Top 5 Winter Nail Polish Picks

The winter is officially upon us! I just love this season because to me it means lots of cozy sweaters, an abundance of starbucks cappuccinos and flavoured lattes, nights in cozied up on the sofa with my kindle and cup of tea, but most of all, the endless options of gorgeously rich nail shades to choose from. Here are a few of my current top polish picks.

Hair Grabs Of The Moment

So a few weeks ago I decided I was in need for some serious hair inspiration. It seemed like my hair was looking lifeless, dull and lacking that "oomph" factor. Of course, the general remedy for this usually tends to be a good chop (which I'm way overdue for), but I decided to wring it out a little see what I could do if I put in a little more effort.

   (Instagram: @diariesofabeautyj)

Makeup up of the Day #MOTD - Fall Makeup Look No. 2

For my second everyday fall makeup look, I wanted to go for a more of a mocha eye, dewy skin (which the camera didn't seem to capture.. #fail) and muted lips. For dewy skin, I used the glowy-est foundation I own - the Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation. And for the eyes, I used a combination of the infamous Maybelline Colour Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze as well as two different Bobbi Brown eye shadows to give a little more depth in the crease and along the lower lash line. Of course, my daily dose of liquid liner and mascara followed. I kept the cheeks kind of neutral with just a subtle contour using my favourite bronzer of the moment (go Jouer!) and just a tiny dab of the Bourjois Cream Blush in 01 just for that barely-there touch of colour. The lips were understated - I dabbed on some Mac lipstick in Kinda Sexy which is a beigey brownish colour. Below is a detailed list of the products I used:

Product Review: Kiehl's Ultra Light Daily UB Defense

Since turning 29, I've been more conscious of my skin and aging in general. I'm aware that my freakouts may be a tad premature, but I'm deathly afraid of waking up one day with wrinkly, 'no turning back' skin. Plus, with the fine lines that are increasingly popping up around my eyes, it was high time I looked at MORE preventative measures. Gone were the days of soaking up the sun with baby oil lathered on my skin. And no more was I to rely on the measly "SPF 15's and 20's" in my foundations and tinted moisturizers. Nope, drastic measures needed to be taken... (I know, dramatic much??)

Topshop Beauty Haul

It's funny, Topshop would never really be my 'top-of-mind' store of choice when it comes to beauty products. We do have a Topshop in the UAE but a) they don't carry their beauty range and b) they're furiatingly overpriced. Topshop UK? Not so bad! I actually love their clothes here and decided to make the most of the fact that I was in their shop in London by doing a little mini beauty splurge (if you would call it that, as their beauty items are quite affordable).

Boots Haul ... (didn't take me long)

So it took me about 5 hours since I landed in London to find my nearest Boots and pick up a few items (give me credit here, this would be considered 'reasonable' no?) that I had been itching to try. Also, none of these products were available in the UAE so I jumped at the chance to get them. First off, the L'oreal Ever Riche range has been on almost every beauty blogger's monthly favourites lately so I knew that was a must try. I got the Shampoo and Conditioner for Dry Fine Hair (there is another version for thicker more rebellious hair). Also, since it was on a '3 for 2' offer, I snagged the Smoothing Mist Heat Protection spray as well. I have to say it's quite nice. Makes the hair nice and soft, PLUS it's Sulphate free. I wouldn't classify it as the BEST hair range I've ever used, but its definitely worth the price. My shampoo of choice is still the Kiehl's Amino Acid Shampoo - which I highly recommend you snatch a sample of the next time you're in the vicinity of a Kiehl's store.

Product Review: Illamasqua Nail Polish in Harem

Isn't she just a stunner? I've had my eye on the Illamasqua nail polish in Harem for a little while. After scoping out the drug store counters for a good dupe and failing miserably, it was high time I bit the bullet. So, off to Bloomingdales I trotted (well, more like drove). The colour is a beautiful blue-toned pinkish purple (though on the website it looks way more pink than it does in real life). Very flattering on the nails.

