One of the biggest aspects of make up is taking it off, caring for your face before and after is very important. Everyone handles make up on their face differently, some people don’t get break outs immediately, some people don’t have dry skin, some people have really oily skin, or maybe very acne-prone skin.

Being able to care for your skin before putting on make up, or right after you take it off is very important. It makes for better make up application, and it makes for a cleaner, healthier skin with a better glow - after all, make up is supposed to be fun, and having problematic skin underneath all that skin is not fun and that’s where a lot of people, I’ve been noticing, lack.

It’s really important to always keep your skin type and preferences in mind - this is something I constantly repeat: always experiment. A ground-breaking moisturiser, cream or face wash might work for seemingly everyone around you, but it might just not work for you. Always try and test it out, don’t buy on a whim or just ‘cause you trust what your friend said, it all starts with educated guesses and a lot of time spent at the moisturisers aisle but it really depends on experimentation and finding what suits you the most.

PRE-MAKE UP ROUTINE:

Having a pre-make up routine is super important, almost as important as the post-make up routine. Having a clean, moisturised base is very important.

Wash-up: Before you start your make up, you need to make sure your face is oil-free and clean, this is especially important if you’ve just woken up and your skin is oily - this is a problem most people live, your skin releases a lot of sebum during the night because it either feels the skin is too dry, or because the skin is generally oily and just wants to ruin your life - so many reasons. I’m generally a fan of Clean & Clear and Neutrogena products, and use the Clean & Clear Advantage Fast Action Daily Wash

It leaves my skin feeling slightly dry, but I don’t mind that because of the step that comes right after it. I also sometimes switch between that and another Clean & Clear product: The Deep Action Refreshing Gel Cleanser - sadly I can’t find a picture of it. It feels less dry afterwards, but really I don’t have a preference, I just switch between them.

Moisturise: This is super important for every one. No matter how much water you drink, your skin is going to need specific care. After all, the water you intake reaches your skin LAST. You need direct hydration on your skin, and the first place that suffers with dehydration is your face and neck. The skin there is much more sensitive, in comparison to the skin on the rest of your body. I’ve been switching through a few moisturisers for the past few years as I’m not convinced I’m getting the best hydration out of the products I’ve been using so far. As of now I’m enjoying Himalaya’s Oil-Free Radiance Gel Cream

I’m not necessarily a fan of Himalaya, I’ve had weird experiences with their products, not that they’ve done anything bad to my skin, it’s just that it literally did nothing to my skin. However, so far it seems to be good, I’ve been using it religiously for the past 2 weeks now. I have an extreme version of combination skin, more oily than dry but when it’ dry: IT’S REALLY DRY. I want a moisturiser that’s intense enough to take the dryness away, but doesn’t leave me feeling sticky and more oily than I started with. If you’re not going to wear make up, keep applying your moisturiser, it’s always really refreshing for your skin, and after persistent use you will really feel the benefits. Never forget to give your skin as much time as possible to absorb the moisturiser before starting your makeup application.

Sun screen: This is really important, especially here in the UAE where the sun is always blaring. You might want to skip sun screen if you’re going to do a photoshoot or if there’s pictures involved with flash, because sun screen really reflects the light and you look lighter where you applied the sunscreen and you also look cakey in the face. I’ve tried many sun screens out there and they’re always thick and white and sticky and yucky and you regret your life over ten times for wearing something that could be so beneficial - that is until I found the holy grail... The Ultra Sheer® Dry-Touch Sunscreen by Neutrogena.

The smaller the SPF number, the creamier it is, but either way they’re both really creamy, light and really appropriate for under-makeup use. I have both the SPF 45 and SPF 70, the rules of which SPF to use can be found here, I really recommend you read it, I feel like it’s very important for everyone to use. I sometimes skip the sun screen on a very humid day, or when I’m using a BB cream with a built-in sun screen because it can get very cakey and your skin wil get really oily on really humid, hot days - but usually on those days I spend my time indoors. Skin cancer is way too real, you guys, I really really recommend religiously using sun screen. Especially when you’re not wearing make up, there’s less of a barrier and you can keep re-applying.

POST-MAKE UP ROUTINE:

Putting on make up is just as fun as taking it off. It’s sad taking off your work of art, but oh God it feels so good!

