Favourite Lipsticks | Summer Edition'17

Summer for me means glossy luscious lips. 
Goal- Britney's lips in the song "Oops I did it again!"

Sheer, balmy, glossy lips. I have no regrets bidding my liquid lipsticks adieu for a while. The extra drying ones I mean. I can still work with powder mattes and creamy mattes on the days I let my hair down. Glossy lips aren't cute when you have your hair stuck all over them and then you have it sliding across your cheek!

In the past 2 months, I've been leaning towards very fresh and soft colours. And I'm not bored of it anytime soon. I feel a stark color on your face kinda shade gets a lil too harsh in this hot weather. Prefer everything to be eye soothing. 

I've been shuffling between a good range from Nudes to Pinks to Oranges and also a dark shade (a very wearable one might I add).

Fave Lipsticks - Summer'17

Fave Lipsticks - Summer'17

Fave Lipsticks - Summer'17 Swatches

From Right to Left-

The Body Shop Vit E lip balm with SPF 15 - I don't know how many times I've mentioned this. My favorite lip balm ever. I'm one of those few "chosen" ones who suffers from dry and chapped lips even in summers. Sometimes it's so bad the outer rim of my upper lips burn :( Does it happen to you too?This balm actually nourishes the lips, instead of just sitting on top. Has a matte effect hence perfect under lipsticks, also does not alter the texture of the lipstick. And the SPF is a bonus ofcourse!

The swatches start from here:

Colorpop Lippie Stix in Cami - Ohh I love this shade. A perfect nude. A pink mauvy nude which suits my skintone and undertone. A comfortable matte shade.

Maybelline Color Sensational in Warm Me Up - My favourite formula. I love this range from Maybelline. I still can't get over the shade 'My Mahogany'. Anybody remember that shade? Warm Me Up is a close second since 'My mahogany' was discontinued. A pinky brown nude. Will suit every skin tone. A creamy formula.

Revlon Colouburst Lipstick in Rosy Nude - An apt name. The color is just that. A classic Nude and quite a cult Revlon product.

Do you see a pattern here? Yes I love my pinky nudes.

City Color Be Matte lipstick in Phoebe - I received this in Fab Bag. I love the texture, finish, this shade. It has a matte finish. Rich and pigmented. One swipe is all you need. This pink shade is a pleasure in this hot weather. Immediately brightens the face. A very pretty pink  color that everyone needs to have in their collection. I also have Brianda, a very similar shade to Wet n Wild Megalast lipstick in Cinnamon Spice. Fab Bag keeps having these lippies on sale on their website. Do keep a tab. These are good and worth having.

Flormar D36 - Another discovery from Fab Bag. Frankly initially\I did not like this. But I rediscovered this while cleaning my dresser. Exremely glossy and a bit sheer on one coat.Can be built up. Once the glossiness wears off, it leaves behind a stain.

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in tutti Frutti - A sheer glossy balm with just the right amount of tint. I have 4 of these. But I thought of adding just this shade. But I love this range. Although I feel they're over priced.

Wet and Wild Megalast Lipstick in Cinnamon Spice - This shade is bae!! This shade will complement very skintone! Looks exceptionally pretty on Indian skin. Doesn't look too harsh but is prominent as well. A burnt red with warm brown undertones. Those who shy off of red need to try this. Or anyone who wants to try a bold color but isn't too confident and sure about which one. Pick this one! You'll love it. 

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Love,
SS

Favourite Lipsticks for Fall/Winter'16

My favourite lipsticks for the Fall/Winter season!

To check the collected swatches you could scroll down directly. For those who want a detailed post, get comfortable. Here goes...

 

1) Revlon Just bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Honey 001 

 [Price: Rs.750/-]

It's a dusty pink color. As the name suggests, when applied it has a balmy texture but soon sets in as a stain. It's settles into a very pretty mauvy-pink shade. Subtle with a hint of color. I always find myself gravitating towards this shade when I'm in a hurry and don't want too much fuss. This shade goes with everything!

It has a minty scent and feel to it when applied. The scent or the tingly feeling doesn't stay too long in case you're not a fan of mints. The moisturizing effect stays hardly for an hour on me. But the stain lasts pretty long. The darker shades of this range last even longer. 

You can buy it here.

Revlon Balm stain - Honey

2)  Sugar Vivid Matte lipstick in Mad Magenta

[Price: Rs.599/-]

I jumped right on that Sugar Bandwagon and am super glad about it!

I LOVE their matte as hell crayon lipsticks more for the formula. This range also claims to be matte. However, by the swatch below you can see it's not flat out matte but has a creamy sheen to it. It slowly sets in more as a stain on the lips.Very comfortable to wear though. Not transfer proof but long wearing. It stays on me for 4-5 hours. After which it leaves a pretty stain which eventually fades off evenly.

