Hi Divas

 

The Festive Season is here and I have 3 amazing products from Wet n' Wild to help you create the perfect party looks. Whether hosting a Christmas dinner, getting ready for a New Year's party or enjoying a festival concert out of town, these products will glam up your holiday style. Wet n' Wild is a wonderful brand that should not be slept on. Their cosmetics come in an array of colours, shades and innovative trendy designs. There is always something for everybody when it comes to their makeup range. A woman can never go wrong with a little sparkle on the eyes or a pop of colour on the lips to add extra glamour. You cannot forget a touch of concealer to obscure those unwanted blemishes too.  

These nifty eyeshadow palettes are the perfect size to pop in a cosmetics travel bag and do a quick makeup look on the go. It has all the colours and texture combinations to create a versatile look. I have the palette Camo Flaunt which has warm-toned shades of matte camel brown, rose gold satin, reddish-toned pressed glitter, metallic silver sparkle and a deep matte brown for depth. As you can see in the swatches below, the shades are pigmented and have a great formula. They are not chalky at all and they blend really well. The glitters and sparkles do need a sticky base to adhere to. I suggest using a concealer or eyeshadow primer as your base and pressing the glitters onto your lid with a finger for precise application.

The Incognito concealer comes in a variety of shades and has medium to full coverage. The matte formula has built-in moisturising ingredients such as Shea Butter and Mango Seed Butter. The texture is lightweight and blends out seamlessly giving a natural finish. It is an excellent everyday concealer that covers under-eye circles and blemishes well. Even though it states that it is matte, the formula is not drying at all. It is a perfect combination of durable coverage and creamy consistency. The product is a true hidden gem as most consumers spend a fortune on this type of coverage. I love to use it on my eyelids to even out my skin tone and provide a tacky base for eyeshadows to adhere to.

 

This is a dual-ended lip colour with a pigmented colour on one end and a high shine gloss at the rear. Ingredients include Vitamin E, Jojoba Oil and rich antioxidant Passionfruit Seed Oil. The two in one lip combo has a radiant colour and comes in many shades. I have the shade LA Pink. The product has a built-in brush applicator on both sides making for easy and mess-free application. The formula is buildable, long-lasting and very comfortable to wear on the lips. It has a non-sticky texture and feels hydrating throughout the day. I generally only touch up after I eat. This is a budget friendly lip duo that gives great pigmentation and a glossy shine. 

 

I absolutely love the look I created with these Wet n' Wild products. This is glam on a budget but gives luxury results. My absolute favourite product used was the eyeshadow pan. The shades are versatile and fun to use. All the products are great on the wallet and have excellent coverage and pigmentation. Quick and easy makeup looks are now within reach. Let me know what your favourite products are from the brand down below.

Hi Divas
 

It's been years since I purchased an eyeshadow palette. I never felt the need to add to my collection since the dreaded lockdown days. I have been using the palettes in my collection intending to hit pan on all of them. When I passed the Essence stand a while ago to top up on some makeup essentials, I couldn't let this beauty pass by. The palette is named after my beautiful home town Cape Town and that was enough reason for me to make a transaction at the till. Upon opening the palette, to my surprise, it was filled with an exciting colour story. I was very eager to play with it as these eyeshadows were quite different from my collection.

The palette is designed with a sturdy cardboard casing that makes it light and easy to travel with. The length and width of the casing are perfect sizes. It is not cumbersome to use. I was surprised by the large mirror inside, making it a nifty case to escort around. The cover is a picturesque aerial shot of the iconic Cape Town views. Table Mountain stands tall looking over the gorgeous coastline and bustling city arena. This is the beauty of Cape Town captured in one picture; the colourful sites of the city along with its vibrant culture and diverse nature.

There are 12 bold shades in the palette consisting of 5 shimmers and 7 mattes. The variety of shades is what makes this palette an absolute winner. The 5 shimmers are yellow gold, rose gold, metallic silver and aquatic blue. The mattes are 3 neutral shades in two browns and cream, making great transition shades. The rest are a bold orange, leafy green and two shades of sea blues. I just love the cute tree and lion embossed on the pans. There are no names allocated to the eyeshadows, but the stark contrast in colours makes it forgivable. The pans are large and will last quite a long time. What a fun and fresh design. It makes me delighted to use the eyeshadows.

As you can see in the swatches, the colours really pack a punch. They are pigmented and have great colour payoff. I was especially surprised by the performance of the matte shades. They truly blended well on my eyes and were bold not only in the pans but on the eyelids too. Some of the shimmers are a bit chunky and you will need a concealer or eyeshadow primer to help them adhere to the skin. This especially applies to the gold shade. I prefer to use my finger to pack the pigment on. I used a combination of 5 shades. For my brow bone the white-cream and for my crease a combination of  light matte brown and bold orange. I carefully placed the gold shimmer on my lids as this eyeshadow has the most fallout in all the pans. For a pop of colour, I blended the two matte blues alongside the blue shimmer on my lower lash line.

This palette is gorgeous and you can create a variety of looks. If you are someone who wants to explore colourful makeup looks, this is the perfect palette to jump into. It's easy to work with and not intimidating. The mattes especially blend wonderfully. You can easily create a vibrant eye for any occasion. If you are a makeup fanatic like me, this is an excellent option to add to your growing collection. Have you purchased this palette?
 Let me know your thoughts below!

Hi Divas

I received this beautiful palette from my blogger friend Kim of Avery Sweet Blog back in January. She kindly sent me a box of goodies to wish me a Happy New Year and this blockbuster was one of the items in the surprise box. I only own two Urban Decay Eyeshadow palettes being the Naked 2 and the Ammo palette. I was therefore super delighted to be given the Honey palette as Urban Decay have revamped and stepped up their game in the Naked ranges. They have launched three other palettes other than this, along with a new foundation and concealer line. They are one of the OG's (Original Gangsters), when it comes to high-end Sephora makeup back in the day. Since then, so many makeup brands have popped up and somewhat surpassed them in cosmetic releases, innovative ideas and unique packaging. I am happy to see that Urban Decay is not sitting on the side lines but pushing through in the beauty market. It is great to notice that such a well-established brand is exploring fresh product ideas to keep the old and new customers interested.

