Monday 23 March 2015

Red Black Smokey eyes

Hello!
This is going to be my first ever make-up tutorial of any kind.This is the break-down of the eye make-up idea in red and black shadow that I shared in my previous post as a part of the review for the BIC palette.I hope this is helpful.
Products used for the whole look:



Face:
Maybelline dream liquid mousse foundation-creamy natural(light 5)
Maybelline cheeky glow blush-creamy cinnamon
Contoured using the earth toned eye-shadows of the palette
BIC stippling Brush
BIC tapered Brush
BIC angled Brush

Eyes:
BIC 120 eye shadow palette #3
Maybelline Colossal kajal
Eye primer
Maybelline hyper curl Mascara(Waterproof)
BIC blending brush
Sponge applicators
Urban decay Naked 2 in-the-palette brush
 Lakme eyebrow pencil


Lips:
Street wear ultra moist lipstick-Crisp Caramel

The following collage consists of the breakdown of the eye-makeup.While the original was photographed in daylight,the break-down was recreated under artificial white light hence there is a difference in the color.The look is too dramatic for daytime wear and would look best if sported on any occasion that is appropriate such as marraige functions or bight-out parties.
Break-down:
Row 1:
Image 1-4a:

  • First,prepare the eyes applying and blending the eye-primer all over the lids.Also line the upper lash-line with black kohl.I used Maybelline Colossal kajal.Lining the eyes this way instantly helps in faking the actual volume of your eyelash.So much so,depending on the look created you can skip mascara.
  • using sponge applicators apply the red shadow over your eyelids.Sponge applicators picks up most pigments an hence we can get the most pigmented application.
  • using the peach and brownish peach(the shades are marked with black circles) blend out the harsh edges of the red shadow.For this I used the BIC Blending brush and the flat-end of the UD brush.
  • Now apply the red shadow in the outer 2/3rd of lower eyelashes.
Image 4b-6:

  • Now,cut a small piece of cello-tape and apply it on the outer corner of your eyes such that it is like an extension of the lower lash-line crossing over the upper line.
  • using the black shadow(marked with red circles in palette2),blend into the red shadow at the outer 1/3rd of the upper eyelid and wing it out according to your preference.I like to keep it within the arch of my brow.
  • This is how it will look when you close your eyes.
  • remove the previous tape and apply a thinner piece of tape such that you can achieve the line on your lower lash-line.
Image 7-10:

  • using the black shadow blend out with the red on the lower eyelid and also make an inverted winged out structure smaller than the upper wing.
  • using a deep chocolate shadow,blend in between the junctures of black and red shadow to create a smoother transition. Also using a lighter shade of brown or ocher create the transition to your brow-bones.Using the blending brush,blend any harsh lines as far as you can.
  • using a peach or ocher-based pearl finish eye-shadow highlight the highest point of your brow-bone.Also using a neon-yellow(or any contrasting shade that will work as a highlighting colour)blend in the inner-v of your eyes.
  • Finish off with 2-coats of mascara on upper and lower lashes.Fill in the brows if necessary.
The entire look:
The foundation used was pink-based though it matched well but not the best match(while it matched my cheeks and nose perfectly,it looks too white for my forehead and jaws).So anyone with similar complexion(yellow under-tones) can go for the shade light 4 which is yellow under-toned.It was the one I wanted to buy but it was out of stock.As you can see,I have contoured my cheeks and forehead with a brownish-ocher shadow so my face don't look flat.Since the eyes are quite dramatic I have kept the lips nuetral.