Buy it here.

 

3) Lakme Absolute Lip Tint Matte in Magenta Magic 

[Price: Rs.650/-]

A deep rich rosy magenta shade with mauve undertone.

This is my favourite matte texture and formula out of all the lipsticks I own! It glides on so creamy and smooth yet sits matte on the lips. It is not drying like the liquid lipsticks and hence are not transfer proof. My lips don't beg for a lip balm or feel super parched even after 4-5 hours. Lasts almost 5-6 hours on me. [A little less if I have a greasy meal] Later leaves a pretty even tint.

The color goes on rich and opaque in one swipe itself. The best thing I love about this lippie is that it hides all the lines and cracks on my lips and makes 'em look smooth and flawless. Please note, the time I was swatching these lippies, my lips were as dry as a desert.

Very comfortable to wear. This shade suits all skin tones and brightens the face. With a hint of pink blush it is perfect for fall/winter!

Buy it here.

 

 4) Loreal Paris in Arabian Night

[Price: Rs.899/-]

Soo, this one's not for the faint hearted. On first glimpse it gives a bold vampy look but once you get over the initial impact, you see the beauty and uniqueness in this. It really is a very classy shade. It is a rich deep maroon with subtle chocolate hints in it. I love it! Frankly I don't get to wear this shade too often. I'm really looking forward to wearing it this winter. This is definitely my New Year's party shade... if I do go to one this year, that is!

The Loreal Moist Matte lipsticks are very comfortable to wear. True velvet matte in texture and very light. After a while I don't even feel like I'm wearing lipstick. Also very long lasting. This does not emphasize dry skin or lines but it's always better to scrub your lips before putting a matte lippie for a flawless finish.

Buy it here.

5) Miss Claire Soft Matte Lip cream in 42 

[Price: Rs. 150-200/-]

Enough said about these lippies already! They're a craze and for all the right reasons. The quality of these lip creams at this price is unbelievable. If I could, I'd buy every shade available. Well I already own 15 shades *guilty*. Check out some of the shades shown here.

Shade 42 is one of the recent releases. And I think it's very different and a flattering shade. The pictures don't really do justice to the colour. It's a maroon with red undertone and slight hints of brown too. Those afraid to wear red can start with this. It's a bright yet not an on-your-face kinda shade. Will suit all kinds of skin tone.

6) Incolor Matte Me in shade 415

[Price: Rs.250/-]

Dupe of Sleek Matte me. This shade is apparently a dupe of the shade Birthday Suit. Please don't quote me, since I do not own any Sleek matte me-s. But from the swatches online, this shade does look quite similar. Typical Liquid lipstick, which sets in completely matte. Once set, does not budge. It is very long lasting. Stays on me for good 6-7 hours. However after 4-5 hours my lips get so dry and patchy that I need a lip balm by then. These are difficult to re apply. I need to rub off the entire lipstick and then re-apply. Coz', it gets very patchy and crumbly after hours of wear. It does emphasize every line and crack on the lip. Hence exfoliation before applying this is a must!

 Still if you are a fan of liquid lipsticks but don't want to spend thousands on it, this is a very good cheap option. I especially love the color. This shows up as a deep nude with mauve undertones on me

7)  Lakme Enrich Satin in shade P168:

[Price: Rs.260/-]

LOVE the shade. It's a purple shade with pink neon undertone. This lippie has probably earned me the most no. of compliments. I think purple shades suit indian skintones beautifully. Shades like these seem very high end. It's awesome that Lakme is coming up with such beautiful shades!

The texture is creamy but sets in a creamy matte finish. Very long lasting. The shade is quite close to MAC Heroine. Not the texture though. These are best if you wanna try out some daring shades. Not too expensive to feel the pinch. Frankly I like these much better than the bomb expensive ones.

8) Studio West Long Lasting lipstick in Honey Glaze 

[Price:Rs.450/-]

An everyday nude. Has peachy undertone. Creamy finish. Glides on smoothly. Westside has come up with some really good quality lipsticks. These are not as long lasting coz' of the creamy texture but stays on me for 3-4 hours. After which, I need to reapply. These look very rich and luxurious on the lips

I tend to gravitate more towards purples and mauves rather than pinks these days. Nudes are always there. And i'm going super dark this year rather than red. 

Here's a collected look at all them together:

Left Up-Incolor415; Left Down-Lakme Magenta Magic; Right Up- Revlon Balm Stain Honey; Right Down- Miss Claire SMLC 42

Left Up-StudioWest Honey Glaze; Left Down-Sugar Mad Magenta; Right Up- Lakme Enrich Satin P168; Right Down- Loreal Paris Arabian night

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

With Love,

SS  

My Favourite Winter Polishes

This is just gonna be a short.. only pictures and no blabber kinda post. I’ll be showing my current favorite polishes for the winter. I’m usually into nudes during colder season as you’ll notice in the pictures.       

