Be Talk: KIKO Makeup Milano review series

Hola Amigos!!

The Christmas holidays are the best season of the year for people like me who like nothing better than wrapping themselves up in a warm blanket, grab a warm mug of hot chocolate and a plate of brownies and chatter away the cozy time with real and virtual friends!

Okay-so this time I decided to tell my makeup lover gang of girlies about a brand which has kept me smitten for about a year! It has a cute name- KIKO- one you can easily remember and certainly would not forget once you use any of its products !

 

THE BRAND

KIKO MAKE UP MILANO was established and founded in 1997 by an Italian professional cosmetics brand that features a range of cutting-edge makeup, face and body treatments. Safe and effective products of the highest quality, created to satisfy the beauty requirements of women, and even men, of any age.

KIKO's identity is rooted in "Made in Italy" values and the world of the capital for fashion, art and design. The research into original textures and colours is combined with research into quality formulas with guaranteed performance, for a perfect fusion of quality and creativity.

The result of cutting-edge scientific discoveries and the latest fashion trends, KIKO continuously renews itself with products that are always new and closer to the multiple ideals of beauty.

Me-Talk

To me-KIKO stores are wonderlands of wonderful makeup products available at dreamy prices of below 10 Euros! Yes, in Europe, products from almost all major brands- Maybelline, L'Oreal, Max Factor and higher above, start from 8 Euros (except some nail paints maybe). In the world of KIKO, everything costs between 2-15 Euros!! KIKO stores themselves look like dreamlands-such as these..

  

KIKO foundation and blushes

  

KIKO nailpaints

KIKO eyeshadows

KIKO stores actually look like a rainbow gallery!!

Sowww- in the coming weeks, the smitten-me will be reviewing one after another the following KIKO lovelies and share my experience with you all!

KIKO Luscious cream lipstick

KIKO Velvette Matte lipstick

KIKO peeling face mask

KIKO purifying mask

                                                                                                         and many more!!!

Stay tuned!!!

Image sources: 

kikocosmetics.co.uk
fabtips.co.uk
milabyc.com
fightingfifty.co.uk

 

Be Talk: Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Gel Foundation

Product Name: Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Gel Foundation

Quantity: 30 ml

Price: 19 Euros

Shade: No. 56

If there is one makeup accessory I go crazy over..its foundation. May be the craze started back in those days when i used to buy wrong shades-one worse than another and my quest to find the perfect foundation had begun that way. Although now I have already found my holy grail foundation - the Maybelline dream satin liquid foundation-my knack for pouncing on more foundation hasn't changed. That's how i found the Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum foundation-apparently when I had no plans of buying one :D

What the Bourjois website says about this foundation:
 Give your skin a radiance boost with Bourjois’ Healthy Mix Serum Gel foundation – made from a vitamin-rich fruit therapy formula for an even complexion and an instant anti-fatigue result!

Its fresh and instant blending gel texture blends and glides onto the skin for an even, natural finish with no mask effect. Imperfections are erased, signs of fatigue are smoothed and the skin’s radiance is boosted for up to 16 hours*. Made from an instant anti-fatigue vitamin-rich fruit therapy formula with litchi, goji berries and pomegranates. Available in 6 radiance-boosting shades.

69% more radiance after 4 weeks of use. Hypoallergenic, lets skin breathe. Dermatologically tested
 

Do notice the smooth and flawless coverage!

Me Talk:I would say-my luck was well struck when I bought this foundation for 19 Euros. The shade matches my skin tone to the T. It stays really long-doesnt turn oily , blends perfectly and never breaks me out. That's all one looks for in their foundation, dont they? The quantity-when you consider the quality is ok for the price. It never looks patchy as the blending is easy and therefore wouldnt burn photos. Whats more, there are about 4-5 shade options, which gives you enough scope to find the correct one for your skin tone . 

 
To sum up:
 
Pro Side:
 
1) Creamy liquid texture, blends easily
2) Spreads easily and so easy to blend
3) Stays all day long
4) Light weight formula-gives no heavy feeling
5) Gives very good coverage-and face looks radiant all day.

Cons
 
Availability- couldn't locate any Bourjois store near my place-have to look up online stores

Be Talk: Maybelline 14 hr Lipstick in Always Plum- A Nice-for-Office Shade!

Maybelline 14 hr Lipstick in Always Plum

Price: 525 INR/ 10.85 Eur

The Maybelline 14 Hour lipsticks are a pack of surprises. With colors that many other brands hardly offer, Maybelline does the job of successfully packing ample quality as well. When I visit drugstores here, I never fail to check out the Maybelline deck at least once-and find out what new it has got to offer. 

 

Makeup counters at a typical drugstore in Germany

The Always Plum Lippy description from Maybelline website

Description: I found the shade to be a nice magenta-plum, although it looks kinda vampy-violet from outside the packaging. It turns out to be the perfect matte plum that you sport on your pout in office safely. The staying power of this range is probably one of the best I have used. But like some other lippies of this range which I have found to be not so friendly with dry lips, this lipstick is pretty soft and doesn’t tug at lip lines. But anyway, it is a basic tip to always moisturize lips before wearing any lippy especially matte ones.

