Drugstore Haul:New lip crayons from NYC& Rimmel, New Essence Collection and Marcelle..

This just a quick haul post..Watch out for the reviews!


From Rexall

Marcelle BB cream - On sale

New NYC City Proof Twistable Lip colors - Wanted the plum shade, but it was all sold out :(

New Rimmel Color Rush Lip balms

NEW NYC Expert Last lipstick - loved the cute and colorful packaging

NOXZEMA eyebrow shapers [so useful] and HASK Argan oil [Love!]

From Shoppers Drug Mart

They had 2 new collections - Justin Bieber's Beauty Beats and Metal Glam. I was tempted to get one eyeshadow but then, I had already exceeded my budget this month. But who can resist such nice highlighters. And I have so long wanted to buy a mint nail polish.

From Real Canadian Super store

They had a nice collection of Wet n Wild Mega Last lip colors so I picked a color I was drooling after  -  a dark vampy purple shade called Vamp it up.

Worst Lip product EVER!!!! Review and Swatches: Incolor Lip Perfection gloss 234

I got this Incolor Lip Perfection lip gloss/color from Snapdeal when I was in India. They had lots of Incolor products then, but I can’t find them now online. The product also doesn’t have any information on the company – looked like a mystery to me until I used this. Now I know why they didn’t want anyone to know their details!

 This lip color costs around 150-200INR [I think]. This is a double ended lip product – one end with a colored cream and one with a clear gloss. I have used double ended products like this before, so I use the colored end 1^st and then added a layer of clear gloss above.

The color is a nice blue-toned pink that really brightens up my face and looks very pretty. The color applies like a cream while the clear gloss has a very gel-like consistency.  

Now for why I absolutely hate this product and think it is one of the worst you can buy!

The color feels like paint, smells like paint and actually dries up like paint. I didn’t notice it when I swatched it once on my hand, but when I applied on my lips it felt so tremendously yucky that there are no words to describe. I had to actually wash my lips with a soap to finally remove the entire effects.

As for that clear gloss – god alone knows what it was intended for cos it neither gives a glossy look nor does it moisturize. 

Notice the paint like application?

It is hard to find makeup products which are perfectly useless and to an extent looks & feels harmful to skin as well; most other dud products have at least one use or other; this one has absolutely nothing!

If you have found a worser product, add your comments below and lets weep together!

Beauty in Canada-New lip crayons from Gosh, NYC, Rimmel and new lipstick from NYC

Check out these yummy goodies at your local Rexall and Shoppers Drug Mart..

From Rexall

New lip crayons from NYC - City Proof Twistable Intense Lip color


New expert last lipstick..looks really cute..







Rimmel's lip crayon - Color rush lip balms




From Shoppers, new lip crayons from Gosh


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Lip stains to avoid – NYC Smooch Proof 16HR Lip Stain in Forever Mine Wine and e.l.f. Essential Lip Stain in Berry Blush

Lip stains to avoid – NYC Smooch Proof 16HR Lip Stain in Forever Mine Wine and e.l.f. Essential Lip Stain in Berry Blush

Today I am reviewing 2 lip stains from 2 popular drugstore brands – NYC [New York Cosmetics] and ELF [Eyes Lips Face].  I love both these brands and most of their products, but these lip stains are a no-no for me.

Lip stain is a trend that got major publicity with Benefit & their famous Benetint; Revlon followed with the much loved Just Bitten Balm Stains and then there are many Korean products inspired by the Ulzzang gradient lips [not a fan of this trend, looks weird to me]. The concept was to avoid layers of product like with lipstick or gloss but at the same time get the color you want resulting in a very natural 'stained' look.

I like lip stains as a product type but not every brand offers a great one; check my review of Joe Fresh's Lip stain in Berry here http://makeupandbeautytalk.blogspot.ca/2014/01/review-swatches-joe-fresh-lip-tint-in.html . The worst lip stain product type as far as I am concerned are, the ones that look like Sketch Pens – yet to find one that actually works.

NYC Smooch Proof 16Hr Lip stain [ http://newyorkcolor.com/products/lips/lipcolor/smooch-proof-16hr-lip-stain ] in Forever Mine Wine [approx. $4.99, may vary on sales] looks exactly like a berry colored sketch pen I once had. The color of the stain matches the color of the casing. I like the handy design and the idea of getting very contoured lips with precision tips like you do with felt tip eye liners. This is very easy to use – Shake once or twice before using and apply 1^st along the lip contours to define the lips and then fill in the color. It works very similar to a lip pencil. The problem is with the color intensity – it applies very patchy and it is difficult to get a very even colored look. Also there are no words to describe how dried up this feels on lips – should be a nightmare product for dry skinned ladies. The color is a very pretty berry pink shade and can easily give nice tint perfectly suitable for winter – if you can manage to get an even color! That is my problem with this product- it is supposed to be easy to use, instead it makes life difficult with patchy colors. Also, don't expect 16hrs, don't even expect 8hr – the best you can hope for [unless you don't plan to talk, drink or eat] is 3-4hrs. W.r.t other factors, this has no sharp scent, no discernible taste and does not irritate skin.

