These are the strangest times! As I look back at life just 2 months ago, it was bursting with excitement, travel plans, meeting people and what not..so much has changed! We have been in lockdown for more than a month now and makeup is something I wear only when I step out, so I have been bare faced for more than a month now. I do miss the excitement of playing around with my collection, so I think I’ll make an effort to wear some makeup during the weeks to come..even if it’s just to do laundry 😀
The Kiko Milano Extra Sculpt Volume Mascara is definitely not going to join the stay at home makeup party! This mascara and I have an intense love hate relationship. The intial days were rosy and full of love. I found the mascara to live up to it’s claims of being volumizing for the first week . It also gave good definition and length to my lashes. I have pretty decent lashes to begin with, so I liked the extra volume and length this gave.
Kiko Milano Extra Sculpt Volume Mascara
The packaging is pretty nice..a geometric glossy black tube. Week 2 …things started going down hill. The mascara formula started getting increasingly clumpy. The brush started getting clumps of product on it..my lashes started getting clumpy to the point that it looked better with no mascara.
Mascara brush
Funny thing about this mascara is that once in a while it performed like it did in week 1 and sometimes like how it behaved in week 2. I dunno if its got to do with how the product coats the brush but this darn thing never gave consistent results. Some days you win the mascara lottery and some days you do not!
I also found it hard to keep the mascara tube from getting a ring of dried up product at the opening. At the 3 month mark, I finally decided to part ways with this guy. I have heard many people rave about this mascara , so it could be user error, old tube, personal preference etc that heavily decides if this is your best friend in the mascara department.
I am a big fan of Kiko Milano products and currently I am using another one of their mascaras which is working out far better than this one for me! Stay tuned for a review coming soon!
Overall, I am not a fan of this particular mascara and won’t re purchase. Have you tried the Kiko Milano extra sculpt volume mascara?
Hello everyone!! Hope you all are having a great weekend! I am generally careful of the eyeliners I use on my waterline, simply because I am terrified of irritating my eyes! I came across reviews that said the Rimmel Exaggerate waterproof eye definer is a great drugstore option for sensitive eyes and so decided to try it out. I have been using this for a while and good news!…it doesn’t irritate my eyes.
Rimmel Exaggerate waterproof Eye definer
I have this in the shade Noir, which to be honest is not the blackest black I have seen. The eye definer is a skinny twist up pencil, which means no sharpening..yay! At the end of the skinny pencil, there is a smudger which can be pulled out and below the smudger is a sharpener..super cool!
The shade noir
The pencil glides on smoothly, with no tugging. Once applied, if you would like to smudge the line, you need to act fast since it sets pretty quickly and once it sets it is pretty smudge proof. I find that this pencil works best for the waterline as opposed to the top lashline. The color fades and starts to smudge when I use this on my lashline. However, this stays pretty well on the waterline much to my surprise!
Swatch
As you can see from the swatch above, this is not the most intense black liner out there. In fact, when I was trying to take a picture of the swatch, it looked more brown that black on my camera screen!
Overall, I do find this a good eyeliner for the price! My only major issue with this liner is that it is not black enough. I think it is a great drugstore option if you have sensitive eyes and you are looking for an eyeliner for the waterline.
September was a really busy month with lots of work related stuff along with quite a bit of travel sprinkled in! October looks like another travel busy month for me and so I thought of sharing with you guys what makeup items I plan to carry with me for my trip next week 🙂
Travel makeup bag 🙂
I really love my old ‘beginning to get tatty’ makeup bag! It is by this Thai brand called Jim Thompson whose products include bags and  silk textiles with lovely prints. I have had this bag for years and picked it up in Singapore. It is a sufficiently large bag which flattens really easily so you can slide it in between clothes in your suitcase to lessen any impact on your items as your suitcase is thrown in and out of planes 😉 Now lets take a look at what is in this bag!
Ck One mascara
I recently reviewed this mascara on the blog. I did not like it initially, but it has really grown on me and I have been using it almost every time I wear make up these days…so it has to come with me on my travels!
