My Thoughts Corner

Last year was the year I tried a lot of makeup, mainly drugstore, and discovered what floats my boat. I’m the kinda a girl who sticks to the brands I know but this year I’m firmly determined to try new things keeping in mind that I’m looking for healthy options. I thought it would be right to put together a makeup brand wish list for 2016 and I’m sure that many of you would be surprised to know that I have not YET tried these brands.

Charlotte Tilbury| The brand that had so much hype in the blogging community in 2015. It is unquestionably pricey however I do believe that you get something a little more exquisite; from packaging to formulas. I am tempted by the eyeshadow pencils and the filmstar bronze & glow.  

NARS | Another brand that I’ve heard nothing but good things. NARS Sheer Glow Foundation along with their Radiant Creamy concealer are on my wish list before even I start blogging.

The Balm | Was there any other item that made this brand famous more than the Mary-Lou Manizer? I mean w’e all read hundred and thousands of posts about this lil’ baby. It will definitely be my first item in the cart along with the Bahama Mama bronzer. 

Tarte | Being in the hunt for cruelty-free products, tarte seems to be the best brand to shop from. However I seem to fall in love with a long list of their products and I just can’t keep up with this brand. It started with their primers, the Amazonian clay range and finally their palettes (rainforest after dark, limited edition tarteist, tartelette matte and tartelette in bloom clay).

Becca | Nowadays, all the raves seem to turn around the shimmering skin perfector and the Jaclyn Hill Champagne Pop Highlighter. 

My wish list is mainly high-end and I’m already thinking that the majority is out of budget and my purchasing logic however I‘m determine something new . My skin care wish list will soon follow. Stay tuned.

Hi Y’all,

I have been eyeing the Lorac Pro Palettes for ages, annoyed at the fact that they are the hardest and expensive things to get your hands on. However, when the queen of dupes, Makeup Revolution, can conveniently pull a cheaper version out of their bag, I’m sorted.  Today, I’m going to focus on how the Makeup Revolution Iconic Pro1 performs.

Unlike the first palettes, Makeup Revolution has revamped their packaging for this line of the Pro palettes, with super elite formula, a double sided brush, and a black matte lid which looks amazing.  Plus it houses a massive mirror which is great for travelling.

The Iconic Pro 1 palette contains 16 warm neutral shades of browns, split across two lines with the top one being matte and the bottom is all shimmer. The formula is mind blowing; buttery, easy to blend and insanely pigmented with no fall outs. I’ve gotta say, Makeup Revolution are on another level in this one.

I’m incredibly amazed at the staying power of the shadows in this palette. After 6 to 8 hours, my eye makeup would still be in place, fresh and non-smudgy. In fact, this is a great palette and one of my favorite for everyday use. It’s a total bargain and so much easy to find through their website.

Proudly, I admit to be one of the biggest lovers of the Makeup Revolution. For most of us, affordable means less quality, however it has never been the case with the many products I’ve been trying from this brand. The Makeup Revolution once again you have hit the spot with the Iconic Pro 1 palette.  

I hope you enjoyed this post and stay tuned for more from this brand.

Since I started using coconut oil in my skin care routine here, I became so freaking obsessed with..  And after so much reading, I’m convinced that we should have a bottle in our bathrooms, bedrooms, kitchen and even in the nursery. In fact, it can be used in different ways and for different purposes as I’ve shared earlier here; however coconut oil has more surprising uses than you might think.

Bug Repellent:

Coconut oil can act as a natural bug repellent simply by mixing it with essential oils which have also been shown to repel insects such as peppermint and lemongrass.

Natural Deodorant:

The use of coconut oil keeps the sweat dousing away. For that combine one part of coconut oil, one part of baking soda, one part of corn-starch and your favourite essential oil. For quicker absorption, it is best to use it immediately following the shower and just allow some time before dressing.

Shaving Cream:

Thanks to its light weight, coconut oil is great as a shaving cream and leaves enough moisture in the skin that no lotion is needed afterward.

Natural Acne Treatment:

Coconut oil outpaced medicinal prescriptions when it comes to treating skin conditions like acne because it is naturally anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anti-fungal and anti-bacterial and has been proved to moisturize the skin without clogging pores.

