How To: Sultry Eyes & Summer Lips

As soon as the mercury started rising we had lawn brands churning out volume after volume of catalogues with models clad in vibrant hues posing deliberately in the ways we are all too familiar with now. Lawn craze is nothing new in Pakistan but what I pay attention to the most is the models’ makeup. I always admire how the makeup artist is able to blend all the colours together to match anything the model wears.

So, today’s tutorial is inspired by a trend I noticed recently in lawn catalogs: Sultry side smoked shimmery neutral eyes paired with bright summer-y lips. I will be showing you same eyes and complexion with a variety of summer appropriate lip choices to showcase its versatility and give you some ideas. 

Step By Step Tutorial

For face framing brows I filled mine in with Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade-Ash Brown. I had already primed my eyes with Makeup Revolution Fix and Focus Eye Primer-Matte, which is a decent enough drugstore option, and set it with Catrice Prime and Fine Translucent Loose Powder, which is now discontinued but remains a staple for me. I used Makeup Revolution I <3 Makeup Naked Chocolate palette, which an excellent affordable mix of neutral mattes and shimmers.

The Eyes

Step 1

I recommend applying a matte cream shade (Smoothly) to the inner corner and brow bone first with a shader brush (Sigma shader E57). Your transition shade will blend into it seamlessly and if you wish add a shimmer to the inner corner later you will have a solid matte base to make it pop.

Step 2

Blend a matte milky brown transition shade (Tob-le-rone) into your crease with a fluffy brush (Morphe MB23).

Step 3

Pat on a caramel brown shimmer (Frosted Choc) to your mobile lid with a firm shader brush (Sigma shader E57).

Step 4

Apply a warm matte dark brown (Sweet Shop) to your crease with the fluffy blender in Step 2 (Morphe MB23).

Step 5

Smudge a black kohl pencil (Luscious Onyx) as close your upper lash line as possible.

Step 6

Blend a dark matte brown (White) into your outer corner and slightly into your crease while joining it with the smudged liner and softening it with a round blending brush (DMGM Eye Smudge).

Step 7

Using a pencil brush (Sigma Pencil E30) define your lower lash line with the crease colour in Step 4 (Sweet Shop).

Step 8

Tightline (Luscious Onyx) and liberally apply mascara (Essence I Love Long Lashes Mascara) from root to tip.

The Face

Clean up under your eye with a wipe and spot conceal (Oriflame Rosemary and Tea Tree Oil Purifying Corrective Stick). Apply the foundation of your choice. I mixed Luscious HD Mineral Foundation-Ivory with Garnier BB cream-Light to get my perfect shade while keeping things light and dewy. I then set my entire face with Catrice Prime and Fine Translucent Loose Powder. A sweep of bronzer (Makeup Revolution Ultrabronze) across the high points of my face along with Colorstudio Pro Blush-Pixie Pink blended backwards from my apples was just enough to complement my bright lips.

Lips

Berry: Essence Long Lasting Lipstick - Blush My Lips

Coral: Essence Long Lasting Lipstick - Coral Calling

Mauve: Wet n Wild Mega Last Lipstick - Mauve Outta Here

Nude: Colorstudio Pro Color Rush Lipstick - Desire

Orange: Flormar Super Shine lipstick 502

Pink: Catrice - Pinkadilly Circus

Red: Colorstudio Pro Color Rush Lipstick - Bombshell

Predictably, I liked the mauve combo best. This is a great way to flaunt your favourite summer pout with the lawn suit you achieved after many a fight with your tailor and of course lawn wars at the store.

Which lip colour do you love best for this season?

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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Soft Smokey Fall Look - Step by Step Tutorial

Hey guys! Since fall is officially here, we have all transitioned to appropriate shades for this season. Fall / winter in Pakistan means wedding season so, I thought I would share my all time favourite technique for soft but sultry eyes for any event which you can pair with a deep lip and glowing cheeks.

The Eyes

Step 1

Do your brows and prime your eyes. I used the Essence colour and shape brow gel and I <3 stage eye primer.

Step 2

For the eyes I used my Makeup Revolution I <3 Makeup Naked Chocolate palette and my BH Cosmetics 120 colour palette 5^th edition. Blend in a medium mauve-brown colour (Milky) in your crease with a fluffy eye blending brush like the Morphe MB23.

Step 3

Deepen the outer half of the crease with a dark burgundy or plum shade (Choc-fest) with the same brush and blend it out.

Step 4

Use a black pencil like the Essence I <3 stage smokey eye pencil and a smudge brush like the Morphe M213 to create blended smokey eyeliner close to your lash line. Tightline your upper lash line directly with that pencil or use a flat definer brush like the ELF Flat eyeliner brush.

