Glamglow Supermud Clearing Treatment is always listed as one of the best selling products at Sephora and has won numerous awards including Allure magazine’s Reader’s Choice Award for prestige Face mask of 2015.
I am always a bit weary of hyped up products as most of it is due to clever marketing but after trying this out for the last couple of months, I can understand why people love this so much. In fact, in my opinion, this is the best face mask I’ve used.
Targeted at oily and acne prone skin, the Clearing Treatment was one of the first face masks in the market that contained charcoal. It also contains a mix of patented ingredients including a blend of Alpha and Beta hydroxy acids (Mandelic acid, Glycolic acid, Lactic acid, Pyruvic acid & Salicylic acid). These help to gently exfoliate and brighten the skin while activated charcoal and Kaolin draws out impurities, toxins and excess oils. The mask also contains Eucalyptol, Peppermint oil and tiny pieces of Eucalyptus leaves. These give the mask a earthy minty scent that I love but I’ve seen a few reviews where people have complained about it. In my opinion, a bit of discomfort is worth it if a product works 😄
The mask is cooling and dries quickly. You might feel a slight tingling sensation but it’s not an uncomfortable.
The mandatory mask selfie 😊
As it dries you might see darker patches (see above), which is supposed to be the mask drawing out impurities.
I leave the mask on for around 20-25 minutes and wash it off with warm water using light circular motions. Make sure to use a moisturiser afterwards as it is slightly drying (I use La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo +). The mask leaves my skin smoother and brighter.
I use this 1-2 times a week and I also use this as a overnight spot treatment, whenever I get painful cystic bumps. It stops them from getting bigger and has a soothing effect.
I have hormonal acne with a lot of cystic acne around my jaw line and the Clearing Treatment has helped to reduce the frequency of the breakouts. I’ve also noticed that my breakouts heal faster. And the mask has helped to fade some of the marks left by old acne (Mandelic acid is supposed to be excellent for brightening skin).
A word of caution if you have dry / sensitive skin, try this out before buying as it might be a bit too drying for those skin types.
At around 320 AED for a pot, Glamglow Supermud Clearing Treatment is quite expensive. However, as someone who has tried numerous anti-acne treatments, the results are really worth it. If you like the mask, there’s also a matching cleanser, which I will review in a separate post.
Have you tried any Glamglow products? What’s your favourite?
Glamglow Supermud Clearing Treatment is available from all Sephora Middle East stores, Sephora.ae and some select salons.
My first ever Nars purchase was a Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Dulce Vita. I tried on the beautiful mauve pink shade and fell in love with the silky smooth formula and it’s great lasting power.
And now, just in time for Summer, the brand is launching 10 new shades. The shades range from a moody blue, a bright fuchia to a sultry purple. I got my hands on 7 gorgeous shades which are swatched below. From top to bottom – Get Off, Let’s go crazy, Famous Red, Do me baby, Endangered Red, Dirty Mind , Lonely Heart
Check out the swatches along with their cheeky names 😉
It’s hard to pick a favourite but I love “Endangered Red ” – a deep wine hued red, that would great with all skin tones.
The lasting power of these lipsticks are pretty impressive. They last around 6-7 hours and most of them leave behind a light stain (except for “Get Off” which is too light to show up on my pigmented lips). If you have dry lips, I would advise moisturising your lips prior to applying these (apply lip balm, leave it for a little and blot before applying lipstick).
The new collection is available from the Nars boutique in the Dubai Mall and Nars counters in the UAE.
So, which one is your favourite shade ? Please do leave a comment below..
Would it be wrong to say that Glamglow has become the world’s most popular face mask brand ? The brand offers a range of masks to suit different skin types and now they are expanding their skincare empire with the introduction of a collection of moisturising treatments including this intensive overnight treatment.
Dreamduo is a two step treatment that’s suitable for all skin types and it’s designed to provide the skin an intense boost of hydration while plumping it up.
Step 1 (Dreamserum) – contains a pearly, lightweight serum with Coffee and Green Tea Leaf Teaoxi (a patent owned by Glamglow for their Real Leaf technology), antioxidants and vitamins.
Step 2 (Dreamseal) – a gel cream that contains a blend of Hyaluronic Acid and Mozuku Green Algae .
How to use – Apply step 1 let it absorb for around 30 seconds and then follow up with step 2.
Most skincare products have a hard time living up to their lofty promise and this was the first time I’ve used a Glamglow product so I didn’t know what to expect. I’ve never tried a product like this before but I was curious about it.
I have very oily skin, however, my acne treatment regime and a bout of Influenza had left it dry and irritated.
