Minimalist Beauty: Duochrome Eyeshadows (Part 2)

Assalamu alaykum!

This post is part of the Minimalist Beauty series. To know more about this series, click here.

As promised in the previous post, here are a couple ways in which I love to use duochrome eyeshadows:

1- Applying a matte colour to the crease with a duochrome eyeshadow on the lid makes for a beautiful eye look giving it incredible depth and dimension. (I personally love to do this!)

Here is a beautiful example of application of this technique:

Source: http://makeupbox.tumblr.com/post/4673016507/day-look-sea-foam-eyes-you-can-wear-colors

2- Manipulate the eyeshadow. You can get different results from one duochrome eyshadow by applying it on different coloured bases. Pretty understandable! Here is an example picture:

To see more examples, head over to Zoffe's makeup for more swatches like above:
http://zoffe.blogspot.com/2009/05/quick-tip-duochrome-eyeshadows.html

I love duochrome eyeshadows. Especially if you have a smaller eyelid space (like me!) compared to most people. I highly recommend getting some duochrome's in your collection. They take the eye look to another level by adding depth and sparkle. It's a fun and easy way to make your eyes the focus of your look.

Some of my favourite duochromes from my makeup collection are:

1) NYX Single Eyeshadow in Morocco
2) NYX Chrome Eyeshadow in Princess.
3) Mikyajy Sabaya Starlights in 01
4) MAC Paint Pot in Rubenesque
5) MAC Eyeshadow in Expensive Pink

NYX Single Eyeshadow in Morocco

NYX Chrome Eyeshadow in Princess Pink

Mikyajy Sabaya Starlights in 01

MAC Paint Pot in Rubenesque

Temptalia has the best swatches. For a swatch of Expensive Pink Eyeshadow by MAC, follow the link below:
http://www.temptalia.com/mac-eyeshadow-swatches-reds-pinks-oranges

Below are some of our own swatch pictures, please bear with us while we learn to operate the new camera. :)

NYX Morocco- The swatch doesn't do it justice :( It looks amazing on the eyes! 

L-R: Mikyajy Starlights in 01, NYX Princess Pink, MAC Rubenesque Paint Pot

L-R: Mikyajy Starlights in 01, NYX Princess Pink, MAC Rubenesque Paint Pot

That's all for this post, hope you enjoyed!

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Until then, tc!

BEST OF MAKEUP 2012 (Part 2)

Assalamualaikum everyone!


This will be the second post under the title BEST OF MAKEUP 2012. I really hope you liked and enjoyed my last post! Do check it out if you haven't already (I talked about my fave face products like primers, foundation, concealers and all that good stuff :) ) Heres the link to it
http://vicinitymakeup.blogspot.com/2013/01/best-of-makeup-2012-part-1.html

Okay. SO! Firstly I'd like to apologize for posting this so late! I was busy with school, then I wasn't in town for a while and we have our final exams coming up really soon too.
P.S, please pray for me guys!

Anyhowww, this post will feature my favorite lip and cheek makeup products from last year.

Without further ado, lets jump right into it :D


BENEFIT's Watts Up
This is a cream to powder finish, beautiful champagne highlighter that gives a dewy look to the face. Its MY ULTIMATE FAVORITE HIGHLIGHTER EVER! I'd recommend this to those of you who love the dewy effect. I know this is more on the pricey side but, I've been very unsuccessful at finding a cream highlighter at the drugstore :( [If you have any recommendations, please leave them below :D] However, I'd say this is definitely worth your money because the amount of product it comes with is ginormous!

NYX's Rouge Cream Blush 
I have this in the shade "Glow" and I love it! Its a pretty natural pink blush. It makes your cheeks look very glowy and healthy. I love the formulation of this product. It stays on really well throughout the day. I'll definitely be trying more of these in different shades.

