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 ;)

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).

BBLUNT Climate Control Anti-Frizz Leave-In Cream Review

I’ve never used leave-in conditioners before this BBlunt Anti-Frizz Leave-In Cream. My hair is dry-damaged. I don’t have thick hair but its not thin either. I am using the L’Oreal Mythic Oil serum but I decided to replace it with the BBlunt Anti-Frizz Leave-In Cream to see how it fares.

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. 

Makeup Tools in India : Zoeva Luxe Makeup Brushes 227,228,230 Review

 I purchased a few Zoeva eye brushes last year from Luxola, its one of the first purchases I madefrom that site. I haven't purchased anything more from them (except for a Beauty Blender) because the prices are now insane! When it first launched in India, Luxola was so affordable...

Zoeva 227 Luxe Soft Definer Brush

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

Enliven Silicone Free Hair Conditioners Review - Mango and Passionfruit, Raspberry and Red Apple, Kiwi and Fig

I haven’t talked in detail about any hair conditioners on my blog because most of them have stopped working on my hair in 6 months. So I really had nothing to talk about them. Enliven Hair Conditioners are a little different because they are silicone free, so I felt like sharing my thoughts on them. I started out with the Mango & Passionfruit variant, however when I let my mom & sister try it out, they loved it a lot so they purchased the remaining variants – Raspberry & Red apple, Kiwi & Fig for themselves. All three literally perform the same, the only difference is the fragrance. Raspberry & Red Apple smells the best.  

My Experience with Enliven Hair Conditioners :

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!

#SkincareWeek : Claims vs Results - L'Oreal Paris Hydra Fresh Mask In Lotion Review

Company Claims :

This first ever mask-grade hydrating lotion is infused with the finest French Grape Seed Extract, a powerful antioxidant that helps neutralize free radicals to protect your skin against the dulling and damaging effects of external aggressors. Double Hyaluronic Acid also boosts hydration so skin is quenched, becomes softer and more radiant.

Suitable for Normal to Dry skin.

Ingredients :

My Experience with Hydra Fresh Mask In Lotion:

My skin type : Currently, my skin is normal. It gets dry if I’m not regular with moisturizer (these months are cold after all!). I don’t have sensitive skin, however there are some products that give my skin allergic reactions.

L'Oreal Paris Hydra Fresh Mask In Lotion claims to be ‘energizing & hydrating’ and boasts of some ingredients like Grape Polyphenols, French Spa Water (like Thermal Spa waters) & Double Hyaluronic Acid(HA). Because of these claims, I expected it to give an intense moisture boost to my skin.

The L’Oreal Hydra Fresh Mask In Lotion can be used two ways – as a face lotion & as a face mask. As a lotion I find it heavier on my skin than my current goto product– Za total hydration milky moisturizer. This is the hydrating mask I had mentioned in the Za post. I used this mostly as a mask because I wanted to get rid of the dry patches I had back then quickly.

I applied this product as an overnight mask and the next morning I saw that my dry patches were hydrated & they looked less obvious. They weren’t completely gone though. A few days the dry patches returned. This mask + Za moisturizer together have helped my get rid of dry patches. It has not broken me out inspite of using it overnight several times.

This mask doesn’t do anything more – I expected my skin to be plump & glowy, like the effects I got from THEFACESHOP moisturizing sheet mask. L’Oreal claims that this gives you ‘watery, bouncy & radiant skin instantly’.  But there’s no radiance or visible plumping, however skin does feel hydrated. It can also be mixed in with your foundation (for ex the Lakme Absolute White Intense foundation) in cooler seasons. It has a runny texture and looks exactly like the mask fluid of THEFACESHOP mask. I won’t recommend mixing it with your foundation if you live in a humid place because it feels heavy on the skin.

I seriously don’t like the packaging of the L'Oreal Paris Hydra Fresh Mask In Lotion indian version, it is too bulky ! The Singapore version is so pretty! This product has a light fragrance. Since it contains ingredients like Double HA, it should help in anti-ageing. I’m in my early 20s so I can’t comment on any anti-ageing effects as I don’t have any signs of ageing.

