Lets Talk Makeup and Beauty

How to remove that liquid lipstick without hurting your lips (plus a mini review of Absolute NY lip balm)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 10 May 2016 20:53:00 +0000

If you're like me and absolutely hate having to clean lips with wipes or toners that tastes YUKKK, then be of good cheer - cos I've found something that helps.

So meet your new lipstick remover ..... Drum rolls please........

....... Your lip balm.

That's easy right?

I've got pics to prove my theory and here it goes.

Lip balm over NYX's lip lingerie in some shade I cant remember. Apply thickly and smooth it over your lips and massage lightly.

Leave it for 5-10 secs and then wipe it off with a soft cotton pad. No water necessary.

You can see the amount of products removed in one wipe. Gently continue. Reapply lip balm as needed.

The best part is - it helps in 2 ways: no yukky taste left and your lips get a small massage and treatment from the lip balm.

I've found that this works best with a lip balm with a glossier or softer texture as it is easier to massage that type in.

Mini Review: This lip balm has no lasting benefits but tastes and smells okay. The real problem are the shimmers in the lip balm. The hydration provided is not that good and it doesnt last much. So this actually makes for a good lip balm-cleanser :)

So what do you think?
Try and let me know!

What Not To Buy: Ole Henrikson Invigorating Night Gel (cos it is scary!!!!)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 04 Apr 2016 00:59:00 +0000

Next time you're in Sephora and is planning to check out Ole Henrikson's products, here is something I wish to warn you about - They are not for all skin types. Especially not sensitive skin types.

Okay, may be I am being unfair to judge all products based on the trio I tried. But then, we can only review based on our experiences. Someone getting a food poisoning from a restaurant may come off as a harsh reviewer compared to someone else who had an excellent meal!

So excuse my review, cos this darn thing burnt, BURNT my skin!

The only time a product did this was when I tried a Sally Hansen hair remover.
But then hair removers are supposed to be harsh chemicals so I can find some excuse in me.

But when a skin care product, also marked "for all skin types", burns off the skin under my eye and makes my whole face burn the next day after I apply it at night - I think I am justified in marking it as "TO BE AVOIDED".

Thats not a wrinkle, it is a wound in the shape of my crease!!!

My experiences with 2 other products from this brand also justifies my fears that this brand either uses some reallllllly harsh chemicals or is not marking its demographics correctly.

Hurt like HELL!!!!

FYI - My skin is normal, not sensitive at all and doesnt usually have any kind of reactions to a lot of products.

So, yeah - My advise would be to stay away and try something more gentler for your face.

Indie Brands Series: Silk Naturals Vitamin C Peptide Serum and why you should never buy just a sample of this!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 19 Feb 2016 20:12:00 +0000

I am not a fan of going the whole "I-want-skin-paler-than-milk" route. But at the same time, I face a common concern that many darker skinned ladies especially from India share - pigmentation around cheeks and mouth.

Part of it is caused by @#@$ facial hair(Darn You, whoever or whatever decided that women would ever need facial hair!!!) . Part of it is caused by sun-tan, genetics, hormones - you name it.
Hence my lifelong search for brightening (not lightening!) products that would give me that magical uniform looking complexion albeit for the time I using it.

In my search for the Unicorn, I have stumbled across many Vit C products. Some are a huge MEH (expect some posts soon!). A few like this one from Silk Naturals are potential HGs.

Courtesy: Silk Naturals website

So I got this one in a small sample size from Silk Naturals along with a lot of their lippies which unfortunately are not my favs. And this serum was an afterthought.

Which has in retrospective, made me so regretful. Cos this is one of the best performing serums ever!
Phyrra - a vegan makeup blogger whom I follow and whom you may know - had some glowing reviews for this serum and I totally get why.

In 1 Line, Why You Need To Try This - Cos this is an amazingly pocket friendly serum that gives you awesome results - fresh, dewy brighter skin - from 1st try and consistent results all along.

Since I got only a sample, I couldn't comment on the long term benefits. But in a few uses, I could see this doing some great things. I used this at night, and the next 2 days would be days when I could get by on just a sun screen and yet look good enough. I could actually see this evening out my complexion though the results didnt last more than 2 days after 1 use. But I've learnt that it is probably unrealistic to expect a cosmetic product to permanently transform a genetic or hormonal condition.

Unlike most Vit C serums, I didnt notice any slight burning or tingling sensations with this, so I am assuming this would be gentle enough with most skin types.

I should note - like with all Vit C products I use, I used this one at night and followed up in the morning with sunscreen with SPF greater than 30.

Their shipping to Canada is the only bad thing :( But it aint so bad, so I may be placing an order soon. And learn from me - dont waste your time and shipping cost by just ordering a sample!

Some Family Recipes on Using Turmeric: Diet & Skin Care

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 01 Feb 2016 22:25:00 +0000

I'd received many questions on how to use Turmeric, once relatively unknown in the West but is now being called a 'Super-food'. In fact, last day when I met my dietitian here in Toronto, she was listing some detox ingredients I could add to my diet and she started with, "Do you know about Turmeric? Its this awesome..."

Yep, Turmeric is awesome. But then we in India have always known how awesome it is.
I am from the tropical southern part of India, the fabled land of spices for which many wars were fought apparently (sigh). We have our spice markets and every home is never without a standard set of spices.

Turmeric, if not the King or Queen of the spices, is pretty high up in the ranks. I am not going to yarn about how this is a gift of nature and all its properties.
All I am going to list are some family recipes on how we used and continue to use this herb/spice.

DIET

We use turmeric in its powdered form in 2 ways in our diet. There could be more ways to use this but sadly I am not aware of it.

1. As a must-add ingredient in all most all dishes, especially dishes with leafy vegetables. My grandma used to tell me that this removed/neutralized any toxins from the plants.
We add turmeric while the plants are cooking, so it doesn't feel raw to taste.
For cooking fish and meat, we either use it for marinade or while the meat is cooking.

2. A pre-sleep drink mix which is supposed to have detox and lot of skin care benefits.
Milk is boiled with a tbsp of turmeric, almond powder(optional) and saffron (optional). Sugar can be added to make it more palatable.
This is then taken at least 30mins before sleep and almost 1 hour after dinner.
Due to the presence of almond and saffron, this drink is especially given to kids improve health and immunity.

