Nyx color lip balm in Xie Xie: Swatches and review

I know everyone's been waiting forever for the Revlon lip butters to hit India but looks like we're in for a long wait! But if you're looking for a similar lip product with the hydration of a lip balm and pigmentation of a lipstick do check out the NYX colour lip balms. I can't really say if they're as good as the Revlon lip butters but these seem on the same lines as those.
Sadly these aren't easily available in India barring a few retail sites like StyleCraze but you can get these from BeautyJoint or CherryCulture for $6 a pop. That's roughly Rs.300. Not too bad, right?

Ok so on with the review... There are a total of 10 shades available in this I think and all have been named Thank You in different languages. Cute no? There's even one called Shukria. :) The one I have is called Xie Xie and is a pretty peachy pink shade.
These come in a black plastic casing with a twist up thingie at the bottom like a lip balm and have a black lid. The look and feel of the whole thing is just like a tinted lip balm. But these are surprisingly not waxy at all and feel very nice on the lips. These are not too soft too like the NYX lipsticks so will withstand the Indian summers and not melt away. I guess these are nice to have in your bag for those chapped lipped days when any lipstick will do further damage.

Yay for:

• Very hydrating
• Non waxy
• Decent pigmentation
• No smell or flavour
• A nice range of colours available from nudes to bright pinks
• Doesnt feather or bleed
• Won't melt in the summers
• Easy to carry around
• Pretty inexpensive if bought at dollar rate
• Cruelty free

Boo for:

• The top is flat like a lip balm which makes application slightly difficult
• Availability
• Lasts only about 2 hours

Overall, I love how these feel on the lips. Hydrating without being waxy. I would have picked up a few more but I wanna wait for the Revlon lip butters. Hey Revlon, hurry up, will you!

My rating: ***1/2

Super primer for open pores: NYX studio perfect primer in Clear

Do you have large pores? Did you have acne as a teen? Do you have acne marks on your skin? Is your makeup going stale within an hour? Is your skin affecting your self esteem? Do I sound like a cheesy teleshopping ad? Well then look no further than this super duper primer from NYX. The NYX studio perfect photo-loving primer in clear is specially formulated for open pores. Though I think any primer should help fill pores. There's also a couple of other options available in this. There's a lavender one for dull skin and a green one for redness. My main requirement from a primer is to fill my pores (aftermath of terrible acne when growing up) and to help my makeup last longer without oxidising coz of my oily skin. Yup, I'm so blessed!
This one form NYX costs $12 if you buy from BeautyJoint or CherryCulture but costs Rs.2450 if you buy from any Indian sites for 30mL! Crazy right?

This comes in a clear plastic squeezy tube which has a matte finish with a shiny black screw on cap and a thin nozzle which makes it very easy to get the product out.

This primer is nothing but silicones and parabens to preserve all that silicone. So if you're allergic to silicone stay away. Others, read on. Naturally, being all silicone this has great slip and gives a silky smooth feeling. A teeny tiny bit is enough to cover your whole face. But make sure you don't apply too much coz it can make the skin look greasy. To cover the whole face you probably need only about a small pea size. Smooth this over your face and wait a couple of minutes before applying your foundation to let the primer dry n settle down. I generally apply this over moisturiser even though I have oily skin. So girls, never ever skip moisturiser.
Once the primer has set in about a minute or so you can smooth your foundation over this. This provides a great base for the foundation as it spreads more easily. You'll also be easily able to achieve a flawless look as it covers the pores too, kinda like a transparent filling and when your foundation is applied over it, it makes the surface look even. I use a stick foundation and blend it with my fingers but this should work well with liquid foundations too I suppose.
I love how it makes my skin look flawless and smooth and it also keeps the shine at bay. It makes your makeup look fresh for longer but may not necessarily affect wear time. What I mean is - say your foundation sticks on for about 6 hours without primer, then by using this also you'll only be able to get 6 hours of wear time out of your foundation but it'll stay fresh for longer. For instance, if you find your foundation oxidises or goes dull in 3 hours, this'll probably keep it fresh for 5.
I had acne as a teen and still get the occasional pimple but this hasn't broken me out. I like wearing this to weddings and parties where I know I'd end up dancing or sweating and need my face looking fresh for longer.
Top off your foundation with loose powder or compact to keep it fresh.

See the photos below for proof. Oh and I've shot the pics in super close macro mode hence you might still see slight appearance of pores in the pic with the primer n foundation. But in person, the skin really looks flawless and smooth.

