Daily Moisturizer - Review

We all know how important it is to moisturize on a daily basis. My favorite type of moisturizer is gel and not cream. I just feel that gel gets absorbed or dries faster on my skin. I use Olay's double action daily gel moisturizer for oily/combination skin. I use this everyday before applying my makeup and I really love it. I think this works best for me! xx 

VS Rockin' Body - Review

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I am so crazy over VS! I mean who isn't? I was walking across the shelves when the sales woman told me to try this product. She said that this is what models have on right before they walk the runway!! Now I don't know if she was trying to sell but somehow I bought it. First of all I love the packaging and all those words thrown like 5x sexier. It may not necessarily make you look 5x sexier but this product is really nice. It smells minty and feels nice and cool on the skin. It makes your skin look flawless, tinted, and glowing. It has shimmer and not that kinda shimmer where you can see miles away but its the kind that once you step close you can really see it and I rather have this than shining from miles away. Well this product is worth at least one try. Different women have different say about it but I think I like it! xx

I really don't know if you can see the shimmer effect in the picture but it is visibly clear to the eye!

Nail Station - Review

Yes, this is yet another review on 2 new colors I bought from nail station. Enjoy xxx

"Pinking"

"Gold Souk"

Body Lotion - Review

I love to always keep my skin hydrated by drinking a lot of water and of course who doesn't love the instant feeling of hydration we get from body lotions? One good brand that I swear by is ST. Ives! I love their daily hydrating body lotion that is made of 100% natural moisturizers. It includes vitamin E and it protects against dryness. It promisses to visibly improve skin's health and I would add a check on that box. It feels really nice and cool on the skin leaving it smooth and soft. It smells good too. Iv been using this everyday and I from my side, I promise you will love this. I bought this from Etihad cooperative society in Dubai and I really forgot about the price but its worth every Dirham.

Go ahead, take a bite out of this product and hydrate your skin!! xx

Concealer - Review

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Hello lovelies! Well when it comes to concealing I like my concealer to be light and to brighten my complexion or which ever area I apply it to. I don't really need heavy concealing therefore I use the Mac select cover-up. This works wonderfully if you need light covering. As I mentioned in one of my previous posts I don't really like using foundation in summer, instead I just invest in a good concealer and just dust powder on top. What I love about this one is that I feel that my skin is moisturized unlike other concealers leaving your skin dry or grayish looking. It comes in really nice warm colors. I use nc30 and apply it using the beauty blender. If you are wondering what the beauty blender is then check out my post on it  http://beauty-agenda.blogspot.com/2011/03/beautyblender-review.html 

  

Face Powders ( For Summer ) - Review

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Here are my favorite Summer face powders. Just when I want to achieve that tanned/bronze look I always use these products:

1- Mac Mineralize skinfinish natural: I loooOoOove this powder, I always need it in my bag. It gives a nice soft finish and a beautiful tan color. I use it in medium dark.

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2- MaxFactor bronzing powder: This is one of my favorite over the counter products. I use this mostly to contour my cheekbones after applying the mac skinfinish. 

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*These products are part of my Summer makeup routine. 

Eyebrow Kit - Review

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Hey guys! There is nothing like having beautiful, thick, healthy-looking, defined eyebrows. To achieve that you need a really good brush and shade. One of my favorite eyebrow kits is the NYX one that comes with just about everything you need, well except for tweezers (assuming your eyebrows are groomed). I think by far it is one of the best shaping kits. 

Here is what it includes:

1- 4 colors/shades.

2- 3 different stencil for eyebrow shaping.

3- comb.

4- brush.

It also includes a mirror from the inside and easy instructions.

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I urge you guys to try this! xx

My Summer Makeup Routine - Review

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So it's Summer in Dubai. The heat is rising and the makeup is melting lol. It is so unimaginably hot!! I always change my makeup routine when it comes to Summer because it's a whole different story when it comes to skin and makeup. That's why I decided to share it with you guys and get your feedback and maybe you can tell me what your routine is. Here is what I do:

Face 

1- I first wash my face with cold water and pat it dry. ( shrinks pores ) 

2- Then I start with my face moisturizer. ( I use gel - I will add a post about it later )

3- I use a concealer under my eyes, nose area, and mouth. ( I DON'T use foundation in summer )

4- I apply a minerals face powder. ( It's usually a bronze color )

5- I contour.

