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.

My TOP 5 Best and Disappointments from THE BODY SHOP // What you should get from the 25% off 3 + FREE Shipping Sale

The Body Shop website has had FREE SHIPPING since almost 2 months and I resisted purchases simply because I had done a big haul just before their free shipping period launched. However, I couldn't resist anymore when I saw that they still have free shipping and an additional 25% off  3 on some products. So here are my recommendations in case you also couldn't hold back =)

The Best : (I LOVE all of these !)

1. Lip n Cheek Tint in Rose Pink 01 | Rs.850

A long wearing pink cheek stain that makes you look naturally flushed. Everyone I’ve recommended it to has fallen in love with it ! A good buy for beginners as well. This shade is glitter free, it is disappointing that TBS doesn’t have more shades in this variant. Full review & swatches here.

2. Warming Mineral Face Mask | Rs.1195

This clay face mask makes the perfect winter indulgence, as you apply it on your face, you’ll notice that it warms up. This feeling is very comforting, especially in winters. It is able to detox my skin very well. Full review here. Since it is pricey, this sale is the time you must check it out!

3. Rainforest Coconut Hair Oil | Rs.695

I have this hair oil since an year. During some months I have been irregular but whenever I regularly use it, I’ve noticed that it has boosted my hair growth! Therefore I have repurchased it as well :) This is also pricey, but you get a lot of quantity!

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.

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!

Review and Swatches : Kryolan Translucent Loose Powder in the Shade TL09

Kryolan offers some seriously awesome makeup products but what’s even more amazing is that in the two years since I’ve been buying from this brand, makeup prices of other brands have shot up, however, Kryolan makeup prices have remained the same! I recently went into a Kryolan store to purchase some items and I found that the Dermacolor Cream, Lipstick & Translucent Loose Powder which I had purchased in 2013, are still sold at the same price :)

Today I will be reviewing the Kryolan Translucent Loose Powder in the shade TL09

Price: Rs. 400 / $6.2

Qty: 20gm / 0.7 oz

Shelf Life: 24 Months

It is also available in a 60gm variant for Rs. 900. I wouldn’t recommend you to buy the larger one unless you’re a Pro MUA as 20g itself is a lot of product!

Shades: The Kryolan Translucent Loose Powder is available in a lot of shades despite being translucent. Once you go to a Kryolan store, ask the MUAs there to help you out with a shade. The also have some brightening shades – pink & yellow. I have the shade TL09 which has beige-yellow undertones.

Availability: Kryolan Stores

The Kryolan Translucent Loose Powder is my goto product during the hot summers. It is weightless on the skin and has no coverage since it is a translucent powder. Its finely milled and doesn’t cause creasing when I apply it to my eye contour (the only place I have fine lines). After application, the Kryolan Translucent Loose Powder makes my face matte & does control shine for a couple of hours. I like how it never makes my face look powdery or cakey, due to its fine texture. I feel that it does help control sweat a tiny bit. During cooler months, I prefer to use it just to set the concealer under my eyes. I find that my concealers stay put for longer if I use this Kryolan Translucent Loose Powder to set them.  As for extending the stay of my makeup overall, it does help improve the weartime of my base makeup. As blush, contour, highlighter are all applied over it, it does not help in improving their wear time. It prevents my base makeup from wearing down due to oils & sweat that the body produces. One point that I’d like to make is if you’re in the sun for a long period of time and/or you are sweating profusely, only a good primer can prevent your makeup from breaking down. The Kryolan Translucent Loose Powder is a must have for me on those days when Mumbai gets too humid.

Skin type: Currently my skin is normal. During summers it varied from normal-combination to normal-dry. Last year I had combination-oily skin and even then this powder was effective on me i.e it controlled shine for hours.

Since it is a loose powder, I take special care when I travel with it. Yes I travel with it! The packaging of the Kryolan Translucent Loose Powder is such that you have a plastic powder jar/dabba and its covered with a perforated lid which has a sticker over it. This jar is closed with a plastic lid. I had removed only a part of that sticker when I first started using this powder, now over an year later I have removed little over a 1/4^th of that sticker. This does make it a bit tedious to get the powder out (just a little bit) but its totally worth it because I get to travel with the Kryolan Translucent Loose Powder without worrying about wastage. I live (and hence travel) back & forth between two cities (Mumbai & Pune). The packaging definitely screams cheap and feels flimsy. However I have been using this product since 2 years and only now its lid has got a slight crack which I’m guessing is due to travelling with it. This might cause a problem to Pro MUAs as they need to travel to sets with makeup products all the time.

the shade TL09. It looks white coz its layered heavily. 

You will never get this kind of coverage on your face unless you use your fingers to apply the powder!


