Makeup Discourse

I had few things in my mind; this is probably my third attempt. And I’d say this turned out the best of them. Last week when I was working on Matte makeup look, I accidentally wore an Orange-Coral blush and a Coral Lipstick. The makeup was extremely minimal, just diffused coral on cheeks and lips.
I was saving that look for Pumpkin Spice, but I wanted an eye makeup to go with Coral Lips. I wanted the festive mood to break in.
I chose Copper Smokey Eye makeup paired with Berry Lipstick with Purple undertone. I almost assumed I didn’t have Fall/Autumn Lip colours. The Eyeshadow finish is metallic, so I skipped Highlighter and kept the rest of my face Matte. And used a Gorgeous Coral Blush.
This look is not something I’d wear during the day or even for a casual day. I’d probably wear this for a Wedding or something alike.


Also, I kept my base extremely light. I concealed wherever needed over the CC cream. I paired a Berry Pink/Magenta Lace Tank with this. My tank matched the Lipstick. I know I've been repeating a lot of products, but few colours from the Sleek Palettes are my go-to transition colours.

And I am too tired to list the steps. Here are the Products I used:

For Face:
Bourjois CC cream
MAC Prolongwear Concealer
Rimmel Stay Matte in Sandstorm


For Cheeks:
Contoured using  Sleek Contouring Palette
Kryolan Blush in TC1

For Lips:
Lancome Rouge in Love 351B as Lip Tint


I have quite a few Corals appropriate for the theme, but I didn't want to make total 'pumpkin' out of myself. Now do I? :D

*I am linking this look up the #TheMakeupMixup with the wonderful hosts Jaelan & Miranda

Outlined with Lipstick on Brush and filled in. Do you see the tides?

Soft Blot: After Blotting the Lipstick softly [It took away the vibrancy and yellowness settling down into Coral Pink with brown]

Revlon Colorburst Lipgloss in Papaya is a coral-orange with soft golden shimmer. The finish is intense, glossy and partly opaque. The texture is lightweight and non-sticky, the coverage is exclusive for a lipgloss. The gloss is comforting and moisturising on the lips and does transfer.

The applicator is Paddle-shaped which makes it easier to line and fill them in one go. I find Paddle-shaped applicators easier than doe-foot applicators. I had a hard time detecting the scent but I think the gloss has slight Vanilla scent to it.


The Full Ingredient list is not mentioned but the Key Ingredients is in print.
Key Ingredients: Tridecyl Trimellitate, Triisostearyl Citrate, Polybutene

Price: 550 INR for 5.9ml
Cruelty-Free Status: Non-Cruelty-Free



Pros of Revlon Colorburst Lipgloss in Papaya

♥~ Semi-Opaque Intensity

♥~ Light and Non-sticky texture

♥~ Hydrating & Moisturizing

Cons of Revlon Colorburst Lipgloss in Papaya

❥~ Settle into lines after some time
❥~ Transfers

Single Swipe

The Verdict: I love Coral-Pinks and Coral-Orange Lipcolours. I mistook Revlon Colorburst Lipgloss in Papaya as a perfect orange colour but it turned out more Coral Pink on my skin.
Revlon Colorburst Lipgloss in Papaya is a clear winner in terms of texture and colour intensity but it does transfer easily. Even on pigmented lips like mine, this goes quite opaque in a swipe.
The lasting power is 4 hours and 2 hours with light snacks. It never survived a full meal on me.
So give the lasting power, it does leave a slight tint behind. One thing I noticed about this would be it does not make lips plumper like other glosses do. I guess that makes easier to carry off for girls with fuller lips too.
Most prefer wearing this over lips lined and filled with a lip liner, but I prefer sheer coverage. I like effortless products: Open, Apply and Move.
I am wearing Revlon Colorburst Lipgloss in Papaya here as well

Multiple swipes

Recommendations: If you Love Corals, non-sticky Gloss and decent hydration. This would fare on all skin colours and I'm assuming this would look coral orange on darker skin tones.

*Pardon the Clarity, I'm using the Canon 50mm STM lens turns out I couldn't figure the aperture & exposure while clicking. All pictures clicked in Daylight.

One fine day I trashed every single product from Makeup Academy UK except MUA Heaven & Earth Palette. [You can see my haul here.]
The BB creams if wore during the day fried out my skin. The blushes raved for the pigmentation but it looked ghastly white in photography: flash or no flash.
Not that I am whining, just that not all drugstore products hyped are worth the hype. I finished the MUA compact, Eyeshadow Primer and Mascara: the essentials. I still use their Brow Kit, no complaints.
When I trashed everything, I decided not to go by the hype anymore and since then I have been wise about where I put my money. International order + Duty to really calculate everything, it was not cheap.
To cease the monotonous Neutral shadow episode, I decided to get this Palette. Also, Freedom Makeup London is affiliated to Makeup Revolution London.

