A match for Ileana's Lip Color - Shiseido Lacquer Rouge VI324 Indiscreet

The above picture of Ileana D'Cruz at the recently held India Couture Week 2014 led to many discussions on Facebook regarding her lip color. Ileana's makeup was done by the MAC guru Mickey Contractor and obviously he used MAC products. Makeup artists rarely use a single lipstick and this was definitely a result of a combination of two or more lipsticks/lip liners/pigments etc. My guess is a mixture of Candy Yum Yum + Up The Amp + Heroine lip pencil but if you don't want the hassle of mixing shades and want a single lip color that matches that of Ileana's, your best bet is the Shiseido Lacquer Rouge VI324 - Indiscreet. This shade was part of Shiseido's Spring 2014 collection and is the perfect Radiant Orchid!

Guerlain Rouge Automatique Lipstick Samsara (124) - Review, Swatch, FOTD

Imagine yourself in one of the poshest stores in one of the poshest shopping areas of the world surrounded by men and women in Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Prada etc and you are there wearing a dress with Bata rubber Hawaii chappals, the ones we wear at home! Yup that was me inside Guerlain's iconic 68 Avenue des Champs-Élysées boutique in Paris. Believe me never have I felt so awkward in my life but I was battling severe shoe bites and a foot infection so it was either chappals or not walk at all and I obviously chose the former. 

You just have to see the Guerlain boutique. It is so luxurious and opulent. That day the entrance was decorated with white roses and inside there are crystal chandeliers, marble sculptures, huge flower decorations etc etc. The moment I walked in I saw the guard looking at me with a 'Are you really wearing flip flops to this store' kinda look but I just flashed him a sweet smile and went inside very matter of factly. I knew that everything in the store would be priced much higher than what I would get at duty free (nearly 10 Euros more!) but I still wanted to buy something and at the end settled for the Rouge Automatique lipstick in Samsara. It is quite an old shade but the berry-red color is just perfect for our Indian skin tone. 

Guerlain Rouge Automatique Lipstick Samsara (124)

Avon Ultra Color Matte Lipsticks Matte Lilly and Matte Garnet - Review, Swatches

Avon recently launched the Ultra Color Matte range of lipstick in 10 shades and I got two of them to try out - Matte Lilly, a cool toned pink and Matte Garnet, a true red.

Avon Ultra Color Matte Lipsticks Matte Lilly and Matte Garnet

The Ultra Color Matte lipsticks:

• Moisturizes lips while depositing vivid, dramatic color
• Velvety matte texture envelops lips in full rich color without drying
• Gives full coverage with SPF 15

L’Oréal Paris Rouge Caresse Lipsticks Aphrodite Scarlet and Mauve Cherie - Review, Swatches

I am probably one of the last Indian beauty bloggers to write about the L'Oreal Paris Rouge Caresse lipsticks but that's only coz I tried them recently, nearly two months after they released. I've never been too fond of sheer glossy lip colors so stayed away from them but thanks to L'Oreal who sent a couple for review, I've actually become quite a fan!

L’Oréal Paris Rouge Caresse Lipsticks Aphrodite Scarlet and Mauve Cherie

Read on to know my thoughts on two shades from the Rouge Caresse range - Aphrodite Scarlet and Mauve Cherie

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 Viva Glam Rihanna Lipstick - Review, Swatches, Photos

I just realized that it's been ages since I wrote about a red lipstick and considering my obsession with reds, that's completely unacceptable! So here I am bringing to you a lipstick that's not yet released in India but a worldwide rage currently. Presenting the MAC Rihanna Viva Glam Lipstick that I picked up in Singapore last month.

In Singapore, MAC lipsticks are for 29 SGD which is around Rs 1400. At that time, my conscience had really pricked me after I bought it. It was saying " Couldn't you have waited for a few more months? It would have launched in India at a much lesser price!!" But now that our dearest MAC have hiked their prices, I know that when it launches here, it will probably be of the same price that I paid for in Singapore. So no guilt feeling now at all :D.

MAC Viva Glam Rihanna lipstick looks different from the usual MAC lipsticks. The bullet is a frosty red and I love how funky yet classy it looks. Strangely, it does not have MAC's signature vanilla smell. It is a frost finish and described as a 'blue-red'. I don't agree with MAC's description at all because it's a bright red with warm undertones and I do not see any trace of blue in it, at least on me. The lipstick has a hint of gold and pink shimmer that does not transfer on to the lips and the pigmentation is amazingly good. The texture of the lipstick is quite creamy and it just glides on the lips. It is slightly hydrating and lasts on me for about 4-5 hours and does not stain the lips on fading. To sum up the review, I love this lipstick and if you love reds too, grab it when it launches here. Don't get put off by the frost finish because it hardly looks frosty on the lips. It just looks HOT!

Here are more pics of the Viva Glam Rihanna lipstick on me. I've gone for a very OTT look here, pairing a bright red lipstick with bright blue eye shadow from The Body Shop Color Crush range. The inspiration is a look that TBS created for Jatinn Kochar's show at the Kingfisher Ultra Bengal Fashion Week that I attended last saturday. I know it's really 'theatrical' but then makeup is all about experimenting and having fun right?

What do you think of the lipstick and the look? Do share in the comments below.