Sephora VIB Rouge Sale 2015 : Skincare Haul!!!

In light of ongoing Sephora VIB sale, I posted my thoughts on some of the holiday goodies a few days back (check the post here). This weekend 20% sale is active for VIB members. I am a VIB Rouge member, and previously Rouge members could use the coupon throughout the entire sale period, but this year it’s on different weekends depending on the tier of your membership. So, sadly the code is not working for Rouge members online for this weekend. However, the awesome associates at my local Sephora store did give me 20% off today as well :-)

Anyway, like I shared in my previous post, I restrained myself from buying a TON of makeup but I certainly went crazy on the skincare front. In my defense ,- I know that I will use up these products. Besides some of these are going to be gifts. Here is what I picked up -

All these are for gifting :-) :-)

L'Occitane Shea Butter Festive Ornament: This is the cutest little ornament! I originally bought it as a gift but now I am totally tempted. It comes in a beautiful festive globe that is very delicately packaged. The products here are very small in size but the overall presentation makes it a very adorable gift. I stock these types of small luxury gift able items for my home visits every one or two years! They are friendly to my wallet, easy to pack in my suitcase and my friends & family love them. Even though they are small in size, quality wise they are just fantastic.

Bvlgari Eau Parfumée White Tea Gift Set: This is another tiny little delightful set. Again, the items are not big in size, but are packaged very beautifully. I know this will make a wonderful gift for some I gift these to. I am even tempted to pick another set. It will also make a great stocking stuffer! I usually prefer to bundle up 2-3 small gifts like this; instead of a large gift because I think this way the recipient has a better chance of liking something :-)

Jack Black The Power Pack: These two sets are named the same, the red set has a beard lube and the blue one has a body shower in place of that. I have not used any of Jack Black’s products myself but I have gifted a few of my friends and they all liked it. I typically buy smaller set that are just $25 but very substantially sized! This year I picked up this bigger pack for my father. He actually used up the entire set I gave him last year and my sister tells me that he quite liked it. The other set I bought is for a dear friend who, I know for sure, loves these products. If you are looking for gift ideas for your male cousins, friends or family members, Jack Black has a few interesting sets.

Bliss Lemony Trinkets: I got 2 of this. It is going to be another mix-and-match gift. Originally priced at $10 but brought down to $7.50! Even though the products are just 1 oz. each, this kit is so simple and yet comes in a very festive holiday type of packaging! Definitely a very good stocking stuffer as well.

Tocca Beauty Crema Veloce Gift Set: Tocca Beauty is one of those brands that I always keep browsing but never gather the courage to indulge in any full size products. I just try to test out as many cute little sets as I can! :-) Last year, I gave a similar set to my sister and she absolutely loved it. So I figured I will try their hand cream myself. It may as well be added as gift I don’t know lol! It is a very nice single item gift too! They have a set with 5 hand creams, but I think the value on this one is much better.

This is what I got for myself and my sister :-)

Origins Let Us Glow: This is a set that I am very excited about. During the VIB sale last Spring, I scored a similar set that had a big-size “GinZing Energy-Boosting Moisturizer “! I have been using it for last 2-3 weeks and I have absolutely fallen in love. It’s a very light moisturizer with gel like creamy consistency. The invigorating, mildly zesty smell immediately awakens me in the morning! Works excellent under makeup as well. I have tried a sample of the Original Skin Mask, the first trial has not been as amazing as some of their other mask but I am sure it is a good product. Also, I am getting low on my current scrub; hence I am excited to try this Ginzing scrub as well. And I know that the eye cream will last a long time.

Caudalie Favorites Winter Set: I believe I am a bit obsessed with Caudalie, and have already many of their products! I have already gone through 2 of their 2014 Favorites Set! The more I use them the more I enjoy! Caudalie is quite an expensive range, so I tend to get these kits to try more products! I love the elixir for winter, especially here in the Windy City. Also, absolutely adore the moisturizer for summer because it’s light and very moisturizing. The hand cream is another favorite! I may be addicted to its fragrance. Also over the past few weeks my eyes have been little sensitive, and I really enjoyed their very gentle micellar water makeup remover. I am pretty excited about the remover that comes in this. 

