The Muse Drop: Makeup

Showing posts with label Makeup. Show all posts

So recently I came across a blog post that was a no-makeup-for-a-week-challenge. I found it quite interesting because many of us don't like to leave the house without makeup on.

As a teenager, I used to wear eyeliner every single day. Not a day would pass without me wearing some sort of eyeliner. One day, I was too busy stressing for an exam so I ditched the liner and EVERYONE asked me if I was okay because I looked sick and tired (quite literally).

From that day, I made the decision NOT to wear eyeliner just so that people could get used to the real me. I didn't like the fact that people were so used to seeing me with eyeliner that when I didn't wear it, they thought that something was wrong.

Anyway, I only wear makeup on weekends and special occasions now. During the week, you'll see a bare face. I only wear either lipstick or a tinted lip moisturiser. And the only reason I do this is because my lips get dry very easily.

Thanks to my naturally long, thick lashes, I often get asked whether my lashes are real or whether I'm wearing mascara so that's an added bonus.

Other than that, you won't see any other traces of makeup. Any scars or blemishes left behind by unsightly pimples are on show for anyone to see.

I'm now so used to leaving the house without makeup, that it doesn't really bother me anymore (up until it's picture time because then I don't want to take pictures).

In fact, when I tell my colleagues about my love story with makeup, they don't believe me (sometimes, they even think that I don't know what I'm talking about because of the total lack of makeup on my face). A couple of pictures later and a quick description of my makeup collection, they believe that I love makeup.

A lot of people who have seen my pictures with makeup on almost cannot believe that it's me. And I do understand why. I look a little different. With the right angles, filters and makeup, anyone is bound to look different.

Also, no makeup tends to make me look a little younger. Of course, I don't mind this. Anything to make me look closer to my twenties and not my thirties.

The funny thing is that my husband prefers it when I don't wear makeup. I honestly will never understand the male species because I know for a fact that I look better with makeup on. Nonetheless, I'll embrace his opinion because it really does boost my self confidence.

I realised that many a times, we are harder on ourselves than strangers. We think that without makeup, we tend to look weird or odd. Thing is, when strangers see us without makeup, we look normal to them.

I guess it's important for all of us to embrace our bare faces because when we start hating ourselves, how are we expected to love others?

That being said, I'm always up for weekend and function makeup. And truth be told, I feel so much more confident when my face is baked... I’m human after all!

So my nighttime routine used to be exactly the same as my morning routine but a few months ago, I changed it. Now it's not as long as it used to be, except when I start masking and sheet masking. Then it takes really long.

Nighttime routine

1. Makeup remover
For my makeup removal routine, you can read this post. However, since I only wear makeup on weekends, I don't have to do this every day.

2. Cleanser
I use the Givenchy cleanser at night and every two or three nights, I'll use the Givenchy exfoliater which has 5% glycolic acid in it.

3. Toner
I then tone my skin with Pixi Glow Tonic. I don't have to say much about that. You probably already know how much I love it. If not, read my review here.

4. Facial Oil
Then I rub the famous 'curry oil' into my skin. For my full review on the Farsali Volcanic Elixir, go here.

5. Moisturiser
Next, I use the Aveeno Eczema Cream which I gushed about in my morning skin care routine.

5. Eye Cream

Under my eyes, I use the Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Eye Cream. I can't say that it miraculously fixes all my under eye problems but it is pretty hydrating.

This skincare routine works wonders for me. I wake up with plump, hydrated skin. Also, if I follow this routine, my foundation applies flawlessly the next morning.

Remember, what works for me may not necessarily work for you. Visit a skincare therapist or a dermatologist for serious skin concerns. I found this skincare routine to agree with me through trial and error. I'm pretty sure that I'll change it up again sometime in the future.

I used to have great skin at a stage. It wasn't oily or dry. I didn't have to worry about sensitivity and I didn't have to spend a fortune on skincare. Apart from the odd pimple or two and the occasional blackheads, there wasn't much I had to do about my skin.