I applied the step 1 on slightly damp skin and patted it in until it was absorbed. Then I followed it up by step 2. Both treatments are quickly absorbed in to the skin and are very very light. Almost immediately, I could see a difference in my skin. It looked plumped up and had a lovely glow to it. And best of all, the glow was still there the next morning !
I’ve been using this treatment for the past few weeks (2/3 a week) and I love the results. It hasn’t caused any clogged pores and my skin looks healthier. And my foundation goes on smoother. And I forget to mention that this treatment smells like Oranges and Vanilla , which makes applying it such a pleasure !
At $59.00, it is quite an investment, but you might want to consider adding this to your skincare routine if you are looking for a product to add that extra little boost to your skin. And as you only need a small amount every time, the 20g jar would last quite a while.
The Glamglow Dreamduo Overnight Transforming Treatment is available exclusively from Sephora store’s in the UAE and from sephora.ae
The Kat Von D Lock-it Makeup collection
For anyone who has a lot of acne marks and scarring (like me), the Kat Von D Lock-it liquid foundation is a god send ! While it does not cover everything, it does give me enough coverage to stop worrying about my face. The only drawback was that after a couple of hours, foundation would start breaking down and give my face a patchy appearance. After a couple of failed experiments, I was ready to give up but two new releases from Kat Von D completely changed my foundation game 🙂
Kat Von D Lock-it Makeup Setting Powder and Mist Kat Von D Translucent Setting Powder
The Setting powder – Can you spot the Star pattern ?
This Mica based powder is my favourite setting powder at the moment. It’s weightless on the skin and gives it a slightly matte soft focus effect. And it works very well the Lock-it foundation. The traceless formula sets the foundation without appearing cakey or heavy. And it stops the oils in the skin from seeping through the foundation. I apply it with the Powder brush from Sephora, focusing a bit more on my t-zone.
Kat Von D Lock-it Setting Powder – unblended
Kat Von D Lock-it Makeup Setting Mist
This Cucumber scented setting mist is cooling and refreshing. It’s suitable for all skin types, I can wear the spray without any clogged pores.
Along the setting powder, this works really well to extend the life of the Lock-it foundation. If you have ever worn the Lock-it foundation, you would know that sometimes it can be a little too matte on the skin. But with a few spritzes with this and the my skin just comes back to life ..
These have helped my foundation routine so much and I highly recommend both these products, specially for anyone who’s already using the Lock-it foundation. I use the foundation, follow it up with a dusting of the loose powder. Then apply blush / bronzed and finish it with a few spritzes of the setting mist.
As with all Kat Von D products, both are cruelty free and are made without Parabens, Sulfates and Phthalates.
These are available in the Kat Von D counters in the Middle East and from sephora.ae . For more product details, please follow the links below.
Nars Velvet Lip Glides in Playpen (Peachy pink) and No 54 (Raspberry red)
I love liquid lipsticks but they aren’t the most easiest thing to wear. I have quite dry lips and most liquid lipsticks tend to dry them out even more. But my lips loved the formula of the new Nars Velvet Lip Glides !
These are a hybrid between lipstick and lip gloss with a hydrating formula similar to a lip balm. The lipsticks contain a infusion complex keeps lips smooth and they have the colour pay-off of a lipstick and the shine of a lip gloss.
Playpen (on top) and No 54 (on the bottom)
Just as the name suggests , these feel plush and velvety on the lips. Though these look quite gloss at first, it soon settles down to a slightly less shiny finish. Depending on the intensity of the shades these lipsticks will stain your lips and the wear time is around 5 to 7 hours.
Though the Internet seems to be divided about these Lip Glides, I personally love them. The formula of these are unlike any other lip product I’ve tried. They plump up my lips and makes them look pretty good 🙂 There are some really beautiful shades in the collection ranging from a vampy purple (Toy) to a dusty rose pink (Bound).
If you love these as much as I do, I suggest you check out the new Sarah Moon collection, which has a set of 6 mini liquid lipsticks.
Nars Velvet Lip Glide set from the Sarah Moon collection
The Nars Velvet Lip Glides cost AED 145 each and is exclusively available in Sephora Middle East stores and online (click here)
Have you tried these Lip Glides ? What are your thoughts ?
When I started blogging around 10 months ago, I never imagined that I would be lucky enough to attend an event organized by the French beauty powerhouse – Sephora. So when I got the invitation to attend the Spring preview organized by Sephora Middle East, I was thrilled beyond words !
The event was held at the Frioul Bistro at Madinat Jumeirah. The restaurant, with it’s chic French Riviera like feel matched the mood of the event perfectly where 10 brands (including Sephora’s in-house brand – Made in Sephora) showcased their Spring launches.
