The student that could....

So I wrote in an earlier post that I was taking a makeup course. I still am and I've reached the part where they give us free reign to do as we wish as far as makeup looks are concerned. While perusing the M.A.C. website, I came across the launch of their new mascara called the Haute & Naughty Lash. It has a very interesting campaign poster, but here is the look that caught my eye

Holy drama, batman! I wanted to be able to recreate this!!!! Or as close to it as I could with my resources: coastal scents 88 shimmer palette, black eye liner and 45 minutes. Are there any volunteers??? Please, oh please! Enter Saima Ansari. Saima very graciously sat down and left me to my instincts to get this look. Bless her.

Here is what I did, step by step - the pictures aren't of the best quality as I took them with my Blackberry, but it shows the look clearly enough.

So first I applied the base, comprising of Kryolan paint sticks in Ivory and Chinese and set it with Etude's BE-2 face powder.


Next comes contouring and blush. Taking any medium shade contouring powder and apply it starting from the ear, going into the hollow of the cheek and stopping where abouts the apples begin. The blush used was a dark coral-ish blush from Atiqa Odho Cosmetics in the shade Love Bird.

Then we come to the eyes. I began with a base shade of baby pink. This is Atiqa Odho's pressed eye shadow in Rosa.
This is followed by using the bright purple on my Coastal Scents 88 Shimmer palette - the one right above the lid clasp. After that, I applied a layer of the black from the palette right where the pink and purple meet to further define the crease line.

I followed the same pattern of colors on my lower lash line, applying purple to the outer two thirds and pink to the inner.

A major part of my time duration had elapsed by this time, so I chose to focus on one eye, so as to be able to complete my look! So applied a highlighting color on the brow bone in the palest shade of pink from the 88 palette and using a cake liner

Following the upper lash line, I applied the same to the lower lash line and winged it out. I also thickened the top liner and connected it to the lower to form a very pronounced wing.


Next, came a very defined brow which I filled in using an angled brow brush and black eyeshadow and followed that with two coats of L'Oreal Telescopic Mascara in Carbon Black to the upper and lower lashes.

I felt the look needed additional drama. So I used M.A.C Lash 4 to give it that additional "oomph factor". Each person applies false lashes in their own way - for me, I apply the glue to the lash vein, let it dry for a few seconds and then place the lash in the center and guide it towards the edges.
Eeeyup! That seems to have done the trick. And for the final look...

TADA!!!!!!!!!! Not half bad, if I may say so. 45 minutes is what this took me. Now had I more time, I'd find a way to cram in more drama with the use of glitters and maybe pronouncing that lower wing some more. But heck, I'm proud of me! Now it's your turn - create this look and tell me all about it!

The Bashful Bronzer

Ah bronzers... How I love the... And how you evade me! I mean seriously! They run, hide, conceal and are either way off budget or outta stock whenever I try to get my hands on 'em. The last bronzer I purchased was one by Elizabeth Arden it was in the color Sun Goddess Medium and was the prettiest color I owned. Gave me the honest-to-summer-sun-kissed look. It came with its own kabuki (which I've long since lost - it was a sad moment of realization) which gave you great over all application without streaking or looking deliberate.


Aint she pretty? This one had a very long existance. The manufacture gave her the life span of 36 months, that's three whole years! And I love bronzers so much that I'll wear them in the dead of winter (if it is actually "winter" that we have here) to retain the last vestiges of the summer gone.


But alas! She was hit by the Curse of the Butter Finger and fell to her shattering end. What remains are the survivors of that fall that still serve me well, whenever I dare to open the container, fearing a wind will blow away the bits that I cling to so dearly. I will miss you once you're gone.

But hope was not lost for me! No siree-bob! Enter Maybelline Expert Wear Stay-True Bronzer in the color Forever Warm. My saving grace came to me in the from of a trip to the super market and a perusal through the cosmetic counter where I came face to face with this little jewel.
It cost me rs. 650/- which is not bad, as in my experience, bronzers tend to last forever! I'm loving the embossed sun - it's just so cute! Makes me not want to use it... But we all know that's not going to happen :D Resisting was never my forte.

Very pretty. It comes with it's own applicator/brush, but in my experience, any applicator that has come with products are usually of throw-away quality (the exception being this as the brush comes from their prize winning/highly coveted brush collection) and so I either toss them or just never use them. This particular brush has very stiff bristles which will get the product on your face, but it becomes a nightmare to blend it! Atleast I don't like using stiff, scratchy materials on my cheeks - they feel like they were rubbed down with sand paper!! No thanks. I'll just stick to my BareMinerals Flawless Face Brush or any regular kabuki to apply and blend the product.

