MASSIVE BLOG SALE!

Hello everyone!

So school's out for the summer, I'm done with teaching (at least for the next 2 months!) and I finally have plenty of time to relax and unwind and chill and all that good stuff! Naturally, this meant a bit of a make-up spring cleaning session... although does it still count as spring cleaning if it's in the middle of a hellishly hot summer?

However... I was horrified, absolutely gob-smackingly horrified and totally ashamed of myself when I realised HOW much make-up I have which I don't even use. Seriously. It's just sitting there. In the drawers. Untouched. Bought on a whim or as an indulgence. And never (or very rarely) used.

Hence...  A MASSIVE BLOG SALE!

Rules are fairly simple: the stuff is all on here with prices and detailed descriptions of the product, condition, how you can use it, etc. If you want to buy something, simply email me at coamua@gmail.com with your full name and the products you're interested in. It's going to be on a first come-first served basis, so hurry! :) This blog sale is only open to Karachiites! Sorry about that!

And now on to the good stuff...


1. INGLOT LIPSTICK AND CONCEALER TRIO PALETTE - Rs. 500 (SOLD)
    CONDITION: USED ONCE


I bought this at the Inglot Boutique in Westfields, London. On the far right is a creamy concealer that would suit medium to medium-dark skintones. In the middle is a rose pink lipstick. On the far left is a beigey-nude lipstick. All three colours work extremely well with desi skintones. Head over to www.inglot.com if you're not familiar with the brand!

2. TOPSHOP EYE CRAYON IN MOONSHINE - Rs. 500 (SOLD)
    CONDITION: BRAND NEW


This is a beautiful shimmery silver eye crayon. Use it on its own as an eyeshadow or as base to make your eyeshadow last longer. Soft and blendable, and the finish is truly gorgeous. Bought it from Topshop Oxford Street.

3. POP BEAUTY APPLES OF THE CHEEKS DUO SET - Rs. 500
    CONDITION: BRAND NEW

A liquid cheek stain and bronzer stain in a handy twist-up action tube. Really portable and good for touch ups on the go. Plus, because it's a stain it means it will withstand the killer Karachi humidity! The cheek stain is a beautiful flushed rose colour, and the bronzer is desi skintone friendly. Ordered this online while in London. 

4. MAKE-UP ACADEMY EYESHADOWS - Rs. 150 EACH
    CONDITION: 3 HAVE BEEN LIGHTLY USED, 2 ARE BRAND NEW

MUA is a UK brand that retails at Superdrug. These eyeshadows are extremely easy on the pocket and are still surprisingly pigmented! Easy to blend. The dark purple color is Shade 1, the light lilac is Shade 2, the bright green is Shade 3, the forest green is Shade 4 and the jewel green is Shade 5. Bought from Superdrug in London. 

5. MAC LIP GELEES - Rs. 500 EACH
    CONDITION: BRAND NEW

These are beautiful silky-finish glosses, not sticky or tacky at all. They do go on lighter than what the colour appears in the tube. Great for daywear and even to add a bit of sparkle to your night time look. The gold one is Shade 1 and the copper one is Shade 2. Bought from MAC in London. 

6. JEMMA KIDD LIPGLOSS - Rs. 500
    CONDITION: BRAND NEW

Not much to say here except that Jemma Kidd is a reasonably pricey UK brand so this lipgloss at Rs. 500 is a real steal. Gorgeous colour. Great quality. Ordered online in London. 

7. BOBBI BROWN SHEER LIPGLOSS - Rs. 400
   CONDITION: USED A FEW TIMES, 25% OF IT HAS BEEN USED

Bobbi Brown is known for her beautiful glosses. This sheer ruby colour is no exception. It looks amazing on all skintones and lasts for upto 5 hours. Bought at Debenhams in London.

8. DMGM GLOSS EXPLOSION LIPGLOSS - Rs. 500
    CONDITION: BRAND NEW

This is a pretty pink-nude. Ideal for light to medium skintones. Can work on darker skintones too. Gorgeous fruity fragrance. Bought at Hyperstar, Karachi. 