Caudalie Vine Body Luxury Set:  Another set from Caudalie. If you enjoy mild fragrance in your products but cannot tolerate a strong smell, you should check out Caudalie products. They have very refreshing and very mild fragrance which is not at all overwhelming. Their Lip Conditioner is without doubt the best I have tried (Yes, even better than the Sugar lip treatment). But I refuge to pay 12$ for a full-size. Also, I love body butters and I can never have enough! My dry skin and the harsh winter here definitely call for heavy moisturizer! I look forward to use the Vine Body Butter.

Caudalie Moisture Essentials Set: Yes, my room is looking like a mini Caudalie boutique! The price of the regular size moisturizer alone is $39 and this here is a full size. Basically you are getting the other 2 products free! I have already used all of these products before, so this set was a no brainer J

Boscia Japanese Favorites: I have been intrigued by Boscia for quite a while now! So I figured now is the time to try. It contains 1.7 oz. Thermal Black Cleanser, 0.44 oz. Tsubaki Beauty Oil, 1 oz. Luminizing Black Mask, 1.7 oz. Exfoliating Peel Gel. I will report back once I have used them enough to form an opinion.

Philosophy Purely New Beginnings Purity Cleansing Collection Trio: Another kickass sale item.16 oz. Cleanser with 4 oz. mask and 5.8 oz. cleansing oil for $30 after sale! :-) I have recently used up a big bottle of the Purity Made Simple Cleanser and I sure miss it in my routine. Also, I am always on a hunt for a good makeup remover so we shall see how this works out.

Murad Environmental Shield® Skin Brightening Set: I mainly wanted to try out the “Rapid Age Spot and Pigment Lightening Serum” on the scarring left behind from some nasty acnes! I love the size, I don’t know if I am going to use this right away so it might be awhile before I try and report back to you.

Sephora Favorites Beauty Sleep: I simply picked this set because it has a few luxury skincare products from brands that are very expensive and which I never buy at regular price! The sizes are not at all generous. But after discount, the set cost me 24$ which is alone the price for the much hyped Sunday Riley Luna Sleeping Night oil. We will see how it works :-)

The sale is on till 11/16 and I hope this will help you in choosing what to get if you are shopping this weekend! Even though you are not a VIB member, these are all value sets and you will anyway save some money. Do check out my thoughts on the makeup sets here.

I will post what makeup I actually picked up from the sale next. Stay tuned. :-)

Love,

~Arrru

First Day of Fall with Bite Beauty "Barberry"

Am I excited about “Fall”? Hell no! But has that deterred me from trying out new Fall-exclusive Beauty launches? Absolutely not! I am not the biggest fan of Fall because to me it is a reminder that WINTER is just around the corner! I never liked vampy lip-shades as well! But for some reason this year I have suddenly become so interested in Fall makeup trends; especially dark lip colors! Bite Beauty recently came out with a new range of lipsticks called “Frozen Berries” that are inspired by flash-frozen wild berries! Each shade is dark and fall appropriate but my eyes were stuck on “Barberry”! It was sold out online but I am glad that I was able to find it in my local Sephora inside JC Penny!

Bite Beauty Lip Formulas are undoubtedly one of best formulas I have tried. But recently I have been a little annoyed with them; no personal reason though! They have been releasing out different limited-edition collections which they are retailing at more than the average price of their regular products. They had a new line called Butter Cream lipsticks where they hand cut the bullets in order to retain utmost creaminess. These cost $28 for the same 0.15 oz. of product. Their Lip Lab Limited Release Crème Deluxe Lipstick costs a whopping $36 for the same 0.15 oz. of product. I simply ADORE their rouge crème lipstick formula and I am truly not sure if it can get any better! I personally have not tried these new ranges of products but it seems people like them. I am however still skeptical and a little bit annoyed with the higher price of these new releases.

But just when I thought I am over my Bite Beauty obsession, they released these “Frozen Berries” lipsticks. And they retail at the same price of $24 for 0.15 oz. of product. 5 rich fall/winter shades in Juniper (deep fuschia), Barberry (muted orchid), Plum (rich eggplant), Elderberry (deep purple), Black Cherry (deep oxblood)! The formula is called “Matte Crème” which is described as pigmented and highly moisturizing and is formulated without Parabens, Sulfates and Phthalates. I personally did not feel a lot of difference between this and their regular rouge crème lipstick formula. The packaging is same dark grey rubberized packaging. Very elegant! The only thing I don’t like is that you cannot really distinguish the lipstick shade from outside. It is difficult to grab the right shade without opening the cap, especially when you keep collecting these :-)

