More than a blogger, I consider myself a professional shopper, which quite simply means I’m addicted to shopping and discovering new brands. I was lucky enough to have lived four years in the United States with a Sephora outlet never more than 10 minutes away from me. Since moving back to Dubai, the makeup scene has definitely grown with Sephora expanding rapidly throughout the GCC and brands like Urban Decay and Laura Mercier opening shop here.
But a beauty junkie is never satisfied, so here are the 5 brands that I’m hoping will setup here very soon (nudge, nudge Al Tayer-Harvey Nichols, Bloomingdales and Chalhoub Group-Sephora). Alternately, if you’re heading to the United States anytime soon, here are 5 beauty brands you need to check out!
Tarte
Famous for their Amazonian Clay 12-hour blush, Tarte has some great skincare and makeup products with fancy ingredients like Maracuja oil. This brand understands cream formulas and their products are amazing for layering – use sheer for a natural look or layer up for some pop. If you’re a fan of Urban Decay, you’ll love Tarte.
Favorites: Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush; LipSurgence Lip Tint; EmphasEYES Inner Rim Brightener. Available @ Sephora USA
Hourglass
This high-end brand was one I discovered on Temptalia’s beauty blog. People love the Hourglass mineral veil primer and liquid lipsticks and some of their new products are earning rave reviews from beauty bloggers. Considering this is an extravagant brand with luxury packaging that rivals Tom Ford and Burberry, this would be loved locally.
Favorites: Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick; Ambient Lighting Powder; Film Noir Lash Laquer. Available @ Sephora USA
Clarisonic
In case you haven’t heard of this miracle facial brush, go read my review here of the Clarisonic Plus. I’ve been a convert for 3+ years and it’s one tool I can’t do without. Ladies in the GCC are missing out on the best way to cleanse.
Favorites: Clarisonic Plus; Clarisonic Mia2. Available @ Sephora USA, Amazon.com.
Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics
This indie brand is growing fast in the US where it is now officially available at Sephora outlets. Last summer, I made a special trip to the OCC East Village store and spend some quality time with their makeup artist. This is a 100% vegan brand for those who are ingredient conscious.
Favorites: Lip Tar; Cosmetic Glitters; Concealer. Available @ Sephora USA (Limited range), OCC.
Nars
Now this one is a funny/sad story. Until 2011(?), Nars was easily available in Dubai and for some reason they stopped selling their products since then. I unfortunately only discovered them AFTER they had left with the blushes and lip pencils being my favorite. We really need this brand back because it has amazing products throughout its collection.
Favorites: So many! Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil; Velvet Matte Lip Pencil; Blush; Illuminator. Available at Sephora USA, Amazon.com.
A base to prep your skin before you apply your foundation/concealer but after you apply moisturizer. Most primers give a velvetey base but there are ones that can be used as a color corrector to cover redness.