6- Apply a peachy/rosy blush color.

Eyes 

1- I always start by defining my brows.

2- I apply a medium brown color to my crease.

3- I apply eye liner to my water line and on my lids.

4- I apply mascara. ( since my eye makeup is light I make sure I apply as much mascara to achieve a dramatic look )

Lips

1- I always scrub my lips. ( Mix brown sugar and honey )

2- Apply a soft brown lip liner.

3- Apply soft peachy/nude colors. ( In some occasions I use plum color, it looks good on tan skin )

*in case you guys are wondering about what makeup products I use, I will add separate posts about them soon.

Bold Brows - Trend

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Hello girlies! If there is one thing I would dig up to know about its trends. And This trend requires you to lay off your tweezers and threads for a while because its time to grow grow grow! Yes and I mean your eye brows. Its time for the bold and the beautiful. It's funny because as I'm typing I keep staring at my brows because I have been growing them out and trust me it is not a beautiful process lol. In the past, bold and thick brows were considered a hit. Think Audrey Hepburn and Liz Taylor!

MAC Lipstick Swatches - Review

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Hey guys! It was long ago when I did my last MAC lipstick swatch so I decided to make another since I bought new interesting colors. Idk what it is about MAC but is it me or does everyone feel that one can never have enough MAC lipsticks? Well enjoy the swatches and please don't hesitate on letting me know if there is a color I am missing because I don't mind expanding my collection =D!!

My personal comments about each would be:

Hue: It did not look good on me flat on I had to have a base first and then add Hue on top. It looks nice with Myth.

Pink Nouveau: It is a beautiful Barbie pink that would look good on certain makeup looks. I also like to tone it down with Hue or Myth.

Impassioned: now this was recommended from one of the MAC ladies. She said it was a best seller. It is a gorgeous flashy color.

Myth: My love!!! I can wear it flat on (when I'm tan) or use it with different colors like kinda sexy. Or I can use it to tone other colors down. This color is a must have ladies!

Ruby woo: Well I like this a lot but I prefer Russian red because Ruby woo is just super matte and dry you cant wear it flat on unless you would like your lips to feel dry. Other than that... its is a gorgeous red color.

Make Up For Ever HD powder - Review

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Hello all! I am finally back to blogging. I have been off track for sometime I feel that there is so much info and products I want to feed you guys! Well to kick it off I would like to start with the latest product in my purse.

I always had this problem and I am sure most of you do and it's finding the right foundation that fits your skin so perfectly that you wouldn't need to apply it on your neck because it matches you! But here is the catch, once you do find the foundation you kinda end up screwing it with the wrong shade of powder. This kinda always happens to me so I end up wasting a lot of money.

However, I was advised to use a translucent powder and I had that checked out but I had to agree that most of them give me a ghostey-whitey corps bride kinda look, until the ray of light shined upon this amazing product! Yes, it's the MUFE HD powder that is absolutely fine and soft and velvety with a universal shade that fits all skin colors. I happened to be using this for a while now and I love it. It keeps my skin looking absolutely matte and fresh and keeps the true color of my foundation =D. Aside from all this, it is so soft and feels so goooooood! I sometimes apply it to the back of my hand! It is so light and gives you an airbrush finish.

This powder can be used alone or applied over your foundation (which i recommend). I use it with the MUFE HD foundation and it goes on perfectly. I really recommend this product and I think that you guys should take a bite off it.

Additional info: This product is worth DHS130 /or you can use the currency converter on the right hand bar that I provided.

MAC Lipstick Swatches - Review

 
Hey guys! This is going to be a really short post. So today I am going to share with you my most beloved MAC lipsticks (more to come of course). Well so far I have 6 colors because I tend to stick to certain shades like pinks, nudes, and reds. If you guys think that I am missing out on some colors then please do let me know. xoxo.

