10 Day Single Lipstick Challenge

Being a lipstick obsessed person, I read relentlessly about new lipstick reviews on various blogs, make endless lists of what "I just neeeeed to have", cajole myself (against my better judgement) into buying that new hot pink lipstick which is on 50% off sale, get obsessed with websites that have a great collection of lipsticks....long story short, I have a huge lipstick collection and I doubt I would part with any of them, whatever be the temptation. 

But the funny thing is, and I have only just noticed it, that I almost never use just one lipstick. I always, without fail, use two or more every time I put lipstick on. It's like I am never satisfied with any lipstick's actual colour and hence, I blend two or three to get the exact shade I want. Either that or I am not brave enough to wear a colour right out of the tube.

Well, so a few days back, I gave myself a 10-day challenge. I decided to use only one lipstick every time I put on lipstick and to not resort to blending a couple. The only allowances are lip liner and clear gloss for some of those dry, matte lipsticks.

Today was day 5, the half-way mark and so far, I seem to be succeeding. These are the lipsticks I have worn so far (fyi, I am not wearing face makeup in any of the pictures as I don't wear it on a daily basis).

Day 1 - Lakme Enrich Satins  lipstick 140, Maybelline Colorsensational lip liner '338 Midnight Plum', Lotus Herbals clear gloss 'Ice Cube 32'

Day 2 - Colorbar Velvet Matte  lipstick 'Over the Top 81 V', Miss Claire Glimmersticks lip liner 'Mild Maroon L-02', Lotus Herbals clear gloss 'Ice Cube 32'

Day 3 - Maybelline Colorsensational Moisture Extreme lipcolor 'B42 Buff'

Day 4 - Loreal Colour Riche  lipstick 'Ginger Spice 815', Miss Claire Glimmersticks lip liner 'Mild Maroon L-02'

Day 5 - Maybelline Colorsensational The Buffs Collection lipcolor '950 Untainted Spice', Colorbar lip liner '008 Just Coral'

I think I can definitely go the single lipstick way, don't you?

My 'Nude' isn't Your 'Nude'

Skin colour discrimination is one of the topics that gets me really riled up. And there are plenty of reminders all around. TV commercials for bleaches and whitening creams, matrimonial ads wanting 'fair' brides, adjectives describing brown skin from 'wheatish' to 'dusky' to 'dark' and the thousands of words, many of them pejoratives, in regional languages that describe the multitude of brown shades we have, the SA at the makeup counter who insists that the shimmery blush is 'skin colour' - I ask her whose skin colour? as it is neither her skin colour, nor mine. The beautician who insists I need to bleach my skin in order to "remove my tan". I tell her that is the skin colour I have - she is perplexed.  I know, I know, I am ranting.

But you get my drift. We all have heard of that major crayon brand which carries the shade 'Skin' - it looks nothing like mine. Nude undergarments are always beige in colour. Nude makeup is always ashy on me. Nude lipsticks make me look sick. Obviously, my 'nude' is not the same as what these companies are selling. Its obvious that the cosmetics and fashion industry have so far catered to only one kind of 'nude' and that 'nude' is not mine.

Well, lucky for us non-white people, some big companies are looking to change the way the colour 'nude' has been perceived so far.

In the cosmetics industry, Maybelline launched its 'Buffs' collection of lipsticks in January this year. It has nude shades for women of colour. I have been dying to try them out.

Image Courtesy: www.beautyzine.com 

And I came across this article today - Nude Colour - about this company called 'Nubian Skin' which is redefining 'nude'. It has launched nude lingerie for women of colour. Do read the piece - its heartening to know that 'women of colour' do not have to limit themselves to the perceived 'normal' anymore.

Colorbar Ultimatte Mousse foundation - Caramel Macchiato 03

I think the biggest Achilles Heel for all makeup lovers is perfecting the art of foundation. The crux of this, of course, is choosing the right shade. And I won't be exaggerating if I say that 99% of us have disaster stories to tell where foundation is concerned. Most of these range in intensity from blunders to catastrophes. And there are many (too many as far as I am concerned) ladies who end up using the wrong shade.

