Brand New Bite Beauty MULTISTICKs - Blondie, Macaroon and Cocoa ::: Review & Swatches!!!

I recently got Bite Beauty’s brand new “Multistick”s in 3 full-size shades complimentary from Influenster; Makeup Gods must be quite happy with me as I had been really itching to try these :-) If you indulge in beauty products but are not familiar with Influenster yet I highly recommend it. It’s really wonderful! I have gotten several other voxboxes from reputed brands, but this was definitely the most generous one.

These multisticks launched just a few days ago exclusively on Sephora.com. They retail at a price of $24 each for 0.17 oz. of products, so compared to their Amuse Bouche Lipstick formula you get 0.02 oz. of more products for $2 less. 

Ever since Bite Beauty discontinued their Rouge Crème Lipsticks I have been holding a harmless grudge. That formula was a one of my most favorite lipstick formulas. Even though it is an interesting product I was not really keen on spending my money on lipstick-like product; let’s face it - I have a dangerous number of lipsticks!! But I am beyond happy that I was selected for this VoxBox. Needless to say, my review will be 100% honest. Actually, I have to admit that when I began to use these I approached it with some reservation. Like I said, ever since they discontinued Rouge Crème I have been sad. I also did not really enjoy the Amuse Bosch formula which replaced the former. But after using these for almost 2 weeks now, I have to admit that I have been quite enjoying the formula of these multisticks!

Let’s talk about the formula first and then I will discuss the shades and application! On Bite Beauty website it is stated that they have 35% powder in each bullet and are made to create a soft focus look with a cream-to-powder finish. They are definitely very pigmented, very creamy and super easy to apply. On your lips you will be able to get opaque, even application in just one swipe. Despite being creamy and relatively soft these don’t move or bleed on your lips neither do they become greasy on your cheeks. I have used Blondie and Macaroon both on my lips and cheeks and they have definitely held up decently during my almost 12-hr work day. I will discuss the wear-time in detail in a little bit. The packaging is typical Bite Beauty bullet in grey elegant tubes! They feel quite sturdy.

“WOMEN HAVE ALWAYS USED LIPSTICKS ON EYES AND CHEEKS. I WAS INSPIRED TO DEVELOP 
A BLENDABLE FORMULA THAT PERFORMED EQUALLY WELL ON LIPS, EYES AND CHEEKS.” - Bite beauty founder Susane Langmuir.  It is very true that man/women have been using lipsticks as blushes for as long as makeup has been a recognizable activity. So, in my mind these are by no means an innovative product. But yes, they took a timeless idea and put it in a convenient packaging. They are designed to use on eyes, lips and cheeks with equal ease and performance. Here’s my thought – these are extremely enticing and user-friendly in theory but it will actually depend on what type of makeup look you like.

Wearing Cocoa on outer V, Blondie on inner lid underneath MUFE I-544, Cocoa as contour shade,
Macaroon as blush and on the Lips

Application on eyes: it was very easy to apply and blend. I even did a look using Blondie on the inner lid and cocoa on the outer V. I loved the final look – it appeared like one of those very chic, high fashion looks. But unfortunately it did not last all day. By 5-6^th hour, it creased and did not look nice anymore. I don’t see myself using these on my eyes, especially when I have a long day ahead.

Application on lips: Hands down, my favorite application! Creamy, even, opaque layer in just one swipe. It lasted the entire day, applying lip balm over it around 4-5 pm definitely helped but even without it, my lips do not become overly dry. I am also surprised to see how easy to layer it over or under another lipstick to get a custom shade. I have using Blondie a lot by mixing it with my somewhat dark, unflattering nude shades. I am in LOVE.

Wearing Cocoa as contour shade and on the Lips

Application on cheeks: I have a weak spots for cream products. I find them super easy to apply. I had very dry skin so naturally I found creamy products very useful on my skin. But as I age, my pores are getting quite bigger and I can no longer wear creamy products on my cheeks every single day. But that aside, I do like these. Very easy to blend and offers really good wear-time. I was also able to use Cocoa as my contour shade. I am not really expert in contouring but I was able to get the desired look. The contour did not last as long as the blush though.

