Not going to blabber too much pre-review this time, because this is a long one which took forever to upload. You already know that Kathleen Lights is one of my favourite YouTubers so the reasons for this purchase are quite clear. 

Price: $16.00 (approx. Rs. 2,544)

NET WT: 12 X 0.85 g (0.03 Oz)

Claims:

Super versatile warm toned nudes with rich pops of colour can take your look from heavenly to out of this world in only a few swipes. Mattes, metallics, satins - every shadow is buttery soft and so easy to blend.

Pressed Powder Shadow: Highly pigmented shadow that applies evenly and feels ultra-velvety and silky. This long wearing formula contains a unique combination of softer powders which adheres easily to the eyes, gives a soft focus effect, and blends smoothly and evenly.

Packaging: 

The back of the box contained the names of each of the shades, along with the bunny logo suggesting the product is cruelty-free (same as the other ColourPop products). 

The palette itself is also designed with the same rose-gold marble effect with stars and a single crescent moon design. The names of the shades are listed on the back. The palette does not have a mirror, and instead has the name and the collab written on the inside. I don't really mind that. It has a magnetic closure. 

There are twelve shades inside, all in pans the size of a five rupee coin. They are smaller than the individual pressed powder shadows by ColourPop. 

Overall I don't have anything negative to say about the packaging whatsoever. 

Wear:

*For the purpose of this review, I'll rate the shadows out of five so you'll know which ones are my personal favourites to use.

The first row contains four warm toned shades that are very wearable, and which I would definitely include in a palette if I were making one. 

L-R: Shooting Star, Magical, Star Dust, Twinkle

The first is Shooting Star which is claimed to be a matte, soft golden brown. Personally I would describe this shade as a beige-brown. This matte shade works well as a base colour for the lids. If you have a comparatively fairer skin tone- similar to Kathleen's, I would imagine this will make a beautiful crease colour. It has good, buildable pigmentation, and is easy to blend. I did not experience any fallout with this shade. (5/5)

Next is Magical which is claimed to be a matte, yellow peach, which I agree with. This makes for a beautiful crease and transsition colour. This too has good pigmentation, and is easy to blend. There was no fallout with this shade. (5/5)

Top to Bottom: Shooting Star, Magical, Star Dust, Twinkle

Next in row is Star Dust which is claimed to be a metallic, true copper which is accurate. It has good pigmentation which can be elevated with a little spritz of either Fix Plus, or facial spray (which is what I do) for the perfect all-over lid colour. On first touch, it's a bit more dry in comparison to the other shadows but it blends with relative ease and there isn't noticeable fall out with the shade which is great as it is a metallic one. (4/5)

The final shadow in the first row is Twinkle which is claimed to be a metallic, true rose gold which is true. This shade is very similar to Weenie (Super Shock Shadow) which I recall to be among Kathleen's favourites. So I understand where she was coming from in creating this shade, which is a tiny bit lighter and has more champagne notes in colour in comparison to Weenie. The formula in this one is among one of the best in this palette. It is very buttery, has one swipe pigmentation. It blends easily and there isn't noticeable fall out with the shade. (5/5)

Top to Bottom: Shooting Star, Magical, Star Dust, Twinkle

On the second row, the shades are turning a lot more bold.

L-R: Sweet Dreams, Water Bearer, Potion, Spark

 The first is Sweet Dreams which is claimed to be a metallic soft champagne with a peachy pink flip which is exactly right. This shadow is dry and not packed well. It is messy to use, and there's a generous amount of fall out. To get the pigmentation I want, I usually pick up the product with my finger tips and dab on my skin (to get the flakes off and avoid lots of fall out) before applying on my lids. Sadly, it's just too much work for me so I haven't had much use for this shade. (1/5)

L-R: Kaleidoscope, Elfish, Moony, Mermaid Boy

 The first shade is Kaleidoscope which is claimed to be a metallic intense silvery nude.  I would say it is a silver with mint-blue undertones. This shadow is buttery as well, but there is a lot of fall out. It does have excellent pigmentation though, and is very blendable. I love this shadow mostly because it is unique and I haven't seen anything like it in any other palette (online or owned by me). (5/5)

The final shadow in the last row is Mermaid Boy which is claimed to be a metallic, deep teal which is accurate. It is the metallic version of Water Bearer. The colour brings back memories from my teens. I had asked my dad to buy me some makeup, and he bought me a glittery teal eyeliner which I wore everywhere. I don't know why he thought that was a good idea. Anyway, this shade too is buttery and has incredible pigmentation. It's so easy to pack this shade on to the lid. There is a little bit of fall-out which can be cleaned up without a hassle. (5/5)

Top to Bottom: Kaleidoscope, Elfish, Moony, Mermaid Boy

All shadows lasted for 6-7 hours on my eyes (no primer) with the exception of Moony which started fading by the 5-hour mark. 

Shooting Star and Magical as transition colours, Spark on the crease, and Elfish on the lid and a mix of both as under-eye liner, Moony on the inner corner and brow bone as highlight.