2. Â Milani Ultra Fine Liquid Eyeliner
This is an oldie but a goodie! I was introduced to this inexpensive but awesome liner by the Youtuber Emily Noel. I love how intense and dark the liner is! It is perfect for those days when you want to do nothing but liner and mascara for the eyes 🙂
3. NYX Dark Circle Concealer
I find this concealer to be quite under rated…not too many people talk about it ! It is awesome for correcting any darkness around your eyes since it has that perfect salmon peachy pink tone to neutralize any dark circles. It is available in multiple shades so you can chose one according to your skin tone. A dark circle concealer is always a good idea when travelling (which means change in time zones and limited sleep!)
4. MAC Limited edition Creamsheen in Mystical
I always like to travel with a nude/my lips but better shade since those are my go to low maintenance lip options everyday. This is one of my favorite my lips but better shade..It was part of the aquatics collection that came out in the summer of 2014 I think.
5.Tarina Tarentino conditioning lip sheen in Floriculture
This lipstick has one of the best formulas! It is comfortable and lasts well too. The shade Floriculture can be built up to get a dark lip or worn sheer for a pop of color on the lips. At one point, I used to carry a ton of lipsticks (you know ..to change things up!) while travelling and noticed I use 2 out of the zillion ones I bring along and the 2 are most of the time a neutral one and a more berry/red one. So nowadays, I just take 2 lipsticks in these 2 categories!
6. Laura Geller Balance-n- Brighten in Fair
If you have been reading my blog for a while you’ll know that this is my ultimate favorite powder foundation! I love the finish and find it hassle free to travel with!
7. Tarina Tarantino Jewel Shadow Palette in Dreamy
The formula of this small palette is buttery! There is no other way to describe it 🙂 The shades in the Dreamy palette are neutral (but shimmery) and can be used for everyday looks. I’ll review this beauty in detail sometime soon!!
8. Japonesque Velvet Touch blush in 04
The shade 04 is a pretty dark pink purple shade which is perfect for fall! As a blushoholic I do find it really hard to take just 1 blush with me 😉
9. The Balm Cindy Lou Manizer
This has become my go to highlighter! Ever since I got it I have almost stopped using the Mary Lou Manizer since this one looks more natural on my skin.
I carry my makeup brushes, cleansers and skincare stuff in other bags..this bag is usually just for makeup. I hope you enjoyed taking a look at my travel makeup bag! If you have any tips on how to travel light, choosing makeup for travel or any related tips do let me know in the comments section!
The hunt for the perfect eye liner suitable for the waterline is almost like a rite of passage for everyone when they first start wearing makeup (unless of course you don’t like to line your waterline). It is hard to find a liner that lasts on the waterline but at the same time doesn’t irritate your eyes. In my case I think the search pretty much ended when I got my hands on the Chanel Le Crayon Khol pencil.
Chanel Le Crayon Khol Intense Eye Pencil in Noir 61
Yup! It is a pencil liner but do not fear! It is very soft and glides smoothly onto the waterline with no tugging. I no longer have the outer packaging with the ingredients listed but if you google for the ingredients you will see that the first few ingredients are all glycerides. This probably explains why the pencil glides so smoothly.
The pencil is classic Chanel, black with white lettering and comes with a sharpener too! I often use this sharpener for my other eye and lip pencils as well 😉 The sharpener is of really good quality and although the pencil is soft I have never had the tip break off during sharpening.
I find the pencil really gentle on my eyes…no irritation/itching or watering of the eyes. That is a huge plus! I am always careful about what I use on my waterline since it pretty much comes into contact with your actual eyeball.
This is probably not the blackest black liner I have seen but you can easily build up the intensity by swiping it a couple of times on your waterline. I am usually happy with just a single swipe for daily use since it has good pigmentation.
Swatch (single swipe)
I primarily use this liner to tight line but it works great for creating a smokey eye look too. Again, it glides easily on the lids and can be smudged out effortlessly with a small smudging brush.
The only problem I have with this liner is that it lasts only 5 hours maybe 6 on my waterline. But then again, I have yet to find a non irritating eye liner that stays bullet proof on the water line. I circumnavigate this problem by usually touching up with the liner after the 6 hour mark when attending an event but on a daily basis I don’t mind it fading away towards the end of the day. It does not pool below my eyes and make me look like a raccoon so it kind of fades away ‘gracefully’ 😀
The price tag on this bad boy is 29$ but then again we are talking Chanel and since one pencil lasts forever even with daily use I am not complaining. The fact that it has a reasonable lasting power, good pigmentation and is non irritating for my eyes makes it worth the money for me atleast!