Like all of their lip products, this formula is smooth and easy to apply! It’s very comfortable on the lips and weightless and you get the feeling that you are wearing a high end lipstick! It is described as matte but in application as well as finish I don’t find it utterly and drying-ly matte. You can see in the swipe that there is a very subtle metallic hint to the finish; I actually really enjoy that. I think it gives a different dimension to the appearance! 
As I have mentioned before in this blog, Bite Beauty lipsticks has impressive staying power for crème lipsticks. This also lasted for around 5 to 7 hrs beautifully, after that it slightly fades! “Barberry” is without doubt a very unique and complex color. It is described as a muted orchid and it IS a muted orchid :-) In some light it appears to be a grey type of purple but in sunlight it is a brighter richer beautiful violet. And like other purple shades it does not make my teeth look yellow. I am totally LOVING this shade.

I had a pretty hectic day today at work with some field visits but otherwise I would have totally worn this to welcome the official start for Fall weather :-)… This is a limited edition line so grab it while it lasts…and Barberry was available available online on Sephora till late night yesterday but it is currently showing out of stock. If you are interested I suggest you opt for email notification so that whenever it is in stock again, you get to be the first one to know :-) 

If you are interested, I have done a pretty lengthy review of “Cin Cin” from their line back when I started blogging regularly. “Cin Cin” is one of my top 5 favorite lipsticks. But because of the steep price I always end up buying their value sets rather than expanding my collection of regular rouge crème lipsticks. I am so glad that I waited this long for this collection to come out. Now my “Cin Cin” has a pretty little sister :-)

Love,

~Arrru

BECCA Mineral Blush ::: Review and Swatches of the NEW shade in "Hyacinth"

Becca Cosmetics is a prestige cosmetics brand originally founded by Rebecca Morris-Williams in Australia. They have been around for some time but they have been gaining insane popularity among makeup lovers in recent years. I have only tried their cheek products; all different blush formulas as well as most of their cheek highlighter formulas! And pick any one of these, you will fall in love!

I have been using “Wild Honey” and “Song Bird” mineral blushes for a while and I will someday share a blogpost on them! :-) But today, I am going to review one of their NEW and permanent mineral blush shades in “Hyacinth”! Previously mineral blush shades were mostly light and better fitted for fair up to medium skin tones! I am so glad that Becca added these 3 new vibrant shades - Lantana (crimson), Nightingale (mulberry) and Hyacinth. These do look a little darker for my skin tone but who cares! ;-) ;-) I am very happy about these additions because bright and colorful things make me super happy!

This is an expensive blush and Becca overall is a pricy brand! For 0.2 oz. of product the retail price is $32. I had a 20% off coupon from Ulta and they had a promotional event of a FREE full-size “Beach Tint” gift with purchase with 30$ Becca product; how awesome is that! If you have read one of my latest blogposts on “Champagne Pop” you know how much I love the design of these Becca compacts! It looks so elegant and worth the price! Becca is available in Sephora, Ulta as well as in Becca website.

So “Hyacinth” is a bright poppy pink shade (Hyacinth is a flower, native to East Mediterranean btw)! So very beautiful and at the same time very scary to look at in the pan! Like all Becca product, this is extremely pigmented. Texture wise these are powder blushes and the formula is very smooth and velvety to touch and when applied, it gives a beautiful healthy satin-y look to your cheeks. As a dry skin girl, I love this formula! But because they are so pigmented I have to be cautious and patient while applying. I like to use a light fluffy blush brush, just very slightly touch the blush, swirl at the back of my hand and then apply. If needed I will go back and use another one or two layers! Like I already stated, these are UTTERLY pigmented, so you can get the color with just one application but with this strong pigmentation it is safer to slowly and patiently build up the color you want! In the picture here, I put on a heavy layer so it would be easier on the picture! It does blend beautifully and has a very long lasting staying power; when I wash my face at night I can still see some color on! This is definitely not something that I gravitate towards during my busy days. But if I want my makeup to last ALL day, I use this. And Fall weather being upon us, this is a perfect shade to wear.

My only complaint is that the powder is very prone to crack :-) The formula is so incredibly velvety and light that a little bit of shake or jerk may shatter and crack it up; I will never have the courage to bring this with me when I am travelling! But I am personally going to ignore this negative point because the same crack prone formula and texture is what makes this product one of a kind. I understand that shades this bright and deeply pigmented may not be particularly enjoyable for everyone! But I totally love the performance! Overall with my 20% off and a great gift with purchase I am very happy with the purchase.

