YSL Fuchsia Desinvolte (01) Baby Doll Kiss and Blush - Review, Photos, Swatch, FOTD

Red will always be my favorite color but I'm currently obsessed with fuchsia! Be it in clothes, bags, shoes, jewelry, makeup, I've caught the fuchsia fever badly. It was no surprise that when I laid my eyes on the new YSL Baby Doll Kiss and Blush range at Sephora, I came back with the prettiest color - Fuchsia Desinvolte (01).

YSL Fuchsia Desinvolte (01) Baby Doll Kiss and Blush 

MAC Limited Edition Pleasure Bomb Lipstick - Review, Swatches & How to Create a Dupe

This post is dedicated to the gorgeous and super sweet Shivani of Shivani's Beauty Blog without whom this lipstick would have remained a distant dream. Pleasure Bomb released with the MAC RiRi Hearts Holiday Collection and this was the only thing that I desperately wanted from the collection. Unfortunately and God only knows why, MAC did not get this color to India so as expected there was disappointment all around. I had lost all hope till one fine day, Shivani extends her helping hand and offers to get a few from her seller. I also have to thank Samannita for letting me know of it asap and I was the first one to place the order. A couple of weeks later, the lipstick is delivered to my house and it very soon replaced Party Parrot as my all time favorite lip color!

Swatches of Six Sephora 12Hr Wear Waterproof Jumbo Liners

Sephora 12Hr Wear Waterproof Jumbo Liners

My love affair with the Sephora 12Hr Wear Waterproof Jumbo Liners started in April 2013 at Delhi's Sephora. The SA at the store insisted that I try out one when I was checking out the eye pencils. I was looking for a pitch black liner and when I swatched it, was spellbound by the texture and pigmentation. Since then, I collected three of these pencils in black, purple and green and I always wanted more. So what did I do when I landed at the Sephora store in Ion Orchard Singapore? Went to the counter where these pencils were displayed and picked up six of them! I actually wanted to get all but my wallet did not permit me at that time but I'm definitely getting the rest very soon.

These jumbo pencils double as eyeliners and eye shadows and they are available in matte as well as glitter/shimmer finishes. NYX and a lot of international and Indian brands like Lakme does jumbo eye pencils too but the Sephora ones are my favorite. They are incredibly soft, very well pigmented and actually last for more than 12 hrs. In Delhi, I think they are priced at Rs 680 unless the price has increased now. If you go to a Sephora store, these pencils are a must buy. Believe me they are this good! The only problem is that they are not retractable so you do need a big sharpener. I picked up the shades Electric Blue Matte, Kaki (that's the spelling!), Brown, Purple Glitter, Marine and Dark Taupe Shimmer. Here are the swatches of each of them..

From L - R - Electric Blue Matte, Brown, Dark Taupe Shimmer, Marine, Purple Glitter, Kaki

Which color did you like the most? Do share in the comments below.

Swatches of Indie Flick, Angel and Natural NYX Matte Lipsticks

Out of all lipstick finishes, matte is my favorite and whenever I hear of any brand bringing out a matte range, my interest level invariably goes up quite a few notches. Case in point, the new Nyx Matte Lipstick range. I wanted to try these out and when I spotted them at Singapore's Sephora, did not hesitate to pick up three of them. There, these lipsticks are priced at 13 SGD which is around Rs 650. 

From L-R - Indie Flick, Angel, Natural

The Nyx mattes are available in 22 shades and they have some beautiful and bright reds, oranges, pinks, corals and neutrals. I consciously stayed away from the pure reds and pinks so picked up a bright orangey red - Indie Flick, one pinkish nude - Natural and one pinkish coral  - Angel. Nyx says that these are 'highly pigmented, richly formulated lipsticks that glide on smoothly, stay put and impart a non-glossy, high-fashion matte finish as they envelop lips in brilliant color'. I agree with everything except that these are not really pure mattes at least the ones I picked up are not. The texture is quite creamy and they have a hint of sheen on the lips. On the lips, the colors come across much brighter, rather neon-ish than what they look like inside the tube so be careful when buying them. A muted shade might not exactly look very muted on the lips! In terms of wear time, I get about 4-5 hours if I don't eat anything. Else, I get about three. 

