Make-up kit for college goers

Hi,I suppose this is the first time I am posting something at a regular interval.So,I won't start rambling and go straight into the topic.Being a college goer myself,I face a very common problem faced by almost all college girls-What exactly should include our beauty regime?College years are the beginning of fashion experimentation for many of us and with exposure to so many new products and brands we often get overwhelmed and hence overboard with make-up.The end results is often a clown face rather than a diva-not at all desired.So what can be done?The easiest,cheapest and most effective way to prevent this is stop buying more than you need.Yeah,I know many will kill me for saying this but this is the best way.But almost no one can help getting tempted seeing the array of cute bottles and tubes and tubs in the cosmetic shops.Today's post is a compilation of those thing I feel necessary and enough for a college girl on budget like me.

College years or 18 to 22yrs age is perhaps the best years in a girl's life in terms of health,beauty and of course the fun at college.A girl is always glowing from within,so why cover up that with dollops of foundations,concealers and what not!I say until you are a severe case of pimple and acne scars,heavy coverage foundations and concealers are completely unnecessary.First understand why you make-up.It intensifies our best features hence boosts our confidence,make us look nice and presentable and sometimes we make-up for loved ones or to attract appreciative glance from our crush, ;).But really,one very true things about guys-they love to see us with the minimum make-up possible.Some girls might find this very helpful while others will die rather than not wear make-up.I,personally expect three things from the products I buy-Budget-friendliness,good for skin and no side-effects or permanently damaging and makes me pretty.So,today's post might be quite useful to those who share similar views.

Face:

Sheer to medium coverage base is the best for this age unless you have a extreme condition of spots and scars.Tinted moisturizers/suncreens,BB creams and sticks and sheer foundations that also have benefits of moisturizers and suncreens work best.But I will rather not recommend the foundations as they tend to clog pores and quite damaging on the long run.Here's a list of things that I have already used and liked for their qualities:

• Ganier BB Cream- Rs.89 for 18ml,Coverage-sheer,only one shade available but compliments almost all complexion-build able to some extent,does not get cakey,contains SPF 24,can be wore easily during the day,quite moisturizing if you have oily skin.dewy finish but melts if you sweat or secret oil a lot.easily blendable.The bad thing is it stings a bit on my face and I don't know if this experience is personal or universal.The 18ml tube lasted me for approx 8months.for details click here
• Lacto Calamine Lotion for oily skin-Rs.80 for 40ml,coverage-sheer,tinted moisturizer.the tint suitable for fair skinned people,on dusky beauties this one might look ashy.Easily Blend-able. No.No SPF.A good moisturizer if you can bear with the smell.
• Maybelline BB Stick-Rs.250 for 10ml,coverage-medium and build able,SPF 21,comes in two shades Radiance and Fawn for fair skin(pink undertone) and dusky skin(yellow undertone) respectively. Blend-able but not as easily as the creams mentioned here.Powdery matte finish.Emphasises dry patches if you have any so moisturization is a must even if you have oily skin.Waterproof,lasts at the most 8 hours.
• Lakme CC cream-Rs.250 for 30ml for the shade bronze and Rs.199 for 30ml for the shade beige.Coverage-medium and build-able.SPF 20,the shades suits the generally yellow undertoned beauties of India very easily.Need to work on blending a bit.Transfers if your skin is oily.not very moisturizing.For details click here
• Boroline-Rs.17 for 10ml.No,I am not asking you to apply boroline all over your face and go to college.But I felt this product deserves it's place here solely because of it's health benefits.It works miraculously on smoothing any dry or broken or rough patch of skin.I always keep one tub handy in my college bag for emergencies like accidents at sports day,or instantly smoothing out broken and dry patches of skin that suddenly start showing up during winters and even summer time.I just massage a liberal amount on the place,scrub it lightly with a towel hanky, wash it off and pat-dry my face and I am ready with a very naturally flawless skin without even applying any complexion correctors.
• Lakme rose powder-Rs.99 for 40g
• Maybelline clear glow compact-rs.185 for 9g-available in 4 shades,sheer coverage,can be used in wet form,contains SPF 24,I bought the wrong shde but use it more as an matte beige eyeshadow and for making my kajals smudge-proof at the lower lash-line.
• Lakme invisible foundation-rs.215
• Lakme foundation Rs.100
• Lakme mousse Rs.99 
• Maybelline cheeky glow blush-Rs.225 for 7g-Available in 3 shades-adds a natural flush of colour-is build-able-moderate pigmentation-lasts 3-4hours-suitable for day wear-does not break out skin.
• Faces creame blush-Rs.350
• Blush is really not that important.But when you want a glow but don't want to spent much on having an huge assortment of different shades of blush you can do the following thing-just with the cutting edge of your lipstick in the shade of blush you want draw a line on your cheels and blend it super well and you will have the desired shade of flush on your cheeks.I use my elle18 lippies for this purpose.

