Favorite Summer Pastel Nail Polish Colors + Recommendations

When it comes to switching makeup between seasons, playing up your manicures is the easiest place to start. For me though, pastel & bright nail polishes are my JAM. I literally wear them all year. So when summer rolls around, I have plenty of colors (& polishes) that I can recommend you to try out asap!

Most Affordable Liquid Lipsticks in India- Miss Claire Soft Matte Lip Creams Shades 15A,17A, 08 Review & Swatches

For the whole of 2015 I wanted to get my paws on the Miss Claire Soft Matte Lip Creams as they are dupes for the NYX SMLCs, but I didn’t know where to get them. I was wary of ordering them online (through Instagram) because they were overpriced there! Finally I got them, basically, they are available in every beauty shop in Mumbai & I was totally unaware of that.

Under Eye Color Correction, Concealing & Highlight - Guide & Tutorial

Hi everyone! Welcome to my 200^th blog post. As with each milestone post, I decided to write about something special in this one too. My 100^th blog post was about the Liebster award & the 150^th one was about My First Lipstick Purchase.

Review n Swatches - Maybelline Color Sensational Lip Gradation Mauve1

If there’s one brand that keeps coming out with new collections that are super affordable, its Maybelline. Right after they launched the Fit Me! collection in India, we were rewarded with Maybelline Color Sensational Lip Gradations (also known as Color Blur in US).

Makeup Revolution London Iconic-1 Redemption Palette // The Urban Decay Naked 1 Dupe

­­The Makeup Revolution London Iconic 1 Redemption palette was on my wishlist for a long time because I assumed it would be the dupe of the famous Naked palette - the original one that started dozens of alternatives after its introduction. I had a hard time getting the Iconic 1 during sales because it always got sold out first. Then one day I got lucky & was able to grab it at half-off…score !

Review & Swatches: The Maybelline Fit Me Matte + Poreless Foundation / Best Drugstore Foundation ?

The Maybelline Fit Me range finally launched in India a few months ago. To the collective relief of all, it was priced pretty well and suited even the stringiest budgets. I wasn’t able to buy much from the collection because the concealer & blush shades were too light but fortunately, there were more shade options in the Fit Me Matte + Poreless foundation range.

For the everyday glow - Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer

If you see my complaints on other bloggers’ blog posts, till date, there probably isn’t a product I’ve expressed more dissatisfaction against than the Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer. The dissatisfaction was simply because the product took a long time to dispense, and that would frustrate me. However, when I finally got it to work quicker (thanks to Khushi’s tip on NotOnlyMakeup), I could see why everyone praises the Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer.

Review & Swatches ~ Lakmé Absolute Sculpt Hi-Definition Matte Lipstick in Mauve Fix

Lakmé Absolute Sculpt Studio Hi-Definition Matte Lipsticks launched last year and because they were priced quite reasonable I immediately picked up a shade to try out. The collection doesn’t have a good variety of shades if you’re medium-dusky skin toned and are into nudes and rosy pinks. The only shade that I was drawn to was Mauve Fix.

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’

Nykaa Pastel Nail Enamels Hasta La Pista, Mint Meringue Review and Swatches

Nykaa Nail Enamels or their nail polish collection launched in November last year (I think). The only reason why the collection caught my eye is because of the abundance of pastel shades. It really reflects how the brand understands women & what they want. When Maybelline Colorshow range released I was happy that it has so many shades at an affordable price, but my heart always longs for pastel colors. Therefore I picked out polishes from the Pastel range of Nykaa Nail Enamels.

Review : Kryolan 'DREDB' Derma Color Camouflage Creme / Green Color Corrector

I don’t know how I did my makeup before I started using color correctors !! I use an orange color corrector almost every day in my under eye region & around my mouth. A while back I felt the need for a green corrector. One thing about my skin is that my nose gets red easily, I have no clue why ! Before putting on makeup, I cleanse & tone my face and after this step, sometimes I find the center of my face slightly redder as well. Even Color Correcting creams like the Bourjois 123 Perfect CC cream aren’t able to help me hid the redness and therefore I decided to tackle the problem by buying a green corrector.

Pretty Color - Maybelline Color Sensational Rebel Bouquet Lipstick in REB07

When the Maybelline Color Sensational Rebel Bouquet Lipsticks range came out, I wasn’t interested in it at all. Firstly, I do not like the Maybelline Color Sensational lipsticks; they have a very creamy formula that’s a fuss to wear. 

