Anastasia Illuminators in Starlight and Riviera

Highlighters.  Chocolate.  Shoes.  Handbags.  Cocktails that taste like pop.

All things I cannot resist.

I was totally on a no-buy because I literally have like so much make up.  No honestly I have.

Sarah totally encouraged me to buy these.  She wanted me to buy them all but I said no.  But no means yes right?  Cult Beauty then kindly emailed me to tell me they were in stock and curiosity got the better of me and before I could stop myself I had bought two.  Which is restrained as Sarah told me to buy all 4.

I went for icy white gold Moonlight and rose gold Riviera which is probably more suited to darker skintones but it is so beautiful. 

The packaging is very sturdy-almost to the point of being chunky to be honest but the pan inside is a beauty.  I really like the layered 'stepped' pattern.  When I first swatched them I was convinced these were dupes for the Becca Opal and Moonstone highlighers-they have the same incredibly complex shimmer that is only detected in bright sunlight that you get from the Becca.  But they're not really even close in shade-in fact done of my highlighters duped these two tones.  Moonstone from Becca is more yellow toned than Starlight and Opal is much more golden bronze than Riviera.  When the Becca tones weren't the match I thought they would be I started swatching more and more of my highlighters but nothing was an obvious dupe.

Oops sorry about the typo!

Starlight pulls quite gold on me which I was really surprised given the very silver look in the pan.  So if you have avoided this because of its apparent Tin Man-esque qualities you may find it to be much softer and prettier than you expect.  Riviera is more MAC Soft and Gentle-esque but it's slightly darker and more intense.  But it's not unwearable on my pale (NW15/Mont Blanc) skintone.  If I place it right at the top of my blusher so it blends a little with the blush it adds some serious glow.  I guess it's not for the fainthearted (if you prefer softer highlighters try MAC Soft and Gentle or Charlotte Tilbury Norman Parkinson Dreamy Glow) but it's not quite 'can you see my highlight from space'?  I'd wear it in the day-maybe not to the office but to a brunch or afternoon tea.  Starlight and Kevyn Aucoin Celestial Powder are quite similar but the Kevyn Aucoin is slightly more subtle and lighter.

Neither of the Anastasia highlighters are glittery but they are slightly metallic and shimmery.  I suggest a light hand and building up until you're comfortable with the effect.  They don't settle into pores and of the two, Starlight is the more subtle over its darker and rosier sister Riviera.  I'm definitely going to use these as eyeshadows too-especially Riviera.

I still don't think I need the other two but I am definitely very happy with the two I did buy and can see me reaching for them often.

My understanding is that these are limited edition but they're still in stock now at Cult Beauty for £28 each.  Are you tempted?

Lip Six

Happy Monday and greetings from Cairo!  This weeks lip six is brought to you featuring some bad overdrawing of one side of my lips and a beautiful lipgloss which is now discontinued.  When bad things happen to good lipglosses....

Top row (L) YSL Volupte Tint in Oil in 5 Cherie my cherry (review here!)  (R) Hourglass Femme Nude Stylo in #4 (review here!)

Middle row (L) Bite Frozen Berries Matte Creme lipstick in Juniper (R) YSL Babydoll Kiss and Blush in #5 Rouge Effronte (review here!)

Bottom row (L) Rimmel Apocalips in Nova (R) Belmacz Lip Glow (sadly discontinued)

Loved the Bite lipstick and I wore it twice this week-once to the office and once to brunch on Friday-it has great lasting power and goes great with MAC More to Love Pro Longwear lip pencil

Have a great week!

New in! NARS Audacious mascara

To me, NARS have never been known for their mascara.  Did they even do a mascara before this launch?  If they did, I never tried it.  NARS is the brand though that if I could only ever have one make up brand for the rest of my life I would chose.  I could quite happily live with their Sheer Glow foundation, creamy concealer (not my favourite but it's not horrendous), eyeshadows and lipsticks.  I also love their lip glosses and their blushers are some of the best in the business.

So a new mascara launch from NARS is bound to raise a few perfectly threaded eyebrows in the beauty world.  And who better to try it out than a self confessed mascara loving whore than myself??  So when my best friend Dani sent me this from London I immediately put it to the test.

