July Favorites

Last month was all about quick and easy-to-use products because I was so busy and most frequently opted for a simple look rather than a complicated, full face of makeup. Here are the products I kept reaching for:

1. MAC Lipstick in See Sheer - This is the perfect wearable coral lipstick for me. I can wear it with neutral eye looks for a subtle pop of color, or with a smoky eye because it adds a bit of fun to the lips without being in-your-face.

2. MAC Pro Longwear Foundation - I have talked about this a lot before but I continue to love it because it is so easy to wear! It provides medium coverage, blends easily, has a bit of SPF and lasts ALL day long! Who really wants to reapply foundation in the summeritme? Not me. 

3. MAC 130 brush - I have been using this brush every single day. I use it with all formula foundations, even the Pro Long Wear mentioned above. It blends foundation so easily and buffs it in to the skin so your skin looks clean and neat...not cakey. This can also be used with cream blushes and concealers. 

4. Sephora Airbrush Concealer Brush - Another brush I have been using every day. I got this in the Sephora Airbrush Set, which I like, but this is my favorite of the bunch. It does seem kind of big but it so perfect for blending concealer under the eyes. 

5. Bobbi Brown Long Wear Shadow in Beach Bronze - This is just so perfect for summer! I wear it alone as a sheer wash on the lid. It has a bit of sparkle in it so it has some dimension when the light/sun hits it. And not to mention it is just so easy to dab a bit on my finger, swipe it over my lid, and go! 

L-R: Beach Bronze swiped and blended

What are you easy go-to items for summertime?

Illamasqua Eye Liner Cake Review and Sephora Sale

Being the eye liner fiend that I am, I ventured in to the land of Illamasqua (rather, Illamasqua ventured in to me, as this was sent to me) and tried out their Eye Liner Cake in Mislead (aka black). 

Now, I didn't realize what I was getting myself into, so let me warn you before you go out and try this. This liner cake is a pressed powder. You have to either mix it with the Illamasqua Sealing Gel (or other eyeliner activating product) or with water to activate the product and ensure that is long-wearing and acts like a gel liner. Since I don't usually use liner products that require activation (c'mon, who has the time for that?), I didn't have an activator so I used water. I simply wet my liner brush before swiping it in the liner cake.

L-R: One swipe of Illamasqua Mislead, Two swipes of Illamasqua Mislead, One swipe of MAC Blacktrack Fluidline

Quite honestly, I wasn't impressed. On its own, this is like any other black shadow. When mixed with water, its like any other black shadow mixed with water. Sure, it lasted all day, but the pigmentation did not match the intensity of other gel liners nor did it provide a crisp line. 

Kajal Couture Overall Rating: C-

Kajal Couture Overall Opinion: I didn't see any benefit of using this liner over any other gel or cream liner. The pigmentation was poor and it takes more effort to use this vs. most other liners.

On another note, if you haven't already heard, there is a 15% off sale happening now for Sephora Beauty Insiders (BIs). Not a BI? Sign up for free on Sephora's website. Use code CHIC at checkout to get the discount. 

What is your favorite liner? Are you getting anything from the Sephora sale?

Sephora Reward

Hey dolls. It is 65 degrees here in Philadelphia and I really really want to go outside. For those of you who are lucky to not have to go through a real winter, 65 degrees is like heaven when temperatures have been down in the 20s and 30s the past few months. Unfortunately, I have a bad cold and am stuck inside. =( I don't even have the energy to put on or play with makeup right now.

But I can still think about it!

Several months ago I redeemed my Sephora Beauty Insider points for the following Smashbox gift:

It includes mini sizes of the following:

1. Photo Finish face primer

2. Photo Finish lid primer

3. Lip Enhancing Gloss in Pout

4. Artificial Light Luminizing Lotion (highlighting liquid) in Flash

5. Bionic Mascara

I've used the face primer before and I like it, and I like the consistency of Smashbox glosses. I have yet to try the mascara and luminizer. Overall, I think this was one of the best 500 point rewards that Sephora has had in the past. 

Have you tried any of these products? What was your fave Sephora reward gift?

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.

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? 

Summer-Proof Makeup Kits!!

I have really been loving Make Up For Ever (MUFE) lately and I have sooo many products to tell you about. However, life has been so busy that I haven't had time to photograph them for you...but I will definitely let you in on my faves during the next couple weeks.