The event was very interactive and more enjoyable than most blogger events that I’ve attended. The brands had set up little counters/booths and we visited each one while getting to know more about each product and try them out.
At the end of the tour we received a goody bag that contained a small selection of new releases, which I will be reviewing in the coming weeks!
What I got in the goodie bag!The beautiful location where the event was held
Made in Sephora
The Made in Sephora collection includes a vast collection of makeup, skincare, brushes and accessories. The quality of these products are absolutely amazing and very affordable as well!
The star of the launch was “The One” mascara. A wonder product that promises to add volume, lengthen and define lashes while being long lasting. Hence the name “The One” !
For Spring, Sephora is expanding their fabulous line of brushes, including the nifty little Pro Contour Kabuki Brush (which you can use to both highlight and contour), Pro Airbrush Blender, a Brow Defining set and a few more brush sets (priced very attractively).
Sephora seems to be embracing the Korean beauty craze wholeheartedly. They are launching a Cushion Foundation Compact and expanding their best selling sheet mask range by adding lip & hand masks. The foundation is quite amazing and has a lovely light weight texture and leaves a beautiful natural, skin like finish (the coverage is light to medium ). This would be great during Dubai’s hot summer months and I believe will become a fast seller !
Another product that’s new to Sephora is the High Coverage Concealer. That romises to smooth out imperfections while providing natural and long lasting coverage(10 hours).
Sephora is expanding their “Rouge Cream Lipstick” range (a hydrating lipstick with intense pigmentation) by adding 20 new shades.
The “Made in Sephora” line has many more new launches so I suggest you head out to your nearest Sephora to check them out.
Too Faced
Too Faced fans in the Middle East are in for a treat this Spring! The brand is launching quite a lot of new products, including the Cocoa scented Melted Chocolate Liquefied Lipstick collection and the Chocolate Bon Bons Pallet. Among the other new releases is the much loved Hangover Rx primer, 2 shades of Candlelight Glow highlight powders, 2 eye primers (Glitter Glue and Shadow Insurance) and 10 new shades of La Creme lipstick and the beautiful multi-tasking Mr Right Perfect Powder brush.
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Clinique
Well known for their “no nonsense” and straight forward approach to beauty, Clinique’s new eye cream “Pep Start” is a Sephora exclusive.
The cream contains a blend of peptides that instantly brightens and hydrates the under eye area and makes a great base for makeup. The little ball in the end helps to massage the under eye area and improve circulation (it also has a slight cooling sensation). And the non greasy texture is ideal for the hot Middle Eastern climate. I loved this cream so much that I’ll be buying this when I run out of my current eye cream 🙂
Dr Jart+
The well known Korean beauty brand and one of the pioneers of the BB creams craze is finally coming to the the Middle East! However, the brand is launching only their sheet mask range at the moment. (fingers crossed the full range is to follow). And these will be available in individual packs. Combining medical science with beauty, Dr Jart+ has a sheet mask for every skin concern from wrinkles, sagging skin to acne.
Caudalie
The cult French skincare brand Caudalie is launching their newest anti-aging range “Resveratrol Lift”. A range that promises to reshape, define and lift your skin to leave it looking younger. The range contains a serum, eye balm, a day cream with SPF 20 and a night cream. All the products have a light texture and a heavenly, herbal scent which I absolutely loved! The day/night creams and the serum is definitely going on my wish list 🙂
The Caudalie Resveratrol Lift rangeCaudalie Resveratrol Lift range
Histories de Parfums
This Spring, Sephora Middle East will be launching the luxurious French perfume brand Histories de Parfums new fragrance – “This Is Not A Blue Bottle “.
The creator of the brand, perfumer Gerald Ghislain compares his perfumes to a story told through a scent. Just like words come together to tell a story , each note in his fragrances combine to evoke certain emotions.
“This Is Not A Blue Bottle ” is a beautifully crafted unisex fragrance, that comes packaged in a lovely blue coloured glass bottle. Though it smells quite strong when it’s first sprayed, the notes mellow down quickly to a unique and sensual scent. And it’s very, very long lasting !
If you are a regular reader of my blog, you know I love masculine scents and this is one scent I found irresistible ! This fresh fragrance will appeal to both men and women alike.
I loved this scent! Can’t you tell by my expression 🙂
Kat Von D
I think it’s fair to say that Kat Von D is one of the most popular makeup brands in the Middle East. The quality of the products are fantastic and I have never been dissapointed in any of the products I have tried from her line. So it’s no wonder that Kat Von D products go out of stock very quickly !