Lips-
Lipsticks are really not always perferable specially when it leaves hideous stains.Glosses look gross and feels sticky specially when you have full lips.Balms do not impart that much colour that you would have liked.Here is a list of some of the lipsticks and balms I found to be quality products at good budget.

• Vaseline jelly-Rs.5,cheapest and the best balm for your lips.Ok,not the best but it's works really well given the price and is available even a that road-side tea and pan stall!
• Vaseline Rosy lips-Rs 109 for 4g,pigmentation good given its a lip balm,moisturizes upto 2-3hours after that you need to re-apply.A nice substitute for lipstick but the other available shades are not as pigmented.
• Maybelline Baby Lips-Rs.150 for 4g but the ads are showing that they have reduced the price to Rs.99.Yippeeeee!!Available in 6-7shades out of which the 'cranberry' shade is best pigmented.Moisturizes for maximum 5-6hours and makes the lips soft with regular usage.Again a very healthy substitute for lipstick for daily wear.Fro details click here
• Elle 18 lipsticks-Rs.100 for 4.2g,sheer coverage for light colours,medium to dark coverage for others - available in large number of shades-moisturizing to some extent and staying power is 3hours min and 5hours max-transfers quite a lot.does not stain your lips unless it is a really pigmented shade for eg.Rosy Blush(27).A good beginner's choice if you like experimenting with looks and colours .Some of the best shades of this range are Coral Romance(42),40(forgot the name,probably something ending with peach),mousse melt(16),Rusty(29),Rosy Blush(27),constant candy(forgot no.),Cinnamon bun.For details click here
• Avon Simply pretty lipsticks-Rs.169 and Rs.109 when on offers.good pigmentation and really good range of colours-quite moisturizing-good staying power-avaragely non-transferring.ONly drawback is you have to find an avon representative for getting these.
• Lakme Enrich Satin lipsticks-Rs.225.Good pigmenation,80+ colours but mostly on the browny side,not very moisturizing,stains a lot-ugly packaging-the plus point is that it is budget friendly.must have shades from this range are 352,149,421,356,143,142.
• Colorbar Velvet matte lipsticks-Rs.275.Great pigmentation,huge range and variety of colours,slightly drying formula,stains a lot,good staying power-upto 6hours without meals-suitable when you are in the mood for bold lips.The plus points are the cost and variety in shades.I wanted a true orange in my collection and hence got colorbar because it offered one.For details click here
• Maybelline bold matte lipsticks- Rs.375.Matte lipsticks in a budget.very good staying power upto 7-8hours,not at all transferring-bold colours suitable only for special occasions.Only 5 shades available of the same color family-pinks,orange,coral and red.coverage is opaque in one swipe except for the shade MAT03.All the shades are a must-try if you can carry them.
• Lotus herbals lipstick rs.185

Eyes-
Kajals,eyeliners,coloured eyepencils and neutral matte eyeshadows are the best for daily wear and a eyeshadow pallete with bolder colours of your choice for special occasions.

