About Me
afshanesque
Portfolio
Pakistan
Desi Vibes
Blog

May Magazine Freebies

updated on 3 Comments on May Magazine Freebies

This (June) and last month (May) saw some great beauty product inclusions in the magazines. From nail polishes to cleansers, eye liner to primer.

Sorry these are not on the shelves now but I can recommend all these brands and products whole heartedly.

The June freebies article will be posted shortly… These you can still get!

Pore Refiner:

I am just in love with The Porefessional Primer from Benefit after trying it in the Elle Magazine costing just £4. (Thanks Elle, as I have wanted to try this for so long.) The primer contains 7.5ml and is said to be worth £8, so well worth a try.

I found that this was great for hiding or minimising the appearance of pores and evening out the skin/complexion. I had heard rave reviews for this primer and was so pleased to see it as a magazine freebie and it came in real handy for a recent wedding I went to.

Skincare:

A skincare set from Aromatherapy Associates (famous for their bath oils) was included with the Marie Claire Magazine for £2.50. The set included a Renewing Rose Cleanser (10ml), Rose Renewing Moisturiser (5ml) and a Rose Face Mask (5ml).

I was excited to try this brand because I have heard a lot about their bath oils and was therefore expecting the skincare to be equally as good. I have used them and have been happy with the samples. I particularly liked the renewing moisturiser as I suffer from patches of dry skin and found it hydrating.

Nail Polish:

Another great product that was available in May was a full size Nails Inc polish. I particularly love these polishes, as they are such nice colours that suit all seasons. They had a choice of 3 fabulous colours. These were included with the Instyle Magazine which costs £3.90 but in Tesco the magazine was only £2.50, which is a great bargain as it is and with the added bonus of a full sized nail polish from Nail Inc nonetheless!

I just love these freebies and have to admit that I will only buy some of these magazines just for these – sad I know. I must say that these products make the magazines very sellable. And free samples are a great way to try a product before you buy. Yes, please for more…

Beauty Blog

New Birchbox

updated on Leave a Comment on New Birchbox

I was really excited when I heard that the Birchbox was adding the Beauty Blender to their offering of products in the June box! There is no guarantee what products will be in the box, but I took a chance and ordered it.

The concept is a good one for beauty fanatics. Their strapline being – Discover beauty and lifestyle products to suit you! The aim is to let customers sample some great high end products. Names like Caudalie (famous for their beauty elixir), theBalm and OPI to name just a few.

It’s a beauty junkies dream! I was lucky enough to have got the Beauty Blender which was my main motivation for wanting the box.

I am so excited to try the Beauty Blender (which includes a blender cleanser) as it is an iconic product that all beauty guru/bloggers recommend and use!

the-products

This month’s products were from all over the world and has a World Cup/Brazil theme, hence the green pouch.

The other great products in my box were; the Caudalie day perfecting fluid, the Naobay Body Radiance Lotion, a miniature OPI nail polish, theBalm cheek and lip tint and a Birchbox Brazil themed flip flop key ring.

The subscription costs £10 a month and you can cancel at any time. I recommend signing up, just for this box alone. I am so happy with my box and can’t wait to try them!

Thanks Birchbox!

Love A. xx

Beauty Blog

May Favourites

updated on Leave a Comment on May Favourites

This month I am loving…

…All things beauty! I went to a family wedding in May and couldn’t do without the items below:

I’ll start with the Kiehls Midnight Recovery Concentrate. This is a replenishing Elixir of pure essential oils and distilled botanicals to visibly restore the appearance of skin by morning.

I put some on my hands and tap it into my skin just before bedtime. The smell of lavender is very soothing and in the morning my skins feels so nice and smooth. There are many night time serums arround but I find this one is great for the skin and affordable. I can recommend this if your skin needs a little night time tlc.

Next I am loving Laura Mercier’s body and bath soufflé in ambre vanillé. This smells so nice on  the body and really lingers on the skin. It’s a scent in a bottle! Even my husband is a huge fan! My son does too and am sad that it’s nearly finished. 🙁

Next I am not usually a fan of bright coloured lipstick, but I wanted to be a little daring in the month of May. So when I tried the L’Oréal L’Extraordinaire Liquid Lipstick in the colour Ruby Opera, I was pleasantly surprised; red/maroon actually suited me! I find it brightens up my complexion and looked good too!  I got a lot of compliments while wearing it at a recent function.