Influenster sent 3 shades! When I opened the box for the first time, I was a little bit not-so-happy with the shades. But, now I do really understand why they choose these 3 universal shades – one for pale, one for medium and one for deep skin tones. If I would have personally picked these, I would have selected different shades.

Blondie: It is a nude beige type of a shade. As you can see, it is almost is similar to or lighter than my skin-tone so I thought I would not be able to wear it. I like it as a blush because it gives me just that little bit of color that is perfect for a normal work day. I actually have been wearing this on my lips as layer underneath other shades that are somewhat unflattering on my skin-tone. I love how it makes them wearable.

Macaroon: This definitely is my favorite shade among the three. It’s a very pretty blush pinky/rosey shade. I almost want to call it a coral shade! Anyway, very pretty shade; opaque, excellent on the lips and blendable, great as an everyday blush shade on me as well. I absolutely love it.

Cocoa: This is a cool tone extremely deep brown shade. I respect those men/women who rock these deep vampy shades but I am not cool enough to wear them outside the house yet; may be some day!! I did use it as contour shade on my forehead, cheeks and jawlines. It is a very strong and deep shade so I have to make sure I have blended it enough. I will still continue to use it sparingly but I can see how it can be a very useful shade for deep skin-tone beauties.

So, overall I really like them. Do I really need them though? That will depend on what’s your approach to makeup. If you are a minimalistic with your makeup and don’t like to fuss around with a lot of products in the morning you will definitely enjoy these. But if you are like me and love trying different products, then you are going to get bored using the same products for three different purposes and end up using them just as lipsticks! Personally I am not really thrilled about this being a “multi”sticks! But I will surely keep using them as lipsticks and occasionally as blushes. I love the formula and I think the price is at par with other bite products.

Did you try these? What’s your thought? I am not sure if I want to buy another shade but “Papaya” looks so very flattering for my skin-tone!

Love

~Arrru

In loving memories of my first ever foundation :-) ::: Lakme 9 to 5 Flawless Creme Compact

Here and there in this blog, I have shared my very first memorable trip to the makeup counter back in India. Just before I came here to USA, I spoiled myself for the last time and bought a bunch of stuff before becoming a poor student again :-) Although, my interest in makeup developed much later after that but I will always very fondly remember that trip. 

Today I am talking about "Lakme 9 to 5 Flawless Creme Compact" that I bought during that trip! This was my first ever base product, and now that I have successfully "pan"ned it :-), I figured it deserves it's own separate post.

Lakme is an iconic brand in India. I remember this being the "luxury brand" back when we were growing up! I remember how my mother would treat herself with a Lakme Nail Polish every festive season :-) "9 to 5 Flawless Creme Compact" is a cream to powder matte formula that comes in a beautiful rose-gold compact packaging. There is very good sponge applicator (I wash and reuse mine) as well; its a very handy packaging but a little bit bulky. After 2 years of rigorous usage it broke at the joint between the compact and the lid and I am so surprised to see that it did not fall into pieces. Please keep in mind, I have traveled extensively with this; 2 international travels, 4 or 5 relocation and countless domestic travels within USA! It has survived it all. The mirror is quite nice too. It is available on Lakme.com for 550 INR.

I use the shade "shell". When the Sales associates demonstrated this on me, it felt like my perfect shade! Back then, my skin was a bit less-dry in some places. So this formula was comfortable to wear. It does not give full coverage but I liked the sheer to medium coverage I could get with this. But since I came to US I have been living in cold places, my skin has slowly become significantly dry, I do not like to use it on my face anymore. But I love to use it on my neck. I love that because I don't have to use my beauty blender down my neck. This sponge makes applying the cream on my neck super fast and super easy. For last year or more, I am exclusively using this for that purpose and hence it took me this long to finish it up. Now that I have finished it, I am definitely missing it in my routine.

Would I buy it again? I don't see myself using it on my face but like I said, I absolutely enjoy how convenient it is to use on my neck to blend out the shade to match with the rest of the face. I may pick it up when I go home next. It will depend on how much I miss it before that :-)

In any case, this is a very first major makeup "empty pan" product and I am totally enjoying that feeling. What is the last makeup product that you finished?

