Starring - NYX Chunky Dunk Hydrating Lippie in "Sex on the Beach"

So I am at office and talking to my friend over call about my latest makeup purchases and she asks me what shades I got in the NYX Chunky Dunky. And I reply - "I have Sex on the Beach and..".  I hear a Gasp and there's my cubicle-neighbor's face  with a a stunned look and I realize that once again the Curse of Weirdly and Uncomfortably Named Products have struck again. 

Funny name aside, this is the latest lippie innovation from NYX - their version of a Lip Crayon. I believe that they already have a chubby lip pencil but this is the one that actually qualifies as a lip crayon. 

It retails for $6 USD, has 13 shades and you can find everything NYX has to say here - Link

My Experience:

In my opinion, NYX got on the band wagon a lot late. I can find nothing special with this one from all the other Lip crayons I have tried so far. If I had got this one pretty early into my sojourn with Lip Crayons, I would probably enthused about their light weight texture but now, its like -"Hmmm..so what exactly is new"... Sad, but that's life!

 The packaging is pretty much the standard Lip crayon packaging - with the plastic casing matching the lip color inside. This is a twist up pencil so no sharpening. On the flip side, this also means that once the pointed edge has worn off, it will be hard to apply the shade with precision.

NYX advertises it as a Sheer to Medium pigmented product - but after trying out one of the brightest shades in the range, I would say "Sheer wash of color" - cos that is what it gives. The lip crayon applies smoothly and gives a nice sheer wash of color which is slightly more buildable. 

Sex on the Beach is an orange red - a perfect summer beach color IMHO. Don't be scared by the bold color in the tube, because the sheer coverage means that you can control how much color your want on your lips. On one swipe, it gives a more "My Lips but slightly Redder" look, like you have taken a sip of a red lollipop. There is no staining of lips, more like a delicate tint.

The satin finish stays for an hour and the color remains for another hour at the maximum. While this lippie does not give much hydration on its own, it doesn't dry out either- so unless you've really dry lips, you're good.  But this is still not good for a lippie that claims to be "Hydrating".

IMHO, NYX got confused on how it wanted to market the product - if you market a sheer color satin finish lippie as Hydrating, one would expect a Revlon-Lip-Butter performance or similar to NYX's own Butter Lip Balm. 

This is after multiple swipes - you can see how sheer the color looks

So in effect, what we have is a Crayon less-pigmented less-staying-powered version of the Butter Lipstick and nothing Wow. I am a bit disappointed :(

Other than that - no harsh scent, no bad taste, no irritation

.

Overall: Nothing special - if you like sheer lip crayons, go for it. However, I would recommend buying a Butter Lipstick for the same price - you get much more pigmentation and color range.

Summer Face Packs and Masks Series - Weekend [Day 2 and 3]

We went for a weekend getaway to Niagara on the Lakes. Its an amazing romantic location and being near to the Niagara river, there are some awesome bike trails where we spend our morning riding a local rented bike. If I could only spend everyday so leisurely.....

On the flip side, this meant a lot sun exposure, dust and loads of cheese-y food. So, this is was my beauty routine for the weekend:

Before Bath:
Apply warm coconut oil to your hair and skin and leave it on for at least 15-20mins.
Add a drop of Ylang Ylang or Jasmine oil to coconut oil and you don't need any perfume :)

If you can massage your skin and hair, all the more better.
Shampoo your hair to remove the oily effect. 

This is something that I did religiously as a kid in the warm tropical climate of coastal Kerala. Coconut oil is really good in giving moisture and protecting your skin and hair from sun exposure.

While going out:

- 30-45mins before  : Apply a sunscreen with SPF 50 on face. I also used a lip balm with SPF 20.

- Every 2 hours after - I used a sunscreen stick with SPF 50, to gloss over my face. This was a perfect outing accessory as I didn't have to reapply my makeup and I still got my sun protection.

 - Water, Water Everywhere - I kept refilling self on water - as lemon juice, coconut water, plain old H20, anything good. My suggestion is to avoid coffee or other drinks that dehydrate your body.



