Best Red Lipsticks

Spring may not be a season we experience in Mumbai, however, spring cleaning is one ritual most of us perform year round. That time of the year where you decide to clean out everything with great gusto and energy.

I had my session of spring cleaning a few weeks ago. Amidst all the cleaning I discovered some lost treasure and, finally, decided to let go of things I have been hoarding for years.

I have always been a lipstick junkie and strongly believe one can not have enough lipsticks. But the sheer number of lipsticks I was holding on to, some over fives year old, was baffling. After sorting things out, I finally cut down my lipstick collection to half its size.

In the process of sorting my lipsticks out, I picked out my favourite ones- colour wise- and decided to put together a list of my favourite lipstick shades.

For my first list I decided to go with my most favourite shade: Red. A compilation of my best red lipsticks.
Some of the lipsticks mentioned here are pure reds, others belong to the red family and/or have a red undertone.
I know a lot of people who shy away from wearing red lipstick because they are not sure if it will suit their complexion. Trust me, red lipsticks suit all skin tone. You just need to pick a shade that complements your skin tone. 

I have consciously made and effort to feature red lipstick shades that suit Indian skin tones. So there is something for everyone. 

A warm red with coral undertones, Starlet Red adds an instant colour pop to your look. Styled in a crayon packaging, the lipstick is well pigmented and gives good coverage. It has a lovely matte finish and can easily last up to five hours without any touch up.

Due to the lipstick's strong matte formula it can dry out your lips. To avoid that, apply a lip balm before applying the lipstick and you don’t have to worry about your lips drying up.

Sadly, my lipstick broke while applying it. You need to be careful not to put too much pressure while applying the lipstick. Other than that, Starlet Red is a great shade and will suit most Indian skin tones.

Price: Rs 650

A vivid red with bright orange undertones, Pure Fire is an ideal colour for the summer season. The lipstick is well pigmented and has a smooth velvety texture making it easy to apply. It has a lovely matte finish and stays put for over four hours.

Price: Rs 995

A lush maroon tinted gloss with fine bronze glitter that is more deep than bright. This shade is ideal for those who are not comfortable wearing bright colours. A sultry shade of deep red gloss, MAC Courting Chic is perfect for those who want to play it safe with red.

Price: Rs 2,000

A perfect pink red shade, it instantly brightens your face. Pure Vermeil is one of those shades that look good anytime of the day. Like all the Pure Reds, Pure Vermeil is well pigmented, has a creamy texture and easy to apply.

Price: Rs. 995

Ruby Woo needs no introduction. Any red lipstick lover has used it at some point of time in her life. A well pigmented, classic blue-based red shade, Ruby Woo offers great coverage. However, as gorgeous as the shade is, its biggest draw back is, its matte formula dries out the lips. Ideally, always apply a lip primer or lip balm before applying Ruby Woo. 
This is one shade of red that looks good on all skin tones.

Price: Rs. 2,250

Lip lacquer are a category in themselves. They are not lipstick nor lip gloss, they are more like liquid lipstick.
Strawberry Topaz is a deep coral red with fine milled glitter and has rich finish. Well pigmented with a thick texture, Revlon Ultra HD Lip Lacquer can easily stay up to 4-5 hours. Since it is opaque, it can be worn without any base even on pigmented lips.

Price: Rs. 850

Pure Garnet is deep berry shade with plum undertones and a hint of burgundy. A maroon red, Pure Garnet is ideal for those who like to wear a subtle shade of red. Pure Garnet is well pigmented, offers full coverage and looks best on people with mind-tone complexions.

Price: Rs. 995

A bright, warm red, with coral undertones. It has a semi-glossy finish and can look more orange than red on application. It is soft and creamy and lasts a good five hours.

Price: Rs. 699

A heartfelt thank you to the team of My Glamm and for doing my hair and makeup. Thank you to Pallavi for all her support and a big thank you to the makeup maverick, Bijon, for doing my makeup and for all his inputs, wisdom and help. It was great fun working with the team of My Glamm.

