Nyx Round Lipstick Spellbound: Swatches and FOTD

Nyx round lipsticks are one of my favorites. They have a great texture, are extremely pigmented and have a range of amazing shades. The best part for me is that it is extremely affordable as well. I have already reviewed one of my favorite Nyx lipsticks, Fire. Spellbound is a beautiful hot pink lipstick. Of course as with other bright lipsticks you do need oodles of confidence to sport this shade but I totally in love with it. Since I have already reviewed the Nyx round lipstick in my last post I will not be repeating myself. Check out the shade and tell me if you liked it :P

I love that cute packaging and the it is a relief to be able to locate the shade color.

Here is a FOTD and a pic with my daughter.

Nyx Round Lipstick Fire: Review, Swatches and LOTD

A year before I started writing this blog all the lipsticks I had in my kitty were shades of brown. Till about recently I never had the guts to buy a pink lipstick, forget about putting it on me. I never understood the fascination for pink lipsticks. However since the day I became a crazy makeup fanatic and started exploring blogs by some amazing people like Rashmi, Samyukta, Anamika and Cynthia, I have started buying more colorful lip sticks. Of course I will never be adventurous enough to buy a black or dark purple lipstick but this is a start at least. I love Nyx round lipsticks. They are soft , creamy, extremely moisturizing and have excellent colors at a reasonable price. In short they are a boon for people like me who want to experiment with colors but are unwilling to dish out a fortune a lipstick that they will never use.

Nyx lipstick in Fire is a beautiful deep pink red shade. The shade just instantly brightens your face and adds a touch of drama which I love. I have been hunting for this shade since I saw Mac Fusion Pink which is again a gorgeous red pink but one which I was unable to buy (It’s a LE pro lipstick). The best part is that it is completely opaque and thus great for my pigmented lips. I love it on my lips and am sure this is going to be my new party lipstick J

                    

Ok, now this lipstick is not a Mac lipstick and should not be compared to one. Yes, it is creamy, soft and glides on like a dream on my chapped lips but then it has a few cons as well. Firstly it transfers and transfers to just about everything around you. Moreover it has a negligible staying power of just around two hours. However I don’t really mind that the texture and pigmentation is extremely good and what more can you expect for around three hundred bucks. Thankfully it does not smell extremely weird. It just a slight waxy smell which is ok.

One swipe on extremely pigmented lips

You can buy it from Cherry Culture or just order it from Stylecraze which incidentally is running a 25% off sale on Nyx products and this lippi is on the list as well.

Colorbar Lip Pot 008 Bitten Berry Swatches and Review

Ever since I laid my eyes on the beautiful Colorbar lip pots and the gorgeous shades available, I have been restless to get my hands on one. Unfortunately if you are in Pune you will know how badly stocked most Colorbar counters in Pune are. Thankfully I found a Colorbar store in a new mall in Pune and instantly grabbed the lip pot in the shade Bitten Berry. It is a beautiful berry red shade which does not look over the top in any way.

What Colorbar Claims

Pamper your lips with this deliciously syrupy lip color, cushiony and wet; it optically plumps your lips for a sexy plushy pout you’ll become addicted to! Surprisingly comfortable and emollient, it soothes your smile all day long. You’ve never felt color like this before, supremely sumptuous color for full, shapely lips that always look lush, plush and gorgeous.

Price: The lip pots are priced at INR 495 for around 6gm of product. The packaging is super cute. I love the little round dibbi with the silver cap. Unfortunately there is no applicator provided so you will have to use a lip brush or use your fingers to dab on the lipstick.

Texture and Pigmentation: The texture is smooth and buttery. I use a lip brush to apply the lipstick and it glides on like a dream. Moreover the pigmentation is amazing and one swipe gives beautiful color and almost opaque coverage. The finish is glossy and beautiful. The color does not transfer or bleed and settles down well. The lipstick or lip gloss whatever it is meant to be is fairly moisturizing and is great for my chapped lips.

The color is beautiful. The berry shade is perfect for winters and you can easily wear this shade during the day as well as night as well. I love it.. love it.. love it. The best part is it stays for around five to six hours. Even after fading it leaves a beautiful tint on the lips. 

What Do I Not Like

• You have to buy a separate lip brush
• It unfortunately has a slightly weird smell like other Colorbar lip products
• A little pricey compared to other lipsticks
• Some lighter shades like Coral Crush are not that pigmented.

I love these lip pots and would get all of them given a chance. The quality and pigmentation of these lip pots is great. Do get one at least. I am planning to try other shades like Cherry Pop and Toffee Tango J

Some Budget Buys: Elf, Meylon, Faces etc.

