This is another purchase of the Maybelline glitter mania range. The shade is Matinee Mauve. It is a glittery purple shade with silver glitter and looks very awesome. 

MRP Rs 125. 

The glitters are slightly difficult to remove but they are easier than L'Oreal glitter nail paints. That is because the glitter in this is not chunky but very fine.

I picked up Maybelline colorshow Denim Dash nail paint from nykaa.com. I loved the swatches online... the colour actually looks denim. A blue I do not have... did not think it was possible.

Below is the true colour. Priced at Rs 75, the nail paint needs 1 coat but I have applied 2 coats to make it completely opaque.
It dries immediately which is a big advantage. There is light blue shimmer in the nail paint which makes this shade very unique. Also, it dries matte... and not glossy.

A wonderful colour. 

I bought this nail paint from nykaa.com as soon as it was launched. Have applied it today. 

This shade is rightly called starry nights. It is a black nail paint with silver shimmer and priced at Rs 125. 

The shimmer is a little gritty... I can feel the glitter when I touch my nails. The glitter is not like the ones in L'Oreal nail paints where the glitter is bigger and so does not go on even.

This is what it looks like with flash. The paint needs 2 coats... 1 coat is sheer and with 2 coats it becomes completely opaque.

Without flash.

Loving it. 

I bought the glitter nail paints from nykaa.com as soon as they were launched.
I had spotted the color of the OPI nail paint in Colorbar a year back but did not buy it because it was expensive (around 300 bucks). But when I saw the same color in OPI I bought it. In my defence, I did look for the color in Colorbar on nykaa but did not find it. Love this color.

Left to right: Maybelline color show paparazzi purple, Maybelline color show starry nights, Maybelline color show denim dash and OPI ski teal we drop.
MRP of Glitter mania range of Maybelline color show: Rs 125
MRP of denim dash: Rs 75
MRP OF OPI : Rs 670

 Starry nights

Paparazzi purple

Denim dash. It has silver shimmer in it.

Ski teal we drop

Recently, I have been using pencil liners more frequently and the gel liner usage has reduced. Pencil liners are more convenient to use... they don't need a brush and can be carried along for touch ups.
But gel liners give a different look and they are my favorite liners.
I have used below gel liners:
- Mac- blue, purple, green and brown
- Bobbi Brown- grey
- L'Oreal- black
- Maybelline- black

After the Maybelline gel dried up (pretty soon) I bought the L'Oreal liner but it also dried up recently and I needed a new one urgently. On visiting New U, none of the brands (Revlon, Maybelline, L'Oreal) had a tester. The SAs were showing me the tester for brown liner and that is just weird. Why will I test brown when I want to buy black? And no... black is not black... black also has shades. How else would the brands make money by advertising 'blackest of black'?
Anyway, yesterday I tried out the new Maybelline gel liner and purchased. It is a new formula and a better packaging. I have worked a bit in make up and know that better claims do not mean a new formula. Most times the formula/product remains the same but better claims can be made.
My one big problem with liners is oily eyelids. I have oily skin and the lids are very oily. Everything smudges on my right lid.

Earlier, the liner came in a tub with a steel lid which looked cheap. The lid had dents within a few months so I am glad with the new packaging. The tub is sleek with the black cap. The brush which is free with it is the same. I still use the old brush so... am glad it is the same.
MRP Rs 450.

The product is black and creamy... creamier than Mac. I like the texture. It feels very smooth.

Below are the swatches. When I applied it... it was slightly sheer. It did not apply completely opaque in 1 swipe on the eyes. I had to apply 2-3 swipes to get the completely dark, black look. 

In below swatches it looks completely opaque though. 

Instead of clicking pictures of the liner freshly applied I have clicked them at the end of the day. This is after 7 hours of wear which included... shopping at mall ... and 1 hour of sweaty dance class. It has smudged slightly on my right eye... below and above but on the left eye it is intact. I am pretty happy with the wear time. I don't wear liner while exercising/dancing but if it can survive the sweaty class... it will survive on my oily lids during summer for atleast 8 hours.

The brands claims 36 hr wear but I am not going to test it out... for obvious reasons. 

Overall, I am happy with the liner. It is a new formula and new packaging. I will definitely buy it again. It is as good as Mac... wish it had more shades, though.

I hauled the new launches from L'Oreal and Maybelline recently.

 L'Oreal shine caresse lipstick and Maybelline lip polish gloss.

I bought the L'Oreal shine caresse listick in Juliette from nykaa.com. I love these lipstick/glosses. They need a little effort in the beginning but the texture is amazing.
This is a lip stain and not a lipstick/gloss. The colour depends on the colour of your lips... a lighter colour may not show up on pigmented lips. A darker colour may show up differently on different coloured lips.

