Review: Dry Fast Top Coat by Seche Vite ♥

Hey Everyone!

I always loved doing my nails but I hated having to wait 30 minutes to an hour for my nails to be completely dry. Ever since I tried the Seche Vite top coat doing my nails has literally been a breeze. It’s about $10 CAD for a 0.5oz bottle at Sally Beauty Supply stores. Although this top coat may be more expensive than other drugstore top coats its 100% worth it. It leaves my nails smooth and shiny. It prevents dents and the best part about this top coat in comparison to others is that it prevents chipping for sometimes even more than 5 days. I find that I can even apply three coats of a nailpolish and then immediately apply the Seche Vite top coat and my nails will be dry within 10 minutes. The Seche Vite to me is the best top coat out there and I have been hooked since the day I first bought it.

*The only thing I hate about it is that it thickens after you have used abut half the bottle. 

stay fabulous!!

xoxo

naheeda♥

Review and Swatches: NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencils ♥

Hey everyone!

This is a review on the NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencils. These are super affordable and versatile eyeshadow pencils which can be used on their own or under any eyeshadows to make them more vibrant. They retail for $5.99 on the NYX website (http://www.nyxcosmetics.ca) but I bought mine off eBay for about $40 for 11 different colours. In Canada you can only mainly find NYX products at Rexall Pharma Plus stores.

What I liked about them:

• I really like the NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencils for many reasons. The number one reason I love these is because they are really cheap. For the quality of the NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencils the retail price itself is a bargain.
• These shadow pencils are pretty much the same as MAC Shadesticks ($21 CAD).  I personally prefer them to the MAC Shadesticks because they aren’t as dry. 
• They are very creamy and easy to work with.
• I never find myself struggling with the NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencils because they blend effortlessly.
• Another thing I like about them is that they are available in pretty much every colour. 
• NYX shadow pencils are also bold and they all give amazing colour payoff.  
• You can get a lot of use out of these shadow pencils because they can be used on most parts of the body which is great if you do costume makeup.
• A lot of people like using these as eyeliner and I’ve also seen people rub a little on a clean mascara spool to use as coloured mascara -I pretty much just use them as colour bases for my eyeshadows-.

What I didn’t like about them:

There are only two things I don’t like about the NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencils.

• Firstly the size of the pencil is literally “jumbo”, so you need a large whole sharpener. I feel these would be so much better if they just twisted up like the MAC Shadesticks. However this isn’t really a huge problem because you can easily find a large whole sharpener.
• The second problem I have with these is that they crease a lot! You have to make sure to apply a very light layer of them because a thick layer will crease almost instantly. 
• I HIGHLY recommend wearing an eyeshadow base under these so creasing won’t be an issue.

My favourite NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencil is the one in the shade “milk”. It’s just a flat white colour that I blend onto my eyelids to help make my actual eyeshadows stand out more. 

*When I apply these shadow pencils I find the easiest way is to rub a little onto our finger and then apply it to your eyelids. This way you’re not tugging the pencil on your eyelid.

SWATCHES:

I forgot to swatch this one with the others :P

How I store my NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencil:

Overall I think the NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencils are wonderful. For the price the quality is amazing and I really recommend them.

Stay Fabulous!

xoxo

naheeda ♥

Nails Of The Day: Essie "Turquoise and Caicos" ♥

Essie’s “Turquoise and Caicos”

Today I’m wearing Essie’s “Turquoise and Caicos” on my nails. This is a beautiful mint green/turquoise colour that is pretty much the same colour of the ever so famous Tiffany & Co. blue jewelry boxes. I bought this nailpolish at Shoppers Drugmart for about $12.

I just love this nailpolish so much because it’s the perfect colour for warmer days at the beach. It adds that eye catching pop of colour to an outfit and looks amazing on all skin tones. I also find the name of the nailpolish itself really cute because it’s a play on words of the Turks and Caicos Islands where the crystal clear water is pretty much the same shade as this polish.

The formula of this nailpolish however, is terrible. It’s really thin and very streaky and the polish is very runny. I applied 4 coats of this nailpolish to get an opaque even layer of colour true to the bottle. The drying time of this polish is also excruciating. I’ve bought nailpolishes for $1 that apply and dry more easily that this polish. It literally takes forever for Essie’s “Turquoise and Caicos”  to dry, but because I love this colour so much I went and bought the Nicole by OPI Nail Treatment Drying Drops ($10) to make this polish easier to work with.

Overall, although the formula of this nailpolish is a disaster I always myself going back to this stunning colour for bright spring days and I probably will repurchase it for my collection.

a girl is only defenseless until her nail polish is dry
stay fabulous!
xoxo
naheeda ♥

How to Get Fuller Looking Lips ♥

Hey Everyone!


