Beauty – The Blush Diaries | A Dubai Based Fashion and Beauty Blog by Rania Esper

Taming Frizzy Hair

Hey, you guys! I hope your year has been off to an amazing start. I’ve had a slow few weeks due to jet lag and the flu, but here I am, back at it. As you might already know, I have wild, frizzy curls which can be difficult to control in Dubai’s humid weather. I’ve talked in the past about my curly hair method, which I use from time to time to give my hair a little break from blowouts. Lately, I haven’t really had the time or dedication to stick to it and have been back to either getting blowouts at the salon or doing them myself at home. I’ve switched up some products and found a significant difference in the manageability of my hair, not only from day to day, but also when I blow dry it myself. Here are some of the products that have helped me with taming frizzy hair.

1. I’ve always loved Redken shampoos and conditioners, but the Redken All Soft is by far one of the best lines I’ve ever used. It’s exceptionally moisturizing, and I can even feel my hair getting supple while I’m in the shower. It smells incredible, which is always a huge plus for me.

2. There’s a lot of buzz going around in the blogosphere about the Bamboo Kendi Oil, so I had to give it a try. My hair has become so much glossier since I’ve started using it, and I find that it is amazing at taming frizzy hair and giving my curls a softer feel.

3. I get these frizzy baby hairs at the top of my head, and the Pantene Oil Replacement is the only product I can use to smooth them away without leaving my hair oily. It’s also great for freshening up the hair the day or two after a blowout.

4. Finally, and most importantly for me, was switching which brush I use. I was consistently using the bristled round brushes, and while they create beautiful curls during a blowout, they get tangled up in my hair, and my at-home blowout gets messed up a few hours later. After trying the iconic brush, I’m never going back. I get through my blowout in much less time, and my hair looks so shiny and healthy afterwards.

I’d love to hear about any tips or tricks you may have for taming frizzy hair or a good at-home blowout.

xo Rania

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Keep Skin Hydrated with Gentle Products

I’m not the best at drinking lots of water or maintaining a healthy sleep pattern, so when that takes its toll I like to find gentle products that keep skin hydrated and healthy. One of my favorite recent finds is the Sephora Luminizing Booster, particularly the magnesium one because it smells incredible. I mix a drop with my moisturizer and I feel instant relief on my face. It’s not greasy at all and almost feels like water.

When it comes to products, particularly in skincare, I follow the expiration instructions to a T. So even if something isn’t completely finished, but it says to throw it out after 6 months then that’s what I will do. I was using the SkinCeuticals eye cream earlier this year, which I talked about in my Home Spa Treatment post, but I’ve recently switched to the Shiseido White Lucent Anti-Dark Circle Eye Cream. Shiseido’s eye creams have always been winners in my book, but I especially love this one because it is super hydrating. There was a visible difference in the skin around my eyes after just a few days. It does not necessarily eliminate dark circles but is a great night eye cream.

Finally there is this Starskin ‘The Master Cleanser Detox Sea Kelp Leaf Cleansing Foam’. It washes off all traces of makeup, exfoliates dirt and excess oils, all while being able to keep skin hydrated and smooth. It can’t be used around the eyes, which is a bummer, but it has really helped keep my skin from breaking out. A little bit goes a long way, and I love the way my face feels after I wash with it, especially when I follow it up with the Sephora Booster.

I’d love to here about your current favorite tips to keep skin hydrated, and if you’ve tried any of these products, what have you thought of them?

xo Rania

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Photography by Natelee.

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Loose Curls for Short Hair Tutorial

Now that my mane is somewhat of a long blunt bob, I’ve been working on improving my technique of creating loose curls for short hair. I partnered up with EIDEAL to show you how you can achieve soft loose curls with their Twin Fusion, which is a flat iron that comes with a clip-on half curling barrel. Check out the steps below on how to easily create loose curls for short hair. This technique works better the shorter your hair is.

Step 1:

Start by applying a heat protector of your choice to your wet hair, then blow-dry until it’s completely dry.

Step 2:

Section out your hair into small, manageable pieces.