Step 5

Apply a shimmery rose pink (BH Cosmetics 120 colour palette 5^th edition) to your entire lid with a flat shading brush like the Sigma E55.

Step 6

Use a deep chocolate brown (White) to further deepen the outer crease with a tapered blending brush like the Sigma E45.

Step 7

Highlight your inner corner and brow bone with a cream matte shade (Smoothy) using a small dense shader like the Sigma E57.

Step 8

Define your lower lash line with that same deep chocolate brown (White) from Step 6 using a pencil brush like the Sigma E30S and merge it with the outer crease.

Step 9

Apply your favourite lengthening mascara like the Catrice Lashes to Kill Volume mascara and false lashes if you prefer.

The Face

Step 10

After moisturizing your face and getting rid of any eye shadow fallout, apply your foundation or BB cream. I used the Garnier BB cream for combination to oily skin in the shade Light with my Real Techniques Expert Face brush. This is the part where you shape your eyes. I like to follow my lower lash line in this regard. You may apply concealer/corrector above or below this layer depending on your preference.

Step 11

The lips are the focal point of this look and we have colour in the eyes as well so I wanted fresh glowing cheeks. I used the cream blush Macaroon from the Sleek Blush by 3 in Pink Lemonade. It is a soft natural pink that must be concentrated on the apples of your cheeks. It gives that lit from within glow so I skipped highlighter and face powder or fixing spray. You may use your fingers but I prefer my Real Techniques Expert Face brush.

Step 12

For soft sculpting I used Makeup Revolution Ultra bronze as a contouring shade with an angled blush brush from BH Cosmetics Wild Purple brush set.

The Lips

Step 13

Fill in your lips with a vampy lip liner like Makeup Revolution in Rebel. Top it off with a pretty plum gloss like Golden rose Ultra brilliant lip gloss in 31 to soften it up.

You are all done!

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and found it helpful. Please let me know what you think the comments below and if you have any questions about it.

Share your idea of a Go-to Fall look in the comments below

Love,

Sadaf

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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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Essence Eyebrow Gel-Colour & Shape - Review, Swatches & Mini Tutorial

Hey girls! Today we are going to be talking about eyebrows because I just had to have this brand new brow product as soon as I spotted it at my local departmental store. The Essence Eyebrow Gel is part of their latest summer collection and I have never tried anything like it before. I am planning to get the ABH Dipbrow pomade so I was expecting this to be something similar as its dupes have started popping up in the market. Read on to find out what this product is actually like.

Product Claims

Colour and shape! Perfectly emphasize and shape your brows without any stickiness with the eyebrow gel. The gel has a pleasant powdery finish and offers long-lasting results. Especially easy to apply with the essence precise eyeliner brush.

What Do I Think?

The packaging is good quality and compact but the tiny glass jar is prone to breakage. On screwing the top off, the gel looked creamy but once applied, it started to dry within seconds. So basically it is a cream-to-powder product but you do not get much time to blend it out. The bright side to this property is that it stays put all day not matter how hot or humid the weather is. I splashed water on my face many times but it never showed any signs of budging. For a brow product, I think this is most important attribute because no one wants to be forced fix their brows repeatedly. The pigmentation was pretty good. I swatched heavily with my brush and then used the same swatch to apply a lighter one next to it. You may apply as lightly or heavily as you wish.

Now, coming to the shade, there is currently just one available in Essence Eyebrow Gel range. Luckily, I happen to be a brunette with dark ash brown tones in my hair so this was close to perfect for me. This is not for ladies with chocolate or warm brown hair as there is nothing warm about it. However, you may use this as a base and top it with a suitable brow powder shade. Since women with black hair are advised to pick a lighter colour for their brows, this would be appropriate. You might assume that this won’t suit you if you have light brown hair but it will. This is because it can be applied as lightly or heavily as you desire. If you have golden brown hair, you may use it lightly as a base and apply your own shade of brow powder on top. Unfortunately, there is nothing for red heads or blondes in this range yet.

Initially, I had some trouble with application as I felt it dried too fast and didn’t give me the result I wanted. Eventually, I figured out how to use it so I have created a mini tutorial to help you out. I found it best to blend it in the direction your hair grows and comb it out. I didn’t find a small slanted eyebrow brush did the job well so now I use my Make up Academy F3 brush. It may seem broad but it has just the right stiffness and density for using this gel. I discovered that although it is excellent for filling in your eyebrows, it cannot be used to line them. Normally, I prefer the natural look only filling them in provides but when I wish to go for a bolder look, I add in a brow pencil for lining.