Rose Gold Hues : Makeup Revolution London Iconic-3 Redemption Palette // Urban Decay Naked 3 Dupe

Given that the online sales for makeup are in full glory because of Valentine’s day :eyeroll: I decided to share my views on this rosy hued palette with you. I mean, everyone is click-baiting Valentine ’s Day by creating all pink makeup looks, so why shouldn’t I do the same? If you don’t already know, the Makeup Revolution Iconic 3 palette was bought by me in 2014 (I love cool toned shadows as much as warm toned ones!) and it is worth checking out, especially when you can get it for lesser than the stipulated MRP. I got it for Rs.567 (55% Off). 

The Iconic 3 palette is supposedly a dupe of the Naked 3, a rosy toned nude palette. It contains 3 matte and 9 shimmery/metallic shades.

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.

Fall-Winter Favorite : Bourjois Healthy Balance Unifying Powder 53 Light Beige / Beige Clair Review

I purchased the Bourjois Healthy Balance Powder during summers partially because everyone was raving about it and also because I’d initially planned on buying the Healthy Mix foundation, but after I saw that it’s not sealed I was very hesitant. So I walked home with just the powder, which is sealed. It claims to give 10hr Matte Finish and a Healthy Glow, I was simply hoping that it will become my go-to compact for the summers. Let’s see how it fared.

Pouting with the Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Mad About Mauve : Musings & Swatches

Company Claims ~

For seven decades, women everywhere have indulged in the bold, luxurious shades of our most iconic lipstick. Super Lustrous™ creates unforgettably seductive lip color in four finishes — crème, matte, pearl, and shine.

My experience with Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick Mad About Mauve

Multipurpose Drugstore Gems : Maybelline Clear Glow BB Stick in Radiance and Fawn

Maybelline Clearglow BB Stick was one of my goto base products for summer, when I needed full coverage I opted for the Lakme White Intense Foundation & when I was lazy I just used the Kryolan concealers to fake the appearance of perfect skin. Anytime in between, I relied on these Maybelline BB Sticks. I loved using them A LOT because :

-They have medium coverage

-They are very lightweight

-Blend in to the skin easily

-Matte finish

-Long wear time

-Easy to take off

-Has SPF 21 and PA+++ which means it has broad spectrum protection. Read more in my sunscreen post. So its perfect for giving you extra protection in hotter months.

However it has one very big con – Maybelline Clearglow BB Sticks are available in only two shades. JUST TWO.

Packaging : the Maybelline Clearglow BB Sticks come in a foundation stick kind of packaging, you can use a brush to take a product from the tip of just glide it across your face. Either way, it’s a bit unsanitary so I make sure to sanitize them regularly. I like this style though; its pretty convenient to use and see how much is left, and you can finish up the product completely. 

Shades : Radiance is a light color that will suit fair skin tones. Fawn is a darker color that will suit medium to deep skintones. Both shades seem to have pink undertones. I’m NC42 in MAC and Radiance is 2-3 shades lighter than my skintone and Fawn is 1.5 shades darker. 

Texture : They start out creamy but once blended, they settle into a matte finish. I set my face with a powder afterwards. These are not meant for dry skin (there’s a liquid variant). They are very lightweight. I use it by gliding the product directly from the tube on my face. Both Radiance & Fawn are easy to blend. I don't think they gave my skin any sort of glow.

Coverage : The coverage is medium imo, its definitely higher than what the Garnier BB cream offers. I find that I can cover small spots and blemishes with the Maybelline BB Sticks. I do not have many imperfections on my skin except for some pigmentation around my mouth and dark circles which require the use of corrector & concealer separately. I do not have large open pores or acne scars so I cannot comment how this product will affect them.

For an embarrassingly long period of time, I thought Fawn is a perfect match for me & I wore it on my whole face. In my defense, it looked perfect in the mirror !! After I had my picture clicked couple of times, when I hung out with friends & so on, I saw that my skin looked 2 shades darker and I was really surprised and I wondered why that’s happening… my skin looked right in the mirror dammit. Either the color oxidizes or its darker for me, right ? I realized that it is indeed darker than my skintone and it oxidizes a bit too. This was a huge bummer, Maybelline Clearglow BB Stick was one of my goto products & I couldn’t use it anymore :/

Because I really liked the Maybelline Clearglow BB Stick , I decided to purchase the lighter shade – Radiance. I mixed these two to get a match for my skintone. However, since summer has ended, I’m using these two in a new way – for highlighting and contouring. Fawn doesn’t have a warm undertone, my contour doesn’t look muddy. Since the Maybelline Clearglow BB Sticks have medium coverage, the effect is very natural and I like it that way. If I want to take it a step further, I set them with the highlight & contour shades from the Sleek Face Form Kit. If you are very fair, Fawn can give you chiselled cheekbones.

