Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencils – new shades – review and swatches

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..

Glamglow Dreamduo Overnight Transforming Treatment review

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 

Kat Von D Lock-it Makeup Setting Powder & Mist review

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.

Hope this post helped you and if you have any questions, please ask away:)
https://www.sephora.ae/en/lock-it-makeup-setting-mist
https://www.sephora.ae/en/brands/kat-von-d