More than a Primer

I don't often declare something holy grail in my kit and my personal makeup stash; especially a product I've only been using for just under a month.

Alas here I am dubbing the Smashbox Primer Water officially Holy Grail and I assure for more reasons than just "it's a great primer" which by the way it is but more on that shortly. 

Smashbox Cosmetics, if you don't know is pro makeup brand from LA; their products are fantastic and we in the UK are lucky enough to have them available to us at most large Boots stores and online. Smashbox are renowned for their primers; with a range to suit all skin types and skin issues (e.g oiliness, redness etc). So when they released the "Primer Water" I had a feeling this was going to be something special.

The Primer Water is silicone free, alcohol free and oil free and dispenses a refreshing light mist on to the face. I use it after moisturising my skin and it instantly wakes me up in the morning, providing a smooth, hydrated base for makeup application. This can also be used to set makeup; it locks in the foundation and gives extra hydration especially as I tend to have some dry patches on my face and they begin to show throughout the day as my foundation begins to settle into my skin but after using this primer those patches don't occur and my makeup doesn't budge avoiding any re-applying. I've received comments on how vibrant and glowing my skin looks on days that I have used this which is always a bonus!

I have loved using this during the warmer days that we have had in London recently; spritzing it all over my face throughout the day to refresh my face and makeup. I did fear that my oily t-zone will get worse due to the hydrating properties in this primer; yet it didn't feel congested or look oily at all during the course of the day.

Smashbox really have changed the face primer game with this, its an all in one (holiday friendly); a face primer, a setting spray and a face refresher. This is a staple in my daily makeup routine and in my professional makeup kit. I absolutely love how this makes my skin look and feel when wearing makeup. It's my foundations new best friend!

If you have never tried a primer with your makeup before or if you are looking for a new primer give this one a go.

x o x o

Disclaimer:

All products mentioned were purchased by me and I am in no way sponsored by any of the brands mentioned.

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Review: Naked on the Run

Yes I know; I am rather late to this party because this product arrived on beauty shelves months ago, however I think there isn't really a right or wrong time to showcase this little treasure chest (case) of beauty.
I am a complete Urban Decay addict; and their Naked collection is just a neutral girls dream come true and the actual Naked collection has grown vastly since the release of the original palette with foundation, blushes and concealers all appearing on the shelves. So when the holiday season of 2014 arrived the beauty brains at Urban Decay released a "holiday" palette; quite literally, a little box that has your eyes, lips and cheeks covered whilst travelling. When I say this palette has everything covered, I really mean it. It has everything to complete a look apart from the base.

 
The packaging like most if not all Urban Decay products is beautiful; a rose gold case with a pretty piece of artwork on the cover. It is definitely travel friendly with its sturdy and compact exterior and is a perfect size to fit in your (medium/large) hand bag, gym bag or hand luggage. The box it comes in is as beautiful with the same artwork all over and if your anything like me and love to keep your products in their box packaging you will love this. The box details all the products in the palette with a little synopsis of basically why you NEED this palette.

Enough of drooling over the packaging; lets move on to the product itself and the beauty inside.

Those of you that are familiar with Urban Decay palettes will know that they hardly get it wrong when it comes to pigmentation and texture and this little travel companion followed suit; with six beautiful never before seen neutral eyeshadow shades five bronze/brown shades and one champagne shade that doubles up as a highlighter these are all creamy in texture and highly pigmented and did I mention gorgeous! They apply so well and the longevity, well I shall drink to that; no primer and the shadows didn't start fading until nearly 8 hours later. Bearing in mind I don't have oily eyelids, but even then I am impressed.

The bronzer and blush combo are equally pigmented and with both a little goes a long way and would advise to start with a light hand and build the colour, especially with the blush as it is quite a vibrant pink shade (looks great on Asian skin tones by the way)!

