Budget Beauty Finds ~ Rs.300 and Under

We have a budget post after a long time! I like doing these, since majority of my readers are students, and if they're like I was, half their monthly allowance goes to canteen bread pakoras. I'd want to eat them every.single.day back then. Mmm....now I want them!

Hello, can you pout and say 'p-s-y-c-h-o-l-o-g-y' at the same time?

So here are 6 great budget products that I personally like a lot, and they all cost Rs.300 and under.

• INGLOT Eye Shadow 326 ~ A useful matte brown eye shadow. Price: Rs.300

• Colorbar Eye Shadow in Dancing Peacock ~ This is a very unique green eye shadow that I fell in love with instantly. It's in the same color family as MAC Humid eye shadow
  Price: Rs.300

• Colorbar Smokin' Eyes Smudger Brush ~ Great for smudging kohl, and applying highlight eye shadow on the inner tear duct areas. But yes, the color bleeds a little bit when washing. See more Colorbar brushes here. Price: Rs.250

• Nail Juice Nail Polish in Hibiscus ~ Swatched here. I'm just showing you the one shade I have with me, but you can check out other colors too. Price: Rs.50

• Maybelline Clear Glow BB Stick* ~ You can read about it more here. Basically, it's a foundation in stick form, evens out skin tone, and contains Salicylic Acid to control oiliness. Available in 2 shades- Fawn (dark) & radiance (light). This one is Fawn, which is too dark for me. Price: Rs.250.

• Lakmé Enrich Satin Lipstick 149 ~ A fabulous fuchsia pink lippy. I got it with the MAC Love Goddess Dupe. Price: Rs.225

Swatches: Maybelline BB Stick Fawn, Lakmé Enrich Satin Lipstick 149, Colorbar Eye Shadow 33 Dancing Peacock. Nail Juice Hibiscus swatch here. Inglot 326 is part of a palette that I'm going to show you soon.

♥ 

If you want more, you can go read another old post like this here.

Let me know if you liked this post. Do share your great budget beauty finds too, we'd all love to know.

Disclaimer: Item marked * is a press sample, but I would have bought it myself anyways especially for this post ;) 

Imperfect Look With Illamasqua I'MPERFECTION Collection & Swatches

Products Used:

Face ~ Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation, Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer Medium, Rimmel Stay Mate Powder 

Cheeks ~ Illamasqua Blush Duo Katie Ambition

Lips ~ Illamasqua Immodest Lipstick 

Eyes ~ Products listed in my previous EOTD post here 

♥

Now I'll show you swatches and talk about the products.....

I gotta hand it to Illamasqua for presentation. These products came to me in a cardboard box filled with cardboard noodles & polka dotted feathers. Yeah, polka dotted feathers. Faux, of course. I threw away the box, but I kept the feathers. I was going to use use them in my look up there, but I couldn't remember when I put them that day.

Illamasqua Powder Blush Duo in Katie/Ambition, £28 (Rs.2347) ~ Katie is a matte baby pink with a silky smooth texture & Ambition is a muted pink with tiny golden shimmery bits, and has more of a frosty finish. Both apply smoothly, and complement each other when worn together. I adore the sleek compact case with mirror.

Katie, Ambition

Illamasqua Blush Up Brush, £28.50 (Rs.2388) ~ This has got to be the most interesting brush I've seen lately. I knew I had to have it from the moment I laid eyes on it. It's a stiff brush but with super soft bristles. It's the perfect contouring brush because of the shape, it's perfect for under cheekbones and sides of the nose too. But boy, is it pricey! 

Illamasqua Lipstick Immodest, £16 (Rs.1341) ~  Such a gorgeous bright pink in a classy square-ish packaging  But the finish is disappointing. It's matte, but not a smooth-looking matte. It is dry, chalky and stiff, and doesn't apply well. It is fragrance-free.

The silver lining (or, pink lining?), however, is it leaves behind the most gorgeous stain I'd ever seen on my lips.....

All Illamasqua I'MPERFECTION products shown are available on www.illamasqua.com  . They ship worldwide.

Follow ILLAMASQUA: Facebook | Twitter  | Instagram

Disclosure: Products in this post were sent to me by brand for consideration. Review is based on my own experience & all opinions are my own, as always. To know more about my posting policy, please go HERE.

My Vanity ~ Stage 1

I finally unpacked most of my beauty products last night. This is what it looks like right now. It's clutter-free, but not for long. Those drawers are still in a mess, coz I still have to figure out what goes where. That's a nice mirror, but it's hung too high! I can't see my face, I can only see my hand when I raise it (...and wave it like I just don't care!) But it's fine, cos there's a huge full-length wardrobe mirror on the other side of the room.

