Make up Revolution Haul!

In a normal day in Mimi and Nahlabee's life is, going out to buy make up or looking online/buying make up. So in one of these days we decided to give make up revolution a try!

So we didn't go crazy but we bought 5 items which we have been wanting to try for a while!

                                          

These five items we bought and fell in love with!

So we got a contour stick, its the ONE blush stick in Matte Malibu

My thoughts on this stick: it comes out quite dark, I am quite fair so me and Nahlabee tried to meet in the middle in terms of shade. And I think we managed it with this. Even though it comes out dark when you first put it on, but once its blended, it looks so beautiful on. I definetely  love this stick and for the price they're charging this should definitely  be your choice of contour stick! 

Swatch of the contour stick, looks dark but blends out beautifully and it is shown with the highlighter!

                                 

So to go with the contour stick we got a highlighter, the ONE blush stick again but in the shade Dream. 

My thoughts on this stick: The first time I used it, I didn't love it. I felt like it was really creamy and heavy on my face, which I didn't love. I love make up to feel light. But I didn't give up on it. I tried it again and I think I may have over used the first time because I was in love. I love the colour, its a shimmery pink, and it really compliments and highlights the contour stick so beautifully. 

It's not something you would wear every day personally I don't contour my face very often, only on special occasions but this is definitely  my choice of highlighter! 

Swatch of the highlighter and the contour, looking so beautiful together!

So next we have this blusher, and if you love to have a subtle pinkish blush this is the perfect one! It is so highly pigmented, and for the price they are charging it is soooo beautiful. I love my sleek blushers but this has defiantly earned its place in my make up drawer. 

Eyebrow time! I think Eyebrows are the most important part of make up, you can't not give your eyebrows some love! I have tried all the eyebrow pencils/palettes and this has seriously changed my life. It makes the eyebrows look so natural, and so beautiful. There are 3 shades of brown and a gel to set the eyebrows so it doesn't smudge. I work my way through the brown shades and it has the most beautiful coverage. I have very thin eyebrows, so when I cover my face with foundation, my eyebrows look very thin and they need to be filled in. Since using this I have not gone back. I used to love the sleek eyebrow palette but this has definitely won me over, and for the cheap cheap price it is defiantly worth it! Love Love Love!!

Comes with a small brush and tweezers!

Okay so finally we have the setting spray! I don't usually use setting spray, I love the urban decay setting spray, but its not something I use very often, because I don't have oily skin, so a powder usually works for me, but when I want to wear make up for a longer period of time than I would normally this defiantly does the job, it takes a little while to dry when you first spray it but once its dry it keeps the make up looking beautiful. Definitely worth the buy!

Pro Fix- Good Buy

So Make-up Revolution has won me over. Totally love all the products! Can't go back to anything else now!

Thanks for reading! 

Lots of love 

Mimi xoxo

                                              

Everything you need to know about Under Eye Concealing - Colour Correcting

In our first post in this series, we discussed some good products that we'd recommend for giving your eyes some TLC. In this next post, we'll be looking at that all important step of Colour Correcting. 


Step Two - Colour Correcting 

A few years ago, most of us, including me, had no idea what colour correcting was. It was one of those makeup artist secrets, like contouring that the average woman had never thought of. But many ashy under eyes later, we have learnt better! There's nothing worse than those grey patches under eyes, especially when you try to highlight and end up looking like death.

Technique at a glance 

If you've ever studied the colour wheel, you'll know that you can cancel out colours by applying opposite colours on top. So with purpley-bluey eye bags, orange and peach are the best colours to use to cancel those colours out. Applying a skin coloured concealer on top of your eye bags creates a horrible ashy base, so try and use a corrector when you can; the difference is amazing! After youve used a corrector and cancelled out your bags, apply a concealer that is the same colour as your skin (or a little lighter if you like the Kim K look) on top.

Products at a glance 

NYX Above & Beyond Full Coverage Concealer 

This stuff is pretty powerful. The first time I used it I had no idea what I was doing and didn't blend out the orange very well, which scared my family. Unlike other correctors I have used, this is a true orange colour, seriously carroty stuff which can be difficult to use if you don't use the right technique. It's also pretty heavy, so bear that in mind when applying it. However with the right techniques, this will quickly become one of your makeup favourites!