Now don't hate me for not showing you what it looks like on the face, like I said, it was too pretty to dent just yet, but I did swatch some for ya!

The payoff is great, and I'm loving the shimmer. I'll post a follow up review on this product soon - it just didn't make sense for me to put bronzer all over my face just before I had to go to the gym for an intense cardio session! Haste makes waste, and it wouldn't be fair to the bronzer! No, I will wear it in the morning and after spending the whole day with it, I'll get back to you.

Bronzers, I love you. Please start loving me too!

Manicure Monday

Who of you has a blackberry? You don't? Well, should you come across someone that does own one, just ask to see their nails and you'll notice that they are kept trim and short. My two best friends carry iPhones and aside from constantly berating me for choosing RIM over Apple, they both have luxuriously long talons. Sadly, my addiction to BBM has restricted the growth of my nails since November 2009 and I have had to keep them very short. But that doesn't stop my love affair with nail polishes!

See below.

Alright, alright! So maybe I am channeling a 15-year-old-Lizzy-McGuire-type vibe, but it was just so pretty!!!!! The color I mean... My mum just saw a glimpse of it and thought I hadn't washed my hands after playing with food coloring and frosting, and when she did look at the nails up close, she gave me a look of purest disdain - aka, GROW UP TANYA! No, I refuse. My dad thought my nails looked frostbitten. Seriously? Frostbite? In the middle of July in Pakistan? Unless I left my hand on some dry ice and forgot about it (Hah! Highly unlikely one would FORGET!), there's no way one could be get frostbite here.

But that's beside the point.

It's pretty! It's a blue that looks turquoise in yellow light but is actually a really pretty, pale, shimmery, pearlescent cyan blue. And it matched the rainy skies of this week! Ok, now I'm going to start comparing it to different things I believe it could be, as the title of the color is "52". That's it! Just a number! A number doesn't classify a color!

I picked up this topaz hued lacquer at Vicky's in Khadda Market for rs. 135/-. I had been rocking the pinks for a while and had delved into reds as well, but those were beginning to bore me. I needed something to break away from the usual and so I went with this one. This shimmer gives it an icy finish but you do need a couple of thick coats to get it to its true hue. Golden Rose, I believe was established in Bulgaria and can be purchased here if you are in the States. I have worn their colors before and would recommend that you remove it after a few days as nothing says GROSS like yellowed nails. If you are able to finish it off with a good quality top coat, the color will last longer, and as an perpetual BBM'er, I know a thing or two about chipped nail color, especially on my thumbs!

So the options we have thus far for titles are Cyan, Frostbite, Topaz and Icy. I actually like Frostbite, because it does have a zing to it - the color I mean :P But that's just me! I've picked up a few more colors, but those will be reviewed for the next Manicure Monday.

Cheers!

Ode to Mineral Veil

It's a gorgeous day in Karachi! It rained in the afternoon and now it's nearing late evening, a watery sun a peeking through the clouds which has set all the colors around me alive! Greens in the garden are greener, the flowers are fresher, brighter, the air smells pollutant free and a cool breeze keeps blowing my hair into my lipgloss - ok, maybe that's not the best thing, but it's a great day to be a Karachiite and ask anyone, days like this are rare!

Looking at the skies made me feel fresh, clean, light. It made me want to wear makeup, but not the caked out kind! My skin already protests at the 3 hours a day it spends under paint sticks, so I chose to be nice and apply no foundation. But how, would that stop the unwanted shine from creeping onto my face? How, you ask? By dusting a light layer of Mineral Veil ofcourse!


Hello, my pretty!

According to the information on the Sephora website, Mineral Veil is a luminous, 100% pure BareMinerals finishing powder for the face. It provides the ultimate, translucent "finishing touch" to your makeup. Mineral Veil melts into your skin, infusing it with softness and light, giving the look you see with a soft focus camera lens. It is completely sheer and ideal for all skin tones, Mineral Veil gently absorbs oil and minimizes the appearance of lines and pores without the buildup of pressed or loose powders that contain parabens, waxes, dyes and binders. More information can be found here.

In short, it is a genius invention!

