My Thoughts Corner

I’m finally back after not showing up for a whole month. September was a busy one but mainly exciting especially that I’ve been in Paris and enjoyed the wonderful city, weather, family and friends and that the comeback very hard but…. C’est la vie!

Whilst in Paris, I obviously did some shopping however I didn’t go crazy as I focused on things I can’t get (or get easily) here in Dubai despite the fact that I was quite restrained as the price of the French pharmacy are extremely cheap across abroad.

I’ve decided to divide this post into two parts to give me more time to chat about all products. I’ve got to say that I haven’t tried any of these except for 2 or 3 items, however I’ll take you through each product and specify what made it interesting to me.

The first beauty shop that was on my way was KIKO which is known for their good quality products at an affordable price. I start off with the In The Shade Eyeshadow And Kajal (€5) in 01 and 05 and are from the limited edition collection for 2016. These are double ended pencils with an intense color payoff and extreme hold. I always loved the idea of eye shadow pencils especially when travelling or when I am short on time in the mornings. The colors are beautiful and perfect for everyday wear with a soft and creamy texture.

Next up is another limited edition product; the Strobe & Sculpt Cream Contour Palette (€14.90) in 02 medium to dark. I’m not into cream contouring as much as powder which made my collection in that category narrow and that’s what made me go for this one. This is one of those I haven’t tried yet however when swatched; the colors are subtle and the texture is creamy.

My last purchase from Kiko is their pencil lip gloss (€3.90) in 10, which is a nude dark rose shade; nothing surprising here. It is very comfortable and easy to apply. In fact, I wish I picked other shades but unfortunately there weren’t many left in the store I was in.

The last product for this first round of the haul is the Maybelline Instant Anti-Age L’Effaceur Fond De Teint which I believe is the Instant Age Rewind Eraser Treatment Makeup. I couldn’t resist picking up this foundation, hoping that it will be as good as the age rewind concealer which happens to be one of my holy grail concealers. Keeping my fingers crossed!!

So that sums up my first round of Paris Beauty Haul. I’ll be posting my second part in tomorrow’s post so stay tuned for that.

Cheeks? That’s what floats my boat… I’m all about blushes and bronzers and I can never have enough. A while back I got my hands on the Catrice Blush Artist Palette in shade CorAll I Need and being me I couldn’t resist having the other two, namely BronzEclat & Rock’n’Rose … To know what I think? Keep on reading!!

The Blush Artist Palettes were launched for spring/summer 2016 having a versatile range of colours ranging in a harmonious way from warm, coral to natural shades to accentuate the natural traits. Each palette holds three shades; a matte blush, a shimmer one and a highlighter that could be utilized either solo or combined.

The palettes are housed in a typical Catrice packaging; basic clear plastic case. And to be honest, it is a very practical, as first it is travel friendly and second, it allows you to identify the product without having to open it to check the shades.

The blushes apply beautifully and blend easily while the pigmentation is not extreme but just the right amount to prevent falling into the clown cheeks! The highlighter in this is nothing but subtle.

“010 BronzEclat” symbolizes the warm tones in this collection which could be my least used palette mainly because of the red brown shade, as I’ve got nothing like it in my stash, but I don’t want to judge it too soon as I figured that the combination of the two blushes could result into something lovely. The second pan is a glow-y peach color with gold shimmers and the highlighter is a pink champagne shade that’s very flattering to the cheekbones.

If you know me well, you’ll guess that the “020 CorAll I Need” palette is my favorite. I mainly love the matte pink shade with coral undertones; it adds a lovely hint of colour that appeals to freshness. The other blush is a bright pink with golden glitter while the highlighter is a shy peach that’s ideal for a natural enlightening.    

My second favorite palette is the “030 Rock’n’Rose” though I think it is best suited for lighter skin tones as it’s the most rose cool toned palette. The first shade represents a pretty pink coral with fine shimmers that’s not even noticeable. The second one is a more vibrant pink with a matte finish and lastly the highlighter, is a pink shimmer that gives a great look once applied.

The Catrice Blush Artist Shading Palettes are perfect for a healthy natural look and the lasting power is quite reasonable. I had them during a short trip and it was a joy to play with. The Catrice Blush Artist Shading Palettes are truly another drugstore hidden gem. I’m a fan!