Colourpop!

Hi guys!

Soooooo I recently made my first ever Colourpop order (yay) and some people have asked what I think about the products, so here I am. I'll try to keep my opinion on each product short and sweet though, so you guys don't get bored out of your minds.

Just quickly I'd like to say that when you're reviewing products, you tend to become acutely aware of the negatives because that's what you look out for. And things you might not even notice if you weren't actively seeking them. So just keep that in mind.

It took a little over 2 weeks for me to receive my package - annoying but that's the typical timeframe in which I receive packages internationally. There was free international shipping which is why my sister and I jumped at the opportunity because typically, their shipping to Australia is pretty pricey. 

I was nervous when I received the package because I have seen people have issues with tainted products, however, all my products came in excellent condition. The packaging the products come in and the packaging of the products themselves are extremely beautiful.

Now that the boring stuff is out of the way, this is what we had ordered:

One Highlighter (Lunch Money)

One Brow Pencil (Black N' Brown)

One Contour Stick (Easy Peasy)

One Lippie Stix (Pillow Talk)

One Eye Liner (Swerve)

One Ultra Glossy Lip (Lychee Me)

Three Eye Shadows (Nillionaire, Cricket and Drift)

Five Ultra Matte Lip (Limbo, Chi, Vice, Beeper and Trap)

Lets start with the highlighter - which if you were wondering is my favourite product of the bunch. The highlighter is a cream to powder product, so it gives a beautiful, natural highlight to the skin.  I find it difficult to apply with a brush so I just use my fingers and then blend it out with a brush. The end result is beautiful regardless. I will say though, you definitely need to set this with a powder highlight because it tends to disappear throughout the day. 

Easy Peasy Contour Stick was a downer for me. While applying it, it virtually blends into nothing so you have to layer it a few times to get it to appear on your skin - which is not ideal. I wouldn't recommend the contour stick at all. 

The eyeshadow colours did not correspond to the pictures on the website but irregardless are still beautiful. You definitely need to apply these with your fingers to get the pigment you want - not to say the shadows aren't pigmented because they are, but applying the product with your finger gives you a better result. I can't really provide an opinion on how the shadows blend as we bought eyeshadows that are to be applied on the lid. If you do buy an eyeshadow, I strongly recommend you buy Nillionaire. 

L-R Lunch Money (highlight), Nillionaire, Cricket and Drift

Swerve Eyeliner is a crayon type eyeliner. I love that it's so pigmented and does not transfer or tug on my waterline! It also blends out so beautifully, so it's perfect for smokey eyes. 

The brow pencil is slightly harder in comparison to the Anastasia Brow Wiz, but for the price point it is really good. You just need to make sure you apply it with light hand because it is really pigmented but it blends into your eyebrows beautifully once brushed through.

Now you know I just had to buy the Lippie Stix in the shade Pillow Talk. The colour is beautiful, and the formula is extremely creamy and comfortable. It's not so matte that its drying, it feels more satin with a matte finish. 

B-T Trap, Lychee Me

I was slightly disappointed with the Ultra Glossy Lip in Lychee Me because it was not as pigmented as I hoped. I get the same effect when wearing the Lucas Paw Paw Ointment only with a slight hint of colour. The formula however was really comfortable, it wasn't sticky. Maybe their other colours are more pigmented, I'm not really sure as this is the only gloss we purchased.

L-R Limbo, Chi, Beeper, Trap, Vice, Lychee Me
Bottom Pillow Talk

Finally, the Ultra Matte Lips. I was nervous for these because there were so many mixed reviews. To begin with, it is a liquid formula - it has a really runny consistency so you best be careful not to tip it. It is extremely comfortable and it honestly feels like I'm not wearing anything on my lips. I don't need a lip balm underneath because it is not drying. It does however slightly transfer and takes a while to dry down. In terms of longevity, personally, the Ultra Matte Lips are not extremely long wearing and tend to fade throughout the day. I had drank coffee and licked my lips and my lipstick disappeared. Limbo in particular crumbles once you've rubbed your lips together. The colours also do not correspond to the colours shown on the website. However, again, for the price point and what you personally look for, you may be able to overlook these. You just need to make sure you look up swatches on YouTube to be sure of the colour. I wanted to note that I'm comparing the Ultra Matte Lips with Kylie Cosmetic Liquid Lipsticks and Jeffree Star Liquid Lipsticks. 

