When I was watching Jaclyn Hill's Ride or Die Makeup Tag, I instantly knew that there was no way in this life or after, I would have a ride or die product in each of the makeup categories. There are so many products that I "LIKE", but not "LOVE"! I decided that I will just fill in categories where I have clear winners.

Primer l BECCA Ever-Matte Poreless Priming Perfector™

This primer is the oil-sucking Edward Cullen of the primer category. Keeps my skin matte for 6-7 hours, and does a wonderful job in minimizing my pores. If you have dry skin, stay far far away from this primer, as blending the foundation on top will turn your face into a Sahara desert (dry patches).

Foundation l  <Yet to find my knight in shining bottle>

I am a foundation junkie, and I am always on the lookout for the next best thing in the market and for this very reason, I couldn't pick one foundation that rocked my boat. I like the finish of MUFE Ultra HD, wear time of Estee Lauder Double Wear, and coverage of NARS. Unless someone decides to come up with a hybrid as described, I would let this space be empty.

Concealer l LA Girl PRO.conceal Warm Honey l Link

I have raved and raved about this concealer, so much so that it  featured in my 2015 favorites post. You can read the entire review on the link provided.

Eyebrow l Urban Decay Brow Box l Link

My dream eyebrow kit! The kit contains two shades (dark and light), wax, and eyebrow tools for keeping the unruly brows in place. The kit is slightly on the pricier side (INR 2100), but totally worth the moolahs.

Eyeliner l Maybelline Colossal Kajal l Lakme Eyeconic Kajal l Link

Every Indian girl will have either one of the two kajal as part of their daily beauty routine, probably one of the first "REAL" makeup item that we were introduced to. I prefer the later (Lakme) a tad bit more than the Colossal Kajal. I have had better-performing liners (Marc Jacobs), but at end of the day, I go back to these two.

Eyeshadow l ABH Shadow Couture Palette l Link

It was a limited edition palette, but if there is ever a re-launch (Norvina, listen to the prayers of us mortals), I would buy two of these as backups. This eyeshadow palette has everything that you want, beautiful transition shades, crease shades, highlights, and metallic amazeballs. This palette will elevate your average 9-5 girl-next-door look to bad-ass rocker chick look.

Blush l Milani Luminoso l Link

This is a100 W bulb in a pot. The blush gives a nice coral luminous flush to my cheeks and hands down one of the most flattering coral shades on tan skin tone. Good job Milani!

Contour and Highlight l Sleek Contour Kit in Medium l Link

One of my first and most loved contour and highlight palette.The contour shade is perfect for my NC 42 skin tone and the champagne-hued highlight is nicely milled and doesn't leave a streak of highlight that can be seen from the outer space.

Lipstick l MAC Creme in Your Coffee l Link

The perfect "MLBB" shade for NC 42 skin tone. Probably, my most used lipstick!

So what are your ride or die makeup products?

What's in my Macy's Shopping Bag

I have been sitting here on a Saturday, browsing online, and randomly adding things to my cart. "Black Friday Is Coming" and I am slowly making my wishlist.

Image: http://www.gadgetinspector.co.uk/

I have never shopped from Macy's, but I have shopped from Sephora and Nordstrom (I even got my Nordstrom order shipped to India through ShipoutfromUSA). The main reasons, why I chose Macy's to build this wishlist are:

• Sephora doesn't ship to forwarding addresses.
• Macy's had a better offer on Clarisonic Mia 2.

Anastasia Liquid Lipstick in Kathryn l $20 (INR1400) l Link 

Sexy:
MLBB:

Unique:

I wanted to try the Anastasia liquid lipstick formula for the longest time; the opportunity never came as I was not a big fan of liquid lipsticks in general. I have been having a U-turn with liquid lipsticks lately, primarily because they are long wearing, meaning I don't have to touch up. Since my new found love, I have tried KVD, Bonjour, Colourpop, HudaBeauty and I realised that I prefer more of a thick formula like Colourpop. I am super excited to try ABH liquid lipsticks!

Image: http://www.anastasiabeverlyhills.com/

Tarte Tartelette Tease Eyeshadow Palette l $21 (INR 1470) l Link 

I want to hold a giveaway for my readers in the future and what better way to treat my readers than picking up an international brand that is not available in India. I had picked out Stila "Lips are sealed" Liquid lipstick set (link) and as I was searching, I found the Tarte eyeshadow palette, it is a perfect size for travel, and consists of 6 everyday neutral shades that most people love.