So Kat Von D fans will be happy to know that Sephora is launching her much loved collection of Metal Crush Eye shadows. These are super pigmented and buttery smooth and comes in 8 stunning shades from a metallic gold (Trasher) to a iridescent mahogany (Raw Power).
Kat Von D’s Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in shade “Lollita 2” has become a bestseller ever since it was launched in the United States and now it will be available for her fans in the Middle East as well. It’s is a beautiful warm terracotta shade that looks perfect on any skin tone. I own this shade and every time I wear it I get so many compliments. It somehow has the ability make you look like you are wearing a lot of makeup even when you aren’t 🙂
I also got a chance to get my eye makeup done by the lovely Joy Acosta (Sales and Education executive for Kat Von D). She gave me a subtle smokey eye using the KVD Shade and Light pallet and the gunmetal eyeshadow (Black No 1) from the Metal Crush collection. I was amazed by the versatility of the pallet and the fact that even someone who’s not well versed in the art of makeup can use it to create pretty decent looks. One more thing added to my wish list 🙂
Marc Jacobs
The Marc Jacobs counter was beautiful and looked like it came straight out of a film noir set ! And perfectly matched the new campaign starring Winona Ryder.
Marc Beauty is launching a collection of 3 mascaras inspired by the unique textures of velvet, feathers and lamé . Add volume, texture and sparkle to your lashes with these new formulas – Velvet Noir Major Volume Mascara, Feather Noir Ultra-skinny Lash Discovering Mascara and Lamé Noir Ultra-glittering Mascara . Out of the 3, the Lamé Noir was my favorite. It contains a blend of black and gold micro glitter that can be applied to the lashes to make them shine !
Also launching in Spring is the Fineliner – an ultra skinny gel eye crayon in two shades (black and white). The liner has quite a sharp point and is quite easy to manage. Specially if you love wearing winged eyeliner (or a cat eye), this is a great alternative to liquid eyeliner.
The 3 new shades of Marc Beauty’s “Enamored Hi-shine Nail Enamel ” seems to have been inspired by the fairy-tale Snow White. The shades are White Snow (white), Blacquer (black) and Poison Apple (bright apple red!) and they come in a plasticized finish formula.
Star Skin
Sheet masks have become an essential product in our skin care regimes. They are a quick and easy way to perk up your skin, specially when it’s looking dry or dull. And they deliver instant results. And with Star Skin’s 2 VIP masks, you can pamper your skin like a celebrity ! These bio-Cellulose masks (made with fermented Coconut water) – Gold ( with pure colloidal gold for revitalizing) and Diamond (ultra-fine diamond dust for illuminating) are available in Sephora stores in the United Arab Emirates (only).
Nails Inc
Unless you’ve been living in some remote corner of the world without Internet, you would know about Nail Inc’s range of spray on nail polishes – “Paint Can”. When these were first launched in 2015, it sent ripples of excitement through the beauty world. People were so fascinated with this innovative product and there were massive waiting lists! And now fans in the Middle East can finally get their hands on these little cans, thanks to Sephora!
Apply a base coat and then just spray the polish over your nails and let it dry. For a longer lasting manicure, Nails Inc advises to use a top coat over it. Then use warm soapy water or a makeup wipe to clean excess polish from the cuticles and fingers. It’s that easy! For a clumsy person like me (who can never neatly apply polish) this is a godsend.
Formula X
Formula X – Sephora’s in house nail polish brand has quite a few launches in store for Spring (available in April). “Delete All – 5 Finger Nail Polish Remover” – is a quick and easy way to remove nail polish. This intensive nail polish remover comes in a pre-soaked five-finger sponge to dissolve all types of polish (even those pesky glitter polishes !).
The other new release from Formula X is the “The Fix – Nail Treatment” . A 5 in 1 nail treatment that’s available in a iridescent wash of pink that’s flattering on all skin tones. Formulated with pro-vitamin B5 and Pentavitin to resist breakage, the treatment corrects and blurs nail imperfections for an instant, soft focus look. It also protects against nail discoloration with innovative UV absorbents, and smooths the look of nail ridges.
If you are not familiar with Formula X , just try out their nail polishes. They are amazing quality and one of the longest lasting polishes I’ve ever used. And very chip resistant.
All of these new launches will be available from March 2016. So better hurry to your nearest Sephora and start shopping!
Thank you so much for reading and have a great weekend!
Related information
Follow Sephora Middle East on Instagram (click here) and Facebook (click here) to stay updated with all their new releases.
Thanks to the world’s obsession with Korean beauty products , everyone is pretty familiar with sheet masks. The masks are soaked in a variety of ingredients and they gets absorbed better because of the constant contact with your skin. They leave the skin glowing just like a facial.
