Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Clearasil Stayclear Review


A quick review to shake things up.

I randomly walked into my sisters room one day and found a product on her dressing table that I hadn’t seen before. So I picked it up and asked her what it was.

It’s a container that opens up from the top and it has 65 cleansing pads. It claims to do three things:

One- fight spots and blackheads. Two- removes oil and thirdly – it has an exfoliating effect.

So I tried out this little thing and was surprised at how clean my face felt after using it!

It’s a little harsh on the skin and indeed does exfoliate your skin. I often use this after a long day outside in the heat and dust after taking off my makeup.

It also does remove oil. I have fairly oily skin and hair and not a lot of things help with this. But these really do reduce the oiliness.

The instructions say to use this twice a day in the morning and evening but so far I’ve only been using it at night.

I recommend buying this product for lazy girls like me who don’t want to bother with cotton balls and such.

Thank you for visiting cosmeticcraving and hope this helped you all! If there are any questions or requests, do not hesitate to ask! Hope to see you here again and don’t forget to follow if you haven’t already!
xx

Please note that these products were bought by me using my own money and were not sent to me by anyone for review. I am not affiliated with this brand in any way. All opinions are genuinely mine and 100% honest.

Friday, September 23, 2011

ONE dress TEN ways

It is very important for every woman to have a little black dress. Putting that in mind, I have about 6 of them. But I'm not satisfied. The dresses that I already owned were only suitable for dressier, more formal occasions.  So I was out on the hunt for a casual black dress that was a little on the conservative side....

So I recently purchased this dress from H&M when it was on sale and I absolutely love it. When I first tried this on, I actually wanted to get another dress, but this one looks so great on that I just had to get it.


It's costs I believe BD7 on sale. I actually bought this in a UK size 12, which would normally be MASSIVE on me (I'm a little over 5ft, so I'm pretty petite). But it was the only piece left and I was willing to alter it. HOWEVER! The size fits very well! It is the right length too!

Put in mind that I'm working with one dress, no makeup, and the natural texture of my hair, and that any outfit can be completely transformed with the choice of makeup or a hair do.

So, let's get started then...

Running errands and/or going to class:

In this outfit, I paired the black dress with a skinny belt from New Look, a seashells cuff bracelet from Mango and a 'shopping tote' by Kathy Van Zealand.
As you can see I'm wearing two shoes. The one on my right foot is a peep-toed bootie from H&M. It gives me some extra height, and elongates my leg. On my left foot is a sandal from Alcott and it's flat, comfortable and great for running around. Both are great with this outfit and it really depends on what you would prefer.

Quick lunch with the girls:
This is one of the easiest outfits and yet it looks so put together! Here, I paired the black dress with black suede pumps from New Look, a leopard-print scarf from H&M and a black and brown bag by Pierre Cardin. The sunglasses are Aldo. I'm also wearing gold stud earring from Forever 21 I think. A reddish lip will look great with this, but a nude one will look nice too.

Boho-chic:

 In this pairing, I put in mind the cooler weather. So this outfit will be great for Fall/Winter. I paired the black dress with a patent leather jacket from Forever 21. The contrast of the matte dress and the shininess of the jacket create a cool effect without adding much color. I added a long 2-tier silver necklace from Forever 21 and a headband from Aldo (I think). The boots are also from Aldo (For more detail check out the Boots I love! post). To finish off this look, I added a silver ring and a grey studded bag (nine west)


Here's another boho-chic look more suitable for the transition between spring and fall:

This look uses those same boots, but I added a denim vest, and a floral head band from Topshop. The silver cuff on my left arm is vintage, but I have seen similar styles in Forever 21. You may not be able to see this, but I also layered a silver chain necklace on this dress, also from Forever 21. Go with a rosy pink lip and cheek color, and a couple of coats of mascara.

Effortless:
 For those days when you literally roll out of bed 10 minutes before class. I paired the dress with a denim jacket from Zara and comfortable studded gladiator sandals from Primavera. The blue ring is from H&M? Not really sure, but any chunky ring will do, really.

That bracelet is made by a family member and they are actually for sale! She has quite a collection and I personally bought quite a few. They are great pieces to just stack on and go. They're great quality too!