In any case, I saw the most amazing kit while browsing the Sephora website:

My Favorite Crease Brushes

Crease brushes are something I absolutely cannot live without. I use them for just about everything! I could probably use only crease brushes for an entire makeup application, except that foundation and powder would take for-eee-ver.

Here are a few of my favorites:

1 - Stila #9 brush - This is very similar to the MAC 224, but the bristles are just a tad longer. It is also very fluffy so it is great for blending out colors on the eyelid or browbone. The handle is a bit longer than the MAC 224 but doesn't make much of a difference to me.

2 - MAC 224 - This is the classic crease and blending brush that so many people recommend. It can be a bit too big and dense for a precise crease application, but is still great for blending colors, especially for a neutral eye. I also like keeping a couple clean (w/ no color) ones for clean up or blending out edges. Overall, this is a brush that everyone needs and I highly recommend.

3 - MAC 222 - This is a great brush for applying color to the crease. The brush head is narrower than the MAC 224 so you can get a precise application of color. The bristles are longer than the MAC 224 but I don't find that as an inconvenience. (Have you noticed I compare everything to the 224....tells you how much I love that brush!!) The one thing I don't like about this brush is that the bristles are white. I do clean my brushes well, but I don't like how dirty white brushes look and how easily they can get stained.

4 - This is a Sephora crease brush from the Platinum Brush Collection. I really really really like this one. It is the perfect amount of denseness and fullness for both a precise color application and also for blending. The height of the bristles is perfect, the bristles are colored and not white, and I do like the shape of the handle because it is easy on the hands.

5 - MAC 226 - Another great one from MAC that I think everyone needs to have. Unfortunately this is a limited edition brush, but has been released a couple times and I hope they make it permanent. The pointy brush head makes it great for really defining the crease and highlighting the inner corner of the eye, but the bristles at the base of the brush are full so you can get a pretty good blend. This is a must-have in my book.

In addition to applying eye color, I love using crease brushes for applying concealer to the under eye area. I find that concealer brushes are sometimes too rigid and can tug at the skin a bit. Crease brushes, especially like the MAC 226, fit perfectly in the inner eye area and are great for blending, without tugging at the delicate skin under the eye. I also love crease brushes for cleaning up or softening up edges of color.

What are your favorite crease brushes?

Benefit Lust Dusters - Amazing Deal for A Set of 3 Pigments!!

Once again I stumbled upon a great deal and just had to tell somebody....YOU!!! =)

Right now Sephora's Weekly Special is a trio of Benefit Lust Dusters that is selling for only $10!! Lust dusters are loose pigments and normally retail for $18 a piece on the Benefit website. All 3 of the pots that come in this trio are full size, so you are getting a $54 deal for only $10!! They have two different color selections:

The first contains: Snow Bunny, Goldilocks, and Nugget:
The second one contains GoGo Girl, Big Daddy, and Moon Doggie.
You can use these as shadows, blush (though probably not the green one), highlighters, mixed with lotion or dry for body shimmer. I warn you though, I have not used these before so I am not sure how good they are, but for $10 they are worth a shot!

Whether or not you love loose pigments, have been wanting to try out loose powder colors, are a Benefit fan, or simply looking for a great, affordable holiday present, I highly recommend checking these out. They will definitely sell out so get yours quick!

Oh, and remember to use Ebates for all your Sephora online shopping needs! They are offering 8% cash back right now for shopping on Sephora.com. I did a run down of how Ebates works here.

Sephora 20% OFF F&F Plus an Extra 4% OFF!!!

Good morning sunshines! The Sephora Friends & Family sale starts today......wooohooo!!! Although it's only for those in the US....booooo. For my international readers, I feel your pain because I know there are so many European and Asian products that I have been wanting to try and they aren't even available here, let alone discounted.....but so is life.

So before I get to my recommendations, I just want to let you in on a little secret (don't you just love secrets....hehe). The Sephora F&F sale is for 20% anything online when you use the code FF2009.

The sale is only in-store if you are lucky enough to know a Sephora employee who will give you an in-store coupon. But what I am about to share with you will save you an extra 4%!! That's like getting everything at 3/4 of the original price...yay sales!!