Make up remover: YOU CAN SKIP THIS STEP ENTIRELY, but when I have a lot of mascara, eyeliner and other waterproof make up on my face and eyes, I first wipe off my make up either with Micellar water, or with an oil-based make up remover. My favourites are: Bioderma’s Sensibio H2O micelle solution

and Nivea’s Double Effect Eye Make up remover

Some water-proof make up will not be removed with make up removers or soaps that are oil-free, you need an oil base for the make up to get removed, because that’s the medium they break down in. Of course, when something is water-proof it doesn’t mean it’s everything-proof, or else you’ll find yourself dipping your face in acid to remove anything.

Scrub: I highly do not recommend scrubbing your face with a light scrub more than once in a 24 hour period, but to remove your make up thoroughly and to get that beneficial daily scrub - I do wish you’d do this on the daily. Some days you might want to skip this, sometimes I skip this step entirely for a week and instead use a soapy make up remover and do a serious, more intense scrub one day of the week. Of course if you’re going to do this on a daily, find a daily scrub, those are lighter and more gentle on the skin. I use the Oil-free Acne Wash Foaming Scrub by Neutrogena

When you’re done, you’re bound to have a little make up still running from your eyes, it’s only natural because eye make up like eyeliners, and mascara and certain glitter glues are stubborn - you might want to skip to just wiping your the excess residue with a wet wipe, or wash your face again with another product - this really depends on how much you know your skin can handle and how problematic (or not) your skin is and of course, the time and effort you’re willing to put in.

I, for one, like to wash it again with another product because I have skin that’s prone to getting acne-like bumps from clogged pores.

Wet wipes: This really doesn’t require an explanation, I really recommend using Johnson & Johnson’s Face Care Daily Essentials make up remover wipes, and the beauty of it is there’s different types for different types of skins.

Face wash: If I skip the scrub entirely, or if I want to continue caring for my face, I recommend using a face wash that isn’t specifically a make up remover, but specifically for your skin type, for example if you’re acne-prone then a specific wash for that, or if you have oily skin, or dry skin or whatever.. Use a product specific for your skin or problem. Since I have acne-prone skin and a horrible habit of picking them, I try the worlds over to make sure I don’t even get one. I use the Acne Clear Even Tone Multi-action Facial Foam by Pond’s  

Moisturise: Moisturising is sooooo important, so again, we resort back to moisturising after all that washing we did. You might use your ordinary hydrating moisturiser, or you can use a night-cream if this it’s time for sleep. You have to keep in mind that all the fancy creams for skin rejuvenation and wrinkles and all that is great to use now. The point isn’t to use them when you’re older, but before you start actually getting problems. You can read more here.

All in all, it’s really important to care for your face and always moisturise, and have a clean base for your face before and after your make up.

For more information, feed back or comments, do send me a message.

In the past year or so, NYX has definitely upped it’s quality of products. They previously only used to be known for their Soft Matte Lip Creams, generally speaking - but ever since mid-2014 when the brand was sold to L’oreal, the brand really took off & my God! I’m absolutely loving it. 

Recently, I went for a massive NYX haul and I realised truly that this brand is the most professional makeup you can buy with the “drug store” label. Especially here in the UAE, it’s a really cheap alternate to Sephora’s brands, and they provide one-too-many dupes to high-end products. 

- Pore Filler Does what it says: it fills your pores. Unlike other primers and pore minimisers I’ve seen out there, this actually works, and doesn’t just “sit” on top of your skin - which is what all silicone-based products do. This product is, in my opinion, a dupe for Benefit’s POREfessional Primer. It has a slight tint that helps fill in your pores with colour, and not just fill it in with a clear layer of silicone, which makes it great to wear alone (like the label says), or underneath your make up. Best advised method of application is to tap in the product and leave blending with your finger until the end. 