SKIN CARE

Turmeric has been used in skincare for a long time. Brides from North India and other parts use a mix of Turmeric, Milk and Besan (garbanzo beans flour) as a face pack. This is not just supposed to help with brightening the skin but also to give some immunity against any sun damage.

There may be many ways to use turmeric for skin care, but as I mentioned, I am only detailing what we have used and found to be effective in my family.

One thing to note is, we used 2 types of turmeric.
The regular turmeric was/is used for both cooking and skin care.
But a variant called Kasthuri Manjal or Wild Turmeric or Aromatic Turmeric ( Curcuma aromatica) is preferred for skincare purposes. Note that the Aromatic Turmeric is never used for cooking.

All the below ideas for skin care works with both variants of turmeric but the Aromatic turmeric is more effective.

1. Anti-Tan and Anti-Pigmentation face pack.
Tropical region means lot of tan and pigmentation for ladies from my region.
My grandma used to grind raw turmeric root and use the paste on face.
It was also supposed to be effective against any acne or pimples popping up.

2. Facial Oil - which is how I use turmeric mostly now
My grandma used to heat coconut oil with pieces of wild turmeric (not too high, just to get the essence of the turmeric to mix in). The oil was then filtered and kept aside and used on face every other day.
This oil was/is typically applied warm-to-touch at least 30 mins before bath and massaged in to the skin so the oil has time to act on skin.
The oil is then washed off during bath.

A point I wish to note is - we never use soap with Turmeric. So to wash off turmeric oil from face, we use either a paste of rice flour or mung bean flour. The flour can be dry rubbed on face gently to remove the oil and turmeric.

Olive oil can be used as a substitute.
I've also used almond or grape-seed oil but in that case, I would mix turmeric powder or turmeric paste without heating the mix.

3. To reduce hair growth on face
I've not used turmeric for this personally but ladies in my family swears by this benefit.
Again, a paste of wild turmeric is used - mixed with a dash of lemon juice and milk and applied as a paste to be left for 15-20mins.
Effects are purported to be permanent on doing this regularly for 3-4 months.

Note: Regular Turmeric especially may leave a yellow tinge on skin after use. The stain from wild turmeric is lesser which is also a reason to use wild turmeric for skin care. The stain is not permanent and usually goes away after a day or so.

This is not a well-researched medically supported article on the many benefits and effects of Turmeric. The contents of this article are merely from a personal experience perspective, not as a recommended set of practices for general public.

A tale of 9 Facial Oils -The Good' s and The So-So's (plus a bonus!)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 27 Jan 2016 22:37:00 +0000

I am going to skip the 1st and the best.
Not cos I am crazy, but cos I already reviewed it here

So thats Marula Oil out of my way.

I still have 8 left.
So lets start from left to right as per the picture.

Note: I am only going to briefly touch on the claims of the oil (cos you can just google them better than me saying all about it) and explain more about what benefit I personally got from using them.

Baobab Oil:
Claims - moisturizing, useful for extreme dry skin and hair

My experience -> I find that this oil is easily absorbed into skin and good for sensitive skin like the one around my lips after an exfoliation. I am not sure what the natural fragrance of these oils are, but the Aura Cacia one I use is pretty okay for me. I find this oil both useful for day and night time use.
I haven't used it on hair and probably wouldn't.

Repurchase or Not? I am not sure. I may. I haven't seen any magic happening with this one like my experience with Marula. But then this is good for lightweight hydration. I haven't experienced any brightening effect with this. Cant comment on anti-aging effects as I am only on the early 30s.

Elixir De Beaute from Institut Karite
Claims - Beauty Oil

My Experience -> I bought this on a sale from UO and since most of the websites with review or info on this product was in French, I honestly didn't expect much from this oil. From usage, I find this to be a very general purpose facial oil for hydration and some nice fragrance. This is more of a body oil for me than a facial oil as I couldnt find much difference in skin tone from using this.
Because of its light weight texture, I use this for mixing with my foundation or as a prep for face before makeup.
Its best suited for day wear.

Repurchase or Not? Nah. I use this and TBS's moringa beauty oil for the same purpose and TBS's oil is much cheaper.

Carrot Seed Oil
Claims - helps balance both oily and dry complexions, heals damaged skin, and helps aged skin

My Experience -> You need a weak nose to use this one. I am pretty tolerant of fragrances and I cant stand this one. Only the thought that this has helped me with my severe pigmentation and sun damage has sustained me so far! The medicinal almost bitter smell that this oil emits cannot easily be countered even by mixing with some beauty oils like the Institut Karite one.
This is best suited to be used at night, but cos of the smell, I would suggest using this after sun set as this oil helps with sun damage.
I have found that using this oil after a day in the beach helps reduce the pigmentation on my face.

Repurchase or Not? Definitely. But I will also be purchasing some nice-scented beauty oil I can mix this one with.

Neem Oil
Claims -So Many! Anti-oxidant, disinfectant, healing etc etc

My Experience -> When I was younger and in the throes of the teen-acne pain, I used to apply a paste of neem leaves on my face overnight and it worked superbly well. I also used to wash my hair in water boiled and cooled with neem leaves in it, to treat dandruff.
So neem oil is no stranger to me.
I use it on a 'need-to-only' basis - when I have a stubborn pimple or when I have a case of scaly scalp.
Because of its medicinal smell, this oil is not something I want to use daily. It doesn't have any significant hydration or de-pigmentation benefits.

Repurchase or Not? Definitely.This is like a healing oil that I use on my face in case of breakouts, wounds etc, so this is like First Aid for Face for me.

Andrea Garland Violet Hydrating Facial Oil with Seabuckthorn
Claims - promote natural cellular regeneration, help reduce the appearance of fine lines and balance moisture levels to restore skin's healthy radiance

My Experience -> I am on the fence with this one. I've used it in sprints of 2 weeks for 2-3 times. Each time I get different results. Sometimes I can see a serious difference in how my skin looks and feels. Sometimes its Meh.
The only consistent result has been the good hydration it provides.
The oil is thicker than a usual facial oil like the TBS one, so I'd recommend using this at night.
Because of the thicker consistency, I don't recommend mixing this with foundation or cream.

