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
  
  

NYX Super Fat Eye Marker Carbon Black - Review, Swatch, EOTD

NYX Super Fat Eye Marker Carbon Black

When I was a kid, I was really fond of coloring and would pester my mum to buy me those fat activity/coloring books and would spend hours over them. I had absolutely no talent in drawing but coloring was something I really enjoyed. In fact even now when I buy those books for my 7 yr old niece, I'm the one to finish half the pages :D. Maybe its a throwback to my inner sketch pen loving child but this NYX Super Fat Eye Marker has always intrigued me. A product that makes getting the definition of liquid liner as easy as drawing with a marker… sounds good, right?

NYX Super Fat Eye Marker Carbon Black

I bought the NYX Super Fat Eye Marker a couple of months back when medplusbeauty was having a NYX sale. I wanted a liquid liner but something hassle free and this NYX Marker seemed a perfect choice because I always prefer a thick line of kohl/liner/kajal than a thin one. This product looks and feels exactly like the typical marker and has a pointed felt tip which makes lining eyes very easy. There are quite a few reasons why I like this product as an eye liner and would definitely recommend to you.

1. This can be used by anyone from the eye lining whiz to the nervous newbie who can never get a precise line. The felt tip makes it very easy and all you need to do is follow your eye shape.

2. Pigmentation is great and the color is a rich dark black. I like that the color flows evenly on to the felt tip so there are no uneven patches.

3. The finish is semi-matte. It starts off as slightly glossy and then dries down to a semi-matte finish.

4. Even though the tip is quite thick, you can draw thin lines as well. The winged liner look is very easy to do with this pen.

5. The liner lasts all day! I wear it to work and even after 9 hours there is no smudging or fading.

6. Even though it's smudgeproof, it's not a pain to take off. 

7. Lasts for a long time without the color drying up.

Even though I love this liner, it's not 100% perfect and has a couple of cons. 

1. This works very well on the upper lashline but hardly shows up on the waterline or lower lash line. Tightlining is also something I won't do with this pen.

2. After a month of regular wear, I've seen that the felt tip has bent slightly. Still does a great job though.

I've used the NYX Super Fat Eye Marker on my lids and the Body Shop Color Crush eyeshadow Something Blue on the lower lashline

I really like this liner because its so easy to use. There are plenty of felt tip liners available today but most of them have a very thin tip which makes it difficult for us girls who like wearing a thick line. This does that job perfectly. In the US, I think this is priced around $10. I can't remember exactly how much I paid medplusbeauty for this but it was around Rs 650 (sale price though). Think the MRP is much higher. 

Do you prefer the traditional liquid liners or the felt tip ones? Do share your comments below.

TheBalm Betty-Lou Manizer Bronzer - Review, Swatch

TheBalm is a brand that really grabs attention with their packaging and I'm sure the picture of Betty Lou Manizer has definitely grabbed yours right? Don't you just love the vintage feel of the product? Well, I'll be honest here and share that the packaging was a major reason for me buying this bronzer. And then of course, the rave reviews sealed the deal. This was my first ever bronzer and I've been hooked on to Betty Lou since buying it last year.

TheBalm also has a Mary Lou Manizer, a lighter champagne colored highlighter and a Cindy-Lou Manizer, a peachy pink highlighter but the golden bronze Betty a.ka. The Bronzing Bandit works very well on my medium-dark skin tone. So what is this product? Its actually much more than a bronzer. Its a "silky smooth pressed powder that can be used as a bronzer, eye shadow, and all-over shimmer" and its supposed to diffuse light while providing subtle warmth to the skin.

The color is a bronze with very fine golden shimmer that gives a radiant glow to the skin and that 'golden goddess' kinda look. Its a pressed powder and the texture incredibly smooth. The shimmer is really fine and does not feel gritty at all. The pigmentation is excellent and you only need a tiny amount. Too much of the product on the face will only make one look like a shiny golden discoball! I have not used it as an eye shadow yet (and I really don't know why!) but absolutely love the product as a highlighter, blush and bronzer. A tiny bit goes a long way and the effect is great. The product also has amazing staying power. I wore it today and after 11 hours, it was still on my face, slightly faded but that glow was very much there. 