Is Freedom Makeup London Cruelty-Free? Yes


I am yet to put these to use, I just got them delivered last week and these are super affordable. I bought both roughly for around 1200 INR. Though the palette retails for £4.00 and the Highlighter for £3.00, I wouldn't have had purchased if these weren't available on Jabong.


Life is short to be infidel to Drugstore Makeup. =)

There is nothing more liberating than a warm fuzzy bath lit with vanilla scented candle. Unwinding the mind and relaxing was once my favourite routine at the end of the day.
Before switching cruelty-free, I would just pick up the regular shower gels and body washes available at the supermarkets. Palmolive Thermal Spa Skin Renewal Shower Gel, The Body Shop Vit E bar, Vaseline Coco Lotion and Dove Green Tea and Cucumber Body was being my absolute favourites!

After decluttering my Non-Cruelty-Free bath products, I went straight to The Body Shop and picked these my favourite fragrance among the range. My choices are more inclined towards Floral or Fruity-Floral. I do like their Atlas Mountain Rose as well but this one has to be my all-time favourites. Long time back I had tried The Body Shop Cassis Rose EDT. I secretly wish TBS brings it back though it is/was not available in India. I may get this one from the US this time!


The Body Shop Moringa Shower Gel:
I exclusively adore the fragrance, if not the texture. I have an Achilles heel for fragrances, a cosmic conscious connection. Though this shower gel is a bit drying on my skin, I don't mind moisturising post shower. The gel is supremely foaming for a squeaky clean feeling.
I use this with The Body Shop Bath Lily and Exfoliating Gloves. Though the fragrance is not overpowering and does not linger for long. That is why I lock the fragrance with the Body butter.
I have been using this since the first week of June, only 50% has been used. [Though I alternate between Grace Cole.] So even if you use this daily, it should last for 4 months.
Price: 425 INR for 250 ml

The Body Shop Moringa Body Butter:
I strictly picked this up for the fragrance. I tried their Body Mist, and they don't even stay on me for 2 hours. So certainly I avoided getting the mist and picked the Body Butter instead. I also use Bio oil post showers at night sometimes and it instantly absorbs without any residues. But this does stain the under clothing. [Needless to mention Mumbai's humidity.]
But I do like this one in winters, I should be finishing off in a week or two. I may pick up Soap & Glory or Grace Cole or maybe stick to my fave (staining) Shea butter.
Price: 1095 INR, I picked up when it was 995 INR


Grace Cole White Rose & Lotus Flower Indulgent Foam Bath:
I initially contemplated to get the shower gel, but I changed my mind thinking 'Indulgent' must be something fancy. I was wrong. This does not dry out my skin and is rather slightly creamier but sans the creamy texture. The fragrance is slightly faint for my liking and does not linger at all. I can smell rose but no trace of lotus. I find that in spite of disliking the fragrance, I tend to use this one more than The Body Shop Moringa gel.
This works exclusively well with bath lily and not with the Exfoliating gloves. With the lack of foam, the gloves turn scratchy. The quantity is generous enough to last 5-6 months.
Price: 560 INR for 500ml from Jabong.

For the Bow & Bokeh lovers. =)

Grace Cole Vanilla Blush and Peony Body Scrub:
This Body Scrub is eco-friendly bead-based, as mentioned on the list. The Scrub is creamy with mild fragrance and exfoliation. The beads are not harsh even and the cream foams mildly on scrubbing. A silky feeling is all left after rinsing. This is an absolute favourite for humid weathers even to skin moisturiser post scrubbing. But that is a sin, you ought to hydrate/ moisturise your skin post exfoliation.
Price: 490 INR for 238ml (got it on discount) from Jabong.

I don't think any of these are repurchase worthy, given that use them up till you are tired. *.*

I like Glitter, Shimmer and Frost!
I love Glitter Polishes...

When I first started experimenting with eye makeup, I found Matte eyeshadows were easier to blend. But then I experimented with different textures and boy! I was wrong. Mattes are difficult to work with, given the fact that if you over blend and don't blend seamlessly they often look muddy and blotchy. Like they just sit there, looking right back at you from the mirror. Not funny.
I prefer matte in the crease, no doubt but Satin works best if you just started with the trials. [I just mistyped Satan... :D]
I went a bit overboard with Contouring and warming up my complexion a little bit. I am a little under the weather and my complexion is sallow and my nose swollen. I shy away from brown based makeup overall, assuming I would end up looking I had a mud fight. I was wrong, again.

