Back in Action

Hello Lovelies,

First of all apologies for lack of posts since June 2014. I have been blessed with a beautiful, and healthy baby girl (Alhumdulilah). She came into the world in November 2014 and I feel so blessed to have such a special little bundle of joy. Motherhood really does take the meaning of life to a different level, it teaches me so much about myself everyday and is a true blessing.

I am back online with beauty & fashions reviews so stay tuned, also please comment below if you would like "Mummy posts" as I know I looked online for blogs, forums etc for various different things I was clueless about being a first time mummy, and found them very helpful.

I am also working on a new line which I am very excited about, more information coming soon...

Much Love xXx

Anti-Ageing Products - When should we start using them??

Hello Everyone,

Let me tell you about a recent topic of conversation amongst friends “When is a good time to start using anti-ageing products”.

Some people would argue that anti-ageing creams can be “very harsh to young skin”, whilst others would beg to differ and believe “if you want to continue to have fresh youthful looking skin, you need to start using anti-ageing products early on”, so the question is how early is when?

I guess that is what sparked this whole topic off for me, should I, or shouldn't I? or maybe we should grow old gracefully like they did in the good old days.

I had two products recommended to me by a friend who started using them when she was 35 years old. I still have five years to go till I am 35, but I thought why not give it a go to see if I notice any difference.

The two products seem to be harmless. The first one is the from the Dr Organic range, it is the Moroccan Argan Facial Oil, 30 ml, this is priced at £14.99, from Holland & Barrett and is described as an advanced anti-ageing serum, it promises to restore skin elasticity and firmness, speeds up cell oxygenation and leaves skin supple and soft as well as nourished.

I have been using this for less than a month now, and I am absolutely loving the results, I am glad to say that I have not yet broken out, usually when using new skin care I tend to break out especially when using oil based products. 

I have also noticed my skin is a lot brighter after using this and I feel my skin is feeling very hydrated as well as looking very fresh on a daily basis. Overall I would give this the heads up, and definitely recommend for the above reasons, It is now a part of both my daily and night time routine. I think it is well worth the investment. I have been using this every day for just under a month and have noticed dramatic changes, make up application is also a lot smoother and more fun.

The second product is from an American range called Hollywood Style, they have all sorts of skin care ranging from Mud masks to skin whitening creams, to exfoliators and a whole lot more. I was recommended the Anti-wrinkle moisturising cream from this range, I must admit when I went in to purchase it I was very tempted to pick up a few more products from the range. 

I definitely will be purchasing more on my next visit as I was very impressed with the results. You get 150ml of product for £2.99, which is extremely cheap for such amazing products. They are available in Pak Cosmetic stores they have several branches around London and they also have a website: www.pakcosmetics.com. These are described as Medicinal/Herbal treatments.

The product claims to soften, and smooth away fine lines, and wrinkles for younger, healthier and firmer skin. I guess in all honesty the medicinal treatment did slightly put me off, but at the same time it states that it is a herbal treatment, I wouldn't describe this as being harsh on the skin, also it smells nice which is a bonus. 

As mentioned in my previous post I have suffered from dry and very sensitive skin in the past, this has been an on-going problem for me so I tend to play it safe and don’t venture out to much when it comes to skin care products. However I really wanted to try out this range. And I must say I was not disappointed.

Have you tried any of the Hollywood Style range? If so please leave some comments I would love to read your thoughts and opinions.

Have a great week!

xx

Cetraben | A cure for dry skin

Hello Ladies,

Today I am going to share with you my go to cure for dry skin, It is an emollient which softens and soothes the skin.

I was initially prescribed this by my GP as my skin started reacting to various different moisturisers I had been using. After taking an allergy test I discovered that I was allergic to certain ingredients often used in most face creams and moisturisers.

My symptoms were swollen eyes and dry peeling skin, so once I started using this, I didn’t see the point in experimenting again and have used it ever since. 

The cream can be brought in any pharmacy over the counter in Boots, Superdrugs, Tesco and any other pharmacies. You do not need a prescription to purchase this. It is very similar to E45, although I have used this once and my skin didn’t like it at all.