• Maybelline Colossal Kajal-rs.175
• Lakme Eyeliner Rs85
• Lakme eyeconic Eyes Kajal-Rs.199
• Lotus Herbals Kajal-Rs.115
• Avon Glimmersticks
• Faces eye pencils-Rs.249
• Lakme Eyeconic eyes colour kajals-Rs.250
• Lakme eyebrow pencil-Rs.45
• Maybelline color tattoo Eyeshadows-Rs.350-best colours-the bronze,gold,teal and orange one.
• Maybelline Diamond quad Eyeshadows-Rs.495-best one is the neutral quad and the pink quad
• A beige Eyeshadow-I use my maybelline compact in sand beige shade for this purpose
• A matte brown-peach and a shde darker brown eyeshadow-For this I use the ones in my ADS travel-size makeup kit priced rs.112.
• A highlighter shadow-the compact provided in the ADS kit.
• A Peach Eyeshadow-The blush in the same kit.
• Ouemeidie eye shadow palette-Rs.120 for festive occasions.
• Maybelline hyper-curl Mascara-Rs.250 for daily use(available in waterproof and non-waterproof variant)
• Maybelline Collosal Mascara-Rs.350 for occasuions(")

Nails:
A look is never complete without a dash of color on your fingers and toes.here is an assortment of a few best nail polish at reasonable price available in India.

• Elle 18-Rs.50
• Streetwear-Rs.55
• Lotus Herbals-Rs.110
• Avon simply pretty-Rs.65
• Tips and toes-Rs.60
• Maybelline coloroma-Rs.90
• Maybelline Color show-Rs.75
• Lakme enrich satin-Rs.150
• VOV nail paint-rs.20-40

A few miscellaneous yet vital things:

• A face wash specially suitable for your skin type-here are few for oily skin-Clean and clear morning energy face wash-green apple variant,Himalayas fairness face wash
• A body sunscreen-Lotus herbals and Biotiques make some of the excellent ones.
• Q-tips
• A set of 5 or 7 vital make-up brushes-plenty of Chinese brands flood the Indian markets which are quite good as beginner's brush.they cost from Rs.100-Rs.120 bucks in Kolkata.If you are from Kolkata just search through the right-hand footpath stores in Hatibagan,there are many options.Even individual brushes are there reading "MAC" and "Bobby Brown" and "Avon"at around rs.120-150 each(the price is very much negotiable and if you are really good at bargaining you can get them for Rs.80 at least).Don't get elated-those are fake but nevertheless very good in their quality-at least good enough for a make-up newbie.
• A pocket-size bottle of rose water and cotton swabs.
• A nail-paint remover-lakme nail paint remover is the best priced at Rs.65 for 30ml.The blue Heavens one is also good at Rs.28-32 for 30ml.
• A make-up remover.You can use Baby oil for this purpose,even the Ayur Cleansing milk is a great option.Maybelline also sell a Make-yp remover at a reasonable price.

Now that we have the list of some great budget friendly options but how to assemble your own kit?

• First get a large box for keeping your essential things.Only include those that you will require on daily basis in this box,for the rest keep them somewhere away from your sight.I keep my box on my study table!The rest are kept in the drawers of my mother's dressing table.
• For your face,including a travel-size moisturizer is a must and any one of the above mentioned BB/CC creams.However if you are opting for Lacto calamine you can skip the moisturizer from your kit.If you have oily skin you may keep a compact or loose powder in it as well.Only one blush that will go with your complexion as well as in daytime and with any dress or look.I am fair with pink undertones in my face and find the Maybelline cheeky glow in creamy Cinnamon the perfect blush matching all the mentioned criterias for me.For dusky beauties I suppose the faces cream blush in the peach-orangey shade will look flattering,
• For lips,keep a lip balm and an assortment of some must have shades of lipsticks or glosses.I have full lips and glosses make them even fuller so I prefer lipsticks with sheer coverage or wear them as stains.Some absolute necessary shades are a pink(daily wear),a brown(formal purpose),a red(for bold lips-neutral eyes quick make-up look),a neutral(for neutralising dramatic eyes),a quality lipstick in your favorite shade for special occasions.I have Elle 18 lipsticks in shade 42(a sheer coral pink for daily wear),16(caramel-brown for no make-up formal look),27(germanium red-I bought this thinking this one is a siren red),Lakme enrich satin 149(a neutral peach-brown),Maybelline Bold Matte MAT02(A coral-pink for special occasions),Colorbar Velvet Matte Obsessed orange(a neon orange for special looks).If you are similar to my complexion you can try them out.
• For eyes-A kajal-preferably a waterproof and smudge-proof one.A eyeliner depending on what you like best.I am more of a neutral eye person and want to look natural at college-as if I am not wearing anything.If you like that then include a peach,brown and beige shadow.If you prefer playing with colours collect your favorite shades of Eye-pencils-but not more than 5-6 wearable colours.One eyebrow pencil.One daily-usable mascara.
• For nails-Now nail paints are not really a must have thing.But they do add bit of colour to your look and reflect your moods.I prefer to keep a nude(formal),a black(sexy-boho look),a scarlet,a rosy pink,a maroon(because it looks really flattering on me though I personally never really liked the colour) in my kit.MY nail polish are mostly from streetwear and elle 18.For the scarlet however I prfer Lotus herbal Red chilly.
• A nail paint remover
• A make-up remover
• A set of make-up brushes
• q-tips
• cotton swabs
• a travel size face wash
• a travel size rose water(toner)
• A few more things that I also keep along with these are a hair serum from Streax and my shampoo and combs.