The Naked Honey palette is inspired by the rich golden and yellow tones of pure honey. From the packaging to the colour story within the eyeshadows, the sweetness, along with the earthly nature of honey shines through. This is a warm toned palette with rich and neutral tones to compliment every skin tone. You could wear this palette on an everyday basis to work with its earthy tones or jazz it up for a glam night out look, with the bright metallic shades. This is a very versatile palette, that would flatter all ages and occasions. The actual outer case is absolutely stunning as it is embossed with ripple effects, that look like a continuous flow of honey. The standout lettering gives the palette a luxurious feel too. The case is a lot more golden in tone, reminding me of thick large quantities of honey being poured out. The design in packaging is gorgeous and it makes me want to grab a jar of honey and eat it with a spoon. The casing feels very sturdy and comes with a big mirror, as well as the standard dual ended eyeshadow brush, which the brand is known for. When you open the palette, there is a sweet scent which wafts through. The whole experience in working with the palette from sight, to touch and smell is impressive and deserves gold stars.


The palette comes in 12 shades all with a common warm yellow tone theme. The names of the eyeshadows are inspired by the honey making process. There is a wide range of mattes and metallics to create different looks. The eyeshadows consist of 6 mattes, 5 metallics/shimmers and 1 satin shade. I love that using the palette on an everyday basis won't become monotonous. There are many colour combinations to choose from, to get a unique eye look. I have swatched the eyeshadows below using the NYX white eyeshadow base. Some of the shades might look different due to this and my skin tone. I will name and explain each shade to you from left to right in the palette.

First up is Fly By (white pearl satin) great for the brow bone, Sweet (matte peachy taupe) light transition shade, Swarm (matte light orange with yellow undertones) deep transition shade and the first metallic in the palette Amber (deep copper) similar colour to the outer case. Next up is Keeper (matte burned orange brown) excellent for the crease or all over the lid, Golden (metallic deep gold with a shimmer) beautiful shade for glam occasions, Honey (metallic bright yellow gold with shimmer), this is the masterpiece shade in the palette and Queen ( metallic olive toned shade with brown undertone and gold sparkle), beautiful on the lid for an earthy look. The last four shades are Hive (matte warm toned brown) great for the crease, Drip (rich brick brown shade) excellent for deepening the crease, HBIC (true copper coin shade), lastly Sting (matte chocolate brown with slightly purple undertone), great for darkening any look.




Bright Glam Eyes
For the first look I swept Keeper right across my crease extending it slightly up towards my brow bone. I deepened the outer corners using Hive and Sting to create depth. For the lids I pressed the magical shade Honey right across creating a little cut crease with a flat brush later. For the lower lash line I added the metallic shimmer Amber and topped it off with Flyby on my brow bone.


Soft Smokey Eyes
To start off I dusted Swarm across my upper lid as a warm transition shade. I placed Drip and Sting in the crease and outer edge for dimension. On top I pressed Queen all over my lid. This is such a beautiful shade to be worn for any occasion. I then placed HBIC on my lower lash line along with to brighten the look. I too added Drip and Sting on the lower lash line at the outer corners to deepen the look. To end off I applied Flyby to the brow bone.


I am truly in love with this palette regarding texture, formula, shades and design. Everything compliments my skin tone so well. These shades are warm and neutral enough to wear ever day while containing pops of shimmer for glamorous looks. The palette shades are adaptable and would therefore be great for travel. I recommend this Honey edition to an avid makeup lover. You will truly appreciate its unique qualities. I hope you found this lengthy review helpful and got some inspiration for makeup looks.


Thank you so much for reading!
Divalicious Kisses
Xxxx

Hi Divas

This will be my last post for 2018. Can you believe that the year is practically over? My goodness, what a horrible year it has been, well for me at least. 2018 was not my best year, but God has carried me through it in one piece and I am very grateful for that. Christmas and the New Year are honestly my favourite holidays because they always bring festive cheer and the feeling of new beginnings. I just love seeing all the decorations wherever I go and everyone has that joyful glow. Brands too get into the holiday spirit and release gorgeous Christmas collections every year. My absolute favourite festive collection that has been released in South Africa has to be the Essence Ho Ho Ho! Christmas Edition. Besides the fact that the brand is super affordable, they truly nailed it this time with cute, merry and innovative packaging. I have four products from the holiday edition to share with you. There are eight products within the range including Christmas nail art stickers, nail art stamping set, a highlighter brush and a body and hair shimmer mist.

Essence Oh My Deer Bath Bomb Greeting Card
The bath bomb greeting card is honestly the cutest and most innovative little gift you could have. I love that Essence combined a Christmas card with a lovely scented strawberry bath bomb. It would be a truly thoughtful present to give to someone has you can write a personalized message in the card and give it to any one as the greeting card is unisex and appropriate for any age group. Who does not love a beautiful smelling pamper product? Not to mention the card is so festive and bright you won't need extra trimmings to jazz it up.

Essence Ho Ho Ho! Lip Balm
Essence did really well with the jolly packaging on the lip balm too, as it resembles a Christmas tree bauble. You could totally hang these on your tree and have a fun present hunt. Or you could gift them as secret Santa presents and place them in stocking stuffers. The lip balms are cherry scented and have a slight tint to them. They are quite soft in texture and would be great to whip out at the Christmas table after dinner to touch up your lips.

