Makeup My Passion

Hi all !!

Hope you had a fantastic Christmas !! Well mine was absolutely incredible : fog, chilly winds , in short a perfect Christmas (without snowfall !). Moving on, today i will be reviewing another Benefit Full Finish Lipstick, in shade La La land, you can read review of No competition here.

Claims :-

Your search for the perfect lipstick is over! From naughty nudes to red carpet reds, these rich, seductive full-finish lipsticks give you the coverage and color you've been longing for. This creamy formula with medium to full coverage. Leaves lips with a smooth finish. With 20 glamorous shades to choose from, you'll want them all!

Price : $18

Quantity : 3.0 gms

Ingredients :-

OCTYLDODECANOL, OCTYLDODECYL NEOPENTANOATE, DIISOSTEARYL MALATE, POLYETHYLENE, C10-30 CHOLESTEROL/LANOSTEROL ESTERS, TRIDECYL TRIMELLITATE, HYDROGENATED POLYISOBUTENE, STEARYL DIMETHICONE, PENTAERYTHRITYL TETRAISOSTEARATE, BEESWAX (CERA ALBA), VP/HEXADECENE COPOLYMER, EUPHORBIA CERIFERA (CANDELILLA) WAX, MICA, COPERNICIA CERIFERA (CARNAUBA) WAX, TALC, TOCOPHERYL ACETATE, BHT. [+/- : TITANIUM DIOXIDE (CI 77891), IRON OXIDES (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), ALUMINUM HYDROXIDE (CI 77002), RED 7 LAKE (CI 15850), RED 28 LAKE (CI 45410), RED 6 (CI 15850), RED 33 LAKE (CI 17200), YELLOW 5 LAKE (CI 19140), CARMINE (CI 75470), RED 30 LAKE (CI 73360), BLUE 1 LAKE (CI 42090)]. N° 04948/N

By the way, i absolutely love the quotes they have in each lipstick !! Packaging is sturdy and classy, even though its black, it has asymmetrical design on the bottom of the lipstick. I have no complaints with the packaging, since i have carried it in my purse a lot of times.

The shade La La land is described as "nude rose" ; the swatch in their official website is a bit too dark, but the actual shade is a perfect nude rose. While purchasing this shade, i was skeptical, cause i haven't tried much nude shades as they tend to wash me out completely. But this is an exceptional shade, its a perfect combination of brown+pink, and toned down to a level where you can get a 'nude' lip look. As far as texture and staying power is concerned, I already love these lipsticks since they are opaque, give full coverage, are moisturizing, and stays for good 3hrs. 

The shade will easily suit fair-medium girls, and i'm NC 43.5 (with pigmented lips) but still it works perfect for me !! Following is a single swatch.

I'm looking forward to buy more of these lipsticks as and when StrawberryNet stocks more shades. Totally loving these lipsticks.

Have you tried Benefit Lipsticks ??

Godbless !!

Hi all !!

Just a quick Eotd i did today, it was actually a requested look by Rekha from Glitter and Gorgeous. The inspirational pic (which i'm not including btw, cause my interpretation turned out to be extremely different lol) had lots of warmth in terms of eyeshadows used, the original shades used were Warm copper/orange, brilliant gold, some cranberry (all in pearl finish), and a matte purple. I did the look using the closer shades, but the result isn't as warm and appealing, however i did the step by step look, so here's how the final look :-

Step 1 :- Prime lids using an eye primer, then set it using an eye shadow that matches exactly your skin tone, you can use your compact for same. Note - i had applied the primer on lower lid too, because you won't want your kajal/eyeshadow to smudge. After that i blended a matte purple eyeshadow all over the lid (actually above), and pulled it up as far as i could, the blending is entirely upto you how far you want to feather it. Similarly place some on the lower lid too.

Step 2 :- Then using a flat eyeshadow brush, i applied 'Overground' (from sleek glory palette) which is a light bronzy shade. After that i used some cranberry shade (you can use any red/magenta to add more warmth) just in the socket area. However i didn't blend it.

Step 3 :- The inspiration pic had used dark brown eyeshadow to add more depth to the socket and crease, i accidently took black eyeshadow on my brush , my bad !! so you must have understood why the whole look changed. Blend the brown/black (whatever you want) in the socket, and place some on the outer lower lid. Then add some golden eyeshadow in the inner corner, this will highlight your eyes and widen them up. Highlight your brow bone using a matte eyeshadow, and apply lots of mascara.

