I went to Ambience Mall, Vasant Kunj for some work today and came across MAC's new collection. Below is my haul:

Top to bottom:
- NYX lipstick in Fig. Bought it from Sephora for Rs 360. Online everyone has been raving about these and I decided to try them out
- Inglot lip brush. MRP Rs 1000. I like Inglot brushes. They are cheaper than MAC and good quality
- MAC lipstick Up the Amp. MRP Rs 1100 from Playland collection
- MAC lipstick Candy Yum Yum. MRP Rs 1100 from Playland collection
- MAC long wear waterproof brow set. MRP Rs 1300. This is part of a new collection. The collection has gel liner for the brows, brow sets and mascara.

The brow set has to be applied over the brows (of course) with a mascara type wand. I am using a NARS brow pencil gifted by my sister right now and previously was using Oriflame's super cheap brow pencil. Have decided to try something new.

It is brown in color and has a mascara wand. Can I use it as a mascara too???

Left to right: MAC candy yum yum, MAC Up the Amp, NYX in fig.

Candy Yum Yum is a neon pink. I had to stand and recollect for 10 mins if I have this shade but then decided that I don't. It is a very neon pink and instantly brightened up my face. It is matte and has a crayon like consistency.

Up the Amp is a berry colour. I do not have this shade and decided to buy it.

NYX fig. An everyday colour... nudish... coral... for daily wear.

Swatches: Top to bottom : NYX fig, Up the Amp, Candy yum yum

MAC has launched a new collection this week. This is the mailer I received from the company few days back. Generally, the mailer comes in a week earlier and so I had expected the collection to be launched in stores next week. MAC launches new products on a Thursday and everytime I go on a Monday to check them out, they are already stocked out... or all the products are not launched in stores. Which is quite a bummer. Makes me think they launch like 5 pcs of each product.

Here it is... it has:
- bright lipsticks in matte and glossy
- cream blushes in pop colours
- liners in super pop colours like blue, orange, pink. I loved these but didn't want to spend on something I will wear rarely
- lipglosses
- eye pigments

Do check it out.

I have wore this outfit many, many times... and I like it ... a lot. It is comfy... and fun.

What I am wearing...
Shirt- Sarojini Nagar
Jeans- Allen Solly. Bought it from fashionandyou.com for 1000 bucks
Blue wedges- Sarojini Nagar
I wanted to wear another pair of footwear but I had a bit of walking around to do and the blue wedges are quite comfy.

Funky cat print on the shirt... too cute. 

Make up breakdown:
- Mac primer (just trying to finish it off)
- L'Oreal true match concealer
- Clinique tinted moisturiser (love)
- Mac gel liner topped with L'Oreal mineral liner in blue (trying to finish it off)
- L'Oreal telescopic mascara
- L'Oreal pomegranate pink chubby stick on lips
- Inglot matte loose powder

I don't do posts on looks, make up etc because I am a normal, working person. This blog is a hobby. It has taken me years and hours of practice just to get a basic make up look perfect. I don't apply elaborate eye shadows on normal days (who does???). Only beauty bloggers or celebs do that. Also, I don't have the time. I have a full time job, gym sessions, hubby, house etc. So, yes.... make up posts are far and few between. Plus, I don't own a DSLR. I have a normal digicam which works well and my phone has an awesome cam (Nokia Lumia 820). I managed to click a good pic of my blush yesterday and decided to post a review.

Mac lip and cheek tint- Evening Stroll. This was part of a limited collection launched last year. I liked how easy to wear it seemed and picked it up.
It is a nice pink- dark pink... rani pink (if you know what I mean).
I think I bought this for Rs 1300 for 13 ml.

Without Flash. Looks a little dull here.

With Flash. This is the actual color.

The blush can also be used as a lip tint but I don't really use it that way. The product is smooth and easily comes on the fingers when swiped. It does not feel sticky or hard. 

Below is a swatch- without flash. On top is unblended and bottom is blended.

With flash.

You need to apply it with fingers and then blend it out. I generally use a brush since that gives me more control.

On the face it does not look very pigmented since it blends out. That is why it is a cheek tint and not a normal blush. It gives a nice glow and color to the face. I have applied a few layers below and yet it seems sheer.