Love,
~Arrru

Holiday 2015 ::: "In theBalm of Your Hand" is finally in the palm of my hands :-)

Today I am talking about “In theBalm of your Hands” palette from theBalm Cosmetics. As an inquisitive person and a blogger I am always eager to try out new products from different brands! The vintage glam meets corky chick style packaging from theBalm has intrigued me for a long time now. When I saw a whole lot of their best selling products in one single palette, I knew I have to get my hands on it.

First, big applause for the team that names these products! Such playfulness with words - I adore all of their names. Second, the price for this palette is $39.50 which is of awesome value for all these products. You can find it on theBalm.com, Kohls.com (you may be able to use some coupons as well) and from UnifiedCosmetics.com.  I bought it from Unified Cosmetics at a discounted price of $37.99. Being a first time consumer I got an additional 20% which means I paid a total of $30.39 :-) :-) Even without further inspection, I can tell that this is of great value! 

Before I proceed, please allow me to share a bit about UnifiedCosmetics. They are vastly invested in "SHOP FOR A CAUSE" revolution! 50% of their profit is donated to their partner non-profit organizations that helps provide autistic children with diagnosis, treatment and therapy. If I have the opportunity to contribute (no matter how small that it) to a social cause while shopping and also get to save a few bucks, I am all for it! It took 10 days for the shipment to reach me, which was annoying, but it was free shipping and it arrived safe and sound!

theBalm did an incredible job in curating the items in the palette. 3 universal blushes, 4 eyeshadows, a beautiful red lip color, a nude lip/cheek cream, a matte bronzer and ever so coveted “Mary-Lou Highlighter” all in one palette. These are some of their most loved items from previous palettes and regular range of products. They were clever to reuse all their cover designs in the original product and it looked nice and fitting in this palette! It’s a cardboard packaging with a separate lid for the cream products. It has an average size mirror but that does not stand on its own. It might also get dirty on the outside with usage if that’s something that concerns you. 

HotMama (Shadow/Blush): Another gorgeous coral pink blush. It’s the lightest and the most satin-y blush in here. It is pigmented but it needs few layers to show up on my skin as a blush mainly because it is very close to my skintone. I can definitely use it as a blush topper or as a highlighter and blush at once. It can be wearable on so many skintone with different usage. It has a weaker wear time about 2-3 hrs less than the other blushes in the palette.

INSTAIN® in Argyle (Long-Wearing Powder Staining Blush): Finally, an Instain blush in my possession! Out of all theBalm products, this range of blushes has fascinated me the most. Incredibly beautiful shades in that adorable retro packaging; I love it! “Argyle” is a cool toned bright medium pink. I love to call it a sophisticated Barbie pink :-) It has a buttery smooth texture and kicks a little bit of powder when you dip your brush in it; but nothing unmanageable. Extremely pigmented and blends in quite easy. Also unlike Tarte Cosmetics Amazonian Clay blushes you don’t have to be paranoid about ending up with clown cheek with that pigmentation. Very long lasting too! The other day, I wore it around 12 pm and it was still hanging in there till I removed it around 1 am. That’s incredible!

CabanaBoy® (Shadow/Blush): It’s a dusty mauve shade and has some elegant sheen to it. Of course, this is my favorite blush from this palette. It’s a perfect fall shade for a wide range of skin tones! It’s also a perfect everyday blush on me. Extremely pigmented and equally amazing color pay off. I have to proceed with care not to apply too much! Blends in without much effort and has an impressive 10 hr long staying power. I am totally enjoying this shade!

BahamaMama® (Matte Bronzer, Shadow & Contour Powder Bronzer): This has to be the least loved product in the palette for me. I love bronzers but I am more drawn to warmer richer shades of bronzer. This is a very deep greyish brown shade and I can almost see a hint of olive/khaki in it; very unfamiliar shade to me.  It’s pigmented, applies smoothly and blends easily but I don’t find as much pleasure using it as I find with my Lorac TANtalizer! But I am glad that they included it here as it makes the palette more ’complete’.