Makeup of the Day #MOTD - Retro Glam

For today's makeup of the day, I tried to go for a retro-glam look with soft metallic greys on thinly lined eyes and a nice red lip. I tried to keep the face as natural as possible without looking too washed out - so there's a tiny splash of colour there. Below are the products I used:

Weekly Facial Treatments

While my previous skincare post addressed my everyday morning and night routine, here I'll go into a few of my current weekly treatments. I rotate these according to how my skin is feeling on that particular day. But I try to each of the below at least one per week in no particular order.

Fall Makeup Look

Cat eyes, Orangey or purple toned eye shadows and red or wine lips are currently what's trending for fall according to Harpers Bazaar's runway edit . And given that purple or "prune", according to the article, is flattering for brown eyed gals, this is right up my alley. So I thought I'd put together a fall makeup look showing you guys how you can take a look from runway to every-day. As you can see, I've coupled prune eyes with wine lips. If you're not comfortable pairing these two together for your every day makeup look, you could easily opt for a pale pink gloss with the purple eye shadow, or some simple brown eye liner and mascara with the wine lips. So on I get with the items I used to achieve this look.

Current Daily Skincare Routine

About 6 months ago I had a major paradigm shift about skincare. Typically being one to stick to the basics of cleansing and moisturizing, I never really gave proper skin upkeep a thought. It was only when I came across Caroline Hirons' (the skincare mogul of the blogging world) blog that I really started to pay my skin more attention. They say the best remedy is preventative, so instead of waiting for my skin to age, break out, burn, sag and then scrambling to fix it, it was high time I started thinking about ways to preserve my skin and keep it in the best shape possible. I'm in my late 20's at the moment, fyi. (Just realized that this is the last year I'll be able to say that phrase... dun dun dunnnn). Just kidding, I really don't care. Aging is a natural process and I'd love to at least try to age as gracefully as I can. Enter skincare routine :)

Top 5 Bold Lip Picks!

If there's one look I love, its a bold lip. To me, it's just the easiest way to look polished, classy and trendy in a matter of seconds. And with all the different shades out there, its easy to find shades that work for yellow undertones, pink undertones or neutral ones. With a little research and some swatching, you can easily find what best suits you. My current picks range from deep reds to a hot pink to orangey-reds (my absolute fave). So, without further ado, I give you... my top 5 bold lip picks.

Makeup Of The Day #MOTD

Even though the Fall is technically here, I can't seem to wean off coral and peach toned blush and lip products. It's no secret that its one of the most universally complimenting shades, really flattering most complexions by giving a healthy, somewhat sun kissed glow. It's definitely my go-to shade when I'm looking a little lacklustre. So, I've decided to wring it out for the next few little while. Admittedly, I AM currently in the UAE in the sweltering heat, so seasonal shifts really shouldn't matter. But we all know that when fall strikes, regardless of where you're living, it only makes sense to whip out the deep reds, plums and mauves... Just makes sense!

Product Review: Jouer Mattifying Bronzer

Now, I had been lusting after the Jouer Replenish & Protect Hydrating Bronzer in Perfect Tan for quite some time. My attempts at convincing myself that I did not need another bronzer in my collection were a waste of time and I'd been hearing all these claims about it. "Applies beautifully" "Stunning shade" "Amazing texture" "Different from any other bronzer I've tried".... I finally decided - thats it, Ima need to get me some of that Jouer.

Product Review: Embryolisse Lait-Creme Concentre

So after coming across this product in numerous websites describing it as the "staple product" of almost every makeup artist and makeup obsessive, I decided to finally cave. Embryolisse Lait-Creme Concentre (24 hour miracle creme) is a french product, so right there you know there's potential, developed by a dermatologist in the 1950's (and its still around selling millions of these babies). Add that to the unbelievable hype surrounding this moisturizer and you know something has to be there.