Life With & Without Face Powders ~ A Guide

How I Fell In Love With Powder:
I had this flatmate/friend in college. She had a dusky skin tone, and her skin was flawless! Smooth and spotless, albeit major dark circles around her eyes. She loved taking care of her skin. Even before brushing her teeth in the morning, she would make a paste of besan (gramflour) and grounded nuts to wash & exfoliate her face with. I'd never have the energy for such things that early. Her mom would send her these containers of powdered nuts mixed with other powdered stuff specially made for her skin. Read between the lines here. So this girl used to put on a Lakmé Compact Powder when she went out - the puraana (old) one that came in a green packaging - and her skin would look even more flawless! I could stare at her skin for hours. I was a simple eyeliner & lipstick gal then, and that's when I decided to try out powders.

And.... a perpetual habit was born.

I've never talked about powders before, so I thought I'd do it today. Below are some of the powders I have with me right now, and I'll just talk through them and let you know my favorite and the not-so-favorite kinds, for your reference:

Loose Powders:

• Make Up For Ever HD Microfinish Powder ~ If you feel this powder, you'll fall in love instantly. It will haunt you, until you go back to the store to buy it. That's what happened to me in Kuala Lumpur. It makes skin feel like silk. It's white because it's meant to suit all skin tones. The reason why I don't use it much is because if you use too much, it'll definitely show patches of white, especially in photos. Let's not forget it's rumored to have caused a lot of makeup mishaps for many celebs

• NARS Loose Powder in Beach ~ It's a nice setting powder, but I wouldn't buy it again.

• The Body Shop Loose Face Powder in 01 ~ This is my 2nd container, so you can imagine how much I like it. I always seem to go back to it.

• I couldn't find my Maybelline Dream Matte Powder (pics here), which is a pretty good handbag compact

• Also, MAC Blot Powder (pics here), which I'd somewhat forgotten I have until now, this moment! =\

Compact Powders:

• Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in Sandstorm 004 ~ It's a nice inexpensive drugstore compact, but it's not as silky as I'd like it to be.

• MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Light Medium ~ I like this one when I'm not wearing foundation, and I want a little bit of coverage.

• Lakmé Perfect Radiance Intense Whitening Compact in Ivory Fair 01 ~ This is too yellow for my skin tone. It's also heavier than most of the compacts I've used. I was quite disappointed with it.

• Majolica Majorca Pressed Pore Powder ~ This was from a Limited Edition collection. It's my current handbag compact powder. Just a translucent compact powder. More pics and swatch here

Compact 'Vs' Loose Powders ~ I personally prefer Loose Powders, because they feel lighter and look more natural over foundation. I only use compacts for touch-ups, when I'm out.

THE BEST Loose Powder I've Ever Used: Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Powder. It costs around Rs.2600, and I get why it's won most beauty awards. It contains the finest French cashmere talc, hence very smooth and lightweight. A mini version came with the Undercover Pot that I have, and I've already used up the powder before the duo concealers. It's been on my wishlist for years.

Best Way To Apply Face Powders: I prefer using a fluffy powder brush when using both loose & compact powders, because I only want a thin veil to set my foundation. When I use a powder puff, I dust off excess with a brush- preferably a soft synthetic one, like the Too Faced Powder Pouf Brush.

Picking Powder Shades: My skin has a golden undertone, so I like using powders with some yellow in them, and I avoid pinkish-looking ones. I usually go for 'Translucent' (transparent) or natural beige shades. If you have a neutral skin tone, pick beige shades. You could always mix 2 powders, if you can't find the right match. Kryolan makes a yellow loose powder that suits most skin tones, and can be mixed with beige & tan powders.

Life Without Powders: One weekend at the in-laws, I noticed that I didn't pack my The Body Shop Loose Powder + I'd also switched handbags and left my makeup pouch where my compact was at home. I felt a very withdrawal symptom kind of feeling. Clean & Clear Oil Blotting Sheets to the rescue, thankfully.

If you don't want to wear foundation, but want your skin to look radiant and fresh, try powders and see the difference!

Hope you found this post helpful. Would love to know which powders you love.

NARS Angelika Blush

You know what (I think) Barbies, Fairies, Princesses & Angels have in common? I think they all wear a blush like NARS Angelika ~ A cotton candy pink with gold and silver sparkle. 