9. MAC POWDER BLUSH - Rs. 1000
   CONDITION: VERY LIGHTLY USED

This is a beautiful colour for medium-dark and darker skintones. The shade is Sweet as Cocoa and it is a rich coppery-brown with gorgeous gold shimmer. Bought at MAC in London. 

10. MAC HIGHLIGHT POWDER - Rs. 1000 (SOLD)
      CONDITION: VERY LIGHTLY USED

This is a beautiful highlight shade for medium-dark and dark skintones. Lighter skintones can use it as a great summer bronzer. Has the most gorgeous sheen to it, too. Bought at MAC in London. 

11. CLINIQUE EYE AND CHEEK PALETTE - Rs. 950
      CONDITION: BRAND NEW

Clinique needs no introduction. This palette is great for the girly-girl. A light lilac and deeper grey-purple eyeshadow can be used for a day time look, soft evening look or even a full-on smokey look. The accompanying blush is beautiful and complements the eyeshadows perfectly. Bought in Dubai. 

12. 120 COLOURS EYESHADOW PALETTE - Rs. 1500 (SOLD)
      CONDITION: A FEW COLOURS LIGHTLY USED, MOST BRAND NEW, ONE BROKEN (2nd  
      column from the left, 3rd colour down)

These colours are... GORGEOUS! And the quality of the eyeshadows is GOOD. Just a fun, fun thing to have :) Ordered from EBAY.

13. COLOUR SOLUTIONS EYESHADOW DUO - Rs. 300
      CONDITION: USED ONCE

This is GREAT for the summertime. These fresh, pastel colours are really in for summer and complement desi skintones well too! Plus, great pigmentation on these eyeshadows.

14. CLINIQUE EYESHADOW IN SUGAR BERRY - Rs. 350
      CONDITION: BRAND NEW

Another gorgeous fresh lilac colour. Bought in Dubai. 

15. ELF CREAM EYESHADOW DUOS - Rs. 150 EACH
     CONDITION: MOST ARE BRAND NEW, SOME ARE LIGHTLY USED

Top Row: (from left to right) Shade 1, 2 and 3
Middle Row: (from left to right) Shade 4, 5 and 6
Bottom Row: (from left to right) Shade 7, 8 and 9


These are soooo beautiful! The colors are all warm and earthy and rich, perfect for desi skintones. They look on their own and work well as a base also! Gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous! Ordered online from the ELF website. 

16. LUSCIOUS POWDER EYESHADOW - Rs. 200
      CONDITION: LIGHTLY USED

A gorgeous highlight colour for all skintones. It's not too white and not to beige, the perfect shell colour with soft shimmer. Super pretty! Bought in Karachi. 

17. BARRY M DAZZLE DUST - Rs. 500
     CONDITION: BRAND NEW

Very similiar to MAC Pigments in terms of colour, pigmentation and texture. This gorgeous teal blue is not for the shy ones! Pair it with a fresh, clean face and nude lips for a WOW look! Bought at Superdrug in London. 

18. OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE COSMETICS - Rs. 500
      CONDITION: BRAND NEW

An American brand famous for their gorgeous pigments. Bought this at a makeup trade fair in London. Pretty highlight colour for light and medium skintones. Extremely beautiful when used as an eyeshadow and paired with a winged liner!

19. TOPSHOP BLUSH - Rs. 500
     CONDITION: USED LIGHTLY

A beautiful berry cream blush that blends like butter. Plus the polka dotted packaging (not showing below) is too cute to resist! Bought in London. 

20. TOPSHOP BLUSH - Rs. 500
     CONDITION: USED LIGHTLY

this coral colour is a dream come true, and when paired with the cream formula its summer-makeup-heaven! Whack on some brozer and this and you'll look like you just got back from a holiday in Bali! Plus the polka dotted packaging (not showing below) is too cute to resist! Bought in London. 

21. ESTEE LAUDER PROJECTIONIST MASCARA AND LASH PRIMER (TRAVEL SIZE) - Rs. 500
     CONDITION: BRAND NEW (SOLD)

A great thing for on the go. The primer preps your lashes for the mascara and the mascara adds good curl and volume. Or so says Estee Lauder. I wouldnt know because I havent tried it but Estee Lauder is generally excellent with mascaras!