Price vs Product : 

Price : Rs.425 / $6.4

Qty : 200ml / 6.7 oz

Shelf Life : 12 months

Availability : Purplle | Nykaa | Flipkart 

Overall Verdict : 3.5 / 5

In my humble opinion, the L'Oreal Paris Hydra Fresh Mask In Lotion, has a lot more claims than results. I didn’t experience any radiance or bouncy skin. It didn’t make my skin look plump or well hydrated, but it did hydrate my skin, get it ? I still use it every few days (as I have still not purchased a night cream) to moisturize my skin but I do wish it imparted a glow. From price pov, its not very pricey for the quantity & you only need a little bit with every use so the bottle lasts a long time. I’d recommend it if you’re on a budget & need a mask that moisturizes your skin.

#SkincareWeek is a special series - Each day of the week I'll present you with a new skincare product. 7 skincare products carefully tried & tested out for you! Do check back tomorrow for a new product :) 

Previous Post : Silky Goodness Or Oil Factory? The Body Shop Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil Review

More from this series  : 7 |6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1

Bourjois Paris Twist Up the Volume Mascara Review + Demo

For the longest period of time, I’ve been a stern Maybelline Mascara user! I’ve tried all variants (right from my teens) & because they were so good & affordable, I’ve repurchased them over & over again. However, one fine day in March, I decided to branch out a little and try some other mascaras, and that’s how I ended up buying the Bourjois Twist Up the Volume Mascara. I originally wanted another mascara from them, but it was OOS :(         Just FYI, Bourjois products are not sealed, so be careful when you’re buying their products. If you see the SAs open any product – BB cream, Mascara, lipstick etc. make sure that you report them to the store manager! Bourjois is considered as a drugstore brand even in India, but actually its not. Drugstore products are those that you can literally get at your drugstore (general store) like Health & Glow or New U, but I’ve never found Bourjois products there! Anyways, lets get on with the review.

Price: Rs. 830 / ~$12.7

Qty: 8ml / 0.27 fl. Oz.

Shelf life: 6 months after opening

Company claims:
Two transformable brushes in one!
Use position 1 to lengthen and separate lashes
Use position 2 to volumise and intensify lashes
Its intense black formula quickly builds full coverage and volume on every single lash.

Lashes look visibly lengthened and perfectly volumised!

My experience with the Bourjois Twist Up the Volume Mascara

Packaging: The Bourjois Twist Up the Volume Mascara comes in a simple black case which actually looks pretty cheap (for the price!) . The top part of the cap is twistable – you can twist it to change the shape of the wand. Twisting it to the right gives you a shorter & conical wand with bristles slightly densely packed for adding more volume; at least that’s the intention. Twisting that back to the left gives you a straight, longer wand with bristles slightly wider apart than the volumising wand, this is supposed to give your lashes a defined length.

volumising wand

lengthening wand

Product vs Claims:

For the first many times when I used the Bourjois Twist Up the Volume mascara, it honestly felt quite gimmicky & hard to use.  I’m accustomed to the Maybelline mascaras & those have a drier formula. The formula of this mascara is runny. On top of that, both the wands are pretty different to the Maybelline mascara wands. I feel like the Maybelline wands actually have hairy bristles and this mascara has plastic bristles. I don’t know if the material is indeed plastic (can’t find the details anywhere!) but it takes a bit of adjusting at start. You really have to spend time figuring out how to make the wand work best for you (though this is true for any mascara!) and since there are 2 wands here it takes double the time.

just with lengthening wand

The color of the mascara is jet black. Honestly, the difference between the Lengthening Wand & the Volumising wand isn’t much. The Lengthening Wand does make my lashes look a longer than they are however it gives absolutely no volume. It separates each lash without clumping (see pic above). The volumising side of the Bourjois Twist Up the Volume Mascara is not the most impressive volumising mascara that I’ve tried(see pic below). I mean, Maybelline Falsies Volum’ Express is the winner any day, hands down! As you’ll see from the pics below, it does curl up my lashes and gives them volume. But its not as dramatic as I’d like it to be. There’s isn’t much difference between the effect both wands give my lashes. Both the wands curl my lashes a bit.

just with volumising wand

The Bourjois Twist Up the Volume Mascara is suitable for everyday office wear. But I could definitely do with more volume, that’s why I sometimes curl my lashes before I apply it, this gives a more dramatic effect.