Step 3:

Using the Twin Fusion from EIDEAL, twist this around each section to create a smooth curl. Place the Twin Fusion behind the section and curl backwards to create a softer finish to the top. Repeat this until all of the hair is curled and allow it to cool to help set in place.

Step 4:

Gently shake out the curl using your fingers and add some finishing cream to the ends to define them. Finally, spray some hairspray throughout for extra hold. Ouai has a great spray that is not too heavy.

Don’t worry if your curls seem a little tight, because throughout the day the curls tend to loosen up on their own. I personally like to bend my head forward and shake out my hair to soften the curls and add some volume to the roots. Have you tried any of the EIDEAL tools, and if so which are your favorites? I’d love to learn more hair tips from you as well, so please share them with me in the comments below.

xo Rania

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Home Spa Treatment

Nothing is quite as fun and relaxing as a day of pampering, and since we may not get the chance to treat ourselves often I’ve put together some of my favorite products for a home spa treatment.

Ideally, it’s best to start with the gooey stuff like thick face or hair masks. You can try my go-to dewy skin mask which is oh-so smelly but incredibly rejuvenating. I’ve also previously talked about my love for the Sephora Sheet Face Masks which are really gentle but have super hydrating powers.

A new favorite is the Starskin Gold Mask which was a pleasant surprise for me. I always worry about my skin breaking out from new products and so I’m very careful about what I try on my face, and this mask is very soothing and moisturizing.

Next up is – in my opinion – the best part, a soak in the tub with some Lush Bombs. The Rose Bombshell smells like the Rose Argan conditioner, a candy and rose water explosion that soothes the senses and relaxes the mind. The flowering tea bath dunk is literally like lying on a field of glittering lavenders, and like all lush products leaves the skin soft and supple.

I recently discovered a natural-based brand in Dubai that makes beautifully scented olive soap bars. Olive soap is so common in most arabic households and I use it around the house for so many things, but I never thought to shower with it. The Shiffa soaps come in delicious scents and have a strong capacity for cleansing and moisturizing.

Now that you’re out of the bath and glowing, it’s time for some more moisturizing. Sephora extended their line of sheet masks, and now have lip and hand masks as well. I try to put hand cream as often as possible throughout the day, but the dry weather and the constant washing and application of hand sanitizer tends to takes it’s toll on my skin. The hand gloves smell so good and are easy to apply, leaving you with an extended surge of hydration.

You can’t have a home spa treatment without some oil and this Elemis Cellutox one is citrusy and very lightweight thus not leaving me with a sticky feeling after use. I usually like to apply pure Argan Oil, but I like how the Elemis oil is absorbed so quickly into the skin.

The last step is one of the most important, your eyes. I like to use the lightest possible eye creams during the day so my concealer won’t crease. However sometimes the skin around my eyes gets alarmingly dry and flaky, so I use a heavier cream like this SkinCeuticals Eye Balm during the night.

What products do you use when doing a home spa treatment, and are there any other steps you like to include? I’d love to hear about it from you.

xo Rania

Photography by Natelee Cocks.

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Spring Makeup Favorites

I haven’t done a beauty blog post in a while and so I decided to show you how I’d create a simple look using some of my spring makeup favorites for this year. My everyday look is usually the same, but I’m always into trying to incorporate new products especially as the seasons and trends change. At the moment I’m still using the same base for day-to-day outings which is the Tarte BB Tinted Treatment, but I’ve added the Nars Loose Powder (in ‘Eden’) to the mix which helps with keeping everything in place without looking caked on. The shade is too dark for around my eyes but adds a lovely and natural warm tone to my very pale complexion.

For the next step I pulled out my current favorite palette by Too Faced, the Chocolate Bon Bon. The shadows and highlighters smell like actual candy and there’s a wide variety of shades from neutrals to brights, and mattes to sparkly to please everyone’s taste. I applied the shade Cashew Chew all over my lids, and a mixture of Almond Truffle and Cotton Candy to the outer corners of my eyes. I finally used Satin Sheets on my cheekbones to give me that shimmery glow I love so much. The application is just enough to add pigment without looking over the top, so you can control how heavy the look turns out.