NYC - Left, ELF -Right 1

ELF Essential Lip Stain in Berry Blush ($2.00 approx) is even more of a fail than NYC – at least NYC lip stain had some color! This is a more reddish berry tint and would have been a nice lip color if it was more pigmented.  I got 2 uses out of this product and even then it was so sheerly tinted that it look around 3-4 swipes to get a decent color. I really can't understand why ELF brought out this product unless they felt that they didn't want to be left out of the whole 'tinted lip' game. The design is pretty similar to NYC but smaller sized. As with NYC smooch proof, this also doesn't have any scent or taste, does not irritate skin and dries lips pretty badly. Application gives a patchy color and doesn't last more than 2 hours. 

On Top – ELF Berry Blush [look how faded it looks!]  Bottom – NYC Forever Mine Wine

Summing up:

Pros of both lip stains:

1. Handy packaging – casing shows color of the product making it easier to select
2. Low price – both are drug store brands
3. Non scented, non-irritant, no bad taste

Cons:

1. Useless products  if you are looking for a stain that lasts more than 5-6 hours
2. Makes lips dry
3. Color applies very patchily

Overall: I wouldn't recommend these sketch pen type of lip stain- including Revlon's Just Bitten Lipstain+Balm, this type is a disaster and can easily put a newbie off lip stains for life! I recommend trying a liquid gloss-type version if you are looking to try lightweight lip stains – especially like Etude House's Fresh Cherry Tint. Another option is the chubby pencil or lip crayon type like Revlon's Just Bitten Balm Stains, Jordana Twist & Shine lippies etc that gives a 'lip-balm+stain' effect to lips. Both NYC and E.L.F has so much better products for the same price – so if you are looking for lip products from these brands, try NYC's liquid lip shines or ELF's mineral lipsticks.

Check my blog at - http://makeupandbeautytalk.blogspot.com/

Reviews: Avon ExtraLasting Mascara and E.L.F Lengthening and Defining Mascara

Today I am reviewing 2 mascaras - ELF Lengthening and Defining mascara and Avon Extra Lasting Mascara.

ELF Lengthening and Defining Mascara came as part of a set I purchased earlier. I got the Avon Mascara from India. To be honest, mascaras are not a favorite product of mine. I know I may sound weird – a makeup lover who doesn’t like Mascara!! But although I do try to get along with one, I find mascaras hard to use- not because I don’t like the effect but because for some reason it triggers my migraine.
I don’t know if it’s a reaction to the chemicals or if it’s something else, maybe I need to find a light weight mascara.In the meantime, I use my kajal stick to give a color to my lashes.

ELF’s mascara tube is narrower than Avon and most other brand mascaras I’ve seen.
I have used this 3-4 times but after that the formula dried up & I found it difficult to apply.
There are so many negative reviews about this mascara but to be honest, I kind of like it for a daily use [if it didn’t dry up so fast!].
The wand is a typical spiral wand and gives a very natural darkened lash look on applying a single deep coat.
The problem starts when you try a second coat to make it a bit more dramatic.
It starts clumping and goes all weird.

The color is jet black but this is not waterproof so don’t apply if you are going for a family movie!
Didn’t experience any irritation and for $1, I think this is an okay mascara.
Overall, liked this but don’t love it.

Avon’s Extra Lasting Mascara has a nice package design with Red lettering over the case.
I like the wand – it gives a very clump free application.
I only wish that the formula didn’t make my lashes so stiff that I worried that it might break like a cracker if I touched it! It did make my lashes look longer and fuller but the feeling that my lashes got starched was pretty uncomfortable.
Since this was waterproof it made the removal a bit difficult and slightly painful.
It also left the roots of my lashes very sensitive.

The color is not jet black, I would say brownish black.
I remember the price was around INR 200 on sale.
Overall, I don’t like this mascara although it does what it promises.

How to use a lip balm effectively and Review and Swatches: Colorbar Lip Pencil in Moody Maroon

Colorbar's lip pencil in Moody Maroon is a favorite lip liner of mine. I always turn to this one when I am in doubt - this is a total love.

Price is around INR 350 but with Colorbar increasing prices every now and often this may not be the same tomorrow! The color is a beautiful dark red with brown tints that works wonderfully as a contour shade. There is nothing like a dark red shade to shape your lips to get that perfect pout!

The color applies beautifully., though this is not a very creamy liner. In fact, on days when my lips are dry, I find it hard to apply directly on to bare lips. So my suggestion would be to apply lip balm [check my tips below] and then apply this to avoid drying out. This lasts for a goodish time [4-5hrs on avg] and leaves a nice stain.

 Overall I love this product and shade,so try this one before Colorbar raised their price again!

