April Favorites!

Hello Beautiful!

Oh my! Karachi needs to calm down! The temperature is rising with every passing day and hence the need to keep my face matte and shine free because I have given up on the idea of "sweat-proof/free" considering the humid and hot weather here where I live. My April Favorites consist of the products that didn't fail me in this weather and I didn't need to touch them up frequently, well not even once in some cases. Let's start with what my favorites were.

1. Bourjois - 123 Perfect Foundation - Light Beige 53.

          This has to be my best friend for the hot and humid weather. It is everything EVERYTHING I want from a foundation in this weather. It blends so smoothly with both my Real Technique Buffing Brush and Miracle Sponge, doesn't sit on top of skin, in fact blends in looking very natural. Sets completely matte and is shine free without looking Sahara Dessert dry or cakey. I absolutely love it and will be sticking to this all through Summers.

2. Makeup Revolution - Powder Blush - Treat.
          This is literally the only Blusher I used all through April! The formula is so soft and it blends seamlessly. It has a satin finish and gives the most beautiful peachy color to your cheeks. Also, it stays put for a good amount of time.I loved it enough to even travel with it.

3. e.l.f Cosmetics - Baked Highlighter - Moonlight Pearls.
          This is a re-discovered product from my stash and I fell in love with it all over again. I love to highlight the top of my cheeks, brow-bone and inner corners of my eyes with this. Read the full review here.

4. Morphe Brushes - Individual Eyeshadow - Caramelized.
          This is for my eyes what bronzer is for the face. All of you know by now how much I like to keep my makeup minimal and fresh and when I just a want a little extra for my eyes (apart from Mascara) I just blend this in my crease to warm up the eyes and for a natural contoured look. This buffed into my crease, inner corners and brow-bone highlighted with Moonlight Pearls and two coats of Mascara -and my eye look is complete.
Read the full review here.

5. Jordana - Best Lash Extreme Mascara.
          This Mascara is loveeeee the formula is neither too thin or too thick, just the right consistency and it gets better with each use. I love how just one swipe of this provides both length and volume. I have used this Mascara here.

6. Rimmel - Exaggerate Waterproof Eye Definer - In The Nude.

          I love to use this in my University days to eliminate the redness and for the well-rested eye look. I hardly get any sleep these days thanks to my studies and this helps me brighten up my eyes. The pencil glides smoothly on the waterline and stays put for a long time without any smudging.

7. Wet n Wild - Megalast Lipstick - Bare It All.
          The first time I got it I wasn't really impressed because I was use to Maybelline Coffee Craze which is a neutral toned brown where as Bare It All is a warm toned brown but with time it grew on me and I gravitated towards it the most all through April, so much so that with the beginning of May I had to remind myself to put this down and use something else. It is a beautiful warm nude shade nonetheless.

I make it a point to switch up and change the products I use every month so that I can share my favorites with you. April was all about keeping my makeup fresh, shine free and long lasting in this humid weather.

What were your favorite products to use in April? How do you keep your makeup shine-free and long lasting? I plan to do my makeup routine for

April with April Favorites, would you like that? Let me know in the comments.

Until next time. Good Luck and Ciao!

Discount / Promo Codes:

GULZEN75 : Get free shipping on your order above Rs. 7500 from Zensky

ASHOOG12 : Get 12% discount on the whole Bag collection at Ashootabby. (Valid until 31st March 2016)

VIOLETTEG10 : Avail 10% discount on your total at Violette - Online Clothing Brand

GULLOVESCHIC : Avail a 10% discount on each item at Urban Chic.

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with the website link(s) and discount codes provided in this post and do not earn or get anything, in return, in anyway if you click on or use the links -except Urban Chic & Violette -that I own.

My Favorite Blushers For Spring'16 | Colors Of Spring Tag|

Hello Beautiful!

