BLACK FRIDAY-Biggest Sales Of The Year!

Every year several countries prepare themselves for the biggest shopping day of the year. On the last Friday of every November, millions of people prep up to buy anything and everything available on enormous discounts that are being offered in stores. While the major categories are electronics such as TVs, laptops, gaming systems and mobile phones, fashion and beauty are a close second. It’s the ultimate discount day, getting more and more popular each year. People can afford what they normally wouldn’t be able to on any other regular day.

Originally starting in America, the concept was initiated by Macy’s during their Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1924. Next year other stores followed their example. The trend soon caught on and massive sales became a nationwide sensation, marking the start to the holiday season. Several countries such as Canada, Germany, India, The UK, Nigeria and Costa Rica have very recently seized the concept and introduced the annual sale as well. Pakistan is fashionably late to the party but thanks to Daraz.pk we finally made it.

Although it has been around for almost a century, the day was officially given the name Black Friday in the 1960s and by the 1990s it had become a worldwide phenomenon. People often wonder why black, a colour with a negative connotation is linked with a day that is so widely celebrated. There is, however, a well-thought-out reason behind this, profit is recorded in black ink on the balance sheet and since this day is incredibly profitable for retailers and shoppers alike, it was given the name Black Friday.

Each passing year, the number of shoppers is increasing, 89 million in 2012 were 140 million last year, however, there has been a change in consumer behaviour. More and more people are choosing an alternative to standing and queues and camping outside stores – they are shopping for the same deal available in brick and mortar stores online.

Retailers are rapidly adapting to this change in consumer shopping habits as now most of the Black Friday sales are being made online. Ecommerce in Pakistan is also at an all-time high, more and more people are shopping and online and the timing of Daraz.pk bringing Black Friday to Pakistan is absolutely impeccable. No standing in queues or waiting outside stores for the shops to open – just a few clicks needed to avail the best discounts. Daraz.pk is bringing this glorious shopping day to Pakistan for the first time ever. The much awaited sale will hit the website at 12am on the 27^th of November at www.daraz.pk/black-Friday, bringing discounts Pakistan has never seen before! So don’t get in line, go online!

                                                      

Say hello to Fall, 2015 with Sweet Touch England.

Sweet Touch England, is a cosmetic brand, known to many, locally available in Pakistan. The brand has numerous products, from lipsticks, to the famous Sweet Touch nail paints, to eye-shades, lip-liners, glitters, mascaras and so much more. Recently, Sweet Touch England came out with Matte Lipstick range, available in 63 vibrant shades.

Sweet Touch England, recently organised a get together for bloggers, where the fall range was revealed. The event was attended by various bloggers from the Pakistani Beauty Bloggers Community. Event took place at Karachi's local New York Coffee Cafe.

The evening was perfectly organised, there was a lot of makeup talk, makeup goody bags, food, whole new range of lipsticks to swatch and what not! 
Let's talk about the new range of matte lipsticks. The colours are truly fit for the Fall season. Ranging from light lavender nudes to dark browns to dusty corals and maroons, there's definitely a colour for everyone from this range. Wanna have a closer look at the colours? There you go..

Let's get to the most exciting part of the event, the goody-bags! 
So the take-away goody bags came in really cute cage-like packaging consisting of two lipsticks (from the new matte range), lip-liner, eye-pencil and a sparkling liquid eye-liner. 
I got Sweet Touch England Lipsticks in 772 & 723, Sparkling eye-liner in Brown, Lip-liner in 834 Carmin & Eye-pencil in Turquoise.

Detailed review+swatches of the products will be up on the blog soon, keep checking this space. 
In a nut-shell the event was quite a success and I truly love my ST England goodies.
Cheers! 



P.S: These pictures belong to Team Sweet Touch England.

Color Studio & Debenhams Spring Summer 2015 Trends Reveal.

I'm sure all of you must be aware of the leading cosmetics brand Color Studio and one of the UK's top fashion and beauty retail store Debenhams. This Spring and Summer season Color Studio in collaboration with Debenhams brings their customers some really great beauty and fashion must haves.
A small bloggers meetup was organised at Debenhams, Dolmen City Mall, Karachi where various summer spring 2015 fashion and beauty trends were showcased. The event was attended by several bloggers from the Pakistani Beauty bloggers community. 

Fashion and beauty trends showcased at the event included: 

1. Famous Seventies Chic
2. Blues & Stripes
3. Urban Safari
4. Sherbet Shades

The event was a pretty success, followed by a discussion session with the Color Studio brand manager Farah Shahid and Debenhams brand manager. 
This was followed by a quick make-up tutorial session, where Color Studio's official makeup artist Sobia Aqil demonstrated a makeup look for the audience.