So how do you save this wonderful 4%? It's through an online portal called Ebates. You simply register for an account, which is free, and then in their list of online shopping stores, you find the shop you want to shop at, i.e. Sephora, click on the store's link to start shopping, and the site will direct you to Sephora's site. Then you just shop as you normally would. The way it works is that when you click on Sephora's site through the Ebates site, there is a special tracking number that tracks your account. When you check out, Ebates tracks how much you spend, and they add a percentage of what you bought (in Sephora's case its 4%) into your Ebates account. Once a quarter (every 3 months) Ebates will automatically mail you a check, but you have to have at least $5 in your account. If you have less than $5, Ebates will wait till you accumulate $5, then mail you your check.

Ok, so my skeptics out there are wondering, is this for real? YES!!! I have been using Ebates for over a year, and like clockwork, every few months I get my check! They don't sell your email address or anything, there is no spam, no hidden weird things! They help online shops with their sales, and in return, we customers reap the benefits!

One more thing, when you register for your Ebates account, there is a field that asks if you were referred by someone. If you type in my email address kajalcouture@gmail.com then you will get an extra $5 in your account after making your first purchase with Ebates. Free 5 bucks is free 5 bucks! Gotta love it! There are TONS of online stores listed on Ebates, so I highly recommend using the site for your online shopping needs.

So now to my Sephora recommendations. I have been reviewing a few products over the past week, but in case you have extra money to burn (ok ok so thats wishful thinking) and want some ideas for what to get, here are some products I recommend, in no particular order:

1. Ole Hendrikson Three Little Wonders kit - I reviewed the serum here, and I recently tried samples of the 2 moisturizers and I am in luh-uhv...they totally cured the dry patches around my nose within 1 week!
2. Philosophy Purity made simple - check out my review here
3. Philosophy Hope in a Jar or any of the sets that include Hope in a Jar (I'm thinking the Makeup Optional sets, especially since they have different ones for each skin type)
4. Urban Decay Book of Shadows or any of their 24/7 eyeliner sets
5. Urban Decay Box of Potions - check out my review here
6. Anything by DERMADoctor - I reviewed their sweat wipes here, but I have also tried a couple other products, and I have so much faith DERMADoctor products actually do what they say. One of my recommendations, thought I haven't tried it, would be the POETRY in Lotion, because it contains Retinol, which I think is the best treatment for acne and aging
7. The Clarisonic skin care brush - a great deal at 24% off, and it is the best thing I have done for my skin in the past year
8. Holiday sets - they are already a good price and its rare to get an additional 24% discount so I highly recommend getting your holiday shopping done now
9. Anything else that floats your boat!!! =)

So what are you planning to get? I am going to get the Ole Hendrikson set, maybe some Philosophy skin care, and perhaps a holiday set or 2.

Urban Decay Box of Potions Review

Hey there all! I really wanted to get this post done before Sunday, when the Sephora Friends and Family sale starts, because I think this is a great deal. Pictured below is the Urban Decay Box of Potions that contains their best selling Eyeshadow Primer Potion (also knows as UDPP), and their 4 newest primers:

- 1 oz Complexion Primer Potion - Brightening

- 1 oz Complexion Primer Potion - Pore Perfecting

- 0.3 oz Eyelash Primer Potion

- 0.07 oz Lip Primer Potion SPF 15

This set is already a fabulous deal because all the primers are FULL size, and this set is only $65, and the value of the entire set is $114. Ahhh, this speaks to my cheap heart...

So I tried all the primers except the eyelash one, and I can say that most of them are hits. The eyeshadow primer potion is fabulous, makes your eyeshadow LAST and LAST. It is a cult fave so you probably know all about it. If you look at the pic above, you will see that the wand is bent, which is a new feature to this primer. I think Urban Decay got lots of complaints that the packaging makes it hard to get all the product out, and instead of changing the packaging, they redesigned the wand so you can dig out more product. Hey, I guess that much improvement is better than nothing, right? =)

I tried both the face primers, and I was most excited about the pore perfecting one, because my pores are giii-normous, but I actually ended up liking the brightening one better. The tubes seem small, but are quite large:

I use just a dab to cover my whole face. Actually, the amount shown below was too much, I only needed about half to 3/4 of that much to cover my face and neck.

The one pictured above is the pore perfecting one, but the brightening one looks similar and I use the same amount. I apply to moisturized skin, before applying my makeup. The pore perfecting primer is a bit thicker and I can actually feel it on my face. Both have silica but the pore perfecting formula makes it feel heavier and I can tell that I am putting a veil of product on my skin. Once I got past that, and applied foundation, the primer really did make a difference! I don't think it shrinks pores, but it makes the pores less apparent, which is the point of the primer. It also make my makeup last through the night.