Out of the three lipsticks I bought, Indie Flick is my favorite because the color is bright and very me. But even i need to tone it down slightly else it just looks too stark. Natural honestly I should not have bought. It washes me out and I will need to wear it on top of a lip pencil or mix it with another shade. Angel is very pretty and bright. Excellent if you have a fair complexion. For those with a darker skin tone, a bit of work is needed to make it look good. 

Angel NYX Matte Lipstick

Indie Flick NYX Matte Lipstick

Natural NYX Matte Lipstick

Which shade did you like the most? Do share in the comments below.

L'Oreal Shine Caresse Eve - Review, Swatches

L'Oreal recently launched the Shine Caresse lip stains which is basically the combination of a lip stain and a lip gloss. Here's what L'Oreal has to say about the new product:

Discover a stain that thinks it’s a gloss. Now hydration & shine meet lasting, lightweight color. Shine Caresse combines the power of a lip stain with lip-gloss luster. This next generation lip stain, formulated with a blend of light hydrating oils & concentrated pigments, delivers lasting color with a glossy finish. Packed with 30% water, Shine Caresse leaves lips soft, comfortable and hydrated for up to 6 hours.

There are eight shades in the Shine Caresse range, priced at Rs 499 each and I have to give it to L'Oreal for coming up with some really pretty names for these. When i went to the store to check them out, only two colors stood out for me. One was Juliette, a lovely bright reddish orange and Eve, a beautiful fuchsia. Eve came back with me home and this post is all about her.

Packaging:

The Shine Caresse stains are supposed to be dupes of YSL's famous glossy stains. I have not used YSL so can't really compare between the two but in terms of packaging, L'Oreal did not do too bad at all. The tube looks sleek and chic and I love the metallic finish. The applicator is a slightly bent leaf-shaped one which is quite convenient to use. It deposits the right amount of product, the tip is pointed so lining the lips becomes easy and with this shape you can cover the entire lips without any difficulty. 

Color and Pigmentation

The main reason why I bought Eve was because of the color. I am a huge fan of hot/bright pinks and this attracted me immediately. Unfortunately, on my lips, the color is anything but fuchsia. It turns into a berry color, darker than what you can see in the tube. Well, it even smells of berries! It's not that the color is bad. It is quite gorgeous and perfect for medium-dark skin tones but this was not the color I was expecting so definitely a tad disappointed. On the lips, you can hardly make out that there is shimmer but if you look very closely, you can see tiny pink shimmer particles. The pigmentation is amazingly good. Usually lip stains go on quite sheer and you need to layer it on for color but this is far from sheer. Two swipes completely cover any pigmentation and the end result is glossy and very shiny lips.

Texture

Eve feels quite watery when applied but then it settles down on the lips. It is lightweight but slightly sticky but not the typical gloss like stickiness. While L'Oreal claims that the stains keep lips hydrated for up to 6 hours, on me that is not the case. It dries out my lips after a couple of hours and I need to apply a balm. Would have definitely liked the texture to be more creamy and hydrating. 

Staying Power

Very few lip products last on me for more than 4 hours and this is pretty much the same. For a stain, the staying power is impressive and it survives meals and drinks. The only problem is that it fades unevenly. So the color is gone from the middle but there's some left on the sides and that looks terrible! I now make sure to fill in my lips with liner first and then layer the stain on top to prevent myself from looking like a clown!

Wearing L'Oreal Shine Caresse Eve

Am I head over heels in love with the new Shine Caresse? Well not really and the major reason is that it dries out my lips. The texture is not creamy or hydrating and I absolutely hate the fact that it fades unevenly. Also, I wish the color was true to what's shown in the tube. I definitely did not need another berry lip color! Personally, I think a one time buy is good enough for me. I'd rather buy a few more lip polishes :)

Have you tried any of the L'Oreal Shine Caresse shades? Do you like them?

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?

