Hi Divas

Last week Makeup Revolution hit South African Clicks stores with a bang! It was honestly one of the biggest surprises to hit our beauty community as the brand was launched in such a nick of time. I have watched many Youtubers using all their wonderful products but never had any experience with them until now. For those who are not aware, Makeup Revolution is a British cosmetic company which manufacturers affordable, high quality and cruelty free products. What makes this brand so revolutionary (see what I did there), is the fact that they target all areas of makeup as well as skincare and hair care too. They have a variety of complexion products, different tones of highlighters, blushes, all shades of lipsticks and tools to suite any demographic, gender and age. To me the most iconic factor about the brand is the amazing price point. All the products are super affordable but there are no exceptions on quality regarding packaging, pigmentation and lasting power. You honestly get budget friendly cosmetics with such high value. It's truly remarkable and revolutionary!

Makeup Revolution had their amazing opening event at the Clicks store in the V&A Waterfront located in Cape Town. I asked my sister the day before if she would like to be my plus 1 and accompany me. To my surprise she happily said yes and we woke up at 5:00 in the morning to skip the rush hour traffic and be on time. Truly sisters are absolutely the best! She sacrificed her sleep and her PHD work to support me as she knows what a makeup fanatic I am. The actual unveiling of the cosmetic stand within the store was wonderful. Bloggers and makeup addicts alike were all there to view and test the new products. To see all the different array of palettes, lipsticks and colours made my heart skip a beat. Once the unveiling and speeches were done we all rushed to the stand to play. The atmosphere was very exciting and inviting. There was a Revolution photo section where we could take home a memory of the morning and we too all received a lovely goodie bag at the end. My sister and I had a blast and it was so great to share this experience with her.

Below is a list of all the products I received and picked out at the opening:

*Makeup Revolution Sport Fix Extra Hold Makeup Fixing Spray

*Makeup Revolution Bake and Finish Luxury Baking Powder

*Makeup Revolution Baked & Strobe Highlighters in Vivid Golden Lights and Moon Glow Lights

*Makeup Revolution Conceal &Define Full Coverage Concealer and Contour in C6 and C8

 *Makeup Revolution Brow Pomade in Dark Brown

 *Makeup Revolution Renaissance Flick Black Felt Eyeliner

*Makeup Revolution Pro HD Smoky Eyeliner

*Makeup Revolution Retro Luxe Matte Lip Kit in Noble

*Makeup Revolution Lipsticks in Iconic Matte Nude Inspiration and Rose Gold Diamond Life

*Makeup Revolution Advanced Complexion Expert Soft Makeup Sponge

 As I mentioned above, I have never used Makeup Revolution before hence, I am so excited to play! I am looking forward to using the concealer, baking powder, makeup fixing spray and highlighters as I have heard so many great reviews about them. Hope you are ready for the many product blog posts in the future. Thank you so much for reading.

Divalicious Kisses

Xxxx

Diva Tips:

Differences between Foundations and Concealers

Hi Divas

Have you ever done something out of habit or because everyone else is doing it, you do it too? That is how I feel sometimes when I apply makeup or see others applying makeup on their faces. When it comes to the beauty world, we as makeup fanatics tend to follow Youtube gurus religiously and copy everything they do. After all they are looking flawless and we want to be beautiful too. Do you ever question why we do what we do? Why do we need a concealer if we have a full coverage foundation? When do we apply concealer? How does everything work together? For someone who does not have a clue about makeup application maybe puzzled by all the 200 steps we do everyday to achieve a gorgeous face. In today's blog post I am going to break it down for you. This post is for those who are curious and new to the makeup realm. Of cause if you are a makeup connoisseur yourself, feel free to leave any tips below. Here we go!

What is a Foundation?

Foundation is a colour correcting base that is meant to even out skintone and give you an overall perfect complexion. It is applied all over the face and neck area with either hands, a brush or makeup sponge depending on the type of base. There are many different formula's of foundations like liquids, creams and powders all catered to your specific skin concern. Women who have oily skin tend to love powder foundations as it gives a matte finish. Women with very dry skin go for liquid luminous foundations for an all day hydrated glow. It is important to always buy a foundation that is suited to your specific skin type and not only the skin colour. This will give you the most natural finish and optimal skin benefits.

What is a Concealer?

Concealer is a more concentrated form of foundation. It is packaged in smaller tubes or jars and has a higher pigmentation. Concealers are meant to spot correct any areas on the face that need slightly more coverage. Areas such as dark under eye circles, eye puffiness and blemishes around the face. Since concealers are packed with higher concentration of pigments it covers imperfections easily. You only need a tiny amount on an area to blend and have excellent coverage. Concealers can be blended out with fingers as the warmth of your hands help blend it out seamlessly. You can also use a sponge or foundation brush.

Why don't we just use Foundation or Concealer only? Why do we need both? 