Clarisonic Mia 2 Garden Party Skin Cleansing System l $99 (INR 7000) l Link 

The "thing" that started it all, I am pretty gung-ho about skincare lately, and I wanted the Clarisonic skin cleansing system to deep clean my face once in a week. I wanted Mia 2, as it supported two speeds (Universal speed for daily cleansing and Delicate speed for sensitive skin) unlike Mia 1 which supports only 1 speed. Now, this is where it get's interesting, Clarisonic Mia 2 is available on Nordstrom website (link) for $129  whereas on the Macy's  website I will get additional brush head and cleanser all for $99, which I think is a super awesome deal.

Urban Decay Lipsticks Hitchhike, Ravenswood and Afterdark l $17 (INR 1190) l Link 

Urban Decay recently came out with whopping 100 shades in different finishes, ranging from sheer to ultra-mattes. I own one shade from the Vice-line, Rapture, a cream finish lipstick that I love. I so want to try the comfort matte finish that everyone is raving about. 
Hitchhike looks like an everyday neutral shade (peachy-brown), Ravenswood (reddish-brown), and Afterdark is clearly a side effect of watching TotalMakeupJunkie101.

For swatches of all 100 lipsticks, visit Temptalia.

Note: The shade, Hitchhike is not available on Nordstrom website. 

The rest of the items in my shopping bag are samples.

Brands that are not available at Macy's

• Hourglass Ambient Dim  Light Lighting Powder (travel size) l $22
• Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder (travel size) l $25
• Lorac Mega Pro 3

Images: Trendmood1 Instagram page, Nordstrom Website

I might end up picking these three. So, do you have a wishlist?

Currently Loving

August has been harsh to me! And it’s not even 20^th …here are few products that I am loving over the past few weeks:

Just Herbs Silksplash Facewash l INR 325

I have used this product before (here) and we had the perfect love story until I decided not to pursue the long distance love. I recently repurchased and immediately noticed the new and improved (sturdier) packaging. The first time around, the pump broke on the second usage. The product is formulated with neem, bitter orange peel, aloe vera juice, honey and is certified organic. The product is clear, smells slightly tangy and doesn’t lather. With my face on the oilier side, it cleans my face nicely. If you have drier skin, be vary, the product may further dry out your skin. This product is now part of my evening routine (I am trying to be consistent)

MUFE Ultra HD Foundation Y405 l CAD 50 (INR 2600)

The hype is real, at least for the first 2 hours, this is the best match I ever had with any foundation. Skin-like finish even with a stippling brush. The con, my face starts becoming oily in a matter of 2 hours, and as the day progresses the natural shine glows through. I have not tried this foundation with a mattifying base and post-application powdering.

MUFE Ultra HD Y405

For International Shoppers: MUFE HD foundation (original) costs around INR 3900 in Sephora India and approx. INR 3000 in Sephora US. As CAD exchange rates are low, try to shop from Sephora Canada!

Marc Jacobs Gel Eye Crayon l $30 (INR2100)

Was part of the Sephora birthday gift. Creamy, jet black, long-wearing and pricey! You can read my full review here.

Is it me or is anyone else excited about the new Urban Decay Naked Ultimate Basics? I am so in love with the shade, Extra Bitter. Definitely going to purchase this palette once it's out!

Image: Urban Decay Cosmetics Instagram page

Urban Decay Naked 2 Basics Review

Urban Decay is a US-based brand, well known for the Naked series of palettes. With the success of Naked 1 (neutral-gold), Naked 2 (cool-silver), Naked 3 (rose-gold), Smokey (dark hues), they came out the mini versions of each of these palettes called Naked Basics. Naked Basics 1 (warm-matte) didn't interest me much as Naked Basics 2 which I thought would be a great on-the-go palette. I snagged in from Beautybay during one of their sales at a marked down price.

Vital Stats

Product Weight: 6 x 1.3 g POIDS NET/NET WT. 6 x 0.05 oz
Original Price: $29
Purchased at: INR 1700 (sale) from Beautybay

Ingredients

Packaging

• Cardboard outer packaging with a small description and shade names on the bottom side.

• Inside, you can see your sturdy/lightweight bronze metal case with the standard UD logo. 

