What I Got for My Birthday: Mini Reviews, Swatches & Looks

Today’s post was long overdue. I had the best birthday ever this year with lots of presents that I wanted to share with you guys. Knowing my love for makeup, fashion, accessories and books, my friends showered me with them. So, let’s check out all the awesome gifts I got!

Traditional Embroidered Shirt

Fizzah sent over this gorgeous multi-coloured embroidered shirt from Sialkot with a drawstring neckline, which I’ve always been a fan of. The fabric is very comfortable and you can pair it with a number of colour and design combinations depending on your mood.

The lovely Huda from The Lipstickholic sent me a surprise package with cute studs, Maybelline color drama in Nude Perfection and Sigma shimmer cream in Sultry.

Sphere Studs

I have seen these funky round studs with crystals encased in intricate cages but I’ve never tried them on because I thought they wouldn’t go with my face shape. Thank you Huda for picking these out because I got to try something new and I really enjoyed their versatility. You can see me wearing the red ones in the look above.

Maybelline Color Drama in Nude Perfection

Nude lipsticks are always so hard for me to pick so kudos to Huda for selecting the perfect nude for me on a whim. Nude Perfection is a lighter nude on me but by no means does it wash me out. It has just enough warmth to hold its own against a smokey liner. The application is super easy and the formula is creamy with average lasting power. The only drawback is that it has to be sharpened, which wastes product.

Sigma Shimmer Cream in Sultry

I am sure many of you were drooling after the Sigma Shimmer Creams when Huda reviewed them on her blog. Thanks for reading my mind so well Huda! I love bronzer and had been looking for a cream one. This gives you that naturally tanned look with a subtle glow because of the shimmer element. It has the finest shimmer I have ever seen in a face product. Absolutely beautiful! I am drenched in this shimmer cream in the look above. The shade looked amazing on my neutral toned fair to medium skin. It lasted for hours in the summer heat.

Boots Eye Dazzle 17

I am a huge fan of Boots’ skincare and bath products so I was very excited to get this from Huda from the Sparkling Palette Blog. I have tried their lipsticks before and they were quite yummy. In the swatch alone this pigment looks like a powder blue but don’t be deceived! This duo-chrome beauty reveals the most wondrous shades of oceanic blue and green when used over a base. Here it is applied over Essence 2-in-1 shadow stick 05 I’m Blue, which is also blended into the crease, for a no-foundation trial look I attempted for my convocation. I used Sleek Blush by 3-Pink Lemonade in “Macaroon” on both the cheeks and lips to go with the cool tones on the eyes. It is pigmented, easy to apply and doesn’t fade overtime. I wore it on my convocation in extreme heat over the Essence shadow stick and it didn’t budge all day.

MM Makeup Ethereal Glow

This is my first time trying anything from this new brand and I was really impressed. Thank you Huda for picking out this red toned berry baked blush. I have been hunting for red toned blushes lately because they give a more natural result. It is stunning to look at in the pain and on the cheeks. It is insanely pigmented so I had to be careful. Ethereal Glow is best applied with a brush that has looser longer bristles like a stippling brush. Since it’s baked it gives a gentle luminosity to the skin and it has impressive lasting power even in the hot and humid monsoon of Lahore.

Beauty UK Sweet Cheeks in Vanilla Ice

I got myself this cream highlighting chubby stick from Beauty UK after I couldn’t hold in my curiosity. This is unlike any highlighter I have, cream or powder, because it literally looks like your skin is naturally glowing from within. The effect is almost like the one makeup artists create with natural oils for editorials. It barely has any colour so your own skin colour blends in. It doesn’t contain any shimmer so all in all it is beginner friendly. If that streaky Instagram highlight freaks you out then you might want to give this one a try. The only drawback is that it dries down slowly so if you have to set it with powder instantly, you tone down the glow considerably. It looks amazing on bare skin and lasts for a really long time in the summers without a setting powder.

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness (Book Review)

This was a birthday present from a fellow fantasy buff, which is surprising since I rarely read non-fantasy books. This book was written by two authors, the second picking it up after the original one, Siobhan Dowd, passed away. This is one of those unforgettable books that anyone at any age can read, feel and understand. It is absolutely beautiful!

I cannot really put into words what the story is about. A Monster Calls revolves around a young boy and the monsters he encounters while struggling to come to terms with an increasingly complicated life. The plot is nothing like you would expect. Every chapter pulls you in deeper. My favourite part was the mini tales woven within the main plot. As you follow the young boy’s journey, things start to get clearer, you learn the lessons he is being taught and your heart breaks just a little more every time you turn over a page.

I would recommend everyone give this a read if they want to experience something heartwarming, heartbreaking and life changing.

If you want to follow my reviews and ratings just visit my Goodreads profile here.

Thank you to all my lovely friends who made this birthday so special. I hope you guys enjoyed going through my presents.

