Author

Ameya Sharma

Bharat and Dorris Loose Powder : Best Setting Powder in India

by Ameya Sharma November 14, 2023

written by Ameya Sharma

Its summer time, and all of us girls who have to travel and stay out in the sun almost all day know the struggle of wearing makeup and keeping your face sweat and oil-free at the same time.That’s why, I’m sure you all will agree that in this weather, face powder is a necessity.It not only sets your makeup and makes it last longer, it’s also essential life-changing for a make-up free look.Not all of us can afford high-end products, and it doesn’t do a little harm to be cost effective for a product that you need to use on a daily basis.Therefore, this is a review of the Bharat and Dorris Loose Powder. It might just be the Best Setting Powder.

Price: 550rs for 20gm

Bharat & Dorris Loose Powder Review 3

My Experience with Bharat and Dorris Loose Powder

The Bharat and Dorris Loose Powder come packed neatly in a black box with the B&D logo, inside which is a circular plastic container. Inside the container is the odorless loose powder, separated from the cushion-sponge applicator, by a plastic lid with small openings.

For using the product, you must slightly shake it so the powder comes out of the openings and onto the sponge. If you prefer using a brush, you can do this step after removing the sponge from the container.

Bharat & Dorris Loose Powder Review 2

Its consistency is that of a fine powder which blends into a creamy texture on your skin.

The reason why I wanted to try a loose powder is that I have extremely oily skin, and I needed something more effective than a compressed powder to keep my skin matte and grease free all day. For a first try at a product I was otherwise unfamiliar with, buying a really expensive product seemed like an unwise choice.

It would be safe for me to say that the Bharat and Dorris Loose Powder has met my expectations. You can use it with a brush or with the cushion-sponge applicator, for a bare clean face look or underneath your foundation, and it will work just the same.

It will set your makeup and absorb your oil, leaving your face looking smooth and airbrushed.

Pro Tip: After you’ve applied your make-up (or primed your skin for a no-makeup look), dip a blending sponge in the powder and apply it liberally on your T-zone, under your eyes or wherever you get most oily. After a few minutes, dust the white layer of powder off. This method will ensure that most of your oil gets absorbed by the powder. (You can skip this step if you have dry skin and apply it normally with your brush all over your face.)

Bharat & Dorris Loose Powder Review 4

Pros:

Cost Effective/Affordable
Easy to Use
Can be used with or without make-up
Comes in 7 shades
Lasts Longer than Compressed Powder

Cons:

Packaging
Numbering on shades is misleading
Availability

Rating: 4/5

Would I recommend this product?

I would highly recommend it. It’s a must-have for the summer, it’s easy to use, effective and affordable. If you find it difficult to figure out which shade will work best with your skin, buy the translucent shade No. 1. It is a colorless shade which will work just as well, with any skin color.

More Loose Powders?

November 14, 2023 3 comments

Forest Essentials Pure Aloe Vera Juice 2

Beauty

Forest Essentials Pure Aloe Vera Juice Review

by Ameya Sharma May 14, 2019

written by Ameya Sharma

Forest Essentials Pure Aloe Vera Juice: Aloe Vera has been referred to as a miracle herb by Ayurveda as it not only helps heal wounds and cuts; it works wonders for your skin and scalp and has health benefits if consumed too.So for all those times when your grandmother or mom told you to just apply some aloe on your skin when you were breaking out a lot? Chances are that they were absolutely right.

If you listened to them, you probably already know of its miraculous powers, but if you were like me and you didn’t, you should keep reading.This is a review for the Forest Essentials Pure Aloe Vera Juice.

Forest Essentials Pure Aloe Vera Juice 3

Basic Information about Forest Essentials Pure Aloe Vera Juice

Price: INR 525

How to Use: Use on its own to hydrate the skin or as a mixer with ubtans to nourish and cleanse.

Ingredients: Pure Aloe Vera Juice enriched with Vitamin E, Paraben Free Preservatives.

Allergy warning: Natural Products can be allergic to some people. Test patch on the inner elbow and leave for thirty minutes. Discontinue if irritation occurs.

My Experience with the Forest Essentials Pure Aloe Vera Juice

The reason I got inclined to buy this product was a simple one: My skin is extremely oily, acne prone, and scarred. I have a very rigid skin care routine which helps control acne, but it wasn’t making my skin any better. I have also been wanting to slowly change my skin care routine towards a more natural one, and after doing my research I realized that Aloe Vera is one such ingredient that I must include in my skincare routine.