If you're wondering what i have on my waterline, umm its the black eyeshadow's remains   This is the final look.

I paired some nude lipstick with this look, and I was good to go for any party  but of course i didn't 

Share in your thoughts about the look. What are your plans for Christmas ?? 

Godbless !!

If you follow me on Facebook, then you all probably know that i have been drooling over the new Kerastase Elixir Ultimate Grand Crus oils for quite some time. Today i will be reviewing their Oleo-Complexe grand crus oil, that is suitable for all hair types.

Claims :-

Versatile beautifying oil with Oleo-complexe. The exceptional combination of camellia, argan, maize, and pracaxi oils. Suitable for All hair types. 

Result : Hair is nourished, protected and enhanced, leaving it feeling light, soft and supple with incredible shine.

Price : INR 2200/-

Quantity : 125ml

Shelf life : 3yrs

It comes in a plastic see through golden bottle with a pump dispenser, that allows you to work efficiently without wasting product. All other details are mentioned on the golden cardboard carton. I really like the pump dispenser, and 1 shot is enough to cover my hairs (they're till my waist). If you're thinking that it is expensive, then I must say that it is expensive, but still considering the amount one has to use, this bottle will easily last more than 8months or even max a year.


In the past i have used a couple of leave-in treatments, or hair serums and potions, and they all tend to make the hairs greasy at some point (probably early as compared to Elixir Ultime). The serum (i know its oil, but let me call it serum ! ) is runny but still has a thick consistency, and it looks like a gold potion !! The packaging is thick and a bit chubby, but still light weight, and no ways i would never carry it around.


Now let me tell you, if you are a fan of exquisite fragrances, then you'll really want to sniff this at least once !! Well the very first time i wasn't able to detect any fragrance, but when i rubbed between my palms, it immediately released the fantastic aroma. The serum makes the hairs very soft and shiny, and yes light too. Following is my experience according to the claims :-

• As a pre-cleanse product : No doubt, i have used it before washing my hairs, and it works just as fine any hair oil, but the results are bit more good. You'll experience softer and shiny manageable hairs.
• As an intensive leave-in conditioner : Mostly i have used it after head wash as a leave in treatment, it works fine, but to be honest i expected it to help me in de-tangling my hairs, and it doesn't helps with that. Therefore without the "detangling" factor i surely loose a few strands while combing my hairs.
• As a heat protectant : I don't blow dry my hairs, but for occasions i have straightened my hairs, and applied the grand crus oil to tame and maintain the transformation. It works nicely with straightened hairs 
• As a finishing product : I have used this a no.of times as a finishing product, and it helps in taming any frizz ( i do have a lot of small hairs in the crown area that keep on showing ), it tames them to an extent.

OMG my hands look so chubby and weird :|

One thing i'd suggest is not to go overboard with this oil in case your retouching your hair, or using it to tame your hair, as it will tend to get greasy and the hairs will go horribly oily by the end of the day. But it works just fine if you're using it as a pre-cleanse product or a leave-in treatment. However you use it, the end results are soft, shiny, lightweight and manageable hairs !! I only am disappointed a bit because it doesn't helps in detangling the hairs.


If you want to know what variant will suit your hairs according to the needs, then check out this app here on Kerastase Facebook page, and if you want to buy it you can locate your nearby Salon by using this app, or if you want to win a brand new Kerastase Oleo-Complexe then do check out my giveaway here.

Godbless !!




P.S : Product sent by the brand for consideration, however it hasn't affected my opinion.

Hi all !!

I'm already excited for Christmas , apparently December is my favorite month of all the months, not only because its winters, but also cause of Christmas. I had this idea in my head since last so many days but cause of my health i wasn't able to implement it, today however i tried my hands on to do a Christmas inspired Eotd.

This is however not wearable otherwise, but if you happen to go to Christmas themed parties or any other functions (perhaps a fancy dress competition ?? ) this can be your safest bet.

The inspiration is the classic Christmas bell, therefore i used a copper e/s to make the bell, a matte red e/s to draw some ribbons, and a matte green e/s to draw the leaves. The base was kept white, inspired by the Snow, and to add a bit vibrancy to the whole look i decided to do a matte green eyeliner.

If you're wondering why i drew the bell on the brow bone area, you can also draw it below your eye, if thats ok with you. Doing it on the brow bone area is easy compared to the area below your eye, since you can control the application.

