Maybelline Cheeky Glow Blush Review

This review is long overdue. I don't know why I spent time on other posts when this post should have been my priority. I got this blush over the winter while I was in India. Maybelline always releases some wonderful products in India and then I have to wait for months before I can visit India and try them out. When I first heard about these blushes I found out that it was released in 3 shades only- Fresh Coral, Peachy Sweetie and Creamy Cinnamon- and I was so sure that I would be buying Fresh Coral and Peachy Sweetie. However, when I swatched them they just looked so similar to all my other pinky-peach blushes (which I love but I needed something different!) and I ended up falling in love with Creamy Cinnamon.

Creamy Cinnamon is the most wearable and natural shade I have ever found...and I mean EVER! It's a very glowy peachy-brown but does not look brown on the skin. This shade is perfect for every skin-tone out in the world. Considering these Cheeky Glow blushes are the most affordable blushes I've ever come across I was shocked at how amazing they are. The packaging isn't very high-end-like but I prefer it like this. They just look so cute and tiny and they're perfect to travel with. I always carry Creamy Cinnamon when I travel because it's a versatile shade and it barely takes up any space in my makeup bag. The formulation, pigmentation and quality is just like a high-end blush if not better. These are really creamy and soft and don't look chalky at all. In fact, they blend in so well on the cheeks! I can't find anything wrong with these. I've read some reviews that criticize Maybelline for not including a tiny brush in the packaging like most brands do but I don't think anyone really uses those and they're a waste of space and materials. 

Final Verdict: This has been my favorite blush for months now and it's obsessive.It's inexpensive, great quality and beautiful. I cannot recommend it enough!

Weekly Picks : Brush Off The Dupes.

Finally a weekly pick after so long! Just to make up for it I've got a good one. This one's extra special because I've been looking for these everywhere. Since you're here reading my blog I'm going to assume you love beauty and you know about all the latest products. Therefore, you've heard of the Real Techniques brushes that everyone's been raving about. Apparently these brushes take makeup application to a whole new level where everything looks flawless and perfect. Ever since the Real Techniques brushes became popular, the dupes for these brushes have started popping up everywhere. I was going to buy the real brushes at first but then I saw many beauty bloggers claim that these dupes not only look the same as the real brushes but they also work just as well. I have finally found the best set of these Real Techniques dupes (I call them dupes because calling them fake wouldn't be right. They aren't being advertised/marketed/sold as "real techniques" brushes and they don't even say so on the product itself. ) You get a set of these 5 brushes for $15.03 and I cannot wait to get them! I've already placed an order for my set and I think you would too if you see just how great a deal it is! 

Brush 1: similar to Real Techniques Stippling Brush. Cost: $10.00

Brush 2: similar to Real Techniques Pointed Foundation Brush. Cost: approx.$4.50

Brush 3: similar to Real Techniques Expert Face Brush. Cost: $9.00

Brush 4: similar to Real Techniques Blush Brush. Cost: $9.00

Brush 5: similar to Real Techniques Foundation/Contour Brush. Cost: $8.00

Total Cost of Real Techniques brushes: $40.50 

Cost of set that I found : $15.03

You can buy it here. Another option I found of exactly the same set was for $21.39 including shipping, which seems like a lovely deal too, on the Born Pretty Store. You can find the Born Pretty store in my right sidebar or you can buy it at Sammydress. 

Tell me what you think in the comments below! I'm sure I just made up for all the lack of posts with this detailed weekly pick. I hope you liked it and I hope you go get this set because that means I've helped you out in at least a little way in this world of beauty. Have a lovely day ahead and please don't forget to follow me on Twitter, Facebook, GFC,Bloglovin'(we're almost at my target of 50 followers), Polyvore and Instagram. 

Tanaya <3 

My Christmas Outfit & Makeup.

How long has it been since my last post? Not long I hope. I know it's a little late for christmas outfit posts but I still wanted to share it no matter what time of the year it is. I really love the eye look that I did on Christmas so I did the same one for New Year's Eve too. I think it adds a wonderful glow to the face and looks great with almost every outfit. So it's only appropriate to start with the eye look.