Juliette is a red coloured stain. I need to apply 2-3 times for it to apply evenly. It stays on all day and looks glossy throughout. Unlike other stains it does not become matte... I really like that. It comes off a little on eating a heavy meal and needs to be re-touched.
Overall, I love the lip stains and have already purchased more shades. Priced at Rs 499 they are quite cheap (considering it is L'Oreal).

Another product I really love is Maybelline lip polish. This shade is glam 6 and priced at Rs Rs 450. It is a dark berry colour in the tube but comes on berry pink on the lips.

The gloss stays on for 4-5 hours... and leaves a pink stain. I love it. I am planning to purchase another 2-3 shades. 

Nail paints used: Maybelline Colorshow Shocking Seas, Maybelline Express Finish Fuschia Fun

Colorbar Moss Agate. Love this shade.

Max Factor nail paint (hate tiny nail paints) with L'Oreal color riche Le Vernis gold polka dots. Looks like a 80s saree design.

I was very happy to see the Maybelline Color Show nail paints in the stores. Apparently, there are some 40 shades launched but I saw only 15-20 shades in the store.

This shade is called Miss you Blue and is priced at Rs 75 for 6 ml. I love how cheap the nail paints are. Sure, they are only 6 ml but that works out to be better 'coz I rarely repeat nail paints... maybe 2-3 times in a year.

This shade is light blue with shimmer (not glitter). It is a different shade and not everyone may like it. I do not own any color like this.

The nail paint applies opaque in 1 coat itself. I have applied 2 coats below. The paint is for a good consistency- neither too thick nor too runny. 

And here is the best part. It lasts 4-5 days. Below is the pic of my left hand where there is minor chipping on 2 nails. It also dries quite fast. 

I cannot think of even 1 negative in these nail paints. They are superb products at cheap prices. Love them. 

This is what my nails have been upto:

Maybelline Colorama ... don't know which shade this is... cannot read it... don't know why I bought it... it looks bad. Discard.

Inglot... like this shade.

I have/am going to finish so many products this month that I decided to blog about them.

1) Nivea lemon and oil body wash: MRP Rs 165 for 250 ml. I bought this for my brother when he had come to stay for a few days. I would never have tried it otherwise. After he left, I used it to finish it off. A good product. It smells of lemon (obviously) and lathers well. It also consists of small yellow beads giving it an attractive look. The bottle is travel friendly and the flip cap does not open up while travelling.
Will I re-purchase? Yes. Why not.

2) The Nature's Co Peppermint face wash: MRP Rs 325 for 125 ml. I bought this when Vellvette sent me a coupon for a spa at their store. I visited their store in R City, Ghatkopar. This was a forced purchase. Details here. Anyway, I have been using it for the past few months. The face wash is for oily skin. It is slow to lather specially if face is already oily and smells like spirit... you know, the product which doctors use to disinfect before giving an injection. Yuck!!! On applying, it tingles in a good way. After washing the skin does not feel squeaky clean... it does not feel dirty but I don't get the squeaky sound which is a test of cleanliness. This may not be a bad thing but I am so used to judging cleanliness by this that I prefer it that way. The face wash is ok. Nothing great. And the price is a hindrance for me.
Will I re-purchase? No.

3) Baby Lips Coral Crush: MRP Rs 125. The Maybelline Baby Lips lip balms do stand out in the market. I have bought one in every shade. Finally, I finished 1 lip balm and can now open a new pack. They make my lips smooth and keep them moisturized. They did not work when my lips became very dry and damaged but I think that was an extreme reaction to some lipstick. For regular usage, they are good but if you are looking for specific care/concern this may not be the ideal product.
Will I re-purchase? Of course.

4) Clinique Clarifying Lotion : MRP Rs 1400 for 200 ml. This toner has lasted me for around 2 months. The brand does have a bigger bottle which is cheaper but would be difficult to carry while travelling. This bottle is sturdy and travel friendly. I wish they had 100 ml bottles to carry while travelling. The SA at the store told me it is a clarifying lotion. It tones but also removes dead skin cells. I wish I could see the effect on my skin. Earlier, I used Vichy Normaderm toner. I don't think Clinique lotion has made any significant difference to my skin. It did not stop breakouts (I get 1 pimple every month). I soak a cotton with the lotion and dab onto my face. The product tingles a little and may burn if there is a cut on skin. Also, it has a lot of alcohol and smells like it. I am so confused... the SA at Clinique tells me that alcohol is good for skin while the one at Keihl's tells me that it is not good for sensitive skin. Arrgh!!! I am still trying to figure it out.
Will I re-purchase? No. I will be trying Keihls caldula toner next.

