i recommend

Editor’s note

Customer reviews on most platforms are kinda crap—and a lot of those Insta posts are just glorified ads. Most of us end up relying on the same set of friends for advice any time we have to buy something new. So we decided to trial a community-sourced version of the ‘I Recommend’ section—to pool our collective wisdom to help each other out. 

Here’s how it works: You tell us what products/services you need help with. We will then gather together the best suggestions from our subscribers, personal networks and social media followers. Each month will have a different theme—examples: workout equipment, jewellery, men’s clothing, luggage etc. To start us off—and to give you a sense of what it would look like—here’s an example of something we did in my previous startup, Broadsheet. I hope our splainer fam will find this new feature just as useful:) 

Future editions will be based on your requests. So be sure to let us know what help you need by filling out this single-question form.

Wanted: The perfect red lipstick

It’s a beauty staple for most women and yet we struggle to buy the right one. Some leave your lips too dry, others look weird when worn, and some rub right off within the hour. So what is a girl to do? Here are some useful suggestions. 

Rustic Red by Klome Essentials: Want your lipstick organic and cruelty-free? Ankita Dasgupta writes: "Rich and sexy, it comes with its own loyal sidekick: an easy-to-glide lip oil that can serve either as a moisture-preserving base or as a finishing touch to get that glossy effect. It’s my best friend on dry winter days. And I use it without the oil for a semi matte or a frosted finish in the summer." (Price: Rs 600)

Ruby Woo by Mac: Want a trusty buy everyone swears by? Many are near-unanimous on its virtues. "What makes it great? The long-lasting wear, for starters. Whether you're eating or kissing, Ruby Woo never seems to disappoint," says Jyotsna Sharma. Sonali Kokra says it is "a rare red lipstick that works for pretty much all skin tones." (Added tip from Sonali: It is important to pick a red that works for your skin tone: darker wines and crimsons work better for fair skin, orange bases for darker skin.) The shade is also endorsed by Tanima Saha, Aashika Chittiapa and Bhavya Vatrapu. (Price: Rs. 1750)

Estée Lauder’s Quiet Riot: Are you in the mood to splurge a little? Vagda Galhotra swears by Quiet Riot: “Not that you need it with the new Zoom makeup filter around, but in case you’re looking, this is the perfect shade of red—one that’s a killer but not too bright. Shout out to the person in charge of naming the shade—it is exactly a quiet kind of riot. I wore it to every virtual wedding that I attended through the pandemic. Hell, I wore it in my pyjamas for consolation as it neared its expiration date, lol!” (Price: Rs 2500)

PS: Need more options? 

Here’s a longer list:

• Chatura Padaki: Colorbar Velvet Matte Lipstick, All Fired Up. (Price: Rs 349)
• Vrinda Uppal: NYX Professional’s Monte Carlo. (Price: Rs 600) 
• Nayantara Srinivasan: NYX Professional’s Soft Matte Lip Cream in Monte Carlo or Amsterdam (Rs 600) and Sugar’s Toast Roast. (Rs 499) 
• Sindhu Nair: Huda Beauty’s Heartbreaker in matte is just wonderful. Jyotsna Sharma agrees: Huda lipsticks are highly pigmented and less drying. (Price: Rs 1825)
• Akanksha Sharma: Maybelline's SuperStay Matte Ink is unbelievably long lasting. For a red to last through festive drinks+meals, I would strongly recommend them. My favourite red is Pioneer, but they have a range to choose from. (Rs 699)
• Shrabonti Bagchi: The Maybelline intense crayon is just so much bang for the buck. (Rs 399)
• Sadhvi Saran: Please give some love to homegrown clean beauty brands like Ruby’s organics or Spekta cosmetics. I enjoy Brick and Rhubarb from Ruby’s. It's heavy moisturising and paraben-free.
• Dineet Dadu: Lady Danger by MAC has a reddish orangish tone, which works well for Indian skin tones. (Rs 1700)

Note: We do NOT receive any revenue from the brands recommended.