I don't have a whole lot of bronzers & I'm so glad this category is more manageable 

SFR Color Baked Bronzer Pro Glow #1

* Love this, provides a subtle glow which you can build up. 

* No chunky glitter, very finely milled shimmer

* Love the swirly pattern

 * Packaging is great, does not feel cheap or plasticky

* Very faint smell, nothing disturbing

Mars Glow Highlighter Liquid in #7

Very subtle glow, no chunky glitter. I can even use it as a highlighter when I'm tanned. With 15 ml of product I don't think I'll ever reach the bottom of this bottle.

Monthly Empties - November 2020

 So happy to finally finish some long standing products from my stash 

Alps Goodness Mulberry & Rose Face Wash

INR 99 for 100 ml

I could have sworn this was a rose pink colour when I bought it. It seems to have deteriorated into a milky cream colour somewhere along the way. Alps Goodness's products are okayish, nothing to write home about. They do the job. However my main problem with them is the severe posturing, the trying to be "look, I just descended from the alps" thing. I hate it that ALL products have Swiss/German names when it's a home grown brand manufactured somewhere near Mumbai. What gives? 

O'range Menthol & Eucalyptus Shower Gel

INR 135 for 250 ml

I love the scent of this. Will probably be repurchasing after I finish all the shower gels in my kitty. 

Gokul Santol Pure Sandalwood Soap

INR 35 for 75 gm

Something I bought to qualify for free shipping on Amazon & have regretted ever since. I think I have one more of this. 

Parachute Coco Aloe Gel

INR 50 for 50 ml

Average product. Got this as a gift with purchase. 

Amor Amor by Cacherel

30 ml

I'd bought this on my first trip abroad when I was going through a 70's phase + Cacherel was not available in India back then. Once home I realized that the perfume was too mature for me. Now 10 years down the line I still think it's too mature for me. Anyway managed to finish it within the year. 

This is the third perfume I've finished using up this year & I couldn't be more proud. 

Fiama Shampoo 30 ml

More from the hotel stash 

Tresemme Shampoo sachets X 4

INR 3 each

Getting rid of the sachets. That's the last of them

Discards

MN Curl Fix Mascara

Dried out completely 

Huda Beauty Eyeliner

This one too. Hadn't used it in a while 

Virgin Italy Eyebrow Pencil

Super hard texture + I don't even fill my eyebrows regularly

That's it for November. Have you finished any "I will not die" products? 

Makeup Inventory 2020 - Blushes

 Next stop, blushes. In all my years of using makeup I've never been more scared of any product than blush. It's taken years for me to finally be able to wear it outdoors. Bit of a personal battle. Let's start 

ADS Magic Blusher Shade 2

This is my oldest blush palette. It has a nice shimmery finish & because of that I hardly ever reach clown cheeks stage. Also the colours are pretty unique for something so cheap. 

Mars 5 Color Blush

I bought this because I loved the packaging and have a similar contour palettte as well. Supremely pigmented, you barely need a smidgen. 

Mars 5 Color Blusher Palette Shade 2

16 gm

Again superb pigmentation. Hard not to go overboard

SFR Color Flower Blusher 01

10 gm

How gorgeous is this! Made up of mostly pale, barely there shades; it works great as an everyday blush. 10 freaking grams of it! I don't think I'll ever make a dent on it. 

Faces Mineral Blush in Pink Topaz 

6 gm

An old favourite, a pretty coral 

Maybelline Cheeky Glow in Creamy Cinnamon 

7gm

Another favourite especially now that I'm over pink blushes in general 

Faces Cream Blush in Peach Glow

3.5 gm

I love this colour - neither orange nor peach but just right 

SFR Color Blusher in Naked Apricot

4 gm 

Slightly more deeper than the Maybelline one. I would highly recommend that you get it. The cute, magnetic packaging is a definite plus

Mars Glow Highlighter Liquid in 5

15 ml

Nice & glowy. The glitter is a bit much for my liking but I still make it work. 

P. S : The lighting is all over the place but please bear with me 

Makeup Inventory 2020 - Eyeliners

 Almost done with my inventory. Listing all my eyeliners today 

Hang Ling Liquid 

I only bought this for the packaging. Super cute. This is also the only eyeliner I have that has a stick applicator. 

Insight Waterproof Eyeliner

Decent enough. I like the fact that it has a long brush handle which makes it easier to apply. It stays shiny and does not dry down to a matte finish. 

Zovi Waterproof Eyeliner

I love this colour. Dries down matte and stays put forever 

Kiss Beauty Sequins Liquid Glitter Eyeliner

This one feels nice and expensive. Looks pretty on its own but can even be applied all over the lid for a sheer glittery finish. 

ADS Star Printing Eyeliner Pen

The pigmentation is not that good but I bought it only for the star print side of it. Okayish. 