As mentioned above, foundations are lighter in coverage than concealers. To fully cover blemishes or under eye darkness and puffiness, it is going to take a lot of foundation layers. When applying foundation you want to look as natural as possible and not like a cake layered in icing. In order to cover certain areas, foundation will need to be layered on. Even if you are spot layering, the skin will still crease, flake and look like a mess. I have seen women layering foundation to cover blemishes and it never has a happy ending. The face always looks textured and not even toned. I do agree that there are many high coverage foundations on the market that can cover any sin you ever did. Always remember to use those sparingly and not cake the face. The same concept applies to concealers. Since concealers are heavily pigmented, applying it all over your face can end up making you look like you are wearing a full on mask. If you do not blend it out correctly it can crease heavily on the forehead area especially. Plus concealers do not come in an array of shades like foundation. It will end up being a little too light or dark for your actual skin tone. To even out your entire complexion it is best to find a foundation that matches your skin completely.

When do I apply Concealer?

There is much debate about which comes first, foundation or concealer? I personally prefer to use concealer after I apply foundation because I use it to not only cover my dark circles but to clean up any eyeshadow and eyeliner marks around my eye area. Concealer can be used to correct makeup mistakes and used as a primer before applying eyeshadow. I think it is your personal preference on using either one first. If you are going to be using a powder foundation it is important to always apply liquids and creams before hand. Applying liquids and creams on top of powder can lead to difficulty blending out and heavy creasing. Use the powder to set your concealer and make it last longer.

So where do you go from here?

Firstly, find a foundation and concealer routine that works for you. This will be by trial and error and sometimes money wasted. Trust me, once you find something that works for you, you will never regret it. There are so many different types of foundations and concealers that are excellent which will suit your budget and skin needs. Do remember, not every thing works for everybody. I personally love BB creams and liquid foundations with a little bit of concealer and a mattifying powder all over the face. On the other hand my mom does not like liquids on her face every day. she prefers to use concealer first and dust a foundation powder over her face to set everything. You want to have natural beautiful radiant skin. Do what works for you and makes you happy.

*****

I hope this super long post was helpful. Feel free to leave any tips below.

Thank you so much for reading!

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

Innisfree No-Sebum Mineral Powder Review

Hi Divas

This week we will be flying all the way to Korea again for another K-Beauty product review. Innisfree as I mentioned before is a very popular Korean cosmetic brand that offers skincare and makeup. I love this brand too bits as they mainly use natural ingredients, are paraben free, do not test on animals and they use recycled packaging for their products. The Innisfree No Sebum Mineral Powder is known among K-Beauty fanatics as their holy grail setting powder of life! I wanted to know what the fuss was all about too and decided to purchase one. I am now on my second tub of this and I love it so much. It definitely deserves holy grail status. Here is why....

Firstly, the product is made up of Jeju natural minerals which control sebum production and absorbs any excess oils. Since this is a mineral based makeup product the powder does not absorb into the skin or creep into your pores. Instead it protects the skin from free radicals and acts as a barrier locking in your makeup from outside environment factors. Mineral powders do not smother your face either. It allows the skin to breath, thus giving it a natural non cakey look while eliminating sebum from the skin. The texture of the product is a soft white loose powder. It is very finely milled and if you shake the tub a little too hard the particles can float off into the air. This is strictly a finishing powder and not a foundation powder. It is translucent on your skin and does not interfere with your foundation or blush shades.

 So how does this perform throughout the day you may ask? Well excellently, let me tell you! I have combination skin and can get quite oily in my t-zone during the Summer months. When I use this powder, I first apply all my makeup products then lightly sweep this all over my face with my larger powder brush. The powder gives a smooth finish on your skin almost like a porcelain doll. It blends all your blush, highlight and cream contours effortlessly together. Your skin looks matte but not flat. During the day your makeup stays locked on your face. Usually my blush and foundation around my nose would wear off because of oils, but this product keeps your makeup from fading and melting off your face. Sometimes if it is a very hot day I have to do touch ups but this rarely happens to me. If you set your makeup with a setting spray then you definitely won't have this problem.

The product comes packaged in a 5g mint green tub with a screw on lid. It has a built in sifter and an application puff. I prefer to use my powder brush to apply the product but if you are travelling and limited to makeup brushes, you could totally use the soft fluffy puff to tap on the powder. I love travelling with this when I am overseas because it is so small and fits into the tiniest makeup bag. You can even keep it in your clutch bag for touch ups later on in the day. The best thing about this product is that it only costs $6/R70. How amazing is that? Usually makeup powders are expensive and don't even do what you want it to do. This is so affordable and easy on the pocket. You can purchase it on Ebay and Amazon. You surely won't be disappointed.


Hope you found this review helpful.
Divalicious kisses.
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

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

Essence All About Matt!

Fixing Compact Powder

Review

Hello beautiful Divas!