Casual smart:
 Paired with closed-toe suede pumps (New look), a vintage-feel jacket (Marks & Spenser's) and a black and white clutch (ALDO), this dress transforms into a classy smart piece to wear for a business lunch, or any other occasion that requires a casual-smart look. A pearl necklace and pearl stud earrings add an extra level of sophistication to this look. Don't forget your red lipstick and wing out your eyeliner a little bit for this one ;)

Evening Glam:
Same shoes. Just add a shawl, a statement necklace and a little bag and you're good to go! The shawl adds a blue pop of color against the black. The necklace I'm wearing I recently got from H&M, and the bag is by Julien Macdonald. I would suggest going with a smokey eye and glossy lips to amp up this look even more.

Fashionista:

A dramatic, edgy look. Combines soft pinks and neutrals with basic black. The shoes are ruffly H&M booties, the headband is Topshop, the bag is a Daydreamer Tote from Juicy Couture and the sunglasses are ALDO. Go with a pale pink lip and neutral eye for this one.

Office appropriate:
 Here, I layered the dress with a pale blue shirt and a navy blue vest. Both are from H&M. I'm wearing stud earrings from Pierre Cardin and my (most-worn) swan necklace from Swarovski. I'm also wearing my glasses here, because I think glasses are just soo cute for work. I'm wearing those same close-toe pump I'm wearing in half of these outfits because it's just an absolute necessity for any woman.

Another office-appropriate look:
I paired the dress with a tan blazer that I bought from Zara. I like it with this dress because it has some black detail with the buttons. I'm wearing the same shoes and glasses, but added sheer black tights, a statement gold necklace (H&M) and a black patent leather clutch.

So those are some of the outfits that I came up with for this dress! The possibilities really are limitless with a basic black dress such as this one. All you need is some accessories and a little bit of creativity!



Thank you for visiting cosmeticcraving and hope this helped you all! If there are any questions or requests, do not hesitate to ask! Hope to see you here again and don’t forget to follow if you haven’t already!
xx

Please note that these products were bought by me using my own money and were not sent to me by anyone for review. I am not affiliated with this brand in any way. All opinions are genuinely mine and 100% honest.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

whats In My Make Up Bag

I love looking around for make up and actually buying stuff to own them but I don't really use much make up on my face day in and day out. I try and keep it as simple as possible. This post is about what i carry around in my bag everyday for application on the go. I don't put on make up every day but i keep this little make up bag with me at all times JUST IN CASE!


^ I got this little bag from Forever21 in Dubai in the summer when i went with my cousins on a trip there over the weekend. I love how its so cute and floral but also quite small in size but seems to hold a lot of stuff!


^ My foundation is MAC studio fix in NC43. It comes with a little sponge under the foundation pot but i prefer to use this little brush i got at MAC as well but it came with a bronzer i bought a couple of years ago i think


^ Yes i use the same brush for blush even though i probably shouldn't as it sometimes still has left over foundation but i really love this brush and don't feel comfortable using any other one for my face. The blush I'm currently using is by MAC in pinch o' peach.


^ I'm not a big fan of pencil eye liner as you can see this eye liner isn't well taken care of but I keep it in the bag anyways. Its MAC smolder eye kohl


^ Two Maybelline mascaras. I've already done a review on these. Check it out for info>> http://cosmeticcraving.blogspot.com/2011/09/favorite-mascara-of-all-time.html

^^ Sorry about the horrible manicure. I was testing out one of the nail polishes i got from Aysha <3 <3 as a birthday present


^ I switch the lipsticks i have in the bag every once in a while but for the time being i like these two too much to change. YSL and MAC. The MAC is russian red. I don't know exactly what the YSL one is because it has too many number under it and I'm not sure which number is for what so i apologize for that.


^ Raspberry lip balm from The Body Shop because its too yummy to pass up! And finally some Labello Angel Star. I'm not really fond of this particular one but it's always dumped in and I never seem to take it out for some reason.

Hope you enjoyed this overload of photos and little notes!

