Thursday, May 28, 2015

Part 2: Summer Essentials - MakeUp


Hi Beauties :)

I'm back with Part 2 of my 3 Part Summer Essentials Post. Before I continue with the post, I wanted to Thank you all for your supportive comments via Intstagram (@MakeupByMahaMatar) and e-mail (MakeUpByMahaMatar@gmail.com). It means a lot to me and encourages me to keep going. This blogging business is so very new to me and I'm learning so much along the way,  so THANK YOU :)



Makeup Products



1. Clinique Perfectly Real Makeup

If you read my last post  ( of course you did!!) you know that I love my BB creams for Summer time, but there will be days when I want or need a little bit more coverage so I reach for my Clinique Perfectly Real Makeup foundation! This stuff is so lightweight and feels like I have nothing on. It covers beautifully, has a very natural looking finish and comes in 17 shades so your bound to find a perfect match. My only suggestion when wearing this foundation is to lightly powder over it to make it last all day. 

2. Rimmel London Natural-bronzer

On one of my frequent trips to the local drugstore I was lured into the cosmetics aisle by a well lit and beautifully placed display (darn displays get me every time!!). To my surprise it was a Rimmel display and the bronzer's were the first thing I noticed. I wasn't in need of a new bronzer but thought for $6.00 why not, and added it to my shopping cart. I have always been loyal to  this bronzer but I have to say the Rimmel bronzer has become a favourite in my makeup routine. I picked up Sun Bronze ( I have olive skin tone).  It has a slight shimmer but nothing too crazy and the texture is very soft. It's easy to apply and feels good on my skin. It gives me that sun kissed glow and the small amount of shimmer that this bronzer contains is a very nice touch! I wear it on my cheeks and around my hairline. Again, there is a slight shimmer with this bronzer so if you contour with your bronzer,  I wouldn't recommend using this bronzer for contouring. It is best if you purchase a full Matte bronzer. Oh yeah it also contains SPF!

(Just a tip....your bronzer should be 1 to 2 shades darker than your natural skin tone).


I have to say NARS is one of my favourite cosmetics brand.From their creamy under eye concealer to their lip glosses they can do no wrong. This blush is no exception. It's a winner! It truly suits every skin tone and looks good on everyone. It gives you that hint of a natural flush making it ideal for everyday use. It can be layered with other blushes for an intensified look if your going out on the town. To be honest , I love this blush for all seasons not just Summer!

In the Summer I tend to not wear lipstick , except for weddings or a night out with the hubby. I feel more" Summer ready " with a nice gloss on my lips like the NYX extreme lip creams . These creams have taken on a life of their own. Everyone that uses them raves about them, including me!  The colour payoff of these glosses is phenomenal. NYX calls these lip creams a  "hybrid of lipstick and lip gloss with intense pigmentation all-in-one". I couldn't agree more. They are highly pigmented, silky , long wearing for a lip cream/gloss and are easy to apply. But I have to say the  biggest bonus of all is that they are extremely affordable. I believe in Canada they sell for $4.99. That's a great deal for the quality of these products. In Ottawa, you can buy these lip creams and other NYX products at Rexall or at www.nyxcosmetics.com. My favourite are Dolly Girl and Natural. 

5. SEPHORA COLLECTION Mixed Metals Baked Eye and Face Palette

This  9 shadows in this metallic palette can be worn wet or dry. There are 2 blushes  as well as a highlighter. You can layer the shadows if you want an intense look or keep it simple with one colour on the lid.  Copper and Shale are such unique colours and  I love pairing them together!This palette is easy to carry around and so versatile. I definitley have gotten good use out of it so far. I can't forget to mention what a good value this palette is. Definitly worth having in your Summer makeup collection

6. EOS Organic Lipbalm

Who hasn't heard or tried EOS organic Lipbalm ? These cute sphere ( or egg heads, as my daughter likes to call them) shaped balms are definitely a big hit with anyone that likes to have silky smooth lips.  According to the company these lip balms are "95% organic, 100% natural, paraben and petrolatum free". They lock in moisture and contain Shea butter. I use these babies all year round. I have them everywhere;  at the office, in the car, in my purse, in my gym bag........everywhere!! They are perfect for carrying around in my cross body and whenever my lips are feeling dry, these egg heads save the day!