Angelika is the prettiest-looking pink blush I'd ever seen. It's performance also lives up to its appearance. It's pigmented, smooth, and the shimmer in it isn't garish or chunky. I'd say the silver shimmer is more dominant, because I hardly see gold.

*Pics taken with & without flash, because it has shimmer. 

NARS Angelica Swatch (with flash)

NARS Angelica Swatch (without flash)

If you want a matte pink blush that is somewhat similar (in the same color family) & cheaper, you could check out NYX Blush Pinky. I've swatched it here

 

Price ~ $27  |  Rs.1566

My Rating ~ ♥♥♥♥♥ 4/5

Availablility ~ I got mine from Apothica and shipped through Shop & Ship.

Ooh, now I'm in the mood for more candy pink stuff! Wait for it.....

The Orgasm & Coralista Look-Alikes (Blushers)

I was organizing my blushes, and thought it'd be fun to compile my shimmery peachy-coral blushers. I hope the photos & swatches will be helpful. Enjoy!

Nars Orgasm Blush DUPE In India

I've found just the perfect dupe for the iconic Nars Orgasm Blush that you can find in most cities in India. I bought this "dupe" specially to compare them for you all who are on the hunt for something similar to the original.

It is the Bourjois Lilas D'or #33

See for yourself.........

Reviews ~ Nars, Chi, Benefit, Tweezerman

Here are the reviews on the Pretties From StrawberryNet

Nars Multiple Duo ~ Maldives/Riviera

Two words. Love it.

I was very very surprised to see how big the packaging is. In my head, I thought it would be the size of the blush and each multiple would be the size of half the blush. I adore both the colors and I find the texture of the Multiples very interesting...smooth yet neither sticky nor oily. The pigmentation is also "Just Right"
I wish I was the one who created it ;p
Buy Again? Absolutely! In other colors, of course.

Benefit ~ Thrrrob Turned On Face Powder

This is too sheer to be worn alone, so I like to layer it over a cream blush. It does bring a nice glow to the face. The brush is nice, not to mention the fabulous corset box. But I can live without this for sure.
Buy Again? Nope.

Chi Silk Infusion ~ Silk Reconstructing Complex

Omg this smells *sooo* good! Ironing does go smoother with this on my hair. I haven't used it much, but I know that even if it does not improve my hair, I'd still buy it again for the lovely smell.
Buy Again? Answered already.

Tweezerman Tweezers

WOW! These are amazing. Tweezing feels so effortless with them. They are sturdy and they grip the hair so tight that you don't have to worry about not pulling from the roots. I love that they come in a vial and has a tip cover, this ensures that the tweezers will always be as good as new even when you carry them in a stuffed make-up pouch/bag.
Buy Again? I don't think I'll need to. But if I had to, Y-E-S.

I hope these reviews will be useful to some who are thinking about trying these products.

By the way, StrawberryNet has a Valentine's Day Promotion going on right now until the 14th of February. You can check out the details ~ Here 


Valentine's Day!!! Woohooo....! The first occasion of the year when you can really justify splurging :)

Have a great weekend everyone!

♥ Cynthia Z ^_^

Pretties From StrawberryNet

I received this parcel from StrawberryNet  after Christmas. I must say, I am very very impressed with the fast shipping (I received them within 10 days) and how they packaged everything in a box filled with thermocol so the cute little things will be shipped without any damages (Don't we all just hate it when they come broken?!! \= )

For those of you who don't know about Strawberrynet , it is a Hong-Kong based online shopping destination that sells discounted cosmetics and offers free shipping to anywhere in the world. 

What makes it easier to shop at Strawberrynet is the scroll down tool that lets you select your region/country before you shop so that the currency will automatically be converted to your own. Not only that, you can select our own language too - for those who can't read the universal English. For us Indians we can pick Hindi. By "us" I mean most Indians and a very small part of my Hindi-challenged brain :)

Honestly, I personally like that everthing is in alphabetical order and when you click on one brand, you'll see everything in one page- from eye to lip products. Quick and easy. No confusion. 

Who has the time to find cow when seeking sheep???

I'm so glad I've found an alternative to Ebay. A beauty addict living in India, where all the most wanted cosmetic products don't come easy, needs more than one online store to seek gratification from.

Strawberrynet sells almost every popular cosmetic brand from Mac to Laura Mercier to Bobbi Brown to Philosophy (I might order a lil' bit of "Hope" later) to Shu Uemura to YSL to lots more. I should have ordered the YSL Touche Eclat from them instead of the nearby mall to save a few bucks. Damn!