- Matte Finish Setting Spray This setting spray actually.. sets! I wouldn’t say it’s a dupe for a particular product, but it actually works rather than just misting your face with a random chemical, it also doesn’t dry it out too much, which is what I’ve noticed with certain brands, and it does mattify your make up, if you’re feeling too dewy. They also offer a dewy finish, that I haven’t yet tried mainly because my skin is very oily, and I do not want to add to that any more than my skin already produces. The beauty of setting sprays is that it can be used in many ways: you can use it on your beauty blender to help set whatever you’re applying while you blend, you can apply it to your brushes when you want to apply anything liquid for the same setting effect, and also when you want to apply eyeshadow, or even powder highlight, it’ll help pick up more product and stick it better on your skin. (Although it’s highly not recommended for powder foundations, or blushes)

- Dark-circle Concealer This one is GREAT! These concealers come in salmon-y shades, and the darker ones have a tint of orange. These help greatly with dark circles when it comes to colour correcting. They’re not too thick, as you’d expect a concealer in a pot to be. To me, they’re the perfect consistency. I use the lighter ones for a quick cover up under my eyes, and the darker ones to full-on colour correct my dark circles. What I do with the darker ones is that I apply it, blend it, and continue with my regular concealer routine. NYX does offer a life-saving “full coverage” concealer in colour-correcting shades, but sadly is not sold in the UAE - although you can buy it from an online/Instagram store I really trust called Girlie Stuffs, I really do recommend you check it out. 

- Liquid Matte Foundation Although I cannot say this was one of the best foundations for my skin type, I’d have to say it’s actually not that bad at all. This isn’t one of my recent buys but I thought I’d include it in. This is a water-based foundation, and me and water-based don’t go well together. For my skin type, silicone-based foundations are the best and other types make my foundation look cakey, as if I’ve applied a bucket load and then profusely sweated out of my cheeks - even though it’s only been half an hour since application. The foundation is slightly yellow in some tones, but it oxidises beautifully and I’ve used this product on other people with great results. As with all foundations, I’d recommend trying to get samples, and trying them out on your skin once for the amount of time you usually wear your foundation and try it out - some foundations will work wonders for you, and some will really just not do the trick. 

- Finishing Powder Another old product, but I really like it enough to want to talk about it. This is a setting powder, although white in colour, its translucent and doesn’t actually have a pigment on your skin. This is not suitable for baking, however it does set everything perfectly. In fact, I really don’t know how I went through most of my life without setting my liquid products before moving on to the powders. Again, this isn’t a dupe of a particular product, but if you really don’t care enough to bake and only care about setting your products then this is a good product for you. Cheap, effective and if I’m not mistaken, the only translucent setting powder available in “drug-store land”.

- Liquid Suede Cream Lipstick Different than their Soft Matte Lip Cream, this is their take on a liquid lipstick, although more creamy than matte, it does somewhat dry to a matte finish but it’s not smudge-free/kiss-proof, but it doesn’t crust up as much as other liquid lipsticks I’ve tried like Lime Crime’s Velvetines, or Anastasia Beverly Hill’s Liquid lipsticks. They’ve released a new line of liquid lipsticks called Lip Lingerie, which is what’s supposed to be a high-coverage, truly matte liquid lipstick. I haven’t tried it yet, since it hasn’t been released yet, but you can always order it online from Girlie Stuffs, mainly because NYX, like many other brands, does not deliver to the UAE. If you’re looking for a fairly wide array of colours, for cheap, and a liquid lipstick that’s going to last slightly longer than your average lipstick with a more matte look? I’d really recommend this. 

- Chunky Dunk This is a beautiful balm, indeed very hydrating, has a beautiful subtle colour, so in terms of colour pay-off, although it’s very light, it’s the perfect amount. If you want to hydrate your lips, look bare-lipped and have a slight tint? THIS IS WHAT YOU NEED. 

- Soft Matte Lip Cream You knew this was coming up, didn’t you? Beautiful colour pay-off, amazing consistency, matte and dry, but not too drying. It’s like liquid lipsticks really shy sister. Every colour I’ve ever tried has been nothing short of amazing, although the darker colours streak more than the lighter ones, it’s nothing a little bit of careful application can’t take care of. 

- Matte Lipstick Although I’ve never been a fan of actual lipsticks, NYX was a game changer for me - and with their really wide array of colours, you’re a 100% sure to find a dupe colour in there. It’s not too thick, the colour pay-off is amazing, and it’s definitely buildable, it doesn’t fade away like other lipsticks I’ve tried (and I’ve tried LOADS) 

So, there you go, a mega-long NYX haul. If you guys are interested in buying products that aren’t delivered here, I suggest using Girlie Stuffs if you’ve got money on your mind, or choosing FSTORE for the more high-end, exclusive products that have just come out - although these are a bit more pricey when compared to the other website. 