Repurchase or Not? I cannot recommend it nor can I not recommend it. Its confusing. So my suggestion is if you like vintage packaging and want to take a chance, you may want to try this to see if any effect.

Grape Seed Oil and Almond Oil
Claims - Antioxidant, emollient and prevents sun damage

My Experience -> I use both these oils for:
- as carrier oils for essential oils like Neem or Tea Tree oil.
- Makeup removal including eye makeup (works fantastically well)
- Mixing with foundation to get a more 'dewy' effect

Repurchase or Not? Oh yeah!

The Body Shop Moringa Oil
Claims - gives instant hydration and a shimmering finish.

My Experience - One of the rare instances when the benefits actually match the claims. This is a lightweight floral scented daytime oil, perfect for a quick prep of face before makeup. This gives a nice dewy finish and a sheen to the skin. On days when my skin looks pretty good, I just apply this and my sunscreen.

Repurchase or Not? I like this but I may also try a variant of TBS's oil.

OVERALL:
Marula Oil still rules!

BONUS point:
I've been using oil all my life for facial skin care. I started with coconut oil (both pure & medicated versions) moved on to olive, castor, sesame and saffron oil and later to the essential oils.
After my trial and errors, this is what I found:

- For Hydration (all skin types): Coconut oil is the best. I suggest using coconut half an hour before bath so the more oily feel can be washed away. At night, massage in the oil and apply a warm wet-wash cloth over face for 5-10mins so the oil is absorbed.
Olive oil is the next best option.

- For Brightening effect: Marula oil has worked best for me. Another option is a medicated mix of Coconut oil and Turmeric (if you want me to explain this in a post, comment/message and let me know)

- For day-time sheen/shimmer/fragrance use: TBS's Beauty Oils.

- For mixing with foundation/creams: I suggest Grapeseed or Almond oil. Coconut oil would also work as well.

- Best Multipurpose Facial oil: You guessed it, Coconut Oil!

The One and The only Facial Oil you'd ever need..

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 23 Jan 2016 15:00:00 +0000

And I am not kidding. Though I feel super stupid saying that, cos after all its not like I'm a certified "oil' expert or like I've tried all the facial oils ever. But this is a honest review from the heart and I've experimented with a bunch of facial oils and if it helps anyone, that's all the good I hope for!

Almost every brand seems to have one or other facial oil and I don't think one lifetime is enough to test all these and come up with the best.
But for me, if any facial oil could come close to being the one and only facial oil you'd need based on the effect it has, I believe it would be this one - African Botanicals Pure Marula Oil

Courtesy - African Botanics website

I had bought this a long time back and didnt really consider this one, till this Winter started.

Honestly I didn't expect much except for good hydration. I am an old hand with oils; I use oils daily on my face, body and hair. My go-to favorites are Coconut and Rose Hip oil.
I never really expected this one to work, cos a lot of the new oil-craze feels like hype to me.

But boy! Does this work!

I wish I'd taken some before photos so I could show you the difference it made.

But here is what I noticed after 2 weeks of applying this daily at night before sleep:

My skin feels super hydrated. I don't need any moisturizer except sunscreen (my skin type is normal, but in winter I tend to get dry patches around eye and nose area)
My face looks brighter and not the usual tired look I sport. Its like there is a sheen to my skin, which I usually try & achieve with a subtle illuminator.
I'd some pigmentation on my face especially around mouth area. All gone now and that is the quickest that pigmentation has faded for me
I don't need much foundation or concealer now to make my complexion look even or bright
A lot more compliments and questions ! :)

Overall: I wish I hadn't spend so much money on de-pigmentation creams earlier! And I also wish Marula oil was a bit cheaper (its like 80$+, Ouch!) . But all is fair in the name of beauty, right? :(

New in Town: Sephora Favorites "Give Me Some Nude Lip" lip color set

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 20 Jan 2016 20:56:00 +0000

This kit has lesser # of products than the last Sephora lip kit which had 6. But this seems to have 2 full sized lippies, so YAY!

I like the shape of the box. Items from left to right - NARS Dolce Vita (full size), Marc Jacobs lip liner in Prim(rose), NUDESTIX Lip + Cheek Crayon in Whisper(full size), Tarte Tarteist Lip Paint in Namaste Nude and Laura Mercier Lipstick in Miky Way

I love all the shades in the set except for the lipstick which washes me out. Not a fan for the lip paint formula either. NARS lipstick also kinda disappointed me, cos its a bit too sheer. I like super excited for this one, but it was like MEH on swatch.

Formula wise, I liked MJ lipliner and Nudestix the best. Shade-wise, loved NARS Dolce Vita and MJ Lip liner.

Final Thoughts: Would I recommend this? Yes, if you are a newbie like me to all the products in the set and is planning to try them out. The 2 full sized products alone makes it worth the money!

Now Ranting: On What Bugs Me About Sephora...

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 20 Jan 2016 16:00:00 +0000

And generally any other makeup counter with a helpful lady behind it, trying to give me 'useful' advise on foundation is -
....
......
........

They end pushing either orangey or too-dark foundations on me.
This tragedy can strike you even if you listen to all those MUA gurus in Youtube, who advises us on picking the right color foundation for our skin tone.

Note: This is probably a post for women of color like me, especially of South Asian origin or descent ( i.e. India etc).

Courtesy: Pixabay.com

Not saying everyone faced this problem. Not saying anything against orangey or dark foundation, if that is what you want and like. And lastly I am not trying to come off as 'pro-whitening' that is so vogue in Asian countries.

All am saying is - my face is a mosaic of skin tones and usually I find that most Sales Assistants in Sephora and other beauty department stores end up pushing foundations in the darkest of my skin tones at me, making my face, neck and decollete all in different colors. This has happened so many times. I try telling the SA that what I want is probably something that would not just match my chin or one small area of my face, but my entire face and neck and possibly lower, but they never seem to get it.

The last straw for me, was the nice lady at Sephora who tried pushing a Bare Minerals foundation at me. Let me be very honest - she was super nice. But she kept trying to tell me my 'perfect' shade was a foundation shade that only matched my lower chin, but was too orangey and dark for rest of my face. In fact, after she did a demo, I looked so weird that she didn't argue much when I said, "Sorry No Way".

