MY FAVORITE MAKEUP PRODUCTS

Believe it or not, I actually love make-up and have become quite adept in applying makeup thanks to friends and YouTube tutorials (my favorite is Lisa Eldridge). My makeup drawer is not brimming with makeup products though as the loyalist Taurus in me, I only make space for my favorite makeup products. They are the makeup products that have continuously delivered over the years and have true transformative beauty powers.

Here are my all-time top favorite makeup products:

Top 13: Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara, QAR 100, Available in Sephora:

I have been a DiorShow mascara girl loyalist for years but I’ve decided to shop for new mascara because the Dior ones tends to smudge, leaving me with panda eyes at the end of the day. The Too Faced mascara is a latest discovery and it quickly earned an entry-level spot on my favorite makeup products. The thick hourglass brush ensures you get even coverage and ease when applying mascara especially around the inner corner of your eyes. It gives you a nice natural looking length and volume and it best of all, it doesn’t smudge or get flaky. Horaah!

In case you’re in the Middle East and can’t find this product, the mascara was renamed to a less offensive ‘Better Than Love’.

Top 12: Dolce & Gabbana Blush in Apricot, QAR 238, Available in Paris Gallery:

I’m not really into the whole contoured, blushed and highlighted look so when it comes to blush, I love a matte natural looking consistency as opposed to a highly-pigmented and glittery version. This Dolce & Gabanna blush is the best one I’ve used because of its gives me a healthy looking flush and looks very pretty on medium skin-tone. It has a nice satin texture that looks good even on direct/harsh sunlight.

Top 11: Shu Umera Eyelash Curler, QAR 73:

I’ve included this eyelash curler on my list even though it’s not a makeup product because it’s the oldest (never replaced) beauty tool I own. The Shu Umera Eyelash Curler is one of those Hall of Fame products simply because it’s there’s no better eyelash curler out there. I use it every single morning to instantly give me flirtatious lashes even without mascara on. It doesn’t make my eyelash shed when I curl it and it’s super durable (I’ve had this for 8 years). I haven’t seen it being sold in Doha, making it my most valuable beauty tool possession.

Top 10: Dolce & Gabbana Powder Foundation (my shade is Caramel 110), QAR230, Available in Sephora and Paris Gallery:

My make-up artist friend introduced me to this product and I immediately fell in love with it. It never crossed my mind to use powder foundation before because it leaves my face looking cakey and dry. I can best describe this powder foundation as the blur tool in Photoshop. It’s like putting on a smooth satin veil that makes imperfections go away. I have a map of acne scars on both of my cheeks that I painstakingly cover with concealer (using Lisa Eldridge pinpoint concealing technique) and this powder foundation has great coverage to seal the concealer in place without leaving a cakey texture.

Top 9: Beauty Blender, QAR 80, Available in Sephora:

After years of practice, I pride myself for having great brush technique when applying foundation and quite enjoy the process of painting on a plain canvas. I stayed away from beauty blenders because it has become synonymous to contouring but I was obviously dead wrong. Another product that I stole from my friend Debi, my Beauty Blender has been a lifesaver as it cuts my makeup routine in half in the morning without sacrificing technique. I spray Avene Thermal Spring Water on my beauty blender after applying my foundation and concealer to bake and blend with my natural oils. The result is a natural even finish.

Top 8: Anastasia Brow Wiz (my shade is Dark Brown), QAR 80, Available in Sephora:

Eyebrows are one of my beauty obsessions. I’ve probably watched countless YouTube tutorials and have read any articles on how to achieve nice full eyebrows a la Cara Delevigne. I’ve tried a number of eyebrow products from powder, pomade, gel and a brow pencil is the closet product I’ve used in achieving that nice full eyebrow look. Anastasia’s Brow Wiz Pencil is my eyebrow arsenal. The thin tip best mimics hair strokes and it has a strong creamy formula so it doesn’t budge even with my oily forehead.

Top 7: Topshop Rio Rio, QAR 45

I have two go-to looks; one is a ‘no makeup’ makeup look and two is a red lip with bare face makeup look. I’ve been on a search for a red lipstick that doesn’t look too dramatic especially during the day. I asked a friend of mine to buy this Topshop Rio Rio lipstick for me when she was in London (without event trying it on) purely because it’s one of Alexa Chung’s favorite lippy. The gamble paid off, I was immediately hooked! The lipstick has more of a deep orange formula that is buildable to a nice classic red. What I love about this product it doesn’t require precision when applying it, it’s a swipe and go kinda lipstick. The satin matte formula is great for daytime makeup but can also be dramatic enough when applied over lined lips. I reach out for this lipstick several times a week and I’m one of those girls who get intimated when applying red lipstick. This is an idiot-proof red lipstick.

