I am a recent liquid lipstick convert. I was happy and content in my traditional lipstick world and then miracle happened and beauty community introduced me to : LIQUID LIPSTICKS. I have only warmed up lightly to the idea of not having to reapply the lipstick at frequent intervals *(Side note: No more leaving the lipstick on the restroom counter)*.

I will be walking you through the pros and cons of liquid lipsticks as well as share my thoughts on the 4 liquid lipsticks I own.

PROs	CONs
Longevity White clumps do not settle along the rim	·        Drying ·        Require prep-work ·        Less forgiving of mistakes

Note: If you love liquid lipsticks, be ready to prep your lips with a sugar-oil exfoliant to remove the dead cells, and then apply a light coat of lip balm. This will prevent the lipstick from accentuating every line on your lips.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipstick in Kathryn l $ 20 (INR 1400)

This liquid lipstick is a recent purchase. The shade Kathryn is a beautiful mid-tone rose shade, perfect for dusky skin tones. The formula is thick and goes opaque in a single swipe. Five minutes post-application, my lips start to pull and feels dry. To counter attack the dryness, I apply few dots of clear lip balm on my lips. The lipstick stays put for 9+ hours.

Note: If you feel this liquid lipstick is too dry for your lips, apply a little lip balm.

Next on my wish list is Allison and Ashton.

Huda Beauty Liquid Matte in Cheerleader l $20 (INR 1400)

A very light-weight formula that doesn't feel drying on the lips. Cheerleader is a bright red with an equal proportion of pink. After 7 hours, the lipstick starts to crack. If I have to pick a favorite among the liquid lipstick gang, Huda Beauty matte liquid lipstick would be the winner.

Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Lolita1 l $20 (INR 1400)

The thinnest and the most comfortable formula out of the lot. That's all the cons I can think about on this one. Lolita 1 is a boring version of MLJustSame, a dusty mauvy-pink.The formula is not as opaque as the rest and disappears from my lips in 3 hours. At the end of the third hour, I can just find a little color on the outer edges and that's it! Another major warning: 'Do not layer this lipstick as it flakes on the second coat'.

Colourpop Satin Liquid Lipstick in London Fog l $6 (INR 420)

This liquid lipstick does not settle down into a complete matte formula and is also the messiest one to apply. London Fog is a bright pink shade.  For reapplication, a visit to the restroom is mandatory as any attempts to try the "NO mirror Challenge" might make you look like the "JOKER". Colourpop liquid lipsticks are very inexpensive. Also, it stays put for 6 hours. Post the 5-hour mark, I can see cracks around my inner rim.

Swatches

So what are your thoughts about liquid lipsticks ruling the market. Do you own any of the mentioned liquid lipsticks?

Onam Edit Makeup

Onam is one of the two major festivals celebrated by Malayalis Hindus. My organization celebrated Onam in full spirit on 8-September. Competitions, pookalam (floral carpet), and traditional Onam sadhya were the highlights of 2016 Onam.

Women wear traditional set mundu (see ref pic) with golden borders and makeup, well, it is non-existent. This year I decided to theme my makeup around the color "GOLD".

My 2016 Onam attire

I planned my makeup way ahead of time, 1 week before. On the D-Day, I had my fail-proof strategy put into motion:

Wake up	7:00 AM
Start the saree draping	7:30 AM
Finish saree draping	8:30 AM
Full-face of makeup	8:50 AM
Reach office	9:00 AM

Well, Murphy's law people, I was still struggling with saree at 9 AM , I was bombarded with phone calls from office as I had promised my team to reach office early for pookalam competition. All in all, I skipped/forgot whole lot of products that I had initially planned for, and ended using only handful of products.

Primer l Becca Ever-Matte Poreless Priming Perfector™

When I want my base to be sweat-proof and foundation to last, I turn to this bad boy. We had a lot of outdoor activities that day, and I knew I would be sweating like crazy and hence this primer.

Foundation l Makeup Forever Ultra HD 153

The best natural finish foundation I own. The major con of this foundation is that I start shining like a firefly (in a bad way) in a matter of 3-4 hours. You might be wondering, then why did I choose this foundation, the reason is: PICTURES my friends. Onam is that day when my office is filled with DSLR-wielding budding photographers who click pictures from all crazy angles, and I wanted to look non-ghostly and as naturale as possible. The foundation didn't last the whole 12-hours, but I can forgive that fact considering I did get some good pictures.

Blush l MAC Desert Rose

I wanted a matte muted blush that would not take away the focus from my eyes. This is the most prettiest matte blush I own and hence the obvious choice.

Eyebrow l ABH Dipbrow Pomade Ebony

Wanted something dramatic and powder just didn't cut it! I had to get the pomade out for the big and bold brows.

Eyeshadow l Lorac Pro

This was the toughest decision I had to take, cause I have so many palettes. It all came down to finding the perfect gold shade and the color, 'Gold' in the Lorac palette emerged as the clear goldie winner. I didn't have the time and patience to go in for a proper eye look, just gold over my lids, Taupe/Sable as crease shade and Espresso on the outer corner and I was out of the door!

Liner l Lakme Instaliner

The chubby kid helped me to wing it out el-perfecto!

Lipstick l HudaBeauty Liquid Lipstick Cheerleader

I have shit lots of lipstick in my stash and I wanted something very long wearing (I knew I would be gobbling down Onam sadhya) and bright, and liquid lipstick was an obvious choice. I  chose the shade Cheerleader as it is the perfect not-in-your-face red, but still bright enough to bring in some light to my face. The lipstick did fade around the inner corner of my lips post-sadhya, which I easily rectified by evening out the color with a clear lip balm.

Lipliner l MAC Spice 

Now, lipliners are understated beauty products. I used MAC lipliner in Spice to increase the longevity and add a touch of brown to mute the red (Some of my friends can be overly critical about red lipstick).

Contour and Highlight l Sleek Contour Kit Medium

If not for the LA Girl disaster, I wouldn't have chosen this contour kit. My contour looked natural and highlight was on-point.

Products That Made the Cut But Were Not Used

From my Instagram account

Eyebase l MAC Paintpot in Indian Woods

I had selected this paintpot as a base for the eyeshadow, but truth to be told, I forgot to use it!

Contour l LA Girl Pro.Conceal Toast

I wanted to wear something cream based, so that it looks natural and easy to blend. Disaster struck, and the contour line was muddy as the nozzle dispersed way too much product. I had to clean up the mess and go in with my Sleek Contour kit in Medium to tone down the harsh lines.

Highlight l Becca Champagne Pop

ABH That Glow Kit was my first choice, but I ain't kidding around with the glow kids, I selected Champagne Pop for that glow from the gods, only to forget and use what I could lay my hands on: Sleek Contour kit in Medium.

Now that Onam is over, I am waiting for the next big festival in Kerala: Christmas. So, which festival are you guys waiting for?