The April box came with the theme of spring. Shedding of the heavy layers of winter and embracing the coming waves of heat. And with it the issues that one faces. From the sun to oily skin and on a lighter note from the shorts to the bright colors. To celebrate this spirit of spring the April box once again had a nice mix of products. I got 4 products in my box this month.
Motives Mardi Gras Palette
This was the buzz product of the month. A big palette containing 3 eyeshadows, 3 lippies and 3 lipglosses. So so unexpected and so much fun! I tried searching for this palette to see what the International beauty bloggers had to say about it but all I found were Indian bloggers talking about it. Checked till the 5th page of Google but to no avail. I found that really strange. I then went to find their site and got it (phew – was afraid it was the Anna Andre fiasco all over again). They didn’t have this listed on their site which figures as it was a LE thing. But not one International review on it till the 5th page?!? Curiosa and curiosa….
The color palette of it is quite bright given its namesake. Lets look at them one by one. There is a metallic olive color which has a golden sheen to it (looks like MAC Humid), there is a soft peach shade which has a matte finish and a blue toned purple shade with a blue sheen to it. The green is the best of the 3 and most pigmented whether you swatch it on the hand or put it on the lids. You can make all the colors work for you with a proper base preferable something creamy/sticky. They give you good color payoff. The purple one is patchy and needs some work to make it even.
There are 3 lipsticks – a bright red one, a soft coral and a blue-purple color. The coral one goes on patchy on the lips and is not moisturizing plus it highlights the dryness of the lips. It does not give proper coverage due to its streakiness. The red goes on softer on the lips and has the same kind of texture but is not streaky. The purple goes on patchy and has the same texture as the others. This color is perfect for a goth look. Cant picture anyone wearing it for any other reason. You cant make out the texture is so bad when you swatch them on the back of your hand. I think that is why they are paired with the glosses.
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| Lipsticks alternated with the lipglosses. Left most is a lippy |
The glosses have different levels of stickiness and thickness. The transparent one is the thickest.There is silvery pink one which is the least thick. The last one is a pretty coral color with gold shimmer in it and it has medium thickness. The thing is that the glosses look good as in they give the illusion that the lips are moisturized but they don’t actually do that when you wear them on their own. But paired with the lippy they make the combined wear much more comfortable.
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I read a couple of reviews about Motives other cosmetics and saw a lot of people liking it. This palette leaves a little to be desired. I liked the eyeshadows more than the lippies. Not a very good introduction to a brand. This palette costs Rs. 3050/- and I don’t think that it is worth that price. You do get a lot of product but does not make it worth it. I’m on the fence regarding whether I would like to get something from this brand.
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Mary Kay Timewise Body
Ok I will confess I don’t use a sunscreen. I find them too oily and not something that suits me (ok didn’t suit me when I tried them way back). Due to their oiliness I found that I ended up getting tanned. So now it is not something that figures in my routine…period. Yes I know the wrong that I’m doing for my skin……but hey it does not suit me. Have tried some that are available locally and Internationally but it is not something I’m inclined to search for given my previous experience.
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I tried the one that I got in the box coz a) it was a Mary Kay product and b) it was there in the box 😛 I will admit that I have only used it a few times and still end up forgetting it. This one has a very mild scent to it and not noticeable at all. Had to check a couple of times to make it out. This is supposed to be a hand cream mainly but I tried it on my face. The texture is like a creamy moisturizer and gets absorbed into the skin fast. My skin just drank it up and felt soft and moisturized.
What I really like about it is that it was not oily for me at all. I do get this film feeling on my skin but that is it. I have not tried it in Mumbai conditions so cant comment how it will be for people with oily skin. But for normal to dry skin people this can be a good alternative. I had read somewhere long back that people living in tropical countries need a min SPF of 30 and this one is 15. So it falls short in that area.
I have not used it long enough to comment about other changes in my skin but I read reviews where people say that this is one of their favorite hand creams for the day and some have seen a difference in the condition of their skin with use over time. They have not noticed any changes in the brown spots. I have to remind myself to use this more often. Price is Rs 890/-.
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Max Factor Masterpiece Max High Volume & Definition Mascara
I really like the wands that these mascaras from Maxfactor have. They help to actually comb your lashes and define them. Though I didn’t see much volume from these but they do add a very nice definition. The formula feels light and does not clump. But like the one I reviewed before this one is not water proof/resistant nor smudge proof. I think they are its greatest drawback. The Xperience one looks more natural comparatively to this one. But I like the look that this one gives. If only this was water resistant I would have added it to my collection. Price is Rs. 640/-
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Lush Aqua Marina Cleanser
Ding! Ding! Ding! Dhishhhh! All hail another product from Lush! Lol ok it is not like I’m in love with this product or anything. Just emoting my feelings on finding another product from Lush in my box :). This is one funky product. When I opened the tub there was a dark green wet looking layer on top which is the seaweed and underneath it was a pink clay like thing with flecks of the green. It smelt weird to me. You get this really strong kick to your senses with the first whiff which to me smells alot like Ammonia and if you go in for a second one you will smell the soft almost floral tones underneath. Very strange combination.
I took it with me on travel since the packing was so convenient. I was in Bangalore and my skin was slightly oily there. The reason I mention these cities each time is coz my skin behaves differently in each place. In Kolkata it is dry, Bangalore normal/oily and in Mumbai it is oily. Needless to say the products give me different results in each of these places. So with a slightly oily skin condition I used this cleanser.
First of all this is clay and there is no lather whatsoever since it is quite far off from having soap like qualities. I was not expecting it to be like that when I tried it on for the first time for obvious reasons. It just smeared on to my face and I massaged it in lightly. After a few minutes I washed it off…My skin felt free of the oil it had and I got that light tugging feeling on my cheeks. It felt smooth but I’m not sure about the clean part. You know how you get wired into the regular way of things that something different leaves you in doubt.
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That was the only time I used this one. It is not something that I can use in Kolkata and I forgot to carry it with me when I went to Mumbai. This could be something excellent for people with extremely oily skin so try to get a sample of it from the Lush store. Personally I will not buy this one again as it makes no sense to have a product that is only suitable for you when you travel to a particular place. My skin will weep if I use it in my home base or should I say peel?? Price is Rs. 1170/-.
That concludes another box review. Finally catching up with the bunch (almost). But I’m afraid there will be a delay as the froth coming boxes contain a lot of hair and skin care products which need time and patience to test out. So there might not be a review on these for the coming month(s) *sigh* Just when I thought I had em down…..Any hoo let me know how you liked the review. Your comments and suggestions are eagerly awaited. Love ya – Bye!
