Becute Velvet Sensation Lipstick - Shade 112

Here I am, on a short trip to Karachi. The weather is humid and the air polluted, its hard for my extensively oily skin to maintain itself and not to break out here. I can see a pimple popping up on my forehead, but *sigh* its unavoidable here. 

The best thing I love about this place, apart from the best taste in food and the best dining restaurants, is the cosmetics! Sometimes you just saunter to the nearby market to find an array of weird copycat body mists and perfumes of various brands. I was just walking through the market and a collection of fragrances caught my attention. They were exact replicas of my beloved bath and body works mists and even of Victorias Secret fantasy collection. Even the names of the fragrances were same along with packaging. The patent name however was different. What has the world come to! 

Going through the new cosmetics collection at the same local mart, I came across a collection of tester lipsticks. I asked the salesperson the origin of these cosmetics and she just said 'we call these local products'. I went on testing the shades of various brands kept and finally came across this brand BECUTE. Their lipsticks were labelled BECUTE "Velvet Sensation Lipstick". 

I was quite surprised at the packaging, it was a very nice aqua shaded pack and the inside lipstick was also in a good plastic container, not the flimsy type you would expect from a local brand. But the funny thing was that there was no mention whatsoever of the country of origin. The only thing written on the package was 'Becute Cosmetics International'. What international country, I have no idea! Another absolutely funny thing was that the company had claimed on the packaging as the product to be 'ophthalmologically tested'. Why would they title a lip product as 'suitable for eyes'!?! Instead of claiming it to be dermatologically tested.

Anyway the price was so good (only PKR 90!) that i went ahead and got 5 shades. Since so far I have used only one shade, hence that is what i will be writing about today.

The shade I first chose was a number 112. This company does not produce shades having a certain name. All colours come with a certain number and you have to test and see whether they are matte or shimmery. 

This particular shade comes under the various shade of coral. The colour payoff is quite good, the finish is smooth and matte, and most surprising of all, the lipstick is actually moisturizing! It did not dry out my lips and was smooth on application. There was no shimmer, but if you top it up with a gloss, no one can tell whether its a high end product or you got it from a nearby local mart. The scent however is of a cheap talc/powder but its not very overpowering, quite subtle but does not disappear after application. Thats the only negative thing i could find, and if you keep the price in mind, I think we can very well applaud at the quality the company has tried to provide.

Heres a swatch: 

This is what the number at the bottom looks like.

Price:

PKR 90 at Hydri Super Market (almost $1 / 0.4 OMR). 

The other retail shops in the market or malls keep this product at various prices ranging from PKR 120 -150, obviously a percentage of which is their personal profit. 

The product comes in a plastic packaging and is about 3.8 g / 13.5 oz net. 

To Summarize:

Overall for the price, I think the quality is quite impressive, with relatively few cons.

M.A.C Cremeblend Blusher - So Sweet, So Easy

It was one of those weekend days today when I wanted to do something different but ended having a lazy day instead filled with lethargy. DH was playing his ps3, this new game that I got which seems pretty fun and my little one is sound asleep being sick these days with flu.

Anyhow coming to my latest purchase, as the title already describes it, its a creme blush by MAC. I usually just saunter to the MAC outlet here in Oman not really interested in purchasing much. Somehow my appeal for the outlet has gone a bit down. Sure, it is pricey, but price doesn't necessarily always mean best quality as well. I have mixed reviews of various MAC products, but we will come to that in my later blogs. Today I have a totally new experience with one of their blushes.

I went to the store the other day to try out their mascaras but somehow wasn't too thrilled with the one the company manufactured. I was very close to purchasing the 'False Lash Mascara' when my gaze landed on the creme blushes. Truthfully I have always used the basic powder blushes of both drugstore as well as department store brands, in fact I have even used a cheaper variety than that, and I was never impressed at the colour that came onto my cheeks. So my recent thoughts started bouncing onto the more creamier textures, thinking what wonders that might actually do, I always noted on screen how dewy the cheeks looked especially on the blush area, and I wondered if there were actually some products that can give the same finish at home. So here I was at the MAC outlet, gazing at the blushes when I came across their 'Cremeblends' range. The variety in colours wasn't very impressive, but my gaze got glued to a lovely bright summery pink colour. It was labelled 'So Sweet, So Easy'. I purchased it without even trying and brought it home to experiment.