Thank you for visiting cosmeticcraving and hope this helped you all! If there are any questions or requests, do not hesitate to ask! Hope to see you here again and don’t forget to follow if you haven’t already!
xx

Please note that these products were bought by me using my own money and were not sent to me by anyone for review. I am not affiliated with this brand in any way. All opinions are genuinely mine and 100% honest.

Boots I love!

Since fall is practically here, and winter is on its way, I've been obsessing over boots lately. I cant wait to break out some of my favorite boots that have been in hibernation all summer long!

There are basically a few types of boots I like: knee-high, peep toe, booties, riding boots, etc.

Here's a few great ones and some of the boots I own.

First: The Peep-toe bootie
 I bought my first pair of peep-toe boots last year, when I was feeling especially brave. They were a pair of lace-up tan booties with about a 4 inch heel from ALDO. They were absolutely gorgeous and I got a lot of great compliments on them.


As you can see, they've worn quite well. The leather has a textured wear but the quality of the laces, hooks, heel and stitching has not changed one bit. I always felt that ALDO makes great looking footwear, but that the quality was not particularly great. These, however, are amazing and have great quality.

I also quite love these boots from ALDO as well:
 http://www.aldoshoes.com/us/women/boots/ankle-boots/85804947-maytorena/38
they have the same lace-up feel, but a much tougher look.

A few months ago, I bought this particular pair from H&M in Spain. They're the kind of shoes people stop you on the street and compliment you on (which actually happened to me).





These are a little on the heavy side, and do hurt my feet a little, but they are just so gorgeous I couldn't pass them up! I couldn't find them in any other H&M though, but do look for booties with a ruffle on them. They are just so unique and feminine, and add an unexpected flare to your outfit. These go great with jeans or skirts and I wear them with both!

Here's another ruffled bootie I've been DYING over. You can get them in black too, but I feel the beidge ones are just so much more elegant.

These are from ZARA and you can get them here: http://www.zara.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product/bh/en/zara-W2011/118149/499050/FRILLED%2BANKLE%2BBOOT


The "secret wedge" boots

These boots have survived about 3 years of rain, dust, sand and just about any extreme weather condition. I've worn these on a boat and gotten them completely wet with saltwater one winter, I wore these to the desert and gotten them so dusty and dirty and I also wore these through rain, although I'm not supposed to because they're made of cloth!!

I call these my Secret Wedge boots because they have a secret wedge inside. They give me extra height (2.5-3 inches) without anyone knowing. They also fold down or up, but I usually like to wear them up. To maintain their shape, I keep a rolled up magazine in there.

Riding boots
Often do I find myself drooling over a pair of Ralph Lauren riding boots, and to no surprise I loooooved the ones that are on the website now. These are absolutely to die for.



http://www.ralphlauren.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11837975&cp=1760782.1898624&view=all&ab=viewall&parentPage=family

I would looove to have thesee! I would wear them with leggings or jeans tucked in!


Flat boots
These were bought in a time of need when my feet were going to die. I was basically walking uphill in ballet flats all day and the pain numbed my feet so bad, so I had to go out at night and buy a pair of shoes. Good thing I did too, because the next day it rained pretty badly!





I bought these for about 10 euros at a small boutique in Spain. They are soo comfortable and I love them! I bought these at the end of winter, so I really didn't wear them much, but I absolutely can't wait to wear them this winter.

UGGS!
Now I am not usually a fan of Uggs. I always felt like Uggs were ugly, bulky and just not worth it! But when I saw these I fell in love! Me and Yazzi (the other blogger in this blog) co-own these. Long story! They're a gorgeous studded pair for the lazy days when it is just too cold to bother! They are so incredibly warm but i must warn you! They are not waterproof!





Thank you for visiting cosmeticcraving and hope this helped you all! If there are any questions or requests, do not hesitate to ask! Hope to see you here again and don’t forget to follow if you haven’t already!
xx

Please note that these products were bought by me using my own money and were not sent to me by anyone for review. I am not affiliated with this brand in any way. All opinions are genuinely mine and 100% honest.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Closet Organization tips & tricks

(NOTE: ALL IMAGES ARE MINIMIZED HERE. CLICK ON THEM TO SEE A LARGER, MUCH CLEARER IMAGE)

First off, I think the title of this blog post is a little misleading. I dont actually have a closet.. I wish I did! I actually have a couple of cabinets which I try to stuff masses of clothes into. Much of my clothing isnt actually in my cabinets, such as my PJs, undergarments, stockings, leggings and socks. These all live in drawers under my bed, and will not be shown in this article.