This category is mostly populated by women who use the wrong shade of foundation in a bid to look fairer - a common enough malaise in South Asian, Southeast Asian and African communities with their fixation on 'fairer' (paler) skin.  Yes, Mrs. M., I mean you when I say that using that white foundation will not fool anyone.

Wrong foundation shades are also chosen as a mistake - the lighting within the store is all wrong, the SA insists the shade would be perfect, the availability of foundation shades is limited, buying foundations online without swatching them at a store etc. And most of us, or at least I have been guilty of all these mistakes. Except perhaps for the SA's advice.

Well, coming to the foundation being reviewed here - it is Colorbar's Ultimatte Mousse foundation in Caramel Macchiato 003. This is my first mousse foundation and I bought it after some internet research. Bloggers were, more or less, all of the opinion that this would be light in texture and would suit oily skin well. Since 003 Caramel Macchiato was the darkest shade available (they have only 3 shades) and a few bloggers had said it would suit duskier skin tones (NC 42 and higher), I went ahead and bought it.

Here is where I committed the 4th mistake at the sacred alter of holy foundations. You never, ever buy foundation without physically trying it out at a store. I bought mine online. My decision was also abetted by the limited availability of shades.

Price: Rs. 650

Weight: 15 g

Available at: Colorbar counters at most stores, malls, Colorbar stand-alone stores and online

Packaging: It comes in a cute plastic pot with a  shiny silver cap and a wide mouth with makes it easy to dip your finger or brush into the pot. Those of us who live in hot, humid places - hygiene alert :)

Colorbar Caramel Macchiato

Texture: The texture is very light, airy and creamy, like a souffle. Since I was going for a sheer finish, I did not need much product. Once blended in completely, I did not even feel like I was wearing anything on my skin (a boon for me as I am not used to foundation on a daily basis and my last used foundation was a mineral powder). My skin could breathe at all times and didn't get sticky at all. 

Colorbar Caramel Macchiato

One Swipe

Blended fully

Verdict: Despite using the shade meant for dusky complexions and despite using it sparingly and with the help of a bronzer (Bare Minerals Medium Dark Warmth), Colorbar Caramel Macchiato is still too light for me.

I like the quality of this product - it was satisfactory on that count. So girls who can find their matching foundations out of the three available shades should definitely go ahead.

What is perplexing is the fact that a company like Colorbar which is clearly trying to expand its operations - what with the sprouting stand-alone stores, the superb branding, good quality products (well, most of them), a definite move into higher price category - does not carry foundations to suit dusky skin tones. Very weird that in a country such as ours with its billion shades of brown, we still have to choose between 3 shades of beige.

But I have learnt my lesson - I will not buy foundation without trying it out first.

Bangle Stacking

Like I said initially, this blog is about more than lipsticks and makeup. It's about girly stuff - bangles and earrings, dupattas and block prints, fashion and style. Maybe some Bollywood - but I haven't thought about that completely.

Today, I found some old pictures in my computer, ones that I had taken of stacked bangles. I adore bangles of every kind, they make me happy. Whenever I am sad or stressed out, stacks of bangles, in stores, on thelas, in pictures, - relaxes me. I know, I know, it's weird, but it's completely true.

My absolute favourite are glass bangles (more on that in another post) but I like every kind there is - metal, wooden, lac, thread, plastic, resin etc. And I love mixing ethnic kadas and trendy western pieces into pretty stacks. 

 

Ooh and my sister sent me some of her photos too.

Hope you enjoyed looking at these pictures as much as I do.

Roasted Peach

In my quest for a wearable peach lipstick,  I keep mixing different hues of brown and orange to peach lipsticks that I have. I think the perfect peach for dusky skin tones would be the blush shade available in Lakme's Pure Rouge blushes called 'Peach Affair'. If only they could have a lipstick equivalent.

