My Thoughts Corner

Occasionally I come close some of the products that miss the mark. Although I tend to make considered purchased, there are some bits and bobs that don’t live up the hype or let me be more specific, they don’t live up to MY expectations. Once again, in these kind of posts, I emphasize that the products didn’t work for me only but they aren’t necessarily bad and might be HG for others. 

Physicians Formula Butter Bronzer in Bronzer | This is a product that has been well hyped and everyone seem to go nuts for it except few and I’m one of those. I first had to purchase it online as it wasn’t available in UAE or if it was, the price was 3 or 4 times more. Not only it took forever to reach but also it was shredded. I let you guess my frustration… I took a deep breath though and was hoping that the bronzer will blow my mind and make me overcome my first letdown but since it’s mentioned in this post, it didn’t. It is a smooth powder that’s bordering a cream, gives a warm glow, the smell takes you to a tropical island and all that jazz. BUT it did translate into nothing on my light skin tone, seriously nothing! The packaging, despite the lovely print, is too bulky. The Physicians Formula Murumuru Butter Bronzer is a good product but only for a niche skin tone, being the pale gals. 

Max Factor Creme Puff Pressed Powder | Max Factor, founded by the man who invented the word “make up”, is a brand I haven’t tried much from. Recently, I have read a touching history about their pressed powder; Creme Puff. It’s a product that has been passed down generations. It’s even mentioned somewhere that it was the only pressed powder back then, unfortunately I’ve got nothing on hand to affirm the said, yet I honestly can’t seem to get how such product survived all these years. The powder is an old-fashioned formula that has a quite rough texture at touch, which perfectly explains the heaviness on the skin once on. It literally felt like an air blocking layer on top and looked chalky and cakey on my skin. The strong baby powder scent it has, was another disappointment adding to it the very dark shade range for a pressed powder. Sadly, the Max Factor Crème Puff Pressed Powder doesn’t meet my makeup concerns at no level.  

Catrice AllRound Contouring Palette | As a contour lover, I have been on the lookout for the best cream contour product for quite some time. Still I have to admit that I enjoy the Maybelline Master Contour V Shape Duo Stick, talked about here, however the more I got to the bottom the harder it gets to apply. Having spotted the Catrice Contouring Palette and for just few bucks, I could only help myself get it and I regret it. The packaging is great; very sleek and travel friendly. Nevertheless, the creams are not soft as a cream product is supposed to be and are truly hard to work with. The pigmentation is again very opaque letting the shades blend into nothing. With this I guess my quest for the perfect cream contour is still on. 

I Heart Chocolate Bronze And Glow | Unusually, this is no dupe. As we all know, the I Heart Makeup rocked the packaging of the chocolate palette range. For a matter of fact, I picked this one for its packaging. The powders are soft creamy yet a lot of fallout is noteworthy. Not to mention that the bronzer is not even visible on my light complexion even when I tried to build it up. Regrettably, the Bonze And Glow palette comes in one shade and would only thrill the pale skin folks. 

Kiko Eyebrow Fibers Coloured Mascara | I picked this product in the hope to find and affordable dupe to my beloved Benefit Gimme Brow but I didn’t. It is quite pigmented I’ve got to admit and has a liquid-y formula which ain’t practical as well as the huge wand as I always end up having some product on my forehead that I have to clean while I prefer a small wand to target the small hair without making a mess. Another drawback is the longevity; the Kiko Eyebrow Fibers held my brows in place but as long as the benefit one does. 

Catrice Re-Touch Light-Reflecting Concealer | My experience with this one was terrible. Simply it’s none of what it claims. It’s way too thick for an under eye, too drying and heavy. In fact, it accentuated my fine lines like no other concealer. The twist was also a nightmare; I kept turning for too long and once the product popped it was way too much. 

This is it for this day.

I’m an organizing freak and I loooove a good declutter … Every now and then I go around the house downsizing all categories and my makeup drawers ain’t any exception.  Though, in this process, there are some bits I find myself torn if I should keep or not; afraid that one day I might need them but in reality, if there is no added value then there is no point keeping it… To give an end to my misery, I usually give my maybe pile a last try and settle on which ones are worth holding on to and those to be tossed/given away. 