Okay so let's get into it then.. 
The setup of my room is quite small, and I didnt get my cabinets built in, like i've been planning on for the past year. So for now.. this is the two cabinets that I have. Both are purchased in Bahrain. The tall one is from Home Centre from a few years ago and the little one was gifted to me by my parents the year after that.


On top of the little one, I have a box which I put a lot of my stuffed animals in. I have quite a few, so putting them on display can make my little room look cluttered. Only two are displayed, both teddy bears, and they live on my bed most of the time.


Inside the little cabinet that I have, I put all of my jackets, hoodies, jumpers, blazers, etc. My cardigans, however, are in my big cabinet with my tops, because I use them quite a bit. Note that all my hangers are one color. This makes your closet appear much more organized and uniform.




In the little shelf on top, I put my swimsuits in a rectangular cloth bin, which I bought from IKEA I think last year. Next to that, I keep my sweatpants, because it's much more practical to keep them close to their matching hoodies (which are hung below with the jackets). My belts are in that brown wooden bin, and it's just so practical to be able to pull it out, get what I want and push it back in.

In the next cabinet, it is divided into 3 parts, the top part, bottom part and middle part. In the middle part, I keep all my short dresses, cardigans and most of my tops. My long dresses and evening gowns are stored in my mom's dressing room, because I cant hang them in my own closet.

Below that, I keep my train case, which contains all my makeup, and a couple of cardboard storage boxes.The top box has some costumes and such, and the one under it has fabrics, lace, ribbons and some sewing things.

The top part has two storage boxes as well. The one on the right has some board games, badge-making tool, etc. and the one on the right contains packaging from my electronic-y stuff. Like my camera, phone, straightener etc. Wedged in the middle is a box that has one very poofy black punk-rocker dress, which I designed myself for a costume thing back in highschool.


This is the other side of my closet, and as you can see it is divided into four parts. The topmost shelf has a few boxes of photos and nick-knacks in them. That mirror-like bag is a BCBG bag which contains a bunch of different bags from stores which are big, so I wanted to hold on to them for when I need a good bag.

The second part is where I put all my t-shirts and sleeveless tops. On the right I put all my tshirts (as you can see I have quite a few!) and on the left I put the sleeveless T-shirts.

Below that, on the third shelf, I keep my jeans and pants folded, and my skirts as well. In front of them is a cloth bin, like the one I keep my swimsuits in, but this one contains plain tank tops and tube tops.

On the bottom most part, I keep a box with all my hats, a bin that has my short-shorts (I have just a few) and my yearbooks.

Another thing that I always keep organized is my dresser...
 It may look a little cluttered, but I have a system, believe me.

On the right side of the mirror, I hang all my long necklaces. Along the top, I hang all my headbands and on the left side of the mirror I hang all my badges, medals, etc.

I also keep a tray which hold all my perfumes, moisturizer, toner, hair products and things that I use on a daily basis. This tray is a red synthetic snakeskin which I bought somewhere in city center a few years ago.

Next to that I have a bracelet holder, which is completely crammed. I should really get another one, or find a better way of storing my bracelets, because I would really like to remove things from my dressing table top.

The purple box isn't always open, like you see here. Usually I like to keep it closed. In it I store all my rings, a couple of wrist watches, some pins, and on the bottom most layer, a necklace which I wear a lot. I like to keep this on my dressing table because it keeps me from throwing my jewelry and accessories everywhere at the end of a long tiring day.

The first drawer contains the majority of my jewelry. They are divided into parts using shoe boxes! The first shoe box (from the right) has my necklaces, either in the original box it came in or in small clear plastic boxes so I can see through them. The next has my earrings, which I keep saying I will buy a mesh stand for my studs but I keep forgetting, and the one after that has some bracelets, brooches, etc. The rest of this drawer is all jewelry that still has its original box, or sets which I do not want to separate.