HAPPY SHOPPING! x

Trend Report: Winter 2010

DON'T KILL ME!

Yes, I know I've been missing long enough to warrant you actually either killing me or forgetting that I exist - but please don't!

Sometimes... it's just good to take a break from everything in life. So that's what I did. And now that I'm back, I realise it's for the better because I missed it more than ever and I've rediscovered my love for blogging :)

On to the trend report... I've rounded up the hottest looks from the runways to show you what to do with makeup this winter and, more importantly, HOW to do it!

WINE STAINED LIPS: In keeping with our current obsession with vampires, this fall's most popular and most wearable trend is the wine-stained, berry lip. The bolder amongst us will rock it as a full on lipstick mouth, while the shy ones (my hand is raised here, ladies!) will turn to glosses, balms or lip tints to sport a softer version of the trend. Ofcourse, you'll need to keep everything else absolutely minimal - I'd recommend foundation and mascara only. Definitely no blush! And depending on your colouring, reach for purple-toned berry shades if you're light skinned or red-toned berry shades if you're medium to dark skinned!




RED NAILS: This one makes my heart singgg with joy! For the past few winters, dark berry and wines have been the nail polish shades of choice and while, admittedly, they look uber chic they can get a little bit dull after a while. I'm sooo glad it's red this time around! Why? Because red is a more fun colour, it's such an instant mood-lifter, it looks cute and chic at the same time and it goes with anything! OPI's Big Apple Red is my favorite... whats yours?



BOLD BROWS: Don't you just love how fashion keeps contradicting itself? This summer was all about bleached, barely there brows and now the bolder, darker, bigger brow is back! Don't go too pencil happy though, lol! I recommend sticking to the natural shape of your brow but just filling in any empty spaces or sparser areas with either a pencil (using a very light hand) or a powder eyeshadow (this gives a more natural look). You can make them slightly thicker by simply moving the pencil/angled brush in short upward flicks on the upper end of your brows.



GOLD SMOKED OUT EYES: Depending on where you live, winter is either holiday season or wedding season. Either way, gold smokey eyes are BIG for this winter and very easy to wear to almost any occasion. Stick to yellower, paler golds if you're light skinned, and warmer more burnished golds if you're medium to dark skinned. Application is super-easy: just a soft wash all over your lids and lower lashline, then use a clean blending brush to buff away any harsh lines for a soft, hazy but not perfect look.

As always, remember to work one trend at a time and stay true to your own personality and level of comfort with makeup. I'm thinking of doing a series of short videos for winter beauty trends... little tutorials to show how to make them more wearable. So let me know if that's something you would be interested in!

Much love and a hugely apologetic hug!

x

All images courtesy of www.elle.com

The Blog Gets Its Own Email Address - this is getting serious!

Hey lovelies!

Just want to tell you guys the blog has its own email address now *oooh... aaah....* :P

Feel free to email me all your enquiries at coamua@gmail.com!

And in case you're wondering, that stands for "Confessions Of A MakeUp Addict"! ;)

I've also added it to the "About Me" section on the right hand side of the page!

x

Product Rave: Superdrug Eyeshadows

Hey lovelies! You know how I always say that the only thing more amazing than makeup is inexpensive makeup? Well, Superdrug just proved my point!

Superdrug is a massively popular drugstore chain in Britain and they have just released their own line of makeup called Make Up Academy (MUA). Their line offers eyeshadows, glitter eyeliners, blush, lip gloss, you name it. And the most amazing bit is... EVERY SINGLE THING in their line is priced at ONE POUND EACH!

How unbelievably amazing is that?!

Obviously, I caved and decided to try their eyeshadows. I placed an online order and two days later a little package showed up. Always on the hunt for an excuse to procrastinate while studying, I ripped into it right then and there and had a bit of a play around! So this is what I got...

(don't forget to click on the pictures to see them in all their enlarged glory!)



And now for the individual break down!

Number 6: A shimmery teal, very mermaid kind of colour. Not the best pigmentation of the bunch, but still decent!