Weird? Is it just me who has this problem of having a mosaic skin tone and wondering which shade would go with most of the face? I dont think so, cos I've seen and heard similar problems from my other S-Asian friends, so I hope I am speaking for a good-sized population here.

I was discussing this strange phenomenon with my MUA friend when she explained it to me and it was like seeing the Light. And it made sense, so much sense!

Reasons are (as per her and as per me now):
1. Most white women go for a slightly tanned look and hence prefer a slightly darker tone for their foundation. Since a lot of SAs in Sephora and other dept stores and MUA Youtube gurus are of fairer even skin tones, their choices and way of choosing becoming a general guideline which the rest of us end up adopting.

2. We all suffer from pigmentation. But the way it affects us varies by skin tone. Fair skinned (white) ladies get freckles etc. Olive/Brown skin tones like mine gets dark patches which ends up making parts of our face in a different tone(like for me, my under-eye area is fairest while my under-chin is darkest). It is not targeted like a freckle and cant easily be covered by concealer.

Makes sense? It did to me.

So now what?

Now, you can chose to look at the foundations you bought and didnt work for you and see it in a new light.

What I do now? I find that I need to mix my foundations (I get a dark and a light shade in my fav formula and mix them to my right consistency) , apply a corrector around my darker patches and generally smile & ignore the shade advise I get from SAs here.

Another change I noticed was - I ended up using concealer much less and corrector (yellow and peach shade) more.

And it works.

Tell me what you think - did this make sense to you?

Review in Pics: NYX Matte Lipstick in Aria

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 19 Jan 2016 05:43:00 +0000

Back again with another Review entirely in pics...

These lippies have the old black packaging..So happy NYX has the new improved colorful packaging now!

Matte? Hmm.. It looks satiny, it feels satiny, it finishes off Satiny... Anyways, the transparent middle section is useful.

Swatched against what I thought may be a possible dupe, Milani's Sangria. But Nah, not a dupe.

This isnt matte in the truest sense of matte. It gives a beautiful lasting Satiny finish. Avg staying power but leaves stain. Easy to apply and I love the color.

Final Thoughts: Not a 'Matte' matte, but still a beautiful easy-on-pockets color for Winter. Love it and I will probably try to pick another shade if I find NYX on sale.

NYX is now available in Canada at nyxcosmetics.ca

Review in 2 mins - Sonia Kashuk Perfecting Luminous Foundation

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 15 Jan 2016 16:00:00 +0000

I'm finding it boring to read a long review about a product - mainly cos I read a review when I am about to purchase it and I just don't have much time to spare for all the stories I read.

So this is what I thought I'd try from now - a review entirely in 2 mins.
How you may ask?

My idea is to add my review as comments on the pictures cos after all a pic should be worth 1000 words and I could just add my few to finish it off.

So lets try!

Packaging - Easy to use, hygienic as less exposure to light and air

Formula - Easy to blend, contains shimmer particles, medium to stronger build able coverage

Finish - Luminous, can be a bit shimmery, better suited for Winter time for normal/oily skins.

Final Thoughts - A pretty good foundation if you're okay with some shimmers on face and fits within the narrow shade range.

What Not To Buy: 2 Disappointing Lip products from Lise Watier

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 15 Mar 2015 01:49:00 +0000

Its totally understandable that cosmetic companies cannot come up with hits all the time. But the problem is - nobody minds a dud when you pay small bucks but when your wallet is hit to buy a lipstick, you expect your money's worth in gold. At least I do!

That is where these 2 products from Lise Watier fail for me.

If they were like $5 , I wouldn't mind that they suck. But they weren't. I don't remember the exact cost, but it was definitely not so sweet on pocket.

In 2 words, the reason why these 2 items suck is - POOR PIGMENTATION.

If I buy a lip product, I expect it to have some depth of pigmentation, or some other redeeming quality. This one has no positive attributes except for pretty packaging.

This has kinda put me off the brand. Have you used any Lise Watier products? If so what are your experiences?

That's all from me- Cheerio!

All that Glitters aint Gold - so true! Look at that pretty floral packaging.

Tender Pink is the shade name for the lip crayon.

Stunning design on the gloss!

A vanity piece - no doubt!

This gloss has everything except - color!

Power gloss? Really???? Swatching against white paper was the only way to see the shade!

If only they paid as much attention to actual product as for packaging!

Of course - low pigmentation, too much creaminess = breaking off while you struggle to get some depth

Tender Pink - after so much swiping and layering...whew!!!

Mano A Mano: Essence Extra Long Lasting Eyeliner Pen Vs Gosh Intense Eyeliner Pen

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 09 Mar 2015 06:58:00 +0000

We Indians have traditionally got one element of makeup right - eyeliner/kajal/kohl. Two generation back, ladies made their own kohl from blackened oil/ghee and herbs. I will make a video sometimes on that, cos that is just awesome and if I'd enough time, I'd go for it any day over anything bought from store.

Anyways, this is just straight up fight between 1 drugstore and 1 slightly more expensive one.
I'd mentioned in my previous post that I am going to cut down the "blah blah"s in my post.
Keepin it short & sweet....

And the winner is: _____________
Neither!

Essence eyeliner is: Cheap, easy to use but black is not really blacky black and the tip is weirdly wobbly making precision a tough thing. Best used - with darker smoky eyes, when you can get away with a less precise line

Gosh eyeliner is: More expensive and slightly more difficult to find, easier to draw a thinner line, more intense black than Essence, but somehow it is hard to get that precise application.

For all I know, it may be that I'm handicapped in drawing precise lines with felt tip liners. But I do get nice lines with some liquid liners, so I like to think this is not my fault! :)

Notice the thick tip - it is not firm but wobbly in a weird way. Not the blackest black either.

Getting a precise line with this one - so far no luck!

New In Town: NYC SMOOCH PROOF LIQUID LIP STAINS in Unforgettable Fuchsia and On Everyone's Lips

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 02 Mar 2015 02:21:00 +0000

I've decided to keep my reviews short and sweet.
Cos after all who has the time to read all the stories????