Quite a long post this one was!Phew!So,how did you find it?Do you have any more suggestions?Do share your ideas as comments.I would love to hear from you,till then good night..!

A few more DIYs-for Hair#1

Hi friends!
The weather changing is ridiculous in Kolkata and I had been busy with Exams in college.Today's post is going to be a fun post.Not a review but some great do-it-yourself ideas that I learned from my mother and from articles and some of them are my own innovations.
So lets begin!
I will start with hair.Everyone loves a healthy,shiny and thick mane of hair that also smell pleasant.The whole charm of good hair get spoilt when it smells like rancid food.It is an embarrassing problem that usually source its origin from dandruff,allergies,sweat,leaving the hair unwashed for too many days and product build-up.What not we try to make it smell beautiful and even sensuous at times!While hair perfumes are the quickest solution,it has it's own side effects and the smell don't linger for long.The same goes for fragrant shampoos.For some the problem is so severe that the hair starts smelling awful even a few hours after shampooing.I also face the same problem specially when I suffer from dandruff.At other times,my hair acts like a trap for the fumes and pollution of the road as a result smelling like smoke.While on usual day i just apply my Streax Serum(review will soon follow) which smells heavenly and also the only product whose smell seems to survive at least an hour.But on special occaions I prefer a long-lasting fragnance.I have experimented with quite a few scents and the followings are the ones that lasted the best.

• Coffee mask-

According to your hair length and texture you will need coffee,honey,and a essence of your choice-I prefer vanilla and chocolate because they are very complimentary with the smell of coffee.You can even skip the essence if you want to stick to one smell.I prefer layering different scents.
My hair is wiry and shoulder-length and it requires 15sachets(1 sachet is 1/2 flat tsp roughly)coffee,2tbsp honey(this adds shine and also helps in making  thicker paste),and 1/2 tsp of your desired essence.warm 4tbsp water(not boil) and add the coffee,honey and mix thoroughly so it becomes a smooth paste and no lumps of honey or coffee is left undissolved.Next add the essence and stir it in.Apply on your hair strands concentrating at the ends and leave it on for half an hour.Shampoo as usual.
This mask not only smells great but also create brown highlights on your hair visible in sunlight.After washing I applied streax serum on each layer of hair while it was still wet and blow dried it.The resultant was a floral-caffeine mixed scent that lasted 2days given I did not shampoo my hair the next day,it survived normal rinse with water.The floral smell evaporated though in its usual time.I used loreal's smoothing shampoo and conditioner but their fragrance did not alter much of the coffee-scent.This was my own little innovation since coffee is used along with henna powder,then why not alone?
Pros:

• ingredients very easily available
• Adds shine and soften hair
• my hair looks more voluminous
• not exactly costly if you consider the price in comparison to a whole bottle of hair spray which are Rs.250 and up.
• Lasts for 2days or rather until the next time you shampoo(the smell won't be as strong as first day but it will linger)

Cons:

• time consuming
• shampooing is must
• some may not like the smell of coffee or vanilla or chocolate or honey.
• not exactly cheap when you consider per wash cost in comparison to per spray cost.

This one,though a bit too long process is completely worth it.None other things I tried so far lasted as much.If you have the time to spare then go for it.The only problematic part is sitting idle for half an hour and it could be real sticky and messy if it spills around.Also as an afterthought I would like to add that all the ingredients used appeared to be very arousing for my boyfriend who couldn't work out at first from where exactly was he getting the smell of "coffee and chocolates and something flowery" around me but he felt it was driving him "crazy".So,I suppose this bit of information has already got your naughtier side raking her brains,who knows this might work for your guy as well.