• Inside the metal case, a good quality mirror is provided.
• The shade names are imprinted on the case.

Shades

UD Naked 2 Basics is an all matte palette with 6 shades leaning towards cool tone and with a lot of gray/taupe undertones.

• Skimp: Yellow-beige
• Stark: Pink based nude
• Frisk: Cool light gray
• Cover: Light brown
• Primal: Gray-brown
• Undone: Gray

Performance

• Extremely powdery
• Blends well
• Brush picks up excess product
• Some shades won't show up on tan skin (Cover literally blends into my skin)
• Nice transition shades for lighter skin
• Multi-purpose palette. I use Undone as an eyebrow shade and Primal can be used as a light contour shade.

Verdict

If you are pale, matte, and cool tone shadow loving person, you may love it (that's way too many checkbox to tick), else let it pass.

So, what are your thoughts about this palette?

Review: Urban Decay On The Run Palette

I carry my world in my purse, and with half of the baggage exploding with makeup items, I'm always on the hunt for a versatile, all in one palette. Urban Decay On The Run palette is a perfect palette to throw in you bag, on the run.

Packaging

• The palette by itself is housed in a cardboard box with marbled print and the details of the palette imprinted on the backside of the box. 

• Housed inside, is the rose-gold metal box with the same marbled top (very pretty) and embodied golden writing. 
• On the back of the metal case, details of the palette is printed (similar to the cardboard).
• Removable slots for eyeliner, lipgloss, and mascara.

• Good size mirror that will come handy on the go.
• The packaging is heavy and bulky, but very sturdy.

Cost

$54 (INR 3780)

Contents

1. 5 eye-shadows I 5*0.04 oz

The limited edition shadows are very buttery and easy to blend. The shadow quality is not quite on-par with when compared to UD 1 and UD 2. Minimum fallout, and OK-ayish pigmentation.

• Dive: Pinky-gold with metallic sparkles
• Fix: Brown with grey-undertone (Hardly shows up on my NC42 skin)
• Resist: Golden taupe (Satin finish)
• Dare: Matte warm brown (Perfect as a transition shade)
• Stun: Brown with golden chunky specs and a touch of olive

2. Brow bone highlighter 5050 I 0.07 oz

The highlighter has a very subtle sheen to it and looks pretty when applied. I noticed major fall out with this one (I used my RT brush to pick up the product).

3. Blush and Bronzer duo I 0.3 oz

Blush looks screamingly pink in the pan, but if used light handedly, it can be Au-natural for dusky skin beauties. Slightly chalky and powdery.

Bronzer is not a good match for my NC42 skin, but may suite lighter skin tones.

4. Travel size Perversion Mascara I 4 ml

I've not used the mascara yet.

5. Full size Naked Lipgloss Sesso I 0.03 oz

Gloss is sheer, light pink, not a good choice for pigmented lips. If you have a matte lip, and want to add in a touch of gloss, you can use Sesso. It's not sticky like MAC lip glosses.

6. Travel size 24/7 glide on eyepencil Stag I  .03 oz

Eye pencil. It's a good quality pencil, and I guess brown balances out the eye shadows.

The eye shadow lacks a darker color that is a mandatory item to create a smokey eye. You can use this brown eye shadow to build up color on the outer corner.

Swatches

Verdict

All in all, this is a versatile palette, but would suit lighter to medium skin tone. If you ask me if it is a must have, eee....I would say, probably not! It's better to invest in UD 1 or UD 2.

July Favorites

We are half way through August, and I was meaning to post this in the first week of August, but somehow got postpone. Better late than never right?? so here goes my favorites for the month of July:

   

                                         

LA Girl Pro.concealer: A cheaper alternative for MAC Prolongwear concealer, available in a wide range of shades, and one that wears for whole 9 hours. You can read my review here. The shade Medium Beige has been a savior the past month, I have been constantly using it under my eyes to brighten up sans-foundation.
                                              

Maybelline Colossal Liner: A girl cant have enough liners. I had Maybelline Hypersharp Liner in stock, which dried out in a month much to my dismay. I had little to no hopes for the new one, but surprisingly its been a revelation for me, this month. I can draw precise winged liner and it does dry quickly without much smudging.