- Salad with everything - Fine dining means some type of Cheese, for a vegetarian. So, to balance the boat, I ordered side salads to keep my system happy


After coming back [night time rituals]

- Immediately as you reach your place: Clean your face and apply some aloe vera gel to get the protection and repair process of skin going

- 1 hour or at least 30mins before your sleep: This is the pack I prepared with easy-to-carry and easily available stuff while on a trip:
    - Lemon Juice [from half a lemon or lime]
    - Milk powder [or milk]
    - Oats  [if you can get a fine powdered version, its much better]
    - 2 drops from any of your favorite skin care oil [I use carrot seed oil]

Mix all the ingredients to get the consistency you like. I prefer a medium thick consistency so I use more oats powder.
Apply this all over your face and neck and leave it on for at least 20mins or till it gets dry.

Removing the pack: Dampen your face and slowly massage before removing to get a mild exfoliation effect.

Why I love this pack?
It is gentle and has some good ingredients to help with pigmentation and is also good for gentle exfoliation - in fact, it does everything necessary for an "After-Sun-Skin-Care" pack.

Did you try this? If so let me know how it worked out for you :)

Note: All Images in this post are courtesy of Pixabay.com 

Summer Face Packs and Masks Series - Day 1

This is a new series based on my actual skin care regime.
I am trying out various face packs for Summer and the ones I really like - I am putting it down here :)

Anti Tan Face Pack for Glowing Skin

So what you need is:

 

Rice Flour

RECIPE:

Mix 2 tbs of Lime Juice and 4 tbs of Milk together and keep this aside for 5-10mins.

Add 2tbs of Tomato juice and 1 spoon of yoghurt. 

Mix in rice powder to get firm consistency.

If you have sensitive skin, increase the amount of milk and rice powder in the pack.
If you have oily skin, reduce the amount of milk and increase the amount of rice powder in the pack.

Apply on your face for 15-20mins.

Wash off and immediately apply your favorite moisturizer. 

Now tell me how your skin looks and feels :)

Soap and Glory Be Your Own Gloss - Set of 5 mini Sexy Mother Pucker glosses

I am not going to lie. 

I would LOVE if I could find a wonderful solution to getting bigger luscious plumper oooh-so-sexy lips. 

Since I am pulling a list of all things I would really love - I would love to get a hour glass figure, bigger eyes, no hairs on my face and 0 hair fall. 

Anyone up there listening to me? No?

But well,since I've no plans on doing Botox or any such stuff, I guess I would have to keep buying these Sexy Mother Pucker glosses to keep my puckers looking glossy.

Price - as on the case is $25. 

My Experience:

I love holiday gift sets cos they are such a great way to test products you've been wanting to buy but was not sure if it was worth your money. 

The shades included in the collection are Clear [which I am not going to review, Because, well its clear!], Candy Gloss, Yummy Plum, Half Naked and Punch Bowl. 

Out of the 5, the 1st 2 - Clear and Candy Gloss are pretty useless on their own cos it doesn't have any color. Candy gloss has some shimmer. 

Yummy Plum is a weird name for a peachy coral semi sheer gloss that goes on to give a peachy nude look to my lips. LOVE!!!

Yummy Plum on lips

Half Naked is a brownish MLBB shade which just made my lips look sad in some ways. I am never wearing this on its own. Weirdly enough, this tastes like Popcorn. Never had a lipgloss tasting like Popcorn... Well, you live and learn!

Half Naked on Lips [sounds weird when you say it...I've Half Naked on my lips...gah!]

Punch Bowl is my favorite of the pack. Its a normal blue based pink that is perfect for the season and for instantly brightening up my face. LOVE LOVE!!

Punch Bowl on lips

All the 3 lip glosses I tried has a tingling slightly burning sensation on lips - like I chewed on Mint tablets for a bit too long. It was not unpleasant for me but if you have sensitive or dry lips- watch out. 