What's missing?

• A candle that matches the wallpaper.
• A lipstick rack. Right now, they're all stuffed in a mini travel bag.
• Flowers. Fake ones, of course. I don't know what kind, but ivory-colored.
• A lil' accessory for the mirror Can you guess? ;)
• A basket or tray to keep knick knacks. 
• Another makeup brush holder. 
• A small vintage clock.
• One more jewelry/necklace holder.

Basically, I want the theme to be "vintage". By that, I mean I want more golds & ivories, and maybe ditch the girly pinks...well, not all of them =D

Will show pics of all the changes I make in Stage 2.

Mr.CZ will freak when he sees this post. I know exactly what he'll say- "You want to buy more stuff?! You know we won't be able to pack them all when we leave, right?! We'll have to throw them away!"

He says 'throw them away' like it's going to scare me. I get mad, and I say, "I'll throw YOU away!"

But I know I should think twice before I accumulate more stuff. Even packing from Newcastle to here was a bit of a hassle. Sigh, I wish I could turn into a camel whenever we have to move.

In The Spotlight ~ Illamasqua I'MPERFECTION Collection

A few products from Illamasqua I'MPERFECTION Collection for Spring 2013:

•  Lipstick in Immodest ~ £16 (Rs.1341)
•  Powder Blush Duo in Katie & Ambition ~ £28 (Rs.2347)
•  Blush Up Brush ~ £28.50 (Rs.2388)

*Will post review & swatches of all the products shortly.  

Let's take a look at the brilliant promo pics:

Illamasqua I'mperfection Nail Varnish ~ £14.50 (Rs.1202)

Colorbar Eye Makeup Brushes

I dropped by Colorbar and picked up some eye brushes that were launched recently. I didn't get any face brushes, because they are made of natural bristles and felt rough & straw-like like the tips of my own over-colored hair. Such a shame coz they are hot pink!

NEW! Faces Makeup Brushes

FACES Cosmetics launches 10 new professional range of makeup brushes.

The brushes are made from selected natural hair along with the finest synthetic imitation soft hair to give you the desired results. Nurtured by leading technical expertise FACES, offers highest quality cosmetic brushes in an attractive packaging at a very competitive price giving you the best value for your money. The newly launched range encompasses a comprehensive range of brushes for the eyes, lips, cheeks and face owing to the longer service life and customized design.

Faces Foundation Brush, Rs.399

Faces Concealer Brush, Rs.249

How I Conceal Pimples ~ Pictorial

IHaveABigAnnoyingPimpleThatIsProbablyGoingToScarArgh!!!

I hate pimples. I hate them. I never had them during my teens, but now it's every frickin' month! Adult acne, or just the side effects of being a beauty blogger who tries out almost everything? I believe it's the latter.

Possible Culprits:

• My new toner ~ L'Oreal Re-nourish Velvety Toner
• Wearing Garnier BB Cream & Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation together.
• Another reason I will share with you in another post.

Etude House Princess Etoinette Collection Photos & Swatches

 Etude House Princess Etoinette Collection has got to be the best makeup collection that I've ever seen. Not only do the products scream luxury & vintage, they don't have repugnant price tags that deserve to be chewed by the sharks in Jaws. The creativity that went into the packaging & impeccable attention to detail make me feel intellectually inadequate, but they also made me realize how much beauty one's mind is capable of creating. Hats off to the brains behind it all- Sylvie de France (One of the 5 people I'd want to be for a day. Hello Whoever-Can-Make-It-Happen, please jot that down next to #4. Please hurry with #1. Thank You!) 

But one thing that I don't get: If the collection was inspired by Marie Antoinette, why "Etoinette"? Is that another Korean princess?

MAC Holiday Collection Haul, Photos & Swatches

What I wore to go buy these: Mint dress, black leather jacket, black tights, black shoes, mint bow bag, mint nail polish.

What I bought: All mint-cum-black packaging [I got the pink kit a few days later, like a sensible woman.]

SA (Sales Assistant): "So, you like green, huh?"
Me: "I guess so. Look at me!"
SA: *LOL*

Later at the cash counter:

SA: "I'll give you a green shopping bag." (the silk bag with zig-zag print & bow detail.)
Me: "Oh, thanks! Err...actually, I wouldn't mind the pink one, since everything else I got is green."
SA: "Oh, alright!" *took out pink bag and put it in the MAC bag* [Wrong choice! My head screamed at me.]
Me: "Umm, sorry to trouble you, but now I want the green one."
SA: "Okay, no problem! *LOL*",  then she said to another SA: "She likes green!", and they both laughed. 