Mary-LouManizer® (Highlighter, Shadow & Shimmer): Every beauty admirer  is aware of the popularity of this. Highlighters never interested me but now I am a big fan. :-) :-) Mary-Lou Manizer is a very pale-gold shade. Very strongly pigmented. If you don’t like that super glow-y skin, then this is not for you! Very blendable despite that crazy pigmentation and quite long lasting. I found that it applies better when used over some base, especially over liquid foundation! Whereas my beloved Becca Champagne Pop or Laura Marcier Baked Highlighter applies with equal ease over my bare moisturized skin! Nonetheless, I am so happy that I finally joined the “Lou-Manizer” cult!

How'Bout Them Apples? in “Caramel” (Lip and Cheek Cream): I almost bought the original palette out of sheer cuteness in the packaging. The blush is a very soft, easy-to-work with a creamy formula. Pigmented but almost sheer! I tried it on the lips too and it was not bad! But I have been mostly using it as a light base before I layer it with powder blushes. Very much enjoying it. 

theBalm Girls® in “Mia Moore” (Lipstick): Cream lip in a palette always makes me nervous. But “Mia Moore” is actually really nice. Very creamy and yet stable enough not to bleed everywhere. Nicely pigmented. I use a small OCC lip-brush. I do have to dip my brush for 2-3 times to cover my entire lip but I need only one swipe per area to get an even opaque coverage. It’s comfortable enough on the lips and stays for 5-6 hrs before starting to wear off slowly. It tends to dry after 4 hrs, which is quite common for me with many red lipsticks.

I am so happy with the 4 eye shadow shades in here! I must say the color selection is pretty unique and versatile. “Insane Jane” and “Mischevious Marissa” are your everyday one-shade-and-done lid shades and "Sexy" and “Lead Zeppelin” are somewhat interesting shades to be included in this kind of face palette. By the way Hot Mama, CabanaBoy and Bahama Mama can be used as eye shadow too!

Insane Jane (from shadyLady Vol. 2): This is a satin taupe. I do not like to wear cool toned shades but this is actually something that I feel excited to wear. VERY pigmented, great color payoff and blends like butter! You hardly need to touch the product to get an opaque application. I wore it the other day on my inner corner on the lower lash line and I was so surprised to see that it stayed from 12 pm to 1 am :-)

Mischevious Marissa (from shadyLady Special Edition): Such a lovely neutral peachy golden shade. Not unique, but this type of universal shade is essential for this type of palette. This and “Insane Jane” are perfect one-color eye looks. I simply LOVE this shade. So pigmented, you need just a light swipe and unbelievably easy to blend. This with “Sexy” is a gorgeous yet super simple and fast fall eye look right there!

Sexy (from NUDe’tude): Fall is almost over here in my city but I am still totally obsessed with all fall makeup type of shades. It’s very dark brown-y plum shade. When I swatch this with my finger, it appears a little dry, patchy and scrubby against my skin. But when applied on lids, I don’t face any issues. You need just a tiny tiny amount, the color transforms exactly and blends in 2 second. This is much pigmented and has great staying power! I tried it as liner too but it did not last more than 2-3 hrs. as a liner.

Lead Zeppelin (from Balm Jovi): Beautiful satin Olive shade. Smoother and less powdery than “Sexy”. Consistent performance with all other shades and this really compliments “Mischevious Marissa” for a quick and easy look. Phenomenal staying power too!

Points to complain about: Not really complaints, but if they would include a light brown matte crease color this would have been an immaculate palette. You can definitely use the bronzer as crease shade, but I love my brown crease shade.

As you can already see, I am totally enamored with this palette. You have almost everything you need. Just grab your foundation (or any base you use), mascara and an eye liner, if you can’t live without one, like me, and you are good to go! I don’t like the bronzer but I am very impressed with every other product! If you have never tried theBalm, this is the prefect palette to get at a very affordable cost! Even if you already have some products, this is just the best all-inclusive face-palette that your money can buy! I think this might be the best product I have picked up this holiday season. I also picked Bite Beauty "Best Beauty Rewind" (Reviewed here) and “Sephora Favorites Superstars” (Reviewed here) that I am very much enjoying!