But what I loved about this gloss was, in spite of the slight stickiness, the glue-y texture, the slightly sweet flavors and the  stronger-than-average scents, these did the job. They really made my lips look a bit plumper and glossier. 

The effects didn't last too long - for about 1-2 hours - but that is good enough for me :)

Candy Gloss is the shade at the end.

Overall: I am debating on whether I should buy Punch Bowl or Yummy Plum in full size. I am hoping that Soap and Glory will come up with such mini sets so I can just keep buying them and also hoping that they will at least get rid of the gluey texture cos thats one thing I will not miss about these babies.

A novelty eyeliner look I tried this weekend...

I used the central rose gold shade from Claire's Makeup Kit. 

Rose gold is a shade that suits almost all skin tones and especially flatters the warmer skin tones [like me, so YAY]

I'd not applied much mascara and I didn't fill my brows in [so sue me!]  but then I am planning to try something like this when I am going on my weekend trip next week. I planned this as an evening look so the silver of the eyeliner really comes across. 

I also used the yellow golden shade in the palette under my brows and under my lower lids.

Since the focus was on the eyeliner design, I didn't do any smokey eyes. 

For my dress - planning to go gypsy and wear a long skirt and peasant blouse. 

So....what do you think? Do I look weird or mysterious [hoping for the 2nd :)] ?

Welcome to my Spring Giveaway! [Open Internationally]- Estee Lauder, NYX, POP Beauty and More [CLOSED]

Spring is in the air...Well, may not be in the air here in Toronto, but guess its in the air some where in this wide beautiful world :)And so what better way to spread the cheer than by getting some makeup!

This is an international giveaway and open to all [if you are below 18, make sure you are legally permitted - like a parent's consent etc etc].

The contest will run from March 6th to May 31st. I will contact the winners via email by June 5th.
There will be 2 winners.

1st Winner will get...

 

The gift includes :

4UR LIP Set:

• Estee Lauder  Pure Gloss and Sumptous Mascara Duo [Gloss shade is Rock Candy]
• NYC City Proof Twistable Intense Lip color crayon - Brooklyn Brown Stone
•  Love & Beauty from Forever 21 - Mini Lipstick [Pink Nude shade]
• NYC Expert Last lipstick in shade Snowcone
• Essence XXL Lipgloss

4UR EYES SET

• POP Beauty Eyeshadow Trio
• Essence Ticket to Paradise Eyeshadow
• A.co from Ardene - Baked Eyeshadow 

PALETTE 4 U

• NYX All I've Ever Wanted Box

SKIN CARE

• Balea Masks for Face & Hair

And the Second winner will get...

The gift set includes:

1. NYC Expert Last Lipstick in shade Peach Fizz
2. NYX Ultra Pearl Mania
3. Love & Beauty from Forever 21 mini lipstick - Nude shade
4. Revlon Lash Potion Mascara
5. Hard Candy Eyeshadow

Enter the giveaway here:
a Rafflecopter giveaway


Check My Giveaway Page [Top Menu section] for Details on How to Enter.
For any questions you have or if you face any issues, use the contact form or my twitter @Ladydevzz to connect with me!

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Spring Colors: Essence Stay With Me Long Lasting Lip Gloss in Pretty Witty & Giveaway Update!

I have found quite a lot of reasons why Essence is now my favorite Drugstore Brand; this lip gloss is yet another reason why Essence should offer World wide shipping so makeup lovers everywhere can discover them.



From Essence Website:

in the mood for gloss: attractive shades with shimmer pigments ensure longlasting and shiny lip color and beautiful highlights. the special shape of the applicator ensures easy application. 

As with most Essence products, this gloss is around $3 CAD. 

Why I love this gloss:

When I use a lip gloss, I expect a pigmented glossy lip color that makes my lips look fuller, juicier and well - a bit more perfect. Essence totally got that concept right with this gloss. 

Pretty Witty  is a semi-sheer nicely pigmented Pinkish shade that has loads of blue tones in it. Intensity can be built upon and the glossy finish stays for around an hour after which it starts to fade. The color stays for another 2-3 hours without food or drinks. But the best part is, it leaves my lips hydrates and looking good with a li'l tint for another 2 hours.

