Review: Colorbar Velvet Matte Sultry Pink Lipstick

For the last two and a half years, I had reverted to wearing nude lips most of the time. When not wearing lippies like Oriflame Pure Colors Lipstick in Vintage Rose, I was wearing very light colors like Lotus Herbals Pure Colors Lipstick in Mod Mauve or my Nivea Starshine lipbalms. Around 8-9 months back, I realised the pattern had to be broken and began venturing into bolder colours. My journey is a story for another day. For now, I'll share my latest one with you guys. Ladies, I bring you the Colorbar Velvet Matte Lipstick in Sultry Pink. I'd gotten this back in November and had swatched it immediately for you guys. But after using it for the last two months, I can't get enough of it!

Colorbar Velvet Matt Lipstick Sultry Pink Tube

Colorbar Velvet Matt Lipstick Sultry Pink Colour in Tube

What Colorbar Says

For a rich lip colour with a creamy shine, the Velvett Matte Lipstick, available in 45 stunning shades infuse the lips with vibrancy. Its unique 2-in-1 formulation gives the lips a creamy, yet matte finish. A one of a kind product in India, it has super softening agents that give the lips a soft and supple appearance while keep them nourished with Vitamin E. Staying on up to 5 hours on application, the Velvett Matte Lipstick can be further accentuated with lip gloss and lip liner.

What I Think

Someone said the other day "Colorbar got it right with the Velvet Matte". I disagree. I don't think they got it right. They got it DAMN RIGHT! That's how awesome these lipsticks are. I have Bare and Sultry Pink and am totally berating myself for not getting one of these sooner. These are just brilliant!

In the lipstick world. we associate Matte with drying. For someone like me who has prune lips (thanks for the phrase Zara!), Matte lipsticks can be horrifying. But these are not drying at all. The lipstick is quite creamy and has a lovely finish. Even though this is a bold colour, it does not bleed at all. With a lipliner underneath, it does not settle into fine lines. Without one, it does after 3-4 hours. Its starts to fade after this time leaving a nice even tint. And guess what, it survives a full three course meal and coffee! I've tested that out too :) 

Sultry Pink is a bright berry pink with reddish undertones. Following Lisa Eldridge's advice, I wear it in three different ways. Check out the swatches to see what I mean!

Colorbar Velvet Matt Lipstick Sultry Pink Swatch with Flash
(As Lipstain, Two Swipes & Single Swipe)

Colorbar Velvet Matt Lipstick Sultry Pink Swatch without Flash
(As Lipstain, Two Swipes & Single Swipe)

1. Lipstain: A lovely warm berry lipstain that lasts all day and can be glammed by topping off with a gloss / lipbalm
2. Single Swipe: The low intensity colour makes for good office wear specially with a neutral outfit and or eyes. If you don't have time to do your makeup in the morning, just swipe this on and you wont need anything else
3. Two Swipes: It builds up to opaque brilliance in just two swipes. Looks fantastic and makes for great evening wear. But the best part is, it can even be worn when you want a glam look in the daytime! It is not over the top at all :)

What it Costs

At INR 225 for 4 gms, this is a steal!!

The Good

1. Great Pigmentation
2. Awesome lasting power
3. Non-Drying
4. Transfer resistant!

The Bad

1. Colorbar is not as easily available as its counterpart Indian brands, like Lakme
2. It has a synthetic smell that lasts a long time

The Ugly

Nothing is ugly about this one... its a beauty!

Final Rating

9/10

Happy New Year

hello girls... it comes a tad late here, but wish you all a very happy and colourful 2012 :)

i had a terrible last week.. with an eye infection that made my eye swell and shut. Thankfully it was down by new year's eve and we were able to head out to a get together. So how was your new year's eve?