Today was another such experiment. The result was only satisfactory as far as a peach lipstick is concerned (I felt it looked more like a peachy-pink brown) but otherwise, the new shade was beautiful.

Products Used: 

1. Maybelline Color Sensational Lip liner in 'Choco Pop' - This lip liner is the closest to my natural lip colour; hence it acts like a good neutral colour. I like the texture of these liners - creamy but not too soft but not hard either. Good colour payoff.

2. Colorbar Velvet Matte Lipstick in 'Peach Crush' -

Again, one of my favourites. Beautiful peachy coral. Great colour payoff.  Only problem with these lipsticks is the dry texture and the horrible pink stain most of these leave behind once faded.

3. Maybelline Color Sensational Moisture Extreme Lipstick in 'Bronze Orange' - 

Love the texture of these lipsticks - very creamy. But the staying power isn't great. 

4. Faces Go Chic Lipstick in 'Cocoa Indulgence' -

Brown,  deep deep brown. It looks very flat and greyish on my lips, so I use this one to 'roast' my slightly unwearable shades into more wearability.  

So how do you like my peach?

Those Magnificent Browns

Hi all,

As a former, self-confessed lover of dark brown lipstick shades, I thought it would be a great post if I would do a little list of all those 'greats' which once gave me so much joy in dressing up and putting on make up. Browns were my only go-to shades when searching for a lipstick;  nudes and neutrals weren't considered 'colours' (brown meant brown,  no half-hearted 'softies'!!) and wearing pink was impossible - I am dark and at the time, belonged to the 'no-pink' school (oh, how things change!). This was a time when Cindy Crawford in the Revlon ads and Jennifer Aniston in 'Friends' dictated my choice in lipsticks.

Some of the shades mentioned in my list are long departed friends, sacrificed at the alter of changing times and fashions; some of them still survive,  fortunately. Unfortunately, I do not have pictures of the lipsticks themselves or even their swatches to share with you. You may find a few on the internet, especially the Revlon, Milani and Avon ones. What I do have are my experiences with them and why they became such favourites that I still remember their names.

1. Lakme's 'Forever Brown' (R.I.P)- In the late 1990s, Lakme had this beautiful warm, golden, soft brown shade in a cream finish (no shimmer) that I actually owned two of; if I remember correctly, one was a gift from someone and the other was the tube I snitched from my mom's collection. I had just started using lipsticks and this shade formed the hesitant beginnings of my forays into and later, obsession of, lipsticks. Later, as my tastes got bolder and 'browner', 'Forever Brown' fell from grace - it was too soft of a colour.

At least, I think it was called 'Forever Brown' - because my internet searches have not been much of a success and I fear the lipstick may have been called something else. The shade may still exist in the pantheon of Lakme Enrich Satins lipsticks (under those endlessly confusing numbers!), I just haven't rediscovered it yet. 

2. Avon's Pro-to-Go Lipstick in 'Sweet Brown' - This lipstick happened much later in my life, in the 2000s I believe, when I could appreciate the 'nudes and the neutrals'. :) I remember it had a unique slide-up mechanism (unique for when I bought the lipstick; now, its fairly common) and a  very creamy finish. The shade was a soft, golden brown with a peach undertone; on me, it was almost nude, a sort of MLBB. This shade may still be available.  I just looked this one up on Google; there are a few reviews and pictures for this one. I wonder if I can still buy this from somewhere.

3. Lakme's Enrich Matte Lipstick in 'Chestnut Matte' (R.I.P) - Well, this was a whole phase in my life. I was completely convinced this dark, dark brown, completely matte finish lipstick made me look so sophisticated (of course, frequent compliments assisted in my opinion!) and pretty and older than my years (to some nineteen year-olds, this is a good thing, trust me!). I would pair it with kajal and churidaars and patola dupattas and feel quite so arty and worldly. Lakme decided to phase out this dense, hard lipstick,  no doubt due to changing times and ending of the true-brown 1990s obsession. 

