Make me Glow! Smashbox Fusion Soft lights in Radiance - Swatches & Review

Smashbox Fusion Soft lights - Radiance!
 Its was another one of those - I want it NOW things.... I told you I was in a blush phase - where I was literally collecting all type of blushes - seeing this limited edition kind of blush - made me want it even more - so ordered one from Ebay finally!!

Price- Its Part of a Set costing $59.98 ( Sold separately on ebay for about 1200/-)

Quantity- 8.6g

What does the company Say:
 It came out in April 2011 with the Smashbox FAQ's set

What I would say -
Its a nice Blush & highlighter rolled into one. Has a unique design which is SOOOOOO pretty to look at!
It is big enough to choose just one shade (from five) of blush with a clever swipe! I love the middle corally-peach shade! When used all blended together - it lives true to its name- giving a peachy glow on fair skin without the glitter or chunky shimmer!

Swatches: 

Samhbox Softlights - Radiance!

Look at the diamond shaped design- how apt!

Blended swatch- Damn! The camera washed out the colour! - Its actually a peachy glow!

Yay's

•  Lovely Design
• A blush & a highlighter rolled into one
• 5 blush shades to choose from!
• gives a nice peachy glow

Nay's

• Not available in India
• A limited edition product
• Costly !

The Last Word:
I wonder when will India see the companies like Smashbox, Too faced, Stila, NARS etc in stores?? God knows we have all kind of luxury brands (even obnoxiously expensive!) available here - be it clothing, accesories etc - WHY NOT makeup??? I mean we are SO READY to spend the money........ then show me some good quality branded products huh?? Show me some Sephora's?!
 I wish some companies wake-up and smell the money indians make (Plenty to still be out of recession I would say!)
 Overall a good blush/highlighter - only if you knew it existed -u have to order from ebay for some premium...besides keeping yourself informed whats the latest!
Wonder if  that's up everyone's alley!

C ya!

Colour me Happy ! My 4 Favourite Avon Ultra color Rich Lipsticks : Review & Swatches

Avon Ultra color Rich Lipstick -Available in 25 shades

I wanted to try these Avon lippies - as I wanted to add some fun, new colours to my collection - at a lower cost!So when they came on offer - I ordered these shades immediately- I crossed my fingers and waited for my package!
I am always apprehensive about choosing lipstick from a catalogue- inevitably the colours will not be what you thought - resulting in some disappointment !
I did some research and ordered carefully - overlooking the swatches in catalogue!


However my research paid off - I am very happy with all the colours (for the first time in a blind shopping spree!! ) All of the are creamy(non-shimmery- Thanks god!) and bright, fun colours - just what I wanted!
:-D

Price- Rs.269/- (Variable discounts as per catalouge - I got mine for Rs.319/- for 2!!)

Quantity- 3.6g

What does the company Say:
Avon's best-selling lipsticks - 24 sold every hour!
Full colour, full moisture, full shine for fuller lips that look and feel smooth!
Instantly releases rich colour with creamy, sequinned, shimmery texture.
Formulated with vitamin e and jojoba to hydrate lips and seal in moisture, so lips stay smooth.

Swatches & Pics:

New additions!

Comes packaged in bubble wrap inside the carton

Viva Pink - A blue based bright pink !

Twig - Pinky-beige-brownish shade (supposedly dupe for MAC twig!)

Rose Mauve - A Mauve shade

Rose Wine - A bright Coral kind of colour

Viva pink!- truly my kinda pink!(looks less purple in reality!)

Twig- Lovely medium brown !

Rose Mauve -  a deeper but wearble mauve!

Rose wine - misleading name !

Yay's 

• Good pigmentation - 1 swipe will give you rich colour 
• Texture is smooth to apply
• Available in many shades(25) with all kind of finishes - creamy, shimmery and sequinned - I prefer creamy! (All 4 shades shown here are from creamy range.)
• Almost free from any strong perfume/aroma- very faint lipstick smell can be traced if smelled closely!
• Gives good lasting power for its price - about 3 hours or so.
• The packaging is good enough - Plain black sturdy oval kinda bullet with a silver ring in the middle!

Nay's

• With all the time fuller is mentioned - I don't think it enhances your natural lip size!
• Swatches given in brochure are NEVER accurate! So always better to research online for swatches or ask your  Avon representative for trials!
  

The Last Word:

Its certainly a good lipstick to have in your collection - if anything for trying out new colours. Does give full value for money! Brochure swatches should be more accurate - also please include more creamy, wearable shades- like corals and peaches! (I wonder who wears all those dark browns and maroons ALL the time??)
The shades mentioned above should take the guesswork out of your search for nice wearable bright colours - in summers as well as winters!


