Lipstick Haul: A little story

Ha! TGIF seriously...  every Friday, working women (like me ) feel so relieved isn't it? 
Before I start my weekend with a bang by watching D-Day (a Hindi movie), I thought I should share yet another haul, I had indulged in a few months ago. And what a super haul that was! 

As I said, few months ago I read that a blogger friend Anindita wanted to sell 5 lipsticks. The offer seemed interesting no doubt. So I checked the shades and I liked them instantly. Straightaway I told Anindita about my noble intention of acquiring them and she promptly agreed to book them, after telling me all about the shades etc.

After a few days I received the little box nicely packed with these lovelies. The sight made me so happy that I took no time to tear it open, (yes I'm very impatient when it comes to opening beauty packages) to admire the beautiful lippies. Along with the lippies, the box also contained a cute hand written note by Anindita and the current Avon catalogue. 

Here are the lipsticks I bought from Anindita: 

·         Revlon Matte Lipstick - Fabulous Fig

·         Revlon Velvet Rich - Choco

·         Avon ultra color rich lipstick - Rose Wine

·         Avon ultra color rich mega impact lipstick - Divine Wine

·         Lakme Enrich Metallics 419

From left to right: Fabulous Fig, Lakme 419, Divine Wine, Choco, Rose Wine

The excitement only subsided when I woke up in the middle of the night to check the swatches once again. The lipsticks Fabulous Fig, Rose Wine and the Choco stole my heart completely.

• I found Fabulous Fig perfect as a day and night wear. It is matte which means you can easily wear this to work and to any other glittery event and you can build the pigmentation accordingly. That's the beauty of this shade!

• The Divine Wine and the 419 Lakme lipsticks are extremely bright and they impart a natural radiance to your face instantly. Both these lipsticks are shimmery which makes them perfect for evenings and parties.

• Rose Wine reminds me of a bubble gum and what a pretty shade this would be for medium and fair toned women! This is an awesome shade to sport with heavy eye make up as well as a simple kohl look. During the day this looks absolutely gorgeous on the lips, and for the night, this would be perfect with a smokey eye. 

• Choco is just what it refers to ... chocolatey in color and you can definitely wear this anytime. 

I do know swatches are must and I'll post them pretty soon in this post itself. So happy weekend to all of you and have a good one! :) 

Of My Experiments Vol. I: My HG Sunscreen

As a Beauty blogger we experiment with plenty of products, to be able to recommend the best products to our dear readers. In the process, we end up damaging and nourishing our skin and hair vice-versa.  (or do we experiment with other parts of our bodies? I'm not sure though :P ). There is a flip side to this too: this continuous process enlightens us about various beauty products and gives birth to our HG products! 

Then come what may, we refuse to part with these HG products... for the simple reason of our unwillingness to be in the continuous exploration mode. Oh my I used so many bombastic words here! :P

Anyways without digressing much let me share the crux of this series with you. Ever since I could try the different products available in the market, I experimented a lot. And these experiments have led me to some of the best products and worst products too. So I thought why not share my success and horror stories with you! Let's start. :) 

June Haul

At a glance, the post title might seem bizarre to you, but the fact is today I will talk about the products I had hauled in the month of June. And you have already seen a teaser of these babies here, wherein I had promised to end the suspense with a complete haul post.

I had ordered most of these products from the popular online store Goodlife, as I wanted to experience the services they offer. Another reason I wanted to try this site was its vicinity - yeah it is a Pune based company, so the service would be much faster than other online stores outside Pune (this last part sounds a little weird no? :P).

Most of these products you see here, are my first purchases and my decision to try them was solely based on the wonderful reviews, I had read all over the worldwide web. So let's check the products I hauled, along with a brief  review. (the products have been listed in clockwise direction) 

1. Fab India Vitamin E enriched night cream: INR 275/-
This was an accidental buy as I actually wanted Fab India's depigmentation cream. So when I could not see the results as per the reviews, I realized my error of judgement. However, it is a good night cream and would be great for dry skinned beauties, as well as for nourishing an ageing skin. It add glow to the face, making the skin supple.