The tint lasts for 4-5 hours which is good because all blushes last that much on me since I have a very oily skin. The tint works very well in winters but in summer it is another story. It makes my face looks greasy and makes the imperfections stand out.
As a winter product, this works well for all skin types but for summer, oily skin people avoid.

Will I re-purchase? Sure. Finishing this one itself will be a task. 

I cannot believe I have to eat my own words and wisdom acquired in 2 years, within a few days.

Here is what I said:

There is no lipstick which stays on all day...
- A matte lipstick will always be drying... it can either be lasting or be moisturizing
- Eating and drinking will always make the lipstick fade

I just found a lipstick with
- Stays on all day
- A matte lipstick which stays on all day
- Eating and drinking does not make it fade

Yes... it exists.. and I did not know it.... until today.

Unveiling, Mac Ronnie Red Bright Red... from Archie's collection. 

I was not very impressed with the Archie's collection... MAC comes out with so many collections it is difficult for them to be innovative everytime. I wanted to purchase the Pearlmatte face powder but they have not yet reached the stores.
What I loved was the packaging and was determined to buy atleast 1 lipstick. Ronnie Red seemed to be the most appropriate. It is priced at Rs 1100.
I applied it for the first time today at work. Unlike most women I don't shy away from bold lips at work... it brightens up my day... makes me feel confident and I actually look forward to waking up each morning and going to work. 

The packaging has Veronica on it with small hearts. It is adorable.

It is a blue based red... the base is a pink. It looks red in some lights and bright pink in others. More swipes make it more red. The swatches (above and below) have only 1 swipe. It is super duper pigmented and completely matte. 

It does not dry the lips (not one bit) and I generally need to apply a lip balm every hour. It stays on and on and on. While drinking tea I expected the rim of cup to have a bright red stain (which can get embarrassing and look yuck). I barely saw any marks on the tea cup. I rushed to the washroom after my meeting and was pleasantly surprised to see the lipstick still there. There was slight fading in the centre after lunch but not enough for me to touch up.

It easily stays on for 6-7 hours after which it fades into a pink and leaves a stain.

I love it.
Pros:
- Long lasting
- Matte
- Does not fade after eating or drinking
- Not drying... very comfortable to wear
- Cute packaging

Cons:
- None

This is a collector's item.

So, I have picked the make up that will be used this entire week.... Instead of mixing brands, I have picked everything from MAC.











Products that will be used:

- Mac prep and prime primer

- Mac prep and prime lip primer

- Studio fix foundation

- Black and grey liner

- Brown gel liner

- Lipsticks- a brown nude, pink nude, orange, pink

- Mascara

- Concealer

- Colorbar eye lash curler (cropped out)

- Oriflame eye brow pencil

Bloggers in India (and not Indian bloggers) are in awe of Mac. I think its a decent brand... has more hits than misses... BUT it does have misses and the customer service sucks (more on that in some other post).

My general strategy is to go to Inglot, look for what I want, incase they do not have something I go to Mac. Nowadays, I only purchase from Mac when they have new launches. New launches is something that Inglot needs to do more often. But, Inglot is a better and cheaper brand.

Few months back I was looking for a maroon lipstick... the kind I have seen celebrities sport. They look very classy with an all black dress.

I could not find it in Inglot and headed to Mac. The BA pushed me to buy Sheen Supreme Good to be bad. I couldn't find it in the store recently so maybe it was limited edition or something.

It has a glossy black packaging, very different from the regular one. MRP: Rs 1400

Below are the pics:





It looks brown in the tube but is maroon in the swatch.





The top is uneven 'coz the lipstick hit the cap.



Maroon with a base of pink



It is extremely moisturizing and was melting during the summer in my drawer. It applies very unevenly. Thankfully, does not stain the teeth. Being so moisturizing, it barely lasts and does not look that great. Also, it needs to be applied with a lip brush. There is no way you can use the tube on your lips directly.



Hate... hate... hate... hate so much that I bought the same shade in pro longwear. When dark lipsticks apply unevenly it looks very bad and noticeable. A dark lipcolor needs to last long and look good.

Will never buy again.

I was in the mall yesterday and picked up a few things I NEED and one that I WANT. Know the difference?

