Giorgio Armani Lip Maestro # 401 Tibetan Orange - Review, Swatch

I was roaming around inside the Champs Elysees Sephora store when the Giorgio Armani counter SA asked me to come with her and check the Lip Maestro range. I went over to the counter and she picked up #401, gave it to me and said "I know you are going to buy this". I saw the color, tried it on and fell in love. My friend Chandreyee was with me and she said "this will be my birthday gift to you this year". And that is how I got my first Giorgio Armani Lip Maestro. Will I buy a second one? Read on to find out...

A truly luminous matte lip color, Lip Maestro is more radiant than a matte lipstick and more sophisticated than a gloss. A luxurious, velvet texture that glides onto lips for 4-dimensional volume; lips are drenched in long lasting, chic color. Lip Maestro has all the color and sophistication women desire in a matte finish combined with the luminous intensity of a lip lacquer. A formula created exclusively by Giorgio Armani Cosmetics and made possible by a transparent “velvet” gel which diffuses light while providing a luxurious, matte finish for both depth and volume.

Giorgio Armani Lip Maestro # 401 Tibetan Orange 

Lakme Absolute Gloss Stylist Burgandy Burn - Review, Swatch

Can you believe that I've had this gloss for nearly six months now and it is only a few days back that I 're-discovered' it! Yup and the reason is my new found love for lip gloss which surprisingly is still going strong after three months. Now the name of this gloss is ridiculous and I honestly don't know what Lakme was thinking when they named it Burgandy Burn! I thought I had bought a piece which had a typo but I checked online and yes that is the name so I can't alter the spelling. Also, the color is far removed from burgundy. Thankfully, the name is the only weird thing about this gloss.

Lakme Claims: Now get super luscious lips with this revolutionary gloss that gives you high shine, high coverage for a lacquered finish. Recommended by Lakme make up artists for super glossy lips.

Features :
Professional finish gloss
High Shine, High coverage
Lacquered finish
Recommended by Lakme’s make up experts

Lime Crime Velvetine Pink Velvet - Review, Swatch, FOTD

If you are a fan of bright matte lip colors then 90% chance you already have a Lime Crime Velvetine or craving for one. I was in the second category for a really long time but now happy to have been promoted to being the proud owner of my first Velvetine and its all thanks to Dimple who was selling an extra one. Thanks a lot babe :D

Lime Crime Velvetine Pink Velvet

Lancome Lip Lover Orange Manege (#336) - Review, Swatches

Lancome Lip Lover Orange Manege (#336) 

There was a time when I used to detest anything that was sheer and resembled lip gloss. God knows what's happened to me but for the past one month or so sheer colors and lip gloss are the only things I'm attracted to. And Lancome launched the new Lip Lover range bang in the middle of this phase so I  had to get at least one of these. Kolkata does not have a Lancome store so the only way I get my Lancome fix is through the ever dependable strawberrynet.com. When I bought it, strawberrynet was offering a 10% off on all makeup so I got this at 20% off (including my loyalty bonus). Dunno how much the Lip Lovers are priced in the stores but at strawberrynet, you can get for Rs 1755.

So what is this Lip Lover? Lancome describes it as :

• A moisture-rich lip color
• Boasts a three-in-one elixir formula
• The balmy base provides up to eight hours of moisture
• Provides captivating color intensity & dewy glow
• Creates a smoothing layer to reduce the appearance of fine lines
• Available in a wide range of colors
  
  

MAC Spirit Lipstick - Review, Swatches

Usually I stay far away from nude lipstick shades and I'll always reach out for the bright pinks, corals and reds. But a few days back, I was going out for an event during the day and was wearing a bright blue top so thought of going light on the lips. To my dismay, I realized that I did not have even one nude lipstick in my collection! Not that I never had one. I bought Twig, Taupe, Hot Chocolate from MAC sometime back but then got bored of them and gave them away. That day, I went with a bright lip but two weekends later, I was in a MAC store trying out some nude shades for myself. I had made up my mind to stay away from the pinky nudes and get something more brown but after much deliberation, I came back with Spirit, a satin finish lipstick in a pinky brown/beige color. 

Satin finish from MAC is a big favorite of mine because it's a combination of the matte and a creamy finish. A lot of people find Satins to be drying but I don't face that problem.  MAC describes this formula as 'A lipstick formula which provides high color payoff and a semi-matte finish' and Spirit is no different. It is from MAC's permanent range and thankfully I paid the old price of Rs 990 for this but dunno how long the stores will still sell products at their old prices. 