This is something I, myself, have wondered for a while when I first started applying make up and was overwhelmed at first with the differences in foundations. There’s coverage, finishes, bases, then you had all these different foundations that looked oddly coloured.. What’s all those and what do they do?

(Scroll down if tl;dr)

BASES: First, you need to know that there’s 3 different bases of foundations: Oil-based, water-based and silicone-based. 

The basics of it is goes like this: your skin type is going to react different to different types of foundation bases, sometimes water-based foundation works wonders with oily skin, and sometimes it doesn’t, sometimes silicon-based foundation is amazing for dry or mixed skin types, but sometimes it just doesn’t work. Since every skin type is different, there isn’t much to comment about, you need to try them out to find out which one works out best for you, and try and work your way around that. 

To find out more on how to exactly tell the difference (chemically) between those 3 bases, you can click here - this will help give you a better understanding, help you know what you’re buying, and help you know how it works. 

FINISHES: Generally speaking, there’s two finishes to a foundation: dewy, or matte. Now, they might further branch out to different types, but it generally is either matte, or not. 

Matte finishes are more suitable for oily skin, or for combination skin. Of course, you can always make a dewy foundation look matte through mattifying powders and what-not, but how it feels on your skin also matters, and so does the dryness/oiliness of your skin. For example, if you have dry skin but also have a preference for a matte finish, then it’d be a better option to invest in a dewy foundation of your choice and try and mattify it with translucent powder or mattifying setting spray. There’s no doubt that there’s plenty of foundations that could suit your skin and your preference, but like always: you have to try them out. 

Dewy-finish foundations usually have less coverage than matte-finish foundations (but not always!) and are usually appropriate for all skin types, regardless if you’re oily, dry or both. Which is why CC and BB creams come in dewy-finishes. 

The different types of finishes further branch out. For example, there’s a satin finish, where it’s matte, but has a sheen to it, or an illuminated finish, where the foundation is not so “wet” but actually shimmery. These are not so common, and usually can be placed as “sub-categories”.

COVERAGE: Coverage, in short, means how opaque/translucent the foundation is. 

Some foundations have light-medium coverage, meaning it’ll only just add a slight tint to your face (these usually include tinted moisturisers, BB creams and CC creams)

Then you have the medium-high coverage, which means it’ll more effectively cover your skin tone and only let a little bit of it shine through, it’s definitely more opaque, and will definitely cover up your imperfections (in terms of colour, of course, and not texture) These are also much thicker and heavier on the skin and wouldn’t be everyone’s choice of “every day make up”

Then you have the high coverage foundation, which is also usually labelled “HD” - meaning this is some serious professional stuff, you can zoom in on my face for days wearing this foundation and won’t be able to tell what colour my skin is underneath. This is usually no one’s preference, but more appropriate for people with serious discolouration or blotching, or for TV/Camera/etc. 

OXIDISATION: One thing a lot of people don’t take into account is that their makeup is going to oxidise on their face. After you apply your foundation, it’ll react with the air around, with the heat of your skin, and oxidise. Basically, you literally bake your makeup. This will make some foundations go from a more yellow tone, to a more natural tone, or from a perfectly natural tone, to a more grey/dirty tone. 

This is why, time and time again you hear people say: “Get samples!” because there’s just so much at risk if you blindly go and buy a foundation. 

I’ve been contemplating making a blog for so long, now. Can’t believe it’s finally here. 

I’ve seen a lot of blogs, websites, YouTube channels and Instagram accounts that offer the best make up inspiration, the best make up tutorials and everything related - but it wasn’t for me. I wanted to know how to make do with the products I have and can afford. Sure, I can splurge every now and then and own maybe 2-3 high-end products, but I’m an average girl trying to make-do with average stuff, and I know a lot of girls out there are like me. They’re also confused, and also trying to find a way to get their looks done and so.. If you can’t find one? Make one. 

Really, that’s what I want to offer right now: a source of inspiration and help with all things related to make up and beauty, but for girls like me. Especially living here in Dubai, even the cheapest drugstore products are pricey and everything isn’t really that easily available. 

Sit back, enjoy, and I hope you like what you get.