Lakme 9 to 5 matte lipsticks are one of the best budget matte lipsticks in the Indian market. I absolutely LOVE them. I have already reviewed Mauve Paced, but today I will be talking about the shade Pink Bureau.

Pink Bureau is a classic, deep pink shade which will brighten up any skin color. The formulation of this lipstick is amazing. Two swipes will give you full, opaque coverage. Also, this lipstick is quite creamy and comfortable to wear. After a few minutes of putting this on, you'll forget that you're even wearing lipstick! Pink Bureau will suit almost every Indian skin tone. It lasts 5-6 hours on my lips (including meals). It fades away quite well, without looking patchy or uneven. To get a good wear from this lipstick, be sure to exfoliate and hydrate your lips beforehand. For Rs. 450, you can't go wrong with Lakme 9 to 5 matte lipsticks. And Pink Bureau is such a beautiful shade, I will definitely repurchase!

Marsala was the Pantone Color of the Year for 2015, everyone and their grandmother knows it. So when I was browsing through the Nykaa pastel nail enamel selection, their shade Marsala Chai caught my eye.
(Yes, that rhymed.)

Marsala Chai is a delicious, sultry color. Perfect for Autumn/Winter, especially paired with all black outfits (so chic!). The nail polish is great, it goes on opaque with full color payoff in a single coat. You may layer it up if you want. I top it off with a clear top coat for an extra glossy finish. The nail polish lasts for a week (without top coat) with no chipping. Quite impressive, considering its price (Rs. 149). It has become the one nail polish shade that has broken me out of my black nail polish rut. And for that, I love it.

I'd highly recommend Marsala Chai to everyone. You HAVE to get your hands on a bottle of this stuff. As for me, I already have a backup ready to go! Nykaa, whatever you do, PLEASE DON'T STOP MAKING THIS SHADE!!!

As much as I love my Revlon Colorstay Concealer, I was getting bored. Just as the itch of wanting to try something new set in, I spotted the L'Oréal True Match Le Crayon Correcteur. I snapped it up immediately.

It is available in three shades in India, 20 Vanilla, 30 Beige and 40 Natural (from light to dark). I chose the shade Beige. Packaged in a chubby stick/crayon form, it reminds me of the Revlon Just Bitten Balm Stains and their Matte Balms.

Beige is the medium shade, with peach and yellow undertones. True to its claim, this concealer is 'super blendable'. It applies very easily and blends into the skin in a jiffy with a few dabs of the fingers. It gives a medium coverage which is buildable, without looking cakey. It is a creamy concealer, very easy to work with, but eventually settles down to a matte finish. It stays on my oily/combination skin for 6-7 hours without creasing (I set this concealer with a loose powder).

Oily/normal skinned beauties will love the texture of this concealer. But dry skinned ladies will have to make sure to use a good moisturizer before applying this concealer as it can emphasize flakes and dry patches. 

So far, I'm in love with this concealer. I use it to cover up my under eye area and any blemishes. The crayon tip makes for an easy, precise application.

I will highly recommend this concealer to everyone. If you find a shade that works for you, buy it. You'll love it. As for me, I will definitely repurchase this concealer. In fact, I'm going to buy a backup before this tube runs out!
Price: Rs. 799

Today I'm going to compare two Maybelline mascaras: The Hypercurl and the Colossal Volum' Express. I'm comparing both their waterproof versions.

Hypercurl:

Pros:
- Less expensive than Colossal
- Does not smudge throughout the day
- Holds curl well

Cons:
- Doesn't lengthen or voluminize lashes
- Has tendency to clump if layered

Colossal:
Pros:
- Adds volume and length to the lashes
- Gives a dramatic flared effect to the lashes
- No smudging throughout the day
- Can be layered. No clumps even after multiple coats.

Cons:
-More expensive than Hypercurl.

While the Hypercurl is a decent everyday mascara, Colossal is my favorite. I won't repurchase the Hypercurl, while I have gone through quite a few tubes of Colossal!

Which is your favorite mascara at the moment?

My love of lip balms is a recent one. I never paid much attention to lip care products before. But now, I'm obsessed. These are a few of my favorites:

1) Smith's Rosebud Salve: This cult classic is a huge favorite of mine. It goes on very smoothly and gives a very sheer wash of color to the lips. It smells so good! And it doesn't feel sticky or tacky on the lips, but moisturizes them quite well.

2) Nivea Essential Care:
I always have a stick of this lip balm on hand. Super easy to apply, this is especially great for travel. Nothing fancy, just a basic lip balm which does what it says. Keeps my lips soft and hydrated, without the stickiness.