I would particularly recommend Betty-Lou Manizer if you have a medium-dark skin tone. On very fair skin tones, this might look too golden but on us dusky girls, this is super! TheBalm products are available at strawberrynet and you can buy Betty-Lou here for Rs 1566. 

Have you tried any TheBalm products? Any favorites?

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?

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. 

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.

MAC Viva Glam I Lipstick - Review, Swatch

MAC is repromoting the first Viva Glam lipstick in its Viva Glam The Original Collection for Fall 2013 so I thought I should remind all of you pretties what a gorgeous shade this is. This lipstick was first launched in 1994 (yes it's really been around that long!) and featured the original Viva Glam girl, Ru Paul. Every Viva Glam lipstick sold goes to the MAC Aids Fund to help people living with HIV/AIDS so when you buy one, you do contribute in a small way towards making the world AIDS free.

MAC has made many reds after Viva Glam I but this one is a true classic. It's universally flattering and this deep retro red lipstick looks gorgeous on everyone. The red has a bit of brown in it therefore making it even more suitable for warmer skin tones. The packaging of all Viva Glams is different from the usual all black bullet. This one has a bit of red in it as well.

The lipstick has a matte finish but feels so comfortable on the lips. No dryness, no tugging, no pulling at all. It just glides on the lips beautifully and stays put for nearly 6-7 hours. I've already mentioned what a gorgeous red this is and the pigmentation is also super. One swipe is all you need to get classic red lips and I can assure you whenever you wear this, you are bound to get compliments. I get them all the time and I've also had random women coming up to me and asking what shade I've worn.

This is the lipstick that started it all so it is pretty special. MAC has also launched the Viva Glam I lip glass in The Original Collection so you might want to check that out too if you are a fan of the lip glass formula. Amidst the Limited Edition launches and the permanent shades we tend to ignore the Viva Glams but there are some real gems in there. And the best of the lot to me is Viva Glam I. Do check it out next time you are at a store. Price is Rs 990.

Have you tried any of the Viva Glams?

MAC RiRi Woo Retro Matte Lipstick - Review, Swatches

If you are a regular reader of my blog, I'm sure you know of my fascination for knockout bright red lips and let me tell you that this fascination keeps growing everyday. I spot a new shade of red lipstick and immediately there is this intense craving to buy it. So when I first came across the news that MAC will launch a shade similar to it's iconic Ruby Woo lipstick, I had to have it. I could have skipped it coz I already have Ruby Woo but then RiRi was Limited Edition and I had to check out what the fuss was all about. The hitch was that it was not available in India (still is not) and the MAC store had no clue whether it would ever come. So what did I do? I reached out to Shivani Cheda of Order Makeup UK, a Facebook store that gets makeup from UK and US brands not available in India to us unfortunate people.

I have shopped from Order Makeup before and it has been a great experience so far. Shivani is lovely to interact with and I've rarely heard her say no to anything. Just today I was asking her if she can get me OCC Lip Tars and she said yes. Yayy! Obviously the price you pay to get these products is considerably higher than what you would pay on a website or if you get them on your own so that's a slight problem. I paid Rs 1650 for RiRi Woo including shipping. Dunno how much MAC will price them here when it launches finally. It took me nearly four months to get RiRi Woo and the wait was pretty much unbearable in the end but all's well that ends well! I got my package two days back and inside along with the lipstick were several samples and a lovely handwritten note from Shivani. I really liked the personal touch. I got everything in one piece so no complaints but next time, I hope the products are packed more securely just in case something does go wrong in transit.

Here is what RiRi Woo looks like. A cool red in a retro matte finish that is pretty much the same color as Ruby Woo. RiRi is probably slightly darker but you can only make it out when swatching. On the lips, both are exactly the same. I noticed a slight difference in texture. On me, Ruby is more drying than RiRi but I still need to exfoliate my lips and apply a balm before putting this on. Else after a while, it starts to cling on to the dry patches and flake. If you are a Rihanna fan, you will like that the lipstick has her signature engraved on it. I am not a fan so not really bothered but it does look pretty cool.