4. Revlon's Super Lustrous Lipstick in 'Baked Brown' - Circa 2003, I bought a mini version of this (Revlon had minies at that time) from some small store on my first visit back to India (I was in the US pursuing my degree) - I was just so kicked I could find Revlon products so easily everywhere. The shade was a warm, soft brown with reddish undertones; a very wearable colour, especially for Indian skin tones. The finish was cream, my favourite and the colour would even fade very prettily. I also liked this lipstick more as it reminded me of India.

5. Milani's 'Double Espresso' - My sister had first bought this one for me, knowing that I was a strong believer of 'the darker the brown, the better the lipstick'. I had been going through a low phase and she bought it for me as a surprise to cheer me up - it did. This was the darkest brown I had ever owned (of course, excepting 'Chestnut Matte') and it was a pearl finish lipstick. In fact, I think I might actually have a few photographs of me wearing this shade somewhere. Now, of course, when I look back at these photographs, I can see that pearly lipsticks do NOT suit me.

There were many more browns in this list, some of unknown brands too, but I decided to stick to only 5 of my favourite ones. Special mention goes to this dark nut, brown lipstick which my Canadian cousins gifted me with. I do not remember the brand; I do remember that it smelled of Johnson's baby oil, had a cream finish, looked like edible chocolate and had a long, golden tube. I also remember that I asked for a second tube of this lipstick when my cousins visited me in the States the next time.

My Own Little Sunshine

Thanks to the recent string of dark, cloudy days that we've had, I've discovered a new - found love for bright, happy lipsticks.

Today, I've used one extremely bright and one dark lipstick to concoct a more wearable,  happy shade. Its a pink-peachy red, which works very well for my skin tone.  

The products used: 

Products Used

1. Colorbar Velvet Matte lipstick in ' Peach Crush'

I love this shade - a matte-finish, full-coverage peach. Although this isn't a true peach, as it is more of a coral (in the swatch, it seems more orange than it is), this bright lipstick is still a pretty good buy. I find it a bit intimidating to wear the lipstick on its own - the colour seems a bit too neon for my lips. Good peach lipsticks are difficult to find for duskier skin tones.  But this is definitely a shade worth having in one’s collection. 

One swipe of 'Peach Crush', worn like a stain

2. Lakme Enrich Satin '422'

Think Rekha circa 1980, Rekha of the 'Khoobsurat', 'Ghar', 'Umrao Jaan' fame - shade 422 is reminiscent of those times and of Rekha. Wear this shade on its own with lined lips and a clear gloss to invoke the 1980s Rekha maroon shade. 422 is a deep maroon with reddish brown hints. By the way, I am not a big fan of this number system in Lakme's Enrich lipsticks, but I will leave that for another day.

So how do you like this shade? 

Brightness on a dark day

I adore pink lipsticks.  Always have. I am always on the lookout for new pink shades. And I can spend hours mixing rarely worn pink lipsticks to come up with new, more wearable shades.

And yes, there have been numerous experiments with frosted baby pink lips, a-la Asha Parekh (also a fan of everything retro!), albeit not to the best possible results. There was navy blue shadow involved, of course,  but that story is for another day.

So in my quest for the perfect pink lips to suit my mood (and my complexion), today I came up with a pretty, bright pink. Its just perfect for the dark, cloudy days we've been having.

Products involved:

1. Maybelline lipliner in 'Choco Pop'

2. Maybelline Colorsensational lipstick in 'Crazy for Coffee'

3 . Maybelline Colorsensational lipstick in 'Hooked on Pink'

4. Colorbar Velvet Matte lipstick in 'Sultry Pink'

How do you like this shade?

Hello

So I thought this blog could be about my second greatest love (after food, of course!) - make up! And yes, there are blogs galore about make up, but this one could be about all the products I love and use, about all the 'jugaad' techniques that come handy from time to time, about my obsession with buying lipsticks and about playing with colours and shades, with a little bit of other girly stuff thrown in.