Friday 20 March 2015

Buyincoins Haul and my Experience

Hello!
Today I am going to review my latest splurge-a 120 eye-shadow palette that I bought from the online shopping website www.buyincoins.com.Beside reviewing the palette I will also be sharing my shopping experience with them.This was my second transaction with the site.
It is a Chinese site catering nearly all over the world without any shipping charges and the prices are unexpectedly low.They offer a free tracking code for orders over $30.Below that there is usually a choice of "free shipping","express shipping" and "shipping with tracking code".I say usually because the available options vary depending on the product you choose to buy.While I was able to opt for free shipping for my first transaction,the second time I had to pay a nominal amount of $0.34 for tracking code. I really don't mind that and the tracking code was actually a relief.The product arrived exactly 30days after they confirmed that my parcel have been sent to the post office.Yes!it takes that long at times to arrive!My first package had arrived within 15days and I have even seen packages arriving as early as 7-8days for a friend.The packaging consisted of the palette sandwiched between two thick sheets of thermocol and lots of bubble wrapping.Going through numerous other reviews I was very sure that eye-shadow palettes never arrive intact and I was preparing myself for at least a couple of broken shadows but when I opened the parcel,I was at awe that not a single shadow has broken.So it can be concluded that packaging is good enough.The best part is their customer service.I have never communicated with them over the phone as they were always very prompt about replying to my mails and messages through my account at the site within 24hours.They accept payment through paypal,master card and visa card of any bank but I felt paypal is the best.You can also avail discounts.There is referrer's discount for your first transaction.all you have to do is enter a referrer's id while creating your account and you will get 5% discount on your first transaction.Other than that they have coupon codes.Just message them querying about availble coupons at the moment and they will sent you the code.There are dozens of codes published around the blogosphere but most don't work so directly contact them for discount coupons instead of picking up random codes from the web.

Now,let come to the palette.Matte eyeshadows are my favorite part of eye makeup but sadly quality shadows at affordable price is asking way too much in India.Though I love nuetrals but it's always helpful to have other hues at hand and hence I thought of giving this beauty a shot after repeated (sparkly)disappointments with Palettes available in India.If you browse through the site you will find at least 10-12 variations of 120 palettes ranging from nudes,metallics,and combination of different finishes.I got 120 Makeup full color Eyeshadow palette #3 though #5 is reviewed all over the web and ahrdly any information availble about this one as this seemed most feasible for me.That is,it consists of such shades that I am likely to use extensively.
Description:The box is of matte black plastic without any mirror and click locks.Inside there are two palettes decked one above another each consisting of 60 shadows.The palettes are quite fragile and I am sure won't survive the smallest of the fall.The upper compartment consists mostly of warm and radiant colours while the lower one is dedicated to darker,cooler and more subdued hues.


The upper compartment


The lower compartment
Price-Rs.873(this includes the tracking fee)
The palette consists of 32 mattes,12 glittery,and rest satin and pearl finish.I find most shades apart from the sparklings and neons,and blues wearable.
Texture: Except for 3-4 sahdows in the whole palette the rest feels like butter on skin.I have never experience such soft texture from an eyeashadow before.Though soft most adhere well to the eyelid without any fall-outs and without primer though few are too powdery and hence challenging to work with.
Pigmentation:Very vibrant.Even the lightest mattes show up well on my lids when paired with a primer.Without primer the mid-tones to darker one work well enough but lightest of the lot get washed out.
Staying power- So far I have wore these shadows for 14hours at a stretch with primer.At the end of the day only the shadows at the outer-corner of my eyes had settled in creases and in one deep crease on my eyelid a little.But the color was intact-no fading.Do I need to say more?I have oily eyelids and the weather in Kolkata in the month of March at the moment is not that make-up friendly.
Swatch Gallery:
looks created using the palette.

The first look is created using the peach shadow(5th shadow 2nd column palette-1),brown(6th,2nd column,palette-1)as transition colors,matte red(6th shadow,10th column,palette-1) all-over the lidand lower eyelid,matte black(6th shadow,column 9,palette-2) outer half of the eyes and matte chocolate brown(5th shadow,7th column,palette-2)as blending color between red and black.Neon yellow(4th sahdow,8th column,palette-1)as highlighter in inner corners.Satin cream(2nd shadow,1st column,palette-1)as brow-bone highlighter.
The second one is created using the greys and mauve-greys of palette-2(column 3,4,5,lower 3*3 matrix)and hint or purple from palette-1,highlighter is the 1st shadow in palette-2.

close-ups of palette 2

close-ups of palette2

close-up of palette 1

close-up of palette 1
 The Swatches are given column-wise starting from left-to-right of each palette.Two columns are covered in each picture.The numbering is done as 1-6 from top to bottom of the left column followed by 7-12 from top to bottom of the column following it immediately and so on.The swatches are single swipe of the colours and I have left notes as captions where necessary.
The gold sparkles,4th from left are too powdery and has a lot of fall-out but very pigmented and soft.
The gold,3rd from right is very chalky as you can see-one of the worst shadow of the palette.
The last two colours are really recommended.They look great on indian skin-tone for no-make-up look.





