Arabic Eye Makeup - a beautiful Goldy bronze and Black Smokey eye with a pop of pink

My co-blogger: Sidra Ahsan

• First apply Urban Decay's Primer Potion in Sin (a shimmery champagne) all over the lid. 

Since this is a more dramatic look, I suggest you apply some tape to the outer corners of your eyes to give it a clean edge. Like this:

random picture I googled :X 

• Apply 'Smog' from the Urban Decay Naked palette all over the lid or any Goldish bronzed eyeshadow you own. And blend out any harsh edges

• Take a crease brush and pick up some matte black shadow and apply it to the outer V of your eye, extending it past your lid and gently blending it in with the lid colour. 

• The colour 'Naked' (from the Naked palette as well) was used as a transitional colour to help soften the edges of the black shadow and the main lid colour. So pack some of the product onto a blending brush and run it along the crease in a windshield wiping motion. 

Just for a little bit of information, a transitional colour is just used to create a backdrop colour (mainly in the crease part). So in this case since we're doing a smokey eye, you don't want the crease colour to look really harsh. You want to blend it out and make it 'fade' as you go up your browbone. Depending on the look you go for, you transitional colours differ. So if your doing a smokey eye where you have a black in the crease, you would want to use a very light brown or a shade close to your skintone to blend out the edges of the black. 

• Pack 'half baked' onto a brush and apply it lightly to the inner part of the eye and blend it into smog. 

• Next, take a bright pink eyeshadow or blush and apply it slightly above the crease and blend it into the black. 

Now using the example above, if you feel like the bright pink is too much for a crease colour...then to blend it out, you can go over it with a baby pink shadow (as your transitional colour). So that the transition from the crease to the brown bone looks more natural. 

• Take your favourite gel liner (for this look: Physicians Formula black gel eyeliner for Glam hazel eyes) and apply it to the top and bottom lash line. Extend the eyeliner slightly past your inner corners for that arabic look.

• To give it a smokey effect, Sidra used an angled eyeliner brush and went over the liner with a matte black eyeshadow to set it in place. 

• Finally, curl your lashes and apply mascara and your good to go! 

If you re-create this look, be sure to post up a picture and show us :)

`-* Garden Fairy Eye Makeup *-`

Our beautiful model: Mashal Farooqui

My friend Sidra and I have decided to join forces and do make up tutorials. This particular look was a trial run so unfortunately, we don't have any before/after pictures or  a step by step photo/video instruction. We were happy with the way it turned out so we decided to post it up as a sample of our work :)

For the most part, this look was created using the BH Cosmetics Tropical Shimmer Eyeshadow palette

First, be sure to prime your lids so the colour appears more vibrant. A primer will also make sure your eyeshadow last a lot longer. 

Take Colour # 1 which is a bright sky blue and apply it evenly to the inner third of your eye using a flat eyeshadow brush. 

Since the eyeshadows are shimmery, there is a little bit of fall-out if you don't pack on the colour the right way. Or just to make things easier, either dust some loose powder underneath your eyes to catch the fall out and clean it off when your done OR take a tape and run it on the back of your hand once or twice (so it doesn't pull on your lid when taking it off) and place it underneath the eyes.

Then take Colour #2, a metallic green and apply it in the center of the lid. Take the same brush you used to apply Colour # 1 and  lightly wiggle it down the 'partition' between Colour #1 and #2. (DON'T swipe it down. You want to blend the two colours into each other, not take it off )

Pack on the colour to your liking. We wanted the eyeshadows to pop so we made it pretty vibrant. 

Next, we applied a matte dark brown (mixed with a little bit of black) in the crease and blended it upwards to give it that nice shape. 

 Then take a fluffy blending brush and run it over the edges of the brown so it doesn't look too harsh.

Now use a slightly more pointed crease brush and pick up a little more of the matte black shadow and apply it just to the Outer V, to give it more definition. Blend Blend Blend!

Next we applied a highlighter underneath the highest point of her eyebrow. We used 'Virgin' from the Urban Decay Naked Palette. Since the main colours are shimmery, you can even use a matte champagne colour instead so the shimmer doesn't look overpowering. :)

We took the lightest blue shade from the line of blues (slightly frosty in texture) and applied it to her inner corners to brighten up the area.

