Review - Lakme Absolute Blur Perfect Makeup Primer

Hi everyone! Today I'm  presenting the review of one of the newly launched products in the market! Its the Lakme Absolute Blur Perfect Makeup Primer. I spotted this Product on one of my trips to the Lakme counter a few days ago. However I have not seen any publicity, advertisement of this Product yet anywhere (Maybe primers don't interest many people as much as lipsticks would, unfortunately!) What prompted me to buy the Product, is the fact that not many drugstore brands launch or sell primers in India. Therefore I had to have a Primer launched by our very own Lakme in my vanity!

Most of us reading this blog post already know what a primer is. However, for the uninitiated or makeup novices, primer is a product that is used to prep your face for make up. It is supposed to even out your face, blur blemishes, minimize the appearance of the size of your pores and increase the longevity of your makeup.

Now lets move on to the review of the Product to see how I liked it!

Packaging and the texture

The Product is contained in a glossy black plastic tube with a steel - silver screw cap. Thank you Lakme for the tube packaging, its hygienic and convenient to use. The tube is contained in a black cardboard box with the product description, directions for use, price, ingredients and such other information printed on it. A part of the information printed on the box has also been reproduced on the tube. Overall the packaging is no- frills and aesthetically pleasing. Also, the nozzle on the tube has a notably narrow aperture, which squirts very tiny amount of the product. I prefer that instead of a lot of product spurting out at once and leading to wastage. On the whole, I'm very pleased with the crisp, entirely black packaging of the Product.

The Packaging

The texture of the product is mousse-like. I could compare it with the Lakme nine to five weightless mousse foundation. Except that, it does not ball up while blending like the former does. The texture when compared with some other primers available in the market (Revlon Photoready Primer, Loreal Base Magique) is quite soft and thin. While I tried spreading it on my hand before buying, in the store, it felt quite light and melted soon into my skin. With other primers, I could feel the silicone layer on my skin, but this was not the case with this Product. Something to do with the ingredients maybe! This Product too has a lot of silicones but the texture is somehow thinner and weightless than other primers. The fragrance of the Product is floral and soft. I totally love it. It reminds me of the fragrance of the Pond's talcum powder. Sensitive noses, rejoice!

Price Point and Claims

The Products comes is priced at INR 650 for 30 gm quantity. It is quite reasonable priced when compared with other drugstore primers available in India. L'Oreal Base Magique is priced at INR 1050 and Revlon Photready comes for a whopping cost of INR 1450! Thus Lakme has managed to please me in this regard.

Product description, usage directions and ingridients

Lakme makes no definite claims, which will be required to be fulfilled by the Product. However, the description is telling of everything that the product should deliver. The description at the back of the package states that the silky blur formula of the Product instantly, brightens,primes, softens blemishes and pores and creates a smooth surface to prep skin for makeup application. The makeup glides on effortlessly and blends seamlessly for a more vibrant color true finish. A perfect canvas for makeup or can be worn alone over moisturiser for instant smoothness and radiance.

The usage directions recommend that the Product be applied with fingertips.Beginning from cheeks and moving on to the forehead to be applied in thin layer. The directions suggest moisturizing skin before applicaation of the Product.

My Experience with the Product 

The first time that I used this Product, I applied it directly on my face without moisturising my face. The usage directions, though require one to moisturise face before application of the Product, I really don't like doing that. I directly apply the other primers I have on my face without moisturising, because I don't like layering my face with too many products and I have never faced any issues by following this method. However, when I applied this Product on my face, without using a moisturiser, I wasn't ready for the  impending botch up. My face looked a shade of ghastly white! I tried rubbing the Product in  to no avail. However, I went ahead and applied my foundation, which ended up looking two shades lighter than what it looks on my face otherwise. I tried to control the situation by spraying some makeup setting spray. Slowly, my skin looked normal again after a while. I was so displeased with this debacle that I never wanted to touch this Product again!

The Primer!

Nonetheless, I tried using the Product once again  after slathering some  moisturiser on my face and to my surprise the Primer melted into my skin without looking ghastly! It did blur little imperfections on my face (some brown spots under my eyes and pigmentation near my mouth) however, it did nothing to minimize the appearance of my pores or to even out the discoloration on some parts of my face. Basically, my face looked slightly smoother on the whole, but I had to peer into the mirror closely to notice the difference the Product did to my spots and pigmentation. Therefore, it is safe to conclude that this is not really one of the best Primers I have used so far!

