Maryam's Five Summer Essentials!

It is so hot here in Karachi so I thought of doing a post on my 5 summer essentials. I will keep this post short and to the point. My 5 summer essentials for this heat and sunny weather consist of:

Soltan SPF 50++ Sunblock
It is a sunblock in a lotion form, best for my dry skin, it gets absorbed by the skin and keeps it hydrated. Best for Karachi's sun. Get yours from boots, or order online, they are usually on buy 1 get 1 offer =)

Garnier Flexible Hold Volumising Hair Spray
Summer for me is all about volumised all-natural hair. I was going to pick a dry shampoo instead of this, but then I realised a dry shampoo is not as important as this, its already hot, we are already taking shower everyday to keep ourselves cool, dry shampoo is not necessary. What is necessary is to keep our hair looking nice and volumised even after washing them everyday because of sweat. As i have wavy hair and bangs, the first day after shower they are a disaster, it takes time for them to get in shape and get texturised and form. So instead of straightening everyday after every shower, i just spray this, it gives amazing volume and texture to bangs, there is no need to blowdry or straighten everyday.

Victoria's Secret Bombshell Mist
It is so hot, a body mist keeps it nice and cool and there is no harm in spraying it every few hours to keep smelling fresh and good. This is an amazing scent, I love it so much I have already finished a bottle, and have ordered two more as a back up. Even thou I do layer it with my perfume, but if I have to keep it minimum to 5 products, I will definitely pick this over my perfume, just maybe because even if I put a lot of it, there will never be too much of it, and with perfume there is a tendency to go a bit overboard.

Dior Iconic Overcurl Mascara
Mascara is must, and this iconic overcurl is just amazing, gives length and volume that I don't even feel the need to use fake lashes! I would pick this over liner on any hot day when i want bare to minumum makeup.

Chanel Rouge Allure in Malodieuse
Oh my God, it is such a gorgeous summer colour for those no makeup days. It has full coverage, you can layer it up for more buildup. It is hydrating and just glides on lips without drying them. Also has a good payoff time. So its a winner.

ROUGE ALLURE VELVET: LA FASCINANTE

ROUGE ALLURE VELVET IN SHADE: LA FASCINANTE

According to Chanel:

ROUGE ALLURE invents ROUGE ALLURE VELVET: luminous matte lip colour.

ROUGE ALLURE VELVET creates another way to wear lipstick. An alternative to shine.

Velvety soft and more comfortable than any matte lipstick before, it adorns lips with deep colours and an intensely luminous matte finish.
As moisturising as a satiny lipstick, it feels as weightless as a second skin.

One click releases it from its black lacquered case.

Review:

This range of lipsticks come in 8 different shades. Today the one I am reviewing is LA FASCINANTE, shade #38.

The packaging of this lipstick is very chic, and that’s what attracted me to this lipstick at first when I saw it at a chanel counter. Sleek black tube with golden magnetic click bullet, with interlocking Cs you click that and an amazing red colour lipstick comes out. To be honest, this lipstick is love at first sight.

The colour is a classic matte red with pink undertones, perfect for a night out, it can also be worn during the day if you apply it with a light hand.

I sometimes wear it during the day if I am going out somewhere, and always at night, it is my everyday lipstick, more like every night out lipstick, because of it being matte and non drying at the same time. Plus the colour ends up being so gorgeous on my lips, it does not make my teeth look yellow. In the tube it looks more like dark deep brick red, but it shows on my lips as a very beautiful everyday red.

The staying power of this lipstick is amazing too, lasts me hours before I have to reapply, that too only if I have eaten anything, and then when it is half on and half removed it still shows up as a very pretty deep pinkish colour.

The texture of this lipstick is very unique which I haven’t found in any of the M.A.C lipsticks either that I have used. It is matte and not drying at the same time, and glides on lips like a dream. Feels very creamy, and gives a matte look. It actually feels like velvet just as the name say.

There are so many ways in which this lipstick can be worn, wear it as a full red color at night with winged liner or just black liner. Wear it lightly at day time, dab it with a tissue for a more subtle look, or wear with a gloss for a totally different colour.

P.S All swatch pictures are in daylight. 

Points in Favour:

1. Amazing color pay-off.
2. Non drying formula. Keeps the lips hydrated.
3. Beautiful and travel friendly packaging.
4. Click opening, so will not open by mistake in handbag.

Points not in favour:

Its expensive, but you are putting it on your lips so you would make sure its good quality.

Availability: Can be bought online from Facebook pages. I got mine from duty free chanel counter.

This is not a PR sample product. All reviews are honest and solely mine. Your comments are appreciated. Thank you=)