 I use my finger to apply this as it its a heavy product, and the few times I buffed it in with a fluffy eye brush it was a little cakey. Perhaps the heat from my fingers melts it and makes it work better? I take it right around my eyes going as high as my eyebrows. If I have any product left on my fingers, I use it to correct some areas of pigmentation I have around my lips. All round a great product.


Bobbi Brown Corrector in Deep Bisque       £19

The Bobbi Brown Corrector is a cult product that almost everyone who loves beauty and has eye bags has purchased. And there is good reason for that too, this stuff works. Simple as. One thing I like about this product is the range of colours in the line, you can almost certainly find a colour that will work great on the colour of your eye bags. A bright orange like the NYX Above & Beyond may not work on everyone on its own. Whats more, you can buy the double version that comes with a lovely finely milled yellow powder  to set it, which is a lot more convenient than sifting through my Luxury Banana Powder by Ben Nye.

However, it is a little heavy. I notice that it settles in the fine lines under my eyes, so I have to set with a powder whenever I use this. Would I recommend it? Its a tough one. Right now I am buying no Bobbi Brown products as I am boycotting Israeli supporting companies, so I won't ever be repurchasing. Plus, you also get through this stuff like water, its a ridiculous amount of product for the price you pay for it, which is why I would recommend the NYX or the Inglot correctors. That all said,  I don't think there is a product out there as good as this one right now. I guess thats my answer :)

Inglot Creamy Concealer in Peach           £5

Inglot's Freedom System <3

Ahh Inglot. Such an elusive brand, but so worth it when you muster up the energy to explore their Westfield Store. (What is up with the women who work in that store? Is it just me who find them very odd?! Anyways)

The Creamy Concealers were not a product I had heard of before, so I bought this on a complete and utter whim. The Freedom Palettes are a great idea, and worth every penny bearing in mind the quality of the product, so I bought a green and peach corrector.  I didn't even know Inglot sold correctors, but when I went wedding day makeup shopping with my bestie we spotted this and I knew it would work wonders. Its a little light, but don't be scared, this works nicely on nc42-nc44 skin. Its a beautiful formulation, smooth like butter, a little sticky which is good as the product doesn't move throughout the day. I used this on Tasneem on her wedding day and she loved it! I use a small buffing brush to work this, it works better than fingers as it is a little sticky.

I think everyone needs at least one corrector in their makeup bag, and the Inglot one is probably the best stepping stone into the correcting world! The price and quality of the product make it a no brainer.

Until next time,

Nahlabee xx

Everything you need to know about Under Eye Concealing - Prepping

Ahh eye bags! Blessed with chronic sinus problems, bad genes and an immunity to sleep, I have suffered from these as long as I can remember. They don't bother me nearly as much as they bother my mum and dad ("Do you ever sleep? Look at your face"). And as I don't wear make up on a daily basis, most of the time I wear my bags with pride. However, I go positively all out out with my under eye concealor if I am going to be wearing eyeliner or a full face of makeup that day. Its the step I put the most love and dedication into. In this series, we will be breaking this crucial make up feature into simple steps, discussing techniques and products along the way.

So heres the Everything you need to know about  Under Eye Concealing...Skin Prep

Step One - Skin Prep

You hear make up gurus talk about it all the time, preparing and loving your skin before applying makeup. And it's true, especially for your under eyes. 

The skin under your eyes is particularly fragile and thin, which is why some eye bags appear as dark sockets. As your skin ages and loses elasctisy, eye bags get worse. Long story short, you need to take good care of your under eyes. Some good products I've used and know work well under makeup I have listed below.

Products at a glance

The Body Shop Elderflower Unfragranced Eye Gel - 15 ml - £7.00

Such a weird product in my opinion, I was drawn in my the gimmick of eye gel. In retrospect, this product doesn't really claim to help with under eye bags, just to "refresh and cool". This was great when my eyes were dry, itchy, and irritated, usually after a bout of hay fever. I would keep this in the fridge and the cooling sensation on my eyes would help ease the irritation. However, it wasn't great underneath makeup, I had to wait a good few minutes for it to absorb into my skin. A few times it actually balled up which was not a good look! I don't think I would buy this again, but we had fun whilst my tub lasted. 