The cyan (37)is satin finish but chalky-do not easily show up on eyelids but a very pretty colour had it shown up.


Consists of highlighters.My personal favorites here are 4 and 8.Compliments well with any look.

13-17 are average in pigmentation and harder than the rest of the colours.


Best 2 coloumns of the palette in terms of pigmentation and texture.And of course.I am biased to neutrals!



Overall,If you want to experiment and learn without getting stripped off your cash-these palettes are the best option.For me,this baby has put off any little fascination that I ever had for high-end brands.It has everything any high-end eyeshadow can offer for fraction of it's price.
Pros:
  • Good pigmentation
  • soft texture
  • excellent staying power
  • has enough hues for experimentation
  • affiordable
Cons:
  • No in-the-box mirror
  • available only through online sites.
  • fragile box hence not travel-friendly
  • no mention of ingredient list anywhere

Sunday 8 March 2015

Meis Matte Eyeshadow Palette

Hello and welcome to yet another post.Sorry I have been away for quite a long time again but now I am back with a review on an eye shadow palette I stumbled upon while looking for something entirely different.Such things happen with me all the time.I decide on shopping for something and end up buying something entirely different.Anyway this one is from a brand called Meis cosmetics and I have seen other palettes of this brand in many cosmetic shops of Kolkata and also at the International Trade Fair-Lifestyle pavilion at the Thailand counter.I suppose they mainly originate from China.I had been desperate for a good set of matte browns in various hues.While the best bet with a brand name would have been Inglot,I literally cringed with horror thinking of the hole it would burn in my already-light pocket!Rs.400 for one shadow is not my cup of tea yet.I searched online and came across the Coloressence one as well but I was not really very sure of the shade.I had almost given up on the idea of finding myself a palette that contained browns and only neutrals in matte when I saw this one at a really small cosmetic shop of Hatibagan opposite Star theatre.
I have a love-hate relationship with this palette,Of all the 12 colours only 3 are usable.I don't really mind that because this three are the only colours I will ever use.
My take:
The palette looks sleek an classy but is quite brittle.There is no mirror and once I dropped it the white in the top row shattered.
Pigmentation is mediocre however with a primer it appears a bit more vibrant.Staying power is average-upto 4-5hours with a primer underneath.
The shadow settles in creases particularly a the corner of my eyes after aximum of 4 hours of wear-time.
Price-Rs.200-350.There is no printed price amount on the box and the price varies from store-to-store.
Availability is another issue.Though shimmer or satin eyeshadow palettes from the same brand is widely available,the matte palettes are hard to come by.So far I have spotted them at two places.One is mentioned above and the other is a make-shift counter at the Diamond Plaza Mall that stocks only cosmetics from thailand or China.However it is a no-bargain store and they quote twice the actual price.
Swatches:

A look created with the browns from this palette:

I have used primer underneath and also Lakme eyconic kajal in brown to line my upper lashes.
Overall,this palette is ok if you are on really tight budget and only just learning to use eyeshadows.Matte shadows are really hard to come by in palettes in India that to within a reasonable budget.This is by-far the first palette that I came across which had 12 all-matte shades in one palette.However I won't recommend this to anyone with sensitive skin/eyes since there is no mention of expiry date anywhere and not a reliable ingredients list.  