Mascara is so relative from person to person and is something I’m constantly experimenting with. Right now I’m using Urban Decay’s Perversion and it’s been working perfectly for me since it separates the lashes and gives length and fluffiness. I love using a lash primer or maximizer but it’s been a while and I’m so glad I picked up this False Lashes Maximizer by MAC because I was pleasantly surprised by the impact it makes.

For my final step I applied my go-to lip shade for the season which is Stila’s All Day Liquid Lipstick in Baci. I can’t get enough of these liquid lipsticks, and in pure Stila fashion these come in tons of gorgeous shades and are incredibly long lasting without the extra drying factor. They’re also easy to remove which is plus since I hate looking like my lips have been mauled at. I saw this particular shade on my cousin and ran straight to Sephora the next day to pick it up, and I’ve been hooked ever since. I hope you liked this look and will be trying some of these products yourself. Let me know what your Spring Makeup Favorites are for 2016!

xo Rania

Spring Makeup Favorites: Nars Loose Powder in Eden | Too Faced Chocolate Bon Bon | Urban Decay Perversion Mascara | MAC False Lashes Maximizer | Stila All Day Liquid Lipstick in Baci. Photography by Natelee Cocks.

Holiday Makeup Routine

I usually stick to simple day-to-day makeup that gives me a fresh faced look, so I love adding a few steps to my holiday makeup that are easy and have a touch of glam. I start with my usual base and concealer, then I follow them with an extended winged liner using Stila ‘Stay all Day’ Liquid Liner and a few coats of a curling mascara like Benefit Roller Lash.

During the fall it’s nice to keep makeup matte and warm, so when winter comes around I switch to more dewy and illuminating products. I apply theBalm Mary Lou Luminizer on the apples of my cheeks, tip of my nose and cupid’s bow and I love the Rose Gold shimmery tones of the Naked 3 Palette for my eye lids.

I was always intimidated by contouring but found the Sephora Contour Duo super easy to use. I use the medium shade for an added bronze effect, but don’t use the highlighter because it’s too dark for my skin tone. I blend it into the hollows of my cheeks using the Sephora Sculpting Brush and it sets in like a powder.

A red lip is an obvious choice for holiday makeup and the Sephora Lip Stain #1 is the perfect shade of red for anyone and is long lasting even after dinner and a few drinks. I recommend applying some lip balm first because it does dry out the lips. I finally top it all off with my favorite pink blush from Bobbi Brown in Peony. What are your holiday makeup tricks and secrets? I would love to hear all about them from you!

xo Rania

Photography by: Enchante Portrait Couture

*This is not a sponsored post and all opinions are my own. Affiliate links are used in this post.

Sephora Face Mask

I love a good salon facial but for the most part doing face masks at home seems more convenient. I usually stick to natural ingredients like this Dewy Skin Mask, which is what drew me to the new sheet masks from Sephora.

I wasn’t drinking enough water last week and my face got pretty dry and flaky, so I used the Rose Sephora Face Mask and it instantly rehydrated my skin. The masks smell amazing and are completely mess-free, which I love!

I’ve tried a couple of the eye masks as well, and although I’d like to tell you they will make your dark circles disappear, that’s not really the case with any product I’ve ever tried. The ginseng and lotus eye masks were both great for brightening and tightening the eye area, giving that ‘good night’s rest’ appearance.

Have you tried any sheet masks yet and if so, what are you favorites?

xo Rania

August Favorites

I don’t always switch up my beauty routine for fear of breaking out, but I’ve tried a few new products this month and was really excited to share them with you all.

1. Etude House Cherry Lip Gel Patch: My lips get dry and flaky pretty often so I’m always using a lip scrub to get rid of the dead skin. I usually apply vaseline right after scrubbing and as often as possible, but the dryness always creeps back. This Gel Lip Patch was amazing and left my lips super smooth and supple for days. It was hard to get it to stick on my lips, so I recommend just laying your head back and relaxing for 20 minutes while it does it’s job.c/o: Available at www.thebbcreamgirl.com

2. TonyMoly Apply Hand Cream: I don’t know about you, but I don’t apply hand cream nearly as often as I should. This cream is really dewy and feels more like a butter. My skin absorbed it right away and smelled like an actual red apple! c/o: Available at www.thebbcreamgirl.com

3. Max Factor Creme Puff Blush in Lovely Pink: Last week I attended the Re-launch of the Max Factor Academy and they gave us one of these blushes to try. You already know how much I love pink blushers, and this one is soft rosy shade with a pretty luminosity. I’ve been using it non-stop the past few days and found it pretty long lasting.