Pros. Beautiful shade, very apt for formal wear. Soft texture that doesn’t fell dry on lips. Affordable Price.

 

Cons: Haven’t found one yet!

  My tired FOTD after a working day :D

Rating: 4/5

 

Be Talk : The Body Shop Tea Tree Oil Review

What it is:  The Body Shop Tea Tree Oil 

Quantity: 10ml

Price: 7 Euro

Acne are a girls best friend..saying that would be a cruel joke.aint it? Well, it never leaves you.. comes back again and again..surprises you at the most unexpected times and makes you go crazy!!! Haha :D

We dont like this best friend of ours. As for me, all the sin I do is to use two drops of foundation every day..and in return every week I am rewarded with a new pop up! And it worsens on the weeks I have a meeting with my PhD guides or a presentation. :D :D

I got sort of lucky when i found the body shop tea tree oil. It now accompanies me all year and my makeup kit whenever I am going on trips-where I cannot carry my kitchen of beauty items along with.

This is what the Body Shop website says about its tea tree oil:

 

 

Me Talk:

As I said-while it will be an exaggeration if I say this little bottle has changed my life-I guess I wont go far if I say it is a "genie in a bottle" for me. Trust me it works wonders! No it doesn't vanish pimples/acne/blemishes over night. It starts by reducing the inflammation, then the little mound reduces in size and then within a week of use (every night-a dab on the affected area with a cotton bud), you would see the area to appear as if nothing happened! If you are prone to picking on acne for vengeance- the dark spots would take a while to disappear-I guess that's the time your skin takes to replace the cells- you probably cannot hurry up that department :D I use it at nights before going to sleep and wake up to find that this oil has worked wonders in soothing the acne prone area. And its small size allows you to-like me-carry it with you on trips so that your skincare is not discontinued. 

Pro Side:  

1) Light weight oil formula-good for spot applications

2) Reduces and then cures acne and pimples

3) Travel friendly pack

Down Side

1) Will give a burning sensation when applied-which dies after some time

2) Goes out of stock in 2 weeks after they appear in store! 

Recommendations: 100%

Be Talk: Maybelline 14 Hour Superstay Lipstick "Stay with me coral" : Review and Swatch

Product name: Maybelline Superstay 14 Hour Lipstick

Price: 525 INR, 10.95 Euro


Weight/ Quantity: 33gm


Shade:  Stay with me coral , No. 430

See! even I keep promises! I said that I would post my views on the Maybelline 14 Hr superstay lipstick and here it is !

 

What the Maybelline website says about this Lipstick: 

Meet the 14HR lipstick that won't weigh you down.Super rich color with super staying power. No dragging. No drying. No letdowns at all.

Product Details(From the Maybelline Website)

Why You'll Love It

14HR Lipstick with an ultra-lightweight formula:
• Stays fresh, light, and comfortable
• Super rich color that lasts for 14 hours
• Pigments are enveloped in a longwearing system
• 20 long wearing shades 

For Best Results

Apply your lipcolor by starting in the center of your upper lip. Work from the center to the outer edges of your lip, following the contours of your mouth. Then glide across the entire bottom lip.

Me Talk:

I have mixed opinions about this lipstick. "Stay with me coral" is a soft coral pink with dollops of fluorescence in it.  Nowadays I opt for more formal shades of red and peachy browns rather than bright floral pinks which I used to like as a teenager. Well that rings a bell-yes-this color is very vibrant-one you would expect a 14 year old bubbly girl to happily flaunt in a friend's meet. But yes- this brings a pleasant change to my lipstick collection.

 

I dont like the texture much. From the look of the bullet-the lipstick looks matte. On applying it feels smooth-but not the kind of smoothness you find in a Maybelline Moisture Extreme lipstick. And after application, it feels sticky. 

Then comes the pigmentation. I wouldn't rate it as bad-but the lipstick doesn't deliver color uniformly. One would need at least  3-4 swipes to get the lips uniformly colored. This can cause quite a trouble- since more swipes would make the color look really loud. 

This took at least 5 swipes

And well-about the staying power-the word which highlights this range-I find it good. It survived a dish of lamb curry and garlic naan with raita and lassi (ahemm- my diet would put a dietician on diabetes :D). It faded a bit but stayed put. What I disliked is that it faded in patches. 

Pro Side:

1) Vibrant pink color. Would pep up a dull colored outfit or even a simple black one.

2) Stays put until you remove it with a makeup remover.

Down Side:

1) Lips feel sticky after applying and the stickyness sticks around :D

2) Without 3-4 swipes the color doesnt get uniformly applied. With 3-4 swipes, the color looks screaming loud!

3) Not drying but not moisturizing as well. If you have dry lips- RUN ! In fact my lips felt dry after about half an hour of application.

4) Fragrant like a teen diva's closet ! A con for me and many! If I open the tube in my office -my office mate might ask if I am having a fruit salad :D :D

5) Not really a lightweight formula-it feels sticky and heavy on application.

5) Overpriced for the quality and quantity

 

It looks entirely coral on my lips :/

Overall rating: 60% Buy if you only like the vibrant color and dont have pigmented or dry lips