Saturday 13 December 2014

L'oreal Paris 6 oil Nourish Conditioner and shampoo

Hi!
Today I am going to review my favorite conditioner till date-L'Oreal Paris 6 oil nourish Conditioner that have become a really popular choice in quite a short time.I was actually looking for the smoothing conditoner of the same brand and picked this one up by mistake since they both have identical packaging(No longer though,L'Oreal have changed the packaging of their smoothing shampoo and conditioner to a flaming shade of orange).I did not even look at the label until I was home but I feel that day was blessed for my hair that I made the mistake.
My scalp and hair combination is the worst possible one I suppose-super oily scalp and super dry wiry-curls frizzy hair.I just cannot make up my mind about which one to treat first.I was happily indulging in the Lush Jumping Juniper shampoo which wiped off every drop of oil from my scalp.But once it was over that I actually noticed how dry the ends of my hair has become.I was already using this conditioner along with that shampoo and the result was good but not as good as it is now when I am using it along with the shampoo of the same range.So I began searching for a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner and finally settled for the shampoo and conditioner from this range.
So I will first talk about the shampoo.Next the conditioner.
6 Oil Nourish Shampoo
My take:
Comes in a golden yellow bottle with brown semi transperant cap and black flip-open lid,and measures 100ml,200ml,and 400ml respectively.There is another,I suppose,600ml bottle that comes with a pump dispenser.I got the 400ml bottle that cost rs.259.The 200ml bottle costs Rs.135.If you keep a lookout you can avail the 400ml bottle+150ml conditioner just for Rs.230-259 at Big Bajaar during their various sales.
Texture of the shampoo is neither creamy thick nor very runny.I like this consistency as,unlike all other L'Oreal shampoos that I have tried so far,this feels much more lighter.The color of the shampoo is same as the bottle-golden yellow with micro-shimmers-sort of reminds me of egg yolks though it smells heavenly.




















Though it is a blend of six oils,it is not as oily as I had expected.But it was tricky to master the perfect amount of shampoo required for my hair and scalp as I have oily scalp.If I overdid the shampoo,followed by the conditioner(I never skip conditioning no matter what),my hair would get damn greasy the very next day.For your reference,I have shoulder lenght curly frizzy hair and I use about 3-4ml of shampoo and rinse only once if I haven't pre-treated my hair with oil massage.In case I apply oil and then shampoo,I use the same amount each time I rinse my hair which is usually twice.The shampoo lathers really well and feels like some very light oil while lathering.The smell is seductive and the best part is that it lingers for at least a day in my hair particularly when used alongside the condiotiner which have similar scent but not exactly the same.However on the downside,this shampoo contains SLS.Now did it make my hair healthier than it was?I have finished one 200ml bottle,and another 400ml is on the verge of getting empty and now my hair do look healthier than it was-more shiny,much less dandruff,no split-ends even if I forget to oil massage before shampooing,much less frizzy and best of all hardly any hair-fall.The shampoo does show results but slowly and works best when used along with the conditioner.
6 oil nourish conditioner
My take:
Almost identical packaging as that of the shampoo,except that the base is rounded unlike the shampoo bottle.Still,there is high chance of confusing the conditioner for the shampoo for careless buyers who don't care to read the labels.Priced at Rs.150 for 175ml.
Texture is lotion-like and yellow in colour.The scent is really strong-the perfume reminds me of a typical Bengali wedding.There will be always someone who had an overdose of this particular scent.Personally I hate this scent but once I have applied and rinsed of the subdued version smells so good.The conditioner is light weight,something that is quite surprising to me given it works as good as the smoothing conditioner of the same brand and that was really creamy.
Now this is a scalp and hair conditioner which I like.I just take enough to cover my hair and then massage it in for a minute.Next I leave it on for as long as I can which is usually anywhere in between 3-10minutes and then rinse off.The longer I leave it on,the better my hair looks after drying.Another point to be noted that,if I blow dry my hair now-a-days,my hair looks better than it did earlier-less dry and more shiny and sleek.
Pros:
  • Both the shampoo and conditioner are budget friendly
  • both easily available
  • both very hydrating
  • makes hair healthy with consistent use
Cons:
  • shampoo contains SLS.
  • Both have a long list of chemical ingredients
  • conditioner smells really strong(may not be a con to others)
Overall they have become my favorite shampoo and conditioner at the moment.But I wish they had lesser chemical ingredients though.
Rate:4/5 for shampoo
Rate:4.5/5 for conditioner