Looking forward to an amazing Spring Summer 2015! :)

                                                    

Coral Salon & Spa.

Coral Salon & Spa
Picture Credits: Coral Salon & Spa.

Giveaway goody-bag by Coral Salon & Spa for the bloggers.

Coral Salon & Spa is an amazing, new, & not-to-be-missed Spa in the K-Town! The Salon opened it's doors for public a few weeks back. My first visit to Coral Salon & Spa was as a blogger on the launch of this new spa.
The salon is located at the upmarket area of D.H.A, Bukhari Commercial Phase 6.
It's one of the most spacious salons that I have ever visited. The salon is spread on a pretty big area.
The place is beautifully decorated I must say. The interior has been carefully and awesomely done.
It is a two-storey place. I was shown around the entire place and was totally really impressed with the setup.
The salon has a separate area for hair related services, separate area for pedicures and separate manicure stations, which no doubt are amazingly made! Pedicure station was extremely comfy and relaxing. Then there was a different area for make-up related services which was still under construction though, and there were separate rooms for facial and waxing services.
The place was clean and tidy and every corner was decorated with scented candles, flowers and different gorgeous art pieces.
Coral Salon & Spa also stocks Elemis Skin care range and has a list of incredible facials and hair services in their menu!
I would definitely recommend this salon to everyone out there who wants to have a quality time at a good spa with of course a good hot cup of coffee! :D

For more info & appointments please visit, Coral Salon & Spa Facebook page here

Scentsation Valentine's Promotion, 2015.

Valentines is one day which a lot of us look forward to. People express love to their loved ones on this day. This valentines, Scentsation has a lot of creative and amazing ideas in store for all of us which'll help people celebrate love and make their Valentine's day a memorable one! 
Lately there was a bloggers meet-up on Friday, 6th February, 2015 organised by Zarmina Khilji who happens to be the business development head Scentsation. The meet up was attended by various bloggers. The idea of the meet-up was to create an awareness regarding Scentsation's upcoming Valentine's promotion. This time on Valentine's day, Scentsation has come up with mind-blowing ideas like customised mugs, t-shirts, notebooks, key chains and even customised perfume bottles! Ain't that cool? 
This was followed by picture sessions, Scentsation giveaway good-bags for the bloggers and a scrumptious dinner at Gun Smoke, Dolmen City Mall which was organised by Scentsation. 
Would definitely recommend all of you out there to go celebrate this Valentine's with Scentsation & of course with your valentine! *Wink*

Scentsation Valentine's Day promotion goody-bag for the bloggers, includes:
A gorgeous pink Escada makeup travel bag.
Borjouis notebook.
Jean Paul body lotion.
Trendy green colored hand bag.
Customised Red mug with my name and my picture on it.
Few perfume testers.

                                                   

TBS PepperMint Smoothing Pumice Foot Scrub.

TBS Peppermint Soothing Foot Scrub.

TBS Peppermint Smoothing Foot Scrub.

TBS Peppermint Smoothing Foot Scrub.

Closeup of the Peppermint Soothing Foot Scrub.

(Picture Credits: Faryal Pechuho)

What does The Body Shop say about this product?

Prepare to bare! Intensely exfoliating volcanic rock granules help to slough away rough patches of hardened skin, to leave feet femininely soft, smooth and freshly fragrant. Perfectly prepared for those strappy summer sandals!

REVIEW: The Body Shop Peppermint Smoothing Pumice Foot Scrub comes in a blue jar containing about 100 ml (3.45 OZ) of the product. Packaging of the product is satisfactory although I'm not very sure if its travel friendly.
I am in love with this product! This is my second jar. I literally finished my first within a few months. This product is a saviour for my feet. The consistency of the product is gel like containing small white granules. It smells of mint and gives a fresh feel to my dead, reptile skin like feet. This is my favourite and to-go product for a spa like pedicure at home.
How do I use it: I usually use it while taking a bath. Wet my feet completely and take a small amount for each feet, apply it properly and then scrub my feet using TBS Wooden Foot File.
Results: My feet become SUPER soft and smooth. All the dead dry skin on the pressure points and heels is gone. I just love my feet.
The product lasts me for a good six to seven months since only a small quantity (around a tea spoon for each feet) of the product is used. 

Price and Availability: The product can be purchased from any and all The Body Shop outlets nation wide. Or you can order online too from various pages on Facebook or from The Body Shop website itself. Worth $16.95.