Legthening + Volumising wand :

To get the best of both worlds, you can also use both these wands together. In the pic below, I haven’t curled my lashes & I’ve used both the wands one after the other, going back and forth as needed. I’m pretty happy with the effect, the volume is definitely to my liking & my lashes look quite wispy! I recommend not putting too many coats because the formula is wet and can make your lashes look very sparse.

lengthening & volumising wand combined

Weartime: 
Bourjois Twist Up the Volume Mascara has a very impressive weartime. It stays on my eye lashes without making the lashes droop for 12 hours straight, after which I had to remove my makeup. One thing I really admire is that the Bourjois Twist Up the Volume Mascara doesn’t smudge at all, this is something that some of the Maybelline washable & waterproof mascaras lack! It also doesn't flake during the day.

Removal: 
the Bourjois Twist Up the Volume mascara I have is not waterproof (another first for me!)so it is easy to remove with any makeup remover, even Bioderma.

Overall Verdict: 3.8 / 5

I won’t consider the Bourjois Twist Up the Volume Mascara as a must have, but it’s good for everyday wear if you don’t like heavy volume. I like that it easily separates lashes, doesn’t smudge at all & wears for a really long time. However, there are definitely cheaper mascaras in the market that can do the same task. The formula has never irritated my eyes so that’s another plus point.

Hair Product : Ginerva Olive Oil Hair Cream Review

Hi everyone, 

I’m going to review a hair product today.  It is the Ginerva Olive Oil hair cream that was a part of a haul I did in February (see here).  I haven’t heard anything about it but its ingredients list is quite interesting. Most hair products have a bunch of silicones or mineral oil on the top of their ingredients lists but the Ginerva Olive Oil Hair Cream has olive oil listed as the second ingredient, which I feel is pretty awesome. This is one of the reasons why I was excited to try it out, I felt that it could serve as a singular styling & nutritional product for my hair.

Price: S$4.5 / Rs. 213

Qty: 100 g / 3.5 fl. oz.

Availability: As of now, in Singapore.

Ingredients:

Company Claims:

‘Reduces split ends, makes hair soft & smooth’

A unique & non greasy formula with olive oil to effectively nourish, condition, smoothen and style hair. It also contains Chamomile oil that can restore dull hair, reduce oily hair, split ends and protect it against harmful UV rays.

My experience with Ginerva Olive Oil Hair Cream :

My hair: waist length, medium thick, very dry, gets in to knots easily, has split ends, gets frizzy around the crown.

Although it isn’t written explicitly, I feel that this hair cream is a serum. I use it when my hair is all rinsed out but still damp. I need just a tiny pea sized amount – like any other serum. I have medium thick hair, not thin but not voluminous either (:[ ) so I need to take care to apply the right amount, too much will make my hair greasy. I take care to apply it first to the hair below ear and whatever is left I apply it to my crown. Then I comb through my hair

After effects:

My hair gets frizzy around the crown part and after I apply the Ginerva Olive Oil Hair Cream, it doesn’t get as frizzy. It also makes my hair and ends smooth and soft, just like it claims. My hair also knots less frequently. I feel that it is more effective if I blow dry and comb my hair after I apply it. Sadly, the effects are not long lasting, my hair is dry again after 1.5-2 days.

Overall Verdict: 3.5/5

I really wish that the Ginerva Olive Oil Hair Cream gave me long lasting smoothness coz I really need some in my hair! With all its good ingredients, its worth a try as it really works in smoothing hair and making it less frizzy. If you get a chance to purchase it from Singapore department stores or online, do check it out, the price doesn’t hurt either.                                                                                                                                     

Iraya Vanilla & Whole Milk Body Milk and Shower Milk Review

Its been a while since I shared a body care product. Today I’m going to talk about two body products I used in the last month of the winter season, they are by Iraya. The only other product I have tried from Iraya earlier is the Kumkumadi Facial Oil which had really great results. Iraya is a brand that makes a lot of all-natural products which are reasonably priced. I purchased the Vanilla & Whole Milk Body Milk and Shower milk online from Jabong. The body milk is a body lotion and the shower milk is a creamy shower gel.

Maybelline Electro Pop Pink Shock VS Maybelline Lip Smooth Pink Blossom

Hi my lovely readers, how has your day been?

