I am someone who carries their world: mother, daughter, 🐶 (OK exaggeration much, I don't have a pet, you get the point right?). I carry at least three lipsticks at any given time, lipsticks to cover all my moods. I rotate my lipsticks every other week and these are the ones currently nesting in my makeup pouch.

I apply a random, mood-adjusted lipstick when I leave for office. The additional ones (showcased here) are backups, or Round 2 lipsticks that come in handy to touch up after a heavy lunch or gossiping session.

L-R: Tarte, MUFE, Colourpop

Tarte Quench Lip Rescue in Nu*e l INR1500

It is a very high-sheen lipbalm that is one part sticky and one part hydrating. The shade “Nu*e” is a muted pink. Don’t expect high color payment, this is moreover meant to be a hydrating and easy to apply formula. My office is blessed with a centralized AC system that sucks the warm joy out of human souls. By the end of the first hour, the skin and lips become dry and parched.

I prefer a hydrating lipbalm, as it allows me to apply them without the hassle of a mirror and without having to get my lazy bum off my chair.


Colourpop Sheen Lipstick in Safari l $5

The Colorpop lipstick in the shade "Safari" (now discontinued) is a variant of the above category, but with a high pigment finish and less tackiness. The color is one of those hard to find, in-your dreams peach that looks good on the tan skin tone. Again, what attracts me to this formula is that it is very hydrating, and allow me to apply my lipstick without having to fuss over stained teeth or splotchy lips. Colorpop has discontinued this formula much to my dismay.

MUFE Artist Rouge Lipstick in C108 Hazel Beige l $22

The is the bad boy on this list. Costing a whopping 1500 Rupees, the formula is creamy and glides on like a dream, but its matte formula sibling, died a painful split death owing to fungal attack. I am very particular about keeping this in my handbag to ensure, they too don’t suffer the same fate. The color is a muted, flesh-toned beige that can border on walking dead lips based on the skin tone.

Nevertheless, this is a shade that is best accepted around an office environment. This formula stays on the lips on an average 3-4 hours before it starts clumping together on the lip rim. If you want to invest in a lipstick, I would suggest you go for a matte finish than the creamy one.

 

 Swatches

That's all folks, so are you a lipstick hoarder like me? Leave your comments below!

Lip Products on Rotation

I am at mommy land (post a bout of bad health), sipping coconut water, munching on tapioca chips while enjoying some time off from daily chores. And that means, no access to my makeup treasure vault back at my place. Stuck with a limited number of items for daily use, these are the lip products I have on rotation:

Maybelline Baby Lips in Lolita l INR 175

The only shade of Baby Lips that I have repurchased not once, but thrice. It is the perfect chapstick with the right amount of color. Quick to just apply on-the-go without having to use a mirror. The color is a pretty, bright pink. The glossy, hydrating feeling lasts for 2 hours, but I don't mind reapplying. Keeps my lips hydrated and chap-free in the stripping AC environment.

Colourpop Sheer Lippie Stix in Safari l INR 350

I have a strong feeling, Colourpop discontinued the Sheer range, as I couldn't find them on their site. The shade Safari is very bright coral, appropriate for tan skin tone. Coral is a tough color for me to pull off, and being a sheer lipstick allows me to wear the product without much discomfort. Keeps lips hydrated and stays put for 2-3 hours. The only concern, product meltdown in the hot and humid climate.

Makeup Forever Artist Rouge Lipstick C 211 l  INR 1540

Got this as part of a Sephora sample kit. Being small and handy, it quickly secured a place in my everyday makeup kit. The color can be dubbed as a mauve, but with more white pigments/more gray tones. If you are darker than NC 42, this color may be hard to pull off. The creme formula is very easy to wear, opaque in one swipe, and stays put fo 3-4 hours. I am not a fan of the smell though, there is something annoying about the smell.

MAC Cremesheen Lipstick in Craving l INR 1450

This is a more pinkier version of another one of my favorites, Brick-O-La. The finish is cremesheen, very comfortable to wear, opaque in one swipe and last for 4 hours on me (without drinking and eating). The shade is a very flattering pinky-mauve, perfect for NC 42 or darker skintones.

