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!!

Lotus Herbals Color Kick Kajal - Review

Hey Everyone, today I bring to you a review of the Lotus Herbals Color Kick Kajal.

I was looking around for a new kajal pencil at the store, when a bright pink pencil in the Lotus Herbals aisle, caught my eyes. I checked with the SA who told me that it was a new launch and went back to gossiping with her colleagues. Honestly, for me, this was a refreshing change; I get slightly annoyed when SAs keep on asking me if they can help. LOL Yes, I’m Neha, I love movies and long (undisturbed) walks down the makeup aisle!! ***wink wink***. 

Sorry sorry, back to the bright pink pencil that caught my eye. It was the Lotus Makeup Color Kick Kajal. At first, I was turned off by the packaging, a bright pink packaging for a black kajal? Weird! Nah..not interested!! But then Lotus Herbals was a brand that had never disappointed me in the past. I have loved all their sunscreens which I have been using since the beginning of time! I really wanted to try out this new kajal, so I got it! I was recently cleaning out my vanity box and realized this lil guy was banished to the corners for a long time. I brought him out and I’m sure he’s going to be a trusty lil companion this summer.

Price – At only Rs.199/- for 0.28g (I know, I know Lakme Eyeconic is Rs.200/- for 0.35g, but come on, I wanted to try something new!)

Packaging – A bright, hot pink body with a matching cap, that shuts tightly with a click. You will definitely not feel the need to look out for this kajal in the dark depths of your purse (Lol, we are women and we can carry our world in our purse..), this pink cutie will stand out from all your other makeup. A great plus about this pencil is that, it’s twistable and doesn’t need sharpening. I love this mechanism because seriously, how many of us ladies carry sharpeners around with us? (Yes, the world we carry, but not sharpeners!).

Shade, Texture & Longevity – It’s a dark, jet black colour and really pigmented. One swipe with a light hand will deposit great colour on your lashline. The texture is very creamy and soft. It sets in about 10 seconds of application to a smudge-proof finish and stays till the end of the day. Having said that, it doesn’t dry out and form those dirty lil boogers in your lashes. PS - I do recommend removing your kajal before bed-time. I never followed it myself; until I did and found that it really made a difference!

I use this kajal in different ways. Some examples of how I like to use this pencil - 

Used only half-way towards the outer lash-line
Opens up the eyes

Used to define complete upper and lower lash-line
Closes the eyes, but looks dramatic

Used to define only lower lash-line
Everyday look

Used as a smudged base for smokey eyes

Thumbs up -

• Price point
• Staying power
• Pigmentation

Thumbs down -

• Packaging (Cute pink pencil yet some of us maybe slightly turned off by it and not even give it a second look! To be honest, the pink packaging is not REALLY a Thumbs down, just a matter of preference with some)

      Hope you all liked this review..do let me know what's your 'go-to' kajal. If you've tried out a new kajal recently, let me know about it in the comments section below.

      Till then, Ciao! Have fun experimenting!!

Brown Smokey Eyes & Red Lips

Hi Everyone,

Today I’m going to decode one of my all-time favourite looks – 'Brown Smokey Eyes and Red Lips'! 

It's a classic! And of course, my favourite way to hike up the Glam Quotient on any given day! Some might say that this look is best saved for occasions, I say I’d wear this every single day if I could!! LOL Yep, that’s how easy this is to create and that’s how much I adore it! 

Let’s get into the step-by-step process of how I created this look –

1.   For the Base, I used Lakme CC Cream in Bronze. It’s got nice coverage and creates a good base. Next, the Blue Heaven Compact Powder got rid of excess shine on the T-zone. With the Revlon Highlighter palette, I bronzed up my face to add a little colour.

2.   For the Eyes, I lined the upper lash line with the Lotus Herbals Color Kick Kajal (which silly me, forgot to click **sad face**). Now, with the help of a smudging brush or a cue tip (ear bud), I smudged this out all over the moving eyelid, up to the crease. This formed a thin black base for the eye shadow to lay on.

Used these products to create this look.
Missed out on clicking the kajal, my bad! ;-) hehe

3.  With the help of my ring finger, I patted a slightly shimmery brown eye shadow all over the base. I used the Revlon Shadowlink in Java. You could use matte brown too, if you prefer. Try to stay within your crease (the fold of the eyelid). I usually have to take the shadow, a little past the crease, towards the brow-bone so that it shows up on my eyes.

4.  Next, I blended this brown eye shadow into the crease with a simple blending brush (or you can use your pointer finger). I used the ‘windshield wiper’ motions to blend this brown well into the crease, to create a gradient effect. The eye lashes should be the darkest while fading out to a light brown towards the crease (Smokey..remember?) hehe…

5.  For the lower lash line, I wore a simple kajal and again smudged it out with some eye shadow on a cue tip for the smoked out effect. TIP - For an added depth, you could use black eyeliner on top of the lashes again, to ensure they look dark and full. You can also add false lashes if you’re comfortable wearing them.

6.  To finish off the look, wear your favourite lipstick. I wore the Miss Claire Soft Matte Lip cream in No.10 Red for this look.

And there you go! Ready to rock!

I have worn this look with my glasses sometimes and it looks equally good. Since this look plays up the eyes,it brings them out, even from a thick-rimmed frame. Due to the classic tones in the look, it can be worn beautifully with Indian as well as Western outfits.

Hope you like this look! Do try this out sometime and let me know about it in the comments below!

Bye for now!

Defined Eyes & Rosey Plum Lips - Makeup Look using March FabBag products

Hi Everyone,

I received my March FabBag yesterday. Tadaaaa! My March FabBag and the lovely products that came in it! Themed for Women's Day, the bag was full of natural products for makeup and skincare. 

I was so excited that I wanted to open up all the products and test them right away. But The Husband said, “Wait! Wouldn’t Baby D wanna “play” with your makeup too? Better wait until he’s off to school and you have your time to experiment with these!”. Now when your Man, holds back your over-excited self to give some great advice like this, you know you’ve married the right guy! Hehehe what say?

I waited and Gosh! It was great; I got plenty of time to create this look (Read - a good 15 mins without my toddler screaming Amma! Amma!). 

Here how I put together this look, with some of the March Fab Bag products, step by step –

1.  I used the InVeda BB cream as a base. It doesn’t give enough coverage per se, actually leaves a slight grey cast when you apply it, but smells divine! I used my Maybelline Dream Lumi Touche Highlighter pen to conceal the undereyes, nose, cupid ’s bow and chin. If you wish, you can skip the highlighting and concealing step.
2. Next I used the SoulTree Kajal in Pure Black to line the waterline. For the upper lashline, I used the Maybelline Collosal Eyeliner which I won in a recent YouTube giveaway. I have close-set eyes and it helps me give them an elongated look.
3. Then I used the Palladio Lipstick in Rosey Plum on my lips. I loved the colour but wasn’t comfortable with gold, frosty finish. So I used my Maybelline Lip balm over the lipstick to give it a glossier look and eliminate the frosty gold finish.
4. After having recently discovered my love for blush, I somehow can’t seem to do without it. I feel I am too pale anyway and with makeup and no blush, I look sick LOL. So I ran my ring-finger over the same lipstick and dabbed some on my cheek bones. Voila! Healthy flush!! **wink wink**

I’m yet to use the Sebastian Professional Hydre Shampoo & the Fashionography earrings from the bag, but I really liked the 3 products that I used viz. InVeda BB cream, SoulTree Kajal and the Palladio Lipstick!

This is a simple look with Defined eyes and Rosey Plum lips. It’s great for parties or special occasions and you can re-create this quick look when you’re pressed for time!