Please excuse the dark circles, they get "accentuated" when i'm sick. Anyhow i didnt feel a need to do a tutorial for this, but still let me know how you like it.

Godbless !!

Hi all !!

Today i will be reviewing a lipstick by Gosh, and the shade that i have is perfect for Winter season, as well as for girls who like dark red based burgundy shades. The lipstick i have is from the Velvet Touch range, and is extremely light and glossy, to know more about it read the rest of the article..

Claims :-

GOSH Velvet Touch Lipstick gives an intense and long-lasting colour to the lips due to a high concentration of colour pigments. 

This amazing creamy lipstick contains light reflecting pigments which gives the lips a bright and shiny look. 

Good tip: For an even more lasting application, use Velvet Touch Lip Primer before applying..

Price : €10.99 (i bought this from Strawberrynet last month, its out of stock i guess, and sorry i don't remember how much i paid for it, but i assume not more than INR 450/-)

Quantity : 4gms

Shelf life : (not mentioned, since there was no outer box)

The packaging is matte black case, and kind of attracts dirt, but i usually keep all my lipsticks in a small container, and don't carry them along often. The packaging can seem boring to some, for me its fine since its sturdy. At bottom you can find the shade name and no., unfortunately i don't know if these lipsticks originally come in any box or not, i received it like this only (perhaps i think it had a plastic sheath around it, not sure). The cap fits in properly, and will not loosen up.

The formula is extremely light and glossy, it almost melts in when i apply the lipstick. There's no pulling or tugging required, and 2 swipes will give enough intensity, whereas 1 swipe might help you to have a sheer look. However, i sometimes do feel that it can settle into the fine lines (alert !! girls with extreme dry lips should scrub their lips, apply a balm and then use it). The other thing is, that if i apply it more than twice, the formula tends to transfer (teeth, cup of tea and what not !!) so if you're not happy with the intensity of color you get in 2 layers, its better to blot and reapply again to get a better color pay off. For me 2 swipes cover all my lip pigmentation entirely. On fair girls it might look more red.


In above image i've swatched the lipstick once on my arm, and you can see its sheer but definitely buildable. Whereas on my lips, i've used 2 layers. Today i used this lipstick at around 1pm, had my lunch, took a nap, and the lipstick is still there, although the glossiness is not the same, but the remains don't look like a stain, all in all it survived for 5hrs straight and even lunch.

This shade is perfect for girls who are into reds, especially if you're looking for a shade that can be used in the winter season. However this has to be purchased from strawberrynet website (out of stock as of now).

I'm kind of impressed with the batch of lipsticks i bought from the website, i have already reviewed Benefit Lipstick  (which btw is missing since i went out of station ), Kanebo Lipstick . As far as this lipstick is concerned, the only thing i don't like is that it transfers a lot if layered more, but otherwise it stays and survives straight 4-5hrs.

Have you tried Gosh Velvet Touch lipsticks ??

Godbless !!

Hi all !!

Today i will be reviewing two lip glosses from Lumiere Cosmetics, from the Lumi Lips range. The shades that i have are Vineyard, and Dahlia. I don't really remember using a lip gloss that gives a silk kind of feeling on lips, although we all have used glosses which are creamy or glossy. So if you want to know more about these, read on..

Claims :-

High shine for that "wet look" glossy finish. Enhanced with moisturizing jojoba oil that is long wearing and surprisingly not "sticky".

Description :-

Dahlia : Deeply pigmented red with a slight sheen.

Vineyard : Rich deep plum with a hint of shimmer.

The shade Vineyard looks deep plum/purply in the tube, but when applied it turns out to be a subtle gloss, almost nude, which gives amazing shine to the lips. I have pigmented lips but it enhances them without looking weird.

Whereas the shade Dahlia is a deep orange influenced red, has very tiny shimmer that imparts a more glossy finish, and this gloss looks almost neonish orange. On my pigmented lips alone it looks weird and not that good, but if paired up with a lipstick beneath it works greatly. 

The staying power of these glosses is average, they stay for around 2hours with that intensity, and afterwards they start to fade. One thing however to be noted is, that they have this impressive silk sort of texture, that moisturizes the lips nicely, these are light and free of fragrance lip glosses.

Out of both the glosses, Dahlia is certainly best in terms of pigmentation, but otherwise both the glosses have the same characterstics. If i will buy these in future, then it will be only because of their texture.

