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August 2014 Favorites
8/31/2014 03:09:00 PM
Hello lovelies,
Another month has passed and we are getting closer and closer to a new year! Crazy right?! Feels like just yesterday it was January. Well, on the bright side, it just means we're closer to winter which means dark lips, cozy sweaters and hot chocolate.
August was a really good month. I got done with driving lessons and I got to see my friends a lot, whom I didn't see much of this summer. Also, I got to do some shopping, which is good for all of you guys! I want to apologize in advance about the pictures because its my first time taking pictures of products/swatches :( . So, lets jump right into my favorites for August, shall we?
First
off, this month I finally got around to getting some Essence products.
You see, Essence is only sold at one place where I live and I finally
dragged myself to go and get a few products. And it was one of the best
decisions I've made this month.
1- Essence XXXL Long Lasting Matt Lip Glosses: One word. Wow. This matte lip gloss has the texture of a thick liquid lipstick and smells like cake batter (such an addicting smell might I add!) The color range is quite limited here - around 4-5 shades are available - but I got two of the shades, Soft Nude and Velvet Rose. Soft Nude has been my go to shade this month and I add Velvet Rose in the middle of my lips to make the color pop even more. Both colors are very long lasting, highly pigmented and work well on their own, on top of a lip liner or on top of a lipstick. I've been pairing Soft Nude with the Essence lip liner in In The Nude (another favorite this month!) and Velvet Rose with Mauve Outta Here from Wet 'N' Wild.
Price = Around 1 BHD ($3)
2- Essence Lip Liners: in all honesty, I like these lip liners more than my high end ones. They are sooo creamy and literally last all day! I own two of them, In The Nude and Cute Pink, and both of them look amazing. I had Cute Pink on for 7 hours and it didn't budge even after I ate and drank! The colors are very pigmented and don't dry out my lips or emphasize any dryness in my lips. The only downside is that each time you use it you need to re-sharpen it, which means you might run out quicker but its really cheap so that's fine!
3- Deborah BB Cream 5IN1 (03 Sand): A new discovery of mine is the Deborah BB Cream 5IN1. I recently found this on sale at the drugstore and seriously fell in love. First off, it legit smells SOO GOOD. The coverage is really amazing for a BB cream; it has medium coverage and is very buildable. The product claims to "sooth and prime the skin, conceal and minimize imperfections, even out skin tone, moisturizes and nourishes the skin, protects it against UV radiation and pollution". It definitely does most of what it claims but I did need to use my Benefit POREfessional to cover up my pores and I needed concealer under my eyes but that's natural for a BB cream. It definitely covers up more than the other BB creams I've used and it has helped my dry skin A LOT. Plus, it has SPF 20, which is amazing but it does leave a bit of a white cast which could be fixed with a bit of powder and bronzer.
4- MAC's Mineralized Skin Finish in Soft and Gentle: Finally jumped on the Soft and Gentle bandwagon! Very worth the splurge, especially because I'm a sucker for highlighters! It a subtle highlighter, but its very buildable. It's a champagne highlighter with bronze running through it. The color payoff is seriously insane! Definitely a new HG product. It lasts all day and doesn't emphasize my dry patches like many powder highlighters tend to do. Not much to say about this product, just that it's an all around amazing highlighter.
1- Cetaphil Daily Moisturizer For Dry, Sensitive Skin: my skin is very sensitive and dry, with eczema patches and its really hard finding a moisturizer that's strong enough for my eczema but thin enough for my skin to be able to absorb. My friend recommended Cetaphil and I've been loving it ever since. I've been using it for around 2 months now and have noticed a huge difference in how my skin feels. I use it every day and has made the eczema almost dissapear! Might just be my new favorite moisturizer.
2- Cetaphil Body Lotion: lately, the eczema on my arms has been really bad (TMI) and nothing was helping! When I first started using the Cetaphil body lotion, I felt a slight tingly/burning sensation and the patches started turning red. After a while of using it, I noticed the patches went down a bit and started dissapearing! Now, they're almost invisible! Better than any prescription medication I've used!
3- The Body Shop Tea Tree Oil: when I first got this, I honestly didn't understand the hype. It definitely wasn't a "love at first sight" product and it most certainly didn't work from the first use. However, I did enjoy the feeling of it on my skin; it has a very tingly, refreshing feeling and I'm one of the only people who actually enjoys the smell! I find it very therapeutic surprisingly! After using it for a bit over a month, I can definitely say I've seen improvement in my skin and has cleared up some of the small acne scars I have. The only downside is that the bottle does finish in around a month and a half to two months.
1- 1000 Forms of Fear Album by Sia: so a while back, Tanya Burr posted her June favorites which included Chandelier by Sia. I had briefly heard the song before but was never interested. But this time it was different. This time I fell in love with the song! I immediately downloaded the whole album and 2 months later I'm still obsessed! My favorites are Chandelier, Elastic Heart, Burn The Pages and Beautiful People Say.