Tell me about your holiday shopping :-) !!!!

Love,

~Arrru

Products I've Used Up/Empties Vol. 4

I have a HUGE empty products review to share with you all! I have been accumulating this pile for a few months but never got the time to jot down my experiences. But now, I have decided that I am going to write about the used up products as soon as there are 5-7 of them. That will make this process way more easier and less time consuming! 

By the way, I am super impressed with this pile. If I can finish more products, I can buy more and try more :-)

Shahnaz Hussain Sharose Date Enriched Skin Toner: Shahnaz Hussain is a very loved and reputed “luxury” skincare brand in India. I remember finsing her products in the vanities of my cousin sisters back in the day Originally my sister bought this tube but she developed some allergy so I brought it here from my last trip to India. I really liked it. It is a potent toner! Not too strong but very efficient. 

Naturepro Herbal Sun Protect: I hail from India and Indian summer is brutal. It’s humid, sweaty and not at all fun for the skin. Because of the extreme humidity all sunscreen I had tried would sit so heavy on the skin that it was almost impossible to wear sunscreen without feeling like a sweaty hot mess. This rescued me. On application it gives you a cool feeling and it absorbs quickly! I buy it when I go home! This is my 2^nd or 3^rd tube. :-)

Himalaya Herbals Purifying Neem Face Wash (200 ml/150 INR): Current favorite brand from India. It’s a brand that markets itself as herbal and pure! Neem is an evergreen tree that has a lot of medicinal quality; in India neem has been widely used for ages for skincare purpose primarily for its antibacterial qualities. I use it as my morning facewash. I generally bring them when I go home annually but you can find them in most of the Indian Grocery store. I have gone through at least 5-6 bottles of this :-)

Ruby Crystal Ruby Falls Sugar Crush: The scrub itself was ok, but the packaging was awful. The opening was too tiny that it took me forever to squeeze out a decent amount to use in my whole body. The tube was getting splitting up at the side…basically it was a nightmare to use up. I refuse to waste any product so it was really annoying and needed a lot of patience to finish this tiny tube up. Definitely not buying a full size.

MURAD clarifying Cleanser (6.75 fl oz/$28): I bought this in a 15$ kit that came with 2 other acne clearing products. You are supposed to use it with each other. Anyway, when I first used it for a week I did not like it at all! It was too strong for me. I did not want to keep using it and almost thought of returning it. But after some gap, I was still suffereing from acnes and restarted using it. I do still have one or two occasional acnes here and there but it has stopped from being crazy. I did not use the other two products that came in the kit meaning I did not follow the instructiosn one by one. I was kinda scared that all three will be too strong for me to use at the same time. However I really enjoyed using it towards the end. But I am not really sure if I will repurchase it. 0.7 fl oz/21 ml.

Origins Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask (3.4 fl oz./$25): I first tried this over a year ago. I bought the set of 4 pods (just like “Out of Trouble” mask pods pictured here) and I am hooked ever since! I collect mini samples from Sephora whenever possible- I have the full size too. It clears up my pores, tightens my skin and brings a lot of liveliness to my skin! I simply LOVE this mask.

Perfume Samples: Marc Jacobs Daisy, Replica and Viva La Juicy! these are so convenient to keep in my purse for a mid day pick up application :-)

Nivea Hydrating Lip Care with SPF 15 (0.17 oz./$2.99): My most favorite lip balm from the drugstore. I love all the different types that comes in this line and SPF 15 in it surely is a bonus. I have a few lip balms in to get through but I am almost nervous that I have not repurchased it yet :-)

Marc Jacobs Lust for Lacquer in Kissability: I got this in the Sephora Favorite “Give Me Some Lips” set from 2014 (reviewed here). I did not expect to like this but I finally ended up loving it. First of all, isn’t the size adorable? It fits perfectly even in my smaller wallets. “Kissability” is a rosey-hued pink with some almost-unnoticeable golden shimmers in it! It has a bit minty tingling feel when you first apply, but nothing overwhelming. It’s light weight and applies very sheer; I loved to reapply it on top of my regular lipstick towards the very end of the day. I am not able to find this range in Sephora anymore but I really hope someday it comes in a small kit with 4 tiny tubes; that will make me a happy girl! :-)

Clean Skin Perfume (1 oz./ $38): I got this in a Sephora value set. It is a very clean fragrance and I absolutely love it :- ) And the size is just perfect for my purse and or handbag! I am thinking of investing in the Holiday set they currently have available.

