My Makeup Collection: Kuwait

This weekend I stayed in as over the past 2 weeks I have been ill with the flu and my sinuses have been playing up too. It has been quite relaxing as yesterday I decided to oil my hair and leave it in for most of the day and then I applied a hair treatment. I also got down to some making some handmade cards, well I started card #1 for my new collection which I was excited about. Today I cleaned my room a little and then painted my nails using Barry M Gelly Shine in Almond (a purple based grey), a colour I wouldn't normally choose but I like how it is neutral and will go with most colours.

I was actually packing up some thing for home and was going through my makeup when I thought I would snap some photos and do a blogpost on my makeup collection in Kuwait. I have previously blogged about my lip collection so I didn't want to repeat myself and therefore decided to focus on eyeshadows and blushes. 

I will talk about my top 3 eyeshadow palettes:

#1: L'oreal Quad Palette - I find myself packing this beauty on short trips as I can use this for simple daytime and smokey evening looks especially paired with NARS Mekong. I LOVE!

#2: Barry M Pressed Pigment Palette -  I made this palette a few years go when pressing eyeshadows was in. I still make good use out of it when I apply a coloured eyeliner on the bottom lash line, I like to intensify the colour by swiping a colour on top.

#3: Sleek Storm Palette - Out of all the Sleek Palettes I own this is  the one I used the most. It is more of a neutral to smokey palette which I tend to use for 'fresh' daytime looks. I usually opt for the rose gold, pale champagne colours and swipe a slick of black eyeliner on top. Definitely a must have!

R - L: ABH & Tammana Roashan Eyeshadow Palette, Barry M Pressed Pigments Palette, Sleek Storm Palette, Urban Decay Deluxe Eyeshadow Palette, Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette. In the Middle from R - L: L'oreal Quad Palette, MAC Eyeshadow in Honeylust, Nars Single Eyeshadow in Mekong

I will talk about my top 3 blushes:

So I LOVE my blushes big time but looking at my collection I tend to sway more towards natural looking colours like browny-pinks and corals which also mirror my lip collection!

#1: NARS Madly without a doubt! This was my first or second high end blush I bought with the help of my Foundation Queen/Makeup Partner in Crime friend Sheena. It is a browny-pink but really gives you a natural glow. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!

#2: Sleek Suede - this is more of a pink based brown and my favourite Sleek blush. It was limited edition before they made it permanent to their collection and I am so glad they did. I have been wearing this pretty much everyday and people have commented on how lovely it looks. It gives you a pop of colour and really compliments a fresh faced/dewy look. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!

#3: MAC Peaches - I cannot believe I had not seen this blush sooner! I saw this on Sabina's Makeup Addict blog before she switched to documenting her looks on Instagram and it looked really nice and natural. So I took the plunge and bought it here in Kuwait. I have literally used it up until a month ago when I switched to Sleek's Suede. It is a gorgeous light peach that is buildable and again just gives a nice flush of colour to the cheeks. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!

Top Row from L - R:  Sleek Blush in Pan Tao ( much oranger and brighter in real life!), Sleek Blush in Sahara, Sleek Blush in Suede, Nars Blush in Madly, Nars Blush in Torrid
Bottom Row from L - R: MAC Blush in Margin (frost), MAC Blush in Peaches ( sheertone) and Laura Mercier Illuminating Quad in Coral Red.



I hope you enjoyed checking out my collection.

Love & Blessings,

Sara xx

Summer Skincare Regime

I just realised my last post should have been an update on my skincare!

Okay, before I think I posted that my skin is normal but can get dry especially with the air conditioning. So I switched to using The Body Shop Vitamin E range which worked well but then the last 2 months my skin was terrible. I have noticed that within the past year before 'time of the month' I usually get a mofo' of a zit somewhere on my face. I know it's like ' Hey Sara, your period is due soon!' Trust me, it is horrible! But going back to the past 2 months ( March and April) , my skin was not good at all. It was just spotty/bumpy and I am not sure why so the only alternative was to switch up my skincare as the Vitamin E range wasn't doing it for my skin.


Cleanser and Eye Makeup Remover: Soap and Glory Peaches and Cream

Toner: Bioderma Micellar Water ( Pink top)

Moisturiser: Soap and Glory Feel Good Factor Translucent BB Cream

Eye Cream: Soap and Glory You Won't Believe Your Eyes Eye Cream

Exfoliator: Sephora Metamorphosis Exfoliating Powder  ( reminds me of Dermalogica Daily Exfoliant)

Spot Treatment: Boots Tea Tree Night Gel ( I only use this when I have a mofo of a zit and dab it lightly)

Night Moisturiser/Treatment: Superdrug Vitamin E Oil ( I use this every night)

Face Mask: Lush Brazened Honey ( I use this once/twice every 2 weeks)

I have to say I am anal when it comes to removing my makeup at the end of the day. I have my own little routine hence the list above! Alhamdulilah, my skin has been so much better since I have used these products and as well as drinking lots of water.