Shooting Star and Magical mixed as transition colours, Elfish as a crease colour, Water Bearer on the Lids, a mix of Water Bearer and Elfish on the under-eye liner, and Kaleidoscope as an inner corner highlight.

Shooting Star and Magical mixed as transition colours, Elfish as a crease colour, Water Bearer and Mermaid Boy on the Lids, a mix of Water Bearer and Elfish on the under-eye liner, and Kaleidoscope as an inner corner highlight.

Would I Recommend It:

This palette has both hits and misses. The matte shades Spark and Elfish, and the metallic shade Sweet Dreams were absolute misses. If you were drawn particularly to these shades, then I would recommend not purchasing the palette. While I have similar Super Shock or powder shadows by Colourpop, I reach out for this palette more often than the other products which says something. If you are looking for some good matte shades, and those eye-catching teal hues then this palette is worth buying especially considering that price point. 

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ColourPop X KathleenLights Dream St Palette

What do you think about the ColourPop X KathleenLights Dream St Palette? Let me know how your experience with it was in a comment down below.

Thank you so much for taking time to read this!

Much Love,

I read somewhere that Cindy Crawford thought that hair was a person's most attractive quality, and if she thinks so then that's something to think about. I certainly did. One of my friends on Instagram asked me to share my secrets to keeping my hair in good condition. I'll admit that I've been blessed with good hair (thanks mom!) but I also take steps to keep it that way. Over the years I've struggled with everything, from dandruff to hair loss (which is an ongoing struggle). I thought I will share with you how I care for my hair, and what works for me right now.

Before we get started, I want to share that these are the products that works for me. You might have seen these on my blog before as well.

• In terms of my hair, it can get greasy very easily, but will dry out whenever I'm out and about in Colombo. Dust, pollution, and the humidity can do a number on the state of hair. 
• I always comb my hair prior to a shower. This makes it so much easier for me to apply the products without dealing with strands of hair getting tangled up around my fingers whenever I try to massage my scalp. 
• Post-shower I let my hair air-dry. I only use my hair-dryer on rushed mornings which could be like twice or thrice a month. 
• I don't use other styling tools every day. I would on occasion straighten my hair perhaps once or twice a month, or whenever I would have an event. 
• I don't use hair spray, or mousse, and I would use dry shampoo on days when my hair gets greasy. 

I will re-share some of the tips I got from Mr. Alex Fleming from Alex Hair Salon during the launch event of The Body Shop Fuji Green Tea Scrub because they were really helpful. 

Let's get started...

The Body Shop doesn't have a conditioner to accompany their Ginger Shampoo, hence I use their Banana Conditioner which makes my hair softer, and their Fuji Green Tea Conditioner which is nourishing and makes my hair more lively, interchangeably.

Tip: Do not apply conditioner while hair is still dripping wet. Squeeze out the excess water, and apply the conditioner to hair starting from the middle portion to the tips. Use whatever is remaining on the palm to the roots of the hair. 

Whenever I step out in Colombo I notice how my hair gets progressively dry throughout the day. I find that there is a lot of build-up for which I need a thorough cleanse. So I use the Fuji Green Tea Hair Scrub by The Body Shop. I've already posted a review about this. I find that this does an exemplary job in removing the buildup on the hair to make my scalp feel squeaky clean. It's not for every day use, so  use it once a week. 

While these products in combination helps me keep my hair in good condition, they can also make my hair dry out rather easily. The struggle is very real in terms of keeping that balance. So I make sure I treat my hair with oil every 2 to 3 weeks. My preference is for virgin olive oil or virgin coconut oil. I begin with combing my hair, and applying the oil to the entire length of my hair whilst gently massaging the scalp. I wait for it to soak in for about an hour, and then rinse off with shampoo. This ensures I have healthy looking hair.

As for the hair loss problem, I haven't still found a solution except to use the oil treatment more regularly, and try as much as I can to eat healthy. So if you have any recommendations for this, in terms of products or natural treatments, help a girl out in a comment down below.

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Thank you so much for reading this post,

Much Love,

When it comes to blush colours, I prefer subtlety. Because of this reason, I am definitely not one for hot pink or violet blushes, and prefer much more subdued hues. When I saw Quarters on the ColourPop website I immediately clicked 'add to bag' because it was exactly the kind of colour I liked. As I mentioned before on my Instagram story, for the longest time I was confused as to how to use this product because of its cream formula. My friend suggested that she uses a stippling brush which is the best tool for cream formulas. As for me, I prefer using my fingers to dab the colour on to my cheeks because it gives me better control of how much product goes on. When it came to this blush, everything fell into place when I found my preferred method of application.

Price: $8.00 (approx. Rs. 1,278)

NET WT: 4.2 g (0.15 Oz)

Shade Range: 14 shades

Claims:

This long-wearing crème powder cheek formula is the BFF of our famous Super Shock Shadows; it shares the same unique texture that is extremely buildable and blends smoothly to leave the cheeks looking healthy.

 Quarters is described as a 'Mid tone peachy coral'.

Packaging:
The product arrived in a white cardboard box with a cut-out on the front so that the shade was visible. It had the name of the brand and type of product, its net weight, and directions for caring for the product in terms of keeping the jar tightly shut listed on the packaging.