Essence Ho Ho Ho! Iridescent Powder Highlighter in 01 Twinkle Twinkle
I was quite surprised at the colour choice of this highlighter. Usually brands tend to put out gold and champagne highlighters as these are the common shades that most of us makeup lovers like to wear. Instead Essence went totally out the box and did a full-on pink highlighter instead. I honestly did not think I would like it but I was so wrong! This highlighter is a beautiful holographic pink shade with slight gold and purple shimmers. It reminds me of the Too Faced unicorn highlighters. I actually feel like a unicorn when I wear it. It looks so unique and flattering on me. You can use it as an eyeshadow or blush topper too. It is so pretty, I have been wearing it everyday to work so far.


Essence Ho Ho Ho! Eyeshadow Palette in 01Jingle All The Way
The Piece de Resistance of the whole collection has to be this gorgeous palette. Essence have never released such gorgeous and vibrant eyeshadows before. Theses shades are so pigmented and bright. I love the colour scheme and the size of the pans are much larger than usual. There are 3 mattes, 3 creamy shimmers, 2 creamy satin finishes and one bold glitter eyeshadow. The shades are very pigmented and opaque. The shadows are quite soft therefore, be careful when dipping your brush into the palette. Most of the creamy eyeshadows work better when applied on your lid with your finger as the texture glides on the eyes. The mattes take some work to blend out but with a little patience it would look great, especially in the crease. The glitter eyeshadow is very soft but has some grip to it. It would work best with a glitter eyeshadow primer and applied with your finger. This palette is beautiful and the shadows have the quality of high end brands. The actual palette is made out of cardboard though and comes with a plastic protective sheet for the eyeshadows.

As you can see above the eyeshadows swatch beautifully and are very pigmented. They look amazing on the eyes. There is some fallout with certain shades hence it would be best to do your eye makeup first and your foundation application afterwards. The very top swatch is the pink highlighter. The shade is truly unicorn inspired and I love it so much. Below is a full face with the palette and highlighter applied. I placed a matte terracotta shade in my crease and the dark deep plum satin shade across my lid. For the inner corners I placed the creamy satin gold shade and topped off the outer corner of my eyes with the festive glitter. I placed the highlighter on my brow bone, cheekbones and the centre of my nose. I truly love the way the makeup look turned out. It's so glam and can be worn for any special holiday party.

 Wet n Wild 

Hi Divas

I gifted this eyeshadow palette to my sister as a Christmas gift. My sister is a newbie when it comes to all things makeup. She really wanted a palette that was filled with a variety of colours as well as something that was easy to use. We opted for this palette as it seemed the most user friendly. I asked her if I could borrow it for review purposes and she happily obliged, LOL. I took these photos back in December just after Christmas. Trust me, this palette does not look like this today. It has been used so many times. Wet n Wild is an affordable low end makeup brand. I love most of the products I have purchased from them. Their makeup is excellent quality and last a long time. This is my first experience with their eyeshadows and I was hoping that I would have favourable results as I do with their lipsticks and foundations. On to the review!

The eyeshadows are packaged in a plastic case with a clear lid. The packaging is pretty basic which helps with the low price tag. There are 8 shadows in the palette, each with a decent size. The palette will last you a long time even if you use it every day. This already is great quality for your money. There are three frost shades which are the two Browbone highlights, the rose Eyelid and the teal duochrome Definer shade. The green Eyelid, the medium brown Crease and the dark brown Definer shades have a satin sheen finish. Lastly the dark brown Crease has a slight shimmer finish as there are specks of gold glitter in it. There are no matte or transition shades available in this palette which is a shame, as it would have been nice to have a matte shade to help blend all the shimmers and satins together. Having all sheen and shimmer shades on the eyes without a matte blending eyeshadow, can be messy if you are creating a complicated eye look.

This palette is targeted to those who are just starting out in makeup as there is a helpful guide on the back of the packaging to help create different looks. This is a great concept as most people won't know where and how to apply eyeshadows in a certain way if they are just starting out. I love that they give options to create a sweet everyday look and a dramatic night out look. There is a wonderful variety of colours in the palette and I find that one will never get bored or run out of options when using it. For my look below, I was really intrigued by the duochrome eyeshadow and wanted to see how it would perform on my eyes. I therefore used it as the main attraction on my lids. This is a beautiful and interesting shade. It works well when applied with my finger. Once applied with a brush, the colour changes completely into a purple brown. When applied with the fingers you get that beautiful duochrome teal effect. I used the rosy eyelid shade as a wash of colour in my crease. For my brow bone and inner corner eye area I dusted the lighter beige highlight. I then used the dark brown/burgundy definer on the outer corners of my hairs to slightly deepen the look.

Over all, I am very impressed with the quality of these eyeshadows. They perform really well on the eyes. They blend great and they are quite pigmented. You can easily build up your look from a wash of colour to a more dramatic glam face. There is a bit of fall out in the pan when you place your brush in the eyeshadows but they do not cause any messiness once applied on the eyes. The only gripe I have with it, is that there is no matte or transistion shades to help blend your look. You would have to use another palette to get that desired effect. This palette is lovely for every day wear if you want to do a quick eyelook and use an overall lid colour as the centre piece. This is a good quality and affordable eyeshadow palette that is great for any one starting out in the makeup realm. Well done Wet n Wild! Another wonderful product to add to my list.