Natural Nipple Cream:

Being a natural antimicrobial oil, nursing mothers with cracked and bleeding nipples can consider using coconut oil to help healing nipples while it is completely safe for the baby to consume.

Natural Rash Cream:

The moisturizing, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties of the coconut oil make it ideal as a natural diaper rash cream as it promotes the collagen production and sooths the baby’s skin.

Natural Toothpaste:

For a natural toothpaste, use coconut oil, adding to it a part of baking soda and few drops of peppermint essential oil.

This is another round of suggestions for coconut oil that’s just skimming the surface. It’s really amazing how one simple natural product can provide us. 

I always find reading or watching other gals’ makeup routine fun. I have never been a whiz when it comes to makeup, but I believe that everyday makeup is about looking like me, just fresher and lightly enhancing my positive features. I thought it would be a nice post to show you my everyday makeup essentials; things I reach for even when I ran out of time.

After my morning skin care routine and applying SPF, I begin my makeup routine by using a primer. I’ve been recently enjoying the Rimmel Fix & ProtectMakeup Primer and right after I move into the NYX HD Photogenic Concealer to correct my dark spots and then it’s time for my perfect base on normal days; the BB Cream which does wonders to dull skin. Currently I’m loving the Rimmel BB Cream Radiance, reviewed here. I generally avoid using powders as I have dry skin and I prefer the dewy skin finish rather than the matte one.

Since I started doing my brows, there is no way I can skip them. And I’ve got to say that done brows makes the whole face look neat and put together. I’ve been using for quite some time the NYX Eyebrow Cake Powder but I’ll soon have to replace it because I’ve already reached the tin. To complete all I use the Wet’N’Wild Mega Clear Mascara to keep my brows in place.

Now it’s time to give some colour to these eyes. I start by applying the NYX Eyeshadow Base and as I do not wear eyeshadow every day, I use my bronzer just to add some definition to my crease with a bit of highlight to my brow bone. To complete my eye makeup I use an eyelash curler which makes a difference before applying mascara and for this last, I use the Rimmel WonderLash Mascara, reviewed here, for a natural look.

Once my base is set, I use the MAC Prep+Prime Highlighter Pen for a double duty; to brighten up the under eye area and clean any follow outs if there is any.

The next step; bronzing, is my favourite in makeup. My new discovery is the Body Shop Honey Bronzer Bronzing Powder which I’m so obsessed with at the moment. It is a pretty matte bronzer giving the face real warmth without being overly obvious. For a sweet hint of colour, I dust some of the Chanel Powder Blush on the apples of my cheeks and of course I have to add the kiss of glow to the top of my cheek bones, bridge of my nose and the cupid bow using the Watt’s Up Highlighter from Benefit, reviewed here.

Last but not least, lips! I’m not having a favourite one; however I wear mainly nudes and pinks.

That’s it for my daily makeup essentials. I might not be sticking to the order of application as I mentioned here, but that’s the order that works perfectly for me. Furthermore, I keep on trying new products and sometimes I might put less while other times I would go for more. It all actually depends on how I’m feeling that particular day.

Hello Guys,

I have never stashed my love for chamomile. Those who follow me must be tired of reading me raving about anything based on this great herb. I’m not new to the benefits of chamomile; my mother introduced me to it years ago through the Garnier Ultra Doux Shampooing with chamomile. It was my mum’s first choice to make my wavy curls shine. I’ve been trying since then all kind of products based on chamomile and it could only make me a true believer of its efficiency at healing and soothing the skin and hair. Here is a first round of my favorite products.

Camomile Tea: Known for its calming benefits and sedative properties, a cup of camomile infusion is always a great idea, when feeling stress or before bed. In fact it is practice that I enjoy daily. From another perspective the chamomile bags are also great for de-puffing the eyes.

The Body Shop Camomile range: Certainly it’s a big thumbs up from me for this cleansing range. I just love every item of it. You can go through my review about the sumptuous cleansing butter here. Both versions of the eye makeup removers are very efficient while the oil is working like dream in melting down all kind of makeup.