And yeah, you'll find beauty tools, hair products and fragrances at discounted prices too. Right now, get Super Special 30% - 60% OFF on fragrances like Britney Spears Curious, JLo Glow, YSL Babydoll (all my favorites) and lots more. 

The Pretties. MUAH! :*)

• Chi Silk Infusion Silk Reconstructing Complex
• Nars Multiple Duo ~ Maldives/Riviera
• Benefit Thrrrob Turned on Face Powder (I'm so turned on by the corset design box ^.^ lol)
• Tweezerman Tweezers ~ Pink with white polka dots

If you want to grab any (or all!) of these products for yourselves and many more click ~ Here

Remember how much I wanted these tweezers?!! Should I add crystals on them later on? hehe...

I will be reviewing all of these products  later when I've used them for some time okey dokey...

Any of you have tried the products above? Do let me know how you find them.

Till next time...have a great week you all! =)

♥ Cynthia Z ^_^

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Best Of The Two ~ From Skincare to Make-up

Here, I'm going to pit one beauty product against another similar one, and pick one WINNER based on the product I like more, regardless of their prices.

***All products listed have been tried and tested by me personally, so please keep in mind that what works for me might not work for you.***

Rules: They just have to make me love them, that's all.
Referee: Smothered by all the products...gasping for air! =D

So, let the fights begin!

Skincare:

 Olay Total Effects 'Vs' Pond's Age Miracle

The Winner is ~

♥ Pond's Age Miracle ♥

Because it feels better on my skin, it's less oily than the oponent and my fine lines are gone! It has tiny light reflecting particles which make the skin glow  *Can't be used in the eye contour area. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Pond's White Beauty 'Vs' Fair & Lovely Multi-vitamins

The Winner is ~

♥ Fair & Lovely Multi-vitamins Cream ♥

Because it is just better! Not drying like Pond's WB (which is hard to blend into the skin and "Pinkish White Glow"? No thanks!)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Pond's Flawless White Day Cream 'Vs' Nivea Sparkling Glow Day Care

The Winner is ~

♥ Pond's Flawless White ♥

Because it is one of the best creams I've ever used. I don't even want to talk about the loser.

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 Lakme Peach Milk Moisturizer 'Vs' Olay Moisturizing Lotion

The Winner is ~

♥ Lakme Peach Milk Moisturizer ♥

Because I survived all of last winter on it. Smells great, sinks into the skin and it's non-greasy.

*Olay ML made me breakout

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Garnier Pure Pimple Pen 'Vs' Clean & Clear Acne Speed Clearing Gel

The Winner is ~

♥ Garnier Pimple Pen ♥

 It's clear, it's effective and easier to use. The other oozes out uncontrollably when squeezed and I don't like that it's white and noticeable.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Make-up:

 Kajal ~ Lotus Herbals 'Vs' Himalaya 

The Winner is ~

♥ Lotus Herbals Kajal ♥

Because it is a little more smudge-proof than Himalaya. Do you see that it looks matte? Even the packaging is better. I did a review on it here

*I hate the smell of Himalaya Kajal and when sliding it's cover to open and close, you risk beheading the half-out kajal :[

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Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner 'Vs' Mac Fluidline

The Winner is ~

♥ Maybelline Gel Eyeliner ♥

Because it survived under water and soap unlike Mac Fluidline. Plus it comes with an amazing brush, not to mention it's cheaper too. Will get it in Black as well.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Blush ~ Benefit Coralista Vs Nars Orgasm 

The Winner is ~

♥ Benefit Coralista ♥

I like both of them equally because they are very very similar. After staring at myself in the mirror for about 5 minutes and imagined I had a gun to my head, I decided that I like Coralista more...umm...I think so.

More fights another time. I don't want this post to be too long and I gotta sleep...zzzz...

♥ Cynthia Z ^.^

Nars Orgasm Blush

First of all, I want to proclaim "I ♥LOVE♥ EBAY!!!"

Okay, now I'm back to earth.

Received my Nars 'Orgasm' blush today. Mondays aren't so bad after all :)

Will let you all know what I think about it in a few days.

For now, let me enjoy this 'honeymoon' period.

P.S: I was about to add ".......with my Orgasm." in the last line, but I thought it would sound like..... ermm..... oops! Oh, never mind ;)

♥ Cynthia Z ^.^