The best option is obviously to use a real plant, but since that is not easily available to everyone, there are many companies selling the gel or its juice (which is less slimy in texture).

I came across this product from Forest Essentials and was shocked to see that it was only for 525 Rs since most of its products are extremely expensive. I bought it right away and I haven’t regretted it at all.

It is completely natural, has no fragrance, looks like water on your palms. A little goes a long way, and it’s not extremely thick, unlike the gel which is a great thing for me.

I used the juice after toning my face and before applying moisturizer. Just took a small amount on my palms and lightly dabbed it on my cheeks and under eye area. It got absorbed really quickly and left my skin feeling bouncy and hydrated.

From the first use itself, I could see in the next morning that the inflammation in my scars had reduced.

Now, I use this product in almost every skincare regime of mine. I mix it with my homemade rose water and tea tree oil face mist (which is amazing for acne prone skin), I use it to dilute clay masks, I use it as a toner sometimes, as a moisturizer, and most importantly when I come back home after prolonged sun exposure.

Forest Essentials Pure Aloe Vera Juice 1

Do you know that feeling you get when you’ve been in the sun for too long and your skin starts burning and you look like a red tomato? Applying this juice after washing your face with water will do wonders. It soothes my skin and reduces the inflammation. I do this almost every time after prolonged sun exposure.

I have previously tried a couple of other Aloe Vera gel/juice products, but I feel like this one has been by far the closest to the natural plant. It is gentle on the skin, and it feels like you have nothing on which is the best thing.

Overall Performance of Forest Essentials Pure Aloe Vera Juice

Pros:

Affordable
All natural
Enriched with Vitamin E
Watery consistency
Extremely Hydrating
Improves Skin Texture
Have multiple uses
Paraben free
Fragrance free

Cons:

Some people can be allergic to it

Rating: 5/5 (Only because I am not allergic to it)

Would I repurchase or recommend using this product?

Honestly, it doesn’t matter if you have dry skin, oily skin or sensitive skin, hydration is essential for every skin type and this product will be beneficial for everyone. I will buy a new bottle of this for sure since it has become an irreplaceable part of my skincare routine.

(Just make sure you are not allergic to Aloe since this is a completely natural product and it might aggravate your problem further if you’re allergic. )

May 14, 2019 4 comments

Makeup Reviews

Innisfree Real Fit Lipstick Sweet Twenty Red Review

by Ameya Sharma March 29, 2019

written by Ameya Sharma

Innisfree Real Fit Lipstick Sweet Twenty Red: We all love makeup, while some of us swear by it for everyday use, other’s need it once in a while- but we use it anyhow. It makes us feel like a better version of ourselves and boosts our confidence.

The downside, however, is that so many brands today use harmful ingredients that not only harm our skin, but also the environment in their making and disposal.

That’s why I have always been keen on discovering and using products that contain maximum natural ingredients, are cruelty-free, paraben free and eco-friendly. But it’s hard to find a product that is all those things, yet still affordable and works like a charm.

My search for such products brought me to Innisfree, a Korean skincare and makeup brand recently launched in India. This brand pledges to use 70% natural ingredients, contributing to reducing carbon emission in the environment and donating 1% of their earnings for the same.

This review is about the Innisfree Real Fit Lipstick from the makeup range.

Innisfree Real Fit Lipstick Sweet Twenty Red Review 2

 Price: INR 900 for 3.5 gm

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My Experience with Innisfree Real Fit Lipstick Sweet Twenty Red

When I came across this product I bought it since I wanted to try out Korean beauty products, but I did not expect it to do so well. I’ll cut straight to the chase and say- this product has amazed me. Its packaging is extremely cute yet sophisticated, on the bottom of the lipstick is a color indicator.

The product tube is thinner than most lipsticks, but this made the application easier. When I applied it on my lips for the first time, I was shocked. I used minimal pressure and the color payoff was astonishing. It was almost like I touched my lips with it and the color was exactly as promised. You can see the color in the picture, and believe me, this is just one soft swipe of the product. It has a satin finish, so those of you who prefer matte might not like it, but I just knew while wearing it that it is good for my lips.

