ADS Pro Makeup Base Review

Highlighers seem to be having their moment in the sun from a couple of years now. Even though my oily skin produces it's own highlighter I finally succumbed and bought ADS Pro Illuminator Makeup Base. I assumed it would be like the Revlon Liquid Highlighter but sigh!

This is not a review as much as a bad buy alert. ADS Pro Illuminator Makeup Base resembles so many products that I'm not sure which one it's trying to dupe. The packaging is pretty decent. It comes in a squeeze tube with a nozzle & a lid which is housed in a cardboard box. All information regarding the product is printed on both the cardboard box as well as the tube.

INR 200 for 30 ml

I ordered the shade Sunbeam which is a pretty champagne colour. The main problem with this product is the super chunky glitter (which you can spot from a mile away). Definitely not what I want in a highlighter. The second con is that it dries in a jiffy. You can't take some product, spread everywhere you want & then blend. It will dry & you simply cannot blend. You have to work in individual sections. I even tried to mix it in my foundation & then apply which leads to stray bits of glitter peeking out at strange places. Since it's not working well as a highlighter, I'm currently using it as a glittery top coat on my lids. I don't know how else to use up this product. Suggestions are welcome.

I'm not going to list out Ayes & Nays this time as there is nothing positive to write. How do you guys use up makeup duds? Comment below

ColorNations Haul

As I mentioned in my previous post I've been buying makeup from Cuffs n Lashes from some time now. The process has been smooth & hassel free. This time the one product that I did want to buy was available on ColorNations only. I don't know if the 2 sites are connected in any way or not but the layout etc is super similar. Anyhow,  I placed my order & waited a good 6 days for my products to reach me. The package finally landed in Bangalore but the courier guy gave it to another girl in my neighnourhood with the same name as mine! Thankfully, she had the good sense to call on my number. Long story short I finally got my parcel 8 days after ordering. But it was not to be a happy ending. Sigh!

Hilary Rhoda Glow Kit in 01

INR 350 for 24 gm

Expiry January 2022

This was the product for which I had placed this entire order. It came in tons of bubblewrap but was completely damaged inspite of it. I want to be mad at the site but they have packaged it well. Out of the 8 highlighter shades only 3 have survived. The rest have blended into an iridescent powder which I have stored in a jar separately. So, so disappointed

Bonjour Eyelashes in 107

INR 30

Bonjour Eyelashes in 001

INR 30

I wanted to try out false lashes & couldn't find anything more affordable. It even comes with a tiny tube of glue.

Mars 5 Color Blusher

INR 300

Expiry May 2020

I only bought it for the packaging.  I have the contour kit in similar packaging & thought it would make a nice set together. These are insanely pigmented. Half of a smidgen would be great for a daytime look.

Cuticle remover

INR 15

Looked pretty. Did I need one? Hell no.

Shang Ling Liquid Eyeliner in Black

INR 85

One more thing I bought because of the cuteness factor. It comes with a stick type applicator which I don't know how to use. Ah well!

Zovi Waterproof Eyeliner in Blue

INR 40 for 5 ml

Wanted one from some time. Pretty good for the price.

ADS Banana Powder

INR  120 for 40 gm

Expiry October 2021

Just for backup. I have one more which I use. Love this stuff.

Mars Aloe Vera Makeup Fixing Spray

INR 195  for 160 ml

Expiry January 2022

The only thing in this entire haul that I actually needed. A wee bit sticky but it does the job.

ADS Olive Compact Powder

INR 220 for 50 gm

Expiry July 2022

This is HUGE! Like the size of a pancake. It might last a good 2 years for me.

That's all for now. Cheers!

Dexe Lip Balm Review

Lip balm is the one product I have a lot of. Not that I don't overbuy in other categories. It's just that they don't take up a lot of space & are pretty cheap comparatively. At the moment I've more than 10 lip balms. Having said that, let's begin about the product I want to discuss today.

