Powder Reviews.

 

Hey guys, in last weeks post we spoke about powders and how much Compact Matters.  So we thought of reviewing some of the compacts we have used, pressed powders and loose powders. We will be covering some powders in today's post and few in the next one. We hope this review helps you make your final pick.

 

 

 

Maybelline Clear Glow Pressed Powder retails for Rs.275 . It is available in 5 shades out of which one is a translucent pressed powder. It comes along with a mirror and a makeup sponge. It is a lightweight compact that could even fit into a tiny clutch. It comes with SPF 26 PA++ which is an added bonus. However it claims to instantly make your fair and control shine, which is not true. If used with a foundation or BB cream, it makes your skin look healthier but does not provide "instant fairness". Like any pressed powder, immediately post application it controls shine but in order to control the shine throughout you have to touch it up every few hours. Over all, it is a travel and pocket friendly pressed powder.


L'Oreal Paris Mat Magique All-In-One Pressed Powder retails at Rs.399.  It Is available in 5 shades. It has a mirror and come along with a sponge. It has a transparent cover with a pink rim, letting you see the shade. It is not very light, but small and easy to carry. It has SPF 34 PA+++ that protects your skin and  keeps your makeup intact and fresh for 5-6 hours, not for 12 hours like it claims to. This is one of the best pressed powders I have used. This definitely gives you a matte finish and absorbs all excess oils. This keeps you makeup in tact and is a good options for special functions or outings. It makes your skin look healthier and gives an instant glow. I apply this with a powder brush, which keeps it light and does not cake up your face. The only thing I don't like is the fact that the mirror is below the compact, thus making you lift the compact layer every time you want to see the mirror. This is definitely something I love and will repurchase.


Maybelline Fit Me Pressed Powder retails for Rs.475 . It is available in 5 shades. It comes along with a mirror and a make up sponge. Even though the packing is nothing fancy, the quality of the sponge and the box is good and sturdy. If you have been reading Compact Matters for a while, you would know that we totally love the Fit Me foundation and concealer. However, comparatively this product is a little bit of a disappointment. It does a good job keeping your foundation in place but has to be touched up every few hours and for this price, I would expect a little more from Maybelline. I do not mind using this product but I dont think I will re-purchase it.


NYX HD Studio Finishing Powder retails at Rs. 825.  It is a white powder that can be used for all shades and contains 100% pure mineral silica which helps with oil control on the face. It comes in a small plastic box with small holes between the container and the lid to prevent dispensing off too much product. It is available in 3 shades, translucent, mint green and banana. It is really good for setting your makeup specially ender the eye. It lasts pretty long, sets your makeup well and does not need touch ups. This does a good job but I won't buy it again as it is a pinch on the pocket and has a strong chemical like smell.

 

 

 

That is all for this week. We will be back with another post next week. If you have any suggestions or requests, leave a comment below. For regular updates, follow our Facebook page on www.facebook.com/compactmatters.

NYX is coming to India!

NYX Cosmetics is coming to India!! We absolutely love NYX and are extremely excited about the launch.  NYX is a reasonable drugstore cosmetic brand with an amazing range of products. You may have seen NYX if you have a Sephora in your city but trust me that small shelf is not the real deal. NYX is launching 550 products in India, which will be available on Nykaa.com by 8th July and a month later there will be an official store launch. We will soon have access to these amazing cosmetics, all thanks to L'Oreal.

NYX may not yet be available in India but we were lucky enough to get our hands on some NYX products. We are sharing few of our favourite products with you so you know what to buy once it's here.

NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams retails at Rs. 600. If I could buy only one product from NYX, I would pick up their soft matte lip cream without a doubt. You might have seen and used multiple dupes for this product but trust me nothing can compete with the original NYX soft matte lip creams. They are the most comfortable matte lipsticks and do not dry your lips at all. The colour variety in this range is insane. I also love how each lip cream has its name based on a city.
I have these lip creams in Stockholm, Morocco & Copenhagen.  

Stockholm, Morocco & Copenhagen.

NYX also has some liquid lipsticks in different textures like butter gloss and suede matte. We have not yet had the chance to try those, but thanks to L'Oreal we will be doing that soon.



NYX Matte Lipstick retails at Rs. 625. If you are not a big fan of liquid lipsticks but love how the soft matte lip creams look , you can find a great alternative in NYX Matte Lipsticks. Just like the lip creams, they do not dry the lips and do not transfer easily. Their range has multiple shades with simple black packaging with a transparent patch in the center.

I have the matte lipstick in Angel.



