Sleek Makeup Face Contour Kit in Medium-Review & Swatches

Hey people-obsessed-with-makeup-like-me! When I first entered the magnificent world of cosmetics, I tried to collect all the basics and found that I was short of a suitable contouring shade. Most bronzers these days are not matte or too orange-y and unflattering for this purpose. Most contouring kits I came across seemed too expensive or didn’t have a shade that matched my complexion. So, you can imagine my frustration and utter agony. 

Finally, I decided to try the Sleek Contour Kit in Medium, although I felt the quantity could have been more and I really didn’t need a highlighter. Once I used it, all my doubts and regrets literally went poof! Read on to find out how this product won my heart!

Product Claims

This iconic duo compact is an essential tool for achieving a beautifully sculpted and defined appearance. It includes a silky, matte, easy to blend contour powder and an illuminating highlighter for a natural glow. They can be used together or individually.

What Do I Think?

Those of you, who are familiar with Sleek Makeup, will recognize the characteristic matte black packaging. It is very sturdy, another reason why I am a Sleek fan. Most of their face products come with a built in mirror, which is well sized and pocket friendly in this case. The contour pan is larger than the highlight one and together they hold 10g of pressed powder product.

The contour is shade is a medium neutral matte brown that is a pleasure to swatch. The light beige shimmery highlight formula is similarly dreamy and glides on effortlessly. It lends a beautiful natural glow as the shimmer is not visible on the skin unless you look closely. Both are extremely pigmented so a little goes a long way. The blending power is superb, which is imperative for face sculpting formulas.

I have tested the staying power of this contour kit in warm and cool seasons, with and without fixing spray, and I must say I am impressed. On my combination skin during pleasant weather, it lasted for a good 8-9 hours without fading in the absence of a setting product. In the hot Pakistani summers, it looked fine even after 6-7 hours with my Stageline makeup fixing spray.      

The Sleek Makeup Contouring Kit comes in three shades and I picked “Medium”. In my opinion, this will suit fair skinned ladies with cool, neutral or warm toned skin. Pale ladies should opt for “Light” while medium to dark ones should choose “Dark”.

Overall, I think this is the most affordable contour kit in the market with this level of quality. You definitely get your money’s worth and not regret buying it. I highly recommend to anyone looking for a budget friendly contour kit that gives great results.

Price

PKR 995

Availability

Sleek Official Website or Beautified.pk

Pros

Smooth texture

Dreamy blending

Great quality formula

High pigmentation

Superb lasting power

Sturdy travel friendly packaging

Comes with a pocket sized mirror

Good shade selection for various skin tones

Cons

None

My Rating

5/5

Have you tried any of the Sleek contouring/ highlighting products?

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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Spring/Summer Shoe Haul from Stylo

Hello fashion lovers! Today’s post is dedicated to the deep love between a girl and her shoes. Whenever a new season arrives, I predictably give into the urge of shoe shopping. They are essentials after all! In the spirit of spring, I recently raided the shelves at my nearest Stylo outlet. When I could not find all the ones I wanted, I ordered a few pairs online. Check out what my feet love this season!

First up, are these gorgeous marsala wedge sandals with plenty of elevation for that extra oomph! I absolutely love wedge heels so I end up buying at least one each year.

PKR 1890

Next, I got these cool denim heels with some neutrals thrown in for versatility. I find these kind of heels really comfortable to wear because they help curb my fear of tripping over my own feet, that comes with pencil heels.

PKR 1450

These flats are not only practical but come in handy for colour blocking. Besides, nothing screams spring like some cheery yellow on your feet!

PKR 1290

I have a thing for caramel and black coloured footwear and just couldn’t resist the side view this pair had to offer. Also, I don’t like having my feet trapped in the summer time so this was one ticked all the boxes.

PKR 1290

There is something really alluring about the combination of a snake skin base with narrow rust and black stripes, lined in gold, like this design. It can be paired with a number of looks so I think it is a good investment.

PKR 1490

Lastly, I got this pair of open camo flats for my shoe closet. I have never bought this sort of design before but the colours looked fresh and went with many spring/ summer outfits hanging on my cloth racks.

PKR 1490

All my picks turned out to be really comfortable and my online shopping experience from Stylo worked out splendidly too. So, there you have it! These are the latest additions to my shoe collection.

What kind of shoes did you choose for spring summer this year?