What is the first thing that comes to your mind upon hearing the word Spring? For me it's Colors and a field full of lush green grass and beautiful flowers in all the different colors; birds chirping on the branches of thick trees surrounding the area! How calming and energizing. I love Spring as much as I love Fall, because it's neither too hot nor too cold and there's something beautiful about the bared trees as much as the branches loaded with flowers.

I'm so glad to be a part of yet another amazing platform supporting Bloggers, called Bloggers Squad PK, hash-tagged BSPK. They announce a tag  post every month and this month it is The Colors Of Spring and obviously we can have our own twist on the tag. So I decided to share My Favorite Blushers For Spring 2016.

When it comes to Blushers, I gravitate more towards Peaches and Apricots. But for Spring specially I love a good Coral. Here are the Blushers I'll be using all through Spring 2016.

As you can clearly notice, I have more Peach Blushers in this selection with a bright Coral, Pink and Orange. That's exactly what I like for Spring.

Blushers For Spring 2016:

In no particular order, let's get down to each Blusher, shall we?

a) Color Studio Professional - Audacious Orange.
          This is a straight up Orange which might look scary in the pan but gives the most healthy and natural looking splash of color to the cheeks. You have to keep a light-hand with this as it can easily make you look clownish if you apply it heavily. I blend it ever so lightly on my cheeks and it stays on for a good amount of time.

b) Milani- Baked Blush - Luminoso.
          This a cult favorite and for good reasons. It's a peach with a golden sheen that gives a beautiful peach color with a natural glow to the cheeks. It blends flawlessly on the face and you don't have to be too careful with it as it applies beautifully. I have used it here.

c) Makeup Revolution - Powder Blush - HOT!
          It is a beautiful bright Pink that gives the prettiest Blushed-Pink look to the cheeks. You have to be light-handed with this one as I'm sure you don't wanna look like a clown, but if you do, then you do you boo! The formula is amazing which blends seamlessly.

d) Jordana - Coral Radiance.
          Now this is such a beautiful bright Coral that might look "too much" in the pan but gives a beautiful wash of Coral on the cheeks. Coral Radiance is matte and can be topped with a highlighter for a more glowy look. But sometimes i like to keep my Blush Matte with my cheek-bones highlighted.

Here I have swatched them. 

Top to Bottom: Audacious Orange, Luminoso, HOT!, Coral Radiance.

Left to Right: Coral Radiance, HOT!, Luminoso, Audacious Orange.

e) The Balm Cosmetics - Hot Mama.
          This is supposedly a dupe for the notorious Orgasm by NARS. I don't own Orgasm so can't really compare but Hot Mama here is beautiful itself! It is a Peach Blusher with tiny golden flecks that translates onto the cheeks as a beautiful healthy sheen. I also like to use it as Blush Topper for my Matte Blushers.

f) The Balm Cosmetics - INSTAIN Long Wearing Powder Blush - Swiss Dot.
          Look at how tiny and cute this is! I received it from The Balm Cosmetics - Pakistan along with some other goodies at The Launch Event (read all about it here). It is an Orange Peach and is rich in pigmentation. I plan to buy the full size when I'm done with this sample.

g) Makeup Revolution - Powder Blush - Treat.
          This -again, is a peach, are you surprised? Coz I'm not! XD It has tiny gold flecks in it which gives a subtle glow with the peachy flush to the cheeks. You can layer it up and it'll blend seamlessly without looking patchy at all.

Here I have swatched them.

          

These are the Blushers that I love for Spring and will be using through out this season. I use Real Techniques Blush Brush to apply and blend the Blush and it does a great job!

What are your favorite Blushers for Spring? Don't forget to share them in the comments so that I can have a look at them.

Oh Spring also reminds me of this Blog Post where Elizabeth shared stunning wallpapers for Spring and all the beauty that comes with it. The pictures are breath-taking! Don't forget to see them here!

Until next time Good Luck and Ciao!