Something is in my brow :D ignore.

So here, I broke all my assumptions into a certain possibility. A Matte Daytime Makeup featuring Browns.


I love experimenting with placements of eyeshadows into the crease and outer corners. So Crease it is today. Also, I used MAC Prolongwear Concealer in Nw40 for Contouring. I cannot find any other use for this one, my circles are gone and I don't feel the need for correction anymore. And I dislike the fact that this is very, very dark. Impulsive purchase when I had panda circles.


For Face:
Bourjois 123 Perfect Foundation. You can check my review here.
Rimmel Stay Matte in Sandstorm
MAC Prolong Wear Concealer in NW40


For Eyes:
I used these three colours from Sleek Au Naturel Palette.
The Buff colour with an orange tone is exactly the shade of my eyelids. I skipped using Transition Eyeshadow today and just deepened my crease with this Matte warm Brown eyeshadow.
Lotus Color kick Eyeliner. [Love this, review here.]
Maybelline Hypercurl Mascara.

Cheeks:
Contoured with MAC Prolongwear Concealer
Bourjois Blush in Cendre De Rose Brune

Lips:
Colorbar Velvet Matte in Bare blotted to a dry matte finish.


That's for it. I filled in my brows and cut off some time doing my hair. Next time, I'll work on my hair, for sure.
Does it look matte flat? Let me know in the comments below! =)
*I am linking this look up the #TheMakeupMixup with the wonderful hosts Jaelan & Miranda

Sleek I-Divine Palettes were my preface to eye makeup trial runs. I still love them and often prefer them for daytime. I randomly placed an order for Sleek Oh So Special Palette on their website and as usual, I received it within 10 days. No breakage, No Duty. [I don’t remember to be precise.]


Sleek Oh So Special Palette is a union of subtle pinks, browns, fawns and beiges. I found there are two colours of same colour families with co-ordinating undertones. The eyeshadows are mineral based and last up to 6-8 hours with the primer underneath.
The Packaging is rightful to the brand name: Sleek. And the mirror comes handy most of the times.
I did carry the palette twice with me while travelling long distance. I did place cotton pads in between, howbeit the palette is sturdy.

Price: $11.99 approximately 795 INR excluding shipping.
Is Sleek Makeup Cruelty-Free? Yes

Is Sleep Makeup Vegan? No
Quantity: 12X1.1g/12x0.03oz


Sleek Oh So Special Palette eye shadows colours are named. I am depicting and categorizing them in terms of texture, blendability and pigmentation below.

Top Row


Bow is a creamy matte White with slight pink undertone.
Texture: Creamy-Powder Soft
Blendability:  Easy
Pigmentation: Average

Organza is Rose Gold with Lavender frosty finish.
Texture: Creamy
Blendability:  Easy
Pigmentation: Excellent

Ribbon is a matte Salmon with a warm undertone.
Texture: Creamy-Powder Soft
Blendability:  Easy
Pigmentation: Average

Gift Basket is a Medium Bronze with Copper frosty finish.
Texture: Creamy
Blendability:  Easy
Pigmentation: Excellent

Glitz is a Metallic Gunmetal grey with Silver Blue frosty finish.
Texture: Creamy
Blendability:  Easy
Pigmentation: Excellent

Celebrate is an Aubergine with Copper red frosty finish.
Texture: Creamy
Blendability:  Easy
Pigmentation: Excellent

Bottom Row


Pamper is a Matte Pastel Pink with Peach Undertone.
Texture: Powdery-Chalky
Blendability:  Difficult
Pigmentation: Poor

Gateau is Rose Gold with a warm Golden frosty finish.
Texture: Creamy
Blendability:  Easy
Pigmentation: Excellent

The Mail is a matte warm buff balanced with yellow and beige.
Texture: Powdery-Chalky
Blendability:  Difficult
Pigmentation: Poor

Boxed is a matte medium Brown with a warm undertone.
Texture: Dry-Powdery
Blendability: Moderate with fall out
Pigmentation: Good

Wrapped Up is a matte Brown with Tawny Gray Undertone.
Texture: Dry-Powdery
Blendability: Moderate with fall out
Pigmentation: Good

Noir is a Matte Black.
Texture: Dry-Powdery
Blendability: Moderate with fall out
Pigmentation: Excellent

An easy everyday look: Applied Organza all over, Celebrate and Noir in the outer lid & Blended.

