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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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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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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Hit or Miss: Becca Radiant Skin Satin Foundation

Ok so I have been away from blogging for far too long, and well this post was long overdue. A while back I did a Hit or Miss post on the Becca Radiant Skin Creamy Concealer which you can find here. When I purchased those concealers, I also got the Radiant Skin Satin Foundation in Tobacco and Cafe (medium-tan) and contrary to my views on the concealer; I was pleasantly surprised with the foundation. 

Both the shades that I got were either far too light or too dark to use on their own so I had to mix them together to get the right shade for my skin tone. The formula is more creamy than liquid and applied with a buffing brush this blends really nicely on the skin. The pigmentation is enough to cover any discolouration and blemishes on the skin with medium and very buildable coverage and I am very impressed with the natural looking finish. It says it in the name; a satin finish which looks natural and feels lightweight and does not cake even if you choose to apply a generous amount.

I would say this is best suited for normal/combination skin; however I did feel that it did draw attention to dry areas on my face during the course of the day the first time I used it; but second time round I ensured I moisturised those areas more and didn't have the same problem. I noticed that it did oxidise darker on to my skin later in the day but I wouldn't go as far as calling it long lasting.

To round it up; this is a great everyday foundation as it wears so natural on the skin. I love that it is buildable which is great for a day or night wear. So a hit in my books!

Have any of you tried this foundation? 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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My Take on the Perfect Pout

So the amazing Charlotte Tilbury has released a new line of amazing-ness in the form of her Youth Boosting Lip System (Prep, Prime, Colour and K.I.S.S.I.N.G)...while I was gazing and admiring the collection knowing fully well I would not be purchasing it any time soon I was inspired to share my more affordable DIY "system" that I currently do; that is until I can afford to get my hands on CT's! (I want everything with her name on it)

Introducing my Scrub, Hydrate, Colour and Pout system:

I usually prep my lips from the night before so that I know my lips have soaked up enough moisture and are hydrated enough to apply my lipstick seamlessly the next morning.

I start by scrubbing my lips with my favourite Lush Santa's Lip Scrub that you can only get during Christmas so I stock up on this every year!

I love the Lush lip scrubs but this is my favourite by far; it's cola flavoured and I find the sugar crystals in this one are a lot more finer than the others.
I scrub my lips in a gentle circular motion which helps to lift any chapped bits leaving my lips smooth and soft.

Then I move on to moisturise my lips; and for that I almost always turn to this amazing lip treatment by Lanolips.

The Lanolips Lemonaid Lipaid with Lemon Oil, is a rich and creamy consistency and the lemon oil in it helps to continue to exfoliate the lips naturally leaving lips soft and moist.

I apply a generous amount of the Lanolips lip treatment on my lips before I go to bed; and when I wake up in the morning my lips are hydrated and moisturised. Once I have cleansed and moisturised my face and ready to apply my makeup I apply a very little amount of the Lanolips treatment again just so my lips stay moisturised until I am ready to apply my lipstick.

Once my face makeup is applied I remove any residue of the lip treatment by dabbing a tissue on my lips and then my lips are ready for some colour.

My current favourite lipstick to wear is the Gerard Cosmetics lipstick in 1995. It's a gorgeous dusky pink/brown; aptly named as it is the ultimate colour to reflect the 90's lip trend that is making its way back. I pair this up with Rimmel's Lasting Finish 1000 Kisses lip pencil 011 (Spice) for long lasting, precision application.

And voila...The Perfect Pout is complete.

You can use any products that you like to do this, these are just my favourites and work well for me and it doesn't have to be done the way I do it; I just find prepping the lips the night before saves me a lot of time in the morning.

What is your lip prepping routine? Let me know in the comments below.

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 In-between Days

We all know it; especially the ones that have the super long locks. Washing our hair can be a chore; luckily hair experts advise not to wash out hair more than two/three times a week, but even then during the week its not always easy! I admit I have days when I just don't have the energy to wake up extra early to wash and dry my hair so I need something to help me out on those in-between days and thats where Dry Shampoo comes in.

Dry shampoo was a phenomenon for women across the world when it first came out; it promised to banish the grease and make your hair have that "just washed" look with volume and we all just ran to our local Boots to empty out the shelves. However although Batiste being the Big Daddy of dry shampoos I just did not get on well with it; it left a chalky residue; much like the days when girls used talcum powder to banish the grease (you know you did it too), if it wasn't blended properly it was there for the world to see. I also found that Batiste lost its volume and "refresh and revive" abilities within a few hours of applying it; so you would have to top it up leaving you with a itchy scalp and some serious build up!
But then came along CO-LAB Invisible Dry Shampoo; created by the amazing YouTube beauty guru, Model and blogger Ruth Crilly (AModelRecommends) http://www.amodelrecommends.com/

"Invisible" that in its self reeled me in...no chalky grey streaks yay! This Dry Shampoo works great to refresh and revive my hair. I usually grab for it on day 2 or 3 after washing my hair and it really brings back the oomph that is needed. With my thick hair; other brands would have to be used pretty generously but with Co-Lab I'm not spraying most of the bottle on to my hair. As with any dry shampoo you would need to spray this from a slight distance and brush it through. It can be used if your hair is feeling slightly greasy or if you just need to add some volume and texture. I definitely prefer these to any other dry shampoo I have tried; the formula is light weight and invisible for sure. 

Co-Lab comes in 5 scents; Tropical Rio, Fruit New York, Classic London, Oriental Tokyo and Floral Paris. So theres one to suit everyones taste, out of the five I have tried, Rio, Tokyo and London; Rio being a firm favourite. Whats great is they all come in a miniature size, which is a perfect size for your handbag and for travelling. 