Photography by Suraj Warrier | Edit and Creatives by Digital Daku

Makeup, hair and location: My Glamm

Till then, tra-la,

    Amena!!
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Smooth Sailing With Gillette Venus

Sometime, second time's the charm. What may have not worked the first time round, could, very well, be the best thing that happened to you on the second go!

My shaving experience is one such ‘second time’s a charm’ story. 

I started my hair removal journey with shaving and then stopped it after having my head filled with shaving myths. Since then, I’ve switched to waxing.  

My entire outlook on shaving changed a little over a month ago. Along with finally getting all the age-old shaving myths busted, I also discovered correct shaving techniques and methods thanks to Dr. Rashmi Shetty and Namrata Soni.
After hearing all the benefits and pros of shaving at Gillettte Venus Smooth Sail event, I decided to give shaving another try. 

Happy to say, this was one of the best moves I’ve made. As a creature of comfort and habit I avoid change of any kind.

However, the #SubscribeToSmooth challenge gave me the perfect opportunity to adapt to this much needed and welcomed change.

Not only is shaving cost effective, less time consuming and self-reliant, it also does no damage your skin. Unlike waxing where I would sometimes get red blotches, no such thing has occurred post shaving. 

Since I re-discovered shaving, I have shaved 3 times and have not found any skin damage, irritation or discolouration. In fact, I found my ingrowth problem reduced.

One of the reasons why I am finding a huge difference in my pervious and recent shaving experience is, the change in my methods of shaving.

Previously, I used to only dry shave. That was a huge mistake. Now I make sure my skin is well lathered with a good quality shaving gel before shaving. 

To pull out the small hair, I used to stretch my skin a lot. Bad move. Instead of stretching the skin, the right way to do it is by stretching the arm and leg itself. This will give a smooth finish without damaging the skin in anyway.

Shaving disasters and the subsequent nicks and burns was one of the reasons why I decided to stop shaving completely. My biggest shaving mistake was applying too much pressure on the razor. The trick is to invest in a high quality and technologically enhanced female razor like Gillette Venus, which is designed to glide with minimum effort over the skin’s surface.

I was not very particular about moisturising post shaving before. Major mistake. It is extremely important to moisturise after shaving. Applying a good moisturise or even Lacto Calamine post shaving is vital and helps keep your skin smooth and healthy.

Post usage, wash your razor thoroughly and store in a dry place in an upright position. Also, once you notice the coloured strip of your Gillette Venus razor discoloured or the blade has gone dull make sure you change the cartridge to get the optimal shave from your razor.

Thanks to #SubscribeToSmooth challenge I have had an opportunity to rethink my hair removal choices. Along with being extremely convenient, less time consuming, cost effective and self-reliant, shaving also has no side effects and is totally painless. A complete win-win situation! 

After years of shying away from it, I have finally added shaving to my grooming routine and I would recommend you do the same. 

Photography by Suraj Warrier and Mubasshir Sayed 

Till then, tra-la,

Amena!!

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Shaving Myths and Facts

They say old habits die hard. One such old habit is, blindly believing superstitions and old wives tales. The minute someone shares a new piece of information, we either totally reject it or completely believe it.
While I consider myself a practical rationalist and a freethinker, I too have been guilty of succumbing to myth believing in the past.

Among many things, I have been very skeptical about shaving for a long time. While I don’t remember any bad shaving experience, a friend filled my head with her bad shaving experience that had put me off shaving for a long time.

However, thanks to Gillette Venus’ Subscribe To Smooth challenge I have decided to give shaving another try. 

I learnt a whole lot about shaving and had all of my preconceived notions and myths debunked at the Smooth Sail event. 

Now that I have finally started shaving again, I can say with confidence that a whole lot of what is told/known about shaving is pure myth and hearsay.
Time to finally bust and demystify these age-old shaving myths!

These 5 classic myths along with a few more have kept women away from shaving. However, now with technologically advanced razors like Gillette Venus, the whole experience of shaving is not just time and cost effective, but also very convenient, self reliant and skin friendly.

I am finally free from all the preconceived negative notions about shaving. Now that I know the truth about shaving, I have made it an integral part of my grooming ritual.
After reading this post, I hope you do the same too.

