My Brow Routine/Products

Just thought of to share the brow department. Theres been lots of changes in the products that ive been using( posts coming up..). The products that i use to get my brows done on any given day, though i may not use everyone everyday..lets go on..

                  

From left to right:

Jordana brow/eye shadow powder

Revlon marchesa collection tweezer

Milani brow shaping gel

Real techniques brow bursh

Elf eyelash & brow wand

                     

Now Jordana brow/eyeshadow powder deserves a deep review. Prior to this, Im using Revlon colorstay eyeliner in brown. Yes, an eyeliner as eyebrow pencil. But Im super cautious while putting it on and have to use that one just because i wanted a long-wearing, waterproof, non-smearing eyebrow pencil. Whereas the jordana brow/eyeshadow powder is very pigmented and stays put throughout the day. For me, eyebrow product should be "long-wearing, smudge-proof & water-proof". Im not sure if the jordana was all that, but it is longwearing, provided ur not doing heavy duty stuff that involves water/sweat etc..
I use the Real Techniques brow brush with this. If ive gone overboard with the powder, Il whip out the elf brow spoolie brush and brush out the excess and im done.

Then comes the Milani Brow Shaping gel, which is quite new, but as i say, gets the job done. You see, my eyebrows always droops down at the arch, making the curve over there to look almost less curvy or to say straight. Put this shaping gel over the arch..pretty brows gets some manners.

Revlon Marchesa tweezers are what i use to pluck out and shape the brows. I went out to get the Marchesa compact mirror, because I like the pattern and the color of it so much, but they are out of stock. Instead they have this. I thought its time to get a new tweezers because I wasnt able to relocate where I last saw my old tweezer. So I have to get it.

Thats it for now.
Bye and have a good time.

Cheap dupes for Revlon LipButters

By the end of 2011, Revlon Colorburst Lipbutters were the talk among the beauty bloggers. Some are lucky enough to get them and some are eagerly waiting to get them. Not launched internationally, most of the beauty enthusiasts even tried to get them through others to get their hands on. Ofcourse, time passes and by end of Jan 2012, Revlon lipbutters were available across all leading drugstores. And If u happen to follow any beauty blogs, u might have seen people raving about the formula, packaging and everything about it..

But,everything in this world had pros and cons..its just that what effective pros it has got is what matters us.. Coming to this Revlon Colorburst Lipbutters, it has pros and cons as well. Concisely, they are good at pigmentation, packaging, moisturization, wider & good range of shades this line has got, but coming to the cons, they are expensive, provided the amout of produt u get and how fast u can use them up. Not that im complaining, but $7 for this, if u look at the amount u get, its pretty much less than the standard lipstick size and it being sheer or buttery smooth, it tends to hit the finish line soon. After going though several reviews..I finally came up with pretty dupes for it, but with less price tags.

They are:
Jordana Easyshine Glossy Lipcolor:

Costing $1.99 each, they are very pigmented, glossy, not sticky, feels buttery but not heavy like lipbutters and u need to pay just a fraction of cost for 1.9g of the product. Staying power is decent for about 2-3 hours, but i dont mind reapplying when its got such a light feel. Victoria' Secret has long back carried the same product with different name though they are now discontinued. Not to forget about mentioning the packaging, where the tubes comes with its exact color. Now to the cons, its just that u need to be very carefull while placing the cap, cos the bullet is never going in completely. A part of it always stays out. Thats the only minus untill now, but for the price and its quality i think im able to carry the con, which doesnt bother me much,

Wet n wild megashield Lipcolor SPF15:

Pricing at about $3, these Mega Shield Lipcolors from Wet n wild contains SPF 15 which is what this lipcolor categorizes itself by saying 'MegaShield' in to 'care' products. Anyways, compared to Revlon Lipbutters, they are similar, but not as moisturizing (atleast for me) but the feel is not as light as jordana's. And ooh well..thse bullets dont completely get inside the tube as well.

The present beauty market has several options on this lipstick/lipbalm/lipgloss category. Be it Loreal paris Le Balm, Palladio tinted lipbalm, Maybelline's baby lips etc and the list goes on, these might cost around $4 - 8, but the above 2 things that ive mentioned are worth trying out.