Innisfree Real Fit Lipstick Sweet Twenty Red Review 4

Innisfree Real Fit Lipstick Sweet Twenty Red Review

The most shocking part was, I ate and drank wearing it, and I just knew that the lipstick would be all over the place, but when I looked in the mirror it looked perfect. If you touch your lips it will come off, but if you let it stay you’ll forget that you’re wearing anything since it is so lightweight. After eating and working, the color fades just slightly, and the best thing is that it tints your lips. This red color and pink berry undertones, and by the end of the day your lips have a deep pinkish tint.

It does not set in the creases. Absolutely true to its name, it fits your lips perfectly.

Innisfree Real Fit Lipstick Sweet Twenty Red Review 5

Pros:

Eco-Friendly
Affordable
Natural Ingredients
Color Payoff is amazing
Easy to Use
Efficient Packaging
Long Lasting
Moisturizing
Does not bleed or set in creases
Leaves a pink tint on lips
Safe and gentle on your lips

Cons:

It’s not Matte

Would I recommend using this product?

I highly recommend it. I am in love with this lipstick, and what the brand is about. I would rate this product higher than a 5/5 if that was possible. I am going to get more shades as soon as I can, will you?

March 29, 2019 5 comments

Beauty

Innisfree Real Fluid Rouge Café Brown Review

by Ameya Sharma September 23, 2017

written by Ameya Sharma

I am back with another Innisfree Review as promised. After using the Innisfree Real Fit Sweet Twenty Red Lipstick, I was amazed by the brand and wanted to try more of its products.A quick recap: Innisfree is an eco-friendly Korean skincare brand that uses maximum natural products; it has recently opened stores in India along with online launches.

This review is about the Innisfree Real Fluid Rouge Café Brown from the Real Fluid Rouge lip tint range.

Innisfree Real Fluid Rouge Café Brown 5

Innisfree Real Fluid Rouge Café Brown 3

Basic Information about Innisfree Real Fluid Rouge Café Brown

Price: INR 900 for 3gms

Shade: No. 9 ‘Café Brown’

Product description: Liquid lip rouge with dazzling vivid color that fits perfectly on your lips and makes them appear plumped. The Innisfree real fluid rouge promises intense color with water plumping effect and intense moisturisation. It is enriched with Camellia oil and gives a glossy shine to your lips.

Intensely pigmented lip gloss with plumping effect
Enriched with Camellia oil
Available in dazzling colors that are high on shine

Innisfree Real Fluid Rouge Café Brown 1

Additional Information: Innisfree, a 100% natural beauty brand from Korea, is dedicated to sharing the clean and pure energy of nature to give you premium beauty and skin care products. It shares the benefits of nature from the pristine island of Jeju, allowing for vibrant beauty and pursues an eco-friendly green life to preserve the balance of nature. Widely popular worldwide, this brand brings to you unique product line of skin care products and cosmetics ranging from Sleeping Masks, Face Serums and Mists, Capsule Recipe Face packs etc. along with modern makeup products like BB and CC Creams, Lip Tints and eco-friendly nail paints.

Ingredients: Diisostearyl Malate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dipentaerythrityl Hexahydroxystearate/Hexastearate/Hexarosinate, Microcrystalline Wax, Titanium Dioxide , Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax, Silica , Vp/Hexadecene Copolymer , Sorbitan Olivate , Ci 77492, Sorbitan Isostearate , Silica Dimethyl Silylate , Sorbitan Sesquioleate , Ci 77491 , Phenoxyethanol, Ci 77499, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil , Camellia Japonica Seed Oil , Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil , Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil , Fragrance

Innisfree Real Fluid Rouge Café Brown 6

How to use the product: Tint the lips by gently dabbing at the center of the lips or use as lipstick to fully color the lips.

Innisfree Real Fluid Rouge Café Brown 4

My Experience with the Innisfree Real Fluid Rouge Café Brown

I was very excited to try this product, and the cute Innisfree packaging never fails to amuse me. It comes in a cardboard box that has a pink shade indicating bar at the bottom.

The name of the shade is misleading, as it is not brown but a very pretty nude pink shade, like most shades in this lipstick range.

Its consistency is somewhere between a lip gloss and a liquid lipstick. It is not as sticky as most lip gloss, but it has a shiny finish which I liked but everyone might not prefer.