Yanqina Eyeliner Pen

Wow! Super pigmented and stays put through anything 

Maliao Super Liner

Again a wow product 

Maybelline HyperGlossy Liquid Liner

Good old golden liner

ADS Cushion Gel Liner

Wow & a half. This one deserves a separate review 

ADS Pro Eyeliner ner Gel + Powder

Again a great product 

Castillo Eyeliner in Black, Brown, Gold, Teal, Grey & Taupe

I love these, they can be used on the waterline as well. 

Miss Claire Glimmersticks

A lovely colour. Doesn't stay put for a long time especially in the waterline

Phew! If I do the blushes next I'll be done

Highlighter Inventory 2020

 For someone with oily skin I have an unhealthy amount of highlighter. In the summer months my skin pretty much produces its own highlighter and I only use these in the colder months. Let's begin 

Essence Sun Club Brunettes

4 £ for 11 gm

This was the first highlighter I ever bought. I still like using this underneath my blush for a subtle glow. 

Hilary Rhoda Highlighter Palette 

INR 350

I received this in a damaged state & this is probably the only way I'll ever be able to hit pan on anything. Decent quality 

SFR Color Glow Nude Highlighter Palette in #1

INR 99 for 10.82 gm

Cream highlighters which are easier to use if you have drier skin. I like applying this on my collarbones. 

ADS Pro Illuminator Makeup Base

INR 200 for 30 ml

Strictly not for the face. Has chunky glitter so can be used on the body. 

SFR Color HD Liquid Illuminator in #02 

INR 99 for 15 gm

Love this one. Pretty pinkish champagne colour which looks incredible when used beneath foundation. 

Swiss Beauty Glam Stick in Gold Stick

INR 200 

The packaging on this thing - looks premium. A tad too golden for my liking. Again for my collarbones. 

Mars Glow Highlighter Liquid in #3

15 ml (I bought a set of 3 for around 300 bucks) 

I love the white golden sheen this one provides. It dries super fast so you need to work quickly with this one. 

4 loose shimmer powders in gold, silver, copper & bronze shades

(Don't know the quantity of product. I bought 12 for INR 200) 

This was part of a dozen loose pigments I bought from Flipkart. These are perfect as highlighters & would suit any skin tone. 

Makeup Inventory 2020 - Kajals

 It was only after I clicked the pictures that I realised that I haven't included not 1,not 2 but 3 kajals from my stash! Anyway here goes

ADS Kajal

The cheapest & most pigmented of them all. ADS is hell bent on copying ALL of The Balm products. 

Blue Heaven Soft Kajal Eyeliner

INR 125 for 0.31 gm

Decent enough 

Lakme Glide on Eye Colour

1.2 gm

No pigmentation at all. I like to layer it on top of black kajal 

Maliao Intense Gel Kajal

Insane pigmentation on this one. Love! 

Faces Long Wear Eye Pencil

Pretty ancient & turns out has completely dried out. Into the bin

Streetwear Kajal

Poor pigmentation & feels harsh. Binning this one. 

Vlcc Kajal

INR 55 for 1 gm

Got it as a free gift with something I bought. Regular pigmentation but smudges like crazy. I only use it as a base for doing smokey eyes.

The one's I missed out on

Coloressence Kajal

Again a free gift. I love the packaging (looks like a lipstick)

Elle 18 Kajal

The one I'm currently trying to use up. Pretty good

Mars Soft Eyeliner Pencil in White

Super soft & extremely pigmented. I don't use this often enough. Am I the only one who thinks white in your lower water line looks super scary? 

6 coloured kajals from Me Now - Royal blue, turquoise, emerald green, neon green, brown & black

I love using these. They can even be used as a base for eyeshadows 

OK, all done. 

September & October 2020 Empties

 OK, so Diwali is done. I have eaten all the sweets I can manage, the stomach has calmed. Time to focus on the empties and realize that I haven't posted in 2 months. 

September Empties 

Nivea Milk Delights Face Wash

INR 165 for 100 ml

I want to like this one. Feels gentle on the skin for upto 30-40 seconds after which there is a burning sensation. Since I always follow the 60 second rule while washing my face, it burns my skin every single time I use it. Also I loved the teardrop shape of the bottle until I reached the bottom. There was no way to make this one stand upside down to get at all the product at the bottom. Not repurchasing. 

Ayur Deep Pore Cleansing Milk

INR 230 for 1 litre

I have been using this one for well over 20 years now. Sasta, sundar, tikaoo. Always keep circling back to this one. Micellar water's got nothing on you! 

Parachute Body Lotion

INR 199 for 250 ml

Decent enough. Not repurchasing because I want to try other variants. 

Random Hotel Shower Gels X2

I have an entire army of these & while they don't take up too much space, I get anxiety attacks just looking at them. Will try & use up as many as possible by end of year. 

Decluttering 

Island Kiss Foxy Red Head Lip Moisturiser Stain

INR 399 for 14 gm

Bought this one on a whim. The colour is intense but it's not moisturising enough & I'm SO over shiny lip stains. It's organic & all that jazz if you are interested. Fun Fact(trying to imitate Sheldon): Did you know that this is manufactured by the same company that makes Astaberry skincare products? I just cannot imagine an affordable skincare firm making such an expensive lip stain. Can you?