2. Lakme Fantasy Glimmer Blue Shimmer Eye Liner: INR 295/- 
The eyeliner is a beauty at such an affordable price. It gives a wonderful pop of color to the eyes and the shimmer helps you to gain attention instantly. Plus it stays on your lids intact for a good 6-7 hours. Do you want anything more? :) The brush is perfect for drawing thin as well as thicker lines. You can wear it anytime of the day and yet look attractive. 

3. Maybelline Hyperglossy Eyeliner: INR 225/- 
Seems like I have been on an eyeliner buying spree and I just noticed it! :) Another black beauty, this eyeliner would conquer your heart if you want a shiny dark black line on your lids. The brush is apt to draw thin lines and winged lines. It stays for a good 5-6 hours, but it is not waterproof. 
     
4. Elle 18 Eye Sparklers: shade Gun Powder: INR 85/-
Why I bought this I do not know coz this smudges real bad. Though it is soft, it gets rubbed, in case you rub your lids accidentally. And it smudges after 2 hours all over the eyes. I plan to finish using this asap and never look back, as I have laid my hands of the faces eye pencils and found them to be too good. 

5. Maybelline Color Tattoo in shade Bold Gold: INR 350/-
Does this product even require an introduction? I added this eyeshadow in the Bold Gold shade coz I did not have a golden shadow, that's a must for the glitzy occasions like marriages etc. Amazing shadow that lasts quite long and looks charming on the eyes. I have combined this with other shades and each time, the eyes seemed gorgeous due to this fab shade. 

6. Lakme Eyekonic Kajal: INR 199/- (I paid INR 180/- phew!)
I was bored of the Himalaya kajal as it smudged like hell and so I picked up this product from the local cosmetics store at a discount. The intention was to get a kajal, I could wear to work everyday and that would not smudge and stay for 5 hours at least. And this one scored on all points, except one - it is not jet black in color. It is greyish but the thick tip is great to create smudged kajal look. Right now this is my go-to kajal. So me super happy! :)

7. Faces Longwear Eyepencil in shade Navy Blue: INR 349/-
Enough has been written about this range of eye pencils from Faces. So all that I would say is it is a must have in your kitty, if you love to do up your peepers. It is super soft and glides on the eyes effortlessly and looks splendid on your eyes. And yes it refuses to erase even with a face wash and fades only with cleansing  milk or face oil. At this price it is a steal and I will buy this again and again! 

8. Colorbar Nude Pink lipliner (oo7): INR 325/- 
Make-upista and accomplished dancer Sreenanda Shankar inspired me to buy this one. Not literally :) though. Actually I follow Sreenanda's Facebook Group Makeover Madness, where she shares amazing tutorials, showcasing various looks for all women to try. She always tells you to line the lips, and then fill the lips with this liner only. So without batting my eyelids, I bought this and it paid off brilliantly, particularly when I wore bold colors like fuchsia and red. By the way, I already consider her my make up Guru(ma). 

Whoaaa that ends this haul post and I'd love to know how these products fared with you. Or any other thoughts about these are also welcome. And did I tell you that Goodlife is superfast. I received my products after a day. :) 

Love,
N. 

Woooooh One Year

Cannot believe it is one year already! Yeah you read it correct - my baby, in other words my blog just completed a year. And I cannot describe what a wonderful experience it's been so far. I have made so many friends, met plenty of talented women who can give expert MUAs a run for their money and not to mention, I have learnt sooo much during the course of this one year. 

I have come to know of so many brands and so many techniques of make up. Nevertheless there's lots to learn and lots of work to do. So here's wishing Indian Belle a very happy birthday and may you live many many more years. :) 

Super happy I am today. :) 

Teaser: Haul Post

Well yes I have been hauling quite a lot since a few months now, and sadly have never managed to share the pics of these hauls with you,  my dear readers. But then I would not want to give away all right at the first go. So a teaser for you! :)

You must be wondering why am I not telling you all about the products I hauled. The answer is quite simple - I love surprises and suspense. However I do promise  will reveal all about this haul and some more pretty soon. Till then take care and keep watching this space.