So I dove into my makeup drawer and located my Mineral Veil and the brush it came with my BareMinerals kit. Leslie Blodgett, the CEO of BareEscentuals, recommends the "swirl, tap and buff" method to applying any form of finely milled loose powders. So I emptied a little into my cap, swirled, tapped and buffed it onto my face. Starting from my nose, I swept it over my cheekbones, down the center of my face, over my forehead and across my chin. A little goes a very long way folks! After application, I took a step back from the mirror and observed. My skin looked airbrushed! The effects are immediate and always perfect. Now I had a meeting to attend, so I figured, why not do a bit more? Why not, eh? So I went back into my drawer and came out with these things in hand:

- Mineral Veil
- BodyShop Shimmer Cubes
- Clinique High Impact Mascara
- Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eyepencil in Burbon
- MAC Mineralize Blush in Superdupernatural
- MAC blush in Honour
- Luscious Plumping Lipgloss in Watermelon Ice

It seems like a lot folks, but it really isn't! I used the pinky gold cube on my eyelid, Burbon on my upper and lower lashline and finished with mascara. The face was the Mineral Veil and followed by 3 sweeps of Superdupernatural (from temple, down to the apples of the cheek, back and forth) and finally, one sweep of Honour for a finishing glow... and whatever was left on the brush, went on my nose and forehead. Okay, so I'm digging the dewy look, alright!

This is the final result:


Clean, dewy, not over the top and, darnit, I like it!!!!! I might make this a summer usual if I wasn't worried that my makeup would be defeated by the humidity.

Forward the clock by 5 hours.

The lipgloss is long since eaten, but the veil is still holding strong. A slight sheen has developed around around my hairline, but otherwise all is well. Oh, and the eyes were prepped with UDPP before anything was applied.

Sigh...

The wind is still cool, the light has faded, the day is coming to a close but my face still looks flawless. I love you Mineral Veil. I'd like to thank a friend for introducing me to the wonder that is this product. Thank you Nefer Sehgal! You ROCK!!!!!!

Oh, and today is the FIFA 2010 final. Go Spain!

Don't Hate on Primers!!!!

Ok, so a primer is a relatively new thing out in the world of makeup and somehow, it still hasn't found its way into the main stream Pakistani market. Proof: My teacher at Depilex has been an active makeup artist for 10 years and can recite the names of the entire MAC Studio Fix Fluid liquid foundation range as well as the Revlon ColorStay liquid foundation range, but when asked why not use primers to prep the skin, she responds "primers?" That caught me off guard completely! So I know Luscious has launched a Whitening Base that triples as a primer and Art Deco has an eyeshadow base - neither of which I have had the opportunity to try just yet, but they are the two I have found at Vicky's in Khadda Market and they are there!!!! So why are they so underapreciated?

By definition, a makeup primer is exactly that - it primes the skin for applying makeup. Made up mostly of waxes, polymers and silicone, these substances can form a bond with other cosmetics, causing the cosmetics to have more longevity than they would otherwise. They form a surface to which makeup adheres to, all the while smoothing fine lines on parts of the face. Foundation goes on more smoothly and evenly, as does blush, eyeshadow, and many other cosmetic products, if the lines are first smoothed out somewhat. Although the smoothing is temporary, it can last throughout the day.

Before I discovered the wondrous world of primers, I accidentally stumbled across a gem by the name of Urban Decay Primer Potion. Dummy that I was, I thought it was a concealer, despite the fact that I asked the lady at Sephora what was the best way to prevent my eyeshadows from creasing on me. She handed me this curious looking jar and said, this was the makeup gods gift to us eyeshadow slaves. And curious looking it was!


My first thought was, "genie in a bottle" - for obvious reasons :P Anyway, I took it home, looked at it, tried using it as a concealer, put it away, forgot about it, found it again, used it as a shadow base and forgot about it again. It wasn't until I wore it one afternoon, not having any idea how my day would transpire - I did my makeup at 1 pm for a lunch, which lazily slid into tea time, which became chilling out time with my friends, which eventually became dance practice for a friend's wedding, which turned into dancing till about 2am! I remember thinking to myself as I was heading home, two things: a) dad would kill me for coming home late! and b) my eyes must resemble that of a raccoon by now. It wasn't until I came face-to-face with my bathroom mirror that I saw my eye makeup hadn't budged an ounce!!!!!!! My blush was down to my jaw, but eyes were as I did them 11 hours ago! Only then did I realize what I goldmine I possessed in my hands! And there's sooo much product in that little tube! It's STILL as good as new! My record for wearing this primer and my makeup is 18 hours - to this date I don't know how I went 18 hours without rubbing my eyes, but I did and everything stayed exactly where I had put them to start with.

It was after this did I develop an appreciation for primers and my first makeup primer came to me in the from of BareMinerals Getting Started foundation kit. For the longest time, I was using Prime Time primer by BareEscentuals.

It is a clear viscous gel-like solution. Only a pea sized amount is required for the entire face. Apply it in a thin even coat all over the face and wait for a few minutes till it dries and settles in. Then run your finger tips over your skin and you can feel the difference it has made! I would match this with the BareMinerals Mineral Makeup for a flawless look. That was until I ran out of primer. I was so upset! And then my saving grace came in the form of a trip to Singapore and the opening of a brand new Sephora at ION Orchard.

