Huda Beauty Liquid Mattes Review, Swatches: Icon, Trendsetter, Trophy Wife

Huda Beauty Liquid Mattes Review, Swatches: Icon, Trendsetter, Trophy Wife

Swatches Cosmetopia Digest   Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Having used more than 40 DIFFERENT brands of long-wearing liquid lipsticks - epic post on these coming up - I can tell you the Huda Beauty Liquid Lip Mattes are the kindest, least drying, lightest, and runniest. They are as pigmented and opaque as can be. They smell tropical and fresh without being overpowering.
Huda Kattan is Dubai's most successful beauty blogger. Her products always sell out in Sephora Dubai outlets - I ought to know, having been embroiled in a race for them more than once and come off worst.
Huda's Liquid Matte lipsticks come in 16 shades, from pale neutrals to 1990s browns and brights, deeps and vampy shades. These come with matching "lip contour" pencils - I haven't bought these yet because I'm one of those disorganised people who misplaces lip pencils (and tweezers and hair brushes) all the time and would have to spend half my life searching. 

Scroll down for the review of the Huda Beauty Liquid Matte Lipsticks.

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Holiday 2016: Selfridges Beauty Advent Calendar Contents - Ships Worldwide

Holiday 2016: Selfridges Beauty Advent Calendar Contents - Ships Worldwide

Selfridges Cosmetopia Digest   Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Selfridges makes one of the best beauty advent calendars each year. No, not their regular luxury calendar, which has only L'Oreal-owned brands such as Lancome, YSL, Viktor & Rolf, Urban Decay, and Kiehl's. This is their less expensive "Beauty Workshop" Advent Calendar, with a mixture of brands and sizes. This year, they've dropped the word "workshop" and rebranded it as the Selfridges Beauty Advent Calendar - and the 2016 luxury calendar is known as "Eclectic Little Luxuries".
You get 24 products inside, with a total worth of £230, while the calendar costs £65. As usual, this beauty ships worldwide and makes for a gorgeous treat for all us deserving ladies. Read on for the contents. Hint: plenty of makeup; several full-sizes.

Scroll down for the contents of the Selfridges Beauty Advent Calendar for Holiday 2016.

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Antonia Burrell Forest Dew Skin Conditioner Review, How To Use

Antonia Burrell Forest Dew Skin Conditioner Review, How To Use

Toner Cosmetopia Digest   Thursday, October 06, 2016

Antonia Burrell Forest Dew Skin Conditioner is versatile. It is a one-step product. It is a layer-able product. It is a moisturiser. It is a toner. It is a serum. It is an essence. It is a conditioner for the skin. What it really IS, is incredibly lush, nourishing, pampering, and gentle. Not to mention sustainably made, and cruelty-free.
Antonia Burrell, a UK-based faciallist with more than 20 years' experience, is Associate Lecturer at the London College of Fashion. Her Holistic Skincare collection is a range of multi-tasking products that are a natural blend of potent, predominantly organic, pure, bio-active plant extracts. The Forest Dew Skin Conditioner is my favourite in the range, and a part of my daily skincare routine.

Scroll down for more on the Antonia Burrell Forest Dew Skin Conditioner.

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FOTD: Wycon Olive Green Eyeshadow, Korean Cosmetics

FOTD: Wycon Olive Green Eyeshadow, Korean Cosmetics

Wycon Cosmetopia Digest   Monday, August 15, 2016

A few days ago, I received a fun Korean beauty box, which I will show you later this week. I have been playing with the contents of the box ever since. This is a makeup look I did with some of the products, supplementing whatever the box lacked with other cosmetics from my own stash.

Scroll down for a full-face makeup look using olive green eyeshadow, Etude House BB Cream and other Korean cosmetics.

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Best Beauty Boxes for Summer 2016

Best Beauty Boxes for Summer 2016

Vegan Cuts Cosmetopia Digest   Monday, July 04, 2016

Hold your breath. There are several makeup-only beauty boxes out this month, containing full-sized products for the Summer - they all ship worldwide.
Some of the brands in these boxes include Benefit, Anastasia Beverley Hills, Makeup Geek, Pacifica, and.... no, read on and see for yourself.

Scroll down to check out the best beauty boxes for Summer 2016. 