Thats it..
Happy friday..

Makeup Routine:Cheeks & Lips

Earlier...Ive made a post specially dedicated to face and eyes so I guess its time to finally complete this boring series once and all together by doing this last one. Though I often get lazy all the time, this is the maximum makeup that I do if i need to do..or feel like doing it. I often have to struggle myself thinking about the makeup-removing task because Im very frightened about the theory that If i dont remove makeup properly, I would end up with acne by the next day. Though Im deligent enough to remove it, Im always afraid that I might not clean it properly. Anyways, off with ramblings and now on to the subject...here it goes:

Cheeks:
Im not much of a blush person..I know, may be I havent found a good enough blush to get the hang of it...but for now..here are the products that I have in my makeup collection.
1. NYX Rouge Cream Blush in Orange: This is a bright orange. Though it looks toomuch in the pot, it comes out like a nice warm peachy flush of color on cheeks if worn with a very very light hand.
2. Lakme Pure Rouge Blusher in Rose Crush: I bought this waaaaay back, that I dont even remember when. But its just a pink blush, that looks muddy on my cheeks. This is the one that made me think that im unfit for blushes. But now I use it as an eyeshadow... works good in that way for me.

These 2 are the only blushes..and Im now looking for an Orange powder blush...thats cheap enough so that I wouldnt feel the guilt if that doesnt fit me.Jordana, Wet n wild, NYC, Elf, Essence  are the options that I have right now..but not sure whether they carry any orange shades.

Lips:
Coming to the lips..my options are very limited. I cant carry heavy formulas...cos I always tend to blot them away, no matter how hard I try to adjust myself to it. Anyways, I'l put what I have right now with me and share my story about lipsticks later, which I really need to confess.

• Revlon SeuperLustrous Lipstick, in sandstone (mix of bright orange&birck red)
• Revlon MoistureExtreme Lipstick (its discontinued now,dont remember the name,stiker peeled off, but its pink in color)
• Revlon Superlustrous lisptick in Toast of Newyork
• Revlon Superlustrous Lipstick in Peach Me
• Revlon Colorburst Lipstick, in Crimson
• Revlon Colorburst Lipstick, in Peach
• Revlon Colorburst Lipstick, in Coral
• Revlon Colorburst Lipstick, in Rosy Nude
• Nyx Round Lipstick in Heredes (my fav from NYX)
• Nyx Round Lipstick in TeaRose
• Nyx Round Lipstick in Fig
• Nyx Round Lipstick in Margarita
• Nyx Round Lipstick in Indian Pink
• Covergirl Lipperfection lipstick in Impassion
• Covergirl Lipperfection Lipstick in Bewtich
• Jordana Easyshine glossy lipcolor in Sweet Strawberry
• Jordana Easyshine glossy lipcolor in Sugar Cookie
• Jordana Easyshine glossy lipcolor in Berry Colada
• Jordana Easyshine glossy lipcolor in Sugar Plum

Okay..thats a huge list..but im telling you these are all that I have right now...pretty less for a girl right?? yeah..anyways...coming to the lipsticks I have special corner for them in my heart...about which I think I need to share it in another post... However, I think I can end my journey now...because I just feel that I found what i needed. For eg. Jordana Easy shine glossy lipcolor is what I needed. All im looking for is a sheer wash of color, that doesnt dry out my lips and jordana fits there.

Thats it folks...See ya..
Have any queries...ask...Hopefully im thinking of to do the swatch thing soon...its just that im too lazy to get my camera out...u know..all that things...
Okay bye for now..

Tuesday Haul

Just another ramblings about my yesterday visit to my nearest Walgreens after we had a family dinner at the adjacent restaurent. My husband is still confused whether we've been to walgreens and then to the restaurent thats there or viceversa. Anyways..I took him saying that I need to restock certain things and bought some other things as well...:P

Heres my list:

• 2(ct, cos I really like them) Jordana Easy shine glossy lip color in Sweet Strawberry : This particlar shade..is something that gives my lips a warm flush of color, thats more like a peachy, orangish color. Im running low on the current one that I have. Bought 2, one for my vanity place and another to keep in my bag. Its $2 each, cheap thrills..yay.
  
