Top 5 : Makeup Products I'll Repurchase & Recommend

Hi Everyone,

Everyone has their favourites & I have mine too. Out of my favourites, I've picked out the Top 5 that I have restocked time and again. I have loved these & even recommended them to friends & family whenever I've been asked to suggest certain products.

So here's a list of my Top 5 Makeup Products that I will definitely repurchase in future & recommend to anyone who's interested -

1. Loreal MatMagique 12hr Foundation

Loreal MatMagique 12hr Foundation

This has become a very important part of my makeup kit. It's a great foundation for oily & combination skin types, as it sets matte & doesn't budge. Having said that, it's not thick in consistency like some medium to heavy coverage foundations are. Frankly, when I don't have concealer at hand, I use a lil extra foundation under the eyes to cover up the dark circles & it does a great job of that as well.

A couple of cons -
a. It sets very quickly. You need to work fast to blend it across the face & neck.
b. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone with dry skin as it's matte & would further dry up your skin.

2. Lotus ColorKick Kajal - Review HERE.
I've used other kajals in the market quite honestly but always keep coming back to this one. The price point & pigmentation of the product are absolutely amazing! I like the Maybelline SuperBlack Kajal as well & it comes a close second to the Lotus one, but I don't see Lotus budging from the no.1 position in my list of deep, dark kajals.

3. Rimmel London Stay Matte Powder - Review HERE.
Any oily/combination skinned makeup enthusiast who has used this lil piece of magic, would tell you they've loved it! And I'm no different. I love it so much that when I hit pan on my 1st powder, I used up all the crumbly left-over bits until THERE WERE NO left-over bits lol. Now I've hit pan on my 2nd Stay Matte Powder & I'm going to do just that...again!!!

4. Nivea Men After Shave Balm - Review HERE.
The Nivea After Shave Balm deserves every bit of appreciation it gets on the internet, within the beauty community. It works as an amazing, hydrating primer to soften the skin, prep it for foundation & hold on to that foundation when applied. Do check out the link above for the review.

5. Kryolan Derma Color Camouflage Creme

Kryolan Derma Color Camouflage Creme

You get all kinds of makeup EVERYWHERE nowadays, say those ignorant ppl, who don't know that I cannot just go to a store now & buy my Derma Color Concealer for Rs.350/- (price in 2015). I could EASILY do that in Mumbai or Bangalore. Unfortunately, I can't buy it anywhere here :-( I could get it online, but it's not the same. I use it sparingly now but will surely pick up a small tub in Mumbai, next time I'm there. This is a miracle product & a little goes a long way. You have to try it to believe it!!

Cons -
a. Heavy duty concealer, so use a very, very tiny amount.
b. Quite drying, so use a good eye cream before it & set it quickly with powder after applying, since it tends to crease soon.

TheLipztickaholicDiaries will be incomplete with the mention of my much loved product, "The Lipstick", right? Here's a bonus product that I love....

A very, very special mention to Maybelline Lip Gradation in shade Pink2, that I have loved for the past year & a half. The proof? I'm on my 3rd crayon right now....yep, its true! 3 crayons in 1.5yrs has gotta be some kind of record, right? So I'm ready & waiting for my medal...lol ;-)

I'd love to know about your top 5 makeup items that you absolutely love & rave about!! Tell me more about them in the comments section. Leave your questions, if any, there too!

Follow me on Instagram HERE for Everyday Makeup looks, Lipstick of the Day posts, Easy Eye Makeup, Product empties, mini-Reviews & much more!!

Until the next post, Ciao!

Date-Night Makeup Tutorial (Simple & Step-by-Step)

Hi Everyone,

Being parents to a very active 5yr old, we don't usually get to have date-nights. Either the kiddo tags along or we order-in & spend chilled out evenings at home.

