Fall-inspired Party Makeup Look

Hi Everyone,

Today I'm here to share a quick makeup look that I created, inspired by the dull Greens & warm, autumnal Browns of Fall. I know there's no Fall in India, but let's just roll with it ;-)

Here's how I did it - 

1. Base - If you already don't know how I do this, then you MUST visit the blog more often..lol ;) After moisturizing my face, I applied the Lakme CC cream all over, concealed using Derma Color Concealer & set the base with Rimmel London Stay Matte powder.

2. Eyes - I used all of the colors on the right hand side of the Comfot Zone palette by Wet 'n' Wild. Dabbed the frosted green 'Eyelid' shade all over the eyelid & used the moss green 'Crease' shade in the outer corner of the eye to give it some depth. I used the 'Browbone' shade from the palette to highlight the area beneath the brows.

Then, I lined the upper lashline with Sugar 'Eye Told You So' eyeliner & the lower lash line with Lakme Eyeconic Blue kajal to offset the greens on the eyes. Finished the brows with my MUA eyebrow pencil in 'Brown'.

3. Cheeks - I used the 'Pearlescent Pink' blush by Wet 'n' Wild (which is a supposed dupe for the NARS Orgasm blush) & topped it off with the Wet 'n' Wild Rose Champagne Glow highlighter which I've been loving lately.

4. Lips - I mixed an old Oriflame pinkish lipliner with Maybelline Colorsensational 'Bronze Orange' lipstick which is quite a cult favourite when it comes to n*de lipsticks.

This look doesn't need the same products I've used & can be easily re-created if you have similar shades in your makeup stash :-) You could also create this look for your upcoming NewYear's bash!! 

Hope you liked this quick makeup look! :-) Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below.

Until the next post...Ciao!!

Makeup Revolution Baked Blush in 'Loved Me the Best' (Review)

Hi Everyone,

Today I'm going to share a quick review on the Makeup Revolution Baked Blush in 'Loved Me the Best'. I picked this lil guy up from a blog sale along with a couple of other makeup items. I don't own too many blushes, but from the ones I own, I've been wearing this one very often this winter.

 'Loved Me the Best' has a beautiful blend of swirls of champagne, pink & berry tones. It's finely milled with medium pigmentation. On my oily/combination skin, this stays on for about 4hrs. If you prefer to layer powder blushes on top of cream ones then you'll surely get a longer wear-time out of this :-)

I prefer to wear this blush with deeper lipsticks. 'Loved Me the Best' seems to compliment deep pinks & red lipsticks better. The blush would suit light to medium skin tones however it wouldn't show up well on the rich, chocolate hues of dusky beauties & that's the only drawback of this blush that I can seem to point out. 

Have you tried out any Makeup Revolution blushes? Which ones are your favourites? Do let me know your thoughts & preferences.

Until the next post, Ciao...!!!

Festive Makeup Look (Budget Products)

Hi Everyone,

I was feeling a little creative today and wanted to play around with my makeup to create a Festive look for the season. After creating the look, I realized that all the products I used are really affordable brands which are easily available in stores or online. The shades are so versatile that you can continue to use them even after the festive season is over!! I know I do ;-) So I thought of sharing this quick post.

I want to keep this post short & sweet without going into too much detail. Just a simple breakdown on how you can re-create this look :-) so here goes :

Face:
Once you have cleansed & moisturized your face, blend a CC Cream to create a clear base. I'm not using the word 'flawless' here since I haven't used a concealer or anything else to cover up my blemishes.I wanted to keep this absolutely simple!! Now, set the base, with some powder. I have oily skin & hence used a mattifying powder. If you have dry skin & wish to skip this step, that's okay too. Use a neutral blush on the apples of your cheek. A neutral shade lets the eyes & lips take centre-stage! I used the following products for this step - 

• Lakme CC Cream - Rs.250/- 
• Rimmel London Stay Matte Powder - Rs.250/- (read HERE)
• Maybelline CheekyGlow in Creamy Cinammon - Rs.275/-

Eyes:

Festive season calls for some Gold on the eyes. Dab on a gold eyeshadow on the moving part of the eyelid & blend some brown into the crease for a smooth transition. Line the upper lashline with a liquid eyeliner to define the eyes. You can further intensify the eyes with Kajal on the lower lashline. I haven't taken the kajal all the way into the inner corner as this tends to make my eyes look smaller. I used the following products for this step - 