2- TRXYE EP by Troye Sivan: I've always been obsessed with Troye Sivan and his amazing covers. So naturally, I fell in love with his EP. Each song has a different story and I love them all so much! I'm so proud of Troye, he's truly an inspiration!
4- Beyonce's VMAs Performance: I have to admit, before this performance, I wasn't very impressed with Beyonce's self-titled album. Shocking right? Well, let's just say after this performance I know why they call her the Queen. Who else got so emotional when Blue and Jay Z came up to give her her award? I was balling.
1- Makeup Social: one of the main reasons I finally bit the bullet and created a blog was because of this app. It's amazing. You learn about new products and what people all around the world are using and what they love! I've met some truly talented people through this app and have learned some really helpful things! Plus, its free in the app store so that's a real plus!
1- Jaclynn Hill: I've known of Jaclynn Hill for so long (who hasn't heard of her) but I never really wanted to watch her videos for some reason. Then, one day I was searching up hauls (as usual) and I came across one of her hauls. So, naturally, I fell in love with her weird and bubbly personality and I can't get enough of her videos now!
2- Tyler Oakley: one word. Auguest. In love with each and every one of the Auguest videos. Seriously, the effort Tyler puts into these videos is surreal! Don't you just wish it was Auguest every month? Can't wait for next year's Auguest! But seriously though, who thought the #Troyler video would be a real boyfriend tag? #IshipTroyler
1- Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell: I finally got a chance to get this book and could not put it down! I ended up finishing the book in 3 days! Seriously, Rainbow Rowell is a genius. The book is about a boy (Park) and a girl (Eleanor) in 1986 who end up having to sit next to each other on the bus. Its a truly unique love story with unique characters. Definitely a new favorite of mine. ANNNNND, there's a movie coming out!
1- Birthday Cake Ice cream with Crushed Butterfingers for Marble Slab: I sadly don't have a picture of this but take my word for it; it looks so damn good. They recently opened up a new Marble Slab next to my house and let's just say the addiction is real.
Another month has passed and we are getting closer and closer to a new year! Crazy right?! Feels like just yesterday it was January. Well, on the bright side, it just means we're closer to winter which means dark lips, cozy sweaters and hot chocolate.
August was a really good month. I got done with driving lessons and I got to see my friends a lot, whom I didn't see much of this summer. Also, I got to do some shopping, which is good for all of you guys! I want to apologize in advance about the pictures because its my first time taking pictures of products/swatches :( . So, lets jump right into my favorites for August, shall we?
1- Essence XXXL Long Lasting Matt Lip Glosses: One word. Wow. This matte lip gloss has the texture of a thick liquid lipstick and smells like cake batter (such an addicting smell might I add!) The color range is quite limited here - around 4-5 shades are available - but I got two of the shades, Soft Nude and Velvet Rose. Soft Nude has been my go to shade this month and I add Velvet Rose in the middle of my lips to make the color pop even more. Both colors are very long lasting, highly pigmented and work well on their own, on top of a lip liner or on top of a lipstick. I've been pairing Soft Nude with the Essence lip liner in In The Nude (another favorite this month!) and Velvet Rose with Mauve Outta Here from Wet 'N' Wild.
 |
| 08 Velvet Rose (left), 06 Soft Nude (right) |
2- Essence Lip Liners: in all honesty, I like these lip liners more than my high end ones. They are sooo creamy and literally last all day! I own two of them, In The Nude and Cute Pink, and both of them look amazing. I had Cute Pink on for 7 hours and it didn't budge even after I ate and drank! The colors are very pigmented and don't dry out my lips or emphasize any dryness in my lips. The only downside is that each time you use it you need to re-sharpen it, which means you might run out quicker but its really cheap so that's fine!
 |
| 07 Cute Pink (left), 11 In The Nude (right) |
Price = 500 fils ($1.33)
3- Deborah BB Cream 5IN1 (03 Sand): A new discovery of mine is the Deborah BB Cream 5IN1. I recently found this on sale at the drugstore and seriously fell in love. First off, it legit smells SOO GOOD. The coverage is really amazing for a BB cream; it has medium coverage and is very buildable. The product claims to "sooth and prime the skin, conceal and minimize imperfections, even out skin tone, moisturizes and nourishes the skin, protects it against UV radiation and pollution". It definitely does most of what it claims but I did need to use my Benefit POREfessional to cover up my pores and I needed concealer under my eyes but that's natural for a BB cream. It definitely covers up more than the other BB creams I've used and it has helped my dry skin A LOT. Plus, it has SPF 20, which is amazing but it does leave a bit of a white cast which could be fixed with a bit of powder and bronzer.
Price (on sale) = 3.900 BHD ($10.34)
4- MAC's Mineralized Skin Finish in Soft and Gentle: Finally jumped on the Soft and Gentle bandwagon! Very worth the splurge, especially because I'm a sucker for highlighters! It a subtle highlighter, but its very buildable. It's a champagne highlighter with bronze running through it. The color payoff is seriously insane! Definitely a new HG product. It lasts all day and doesn't emphasize my dry patches like many powder highlighters tend to do. Not much to say about this product, just that it's an all around amazing highlighter.