Nature’s Gate Herbal Blend Conditioner Chamomile & Lemon Verbena: It is sulfate and paraben free, made of natural herbal blend. It is a very good conditioner in restoring moisture in dry and damaged hair.

Chamomile Essential Oil: Used for multiple purposes but mainly to calm and soothe the skin, hair and body. This essential oil has tons of benefits such as hydration and blemish free to the skin, radiance and shine for the hair and natural sedative.

Known for its anti-inflammatory, calming and soothing benefits, chamomile is proven to be one of the best ingredients in skin care. My hunt of the chamomile based beauty products hasn’t reached an end yet. Stay tuned for more.

Clear mascara, isn’t the beauty product that everyone would run for. Today, I thought to stamp the reasons why every gal must keep one in their beauty arsenal.

At its basic concept, clear mascara is a hair gel that defines and separates lashes, aka mascara primer, to add some volume and give a bit of curl. However, this little beauty is a multitasker:

Brows tamer: This is my main use of the clear mascara. Either with a bit of colour or alone, for those with naturally defined archs, I wipe each side to keep my unruly brows in place.

“No Makeup” makeup look: This kind of look is prefect for beach days or even every day for some and this is when the clear mascara comes to complete the neat and finished picture.

Bottom Lashes: Mascara on the lower lash can’t be without smudging… Well not anymore, the clear mascara is the best for this.

Get some colour: As a quick fix or if you’ve got some rarely used loose shadow, try pouring some into the tube and get your own mascara mix.

Fly-aways Touch Up: A little wipe through the frizz up front the hair will keep it laid-back.

Hope this was helpful. Thanks for stopping by.

Hi Everyone,

I’m unquestionably the worst person to put eyeliner. I really mess up big time!! Let’s be honest – It took me ages to get the Benefit Watt’s Up highlighter which I reviewed here. The lady at the counter started raving about this new launched eyeliner, my immediate answer was of course “No way, you’re talking to the wrong person” however she caught my full attention when she tried it on me and explained how easy it is to the point that it does the job for you and doesn’t smudge. I’m sure you can imagine my joy at that moment. All I had in mind back then was the perfect winged liner on my teeny tiny eyes .. Too good to be real. After trying it myself at home, it turned out that it’s not as perfect as Benefit claims it is.

The they’re Real push up liner comes in a matte charcoal black with a considerable lasting power. It is shaped in a unique way thanks to its angled silicone accuflex tip that’s sharp from one end allowing to get the closest possible to the lash-line. Truth is truth; the packaging design is awesome. As a matter of fact, the pen is made to replace the angled liner brush.

The biggest downfall of this product is the texture. It is a gel liner, which is a new hit I have to say…. However the consistency is very flaky, not buildable and very dry making the application of the eyeliner a nightmare. Not to mention that the pen dispenser wastes way too much of product.

The they’re Real push-up liner isn’t the cheapest liner in the market and for its performance it is a massive fail. Very disappointing from a high end brand such as Benefit.

Thanks for taking the time to read this post.

Hi Guys,

I had always kept an eye on the Benefit Watt’s Up highlighter but the price constantly held me off. I thought it was bloody expensive.

The shade is a radiant peachy champagne that provides a perfect and natural sheen to my skin tone. At first, the shimmer seems a bit overwhelming but once blended properly it results to a pretty little glow. Actually the colour is neutral enough to flatter most skin tones.

I have tried different types of highlighters and so far, nothing beats the creamy and soft texture of the Watt’s Up which I believe it’s a best suit for dry skin. The consistency is creamy without being greasy which makes it, at least for me, the easiest highlighter in the cosmetic world to use. Another fact about this little beauty; its formula is fairly lasting, notably when layered under a powder.

As many of you, I find all Benefit packaging to be “originale”. The highlighter comes in a double ended retractable stick. One end’s the product and the other a little buffing sponge which I never bother to use. Fingers work better.

I have never been a highlighter person but I did fall in love with the Benefit Watt’s Up. It is undeniably worth every penny.