Line the top lash line with a black gel liner (or liquid liner, whatever you prefer) and line the bottom lash line as well. 

Finally curl your lashes and apply two coats of your favourite mascara! We used the new Physicians Formula lash boosting mascara.

AND YOUR DONE! :) Hope you like it! 

Physician’s Formula new blushes

Mood boosting blush in Warm:

Not exactly a new new product, but Physicians Formula just released it in a new colour. First of all, the packaging is absolutely adorable. It has a bunch of cute multicoloured hearts that are all a different shade of pink (rosy + peachy + plummy). I’m a fan of anything pink and cute so I loved it without even trying it out. Their retail value ranges from $10-$13 which compared to other drugstore products is a little expensive. However, many drugstores run promotions of Buy 1, get 1, or Buy $blah worth of products, get $blah amount back and with coupons (that I usually find on the product itself) and store rewards; you could turn this into a fabulous deal. I never got to try out the Mood Boosting Blush in Rose, despite wanting it for so long so I was psyched when I saw this come in my mailbox.

Many people have complained about the bulkiness of the product but I actually find it kind of cute. The bottom compartment opens up to a mirror and a super cute pink/red striped brush. I’m not a fan of the PF brushes that come with the blush/bronzers/face powders, etc. but it does come handy on the go.

such a cute lil brush <3

PF’s blush in ‘Rose’ and the new blush in ‘Warm’ were placed right next to each other at the store. So for first impressions, Rose was more of a vibrant, cool toned pink (or so it appeared) and Warm is a very soft petal pink and more peachy toned. It does appear shimmery in the pan but the shimmer doesn’t transfer to the face. I have combination skin (more towards the oilier side) so I was worried the shimmer would make my face look oily but it just gave my cheeks a natural flushed look with a really pretty glow.  Just make sure you give your blush brush a good swirl in the pan so the colour distributes evenly. This blush is pigmented and the colour will last a good amount of hours. It also has a very sweet floral scent. Subtle, and not the overpowering kind.

Another thing: Physicians Formula claims that their Happy Booster products are "infused with Happy Boost Blend, featuring Happy Skin and Euphoryl, natural plant extracts which have been shown to promote a feeling of happiness by mimicking the effect of Endorphins and helping protect the skin from environmental stress.” It also states that, "the sweet scent of Violet provides a feeling of joy each time you apply.” Sounds amazing, right? To be honest, aside from the packaging, the mood boosting factor is what sold me. It sure smells lovely but personally it doesn’t give me much joy. Unless they meant that you’d be joyful at the results you see? O_o hmm

Overall it’s an excellent quality blush with adorable packaging. Great pigmentation and lives up to its name (Warm). I’m waiting on a few more CVS sales before I go onto buying the ‘rose’ coloured one and another new blush product they just recently came out with. LOVE IT!

CASHMERE WEAR BLUSH in Rose:

Their new blush that will be officially launched in March (Though some stores already have them on displays). Physicians Formula’s new Ultra-Smoothing Cashmere Wear Blush claims that upon use, ‘it will leave skin feeling smooth, soft and nourished. Pearlescent blushing shades are delicately woven together to deliver ultra-rich colour and a luxurious glow.

It’s a blush formulated with 100% pure cashmere extract and sodium hyaluronate for skin softening effects and moisturizing benefits. Retailing for $12, these blushes come in two shades: Rose and Natural

Similar to many of their other products, the packaging of this one is pretty unique. Honestly if it was up to me, I probably would’ve bought every single product from their line just cause of their packaging. They’re adorable as heck.

 It comes in a brown suede case with a pink tassle. The lil box opens up from both sides: The top door reveals the blush itself which has a cool sweater-like design, and the bottom is a see through door that carries the mirror and the blush brush.

The texture feels nice, it’s pigmented and blends flawlessly into the skin. It does have some gold sparkle to it but like in a ‘barely there’ kind of way. Enough to give you a healthy glow but not crazy enough for a disco ball effect. Very similar effect to the mood boosting blush; the shade of this one is just more pinky. So far, I’ve been really enjoying this product and would recommend you try it out! 

PS>> I'm still learning how to work my camera =/ which is why the blush doesn't appear as vivid in picture as it does in real life ._. grr

My recent trip to CVS!