In my experience, Essence Eyebrow Gel is an excellent brow product for brunettes with a pocket friendly price tag. You will especially love it if you lean more towards naturally filled full eyebrows.

Price

PKR 590 (for 3.0g)

Availability

You may buy this from your local Essence kiosk in all major cities

Pros

Very pigmented

Lasts all day long

Readily blends

Intensity can be controlled

Fills in brows well

Good packaging

Affordable

Easily available

Cons

Not for lining eyebrows

Dries too quickly

Only one shade available yet

My Rating

4/5

Have you tried this eyebrow gel? What do you prefer for shaping your brows?

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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Essence Summer Collection 2015 – Swatches & Review

Hey guys! Every summer we have fabulous trends to try out with some great new product releases. Essence always comes up with unique ideas to make our summer more colourful and they did not disappoint this year either. I was delighted to receive a lovely PR package from Essence Pakistan earlier this season. It contained amazing products from their new summer collection. There was a mono eye shade, blush, nude nail polish and a gel top coat. I will be reviewing them all together in this post so are you ready? Let’s get started!

Essence Silky Touch Blush-90 “Summer Dreaming”

Product Claims

A fresh complexion is essential for perfect style! You can set gorgeous, natural-looking highlights in soft as well as brighter shades on your cheeks with this silky-soft blush.

What Do I Think?

Now, I happen to have a blush (Adorable) from this range already and love it to bits. Summer Dreaming is a light coral colour with an almost neon quality to it. Although it looks quite light, there was no lack of pigmentation. It seemed like something that would only suit pale to far skin tones when I swatched it on my arm. However, on my cheeks, it presented an entirely different story. The colour just popped on my face screaming summer even when used lightly. You can easily build it up to the desired intensity. The blending is wonderful and the lasting power more so. On my combination skin it was still fresh after 5-6 hours in hot humid weather. As if that wasn’t impressive enough, the micro shimmer just adds to its cuteness and summery appeal. I experienced no fallout in the pan or during application. I found the packaging to be very sturdy and pocket friendly plus I loved the swirly embossed, pattern which is not easily ruined. In my opinion, 5 g of shimmery coral goodness at this price is a really sweet deal!

Price

PKR 470

Pros

Richly pigmented

Dreamy blending

Micro shimmer gives soft glow

No fallout

Great lasting power

Travel friendly packaging

Affordable

Cons

None

My Rating

5/5

Mono Eye Shadow - 15 "Hazel Me Not!"

Product Claims

The soft powder eye shadows are easy to apply and blend for long-lasting results. The texture feels wonderfully pleasant on your lids and has a cool wave embossment. Different colours and effects ranging from matt to shimmering to slightly metallic give you lots of choice and ensure the perfect eye make-up for every occasion.

What Do I Think?

I have tried a few mono shades from Essence before and my experience has been good so far. Hazel Me Not! reminds me of my favourite hazelnut flavoured coffee so the name does describe the shade quite well. It is a pale milky brown colour which is best seen on my lid in the EOTD above. On my neutral fair skin, it serves as a gorgeous nude for a no makeup look. I don’t think it will show up very well as a lid shade on medium to dark skin tones. However, it may be blended in the crease as a transition colour especially for neutral looks. There is no apparent shimmer but for some reason, I believe this is satin and not matte. The texture is unbelievably soft with effortless blending and zero fallout. It just happens to be a pale shade but it does not disappoint in the pigmentation department. I have worn this twice on my lids during the monsoon. It creased around 4-5 hours after application in extreme heat and humidity. The second time, it stayed put even after 5-6 hours. It will only crease quickly in extreme weather if you don’t have oily lids. It was worn over my current favourite matte eye primer from Makeup Revolution. The packaging is clear sturdy plastic with a flat top, which is easy to store and carry around. I hope they keep the flat top design because I find the dome shaped ones take too much space.

Price

PKR 280

Pros

Decent pigmentation

Good lasting power

Superb blending and texture

Pocket friendly

Easily stored

Affordable

Cons

None

My Rating

5/5

I Love TRENDS Nail Polish The Nudes - 05 "Pure Soul"

Product Claims

Only nude… is sure to make the hearts of all nail polish fans beat faster this season! The I ♥ TRENDS nail polishes cover your nails in light nude shades. The selection of different colours and effects is huge. The long-lasting formula ensures permanently pampered nails.

What Do I Think?

