Bourjois Smokey eye trio in 10 Gold Smoking: swatches, review and EOTD

I have a thing for pallets... They're so cute and compact and usually contain enough stuff for a complete makeup look. Hey, everyone likes to arrange stuff in palettes. No other way to explain all the "de-potting" videos on YouTube right?
So this one from Bourjois is really cute and comes as a trio of 3 colours to create a smokey look. Bourjois is pretty well known for its baked blushes and eyeshadows and these pallets have 3 baked mineral eyeshadows in pretty colours. The Bourjois Smokey Eye Trios are prices at Rs.645 each for 4.5g and are available at Bourjois counters or a few online sites. I picked this up form Medplusbeauty.com at a discount.

The shade I have is Gold Smoking which has a dull orange-y gold shade that's not too sparkly or metallic but just right. The darker shade in this palette is Black (or is it dark dark brown?) with subtle bronze shimmer throughout. The lightest shade is a pale pale white gold shade. The shades are all average when it comes to pigmentation with the gold having the best pigmentation and the white gold having the least. The white gold isn't smooth at all and goes on patchy but makes a nice subtle highlighter! But I don't really use it so much and love the other 2 shades in this palette.
Now this is a baked shadow palette and the shades are slightly hard. You CANNOT use a brush to apply this. You won't get any product at all! You can only use the foam tip applicator that's been provided with this. This applicator is pretty good. It's not the usual sponge tipped one..this is more like foam. This doesn't get shredded like the usual sponge tipped ones in a couple of uses. I only use this applicator with this palette. You can even blend pretty well with this applicator. Surprising, I know!
The shades themselves have no fallout whatsoever and adhere really well to the skin without even a base or a primer. It's also pretty long lasting and doesn't crease even after 6 hours. I guess it's coz the shades are so hard. I'm not quite sure if I like the hardness. While it makes it adhere to the eyelid well and stay put, it also results in poor pigmentation and you really have to dig into the shadow and pile it on to get it to show. Mixed bag, really.
But the colours are gorgeous and you can create a lovely gold-black smokey look how I've shown here. I really like how the colours are so unique and have this nice sheen to them without being overly blingy or loud and bright.

Yay for:

• Beautiful, unique shades
• Nice sheen, not too blingy or bright. Just right.
• Can be worn in the daytime or at night
• Never goes on cakey
• No fallout
• Doesn't crease. Lasts 6 hours.
• Adheres well to lids even without a base or primer
• Applicator provided is pretty good. Foam tipped instead of sponge tipped.
• Easy to apply. Blends well. Beginner friendly.

Boo for:

• Very average pigmentation
• Baked shadows, so these are slightly hard. They might further harden with time.
• Applicator might be too small for comfort for some
• Cannot use makeup brushes to apply these

Overall, the Bourjois Smokey eye trios are a mixed bag really but this particular shade Gold Smoking is quite unique and definitely nice to have. You can easily create stunning smokey looks without looking OTT or too bright with this. Would definitely recommend this one to others.

My rating: ***

The best mascara ever: Bourjois Fast and Perfect Volume. Oh plus it rotates. B-)

I've known to be a sucker for gimmicky stuff especially in makeup and most times it flops. But this time it's a super hit. I saw this mascara and instantly knew I *had* to get it. Why? Coz it has a switch and the wand actually rotates you guys! Super cool right? And pretty inexpensive too. I feel so James Bond-esque when I'm using this. Or a stylish spy- like Salt. I could totally be this girl on a secret mission to save the planet from evil and this mascara could be my handheld metal-melting laser beam. Yeaaaah. Zzzzt..zzzzzt.. and I'd wear a cape coz capes are so stylish right? Plus I'd swish it about when I walk and I'd stomp around in my knee high boots and I'd always have perfect makeup. But, I digress.
Anyhoodles, the Bourjois Fast and Perfect volume mascara retails at Rs.850 and I picked this up at discount from StyleCraze.com.

I know I've already given it away but this mascara has a rotating wand that comes with a switch and I suppose runs on batteries which hopefully will not run out before the mascara does. The body seems like metal and is quite heavy. The lid/wand part of it is actually longer than the tube and screws on shut. The switch can be toggled to make the wand rotate either clockwise or anticlockwise, depending on which hand you're using I suppose.
The mascara itself is quite lightweight and goes on smooth. The formula isnt too thick nor too thin. Its just right, as Goldilocks would say. (forgive me, im reading nursery rhymes all day to my 6 month old) It doesn't clump at all or sting my super sensitive eyes. It lengthens, curls and adds slight volume to my lashes. Now I don't use a curler coz my lashes are already pretty curled and I only need some extra volume and length which this provides beautifully. You can get a natural effect with one coat or add one more coat for a dramatic effect. This mascara is not super dramatic but the right kinda dramatic..whatever that means! This also separates the lashes beautifully as it coats them.
Best part- you can switch it on and hold it at the base of your lashes and it will coat the lashes by itself, it just grabs your lashes and coats them. Love the effect. Also, this is a nice deep matte black mascara.