• Revlon Shadowlinks - Copper (golden shade) Rs.175/- 
• Revlon Shadowlinks - Java (brown shade) Rs.175/-
• Lotus ColorKick Kajal - Rs.199/- (read HERE)
• Elle 18 Black Out liner - Rs.85/-

Lips:

A bold red lip would mostly suit all your outfits :-) Apply some red lipstick to complete this Festive Makeup look. Some other affordable options in Red can be found in the Streetwear Lipstick range; they have at least 5 different, very beautiful hues of Red lipstick...my fav one being the shade 'Very Vampire' (read HERE). If Red isn't for you, then a good idea would be to wear something neutral as this will make the Gold on the eyes stand out. For this look however I have used a red lipstick - 

• Miss Claire soft matte lip cream in No.10 (Deep Red) - Rs.195/-

Pair this look with some pretty earrings & a bindi for a desi touch! ;-) Hope you try out this Festive Makeup look with some of these readily available & most importantly, budget-friendly products! Save those bucks & spend on your loved ones, this season! Let me know if you liked this concept, I'd love to create more Festive looks with Budget products, for you :-) 

Note - Prices mentioned in this post were applicable when I bought these products. They may slightly vary now. Given the online discounts during the festive season, these products will still be very reasonably priced.

Until the next post, Ciao..!!!

Do check out some of the older posts for different makeup looks - 

Shimmery Blue eyes and N*de lips (Party Makeup look)

Purple themed Makeup Look

Teal Smokey Eyes (Party Makeup look)

Teal Smokey Eyes (Party Makeup look)

Hi Everyone,

Today I'm here to share a 'Teal Smokey Eyes' look that I created recently. I have worked with Blue before, in eyemakeup looks & you can read about one HERE. Since that one was done with pigments & some of you gave me feedback that it was slightly difficult to re-create, I thought why not try something similar with eye shadow. This can be a great look for a party or for a special occasion where your outfit is all black. Your eyes will surely stand out :-)

Here's how I created this look -

1. For the base, I used my all time favourite, Lakme CC Cream in Bronze. To set this, I used the Rimmel London Stay Matte Powder in 005 Sily Beige (read review HERE). Along with the CC cream, the powder too, has become a staple in my kit.

2. Using any black kajal pencil, make a thick line on your upper eyelid (make this where you'd place your liquid eyeliner). Some good kajal options available are the Lakme Eyeconic Kajal in Black, Maybelline Colossal Kajal, Loreal Paris Kajal Magique or the Lotus Herbals ColorKick Kajal (read review HERE). Blend this with your ring finger across the moving part of your eyelid. The ring finger has the least amount of pressure and wont harm the eyes or skin. You can also use a small blending brush if you wish to. This is now the 'base' for the smokey eyes.

Vov black eye shadow, Revlon Shadowlink in Khaki,
Blue shade from BoraBora quad & Lotus Herbals Colorkick Kajal

3. Apply a small amount of green/khaki eyeshadow on inner 2/3rds of your eyelid. Top this off with some blue eye shadow to get a good mix. Since I was aiming for Teal, I mixed these two shadows - Revlon eyeshadow link in Khaki & a Blue eye shadow from the BoraBora quad that I received in my Fabbag (See another look with it HERE). If you wish to keep this all one colour then, apply whichever shade that you want.

4. On the outer 1/3rd of the eyelid, apply a matte black eye shadow. I used my trusty VOV matte eyeshadow in Black. Blend this color inwards, towards the blue shade, till they appear to blend together, dont mix them ;-) just make them look like they come together to blend at one point. Using whatever little black is left on the brush / finger, use this in the crease of your eyelids.

5. Use Kajal again on your lower lashline & smudge this out with the blue to complete the look. To finish off the look, I applied the Calvin Klein Mascara on the lower and upper lashes. Wait, before you judge me, let me clarify that I'm a budget-product junkie & this CK Mascara came to me in a makeup swap lol :-P Moving on...I chose to skip liquid eyeliner that day as I wanted to keep the look undefined, but you can line your eyes if you wish to.

Maybelline Colorsensational lipstick in 405 Yummy Plummy
Sorry, I couldnt seem to find the blush while clicking pics, but you can see it HERE.

