied me with Ardell Lashes and did a much better job of the application than I did the previous night!

Wish my skin looked like this every day! 

FrootiBeauty in action on the morning. 

The makeup held up really well throughout the day. I believe we started at around 10am, finishing at about midday, and then the party went on until past 11pm. I did take powder and obviously my lipstick to top up, but I didn't use either, partly because I didn't need to and partly because I was having too much fun!

I hope the pictures were worth the wait. I want to thank FrootiBeauty again for doing such an amazing job of making me look and feel beautiful on my wedding day.

Come back on Sunday if you would like to read my wedding day tips and know a little more about the other things that made up the day.

One-year spending ban?

At the beginning of January I floated the idea on Twitter of imposing a one-year spending ban on makeup. My favourite response was this one:

I went through (and still am going through) what I imagine every beauty enthusiast goes through at some stage, the thought that I might possibly have enough makeup.

Then it became a bit of a fascination, could my stash take me through a whole year without needing to buy anything? I seriously think it could. As it is I haven't actually purchased any makeup since October when I was back in London. Even that I haven't touched yet, although that is, in part, because I need to take blog pics first (I know #bloggerproblems). So that's three and a half months already.

I have just finished my favourite concealer (Nars creamy concealer), and my CC cream, which I use daily is on its last squirts, as is my Benefit Brow. For all I either have alternatives or back-ups already.

I know myself though and as soon as I make this a formal ban I will have nothing but the urge to buy something, anything, beauty related.

So for now I will just continue to see how long I can go without a purchase. How long do you think you could manage? Would your stash see you through a year?

Smashbox 24 Hour Photo Finish Shadow Primer

These days I rarely buy something without checking out a review first, but when I was lured to the Smashbox counter for a makeover and sweet talked by the assistant I ended up walking away with three products.

The first was the Smashbox 24 Hour Photo Finish Shadow Primer, which promises to "lock on more vibrant colour for a full 24 hours, with no fading, creasing or smudging". It is also sweat and humidity resistant (which is the feature that had me sold).

The primer comes in a small silver tube and is a thick balm. It takes a little squeezing to get it out of the tube, but because it is so thick you don't end up dispensing too much and there is no wastage. A little is enough to cover both eyelids and the skin below the lower lash line.

The application isn't like any primer I have used before and needs a little more work. The primer is almost waxy and you need to allow it to warm up on the skin to spread it easily, you then, most importantly, need to give it a minute to set before applying your eyeshadow or liner. If you try to apply anything before that minute the primer still feels sticky and can end up dragging. I also use this to prime under my eye to hold liner/shadow in place as well as concealer.

As I mentioned, the feature that had me sold was the sweat and humidity resistant claims. After the setting time I noticed that my usually oily eyelids are mattified, and most days I use the primer for this effect alone, and when you do apply shadow, it does last all day. I haven't tested it for up to 24 hours, but I have worn it for a typical working day and night out and there was no fading or creasing in that time. I typically splash my face with water a few times a day too, and the shadow doesn't budge.

Smashbox's primer has just taken the lead as my favourite eyeshadow primer, which was previous Urban Decay's primer potion. I much prefer the texture of this primer and I like that I can use it alone to improve the look of my eyelids.

The primer costs £18 for 12ml and can be purchased from Smashbox online or from Boots. If you are in the Middle East you can find Smashbox in Sephora and Faces.

This isn't a primer I have seen reviewed much, so it seems to be a bit of a hidden gem. Are you tempted?

Urban Decay Naked Flushed Palette

Naked Flushed was originally an extension to Urban Decay's Naked line, which has since been extended to include a total of four palettes.

I purchased the original after much back and forth about if it was something I really needed. I have plenty of blushes, bronzer and highlighters, but I didn't have them all in one, compact palette, so of course I decided I needed it. 

The colours are beautiful and pigmented, and the texture of the powders are all smooth and of the standard you expect from Urban Decay. The bronzer, which has a semi-matte finish, adds definition and warmth to the face and isn't at all orangy or muddy, and the rosy pink blush adds colour. As for the highlighter, who can't love a shimmery, champagne pink? It compliments the blush perfectly and completes the palette.

Although there are other colours in the flushed range now, I believe this is the most universally flattering and I like that each of the shades can be used individually or layered. There is no divide between each of the shades and, so far, I haven't had a problem with shimmer sneaking into the bronzer or blush when I have wanted to them alone.

At £22 I think this is a real beauty gem, on my recent holiday this was the only cheek product I carried because not only is it beautiful but it is also compact and fits into my makeup bag easily.

Naked Flushed can be purchased from Debenhams and House of Fraser stores, online from lookfantastic, and if you are in the Middle East get yours in Sephora. 

Benefit Gimme Brow

Brows have become my new thing, I'm realising that my face just doesn't look right without at least my brows filled in. That said as much as I like my Beautiful Brows powder when I am doing a full face of makeup, alone it draws more attention than needed to my brows, and not in a good way.