Urban Decay Eyebrow Kit: I am a brow on-fleek kinda girl, I have quite thick eyebrows with bald spotting in between, I have been using this brow kit and absolutely love this stuff. Not black, but dark enough to be masked as real hair, this kit comes with a lighter shade, brow wax, and brow tool. I don't get much use of the other items, but  the shade that matches my hair, stays puts for 9 hours and looks quite natural.
                                  

Chambor Loose Powder: This was an impulsive buy, but then I quite find good use out of it. SA suggested I pick up a darker shade, but I wanted it to powder my under eye concealer. Has nice strong yellow undertone, thereby giving my under eyes a very bright effect. Contains finely milled glitter which is noticeable only on close inspection. It has all problems associated with a loose powder, but then I can pass up on those design flaws as it quantifies for being a good setting powder.

So what are you favorites for this month?

Perfect Palette Tag

I have my Gia Bath and Body Works Chocolate face mask on, hair up in a bun, relaxing in my favorite nook while writing up this post. How was your Sunday been so far? This is a tag I love watching YouTuber's do, so I decided to make a blogger version of the same:

Best Packaging : Too Faced Chocolate Bar 
The sleek packaging is a chocolate lover's dream, looks amazing, and smells even more amazing. I will have to give this to Too Faced.  The closest contender for this title was TheBalm Nude T'ude palette, but the hard casing of the Too Faced palette, that shuts tights thereby making it more travel friendly scored major brownie points for Too Faced in this category and is what ultimately gave away the title.

Best Color Payoff: Urban Decay Naked  1BAM BAM BAM intense, the color pay-off is amazing, so is the longevity. I usually wear my shadows as liner, and after even after 8 hours, they stay intact on my oily lids.

Most Versatile:  Inglot Custom palette 2
I have a crease, matte black, satin and shimmer shades in this custom palette. Having made this myself, I can quickly remove one shade to replace with another that I need based on the occasion, thereby making it versatile.

Best for Traveling: Urban Decay On The Run
Yes, the palette is bulky, but I mostly have some extra room in my luggage while traveling. I would definitely take this one with me as the palette has everything you can imagine to put up different looks together.
UD On The Run is perfect for travel as I can avoid traveling with multiple products. The palette  contains, 5 eye shadows, a blush, bronzer/contour, highlight, lip gloss, eye pencil, and mascara.

Biggest Regret: MAC BrownLuxe
Got it as a gift for my birthday, I hunted down this palette through 5 MAC stores in Bangalore. I had to make a long trip to 1MG Mall just to get my hands on this and sadly, I don't use them as my other palettes. One major factor being, the small strips are such inconvenience to pick color up from. The brush seems to touch two strips at a time. Also, the color fades unevenly. I will have to call this palette a regret solely on basis of cost per utilization. Cost around R. 2800 ( $44) but I haven't got any use out of it.

Best Color Names: TheBalm Nude'Tude
TheBalm knock it out of park when it comes to cute packaging, I had to chuck this palette out of best packaging category solely cause, they have cardboard packaging which is not very convenient. The names  are hilarious and naughty too ;)
Color Names: Sassy, Snoby, Stubborn, Stand-offish, Selfish, Sultry, Sophisticated, Seductive, Sexy, Silly, Serious, and Sleek

Least Used: Makeup Revolution Iconic 3
A dupe for UD Naked 3, sadly I don't reach upto the palette as I need to. I am not a big fan of  rose toned shades, also it's difficult for such colors to show up on my skin, unless it is pigmented like UD Naked 2. I don't want to pass it on, as I feel a palette with rose tone shades would be useful at some point in time :)

Most Used: NYX Love in Paris (Madeleines and Macaroons)
I have hit pan on one of the shades (dark chocolate), mainly cause the shade is my go-to eyebrow filler color. This is one of my first palettes which I bought from NYX US website. They have some really pretty neutral shades that I use on a regular basis.

Most Loved: Urban Decay Naked 2
I initially thought, UD Naked 1 was a better choice, as I am more of a neutral kinda girl, but turns out, I prefer UD Naked 2 as they show up on my lids as compared to UD Naked 1 shades. Though UD Naked 1 was my first Naked palette, I received UD Naked 2 as a gift from hubby, before UD Naked 1 could reach me from US.

Desert Island: Urban Decay Naked 2
For all the above reasons, I would choose Urban Decay Naked 2 as my Dessert Island Palette.