Lipstick -Unlisted Brand - Colorbar - Metallic Lipstick
MissNRI 12/6/2011 6:58:00 PM
I first tried two of my sister's lipsticks from this line, as I am currently having a metallic phase and anything with metallic in the name is drawing my attention! Her shades were much too bold and bright for me (she had Emotion, a fuschia, and Berry Burst, a purple) but I did like the finish, staying power and feel so I went to go choose a shade more suited to my coloring and tastes. I settled on Plum Crazy, a plum-bronze-brown hybrid of sorts with a warm undertone, similar to Revlon Spicy Cinnamon. All in all I am really liking it. I've had mixed results with Colorbar in the past but I do like this lipstick line.
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Eye Shadow -Unlisted Brand - Colorbar - Eye Shadow
MissNRI 12/6/2011 6:45:00 PM
I got this shadow in Copper Crush, which I was hoping was going to be a nice metallic light brown/copper colour. It wasn't quite the shade I'd hoped for. It had a very warm undertone, making it a bit too orange for my tastes. I also found the packaging to be a bit bulky and awkward, and the small range of shades was very disappointing. I think Colorbar is way behind international brands like Revlon & L'Oreal and even other national brands like Lakme & Chambor in terms of shade range and diversity. It also had a bit of fallout when applied, which, while not terrible (I do hold a card underneath my eyes when applying shadow & powder liner, just in case) was certainly not a plus. Now for the good things about this shadow: it is pigmented, and applies evenly and fairly smoothly, no caking or chalkiness. It also has good staying power and a nice semi-metallic finish which I love, as I have been loving all things metallic lately. Still, there are much better shadows out there that one can buy.
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Sunscreen -L'Oreal - UV Perfect Anti-Dullness SPF 50
MissNRI 11/28/2011 7:15:00 PM
Of all the drugstore sunscreens I've tried lately, this one is my favorite. It has the proper sun protection, applies, blends and wears well under makeup, doesn't cause acne or oiliness and this one, because of its slight purple tint (to color-correct dull skin) actually helps make my skin glow and look better when I wear it. I've decided it's past time for me to be relying on SPF included in moisturisers, foundations etc and start getting serious about sunscreen, and this will probably be my choice from now on to wear daily. It's quite expensive for a drugstore sunscreen but still cheaper than a Clarins or Shiseido one, both of which I had been considering.
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Sunscreen -Neutrogena - Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock SPF 55
MissNRI 11/28/2011 7:09:00 PM
I tried Neutrogena's Ultra Sheer sunscreen (here it is SPF 50+) as the third drugstore sunscreen I've tried lately. I've been looking for a good, matte finish sunscreen that wears well under the (admittedly slightly heavy) foundation I typically wear, with very strong sun protection. I thought this would be it because of its "ultra sheer" and "dry touch" names. It did apply easily and dry quickly, and my makeup applied well over it. However, this one did turn runny by the end of the day which was a disappointment as I really did like it otherwise. I will use up the rest, though, on my body.
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Sunscreen -Revlon - Touch & Glow Advanced Sun Care SPF 30
MissNRI 11/28/2011 6:55:00 PM
Still on a sunscreen testing run looking for a good body sunscreen as well as a good face sunscreen to wear under makeup. I figured that this formula would be better suited to the face. I was correct on this, this sunscreen was very easy to apply and blend to the face. However, it simply didn't protect well enough as my skin did darken after a day outdoors, even with careful application and reapplication. It also contains a high level of silicones which caused some acne and reactions in my skin. I'll need to keep looking for a stronger SPF with a formula containing less silicone than this one.
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Lipstick -Revlon - Super Lustrous in Spicy Cinnamon
MissNRI 11/27/2011 10:01:00 AM
I absolutely love Revlon lipsticks and this is one of my favorites. All the Super Lustrous lipsticks have a wonderful, silky smooth formula that feels divine on one's lips, good pigmentation, even application and wear and fairly good staying power for such moisturising lipsticks. Of the shades this is one of my favorites (it must have first come out in 2008 but it was not an LE, it's in the regular line today.) It's a warm coppery brown with a beautiful sheen finish, not overly shimmery but a bit more "lustrous" than the creme finish Revlon lipsticks. And this finish has a beautiful effect on one's lips, making them seem plumper and smoother. On more pigmented lips such as mine, it runs warm and auburn toned, it is not a pure chocolate brown. It may even run a bit burgundy-toned on some, but all these little shade variations only make it more beautiful. I would definitely pick this one up! Love.