It is called Cetreben and its purpose is to protect dry/chapped skin as well as eczema. It contains white soft paraffin and light liquid paraffin which are emollients that rehydrate dry skin.

It does leave skin a little oily, as it helps the skin to retain moisture, so it doesn’t dry out, however I find that after make-up application if I use a setting powder e.g. Ben Nye Banana Powder/Rimmel Stay Matte setting powder I do tend to stay matte throughout the day, in less it is a very hot day, make-up setting spray also helps.

It comes in various sizes I have a small one (as can be seen in the image above this is a must in my bag at all times) it is 50g and costs £1.89, the  other one I have is the larger bottle at  next size up is 500g and costs £9.25. Any pharmacy will have this, it will be behind the counter but you do not need a prescription, prices above are quoted from ChemistDirect.com

Even though this does not need to be prescribed by the doctor and can be purchased over the counter, this does not mean it will work for everyone, so make sure you do a patch test before applying to the full face, or seek medical advice before using.

One of my other go to moisturisers is the Mac Strobe Cream I have also reviewed that here.

Hope this helps, please feel free to leave any comments below.

Urban Decay | Chill MakeUp Setting Spray

Hello Everyone!

I feel like I am on a roll, second blog of the week, hopefully I will keep this up now that I have settled back to my “normal” routine.

I have so many new products and Fashion items to blog about, I am getting through them slowly but surely. Today’s Review is the Urban Decay Chill Makeup setting spray.

Before going away on holiday I was looking for a makeup setting spray and came across two in particular one was the Mac’s Fix + and the second was the Urban Decay Chill. The reason I needed a setting spray was because I was going to be away for three weeks, and the weather was 35 degrees if not more every day. There was no point spending 15-20 minutes a day on make up only for it to be melted within ten minutes of leaving the hotel.

I went for the Urban Decay Just Chill because I happened to be at Debenhams purchasing my Naked 3 palette and I thought why not, it’s another item to cross of on my holiday shopping list. I had read and seen many good reviews of the Chill, on peoples blogs as well as YouTube.

This was £20.00 from Debenhams, link is Here

I had posted a pic of this a whilst on holiday for those of you who follow me on Instagram, it was a saviour to say the least.

So this product claims to do all of the following:

No smudging or settling into fine lines.

Stop makeup meltdown.

Chill features cooling time-release Temperature Control Technology that actually chills the surface of your makeup

Perfect for drier or combination skin,

Clinically tested formula holds foundation, eyeshadow, blush and concealer in place.

The result?

Yes I found that in 35 degrees my makeup did not smudge, smear or leak (eyeliner). Dubai has air conditioning almost everywhere, but even when I was on the beach it stayed put. I have combination skin, and I feel it helped control the natural oils on my face, and gave me a dewy smoother finish, which made my makeup look fresh all day long.

Application

I applied this to my finished face of makeup, at a distance of about an arm’s length away from my face, I then sprayed in the shape of an X so two sprays, ensuring that all the face was covered, the spray contains very fine particles and you can barely feel it on your face for a second, once it has dried, it’s like you never applied it.

Just a quick note, this will not make your lipstick last all day, or any other lip product for that matter, it is mainly for Foundation, eye shadow, blush and concealer.

Has anyone else tried this?

I would love to read any comments or suggestions so please feel free to leave them.

Until next time enjoy!

xxxxx

Sigma Brushes | Review

Hello Ladies,

It has been a while since my last blog post, this is due to me being away and also working on the new line.

Today I wanted to rave about the Sigma brushes, for the past couple of years my go to brushes have mainly been the real techniques range for use with foundation, concealer and powder this was mainly because they were great quality, and reasonably priced.

After reading various different reviews and  watching Youtube videos I thought I would try out the Sigma brushes. They are not as pricey as the Mac brushes, in my opinion they are reasonably priced for the brush quality you are getting.

To start off with I purchased two brushes from the Sigma Kabuki range:

The first is the Sigma F80 Flat Top Kabuki Brush, this is a dense flat brush which is perfect for applying liquid foundation. It does mention in the description on the website it is ideal for flat surfaces but it works for me all over the face. The bristles are made from Sigma's synthetic HD filament, and feel so soft on the face, along with the chunky handle it definitely is a luxurious brush. When using this brush I get great coverage and a flawless finish every time.

