Fuchsia Ardent Anyone?!

Dear Glammys!

 

Its spring and with arrival of spring the first thing to look out for apart from flowers and fresh breeze is New Trends for 2013. Well well well, its all about corals, brights and pastels. And to be honest, I'm not the kind of person who'll be caught wearing pastel pink or bright orange. So I tend to find the medium ground where I am comfortable pulling off the look and which can be easily carried out for everyday look.

 

This made me search relentlessly for a shade which is not pink and neither orange. It should be a muted coral under pink family to bring out the undertones of the skin and which doesnt end up making me look dead. Something which is subtle and gives hint of classy, yet bright and young!

 

So after testing heaps of colors, I found my true match. Its subtle yet bright, exactly what I needed.

 

Its a lipstick by Bourjois in Shade 04 Fuchsia Ardent. It claim to be 100% Natural Origin, which I can acknowledge from the moisturized feeling it leaves on the lips, making them smooth and less flaky. This lipstick is very hyrdrating, which is always a plus point in any good shade.

(The top one with flash, the bottom one without flash)

 

It goes without saying that packaging is beautiful and makes u feel all chic and grown up. Its the kind of lipstick which you wouldn't mind taking out in public and applying deliactely on your lips while looking in the mirror of your compact! (A girl can dream)



As you can see, the color is very muted pink but is very close to coral once you apply to the lips. I like to wear it as a stain on my lips, which means I apply a light coat on the lips and then rub it into my lips with my ring finger (this also makes the color last longer on the lips), which leaves behind beautiful stain of color on lips which is neither over-powering nor muted enough to not be visible. The color is very soft and buildable. IF i want the color to be more bright, tehn apply two coats where I rub the first coat into lips and then apply second coat over it. I like wearing this on its own without any lip-pencil or lip-gloss. Its such a pretty color on its own that I cant brag enough about it on its own.

 

Although its meant for lips precisely, but nowadays, I love using it as blush color. This trend is also very happening nowadays where you match your lip shade to your cheek shade. (Hence the formulations of 2-in-1s products by Topshop! And also the reason why MAC and all the big makeup brands come out with matching lips to cheeks shades. So, why not bluff it by using the same lipstick!) This trick saves me money and time and I know my lipstick wont be going to waste once I'm done with this season's trend!

 

It wears off quite easily withn couple of hours (which mostly tends to be the case with all moisturizing lipsticks), so you will have to keep it handy to re-apply!  But its worth it since it won't dehydrate your lips like lip stainsand 12H stay on glosses do!

 

What more can I say to prove that I love it other than the fact this has been my Go-To lipstick for the past whole month and I've used up quite a lot of it.

 

Well, it comes with a hefty price tag of PKR. 1400 but I wouldn't mind paying this much for this quality product.  

 

Give it a try! Easily available at Boots, Shaheen and D.Watson.

 

Enjoy Spring!! :)

Love, Hadiya  

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RED?!

Dear Glammys!

I'm pretty sure, the image above would have been quite descriptive and you probably would have figured out what I want to talk about.

RED.. Yes. I want to talk about "RED" by Taylor Swift. Not as in music wise, come on, even though let me put it out there, I love her album RED too. But I actually want to talk about her signature Red Lips. 

HAHA... Sorry, for overloading with pics of her, but i just adore her. So now that you've seen the red I'm all dying for, let me share how you can achieve the same look. 

Luckily, she's the face for Covergirl and to achieve this perfect red lip she uses Covergirl Lip Perfection Lipstick in HOT. 

Look at that gorgeous shade. Immaculate isn't it. Well I've been dying to get my hands on it. If you have it, oh so good for you. All you need for this look is to apply CG Lip Perfection Lip Liner in Passion (if you are uber dramatic with lining lips, or you can skip this step) and then apply this beautiful shade. Don't forget to blot your lips with tissue and apply translucent powder over the tissue pressed to your lips to make it last super long. 

Now that we know how she gets her super super lips, why not follow her basic look which goes without saying is very classy and chic and perfect for this cold weather. 