Yay for:

• Rotating wand that spins both ways
• Curls and holds lashes well
• The brush holds lashes and coats them automatically as it rotates
• Doesn't clump, goes on smooth
• Pretty lightweight, doesn't weight down lashes
• Doesn't sting
• Washable with soap and water or comes off easily with makeup remover
• Colour is jet black with matte finish

Boo for:

• packaging feels Slightly heavy
• Not water proof (I generally prefer washable mascara so it's not a con for me, but some may like theirs water proof)
  

  Overall, I'm in love with this mascara and I hope they don't discontinue it. Guys seriously, pick this up. A mascara that curls and coats by itself and doesn't clump. What more do you need?
  Available at all Bourjois counters or at StyleCraze.com or Slassy.com
  
  My rating: ****1/2

Bourjois Lip Creams: Brun Raffine and Prune Sophisticate- Swatches and Review

Continuing with my search for the perfect lip cream, I chanced upon these at the Bourjois counter at my recent trip to the mall. I'd also read some decent reviews for these on other blogs and after swatching all the shades I picked up Prune Sophisticate and Brun Raffine. My shopping style post-baby has completely changed. I used to amble along stopping to look at stuff through store windows and imagining them on me, and if I think it flatters me I'd go in and try it on, twirl around.. oh you know the drill.. But now, it's- go in, find something I like- pick it up in at least 2 colours, no time for trials so check for store's return policy, rush to billing counter, pay and leave. Why? Because the baby sleeps only for 2-2.5 hours at a stretch and I need to be back home by then. And no, I can't take the baby with me. Too much hassle.
Anyhow, so where were we? Oh yeah the Bourjois lip creams. So I was doing my hurry-shopping when I saw these. Swatched them and picked 2 shades and paid and left. But only when I came home I saw that the pieces I got were very old! The mkfg date was more than a year old! Ugh! I wanted to kick myself for not noticing at the store. And the tube looked old too. How could I have not noticed this?? Stupid me! And these feel like they've dried out a little. Esp Brun Raffine coz it's nearly 2 years old!!!! Aaaargh! Don't you just hate it when you feel you've been ripped off? Worst. Feeling. Ever.
These cost me 600 and contain 6mL in each. Below are the pics followed by a review. Pics are clickable.

Bourjois Lip creams in Prune Sophisticate and Brun Raffine

The doe foot applicators

Swatches: Prune Sophisticate and Brun Raffine

Prune Sophisticate: Its a rust red shade with pink undertones. Neither too bright, nor too subtle. Suitable for day wear as well as night time.

Brun Raffine: When I saw this on the website I thought it was a dark brown shade but I was pleasantly surprised when I swatched this. It's an MLBB kinda brown shade. Sorta like caramely brown, not nude brown. Looks very nice, not like my lips have gotten dark from smoking or something. Muted and sophisticated. Suitable with formal wear and for no-make up looks.

Bourjois Prune Sophisticate

Bourjois Brun Raffine

Alrighty then, how do these perform?

Yay for:

• Decent pigmentation. Goes on little sheer at first but can be layered for full coverage
• A total of 6 shades are available, most of which look nice.
• Sleek packaging, comes with a regular doe foot applicator
• This has the consistency of a whipped mousse when you first apply it. Goes on smooth. Feels very light on the lips.
• When it fades it leaves a stain-like effect behind and fades evenly.
• Can be blotted immediately after application with a tissue to create a stain effect

Nay for:

• This is supposed to be matte and I expected this to dry out in 10 mins and turn matte but it takes much longer to dry. More like an hour min. And if layer this over a lip balm for protection then it takes even longer. This isn't like a matte lip cream at all. Just liquid-y mousse-y lip stick.
• Once it dries, it emphasizes the dryness on your lips and gets a little patchy, especially lighter shades. Or perhaps i experienced this with Brun Raffine since it was old!
• Doesn't feel like there's much product in the tube when you dip the wand in. Maybe its all sticking to the sides and the opaque plastic won't allow you to see it either. No "glooshp" sound when you dip the wand in, unlike other lip creams from FACES and NYX. You won't be able to get all the product out, especially once it starts drying. Grrrrr.
• Slightly expensive at 600 for 6 mL
• Has the typical Bourjois lip gloss smell that's very synthetic smelling. Like sweet plastic smell? Little annoying. But fades in about 5 minutes.

Overall, I think this is an ok product, nothing great. This fares better than FACES lip creams but still nothing special. This will stay on your lips till you eat. Darker shades fare better coz they can be used as stains. I strongly suggest you look at NYX lip creams instead.

My rating: **