As I mentioned in my introduction, I do happen to be a couponer and am always on the hunt for some sort of savings when it comes to purchasing products :) Just a little bit of your time researching and matching prices etc, can save you a big amount of money! :) Here is my purchase from last week 

6 Glade Sense and spray automatic freshener (refill + batteries included)    $5 each    (Regular price = $11.49)


6 Hallmark cards    $.99 each    


Physicians Formula Health Wear powder + Free full sized Bronzer it came with     $3.87  (Regular price = $15.49)


Maybelline Dream Mousse blush on Clearance   $4.39   (Regular Price = $8.79)


Revlon Age defying Illuminator on Clearance    $3.62  (Regular Price = $14.49)


Random Lollipop  $.50 


After 20% CVS coupon, (6) $3.50 off Glade Coupons,  $3 Revlon CVS coupon, and $21 in ECBS, I paid $4.60 (including tax) and got back $15 in Extra Care Bucks (store cash). So I saved a total of $132.92 (not counting tax)!

Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blushes

The concept of it is unique and all the colours look so tempting in the pan. The texture is neat as well. It feels velvety to the touch and is kind of squishy, hence the title ‘bouncy’.

Something cool is about to happen =P

=O

 They look bright in the pan but they’re mild in pigmentation so it’ll suit girls who are starting out in makeup or people who just want a slight glow on their cheeks. I feel like the lighter colours would only show up on super fair skinned people. For the rest of us, colours such as ‘Plum wine’ and ‘Hot Tamale’ (darkest/brightest of them all) would be most visible when applied. So far I only have plum wine, which is my favourite. I do intend to pick up another one just in case they decide to discontinue it =X

It’s a gorgeous berry colour that gives my cheeks a beautiful rosy yet natural looking flush. In the pan, plum wine seemed like the most intimidating colour of the bouncy blush series (I normally don’t wear blushes that dark) but I loved the look it gave me. Application is smooth and it is easy to blend. It has a way of melting into the skin unlike powder blushes which is what makes it look so natural. Though it is buildable for those who want a bolder flush.

 Best applied with fingers, these blushes have a beautiful satin finish. I haven’t judged it in terms of how longwearing it is, but from the looks of it, I doubt it’ll last you more than an hour or two. Not amazing, not horrible. I wish it didn't fade too soon. Overall it’s an okay product. Have you tried these out yet? 

Battle of the Mascaras: Physicians Formula v/s Maybelline

Physicians Formula Organic Wear Lash Boosting Mascara

Physicians Formula's new mascara was another new 2012 drugstore makeup release. Appearance wise, there's isn't much difference between this and the old version of the organic wear mascara, aside from the colour of the tube. The leaf packaging is uber cute and I like the huge brush it comes with. 

I wasn’t expecting anything different than what the old version provided but I was pleased with the look I got from this mascara: full, separated lashes. As for length, sweet baby jesus, my lashes were so long and curled and noticeable after just one coat!! It lengthened my lashes to perfection and did a good job giving it volume and boost; one thing the older version didn’t do. 

The formula doesn’t clump or flake on me. It doesn’t make my lashes hard or stiff either. And it’s all natural so that’s a plus. It does have a slightly funky smell when u smell the tube, in case you’re sensitive to scents but it’s no biggie when you’re putting it on, you can barely even tell.

Bare eye

BAM! Does a good job, doesn't it?

While there isn’t really a big downside to this product, I do wish they came in a waterproof formula just because it holds the curl longer. I wonder if they even make it, but last time I checked at my CVS, they didn’t have it. Overall I do like this product a lot and will repurchase it after I run out.  

Maybelline Falsies flared

This was a repurchase after about a year of not buying it. There was no particular reason as to why I didn’t purchase it until now. I just wanted to test out other products to see what worked well for my eyes. Oh wait, I do remember something. I did like the original falsies mascara but I found the formula a little drying. Even though I loved the look it gave my lashes, I stopped using it cause I hate seeing my mascara flake under my eyes =/

Maybelline’s quite a popular drugstore brand for mascaras. So when I saw that Maybelline came out with a new falsies flared mascara, I figured I’d give it another shot. The shade I picked up was Glam black (terms like ‘glam’ ‘enhancing’ or ‘ scandalous’  just appeal to me more than ‘brownish  black’ or ‘very black' so that’s why I picked this over the others =P). 