All she uses for her face is Covergirl Nature Luxe Silk Foundation in shade Alabaster which claims to be super light. And for her winged eyes she uses LiquiLine Blast in Black Fire, topped with coats of LashBlast Volume Mascara (applied to lashes after curling with eyelash curler).

Simple. Easy. Classy and Effortless. 

She has been my style icon. Don't forget to share who's your style icon. 

Love, Hadiya

ps: the images in this post are not my property!

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Pixie Pink!

Dear Glammys!

Happy 2013. Yayyy!! We made it; without there being the end of the world.. Hurrah :) that calls for a round of applause. *clap clap clap for yourself*

Now... Let's get down to business. Today, I wanted to share with you all one of my most favorite blushes ever. 

And the shade I'm talking about is Pixie Pink. As the name suggests, its such a pretty pink. My poor photography skills, do not do justice to the color.

Well, the color looks pretty dark in the pan. And if you swatch it on your hand, you'll think oh man you don't intend to look like a clown. But believe me when I say this, don't judge it by its appearance in pan or on your hand.

It's a very *in your face* sort of pink. But you just need to dust it subtly on your cheeks; yup smile, find the apple of your cheeks and with a very light hand just sweep it on and blend it. And it will give you a very healthy blush and will make your skin glow from within. It's not shimmery so its perfect for everyday use.

Since the day I've got my hands on it around more than half a year ago, I've used it literally religiously. It wakes up your skin and makes it look fresh and hydrated. It's my favorite goto product. So what makes it oh so special? Let me write it down for you gorgeous glammys out there.

Firstly its really cheap (PKR 725 from just4girls.pk which will happily deliver it with perfection to your doorstep). Secondly the color payoff is awesome. You need very little and the lasting power is ah-mazing. It easily lasts 12 hours and won't wear off and won't rub off on your clothes etc. So this avoids you the hassle of reapplying every few hours and carrying it with you in your makeup when you go out to reapply for looking vibrant and fresh. One less product to carry, that makes me happy. I'm sure it'll make you happy too :P

Very frankly when I first swatched it, I was like oh man this is powdery and won't look as pretty on my Asian yellow toned skin. But I can happily bite my words as to how wrong I was. It translates so beautifully on the skin and does not look powdery at all. It's my saving grace on the days when my skin is feeling dull and sick and tired. It just instantly radiates the complexion and makes you look well rested and healthy. Here is a swatch for you guys so you can look at how it looks on the skin (without any base, primer or foundation).

If you're looking for a color which you can wear everyday subtly and which can boost your complexion and make you look radiant and glowing, then  this is the color for you. Try it. I'm sure you won't be disappointed. And its pretty readily available at drugstores or you can order it online too. I've been using it non stop every day for over 6 months now and still haven't hit the pan, but when I do, I'll be sure to re-purchase it because I simply love it. 

Give it a try and don't forget to share your thoughts on it.

Love, Hadiya 

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Chocomaniac!

Dear Glammys!

It's been really cold last couple of days... and when its really cold your skin tends to suffer; hence you need something which can battle the harsh times. This reminds me atleast of slathering body butters and yummylicious body washes and body scrubs. So one tends to pay visit to The Body Shop more often than not.

Well, this time I was saved a visit by my sister, as she got my chocoholic/shopaholic addiction covered with this beautiful and valentine-sh looking Chocomania set.

Let me show you the treasures inside.

Chocomania comes with four items; body scrub, body butter, body wash and lip butter. As delicious as it sounds, it smells just as good.  As the name says it all, it has overpowering smell of chocolate. Its that sort of smell which either you love or hate. And though I'm a choco fanatic, I'm not a big fan of this scent. It seems a bit too artificial and chemical-ly to me atleast but it goes without saying that the smell lingers beautifully on the skin. Now let me share my two pence on the products inside.

Chocomania Body Butter

 

Well, without any doubt, I would have to agree to "Feel Good Hydration" claim. It does leave your skin feeling really moisturized and nourished and its not so greasy so gives perfect amount of hydration without leaving a greasy film/residue on skin.  It easily melts into skin, making it super easy and quick to absorb.