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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Press Release: Masarrat Misbah launches Pakistan’s first Halal Certified Makeup

Masarrat Misbah at the launch of MM Makeup

Masarrat Misbah, an entrepreneur, a philanthropist and one of the pioneers of the hair and beauty industry of Pakistan with the Depilex Group which hosts Pakistan’s largest chain of salons, Depilex Beauty Clinic and Institute, today announces the launch of her makeup line Masarrat Misbah Makeup - MM Makeup.

MM Makeup is the first Halal Certified Makeup brand to launch in Pakistan, not using any haram animal substances or intoxicants in the entire product range.

Celebrating the launch of MM Makeup

“MMMakeup has become a reality after two years of research, primarily focused on a color range best adapted for the Asian skin tone, climate and complexion, with an emphasis on textures, colors, pigments and most importantly formulations.” explains Masarrat Misbah.

When asked about why she chose to create her own line of makeup, she responded, “It’s time that the beauty of a Pakistani woman be acknowledged for what it truly is and for her to know that when she applies my makeup, it was made especially for her”

Misbah’s journey started more than three decades ago when her passion for beauty and grooming led her to establishing Depilex, which has today grown to become a beauty empire. She is the force behind the country’s leading hair and beauty brands; the Depilex Beauty Clinic, Depilex Institute, The Lounge by Depilex Men, Depilex Live, Depilex Health Center, Santé the Salon, Depilex Smile Again Foundationand most recently the Depilex College of Cosmetology, under the ever growing umbrella of the Depilex Group of Companies.

For the unveiling of the MM Makeup E-store, Masarrat Misbah said, “With the launch of MasarratMakeup.com we are introducing MM Makeup across Pakistan, we are providing round-the-clock access to everyone from the convenience of their own homes – keeping in mind the ‘women of today’ for whom MM Makeup has been developed for.”

Launch of MM Makeup

Launch of MM Makeup

Food by Sana Bhatti

Masarrat & Redah Misbah

MMMakeup is currently available for customers in Pakistan only, for cash on delivery purchases, and will be available online for international and credit card customers, as well as at leading outlets across Karachi, Lahore & Islamabad by June 2015.

For more information, visit:

Instagram: https://instagram.com/masarratmakeup

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/masarratmakeup 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/masarratmakeup 

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/masarratmakeup

PR Post: This is a press release sent to us by Walnut.

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I ♡ Makeup I Heart Chocolate palette & I ♡ Makeup Naked Chocolate palette: Review & Swatches

Hello chocolate lovers! Today’s post is about the two most coveted eye shadow palettes from the I Heart Makeup range of Makeup Revolution London namely,  I ♡ Makeup I Heart Chocolate palette and I ♡ Makeup Naked Chocolate palette. These combine the two greatest loves of ours-chocolate and makeup! There is another palette in this range but it is sadly not available in Pakistan at the moment. Read on to learn of our experiences with these delectable products. 

I ♡ Makeup Naked Chocolate Palette

Product Claims

Naked Chocolate contains 16 stunning eye shadows for perfect bare to smokey eyes, mixture of shimmer and matte shades. 3D chocolate palette with full size mirror and applicator.

What Do We Think?

This has become our favourite eye shadow palette for a multitude of reasons, which are all justified completely. It comes in a cardboard box with white chocolate printed on the front and back and purple text embossed over it. The front presents a mouth watering view of a delicious melting white chocolate bar. On sliding the bar out, the plastic feels quite sturdy so travelling with it shouldn’t be an issue considering it comes with a full sized mirror inside. The names of the individual shades have been printed on a clear plastic sheet that covers the rectangular pans, two of which are longer than the others (Smoothly and Way). The names all go brilliantly with the chocolate theme and the palette gives off a seductive cocoa scent. It comes with a two sided white sponge applicator, which is nice and firm. The quality is the best we have tried so far with amazing pigmentation.  The texture is superb as each shade glides on effortlessly and blends like a dream. Wearing them over the Makeup Revolution Focus & Fix eye primer, they still looked freshly applied after six hours on a summer’s day so I am certain their lasting power is pretty good. We adore this unique collection of mattes and shimmers.