I've done lots of mascara reviews here on Expat Make Up Addict-I love the stuff.  I need it like I need air.  I've reviewed an Almost Perfect mascara, a Perfect mascara, Disappointing mascaras and 6 mascaras on rotation so I have definitely used every mascara-related descriptive word there is.

Let's start with packaging.  Love/hate.  Love the red lid-very Louboutin although I don't know why NARS have gone for that look as it's not their norm.  The wand is supposedly red as well (well it is in the promo pictures), again-why?  It's covered in black mascara.  My 'hate' bit comes from the fact NARS have used their awful rubberised packaging for the tube-I was so sure they were moving away from this but no, and it attracts dust, dirt and fingerprints and is impossible to keep clean.

The wand is hard, stiff plastic with over 200 moulded and lengthening hooks and a tapered tip.  It's quite a thick wand too (why does every mascara wand review sound I am reviewing a penis?)  NARS claim the mascara 'simultaneously separates, lengthens, and amplifies. Its tapered tip finishes off the inner and outer reaches of your imagination, while enhancing lower lashes'.  They also claim that the 'formula offers extreme buildability. Lightweight. Long-wearing.'

So lets break this down:

The brush feels extremely scratchy and harsh on my lashes-I don't like it at all and I find it difficult to get it very close to the roots of my lashes.  I don't generally dislike plastic brushes but I do dislike this one-a lot.  The 'hooks' on the brush are designed to cling to every lash-same as with the Benefit Rollerlash but I really prefer Rollerlash to this mascara-it gives an all round more intense look.  The NARS mascara feels spiky and the wand is really too big to successfully get to the bottom lashes (and to be fair I am afraid of causing myself a serious mascara wand in eye injury.

The formula:

Separates?  Yes definitely-no clumpiness at all.  I feel like the mascara makes my lashes look fanned out.
Lengthens?  Yes, I can see definite length. 
Amplifies?  No.  I can't build any volume with this mascara at all, even with several coats, which is really disappointing.
Buildable?  Yes-and you get time to work with the mascara too-it's neither an overly wet nor overly dry formula but it doesn't make your lashes crispy when it dries.  Also, NARS actively promote that you can recoat your lashes later in the day to go from office to bar without any clumpiness.
Lightweight?  It does feel lightweight!  I've never really thought about a mascara being heavy or lightweight but this one feels lightweight on the lashes.
Long wearing?  No qualms here-no flaking or smudging and it stays black all day.  It's a bit of a bugger to remove though at the end of the day.  Although my lashes don't respond well to lash curlers, this mascara definitely does hold any curl I do manage to achieve.

Another plus point-the brush doesn't pull out too much product so there is no excess mascara round the tube.  (I believe the tube opening has something called a 'sphincter guard' (mega lolz) to ensure that the mascara stays inside the tube)

In summary-I really do prefer volumising mascaras and this one sorely disappoints in that area.  If you look for length and separation from your mascara then you will like this-as long as you don't dislike the wand as much as I do.  I've read a few rave reviews of this mascara but for me, it's not to my taste.

Perfume House M. Micallef Celebrates One Year Anniversary in Singapore with launch of Akowa

Structural, crystal-studded Ylang in Gold bottles


French luxury niche brand M. Micallef has been in the market for almost 20 years, but just celebrated their first birthday in Singapore with the launch of sexy new men's fragrance Akowa (SGD$345), a sensual, woody-aromatic concoction which contains a "secret ingredient" extracted from the root of an undisclosed plant from Africa. The name and

My MAC lip liner collection

More of a pictorial post today than a straight review but it's in response to a request for a post about lip liners from one of the sweetest girls who reads my blog, Stephanie.

I have definitely gotten more and more into lip liners in the couple of years and have amassed a collection of MAC liners.  My collection isn't exclusively MAC but I thought I would start with a MAC post as they represent the lions share and then do a follow up with my other liners if it's of interest.

By far I have most of the MAC Lip Pencils-there are a massive 41 shades in the range and they retail for $16.50/£12.50.  The beauty of a lip pencil is you don't just need to use it to line your lips-often I fill in my whole lip then just add a gloss over the top.  Of if you want a truly matte lip, filling the whole lip with the lip pencil is a great way to go.

My first ever MAC lip pencil was Spice and I was about 17!  My 'going out' lip was always Spice liner all over the lips and then topped with a MAC purple glittery gloss (I wish I could remember the name but I am sure it's discontinued now).  I was obsessed with the vanilla scent of the gloss and it's literally the scent of my late teens!

