November 2013: Ipsy Bag

I received my Ipsy Bag today in the mail and this month's theme is Glam it Up so there are a fair amount of shiny and bronzy products. I felt that this bag was more summer appropriate than fall, especially  because of the bronzer and the orange lip balm. Also, this month there are six samples instead of usual five, but I found the outer bag to be overly gaudy and tacky looking. 

Tresemme Tres Two Spray: I have heard a lot of things about this spray and always wanted to try it so I am really excited that I received it this month. 

Nailtini Lacquer in Champagne: I love this brand of nail polish, it is nicely pigmented and doesn't get streaky. Also, I am glad that I received this bronzey shade instead of the silver one. 

Star Looks Gem Pencil in Topaz

Star Looks Gem Pencil in Topaz: A month or two ago, Ipsy sent the black version of this pencil and I didn't like it at all. This time they sent  the color topaz, which is a sparkly silver shade and is kind of too much for me. Even though it is super creamy and soft but it doesn't last at all. 

Pixi Beauty Bronzer in Subtly Suntouched

Pixi Beauty Bronzer in Subtly Suntouched: Pixi is a high end drugstore brand which can be found at Target. I was really excited about this product but it is way too light for my skin tone. However, it can be used as a subtle highlight because of the pink undertones. 

Em Pillow Plush Balm in Creamsicle; Be a Bombshell Lip Crayon in Hot Damn

Em Pillow Plush Lip Balm in Creamsicle: I think this is the extra sixth sample this month. I found this balm to be very similar to L'Oreal Hip Studio balms minus the tackiness. It has a very pleasant sweet candy smell but this particular color is way too sheer to show up on my dark pigmented lips. It is a good product but I would never ever spend $15 for a lip balm. Also, I am a hygiene freak so I do not like to repeatedly stick my finger in the product. 

Be a Bombshell Lip Crayon in Hot Damn: I am a huge fan of lip crayons and jumbo lip pencils so I really like this product. The color appears corally red in the picture but is actually a pink based red with tiny sparkles. Also, it leaves a stain behind thus increasing its lasting power. 

I really liked some products from this month's bag so it was a hit for me. Usually, the bags with nail polish and lip products are my favorite and this month Ipsy had both. 

Have you received your Ipsy bag? Did you like it or not?

Thank you for taking time to read this post, I hope you enjoyed it. Have a great day!

NOTD: Halloween Special

I love nail polish but I suck at nail art, so whenever I feel like doing something different I opt for a simple accent nail. And since today it is Halloween so I chose orange and black as the theme. As usual  along with the colors I used the Revlon Color stay base and top coat. 

The colors that I used are OPI Call Me Gwen-ever and Hard Candy Masquerade. 

The OPI shade is really nice and pigmented and gives an opaque finish in just two coats. I also used it as a base for the pointer finger under the glitter polish.

The Hard Candy nail polish screams Halloween to me. It has chucks of orange glitter in black base but goes on somewhat gritty because the base is not smooth polish but actually an accumulation of tiny black particles.  Nonetheless, it has really nice pigmentation as for the above look, I used only one coat over the orange base. 

What color did you paint your nails for Halloween? 

Thank you for taking time to read this post, I hope you enjoyed it. Have a great day!

MUA Overview & Possible Urban Decay and MAC Dupes

MUA i.e. Make Up Academy is a very affordable UK based brand. But unless you live in UK, MUA products can only be bought from their online store. Few months ago, I bought 8 items and the shipping cost was £7.50 (fixed rate) to Canada. But recently, I have noticed that they often provide free shipping worldwide with some minimum purchase. 

I came to know about this brand because of numerous comparison posts of the UD Naked palette with their Undressed eye shadow palette. 

MUA Undressed: At the time I bought it, I had the UD Naked palette so I can say that they are definitely very similar but not the same because there has to be some difference in the quality since the naked palette is $60 and this one is just $6.45. 

 But still, with the exception of a few (e.g. gold shade in the picture), most of the shadows are soft and bendable. So, I feel it is a good option for the students, beginners and bargain hunters. 