Origins Out Of Trouble™ 10 Minute Mask (3.4 fl oz./$25): It’s a bit stronger than the charcoal mask. I was having horrible breakout a few weeks ago! It is by no means a miracle product but I do feel it has cleared up a lot of my skin trouble. I have 3 more pods to finish, but I do see myself buying the full size.

Loreal new Sublime Sun Suncreen (No longer available, cost me around $7): Can you tell how sincere I am with my sunscreens? This is another favorite. Absorbs quickly, sits well under makeup and is a very good sunscreen.

Aveeno protect+hydrate lotion sunscreen (3 oz./$10.99): Another sunscreen! For last year or two I have been using this religiously. I did not have a lot of experience using it underneath makeup but it is really great as sunscreen. This has saved me from sun burn when I had long days working outside as a field engineer. I want to repurchase it once I am out if my current one but I cannot find it anywhere :-(

Aveeno Smart Essentials Daily Moisturizer (2.5 fl oz/$16.99): This is an expensive product from the drugstore. Actually this particular review comes from a friend as it is his used up product :-) It is a good product if you are just looking for sunscreen and moisturization. A nice mild smell would really make it a even better. I tried it under makeup and I loved it but I think Aveeno as brand has some good skincare products. 

Peter Thomas Roth Cucumber Gel Mask (5 oz./$45): As mentioned in their website, Cucumber and Rose masks have different purposes! But apart from their fragrance I don’t feel much of a difference. The Rose one is slightly heavier on the skin than the cucumber one. It is very light, simple and easy mask to incorporate once or twice a week in my skincare routine. I already have repurchased it.

Peter Thomas Roth Rose Stem Cell Gel Mask (5 oz./$45): I have reviewed the set I got from Sephora here. I love these masks! The texture of these is like soft jelly so it is pretty easy to put on. If my skin is feeling rough, dry and dehydrated I use this as rejuvenating mask. I used to travel quite a lot and whenever I had air travel, I would use this the night before! It surely helps in tackling the dry skin following air travel.

Philosophy Hope in a Jar Moisturizer for Dry Skin (2 oz./$42): This is my second bottle :-) I did not expect to repurchase it after the first bottle but Ulta had an incredible deal and I ended up buying it. I do like it :-) I have a very detail review here. It is a good moisturizer; but not enough for my dry skin during the cold chilly moths in the windy city. By the way Philosophy has reformulated this moisturizer.

Olay Active Hydrating Cream – Original (1.9 Fl oz./$6.49-7.99): Another nostalgic product! I remember my first encounter with this product very vividly. I remember how refreshing and moisturizing it felt on my skin. It was expensive compared to what I was using at that time and I could immediately notice a huge difference. I felt pampered! :-) I used it religiously for almost 3-4 years but I have now slowly grown out of it. (Mostly because I love testing out new products)…Maybe sometime in the future, I will buy it again :-)

Ulta Cotton Balls: Nothing to say about it. Gets the work done and I will definitely repurchase :-)

Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes (25 Ct./$5.99): I had to return the Miceller Water from "Simple" because it burnt my eyes :-( But I totally enjoyed these wipes. They were moist, removed my makeup gently, I have to use a face wash also but I totally enjoyed it. Will surely repurchase. 

Clarisonic Brushhead: I have been using Clarisonic off and again for per last 2 years and I intend to review it thoroghly some day.  

Bare Minerals Purely Nourishing Cream (1.7 oz./$28): It was tiny little sample jar. The consistence was very waxy and I totally did not like it. 

