Project Pan 2017 - Update 1

H‌i Everyone,

As you all know, a couple of my blogger buddies & I started Project Pan early this year. In case you want to know what it's all about, you can catch up by reading THIS post.

It's been a while & I thought I must update you all on what's been happening with the products. Before I begin, I must confess I don't have pictures for all of them. Firstly, I was traveling, along with helping my lil boy study. And secondly, it's difficult to show how much eyeliner I've used or how much mascara still remains in the tube, with pictures. So without a lot of pics to show, I'm going to keep it simple & be brutally honest to you all. Meaning, if I have not used a product or used it less, I'll update it accordingly. No fibs here...cross my heart!!

Here goes -

1. NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Adis Ababa - Okay, so I'm gonna be honest here & tell you, I haven't been reaching out for this one at all. I have been traveling and although I've taken this along with me, I've yet to break the hiatus I've put this beauty on :-( Sad init? Love this shade... I promise to use this more often from now on. 

2‌. MAC Lip Glass (shade unknown) - Again, not reaching out for this gloss. I'm such a matte-loving Lipztickaholic that I don't see myself using this soon. Aarrghh, Neha come on.. You can do this.. Go on.. Gloss it up sometimes!!!! 

3‌. Lotus ColorKick Kajal - Good news here! I've almost finished this lil guy.. Yay for me! I've gone through so many of these that I'm getting slightly bored hehe (that's the beauty blogger in me speaking).. I think I wont be re-purchasing this one, instead I'll try out something new next time.

‌4. Maybelline Falsies Mascara (Waterproof) - I've been regularly using & loving this mascara Guys!! I've used it particularly on days when I don't wear any eye make-up. It lengthens my lashes like no one's business & looks amazing!! See HERE. Too bad I can't show you a pic of how much I've used this up ;-) Definitely a product I will re-purchase.

‌5. Maybelline HyperGlossy eyeliner in Electro Shock (Blue) - I'm making a sincere effort to use this up before it dries up. It goes really well with any top & my fav pair of Blue Jeans. Need to finish this before it gets all crumbly like my Maybelline Hyper-Matte black eyeliner,which btw was awesome but dried up in a matter of weeks :-(

‌6. Sleek I-Divine Original Palette - I've been drawn to the more neutral and safe shades in THIS palette. Need to spend some time doing bold eye looks too if I want to hit pan in 2017. Phew, I know I can do this.. Buck up, buck up!! 

‌7. Revlon PhotoReady BB Cream in shade Medium - Bought it, didn't like it so didn't use it enough, however I've come up with a way to finish this up. Call it a cheat if you will but I mix it up & use this with my daily BB cream hahaha!! I'm gonna use this up soon. Nothing else to say about this one, I'm still working on it ;-) Not a re-purchase for me.

8‌. Miss Claire Studio Perfect Anti-Redness Primer in 01 Clear - Yesss... I'm at it! I use it every single time, without fail, before I throw on my BB cream. It's kinda nice & I need only a very small amount. Very silicone-y texture & helps the cream glide on well. Doesn't fill in pores like the Balm Pore-fessional but definitely reduces the redness of my perpetually flushed face. Doesn't greatly help the longevity of make up. It's not a product I will re-purchase.

9‌. Loreal Face Magique Transforming Smoothing Primer - Haven't touched this one since the last post Heheh I told you, I'm gonna be brutally honest in this series. I think I'll wait until I use up a good amount of the Miss Claire Anti-Redness primer :-) But I have to tell you, this one's really nice. Lovely product..this is my 2nd tub. I'll share more in my next post.

‌10. Chanel Illuminating Powder with Shimmer - Doing my best to use this up too. It doesn't have tons of shimmer and can be used on a daily basis to perk up dull skin.

That's it from me, as of now :-) Read about Project Pan updates from my friends, Pankhuri @ AddictedShades and Krupa @ IshtyleAWhile.

 Until the next post, Ciao!!

Project Pan 2017

Hi Everyone,

To begin with, let me explain what Project Pan means. It's a term mostly used in the beauty-blogging sphere & means "hitting pan" or using/finishing the product before buying another one. I have been at it for quite sometime now, but officially beginning it for 2017, with this post :-) Compared to skincare, Makeup products are a challenge to use to up, so I've selected only those this time.