I've been lemming after the eos lip balms from quite some time now. And when I finally zeroed in on Organic Harvest as the dupe of my choice, I came across these on Amazon. Dexe Lip Balms come in a set of 12 with 6 flavours- strawberry, mint, lemon, blueberry, pineapple & honeydew. Each lip balm comes packaged in its own individual plastic casing with a cardboard backrest. All the information is printed on the back of each packet as well as on the box housing all of these. Once you remove the packaging there is nothing written on the lip balm itself, not even the expiry date. The packaging is sturdy though. You can throw this in the bag with other things & it will not open. This also happens to be paraben & petrolatum free ( in caae you are wondering about the cheap price)

INR 350 for 12 lip balms of 7 gm each

(The price seems to have increased since I bought them)

I've been using these for well over a year now & time is ripe for a review. Dexe Lip balms are white in colour but go on transparent on the lips. I love the flavours given especially lemon & mint, both of which i have used up entirely. The lip balm moisturises well & stays on my lips for a good 3 hours. It has this annoying habit of leaving an oil slick in my drink when I drink something after applying this. However, this doesn't happen when I use a lipstick on top, especially liquid lipstick.  In summers, it suffices as an overnight lip balm but you may want something richer in winters. Once the lip balm reaches the level of the pot holding it, it gets difficult to apply. The cheapskate in me hates to see all that product going to waste. So I scoop it up with my fingers & use as a cuticle butter instead.

Yays

Super cute with good flavours.

Cost effective

It works well when used under lipsticks.

Paraben free & petrolatum free.

Nays

Hate the oil slick. Ugh!

Overall, it's a pretty decent lip balm. The packaging only adds to the cuteness factor. Go for it.

Cuffs n Lashes Haul

From a few years now I've consciously stopped buying expensive brands of makeup. I have never finished using a single makeup product entirely except for mascara. It seemed crazy to spend so much money on something especially when you can get the same colour, texture & finish in a less expensive brand. Plus these days a lot of the affordable brands have upped their packaging game by leaps & bounds. That is definitely the cherry on the cake as far as I'm concerned. Shallow much?

Anyway here's my latest haul from Cuffs n Lashes. This site has become my go-to for affordable makeup. It's super easy to order from & I have always received my package in 4 days flat. I've been iffy about ordering from instagram stores for some reason. Let's start. I'm also including expiry dates for most products since I tend to forget exactly when I purchased a particular thing.

ADS Cushion gel Eyeliner

INR 300

Expiry June 2020

I've been eyeing this one since it was launched. Such pretty packaging. I'm utterly sold. Love it.

Me Now BB Cushion Foundation in 01

INR 300 for 12 gm

Expiry May 2019

Cushion makeup has been around from a while now. Last time I finally succumbed & bought Matte Look Cushion Lipstick. This time I got foundation & eyeliner. The packaging is awesome as is the product. 300 bucks for a cushion foundation is dirt cheap.

Half n Half Double Use Lipstick in 13 Peach Twist

INR 220 for 7 ml gloss & 4gm lipstick

Expiry January 2021

Another thing I've been eyeing from quite a while. You get both regular lipstick & liquid lipstick in a huge tube. The formula is the most comfortable one I've ever tried. No stickiness at all.

Blue Heaven Signature Mascara

INR 150 for 10 ml

Expiry May 2021

OK eye makeup products seem to be having a fixation with writing right now. After the ink pot & quill packaging for ADS Eyeliner, this one's shaped like a fountain pen. Like the really old ones. I simply had to get it despite the lukewarm reviews of Blue Heaven mascaras in general.

Kiss Beauty Sequins Liquid Glitter Eyeliner in 04

INR 150

Wow! Looks & feels high end. Love this one.

Olivia Liquid Foundation in 3 Soft Beige

INR 100 for 28 ml

Expiry April 2019

I obviously had to see what all the fuss was about. Yet to try

Kiss Beauty Hot Lips Lipstick in 4

INR 100

Dislaimer first. Kiss Beauty is my most favorite brand of all the affordable makeup brands. And every time I steel my resolve to buy no more they release a new product with fantastic packaging. Case in point, this Hot Lips lipstick. Been a while since I bought regular lipstick (Half & Half does not count as it also has liquid lipstick in it) it's only been liquid lipsticks from some time now.

Heng Fang Kiss Callectar Lipstick in 130

INR 100

Another thing I bought only for the packaging. And yes, another regular lipstick.

Kiss Beauty BB Moisturised Lip Gloss in 5

INR 99

Pretty nude shade. And it's Kiss Beauty. I HAD to get it.

Yanqina Stick Eyeliner in Black

INR 85 for 2.5 gm

I've heard amazing things about this one. Time to try

Me Now Soft Eyeliner Pencil in White

INR 50 for 1 gm

As you might have figured out by now, I simply don't jump in & buy trends left, right & centre. I have to be sure that I will be using them + they have to be affordable. The days of spending 800 - 900 on an eye pencil are long gone.