Summing it up

The Lakme Absolute Blur Perfect Primer is a pink, mousse like product which is light in texture. It does not work if you apply without moisturising your face and in which case it gives you a ghastly white caste. However if used with a moisturiser, it melts quite well into the skin. The Primer does brighten my face slightly, blurs little imperfections and makes it look a little more even and smooth. However, it does not do much to the slightly heavy pigmentation and imperfections. Also, it does not increase the longevity of my makeup dramatically. My foundation oxidized in sometime as it would do otherwise as well . Hence it did not help much on that front either.

On  looking for the positives, I really liked the fuss free, all black packaging of the Product. The fragrance is pleasant too. The texture is really soft and light as compared to the other primers available in the market. Also the price point is decent.

Rating:

2.5/5

Will I Repurchase?

Nope! The other primers available in the market work better fore me. 

The Body Shop Mineral and Ginger Warming Clay Masque Review

Every once in a while I love to treat my skin to a nice face mask. And for that I prefer variety! The requirement of my skin changes often and hence I prefer having a few face masks with different ingredients stocked up in my skin care stash. Currently I have been looking for something with ginger  as an ingredient because I have had wonderful experiences when using ginger (straight out of the kitchen mixed with honey!) in my beauty routine. Therefore, I immediately decided to buy the Ginger Warming Clay Masque, upon spotting it at The Body Shop (TBS) . I don't usually buy anything 'immediately', especially if it's more than INR 500 before reading up on it, or if I have been really itching to try it inspite of reading up all the bad reviews! But then some other times I buy things, impulsively and this Product was one such impulsive purchase!

The Packaging!

The Packaging and Texture 

The Masque comes in a beige -grey colored plastic tube. The color makes the packaging look understated and classy. The cap of the tube is black and locks the product well inside. Hence the Product never dribbles out of the tube. However, upon using, the Product does gather around the cap and it can look messy.

The texture of the Product reminds me of white colored glue. The texture is quite sticky and thick. While using the Product for the very first time only some white thin liquid oozed out, which happens when a Product is used without shaking it. Though the instructions on the tube require you to 'shake well before use', shaking it up does not help. The texture of the mask is quite thick and the ingredients do not mix well. However upon subsequent usage, the tube squirts the thick product out.

The texture of the Product

Look at how the product gathers at the mouth :(

The  Price and the Claims 

This Product costed me around INR 1450. You get 100 ml of the product for the price.Like all the products from TBS, the price of this masque was printed on a sticker on the tube and not on the body of the tube. I accidentally, ripped the sticker off and hence I do not remember the exact price. However above mentioned, is the approximate price of the Product.

Ingredients and other fine print you may want to read!

Though the claims as such have not been printed on the Product, TBS  describes this one to be a warming massage clay masque with deep cleansing Kaolin clay from Cornwall London (We wouldn't mind some clay from India, TBS, if it meant a better price point!). The instructions require the mask to be applied on a wet skin and to be left for five minutes on the face. It can be used 1 - 2 times in a week. However, though the mask is described as a ' warming massage clay masque' no  direction with respect to massaging the Product has been given!

My experience with the Product 

This is the first time that I am using a warming masque! I was tempted to buy it because of the warming factor besides the attractive ingredients contained in it. While using the masque for the first time, as mentioned above, only a white watery liquid squirted out of the tube, inspite of me shaking the tube well before use. This was the first put off! However, I squeezed the tube once more and got the thick ,actual product out. The product has a nice, spicy ginger scent to it. I totally love it! However, the fragrance fades away in a few seconds, though I wish it lasted a bit longer.

 I applied the masque on wet face, as instructed. The Product warms up immediately upon coming in contact with the skin. It is comfortably warm, nothing that caused irritation to the skin. I enjoy the warmth on my face as long as it lasts. But the problem (as I see it) is that, the warming effect does not last for more than a few seconds! The masque sets to the room temperature in seconds. I wonder what 'deep pore' cleansing would it do upon going cold so soon. This was another disappointment for me. Anyways, I let the mask remain for five minutes as instructed,  after which I proceeded to rinse it. As expected, the mask was difficult to rinse off. I was kind of  anticipating another disappointment!You cannot take it off with just plain water. Try doing that and  you will be left with a white caste. You have to use your cleanser/ facewash to take it off. Doesn't doing that undo whatever little good the mask has done to your skin?!