The brightening face primer felt a lot nicer on the skin. It is light and feels like moisturizer. Once it dries and absorbs, I can't tell that I am wearing the primer. I felt that this one did actually make my skin a bit brighter and a little lighter. Not light, as in my foundation wouldn't match, but just a tad...perhaps lightness is my measurement of brightness? In any case, this primer also made my face makeup last longer than without a primer.

I am a bit biased towards the brightening face primer, if only because of the feeling on the skin, but I know I will use both and they both give great results.

I also tried the lip primer:

This baby looks nude colored in the tube, but really does not give off much color. I tried to swatch it on my hand, but the swatch was not visible so I did not bother posting it. If you have really pigmented lips, it might neutralize the color just a shade or so, but will not erase the color like a lip erase or concealer will.

My expectation with this primer was that my lipcolor would last longer. Unfortunately this was not the case. I tried it both with lipstick and with lipgloss, using primer on only half my lips and no primer on half my lips. The end result was that I had the same amount of fading on both sides. There are two things that I do like about the primer:

1. It has SPF, and I find that most lipsticks and glosses don't

2. It moisturized my lips.

After my lipstick starts to fade, I usually get that dry, crackling look if I don't keep reapplying the lipcolor. With this primer, my lips did not get dry and crackly. They felt moisturized and the lipcolor faded evenly. Would I buy this again? Probably not, but I will definitely use it up, and I don't feel guilty about having it because I got such a good deal on the set.

Overall, if you have been considering getting 2 or more of these primers, that I recommend getting this set. Especially if you want to try the face primers, since those retail at $30. Plus, if you get this during the Sephora F&F sale next week, the whole set will cost you $52, which is a mega steal!

In other news, I am super exhausted and this may not be the best written post, but I just wanted to get it up since I won't have time tomorrow to even touch my computer. Tomorrow (Oct 17) is Diwali, which is the Indian equivalent to Christmas. It is the most celebrated holiday in India because we consider it to be our New Year. In India, businesses and schools are closed for about 2 weeks, and people celebrate like crazy! The streets are decorated with flowers and colorful garlands, households cook for several weeks prior to Diwali to prepare special sweet and savory goodies, everyone is in the street doing fireworks till the wee hours of the morning, and the whole country is in a festive spirit. I was lucky enough to be in India during Diwali a few years ago and I had the time of my life! I always get a little sad when I am home here in the US because it just doesn't feel like Diwali without all the fun and merriment. However, my family and I do try and have a Diwali party at our house so the party is tomorrow evening and my mom and I have been cooking all week to get ready, which is why I am so tired right now. That being said, I am really excited to see all our family and friends and just enjoy this special time. =) Diwali is definitely my favorite holiday....what's yours?

Please let me know how you guys are doing! I'm anxious to find out what you are lemming right now.

Current Addictions Available at Sephora

In preparation for Sephora Friends and Family 20% off sale that starts next week, I figured I would do a few posts this week about some products that I am obsessing about right now that are available at Sephora. The first is a product that I am in luh-uhv with:
Philosophy's Purity Made Simple is a one-step facial cleanser that washes away your day to leave pure, clean, soft skin. It is a milky, pH-balanced cleanser that works on all skin types without stripping your skin of its natural oils, while washing away every last bit of makeup. I do like to use an eye-makeup remover to get off my shadow and mascara, but once I am done with that, I rely on this product to remove everything else, even those last traces of eye makeup that get left behind. It is so effective, but is still gentle that it does not sting my eyes, and my eyes are very sensitive to face washes. This product does everything that I require of a face cleanser so it is no wonder why this is a must-have of beauty industry professionals, as well as those non-makeup obsessed who are just trying to keep their skin clean. I even know a guy (not at all metro) that uses this face wash.

I recommend stocking up on this product because it is rare to get a deal on this baby. Sephora even carries a 24oz super bargain size bottle with a pump...you know that one is going to make it on my friends and family list.

How was everyone's weekend? I had a super busy weekend with lots of events I had to attend. I did do my friend's makeup for a party Saturday night, and one of my guy friends who was there while I was doing her makeup took one look at my MAC hard makeup case and said "whoa! that is like a Tranformer...more than meets the eye!" We were all on the floor laughing because it was amazing at how one box could be converted into a 4 ft long vanity case. =) Gotta luv the guys.