Becca has been getting a lot of love from me recently. I have been enjoying their beach shimmer souffle, the new limited edition highlighters in “Blushed Copper” and “Champagne Pop” (Reviews are linked if you are interested :-)) ! I don’t think this love is going to die down soon! If you have similar skin tone like mine or deeper you should definitely check these new shades! I very highly recommend all of their cheek products!

Happy weekend, everyone!

Love,

~Arrru 

MAKE UP FOR EVER Artist Palette Volume 2 – Artistic ::: Review and Swatches!!!

I love Make Up For Ever (MUFE) as a brand. I have just a few products from them, but, I find such sincerity and professionalism from these products, and from the brand itself. They have a wide range of shades in almost every product they offer. Also, as an engineer, I enjoy the fact that they use numbers for their product's shade-names :-) Of late, they have been bringing out a lot of new and reformulated products! Currently, I am very intrigued by the new pro bronzers! But, I may already have too many bronzers! :-)

So, let’s talk about the products that I did buy. MUFE reformulated their eyeshadow line a while back, and everyone in the makeup community went ballistic over them! They became very popular instantly. They are expensive, even if I consider the enormous pan size, and I have been hesitating to try. But, these two very new palettes were made available online on Sephora just before their Spring Beauty Insider sale (15% off for VIB/Rouge) ended. As someone enthusiastic about bright colors, I obviously picked up Artist-Shadows 2 (9 Artist Shadow Palette).

The packaging is very nice. It is a cardboard palette but very well built. I like the square-ish size too; it’s unique in my collection. The palette is heavy and strong, and I love that! The pattern on the cover is very intriguing - it’s bold, bright and very artsy! The mirror is good too. Overall, I am loving the packaging now even though it might develop stains.

It is an excellent value limited-edition palette! At a retail price of $42,there are a total of 9 shades in 3 x 3 rows with 1.8 g (0.06 oz.) of product in each pan. Their regular single artist shadow is $21 for 0.07 oz. of product. Basically, for the price of 2 single shadows you get to try 9 different shades that are just 0.01 oz. less. With the 15%, I paid $35.70 before the tax. If you are a fan of colors, you should try this palette.  There are 3 very pale neutrals, 2 extremely bold colors, 1 gold and 3 intriguing dark colors. MUFE has 5 different finishes; all of these colors are either Satin, Iridescent, Diamond or Metallic. There are no matte shades!

I heard so much about these shadows that I guess it made me have way much hope for them! I thought they will stick to my eyelids like glue…ha ha! I have been wearing these for quite some days now and they are really really good. Very pigmented, easy to blend and good to work with. The staying power is strong too. I guess I expected to not want to use anything else after using these shadows :-) But, unfortunately, I did not get that “Oh My God; these are UNBELIEVABLE” feel! It takes me around 12 hours to be back home since I apply my makeup in the morning. These shadows start to fade on me around the 10 hr mark. So, the staying power is really good. Even though they are shimmery metallic shades, they DON’T HAVE any fall out. That's awesome. The other day I wore "Peacock" on my upper lash line as a liner, and I had to go for a 4 hrs long field visit to a refinery. My liner completely vanished; may be because of the humid conditions inside the refinery. It might also be because it was a rushed work-day application by me. Either way, it kind of made me sad. I used the shadows with other primers during weekends while taking my time in doing my makeup and it stayed on my lid for the whole day. I really do love the quality of them!

I-872 (Pearly Pink; Iridescent finish): It is a very soft pale champagne pink with microscopic shimmer. Very very beautiful and shiny. I wear it on my entire lid; a little something in my everyday work-eye look.

D-552 (Crystalline Gray Beige; Diamond finish): I don’t know how to describe this shade, :-). It looks like a pale taupe-y beige (I know it’s a horrible description) and it’s unique in my stash. It is in diamond finish so it is more metallic with some shimmer. I love to wear it on my inner corner or all over my lid; it’s easier that way.

ME-512 (Golden Beige; Metallic finish): This one is much yellower! I love it. Also, even though these shadows are mostly on the paler side but I can still use these 3 on my medium skin tone and make it look appropriate for everyday use :-)
Honestly speaking, once these 3 shades are on my lid, I can’t really distinguish one from the other, or I may have not found enough time to observe, and appreciate in leisure. Typically, I ignore lighter shades in any palette; but I like and use all 3 of them.