What is your favorite liner for the waterline? I would love to hear recommendations!!
Now that summer has officially rolled in ..it is time to change up your makeup game (if you like to change it according to the season!). I usually wear what I feel like wearing irrespective of the season but summer time I usually avoid liquid foundation and try to get a more glow y and dewy look. So here are a few picks from my makeup stash that I see myself using quite a bit this summer!
Summer time makeup
I just realized that I forgot to include sunscreen in the photograph above! oops!!  Don’t forget the sunscreen folks! Its the most important item for your summer time makeup and skincare 🙂
1. Laura Geller Balance and Brighten Foundation in FairÂ
I love this foundation! I have the travel size from one of her kits and I plan to purchase a full size one after I run out of this.If you have no major acne scars or imperfections you can easily get away looking flawless due to its air brushing effect. It feels light on the skin and its perfect for the summer time  😉
2. Milani Baked blush in Rose d’oro
I am a blush junkie and this is one of my favorites! It gives you the perfect sun kissed looking cheeks. In case you want a closer look at this beauty, here is a pic with the compact open..
Closer look at my summer time loves!
…lovely right 😉
3. Bobbi Brown shimmer brick compact in Bronze
This is one of the most amazing products I own and it will last me a lifetime! Its the perfect highlighter/bronzer. You can also use the strips as individual eyeshadows for bronzy lids too. I like to use the top 3 strips as a highlighter and the bottom 2 as a shimmery bronzer.
4. Face Stockholm cream shadow in Chintz *
This is a pretty lilac-pink metallic shade which is great as an easy all over the lid shade. I love the ease of use and the color!!
5. Cover Girl Lash Blast Length in Black
Now, people either hate this or love this mascara. This is one of my favorite mascaras from the drug store. I love long fluttery lashes and this does the job quite well.
6. Blinc Ultrathin Liquid Eyeliner Pen in Black *
The tip of this eyeliner is great for a precise wing or for the thinnest line for your lashline. I like to cut down on the heavy liner in the summer and this is perfect to get the job done!
7. The Balm lipstick in Foxxy Pout
I usually avoid frosty/ metallic looking lipsticks, and this is the only metallic lipstick I own. I don’t wear this quite often due to its frosty nature but I think I can pull it off in the summer! The shade Foxxy Pout is a shimmery, brownish pink shade with gold glitter.
What are your makeup picks for this summer?
Until next time…ciao!!
Products marked with * were sent as PR Samples. Opinions expressed here are my own.
I love discovering new brands of makeup all the time! Its almost like finding diamonds in the rough! Today I would love to introduce you guys to one such gem that I recently stumbled upon. Facade Beauty is a Texan brand focusing on the needs of women living in the southern parts of the USA; for the girls who have to battle humidity on a regular basis. Having lived in tropical places I know how frustrating it can be to have makeup melt off your face so I was thrilled when I got the chance to play around and test some of their products!
Facade Beauty
This is going to be a long post! I was sent eye shadows, blushes, eyeliners, foundation and a lipliner to try out, so lets jump into them one at a time 🙂
Eyeshadows
If you checkout their website, you will be spoilt for choice! They have a phenomenal shade range. I had a hard time picking out the 4 shades you see in the palette. The eyeshadows are sold individually in pans that you can them assemble into the magnetic palette. I think it is cool that you can assemble your own palette! Now,here is a closer look at the shadows I picked out..
Clockwise the shades are Baja, Solana, Delano and Agarita
Baja is a lovely rose gold color and Solana is a sheer gold. Both these shades are beautiful!! I also love the green (Delano) and the Plum shade (Agarita). These shadows are probably my favorite items from the brand! They are very finely milled, pigmented and look beautiful in the pan, swatched and on the lid. The silky texture of these shadows are a testament to their fine quality!
Swatches and on the lid!
These shadows can be used both wet and dry. Here in the swatches and on my eye I have used them dry 🙂 These shadows last the whole day on the lid with no creasing. yay! For the eye look shown here I used Solana in the inner corners of my eye, Delano in the center of the lid, Aagarita in the outer corner and Baja as the brow bone highlight. I then used the eyeliner in Voodoo to finish things up! That brings us to the next awesome product from Facade; the eyeliners!
