Make up monday

Lipstick Tribute

Have you ever had a make up product that is so good that you actually mourn when it becomes discontinued? No? well neither have I...

Okay, I lied. A couple of years ago I bought a drug store lipstick purely based on aesthetics. It looked so weird that I thought, I have to have it! It was translucent and neon pink with glitter particles, kind of reminded me of a lollipop, it smelled like a lollipop too and tasted like one... it was even called Pink Lollipop and was from the Maybelline New York colour sensational popsticks collection. Do you see my appeal yet?

There was something so reminiscent of my childhood that I bought it even though, I didn't think I would use it, all that much. How wrong I was. I am now sitting here with the remains of this lipstick trying to ration it among my remaining days ie the rest of my life. It saddens me to think that one day I'll have to just let it go and bin it. I've searched far and wide trying to find something similar or to find the exact same lipstick and have had no luck whatsoever.

I know you're probably thinking "well you should be glad that your lipstick has finished because it sounds horrific". Please let me explain to you the miracle that was this lipstick. It was glossy but not sticky. Moisturising but it stayed for a very long time and reapplied really well. There was no glitter when the lipstick was actually applied, just a light all over sheen to enhance my natural lip colour. I could apply this with an every day make up look or for a night out with some heavier eye make-up. This lipstick is so versatile and I feel like if it were alive that it would be my soul mate :(

You changed my life Pink Lollipop. I will forever love you...

Peace be upon you
Merutopia xo

Skincare Saturday

Dark/ puffy under-eye bags

Okay so, I KNOW that I haven't blogged in weeks but life has been so hectic! I'm not complaining though, I would rather have too much to do than not enough. Anyway so a friend requested that I write a blog on how to get rid of puffy eyes and dark circles under the eye. Its not something that I particularly suffer from so I had to do a lot of research. I can however recommend an under eye cream that I am sooo in love with.

I think its important to know why you may suffer from dark, puffy under eyes, once you know the cause its easier to tackle the issue. The main causes are:

• Lack of sleep

• Diet: too much salt causes water retention and therefore puffy eyes.

• Stress: mechanical stress such as rubbing the eyes can make the delicate skin  even thinner so that discolouration is more evident.

• Smoking/ Excessive Alcohol: we all know that these have an ageing effect on the skin as they slows down cell renewal, which can lead to under eye bags!!

• Medical condition: sinusitis and allergies can prevent the sinuses from draining efficiently and lead to fluid retention around the eyes resulting in puffy eyes.

There is ALWAYS something at home that may help in reducing those unwanted bags. Some of the home remedies are:

• Drinking lots of water: ensuring that your body is properly hydrated will mean that less water will be retained in areas such as under the eyes and therefore this will reduce puffiness.

• Stop smoking/ heavy drinking: Just stop PLEASE!

• Sleep: for at least eight hours.

• Applying Sunscreen: sunlight produces photons, photon damage can lead to decreased production of collagen which thins the skin and will cause under eyes to appear darker.

• Applying sliced potato: The starch from potatoes has anti inflammatory properties which help to reduce puffiness.

• Applying sliced cucumber: has many natural chemicals that help to brighten and tighten the skin around the eyes.

• Putting a teabag on the under-eye area: after drinking black or green tea, cool the tea bags in the fridge and apply them under the eyes. The caffeine and cool sensation help to constrict the blood vessels and make you appear more awake. Normal tea may darken the bags more though because it stains.

• Applying ice cold spoons under the eye: throw a couple of spoons in the freezer for about 10 minutes and press them gently under and around the eyes. This will constrict the blood vessels and therefore reduce dark circles. It is also known to reduce puffy eyes.  

• Putting your whole face in ice cold water: not only does this help your eyes but also minimises pores.

Eye Creams:

There are so many eye creams on the market that promise to do amazing things, but I have never been as impressed with any eye cream as much as I have been with the Benefit It's Potent Eye Cream. A little definitely goes a long way with this eye cream. A cooling sensation is felt straight after applying and under eye darkness literally disappears. I can't promise that it will do anything for puffiness but its definitely worked on any darkness that I had. I would suggest the cold spoon method, to reduce puffiness, and then use of this cream, to completely get rid of any imperfection on the eye area :))

Click HERE to see! Highly Recommended!

Hope this has helped my loves! Until next time...