Sunday 30 November 2014

Maybelline Bold Matte-MAT 02 review

After sleeping through a lazy Sunday morning I thought of studying but seriously couldn't concentrate so now here I am-Blogging away!Wedding season is on and so I thought of reviewing a lipstick that I feel is perfectly complimentary with the mood of weddings.Today's review is about Maybelline Bold matte lipstick in shade MAT02.
The Range comprises of 5shades of the red family.I swatched all of them except MAT03 which the SA said does not "exists".Really woman,you think customers are dumb?It was such a stupid lie anyways given that they are numbered serially.Anyone with minimum sense will question why then are they numbered as 1-2-4-5?If you don't have the stock then say you don't have it,why lie so bluntly that it doesn't even exists?I was in a really good mood because my mom was gifting this to me and so didn't want to make a fuss and spoil my mood.
Now coming back to the lipsticks.MAT01 is a fire engine red and the boldest of the range.MAT02 is a unique blend of coral.red and pink bordering on neon in the bullet but swatches as a elegant and soft germanium that can be build up for a bolder look.Though I did not swatch MAT03 I know that it is a very wearable orange.MAT04 is a red with hints of pink and MAT05 is a cranberry red with blue undertones -a perfect color for Indian Brides if you are thinking of donning bold lips on your wedding day.
Price-Rs.375(got it for Rs.350)
Quantity-3.5g
My take:
Packaging-The lipsticks all come in silver twist up round tubes with a square base and semi transperant matte-finish red plastic cap of the same shape as the base.The name of the lipstick in written at the base of the tube.the top of the cap has a silver glazing that is reflective and can be fairly passed off a substitute of mirror in emergencies."Maybelline New York" is engraved on the silver tube in very tiny letters but apart from that you will hardly be able to tell the brand unless you are familiar with the packaging.But I love how classy the tube looks and it is quite sturdy.The cap click-shuts and hence travel friendly.
Texture- Though it is a matte lipstick I won't call it a classic matte.It is creamy to apply and do not tug and pull at your lips.But after a few minutes settles down as matte and powdery to touch.
Wear time and pigmentation-Given it settles down as matte and powdery the lipstick has amazingly long wear time.It survived for 5-6hours easily with meals and the best part is that it do not transfer anywhere unless you are intentionally rubbing your lips to leave a mark.I have had this on for 8-9hours and by the end of the day there was a pink stain left behind uniformly all over the lips.But it does highlight chapped lips and settles into lines and looks awful if your lips are even minimum flaky.Pigmentation is medium but buildable and 2 swipes completely covers up the natural pigmentation of the lips.The stain is difficult to remove but easily comes of with baby oil.
Colour-The trickiest part is perhaps the shade itself.It is not a daily wear colour that I would have preffered.I was so tempted by the beauty of the shade in the hand swatches that I got it.It looks coral pink in the tube and the photos hardly did any justice to the shade as it looks orange in the pictures which is nowhere near the real colour.In the hand swatches below it looks more red but in reality it is germanium shade.The first time I tried it on it made me look so sickly and the true shade hardly showed up on my lips.It looked worse on my sister.I was so crestfallen about what to do with this one now.So I started experimenting with it to make it work somehow.My lips are full and averagely pigmented and looks much like the shade of Maybelline Hypershine Lipgloss mirrored mauve.My skin is neutral and fair but tanned and perfectly matches with Maybelline Dream Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation in shade Creamy Natural Light 5.this reference might help you to understand whether this lipstick will suit you or not.This lipstick looks disastrous on me when I look tired or my face is greasy.It looks better when I wear it as a stain and skipping some sort of base(I usually use maybelline BB sticks Fawn and Radiance mixed together) is an absolute no-no with this lipstick.After much experimenting I found out that it looks best if I blend it with another orange lipstick and the resultant is a fire engine red with yellow undertones(I use Colorbar Obsessed Orange)-my perfect red when I am in those rare moods for bold lips.Another way is prepping my lips with a foundation thus toning down the true pigmentation of my lips hence the real colour shows through.Another thing that I observed is that this colour looks good on me during morning or midday in natural light(preferably sunny weather) but makes me look sickly under artificial light when wore directly on my lips during night time.I think this lipstick will best suit someone really fair and with less full lips.You can see for yourself in the following LOTDs:
Pros:
  • Matte finish but creamy to apply
  • Availability
  • Budget lipstick considering the quality and finish
  • sturdy and beautiful packaging
  • staying power is awesome
  • do not transfer
  • beautiful shade for those who can carry it
Cons:
  • not suitable for dry lips or winter season unless you have moisturized and exfoliated your lips well
  • highlights chapped lips
  • won't suit all skin tones
Rate:4/5

