My Thoughts Corner

The contouring is far from over. I have never though been into the super done contouring, well except in the first beginning. But, since I heard about this craze, I always made the link to cream products especially for a defined look. Today’s review is about a cream product; the Maybelline Master Contour V Shape Duo Stick, that’s made to make the contouring fool proof.

Maybelline is known to offer a quality to blow you mind away, and this new product is no different. The Master ContourV Shape Duo Stick is a 2-in-1 product; contour & highlighter, that’s available in only two shades, and I’ve got the medium one. It is presented in a retractable chubby stick which makes it super handy for travelling or just throw in your bag.

The formula is extremely creamy and applies effortlessly. For a fact, it’s as simple as “swipe, switch, swipe, blend and you’re ready to go!”. The shades are intensely pigmented with a matte finish. Once all blended seamlessly, you are left with a very natural but sculpted look and the best of all; it lasts all day. I would though recommend setting it with a powder because of consistency.

Overall I think that the MaybellineMaster Contour V Shape Duo Stick is such a handy stick that’s literally the easiest product for contouring. I was certainly able to get the naturally lifted and sculpted cheeks with this little one instead of the stripes that are better suited for Social Media photos. However, it can be difficult to use each side separately once the product starts to grind down.

Hope you enjoyed this review as much as I enjoy using my contour stick every single day!!

Thank you for reading.

Oh boy I’m so excited about this post and I have no clue how to start it …. As you must’ve guessed it from the title I’m naming today my favorite cheek products which are my all time favorites and what I own the most and that makes it very difficult for me to narrow down the list. My choices have changed quite a bit; I’m more into a matte bronzed definition mixed with a soft blush topped with a subtle highlighter. Does that make sense to you? Probably not… Keep on reading to figure out what goes inside my mind!!

I will cite the products in accordance of my order of application. Hence, let’s first enroll my bronzer list.

On daily basis, I don’t contour, I only use the same product to define and bronze. I’ll start with an iconic product that everybody loves; the Benefit Hoola Bronzer. It’s a classic that lasts all day and looks so natural on the skin offering a silky matte finish. It’s with no doubt my go-to bronzer.

Another universal one that I’m obsessed with is the Urban Decay Beached Bronzer. Having a creamy texture, it provides a gorgeous warmth to the skin with a fresh effect. I love it!

Many were attracted by the smell of this product; that’s like chocolate. Not my case. It is another matte bronzer but deeper in color. Yes! you guessed it; it’s the Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Bronzer. It has a great  pigmentation and applies like dream taking the contour/bronze to a totally new level.

I love Me a GOOD Blush. In fact, 2 things I can never leave the house without; bronzer and blush. I don’t reach of the too many I own and that’s why I’ll certainly have to declutter this category. For now, let’s see the blushes I’ve been reaching for the most in 2016.

I have no idea how this first one got into my stash; The Rimmel London Lasting Finish Soft Colour Blush in 120 Pink Rose. That’s a long name. It’s with no doubt not the type of blush I used to go for nevertheless I’m very glad to have it. It’s a great day to day powders that’s soft in texture and provides the most natural and fresh pop to the cheeks.

Another everyday choice of mine is the Wet n WildColor Icon Blush in Rose Champagne, which creates the perfect flush. It’s a beautiful dusty rose color with a slight hint of shimmer. The texture is super velvely and the pigmentation is great without being powdery.  

Whenever we travel, I have to pick a Chanel Blush from the airport. Don’t know why. The Chanel Joues Contraste in 15 Orchid Rose is the last blush in the everyday section. It is a lovely pink with very light blue undertones that gives a beautiful glow finish.

For quite some time, I thought there is a huge hype around the Nars Orgasm Blush until I swatched it while in Paris at Sephora and couldn’t resist picking up the super-size. It’s a medium warm pink with golden shimmers that provides radiance and luminosity.

If I have to choose only one peach blush for the rest of my life, it would certainly  be the Chanel Joues Contraste Blush in Malice. It’s very close to the Nars Orgasm but not. The shimmer in Malice is barely there but the color is a light still vibrant peachy pink.

My newest addiction is highlighters. Once more I will say that I don’t own many of these. I’m still sticking to the same old highlighter picks I posted last August with a new addition of the Makeup Revolution Shimmer Brick Radiant. I’m really obsessed with this highlighter! It is insanely pigmented and has a buttery texture that makes the application so easy. I love a good swirl of all the shades for a subtle golden glow.

This is my second and final round of my Paris haul which include four more items. I have to say that I’m proud of myself for making smart buys during this trip. Let’s just hope that the performance of these products will be as high as my hopes…!!!

The first purchase is a CC cream that’s the first in my collection and I was for so long, keen to try one of these with no brand limitation. I got my hands on the L’Oréal Nude Magic CC Cream in Effet Bonne Mine for dull and tired skin. It has an SPF 20 and supposed to provide hydration for 24 hours.

I’ve got another cream contouring product that I’ve heard only good things about. It is the Maybelline Master Contour V-Shape Duo Stick Contour & Highlight in 02 Medium .. Damn it, that’s a long name. I first opened the tube, whilst typing this post and tried it on the back of my hand and so far, I’m liking it. I’m also in love with the packaging; it is very compact and easy to throw in your bag.

La Roche-Posay is by far my favorite French skin care brand. Everything I tried from them made a difference to my skin. That’s why I got the Effaclar Duo (+) Unifiant (€14.90) in Light to immediately lessen imperfections and marks for a more even skin tone and texture.

Lastly, I decided to gift myself the Limited Edition Nars Orgasm Blush (€39.90) which was in my wishlist for so long but I simply could never justify the price. I don’t think I need to add to all the hype this particular product is having, however I have to say that the color is so beautifully exquisite that I’m not surprised that everyone raves about it.

I hope you enjoyed, thank you for stopping by and keep your eyes up on some upcoming reviews!!

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.