I always wondered why people change their face and get painful and costly surgeries just for bigger lips? Work with what you have. Makeup is an amazing way you can camouflage or enhance what you want, so here’s a simple way you can manipulate the look of full plump looking lips without any sort surgeries or “lip plumping” glosses.

plain lips

Step One:
Start off with your plain lips. The first step you want to do is exfoliate your lips once or twice a week. Exfoliating is a key step when taking care of your lips. Like exfoliating the face, exfoliating your lips will take off any excess dry or dead skin . Something to keep in mind is that your lips are delicate so never over exfoliating. Exfoliating can also temporary actually make your lips larger and redder, making them look plump.

lips with exfoliating scrub on them

I use the Sensational Kiss Lips So Soft Exfoliating Balm by Lise Watier. I just apply a little to my plain lips and gently rub it in. Something I don’t like about this exfoliator is that you’re supposed to leave it on so I usually just take a towel with a little warm water and wipe it off so I can remove the exfoliated parts off. This lip exfoliator is about $30 CAD so a cheaper alternative is to just make your own. You can use a combination of equal parts sugar and honey or Vaseline and it will work just fine!

*Do not exfoliate when your lips are chapped! Exfoliating done right will leave your lips instantly smooth to the touch.
*Always moisturise your lips after exfoliating.

lips with lip balm

Step Two:
The second thing I do is apply a lip balm. I'm currently using a Burts Bees lip balm (about $5 CAD). I like this lip balm because I'm a sucker for labels and it says it’s made with all natural ingredients including beeswax, coconut and sunflower oils as well as vitamins and essential fatty acids to nourish, condition and soften lips. Using lip balm regularly is a great way to maintain healthier and stronger lips. Applying a lip balm will also give you a smooth surface for when you apply lipsticks or lipglosses.

*Let your lip balm set into your lips for about five minutes before the next step

lips with a layer of foundation
(Fit Me Foundation in "230"
by Maybelline -about $8 CAD-)

Step Three:
The next thing I do is take a foundation or concealer and dab on a very light layer over my lips. This will erase your natural lip colour and make them a blank surface. I always just use any foundation that I'm using for my face.

Step Four (optional):
This step is optional but next you can take a lip liner and line your lips. Some people like to go SLIGHTLY above their natural lip line to get even larger looking lips. Lining your lips will also make your lipstick or lipgloss last longer.

lips with lip liner (Exaggerate Lip Liner in "Natural"
by Rimmel London -about $9 CAD-)

*For longer wear of your lipstick or lip gloss you can also take your lip liner and fill in the inner corners of your lips because lip products usually tend fade in the outer corners the most (for a more natural affect, you can blend the lip liner towards the center of your lips).

Step Five:
For the next step you will need two lip sticks that coordinate with your lip liner (one should be slightly darker than the other). Apply the lighter lipstick to the center of your lips and the slightly darker one in the corners of your lip. Blend the parts where the two colours meet. It should be a VERY unobvious gradient affect.

lips with lipsticks

The combination I’m using is “Toasted Almond 843” (darker colour) and the ever so famous “Fairest Nude 800” (lighter colour) by L'Oréal. These L'Oréal lipsticks retail for about $11 CAD each.

Step Six:
Next take a clear lipgloss or a barely tinted lipgloss in the same colour range as the lipsticks you used and apply it to the center of the bottom lip. This will really give you that sexy pout bigger lips tend to have.

I'm using MAC’s dazzleglass in “Pleasure Principle” ($23 CAD).

lips with lipgloss and highlight

Step Seven:
The last and final step is to take a highlighter and apply it to the cupids bow. You can use any kind of highlighter that works best for your skin tone or even a shimmer neutral (white/beige/tan/brown) eyeshadow. This will really balance out your pout and give some definition to the upper lip as well. A highlight may seem obvious at first but honesty you’re the only one who will notice it because you applied it. Other people will just notice the definition of your cupids bow.

*DO NOT overdue the highlight. It will defeat the purpose of a subtle shine and just make you look awkward.

I’m using a NARS illuminator in the shade “Orgasm”. It retails for about $36 CAD, which is a bit pricey but it really is a great product that you can use on different parts of your face as a highlight.


This technique works with all colours ranges but I find that overall nude lips do make your lips look the biggest.

Enjoy your new larger than life lips and stay fabulous!
xoxo
naheeda ♥

Review and Swatches: Glam’Eyes HD Eyeshadows by Rimmel London ♥

Hey Everyone!

This is a review on the Glam’Eyes HD Eyeshadows by Rimmel London. I haven’t heard a lot about these eye shadows and I really don’t understand why. These are a great product from Rimmel and I really recommend them. I think they are available in about eight different colour palettes and I could only find then in Wal-Mart. They cost about $8 per quad and are worth every penny. These palettes come with four different coordinating colours which can be used as a highlighter, lid colour, crease colour and outer corner colour.

