Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Sleek Oh So Special Palette Review, Swatches, Photos and EOTD

Sleek Oh So Special Palette Review, Swatches, Photos and EOTD

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 Review, Swatches, Photos and EOTD, Buy online in India

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 MakeUp I-Divine Eyeshadow Palettes in IndiaSleek Oh So Special Palette Review, Swatches, Photos and EOTD Eyemakeup

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

Sleek Oh So Special Palette Eyeshadow Swatches: Bow, Organza, Ribbon, Gift Basket, Glitz, Celebrate

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

Sleek Oh So Special Palette Eyeshadow Swatches: Pamper, Gateau, The Mail, Boxed, Wrapped Up, Noir

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

Everyday Simple Eyemakeup using Sleek Oh So Special
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.

Easy Eyemakeup using Sleek Oh So Special Eyeshadow Palette


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!

Monday, September 28, 2015

Is The Body Shop Cruelty-free?

I am so glad I did not purchase 6-8 months supply of Bath and Body works from the US. Just few days before placing my order, after shortlisting my preferences; the news broke.

Cruelty-Free Bath and Body, Cruelty-Free Brands in India, Cruelty-Free Indian Blog,

What did I use before?
I keep Lotus Herbals Licorice Bars, always stocked. I love the fragrance; mystically woody and induces a warm fuzziness in the bath.
Aroma Magic Shower Gel, The Body Shop Vitamin E bars and Dove Cucumber and Green Tea Body wash for summers.
The summer of 2015 had to face a wind of change, I decided never to return back to Dove Cucumber and Green Tea Body wash. The simple reason: Unilever is testing on animals as and whenever required by law. (sic). I was contemplating to purchase The Nature's Co Spearmint Body Wash, but then I had not used them before. So I comfortably chose The Body Shop over The Nature's Co. But then I am going to purchase it now after I am done with The Body Shop Shower Gel.

The Body Shop is Cruelty-Free even when the Parent company, L'Oréal continues to tests on animals. With all the thoughts running amok in varied directions and with opinions, I decided to take a standpoint for myself whether to support or boycott The Body Shop.
With the meagerness of Cruelty-Free Cosmetics in India, I decided to prioritise with respect to their parent companies.
For instance: A is Cruelty-Free but with a non-cruelty free parent company while B is Cruelty-Free and Independent. I will always choose B over A. A will always have the last priority will be singled out only if I find no replacements.

Here is what they replied to me about my letter to them.

Dear Pranali

Greetings from The Body Shop India.

Thank you for taking out time for us. As requested, please find below a statement on our Cruelty-Free stance:

Here at The Body Shop we've always been passionately against animal testing. It means that none of our products has been tested on animals. All The Body Shop® products are certified by Cruelty Free International as meeting their Humane Cosmetics Standard. We comply with the very strict requirements of the Humane Cosmetics Standard. This standard is set by the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection (BUAV) and is regarded as the highest standard for animal welfare in the cosmetics industry. Today, under the name of Cruelty Free International, they audit us regularly to ensure we comply. We also audit ourselves. Every two years we check our policies and compliances to ensure we're adhering to the latest animal-welfare guidelines.


So there are other Cruelty-Free brands I am waiting to get back from. The list of all with their respective replies will be added to the list. If you love The Body Shop, you can read this write to them. Even though it mentions for Europe, a little change in the world could actually prove beneficial overall.

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Bourjois Mega Liner in 02 Ultra Black Review: Swatches, EOTD, FOTD & Availability in India.

Bourjois Mega Liner in Ultra Black Review: Swatches, EOTD & FOTD

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.

Bourjois Mega Liner Ultra Black buy online india, Swatches

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.

Bourjois Mega Liner in Ultra Black, 02 Review, Eyemakeup, Wing Eyeliner

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.

FOTD, Favourites Makeup, Bourjois Mega Liner Review, Asos

[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. ;-)

Thursday, September 10, 2015

Green with Envy: Golden Olive Eyes & Muted Coral-Orange Lips Makeup Tutorial

Green with Envy: Golden Olive Eyes & Muted Coral-Orange Lips Makeup Tutorial

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.

golden olive smokey eye tutorial in India, Makeup Tutorial

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.

Sleek Acid Palette MUA Heaven and Earth Kryolan Derma Color Fixing Powder Sleek Contouring Palette in Light MAC MAtch MAster MAC Prolong Wear NC42 NYX Single Eyeshadow in Taupe MAC See Sheer in India

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


Friday, September 04, 2015

Frugal Flair: Soft Gold and Coral Makeup Tutorial with Drugstore Makeup Brands available in India

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.

Soft Gold and Coral Makeup Tutorial with Drugstore Makeup Brands available in India
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.



NYX above and beyond full coverage concealer in medium MUA Heaven & Earth Palette Maybelline Colossal Eyeliner Rimmel Stay matte in the shade 004 Sandstorm Revlon Streetwear Lipstick in Pink Persuasion The Body Shop Vit E Cool BB Cream In India

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.

Frugal Flair: Soft Gold and Coral Makeup Tutorial with Drugstore Makeup Brands available in India
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