Saudi Makeup

Food here is cheap.
So is clothing.
Pretty much everything here is very cheap except for makeup. 

I made the mistake of leaving all of my good stuff at home, hundreds of Canadian dollars down the drain there. All of my nail polish, everything! I thought, like everything else, I'd be able to find it here no problem. Well, I was wrong and I'll be the first to admit it. I'm suffering.

Finding and experiencing new brands used to be a hobby of mine, now it's a nightmare. I am tossed around by products, some look amazing but the quality stinks, some look terrible but have staying power like nothing else I've ever used. It's the mix of arab, asian, and european market brands here that make it absolutely impossible to find anything good or worthwhile without buying, taking home, and either loving or regretting, first.

There are no real huge malls here in Al Baha, so I've experienced a couple of stores in search of makeup brushes. Let e tell you- they are as expensive if not more expensive than Canada. I couldn't even tell if it was a good brand because I've never heard of it! God knows if it's like dollar store quality and I don't know. Plus, you can test on your hand but no where else, so I'm frightened to run out of foundation and have to go looking for that later on.

And the men!
Agh!

Looking good guuuurl!

I love it when there is a nice covered saudi woman at the counter. I politely tell her how I don't speak arabic and she guides me towards the good stuff and is very helpful, when I'm done she cuts me a deal (doesn't use me!) and I usually get something free in the end. Done and done. When there is a man around I feel like he's burning holes into my abaya and my hand with his eyes- especially because I'm english. Then suddenly the 24 riyal nail polish becomes 40 riyals. I CAN READ, MAN!

Anyway...
I hardly talk to anyone without my scary husband anyway.

I can't wait to move to the city where there are malls with sephora and other things I'm familiar with. I guess I can't escape the price, which is a pity, but at least I know what I'm buying.

Now I have to tackle my organic fix and lingerie.

No organic stuff here from what I've seen, not Baha nor Makkah. Lingerie? Awkward, and I'm saving it for later.

If anyone has tips on finding makeup here PLEASE, let me know. I'm stressing!