The Black Box - MAC Matt Lipstick "Diva" | Review

Some wear "Velvet Teddy", however I am obsessed with "Diva". Obsessed. 

A true dark red that stains the lips and makes them look super vampy. I adore dark lips and this lipstick was worth the pennies. 

I think I am now in love with MAC lipsticks - everything from their packaging to the formula is perfection - I can see my collection growing.

The lipstick in question is a matt formula and goes on a bit patchy so you have to work on it to get it just right, it does stain the skin around your lips so be aware and keep some wipes handy.

The shade isn't berry nor is it brick red. It's a deep maroon with a brownish red undertone. 

It's love.

The lipstick lasts up to 3-4 hours without drinking or eating, but you'll have to do the random touch ups as it is a dark color and will flake off. I recommend to exfoliate the lips beforehand. 

The Crayons | Revlon Colourburst Lip Balms | Review

Okay, before you laugh at me, I know these are old but love doesn't have an expiry date. When I was in Australia (I came back to Pakistan, I dreaded it, about three weeks ago) I picked up the Revlon Matt Lip Balm in Unapologetic and  fell in love. In my old posts, I was raving about the MUA Power Pouts and how comparable they are to the Revlon ones and I wasn't disappointed, actually I was quite pleased, obviously, hence the blog post. 

Priceline had come out with a box set of five of the Revlon Cloudburst Lip Balms, two matt and the rest lacquer for $34.95, a hefty price but I couldn't not get so I did and I've been a happy panda since. They all the the iconic peppermint feel to them when applied and come in a crayon-like form. They are prone to melting to I would recommend that they're put in a cool area, they can't be paraded around, sigh.    

The box set came with:

Provocateur (Lacquer); a pigmented true red with iridescent glitter that doesn't show up on the lips;

Demure (Lacquer); a sheer nude peach pink with a gold frost finish but doesn't scrunch up on the lips and plays well as a "over a lipstick" colour; 

Whimsical (Lacquer); a pigmented lilac-y fig purple with iridescent glitter that again doesn't show up on the lips with extremity; 

Elusive (Matt); a muted brown-ish pink that would look good on all skin tones and wears and dries matt; 

                                                     

Sultry (Matt); a brick red-ish brown that wears and dries matt.  

Like I said before, I had purchased Unapologetic beforehand, which is an absolutely beautiful bright pink that is wearable and wears and dries matt. Love. 

All in all, these babies are the perfect quick lip fix as far as being easy to apply, travel friendly, variety of colours and budget friendly as well. Personally, I adore the matt balms because they are hydrating enough but have the perfect matt finish, not drying on the lips at all. 

They are on point.

The Black Box - MAC Lustre Lipstick "Plumful" | review

I did it. I popped my MAC cherry with a lustre lipstick and boy am I excited! I honestly never thought that I'd purchase a MAC lipstick or any MAC product but this was a semi impulse buy and it's gotten me addicted. 

I swatched a bunch of lipsticks and there were only two that I really liked - "Speak Louder" and "Plumful" and I picked up the latter as the shade is much more wearable and a good pick for a first time MAC lipstick consumer. 

The packaging it au typical and quite iconic. It does resemble a tampon but I'm willing to look past that, ha ha. "Plumful" is one of the permanent lipsticks at MAC and is a lustre which means it's sheer but build-able and quite moisturising. Here in Australia, MAC is pretty hefty but it's reasonable  for a high-end makeup product. The lipstick cost $36 and can be found at Myers where there's a MAC counter.

 

"Plumful"is a wearable plum with pink undertones which allows the colour to mellow down on the lips but gives your lips a gorgeous berry look. The colour goes hand in hand with the formula as well. It's creamy and applies smoothly on the lips and because of it being so sheer, it's build-able which is perfect for such a shade. 

A good dupe for MAC'S "Plumful" is Rimmel London's "Vintage Pink", if you're not wanting to spend that $36 on a lipstick. 

"Plumful" is a perfect everyday lipstick and I adore it!

  

REVIEW | MUA Luxe Velvet Lip Lacquer

MAU Luxe Velvet Lacquer in "Funk"

In my last huge hual of make up I purchased a lot of items from the new MUA Luxe line, one of those things being the MUA Luxe Velvet Lacquer in "Funk". It's meant to be a clear dupe for the LimeCrime Velvetines. They have four colors in thier collection: a vampy red - "Reckless", a neon pink - "Criminal", an eggplant-ish purple - "Kooky", and a deeper, wearable pink - "Funk". 