The second drawer has some cotton balls, cotton rounds, cotton ear buds, baby wipes, makeup wipes, clothes wipes, nail tools, hairbands and spare buttons. The box to the left has should hold my straightener and my blow dryer, and (I don't know why, exactly) some key chains.


The third drawer contains all things random. That thing in the middle that's wrapped with acid-free tissue paper is a ceramic Spanish doll that my parents bought me from Spain when I was about 3 years old. I keep it safely in there until I find a safe place I can display it. The drawer also has some lint-roller refills, an empty plastic box (?), some guitar and camera straps, a small Bahraini flag, some sunglasses and wrist watches.

So that's how I organize my clothing and accessories.  Sorry if it seems a little cluttered. It really isn't, it's just that I have a lot of stuff in a little room. If I end up getting some closets built in, I'll definitely do an updated closet tour/organization tips post, but for now I have to settle with this!


Thank you for visiting cosmeticcraving and hope this helped you all! If there are any questions or requests, do not hesitate to ask! Hope to see you here again and don’t forget to follow if you haven’t already!
xx

All opinions are genuinely mine and 100% honest.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Finally, my very own UNII palette

IT FINALLY CAME IN THE MAIL TODAY!!

I’ve been waiting for this baby for over 2 weeks now and I was SO excited when it came in the mail! How can a tiny little package bring someone so much joy?

…no, I am not referring to a newborn baby.

IT’S THE UNII PALETTE!!


After drooling over it for months and months and reading multiple reviews about it, I decided. I’m finally getting it. I get on the website and order mine in the color ‘snow’. I was so overwhelmed by the color choices! They're all so pretty! (I'll link the website below so you can see for yourself) 2 weeks later, it arrives at my doorstep.

I must say, even after stalking this product for months, thinking I knew it inside out, I was still pleasantly surprised. Everyone gushed about the amazing quality of the plastic, but I must have underestimated it because when I got it I was so impressed. It’s made very nicely, it closes and opens quite well, and it extremely sturdy. It comes with care instructions for cleaning, and you can tell that this product will last a very long time (I see myself growing old with this thing).

The package includes a strip of magnet, which can be cut and stuck onto the pan, a magnetic thumb grip which your thumb can rest on when you hold your palette, and the palette itself, which has a very nice big mirror inside.

The second I got it I loaded it up with some blushes, a few neutral-shades eye shadows, and a tiny little blush brush (which is actually a freebie from NIVEA my mum got when she bought something from them).
This palette is quite compact too, so it’s great if you just want to pop it in your bag and go. I’ll probably be depotting a bronzer and a pressed powder to put in here instead of a couple of blushes and eye shadows. Then my palette will be complete! (If you have an overly-sharpened tiny little eyebrow pencil or eyeliner it will fit in here too!)


So glad I bought this, and I totally recommend you get this, because it is totally customizable for your individual needs. You’ll also save a ton of cash when buying eye shadows in pan form, rather than the whole thing. If you run out of magnets, you can always use fridge magnets (the thin sheet kind) or simply buy them online! I know a lot of people do.

RATING: 5/5!

Here's a link to their website so you can get yours: http://uniicosmetics.com/
Thank you for visiting cosmeticcraving and hope this helped you all! If there are any questions or requests, do not hesitate to ask! Hope to see you here again and don’t forget to follow if you haven’t already!
xx

Please note that these products were bought by me using my own money and were not sent to me by anyone for review. I am not affiliated with this brand in any way. All opinions are genuinely mine and 100% honest.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

The Devil Wears Prada clothing analysis!


So today’s post is more of a commentary kind of thing. It’s on the fashion in one of my FAVORITE movies of all time; The Devil Wears Prada.

I was watching it today and decided I should comment a little on the clothes…

Now, I think we could all agree that her fashion sense at first was disastrous to say the least. The layers upon layers of lumpy materials made ME feel suffocated just looking at her, especially her first outfit. But it’s not just the clothes. It’s the hair! The hair is killing me! Her hair has the exact same haircut throughout the entire movie, only at first it’s just not brushed. All she needs to do is run a brush or a straightener or something through her hair!