Swatches

Sadly, I am missing a pale skin lipstick from this list. Asking Mr. G to get it for me from my vanity is like finding a pin in the haystack and I better not burn my haystack! Have a great looong weekend ya all! while I go back to sipping my coconut water 😎.

Indie Brands You Need To Check Out

ColourPop

The dad of all indie brands. Colourpop is owned by Seed beauty, which apparently, is the same company that owns Kylie Cosmetics. They have been breaking the internet over the last 3 years with different Beauty Influencer collaborations and frequent releases. They are most famous for their cream eyeshadows and liquid lipsticks. Recently, they launched pressed eyeshadows and at $5, the brand is going to pose tough competition to MUG.

USP: Affordable, wide color selection, on-trend products, and unique formula
Ships to India

Juvia's Place

This is a BOB, that has exploded the Insta scenes in 2016. Till now, they have released 4 palettes, namely,  The Nubian Palette (Green), Nubian 2 (Yellow), Masquerade (Pink) and the latest, The Saharan palette (Coral). Inspired by the color, heritage, and vibrancy of Africa, each of the palettes offers a unique take on the African culture. They even sell single eyeshadows and brushes.

USP: Affordable (Search for coupon codes), crazy pigmented, bold colors
Currently, they do not ship to India. Check out Insta sellers like BeautyBuy India.

Coloured Raine

Another black-owned company, that is pretty popular in the Insta world. They are more famous for their not for the weak hearted-liquid lipsticks, but have been scoring some brownie points for their Queen of Hearts palette (limited edition), which is what glitter dreams are made of. They even sell single pan eyeshadows if you would like a taste of this company.

USP: Good quality products
Ships to India or you can buy from Beauty Bay.

Jeffree Star Cosmetics

The brand owner (Jeffree Star) is associated with all that drama, let's focus on the brand shall we? They are most famous for their Velour liquid lipsticks and highlighters. This brand is not the one to shy away from bold colors. They recently launched the Androgyny palette which has some cool earthy shades.

USP: Brand name, good customer service
Ships to India or you can buy from Beauty Bay.

Some other Indie Brands kicking up some major makeup storm:

• Beauty Bakerie: Read Suchi's blog for review.
• Cryptic Cosmetics
• Sugarpill
• Dose of Colours

Liquid Lipsticks Mini Review: HudaBeauty, Anastasia, Colourpop, KatVonD

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?

Colourpop Blush in Thames and Flush'D

Another day, another Colourpop review, and this time it's something cheeky! I will be reviewing the two Colourpop blushes, Thames and Flush'D.

Vital Stats

Product Weight: 4.2 gm
Price: $8
Status: Cruelty-Free

Ingredients

From Colourpop website

Packaging

• Comes in a standard Colourpop white tub, with a transparent screw on cap. 
• The actual product itself is housed inside a metallic pot in the plastic tub.
• Bulky packaging takes up a lot of drawer space.

Product

• The product is very mousey, squishy and bouncy like Colourpop eyeshadows.
• There is a pattern overlay on the blush, which disappears once the first layer is through.
• The product will dry out fast if kept open for long.

Shades

Thames: A cool dusty pinky mauve shade with a matte finish. This shade was part of the Alchemy collection which is currently not available online.

Flush'D: An apricot-coral shade with a semi-matte finish. Though advertised as matte, one can clearly see the sheen and the sparkles. This shade was part of the Kaepop collection.

Performance 

• Application is very tricky:

1.  On applying the product with fingers, I couldn't blend the product and I was left with finger marks across my cheeks.
2.  On applying with synthetic brushes, the brush couldn't pick up enough product, and the result was not very flattering.

• Very pigmented and a little goes a long way. 
• Wore well without fading for 8 hours.
• Colours showed up beautifully on my tan skin.
• Looks super natural when blended, but blending itself is a pain.

Swatch

No face swatch, as I am down with viral flu, and I have been roaming around in my pajamas, with hair tied up in a bun for the past 3 days. Not a pretty pic to post online!