This is what the packaging looks like....

I put the pot in the case in a hurry, which explains the upside down 'MAC'. Upon opening the packaging this is what it looks like...

The lid flips open for us to see...

The first time I opened, I saw tiny oil droplets on top of the product but upon running my finger in one smooth motion, the drops incorporated in the product to give me a beautiful colour swatch..

Its a very light, dewy yet gorgeous pink shade which is buildable to become more dark. The above swatch is just one swipe of finger.

Company Claims:

A blush that manages to make a simple blush state-of-the-art. Creamy, easy to blend medium coverage formula imparts a natural finish that's smooth, dewy-fresh, long lasting.

My Experience:

I used my favourite Armani Maestro Make up fluid and then went on to try this on my cheeks. At first I thought it was a bit difficult to apply with a brush, but I found that using my fingers was easier and better. It was a much smoother application, and the product was not wasted. I got more accuracy with my finger and it gave a better smoother finish. After blending it in, it looked just like a nice normal flush to the skin, unlike the powder blush effect. It merged completely with foundation and I couldn't even tell that I had applies some creamy textured product over the foundation.

The staying power was exceptional. Its been 10 hours since I put it on, and its still there! it hid all my pores and did not make my skin dry or oily. There was a light pink glow throughout the day. A very impressive product from MAC in my experience. I think I will never go back to the powder blushes. Despite my skin being super oily, it did not melt or run down. It stayed and also masked the oiliness in my cheeks.

Price:

 10.5 Omani rial (22$ elsewhere), at all MAC outlets in the country.

Overall:

Every bit worth, I would definitely buy it again once I run out!

 

Giorgio Armani - Maestro - Fusion Make up

So finally after a lot of thinking and lethargy and laziness, I finally came around to writing my first ever blog. I have this crazy love for cosmetics and I decided my first blog should be on one of my most loved possession, the famous Armani skin foundation called MAESTRO. This was a latest launch by Armani Cosmetics, claiming it to be the best foundation out there.

Claims:

- High Pigmented
- thin fluid
- 'second skin' hence no makeup feel
- thinnest foundation of the world
- good for skin
- non comedogenic.

Product Description:

The product is a 30 ml glass bottle,that has a unique feature that instead of normal foundation it neither comes with a pump nor is just a plain bottle. It contains a dropper in place of the lid, and given the thin texture of the foundation, I think that is the only best way the product could have been packaged. The bottle is a nice frosted glass that even though looks good, but may give a slight darker impression of the product colour contained inside.

Now coming to the product itself. It is a super thin liquid, almost watery. I found the best way to apply is first shake the bottle and then squeeze the dropper slightly in order to get a drop or two of the product on your finger and then quickly blend it to the skin. A little goes a long way... the product just a few drops will easily cover the whole face. The coverage is sheer, but definitely buildable.

Now as per the claim-- 'second skin', yes you cannot feel at all what you have put on your skin! The feeling of a layer just disappears! Initially on application I thought it just seems like a yet another foundation and does not look anything close to spectacular, but after a while it started merging with my skin, giving me a flawless finish as the day passed. More than that, no one could tell that I am wearing makeup!

Most of the foundations that I have come across seem to turn orange or cakey as the hours pass by. But this one is a miracle product, it makes your skin looks even better as it ages throughout the day!

It is truly good for skin, did not cause a breakout and amazing for oily skin types. However even though its runny and thin in texture, it gives a glow-y yet matte finish. I am not sure whether it is suitable for dry skin type or not, but definitely its the best product out there for normal/combination/oily skin types.It also contains SPF 15, which is another advantage for wearing during the day.

Price and Availability:

Coming onto the price, yes, the price is a bit steep. It costs 33.600 Omani Rials and I purchased it from 4u at the Muscat Grand Mall. They were the only ones who were selling this product, and upon asking I found out that the authorized dealers for Armani in Oman are Khimjis, so I am sure it would be available at their outlets too. Since little product goes a long way, I think even with the price, its a worthy purchase.