Left: Shade 1; Right: Shade 3

MUA Blusher: These retail for $1.61 but I honestly do not like these because they are quite chalky. Also, they hardly stay on for an hour or two on my dry skin. So, I would not recommend these. 

Shade 1: Bright candy pink with noticeable golden shimmer.

Shade 3: Peachy melon shade with golden shimmer but looks more brownish in the pan. 

MUA Trio in Innocence

 MUA Eyeshadow Trio in Innocence: This is a beautiful trio of baked eye shadows that can be used wet or dry and retails for $4.03. I really like the color combination as there is a light creamy shade, an olive green and a duo chrome reddish brown with hints of bluish green tones making it somewhat similar to MAC Club. All three shades have some shimmer which simply adds up to their beauty. So, if you want to try one trio out of all then I would definitely recommend this one. 

MUA Trio in Pink Sorbet

MUA Eyeshadow Trio in Pink Sorbet: I do not like this trio because firstly the mid-toned pink is very chalky and frosty looking. Secondly, the light pink shade (which appears white in the picture) disappears into nothing on blending. So, at least for me, this trio isn't good enough to be used on its own because otherwise the end result is a frosty mess.  

Left: MUA Single Pearl Shadow in Shade 12; Middle: Darkesst shade from MUA Trio Innocence; Right: Bottom right corner shade from WnW Comfort Zone

MUA Single Pearl Shadow in Shade 12:  This shadow is absolutely amazing. It is super pigmented, smooth as butter and costs only $1.61. On top of that, it is probably a dupe or a more saturated version of MAC Club eye shadow. So, I highly recommend it to everyone. The only issue I have with MUA is they have numbers instead of names for their products.

MUA Lipstick in Shade 11

MUA Lipstick in Shade 11: This shade looks different under different lights. It is described as a brown on the website but it sometimes appears nude with reddish undertones and sometimes more of a peachy coral. But nonetheless, it is a great everyday color. The formula is very smooth and moisturizing so can be used on days when you forget to apply the balm or are in a hurry. Also, it retails for just $1.61. 

The bottom of the tube screws open to reveal extra product. And it was only after getting this lipstick that I realized NYX tubes also open in a similar way. 

MUA Eyebrow Pencil in Brunette

MUA Eyebrow Pencil in Brunette: This is a true dark chocolate brown shade which is very smooth and creamy. However, the downfall of extra creaminess is that it instantly starts smearing and does not even last for an hour. The picture above was taken immediately after swatching it and you can see how the product has already smudged. 

However, I do like the brush end of the pencil. Usually brow pencils come with a spooly or a plastic brush, but this one has a proper bristle brush. This product also retails for $1.61 but I would not recommend it. 

There are definitely some hits and misses with this brand just like with all others. But overall, I really like some of the products like the undressed palette, lipstick, single eye shadow and the innocence trio. 

Thank you for taking time to read this post, I hope you enjoyed it. Have a great day!

Have you tried this brand? What are some of your favorites?

ELF: Amazing Matte Lip Forumula & A Possible Mac Dupe

ELF. is know for its inexpensive and great quality products. I have several of their products and I like most of them if not all, and most of my favorites are from the studio line. Their Matte Lip colors are my favorite matte formulas I own. A lot of people love the Revlon Matte lipsticks, but I found them very drying and uncomfortable, and never wore them without a gloss. However, these ELF lip colors are very smooth, comfortable and not drying at all. They are matte but definitely have a natural sheen to them. They have average lasting power, just like other normal lipsticks. Also, there is a possible Mac dupe in this line. I do not own the Mac shade but I have seen some comparisons. 

ELF Matte Lip Color

Along with the formula, the packaging of these lip colors is also very nice and sleek. They have a twist up tube and a sharper at the other end, which I forgot to show in the pictures. 

Indoor Lighting - Coral, Nearly Nude, Natural, Tea Rose, Praline & Rich Red

Coral: I won't call it coral, but more of a light peach shade. It is beautiful, goes on nicely and looks really good with smokey eyes. 

Nearly Nude: It is a very light, somewhat baby pink nude. I am not a fan of very light nude shades so I don't wear it much. Also, I have found that the formula of this particular shade is a little bit different. Even though it is not drying or clingy, but it does settle into the lines and crevices of the lips. And oddly enough, this is the only color from the line that does this. 