E.L.F's Blush 
I have this in the shade Pink Passion. Its a nice hot pink color that instantly brightens up your face once you put it on! I already have a post with swatches and stuff where I talk about this product (and lots of others too!) - so if you want to know more about this product, follow the link below-
http://vicinitymakeup.blogspot.com/2012/10/shop-and-tell-2-elf-cosmetics-in-jeddah.html

BENEFIT's Hoola Bronzer
Its a matte bronzer. I love this for precise contouring. I'd say this is awesome for people who are in the light to medium shade range and are looking for a good matte bronzer. I know, its again on the pricey side, but it comes with a lot of product and I definitely look at things like these as makeup investments as they last for years!
I've also heard great things about the BOURJOUIS bronzer. If you ever tried it, do let me know in the comments below as I'd love to check it out too!

And yes, I'm in love with this brand! :P

NARS Bronzer Trio Limited Edition Cheek Palette 
This trio literally has all my favorite go to cheek products, especially times when I'm in a hurry or times when I have to get ready at a friend's place, or school, or even the car :P  I just think its really convenient to have the blush, bronzer AND the highlighter all in one palette. I love it's packaging as I've probably dropped it a ga-zillion times and it hasn't shattered one bit! I'm a bronzer maniac and I love how they put the bronzer in the biggest slot :D its also very nice how NARS put their best selling blush and bronzer in this palette :)

MAKE UP FOR EVER's lipstick 
I have this in no. 32. This was a gift from my loveliest sis @GirlNextDoor.
Its a really nice and pigmented cool toned bright pink lipstick. Its a matte and isn't drying at all. I loved wearing this by lightly dabbing it on my lips for a natural pink color and sometimes I'd just apply it heavily for that night time party look.

MAC's Lipstick
I have this in the color "Impassioned". Its from their "Amplified" line of lipstick so its a crazily pigmented matte color. I saw MakeupWithJeniffer on YouTube use this in one of her tutorials and went crazy about it. Although, this looks a little different on my lips than it did on her's but I still love it. Once again, this isn't drying at all. I'd say its a bright fuchsia with slight coral undertones to it. I think this an awesome lip shade to wear to a party.

RIMMEL's Kate Moss Lipstick
I know what you're thinking...
 "What? Another lipstick?!"
Well, yes, another lipstick :P I actually went crazy once I entered lipstick-land last year!
Anyways, I have this in the shade 08. Its a really nice mauvy pink shade which looks superbly natural on the lips. Its creamy and richly pigmented. We gifted it to one of the participants of a giveaway we held last September (I think) and she told us that she loved it too! If you're looking for a lipstick in this shade range, give this a try as its really affordable. Trust me, you CANNOT go wrong with this!

NYX's Soft Matte Lip Cream
I have this in "San Paulo". Its a really pretty mid tone-ish dark pink color (It looks like a burnt pink in the picture but trust me its not! I was taking the pics right before sunset so it didn't come out so true to color). Its formulation is not that of a lipstick, neither of a gloss. Its the perfect blend! Its finish is exactly as the name of the product- a soft matte! It looks so beautiful on the lips, I cannot explain how much I love this product overall! I'd definitely recommend you all to try this :)

URBAN DECAY's Lip Junkie 
Lastly I'd like to show ya'll my favorite lip gloss of the year. I have this in the color "Naked". Its a sample size version that actually comes with their Naked 2 Palette (which I love! Stay tuned for the last post where I rave about the Naked palettes :P and other stuff too) Its a really tiny lip gloss that's almost the size of my pinky. Its has a plumping effect on the lips, and it smells and tastes like mint. It gives a sheer color to the lips. Looks very natural, and feels highly refreshing on the lips!

If you don't know where to find these brands, below are the places where I usually purchase them

BENEFIT products from Sephora at Andalus Mall, Red Sea Mall, or Mall of Arabia
NYX and RIMMEL products from Centrepoint at Andalus Mall
NARS products from Selfridges.com 
Urban Decay products from Debanhams.com 
MAC products from the MAC store at Red Sea Mall or Mall of Arabia
E.L.F products from a stall at Shallal Theme Park


That's all for part two :) I hope this post proves helpful to you. Stay tuned for the final part where I'll feature my fave eye and brow products from 2012.