ME-700 (Amber; Metallic Finish): I have special affinity for gold eyeshadows. I think gold looks beautiful and very flattering on tan/medium skin tone. Amber is a pale gold and has brown hint in it and very shiny-glittery. I love to wear it on its own or tie it together with the darker shades in the third row.

ME-910 (Electric Magenta; Mettalic Finish): Ooh, that hot pink! I don’t know if I would ever wear this on my lid but it’s so different for me, and I like different. It is a blush shade. It looks very bold and frightening in the palette, and it is pigmented but may be because of its unique texture it does not come across that pigmented when applied, and it is a good thing. I do not need extra carefulness while using the color. I have used it as a blush, and it’s actually very easy to wear. You need just a bit and is easy to blend; I was very scared otherwise. I wore it around 7 am and  it stayed till 3-3.30 pm, very beautifully!

ME-232 (Turquoise Blue; Metallic Finish): I love blue as a color! Navy, Teal, Cobalt, Sky Blue; I love every single shade! This is also not any exception. I see it as teal tiny sparkles on pale sky-blue bed. It is definitely a fun, daring shade of blue and not easy to wear without getting noticed. I love to use it on my lower lash line!  

This is undoubtedly my most favorite row. I love how the colors are bold, strong and exciting, yet they can be worked into an everyday work appropriate look.

S-924 (Purple; Satin Finish): Another shade to be used as blush. Extremely scary to look at, in the pan. But I believe it can still be controlled, I have not used it as blush yet. I did use this as crease color for purple eye-looks, shown here and I love it.

ME-302 (Peacock; Metallic Finish): From my research, I understand that this is one of the most loved shades from MUFE. It’s a deep dark green with a brown base duo-chrome, kinda like my car! :-) :-) It’s very sheeny and very very smooth and bouncy to touch!. It’s so dark and deep that it looks like a deep neutral shade which makes it daytime wearable. I love applying it on my lash-line. I also enjoy that I can go full-on glamour and create a smokey look whenever I want, with this shade :-)

ME-930 (Black Purple; Metallic Finish) : Like Peacock, it is also very soft, squishy, and has a velvety feel to it. I love it. It’s a very deep, dark and shiny purple; almost like a deep eggplant. Perfect for creating a smokey look or to wear on your upper and lower lash-line or in your Outer-V corner. There are so many possibilities!!

Pros:

1. Excellent value.
2. Sturdy packaging.
3. Easy to wear, blend out and overall good quality.
4. The blush option is a nice touch if you are on the go.

Cons:

1. No matte shades.

Comparing to what I had hoped for, I am not head over heels impressed by the shadows, just yet! I am still experimenting and I am hoping to be MADLY in love with them the more I use these. I will still like to reiterate that it is an excellent value, pigmented and long wearing; there is no doubt about it! If you are still wanting to try MUFE shadows, or if you are trying to add some colors into your eyeshadow-wardrobe, go pick it up while it is still available You will not regret it.

Love,

~Arrru

Naked Bee Moisturizer : Surprize Find!!

Travelling for job is often hectic; more so if it includes 100% travel. But I have to agree that there are a few advantages as well :-) If and when I get any chance I like to roam around in the small travel shops or boutiques and in that process I sometimes stumble upon collectible goodies or  relatively new skincare/cosmetics brands. That is how I discovered "Naked Bee" brand while roaming around in a small boutique in Branson, Missouri back in the Summer of 2013.

And I have completely fallen in love with this moisturizer since then. It's not too thick or thin; absorbs quickly and is really "really" moisturizing. Given that my skin is dangerously dry (my regular reader must be sick of hearing this again and again) and parched during the rough winter months here in the Windy City, I need to use my beloved Neutrogena Body Oil in coordination with this. But this is the right amount of moisturization I need for summer. Also it is 70% organic product without parabens, mineral oil, any dye or pigment. Read more about it here. It is also cruelty free which is a always major plus in my book.

There are different types of fragrances in this line including one fragrance-free. Among those I have tried "Orange Blosson Honey", "Lavender and Beeswax Absolute" and I simply LOVE both. I have mentioned before that I don't like strong overwhelming scent in my skincare products but these lotions are so mildly and pleasantly fragranced that I have grown fond of the smell. I have given these as gifts to my parents and sister and they ALL love it!

