Mini Giveaway - Win a Maybelline Color Tattoo 24 Hr Eyeshadow

Hiya Pretties

My blog just turned 3 months old last week and also reached a GFC follower count of 125. Thank you to each and every one of you for your love, support and encouragement. As a small token of gratitude, I'm hosting a mini giveaway starting from 30 Sept and ending on 14th October. One of you will win the most popular shade in the newly launched Maybelline Color Tattoo 24 Eye Shadow range - Pomegranate Punk!

The giveaway is open only to Indian residents and the winner will be picked through random.org. I will announce the winner on the 15th of October.

The rules are extremely simple:

1. Follow Pout Pretty through Google Friend Connect

2. Subscribe to Pout Pretty through email.

3. Like my Facebook page

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Poutpretty/407946805915501

4. Share this post on your Facebook wall tagging 5 friends

5. Share these details in the Comment box below:

• GFC name
• Email id through which you have subscribed
• Facebook name
• URL of the Facebook sharing link with tags

There's not much time so enter NOW. All the best and keep reading Pout Pretty..

Love

D

NYX Slim Lipliner Pencils Hot Pink & Fuchsia - Review, Swatches

Honestly, I've never really used a lip pencil for the purpose of lining my lips. I buy them to use as a base for my lipsticks and also as a standalone lip color coz they are cheaper than lipsticks (unless its a MAC or a high-end brand), are available in a wide range of colors and are very easy to carry around.

The NYX Slim Lip pencils are undoubtedly one of the best budget pencils available in the market now and they come in 60 gorgeous colors!. Outside of India, they are really cheap at $3.50 dollars. Healthkart and medplusbeauty sells these as well but I've never found the colors that I'd like to buy. No doubt these can be bought from cherryculture, B2N etc but after my repeated cases of missing packages, I've become very apprehensive of ordering anything from international websites. So how did I get hold of these? I requested Erica Singh and she got them for me from Mumbai at Rs 275 each.

I got two shades - Hot Pink, a true bright hot pink and Fuchsia, well a gorgeous fuchsia. Since, I use them as lipsticks, I got rid of the pointed tip by rubbing it against the back of my hand. It's much easier to use the pencil if its a bit blunt on top. Would have preferred a twist up pencil than one that needs to be sharpened though. I hate sharpening!

The best thing about the NYX slim pencils is that they are very smooth to apply. Despite having a matte finish, they are not drying at all. They are creamy and glide on effortlessly. Unless you have very dry lips, these should not be a problem at all. The color payoff is pretty good too and I've not faced any issue with feathering or bleeding. As a lipstick, it lasts for about 4 hours and leaves a pretty pink stain behind after fading away. When layered with a lipstick on top, the wear time is around 6-7 hrs. 

Check out the swatches. The colors look quite similar when swatched but Fuchsia is darker than Hot Pink.

Fuchsia on top and Hot Pink below

Check out the NYX slim pencils if you want the precision of a liner and the pigmentation and creaminess of a lipstick rolled into one at a reasonable price. These are really fab and I would definitely recommend these to everyone. I'm getting a few more for sure!

In a nutshell:

Pros:

1. Great color pay off

2. Glides on smoothly

3. Wide range of colors available. Check these out if you are looking for dupes of MAC lip pencils.

4. Stays on for a long time

5. Not drying

6. No feathering or bleeding

7. Reasonably priced

Cons:

1. Availability 

2. Not a twist up pencil

3. Can be drying on those with very dry lips

Have you tried the NYX pencils?Do share the shades that are your favs.

My First Vellvette Box!

Got my first Vellvette box today and I'm really impressed! After the Blisscovered and Glossybox debacle, I must admit that I was a bit apprehensive to try this out but the price was too tempting. Rs 399 seemed pretty decent for 3 product samples so I went ahead and booked myself a box a couple of days back. While registering on the website, I entered my preferences and received a confirmation that I would get the box within 2 days and that's exactly when I received it.

The package was delivered an hour back and I just could'nt wait to show all of you the contents. It's a pretty cute black cardboard box with a pink ribbon tied around it. Will be useful to store jewelry. Inside the box, wrapped in pink paper were the following goodies:

1. Clarins Extra Firming Day Cream for all skin types - 5 ml

2. L'Occitane Pivoine Flora Shower Gel - 75ml

3. Clinique Lip Gloss-Fireberry & Lipstick - Raspberry Glace

4. Bonus product for this month - Guess Seductive - I'm Yours perfume sample - 1.5ml

5. Discount Coupons to buy full sized products from the Vellvette online store

Take a look...

