One Week,One Palette Challenge: Juvia's Place Nubian II

Hi peeps,
So occasionally, I like to challenge myself to use one palette to come up with multiple looks without using any other palette or eye shadow. It's a way for me to get maximum use and enjoyment out of my palette, since I spent all my hard-earned coin on these 😊

I decide to start the Nubian II palette from Juvia's Place. Out of all my palettes, this is the one I use the most. It's got good transition colours, two dark colours for a smoky eye and gorgeous jewel tones. Sometimes, I like to use the dark shades Kenya and Leyla for contour (cautiously with a light fluffy brush!) and I use Zuri and Sheba as highlighters (with a fan brush and a light hand 😉)I've compiled all my looks below, showing the shades used as well.
To prime my lids, I use the Urban Decay primer potion in Caffeine. I love how this creates a velvet even canvas on my lids. My eye makeup lasts all day without creasing or fading.
The eyeliners used for all these looks are from Essence cosmetics:
Black -Black love
Blue - Cool dawn
Green - I have a green
Purple - Purple rain

Look #1

Crease: Morocco
Outer Corner: Jezebel
Inner & Centre Lid: Nairobi
Centre lid: Nefertiti

On my lips is Black Up 2-in-1 Jumbo Lip Pencil in 08

Look #2

Crease: Madagascar
Inner: Zuri
Outer towards the centre lid: Jezebel

Lips: L'Oreal Colorriche Matte Pure Reds Collection Doutzen

Look #3

Crease: Morocco and Jezebel
Lid:Leyla

Lips: Ciate London Liquid Lip in Obsession

Look #4

Crease: Morocco
Inner & Centre Lid: Egypt
Outer: Jezebel

Lips: OFRA Liquid Lipstick in Americano and Essence soft contouring lip liner
in 10 Miss you much

Look #5

Crease: Madagascar
Lid: Cleopatra
Outer: Leyla and Kenya

Lips: ORFA Liquid Lipstick in Napa Valley

I've done many more looks with this palette; but these are the ones I came up during my challenge.
Juvia's Place is available from third party sellers in South Africa: SAMIKA, Pink Cosmetics, Fashion Police and Beauty Gifts By Melanie.
Or you can get it directly from the  Juvia's Place online store since they do ship internationally.
Have you tried the Nubian II palette or any of the Juvia's Place palettes?
Let me know in the comments below. Also, post some of your looks on Instagram and tag me.

See you in my next post, 

xoxo

Urban Decay Cape Town Opening & My UD Lipstick Collection

Hi all,
This past weekend, I attended the long-awaited opening of the newest Urban Decay store in South Africa at the V&A Waterfront. So, I dragged my BFF to the waterfront and we stood in line for an hour before getting into the store; Can I just say, the wait was worth it. Portia Luma (Deep & Afro House DJ) livened the atmosphere and there were giveaways for those waiting in the queue. 

I had a couple things in mind that have been on my wish list for quite sometime, but I like to swatch and try things before committing. lipsticks were on the agenda, since swatching a couple of them in Singapore a couple of weeks ago. I didn't buy them then, because they're cheaper here 😊.

Let the swatchfest begin...

Me and my BFF swatching like we've never swatched before

 I took advantage of the opening specials and made use of the 4 for 3 special: I picked 3 lipsticks
(R 240.00) to add to my collection as well as a tube of the primer potion eyeshadow primer in caffeine (R 320).

I've done lip swatches of the all the UD lip products in my collection:

Lipstick is My Vice 💋 Conspiracy (Metallized), Psycho and Heroine (both Comfort Matte)

I'm absolutely in love with the Vice lipsticks, especially the comfort matte formula since, it doesn't dry my lips out at all. conspiracy is the perfect metallic nude for those deeper skin tones. Psycho is the perfect pink on everyone (it's also got iridescent blue sparkle 😍). And then there's Heroine..it's a blue lipstick, if you're daring enough go ahead and wear it. I dare you ...😉