Eyeliners
I tried 3 of the eyeliners from Facade. They all glide on really smoothly with no tugging which is good news! The eyeliners are the twist up kinds and they come with a smudge tip on the other end.
Facade Eyeliners
The 3 shades I picked out were Lorelei which is a pretty pearly dark gold, perfect for the lower waterline, Lido a rich deep blue and Voodoo a shimmery plum shade which I used for the eye look shown above.
Swatches: Lorelei at the top followed by Voodoo and Lido
I think my favorite shade is Lido! Its such a lovely blue 🙂
Lipliner
I was sent the lipliner in the shade Vanity. It is a pinky nude shade which is almost my natural lip color. I did not find the lip liner as smooth as the eyeliners but they do help prepping your lips for lipsticks that can potentially bleed.
Lipliner in Vanity
Foundation
I was really excited to try out the foundation samples since I wanted to check how long it will last before I turn into a grease ball. Since I live in the cooler and drier north eastern part of the country, I decided that the best way to check if the foundation can withstand humidy, heat and sweat was to wear it on a long hiking trip 😀  I can sum up my feelings about this foundation in 3 words: I love it!!
Facade Foundation
I was told that the best way to apply the foundation was to use a damp beauty sponge or beauty blender. I love the natural flawless finish I got with this! It did not irritate my skin either. As for the staying power, I am very happy to report that after 12 hours of wear there was barely any shine. The foundation held up really well when I wore it for the hiking trip despite the heat and sweat. Overall, this foundation is awesome and I am sure it works well in 101 F weather too! These bottles are coming with me the next time I fly down south!
Blushes
I have an obsession with blushes and again like the eye shadows it was difficult to chose 2 shades since there were so many choices! The blushes are also sold in individual pans which can then be placed in the palette.
Facade Blushes: True love and Valencia on the left and blended swatches on the right
True love is a matte pink and Valencia is a matte orange coral shade. Although both these shades look bright in the pan they look very soft and natural when blended into the skin as seen in the swatches. Both the shades are easy to blend and are not chalky at all unlike some other matte blushes. I did not notice any fading with these blushes. They can easily last 8 hours.
The 19s brush
Along with the eyeshadows I was also sent an awesome brush! 🙂 It is their 19S brush and I love how soft it feels. It is excellent for packing on shadow on the lid. I did not notice any shedding and I am generally impressed with the quality of the brush. For the eye look I created I did use this brush mostly.
The 19S Brush
If I have to chose 2 favorites from this list of items I think the eyeshadows and foundation steal the cake! Which of these things are you dying to try? Do visit their website at http://www.facadebeauty.com/ and check out the the rest of their collection!
*PR Samples. The opinions expressed here are my own. (No affiliate links)
I have mostly been an eyeliner pencil sort of gal for the most part of my makeup wearing lifetime. Recently I started experimenting with liquid eyeliners and so far I have been loving the Milani Ultra fine eyeliner (review here) …that was until I tried the Blinc Ultrathin Liquid eyeliner pen 🙂 I am quite hooked to this right now!
blinc ultra thin liquid eyeliner pen
The packaging is quite cool! The sleek pen comes in a nice lightweight recyclable aluminium container. As much as I love good product presentation, the product needs to perform…and in this case its a win! The company claims that the eyeliner is waterproof, smudge proof and fade proof and I did test it out on all these fronts. I found that once you put this on at the start of the day, it looks perfect 10 hours later (no fading!) and that my friend is a good eyeliner 🙂 I don’t rub my eyes too often but just to test this out I tired to smudge it and I failed!
The ultra fiine tip
Being in the pen form, I find this really easy to use. As you can see from the pic above, the tip is ultra fine! This is excellent if you want the thinnest line possible on your lash line. I usually prefer a thin application of eyeliner to the upper lash line since it gives a pop to your eyes but looks natural at the same time. This pen is a multi tasker for me since I can get a very thin line when I want the natural look, and at same time if I build up the liner I can get a more intense and thicker eyeliner look as well. If your into cat eye looks and winger liner looks this eyeliner might just land up being your best friend since the fine tip gives you a greater precision while drawing them out!
Swatch
The company claims that this the thinnest eyeliner tip in the cosmetic industry! Also the tip is not a felt tip like many of the pen format eyeliners, but an actual brush. That gives the tip sufficient flexibility as well which I like!