Weartime : these are the longest wearing amongst the BB creams I’ve tried. I found that it was still there on my skin 7 hours after I first applied it. It did fade overtime, but not completely. I feel like they do oxidise a bit overtime. I needed a makeup remover wipe to get it completely off. In contrast, the Garnier and Deborah Milano BB Creams fade away in 5 hrs and a facewash is enough for getting rid of them completely. I have a normal skintype, though it was normal-combination in summers.

Product vs Price :

Price : Rs. 250 / $3.8

Qty : 10g / 0.35
Availability : Nykaa 

I think that for the product, the price is right!

Overall Verdict : 4.2/5

The Maybelline Clearglow BB Stick is a great buy, especially if you are on a budget. It provides a medium coverage which is great for everyday wear, brunches and errands. Unfortunately they are available in just 2 colors so you might have to buy both to find the right match for your skin. They can also be used for giving your skin a natural looking highlight and contour, which again is perfect for everyday!

Colorbar Matte Touch Lipsticks in Pink Romance, Feelings // The First Lipstick I Ever Purchased (Now Discontinued ??)

Sometimes we do hoard makeup and forget about the ones that are already part of our collection. One such item from my makeup vanity is the Colorbar Matte Touch lipsticks, mainly the shade Pink Romance, which is the first lipstick I ever purchased as an adult. I bought this two years ago (in May). Until then I relied on tinted lipbalms & lip glosses. Obviously, I never got around to reviewing it till today. Do you want to know the story of how I came about to purchasing it?

It was a day before my internship would begin in some large IT company. I was roaming in a mall with my sister & I was telling her how I wanted to buy a lipstick to wear to work. I was also quite nervous about the commencement of my internship so this was a way to lighten up my spirits. We both walked into the standalone Colorbar store & I told the SA that I wanted the shade ‘Bare’ from the Velvet Matte range. The SA told us that range had been discontinued & was reformulated to this range – Matte Touch. However, all the names were completely different. The SA had a sheet with her which mapped the shade names from the Velvet Matte(VM) range to the Matte Touch(MT) range & that’s how I ended up trying Pink Romance.

When I tried it at the store the SA said that it looked like a perfect MLBB on me & my sister liked it too so we decided to purchase it. I was nervous about how it would look in natural light coz the lights in the Colorbar store are all white so most shades end up suiting your skintone as it appears 3-4 shades lighter. My sister also made a purchase, she bought the lovely Rose Quartz lipstick from the Soft Touch range. My sis wanted a coral shade too and I asked the SA to map the shade ‘Peach Crush’ from the VM range to the MT range and the shade we got was none other than – Feelings. My sister tried it on & loved it, but I really didn’t like it on her so I dissuaded her from buying it; I could see that the shade wouldn’t suit her in different lighting. However, my sis went back a week later and bought the shade Feelings anyways…and she ended up disliking it so she gave it to me. Btw, I got to know the shades ‘bare’ & ‘peach crush’ from all the lovely indian beauty bloggers, so I was able to purchase & recommend them ease :)

Pink Romance has some sentimental value because it’s the first shade I purchased and it was perfect for my skintone, I was so happy it didn’t wash me out. A lot of things can go wrong when you’re buying lipsticks so make sure you check online for recommendations suiting your skin type & then only try some shades at the store. If you want to save on money, try the colors at the store & buy the ones that suit you online. This is something I’ve resorted to doing because the prices of drugstore lipsticks in India are going through the roof nowdays.

PACKAGING ~ When I sat down to write this post (initially planned as a review & not this chat/rant) I realized that the packaging of the Matte Touch range has been changed, my lipsticks have a body that’s half pink & half steel colored, whereas the new range is completely steel colored like the Soft Touch range. The older packaging is so much cuter in my opinion. I guess the lipsticks might have been reformulated too.  These two shades are still listed on the site, here and here, but I don’t know if they’ll be the same colors. I’m gonna have to visit Colorbar & compare my shades with the new Matte Touch range. The tubes have a mirror finish & can easily get dirty due to fingerprints. As you can see from the pics, the tube of Pink Romance is dirtier because I'm always popping it in my carry bag. 