Comment below to let us know your feedback on this post.
And also let us know what you're favorites are from the categories I talked about above :D We'd LOVE to know :)

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BEST OF MAKEUP 2012 (Part 1)

Assalamualaikum, and hello to all :)

I've tried out a lot of makeup products last year, and a lot of them ended up becoming my favorites.
So I thought maybe I could do a blog post featuring my faves from 2012 :D that way maybe you could go try them out and if you like them perhaps they'll end up becoming you're fave too! :D (InshAllah)
I've decided to make three different posts since there are SO many products and if I were to write them down all in one post along with the pictures, that'd be one GIGANTIC post, lol :P

This part will be featuring those products that constitute the base of my makeup. Like primer, foundation, concealer, powder etc.

MAC Fix+
This is that one product without which my makeup always feels incomplete. I love to spray it on before and after my whole makeup is done. Click on this link to one of my blog posts if you'd like to see how exactly I like to use this product and why.
http://vicinitymakeup.blogspot.com/2012/08/tip-of-day-totd-glow-y-foundation.html

BENEFIT's Porefessional Primer
I love this primer. I use it mainly on my T-zone because:
It reduces the appearance of pores which I have [especially the annoying ones on my nose :( ], keeps my face from getting oily throughout the day, makes the foundation glide on so much smoother and makes my makeup last SUPER long. I'd definitely recommend this to you if you have oily/combo skin and you're looking for a good primer. Trust me, this WON'T disappoint you.

MAKE UP FOR EVER's HD Primer
I know you're probably thinking why I put two primers in here. Although I use the one I mentioned above for my T-zone, I like to use this one for my cheeks, chin and a little on my forehead. Its almost hydrating and makes a huge different as I tend to have particularly drier skin on my cheeks. I first used this product two years ago ( back when I had nearly perfect skin as I was only some 13 years old :P) and it actually did an awesome job for my pores too! Hence, I'd recommend this to those of you who have nearly perfect skin with very little issues.

MAKE UP FOR EVER's HD Foundation
I use this in the shade #117. And... well, its my favorite foundation ever. Period. Like I mentioned earlier, I have combo skin and anything a little heavier tends to look too cake-ey on my cheeks and anything too thin tends to settle into my pores. Since it is a foundation, AND its high-end, I wouldn't straight up recommend anyone to buy the full size product before you try it on first, or buy a sample size instead.

GARNIER BB Cream
This is something that I discovered towards the end of the year and when I did, all I could think of was "WHERE IN THE WORLD WERE YOU ALL THIS TIME?!". I use this when I don't want to use foundation maybe because its not needed for that occasion, or simply because I'm not in a mood to. It evens out my complexion and blends into my skin like a dream!
I have this in their lightest shade (they only have three shades). If you're starting out with makeup, or even if you're not ( :P) I definitely recommend this to you! And since its only some 19-24 SR ONLY, I guess it shouldn't hurt to give this a try ;)
P.S, I've recommended this to a lot of my friends, even gifted a few and they all love it :D

LANCOME's Long Lasting, Softening Concealer
I use this in the shade 02 Beige Sable. Its my favorite concealer ever and I feel so bummed because I don't understand why I've never heard anyone on YouTube talk about it before! It covers the darkness under my eyes amazingly and brightens it up at the same time! Its a little pricey but I find this is what works best for me :)

ANA HILWA's Powder Foundation
I use this as my setting powder on the center part of my face in the shade 03 JUMEIRAH. I don't have anything specific to say about this other than the fact that it has a nice texture, good staying power and is SUPER affordable (I think its 19 SR). I recommend this to anyone who's starting out with makeup :)

MAC Select Sheer Loose Powder
This was passed down to me from my sis @GirlNextDoor (we run this blog together), and I love her for that! I use this in the shade NC20 (which is a little darker than my skin tone) on the outer part of my face and as a natural contour color for my nose. I LOVE this powder so much that if I were to start raving about it, I'd never stop. I love its formulation. The powder is so fine and blends SUPER smoothly. I'm actually considering buying another one in my own shade soon :D

If you don't know where to find these brands, below are the places where I usually purchase them:

MAC products at the MAC store in Red Sea Mall/Mall of Arabia
MAKE UP FOR EVER, BENEFIT, LANCOME at Sephora in Red Sea Mall/Mall of Arabia/Andalus Mall
GARNIER at Danube/Hyper Panda
ANA HILWA at Mikyaji in Andalus Mall/Aziz Mall/ Red Sea Mall/Mall of Arabia



DISCLAIMER!
* Many of these are products that I first tried out from my sisters' collection and then I bought it for myself as I liked it so much. Otherwise, I would never recommend buying full size high end products without any consultation or without doing any research on them before-hand (unless you're super rich :P) because you never know whether you're really gonna like it or not, and if you don't, you can't even return them here in Jeddah if the product has been opened. 