I choose "Funk" because I don't own colour like it which it always such a great reason to buy something, innit? The product itself comes in a sleek clear glass tube, with a dope foot applicator which is joined by a black cap with gold writing - fancy stuff, eh? 

The colour itself is this beautiful pink, think "Barbie grew up and didn't choose Ken but went for a more mature man" kinda pink. 

DISCLAIMER: Make sure you prep your lips before using any type of matt products.

When your first apply it to your lips, the colour payoff is amazeballs. Make sure you apply it quickly and erase any mistakes asap, because after a couple of seconds, it won't budge. The longevity of the product depends on you too be honest. If you tend to snack a lot of eat your lip products (just me then?) than it will wear off. After a couple of hours, the product tends to flake off. 

TIP: After applying the product, open your mouth a bit and let it dry. The product dries evenly. 

Overall, I'm happy with the MUA Luxe Velvet Lip Lacquer. It's easy to apply, goes matt, and comes off easily as well. 

If you get the chance, do try out these lippes, they're worth the money! 

MOVIE | Warm Bodies (2013)

Okay, funny story - I went to the bookshop a long while book thinking of buying the book but I couldn't remember the name so I got Beautiful Creatures instead, and while I was reading my reaction was - what this isn't funny? Why isn't it funny? It's meant to be funny? Then I Googled it and embarrassed myself in front of myself. Yep. My mother is so proud of me. 

Whaaaaaaat is it about?
A zombie and a human girl, there's love (duh) and action and the perfect amount of wittyness, irony and sarcasm.
 
Okay so basically, the zombie apocalypse happened, everyone but a few were bitten and became zombies one of them being R (Nicholas Hoult aka J Law's boyfriend). He's a different kind of zombie, he thinks and can talk, slightly, grunts a lot and has an airplane filled with things his collected. Anyway, the human girl, Julie (Teresa Palmer) meets R and his fascinated by her, mostly because he ate her dead boyfriend's brain, and takes her back to the airplane and they hang out and she's like "what they hell are you" and he's like "I don't know". Long story short, they like each other, get separated (more like she couldn't handle the zombie drama) and then he start's to miss her, giving him and all the zombies feels again, then they reunite and the world is an okay place again. 

Waaaaas it any good?
Just go and watch it, your doing yourself a favour. 

What was the last movie/ good movie you've watched?

BOOK | Divergent by Veronica Roth

So basically Divergent was on my "books have I to read because of tumblr" list and I finally got my hands on it on Saturday, started on Sunday and ended it on Monday afternoon. Truth be told, I was like this the entire time (gifs to follow):

1. The initial reaction of awe and adoration for Tris and her choice. 


2. When Four starts looking out for her, I was like


3. When the fighting began


4. Then the book ended. It finished.
 

What the book was about?
The book is reminiscent of The Hunger Games but the plot if a wee bit 'softer' in many ways. It's not about killing children and the characters are much more relate-able. I wasn't scared about turning the page (which happened a lot during The Hunger Games) and I loved the three dimensional characters - everyone had a backstory.
The main point that attracted me instantly was the choice one had to make: stay with your family and live a life that wasn't yours or break away from them and live a life worth living? Roth nailed it when it came to the two main characters: Tris and Four. There are so many secrets that open up till the last page and I cannot wait for Insurgent to arrive at my door. 

So what did I think about...

The plot? More than ordinary...it kinda followed the premise of HG but it held up better during the action and romantic bits.

The characters? Perfect. Their weaknesses made them more relate.

The ending? As soon as I put down the book, I ordered the second instalment. 'Nuff said. 

A re-read? Hell yes.

Oh and the fact that the movie is coming out next month is BEYOND MY BRAIN'S UNDERSTANDING!!!!  

P.S. My book preference fluctuates like Katy Perry's hair color or better yet, Taylor Swift's boyfriends. 

Have you read the Divergent series yet? What did you think? 

To Be Or Not To Be? Milani Baked Blush in "Luminoso" | Review

Essie Button made me do it. That's all I have to say. Okay, so maybe I was guilty for actually buying it but who wouldn't? 

This blush works for all skin types and blush preferences. It's perfect for a au natural look or for a more bronze beauty kinda look. Either way, this peachy pink yet subtle blush gives a healthy glow that perfect for everyday! 

Things I Love:
 The name! Harry Potter anyone?! Instant love. I mean the blush is pretty cool, but the name is way cooler (;

 The marble effect! It's easier to swipe the brush and get the golden and peachy color without overdoing it.