For me a very important criteria when choosing an eyeliner, especially a waterproof one, is the ease with which I can take it off at the end of the day. I hate having to tug and pull my eyelid area! This eyeliner wins in that category too! It comes off really easily at the end of the day with my oil based makeup remover.
the eyeliner in action!
I can’t think of anything negative about this eyeliner except that it is not black enough for me when I apply the thinnest line possible. In the picture above I applied it slightly thicker than the thinnest line possible with it and only then did I see some intensity in color. However, I do not see this as a game breaker for me. Â The eyeliner is available at Sephora and on the Blinc website if you want to check this out!
Hope your all having a great week so far! Until next time..ciao!!
*PR Sample. The opinions expressed here are my own.
A couple of days ago, I posted (HERE) about how One Diection is coming out with limited edition makeup in the USA . Well, today I am going to show you what sort of goodies are there in one of the limited edition tins (warning: this is a long post!)! I was sent the Take me Home collection by Markwins International.
‘Take me Home’ from the looks collection
I really like the fact that the contents are housed in a tin. I am a sucker for tins :). However, I should warn you that the pic of the boys is only there on the outer sleeve. Once you remove it, the tin has a brick print on it. I am personally okay with that but I can see some fans of One direction being disappointed about it.
inside the tin
As you can see, the tin contains quite a few items! On one side, they give you an idea about the kind of looks you can create with the products in the tin. Out of the 3 tins available, this is the one leaning more towards neutral in color choices. Lets take a look at the contents more closely!
Lipstick in the shade Last First Kiss
As you can see from the picture below, the lipstick is a very pretty rosy pink. It is very natural looking  and for me this is a my lips but better kind of shade.
The lipstick applied quite sheer and has a balm or lip butter kind of texture. I do find it to be very build able and it feels good on the lips. I find that it has reasonable lasting power and does not dry out my lips which is a huge plus!
Lipstick in Last First Kiss
The product came damaged with the lipstick stuck to the top cap. Other than that no negatives here! I like this lipstick!
Lipgloss in the shade Kiss you
This lipgloss looks really bright orange in the tube 🙂 but surprisingly it looks quite pretty on the lips. It does not apply bright orange, it looks almost peachy orange on my lips.
There is a ton of glitter in this lipgloss which I am not a fan of unfortunately :(. The gloss is non tacky, but slightly gritty due to the big glitter chunks.
Lipgloss in the shade Kiss You
This lip gloss is supposed to glow in UV light. I find that quite fascinating and can’t wait to see if it works!
The applicator is a sponge tip one which is more paddle like than doe foot.
Overall, I am not a fan of this gloss because of the glitter but the formula is great!
Nail Polish in the shade Live while your young
This is more of a glitter top coat. I like the look of this nail polish with multi color gold glitter bits in it. I have not yet tried this on my nails since I got the makeup tin just after I got my nails done! So, I’ll try feature this soon on a foto friday post 🙂
Nail polish: Live While We’re Young
Volumizing Mascara in black shade called Little Black Dress
The mascara is supposed to be volumizing but I personally did not find it adding any additional volume to my lashes. However, it did lengthen my lashes and also hold up the curls.
I always look for lengthening more than volume when picking up a mascara so this works for me. However, it is not the greatest mascara I’ve used. It does clump my lashes a teeny tiny bit.
Little Black Dress Mascara
Body/Eye Crayon called ‘I wish’
This is a chubby pencil in a nice chocolate brown shade. I t can be used both on the eyes as well as the body.
The crayon glides very effortlessly and has a smooth texture and so I find it perfect for use near the eyes.
Eye/Body crayon in the shade I wish
Overall, I am quite happy with this crayon!
4+1 Eyeshadow Palette in Nude Shades
The eyeshadow palette in this kit is neutral. It comes with 4 powder shadows and 1 cream shadow. The shades are as follows: ‘Back for you’- cream color shade, ‘Change my Mind’ – peachy shimmer, ‘C’mon C’mon- soft taupe, ‘Little Things’- smoky brown and the cream shadow in golden glitter.
The eyeshadow Palette
I have to say that I am quite impressed with the soft texture of these shadows. They are not chalky and blend well too.
The pigmentation is also impressive. The gold glitter cream shadow is a bit chunky but has a smooth consistency as well.