Love,

Sadaf

Disclaimer: This is a personal blog edited by its owners and the opinions expressed here belong solely to its owner's. For questions and queries please email at thepoutpainter@gmail.com

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Step By Step Caramel - Plum Eye Tutorial

Hey lovelies! Today I will be showing you how to achieve a wearable dramatic caramel-plum eye for special occasions. The great thing about this colour palette is that it goes well with most outfits like a neutral eye. At the same time, the plum adds mystery to dark eyes, making them pop. You can make it your own by applying false lashes or your favourite eyeliner style while pairing it with a variety of blush and lip shades. Many people have trouble defining their lower lash line, especially for dramatic looks so I have focused on this. This is a great option particularly for ladies with upturned eyes like mine as it balances out the shape beautifully.

Steps

1. Prime your eyes.

2. Apply a shimmery caramel (Frosted Choc) all over the lid with a flat shader brush (Sigma E55).

3. Blend a mid-tone matte mauve-brown (Milky) into the entire crease with a fluffy blending brush (DMGM Eye Smudge brush).

4. Deepen the outer half of your crease with a deep matte plum (Choc Fest) using a tapered blending brush (Sigma E45).

5. Highlight the inner corner and brow bone with a matte cream (Smoothly).

6. Define your upper lash line with black eyeliner (Midnight in Paris).

7. Pat and gently blend into the inner two-thirds of your lower lash line the mid-tone matte mauve-brown (Milky) from Step 3 with a pencil brush (Sigma E30).

8. Blend the deep matte plum (Choc Fest) from Step 4 into the outer one-third of your lower lash line, extending it till you reach your crease (Sigma E30). Soften any harsh edges with a fluffy blending brush (DMGM Eye Smudge brush).

9. Apply kohl (Colorstudio Pro Kohl Addict kajal) to your waterline.

10. Using a pencil brush (Sigma E30), diffuse the kohl pigment into the shadows of the lower lash line. Be careful not to make your lower lash line heavier than the upper one.

11. Curl your lashes (optional) and apply mascara. Conceal your under eye area and set it with a powder.

Products Used

Essence I Love Stage eye primer

I Heart Makeup - Naked Chocolate eye shadow palette

Essence All Eyes on Me waterproof mascara

Essence lash and brow gel mascara

Essence gel liner - Midnight in Paris

Colorstudio Pro Kohl Addict kajal

Oriflame Tea tree and Rosemary purifying corrective stick (concealer)

MUA pressed powder - Shade 2

Beauty UK Simply Define eye brow pencil - Ash brown

Brushes Used

Sigma eye shading E55

DMGM Eye Smudge

Sigma tapered blending E45

Sigma pencil E30

MUA flat foundation brush for concealer

BH contour brush for pressed powder

BH spoolie brush for brows

I hope you found this tutorial simple and useful. Let me know how it worked out for you.

What kind of dramatic eyes do you prefer for special occasions?

Love,

Sadaf

Disclaimer: This is a personal blog edited by its owners and the opinions expressed here belong solely to its owner's. For questions and queries please email at thepoutpainter@gmail.com

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Beauty UK Stripey Blusher - Review and Swatches

Hello beautiful people! We all have so many pink blushes because it is a staple color to give a healthy flush to your cheeks. The one I am reviewing today is the Stripey Blusher from Beauty UK which stands out amongst my collection. Read on to find out why!

Product Claims

Gives a healthy shimmering complexion, try our brighter shades for a rosy glow!

What Do I Think?

I really liked the screw on top lid because it’s so secure plus it fits in with the cute stripey design the blush is named after. I was pleased that there was no fallout and the texture of the blush was pretty nice too. It was easy to blend and quite pigmented. The great thing about this product is that it gives you three benefits in one. It has two pink stripes, two neutral ones and a highlighting strip. I was really happy with the highlighting effect this blush has because it is really subtle and beautiful with fine shimmer particles. This is what sets this blush apart from the others in my personal collection. You may use the individual shades separately or swirl them together for a lovely color that will show up according to your skin shade but in my opinion it will flatter everyone. You can see how it appears on my neutral tone when all the colors are combined. The lasting power is pretty impressive too. In pleasant weather it lasted over 6 hours on my combination skin before I removed it myself. I did not even feel its intensity lessen over time. All in all this is a great product for ladies of all ages I believe and is a good bargain.

Taken in daylight

Taken in artificial light with flash

Price £3.29 for 9.99g

Availability Online from Just4girls.pk

Pros

Very pigmented

Soft texture

No fallout

Blendable

Good staying power

Beautiful highlighting effect

Has both pinks and neutrals

Cons

I am thrilled to report that I did not find any cons

My Rating 5/5

Have you tried any of the Beauty UK blushes?

Love,

Sadaf

Disclaimer: This is a personal blog edited by its owners and the opinions expressed here belong solely to its owner's. For questions and queries please email at thepoutpainter@gmail.com

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