CK One Color Mascara (0.31 fl oz./$18): It was the birthday gift from Ulta last year, I used it idle for 2-3 months before I started using it. It was an OK mascara! It separates and gives decent looking lashes. But it smudges and it was so damn hard to wash off at night. It takes a lot of time to remove and I simply don't have the patience. Definitely not buying it! 

Laura Geller GlamLASH Dramatic Volumizing Mascara (0.28 oz./$24): I loved the wand on this. It's the perfect size for my hooded eyes. It's a good mascara, It does not give you the most luscious lashes which I don't prefer anyway! I would definitely like to get it in a value kit may be :-) as I don't typically buy full size mascara. 

Lakme ABSOLUTE Flutter Secrets Volumizing Mascara (7.5 ml/INR 675): This is the first mascara I ever tried and I loved it! I have already used one up but this one disappointed me. The wand tip broke off inside the tube just after 2-3 weeks of use; there was no way to use it after that :-) I blame myself because it was sitting unused for 2-3-4 months.

MAKE UP FOR EVER Smoky Extravagant Mascara (0.23 oz./$24): This is my most adored mascara till date. I got it from Sephora for my birthday last year! It is still in working condition but I should probably throw it out. It gives naturally voluminized look to the lashes, very simple and yet defined! I already have another mini in my stock.

Algenist Advanced Anti-Aging Repairing Oil (1 oz./$79): This is very light face oil. I used it during summer on my unfortunate dry patches. It's a crazy expensive product; it worked fine but I am not encouraged to invest in a full size. 

Ole Henrikson Truth Serum Vitamin C Collagen Booster (1 oz./$48): How adorable is this bottle? I really like this serum, it is not a miracle product but it is something I have grown fond of! I got this for my mom too the last time I went home and looks like she is enjoying it too! Good thing is that Sephora Favorites Set generally includes this in smaller size; I am currently using one such adorable bottle. 

Bath and Body Works “Japanese Cherry Blossom” Shower Gel: It would not be an “empties” blog post without a Bath and Body Works product! This particular flavor brings back a lot of happy memories; I believe someone gifted me years ago and it was the first beauty product from US that I tried back in India! I will definitely repurchase it.

Few more holiday kit reviews coming soon....Keep posted :-)

Love,
~Arrru

Formula X "The Six" ::: Review and Swatches!!

When I reviewed Formula X Nail set “The Twenty Two” awhile back, I realized that every nail polish color that I might ever need was there! I promised myself that I am never buying another bottle, EVER! But, I broke my promise! (Courtesy, Formula X again!)   :-)

Formula X is Sephora’s very own nail polish brand! They have an expansive array of shades and finishes! Colors, Glitters, Sheers, Satins, Effects, Neons; almost anything you can imagine when it comes to nail polishes! Also, if you browse through Sephora’s “sale” section, you will almost always see a few items from Formula X on sale! This set titled “The Six” went on sale for $15 and I could not resist. Oops! :-) As the short and sweet name suggests, there are 6 full size nail polishes in beautiful hues and different formulas. The regular price for the set is $29.50 for 0.04x6 oz. of products.

Hocus Pocus: This is a beautiful lavender color! For as long as I can remember, this has been one of my favorite colors to wear on my nails! It’s a holographic satin, goes on smooth, easy and even on application!  Generally needs two layers for a much opaque look but one layer works too. But it looks a bit paler with one coat and it gets rubbed off easily too! With 2-3 coats the shades appear a bit deeper and richer and stay a few more days too!

Blast Off (Black) and Boom (Periwinkle Blue): There are two top coats - one in black and the other one in periwinkle blue. Black one has small strands along with the hexagons :-) I love these topcoats! They stay put. I have similar type of topcoats from the previous set. I wished they would try to infuse different kind of design/speckle in these topcoats :-)

Intergalactic: This is a pretty pink glitter shade mixed with gold micro speckles. Those of you who are not much into gold extra glittery nail polishes during holidays; this will be a beautiful substitute. An even look can be achieved with one layer. With a 2-3 days wear, the glitter kind of fades away. But I love the color nonetheless. 

Super Charged: This shade has “Holiday” written all over it :-) It’s a black and gold glitter polish. LOVE it. Especially for accent nails!!