      

     

                

So from the right-

  1)  Maybelline Colour Show Cinderella Pink – Love this shade! It’s a pretty shell colored polish (I think so!) which looks sooo pretty with everything. Be it casuals or party wear.  

     

      2)        Maybelline Colour Show Silk Stockings - It’s basically the shade nude skin with shimmers in it. Only a tad bit pinker.

3)       Maybelline Colour Show Nude Skin – A basic must have nude shade. Love. Check out the shade HERE

     4)      Maybelline Colour Show Chrome Pink – Like the name suggests, a Metallic chromatic pink shade.

     5)      Maybelline Colour Show Crazy Berry – Yes. Finally a dark winter shade. I’m really digging the deep purple this month more than wine or plum shades. Any more than 2 coats of this looks almost black. But one can make out the tinge of purple in sunlight. 

      6)      Surbhi Cedar – Got this from a street shop in Pune (MG road). So not sure if this is available anywhere else. It’s a beautiful metallic shade of blue. I especially love to wear it on my toe nails. Check out the shade HERE

     7)      Colorama Paixao – A deep red shade. Not grabbing it too much. But winter’s the only season I feel like wearing red nails… *Xmassyyy*

8) BK Super Matte Surface Oil – LOVE this! It’s a top coat that you wear on a different polish and it turns the shade matte! This certainly deserves a separate post. 

I have sooo many more but these were the ones I've been using this season.

*What are your favourites? Suggest me some!* 

Himalaya Face Packs - Summer Skincare Essentials

Can the weather go any more worse than this?? It's like she (yes, 'she') can't make up her mind!! Presently it's a cross between summers and monsoons. My skin type is usually combinational. However, due to the humidity and the heat I'm an oily mess.  

I'm totally and completely digging all the Himalaya products this season. I especially love these 2 face packs dearly! And they've been my savior this summer.

Affordable and Effective. What more can I ask for?

Himalaya Herbals purifying Neem Pack - for normal to oily skin 

What it does:

Himalaya's Purifying Neem Pack brings together the goodness of Neem, Fuller's Earth and Turmeric, which work together to regulate excess oil secretion, clean clogged pores and prevent the recurrence of pimples.

 

Key ingredients:

• Neem Oil and Neem leaves are excellent skin care ingredients. The oil relieves dry skin and soothes itchiness, redness and irritation. It also improves general skin health and immunity, combating bacterial infections such as acne, boils and ulcers.
•  
  Turmeric has been used as an antiseptic for centuries. The herb also has strong anti-inflammatory properties which soothe your skin gently. It also makes your skin soft and supple.
• Fuller's Earth is primarily used to lighten the skin. It has cooling and anti-inflammatory properties that remove deep-seated dirt and skin pollutants.

Directions:

Cleanse the face and neck. Apply Purifying Neem Pack evenly all over the face and neck, avoiding the area around the eyes and mouth. Let the mask dry for 10-15 minutes and remove with a wet sponge or towel. Rinse with cool water. For optimal results, use once a week.

Best for oily and pimple-prone skin.

It has a tingling effect once applied. Nothing alarming though.

It cleanses my skin squeaky clean and does exactly what it claims.

Can't guarantee that this product completely prevents acne or pimples from recurring but it does control it to large extent. My skin feels much healthier and fresh after use.

The scent is very 'herbal-y'. Not a fan of it BUT....it's the best thing I've come across so no I'm not complaining.

It also contains parabens. So a loud shout to those who care for it.

 

Price: Rs.130/- for 100gms

 

 

Himalaya Herbals Oil Clear Mud Face Pack - for combination to oily skin

 

What it does:

Himalaya's Clarifying Mud Pack is a unique formulation of natural ingredients that refreshes and rejuvenates facial skin by absorbing excess oil and removing impurities. It is enriched with Walnut, which removes blackheads and dead cells, Fuller's Earth, which removes deep-seated impurities. Mineral Clay improves circulation and makes skin soft and tender.

 

Key ingredients:

• Walnut removes dirt, blackheads and dead cells. 
• Khus-Khus cleans and tones the facial skin.
• Mineral Clay heals, improves circulation and keeps the skin fresh and soft.
• Fuller's Earth has cooling and anti-inflammatory properties that removes deep-seated dirt and pollutants.

Directions for use:

Cleanse face and neck. Apply Clarifying Mud Pack evenly all over face and neck, avoiding area around eyes and mouth. Let it dry for 10-15 minutes and remove with wet sponge/towel. Rinse with cool water. For best results use twice a week.