MAC Satin Lipstick Spirit

Spirit is a light color but thankfully it does not wash me out as most nudes do. It covers lip pigmentation completely and goes opaque in a couple of swipes. I love the semi-matte finish and the fact that I get about 4 hours of wear time. On fairer skintones, the pink will show up much more but on me it's more of the beige. The only con about this lipstick is that it accentuates the lip lines but that honestly does not bother me much. 

Spirit is a great color to wear if you are going in for heavy eyes or just want a day time lipstick. On skin tones darker than NC43, it might wash you out if worn on it's own so do pair it with a lip liner or lip gloss. On lighter and medium skin tones, this will look great. Check it out at a MAC store when you go next. 

What is your favorite nude lipstick? Do share in the comments below.

MAC Heroine Lipstick - An Encore

I write encore because I have already reviewed Heroine here when it launched in 2012 as part of MAC's Reel Sexy collection. It remains till date my favorite purple lipstick and I'm so glad that MAC decided to make this a permanent star in their lipstick collection just in time to celebrate the new Pantone Color of 2014, Radiant Orchid.

For those who missed out on getting this last time, here's a quick summary of the lipstick:

1. It's a gorgeous vibrant purple fuchsia with blue undertones 

2. It is in a matte finish with intense pigmentation. Even though its matte, the lipstick is pretty creamy and does not dry out lips. You can wear it either as a stain or go 'full on'

3. Lasts for nearly 6 hours and fades away leaving a purple stain

4. This is a color which is quite bold and needs a bit of makeup to stand out. On a bare face, Heroine will not look good. Just make sure its not too much coz you want your lips to be the focus. Pair it with lots of mascara, winged liner, light blush or bronzer and you are good to go. 

Do check out this shade when it launches in India. This is a stunner!

Do you like purple lipstick? Which is your favorite?

Maybelline Lip Polish Pop 5 - Review, Swatches

The new Maybelline Lip Polishes are finally available in stores and I just bought two very pretty shades. One is Pop 5, the color that is the focus of today's post and the other is Glam 12, a beautiful coral. Earlier, I had reviewed Glam 13 and you can check out the review here. 

These Lip Polishes are priced at Rs 450 and is a liquid color balm. They have the shine of a lip gloss, color of a lipstick and takes care of the lips like a lip balm. And yes, I am in love with them and it is mostly because of the smooth, creamy and non-sticky texture. While I do wish that the pigmentation was more intense, I love that they are so hydrating and does not make lips dry. 

Pop 5 is a lovely pink shade which actually looks much more intense in the tube than it does on the lips. I have tried both the Pop and Glam shades and while the texture is the same, color intensity of the Glam shades is much more. The Pop shades are pretty sheer and give a light wash of color. Dunno why Maybelline did not give these things names. So weird calling them Pop and Glam! 

Anyway, Pop 5 is a light pink on the lips and is perfect for day time and for work. On its own, it comes off quite sheer but if you want more color pay off, just layer it on top of a pink lipstick or lip liner and it will look great. It gives good coverage though and takes a couple of swipes to cover pigmentation. So to describe it properly, it covers pigmentation but is a light color on the lips. If you layer it on top of lipstick, it will obviously last longer. On its own, it lasts a couple of hours on me. 

There are few darker shades in this range and I'm gonna get those next. There is one that looks very similar to MAC's famous Rebel lipstick and one in a gorgeous red. I think you must have realised by now how much I'm loving these. Just go try one. You will love too!

Have you tried any of the Maybelline Lip Polishes?

MAC Frost Lipstick New York Apple - Review, Swatches

If it wasn't for the Pixiwoo sisters, I would have totally ignored this very pretty shade from MAC. Frost finishes are something that I run away from so whenever I go to a store, it's always the matte, amplified, cremesheen and satin lipstick finishes that get my attention and love. But after watching one of Nic's videos where she applied New York Apple and looked gorgeous, I just had to check out the shade for myself. I did, I fell in love and wondered how on earth could I not have noticed this earlier!