NYX Extra Creamy  Round Lipstick retails at Rs. 475. These lipsticks are definitely a good buy for anyone who likes creamy lipsticks or does not like matte lipsticks. I was really impressed by these. It is super pigmented and lasts for a long time. It glides on to the lips very smoothly and gets the colour on in the first glide. You don't need to put two three layers. It is really light, comfortable to wear and has a slight shine too. This lasts for about 4-5 hours and then may need a touch up. After a meal, some of it is wiped off but your lips will still have the colour. It does transfer a bit but its still a good buy. It is packed in a black plastic case, with the colour shown at the bottom.

I have these lipsticks in Fire Incendie & Electra.

Angel, Fire Incendie & Electra.

NYX HD Studio Finishing Powder retails at Rs. 825. If you think baking only happens in the kitchen, let us tell you more. It works really well for setting the base make up, especially the concealer. If you want to know more about baking with loose powder, comment below and we will soon put up a post on it. For those who are into baking, this product is a must have for you. It is a white powder that can be used for all shades and contains 100% pure mineral silica which helps with oil control on the face. It comes in a small plastic box with small holes between the container and the lid to prevent dispensing off too much product.



NYX Highlight & Contour Pro Palette retails at Rs. 2000. This palette is one of the most talked about NYX products by beauty bloggers all over the world. It is available in 8 shades and each palette has 8 different powders.  There are four contour shades which are highly pigmented and can help you slay your contour. It has two highlighting powders, one matte and the other shimmery. It has a banana powder and a setting powder that add a touch of glow to your base make up without being too over powering. It is not heavy and is a good buy for anyone looking out for a contour cum highlighting palette.


NYX Wonderstick retails at Rs. 835. This stick has a cream based contour shade on one end and a nude  highlighter on the other. It is available in 4 shades. It is highly pigmented and must be applied with a light hand. The creamy formula makes it easy to blend. It is light and portable. It is a good option for people who like to do their make up on the go and are not ready to compromise on their glow and contour for it.



NYX Born to Glow Liquid Illuminator retails at Rs. 850. This highlighter is my go to product when I want to add some glow to my base make up without going over the top. It does not have any flecks of shimmer, just a natural glow. It is available in four shades and comes in a plastic tube with a nozzle. A small amount of the product goes a long way.



NYX HD Concealer: If you have read our last post, you would know how much we love this concealer. With a cream like texture, it covers all the blemishes. To know more about this concealer, have a look at our previous post.



We hope you this post helps you finalise some products for your first NYX buy in India. Let us know if you have any feedback. We will be back with a new post soon.

Photography Credits: Shivam Bhatt.

Concealer Reviews.

Hey guys! In our last post we wrote about concealers and how you can use it to conceal all your blemishes. However, picking the right concealer may get difficult as there are various brands with different concealers having diverse claims. Don't worry, we are here to help you find some of the best concealers available. Keep reading to know more.

Maybelline Fit Me Concealer retails at Rs.500 for 6.8ml. It is a liquid concealer with a creamy texture, which can be used to conceal blemishes and highlight the high points of one’s face. It does not need regular touch ups but needs to be set with powder to avoid creases and transferring. It may be a little difficult to find the right shade as it has only 3 shades in the Indian market. However, if you have the wrong shade you can always use it for some other purpose. Light concealers can be used for highlighting and dark ones for contouring.  This is a really good option for people with bad dark circles. It is packed in a long plastic tube with a long applicator, making the application very easy.   
 

L’Oreal True Match Concealer retails at Rs.950 for 02oz.* It is available in 3 shades in the Indian market which may give you a limited choice. It is more liquid-y in texture and easy to blend compared to the Maybelline Fit Me. It does tend to wear off and crease after about 4 hours and thus must be set with powder for best results. This covers up blemishes well but does not highlight the high points of one’s face. It comes in a cylindrical plastic tube with a short applicator.

SEPHORA SMOOTHING&BRIGHTENING Concealer retails at Rs.950 for 12ml. This is a good concealer for a beginner since it provides sheer coverage, making blemishes less prominent while still providing a natural look. This works well as a highlighter by a providing one with a natural glow. It does not crease too much since it has a light texture and may or may not need to be set with powder. It comes in the shape of a pen with a brush as its nib. As you twist the pen, the product comes out through the brush with which it can be applied. The brush applicator helps to spread the product evenly. A reasonable alternative for this concealer is Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Concealer which retails at Rs.500 for 1.5ml.  