The packaging is also cute. It comes in a purple tube and has cute little wings drawn on it. The formula of this mascara isn't too dry or clumpy or too thick and waxy. Whatever it is, it works for me and my baby lashes. Obviously it doesn’t compare to having actual false lashes on, but then again advertisements are always exaggerations of the products actual effects so I sincerely hope we all are smart enough to realize that NO mascara will get our lashes to look like the pictures we see in magazines. 

The curved wand is fantastic and the bristles pick up sufficient amount of product and distribute it evenly. It brings out each one of my eyelash strands and makes them super dark. It doesn't take much to build up to the look that I like.

I remember a while back when it first came out, there were a lot of negative reviews about it and to be honest, I’m not sure why. Many say it tends to clump and gives them spidery lashes and it flakes, etc. But I guess the way you apply the mascara also makes a big difference in the end result. On the packaging, Maybelline suggests first applying the mascara with the curved side then the flat side from room to tip. I haven’t tried that method yet, I just apply it entirely with the curved side…and its hard to explain but I coat them in sections almost. So I first coat all my lashes ..then I wiggle the brush in three segments. The inner half of my lashes, then the center of my lashes and then finally, the outer half of my lashes. Then I wait for it to dry a bit before using the tip of the brush to re-coat the edges of my lashes.  

Before

After

 I bought the waterproof formula because it maintains the curls and volume all day long, a lot longer than a non-waterproof one. I know Maybelline waterproof mascaras are very stubborn and many have difficulty getting rid of it D= a simple solution would be to use baby oil and rub it over your LASHES (not your eye) gently until you feel like its all clean, then clean up the mess with a make-up remover.

At CVS, everything is overpriced so I’d suggest picking this up from walmart ($2 less than at cvs) if you want to give it a try. It definitely lengthens my lashes and the volumizing effect is decent. So for the price, it does a great job!

The End Result:

This ones a toughie. They both give my eyelashes the boost they need but...I think I pick Physician's formula over the falsies. What do you guys think? =O

Urban Decay 24/7 Shadow sticks

During the first week of January when lots of doings were going on discount, I stopped by ULTA to repurchase my Urban Decay naked palette and as I was about to check out, I noticed a travel sized set of the Urban Decay 24/7 shadow sticks that I’ve heard lots of great things about. I figured instead of buying one shadow stick for 20 bucks, I might as well pick up a travel sized set of 5 for the price of one regular sized one…just to try it out and see if I like it.

The original price of this is $34, but I bought it for $19. Ulta doesn’t let you use coupons on prestige cosmetics, so there were no discounts (aside from the sale price obviously). I thought the price was perfect for a product this popular. I was happy with the colour selection as well: three of the shadow sticks were neutrals and the other two were brighter shades for a more fun look.

The shades that came in the pack were Rehab, Juju, Sin, Clash and Delinquent. 

Rehab is a brown taupe-y colour. 

Juju is a lighter taupe colour, it reminds me of a creamier version of 'Sidecar' from the Naked palette by UD. 
Sin is a really pretty champagne colour, great for highlighting the inner corners of your eyes and the brow bone :)  Another creamy version of 'Sin' from the naked palette.

Clash is a vivid teal with silver shimmer 
Delinquent is a beautiful shimmery purple

I love these shadow sticks because it’s three things in one. It can be used as an eye shadow base to make powdered eye shadow colours more vibrant, it can be worn as an eye shadow alone, and finally it can be used as an eyeliner. I usually don't wear bright eyeshadows like Clash and Delinquent on a daily basis unless its a party where i can go all out but they'd make great eyeliners for those lazy days where you need a pop of colour to freshen up your look :)

The formula is smooth. Application is a breeze and the product blends well. No tugging or pulling onto the eyelid cause the product just glides right on. It does set quickly so you have to blend it out as soon as possible otherwise it can get a little messy. I wouldn’t recommend using these shadow sticks on the crease for this reason because blending it out can be a pain in the butt, especially if you’re doing it on the go. But it’s a small price to pay for such amazing quality makeup. The colours are very pigmented and the lasting power is phenomenal. They look vibrant even after several hours have passed and require no touch ups throughout the day.

I think it’s a great product and I definitely recommend everyone else to try it. You will not be disappointed. And for its price, you can’t really complain =]