Number 11: LOVE this colour, its so me! You know I love my browns and bronzes! A gorgeous shimmery brown with gold flecks running through. Awesome pigmentation.



Shade 12: If there's one thing you MUST buy from this range, its Number 12 eyeshadow. Looks kinda blah in the pan but its actually a warm, reddish-brown with green reflects. A lot of people have compared this to MAC's Club eyeshadow and they are incredibly, incredibly similiar - MACs brown is slightly, ever so slightly more cool toned than this one. An INCREDIBLE colour. Amazing pigmentation. Will suit all skintones.



Number 7: Has for some reason photographed grey! But its a dark, shimmery green! I promise! Very frosty and very good pigmentation too.


Number 18: A bit of a disappointment - this colour looks soooooo gorgeous in the pan. But the pigmentation on this is fairly rubbish... you need to really build layers up to get it looking anything like the colour in the pan. Maybe because its a matte shade?



Number 5: A very pretty, shimmery, grassy green. So bright and wonderful for spring. Specially in keeping with the pastels trend. The pigmentation on this is not the best, but is certainly good enough.



Number 4: Another winner of the bunch. Light shimmery lilac. Such a pretty pastel for spring! Very pigmented too.



Number 20: This was surprisingly good! I never expect much from drugstore black eyeshadows, particularly matte ones. But this is really really good. Solid matte black, excellent pigmentation. Not enough to go everywhere (like Carbon can be sometimes) but just enough to look good.



And some swatches for your viewing pleasure! Without flash, these ones...



And with flash to give you an idea of the shimmery prettiness!




Overall verdict: I definitely recommend these eyeshadows for a number of reasons:

First of all, the range of colours is pretty good.
Secondly, the pricing is just too good to be true.
Third, the packaging is quite decent keeping in mind the price point.
Fourth, the pigmentation on most of these is very, very good - comparable to high end brands.

Its so tempting to think, 'oh but that one isn't good and nor is that one...' but if 2 out of 8 swatch poorly, I think its fine KEEPING THE PRICE IN MIND! And even the poorly pigmented ones can be built up in layers... I reckon the extra effort is worth the bucks you're saving!

Will definitely post some looks using these eyeshadows after the exams... Till then, have you used MUA makeup? What was your experience?

x

FTC: Bought and paid for everything myself! Completely honest review! I ACTUALLY love them!

ATTENTION HATERS!

Ok, so I'll keep this short and sweet.

Recently, I have been getting some hater comments on my posts and videos so here is my message to all the haters out there! Don't bother, you're wasting your time and energy and I'm certainly not going to stop making videos or posting blogs because I get wayyy more appreciative comments than I do mean ones!

And unfortunately, I'm too thick-skinned to let your lovely words affect me :)

This blog is and will remain a positive space. I will not publish any hater comments. Save your breath ;)

Makeup Trends for Summer 2010

Hi, lovelies! I hope you're all well and gearing up for Summer!

Apologies for my absence - I've been recuperating at home, thoroughly enjoying my Easter break by doing absolutely nothing after an insanely busy term! Summer is now almost upon us and I've put together a little trend report for you guys, based on what was hot and heavy on the runways!

Pastel Eyes: Pull out your pastels for the summer, baby! This summer the eyes are all about light, cool pastel shades - think baby pink, icy blue, lilac, spring green! No need to get too technical or creative with the looks... a soft wash over the lid is all you need! Its really all about the colours... go as light or bright as you dare!



Turquoise Liner: Another eye look favourited on the runways - turquoise lined eyes! Don't be shy now - we're talking straight-up, piercing, bright TURQUOISE! With this look though, its best to be minimal... let the liner be the focus of the face and keep everything else subtle and soft, as shown below.

Rosy Cheeks: This is probably the easiest trend to follow and will likely be the most popular. Get a flushed, rosy glow on your cheeks by sweeping on some bright pink powder blush or blending a cream blush with your fingers. Keep the blush wayyy high up on the cheekbones though - lower down or on the apples of the cheeks is too old-fashioned!