B-T Limbo, Chi, Beeper, Vice, Pillow Talk, Trap

Overall, I'd say I'm happy with my order - but if I'm being completely honest, I probably won't buy from Colourpop again. The quality of most of their products is good but nothing that really stands out to me. The price point is extremely affordable - but their shipping rates can be slightly too much for what they're worth.

In regards to this review, just keep in mind that different products work differently on everyone and that these are my personal opinions only! I'm in no way stopping you from trying them out yourself! 

If you do want to buy from Colourpop, I'd recommend looking up swatches to verify the colours - keeping in mind that some colours look different on various skin tones. I'd also recommend bulk buying with a friend to counteract the slightly expensive shipping rate. If you have any questions feel free to leave a comment or contact me on twitter @fxckzarry. Hope this was helpful!

P.S. Thanks Roeya for the help and your arms.

Love, 
Rama 

Happy New Year!

Loooooong time no see my friends. Hope you've all been well.

I'm back with a post about the new year. First piece of advice for 2016? Make. Things. Happen. We’re often down in the dumps about not achieving what we want to, but are we really doing anything to make things happen? If you’re like me, you’re probably shying away from this question and mentally cursing about your level of procrastination. Well this year, let's stop waiting around for things to just work out. Take the initiative and make those changes in your life! Don't wait for anyone, don’t slow down for anyone, make 2016 your bitch! This might be just the push you need. Get the boy or girl, get your grades up, get that job! I honestly believe we can do anything we set our mind to if we want it enough.

Leave toxic relationships in 2015. From first hand experience, I know how difficult it can be and sometimes I do wish we were still friends, but I honestly am happier. All they did was drag me down and sabotage my happiness. You won’t know how relieved you will be until you drift from those people. If you're not the confrontational type - I sure as hell am not, slowly drift away from them, reply slower, talk less. Your happiness is the most important thing in the world, and don’t you forget it.

Be organised! Organisation is key to less stress. Grab a diary, buy a calendar, clean your room, organise your school work, buy a bunch of folders and set of highlighters, clean out any unneeded junk, write down everything you need to do or buy! In doing so, you'll be be more prepared, avoid panicking and have more time for other people and hobbies. It makes a world of a difference to your health and wellbeing. Don't forget to not overpressure yourself, you're only human, bad things happen. You'll get through it.

Get your priorities straight. Focus on more important things, and be aware and less focused on the petty things. Life is short, enjoy it while you can - cliche I know, but most cliches are true, no? Go into bad situations you’re faced with, with an open mind. Don't be clouded with negativity, sadness or anger when you're attempting to solve an issue. Bad situations are only as bad as what you make them out to be. Sleep on it and make sure you're relaxed and rational. Your attitude towards a situation has the power to shape the outcome - psychologically proven ;).

These are the foundations of most New Year resolutions, whether that be eating healthy, exercising more, getting your grades up or being happier. Make 2016 yours. I wish you guys all the happiness and success in the world. Don't forget, we’re only human; the above things will take time to learn but keep at it. Happy New Year! Make 2016 your bitch.

Rama x

Lilash Review!

Hello friends.. It's been a while
Sorry! We've been bogged down with our university workload.

I've been trialling the Lilash Eyelash Growth Serum for a little over 12 weeks and wanted to share the results with you all! As the name suggests, it's designed to assist with eyelash growth, Lilash also have a serum designed to help with eyebrow growth.

Looming Grades!

Hello ladies and gents!
Sorry we've not been posting.. Been bogged down with exams, assignments and all. Hope everyone's well! This post was requested by an anonymous question on ask.fm.

Thought since I'm also waiting for my exam and assignment results, I'd share a bit of advice to hopefully assist anyone feeling anxious about their results!

Keep your thoughts positive. Having a negative mindset will really bring you down. You've already done the exam, there is no need to think about the "what ifs" and "I could have written more". In doing this, you will drive yourself crazy and there's just no need. You've already completed the exams, they're in the past now, as much as it sucks you cannot go back and re-do it, so it's best to accept it and move on.