Peace be upon you
Merutopia xo

Make up monday

Ben Nye Banana Powder

If there is one make-up product that is worth hyping over, it's the Ben Nye banana powder. Ever since the make up artist Mario used it in a highlighting and contouring tutorial on Kim Kardashian, it has become almost unavailable due to it's high demand. I only heard about the banana powder a few months ago, from a friend and I immediately wanted to try it so I put in my order through eBay. It is available through Amazon and eBay and some theatrical make-up stores in America.
 The powder itself is a finely milled multi-purpose luxury powder with a hint of yellow pigment that can be used to highlight areas of the face and is particularly complimentary to those who have yellow undertones. Although it is suitable for most skin tones it is not recommended for those who have a very pale complexion. The shades available are banana, beige suede, cameo and buff.
I ordered the banana shade and I was thoroughly impressed at the versatility of it. When I used it over my under eye concealer, it really helped to cancel out any remaining blue/ brown hues from under eye circles. I almost feel as though no matter what kind of under eye concealer I use, the banana powder will help to correct anything that the concealer doesn't cover properly so it compensates for a cheap concealer. It also is amazing for settling under eye concealer because it blurs fine lines and prevents the concealer from sitting in lines under your eyes. I have also used the banana powder lightly brushed all over my face after my foundation and I find that this really gives your whole face a bright glow. This also prevents the effects of your foundation oxidising throughout the day, showing up on your skin. I find that when used over foundation the banana powder helps to blur imperfections and minimises pores very similar to the effects of the benefit porefessional.

Banana Powder uses:

1. blurs imperfection
2. sets concealer
3. highlighting powder (undereyes, on top of cheekbones, around eyebrows, forehead, bridge of nose, chin, cupids bow and under the contour shade of cheekbones)
4. gives the whole face a glow
5. minimises the appearance of pores
6. mattifies without drying
7. leaves skin silky smooth
8. colour corrects under eye and other pigmentation.
9. prevents foundation from oxidising
10. sets foundation

There are many ways of using the banana powder, it can be gently dusted all over your face using a face brush to give an all over glow however, to help conceal smaller areas it can be used with a smaller applicator. Initially I used a small triangle shaped sponge to apply and blend out the banana powder, which was fine but I then started using the small foundation brush from real techniques and I find that this is quicker and gives a much better result. I just tap a small amount from the sifter jar into the lid of the container and press the foundation brush in. I then tap off any excess and apply the powder to the highlighting areas (see point 3) and gently blend it out. check out the links below to see other was of applying the banana powder:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_pULGx-xqw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aq6K-0YKI1M&list=PLFC860621E79CFDFF

The banana powder is super blendable and therefore adapts to most skin tones however if you are unsure as to whether it would be suitable for you, I recommend ordering a sample from ebay. I ordered a 1gram bag for  £1.50 and tried it on my skin before purchasing the 1.5oz pot for about £23.00. Try to read the customer feedback about the seller and the item in specifics to ensure that customers are happy with the product and it isn't a fake. Here are some links to get you started:
eBay banana powder
eBay banana powder sample
Find the best prices for banana powder

I hope you love the Ben Nye luxury banana powder as much as I do, let me know how it goes! Until next time...

Peace be upon you
Merutopia xo

Graze box~snacking reinvented

Helloooo

For months now, I've been seeing the graze box adverts on TV. Its a new way of snacking where you get random snacks delivered to your door step. To be honest, I didn't see the problem with going out and buying your own snacks. However, there is something extra special about packages being delivered to your door, I for one, like to pretend that someone sent me presents.

Anyway so, the advert was for a free graze box and I thought, why not? I went online to try and order but was hesitant when they asked for my bank details. I put off ordering for a while and it's only in Ramadan that the hunger hit me so badly that I decided to check out what graze had to offer. 

I ordered my free box about a week ago and it arrived today. Although, you can't choose what you would like your box to contain, you can choose things which you wouldn't like for example olives and bin them. I binned one meat containing product. Part of the excitement I think, is in what you will get in the box as its a total surprise, you can however, rate certain foods and tell them that you would like to try it soon.

My box contained cheddar gorge, Mississippi BBQ pistachios, Jaffa cake flapjacks and triple berry smoothie. 

Cheddar gorge: (cheese cashews, salsa corn sticks and herb crackers). This was a tub of savoury snacks which were delicious. I especially loved the crackers, they reminded me of something I must have had as a child, kind of reminiscent of Bombay mix. The corn sticks were very similar in flavour to the original flavour doritos but a tad fancier. I usually love cashew nuts but I think these cheddar cashews were washed away by the more intense flavour of the crackers and the corn sticks. Overall though, I loved this snack, I will forever crave more herb crackers (weh).

