Wearing...

and Liking it!

Finger and Toe Nails

I know a pretty wierd pic to show that! I didnt know how else to make it simple :)

On Toes - Avon Neons in Funky Fuschia

• Lovely Bright Pink, not actually Neon
• Looks pink in white light and turns a bit of an orange in yellow light, almost a tomato red (which incidentally was a color I was searching for)
• Avon Neons painted the town a little while ago
• I bought two of them at 159 INR
• Fairly good one, nice colors
• Cant say about chipping as it was on my feet and I dont wet my feet too much - can say if its on my finger nails later

On Fingers - Lotus Herbal Color Dew in Pink Doll -

• A girly matte Lilac pink, on the brighter side rather than soft
• a shade that tends to get your adjacent skin a wee bit darker. But a fun color
• Cant complain too much about it for 85INR, but it does chip easily, in lik 3-4 days
• I actually like almost all of Lotus Herbal Color Dew shades
• I felt like a Mean Girl teen holding a cotton candy with this one :D

Sorry about the blue flip flops that sneaked in.

Actually let me put in a good word for it as I seem to be so comfy with it.

It is a super soft slipper from Adidas called 'Sleekwana Ultra Foam+' for around 1400INR. I wasnt impressed with myself for having bought to trot in it, at home. But given my pregnancy weight then and requirement of it to be soft but 'has to dry super quick IF it gets wet' this turned out to be a boon. Been in it for 6 months, day in and day out literally. Feel like I am floating. Its very well made. Check it out if you want to.

LoL this turned out to be more a footwear post rather than my nail paints! Either Case I am liking them all.

Note: I thought a bit about why I or anyone would post what they are wearing or liking. Hmm. Tough one to answer. No, not promoting any brand here. Maybe cos, just maybe cos you may decide to wear or like them after seeing it out here? :)

UK Drugstore finds - MeMeMe, MUA, Quickies and Superdrug

What I could buy in 31GBP (approx 2300INR) at UK Superdrug!
Rather, what ALL I could buy.
Apart from the usual UK Drugstore suspects - Rimmel, Maxfactor, Sleek, Beauty UK (which I think maybe a great buy too!), Maybelline and such.


MeMeMe - Cheek Products - 21GBP / approx 1600INR

 Does MeMeMe packaging ring a bell? ;)



MakeUp Academy Eye Products - mere 4GBP in all! (300INR)

 MUA products are all 1GBP each, anything you pick. They now have a professional range @ 4GBP each. Awesome say!



Remover Pads - 5.41GBP or 400 INR

 Call me lazy or travel living. Removal Pads are godsend. Whether for face, nails, eyes...

Superdrug does free standard shipping (3-5days) inland in the UK for orders above 25GBP; If you can get someone to carry stuff for you, this is a good option.

I am not saying we will not get this or more, spending the same or lesser INR in India. Just that the variety, choices and may I add 'quality' are far less.
And then again What exactly constitutes Indian Drugstore brands? Lakme? Lotus Herbal? Or Coloressence? or Eyetex? I am no management guru, but it doesnt take a genius, I guess to realise its such an illusion here!

Let me try and give a closer look at these in the coming days.

My Fuzzy Grey Cells... was cheated with Colorbar Lip Pencil in True Red instead of Plum!

Another Episode at Style One Store, Colorbar Counter, Adyar, Chennai.
Related to the fiasco of the Sales Girl on my post My Fuzzy Grey Cells got...NYX Round Lipstick in Kona Coffee!

The Colorbar sales girl stood in for the NYX sales girl who was absent, disinterested in showing or selling me NYX, and of course forcing me to buy Colorbar - this and that.

Ok, so I wanted a plum lip pencil. Swatched it, liked it and bought it.

Colorbar Lip Pencil/Crayon in 004 Plum

It cost me Rs.250/- - Check
It was billed right - Check
Product was put into my bag - Check
Let me check the shade again - the package had Plum written as shown - Check

Great. I come home and open to use it with a lippie a day later maybe. And here we are!