The packaging of these quads is basically similar to most drugstore eyeshadows. They come in a plastic container with a clear snap on lid. These palettes are compact and very travel friendly. The names of the quads are on the back of every palette as well as a little chart that shows you where you can place each colour (which is great for beginners to makeup). The only thing I didn’t like about these palettes is the size of some of the colours. The arrangements of the eyeshadows are made to look like a British Flag which is interesting, but it makes the individual colours really small. I find that I have a hard time fitting a brush into a specific colour without getting the brush into another colour. This is not an eyeshadow palette you can apply with your fingers but each quad does come with a double ended sponge tip applicator.

I have five different Glam’Eyes HD palettes in “007 Heart of Gold”, “002 English Oak”, “006 Purple Reigne”, “001 Black Cab” and “008 True Union Jack”.

SWATCHES:

Overall I think these palettes are amazing. The colours are all extremely pigmented and smooth. They have a very similar texture to the Armani Eyes to Kill Shadows and L'Oréal Infallible Eyeshadows (click for review and swatches) but are cheaper than both. The colours swatch great and they are equally as vibrant when they are applied to your eyes. This is an incredible product and it truly proves that drugstore makeup can be just as good as high-end makeup.

stay fabulous!!

xoxo

naheeda 

Review and Swatches: Dream Bouncy Blush by Maybelline ♥

Hey Everyone:

Today I’m reviewing the Dream Bouncy Blushes by Maybelline. You can find these at most department and drug stores. They retail for about $6 to $10 (CAD) and are available in ten different shades.

When I first saw these at Wal-Mart I was really amazed at the whole “bouncy” idea. At the Wal-Mart I went to, they didn’t have any testers out so I decided to just get a few to try out and decide if I like them or not. I ended up picking up only four in the colours “50 Plum Wine”, “20 Peach Satin”, “10 Pink Frosting” and “45 Orchid Hush”.

Packaging:

• Plastic
• They have clear lids that snaps on
• Colour names are written on the back
• Nothing special

What I liked:

• Not oily
• If you are trying to achieve a natural look this is a good product
• Not a typical cream blush. Texture is very new and unique (exactly like play-doh).

What I didn't like:

• Very hard to get colour because the texture makes it hard to work with
• They all swatch well, but are very sheer when you blend them in
• The darker colours have the most pigmentation otherwise you REALLY have to pack it on
• The colours aren’t very nice and they all pretty much look the same on your face
• The bouncy part is kind of cool but I was disappointed. They don’t actually “bounce” they just squish in.
• They aren’t worth the price (you can get so many other better blushes at the drugstore for around $10)
• They don’t last very long at all (maximum four hours)
• These blushes do not work well with brushes. When you use a brush you get extremely little colour payoff. (You have to use your fingers)

SWATCHES:

Dream Bouncy Blushes- not blended

Dream Bouncy Blushes- fully blended

Overall I don’t really like the Dream Bouncy Blushes at all. I think they are a gimmick. If you like trying new textures you may enjoy these blushes but honestly they aren’t very good. They are however really soft and if these blushes were more pigmented and lasted longer they would have been a very good product. I do not recommend these blushes.

stay fabulous!! 

xoxo

naheeda ♥

Review and Swatches: Girl Meets Pearl by Benefit ♥

Hey Everyone!

Recently I decided before I buy any new makeup products I’m going to use up things I already have in my collection. So for about a month now I have been using a product called Girl Meets Pearl by the brand Benefit as an everyday highlight. It’s a rosy pearl highlighter with a golden glow. You can find it at Sephora or at http://www.benefitcosmetics.com/product/view/girl-meets-pearl for $30.

I’m somewhat on the fence about this product.

What I Liked:

• Smells delicious
• Looks amazing when you first apply it
• Gives you a great dewy summer look
• Amazing at accenting a tan
• Makes you look refreshed
• Great product to mix in with your foundation and apply all over your face
• Great for everyday use
• The packaging is SUPER cute
• The box it comes in has a really pretty night scene on it (reminds me of Paris for some reason)
• When you open it, it comes with two caps
• You twist up the bottom for the product to come out

What I didn’t like:

• It’s very sheer when you blend it in
• You have to be under direct light for you to be able to see it
• A great product but not worth $30+tax CAD
• It doesn't last very long (maybe 3 hours)
• If you apply too much it looks like you applied shimmer powder on your face
• Looks better on camera than in real life

Overall I do think this a great product to have to achieve a natural glow but it’s not the ideal product to have if you want that extra bit of dewiness to your completion.

SWATCHES:

Girl Meets Pearl- freshly applied

Girl Meets Pearl- 1/2 blended 

Girl Meets Pearl- 3/4 blended

Girl Meets Pearl- fully blended

stay fabulous girls!!

xoxo

naheeda ♥