What's On My Phone?

Hello friends!

Hope you’re all well.

We’re all bogged down with assignments and exams, so unfortunately haven’t had time to write for the blog as much as we’d like to. I received an ask.fm question with two suggestions – What’s on my Phone? And Favourite Beauty Bloggers! I’m going to go ahead and do the What’s on my Phone suggestion, will also do the Beauty Bloggers in near future!

-

I’ve only got two pages because I like everything in a folder, organised – looks cleaner. In the extras folder I’ve put all the apps I could not care less about. We should have the option to delete those, am I right ladies? 

OurTunes

Hello, so we’ve absolutely no clue as to what our next post would be, and we decided it would be our five favourite songs and one guilty pleasure – song wise.

Rama –

Anastasia – I’m Outta Love

Chris Brown ft. Kendrick Lamar – Autumn Leaves
Rihanna – Towards the Sun

Tinashe – All Hands on Deck

San Cisco – Awkward

Guilty pleasure: High School Musical - Scream

Kimerah –

The 1975 - You

One Direction – Happily

One Direction – 18

The Killers - Human

Chris Brown - X

Guilty pleasure: Gunday Soundtrack - Jiya

Ayshe -

Sam Smith – Leave Your Lover

Sia ft. The Weeknd – Elastic Heart

Maroon 5 - Feelings

The 1975 – Medicine

Kodaline – All I Want

Guilty pleasure: High School Musical – Gotta Go My Own Way

Tina –

The Weeknd – Earned It

The Weeknd – Often

Ed Sheeran – Photograph
Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth – See You Again

Taylor Swift - Style

Guilty pleasure: One Direction – I Want

Degrees, Degrees, Degrees.

Ciao. 
I am actually running out of different ways to greet you guys, I’m going to start speaking different languages.

Here, we thought it’d be good to give you guys a look into our university degrees, what it entails and our thoughts on our degree. Hopefully it might be of assistance to those who are unsure of what they want to do! 
We wish you the best of luck with whatever you’ve chosen/chose to do!

I’m doing a Bachelor of Psychology; I chose to do this because I want to help people, to make a positive impact on their life. In starting the course, I didn’t realize there was so much biology and maths involved. These are my major weaknesses, but they weren’t any pre-requisites for the course. Apart from those—I really enjoy doing the course. I’ve learnt about how humans work, why humans behave in a way, about psychology theorists, how to write research papers, the different stages we go through cognitively and behaviourly different types of therapy and all about logical thinking. It’s really interesting to learn about how all the things we do but don’t think about, are actually conditioned responses we’ve learnt. With any subject in university, comes a lot of content, lectures, tutorials and readings (if I'm honest, I don't do half of them), you can always ask for help if needed. If you’ve got any questions about my course, I will be happy to answer them! Just comment below, or send me a question here. Rama x

Everyday Make-Up Routine

Hellooooo!

Third time's the charm? This is my every day make-up routine. I didn’t like the other two posts, well; I didn’t like the pictures so I deleted it. However, this post is here to stay (hopefully). So without any further ado, here is my every day make up routine!

Right, so, first thing is first (had to refrain from making /that/ joke) foundation. I use the NARS Sheer Glow foundation, one pump, using the Models Prefer Airbrush BuffingBrush to blend that in. I don’t go in with a primer first because; does anyone really have the time? I also don't powder, I don't like the look of it.

University Bag Essentials

Salutations my friends.

As some (all? most?) of you may know, I’m in my second year of university. And although we’ve already started, I thought I’d do a “what’s in my university bag/university bag essentials” post, thought it’d be fun. I love seeing what other people carry in their bags (is that odd?) so, I thought you guys might too. How many times have I said thought? Way too many.. Enjoy!

Let me start by showing you the bag I carry. My mum, bless her, bought it for me. I actually love it so much. It was bought from strandbags, but I looked on the website and can’t find it, so it must not be sold anymore. I suggest buying a bag that is able to carry a good amount of weight, one with lots of compartments and if you carry your laptop, a section for that. Most importantly, make sure it’s comfortable.

Positivity

Hiyaaaa. In reply to my question on our next post, someone asked it to be on positivity! And because we are all about the readers, here it is.

