Aruna Asks

Hi Rati,

Had been a while since I wrote anything. Been just commenting and getting maha confused with what’s out there. So for a change, I thought I would write in with my favourites and see what the others had to say. Would love other options incase I get bored with this.  Me and my makeup/skincare obsession!!!

Here goes…

Normal to Oily skin

Cleanser

Primary – Neutrogena Deep Clean Normal to Oily
Backup– Oil of Olay Face wash

Toner

Primary – Everyuth Toner – Rose water, tea tree oil, Glycerine etc
Backup – TBS Seaweed Normal to combination

Moisturizer

Primary -Oil of Olay Gentle 7-n-1 anti ageing
Backup – Lacto Calamine

Night cream

Primary – Loreal Revitalift (mine is a red dabba)
Backup – Lotus Nutranite

Scrub

Primary – Everyuth Walnut scrub
Backup –TBS Blackhead tea tree scrub

Few ad hoc favourites just for fun 

MAC Pro Longwear Concealer, MAC pro Longwear Foundation, Maybelline gel eyeliner/colossal Kajal, Faces eye pencils, Faces/Lakme lipsticks, NYX mosaic blush, ELF eyeshadows

Ankita Asks :

1st of all thanks and cheers for such an awesome blog. I have been reading your blog for quite sometime now and commenting too sometimes. I am pretty much a novice when it comes to makeup but learning gradually as my engagement is scheduled next month. I have some queries:

1) Whenever I come out of bath and apply any sort of cream/lotion or foundation thereafter, my face starts sweating a lot. What should I do to avoid this? I have combination skin.

2) I am wearing a blue saree for my engagement. What kind of jewellery (color etc) and makeup should I use to go with my saree? I know too much of one color is strict no-no. Also, if you want to know my complexion, I would stay I use revlon photoready compact in shade ’natural beige’ and shade 04 in lakme invisble finish. That should give you a fair idea.

Looking forward to your reply,

Thanks,
Ankita

Pragnya Asks:

1. Why IMBB? For what?
2. Who are you? (Just something basic like occupation,age etc. )
3. Favourite makeup product?
4. Favourite color groups in makeup?
5. Lipstick/Lip Balm/Lip gloss?
6. Your eye makeup?
7. Nail Lacquer fanatic, Yay or Nay?
8. Skincare product faves?
9. Favourite fragrance and flavor?
10. One random factlet about yourself.

DB Asks :

I’m a regular reader of your blog from October 2010. I din’t even remember how i stumbled upon your blog, coz i forgot what i was searching for after entering the You-will find-anything-you are- searching -for blog. You might have heard it from so many people, but i have to say it one more time. . . It’s really amazing how you turned your passion in to a beautiful work.

I’m a skin care person basically and a complete novice in makeup. But lately as my skin started behaving on its own and i couln’t find the reason. I’m getting married in early months of next year and my current concern is about my makeup. I got engaged in May of this year and i trusted the MUA for makeup then and it’s my biggest mistake. With my skin behaving on its own and me having no rite makeup products with me, it turned into a night mare. I don’t want the same thing to be repeated in my wedding. That’s the reason of this long email. There is this “wedding Makeup Suggestions” by Sakshi on “Ask IMBB Gang” post already…but the reason i’m again asking for it is

I’m 25; Bride to be; oily skin and acne marks (cursed with them after engagement . My mom feels its because of the prods used by MUA on my engagement.), and i want the suggestions for products ,medium fair.

My Query : I’m looking mainly for basic Makeup products like foundation, Compact powder, blush and lipstick. It’s going to be a loong wedding and my makeup needs to be stay on for 8 hours, barely with any touchups. I’m looking for MAC, but would love to follow your suggestion. My skin type is : oily skin and acne marks, medium fair. So please suggest some products acording to my need.

I washed my makeup brushes last night and thought I’d ask you

how do you dry your makeup brushes.

I make a long panel of tissue paper and places the bristles part of the brushes on it. This way the tissue soaks up the water and my brushes are dry by morning.

Like so :

Which is your favourite purple eyeshadow?

Do you like shimmery lip glosses?

Lip Smacker Clear Shine Lip Gloss Review
Burt’s Bees Honey Lip Balm
Burt’s Bees Super Shiny Natural Lip Gloss Sweet Pink
Estee Lauder Michael Kors Lip Gloss
YSL Golden Gloss Shimmering Lip Gloss
Bath and Body Works Liplicious Lip Gloss Sheer

Sleek Makeup Pout Paint Photos, Swatches

Claims : Bursting onto the scene with no apologies is Sleek MakeUP’s POUT PAINT, a range of 11 uber intensive, long lasting lip pigments.

These tubes of fun contain intense pigment, where one small drop goes a looooooooooooong way! Using a small bead of POUT PAINT, smooth onto your lips and the mind-blowing vibrant colour gives you full coverage that lasts for hours and dries to a satin finish.

GET MIXING… These ARE MADE TO BE MIXED!