Liquid lipsticks: My favourite shade is purple lipstick Pandemonium (Matte) and a metallic blue Time

All that Glitters 😎 Special Effects Lipcoats in Reverb "Purple with shifty pink-gold sparkle" (on top of Pandemonium) and Ritual "Smoky blue-gray glitter with iridescent 3D Sparkle" (on top of Heroine)

I picked the liquid lipsticks (R 290) and Special Effects lip coats (R 295)  in Singapore (along with De-slick and All-nighter setting sprays); I got Pandemonium ( a comfort matte bright purple) and Time ( a blue metallized lippy). Both are super comfortable and long-wearing; although a greasy lunch means you need to reapply).
I got the lipcoats in Rital and Reverb; they can be applied over any matte lipstick to add some sparkle. I love them! It takes some skill to apply an even coat, but the end-result is worth it. You also feel a bit of a tingle when they're first applied to the lip but that goes away within minutes. The lipcoats are budge-proof and you'll need an oil-based product  to remove them.

Things I still want to get...
1. De-slick Complexion Primer
2. Naked Skin Foundation
3. Razor Sharp Liquid Eyeliners

That's it my pretties; I really enjoyed the store opening (my first ever). I want to thank the BFF coming with me. Makeup is so much more fun when it's a shared experience.
If you're a junkie like me, head over to the UD store; they've got makeup tutorial/lesson/demo services as well (for a price). For those that live far from Cape Town, Joburg and Pretoria; Foschini Beauty Online does stock UD products, with delivery for orders of R 500 or more.

What are items are you dying to try out from the Urban Decay range? Let me know in the comments section below.

'Till my next post, xoxo

Face of the Day ft. Kat von D Shade+Light Eye Contour Palette

Here's today's selfie 17.11.2016 featuring a new addition to my collection, the Shade + Light Eye Contour Palette from Kat von D Beauty.

Image from www.katvondbeauty.com

It's a neutral palette with browns, reds , white and black. they're all matte shades. The shades are superpigmented and they all show up really well against my skin tone and so buttery soft.
For those who follow me you know I love brights and shimmers. I was worried about whether be able to come up with eyeshadow looks with this palette.
Having used it for the last couple of weeks, I quite like it for neutral eye looks that I pair with bold lip colours.

Products used in todays makeup look

Products used today: 
1. Primer: Nivea Post-shave balm
2. Foundations: Maybelline Dream Mat Mousse in the Shade Mahogany
3. Mascara: Maybelline lashsentational
4. M.A.C blushes in Springsheen and Devil
5. ColourPop Lippie in bullchic
6. Kat von D Shade+Light Eye Contour Palette

Shade+Light Eye Contour Palette Look

Face of the Day

xoxo,

Make-up Review: Sleek MakeUP i-Divine eyeshadow palettes

Hey lovelies,
I haven't posted a makeup review in a while, so thought I'd post a review on two Sleek MakeUP palettes that I ordered last week. I got them in the Original palette and the Sunset palette.
So lets get into it.
The palettes are not large they're quite small and the eyeshadow pans are the size of a ZAR 2 coin. This makes them convenient for travel. You can easily slip one into your handbag. The palette also includes a decent sized mirror and a double-ended applicator brush (which I never use becuase i prefer bristle brushes).

i-Divine Original palette 

i-Divine Sunset palette

The colour range in these palettes is quite impressive; I especially love the orange and red in the sunset palette. The shadows are quite pigmented and soft, but they're prone to fallout during application.
I did some arm swatches without primers for both palettes. there's overlap for some of the shades in the two palettes: the turqouise is the same in both palettes and so are the gold, champagne shades. The chmapagne shades also tend to be a bit chalky in consistency.

Sunset palette swatches

Original palette swatches

Golden sunset eye makeup using the Sunset palettes. I used the NYX eyeshadow base in skin tone as a primer

 

They're not inglot quality or Urban Decay but they're comparable to wet n wild palettes but a bit more pigmented for some shades. The wet n wild shadows are finer and more buttery as well as easier to apply. To increase the intensity of shadows on the lid, it's better to dampen your synthetic brush (I used a finishing spray).
When comparing the two palettes, I think I prefer the colour selection in the Sunset palette and could probably live without the original palette, since it doesn't really add anything new to my makeup stash.