It also makes my life as a blogger easier :)

So here we go.

My review on this new product from NYC is.....

........
............
................

Okay, here we go...

SKIP THIS ONE.

Dear NYC - Love you for being cruelty free and many other awesome products, but this one is nah..

Unforgettable Fuchsia on Left, On Everyone's Lips on Right

My bare pigmented dull weirdly shaped lips

On Everyone's Lips on my weirdly shaped lips

Explanation:

In the swatch pic above - you can see the gel like consistency of the lip stain. On lips, this translates to a thin sheer-medium weirdly tinted shade. I'd expected the nudeish On Everyone's Lips to be a more peachy brownish mauve-ish shade, but it came across as a straight up pinkish mauve shade on my lips. To get the color in the pic above, I applied 3-4 coats.

It applies patchy, gives a slightly unpleasant tingling sensation and doesn't really last that long.

Of the 2, I'd recommend Fuchsia which is much more pigmented and has less of a patchy effect.

Buy this if you like:
- lightweight comfortable lip products

I'd recommend:
- buying Revlon's new moisture stay lip stains over this, though a bit more pricier.

January 2015 Favorites and updates on the giveaway!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 02 Feb 2015 18:46:00 +0000

I usually don't have monthly favorites, just because I am too lazy to track them.

But I'm now in the process of re-organizing my beauty stuff and so decided to track how each stuff works.

So without much ado, presenting you - my January [and possibly February :)] favorites.

My apologies for the blurred pics - I didnt notice till I checked the pics before blogging and by then, I was again bitten by the lazy bug to actually try and get better ones.

In no particular order, my favorites are:

Andalou Naturals BB Sheer Tint with SPF 30

As the name says, it is a sheer tint. In fact, its is that almost skin-like finish-tint.

Once you apply this, it is like a slight PhotoShop effect on your skin - brighter, glowing and a mild blurring of your imperfections.

This is not something you wanna wear for coverage.

It could be a good base for your foundation - in fact I use this occasionally as a primer.

I use this on days, when all I am in the mood for is a BB sunscreen and some powder to finish it off.

This gives a glow-y look to skin, without in anyways adding to oiliness.

In fact, I'd say this has a satin finish - between matte and glow-y look.

SPF30 is the cherry on icing and makes this a great daily office-wear product.

Lush Ocean Salt cleanser

This best selling cleanser from Lush is best used weekly, unless you wanna end up getting serious complaints from your skin.

And this is me saying that- someone with a pretty tough and not so sensitive skin.

Reason - they are not kidding when they say Salt - they mean it. It is Salt. All Salt.

Rubbing that on your face gives you squeaky clean, bright complexion.

But your skin can only take so much at a time - so I suggest you use this weekly.

Another thing to note is that the saltiness can hurt the edges of your lips.

Mine became swollen the 1st time I tried it, cos of the mix of salt and lemon in this.

I suggest applying some oil - coconut or olive - to protect your skin before applying the cleanser.

This is not a cleanser/scrub you wanna try with your hand as you can actually end up applying more pressure than necessary.

I use a cleansing device like Olay's Micoderma brush or a simple sponge to use with this.

If you've really sensitive skin - you can reduce the abrasive effect by mixing some yoghurt with this before application.

St. Ives Daily Microdermabrasion

This is a gentle daily scrub.

Easy on the pocket and does a pretty neat job.

Yves Rocher Beauty Elixir

I didn't really read the text much when I got this.

So it was a surprise to me when I found this was a light oil.

However - muy impresso [ if that is even a word].

This is a lightweight lightly-fragranced blended oil that absorbs very easily to the skin.

It just makes the skin come off AWESOME!

My skin looked so much better - hydrated, younger and more glowing.

It didnt do anything for pigmentation - that's okay cos of all the other great stuff it did.

This oil works beautiful as a skin primer.

Apply it 5 mins before your makeup and it just makes makeup application smooth.

And the cherry on top - look at that cute vintage style dropper packaging.

Doesn't that make a great vanity piece?

Yarok Feed Your Ends Leave In Conditioner

[Don't have an image - sorry :(]

This is a great every-day lightweight leave in conditioner.

I don't usually use a hair spray or a leave in conditioner as most of them triggers my migraine.

Something in this one, doesnt - so I am assuming it is pretty safe, natural and good to use :)

UPDATES on Giveaway

Finally, its that time. Announcing the winners.

I've announced the winner through the widget.

As mentioned in my previous mail, the selection was based on the highest point incurred.

However, there are 2 close finishes - people who put in lot of efforts and just marginally missed the prize.

To these 2 beautiful people, I am sending a special email with some bonus they can use in the next giveaway.

Thanks to everyone who entered my Winter/New Year giveaway.

Keep your eyes peeled for the next one :)

4-in-1 review: Essence Lip Liners in Red Blush, Hot Chocolate, Honey Bun and Cute Pink

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 28 Jan 2015 15:30:00 +0000

Despite the fact that I like wearing lip liners and as a makeup artist, I am all for the contour & definition that liners give, I somehow don't use them much in my daily routines.

With Kendall/Kylie Jenners making waves in full-lip-routine across the web, lip liners are now all the crack and I really really should show them more love.

Essence Cosmetics is a favorite brand of mine - especially when it comes to fun packaging, decent quality and superb prices. Essence kinda makes up for the fact that we don't get E.L.F or NYX or Milani or Jordana or one of the other many drugstore brands so freely available with Canada's neighbour.[Not quite, but gotta take what we've! sigh]

I've 4 shades - which pretty much covered almost all shade ranges of lippies I use except for the darker berry or purple shades.

Red Blush is a much loved Cherry red shade.

Honey Bun - my most used pink-brown nude shade; perfect for creating that nude contoured outlined with many shades of lippies. Love it.

Hot Chocolate is a beige-y nude shade. Not something I wear for definition, but as a base with other lip shades. The name is misleading as this is more of a brown-based nude than a chocolate shade.

Cute Pink is your average common pink. Good for a fresh lip color. Again not something I wear much.