Innisfree Real Fluid Rouge Café Brown

It has a very mild orange fragrance and has a doe foot applicator which makes the application very easy. The bottle is clear which shows how much product is left, and once again Innisfree has impressed me with the color pay off. The shade that comes on your lips is exactly as promised.

It stays on for long, but since it’s a gloss and not matte its staying power is comparatively lesser.

It moisturizes your lips and leaves them looking beautiful and plump.

Innisfree Real Fluid Rouge Café Brown 2

Overall Performance of Innisfree Real Fluid Rouge Café Brown

Pros:

Color pay off
Beautiful Shade
Light fragrance
Packaging is great and efficient
Stays for long
Natural ingredients
Hydrating

Cons:

Slightly expensive but not that much
The range has mostly pink shades

Would I recommend using this product?

I’m a fan of Innisfree for sure now; I would rate this product 4.5/5, and would highly recommend you all to try it out if you like natural looking pink lip glosses, with ingredients that will benefit your lips.

Innisfree Real Fit Lipstick Sweet Twenty Red Review

September 23, 2017 5 comments

Beauty

Innisfree No Sebum Blur Primer Review

by Ameya Sharma June 12, 2017

written by Ameya Sharma

Earlier this month I came across Innisfree and was impressed by it’s all natural ingredients and eco-friendly approach to nature. I tried two of its lipsticks and they instantly became my favorites.

I was eager to try more of its products, and since I was looking for an affordable daily use primer at the time, I thought of looking into Innisfree Primers.

Innisfree offers three mineral color correcting primers, and one no sebum blur primer. Since I have extremely oily skin, they had me at ‘no-sebum’.

I also heard that people were calling this a ‘Benefit Porefessional’ dupe and since benefit professional is my holy grail of primers I was bound to try this one.

Innisfree No Sebum Blur Primer

Basic Information of Innisfree No Sebum Blur Primer

Price: INR 800 for 25 ml

Innisfree No Sebum Blur Primer 2

Product Description: Smooth skin texture with concealed pores.
This both cleanses and smoothes out uneven pores and bumps, creating a clear skin texture prior to makeup application.
-Long-lasting softness
Natural mint and minerals manage the oil and moisture balance of the skin, allowing skin to remain soft and smooth for long periods.
-Clean and comfortable skin using ingredients from Jeju This product allows skin to remain supple and clear by tightening wide pores with Jeju green persimmon extracts, while the Jeju green complex creates healthier skin.

Innisfree No Sebum Blur Primer 3

Ingredients: CYCLOPENTASILOXANE, DIMETHICONE, DIMETHICONE/VINYL DIMETHICONE CROSSPOLYMER, CYCLOHEXASILOXANE, SILICA, POLYMETHYLSILSESQUIOXANE, MICA (CI 77019), DIMETHICONE/PEG-10/15 CROSSPOLYMER, TITANIUM DIOXIDE (CI 77891), POLYMETHYL METHACRYLATE, IRON OXIDES (CI 77492), IRON OXIDES (CI 77491), MINERAL SALTS, MENTHA ARVENSIS LEAF EXTRACT, IRON OXIDES (CI 77499), WATER, TRIETHOXYCAPRYLYLSILANE, PROPANEDIOL, CAMELLIA SINENSIS LEAF EXTRACT, CITRUS UNSHIU PEEL EXTRACT, OPUNTIA COCCINELLIFERA FRUIT EXTRACT, ORCHID EXTRACT, CAMELLIA JAPONICA LEAF EXTRACT, DIOSPYROS KAKI FRUIT EXTRACT, 1,2-HEXANEDIOL, FRAGRANCE, Phenoxyethanol

Innisfree No Sebum Blur Primer 4

How to Use: After your skincare routine, squeeze some primer onto your fingertip and spread a thin layer on pores. Gently pat for even coverage.
*It may cause flakes or clumps when used excessively, so use only a small amount and spread in a thin layer.

My Experience with Innisfree No Sebum Blur Primer

Innisfree No Sebum Blur Primer 1

The primer comes in a tube form much like the benefit professional primer, but it has a smaller nozzle which ensures that little product comes out and there is no wastage.

Its consistency is very similar to that of professional, it is tinted and in a cream like consistency instead of gel. It has a faint minty smell.