My skincare consists of a lot of drugstore/high street products which proves that you don't always need to use high end brands.

P.S. I will add photos tomorrow as my phone battery has just died!

Love & Blessings,

Sara xx

Update in Kuwait...10 months on!

So I thought I would post an update on life in Kuwait...10 months on.

I moved to Kuwait in August 2014 after deciding that I wanted to travel and experience the world as well as teach abroad. Fast forward to May 2015, with 3 weeks to go before I return to the UK for the summer I wanted to summarise my first year of living abroad.

So has moving to the Middle East lived up to my expectations?

Well, I will start with the positives.

+ Kuwait offers a very relaxed and laid back lifestyle which I enjoy in comparison to London

+ The opportunity to meet people/colleagues from a range of countries and backgrounds.

+ An excellent hub to travel to a range of destinations

+ Lots of free time to take up hobbies, travel, alternative interests.

+ Weather ( come on 2 months of Winter suits me just fine :p )

Then there are the negatives...

- The quality of education in schools is questionable as lots of schools employ unqualified 'teachers' including the top schools!

- Some expats can have negative attitudes towards the Arabs here which annoys me ( you chose to come here so be respectful of other cultures and people!)

- Kuwaitis can come across as quite a closed off community but once you get talking to them they are fine ( well the ones I have spoken too!)

- If you don't have a circle of friends, life here can be pretty boring.

- Again in comparison to London, there isn't a lot to do here hence why I travel pretty much in my school vacations.

- It's normal to see workers/maids be exploited by some Kuwaitis and even expats ( something I have found very hard to comprehend)

Overall, I am glad that I made the choice to leave the UK  as I now have a work/life balance here which is something that I appreciate greatly. I have also been able to travel around the Middle East and enjoy experiencing a range of Arab cultures which I love! I love the food, music and best of all the hospitality of the people. However I do miss teaching in the UK, there are more expectations and challenges there and above all more structure and organisation.

Would I recommend it to expats?

Everyone has come here for different reasons, but if you enjoy Middle Eastern culture and have travelled before then yes I would say living here is not so bad or elsewhere in the Middle East. In terms of teaching it is a tricky one, because it can go against what you have been taught in teacher training and also against ethics and values. Again that is something I have found challenging as I am here primarily for the children. But if that doesn't bother you then, go for it.

I wouldn't advise someone to come here especially if you are younger and have not travelled as I have noticed that they complain a lot and have found it hard to settle and integrate here and as a result some have done a 'runner' from their job.

At the moment it is Assessment Week at school and then I am pretty certain that most of the kids will leave after then which is fine with me :P All I am doing at the moment is counting down until I am back in the UK. I can't wait to see my family and catch up with my friends :)

Love & Blessings,

Sara xx

What look am I rockin'?...Arab-Folksy Fusion

So yesterday I ventured out with a friend to the movies at Al Hamra Mall and before I went I snapped these pics of my look. I bought a new top at The Avenues the day before and really wanted to wear it. It is a folksy embroidered floaty kaftan with maroon, teal and gold. I also bought a matte turquoise cream liner from Laura Mercier which I LOVE and had to team with the top! Sorry in advance for the photographs, I was in a rush to get downstairs to my taxi so just snap, snap, snapped away hence the lighting is not that great. As always, a breakdown of the products I have used is detailed below.

Double flick on the eyes 

Full Face Photo

Products used:

Face: LM Primer. theBalm Balmshelter TM, theBalm TimeBalm Concealer, MAC Prep+Prime Highlighter in Peach Lustre and Bright Forecast, theBalm Mary Louminizer, ABH Dipbrow Pomade in Chocolate

Cheeks: MAC Peaches Blush, LM Matte Baked Radiance Bronzer in 03

Eyes: LM Creme Eyeliner in Canard (LOVE!) , LM Eyelash Curler, Benefit Roller Lash, NYX Jumbo Pencil in Milk

Lips: MAC Sweet and Sour Lipstick, Barry M Lipgloss in Coral ( LOVE this combo!)

Et voila my signature pose :P !

I hope you enjoyed the blogpost! My next one will be focussing on my 'Summer Skincare' regime and an update on theBalm Balmshelter :)

Love & blessings,

Sara xx