So on a recent trip to Sephora, Dubai, I was quickly convinced that Gimme Brow by Benefit was the product I needed. Named as a ‘brush on fibre-gel’ it has a tiny wand to add a tint to the skin and the hairs, so it fills in gaps and keeps hairs in place at the same time.

Spot the fibre-gel brow

Like all Benefit products the application is designed to be foolproof. The wand is tiny, so all the hairs are caught, without catching forehead or eyelids at the same time. The color is buildable, and the gel doesn't clump or leave your brows feeling "crispy," in fact, once applied, I barely notice it. It lasts all day and, as it claims, it seems to be water resistant but is definitely humidity resistant! That said, it does come off easily with makeup remover, which is always a good thing.

There are only two shades available, light/medium and medium/deep, I use the latter. For me, it's one of those no-makeup makeup products, great for use everyday, but if I need/want more defined brows I would opt for a powder/pencil product only because my brows are sparse and fair to begin with. If that isn't the case for you though, then this could be the perfect product. It just hope the colour selection is expanded to cater for blondes and redheads too!

Gimme Brow costs £17.50 for 3g and can be purchased directly from Benefit, or Boots and many department stores.
    

Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream and Eye Cream

It seems that when it comes to BB and CC creams, the blog world is a bit divided. Personally, I loved the inclusion of BB creams into the beauty market, I've tried a lot and, on the most part, loved them. So when I heard all good things about Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream, I knew I wanted to give it a try.

Bourjois CC cream has found its way into my everyday makeup routine and is my favourite new product discovery in a long time. I discovered quite quickly that in this hot climate, thick bases aren't an option for everyday, and even my beloved mineral powder doesn't always seem to sit well on my skin.

The cream is lightweight and has much more coverage than I expected. Since moving, my skin has been more red than I have ever experienced. Disappointing to say the least, and hopefully temporary, but a good opportunity to test out the colour correcting properties of this cream.

The cream contains three color correcting pigments: apricot to counteract the signs of fatigue, green to disguise any traces of redness and white to conceal dark spots, and comes in four shades. For my pre-tan skin the shade Light Beige was perfect, but is a little too light at the moment.

Out of the three skin concerns this caters to, I can say that it successful tackles all. The redness I have noticed in my complexion is covered, my skin looks radiant and for everyday general wear I don't feel the need to use a separate concealer for my acne scars. As someone with slightly dry skin too, I didn't notice any clinging to dry patches and, if anything, this provided some much needed hydration.

Left: CC cream Right: CC Eye cream

In my experience the cream applies just as well using your fingers, a brush or a beauty blender, it mostly comes down to preference. A little also goes a long way, initially I applied quite a thick layer, which not only isn't necessary, but you actually get a nicer finish the less product you apply. To finish I have taken to adding a quick swipe of powder, just because it is so easy to look shiny here, but in more normal climates this is probably unnecessary. I was also pleasantly surprised when looking through holiday photos that not only does this photograph well but it also makes my skin look flawless and I don't think it looks like I am wearing makeup at all.

The 123 Perfect CC Cream collection also has an eye cream that again serves as a great everyday concealer and works nicely with the cream, but for me isn't a must have. The eye cream comes in a twist up pen applicator that has a silicone nib, which isn't great for blending the concealer but is useful for placing it where needed before then blending with a brush/fingers.

As a bonus, both the CC cream and eye cream contain SPF 15 and only cost £9.99 and £7.99, respectively, and since Bourjois products always seem to have some sort of offer going you will no doubt get this for less.

Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream and matching eye cream can be purchased from Boots, Superdrug and some supermarkets. At the moment there are only four shades available, excluding those with a darker skin tone but hopefully Bourjois will introduce more.

Pur Minerals - Mineral Glow Powder (Bronzer)

There are four steps in my quick, every day makeup routine. Bronzer is the final one. I never really appreciated how much difference a good bronzer can make, adding color and a little definition.

My bronzer of choice at the moment is the Mineral Glow Powder from Pur Minerals, which is a standard, silky, mica-based pressed powder.

The colour is on the light side for a bronzer, and would probably not work for darker skin tones, but it does a great job of adding a bit of warmth to the skin, and although you can see a bit of sparkle in the pan, it doesn't translate but rather just does what the name says and looks glowing. I would recommend a light hand though, as it is easy to go from bronzed and glowing to muddy. 

One of the things I like about this bronzer in particular is that it is so versatile, I use it not only like a bronzer and blusher, but also as an eyeshadow, to add definition to the crease (on a lazy makeup day) and the Pur Minerals website states it can even be used as a lip colour -- although I am not sure I would go that far.

Pur Minerals Mineral Glow Powder costs £19.50 for 12g and can be found in Marks & Spencer stores. If you are conscious of the ingredients that are in your makeup or just want a bronzer that gives you a natural glow, then this is for you.  

This product was given to me to review, however, all opinions stated are my own.

On a lip trip, Sephora Cream Lip Stain 05

I'm in a lip phase. This happens once in a while, lip products become my thing and I can't get enough.