So when the Husband & I realized that he has to leave for a tour on my birthday this month, we thought of going out to dinner. We called it an "Early Birthday Dinner + Date-Night". Since these evenings out are a rarity in my case, I thought of trying to put in a lil extra effort into my makeup look. It turned out really well & I was very pleased with it. It's actually very simple & with little practice, you could put this together in about 10mins flat.

Here's how I put it together -

1. Apply deep black kajal on the entire moving eyelid. Don't go above the crease though. Smudge out the kajal with a brush or your finger. This forms a nice base for the eyeshadows that follow. They'll stick on & last longer. If you're a beginner, I strongly suggest staying away from deep blacks & using a deep brown as they're more forgiving & easier to blend.

2. Apply a grey eyeshadow on the inner & outer corner of the eyelid. On the middle, dab a shimmery eyeshadow (I used a shimmery gold) with your finger. Blend the edges of 3 segments, to make it look gradient. So, they should look something like this - Grey-Gold-Grey lol I'm so sorry I'm really bad at describing this process.

The Gold in the centre of the eyelid, makes the eyes pop & looks beautiful. 

3. On the crease of the eye, you can blend in a deep brown or any earthy toned eyeshadow to deepen it. This will ensure an overall blended look. Tie-in the look by lining the lower lashline with the same deep black kajal & smudging it with a brown or black eyeshadow. 

So here's how the eye look turned out -

For this look, I used the New-trals Vs Neutrals palette by Makeup Revolution London. You could use any palette or single eyeshadows you own. You can also switch up the colours, while keeping the same technique to create a "Spotlight Effect" :-)

On another random note, I've been away for about 2 months now & it feels great to be blogging again. Hope you liked this simple tutorial I put together. I write at nights when my lil one's asleep & I do so on my phone. With his school schedule & everything else, the post takes sometime to make an appearance on the blog hehe, completely my fault...Guilty as charged!! 

Leave in requests for other posts & I'll be happy to come up with them!

See you all around soon! Ciao!

SATLIVA - Skincare with Hemp Seed Oil (Part 1 of 2)

Hi Everyone,

Today, I will be sharing my experience about SATLIVA products.

SATLIVA products are made from Hemp seeds, sourced from the Himalayas. Hemp seed oil is extracted from these seeds using the cold press technique, which retains the natural nutrients & flavours of the oil. It's then combined with other oils to produce an all-natural, chemical free skin care product.

First Impressions - I was a little surprised to see that the Body butter & Face butter didn't have the creamy, buttery texture that such kind of products normally have. If you've used body butters & creams from other brands, you'll see that SATLIVA products have a different consistency (actual pic of product at the end of the post).

The fragrance of the products was quite lovely. I was slightly apprehensive about using these due to my oily-combination skin (they have an oily texture) but I went ahead with using them anyway. Here's my experience -

1. SATLIVA Raspberry Lip Butter (Rs.199/- for 10gms) -

This was an instant hit with my dry, chapped lips. I use this as an overnight treatment for my parched, matte lipstick-loving lips. This one is a must-try from that range. Cuz. You know. Raspberry!!

2. SATLIVA Coco Bliss Body Butter (Rs.799/- for 100gms) -

With the goodness of Jojoba Oil, Moringa Oil, Cocoa Butter & Spearmint, this one's my absolute favourite! I have made this a part of my night-time routine & having been loving the results. It not only softened my knees & elbows but worked wonders on my feet, which btw I'm guilty of not showing much love to. Massage this on to your feet and wear socks, you'll wake up to baby-soft (& visibly better-looking) feet.

Although, this particular product came to me slightly liquified, I must say this has been the one to impress me the most. I kept it in the fridge for a couple of hours & it was good to go.

3. SATLIVA Mango Fresh Face Butter (Rs.799/- for 100gms) -

Like I mentioned before, I found these products to be pretty oily & hence made them a part of my night-time routine. I've noticed that my oily/combination skin takes time to soak up the goodness of these products & till then looks quite greasy. (PS - Despite the greasy look, none of these products have broken me out till date).