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Human+Kind Skincare: Body Lotion, Cleansing Cloths, Hand and Foot Cream

Human+Kind Skincare: Body Lotion, Cleansing Cloths, Hand and Foot Cream

Skin care Cosmetopia Digest   Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Last Summer, I discovered a skincare brand while travelling in Europe. Irish brand Human+Kind is natural and free of chemicals, petrochemicals, parabens, colourants and additives. Their tagline is "skincare with a conscience" and they claim to avoid the nasties in their products. A number of their products are multitaskers. For instance, their Family Remedy Cream addresses eight skin concerns.
The packaging is vibrant and attractive. They had quite a lot of skincare, but being paranoid about breakouts, I picked up just three mostly bath and body products - the body lotion, the Elbow+Foot+Hand Cream and Cleansing Cloths.

Scroll down for a look at the Human+Kind Skincare range.

Mad Beauty Vintage Kellogg's Nail and Lip Care Products

Mad Beauty Vintage Kellogg's Nail and Lip Care Products

Skin care Cosmetopia Digest   Saturday, February 06, 2016

Mad Beauty is a UK-based brand that specialises in making cosmetics fun. They have the cutest foot files, glosses, makeup brushes, pretty nail polishes, bags, lip balms, bath and body products and nail art supplies. Whatever I have tried so far is good quality, and the prices are reasonable.
I picked up a few of their products from Notting Hill way back last July, and thought I would show you their Kellogg's range first.

The Mad Beauty Kellogg's range displays a series of vintage Kellogg's advertisements.

Bath & Unwind At Home With Tess Daly Beauty Bag: A Great Last-Minute Christmas Gift

Bath & Unwind At Home With Tess Daly Beauty Bag: A Great Last-Minute Christmas Gift

Unboxing Cosmetopia Digest   Friday, December 18, 2015

Bath & Unwind, a beauty retailer that ships worldwide, often teams up with At Home Magazine in the UK to put together exclusive beauty bags. Their Christmas edition was launched recently. Products inside are worth more than £100 but the bag is available here for £29.99 when you use code BAUBAG while checking out.
This year's bag contains full-sized and sample sized products. As Bath & Unwind is primarily a bath and body product retailer, you cannot expect much makeup. On the other hand, they send out mid- to higher-end brands such as Nuxe, Alpha H, Arran Aromatics and so on.

Scroll down for the contents of the Bath & Unwind At Home With Tess Daly Beauty Bag for December 2015.

QVC Beauty Advent Calendar 2015 Review

QVC Beauty Advent Calendar 2015 Review

Unboxing Cosmetopia Digest   Tuesday, December 01, 2015

If you have a bit of change to spare after your Cyber Monday shopping, why not indulge in or treat a friend to the QVC Beauty Advent Calendar?
The QVC Advent Calendar for 2015 was launched last month for $96.75. I was thrilled to receive it as a surprise present from my swap-partner Casey, who actually splurged on Priority Post so I would get it before Advent. It contains 24 beauty products from various brands including IT Cosmetics, Josie Maran, Mally Beauty and so on.
Since Advent begins tomorrow, there is no need to justify my refusal to wait - I have the whole thing unboxed here. DO NOT READ IF YOU DO NOT WANT SPOILERS.

Scroll down for the review and contents of the QVC Beauty Advent Calendar for 2015.

Best October 2015 Beauty Boxes That Ship Worldwide

Best October 2015 Beauty Boxes That Ship Worldwide

Shopping Cosmetopia Digest   Sunday, October 25, 2015

This October, treat yourself or someone special to a nice early Holiday present - a beauty box packed with goodies. Or, even better, a trio of beauty boxes that will arrive every month from now until Christmas. Or, if you like a bigger beauty fix, why not order an Advent Calendar where you can get a surprise every day for 24 days in December? From the UK to Israel and Korea, here are the top beauty box buys this month.

Scroll down for the lowdown on the best October 2015 beauty boxes that ship worldwide and where to buy them.