For the 6.7 oz Hand and Body cream the price fluctuates depending on where you get it from. It ranges from 12 to 16$. For the body lotion with 8 oz. of product the price varies from 16-20$. I believe it is still not available in any convenient stores. I have seen them in 2-3 boutiques near tourist spots in Michigan and Missouri (I travel a lot ;-)) I bought two tubes when I saw it in that above mentioned store for the first time but I placed my second orders from tartburners.com. I am almost in need of new tubes, so if you see it somewhere in stores please let me know. I am eager to try 'sandelwood' next!

Pro:

Organic; no harmful product.

Good moisturizer with pleasant smell.

Cruelty free product.

Con:

Not easily available in stores.

I am definitely repurchasing this at some point of time and I really hope that they start to distribute these in some drugstore. Thank you so much for staying with me till now, have any of you tried these?

Love

~Arrru

My First Ever Eyeshadow Palette: LAKME Eye Color Quartet in "SILK ROUTE"

If you are from India, I am sure there is AT LEAST one makeup item from "Lakme" in your vanity. It has been an iconic Indian makeup and skincare brand. As a child, I remember longing for the fancy lipsticks and skincare items my aunts used to bring whenever they visited us!

I have been saying that I was not much into makeup that much earlier! A few years ago, I was really busy in managing a full-time job, preparing my application to get into MS courses here in USA and saving up for sponsoring my education. An eyeliner, a kajol pencil and a lipgloss; that was all that I had in my vanity. After everything finally came together and I had my visa, ticket all ready to go, I went to the Lakme counter in my nearest mall to get some very basic beauty products. The lady actually gave me a very nice makeover and helped me get some staple products. I picked the Eye Color Quartet called "Silk Route" at that time. To be honest, the feeling was very overwhelming as it was the last time I splurged on myself before becoming a poor MS student in a completely new country! ;-) I believe I am emotionally connected to Lakme as a brand; just a tad :-)

This quad is available at INR 500 (around 9 USD) from Lakme Cosmetics for a total of 7g (0.25 oz.) of products. As per my understanding, the price may vary a little bit depending on where you get it! The best thing is; if you happen to be a reader in India, Lakme is very easily accessible in most malls and also in local beauty stores. They can also be found in online shopping sites such as nykaa, Jabong etc. I am not very sure if it was a limited edition palette as I don't see it in Lakme website anymore. My apologies for that.

Just like the signature black packaging for MAC, typical violet-purple packaging pops into my mind whenever I hear about Lakme. Same typical color scheme in a perfect square, decently thin box with a clear lid. I have to say it is a VERY sturdy packaging. I have travelled extensively carrying it along. It occupies very less space and has the strength to withstand travel travails.  There is a little applicator as well, but we all know how useful they are :-) I did use it when I first started; not anymore. There is no mirror though, which is not an issue for me as I don't use these mirrors anyway.

All the shades are shimmery; if Lorac pro shimmery shades had a little bit more shimmer to them, this is how they will turn up. These are smooth, easy to blend and don't have a lot of fallout. I have to say that I underestimated these shadows! Now that I have been dabbling on a lot of different eyeshadows I can definitely vouch for the quality of these. These shadows are fairly pigmented and give me a SOLID wear of 5-6 hrs. before starting to fade. After that, it does fade quickly. But overall I think they are good shadows and definitely make a very good "first palette".

I am not sure if the shades have individual names so I am going to name 'em myself :-) There are two neutral-hued shades along with two bolder colors.

Magnetic Magenta: This is my fav color from the quad. Looks very dark purple in the pan but transforms to a less vibrant fuchsia kind of color when blended. I love these kind of shades. These bright colors also look very beautiful with Indian outfit when mixed with some gold.

Pearlescent Pink: I am scared of light pink shadows in general. I think they look a bit ashy on my lids. However this is not that bad to carry off.  If you have a lighter skin tone than me, this will look beautiful. Texture wise this shade is a little bit rough than the other ones.

Bridal Bronze: It is a warm mid-tone brown infused with a lot of gold! This is definitely the most useful shade in the bunch. This works as a great one-lid color, especially if you work in a "very" professional environment. I love it using that way along with very thin eyeliner. I also love pairing it with bright colors like fuchsia, emerald and dark blues.

Glam Grey: This is a deep grey+silver mixed with black (I know, very weird description!). Just the color to create a lovely grey smokey eye.

Pros:

• Nice blend of everyday and adventurous kind of color.
• Easy to wear and smooth to blend.
• Offers decent wear time.
• Affordable.
• Very complimentary to Indian outfits.

