How Luxurious Can Nude Lips Be? Too Faced Lip of Luxury Review

In my constant quest for the perfect lipstick, I came across the Too Faced Lip of Luxury line of lipsticks. These lipsticks claim to be champagne-infused, creamy, shiny lipcolors that help smoothen the appearance of fine lines in the lips. This lipstick had me at hello the shiny diamond-like stone on the top of the lipstick cap:

The shade I tried is called Totally Nude. It's actually a shade darker than nude, which I think makes it more wearable, especially if you don't like the super nude, lips-blending-in-with-skin lip colors. This is especially nice for darker-skinned beauties because it won't wash you out.

  swatch of Totally Nude

The shade is almost that perfect balance of brown and pink, neither tone being overpowering. On me, it has that my-lips-but-better look:

Totally Nude on lips

So what about the formula? It is creamy and moisturizing, but not as much as the MAC cremesheen formula lipsticks. I don't think it helped minimize the appearance of the lines in my lips, but my lips did feel nice and moist. As far as staying power, I did get a good 3 hours of wear, until I drank coffee and ate, after which I did have to reapply, but then again that happens with any lipstick I wear. Overall, the formula is nice, but I prefer the MAC lipsticks because of the formula, color range, and price tag.

Kajal Couture Overall Rating: B

Have you tried this line? What do you recommend from Too Faced?

Halloween Makeup Kits

I know I have been a bit MIA this past week, but I was out of town for a few days and have just been busy with work and life, and getting over a cold. This week is Halloween week. I know tons of other bloggers and people who absolutely love Halloween and all the fun and ghouls it entails, but honestly, I am just not a Halloween person. Yes, I love dressing up and I love fun, costume makeup, but I refuse to spend tons of money on an outfit that will be worn for a few hours of my life, especially one that shows more skin than a Dancing With the Stars outfit. That, and I feel like Halloween is always so hyped up, and it never is as fun as it is made out to be.

So what am I doing this year? I am going to a party, wearing an old devil's costume from previous years (one that covers my arms and legs), and not having any expectations.

That being said, I wanted to let you know about fun Halloween makeup kits I saw at Sephora last week. With the Friends and Family sale going one now, it is a great time to pick one up! They have ones for Vampires, Devils, Cats, and more!

What are you doing for Halloween?

Sephora Friends and Family

Hello friend! The Sephora Friends and Family sale has started! Yippee!!! 

All the info is in the image above. I'll probably get some skin care and a few holiday makeup sets. What about you? And don't forget to use Ebates! Log in to Ebates first, then click on their link to Sephora in order to earn cash back on whatever you spend at Sephora! Want to learn more? Click here.

Finished!!

Why is it that products seem to run out at the same time? In a matter of 2 days, 3 of my daily use products finished:

1. Victoria's Secret Hand and Body Cream in Mango Temptation - I used VS lotions all the time and since I use them on my body, I already know they won't last forever. This one was a gift and I don't think I will repurchase this fragrance, as it was more fruity than I prefer, but I will definitely continue with my fave scents Love Spell and Amber Romance. 

2. Korres Ginger and Vitamins Foundation - Yes, I know, you are tired of hearing how much I love this. It just means time to do some Korres shopping!

3. Korres Mango Butter Lipstick in Natural Purple - This lipstick feels like a lip balm but actually provides a bit of color...sort of like a lip tint. It is the creamiest, most moisturizing lip product I have ever used! I actually used this more to moisturize my lips than to add color, the color was just a bonus. And it has SPF 10!! It's not the most long lasting product out there, but definitely the most moisturizing lipstick I have ever come across! I will definitely repurchase and perhaps try out some other shades. Oooh...and if you are interested, they usually have great sets of these lipsticks for the holidays! 

What products are you constantly repurchasing?

Fall Home Scents and Where Do You Put Your Pajamas?

I love candles. Candles used for decor, candles used for fragrance, candlelight dinners, and even the little oil-burners (well, there is usually a tea-light candle in there, right?).

So it won't come as a surprise that come fall, I find myself wanting to burn those little wicks buried inside of wax molds infused with the heartwarming scents of pumpkin, cinnamon, cookies, and even mint chocolate chip. Mint chocolate chip, you ask? Yes!

This is one of my recent finds at Bath and Body Works! Oooh I love that store! They have the most amazing selection of candles (and scented oils) including Homemade Cookies, Fireside, Holly Wreath, Vanilla Caramel....and tons more! I HIGHLY recommend checking out the selection before these limited seasonal fragrances disappear. They even have the cutest plug-in air fresheners!

If you have been following me for awhile, you know I recently moved, so naturally I have been a bit obsessed with home decor (another reason I went nuts for the candles). Since the hubby and I live in the city, and like most city apartments (think NYC), our place has no storage. Zip. Zilch. Nada. I have resorted to finding creative home storage solutions and one of my best finds was this over-the-door hook:

I found this at Home Goods....another new favorite store...and it was only $7.99!!! As you can see, there are 10 hooks....yup, 10!! Ok, I know I am overly excited but I saw these types of hooks at a few stores before getting this one, and they all had less than 10 hooks, and cost way more than $7.99! In any case, I really needed a place to store my pajamas, since I usually wear them a couple times before washing, and this was the best solution for me.

What are your fave home storage solutions? Where do you keep your PJs if you wear them more than once?

Are you stylish?

Are you looking for a great Indian outfit to attend a Diwali party or other event? Or perhaps just looking for a Bollywood outfit for Holloween? Well, I've got you covered!!

Head on over to Stylish Desi for all your Indian clothing needs. The term "Desi" stands for Indian, and this site was actually started by one of my good friends. They sell new and pre-owned Indian ethnic wear. So whether you are looking to buy a new outfit, or sell a fantastic outfit you don't want to wear again, it's a great site to browse through and do a little shopping. I also love reading their blog!

Let me know if you find anything you like!! Happy shopping!!

Sushmita Sen Bridal Makeup Breakdown

Even though I already had my dream wedding, I am still mesmerized by bridal wear and love seeing the latest bridal collections from the top Indian designers. (Ok, so please tell me I'm not the only one who does stuff like this!?) 

So as I was browsing through designer Vikram Phadnis's bridal collection from earlier this year, I couldn't help but notice how gorgeous actress Sushmita Sen was looking as she strutted down the runway:

Even her makeup was impeccable....very appropriate for a bridal look and very age appropriate:

Sephora Smoothing Primer Review

I have been on a primer roll lately and have been trying out various face primers. Here is one I was trying out last week:

This is Sephora's Smoothing Primer for the face. For the record, I have not loved anything I have tried from the Sephora brand, even though thousands of people swear by their products. I think Sephora is a great store, but they should stick to carrying other brands instead of trying to produce cheaper versions. I did not change my mind after using this product.

The Pros: This is a silicon-based primer (that may be a CON for some of you), so it has that smooth, silky feeling to it. It is non-sticky and a little goes a long way. In terms of efficacy, this does provide a matte finish to the skin and any foundation or powder worn on top of the primer.

The Cons: This product sits on the skin instead of getting absorbed. Thus, after applying my foundation to this, I find that the foundation sort of slides around. I have to blend the foundation a little more than usual in order to get a smooth, even layer of foundation on my skin. Also, this primer did not help diminish the appearance of fine lines or help reduce pore size. 

This primer also does not have SPF, which is good for photography, but bad for daily use.

Kajal Couture Rating: C-

Overall, I couldn't understand why this product had such a high rating on the Sephora website. It didn't work for me at all. Have you tried this?