Thank you Beauties for checking out my post. 

Part 3 coming soon!

Check me out on instagram @MakeUpByMahaMatar



Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Part 1 : Summer Essentials - Skin Care Products

Hi Beauties :)

So I couldn't decide what to write about for my first post!! Yes you read that right, this is my FIRST post on my blog and I'm so excited!! This blog has been a vision of mine for a very long time, but always found excuses to put it on the bottom of my TO DO list! Well this year I tossed that list out and made a new one......TO DO list for 2015..... get this darn blog up and running  :)

HERE WE GO...........



Summer is just around the corner and I need to get my essential Summer products ready!!  I thought, why not share my list with ya all!  Instead of doing a long blog post, I wanted to break it down to 3 parts -  Skin Care - Makeup and Clothing /Accessories-.

First Image is Summer skin care essentials that I constantly use and repurchase . The second image are Summer skin care essentials that I had heard so much about from other bloggers / friends and I wanted to find out what all the hype was about. Let's just say I've been missin' out on some awesome products.

Keep reading to find out if you've been missin' out too!





Skin Care Products







I have been using Paula's Choice products for years now and I love them all,  especially the Daily Defense Moisturiser. It's my every day moisturiser. It contains SPF 25 with protects your skin from sun damage. It's lightweight and is loaded with Anti-Oxidants , so not only is it protecting your skin from sun damage, it's also protecting your skin from other environmental stress factors. It's lightweight and is best used if you have normal to dry skin. I would stay away from it if you tend to have oily skin.

2.  Clarins Sunscreen for Face  SPF 50+

I can't stress enough how important it is to wear sunscreen!!! I have sunscreen in my moisturisers , my makeup and I also wear added sunscreen protection in the form of Clarins 50+ Cream.  This sunscreen is creamy and spreads really easily. It's also provides broad-spectrum sun protection ( think anti-aging) and  works well for all skin types. This is the best, I would even say I found my HG of sunscreens!

3. L'Oreal Sublime GLOW

This product is unique in 2 ways . 1st way is because many people think of it as a full fledged tanning lotion... but it's not. It's supposed to be used everyday to give your skin gradual colour.  Sublime glow is a daily moisturiser to be used all over your skin, it's enriched with mango butter , sweet almond oil and vitamin E. These ingredients condition and hydrate the skin. These ingredients work with you skins chemistry to give it a natural deeper tone and glow.The longer you use it, the more it enhances your natural skin tone. Don't go thinking that your Snow White skin will look like supermodel IMANs' skin after 2 weeks of use...it won't!  It will , however , give you a nice gradual colour and glow :) 2nd reason this product is unique , is because it's extremely hard to find it in Canada. Actually before Target closed down in Canada, that was the only place left where I could buy it. No other pharmacy that I have seen in Ontario sells it :( When I travel to the Red, White, and Blue I stock up! I am not sure if L'Oreal is replacing this product therefore not restocking the shelves but if you do get your hands on it, give it a go.....you won't be disappointed. If you want a similar product I would try This! I like This product and it does a good job.

4. Avène Thermal Spring Water

This is one of those versatile products that I love and you truly get your moneys' worth. I use it to freshen up after a work out - a little spritz on the face and you look fresh and along with that natural work out flush , you have a nice glow. I, and many other makeup artists,  use it to set makeup. I've used it on clients and they love it. I've used it after shaving to calm any redness I may experience on my legs and underarms. After long flights, I use it to freshen up my skin so I don't look tired. I know some ladies that have super sensitive skin use this product to calm their skin if they have been in the sun too long...as it's used to calm and hydrate the skin quickly.  Love it! Love it! Highly recommend it for the upcoming Summer! If you can't find this product at your local drugstore or department store you can try This .