4. Tarte Cosmetics Eyelash Curler: Truth time: I bought this curler because of how pretty it is. Luckily though, it’s amazing! I’ve only started using eyelash curlers a little over a year ago and I sometimes find it tricky to get the corner lashes without pinching my almond-shaped eyes. This curler is wide and broad, so it catches every single lash easily and curls them beautifully.

Have you tried any of these products? I’d love to hear what you think!

xo Rania

*Affiliate links were used in this post. This is not a sponsored post and all opinions are my own.

Summer Glow

I love the different aspects of each season: the coziness of winter, pretty blossoms in the spring and the clean breeze in the fall. What I like most about summer isn’t just the constant sunshine but also the cute shorts and a sun-kissed glow. The temperatures are getting really high in Dubai at the moment so I’m taking extra care of my skin and decided to share my favorite products and tips to get a beautiful summer glow.

1. Moisture: I always talk about hydrating but it’s so incredibly important. I’ve noticed an improvement in my overall complexion, diminishing of old scarring and even less frizz in my hair. I talked about my love for Argan Oil and how I use it for almost everything. I recently also shared my Curly Hair Method and favorite products to keep your hair moisturized and healthy. Don’t neglect your nails either, a good almond cuticle oil can go a long way.

2. Treatment: I shared a 2 part series on the best products to Scrub and Polish your skin, and this is the most effective way to keep my skin bump-free and smooth. I completely recommend getting a facial at least once a month but I know how hard it is to find the time to do that, so try my at-home dewy skin mask and thank me later!

3. Base: This is an obvious one, but we need to start paying extra attention to sunscreen and making sure it’s part of our routine. I’m not always good about it, and that’s why I like to use a BB cream with high SPF such as Tarte’s BB Tinted Treatment.

4. Shimmer: I love adding some luminosity to my skin, and my favorite products for that is the Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs for my body, and Too Faced Sweethearts Flush Blush for my face. The Naked 3 palette is my favorite of all time, but especially in the summertime I like the extra shimmer on my lids.

I hope these tips help you as much as they did me, I’d love to hear what you think! Xo

*Affiliate links have been used in this post.

Curly Hair Method

Last week, I gave my curly hair another chance and I promised you all that I’d share my new techniques. The curly hair method requires a few steps and some super moisturizing products. There’s a book called Curly Girl which gives an in-depth explanation of achieving beautiful natural curly hair. It does require you to eliminate shampoo from your routine, so I just adopted a few tips without following it to a T.

When it comes to products, it’s all about the added hydration. I’ve been using the Organix Coconut Milk Shampoo for a few months and not only is it sulfate-free, but it’s really helped tame my frizz. My favorite conditioner is the Dry Bar Sake Bomb Conditioner; a little bit goes a long way with this stuff and it leaves the hair smooth and silky. Part of the curly hair method recommends you don’t rinse out the conditioner entirely, kind of like a leave-in conditioner.

I combed my hair while rinsing it in the shower and skipped brushing it afterwards. I gently dried my hair with a towel, then applied some Biosilk Silk Therapy serum to the ends. Next, I rubbed some Organic Argan Oil between my palms and worked it gently into my hair. I finally tipped my head over and I scrunched my hair upwards using some Pantene Oil Replacement. With whatever product left in my hands I patted down the top of my hair and scrunched it again. I let my hair completely air dry and was left with some neat twisted curls, a few messy ones and a little frizz at the top. I brushed down the fly aways near my roots, and tidied the messy curls with a curling iron. When I slept on it, I woke up with soft loose curls.

Let me know if you try any of products or techniques of this curly hair method, I’d love to hear how yours turns out! Xo

*Affiliate links have been used in this post.