Top to Bottom - Honey Bun, Cute Pink, Hot Choc, Red Blush

OVERALL: These liners are decently creamy, soft to apply and has great pigmentation. Add the extremely friendly price and you've a winner :) However, dont look at these fellas for staying power [max 2 hours]

Left to Right - Red Blush, Hot Chocolate, Cute Pink and Honey Bun

Sorry for the crazy lip swatches.. I was in this weird mood.. ah well...

Crazy huh! Top Left - Cute Pink, Top Right -Red Blush, Bottom Left - Hot Choc and Bottom Right - Honey Bun

The Lip Bar lipstick in Purple Rain - for that Neon Flash you need

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 26 Jan 2015 21:17:00 +0000

I'd a vague idea that I'd posted about this beautiful lipstick some time back. But recently when I checked the list, it was not there. I cant believe I didn't post earlier about this awesome lipstick.

Anyways its not too late to do this as this is not LE. You can find The Lip Bar lipsticks at Urbanoutfitters [Link]

The outer packaging is a bit so-so.

However the lipstick bullet casing is beautiful. Just peep at the almost-floral-vine-like design.

The casing itself really makes the $20 price tag worth the $.

And the cherry on top, is of course the beautifully pigmented satin finish lipstick.

Purple Rain is a cool-toned lilac-y medium purple shade, that comes off as a Neon color on my lips [and i guess most lips]

The shade reminded me a bit of OCC's Roller Girl. This is a favorite shade of mine now.

The shade reminds me of spring..violets blooming... that fresh air, scent of wet earth and grass... almost a torture to remember all that in the middle of winter!

Revlon Shameless on top, Purple Rain at the bottom

This is one of those shades that is so rarely available in Drugstore.I tried comparing this against a drugstore shade - Revlon's Matte Balm in Shameless, but as you can see, Shameless is more darker purple than the brighter Purple Rain.

The pics dont do justice to the shade. It is surprisingly wearable. If you're wary of the bright shade but still want to sport a lilac on your lips, then I suggest adding a nude beige or darker berry shade gloss on your lips to mute the neon effect a bit.

Other factors: Staying power is average - 2-3 hours at the max. No staining or feathering. The lipstick wins my heart by the smooth application, the comfortably light feel on the lips and of course the shade.

It doesn't have any strong scent or taste either.

OVERALL: A beautiful purple-lilac shade for those who love their Lavenders for Spring. The quality is unmistakable.

Beautyblender dupes that hurt your face - what to do with 'em?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 22 Jan 2015 17:57:00 +0000

Like many many others in search of that perfect yet superbly cheap dupe for BeautyBlender, I've also bitten into many bad lemons...

The latest in my collection is Model's Own Makeup Blending sponges [Link here]

Image courtesy: urbanoutfitters.com

The only clear use I've had for this sponge so far is to throw this at the wall when I am trying to relax - makes a nice ping-pong ball. The 1st and only time I used it for applying foundation, it hurt my face so bad, didnt apply or blend well and took ages to get the foundation off the sponge, even though I cleaned it immediately.

Overall - not even as good as a normal sponge. Definitely not a dupe for BB.

So last day when I rounded up my stash of BB dupes, I was cursing myself for spending money on the dupes - could've easily got a BB for all that wasted cash.

The thought depressed me so much that I was thinking of any possible use for these sponges.

That's when I decided to try and cut it into smaller shapes that I can at least use as a cleanser.

Pixabay.com

That actually worked.

I cut these ones horizontally and now they work so much better in applying the foundation.

They are much softer once you cut them and drown them for a few hours in a bowl mixed with some conditioner and water.

I used them with my cleanser and it did a great job of doing a mild exfoliation as well.

What do you do with your dupes that don't work?

Frost is in the air and on the lips... Revlon Moon Drops Lipstick in Poppy Silk Red

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 06 Jan 2015 02:40:00 +0000

Winter is here in full force and that means, 'Bye Bye Matte Lipsticks, especially when I am in a hurry to run' and 'Hello Hydrating Creamy Lipsticks'.

Although holidays are over, the cheer is still in the air and everyone is sporting their glam red pouts while scurrying by in their long winter coats.

I have some regular reds - mostly matte. I was searching for a more comfy formula, when I found this beauty in my collection. I was reminded of a very wintery-looking vintage ad [I've added it below] from Revlon - not sure if the model is wearing this color.

Revlon Moon Drops is a classic range that has been around. Like from even before my mother was born. Thats classic in my definition :)

Courtesy : Clickpic.com

Since this is not an active product [Revlon doesnt sell it in counters here, but you can find it online ] I am not doing a long review - keeping it short and sweet.

Poppy Silk Red is a bright orange based red with silver shimmer. The color however, comes off more pinkish red on my lips than orangey - which is good, cos it matches the season more than a coral orange look.

The color applies very nicely - no patchiness due to the shimmer and it keeps the lips hydrated without much issues.

There is no drying, the finish is a satin finish and there is slight staining as well.

The frost doesn't overwhelm the color, nor looks weird - it is just right and gives a shiny loop as opposed to an effect of shimmer glued to lips.

When it fades, it leaves with dignity and grace- so classical !

Overall - this is a great lipstick option for those who like a bit of history along with bright lips :)

PS: Emily Noel had done a "Hidden Gems of Drugstore" video where these were featured.

Happy New Year and whats comin up...

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 04 Jan 2015 09:54:00 +0000

1st of all,

Wishing you a wonderful Happy New Year [a bit late] - hope you've great and merry times ahead!

As I type these words, my hands are awkwardly hovering over the keyboard, so as not to smear the lippie swatches on my hand onto the keys...

And I realize that Lip products are my 1 true passion in the world of beauty...

What does this mean, you ask?

Well, you'd be seeing a lot of lip product reviews, lip color combo suggestions etc coming up...

So if you, like moi, are wandering around with color stains from swatches on your arms, here's a Hi5!!! :)

January is going to see me start doing some Indie brand review.

I've been dabbling in some Indie brands from all over the web and have been testing them out - expect some interesting reviews soon! :)

Finally, if you haven't already done so, please check out my new Giveaway [click on the Giveaway tab on the top].

That's it from me. If you've any suggestions, I always welcome them :)

Cheers!

Giveaway Update - Important!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 21 Dec 2014 15:30:00 +0000

Quick Updates on the Giveaway -

-> The last date is extended to Jan 31st 2015 since I am making some changes and I am giving all participants enough time to check and respond.