Here is my outfit for the new years and guess what, I wore a RED lip!!! I was certain I'd never be able to pull one off. You fabulous ladies at Blogsville always tempted me with the red lips and I had wanted to try one before the year ended. Well, I did. I have minimal makeup on in the pics because the infection was still there and I didn't want anything near my eye. Not even concealer. So you guys get to meet my DARK circles. Be nice to them ;)

I've had the skirt and the top from before marriage and that means these are at least five years old. I don't wear skirts that often and so the ones I have suffice. Its quite sad really because I love wearing skirts. This one is from Sri Lanka. There is this awesome store in Colombo called Fashion House where clothes are CHEAP! I think they sell export surplus and rejects because I found a lot of stuff with the labels ripped off. The quality of the clothes is excellent though! The top is from Westside or Pantaloon. I don't recollect. It is a paisley print georgette with tiny sequins on it. I really like it for night time wear. My footwear is from a local shop in South Delhi. Grey snakeskin with kitten heels. Bet you guys didn't need to know that, huh?

And here is a very tired looking me with bare eyes and dark circles. Here is my product breakdown:

Face:

• MAC studio fix powder foundation over my face, avoiding the eye area.
• Colorbar radiant pen highlighter over cheekbones
• Faces mineral blush in Pink Topaz

Eyes: BARE

Lips:

• MAC Lip pencil in Spice
• Avon Simply Pretty Lipstick in Cherry Red ( it stayed on after 4 hours, snacks, drinks and a full meal) I am not sure if this was due to the lip liner or the fact that I dabbed a tissue over the lipstick and reapplied it. A bit of both I guess.

My fear of red lips is slowly fading away. But I do realise that I need a flawless skin and warm toned red to carry off the look. Cool toned reds just look horrible on me. So, what do you think girls? How did I do?

Review: Colorbar Triple Act Compact

Being the proverbial lazy gal, I like products that do more than one role for me :) A foundation, concealer and compact rolled into one sounds heavenly. Does it not? I'd tried Lakme 9 to 5 triple compact and was reasonably happy with it. So, I decided to give this Colorbar one a shot. Was I happy? Was I disappointed? Read on to find out...

What Colorbar Says
This 3 in 1 concealer, foundation and compact is a one-step makeup. The Triple Act Compact Powder reduces spots and blemishes, gives a glowing complexion and a smooth and oil-free finish. Containing sunscreen, it protects the skin and gives it a fresh look. Triple Act Compact Powder is available seven shades – Neutral, Sand, Dusk, Marble, Fawn, Bisque and Walnut

What I Think
This is an extremely drying product. So much so that even on my combination skin, dry patches are visible! Everything else works in its favor but the drying nullifies this all. The shade I got is 005 Fawn. This is what it looks like

I think the packaging is quite nice. The lock snaps well, the sponge goes in the top compartment and the product is in the bottom compartment. The sponge is of really poor quality and combined with the dry product, it was a disaster. 

I applied this with a foundation brush, dry sponge, fingers and a wet sponge! Wet sponge gave me the best results. To combat the extreme dryness, i applied liberal amounts of moisturizer or water over my face, picked the product with a wet sponge and then blended it in. That is the only way I got this to work. However, the shade is too light for me :( Here is me wearing this... (this pic was taken almost a year ago!)

This is a medium to heavy coverage product and works well to hide blemishes. If you are oily skinned or can work around the dryness, this is a really a very good product. It lasts for the whole day on me and covers blemishes like a charm. I use it as a concealer these days.

The Good

1. Good Coverage and works as a foundation cum concealer.
2. Mattifying. You don't need a powder as it sets to powder finish
3. Sturdy Packaging
4. Long Lasting

The Bad

1. Leaves a whitish cast in flash photographs. Quite a whitish cast. I must add!
2. The sponge is pathetic
3. This is not good for your five minute touch-ups. You need to have a moist face and apply it with a wet sponge

The Ugly

Extremely Extremely drying (in case it wasn't clear earlier on) which makes it a very difficult product to use. My Lakme triple compact was much better than this.