Discount / Promo Codes:

GULZEN75 : Get free shipping on your order above Rs. 7500 from Zensky

GULZ15 : a) Avail 15% discount on accessories at Sheer Class.

                b) Get The Classy Pouch for Rs. 850 instead of Rs. 1000 by using me code as a Coupon Code! 

ASHOOG12 : Get 12% discount on the whole Bag collection at Ashootabby. (Valid until 31st March 2016)

VIOLETTEG10 : Avail 10% discount on your total at Violette - Online Clothing Brand

GULLOVESCHIC : Avail a 10% discount on each item at Urban Chic.

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with the website link(s) and discount codes provided in this post and do not earn or get anything, in return, in anyway if you click on or use the links -except Sheer Class (Affiliate), Urban Chic & Violette -that I own.

In My Stash : Makeup Revolution London

Hello Beautiful!

With the end of Fall Series on my blog, I have decided to start another series called "In My Stash", where I will share my makeup collection with all of you in different categories -brand wise such as Maybelline Collection, in this post Makeup Revolution Collection or it's function wise such as Blushers, Highlighters, Mascaras, Lipsticks and so on and provide concise reviews too. Also other collections I have of let's say, Jewelry, Perfumes etc. Now I have in no way a huge collection but I do have collected a lot in this 1 year of makeup obsession. 

So now that you know what this series is all about, I'll start with the first installment.

In My Stash : Makeup Revolution London.

I will share my collection of Makeup Revolution London.

A revolution in offering a comprehensive range of Makeup, Palettes, Makeup Products, skincare and haircare at great prices everyone can afford.

Makeup Revolution is famous for their palettes, they basically make great makeup products priced reasonably low so that everyone can afford it. From eyeshadow palettes to highlighter palettes, they have a lot to offer. 

Here's what I have so far from this particular brand.

The Eyeshadow Palettes:

I have got three of their eyeshadow palettes called The Redemption Palette Iconic in 1, 2 and 3.

These  palettes are actually dupes for Urban Decay's Naked Palettes and I must say they are spot on too. In the beginning of my makeup obsession I didn't want to splurge on the Naked Palettes and although I knew these wont be the real deal I am so glad I got these! 

While a few shades in each palette are not really pigmented, the palette on the whole is actually very good! 

The formula is soft and blend-able and the overall palette is quite pigmented specially their satin and shimmery shades! I absolutely love these and use them very often.

My most used eyeshadows in all three of these palette are the dupes of Half baked and Trick. Their shimmery shades pack on so well and smooth on the eyelids and with Fix Plus they become this foiled goodness!!

I'm definitely gonna get more of their eyeshadow palettes! For the price they are really good although I repeat few of the mattes are kinda disappointing in these palettes. A full review of this will be up soon.

The Highlighter:

Did you know they have a dupe for the Houglass Ambient Lighting Palette? It's called the Radiance Palette and according to the reviews it's awesome!! I have yet to try it for myself.

What I do have is one of their Baked Highlighter in Golden Lights. They have two more shades called Peach Lights and Pink Lights. Golden Lights was actually my first ever highlighter when I got into makeup.

Golden Lights is said to be a dupe for NARS Albatross but as I haven't tried that I can't say for sure. The highlighter is actually very good and very pigmented, it's a baked product yet blendable and soft. It's more of a shimmery highlight and gives quite a glow which can be intensified if used wet.

The Blushers:

Makeup Revolution has a variety of blushers, available as singles and in palettes. In powder, cream and baked forms. I have their Powder Blushers in Now!, Hot!, Sugar and Treat. They are available in either round or square pans, I'm not sure why the different packaging though but the formula of these blushers is actually very good! The powder is soft, smooth and so blend-able! Also the pigmentation is good and buildable. I love how compact they are to carry around.

Treat has a shimmery finish otherwise rest of them are matte. There is another one called Love that is missing from my collection. I have been eyeing some of their blush palettes but I don't know if I will have use of them since I already own these blushes but there are definitely different shades in them and I feel a palette is more travel friendly since you get different colors in one place.