It's a good thing because of the climate here, makeup tends to melt off my face and as much as I love eyeliner until I find one that can stay put, lipstick will have to be my new thing.

And the lipstick of choice right now is Sephora's Cream Lip Stain in the shade Infinate Rose.

This is the best lip stain I have ever tried, admittedly I have only ever tried one other lip stain, but this is miles better.

The application is beautiful, the formulation of the cream is such that when you apply it to your lips it has this beautiful creamy texture that slowly transforms into a smooth, soft stain.

The colour is intense and long lasting, and while the other colours are true mattes, this is more of a satin finish. It has a matte peach base with a golden shimmer layer running through it, which I love in the sunny weather.

For a stain it isn't that drying either, but I would still recommend a slather of balm before applying.

There are ten colours in the collection, and this to me is the brighter shade that lends itself well to day and night if, like me, you aren't bold enough to wear reds and plums during the day. When I am though, I'll be back for a red!

The stain can be purchased for $13 from Sephora, if you are in the Middle East then in the Dubai Mall or Mall of the Emirates, and for those of you in the UK you can order from the Sephora website, here!

Makeup brushes, the favourites

For a long time I didn't believe that brushes were worth investing in, I didn't see how having a fancy brush was going to make my application any better if I don't really know how to use it. Now, while I still believe that to an extent I do think that a few key brushes can help make application that much easier and result in more flawless looking makeup.

From left to right:

Sephora Pro Airbrush Concealer (57)

I feel a bit mean including this brush since a lot of UK ladies won't be able to get their hands on it that easily. Honestly, I was never one for using a brush to apply undereye products, but this is a game changer and I truly believe that I wouldn't get the same result with just any brush. In fact, I've been kicking myself that I didn't pick up more brushes from the airbrush range when I had the chance. This lives up to its airbrush name and blends so well that it is barely noticeable that I am wearing concealer at all. 

No7 Eyeshadow Blend and Contour

This was a thoughtless purchase that turned out to be a treasure. I had one of those £5 off No7 vouchers and none of the makeup took my fancy so I grabbed this instead. It is so soft and perfectly fits into the crease to apply colour and add some depth. 

Sonia Kashuk Crease Brush

The design was from a limited edition set, but I think that the brush is available in the standard collection. While, for me, it is a bit too big to pack on colour I like to use it clean just to blend everything nicely together and get rid of any harsh lines, typically using the No 7 to apply and start the process and finishing off with this. 

Real Techniques Brow Brush

You can't go wrong with any of the Real Techniques brushes, they are great value for money and the quality is very good. The brow brush in particular is one of my favourites as it seems like it was made for my brows, it happens to be the right thickness for me to sweep powder across in one go if needed. This is part of the eye brushes collection, so it can't be purchased separately unfortunately.  

Urban Decay Optical Blurring Brush

I fell for this brush after I went to get a colour match for the Naked Skin foundation. While I didn't end up buying the foundation I did buy the brush after I saw what I beautiful finish it gave. What also sold me was that it can be used for powder and liquid products, and it works just as well with both, so if you are looking to have a streamlined brush collection this is one to go for. Also, I know I haven't tried it, but I suspect that Sephora's Pro Airbrush for the face will be very similar if you are looking for an alternative.  

Real Techniques Buffing Brush 

Another Real Techniques favourite, and this is purely for applying powder products and works great with my mineral foundation. It is more dense than the Urban Decay brush, and I prefer that when it comes to mineral makeup application, but it doesn't pick up too much product so I don't feel like I am applying too much and the more time you have to buff, the better the finish. This is only available as part of a set, but the other brushes included are also very good. 

It is also worth adding that I am not very careful with my makeup brushes, I am a bit rough with them on a day-to-day basis and even rougher washing them, but all of these have held out with no shedding or falling apart to speak of.

Let me know what your favourite brushes are, are there any that I should add to my collection?

DHC Liquid Eyeliner EX

DHC is a Japanese beauty brand that only knew of for skincare until I attended an event that introduced me to their makeup products.

The most intriguing product was the DHC Liquid Eyeliner EX, not just because it has a super fine tip but because the ink is actually contained in the lid, which means that you don’t need to shake it about or have to worry about the nib not having enough ink and fading half way through drawing a line.

This eyeliner is waterproof and dries quickly to a matte finish and it is also extremely pigmented.

The brush tip is fine and not stiff, which makes it perfect for drawing a defined line and makes drawing a wing that much easier. Of course the line can still be built up to something thicker if that is the look you are going for.

In a normal climate the liner last all day without smudging, since moving to Oman, I have noticed that it has transferred slightly when the day has been particularly hot and humid.

Finally, I have to say that I love the packaging, it is slim and elegant, and after months in my makeup bag still looks good.

The eyeliner retails at £16 for 0.5 ml. You can pick this up from DHC online, Beautymart stands and Amazon.

This is the first pen style liquid eyeliner that I have really been impressed with and have already repurchased a back-up since I know I won't find this easily in the Middle East. I think my quest for the holy grail liquid liner is over.