Welcome back to my crazy blog! I have another beauty review for you and it is all about makeup fixing powders. Let me share a little background about my makeup powder knowledge before I get into the product review. I have combination skin, so I always have to set my bb cream and foundation with a powder. I never feel secure unless I do this step. I do not know how other ladies can walk around with foundation that has not been set by powder. For me it will feel like I didn't brush my teeth that morning. I just have to do it. I have had my fair share of ups and downs when it comes to makeup compact powders. Some are just too pigmented and sit heavily on my foundation/ bb cream. Some make my face oxidize so badly that I end up looking like a melted toffee by the end of the day. Some powders are so chalky and chunky that it makes me look like a dried up caramel sponge cake. meh! Most of you who follow my blog know that I have really been into Korean cosmetics for a while now. I found a makeup fixing powder that changed my life! It was literally the best thing that happened to my makeup routine. Since I have to import my Korean cosmetics and with the Rand currency falling deeper and deeper down the pit of hell, I decided to look for something affordable at stores in my home town. I won't have to worry about crazy exchange rates and all those economic problems. You all know the struggle is REAL! In steps this Essence compact I decided to try one fine day.

 

The Essence All About Matt Fixing Powder is described as a makeup fixing powder which keeps the skin matte as well as give a flawless finish to makeup. I was truly intrigued by these claims as this is exactly what my Korean powder does to my face. The powder is packaged in a clear plastic compact with no mirror. It is the typical Essence standard packaging. The compact is quite big and there is a lot of product. This powder will definitely last you a really long time. Upon opening it you will find a super white powder with a pretty ribbon pattern embossed at the bottom of it. Nice touch, Essence! When swatched with your finger the powder appears to be super white but when you blend it on your skin the colour disappears and you are left with a smooth finish. What I love most about this powder is that it is so finely milled. It's soft to the touch and feels like silk on your skin while still doing the job of fixing your makeup and locking it in.

 

So what is the verdict on this matte powder? Well surprisingly, I love it. I think it blends my makeup perfectly together and gives my face a smooth finish. I apply my foundation, concealer, eye makeup, highlighter, bronzer and blush first and then set everything with this compact. I lightly dust the powder all over my face to set my foundation and concealer. I also use it to blend my highlighter, blush and bronzer together and get rid of any harsh lines. The result is a smooth and well blended makeup application. It definitely does a great job in keeping me matte throughout the day. I have only used this powder in Winter, so I think in Summer I will probably have to touch up with this powder in the afternoon to keep my oils at bay in my t-zone. I think this powder is amazing for fixing makeup as it does not interfere with the colour of my foundation nor does it crease or cake up my concealer. I truly didn't think this powder would work that well, but it does. I recommend it to anyone who is looking for a light translucent fixing powder at a great price. ;-)

Hope you beautiful ladies found this review helpful.

Lots of Divalicious kisses!

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 beautiful ladies!

So this past week in South Africa Autumn has shown its pretty face. The nights are getting colder, the wind is becoming chillier and the sky has been filled with grey puffy clouds. Cape Town especially has been chilly these past few days. With that being said, it is now in with the winter wardrobe and out with the summer one. I am a summer baby, so I always feel reluctant to let go of my pretty summer dresses and bright tops. A big bonus though when it comes to a change of season is that it's a great excuse to go clothes shopping. Big yay! So I trekked to the mall this past week to see what was in store. Boots, scarves and colourful leggings were all out on display in the shop windows. I found some really great winter pieces and ended up with a big fashion haul to spruce up my autumn/winter wardrobe. 

Now, I don't pretend to be a fashion blogger guru and I am definitely not one to follow trends for the sake of being trendy. I love to buy fashion pieces that look interesting, timeless and chic to me. I use fashion as just another way of expressing my personality. I love to dress up. You will never see me leaving the house in old sweat pants and a ragged t- shirt. I think it stems from my granny and watching her dress up when I was very young. My granny never left the house without looking 'together'. Whether it was a little bit of red lipstick, shiny shoes or a bold hat, my granny always looked her best when she left the house. I think she passed that characteristic on to my mom, my sister and me. We just can't leave the house without looking semi decent and with a little bit of lipstick on the lips. Hell, I even dress up when I'm just going to the post office! Ssh, let's keep this secret between us. *wink* ;-)

So I thought I would do a little look post on the blog to show you what I got and get you excited for Autumn/ Winter fashion. It's been a really long time since I did a fashion post and o.o.t.d on the blog. Hope you enjoy this one....

What I'm wearing:

-Leopard print top from Mr Price

-Black leggings from Pick n' Pay Clothing Store

- Black pixie boots from Woolworths

- Polka dot scarf from the Old Biscuit Mill market

- Star necklace from Mr Price

What's on my face:

- Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder

-Naked 2 Palette

-Guerlain bronzer in Terracotta 00

-Clarins Instant Definition Mascara

- Maybelline Sensational Vivids Vibrant Mandarin lipstick and Stila lip glaze in Melon

Nails: 

-Revlon nail varnish in Sparkle Aplenty

These are just some of the items I purchased these past weeks.. Let me know what interesting fashion trends you are loving or have bought recently. Wishing you a beautiful week. 

Divalicious kisses.

Xxxx