Cons: 

• No matte shades hence cannot function as an independent palette.
• No mirror in the quad (this might be an issue with some of you).
• Some of the colors appear less vibrant when applied than in the pan.

I used the magenta on the outer half and and the bronze shade in the inner half, of course I needed some matte crease colors from other palettes...but I think it turned out pretty good! I would love to sport this look with some of my indian outfit :-)

This was one of the few VERY FIRST "makeup" products on which I spent my very hard-earned money. I guess because of that I have some kind of weird emotional bond with it. I love exploring the Lakme Aisle when I go home and I might (might!) pick some more of these next time I visit India.

Hope it was helpful, especially for my readers in India. 

Love,

~Arrru

Products I've Used Up/Empties Vol. 1

When I first started reading blogs, watching YouTube videos as well as writing my experiences here in my blog, I would feel weird about "Empties" article. It seems strange to me as to why I would like to know about what products somebody uses I was not able to understand the point on reading about someone's bath products :-) But now I truly understand the point of these empties posts :-) When you use a product and like it enough to use it up (especially cosmetics products...they take forever to finish) and then you feel inspired or still impressed enough to jot down your feelings regarding the product, that really makes sense. And it is a great way to find out about "really good" products :-)

So here it goes, my first ever empty products...

1. Matrix Biolage Root Nourishing Oil: This is a blend of 3 nourishing oil including coconut, almond and sunflower seed oil. It is meant for scalp as well as root-to-tip hair care. I actually got this as a gift from my hair salon back home in India when I got my hair chemically smoothened last October. But now that it's finished, I cannot find it anywhere to buy :-( I TRIED really hard to find it...but my hard luck! :-( But I thoroughly ENJOYED it when it lasted. I love me some deep massage before I wash my hair. I had been regularly using this in combination with my "Old and Faithful" coconut oil to deeply massage my hair and scalp and keep it overnight before washing it off the next day! I strongly believe it has helped me a lot in keeping my hair healthy and straight enough even after almost a year from the smoothening treatment. I just LOVED using this stuff and now only if I could find it somewhere. Please let me know if you all have any clue :-)

2.Schwarzkopf Professional Bonacure Hair Therapy (Repair Rescue) Shampoo and Conditioner: Phew...that was a long name! It was suggested to me by my hairstylist after the smoothening treatment mentined above. Both the shampoo and conditioner are very good to use. I feared that my hair will go back to its fizzy natural wavy self, but I am glad that it is still smooth and healthy enough and more importantly 'Straight' :-) 

I bought this from the same hair saloon @600 INR per bottle and then I ordered it from Beautybay.com but Ulta has recently started to carry this line..I think it costs $. I will definitely keep repurchasing it. :-)

3. Topcare nail polish Remover: Very basic and must-have product right? This is affordable (around 3$), easily available in most of the drugstores and gets the work done. I, of course, need a little more work to remove glitter polishes with this remover. But if you use the "aluminium foil" trick, it works wonders. I am definitely repurchasing it.

4. Lakme nine-to-five Intense Volume Mascara: If you are from India you know all about "Lakme" as a brand. It is an Indian brand which has been in the beauty market for a long long time now. When I was in India, Lakme was one of the relatively higher end brands that was easily available in my place (key word--> relatively, available etc.) 

This was my first ever mascara. I loved using it. The formula is really nice and "wet enough"! I never had any problem with smudging or flaking. And it stays for a long time. I love the short and simple bristles. Perfect for my small eyes :-) I also love the simple compact packaging; it takes a real tiny place in your bag or vanity. And it really lasted for a long time without drying. I will definitely repurchase it; as a matter if fact, I already have a back-up!

5. Neutregena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes: I traditionally don't completely rely ONLY on makeup remover wipes to  remove my makeup. But they definitely are very useful in removing the first layer which means less stress for my clarisonic brush head which eventually prolongs its life. I do not have experiences with many different wipes. But keeping that aside, I love these. They are effective in removing chunk of the makeup. I have stopped using wipes for my eyes at all, but when I did, it did work good enough for simple eye-looks! I am definitely going to repurchase it.

These were not a lot of products, but then again, I don't use makeup products on a day-to-day basis :-) But as I have started to really dip my toes into all sort of beauty products, I am pretty sure you will definitely see more empties in the months ahead :-) !! Thank you for stopping by and I hope it was a good read!!