Natural: It is a beautiful everyday nudey pink color, which goes on nicely and looks good with everything. Is is no brainier kind of color, that can be used with or without other face makeup.  

Natural Lighting - Coral, Nearly Nude, Natural, Tea Rose, Praline & Rich Red

Tea Rose: This is one of my first purchases from this line and I absolutely love it. It is a purple toned mauve, which is not too overpowering and definitely appropriate for everyday looks. 

Praline: This is a true chocolate brown shade. I am personally not a fan of this color in general, whether in clothes, nail polish or anything so I don't wear it much. But it goes on nicely and feels good on the lips. 

Rich Red: This is a true red color. I do not have the Mac Ruby Woo but this is a possible dupe for that color. I haven't seen both of them together personally, but I have seen some comparison pictures and videos. So, if you have both, then please let me know if it is actually a dupe or if there is some difference between the two. 

Overall, I really enjoy the formula of this line. The only issue that I have is they do not have enough color choice. There are only six shades and I own them all and if they ever come out with new shades I would definitely get all of them. 

Thank you for taking time to ready this post, I hope you enjoyed it. Have a great day! 

NYX Glosses: Amazing & Affordable

NYX is a great affordable brand with amazing quality products. Their lip products are no less, especially lip glosses. I have few shades from all different categories available in the market, however, I can't find the where I placed my NYX Xtreme lip gloss so that is not included in the swatches. 

NYX Girls Gloss; NYX Mega Gloss; NYX Soft Matte Lip Creme; NYX Butter Gloss

 

All of them have nice and sleek packaging. The new releases, namely lip cremes and butter gloss come on stout tubes as compared to the traditional glosses. 

NYX Girls Gloss: The one shown in pictures is in the color Peach. The name defines the color perfectly and it is a true peach shade. It has a very subtle sweet scent and contains some glitter. Even though there is noticeable shimmer in it, I don't feel it to be gritty or bothersome. It has decent pigmentation and goes on smoothly.

Natural Light - Same order as above

NYX Mega Shine Lip Gloss: I don't even need to say anything about this gloss because it is a cult favorite of the beauty community. The shade in the pictures is Beige, which is actually more pink than beige. The consistency is nice and smooth, however, it is a bit thicker than regular glosses but has good pigmentation. The only thing that can bother some people is the strong scent like licorice. I am not too sensitive to the scents so it is okay for me. 

Flash Light - Same order as above

NYX Soft Matte & Xtreme Lip Cream: The shade in the pictures is Antwerp, which is a matte corally peach color and have a sweet smell. Even though these are matte, but they are very smooth and does not feel drying at all. Also, these are pretty long lasting just like the Xtreme lip cremes. I find Soft Matte and Xtreme lip creme to be quite similar in the consistency and pigmentation except Xtreme lip creams are little bit glossy like regular lipsticks. 

 NYX Butter Gloss: These are the newest addition to the NYX gloss family and are a new obsession of the beauty community. The shade in the pictures is Strawberry Parfait, which is a bright blue toned pink. The pigmentation is nice and the gloss smells like bakery products to me. However, one thing that I can't stand about this gloss is the consistency. It is even more thicker than the Mega Gloss, which I find quite uncomfortable.  Also, it is a little sticky much like Mac glosses. So, personally this type is my least favorite, but that is just my personal preference. 

Have you tried any of the NYX glosses? If yes, which ones are your favorite? If no, which ones do you want to try?

Thank you for taking time to read this post, I hope you enjoyed it. Have a great day!

Tarte: Gifts From The Lipstick Tree Achiote Color Collection

Tarte is one of my favorite blush brands from Sephora. It is a cruelty free, eco-chic brand. The amazonian clay blushes have a cult following because of their amazing lasting power and wide range of colors. This particular collection has been out for a while but it retailed for $85 so I never picked it up even though I absolutely loved the blush shade, which is exclusive to this kit. However, now this set is on sale for only $35 on Sephora website and that is the main reason behind this post. 

This set comes with three products: Maracuja Divine Shine Lip Gloss in Achiote, LipSurgence™ Natural Lip Luster in Achiote and Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in Achiote.