Extreme Lashes: For the more daring fashionistas amongst you, here's a real bold trend! This summer the eyelashes are going to the extreme...put on some falsies for in-your-face lash power, or even just pull out that clumpy mascara you never use and apply copiously to mimic the false lash effect! Editor's tip: holding the mascara wand vertical instead of horizontal will really help to achieve this thick, clumpy, look-at-my-fierce-lashes look! Put on as many as 3 coats!

A word of advice: when it comes to following trends you must must must rememer two things - less is more and be yourself.

Follow one trend at a time... if you go out with crazy lashes, bright eyeliner, icy blue eyeshadow and bright cheeks you WILL look like a freakshow. I promise. Take my word for it. So take on one trend at a time and wear it well!

Secondly, dont blindly follow and mimic the makeup you see on the runway - runway makeup is meant to be exaggerated, its worn by models and created my leading international makeup artists. Take from the runway looks the essence of the trend and then make it your own... if you cant pull off the pastels, that's fine, either tone it down till it works or opt for another trend which suits your face and personality better. You'll look much better if you're genuinely comfortable and happy with your appearance!

Happy Summer 2010! Stay beautiful!

x

All images courtesy of www.elle.com.

My Holy Grail Foundation: Chanel Vitalumiere

In the beauty world, Holy Grail (HG) is used to refer to a product that epitomises absolute perfection, everything that you could possibly look for in a product.

Once you find your HG anything (foundation, mascara, concealer, etc etc) you DON'T let it go.

So far, I had only found my HG concealer - the Bobbi Brown corrector in Peach (those of you who have read my "3 makeup things I can't live without" post will know how much I adore it)...

Until... about a month ago while browsing in the House of Fraser cosmetics department on Oxford Street, I decided to pop over to Chanel and try the "Lumiere" range of foundations. Now these include ProLumiere (for the professional look), LiftLumiere (to reduce signs of ageing), MatLumiere (to give a matte finish) and the original - VitaLumiere!




After a quick discussion with the lovely Chanel artist about my skintype, what kind of coverage I'm looking for, etc we decided that VitaLumiere was the way to go. Ten minutes of patch testing later I had found my perfect colour - 20 (also referred to as Clair or Cameo). She applied it all over my face and when I turned to look at the mirror, love happened.

The Vitalumiere had given my face just the right amount of coverage, yet still remaining true to its satin finish. What this translates into in layman's terms is that it evens your skin out wonderfully, and gives it, WAIT FOR IT, that PERFECT ALWAYS-SOUGHT-AFTER GLOWY SKIN look!

Not too matte, not too greasy - just the perfect dewy, my-skin-has-always-been healthy-and-I-drink-8-glasses-of-water-a-day glow! I could go on and on...

Its reasonably priced, too. You get 30mls for around 30 pounds - the same price you pay for Bobbi Brown or MAC foundations and this is more of a high-end brand than those!

I thought I should include a picture of myself wearing it - this is from my birthday last Saturday. I'm so pleased it comes out looking lovely in pictures too. If you can see the glow around my eyebrows, on my nose and the higher points of my cheek, that just shows you what a dewy finish it has. Yet not over-the-top glowy to make me look greasy!

A word to the wise - if you have problem skin or acne, spots, etc, I suggest you try ProLumiere because VitaLumiere won't give you enough coverage. But if, like me, you have mostly decent skin with a few irregularities here and there, you'll love this.

So there you have it - my HG foundation: the Chanel Vitalumiere!

Has it won over the hearts of anyone else out there?

x

Skincare Reviews: Neutrogena scrub & Loreal moisturiser!

Hey my fellow makeup addicts!

For me, the discovery of good skincare products is cause for celebration enough to justify a little dance in the middle of my room. I guess that's just because I've tried so many products and been disappointed more often than I'd have liked!

Recently I've been using a new facial scrub and moisturiser that seem to be working out pretty well for me so here's a mini review on each!


Neutrogena Deep Clean Invigorating Foaming Scrub: this is such an awesome product to kick start your day with... it has a really energising, refreshing minty smell that instantly wakens the senses and when using it my skin felt kinda tingly and cool, as though I was lathering mint all over it. I will say that the name puzzles me a bit because this scrub didn't really foam at all... but other than that (and that really wasn't a huge deal for me at all) I'm really impressed.