Hope you found this review helpful.
Lots of love
Divalicious kisses!
Xxxx

Sephora Collection Makeup Haul

Hi Divas

As most of you may know, I have been to Qatar many times. On each trip I do a crazy shopping haul and purchase things that are not available in South Africa. One of my first and most important stops is SEPHORA!!! I remember the first time I was in a Sephora store back in 2013. I was so excited and overwhelmed, I didn't know where to start and what to buy. I was on a budget too and had to be wise on what I spend my money on. The Sephora Collection brand stood out to me because they had an array of cosmetics all at affordable prices. Each time I went on my little trips I would buy a product from the Sephora counters. The Sephora Collection brand never disappointed me. I feel that this brand has excellent quality and deserve more hype and praise than what they are getting now. I would like to share some of my absolute favourite products from the brand with you.This is going to be a LOooooong review, so get your coffee and your snacks! ;-)



Sephora MicroSmooth Baked Face Powder: This is one of my favourite products from the Sephora brand. I love it so much that I am on my second powder compact. The product is described as an ultra light foundation that gives a smooth and air brushed complexion. This is a baked powder infused with green tea extract and radiance boosting minerals. It is designed as a powder foundation that gives a flawless finish with a no makeup, makeup look. I have the shade Light Nude as I bought it as a brightening setting powder and not to be used as a foundation. Since the actual pigment powders are so finely milled, I prefer to lightly sweep this under my eyes on the top parts of my cheeks and top of my forehead and chin area. All the places I like to highlight I would dust this powder on my face for a natural radiant glow. It truly is amazing. It gives my face an airbrushed look and sets my makeup without caking up. The packaging is solid and with 7g of product it lasts a really long time.

Sephora Shimmering Bronzing Powder: I admit that I bought this bronzing compact mainly for the packaging at first. I couldn't resist the beautiful orange sunray design on the compact and inside the case. To my surprise, this turned out to be a wonderful multi purpose bronzer. I chose the shade Light Seychelle Cruise as I didn't really know what to expect and I am not much of a bronzing person since I am tan already, LOL. I use it to give a sun kissed glow to my cheeks and as a lovely warm toned eyeshadow. The bronzer comes in three different colours. There are two tones of brown and a lovely shade of a rosy pink. There is also tiny specks of shimmer in the product. It is so small that it hardly shows up on the face. It does give a pretty radiant glow though. When you mix all three pigments together you get a natural warm sun kissed colour on the skin. The bronzer works perfectly on the eyes as a transition shade too. I have already mentioned that the packaging is beautiful but the compact is great for travel as it is durable and comes with a good sized mirror. I definitely recommend it and would buy another one if I ran out.



Sephora Colourful 5 Shadow Palette: If my memory serves me correct, this was one of the first products I bought from Sephora. The eyeshadows are from the Colourful 5 collection. There are 8 palettes in the range all consisting of 5 shadows. I chose the Pale to Rich Taupe palette which is a neutral toned compact filled with brown and skin toned eyeshadows. There are no names for the eyeshadows so I will refer to them by colour. The darkest shade is a rich matte chocolate brown great for the crease and lower lash line. There are three satin shades consisting of a golden brown with slight glitter specks in it which can be used on the lid or crease for a smokey eye. There is a beautiful satin taupe shade that has purple and brown undertones and looks lovely on the lids as a sultry look. The next satin shade is a creamy champagne shadow that would look flattering on any skin tone. It is my favourite eyeshadow in the palette. The last shade is a full on glitter pearl eyeshadow which can be worn as a topper over the champagne satin shade or as an inner corner eye highlight. The quality of the shadows are wonderful. They are pigmented and blend easily. I will do a more in depth review on this palette at a later stage.

Sephora The Mascara Volume, Length & Definition: This is a mini version of the actual mascara. I picked this up while waiting in the queue at Sephora. They usually have travel size products at the till area and I just couldn't resist this little cutie. This mascara promises to give length, volume and define your lashes all in one sweep. I have the colour 03 Ultra Black. This size is really great to travel with and throw in your purse. It gives lovely volume and definition to my lashes. The shade is a true black and coats the lashes really well. I like the size of the wand. The brush is thick and filled with bristles which grab the lashes easily and gives good volume and lift. This is not a waterproof mascara and has a tendency to smudge before it dries. Make sure your mascara is completely dry before you attempt to place any eye makeup on the eyes or setting spray. I have exercised in this mascara and it does not run or flake. It also removes easily with a cleansing face wash. I recommend this mascara for travel. It's a good mascara for a quick fix but not for a glam night out.

Sephora Rouge Cream R61: I love Sephora lipsticks. They are seriously good quality. They have an array of shades to choose from. Each colour is highly pigmented and rich in texture. The formula of the creams are beautiful. It glides on the lips effortlessly without it bleeding or smudging everywhere. The creams feel comfortable on the lips and give a slight shine. Your lips will look plump and vibrant. I have the shade R61 Lucky One, which is a deep pink rose. It's like a browny pink tone and looks very flattering on the lips. This is my second lipstick from the Sephora Collection and I totally want to purchase more. The packaging is a sleek black plastic case with the Sephora label in bold silver letters. The design is stylish yet sturdy. It won't break easily and looks lovely displayed on a vanity table.


Let me know if you tried any of these products below. Thank you so much for reading.
Lots of love.
Divalicious Kisses!
Xxxx

Hi Divas

Welcome back to my blog. Yes I know it has been a while since I posted anything meaningful on here. To be honest I struggled to get back into the blogging groove. Easter happened and I was doing shows and didn't have the motivation to blog. I have since shaken off that negative energy and decided to get back into the swing of things. Also, I totally forgot that this month my blog turned 5 years old. Whoop Whoop!!! Happy Birthday to Diva Desle ;-) Any way to brighten things up on this little space of mine I thought I would do a fun post. This week I am sharing some great and crazy makeup hacks with you. Hope you like them.

1. Create your own Tinted Moisturizer: If you have natural glowy skin and want a light coverage base on lazy Saturdays, you could totally create your own BB cream. Mix a drop of your foundation and moisturiser and blend it on your face. You will enhance your natural beauty and look like you have flawless skin. Of course be careful what foundation you use. Preferably pick one that blends out easily with your hands and does not cake up or become chunky.

2. Control Oils With Powder Before Foundation: If you struggle with oily skin and your makeup tends to melt off your face here is a quick hack for you. Before applying foundation, dab a little bit of translucent powder on your t-zone. Make sure you do a light layer so that the powder is not visible. This will create an extra barrier for your oils to seep through before it hits your foundation. If you know you are going to be out in the sun all day and your trusty makeup primer is nowhere to be seen, then this is a great trick.

