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 everyday Skin Care Routine for Winters!

Hey There! 

Kolkata is perfect right now. Perfect chill in the weather. Not too cold but cold enough. And this obviously demands a change in the skincare/haircare/clothes and practically everything. 

My skin loves the cold… it behaves itself, it’s not angry or grumpy. (Of course minus the mood swings during PMS times )

Thankfully the routine I’ve been following since a month is working well for me. Touch wood…  And I hope this helps you some way…

My Skin type- Unpredictable. Combinational. Ultra Sensitive. 

Hence i'm trying to make a consious effort to use products with less alchohol and parabens.

Skincare routine

Step I-

 I use Johnson’s Baby Oil as a makeup remover/cleanser. And it works beautifully! It breaks down every bit of the makeup. It works on waterproof mascaras Like. A. Boss.

I’ve literally forgotten about my Loreal makeup remover after using this. I’m not even tempted to use that or anything else for that matter.

 Does not irritate my eyes. Does not break me out.

I know a lot of you’ll be thinking…”Girl! That baby oil has mineral oil in it!.”  Yeah. I know. With regards to the debate whether mineral oil is good or bad, I think it's all a MYTH. If it’s good enough for a baby…it’s damn well good enough for me.

Anyhow here are a few links you can check out and make up your own mind.

https://askanesthetician.wordpress.com/2012/11/05/why-does-mineral-oil-get-such-a-bad-rep/

http://skincare.about.com/od/skin101/tp/Skincare-Myths.htm

Basically I believe if a product works for you… Use it. It’s not necessary that a natural product won’t break you out. It’s all about what works for YOU. Individually.

Price:  50ml ; MRP: Rs.48/-

Step II-

After I’ve scrubbed the oil out of my face, along with the dirt and all, with cotton, I use my Tea Tree Skin Clearing Facial Wash. It does not foam too much. And I like that for the colder season. The foaming face washes dry out my skin too much. Just finished my Neutrogena Clean Facial cleanser (Look out for my empties post for this quarter). Love it. Also Clean and clear facial wash has been my staple since like…ever! (Do you realise my mental affiliation towards Johnson & Johnson related products)

Price: 250ml ; MRP: Rs.695/- 

Step III-

After I’ve dried my face with a clean towel, I use The Body Shop Aloe Calming Toner. Just a few drops on cotton suffice. 4 drops, to be exact, for my face and 2 drops for my neck. It soothes my skin and removes any remaining dirt on the face (Believe me even after all those previous steps the cotton turns out dirty :\)

Initially I didn’t realize the importance of this step. But before, I would get these acne kind bumps on my face. Not really acne or pimples. It did not hurt or itch, nor did they turn into white heads. The skin specialist said it was kind of an allergic reaction to something.

But since I started using this toner, the bumps (I don’t know what to call them!) have visibly lessened. Toner majorly helps to maintain the PH level of the skin and calms down the irritations. Now someone with a normal skin type might not realize the difference after using a toner. But those with sensitive skin, I’ll urge you to start using a toner. Start with rose water. Use it religiously twice a day, if you don’t want to invest in something costly.

Price – 200ml ; MRP: Rs.795/- 

A 200ml bottle is going to last me forever!

Step IV-

I let the toner set and dry for 4-5 mins. During daytime on weekdays when I have to go to work I put on my Neutrogena Ultra sheer Dry touch Sunblock, over it.  

At night or during the day when I’m home, after the toner dries, I then apply the Aloe Soothing cream. Just a pea sized amount is enough for the whole face and neck. This range also has a night cream. But this is moisturizing enough for me. Need to be a little careful since excess makes the face oily. But that's ok for the night when I'm retiring to bed anyways.

Neutrogena Ultra sheer Dry touch Sunblock Price- 88ml; MRP:Rs.499/-

TBS aloe Soothing cream Price- 50ml ; MRP: Rs.995/- 

STEP V-

I then apply the Vitamin E Eye cream under my eyes and on my eye lids. This I apply only at night while I’m retiring to bed. Keeps the eye area super moisturized. Claims to reduce appearance of fine lines, puffiness and dark circles. Everything that I need.

Honestly I still don’t know if it’s working or not. But I know it's an essential for the longer run and I’m a hopeless optimist.

Price- : Rs.995/- My Buy: Rs.746/- ; 25%OFF

Step VI-

When I’m all moisturized and squeaky clean, I finally dab on some lip balm and I’m done!

So that's my routine and has been helping me for quite sometime...

*What do you think works for you best? *

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!*