Bottom to top: Body Tea Tree Pore Minimiser 30 ml MRP Rs 1245, Grapeseed glossing serum 75 ml MRP Rs 570, Mac Pro Longwear Heart Hangover MRP Rs 1400 (limited edition)



















I have gigantic crater like pores and thats all I see when I look into the mirror. I had tried Body Shop's Seaweed Pore Minimiser but that did nothing. This Tea Tree thing is a new launch. I did not see it in the stores last week. I picked it up even though its expensive. Hope it works. It has to be applied after the moisturizer.

I generally use a L'Oreal serum but that is over. I have ordered it and should receive it this week. I wanted to buy a serum to control the frizz. So, I bought this one. Again, this is new and I have not seen it in their stores earlier.

I have wanted a maroon shade lipstick. It looks classy with all black dress. This is the most exploited color by Indian women. Anyone and everyone wears it no matter what their age, skin color or dress color. It has something to do with the maroon bindi sported by so many married women. Even my mum does not leave home without a maroon bindi. This shade has to be worn judiciously. I do have the same shade in Mac glossy but that SUCKs, big time. You will know why in my next post.

This is a review for the recently purchased Mac lip and cheek tint in the shade Casual Colour. I was basically looking for a cheek tint rather than a lip tint. I prefer Clinique's chubby sticks as tints. Anyway, I wanted a light colour, I do have bright blushes but cannot wear them on a daily basis.

I picked the 2nd lightest colour- the lightest one was quite sheer. This is a peachish shade and looks like a mild flush on the skin. 



Pic 1, 2: Of the packaging. I managed to get some dust particles onto it and had to clean it out.

Pic 3,4: Swatches. In pic 4, at the bottom it is blended and on the top it is un-blended. It gives a sheer effect with some peachish tones. It can be built up.

Pic 5: As a lip tint. If I was looking for a lip tint, I would have bought one of the pinkish lavender shades but I just wanted a cheek tint

I find using this tint very easy and blending it is quite simple. I am a novice at applying blush and tend to get too much on sometimes. This is avoided with the tint. Also, my skin is very oily. Most of the blushes melt off (powder, cream- you name it). This lasted from 8.30 am- 5 pm which is the longest ever. I have found my preferred blush.

Will I re-purchase: This shade? No. It is going to last a long, long time. I will probably buy other shades.

MRP: Rs 1300

Weight: 13 gm

Hiya. I was in Ambience Mall, Vasant Kunj and as is my regular habit I strolled into MAC. I didn't expect to find or like anything there. I am familiar with their regular products and have loads of them. None of their recent new collections have excited me. Also, I had visited the Gurgaon store over the weekend and they had the same old stuff. I was surprised to see 3 new collections. I don't know the names or inspiration for the collection- not that it matters.

Collection 1: Mineral make up: a selection of mineral eye shadows and blushes. I am not into mineral make up, yet. I am yet to understand what the whole deal is.

Collection2: Coloured mascaras... drool. I have Max Factor's blue mascara but the colour does not show on my lashes. I wondered if MAC would be the same. There are mascaras in purple, burgundy, darker purple and black. I bought purple and I could see the colour in light. In low light, it will not be visible. MRP- Rs 1000. There are also 4 shades of pro longwear lipsticks, nail paints and a really cute blush with polka dots. I wanted to buy the blush but I don't apply so much blush to justify its purchase.

Collection 3: Lip and cheek stains. I liked this... there are 8 shades of stains. I bought "Keep it loose" which is very light and natural. I am not a fan of pink blushes. MRP- Rs 1300.

Then I went to Select Citywalk Mall. They have the entire collection while in Ambience some products are stocked out. As a habit, I strolled into Inglot and asked them about any new launches. Guess what, they also have new coloured mascaras- brown, bright blue, dark blue, purple and green. I bought dark blue 'coz I don't want 2 funky mascaras. One is enough. MRP- Rs 600. It cost me around 500 bucks after the 15% discount since I hold the Inglot member card. I wanted to kick myself for buying from MAC. As a general rule, I buy make up from Inglot and if I cannot find something there, I go to MAC. Inglot has similar or better products at lower prices.

My next stop was Lush. I have read soooo much about it and wanted to try out something... anything... but didn't want to pinch my wallet for it. I mean, 700 bucks for 100 gm of scrub or face wash? Really? Are they kidding me? I bought a shower jelly for 370 bucks (100 gm). I need a shower cream anyway.