FIRST PURCHASE OF SLEEK PRODUCTS

Sleek Makeup had been so rave about in the Beauty World especially with their Blushes, Eye shadow Palettes and Contour Kits. Sleek Makeup are UK based cosmetic brand so it isn't available on your local drugstore, unfortunately.... but they're offering worldwide shipment if you order their products through their website. I ordered mine through Laylam which is a local online seller of Sleek Makeup and they have it on hand so no need to order it and wait for weeks, which is a very..very... good thing. I ordered mine last week and received it the next day. I was honestly anticipating that I will be receiving the items 2 days after I ordered it due to Ramadan timings but luckily and I'm very glad I did received it the next day I purchased it. Also, Laylam is offering COD (Cash on Delivery) service only which I think again is a plus because you don't need to use your cards to purchase products.

(Taken with a flash)

I was interested in trying the eyeshadow palettes but the Au Naturel is not available for now and was thinking of trying the Storm Palette which is also very popular however the more on metallic side of the palette is keeping me away from buying it so I just decided to wait till the Au Naturel will be available. Then I decided to try their blushes because Zoella from Youtube was really giving me high hopes on their blushes so I ordered a Blush by 3 in Lace 367, I was actually choosing between the Candy and the Lace but I don't want to buy both (which sometimes happen whenever I can't decide which one to choose) because I wanted to try it first before buying some more or else it will be just thrown on my drawer and will never be used and it will be a waste of money as well.

Lace has 2 matte blushes and 1 shimmery blush. Shades of these 3 are more on the Orangey- Coral side which really complements my olive skin tone. I already tried using the 3 blushes most of the time I use one of the matte blushes and top it of with the middle shimmery color. The blushes are intensely pigmented as described and they absolutely are. I use a light hand in applying it with my Real Techniques Blush brush and you can build it up according to your own preference. I absolutely think this will last me for ages.

So here's the Blush by 3 in Lace

Crochet  Guipure  Chantilly

Chantily was a very bright orange with peach tones
Guipure is a peachy coraly pink with gold shimmer
Crochet is a very coral more on the medium coral side

Then I also wanted to try their Individual Blushes so I bought one in Pixie Pink. I actually go for a safer side in deciding which individual blush to order. I also consider buying 1 with the same reason that I don't want to ended up wasting money. Pixie Pink is a very nice bright pink with a blue undertone in it. It's perfect for a nice flushed on your skin and it makes you look young and very girly. I can't explain how much I love this color and how lovely it is when applied on your cheeks.

Then I wanted to try their Pout Paint so I ordered one in the shade Milkshake I was hoping it's a natural nude color but when I received it I was a bit surprised. This is one of those colors that are nice in pictures and only in pictures. It's one of those Nicki Minaj colors that are so bright and just wearable in pictures unless you're one of those persons who love to wear bright barbie pink colors. The texture of this is nice very creamy and glossy. It doesn't stay on my lips for a very long time and can emphasize dry lips. I think the darker shades will be better than the lighter shades. I might try the red and fuchsia.

All in all, I'm happy with my first purchase of Sleek Make up and was looking forward in trying the candy blush, Au Naturel, Contour kit and some more of their individual blushes. I am really impressed with the pigmentation of the blushes. I understand now the hype of their blushes it's really really good. Considering the price it's really not bad for 3 blush in 1 is AED80 just a price of 1 MAC blush and even the individual blush for AED65 is not bad at all. I recommend to you guys the blush try it and you won't regret it!

It was a great buy after all and I'm eager to try more.

10 SUMMER FAVORITES 2013

I'm a big Summer gal before that's why I got married last April which is the summer time in our country! and yes I said "before" because things had changed a bit when I started living in Abu Dhabi as much as possible I'm avoiding sun and humidity because Summer in UAE is can be a bit extreme and I can only enjoy the sun and the beach by the month of October which is like fall in the other country. Things I love about summer is the fun colors, refreshing drinks and scents, ocean and vacation. Summer is fun and I'm starting to miss summertime in the Philippines now :(

I wanted to share with you the things that I had been constantly using during this summer.

1. The Body Shop Body Butter in Mango
 I was so used to body butters specially the one's from Body Shop I just grown using them my favorites was the Japanese Cherry Blossoms which they discontinued now and that really frustrates me. This mango scent was so summery and fresh and just yummy and so perfect for summer. The thing about body butters that I like is it really hydrates your skin so well compared to a body lotion.