Verdict

I would give them a miss considering the pain in the <places you don't want to name> application process. If you are a cream blush person, definitely try one from this SuperShock Cheek range to see whether you love it or just feel MEH!

Have you tried any of the Colourpop's cheek products?

Currently Loving

Hello JULY, please wait for my brain to process the month we are currently in and just don't sprint off like JUNE did! I'm back with yet another post from the currently loving series. I do try to rotate products on a weekly basis and below are few products that I have been using almost every single day over the past month.

Clean and Clear Oil Control Film l $4.55

I don't quite touch up my makeup as I'm too lazy (to be frank). When I find myself shining like A BRIGHT disco ball, I just take out my blotting paper and blot the oil away. I still have my Basicare Oil Blotting paper, but this Clean & Clear one works better.

I got this from some random supermarket in Bali. They do suck out all the excessive oil, making my face matte without moving the makeup. There is one small con, though, at times, more than one blotting paper comes out of the package and sticking it back is a pain in the bum!

Valentina by Valentino (EDP) l $88 (50 ml)

I got this perfume as a birthday gift and I was instantly drawn towards the minimalistic yet romantic bottle. This is my office scent along with Gucci Flora.

Scent Described: Top: Calabrian bergamot, white alba truffle.

- Middle: Amalfi orange blossom, tuberose, jasmine, wild strawberry.

- Base: amber, cedar 
- From Nordstrom Website

If you ask me to describe the scent in just two words, Warm Jasmine! This perfume reminds me of South Indian weddings, particularly, jasmine flower. The sillage is medium and I love the top notes of the scent, but I can barely feel the scent once the notes settle.

Colourpop Satin Lipstick Frick n Frack l $6

Well, THE.BEST.LIQUID.LIPSTICK.I.HAVE.EVER.TRIED. The shade is perfect terracotta nude for my NC 42 skin tone. The formula is very lightweight and stays put for 7 hours without budging. The lipstick is slightly drying past the 5-hour mark and stains the perimeter around my mouth. Caution: Not a great layer-ER. Remove the flaky layers to reapply.

Kerastase Bain Exfoliant Hydratant Shampoo l INR 1700

My scalp is extremely dry and flaky, and this shampoo keeps the itchiness under check. I use a peanut size of the product and gently massage it on the scalp.The shampoo contains Zinc Pyrithione and Glycerol which is supposedly good for the dandruff prone scalp. I don't generally use it on a regular basis as this is "Ouch! my pocket hurts" kinda-product. Lately, I am forced to use it frequently owing to the sudden outbreak of dry scalp issues.

Loreal Infallible Pro Matte Foundation l $12

I wanted to try the Indian version of the Loreal Infallible foundation for the longest of time, and my dream was crushed into a million pieces when I realised that the Infallible 300 Amber was too pink for my liking the next darker shade, 320 Toffee, made my face look too dull. After a round of Googling, I discovered the US version of the product had a significant yellow undertone.

 #RantStart Why do companies create products that cater to a wide array of skin tones in the US, whereas Indian market always has products that cater to only light-medium skin tone? #Rantover

I had to hunt down my shade (108: Caramel Beige) from Ebay (100% recommend this seller). I do mix it with Estee Lauder Double Wear Light 4.5 for added warmth and the combination of the two is sweat-proof to the 'T'. Very light weight on the skin and gives me a satin finish. I apply this foundation with my fingers. After the 6-hour mark, the foundation does disappear around my nose, where I produce the maximum oil.

So what products are you currently loving?

How To Ship ColourPop To India

ColourPop is known for their Super Shock eye shadows and Lippie Stix and here are a few ways how you can purchase them in India.

1. Instagram Sellers: Approx. cost is 700 per shadow

2. Amazon: Double the actual rates

3. Directly from the Colourpop Website: MAJOR UPDATE guys, ColourPop is starting International Shipping from July 12th. At this point, it's going to be difficult to say about the shipping rates to India. If the current shipping rates to Australia is anything to go by, the rates will be on the pricier side. Also, keep in mind additional Indian Customs charges and missing package issues.