Left to Right: Dive, Fix, Resist, Dare, Stun

Highlight Colour: 5050

In order to complete the look; the palette has a travel version of Urban Decays fantastic bristle brush mascara "Perversion" which provides length and volume to the lashes. I actually prefer this to any other bristle brush mascara I own as it does a great job in separating my lashes adding volume and some serious length. *flutters lashes*

The eyeliner pencil's from Urban Decay are by far one of my favourites I think I have most of the colours in my collection; so when I saw that this palette included a travel-sized version a part of me jumped up in glee! The 24/7 Glide on Pencil's are highly pigmented and do not budge once on. 

This palette includes the shade Stag is a beautiful dark brown which compliments any look that can be created from the eyeshadows in this palette. I like to use this on the lower waterline and tight line it on the upper waterline to give that faux-liner look.

No look is complete with out some lips colour; and this palette has that covered too. Now to be honest I am not a big fan of lip gloss so I was a bit "meh" when it came to the gloss that came with this; however (a big however) I was pleasantly surprised at how much I actually enjoyed wearing this.

It has a peppermint scent and you get that tingly feeling on the lips when first applied giving the you the feeling its plumping them up. The shade is called Sesso; a beautiful sheer light rose that applies well, but naturally being a gloss doesn't last very long. 

Personally I would finish this off with a pinky nude lipstick because that is just me, but if your more of a gloss wearer then this formulation is fantastic and adds such a beautiful tint to the lips to compliment the eyeshadows and blush.

Below is a complete Urban Decay "Naked" look which I created using all the products in this Naked on the Run palette (even my eyebrows using the shade Dare) and my base was also Urban Decay's Naked Skin foundation and concealer.

In summary; sure this palette is a little on the expensive side at £37, however for the amount of product(s) you get and the amazing quality of each I would say the price is more than justified. It really is a great product to travel with and is definitely going with me on my next trip away. This was initially a Limited Edition during the holiday season at the end of 2014 however I am pretty sure you can still pick it up at the usual Urban Decay stockists such as House of Fraser, FeelUnique.Com and Debenhams (look out for their 10% off beauty and grab it for cheaper). If you haven't tried Urban Decay products and are looking to try something from them; this would be a great first purchase as it gives you a taster of some of their cult products all in one.

Have any of you tried this palette? Do you love it? Let me know in the comments below!

x o x o

Disclaimer:

All products mentioned were purchased by me and I am in no way sponsored by any of the brands mentioned.

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The Royal Pout

Yes OK I know Spring is here, but I am attempting to hold on to wearing a Purple lip as long as I can. Normally Autumn makes way for vampy/purple lipsticks and they tend to stick around right through the Winter; but I am one for breaking the norm and I shall have you know purple lip colours are more than welcome to make an appearance in Spring (well in my case they are)! That's not to say all purple lips are dark and vampy; you can also find beautiful shades of purple that can be worn any time of year. So before the pinky nudes and bright corals start signalling that Summer is on its way I want to share my Top 5 purple lipsticks while I can still get away with wearing them!

So normally I would stick my lip swatches of the products up; but this time I thought about showing you all how my Top 5 look on different skin tones and lips.

I am a huge fan of the colour purple it has to be one of my favourite colours to wear in terms of clothes (said whilst dressed in purple) and I love a smokey purple eye look; but when it came to purple lips I just wasn't daring enough. That is until I accidentally ordered a purple lip product online and now I just can't get enough of them. Get ready to witness an abundance of bold, vibrant purple lip colours.

No.1 Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm - Shameless (215) - Boots £7.99 (3for2)

This being my accidental purchase; initially I didn't think this colour would work well on my lips but then I swatched it and I have been a purple lip convert since. Revlon's Colorburst Matte Balm is exactly that; a balm that goes on matte and drys matte but doesn't leave your lips feeling dry nor does it flake after a few hours of wear. The velvety texture applies beautifully by gliding on to the lips and because it is a pencil it allows for precise application.