2. Bath and Body Works Candles in Peach and Bahama Fizz 
 Since I tried this candles last December my husband and I loved it so much that he was so into it when choosing a scent. So when we run out of candles we went to grab some and he chose these scents. It's very refreshing and sometimes when I lit the candles and start filling up the house I feel like I'm on a vacation in a very nice beach.

3. Burt's Bees Refreshing Lip balm in Pink Grapefruit 
 I already talked about this Lipbalm on my June favorites. This really keeps your lips hydrated and I can't stop applying it. It's just so addictive. So to keep your lips hydrated during this season and you want a summer feel to it.. try this one.

4. Pastel Color Nail Polishes
 I love pastel this season. I think it started because of my wedding since our theme is Spring and Summer. I started exploring pastel colors last April and my first one was the Mint Candy Apple and I just loved it. Usually my husband doesn't care about what color my nails are but he did complemented it and I though this might really work for me so I started choosing pastel colors and now I have 5 of them :)

5. Body Shop Japanese Cherry Blossoms Fragrance Mist
This scent of all the Body Shop scents this is my ULTIMATE favorite and please..please..please... Body Shop stop discontinuing items that I love! During summer I often change perfume scents I prefer a more calm scents than a musky-vanilla-amber scents which I love when the weather starts getting cold. I prefer the calm and a bit floraly scents because it makes me feel so relax. With the heat and the sun mixed with sweat I wanted to smell fresh and soft. I have a perfume which was a summer scent from Issey Miyake its a Summer Edition that perfume really is a very heavy scent for me it's very floral every time I wear it I feel heavy, but I love the scent it's just that I can't wear it during Summer even if it's a Summer Edition.

6. Leggings
Leggings is a must for me during Summer aside from  the fact that you can't wear summer shorts here an alternative for that is a long skirt or a leggings and
since I don't wear skirts... so leggings is the only choice. Because of it's cotton texture and thinness I prefer this rather than jeans or jeggings. Just have a loose shirt or top then a good pair of leggings and you're good to go.

7. Loose tops
I love loose shirts this season. It's very comfortable to wear and easy to style. Just layer it with a tight racer back or spaghetti strap and that's it. It's my go to style right now.

8. Cream Blush 
I prefer cream blushes during hot weather. Since I'm not using a lot of make up I just put tinted moisturizer or a concealer to even out my skin and then mascara cream blush and a lipstick and that's it. I don't like the routine of getting a brush for application, I want the easiest way as possible. I find that cream blushes makes my skin a bit glowing that it won't require a highlighter any more. I also don't like the feeling of melted makeup on your face mixed with sweat.

9. Evian Facial Water Spray
Whenever I feel like my face had been stretched out and the moisture on my face evaporated instantly.. this is the answer for my thirsty face. I spay it all over my face and it gives you a very refreshing feel to it. I also used this whenever I go to the beach after a swim or staying under the sun. This really gives the moisture back to your face and the good this is.. it's just water.

10. Ray-Ban Aviator 
Trusty sun glasses is a must. I dark lenses is what I prefer during summer since it was so bright outside and my eyes can't handle being exposed to a very bright condition. Whenever I forgot to wear sunglasses for sure I'll be getting a migraine in a few minutes. It's also good for you to protect your eyes from the harmful UV rays from the sun.

Have a wonderful Summer guys!!! Don't forget to protect your skin  :)

20% DISCOUNT ON SIGMA BEAUTY

Sigma Beauty 

which is very popular with their brushes is having a 

ONE-WEEK ONLY SALE on their website!!!

YAY!!!

If you're interested in buying or had been wanting to try Sigma Brushes or their makeup line here is you're chance with a great discount!

Enter the code SBAP20 upon checkout to avail the discount.

Sigma Brushes are amazing and I can swear to that. If you're looking for  a cheaper version for the high end brushes that works the same give the Sigma brushes a go and you will love it!

Also they recently released their Extended Wear Eyeliner Collection  you can avail it individually or on a kit containing 3 eye liners and a brush.

Check out more of their products in Sigma beauty website and don't forget to enter the discount code to avail the 20% 

20% Off Discount Code, valid July 22-29: SBAP20

Happy Sigma Shopping :)

NAIL COLOR OF THE WEEK: ESSIE BIKINI SO TEENY

Essie nail polish is my most loved of all! so when I do my nails on a salon and saw some interesting color I can't resist but buy. I don't do well when it comes to nail polish application like seriously I prefer someone doing my nails than me because It will end up with cuts and wounds.  

