NIVEA Beauté Soft Liner in Shade #02 Graphite

Hello ladies!
I’m here with another NIVEA makeup review and this time I’m going to review a pencil eyeliner from NIVEA’s eye makeup range.

My mother recently went shopping and decided to buy me makeup. I love it when she does that because her choice is so very different from mine; it’s always fun to see what she’s got for me to experiment with. One of the products she got me was the Soft Liner pencil from NIVEA Beauté in Shade #02 Graphite.

Shade #02 Graphite is super black. It is one of the most pigmented black eye pencils I’ve ever used. The eyeliner is super soft and glides on the eyelids like a dream. In the photos, I’ve swatched it once on the right and 2 times on the left. I don’t think the photos do any justice to how pigmented this liner really is. Love it for the pigmentation.

The staying power is pretty bad. The eye liner is NOT waterproof and is slightly greasy. I’m not sure if greasy is the right word but it is a lot like the Indian Kajal. When used without a base or set without eyeshadow it spreads, smudges, feathers and so on. That’s my biggest problem with this eyeliner. Even with primed eyelids, it only stays for 2 hours or less and the color gets transferred to the area just above my crease! (Eeeks!)

The only way I can use this eye liner is as a black eyeshadow base. It works perfectly as a black base. (Over primer of course) I used to use the NYX Jumbo Pencil in Black Bean and I’m going to be replacing it with my NIVEA Soft Liner now. Love it as a base!

I wouldn’t recommend using this eyeliner on the waterline since it’s creamy and would just spread all over your lower lid area. Tried and tested.

Over all, it’s definitely not my favorite eyeliner but I love it as a black eyeshadow base. I’m definitely going to purchase this eyeliner going only for the sole purpose of using it as a base because it is inexpensive and I don’t use black bases that often.

Price:

Approx. Rs. 210

Pros of NIVEA Beauté Soft Liner in Shade #02 Graphite: 

• Super pigmented and creamy.
• Soft and glides on the eyelids like a dream.
• Best used as black base for eyeshadows.
• Inexpensive.

Cons of NIVEA Beauté Soft Liner in Shade #02 Graphite:   

• Smudges A LOT and staying power is max. 2 hours.
• Not water-proof.
• Non-availability in India.
• Wastage due to sharpening. 

Rating:

2.5/5

Would I repurchase this product?

I would, but only for the sole purpose of using it as a black base and not as an eye liner.

NYX Single Eyeshadow in Shade #ES94 LUXOR

NYX Cosmetics has some of the most pigmented eye shadows that I’ve ever used and today I’m going to be reviewing one of the not-so-pigmented eye shadows that left me high and dry.

I recently purchased the NYX Single Eye shadow in Shade #ES94 LUXOR and I’ve been using it for 2 weeks now. This is a pearlescent purple color that shines blue at certain angles. It is  a duo-chrome. It shines a blue-ish violet when applied on a black base.

When I bought this eye shadow, I was super stoked to try new makeup looks with it. When I swatched it at the store, the pigmentation was brilliant, texture was smooth and the color looked beautiful! Sadly, when I got back home and tried applying it to my eyelids, the pigmentation was average. It is a light pink color when applied without a primer which isn’t what I wanted. So I primed my eyelids and applied it again. This time, it came off as pinkish purple shade. I tried to build the color my pressing on my eye shadow, but it just stayed at a pinkish-purple slightly darker. The blue shine was nowhere to be seen! L Then, I used a white eye shadow base. This is when the color was more visible and brighter and I absolutely loved it. But it was missing the blue shine that I so badly wanted.  Finally I used it on a black base and the color was beautiful! The blue shine that I wanted for so long was FINALLY there! This eye shadow application drove me crazy. This is when I realized it was duo-chrome!

The pigmentation is average but surprising the staying power is real good! Also, the texture is soft and smooth and the eye shadow blends really well too. Not chalky one bit. I can’t use a black base all the time along with more eye shadows on my eyelids, so I use this eye shadow just above the crease for a pinkish touch. (Since this is how it appears without a black base).

I’m not a fan of pink shades so this eye shadow was a bummer for me! I really wish the purple was as brilliant on my eyelids as in the pot.

Overall, #ES94 LUXOR is a pretty good shade if you’re into pinkish-purple shades. Is it the best purple I’ve used? Hell no. However, the duo-chrome part is quiet exciting. 