Anyway, so back to clothes… I must admit at first they were quite plain, didn’t fit well and just were inappropriately paired. Here are my notes on everyone’s clothes (good, bad and ugly!):

·         Firstly, I hate that weird thing that Emily is wearing. It looks like a weird poncho kind of thing, only with studs on one side. It’s too harsh of a look and the makeup really doesn’t help.

 
·         When Miranda first walks in with that Prada bag, I have some mixed feelings. I love the bag, the color is fantastic and the leather looks amazing, but I guess I just dislike anything that has a great big designer logo on it. I guess it does kind of look great on this particular piece, now that I think about it. I like her outfit though… Not the coat, but the dress. It’s a great versatile piece. Every girl needs a dark colored, long-sleeves dress that is no longer than knee-length for the chilly weather. You can mix and match it, accessorize it up or down, and layer it as the weather becomes colder. Here, Miranda pairs it with a dark brown leather belt, hoop earrings, sheer patterned stockings and closed-toe pumps.




·         Miranda’s clothes the next day were also very nice. A simple black dress with a sequined cardigan. Loooove the cardigan. It adds some much-needed texture to an otherwise flat dress. The necklaces and earrings are quite nice too.



·         When Andy was having that breakdown followed by the realization that she wants to change: hey the skirt, shoes and stockings were nice. I think her top just should have been changed and she would look great!

·         While Nigel was giving Andy a makeover, he was practically throwing clothes at her and I noticed one horrible, horrible thing. The poncho. I’m not just saying that because I’m hateful towards ponchos... I honestly think it’s horrible and should be burned! The color... The texture... Horrid. Why would someone wear that piece of road kill?!



 


 ·         When she walks in to the office all completely transformed: GORGEOUS BOOTS. Chanel. SO CUTE! They’re thigh-high black leather. My friends, I believe that is the true essence of sexiness: to be able to pull off those boots without looking like a hooker. She looked so classy! So very preppy-chic. Also love the gold layered necklace that she was wearing. That would go great with EVERYTHING. Even a white T. Hate the bag though: No. Just no. On so many levels, no.


·         In the song following “The Great Makeover” as I like to call it, you see shots of her crossing the street and all that in super-chic winter coats, and I want every single one, by the way. The orange beanie, not very sure about, but the rest of the outfit was quite nice and I like her boots a lot.




·         At some point she walks into the office and she’s wearing a short dress and a camel patent leather coat and a little clutch. Love the dress, love the clutch, love the shoes, HATE THE COAT. It was too cheap-looking.




·         Her outfit right after that, when she was holding the door (same one from the James Holt party) is absolutely gorgeous. It’s a great outfit for the summer. Love the boots and ADORE the bag. If you know me, you know I adore bags.


·         I also like the dress she was wearing while she was running around looking for the Harry Potter unpublished manuscript. I like that it’s longer in the back than it is in front and I like the belt that she paired with it too.


 ·         I love Andy’s outfit when the Emily disaster happened. That butterfly shirt is a perfect versatile little flow-y top that I love! It’s also a little sheer so it’s very sexy in that manner.

 
·         At the Runway party celebrating the age of fashion, I love both Emily and Andrea’s dresses. They were both gorgeous.


·         The Paris clothes: all of them. What’s not to like?! All: love, love, love. The red lipstick also makes everything just so much more elegant.

·         Last but not least, Andy’s last outfit of the movie: A simple pair of dark wash jeans tucked into knee-high boots, a black turtleneck, and a brown leather jacket. Perfect, effortless, casual chic. It’s something anyone, with any body type or size can pull off. Also like the long necklace. Not that one in particular, just any long necklace will do.

I hope you liked this kind of post, and if you like, I could do more of these. I absolutely love dissecting outfits! Especially the ones from my favorite movie.

Thank you for visiting cosmeticcraving and hope this helped you all! If there are any questions or requests, do not hesitate to ask! Hope to see you here again and don’t forget to follow if you haven’t already!
xx

All opinions are genuinely mine and 100% honest. Also, I do not claim that the images are mine in any way. Almost all are taken images from non-copyrighted sources on the internet.