Hi Y’all,

When it comes to beauty on budget, new brands pop up every now and then filling the shelves with bargains that provide pretty good quality. Makeup Revolution is one of those brands and of all the products they sell, their eyeshadow palettes are the best with so much to choose from. Therefore, brace yourselves with a LOT of palette reviews to come and to start I bring today the “You’re Gorgeous” Palette.

The palette comes in a solid glossy packaging with a huge mirror. It features a lovely variety of browns, taupes, bronzes, beiges and mauves presented in a great balance of 10 matte shades and 22 shimmer shades.

The eyeshadows are velvety to touch, really pigmented and blend easily for a large variety of smoky looks or even for everyday natural looks. As another plus, there is minimal residue when working with these colors.

I usually wear quite neutral shades and this palette is just perfect for me. It features every color I would ever need. “You’re Gorgeous” palette provides great quality eyeshadows and a silky finish and for its price, it’s no doubt an absolute bargain.

Thanks for stopping by!

Everyone is raving about this natural substance, from nutritionists, beauticians to bloggers... Meet coconut oil. Internet is packed with its tremendous benefits that are claiming to replace every beauty product in your regimen. This is why, I'm excited to share with you today, few of my uses of the coconut oil.

In addition to its "Just came from a Bali Beach" smell, coconut oil in particular, is natural, economically friendly and has tons of surprising beauty uses, thanks to its antibacterial and anti-fungal properties.

Skin

- MakeUp Remover: Works as a balm. It gently breaks down the most stubborn makeup in no time and leaves the skin very soft and hydrate. A little amount is needed for the whole face and the only down is the greasy residue left  after wash but that's no big deal, at least for me, as I double cleanse anyway. 

- Lip Balm: In cold, dry seasons, coconut oil, heals instantly dry and chapped lips and can even work as a lip gloss. 

-Face masks: For a soft and supple skin mix 1 egg, 1/2 cup coconut oil and 1 tbsp of pure honey or just coconut oil and pure honey.

Hair

- Hair Mask: For hair growth stimulation and deep conditioning, massage coconut oil into the hair from roots to ends an hour or 2 before stepping into the shower or leave it overnight. It smells amazing and works wonders on dry and damaged hair thanks to its nourishing properties. In fact, coconut oil dramatically improved my hair condition. Another hair mask for treating split ends and preventing breaking; mix coconut oil with an egg yolk and apply to the scalp. For more hydration blend it with an avocado. 

- De-frizzer: A tiny bit is enough to detangle my hair and nourish my dry ends. It penetrates easily and doesn't even look greasy. 

- Curling Oil: Apply it on damp wet hair and works perfect as a curl definer, adding volume and shine.

Body

For a soft supple skin, removing dead skin is the key and the scrubs are the best to use.  For this, I mix coconut oil, raw sugar and essential oils, which are optional. This easy DIY scrub can be tick at first but it quickly melts and after rinsing, a light layer of coconut is felt which is not bothering and can be followed by body wash. It is in fact exfoliating and moisturizing.

I'm blindly obsessed with oils, and they never disappointed me.  You can find few of my essentials oils uses here and coconut oil is, with no doubt, a great element in my route of slowly getting rid of the harsh chemicals. There are still hundreds of application of this great oil, and I'm damn determined to test as many as I can. If haven't used yet, you better hurry and give it a go.

There are few things in winter I can't live without; socks, hand creams, foot cream,....And lip balms. Every year I go hunting for a remedy for my dry lips, I've tried many of the balms but there was always something I'm not happy with, either the scent, texture, the performance of the product, ....whatever, UNTIL, I found the right and perfect formula for a pampered pout.

To be honest I haven't been using a specific lip scrub lately as it's recommended everywhere, I only apply, during shower, my facial scrubs/exfoliators all over my face and that's it. However there is a famous DIY scrub I make it, whenever I have time, by mixing brown sugar with honey and a tiny squeeze of lemon or virgin olive oil. In case DIY is not your thing there are plenty of good and affordable alternatives.

Step two, is moisturizing and I believe it's the one that made the difference. It's actually a two steps in one, I first apply my DIY facial serums, shared here,  morning and night. Next, I switch between Nuxe Rêve de Miel Lip Balm and Noviderm Soothing Repair Lipstick to maintain soft and smooth lips. Believe me nothing performs better than these little beauties.

