April was a very busy month for me! First, work was quite
demanding. It was fun as I got to learn a lot but 10-12 hr. work days can be very
much tiring! Work aside; personally it was quite an eventful month. My little
sister got engaged this month, and to celebrate the occasion there was a small
ceremony back home. I was able to get some days off from work and manage a 10-day
trip to India. The journey is at least 20 hr. for one-way trip and two such
hectic air trips completely took the toll on of my health; I am still
recovering from it!
The trip was super fun though! I got to meet a lot of family
members that I have not met in years! It always amazes me to see how Indian people
can find such immense joy and happiness over news of any marriage :-) I did my sister’s makeup and hair
for the engagement ceremony. During the first 10 days of the month, I was
testing out products from my stash to figure out what I consider the best to
take with me to India. Naturally, I have used all these products A LOT this
month and they are surely becoming my absolute favorite, if not “Holy Grail”
products!
Smashbox Cosmetics Photo
Finish Primer Water: As we age, I have started to have more troubles with
our skin; it has become acne prone, and yet there are a lot of serious dry and
patchy parts on my face! Same for my sister! This primer water has been quite
the savior! It does not irritate the oily, acne prone areas while hydrating the
drier part and provides a moisturized skin for makeup application. It’s super
easy to apply, absorbs quickly and truly prolongs the wear of the makeup. Also,
isn’t the travel size bottle so cute?
Make Up For Ever
Ultra HD Foundation: No wonder this foundation is a cult favorite. I am
amazed at the staying power of this. The one pictured here is not exactly mine
or my sister’s shade but I custom mix it with a lighter shade of Smashbox BB
cream. The combo gives me the exact coverage I want without being too cakey. My
sister is just a shade or two darker than me and the same combo with different
proportion works great for her! It got a
tad bit oily after 6-7 hrs. (You have to keep in mind that it was a crowded
family event in a hot, humid gloomy day :-))
And I had to powder, but other than that it was perfect. I definitely need to
invest in a full-size bottle!
Makeup Geek (MUG) Eyeshadows:
Hmm, where should I start? Similar shades as the colors shown in this palette can
be found in many different brands; before the trip I even tried same look with similar
shades from Makeup Geek and from Natasha Denona on each of my eyes! But in the
end I decided to take MUG shadows with me as it was just so easy to pack and
carry around whatever shades I want! I had their regular matte and shimmer
shadows (Ice Queen, Crème Brule, Morocco, Cocoa Bear), a few duo-chromes (Mai
Tai, Steam Punk, Typhoon) and 3 foiled shadows - Fortune Teller, Untamed, Flame
Thrower! These three were the star of the show that day. I created a look with
Typhoon and Steampunk to match my golden-green dress. For my sister, I did a
halo eye look with the foiled eyeshadows…it flattered her beautiful red-gold
Assam Silk attire so beautifully! She looked adorable :-) I am just a little
bummed that we did not get enough time to take better pictures of the makeup!
Kevyn Aucoin The Pure
Powder Glow in Myracle: I know,
it is a scary shade, but works perfectly with bright Indian dress. I have to apply
it very carefully but I like the brightening affect it instantly provide to the
overall makeup look. It’s a pink shade but it really completed the bright red
lipstick she was wearing! I also used the same shade on me! It’s flat matte
shade, very easy to blend and has very good staying power. It’s a tad powdery
but I don’t find that a problem!
Bare Minerals The
First Resort Bronzer kit: Another old favorite; no matter how many
different bronzers I try I always come back to this. Unfortunately this was a
Limited Edition product and that is why I use it out only for special
occasions! I absolutely love the sheen and glow it gives without being too shimmery!
Becca x Jaclyn Hill Shimmering
Skin Perfector in Champagne Pop:
Unfortunately I forgot to picture this. But there is nothing like Champagne Pop, especially on olive medium
skin tones like me. And it also pops against all those traditional Assamese
dresses with golden motifs. I feel like it binds the entire look together. I
also love how it looks more blended and better with more wear time. I gave one to
my sister and she is in love with it; much like I expected!
Stila Cosmetics All
Day Stay Liquid Lipsticks in Beso:
My love for red lips runs deep! And I was extremely assured that when it comes
to red lipsticks nothing can surpass my love and affinity for MAC Ruby Woo. But
I was so wrong! I got this lipstick in
deluxe form as Gift with Purchase from Sephora a few months back. However, I
did not like the formula for “Venezia” from the same line last year and that
discouraged me to try this out. You may already know that April was Sexual Assault
Awareness Month and I tried to join the #redmylips
campaign. When I was checking my stash for red lipsticks this caught my
attention! Since then I am wearing it every chance I get. I absolutely love the
shade, it’s very brightening but it’s not an orangey tomato red! Ruby woo is
slightly deeper and less warm than this. I got so many compliments on this
lipstick during the event :-) The
formula is thin and extremely opaque in just one swipe! It was easy to apply and
fix any mistakes. And it stays for a long long time. On the day of the
ceremony, it stayed on through multiple cups of tea, water and one very heavy Indian
meal combined with an extreme amount if talking. Every time I wore it, I was truly
satisfied with the wear time. Also, it does not dry out my lips that
horrendously. New holy grail :-) The
only issue with this is that it bleeds a little, but that’s why I love the next
item!
Jordana Easyliner for lips in
Sedona Lace: I have two of these lip liners and I have been using them for
quite a while. They are automatic, has nice firm consistency, quite opaque and
very friendly to use. And they are so inexpensive! It definitely helps in
stopping any lipsticks that might bleed. I think they definitely need to come out
with more shades.
Skindinavia The
Makeup Setting Spray: With all the heavy makeup and humidity in India a
good makeup setting spray is indispensable. There are a few that I like and I
think this one is worth all the hype. It helped me and my sister survive a long
hot humid eventful day :-) Only her
eyeshadow smudged a bit but I know I used a little too many layers of foiled
shadows. Everything else was on point, even after 1 full hr. of dancing at the
end of the day.
I hope you all had an eventful month as well. I am trying my
best to recover from vacation blues and get back to my regular life :-) So, definitely expect more posts
here :-)
Love,
~Arrru
PS: Here are some picks from the event...we are wearing Assam Silk attires, which is very peculiar to our place :-) And the makeup on both me and my sister is of course by your's truly :-)
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