How to use lip balm effectively


Exfoliate lips before application -  For daily use, quickly mix sugar & honey and use your ring finger to slowly massage to avoid excess pressure on lips. If you have pigmentation on lips, add 1-2 drops of lemon juice to the mix. Do not rub for more than a min or 2. Apply lip balm immediately and never apply a lip color immediately after exfoliation as your lips are most sensitive & may react to excess chemicals.


Layer and layer and layer -  I find that the best way to get good moisture is to layer the balm. Apply a thin layer, wait, apply again, wait and then once again for soft and shiny lips.

Use clean fingers to apply the product as this helps with blood circulation and better absorption. Avoid your index finger as the pressure can be excessive. 

After applying the lip balm, slowly pat or tap your lips with your middle or ring finger. Start tapping from the edges or contours of the lip and move inside. This helps with product absorption and makes your lips soft & pout-elicious.

Review: Boots No7 Soft & Sheer Tinted Moisturiser SPF 15 Medium

Boots No7 range is available here in Canada at Shoppers Drug Mart; I only wish that they would soon include No7 Makeup range as well cos buying from US website means shipping charge of $25!  This is the 1st product I tried from the brand.

Boots says - " Enhance your natural beauty with this translucent color. The sheer wash of barely there color will give you a radiant natural glow and even out your skin tone. It contains SPF15 sunscreen to help protect your skin from the aging effects of the sun and moisturizes for up to 12 hours. Coverage: Sheer. Skin type: suitable for all skin types. How to Use: Use in the morning after cleansing and toning the skin. Smooth on evenly, just like your usual moisturizer, blending away at the jaw line." [from Boots US website]

My experience 

I started using this when Fall started and I found that I need some extra TLC for my face in addition to what my Sunscreen gives.I liked the way it applied very smoothly and blended pretty fast into the skin. This does give a natural glow to skin; there is no scent and no irritation on application.

Now that I said the nice stuff, let me go into why I feel this is not a great product:

1. I know Boots says its a translucent color but this is like no color for me. The shade I got 'Medium' is slightly dark for me but on applying it doesn't show anything expect add a 'glow' to my face. While I don't expect much coverage from a TM, I feel this should have been at least Light coverage.

2. This doesn't last much longer in Winter here in Canada. On days I apply this around 8.30am in the morning, I notice some dryness around 11am-ish. Not impressed!

3.Since this is not very useful in Winter, I considered using this as a TM during Summer so that I can use this lightweight product on days I dont need much coverage. But then, here is my problem - I cannot use this TM and another sunscreen as it would be too much. But then SPF15 is not enough for a daytime use! 

So basically what I found is the best way to use is - Apply this for a light coverage makeup for  a casual evening out.For Day wear, use this as a base layer for makeup.

Overall: I am not very impressed with this TM but if you have very oily skin, you can try this out.

Review and Swatches: Lotus Herbals Pure Colors Lipstick in Carnation 640

This is one of my 1st purchases from Lotus Herbals Pure Colors Lipstick range.  I have already reviewed this range in shades Peach Creme and Orchid Kiss. So I am not going to do a full range review here but let me say - I absolutely love this lipstick range.

Carnation is a bright coral shade with tints of red and brown. This is one color that would look so out of season if you wear them anytime between Oct - Feb, as this is a pure spring-summer shade. It is perfect for a casual day at beach or when you go off for a walk at your favorite park.

 

However, word of caution -  this color can easily show everything you did wrong with your makeup as this color needs perfect even skin tone finish. So if you have skin pigmentation or darkening around lips [ I suffer from this :(] make sure that your concealer is applied perfectly.

I like to use this as a lip stain as I find it hard to carry it off always in full cream finish. Since this a bright color, I'd advise to go easy on eye makeup. For blush, try using this lippie to get that fresh summer look.

Review and Swatches: FACES Cosmetics Lip Color in 11( Natalia) and 330 (Catherine)

I got these lipsticks from FACES store at Brookfield Mall in Coimbatore; I couldn't find these online in FACES Indian website or in any online store in India but these lipsticks were available through FACES cosmetics' Canada website. Anyways I got this for around INR 250-300 [dont remember exactly].


I liked the packaging of these lippies - such a change from the drab black cases. And these are smaller in size than many. The lip color applies very smoothly and provides full color in a single swipe. This lippies have a very unique finish - it is not all creamy, it is not all glossy, its somewhere in between.

I loved these lippies but unfortunately I found that I couldn't carry off these colors very easily. I cant explain why cos these are really lovely colors -but somehow I wore these very sheered out or layered under a more darker shade.

I wish I'd gotten at least one darker shade from this range. I am visiting Dufferin Mall here in Toronto soon, where FACES Cosmetics has a counter so may be if I find this I will get it.

FACES Lip Color in Natalia - Shade no 11

Natalia - a Bright coral Red

Look at that glossy finish!

FACES Lip Color in Catherine- Shade no 330

Catherine is a reddish orange with brown tints

Left - Natalia, Right - Catherine

 3 Coral Lipsticks from my collection

Left - Lotus Herbals Pure Colors Lipstick in Carnation, Center- Natalia, Right- Catherine