And then, after years of laser, something went wrong. One of the ladies used a current that was way too high for my face, and it completely destroyed my skin. Initially, I broke out into these huge, completely ugly hives. Then my face started to scab, a lot. Then my skin started peeling and I had terrible dry patches. To make matters worse, the intense dryness caused premature wrinkles. I was only twenty one! I wasn't supposed to have wrinkles. My dry, sensitive skin became a nightmare to work with. I could barely use any product on my skin and EVERYTHING burned. The salon offered me various skincare treatments for free but none of them helped. So I started to experiment with various different facial products and eventually, my skin became better. Initially, any product that I tried to fix my skin with, just burned. Suddenly, my skin had turned super sensitive.

It was a total nightmare. I actually cried over it.

After I got over the initial anger, I started to look for ways to improve my skin. Over the years, with my sister's advice and through experimenting, I found skincare that actually works wonders for me.

Last year, people would go on about how flawless and glowy my makeup free skin looked. I was ecstatic!

And then I went on vacation and I got such terrible sunburn (even though I always used sun screen), that my skin was an absolute disaster.

So although I had started a ten step skincare routine last year, that skincare all of a sudden just wasn't working. The sun burn was so bad that the texture on my skin refused to disappear. After my sister suggested glycolic acid, my skin has improved. A lot. Also, my dry skin has almost completely disappeared.

Skin type: Dry

Skin problems: Dryness, flakiness, occasional pimple

Morning routine

1. Cleanser
I don't always wash my face with a cleanser in the morning. However, I do use the Eucerin DermatoCLEAN cleansing milk and then I wipe it off with a muslin cloth. When I do decide to cleanse my face, I use the Givenchy facial wash.

2. Mineral water
I'll spray some Vichy mineral water all over my face so that my skin has a little bit of natural moisture.

3. Rose water
I use rose water as a toner in the mornings. After soaking a cotton pad in rose water, I swipe it all over my face and neck (you'd be surprised at how effective rose water is! It attracts the dirt that you didn't think you had).

4. Toner 2
I use the Givenchy Tone it Tender toner next. However, I simply squeeze out some on my fingers and then I pat it all over my face (instead of using a cotton pad since the formula is thicker than the average toner).

5. Essence Water - I use The Body Shop Oils of Life Essence Lotion. Essences are known to be in between a toner and a serum and another prep step for moisturizing. This one is infused with oil and water. After a good shake, I pour 2 or 3 drops in my hands and then pat it all over my face.

6. Facial oil - I use The Body Shop Oils of Life Facial Oil. Since my skin had been so insanely dry, my love affair with facial oils began. I dab about 2 drops on my face and my skin soaks it right up without feeling too greasy.

7. Serum - I use the Givenchy High Moisturising Sap-Serum and gently pat it into my skin. This serum is quite thin and almost has a greasy feel before it soaks right into the skin.

8. Under eye cream. To be honest, I don't use an eye cream during the day. BUT, I do use coconut oil for my under eye since I have yet to find a daytime eye cream that I swear by.

9. Beauty lotion - I use the Givenchy Instant Beauty lotion which promises to make you look amazing. Side note: it doesn't work as a miracle lotion but it does work as a moisturiser.

9. Moisturiser 1 - Since my skin was so incredibly dry and itchy after the sunburn, I used Aveeno Eczema Cream and it worked wonders! After winter settled in, I noticed that my skin was super dry so I used this moisturiser again and it worked perfectly! This is the one moisturiser that I swear by, especially for very dry skin.

10. Moisturiser 2 - To be even more extra than I already am, I slather the Givenchy Rich Luminescence Moisturising Cream for dry skin all over my face to ensure that dryness will not creep up on me.

11. Sun screen - I do not have to stress how important sun screen is. Everyone and their mother's should be using it religiously. I use the Bioderma sun screen with SPF 50.

12. Hydrating mist - After all of the above, I spritz on the Pixi Glow Mist all over my face for a naturally glowy look.

So that's my ten step skincare routine that I do every morning. It doesn't take as long as it sounds because I'm so used to it. And because I'm using so many products, I use a little of each product and they tend to last me ages. I know, it sounds very extra and it probably is.