Love,

~Arrru

The perfect CORAL :: Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-hr Blush in "TIPSY"

Yup. Writing about another Tarte Product :-) I have been using this particular blush non-stop these days!! The sunny beautiful days of summer are here and “Tipsy” looks so bright and happy that I JUST have to wear it. In fact, there are days when I tweak my entire makeup look so that I can flaunt "Tipsy" :-) Yes, I am talking about the much-loved Tarte Amazonian Clay 12 hr. blushes.

Ever since I started to watch Marlena (A YouTube beauty vlogger, in case you are wondering) and Makeup Geek videos which encouraged me to do a little bit of research on that particular shade, I have been itching to try it. But I was also concerned about the price tag! When I finally gave in and decided to buy it, it seemed to be "out of stock" in every Ulta and Sephora store near me. In short, I have lusted over this for a long time before I finally ordered it online from ulta.com. The retail price for these blushes is $26 for 0.2 oz. (5.6 g) of product. I think I scored it at $20.8 during some sale (as you can tell, I hardly pass on any sales). This is a top-notch product and I will happily pay $26 for this!

The blush comes enclosed in a simple plastic packet which I think is good at times. I always have hard time throwing away the beautiful light-cardboard outer packaging that generally comes with beauty products. This one I can easily throw away without any guilt (yes, I am weird ;-)) Anyway, the actual container is very simple yet elegant and quite sturdy. The lid opens completely flat and has a nice big mirror. The best thing is that the color of the container completely matches the blush inside; uber convenient to pick up the exact color from your stash. In the older packaging, these blushes used to have nice adorable design embossed on the lid with a round circle raised on the circumference. I absolutely LOVED the overall design. Apparently they have a new look, hence now it’s only the word "Tarte", which is far less appealing to my eyes. I know “pretty” packaging is not something that defines a product, but if it is costing me 26 bucks, I want it to look pretty damn good on the outside too! :-) Apart from that, how charming is the intricate "river" design engraved in the blush itself? Isn’t it super adorable? The design will wear off with usage but let me appreciate it while it lasts :-) Also, I have read in many blog posts that it goes on much more smoother once the design wears off!

Well, packaging aside, can we just talk about the quality? It's a very pigmented blush; texture wise very smooth and extremely easy to apply as well as to blend. As the name suggests it's a VERY long wearing blush; I generally get 7-8 hrs. of wear. Also, recently, on one lucky day I had a total of 11 hrs. of wear without any horrible fading :-) :-) Tarte has two finishes for their Amazonian clay range of blushes; matte and shimmers. Tipsy is matte. However when I compared it with "Flush” (which is a complete matte, blogged here) I do see a very few micro mini speckles of shimmer when I observe the blush rather closely; don’t worry the shimmer does not transform at all to the cheeks! 

With "Flush (I have the older version)", the very LIGHTEST swipe on the pan is enough. However with "Tipsy", I do need at least two standard swipes to get the color show up on my cheeks. It looks very flattering if you have similar skin tone like mine or even deeper! If your skin tone is paler than mine, you will need to use a VERY light hand. But it will definitely suit almost every skin tone. Oh wait, I have not yet describe the shade in words yet :-) It's looks very orange and a bit scary on the pan, but it is actually a very nice bright orangey-coral color. I love how flattering it looks on my skin tone.

Pros: 

• Very pigmented and easy-to-blend.
• Extremely long-wearing.
• Tarte has a huge array of shades for this particular range of blushes!
• Adorable and very practical packaging.
• Tarte is a cruelty free brand and their products are made mostly from naturally-driven ingredients. I also appreciate that the products don't contain parabens, mineral oil, phthalates, triclosan, sodium lauryl sulphate and synthetic fragrance.

Cons:

• I can't think of one. However, I believe the pan is glued to the container. The pan on this blush started to move in the container. So I am a little concerned if it is weak or something. It's still intact though :-)

You can find Tarte blushes in Sephora, Ulta and at Tarte website. Tarte also offers their products in QVC from time to time. “Tipsy” is a wonderful shade, especially for medium olive-tan/Indian skin tone. And it’s just the perfect color for summer! I will surely use it throughout the year but I am pretty determined to make a big dent on my pan this summer :-) As you can tell, I am completely in love with these blushes and if I already don't have a dozen of blushes, I would try other shades!! :-) 

To be honest, I actually recently ordered one for my sister :-) (don't tell anybody ;-)) Thank you again for stopping by; I sincerely hope it was helpful :-)

Love

~Arrru