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!!

STREETWEAR Color Rich Ultramoist Lipsticks - Review

Hello Everyone!

Budget-friendly beauty essentials are everyone’s favourite but when I started following beauty blogs, a couple of years ago, I always wondered why they weren’t showcased as much. I thought to myself that if I ever have a beauty blog of my own, I’d definitely keep it focused on good quality Budget beauty products, while occasionally showcasing high-end brands (cuz who doesn’t love those? Ahem!)

Today I will be reviewing a couple of great Budget lipsticks that can easily compete with other Indian brands in many more ways, than just their price-points. Girls, Ladies, Fellow Makeup lovers, I present (well, actually Revlon presents..) 

STREETWEAR COLOR RICH Ultramoist Lipsticks.

Photo-bombed by my lil munchkin

Let's look at the shades I own and absolutely adore...

• Mystic Mauve no.7 (Alluring Aisha range) –

Mystic Mauve No.7

A muted Mauve shade well suited for daily wear. This shade would work great for office-goers who wish to wear something subtle yet pretty. This shade is pretty sheer and needs to be layered on for true pigmentation. I mostly use this when I’m going for a dramatic eye look, so that it gives colour to the lips without taking away attention from the eye makeup.

• Very Vampire No.2 (Flirty Susie range) –

Very Vampire No.2

A bright, coral Red that’s so deeply pigmented that it needs to be swiped only once to show its true color. A great young shade of Red if you wish to stay away from the more deep, mature Reds. Use it as a stain for the day-time look and layer it on for the ‘Va-Va-Voom’ look in the evenings. On paler, fairer skin tones, this sometimes tends to come up as an Orangey-Red. PS - If you are very fair/pale and want to use this to it full colour, I'd recommend wearing a light blush or bronzer - some sort of colour to warm up your skin, or else you'll really look 'Very Vampire'!! lol

• Pink Passion No.3 (Alluring Aisha range) –

Pink Passion No.3

A vibrant blue-based fuchsia Pink which perks up your complexion; Hell, this one perks up your MOOD on a dull day!! It’s a beautiful bright pink that screams ‘Achtung Baby!!’ (German for Attention Baby!!) I love this one so much that I don’t dare to wear anything but a simple liner and a kajal in my eyes along with it.

There are a lot of lovely shades in the range but I own only these many. Let's take a quick look at the swatches...

Hand Swatches - 

Outdoors in Natural Light
(L-R) Very Vampire, Pink Passion & Mystic Mauve

Indoor Lighting

(L-R) Very Vampire, Pink Passion & Mystic Mauve

Lip Swatches -

Mystic Mauve No.7

Pink Passion No.3

Very Vampire No.2

Pros –

1. Abso-freaking-lutely easy on the pocket - They went from being 180/- to 220/- very recently..It's a bummer, I wonder why they went over the Rs.200 mark? Lol anyway, still budget-friendly!

2. Great shade range - Reds, Corals, Pinks, Purples or Browns – take your pick

3. Availability – A very popular brand from the house of Revlon, which has revamped its quality as well as packaging to suit the needs of the Indian market.

      4. Creamy formula which has good staying power for the price – The lipsticks last upto 4hrs with slight fading. Having said that, they don’t last through a meal, they need to be touched up after a meal or drinks.

Cons –

     1. Not all the shades are equally pigmented – Some of the lighter, muted colours like Mystic Mauve are sheer and need to be layered on. The deeper shades have much better pigmentation.

     2. Ultra-moist claim – Let’s get real.. they’re creamy, yes..but they aren’t hydrating or moisturizing on your lips. You’ll need to have exfoliated, moisturized lips before you apply them or they might not look good. Being creamy textured, they might accentuate the dry, flaky skin on your lips (#Personalexperience, #lipsticklifelesson).

     3. Flimsy packaging – (Aarrgh! I’m so picky) The packaging could have been a little more stronger overall . Also, the actual lipstick bullet doesn’t twist back fully; it keeps sticking out of the lipstick case even after you twist the end completely, which might mean accidental nicks and dents to the lipstick, while fixing the cap.

Hope you liked this review! Do try out these lipsticks, they're really nice. If you already own some of them, I'd love to know your views on them. Leave me comments below to connect with me!