Coconut oil and Shea butter contribute to the formula of this lip pencil which helps to hydrate the lips throughout the day. It is intense and bold upon first application and because of the velvety formula it is build-able.  Although a balm; this takes nothing away from the brilliant pigmentation and long-wear attributes of this product, I can get at least 3-4 hours of wear before it starts to fade leaving a flattering (not patchy) stain which can be easily topped up (no flaking or caking in sight).

No.2 MAC - Heroine (Matte) - £15.50 from MAC Cosmetics

There's no purple like a MAC purple (not true but I liked the sound of that)!

Heroine is a cult Autumn lip colour (meh I wear it all year round) and is a firm favourite in the beauty world when it comes to talking purple lips as it suits a variety of skin tones. It is a highly pigmented bright violet and such a fantastic shade of purple that my collection of purples would be incomplete without.

If you are a bold lip lover and haven't quite found the right bold and vibrant purple this has to be one for you to try. Indeed it is matte; but it is a creamy matte which doesn't drag on your lips like the Retro matte lipsticks by MAC and is very comfortable to wear. You can wear this with or without a lip liner as it doesn't bleed and applies effortlessly on to the lips and the colour lasts up to 4-5 hours. Of course it tends to fade to a nice tint after eating or drinking but that's nothing a quick touch up won't fix.

No.3 Too Faced Melted Lipstick - Fig - £19.00 from Debenhams (Currently available with 10% off)

Although some may argue that this isn't purple at all I will say Melted Fig may not be as vibrant and bold as the other purples in my collection; rather it is more a muted raspberry pink with purple undertones therefore it makes the cut (and I adore it). It is described more as a lavender purple than violet purple; a great day time shade and is true to the colour on the packaging (totally purple).

The colour pay off on this is beautiful; its highly pigmented with creamy texture that makes it really comfortable to wear and lasts up to 4 to 5 hours on my lips without drying them out. Due to its intense pigmentation it does leave a slight stain on my lips once it wore off.  Being a huge fan of liquid lipstick in general this range caught my eye; the applicator is an angled sponge; I have to be honest I was a bit sceptical about this at first however to my surprise (and joy) the lipstick glided on to my lips with great precision and didn't drag at all. Once it has been applied it dries to a gloss like shine and is not sticky at all.

No.4 MUA Luxe Velvet Lip Lacquer - Kooky - £3.00 from MUA Store Online

Whats better than a liquid lipstick? A drug store liquid lipstick obviously! When you combine my favourite lipstick formulation and make it £3.00 I am absolutely intrigued and this particular lipstick just ticked all the boxes when it came to choosing my Top Five Purples. MUA Velvet Lip Lacquer is affordable and is highly pigmented which comes out true to colour on the lips and stays put for at least 3-4 hours.

Like most liquid lipsticks it applies opaque and dries to a matte finish; when I say matte I mean completely matte so make sure to prep your lips before hand (The Perfect Pout). This formulation is creamy but quite thick in consistency (compared to others brands) but that does not deter me from loving this lipstick; in actual fact I have found that due to this I have to use a lot less product on my lips and still get the desired coverage. If applied the right way this lipstick will not cake on the lips or dry them out; I tend to apply two to three thin layers using the doe foot applicator to intensify and this works great and helps it last that much longer throughout the day. I will admit that when this does start to wear off (which it will) after eating or drinking it starts to fade from the inside and leaves an outline of the product; should this put you off? No because thats nothing a little top up won't fix! 

No.5 MAC - Up The Amp (Amplified Cream) - £15.50 from MAC Cosmetics

Another MAC that is rather popular especially in the Autumn season; but looks ever so pretty in Spring. Contrary to the other purples in my top five this one is far from being matte; in fact this finish is more like a high shine gloss (without the sticky-ness), an intense colour however isn't very long wearing but we can get over that solely because it is such a beautiful shade.