Price = 16.250 BHD ($43.1)
1- Cetaphil Daily Moisturizer For Dry, Sensitive Skin: my skin is very sensitive and dry, with eczema patches and its really hard finding a moisturizer that's strong enough for my eczema but thin enough for my skin to be able to absorb. My friend recommended Cetaphil and I've been loving it ever since. I've been using it for around 2 months now and have noticed a huge difference in how my skin feels. I use it every day and has made the eczema almost dissapear! Might just be my new favorite moisturizer.
Price = 6.5 BHD ($17.24)
2- Cetaphil Body Lotion: lately, the eczema on my arms has been really bad (TMI) and nothing was helping! When I first started using the Cetaphil body lotion, I felt a slight tingly/burning sensation and the patches started turning red. After a while of using it, I noticed the patches went down a bit and started dissapearing! Now, they're almost invisible! Better than any prescription medication I've used!
Price = 6.5 BHD ($17.24)
3- The Body Shop Tea Tree Oil: when I first got this, I honestly didn't understand the hype. It definitely wasn't a "love at first sight" product and it most certainly didn't work from the first use. However, I did enjoy the feeling of it on my skin; it has a very tingly, refreshing feeling and I'm one of the only people who actually enjoys the smell! I find it very therapeutic surprisingly! After using it for a bit over a month, I can definitely say I've seen improvement in my skin and has cleared up some of the small acne scars I have. The only downside is that the bottle does finish in around a month and a half to two months.
Price = 3.5 BHD ($9.28)
4- No.7 Beautiful Skin Rich Hydrating Eye Cream: I've had this for a while and I wasn't very impressed with it. I got it while it was on sale and thought it was very irritating for my eyes. After a while, I noticed it was because I was using too much of the product and putting it too close to my eyes. I started using it in small quantities and patting it into my skin so it could be absorbed better and I've noticed my under eyes have become so smooth! Definitely one of my favorite drugstore eye creams!
Price (on sale) = 2 BHD ($5.30)
5- The Body Shop Body Butter in Moringa: since every single beauty guru I watch on YouTube was raving about this product, I had to check it out for myself. I decided to get the small, travel size tub to try out before splurging on the full size. The smell itself was enough for me to get it! The product leaves my skin feeling so smooth and the scent last so long! Definitely deserves all the hype its getting!
Price = 2 BHD ($5.30)
6- Marks and Spencers' Ricette Naturali Perlier Body Honey Miel Bath & Shower Scrub: Marks and Spencers was having a sale so naturally I had to get something. I decided to pick up this body scrub which smells so good! It has a few particles that help with very gentle exfoliating and feels really good on the skin! The scent pairs so well with the body butter from The Body Shop!
Price = 4 BHD ($10.41)
1- 1000 Forms of Fear Album by Sia: so a while back, Tanya Burr posted her June favorites which included Chandelier by Sia. I had briefly heard the song before but was never interested. But this time it was different. This time I fell in love with the song! I immediately downloaded the whole album and 2 months later I'm still obsessed! My favorites are Chandelier, Elastic Heart, Burn The Pages and Beautiful People Say.
2- TRXYE EP by Troye Sivan: I've always been obsessed with Troye Sivan and his amazing covers. So naturally, I fell in love with his EP. Each song has a different story and I love them all so much! I'm so proud of Troye, he's truly an inspiration!
3- Black Widow by Iggy Azalea Feat. Rita Ora: this song is currently blasting while I write this post. I first heard the song at the VMAs and I can't stop listening to it! Such a unique concept and I have to admit Rita Ora and Iggy Azalea make a powerful duo! That music video though... AMAZING.
4- Beyonce's VMAs Performance: I have to admit, before this performance, I wasn't very impressed with Beyonce's self-titled album. Shocking right? Well, let's just say after this performance I know why they call her the Queen. Who else got so emotional when Blue and Jay Z came up to give her her award? I was balling.
1- Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell: I finally got a chance to get this book and could not put it down! I ended up finishing the book in 3 days! Seriously, Rainbow Rowell is a genius. The book is about a boy (Park) and a girl (Eleanor) in 1986 who end up having to sit next to each other on the bus. Its a truly unique love story with unique characters. Definitely a new favorite of mine. ANNNNND, there's a movie coming out!
1- Birthday Cake Ice cream with Crushed Butterfingers for Marble Slab: I sadly don't have a picture of this but take my word for it; it looks so damn good. They recently opened up a new Marble Slab next to my house and let's just say the addiction is real.
I hope you guys enjoyed my favorites and had an amazing month! What were some of your favorites this month? Post them in the comments below! Don't forget to connect with me! Links on the upper sidebar of the screen!
Until next time,
Maryam Al-Mohsen x
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