6. For blush, I used my current favourite, the Lakme 9 to 5 Blush in Peach Affair. This is a beautiful, peachy blush for fair to medium skin tones & goes with mostly any kind of look. For the lips, I wanted a subtle shade so I used the Maybelline Colorsensational Lipstick in 405 - Yummy Plummy.

Hope you liked this look & will try it out some time :-) I have been playing around with a lot of colours while creating different looks but somehow didn't find the time to share a 'step-by-step' post with you all. I will try to be more regular in doing these kind of posts...pinky promise! Sorry, I have been watching way too much Disney Junior!! ;-)

Until the next post, Ciao!!!

Sleek MakeUP I-Divine Original Palette - Review

They're right! You should never commit until you're absolutely sure! And when I was, I said Yes :-) Love story? What love story? I'm speaking about my Sleek MakeUP I-Divine Original palette!! Lol

I was pretty happy and 'going steady' with my 3 lil eye shadows from Revlon Shadow links. I thought they were really nice, simple, suited everything I wore, what more could I want? But NO, I realized I was just 'settling' for them. I had always wanted a palette, but palettes were expensive & I didn’t seem to like anything so much that I could commit to buying the whole palette. So I was stuck in a "routine relationship" with my Revlon shadow links for about a year.

Then one day, while browsing makeup blogs, I found the 'Sleek MakeUP I-Divine Original palette' on a blog sale & fell in love! So here's a review/intro of the newest love of my life, who is here to stay...that's it, I'm committed!!

Packaging - The palette comes in the black cardboard packaging with a sneak peek at some of the shades inside. It has the name & branding done on the front, while on the back, there are other details like description, suggestions for possible makeup looks, ingredients & manufacturing details. 

When you open the palette, you'll find a conveniently sized mirror to create or touch up eye-looks on the go. It's just the right size to fit into this travel-friendly palette. The eye shadows are covered with a thin plastic film that states the name of each shade. The palette also comes with a dual-ended eye shadow applicator.

Theme - Sleek eye shadow palettes come with 12 long-lasting mineralized eye shadows that have been themed differently. The more popular ones that I've heard of are Oh So Special, Au Naturel, Storm, Vintage Romance, Sunset, Bad Girl palette, etc. with shades that flow with the theme, for e.g. Sunset Palette has warm, orange, "sunset-like' colours, while 'Au Naturel' has some lovely natural, neutral shades. As for me, I fell hard in love with the Original palette because it was sweet, simple & 'un-themed' apart from the extremely interesting names, of course!

Colour selection - The names have a distinct 'British' flavour to them & are based on the sights you might see or experiences you might have, when in the UK like London Eye, Big Ben, Cream Tea, Black Cab, London Rain, etc. The shades in the palette are beautiful and varied, with champagne shades, pinks & purples, tones of blue, copper, bronze & shades of green and olive.

Apart from Black Cab, a matte black shade, all the other colours are nice & shimmery. The shimmer isn't overpowering and tacky, it's very fine and looks wonderful on the eyes. Sometimes, if I can’t think of any particular combos, I simply use any one lid colour, blend the matte black in the outer V of the eyelid & get done with it..!! At times, I skip the black and blend a darker shade of the same colour on the outer corner for a monochrome eye-look (ooh! look at me, trying to sound like big-shot makeup artist!). 

London Rain & The Thames are from the Blue family, while London Eye & Big Ben are shimmery rose-goldish shades. Hyde Park & Banksy bring in the green tones to the palette; Sterling & Penny Farthing are the sultry coppery, bronzy shades. I also really like Royal, which is a totally apt name for a beautiful purple in the palette.

Texture & Pigmentation - The texture of these shadows is buttery smooth & they're deeply pigmented. They can be easily applied with your fingers as well as brushes, depending upon your preference. Most importantly, they blend like a dream! I'm lazy and don’t wear any eye-primer on a daily basis (Read about my cheat for an eye-primer HERE), however these eye shadows don’t need it. They're really long-lasting and stay on for more than 5-6hrs on my oily eye-lids. Hmmm, so I'm thinking if I can just get my lazy bu%& to religiously use primer for my eye makeup, these would easily last for more than 8-9 hrs.