Final Rating
5/10

Swatches: Colorbar Velvet Matte Sultry Pink

Hiya girls,

Zara had asked me for swatches of Colorbar Velvet Touch Sultry Pink lippie that I mentioned about. I have not had the time to do a full blown review so here are the swatches:

From Top: One Swipe, Centre: Three Swipes, Bottom: Lipstain

FOTD with Hooked on Pink

I wanted to sport a festive yet simple look when we went Pandal hopping in Kolkata during Durga Puja. A bright lip was the best route to go. I had just bought Maybelline Coloursensational in Hooken on Pink and this seemed the perfect excuse to wear it and sport a goofy happy expression!

Face:

• Lotus 3 in 1 sunblock (at night, yes! Not because I thought the light would have UV radiation, but because it is quite mattifying. The pic was taken after three hours of walking around in sultry Kolkata weather. I would be an oil slick without a mattifier)
• Oriflame pressed powder
• Lakme Rose Blush (Discountinued, i think. It is a lovely shade but the formula calls for a lot of improvement)

Eyes:

• Colorbar I-Glide in Blackout
• Elle 18 Kajal (This is one of the blackest Kajals I have worn and lasts almost as long as my Lotus one)

Lips:

• Maybelline Colorsensational in Hooked On Pink (I now know why so many beauty bloggers love it)

Sunblock, compact, blush, liner, kajal and lipstick is my general routine. On special occasions, I add foundation, concealor, highlighter and eye shadow. What's your daily makeup like?

Shimmery Evening Look

A couple of months back I visited Singapore. It was Singapore National Day and I had a house party to attend. Decided to sport red clothes and a shimmery evening makeup.

I went overboard with the shimmer because the flash made my face look like a disco ball... lol...Trust me, that was not the effect I was going after.

Face:

• MAC Studio Fix Powder Foundation in NC 41
• MAC Fix +
• Colorbar Radiant Glow Highlighter Pen
• Maybelline Powder Blush in Apricot Flush

Eyes:

• Colorbar I-Glide pencil in Cocobar
• Lotus Herbals Kajal
• Maybelline Colossal Volume Mascara
• Maybelline Chai Latte quad's dark brown e/s to fill the brows
• Vega Lash Curler

Lips:

• MAC lip liner in Spice
• ULTA Lipgloss (Nameless, Numberless)

What do you think?

My Diwali Outfit and Makeup

Hi peeps, how was your Diwali? Those of you who celebrated, I hope you had a blast. I sure did. There was last minute cleaning, a mini feast and a party to attend among the usual stuff. On top of that, I had to redo my sari twice. So, I had very little time for my makeup. Here is my Diwali outfit:

This is a burnt orange georgette sari with antique gold sequins in a honeycomb pattern all over. I kept rest of the bling minimal with a polki necklace and matching bangles. My FOTD was pretty simple as well.

Face:

• Lotus Whiteglow Micro Emulsion
• MAC Studio Fix Powder Foundation in NC 41
• Maybelline powder blush in Apricot Flush

Eyes:

• Glittery Copper colour from Maybelline Chai Latte quad all over the lid
• Colorbar i-glide in Cocobar on the upper lash line
• Lakme Black Satin kajal on lower lash line

Lips:

• Lotus Herbals Pure Colours lipstick in Peach Creme as a base
• MAC Twig lipstick

The last time I used Twig, camera flash brought out pink undertones very prominently. This time, I wanted it to retain the earthy colour in pictures as well. So, I added a coat of Peach Creme as base. Do you think it worked?

My Karwa Chauth Look

So Karwa Chauth came and went.In north India, some women are more excited about the outfit, accessories and makeup than the actual fast :p And honestly, you can't blame them. The fast itself is not much to get excited about. Soooo, here is my look for this year.

This pic was taken in the evening after the pooja. So excuse the oiliness please (and the fake camera smile!!!)