Coming to the effects of the Masque, there was not much improvement to my skin! My skin just looked slightly cleaner and brighter after rinsing (just slightly!) I used it subsequently for a few times, expecting the results to get better with every use, but to my dismay, nothing of the sort really happened. I see better results on using multani mitti with rose water than what I saw after using this mask, which is sad considering how expensive this Product is !

Summing Up

The Body Shop Mineral and Ginger warming clay masque is a Product which warms up upon coming in contact with wet skin. The warming effect feels good, which however does not last for more than a few seconds. TBS describes this to be a warming and massage masque. However there is no information as to the massage bit on the body of the tube. The texture of the mask is thick and gooey but not difficult to work with. Upon using the mask for a few times, I did not notice any major difference to my skin, except that it looks slightly cleaner and brighter. Also the cost of INR 1450 (approx.) does not make for a attractive price point.

On the brighter side, it contains some interesting ingredients such as Cinnamon root oil, Ginger root oil, Curcuma Zedoaria root oil which makes the Product seem like an indulgence and also gives the Product it's distinct spicy scent.

Will I repurchase?

No, I will not. However, TBS makes some of the best  face masks in the market which are usually very effective!

Rating:

I'd rate it 2/5

Faces Ultime Pro creme lip crayon - Pictures, Swatches and Review

Hey guys I'm so glad that I'm able to keep up with my blogging goals and blog regularly. Rather, I am making a conscious effort to do so! And I 'm enjoying every bit of it. 

Today's post is about  a new launch from Faces Canada. Faces, had jumped on to the lip crayon bandwagon along with Lakme, Revlon and other brands and launched the Faces Ultime Pro matte  lip crayons  a while. I absolutely loved them and will review them in another post. Now, Faces has launched the creamy version of the same- Ultime Pro creme lip crayon. The lip crayon craze does not seem to be waning anytime soon!

I bought a couple of them last week and used them a few times. Here's what I think about it!

The Shades and Price 

Let's begin with the thing I liked the most about this Range - the shade selection. The shade selection of  this Range is ample! The colors range from nudes to reds covering the pinks and oranges on the way. You have a choice of ten shades to choose from and the colors are really very beautiful. I am so glad that Faces has always included a good number of nude colors in both the lip crayon ranges. I picked up two colors - Invincible and Fantasy. I had also picked a gorgeous plum - maroon shade called cherry pop for my mother in law. However I do not have it's pictures as she has been carrying it around and absolutely loving it :)

From L to R - 05 Mochalicious, 09 Berry Punch, 10 Confession, 06 Sun Dew, 07 Fantasy, 03 Envy, 08 Cherry Pop,10 Red Velvet, 02 Sunset Kiss, 04 - Invincible 

These lip crayons are priced at INR 749 each. I got them for a discount of 25% at the Faces counter in Lifestyles a week ago. Do check out if they still have the offer, in case you are interested. You get a quantity of 4.2 gm in the bullet and the shelf life of the product is 2.5 years from the date of manufacture. The price is not steep but it could have been lower (around 600). However the packaging is quite elaborate ( We will come to that!) and hence the slightly higher price. 

The Packaging and the texture

The packaging, as I mentioned above is quite elaborate. The crayon comes in a nice dark metallic grey cardboard box with a compartment inside for the crayon. You have the round stickers corresponding the shade with the shade name printed on it, on one of opening flaps of the box.All  the relevant information is printed on the box. 

The color of the outer body of the lip crayon corresponds to the actual shade. The crayon comes with a transparent plastic cap on it. The body of the crayons are quite sturdy and nice. Overall the packaging is neat! 

The texture of the crayon is smooth and buttery.  It is a hybrid between a lip balm and lipstick.  One swipe on each lip is all that you need. However, I fear that these crayons may melt in hotter months and become a mess. Even though the crayons are smooth and creamy they are richly pigmented and a delight to wear. Also due to the texture and pigmentation, it is preferable to apply the product with a light hand. 

My experience with the Product 

Moist/ creamy lip products do not interest me much. I rarely invest in any lip product that is not matte. However, I was so impressed with the shade selection, that I decided to buy a few for the sake of the pretty colors. 

Shade 04- Invincible 

Shade 07- Fantasy 

Once, I tried  on the product, I quite liked it! And, You will definitely love it if you are into the moisturizing lip sticks or even glosses for that matter. Though the texture of the product is similar to a lip balm (it is as hydrating as a lip balm), the pigmentation is simply superb. One swipe of the crayon on my lips and it hides all the pigmentation on my upper lip. It makes my lips look glossy and gives  them a color drenched look with one swipe. I don't really enjoy the glossy effect and hence I dab the product with a tissue paper to mattify it slightly. It is quite easy to go overboard with the product and apply too much of it. Doing so will make the product bleed and look quite messy.