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Masks -Unlisted Brand - Lakme - Sun Expert After Sun Mask
MissNRI 11/27/2011 9:51:00 AM
I bought this mask when I bought Lakme's sunscreen. I (thankfully) am not tanned at the moment so I'll need to wait until I am to comment on this mask's reparative properties as far as tan reduction/skin lightening goes. But when I tried it just as a regular moisturising/conditioning/everyday fairness mask, I liked it a lot, especially considering the price (150 INR.) It's a clay based mask, very similar to my Lotus Herbals mask (which didn't lighten my skin but did condition it amazingly.) It has a bit of cucumber in it as well which of course is very well known to help the skin. It made my skin very soft & smooth after using it (although not much lighter.) Still a very good mask, I am glad I purchased it.
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Sunscreen -Unlisted Brand - Lakme - Sun Expert SPF 50
MissNRI 11/27/2011 9:45:00 AM
I've been on a bit of a sunscreen buying run lately, trying to find a good strong formula that doesn't make my skin too sticky and wears well under makeup. Since I like Lakme as a brand, this is the first one I tried and I am quite impressed for how well it works for only about 350 INR. It's a pretty typical sunscreen in a lotion form. I first tried it as a face sunscreen and was not exactly happy with the way it wore under makeup. It got a bit runny by the end of the day. However, it works wonderfully as a body sunscreen. I used it on my neck, chest, arms and shoulders and it applied easily, dried quickly and evenly and did wonderfully at keeping my skin from getting sun. It didn't feel greasy or sticky at all. So I'll still be trying to see if there's a better face sunscreen out there, but I'll definitely be using this one on my body.
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Eyeliner -Unlisted Brand - Chambor - Shimmer Eyeliner
MissNRI 11/25/2011 5:32:00 PM
I bought this eyeliner because I was looking to switch up my normal eyeliner routine by wearing a metallic shimmery liner. I got the Metallic Brown (pictured) shade and figured I could pair it with a dark glossy lip. I found the eyeliner applied very smoothly & easily. It was very blendable and yet had good staying power, didn't smudge or run or wear off. Its pigmentation was very good although the shade took getting used to as it was different than my normal dark black. However...the finish (the major, and maybe only, reason I wanted this) was off. It wasn't shimmery or metallic at all, it looked like it had a sheen when first applied but it dried almost immediately to look like any other eyeliner. I was so disappointed because I wanted a shiny metallic eye line and this one dried to a very typical semi-matte finish. It's a good eyeliner with good packaging and a decent formula but it is not as advertised as a metallic/shimmer eyeliner. I'll still be searching for my metallic eyeliner for now.
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Blush -Unlisted Brand - Chambor - Glitzy Blush
MissNRI 11/24/2011 9:57:00 PM
I thought these blushes looked so pretty in the packaging so I had to buy one. I got Glitzy Peach which is a lovely corally-peach shade with a beautiful luminous shimmer. I think Chambor got the finish absolutely perfect on these...not overly glittery, just a lovely radiant boost to one's complexion so if the name makes you think they will be glitter bombs you can rest assured they are not. My blush also applied and blended very well. Now, my issue with these blushes is that they are not very pigmented at all. On duskier skin tones you will need to apply a ton of blush in order to get the shade to show up at all. It is more like applying just the shimmery finish without getting any of the color, so it seems like a highlighter rather than a blush. Not exactly what I'd hoped for. Overall: beautiful finish, shades look gorgeous in the packaging, good application & blending, has SPF which is a plus...but poor colour payoff. I'll be using this as a cheekbone highlighter rather than a regular blush as it does work well for this. Just not pigmented enough for regular blush.
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Eyeliner -Unlisted Brand - Lakme - Insta Liner
MissNRI 11/23/2011 9:18:00 AM
I found this eyeliner to be only okay, it really could have been much better. It applied just like any other liquid liner and its packaging is simple but decent. My problem with it is that it's not pigmented enough. It doesn't give a super dark, rich black color like Lakme's other liquid liner (Black Impact) does. It gives sort of a muted "soft black" color which I know some people like but I am not one of them! I want my eyeliners to be as pigmented and black as possible which this was not. Good staying power though, and easy removal with my Chambor eye makeup remover.