I'm very impressed by the service and the products that I received. Will try out for a couple of months and if all goes well, might take up an annual subscription. Check vellvette.com if you want to book a box for yourself too.

Do share what you received if you've ordered one this month too.

Some Beads and Baubles Shopping for Durga Puja

Durga Puja is less than a month away and I've got into shopping overdrive like everyone here in Kolkata. You just have to visit the malls and the markets during the weekend to know that Durga Puja fever has hit town. Everyone has atleast 5-6 shopping bags in their hands and buying as if there is no tomorrow (me included!). 

In this post, Ill share with you some jewelry that I've been hoarding for quite some time now to wear during those four days. Not that they match any particular outfit but I just bought them coz I found them pretty. I've bought them from exhibitions, online stores, regular stores and trips abroad. I won't really be able to tell you the prices coz I don't remember them but nothing here is very expensive. So here goes...

The gold and navy blue filigree earrings I bought from Uzbekistan. Yup, went there on a trip early this year and absolutely loved it. Let me know if you want to see pics of my trip and I''ll be very happy to share :). The turquoise and coral silver earrings is from Amrapali and the turquoise hoops are from an online store called Junk, based out of Kolkata. Do check out their website, thejunkindia.com. They have some fab stuff. The purple hoops are from Aldo accessories and the remaining are from a local exhibition.

This cuff I got from Tashkent. A young girl was selling loads of them in bright and beautiful colors for five dollars each.

These blingy bangles are from Khazana, Taj Bengal's in house boutique. They were surprisingly quite affordable at Rs 250 each.

The gold collar necklace is from faballey.com. Love that website for their shoes, bags and jewelry. The pendant with the turquoise drops is from Uzbekistan, the blue,brass and coral choker is from Junk, the mother of pearl pendant is from Bangkok  the silver necklace from an exhibition, the silver pendant with the green onyx from Pune, the crystal beads from where I can't remember and the neck piece with the blue and gold pendant from Fab India. 

Will share with you the clothes that I bought as well. Let me know what you think of my shopping :)

Is Yellow the New Black on the Red Carpet??

It's officially Fall in the US but who would have thought so looking at the bevy of beauties arriving on the Emmy awards red carpet dressed in eye popping shades of yellow. 

Take a look at the ladies who made Tinseltown that much brighter.

Claire Danes in Lanvin

Julianne Moore in Dior

Kaley Cuoco in Angel Sanchez

 

Leslie Mann in a Naeem Khan skirt

Julie Bowen in Monique  Lhullier

I'm loving Julianne Moore and Julie Bowen. Who are you liking the most? Would you wear yellow to a red carpet event?

Images sourced from google

MAC Fluidline Waveline - Review and Swatch

Till about a year ago, I used to swear by my eyeliner pencils thinking that gel liners would be just too cumbersome and messy to deal with. Then one day MAC's Blacktrack made an appearance in my life in the form of a gift and after using it, I've become hooked to this formula. It's definitely one of the best gel liners that's available in the market now. Later, I went on to purchase Waveline and that's what I'm gonna be showcasing today.

MAC describes this shade as 'Navy blue with low level gold pearl'. I have absolutely no idea what low level gold pearl means, but I find a lot more purple in this than navy blue. The amalgamation of both purple and navy blue has given birth to an absolutely gorgeous shade!

All Fluidlines come in a thick, short and stubby glass container with a dome shaped screw top lid. Would have been great if MAC included a brush along with the container but it hasn't so you will need to buy one to use this. 

I've already mentioned that I find this shade to be a lot more purple than navy blue. In terms of finish, it looks really glossy in the tub but once applied on to the lids, goes completely matte after settling down. The pigmentation is pretty good as well. I haven't really tried out the other shades but this one gives a dense color after about two swipes which is decent. As for the staying power, this just goes on and on. The max that I've tested is for 12 hrs and it didn't smudge, crease or fade even a teeny tiny bit! 

One of the major problems with gel liners is that they dry up very fast. I've been using both Blacktrack and Waveline for about a year now and it's still as fresh as the day I bought them. 

This is one shade that will look lovely on everyone so do give it a try if you are fond of deep, intense colors. In a nutshell, I absolutely love Waveline and recommend it because of the following:

• Creamy, soft texture that glides on the lids
• Lasts really long without smudging, creasing or fading
• Waterline safe and does not irritate the eyes
• Great color for all skintones
• Packaging is sleek and travel friendly
• Good pigmentation

What's not too great is the price (Rs 1000 for 3gms. Not sure if the prices have increased now though) but then what to do. It's a MAC!

Here is the swatch. 