I'm wearing the shade 04 Invincible. 
I look more orange than I am in this picture :(

Coming to the staying power, the product remains intact on my lips for a good two hours without eating or drinking, after which it starts fading evenly. Even thought the color fades away after a while, the moisturizing effect continue to comfort my lips. Now, One thing I really do not like about this product is  how badly it transfers onto and stains everything that comes in contact with my lips! The stains are quite prominent and you have to blot your lips with a tissue before drinking from cups or glasses. 

As long as the shades I purchased are concerned, I chose  the shades 07 Fantasy - a peachish nude shade and 04 Invincibe - a coral red color. Fantasy, is a nice peachy nude for everyday wear, it will suit medium to fair skin tones. Inspite of being a nude shade it is richly pigmented, and hides all the unevenness and pigmentation on my lips. I see myself wearing this very often!

04 Invincible is a coral red shade which brightens up my face instantly! Its a lovely warn toned red and perks up my yellowish complexion. This shade will look good on tanned warm skin tones as well. However, overdoing this color can make is appear neon, which according to me is not very flattering.  Overall both the shades are lovely and I see myself reaching out to them quite often. 

I'm wearing the shade 07- Fantasy

Summing up!

Summing the review up, Faces Ultime Pro creme lop crayons are creamy lip crayons with a smooth and buttery texture . They are extremely hydrating and intensely pigmented. The shade selection is excellent and almost all the shades (except a few very light ones) will look flattering on Indian skin tones. They give the lips a very wet and glossy look. Those who worship lip glosses and are wary of using lipsticks can give these a try! The staying power of the crayons is decent as is the price point. 

On the flip side, the crayons tend to bleed and it is very easy to overdo these. Therefore one has to be very careful while applying them. Also, they transfer a lot, which is very annoying. Also, overdoing some shades (eg Invincible) can make the color look neon.

I'd rate them - 3.5/5 

Will I repurchase?

Nope! The reason being, I love mattes! However had I been a fan of creamy lip products or glosses I would have definitely repurchased it!

Currently Loving - L'Oreal Revitalift Magic Blur Cream!

Hello people! Today I'm back with a review of another product from L'Oreal. Yes, L'Oreal again! Not that I had planned to do back to back posts on L'Oreal products , but it  was just a happy co-incidence. Given, that L'Oreal is my favorite drugstore brand and therefore I buy their stuff regularly, you'll find a lot of reviews on L'Oreal on my blog. 

The product that I'll be reviewing today  is one of the best L'Oreal products I have used so far. It's the L'Oreal Revitalift Magic Blur Anti Ageing Cream. I have never spotted any advertisement of this product in India nor have I read many reviews of it. However, as I learnt on the Net, a lot of Magic Blur products have been launched abroad. I spotted this product because of it's distinct packaging and the name - Magic Blur! 

Now before I begin with the review and evaluation of the Product, I'd like to tell you a thing or two about my skin and skin care products I use. Firstly, I have a combination - dry skin and it is very difficult for me to find products that suit my skin and anti- ageing creams don't suit my skin most of the times. I rarely ever use anti-ageing products  (except some under eye cream maybe). They kind of sit on my skin, making me very uncomfortable. Also, most of  the times my face feels slippery when I wear an anti ageing cream. Also, I use primers only occasionally. They too clog my pores and honestly I haven't come across any primer till date which controls the oxidation of my foundation. However Magic Blur, is an anti-ageing cream which also acts like a primer and it has still has found it's way into my vanity. Read further to know why!

L'Oreal's claims

I'm so sorry I threw away the outer carton of the Product and hence I won't be able to reproduce the claims on the package verbatim. However I managed to find the claims online and I'm presenting them before you in my own words.

According to L'Oreal, Magic Blur is a finishing cream that delivers instant results. It contains Opti-Blur technology which instantly smooths lines, wrinkles, pores and minimizes little flaws and imperfections and uneven texture. Also on consistent usage (for 4 weeks) of the Product, wrinkles, lines ad pores appear minimized and skin texture appears smoother considerably. L'Oreal does not target any specific age for the Product and hence I'm assuming it is safe across age groups. 