Yay for:
Covers/fills pores

• Makes it easier to spread and blend foundation over this
• Gives a flawless look
• Keeps makeup fresh for longer
• Holds blusher/bronzed better
• Keeps foundation from oxidising
• Prevents skin from getting too oily
• Squeezy tube dispenses right amount of product
• Packaging allows to see how much is left
• Doesn't break me out
• Not tested on animals
• Very economical, if bought at dollar rate.
• Would suit all skintones and types.

Boo for:

• Doesn't make makeup last longer
• Contains parabens
• Expensive if bought in India
• Availability is an issue

Overall, this is a great product if you want something to fill your pores or keep your makeup from oxidising or going dull. Will hold up even if you're dancing and sweating. But make sure you buy it at dollar rate from BeautyJoint or CherryCulture coz it's just way too expensive in India.

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

Why I have been AWOL + what all I've been buying

Guys! I know I've been missing from the scene for a while now but it's coz so much was happening. 2 cousins got married (not to each other). One of the weddings was in Bombay so had to go there. And of course I couldn't return without shopping a bit, now could I. But couldn't make it to the famed Beauty Centre. Sigh.. Next time. And another friend got married in Kerala so had to attend that too. And was travelling with the lil dude who was surprisingly well behaved on flights.

Ok now onto the fun part.. What all did I buy? Well, I only had some one hour to shop at Linkin road and couldn't buy as much as I would have wanted to but oh we'll.. C'est la vie! What? I love rasta shopping ok? Really badly wanted to go to the Kala Ghoda festival and to Colaba Causeway but really couldn't coz I was still the lil dude's only source of food and it would have gotten uncomfortable taking him along.

Also spent some time at the Pheonix High street mall where I was meeting some friends for lunch. This time I took the dude along coz Palladium has rooms where you can nurse the baby. So I didn't have much time to really shop but these powder pink skinny jeans caught my eye and I had to had to get them. Zara was on sale but I couldn't even step into the store.. Everything was in a disarray and was a total put off. Ugh. Oh btw has anyone heard of the store called MUAH? Last time I was in Bombay I picked up some very cute dresses from them for quite cheap. I remember it being in Palladium but I just couldn't locate it this time. Does anyone know what happened to it?

Oh and I did some shopping online.. I scored these items from IndianHanger just now. Have ordered for them. Will let you guys know when it arrives. Have bought 3 things- this long pearl strings chain with a Kundan brooch on the side with an emerald and diamond setting and a quirky green beads elephant pendant chain and silver kolhapuri wedges. Can't wait to get my hands on em! :)

I was just going through my wardrobe and found there are too many dresses in either black or blue. I needed more colour. Hence, this Vero Moda dress from Asos. Pretty cheap too. :)

I've also been wanting to get a nice white dress for a really long time. Something that I can wear for brunches. And I saw this Mango dress on ShopatMajorBrands and it was on incredible sale so I decided that I had to, had to get it. But....when it arrived it turned out very differently from what I'd imagined! It wasn't white, it was cream. And it wasn't a stretch jersey fabric, it's wool knit. Sigh. But it still looks good, only my search for the perfect white dress continues...

And picked up some stuff at the lifestyle sale. These 2 dresses were on 70% off and are from CODE. Dirt cheap. The printed dress can also be worn as a tunic over leggings. How could I not buy? :D

I also splurged on some makeup from FACES, MAC and Inglot from the money I made from the blog sale (thank you everyone who supported it. Muah). Picked up MAC Cosmo lipstick (which im wearing everywhere-even when i go to buy groceries), MAC paint pot in Let's skate which is a gorgeous shimmery light pink-gold one from the Glitter and Ice collection and Carbonized eyeshadow which is the perfect brown shade.
Also got a lovely duochrome pigment, a white kohl pencil and 2 rainbow eyeshadows (black+greys and browns) from Inglot.
From FACES i got a velvet matte lipstick in Jazz Berry jam which is very close to Cosmo but pinker. Beautiful shade. Full review coming up. In love with its texture, colour n everything. Also got 2 duochrome pigments- teal and white pink.

Ok I actually put in some extra money to buy all this but what the hell. :p

So that's all folks. I'm back to home base now. Oh but the lil dude isn't so little anymore and has started teething and sitting and standing up. Uff! And he's only just 6.5 months. So he's constantly moving around and pulling things so gotta keep running behind him. Which leaves me with lesser time to blog (and shop online) but will manage whenever possible. :)

VioletBag.com: Site Review and Shopping Experience

Online shopping in India is at a very nascent stage right now and is about to explode into something Huge. And another great site to fuel our beauty and personal care needs is VioletBag.com. It's been around for a while now and has had very positive feedback in the indian blogosphere. So I decided to check it out too.