The lid has a transparent portion to see the colour, and the name of the product, shade, and its net weight are listed on a sticker at the bottom. I understand that the super shock formula is unique hence requires the packaging, but I find that it is rather bulky especially to travel with.

Wear:

In terms of pigmentation, this is wonderful in adding a hint of colour to the cheeks. Most importantly it can be built up to the desired level of colour as claimed. I say this as I see that some of you love the blushes by Juvia's place because of the level of pigmentation. I have not used any products by that brand, but I have seen a lot of swatches online and I don't think Quarters really compares to that level of pigmentation. So if you're looking for a product that is more buildable, this will be an excellent choice. 

Let's get to the formula-which is a creamy one. I apply it using my fingers as I mentioned before, and it applies smoothly, and blends incredibly well. No patchiness or streaks which I appreciate. It dries down to a satin finish which in pairing with its slight gold shimmers add a beautiful sheen to the face. Once it sets, it does not budge so you don't have to worry about the entire face being coated by the blush colour. It lasted around 5 hours on a humid day, and it faded evenly which is really nice. Re-application wasn't an issue with this one. 

Before you worry, I assure you that I am not leaving the beauty community but I am limiting my beauty purchases. 

I know that's a big statement to make, especially as a beauty blogger.

I have shared my story of how I got into makeup and beauty blogging multiple times. What you might not know or perhaps realize is that while I am a blogger and I review makeup and skin care products, I am also just another consumer. I know that I own a lot more products than an average person, but with that comes a problem of product wastage. So I wanted to write up a rather candid post about why I am limiting my beauty purchases. 

When it comes to buying makeup, I am just like you. I often go through a lot of reviews before clicking the 'add to cart' button. After all, I want to make sure that I'm buying items that are of good quality available at a price that I can afford. I do sometimes give in, and buy products that I've been longing to have for a long time (like my one YSL lipstick), buy products that are intriguing or those which are cult favourites, so I can share with all of you whether they are worth the hype. 

Over the past three years I have amassed quite a bit of makeup, or to be more precise a lot of lipsticks. When I receive a new product in the mail, I get so excited and continue to use the product for as long as that excitement dies down (that is until I find another intriguing product). Recently I have taken a long, hard look at my collection and felt disappointed at how I had forgotten about some products I used to enjoy so much. It is not even the case of not liking the products anymore, it's just that I have forgotten to use them. Buried under products I didn't like, products to test out, and review were items I used to love which have unfortunately already hit their expiry dates before I could use them up.

For one thing, this led me feel like I've wasted my money (no worse feeling than guilt), and for another my heart fell at seeing the amount of wastage. It's disappointing to not have finished up a product entirely. Anyone who loves makeup would share with you how satisfying it is to hit pan. There's nothing like seeing how well-loved that eyeshadow, or lipstick was. 

 After 3+ years of blogging I feel like I know exactly what I would like and what I would not, so that I can avoid going through a tedious trial and error process. This doesn't mean I won't be open to trying new products, it just means that I'll be approaching them with better awareness.

I am not sure if this means that I am going down the path of minimalism. However I will be monitoring what I buy, and making sure I only purchase the bare necessities for a change. I am not even sure how I will cope 😋 but I figure I'll be fine. At least, this will allow me to use up the products I love. 

What do you think about this change?

Let me know in a comment down below what you think, or if you have any words of support.

Thank you for reading my blog,

Much Love,

It's no secret that Instagram is my favourite app. I do spend quite a bit of time scrolling back and forth on my feed whether it be to gather inspiration for my blog posts or articles, or to find new beauty products that I would want to try, or even to escape small-talk in the real world. I would describe myself as a creative person, and I often switch up my Instagram stories to explore that creative side and embrace a change. This year, I was able to discover 3 apps that allowed me to create the perfect Instagram Stories that I love. 

VSCO 

Image via vsco.co

This app is nothing new. In fact I had it installed a couple of years ago, but didn't quite see its utility. This year, I reinstalled it, and absolutely fell in love with the ease with which it allows me to edit a photo. The filters are also a plus point! The best part is that most of its features are free. Once I take a photo from the camera on my Iphone 6s, I adjust the exposure, saturation, white balance, and tone with this app. As for the filters, I mostly use them for my feed. Once I edit one picture, the app makes it really convenient to copy and paste the edits on to the newer ones.

Snow

Image via itunes.apple.com

 I love adding vintage effects on my photos. The first camera I requested from my dad was in fact a Pentax camera. Since I don't even own a Polaroid, I've always been on the hunt for an app that would allow vintage effects. I was using another app that created polaroid photos which developed by shaking the phone three or four times. The first few times were fun, and then it got really annoying.  That's when I found Snow. I absolutely love the polaroid effect with the burn on the side and the rainbow effect, the VHS video effect, and film roll effects. It has many other filters which I personally do not find useful including rather odd face altering/ shaping ones.

 

These apps will surely help you enhance your Instagram stories. I hope you found this post useful. Let me know if it did in a comment down below, or if you have any other recommendations for me.

Mentioned In This Post

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Snow