Top 6: Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage (my shade is SC-5), $35, Available in Bloomingdales Dubai

People who wear eyeglasses would understand that the worst thing about wearing eyeglasses is the deep, deep under eye circles that comes with it. Now that I’ve switched to contact lenses, I constantly look tired and stressed so a heavy-duty concealer is a must. I don’t leave home without applying my Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage. This concealer is a cult favorite and let me tell you why. The palette contains a warmer undertone, which is good for correcting redness and one cooler palette that matches your skintone. The texture is a bit on a drier side, which is a better formula to avoid any creasing in the under eye or corners of the nose.

Top 5: Clinique Chubby Stick in Whole Lotta Honey, QAR70, Available in Sephora, Wojooh, and Paris Gallery

When I learned that this Clinique Chubby stick is one of the Olsen twin’s favorite beauty products, I rushed to the mall to sample it. Finding the right kind of nude shade is like finding the perfect pair of jeans so I’m glad the color actually suits my skin tone. I love that it’s a moisturizing lip balm that adds the right amount of tint and shine. It’s good for everyday use and if I want the color to stand out and pop a bit more, I use a nude lip liner underneath. I have about 3 pieces that I keep in my makeup bag, my makeup drawer in the house and one spare in case of an emergency.

Top 4: Eyes Alexa Chung Eye Do Liquid Liner, $32, Available in ASOS: 

 Mastering a cat eye is one of beauty skill that took me a while to master. There are different techniques and products from gel pots, liquid liner, to pencils but I found that it all boils down to what works for you. A thin liquid liner pen works well for me because it feels like a drawing pen that I can control. I gave this one a go when surprise, Alexa Chung launched her Alexa Chung for Eyeko range (she’s a master at the cat eye look). Regardless of the celebrity endorsement, Eyeko Eyeliner is fantastic. It glides easily and you can control the thinness or the thickness when applying. A lot of the eyeliner products I’ve used in the past tend to get dry pretty quickly but this one last for months and glides easily with each use.

Top 3: Dior Addict Lip Glow in Pink, QR120, Available in Dior beauty counters

I have raved about this beauty product on my social media and on my blog. My lips are constantly dry thanks to Doha weather so a good lip balm is a true necessity. I have tested a lot of lip balms from Lipsmakers to La Mer but they all left my lips drier than ever. I was a bit reluctant to try this Dior Lip Glow at first because I don’t normally buy beauty products from a cosmetic brand but I was extremely surprised on how moisturizing it is. It has a thick buttery consistency with a slight minty taste to it. The best part of this lip balm is that it is formulated to enhance your lip color creating a special shade that last all day. When I’m not in the mood to put on any makeup, this is all I use with mascara and it’s the right kind of pick me up to make my face look less dull. It is the only lip product I have ever used up over and over again.

Top 2: Anastasia Tinted Brow Gel (my shade is Dark Warm Brown) QR80, Available in Sephora

 This product deserves the number 2 spot in my all-time favorite beauty products because it’s my most trusted beauty product. I’m not blessed with great-looking eyebrows but it’s the feature I like to accentuate the most as it can completely change the way you look in a massive way. I spend a lot of time (and money) grooming and taking care of them and Anastasia’s Tinted Brow Gel is the one brow beauty product I can’t live without. If I’m pinch for time or simply lazy, an upward swipe of this brow gel is all that’s needed to tint and keep my eyebrow hair groomed. It automatically makes my face awakened. The fact that it is tinted adds the right amount of color to make it look like I’ve put an effort shaping and filling in my eyebrows.

Top 1: Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer (my shade is Natural), QR160, Available in Bloomingdales Dubai

I’ve been using Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer for years now and it earned the number spot on my list simply because it’s the best tinted moisturizer I’ve used. Even though I have acne and other imperfections, I don’t really like heavy coverage foundation as I like my skin to breath and still look natural. This is what Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer does. It formulated with skincare and makeup ingredients to give you that healthy, hydrated and dewy skin. The coverage is sheer but buildable to even out skin tone and reduce redness on my face. It’s the right kind of base I’m after to start correcting my acne scars or blemishes. It also has SPF 20, which motivates me to slap it on in the morning.

Voila! I’d love discovering and trying out new makeup products, I’d love to know what are your favorite makeup products. Comment below!