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!

Welcome to my blog! A place where makeup junkies and fellow crazy people can hang out with me. Today I will be reviewing a contour product by NYX called Wonder Stick. If you watch YouTube makeup tutorials you would know that there was a time when it was all about that contoured and chiseled face! Every brand was coming out with a contour palette and every beauty Youtuber was carving out their face like a professional sculptor. I was never on the contour bandwagon as I was too lazy to care because it was an extra step to my already long makeup routine. Plus all those products on my face tend to look super cakey when blended in with my foundation and powders, so I just gave it a skip. Unfortunately for me I wasn't blessed with beautiful supermodel bone structure. In fact I have no cheekbones and a whole lot of chubby cheeks on my face. So I would probably benefit the most from that contoured life but I just can't handle those cumbersome contour palettes. They just look clumsy and unnecessarily big to me. In comes NYX Wonder Stick. A petite and nifty product that I can pop in my makeup bag and be super inconspicuous on my vanity table while giving me that contoured life look. Whoop!

 GET THAT CONTOURED LIFE!


The Wonder Stick comes in 4 shades and I have it in WS02 Medium Tan. It is shaped like a chubby stick and has two sides to it. One is a contour stick and the other a highlighting stick which rotate up and down with a plastic cap. The highlight shade is matte and has a light but bright coverage. The contour shade is a matte taupe brown that looks quite natural on my skin tone and doesn't leave that horrible orange streaks. I love the packaging of the stick as it is small and super convenient. I have two products in one which can fit into the smallest travel bags. NYX gives a reasonable amount of product as it is quite similar to cream concealers that I own from other brands. The box comes with pictures and a step by step guide in how to achieve that perfect contour. For those who watch a trillion beauty videos like me you definitely don't need a guideline as the contoured rules have been etched into your brain already. For the newbies out there NYX does a great job in explaining where to shade and highlight on the face.

 THE CONTOUR WARRIOR HAS BEEN UNLEASHED!


How to Contour and a Key Tip:

As you can see in the photo above I used the lighter shade to highlight the bridge of my nose, under my eyes, centre of my forehead and chin area. Basically you draw a highlighted tree with the base down your nose and the branches across your forehead. Draw upside down triangles under your eyes to get a glowing effect on your face. For the contour we want to fake it till me make it and carve out those non existent cheekbones. Draw lines from your ear to the centre where your nostrils end right under your cheekbone line. Suck in those cheeks and create fish lips for a more precise measurement! Then draw contour lines on the sides of your nose, around the end of your jaw line and across the tops of your forehead. Now here is the key that defines a gorgeous contoured face from a disastrous one: BLEND, BLEND AND BLEND SOME MORE!
You will need a makeup brush or beauty sponge and blend those cream products until they look like shadows and highlights on your face instead of sharp drawn crayon lines.

What's my verdict on this product:
I love it! This is perfect for me as I mentioned before that it is so convenient and travel friendly. Both cream products blend wonderfully onto my skin without it looking cakey or harsh. I love that the shades are natural and they won't make me look like a oompa loompa once applied on my face. I like to set the contour and highlight with matching bronzers and highlighting powders to seal the cream products on the face. The lighter shade is strictly for highlighting purposes. If you want to hide blemishes or dark circles you will have to apply your favourite concealer underneath before you apply this product for extra coverage. The trick that I found to creating a flawless non cakey look is applying a light layer of foundation first on the face then apply your concealers and this wonder stick. Set everything with your desired powders and your face will look naturally highlighted and contoured. As contouring is an extra layer on your face it is important to not cake up your foundation on first application. Start light as you will be layering it with contour creams and powders. This will prevent your makeup from creasing under the eyes and end up looking like a hot cakey mess.


 Forget it or Get it!:
If you are looking for a no fuss contour that looks natural and blends well, then give this Wonder Stick a try.  I loved that it's a trouble free, no fuss product that gives me a natural contour. GET IT!



Hope you found this review helpful
Divalicious kisses
Xxxx

Hi gorgeous Divas!

I am super excited for this week's post. As you can see by the title, my little blog is celebrating it's 4th birthday. Whoop!!! I started blogging in April 2012.  I have really been enjoying this hobby of mine in the past four years and have learned so much. Blogging gives me so much happiness. It is a place of self expression, being crazy, sharing experiences and appreciating the beautiful things in life. Thank you to everyone who has stuck around with me and to the new divas I have met, thank you so much too. To celebrate I am doing a little giveaway. 