Oriflame Studio Artist Cream Blushes Soft Peach and Pink Glow - Review, Swatches

Oriflame Studio Artist cream blushes are the current rage and after trying them out, I know why there are rave reviews everywhere. I've always shied away from cream blushes because they can be really difficult to blend and that's where the Oriflame product scores majorly. These are not really like the traditional cream blushes but a cross between a watery stain and cream blush. That's what makes the blush blend well and give a very pretty and healthy flush to the cheeks. 

Oriflame Studio Artist Cream Blushes Soft Peach and Pink Glow

I love the packaging of the product. It's not in a pan but in a tube which makes it easy to carry around. Besides, the transparent packaging allows for the color to show through and it looks so pretty!. Like I said earlier, the texture and consistency of the blush is really good. It feels light and non-greasy and gives a very natural look. 

I have the shades Soft Peach, a really light peach which will go very well with fair to medium skin tones and Pink Glow, which is my favorite. On my complexion, Soft Peach hardly shows up but if you are fair then this can be a lovely everyday blush for you. Pink Glow is a more vibrant pink and even though it looks quite bright in the tube, once blended, it's a very pretty pink that will work well on all skin tones. If you want, you can wear it on your lips as well for a light wash of color during the day. I do that pretty regularly and love how it looks.  The best part about the blushes is that the color is buildable so you can wear it sheer or layer it on for more color. The staying power is around four to five hours and it does not get patchy over time. To make the blush last longer, I sometimes use it as a base and pat on some powder blush. You can try that too. I have normal to dry skin so I like the dewy finish it gives. If you have oily or combination skin, these should not be a problem for you because of its slightly watery texture. 

I wore Pink Glow on Christmas and unfortunately the camera didn't quite pick up the blush color properly. Can you still make out the light pink cheeks??

The Oriflame Studio Artist cream blushes are available through Oriflame reps for Rs 549 for 20 ml and it is a pretty good buy. Even if you are a non-cream blush lover, these I'm sure will get a lot of love from you. The shades, texture, consistency and pigmentation has won me over. The only con I see is the staying power and I wish these lasted a few hours more. Other than that, no complains at all. I love this formula!

Do you like cream blush? Do share in the comments below.

P.S - PR Sample. Honest review

Etude House Play Color Eyes So Chic Play Eyeshadow Palette - Swatches

Look what the postman delivered an hour back straight from Korea via jolse.com. The So Chic Play eye shadow palette from Etude House's Princess Etionette 2013 Collection!! There's been a lot of hype surrounding the Princess Etionette collection and my my the packaging of the pieces is so pretty specially the perfume and the lipsticks. The eye shadow palette looks great too. Its compact, easy to carry around and I absolutely love the combination of shades.

Etude House Play Color Eyes So Chic Play Eyeshadow Palette

There are two palettes available - So Hot Play which consists of more darker colors and So Chic Play that has mostly neutrals and sparkly shades. Each palette has ten shades with a finish of sparkle, shimmer and matte. Here are the shades of the So Chic Play palette:

• Coco Brown (matte)
• Clutch Brown (sparkling)
• Pop Champagne (sparkling)
• French Kiss (matte)
• Misty Rose (matte)
• Diva (shimmer)
• Glam Forest (sparkling)
• Midnight Star (sparkling)
• Sparkling Wine (sparkling)
• Leopard Brown (matte)

First impression - Very pretty shades and perfect if you are a shimmer and shine girl. The lighter matte colors are slightly low in pigmentation but Leopard Brown is a super pigmented shade. The sparkle shades will probably have a bit of a fall off so a base is very much needed. My favorite colors are Glam Forest, Midnight Star and Sparkling Wine. Only problem with the palette is that the shades are not well glued together to the base. Dunno if it got wobbly during the long travel to India or whether that's the case with all the palettes.

Take a look at the swatches. Full review coming soon.

From Left to Right - Coco Brown, Clutch Brown, Pop Champagne, French Kiss, Misty Rose, Diva, Glam Forest, Midnight Star, Sparkling Wine, Leopard Brown

Which ones did you like the most? Do share in the comments below.

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.

NARS Night Porter Eyeshadow - Review, EOTD

Night Porter is my first NARS eye shadow and I bought it after reading some wonderful things about this shade. Green is one of my favorite eye shadow colors and when I saw the swatches, just could not resist ordering it from strawberrynet for around Rs 1500.