After using this my skin felt really fresh, alive and super squeaky clean down to every last pore! Yet it didn't feel stripped or dry or tight... it was still soft and supple, just very clean and fresh. I'm totally won over by this scrub!



Loreal Paris Triple Active Day Multi-Protection Moisturiser: Phew... it takes me as long to say the name as it does to use this product! :P This is from the Loreal Dermo-Expertise line, for those of you interested, and the packaging promises protection, hydration and radiance. The main features of the moisturiser are Vitamin E, Ceramide and it's UV filter.

When I first scooped this cream out of the jar, the texture made me think "uh oh, this is going to be thick, greasy and Nivea-like!" but then I applied and blended it into my skin and I was thinking "whoa... what just happened!" because this is a very lightweight moisturiser that sinks quite comfortably into your skin.

Now I will say this: if you live in London or elsewhere with a cold and dry climate, this probably won't work for you unless you really lather it on which will result in going through the jar fairly quickly. But if you live in a warmer, humid climate this is an EXCELLENT moisturiser to invest in.

I know that whenever I'm back home my dilemma is - no moisturiser hence skin dry OR moisturiser but skin greasy in 30 minutes?

Protection - yes! Hydration - certainly! Radiance - not so much...



So have you tried either of these products? Loved it? Hated it? Let us know!

x

IMATS Haul - Reviews, Swatches, Photos

Hello, makeup addicts! I hope you're all well!

So I've put off doing the IMATS haul post for ages (yes I know!) simply because I decided to give you a review as well... and I need to use things for a certain period of time to be able to give you a not-rubbish review on them ;)

Without further ado... presenting, my IMATS haul!

1) MAKEUP DESIGNORY (MUD): This was my first experience with MUD and I'm very pleased. I got 12 eyeshadows for £25 which is RIDICULOUSLY cheap and they threw in the empty eyeshadow palette for FREE! Now thats a bargain... The eyeshadows themselves (as the swatches show) are beautifully pigmented, shimmery, easy to apply and a pleasure to blend. I highly recommend MUD!

If you look real close, I've written colour names on top of the eyeshadows!

And swatches to back my claims...

Visit http://www.makeupdesignory.com/ for more information - they ship worldwide!

2) OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE COSMETICS (OCC): I also picked up two pigments from OCC randomly, just because I wanted to try out the brand! Im pleased to report that these pigments are AMAZINGLY pigmented - the colours are just incredibly rich and complex (as opposed to a flat gold or a flat white). These cost me £5 a piece which is again incredibly reasonable since you get sooo much product!

Visit http://www.occmakeup.com/ to try these, and try their amazing Lip Tars as well! Im dying to get my hands on those, Ive heard so much about them!

3) ROYAL AND LANGNICKEL: I also picked up a mixing palette for when I use all these pigments wet - so handy! And, believe it or not, £1!

4) NAKED COSMETICS: I'm a bit on the fence about these... 18 of these cost me a whopping £60! Now they apply beautifully when wet, and so-so when dry... is that enough to justify the cost? Im still struggling with that one. The colours are beautiful though, and I doubt I'll ever finish these in one lifetime... (self-consolation? yes? no? maybe?)

Naked Cosmetics pigments come in sets of 6...

5)CROWN BRUSH: This is definitely the stall where I spent the most money and saved the most money! I spent between £60-70 here but if I had bought that many brushes from MAC or Bobbi Brown, I would have ended up spending a good £800-900! I INSIST that everyone visit http://www.crownbrush.co.uk/ immediately! They have such a wide range of products that there's bound to be something that you'll like... their brushes are of incredible quality, soft, good quality handles, no shedding, etc. I dont think I can ever justify buying a MAC brush again!

That's all, folks! As usual, if you have any questions, fire away in the comments below!

x

FTC disclaimer: I bought all of the above with my own money unless specificed, I'm not associated with any of these brands and this review contains honest, impartial opinions!