• Essential oil blends:

This one is tricky but works just like a normal hair spray.You will need a spray bottle,the essential oils of your choice,water.The instructions are usually written on the bottle of the oil about it's dosage,but don't use it directly or in concentrated form.Always dilute it in the recommended amount.Usually it is 2-3drops in 1tsp(10ml) of career oil or water.I used Blossom Kochar's essential oils which read that they should be diluted with water.I used Sandalwood and Rose since I did not want to spent huge amount on oils that I did not recognize and since their was no tester for them i didn't risk buying unknown fragrance.I made a batch with 100ml of water where I added the oils in a ratio of 2:3.That is,I mixed sandalwood oil to 40ml water(around 12drops) and rose oil to 60ml water(around 18 drops) since I wanted the floral scent to be more dominant.I just sprayed this mixture under my hair in every layer and dried it with a cold blast from the drier.This method  also contributed to the elongated lasting time of the scent.Shake the solution before every spray and you can keep it for quite some time but not more than a couple of months.
I came to know of this while searching the internet for ways to scent my hair uniquely.Now,essential oils are tricky things to work with,In right proportions they can smell heavenly and wrong proportions will make you stink.Also it is equally necessary to understand the purpose and nature of the oils since few like cinnamon and peppermint smells very nice but are skin-irritants.While Jasmine oil is an anti-depressant but some may find it's smell to flowery for their taste(I do).So your blend should be created keeping many things in mind like what smells best to you and also what type of mood you are in or wanting to create,The blend mentioned above smells great to me and is sensuous and very relaxing in nature-I just can't feel off as long as I can smell this blend.The staying power is not very long-approx 2hours after which the sandalwood smell evaporates and some another 2 hours and the rose evaporates as well.This is so because Rose oil is a "base-note" oil while sandalwood is most likely a "middle-note" one.I made the solution averagely concentrated,strictly as per the dosage recommended so the smell was not as strong.I do not recommend going beyond the dosage recommended by the brand unless you are a dermatologist and know exactly what you are doing.
Pros:

• You can create your own signature fragrance
• Once prepared,you can use this for quite a long time(You can't use 100ml in one go can you??).So no preparation time,sitting idle with a gooey mess on your head etc.

Cons:

• Pricey-Each bottle of oil contains 15ml and cost Rs.285 per bottle so that is Rs.570.But the good news is these two bottles will yield you perfumes for the next couple of years or more depending on how fast you use it up.So then it's not that pricey.
• Please do your own research if you wish to use some different oil than the ones mentioned here.You will find plenty of stuffs about the features of different oils online.But don't dive into the craze and end up with a bald-head.Yes,wrong usage can be that reactive.
• Some might find the preciseness required for blending confusing and tiresome.For them-please don't try.Wrong blend won't smell appealing and accidentally dropping more than required can result in concentrated solution that is not at all good for your hair.
• The smell don't last as long as the coffee mask.

So how did you like the ideas?Do try them and let me know how you find them working on you.I will soon be coming up with new DIys that I have in stock,till then good bye and have a great day ahead. 

Nivea Underarm Whitening Body Spray

HI friends!
My college exams are starting from tommorow and hence I am quite busy with studies-in fact driven mad with studies.But something else drove me mad as well and hence I would like to share that experience with you.Today's post is a deodrant review-a first of it's kind in my blog and a deodrant that repulsed me from deodrants for a long time.I am about to review the much talked about nivea Underarm whitening deodrant that you all must have heard about.The one that Anuska Sharma is seen in ads of-Doesn't she look gorgeous with milky white underarms in that ad?That was a die-for perfect underarm.So I suppose many of you who suffered from blackened underarms must have rushed to stores for this instant remedy so you can wear your favorite sleeveless dress again.Now,I don't suffer from this problem thankfully but my sister does and she was the one who bought it.I suppose this is the second-worst thing we ever bought.The first is a Dove deodrant of the same category I will soon be reviewing(deodrant disasters are very frequent in our family :P).
I have this bottle in the house for more than a year almost untouched by me while my sister used it for he sake of finishing it up but I suppose even she has got tired of the product.Now I will go into the review,read on to know why exactly I hate it.
The packaging:
A plain white metal bottle like any standard deodrant with a white plastic cap.Nothing special about the packaging.THe price is Rs.150-180 approx(not sure since I did not buy it,and when I bothered looking at the price tag it had already got scratched off) for 100ml.