Packaging and Texture 

The product comes in a heavy, bright, red glass jar. The jar has a metallic cap which is red as well. Now honestly I'm not so fond of the color Red, but it looks so pretty on this jar. I keep it on my dressing table and it looks pretty there! The jar is quite heavy (think paperweight!) and hence you cannot carry it around in your bag with ease. Also with a glass container, there is always a fear of  it falling down and breaking or the glass cracking. For some reason I have this irrational  fear (maybe not so irrational after all!)  of that heavy glass thing falling on my toe and leaving me injured! :/

 Texture of the product is quite thick and creamy. It looks like kneaded dough put in a glass jar ;) also the fragrance is fresh and pleasant. The fragrance fades away in a while. Though the texture looks thick, once the cream is applied on to your face, it disappears quickly and feels quite light on the face. 

Performance, price and my experience with the Product 

This Product comes at a price tag of INR 1100 and you get a quantity of 50 ml of the product. It is slightly expensive, but L'Oreal is the upper end of drugstore and their Products (especially skincare) have always been slightly over priced. But to be honest, this Product has worked so well for me that I do not mind the price tag. Also you may find it at cheaper price if you scour the internet for a good deal. 

I purchased this cream, mainly upon reading the claims written on this Product. Though it does not specifically use the word 'Primer' anywhere in the claims, the result which it is supposed to deliver is similar to what a primer does. Hence, in my opinion this Product is an anti-ageing cream and primer rolled into one.

Upon application of the cream, I noticed that my face looked smooth instantly. Unlike many anti ageing product this cream does not sit on my skin, giving that slippery feeling which I so dislike. It rather melts into my skin instantly. Now with respect to L'Oreal's claims it does minimize the appearance of imperfections on my face. Now, I do not have fine lines, so I cannot speak for that but whatever little imperfections I have, mainly pores and some light spots here and there, blurred instantly upon application of this cream.

What makes this cream unique for me is that it really limits the oxidation of my foundations. All the foundations including the high end ones oxidize on me and absolutely nothing was helping. However, miraculously when I used Magic Blur before applying my makeup, my foundation did not oxidize for a very long time. Now, I did not expect this one! If you too have a similar issue with your foundation do give this product a try . 

L'Oreal also claims that upon consistent usage of the Product for four weeks, one notices considerable improvement in their skin texture. I used this cream regularly for a while (not for four weeks though), before applying my makeup and I would say, it did improve my skin's overall texture slightly. After a while I stopped using it as I stopped wearing makeup regularly. I would use it whenever I'd do my makeup. Hence I cannot validate the claims of long term benefits made by L'Oreal. 

Summing up

Summing it up, I absolutely love this Product from L'Oreal. It works very well as a primer for my skin  and instantly blurs out imperfections on my face. It also controls the oxidization of my foundation/ base makeup to a great extent, which is a boon for me! Using this Product consistently for a while, improved my skin's texture slightly and made my skin more radiant. However, it did nothing to minimize my pores in the long run. Maybe I should have  used the Product more consistently for a little longer. The price of the Product is steep, but in my opinion this Product is totally worth it!

I would rate is 4.5/5 (I have deducted half a point for the heavy glass jar packaging) 

r. 

Product Review- L'Oreal True Match Genius 4-IN-1

Hello People! How has everyone been?! I'm  so excited to be back on the blogosphere after soo long! (My previous post was in October'15!). I had been so busy with life since then (I was working crazy hours and then I got married :D) , I had no time to blog (though I managed to shop all the makeup launches regularly lol). Nevertheless I'm soo happy to be blogging again, and I'm happier because I'm going to be sharing my thoughts on one of my favorite products from my all time favorite brands, L'Oreal Paris! And hopefully, I won't be gone away from the blogosphere  for this long ever again :)

Now, coming to the product that I'd be reviewing today, its the newly launched True Match Genius 4-In-1 Primer+foundation+concealer+powder. Yup, sounds like a profile of some multitasking woman !doesn't it? Read on to know whether this baby lives up to the name L'Oreal has given it.

The Packaging

The Product comes in a slick white and silver packaging, with genius written all over it. The design on the packaging is hard to miss, while you pass by a L'Oreal counter (we don't miss anything for that matter irrespective of whether the packaging is catchy or otherwise;) LOL). However, the packaging will begin to look drab once the print on it starts fading away. The Product comes with a sticker on which the shade name and number are written. The packaging, though slick, is pretty sturdy and extremely convenient to carry around (I love L'Oreal for this!). The Product comes with a regular, ordinary sponge for application. Though there is nothing unique about the sponge, I think the Product will be best applied with a sponge, hence I'm OK with it.