Forgot to add this too....

Moroccan Bath - Review

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Ok so last night I was talked through trying a Moroccan bath because apparently this is something a lot of my friends do routinely. I have never tried a Moroccan bath before and I am always skeptical on trying new things especially if it has something to do with skin because mine is super sensitive. So I finally tried it yesterday and I thought of making this informative post about my experience for those of you who hadn't or have never heard about it.

So basically a woman walks you to a steam room that has a bed where u can lay there. She washes your hair first and then starts rubbing a jelly cream that is especially made and bought from Morocco. It was an olive oil cream if I remember. Anyhow, forgot to mention that you need to use disposable underwear if your shy (like me) or you can just be topless and just cover your bottoms with an underwear. So she rubs the jelly all over your body and then leaves you in the steam room for about 15-20 minutes. Note if you are extremely claustrophobic then make sure you tell her so she won't leave u in there for so long cz it gets really foggy. But this process is an important one because the steam will soften your skin and that helps in the exfoliating process. After you lay there in the steam she then gets a very harsh and rough loofah and starts rubbing every part of your body really hard. It was painful but the kind of pain you can bare. Then, she asked me to look at my arm and all I could see was dead skin yukkk!! It was rubbing off and It was 24 years of dead skin lol. It is pretty gross at first when you watch your skin shed but then you get used to it. 

She then washes it all off and you get to dry up and leave. Now after washing up my skin was really soft! I could not stop playing with it literally. It felt like new baby skin. So shiny and glowy. I am glad I did this. 

Moroccan bath is something you should defiantly do before your wedding because your skin looks and feels flawless. this bath is good for both your mental and physical health! 

Make Up For Ever HD Foundation - Review

(Image: Makeupforever)

Here it is! The most "talked about" foundation in town. I knew for a very long time that this foundation is favored by many celebs and make up gurus but me being me I only stick to certain foundations because my skin is sensitive and it tends to break out! I used MAC's studio fix fluid for years and because of the great coverage it gives. Recently I have been talking to a friend who has the same sensitive skin condition and fear I have of switching foundations and we both decided to give HD a go! My, my.... I don't remember ever falling in love this fast with a new foundation I just tried on. Usually if I switch I get disappointed and break out. But HD is my buddy lol. I have been using it for a week now and guess what? no break out what so ever. It gives me great coverage but here is the thing with HD and studio fix... They both have great coverage but HD is much lighter and the consistency is more watery than studio fix which I happen to like. Only after switching the foundation one of my friends asked me what foundation I am using and said that this one looks more natural and better on me (HD).. And the other one looked heavy and kinda darkish (studio fix). They said they can notice a huge difference. So yay me =D !! It makes your skin look flawless under light! Spot on for HD I get the coverage I need and still look natural and flawless and feel light. If you guys already use HD then congrats!! And if you don't then I suggest you get a color test and try it!! You will love it! So girls... Take a bite out of this product xx

Here is a test I made for you guys to compare foundations:

The top part is Studio Fix and the bottom is Make Up Forever HD with powder on top of both

As you can see I placed my hand under a strong light and both foundations give good coverage obviously but... The HD looks much softer, smoother, and flawless under the light don't you guys agree? The Studio Fix looks harsh and rough notice the edge near my knuckles? The surrounding of Studio Fix looks noticable however, the HD blends well with my skin.  

I am not saying I don't like Studio Fix on the contrary but I will be using HD for now =D

NYX Brow Pencil - Review

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I always use dark brown eye shadow to darken and define my eyebrows after applying foundation or just in general. It used to work well and it looks natural too. This technique was a routine until I came across the NYX brow pencil which made my eyebrows life easier!! I like the fact that it has a brush too and that the pencil is not your regular sharp edgy one but its so soft and so controllable. It is so easy to use and I think that a few strokes towards your brows is enough to build up the shade you want and cover the empty areas. I bought the black one and ever since I used it I just fell in love with how easy it is to use. It perfectly defines my eyebrows and the color is buildable and controllable. Try it out guys and take a bite out of this product.