I was also liking the Essie hors d’oeuvres nail polish. This is a glittery nail polish that is silver with flecks of gold in it, which also creates a great accent nail. It came in very handy at the wedding I recently attended. I really like this nail polish which can also be worn on its own at a glitzy event.

I absolutely love this next product.  The price is steep, but really worth it! It’s the Hourglass Ambient Lighting powder in Mood Light.  This powder creates a glow to the skin and adds to  flawlessness. I like this powder as it adds dimension to my face and have had lots of compliments on my skin since I started using this.

The last item I am loving is the Mac Mineralize concealer in NC42. I find that this particular  concealer is great for adding light to the eyes.  I use in true Kardashian style, drawing on a triangle under my eye and blending it in with a brush.  It adds a shine where the sun hits it.

Well most of those were high end, but I am very much a local drug store kind of Gal (Boots/Superdrug). I prefer the more reasonable price tags 😉 But if a product is really good I will pay for it, as the Ambient Powder and Kiehls Midnight Recovery above.

P.S. I had the loveliest time at my cousins wedding!

Also, this month I have been loving Vampire Dairies and Revenge on tv. I am sad though that both have just finished for the season.

What were your May favourites? Please comment below!

Beauty Blog

My feature in Beauty Bloggers Base Magazine

updated on 1 Comment on My feature in Beauty Bloggers Base Magazine

Base Magazine Launch – My first written feature in a magazine

I recently wrote a feature for a new magazine launch. The piece was named make your own.

skincare

I chose to write about home made remedies, as I have used these on many an occasion and love to have a good pamper session or two. 🙂

feature-small

I was kindly invited to the magazine launch on 15th May at The University of the Arts of London in Elephant & Castle.

It was very surreal to see my name and article in print. I have had pieces of my work published before, but it was great to have a feature published.

I enjoyed meeting the editors of the magazine, as well as all the other bloggers.

There was food, fun and some nail polish applications.

A magazine dedicated to beauty bloggers is nothing to be sniffed at. It has its perks too!

Not only do you get to try great products but sometimes get a few freebies on the way…
…I was lucky enough to get a goody bag from the lovely ladies of Base. The bags included products from amazing brands such as Kiehl’s, Molton Brown, Rituals and Lush to name but a few.

I thank the lovely ladies of Base Magazine for giving me the opportunity to be a part of their 1st magazine launch and for the fabulous goody bag.

My sister came with me and enjoyed the event too!

Thank you Base Magazine!

Blog

Maybelline Better Skin Foundation

updated on 3 Comments on Maybelline Better Skin Foundation

Better Skin

This is a great foundation! I was pleasantly surprised -“It does exactly what it says on the tin!”

When I  saw the Maybelline’s boot camp for the new SuperStay Better Skin foundation on Facebook, I jumped at the chance to join in. I am always up for a challenge or for a good juicy make-up review.

I don’t normally wear foundation every day and reserve it just for special occasions. However, I have always wanted a foundation that I could use everyday without it adversely effecting my skin. I have normal skin and therefore prefer nothing heavy. This foundation is good and really caters for all skin types. I found it light and dewy.

Application

I have been using the foundation for just over 2 and half weeks and can safely say that this foundation is really great! Over the course of use, I can see a visible difference in my skin. My skin is more even, smooth and glowing. I am so happy with the results that I can recommend this to anyone who is in need for a foundation with no regrets.

This foundation retails at a reasonable £8.99 which is dream in itself. The bottle contains a good amount, about 30ml and comes with a pump, which is better for hygiene. It also contains SPF20 which provides not only sun protection and the bonus is that there is no camera flashback! I have tested this thoroughly :-).

Overall I have been very impressed with this foundation and would definitely buy it. I can now say that I vouch for Maybelline’s slogan – “See better looking skin!”

 

Blog

Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet

updated on 3 Comments on Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet

The Matt Lipstick

I was really excited about trying this new lipstick sensation from Bourjois – the Rouge Edition Velvet. Not only are they a good buy (compared to other more expensive brands) but also have such great colour payoff and highly pigmented. And with such vibrant colours to choose from – it’s easy to want them all!

There were only a few colours in my local Boots, but I hope they have more colours. These will be great for the spring summer seasons.

On first application the lipstick feels almost powdery, but after a few minutes it turns into a lovely velvety matte texture.

A Winner

The staying power is also impressive, lasting on the lips for a long time (and that is saying something, as nothing lasts on my lips!) Reason enough for this must have buy. When applied lightly it also gives a nice look of natural vibrancy. A real winner!

Thanks Bourjois.