Surreal: Another beautiful color. Very pale mermaid blue! This reminds me so much of “Mermaid’s Dream” from Deborah Lippman; of course without the shimmer and glitters. Easy to apply, stayed for 4-5 days. Looks equally good in toes & nails. This topped with Boom can definitely be a color-dupe for Mermaids Dream.

At $15, this is a great deal. You get two wearable colors with some fun glitter options; I also love that they are wearable throughout the year. It is a limited edition set but is still available on the Sephora website :-) I can never recommend nail polishes as “must have” products, but yes, if you decide to opt for it, your money will be worth spent.

 Love,

~Arrru

Lorac TANtalizer Highlighter & Matte Bronzer Duo ::: Review & Swatches

I started to become a hardcore makeup enthusiast sometime in late 2013. But due to my routine work tours I was never home regularly with my entire makeup collection for more than 3-4 weeks at a stretch. But now, that has changed and I have been in the same location for 2 straight months, well keeping aside a very short trip to Iowa :-) I have been able to arrange my makeup item in a somewhat aesthetically pleasing arrangement and I am finally able to wear different products to incorporate in my routine every day. YAY! Enjoying this superpower (?? J) for last two months, I am almost surprised to realize that there are a few products that I love and use very regularly but I never appreciate!

Lorac’s TANtalizer Highlighter & Matte Bronzer Duo is one such product. You can see in the picture that I have used up a lot of the bronzer! And yet, I have never expressed my love for it in my blog, or even in my Instagram I have never raved about it. But I use it regularly; more so when I am in a hurry and I just want something tried and tested. I also take it with me whenever I am travelling.

Anyway, I have the travel size which is retailed at a price of $12 for 0.02 oz. You can find Lorac in Ulta, Kohl’s and on Lorac website too. The regular size costs $33 for 0.4 oz. I really like the travel size because it is easier to store and very very comfortable to travel with. Also, just look at the packaging. It comes in a simple rose-gold elegant compact with a decent size mirror. The clasp is very well made too. Like I said, I have travelled a lot with it and often times I just throw it in my carry-on! It has certainly survived my abuse till now! :-)

I have warm undertone, and on my warm medium tan skin tone I just LOVE this bronzer! It’s COMPLETELY matte, very brown and very very warm! Very pigmented too, just a tiny swipe can bronze up your whole face! But it’s very forgiving; very easy to blend so even though it’s pigmented it is easy to wear. I love how you can see the warmth in just one light application. This is definitely for someone who likes noticeable bronzing. I personally will never dare to contour with a bronzing product! I do know that a lot of us love to contour with bronzers! The perfect matte formula in the TANtalizer would have been awesome for contouring but the shade is too warm; I anyway don’t really care about contouring with it! But I have been thoroughly enjoying it as a bronzer. I also very much enjoy the fact that it works really well with all different kind of bases! I have worn it on bare, just-moisturized skin, mineral powder foundation, full coverage liquid foundation and on BB Creams. Typically it gives me around 4-5 hrs. of wear leaving behind a nice warmth to the face. But with full coverage foundation with staying power is slightly longer.

Even though the bronzer has become quite a staple product in my makeup routine, I don’t have a lot to say about the highlighter. I am not a hardcore fan of highlighter yet (well, that might change now because I have started to use Becca highlighters :-)!) May be that is why I don’t use the highlighter that often. The shade is very beautiful though – it’s a pale pinky champagne color with micro mini speckle of glitters and sometimes on the face the glitters shows a little too obvious for my taste. It is easy to blend though!  I don’t use it when I am home and have access to other highlighters but I do use it when I am travelling. It’s an OK product for personally; I am not overly impressed, nor do I have any complaints!

I got this sometime last summer and it took me about a year to compile this review! So you know, this is one product that I have loved for this long! I hope you like the review :-) It looks like I am going to hit pan soon and I am pretty excited in anticipation of that :-) What bronzers have you been using this summer? Anything that I should try? :-)

Love,

~Arrru

P.S.: You can check my thoughts on Bare Minerals First Resort Bronzing Kit here which is another bronzer that I have been utterly loving for more than a year now! :-)