This is one really awesome Spring-Summer lip gloss as its non-sticky which means your flyaway loose hair is safe. No harsh scent, no strong taste.

If I have any complaints, its on how few shades are available in this gloss range. Come on, Essence-  we need this baby in our lives. Give us more shades. More finishes. More, more more..

Packaging and other stuff:

This gloss packaging is nice. Its not the best but it does the thing - it lets you see the color before buying. 

The applicator is good and easy to use. 

I like the soft feel of it.

Overall: 

You need this. You will love this. Your pocket will love this. So go ahead and send a mail to Essence asking them for global shipping and more n more shades:) 

 A Quick Giveaway Update

I have selected my Giveaway Winners through Rafflecopter.

I will send the mails to the winners today & tomorrow.

I will wait for your response by Monday 9th 2014 10pm Toronto time.

If you won but didn't reply to my email by then, I am sorry but I will be selecting another winner for the same prize.

Once I get the final responses from the 2 winners, I will announce the names publicly on my blog and in my FB giveaway page. 

And well.. you know if you didn't win, I am sorry dears but there will be other giveaways [expect one soon! :)].

               As my subscribers, you will get

 - Additional 10 entries to any future giveaways

  - A special Thank You gift if you're the winner in addition to the announced Giveaway prizes

Summer Skin Care and Makeup - Simplified :)

Summer is all about enjoying life, sunshine and having fun - at least that's how I want it to be, after a long long Winter. Everywhere in Blog world you see posts on Beauty-On-the-Go and shimmering in the Sun and how to get that Glow and suncreens and well... it goes on and on..

So here is my take on the subject - just tips based on my recent outing experiences, so don't yawn yet! :)

SKINCARE

Summer skin care is all about getting that healthy glow without burning your skin - its probably as plain as that.
Here are some things that I make a note of:

Diet:
 
 - Drink water. Lots. Coconut water, Watermelon juice and Lime juice are also excellent summer thirst quenchers that also pampers your skin from inside.

- Include food items that defend your skin against sun- burns from inside. Check this article for reference: http://health.howstuffworks.com/skin-care/beauty/sun-care/how-to-prevent-sunburn2.htm 


Before going out in the Sun

- Use a sunscreen with a decent SPF. My suggestion is to use something on or above SPF 30 for a daily wear and on days where sun exposure is more, use a SPF 50 or more.
I have read articles saying not to use a too-high SPF as it can make skin vulnerable to sunburns once the product wears off, so I would say, stick with SPF 30-50.

- Keep a sun-care kit. I always keep a set of wet wipes and sunscreen in case I am out in sun for long and I need to reapply my sunscreen after cleaning my face.

 - Here are some areas you miss [ at least I did miss these and did I suffer!] ->

• Nose [especially the sides and under the nose],
• Lips and area above lips,
• Chin,
• Ears, 
• Hairlines, 
• Eyelids and eyebrows 
• And finally, back of your neck.

For Lips, you can get a lip balm with SPF - just make sure apply it at least 15-20mins before your makeup.
 
After Sun Care:

Remember that Aloe vera gel and your skin will thank you, a lot.

Apply a face pack with any of the following:
- Sandalwood powder
- Carrot
- Rose Hip seed oil
-Tomato
- Cucumber

If you have sun burns, apply aloe vera and avoid any harsh face products - scrubs, exfoliants or peels.


MAKEUP

Face

This is the season for single face products , like a BB cream or TM. You don't want to use too many products when you're out in the sun.
If you prefer matte finish, go for a good Mineral foundation.

Coral Blushes!!! Need I say more? Rock those coral colors now...

Eyes

Jewel tones are the best bet for highlighting your eyes.
Try fresh tones like mint, lilac etc to give that instant summer look to your lids.
If you're scared of using a pastel shade heavily, use it on your lower lids lightly.