Art work by Khalid Azeez

Till then, tra-la,
Amena!!
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Beauty Box | L'Oréal Paris Cannes 2015 Collection

While September is called the January of fashion, May, very well, can be called its holy month. Just when we were catching our breath from all the Met Gala action, here comes the most awaited international event of the year- The Cannes International Film Festival.

Yes, it is that time of the year where the best of couture fashion, international films and A-List celebrities are all found under one room on the French Riviera to celebrate the best of world cinema. 
Even though it is an international film festival, Festival de Cannes is very popular for its high fashion and glamorous red carpet looks.

While most of us can’t attend the event, thanks to L'Oréal Paris, the festival’s official makeup partner, we get to try out some of the latest products that the stars themselves will we wearing.

Every year, L'Oréal Paris releases a special edition Cannes collection in honour of the festival.
I got to try out some of the products and have created two classic, all time favourite red carpet looks that have been spotted year after year at the Cannes red carpet.

Romantic Glossy Look

I chose to go with a romantic theme for my glossy look. A soft look that reminds you of fairytales and a midsummer night's dream!

The delicate pinkish red shade of L'Extraordinaire Liquid Lipstick- Rose Symphony gave the look a dewy pink pout. Staying with the theme, I opted for emerald green smokey eyes, instead of classic black, to give the look a dreamy feel. 
Completed the look with a side swept soft curls reminiscent of old Hollywood glam.

Being a matte girl, this was my first time trying out L'Oréal Paris liquid lipstick. What I loved about it is, the way it beautifully fused gloss with lipstick. The final result is glossy in appearance without a sticky residue. 

Dramatic Matte Look

For my matte look I choose to go dramatic. While the first look was all about fresh colours and free-flowing hair, this one is more on the darker and structured side.

The deep plum, with a hint of maroon, Arabian Nights shade from the Moist Mat Limited Edition Swarovski Lipstick range was ideal for the dramatic look. I decided to up my drama quotient and pair my dark lips with extended winged eyes and gold eye shadow, a hint of rouge on the cheeks and a sleek bun. 

Since dark lips are quite a trend this season, this look is perfect to make a bold statement with just your lips. 

I swear by L'Oréal Paris Moist Mat lipsticks and was really looking forward to trying the Limited Edition Swarovski range. The texture and finish is same as the Moist Mat range, however, the Swarovski embellished case is an absolute treasure.

I have been using the classic black Super Liner Gel Intenza 36H eyeliner for a few years. This was my first time trying the Diamond Black. This one has hints of silvery glitter along with it that gives a slight shimmery look on application.

This look was inspired by Sonam Kapoor’s 2013 Cannes red carpet look.

Other than being timeless red carpet looks, both these looks are very popular, especially with the L'Oréal Paris ambassadors who often spot one or both these looks at Cannes.

Now that Cannes has started I can’t wait to see what all looks my fave L'Oréal Paris brand ambassadors will be flaunting. 

Till then, tra-la,
Amena!!
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#SubscribeToSmooth With Gillette Venus

Fashion and grooming often go hand in hand. While we openly discuss all aspects of fashion, we are not so vocal about all our grooming rituals. 

In fact, this is one of the most important aspects of our grooming regime, and yet, we seldom talk about it openly. Time to put all qualms and inhibitions aside and freely discuss body hair.

As much as we wish and want, none of us are born hairless and we all have had our share of unwanted body hair issues. Without beating round the bush, lets get to the heart of the matter and discuss all things hair removal. 

As a teen, I started my hair removal journey with shaving until someone filled my head with multiple shaving myths. I then switched to waxing and since then I have been waxing. While I have occasionally opted for shaving, by and large I have stuck to waxing.

Recently, I was invited to a bloggers panel discussion with Gillette Venus brand ambassador Kriti Sanon, renowned dermatologist Dr. Rashmi Shetty and beauty expert Namrata Soni to discuss shaving and how it’s one of the most hassle free and painless methods of female hair removal. 

The panel discussion was the perfect opportunity for me to reacquaint myself with shaving and have all my shaving myths and doubts put to rest. 
From busting age-old shaving myths to sharing their personal shaving experience, the event was very insightful and informative. 