Wednesday 26 November 2014

Virgo nail Buffer

Hi friends today I am back with a review of a nail buffer that I use some one year back and have been dying to rave about.I recently became a bit too obsessed with nail-care after I discovered that a perfect home manicure completely changes the look of my hands.But unfortunately I really cannot resist biting my nails and they are always in an utter mess.The nail buffer I am going to review is from a brand called "Virgo"-I never really heard of them.I happened to come across their products(that includes combs,brushes,pumice stones,pedicure and manicure kits etc.) at Big Bajaar.I was looking for an affordable nail buffer and this one was the cheapest available.I liked that this one had 6 faces and a cute shape so I got this one.Read on to know my experience with it.
Virgo 6-in-1 nail buffer:
Price-Rs.75
 My take:
The first thing you will notice is the bright colours of the faces.When I started to use it though the first problem is came across was understanding which side was meant to be used after which one-there is no number coding or anything as such to imply that.You can easily tell apart the one meant for "step 1"(refer the image on left) but the ones from step 2-step 5 is a complete guessing game.
Rub it on your nails and feel your way through the manicure.It was a bit annoying at the beginning but once I got a hang of it and was patient enough to complete the whole process the results were worth the trouble. In the image below you can see the 4 faces,the other two are yellow and buff coloured.The yellow side is the emery board for step 1.The buff is the shiner or for step 6.for step 2,3,4,and 5 you are suppose to use the teal-blue,green,pink and violet respectively in the order I have written the names.My nails do not have much ridges and are bit frail so I went easy with the emery.The whole process took around 30 minutes.The resultant shine and glow of the nails lasted for more than a couple of weeks.The shine was equivalent to a top coat.However the buffer is a bit difficult to be maneuvered at corners of the nail so the shine was not uniform throughtout.
 This is the end result right after buffing.You can easily see the difference in the way my nails look in the before and after pictures.
Pros:

  • Cheap
  • 6 faced hence ensures smoother and shinier finish
  • looks cute
  • one buffer lasted me 8-9months given I used it on my sister,mom and myself.
  • the effect last much longer than applying a clear nailpolish
Cons:

  • availability-I did not find the Virgo products when I went to buy my second buffer(had to settle down for "faces" 4-in-1 buffer instead which was quite a disappointment given it is a "Faces" product-review coming soon)
  • no instructions about which side is meant for what-it is pure guess work.
  • bit difficult to maneuver at the edges or corners.
Overall, it was a good buy and I would like to get another one of them if I can find this brand anywhere again.
Rate:3.75/5

Wednesday 19 November 2014

Maybelline Color Show Nail enamel-Constant Candy 401

Hello and welcome to yet another nail polish review from the much hyped Maybelline Color show Range.I used these almost a year back and finally managed to review it.Please ignore the image quality because they were pictured with my old cellphone.
The shades I am going to review are called "Constant Candy"-a perfect french manicure pink and "Porcelain Party-102"-a creamy milk white,perfect for french manicure tips.Till date I have used quite a few of the nail polishes from the color show range and each colour has it's own characteristics.As far as the chipping resistance,color intensity,nail polish texture and finish is concerned,this shade is very similar to "Porcelain Party"-a creamy shimmer-free white from the same range.SO I would not be dedicating a separate post for that one and include its swatches here as well.
My take:

  • Price-Rs.75
  • Quantity-6ml
  • Texture-Creamy and quite thick.
  • Pigmentation-Very good.1 coat give almost opaque finish and 2 coats gives true color as seen in the bottle.
    Constant Candy

    Porcelain Party
  • It dries real fast on the nails-around a couple of minutes and even after drying it retains a glossy finish.But on the downside since it is characteristically a quick drying nail polish,it thickens in the bottle and become impossible to be used quickly.
  • If you are not much into doing household works,then it will last without chipping for 3-5days,otherwise 2-3days.But both the shades tend to peel off like some plastic from my nails.I really don't understand why."Downtown Red" of this nail polish range worked so very well for me.
  • Since they are the lightest of the colors offered by Maybelline Color Show they don't leave stains.
  • The packaging and brush both are very practical for use and pretty at the same time.The brush is really good and perfectly shaped for covering up the nails within 3 strokes.
  • The pink has very fine silver shimmers that are invisible on the bottle and even on your nail they show up only if you are looking very closely.They only add a tiny bit of sheen to the nails.


Overall,they are good shades but did not really work for me as they kept peeling off every 3days.Even a top coat did not help with keeping them in place.I don't think I will nut them agian-maybe some other shade but not this two.
Rate:3/5