What started out as just sitting in your house, switching on a camera and chatting while putting on makeup has slowly become a business in itself. Earlier called ‘beauty gurus’, modern day YouTube and Instagram ‘influencers’ have a ridiculous amount of power and say in a product’s success or failure.
But what happens when they create their own curated collections with brands? Usually, it’s an instant hit due to sheer popularity, but when you take the name and the popularity associated with it away, is it still a great product? After trying a fair few of these (all in the name of research), let me give you the low down on why some are worthy of the slightly higher price tag.
Colourpop x Kathleen Lights
Colourpop is a brand that makes good products at a great price range. While their eyeshadow formula does dry out in about six months, you cannot fault the colour pay off, the wide range and the skintones that they work on. The Kathleen Lights x Colourpop Collection has a palette called Dream St. consisting of 12 pressed eyeshadows along with two liquid lipsticks and a lipgloss.
Products worth trying : Lumiere 2 Ultra Matte Liquid Lipstick (₹390), lovely mauvey brown on Indian skins, Weenie (₹ 325), a rose gold that compliments all complexions, and Porter, a dark maroon-purple which makes a stunning smokey eye. Available on colourpop.com.
Ciate x Chloe Morello
When someone mentions Ciate, you instantly think about nail polish, which is why I was pleasantly surprised when Australian makeup influencer Chloe Morello released her palette with them. Her newly-released Volume II (₹2,700) is a gorgeous mix of bolder neutrals as well as fun colours. Personally, if I’m going to buy a palette amongst the sea of neutral palettes available in the market, I’d like to find one with a few more bright shades, which is why Volume II is definitely worth a try. Available on nykaa.com.
Dose of Colors and Desi x Katy
Dose of Colors easily makes one of the best liquid lipstick formulas around. Their products are well priced, pigmented and comfortable to both use and wear. Desi Perkins and Katy’s collection with themconsisted of an eyeshadow palette, two liquid lipsticks, a lipgloss, lipsticks and highlighters. What really set this collection apart was the fact that so many of the colours were unique and managed to cater to a wide variety of skintones. Products worth trying: The Girls Eyeshadow Palette (₹1,800) consisting of four eyeshadows with 2 wonderfully complex colours that shift based on light. Hot Fire (₹1,160) Liquid Lipstick is another must-have. Available on doseofcolors.com.
Some influencers are happy to lend their names to sub-standard products, but there are those who collaborate to produce well thought-out, unique products. Which is why it’s important to hear the unbiased reviews before spending hard earned money!
This column is your fortnightly dose of products, brands and how-tos from the world of beauty.