The Shades: G2 and G4. As you can see, G2 has slightly peachy undertones and G4  has strong yellow tones

Now another plus point about the packaging is that, it comes with a square mirror,  big enough to help you see your entire face and hence enables touch ups on the go! 

The Texture 

When  a base is described to be a primer, foundation, concealer and powder rolled into one, it can be quite intriguing! However, the texture is simply like that of a cream compact. Like any other cream compact available in the market, just a wee bit grittier. Though the texture is slightly more gritty than your average cream compact, it slides smoothly across my face. Also, the sponge picks up the product swiftly in the first go. There is no discomfort while applying the Product because of the texture and thankfully it does not melt in harsh Mumbai summers.

The claims and performance

L'Oreal says: The 1st Makeup Genius by True Match. Four professional gestures into one easy step. Perfect complexion anytime, anywhere. 

• Smoothes skin surface like a primer, for a never -before velvety finish 
• Glides and unifies like a fluid foundation, thanks to the innovative ultra-guiding texture.
• covers imperfections like a concealer, for 100%flawless skin canvas
• finishes like a refined powder for 12H lasting perfection. 
• SPF 26/PA+++

As per L'Oreal's first claim, this Product does make for a good primer. It did minimize the appearance of my pores visibly though not completely. You wouldn't need to prime your face separately while using the Product. This product, as I have already mentioned above, does glide smoothly. But can it be compared with a fluid foundation? Well No, however comfortable this product maybe to apply in it own right, it cannot be compared to glide and unify like a liquid foundation. 

I am wearing the shade G2 in this picture. Though I have tried my best to get the exact color of the shade in the picture,  it's looking slightly more orange here than what it looks in real.

True to L'Oreal's claim, the Product serves the purpose of a concealer quite well. it helps in hiding the dark spots  and under eye circles considerably.  However, as claimed by L'Oreal this Product does not finish like a powder. It only gives a semi matte finish, but does not do what a powder does. You will need that last touch of powder/ compact for a more finished look ! Lastly we all know that the 24H claim is untrue. Companies should be more realistic by now! It does stay put for a good four hours on my face even in the Mumbai summers.

This is a close up of my face with the product on. This is exactly how the product and the shade look on me in real! 

In terms of coverage, this Product gives a medium coverage. It may  give a heavier coverage if you tried building it up. But since I like my base not too heavy, I haven't tried it. It also hides light pigmentation and spots well and evens out skin tone. If you have heavy blemishes, you may need additional products to conceal them as this Product alone will not suffice. 

     

Because pouting is a must :P

The Shades

The shade selection is good  as has always been the case with L'Oreal\s True Match Range!. You have shades for all undertones and they have been classifies into G , R and N. You have G- golden  for warm yellow to peachy undertones, Rs for cool/ pink undertones and Ns for neutral undertones.I was shown six shades at the counter, of which four shades belonged to G/W category and the remaining few belonged to neutral and cool. 

The shades available in the range

I fall in the G/W category and I have yellow undertones. The shades G2 - Gold Porcelain and the shade G4 - Gold Beige seemed to be close to my skin tones. However, I was really confused as to which one looked better on me and hence I got both the shades. Upon applying the shades in normal light, I concluded that G2 looks better on me. G2 has peach-yellow undertones and G4 has very strong yelllow undertones. Though I too have strong yellow undertones, shade G4 is slightly too deep for me. However, the shade G4 is a good option for tanned skin tones. 

The hand swatches of shade G4 on the left and the shade G2 on the right 

The Price

This is the factor I'm not too impressed with!! The Product comes at a whopping 1250 rupees! I agree , this Product has been marketed as multi functional et al! But still, I would have been happier had this been priced somewhere between INR 800 to INR1000.  

Concluding Thoughts

On a concluding note, this  Product by L'Oreal is a multi tasker with various uses. It's a good primer as the Company claims and provides light to medium coverage.Hence its a good product for everyday wear. It helps with concealing light marks on the skin and evening out the skin tone, however it will not help those with heavy blemishes. You can build it up to achiever a heavier coverage. However if you do want a fuller coverage, it will have to be blended and buffed well so that it melts into your skin. Also, it is very convenient to use and hence deserves some extra points. The shade selection in this range is also good. You can choose a shade as per your undertones, which is great. What's not really exciting about the Product is the price point of  INR 1250!  Like I said above, its a good product but I would love it more if it were less costly. Now, is it a must have product and/ or Will I repurchase it? My answer  to the first one would be no. You can give it a try sometime , but there's no need to rush to the counter to catch hold of one of these!  My answer to the second part is- maybe. I may repurchase it after I'm done using these (which is going to take really long!) and by then if I don't find anything better. 