-> Taking into consideration some requests from participants, I am setting a Max limit for number of tweets or shares you've to do.
The max # of shares or tweets you can do is 15, 1 per day per social media. If you achieve the max of 15, sit back and relax, cos I will double the points you get :) Thats a good bonus right?
If you dont wish to enter the details via the giveaway widget [I know it can be a hassle!], use the contact form or Facebook messages to let me know what you've shared.

-> This is only for my blogger friends - Posting a widget in your blog or making a blog post about this giveaway, will get you an addition 15 points each. Please use the contact form in this blog or the comments section of this post or Facebook messages to send me your links...

-> The last is response to a question from a subscriber - a note on the criteria for being selected.
Your points matter..so basically if you get the max possible points, you have a chance to win.
If there is no tie, the subscriber with the highest point wins.
If there is a tie, I will use the random() function to pick a random winner from the top scoring list.
The reason for not making this a random pick is because it will be totally unfair to those participants who put an effort into collecting max points.

Link - http://thatmakeuplady.blogspot.com/p/giveaways.html

New in Town: Vasanti Love Brights Gel Matte Lipstick in shade Mad Love

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 20 Dec 2014 15:30:00 +0000

There is something about snow and winter that makes me feel partial towards Matte or Satin finish lipsticks.

So when I saw this new lipstick range from Vasanti in my local Shoppers Drug Mart, I was immediately drawn to it.

The Grey-pink packaging reminds me of Bite Beauty's packaging...

You can read about the range, the price [$19 CAD] and other details here in Vasanti's website - LINK

Packaging:

I like the overall sleek silvery grey effect of the packaging. The metallic casing is pretty stylish.

Really really like the stylish metallic grey casing.. Awesome packaging!

The lipstick bullet is designed slightly unusually..reminded me of a petal.. beautiful and unique! :)

Beautiful design!

About the product

Mad love is described as a purple plum in Vasanti's website. I rather think its is a Pinkish purple rather than a Plum purple as I couldn't see any hints of red in the swatch or on my lips. The color is a bright blue-based shade that can brighten up a sallower complexion.

Application -

The lipstick went on smooth and without any dragging over the drier areas.

This is one of the most comfortable matte formulas I've used - mainly cos of the lightweight texture. The pigmentation is excellent and uniform. In the below pics, I am wearing only 1-2 thin coats on my pigmented lips - you can hardly see any pigmentation at all.

In fact based on the finish and the overall feel, I think this applies more like a stain than a lipstick. There is no drying or settling into fine lines as well.

In terms of comfort of application, I think only Bite Beauty's famously comfortable lipsticks can match this.

Word of caution- Mine is not a naturally very dry lips. In fact, I can go out most days even in winter without a lip balm or cracked lips. So if you've drier lips, you may want to test this and see if you need your lips to be exfoliated or primed before applying this. However, the lightweight texture might be a boon for you.

Since I compared these to Bite Beauty lipstick, I decided to see which one was better in terms of value.

Bite Beauty's Luminous Creme lipstick is $28 for 0.15 oz i.e. around $186 per oz

Vasanti Gel lipstick is $19 for 0.12 oz i.e around $158 per oz.

So if ease of wearing is the most important criteria, I feel you should definitely try this lipstick.

Other plus points in favor of this lipstick is the brand doesnt test on animals and is paraben- free.

Awesome right?

Other factors:

Lasting power - pretty decent, got upto 4 hours without food. May need touch up, but it does leave a nice stain.

Scent and Taste - It smells like a Popsicle or something like an artificial grape drink. I dont mind it and it doesnt stay once on lips. No harsh taste as well.

Feathering - It doesnt do bad actually, I didnt find the need to apply a liner.

I am really loving the fact that there are so many Canadian Lipstick Superstars like Bite Beauty, Lippy Girl and Vasanti now in the market! Go Canada!

Overall: The price tag is a bit hefty but I am willing to shell it out for an awesome Matte lipstick like this one. In fact, I am liking some of the other bolder shades very much :)

Unsung beauties... GOSH Intense Lip Colour in 303

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 13 Dec 2014 15:30:00 +0000

What makes a lip gloss extra ordinary?

For me its having a luxurious glossy shiny feel on lips with lotsa pigmentation..enough to wear it without a lipstick underneath yet comfortable, hydrating and kinda long wearing on lips...

And this gloss from Gosh - they call it lip colour - is an extra ordinary one..

I got this on sale, so I didn't actually note the price. I think it was around $15 CAD originally. You can buy Gosh products in Shoppers Drug mart stores.

303 - is a beautiful lilac-ish pink shade. Not a mauve, though on heavy application it can end up looking so, if you have very pigmented lips. Really beautiful, the kind of lip color that looks bland in tube, but gives a very chic sophisticated look on lips. I really like how this color looks on my lips - its not too pale, its the only shade of lilac that I've been able to carry off so far. Lilac is a notoriously only-for-cool-toned-fair-skinned ladies only shade. Not to say that darker skin cant wear it, but it comes off as a neon pastel shade on darker skin tones usually and neon or pastel shades are not the cup of tea for most people!

Not a fan of gimmicks, so the lights and the mirror on side aint that big deal for me.

Its coming off more purplish in the pics than it actually is!

As you can see, the color is rich and creamy and looks beautiful. Its full pigmentation in a single swipe. I wouldn't recommend layering on, unless you've really dry lips. There is no serious scent or taste to the product. Once applied, it sets to a glossy finish and lasts for an average of 2-3 hours which is pretty neat for a gloss.

Overall: I'd really love to try more shades from this line - I like the quality, the feel of these lippies. I usually use them for important official functions, which tells you how much I regard the effect of this lip color. If you're a gloss lover, this is definitely something you can try.

Holiday Sets - Flower Beauty Color In The Lines Mini Lip Chubby Beauty Set [and why it is a weird weird product]

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 12 Dec 2014 14:00:00 +0000

Sometimes you wonder why companies do stuff.. for .e.g look at Revlon's latest HD lipsticks. The packaging sucks. And this is from a company that has been around for ever. You'd think that they'd have nailed down what not to do in a lipstick packaging, by now. But apparently that is not the case.