Urban Decay Primer Potion - Review

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Ok so a lot of people are doing reviews about this product prolly like about a million but I was never really into it because I do not include eye primers in my foundation routine. But as they say, you never know unless you try. I always thought it was just similar to concealers and will help your eye shadow stick but it actually does more than just that. I bought the Urban Decay Naked Palette and the primer came along its not even that I was intended to buy it lol. So when I tried it and applied the eye shadow... Believe this or not it makes the color pop out and remain in place and stay for the longest time! Then I was thinking hmmm what took me so long to use it... Oh well I’m hard headed but I love love this product. If you already have it then HURRAY! But if you don't then go ahead and you will know what I am talking about. You can find this in Sephora or Faces. So go ahead lovelies take a bite out of this product.

Below are pics of a test I made dabbing eye shadow on my hand in which on one spot I just had the eye shadow (top) and on the other spot I used the primer under the eye shadow (bottom) you will be wow'ed!! Color pop!!

In the picture below I used a tissue paper and rubbed both spots really hard inorder to remove the eye shadow and you will be wow'ed again when you see that the eye shadow I used with the primer is still there!!! even after rubbing it so hard! Power of stay!! yay!

Fall Beauty - Trend

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Fall is here and I know most of you are disappointed because when its Fall there is no sun!! Well I wouldn’t have to worry since I am in Dubai it is like almost sunny all year round but we should be expecting a change of weather soon. Well, well, well... it is time to switch from your shirts and it’s to your tights, sweaters, and coats cz it is getting colder in well most of the globe. I think the Fall fashion is pretty obvious but the question is what about the makeup trends? Well  if you ask me I am so happy because it is all about bold, dark, reddish plumy lips and big beautiful dark eyes. It is all about the dramatic look! Not to mention the nails as well which are dark and lovely.  Check out the Fall makeup trends and collections:

Guerlain (Image: sarahfili)

Givenchy (Image: sarahfili)

Clarins (Image: sarahfili)

Mac Glam Glass (Image: sarahfili)

YSL Jardin De Minuit (Image: sandiinthecity)

YSL Jardin De Minuit (Image: sandiinthecity)

YSL Jardin De Minuit (Image: sandiinthecity)

YSL Jardin De Minuit (Image: sandiinthecity)

NARS Fall 2011 (Image: artofcosmetics)

Mac Russian Red - Review

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I found myself putting on red lipstick very often lately and I might have been going for the classic look. So I thought of sharing with you my most FAV red lipstick ever which is Mac in Russian Red. I think it's perfect! I have been getting lots of complements on the way I look and I know for a fact it's the lipstick doing the job! I can't explain to you guys how dear this product is to me and I don't think I would be changing it for a loooong time. The color is just right! This is my new obsession. I call it my perfect red. Ladies take a bite out of this product and tell me what you think!

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The New Miss Universe 2011 - News

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Congrats to Miss Angola for achieving this gracious title and to be chosen amongst many beautiful and eligible women. As I always thought... outer beauty is never enough and it means nothing without the other components including personality, confidence, and attitude. I think Leila Lopes really earned it and we are all looking forward for her next move.

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Dark circles - Review

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Blame it on your genes or lifestyle, dark circles under the eyes are one of the most common problems people face! Now I don't usually get them but if I do it is because of lack of sleep!! But I thought of sharing this with you guys anyways because I know how common this problem is. Anyhow, have you ever heard about how raw potatoes can help reduce dark circles around the eyes? Well, I learned that few days ago from a friend so I rushed to the internet and did some research. It is an ancient beauty tip! placing raw sliced potatoes under your eyes for around 10 minutes before bed and hopefully you will notice the difference! I am a potato lover. I love it in my sandwich, a side with my burger, and in salads! but I never thought of placing it under my eyes lol. I will try this trick myself because apparently a lot of people said it works and it does help reduce the dark circles due to the bleaching agents in potatoes. Hopefully this tip helps and let me know what you guys think.