I’ve been seeing a lot of reviews on the new Maybelline Baby Lips Electro Pop range & I decided to add my thoughts to the pool. For us Indians, the most exciting thing about this launch is the packaging of the range. Finally we get Baby Lips with the adorable US packaging that actually puts the “baby” in the lip balm!! When I was swatching this new launch at the Maybelline counter, I felt that Pink Shock was the most pigmented so I picked it up. Funnily, there’s a yellow one that comes out as clear, why it is in the “electro pop” range baffles me! When I started using Pink Shock, I realized that it is very similar to a cult favorite that Maybelline released in India a long time ago – Pink Blossom from the Lip Smooth range. I felt that the lip smooth range is discontinued but I still see it at Health& Glow, not anywhere else. I purchased the Lip Smooth lip balm last year after hearing so many rave reviews about it. I’ll review Pink Shock in detail first & then compare it to Pink Blossom.

Electro Pop Range:

Price: Rs.165 / ~$2.7

Qty: 3.5g

Shades: Pink Shock, Fierce & Tangy, Berry Bomb, Oh Orange
(Availalble in more shades in US! =[ )

Availability: Nykaa, Flipkart

The Body Shop Vanilla Brulee Shower Gel (Limited Edition)

The Body Shop Vanilla Brulee Shower Gel is actually a thick shower cream. Its not as thick as the Cocoa Butter Shower Cream, but its thicker than the Brazil Nut Shower cream, both of which I had tried last year. I love creamy shower gels during winter time but I would never spend as much on one. My sister however, had no qualms splurging on this bottle as its “limited edition” & “Christmas special”, although we both know that TBS offers almost the same flavors every Christmas – no innovation here ladies!

I have been using it for a month and I must say, The Body Shop Vanilla Brulee Shower Gel smells delicious when you smell it from the bottle or take it out on your palm. However, when its in use, the smell is quite faint. Needless to say, after bath the scent is not detectable. It feels moisturizing but doesn’t actually hydrate my body, although that maybe because my skin is too dry. It has SLS, right there, as the second ingredient but there’s barely any lather when its in use. For something that’s limited edition and 1.5 times the price of the normal shower gels, I expected the ingredient list to be littered with less chemicals…oh well, wishful thinking! They also mention that its soap free on the bottle, but clearly its not detergent free..haha.

The Body Shop Lychee Blossom Shower Gel... Yeah, Lychee :D

I’ve tried a lot of fruity skincare products in the past, raspberry, blueberry, cocout, passionfruit… You name it and I have tried it.. Or so I thought, till I came across this Lychee Blossom shower gel by The Body Shop. I have never come across ‘Lychee’ (or as I like to spell it ‘Litchi’) in a product before. Did you know that this exists, or maybe I’m not the only one living under a rock all this time?

Maybelline Total Clean Express Eye and Lip Makeup Remover -Review, Price, Demo

I have not had the best (to say the least) experience with makeup removers in the past. Makeup remover is a vital part of my cleansing routine because once you start wearing makeup, you’ll need some cleanser which is powerful enough to take off all those long wearing products yet gentle enough to not harm your skin in the process. Because of these high demands, I don’t mind spending a bit more this part of my skincare, however, even expensive brands can fail to fulfil such basic requirements. I was on the hunt of a good makeup remover and along the same time, the Maybelline Clean Express Makeup Remover had just been introduced in the market. I’ve almost always had a good experience with Maybelline, also the attractive packaging lured me to try out this makeup remover. I have tried the old Maybelline remover but I found it very oily so I was hoping this one would be better. 

Cost: Rs.275 /$4.50

Qty: 100ml / 3.4 fl.oz.

Can be purchased from Jabong, Nykaa, Flipkart, Amazon

You can read about my experience with Jabong and Nykaa.

Company Claims(taken from Maybelline India website):

Total Clean Express Eye and Lip Makeup Remover

Remove makeup within minutes with Maybelline New York's Eye & Lip Makeup Remover.

Wipe away makeup in a flash with the MNY Total Clean Express Eye & Lip Makeup Remover.

Removing makeup becomes a piece of cake with this powerful eye and lip makeup remover. Designed to be 2x more effective, this remover wipes off eye, lip and face makeup in seconds. Featuring fast-acting dissolving agents, this makeup remover easily breaks down stubborn eye makeup to give you squeaky clean lids and lashes. The best part is that it leaves absolutely no residue!

Here's why you'll love it:

• Features the Bi-phase formula that removes all type of makeup without leaving a residue
• Enriched with fast-acting dissolving agents that instantly break down stubborn eye makeup
• Dermatologist and allergy tested for increased safety
• Cleans and moisturizes lids and lashes

My Experience: