Colorbar Cheek Illusion Blush Bronzing Glaze - Review & FOTD

Colorbar has recently launched a bunch of new products and among them are the new Cheek Illusion blushes. Even though the name is similar to the normal range of blushes, they look different and are also priced much higher at Rs 650. I haven't seen them yet on their website though. I've always been a fan of Colorbar blushes and till date, Just Earth is the only blush that I've managed to use entirely ( I miss that shade so much!) so these new shades really got me curious. The one that I got is a lovely peachy bronzey color, Bronzing Glaze.

The major difference between these blushes and the normal ones are that these contain microshimmers that are supposed to highlight the areas of the face where light hits thereby giving a glowing complexion. All the shades in this range are absolutely lovely. Unfortunately, the SA did not allow me to take pictures or swatches, else would have shown you how pretty all of them look. Most of the shades lean towards natural colors so they would suit every skintone. I was on the lookout for a shimmery natural blush for a long time and Bronzing Glaze looked perfect. This color would look lovely specially on warmer skin tones.

The packaging is nothing spectacular. In fact, I find the outer shiny silver case to be rather tacky. The good thing is that the lid is transparent which gives an idea about the shade. Inside, the blush has a sort of quilted design with Colorbar embossed on it, giving it a nice look. These do not come with a brush

The texture of the blush is very light and powdery thereby making it a dream to apply. The shimmer is not chunky and gritty at all and therefore does not irritate the skin.

In terms of pigmentation, this is lovely. A little bit is enough to give me a healthy, bronzey flush. What I like most about the blush is that the shimmer is not OTT. It does make its presence felt but in a very subtle way, making it suitable both for day and evening wear. In terms of what it's supposed to do, as in give a glowing complexion, it does do it's job well. Honestly, I can't figure out much about the light reflecting part, but I like the shimmery effect that it gives to my skin.

The only gripe I have against the blush is its staying power. On me it lasts for about 3 hrs. Wish it lasted for a lot more though. And the price. Colorbar, you used to be an affordable brand. Why have you become so expensive??

Overall, I'm quite liking Bronzing Glaze and would recommend if you are looking for a non OTT shimmery blush. The color is lovely and the texture smooth, powdery and light. Just does not last for a really long time.

Have you tried the new Cheek Illusion shades?

Colorbar Eyeshadow Expensive Pink - Review, Swatch, EOTD

Would you believe if I told you that I never really experimented with eye shadows even say a year back? Yup! I was a complete kohl and bright lipstick girl. The max I would do was a mean black smokey eye and that's it. In fact it still is my signature look! But as they say nothing in life is constant except change so here I am now buying eye shadows like crazy, wearing them every single day, experimenting with different looks and loving bright colors. Today, the eye shadow that I'll talk about is a gem from the Colorbar eye shadow factory - Expensive Pink. Yes, the name is the same as that of a MAC cult classic but the color is very different from its pricier counterpart. While MAC's Expensive Pink is a dusty rose with pink and gold, Colorbar's Expensive Pink is a darker plummy pink, with red undertones and subtle shimmer.

Expensive Pink is my first eye shadow from Colorbar and I'm really impressed not only by the color but also by its quality. Here's what I think about this shade.

Packaging - Comes in a cute pot with a transparent lid and two compartments - one to store the shadow and beneath that another one which has a mirror and a curved eye shadow applicator, which is too small for me. It's ok if I'm travelling and don't want take my brushes but other than that, I don't use it much.

Color - Like I wrote above, the color is a plummy pink with red undertones and subtle shimmer. Its a gorgeous color for all skin tones and looks lovely on both Indian and Western outfits. I use it both as an allover lid color and also on my crease. What I love about the shade is that you can team it up with so many other colors. My favorite combos are with navy blue, grey, black and emerald but there can be plenty more. I also use it as a liner to line my upper and lower lash line sometimes and it looks equally good.

Pigmentation - Very pigmented. One swipe is enough to make your eyes pop with color and it does not require a primer to bring out the pigmentation.

Texture - The texture is really fine making it very easy to apply and blend. I love how smooth this is and that there is absolutely no fallout!

Staying Power - Without a primer, it lasts on me for at least 6-7 hours with a bit of creasing towards the end. 

I'm loving Expensive Pink and would highly recommend this color for everyone. The only con that I can think of is probably the tiny applicator and that's it. Get this girls. It's an absolute must have shade in your eye shadow collection. 