I just used a random eyeshadow palette but I would love to do a tutorial for the look if you would like to see one. I am absolutely obsessed with it. I also used the Revlon Lash Potion mascara and I apologize for the less than good mascara application but I was in a hurry. I also used the Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Concealer. Now for the rest of the look.

I used the MAC Frankly Scarlet blush with some Em Cosmetics Lipstick in Violaceous that I reviewed here. I also used the Benefit Hoola bronzer. Oh and how could I forget! I've also used my most recent and favorite purchase- the Pond's BB+ Cream. It makes the skin look just so flawless and it's a shame that I can find it only in India :( I will do a proper review soon. I've also gotten a new haircut since that picture which I'm so excited to share so follow me on Instagram to see it! 

For my outfit I chose my lovely Forever 21 white lace dress. Something about white and red just makes me think of christmas. The dress is so adorable and it has a cutout back.

I hope you like this post. What do you think of my look and outfit? Leave me links to your christmas outfit posts or just send me a picture on twitter! I would love to see them all. Don't forget to follow me on Facebook, Bloglovin' , Polyvore, Instagram, GFC & Twitter.

Tanaya <3

My Best Smokey Eye Yet:StudioGear Smokey Eye Palette Review.

I’ve always been quite scared of doing a black smokey eye look and every time I’ve tried it before, it turns out quite rubbish. (And that’s why I love brown smokey eyes and I do them pretty well I suppose.) However, I was recently sent this Holiday Smokey Eye Palette by Studio Gear and I was excited to try my luck at doing a smokey eye look again! I was quite anxious but I think it turned out pretty great and I was happy with it. I also realized why I was rubbish at it before and that had to do with the texture of the shadows I was using. These Studio Gear shadows may not be perfect for every look but their texture is exactly what you need to do a great black smokey eye. With a color like black, if you use a really soft and creamy shadow you will mess up the smokey eye look. However, these shadows have a sort of ‘grainy’ texture which I thought was odd at first but it gives you a lot more control while blending. These aren’t soft shadows but the texture is absolutely perfect for what they’re meant to do.

The packaging is really pretty and reminds me of the wonderful city lights. It’s really thin and sleek and perfect to carry with you on a vacation (which I actually did!).

Inside, we have a set of instructions, which aren’t the easiest to understand, but if you just follow the little diagram you will be good. I love the ‘coal’ and ‘charcoal’ shades and the only shade I really don’t like is the Frost shade. You can kind of see the grainy texture I was talking about in the swatches below and that strange texture works for every shadow except ‘frost’. In the center is my favorite bit- the blush! It’s the prettiest shade ever and it’s perfect for winter. I just love this shade of blush and I think I’m going to pop it out of this palette and put it in another magnetic palette to carry around with my other blushes.

 

blush, coal, glimmer, charcoal, frost

After that extraordinarily long description and review, here’s the smokey eye look I created. 

I hope you guys like this look and tweet me a picture if you recreate it. Also I would love to do a tutorial and I'm thinking of starting a youtube channel so that I can post tutorials for you guys so let me know, in the comments below, if that's a good idea and if you would watch my videos. In the meanwhile I can do a tutorial for this look right here on the blog if you want me to. 

Don't forget to follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Bloglovin' and gfc. 

Happy Holidays!

Tanaya <3



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This or That Beauty Tag: Part 1

I love tags! I love them in blog posts and I love them in videos. So when I saw the This or That tag on ClosetDiamonds you could be sure I was going to hop on that opportunity. However, I wasn’t tagged to do this post so I felt a little weird about doing it. However, you lovely people seemed to like the idea of doing it when I tweeted about it and so here I am. Now this tag had 44 questions which I think is far too many and I don’t want you guys to fall asleep while reading this so I’m going to split it into 2 parts.

Let’s start then.

1)   Blush or Bronzer?