Smoothly – Pale beige (matte)

Divine – Soft copper (shimmer)

Mocha Lover – Medium cool brown with pink tones (shimmer)

Dipped – Pale brown with mauve tones (shimmer)

Choc-fest – Deep burgundy (matte)

Adorable – Cream (shimmer)

Buttons – Chocolate brown (shimmer)

Frosted Choc – Golden brown/ caramel (shimmer)

Delight – Dark grey (shimmer)

Sweet Shop – Dark red toned brown (matte)

Sugar – Dark brown with a hint of plum (shimmer)

Double-dip – Mango gold (shimmer)

Tob-le-rone – Deep mauve-brown (matte)

White – Very deep chocolate brown (matte)

Milky – Medium mauve (matte)

Way – Pale gold (shimmer)

Pros

Superb quality

Stunning pigmentation

Excellent texture

Easy blending

Superb lasting power

Comes with a mirror

Attractive package

Travel friendly

Smells like cocoa

Affordable

Cons

None

Rating

5/5

Price

PKR 1500

I ♡ Makeup I Heart Chocolate Palette

Product Claims

Pick and mix for your eyes. You will want to try EVERY chocolate in the box! Mixture of mattes and shimmers.

What Do We Think?

This is rumoured to be a perfect dupe for the Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette. The packaging is exactly like the Naked Chocolate palette except for the colour, which represents an irresistible melting milk chocolate that looks good enough to eat! The sponge applicator is black in colour but the arrangement of the mirror and pans does not deviate from its sister palette. The quality of all the shades is not consistent but the majority of them perform really well. The pigmentation is really good except for Meet Chocolate. The names are pretty interesting and follow the romantic chocolate theme as well to enhance the chocolate-y experience. Using the Makeup Revolution Focus & Fix eye primer, they looked perfect even after six hours on a summer’s day. The lasting power actually depends on the individual performance of each shade and how oily your lids are. It offers a nice variety of matte and shimmer shades for day and night looks both.

You Need Love – Cream (matte).  It’s a bit chalky.

Piece Me Together – Dark grey-brown with gold shimmer (shimmer). It has some fall out due to its crumbly texture and a bit hard to blend.

One More Piece – Dull mid-tone brown (matte). It’s a bit chalky.

Love Torn – Deep plum with gold shimmer. It has slight fall out and is a little hard to blend.

Stolen Chocolate – Deep cool toned brown (matte). It’s a bit chalky.

Thank Friday – Dull coral-brown (matte). The texture is a slightly chalky.

More! – Pale gold (shimmer). It has great texture.

Pleasure Girl – Dark chocolate brown (matte). It performs superbly.

Meet Chocolate – Pale pink (matte). It is a little chalky.

Unforgivable – Indigo (shimmer). It has some fallout.

Love Divine – Dark red toned brown (shimmer). It performs well.

Smooth Criminal – Medium warm caramel brown (shimmer). It has amazing texture.

Chocolate Love – Pale golden brown (shimmer). It works wonderfully.

You Need More – Deep cool brown (shimmer). It has brilliant texture.

What a Way to Go – Deep plum (shimmer). It’s a bit hard to blend.

Endorphins Ready! – Cream (shimmer). It has wonderful texture. 

Pros

Good quality for the price

Mostly good pigmentation

Most have good texture

Blending is wonderful for the most part

Good lasting power

Attractive packaging

Comes with a mirror

Travel friendly

Affordable

Cons

Mattes are a slightly chalky

Some shades are a bit difficult to blend

Some shimmers have fall out

Rating

4/5

Price

PKR 1500

In conclusion, we feel the Naked Chocolate palette definitely wins in terms of quality but it really depends on what your priorities are. The problematic shades in the I Heart Chocolate palette are not hopeless and can be made to work with a little effort. The fact that it is an extremely affordable dupe for Too Faced Chocolate Bar tilts the scales in its favour for those who find the Chocolate Bar too expensive. It offers a splendid variety of plums, chocolate browns, golds, grey-browns, some pretty highlight options and a gorgeous shimmery indigo. It presents a few nice matte brown crease choices too.  The Naked Chocolate palette revolves around soft browns, chocolate browns, golds, golden browns, plums and mauve hues. It has excellent mid-tone and deep matte crease shades and delicate shimmers including a copper. Both palettes are remarkable for the price tag and a must have for chocolate lovers!

Here is an EOTD done with I Heart Chocolate palette. Check out our Instagram for EOTD done with Naked Chocolate palette and more looks!

Availability

Online at Just4girls.pk, Daraz.pk or the Makeup Revolution Official Website

Have you tried any of the I Heart Makeup Chocolate palettes? What do you think?

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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