Here's me wearing Expensive Pink on my lids. Unfortunately the pic is not of great quality. Sorry about that :(

The price of Colorbar eye shadows are Rs 300 for 3 gms. You can now get them for Rs 270 at medplusbeauty.com

Have you tried Expensive Pink or any Colorbar eye shadows? Which is your favorite?

Colorbar Radiant Glow Face Illuminator Pen - Review & Swatches

Here's an excerpt of a conversation with a colleague at work recently.

Colleague - " OMG Lady whats up? You are absolutely glowing! I've been looking at you for nearly three years now and your skin has never looked this good! 

Me - "Really?? You not kidding right? So where exactly is my skin glowing? Cheeks, bridge of the nose,where?? Point it out"

Colleague - "Goodness Gracious..whts this? an exam? Isnt it enough that your face is glowing? Why do you need me to point out exactly where?? Btw whats the secret? Is it Love or Dove??"

Me - "Arghhh Stop saying this cheesy line for Gods sake! Its neither but keep guessing"...

Well I still haven't shared the secret of my glowing skin with my colleague. Will let her guess for some more days before revealing but I'm not going to be that mean with all of you :).. Today's post is dedicated to the product that is now giving me radiant, glowing skin whenever I want to, the Colorbar Radiant Glow Face Illuminator Pen (Rs 475.Unfortunately its out of stock at medplus now)

I've been on the lookout for a good highlighter for quite some time but the problem with most of them is that they are too glittery or shimmery. The disco ball look is definitely not me so have been patiently waiting to get a good one. When medplusbeauty announced that they were giving discounts on Colorbar products, I thought ok lets try their highlighter. Even if it turns out to be a dud, I can at least console myself saying that I paid less than the regular price. 

Thankfully this product has not turned out to be a dud. In fact its awesome! The Colorbar Radiant Glow highlighter pen is a click it pen that releases a gorgeous champagne rose gold color on clicking. It is a color that will suit all skin tones and the best thing about the highlighter - no glitter, only shine. So pretties with large pores who shy away from highlighters, not to worry. You can safely use this without worrying about how your pores will grab all attention. 

The highlighter is a liquid cream, with a thin runny consistency. It has a smooth texture therefore blends on to the skin very well. The good thing about the pen is that the product flows very well without too much or too little coming out. However, it's best to click the product on the back of your hand and then apply it coz applying straight on to the face might give you a streaky look. On its own, I apply the highlighter on my cheekbones, bridge of the nose, chin and edges of the forehead and I love the radiant glowy finish. My face looks natural, healthy and bright. It also does not smear, run or fade and stays for nearly 5-6 hrs. You can also mix it with foundation to give your face a subtle glow and also with concealer to hide the dark circles. So a truly versatile product!

The cons are that this comes in only one shade and the pen requires around 3-4 clicks to release the product. These to me are pretty minor flaws and all in all I would highly recommend the product. 

Have you tried the Illuminator pen? What are your thoughts on it?

Colorbar True Gloss Nectar Orange - Review & Swatch

I've never been a big lip gloss fan simply because shiny lips look terrible on me. I've tried experimenting with a number of brands but I just don't like how i look with a gloss. Unless its a shade that's really really pretty, the texture is light and non-sticky and the finish little less shiny, I never buy a gloss. I would have passed up on the new Colorbar True Glosses as well but then so many of the bloggers were raving about this product that I bought one out of curiosity to see what the hoopla was all about. 

The shades in the True Gloss range are really bright and vibrant and most of them are pinks and oranges, which are my favorites. The one that I picked up is Nectar Orange, a bright reddish orange. Here's what I think about this gloss.

Packaging - Nothing special. Its a standard transparent tube with a doe foot applicator inside to apply the gloss

Smell - Too strong for my liking

Pigmentation - Superb! I didn't think that a gloss would actually be this pigmented. A couple of swipes is enough to cover pigmented lips and the color is really striking on the lips 

Color - The color is so pretty! It does look bright in the tube, but on application, its certainly not that bright. This shade will look good on everyone irrespective of the skin tone. If you are not a brights lover, wear it as a stain to tone it down. 

Texture - Smooth & creamy and applies effortlessly. It's thick enough to provide full coverage but does not feel heavy on the lips and the most important thing for me in a gloss, it's not sticky. The product claims to be moisturizing but I didn't find my lips getting a lot of moisture. It didn't get dry either but just not as moisturized as I thought it would be.

Finish - This does not have as much shine as you would expect in a gloss and whatever you get while applying, starts fading away after about an hr or so. I think Colorbar should have named this range as Liquid Lipsticks rather than gloss coz that's really what they are.