I actually do not think that the MAC Lip Pencils are the best out there.  There's certainly something for everyone but I find the formula quite stiff and harsh to apply.  I recommend blunting and warming the tip of the liner on the back of your hand before applying it.  But once on they don't slip or slide around and they keep your lipstick inside the lines.  My very favourites are Redd and Beet-perfect and necessary for nailing that bold lip.

But my favourite liners from MAC are the Pro Longwear ones.  Slightly more expensive at $20/£15 but they're so worth it.  Much creamier, they glide on the lips rather than drag like the lip pencils.  The formula is softer yet still firm enough to draw a sharp line and the lasting power is incredible.  But then everything I have tried from the Pro Longwear range is...the clue is in the name I guess.  More to Love is my favourite and I always pair it with any bright pink I am wearing.  I definitely want need to try more of these.

If you're looking to expand your make up repertoire by adding lip pencils then I definitely recommend MAC as a good place to start!

I'd love to know what your favourite lip liners are?  Am always looking to be enabled!

Sephora Essential Colorful Masks

The weekend is a perfect time to pamper your skin and explore different treatment options. While I'm still giving my new Nūface device a try (that's not something you use once or twice and write a review about), here are some economical options!



I have many friends who rave about the Sephora Essential Colorful Sheer Masks. But I think it's so great that they've come up with capsules

MAC Extra Dimension eyeshadows-they're back and permanent!

Surely MAC's most instagrammable eyeshadows ever?  MAC Extra Dimension eyeshadows are the most amazing formula and now they're back and permanent!  I had a very impromptu splurge on the above five because basically I am weak and they are shiny.

They're beautiful to look at but thankfully they're not style and no substance-the formula is one of the very best I have tried.

MAC describe the formula as a liquid-powder and the shadows are packed with pigment with a metallic finish.  They're incredibly reflective yet don't contain any glitter or microshimmer.  The formula is incredibly smooth and a delight to blend and I just love them.  I wish MAC did palettes of this formula!  They're not dissimilar to the NARS Dual Intensity eyeshadows but I do think the MAC formula has the edge.

The pigment can be intensified by using them wet-this amps up the metallic foil like finish.  I spritz my brush with MAC Fix Plus (newest purchase and addiction) and use the damp brush to pat the shadow onto my lids.  

Have you tried these eyeshadows?  Do you love them as much as I do?

Favorite Red Hot lipsticks of the moment

Some of you might have seen me mention on Instagram that I'm a bit obsessed with orange-hued reds at the moment.

They're brightening,  fun, and chirpy like orange, but at the same time they're grown-up looking because they mostly act like a red lipstick. And there are several different textures that I like right now as well.






MAC's Dangerous is a limited edition shade (bad news) which

Lip Six

Happy Monday!  I am in a very positive frame of mine at the moment and a huge thank you for all the support I received on Friday which was the first anniversary of going into remission.  I totally spoilt myself that day (evidence on instagram-expatmakeupaddict)

When I got home I was chatting to Tasha and she said to me I hope you bought fabulous shoes to celebrate moving forward' and I actually had!  So I have resolved that each September 18th I will buy myself some fancy shoes to continue to celebrate moving forward.

I love this weeks lip six, make up is really giving me joy at the moment!  It always did but you know when you especially love it-that's me right now.

Top row (L) MAC Amplified lipstick in Impassioned (R) Charlotte Tilbury K.I.S.S.I.N.G lipstick in Velvet Underground (review here!)

Middle row (L) Armani Rouge Ecstasy CC lipstick in 305 Brick (review here!)  (R) Buxom Full Bodied lipstick in Centrefold (Limited Edition but NARS Anna is a total dupe) Review of the Full bodied formula here because it's amazing!

Bottom row (L) Bobbi Brown Art Stick in Sunset Orange (R) YSL Babydoll Kiss and Blush in #2 Rose Frivole (review here!)

I genuinely shopped my stash this week and these are all lipsticks I actually really love but I have so many that sometimes they don't get the love they deserve.

Which is your favourite??

Charlotte Tilbury Norman Parkinson Dreamy Glow Highlighter

I've gotten a tad obsessed with highlighters at the moment and whilst until recently I was using them for 'evening out' make up only, I am now literally piling them on willy nilly on a daily basis.

