Friday morning make up madness

Friday mornings in Dubai are spent on a couch, watching brainless TV and usually either in a coma resulting from a heavy breakfast, or taking a quite moment right before getting ready to go to a grapey, bubbly, hops-y brunch.

But not me. Today, as early as 9 AM, I got all dolled up. My hairstyle was the masterpiece of a gentleman named Dani, one of the best stylists at Nicolas & Jean Salon at Media One Hotel. I did my make up, and I'm gonna talk you through it.

1. Cover Girl foundation applied using a wedge sponge. It has a minty feel to it, so it helps wake me up.
2. Mac Cover-up Concealer used to highlight the areas under the eyes, above the nose, above the lips and the chin.
3. Mac Mineralize Powder in medium dark patted on the jawline, collarbone, temples and around the forehead. Whole face set with Mac Studio Fix powder in NC35.
4. Mac Shadows.Sketch from the Velvet collection applied on lids, and Carbon on the outer corners.
5. Bare Minerals Eye Shadow on the center of lids. I don't remember the color, but it's a glittery bronze shade. All three shades blended well.
6. Mac Technakohl Eyeliner in smooth blue applied thickly on upper lid, starting from the inner corners, and ending on the outer corner with a modest cateye.
7. Drugstore eyelash curler, followed by 100 coats of Bobbi Brown mascara.
8. Cheeks and nose contoured with Bare Minerals powder foundation in medium dark, or darker.
For contouring techniques, check out this video from my favorite makeup tutorial YouTube channel:

 
9. Mac blush in the most versatile shade - Pink Swoon, blended with the medium dark powder on cheeks.
10. Lips moisturized with Carmex lip balm, topped with Mac Lipstick in Taupe and Victoria's Secret lip gloss.

And that's it. I spent about half an hour transforming myself into a diva, and only 45 seconds to wipe my face clean, thanks to baby wipes.

New Beauty Loot

Bagged a great gig, and it comes with make up!
I got a bag full of foundations, powders, primers, eye shadows, lip pencils and eye liners courtesy of MAC Cosmetics and of course, The Traveling Shoe.

I've sampled three of the products so far, and I'm so happy with the way I look wearing them.

www.luuux.com

First off, MAC Velvet shadow in Sketch. It's a lovely plum color with a bit of shimmer and packed with pigment. It glides on smoothly on my lids and creates a polished evening look. It's all I need to turn a 9-to-5 face into a ladies' night weapon.

www.maccosmetics.com

Next! MAC lip pencil in Spice. It's a nice pop of color for a "mature" woman. It's a deep orange and red that gives a fresh face a little attitude. Love it!

www.allure.com

And finally, MAC Mineralize Skin Finish powder in medium dark. It was too dark to use as a face powder, so I used it to contour my cheeks and forehead. It's a revelation. It's lighter than MAC's Studio Fix powder, but packs on color like a pro. Plus it's easy to blend with my blush. I'm not sure if it's good for the skin, but that's how it feels on my cheeks.

I'm so excited to try out other products from my loot. I'm a MAC girl through and through, and a bunch of MAC products landing on my lap makes me feel like God really loves me and wants me to be pretty and always update my look.

I'm sure He does.

What my face wears to work

Oh hi! Didn't see you there. I'm sure you dropped by my site to find out what make up products I use. Don't deny it, I know you're one of 'em. Well, today's your lucky day.

I like to change my make up routine and try new products several times a year. My current beauty regimen consists of the following:

www.beyondbeautybasics.com

1. Mac Studio Finish Concealer in NC35. This is the only constant in my world. I've been using it for a decade, first as a tangible way to cover up my insecurities in life as a young penniless fresh grad, and now as a great way to brighten up my eyes without using excessive eye make up. Bonus! It's got SPF.

www.glam.co.uk

2. Mac Studio Fix compact in NC35. Not any powder will do. It has to match my skin tone, and match my concealer. While the liquid foundation gave me a thousand zits that took me a dozen visits to the dermatologist and two Accutane courses to get rid of, the powder is perfect. It covers up what needs to be covered up while blending with my natural skin color. For someone who spent years looking for the perfect shade and consistency in a compact, this is  nothing short of amazing.

www.bloomingdales.com

3. Bobbi Brown Mascara. I don't know how many kinds of Bobbi Brown mascara there are in the market, but this one's good enough for me. It's part of the media loot I got from Bloomingdales Dubai Mall. I love it. Two coats and my eyes are done. No mess, no stress.

www.temptalia.com

4. MAC Lipstick in Pink Nouveau. Upon realizing that this Nicki Minaj-inspired color looked too outrageous on my lips, I started using it as a cream blush. Works like a charm! It gives my cheeks that natural glow without emphasizing their chubbiness. I'm down to the last few centimeters, and while I wouldn't be buying another tube of this creamy revelation, I recommend it to former Nicki Minaj fans who have now moved on don't know what to do with their Pink Nouveaus.

www.scform.com

5. Carmex Lip Balm. Got three tubes from my Mama, and I'm using them up. They do the job, but after reading somewhere that it contains harmful chemicals that may soon harm my lips and the skin around it, I think I'm not going to replenish my stock. It's a great opportunity to go to the mall and go shop-hopping!

MAC Cremesheen Modesty / www.ebay.com

MAC Creme Sheen Pillow Talk / www.vampyvarnish.com

6. MAC Creme Sheen Lipstick in Modesty and Pillow Talk. I use these too, depending on my outfit. Modesty is pink with brown and nude undertones, so I like to wear it with dresses and other outfits that bring me back to my twenty-something years. Pillow Talk, a limited edition, is brown and creamier. It's a color that says, "My sexiness doesn't get in the way of my authority in the office." I am neither sexy nor powerful, but my lipstick deludes me into thinking it.

That's it. It's also worth noting that over the years I've learned to eliminate many products and steps in my beauty routine. I don't use cheap powder anymore and invest in a powder that matches my shade perfectly. Coincidentally I've stopped looking like a monkey geisha. I've also made peace with concealer, using it only for the skin under my eyes and to hide blemishes, and not as a second foundation like before. And so on and so forth.

There. Now you know. I'm sure you learned a lot and and vowed to make your life better after reading this. *Wink*

The only thing in my make up kit that makes me ugly

Got this pic from the Mac Cosmetics website.

I had acne last year around the time I had a part time job as a presenter.

Every weekend I wore heavy make up.

I had never used liquid foundation before, so I tried the one by Mac.

Studio Fix Fluid SPF 15 in NC 35. 

It was a revelation. I loved it.

It was smooth and thick, so you only needed a dab to cover the whole face.

After a few weeks, my skin broke out and my face turned into an ugly piece of shiznit.

I read somewhere that liquid foundation tended to clog the pores and cause pimples.

But at that time, with so much going on in my life, it could have been anything.

I had hormonal imbalance due to a lot of stress.
I was an unhealthy eater.
And I didn't have enough sleep.

Now, just two days ago I hosted a wedding and used the Mac liquid funda again.

When I got home, I saw four spots threatening to grow into big pus-filled mountains of embarrassment.

Aha. Caught in the act, Mac!

I've been a Mac fan through and through, from the day I got my first pay check and could afford to buy the NC 35 pot concealer, all the way up to the present.

I have a great collection of make up products that include Mac powders, shadows, a primer and a few bottles of nail polish courtesy of Liam.

But the brand's liquid foundation ain't no friend of mine.

Now I'm faced with the task of finding a foundation that will match my skin tone, not irritate my skin, and glide on smoothly while giving maximum coverage.

It's not going to be easy, but I am hanging in there.