The Mango Fresh Face Butter that I received doesn't have a strong Mango scent..actually, it doesn't have a Mango scent to it at all. I had used up my Facial Oil & was looking for something to battle the non-stop air-conditioner all night. The Mango Butter is doing great on that front. It's got Carrot Seed Oil, Lavender Oil & our trusty Tea Tree Oil.

4. SATLIVA Hair Essentials Hair Cream (Rs.799/- for 100gms) -

A heavy-duty cream that I should have gone easy on. Lesson learnt - a little goes a long way, with this one!! The Hair Cream is enriched with Argan Oil which nourishes the hair from within & the Peppermint Oil gives it a cooling effect...& that my friends, feels heavenly.

Heads - up : You might need to shampoo 3 to 4 times to wash this off. The cream is quite heavy & I strongly suggest using this on days that you can relax & pamper your hair, with some deep nourishment. Ideal for an ''At-Home Spa Session". It nourishes the hair deeply and leaves it tangle-free, soft and smooth.

Cons - 

1. Glass tubs, not very travel friendly.

2. Oily consistency, best if included in your night time routine (my opinion).

3. Price point, slightly on the higher side.

Pros -

1. Quality skincare without any chemicals.

2. Good for any skin type. A must-try for Dry skin! Doesnt break out oily-combination skin. 

3. Freshly made when you place an order, so no issue of old batches in your delivery.

Overall, I'm pretty happy with the products after having used these for over 4 weeks now. I look forward to repurchasing my favs from this range in the future. Part 2 of 2 coming up in the next couple of weeks.. Watch this space for more!

Note : Brand sent across products in exchange for an honest review. This is not a sponsored post.

Eyeshadow Palette Collection (Pic-heavy post)

Hi Everyone,

Sorry to have been MIA for a long time! I'm not going to get into the excuses but get straight into my new post ☺

I'm a self-confessed "Lipztickaholic", but there are days when I like to play up my eyes too! I have a limited collection of eyeshadow palettes & these are what I work with most of the time. Read on to know why I like these -

1. Makeup Revolution 'I Heart Chocolate' Palette

The rich, chocolate tones in this one are not only absolutely yummy-looking but also have great pigmentation & staying power. This palette is amazing for neutral eye makeup. If you're starting out & like to keep it simple on the eyes, this would be a great palette to invest in. I totally trust Makeup Revolution London with eyeshadow plaettes because they've never disappointed me!

2. Wet N Wild 'Comfort Zone' palette

If you follow me on Instagram, you'd know how much I love this lil baby. She came to me as gift all the way from USA & I adore her to the T ;-) The shades on the left create a beautiful neutral eye look, while the ones on the right are great for a forest-green eyelook. Here are some looks I created with this palette - Look 1 and Look 2

I use these shades individually as well. The last shade on the bottom-right corner is said to be a dupe of the MAC Blue-Brown pigment. I recently slapped it all over my eyelid, no liner - no mascara & got compliments galore! I have worn it HERE.

3. Sleek I-Divine palette - 'Original' - 

This was the very first eyeshadow palette I actually bought. I've reviewed it HERE. 

4. Makeup Revolution Redemption palette in 'Iconic 3' -

Now this was my 1st Makeup Revolution palette. I picked this gem up from a blog sale by Miss Kay from IshtyleAwhile. Thank you Kay.. I'm absolutely in love with the rosy tones of Iconic 3..!!

5. Chanel Quadra Palette (no.38 Premier Regard) -

My dear friend V, gifted this to me on my birthday. It's beautiful and basic. The Chanel Quad comes with a mirror & 2 sponge applicators. The lighter colours I find are slightly chakly, but oh that gorgeous brown & that deep black, make up for them! ;-) I usually use this particular brown for an everyday "Brown Smokey Eyes" look.

Bonus palettes (I use these as eye shadows at times..)