What do you say- tried them yet?

The Body Shop Nature's Minerals Foundation SPF25 - Swatches & Review

The Body Shop Nature's Minerals Foundation SPF25 - Available in 6 shades

Price- Rs.1195/-

Quantity- 5g

What does the company Say: 
Long-lasting powder foundation made from the purest minerals. The powders act like a protective veil to naturally defend the skin against sun damage with SPF 25. Applies evenly and blends easily for a radiant, natural-looking complexion. Non pore-clogging. Colour builds easily to provide an adjustable light to medium coverage. Effectively reduces the appearance of redness, imperfections, blemishes and visible pores. Preservative-free, fragrance-free. Dermatologically tested, non-comedogenic.

Photos & Swatches: Shade 2

Shade-2

A sieve like membrane inside

Applied Unblended

Blended !

Yay's

• Has minerals- which are supposed to be good for your skin
• Has SPF 25
• Preservative-free, fragrance-free. Dermatologically tested, non-comedogenic.

Nay's

• Costly at Rs.1145/- for 5g of product
• Provides Negligible coverage even for minor skin imperfections - a loose powder will work better than this!
• No matter how much u layer on - no foundation like effect!

The Last Word:

I had tried this wanting something containing minerals to avoid skin breakouts etc. BUT it does nothing for me in terms of what a foundation is supposed to do - no evening out of skintone - no coverage - not even some mattifying action!! I use the foundation brush from body shop to apply this - but unless you apply some heavy-duty concealer before- applying this will not give u any coverage! When a company says 'natural-looking' - it should not mean what you naturally look like! Feels like a rip-off with that price tag! No Thanks next time!

Bourjois Blush - 48 Cendre de Rose Brune:Review & Swatches

Bourjois Blush - 48 Cendre de Rose Brune

I was in a blush-crush phase sometime back - went crazy looking for specific pinks then corals then highlighters then just uniquely designed cute blushes and so on ...as a result i have collected many of them which will be shortly reviewed.

One of my dearest gems is this one - welcome the cute tubby !  Wonder why I like dis word...
( :P I even  call my husband Hubby Tubby  even though he is not at all tubby!)

Price- Rs.575/-

Quantity- 2.5g

What does the company Say: From Bourjois Website

Our timeless blusher has been around for almost 150 years and have made Bourjois famous worldwide thanks to its amazing texture and packaging.
The baked texture transforms when applied to the skin into an ultra-fine pressed powder, which is easy to apply and blends impeccably. One stroke of the brush reveals the irresistible aroma of the rose scented powder.
Its built-in mirror and brush is perfect for touch-ups on the go!
Tip- For a natural result, smile and apply the blush on your cheekbones with circular movements. Then stretch up to the temples.
If you applied to much, don’t worry; just apply a coat of powder on top of it!

Swatches: 

Bourjois Blush -Cendre de Rose Brune (48)

Comes with a lil brush inside !

Blended !

Yay's 

• Very soft and blendable.
• Lovely luscious pink colour (not like the washed out  shimmery pinks you generally encouter with many brands) - that's the reason i came to bourjois- coz i was looking for a nice full-bodied pink not a dilute pink!
• Good pigmentation - easily gives nice rosy colour in few swipes! Good staying power too!
• Very pretty non-shimmery colour (the way I like it!)
• A click-lock kinda thing securely closes it - no fear of spillage!
• Small size- travel friendly :)
• A mirror is provided in this small lil tub (  r u hearing orif-lame!)
• Made in France ( didn't i already say everything is sexier in french!)

Nay's 

•  A little expensive at 575/-
• The brush which comes with it is too puny for my liking but hey IT does help when u r caught without ur big fluffy blush brush!

The Last Word: I really love this blush as its the perfect luscious pink shade for me. In fact I have not seen this colour with any other drugstore brand in India, so this is a pretty un-dupe-able shade in this price range!

Oriflame Very Me - No Time for Shine Powder: Review & swatches

Oriflame Very Me - No Time for Shine Powder - Matte Light

Price- Rs. 249/- (Varies with discounts as applicable) I got it for about 143/-

Quantity- 9g

What the company Says- Mattifying formula absorbs oil and keeps skin looking fresh when you need it. Coneals imperfections without hiding your natural skin tone. Comes in two shades - Matte Light and Matte Latte

Swatches:

The outer cover print got smudgy from the HOT summers of Delhi!

Matte Light  - Made in UK ! So far so good!