Colorbar Lip Pencil/Crayon in 008 True Red, packaged inside 004 Plum box

Only that it wasnt 004 Plum; It was 008 True Red!
 My fuzzy grey cells - didnt bother to open the package and check the pencil shade :(  But only this time it wasnt me! How could some shop do that?!

Putting it behind,

•  Its a pretty shade alright
• Colorbar Lip Pencil/Crayon in 008 True Red that has a slight orange/brown tinge to it - sorta making it a deep coral or even terracota you may say
• The pencil seems nice (twist up)
• Without twisting up, I swatched it and it seemed smooth

Colorbar Lip Pencil/Crayon in 008 True Red - Swatch

  

Just that I have and like my Shiseido Red Lip Pencil in Rouge (although it was a freebie); It doesnt make sense to have two red lip pencils for someone who doesnt wear that much red on her lips!

Anyways, I may just use it. But if someone would like it I would happily trade it in!

SLEEK Some More - STORM i-Divine Palette, POMEGRANATE & SUNRISE Blushes, Pout Paints - Swatches

If its one offshore Drugstore brand that is doing the rounds everywhere, it is SLEEK! I admire their agressiveness in marketing and advertising. And what pricing!
So I got them! Of course!
I wasnt keen on bearing the shipping either to India or Inland in UK - so my dear cousin picked them up for me from a local Superdrug - Convenient eh? ;)

It is going to be picture heavy as I hardly have anything more to add, except that I like all of them.

I got Sleek - Without Flash

I got Sleek - With Flash

So I chose:

• SLEEK i-Divine Palette in STORM
• SLEEK Blushes in Pomegranate and Sunrise
• SLEEK Pout Paints in Pinup (red), Peek-a-Bloo (blue), Cloud-9 (white) and Peachy Keen (peach)

How I got to this, apart from getting to know it from IMBB:

• I did want the Oh! So Special palette but then it had sold out. Thanks to my cousin who chose the nearest, which by the way is probably more of what I'd personally use than Oh! So Special - I can say now!
• Blush - Rosegold was a nono as I have springsheen and slowly over peaches for cheeks; plus dont own plummy pinks; also frankly tired of seeing it all over. Aruba and Flamingo tempted me, but thought lets stock up on some more basic usable colors! These two were my best guesses and turned out to be some darlings!
• I was able to choose Pout Paints by looking at various swatches and mixings - but what helped me nail it was Fee's Post here and Anamika's review here

Just to give an idea of the size - because that is one thing I couldnt understand from anywhere, kind of which put me in surprise (not that the product is any lesser in quantity)

Held in my Palm



Set against a 1Re coin, and other standard blush boxes like Colorbar, NYX


On to the Swatches then:

Sleek i-Divine STORM Palette Swatches

Again thanks to Sara whose swatches convinced me of the choice of i-Divine STORM palette before I could see it!

• Most are metallic and shimmery, except for three as you can see
• The dark blue, green, grey and copper are simple gorgeous! My kind of colors
• The neutrals are great too - which means its a palette that can take you from day to night and more
• There is a slight fall-off with the shimmery colors but nothing your Q-tip cant solve

The best of the lot were my blind picks, the Blushes. Am in love with Pomegranate, esp.

Sleek Blushes: L-Sunrise; R-Pomegranate

Sleek Blushes swipes

Sleek Blushes Swatches

• Awesomely pigmented
• Pomegranate and Sunrise are both shimmer shades
• Pomegranate is a bright plummy pink with subtle shimmer
• Sunrise is a golden brown with red and bronze shimmer which is quite visible

Last but not the least, some Pout Paints:



Sleek Pout Paints: L-R: Peachy Keen, PinUp, Peek-a-Bloo, Cloud9



Sleek Pout Paints - swatched and swiped

• These are paints!
• If you are not the artsy type, like mixing and playing and messing or just plain lazy - dont go for it
• I don't love them, but great variety to have in my lippie stash and to have fun with
• Am going to mostly be using with lip balm to give tint of various shades I guess
• Peek-a-Bloo and Cloud-9 are meant for mixing with other shades to either darken or lighten repsectively; not to be worn on their own ideally (but no one is gonna stop you if you do ;))
• Pin Up is Red in all its meaning and Peachy Keen is a light peach that would plain wash you out, if you are anywhere less than very fair

You mix those up and get a mauvy pink - or something like it :)

Sleek Pout Paints Mixed

And you take conscious portions and shades - you get something nice! That's my mauvy plum on the left!

Its best to mix them up (on back of palm or better still a small pot or pan) and then apply on your lips with fingertips or lip brush. Mixed on Lip, it goes really patchy and dry. In any case load the balm else it does go on like paint!

So thats Sunrise On Me ;)

Sleek Sunrise Blush On Cheeks

Sleek Sunrise Blush On Cheeks

(Also have the blue and plum shimmery eye shadows on from the STORM palette)

And some more (shaky pensive) handy work of mine after all these months!

Sleek Look - Pomegranate Blush, STORM palette

• Sleek Storm Palette - Plum, Light Pink and Beige shimmery shades
• Chanel Le Crayon Kohl (Intense Eye Pencil) in shade 62 (a plummy brown)
• Maybelline The Falsies Volume Express Mascarra
• Sleek Pomegranate Blush

Ok, that was a long post, too many pictures and very Sleek loaded.
Just want to say I love them blushes, quite like the palette that is growing on me more and having fun with the paints!

=Ciao)

My Fuzzy Grey Cells got...NYX Round Lipstick in Kona Coffee

So I was away from swatching, buying and using lipsticks for a while. Ok, few months. And is this what it does to your 'perception' ?

That is NYX Lip Smacking Fun Colors Round Lipstick in Castle - at least thats what my grey cells thought!

Castle is a light pink-mauve with shimmer and thought why not after I swatched. 

NYX Website Product Swatch
Castle LSS 601

A better look:
http://cosmetic-candy.com/lip-swatches-special-nyx-round-lipstick-in-castle-601-swatch-no-21/

I checked the fresh piece I got, as I always do. The cap had the right name. I didnt quite notice the wee bit of lipstick that these round lippies usually have (which are amazingly close to the actual product).

And this is what I got. I knew it wasnt Castle instantly. I searched all of the web and realised it is 'Kona Coffee'.

See what I mean?

NYX Website Product Swatch
Kona Coffee LSS 574

As usual the website swatches arent even close...so here it is
http://cosmetic-candy.com/lip-swatches-special-nyx-round-lipstick-in-kona-coffee-574-swatch-no-15/

Well, What on earth was I thinking?! :(

I could probably - maybe - work it, umm, for Halloween, if I ever dress up for it. I tried it with a pale shade to bring down its craziness. Not too sure it works.
My fuzzy Grey cells at work, if not entirely though.

Note:

• NYX is not easily available in India and it costs way above its original price. But online cosmetic shopping is not my thing (it is lately of which I will write later) and so I happily trotted to the NYX counter where seen.
• Agreed the NYX sales girl wasnt present and it was only the adjacent Colorbar Sales Girl. And agreed my son was crying a bit that distracted me. But still how can Castle's cap get on to Kona Coffee's bottom?!
• Store Alert: Style One, Adyar, Chennai. Do NOT go to the NYX counter; If you do, dont buy; If you want to buy, dont do it until you are doubly or triply sure of what is there inside the tube or the box!

Another one of my Fuzzy Grey Cell purchases at the same store... coming up.
Update: Its over here now.

What has been cooking?

This! Me and my son :)
Born 19 May 2011, almost-4-months now!

Whats this got to do with BLiSS?
Nothing :) Just saying I been away producing this little one...
And when there is life, there is beauty and style!