• Covergirl Professional remarkable washable waterproof mascara : I needed something for every day use that could be easily removed but stays put through all day. Read some reviews and thought to get it. Costs $6.Its the only one that I could see in the stores..I guess it might be soon get discontinued, which is why I was thinking of to write to covergirl, If I like it.
  
• Cantu SheaButter Leavein Conditioning Repair Cream: Again read reviews..costs around $6...and bought this that it might help teaching my frizzy, dry hair to behave properly.

Thats it..

See ya

Makeup Routine: Eyes/Eyebrows

As though I havent bored u/me enough..Im doing another post or detailed post about my makeup routine..and now its eyes..

Eyebrows:
N.Y.C Brow/Eyeliner Pencil, Brown:
Now, Ive tried the NYX Eyebrow cake kit...but didnt get the hype about it. May be its just me that, I would like to grab a pencil and give them little strokes and then im all set. On top note, I have normal eyebrows, that basically doesnt need filling but i use and eyebrow pencil, because i need to groom/comb them. They are always droopy, and i dont like to use wax to set them. Anyways, on a daily basis I use N.Y.C brow/eyeliner pencil in brown and whenever I have to stay all day out I use Revlon Colorstay Eyeliner in Dark Brown. Now, Revlon Colorstay eyeliner is some serious eyeliner but works good as eyebrow pencil for me and as an eyeliner, my eyelids can smudge out even the thoughest smudgeproof liners out there.

Elf Studio Eyelash Curler:
Now many claim to invest in a good eyelash curler, but I dont get it. As far as the curve suits ur eyelids, ur good to go. Ive got some unknown brand earlier, but after going through several reviews raving about this Elf curler, I thought to try it and if dint suit me either, would hit some sephora. But hell, nope, its so good..that Im pretty much hanging out with it. Now coming to the pretty awesomeness..it costs just $1. Im pretty surprise by looking at it in real life. I observed sephora's curler once (while I was window shopping) and thought that its okay. But coming to this one $1..??are you kidding me, really. If u happen to get a chance to get it..I highly recommend this one. Especially all the makeup beginners..go get it.


Mascara:
Maybelline Colassal Volume Mascara(Waterproof)
Now coming to the mascara..I dont use it on a regular basis, because, no matter how hard i try to remove it,i feel that there are bits still there to remove and couldnt get them out. I actually suppose that I need to get a non-waterproof mascara, but on the other hand, my eyelids are super greasy, and worried it might smudge them up, worried about the panda look. Anyways, I dont put on mascara on a daily basis..I just curl them and good to go. If i need something extra like going out for parties and such, then i put this. Its just that I worry about removing thing.

Eyeshadow:
NYX 10 Color Eyeshadow Palette
Strike a Pose
Now coming to the Eyeshadows, honestly, I cant play with them. I cant even go with shimmery, even with a hint. They all has to be matte, giving just a hint of color. I often find myself grabbing the yellow-brown, taupes, peach, warm pink colors. So, I just assume that I shouldnt get eyeshadows, which is why this palette has been sitting around since...i dont know... Sometimes..while Im travelling I carry Covergirl Lipperfection Lipcolor in Impassion( a coppery brown orange with lots of golden shimmers) and I use that as eyeshadow..yup there u go..Sometimes I even use blushes over the the eyelids. Just one more note...I never do/did smokey eyes in my life..and didnt even want to...

Thats it..
See you..

My Makeup Routine(Face)