New York Apple is a berry based red with light pink/raspberry and gold shimmer. The shimmers are not OTT but blend in beautifully with the color to give a radiant glow to the lips. It's red but not a very 'in your face' red so perfect for those who are apprehensive of bright red lips. Frost finishes usually go on quite sheer but not New York Apple. The pigmentation and coverage it gives is as good as the other finishes and the texture is very creamy as well. New York Apple lasts on me for about 4 hours and it fades evenly without staining the lips. If you have a gold lip gloss, try layering it on top of the lipstick or just dab a bit of gold shadow at the center and apply clear gloss if you want some extra oomph. Looks lovely!

New York Apple is part of the permanent collection so you can get it anytime. Like all MAC lipsticks, it is priced at Rs 990.

What do you think of the shade?

Maybelline Lip Polish Glam 13 - Review and Swatches

A lip product that gives the color of a lipstick, the shine of a gloss and the hydration of a lip balm sounds too good to be true right? Well, it is true and thanks to Maybelline we all can own the new Lip Polish, a liquid color balm in 15 fabulous shades very soon.

"It's the ultimate lip potion and has multiple benefits. Like the Maybelline New York Girl who has it all, this Lip Polish has it all too! It has the Shine of a Lip Gloss, Color of a Lip Stick and takes care of the lips like a Lip Balm. A single step for hypnotic lips. The secret? A trio of concentrates

1. Potent Color extracts

2. Concentrated lip balm

3. Glossy shine serum

I was sent the shade Glam 13 for review by the wonderful Maybelline PR people and I've been obsessed with it. The Lip Polishes are I think the Asian equivalent of the Color Elixir's that have taken the US by storm and now I know why so many bloggers are raving about them. The Color Elixir's have such pretty names like Hibiscus Heaven and Breathtaking Apricot. The Lip Polishes unfortunately have no names (why Maybelline??). They are identified by their numbers and whether they are in the Pop or Glam category.  

The packaging of the Lip Polish is quite unique. It looks as if a lipstick bullet is encased in a transparent cover. You can make out the color of the lip polish because of the transparent cover and that is something I like. The applicator inside is a specially designed slightly bent leaf shaped one which makes application quick and precise. What I like about the applicator is that it has a pointed tip and that makes lining the lips very easy.

The shade that I got, Glam 13 is a lovely nude with pink undertones and tiny golden shimmer which hardly shows up. The color is perfect for office wear and for the day time. Inside the tube , the color looks a dark brown but on the lips, it's a lot lighter and goes on partly sheer. The color will work on most skin tones except maybe if you are very dark. Then this might wash you out. The coverage is very good and it takes two swipes to completely cover my pigmented lips.

The texture I just love! It's slightly thick but oh so smooth and buttery, non-sticky and the product just glides on the lips. And it gives off an amazing shine. If you have thin lips, these will look very flattering on you as it will make your lips appear fuller and plumped up. If you already have luscious lips, these will make them look even more desirable :D. The best part about the lip polish is that it feels really moisturising so definitely a boon for us girls with dry lips.

The one con of the product is that it does not last for a long time. On me, its a couple of hours and it fades evenly without staining the lips. I would have also liked it to be more pigmented but this is a light shade so will see how the others fare. 

Overall, an excellent product by Maybelline and I'm definitely going to buy some more shades in this range specially the darker ones. At Rs 450, we are actually getting a lipstick, a lip balm and a lip gloss together so its good value for money. I highly recommend this!. To see the rest of the shades in this range, click here. 

P.S - PR Sample. Honest review. 

Elizabeth Arden Beautiful Color Luminous Lip Gloss in Red Door Red - Review, Swatches

Lip gloss and me haven't really been the best of friends. I much prefer its sibling, the lipstick and that all of you know so well. I don't really dislike wearing lip gloss but its so difficult to find a formula that's non-sticky, gives great color pay off and also lasts more than 30 minutes on the lips. I had read rave reviews of the new Elizabeth Arden Beautiful Color Luminous Lip Gloss range and since the holiday season was coming and I wanted something red and shiny for my lips, ordered the shade Red Door Red from strawberrynet. The price is Rs 1283 but you can get up to 10% discount if you are a frequent buyer. 

Here's what EA has to say about this new range of lip gloss. 

Beautiful Color fuses with care. Multidimensional, moisture rich formula provides lips with long-wearing, vibrant color and brilliant shine. Infused with mango and shea butters to condition and help lock in moisture, and Maxi-Lip™ to plump the appearance of lips. Packaged conveniently with built-in mirror for on-the-go application.
Clinically and dermatologist tested.

