My Love Affair with Lakme - Part I (Lakme Nine to Five Flawless Makeup )

I grew up watching my mother purchase whatever makeup product she ever bought from Lakme. She never wore much makeup and for some grand event, her makeup usually comprised of a foundation and a lipstick, which of course were from Lakme, since most high end brands were not available in India easily during those times. Lakme as a brand has never failed to impress me. I recently started using some makeup and decided to get a decent foundation at an equally decent price. I was looking for a waterproof liquid foundation and my first shot had to be Lakme. A friend recommended Lakme Nine to Five Flawless Makeup which is a liquid foundation and promises to stay on for hours.  

So here’s the review:

What Lakme website says about 9 to 5 Range:

Enter the world of high performance make-up with the Nine-to-Five range from Lakme. Once applied, you can look gorgeous, even at the end of the day. Created to give you all day perfection, this revolutionary assortment of cosmetics will make touch-ups a thing of the past. With formulations optimized to suit Indian skin and climatic conditions, the Nine-to-Five range is designed to feel super comfortable and stay on perfectly for hours and hours.

 What Lakme website says about Flawless Makeup :

A high performance foundation that keeps you looking flawless through the day; this long lasting formula does not smudge or streak. It has a pump dispenser that avoids messy spills and makes application easy and hygienic, leaving your skin feeling comfortable and supple for hours. Exclusively formulated for daily use, it ensures that your complexion looks its best across the day.

MRP: Rs. 395/-

How to Apply

Step 1: Pump some foundation onto the palm of your hand.

Step 2: Use your middle finger to dot foundation on your face.

Step 3: Lightly blend the foundation in a downward direction from hairline to neckline.

Lakme 9 to 5 Flawless Makeup is available in 4 Shades:

Pearl (For Fair Complexion)

Marble (For Fair to Wheatish Complexion)

Shell (For Wheatish Complexion)

My experience with Lakme Nine to Five Flawless Makeup :

I have a fair skin tone which looks a bit pale at times. I bought Lakme Nine to Five Flawless Makeup in Pearl. It perfectly matches my skin tone and I simply love it for this. It is best applied with fingertips or a sponge. Once applied on skin after proper miniaturisation, it needs to blended quickly to avoid looking dry and cakey.

• It is waterproof, long lasting and stays on for hours as promised, which are definitely an add on.
• It is buildable and can easily give a medium to heavy coverage and gives a decent coverage over my dark circles and I don’t need a separate concealer. I have a dry skin and using generous amount of moisturiser and eye cream before applying this foundation.  
• Lakme Nine to Five Flawless Makeup is suitable for all skin types but dry skin needs to be moisturised before application.
• Lakme Nine to Five Flawless Makeup gives a matte finish.
• Comes in a pump dispenser makes application very easy.

Flaws in Lakme Nine to Five Flawless Makeup:

• It gives a matter finish which some may not like.
• Comes in a glass bottle which is a bit difficult to carry and there is always fear of breaking. I don’t exactly see this as a flaw because almost every foundation comes in glass bottle, but I have a habit of dropping stuff.
• I have a dry skin and need to moisturise my skin heavily before application.
• Contains no SPF and you need to separately use a sunscreen.

I don’t think these flaws matter much, considering the quality of the foundation and of course the price. I have repurchased it and using my second bottle already. I was so happy with Lakme Nine to Five range and bought some other products as well. I will be reviewing them separately.