TYA Matte Lipstice in 11

INR 40

Looked super pretty but by the time I debated & dithered the shade I wanted (a pretty purple) was sold out. I settled for this one instead

Crazy Lips Lip balm in Pink

INR 35

Super cheap, super cute

ADS Minion Matte Lipstick in 01

INR 30

Another thing I had been eyeing from sometime now. Wasn't too keen because how awesome can a lipstick that costs 30 bucks be, right? Wrong! Pretty good & it has minion packaging to boot.

Blue Heaven Signature Foundation in Natural

INR 25 for 25 ml

Expiry August 2020

Wanted to try this ever since I saw it on a "Makeup under 30 Rs Challenge" on Shystyles. It looks too yellow for my skin tone. Will update after I've played a bit with it.

Free Gift

ADS Nude  'tude Palette

INR 280 for 11.08 gm

Expiry January 2022

I had vowed to not buy any more eyeshadows. I have enough to last me several lifetimes. But look, they sent me a sizeable gift & a neutral palette at that! Take that Nykaa- all I've been getting as free gift is conditioner from you guys. Yet to try. As of now, I'm happy to just stare at the sheer prettiness of it all.

OK, I'm done for now. Stay tuned for a haul from Colornations soon. That's it. Cheers.

VLCC Haul

I'm an out and out facial kit junkie. My once a fortnight at home facial seems to have helped my skin a lot. My pores appear smaller & I have way less texture on my skin. Believe you me, texture is the bane of oily skinned people. The only fly in this fragrant ointment is the cost. Facial kits tend to be quite expensive when bought individually.

I got a good deal on Nature's Essence Facial Kits on Homeshop TV18 last time & decided to check this time as well. And what a deal it is! I got 5 facial kits, 4 bleach packets, 1 Pedicure- Manicure kit, 1 kajal & 1 face massager for INR 999/-

Here's a breakdown of all the things I received

VLCC Silver Facial Kit

INR 240 for 46.6 gm

VLCC Diamond Facial Kit

INR 350 for 50 gm

VLCC Pearl Facial Kit

INR 250 for 60 gm

VLCC Gold Facial Kit

INR 250 for 60 gm

VLCC Papaya Fruit Facial Kit

INR 250 for 60 gm

VLCC Insta Glow Gold Bleach x 4

INR 30 for 6.6 gm

VLCC Kajal

INR 55 for 1 gm

Skin Absolute Face Massager with 5 attachments

VLCC Pedicure-Manicure Kit

INR 480

In effect, I got products worth 1995 for just 999. And all products are from fresh stock- manufactured this year. I'm happy with this deal. Will be buying the Biotique facial kits next time. Cheers!

Collective 6 Months Empties

I've been putting off doing a proper empties post from quite some time now. Somehow something or the other would crop up & empties would go on the back burner. Here I am finally doing a collective 6 months empties. To be honest, I've not used up a lot of products. Anyhow here's the list

Silk Berry Hand & Body Moisturizing Lotion in Rose & Honey

INR 245 for 500gm

I first saw this brand online & bought a bunch of products. Decent lotion, very light weight & non- greasy. Apt for summers. Not buying again.

Palmolive Heavenly Vanilla Moisturizing Body Wash

INR 190 for 250 ml

Super creamy. I loved using this all through winter. Might repurchase.

VLCC Mulberry & Rose Fairness Face Wash

INR 150 for 150 ml

I really want to like this face wash because it does it's job well. But there is something utterly disconcerting about using a pink coloured rose face wash which smells like orange. And not any old orange, it smells like freshly squeezed orange juice. I love the fragrance, it just feels surreal that it's pink coloured. Got on a BOGO offer, still have one more to use.

Silk Berry Time- Control Facial Massage Creme in Cocoa & Chocolate

INR 270 for 250 gm

One more from the same brand. Fantastic, rich cream which doesn't leave your face greasy. I used it up as a body butter because it was too rich for my face.

Moisturex

INR 208 for 100 gm

My HG hand cream. I've been using since a decade & nothing works better on my super rough hands. Will be repurchasing forever.

Ponds Pure White Deep Cleansing Facial Foam

INR 35 for 20 gm

I hated this one from the bottom of my heart. It's way too drying even on my oily skin. Plus I simply hate the signature white beauty aroma. I'm even considering not buying the BB cream again simply because of the smell! Needless to say never buying ever again.