3) Nivea Lip Butter: I have worked through different versions of this lip balm. It is my night time lip balm. I apply a thick layer of this on my lips before going to bed and by morning it sinks into my lips completely. Takes care of chapped lips very effectively, this is a heavy duty lip balm. However, it doesn't go on clear, like other lip balms. Instead it leaves a milky layer on the lips. Oh well, as long as it is doing its job.

4) EOS Passion Fruit Lip Balm:
This pale purple sphere is so cute! The lip balm is not sticky at all and it tastes sweet! Smells amazing and leaves my lips hydrated, this is a great daytime lip balm. I wish it was more easily accessible in India!

These are my favorite lip balms at the moment. Which are yours?

Ladies and gentlemen, today I'm going to talk to you about my favorite gel eyeliner of all time: Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner in Black.
This dinky little pot of pure black liner is the BEST. Hands down. For Rs. 499 (often available on sale online), you can't go wrong with this one. It comes in a tiny plastic jar with a screw on lid. The liner itself is very creamy and easy to work with. Super duper black, you can layer this eyeliner as much as you want, it won't cake or peel off.

It dries to a matte finish, which I love. After drying, it does not budge. No smearing, no smudging, no transferring. This eyeliner will stay put. You will need an oil based cleanser to take it off. For those who have shaky hands (like myself) gel eyeliners give you the precision of liquid liner along with easy application.

This eyeliner and my Zoeva Fine Liner Brush are a match made in heaven. For the quality, pigmentation, staying power and the price, you cannot beat this one. No wonder that makeup artist extraordinaire Lisa Eldridge is also a fan of this eyeliner! 

After going through quite a few pots of this eyeliner, my only wish is that Maybelline should never stop making it. Ever. Please?

Maybelline make some of the best drugstore mascaras. Period. But there are only three versions available in India. Colossal Volum' Express, The Falsies and Hypercurl. I had already tried the first two and decided to give Hypercurl a go.

I chose the waterproof version of this mascara. Packed in a black and pink plastic tube, this mascara has a curved brush. Interesting. The bristles aren't as flared as the Colossal mascara.

This mascara gives length, some volume and holds the curl. And it does not smudge of run throughout the day. Its a pretty decent everyday mascara, nothing exceptional. Don't expect dramatic, flared out lashes with this one.

After all is said and done, I won't be repurchasing this mascara. I'm going back to my Maybelline Colossal.

Price: Rs. 300 for 9.2 ml

Lip balms. My addiction. I love lip balms, especially ones with cute packaging, like this EOS Passion fruit lip balm. Packed in a pale purple sphere this lip balm is brilliant. Here's what the company has to say about the EOS (Evolution Of Smooth, BTW) lip balms:

Can a lip balm make you smile? We think so. That’s why we invented this one.

• Long-lasting moisture
• Shea butter & vitamin E
• Smoothes on clear
• New smooth sphere precisely glides on to lips
• Twist-off top
• Gluten-free
• Paraben-free
• Petrolatum-free
• Phthalate-free

And honestly? I love this lip balm. It smells like passion fruit, doesn't feel waxy on the lips, wears comfortably, moisturizes and tastes sweet! Yep, it actually tastes sweet!

And the cute sphere packaging? I love it. I would ONLY buy this lip balm and try out other versions of it, if it were easily available in India. Accessibility is an issue. But if you are going to the US, PLEASE STOCK UP ON THE EOS LIP BALMS.
You'll love 'em!

This was a totally unplanned purchase. I'll straight up admit it. I bought it on sale. And it turned out to be one of the best lip products I've tried so far. Let me introduce to you the Lakme 9 to 5 Matte Lip Colors.

I chose the shade Mauve Paced. Simply because I love mauve lipsticks and I love Lee Pace. Yep, that was random.

Anyway, for Rs. 450, this is a creamy, long lasting, matte but not drying lipstick. The shade is a beautiful mauve/dusty rose color, which will work on almost every skin color. The lipstick is insanely pigmented, one swipe will give you full coverage. The lipstick is creamy and easy to apply. I find that it wears very comfortably on my lips for 7-8 hours, with no patching or fading. Yes, it lasts through meals as well, but you will need a touch up.

This range of lipsticks by Lakme has really impressed me. The rose gold packaging is so cute! I'm a sucker for rose gold. I will definitely pick up a few more shades from the 9 to 5 matte lipstick range, so stay tuned for more reviews! And Mauve Paced will definitely be a repurchase.