Face: 

• Crabtree & Evelyn moisturizer followed by Lotus 3 in 1 sunblock
• MAC Studio Fix powder foundation in NC41
• MAC Fix +
• Garnier Light Anti Dark Circle Eye Roll on in Medium as under eye concealor
• Faces Mineral Blush in Amber Rose

Eyes:

• Colorbar Creme Foundation as primer
• ULTA eyeshadows in Blue in the inner corner and Gold in the outer corner
• MAC Siahi on upper lashline
• Lakme Black Satin Kajal
• Oriflame Visions Mascara 

Lips:

• Lotus balm in Velvet Rose
• MAC Twig Lipstick  

I wore this look even after the Pooja when I changed into a more comfortable pink cotton salwar kameez. The flash makes Twig appear a lot more pink. In reality is was more brown. The best part is that the pink became more apparent when I wore pink. 

So what do you think about this look?

Prunella ends the Purple woes

None of us are strangers to Colorbar I-Glide pencils....

From colorbarcosmetics.com

If an I-Glide popularity poll was to be conducted, Prunella would feature right at the top! Few pencil liners boast of a vibrant purple as prunella. It is a fantastic jewel toned purple that showed up beautifully on my dark lids. I first noticed this colour when Tanveer of ATB swatched it in her Purple liners comparison post. Have you read it? No, then please click on the post link above and have a dekko. She has some fabulous purples! The shade are all pretty but when I saw then Prunella stood out. N, it actually called out to me. Till that point, I had never even thought of a purple liner. I had black, brown, blue and a green that looked horrible on me. Thats all the colors I would need. Oh, the naivety of noviceness! Anyway, since then I have been to the colorbar counter often and it was always out of stock. I tried other purple liners but none seemed good enough. It had to be prunella.

Yesterday, I finally got it and my purple liner quest has come to an end. Now, to find another quest..... :)

My camera is out of action and hence no actual swatch of the product. But then, you've all seen it. Right? 

My Lust List

Thanks to all the beauty bloggers around, I have a makeup lust list. I am a drugstore brand junkie and the luxury products are bought only at special occasions. So, I doubt I will ever reach the end of this one...

1. MAC Cosmo Lipstick - Such a lovely colour. This will go well with all sorts of looks. I am pretty sure this will be my first MAC lipstick :)
2. MAC Sunbasque Blush - I have been in love with this ever since I saw Farha rock this in the festive looks she wore for her BIL's wedding. You can see them here. Speaking of Farha, where has she disappeared?
3. NARS Orgasm Blush - Do I need to give a reason why I want this? :) Absolutely gorgeous, cult favorite. Whats not to love?
4. Sigma Make Me Blush Brush Kit - Sigma brushes are great... aren't they? And when they come in this super cute color, who wouldn't lust after them?
5. Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliner - I fell in love with gel liners when I used MAC Siahi. Bobbi Brown liners are supposedly better. And they come in 14 shades! Fourteen... our Indian marketeers think all we want is black!
6. Colorbar i-glide in Prunella - Are you surprised to see a drugstore product amongst all luxury ones? Well, this one has been out of stock whenever I have visited a colorbar counter. Hence, it makes the list. I have yet to find my HG purple liner.
7. Benefit High Beam - Rashmi deserves the credit for introducing me to this and making me read more about this. The more I read, the more I loved!
8. Benefit Bella Bamba Blush - Its pink, its packaged like a disco ball and it brightens up every complexion... great buy?

This is just part one... watch out for part deux!

My first FOTD - Inspired by Mehak

Mehak of Peaches and Blush did a fab tutorial on dewy makeup. Dewy skin has always awed me and I have always been jealous of those with supple glowing cheeks. When I read mehak's post today, I realised I could try this out. So, I did and I am not brave to put up before and after pics so just a few of them go here...

So, what do you guys think? I feel that I need to good concealer and that I should stick to matte. I skipped powder and compact and my skin was oily in less than 30 mins. Sigh, the dewyness isn't for me...

I used Lakme Perfect Radiance foundation, Colorbar creme compact as concealer, Colorbar Radiant Glow Highlighter pen, Oriflame visions mascara, Lotus kajal, Nivea lipbalm in pomegranate and ULTA lipgloss in nude.