PINK ROMANCE ~ The perfect MLBB shade for my skintone (NC42 in MAC). This shade is a muted pink-brown. The brown undertones don’t always show up on me. The color varies, it looks like  light pink / pink brown/ peach on me in different lights. From the lip swatches you can see how it looks on me in natural light.  It looks like a nude color, but its not a nude on me, might be so on deeper skintones.

FEELINGS ~ It’s a gorgeous reddish coral shade. In some of the swatches of it, I could see hints of pink too, but they don’t show up on me. This is one of the colors that will perk up your face. It will wash out beauties who have deeper skintones though. It suits my NC42 skintone, doesn’t wash me out.

TEXTURE ~ These Matte Touch lipsticks aren’t really ‘matte’ when applied. They look satiny, and I need to use my fingers to blot them to a matte finish. These tend to settle in lip lines :/ Pink Romance needs 1-2 swipes to become fully opaque on my pigmented lips, Feelings gives opaque finish in a single swipe. They are actually pretty comfortable on my lips, unless I’m in office AC environment, they don’t feel dry for at least 3 hours.  AC in office is more concentrated than AC in malls. Over the course of wear, they do dry out my lips. They don’t look patchy, which is a huge plus.

FRAGRANCE ~ They have a strong fragrance that lingers for sometime after applying the lipstick

WEARTIME ~ Pink Romance lasts for 3-4 hours till I need touch up & Feelings is good for 5 hrs. Pink Romance doesn’t survive meals well whereas Feelings being a brighter color manages to survive meals, the color fades just from the centre of my bottom lip. They are not transfer proof.

Pink Romance (click to zoom) 

Pink Romance swatch

Pink Romance lip swatches

Pink Romance lip swatches

Feelings (click to zoom)

Feelings swatch

Feelings lip swatches

Feelings lip swatches

PRODUCT VS PRICE ~ 

Price : Rs. 475 / $7

Qty : 4.2g /0.14 oz

Shelf Life : 3 yrs.

So the quantity you get is more than other lipsticks currently in the market. When I purchased these, they costed Rs. 500, I’m surprised that the price has reduced (instead of going up) in 2 years.

Overall Verdict: 3.9 / 5

The Colorbar Matte Touch Lipsticks are good quality lipsticks are quite budget friendly considering the prices of drugstore lipsticks currently. They need to be blotted to a matte finish, but they are not patchy & they wear well over time. The packaging is quite chic too! Pink Romance has a special place in my heart, the shade is easily dupeable though.

Let me know your first lipstick purchase & experience in the comments!

Review and Swatches : L'oreal Paris Color Riche Les Vernis Boudoir Rose (204) & Top Coats Collection Matte (915)

Ever since I got the Faces Candy Floss Matte Nail Polish, I’ve been in love with the idea of matte nail polishes. Candy Floss is a vibrant pink color & as much as I want to wear it all the time, its not always office appropriate. It was hard to find subtle colored matte nail polishes at an affordable price. I had heard of the Bourjois Matte Top Coat but it was pricey and I wasn’t sure it was good or just a gimmick so I was vary of spending as much on it. Then this year, L’Oreal launched the Color Riche Les Vernis Top Coats Collection which had a top coat called 915 Matte, and no one was more happier than me when it was launched! Luckily I was able to get it at a discount on Nykaa (there’s a sale here every month).

L'oreal Paris Color Riche Les Vernis Top Coats Collection Matte (915)

This top coat is in one word, superb, for a matte nail polish maniac like me. It transforms any nail polish to a beautiful matte finish. The texture is thick and it looks cloudy in the bottle. It is easy to apply when the polish is new, however with time the quantity of polish in the bottle reduces and it becomes slightly harder to apply coats quickly. 1-2 coats per nail are enough. It also acts like a proper top coat, my nail polish lasts longer and chips less frequently. I’m very delighted with this top coat! On the downside, it becomes a bit harder to take off your polish if you use the nail polish wipes.