That's all I have from Makeup Revolution In My makeup Stash and I am happy with what I got and plan to increase my collection with all the new amazing stuff they have launched recently! Makeup Revolution is available online at www.reforma.pk and www.daraz.pk for Cash On Delivery. You can also place orders on various Facebook Pages such as Zensky.

So there's the first installment in this brand new series called "In My Stash". I hope you like it, don't forget to leave your feedback in the comment section. Your comments and feedback are always valued. Also, what shall I share next in these series? Blushers? Mascaras? Let me know (:

Until next time, Good Luck and Ciao!

_______________________________________________________

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My Beauty Favorites of 2015! | FACE |

Hello Beautiful!

So if you read my last post on the collective favourites of 2015, you'd remember how long the list was thanks to each category and if I had mentioned my thoughts on every product, it would've been an enormous post! Hence, I listed all my favorites of 2015 in each category of Face, Eyes and Lips and now I'll do separate posts on each category with details on the products and why they were my favorites.

Therefore, in this post I'm sharing my Favorites for the Year 2015 in the 'Face' category.

Face:

1) Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation:

          Haven't I raved this foundation enough already? I guess not, because this deserves all the love from me! I have a combination skin and in Winter when my skin leans more towards dry, this foundation has been absolute treat. Blends smoothly and has the perfect satin finish making the skin look hydrated and moisturized.

2) Bourjois 123 Perfect Foundation:

          This has been my first ever foundation and I love it so much! It's perfect for my skin in Summers as it gives the perfect matte finish to my combination skin without being dry at all! It blends smoothly and stays put even without a primer, for a long time.

3) Skindinavia - Makeup Finishing Spray - Oil Control:

           With all the weddings in the last year, I wanted something extra to keep my makeup intact for a long time and so I decided to finally get myself a Makeup Setting Spray and I'm so glad I chose this among the vast options available in the market. Just 2 to 3 spritz of this all over my face and my makeup last a long long time without having to re-touch at all -except for my lipstick!!

4) The Balm - Hot Mama:

          Hot Mama is such a beautiful blusher and I love love it for the healthy glow and color it gives to my cheeks. I'm looking forward to use it in Spring and Summer 2016 although I used it all through the end of 2015.

5) Color Studio Professional - Blush - Audacious Orange:

          This has been my absolute love through out Spring and Summer 2015. Although it's a little scary in the pan with the bright orange color, it's gorgeous on the face with a light hand, it gives a beautiful healthy color to the cheeks.

6) Sleek Contour Palette - Light:

          Contouring has been all the rage in 2015 with simple to heavy to clown contouring. My favorite has been this palette from Sleek. It goes on smoothly and blends effortlessly on the skin without making it look dirt or muddy, also the highlight shade is beautiful without being a glitter mess.

7) Makeup Revolution - Powder Blusher- Sugar:

          For the price, Makeup  Revolution's Powder Blushers are definitely a steal. Out of all the shade in this line, I love Sugar and used it the most. It's a pretty peachy blush which has a matte finish. The powder is so smooth and goes on smoothly and blends like a dream!

8) Masarrat Misbah Makeup - Stay On Blusher - Shell Bronze:

          My HOLY GRAIL blusher!! I am absolutely sold on this product!! It is the perfect color for every day use and can be intensified for Night Time Looks. Also it is the perfect color to pair up with ANY eye makeup. The blusher in the pan has teeny tiny flecks of glitter that aren't noticeable on the skin, instead it gives more of a sheen. I LOVE THIS SO MUCH!

9) e.l.f Cosmetics - Baked Highlighter - Blush Gems:

          This highlighter is known to be a dupe for MAC Soft and Gentle, I don't own the latter so can't really say but the highlighter itself is gorgeous!! In the pan it looks full of glitter but on the skin it gives a beautiful sheen with a subtle sparkle without emphasizing the pores. Now I don't have any pore issue but it even looks beautiful on my mom's skin. It's compact and sturdy.