Lips

Out with the dark gothic berry and cherry shades. In with fresh bright bold shades.
Bright Oranges, Corals, Pinks - this is the season!


EASY SUMMER MAKEUP KIT

Here is my all purpose makeup kit  for Summer:
 - BB cream - My favorite is one from Marcelle Canada
 - Mineral Powder from Lily Lolo [review soon]
 - Inglot Blush [review on the way]
 - Essence eyeliner
 - Essence I love Crazy mascara [Review on the way]
 - A bright Lippie - like Tanya Burr Exotic Island

And that's that, folks! Tell me what you think is most important for Summer and what tricks you've up your sleeve!

Spring Colors: Wet n Wild Silk Finish lipsticks in Hot Red and Light Beige Frost

I think I have found the perfect drugstore pocket-friendly lipstick combo for Spring and what makes me even more happy is that its just under $2 [under $1 in USA] :)

Wet n Wild is a favorite brand of mine and I really wish that they would have more presence in Canada - really, we miss you. I dream of a day when I can walk into my nearest drugstore and get all those awesome LE collections... <sigh> <sigh> <sigh>

Anyways, this is what Wet n Wild has to say about this lipstick range: "Enriched with conditioning ingredients of Vitamins A & E and Aloe Vera for moist-looking lips."

They seem pretty intent on not making absurd claims and I respect them for it. None expects magic in a lipstick bottle- at least not for $2. Thank you Wet n Wild, for respecting us consumers. 

My Review:

Wet n Wild says its a nice non-drying somewhat hydrating lipstick - and I agree. Both the shades are easy to apply, doesn't need any lip balm and has medium pigmentation that is buildable. 

Hot Red is a cool toned red that is would suit most skin tones. This one has no shimmers and applies semi-sheer on the 1st swipe.

Light Beige Frost is a frosty silver-shimmery peachy pink -again suits most skin tones. The frost effect in this one is not harsh and is good for a day wear. On non-pigmented lips, the peachy tones would come up more. On pigmented lips like mine, this can easy be your MLBB shade with a shimmer. 

Hot Red on top, Light Beige Frost under

Why I like these lippies:

- Easy on pocket 

- Easy on lips - no need for lip balms

- Applies semi-sheer on 1st coat; can build up the intensity if needed

- No harsh scent or taste

- Average lasting power of 2-3 hours; no patchy stains or shimmers left behind

Light Beige Frost

Why I wouldn't recommend:

- Not for people who love long wearing lip colors.

Why I think this is a perfect spring lipstick combo?

Whip out that Red for rocking your day or go peachy nude with a shimmer with these lipsticks. To add some wow to your look, you can layer on the Red and then dab the peachy pink on the center of your lips. 

This is a combo that I feel would work for most skin tones. Pink and its variations are usually very skin-toned based and finding a universally appealing color combo can be hard.

Hot Red

Overall: I can't think of many reasons why you shouldn't buy this. Hot Red is especially a wonderful color - if you are afraid of Reds, this is something to start with as it applies semi-sheer. The combo of Red and Peachy Pink, makes this duo a great day wear option that doesn't hurt your pockets.

Makeup for $2: Jordana Brow & Eyeshadow Powder Single in Brown

I don't buy eye brow powders because I am a bit too lazy and also I kinda use my eye pencils or eye shadows for brow defining. So I have absolutely no idea why I would have bought this product. But having had this, I must say I like this as a Brow Powder- though I really don't get why Jordana added Eyeshadow part to this.

About the product from Jordana Website:

Brow & Eyeshadow Powder Single

• Matte Finish

• Intense Pigment

• Dual Purpose Brow & Eyeshadow Powders

• Made in USA

Available in 6 Shades. Price is $1.99 USD

My Review: 

One of the few genetic goodies I inherited are a pair of decently shaped adequately thick eyebrows, so I can get by even without too much brow plucking and coloring. So, I don't usually worry about brow coloring or shaping, I just get by with my eye pencils. However, I'd heard a lot of bloggers rave about this product so I was curious to see how this would work. 