Now before you start wondering how on earth I purchase all these products without going bankrupt, the answer is simple: SALES! I only buy the above products (with the exception of some of them) on sale. Throughout the year, I won't spend a lot on skincare but when there are sales, I'll stock up.

Please note that just because it works on me, it may not work on you. Also you do not have to buy all the expensive products that I bought. There are cheaper, drugstore alternatives that provide the same benefits. Sometimes you'll only know what works for you through trial and error.

My fascination with makeup started when I was just twelve. Actually, it could have started after my sister got hold of my mum's bright red lipstick and told me to join her in playing with it. Needless to say, we ended up making a royal mess and completely ruined my mum's makeup and the curtains (I can just imagine my mother's horror! I would've probably felt the same!)

I started wearing eyeliner or kohl since the age of twelve. I was fascinated with it. My mother didn't really allow us to wear anything else though so when we got to play with makeup, it was always a fun experience. I started experimenting with eye shadow at the age of sixteen. Before that, the only thing I knew about was eyeliner (oh and those playful-looking lipsticks and glosses).

I experimented with all of my mother's products. At the age of seventeen, I started to experiment with foundation. Although the colour was way too light for me, I was convinced that it was my shade (#TeenYears). I didn't know what bronzer was and I didn't use blush. The only makeup I used was eye makeup and foundation.

That being said, it's clear that my makeup has evolved since then. I came across a blog post about "makeup products I've been using since high school" and when I thought about it, I realised that I don't use a single product that I used to use in high school. Even my skincare game has completely changed throughout the years.

The only beauty product that I've probably been using throughout my life is Vaseline petroleum jelly and maybe baby shampoo (for my brushes!)

I’m glad I’m out of those horrid teenage years though! My makeup game clearly needed some TLC.

Are the Farsali oils worth the hype?

Over the past few years, Farsali has been featured in almost every second makeup video. From their stunning 24k gold speckled oil to their pretty pink drops, they're pretty much everywhere.

No wonder people all over the world are intrigued by these products, they're pretty much the first of its kind.

Farsali is a husband and wife duo that has created some pretty boujie skincare and makeup products. Their products are known to be revolutionary and pretty damn interesting.

Besides, Farah from Farsali is from my birth place so of course I'm going to be supporting her all the way. Except, her products are way too expensive. I do not want to sell a kidney just to look bomb all the time. #SorryNotSorry

Anyway, I ended up purchasing all three of her elixirs. I love it when oils and drops are called elixirs, they just sound so fancy.

*Stands in front of the mirror and pretends to have a Youtube channel*

"Hey guys! Welcome back to my channel. Today I'll be reviewing these Farsali Elixirs."

Excuse me while I continue to pretend that I have a Youtube channel and that I'm an amazing Youtuber.

Okay, okay, okay. Let me get back to this post before I start rambling about my short attention span.

Where was I? The elixirs... There are three elixirs that are available in the brand:

The ultra cool Farsali Rose Gold Elixir - A radiating moisturiser with 24k golden flakes
The fancy Farsali Unicorn Essence - A pretty pink antioxidant serum and primer
The precious Farsali Volcanic Elixir - A hydrating moisturiser

So let’s break this down for you.

Farsali Rose Gold Elixir

Apart from just being a really pretty oil and allowing you to feel super luxurious by applying ACTUAL gold on your face, this product is a great multitasker.

It has a citrus scent and it works great with or without makeup. It's a lightweight moisturiser which includes anti aging properties for all skin types. The gold flecks allegedly absorb into the skin, leaving you with radiating, glowy skin. The base of the oil is rosehip seed oil which claim to "regenerate tissue and reduce the appearance of fine lines, hyperpigmentation, and stretch marks."

You can use this oil as a daily moisturiser or apply it onto your skin before going in with foundation to make yourself glow. It can also be used to revive cream products that have dried out.

I like to use it before I go in with foundation and as a quick fix hydrater (especially during winter). I also love slathering it under my eyes for that extra bit of hydration before applying concealer. When my foundation looks dry, I add a few drops to my beauty blender/brush and dab it onto my face.

Verdict? I absolutely love this oil. It moisturises my skin and soaks in pretty well without making me look like gross and sweaty.