Mississippi BBQ Pistachios: (smokey BBQ pistachios) 
I have to say this snack was a bit of a miss with me. There was nothing wrong with it but there wasn't anything amazingly right about it. It was just a handful of pistachios with a hint of BBQ flavour. I expected them to be really mouthwateringly smoky and all I got was a sprinkle of flavour. Its like expecting to swim with dolphins and ending up sitting in a fish foot spa. I will however, say that, for some who don't like strong flavours, this is probably really nice as its not overpowering. I shared my graze box with my mum and she loved the pistachios. I feel like I could have just bought a bag of pistachios because the flavour was pretty much non existent. This snack in my opinion was a tad boring.


Jaffa cake flapjack: (rustic rolled oat flapjack with orange and chocolate)
I have to say that these were my absolute favourite from the box. Loved them!!! My, most loved flavour combo is chocolate orange and I love Jaffa cakes but there was something about these flapjacks that was simply out of this world. The taste of the orange isn't very strong but the flavour plays havoc with your palate. I can smell the orange more than I can taste it, simply delicious. My only complaint is that there are only three and I could probably do with about three hundred. When I ordered my box I saw these on the website and rated them, asking graze to send me these soon and if you want them in your box, make sure to ask for them! 
  
Triple berry smoothie: (1 of your 5 a day- dried strawberries, blueberries, cranberries and banana).
When I first tried this snack, I wasn't greatly impressed. I mean its just dried fruit, nothing special. I would like to add that it is very healthy and still really tasty so I'm not knocking it. Just dried fruit, nothing special however it is yummy none the less. I enjoyed the dried strawberries and definitely will  pick them up from my supermarket next time I go. I am still a huge fan of fresh fruit and will not be converting to dried fruit any time soon. I would like to add that my mum enjoyed this snack the most so maybe there's just something wrong with me?

I had the chance to cancel any further graze boxes as they cost £3.99 each but I really want to see the other snacks graze has to offer. My first box was free and my fifth box will also be free, so feeling kind of spoilt, I mean who doesn't love free food?! After trying all the snacks my favourites where the flapjacks and the cheddar gorge, but my mum loved the pistachios and the fruit. It just goes to show that graze does have something for everyone and if you don't like a particular snack you can tell graze online and so they wont send it to you again. Definitely worth a try.

If you guys would like to give it a go, you can use my voucher code to get your free graze box. It is soo easy to cancel after your first box, so you don't have to pay for anything. If you do enjoy it as much as I did you will get your fifth and tenth box for free with the others costing £3.99. Happy snacking!!

Peace be upon you

Merutopia xo

p.s for every free box you order, I'll donate £1 to charity courtesy of Graze :)

Contemporary Henna

20.35pm

Hellooo

I've always thought of henna as being too much for everyday wear. I mean, its wonderful for occasions but, lasts a couple of weeks depending on the brand used and in my opinion can look unsightly after a while. There was however, a trend for the black henna about four years ago but that has been known to cause adverse skin reactions in some people. Black henna was definitely something I would wear as opposed to the orange-stain leaving brown one, that is, if there wasn't a chance of having my limbs covered in blisters.

For the past week, I've noticed a sudden increase in more modern designs. Henna designs that are actually cool and have come a long way from my nan's design of a large blob in the middle of her hand surrounded by a many smaller blobs. These designs are actually cool. Desi Perkins (YouTube make-up guru) has recently posted a photo of her henna which, is similar to Rihanna's hand tattoo and so I think its safe to say that henna has well and truly been bought to 2014. I have also seen photos of henna in more original places such a pregnant tummies and the heads of cancer patients going through treatment which I think is adorable. Since Eid isn't too far away now, I thought I'd share some of these, more original, designs that I found so that you too can be unique and stand out from the crowd of aunties. Enjoy my loves!!

Peace be upon you

Merutopia xo

Desi Perkins' henna inspired by Rihanna

I love the asymmetry of this design, definitely gives it more of an edge.

This has a more middle-eastern tribal woman feel. 

still keeping the traditional henna design but adding a modern twist with the more angular patterns.

This is Bollywood meets English rose.