 

 

 Again does what it claims. However, I'd rather skip this pack during winters since it makes my skin pretty dry. But for summers it is god sent!!

 

Those who have dry skin, this may not be ideal for you, but for combinational and oily skins, this is a must try!

Price: Rs.130/- for 100gm

 

 

HOT/NOT: Definitely Hot!!

 

 

*What's your Summer skincare Essential- budget or not!*

Random Favourites - II

Beauty and Body Favourites:

 

1) Original Source Lime Body wash: I’ll be very honest here. I was sold at the packaging and the look of it. I really didn’t care how it fared. I mean it glows in the sun light!!! So coming back to the actual content of it, this isn’t my HG body wash for sure. However it is good for summers. Does not lather too much. Does not leave my skin oily or dry. It smells of lemons with a pinch of Dettol, maybe. I feel refreshed and squeaky clean after using this. I feel it helps to keep the body odour at bay. (Hey! Don’t judge me. That’s an essential for Kolkata’s humid pathetic summers!). And yes, just the scent is enough to refresh me whether it’s early in the morning or the end of a tired sticky day at work.

2)      Ponds BB cream: Finally a BB cream that works for me. Enough raved about it already. I’ll save the pain.

3)      Mango Your Jeans perfume: On my 3^rd bottle.  (I should just stop here)

ALWAYS receive a compliment on this one. This has ME written all over it. It was made for ME, keeping ME in mind. I’m sure you get the drift.

4)      Care & Essentialz: I am loving their products. I have extremely sensitive skin. Their cotton balls and wet wipes are my HG products. They have the softest, lightest cotton there can be!! The wet wipes have such a refreshing and clean effect on me. The scent is not overwhelming and it does not leave a sticky feel afterwards. I purchase them from Spencers.

5)      Pastel polishes: I am obsessed with them this summer. Who isn’t right?

Left: Colorama Absinto; Right: Maybelline ColorShow Cotton Candy

6)      Nail polish wipes: These are oil based polish wipes. A single sheet is enough to wipe polish from all 10 fingers. However if it’s a deep colour, I prefer to use 2 sheets. It does not leave my nails dry. It’s real convenient to carry just in case of emergencies. Since it’s an oil based remover, it does not evaporate easily. However if the lid’s kept open for long, it does dry out. These smell lovely. The scents are respective to the pictures on the lid. Love the rose scent. It’s always cool to have your nails smell of roses after a nice cleanup.

 

That's all for now...

What are your current favourites?

Thank you for Visiting...

Random Favourites

Stuff I’m currently obsessed with:

 `  1)    Bose headphones: Trust me. Invest in one today and your phone, mp3 player, laptop… goddamn anything will sound awesome! And you will not touch any other headphs…Ever. I even use these with my IPod. Yes the Apple headphones are great too. But you see the silicone earplugs on these? I can wear them ALL day…unlike the apple ones (Not that you should. Wear them all day ie…unless you want a hearing aid for the rest of your life).

Features:

·         Wired In-ear-canalphone Design

·         1.15m Cable Length

·         Model ID – IE2

·         Price – Rs.6,638/-

    2) Nokia Mix Radio: This one’s for all the music lovers with Nokia Lumia. I am sooo in love with this app. I can download a Mix offline and just keep listening to random songs without having to choose a playlist or searching through my player. My best companion during bus rides, while killing time, when I’m dressing up, taking a bath or when I wanna calm my nerves. Yes music is the answer to everything. I wish I had a personalized background score for my various moods in real life… like in the movies…oooh that would be so cool.

   3) Nescafe Vanilla Latte:You know there are certain things in life that are just meant to be? Vanilla and Coffee…yes they're soulmates! Love it! It’s creamy, it feels rich, luxurious…just heavenly. I usually have my coffee with milk and no sugar. But on those special days when I feel like treating myself, I brew me some mean coffee with a teaspoon full sugar and half a sachet of Vanilla Latte. I don’t just add water to the Vanilla latte powder like it says on the carton (the rebel that I am).  I don’t like my coffee too thin or watery. It’s gotta be all milk for me baby.  So I use this just for the flavor and that extra creaminess. Hot or Cold…it’s just YUM!

      5sachets X 15gm= 75gm

      Price- Rs.75/-  

;

   4) Jazz: Frank Sinatra. Been listening to the oldies quite a bit. "I've got you under my skin" on repeat! 

                                                                                                              Play this in the background!

   5) Zoomin.com: Gifted mom a canvas print photo frame on Mother’s Day. Loved it. Been ordering some  prints to frame in my room.  

 

   6) TV shows: The Vampire Diaries and The Originals. Obsessed!