Review & Swatches: theBalm INSTAIN Long-Wearing Powder Blush in Argyle

The foremost reason why I bought theBalm Instain blush is because it has gotten a lot of positive reviews for being a long wearing blush. The cute packaging was of course, secondary ;)

Kryolan Lip N Cheek cream in Lily / Review, Ingredients, Swatches

My love for Kryolan products has been well documented on my blog. Its natural to want to explore a brand more once its products work out well for you. And if the brand is not a heavily-priced one like Kryolan, there’s a lot of options to choose from. Last year I picked up this Lip & Cheek cream from Kryolan in the lovely shade ‘Lily’

ColorBar Touch and Blush in Tint of Pink // Perfect on the go companion ?

ColorBar Touch & Blush is the cutest lil thing. Conceptually, its great for beginners and those who don’t wear a lot of makeup but just need it for special occasions. The Touch & Blush range has an in-built applicator; a soft sponge through which the blush is dispensed. Unlike most applicators that come with blushes, this one is actually useful and integral to the product. You have to pat the sponge on your cheeks to apply the blush. The best part is that you absolutely do not need a blush brush because the sponge blends the blush as you pat it on. Superb concept.

Does It Live Up To The Hype? Clinique Ginger Pop (01) Cheek Pop Blush Review, Photos, Swatches

The Clinique cheek Pop blush is my first foray into the world of high end makeup. I bought it because of the beautiful gerber-daisy embossing on the pan & all of the hype around its one-of-a-kind formula. Beauty bloggers & vloggers had given it glowing reviews & it was touted to be a game changer in the world of blushes.

Clinique Claims :
Vibrant yet natural-looking cheek colour that looks virtually powderless. In a silky smooth, stay-true formula with shades for every skin tone. That just-pinched look, simply effortless

How to Use
- Swirl colour onto brush and sweep over apples of cheeks.
- Gently blend colour up towards cheekbones and temple.
- Reapply to build to desired brightness

Why I've been loving The Body Shop Lip & Cheek Stain in Rose Pink !!

So, do you remember my The Body Shop haul that was a gift from me to myself, for International Women’s Day? I decided to try out some products that were otherwise pricier & have been on my wish list for a while. One of the things (and the only makeup product) I purchased was the Lip & Cheek stain in the shade Rose Pink (01). These lip & cheek stains are available in 3 shades and Rose Pink is the only one that doesn't have any glitter, the glitter in the other two are OTT. Let me tell you right away that I have been so addicted to this stain ever since I started using it back in March.

My experience with The Body Shop Lip & Cheek Stain Rose Pink (01)

PACKAGING ~ It comes in the kind of tube a lip gloss comes in. I wish it had a brush instead of a sponge tipped doe foot applicator though; a brush is more hygienic because its easier to clean. The tube is the same size as a lip gloss tube as well. Another thing that bugs me is that the stain, which is very runny, easily gets all over applicator and the inside of the lid, especially when the tube is kept horizontal.

COLOR vs. SKIN TONE ~Rose Pink is a very deep pink color in the tube. However, it is sheer when blended into the skin, and looks just like a neutral rosy pink shade. If you apply too much of it, it will make your cheeks like they are punched :P The color will look good on all skin tones as it can be applied to look very sheer and very deep easily.

on the left: one swipe, on the right: one swipe blended out

COLOR vs. STYLE ~ The Body Shop Lip & Cheek Stain is great for natural looks. When the right amount is applied, it looks beautifully natural on the cheeks, and mimics what my cheeks look like when post exercise! On the lips, after two sheer layers it still looks quite natural. I very have pigmented lips and this isn’t the best product to use for my kind of lips.

APPLICATION & AFTER ~ The Rose Pink Lip & Cheek Stain is very pigmented and easy to use, I definitely recommend it to beginners. I use the applicator in 3 ways; either I directly dot my cheeks with the sponge tip or I use my fingers to transfer the product from the body of the applicator to my cheeks. The consistency is very watery so the product easily gets all over the applicator and I recommend cleaning up the sides (or making use of the product there!) &  the mouth of the tube frequently.

 For a month or so I applied it using the latter technique only, then I tried it on my lips a couple of times and realized that I prefer using it for cheeks only, so I switched to the former technique (i.e. using the sponge tip directly on my cheeks). This stain really stains your fingers and dries moderately fast, once you dot it on your cheeks you have a couple of seconds to blend it out. I usually apply 4 dots to each cheek and blend it out, I do this 2-3 times on each cheek till I get a good flush of color!