Unblended

Blended

Yay's 

• Does mattify the face - at least for a couple of hours!
• Blends well with my skin tone - a good match!
• Soft applicator
• Made in UK (I don't want to sound like a haughty British BUT a relief from all the Made in CHINA stuff we always see from other brands!)
• Affordable - Could have been a regular feature in my handbag IF ONLY...( read further)

Nay's 

•  No Mirror ! :O Why would you NOT include a mirror in a Compact meant for touch ups during the day & NO it does not last the whole day (if that is indeed the reason Oriflame did not include it!) Its a cardinal sin in this case( me thinks that the company was only cutting costs!) and can be a 'deal breaker' for this otherwise decent product! Increase the price by 10 bucks( a small mirror will never cost a big company that much ..) but INCLUDE a mirror next time!
• Requires touch-ups during the day (my skin gets super oily and sweaty!)
• only light coverage for skin spots etc ( I was not expecting the concealer claim to be true anyways!)
• Cheap packaging - The outer print smudged after a few days of outing in my handbag - thankfully not staining something important! The Upper lid has also separated from the pan now - poor durability!
• Only available through Oriflame reps.

The Last Word: It has the potential of being a budget friendly compact for many college girls (their apparant target group for VERY ME range) ONLY if they included a mirror! I'll pass it the next time!

Lip Loves: Maybelline Watershine Pure Lipsticks : Review & Swatches

Sometime back I happened to stumble upon these lipsticks - Maybelline Watershine Pure lipstick. Ever since every time I apply these, I feel like I am in lipstick heaven... literally. These are so buttery, smooth and moisturizing that applying them is half the pleasure. The other half is seeing your lips afterwards - so smooth, glossy and colourful. They were my absolute favs in winters and are a blessing to dry lips.No wonder I ended up buying 7(now 8) of them soon!!!

In fact I can safely say that if I was forced to keep just one  lipstick (& I had only 230 rupees) - It would be definitely one of these ! (I keep P22 with me at all times!)

What the company says -
For the first time our lipstick in infused with crystal-clear, natural water droplets for:

• Incredible crystalline shine, transparent, brilliant, dewy
• The freshest, purest colour
• An amazing kiss of moisture

Price- Rs.230/-

Quantity- 3.9 g

Ingredients-
Natural Water -Crystal clear gel base that is infused with natural water providing lips with the purest form of crystalline shine, freshest color and lightweight hydration.
Sea Algae -Contains high levels of nourishing water-soluble vitamins that have a rebalancing, nourishing and hydrating effect, providing lips with conditioning benefits.
Lotus Flower -The aqua-botanical plant whose conditioning agents help maintain lip’s moisture level.
Vitamin E -A powerful anti-oxidant that protects and nourishes lips.


The Shades I will be reviewing are as follows:

• P22 - A peachy pink - lovely shade -would suit almost all complexions. I get compliments all the time on this and even strangers ask me what I am wearing on my lips when I wear this! Must have!
• F21 - A blue-tone Pink/ Mauve - Lovely shade again - Goes with most of my pink dresses! Brightens up my face!Another Fav!
• B24 - A bubblegum pink - a lighter pale pink shade very suitable for young girls and teenagers!
• C22 - A coral  shade with some shimmer - If you like peachy coral - you'll like this one!
• MF21 - A raspberry pink shade - A little brighter pink - some fine silver shimmer which is not noticeable on lips.
• R21 - A Strawberry sheer red - If you want to wear red but not wanting the bold full-on colour, then this is the shade for you.
• B22 - A Nude beige colour - Want nude lips with smokey eyes? Grab this one!Although it is a bit too light for my liking - very Kim Kardashian like nude shade(one she is wearing in almost all her pics!). Lately I have found an excellent use for it - I put it on my lips first and then layer another lipstick(anything too loud/dark/bright for me) on top of it - End Result-Always a winner! :)
• BC11 - A pinky peach colour with some shimmer particles- Not very opaque- good for people who want natural looking pink lips( like college girls) and people who don't have pigmented lips.

SWATCHES & PICS

My stash!

From Left to right - P22, F21, B24, C22

From Left to Right - MF21, R21, B22, BC11

From Left to right - P22, F21, B24, C22

From Left to Right - MF21, R21, B22, BC11

From Left to right - P22, F21, B24, C22

From Left to right - P22, F21, B24, C22

From Left to Right - MF21, R21, B22, BC11

From Left to Right - MF21, R21, B22, BC11

Me wearing only  F21 - see how it blows away the lip lines!