RiRi Woo is a color that will instantly make you look glamorous and make your teeth look a lot whiter! Everytime I wear Ruby Woo, I get a lot of compliments and it's the same for RiRi Woo. The red is just gorgeous! I've told you that both these shades look pretty much the same on the lips. Now it's up to you to decide which one you want to go for :)

Here are the swatches of both Ruby Woo and RiRi Woo to help you decide better.

Which is your favorite red lipstick? Share in the comments below.

MAC Sable Eyeshadow - Review, Swatch

I ventured into the territory of MAC eye shadows pretty recently and the first one I bought was Sable, a bronzy plummy brown color in a Frost finish. I was looking for something that's not too striking, can be worn to work and a shade that is flexible enough to be paired with a lot of colors and Sable seemed the perfect choice.

The frost finish gives a light shimmery effect to the eyes though it looks a lot lighter on the eyes than it does in the pan. Since this is a frost, the pigmentation is not too intense so I do need to layer it on the lids a couple of times to get the true color but this is a really good shade if you want to go in for something 'safe'. 

The texture is super smooth, blends easily, zero fall out and stays on my lids a good 8-9 hours without fading. I don't use a primer since I don't have oily lids but even if you do, you will not be disappointed by the wear time of this shade. 

Sable is probably one of MAC's oldest and most popular neutral shade and one that looks good on all complexions. You can wear it as an all over lid color, as a crease color, pair it with practically anything. You are sure to get a ton of mileage out of Sable. I bought it from strawberrynet when they were stocking a lot of MAC's shades but you can get it at any MAC store. Think the refill costs Rs 720 and the full pan Rs 900. Pretty expensive but totally worth the money!

What is your favorite MAC eye shadow?

Lakme Absolute Royal Collection Shine Line Eyeliner Teal - Review, EOTD

Every year Lakme launches a winter makeup collection post Lakme Fashion Week and for 2013 it is the Absolute Royal Opulence Collection by the celebrated designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee. Inspired by royalty, the glamorous limited edition range consists of creme lip colors, nail colors and shine line eyeliners in pink, golden, olive, teal, blue, bronze and black. All the shine line eyeliner colors are really pretty but the two that stood out for me were teal and blue and I picked both. I'll talk about Teal in this post.

The packaging is the standard shine line eyeliner one with a very thin brush inside. The brush is great to get a very precise line and for a cat flick but my main problem with the brush is that it is too thin to catch a lot of product. It's so thin, you can't even make out the bristles.Once you start lining the eyes, less than half way you will find that the brush has lost color and you will have to go back and get some more. I like the line on my lids to be slightly thick so you can imagine how many times I had to dip the brush in the tube to get the desired color and thickness. 

The formula of the liner feels very thin and watery but it is thankfully not the same on the lids. It dries up pretty fast and the staying power is good too. I get around 8-9 hours out of this without smudging and the shimmer landing all over the face. 

Teal is a gorgeous bluish green with more of blue in it and shimmer. Definitely a striking color which will go very well specially with fair to medium skin tones. I love the color and pigmentation and have no complains. What I will complain about is the actual finish of this liner. I hate how it looks after application! Once the liner dries, it starts to crack on the lids and it looks like I've got wrinkles. I like the 'crackle' effect only on my nails so this is the area where Teal fails miserably for me.

I kinda feel bad for Teal though. It had so much promise - a gorgeous color, good pigmentation, excellent staying power, reasonable price but the area where it's performance should have mattered the most, its a 'royal' failure. I have not tried the Blue one yet and I really hope it does not turn out to be the same as Teal.

Shall I recommend this? No. But if you really like the color and the other pros, check it and test for yourself before spending Rs 290. 

Have you tried anything from the Lakme Absolute Royal Collection?