From the mailer I received

4. ShipoutfromUSA

I will be reviewing the ShipoutfromUSA service that I used twice last month. The whole experience was such a breeze. I got to learn about this shipping service through Magali Vaz. For more info, please check out her blog here.

ShipoutfromUSA Process

1. Open ShipoutfromUSA website.

2. Register an account (1).

Important: When you create a new account, use the code MAGALI40 or Instagram40 for availing a discount on shipping rates.

 Automatically a virtual mailbox is created for you in US and UK along with a phone number. This step is free of cost.

3. Login to ColourPop website and create an account. First timer users will get 5 dollars off.

4. Select your items, add to your cart and while checking out, enter the address provided by the SOFU and User Name as SOFU-COUNTRY-ID <INSERT YOUR NAME> [This will be your SOFU identification name and is available as your US Virtual Address Name].

5. Complete the order by making your payment via PayPal or credit card. Your order details will be sent to your email ID.

Colourpop offers free domestic shipping above $30.

6. Send a mail to the ShipOutfromUSA customer care (helpdesk@shipoutfromusa.com) with your order details and Colourpop payment receipt.

7. You will receive a mail from Colourpop when your order is shipped. Send it to the SOFU customer care.

8. Using the tracking code in the Colourpop order email, track your package and confirm with the SOFU team if they have received your order.

It will take 3-4 days for your order to be shipped and another 3-4 days for it to reach the destination. You can track your order through the USPS website with the details provided by Colourpop.

9. Once the SOFU team confirms, they will let you know the shipping charges.

Weight (lbs)	Weight (kg)	Original (INR)	40% Discount with MAGALI40 or INSTAGRAM40 (INR)
1	.5	1380	828
2	1	2070	1242

10. Pay the shipping amount by logging into your ShipoutfromUSA account using credit/debit card.

11. Once the payment is successful, you will receive a tracking number and a confirmation of shipment of your package to India.

 My Parcel 1 was shipped on 7-June (SOFU Warehouse) and  reached Mumbai on 10-June. The travel agent was Bombino.

Parcel 2 was shipped on 17-June and reached Mumbai on 21-June.

12. SOFU team will contact you and will let you know if you are required to pay Customs Duty.

    Parcel 1: INR 246

    Parcel 2: INR 319

If you have Customs Duty to pay, follow steps, 13 to 15.

13. Email bombino@bombinoexp.com requesting for Bombino bank account details.

14. Transfer the Customs Duty via NEFT or IMPS and send the confirmation receipt and ID proof (if required) to the same email ID.

15. Once payment is complete, they will release your package to a local transport partner like DHL and they will ship it to your destination.

My package reached Cochin on:

Parcel 1: 16-June

Parcel 2: 23-June

Overall my experience both times have been very positive and I would recommend ShipOutFromUSA to everyone.

You can ship from other US based websites through ShipoutfromUSA. To shop from Sephora, enter SOFU <YOUR FIRST NAME> as your first name and mail SOFU customer care the details and let them know that your unique SOFU number is not entered(Sephora doesn't allow numbers as the first name). Nordstrom ships to SOFU address too (They stock LORAC/MAC/CT).

Savings Through ShipoutfromUSA: Cost break-down

	Shipment 1	Shipment 2
Total ColourPop Bill	$49 l INR 3430	$50 l INR 3500
Original Price/item              Eye Shadow          Blush/Highlight Lippie Stix	·         $5 (INR 350) ·         $8 (INR 560) ·         $5 (INR 350)
Number of Items	8	10
ColourPop Domestic Shipping to SOFU address	Free above $30
Weight	1LBS	2LBS
Shipping (Post discount)	INR 828	INR 1242
Customs	INR 246	INR 319
Total Cost	INR 4504	INR 5061
Delta Cost Per Item	Approx. $2 per item (INR 140)	Approx. $2.23 per item (INR 140)
Final Cost/Item (Inclusive of Shipping + Customs) ·         Eye Shadow ·         Blush/Highlighter ·      Lippie Stix	$7 (INR 490)            $10 (INR 700)	$7.23 (INR 506)         -         $7.23 (INR 506)

Do leave a comment in case you need any clarification or help!

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