First of all, what a beautiful name for a beautiful shade! This is a pearl white colour with stunning fine pastel multi-coloured shimmer. The packaging is compact not to mention, adorable. I am not a nail polish gal because I just don’t have the patience to learn the skill of nail painting. I am trying to polish my skills *pun intended* but that will take time. I apologize for my lacquer application which is, in the words of Simon Cowell, “Absolutely horrendous!” Since I am a complete klutz in this area, I was expecting it to be really hard. After trying on other brands and failing miserably, I realized this applicator and formula is close to perfect. The density of the brush and its flat shape made it easy to apply a single coat in just three strokes per nail. I thought the formula was too thin at first but it went opaque in only two coats. Two to three minutes was the maximum time for each coat to dry. I did not wear it for more two days but the quality was apparent. It was not difficult to remove but it didn’t chip easily either. If you are a beginner, love nude nail polishes or looking for a festive touch with a subtle base, this is for you.

Price

PKR 335

Pros

Quick drying

Goes opaque in two coats

Good lasting power

User friendly applicator

Cute sturdy packaging

Affordable

Cons

None

My Rating

5/5

The Gel Nail Polish Top Coat

Product Claims

The revolution in nails – easy like nail polish, amazing like gel! The innovative base coat and top coat formula improves the durability of the “gel nail polish” by 60 percent! The nails are given an extreme, long-lasting gel-shine finish without the need for an LED or UV lamp. Simply apply the gel nail polish base coat and let it dry completely. Then apply the gel nail polish in the colour of your choice and let this dry well, too. For a perfect finish, all you need now is a coat of the gel nail polish top coat – and you’re done! The nail style is easy to remove using conventional nail polish remover.

What Do I Think?

Since, I don’t have any sense about using base or top nail coats, I simply applied this one over the nude one as you can see. I was surprised at how the shimmer became twice as prominent with this clear gel finish. Drying did not take more than two to three minutes with a thin coat. The lasting power was definitely increased as it formed a sort of protective shield over the original nail polish. The formula was slightly problematic for me as it felt like very thin glue with its gel-like consistency. If you are not careful about spilling the product around the neck, then crusts may be formed. However, those are easily removed and don’t cause too much trouble. The applicator was similar to the nude nail polish so I had no complaints about it. If you wish to transform your regular nail colours into gel ones then this is a good option.

Price

PKR 470

Pros

Gives a brilliant shiny gel finish

Increases longevity of original nail paint

User friendly applicator

Attractive packaging

Cons

Formula maybe hard to apply

May dry to form crust around the neck

My Rating

4/5

So, these were my thoughts on the items from the latest Essence summer collection 2015. You can get your hands on this range from any store with an Essence Kiosk.

Have your tried any new products from this range?

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

PR sample(s) for consideration. This, however, has not affected our sincere opinions as our loyalty is to the readers. For further details, check our Blog Policy.

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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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Essence Maximum Length Volume Mascara – Review

I am on a quest to find THE BEST mascara out there for my thin barely visible lashes. While looking for some mascara one day, I found this one by Essence at Enem and decided to give it a try. Let’s find out what I think.

Product Claims

Mascara for ultimate length, extra volume and perfect definition with lash extending fibres. No clumps. Ophthalmologically approved.

What Do I Think?

I am someone who looks for that “special” wand in a mascara before purchasing it because my thin sparse lashes just won’t behave well with just any wand out there and this mascara has the perfect one for thin lashes because it catches every single lash and coats them well. The formula is neither too dry nor too runny and if you are familiar with mascaras and their formulae, you can very well tell that relatively thick formula goes really well for thin lashes and gives them a lift; Essence Maximum Length Volume Mascara does exactly that. Another thing I noticed about the formula is that, although relatively dry, it does not form clumps at all inside the tube. It gives my lashes an uplift leaving out the need to use a curler (just a personal preference). The formula is good enough to build volume without clumping the lashes and dries quickly and the fibres in it also do provide a considerable length. While the volume stays put for hours, the fibres start to fall off the lashes (I notice tiny little specs in my under eye area) after 2 – 3 hours reducing the length of lashes. Since I have not tried any other mascara with fibres yet, I cannot say if this is how the fibres in a mascara perform or are meant to perform. Overall, a pretty good mascara with the perfect formula and wand for any lashes especially thin and sparse.

A word of advice: Be careful with the wand while you apply mascara which has fibres because a few times I accidently ended up with one or two fibres in my eyes and it irritates the eyes.

Price

PKR 590 (for 8mL)

Availability

All big stores with Essence kiosk.

Pros

Flexible wand

Dries fast

Buildable

Lengthens the lashes

Does not clump

Cons

Fall out

My Rating

3.8/5

Leave your comments below and let us know your thoughts.

Love,

Fizzah

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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