Sleek Oh So Special Palette is a medley of Warm and Neutral toned eyeshadows. As for the pigmentation, I think this is an average palette.
Organza and Gateau are similar with contrasting undertones. Organza is slightly neutral with a Lavender frost while Gateau is warmed up with Golden frost.
Boxed and Wrapped Up are almost same with clashing undertones. Boxed is a warm brown while Wrapped Up is Neutral Brown.
The pigmentation varies for each and is described as a first impression. The pigmentation with an eyeshadow primer is improved.



I Bowed and Boxed the Gateau and Wrapped up in The Mail to Celebrate.
The eye shadows I used to create the above look. ;-)

Recommendations: Sleek Oh So Special is a mixture of matte and frosty eyeshadows. Frosty eye shadows will work great with evening looks while Mattes for Daytime soft looks. If you prefer Warm Neutral colours and this palette would be Excellent for beginners. There is much more you can do with these neutral colours. Definitely Affordable.

Exceptional Uses: I use Boxed for filling my Eyebrows and Wrapped Up for deepening the cheek contour and socket contour.

I love this palette for Everyday Makeup, somehow the colours scream Christmas to me. =)
Let me know in the comments below, if you think so too!

I disdain the very fact that even though how much I love this one, I won’t be repurchasing this.
Because:
1) Bourjois moved out.
2) I paid ‘fat’ customs duty! I paid £5.64 for products worth £15.99 for Bourjois Mattifying Primer & Mega Eyeliner. [The only reason I’ve stopped shopping from International e-commerce websites.]
You can buy the Bourjois Mega Liner in the shade 01 here and here. [No affiliates]

I am truly savouring this for exclusive days only because it is like no other. It is ultra black and has a glossy finish. The jet black brings out the brown in my eyes. For the days, I want to emphasise my eye colour with certain coloured attires. For instance: Black or Cream white.

Peculiar about the packaging:
The Pen is slightly heavier, maybe because of the packaging. The felt tip has an angled edge which makes drawing a flick or wing easier.


Price: £7.49 I got this for £5.00
Quantity: 0.8ml
Is Bourjois Cruelty-Free? No

The Impression of Bourjois Mega Liner in Ultra Black.
The Formula has a slight semblance to a Liquid liner, the formula is watery but intense black. The angled edge creates easy flicks and wings. You can certainly flip the angled edge to get a thick, intense line.
The Finish is glossy enough for the intensity of the black to peek through. It does go opaque in a single stroke.
Bourjois Mega Liner in Ultra Black is not waterproof but water resistant. It does withstand the humid weather of Mumbai but fails to be smudge-free after coming in contact with water/sweat. [Definitely No-No for monsoon, hence I have this one tucked away.] But if compare with other drugstore brands, Bourjois Mega Liner outlasts them in terms of longevity.
The Unavailability of the shade in India and a fancy Price Tag are absolute drawbacks of Bourjois Mega Liner.


Why I love Bourjois Mega Liner in Ultra Black?
♥~ Intense Black Eyeliner, also the pigmentation is exceptional.
♥~ Staying power varies from 7-8 hours with primer underneath.
♥~ A glossy finish, when layered brightens the eyes.
♥~ The angled nib eases the application.

Why I loathe Bourjois Mega Liner in Ultra Black?
❥~ Feathers, just like every other eyeliner out there. The pigment does seep into the fine creases/lines on my eyelids. My skin overall is thin and is 5x thinner around the eye.
The feathering of eyeliner on application decreases as the formula dries over the time.


[The picture is old, from second week December 2014, I did a makeup look using my favourites for 'Favourite Makeup 2014/2015' which I never posted, IDKW.]

Recommendation: I would definitely recommend this over the other drugstore brand eyeliners. Bourjois Mega Liner in Ultra Black is intense black with a glossy finish. It does stay up to 7-8 hours withstanding the humid weather. And to add, the slanted edge is precisely for a sharp flick, for the drama.
And I'd give you a few more reasons to pick this up if you can, in my next post. ;-)

I am enamoured of Gold Eyeshadows, I cannot get over them. I am planning to customise a palette from Inglot for I am love-struck.  *.*
I have this Moss Green in Sleek Acid Palette, which if worn alone looks magnificent. But I had something Gold infused Olive Green Eyeshadow in my mind. And I don’t have any...
So I decided to mix eyeshadows to create the colour I want. Voila!
My very own Olive Gold Eyeshadow: Muted Gold from MUA palette + Moss Green from Sleek.
I have been mixing lipsticks, but this would be my first attempt at mixing compact eyeshadows.
Here is the breakdown of Tutorial; I’ll explain the best I can.