Nivea whitening deodrant(ignore the holes on the bed sheet-those are reminders of my overly experimental nature)

Direction for using:

Spray it  from a distance on your bare underarms and let it dry.Do not spray it on your clothes.

My take:

Like I said before,I did not use it much.But the few times I did use it,it was enough to repulse me from it.Let's start with the smell-it has a mild soapy smell which did not suit my taste.Now some might like the smell so I do not say this is a con of the product.The staying power is average-3-4 hours maximum.I saw it gets overlapped by other smells like traffic fumes once I step outdoors.Now the worst part-the whitening formula.Once you spray it,A mist of white soapy-waxy material comes out and settles in your underarm or wherever you aimed at.The first day like other normal deos,I spread it over the dress I was wearing as well resulting in white patches all over it.Now that was my mistake and I don't blame the brand for it but even those that settled in my underarms made it look so weird.Another point to be noted is that,it works best when applied on well cleaned and absolutely waxed underarms(no little hairs poking out that is).Otherwise it will end up in a waxy tangle over those hairs-not at all a pretty sight if you accidentaly lift your hands and also very irritating feel under your arms.Now I had seen this disaster on my sister who is too young for a waxing treatment and took the necessary precautions before applying but on application it made my underarms look like I have rubbed a candlestick and ashes on it and so ashy-not fairer but ashy!The same happened with my sister.Moreover since she used it more frequently and regularly she ended up with a thin waxy layer over there that just refused to budge.I experience the same ashy look the couple of time I tried and gave up.Overall I so hated this deodrant.It's not a whitening deodrant but an ashening deodrant!It's better to rely on your soap and water for a fairer underarm than this smock!As for the 48hours whitening claim-its true-the white patches once spread on just won't budge-in that sense they are so very true to their claim.

 Rate-1/5(1 for that 48hr claim being true though it only adds to the problem)

Will I repurchase?Will I recommend?

Never ever again!And no.I am not going to recommend this-If you want to waste your money better get a dozen of lifebouy soaps but not this one.

Colorbar Velvet Matte Lipstick-Obsessed Orange

Hey beauties!
It's just a week before Valentines Day and I suppose many of you are planning to dazzle your boyfriend/husband/or the person you know secretly adores you or vice versa.What could be more dazzling than a bold lipstick and a great day spend together?
I suppose you have got the hint what tosay's post is about-Yeah,A lipstick that have been so much discussed yet don't seem to get boring if another post is dedicated to it.Today I will be reviewing the much obsessed about orange lipstick from Colorbar-Obsessed Orange from the Velvet Matte Range.I was never fond of the colour orange in any way until I came across a girl in metro who was wearing a orange lipstick and it looked really beautiful on her.She had the same type of pinkish fair complexion like me and so I was utterly convinced that a orange lippy would suit me just as well.So my hunt for a budget true orange lipstick began.My limit was Rs.250-300.This was my first buy from Colorbar(yes,you are reading it right-FIRST) and has a story of its own.Read on and you will know why I took up the pain of narrating the whole history behind this buy.
After much research through out the internet and beauty blogosphere I narrowed down on this one and the Inglot Freedom System Lipstick Refill no.37.My interest was more on the Inglot one because..well,It's INGLOT!Do I need to say more?The only dilemma I was having is that it is a pan of 1.3-4g while the bullet weighed 4g.In that sense the Inglot refill was expensive.Another thing was that Colorbar availability near my area was a problem and I knew where the Inglot was for sure.My third and worst problem however is entirely different-pestering and unhelpful or overly helpful SAs.The bigger the brand name the more pestering the SAs are.My worst experience so far had been at a local mall where I had went to the Pantaloons store for some dress-shopping when the Loreal SA earnestly insisted to try out their new Kajal Magique which I was not at all interested in.My only fault I suppose was that I was discussing kajal brands with my sister which she overheard.I let her swatch it so she won't nag us further but after swatching(which further made me disinterested since that kajal was not at all dark enough-my maybelline one was far darker)but she insisted I should buy it since it is on an introductory "offer" price-Rs.245!She pissed the hell out of me and I started walking out without even buying what I initially intended.She almost ran to the exit insisting I was making a huge loss!Just imagine!
After this I have become more cautious and so started researching on the staff's conduct at the Kolkata,Inglot.Only two bloggers had shared their experience-while one in 2011 said that the Kolkata staffs are very helpful another in 2013 said they are the worst possible SAs-totally opposite views.So I settled down to calling at the store up first and then going.A girl received the call and sounded bored and almost lost.I had already heard that they have made buying their palettes mandatory so I asked if it is true.It was and if I already owned one inglot palette I have to take it up to the store and they will fill it up.Now,I wanted to buy only one refill and the palettes cost a bomb!When I said I don't want it and if there is such rules I will reconsider visiting there store at all.She asked me to talk to their manager who firmly kept piping the same lines but much more politely.I asked if the divider less palette was available but it was out of stock and so was the smallest palettes for two refills.The one for four refills cost Rs.745 and each refill currently cost Rs.400 for the same quanity!My DIY palette would have cost me less than Rs.100 had I made it and would have held at least eight refills.Now given it is Inglot,I was really tempted to buy one for Rs.400 but after calculating the price of an inglot bullet(Rs.1200 for 4g!)I settled for colorbar.The Price Hike is unbelievable.
I was too lazy to go and search a colorbar counter around the city so ordered it online at Flipkart.I received my package within 4-5days-the longest time ever taken by a parcel from flipkart to reach me.
Now the Review-