Have you tried Lumiere Cosmetics Lumi Lip Glosses ??

Godbless !!




P.S :- Product sent by the brand for consideration, however it hasn't affected my opinion.

Hi all !!

So here I am with the review of Forest Essentials, Ladies Essential Kit, whose teaser i posted a couple of days back. There are total 6 products in this kit, out of which i'm going to review 3 products, and didn't wanted to club everything in 1 single post. If you want to know more about this kit, read on more..

Price : INR 975/-

Availability : From Forest Essentials Website here.

Content : -

So these are the 3 products that i'm going to review today :-

1. Forest Essentials Delicate Facial Cleanser - Kashmiri Saffron & neem

This face cleanser comes packed inside a 50ml see through bottle, with a stopper that controls any spillage (which can be annoying to remove until you pin it) and a gold cap. The small bottle may look small, but has enough product to get you through 3-4weeks if used once every day. I have carried this face cleanser while i was travelling, and the bottle is sturdy enough, and there was no spilling.

Ingredients : - Steam Distilled Rose Water 30%, Steam Distilled Marigold Water 10%, Steam Distilled Jasmine Water 10%, Steam Distilled Kewada Water 10%, Neem infusion 5%, Organic Honey 2.5%, Nagkesar 1.5%, Anantmool 1.5%, Pure Saffron Extract 1%, Kumud 1%, 2Phenoxyethanol (Paraben Free) 0.5%, Base QS.

Use within 6months of opening. Expiry :- 12months from manufacturing date.

My Experience : The very first use, i must tell you exceeded my expectations, my face was glowing and clean as if i got some facial done. This was quite surprising to me, since i don't expect instant results from products which are natural, and believe they work and show results over time. But to be honest the cleanser is very very good, and brightens up your face, and your face stays likewise unless you exhaust yourself and start looking dull. The texture of the cleanser is thick gel kind, but comes out easily out of the bottle, 1 dollop is enough to cleanse the face thoroughly, it lathers well, has this amazing rose water + kewada water fragrance which is mild but appealing. Other thing is, it hasn't dried out my face like the normal face washes would have in this winter season, so i'm definitely putting this in my to-buy list in future. Highly recommend this face cleanser to all.

2. Forest Essentials Facial Toner - Panchpushp 

Again, this facial toner comes in a 50ml bottle transparent bottle, same packaging, has a stopper lid inside.

Ingredients :-Steam Distilled Rose Water 20%, Steam Distilled Marigold Water 20%, Steam Distilled Bela Water 20%, Steam Distilled Kewada Water 20%, Saffron Water 20%

Use within 6months of opening. Expiry :- 12months from manufacturing date.

My Experience : Mostly i use all the facial toners in my homemade face packs, simply because i find them too sticky to use it directly on face. But this toner is quite good. Normally when i use other toners, it leaves a sticky feeling, and a thin layer everytime, but this toner does not. It acts like a quick face energizer, leaving a fresh and healthy skin, which isn't oily or dry. It looks like saffron water, and has a very pleasant fragrance just like the cleanser. As far as open pores are concerned, i don't have this problem in the winters, so can't judge it that way. Even in face packs it helps in diluting and making a good mix, and the end results are pretty convincing, which otherwise were not that good. If you are a fan of toners, then you must try this.

My Experience : Usually i don't use sunscreens which don't mention the SPF factor, and other details. Also this sunscreen lotion has not been given much priority to get thoroughly tested (thanks to the Winters !!), but speaking of texture, its a stable liquid mix, that blends easily without leaving any greasy feeling behind. Also the lotion gives off this cool feeling when applied (not menthol like !! ) which is soothing, and will be of great help especially in summers. It smells of almond and a bit of sandalwood (i'm not a big fan of both , since the presence of almond in it kind of makes it heavy). But yea again in these winters, i haven't used a separate moisturizer when i used this lotion, it alone is is very moisturizing. All those people who love natural Suncreen lotions must give it a shot

I'm all in all very much impressed by these 3 products; although i give sunscreen lotion a benefit of doubt, but the other 2 products are quite impressive. And its a great way to try and use these products when bought in this ladies essential kit. I personally love the pink box (or dabba as i love to call it) cause its perfect for a gifting option (with products or without )

I will be reviewing the rest 3 products in coming week, let me know if you have tried these products individually or not. What are your favorite Forest Essentials Products ??

Godbless !!