1. Revlon Shimmer palette - A great highlighter, shimmer brick kind of product. It doubles up as a mini eyeshadow palette when I travel. You all know my love for multitasking products ;-)

2. Technic Colour Fix Bronze Palette - My sweet Sis-in-law gifted this to me & honestly I have only used these deep, earthy tones as eyeshadow. Whaddya know? With all the bright lipsticks I sport, I guess I am a "neutral eyes" girl afterall 😊

P.S. - My SIL got this from Europe, however this brand also has launched in India on Amazon. I've not seen this particular palette but seen a lot of products from this brand.

Note : This post was delayed and I have a new palette in my collection. I recently purchased the Makeup Revolution I Heart Sin palette. Haven't worn it yet so didn't feel right to include it here. :-)

If you're looking for a palette to start off with or wanting to add new stuff to your collection, I hope this post helps you in some small way. 

Until the next post, Ciao!! 

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!!

Celebrating my Valentine with IGP.com

Hi Everyone,

"Every gift from a friend is a wish for your happiness", said Richard Bach. So true isn't it? Recently we were at my aunt's place and she pulled out 2 huge bars of chocolate for me and my sis-in-law. We grinned like lil kids!! Firstly, YES it was Chocolate.. More importantly, it  was the thought that got us excited.. even as adults!! Receiving a gift from someone always, always makes us feel special :-) So, when IGP.com gave me a chance to send a gift to someone special, I jumped at the opportunity.

About IGP.com -  Indian Gifts Portal or IGP.com was established in 2001 & is one of India’s largest online gifts store specializing in gifts for all ages and occasions. They specialize in flowers, cakes, chocolates, personalized products, festival merchandise, kids, home & living, fashion categories & other unique Valentine's Day gifts. That's a whole bunch of absolutely exciting gifting ideas!!

Office work is a drag? Work in Style!

A Bouquet to say 'I Love You'

Chocolates that "melt" any heart!

IGP. com ships orders to 150+ countries (including USA, UK, Australia, Canada etc) and 7,000+ pin codes within India.  It also has same day delivery network in 300 cities in India.

Let these grace those delicate yet hard-working hands

Make Gymming look good ;-)

The website is very simple to navigate and has a wide range of gift ideas. With Valentine's Day just around the corner, you should definitely look into the site for some wonderful, classically romantic options like Cakes, Flowers, Chocolates, etc. The site also has other options like Gymming Gear, Personalized Office Stationery, Ties, Jewellery, etc

If you wish to make Valentine's Day special for your grandmother, your brother or maybe a friend even; IGP. com gives you a chance to gift, based on how you know your loved one! Just type in options like Aunt, Brother, Friend, Cousin... & a list of possible gifts pops up on your screen. Isn't that awesome for Confused Shoppers like some of us? ;-) 

My experience with IGP.com -  I decided to surprise my sister in Mumbai. She's been my rock last year & I'm so thankful for having her in my life :-) She's just got a new job & I wanted to gift her something special at work to say, "All the very best! I love you!!". What better than an early Valentine's Day surprise ... an early lil birdie sent in to tell her she's loved & cherished!!

I found a wonderful Adidas Perfume and Deo gift set for my Sis. The website also gave me an option of writing a small personal note to the her which she would receive along with the gift. Within minutes of placing my order, I received a confirmation email stating the purchase, shipping details, etc. It also gave me an ETA on the delivery.

Unfortunately, the set I ordered was out of stock. Although, I wish I would have been informed about this on the site itself; the team did send me a personalized email (mind you, NOT one of those "copy-pasted template" responses) and offered to send another set instead. Once they received my confirmation, they processed the order right away! 

My Sis got her gift at work & was so suprised!! Here are some pics she sent across -

The set was packaged well

The Adidas 'Get Ready' Gift Set

A personalized note I sent with the gift.
Sorry, cant open it.. Top secret Sister Stuff! lol

Overall, I really liked the website. Apart from the fact that 'Out-Of-Stock' gift items glitch, I have no qualms about gifting through the site.