The consistency of the Rêve de Miel is quite thick with a chocolate orange scent.. Which is not bothering, though is not the chocolate I would choose for a sweet bite. I usually apply it before going to bed and the next morning my lips are significantly moisturized and soft... Package wise, I'm so in loooove with the little frosted glass pot.

The Noviderm, from the other hand, is as effective as the nuxe lip balm, with a sweet floral scent and a very smart and practical packaging. The texture though is lighter but very hydrating.

My last obsession that protects my lips is the Rimmel Lip Conditioning Balm which I reviewed here.

It's not lie, these stuff ended my lips misery. And you know what? I can wear matte lipsticks without worry... If you don't own one of these, grab your shoes and have a run to get one of them home. You won't regret it.

Thanks for reading :)

Hi Guys,

Natural colored makeup? That's my thing ... Nude lips, are definitely the essence of elegance which enhance natural features and my absolute go-to. Rimmel London & Kate Moss team up for this purpose..... Please say Hi to the Rimmel Nude Collection By Kate.

The collection features, according to their website, 5 nail polishes and 6 available lipstick shades plus a lip conditioning balm. The shades, vary between pink, warm beige and dark nude, there's really a chic nude for everyone.

I always linked nude lipstick to a "zombie" look, and I figured out later that I picked  the wrong nude color for my skin tone. Well let's face it, nude is not a "one size fits all" thing; it can be very tricky to find the perfect nude.

I picked 3 lipstick shades, the most suitable for me, along with the lip balm. I haven't come across the nail polishes, so I can't provide my thoughts on them. My first is # 42; a pretty pink nude that would look great on every skin tone and perfect for natural everyday makeup look. # 43 is a warm peach nude, gorgeous on warm skin undertones and finally # 48 is a rich chocolate berry nude perfect for dark skin tones and I could use it for dramatic looks or even autumn/winter season.

| From L-R: 42, 43, 48|

Rimmel Lasting Finish By Kate Lipsticks are super creamy and moisturizing with a sweet scent and a semi matte finish. Speaking of moisture, the lip balm is light,  very hydrating and apply like dream with an SPF 15. My lips are immediately soft and smooth. I'm Impressed with this one.

I love the packaging and especially the peachy nude color. It's adorable as well as the white with pink writing for the lip balm....

The Rimmel Nude Collection is a total hit. The shades are awesome and the texture is nothing less that what we always get from Rimmel... Kate and Rimmel you've done it once again.

I have been trying different products from Rimmel and I have to say that I have never been disappointed. They are offering a great range of quality products some them and that's why I couldn't wait to try the Wonder'Lash Wake Me Up Mascara With Vitamins and Cucumber Extract.

This mascara is presented exactly like  the Wonder'Lash With Argan Oil reviewed here, only this time the color is a beautiful bright green. The tube is quiet big, that couldn't fit in tiny drawers but I still think it's pretty and I like it.

Formulated with cumcumber and vitamins, not sure which ones, this mascara conditions lashes and provides the eyes that wide awake look with clump free volume, lift and length. It also has a fresh cucumber scent that doesn't irritate my eyes which is a serious plus point along with the fact that I don't notice any cruchiness on my lashes. It also holds the curls all day with no smudging or flaking.

The Wake Me Up Mascara's wand is cleverly designed in an hourglass shape to curl, separate, lengthen and volumize the lashes. I'm not the kind of girl to put coats upon coats of mascara, I always stop at 2 and oh man! I was already in the moon with this mascara!!!!

| Bare Eyes |

| 1 Coat Applied |

|2 Coats Applied |

If you are looking to replace your mascara, I don't think you'd be disappointed with this one.

Hi Lovelies,

Recently I've practicing a new makeup technique; the colour correcting... And as always, I never like to take the risk of going crazy on something so I decided to pick the Wet N Wild Coverall Concealer Palette for a little whirl......Let's take a closer look.