Hellooo again...
As Ive shared my Skincare routine in my previous post, thought of to post my makeup routine as well.
Lets begin:
For Face:
Aveeno Positively Radiant Tinted Moisturizer, SPF30, light to medium:
Usually, im that type of person where I cant fit myself into using a liquid foundation. Ive tried several sheer coverage foundations, but couldnt fit. Tried Revlon Colorstay(could u believe that ive dumped it in trash), Maybelline Fit me(felt very uncomfortable), even Lakme(yuck) and always thought that I might have to try all the liquid foundations out there to see what suits me. But no, one day I was reading some article that there is a thing called 'powder girl', or 'foundation girl' or 'no makeup look tinted moisturizer girl' and then i got that im the last one. Earlier, I used PONDS Age Miracle Tinted Moisturizer and Lotus Herbals 3in1 matte look sunblock. But now that I couldnt get my hands on either of them, have to choose this one. On the other hand, whenever I try to put sunblock on (Neutrogena Ultrasheer dry touch sunblock,SPF70) it left an apparent white cast, so I really hated sunscreens. But now that this tinted moisturizer had SPF and tint in it..its 2 in 1. I dont consider the moisturization nor the radiance,because i use moisturizer beneathe it and put powder on top of it.

Setting Powder:
Johnson's Baby Powder.
Now,Ive never gor the hype about putting on some powder. But one day while I did it accidentally and oh boy..it really helped me to stay fresh all day long. No wonder, my dry skin contributing further, a friend of mine even complemented me that I was glowing after a long day. From then on, its my essential. Now to mention that I even put it on when im at home, without any makeup on. Im not sure whether its true or not, but after Ive started using this powder, my acne was considerably none. Im not sure about any theories, but its the way that working for me. Now, they have several variants, and the one I like is Talc based(yeah i know cancer and all that stuff...but hell...dont lamer powder has talc in it?? let me know, if u knw). AFter trying this baby powder, I have an old PONDS sandalwood talc at home, so Ive tried that one..and haha..I got acne the next day. So back to it now.

For Travel:
Searching for Compact Pressed Powder:
Well, I havent found one that works for me right now, which has to be reasonbly priced, needs to have a mirror and puff for onthego touchups,doesnt breakout my skin. Ill update this part after I get it. Right now Im eying on N.Y.C Smooth Skin pressed powder, but not sure abt the quality, have to read the reviews though. Suggestions are welcome.

And finally...Few things that I would like to mention before I step out for today:
One, as u can see the products that Im using now are not at all high end. So if u r Riche rich, u might not like it. Reason why..honey, been there done that. Sometimes, though u pay a lot, its not going to do good, and sometimes wonders are out there sitting in ur drugstore aisles with little or no price tags attached. Its just that u need to read several reviews to get that kind of products. Thank the wonderful blogosphere and makeupalley for all the reviews.
And second, Im here with these products not by mere luck, some could say..'that might suit ur skin, but im sensitive to such ingredients..and im going to skip'. Honey..believe me, my skin is the most sensitive skin amongst all. I have dry,sensitive and acne prone skin that tans easily when i go out in to the sun even with sunscreen.

Okay bye for now..this is too much for one day..
And stay tune..I have lots or products to share with u all..

Boost ur Glow & Mood..!!

Okay..Im talking about Physicians Formula 'Happy Booster' range. Im really interested to get these boosters, just for the way how it looks... and least concerned about the quality and shades, how it looks on me.
So, here comes the three products..

Face Powder...click here to read it in their site, to learn what it claims..


and now on to bronzer..click here..


and the blush..click here

The face powder & bronzer costs $14 (13.95) each and blush, $12. It wouldn't hurt to treat yourself once in a while...

[FYI: this is out of my interest..and im not paid to post this..whatsoever.. :) ]

Searching 4: The perfect Mousse Foundation

Now-a-days im just searching here and there, reading several reviews, regarding which Mousse foundation or Tinted moisturiser is good in the market.

My Current product:
PONDS Age Miracle Tinted moisturiser.

But the place that I live, I couldnt find it and its about to hit pan. So, moving on to get other one.

My Priorities are:

• A liquid air whipped liquid mousse or a tinted moisturizer
• Thats easy to spread or apply
  
• That gives out a DEWY Glow to the face
• Medium coverage is enough for me.
• Reasonably priced. No Expensive brands pls. A good drugstore brand will do.
• Non-comodogenic ; Safe for Acne prone and Sensitive skin
  
• That doesnt rub off.
  

And at present im eying on these:

• Maybelline Dream Liquid Mousse Foundation
• CoverGirl CG Smoother
• Neutrogena Healthy Skin Liquid Makeup
  

Please suggest me, if u got anything else in mind.
Thats all..

News: Nicole's trend??