Site Layout and Interface
The site layout is very neat with a pleasant violet (surprise) and white theme and has a drop down menu to select makeup stuff or personal care products, etc. You can even view products by brand or product type- lip products or eye products, etc. But what I found to be a drawback was that you can't further narrow down your search to say eyeliners or eyeshadows alone for eye products or lip liners, lip glosses or lipsticks for lip products. But you can narrow down by brand or price range which is a useful feature.

Featured Brands
VioletBag has a wide range of brands in makeup, skincare, personal care and fragrances and they keep adding new products regularly.
The best part is that most of the items are on good discounts too.

I ordered for a Revlon luxurious smokey eye crayon in Bronze smoke, a Vega professional pencil brush, a revlon colorstay lip balm and Vega eyeshadow applicators.
At first the lip balm wasn't available but they managed to hunt it down from some dealer (brownie points for this) and I received my package in 4 days. I was given a confirmation email with the tracking code as soon as they dispatched the parcel. I'd opted for COD and received it in good condition.
The package arrived in all it's violet glory with the content firmly wedged between thermocol cubes and bubble wrapping. Very pleased with the packaging.

Yay for:
Wide selection of brands
Easy to navigate site layout
Good discounts on almost all products
Free shipping on purchases over rs.250
Cash on delivery available
Friendly customer service
Quick delivery
Very good packaging

Boo for:
No sub filters available for makeup components

Overall, I'm quite pleased with this site and would recommend others to check this out. Especially recommend their makeup brushes section and fragrances.

My rating: ***1/2

Disclaimer: I was given a voucher to shop at the site but the review and experience is sincerely mine.

Current Obsession: duochrome eyeshadows

Ok I'm just going to come out n say it. I love duochromes. Whether its nail paints or my saree or the colour of my car. Oh and duochrome is not to be confused with two-toned ok. Two toned is like colour blocking...when you have two distinct colours separated by a distinct border. Duochrome, on the other hand is when one colour is "shot" through the other..meaning it reflects another colour at a different angle. Ok, class over. Now, onto the fun part..

I love duochromes in makeup. Well, duochrome has been around in nail paints for a long time... You have so many paints that reflect blue or hot pink at different angles (an inexpensive example is maybelline colorama Roxo Metallico). And blue- green combos are also quite popular. Like NYX Paradise. Another one is Chanel Peridot which is a gold-green duochrome. Very pretty. And of course plenty of Zoya polishes which just looks like magic in a bottle.

There are some duochrome lipsticks and glosses available too. I have one from maybelline called iced orchid which reflects violet and hot pink. Very attention grabbing but not OTT as well. Then there are these AMC glosses that Inglot makes that really shift colour..very pretty!

But, my latest obsession is duochrome eyeshadows. With these, eye makeup looks soo complex and interesting without putting in too much effort. All you need to do is sweep the duochrome shade all over your lid and it'll look like you spent hours layering and blending. Cool, right? Im gonna list my top picks for duochrome eyeshadows. Oh but before I gotta say somehow duochromes only comes as pigments mainly. But that's still better right? You can use it as an eyeshadow or mix it with clear nail paint to make your own. Yup. Ok so without further ado, presenting my top fave duochrome eyeshadow/pigments... *drumroll*

INGLOT pure pigment no.84 : a stunning reddish brown- olive green gold duochrome. Absolutely gorgeous. Can't stop drooling over it! Buy it. Now.

INGLOT pure pigment no. 85 : another pretty one, slightly similar to 84 but more of purple. This is an purple brown - green gold duochrome.

Bourjois shimmery loose eyeshadow in Parme Etincelant : A lilac- blue duochrome. So girly and beautiful.

NYX Dramatic Chromatic pigment in Apricot/ Princess: Both are v v similar. Pink- peach- gold duochrome. Can even be worn as a highlighter.

Inglot eyeshadow in no.415: a light aqua blue- green duochrome.

Inglot eyeshadow in no.439: A medium purple- blue duochrome.

I know there are tons of others in many brands but these are the ones that I like the most and have my heart set on. Gonna buy all of these very soon. :)

Oh and gotta mention- I found a seller on Etsy called "persephone minerals" who makes the most drool worthy mineral duochrome pigments ever! I just wanna buy her entire shop! Sooo pretty. I still haven't bought anything off Etsy so I'm not sure of shipping and logistics. Once I do, I will update on the blog.