 

In the photo, I’ve swatched the eye shadow from left to right: directly on my skin, on a primer, on a white eye shadow base and on a black eye shadow base. (I had to go over two or three times to build that color on my skin without any primer, sigh.)

With flash:

In Natural Light:

Price:

Rs. 550 for 2.0 grams

Pros of NYX Single Eye shadow in Shade #ES94 LUXOR: 

• Sturdy packaging. (My NYX single eye shadows have survived a lot of falls)
• Long lasting when used with primer.
• Duo-chrome.
• Decently priced for the amazing quantity.
• Smooth texture, blend-able and not chalky one bit.
• Easily available in India and on online shopping websites. 

Cons of NYX Single Eye shadow in Shade #ES94 LUXOR: 

• Average pigmentation; needs primer to show its real color.
• Completely different shade on the skin and in the pot. 

Rating:

3.5/5

Would I repurchase this eye shadow?

Nope. But if you are into such shades, then this would be the eye shadow for you.

Maybelline New York Pure Stay Foundation in Shade #30 NUDE

Hello Ladies!

Today, I’m going to be reviewing one of my all-time favorite powder foundations from “Maybelline New York” from their “Pure Stay” range. I have been using this powder foundation for almost 5 years now along with my MaxFactor Liquid Foundation and its perfect for my skin. I use this in Shade #30 Nude; perfect for fair-skinned women. The “Pure Stay” range has only 8 shades starting from #10 Ivory (extremely fair) to #110 Tan (tanned olive skin tone). There are no shades for dark-skinned women in this range which is quite a bummer since this powder foundation is amazing.
Let me start off with the packaging. I love the packaging. It is very easy to carry around, sturdy and comes with a cute mirror and sponge. They haven’t changed this packaging for years now; it’s the same from the day I started using this product years ago.


Product Description:
Long-wearing powder foundation leaves skin looking pure and fresh. Skin feels soft and comfortable for hours and hours.

My Experience with Maybelline New York Pure Stay Powder Foundation:
As I said earlier, I’ve been using this powder foundation for years. I’m a huge fan of the “Pure Stay” range. This is a medium-coverage powder foundation which means it does cover those red blemishes and tiny marks/scars on the face, but not completely. It gives a very natural finish to the face with its medium coverage. The best part about this powder is its texture and finish. The texture is super smooth and soft and when applied it leaves the skin fresh, matte and not chalky at all.

I’ve had a hard time selecting powder foundations that have the same finish as this one, so I decided to stick to “Maybelline’s Pure Stay” range itself.

When applied, it might look a bit over the top (depending on how much product you’ve applied on your face), but give it a few minutes and it all sets in. If you have dry skin, you” MUST” moisturize your face before applying this powder foundation or else it’ll end up making your dry skin look flaky.

This foundation makes your skin matte and even at the end of the day, all you need is a slight touch up and you’re done. I have sensitive skin and this foundation does not make my skin break out at all, which I absolutely LOVE. It feels really light on my skin and I don’t feel like I have any foundation on throughout the day and it also makes my skin feel super soft. It doesn’t even clog my pores, in fact it makes them appear smaller.

I use this powder to set my liquid foundation on my face for evenings and just by itself during the day. Full coverage liquid foundation during the day is a strict no-no, so I stick to powders. The added benefit is that this powder has SPF 15 sunscreen, which is quite good for the skin. I apply this using a kabuki brush. Also, it is fragrance free/odorless, which is another plus point for me since I hate perfumed products on my face.

Once purchased, it lasts me for about 4-5 months which is quite good considering how affordable the foundation is and the quantity is pretty good too.

Overall, this is one of the BEST powder foundations and I’m a loyal customer. In fact, a lot of my girls are using the same for years too!

Price:
BD 4.5 / Rs. 590 approximately.

Pros of Maybelline New York Pure Stay Powder Foundation:

• Long lasting (stays almost the entire day).
• Gives the skin a matte finish and prevents the T-zone from shining.
• Sturdy packaging.
• Contains SPF 15 sunscreen.
• Gives a very natural finish to the face and does not clog pores.
• Fragrance free/odorless.
• Inexpensive for the price.
• Hypoallergenic, non-comedogenic.

Cons of Maybelline New York Pure Stay Powder Foundation:

• Non-availability in India.
• Comes only in 8 shades from extremely fair to medium skin tone.

Rating:
5/5.