Here is what the three esteemed panelist had to say about shaving:

Speaking about Gillette Venus, Kriti Sanon said, “I have always followed a strict regime when it comes to taking care of my skin. Gillette Venus products have always been skin friendly owing to the unique design and distinctive features that perfectly suit a woman’s needs. The best part of shaving is that its hassle free and takes minimal time and enables one to be ready for any occasion at all times”.

Dr. Rashmi Shetty busted one of my personal shaving myths: “Majority of women have apprehensions with regards to shaving. Many of whom believe that shaving will make their skin become darker or that hair would grow faster and thicker which is why they refrain from it. However, in reality hair growth is determined by one’s genetic and hormonal makeup.”

 She hopes and aims to bust such age-old myths and impart knowledge about how shaving is one of the safest, most effective methods of hair removal.

Sharing her shaving experience, ace celebrity makeup maven, Namrata Soni, states, “From time to time, rumors and myths have been discussed around shaving. The basic essential to achieve a healthy skin is to use the right kind of products in the right manner. While hair removal is a key part of everybody’s beauty regime, we need to also ensure that we use the method that best suits our skin type. Personally, I believe that shaving is one of the safest and most convenient methods and is suitable for all types of skins”.

After having a one of on chat with the panelists and having all my queries and doubts put to rest, it is safe to say I am all set to #SubscribeToSmooth and give shaving another go with Gillette Venus.

I will be busting shaving myths and sharing my shaving experience over a series of upcoming post. Watch this space for more as I get ready to Smooth Sail with Gillette Venus.

Till then, tra-la,
Amena!!
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Beauty Box: MAC Makeup Must Haves

2015 has just begun and like every new year it brings with itself a promise of a brighter future and hope that it will ‘THE’ year you have been waiting for.

For me, 2015 is many things- most importantly, it the year for me to make some serious, much needed changes. 

While I have never been a believer or follower of New Year resolutions (don’t have the will power or patience to follow it through), for me, it is more about bring gradual rather than drastic changes.

One such change is to do more beauty post. I also plan to add a few more new segments to the blog as well.

In the spirit of new beginning, I decided to start my 2015 blogging journey with a beauty (makeup, really) theme post. 

December being my birthday month, I treated myself to all things MAC. Honestly, I always want to buy out the entire store, but with a heavy heart and Herculean resisting powers, these 5 beauties made it to my final list.

Here’s why I decided to go with these five? 

Since I already have quite a few of the classics, I wanted to try the new festive collections. 

All products I choose are very versatile, can be worn during the day and night, and multi-occasion friendly.

I picked pieces from MAC’s three new collection: Heirloom Mix, The Simpsons and A Novel Romance. 

I loved how the Heirloom Mix collection had managed to cast the classic collectible in a contemporary, glittering light.
Like me, if you love to make a statement with your makeup, this collection has your name written all over it.

The pop culture junkie I am, wild horse could not keep me from buying something, if not the entire collection, from my all time fave TV show, The Simpsons collection. Especially when the collection was in honour of its 25th anniversary! 

The entire collection can be descried in Mr. Burns fave word- ‘Excellent!’

While I was pretty much sold on the name itself, A Novel Romance, a colour collection offering luscious shades that makes one feel so overwhelmed with desire that you will be seduce into buying a few pieces for sure.

Instead of going with a run-of-the-mill product review and swatches, I decided to show how you can create three distinctly different looks using products from MAC's latest collections.

Since I could not buy everything I wanted, these five are on my MAC wish list:

1. Gentrified brown with bronze pearl Fluidline from Heirloom Mix collection, INR 1,450

2. Matchmaster Concealer (from casual look), INR 1,900 

3. Modest blush, light baby salmon pink Mineralize Blush from Heirloom Mix

Collection(from flirty look), INR 2,450
4. Prunella, dark prune Eye Kohl from Heirloom Mix collection (from casual look), INR 1,450

5. Cool mauve with red frost lipglass from Viva Glam Rihanna II collection, INR 1,450

Thanks to these MAC products, I have started my New Year on a bright, colourful and glittery note.
Here's wishing you all a wonder 2015. Hope it is everything you want it to be and more.

Till then, tra-la,
Amena!!
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