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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