There are so many brands/types in the market now and sometimes it’s pretty confusing to choose the correct one
With WHEN Masks you get masks designed for everyday skin needs /times. Among them is When 10pm (a serum mask with ingredients like Collagen, Watermelon extract and Hyaluronic that helps skin recover from everyday stress), When Snow Magic (helps brighten skin with Niacinamide and Aloe Vera leaf extract – great after sun exposure) and When Travelmate (helps refresh skin after exposure to sun,wind and dry air).
I did quite a bit of traveling around the United Arab Emirates last week and the Winter weather here (blistering sun during the day and freezing cold at night) dried out my oily skin and left it looking a little worse for wear. So I was pretty excited to try the When Travelmate mask.
The mandatory sheet mask selfie! Please excuse my expression, I was channelling Jason Voorhees 😀
Enriched with Swiss Alpine herbs, Hyaluronic Acid, Chamomile and Ginseng extracts help sooth travel weary skin. All When masks are made from Coconut jelly and the mask actually feels very soft and wobbly (just like jelly 🙂 but without any scent). The mask felt cool (a little tip – store your sheet mask in the fridge and it will feel just like a fancy face mask) and soft against my skin, almost like a second skin. I left it on for longer than the recommended 30 minutes (almost an hour) and then massaged in the remaining serum in to my skin. Afterwards my skin looked plump and glowing. All the dryness and the tightness was gone.
I used this during the day time and if needed you can apply makeup afterwards. This would be an excellent treatment to use after a long plane journey (or during if you are willing to put up with curious stares).
Out of all the different sheet masks I’ve used, the When Travelmate mask is my favorite. I love how soft it is and the way it feels against my skin.
At $7 per mask (or it is more expensive than the average sheet masks in the market but I feel these are great if you are looking to treat your skin every once in a while and it is still far more cheaper than a facial!
Have you tried any of these WHEN masks? What’s your favorite sheet mask brand?
As always thank you so much for reading and have a great week ahead!
Related information
A special pack of WHEN Masks (containing 5 different types of masks) is available from Sephora Middle East for AED159 – Follow them on Instagram to stay updated about new releases (click here)
Clarins Lotus Face Treatment Oil – Oily or Combination Skin 30ml (image courtesy of http://www.clarinsusa.com)
I’ve mentioned in my previous posts that I am a regular Proactive user. Although it keeps my acne in check it also makes my skin as dry as the desert. Some days it gets so dry that it starts to flake (gross, I know) and I can’t even wear a BB cream. On those days I prefer to use a facial oil to moisturize my face rather than a cream or a lotion. Applying oil on acne prone skin sounds silly but somehow the oil seems to sink in and moisturize better. It also helps with the flaking.
I used the entire Clarins line for oily skin along with this oil about 4 years ago when I had no acne. I loved the range and it was great for my oily skin. The oil was one of my favorites from the range. When the adviser at the Clarins counter recommended the oil, I was very hesitant to try it. Using oil on top already oily skin seemed counter intuitive but she gave me a sample and advised me to use it at night (instead of a night cream). The morning after I used it I could not believe my eyes, my skin was not oily it smooth and glowing. I became a believer in facial oil after that and I am happy to say it did not give me any pimples.
After I started using Proactive I did not use any other skincare brands other than a moisturizer with sun protection because I feared it might irritate my skin. But my skin started drying out and flaking. I knew my skin was craving moisture and had to use something more nourishing. So I bought this once more and started using it every other day at night.
After a couple of days use, my skin was transformed. My skin stopped flaking and looked healthy. And I’ve felt it helped heal my smaller blemishes. And my pores look smaller.
The bottle is glass and comes with a stopper so it’s easy to use. I use it every other day and use about 2-3 drops for my entire face and neck. I think it absorbs better when lightly patted over damp skin. It leaves a slight sheen on my face and has a pleasant floral aroma. The 30ml bottle lasted about 1 year for me. As with all facial oils you only need a little bit.
Clarins offers 3 types of facial oils for different skin needs. The treatment for oily skin contains Rosewood, Geranium , Lotus and Hazelnut Oil and claims to hydrate, tone, tightens pores and refine the skin texture.
If you have oily or problematic skin like mine and would like to venture in to the confusing world of facial oils I’d recommend you try this. Or visit a Clarins counter and let one of their advisers help find a oil more suited to your skin type.
Clarins Lotus Face Treatment Oil costs 53USD for 30ml (I purchased it from Duty Free) and is available at Clarins counters in Wojooh, Areej, Paris Gallery and Sephora.
Kat Von D Lock-it Makeup Setting Mist 
curly haired messy mane 