3. Swatch Lipsticks On Your Finger Tips: When swatching lipsticks in stores don't swatch them on the back of your hand. Swatch them on the tips of your fingers. It has a similar appearance to your lips. I know, like who knew?! This will help you in making those super tough life decisions.... Coral red or Coral pink?

4.  Use Sticky Tape To Spot Clean Your Eyeshadow Brushes: So you are in a hurry or you went on a business trip and only brought one eyeshadow brush with you, don't fret. Miraculously you got some sticky tape lying around, LOL. Take a piece and use the sticky side to clean off any eyeshadow you used before. Gentle rub the bristles on the adhesive side and watch how easy it is to clean your brush in seconds. This is great if you only have one brush to do a whole eye look.Yes the struggle can sometimes be SO REAL.

5. 3 In 1 Look With Lipstick: Did you know you can use lipstick as a cream eyeshadow and not only as a blush. Yip it is true folks! It gives a natural flush of colour on your eyelids when you blend it out with your finger. I have done this before and it seriously works. Say you at the gym or in a random parking lot looking like a walking corpse. You see a cute guy walk pass and you want to look semi decent when he sees you. Just grab that pink lipstick and plump up your lips, cheeks and eyes. Viola semi goddess in seconds ;-D Do remember obviously creamy formulas blend out better than mattes. Also a light sheer pink or nude colours look more flattering on the eyes. Make it work for you girl. *wink* ;-)

6. Make Your Own Colourful Liquid Eyeliners: This hack is for the adventurous spirit in you! Scrape off some coloured eyeshadow of your choice and mix it with eyeshadow primer and a bit of Vaseline. Blend it with a brush and draw it on with an eyeliner brush. You can also spray some MAC Fix Plus to make the product glide on easier. Great if you are at a festival or music concert and want to jazz up your makeup.You don't need to spend money buying 10 different colour eyeliners. Make your own when the occasion arises.

7. Match Your Concealer Shade With Your Inner Arms: This one blew my mind away too! The skin on your inner arm is usually a true indication of your actual skin tone as it has not been touched by the sun. If you want to conceal blemishes and scars (not highlight your face) then match your concealer shade to the tone of your skin on your inner arm. The shade that matches you the most will be perfect to conceal imperfections and still look natural and not overdone.

8. DIY Highlighter Brush: If you have fluffy brushes and struggle to control the amount of highlight you put on your face then this hack does the trick. Take a hair pin and place it towards the middle of your makeup brush hairs. It will cause the hairs to taper and create a perfect shape to apply your highlight. This is great if you are travelling and you only brought minimal makeup brushes along with you. You might be out of control when using a fluffy brush and end up looking like a glittery unicorn if you don't restrain your overly excited hand. It seriously works!

9. Craziest one yet! Make Your Own Face Setting Spray: If you have seriously sensitive skin, this last hack is just for you. Most setting sprays contain chemicals that might aggravate your skin if you are allergic to the ingredients. To prevent your skin from becoming irritated and full blown angry with you, mix a few drops of Aloe Vera gel with some purified water in a bottle. Use a 1:3 ratio and shake it up. Viola, you have a refreshing makeup spray. You can even add a few drops of rose water, lavender or witch hazel to give your spray a lovely scent and kick to revive the skin. This spray will freshen up your makeup and revitalise your face. Make sure to use purified water and not regular tap water as this spray will contain no preservatives and won't last as long as store bought spray. 

*****

Do you have any makeup hacks you want to share with me? Comment down below.

Thank you so much for reading. 
Lots of love. 
Xxxx

 Hi Divas!

Recently everybody and their dog was doing the Ride or Die makeup tag on YouTube and I decided to be annoying and do it too, Hahaha. ;-D It was created by the very famous beauty Youtuber Jaclyn Hill. The tag is all about your holy grail products. Cosmetics that have never let you down and makeup that has been with you through thick and thin and will always be your number one. I have included Korean brands as well as Western brands because you know I am about that ''Cosmetics around the World'' Life! This is quite a long tag so hope you enjoy reading it and find some mini reviews helpful.

1. Ride or Die Primer: Clarins Beauty Flash Balm. This is a skincare and makeup product in one. I love that it brightens and lifts my face while creating a smooth and even canvas to apply my foundation.

2. Ride or Die Foundation: Peripera BB cream. This Korean product comes in the cutest packaging you will ever see. I am already on my second bottle. The BB cream gives me the coverage that I need while still looking natural on my face.

3.  Ride or Die Concealer: Rimmel Stay Matte Stick Concealer. This concealer is so creamy and blends like a dream! Unfortunately I have not seen it in stores for a while. Someone please tell me that this is not discontinued. *Crying face*.

4.  Ride or Die Powder: Innisfree No Sebum Powder. Another holy grail Korean product is this very famous Innisfree powder. It's similar to an HD powder which smooths the face and eliminates all traces of oil. It blends makeup well and has a super fine texture.

5.  Ride or Die Contour: NYX Contour Stick. I am not much of a contour girl, but I do enjoy a light application of it on special occasions. I use the nifty NYX contour stick as it is easy to travel with and to apply on the face. You can read my review on it here.

6.  Ride or Die Bronzer: Sephora Collection Shimmering Bronzer on Seychelles Cruise. I love that it contains three shades of colour and can be used as a bronzer or dark blush as well as an eyeshadow. Yay! ;-)

7.  Ride or Die Blush: Too Faced Sweethearts blush in Peach Beach. I feel like my cheeks were kissed by unicorns when I use this blush. Not only is the packaging gorgeous but the blush can be used as a eyeshadow and highlighter too. Read my full review here.

8.  Ride or Die Highlighter: The Balm Mary LouManizer. This is a great universal highlighter and perfect for travel. Read my review on it here.

9. Ride or Die Eyeshadow Primer: Urban Decay Primer Potion. I have used many eyeshadow primers but nothing has ever come close to Urban Decay. It is seriously holy grail material.