Pros
Affordable
Wide colour selection

Cons
Application is difficult, need to use a synthetic brush
Fallout
Needs primer/base to extend wear
Some shades are chalky

Score: 6.5/10

They're ideal for beginners learning how to do their own makeup and for experimenting with bright colours.
The palettes are available on the Sleek MakeUP website for 10.49 euro and they deliver worldwide.


See you in my next post,

xoxo,
N

*Palette images are from the Sleek MakeUP website. 

Make-Up Wishlist #1

Hi all, 
I've thinking of doing a wishlist post for a while now. There are so many products out there I want to try, but they're either really pricey or not available in South Africa. 
So here I go:

 

1. M.A.C powder blush in "Film noir": MAC describes this as a rich warm chocolate  colour. It's a matte finish. It will really work well as a contouring colour for the all "chocolate girls" out there. Costs ZAR 275

2. Urban Decay  Eyeshadow primer potion: They come in 3 shades and I've heard nothing but good things. Can't wait for UD to open in Cape Town. Costs ZAR 350 at the UD store in Sandton.

3. Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation in #14: So many Youtubers have sang its praises (This is the best one I've seen to date). It's one of the view luxury foundations that has a wide range of shades. It's not available in South Africa, but you can get it from nordstrom for ZAR 950...Yikes!

4. NARS blush in "Taj Mahal" (another audacious shade from NARS is exhibit A) I cam across this blush while searching google for blushes that complement dark skin. Anything that isn't a bright fuschia or red doesn't really show on my skin, unless it has got gold undertones. also not available in South Africa. It goes for ZAR 461 on nordstrom.

5. Morphe Brushes 35B Color Glam Palette: I love eye shadow! That's all. I'm kidding...finding affordable highly pigmented bright shadows is surprisingly difficult in South Africa. So putting this one on the list because this palette gives me life. It's available at varrious online stores in South Africa. Muse Beauty is the cheapest at ZAR 550. 

6. Christian Dior Rouge Dior in 786 Mystique Mauve This is such a beautiful colour. I tried it once at the Dior counter in Edgars (Why do I do these things to myself?)  So gorgeous...but so is the price ZAR (not sure ...last I checked it was ZAR 460).

7. Givenchy Noir Couture in "Black satin": I bought my first high end mascara on my first trip to Paris for about ZAR 300. Way back in the days when the ZAR was stronger. This is hands down my favourite mascara...dramatic lashes anyone? It's available at Edgars in South Africa now for ZAR 580.

8. BECCA Ever-Matte Poreless Priming Perfector: being a combination/oily girl has its dowside...oily T-zone by midday if you don't take things in hand. I'm not really into powder, so for me the solution is a good primer that can keep the shine at bay and keep my makeup from melting off my face (especially in the summer). This primer goes for ZAR 580 at becca cosmetics online.

9. BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector in "Topaz": comes as a liquid and poured compact. I'm not sure on how to apply liquid highlighter, so I'll stick with the compact. This shade is a bronzy gold that looks amazing on dark skin (See this review by the Style & Beauty Doctor). Also available at becca cosmetics for ZAR 470.

What make-up products are you dying to try out?

Love xoxo, 

N

Make-Up Review: Battle of the Foundations #1 MAC Matchmaster vs. Smashbox Studio Skin

So, after years of being told to "start a blog", "...YouTube Channel" etc. I've decided to take the plunge...I'm blogging :-) I'm hoping to write about a variety of topics; hair, makeup, skincare, travel... we'll see how it goes. 

For my first post I thought I'd start with my never ending quest for the ultimate foundation.
What is the ultimate foundation? For me, it needs to match my skin perfectly, be mattifying (I have combination oily skin and I live in South Africa where summers are longer than winters), be non-transferable, last all day (with minimal/no touch up) and SPF >15. That's not too much to ask now, is it?

