Sleek Makeup Candy Collection Photos & Swatches

The night before I went to buy these, I had a dream:

A cardboard box came in the mail. By mail, I mean it magically appeared inside our front door. The box was quite big, oven-sized. I was ecstatic, because I vividly remember seeing all my teeth. I opened the box, and saw another smaller cardboard box inside it. I opened the smaller box, and saw a long pink box among some bubble-wrapped things. As I dragged the box to the living room, I clicked photos at the same time. In my mind, I was doing unboxing for the blog. I had no idea what I was unboxing, but I kept clicking and walking towards the bright living room. I was about to unwrap everything and find out what's inside the long pink box, then....

I woke up. I woke up! Why? Why do dreams like this always get cut short???

I felt cheated & irritated when I got up. Later that day, I headed to Superdrug and got some Candy to get over the anticlimactic dream.

Sleek i-Divine Candy Eyeshadow Palette ~ All bright and sweet shades with cute names: Strawberry Sherbet, Bon Bon, Parma Violet, Apple Sour, Pear Drop, Flump, Liquorice, Blue Fizzle, Aniseed, Bubble Gum, Mint Cream, Cream Soda.

 Price ~ £7.99  |  Rs.730.

Sleek i-Divine Candy Eyeshadow Palette Swatches

Sleek Makeup Blush By 3 Sweet Cheeks ~ This is a palette of 3 blushers- a cream blush Cupcake, a matte blush Dolly Mix & a shimmer blush Candy Floss. This is a Hot Seller, because there was only 1 left that day. I got it only because I called Superdrug, and they kept it aside for me (Phew!) All the colors are so deliciously pretty! Take a look at the swatches below....

 Price ~ £9.99  |  Rs.911.

Sleek Blush By 3 Sweet Cheeks Swatches ~ Cupcake (cream), Dolly Mix (matte), Candy Floss (shimmer)

A fuchsia pink Pout Paint named LOL-Lip-Pop is also part of this collection, but I did not get it.

This collection is Limited Edition.

Available online at SleekMakeup.com. Sleek ships worldwide. I have ordered from India before.

♥

I know I went overboard with the macaron photos, but I hope they made you candy happy! =)

NEW! Bourjois Color Boost Lip Crayons ~ Photos & Swatches

My favorite brand has jumped on the bandwagon, and has launched its very own lip crayons ~ Color Boost Glossy Finish Lip Crayons.

"A new generation formula that provides a bare lips sensation thanks to its sensory, light and non-sticky texture. With it silk extract formula, Color Boost ensures comfort and hydration for 10 hours. Plus, it has SPF 15 and Waterproof colour!"

Available in 4 shades (left to right in pic above):

• Orange Punch
• Fuchsia Libra or Fuchsia Libre or Fuchsia Free (not sure!)
• Red Sunrise
• Peach On The Beach  

Swatches ~ Orange Punch, Fuchsia Libra, Red Sunrise, Peach On The Beach

They are all pretty summer shades, but my favorites are Red Sunrise & Peach On The Beach. I bought Peach On The Beach to try out, will let you know how it is.

Yes, they are different from Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains. They feel different, and are fragrance-free. Packaging is the same.

Price ~ £7.99 |  Rs.727 (Will probably be priced lower in India.) From Superdrug.

Are you excited about these, or are you're tired of seeing Lip Crayons? =) 

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.....

When A Beauty Blog Is Nominated For A Cosmopolitan Blog Award.....

Election Candidate: "If I win this election, it will give me a chance to build a bridge from River X to the village. That way, when you're done doing laundry in River X, you won't need to do mountain climbing for 1 hour to get to your huts. This is my heart's only wish."

Village People: "YES! YES! YES! Finally somebody who understands us...who cares for us the people! Ah, no more darty darty fingernails & big big insect bites. We lob you man! WE VOTE PHOR YOU!" 

Later.... 

Election Candidate (Now Politician in Office): "Huh?! I don't remember saying anything about any bridge. Do people still go to that filthy River X? Put a tiger in that area, and mark it unsafe. ["EK THA TIGER. BEWARE!"] Bridge! Like I get paid enough to waste my time on something I'll never use myself... Sah-la!"

♥ 

Okay, that's a story I made up. But I have a strong feeling that it has happened in a village somewhere.

As I have mentioned before, my blog has been nominated for an award by Cosmopolitan India:

"We're excited to let you know that your blog (Indian Vanity Case) has been nominated by Cosmo readers in the Best Beauty Blog category for the Cosmopolitan Blog Awards 2013 in Association with Dove! We have now opened the polls for voting so it's time to get your readers/subscribers to vote for your blog!"

Today is the last day open for voting. I owe it to my blog, my baby, to fight for it one final time & request you all to go VOTE for it.