10.  Ride or Die Eyeshadow Palette: Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette. This palette has a lot of sentimental value to me as it is the first Sephora product and Too Faced product I ever bought. I love it so much and we will never ever part! Review here.

11. Ride or Die Single Eyeshadow: Essence Single Eyeshadows. I am not much of a single eyeshadow person, but I do enjoy the Essence single eyeshadows. They are super affordable and some of the shades can double up as a highlighter and bronzer.

12.  Ride or Die Eye Liner: Essence Super Fine Liner. No product can create a wing that can cut my worst enemies like this liner. Plus it  retails for under R50/ $5. Hello!!! Review here!

13.  Ride or Die Mascara: Lancome Hypnose Drama Mascara. I love this mascara as it gives bold dramatic lashes which stays put all day. I will buy this mascara over and over again.

14.  Ride or Die Lip Liner: NYX Lip Liner in Pinky. I only use on lip liner and this one by NYX is my holy grail product. It remains in my cosmetics purse and compliments all my lipsticks.

15.  Ride or Die Lipstick: Wet n' Wild Bare It All and Mauve Outta Here Lipsticks. I cheated and chose two lipsticks. These are my favourite as they are light on the wallet and give a beautiful semi matte finish on my lips. They also work with any makeup look. LOVE!!! Review on them here.

16. Ride or Die Lipgloss: NYX Butter Gloss in Peaches And Cream. I am not much of a lip gloss wearer but these glosses smell so good and give a beautiful sheen on my lips.



Thank you for reading!
Divalicious Kisses
Xxxx

Hi Divas!

So Winter is almost coming to a close in the Southern Hemisphere. I feel like Cape Town could not decide whether she wanted to be fully committed to Winter or not. There were many bitterly cold stormy days but there were also gorgeous hot sunny days too. Nevertheless I am happy that Summer is on its way because South Africans don't do Winter well. We love our sunshine! To end off the season, I thought I would do a ''things I loved'' kind of post. If you remember I usually do a ''things I have been loving this month'' blog post but I think I will wrap three months into one this time round. 

1. To start off I have to mention my favourite Winter perfume for 2016. It has to go to Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire, Eau De Parfum Couture. Long name, I know! The bottle design is absolutely stunning. The scent has floral and fruity notes with just the right amount of warmth for a lovely Winter fragrance. It is sweet and woody at the same time, giving it a sense of elegance about it.

2. Who said you cannot eat ice cream in Winter? Ice cream on cold Winter days are such a treat. I honestly feel like a rebel when I indulge in it. I recently discovered a quaint ice cream cafe right next to a hotdog stand at the Waterfront in Cape Town. They sell the most delicious toppings. So yum!

3. To keep my skin from being dull and losing that inner glow, I used the Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Pearl. I would mix a pump of it into my daily moisturiser and apply it all over my face. The results of this combo are amazing. My skin looks so radiant and youthful. When you apply your foundation over the moisturizer and highlighting combination, you literally get a lit from within look.  Read my review on the Becca product here.

4. I feel like I have drunk more Bubble tea during Winter than I have ever drunk in the Summer time. My favourite go to flavours are Rooibos tea with cranberries and blueberries, along with Rooibos tea with lemon and passion fruit. Bubble tea is refreshing and delicious. Plus it is so much fun to drink. If you haven't tried it yet, then do yourself a favour and get to a cafe now.

5. Sheet masks have been such a special treat to use during Winter. It kept my face moisturised and nourished. I love to use it at night and wake up to gorgeous flawless skin in the morning. I am seriously addicted to sheet masks. I even got my mom hooked!  Follow me on Snapchat @divadesle, to see more of my sheet mask madness and the different brands I use. You can also read my sheet mask post here.

6. The Too Faced Peach Palette was basically the only palette I wore these past months. I love it sooooo much. There are many varieties of eyeshadows to choose from. This is a warm palette that can be worn all year round. I have been wearing a lot of the rustic brown shades during the cold months. Plus the palette smells amazing and puts me in a good mood when I use it. Favourite palette of life right now!!! Read my review on it here.

7. My favourite Winter lipstick for 2016 has to be Sephora Rouge R17 in Mmmm. I bought this lipstick at Sephora in Qatar. I love the formula of this lipstick as it is hydrating and has a semi matte finish, though it glides on like a cream. The colour is a mix between a sandy pink and lavender shade. I wear it almost everyday and it never leaves my handbag.

8. I got back into the nail art groove again, which is quite surprising since it is Winter. I usually don't do nail art in Winter because my hands are always dry and my nails go brittle and break easily. I started nourishing my hands with The Body Shop Wild Argan Oil Miracle Solid Oil (review here) to save my hands from becoming crusty. It did wonders and my nails grew strong and healthy. My creative juices started to flow again and I managed to paint some fun designs. Follow me on Instagram to see more @divadesle ;-)

9. The beach or anywhere near the sea are my favourite places to hang out and enjoy life. Taking long walks on the beach or going for a run along the promenade on a sunny Winter's day is especially enjoyable for me. I swear, you could take a thousand pictures of the sea and not one will be exactly the same. There is so much beauty in the ocean and the horizon. It is just breathtaking and warms my soul! 



Let me know what you loved these past few months below!
Divalicious Kisses
Xxxxx

The Balm Mary Lou Manizer

Highlighter Review

Hi Divas!

The Balm Mary Lou Manizer is one of the most iconic highlighters in the beauty universe. It is almost everybody's ride or die highlighter. While I was using this beauty one fine day, I saw I that I  hit pan on it for the first time. I was like hold the phone! I didn't even review this on my blog yet and I already hit pan on this gem. I need to get my life together and do a review ASAP. Luckily I took blog pics way in advance when I first received it. I found them in the archives of my phone and I can now do a thorough review. I know that there are thousands upon thousands of reviews regarding this product, but I want to add my 2 cents as well. Before I start my review I want to say thank you to Tasneem for gifting me this product along with some other goodies for my birthday back in the day. You can read her blog CityGirlVibe here. 