It is slightly tight in texture, so it tends to dry very quickly when you apply it; it’s best to work in sections. What I learned the hard way was, ‘always read the instructions on the label.’ During my first use, I took the amount that I would usually take for any other primer, and massaged it onto my moisturized and UV protected the face. The primer got really flakey and bits of it were coming out instead of staying on my face.

The correct way to apply this primer, as per instructions, is to take a small amount, and gently tap it on your pores or apply it only in one direction. Do not massage it. Do not over rub it. And try not to put it on top of a lot of layers of creams.

After using it correctly, the primer works wonders. It is extensively mattifying, it tightens your pores, and the mint soothes your skin (I actually felt the mint on my skin.) Its staying power is pretty good, not exceptional, but impressive for its price and quality. It stays on my skin for 5-6 hours before getting slightly oily in my T-zone, but that’s because I have super oily skin. For combination to dry skin, I don’t think you would need touch ups for an entire day after using this. But if you have dry skin, remember to apply it correctly to avoid flakiness.

Innisfree No Sebum Blur Primer 5

Overall Performance of Innisfree No Sebum Blur Primer

Pros:

Reasonable Pricing
Travel-Friendly Packaging
Extremely Mattifying
Oil control- 8.9/10
Little goes a long way
Skin-soothing natural ingredients
Lasts a minimum of 5-6 hours

Cons:

Can get flaky if used incorrectly
Touch ups required post 6 hours

Rating: 4/5

Would I repurchase/recommend using it again?

I might try its mineral primer range first before repurchasing it because I am really looking for a perfect affordable daily use primer, since I can go without makeup but if I go without primer my skin will be an oily mess. I definitely recommend this primer as a cheaper, but skin safe option.

June 12, 2017 10 comments

Beauty

The Body Shop Vanilla Body Mist Review

by Ameya Sharma June 11, 2017

written by Ameya Sharma

It’s finally summertime, and while most of us love basking in the sun, wearing cute sundresses and drinking cool summer drinks, we all will agree that in the Indian tropical climate it’s a real challenge to stay fresh and odor free all day long.
Any fun activity can be sabotaged if you don’t feel fresh, and we’ve all been there. No one wants to feel a sweaty mess and so we turn to all sorts of deodorants, perfumes and fragrant body mists.
Keeping in mind the spirit of the summer, this is a review of The Body Shop Vanilla Body Mist.

The Body Shop Vanilla Body Mist Review

Basic Information about the Body Shop Vanilla Body Mist

Price: INR 795 for 100ml
Product Description: Our Vanilla takes on a fresh new form. Spray this light scented body mist all over your body for a gentle burst of warm vanilla. It’s irresistible.
• Warm vanilla fragrance
• Light and fresh
• Use all over body
• Contains vanilla extract

The Body Shop Vanilla Body Mist Review 2
Additional Information: Our warm and inviting body mist is sweetly scented with vanilla essence, making this fragrance irresistible. Spritz on to gently scent your skin in a light, fresh aroma. Fragrance mist

Ingredients: Alcohol Denat. (Solvent/Diluent), Aqua (Solvent/Diluent), Parfum (Fragrance), Benzyl Benzoate (Solvent), Glycerin (Humectant), Coumarin (Fragrance Ingredient), Hydroxycitronellal (Fragrance Ingredient), Benzyl Salicylate (Fragrance Ingredient), Limonene (Fragrance Ingredient), Linalool (Fragrance Ingredient), Hexyl Cinnamal (Fragrance Ingredient), Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract (Natural Additive), Citral (Fragrance Ingredient), Denatonium Benzoate (Denaturant).
How to use: Spritz it on after bathing or showering. Top up throughout the day. Make the most of it by spraying on to neck and pulse points.

The Body Shop Vanilla Body Mist Review 3

My Experience with the Body Shop Vanilla Body Mist

I got this product as a gift from a friend and I was really excited to try it because anyone who knows me knows that I am a big fan of The Body Shop skin and body products.
The product comes in a cute and handy clear bottle, with a thin black cap. The cap is not very sturdy so if you pick up the bottle with the cap by mistake it might fall. Also, it is a glass bottle so you have to be extra careful.
The difference between deodorant sprays, perfumes and mists are based on their ratio of fragrance to alcohol that they contain. Perfumes contain the maximum amount of fragrance, and mists are like diluted and watered down forms of perfumes. Deodorant sprays, on the other hand, have high alcohol content and less fragrance. I personally don’t use deodorant sprays since their strong smell makes me feel lightheaded, so I usually prefer roll-ons.
Coming back to the product, the bottle has a thin translucent vanilla colored sheet around to distinguish it from the other flavor variants. It also has a vanilla flower picture which makes the bottle look very pretty.