Ponds Eye Contour Cream - 15 ml  - £7.99

I stumbled upon this by accident. It was on offer and a friend bought me a tub. It was love at first sight. University nights had not been kind to me, and this stuff seriously hydrated my bags, not to mention allowed not-so-creamy concealors to glide on my skin like a penguin on skates. Its light, and just melts into your skin, and though it wasn't overnight, I did notice a difference. Not bad for the price too. A definite all time favourite. 

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye - 15ml - £40.00 

Okay, so I know what you're thinking, judging me behind that screen! I didn't pay full price for this (yay for friends with discount) but still, it was definitely a moment of splurging. I had done a lot of research into eye creams and this was one that kept cropping up on every beauty blog as a Holy Grail product. More of a gel than a creme, this stuff feels like luxury. You need the absolutely tiniest amount for both eyes, and you get a little spatula to apply it with. Instantly, your eyes feel super hydrated, and smooth, a perfect base for makeup. Did I notice any reduction in eye bags? My skin certainly felt a lot more loved than before, thats for sure. But the more I used this stuff, the more milia I noticed under my eyes. Milia are raised, pearly-white or yellowish bumps on the skin, filled with keratin. They were unsightly even though you could only notice them close up, so I stopped using this everyday and opted to use it once a week. It is still a good product in my opinion, just a little heavy on my skin. I wouldn't repurchase it because I am boycotting all companies that support Israel the best that I can (Estee Lauder being one of them) and it was stupidly expensive. 

Almond Oil

Almond Oil was something I didn't think would help my under eyes but I read about it online and thought hey, why not. As this would be disastrous underneath makeup, I use it at night. Simply put, I didn't notice a huge difference in my under eyes aside from they o feel much more supple and hydrated in the morning. Can be little messy trying to get a small enough amount on your under eyes so as not to grease out your face. I should probably do this more often to see better results though. In fact, I will! Blogpost coming soon...

You want to be moisturising your under eyes every night, even more so if you suffer from dry skin all over. Having hydrated under eyes with fewer fine lines means your concealer will apply like a dream; nothing is worse than when makeup tugs on your skin. Get going!

Nahlabee x 

Accutane - Worth it?

Acne.

If you read my rather lengthy previous post, you will know that I have been a long sufferer of the Red Plague that is acne. If you've read that post you will also know that currently, the treatment I am now using to battle the blemishes is Accutane.

As Accutane is a heavily controlled drug with many side effects, my family and friends were concerned when I told them I was going to take this drug. They all agree on one thing though - my skin looks better than ever, Alhamdulillah. So in this post we will aim to answer that million dollar question; was it all worth it?

Accutane - a debrief

Accutane is a form of vitamin A. It reduces the amount of oil released by oil glands in your skin, and helps your skin renew itself more quickly, thereby eliminating acne. It dries you out crazily - your face, lips, hands, insides, everything. You have to avoid ALL sunlight, or face serious pain later. More seriously, it causes severe birth defects in pregnant women, so when taking Accutane, you have to take two forms of contraception. That all said, something like 60% of people never get acne again after using it. 90% report success after a second course of treatment. If you're nerdy like me and like to research, check out this link > PubMed

I was referred by my GP to a Dermatology clinic in a local hospital around February 2014. My wedding was April 2014, and I knew I wasn't going to be clear by that date but I needed skin clarity.  To even be referred by your GP you have had to tried everything else they have to offer; antibiotics, topical treatments, the Pill. 

The Dermo Dr was awesome, took a look at me and was happy to let me take the drug. I had to however have a blood test, as Accutane can seriously mess up your kidneys and liver. You need to have your cholesterol monitored throughout the treatment. I got the all clear and got my first set of tablets a few months later (yay NHS waiting times!). My dose started off as 20mg, and slowly was increased to 60mg.

I noticed an improvement almost immediately. I mean it, it was a week in and I looked goooood! I tracked my face religiously using an app called Epi Tracker. 

