6 Underrated Egyptian Make Up Finds

As a make-up and beauty enthusiast, living in Egypt is like being deprived from water.. when walking with friends in the mall I find myself drifting into make-up shops unconsciously and on the rare occasion that I find something new that I like, I keep talking about it for days.. and because we don’t have the luxury of a Sephora or a MAC, I’ve learnt to shop the Egyptian brands looking for precious gems buried in the dust and making use of the lower price-tag compared to buying a Naked palette online..

And to my surprise I found out that some Egyptian make-up brands actually have some tricks up their sleeves.. Here are 6 top picks from Egyptian Beauty Brand names:

1.       Amanda Milano Art Liner:

It was one of the first felt tip eyeliner pens that I ever used after being hooked on a Jordana one for a year or so, I discovered the Amanda Milano Art Liner. And while other girls struggled to get their flick even on both eyes, liner was the easiest step of my entire makeup routine (and most of the time the only step).. What I like about it is that it’s Jet black, easy to apply and stays put! Unlike the one I used before it, this one didn’t just fade on me after couple of hours.. It’s also available in blue, brown and green.

2.       Luna Eye shadow:

My experience with local brands’ eyeshadows have not been the best over the years, this is why I was skeptical when I swatched these two stunning shades on my hand at a Luna stand in Hyper One. As I swatched them they felt okay.. they’re definitely not as pigmented or as buttery as let’s say urban decay, but with a bit of primer and patience they can work. I came home and was really disappointed to see the color didn’t translate onto any brush I owned.. so I -for the first time ever- used the sponge applicator, the one you normally toss out and just use a brush, yes that one.. much better… much much better actually, I use them more than most of the shadows I have now.. looks like Luna know what they’re doing with the applicators. I don’t like the fact that their color options are limited and all of them glittery, but they do the job.. for now..

3.       Amanda Milano Super Long Wear Matt Lipstick:

I’m a sucker for any lipstick in pencil form, something about them I just gravitate towards.. and this is by far one of the best lipsticks I ever used.. and by far the best matt lipstick ever.. I used the nude one No:02 for the first time right after I bought it. I put it on with no mirror as I had coffee and: a. It did not dry my lips like most matt formulas do, b. It didn’t leave any mark what-so-ever on my coffee cup.. is it magical? I don’t know, but I bought a second color and planning on getting all the range very soon.

4.       Luna Lip Liner:

I don’t just like the shades, the formula is just wonderful. Everything you would expect from a lip liner in the sense that it’s soft, precise and matt. My two favorite shades are 29 and 31, and even though they’re pinky nudes, I’ve used them to contour my lips, underneath red lipstick to tone it down, on their own as lipstick or simply as lip liners for similar colors. They are just good all-round lip pencils.

5.       Sara Highlighter:

My favorite highlighter, not my favorite Egyptian highlighter, no, it is my all-time favorite highlighter. For some reason it is being marketed and sold as a powder foundation.. I don’t want to imagine how that would look like, but I absolutely love it for using on the high point of my cheeks, above my cupids bow and down the center of my nose.. Its just absolutely stunning..

6.       Sara Le Blush Powder Blusher in 104 Brick:

This one I love for the color, the formula is good, but not extra-ordinary but the color is beautiful. The pan I admit is huge and the brush is kind of small, but I’ve used it when I forgot my bigger blush brush before and it did the job.. the color though, I just can’t get enough.. I don’t know why they call it Brick its more of a plum toned dusty pink.. you do need a light hand with this one. The first time I used it I didn’t expect the color payoff to be this strong, and it smells like something my mother would’ve worn ages ago, but then again with this being Sara maybe my mother did wear it 30 years ago..