October

Vaadi Herbals Enchanting Rose Soap X2

INR 46 for 75 gm

I hated the attar type smell of this one. Glad to see it gone. 

Acetone

INR 115 for 400 ml 

My Man Friday. Can get rid of the most stubborn glitters in a single flick. 

Good Vibes Rose Hip Face Serum

INR 215 for 10 ml

I actually love this one(surprise, surprise). It moisturises well without making my skin greasy despite containing oil. Just might repurchase 

Lux Jasmine Bloom Soap

INR 5 for 29 gm

More from the hotel stash. 

Tresemme Shampoo

INR 3 for 7.5 ml

Getting rid of sachets as well

Fiama Shampoo

Fiama Conditioner X2

Fiama Body Lotion

Hotel stash going down, mood going up. Let's see how much I can get rid of by end of the year.

Foreo Luna Dupe Review

 I've been lemming after the Foreo Luna from at least 5 years now. But as a vetran skincare enthusiast I've bought various other face cleaning brushes or their dupes like the Clarissonic Mia & Neutrogena Wave to name a few. While some didn't particularly work wonders others just left a bitter taste & a vague sense of regret. I wanted to be sure that this one worked as well as claimed & not just immediately but even a couple of years from now. In my quest I have devoured every single review of the product that I could lay my hands on. But even with the continuous positive reviews I balked at the super high price tag. Since I've been using affordable, cheaper makeup products from sometime with no negative impact I started thinking just how bad could a dupe of the Foreo be. After some research I zeroed in on Aliexpress & bought this product. 

I've been using it since the last year and a half & I think time is ripe for a review. The product is simply called Silicone Electric Facial Cleanser & the model I picked up is called J1. It retails for 450 INR with free shipping which I thought was decent even if the product turns out to be a dud. It comes with a charger & an instruction manual. One side has the silicone brush to wash your face & the other side has concentric circles which can be used to massage. One definite improvement over the original design is that it comes with a tiny stopper to close the charging point while using. My overactive imagination always seemed to think that it was a disaster waiting to happen with a open charging point & water. Also it hardly makes any noise while using - just a dull hum. 

In the first month of usage I only used this on alternate nights so my skin could get used to it. I was pleasantly surprised with how well it cleaned my skin, especially my neck where tiny amounts of makeup remain despite double cleansing. After the first month I used it once everyday for 6 months straight & I didn't have to charge it even once. I could notice a clear difference after just 10 days of using it. Not only was my face cleaner, the blackheads on my nose disappeared and my skin was glowing like it had been freshly exfoliated. I was impressed & continued using it.

After 6-8 months, I realised that my skin was breaking out a lot more. And the pimples were not healing in 3, 5 or even 10 days. They wouldn't come to a head or even be treated with benzyl peroxide or tea tree oil or boroline! I was naturally worried & started researching some more. Apparently such stubborn pimples that don't want to leave your skin are a side-effect of over exfoliation. Who knew! I stopped using the face cleaning machine & even routine exfoliation until the pimples healed (which took forever)

Fast forward to 6 more months - I continue to use it but sparingly. Also I steer clear if I have even 1 tiny pimple. I'm in my mid 30's and I think twice in about a week to 10 days is sufficient. I love the way my skin feels post usage but also realize that it's not for daily use. I don't think anyone needs that kind of industrial strength exfoliation on a daily basis. On the days that I'm not using it I wash my face using the 60 second rule. My skin feels as clean as it does when I use the machine. 

Yays

Cleans skin really well.

Can be used to massage oil/cream on face as well.

One charge lasts you forever.

Cost effective. 

Nays

Not for daily use & definitely not twice in a day. I wish this was mentioned somewhere.

Mascara Inventory 2020

 Completely forgot I was doing this series ;let's just blame 2020. Anyway here goes my list of mascaras. I have 3 currently but I'm actively using only the Maybelline one. Let's start 

Maybelline Collosal Waterproof Mascara

Bought this from Amazon and I can't get rid of the niggling feeling that it is a fake. I have used several tubes of this mascara but something about this one feels off. I can't quite put my finger on it but something doesn't add up. Almost done. 

Kiss Beauty Telescopic Waterproof Mascara

I've been buying super affordable (read cheap) makeup from a few years now. While I simply LOVE all the colour cosmetics(lipsticks, eyeshadows, blush, nail paints) the one area I'm consistently disappointed with is mascaras. Yet to use. Fingers crossed. 

MN Curl Fix Mascara

Bought this a while back but it's completely dried out. Into the bin

MN Eyebrow Pencil in Brown & Black

I rarely use eyebrow pencils & didn't have any at all. These ones came free with the MN mascara. Since I don't have any it didn't make sense to create a separate category ; I'll just list it down here.

As always, reccos are welcome. Cheers