 Now the Overall review of the Maybelline watershine pure lipsticks:

YAY's

• All claims made by company are true! (how often does that happen??) 
• Incredible crystalline shine, transparent, brilliant, dewy
• The freshest, purest colour 
• Very Moisturizing
• A lipstick, lipgloss and a lip balm- all in one cute lipstick! Very buttery, smooth to apply.  I like these better than even Estee lauder, Clinique lipsticks in terms of how they feel on my lips! I am always reaching for these lipsticks -so much -that I fear I am spoilt now - no other lipstick will ever feel better on my lips!
• Gives a Very luxurious feel on lips -  I  can bet that - in a blind test you will not be able tell if its Chanel or Maybelline!
• Can be sheer with 1 coat but can be easily built up to an opaque colour with 3-4 swipes. As for me I love swiping these beauties mutiple times on my lips - just coz they feel so darn good! Some shades are more pigmented like P22, F21, MF21,C22, R21  etc.(for people who want more coverage) while the rest are on the sheer side.
• Contains Natural water + Minerals!!!
• Even makes flaky lips look good (from personal experience!)- just apply this and wait for 5 minutes - your lips become smoother & conditioned with the flaky bits camouflaged in this lipstick - no need of a lip-balm underneath! Gals with dry lips should grab them ASAP!
• Good transition lipsticks for lip gloss lovers!
• Very Affordable at rs. 230/- (I think good dupes for L'oreal nutri shine lipsticks)

NAY's

• Limited shades available - only 10 !!! They should include more colours, I would not mind getting another 8 or even 10 !
• Sheer Colours - most shades are sheer - but they cover my partially pigmented lips well enough in 3-4 swipes. Heavily pigmented lips should go for medium/darker/more pigmented shades in this range (mentioned above).
• Staying power is less - this is obvious because its so moisturizing. Still gives upto 2-3 hours of wear!
• No names given to these lipsticks - although in some countries I think they have names too!

FINAL WORD - Have you tried them yet??? If not then its a Must buy ! Do try this range - you will surely find a colour which you will love! For me its P22  & F21:-)
I wish Maybelline launches more shades in this range and NEVER discontinues it! Experience high-end luxury with drugstore prices with these absolutely gorgeous finds!

Physicians Formula Happy Booster Blush - Rose : Swatches & Review

Physicians Formula Happy Booster  Glow & Mood boosting Blush - Rose
Price- $ 11.95 (About Rs. 550/- BUT costs over Rs.1000/- on E-bay)

Quantity- 7g

I had been eying this beauty ever since it was launched - tried to not give into the temptation - by telling myself all sorts of things -like....
 - I don't need another pink blush!
- It would  probably not suit my skin tone!
- Overpriced for a drugstore brand!
- Will get it cheaper later
- It's just a Phase - it will pass

 BUT it refused to leave my mind.... i kept checking and rechecking the price on E-bay, It was always hovering around 1000/- Me thinking- Should I pay double the price for it???
Luckily e-bay sent me a coupon for Rs 250/- and I ordered it immediately since at 750/- it seemed a good deal!! :)


What does the company Say:

• Ultra-soft and blendable blushing powder features a fresh and vibrant mix of blushing tones infused with a pop of color to create a healthy glow.
• Multi-reflective pearls provide a soft iridescence to highlight contour and add radiance to cheeks.
• Infused with our Happy Boost Blend, featuring Happy Skin and Euphoryl, natural plant extracts which have been shown to promote a feeling of happiness by mimicking the effect of Endorphins and helping protect the skin from environmental stress.
• The sweet scent of Violet provides a feeling of joy each time you apply.

Hypoallergenic. Non-comedogenic. Paraben-free. Dermatologist approved.


Pictures & Swatches: 

Happy Booster - Blush & Bronzer

It was love at first sight!

So Cute- Makes my heart flutter!

Different colours in the blush (applied with a heavy hand)

All blended together 

Yay's

•  The Design! Just look at the cute hearts - you'd have to have a heart of stone to be able to resist its charms - It apparently was much sought after when it launched  around Valentines Day!( Something similar was also launched from the brand Stila)
• This gives a natural pink blush look - the other shade (Natural) might be too light for Indian skin-tones
• Also available in a range of Powders and Bronzers
• Hypoallergenic. Non-comedogenic. Paraben-free. Dermatologist approved!
• No apparent, overpowering smell when applied (good thing for me and other sensitive-noses!)
• Easy to blend - the subtle shimmer adds to the overall glow and its not chunky or blingy
• The design is pretty deep - so it won't get ruined for sometime

Nay's

• Not available in India - you would have to hunt it down on  E-bay and likes - where it will be much overpriced! Recently the company also hiked the prices.
•  

The Last Word: If  you can't get it outta your mind - get with it! Even if it's only to look at it and sigh! Ahhhh...