For me, Project Pan means showing more love to older products that I haven't used in a while. I plan to work them more into my daily rountine or create something new & dramatic with them once in a while. Here are my 10 contenders -

Lip Products - 

Used only once or twice

• NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Adis Ababa - This was a git from my Sis-in-Law, M. She knew how much I loved the Miss Claire Soft Matte Lip Creams & thought I should try out NYX too.
• MAC Lip Glass (shade unknown) - I picked this up from a blog sale in Dec 2015. I used it for sometime and then somehow forgot about it. 

Eye Products - 

Kajal used once, Blue eyeliner used 2-3 times
& Mascara used 5-6 times

• Lotus ColorKick Kajal - My favourite for quite some time now. Reviewed HERE. I don't know how but I now own 2 of these; I seemed to have picked this up on one of my random grocery shopping trips..so now I have 2. I'll work on finishing at least one.
• Maybelline Falsies Mascara (Waterproof) - I remember sending a text to Krupa, my fellow blogger & my friend, about this 5 mins after I applied it; I got THAT excited about it. I absolutely love this one. BTW - Did you know that Mascaras have a shelf life of only 3 to 4 months? Need. To. Finish. Soon.
• Maybelline HyperGlossy eyeliner in Electro Shock (Blue) - I saw this on my friend, T & just had to have it. It's a gorgeous electric blue liner & my reasoning with myself was - "It's BLUE!! I don't need to match this with anything. It goes with my blue JEANS!!" buahaha, don't ask me why I didn't show it any love later. 

Used some of the Neutrals; Bright shades used sparingly.

• Sleek I-Divine Original Palette - I went all out to proclaim my love for this "sprightly young laddie" .. Reviewed HERE. I wish to renew my vows this year *wink wink* 

Face Products - 

• Revlon PhotoReady BB Cream in shade Medium - Bought it, didn't like it so didn't use it enough. I might have some ideas on how I can use this up. Watch out for an update post!
• Miss Claire Studio Perfect Anti-Redness Primer in 01 Clear - Don't judge. Honest mistake. I had misplaced it & didn't even remember having it. So, no more Benefit Pore-fessional for me until I use this baby up.
• Loreal Face Magique Transforming Smoothing Primer - Loved Pore-fessional so much that I didn't bother with this one. The Loreal primer is a great product & was my 1st ever face-priming product. This lil tub is my 2nd. I've also loved & almost finished the Nivea After Shave Balm - reviewed HERE. Speaking of primers, don't have an eye-primer? Read THIS.
• Chanel Illuminating Powder with Shimmer - My best bud, V gifted this to me. Hoarder that I am, I saved this gift up for special occassions. It does have finely milled shimmer but not so much that it can't be used on a daily basis. 

To make all this more exciting & fun, my blogger buddies, Krupa from IshtyleAWhile & Pankhuri from AddictedShades are also launching Project Pan on their respective blogs. We will be posting updates, every 6 weeks all the way up to 25th December 2017, which is our deadline for the project.

Until then, go ahead & show us some love! Leave us your comments below. If you're new & visiting me from my friends' blogs, then a big HELLO to you.. I'm Neha - I love make-up & doing ditzy things like saying Hello at the end of the post ;-) 

Wish us luck ... & pray for me... *Come on Gurl, you can do this!!*

See you in my next post, Ciao..!!

Loreal Silkissime Liner in Purple Punch - Eye Makeup Look

Hi Everyone! 

I've been guilty of drafting this post and not really completing it for such a long time now. I just had to sit down and do it today.. lol I'm sure I wouldn't have been able to sleep if I didn't ;-) 

I have followed Shikha (from dressnmakeup) on Instagram for over a year now and I adore her profile. I won the Loreal Silkissime liner in Purple Punch in Shikha's giveaway and have been itching to use it in a makeup look. I created this makeup look some time ago for an evening out with friends. 