PRODUCT vs. DURABILITY ~ The Body Shop Lip & Cheek Stain in Rose Pink lasts for a really long time, I’ve worn it for straight 8 hours & it only slightly faded by then. If you apply more layers the color will last longer. For 2-3 layers, nearly 8 hrs weartime is pretty good IMO!

PRODUCT vs. PRICE ~ The Body Shop Lip & Cheek Stain retails for Rs.850($13.6) for 8ml(0.27oz) which is pricey, however, The Body Shop website runs sales frequently so you can get it for cheaper online or even at the store during the sale period. Another thing is, you need a small quantity of it when used as a blush or a lip stain, so it will last you a long time. The Lip & Cheek Stain is available in one more color Coral(03) on the website but it has a lot of obvious glitter.

REMOVAL ~ I need a makeup remover to completely clean it off from the cheeks. I don’t apply more than two sheer layers on my lips and that easily comes off.

Overall verdict: 5/5 

I really love The Body Shop Lip & Cheek Stain in the shade Rose Pink, I definitely recommend it to everyone, even beginners will enjoy using it. Its very easy to use & lasts for a long time, making it pretty much perfect for everyday wear to office and even summer season. 

Get the Sculpted Look - Sleek Makeup Face Form Contouring, Highlight and Blush Palette in Medium Review

The fun part of summers is the trendy sculpted look. Every year I would just stare at the posters feeling an itch to try it out, and this year I finally could. Honestly speaking, no one needs to contour & highlight everyday, but its something you can do for a day out or some special event. Today I’m going to review a Contour-Highlight-Bronzer trio from Sleek Makeup.

Price: Rs.1005 / $14.99

Qty: 20g/0.68oz

Availability: Luxola | Sleek Makeup Website

You can see my shopping experience with Luxola here & with Sleek Makeup Website here.

Inglot Freedom System Blush AMC #58: Review, Swatch, Price in India

For the longest time, I ignored my powder blushes. When I was in college (well technically, I still am), they seemed a bit much: washing the brushes every week, making sure that they blush is applied exactly at the right spot, blending it out so that it would look natural etc. is too much work for someone who wakes up three-fourths of an hour before class starts. I relied on the liquid-mousse blushes from Rimmel, so convenient for all those times I didn’t have the time. Now that I’ve begun work (technically, its an internship) I tend to take it more seriously than I did college and actually wakeup couple of hours before I have to leave. Since I’m not bound by any household duties, I can spend all time I want on prepping myself up, and that’s why I pulled out a much neglected and lovely blush from the Inglot Freedom System :  AMC #58.

Price: Rs.450 (may have increased)

Qty: 6g

Availability: Majorbrands (AMC not stocked yet) | Nykaa

Can be stored in palettes, see mine here.

My take on Inglot Blush Refill AMC #58

Color: 58 is a warm toned everyday pink on my cheeks. In the pan it looks like a dusky pink meets mauve color and when photographed, it looks reddish. But the swatches are true to what it appears on me. It will suit all skin tones, I feel it will appear brighter on fairer skin tones and more mauve on deeper skin tones. It does brighten up the face a little bit. I have included pictures of how it looks indoors and how it looks in daylight because my camera wasn’t picking up the color properly :( It’s a great color to wear to work, or even to college if you want. Its one of those colors that you can put anytime you’re confused about what color to wear with a smokey eye look or when you just want a little color to your face.

Rimmel Stay Blushed Liquid Cheek Tints in Pop of Pink (001) and Sunkissed Cherry (004)- Review and Swatches

I’ve been meaning to put up posts on my blog but I’m feeling so uninspired lately. That’s what happens when you’re on vacays, more time equals slowing down of brain. Today I’m feeling invigorated. Why? Because I took a ride on Mumbai’s metro..boy is that baby fast!! I totally loved it, now I feel like travelling only through metro. I also saw Holiday last week…no I didn’t like it. It has a lovely message but the film has so many unrealistic elements.

Anyways, let’s talk makeup. We all love makeup that works without much effort.  I get like 5 min to put on makeup and head out the door, if you’re a working woman or a college student, you’ll can empathize. Rimmel Stay Blushed Liquid Cheek Tints are one of those products that will help you speed up your makeup but falls short in one important aspect.

~ Kryolan Supracolor shade R21- Review,Photos,Swatches ~

Happy Sunday ladies! What do you love about Sundays? Me..well I like to get up late.. really late, that’s why I’m awake till now! Since its vacation time, Sunday is just like any other day for me, but if it wasn't, I’d go out. I’d find some new places to hang out at, take some pictures, and have fun with friends. I also reserve time for blogging, after a day full of fun, I find that my mind is at its richest and happiest.