Unleash the wannabe makeup artist within and create your own unique shades. Need a pastel pink, a warm peach, or an orange based red? By mixing 1, 2, or 3 colours you can create any shade you need.

Use Cloud 9 for cooling and Peek-a-Bloo for warming – POUT PAINTS put a limitless
number of shades in your makeup bag.

If you can’t bear the thought of losing your mixed shade, pop it in a little pot and guard it with your life!

When you’re feeling creative, get mixing! But if you’re on the go, you’ll be forgiven for having just one POUT PAINT in your handbag. Pick up your favourite shade for an instant burst of vivid colour.

Non-sticky, highly pigmented, long lasting, and fantastic fun to mix… it is the new LIP FIX.

Application: Use your finger or a lipbrush to apply just a tiny bead of POUT PAINT.

Price : $ 8

Available at : sleekmakeup.com

They would be launching on Sleek Makeup website today.

Lip paints are super duper highly pigmented lip stains. These are tubes of 8 ml product. A little goes a long way and these are by fat the most pigmente dl;ip product I have ever come across. 

Pin Up : is a deep blood red shade. It’s like super red.

Peek-a-boo : is a peacocky blue color.

Mauve Over : is a deep lilac mauve color.

Cloud 9 : is a pure white. You can either use it as a base to make your lips completely opaque or mix with other colours to create your own.

Swatches : l-r peek-a-boo, pin up, mauve over, Cloud 9

I blended white lip paint with other colour sto see how it works and here are the results.

These are very tiny tubes . See comparison photos.

These pout paints are super duper opque lip color. They settle in soft opaque matte finish and a little goes a long way. I havent tried them so far. Will let you know what I feel about them soon. True to their name, they actually feel like paints – smooth and full of pigment.

Which pout paint shade did you like the most?   

Also Read :

Sleek Pout Polish Bonaire Tinted Lip Conditioner Review, Swatch
Caribbean Collection Photos, Swatches
Oh So Special Eyeshadow Palette 
Lakme Pure Rouge in Ginger Surprise and Avon True Color Blush in Peche
Sleek Makeup Aruba Blush Review, Swatch, FOTD

PRODUCT SENT BY BRAND FOR CONSIDERATION

REVLON PHOTOREADY COMPACT MAKEUP – REVIEW, PHOTOS, SWATCHES

Available in 4 shades : 100 Vanilla, 150 Shell, 200 Natural Beige, 400 Caramel
Quantity : 10g
Price : Rs. 900

Shade being reviewed : 150 Shell

From Revlon :
-Perfected, poreless airbrushed skin in any light
-Liquefying screen turns cream to liquid, then dries to a soft powder finish
-Photochromatic pigments bend and reflect light to help erase every flaw
-SPF 20
-Oil free, fragrance free.
-Complete, yet virtually undetectable coverage.
-Soft luminous finish.

“Gently press on screen with sponge. Blend with sponge across face, starting in center of face blending outward. For the most natural look blend past jaw line.”

Today I’m reviewing this Compact Makeup from Revlon which I’ve been using for the past 4 months. Well, I had been eyeing this range from Revlon on their website for ages, even before it had been launched here in India. To begin with, ALL the points they have described above seemed to really appeal to me in my never-ending quest for my HG foundation. When I read words like ‘poreless’, ‘airbrushed’, ‘soft powder finish’, ‘photochromatic pigments’, ‘oil free’, ‘fragrance free’, ‘SPF 20’, and so on, it all seemed to add up to exactly what I was looking for!
So did this Compact Makeup live up to all its claims, or did it disappoint me? Please read on….

Let’s see some photos of this first :

This Compact Makeup comes in a black, rectangular plastic casing with a see-through area in which the makeup and the liquefying screen covering it, can be seen. On opening the cover, there is a rectangular mirror piece on the inner lid. This makeup comes with its own sponge applicator.

One has to dab the sponge on the liquefying screen to pick up sufficient amount of the makeup. I found that 3 to 3 and a half dabs are quite sufficient for complete face coverage. It should be blended well with the sponge. Since I like medium to full coverage, I found that this does the job very well indeed and yet kept my skin quite natural-looking and flawless at the same time, evening out any discolourations on my face, yet not sinking into my open pores or accentuating them. I did not find any shine on my face after application, and I followed up by a light application of pressed powder to seal the foundation.

Let’s see some swatches :

After blending :

I guess you have seen that it does lend a very subtle glow to the skin, but nothing OTT or shiny at all. Even though I have oily skin, this compact makeup suits me very well and YES, it does also photograph excellently. However, I would rather recommend this for evening use, and for formal occasions where one is likely to be photographed a lot.

PROS OF REVLON PHOTO READY COMPACT MAKEUP

• It really does live up to each and every quality described about it by Revlon, like, poreless, airbrushed, oil and fragrance-free, powder finish, undetectable coverage, and more.
• It contains SPF 20.
• Gives a subtle, luminous finish without looking shiny or OTT.
• Did not accentuate my open pores – rather, filled them in and covered them very well.
• Is a one-of-its kind range amongst drugstore brands here in India.
• Photographs very well.
• Did not break me out at all.