Have you tried any of the Fluidlines? Which one is your favorite?

MAC Beth Ditto Pro Longwear Lipcreme Booyah - Review and Swatch

Booyah I got the MAC Beth Ditto Pro Longwear Lipcreme in Booyah!! And I'm oh so happy! In case you are wondering what Booyah means, its a term expressing joy, excitement or triumph and also a slang meaning "Oh Yeah"!. Honestly, I didn't even know that this word had a meaning but now that I do, isn't it a great name for this gorgeous orange red lipstick? My first MAC Pro Longwear Lipcreme!

According to MAC, the Pro Longwear Lipcreme has a, “lightweight texture, creamy finish and comfortable longwear. It’s slick in use, applies without need of a top coat and lasts up to 12 hours. Won’t feather or transfer, and the colour stays true. Helps lips stay soft and hydrated.”. 

The packaging is different from the regular lipsticks. The tube is much longer and has a cylindrical shape as compared to the normal lipstick bullets. I actually like this packaging better but application might be a bit of a bother to those with smaller lips because of the shape. The smell is the trademark MAC vanilla smell that we all love so much.

MAC describes Booyah as a bright orange. The color actually looks quite scary in the tube and its almost a neon orange but surprisingly, on the lips its much toned down and is quite wearable. More than a bright orange, I would describe it as a medium reddish orange which looks lovely on the lips. I honestly didn't think that I could pull off this color but I was wrong. This can be pulled off by every complexion! In case you are not too fond of bright colors, wear it as a stain. It will look equally lovely!

I'm loving the Pro Longwear Lipcreme formula. It glides on like a dream, is really lightweight and creamy and the pigmentation is so intense. What failed was the 12 hr staying power and the 'will not transfer claim'. I got about 4-5 hrs from this one and it leaves a nice orange stain after fading away. The lipstick is less prone to transfer as compared to the usual lipsticks but it does transfer. Thankfully, there is no feathering or bleeding. The finish is a semi-matte which is not drying at all so perfect for us dry lip beauties.

Apart from the price (it costs Rs 1400), I can't really think of anything that's not hot about this lipstick. Gorgeous color, excellent pigmentation, light weight texture and decent staying power. What else can a girl ask for in a lipstick?? If you are a brights lover like me, do check out Booyah before it goes out of stock. You will love it! Unless I had a chapped lips issue going on right now, I would have shown you how the color looks on me. Since I'm not subjecting you to that horror, check out the hand swatches..

What do you think of Booyah? Is this a color you want to try out? Do share your thoughts..

L'Occitane Radiance and Colour Care Shampoo & Conditioner - Review

In my earlier post here, I shared with you about my visit to the L'Occitane store in Kolkata and that I was given samples of the new Radiance and Colour Care Shampoo and Conditioner to try out. I've been using them for a week now so all set to pen down my thoughts about these products. 

The samples couldn't come at a more appropriate time. I just got my hair colored about three weeks back and was really interested to try them out after seeing the ads. Both products are enriched with 5 essential botanical oils (geranium, bergamot, rosemary, cedar and palmarosa), have grapeseed extract to prevent color from fading, is free of sulfates to gently clean hair and also have UV filters to further protect the color from the harsh sun. 

The Shampoo -

The packaging is an attractive green, pick and white plastic tube with a flip-top cap which is easy to use in the shower and is secure enough to be very travel friendly. Since this is a sulfate free product, there is not much lather in the first application so I do apply it twice taking a significantly lesser amount the second time. I just need that sudsy feeling else I feel that my hair ain't clean enough :). I love the smell of the shampoo. It's somewhere between a herbal and a woodsy smell, very clean and fresh. The color is an off-white and has a slightly thick consistency but it applies evenly on to the hair and rinses out easily as well leaving the hair very light and airy. The smell also lasts for a couple of days which I like. 

The Conditioner 

The Radiance and Colour Care Conditioner is enriched with the same 5 essential botanical oils and offers the same benefits as the shampoo. The packaging and the smell of the conditioner is also the same. What is different is the texture which I found thinner than the shampoo. The color is a pure white and feels completely weightless when applied to the hair. After shampooing, I leave the conditioner for about 5-6 mins before rinsing out and I absolutely loooove how soft my hair feels and how great it smells afterwards. No tangling as well!

My Verdict

I have used a lot of products this year specifically for my colored hair. I've used Matrix, Dove, Schwarzkopf and now L'Occitane. I can blindly state that this range is by far the best that I've tried! No other shampoo or conditioner has been able to make my hair so glossy, shiny and soft like these babies have. I have slightly oily hair and I've heard that sulfate free shampoos increases the production of oil but I experienced nothing of this sort with this duo and there was no problem with hairfall either. I haven't used the products long enough to validate whether it increases the longevity of color but I'm loving all the other effects so much that I'm sure its gonna be good for that purpose as well. The samples that I got are 75 ml each and now I have to buy the full sized tubes coz I'm hooked!