Recently I went to Clover Center in Camp, Pune which is a great place with lots of boutiques that have some amazing clothes, shoes, bags and of course makeup. The basement is filled with small tailoring shops and boutiques. It also has a beauty center which has a number of products which include daily essentials to all your makeup products. Moreover it also has small counters of your favorite drugstore brands like Revlon, Bourjois, Maxfactor and Faces among others. It also has Body shop products, OPI nailpolishes, Elf products and some cheap brands of cosmetics as well. Needless to stay I went berserk roaming around the place till I finally picked up an Elf blending brush and a Faces Eyeshadow brush from there.

Here are the pics:

Elf Blending Brush (Price: INR 149)

Well, it is quite nice considering the price tag. I know it is not comparable to a Mac brush but then it is quite good for eye makeup starters like me. The bristles are denly packed and a bit scratchy. A close dupe and probably a much better one would be Vega PB15 professional eyeshadow brush.

Faces Eyeshadow Brush (Price: INR 99)

This one is surprisingly quite good. The brush is densely packed and the bristles are soft. It also picks up the eyeshadow quite well. Moreover the shape makes it easier to pat on and blend eyeshadow.

I also got an eyeshadow and a cracking nail polish from, Bette, a shoe and bag shop in Clover Center

Meylon Eyeshadow (Price: INR 130)

This is so pretty and resembles those baked mineral eyeshadows out there. The color is a sparkly purple and the texture of this eyeshadow is a nice satiny smooth. I don’t know where you can find it but I guess most beauty centers have this and sometimes Fashion and You has a sale on Meylon products. I also saw it on a online deals site but the price was exorbitant.

Miss Claire Crackle Nail Polish (Price: INR 225)

I spotted a crackle nail polish on the counter and immediately grabbed one even though I don’t do any nail art but this seemed easy. There are many colors available and the price is great as well.

Mac Groundwork Paint Pot: My Lifesaver!!!

I recently realized that I have been blogging for a month and have not put up any post about my favorite Mac products. Mac is my first makeup love and given a chance I would rather pick a Mac than anything else. Unfortunately in Pune you have to be content with a small Mac counter but then it is better than nothing. Well, the Groundwork paint pot may not be the most exciting Mac product out there but it is certainly one of my favorites. In fact it is a lifesaver for someone like me with oily, dark pigmented lids.

Groundwork paint pot is a cream eyeshadow which is more often used as an eyeshadow base to prevent creasing. As most of you know Mac has a huge collection of paint pots including neutral shades like Painterly, Soft Ochre or Bare Study to colored paint pots like Rubensque and Constructivist. Among these Painterly is widely popularly particularly because it has a pink undertone which suits fairer skin tones. Unfortunately for me Painterly just does not work at all. It looks ashy and all weird on me. So I chose to go for Groundwork which is a neutral taupe shade that is perfect for people with medium to dark skin.

Price: INR1050. I know it sounds exorbitant especially if you are using it as an eyeshadow base but trust me this product is worth it. Moreover it lasts really, really long. You can check the dent I have made even after six months of using this product.

Texture and Pigmentation: The texture is smooth and creamy. I use a concealer brush to apply it on my lids and it blends well. You can also use your fingers but I just find that extremely yucky. The only thing that you need to keep in mind is that you need to blend super fast as it tends settle and dry after application.

On my lids the color blends in for a neutral look. However people with fairer skin tones can use it as an eyeshadow as well or try pairing it with dark purple. As an eyeshadow base it is perfect. No creasing, no fallouts and most of my less pigmented eyeshadows tend to look much better with this as a base. The eyeshadow lasts the entire day with this base and I love it.

Swatch of Groundwork

Left: Without base Right: with Groundwork paint pot as base

What Do I Not Like

• The price hurts but then for such a quality product I am willing to spend the bucks
• Blending it can be a pain if you let it set in
• You have to use your fingers to take out the product but I use my concealer brush for it. You can also use a lip brush to apply the color. 

If you are looking for a good eyeshadow base and have dark lids or medium to dark skin tone then you should definitely give it a shot. As for me I just don’t know if I will ever be able to finish it. However it is actually my favoritest Mac purchase till date and I am completely in love with it.

Happy New Year

The last year was momentous in my life. I started a blog, raised a baby and learnt a few lessons in patience..I know it does not sound like a lot but for me these things are some of the most important in my life. Hope this new year I write better posts, do a few EOTDs :P and remain passionate about makeup forever..Wishing everyone a Happy New Year. Thanx to all the people who have loved and followed my blog.

Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation

When I started writing this blog post, I suddenly realized that I just did not know how to write it. Foundations are not my cup of tea. I had never bought foundations in my life and the only foundation that I had during my teens and in college was the Lakme foundation which used to leave a scary whitish cast on my face and would become all messy and crusty after a few hours. So rather than looking like a ghost I chose to avoid foundations till recently.  It was only recently that I started searching for a good foundation. After reading countless reviews, testing innumerable foundations at stores and dealing with harrased SAs, I finally found my perfect foundation, the Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation.

What Bourjois Claims (Sourced from the website)

70% More Radiance!

Bourjois’ 1st radiance-boosting fruit therapy foundation: a flawless complexion for up to 16 hrs!
• Apricot >  radiance
• Melon > hydration
• Apple > antioxidant
• Ginger > energy

It’s exquisite and glide-on formula blends onto the skin for a flawless, yet natural finish.
• 8Hrs moisture
• Lets skin breathe
• High tolerance dermatologically tested

Price and Packaging

Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation is priced at INR 990 for approximately 30 ml of product. There are around eight shades available among which I got the darkest one 58 Hale Fonce. The foundation is packaged in a slender lightweight plastic tube with a pump type dispenser. The light packaging means it is easier to carry around and a boon for clumsy people like me who drop everything.

Texture and Coverage

The texture of the foundation is extremely lightweight and silky. It is very easy to apply this foundation whether you are using a brush or your fingers since the texture is quite watery and runny. Since it is moisturizing it is great for people with dry skin who have problem with flaky skin and dryness after using foundations.

The Bourjois Healthy mix foundation provides medium coverage. Once blended it gives a nice dewy effect and an almost matte finish which I love. The best part is that it stays on for around five hours without any streaking or oxidizing. Moreover it looks natural and not like you have a mask on your face. I do have to set it with powder though as I have normal skin. For people with dry skin it will give a perfect finish

After Blending

What Do I Not Like

• The shades available may not suit Indian skin tones. I unfortunately got a darker shade but I now mix it with a lighter TM.                                     
• It is certainly not a full coverage foundation so do not expect it to cover all your scars. Small facial imperfections and marks are covered well with this foundation. 
• It has a fruity smell which thankfully disappears after application.

If you are looking for your HG foundation then do try this out. Please check the shades and make sure you select the right one. As for me I love this foundation but I now want to check other foundations especially from Maxfactor and Mac.

A Blog Award: The Versatile Blogger Award to My Baby

My baby just turned a month old and I received my first blog award followed by another one. Yes, my blog About Lipsticks and Blushes has been around for a month now and I have already received so much love from fellow bloggers that I am completely overwhelmed. Thank you Deepika and Jyoti for nominating my blog for the Versatile blogger award. I am elated and really have no words to express how I feel. All I want to say is thanks and I will keep trying my level best to do better.

Now The Rules for accepting Versatile Blogger award:

• Thank the person who nominated you and give them a shout out on your blog with a link to their blog.
• Share 7 random facts about yourself.
• Send on the award to 15 bloggers whose blogs that you appreciate and then let them know that they have won the award. 

Seven Random Facts about me

• I love books especially the Fantasy genre. I love J.R.R Tolkein’s Lord of the Rings and have read that huge three part series more than ten times.

• I like watching reality television series like Project Runaway or Masterchef

• I have a one year old named Aarushi who is a die hard fan of Katrina Kaif just like her dad and also loves cosmetics like her mom :P 

• Apart from makeup I love shopping for shoes and have got a cupboard full of that now J

• I love Christmas carols. Since I was in a Convent school we would have Carol singing practices and competitions a month before Christmas and I loved that 

• I love cats and have one named orange tabby named Ginie who by the way completely resembles a tiger’s cub

• I love the rains. I dunno if it is because I was born in August but I love the sound of raindrops, the smell of moist soil and getting drenched in rain.

Here are some people I would like to nominate for the award. They are my inspiration and I completely love them.

1. Jyoti from Everything That Matters
2. Emm  from Circular Insanity
3. Namita  from Vivacious Flair
4. Samyukta from I Simply Love Makeup
5. Ankita from Corallista.com
6. Eesha  from Makeup By Eesha
7. Krupa  from All About Ladies
8. Ankita of Novice Makeup
9. Divya of Miss Enchated
10. Lancy of Makeup and Beauty Tips
11. Bhumika from New Love - Makeup
12. Anshita from Vanity No Apologies
13. Tapaswini of Beauty Through My Eyes
14. Deepika of Divassence!
15. Tanveer from Addicted to Blush

Check out the blog by these amazing ladies and you are sure to be impressed. They are just amazing. Thank you Deepika and Jyoti once again

Merry Christmas!!! Ho! Ho! Ho!