Up the Amp is a stunning and unique shade of lavender violet which is both sophisticated and sexy, one that can be worn both during the day and will work to compliment a soft smokey eye for an evening look. As an amplified cream formula it is quite pigmented and has a lovely sheen to it but is creamy to wear and is opaque when applied so its not necessary to layer this on your lips unless you want to intensify the colour (by all means do). You can always pair this with a lip liner (I use Mac Heroine) and this can help it last up to four hours without having to re-apply.

Purples for me were a no go, as I am sure many with my complexion would think so too. The ladies that I tried these lipsticks on weren't sure either at first but each and every one of them that tried a colour loved the one that they were wearing.

So my advice, try it! Sure purple lipstick looks a little daunting but when it goes on the lips its a combination of daring, sumptuous and sexy.

*Please note all of the above swatches have only been applied once to show their colour and pigmentation, I advise layering the products in order to get the desired coverage and to intensify.*

A huge huge thank you to the lovely ladies Kalpna, Pritty, Krishna, Daksha and Rupa for volunteering their lips for my Top 5 Purple lipstick swatches! x


Janki  x o x o

Disclaimer:

All products mentioned were purchased by me and I am in no way sponsored by any of the brands mentioned.

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The DIY Manicure

In an ideal world I would love to have my nails done every two weeks, painted and manicured at the salon up the road from me; but my nail lady is always so busy (she is a nail magician) so its difficult to get an appointment. For this reason, sometimes I have to give in to going to other salons to get my nails done and that is exactly what happened last week before my friends wedding. I went to a walk in nail salon and had gel overlay put on my nails. I took them off as soon as the wedding was over (I hated them) and was left with weak, flimsy nails that were prone to peeling and chipping.

All the dipping in acetone and machine operated files had done their damage to my nails and cuticles so I looked to restore my nails to some sort of normality. I do this by giving my self a little DIY "nail pampering" at home. It is quick and easy with minimal fuss and really helps to clean up my nails and make them look some what presentable.

I am definitely not a nail pro so I am not very good with trimming my cuticles but I have found a great little product that helps to assist in cleaning up my cuticle area. I start by filing my nails down to my desired length and shape then I use Sally Hansen's Gel Cuticle Remover which works by loosening the excess cuticles whilst conditioning the area revealing a clean surface to apply polish.

I apply a thin strip along the cuticle area of my nails and leave it on there for 3-5 minutes then with the flat end of the cuticle pusher I gently loosen and push back the cuticle and finally wash the residue with luke warm water. For the next step I use buffing block to smooth the nail surface and give it a natural shine. (optional)
And to finish, the final (two steps) I use Dr Lewinn's hand and nail treatment duo Renunail strengthener and nourishing oil. This is a three week treatment which encourages healthy nail growth leaving them stronger and longer.

The strengthener helps to repair damaged and weak nails and can work as both a base coat and top coat to strengthen the nail and the nourishing oil conditions the nails by locking in moisture to improve nail health. The three week treatment requires two coats on the first application and then one coat daily for five (consecutive) days. On the seventh day remove the strengthener with polish remover and repeat the process for three weeks. After the third week let your nails breathe for one or two weeks and repeat the process. The nourishing oil can be applied after each new coat once the strengthener has dried and can be used during the breathing period too.

And voila!!

So that is it; a quick and simple DIY at home nail pampering that is easy for anyone to do. I have definitely seen a difference in my nail growth and it helps me to replenish the damage done by the nail extension process.
You can always apply nail colour on top of the strengthener; but I prefer to leave them natural for a while unless I have an occasion but it is a personal preference.

How do you care for your nails? Let me know if you have a DIY nail routine.

Janki

x x x

Disclaimer:

All products mentioned were purchased by me and I am in no way sponsored by any of the brands mentioned.

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Practically Pink in Five Ways

At the age of 13 if someone told me I'd be wearing lipstick let alone pink lipstick I would have thought they were mad. Alas here I am writing a beauty blog and sharing with you my Top 5 Pink Lipsticks. 