I literally noticed the massive difference in my foundation when I used this oil. It prevented my foundation from having those gross dry patches and overall, gave me a dewy look. Even if I want to look all matte, I'll still use this oil and then matify my face with a setting powder.

Stars: ★★★★★

Price: $54.00 or R950.00 (30ml) from third party resllers

Farsali Unicorn Essence

I'm sure by now you've seen those videos of the beauty gurus dropping pink liquid drops all over their faces. If you haven't, where have you been?

The product has a slight shimmer to it and can be used as a oil free, daily serum. It claims to protect the skin from radical damage and preps the skin for moisturiser or makeup. It has a cotton candy scent which is really fun.

The essence contains "four superfruit extracts, rich in antioxidants; known for their anti-aging & free radical fighting properties: acai berry, goji berry, elderberry & blueberry."

Although the above sounds fabulous, there have been many people out there who have complained about the compilation of ingredients. Apparently there are way too many dyes in the product and already, that just doesn't look great.

Verdict? My skin soaks this up immediately. The oil is quite thin and lightweight and does not leave your face looking like a grease ball. I've used this under my eyes but I can't say that I've noticed less creasing under my eyes (as the product claims) - Maybe I need to test this theory out again.

However, I can't really say that this is life changing. I liked the fact that my makeup applied smoothly over this serum but other than that, I haven't been completely blown away.

It's a nice oil to have and to use. I might even purchase it again because I'm just that extra.

Stars: ★★★

Price: $54.00 or R950.00 (30ml) from third party resllers

Farsali Volcanic Elixir

This oil literally only has one ingredient. Yes, ONE INGREDIENT! It's "Calophyllum Inophyllum (Tamanu) Oil". Basically, (because let's get real, you probably didn't even try to pronounce that - and neither have I) it's an extract from the nut kernels of the Tamanu fruit (Tbh, I don't even know what the Tamanu fruit is). Many people wonder why bother getting the Farsali oil when there are other brands that keep this oil. Well apparently, this is great quality. I can't attest to this though. I need to test out a cheaper brand with the same oil before making such proclamations.

The oil alleges to regenerate new skin and can be used to combat acne scars, dry, flaky skin and stretch marks.

The oil claims to have an earthy scent and it has a thick, greenish brown consistency.

Verdict? I love how sleek the packaging for this oil looks. I've been using it for well over a month now and I can confidently say that my marks have lightened (I've also been using the Pixi Glow Tonic so this could have also contributed).

When I read that it has an earth scent, I expected it to smell like soil or earth or grass or something like that. What I didn't expect was the pungent smell of curry. Freaking CURRY! Many people claimed that the scent goes away after a while but honestly, it seems to last forever. My husband complains about the scent every night because it really really stinks. I absolutely hate the curry like scent.

So because of the nasty smell, I never ever wear it during the day. There is no ways that I will risk going out smelling like an Indian spice shop. No thank you. (I'm brown so the last thing I need is to smell like curry).

However, it's still a great oil and I will continue to use it because it works great on my skin.

Stars: ★★★★ (I'm torn here. I love the oil, I hate the smell. If I based the rating on the scent, I'd give it half a star but if I solely base it on the oil, it get's five stars)

Price: $39.00 or R650.00 (30ml) from third party resllers

Final verdict? think Farsali is a great brand and personally, I love her products. The one thing I hate about their products is the exorbitant price tags. Why does beauty have to be so expensive though?

The Queen of Slay's Palette

The beauty world eagerly anticipated the collaboration that the Queen of Slay (aka Jaclyn Hill) announced early last year. When she previously announced that she was working on something, most of the beauty community pounced the net, fervently wishing for a leak. The wish was granted in the form of a (very un-impressive looking) cake.

When the Morphe x Jaclyn Hill cake leaked, I wasn’t as excited as I expected to be. I thought the palette would have the ability to knock me out in sheer excitement. On the contrary, I thought the cake didn’t look great and I didn’t expect much from the palette. (did you see that cake? Not only did it look untidy, it also looked like a sad selection of shades which most of us will never expect from Slay Queen). I mean it had been a palette that Jaclyn spent two (extremely long) years working on.