E.L.F Beautifully Bare Foundation Serum | I have listed this one back in 2016 in my “Disappointing Products”, yet I kept it to give it a proper go as a “tinted primer” and I haven’t. I certainly couldn’t wear it on its own as I love a good coverage, but this time, I went on with my concealer on top of my flaws and to my surprise this little bottle wowed me; it’s insanely lightweight and it makes my skin look so radiant and even. With an SPF 25, this foundation would make a great choice for summer days and the no makeup looks. For the time being, this bottle is going nowhere and will definitely retain it. 

Makeup Revolution Fortune Favours The Brave Palette | Regular readers would know by now that I’m a huge fan of Makeup Revolution as it stands and when I spotted this palette I had to have it. It is certainly a different palette than the MR’s typical ones in terms of design, shadow size pan and versatility. Though I do like the great finish/color diversity, the pigmentation of some shades didn’t do a whole lot for me making them quite hard to work with. I have been trying this one on and off but, despite all the hype it was around it, I couldn’t make myself love it as much as the Iconic Pro 1, Pro 2 or the recently reviewed Neutrals Vs New-trals palette. Therefore, I’m passing this along to someone who could make a better use out of it.

Catrice High Glow Mineral Highlighting Powder | It is the only baked highlighter I own. I was very excited to have it but not so much after I tried it. It is a silvery champagne shade that’s supposed to provide a glamorous glow, but that was too obvious on my skin tone. The texture as well is quiet dry for my liking and has a lot of kick off leaving a chaos of stubborn glitter on my face. Unfortunately, this is a pass. 

Too Faced Rock N Roll Palette | I first got this palette for the packaging. I loved the color theme of the eyeshadows but never thought that’s what I would go for one day. And I did. And I loved it! To make the whole story short it’s a “glam meets pretty”. However, two things not to forget with this palette; wet your brush for an intense metallic/foiled effect and DO YOUR EYES FIRST. The shadows easily last for a good 8-9 hours. This is another one that’s for now going nowhere. It is a KEEP. 

Maybelline Colossal Go Extreme! Leather Black Volume Mascara | It is usually difficult for me to fall in love with a mascara and once I do I stick to it. Maybelline makes some of my favorite ones and when I got my hand on the Colossal Go Extreme I assumed it’s at the same level of quality. But No. I normally look for volume and length, as I’m blessed with none, and this one claims to offer extra volume and that’s not at all what I got… I’m also not a big of the wand shape as I like it to get to the tiniest of my lashes which is not the case here. I couldn’t see any added value. Currently, I have few other mascaras that I love way more than this one. 

At last, I’m keeping 2 products out of 5. It surely makes me feel good despite that’s not a huge number looking at my entire makeup collection. This is it for today. Stay tuned as there is more to come!

Just like every beauty guru, I tend to focused more on the latest releases while some beauty gems, though they are must-haves, seem to slip under the radar and don’t get the coverage and love they truly deserve. Hence, I thought of sharing my first batch of overlooked bits that make a difference in my beauty routine.

Throughout the years, I’ve tried several mascaras but I always kept a permanent spot for the Revlon Photoready 3D Volume Mascara in my makeup stash. It’s been my trusty mascara for so long. Not only it delivers nice clump free length and definition to my lashes but it beautifully separates them from root to tip leaving the lashes looking 100% natural. This fantastic mascara also grants volume in a major way for some eye pop.

The second product that I’ve been enjoying lately and haven’t seen it in the spotlight is the Essence I Love Stage Eyeshadow Base. It has a light creamy texture with a matte finish that doesn’t crease. It is very easy to work with and blends like a dream neutralizing the eyelid discoloration. The Essence eyeshadow primer, certainly enhances my eyeshadows color intensity and lasting power.

My lips are constantly dry and chapped and in my hunt for lipsticks I always stay away from matte formulas. I recently though gave the Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet Lipsticks a try in the shades 09 Happy Nude Year and 10 Don`t Pink Of It and I’m glad I did. Despite the matte finish, the Bourjois lipsticks are comfortable matte and non-drying. The formula is lightweight and creamy with an impressive longevity. The color payoff is simply intense. I love them!