When you are searching for a pink lipstick it is very easy to get it very wrong; which undertone suits your skin tone and whether a sheer or opaque would be best. My first pink was a result of a big splurge on the Illamasqua website during their Christmas sale; so basically a huge risk. However a risk well taken; I loved it enough to invest in more shades of pinks. As my collection grew I realised which were the ones that suited my skin tone the best and these are my absolute favourites all year round, for any occasion and perfect shades of pinks for my complexion. 

No. 1 Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet Ole Flamingo (No.05) - £8.99 from Boots (3for2)

I absolutely love this colour and this whole range. This has to be one of the best formulas of liquid lipsticks that I have tried. The formula is creamy and so light weight, it applies beautifully by gliding on to the lips with out dragging. A highly pigmented lipstick but not intensely opaque on first application which allows you to build up the colour and dries to a soft matte finish without any patches even if you re-apply throughout the day which is not always necessary as the staying power on these are incredible and for the price I am sold!

Ole Flamingo is a raspberry toned pink; a combination of pink and red. This is a very wearable shade for any skin tone and can be worn both for a daytime look or an evening party; it's the perfect pop of pink but nothing too striking. 

No. 2 Illamasqua Lipstick Resist (Matte) - £18.50 from Illamasqua 

When I think back to buying my first pink lipstick I always thought that would be on of my favourites, but Illamasqua's Resist is stole the show in that collection. A matte formula which can be slightly drying on the lips but not so much that your lips start to chap, it is advisable to prep the lips before applying this lipstick.

The deep rose pink tone of this lipstick really compliments my complexion. With purple undertones Resist really is a great colour for those with yellow/warm undertones. This has to be one of my favourite day time pinks to wear; a great formula, highly pigmented subtle pop of colour and a great shade to wear in the spring and summer. It is definitely long wearing as I don't have to touch up over the course of the day whilst wearing this even after eating or drinking. 

No. 3 Charlotte Tilbury K.I.S.S.I.N.G in Velvet Underground - £23.00 from Charlotte Tilbury

Of course this one is in here! I really don't think I need to go into how much I love this brand (and the woman behind it) so it was a given her pink lipstick was going to be in my top 5. The packaging just makes it so luxurious and is a colour that really is different from anything I have used before. 

This is a deep berry pink with blue undertones; it's one of those shades of pinks that can suit any skin tone. Velvet Underground applies so well, the shape of the lipstick out of the bullet is such that you don't require a lip liner and the formulation is just divine, an opaque satin finish that glides on to the lips and lasts a good amount of time without having to re-apply. 

No. 4 MAC Lipstick Girl About Town - £15.50 from MAC Cosmetics 

Now this top 5 pink post would be incomplete without this lipstick and if it wasn't in here I think I would have a few makeup artist friends raising an eyebrow at me. This is the perfect shade of pink used for Asian bridal makeup, the blue undertones compliment the south-asian skin tones perfectly. Yet again a bright raspberry toned shade (do you see the pattern here?). I will be honest I was more pulled to the name of this lipstick more than the colour nonetheless pleasantly surprised at how beautiful this colour looked on my lips.

Its a highly pigmented amplified finish which makes it an intense colour, very creamy and opaque and really comfortable to wear. Although the formula is not matte this lasts a good amount of time hence it being a MUA favourite and when it does fade it leaves an even satin tint on the lips that isn't at all patchy. Great colour for a night out or an occasion; but if your anything like me you will rock this in the day time on a nice summers day, or even brighten up a rainy day (it's an all rounder for me)!

No. 5 Stila Stay All Day Lipstick in Aria - £15.00 from Stila Cosmetics UK

Liquid lipsticks are my thing, and if you have read my previous posts you know how much I love them. Stila has a great selection of colours in their range, and Aria is just the most stunning shade of pink. It is completely different from the rest of the pinks in the selection; being that it is a darker berry pink, which can come off looking a little on the purple side but still a beautiful colour on the lips. 