Merry Christmas Everyone

Image Courtesy  http://www.wallcoo.net

Yay!!!! My Colorbar Haul

I had decided that I was not going to buy anything before the latest Mac launch. After all I needed to save money right for the biggest ever Mac collection to hit stores this year. :P Well, my resolution went down the drain thanks to a lot of factors. The first and most important factor is that the collection has not launched in this poor city of ours L. Secondly I went to Amanora Town Centre which is a sprawling new mall in Pune and surprisingly ended up in front of a Colorbar store. I had never ever seen a Colorbar store in my life and most of the Colorbar counters in Pune are so badly stocked that you cringe every time you go there and see those bad, literally falling apart testers.

So anyways I went all bersek and almost cried when I saw that they have around fifteen velvet matte lipsticks (Most counters I went had just three to four!!). They also had the new Colorbar kajals, the shimmery I glide pencils, the shimmer magic baked blushes, eyeshadows and even the makeup brushes. So happily I shopped and shopped and then discovered that on a purchase of more than Rs. 1200 you get a velvet matte lipstick free so shopped some more. Here is my tiny little Colorbar haul. Swatches and Reviews coming soon. Enjoy…

Colorbar Flat Eye Smudger Brush 122

Price: Around INR 600

The flat smudger brush is great smudging your liner, doing some crease work or even applying color under eyes. It is made of goat hair and seems expensive but I actually quite liked it.  The bristles are tightly packed and it seems a bit scratchy. It works amazingly well as a smudger.

Color Eye Shadow Purple Passion

Price: INR 300 (It was previously INR250)

A shimmery rich purple color. It is just the color I wanted.

Colorbar Lip Pot Bitten Berry

A beautiful berry color which reminds me of Christmas. I am in love with this color and the wonderful texture of this lip pot which by the way is a lipstick in pot and not a lip gloss.

My Freebies: Colorbar Velvet Matte Lipstick Crème Cup

It is a fabulous nude shade. The price of this is around INR 225 but I got it free..free..free.

Bourjois Paris Smoky Eyes Trio - Rose Vintage

Bourjois products have become quite popular in the recent years thanks to the great quality products at a fairly reasonable price. My love affair with Bourjois products actually started with these smoky eyes trios. One look at the eyeshadow trios at the counters and I decided I was in love. The cute packaging coupled with the fairly good pigmentation makes these trios a winner. I am reviewing my favorite out of the eight Bourjois smoky eyes trio. Known as Rose Vintage, this set of trio contains shades of pink, the type which you must have seen most women in the crappy serials wearing. I don’t know how it can create a smoky look but the shades in this trio are great for a neutral day time look.

Bourjois Smoky Eyes Trio Rose Vintage

Bourjois Says

"Manufactured with the same process which has made our Little Round Pots famous since 1863, these eyeshadows possess the same qualities of flexibility and softness: an ultra fine, silky, micronised formula for an amazing blend, lasting 8 hours.

The ergonomic, double-tipped applicator has been specially designed to outline your eyes according to your wishes.

And what’s more, its formula respects the delicate eye area :

- Enriched with mineral powders

- Free of fragrance

- Dermatologically tested"

Price and Packaging

The smoky eyes trio are prices at INR 625 for around 4.5g. The packaging is super, super cute. In fact it was the cute packaging that made me go over and check out the shades in the first place. The small round plastic casing is compact and easy to carry around. The see through cap makes it easy to see the round mounds of eyeshadows which contains one highlighter shade and two eyeshadows. The package also contains a dual tipped practically useless sponge applicator. On the opposite side listed are the ingredients and instructions on how to create a smoky eye makeup.

The dirty dual ended applicator: Its the only thing that picks up color from this quad

Texture and Pigmentation

Like its famous blushes, Bourjois eyeshadows too are made by baking. The texture is satiny smooth and it is easy to blend these eyeshadows. No chalkiness, and absolutely no fallout. The eyeshadows can be used dry as well as wet. I love the rose color of the eyeshadow especially the darkest shade.

The pigmentation is the only thing that might put you off but if you are a newbie then this eyeshadow works quite well. The pigmentation is not outstanding but it is buildable. To pick up the color you need to use the sponge tipped applicator provided in the package.  Used dry the eyeshadow has less pigmentation as opposed to when it is used wet. Other eyeshadow applicators do not pick up the color well. The color lasts fairly well. With an eyeshadow base it lasts for around six to seven hours which is fairly good. Here are some swatches. I tried my best to capture the beautiful colors but the camera just did not pick it up :(

Things I Do Not Like

• It is a bit pricey but I feel the quality justifies the price
• Pigmentation is less as compared to other eyeshadows. 

There are many great shades in this range to choose from. Apart from this trio I also liked the blue colored trio known as bleu jeans and the black trio.