Step 1 - Apply your favourite eyeshadow primer. A primer will help your eye makeup stay for a longer time without creasing. Dust a flesh-toned eyeshadow shade all over the eyelids and all the way up to your eyebrows. This will set the primer and brighten the area for more colour. 

Step 2 - Apply the Purple liner on the upper lashline. Don't worry about being perfect like you would be with a liquid liner; just apply it right above the lashes. With a pencil brush / smudger brush, smudge the purple liner. 

Step 3 - Take a light brown eyeshadow and apply it over your crease area to deepen it. Let it blend in well with the purple that's below it. You can always reapply the purple later to make it stand out. 

Step 4 - (Optional) Line the lower lashline with kajal to add some definition to your eyes. I usually do this step when I'm using a bold colour on the eyelid. You can skip this if you like.

There you go!! Your ''Purple Eye Look'' with the Loreal Silkissime Liner is ready..!!

Bonus tips - Here are some other ways I like to use this gorgeous purple liner ...

1. Use the Loreal Silkissime Liner on upper or lower lashline. I skip kajal when I do this to make the liner colour stand out.

2. Use it for a sumdged-out look, like I've done in the above look. To define my eyes better, I like to use kajal when I do this.
3. Use the shade as an eye shadow all over your eyelid for a more dramatic evening look.

Use any colour of your choice & get creative! Always remember to have fun with Makeup!!! If you liked this post, leave me a comment below showing me some love :-) Also tell me what's your ''go-to'' look for the eyes. It could be a simple, elegant black kohl or an all-out, glamourous winged liner but I'd still love to know about it...

Until the next post, Ciao..!!

L’Oreal Go 360 Clean Facial Cleanser For Sensitive Skin - Review

Hi Everyone,

I had run out of my Biotique cleanser (reviewed HERE) & wanted to try out something new. Since there was an offer going on at the New U store I visited, I thought of trying the Loreal skincare range. It's not like I have extremely sensitive skin, but when I wanted to try something for the first time, I figured it should be mild & something that won't send my skin into sudden shock lol ;-).That's how I got introduced to the L’Oreal Go 360 Clean Facial Cleanser For Sensitive Skin.

 Price: Rs.399/- for 178ml

Ingredients:

Packaging: The L’Oreal Go 360 Clean Facial Cleanser For Sensitive Skin comes packaged in a white & soft blue bottle, with an attached blue scrublet. The packaging is nice & travel-friendly. Although I had covered it up before travel, the bottle didn't leak as the cap on it shuts tightly.

My Experience:

Cleanser - The cleanser has a runny consistency & is really gentle on the skin. The company claims it to be fragrance-free, but the cleanser does have a slight fragrance to it. It actually deep-cleanses the skin & leaves it feeling smooth & moisturised. Recently, I've been liking cleansers that do that, so in case I forget to moisturize, my skin doesn't feel dry & stretchy. The pores of my skin (mainly in the T-zone) don't look visibly smaller, as per the claims... I think that's taking it too far ;-) but the skin is left feeling deeply cleansed & hydrated.

Scrublet - I've got to be honest, that this lil rubber scrublet got me all curious about the product. I'd never seen anything like it before :-) It's a lil handy tool that is soft enough for everyday use & great for travelling. It's 'silicon-y' rubber bristles are great for gentle exfoliation. You all know my love for multitasking products & I feel once the cleanser is over, this cute scrublet would be great for washing my makeup brushes :-). "Don't lose it, RE-USE it!" lol I'm watching too much of those 'Paw Patrol' cartoons with my lil man!

Excuse the chipped nail polish ;-)

How I use the product - I squeeze a small amount of cleanser directly on the scrublet & apply it to my face. The circular motions of the scrublet help spread the cleanser on the face. It doesn't foam up like a normal face wash but the 'soapy' texture helps unclog pores & deep clean them. I have also tried the cleanser for 'makeup removal' & it does a great job at that! It was also able to remove waterproof mascara too, which gets it a big 'thumbs-up' from me! :-) (Avoid using the scrublet on the eyes; remove mascara slowly by rubbing the lashes between your fingers).