Price-Rs.275
Net Vol.-4.2g
Shelf life-3 years
The lipstick comes packaged in a transperant plastic.As you can see,the body is silver colored metal with a transperant plastic cap and a fibre see-through bottom which holds bit of the lipstick so you can easily locate it if you have more than one of these beauties.The packaging is glossy but the cap is filmsy though it firmly closes but there is always a risk of breaking.

 My take-

This one is the costliest lipstick that I have till date.I am more of a eye makeup person and never liked highlighting my lips much so I always opted for light colours and sheer coverage lipsticks like elle 16 ones.So this was quite a bold choice-pigmentation wise and shade wise.First lets come to the formula-The lipstick is in between drying and creamy and sets down in a matte finish.It last 4-5 hours easily after which it started fading.Now it stains the lips heavily-something that I hardly encountered before.The stain is rusty orangey-not a very nice colour and the stain is uneven which is another problem.It has a vanilla essence like smell which is ok with me but wouldn't have loved it if it lingered too long.It clings to flaky lips and settles in fine lines and also bleeds a bit at the corner of the lips so a lip liner is necessary as well as a lip balm if you have dry lips.The stain however won't budge off until you rub it hard with some sort of makeup remover.Now orange is a very bold color to be carried with confidence.It appears almost neon on the bullet.But on application it is quite wearable.On my lips which are quite pigmented in a brownish-pink shade,it appears little rustly under certain lightings.Now,it has a tendency to make me appear sick when I wear it with maybelline bb stick in radiance.Also since my lips are quite plump,it emphasis that as well.But I really like the colour specially when I don't have even 5 minutes to spare for makeup yet want to look eye-catching.It itself is so bold a colour that,Anything more than tight-lined eye,or a dash of brown kohl make me look too made up.I thought it won't suit dusky beauties but my sister who is NC 35 or 37 approx sport it better than me.I specially love this colour along with any neutral outfit like white-beige combination.Now pigmentation is really good.One swipe give enough colour and two swipes make it almost neon.Overall this is one shade that is unusual yet very pretty if carried with confidence.

in normal light at morning

Now a summary of the whole:

Pros:

• Affordable
• True orange
• easy to locate shade
• very good pigmentation
• travel friendly
• matte finish yet creamy in application
• good staying power



in  full focus under sunlight
(I don't know if it is just in the picture
 or in reality but it looks slight pink isn't it?)










• suits very fair to medium dusky complexion-might appear to stark on very dark complexion

Cons:

• Stains lips
• Transfers after 3-4 hours
• smell might be a con for some
• availability

How do you find the swatches?
I am planning to skip this on Valentines Day though,since my bf loves coral pink lips,I think I will get the one from the following list-Peach Crush,Pretty Please,Over the top-Any more suggestions??