The Mary Lou Manizer comes in the most cheekiest packaging you will ever see. It's a mugshot of a woman with a retro feel. She probably got arrested for being too damn fine! Or her highlight was blinding everyone and she became a danger to society. Either way, she is not apologetic about anything! She is shinning bright like a diamond. This naughty compact comes with a good size mirror and 8.5g of product. It's a perfect size that can be placed in your handbag. The plastic casing is quite sturdy as well. I have travelled with this compact to the Middle East and it really stood the test of time in my suitcase. It's slim and cute. Definitely one of the favourite things in my makeup bag.

What makes this highlighter so amazing is that it's a three in one product. It can be used as a highlighter, eyeshadow and all over shimmer product. The highlighter has a smooth almost buttery texture. It's not tacky or chunky. It has a silky appearance and glides on the skin without accentuating large pores or scars. The shimmers are so finely milled that it is not grainy or powdery either. The colour is described as a honey toned pigment. Honey tones look beautiful on all skin types. On my skin it gives a gorgeous golden glow. It has a luminous glowing from within shine. It is really stunning on the cheekbones. The result is a crisp illuminating pigment which diffuses light and gives a warm glow. When used as an eyeshadow you can seriously layer on the product. I love that you can build as much golden intensity as you want to. When used with a good eyeshadow primer the luminizer can knock any golden eyeshadow out of the park! Things to note about this compact as well is that it is talc free, paraben free and cruelty free too. How can you not fall in love with this?!

As I have mentioned above, the Mary Lou Manizer is perfect for travel. I have travelled with this compact many times and used it has a highlight and eyeshadow in one. Above is one of my signature looks when I want to look glam but have minimal products available. For my travel glam look, I usually place my favourite bb cream all over my face and fill in my eyebrows with a pomade. I then warm up my crease by lightly dusting a blush and bronzer all over it. To add some glam I place the Mary Lou Manizer all over my lids with a eyeshadow brush. I really pack on the colour for an intense shimmery look. I then add liner and my favourite mascara. For my face, I dust some Mary Lou Manizer on my cheekbones and add some blush and bronzer. I also run the highlighter down the bridge of my nose and on top of my lipstick for a more defined glam look.

I am absolutely in love with this highlighter. It is such a great investment and will last you a really long time. I love finding products that I can travel with and that can be used for more than one purpose. Let me know below if you have used this highlighter. I now know why this is everyone's holy grail makeup product ;-)

Lots of Divalicious Kisses
Xxxx

Throw Your Nasty Crusty Makeup Away!

Hi Divas!

I know we all have that one makeup product that no matter what animal species are growing on it, we just refuse to throw it away. Don't act like you don't know what I am talking about. It might be your first foundation colour match you ever bought, or that lipstick that was discontinued two years ago. We all have a cosmetic product that for nostalgic or emotional attachments we just won't let go of. I know it can be hard sometimes because it is in our comfort zone or that product was so damn expensive you don't even want to think of your money going down the drain. As most things in life, including yourself, makeup has an expiry date. It's gonna kick the bucket some day. Most beauty products actually don't have expiry dates printed on them. Therefore it is easy to forget and keep using old makeup. You should take note of when you bought your cosmetics and if the formulas have changed for the worst over time. We all have to be aware that whatever me put on our skin gets absorbed by our bodies. For some our skin is resistant to many things. For others it is a different story and can lead to serious skin infections, breakouts and allergies later in life. Below is a guideline as to when to throw that nasty makeup away!

1.Liquid Foundations and Cream Products: *6-12 Months Lifespan!*. Most foundations come in liquid formulas. The components in liquid products break down and separate faster than dry ingredients. As with cream products such as concealers these can become hard or flakey. Check your makeup to see if your foundation consistency has changed and become lumpy. Sometimes oil would separate from the foundation and sit as a another layer on top. When this happens throw it away.

2. Powder Foundations, Blushes, Bronzers and Loose Setting Powders: *2 Years Lifespan!*. Unlike liquids, powder products last longer as the ingredients are dry and bacteria takes a lot longer to grow on them and break it down. Sometimes powder products can form a layer of crust on them due to oils that we transfer from our skin onto our makeup products. You can scrape the crusty top layer off and the product will be fine underneath. If your powders have been in your makeup draw for more than 2 years, throw it away. Bacteria is still swimming around on it and you do not want to transfer those buggers on your face. Eeww!

3.Eyeshadows: *2 Years Lifespan!*. As with powder products most eyeshadows are dry pigments so bacteria won't break it down quickly. Here again, a top layer of crust may form on your eyeshadow due to oils transferring from your fingers onto the product. You can scrape the top layer off and your eyeshadow will be good as new. If you see that the whole eyeshadow has turned hard and crusty, not just the top layer, then throw it away. That eye infection ain't worth your time!

4. Mascaras: *3 to 6 Months Lifespan*. This is a hard one. I know I struggle to throw my mascara away after 6 months if I feel that I can still get some use out of it. Unfortunately bacteria breeds very quickly in mascaras. We are constantly pumping air into the tubes making it a bacteria's play ground. Mascara formulas therefore break down fairly quickly. To prevent your mascara from expiring in a jiffy, try to not pump your mascara. Rather twist it inside the tube if you need more product. You can tell when mascara has reached its end. When the formula gets hard and very clumpy then it's time to toss that bad boy.

5. Lipsticks: *12 to 18 Months Lifespan!*. Oh gosh, I fail again! I have lipsticks from 2010. Let me just go hide my head in shame. Lipsticks are creams and the formulas tend to change over time. They can become either flakey, separated or start having a watery texture. Sometimes lipsticks change according to the weather as well. It all depends on whether it was stored in a hot humid environment. Lipsticks are also a big breeding ground for bacteria. Excuse me while I purge my old nasty lipsticks.