Night Porter was released by NARS as part of the Night Series collection in 2011 and this is the color that got the best reviews. NARS has made the eye shadows permanent so you can get these at any store or online. Night Porter is a gorgeous dark forest green with a golden metallic sheen. I've used the color both dry and wet and it is easier to apply and looks much better when applied with a slightly damp brush. The color pay off is great and it looks so rich. When dry, it is stiff and hard and quite difficult to blend.  Also, not much of the shimmer shows up on the lids. There is however no creasing and fading and the color lasts for nearly 6-7 hours even without a primer.

Night Porter is a pretty unique shade and is great for a smokey eye look. It pairs wonderfully well with black, gold and any warm color. Here, I've applied Night Porter all over the lids and a bit of gold in the middle. Lined eyes with kohl and finished off with two coats of L'oreal's Volume Million mascara. 

I love Night Porter because it's such a gorgeous color. Will I say it's a must have? No, I won't and the reason is that it's stiff and hard to work with. Buy it if you love the color and don't mind the texture. 

Have you tried any NARS eye shadow? Which is your favorite?

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?

Lancome Rouge in Love Lipstick Midnight Crush - Review, Swatch

Like I said some days back, I have quite a few lipsticks to show all of you so do get ready for a major lipstick fest on the blog. I was actually supposed to start it off last week but got completely engrossed in the Durga Puja madness and everything took a backseat. I had a fabulous time and it was four days of full on masti!. Eminent journalist Vir Sanghvi once wrote this about Durga Puja in Kolkata and it beautifully summarizes what the festival means to us … “the essence of Puja is that all the passions of Bengal converge: emotion, culture, the love of life, the warmth of being together, the joy of celebration, the pride in artistic expression and yes, the cult of the goddess. It may be about religion. But it is much more than just worship…..” I ask all of you to come to Kolkata once during the Pujas. Believe me, it will be an experience you will never forget J

Apart from non-stop hogging and having fun, the Pujas are also about looking your best and one product that helped me do that is the Lancome Rouge in Love lipstick in # 383N Midnight Crush. I got it a week before the Pujas and been wearing it practically everyday since then. A lot has been written about the Rouge in Love lipsticks and believe me it’s absolutely worth the hype.  It's the best I've tried till date. Way better than MAC or NARS!

Midnight Crush is a bright raspberry color that is absolutely gorgeous. Lancome says that the Rouge in Love lipsticks:

·         Have an airy texture that glides on effortlessly & comfortable to wear.

·         Contains moisturizing & repairing oils that soften & smooth lips.

·         Formulated with new generation polymer that ensures long-lasting color.

·         Loaded with radiant silicon for a glossy effect.

·         Offers medium to full coverage & durable luster

The lipstick truly lives up to each one of the claims listed above. It looks luxurious and feels luxurious on the lips, glides on effortlessly, is richly pigmented so you need only one swipe to cover your lips, gives a beautiful glossy finish and stays on for nearly 5 hours. I’m usually not too fond of scented lipsticks but love the faint berry smell of this.

The Rouge in Love lipsticks comes in a wide variety of colors and finishes.

• JOLIS MATINS: Fresh, light shades, subtle, soft brilliant color. (Identified with the letter "M" in the shade number)
• BOUDOIR TIME: Flashy, trendy shades, bright color reflection. (Identified with the letter "B" in the shade number) 
• TONIGHT IS MY NIGHT: Deep, head spinning shades, deep lacquered effect, luminous color. (Identified with the letter "N" in the shade number)

This is how Midnight Crush looks on me :D. 

Now a decent lip swatch.

Midnight Crush has made me a fan and now I’m obsessed with the RIL's!. I don’t have a Lancome store in Kolkata so strawberrynet is my only source of buying them. There, the price is around Rs 1920 (the price changes depending on the dollar rate) but I do get a 10% off on all purchases. In stores, I think it’s around 1600. The lipsticks are definitely expensive but totally worth the price. Highly recommended!

If you want to buy Midnight Crush from strawberrynet, click here. 

Have you tried any Lancome Rouge in Love lipstick? Do share in the comments below.