10) Rimmel - Stay Matte Pressed Powder - Peach Glow:

          I haven't used anything else to set my face and my under-eyes since I started using this. This is definitely the only used pressed powder of 2015 for me and I love it mattifies (if that's even a word) my face without making it look powdery or cakey.

11) L'oreal Paris - Hydra Total 5 - Moisturizer:

          The only moisturizer that has been my favorite for 2 years now!! I hate the greasy feeling on my skin and this moisturizer just absorbs into the skin without leave any tackiness or geasy feeling behind. I use it religiously under my foundation.

12) Wet n Wild - Shimmer Palette - Hollywood Boulevard:

          Discovered it almost at the end of 2015 but this became a favorite immediately! I love the gorgeous sheen it gives which can be built up. Sometimes I just feel like rubbing it all over my face lol! Wet n Wild has done an amazing amazing job at this highlighter! The amount of products can last you a lifetime!

1) Real Techniques - Blush Brush:

          I had been on a hunt for a good blush brush since 2014 and I finally found my absolute favorite in 2015 and since then I have only reached out for this for applying any Blush. It disperses and blends the blushers so flawlessly.

2) e.l.f Cosmetics - Studio Blush Brush:

          The only brush I loved and used to apply all my highlighters. I have only used powder highlighters and I don;t think it'll perform well with cream highlighters but for powder highlighters, it is the best brush I've ever used!!

3) Real Techniques - Miracle Complexion Sponge:

          2015 again has been an year for makeup sponges and this has been my favorite sponge to apply foundation and concealers. It blends foundation on my skin flawlessly for the air brush finish without a worry about any streaks.

4)  e.l.f Cosmetics - Kabuki Face Brush:

          I had this for a long time before I finally opened it up and started using it and fell in love with it! This Kabuki brush is perfect for setting/powdering the face and that is what I use it for, all over my face. It also is great for bronzing the face. The bristles are incredibly soft! Like a bunny's tail!

5) e.l.f Cosmetics - Powder Brush:

          I got this in a set from e.l.f and has been using it to powder my face until I switched to the Kabuki Brush. So for half of the year this has been my favorite to use with pressed powder. Now I use it to lightly blend in the highlight, blush and contour so there are no harsh lines and everything looks well blended. The bristles on it are a little harsh when I touch i to my face but while using it or swiping it across my face, I don't really notice the harshness much.

6. Bobbi Brown - Angled Face Brush - REPLICA:

          I got this brush along wih others in a set, although I'm sure they are not similar to Bobbi Brown at all, just some replica. Nonetheless the quality of these are really good! The bristles are so soft and picks up just the right amount of products and disperses it well on the skin, I love to use it for contouring as it blends the contour smoothly.

I tried my best to keep this short and sweet and not get carried away describing how much I loved using all these in 2015. Let me know what were your favorites for the year of 2015 and if you want a detailed review on any of these, let me know in the comments and I'd love to oblige!

This brings me to the end of this post. A detailed post on my Beauty Favorites of 2015 for Eyes coming up next!

Until next time, Good Luck and Ciao!

Silver Glittery Winter Glam | Makeup Look

Hello Beautiful!

I recently asked all the lovely ladies what kind of "Winter" Makeup Look would they want me to do and some of you replied with a Silver eye look along with Winter Day Time/Neutral Looks, so I decided to do a more glam look before doing a day time look! 

I did a Silver glittery eye makeup and paired it up with a Muted Pink Lipstick. I usually do more warm eye looks but this time I did a cool-toned eye makeup as I felt it'll compliment the Silver more. Also I did a completely different foundation routine, for this look, than I usually do and it turned out pretty good!

As always I'll try to keep the steps precise!

Products Used:

Face:

• L'oreal Paris Hydra-Total 5 Ultra Hydrating Gel-Cream.
• Bourjois 123 Perfect Foundation in 53.
• Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder in Peach Glow.
• Masarrat Misbah Makeup - Stay on Blusher - Shell Bronze.
• Becca x Jaclyn Hill - Shimmering Skin Perfector - Pressed - Champagne Pop.
• Sleek Contour Kit - Light.