Vanilla is known to have a strong smell so I wasn’t sure how it would turn out if I used it, but I was extremely impressed by it. It has a very faint, fruity vanilla smell that lingers on your body throughout the day.
It smells delicious, to say the least. It is the pure vanilla fragrance if that’s what you expect out of it when you read the label; you will get it 100%.
I spray the mist on my entire upper body, after taking a shower and applying moisturizer. This way it stays longer. Focusing it on the pulse point also helps. Since mists are watered down, you can also spray a tiny amount on your wet hair (but not a lot, since alcohol dries hair). The fragrance lasts longer on your hair than you body.

Overall Performance of the Body Shop Vanilla Body Mist

Pros:
• Value for Money- Affordable
• Easy to Use
• Subtle Vanilla Fragrance
• Lasts throughout the day
• Not too strong
• Can fit in your purse- Easy to carry

Cons:
• Bottle made of glass

Would I repurchase/recommend using this product?

I would definitely repurchase this product since it has become my daily staple now, perhaps in a different scent to try out all variants. I would highly recommend this product to everyone, especially if you want to smell like yummy vanilla. I would rate this product 5/5.

June 11, 2017 2 comments

Beauty

L.A. Girl HD Pro Conceal Yellow Concealer Review

by Ameya Sharma May 5, 2017

written by Ameya Sharma

A concealer is an absolutely essential product that all of us swear by, whether it is to hide those dark circles, hide an uninvited zit, erase acne scars or to just give your skin a perfect photoshopped finish.

There are good concealers and bad concealers- but if used incorrectly, even a good concealer can give a much worse result than the worst of concealers used correctly.

When buying a concealer, two most important things to keep in mind are:

Skin tone: If you buy a shade too light, it can make your skin look ashy, and instead of concealing it will highlight your imperfections more. If you buy a shade too dark, it will further accentuate your dark circles or scars.
Skin Type: While some concealers work beautifully on the oily skin, others will suit dry skin better. Knowing your skin type is important to finding a perfect concealer.

A quest for the perfect concealer is never ending, and this is a review for the currently popular LA Girl HD Pro Conceal Concealer.

You should go through this excellent article explaining the benefits of each type of colored concealer

L.A. Girl HD Pro Conceal Yellow Concealer Review

Basic Info about L.A. Girl HD Pro Conceal Yellow Concealer

Price: 450-550 Rs for 8gms

Shade: GC991 Yellow Corrector

Product Description: With a crease-resistant, opaque coverage in a creamy yet lightweight texture, the L.A. Girl HD PRO Conceal has a long-wearing formula that camouflages darkness under the eyes, redness and skin imperfections.

It evens skin tone, covers dark circles and minimizes fine lines around the eyes.

L.A. Girl HD Pro Conceal Yellow Concealer Review 3

This blends able and buildable formula provides the ultimate complete and natural-looking customizable coverage.

This must-have concealer includes a soft brush-tip for easy application.

Try blending a couple of shades together for the perfect match.

It is suitable for all skin types.

Additional Information: L.A. Girl is a renowned US based brand that focuses on meeting the beauty needs of every woman. L.A. Girl HD PRO Conceal is the best multitasking concealer you can have that is perfect for contouring & highlighting.

How to Use:

Choose a color one or two shades lighter than your complexion.
Apply to clean, makeup-free skin with a brush or fingertip for best results.
Top with loose powder to set.
Reapply if necessary

L.A. Girl HD Pro Conceal Yellow Concealer Review 1

My Experience with L.A. Girl HD Pro Conceal Yellow Concealer

L.A. girl boasts a variety of 26 shades in India and 28 shades in the states. The shade I got was a Yellow color correcting shade instead of a natural shade or a highlighting /contouring shade.

A color correcting shade is used to fix redness or dullness so the foundation looks even. A green color corrector is best for red bumps or pimples, and a yellow corrector works for mild redness and dark circles.