Correct me If I'm wrong or lost..
But is this a new trend or what??
This is how Nicole Kidman was spotted at the red carpet premiere for 'Nine'.
What was that white powder doing underneath her eyes and nose??
Is that....[speechless] ohh..i couldnt figure it out..
or does that belong to winter theme..??
Who did her make up..?? I just want to know who could go this far in terms of sheer negligence..?? Or is he/she drunk?? Going under severe trauma..??

Ohh baby, Nicole is no doubt one of my favorite artists, but dint she have at least a bit of time to glance at herself..??

And I really feel bad about talking about celebrities..Honestly,which I never did before. I used to feel that they had the liberty to wear/carry whatever they want.. I used to justify no matter how so ever they looked, But this instance is really cracking me nuts.

Review: Biotique Almond Kaajal

Another Review.. n Now its..
Biotique Botanical Extracts Bio Kajal, Almond Kajal (Black)

If it ever happened to visit their website, U can browse and get to see whats abt this product, BioKajal. But the packaging of the product(in their website) looks completely differect from what Ive got(below). Anyways, to speak about the brand, Biotique is a brand, where it claims, in short, that its completely natural, with no chemicals/preservatives.

Ive bought this Kajal, last year December, so... Isn't it quite a time to shoot out a review now? Anyways, to start with, I have sensitive eyes, like, I cannot go with Mascaras, Eye shadows, Eyeliners or any of the other Eye Makeup elements, without bleeding or without turning myself as a disastrous raccoon. The minute I put on something over the eye area, my eyes instantly start to weep. I dont know how instant it could be.
So, after searching for a while, I thought I should pick this BioKajal, because there couldn't be any ingredients which could make my eyes irritated.

Packaging
Comes in a transparent twist-up tube (like that of a lip-stick tube). Kajal comes in like a long-shaped cone, in the tube. Packaging is not so great, especially, though u twist inwards, the Kajal-stick heads out a bit, that it could be a bit necessary to pay caution while fixing up the cap. Apart from that, quite easy to carry.

Price
I dont exactly remember the accurate figure, but it ranges in between 110 -130 INR ( cos its last year's story)

Ingredients
Ingredients are on the cover, which I lost :( . Though, not sure about their percentages, here is the ingredients list.

• Sesame Oil
• Sweet Almond Oil
• Eclipta Alba
• Indian Gooseberry
• Berberis Aristata

Now, If U are into Ayurveda anytime, U would know what 'Triphala Churna" is..and this got it too.

Fragrance, Texture, Color..
Fragrance..just is the time, when I went back to it, to take a sniff. Doesn't smell anything.
Texture is creamy but gives a matte finish. It is quite soft that just a swipe gives out a great black line.
Color is intense black. It stays the same color all through the day, unlike some which changes in to greys. This is the best thing about this....The dark black color, which freshens up the entire eye look.

Now to move on to the point..
about how well it does...its a good Kohl/Kajal except that its a super smudging Kohl. It smudges that great, that u dont even need any eye-makeup removers. In fact, U can just wipe it off with any tissue or ur fingers, and u can see Ur eyes are all clear with no kajal. Sometimes, it smudges that badly that, I always end up wiping off the smudged area, and reapply again and again. Because of this, I never apply it when I have to step out. I use it only during weekends or whenever I stay back home. Thats the thing I hate with it, that since then Ive been searching for a Kohl which doesn't smudge.

On the other side, it cools up the eyes, never gave me any irritation, freshens up the eye-look, Very dark colored black that never fades.
Ive read in their website, that it helps in the growth of eyelashes. I'm not sure whether it did that, but it definitely helped in not plucking it away. To speak here, Ive used Lakme Kajal, and everytime I remove it, I get 2-3 lashes fall off everytime. So, keeping that in mind, Biotique Kaajal, dint do that any.
Overall, it can make a Good Kohl, If u know how to manage on the smudging grounds.

Pros: Intense Black Color, Super Cooling, Freshens up, Good for lashes, Packaging, Price.
Cons: Super duper smudgy..

Repurchase
No. Well, Im thinking of the other Herbal Kajals now..

Recommend
No. Remember..smudges so badly..