Bold and beautiful. With the flame like finger accents and the feminine daisies scattered around the edge, this is a stunning paradox

At home eyelash extensions

18.02pm

Hellooo

I have had eyelash extensions twice before, put in by my aunt at home, who had no special training. So I thought, if she can do it, I'm sure I can. I equipped myself with knowledge from YouTube and a reassuring video told me that I would definitely lose my eyesight. So with that good news, I went onto eBay and placed individual eyelashes and a random semi permanent eyelash glue into my hypothetical shopping basket.

Was I about to pay for a glue that would glue my eyes shut preventing me from seeing my future grandchildren? That very thought had sent me back online, to watch yet more home tutorials. One video suggested using an 'Ardell' branded semi permanent eyelash adhesive as it is very safe and effective. So I placed my orders and eagerly awaited their arrival. 

I sat down today in front of the window with my three times magnified mirror, sterilised tweezers, a piece of foil with a drop of glue and some individual eyelash hairs on a tissue and began the process. If you have the time and patience I would 100% recommend doing your own eyelash extensions at home. It is so much easier than it sounds, the glue does not irritate your eyes whatsoever and the end results are amazing. My sister who is usually sceptical about everything I do, was amazed and begged me to do hers too. I would especially recommend this in the summer or on holiday where you want to enjoy the sun and not wear much make-up. 

Purchased items:

• 4 x Wonder lash faux mink semi permanent individual eyelash extensions  from eBay £4.99 each (but I got one for free). The people I bought mine from had a "buy three get one free offer" so I got one pot for free. These four pots will last me for years, I bought two C shape pots in 10 and 12mm and two B shape pots in 10 and 12mm (the supplier makes choosing your lashes easy so do not worry if it sounds complicated here).
• 1 x Ardell LashTite individual eyelash adhesive semi permanent (in clear rather than black) £3.85. This will also last you a very long time as I used only 4 drops for both eyes. 

Method: 

• You'll need some cotton buds and Vaseline to coat your bottom eyelashes and prevent the extensions sticking to these.
• You can sterilise your tweezers with rubbing alcohol but I used antibacterial hand wash and boiling water ( I did this the night before). 
• Use the tweezers to place some eyelashes onto a tissue. I used the C shaped eyelashes, the 12mm ones for the outer corners to give a wispy look and the 10mm ones for the rest of the lash line. 
• Place one drop of glue onto a piece of foil and use the tweezers to dip the hair in a tiny amount of glue and stick them as close to the lash line as possible. The glue dries almost instantly so the hair will stick straight away. You can use your tweezers to shape the hairs and move them so they stand correctly. 
• I started from the outer corner and worked inwards, filling in the gaps until I got my desired look. 
• At one point, I dropped an eyelash with glue on the end of it into my eye. I expected pain, I expected a visit to the accident and emergency department I even expected that I would lose my eyesight. Surprisingly, however, I felt absolutely nothing. The glue is ophthalmologist and dermatologist tested, but obviously don't go squirting it into your eyes because that could (or will definitely) be dangerous.

After-care: 

1. Do not use oil based cleansers or make-up on your lashes.
2. Do not rub your eyes.
3. Try not to get your eyelashes wet for about 48 hours, you can clean your eyes gently with a make-up removing wipe, but make sure that it is oil free.

This is a long-term solution to those of you who are not blessed with thick long eyelashes. Given that you take good care of them, they should last about 2-4 weeks, I'll keep you guys updated on how I'm finding them and I'll post photos soon on instagram. A disclaimer however, is that the eyes are a sensitive area and so you should always be careful around there, make sure you do your research and buy the correct glue. If anyone has a questions feel free to contact me on the comments below or through my email. Hope this helped :)

Peace be upon you

Merutopia xo

First Ever Blog

22.25pm

Helloooooo

This is my very first blog, in case the title didn't give it away... my sister is repeatedly sneaking looks at what I'm typing and half sniggering, telling me that this will be nothing more, than a huge embarrassment for the both of us and she is probably right.

I am writing this blog because I spend more money than I should, mainly on health and beauty products and once I have bought said item, I am very opinionated and want to offer my fellow sassy sisters (and brothers) advice on whether they should part with their cash for that item.

I want to write reviews on basically most aspects of my life so that one day I can look back and cherish the way in which I wasted so much time on this blog and so much money on products which I obsessed over for a whole ten minutes before ordering online. Speaking of time, I have a lot of that now, I've recently realised that sometimes in life, if things are not going well, it is okay to take a step back from the people and the situations that don't make you happy. We live in a world where people underestimate the power of a smile, do the things that make you happy and strive to be a good person.

Peace be upon you
Merutopia xo