Glam Guru Israel Beauty Box for Holiday 2015 Review

Glam Guru Israel Beauty Box for Holiday 2015 Review

Unboxing Cosmetopia Digest   Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Last month, I told you I was awaiting the latest Glam Guru Beauty Box, released for the Jewish New Year - here it is!
For latecomers, Glam Guru is a seasonal Israeli beauty box I first discovered back in 2013, when this blog was at a nascent stage. They ship worldwide tracked from Israel. They release customisable boxes packed with goodies. You can check out all my Glam Guru unboxings here. Incidentally, it is the only beauty box from which I have repurchased products immediately.
The good thing about getting beauty boxes from around the world is that you stand to discover local goodies from several regions. And, believe me, there are some beauty treasures in Israel that my skin just loves.
The new Glam Guru boxes are customised according to your beauty profile. The box design is beautiful; bridal, even - look! 

Scroll down for my review and unboxing of the Glam Guru Israel Beauty Box for Holiday 2015.

Look Good Feel Better Makeup Brushes

Look Good Feel Better Makeup Brushes

Tools Cosmetopia Digest   Thursday, October 15, 2015

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. Although spared (thus far) dealing with breast cancer in particular, my Gramps - known as the "godfather" of the shipping industry in my city - was diagnosed with cancer last year so I know at first-hand the turmoil the disease, its diagnosis and treatment can cause in the lives of the patient and their family.
Look Good Feel Better is an organisation that supports women and teens who are struggling with visible side-effects of cancer treatment. Some of these side-effects can be damaging to self-esteem and confidence and I know some extrovert ladies who completely stopped venturing out after they started chemo. The organisation provides free hair, skincare and makeup services and workshops to women and teens, and thereby gives them a sense of normalcy. When I found Look Good Feel Better makeup brushes on FeelUnique, I bought some at once.

Scroll down for my thoughts on the Look Good Feel Better Makeup Brushes.

Kiko Milano Color Fever Eyeshadow Palette 101 Coral Burgundy Swatches, Review, EOTD

Kiko Milano Color Fever Eyeshadow Palette 101 Coral Burgundy Swatches, Review, EOTD

Swatches Cosmetopia Digest   Thursday, October 01, 2015

If Kiko Milano is selling near you, spending an hour or more browsing their products is the perfect treat for yourself! I discovered this brand in Rome this July, and am obsessed with their products, especially the eyeshadows and the lipsticks. Super pigmentation, little fallout, great wearing time. Now you know everything and don't even have to scroll down.
Unless you want to see more photos, swatches and an eye makeup look and read more praise.

Scroll down for the review and swatches of the Kiko Milano Color Fever Baked Eyeshadow Palette 101 - Coral Burgundy - and an eye makeup look I did with the shades.

Holika Holika Dessert Time Lip Balm Set Review

Holika Holika Dessert Time Lip Balm Set Review

Skin care Cosmetopia Digest   Tuesday, September 29, 2015

If there was a contest for the cutest packaging ever, the Holika Holika Dessert Time Lip Balms would win hands down. LOOK at the photos. Cupcakes!
Does the packaging make you feel hungry? All of these smell as good as they look! I got one in a Memebox last year and ended up buying the whole set from W2Beauty - they ship worldwide with tracking for a mere $2.50.

Holika Holika is one of those cult Korean beauty brands whose packaging takes cuteness to a whole new level. These lip balms have held the pride of place atop my vanity ever since I bought them.

Scroll down for my thoughts on the Holika Holika Dessert Time Lip Balms.

Royal Collection White Hyacinth skincare from Buckingham Palace

Royal Collection White Hyacinth skincare from Buckingham Palace

Soaps Cosmetopia Digest   Wednesday, August 12, 2015

I first saw the Royal Collection's Buckingham Palace bath and body products in Harrod's. Speaking of Harrod's, the character of the store has changed drastically since my previous visit, but I will not digress now.
The collection includes hand creams, body lotions, bath oils, soaps, shower gels and colognes in three fragrances - "Queen Victoria's English Lavender", English Rose and White Hyacinth. As though the Royal Collection did not already include a massive array of (rather overpriced) tat (pencils with plastic crowns on top; bookmarks shaped like Henry VIII), souvenirs, china, towels and replica jewellery.
I decided to buy two products as keepsakes, more for the glass jar and the box, and out of curiosity, than to support the Royal Collection Trust.

Scroll down for more about the Royal Collection Buckingham Palace White Hyacinth Hand Cream and Soap.