1. The navigation & ordering process was smooth & simple. Here's how it works.
2. I got a peronalized email from the team when there was an issue &
3. It was great that it was sorted in no time!!

IGP.com is definitely going to be one of the gifting portals I use & recommend, this Valentine's Day. :-)

Disclaimer : The website sent a voucher in exchange for a review. The opinions expressed here are my own, honest & unbiased.

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..!!

Lakme 9 to 5 Crease-less Lipstick - Wine Order (Review)

Hi Everyone,

WINE ORDER ... the name itself makes this Lipstick-Junkie, slightly woozy ;-) Ahem ahem.. let's get back to the review now, shall we? 

Price : The lipstick is priced at Rs. 450/- but you can always get online discounts.

Shade : Wine Order is a deep, rich pinkish-wine shade. It's definitely suitable for all Indian skin tones. Some of my friends tell me, they prefer this shade only for evenings, but I mostly like wearing it during the day.

Left - under artifical light; Right - in natural light

Texture / Formula : I love the texture of the Lakme crease-less range. The lipstick glides on smoothly & does not tug at the lips. The formula is Semi-matte and sits well. It's smooth & creamy in a way that it hydrates the lips & doesn't accentuate the creases. However,  it DOES NOT really give a "Crease-less" look to the lips as it claims.

Pigmentation : Great pigmentation on this one! One swipe and you get amazing colour-payoff.

Wear-time : This lipstick looses points from me, on wear time. It lasts on me, for approximately 1 - 2hrs only. I've never been a fan of creamy or satin finishes for this reason. I don't like more than 1 or 2 touch-ups and this baby needs a lot of re-work to be done on it during the course of the day :-( Wine Order isn't transfer-proof and I see lots of it on my Coffee mug, my lil one's cheeks and all the Snacks I might have had. Basically it transfers Big Time on anything & everything!!

Overall Experience : I have absolutely loved the shade & my current lipstick tube is my 2nd in this particular shade. I've gifted it to friends and family who have loved it as well. It's a beautiful shade that would suit mostly all the Indian skin tones.

So overall, I'm so taken in by the shade that I have repurchased this & also overlooked the fact that it transfers a lot. This is one of the few "non matte" lipsticks that have made the cut to this matte-favouring Lipztickaholic's collection :-) If you're like me, you're totally going to love this lipstick! 

By the way, have you ever stepped out of your comfort zone for a product & ended up loving it? Let me know in the comments section below. 

Until the next post, Ciao..!!

School Drop Off Makeup Look (for busy mornings)

Hi Everyone,

My little one's school teacher always stands outside the class to receive the kids and wish them, early in the morning. She's always bright, cheerful and turns up looking fresh and presentable. The kids have a big smile on their faces when they see her & we (especially Moms) wonder how she manages to do all this early in the morning. While I will ask her the "secret" one of these days, it has definitely inspired me to look fresh & presentable while dropping my kiddo to school. This simple look hardly takes 5 mins & requires minimum products; but believe me when I say it makes a big difference.

1. I start off with washing my face with a face wash & then apply my normal moisturiser. 

2. I top off the moisturiser with a good sunscreen.. it gets bright, sunny & quite humid even at 7.30am here in Mangalore. I use the Lotus Herbals Safe Sun Matte Gel sunscreen with SPF 50. It gives my face a matte look & provides good oil-control. For more coverage, you could also use the Lotus Herbals 3-in-1 Matte Look Tinted Sunblock.

3. I powder my face with the Maybelline SupraFresh Compact powder. It comes with a mirror & a puff so this step can be done in a jiffy. BTW, this lil guy is great for on-the-go touch-ups too. I use the Chanel Illuminating powder on days when my skin looks dull and needs a perk-me-up. If you're wondering why this "budget product junkie" uses Chanel.. lol It was a gift!!