This is my first skincare product from L'Oreal & I'm pretty impressed by it. I don't see any 'con' as such in this product, just that it's slightly expensive for a cleanser. But if you're looking for something mild for daily cleansing that can also double up as a makeup cleanser, give the L’Oreal Go 360 Clean Facial Cleanser, a shot. There are different variants in the same range & you can pick one that's most suitable for your skin type.

Hope you liked this review. Until the next post, Ciao!!

Favourite Lipsticks Series - Top 5 Reds

Guess who's back? Yes!! Along with my help,this morning, my 'Will to Write' is back. Hahaha, its like she brought it along with her. When she was on leave (without a substitute!!) I felt like all I did was wash utensils in the sink LOL. Some of my nightmares involved falling into the sink and being sucked down the drain, Phew! Now that she's back this morning, I suddenly want to sit and write.

So since I'm feeling absolutely positive and happy this morning (yeah, our help can have that effect on us Women!!) let's make this about something that makes us feel positive, strong and confident. I'm going to make this post a tribute to my favourite Red lipsticks - 

(L to R) Maybelline - Nonstop Red, Streetwear - Very Vampire,
Miss Claire - No.10, Laqa & Co. - Siren Song and Loreal Pure Red - Pure Rouge

(L to R) Maybelline - Nonstop Red, Streetwear - Very Vampire, 
Miss Claire - No.10, Laqa & Co. - Siren Song and Loreal Pure Red - Pure Rouge

Let's dive in...!

1. Maybelline Super Stay 14hr lipstick in Non-stop Red - 

This is a bright red with pinkish coral undertones. Fresh and young, this colour would be slightly more suitable for fair to medium skin tones. Thanks to the pigmented formula, this colour stays on for hours and is a no-fuss, low maintenance kind of Red. It's more of a day-time Red for me, I'd say. It's the kind of colour that's bound to get some attention without being 'in-your-face'.

2. Streetwear Color Riche Ultra Moist lipstick in Very Vampire - 

A bright orangey red, but a little more sheer formula which isn't as pigmented as the Maybelline one mentioned above. This is also a day-time wear Red and is overall a nice budget lipstick. But then, where it gains in price point, it loses in staying-power. This isn't a long-stay formulation and needs to be re-applied every couple of hours. So if, you don't mind touch-ups a few times in a day, go right ahead and get this!! 

3. Laqa and Co. Chubby stick in Siren Song - 

I got this one in my Fab Bag in Jan 2015. The shade is a deep red with brown and orange undertones. This pairs very well with saris and any kind of Indian ethnic wear. It's a shade that will suit all skin tones. If you've got this as a part of your subscription box, well..keep it!..but I wouldn't suggest you'd go in and buy it especially. When I want to steer away from a bright red lip, I reach out for this one to give my makeup a more mature and confident look. It's got a balmy texture, yet good staying power.

4. Miss Claire Soft Matte Lip cream in No.10 - 

A rich, deep burgundy kind of red that's best suited for evenings. The formula is matte, long-lasting for up to 4-5hrs, yet creamy and non-drying. Overall, I love this range for being absolutely budget-friendly & this shade especially has to be my favourite from the Miss Claire range. 

5. L'Oreal Paris Pure Reds Collection lipstick in Pure Rouge by Frieda Pinto - 

A deep, matte true red, Pure Rouge is rich in colour, has a creamier formula, and is much more long-lasting than its more reasonably priced cousins (all the above lipsticks). I haven't owned this one for very long, but its quickly become one of my favourite reds! I wear it mostly during the day and I'm confident it's going to rock evening looks as well. This is one shade that will suit all skin tones, yep it's THAT versatile and gorgeous!! (That instant pout in the selfie wasn't intentional, I swear! It just happened..lol I blame the lipstick hehe)

As you might have guessed from the pictures, I love Matte finishes and kind of avoid glossy lipsticks. In case, you wish to glam these up with some gloss, please feel free to top these with a clear gloss and you're done!! 

Here are some hand-swatches in Natural Light - 

Hope this post helped some of you who are looking to add a new Red to your collection. 

What are some of your favourite Red Lipsticks? Which one do you reach out for most? Any particular Reds on your wishlist? Lemme know all about them in the comments section below...

Until the next post..Ciao!!