Such nice & friendly makeup store SA's here! 

Nicki Minaj Inspired Makeup Look

Did you miss the OTT, crazy & fun make-up looks on here? I really missed doing them, and I'm aware they're the reason some people come here. I know, I know... even my Bollywood Babes series is hanging in limbo, just give me some time with that. Right now, I'm in the mood for spontaneity & quirk, maybe coz it's Halloween month! More make-up looks coming up.....very excited about one in particular (I just received some jewelry from Ebay, but I still need a few more items & bangs for my hair to complete the look.) No, two actually. I'm excited about 2 crazy OTT looks! =)

I didn't give this one much thought, and I think I should have polished the eyes a little. Oh-kay, enough babbling. Hope you like!

3rd Year Blog Anniversary Giveaway ~ Win Urban Decay Naked Palette & MORE! 3 WINNERS! (Open Worldwide)

Hey everyone, my baby is about to turn 3 years old - on 13th August, and I wanted to celebrate it with a Giveaway, of course. It's a little early, but I had to start it NOW, as I'll be busy travelling & whatnot in August.

I'll be picking 3 WINNERS! There are exciting prizes to win - ALL BRAND NEW IN BOX, and as promised, I got the coveted Urban Decay NAKED Palette from Sephora US. I hope you like the other prizes too! =)

1st PRIZE: Urban Decay NAKED Palette (Review & Swatches here)

2nd PRIZE: NYX Trio Eyeshadow in Pink Purple Prune | Maybelline-HyperCurl Mascara, Black Crayon Liner, Dream Mousse Blush in Soft Plum. In a black INGLOT Mesh Make-up Pouch (I added the bow myself ;))

3rd PRIZE: Benefit Dandelion Wishes (pics here), Maybelline Lip Smooth Color Bloom Peach Blossom, Mini Urban Decay Primer Potion Sin, Sigma Travel Size E25 Brush, Urban Decay  Eyeshadow & Primer Potion samples

♥

This is a giveaway for readers of this blog, so if you'd like to participate, you have to be a follower or subscriber. Please fill in the Rafflecopter form below for your entry to be considered valid:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

-  Giveaway Open worldwide

-  Ends on 20th August, 2012 at 12:01 am EST.
-  Winners will be picked randomly using random.org, and will be announced shortly after end date.

Good Luck, everyone!

Thank You for all the support & encouragement you given my blog - and nonsense - over the years =)
Lots of L♥VE to you all! 

♥ Cynthia Z *.*

Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette Review & Swatches

3 months later, we have a review & swatches! For those who don't know, this palette is a sequel of the iconic Urban Decay Naked Palette. Will it overshadow it's predecessor? Read on to find out.

Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette comes in a sturdy well-made tin box with a wide big mirror inside, and 12 eyeshadows are accompanied with a dual-ended Good Karma brush & a mini Lip Junkie Lipgloss.

Too Faced Powder Pouf Brush With A BOW ~ Product Of The Week

Oh-my-bow! It's like it flew right out of my imagination, albeit a little modified. Meet my new powder brush - Too Faced Powder Pouf Brush. It is super soft (cashmere soft) because it's made teddy bear hair [100% Cruelty-Free] I've washed it once already (before using it), and the bristles didn't shed or bleed.

J'adore!

The satin bow is perched on an elastic band which can be slipped off the handle

My Pink Too Faced Handbag Brush Kit & How To Create Your Own {DIY}

You know how doctors carry their stethoscopes everywhere? We makeup artists/enthusiasts also feel we need to carry make-up brushes with us everywhere. Yes yes, I know, we're not the same & make-up brushes don't save lives, I'm just saying that we feel incomplete without our "tools". Okay, maybe I should have compared us to plumbers instead of doctors. Talking about plumbers, can you believe they killed off Mike in Desperate Housewives??!!! 

Anyways, let's talk about happier things .... Too Faced Essential 3 Piece Brush Set. OMG I'm loving it so much!

One: It's PINK! *squeals*

Two: It's light & perfect for my handbag!

Three: The brushes are made of teddy bear hair. Tip of the cuteness! 

Four: It holds 3 essential brushes. I could live on them. 

I love Too Faced. So princessy & vintage-looking.

This kit is for $39.00 = Rs.2000. Bought it from apothica.com. I got it shipped to Shop & Ship, coz it worked out cheaper, since shipping within US is free. I told you about S&S here

Too Faced Shadow Brushes Essential 3 Piece Set