I was becoming dry though. My lips were cracking and my usual all over body moisturiser wasn't doing it for me. As the months went on, this got worse, the main problem being my lips. I switched from Cherry Chapstick which I had used for years, to Carmex, to Sudocream, but only found solace in an amazing product called Aquaphor. I noticed small red rashes on my arms as well, that disappeared when I liberally applied Eucerin Intensive. One of the Pixiwoo sisters uploaded this onto her instagram as a leg cream and boy was she right. I switched from Neutrogena's Oil Free to Superdrugs Vitamin E oil which worked a treat. Anyways lets break it down and cut the story short.

The Good Bits

- No more oily face. Makeup went on better, and looked better

- Able to widen my foundation horizon. Previously I had to avoid almost everything, save my Nars Sheer Matte Foundation and my Inika Mineral Face Powder. I was no longer allergic to everything in the Debenhams beauty department.

- No more acne! 

The Bad Bits

- Dry, cracking lips. Some days I looked like a human gone wrong

- A really bad rash on my hand that would cause me to end my treatment sooner than planned.

- Dry skin all over my body was something I wasn't used too. I had to cream 24/7.

- My eyes couldn't take sunlight or bright lights, everything became a blur. My husband had to get used to a room that resembled a cave.

-Back ache. Again, something I wasn't used too. It hurt :(

- Severe headaches. These were worse when I hadn't drunken enough water. 

- Not being able to exercise as your bones will punish you the next day. Don't bother to try it.

- Have to watch what you eat and keep your cholesterol down

- Not being able to wax or epilate, and all the bad stuff that comes with shaving.

- Bloody stools

- Nightmares

- Can cause severe birth defects, have to be extra cautious.

In the end, after 4/5 months of the drug, the bad outweighed the good. Although I am now 100% clear, the side effects became too much for me to bear. The rash on my hand became scabby and a little painful. After 5 months, the paranoia of potential birth defects took over. I missed the gym, and I'm pretty sure my body wants me to stop abusing it and go back. Plus the constant blood tests were kind of annoying. If I didn't have clear skin, I would probably carry on with the drug. Its worked amazingly for me and I really hope my skin stays this way. I wouldn't have ever been able to dream of applying a product such as Vitamin E oil onto my skin without fear of a breakout, but Accutane has changed all that.

Verdict

Would I do it again? Yes. Call me crazy, and many people do, but for someone whose life has been plagued by bad skin, Accutane was a saviour. 

Would I recommend it? Yes, I would. If you are an adult, AN ADULT, with acne and you have tried everything else.

What advice would I give to others? Drink water. Loads of it. Take a tablet with each meal as Accutane needs fat to work. Invest in products such as Eucerin and Aquaphor. 

Nahlabee

All About Acne - Nahlabee's Tried and Tested treatments

It's Friday! So, as it is the end of the week I have finally found some time to sit down and write this blog post about my experience of Acne. It only seemed fair that it deserved a blogpost.

And for anyone who knows me, Acne is something I am really crazily passionate about. I've been through hell and back with my skin, have tried almost everything and want to share what I know works and what doesn't for anyone suffering. I like to think of myself as a, albeit self proclaimed, Acne therapist? Is that a thing? It should be.

Alhamdulillah rabb al alameen, I have finally become what my husband and I have lovingly named "a clearie", someone who enjoys all that life has to offer, with acne free skin.

Warning - this blogpost probably won't be relevant to most of you, but for those who it is relevant too, I hope this helps! Its also going to be a pretty long post. 

Okay, so where to begin?! I have had adult acne on and off since I was about 16. I had the common bout of teenage acne which I battled with a course of whack antibiotics, but the real devilish cystic stuff started in my second year of university. I have only ever suffered with facial acne ( lucky me.)

I had tried everything.

And I mean everything. Some worked, some didn't. Let's do a little break down, shall we?

Nahlabees (long) list of tried and tested Acne treatment 

Doxycycline - I got this from GP first when I was around 14. It didn't do much. Everyone kept telling me to be patient, sabr, sabr my Mum would say. It made me sickly and feeling pretty poo most of the time. It also killed a lot of the good bacteria and I had stomach aches when taking it. So yeh, this didn't work for me and I gave it a good few months! Didn't work for my 18 year old brother either.

