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.