But then the palette dropped and suddenly, I was obsessed! It looked gorgeous and the shade selection was stupendous!

The day the palette launched, I was on my PC, refreshing my page every few seconds. When I finally bagged the palette, I was smiling from ear to ear, gushing about the palette to my husband throughout dinner.

I ordered it off the Morphe site and got it delivered via Aramex Global Shopper. Initially, I loved Aramex but recently, they suck - majorly! I don't think I'll be using their services in a hurry again.

Price
Palette price - Morphe: $38.00
Price I paid: R640.00

In total, I paid the amount of R640.00 including delivery (I was lucky enough not to pay any customs) - which is a bargain if compared to the third party resellers. In fact, I bought one palette for me and one for my sister and paid approximately R1280.00 in total. Hell yeah!

Rating: 4/5
I would have given it a 5 if I loved the pressed glitter more and if the actual palette was easier to clean.

Available: Morphe or third party resellers

Packaging
The packaging is a matte white with Jaclyn's name splashed across the front. The palette is made out of thick cardboard and not Morphe's usual plastic packaging. In place of a mirror, Jaclyn has a little note to all her subscribers. The shadows are packed into a silver matte background. Since the palette is white and silver, it easily gets dirty and it's not so easy to clean. Some of the stains are embedded into the palette making it look like something that's been recovered from a brutal makeup war. However, in recent news, Jaclyn announced that they repackaged the palette and it's easier to clean. Generally speaking, it's what's inside the palette that counts but if you're finicky about stained makeup products (like me), this will be major turn off.

Shadows
The palette consists of 35 shades which range between mattes, shimmers, stain, foil and a pressed glitter.

Almost all the shadows have fallout when you dip your brush into them but this doesn't really bother me. I realised that fallout is almost always inevitable and I've come to accept it. I know a few people complained that some of the shadows were patchy and chalky but I didn't seem to have that problem with my shadows. For the most part, they are blendable and smooth.

The matte shades blend like a dream - especially the transition shades - they are creamy and pigmented. I adore the fact that the colour payoff is great.

The shimmers and foils are just as pigmented. I didn't have to use them with Mac Fix+ unless I wanted that extra bit of BAM! They are easy to blend and look beautiful.

The satin shades are subtly stunning. They look great as inner corner or brow bone highlights.

The pressed glitter shade is okay. I don't use it as much and I find it to be slightly grainy. This is understandable as it is a pressed glitter. It's still a pretty shade but I have yet to find a use for it.

Final verdict
I love the shade selection in this palette because not only is it well thought out, but it also includes shades that can assist in creating almost ANY look. From the beautiful transition shades to the soft warms to the brilliant pops of colour, this truly is a dream palette. All in all, if you're thinking of purchasing this palette and if you spend less that R700.00 for it, I'd say go for it!

Below are the swatches from left to right.

I think they swatched beautifully. I didn't use a primer and I only swiped once and this was the colour payoff.

So every quarter, Cult Beauty has an amazing special where you purchase for £150 (approximately £132 if you don’t stay in the UK. That’s approximately R2300), and you receive free shipping AND an epic goody bag worth more than £300.

The ‘Creators Goody Bag’ is filled with various full size products, as well as many sample products. But before I get into that, let me talk about my purchases.

During March 2018, the moment Cult Beauty announced this epic deal, I immediately jumped on to the bandwagon and sealed the deal. My sister in law had been telling me for ages about their awesome deals but for some reason I just didn’t get around to purchasing from them before.

I was extremely concerned about delivery though. Since it was free delivery, I expected to receive my order through the post office. But after I heard that they use a third part courier, I found myself asking, “what could go wrong?” A lot, actually. But more about that later.

I ordered a bunch of skincare products and makeup items. I haven’t tested any of these products before but I heard a lot of good things about it.

Products purchased

Pixi Glow Mist

Pixi Glow Tonic

Pixi Glow Peel Pads

Iconic London Illuminator - Original

Jouer Highlighter - Citrine

Becca First Light Priming Filter

Becca Aqua Luminous Perfecting Concealer

Unfortunately, my Jouer highlighter was completely shattered so the moment I opened it, the highlighter made a complete mess. Also, as I repaired it, I could feel that it was super duper soft.