I purchased this from Cocktail Cosmetics, £15.95 for the brush with an extra £3.50 for delivery but they seem to be out of stock a lot of the time, hence the reason I ordered the second brush from Beauty Chamber (Delivery charges are also cheaper).

Application: I tend to pump out the foundation on the back of my hand and spread it evenly on the brush, I then apply to the face in circular motions, pressing into the skin for a more natural finish. I have also noticed that you can never get to much product on the brush, once you apply, it is very evenly spread onto the skin. This is a new favourite of mine, since using this I have not looked back at the real technique brushes or my beauty blender.

Comparisons:

I find that in comparison to both the real techniques stippling brush and the expert face brush (These are the two main brushes I have been using on my face for the last few years) the Sigma brush gives me a more natural finish. The real techniques brushes sometimes leave streaks on my face, and they really hold onto the product so you don't get an even consistency across your face, as well as the brushes needing a wash every week, with the Sigma brushes they always deposit all of the product on the face, and the brush doesn't cling onto the product.

Here is an image of the brushes from the top, just to give you an idea of how dense they are:

I have been through two stippling brushes as they shed hair so frequently, and often fall out (on the face) whilst applying the foundation. So I have vowed not to purchase this particular brush ever again.

I was so impressed with the Sigma range I have already ordered my next one which is the: Sigma F86 Tapered Kabuki Brush, I will use this to apply concealer, this was purchased from Beauty Chamber for £15.95 and £2.99 delivery. Link is here. They also have free delivery if your order is over £50.

Seeing's as this just arrived yesterday I can't really review it, I am sure it will be amazing, let me know if it's something you are interested in.

Please leave me a comment if you have used either of these brushes and loved them...

Until next time have a great week, two days to go!

xxx

Back to London

Hello Ladies,

I hope you are all doing well, So I have been Mia for a few weeks now, this was due to my husband and I travelling.

We were visiting Dubai in the Middle East and then on to Lahore and Karachi in Pakistan.

I am also currently working on a  new collection, which I am very excited about, more info coming soon.

I will be blogging about my trip so keep your eyes peeled for that, and also let me know any other posts you may be interested in.

Don’t forget you can check out my Instagram on: www.instagram.com/sasoomcouture

Twitter on: www.twitter.com/sasoomcouture,

and Facebook on: www.facebook.com/sasoomcouture

One more working day left till the weekend, hang in there!

xxxxx

Seventeen Lip Lustre | Review

Hello Ladies,

Today will be a quick review on the Seventeen Lip Lustre range which is stocked at Boots.

I have only previously tried the 48 hour semi-permanent eye liner by Seventeen. This has amazing staying power. You can find a link to the blog post I did for that (here). This is my second purchase from the range other then a few nail polishes which I have purchased over the years.  

I was on the hunt for a red lip gloss, I wanted it to be rich in colour and wanted to wear it as a lipstick rather than a gloss over a lipstick. On a trip to Boots I came across the lip lustre range from Seventeen. I found them to be highly pigmented and long lasting which is exactly what I was looking for. 

The shade is called “Wild One” and is priced at £3.99 which is a bargain compared to other drug store products of the same quality. In fact I have a huge range of drug store lip glosses and this is by far one of the best. I purchased this one in December last year and have used it on many different occasions.

It has a wand application, which gives me a precise finish, the staying power is also pretty good for a lip gloss.

I have been holiday shopping recently as I am going away next Friday to Dubai, and thought I should top up on my nude/summery lip products, as I was so impressed with the Seventeen lip lustres, I went back into boots to purchase another. I went for this nude/peach toned colour called "Ice Maiden" 

This is just the colour I was looking for, only problem is that it is nowhere near as pigmented as the previous shade I brought in red. I was actually rather disappointed, hence I have now decided I can use it over Mac's Cut a Caper peachy toned lipstick, instead of wearing it on it's own as it just gives me a pearly sheen/natural finish.

See below swatches of the two shades:

Has anyone else used any of the other colours in the range, if so I would love to know what you thought of them?

Don't forget you can find us on twitter & Instagram

Until next time take care!

xxxx