Getting a Makeover at MAC, Quest Mall, Kolkata

If you are in Kolkata, you will surely know about Quest Mall and that it is one of the best places to shop and hang around in the city. A number of brands have set up their stores at the mall and one of them is our favorite, MAC Cosmetics. This is MAC's second store in Kolkata and also one I go to the most simply because it is nearer to my place and my favorite MUAs are all there. If you are in Kolkata, do check out the store and if you want, you can ask the MUAs to demo some looks on you. In fact, you can do that at any MAC store and it is complimentary. 

Wedding Makeup Look with the Maybelline InstaGlam Wedding Edition Box

Hey Pretties

I know this post was long overdue but it's been such a hectic time for me. I've been swamped with work so getting very little time to blog :(. But here I am today not with a product review but with a look I created with the Maybelline InstaGlam Wedding Edition box that I wrote about here.

I was sent the pink box which has the following products:

Maybelline Diamond Glow Eye Shadow – Wine Pink
Maybelline Color Sensational Lip Polish Glam 9
Maybelline Color Show Eye Liner 03 – Ocean Blue
Maybelline Volume Express Hyper Curl Mascara
Maybelline Cheeky Glow Blush – Peachy Sweetie
Maybelline The Colossal Kajal 12 Hour Smudge Free
Maybelline Color Show Nail Lacquer – Feisty Fuchsia

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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

L’Oreal Paris Shine Caresse Lip Colors Bella and Juliette - Review, Swatches, FOTD

Last week I received a few products from L'Oreal's Rouge and Shine Caresse range and these are really all that I've been wearing now. In this POST I've already shared my thoughts on the two lipsticks from the Rouge Caresse range. Today its the turn of Bella and Juliette from L'Oreal's Shine Caresse range. Read on to know what I think of them and to see the swatches.

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?

Revlon ColorBurst Lip gloss in Peony - Review, Swatch, FOTD

I had seen Revlon ColorBurst Lip Gloss Peony in a Lisa Eldridge video and the very next I ordered it online. First reason for ordering - it looked really pretty on the model on whom Lisa used this, second because it was recommended by Lisa, third, because not many products that she uses are readily available to us but this one I could easily get my hands on and the last reason , I did not have to spend my own money. I was given a voucher to shop from myntra from the lovely people over there and this was one of the products I got. To see what else I got, click here

I told you the reasons why I bought Peony and they all are pretty valid but I just missed out on thinking about one teeny tiny thing while ordering this. My skin tone and the model's skin tone in Lisa's video are poles apart! On her fair skin, the color was a beautiful peach with golden shimmer. On my NC 43-44 skin tone, on its own, it is just the shimmer :(.. Disappointed? Yes obviously! and that is why you should not blindly follow what famous makeup artists do in their videos. Always always keep in mind your skin tone while buying makeup. What works on one might not necessarily work on you.

I could have not written this review simply because the color does not work for me as much as I would have wanted it to. But I wrote it keeping in mind all you pretties who have lighter skin tones and for you Peony is a beautiful shade to be worn alone or layered on top of a lipstick! Like I said, its a peach with golden shimmer that does not feel gritty on the lips. I love Revlon's ColorBurst glosses and honestly think they are one of the best in the drugstore market now. These glosses look pretty, the sponge applicator applies the gloss effortlessly, they have a lovely texture, go on smooth and are non-sticky. On me, the color is absolutely sheer but on lighter skin tones, will work pretty ok. Don't expect a lot of pigmentation though. I've been layering the gloss on top of lipsticks and I get around 3-4 hrs of wear time. On its own, this will probably give you about 2 hrs.

Take a look at how the gloss looks on my NC 43-44 skin tone

Here's how it looks on my friend who is much lighter than I am 

If you have a light skin tone, Peony is a beautiful shade for you to be worn on its own or on top of lipsticks. Specially corals and pinks. Not that darker skin tones can't  wear this. Just pair it with a lipstick.

Have you tried Peony?