Overall Verdict: 5/5

The Kryolan Translucent Loose Powder is a lovely weightless, coverage-free setting powder that ensures longevity of my base makeup, controls shine and also my sweat a little bit (which is more than what I can say for any previous setting powders). I love how its so affordable and I would recommend anyone to purchase it, except if you have dry skin and don’t use a powder. I did recently go to repurchase this product in the yellow shade (as cooler months are ahead and I will be using it just for setting my under eyes) however it was OOS. I will definitely be purchasing more of this loose powder! My sister has dry skin but she likes using this powder to control her sweat (Mumbai humidity I tell you :/). On the downside, it does not have SPF and that is also important for summers. I use a sunscreen spray over my face after my makeup, however that adds to the overall price of the product.

Almost Perfection : Lakme Absolute White Intense Foundation Golden Medium (03) and Almond Honey (06) Review

I already know this is going to be a long post so I’ll get straight to the point!

What Lakme Claims:

An ultra-light, water-based, oil free foundation with Vitamin B3 & SPF 25 guards the skin against harmful rays leaving it visibly fairer, polished & vibrant with 16 hours of complete skin coverage.

-Vitamin B3 -SPF 25 -Oil free -Ultra-light

-Water based

In terms of texture & longevity, the Lakme Absolute White Intense foundation has everything that I want. I found myself repurchasing it (I had previously purchased a wrong shade) because I simply fell in love with it! Here are a few things I love about the Lakme Absolute White Intense Foundation:

1) Lightweight texture, feels like second-skin.

2) Highly pigmented and gives full coverage. I need a tiny amount. It can cover dark circles as well, over a corrector

3) Works well with other products (i.e BB creams, moisturisers) and its performance is not affected by the dilution.

4) Natural looking matte finish. You can tweak the finish by mixing with other products.

5) Does not look heavy or cakey inspite of being buildable to full coverage.

6) It does not oxidize on me and I have worn it for very long hours

7) Wears for a long time. I have worn it for 10 – 12 hours and my skin still looked fresh!

8) The packaging is very chic

9) I think it is waterproof. You need a proper makeup remover to get this one off!

10) It contains SPF25, while this alone is not sufficient for sun protection, its nice that SPF is present, in case you forget to put one on in a hurry

11) Oil FREE & water based, that's why its so lightweight on the skin.

However, it has a few drawbacks.

Since the Lakme Absolute White Intense Foundation is long wearing, it has a formula that dries up really fast once I start applying it and most of the times I find myself using a makeup spray on my brush prior to applying this foundation so that I can blend it well. This means thatmay dry up in the container too. No ingredients list is mentioned and you cannot see how much you have used! It is pricey for the quantity. If I sweat A LOT (I’m talking about dancing for 2-3 hours) it does not hold. It has a citrusy scent which I dislike. Also, initially when I apply it to my face it looks much lighter, it takes a while to settle down to match my skin tone, similar to the way a sunblock behaves.

It takes efforts to blend this foundation unless you use a mixing medium, but once its set, its set. I do powder my face after applying this and it wears well under all kinds of powders – loose, mattifying or simple face powders.

Application tips:

I have applied the Lakme Absolute White Intense Foundation with fingers, makeup sponge & brush and the method I like the best is: I spray my makeup spray on to the brush, dot the foundation on one section of my face, blend it in with the brush. I repeat this procedure for other sections. My face & neck can be divided into 3 sections – 2 halves & 1 neck. I’m partial to using a makeup brush because it gives the maximum coverage and is the fastest. Makeup sponges take a bit more time and coverage is sheerer whereas fingers feel tedious with a foundation that dries quickly. The warmth from my fingers doesn’t aid in blending out the foundation, probably coz my body temperature is cool. However, I do use my fingers to dab the product underneath my eyes.

You do not need a fixing spray as a mixing medium. You can also use your moisturizer or BB cream. I have used it with both and it works beautifully. I would like to add that if you wish the foundation to last long, do not dilute it with too much of moisturizer/BB cream, keep the ratio 2:1 or 50:50.

Shade range:

There are only six shades in the  Lakme Absolute White Intense Foundation and the darkest one, i.e Almond Honey (06) is a perfect match for me. It has warm undertones. Initially I had purchased Golden Medium (03) and that was too light. For reference, I am NC42 in MAC. Unfortunately the shade range is very limited, which is a shame!

Suitable skin types: 

I think normal to oily skinned beauties will enjoy this foundation. It may be too dry & matte for dry skinned ladies but it can be mixed 50:50 with your moisturizer to apply.

Price vs Product :

Price: Rs.700 / $11

Qty: 15ml /0.5 oz

Shades : Ivory Fair, Rose Fair, Golden Medium, Golden Light, Beige Honey, Almond Honey

Availability : Nykaa | Amazon | Flipkart

The price is steep, however the Lakme Absolute White Intense Foundation can be bought at discounts online. Currently it is on discount at Nykaa, Amazon, Flipkart & eBay . I got myself shade matched at the store & then purchased it online it during discounts.