L.A. Girl HD Pro Conceal Yellow Concealer Review 2

When I first got it, I was quite impressed by the packaging. It comes in a tube, with a brush applicator. You simply squeeze the tube and the creamy concealer comes onto the brush, which you can then apply using your fingers or the brush itself.

Its consistency is cream based; it becomes creamier as you blend it into your skin. During my first impression, I learned, that with this product- less is more. A tiny pea sized amount is enough to cover my dark circles, and if I use the amount that I would normally use with any other concealer, it could easily pass on as a foundation as it has extremely high coverage.

I would recommend setting it with powder to avoid creasing. This product lasts longer if you set it with powder, and will stay on for 4-5 hours without creasing or fading.

Since this range has so many shades, there’s a strong chance for you to find your perfect shade. In addition, it has green, orange, yellow and red color correcting shades. You can also buy extremely light shades and darker shades to use for highlighting and contouring.

In other words, three or four shades of this product could easily save your money on expensive contouring and concealing pallets.

L.A. Girl HD Pro Conceal Yellow Concealer Review 5

Overall Performance of L.A. Girl HD Pro Conceal Yellow Concealer

Pros:

Affordable
Many Shades Available
Easy To Use
Durable
Stays on for a long time
Matte Finish
Doesn’t set in fine lines or creases
Fragrance Free
Light Weight
Highly Blendable
High Coverage

Cons:

Contains Parabens
The brush is messy to use

Would I recommend using this Product?

Personally, it’s a must-have product for daily use. It’s affordable and easy to use, and before you know it you’ll be reaching to buy another tube. I would rate this product 4/5.

May 5, 2017 4 comments

Beauty

Incolor Absolute Primer With SPF 15 Review

by Ameya Sharma April 20, 2017

written by Ameya Sharma

Sometime back when I was a make-up virgin planning to start my collection, Incolor Absolute Blur Primer was the first primer that I bought, or rather- I was sold to- by a drugstore make-up selling lady.

This is an honest review of revisiting the primer after having tried other products.

Incolor Absolute Primer With SPF 15 Review

Basic Info about Incolor Absolute Primer with SPF 15

Price- INR 500-600 Rs for 30 ml (Depending on where you buy it from)

Ingredients–Cyclomethicone, Squalane, Phenyl, Dimethicone, Tocopherol, Propylparaben, BHA.

Incolor Absolute Primer With SPF 15 Review 1

How to use- Apply primer with your hands after your sunscreen. With clean hands, smooth the product and apply evenly to create a base. This will smooth everything out and you’ll find that your foundation applies much better.

My Experience with Incolor Absolute Primer with SPF 15

My first impression about this primer was that it is probably as good as a drugstore primer can be, and I was new to the feeling of the primed up, porcelain soft skin, so I thought that the primer did a good job. But I soon realized that I didn’t have much use for it back then.

Coming back to reviewing it after revisiting it now, I tried to wear the primer on my bare skin all day and along with heavy foundation as well. The primer does a good job in blurring out the pores, and making the skin soft and ‘oil-free’ (as it claims), to some extent.

The biggest drawback in my opinion is that it does not hold or last long. When I applied it on my bare skin quite generously in the morning (since I have extremely oily skin), my skin got oily and sweaty again within three hours. Upon using it with foundation, I learnt that the foundation just doesn’t hold that well.

This primer not only makes my skin feel really heavy and cakey, it causes clogged pores and breakouts on my forehead every time I use it.

It has a really thick consistency which made me feel really uncomfortable throughout the day, more uncomfortable than a little oil or sweat on my face would.

Incolor Absolute Primer With SPF 15 Review 4

Overall Performance of Incolor Absolute Primer with SPF 15

Pros:

Blurs pores
Cost Effective
Contains SPF 15

Cons:

Doesn’t hold make-up for long
Not Oil-free all day
Feels heavy on the skin
Contains harmful parabens and silicones (Cyclomethicone, Dimethicone)
Causes breakouts

To sum it up, although this primer does blur the appearance of pores and is highly affordable, it doesn’t do a good job as a make-up base; neither does it control oil for long. It feels heavy, and contains parabens and silicones which are not good for your skin. I would rate this product 2/5.

Would I recommend using this product?