When I got there, the experts recommended HD Microperfecting Primer by MAKE UP FOR EVER as opposed to Prime Time. And props to them, they were right! Where Prime Time was a clear gel, these are colored potions, the consistency of liquid foundation that are designed to enhance whatever type skin you have! For example, the #5 blue primer adds radiance to fair skin and reduces minor imperfections. One pump from the bottle is enough to cover the entire face. Who'da thunk?! I use the #2 mauve. While I was there, I wanted to restock my Urban Decay Primer Potion, but alas! The Singapore Sephora didn't carry the Urban Decay range! I died a little on the inside, I must admit. But they did point me in the direction of the primer they all used above any other - that being the Too Faced Shadow Insurance. However, since my UDPP is still going strong, I haven't had the opportunity to put the Shadow Insurance through the ringer just yet - however, the reviews are good, and based on the youtube makeup tutorials I have seen, primer potion is used jsut as frequently as Shadow Insurance.

But to come back to my original point, I have gotten so used to using primers, it positively blew my mind when my teacher said that the paint stick was IT for makeup bases - eyes and otherwise. That's how she had done it for 10 years and had never heard a complaint to date about the makeup creasing or smudging, as the paint sticks did a perfect job. Now personally, the paint sticks begin to irritate me after extended wear, so I usually remove mine after 3 hours. In those three hours, the makeup hasn't moved, unless I'm profusely sweating, which in this weather, you can't avoid. However, to anyone who has used primers and paint sticks, can you vouch for their durability? Or am I just suffering from a bias?

I'd really appreciate an opinion, ANY infact.

Makeup Course and Haul

I was sitting with my parents the other day and was discussing the makeup artist my cousin had chosen for her wedding when my dad asks me, why don't you do a makeup course?


.....


huh....


Now why didn't I think of that? No seriously, why didn't I? Its not like I'm doing much else these days. So I fired up my dinosaur of a laptop and got to researching makeup schools in Karachi and I came across 3 out of which 2 offered a professional makeup program.

1. Depilex provides an advance makeup course, along with many other courses for aestheticians.
2. Pivot point, aka Ravissant (but it's better known for their hair courses; and
3. Bina Khan gives personal grooming lessons.

After many phone calls, tantrums and questions, I finally settled for the Depilex course. The course itself cost a whopping rs. 50,000/- and that doesn't include any equipment! That was a separate battle that I had to muscle through. I mean that quite literally! I went to Boltan Market, which is in the heart of the city, to get my products for the course at retail value. It wasn't worth the time and energy it took to get there, elbowing my way through throngs of women and stragglers to finally make it to Humayun Brothers, the hub of all products sold in the market. This was a bad idea, for several reasons. The store was impossible to find, the heat and humidity left me light headed and swooning, the size of the shop made me claustrophobic and to top it off, once I made my purchases and returned to civilization (aka, Defence) I discovered that Vicki's Cosmetics in Khadda Market also sold the same products at retail value, as did Hina's Cosmetics on Tariq Road. *ouch* But at the end of the day, and several thousand rupees poorer, I returned home with:

Kryolan TV PaintSticks



In Chinese, Ivory, FS36 and FS38. Funny thing, FS38 is lighter than FS36 - I really thought it would be the other way around!

Next was Aquacolors in the same range as the paint sticks.

Finally we had to get Etude pressed powders to set the foundations. The paintsticks are cream based and if they are not set with a finishing powder, they WILL crease on you!

Clear as it must be from my haul, the first thing we learned was about foundations: skin types, skin tones, blending, creating color, avoiding the cake-y look and how to tackle problem skins. Seems simple enough. Lets see what they have in store for us further in line at this class.

The class began with a breakdown of what is expected from us, and what we should expect from the course. We get lectures, practicals, tests, assignments, and at the very end, we have to give a presentation - subject matter is open, as long as it relates to makeup! I'm thinking, stage makeup for my final presentation. Oh, and get this, the final exam is us getting tested on how to put together a Pakistani bride from start to finish! Daunting, really... But, it should be fun!

Until next time!

Singapore Lovin'.

Christmas 2009 and the new year was spent on the tropical island of Singapore. It was probably one of my most memorable vacations to date. Not only did I fund it, I went solo! Way-hey for being a grownup!