Points in favour: 

• Quantity of the product is enough to last for a good six to seven months.
• Product works like a magic for dry, scaly feet.
• Easily available.
• Good for home pedicure sessions.

Points not in favour:

• Costly. (Try to stock it up during TBS sales).

Crabtree & Evelyn Anti-bacterial Moisturising Hand Gel in LA Source.

Crabtree & Evelyn Anti-bacterial hand gel.

Crabtree & Evelyn Anti-bacterial hand gel.

(Picture Credits: Faryal Pechuho)

Review: Crabtree & Evelyn antibacterial hand gel comes in a small 50 ml bottle. It comes in a total of four fragrances. I have it in La Source. It's a small bottle hence can easily fit in to small make-up pouches and bags and can be carried along. 
It has this floral like fragrance which I'm not very fond of, but it is not at all bothersome or very strong. Since I'm a doctor by profession, hand anti-bacterial gels are a must have for us. But I think everybody should carry a hand sanitiser with them for the hygiene purposes. 
Does not make my hands sticky (thank God for that!). Packaging is sturdy. Quantity is enough to last for a good five-six months. 

Price & Availability: I bought this hand anti-bacterial gel from Crabtree & Evelyn outlet located at Dolmen City Mall, Clifton, Karachi, Pakistan. Worth $6.00
Crabtree & Evelyn official website here
Crabtree & Evelyn Pakistan Facebook here

Points in Favour:

• Travel friendly
• Does not make my hands sticky.
• Enough quantity to last for a good 5 months.
• Easily available here in Karachi, Pakistan.

Points not in favour:

• None.

Crabtree & Evelyn Silk Moisture Enhancing Socks.

Crabtree & Evelyn Silk Moisture Enhancing Socks.

                                    

Crabtree & Evelyn Silk Moisture Enhancing Socks.

           

Crabtree & Evelyn Silk Moisture Enhancing Socks.

(Picture Credits: Faryal Pechuho)

REVIEW:

These pair of socks come in one color only, that is the one shown in the picture above, light brown/Skin color. The material these socks are made up of is extremely comfortable, made up of 100% silk. Not at all itchy or harsh. These are ankle length socks. 
I have been using these socks for some time now and I totally like them. For me, they are dual function; A. They keep my feet warm in winters and B. They make my feet really soft and hydrated.
How do I use these socks: What I do is, I clean my feet at night before going to the bed, I clean it thoroughly with water and soap and then I let them air dry for a few minutes. Next I apply The Body Shop's Peppermint Intensive Foot Rescue on my feet and in the end I wear these socks. You may use any moisturiser or even Vaseline. Keep wearing them over night and then take them off the following morning.
Results: I wake up to soft and hydrated feet. No dry scaly reptile like feet anymore.
Over-all I will totally recommend these socks to all, especially in the winters I think they're a must have.
Wash them after every use to maintain the hygiene level. You can wash them with water and soap.

Price & Availability: I bought these pair of socks from Crabtree & Evelyn at Dolmen City Mall, Clifton, Karachi. I bought these socks during a sale at Crabtree & Evelyn for around PKR 530. I'm not sure about the actual price. You mayvisit the shop and check it out. Or if you're not in Karachi you may visit the Crabtree & Evelyn website for further queries here. 
Visit the Facebook page of Crabtree & Evelyn Pakistan here.

Points in favour:

• The material of the socks is very comfortable. 
• Price on sale was reasonable.
• Can be easily hand washed.
• Makes my feet very soft and smooth.
• People living in Karachi, Pakistan can easily visit the shop and get these socks.

Points not in favour:

• Available in only one color. 

Sleek Makeup Blusher in Pomegranate (Review+Swatches+FOTD)

Swatch: Sleek Makeup Blush in Pomegranate.

FOTD: Wearing Sleek Makeup Blusher in Pomegranate.

(Picture Credits: Faryal Pechuho/ Curls & Cookies)

What Does Sleek Makeup say about this product?
Our blushers are long lasting and highly pigmented available in a variety of finishes. Each shade glides on smoothly and enables you to create an array of stunning looks. We offer a wide range of shades to complement any skin tone, no matter the occasion.

REVIEW: 

The blush comes in a small, jet black colored plastic pan with an in-built mirror. Contains about 8g of the product. Packaging is sturdy & light weight. 
Sleek Makeup blusher in Pomegranate is a beautiful pink-purple blush with more purple undertones. It is a matte finish blush. Powder in consistency. It is moderately pigmented & I usually have to use multiple strokes of the blush to achieve the desired colour. Fall out of the product in the pan is minimal. Staying power is not very impressive though. Without a primer it hardly stays for an hour or two. With a primer underneath, staying power is extended up to a good five to six hours! It appears as a gorgeous pinkish purple flush on my cheeks. I like to wear this blush with very minimal makeup i.e. nude eyes, flawless base and light pink or light brown lips. 
I apply this blusher using my Real Technique's Blush Brush. Blends in easily. 