Overall, I was not expecting the eyeshadows to have such good texture and quality and so..I am pleasantly surprised 🙂
Body Art Stencils
Lastly the kit comes with some stencils which can used for drawing on your arm or anywhere using the eye/body crayon.
Stencils in the kit
If you haven’t fallen asleep reading this long post yet 😉 , here is an eye look done using the contents in this kit! As you can see, the mascara has done a good job with lengthening my lashes. However they do look a bit clumpy too. For this look I first put the peachy shimmer shade called ‘Change my Mind’ all over the lid. I then went ahead and put the taupe shade called ‘C’mon C’mon  in my crease followed by the brown shade called ‘Little Things’ in the outer V. I used the matte cream shade called ‘Back for you’ on my brow bone.
I used the body crayon to line the lashline and I topped it up with the cream shadow in gold glitter using an angled liner brush. I think I used 4 coats of the mascara to get this effect.
Eye look with the kit contents
So now the big question…how much is this kit and is it worth it? I am not completely sure about the price..I think the 3 kits are going to retail at 29$. They are going to released at Macy’s first on the 11th of August. To get more details about the release check out the Facebook page HERE.
I am sure a die hard fan of One direction will enjoy this kit. The eyeshadow shades in this kit are very basic and most of us might have similar shades in our collection already. The lipstick shade is nice but again very dupable. If you don’t mind the glitter, the lipgloss is nice (I have to test out if it really glows in UV light!). Everything else in the kit is also nice but again nothing fantastic that makes me want to run out and buy it. I think you can skip this kit unless your looking for a gift for a girl just starting out with makeup or your a die hard fan of One direction!
Until next time..ciao!!
*I was sent this item for review but all the opinions expressed here are my own.Â
I have mostly been a eye pencil girl for as long as I remember. Part of the reason being the ease of use and better precision I get from using khol pencils. The one time I actually tried using a liquid eyeliner resulted in me looking like a Japanese kabuki artist…it was way tooo thick and I looked hideous! I saw many people rave about the Milani liquid eyeliner online and so I thought maybe I should try it out ..especially since it claims to be able to give you an ultra fine line ! I must admit it did take me some getting used to (and slotting in extra time when getting ready) but I am now quite comfortable using this particular liquid liner 🙂 yay!!
Milani Ultra fine eyeliner in Black Vinyl
First off..when they say this is a black eyeliner..they means the real black like the blackest black. It is a true black with no blue or green undertones so this is really perfect if your looking for a true deep black.
One of the biggest reason why I like this is because it is smudge proof. Once the eyeliner dries which happens fairly quickly, there is no way its going to budge unless you use a makeup remover and it stays put for a full day at work or outdoors too. I do not have watery eyes in general but I have a strong feeling it will last even if you bawl your eyes out  😛
Also if you are sensitive to smells in makeup products..good news.. I couldn’t detect any unpleasant or funny smells with this product.
So this guy which is the blackest black liquid eyeliner I’ve ever seen, pretty much budge proof with no funny smells costs less than 10$. Now that is an awesome deal don’t you think so ? 🙂
The ultra fine tip
As you can see from the picture above, the applicator or tip is kind of tapered. Now I think it would have been slightly easier to use if tip were a bit more flexible..so then the actual drawing of the line would be easier. The non flexible tip might make it a little difficult for novices to apply at first (like myself) but then with a bit of practice I have been able to get the hang of using it. The fine tip does allow for drawing a really fine line and you can also build up the thickness of the line so depending on the occasion you can play up or play down the intensity of the liner.
Swatch
I have to admit..considering how smudge proof and budge proof this is, it can sometimes be a pain to get it off 😛 Don’t get me wrong..its not as tough as removing water proof mascara just that once you use a makeup remover it flakes off your eyelid and the flakes stick around on your face and everywhere else..so it can be a pain sometimes.
As you can see from the picture below, this dries to a somewhat glossy/wet finish which I am not a big fan of . I would have loved it if had a matte finish.
Overall, I think its not a bad product at all for the price. I have heard that the formula is not the same across all the different colors in this range and how it can be a little bit watery with some of the other colors. I do not have any issues with the consistency of the black one which is the only color I own from this line .
Hope you guys are having a great week..until next time ciao!!
LillynLilly 