For Face:
MAC Matchmaster in 5.0, applied with fingers and buffed using a buffing brush.
MAC Prolong wear in NC42 for acne marks that are still healing & Under the eyes.
Kryolan Fixing powder in P4 dusted lightly for setting the base makeup.

For Golden Olive Eyes:
Applied the Moss Green mixed with Muted gold on the brush on the entire eyelid.
I layered both the colours till I got the desired intensity of both.
NYX Single Eyeshadow in Taupe in the crease, following my natural crease. Both the eyeshadows blended well.
Matte Black eyeshadow from the Sleek Acid Palette used for smoking out the outer V of my eyelid. My left eye is more hooded than the right one. I decided to follow the natural hood for both the eyes.
Lined my eyes to elongate them with Maybelline Drama Gel Eyeliner, skipped my signature wing this time.
I also decided to skip my usual Volumizing Mascara and used Rimmel Extra Lash Mascara for lengthening instead. I wanted to wear falsies but they feel heavy and uneasy as of now.


For Cheeks:
Contoured my Cheeks and Nose with Sleek Contouring Palette in Light.
Highlighted my cheekbones and the bridge of my nose using Highlighter from the Palette.
Blush: Sleek Rose Gold.

For Lips:
MAC See Sheer.


I am mixing eyeshadows more now, and the love for Muted Gold is everlasting. =)
The makeup of the Day/Face of the Day clicking was extremely fun this time. I am falling in Love with my Canon 70D each passing day and the remote is a blessing!

*I am linking this look up the #TheMakeupMixup with the wonderful hosts Jaelan & Miranda

The spirit of review is alleviating, exclusively when...never mind. For me...For me...

There are many products that could have been up here, basking in either glory or lowliness. [I am harsh, right.]
I cannot overcome the sinfulness of reaching out for something one moment and devaluing the next.
So I have been keeping certain products aside to use them more often. I am trying to add them to my casual/daily makeup or occasional as well.

After Purples, Khaki Green and Neutral eye shadows; I am warped with Hues of Golds and Coral medley. I personally think the Coral elevates the splendour of the Gold, exclusively with brown eyes.
Moreover, I love the coalescence of Browns, Corals, and Golds in one look, and this one was perfected in Ten minutes.




The other day, I was going to meet a friend and I wasn’t planning on going anywhere just some casual place. So I decided to squeeze in my Frugal Flair Look for the day. Considering it was daytime, I pretty much decided to unify my loved colours in their most muted forms. This look would even look great to wear in the mornings if paired with a dewy base. I ran out of my moisturiser, so I am using The Body Shop Vit. E Cool BB cream. I loathe the muddy results with this one if I go overboard. I am strictly using this as a moisturiser and base for my compact. Bourjois CC cream is not hydrating enough for my current state of skin. Since I skipped foundation and used NYX Above and Beyond Full coverage concealer for correcting. Rimmel Stay matte is yellow toned warm and it emphasises the shadows on the sides of my nose and mouth. [Why is it so difficult to find neutral undertoned Drugstore product in India?]

Against Light

~ I concealed my under eye circles and dark shadows around my mouth with the NYX above and beyond full coverage concealer in medium. [Orange tone corrects at once]
~ Applied NYX cream blush, lightly in patting motions with fingers.
~ I applied a muted Gold colour on the eyelid and a shimmery brown into the crease from MUA Heaven & Earth Palette.
~ Lined my eyes with Maybelline Colossal Eyeliner and coated my eyelashes generously with Bourjois Beautyfull Mascara.
 ~ I set my makeup with Rimmel Stay matte in the shade 004 Sandstorm.
~ On well-hydrated lips, I adjusted the intensity of Revlon Streetwear Lipstick in Pink Persuasion.
Mute enough to match the Gold eyeshadow on the eyelids.

Soft Gold and Coral Makeup

That’s for the effortless Gold and Coral Makeup look. And there are variations to happen soon.

I am using the sidelined products to my heart’s content only to replace them with Cruelty-Free replacements and to free some space in my vanity. [I don’t like too (two) many things at the same time.]
Adding frugality to your makeup:
Double up the lipstick as blush, that sometimes look really co-ordinated.
Use eyeshadow as a Highlighter and Dark brown eye shadow with grey undertone for contouring.

*Pictures clicked with Canon Ixus in bright daylight. I have cropped the images and adjusted the exposure.
 *All the brands used are available in India.
*I am linking this look up the #TheMakeupMixup with the wonderful hosts Jaelan & Miranda