Thats all for the review..
Hows Ur weekend by the way.. I felt so tired, that I dint even get the mood to write up.
Okay..Ciao Belles.. :)

Contour & Highlight

Contouring and Highlighting is not an ancient old tradition of make-up. Its made in to that charts through thorough advances in the Make Up Industry. Earlier, it was just a foundation, eye-liner, lipstick and its all done. Ofcourse lipstick is an exceptional case, that its been there from the day female started to live on earth. Hahaa.. But now-a-days, Foundation is not just enough. Due to the higher coverage of the foundations, the face looked almost like a 2-dimensional figure. No shadows, no shades etc. Bcos of that, the face looked completely feature-less. Then comes the 'Contouring & Highlighting part' in to the Make-Up world, where anyone can bring up the perfect features and hide the flaws. Added it reduces the puffy look of the face. So, lets see how to Contour and Highlight ur face.

Step 1: Highlight
Apply ur primer, liner, mascara and liquid foundation . Remember one strong rule: Always apply the liquid-things before, say for e.g primer, liner, mascara, liquid foundation are all liquid in texture, right! No eyeshadows or any powdered things now. since powder can create a messy paste of splotches if liquid is applied after it. 'Highlighting is all about shine, so pick your shiniest neutral products since we don’t want to go overboard trying to add color.

Since we’re starting with liquids, most of what we’re using will be highlighter. Start with something very shimmery Face Illuminator – it’s better than straight-up shine, as the glittery particles in it will catch more light. Just follow the diagram as a reference.

Using a clean lip brush, apply to the following areas (or please see the amazingly convenient diagram provided for you):

• Underside of your eyebrow (blend down and avoid brow hairs)
• The inner corners of your eyes
• The inner top edge of your eyebrows near your T-zone
• The tip of your nose (blend up the bridge)
• The top of your cheekbones to the outside of your eyes in a “C” shape
• Your Cupid’s bow (that little dip above your top lip)

The Underside of the eyebrow part is very flattering cos it makes an illusion of fuller and firmer eyebrows. The Cupid’s bow highlight is very flattering and more women should do it on a daily basis. Uld see by now that I dint say abt higlighting the apples of the cheeks. Why? I’ve got something better. Liquid blush.. that adds a hint of color and shine, and since this look would be hurt by a dark powdery cheek color, it fits perfectly. You don’t need a lot (trust me, you’ll look like a geisha); just swish the color on with a few short brush strokes on each cheek and blend with fingertips.

Step 2: Contour
Now that u r all done with Highlighting ur best feautres, its abt time to Contour some other areas. Use a liquid/creme eyeshadow for your top lid in a color between your skin color and deep brown, i. e. light brown, gold, mauve, or a blush color. For the crease, use a dark brown liquid eyeshadow – in general, powder in the crease is bad as that’s an area that tends to spread anyway. Use the drawing as a reference on shaping the color.

Now its done with the liquid, we can move on to powders. Be careful choosing and applying a finishing powder as it will reduce the young-looking shine of this look. Take one of those brushes you never use (you know, too big for eyeshadow, too small for blush?) and apply it where you need any concealer or foundation to stay, like over undereye circles or blemishes. Try to leave it alone other than that.

Finally, let’s bronze. Sweep ur favourite bronzer over your cheekbones as shown in the picture with a flexible blush brush (please don’t use a Kabuki, they cake terribly). Then get out a small eyeshadow brush (we need hair/bristles, not the little pads please) and get ready to do some real contouring. This is really dependent on the woman. If you think your face is too round, dab the bronzer at your hairline and temples with the aforementioned useless brush. Likewise, if your jawline isn’t defined enough, brush gently on the underside of your chin and along the jaw back to your ears. Use your finishing powder to blend – the shine will help to blur out any uneven color that might come from your contouring.

Finish with a very light natural pink lip color – dont go in to intense lips colors, with this look. Your skin is a star now. Marvel it!

Highlight and Contour looks amazing for any parties, but limit the usage of shimmer, if ur going for a day-time party.

Thats all Bellas..Hope u look marvelous with those shimmers.
Ciao Bellas.. ! :)