 6: Eyeliners in Pencil, Creams or Gel Formulas: *6 Months to 2 Years Lifespan!*.  Pencil eyeliners can last for 2 years has they can be sharpened to remove bacteria and make it good as new. Gel liners and cream liners last for about 6 months. They become dry, hard and cracked. If you see your pencil liners and gel liners become crumbly and hard. Throw it away. It's time to move on.

Help you found this helpful.

Lots of love.

Xxxx

Hello gorgeous Divas!

This week I bring to you the creme de la creme of all eyeshadow palettes! As most of you may know I am a Too Faced fanatic. All their makeup products speaks to my pink, cute and all things pretty fetishes. When I saw the ultra gorgeous packaging of this beauty, I knew I had to get my hands on it. So how did I obtain the stunning Bon Bons palette you may ask? Well I saved up my spending money and skipped on some lunch and dinner meals, literally! When I was in Qatar back in April, I knew that I wanted to get something sweet from Sephora. In my first few days I was there, I priced this palette and a few other things. It was really expensive and I was debating whether I should get it or not because I didn't want to use my credit card. On my last day in Qatar I had saved some of my spending money and went straight to Sephora and bought the palette with my eyes closed. I knew it was a now or never purchase. Buy or cry, was my motto for the day. At that point I had no more money left to buy lunch, dinner or let alone pay for a taxi back to the hotel. I was hoping that my Qatari boss would take us out for a last supper kind of thing and pay for my meals and give me a ride. He did by the way, hahaha. I left Qatar with a 'broke as heck' face, but with a happy heart because my palette was in my suitcase. Crazy I know. The life of a beauty junkie is real people. ;-D

The Bon Bons palette is the third edition to the Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette family. What makes it so unique is the breakout packaging from the other two palettes. The original, which I own, and the Semi Sweet chocolate bar palette have the standard chocolate bar blocks engraved on them. They look exactly like a huge slab of delicious chocolate. This one however is pink and covered in embossed hearts. It makes my heart melt whenever I look at it. Did I mention I am a sucker for all things cute, girly and pink? ;-) Thank goodness Too Faced did not change the scent of this one. When you open the palette that decadent cocoa smell hits you in the face just like the original palette. There are 16 eyeshadows, 14 of which are in the heart shaped pans and two in the rectangular shaped pans. It comes with a standard mirror and a how to use pamphlet to give you some makeup ideas and inspirations. The palette is slim and has a magnetic closure. It is sturdy enough to travel with and will look absolutely stunning on any vanity table.

The quality of the eyeshadows definitely does not disappoint. Not only is the packaging absolutely stunning but so is the pigmentation and wearability of the shades.There are 5 true matte shades which are Almond Truffle, Pecan Praline, Bordeaux, Mocha and Malted. There are also 2  borderline matte shades with the tiniest specks of glitter in them, named Cashew Chew and Divinity. The palette has 2 with a metallic finish called Cafe Au Lait and Molasses Chip. Along with those are 6 with a satin finish known as Satin Sheets, Cotton Candy, Sprinkles, Dark Truffle, Totally Fetched and Earl Grey. There is one pop of shimmery glitter called Black Currant which is a deep purple/plum shade. All the eyeshadows are very pigmented and buildable. They are buttery and blend out easily without much effort. I especially love the matte shades in this palette as they are not powdery at all but so smooth and great to work with.

There are many options for lid a colour which makes this palette a treat to use. I love that I will never get bored in creating signature makeup styles. I especially love to use Satin Sheets and Molasses Chip on my eyelids for a gorgeous bright appearance. The pink shades Sprinkle and Cotton Candy look like sparkling strawberry milkshake shades on the eyes. I love using that combination to create a fun and pink romantic look. The colours really stand out on my honey skin tone. The eyeshadows that have created the most hype are of cause Earl Grey and Totally Fetched. These pops of colour are quite unique in the Chocolate bar family. Totally Fetched is a deep fuchsia pink which I love to use as a transition shade. Earl Grey is a lovely dark teal shade which works best in the crease or on the outer V of the eyelid. If you love experimenting with colour and trying out new combinations then this palette is right up your alley.

I wanted to incorporate as many eyeshadows as I could into my makeup look. I prefer doing actual tutorials than swatches on my blog. There are many swatches of the eyeshadows all over the internet if you want a more in depth look. I used 6 eyeshadows to create my look below. I swept Divinity all over my upper lid and brow bow area as a white base to blend my eyeshadows. I placed Satin Sheets right under my brow bone and on the inner corners of my eyes as a highlight. For my transition shade I blended Almond Truffle which is a warm brown mauve and lightly dusted the fuchsia pink Totally Fetched just underneath it and into my crease. For my outer V, I blended Earl Grey on my lids and dragged it to the centre of my eyes. I then placed Molasses Chip on the inner corner of the eyes and dragged it to the centre to merge with Earl Grey. I carefully and gradually blended the edges together in the centre where the two shades meet. I mirrored the look on the bottom lash line as well. I then added eyeliner on the bottom lash line, a dramatic winged liner on the top lash line and added loads of mascara. I have to admit it took me three attempts to perfect this look and i finally got it right. I think it came out pretty good ;-)

To conclude my review, I am utterly in love with this palette. This is a cool toned eyeshadow palette that does not disappoint. It is packed with a lot of gorgeous shades both in the matte and shimmer department. The packaging is perfect and any makeup junkie would be a fool to pass out on it. I give this palette a whole lot of divaliscious kisses. Is it a palette that you definitely need? The answer is No. If you have other eyeshadows similar in your collection to these then you don't really need the palette. Is it a beautiful palette that a makeup junkie should own to add to their collection? The answer is a big fat Yes! Need I say more? ;-)

Lots of Divalicious Kisses
Xxxx