Primark Black & White Stripe Skater Dress With Blue Belt, £5 (Rs.430) ~ Ya, the blue belt looks so off, but so overlook-able at that price! The fabric is great quality- thick & warm. The black & white stripes make me think of Carrie Bradshaw's 1st Paris outfit.
- Ben Nye Banana Luxury Powder (Price- Rs.400+) ~ It became an instant internet sensation when every makeup enthusiast saw Kim K's makeup artist used it to set her concealer under her eyes. He highlighted & contoured her face (not an out of the ordinary technique if you're familiar with Kevyn Aucoin's work). Now everybody on Youtube is using this powder, and contouring & highlighting like Kim K & pretend it's their original idea *sigh*. I'm drawn to the yellow-ish shade because I used to love using a yellow Kryolan Loose Powder (do try that one if other powders make you look ashy). Btw, Inglot also have similar yellow-ish/peachy loose powders.
- Seche Vite Top Coat (Price- Rs.500+) ~ Is it the world's finest top coat? Many beauty & nail polish junkies seem to think so. I think I want this the least out of all these products..... but I want to try it.
- La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo (Rs.950-1000 in India) ~ Since last year, I'd been looking for it & still have not got it. I've been seeing it everywhere! It's very popular in the UK. When I moved here, I started reading a few UK beauty blogs, and almost all of them are raving about this. They say it really does help clear out pimples & blemishes. I NEED IT! Always 'Out Of Stock' in Boots, btw. I have to get it online.
- Bioderma Crealine H2O (Around Rs.900 for a 500ml bottle) ~ Gentle cleanser/makeup remover. This baby has put this French brand on the map! Is it oil? Is it water? Is it oily water? I gotz to know!
- MAC Candy Yum Yum Lipstick (Price- Rs.990) ~ This bright neon pink matte lippie was a limited edition item which came out with the Quite Cute Collection in 2011. By popular demand, it is now part of the permanent line. Woohoo! I'm happy even though I got it in 2011, and have done a look with it here & swatched it here.
- Beauty Blender Sponge (Price- around Rs.980) ~ Dampen it.... bounce it.....roll it....dab it....that's how you use it to blend face products with it for a flawless finish. It has a suede texture and its unique curves fit the contours of your face. So darn pricey for a sponge BUT everybody loves it, wants it. I want to squeeze - no, pinch - it.
- Moroccan Oil (Price- Rs.2000+) ~ This is old news, but I have not mentioned it before, so I will now. It is Moroccan Argan Oil for hair. It not only claims to make your hair healthier, it claims to reduce drying time as well. I hadn't even heard of argan oil until this came along, and now all hair care brands have copied it. BUT original is original & first is first, okay? Nobody will care if you & I are the next people to climb Mount Everest. But good God, look at that price!
Yes, I MUST have ALL of them! Follow the herd togreenerprettier pastures.
You joining, or are you already there?
♥ Cynthia Z *.*
Naked Part-3. It's like I've been living on only Urban Decay Naked palettes for over a year, no? Okay, I will change that this year. I will go get some new eyeshadows & palettes this weekend. Sleek plan of action!
For now, we'll have to finish our conversation about the last one of the trilogy. GoodUrban DecayL'Oreal, please let it be the last one!*
*L'Oreal bought Urban Decay..... like a boss.
Are you tired of all my Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter reviews? I am very tired of them myself. There's nothing I hate more than repetitiveness. But it snowed yesterday & I really wanted to click photos of a red lipstick against the white backdrop. I didn't want the photos to go to waste (like many many others), so I decided to post these quickly before I go do something in the snow again (omigosh, it's starting to melt!)
I promise. Last Revlon Lip Butter. NO MORE.
I know foundation shopping is a tough chore. It's become easier these days with beauty blogs that give you a pretty good idea if a particular foundation is what you're looking for. BUT picking the right shade is still a challenge for a lot of people. I've lost count of the number of foundations I've used, but I'm still not a 100% confident when it comes to picking the right shade.
Once, when I was buying Revlon Colorstay Foundation at a Watsons in Kuala Lumpur, I almost went mad! Mr.CZ had left me alone to do my makeup shopping, and when he came back after an hour, I had not moved an inch from the Revlon shelf. My hands & arms were dirty with swatches, I was so exhausted, and I think I wanted to cry a little bit. Really. I wanted to sit on the floor like a child, raise my arms & cry out: "HELP ME! WARM GOLDEN OR THIS BEIGE-SOMETHING??? SOMEBODY! WHY ARE YOU ALL STARING AT ME?!!!" I told you I almost went mad.
It has gotten easier since then. Buying my most recent foundation (Rimmel Wake Me Up) took only a minute or two. I thought it would be kind of helpful if I shared a few tips and things like that.
What I do:
- Set a day for foundation shopping, and I don't wear much makeup on my face that day.
- Take along a bottle of my favorite foundation shade for comparison*. I swatch it on my hand & swatch the others alongside it to find the closest matching shade. For me, it's Make Up For Ever HD Foundation #120. You'll see why below.
- *Don't use up all of your favorite foundation or throw away the bottle, so you can use it as a guide to buy your next foundation. Unless you're buying the exact same one.