The packaging is very luxe. It's gold and features Elizabeth Arden's iconic Red Door symbol and the best part is that it's got a mirror embedded on one side. The applicator is a flat felt-tip wand that allows for a decent amount of gloss to be deposited on the lips. No dipping into the tube many times to get the desired amount. 

Red Door Red is a gorgeous vibrant kick-ass red color. This is so pigmented that its hard to imagine that its a gloss and not liquid lipstick.  The gloss faintly smells of vanilla and I'm very impressed by the texture. Its silky smooth, slightly thick, non-sticky, and has the most lustrous shine. The gloss feels more like a hydrating lip balm while still looking like a lip gloss.

In terms of staying power, it's like most others. Not more than a couple of hours but I tend to lick off lip gloss so it might stay on longer on other lips. One thing this gloss does is that rubs off on the teeth so be a bit careful there. Also I would recommend lining your lips first before applying the gloss to get a neat finish.

Overall, Red Door Red has all the qualities one would look for in a lip gloss. Its pricey but EA is a luxury brand. Do check out these glosses when you are at a counter next. If it has made a non-gloss lover like me sing praises, you will love too.  

Click here if you want to buy it from strawberrynet. 

Lakme Absolute Creme Lipstick Caramel Kiss - Review, Swatch

Finding that perfect nude lipstick is not an easy job and I know many of you will agree with me on this. I've been at it for years and while many shades have come and gone, nothing really made me shout out and say Yes! I have finally found the one! But that changed after I came across the shade Caramel Kiss from Lakme's Absolute Creme lipstick range. One swipe across the lips and I was in love!

Lakme Absolute Creme Lipstick Caramel Kiss

The Absolute Creme lipsticks were launched recently and these are amazingly good. The packaging is very sleek, the texture is smooth and just glides on the lips, is very well pigmented, light weight, lasts for nearly three hours on me, gives a semi-matte finish and is mildly hydrating. 

Caramel Kiss is a brilliant nude color and just perfect for the Indian skin tone. This is all brown but what I love is that it's got the correct balance of not being too light or too dark. Nude lipsticks have that quality of either making one look like a ghost or extremely dull, boring and aged. Caramel Kiss does not do either. Whether you are very fair or very dark, this color will look equally good.  It looks specially good when paired with smokey eyes and I've used it in my "Easy Smokey Eyes and Nude Lips Tutorial" video. You can actually pair it with anything and wear the color safely both during the day and night. I know I'm going on and on about how good the lipstick is but then it really is!

Lakme Absolute Creme Lipstick Caramel Kiss Swatch

And this is how i look wearing Caramel Kiss..

Caramel Kiss is priced at Rs 600 and available everywhere. I would have been happier if it was around Rs 500 but then it still is pretty reasonable. What I don't like is the strong caramel scent of the lipstick and the fact that it does not last beyond three hours. Apart from these cons, it's total love! Do check it out if you've been looking for that perfect nude lipstick 

What is your favorite nude lipstick? Do share in the comments below.

MAC Retro Matte Lipstick Fixed on Drama - Review, Swatch

The MAC Retro Mattes have taken the blogging world by storm and most of the shades have already been reviewed .Today I'm talking about one shade that has not really gathered a lot of attention and that is the very dramatic, Fixed on Drama.

Most of the shades in the Retro Matte collection will be added to the permanent line but Fixed on Drama is a limited edition. I am a big fan of dark and vampy colors so was instantly attracted to this rich brownish wine shade when I first saw the pictures. It's a color that is dark and mysterious and perfect for fall/winter. I will not recommend the shade to very young women but if you are in your late twenties and above and  have medium to dark complexion, you have to check it out. To add a killer punch, pair it with smokey eyes and the result is mind blowing. If you want to go light, wear it with only a winged liner and light makeup on the face and you will look super.

The color is a mix of plum, burgundy and brown in a super matte finish. Fixed on Drama is not as smooth as the other retro mattes though and the texture is quite stiff. The lipstick tends to tug and pull while applying and therefore you don't get a smooth finish. The best way is to use a lip brush first and then layer on the lipstick for better coverage. The color payoff is good and it does look a little lighter on the lips than it does in the tube. Since this is a very dark color, it's very important to exfoliate lips and apply a balm before putting on the lipstick else it will emphasize the chapped areas and look terrible. Fixed on Drama lasts for about five hours on me and leaves a light stain behind. The only problem is that it fades unevenly so you have the outer rim intact while the middle is all gone. And I hate that!

