beauty – Style Me, Maria

January 6, 2017

Personal Style Above All

When I got the invitation for the annual company (which I work for) lunch, I was at a total loss as to what to wear (because a daytime affair rarely calls for glam), an issue that rarely happens with me because I am quick to decide on my outfit. However I was torn between wearing a satin blouse and maxi skirt with heels or go for my staple comfortable style. If I choose the former I would be sure to make a statement that differs from my usual jeans and sneakers everyday office wear, but I would be miserable holding up my skirt so I won’t trip on it, and wobbling like a duck in heels. My other option would definitely put me at ease regardless of what the masses would be choosing as outfits. I finally decided that I would up my casual game just enough for it to be appropriate without being under dressed. I switched my sneakers to ballet flats and my everyday bag for a more formal one. read more

June 27, 2016

The Free Nail Whitening Hack

I have always had an issue with my nails. I started applying nail polish 10 to 15 years ago and have done so religiously on a weekly basis. I do my best to apply a good base coat to protect my nails but somehow they seemed to turn yellow after each polish application and removal. My panic increased with each time, I knew I had to let my nails breathe but I would be so embarrassed by their yellowish tint that I’d apply another color to hide the shame, and so the vicious cycle continued. Any regular manicured gal will agree that this is the worst situation! I tried so many products, cosmetic and pharmaceutical; they can be quite pricey but to no avail. They only give the illusion of whiter nails but do little to fix the problem. read more

May 22, 2016May 22, 2016

Quick Night-Time Makeup

For those of you who are too busy to get into an elaborate makeup routine for a night out, you can fake one in minimal time and with an easy technique. I had an event to attend recently, and being in a hurry as always, I snuck in a few minutes in between taking care of the kids to get all made up. I’m gonna show you what products I used, you don’t need the exact ones, but choose shades that will blend together and suit your skin tone regardless of what color you are wearing; I find earth tones to be the most flattering. read more

May 9, 2016May 24, 2016

SebaMed 5.5

May 5 (5/5) is the celebration day for SebaMed, a German manufactured medical skincare line, because that day correlates to the pH value 5.5 of our skin. This brand ensures that its products are a pH 5.5 to help maintain healthy skin. To make this day special and to spread awareness of a healthy lifestyle, I was invited to spend a day of pampering with access to the gym and fitness classes at the Hilton hotel. It started out with an hour’s massage session with Dr. Burgener products, followed by a relaxing afternoon at the spa. read more

August 10, 2015

Sephora Color Festival

I’ve always wanted a complete makeup kit like the ones my mother had while I was growing up. Unfortunately they are a rare find, and if I do come across a few, they are either of horrible quality or over priced. This year when I traveled to the USA I made my regular stop at Sephora and found this fabulous palette that saved me the heartache.

This is its closed mode which is a real space saver.

Each layer opens up and twists to reveal whats underneath, shades and colors of eyeshadow, lip gloss and blush. read more

July 4, 2015May 24, 2016

The Face Of Samoa

Samoa cosmetics held ‘The Face of SAMOA’ launching campaign party to present us with their new products and the latest innovative contouring techniques. Several Samoa makeup artists were available to show us the summer colors to acheive a bold result for the sake of the #FaceOfSamoa selfie.

What I wore:

Top: Old Navy

Denim: True Religion Brand Jeans

Shoes: Sam Edelman

Bag: Le Sportsac

Here I am getting my makeup done, the foundation was light-weight and practically no blush was needed for this look, just the natural hue of my cheeks. read more

June 22, 2015

My Easy Summer Beauty Routine

When it comes to a daily beauty routine, mine is very simple. No over the top products and definitely no makeup, so i count on the simplest products to give a natural glow for my skin and hair.

I always moisturize my skin all year round, but for the summer in particular, I use Vaseline ‘cocoa glow’ because it indeed gives a bronze glow with a scent that makes you feel like you’re on the beach.

When it comes to my morning facial routine, I am always in search of the product that suits my sensitive skin the most, and this time I am using The Body Shop organic ‘Nutriganic’ face and eye cream. Although it is not an anti-aging cream, its an all natural moisturizer that doesn’t irritate sensitive skin. read more

June 3, 2015May 24, 2016

L’Oreal Paris – Festival De Cannes

L’Oreal Paris hosted an event at ABC Ashrafieh to present their new Extraordinary Oil products along with the 3 beauty trends for this year’s Cannes film festival. L’Oreal is the official makeup artist of this film festival, so who better to give us a red carpet pampering session than the experts?

The 3 makeup trends are:

1 – L’Or Pin Up

2 – Some Like It Hot

3 – The Barefoot Contessa

I chose a dramatic look for a change, because I usually go for understated makeup, so the 2nd trend was my choice, and these are the products used. read more

March 2, 2015March 2, 2015

The Natural World Of Beesline

A while ago I received a gift basket from Beesline. It is a Lebanese cosmetic brand that prides itself in its natural ingredients mainly apitherapy, which is the use of honey bee products. I am a huge fan of natural products and tend to search for them when I am at a department store or a para-pharmacy as I have sensitive skin, especially my face.

Inside the bag was a pair of anti odor socks, lip balm, sea salt foot scrub, anti shine facial mask, and beeswax ointment.

The facial mask was thick in texture that is easy to rub with a pleasant scent. read more

February 4, 2015

Product Review: Makeup Forever’s Smoky Extravagant Mascara

I have mentioned previously here about my most recent experience of shopping in the U.S. and how I received a little sample kit from Sephora. One of the items included in this package is Makeup Forever’s mascara Smoky Extravagant.

I decided to give it a try a few nights ago to see what its all about. First of all it is smaller than the regular size since this isn’t for retail. The brush however is the same, and is thin at the tip for precision. Applying the mascara is super easy because of this and there is no risk in messing it up around the edges of the eyes. read more