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

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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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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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.

Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque

Over the years I’ve been able to keep my acne at bay with the help of a great dermatologist and the magical ingredient Benzoyl Peroxide. I’m very meticulous about my beauty regimen and have stuck to the same products for the most part, with the occasional addition of new favorites.

Lately my biggest issue has been with blackheads, and not just on my nose but on my entire t-zone, leading to more breakouts as well. I bought the Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque to help with my KP and decided to try it for my face. It cleared up 90% of my blackheads and gave me a smooth finish with a soft glow. I don’t recommend it on inflamed breakouts because the mint is strong and could irritate the acne. For under $10, this gem is a must in your beauty cabinet. if you do try it, let me know what you think! Xo

Urban Decay Naked 3

I don’t apply eyeshadow too often but I like to have a few pretty shades that can be used to create different looks. After binge watching several hours worth of tutorials I really wanted to invest in one of Urban Decay’s Naked palettes, but couldn’t decide between 1, 2 and Basics. Continue reading Urban Decay Naked 3

Pillow Talk

I genuinely love my sleep time and anything less than 8 hours makes me pretty cranky. Unfortunately, I have a lot of troubling falling asleep and I usually wake up numerous times during the night. Getting a good night’s rest is so important for our health, energy levels and general productivity so I’ve been making an active effort to tackle this problem.

The right pillow: We each sleep in different positions and have our own comfort levels so make sure you invest in a pillow that works for you. I like them fluffy but not too soft and I usually change mine once a year because they get flat with use and washing.
Temperature: My husband is like a hot furnace and likes the AC on maximum, while I shiver in temperatures below 20 degrees Celsius. A warm blanket and cozy pajamas are a constant for me all year round and really make a difference in my sleep comfort. So make sure you’re not too cold or too hot during the night because it can disrupt your rest.
Switch off: I’m no doctor or scientist but I don’t need to be to tell you that loud noise and bright lights, especially from your phone/laptop/TV are over stimulating and keep you from falling asleep right away. Give yourself a good 20 minutes to unwind in bed with no tech interruption.
Diet: I always avoid caffeine in the evening but I’ve noticed that even eating sugary foods can give me more energy than I need before bed. Don’t go to bed hungry nor with a full stomach. Finally, if you don’t want to wake up every 2 hours to hit the bathroom then don’t drink too much water before you sleep.
Indulgence: I was recently sent a complimentary 100% pure satin pillow case from Savvy Sleepers and it’s ultra-smooth and relaxing. It’s supposed to prevent wrinkles which I can’t attest to yet, but it does help you avoid the bedhead look you get throughout the night and keeps your blowout in check. The upside to a satin case over silk is that it is machine washable and extremely durable. I seriously recommend spoiling yourself with one! Use code Blush15 to get 15% off your purchase.

Throw: LC Lauren Conrad for Kohl’s | Pillow Case: c/o Savvy Sleepers | Weekends Mug: The Blush Boutique

I hope these tips help you out dolls! Xo

Le Blush Crème de Chanel

I had purchased this blush a while back because I’ve been anxious to try cream blush and the colors options from Chanel were stunning. I chose Presage which is a highly pigmented true peach shade. These blushes have a cream to powder finish and blend beautifully on the skin. A little bit goes a long way so you only have to apply a little bit and it’ll give a sweet flushed look that’ll last you all day. I used my fingers which is a bit risky because you can end up using too much product that way, but I was very gentle and it was easy to blend in. A stippling brush is probably the best way to apply it, and Sephora has a great one here. Have you tried this blush before and if so, what did you think of it?

Le Blush Crème de Chanel($38, prices may vary): Available at Sephora

Brazilian Blowout: Say bye-bye to Frizzy Hair

I may or may not have complained numerously about struggling with frizzy hair in an extremely humid climate. In a previous post I talked about my best tips for healthy hair and although those methods really kept it soft, the water in Dubai is very damaging and no matter what I did my hair stayed unmanageable. I even started rinsing it out with drinking water after each shower (I know, what a princess right?) and that really made a difference for me, but still not good enough.

When I was in Michigan for Christmas break my hair was healthier than ever and I was able to do a blowout and curl it in 30-45 mins, which is amazing for its length. As soon as I got back home, I realized it was taking me twice as long to do and I still had to go over it a couple of times later on. The demands of my job require that my tresses be styled most of the time, and although my natural curls are cute they are not suitable for outfit posts. I started feeling guilty about all the heat I’m applying to my hair and worried that it would destroy all my efforts at keeping it healthy.

The Blow Dry Bar at Marquee has an offer for the month of February where you can get a Brazilian Blowout at AED 1,000 regardless of the length of your hair. The blowout is supposed to last 3-4 months as long as you use Sulfate-free shampoo. The purpose is to eliminate frizz completely and while it does diminish 70% of your curls, it’s not supposed to make your hair pin straight. I just got it done this past weekend and I’m amazed at my hair. It’s exceptionally soft and shiny, I don’t have to blow dry it anymore because it’s barely curly and I just went over it with my curling iron and the whole thing took about 15 minutes. I was afraid I would lose volume but it’s barely a difference.

I didn’t buy the Sulfate-free shampoo from the salon (AED 180) and instead I’m using one by Vichy which I got at the pharmacy for AED 75. I will update you on the progress of the blowout, but if you’ve been thinking about getting it done this is such a great deal. Xo

Update: I’ve done a lot research on Brazilian Blowout and other similar treatments and found that there are harsh chemicals in these products. Please do your research before undergoing such treatments on your hair.

Winter Favorites

The cold and dry weather can be really harsh on our skin and if you don’t keep maintaining it you can lose that luminosity. There’s a few things that have really kept that glow in my skin the past few months and I just had to share them with you all!

The Rub Rub Rub shower scrub has sea salt and lemon extract so it exfoliates and moisturizes simultaneously without irritating the skin.
I’ve tried every single lip balm there is out there and although most smell amazing and some look good on the lips, the vaseline lip therapy the only thing that replenishes, hydrates and smooths my lips in just a few hours. It’s also now available in rose which I linked for you below.
Illuminators have never been my thing because I usually like my makeup to be pretty minimal and natural looking, well as of now I am officially obsessed! They give you a nice glow and sparkle on your skin, and you can choose how heavy or natural you want it to be. My 2 favorites are the NYX powder illuminator which is very build-able, and the Watt’s up by Benefit Cosmetics which is a creamy stick that is so easy to apply.
My favorite home-made mask is the dewy skin mask I’ve shared with you before. I get lazy sometimes or forget about it and the minute I go back to it I realize how amazing it really is. It evens the skin, treats acne, heals scars and smooths the overall complexion of my face. If you’ve never tried it, I suggest you do that right away because you won’t regret it.
The most obvious thing I can advise you to do is drink lots of water. I can see a difference in my skin from head-to-toe when I drink more water and I even see improvements in energy and digestion.

I hope these tips help you out, let me know you best kept secrets to combat the winter blues! Xo