Look What Santa Got Me!!!

I spent a really dull Christmas yesterday with nothing very exciting happening. This in contrast to childhood where we spent the entire December singing carols at school and decorating Christmas Trees (Well, we all have to grow up someday I guess) But lo behold when I reach home I find a package for me. Its my Vellvette box containing all lovely goodies and I could not wait to open it. Here is what I got.

Elizabeth Arden Visible Optimizing Skin Serum

To tell you the truth I am quite nervous about using this product thanks to my horrible experience with the Elizabeth Arden capsules. Let's see how this one fares *fingers crossed*

Bath and Body Works Cashmere Glow Body Lotion 

This is my third body lotion. I guess the Vellvette team thinks I am a huge body lotion fan. However, am not complaining love love the smell of this one

Cabotine de Gres perfume

Chotu vial that I really loved. The smell is a nice fruity, a little strong one but I just adore it. So handy for travelling also

Anna Andre Deluxe Creme Lipstick 40203

Never heard of the brand. Apparently Anna Andre is a makeup artist from Paris with her own line of cosmetics. The packaging of this lipstick reminds me of nyx jumbo lip pencil. The color is an extremely dark brown with a hint of shimmer. The formula is nice and mositurizing. I just really really wish it was any other color.

Apart from this I got some mac goodies for me as well. Finally got the Face and Body foundation (which is just amazing!!!!) and Mac Mehr (gorgeous for everyone). Here is my Mac Haul

Mac Face and Body Foundation in N7 : Don't ask me why it is N and not C but this one is a perfect match. The others are a little too yellowy on me.

Mac Mehr: A gorgeous dirty pink shade that looks yumm with smoky eyes

I also got a pink envelope clutch for myself from Lifestyle and my hubby darling got me a set of mini Dior perfumes from Dubai Duty Free while he was travelling :)

Mac Plumful Lipstick: Review and Swatches

Hmmm..with the number of lipstick reviews on my blog I think I should just change its name to About Lipsticks and Lipsticks but then can a girl ever have enough lipsticks. Not me though especially when I have the tempting Mac store around. I adore Mac lipsticks for its wide choice of colors and finish. However, there is one finish that I had never tried before and that is the lustre finish. Now for all those who are new the Mac finishes, lustre is a slightly sheer finish which adds a bit of color but does not quite hide the ugly pigmentation. This however is not the case with Mac Plumful which is a gorgeous sheer lipstick with just the right amount of color that gives you gorgeous glossy lips.

Price: INR 990. It’s a permanent Mac shade

Color and Pigmentation: Mac describes Plumful as blossoming rose plum whatever that means. Anyways Plumful is a plumy pink shade with a nice glossy finish. Lustre finishes are generally very sheer but Plumful is quite opaque not completely though but it just covers up the lip pigmentation. On me it looks like a neutral pink. On fairer skin tones it would be a darker plum. The color is buildable and after three four layers it goes completely opaque. However for a more natural look I use just two layers of the lipstick. On my lips the color lasts for around two to three hours which is fairly alright. The texture is smooth and silky. It is not moisturizing or creamy however

Plumful is a great pink for Indian skin tones especially the darker girls who have trouble finding a nice neutral pink. Although I still love Mac captive and it continues to be my favorite plumy pink, this one is equally beautiful as well. Moreover the glossy finish adds a nice touch to the lips. This is how it looks on my lips (Sorry for the ugly FOTD..camera just dint seem to pick up the color at all)

My recommendation: Get it if you are looking for a beautiful pink lipstick

Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Gold Ultra Restorative Capsules Intensive Treatment: A Review

What is with long names? I have never understood why products have to have such long names that don’t even make sense and are so hard to remember that by the time you have read the last word you will probably forget the first word. For someone who even forgets her anniversaries long names can be a bane especially when you are trying to remember the name at the store. Anyways enough of my cribbing. Let me move on to reviewing the product (Now for the sake of convenience or sheer laziness I will refer to these capsules as just “the product”).

How the Company Describes the Product

“Pure, potent, intensive single dose capsules. Our innovative CLX Complex delivers the restorative power of Ceramides and essential lipids to help strengthen skin's barrier against the visible signs of time.

• Visibly improves skin tone and clarity.
• Supports skin's own natural collagen levels for a firmer, more resilient look.
• Works to minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
• Retexturizes skin for a noticeably softer, smoother look.”

Well, you know how disappointed I was with the October box and one of the reasons for it was this product. The tiny five capsules were disappointing enough (Really it was only five) and a anti ageing product did not seem to be high on my list of skin care needs. However I was really hoping to see at least teensy weensy results regarding improvement of skin tone and clarity. I did not see anything. I mean it did nothing. Now I really did not have very high hopes considering the quantity but for the price which is a whooping 3400 bucks for sixty capsules I expected to see at least something.

To use it I broke off the top of the capsule and squeezed out the oil on my palms. The quantity is just about enough to cover the face and neck. Thankfully the oil has no weird smell. After cleansing the face, I applied the oil and slowly massaged it into the face and neck. The oil absorbed quickly into the skin leaving the face moisturized. It is non greasy and you do not have to end up with an oily face.

The problem: Well, I got tiny red bumps after that. I do not have sensitive or oily skin mind you and experiment a lot with skin care but somehow this product managed to give me those small, extremely itchy zits on my chin and neck. These remained for around four to five days after which I used it again just to make sure whether this was the product that caused the allergic reaction and lo behold I get those zits again..Aaaarghhh!!! Seriously I felt like killing someone that day.

I used three of the capsules and except for the zits I did not really notice anything. I have read great reviews for it on the net but my experience with these was not good. I guess it is meant for mature skin. Have you tried this product and how was your experience using this?

            

Mac Lipglass in Restless (Styleseeker Collection): Swatches and Review

My Mac obsession continues and recently on one of my hurried Mac visits I spotted this beautiful extremely pigmented lipglass from the Styleseeker collection. Launched in India around a month back, the Stylesseker collection has got some of the best lipglass (and blushes..do check it out Hidden Treasure..it is perfect for Indian skin) collection that I have ever seen. There is a shimmery blue based red lipglass called Ready to Roam, a gorgeous orangish lipglass called Eclectic Edge and of course my favorite out of the lot Restless which is a coppery red shade with golden shimmer in it. Now mind you I am not a fan of Mac lipglasses and had just one lipglass before I got this. Somehow the sticky texture and the low pigmentation does not quite appeal to me. However, the moment I swatched his lipglass on my hand I knew I was hooked. It is pigmented, shimmery and the perfect color for any Indian outfit

 Price: It is priced at INR 950 and is available in Mac stores as a Limited Edition product L (Plsss..plss..Mac make it permanent)

Color and Pigmentation: Mac describes the color as dark burnt bronze. It’s a gorgeous bronze red shade with minute golden shimmer. I has the classic vanilla fragrance along with excellent pigmentation and opaque coverage it totally covers my dark lips. The shimmer in the lipglasses is not gritty. It just adds a nice glossy touch to the lips. The color lasts for around three hours on my lips thanks to the sticky texture. Application is pretty easy with the doe foot applicator and the color spreads evenly on the lips. My lips extremely are chapped this winter and thankfully this lipglass does not accentuate the lines. That does not mean it is moisturizing. The sticky texture can also be a little irritating especially when you have flyaway hair sticking to it but then it is ok.

 My recommendation: This one is a must have..I am probably going to get a back up J Do check out the Styleseeker collection for the lovely lipglasses. Fluid lines and blushes