Few months back I picked the elf cream blush palette in soft since, you know, I don’t have the self-control to forgo any sort of blush. The palette offers a mixture of colors that alter from nude pinks to corals which makes them perfect for an everyday natural look. The shades are creamy in texture, nicely pigmented and ultra-buildable.

Thank you for stopping by … Until next time!!

The Lash Sensational was one of Maybelline’s well-loved in the beauty community so when I spotted the Lash Sensational Luscious Mascara I had to have it… Technically it promises the same fan effect as the original one using oil based formula for supple and nourished lashes.

The packaging is absolutely attractive; black matte packaging with pink accents and the wand is sort of different in shape from all mascaras I own; it is called a “fanning reservoir Brush” with short bristles and deep gabs that arouse the product from the roots. The formula was the main reason why I wanted to give the Luscious Lash Sensational a go, as it’s infused with precious oils for healthy lashes.  In fact it is pretty wet but dries out quickly adding volume and length for that natural “fanned out” and soft lashes without smudging or clumping.

The Maybelline Luscious Lash Sensational Mascara is definitely a keeper! Though I wasn’t a fan of it when I just got it, I find it creeping into my everyday makeup slowly and I’ve got to say I started to like it. My lashes for a fact remain soft all day and a bit dramatic with only one coat.

Hopefully that was helpful!!! Thanks for reading,

Until next time!

My first post about the products that didn’t live up to their expectations was quite a hit, which I didn’t expect to be honest with you, and today I’m coming with a new list of beauty items that in a way or another let me down. To be clear, there is nothing wrong with these products/brand but they simply failed to deliver the way I would like them to do.

To start I will be talking about the e.l.f foundation serum. When I first tried it I was almost sure that they got me the wrong product. The foundation itself is too liquid-y that made me read again the packaging just to make sure that this is a foundation because it’s first one that too runny that I personally try. I’m not blessed with a perfect clear skin and that makes me always ran after something to cover my imperfections while this one was not in that frame, it’s very light that it feels like nothing, which is not bad but not for me… And now that I’m typing this post, I’m thinking that maybe I should give it a last try as a foundation base or in better words as a tinted primer. .. I should try and let you know.

I am a fan of contouring, I love how it shapes and embellishes the face features but using the L’Oreal Infallible Sculpt Contouring Palette was a total fail. I’m not gonna go in much details for this one but if you want to know any further you can stop by my full review here.

There is nothing I hate in mascaras more than a heavy clumpy one and the Bourjois Push Up Volume Glamour in Fabulous Brown was just this. The wand is pretty big and picks up hell of product that I can’t even see the wand’s bristles and it sits on the lashes. I’ve tried many times and of course I did remove the excess of product but it’s simply not working for me. I’m afraid.

Another mascara that I don’t rate high, is the e.l.f Beautifully Bare Defining Mascara in Buff Black, which I think is discontinued as I can’t find it anymore in their website. The packaging is awesome and being a fan of e.l.f products I assumed I will enjoy this one but unfortunately I didn’t. I like products that are pretty much practical while the e.l.f mascara is a mono task item; it separates the lashes pretty well but don’t expect anything more than that. The formula is a wet one which is annoying as not only there is no volume or length but I could feel my lashes sticking together throughout the day and no no no … It’s a big Hit here.  

Next on my list is the Catrice Multi Matt Blush in 010 Love, Rosie. It is for a fact, the first Catrice product to disappoint me due to its too powdery texture which makes it very hard to blend and looks chalky despite its lovely color combo.

Finally the Corine de Farme Purity Micellar Water that I’m not a fan of. For having 97% natural ingredients I was expecting lots. To start, it didn’t remove my makeup in an efficient way and when reaching for the eyes area it stings badly and worst of all, after finishing my face was all sticky and didn’t feel at all like water. It was too heavy and the smell is overpowering for a sensitive skin dedicated product.

This was my experience and opinions of these products and once more what doesn’t impress me might be your holy grail. Thanks a lot for dropping by!

| Bare Lashes |

| 1 coat applied |

| 2 coats applied |