So which ones did you like? Would you wear duochrome eyeshadows?

6 shades of NYX soft matte lip creams swatched and reviewed.

Ok NYX is fast becoming one of my favourite brands, next to Inglot of course. And I loved these soft matte lip creams so much that I bought all colours that I thought would work on me. I now own 6 of these. Yes, six! In fact, I do this with everything. I see a dress I really like, I need to pick it up in at least 2 colours, if not more. Once, I bought this one particular shirt in all 5 available colours. Yep, I'm pretty mad that way. Oh but I digress. So I'll quickly swatch all the 6 shades and briefly review each. You can read a full review of these here.

Stockholm: A Peachy nude shade that is perfect for Indian tones esp around nc40 coz this is the perfect nude without giving you "concealer lips". The light peachy tones give this colour. This shade goes pretty opaque and would cover any pigmentation on lips too. Dries soft matte like all other shades.

Antwerp: A medium peachy pink shade that is perfect for the office with neutral eye makeup or even smokey eyes. Very versatile shade. One of my faves. Goes on slightly sheer but can be built up and dries to a nice matte finish.

San Paolo (I think they mean Sao Paolo): a bright coral pink shade that again is not too dark nor too light. I like pairing this with shimmery eyeshadow and a winged liner. Goes on fully opaque. But I'm not such a fan of this shade coz corals don't flatter my cool-undertoned complexion so much. Might work well on most Indian skin tones though. I'm a freak, yes. :/

Milan: A blue based light pink shade. But not milky light, you know what I mean? When the colour is lighter than your skin tone. I'm nc40 and this is a nice light pink on me. Works great when worn lightly as a stain with lip balm over it.

Addis ababa: This is a bright fuchsia (pink with strong blue undertones) that really works well against my NC40 skin without looking too loud. On someone fairer, it might look too bright. But the best part is that this can be worn as a stain or as a full on matte lip colour. This is probably the sheerest of all shades so it gives the effect of a stain rather than a full on matte lipstick which actually works pretty well for this shade. Love love.

Monte Carlo: This is a blue based red with pinkish undertones thats completely opaque and can be used as a stain (it'll look like a deep pink) or as a proper matte lip colour. Intense pigmentation and beautiful colour. Works well against my skin and I think it'd suit all skin tones. However, if you want a warmer orange-red, look at Amsterdam. I didn't buy it coz I already have a warm red matte lippie in my stash.

So these shades I think would work on most Indian skin tones. Which ones are you picking up?

Oh and a quick thanks to everyone who's following my blog. I'm gonna be hosting a giveaway very soon as a little token of appreciation. Would be including mostly NYX stuff. Eye stuff and some nail paints.. Just getting those things in so I can take photos n tempt everyone. :p

Oriflame Very Me lip stain in Red : Swatches and Review

I looooove cheek stains. Why? Coz they give a subtle flush to the cheeks, last all day and don't rub off or melt in the humid Chennai heat. Sure, they can be a pain to apply but once you get the hang of it, you could even do it in your sleep. I used to looooove the Lakme just kissed Lip and Cheek stain but they discontinued it. Grrrrrr... Next I tried the bourjois rouge hi-tech lip tints as cheek stains and they worked pretty well too but are slightly sheerer. Then I tried Body Shop's lip and cheek tint and ugh! It's a stupid product! It might work well on lips but on cheeks it's a dud. Too sheer and glycerine-y. No go.

The latest one I've hit upon is Oriflame's Very Me Lip stain in Red. It also comes in another colour- raspberry. Now this is a very teeny meeny tube with a screw on cap and a sponge-tipped wand applicator like any lipgloss. This transparent tube contains 3.5mL of product and costs Rs. 159.
This is a slightly thin tinted liquid which has a sugary taste and smell. You can dot it on your cheek and just blend with your fingers to spread it. But be warned, it might settle into open pores or fine lines. So, it's ideal to use a primer underneath it.
I generally apply cheek tints over my foundation but you could use it under your foundation or tinted moisturisers as well. It gives a nice natural flush to your cheeks.
The colour is slightly orangy- red when swatched but on my cheeks it looks like a peachy-pink. Quite natural.
It lasts about 5 hours before fading. Not too great for a tint. Hmpf!

