Huda Beauty Liquid Matte Review | Trendsetter & Icon

When we got to Dubai, I couldn't wait to get to Sephora to and try some of Huda Beauty's products. I've been following Huda Kattan and her blog, hudabeauty.com for years, so knowing that I could easily access her products was so exciting to me. I had seen so many swatches of her liquid lipsticks as well as bloggers raving about her false eyelashes. I looked up some swatches and immediately knew that 'Trendsetter' was exactly the lip colour I go for- a mix between a nude and a deep mauve colour.

When we got to Sephora, and after swatching, testing and swatching even more, I found myself unable to decide on a shade. I loved Trendsetter, but there were other shades that I found myself gearing towards too. A lovely lady came up to me and asked whether I had tried Icon, and recommended that it would suit me. I had never seen this shade before, but in the lipstick it looked like a coral/pink shade, one that I usually don't go for.  I was so surprised as coral/pink shades don't usually suit me and I tend to steer away from them. I ended up picking both Trendsetter and Icon - and a pair of her false lashes in Samantha. I figured I would be using Trendsetter on a more daily basis- or nights out where I want my lipstick to last all night, and Icon on more special occasions where I don't do a heavy eye but focus on the lips.

Left: Trendsetter, Right: Icon

The formula of these liquid lipsticks are amazing. Comparing to other lipsticks like Kylie lip kit's- they smell very similar, they have that vanilla/caramel scent that's a bit stronger than how Mac lipsticks originally smelt. The application on these are smooth and you only need a little bit that goes a long way. I find that I don't tend to use lip liner when I apply liquid lipstick because I have more control of where I apply the liquid lipstick and the precision is easier. When I first tried Trendsetter, we were going to dinner straight after so I thought it would be great to put the lipstick to test. Throughout eating, drinking and having dessert, the lipstick stayed on like no other, it was incredible. I highly recommend trying these out, as these are now available here, in Harrods stores and Harrods.com online (UK), as well as Sephora.com.

What do you think of these liquid lipsticks? X

Charlotte Tilbury Instant Look In A Palette | Review

Photo by Charlotte Tilbury

A few months ago I came across Charlotte Tilbury’s instant look in a palette. As a brand, Charlotte Tilbury have really stood out to me and have quickly become one of my all time favourites. I think her ethos and passion for her brand and the commitment Charlotte puts into her products is what makes her brand stand out and so successful. I also really like that she caters to the everyday woman, like with this palette, as it has everything you need to get ready in one simple handy product.

The Instant look in a palette contains 3 eye shadows, a bronzing colour, 2 cheek colours and an highlighting shade. When brands try to cover the whole face in a palette, it usually isn’t very successful, and I’m really glad Charlotte didn’t use any lip products in there and just kept it to the skin and eyes.

The three eye shadows are perfect for the everyday wear. I use the eye brighten underneath my brow bone and then layer on some of the eye enhance shade as an all over wash of colour. I either use the eye smoke or the bronzer for my crease and it gives you a really natural eye shadow. I then like to add some warmth to my skin with the contour shade and then highlight on top of my cheek bones. I mix the two blush colours together to give a subtle wash of pink to my cheeks and I’m done!

I really recommend checking out this palette if you’re looking for an all rounder, great multitasking product that you can keep with you for touch ups. The packaging is extremely sleek and it also contains a big mirror, which is really useful to have on the go. I believe this palette is unfortunately sold out at the moment, but keep up on her website to hear when it’ll be back in stock, because you absolutely need to try this! If you’re ever near a Charlotte Tilbury counter you should give the colours a swatch and try it.

What do you think of this palette? Do you have any all-rounder palettes you swear by? X

Multitasking Beauty Products

When a product claims to be multitasking, I'm all for it. Some promise to save you time, and some may be used for more than one thing, so what exactly is not to love? Multi-tasking products are extremely efficient when travelling, or when you need to have products with you on the go (because no-one really wants to carry 17 products in their make up bag for a step-by-step routine, right?) 

Charlotte Tilbury Bronze & Glow. £49

My HG when it comes to bronzing and highlighting, and I don't use that term lightly. I like to try a lot of different products but I always find myself coming back to this handy palette. This palette is great for multitasking as you can double up the bronzer as a crease eye shadow and the highlighter as an all over colour and brow highlight. Magical multitasker.

Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge, £20

Bobbi Brown's pot rouges have won several beauty awards and have been hailed as favourites by some of the industry's leading professionals. Surely, there must be a good reason for this? The multitasking pot rouge is perfect for swiping a wash of colour on the cheeks, and even applying it on the lips for a subtle balm-like finish. 

Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Oil, £29

If you’ve tried the Elizabeth arden 8 hour cream then this should be familiar territory. An all rounder great oil, you can use this on skin, hair and body and it smells incredibly divine. I always take this away with me when I travel.

Sachajuan Ocean Mist, £18

I’ve named this as a multitasking product because it’s all I really need when I’m on holiday for my hair. A spritz of this stuff will leave your hair looking beach-wave ready, with no need to use your curling tongs to achieve such a look. I use this on wet and dry hair, and it's all I need to give my hair some added volume and texture.  

Mac Harmony Blush, £18.50

Although this is technically a blush, it's one of my all time favourite contouring products. Not only for contouring though, as this makes a great crease colour too and I also sometimes use it in my eyebrows. Yes, eyebrows. If I don't have the time to fill in my brows properly I use a small amount of this through them and I'm ready to go. Make sure you find the right colour for your brows, as this somehow suits my light brown brows, as you don't want it to contrast with you skin, obviously.