My experience with the Sleek MakeUP Original Palette - I was impressed with the palette because all of its colours; being so different from each other, they're absolutely wearable. It’s a "match made in heaven" for me because it’s got all the shades/colours that I might actually get a lot of use from. If you're a beginner & are in the market for a shimmer eye shadow palette, then this just might be the thing for you :-); it's got almost every shade you might need! 

I have been using this palette on a daily basis for one-shadow everyday looks. The colour selection is beautiful and has shades like Cream Tea, Big Ben and London eye, which can be worn on their own, to enhance the eyes. And when I'm in a mood to match my eyes to my outfit, I have an array of shades to play around with! ;-) For more dramatic looks, I blend Black Cab in the outer-V of the eyelid & use Sterling, Penny Farthing or London Rain on the lower lash line to further define the eyes and add more drama.

Looks like I could go on and on about the different looks I have created using this palette, but wouldn't it just be more fun to show you rather than speak about it? So stay tuned for more eye looks, coming up on this blog!!

There you go, now you know why I've been seeing this 'sprightly young laddie' for over a month now! I guess he's got me 'committed' - hook, line and sinker - so to speak ;-) Phew, I'm totally 'knackered' after telling you that I think this palette is the 'Bee's Knees', I need something 'scrummy' for lunch now (Wow, I could easily be born in London, in my next life...lol!) 

Until the next post Mates, 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!!

Shimmery Blue eyes and N*de lips (Party Makeup look)

Hi Everyone!

Sorry about the late post, I am guilty for not being as regular with my posts as I’d like to be hehe... I usually write whenever I feel like and whenever I can, but mostly the two don’t happen together. Today was different, I felt that I had to sit myself down and write this post or else I’ll burst!! LOL Has that ever happened with you, that you feel the strongest urge to sit down and just write your heart away? Hey don't worry though, I will try to keep it short, crisp and to-the-point!

Today I will share how I created this 'Shimmery Blue eyes and N*de lips' look. It turned out really well that day and the best part about it was that I hadn’t planned on doing this. It just happened and turned out really great (or so I feel!!).

Here’s how I did it –

• For the Base, I used my trusty Lakme CC Cream and set it with Blue Heaven Compressed Powder for a matte look.

Lakme CC Cream in 'Bronze' & Blue Heaven Compressed Powder

• For the Eyes, I started with using a little foundation as an eye primer and set it with the same powder as mentioned above.
• Next, I took a flat shader eye shadow brush and dampened it by spraying a little water on it. I picked up the Faces Canada Blue Sparkle Dust with this brush and dabbed it all over my eyelid, being careful not to go above the crease. Since the pigment is wet, there is less fallout and the flat shader brush also helps. ('Fallout' is the extra eye shadow that 'falls out' on your cheek during eye makeup). In case, you do have fallout, wipe it off with a baby wipe or a dry brush gently, so that you don't mess up your foundation. Or better still, first finish the eye makeup and then go for foundation!

Faces Canada Sparkle Dust in Blue 

• Once I had the intense blue colour that I was looking for, I waited for it to dry. Taking a little bit of a purple eye shadow, I used this to blend out the harsh edge of the blue shadow on the crease. Since I have hooded eyes, I blended this purple shadow a little above the crease so that its visible when I look straight ahead. (Hooded eyes simply means that when I look straight ahead, there is very little space between the brow bone and eye-lid).
• Once the blue and purple were blended well, I lined my eyes with Elle 18 BlackOut liquid liner and used the Lakme Eyeconic Brown Kajal to line the lower lash line. I lined this only half-way and left the inner corners bare, to open up the eyes.

Maybelline ColorSensational lipstick in 'Bronze Orange'

• For some warmth on the face, I used the Lakme 9 to 5 Blush in Peach Affair. As I wanted the eyes to be in focus, I opted for a n*de shade on the lips. I used Maybelline ColorSensational lipstick in Bronze Orange to finish off the look.

I was always apprehensive of working with pigments but with practice, I've become slightly comfortable with them. I loved this look that I created and was absolutely surprised when it elicited a “WOW!!” from the Husband! Now who doesn’t like that eh? 

Do try out the look with Blue or any another colour of your choice and let me know how it turned out. Do leave me comments in the comments section below!!

Till then, in the words of my toddler, Baa-Byeee!!