The full sized tubes come in 250 ml and are priced Rs 1450 each. The only con that I can think of the products is the price. It's definitely quite high for a shampoo and conditioner but the quality is so good that I can think of spending that amount of money to get shiny, healthy hair. These are available at all L'Occitane stores and can also be purchased online here. 

Have you given these a try? Which is your favorite L'Occitane product?

Samples given by Brand. Review is 100% mine

This or That...I'm Tagged!

This is a tag post and I've been tagged by Appu of Apoorva Writes to share my answers to the below questions so here goes...

♥MAKEUP♥
Blush or Bronzer? 
Blush !

Lipgloss or Lipstick?
Lipstick

Chapstick or Lipbalm?

Lipbalm

Matte or Sparkle Eye Shadow?
Matte

Gel, Liquid, Cream, or Pencil  Eyeliner?
Pencil Eyeliner

Foundation or Concealer?
Foundation

Liquid or Powder Foundation?
Liquid Foundation

Neutral or Statement Eyes?
Statement

Winged or Rimmed liner?
Winged Liner

Pressed or Loose Shadows?
Pressed Shadows

Waterproof or Non Water proof?
Waterproof 

Brushes, Sponges or Fingers? 
Brushes

♥NAILS♥

Neon, Pastels or Glitter Nails?
Neon

Long or short?

Short

Acrylic or natural?

Acrylic

Matte or Shiny?

Shiny

Go for manicures, or manicure yourself?

Myself

♥BODY♥

Perfume or Body splash?

Body splash for summer. Perfumes for winter

Lotion or Body butter? 

Body Butter

Body wash or Soap?

Body Wash

Fruity or Flowery scents?

Flowery

Natural or Synthetic products?

Natural

♥FASHION♥

Jeans or Sweat pants?
Jeans

Long sleeve of Short?

Long

Dresses or Skirts?
Skirts

Stripes or Plaid?

None :)

Tunics or Tshirts?

Tshirts

Flip flops or Sandals? 
Sandals!

Scarves or Hats?
Scarves

Studs or Dangly earrings? 
Dangly

Necklaces or Bracelets ?
Necklace 

heels or flats ?
Heels

Jacket or Hoodie?  

Jacket

♥HAIR♥

curly or straight
Straight

Bun or ponytail
Ponytail

Bobby pins or butterfly clips
Hairbands :)

Hair spray or gel 
Hair spray

Long or short 

Long

Light or dark 

Dark!

Side sweep bangs or Full bangs

Side Swept

Up or Down 

Down

♥RANDOM♥
Rain or shine
Shine

Summer or winter
Summer

Chocolate or Vanilla 
Chocolate

Pool or beach?

Beach..

Mall or online shopping?

Mall

Coke Pepsi?

Thums Up :)

Donuts or Pastry?

Pastry from Kookie Jar, Kolkata

Now I tag:

Nivedita of http://indianbelle.blogspot.in/

Pooja of http://www.indianbeautycentral.com/

Phil of http://drpoisonivy.blogspot.com/

Bhumika of http://www.newlove-makeup.com/

Love

D

MAC's Indian Collection Permanent Lipsticks - Swatches

I visited MAC today to pick up the lipstick Booyah from the Beth Ditto collection that launched recently and also to check out the other products. Unfortunately, nothing much was left but I think I snagged two of the best pieces of the collection - Pro Long Wear Lipcreme in Booyah and the Zoom Lash Mascara in Blue Charge (Super Gorgeous!)..Will show you these two in a couple of days. 

This post is to give you a peek at the latest lipsticks to join MAC's Permanent range, launched as the Indian collection. The four shades are:

Double Shot - Mocha Cream (Amplified)

Mehr - Dirty Pink (Matte) - Repromote 

Yash - A very light Sandy Neutral (Matte) - Repromote

Tabla - Rich Chocolate Brown (Amplified) 

The shades were launched in Kolkata today and thankfully I was there at the right time to click a few pics and show you swatches so here goes..

From Left to Right - Double Shot, Mehr, Yash, Tabla

From Left to Right - Double Shot, Mehr, Yash, Tabla

Double Shot and Mehr are absolutely gorgeous and I'm definitely adding them to my collection.Yash will wash me out and Tabla is way too brown.

Which one did you like the most? Do share