I would rte this product: 3.5/5

Maybelline Velvet Matte - Pictures and Swatches

I was sooper dooper excited when I first came across the advertisements of these 'Velvet Matte' lip colors from Maybelline India. These seem to be the 'Matte'... err sorry the 'Velvet Matte' versions of the lip polish previously launched by Maybelline.

I am always eager to try out any new launch in the market which is matte or even remotely matte and then one  has really high hopes, as one should, when a company names it's baby as 'Velvet Matte'!
To me velvet matte brings to my mind a lip color which has an extremely matte formula, that hugs your lips (and eventually flakes lol) without any creamyness or shine!  So basically I had really high hopes! Read on to know what happened to my hopes :D

On the Left is Matte 1 and on the right is Matte 10!

My expectations and excitement got me running to the nearest Maybelline counter on a crazy hot Saturday afternoon (I usually nap on my Saturday afternoons but then I was losing my sleep over this 'Velvet Matte' thing you know:D)

Apparently this Product had  not been launched widely until last week and honestly I wasn't expecting to find these  myself, but gladly it was available both at Lifestyle and Shoppers Stop at the mall near my house . I picked mine from the Lifestyle counter.

I picked up two shades from this Range. Lifestyles store did not have the testers and hence I had to select the shades without having the luxury of swatching them on my hand or trying on my lips (which I usually avoid, I wish like MAC, drugstore brands too sanitized their lipsticks before customers tried it. OK high Hopes, I know!). Anyways I picked MAT 1 and MAT 10 (And why do you refrain from naming these lip colors Maybelline?) 

The Product is priced at INR 475. You get a quantity of 5 ml in the tube. Not bad I'd say, especially in the times when its difficult to find anything worth buying below INR 500!

 The packaging of the Product is just like its predecessor (Maybelline Lip Polish) that was launched some time ago, except that the cap of this Product is matte black (I think this cap is the 'Matte'est thing about this product...LOL). Overall, the packaging is good looking and sturdy. It comes with a heart shaped sponge applicator which makes the application very comfortable. The product therefore is easy to carry around and simple to use. 

As far as fragrance is concerned Maybelline products have never smelt overpowering or unpleasant to me and this Product is fragrance free. Sensitive Noses, Rejoice!

Coming to the shades available in the Product Range, you have a choice of six colors (I was shown six,  don't know if there are more colors) All the colors in the range are pops of reds,pinks, oranges and corals. Not a single muted pink,brown or a n*de shade to choose from! (Is it because this launch is around the festive season or am I the only one who wants muted colors?). From the shades that I chose, I'm absolutely loving MAT 1. Its a gorgeous purplish pink color (similar to MAC Flat out Fabulous, No?).  It is very apt for the festive season IMO.

Now coming to the texture, IT IS NOT VELVET MATTE (it is not even 'Matte' , Maybelline! let alone 'Velvet Matte') As i stated above,  I expected a lot from this Product . Basically my hopes crashed!

The Product is a smooth, liquid lip color. The texture is extremely creamy and pigmented and conceals all the pigmentation on my upper lip. It also makes my lips look a little more plump, though my lips are big and I don't seek for lip plumping products, those who want this plump effect wll be very pleased with the formula. The lip color stays on for a while (around 2 hours, without snacking) after which it begins to evenly fade away. It leaves behind a very pretty stain on my lips which I adore! You can use these as lip stains too. The texture of the product doesn't feel heavy or goo-ey on the lips. Since these are very creamy they are quite forgiving on my perennially chapped lips. You don't have to do any preparation to wear these.

However, the Product  transfers a lot, leaving behind lip imprints on everything that your lips touch (I'm talking only about cups and glasses here ;D). Be careful with the quantity of the Product that you pick up with the wand as excess application may make your lips feel goo-ey. Overall the formula of the Product is quite simple to work with. 

Summing up my thoughts on the Product, unless you have had really high expectation (like moi) from this Product, you will find this Product to be quite decent. It is definitely not a must have, but its a decent option in the 'below 500' price segment. In fact I feel  ladies who aren't really fussy about the whole 'Matte' thing or those who want something that is moisturizing, hydrating with a decent lasting power can definitely give this Product a shot!