Stila's liquid lipsticks are insanely pigmented, a creamy (rather thick) formula that is seriously opaque and dries down to a complete matte finish. If your looking for a bold pink lip but not one for fuchsia pinks this one is for you. I wouldn't advise to use this when in a rush as it does require precision although it has a doe applicator it still needs a steady hand and you would benefit in getting the perfect finish using a lip liner. Once dry this does not budge, literally stays all day without drying out the lips!

So there you have it, my top 5 pinks. It may come as a surprise that they are all very similar in colour (bar the Stila one) but these are the ones that I always tend to pick up when rocking a pink lip either during the day or on occasions such as weddings and parties. I also think the lipsticks mentioned are those that I would recommend to anyone that hasn't worn a pink lip before as they aren't too bright and do work well on so many different skin tones. If your thinking of going pink, why not try one of these! :)

Do any of you own any of the above pink lipsticks? Why not share your top 5 with me? Leave a comment for me below with your top 5 I would love to know your favourites!

x o x o

A big thank you to my dear friend Ranu for her input on the name of this post x x

Disclaimer:

All products mentioned were purchased by me and I am in no way sponsored by any of the brands mentioned.

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!! Update !!

It has come to my attention that a company I have previously mentioned in a blog post has had some rather disturbing controversy surrounding it. As it happens this has been highlighted further more in recent months and after researching a lot more into the company and its owner I have decided to cease any support or promotion for this company on my blog. 

My intention when creating this blog was to give my honest opinion on products and companies and ensuring I remained transparent in my posts. The more I have read about this company I have found there are many things that do not bare true to what they say they are about. I intend to finish the Lime Crime products I own and will no longer purchase anything from them here forth as I will not support a company that does not look after and value their customers. 

*Disclaimer Updated*

Please note as of 20th March 2015 Ahalya Beauty will not be supporting, promoting or reviewing Lime Crime Makeup on any social platform. Any reviews prior to this date will remain as they are. 

Janki 

Ahalya Beauty x x

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The DIY Facial: Featuring Alpha-H Skincare

Who doesn't love a bit of pampering; relaxing on a massage bed listening to tranquil music and getting your skin free from impurities and all of that done by someone else. We all love it, but lets face it we don't always have the time (or money) to go to a salon/beautician to do it for us so why not give yourself a little "at home" pampering.

I use the Alpha-H range I had gotten a while back when I was struggling to get my skin back to some sort of normality and its always a facial regime I go back to when my skin needs that pampered feeling. I normally do this on a Sunday morning when I know I have no where to be; and tend to do it every two weeks or at least once a month. The deep cleanse and mask helps to rejuvenate and refresh my skin leaving it feeling and looking brighter and healthier.

Alpha-H Balancing Cleanser

I start by cleansing my skin with the Alpha-H Balancing Cleanser with Aloe Vera; this is a creamy cleanser which leaves my skin feeling so clean without feeling stripped great for those with combination skin.

Cleansing your skin is essential as it is preparing the skin and removing any dirt or makeup that has built up on the surface of the skin as well as underneath the skin.

Alpha-H Micro Cleanse

Even though you have cleansed it is vital to exfoliate (scrub) your skin. This helps to remove any dead skin and helps to open up the pores which prepares your skin for the mask to do its job effectively. The Alpha-H Micro Cleanse does much more than just exfoliate;  the Glycolic acid really helps to deeply cleanses the skin. What I love about this exfoliant is that its not gritty at all and although its doing so much to the skin I do not feel like my skin is dry or stripped at all after using it.

Alpha-H Balancing and Pore Refining Mask

This mask has to be my favourite step purely because it does wonders for my skin. It is a clay mask that draws out the impurities from the pores and helps to reduce blemishes.
My skin is left feeling softer and smoother and my pores look clearer. Even though it is clay based, I have never experienced any tightness or dry skin intact it feels mud hydrated and supple.
I apply the mask with a flat foundation brush simply because it allows you to apply the mask evenly over your face and neck and is less messy on the hands.