Chocomania Shower Cream

Okay, I wouldn't lie, but I'm not a fan of artificial sort of scents, so I did not like it much like that. For me showering is a whole relaxation experience and frankly Chocolate smell doesn't seem to do that for me. But nevertheless, its pretty good, though I find you have to use bit more than usual to get all lathered up.

Chocomania Body Scrub

To pamper oneself, its always a good idea to exfoliate and moisturize and slough off dead skin. Specially in winters when skin can tend to over react and be flaky and itchy and slathering on moisturizers can lead to build up, in short exfoliation is your best friend in winters as it also helps in circulation of blood. And well, this scrub does what it claims, "Feel Good Smoothness". Though yet again, I'm not a fan of fragrance, but nevertheless the product does what its supposed to do perfectly.

The granules are neither too harsh, nor too soft, just the perfect texture for scrubbing away. The granules melt into the skin leaving skin moisturized and clean.

Chocomania Lip Butter

Well, while we're busy taking care of all our body parts and all, let's not ignore the most important part (*emphasize*) our lips. It takes good care of lips but it tastes so bitter and chemically so I wouldn't repurchase this particular lip butter, but maybe in other flavors.

In short the set is good, but a bit on pricy side. So if you are a choco fanatic then go for it. Personally I would much rather prefer some floral scents next time. Nevertheless, you would enjoy pampering and taking care of yourself. Happy Indulging! Xx

Love, Hadiya

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Maybelline Volum' Express Colossal Cat Eyes Mascara

Dear Glammys!

Today I'm sharing my two pennies on this (rather old in Asia; and pretty new in US) mascara. 

Lets first share what Maybelline says what it makes you look like. (below picture is courtesy of Maybelline website :D)

So cat eyes?! Well, let me just start by describing the formula and consistency and all that jazz about the wand. I must say I love the formulation, it's collagen based and has a claw shaped wand. Consistency is pretty wet, but it wont transfer to your lid. The wand is quite curvy and fits at least perfectly with my eye shape. The wand is pretty flexible too I must say. Makes it real easy to apply. When I first saw the brush, I thought its a gimmick. But actually it works. It really works!! 

I specially love the packaging, vibrant and cheetah print-ish . Who wouldn't love that now? Also makes it really easy to find inside your makeup bag :P

It claims that it's going to give you Full and Flared Outer Corner Lashes. And I couldn't agree more. Now lets have a look at that beautiful magic wand.

Do you see those bristles. They feel bit plastic-y to me (in a good sense I mean), but I actually cant quite figure out what's the brush made of. But whatever it is, it holds up to its claim.

I suggest placing curved side first on the lashes and giving lashes a good zig-zag wiggle from roots to ends. Specially focusing on outer corner. Then use the convex side of the brush to really elongate and separate out the lashes. It's really going to open up your eyes, making them seem more awake and beautiful. I love that it doesn't give you clumpy lashes. Although the formula claims to be just volumizing, I personally find it to be extremely lengthening too. Its a good combination of both. And the brush shape is so good that it curls your lashes really well. Also as formula is wet but light weight so it holds the curl pretty much all day. The one I have been using is not in waterproof, but that's available on the market too. Even though it's not waterproof, I still don't have any issues with it's staying power. Once you put it on, it's going to stay put till you take it off.  The brush is deigned such that it gives extra flare to your corner lashes which makes it more cat eye like. I don't even bother to put eye liner with this mascara because this itself does that cat-lining for you. But if you want to accentuate that cat-eye , flick an eyeliner and you will look all glammed up with very little effort. It gives perfect application to both top and bottom lashes. 

It's pretty inexpensive. And I wouldn't mind paying this much for the good work it does. It gives definition, length and volume all in one. Costs around Rs. 890 and is readily available on all drugstores (Check out D. Watson, Shaheen Chemist, Boots, Medi Plus etc)

I would say that this mascara works pretty well for me and I've been complimented quite many times on eyes while wearing this Mascara. So it's a hit for me. Personally I love Maybelline Mascaras and their formulations; but to each it's own. I'm pretty sure that if you like slight volume, good length and defined curled lashes and wetness of formulation doesn't bother you, then you'll love to use this Mascara. (Between I love wet formulations because they don't tug your eye lashes and gives you plenty of time to play around with how you want your lashes to look; also multiple coats won't clump your lashes)

My suggestion would be to give it a try and share how you like it.