As a lip tint this product performs pretty well. You just need to run the applicator over your lips, wait for it to dry and apply some balm on top for a nice glossy look. It doesn't dry your lips out or anything. Very weightless, won't feel like you're wearing anything. But it's very sweet tasting- like sugary water and you might wanna keep licking your lips. :p
This lasts about 3 hours on the Lips. Pretty decent.

As a Cheek Tint:
Yay for:

• Easy to apply. Dries relatively slowly so you can blend it properly
• Imparts natural flush to face.
• Pretty sheer so colour is buildable.
• Tastes and smells sweet
• Tiny tube, easy to carry.
• Pretty inexpensive

Boo for:

• Doesn't last all day, like cheek stains normally should.
• Availability.
• May settle into open pores or fine lines if used on bare skin.

You can buy this from SnapItToday.com here or from your local Oriflame agent.

Overall, I think it's an okay product that performs decently both as a lip stain and a cheek tint.
Rating: ***

Maxfactor Kohl Pencil in Cobalt Blue : Review and Swatches

My love for blue eyeliner is no secret. I've got brown eyes and blues really flatter them well. I've been on the lookout for a blue kohl forever, something that I could wear on my waterline. I've got blue pencil liners form Maybelline, Faces and Colorbar but none of them are waterline safe. How do I know? I tried them on my waterline and my eyes immediately started burning and watering and I had swollen eyes the next morning. So kids, don't try that at home!
Caution: you can only use products that say kajal or kohl on your waterline.

So imagine my happiness when I saw this product listed on MedPlusBeauty.com. This retails for Rs.220 for but I bought it for Rs.187 online.
There are also other shades available: grey, black, taupe and brown. Wish there was a teal or green though.

Colour:
It's just what the name says : cobalt blue. Pretty bright and completely matte.

Quality:
It's not too creamy like the faces or Colorbar I-glide ones but not hard too. Pretty easy to get enough colour without tugging the eye. But since this is a kohl, it's not smudge proof or water proof. You rub it, it'll be gone.
Comes in a regular sharpen-able wooden pencil form. Fits in any regular sharpener. Easy to sharpen without breaking the tip.

Yay for:

• Beautiful, bright blue colour. Flatters brown or black eyes well. Bright but not garishly so.
• Waterline safe
• Quite soft. Can apply without tugging eye area.
• Not too soft that tip breaks when sharpening
• Pretty inexpensive

Boo for:

• Not smudge proof or water resistant
• Lasts for about 3-4 hours and then fades away.

You can buy this online at MedPlusBeauty here or from any Maxfactor counter.

Overall, I think it's a neat product for the price and I love wearing this on my waterline with a wash of shimmery nude shade all over the lid. The blue is subtle enough to be worn during daytime too.

Rating : ****

The perfect nude/smokey palette : Inglot

Ok, so it's no secret that I've been obsessing over nude palettes and the UD Naked2 actually comes pretty darn close but not quite. I'd like a matt dark brown too in it so I can use it to create soft brown smokey eyes for daytime office wear too.
So what's the solution? Create your own palette doll! I'm planning to get a 20 shade square palette from inglot and fill it up with all nude shades and complementary lip shades too. Maybe throw in a concealer and a brow powder and ta da! The best palette ever! All that you'll ever need. :)

So here's a list of shades that I personally think would make the perfect smokey eye palette and would also be very versatile in creating various daytime or more glam looks. I've put together some collages for quick reference. Again, the pics are from the www and if anyone objects, I can take them down.

Okay...so the basic shades that I think ought to be in a nude/smokey palette are:
matte black. : 391M
Matte beige. : 350M
Pearl white. : 453P
Gold. : 430P
Champagne highlighter. : 08S
Matte medium taupe brown. : 342M
Matte dark brown. : 378M
Medium copper. : 21S
Silver. : 454P
Matte grey. : 348M

Now onto some unusual, pretty shades to add a bit of colour and depth.
Matte beige with sparkles. : 463 DS
Gunmetal. : 434P
Olive blackened gold. : 419P
Lime-y gold. : 412P
Shimmery orange. : 15S
Shimmery dark plum purple. : 446P
Satin black with gold sparkles. : 64AMC
iridescent blue. : 428P
Iridescent green. : 418P
Iridescenct purple. : 439P
Sparkly teal. : 504 DS

I've also added some smokey eye looks that you can create with this palette.

Doesn't this seem great? Love inglot shadows! They're so buttery and super easy to blend, even the matte ones and great pigmentation too. You can buy these online at ShopAtMajorBrands.com