Leave the mask on for up to 10 minutes or until it is dry to touch and remove with a wash cloth and luke warm water. Don't pull at your skin, just let the damp wash cloth to dissolve the mask and rinse off.
The final step is to make sure you moisturise; I use a combination of La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo + (Review Link Below) and Alpa-H Essential Hydrating Cream. This is such an important step; your pores have been opened and it is vital to hydrate and seal the skin (with goodness of course).

And thats it! A simple, easy and effective way to pamper yourself at home. To make it more effective you can steam your face just before you apply the mask as this will help open up your pores and allow the mask to work deeper but its not necessary if you have a good exfoliator.

Of course you don't have to use Alpha-H products, you can use any brand; just make sure it is one that works well for your skin and combats and targets the problems that you have with your skin. 

Alpha-H products can be purchased from a number of suppliers; I get mine from Cult Beauty.

La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo + Review

Disclaimer:

All products mentioned were purchased by me and I am in no way sponsored by any of the brands mentioned.

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Lush Emotional Brilliance Liquid Lipstick: Perspective & Ambition

Anyone that knows me will know I am a total Lush addict; that combined with makeup I am sold!

My first encounter with Lush's makeup range naturally had to be lipstick, if the lipstick impresses me then I am willing to try another product in the range.

Whilst I am a sucker for lipsticks in general; liquid lipsticks are my favourite. I love the control and precision you can have with the application, and feel they are much better to layer on to your lips. 

As with most liquid lipsticks the Lush ones have a doe-foot applicator and come in a range of beautiful, vibrant and wearable colours. I decided to play it safe and picked up Perspective and Ambition (for now) whilst I was in Lush. Perspective is a pinky nude with added shimmer (nothing too heavy) that glistens slightly even once the lipstick is dry; which is great for day time but also looks amazing for an evening look with a smokey eye. Ambition is a beautiful vibrant orange-red with a very small hint of shimmer which is barely noticeable when worn; a great colour for a bold lip and yet very wearable even during the day and once dry both still feel very comfortable to wear on the lips.

Both shades are highly pigmented and apply opaque so you would only really need to apply one layer, but as I mentioned before as a liquid lipstick you can easily intensify the colours with more layers if you wish.

These felt very comfortable on the lips much like a lipstick and also last so long on the lips; Ambition left a slight tint on the lips once it wore off by the end of the day, which I'm guessing would be the case for most of the more intense colours in the range. Personally thats not something I normally stand for; if I am wearing a vibrant colour I want the intensity there all day so I would much prefer to top it up but for those who don't mind a slightly faded lip colour it still looks beautiful as a tint. I didn't find the need to use a lip pencil with either of these as the precision the applicator allows you it is not necessary as this lipstick doesn't tend to bleed around the lips either. 

I normally find with liquid lipsticks that although they last longer most tend to start drying out my lips during the course of the day; however these didn't; the formula is best described as hybrid of a normal lipstick and matte lip cream and is a dream for anyone that hasn't quite taken to the liquid lipstick phenomenon due to the fear of them drying out your lips. 

(Left) Perspective (Right) Ambition (Two coats on both)

Overall I am really impressed with these lipsticks, they wear so well on the lips and can be worn as a blush/cheek tint (who doesn't love multi-purpose products) and the colour range is definitely a big plus in my book. They are quite expensive considering they aren't high end; however you can often find some of the colours added to the Lush 50% Boxing Day sale (if you can wait until then) but I wouldn't shy away from at least picking up on colour should it catch your eye as these are one of the best liquid lipstick formulas in my collection and highly recommend them.

*Additional Tip* If you are going to use a liquid lipstick or any lipstick for that matter I highly recommend prepping your lips beforehand. You can find how I prep my lips before lipstick application here.

You can pick up a lipstick from the Lush website or in store for £14.50 each.

Have any of you tried products from the Lush Makeup Line? Let me know your thoughts.

Janki Ahalya x o x o

Disclaimer:

All products mentioned were purchased by me and I am in no way sponsored by any of the brands mentioned.

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