Natural Lighting: Same order as above

Indoor Lighting: Same order as above

Maracuja Divine Shine Lip Gloss in Achiote: This is a corally pink gloss with some shimmer and thick consistency. It comes in a click pen form, which is not my favorite since it takes a while to come out and dispenses more product than needed. The gloss has a minty scent and feel to it, which is nice. Also, it is pretty opaque and gives decent coverage without any base. Overall, it is nice except the packaging. 

LipSurgence™ Natural Lip Luster in Achiote: Tarte LipSurgence are quite popular and comes in a twist up tube. This one is a shimmery coral, which leans more towards orange than pink as compared to the other two products in the set. Just like the gloss, it has a minty scent and feel to it. Even though there is shimmer, but the consistency is quite smooth and comfortable on the lips. Also, the shimmer may look intense in the swatch, but it is not that overpowering on the lips, so I like this product. 

Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in Achiote: This is the product that inspired me to get this set. These blushes retail for $31 and this set is $35 right now which makes it an amazing deal. I absolutely love this blush, it is a matte pinky coral color. The consistency is very smooth and there is no fall out whatsoever. Also, the staying power is amazing. I would highly recommend this color. 

Result: This is an amazing set at a superb price. If you love amazonian clay blushes, then don't think anymore and just get it before it gets discontinued. 

Thank you for taking time to read this post, I hope you enjoyed it. Have a great day!

NOTD: Coral & Gold

Corals are everywhere in the summer, and this is one of my favorite coral nail combinations to wear. However, usually I put gold on the right finger, but I was feeling like doing it differently this time so I switched. For this look, both the nail polishes that are used are from Sally Hansen Xtreme wear line, which is one of my favorites as not only it is super inexpensive, but they have a wide color selection and amazing formula. 

As I said earlier, I usually wear the gold on my ring finger, and it looks really nice. I am actually planning to add pictures of that combination also in this same post whenever I wear it. 

The coral color that I have on my nails was released either last year or the year before, and there was a huge hype about it. However, I always felt that this color won`t look good on my skin tone, so I never picked it up until middle of this summer. And I absolutely fell in love with it the first time I wore it.

This coral shade is very different as it has pink undertones. Even the gold is really beautiful, it is not the traditional yellow gold but more of a deep bronzey gold which looks amazing with this coral. 

If you already have these colors in your collection then do try this combination because I am sure you will also fall in love with it. 

Thank you for taking time to read this post, I hope you enjoyed it. Have a great day!

NOTD: A Corally Affair

Coral color is in trend every summer, and I love everything i.e. coral, whether it is blush, lipstick, nail polish or clothes. So I thought of doing a very subtle nail look using two different shades of coral. It is appropriate for those who want to experiment with accent nails but are not comfortable using contrasting colors. These two colors look a lot more different in the bottles than on nails. One leans towards red while the other is more of an orangy coral shade. Nonetheless, both shades complement each other and look amazing together. 

This time I used the same pattern on both hands. I used the orangy coral shade on middle two fingers while the reddish shade on other three. 

Both the nail polishes that I used are from Wet n Wild, which is a super inexpensive brand with amazing quality products. The applicator of these nail polishes is my one of my favorites. It is wide enough to cover the whole nail at once but small enough to not make a mess. Even the pigmentation and quality is superb, and comparable to some of the high end brands. 

Heatwave is the reddish shade while Club Havana is orangish. 

As usual I used my Revlon gel base and top coat, with two coats of the colored nail polish. Thank you for taking time to read this post. I hope you have a great day!

NOTD: Orange Blorenge

I know today's nail color is more of a pumpkin orange rather than coral, which is kind of Halloween-y color. But beauty and fashion has no rules and you can wear any color at any time of the year. The color that I used today is OPI Call me Gwen-ever. I love how OPI names their nail polishes. It has rusty undertones to it, which makes it deeper than regular orange shades. It is an absolutely beautiful color that has the potential to look good on a variety of skin tones.

Fun fact: Other than Sporange (check oxford dictionary), Blorenge (a city in South-east Wales) is the only word that rhymes with orange. 

Thank you for taking time to read this post, I hope you have a great day!