Anyway, my total order came to approximately R2300 including the goody bag and free shipping.

Goody Bag

Huda Beauty 3D Highlight Palette (Golden Sands) - full size

Iconic London Silk Lashes - 1 pair

Too Faced Mascara - mini

Dr Levy Switzerland - 3 Deep Cleanser - full size

Apa Beauty - Apa Tooth Gloss -full size

Jouer Highlighter (Rose Gold) - mini

By Terry lip balm - mini

Ouai Rose hair and body oil - mini

DNA Renewal - DNA Eye Balm - full size

Goldfaden MD - Skin Balancing Mask - mini

Late Somerville Exfoliating Treatment - mini

Briogeo Hair Treatment Mask - 1 treatment

Sarah Chapman - Overnight Facial - sample size

Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm and Cloth - mini

Lime Crime Diamond Crushers (Choke) - full size

Phillip Kingsley Elasticizer - mini

Dr Dennis Gross Peel Pads - 5 treatments

Cult Beauty Tote Bag

All of the above came in a cute Cult Beauty bag.

Shipping, customs and delivery

So although the deal was so amazing and the fact that Cult Beauty would ship with Aramex was promising, the whole shipping process was terrible!

Here’s a brief breakdown on the dates I ordered, received etc:

2 March 2018: Order placed

4 March 2018: Order shipped

8 March 2018: Order received in SA

20 April 2018: Order finally delivered

Although my order was shipped within 4 days to South Africa, I had to wait over a month to actually receive my order. And I only received it because I complained.

I had sent numerous emails to Aramex to check the status of my order and I was always told that it was still in the customs department.

Eventually, they sent me a mail stating that Cult Beauty had requested a return. I sent them a few emails stating that on my Cult Beauty account, the item was still being shipped and there was no request for a return logged by them. Thereafter, Aramex sent me an invoice for R1390 and I paid it immediately. After I sent through the proof of payment, I received another email from another individual stating that I shouldn’t pay the customs because my order needed to be returned.

After this, I literally had to beg them to respond to my numerous emails demanding an explanation. There was no inter-company communication because whilst one individual was telling me that they were trying to sort out the issue, another individual was telling me to provide my banking details because they needed to refund my payment.

Then they asked me to contact Cult Beauty because they couldn’t get hold of them. At this point I was annoyed and frustrated because as a customer, all I need to do is pay and receive my order. It is not my responsibility to sort out an issue between the courier and the supplier.

After sending numerous more emails and sending them screenshots of my Cult Beauty Account order status, I still did not receive my parcel.

Finally, without any further correspondence from them, I received my order.

Unfortunately, this is not the first time I’ve had such a terrible experience with Aramex or Aramex Global Shopper. However, because the post office is so unreliable, we have to resort to third party courier services, even if their customer service is not satisfactory.

Will I purchase from Cult Beauty again? Probably!

Will I send them an email to tell them to use another courier service? I already did.

Customer service ranks very high in my books and when customer service is bad, my faith in the company diminishes.

After I received my order, I sent Aramex an email asking them to send me a complete breakdown of the customs and duties calculation so that I could ensure that I was being billed fairly. I did a calculation for myself and a calculation for my sister and there were inconsistencies in the amounts. I’m still waiting for Aramex to explain the reason for this (if they ever get back to me). As a global company, I do expect better customer service from Aramex and I know that there are countless people out there who have the same issues.

Anyway, my sister in law mentioned that she usually chooses standard post and not express post. Although the parcel comes through the post office, you don’t have to wait long and customs aren’t exorbitant. I’ll probably try that next time.

In total, I paid R3690 for everything. Although customs was a killer, I do think that I scored a great deal, especially after taking everything I received into consideration.

No makeup? Really?

Nighttime Skincare Routine

Morning Skincare Routine

The makeup I used to use

Farsali

Morphe X Jaclyn Hill Palette

The Queen of Slay's Palette

I joined a Cult (Beauty)

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