A makeup line from Westside!! - I'm Loving It!

Our very own chain of stores, 'Westside' (I call it our very own, because its a local brand, loved by many!) has launched their in house brand of makeup and cosmetics! They call it 'Studiowest'!! Exciting, isn't it!? Though Studiowest  has launched a wide variety of products including makeup,  skin care and fragrances, I'm going to talk only about makeup in this post.

Westside has been one of my favorite shopping outlets. I have always come across quality stuff which is fashionable and very reasonably priced at their stores! Basically good stuff at good prices is their Motto. They seem to have extended the same philosophy to Studiowest. The products seemed very promising ever since I came across them the first time. Currently they have launched two range of products namely 'Maaya' and 'Pure Passion'. Maaya is the slightly higher end one, however the quality of Pure Passion in my opinion is equally good. 

They have covered every category including eye makeup, lip products, nail polishes and base makeup. The selection across the makeup line is quite impressive for each category. You have plenty to choose,  from both Maaya and Pure Passion. 

These were the best possible pictures I could get amidst a crowded store! 

Coming to the stuff I chose! I bought a blush, a lipstick and two products in eye makeup category. I'm going to talk about only about the Blush and Lipstick today. I plan to do two separate posts to cover the eye make up and the base makeup, instead of cramming everything in a single post.

The Lipstick! - Pure Passion Long Lasting Lipstick 

This lippie that I picked up is a long lasting one from the Pure Passion Range. I chose the shade "621 Honey Glaze". The shade selection for these lipsticks is fairly ample. The shades range from bold pinks  to muted  browns for everyday wear. This shade, particularly was love at first swatch for me! I couldn't have not picked this up. This shade however is not as deep as it appears to be in the bullet...it is a muted mauvish pink. LOVE it!

The lipstick is intensely pigmented, extremely moisturizing and very long lasting. Studiowest has claimed it to be so and yes, the Lipstick really fulfills all the claims. It takes care of my perennially chapped lips and stays put for five to six hours without touch ups, even if I eat a full meal. The packaging is simple but elegant. It is encased in a black tube and packaged in a black cardboard box! You get a quantity of 3.5 gms of the product in the tube. 

The most commendable thing about this lipstick is the price point.  You get all this awesomeness for a lucrative price point of INR 450! I'm thoroughly impressed, Westside! Well Done!

 In my opinion, these are the best lipsticks currently available in the market!

 The only con (if I have to find one) is that, it is transferable. But I can deal with that issue by blotting it slightly.

Isn't the pigmentation just awesome!?

I'd rate the lipstick 5/5 ( I won't deduct any points for something  trivial )

I'm wearing both, the blush and the lipstick in the Picture!

The Blush! - Pure Passion, Radiance Blush!

I was eyeing this Blush ever since I came across this range for the  first time. Its a muted, dusty pink color. The name of the shade is Dusty Rose. Quite an apt name ! The color looks extremely gorgeous in the pan! However when applied on the cheeks it veers towards coral/orange. I find it pretty nonetheless.

What a lovely shade, No?

Like the Lipstick, the Blush pan is held in a black plastic case. Overall, I am quite happy with the packaging of this Range. The plastic seems to be of good quality and doesn't seem fragile. (In my opinion it should pass my Mumbai local commute test :p).

You get a quantity of 5 g of the product in the pan. 


 The Blush is decently pigmented. However, unlike the Lipstick, the pigmentation of the Blush is not outstanding! It could have been more pigmented. Also, once applied I noticed that it contains more shimmer than what it appears to have in the pan. This is slightly putting off for me.

The staying power of the Blush is good which is surprising considering the fact that it is not very pigmented to begin with! I had expected this one to fade away in no time but to my surprise it did not fade on me for four to five hours!  The blush comes at a price point of INR 395. Not Bad, again! However, the shade selection for blushes across this makeup line very is limited. You have only two shades to choose from in each range. In the  Pure Passion range the one besides this is a cool toned pink color. As my skin tone is warm, I do not even try cool toned shades most of the times, hence I have no idea how it would perform.

Put this picture to focus mainly on how the blush looks!

Overall, I am quite happy with the Blush and I would rate is 4/5 (I would deduct a point as the pigmentation is not as intense as I'd expected)

Summing it up, I'm quite impressed with this latest entrant in the makeup market from the house of Westside. Honestly, so far in terms of quality it has exceeded my expectations. Also, I'm immensely happy with the price point. If you are on a budget and looking for quality stuff, definitely give Studiowest a Try!

I will come back soon with my thoughts on Studio West's eye makeup and base make up.

Till Then, Ciao! Have a nice Sunday :)

L'Oreal Hydrafresh Night Mask In Jelly - Fanciness in a Jar!