Love, Hadiya

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Avon True Glow

Dear Glammys!

Hasn't it been ages since i shared anything . . . I know. My bad. Although I have so much toshare, but I hardly find any time to take the pics and then edit them and make them look a bit better (thanks to my poor photography and editing skills :d).

Anyway, lets dig in it while we can. Its been quite some time, that I got this Avon True Glow Set (although I call it a set, I got these things separately, so I dont know if it's sold as a set or not, but since its a true glow range so I choose to call it a set). It has a Perfume, Radiant Body Lotion and Radiant Shimmer Skin Spray. I guess you can see the theme here by Avon in terms of True Glow, which are also emphasized by the way they have named their products.

 

 

 

 

Although the perfume has been discontinued but it keeps popping time and again in their sale catalogues, so keep an eye out if you want it.

AVON TRUEGLOW PERFUME

 



First of all, about this perfume, I would love to talk about it's packaging. Its beautifully packaged in a red/orange box which gives sort of an ombre effect (which is a theme with all the packaging of TrueGlow). Same goes for the bottle inside. As in the picture above of the bottle, you can see how it reflects light in an ombre-ish way from red to orange. Furthermore, look at that magnificient shape which resembles sort of flame and teardrop. The flame element goes classic with the name theme of TrueGlow.

 

 

 As I'm not uber smart with describing fragrances, so I'll quote what Avon has to say about it. 

"True Glow is a fragrance for happy woman. Jean-Louis Grauby, a French perfumeur, created it for Avon. True Glow is an optimistic and luminous floral fragrance with woody middle notes and musky base. The refreshing opening blends with sweet Fresia, mousewatering apple and crisp lemon, which awaken your scents and provide you with optimism. The note of Lotus and Passion Flower are blended with warm woody nuances in the heart of the composition. The sensual base includes Amber and Musk."

 

Now let me share my two pennies of how I find it to be. I feel its a very fresh everyday type of scent. Evn though it has hints of floral, to me it smells more of like a woody musky scent. And although I'm personally not a fan of musky/wooden scents (I'm more of a floral person :P), but still I find it to be quite nice and wearable for everyday.


AVON TRUEGLOW RADIANT BODY LOTION

As the name indicates itself, Radiant Body Lotion and let me tell you my friends, it actually does give radiance to your skin. Perfectly suited for summer days when you feel like glowing without any effort, otherwise its perfect combination for nights out. It helps in making your skin look smooth and supple and works as a real good moisturizer without leaving greasy residues behind. So I'll say go for it if you like subtle radiance which makes you appear healthy.   (p.s: see the ombre effect in packaging again)

 

 

AVON TRUEGLOW RADIANT SHIMMER SPRAY
 

Look at that bottle. Need I say more? It is spectacular to even look at. The sparkle/shimmery thing is evenly distrobuted even without shaing which makes it seem like super good product. And it actually is good. You spray it just a little and it would look as if your skin is itself naturally gold radiant. I would also point out that spray is really nice, makes it easy to apply and evenly distributes the product. The bottle is good plastic so won;t break, that's a plus. And I just can not emphasize enough how good it is. And how beautiful it makes your skin look. I would however strictly use it for evenings out/ parties/ special events. Its very subtle yet overpowering. Can you see the shimmer speckles in below picture. I tried my best to capture them even though I'm a flimsy photographer :D

 

 

 

I would say I super like these products, but then again, I'm not a very tough person to please :D You may be able to find these on Amazon, eBay or Avon's online shop. If you're lucky enough you might find these at your local drugstore. They are good value for money, and I cant give you exact price range because they differ at every place ranging from GBP 5 to 15. You'll have to do your research before buying. Your best bet would be to wait for sales for buying this as I wouldn't want to spend a lot on this. But nevertheless, it's going to be a purchase you wouldn't regret. Happy Shopping!

 

Love, Hadiya 

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