What are your favourite multitasking products? Have you tried any of these? A x

Defining 'Style and Social'

When I first started my blog in 2013, I knew exactly the direction that I wanted to go. My blog was an outlet for me to express my passion for beauty, to include reviews, talk about my favourites, show fellow beauty lovers what I’ve been trying lately and create a community that showcases the positive side of beauty blogging. Over the years, there’s been many ups and down’s and my blog hasn’t always been consistent. Some of my friends say that if I had kept up the momentum that I started in 2013, things could be a lot different now: but that’s not what I see as my journey in blogging. Nowadays, as sad as it is to say, some people become bloggers because they’re after the notion that bloggers lead extremely extravagant and very privileged lives. Don’t get me wrong, some do: but the amount of work and dedication that they’ve put into their work is the reason they do. Some people think blogging may give them some fame, or that they’ll be getting free samples/products from PR companies which motivates them to work hard. Let me just say that if you’re in blogging for these reasons, this isn’t the path for you. Blogging may have become a lot more saturated over the years, with less focus on writing and more on presentation, photography and, dare I say it, a social following, the most important aspect of blogging will always be your passion that you’re blogging about. If this is your number 1 goal, you will get far in blogging. Of course, anything that is worth while takes time, effort, patience, hard work and dedication, but if it wasn’t for all of that then nothing would be worth it. 3 years on, I'm so motivated and excited about this blog, and I want to continue creating a space where fellow bloggers can read about new products, see exciting reviews, learn about new launches and realise why blogging is a great community.

Beauty will always be my main focus, but I hope to branch out to other sections that I’ve become so passionate about over the past few years. I love travelling, so there will definitely be a travel section in my blog. This can range from reviews of restaurants, to places to eat, best brunch spots, or where to stay in a city.

The corinthia hotel, @alarabasul

I recently visited Dubai and it had changed so much since I last went there, so I definitely want to get writing about some new finds that I’ve discovered. I also love fashion, and I love hunting out new trends or finding high street dupes to high-end designer pieces that make it more accessible for everyone.

Instagram @alarabasul

I’ll be incorporating some sort of fashion series, either a look book or diary, to show readers a little more diversity and more about my style and what I love. Lifestyle as a whole, is a topic I love to talk about. This covers a myriad of things: interiors, general life, living in London, so I’m going to be discovering new ways of reaching out to you guys in a way that you would find helpful but also rewarding.

I hope for some of you who have followed me over the years, or are new to this blog, give you a better understanding of what I love to do and redefine what Style and Social is all about.

The more positivity you radiate, the more positive your life will be - I’m such a firm believer of always being kind and polite, no matter what the circumstance is and I hope this shows through my work as a writer and blogger. In relation to my 'professional career', I've been working for some great magazines over the past few years, as well as doing some freelance writing and presenting, so if anyone is interested in hearing more about my experiences, please let me know!

Thank you so much for following my journey, and I’m really looking forward to the new content, ideas, and pieces that will be featured on here. If you have a blog, please leave me your link in the comments so I can check it out.

Alara x

October Shopping List

After summer, autumn is my favourite season. I’m always in a much better mood this half of the year- there’s so much to look forward to and we’re not freezing waiting for spring/summer to roll around. I also love autumn fashion- the knits, the chunky jumpers, bold lipsticks and of course, pumpkin chai lattes. I mean what's not to love about this season? I’ve rounded up what’s on my shopping list for this month as I've seen a lot of great new season clothes in stores lately. Hope you enjoy! Ax

Top Five: Everyday Skincare

Over the past few months I've really started focusing on my skincare routine. I'll have to admit, I'm quite relaxed when it comes to having a specific 'routine'- it's usually just cleanse and moisturise, and that's it. I've recently seen the beauty industry put more emphasis on the ingredients that are put into products, and really understand the meaning of what we're putting on our skin and why. It's made me want to switch up my routine and really look out for products that I know are good for my skin. I've specifically been looking out for more natural brands lately, and avoiding products that have ingredients like too much fragrance that can flame up the skin. I've finally managed to narrow it done to some favourite products (including old and some new.)

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish, £15.50
I can't believe it's taken me so long to try this. I don't fall in love with cleansers very quickly: for me, it takes a while and lots of trailing to really know whether I'll like one or not. with this one, i was shocked at how quickly i noticed a difference in my skin texture. it leaves skin feeling fresh, cleansed and smooth and removes make up like no other.

Natura Siberica Extra Firming Night Facial Mask, £4.70

Natural Siberica are a brand that I've really been intriguied by lately. As I've been into finding new products with natural ingredients, and this face mask by Natura Siberica is a great overnight mask. It's great for all skin types,  works like a dream when you sleep and lets skin wake up feeling plump and nourished.

Elemis Hydra-Boost Sensitive Day Cream, £39
This moisturiser is great when skin needs extra moisture and TLC. This would work really well if you have sensitive skin as the formula is extremely gentle and soothing.

Caudalie Elixir, £11.50
I've used this product for years and there's nothing like it. I love a hydrating face mist because it's super effortless and can give you instant glow in seconds. I use this after applying my make up to set and refresh my skin to add some glow. 

Clinique Pep-Start Eye Cream, £22
Ever feel like your under eyes need some extra help? This under eye cream smoothes and instantly makes you look more awake, something I never thought I'd achieve from a simple swipe of eye cream.