 Skin Care Products





1. Tarte Amazon Clay BB Tinted Moisturiser

Tarte is an amazing brand. I would say I love 80% of their products and this one is at the top of my list. It's a BB cream so it falls into skin care category but because it adds a bit of colour to your face it also can be considered makeup.  For those new to BB creams, it's a moisturiser that hydrates, primes, protects, and camouflages your skin. Simply put it's a foundation and moisturiser in one! Being a busy mom with 3 kids and a full time job I never  sometimes don't have the time for my usual skincare/makeup routine ( post coming soon!!!) so I depend on BB creams to hydrate my skin and give me a bit of  coverage and colour. If you are a full coverage kind of gal, this won't work for you. This is a lightweight oil free moisturiser ( think Summer heat!!) so it won't clog your pores. I love that it also contains SPF. I first used this product when I took the kiddies out for a picnic. I was really impressed by the longevity of it and how it gave my skin even coverage. I don't need to wear full coverage foundation but I still need a bit of coverage , so BB creams are life savers to me. The price point on the Tarte BB cream can be a bit steep so if your looking for an alternate BB cream, try my other favourites , Here and Here

2. Maybelline Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser

I never wear foundation without a primer,  NEVER EVER EVER. I'm extremely loyal to my Benefit
The POREfessional primer on myself and my clients until......I ran out and needed primer for a client. I couldn't' make it to Sephora so I ran to my local drugstore and grabbed  the Maybelline Baby Skin. Wow ! I was blown away. It's really silky and it definitely blurs the pores away giving you smooth skin. Plus you can't complain about the price! I still love my Benefit The POREfessional primer but in the summertime I'll defiantly be switching to Maybelline Baby Skin Instant Eraser.


Am I the only person in the beauty world that never tried these wipes before 2015? I just never knew they existed. I know, I know, what kind of makeup artist am I!!!! I honesty have been loyal to the Kirkland brand makeup remover wipes. I was stole from my sisters room gifted the MAC makeup remover wipes and I never looked back at my Kirkland brand. According to M.A.C, these wipes are
"Over sized, luxurious, super-saturated with special M·A·C cleanser infused with protective vitamin E. Hydrates and nourishes highly efficiently. Extremely refreshing. Totally addictive. Slickly packed, re-sealable, ready to go!.." and I AGREE!!! LOVE THEM! One swipe and the makeup is off. They ARE over sized and do not tear if your a bit rough with your face taking the makeup off. You don't have to wait for Summer time to use these babies, use them all year round! 


Where have you been all my life! If you know me you know I love a good body scrub. I use my Clarasonic religiously in the shower for all over body cleansing and I never found a great body scrub, until I was gifted,  I didn't steal it from my sister, the BLISS Lemon- Sage Body Scrub. I LOVE the smell. It wakes me up in the morning. You're supposed to use this as a pre-shower scrub , meaning you can use it dry on your skin but I don't like the way that feels so I use it with water. It exfoliates really well due to the small scrubbing beads. I like to exfoliate ( so important ) my body at least twice a week to promote new skin cell growth and ensure there isn't dead cell build up on my skin! It's time for me to repurchase this product , but I was a bit hesitant due to it's price point, however,  I really love how my skin feels after I use it so I will buy it again as a treat for myself, but if you are being economically conscious these days, try THIS

I hope you've enjoyed my very FIRST post! Stay Tuned for Part 2 : Summer  Essentials : Makeup

Please leave me a comment if there are any products or beauty topics you would like me to blog about. 

Don't forget to check me out and follow me on Instagram : @MakeupbyMahaMatar 






MAHA

Hi

So here I am, in front of my iMAC, finally ready to contribute and experience the blogging world!! Let me tell you a bit about myself. My name is Maha Matar, born in Beirut, Lebanon and currently residing in Ottawa, Canada. I'm a mom to 3 amazing kids and a wife to , I would say, the best looking man around  :). I'm a  freelance makeup artist with a full time career ( not makeup related.....*sigh*) . I'm obsessed with makeup, coffee and stationary !








 
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