Tools Used:

• Real Techniques Blush Brush.
• e.l.f Studio Blush Brush.
• e.l.f. Kabuki Brush.
• Angled Contour Brush.

Eyes:

• Maybelline Fit Me Concealer - 15.
• Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder in Peach Glow.
• Makeup Revolution - Eyeshadow Palette- Iconic 2. [Dupe for Urban Decay's Naked 2]
• Christine - Glitter Pot - Silver.
• e.l.f Makeup Mist and Set.
• Color Studio Professional Hypno Black Eye Marker.
• NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil - Milk.
• Maybelline Rocket Volum'Express Mascara.

Tools Used:

• Morphe Brushes Blending Brush MB23.
• Color Studio Professional Blending Brush.
• e.l.f Shader Brush.
• A pencil Brush

Lips:

• Luscious Cosmetics Super Moisturizing Lipstick in Daisy Pink.

Steps:

Eyes:

1. After priming my eyes with Fit Me Concealer up to the brown-bone, I set it with the Pressed Powder.
2. For the transition color I blended in the 5th (from the Left) shade [UD Tease] with MB 23. I layered and blended this shade until I was happy with the intensity. I used it as a transition shade initially so kept it light and diffused.
3. With a denser blending brush like the Color Studio Blending Brush I buffed in the same shade into my crease and the outer corners, building up the color and blending the edges with MB23. I did it a few times until the edges were soft and diffused while my crease and outer corners were darker but blended. 
4. With a shader brush I applied the 9th (from the Left) shade [UD Verve] to my lids and further packed it with elf mist and set for that foiled look. Spray e.l.f Mist and Set on any shimmery or glittery eyeshadow to immediatey intensify the pigmentation.
5. With Color Studio Brush I blended the creases.
6. With a flat shader brush sprayed with Mist and Set, I picked up the Glitter from the pot and patted it on the center of the lids.
7.  (Okay Gul, enough with the with-s!) I lined my waterline with NYX Milk and smoked by lower lash line with the same crease shade with a pencil brush.
8. After applying a rather long winged-eyeliner, I coated my lashes using Maybelline The Rocket Mascara.
9. I also applied a bit of the Silver eyeshadow on inner corners of the lower lash line.

Face:

1. I mixed the moisturizer and foundation in 2:1 ratio and applied that all over my face and neck with my fingers. I wasn't able to use 123 Perfect in this season as it emphasized my dry patches but with this technique I loved the finish -comfortable and not completely matte on the face, rather it had a healthy looking glow.
2. I set my foundation lightly with pressed powder so that other powders (such as blusher & contour etc) could blend easily on top.
3. I contoured my face using the Sleek Palette with an Angled Brush.
4. I used my Holy Grail Blusher on my cheeks (duh) and highlighted the high points like the top of my cheeks, bridge of the nose and cupid's bow with Champagne Pop. It was hard to stop bathing in Champagne Pop!

Lips:

1. I had already prepped my lips with Rosebud Salve when I started with my eyes.
2. For lipstick I applied Daisy Pink by Luscious Cosmetics. It is such a beautiful everyday muted pink color! 

So here's the Silver Glittery Winter Glam Makeup Look! (and that was a mouthful!). I really like how the eye makeup turned out, it sparkled more than it has come out in the pictures. This is definitely a party/night out look but if this is Day Time for you then, well you know, you do you boo! I'll do a more Day Time/Natural Winter look in a week's time.

I would love to see how you recreate this and don't forget to share it with me with the hash-tag #gulezehrasblog! Also tag me in your Winter Makeup Looks!! I would love to see what you talented ladies come up with! 

Don't forget to take part in the on-going MEGA GIVEAWAY on my blog! Read all about it here.

Until next time, Good Luck and Ciao!

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