5) Garnier deo Absolute Dry: This is my favorite antiperspirant. MRP Rs 150 for 150 ml. It is a little expensive compared to other deos in the market but I love it. Earlier, my underarms would smell and the deodorant (Fa, Charlie, Reebok) would add to the smell and make it worse. Plus, they started making my underarms dark. Oh, how I hated those days. Then, I discovered Garnier deos. I do not smell at all now. The deos does not smell too great but it is not bad. The point is that it does its job well. It does not darken my underarms and I am so glad.
Will I re-purchase? Yes. I have been using this for years and have not even tried any other deo.

6) Bourjois magic nail polish remover: MRP Rs 400 (I think, it has been months since I bought this). This nail polish remover reduced my nail care time drastically. No more turning off the fan... soaking cotton... closing the lid fast so that the remover does not disappear... rubbing.. rubbing... and then repeating for each nail. You just have to dip your nail and turn 1-2 times and ta da... nail polish gone. It has a very sweet fragrance which gets on my nails. I don't always like the fragrance. The liquid is non sticky. I have been using it for months and it got ruined when I used it to remove glitter nail paints. Now, I am using it to remove only glitter nail paints and Colorbar ultimate nail polish remover (similar one minus the smell) for regular nail paints.
Will I re-purchase? Maybe not. I think the Colorbar one is better ... it does not have the fragrance.

7) The Body Shop Satsuma Body Mist: MRP Rs 745 for 100 ml. It smells just the way I like it... like fruits. I prefer fruity fragrance to anything else. It has lasted me months. I apply it on my body after a bath and it smells good. On the downside, it is a mist so cannot be applied on clothes. Plus the lasting power is low. You can smell it as soon as I apply it but not later.
Will I re-purchase? I don't know. I am using the Victoria's Secret body mist and it lasts slightly longer.

8) Sally Hansen Insta Brite: Rs 775 for 13.3 ml. Yep, it is damn expensive. I bought it 'coz my nails were yellowing due to excessive use of nail polish. I thought this would help. But nope. It is the biggest disappointment. I apply it before nail polish but it is transparent and does not whiten the nails or cover up the yellowing at all. Hate it. Have used it as base coat to finish it off.
Will I re-purchase? No. I am trying out Inglot nail whitener.

9) Colorbar nail polish remover. MRP Rs 125 for 110 ml. I am a fan of this product and this brand. This is the best nail polish remover I have used. It beats Lakme also. It removes nail paints quickly. The bottle is plastic and travel friendly. It is also acetone free.
Will I re-purchase? Yes. Have started using the next bottle.

10) Kerastase Elixir Ultime: MRP Rs 2300 for 125 ml. It is very expensive but I bought it at a discount. Love this product. It smells of coconut which I do not like but the fragrance does not linger. 2 pumps are required to cover the entire hair. It gives a healthy shine and reduces frizz. I use it on towel dried hair and apply more on the ends than on roots. If used too much, it may make the hair look oily but does not feel sticky at all. If there is one product you can splurge on, this should be it.
Will I re-purchase? Yes. I already have a back up bottle.

11) Chanel Inimitable Intense mascara: My sister sent me this sample along with other goodies from USA. It has lasted me months. I love it. It gives volume and length to lashes. I would love to buy the full product if I already didn't have so many mascaras. Someday... when I finish off my current stash.

I have joined a new job and am back at Delhi. Yeah... lots of shopping except I don't feel like it.

Anyway, I have been very lazy and pushed myself to try a new nail art. Since it is my first week at work I don't want to try something drastic and wanted something subtle.

This is what I did- glossy tips on matte nails.

Nail paints used- base coat (Sally Hansen nail whitener- do not like it... trying to finish it off), Maybelline Colorama black nail polish, Inglot matte top coat, Inglot nail art pen in black (you can use a regular black paint also but the thick brush will be tricky to use).

 How to:
- Apply base. Apply black nail paint
- Let it dry. Top with a matte coat
- Let it dry.
- Carefully apply black nail paint on tips
- Do not use any top coat else the matte effect will be gone

This is a very subtle nail art and noticeable only at close quarters. 

I have been trying out nail art recently and decided to post the pics:

Used- Inglot white nail paint (hate how streaky it is), Colorbar crackle nail paint. This does not look too good but I wanted a twist on the usual crackle.

                                      

Used- Inglot pastel pink, Revlon glitter nail paint. I loved this one. Instead of painting the whole nail with glitter I have only used it on the top half. This reminds me of a fairy.

Used- Maybelline Colorama, Inglot nail art black pen. Polka dots are the easiest to create. I love the base- mint Maybelline nail paint... I just painted the dots with Inglot nail art pen.

Used- Maybelline express finish for base, L'Oreal color riche Le Vernis orange paint for dots. I saw orange on orange on one of the blogs and decided to try it out. The base is a shimmery, light orange nail paint. The dots have been painted on with a tooth pick. Compared to a nail art pen, the dots are large. I like them. Using tooth picks is so much cheaper and there is no constraint of nail paint used.