St D' vence Multani Lotion

INR 210 for 100 ml

I quite like this. This is not a lotion but actually a face pack. Confusing name eh? Might buy again.

Vedic Line Anti- Pigmentation Blend

INR 150 for 10 ml

I loved using this facial oil because of the smell- lavender & rosemary. But it does precious little for my skin. Will not be buying again but I am repurposing the bottle. Super cute.

Vaadi Herbals Lavish Almond Soap X 2

INR 28 for 75 gm

The last of my Vaadi Herbals haul from previous year. Nothing to write home about, it's just regular soap. No repurchase.

Patanjali Multani Mitti Body Cleanser

INR 35 for 75 gm

Love this one & the mild exfoliation it provides. Have bought 2 more.

Royal Mirage Soap

Don't remember the price

Decent soap. Not repurchasing again.

Vaadi Herbals Enticing Lemongrass Scrub Soap

INR 38 for 75 gm

Decent enough glycerine soap. Might repurchase again.

Himalaya Herbals Moisturizing Aloe Vera Face Wash

INR 95 for 100 ml

Quite good for winters when I don't want my face to be extra dry. The fresh scent adds to the experience of using this face wash. Will be buying again come winter.

Patanjali Anti-Dandruff Hair Cleanser

INR 110 for 200 ml

I bought this by mistake thinking it was the regular Kesh Kanti one. I hated the Arnica type homeopathy smell this one has. Not buying again.

Garnier Ultra Blends Royal Jelly & Lavender

INR 120 for 175 ml

I've fond memories of using Ultra Doux back in my college days. The only shampoo which helped with my frizzy hair was the one with walnut extract (or so they claimed! ). This one came in a similar packaging & had my favorite lavender scent. Simply loved it! Will be buying a different variant next time.

Sunsilk Soft & Smooth Shampoo Sachets X5

INR 3 for 7 ml

I seem to have an endless supply of sachets! Love these but the product seems to be somehow reducing in the packet itself. It's been more than a year since I bought it. No repurchase until I finish all I have.

Sunsilk Black Shine Shampoo SachetsX 3

INR 1 for 5.5 ml

Same as above.

Discarding

Health & Glow Cocoa Body Butter

INR 250 for 200 gm

Where do I begin with this one! Nothing seems to be working for this product except for the gorgeous cocoa butter smell. It does not spread or even absorb on my skin. After an eternity of rubbing into skin, it somehow forms a tight layer on my skin which is far from moisturizing. Hated it! Never buying again.

That's all for now. Will be back again with next month's empties post.

ADS Wine Lip Gloss Review with Swatches

So I've been hauling a lot of makeup this past month. Somehow I get this crazy urge to shop towards the end of the year. I've had my eyes on the Chateau Labiotte Wine Lip Tint from quite some time now. But they were priced insanely. So I did the next best thing & got dupes of the same. I have bought & used a lot of ADS products in the past  & been sufficiently impressed by them. When I saw these on Amazon I didn't think twice & ordered immediately. Buyers remorse? No way! These are freaking amazing.

I initially bought it because I loved the bottle but the product inside is equally good. They last a good 6 hours on my lips including meals. I've not kept them on for more than 6 hours at a stretch but something tells me these would last forever. With a lip balm underneath, these are comfortable & don't dry out your lips like the horrible Incolor Matte Me ones. The colour selection is great too- very fall appropriate.

INR 365 for 6 lip tints of 8 ml each

Colours starting from bottom upwards

18 - This one's a dark vampy colour. Will go very well with fall & winter.

02 - A beautiful magenta

13- This one's a red veering towards orange.

08-This is a pretty plum colour

15 -A classic, bright red

01 - This one's a bright, happy coral

ADS Wine Lip Gloss comes with a regular doe- foot applicator & gives opaque, even coverage in a single swipe. I'm mighty impressed! Shade 01 is the lightest colour of the entire lot & seems a bit more sheer in the swatch but goes on full power on the lips. As with all matte lip colours you need a good oil- based makeup remover to get rid of it. A plain old cleansing milk will just not do.

Yays

Pretty colours & prettier bottles.

They apply smoothly & last forever. There is no fading whatsoever.

Value for money

Nays

Smells a bit chemically when first applied but the scent fades away within seconds

If you cannot tell yet, I'm madly in love with these. Go for it!