This spring and summer I had been a huge fan of pastel nail colors because it look so young and fresh and very girly though neon are so in this year I just don't like neons at all or let's just say I prefer pastel than neons. I didn't saw this color before we started with my nails but when i was about to pay i saw this on their shelf so i grab one to try. When the nail polish on my hands start chipping i replaced it with this color.

It's a periwinkle blue color, very very pretty. It has a silver sparkle but almost unrecognizable on your nails but if you look at it on the bottle you can see it. This nail color is part of  essie's summer 2012 collection, so maybe some of you already know this.

I find that the formulation was a bit hard to work with because it sometimes leave uneven application when you're dragging it and trying to spread the color on your nails. You need to work a little bit more. You can do a 3 coat application because 2 is still a bit patchy. I love the color that I wanted it to work out. This nail polish cost 45dhs at Nail Art in Al Whada Mall so if you're looking for Essie nail polish you can grab it there. 

Application : 5

Color : 9

Value : 7

TOP 5 HIGH END CONCEALERS

Hi Guys! I wanna share with you my top 5 concealers that i can count on anytime and never fails to impress me. This are mostly high end concealers. I separated a blog regarding my Top 5 Drugstore Concealers so if you are looking for some trusty drugstore concealers you can check that out. The reason why I prefer more high end concealers is that most of the time when I buy drugstore concealers I find it very difficult to match it to my skin tone due to few color selection and sometimes the thing I thought was close to me turns out to be ashy. The other reason is sometimes it doesn't give me the coverage that I'm looking for. 

Top #5

MAKE UP FOREVER 5 CAMOUFLAGE CREAM PALETTE

(No.3)

This is a very flexible concealer because you can play with it and match it to your skin by mixing all the colors. It comes with 5 different shades in each palette. I remember this was my second concealer palette when I started my makeup collection. This is for all skin types. I love this palette so much especially when I'm a bit darker because I can mix and make my own shade.

Top #4

BOBBI BROWN CORRECTOR

(Light Peach)

I bought this item last year for my Civil wedding day for additional coverage on my under eye circles. It was great great in concealing dark circles because it counteracts the purple and green tones perfectly. The down side for this product since it's a corrector you need a concealer to brighten up tour under eyes. But for normal days you can wear it alone, however if your a Kim K fan and wanted that highlighted under eye everyday then you need a brightener. I use this alone sometimes. The texture is very creamy so if you have a very oily skin and does't prime well this might crease at the end of the day. My advice is top it with a silicone based powder like Laura Mercier Brightening powder or the Make up Forever HD Powder.

Top #3

MAC MOISTURECOVER

(NW 25)

This product is a light to medium coverage concealer and very moisturizing. If you have a very dry to normal skin this is for you. If you have oily skin you can pass this out. I use it mostly during winter or when my skin is acting weird and wanted to be dry. I choose pink tones(NW) though I use yellow tones(NC) foundation because pink and peach tones covers my dark circles very well compared to yellow tone. I don't recommend applying this product with your hands I prefer using a concealer brush or a blending brush for a better coverage.

Top #2 

LAURA MERCIER SECRET CAMOUFLAGE CONCEALER

(SC 3 and SC 4)

This has been my very trusty friend for a long time now, I think since 2010. I was influenced by Kandee Johnson to buy this product and I absolutely feel in love with this product. It covers anything dark under eye circles, blemishes, scars discoloration and every possible problem you have to cover. The reason why It wasn't my Top 1 because I can't use it when I have dryness especially around the nose because it emphasize it more even if you moisturized so well. The consistency of this product is creamy and thick so if you have very dry skin you should avoid this product and since it has a creamy thick product sometimes I just use it alone and then top it of with powder and you're good to go.

Top #1

MAC SELECT COVER UP CONCEALER

(NW25)

I had been using this product for almost 2 years now alternating my Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage Concealer but since I discovered this product I kept on using it everyday. It really brightens up my under eye and conceal my dark under eye perfectly. It's not heavy as the Laura Mercier but good enough to hide unwanted dark circles. It doesn't crease at all. I wore make up for a long time so this guy is very trusty when it comes to that. This doesn't emphasize dryness if you have dry skin. So it's good for all skin types.

WEDDING SERIES: Choosing your Bridal Gown

The perfect dress a woman would wear is her wedding gown.

When I was still studying I already have the idea what wedding dress I would like to wear on my wedding. A mermaid cut with low back, the texture will be made with laces and bead works.. a very sophisticated gown everything is settled... then Vera Wang came in... 