Unlike the Politician, I have nothing to offer. No promises, no bridge. But I can assure you there'll be no tiger that will stop you from visiting this blog, no matter what happens.

You'd think that I've desperately asked (or forced) all my friends, family, friends of friends, cousins, friends of cousins, relatives, in-laws, old school mates, the plumber who came to fix a leak in our bathroom earlier, etc, to go vote for my blog, but NO. I've not asked any of them. Most of them don't even know. I'm still trying to decide whether I should let Mr.CZ vote, although I might, since he reads my blog (read: spies on me) and gives his opinions on photos and stuff. 

Truth is, I want the votes to come from readers who love my blog before me. Readers who come to my blog for the lipsticks, readers who would feel crushed if I ever stopped blogging (not happening any time soon!), readers who know what 'Oh My Bows' means. I want the votes to come from YOU who are reading this right now. So, I'll leave it all up to you.

If you want to VOTE, please go HERE ~ Click on Like next to Indian Vanity Case under Beauty Blogs, scroll to the bottom of the page, fill in your details & click SUBMIT. It's done!

Thank you so much & Love you for voting! ♥

At the same time, you can also vote for your favorite blogs in other categories. All The Best to all the blogs that have been nominated! 

Okay, now I'll go Vote for my favorite blogs, too. And no, I won't foolishly vote for my own blog! =D

TOP 12 Summer Lipsticks

When it comes to numbers, I prefer even numbers. When I was a kid, seeing the number 24 always made me feel good. For no apparent reason, my head would get weirdly excited when I saw it's 24th on the kitchen calendar. I don't know why. This is just a thing, and I'm not saying odd numbers freak me out, or anything.

Then I grew up, and married a guy who is more obsessed with even numbers. Now even the volume on our TV has to be an even number- 16, 20, 24... 40. If it's 15, he will pick up the remote and bring it up or down to the closest even number. Maybe I should ask him what he thought of '24' when he was a kid, no? o.O

So! Here are my (TOP 5) TOP 12 Summer Lipsticks:

From left to right:

1. Colorbar Crème Touch Lipstick Mauve Bliss 034 ~ A glossy light mave-pink that goes perfectly with smoky purple eye makeup. I have not swatched this yet, but you can see another shade - Passionate - that I know is a best-seller because of 'out of stock', here
2. Maybelline SuperStay Lipstick Stay With Me Coral ~ I have serious issues with the  bumps on this lipstick, but I love the color too much to not use it.
3. Rimmel Lasting Finish By Kate Moss #16 ~ Swatches here
4. Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain Rendezvous ~ The only orange lippy I use these days. Swatches here
5. Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain Sweetheart ~ You know I love this! Swatches here
6. Maybelline SuperStay Lipstick Infinitely Fuchsia ~ This is without a doubt my favorite fuchsia pink lipstick. I just can't get enough of it! Swatches here
7. Hello Kitty Lipstick By Superdrug Betz Believe ~ This is officially my favorite rosy pink lipstick. Trying to find a shade exactly like it from other brands. If you know any, please tell me. Swatched here
8. Maybelline Color Sensational The Jewels Collection Berry Brilliant ~  I love to use this lightly as a lip stain. Swatches here
9. Deborah Milano Rosetto MilanoRed #2 ~ A lovely peachy nude shade that's become a favorite. I wore it here 
10. MAC Lustre Lipstick Patisserie ~ Obviously. Swatches here
11. MAC Veronica Lipstick Daddy's Little Girl ~ Satin finish. The unique one I reach for when I don't want to wear any other color. I wore it here
12. MAC Veronica Lipstick Ronnie Red ~ Matte finish. I like that this has a berry pink undertone, which makes it cooler-toned. Swatched here 

Hope you enjoyed this lipstick post. Would love to know the lippies that top your list this summer, too! Oh, and it doesn't have to be an even number ;)

P.S. Voting for Cosmopolitan Blog Awards '13 ends day after tomorrow! If you like reading my blog, please show your support by voting for 'Indian Vanity Case' under Beauty Blogs ~ HERE

Thanks a bunch to everyone who has already voted! ♥ 

Pencil Shading Technique Eye Shadow

Have you ever wondered what it'd be like if you used pencils to color your eyes? While that's possible, you need a brush to achieve the penciled effect. When I was studying Fashion Design, shading was part of Sketching, and we shaded with pencils & watercolors. I was very bad at it the first few times, but with practice I got better. Today, I thought I'd try it on my eyes with eye shadow.

I really really enjoyed doing it, and I think I might stick to this technique. 

I used only 3 products:

• Beige eyeshadow (WOS) on my lid as a light base, a black eyeshadow (Crave)  for shading. Both from Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette
• An pointed eyeliner brush used like a pencil.

If you noticed the shimmery brow bone, I did a different makeup before this and maybe I didn't wipe it off properly.