Price: Rs. 299 (available on discount online)

Qty: 5ml

Availability: Nykaa | Amazon | Flipkart 

(7 shades)

 Matte top coat over Faces Frosty Ice Blue 

L'oreal Paris Color Riche Les Vernis Boudoir Rose 

Boudoir Rose is one of my favorite pink colors evaaaa. It is the most beautiful subdued darkened baby pink color which is suitable for our naturally tan Indian skintones. In simpler terms, it’s a nude pink color. It’s one of those must have pink shades, it goes with any colored outfit – gold, black, white, blue…I can go on & on. It requires two coats for opacity. On its own it looks lovely but I couldn’t resist adding the Matte top coat over it & I love the effect! On its own it lasts for 2-3 days on me without chipping, with the topcoat its good for 4-5 days.

Price: Rs. 250 (available on discount online)

Qty: 5ml

Availability: Nykaa | Flipkart | Jabong

(39 shades)

 Matte top coat over Bourdoir Rose

I love the look & sleek design of the L'oreal Paris Color Riche Nail Polishes but the packaging isn’t as sturdy as it looks. The cap always separates from the applicator and makes it difficult to hold & apply the color properly without streaks. That’s why I avoid buying from this range. Both polishes tend to try out if kept in one position for long periods so I make sure to change the way I store them (horizontal to vertical & vice versa) every 7-10 days.

Overall Verdict :

L'oreal Paris Color Riche Les Vernis Top Coats Collection Matte (915) : 4.5/5

L'oreal Paris Color Riche Vernis Boudoir Rose (204) : 4/5

I want to give them full marks but the price combined with the below average quality of packaging is holding me back! But I do recommend both the shades, I will definitely be repurchasing them. You should definitely check it out during sales, currently, they are on sale on some of the sites mentioned above.

Maybelline Baby Lips Spiced Up Tropical Punch Review n Swatches

The Maybelline Baby Lips Indian versions with their not-so-cute packaging have not managed to impress me much so far in terms of a “lip balm”. The shades available are pretty great but when compared to other lipbalms like Eos & Carmex they fall short. The new India exclusive Baby Lips Spiced Up range however, is pretty mind blowing. The pigment packs a punch, the formula is waxy so it actually sticks to your lips and keeps them moisturized, and to top it off, it has an SPF 20 & claims to give 12hrs of moisture to your lips.

My experience with Maybelline Baby Lips Spiced Up Tropical Punch:

Does it actually give 12 hours moisture ? Well, no. I think it keeps my lips moisturized for a good 6 hours which is pretty great imo. The other versions of Baby Lips barely moisturized my lips. This range is formulated with coconut oil & Vit E which maybe the reason behind the difference.

The formula is waxy & very similar to the Carmex Moisture Plus & Ultra Hydrating Balm range (minus the tingly feeling of the latter) which is why it sticks to the lips for a longer time. Even after it gets wiped off my lips feel moisturized.

I have the shade Tropical Punch which is a deep reddish pink color. I absolutely love the deepness of color – it covers my lip pigmentation completely – its actually deep enough to be a lipstick but it has a distinct balmy texture which lipsticks lack. It is 10000 times better than those ridiculously overpriced L’Oreal Rouge Caresse Lipsticks (a waste of money imo) and less than half the price ! It survives snacks. The color leaves a pink stain on my lips.

This range gives a close competition to the Carmex Moisture Plus tinted lipbalm range i.e the performance is very similar. The only difference is that the Carmex one is more hydrating and the Maybelline one has higher SPF. For Rs.175 and no hassle of international delivery & customs, the Maybelline Spiced Up range wins, hands down.

As with every Baby Lips balm, I have the same complaint. The packaging is quite weak and the push up mechanism doesn’t work properly after I’ve dropped the lip balm. I tend to drop all my lip balms at least once :/ On the plus side, the packaging color matches the shade, so if you own multiple Baby Lips Lip Balms you won't have trouble finding this one in your collection. Also, the colors seem camera shy, they just don’t look as pigmented in the lip swatches, trust me they are very pigmented off camera.

Price : Rs. 175 / ~$2.7

Qty: 4g / 0.14oz

Availability: Amazon | Flipkart | Nykaa | Purplle

Overall Verdict : 5/5

At first the new Baby Lips Spiced Up range seemed pricey but the pigmentation, formula and longevity made up for it. This is definitely a must try especially for college girls & office-going gals. There really is nothing bad about the new Baby Lips Spiced Up range, if I had to nitpick, I’d say the packaging is flimsy but a lot of lip balms have the same problem. Do try out at least one shade from this range!