CONS OF REVLON PHOTO READY COMPACT MAKEUP

• Since I do have very oily skin, after about 2 to 3 hours, my skin felt and looked a bit extra oily and shiny, but nothing that could not be fixed with a quick touch-up of pressed powder, or an oil-blotter. I also use MAC Blot Powder over this at times. However, this is my personal opinion only, as normal or dry skinned folks would not have this problem, and I don’t think even combination skinned ladies would have to worry about this.

Here is a photo of me wearing this compact makeup (shown earlier on IMBB as ‘Easter Makeup Look’).

My rating for this : 4.75 / 5

Verdict : A really good, medium to full coverage compact makeup that does its job very well and lives up to all its claims.

Would I re-purchase this : Yes, of course.

Also Read :
Revlon PhotoReady Makeup SPF 20 Foundation Review
Revlon Photo Ready Powder, Concealer, Foundation, Compact Makeup
Revlon PhotoReady Stick Concealer
Revlon Colorstay Liquid Foundation
Revlon New Complexion Foundation
Revlon ColorStay Mineral Foundation

5 Awesome Ways to Improve your Makeup Skills

Hello Ladiesssssssssss

Every woman wants to look her best when she step out of home. It may be to

• office
• a dinner out
• a social gathering
• a brief shopping etc., etc., etc…

The reason that your are here proves that fact true .Given the fact that not everyone can have a personal makeup artist at home to help us to get that flawless look , we need to be our very own makeup artist. More than anyone else , we know ourselves and our needs better. Based on that fact we being our own makeup artist at any given situation is better than anyone else doing our makeup, provided we follow the below steps :thumbsup: .

Though I had interest on makeup from my very young age, I didn’t get chance to play with it extensively until recent years. I wouldn’t call myself an expert in makeup at all , but I can assure that I’m learning everyday. Like any other field, learning never ends in makeup world too .

Let me jot down a few point which can help us in the process of getting better at our makeup skills.

1. Learn :

- First and foremost thing is to understand and learn about your skin type/tone
- Then learn about products that would best suit your skin type/tone. There are ample resources available like beauty blogs, YouTube and you can even find some good books on makeup , to help you decide. These resources not only helps you to learn about product but also on how to put them to use in better ways.
- I wouldn’t have learnt how to apply a cream blush so easily, if hadn’t read Rati’s post on IMBB

2. Practice :

- Practice, Practice, Practice…..That’s the key word to master any skill.
- When you get some free time over the weekend, try different makeup techniques and try to use products in a different way. That way you don’t need to care about going out in public and try totally different looks
- For example, if you have a lipstick that you think you can’t pull off, try to use it with some clear/color gloss or mix with some other lipstick shade and see how it works. You might end up finding some combo which works wonder for you.
- I generally do my practice after I come home from office and before I do my CTM. That way I can do all the mess to my face and clean it up once for all

3. Get Involved :

- You can’t just blindly apply a foundation, concealer, Powder, eyeliner, mascara and lipstick as a routine and without understanding how it works for you.
- Be conscious about what you are applying and how you are applying.
- You be your own fan and critic and start appreciating and judging your work. Don’t just apply anything on the face for the sake of applying. See how it looks and think how you can make it look even better.

4. Experiment :

- I have seen people buying the same product over and over again and not open to try anything new. I’m not against sticking to product that work best for you, but don’t forget about the ample option available out there. For e.g., you might be quite surprised to see how a colored eyeliner makes you look great, if you had been using only black liner all these years.
- If you are new to makeup and want to learn, then start experimenting with drugstore brands which are easily available for affordable price.
- You can achieve very good makeup with just the drug store brand products available. The magic mostly lies on how you apply any product.
- You can always build on your high end makeup collection slowly once you have got the confidence about your makeup skills.

5. Record :

- I have the habit of capturing my photo whenever I try some new makeup.
- That way I get to see my progress and mistakes. It help me in deciding things like, “this blush goes really well with that lipstick” etc.,
- At times you would be surprised to see, how much your makeup skill has improved by comparing an old picture with new one .

To sum it up, makeup skill is no rocket science and you can master it by taking help of the above mentioned steps. Always look for the opportunity to learn new things. Makeup helps in improving once self confidence and esteem. So learn to make yourself look pretty gals…

Hope this was helpful

See you all soon..

Image Source 1, 2, 3

Also read :
12 Quick Fix Makeup Tips
Men’s Makeup Tips
Summer Makeup Tips
Monsoon Makeup Tips
Basic Eye Makeup Tips
Flawless Makeup Tips- 4 Ways, 4 Minutes
Ask IMBB Gang : Beach Makeup Tips
10 Things I Learnt From My 10 month Makeup Stint
20 Makeup Tips & Tricks