Various Stupid Traditional Indian Treatments - Argh you know when your nan tries to tell you you have acne because you eat too much Chicken Cottage? WHY NANI!? Why take away the one true happiness in my life? This is such a myth, diet did not affect my acne (aside from increasing water). I have had long bouts of healthy eating (they have since ended but whatever) where I still had acne. Unless your rubbing the fried chicken on your skin, it isn't going to make a fat load of difference. The only thing I have noticed perhaps helped was cutting dairy out of my diet. My friend, Zeinab, who also suffered from acne is seeing amazing results doing this. Some acne, as opposed to being due to hormones, is to do with the imbalance of probiotics in your gut. For those of you who watch Makeup Geek on YouTube, her acne is primarily caused by this. She cut out sugar and dairy and it helped slightly. Didn't work for me, but it works for some. Try it, see if it helps.

Another was rubbing lemons, turmeric masks, yoghurt, cider vinegar, all that jazz. Aside from wasting precious kitchen stock, the lemons burnt my zits, the yoghurt did zilch and the turmeric stained me Ben Nye Banana Yellow. I thought the pain from the lemons meant it must be working, but obviously not. I don't buy into the herbal remedy market. It may be good for other skin conditions, but for my acne, nada.

The Garnier Pure range - Now this stuff works. I recommend this to all my teenage cousins (and my lazy ass teenage brother) who suffer from pimples. This was a saving grace for me during my nasty, greasy years (say 17 +). The salicylic acid in this stuff was simply ah-maz-ing for drying out my skin and killing the spots. I would use the "Garnier Pure Active 3 in 1" morning and evening religiously, followed by a generous helping of the "Garnier Skin Naturals Pure Active Spot Fighting Moisturiser". They have a great range, the face mask was pretty good too. I didn't like the feel of the astringent, it was super drying but if you're super oily, try it. Other products such as the Charcoal Scrub that I used on occasion, stole my heart. Some of the products were absolute fails for me though, namely the roll ons that come with a skin tint. Way too light for my exotically brown skin. However, like I said, this stuff worked for me for a long time. If you have oily skin, suffering from pimples as opposed to cysts, try this. Leave a comment, and let me know how you got on.

Who doesn't love a 3 in 1?

Mario Badescu Drying Cream - I can't remember why I bought this but I did in the hope it would work miracles. Meh. Didn't do much for me, but others swear by it. I think this was down to the fact I was using it on cystic acne (large, under the skin lumps) as opposed for the odd pimple its actually intended for. This now belongs to my little sister, who says it works for her. The formula tends to separate a bit, but it lasts forever!

Little sisters - the dumping ground of all unloved things

Dianette (form of contraceptive pill) - Things began to get seriously ugly and my self esteem was taking a bit of a downturn. So my mum and my older sister advised I try something drastic. After much deliberation, I decided to start a course of hormone therapy. Dianette is something a lot of my friends where against, and in hindsight I can see why. Whilst after a few months my acne completely, and I mean completely disappeared, I couldn't ignore the other side effects. Though I was enjoying clear skin in what seemed like forever, I had piled on a few stone. You hear horror stories of women who get fat off the pill, and I hadn't realised I had become one of them. From a size 10-12, I had grown to a size 14. I had clear skin, but I had lost self esteem in another department. This wasn't helped by the disgusting mood swings I experienced during my time on Dianette. I was a teary, angry wreck whose only comfort was in the bottom of a Ben and Jerry's tub which didn't help the weight gain. Mixed with the stress of education, changes at home, I quickly became a hot mess. Obsessed as I was with having good skin, it was time to come off. Shout out to my friends for still loving me during this stage!

I enjoyed good skin for a while after Dianette, and though I struggled (and still am!) to lose the pounds, I maintain that it was a good decision for me at the time. Or maybe it wasn't. I don't know. I have super mixed feelings about Dianette because it really did clear my skin up. Dianette is one of the more potent hormone treatments out there. I used Cilest post marriage and didn't suffer any weight gain then. Plus everyone is different.