This absurd behavior of companies you'd expect to have some marketing sense is what struck me as I was reviewing this gift set from Walmart.

Walmart Canada finally has the Flower Beauty range by Drew Barrymore and I for one, am super happy about it. Flower beauty is an affordable high quality cruelty free makeup range and we really need more of these awesome makeup brands here in Canada.

Back to the review.

The shades included in the box are: Mauve Over [ nothing Mauve about it actually], Red-dy To Bloom and Berry more [Berry for FB means pinkish nude :) ]. Each mini lippies are 0.03 oz.

I'm listing the various weirdness factors of this gift set one by one below. If you want to skip directly to the product review, scroll a bit more downwards.

WEIRDNESS FACTOR 1 -

Holiday sets are supposed to be value or even bargain for money with the monetary value of mix of the products in the set either = or greater than the price of the set.

The lip suede velvet lip chubbies - yes thats the entire product name, a mouthful aint it?- are available in individual pieces at $7 CAD for 0.09oz i.e. $ 77. 8 per oz. So each minis are worth 2.35 for 0.03 oz.

Which means that the 3 pieces are worth approx $7 = price of 1 full size product.

So when Walmart says this gift set is worth approx $15, I assume they've been either smokin' something hot or is including the price of the packaging which apparently is = to the price of the product inside it, which is Bull Shit cos this packaging is not thatttt smart.

Even the price of this set, i.e. $9 is higher than the actual product value of the set.

I hope Walmart or Flower Beauty is not expecting me to believe that they spent more on the packaging than on the product.

If they actually spent more on packaging -well, that is reallllly stupid cos they didnt make this one either uniquely artistic or useful to be kept aside. Why would anyone keep this bulky useless plastic-y packaging around?????

All I have to say at this juncture is - Are you freaking kidding me Walmart /Flower Beauty? ? ?

[I am putting both brands equally to blame here]

So now you must be wondering why anyone would buy this, in spite of the apparent lack of value.

My reason is -

1. You get to try 3 nice colors instead of 1 and you dont have to spend $21 to try all these shades

2. The glitzy rose gold packaging, which makes it look more valuable that it is

3. Its hard to calculate all this in store

WEIRDNESS FACTOR 2

Ever been tricked by a huge glitzy package with nothing much inside? I remember watching this trick in some cartoon once where the hero unwraps so many layers of gift boxes to find a pair of ordinary socks inside.

This packaging is almost like that.

For putting 3 small lip crayons, you probably need a package 1/3rd or even 1/4th the size of this one.

In these times of ecological conservation and people doing their bit for environment, its 'nice' to see a packaging where most of the set is just the packaging to be thrown out - cos this is not that good a packaging to keep aside!

In fact if you're planning to gift this to someone, be prepared for a ludicrous look on their face as they realize the huge packaging means nothing much in terms of value they're getting!

Product Review:

Back to the actual lippies. I love them. They are essentially creamy lipsticks in a chubby format. All the 3 shades are wearable and doesnt dry out at all. The finish is almost matte, but it doesnt have a dried up look.

From Left to Right - Mauve Over, Reddy to Bloom, Berry More in full size, Berry More

One peculiarity I noted was that Berry more in the mini size was a deeper pinkish shade than the Berry more full size version. Since I dont have the other shades in full size, I cannot comment on if this is just for this shade or not. Nothing drastically different, still an interesting point to note.

From Left to Right - Mauve Over, Reddy to Bloom, Berry More full size, Berry more mini

Mauve Over - a peachy pinkish nude color on my lips

Reddy to Bloom - a cherry red shade with hints of orange

Berry More - a Pinkish Mauvish shade with hints of brown

Overall: My suggestion would be to buy the actual full size items, wrap it in a gift paper and gift it - that would be a more value set than this one. However, there is no doubt that this one provides a good range of shades under $10. The lip product is excellent, so this deal is not too bad, I should say! But this does make me a sceptic w.r.t Walmart's "value pricing"!!!

Manuka Honey Treatment -featured in Memebox Superbox #53 My Honey Box

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 11 Dec 2014 21:11:00 +0000

I got this in the Memebox Superbox # My Honey box, featuring items that either has honey or smells like honey. I don't have an image of this product, cos after all, there is no swatches or anything to show.

Courtesy: Memebox website

I couldn't find the company that produces this product - the information in Memebox website is also woefully thin.

Review:
I don't have much to say about this product except that if you have this, I would really suggest you not use this unless you have an oily scalp and/or is living in a really humid climate. The reason is the one time I used this, it dried out my scalp later so bad that I had to actually run around with itchy dry scalp and do all sorts of treatments to calm it down. This was a really bad product to try at the start of winter!!

The drying effect is not immediately apparent - in fact after washing my hair, it felt soft and hydrated. The trouble started when I shampooed my hair next day -I use a gentle shampoo so I was shocked when my scalp became dry and hair started going rough and frizzy. I cant really think of any other cause than this product.

Overall: I like many products from Memebox, but this is not one of them. If you have it and like it, good for you. But me - I wouldnt recommend this to any one with a sensitive scalp. After all, I can only talk about my experience :) :)

Holiday Reds - Bite Beauty Mix n Mingle Lip Mini in Poppy / Scarlet [ and Gimme gimme gimme gimme more....]

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 08 Dec 2014 15:30:00 +0000

If you need to know my feelings about Bite Beauty's lipsticks, check out my post here - LINK . Bottom line is - I love it, this is the best lipstick ever and I hope & pray that BBeauty will churn out more lippie minis.

So moving on to the shades.. Poppy is a most beautiful warm red while Scarlet is a darker vampy shade. Both colors are warm toned reds, so if you like cool toned reds, you may be a bit disappointed. However, they come off beautifully.

Beautiful Stocking stuffers, aint they?

Poppy on the Left, Scarlet on the right

Poppy on my lips - single swipe, no lip balm, no gloss. Look at the sheen, and the smooth finish

Scarlet on my lips - Single swipe, but the color is a teeny bit patchy on drier areas.

Overall: I am regretting that I just bought 1 shade and not the others. I am running back to Sephora at the 1st chance and praying that it will be still there