Personally, I don’t see myself using this product again, so I will definitely not recommend it to you guys. If you have normal to dry skin, and if you don’t use make-up on a daily basis, maybe you could give it a shot.

But if you have oily and acne prone skin like me, I’d highly suggest you to take a different route.

Sometimes cost effective products are equally as good as expensive products, but this is clearly not the case here.

April 20, 2017 4 comments

Beauty

The Body Shop Sicily Iris Matte Lip Liquid Lipstick Review

by Ameya Sharma April 18, 2017

written by Ameya Sharma

Every lipstick lover knows that last year, the matte lip trend took the makeup industry by storm, and it seems like the trend is here to stay this year too, with The Body Shop hopping onto the liquid matte lipstick bandwagon.

Part of the ‘Jacqueline’s signature line’, The Body Shop launched 12 new liquid lip shades in India earlier this year.

This review is the darkest shade in the line, which is a vampy plum shade called Sicily Iris.

The Body Shop Sicily Iris Matte Lip Liquid Lipstick Review

Basic Info about the Body Shop Sicily Iris Matte Lip Liquid Lipstick

Price: INR 695 Rs for 8 ml

Shade: Sicily Iris 019 (61389)

The Body Shop Sicily Iris Matte Lip Liquid Lipstick Review 3

Product description: Introducing the hottest lip color trend – Matte Lip Liquid Lipstick. Specially formulated to glide on effortlessly like a gloss and set with the rich creamy color and velvety touch of matte lipstick. Available in 12 shades, our new liquid lipstick is long-lasting, lightweight and lusciously soft. And like all our cruelty-free make-up, it’s vegetarian too.

Long-lasting Matte Lip Liquid with a velvety finish
Available in 12 intensely rich shades
100% vegetarian
Gluten-Free
Carmine-Free

The Body Shop Sicily Iris Matte Lip Liquid Lipstick Review 1

How to use: Apply straight to the lips using the wand; lip balm is not required as it has a creamy texture. Use of lip liner is optional.

My experience with The Body Shop Sicily Iris Matte Lip Liquid Lipstick

The lipstick comes in a simple and sturdy plastic container, with a matte black cap and the body of the lipstick showing the pigment of the lip shade. It retails with a plastic covering along with the Jacqueline signature.

The Body Shop Sicily Iris Matte Lip Liquid Lipstick Review 4

Inside, it has a doe foot applicator which ensures clean and precise application; it is well designed and has a stopper which ensures that the wand is clean for every application.

The first time I applied it, it smelled and looked like I was applying freshly crushed berries on my lips. It is easy to apply, and being a darker shade has a buildable consistency. One coat is slightly lighter than the color that shows on its tube, and two coats perfectly match the packaging.

It has a creamy and soft texture, which reminded me of the NYX soft matte lip creams right off the bat. Due to its velvety texture, it doesn’t dry or irritate your lips like other matte lipsticks, which is a huge plus for me as my lips get chapped very easily. It moisturizes and hydrates your lips while leaving a very subtle and sweet taste.

The Body Shop Sicily Iris Matte Lip Liquid Lipstick Review 5

For me, it has been one of those products which I just knew I would love from the very first moment that I applied it. The color payoff is great, and it doesn’t harm your lips at all.

I applied the lipstick in the afternoon and it stayed on my lips all through the evening, even through dinner after which it got slightly lighter, but it did not bleed at all and I used it without a liner. It just faded a little but stayed in place.

Since it’s creamy, it will transfer a little bit if you touch your lips repeatedly, but otherwise, it’s quite hassle-free to use.

The Body Shop Sicily Iris Matte Lip Liquid Lipstick Review 7

Overall performance of The Body Shop Sicily Iris Matte Lip Liquid Lipstick

Pros:

Vegan
Cruelty Free
Gluten Free
Carmine Free
Value for Money (Only 695rs for a non-drugstore brand)
High Color Pay Off
Packaging
Durability
Moisturizing, does not dry lips

Cons:

Not entirely smudge proof, transfers slightly.

Would I recommend using this product?

For all of you who love all natural and nourishing products, this is a great choice. It has a wide range of shades to choose from and I can definitely see myself buying another shade soon. A high-end brand and an amazing product for a price this reasonable? I’d say grab your favorite shade as soon as possible!

April 18, 2017 20 comments