Beauty products used up in June/July 2015

Beauty products used up in June/July 2015

Sunscreen Cosmetopia Digest   Monday, August 03, 2015

Because I was travelling for the major part of the last two months, I decided to combine my empties. Also, I had to photograph products in batches, because there was no way of saving them or bringing them back home and wasting precious luggage space.

I have divided this month's empties into three parts, depending on what products finished at the same time. Some of these products were purchased from Europe and the UK while I had packed the others. Check out what I had packed here. During my trip, I discovered some amazing European brands, and the best conditioner ever - and sadly may never see it again. You will find the sorry tale further below.

Check out the beauty products I used up in June and July 2015 and my quick thoughts on each.

Bath & Unwind Beauty Box Vol. 1

Bath & Unwind Beauty Box Vol. 1

Skin care Cosmetopia Digest   Friday, July 31, 2015

One of my favourite websites for skincare products is UK-based Bath & Unwind - they ship worldwide tracked for free, and have some hard-to-find brands apart from the usual suspects.
I was thrilled to receive an email saying they were coming out with beauty boxes - the first one was offered as a gift with purchase if you shopped for £50, with code BAUBOX. The products in the beauty box were revealed beforehand, and I knew I wanted everything. I picked up some First Aid Beauty and Korres products until my bill ran to £80, and got the box absolutely free!
The box as such is not much to write home about; it is just a brown cardboard box. But the contents, despite being skincare-only, have had me more excited about a beauty box than I have been in a long time (apart from the time I got Too Faced Melted in an Ipsy bag).

Check out the contents of the first Bath & Unwind beauty box below.

Wimbledon Essentials skincare by Arran Aromatics

Wimbledon Essentials skincare by Arran Aromatics

Travel Cosmetopia Digest   Thursday, July 23, 2015

Wimbledon was over last week but these Wimbledon-themed skincare products will be needed all year long.

What has Wimbledon got to do with beauty, you ask - apart from the lovely players and the celebrities watching them? You can now buy Wimbledon-themed beauty products, that's what!
I was on my second-ever visit to Wimbledon this Summer (Met Serena Williams, Andy Murray and Marin Cilic this time) when I saw the Wimbledon Essentials set in the gift shop. They also had a set of soaps.
This set is made by Arran Aromatics, a company based in the scenic Isle of Arran, Scotland. Apparently, the company is one of the biggest employers on the island. Arran Aromatics was founded by a couple named Russell (in their kitchen) in 1989, and they only use ingredients that are sourced locally.

More about the Wimbledon Essentials skincare set by Arran Aromatics below. 

Mikyajy Coffee Eyes eyeshadow palette swatch, review

Mikyajy Coffee Eyes eyeshadow palette swatch, review

Swatches Cosmetopia Digest   Friday, September 12, 2014

One of the things I love about travelling to different countries is being able to discover makeup brands which are specific to that region and unavailable elsewhere. Last year, I discovered Middle Eastern makeup brand Mikyajy on a trip to Qatar and fell in love with their products. Their Sabaya lipsticks are incredibly long-staying, as you can see from my review here.
I picked up a very cute eyeshadow palette recently, called Coffee Eyes. As you can guess, it is a neutral palette. Coffee Eyes is part of a series of eyeshadow palettes - the others in the series are Starry Eyes and Sunny Eyes.

Read on for my review and swatches of the Mikyajy Coffee Eyes eyeshadow palette.

Teeez Trendy Mascara Midnight Sky review, swatch

Teeez Trendy Mascara Midnight Sky review, swatch

Teeez Cosmetopia Digest   Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Today is a very special day - my beloved "Gramps" and Gran celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary! It means all the more because last year, he was diagnosed with malignancy. So I am having a blast celebrating with them.
Teeez Trendy Cosmetics is one new brand I discovered and fell in love with in 2014. Although the year is not over, I doubt I will be this wowed by another brand-discovery. Teeez first came in my Lip Factory beauty box, with an eyeshadow and an eyeliner. This was followed by a mascara and a lipstick, and I decided to order more. But I will show off those lipsticks shamelessly later.
Teeez is Dutch-based, paraben-free, cruelty-free and animal derivative-free and packed in jawdroppingly beautiful cases and external boxes.

Here is my review  of the Teeez Trendy Cosmetics Desert Metals Mascara in Midnight Sky.