My Thoughts Corner

My skin loves a good scrub. The Lush Ocean Salt Face and Body scrub is a product I immediately fell in love with and today I thought I’d tell you why.

A grainy yet soft based scrub with an amazing summery smell topped with lime, it is housed in its typical black Lush tub. Once opened, you will find a relatively blue layer of tick chunky sea salt that’s supposed to be mixed up with the rest before use…

It’s mainly made of sea salt, as you can tell be the name to scrub away any dead skin and dirt.  It also contains seaweed absolute, avocado butter and extra virgin coconut oil to soften and hydrate the skin. Lush also incorporated in this mixture grapefruit, lime and violet leaf absolute for brightening. Unfortunately I noticed that this scrub holds paraben but in very low percentage.

After one use, I was instantly pleased by the clean and smooth feeling and look of my skin. One sure thing is that all crap that has been staying in my skin was gone. Another amazing fact about the Ocean Salt Scrub is the hydration and fresh scent are felt for hours later thanks to its ingredients that work wonders in fact. However the gritty texture might be too harsh for everyday use and I personally use it only once or twice a week.  

The Lush Ocean Salt Face and Body Scrub is one of, if not the best scrub I’ve ever used. It’s an all in one product that could be used as a cleanser, scrub and a moisturizer with an only grasp that it’s definitely not a product where a little goes too long, a pricey practice to maintain but I’m less likely to hold down any sooner considering its effectiveness.

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!

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.

Lush is a brand that I have known about but never tried. Recently I did a research for my first purchase and once there, I could still get confused in front of the buckets of products everywhere.

The lady over there started to suggest all kind of soaps, scrubs ...etc. I wasn't sure if I should rely on her suggestions until she tried on my hand the Let The Good Times Roll cleanser and I was immediately fascinated by the soft feeling I got after wash.. Oh Man, that was awesome!!

Unfortunately, this cleanser is not great at removing makeup but honestly I don't think it was made for that in the first place.

As it's made of natural ingredients, The Let The Good Times Roll has a shelf life of 3 months only which is for me a bonus. I've explained in one of my earlier posts about the homemade beauty recipes, that I prefer to have small batches of the fresh products but at least they're natural... I know, that in this case, it would be too pricey and I totally agree, but to my defense I would suggest that we can switch between Lush and DIY products.

At the end, I gotta say, I'm converted. I adore how supple and moisturized my skin feels after use.... Again, yes it's expensive but personally I don't mind splurging on Lush products which are fresh and free of all questioned chemicals... And listen up, Lush are also fighting against animal testing and all their containers are made from recycled plastic.... The Let The Good Times Roll, was my first purchase from them but you can be damn sure I'll be purchasing more..

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.

Hi Y'all,

As fall-winter season knocked the door already, it's time for me to adjust my skin care regimen to something tick and hydrating. To start off, I decided to give the balm/butter "technology" a try; and of course I had to grab The Body Shop Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter, which I will be reviewing today.

For the newbies in my blog, I'm obsessed with anything related to camomile. This cleansing butter, is basicaly my second product I use of this range from TBS. My first was the Camomile Waterproof Eye & Lip Make-up Remover and this stuff is simply AMAZING.

The Camomile sumptuous Cleansing Butter is described to be "an indulgent make-up remover for the whole face. It gently and efficiently melts away make-up and impurities, leaving skin feeling clean, refreshed and pampered. Gently melts away make-up, leaves skin feeling clean and petal-soft, removes all types of make-up and suitable for sensitive skin and contact lens wearers". And that's exactly what it does, however I can't confirm the last 2 points as I don't belong to any of these categories.

This cleansing butter comes in a light weight and secure tin, making it compact and easy for travel. At first glance when I opened it, I could only think of coconut oil in terms of texture and colour.

Verily, the camomile cleansing butter has a waxy consistency that melts at touch into a luxurious oil, with a calming floral scent where I detect camomile. It feels lovely on my dehydrated skin and it's ideal for a good soft face massage.

I'm sure everyone has gone trough the pain of removing the waterproof makeup. Well, not to worry gals, just name the most stubborn makeup product and I promise that it won't stand a chance.  A tiny bit of the product is needeed at a time which makes a little goes a long way.

| Before |

The only down about this product, well you can't have it all, is the low amount of the camomile, but to its defense, this is just a cleanser that should be removed after few seconds.