I must say - I am pleasantly surprised. One major reason why I stay away from stronger brow coloring was that the brow pencil and wax gave a very heavy feel and sometimes triggered my migraine. But this felt super light weight. Funnily enough, this was more easier to apply than a brow pencil and wax, because the application felt way more even and controlled. Of course, you need a brush or a spooly, but this gives a much better defined and natural brows than a brow pencil.

Another funny thing is that the very thing that makes this a good brow powder makes this an average eyeshadow - low to medium pigmentation. This is not too intensely pigmented [as you can see], which makes it ideal for brow coloring but the texture and the pigmentation makes it a very average eyeshadow. I found this very difficult to blend.  This should be used as an eyeshadow if you're going for one of those 1-product looks!

They have some more shades so finding a good match should be easy. Check out my tips on eyebrows here

Overall: For $2, I think this is a good product from Jordana. If you are learning to play with your brows and don't wish to buy a $20 Anastasia product, this could be  good alternative for you.

$2[ -ish..] Makeup: NYC Liquid Lip Shine in Rivington Rose

Have you ever felt frustrated after buying a product that was raved by bloggers/vloggers and wondered if its you or if its the product or if its just your luck in getting a bad egg? 

If so, nice to meet you, cos that sometimes happens to me. When I bought this gloss after checking out so many reviews, some by acclaimed bloggers, I was under the impression that this is superbly pigmented, and non-sticky. Instead..ah, well..let me not spill the whole stuff here.

About NYC Liquid Lipshine : 

Have you heard the gossip? There’s a new gloss in town! NYC New York Color Liquid Lip Shine is getting headlines with seriously high-drama color at a seriously low price. Pure pigments give a 3-D effect that’s off-the-charts glossy. Tons of hot new shades, from preppy nudes to bold statement hues – all for less than your weekly fashion magazine.

Price: $2.49

My Review:

My translation against what NYC claims:

- seriously high-drama color : What? Really? I don't think I have seen any High Drama color in this range. I am pretty sure, there are no shocking pinks or Violets...... 

- Pure pigments give a 3-D effect that’s off-the-charts glossy: Translated to -"Expect lots of shimmer and glossy finish to give the lips a shine" No idea what Pure Pigments mean!

So rounding up, all NYC claims is - they have a decent shade range of glossy lippies. 

Which is good, cos that is exactly what they deliver.

These lippies are often at sale, so you can get them at around $2. I have not yet tried a non-shimmery gloss from this range, but most of em look shimmery. So, just in case this shade is an odd-one-out , I  am not going to review this range as a whole, just this particular shade.

Rivington Rose is a dusty rose-y peachy shade with lots of shimmer in it. To get the peach tones, you have to have nude non-pigmented lips. On my lips the pinkish tones are more prominent, so it comes off as a dusty rose shade. The shimmers look nice and not at all OTT. I am not in general a fan of shimmery glosses, but in this lip gloss, the shimmers don't stay back and clutter your lips once the color begins to fade.

See how my natural lip color peeks through very easily? And people call it highly pigmented!

Application is a breeze with the doe foot applicator, though its a tad bit too long for my preference. The gloss has a very candy or toffee-ish scent but no taste. I cant pinpoint the exact scent but I don't mind it as its not too strong.

In spite of what I read in blog-world, these are not super pigmented. They are averagely pigmented, but not enough to deserve being called "highly pigmented". The color applies Semi-sheer as you can see.

What I don't really care about this gloss is its weird stickiness. This is not sticky as in like  "glue-on-lips" sticky. It kinda drips.. I don't know how to explain, check the pic. Its very weird cos in the pic I'd only 1-2 layer of product which I think is decent enough. Reminds me of Phoebe and her Sticky shoes song! :)

I'm sorry if this grosses you out, but I'd to show the pic..

Other than that, packaging is so so, staying power is also so so [1-2 hours max!] and I think thats about it.

Overall: Nothing to rave about, nothing to complain too much. For the price, these are decent. They give a good shine, a glossy feel and have a nice range of standard colors.