Being positive in some situations is extremely difficult; I get that. You have those days where nothing goes right and those weeks were nothing is looking up. It’s easier to be negative about a situation, than to be positive. However, as some of you may know, I’m currently studying psychology, and what I’ve learnt is that you can condition and control yourself more than you think. It’s amazing, really.

When you find yourself in an unpleasant situation, instead of being irrational, take a few minutes to clear your mind or sleep on it and come back to it when you’re no longer consumed by anger, sadness etcetera, etcetera. This helps eliminate irrational thoughts, helps you come to better terms with the situation and whilst you’re asleep, your unconscious mind and brain is still working on the problem (this is why the random “oh I’ve got the answer!” thoughts pop up in your mind, learnt it in psychology too :P).

Another tip, although so painfully obvious, is think positive thoughts. I can hear collective groans, but I cannot stress how much this actually helps. When you catch yourself thinking negatively about a situation or an outcome, change those thoughts, train yourself to start thinking good thoughts. Your brain and body rely on you to give it directions and believe me when I say; you can change how you feel. Train your thoughts— it’s all in your head. Be mindful, when thinking about the situation or outcome, live in the present, make no judgments just let yourself be consciously aware of what’s going on, then move on to problem solving.

Finally, I know this is getting annoying, but I learnt about a therapy in psychology that I really like and thought it would be the perfect time to share it. It’s called the Acceptance and Commitment therapy. I’ll just give you a brief run down of the theoretical implications. The acceptance part of this theory is allowing yourself to accept and acknowledge your emotions and allowing yourself to feel them. Accept the past unwanted, unwelcomed experiences and then make a commitment towards fulfilling a meaningful life, accepting the pain that is inevitable.

Nooooooow, I know this wasn’t a big bowl of positive sunshine that some of you might have expected, but I thought that a post like this would be better than the generic stuff other people usually pull out. I hope this helps you guys with any issues that you may have gone through, or are still, going through. I think these concepts can be applied to just about any given situation. I wish you guys all the happiness in the world, and remember, to be positive, just be positive! Was that lame? That was lame, hahaha.

Rama xx

(Late) Introductions

Hello! 

Since starting this blog, we (very impolitely) jumped straight into it, without any proper introductions. Better late than never, though, right?! Right..? Since there are four people on this blog, we will briefly introduce ourselves and give you a bit of a run down of what the blog is about (we aren't even sure what our blog is about, we're actually winging it). 

We want to cater to a large audience, so the blog will be on a variety of things, including; make-up, skin care, rants, contemporary topics/issues and anything anyone asks us to write about. I hope you guys enjoy our blog!

                                                    ❤❤❤❤

Hellooooooo. I'm Rama, I'm nineteen years old and currently at university doing my second year in the bachelor of Psychology! My passions include; surfing the internet, watching youtube videos, eating popcorn, making lame jokes and whining about how I'm not being paid much attention. Also, I've just noticed my "about me" sounds like a profile one would put on a dating website. Brilliant. 

Hiyaaaa, my name is Ayshe - good luck to anyone who tries to pronounce it and I'm an almost twenty-one year old amateur writer who dreams of things - generally - bigger than what her future holds. Right now, I'm studying 3rd year Medical Science at university. I'm the type of person who sometimes gets really passionate about things...like tv shows, certain ~celebrities~ and the great many injustices in this world like Zayn Malik's side profile. Also, I have a tonne of useless fun facts that I tell people at least six times - yes, I'm that friend. 

Hey guys! I'm Kimerah or Kimiz for short, I'm currently 17 turning 18 in a month, hallelujah! At the moment I'm in my first year of uni completing a bachelor of science and I'd like to think that one day I could possibly become a doctor (key word possibly) I love to write, but tend to get very lazy about it...oops. I am a sports enthusiast but am too lazy to go out and play it myself...don't hold that against me. 