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind retails at Rs.800 for 20ml. This comes in a plastic tube with a round sponge on top of it. Once you twist the knob, the  product comes through the sponge. Cleaning the sponge is not possible which gets me a little worried about the hygiene. However, this is the best concealer I have tried till date. I can totally skip the colour correcting under my eyes. It conceals blemishes really well and stays for long hours. It is also a good highlighting concealer. It is available on various websites and instagram stores. If you have bad dark circles and are in search of a good concealer, I highly recommend this concealer.

NYX HD Concealer retails at Rs.400 for 3g. I have the shade  CW12 which is a colour correcting concealer. It is a dupe for the NARS radiant creamy concealer. It has a creamy texture and blends easily. A small amount is sufficient to hide acne scars and blemishes. It comes in a glass tube with a long wand. It is light weight and affordable. This concealer may not be available in India right now but NYX is coming to India very soon! Stay tuned to our blog to know more about it.

   

We hope this post helps you finalise your buy. We will be back with a new post soon.

Foundation Reviews

Every brand in the market has multiple foundations with different claims. Selecting a foundation can get a little confusing especially for beginners. So we have we have compiled reviews of 5 foundations that may help narrow down your next foundation purchase.

Remember: This is not a top 5 foundation list.These are just products we have personally used and feel it can meet different needs in terms of coverage, longevity and skin type.

•  Maybelline’s Fit Me Foundation Matte and Poreless : which retails at Rs.525 for 30ml. It is one of our favourite foundations for normal to dry skin. It has medium coverage but can be easily built up to full coverage. It has a range of shades which are available in stores and online as well. This foundation does live up to its claims of giving a matte finish while matching natural tones and still gives a seamless finish. The foundation has a very runny texture and needs to be set by powder. It lasts for a good 5 hours without a touch up and if set with powder, the oxidisation is negligible. It does not make the skin oily and photographs well. The only complain from this product, is the packaging. It comes in a glass bottle like most foundations, but does not have a pump. After the first use itself, the product is all over the cap and if not shut well, it may spill easily.
• You can buy it here-

• L’Oreal Paris True Match Foundation- retailed at Rs.1025 for 30ml.The claims and texture of the product is similar to Maybelline’s Fit Me foundation. It also has SPF 17. It it not very thick in nature making it easy to blend. It has an amazing shade range available in stores and online. It provides medium coverage which makes the skin look healthier ,just like any other foundation. However once the foundation is taken off it gives no additional benefits to the skin, like it claims to. It looks fresh for 3-4 hours after which it does tend to oxide slightly and must be set with settling powder. It comes in a glass bottle with a pump making the application easy.
• You can buy it here - 

• Lakmé 9 to 5 weightless mousse foundation- retailed at Rs.575 for 29ml. It has a thick texture and consistency providing a matte finish. It comes only in 4 shades, all having yellow undertones. Like it claims, it provides coverage for daily use, blends effortlessly and is still weightless. This is definitely the most lightweight or weightless foundation we have come across. Even the most lightweight BB creams feel heavier than this foundation. However, it has low coverage and cannot conceal any blemishes. This can be your go to foundation if you are looking for a everyday natural look. This can be blended without a brush or makeup sponge and does not need to be set by powder. It lasts for a good 5-6 hours before it stars to oxidise. As for the packaging, it comes in a plastic tube with a nozzle, making it travel friendly.
• You can buy it here-

• L’Oreal Paris Infallible Foundation -retailed at Rs.1325 for 30ml. Its consistency is thicker than most liquid foundations and may feel a bit heavy on the skin. It has a range of shades available in the market and online as well. It comes with SPF 18 , with almost no oxidation and  photographs well too. It claims to last for 24 hours, cover all imperfections with no transfer and dry outs. It is easy to blend, has high coverage and lasts long if not for 24 hours. If not set with powder, it does transfer. It is perfect for all skin types as it prevents the skin from getting oily or dry. It may be a pinch on your pocket but it is really good for special occasions. It is packed in a glass bottle and is not messy as it comes with a pump.
• You can buy it here -

• Za Perfect Fit Liquid Foundation- retailed at Rs.700 for 30ml. The foundation has a water based formula with  SPF 17 PA++. It is an extremely lightweight foundation which  provides sheer coverage lasting for 4 hours. It is a good option for daily wear since it makes  your skin look healthy. It has a limited range of shades with mostly pink undertones. It needs to be set with powder to prevent oxidisation. It is packed in a small plastic bottle with a nozzle, making it easy to carry. I believe this is a good alternative for  the Lakmé 9 to 5 foundation if you have predominant pink undertones or cannot find your shade in their range.

• You can buy it at http://www.nykaa.com/   or  http://www.flipkart.com/

We hope you found this post helpful. Let us know if you have any feedback or questions.We will be back with a new post next week.

Photography Credits:Shivam Bhatt.