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Eyeliner -Unlisted Brand - Lakme - Glide On Eye Color
MissNRI 11/23/2011 9:11:00 AM
I use this eye crayon as shadow and I really like it, it applies very smoothly and blends nicely. I have the Peacock Green, Metallic Black, Warm Copper and Plush Purple shades and they are all very pigmented with a gorgeous metallic finish. However, they aren't quite pigmented enough IMO to be good eyeliners. Especially if you're used to kajal or very dark heavy eyeliners, you'll probably find the colors of these crayons isn't intense enough. But, again, they make wonderful shadow crayons with a beautiful finish & good staying power (not waterproof though.)
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Eye Shadow -Revlon - Illuminance Creme Shadow
MissNRI 11/21/2011 6:14:00 PM
I absolutely love the rich feel and gorgeous finish of all these shadows. Each one I own applies and blends like a dream and has a simply beautiful luminous finish that truly does light up one's eyes. As for the shades, the quads I own (as with the Revlon Colorstay, some were bought in India and others in US:) -Moonlit Jewels: I love this one on my skintone. It has a warm toned coppery brown, a light golden brown, a slightly aqua-toned green and a royal blue. All four are just divine on Indian skin, truly beautiful. -Not Just Nudes: Very pretty for such basic neutral shades. It has a dark shimmery brown, a semi-matte medium brown, a shimmery golden brown (a bit lighter than Moonlit Jewels') and a semi matte cream. Medium and darker skins may make the cream a bit too light but the other shades are very pretty and versatile. -Precious Metals: Another nice neutral quad with a metallic twist, a bit edgier than Not Just Nudes. Has a silver, a gold, a copper and a rose-gold that should work on any skin tone. Very versatile and pretty, I love the luminous glowy look these have. -Va Va Va Bloom: Pretty two-shade plum, mauve and peach quad, goes fairly well with my skin tone but runs a bit cool toned. Would be lovely on anyone with cool undertones. -Endless Summer: Purchased in US, was a new (non-LE IIRC) quad for summer 2011, has a baby blue, sage green, coral and canary shade. I love the sage color, the rest I can take or leave. Coral is quite bright & tricky to pull off, and the blue & canary are a bit light for me. Still great shadow quality. Just a warning/reminder though: Remember cream shadows (of any brand) don't have the staying power of powder. Primer & occasional touch-ups will be necessary, especially if you have a long day.
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Mascara -Lancome - Hypnose Drama
MissNRI 11/20/2011 11:21:00 AM
I received this mascara in a GWP and I like it although the formula is a bit too wet for my taste. I think the best thing about this mascara is the curved brush, which really does help to lift/curl and thicken lashes well. It does give a good amount of volume but it takes a long time to wait for the first coat to dry before putting on additional coats because of the wet formula. It is not the most buildable mascara in the world. Its staying power is good, despite the wet formula it isn't runny and doesn't flake, although it can feel a bit sticky when dry. It can really go either way with this mascara...with patience and waiting for it to dry properly it can give very thick stunning lashes, but if you try and apply too much at once you will get clumpy, stuck together lashes and smears. While I like the brush, the formula is average and it seems like I could easily find something better at the DS. I wouldn't pay full price for this one.
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Masks -Unlisted Brand - Lotus Herbals - Black Clay Skin Whitening Pack
MissNRI 11/20/2011 10:51:00 AM
I use this black clay mask about once or twice a week. While it is supposed to lighten skin it hasn't had those effects for me so I need to use different products for that but it does work amazingly at just general clarifying and conditioning of the skin. It keeps blemishes and oiliness from being a problem as well as keeps skin from getting dry. It is just wonderful for balancing it out and keeping it soft and smooth and supple. It feels quite luxurious to put on and is a truly great product for the price, seeing as I only paid 195 INR (about $4) for it! It is also vegetarian and natural with ayurvedic ingredients so I assume that also helps condition and improve the skin. Definitely something I would pick up if you are or plan to be in India, just keep in mind it really doesn't lighten skin.
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