If you want me to do a tutorial on this shading technique, let me know.

Happy Weekend, everyone! I should have been cleaning & mopping the house, but I played with makeup instead, so that's been postponed till tomorrow. Tonight, I'm just excited to watch Stoker and, of course, eat a lot of junk.

Outfit Of The Day ~ Crop Top & Skater Skirt

In about 1 minute that skirt is going to fly and spread out like an umbrella (under my umbrella...ella...ella...) But nobody saw. Never wear a skater skirt when it's windy.

And in about 10 minutes, while walking on the road, the rain is going to come down on me like an unwanted birthday blessing. I didn't have an umbrella (ah, the irony!) & my mascara wasn't waterproof. 

This is what I wore on my Birthday over 2 weeks ago, btw. I took these pics in a jiffy before heading out. It was the first time I did a photoshoot in our new balcony, and it was soo windy! We're on the 1st floor, so anyone who walks on the road down below can see. I had to run inside and hide every time a car came by. Hence, the odd leg in previous photo... haha!

Top ~ Quiz Lime Textured Crop Top | Black Skater Skirt ~ H&M. Got it on sale, only £3 (Rs.266)  |  Lime Belt ~ H&M. Sale again, £1 (Rs.89)  |  Shoes ~ Suede Mary Janes from Ebay  |  Clutch Bag ~Primark | Jewelry ~ Primark Earrings, Claires Bracelet, Fossil Rose Gold Watch | Of course I had to wear black tights & a leather jacket too before heading out in the cold.

Lipstick ~ I was confused which lip color to wear with lime green. I tried peach & nude...then in the end I went with coral. I used Maybelline SuperStay Stay With Me Coral (Swatches here). I don't really remember what I put on the rest of my face! Definitely got older!

Hope you have fun plans for the weekend. I want to go to Superdrug and get some new makeup I see doing the rounds in blogosphere, but I have no money. I mean, I have spent my monthly budget online recently. Sigh. =D

How To Conceal Undereye Circles ~ Tutorial

In all my years of beauty blogging, I think this one of the most requested. So many readers are troubled by panda eyes. I personally don't have major dark circles (I have other major skin problems, so I'm thankful this is not one one them). Still, my eyes look tired without any concealer under them, especially on sick/stressful days, and when I'm wearing heavy eye makeup. Some days I apply an extra layer of foundation, some days a concealer is necessary.

Here, I applied some kohl and mascara beforehand, so that they bring out my dark circles more. Black kohl on your lower lash line really brings out your under eye bags, and emphasize the shadows under your eyes.

IVC Tutorial Month ~ Tutorial #2

Step 1: Apply Eye Cream. The skin on your undereye area is thin & delicate, so eye cream will act as a protective layer the concealer can adhere to. Use your ring finger for this as it's the gentlest of all your fingers.

Step 2:  This is important. To prevent your concealer from looking too cakey & cut down blending time, apply and dot concealer only on prominent hollows & shadows. To locate them,  tilt your head down and look up at a mirror. Here, I used a thin liner brush to apply concealer in the hollow and to dot under the eye bags, inner corner & the outer corner between my top & bottom lash lines. You can use your concealer wand or a Q -tip (earbud), too.

Step 3:  Blend the concealer with a blending brush or fingers. You can blend the concealer on your eyelids as well. I prefer not to because concealer usually doesn't blend well with my eye shadow primer and ends with looking blotchy.

Step 4:  Pat the blended concealer with your ring finger just to make sure it's all smooth and ready to be set.

Step 5:  Take some loose powder with the same fluffy brush (or another, if the same is too wet), and dab it on top of the concealer. This will set it in place & prevent creasing.

DONE! 

What a difference, right? My eyes eye looks more awake & less tired! =) 

Products I Used:

• Botanics Radiant Youth Hydrating Eye Cream by Boots
• Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in #3 Medium 
• The Body Shop Loose Powder #01
• Brushes: To apply concealer- Inglot 30T eyeliner brush. To blend & powder- Colorbar Emphaeyes Eye Blending Brush .

Picking the right products:

• If your dark circles are very dark & almost purplish or bluish, try to pick a concealer with yellow or peach undertones. Anything pinkish will make dark circles look greyish.
• Stick to creamy concealers that will blend well & not settle into fine lines.
• Avoid powders that have pink in them, stick to translucent or yellow-toned powders. 

Good Undereye Concealers: I like a few- Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Concealer, Kryolan Cream Concealers, Laura Mercier Undercover Pot, YSL Touche Eclat, etc.

Although I have yet to try them myself, I've heard these are good: Maybelline Fit Me & Eraser Concealers, Revlon PhotoReady Concealer, Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealers & Correctors.

I guess there are a lot of concealers to be explored, and it will require a separate blog post.

I hope you found this tutorial helpful. Do tell us if you have any favorite undereye concealers.