You can buy Co-Lab from Superdrug or FeelUnique.com: £3.50 (200ml) and £2 (50 ml) 

Have you tried these? Let me know what you think below. 

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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What the Red?

Yep you guessed it, I'm about to paint this post Red with my Top 5 Red lipsticks!

Red Lipstick is THE one for me, it is just one of those colours that will look great on any one; there are a huge range of lipsticks available with undertones to compliment any skin tone so any one can rock a red lip and I guarantee it will make you feel beautiful, glamorous, sexy and sophisticated all rolled into one and as an added bonus Red lipstick will make your teeth look white (who doesn't want that)!? Red can be worn as a statement lip with minimal eye makeup or make a full on eye look pop for those daring enough.

There was a time when I just wasn't comfortable wearing a red lip; that was until a couple of years ago when I took the plunge and picked up my very first Red lipstick from Chanel! As in if I was going to get one why not get one of the best right?

Since that little splurge on Chanel I have accumulated many red lipsticks in my collection from drug store to high end; bullets, pencils and liquid lipsticks the lot! As hard as this was to choose here are my Top 5 in no particular order!

No.1 is of course my very first red lipstick:

Chanel Rouge Allure Intense Long Wear Lip Colour (104) Passion - £26.00 from Debenhams

This is the ultimate classic Red; it has a deep blue undertone which suits the majority of skin tones. This line from Chanel has a range of intense, highly pigmented lipsticks that are easy to apply and very long lasting; I have to admit that it does dry out my lips so not one for all day wear, however prep your lips and this will not budge on a night out. The packaging is just gorgeous; a very Chanel chic black and gold tube with a click-spring mechanism to open. I agree its expensive; but it is a luxury brand and given that it was my first taste of red lipsticks I am so glad I went for this as it gave me the confidence to wear red on my lips.

No.2 is a recent purchase but became a firm fave very quickly:

Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Lipstick Rossetto Rouge a Levres (01) £5.49 from Boots

I have never tried any of the lipsticks from Kate Moss's range for Rimmel; so when I browsed the makeup isles in Boots a couple of weeks back I thought oh what they hey, let me try one and for £5.49 I was willing to take the risk. I can say I was pleasantly surprised at the pigmentation this lipstick gave, a creamy formula that glided on to the lips with a semi-matte finish. I wouldn't say it lasted up to 8 hours as I did have to top up and I do advise lining the lips with this one as it does tend to bleed over the course of the day but seriously other than that this was great for the price and one I would definitely recommend to first time red lipstick wearers who don't want to spend too much. Again a blue undertone red lipstick (white teeth) that will compliment so many skin tones with sleek black packaging in bullet form detailing Kate's signature across the lid.

!! UPDATE !! (See Disclaimer Page)

No.3 Oh I how love this...everything about it:

Lime Crime Velvetine in Red Velvet £13.50 from Love Makeup or from Lime Crime

I adore this liquid lipstick; it is the ultimate red lip colour. I get compliments and get asked questions about this every time I wear it.
If you have never heard of liquid lipsticks then firstly where have you been? Secondly try this one; you will not regret it. It was my very first lipstick of this kind; highly pigmented, matte, intense colour and long lasting, the perfect red to wear with Indian outfits and nights out and sometimes even very lightly applied to wear at work. When I say the perfect red; it is a deep red but not too dark nor too bright. It is applied using a doe-foot applicator and it is a blood red colour when wet and then it dries to a divine velvet red. It does last on your lips as it dries a complete matte, so it does tend to dry out the lips throughout the day, I tend to prep my lips by using a lip scrub and a hydrating lip balm before I use this. Lining your lips isn't necessary with this, but you can if you want a clean outline...oh and also good luck getting this off at the end of the day- it does not budge, but thats a good thing right? Just get it...you need it trust me! ;)

No.4 a great every day fave:

Maybelline New York Color Drama Intense Velvet Lip Pencil in Light it Up £4.99 from Boots

I did a blog post on my collection of the Color Drama Lip Pencils and you can find that here; but out of the two red lip pencils in the collection Light it Up was a firm favourite. Its such a great everyday wear red and so easy to put on as it glides on your lips no liner necessary which makes it great for days on the go as I can just pop it into my handbag. The pigmentation is insane on this and although it isn't exactly long lasting it does leave a little tint on the lips but hey for £4.99 I am not complaining.

No.5 Leave the best till last as they say...she's a beaut

Charlotte Tilbury K.I.S.S.I.N.G in So-Marilyn £23.00 from Charlotte Tilbury

I don't even know where to start on this...the packaging, the colour, the application, the longevity all of it is amazing. Charlotte Tilbury can do no wrong when it comes to makeup; she's an inspiration to so many and I owe so much of what I know about makeup to her. Ok now that the Charlotte worshipping is over back to the lipstick. So-Marilyn; if the name doesn't give it away let me tell you, this is Marilyn Monroe in a lipstick; the scarlet red, sexy, statement lip worn effortlessly by her. It is a gorgeous highly pigmented ruby red that is long lasting with a glossy finish and no chapped or dried lips in sight through out the day. The packaging is a beautiful rose gold bullet with CT embossed on top of the cap; so glamorous, luxurious and chic. This one really is a must have for any one looking for staple red lipstick...So-Marilyn got get her, go on you know you want to!

So there you have it my Top 5 red lipsticks; I know there must be some of you out there thinking "What? Where is the MAC lipstick?" If I am honest, at least two of my MAC reds would be in my Top 10  but they just do not quite make the cut for Top 5 as I considered both drug store and high end and wanted a mix for people with different budgets. I struggled to whittle it down to just 5 trust me! But just FYI if this was a Top 10 Ruby Woo and Russian Red would totally be in there! :)

Do any of you own any of the above red 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

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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