So when Charlotte Tilbury brought out the Norman Parkinson Dreamy Glow Highlighter I snapped it up.  And it came from Selfridges and hadn't survived the journey. Hashtag cry face.  Selfridges were brilliant though and dispatched another one to me immediately free of charge.

When it came I swooned and ahhed over it, the packaging imagery is really beautiful, well thought out and it reminds me of something my Nan might have had and that's totally fine with me.

In all honesty though I haven't been blown away with the highlighter because it's really really subtle on my skin-even when I go in pretty heavy handed.  If I did that with the Becca highlighter I reviewed recently you'd see me from space!!

But it's sadly barely detectable on my NW15/Mont Blanc skintone.  It doesn't work as an all over finishing powder either as it contains a tad too much shimmer.  As my skin has quite a pink undertone maybe the peachy finish just doesn't work.

I've pulled out some of the other highlighters in my stash for comparison and it is unique in tone-MAC Soft and Gentle is the closest but the Charlotte Tilbury is peachier.

I'd love to know if you have tried this and it has worked for you?  Did you pick up anything else from the Norman Parkinson collection?

YSL Volupté Tint in Oil-the obsession continues

I feel so torn about writing this review because I love this product so much but the photos just make each shade look the same!  I'm hoping by the end of it though you are compelled to go out and buy at least one!  Yes I know that you are hurtling into winter in the Western world and out of lip gloss season but here in Dubai the fun and tolerable sunny season is just beginning.

I wrote a review of my first Volupté Tint in Oil Peach me love back in March and I just adored it.  It was a gloss like I hadn't really experienced before.  The initial application was incredibly glossy with a mirror like shine and tint of colour.  The second coat built up the tint more.  But the magic happens when the gloss dries down.  A definite long lasting stain you didn't even know was there has developed and will envelop your lips for hours.

They swatch very sheer.  Go and swatch one on your hand next time you're shopping.  Then walk away and continue shopping.  When you check back you'll see the swatch has dried to a stain and that's the colour you'll get on your lips.

Despite the name the formula feels like water on the lips without any oiliness.   The oil's (apricot kernal, jojoba seed, coriander fruit and possiflora edulis) hydrate and condition the lips. 

And the packaging....speaks for itself!

I've tried to show below how the colour develops and the stain you get left behind.

Ok so you don't need them all.  But you at least need one.  And then come and tell me you don't need more.

1 year in remission-The best advice I have received in the past 12months

12 months ago today I met with my oncologist for the results of my PET scan and the scan was clear meaning I was officially in remission.  I cried all day.  I literally couldn't get my head around the whole thing and looking back now I can see it was not just physically traumatic but also emotionally traumatic.

I am surrounded by amazing people and I have had some fantastic pieces of advice over the past 12 months.  Today, as I reflect on the past year I am sharing some of the best advice I have had and who it came from.  I am bound to forget someone-I have had brilliant advice constantly over the past 12 months and often I recall something that someone has said to me but these are things that I have screenshot because they have been particularly pertinent at the time.  I received amazing advice and support on my blog posts about my journey and I can't read through the comments without crying.  

I find it very hard to talk about some of the feelings and confusions I have, even to my best friends and my parents because I feel, 12 months later I should be over it.  But it's really really really hard to move on.  Every day I wonder if there will ever be a day I don't think about it.  I find myself thinking stupid things, for example I was sat in the dentist chair on Monday thinking 'if my kids ever have to have braces they're getting the train track ones because at least they work quickly' (I have had my incognito braces on for over 2 years now) and then it hits me, like a curtain dropping at the end of a theatre performance that I will never have my own children.

Sometimes I feel like I am doing really well and sometimes I know I am wallowing.  I feel like I am living but not living.  I feel empty and lonely.  Only sometimes though.  Most of the time I am pretty normal (although James my assistant would probably disagree)

So I hope this post helps to focus my thoughts and help make a better Stacey.

So this is the SMS I received from Nick my old boss after I told him I was in remission 12 months ago today.  This is how I should have been feeling instead of drowning in my own tears.

We have a thing for hashtags!  Regular readers will know what am impact Nick had on my life (and still does) and so of course we would expect some gems from him.  We also have a thing for quotes-we love them!

I sms'd him earlier this week with this:

I am a chronic self doubter.  I know that about myself.  This isn't related specifically to cancer of course but I know it's something I need to work on.

