Bella Voste - Overview (Part 1 - Lipsticks)

Pssst… want to know a secret? Lulu and I have a super power! We can actually “see through” filters in photographs! Nah, I’m just being silly. Here’s the thing though, in this day and age beauty has become such a highly unachievable concept that one tends to Photoshop fine lines, skin tone and blemishes and marks and spots and dots and pigmentation and freckles and every other things that makes them look pleasing to people in their “real” world. What one forgets while doing so, is that all those added filters also changes the colour of the product they are reviewing, thereby misguiding their readers.

Bella Voste is a newly launched product in India and has collaborated with GlamEgo and Fab Bag, which is how Lulu and I managed to get our hands on these shades and products. Fun fact – the joy of getting the product in our monthly box/bag is one thing but the pain of choosing is on a totally different level. 😵

In the October and November Box, GlamEgo had introduced the Bella Voste Chubby Stick and The Bella Voste Pout Perfect. Boy! Did I have a tough time choosing a shade! Disclaimer: I know nothing about picking shades online. I am more of a, “I need to see the shade on my skin before I ‘okay’ it.” Enter Lulu, who has a ton of patience with the likes of me. She saw my SOS on WhatsApp and called and we began our “research”. We both had the Bella Voste page open in front of us with Chubby sticks displayed. One thing we both had agreed on was to not pick a shade we already had. After a lot of mulling and weighing the pros and cons, I picked Barbie Pink and she picked Hypnotic Rose.  The next day when I was casually going through Instagram, I saw GlamEgo had put up a swatch of the chubby sticks and the Barbie Pink I chose looked horrid! I immediately called Lulu and started having a whine attack. We decided the best option was to mail GlamEgo and ask them, if I could please choose a different shade, except my box had already been dispatched. 😞

When the box finally arrived and I tried the shade, I shared a pic with Lulu and showed my mom. They both loved it. Then I wore it when I went out and everybody liked it. Ever since, every-time I wear it I get a compliment. The same saga continued for pout perfect. The bottom line is this, too many filters ruins the shade.

Also, Bella Voste must reconsider the names given to most of its shades of lipsticks. The names do not match the colours AT ALL. For eg, the Barbie Pink is not a candy/bubblegum shade of pink and the Hypnotic Rose is a deep shade of red.

Without further ado, we present to you an extensive but not exhaustive swatch and review of all the Bella Voste lip products we own.

Note to the readers: Products rated by Lulu are the ones she got in her Box/Bag ergo products rated by me are the ones I got in my Box, as this is a co-written review (In case readers wonder about the inconsistency of the post because we mention which colours suit us and which don’t.)

Type: The Ultimate Chubby Stick

Shade: Barbie Pink 03

When I hear Barbie and Pink together I conjure up a very candy –ish pop pink. Except this colour is not Barbie-esque at all. It is a rich shade of pink with a little bit of red thereby making the lips stand out and manages to make me look bright. (I have at times done away with eye make-up and any other sort of colouring on my face and with just the basic foundation worn this lipstick and that has still managed to make me look well-made.) This is a shade that has managed to make me look cheerful even when I haven’t been anywhere close to a smile. See what a little colour can do?

Suitable for all skin tones – if you are up for experimenting.

Lasting Power: As it is creamy and highly pigmented it lasts for a long duration. One can go about without touch-up for 6 hours.

Rating by Bob: 4/5
Price: INR 499
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Type: The Ultimate Chubby Stick

Shade: Hypnotic Rose 06

This shade is nowhere close to the shade ‘Rose’ or to the swatch shown on their website. It is a bright shade of red that would mostly suit the cool-toned. The Chubby stick is creamy and one application itself gives a good colour pay-off. The colour doesn’t bleed and lasts long. What I like best about this chubby stick is that it comes in a twisty tube that needn’t be sharpened.

Lasting Power: Long lasting product as it stayed on even after two hours of non-stop chattering and a hearty meal!

Rating by Lulu: 4/5  
Price: INR 499
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Type: The Perfect Pout

Shade: Truffle Trick 10

This is a Matte finish lipstick that is creamy and glides easily on the lip. In the spectrum of skin tones, I fall under the category ‘wheatish’, hence I like browns, maroons and reds and earthy shades of lipstick. As you can see in the picture, this brown isn’t too dark, hence I find it perfect to wear for work. (I always feel conscious that dark shades tend to draw more attention, I let it bother me only at work and not when I’m in my personal space.) What I like best about this shade is that it makes me look cold and distant. I give that vibe (at work) as it is, but this shade just manages to accentuate that on my face. Hence I love this colour even more.

Lasting Power: This is a matte finish lipstick which is also creamy. Unlike the chubby stick, its lasting power is reduced to merely 3 hours as it isn’t as pigmented.

Rating by Bob: 3.5/5
Price: INR 375
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Type: Satin Touch

Shade: Celebrity 18

It is difficult to be objective about a make-up product when the shade doesn’t suit you. Maroon lipsticks do not look good on me and hence this is one of the few lipsticks that I apply with a lip brush so as not to get too much of the product on my lips. For those finicky about the fragrance of the product, this one smells like Pan Pasand (remember the hard boiled, pan flavoured candy). Having said that, I must admit that the product is good as it is creamy and highly pigmented. It doesn’t feather at the edges of the lips.

Lasting Power: Lasted for an average of 4 hours.

Rating by Lulu: 3/5 (only because the colour doesn’t suit me)
Price: INR 135
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Type: The Perfect Gloss

Shade: Mercier Rouge 04

I have pinks, browns, maroons and nudes in my collection of lipware. When I saw Mercier Rouge it looked a lot redder on the website but when I finally had the product in my hand it leaned more towards orange and a darker shade of peach. This was yet another pleasing accident. Since I didn’t have this shade, I have no complaints. The gloss isn’t too sticky and easy to apply. You can apply it directly on your lips or on top of another shade to make your lips look glossier.

Lasting Power: On its own it lasts well until you eat something. It requires a touch-up after you have eaten. Hence durability may vary as per individual.

Rating by Bob & Lulu: 3/5
Price: INR 599
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With this we wrap up our review on the Bella Voste lip products. Up next is our review on their nail colours and eye/brow products.