Overall Verdict : 4.7 /5

The Lakme Absolute White Intense Foundation definitely takes work for blending in, luckily with the right tools you can take full advantage and enjoy its texture and wearability. It gives a beautiful full coverage natural finish and wears for a really long time. I definitely recommend this foundation, do try it out! I wouldn’t purchase just any foundation twice ;)

Primed for perfection : Colorbar Perfect Match Primer Review, Price, Ingredients and other bits

I generally go for long wearing makeup but in India, you need to go the extra mile sometimes. The weather is pretty much unpredictable and don’t even get me started on the humidity some places have!  Therefore I decided to invest in a primer, initially I got it with the intention of using only during functions & festivals, but slowly it has crept into my daily makeup routine. I’m talking about the Colorbar Perfect Match Primer. This is my first face primer :)

Company Claims & Ingredients:

This satiny touch oil free primer masks the fine lines and uneven texture, making skin marvelously soft and smooth. Dab on a little all over face for smoothening surface or use before concealer and foundation for perfect complexion and lasting effect

My experience with the Colorbar Perfect Match Primer :

Packaging : The Colorbar Perfect Match Primer comes in a plastic squeeze tube having shiny cap, I think its kind of fancy and very chic! The packaging is actually perfect because it gives you control to dispense the amount of product you need.

Texture: The Colorbar primer is clear. The texture is very, very silicone-y. It is indeed silky like the claims and glides on effortlessly onto every nook & corner of my face. You have to make sure you don’t put too much of this, else you’ll end up feeling greasy and oily on your face, akin to applying too much serum on your hair.

Effects:  The Colorbar Primer easily makes my face smooth and gives it an even texture. However, it is very drying. I always make sure I moisturize my skin well if I'm applying the Colorbar Primer otherwise my skin gets dry once I've applied the it and the makeup application isn't easy then! I do not know if this happens with all primers as the Colorbar one is my first.

When I have any pimples or bumps I apply the Colorbar Primer over them and they smooth out and don’t stand out as bumps. This makes it so much easier to conceal pimples! I also love putting this primer on my eye contour, this ensures that my concealer doesn’t settle into those fine lines we all have under eyes and also makes my concealer last all day. It also makes it easier to layer products; I use a cream corrector and a cream concealer on my eye contour. They start creasing soon if I don’t apply a primer underneath.

Does My Makeup Last All Day?
On the whole, the Colorbar Primer doesn’t really prolong the wear time of all of my makeup, however, it does make my face look fresh at the end of the day too! I’ve noticed that when I’ve been out for a long time, spent a considerable amount of time in the sun and pollution, my face still looks fresh if I’ve worn the Colorbar Perfect Match Primer underneath my makeup. I’ve even worn it through an intense and sweaty dance festival (hello Dandiya!) and even after the insane amount of dance I did, my face looked fresh, despite being sweaty. However, my makeup pretty much wore off. Another thing I noted is that it doesn’t hold as well in the humid weather of Mumbai.

An important aspect in makeup products that we’re always on the lookout for is that they should not break us out. Fortunately, the Colorbar Perfect Match Primer has not broken me out whenever I’ve worn it. It also doesn’t aggravate my pimples when I apply it over them. I use it almost daily in my eye contour and it has not affected the area at all. If you are allergic to some silicone products, please check the ingredients list & verify with your dermatologist if its ok for you to use this product as it contains a lot of silicones.

Product vs Price:

Price: Rs. 825 / $13 (Available for cheaper online)

Qty: 30ml / 1 oz.

Availability: Jabong | Amazon | Nykaa | Flipkart 

Overall Verdict: 4/5

The Colorbar Perfect Match Primer is a great primer to start out with and its easy on the pocket. It has a hassle free packaging and is easily available in India as well! I like to hydrate my face well before using it as it is drying. It prolongs the weartime of my makeup, especially in the eye contour and keeps my face looking fresh all day. 

Review : Does the Deborah Milano 5 in 1 BB Cream live up to its claims?

Hey everyone, I'm gonna write about my experience with another BB cream. This is actually the first BB cream I brought, before the Pond's and the Garnier BB Creams, but for some reason I've ended up reviewing it after both of them. 

About my skin: Normal-dry right now. I don't have any major pimples just minor blemishes, some pores on the nose (not visible), no scars that I need to cover, so light coverage foundations are fine except for dark circles and pigmentation around my mouth where I need full coverage.

What is a BB cream? 
After a search on internet:- BB cream stands for blemish balm, blemish base, beblesh balm (apparently because of a trademark in Korea on the word "blemish"), and in Western markets, beauty balm. The formula is reported to have originated in Germany where, due to the cream's soothing and skin-regenerating properties, dermatologists have been using it for healing scars caused by laser skin surgery. A famous South Korean actresses then started using it for beauty purposes and since then a craze was born. The trend that started in Korea spread to Japan, China, South East Asia and has since made its way to Europe and the USA.
But every company which manufactures a BB cream promises some additional benefits like fairness, mattifying skin, glowing skin etc. Healthy competition or false promises? Decide for yourself!

Cost:- Rs. 625 / $9.25
Quantity:- 30ml / 1 oz
Shades: 01 Fair, 02 Beige, 03 Sand, 04 Apricot and 05 Amber.
Shelf Life:- 3 years. To be used within 6 months of opening
Availability: Here & here

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.