- If I didn't carry my "guiding foundation", I'll pick shades like Nude, Beige, Sand.... basically, shades that look more yellow & I'd swatch them all on my arm in an orderly fashion (smallest number first), so I don't forget which is which if they look very similar.
- Then I'll take the foundations from the swatches on my arm with my fingers & apply them on my jawline or neck side-by-side.
- I'll pick the shade that blends into my jawline & neck perfectly.
- I take a pack of Wet Wipes & tissues. They make swatching many shades at the same time so much easier. In India, they may not be as important, because most stores have SA's who are always ready with cotton balls & cleansing milk. But in drugstores, there's no such service, you're on your own.
- Having a handbag mirror which has a magnifying mirror on one side can be super helpful when buying foundation.
A spontaneous look I did in between coughing fits. I ate 2 small packets of popcorn one night and next day my throat got so sore & my voice almost gone. I usually like having sore throat so I can sing "I'm all out of faith....this is how I feel....I'm cold and I am shamed....lying naked on the floor...." but this time I don't soundexactlylike Natalie Imbruglia.
Anyways, this is how MAC Mehr Lipstick looks on me. I'm liking it a lot, and it actually looks better in pictures.
Face: Garnier BB Cream, Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation, Maybelline Cover Stick Concealer & Rimmel Nude Scandaleyes Kohl to conceal, Rimmel Stay Matte Powder.
*Confession: I forgot to conceal under my left eye! Because I only planned to do a EOTD with just the right eye... haha! See how my concealed right eye (with YSL Touche Eclat) looks more lifted & my left eye looks dragged down and tired? Especially in 1st photo.
Cheeks: MAC Stereo Rose Mineralize Skinfinish. Shown here
Eyes ~ Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette (review & swatches to come), Rimmel Extreme Definition Eye Definer Black, Max Factor 2000 Calorie Curved Brush Mascara
Lips: MAC Mehr Lipstick (Matte). Photos & Swatches here
Earrings: Accessorize
Peach Leather Jacket: ZARA.
A handful of readers wanted a comparison between these 2 Lakmé eye pencils, so here goes....
I have reviewed both of them:
One is definitely better than the other. Let's find out which one!
Price: Eyeconic Kajal-Rs.199 | Kohl Ultimate- Rs.650.
Pigmentation: They are both black, but Kohl Ultimate is more intense. Also, I had to press Eyeconic Kajal harder to draw the swatch above.
Pencil Softness: Kohl Ultimate is softer, gentler & glides more smoothly. Eyeconic Kajal gets harder especially in winters, and sometimes I get that something-is-in-my-eye feeling when I have it on. I never get that with Kohl Ultimate.
Comfort: As I'm writing this, I have Kohl Ultimate on my left eye & Eyeconic Kajal on my right eye. My right eye wants to blink more, left eye is relaxed.
Because this is a Limited Edition product, I thought I'd post quick swatches in case some of you are considering getting it. I will post a review with a face swatch sometime.
MAC Stereo Rose Mineralize Skinfinish is one of MAC's most popular & hyped limited edition products. Whenever it comes out, it sells out very very quickly. I think that's the main reason I wanted to get it. I wanted to see for myself what the big deal is, you know. It recently came out with MAC Après Chic Collection (for the third time, I think?)
This is an infographic that Revlon India sent over after they got the results from polls they conducted in their Facebook page in an attempt to understand Indian women’s habits on cosmetics. More than 70,000 women participated in these polls. All this was part of the launch of the revolutionary Revlon ColorStay Whipped Crème.
♥
Let's see what my habits & secrets (if that) are:
I am BUGGED most by foundation that.... is too dry to blend effortlessly & end up looking cakey.
I normally apply foundation using..... brush. Sometimes with fingers. If you want to avoid the unnatural look, get a synthetic buffing brush like the Sigma F80
How often do you apply foundation? It's part of my daily makeup routine. It makes everything else look better.... look complete.
How much time do you spend applying makeup? 15-30 mins.
Which compliment would you feel happier to receive? "WOW! Your skin looks flawless! It's glowing! It doesn't look like you have makeup on!" =D
How many times do you touch up your makeup in a day? Powder- once or twice, depending on the weather. Lipstick- more than 3 times for sure.
What's your skin type? Oily/Combination. Verging on Normal in winters.
[Err... what about "How much are you willing to spend on a foundation?"
I'll answer it anyways: No more than (Rs.1000) Rs.900 if it's a drugstore brand.]
Good news: Revlon ColorStay Whipped Crème retails for Rs.800. I will be reviewing it soon-ish.
If you feel like it, do copy the questions and jot down your own answers in the comments below =)
♥ Cynthia Z *.*
How did I not know about this sooner?!!! MAC is releasing a collection inspired by Betty & Veronica of Archie's comics. Oh....my....bows!
Did you know?
You know how I came to know?
My blog stats. A bunch of people looking for "MAC Archie's Girls swatches" landed here last night. It was more than once, so I got curious.
My first thought was lipstick from some new collection. I hadn't thought about Jughead's two-timing idiot friend in a really long time.
I did my favorite thing. I googled.... and.....
"A Girl Should Be Two Things..
Classy & Fabulous."
And she should also have fancy jewelry-inspired USB's and drives to store all her fabulous photos & data.... and yes, if they are pink & havediamondscrystals on them, even better!