Staying Power - A lot of bloggers have written that this stays on them for around 8-9 hrs on them. On me, it lasts for around 4-5 hrs (what am I doing wrong???) It fades away leaving behind a patchy reddish stain on the lips where the lip line looks much brighter than the inside of the lips. Not something that I like.

Final Thoughts

If, like me, you do not like shiny lips but still want to apply a gloss, this range is perfect. I've tried one more True Gloss in Natural Tan and that is equally pigmented. Thumbs up to Colorbar for launching this range of ultra pigmented, non sticky, long staying glosses in gorgeous colors. Go get one!

Have how you tried any of the Colorbar True Glosses? Which is your favorite?

Colorbar Creme Touch Lipstick Passionate - Review and Swatch

When Colorbar launched the Creme Touch lipsticks, my eyes were fixed on only one shade and that was Passionate. I've been wanting to get my hands on this beauty for quite sometime now and got it finally last Saturday at the New U store at Forum Mall, Kolkata. Remember the shade Party Parrot MAC released as part of the Iris Apfel collection? If you missed getting that, then Passionate is as close any lipstick that I know of has got to Party Parrot. I already have MAC's elder sister but the cousin looked too tempting to pass by.

If you want a comparison of both the lipsticks, then Party Parrot is a matte neon pink (though it looks to have a bit of coral as well) and some might even find it too bright to carry off. If you fall in that category, then Passionate is perfect. It's a toned down version of Party Parrot, more wearable, creamy, almost neon coral pink, and can be carried off by all skin types. On my lips, it comes across as more of pink than coral but I'm fine with it. When wearing this, go easy on the rest of your makeup though. You don't want people shielding themselves from your face!

The cousins together!

The Creme Touch lipsticks look great. The carton is all silver and shiny and the lipsticks are the same as well with a purple band in the middle. Dunno if my nose was acting up but think I smelled a somewhat familiar vanilla fragrance in the lipstick. Umm even the vanilla Colorbar?? Well, thankfully the smell is pretty pleasant and does not attack the senses.

The texture is really smooth and creamy and the lipstick just glides over the lips effortlessly. It's very light and does not feel heavy on the lips. I love the pigmentation of this lipstick. One swipe is enough to cover pigmented lips and one swipe is actually all you need to pack in the punch. The finish is creamy, glossy and very moisturising. I wear it as it is, no balm or gloss and my lips feel super hydrated and soft. I get around 4-5 hrs of wear time and there's a soft, pink stain left on the lips after fading, much lighter than the stain left behind by the Velvet Mattes. Because of how creamy it it is, there is a bit of transfer which to me is the only drawback of the lipstick.

Passionate in bright sunlight

Passionate to the left. Party Parrot to the right

Here's a recap of the Pro's and Cons of Passionate.

Pro's

• Beautiful bright coral pink color. 
• Creamy and soft texture
• Light and weightless
• Applies evenly
• Glossy finish
• Decent wear time of 4-5 hrs
• Contains Shea Butter, Vitamin E and SPF 15
• Reasonably priced at Rs 450

Cons

• Might be too bright for those not into bright colors (Go ahead and experiment girls. You can always wear it as a stain if going the full distance is too much for you)
• The creamy texture makes it prone to transfer

For a brights lover like me, this is a must have shade. A whopper of a color, great texture and glossy finish - everything that I look for in a lipstick is in this. Try it out !

Have you tried Passionate or any other shade from the Creme Touch range? Which one is your favorite?

Nail Candy!! My Avon and Colorbar Nail Polish Haul

Somebody Stop Me!!!! Seriously girls, I really need to show some control. Have been buying makeup like crazy (is it the blogging effect??). Hauled MAC, L'oreal, Faces, Avon and Colorbar. Got six new polishes last week and a couple more today. Just couldn't resist the new Maybelline Colorama polish in a lovely mint.

Avon has come out with some beautiful colors in their Nailwear Pro and Pro+ range that is now available at an offer of Rs 179 for two. I got six of them - Absinthe - a glittery green, Sweet Mint - a lime green, Midnight Plum - an almost blackened plum and Loving Lavender, a pastel lilac. I've always been a fan of Avon's nail polishes and I'm loving the new Pro+ range. The creamy, glossy finish is lovely, dries really fast and the wear time really impressive (about 4 days without major chipping). 

Here are the pics..

Color Wheel on my Fingers!

The other two polishes I got are from Colorbar, another brand I like for their range of colors and quality. These are from the Exclusive range and priced at Rs 150. Sunstone - a pretty peachy coral and Exclusive 18 - a muted teal.

 Which one did you like the most?