The Prize:

Prizes Include:
-The Body Shop Fuji Green Tea Body Butter
-Oh So Heavenly Age Defence Perfect Picture Miracle Blur Primer
-NYX Matte Bronzer in Dark Tan
-NYX Baked Blush in Statement Red
-NYX A Push Up Bra For Your Eyebrow Pencil
-NYX Single Eyeshadows in Epic and Startruck
-NYX Matte Lipstick in Sable
-NYX Intense Butter Gloss in Apple Crisp
-L'occitane travel size body lotions
-Clarins Travel size Instant Light Lip Perfector
-Clarins Makeup Bag

Two Rules:

1) Follow Diva Desle on Twitter and Retweet the giveaway tweet

And/Or

Like the Diva Desle Facebook page and share the giveaway post

And/Or

Follow Diva Desle on Instagram and share the post on your Instagram profile

2) Comment below anything you like with your email address or Twitter/ Instagram handle so that I can contact you if you win.

*Giveaway will run from the 4th April 2016 to the 11th April 2016. Only South African residents are allowed to enter. All giveaway accounts will be disqualified from winning. *

All the best and lots of love. 

Mwha Xxxx

Spring Makeup F.O.T.D 

Hi Divas!

Last week I did the Spring Fling tag on the blog which you can read here. This week, I thought I would use some of the products I mentioned in that post and do a fun makeup tutorial. Of cause you don't have to have the exact same products that I have used to create this look.I thought I would get you inspired for spring and you can use whatever is in your makeup bag for a fun bright makeup look. The weather in Cape Town has really been depressing. It has been grey and raining a lot lately. How I wish Cape Town would wake up and smell the flowers! It is Spring people!!!

Makeup Tutorial:

1. Firstly I covered my face with the Guerlain Super Aqua BB Cream. I prefer using BB creams rather than foundations. It gives my face a more natural and glowing appearance.

2. I filled in my eyebrows and set them with the Essence Eyebrow Stylist Set and Essence Lash and Brow Gel Mascara. I applied the Nyx Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk all over my eyelids to prime them and create a white base as I am working with bright colourful eyeshadows.

3. I took the Yardley Suntorini Eyeshadow palette and used the lightest matte brown shade and dusted it all over my eye lids to warm it up.

4. I added a warm shimmery brown shade of the BH Cosmetics That's Heart palette and lightly applied it in my crease just to warm up the eye a little.

5. I then applied the pink shade of the That's heart palette and the deep pink shade of the Yardley Suntorini palette and mixed them together to create a pretty pink eyeshadow on my eyelids. I then blended everything with a fluffy brush.

6. After that I took an angled brush an applied the turquoise eyeshadow of the That's heart palette and glided it across my lower lash line.

7. For eyeliner I used the Nyx Super Fat Marker on my upper lash line and volumised my eye lashes with the Loreal Miss Manga Mascara.

8. For concealer I used the Catrice Coverstick under my eyes and set my face with the Maybelline Clear Smooth powder. To contour my face I applied the blush, bronzer and highlighter using the That's Heart palette.

9.Once that was done I mixed the Etude House Dear My Blooming Lips Talk lipstick in RD304 and Maybelline Fuchsia Flash lipstick for bright pink lips.

Final Thoughts:

If you love colour and not afraid to wear it this would be a great bright spring look to rock. If you want to tone the look down a little bit, you could skip the turquoise eyeshadow under the eyes and apply a pretty pink gloss instead of bright pink lipstick. I really hope you enjoyed this look. Let me know what you like to rock in spring: bright lips, floral accessories or dresses?

Have a fabulous week Divas! Xxxx

Hi Divas!

Sorry that I have been M.I.A last week. I was very busy with work and didn't find the time to blog. This week I am back and I bring to you my mini NYX haul. I have never really used NYX products up until now and I must say that I feel I have totally been depriving myself from an awesome makeup brand. I bought these goodies at Clicks for a show that I was doing. I needed makeup products that would be pigmented and long lasting, since I was dancing like a crazy person on stage every day. Here are my four reviews of the goodies I bought and used this past two months.

NYX Super Fat Eye Marker: 
The eye liner/marker comes in a thick tube that resembles a black highlighter. The packaging is sturdy plastic that can be held comfortably in the hand. The marker has a thick black tip just like a koki pen. It is designed to create a thick black line across the eye. This is great to use if you are creating a rock chick edgy look and want a thick line for a smoky eye. This marker is also perfect to create the perfect Arabian eye liner which I have used it for. If you are new to winged liners and cat eyes this is a great product to start out with and practice drawing a precise line across the eye. I could control the pen perfectly when creating my winged eye liner. The marker works well if you are pressed for time and you want a beautiful black winged line without having to slowly draw it across with a gel liner and brush. The pigmentation of the marker is fabulous. The black is sharp and intense. It does not smudge easily but if you do rub your liner vigorously when it is completely dry it will smudge a bit. If you want a smudged liner it would be best to smudge it before it dries. I love this marker and use it every day. It makes a big difference to if you want to create dramatic eyes.

NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk: 
Every beauty guru on YouTube has been raving about this jumbo eye pencil so of cause I had to give it a try. I use this as an eyeshadow base to create a smooth light canvas for bright eyeshadows to pop with colour. I also use it as a primer so that my eyeshadows last all day and do not crease. I have used it to line my lower water line as well. The pen is quite thick so you have to lightly glide it across the water line or you will end up looking really sickly (not cool!). The product is soft and glides smoothly onto the eyelids. It blends really well and does not melt or slide off my lids. I do apply pressed powder underneath the pencil to keep my eyelids matte and oil free. The packaging is paper and plastic and resembles a crayon. I am very disappointed with the packaging of these pencils even though I love the product. When I bought it I was hoping that the pencil had a twist cap at the bottom and I could just twist the product out. Unfortunately these jumbo pencils need to be sharpened. You will need a very sharp jumbo pencil sharpener as the paper is quite hard. Needless to say I had to buy me a brand new sharpener.

NYX Liquid Crystal Liner in Crystal Gold:

This is a fun glitter product that I would place in the 'extra' makeup category. This is not an essential makeup product but it is great to whip out for a fancy dress party, stage makeup and the like. The glitter liquid liner has been created for the eyes but can be used anywhere on the face for some decoration. It has a mini slim brush that works well for creating precise lines and patterns on the eyes and face. The product is easy to use and lasts long.


NYX Slim Pencil Liner in Pinky:
This is an inexpensive lip liner that I feel can rival some of the best MAC lip liners out there. The pigmentation and durability is excellent. I have one in the shade Pinky. I use it with most of my pink lipsticks because the colour is quite versatile. The tip is sturdy and does not break or crumble when applied on the lips or when the pencil is being sharpened.



Below are the tips of the products and swatches. As you can see the pigmentation is excellent and the textures are ultra smooth.

NYX Super Fat Eye Marker; NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk; NYX Liquid Crystal Liner in Crystal Gold; NYX Slim Pencil Liner Liner in Pinky.

Hope you found these reviews helpful, ladies. Let me know if you have tried any of these products below. Have a wonderful week ahead.
Much love!
Xxxx

All About Eyes Tag

Hi Divas!

Hope you all had an amazing weekend. This week on the blog I will be doing a fun beauty tag. Since my eyes are my favourite feature on my face I thought I would do a spot light post of it on the blog. Hope you enjoy it. P.S. I have a makeup giveaway on my Facebook page currently running. So head on over to Diva Desle on Facebook and enter! There are three lovely products up for grabs.
Much love!

Tag Questions: 1. What eye cream/serum do you use?

I don't use eye creams or serums. I do love to use the Essence Cooling Eye Roll On ball. It contains cucumber extracts that soothes and moisturizes puffy eyes. I love to roll this under my eyes in the morning if they are feeling tired and looking puffy and red.
 

2. What is your favourite under eye concealer?

I love using the Essence Stay Natural concealer. I use it mainly to highlight as it is quite sheer but I love the natural finish it leaves on my face. You can read my full review on it here .
 

3. What is your favourite eye brow product?

I think you will notice a pattern here, but I really love using the Essence Eyebrow Stylist Set. It comes with two shades of brow shadow and stencils. You can read my full review on that product here.
 

4. What is your favourite eye shadow primer?

My absolute favourite would have to be the Urban Decay Primer Potion. This product is amazing and never creases your eyeshadow. A little product goes a long way too, so it is a great investment.
 

5. Your favourite shadow palette ( you must choose just one).

This is a very hard decision to make as I love all my eyeshadow palettes. If I have to choose only one it would have to be my Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette. This palette contains a variety of neutral eyeshadows that can be worn every day. You can also create many glam smokey eye looks for a night out. This is a beautiful and versatile palette.

6. Your favourite eye makeup remover.
 I love using Clarins Instant Eye Makeup remover. It is gentle on my eyes and removes the toughest black liner.

7. Your favourite mascara.

It would have to be the Lancome Hypnose Drama Mascara. I adore the formulae and the brush. It gives gorgeous dramatic lashes.
 

8. Your favourite eye liner (gel, kohl,felt tip).

To create a beautiful winged liner I love using the NYX Super Fat Marker black liner. I will do a full review on it soon. It gives me a beautiful precise line across my eyelids.

9. Your favourite single eyeshadow.

I don't use single eyeshadows. I love using palettes, so I would have to say the Essence quad eyeshadows would be my favourite. Read my full review on them here.
 

10. Your favourite sunglasses

So, I have a confession to make. I don't buy sunglasses any more. I used to spend lots of money on sunglasses and they would break in the most tragic ways. They would crush in my handbag; I would sit on them by accident or scratch them. Big sigh! So I found a solution to my problem. All the sunglasses I currently own are all free because I get them with magazine purchases. Whenever I see a fashion or beauty magazine giving away sunglasses free with the monthly magazine I would buy it. Needless to say I have four awesome pairs of sunglasses that I got for free. My favourite pair are the pink retro shaped sunglasses pictured above, which I got in a Glamour magazine. I even went overseas with this pair and got so many compliments. Score!:-)

Have a fabulous week Divas!

Xxxx