Random Ramblings and MACness

I am drawn to black these days. Black the colour. Specially when it comes to clothes. I realised that 4 of the 8 tops I took on a recent trip were black. And then I picked out a new black shirt. All without realizing it. Maybe I am going thru the fat girl syndrome. I just made that up. I am not aware of such a syndrome actually exists. So yes, I  acutely aware of all the unfitting clothes in my closet and dressing up every morning throws me into five minutes of depression. Just give minutes? Yeah, that's all I have time for. My day flies and every night I have the feeling of having spent hours and not achieved anything. There is so much I want to do, there is so little I manage. Can you believe the frustration? 


Anyway, on the plus side, I bought some gorgeous stuff! Mac studio fix powder foundation in NC41. I know now why it was called a must have on beauty blogs. It gives such a flawless finish!! My Singapore pics show such fresh skin when the bare skin was anything but. It was dull and patchy. Thanks to the lovely MUA Gayathri at Koramangla in Bangalore who picked this out for me. My only grouse is that it oxidised on me after about an hour in the sun. All foundations do that on me. I expected this one not to. And she sold me fix+. I am so glad she did. I love the dewiness it imparts. 


The other thing that was not on my agenda was a lip pencil. My fist mac eye product was Siahi. The first lip peoduct was going to be Cosmo. I had never in my wild dreams imagined I would pick a lip pencil. But makeup Gods had other plans for me. And I am so glad they did. I love love love the pencil in Spice. Near perfect match for my lips and can be worn under the sheerest of lippies without any worry. It's beautiful on it's own or topped with a gloss / balm. And so hydrating! 


Then, I went on this big trip and picked Twig and Cosmo at the airport duty free. I got them for 800 bucks! That's why I got two. Yipeedoo!!!

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!

You are never too old to learn!

We have heard this quote over and over again. have we not? Although learning gets difficult as we grow older, we need to keep learning. Specially in beauty! New skincare ideas, new makeup trends... there is so much to learn! Is there not?

If you are dabbling with basic makeup, you need to start small. Get a hang of what suits you and what does not and then proceed with high end brands and experimental looks! Trust me, it is very very easy to go overboard and look garish! :(

I have found some excellent sources to learn about makeup and skincare.

YouTube
YouTube is a gold mine of information. But it is also very easy to get lost here. The first time I searched for makeup videos, i was overwhelmed! Plowing through piles of videos led me to Michelle Phan. She is a gorgeous blogger whose videos will have you hooked. She is a professional MUA and her videos are shot very well. The best part is that she goes over the technique as well. You can clearly see her movements for blending, eye shadow aplication etc. Little tricks are embedded in her videos! And she is pretty too...
Kandee Johnson is another MUA I watch quite often.... I like her easy friendly style...
There are tons of them and I don't want this post to seem like an endorsement, so I'll stop here...!

Blogs
There are tonnes of beauty blogs out there where you can pick up fantastic tips! My favorites are IMBB, Indya Beauty, Wise She, Indian Vanity Case and Peaches & Blush. There are so many more that I read and enjoy. But these are my daily must haves! :)

Makeover Games
These are fun and addictive! You can play with colours and products and see how a certain colour looks on you! Yup, they allow you to upload your pics and change everything from hair colour to eye colour. You can spend hours and hours here! I like this one from Daily Mokeover

Practice
And finally, you can learn all the theory you want... but you have to practice! Try the tricks when you have time at hand. I know, its difficult but you can't get perfect unless you get your hands dirty... Set out an hour every weekend where you practice. Eventually, you won't need that long... :)