Saving the best to the last, this cleansing butter, removes effortlessly my makeup without leaving my skin dry or tight and without the greasy residue I get from using the coconut oil. This stuf is great! My skin feels so soft and hydrated after using it. It's so gentle that even when I use it on my eyes, it doesn't sting.

| After |

As I've said in an earlier post, nothing beats cleansing wash and water, so I always go for a double cleanse. On the second step, though, there is no trace of makeup to report.

In fact, The Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter is definetely a good treat for colder and drier winter season. It's an absolute delight to use, super effective and luxurious. I LOVE IT!!! And for a fact, I officialy add it to my list of holy grail products.

Hope you enjoyed this review... Stay Tuned!!!

Hi Ladies,

This post is especially for those ones suffering with their curly or simply frizzy hair (like mine). For quite a long time I hated it. I had all kind of thoughts on how to fix this freaking thing to have it under control instead of that electrified hair. By the way, let me give you a hint of the background; I’ve got fine wavy hair and frizzy on top… Not that bad however years back it was seriously like s*#@. How I fixed it? That’s a long story that I will talk about later. 

Every time I went to the beauty salon, I wished and prayed that my hair would remain for the rest of my life as beautiful as it looks when the beautician was finished. And of course that  never happened. The worst thing was my total conviction that I will never be able to do something about it, and will never afford all these sprays, creams and whatever it is which anyway will be wash out the next day… Gosh that was a complete nightmare until I finally found my ass savers; The John Frieda Frizz Ease Secret Weapon Finishing Crème and the Frizz Ease Heat Defeat Styling Spray, which I picked just because of the countless reviews in the bloggers community raving about how awesome their products are.

I’ll start off with the Heat Defeat Styling Spray, as per my order of application. The reason why I picked this was to make sure that my hair doesn’t fry after straightening. Again, my hair was a big mess, you wouldn’t want to see it. I normally spray it all over my dry hair, just before blow drying and since I started using it, the dry ends are completely gone, my hair looks healthier and straightens with total ease and also helps it remain smooth and shiny throughout the day.

Coming up to the secret weapon finishing crème, which I think is discontinued, I have to say that I’m kicking myself for not using this wonder earlier. It is a smoothing crème meant to be used after styling your hair with a concentration on the ends. As it’s called, it’s indeed a  secret weapon, to a healthy, silky and shiny hair, giving it that salon look.. Believe me, definitely the same look§.

This crème works beautifully on immediately calming the hair, excluding that greasy feeling thanks to its lightweight formula and let’s not forget to mention the cute scent it has.  

Being so amazed about these 2 beauties, you wouldn’t believe that I never had a look at their ingredients. And to my big surprise, it contains paraben ….. What the hell??? It’s no secret I’m in love with this John Frieda combo; certainly they secured their spot in my hair care routine. However I should start looking for a ‘healthier’ products to replace it. 

I’ve had this stuff for ages now and I think I’m just beginning the second half of it. It’s dirt cheap for what you can achieve with. If it’s not for the paraben, I would highly recommend them but for those who don’t care about this part, both products are worth trying!

Hope you enjoyed! Thanks again 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. 

Hi Beauties,

Now that finally Wet n Wild cosmetics is here in Dubai I thought of sharing another product review.  For almost a month or maybe more, I honestly can’t remember, I’ve testing out some of the Wet n Wild CoverAll Line; the cream foundation and the primer, which I picked randomly just to find out the quality offered by this very affordable brand. 

Coverall Cream Foundation 

I got this tube a while ago, and thinking of its cheap price I didn’t raise my expectations until I decided to try it just out of curiosity. According to Wet n Wild, it’s a long day wear  that provides moderate to full coverage, it has a lightweight texture with satin-matte finish and contains the VisiBright complex which reduces the appearance of wrinkles and rejuvenates the skin. 

Coverall Primer 

I’m really stunned at how this little beauty pick feels on the skin, it actually performs as any  high end primer would. It provides an amazing moisture which prepped the skin well giving my makeup a smooth base to adhere to. 

Overall, the coverall primer coupled with the cream foundation makes me in heaven despite their cheap prices. There is in fact plenty of quality here nevertheless there are few minuses to note… Well you can’t have it all. As I mentioned earlier, the packaging is not the perfect  one and I wish Wet n Wild would work on it just because the quality provided is amazing.  The second hiccup is the fact that it has no SPF, which makes them not convenient in hot summer days.

Apart from that, I definitely recommend these beauty gems and I deeply hope that they  would get the respect they deserve. 

Hope you enjoyed and thank you for reading!