This palette has 4 shades; pink to brighten, green to neutralize, nude to cover and white to highlight. I actually love the diversity in colors of these concealers which make them useful for many purposes. In fact, the green is supposed to counteract redness and the pink covers blue circles under the eyes. Unfortunately, as many of you, I was thinking for years that only the nude shade is able to do the job until my recent hut a concealer.  In fact the nude shade in the wet n wild palette is way darker than my skin tone while the pink and green are my most used as they cover up really nicely my redness, dark spots and circles.

The highlighter in the other side is very suitable for the brow bone and the cupids bow. I personally never used it for the cheek bones just because I prefer to use a powder one for most of the time.

The concealers are easily blended and very cream. I've noticed that when I choose to set it with a powder, it becomes extremely cackey and I can’t hate anything more than this in makeup.... Not having an oily skin, I actually skip this step.

This specific palette, I believe has been replaced by the Coverall Correcting Palette as I can't find it anymore online nor in their stands. But for fair skinned folks and those dealing with redness and blemishes, if you come across this little wheel, go for it. And for its price, you can't go wrong with it.

Thanks for reading and hope that was helpful.

Hey Guys,

Just as I highlighted earlier the importance of the skin care order of application here, I will go through the correct order of makeup application which is actually quite crucial to get that flawless look and a longer staying power.

To be honest, before working on this post, I had things done the way I thought it was supposed to go on but in truth there is a specific order of applying makeup that makes the most sense and here I am passing this knowledge onto you.

Certainly I skip many steps for my everyday makeup, nevertheless this a complete working order to follow.

1. Primer

The first step is to even out the skin tone and prepare a smooth canvas for the rest of the products. To kick this off, use a primer; a face, eye and lip primers.

2. Brows

Shaping and filling in brows before eye makeup, provides a clear frame to work with when applying eye shadow. In case of mistake you can easily correct it without worrying about running the eye makeup.

3. Eyes

Setting the eyes, especially when creating a smoky look, ensures you won't need  to correct any fallout and saves you serious time. I personally do my face first most days especially that I only use light colors or sometimes nothing. Once you're done with the eye shadow, here come into play the eyeliner followed by the mascara.

4. Color Correcting

I prefer to go first over all the blemish and discolorations using my color correcting palette, or some would call it simply concealer, just so after applying the foundation, those freaky colors won't be noticeable.

5. Foundation

Now that the base has been prepared, I easily apply the foundation to cover up all the "mess" without having to layer it so I end up being cakey.

6. Concealer

In this specific step, I mean by concealer, an under eye one or some would call it an under eye brightner, which could be use for some extra cover-up.

7. Setting Powder

Some people choose to skip this step and some don't. However it is important to set everything with a translucent powder to keep the makeup in place.

8. Bronzer and Blush

Either for contouring or just a simple sun kissed look, the bronzer is to be used first followed by a blush for a pretty wash of the cheeks.

9. Highlighter

For more glow and radiance, apply the highlighter at last to your cheekbones, bridge and tip of the nose, cupid's bow and the arch of brows.

10. Lips

The sequence is simple here Liner > Lipstick > then Gloss.

I hope this was helpful. Thanks for your reading.

Hello helloo,

After being impressed by their BB cream (here) and concealer (here), I couldn’t resist trying some other product of the Rimmel London brand. I decided then to give the all new waterproof Wonder’lash Mascara with Argan Oil a try. 

The wonder’lash mascara with Argan oil was the first one I picked and tried, among other products that I’ll review in future posts, and that’s for the first obvious reason that it’s infused with this magical oil and honestly who wouldn’t???? The second reason is the so beautiful packaging that is hard to resist; a blue metallic finished tube. 

It’s a waterproof mascara that helps the lashes to look full, as mentioned in Rimmel website,  and smooths them to not clump. Its ultra flexible brush hugs the lashes to define them from root to tip. However when applying this mascara there is no drama noticeable. Instead it’s giving the lashes definition and a natural soft look that you will certainely say “Did I really just apply any mascara???”. From the other side, stiff and crunchy lashes have no place here, just feathery ones thanks to its light oil based formula. And for a waterproof formula, it still comes easily off at the end of the day. 

Even though this mascara does not give that false lash effect, I nevertheless think it’s a great one to have for a no-makeup look or simply for everyday use. 

This should do for today! Thank you so much for stopping by.