Price & Availability: I bought this blush online from a Facebook page Beauty Enhancers, worth PKR 1100. You can also buy this from Sleek Makeup's website here.

Points in favour:

• Travel friendly packaging
• Matte finish.
• Moderately pigmented.
• Produces a gorgeous pinkish-purple flush on the cheeks.
• Minimal fall out in the pan

Points not in favour:

• Not available at local drugstores in Pakistan. Has to be ordered online.
• Price offered by Pakistani cosmetic pages is a bit too steep. 
• Staying power of the blush without a primer is very less. 

Highlighters War!

From L to R: MAC Soft & Gentle, MaryLou Manizer, MUA Undress Your Skin Highlighter, ELF Baked Highlighter in Moonlight Pearl and KIKO Water Eyeshadow 208. 

Left: ELF Baked Highlighter in Moonlight Pearl
 Right: KIKO Water Eyeshadow 208.

From L to R: MaryLou Manizer, MAC Soft & Gentle and MUA Undress Your Skin Highlighter.

(Picture Credits: Faryal Pechuho/ Curls & Cookies)

REVIEW:

Highlighters are my favourite and the most important part of my make-up stash. Although each of these highlighters are going to last for a life time I still got my hands on multiple brands, that's how a highlighter hoarder is, no? :D

Moving on with the review, this post is specifically directed at comparisons between different brands of highlighters, their pros and cons, longevity, which will suit the Asian skin tones the most etc.

• M.A.C MINERALIZE SKINFINISH IN SOFT & GENTLE: 
  M.A.C describes Soft & Gentle as a 'Glided Peach Bronze". Comes in a typical M.A.C packaging without a mirror. However lately, M.A.C has launched this product with a new window packaging. Packaging is not travel friendly in my opinion (as I almost broke the transparent lid while it was in my makeup pouch) so be extra-careful if you have to travel with it. I simply LOVE this product. This was my first highlighter and I bought it around three years back and I still have a lot of product left (haven't even hit the pan yet). So this is going to last you for a life time. It appears as a gorgeous gold-bronze highlighter on my skin tone (Asian Skin, for reference I'm NC 25-30). It has tiny speckles of gold glitter to it which do not really show up as glitter chunks on the face (thank god!) rather appear as an evenly glowy skin. Does not exaggerate my pores or any flaws (provided you keep a light hand while applying). Blends very easily. Pigmentation is pretty good too. I usually like to wear it over heavier makeup/formal events. I believe this is too much for an everyday look.

• The Balm MaryLou Manizer: The Balm describes MaryLou as a "honey-hued Highlighter, Shimmer & Shadow". Comes in a beautifully designed metal pan with an in-built mirror. Packaging is chic & sturdy. MaryLou Manizer has slight silver undertones in my opinion. On my skin it appears as Golden-silver coloured highlighter. One thing about this product; it is insanely pigmented! Over the time one thing that I have noticed about this product is that it is a bit difficult to blend at times because of which it appears concentrated on the skin thus cheeks end up looking more like 100-watt bulb lights :/ Oh and it magnifies my pores into 30 times the actual size, something I totally dislike about this product. I usually wear this product during the day time. 

• MUA Undress Your Skin Shimmer Highlighter in Pink Shimmer: MUA describes this highlighter as "Lightweight baked powder that transforms complexion with luminescence shimmer." As the name says, it is a pink coloured highlighter with slight silver undertones. To be honest, I do not reach out to this highlighter much since it is more pink based. I feel that this is not really made for Asian skin tones and would suit people with paler skin more. It is not very pigmented either. Multiple strokes are needed to bring out the desired glow. Quantity is enough to last us a life time. This highlighter has waves like pattern/design in the pan which makes it appear chic. Comes in a white coloured plastic pan with a transparent lid. No in-built mirror. Packaging is sturdy. 

• ELF Baked Highlighter in Moonlight Pearls: ELF describes this highlighter as "Infused with Vitamin E, Jojoba, Sunflower, Apricot and Grape to nourish and hydrate the skin. The long-lasting baked shimmering color can be applied wet for a vibrant effect or dry for sheer pigmentation." I'm not impressed with the pigmentation of this highlighter much. It blends easily though without much struggle, but multiple strokes are required to bring out the desired glow. This is a light golden coloured highlighter with prominent silver undertones. Is somewhat similar to The Balm MaryLou Manizer in colour but not exactly the same. Comes in a black plastic pan with a transparent lid. No in-built mirror. Packaging is not very travel friendly in my opinion. (For detailed review, pictures & swatches check here).