My Everyday Office Look - Products, FOTD

I seem to have got into an office makeup rut for the past two weeks. Been using the same products everyday and barring the change of lipstick and maybe the blush once or twice, I haven't been changing much. Pretty strange for a Gemini but quite liking this 'rosy' kind of look Thought would share with you the products that I use everyday and what I look like at work.

Face:

1. Sephora Brightening and Hydrating foundation - Use either this or the Maybelline BB stick

2. Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder - My savior for summer!

3. MUA Cover and Conceal - This has not been a part of my daily routine. Just got it yesterday and wanted to try. Usually I skip concealer.

4. Purely Pro brush in Universal - I love the pink flush this one gives

Eyes:

1. Maybelline Hypersharp liner - love love love!

2. Maybelline Lashionista Mascara - Gives length and its pink!

3. Rimmel Soft Kohl pencil - Great value for money!

Lips:

1. MUA Power Pout in Broken Hearted - Even this is not part of my daily routine. Got it yesterday so wore it. My usual color of choice is MAC Craving 

What I skip is eyeshadow. It's not something I wear everyday but I think I really need to. Else, Ill never be able to get even close to finishing half of the shadows I own!

Here are the products:

And this is what I look like after using them..

What products do you use daily?

Black Smokey Eyes with MAC's Scarlet Ibis lipstick - FOTD

Hey Pretties

Today I was playing around with colors in the evening and decided to try out a really black smokey eye look. Now going by makeup rules, smokey eyes are best paired with nude lips but I've never been one to follow rules, so out came my bright orange-red MAC Scarlet Ibis lipstick. For the eyes, I first covered my entire lid up to the crease with the Colorbar ultimate liner and once done, patted black eye shadow on top of it to diffuse the starkness and give that smokey look. I used Maybelline's Colossal Kajal to line the waterline and also applied the black eye shadow on top of the kajal. Skipped the liner on top and mascara but if you want to try this and really glam up your look, line the upper lids and give your lashes a good coating of mascara. 

For the lips, I applied two swipes of Scarlet Ibis to really pack on the color and that's it. Did not use a lip liner or a lip brush. Since I was only experimenting at home, my face was absolutely bare except for moisturizer. 

This is a look that is definitely not subtle and one that will make you stand out. If you want to try it for a night out, first use an eye primer else there is a chance that the shadow will go all over the place leaving you with raccoon eyes. Keep the face makeup minimal so that attention is only on the eyes and lips. Just use foundation and concealer only where you need to and blend well. A nude blush on the cheeks and add in a bit of highlighter but make sure it has absolutely no glitter. I would recommend the Colorbar highlighter pen or the highlighter in Sleek's Face Form palette. Both are really good and give the face a lovely glow. That's really all that you need. Instant glamour in 10 mins! I went in for an orange red lip but this will look equally good with a fuchsia or a hot pink. MAC's Girl About Town, Impassioned, Revlon Colorburst Fuchsia, L'oreal's Intense Fuchsia, Colorbar's Oh My Magenta are some good options.  

Here's how I looked pairing Scarlet Ibis with a black smokey eye..

And the products used:

1. NYX I Dream Of Jamaica palette

2. Colorbar Ultimate Liner

3. Maybelline Colossal Kajal

4. MAC Scarlet Ibis lipstick

How do you wear a smokey eye? With nude lipstick or a bright one?

New Years Eve FOTD

Hiya Lovelies

While most of you celebrated New Years Eve with your loved ones, I was actually at office working! Still had a lot of fun though, ringing in 2013 with my colleagues and having some yummy Tibetan food. Before going to work, I was playing around with makeup and came up with the below look, one I would have sported if I was going out. I haven't posted a lot of FOTD's on the blog simply because I get way too conscious (and a bit scared too what with all the weird things that takes place with pics!) but today, I've conquered my inhibitions to share with you my NYE FOTD. Sorry for the bad pic quality though :(..

Pree, this post is dedicated to you :)

Here's a list of what I used.

1. Garnier BB cream
2. Sleek Face Form Contouring and Blush Palette
3. L'oreal Infallible eyeshadow Burning Black
4. Colorbar Ultimate Eyeliner
5. Lakme Eyeconic Mascara
6. Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain

What do you think?