Nude Lips Chronicles - Revlon ColorStay Mineral Lipglaze in Timeless Nude

Hiya!

Decided to finally chronicle my quest for the ultimate nude lips.. which I am sad to report is still out of my reach. Picked up this lipglaze from my local Rite Aid for 7.99 bucks (BOGOHO.. if you aren't a loser like me, then it is 'buy one get one half off'). I am a sucker for any lip product with the word 'Nude' in it , so this was going to be a no-brainer. The shade is called 'Timeless Nude' (LOL!) and its a pretty pinky nude (on my lips at least). Depending on how pigmented your lips are and how much you decide to slather it on, the shade can vary.
The smell did put me off a bit and since I particularly suck at describing scents, I am not even going to try. The texture again was weird and since I particularly suck at describing textures too, I am going to say that it was thick/minerally ..almost like a liquid lipstick. Stayed on my lips for around 2 hours and since I wore it a bit sheer I don't blame the gloss. I scarfed down some food too, so that might have shelved its lifetime by half. Still on the fence about this product..am not too picky about what I put on my lips so this might actually stay with me for a while.

It comes with a spongy applicator.

Photograph taken in natural sunlight

There you have it! Now you have all the tools to make an informed decision! (God! I sound like my mum!)

Thirsty Thursday - Berry Xmas Cocktail!

Hiya!

Now if you don't have a man/woman/dog/iguana (not gonna judge) to cozy up to during Christmas, do not fret! This alcoholic beverage will make you go get one (just kidding!). This cocktail is my own personal blend of tacky and class that will make everybody go "What the heck is that?!"
You will need

• 15ml of strawberry liqueur or syrup 
• 15ml of raspberry liqueur or syrup
• 15 ml of cherry liqueur or syrup
• 15ml of the finest cognac you can get your hands on 
• 15 ml of brandy

Again, mix up all of the above in a shaker and shake it (Duh!). Now if you do decide to use syrups instead of liqueurs, you can always upgrade to 30mls of cognac :) And if you want the "brain freeze" experience, you can add crushed ice to the glass and pour the concoction over it. It tastes equally yummylicious without the ice too. Top it off with cherries or strawberries or raspberries or whatever else that floats your boat. Garnishes always make a drink look so fancy.. 

To a boozy Christmas! Merry Christmas everybody!

Ciao!

Cheapy Chic - Revlon Diamond Lust Eye Shadow

Hiya!

Back from a long break to bring this oldie but goody cheapy drugstore find from Revlon. They are called the "Revlon Luxurious Color Diamond Lust Eye Shadow", which is a pretty long name for what is basically a glitter eye shadow. Now if you are like me, which is basically a person who reads beauty blogs, watches beauty videos on Youtube etc., etc., , then you know that one of the wintery/holiday trends is to layer glitter over your eye shadow. I didn't want to invest in a high-end glitter product (ahem.. M.A.C/MUFE) so decided to rummage through the drugstore aisle in hopes of finding something wearable (for reasons unknown, I don't like working with loose eye shadow pigments so loose glitter was out of the question). Found these Revlon shadows for 4.99 bucks a pop but they had about 5 shades.

I picked up the "Celestial Silver" (giggle!) shade to test it out and liked how it looked smeared across my lids (and on my face..yes ..a lot of fallout). Would suggest holding a tissue under your eyes while you apply it. If you do manage to get it all over your face, then a damp sponge is your best friend.

The swatch below was over bare skin (without primer). I would definitely suggest using a primer or anything tacky (gross!) so that the glitter can stick onto something. Love the way it looks layered over a dark grey eyeshadow which is the swatch at the bottom.

Photographed in natural sunlight.

Photographed with flash.

If I do decide to go back for more, then I would like to get my hands on the "Plum Galaxy" (Hehe) and the "Night Sky" (God!).

Friday Fever - Diane Kruger "No Makeup" Makeup Look

Hiya!

Love Diane Kruger's style! She makes it look so effortless (hate her!). She adores her red lippy but I decided to dedicate this post to her more usual style of keeping it very casual. She has perfected the "No makeup" makeup look that Chanel ladies love so much and if Diane is anything its a Chanel gal!

Just look at her! So here goes nothing..

• Moisturize your face. You do not want a flaky face for this look.
• Apply a dewy foundation of your choice. Ensure that you do not mattify (word of the day ladies!) your face too much as it can sometimes age a face. 
• Conceal as much as you can :) But again, less is more.
• Highlighting is optional. Highlight your cheekbones, bridge of the nose and your cupid's bow. You wouldn't want to take it any further as it will make you look like a grease monkey. Powder highlights are an oily gal's best friend.
• Use a sheer rosy blush on the apple's of your cheek and take it all the way up your cheekbones and till your hairline. Remember to blend it well.
• Now the eyes. Very very minimal. A sheer wash of a nudey pink color (matte or shimmer is left to your liking). Blend a mid-tone sheer brown color into your socket line so that it has some definition. 
• Line your upper lash line with a brown eyeliner. You can opt for a black one but keep it thin.
• Coat your lashes with buckets of mascara. It should be spikey and separated. Fake eyelashes are always an option (use wispy ones instead of a full set).
• Use a rosy or a berry lip stain (moisturize your lips before doing this..again flaky lips are not sexy ladies). 

Done! 

Let me know if you'll need product recommendations for the above look. 

Thirsty Thursday - Chocolate Martini!