La Rochey Posay Effaclar Duo - Did Satan himself commission the production of this stuff? IT BROKE ME OUT SO BAD. I read about this on blogs, and thought it was right up my street. Safe to say after one awful break out, I gave it one of my friends. I haven't heard of it working for anyone I know to be honest. Don't agree? Comment and let me know.

Not worth the hype - or the price tag.

Duac -  LOVE. Like seriously if I could cuddle up to Duac every night and my husband wouldn't disown me I probably would. I think I became dependant on this stuff, I would suffer from anxiety if I didn't apply it to my face every night. I remember staying over at a friend's place and almost fainting because I had forgotten it at home. She really thought I had a problem, she looked disgusted that I was so stressed out by a acne treatment. (Monisha if you are reading this, thank you for making me realise I had a problem!). I mean thats how bad my acne phobia was guys, I had a very strict routine and I could not sway from it. Anyway so back to Duac. For anyone familiar with Acne.org's regimen that uses benzoyl peroxide as a topical treatment for acne, Duac is that but better. It has an anti biotic in it that does magic. In the beginning, it did leave my skin a little red and raw, but it was a healing process. I had to avoid the sun, and makeup for a short while. Blackheads and cysts alike began to disappear. I would wash my face with Cetaphil, and apply Duac at night, wait a few moments and apply an oil free moisturiser. It worked. If you are reading this, face suffering from the plague that is acne, call your GP and get this stuff. A few people don't get on with it (Mimi being one of them) but it works for almost everyone else. Follow the steps I stated before and you will see a difference. 

Baby, Mummy and Daddy Duac <3

I developed severe OCD. I would ask my GP for back up upon backup of Duac. I would suggest all my friends to use it. It was great. Life was good. The acne was dying, even the cystic stuff. I was happy, newly engaged and in a good skin place. I had managed to drop down to a size 12 post Dianette, EVERYTHING WAS GREAT. Until one day, the Duac stopped working.  

I became depressed. I didn't understand why Duac, whom I had loved so deeply and dearly was not working anymore. I didn't wear makeup, I ate well. With my wedding approaching, my skin had taken a sharp turn for the worst. Cysts formed on my skin, My forehead, Switzerland for my acne ( I had never gotten forehead acne) became a war zone. When I went for bridal makeup trials, all the MUAs would do was comment on my skin. I remember my friend Dhivya trying to comfort me as I wept, fake eyelash falling off, mid make up trial. My skin had been so good just weeks ago! I covered my mirrors. I couldn't bear to leave the house. My then fiancé, couldn't understand what was wrong with me when I refused to see anyone. He kept telling me my face was fine, but it wasn't. If you're reading this and thinking , omg girl get a life! then you haven't had acne. Only acne sufferers understand how this feels. My husband, amazingly and unreservedly supportive as he is, probably won't ever understand why a few spots can reduce me to tears. May Allah bless him for putting up with my tantrums. And even more so, my friends, Tasneem and Iman who used to send me text messages reminding me I was beautiful just to make sure I felt the beautiful bride. My big sister is great too, she understood and encouraged me to be positive, and take the action I subsequently take Accutane.

I guess my skin just got used to the Duac. I kept on using it simply because I had a mental disorder (loool) where I couldn't stop using it. I had to take the huge step I knew I should've taken years ago, and start taking the wonder drug that is Accutane.

Accutane - And so we come to present day. My accutane story is too detailed to type out here, so I will do a separate one soon. But I promise you, its a good one!

Thanks for reading what was a roller coaster of a blog. May Allah grant us all beautiful outsides, but more importantly, insides. There are much more important things in life that good skin, that we all know. But Acne is a silent self esteem killer that doesn't get addressed nearly as much as it should. To this day, my cousins still tease me about my spots, and it still hurts! If you're reading this post, mirror in hand, analysing your blemishes, no matter how few or many, know it will get better in sha Allah. All treatments take time, and battling acne requires a life style change. Its similar to losing weight, it takes sacrifice, patience and dedication to your skin routine. Simply changes like cutting out oil based makeup, and drinking water can kick start a change in your skin. Research into any of the above treatments and give it a go!

Leave any questions you have about this post below. If you're not sure what treatment would suit you best, leave a comment!

Nahlabee.