Today I’m going to talk about a multipurpose make up product. I’ve been using this all week because I find it easy to use. Kryolan Supracolor in R21 is something my sister brought for herself actually. She wanted to do a pinky- purple eye shadow look and she picked up this magenta shade to use as a base. I’d never heard of this product before, Kryolan is a lesser known brand in India since presently it is available in only 3 cities in the country, so even hoping to know about all of its products is out of the question.

Here’s what I found on supracolors from the Kryolan India website:

The Supracolor range is renowned for its outstanding coverage levels, unbeatable skin compatibility and extensive selection of bright colors. Apply with a sponge or brush to create a vibrant, long-lasting finish

Yes, not a lot of information is given on the website. So I’ll tell you what I think of it and how I use it.

Cost:- Rs.200.

Qty:- 4gm

~ Inglot Freedom System And My Experience ~

*UPDATE: mybeautyexpress is now crazybeautyland.blogspot.com

“ A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions”                                                                   Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

Inglot is famous for its freedom system where you can create your own custom palettes. The refills are very cheap but the palettes cost a bomb. I’ve come across Inglot eye shadow refills and blush refills so many times on both Indian and international blogs that I always wanted to own all a few eye shadows myself. I did do that, way back in July, I ordered a few refills online, you can read about shopping at majorbrands.in here. You can find at least a gazillion swatches of all Inglot eye shadows and that makes online shopping a cake walk. But I didn’t feel like using them yet, I needed a palette! Many of the blogs I read said that you can store the refills as is in the box they come, but that wasn’t convenient for me. So I decided to buy a palette, and I got the time to do that this month only.

Until last week, I had been to the Inglot store just twice. The first time was when I just happened to see the store while shopping for other stuff, I had heard so much about Inglot but I’d never come across the store. I went inside and it was all so over whelming, the Visual Merchandiser of the store had done a wonderful job. I ended up just asking about all of their products and walking out, just like that.

The second time I went to the same Inglot store, it was quite, umm, memorable? I’m not sure what adjective to use here, not memorable, something between interesting and memorable. One of the SA/MUA’s was a guy and he had full on make up; a smokey eye and I kid you not, GOLD LIPS, and to top it off he was wearing gold pumps. It was over whelming to look at him and he was assisting me. I ended up buying only the eye shadow base, because all other people outside the store were staring and I started to get really, really conscious. I never give a f*** about people’s stares or looks or taunts or whatever, you can’t live in Mumbai if you don’t ignore all that bullsh*t, but this time it got to me.

So after two not so eventful visits to the Inglot store, I wasn’t feeling optimistic about my third visit. And all the online reviews about Inglot stores in general didn’t help me either; people have said that the SAs force you to buy palettes, they are rude and inattentive and all that. 

The thing is, I had brought round refills and Inglot has now discontinued these in India as well. I wanted their large palette in which you can store any type of refills. So here’s how it went down with the SA:

Maybelline Cheeky Glow Blush in Fresh Coral - Review, Swatches, Photos

*UPDATE: mybeautyexpress is now crazybeautyland.blogspot.com

Maybelline is slowly becoming my go to brand for good and more importantly, affordable products. You can expect a lot to see a lot of Maybelline products here because at the moment, I’m all about affordability. I might pamper myself, this being holiday season and new year’s and what not, but I already got a gift… a camera! So I’m gonna focus on what I already have in my collection and after I’m done with all of them, well most of them, I’ll move on to new products. Somehow, I don’t have that itch anymore, you know, that “I-MUST-have-this” feeling.

Coming back to Maybelline, I brought their Cheeky Glow Blush in Fresh Coral when it was released. Well, my sister brought it for me and I bided my time till it reached me in my hostel. What a cute name, fresh coral, like fresh rose or fresh lily! Like Every Other Girl, I love corals too, its one color that can brighten up anyone’s look. Every girl needs a few coral blushes, right?

Cost:- Rs. 225.

Weight:- 7 g.

Shelf life:- 36 months from mfg. date.

Buy online from Nykaa 

Company Claims:-

For Cheeks that glow with a natural finish. Ultra light weight, silky, blendable powders. Meet the new blush on the block. So Silky and smooth, it blends flawlessly for the most natural finish.

Comes with 3 fresh colors for your pretty skin: Creamy Cinnamon, Fresh Coral and Peach Sweetie.