L'Oreal launched  a very unique product Hydrafresh Night Mask in Jelly some days back! "Night Mask in Jelly" sounds fancy doesn't it? Not  only does the concept sound fancy but this product is very visually appealing too!To say that it looks edible is an understatement.... it looks delectable!  You want to scoop out a spoonful and put it in your mouth... Ok I'll stop now! I didn't put it in my mouth but it looks yummy, just like jelly!

The product is contained in a very beautiful glass jar. the jar is Pink in color and the lid of the jar is glossy metallic pink , further enhancing the packaging of the Product. Overall, I'd say this is the fanciest packaging I've come across till date for a beauty product! It calls out to you the moment you look at it! However, it is heavy and not very convenient  to carry while traveling....

Now, moving over to the ingredients and performance of the Product, the Product boasts of exotic ingredients like French Grape Polyphenols and  French Vosges Spa water among the other ingredients written in fine print! These exotic ingredients claim to be powerhouses of anti oxidants and minerals which  are supposed to do much good to your skin!

As claimed by L'Oreal this Product is non oily and non sticky! LOVE this about the product. The texture is like jelly and spreads easily , ergo  you need a very little amount to cover your whole face! 
Also, the Product appeases your olfactory senses! It has a mild aqua scent . Very soothing, especially for someone like me with a very sensitive nose!  

The product claims to quench your skin, make it smooth and supple, day after day upon usage.  Also it claims to give your skin a bouncy feeling over the period of usage. I use this product very often, though not every night. In the morning my skin feels hydrated and bouncy. It does have a subtle glow.  It looks less tired. The difference is noticeable but not very obvious! It doesn't dramatically improve anything about your skin. Overall it's a nice product to use once in a while but it certainly is not Holy Grail atleast not for me!

  
You get 50 ml of the product for INR 599. Though 599, is no less amount but I feel it is affordable. 

Overall, this product is a fancy indulgence, you 'FEEL' good having it on your vanity table and applying it in your face. The concept is unique and if  you fancy  pretty  packaging  - you will be very happy to possess this one!

My Rating :3.5/5 

Weekend Special: L'oreal Paris Mat Magique Powder

Hello Everyone! 

L'Oreal Paris has recently launched the Mat Magique transforming powder in India. By transforming powder they mean  our regular 'Compact'! 

This Compact comes in five shades. My shade is N2 , Nude Vanilla. Five shades is a good choice in my opinion when it comes to a Compact from a drugstore brand! Yes, there are exceptions like the 'L'Oreal true Match' range wherein you can choose a shade depending on whether you are 'cool' or 'warm' toned to begin with.  Usually most of the drug store brands limit the number of shades to three or four when it comes to base products and it is very tricky to choose from whatever is available.

Now, coming to the price point, these Compacts have been priced very reasonably by L'Oreal. The price of the Compact is INR 399! The website of L'Oreal India claims the price point of these to be 'special'! L'Oreal forayed in this price segment a few months ago by launching their skin care range 'skin perfect' which was very affordably priced! The SA at the counter told me that these have been specially priced to entice customers who do not even bother trying L'Oreal products because of their high pricing pattern. Smart move L'Oreal! 

What a cute product isn't it? Kudos L'Oreal! Hope you keep up the good work  (especially the price point) with all your products ;)

The packaging of the product as you can see in the picture is very catchy! It comes in a bright  pink cardboard box and the the case of the compact is bright pink at the rim. The packaging looks very classy and the bright pink does not look over done or tacky! It would look absolutely fancy sitting atop the vanity table or while carrying it in the makeup pouch when travelling! It doesn't look flimsy either. I would be carrying it to work with me in my bag everyday and I hope it is sturdy enough to withstand my crazy commute in the Mumbai local trains!

The Compact contains a regular round sponge for application. There's nothing unique about it. It helps you apply the powder evenly on to your face.As you can see in the picture beneath, it contains a sturdy, round mirror. I'm very satisfied with the size of the mirror, it serves the purpose well unlike the mirrors that come with some other products!

The Compact  gives a decent coverage. Also it blends and sets very easily. The face looks even upon applying the powder and giving it a subtle radiance. It does minimize my pore and hide some light pigmentation under my eyes and around my chin. However, since I do not have  prominent blemishes I do not know how it would fare in hiding the deeper marks on the skin. 

This Compact gets some brownie points for the SPF it contains! SPF 34 +++ is so far the highest sun protection I have come across in a powder. This is certainly an attraction quotient for those who want to be protected by good SPF but without the 'chip chip' of too much sunscreen.

Now coming to the tall claim of oil control, it claims to keep your face shine free for 12 hours! How I wish it could! Nope, it doesn't  keep my face oil free beyond three to four hours without touch ups, which I feel is not bad either. The twelve hours claim is not real L'Oreal! 

As you can see this shade matched my skin tone perfectly! Though my face is tiny bit darker than my hand, it brightens my face and doesn't look mismatched!

Overall, this is a great product from the house of L'Oreal. Do give it a try, you will not be disappointed!

My Rating : 4/5 ( I have deducted one point for the unreal claims)

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