I have loads of brilliant soundbites from Nick that I draw on regularly but one of my favourites recently was something he told me to watch online.  I highly recommend you take 20 minutes out of your day to have a look at this LINK

It's a brilliant and thought provoking speech and I am actively inputting actions from Amy's presentation into my daily office routine.  The night Nick sent that to me I was in Cairo after a particularly rough day and it completely lifted me.

One of the most impactful things Nick ever said to me was one night at our famed (but highly secretive) Tuesday Clubs. It was just me and him there and I can't remember the whole context of the conversation but he said to me 'don't waste time worrying over things that are out of your control'. It's so simple yet so true.

Talking of bosses, my old boss from the UK Andrew gave me some really good advice when I was first diagnosed.  I felt like I was under a lot of pressure to make decisions about my future there and then, especially with being an expat and I remember having a conversation with Andrew where he basically said this to me.

Andrew advised me not to make any life changing decisions for 12 months and he was right, I have been far too emotional to make any significant life decisions-its not even a case of my heart ruling my head, it would have been a case of my head and heart being on a complete rollercoaster where I couldn't make a sensible decision.

Here are some other quotes I have seen (mainly on instagram) that have been relevant and thought provoking over the past 12 months.

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Source-Brittany Burgunder

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My friend Laura (thelauracarlson) does a snapchat daily from the Truthbomb cards that she was given as a gift.  I screenshot a couple that I thought were really inspirational.  I've just found out there is a Truthbomb app so I have just downloaded it so I can have my own daily Truthbomb!

When Mike and I did our Route 66 road trip in July seeing this on the road in Arizona really hit home with me.  I really want to live like this!

I don't really go into detail about how I feel about the last 12 months with anyone anymore but I did have a conversation with one of my best friends Steph earlier this week about moving on and this was her advice to me.

I have a core group of girls that I love so much and speak to almost daily-Dani, Hannah, Steph, Sylvia, Tasha, Vanessa and I know deep down if I really did want to talk to them, or my mum about my thoughts and feelings about this I could.  I may not always talk about my feelings but I take inspiration and strength from the way these girls live their lives-even if I don't tell them often enough. 

Having Danielle my best friend in Dubai recently was incredibly therapeutic.  I took two days off work and I spent them with Dani and Toral lying by the pool at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel.  We talked non stop about anything and everything and I was able to talk freely, face to face to actual humans about some of the emotions I have been feeling.  It really helped and I felt refreshed and 'lighter' after talking to them, as if some of the weight on my shoulders had evaporated.  Dani and I have been friends for more than 10 years and below is the best advice she has ever given me about self respect.  It's metaphorical of course but it's absolutely something that sticks in my head and has changed me as a person and the way I react to the bad behaviour of other people. 

Of course I have to feature James my assistant. Going back 12 months to this day he could tell something was wrong.

It was such good advice from a 24 year old and I have really treasured his words.  He is of course completely right and I absolutely need to switch to manual.  And I need to do it now.

And if all else fails, I will just rely on this advice to get me through life.

I've said it frequently but if you have followed my journey over the past 14 months thank you.  Being an expat can be lonely but through the power of social media there has always been someone there whenever I have felt low.  There has always been someone online, someone to chat to and someone to say 'you're doing great'.  Mike can't understand why I am forever glued to my phone but to me it's more of a lifeline than he can ever understand.

I spoke very honestly about not feeling lucky about my early diagnosis but I genuinely do feel lucky now.  I have turned that corner to know that the whole thing could have been so so much worse and I have indeed been incredibly lucky.

We have no plans for today and if I hadn't posted about this I don't imagine anyone would have remembered-this is not a criticism, this is a date that is only relevant and pertinent to me.  I talked about this to Steph yesterday morning-everyone has dates that are huge to them yet insignificant in the world around them.  The day their baby was conceived, their diagnosis day, the day they started their new job, the day they met their partner, their surgery day, their remission day.  We should celebrate them all.

Don't forget girls-cervical cancer is so preventable!!  If you're over 25 and overdue your smear test/PAP smear/cervical screening please book an appointment today.  If you're under 25 and not eligible for a smear but have symptoms of pain during or after sex, abnormal discharge or bleeding between periods go to your doctor and have a chat with them.

I would love to know what the best piece of advice you have ever received is?