• KIKO Water Eyeshadow in 208 Light Gold: KIKO describes this as "A mixture of groundbreaking spherical powders for an outstanding colour effect, bringing together extreme coverage, pure luminosity and long lasting." This is basically a water eye shadow and not a highlighter BUT since the colour is said to be a dupe for the MAC Whisper Of Gilt highlighter thus it can be used as a face highlighter. Since I haven't used MAC Whisper Of Gilt, I will not draw a comparison between the two. The pigmentation is pretty impressive. Honestly I wasn't expecting it to be filled with pigmentation since it is originally a water eye shadow.  Comes in a small sized black plastic pan with a small in-built mirror. It is a golden colored highlighter which imparts a gorgeous glow to my skin and lately I have been reaching out to this more & more. It blends like a dream. 

1. Product with the LEAST fall out in the pan: The Balm Marylou Manizer.
2. Product which has an absolute travel friendly packaging: The Balm Marylou Manizer.
3. Product which blends effortlessly: MAC Soft & Gentle & KIKO Water Eye Shadow 208.
4. Product which gives the MOST frosty fake look: The Balm Marylou Manizer.
5. My favourite: MAC Soft & Gentle.
6. Product with the highest price tag: MAC Soft & Gentle.
7. Product with the lowest price tag: ELF Baked Highlighter in Moonlight Pearls

Price & Availability:

• M.A.C Soft & Gentle is worth US$32.00. 
• The Balm Marylou Manizer is worth $24
• ELF Baked Highlighter in Moonlight Pearls is worth $3
• MUA Undress Your Skin highlighter is worth £3.00
• KIKO Water Eye Shadow in 208 is worth GBP 8.90

If you're in Pakistan, you can purchase these highlighters from several different Facebook pages like Rouge,

Hash, Lush Grooming Bargains, Beauty Enhancers. If outside Pakistan, you can purchase these products from

 their respective brand websites.

ELF Baked Highlighter In Moon Light Pearls (Review+Swatch).

ELF Baked Highlighter in Moonlight Pearls.

Swatch of ELF Baked Highlighter in Moonlight Pearls.

Comparison Swatch: Above; ELF Baked Highlighter in Moonlight Pearls
        Below: The Balm Marylou Manizer.

(Picture Credits: Faryal Pechuho/Curls & Cookies)



What does ELF say about this product?
Create a radiant glow with this illuminating powder that highlights the skin with a sheer wash of shimmering color. Infused with Vitamin E, Jojoba, Sunflower, Apricot and Grape to nourish and hydrate the skin. The long-lasting baked shimmering color can be applied wet for a vibrant effect or dry for sheer pigmentation.

REVIEW: 

ELF baked highlighter comes in total three different shades: Moonlight Pearls, Pink Diamonds & Blush Gems. I will be reviewing ELF Baked Highlighter in Moonlight Pearls today. 
This highlighter comes in a small black plastic pan, with a transparent lid on the top which enables the product to be seen. Does not have an in-built mirror. Contains 5g of the product. Packaging is not sturdy.
This is a light golden colored highlighter with prominent silver undertones. I wouldn't say that it is one of the most pigmented highlighters, The pigmentation is fairly moderate. However when used with a wet brush it does enhance the overall look. On my skin (NC 25-30) this highlighter gives more of metallic finish if not blended properly thus blending is the key. When blended properly it imparts a subtle glow to the face. The quantity of the product is enough to last for a very long time.
When compared with The Balm's Marylou Manizer, latter appears more peachy-bronze with gold undertones as compared to the former which has more silver undertones (Picture shown above).
I usually apply this highlighter using Real Technique's Contour Brush.

Price & Availability: I bought this product online from a Facebook page Beauty Enhancers. Worth PKR 500. Can be bought from ELF's Website here worth $3. 

Points in favour:

• Affordable price tag.
• Quantity of the product is enough to last for a very long time.
• Does not enhance facial pores & other flaws much.
• Easily blended.
• Imparts a subtle glow to the face. 

Points not in favour:

• Not very pigmented. Multiple strokes are required to bring out the colour.
• Gives more of a metallic finish if not blended properly.
• Fall out in the pan is too much. 
• Not available at the local drug stores.
• Packaging is not travel friendly.

For a comparison review with other brand highlighters, please check here.