Her design was so gorgeous and the intricate of her gown was perfect. I think every woman fantasize wearing Vera Wang on their wedding...unfortunately only privilege people can wear Vera Wang and I'm not one of them. However we can still have our wedding gown inspired by her creations but not totally her. Just select few designs and go to your chosen designer and let them create your desired gown inspired by Vera Wang.

My wedding gown was inspired by

Oscar dela Renta

Vera Wang

Monique Lhullier

But I let my designer which is the most amazing designer and very humble, Jazel Sy - Midel. She mixed all those ideas that I had and created the perfect gown for me. What I want on my gown is that, there should be flowers and laces on the skirt area since our theme is Spring. I don't like a tube or strapless gown because I'm not comfortable in wearing one that's the only concern I like. i can't decide what style I like if it will be a ball gown or A line or sheath but she helped me in choosing. I was wondering during our meeting if she can read my mind or maybe she was just so good :) Here is the link for her website if you're interested to have your wedding gown be created by Jazel Sy Fashion Shop. 

I really can't wait to see my wedding gown. Here's her design for my gown.

And here's the result of the wedding gown. I love how it turned out. I love the color the laces bead works. It's so lovely.

Photos by : Chestknots Studios

SIGMA RESORT PALETTE

Resort Palette Limited Edition

I had been wanting this product since Sigma released it last Spring but I was so busy with my wedding so I don't have time to see reviews about it or at least order it from Sigma online. So when I received an email from Sigma for their last call with this palette that's the time when I remember about this product so I did some research and read some reviews. So when I'm finally decided, I ordered it through a local Sigma retailer here in UAE called Laylam because she had it on hand. So I ordered it last Sunday, July 07 and received it the next day. The delivery was superb can't say anything about that, however the amazing packaging of the Sigma with flowers and instruction guide are missing. I just received the palette itself which made me so disappointed because for me if you paid for something you really like of course you wanted to receive it as how it was supposed to be not just the actual palette. So maybe next time I will just buy through Sigma Beauty online.

Now with the product...

I love the Sigma's Paris Palette so I was looking forward to this palette. The packaging is just the same texture as the Paris palette with the matte lamination feel on it not a plastic but a hard cardboard. It's sleeker than the Paris Palette and the Defining Eyes palette which I think will be easier to travel with compared to the  other palette that I mentioned.

 It comes with 8 eye shadows, a highlighter , a blush and a double ended eyeliner. With it's name expect that the colors will not be your regular neutral palette , it comes with a very spring and summer colors like blue, greens, corals and purples. It was described as rich warm tones complements vibrant ocean-like hues and it actually is. Once you open the palette I really feel that it was so Caribbean, mojito, fruits, palm tress and ocean. It's like a vacation! looking at this palette it just made me happy and really wanted to go to the beach.  I'm a neutral palette girl so these colors are so new to me but I said why not. Sometimes you have to try things outside your comfort zone, Glad I did! When it comes to pigmentation all of these colors are very pigmented, creamy texture and easy to blend with.

The shades are:
MUSE - charcoal grey with flex of silver shimmer
FAWN - shimmery silver champagne
LUNA- light champagne color with gold shimmer
TOPAZ - is a warm coppery brown
PAPAYA - is soft coral with gold shimmer
MOONBEAM - lilac with pink almost duo chrome color
NEELA - very bright teal blue with silver shimmer
MIDORI - is a spring green with gold and silver shimmer

On all those shades my least favorite is Muse and Fawn but I do like them as well.
My top is the Papaya, Moonbeam and Midori  Neela.

Included in this palette is a peachy-coral matte blusher that complements the colors on the palette and the theme because if it will be pink I might skip using it. I love sigma blusher in the Paris palette and they continue the same quality on this palette so that's a point for me.

The Duo-ended eyeliner is a nice touch to the palette as well with the bright blue eyeliner called Daydream on the other end and a chocolatey brown on the other end called Earth Goddess. I think I can wear this Daydream alone and a mascara just a pop of color to your look.

The highlighter was a winner for me, I love highlighter because it really makes a difference to your makeup look. Its color which is like a bronzey-pink is so great to complete this palette.

I can say that Sigma did a great job in creating this palette. I love everything in this palette and really complements each other. Good for travelling, very sleek and wearable for Spring and Summer. If you wanna see different looks Sigma created using this palette it's here.

If you wanna get your hands on this while supplies last... order it from Sigma Beauty they retail it for
USD 42.00