 The blush is perfect as it doesn't give a "trashy-way too much blush-kinda look" but a more "oh look I have naturally glowy cheeks" kinda look. Awesome.

Things I Didn't Love:

-  The packing! It's way too small and looks cheap and breakable.

In the words of Shakespeare - To be or not to be, that is the question! Well, for me it's definitely to be!

What blush have been loving lately? Let me know down below! 

Beauty | The post in which I haul things.

                         

Over the past month I bought some things that I thought I'd share and do a small review of some of the products I have used. 
        All the beauty items (make up & nail polishes) were ordered for Just4Girls, an online beauty shop here in Pakistan. The service was alright considering it was  Ramadan and a couple of days before Eid when I had placed my order. So let's get cracking!

1. Vineyard Peach Body Butter from The Body Shop - Rs. 1700

What The Body Shop says: Hydration for dry skin. 
So I finally bought the Vineyard Peach Body Butter for TBS and it smells delicious and is moisturizing. When I first applied it, it had a thick consistency but after a few more applications it really does do the job quite well. 

2. adidas Hydrating Shower Gel in relax flower bouquet soothing - Rs. 250

What adidas says: adidas Hydrating Shower Gel line helps to maintain your skin's natural balance and awaken you're senses. 
You can tell I adore things that smell ah-mazing and one whiff of this would get any flower scent loving person on it's bandwagon. I haven't used it as yet but finger's crossed on the results.

3. Suave Professionals Color Protection Shampoo & Conditioner - Rs. 295 each
Living in Pakistan, specifically in Karachi, a problem from the million of problems that arise is that it is so hard to find a shampoo and conditioner duo and if one does find it, they seem to disappear next time you go to buy the same thing. However the Suave hair care line is readily available. I had used this duo the first time I highlighted my hair and the results were fantastic - but being new to the hair color situation I went on to use Herbal Essence which wasn't a good idea. So when I came across this again I decided to try it out once more since I need a color boost and this duo does a great job. Highly recommend it! 

4. NX Nail Laquar in Atlantis and London Baby - Rs 100/ 150 each; Color Studio Top Coat and Base Coat - Rs. 250 each; Catrice Cosmetics in Sold Out Forever - Rs. 750 *Products were ordered from Just4Girls website (I paid for them.)

The NX polishes have a watery consistently and London Baby (which is the sheer pale pink) is very opaque and needs at least 4 to 5 coats to see a visible color however Atlantis is the perfect shade of blue but again, is opaque and needs a couple of coats for visibility.
     The Color Studio Top Coat and Base Coat are worth the money. I use to use Essence's Gel Look Top Coat but it started to get sticky after a couple of months of use. 
     I have yet to use the Catrice Cosmetic's nail polish but it is said to be a dupe for Chanel's Jade, so hopefully I get the perfect shade.

5.  Essence Urban Messages Lipstick in Let's Paint The Town - Rs 350; MUA lipstick in Shade 1 - Rs 200; Maybelline Baby Lips in Quenched - Rs 350

   

Let's begin with Essence. Wow. That's all I can say. I wouldn't call this a lipstick but more of a pop of color on the natural side. It gives that perfect "I just ate a popsicle" tint to your lips and is the most moisturizing lipstick I have ever used.  
    I have yet to try the MUA lipstick & shall review it. But I have tried the infmaous Maybelline Baby Lips and I'm not too impressed. Honestly it's just like any other lipbalm and frankly there isn't much that makes it different. It's a shame because I was hoping for something amazing. I still love my Vaseline. 








6. Essence Gel Eyeliner in Mindnight In Paris - Rs. 500; MUA Cover & Conceal Concealer in Natural - Rs. 200; Essence Kajal Pencil in Teddy - Rs. 150 (or Rs. 180...not entirely sure) *All products were ordered from Just4Girls (I paid for them.)

Love the gel eyeliner to bits! I have never used gel eyeliner but that's changed since I've been using this little pot of black gold (get it? Hahahaha) It's super creamy and glides on like a dream - and now a must have for me! As for the other two products, I haven't used them as yet either but shall review them in the near future hopefully!

7. Wedding Night by Sophie Kinsella Rs. 1095 930 off the Liberty Books website.

Should I rave on about my Sophie Kinsella love again? I think not. But I do adore her and so far this book is as I expected funny but in a witty sense. Perfect.

So that's all for now but if you want me to review any item that I haven't, do let me know...!