So what's the first thing I did upon checking into my hotel? Scout out the nearest mall, which just happened to be across the road - whadaya know! RafflesCity Mall! And the first thing I hunt down? A MAC counter that I found tucked away in a corner of Robinsons. Now, I had budgeted for MAC before I left Karachi... but they had this holiday collection out that I just couldn't keep my hands off of!




It was the Mischief Makers collection and it was sooooo pretty!!!!! Now as afore mentioned, I went with a budget in mind, and the second I saw this collection, that budget went straight out the back window. I couldn't help myself! The first things I picked up was a set titled "House of Mirth - Deep Lip".



Lipstick: Fantasia (limited edition)
Lipliner: Cedar (permanant)
Dazzleglass: Get Rich Quick (permanant)
Bag: TOO CUTE!!!!!!

By far, the lipstick and the lip liner are my two favorite products that I got from the collection. They suit every time of day, and every look, and a little goes a very long way.

I also got the blush in Superdupernatural. This again was a limited edition color which, by far, is my favorite blush! It's a mid-tone coral with a hint of shimmer, perfect for a medium complexion such as mine.
*sigh* it's love, I tell ya!

The final purchase was the pigments collection titled "5 Cool Capers"

Pigments:
Kitschmas: Shimmering pink/mauve pearl
Fuchsia: Bright fuchsia-pink
Grape: Deep purple with pink pearl
Deep Blue Green: Rich deep bluish green glitter
Reflects
Transparent Teal: Sparking white with turquoise

My favorites are Kitschmas and Grape. I'm still a little aprehensive with Fuschia as whenever I apply it, I feel as though I have been crying for hours before I chose to dress up.

Aside from these, I picked up things from their regular collection, for which below is a haul.

Lipsticks:
- Chic
- Glam IV
- M.A.C Red

Shadows:
- Star Violet
- Contrast
- Swimming
- Casino

Brushs:
- 275
- 217

Fluidline:
- Blacktrack
- Rich Ground

Eyeliner:
- Rapid Black

Sephora Haul

Makeup Forever:
- HD micro perfecting primer
- Star Powder eyeshadow

Bare Minerals
- Grace eyeshadow
- Sugar Plum eyeshadow

Sephora Brush:
-12 (crease brush)
-13 (rounded crease brush)


And now, I am broke.

Welcome

This is my first ever blog and its dedicated to my guilty pleasure. Makeup. Makeup! MAKEUP!!! I can't get enough of it. My mom can't understand why I need 5 shades of purple eyeshadow and why one brush isn't enough to apply the said eyeshadows! For the same reason you need teapots!

My passion with makeup began at the tender age of four when I watched my mother get ready for office and saw her slather on several layers of paint, which included a fire engine red lipstick. True to form, once her back was turned, I was wearing that lipstick all the way up to my eyebrows. The same could be said about the two nail polishes she had, once I saw how they were used. By the age of 10, I wanted to put every product I could lay my hands on, on my face! In those days, Revlon ruled the world. My mum had acquired a few more gems in her meager collection, and I began to eye them more greedily and ask if I too could wear some of that lurid pink blush she was wearing. However, my dad, seeing this as a child growing too fast chose to nip this issue in the bud and put a ban on all makeup products till I was 15 years and 364 days old - only then would my ban lift. I saw this as the end of the world for me. No makeup until I was 16? This was torture! Mind you, it meant no nail polish either. But I found my loophole there. Mum didn't mind, so each time dad was out of town, my toes would promptly become bright blue or acid green. When my 16th birthday did roll around, I had accumulated a few gems (they were hand-me-downs, but beggars are not choosers) and at my party, I wore every last item in my collection! 2 shades of lipstick, 3 blushes, (begrudgingly) 1 eyeshadow (I hadn't learned how to blend) and blue eyeliner. It was AWESOME!!!!!! True, the result wasn't the best, now that I look back at the photographs and die a little on the inside, but the sheer glee at the lifting of the ban, now that was visible all over my face.

I now have a 10 year old sister who is also beginning to show interest in makeup. However, she is not allowed anywhere near my makeup collection that I have painstakingly put together on my limited budget and availability of products. I do permit her to play with nail polishes every so often, but she has been threatened with the loss of fingers if she goes near my MAC products. EVER. Ok, maybe not ever, but I do understand now, my dad's reason for placing that ban on me, so many years ago. Think about it, to see a little girl, who is all Hannah Montana and Disney channel wearing lipstick and eye makeup? Not pretty! It just doesn't work! Kids should be just that... Kids. Grubby, knobbly kneed, missing teeth, and happy. Not painted. Sibling has another 6 years, and then she can have at my makeup (with direct supervision and guidance, ofcourse), but until then, kids shall be kids and I need to find a new mascara. Any suggestions?