Our contestants in this first battle; MAC Matchmaster SPF15 Foundation in shade #8.5 (http://www.maccosmetics.co.za/product/shaded/158/17339/Products/Face/Foundation/Matchmaster-SPF-15-Foundation/index.tmpl ) 
and 

Machmaster in #8.5 on the left and Studio Skin in #4.2 on the right. 

 

  Smashbox Studio Skin 15 Hour Wear Hydrating Foundation  in shade #4.2 (http://www.smashbox.com/product/6035/22769/Face/Foundation/STUDIO-SKIN-15-HOUR-WEAR-HYDRATING-FOUNDATION/index.tmpl) both foundations are available in 12 shades. For the matchmaster foundation, the shade I use #8.5 is second to the darkest which is 9.0, and for the Studio Skin 4.2 is the darkest shade available. 

Matchmaster is available at all MAC makeup counters at Foschini and/or Edgars, the MAC store in the V&A Waterfront and online at www.maccosmetics.co.za. 

Smashbox is also widely available; in Edgars/Redsquare, Foschini and Woolworths stores (as well as their online stores www.redsquare.co.za and www.woolworths.co.za). In terms of price the Matchmaster foundation goes for R420.00 and the Studio Skin is going for R445.00.

Studio Skin Foundation, SPF15

Matchmaster Foundation, SPF15

I decided to compare foundations for a two week period; using the same primers (I'll talk about primers that I'm trying out soon). As you can see in the pictures above, although the foundations look diffrent out of the bottle the're pretty true to my natural colour once applied. 

In terms of application, I've tried brushes (kibuki and stippling)  and the beuaty blender; the Matchmaster applies well with both but the Studio Skin applies better with the beauty blender because it tends to streak when applied with a brush. They don't dry instantly, so you've got time to blend and buff, although this also means you can't touch your face too soon after applying the foundation either. 

Both foundations have medium coverage which is buildable to full; I prefer to wear medium coverage since I have minimal blemishing and my skin is even-toned. The finish is semi-matte for both which is great because I'm not a fan of the powdery finish and I don't contour to add dimension to my face. I finished of my face with M.A.C devil blush and highlighted with M.A.C springsheen blush. In both images, I'm wearing the OFRA liquid lipstick in the shades Atlantic city (2nd picture) and Queens (1st picture) (available from SAMIKA store: www.samika.co.za).  
Both foundations are advertised as long wearing and they do last all day, although I do notice a bit of shine on my T-zone at the midday mark. It's not oily but more luminous so I don't mind it. By the end of the day my makeup was still holding up really well, even after gym class in some cases :-) ...Studio Skin claims to be sweat and humidity resistant, it's definitely passed the gym test. 

Smashbox claims that Studio Skin is transfer-proof, this is true to a certain extent since I haven't had any transfer on to my clothing but there's a bit of transfer onto tissues whenever I blew my nose...hmmm  I don't know... I haven't done a white shirt test though :-)  
M.A.C Matchmaster is not transfer-proof, there are foundation finger prints in some of my notebooks :-)

Final Verdict: I feel like the Matchmaster foundation has red undertones and the Studio Skin is more yellow. I have neutral skin tone so both foundations fit me pretty well. I like how they both apply, they are light weight and I don't get that caked on feeling. The Matchmaster foundation does feel a bit heavier than Smashbox and I defintely feel like I've got something on my face.
I do feel however, that the Matchmaster foundation would suit me better in the spring/summer when my skin gets a bit darker (I may have to re-evaluate come summer).
For me, they're equaly good, although the range of shades is really limited. If you have a darker skin tone than me, Studio Skin does not come in deep cocoa shades and Matchmaster has one more shade, although the Studio Fix fluid foundation has a way better range (with 39 shades to match skin undertones).

Final Marks:
Matchmaster 7.5/10
Studio Skin 8.0/10 (extra points for transfer-proof)  

Okay, that's it for now. See you in my next post.

Much love, xoxo
N