Products used

4. Next step - Kajal.. I use the Lotus Herbals ColorKick Kajal (reviewed HERE). I've also been liking the Maybelline Super Black Colossal Kajal. If you aren't a kajal person, you could choose to line the upper lashline. A little something on your eyes, brightens them up & gives your face overall structure & definition.

5. Lastly, apply a lip balm or light lipstick of your choice. Ahem, (cough cough) I'm a "BoldLips" kinda Mommy, so I throw on the brightest shade on most days. Today, I wore the Maybelline Lip Gradation lipstick in shade PINK2. Wearing Lipstick is one step I don't miss out on, even if I the skip the rest. You won't usually find me without lipstick..like anywhere.. lol.. have you noticed the name of the blog? **wink wink**. However, You do You... take these steps & tweak them the way you want.

So that's it! That's the 4-product routine ... With my kiddo already ready for school, this simple routine takes just about 3 - 4 mins & we're out of the house!! While some have judged me, most of the Moms have been really sweet & nice. They have come up to me & complimented my lipstick or asked me how I look so "awake". Some have told me they have a bunch of hardly-used products & asked if I could show them to use them. See? **GirlLove** again!!!

The look I put together this morning

So next time, you see a happy, fresh-as-a-daisy, cheerful mommy at a school drop off ... Don't judge! Early mornings are hard for her too & maybe throwing on some makeup is her way of feeling great & confident ... Appreciate that! :-)

Hope you liked this post. Would you like to see more such "Mommy-related" posts? Let me know in the comments section below. 

Until the next post, Ciao!!

Top 5 Most Popular Posts

Hi Everyone,

I'm really blessed to have blogger friends who shake me up sometimes & ask me what's happening to my little blog. It makes me so happy to know that even though they're professional bloggers themselves, they care & support me enough to message/call me to say ''Hello, what's up with you? Haven't seen a post from you in a long time now!!'' Now that's what I call **GirlLove**

Being a Mom means being on call 24/7, this is irrespective of whether one has a day job or not. Sometimes, I just don't feel like writing & when I do, I get a serious case of ''Writer's Block''. So, inspired by Miss Kay from IshtyleAWhile, I decided to sift through the comments & see what you have liked to read throughout this journey of mine. I wanted to go through your comments, your likes, your feedback all over again because they are very important to me. You all make me feel like I'm doing a good job! That encourages me to sit down and blog regularly...more importantly...blog better!! So I decided to grab a coffee, shake away the ''lazy-bugs'' & get down to writing :-) 

So while I work on an exciting post that's coming up soon...here's a round-up of the Top 5 most popular posts that have received so much of your love & appreciation. 

1. Himalaya Pure Skin Neem Facial Kit - Review

http://thelipztickaholicdiaries.blogspot.in/2015/10/himalaya-pure-skin-neem-facial-kit.html

2. Studio West Haul & Review (Skincare)

http://thelipztickaholicdiaries.blogspot.in/2015/10/studiowest-haul-review-skincare.html

3. MAC Flat Out Fabulous Lipstick - Review 

http://thelipztickaholicdiaries.blogspot.in/2016/01/mac-flat-out-fabulous-lipstick-review.html

4. Colorbar Kiss-Proof Lipstain in 006 Mauve Dusk - Review

http://thelipztickaholicdiaries.blogspot.in/2015/09/colorbar-kiss-proof-lipstain-in-006.html

5. Durga Pooja Makeup Look

http://thelipztickaholicdiaries.blogspot.in/2015/10/durga-pooja-makeup-look.html

Leave me a comment telling me which one of these was your favourite!

Don't forget to follow me on Instagram (HERE) for posts on Makeup of the Day, Lipstick Swatches, Jewellery, Food, etc. It's a mixed bag & I promise you won't be bored! ;-)

Wish me luck & keep that love pouring in...

Until the next post.. Ciao!!