Hiya!
This cocktail isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea..ahem.. alcohol I mean. Dedicating this to the ladies especially during those chocolate craving days..do not even bother denying it! A word of caution though.. I haven't sipped through this but gulped it down..here goes nothing..

To make this yummylicious drink, you will need

• 15ml dark chocolate liqueur
• 15ml white chocolate liqueur
• 15ml Bailey's Irish cream
• 15ml coffee liqueur 
• 15ml vanilla flavored vodka

You will need a shaker for this one, just like all martinis. Combine all the ingredients and mix it in the shaker with ice. Strain and pour it into the glass. Serve with a chocolate curl or shavings. If you want it to be a bit more chocolatey, then you might as well chuck in some chocolate syrup. If you do find it difficult to find all the ingredients above, you can always substitute the Irish cream and coffee liqueur with chocolate flavored vodka and a bit of cream (but will definitely taste a bit different). To a boozy weekend! Ciao!

Friday Fever - MUG Eyeshadows!

Hiya!
Who doesn't love a good affordable dupe? Especially one that is cruelty free! The MakeupGeek (MUG) eyeshadows have been in the market for quite sometime now but I've never felt the urge to buy them. That is, until I came across its reviews. Comparisons have been made to  M.A.C eyeshadows and I can say that they come quite close. For ~6$ (~330 INR) per pan, they are definitely more affordable than the M.A.C shadows (now that M.A.C has hiked up its price :( Why do they keep doing that?? And they have also decided to move to China which means that M.A.C are no longer cruelty free (Another sad face) ). You can buy these shadows in their pan or compact forms and as an added bonus, these pans fit into the M.A.C palettes.

My camera has been a bit wonky so am not able provide the swatches of these. But the products have been swatched on the MUG site and they are pretty damn close (have linked them to the names of the shadows). I will also link a couple of blog posts about these shadows (coz they have swatches of shades that I don't have).
I got a couple of shadows through my friend (who is living in the U.S) but the MUG store does ship worldwide. You can check out their FAQ and Customer Service links for more information. So getting to the eyeshadows :
1. Corrupt - the most pigmented matte black shadow that I've ever come across. Absolutely gorgeous! There might be a bit of a fallout but can definitely work with it just coz it is so damn beautiful!

2. Cocoa Bear - another matte shadow and this one is a beautiful reddish warm brown shade. Blends really well and is very pigmented considering it is a matte shadow.

3. Sensuous - plumy purple shadow with flecks of silver. Gorgeous! Have used it almost for a week now and still not bored with it.

4. Chickadee - another matte shadow :) Yellowish orange shade which I thought would look beautiful for the summer(found the shade too unique to pass up on). Ideal shade for using as a pop of color or as a liner or if your not a chicken shit as me, then all over your eyelids :)

All the MUG eyeshadows are cruelty free and other than the shades "Maderine" and "Fuji", these shadows are Talc and Paraben free as well.

You'll can also check out these blog posts for more reviews about these shadows :
1. Bows and Curtseys - http://www.bowsandcurtseys.com/2012/05/lavish-love-makeupgeek-look-review.html
2. Prettymaking - http://prettymaking.blogspot.in/2012/06/makeup-geek-eyeshadows-expansion-kit.html

Donso!

All Time Favorite YouTube Make-up Gurus!

Hiya!
Youtube! The boon and the bane of my existence. No semblance of any savings,draining bank balances, skiving work to check videos posted, muted free will (to the extent where I have bought products that I know I won't wear too often) etc etc. So here me thinks, "Why not do a blog about my favorite YouTube Bloggers?"

• Pixiwoo - love the name! Professional make-up artists blogging about make-up. What more can you ask? And to add to the bag of awesomeness.. they are sisters. Celebrity looks, artsy looks, daily/office wear etc, you name it and they have uploaded it.
• Fav videos - 
• Beautiful Grey Scale Make-up Tutorial
• Creative Creases Make-up Tutorial
• Lisa Eldridge - She's a renowned make-up artist whose work has been featured in Vogue, Elle, Glamour magazines etc. She's also the 'go to' make-up artist for a lot of Hollywood A-listers. Loved her in the "10 Years Younger" series that used to air couple of years ago. Her looks are versatile and your not going to be seeing the usual "Monthly favorites", "Products I regret buying" and "Haul" videos. But instead, she will teach you how to rock pastels (Yes, I did use the words "rock" and "pastels" in the same sentence) and keep you informed about the upcoming trends (as opposed to trends that are shoved down our throats by other YT bloggers).She hooked me onto MaxFactor mascaras and now I can't seem to get rid of them!
• Fav videos - 
• Beauty - 1940's tp 1970's
• Showgirl/Fantasy Peacock Eyes
• Audrey Hepburn - Breakfast at Tiffany's Inspired Mak-eup
• Gossmakeupartist - he says it as it is and is absolutely divine! His reviews are honest (brutal sometimes) and I remember that he was one of the first YT gurus who went against the whole 'blush on the apples of your cheek' staple.
• Fav videos - 
• Complete guide to contouring and high-lighting
• Hypes Lies and Marketing
• MakeupGeekTV - colorful tutorials usually themed (I loved the whole series of looks around her favorite cocktails). Introduced me to Too Faced as well as Lorac cosmetic products. She has her own line of products which you can buy from her online store. 
• Fav Videos -
• Cocktail Make-up - Tequila Sunrise
• Flower Inspired Make-up - Vibrant Orchid

I watch many many more (absolutely ashamed of myself!) but didn't want to seem too lame over the web (if that's possible). Let me know your favorites..and maybe I can get hooked onto more :)