I'd rate this Product 3/5 (I'm deducting points obviously for the misleading claims of Velvet Matte! But I'm giving the rating of three because if we overlook the velvet matte claim, which I know is very difficult to do, the product is quite decent otherwise)


P.S: No lip swatches today only hand swatch cuz I've been unwell for a while and I'm looking quite pale and unappealing and I did not want to scare you guys away LOL! 



.

Lakme Absolute Matte Lip Tint - Swatches and Pictures

The concept of lip color  as a crayon is so...  so endearing to me ! Endearing , because it reminds me of my childhood, when I'd  take a red colored Camlin crayon and pretend like I was applying a lipstick ! That was the only way I could get the 'feel' of having applied make-up when I was barred from even touching it. My mother had almost convinced me that using a lipstick would turn my lips 'black' LOL  :D 

OF MAKEUP AND CRAYONS.....

Clinique was the first brand to come up with a lip crayon, they called it 'chubby stick'.... A lot of drugstore brands followed suit and did a favor on us by coming up with  affordable versions of chubby sticks. In the drugstore category, Revlon's Colorburst Matte Balms were the most popular and raved about (they were worth all the hype minus the price point). Currently you have a lot of variety to choose from in the lip crayon category and now there's one more option, the Lakme Absolute Matte Lip Tints!

LAKME ABSOLUTE MATTE LIP TINTS 

These were launched by Lakme a few days ago as a part of their Lakme fashion week. I could see advertisements with Kareena Kapoor Khan's famous dual colored pout all over! Though I wouldn't dare to wear two different colors on my each lip, the advertisement was catchy enough to grab my attention and make me run to the nearest Lakme counter :D 

Lakme describes these to be a chubby lip color that gives you a luscious color and comfortable matte finish. Well all the claims made by Lakme except one are true! Read on to know which one isn't really true.

The packaging of the product is simple but nice.These come packaged in a glossy black card board box.The body of the stick is matte and corresponds to the shade of the lip tint. The cap however is silver and further enhances the prettiness of the crayon.  

You get a quantity of 3.5 gm for INR 650. Well done Lakme, we are glad to get a quality product at a  reasonable and affordable price tag.This is where the scales tip in Lakme's favor considering how berserk some of its competitors are going with their pricing (I'm looking at you Revlon!) 

Coming to the shade selection in this range, you get to choose from six colors all of which are bright hues. You have shades of fuschia, magenta, orange, red and corals. There isn't a single nude or subtle color in the range. Lakme, in my opinion has received a lot of flak in the past for coming up with only browns and dull shades and not launching enough brights. They tried to change that a few months ago by revamping their classic enrich satin lipstick and introducing some amazing pinks and corals! The shade selection in the category of these matte tints seems to be a part of the same strategy.However, I wouldn't mind some subtle, nude shades for everyday wear as a part of the selection.

The shade I bought is named Victorian Rose! What a lovely name and indeed a beautiful color! It is a reddish coral shade and would compliment yellowish fair skin tones beautifully. This shade instantly brightens up my face. It is not the kindda red that would make your complexion look drab or sallow!

 The Product has a slight vanilla fragrance to it. It doesn't linger and disappears very quickly! Thank You Lakme for saving us from the ridiculous scents like those of the Enrich Satin Lipsticks :D So basically sensitive noses may not worry...

The texture of the Product is really very matte. Is it comfortable matte as Lakme claims? My answer would be no, if your lips are not moisturized or if they are perennially chapped and dehydrated. This is the only claim made by Lakme that the Product does not fulfill. This can be a con for some, but if you are someone like me who seeks for hard, matte textures you would LOVE these(I love hard mattes even if they make me slightly uncomfortable LOL). The texture also does justice to the shade that I chose. It easily lasts on me for five hours (Oh, Yes! It does) inspite of all the eating and drinking. It fades evenly, leaving behind an even stain. I usually do not prefer the formulae that stain but this one is an exception.

However if you try to layer it, you may experience some flakiness. But in my opinion, since the colors in the Product range are so bright, I don't think one would really need to layer it on.

Summing it up, this Product is not really a must have, but you can definitely give it a try, especially if you love matte textures. The matte texture can be both a pro or a con, depending on the suitability for each person. The Price point is a major plus and so is the awesome staying power!

I'd rate this product 3.5/5!