Fixed on Drama is definitely not the best shade in the collection in terms of texture. It's drier and stiffer than the others and you do need to put in some effort to make it look good. The color however i love so I'm willing to put in that extra effort. If you want to go for dark lips this season and don't mind a super matte finish and stiff texture, do try Fixed on Drama. It looks great! Price is the usual Rs 990. 

Click here for the review of the Retro Matte in shade Dangerous. 

Have you bought any Retro Matte? Which is your favorite?

MAC Retro Matte Lipstick Dangerous - Review, Swatches

Hey Pretties, sorry for MIA for the last few days but I was involved in something really interesting. Attended a workshop in Mumbai along with 19 other beauty and fashion bloggers to learn more about the art of video blogging. The workshop was organised by Be Beautiful (of Hindustan Lever) and You Tube and was super fun. I stayed at the Grand Hyatt, met fellow beauty bloggers Ana, Jyoti, Ritu, Deeptima, Apurva, Samyukta, Hina, Shanaya and a few fashion bloggers, got some good tips on vlogging, ate a lot, spoke a lot and the icing on the cake - got to see Akshay Kumar, Anil Kapoor, Sridevi up, close and personal. I have put up pictures of the event on my Fb page so do check them out if you are interested.

Coming to today's post, I'm gonna talk about something very dangerous! Nah, don't get scared. Not going to give you any gyan on beauty or health hazards. Just gonna talk about my favorite thing in the world and guess what that is? The Lipstick of course! And this one is a color that came out with the MAC Retro Matte collection a few weeks back. The shade is Dangerous and I freaking love it!

The color is an orange red matte and a close cousin of the famous Lady Danger, which is brighter and has more orange. I picked up five shades from this collection - All Fired Up, Relentlessly Red, Flat Out Fabulous, Dangerous and Fixed on Drama. While All Fired Up and Flat Out Fabulous is still with my sis-in-law in Singapore, the rest are with me and I love the colors. By now, all of you know that the Retro Mattes have a super matte finish and gets really dry. You do need to prep your lips before applying these, else your lips will just look terrible. Make sure to exfoliate and apply a lip balm before putting on the lipstick.

Dangerous is a bright orange with red undertones and will go very well on all complexions. If you love reds and oranges but also want something that's not too bright like Lady Danger, go for Dangerous. If you can still manage to get one at the store, that is. Not sure if MAC plans to make the shade permanent but I really hope they do coz it's a beautiful color. The texture even though is dry does not tug or pull while applying. Don't expect it to glide on the lips but it's not too uncomfortable either. The color stays on for nearly 5-6 hours on me and on fading, leaves a light orange stain. After a couple of hours it does get very dry so a lip balm is very much needed.

This is how Dangerous looks on me. The picture was taken after an entire night of pandal hopping and no sleep hence the zombie like look. And my eyes are really not disproportionate....just due to lack of sleep :D

Did you buy any of the Retro Mattes? Which one is your favorite?

NARS Casablanca Lipstick - Review, Swatches

While going through my lipstick stash last week, I realized that I have a lot of shades that I've not yet shown you all so expect quite a few lipstick reviews over the next couple of weeks. Starting off the 'lipstick fest' with a classic shade, Casablanca by NARS.

NARS describes Casablanca as a 'classic, full bodied coral' but it's actually a very pretty subtle peachy orange. Out of all lipstick colors, the one I find toughest to carry off is an orange. When there was this huge craze over the Colorbar Velvet Matte lipstick Obsessed Orange, I got caught up in it too and bought one. And I hated it coz it did nothing for my skin tone. It made me look dull and sallow and I've never worn the color since. Buying the perfect orange is not an easy task but I can guarantee that you can buy Casablanca with your eyes closed. The color is not too bright nor too light but somewhere in the middle and is perfect for warm skin tones.

I am a big fan of NARS lipsticks specially for their texture and finish. Casablanca has a satin finish, gives a slight sheen to the lips and has very good pigmentation. It feels weightless on the lips and is extremely comfortable to wear. The color lasts for around four hours on me and does not make my lips dry but neither is it moisturising.

If you are looking for a subtle orange no shade can be better than Casablanca. I bought it from strawberrynet about a month back for around Rs 1700. It's expensive yes but every NARS lipstick is so worth the price. Unfortunately strawberrynet does not have it right now but they do stock up frequently so keep a watch out.

What is your favorite orange lipstick? Do share in the Comments below.