That is all for part one :) I hope this proves helpful to you all. Stay tuned for part two which'll feature my fave lip and cheek products from 2012.

Comment below and let us know your feedback on this post.
And also let us know what you're favorites are from the categories I talked about above :D We'd LOVE to know :)

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Minimalist Beauty: Duochrome Eyeshadows (Part 1)

Hello everyone!

This is the second installment in the Minimalist Beauty series. To check out the first post, click here.

Today, I want to share my love of duochrome eyeshadows with you all! 

What are duochrome eyeshadows you ask? Well, in simple words- it's that colour in your eyeshadow collection that has two tones of colour mixed in it. The colours change according to the way light hits them. Sometimes it can have more than two colours mixed in. For the most part, duochrome eyeshadows are highly iridescent, but also come in satin or shimmer finishes. Personally, my favourite ones are the highly iridescent ones. 

Temptalia's definition of duochrome:

"A product with a duochrome finish or color will look like one color when you look at it straight on, and then when you angle it, it can look like an entirely different color (or nearly so)."

Duochrome eyeshadows play a 'minimalist' role in a makeup routine in the sense that if you were to apply it as a lid colour, it gives a lot more depth and dimension to the look rather than applying the usual one-tone eyeshadow. It makes the lid "pop" and makes them stand out effortlessly. 

Duochrome eyeshadows not only work as great lid shades, but when you bring them up to the crease, they play out with the light and the shadow in such a way that it seems one has applied a different, deeper colour in the crease without the effort of using another eyeshadow. A famous example is MAC's Satin Taupe eyeshadow. This is especially helpful for on-the-go and helps keep the steps in a makeup routine to a minimum. 

Ever since I realised the amazing look duochrome eyeshadows give and the way they take the makeup look to another level, I've become duochrome crazy! Lol! This especially struck me while watching divamakeupqueen's videos on YouTube. 

Fun duochrome looks from around the web:

Source: Cannot remember! If anyone knows, please let us know so we give the credit due to the person.

Source: http://makeupbox.tumblr.com/post/21377170080/duo-tone-liner-with-a-duo-chrome-eye-shadow-how

Source: http://kissmysparkle.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-most-amazing-duochrome-eyeshadow.html

In part 2 of this post, I will share some ways in which duochromes can be used :D 

Hope you all enjoyed this post! Please share your thoughts and ideas with us! 

♥

Do you also love duochromes as much as we do? 

Do you have any duochrome eyeshadows in your collection? If yes, please share in the comments! :D 

♥

Until then, take care and enjoy your weekend! 

Minimalist Beauty: Everyday "Fresh Face" Makeup routine

Hi there!

We are delighted to introduce: "Minimalist Beauty"- a new series starting on this blog in efforts to share tips, tricks and ideas that will hopefully assist you in creating effortless looks and ease your beauty routine without compromising on the results! *inshaAllah* :)

For the first post in this series, I want to share my everyday "fresh face" makeup routine with you :D

I divide this routine into 3 levels.

Level 1 (Super basic): Where I just want to look good enough to run out the door and work with the least amount of products.

Here are the products (used in the order mentioned):

Moisturizer: I use the Dove Intensive Cream. My favourite moisturizer I've found so far, works wonderful on dry to super dry skin.


Concealer: Concealer is a crucial step in a makeup routine especially if you don't want the full face to have coverage and only require to go over a few areas. The concealer I use is the Lancome Long Lasting softening concealer, which- I can safely say, is my favourite concealer of all-time. It's even better for on-the-go as it not only provides wonderful coverage but is also excellent at brightening as well (2-in-1!).