Ciao, the name's Tina. I'm 18, currently studying PR at a uni... somewhere. I live for late night inspiration, my extended desktop monitor and Apple products. I thoroughly enjoy music... all types (yes, I can even appreciate the odd Beethoven or Chopin every now and then). I'm in love with fantasy novels and my heart falls apart when I read angsty teen novels. I'm the serious one in this group - the realist in a bunch of dreamers. I also enjoy peonies... a lot. Buy me peonies and I might actually marry you. Beware. 


xxx

Eid

Hiiiii! So we’d like to first of all start off by wishing everyone who celebrates Eid, whether it be today or tomorrow or any day after, an Eid Mubarak and even to those who don’t. We hope you all have a blessed life and may god bring you all peace, prosperity and happiness from this day onwards.

Eid comes twice a year for us Muslims and to keep it simple they are both celebrations, hence the greeting “happy Eid” or “Eid Mubarak” which translates to “have a blessed Eid”.

The first Eid comes after the month of Ramadan which is the ninth month on the Islamic calendar and it is a period in time where we are encouraged to fast (no eating, drinking, smoking, basically no ingesting anything) for a whole month as well as to give charity where we can. The fasting is a practiced method of cleansing our souls/bodies and giving us a period of time to reflect, repent and to forgive. Abstaining from eating (generally from sun up to sundown), almost all other activities that is a privilege instead of a need (such as music and tv), allows us to empathise with those who are not as lucky as we are and thus, it encourages us (for a little while at least) to be grateful for what we have and not be bitter over what we lack. The purpose is to teach us patience and humility and to exercise restraint in order to achieve a closer relationship with Allah (God). Following the month of Ramadan, we have Eid al-Fitr which is also known as the “Feast of the Breaking of The Fast” is a period of celebration where we gather together to pray in the morning then visit family and friends for the next few days sharing our joy and handing out gifts to one another.

Body Image

Hi guys!

Body image was one of the topics I was asked to discuss, and considering I'm someone who's not happy with my own body and understand what people with a negative perspective of their image go through, I thought this would be a great topic to speak about.

I'm not going to sit here, and tell you all that your body is fine the way it is, and you should be happy with it  because I know that won't work nor will it help you help yourself. Many people don't understand that the problem is how we perceive ourselves, not how others perceive it.

Body image is an issue that is not taken as seriously as it should, people are so quick to brush it off or label it as someone "fishing for compliments" when in reality it runs so much deeper than that. An issue like this can be so detrimental to an individual's well being. It's so sad to see so many people not happy with their bodies or the way they look.

This aim of this post isn't to be uplifting, it is aimed at showing you guys that this is such a common occurrence and you are not alone. One thing I despise, is that people are so focused on blaming the media. They're overlooking the real problem, they're not aiming to help individuals with body issues, their words consist of "don't listen to the media" when they should be aiming to help you see that your body is your body; fat, skinny, short, tall, learn to embrace it and you will be 100% happier. The confidence you emit (or if you have none, fake it) will reflect on your image and trust me people will notice and commend you. Confidence is key.

In order to assist you all in embracing your body and image I have a few pieces of advice.

1. Allow yourself to accept that this is your body, you don't need to change it to be happy, you need to change your outlook. If you constantly tell yourself this everyday, and allow yourself to believe that your body is beautiful whether it be a size 8 or a size 20, nothing else will matter.
2. Wear clothes that make you feel pretty, do your research, see what type of clothing suits your body and this will help you be more comfortable in your own skin because it will bring out the best of your body.
3. Don't look into the mirror, for too long, if you like your outfit, leave it, don't change it, don't let yourself believe that it doesn't look good on you. Wear it with confidence.
4. Be confident! I cannot stress this enough, I have seen people who are quite thick who look even better than Megan Fox because they are so confident and you cannot help but think wow.
5. Do things that make you feel good about yourself! Go to a spa for a day, do facials at home, exercise (to be healthy, not for the wrong reasons and in moderation), what ever you do, just make sure you do it for you.
   
   

I hope these tips help. As I said, this post was to help show you guys you are not alone and I acknowledge the fact that changing your perception is not easy hence why I did not attempt to drill it in, instead attempted to help you become more confident with your body. You are all beautiful, all with different beauties. Beauty does not have a body, it does not have a face. It is within you. Oh and don't forget, we tend to notice the imperfections about ourselves when others don't.  

I feel it is appropriate to end this post with these lyrics;

You are beautiful no matter what they say!

copyright: Instagram

Haha, bye guys!

Rama x