Blush! Although I love my bronzers if I had to pick one I would go for a blush.

2)   Eyeliner or Mascara?

Mascara. I can survive without eyeliner. Here’s a secret – I’m far too lazy to actually spend half my morning trying to line my eyes perfectly every day when a good coat of mascara can do the job of defining your eyes just as well!

3)   Gel, Liquid or Cream Liner?

Gel for sure. Although I love gel eyeliner I still feel the need to learn and perfect how to use the liquid eyeliner. Don’t ask me why. I guess it just seems classy and it’s like one of those instincts that every beauty lover feels.

4)    Waterproof or Non Waterproof mascara?

     Waterproof mascara! I find that it’s just so much more comforting             to have that peace of mind of knowing that even if you somehow get drenched at any moment your mascara’s got your back. The rest of your makeup may betray you but your mascara isn’t going to flow     down your face.

     

      5)    Foundation or Concealer?

      Now this one’s a toughie. I wouldn’t walk around with just concealer on my face with no foundation to help blend it out. I guess that if I have a great foundation I would be able to manage without a concealer (Now this definitely does not include under eye concealer. Name one girl (that loves makeup) that would willingly give up her under eye concealer! )

           6)    Liquid or Powder Foundation?

 Liquid! There’s no way to get that famed “dewy glow” with powder foundation. If you have the right foundation I believe it’s going to be mre comfortable to wear than powder foundation and you wouldn’t need to touch up so often.

7)    Neutral or coloured Eye Shadow?

      I’m a neutral eyeshadow girl most days. Don’t get me wrong, I do love to add the occasional dash of bright color on my eyelids in the form of eyeshadow or eyeliner but for every day, I stick to my beautiful neutrals.

8)    Pressed or loose Eye Shadow? 

Pressed Eyeshadow. It’s less messy. It’s easier to build color and your chances of messing up and greatly reduced. Nobody would let someone like me handle loose eyeshadow! I would drop it as fast as lightening. Hahaha.

9)    Matte or Sparkly Eye Shadow?

     Sparkles :D Life is incomplete without sparkly eyeshadow. It just adds more dimension to the eye.

10)    Brushes or Sponges?

          Brushes. Do you use sponges? If yes, could you please tell me how in the world are they used!? I hate sponges for applying makeup so much that I feel like I must be doing it wrong.

11)      Lip Gloss or Lipstick?

           Can I cheat here? Pleaseee? Pretty please? I’ll just cheat. Haha. I bet you would agree it’s difficult to choose one so I’m going to choose something like the Revlon just bitten kissable balm stains or YSL rouge volupte or Bourjois color boost. I tend to wear gloss over any other lipstick if I feel like it’s too drying.

     12)          Lip Balms or Lip Butters? 

           What’s the difference? I didn’t know there’s much of a difference between the  two L Can you please tell me?

13)          OPI or China Glaze?

            I haven’t used either. Bad beauty blogger! I’m probably like a shame to all the lovely beauty bloggers out there that just read my statement and facepalmed themselves. But let me tell you about Maybelline’s nail paints! Okay I’ll probably do a post about them later.

14)      Long or Short Nails?

  Short. While long nails provide a lot of surface to get creative I feel like mine are long enough for that even when theyre short.

15)       Acrylic or Natural?

     Natural

        

16)        Brights or Darks?

      Brights! :D Definitely brights.

17)         Flower or no Flower?

      Depends on my mood. I’m weird about nails sometimes. I may love flowers and sparkles one day but hate them the next.

18)        Glitter or no Glitter?

      Like I said, it depends on my mood and the day. But glitter, although pretty, is such a task to get off!

Phew! That's a long post. Finally I would like to tag a few of my fellow beauty bloggers.

Anoushka Loves

ZoeGeorgina

Emma Alexandra

However, feel free to do this tag even if I haven't tagged you and leave me a link to your tag post in the comments below!

I hope this post helped you guys get to know me better. Tell me if you like this post and we leave any other post ideas that you would like me to write in the comments. 

Tanaya <3