I use the concealer on my under-eyes to conceal darkness, and eye-lids (up till the brow) to cover discolouration. I also go over above the eyebrows and between them a little (helps in lifting and highlighting due to the brightening quality of concealer), around my nose to cancel redness, on the bridge of my nose (again, the brightening quality of the concealer helps in highlighting it), around my mouth to cover discolouration, and finally wherever else I may need coverage like on breakouts or anything like that.

Multi- purpose products are amazing at reducing the time one spends in getting ready, which is especially helpful in the mornings. In the case of this concealer, the fact that it conceals well and also brightens reduces the need to use another brightening product to bring glow to the face.

Setting Powder: Next, I set my face with the Milani Even-Tone Powder Foundation. Again, one of my favourite products. To see a full review of this product, click here.

White/Cream eyeliner on the water line: For me, this helps wonderfully- making the eyes look more awake and refreshed. Most days, I use the Max Factor Kohl Pencil in "White". If I get a bit tanner during the summer, I use their Kohl Pencil in "Natural Glaze".

White eyeliner may be too stark for tanner and deeper beauties, hence you will find more makeup enthusiasts recommending to use a cream/nude/beige/skin-tone coloured liner like Max Factor's "Natural Glaze", so as to make it look more natural. Play around and discover which one works better for you personally. You can also change it up completely and use a black kohl pencil you love instead. Many girls love using black liner on an everyday basis to make their eyes stand out, with rest of the face being neutral/natural.

Lip balm: Finishing off this level I use a lip balm- a must for dry lips like mine. I use TBS's Vitamin E Lip Balm, again, a favourite. Click here to read a full review.

Level 2 (Pump it up): This is where I "Pump it ("it" referring to Level 1) up" a bit- in case I have a few more minutes to spare.

Fill in brows: I fill in my brows using a brow pencil. The specific one I use is from MAC in the shade "Stud".

Filling the brows work wonders in framing the face, something I realized much later after I got into makeup. The difference it makes is just amazing.

Eye lash curler: Next, I curl my eyelashes. The eye-lash curler I use is from Mikyajy.

Transparent mascara: After curling, I coat the eye-lashes with a transparent/clear mascara. The one I use is from Essence (I got it from Shallal for around SR 35, if I remember correctly). I personally prefer clear mascara over using a black/regular mascara for daily basis. It just reduces the hassle of removing the mascara when I return home lol! Of course, you can definitely use regular mascara if that's more to your liking.

Level 3 (Full throttle): Usually only happens when I'm in a super mood lol! Most likely when I've gotten up way ahead of time and basically just feel  like it- going all the way.

Blush: I love how a blush that is perfect for your skin-tone totally transforms your look and makes you look fresh so effortlessly. Again, this is something I learned the importance of only much later from when I got into makeup. My favourite all-time blush is the NYX powder blush in "Peach" which is what I use for this step.

Highlighter: I love face highlighters! And it is definitely a must-use product in any of my makeup routines. It  may or may not be a necessity for everyone so I definitely recommend playing around with a few highlighters to see what difference it makes in your makeup look.
The highlighter I use is from Shiseido in the shade "WT905".

All done!

Some tips:

-Dividing the routine into levels helps quite a bit since I've already prioritized- I already know what products I truly need to look just presentable and don't have to fiddle with so many products especially when I'm running out of time and am in a hurry.

-As mentioned earlier, using multi-purpose products works effectively in handling lesser products and saving time.

-Another useful tip is a no-brainer: use your favourite products and/or products that work amazingly with little to no effort. Saves time again, and using products you trust will hopefully help you start your morning with less of a hassle.

-Replace and/or switch out products that you may find in this routine. Again, a no-brainer. What works for me may or may not work for you and vice versa. Someone may prefer using a foundation over using only a concealer because it attends to their needs better and they may not want a highlighter but prefer using a bronzer instead. See what works best for you and go with it! :) 

Hope that helps some of you!

Some of the products mentioned in the post

♥ Please share YOUR everyday makeup routines and "minimal beauty" tips in the comments. If you have a blog- write a post sharing your routine on your blog! We'd love to read! ♥

Until then, tc! :)