By the way can you spot the products seen in this pic? Let's do some fun: Identify the products you see in this pic and mention the same in the comment box below. I'll let you know whether you have identified correctly. I'm sure it will be fun. :) 

Love always,
N

Brown EOTD with Avon Mocha Quad Palette

Its raining cats and dogs here everyday and like most of you, I have taken to coffee big time! So whether it is morning or night, all I am sipping these days is a cuppa of steaming hot coffee. And this reminded me of the lovely Avon Mocha Quad eyeshadow pallette I had bought from a blogger friend Anindita, who blogs at ani-makeuup.blogspot.in about 2 months back. Anindita resides in my hometown Kolkata and is an Avon consultant. Kolkata girls if you are reading this, you can contact Anindita to place orders for Avon products, which can be easily shipped all over the country. (Her email id: makeuupani@gmail.com)

EOTD and FOTD with Faces Long Wear Eye Pencil

I have been on a make-up buying spree this month. And when I checked the beauties after getting them home, I realized my haul mostly consists of stuff, meant for the eyes viz – a couple of eye shadows, under eye cream and eye pencil, the only exception being a Fab India night cream and a chocolate vanilla shower gel. Did I hear you say yummy with the mention of the last item? J Of course, it goes without saying that I’ll do a haul post starring these beauties together asap.

Today’s post is about another EOTD, that I tried with the new eye pencil I bought early this month. Ladies, here I present to you a look using the eye pencil many girls love — Faces Long Wear Eye Pencil in the shade navy blue. 

There’s no rocket science in this look here. All that I did was to prep my eye area with the Oriflame concealer and let it set for 2 minutes. Then I took this beautiful and soft Navy Blue eye pencil and lined my upper lash line, drawing a thicker line to outline the eyes. 

Why? Again it’s my personal funda working here — with eye pencils I feel a thicker line works like a dream and looks very fascinating!

 And as the above pic suggests I finished this look by faintly lining my waterline with the Lakme eyekonic kajal, coz I have still not gotten out of my habit (whether it's bad or good I dont know though :P)of blindly following Kajol’s eye make-up in Kabhi Khushi Khabhi Gham! Yeah when it comes to eye-make up I like to follow this trend quite regularly. 

That's it for today and as I sign off, here's a FOTD, where I have worn the same eye make up. Hope you like it. :)

So did you like this EOTD and FOTD? As always, your feedback is most welcome. :)

My First EOTD

Ever since I turned a teenager (that's when I was allowed to apply minimal amount of make up), I have been extremely fond of eyeliners, be it the regular black matte eyeliner, waterproof or shimmer or pencil eyeliner and what not. Right now, I'm aiming to buy a glossy, pitch dark black eyeliner. And after I turned a beauty blogger, I’ve fallen head over heels in love with eye shadows too. So today after countless tutorials and following many of you, eye make-up pros (read bloggers), I present to you my humble offering – aka my first EOTD.

About the Look:

I did this look with eye make-up products only and my face is completely devoid of make-up. The products I used to create this look are:

• Oriflame concealer – used as eye primer
• Maybelline Color Tattoo 24 hour eye shadow – shade Bold Gold
• A lavender eye shadow from an eye shadow palette (it’s from USA and gifted by my aunt)  
• Lakme Instaliner Water Proof Eyeliner on my upper lash line
• Lakme eyekonic kajal on my lower lash line
• Himalaya Kajal on my waterline
•  Clinique mascara (again it’s from USA and gifted by my aunt) 

How I went about it?

I began by applying the concealer first all over my eye area. Then I applied the Maybelline Bold Gold color tattoo all over the upper eyelid and blended it quickly with an eyeshadow brush. After some more blending, it was the turn of the lavender eyeshadow, and I applied this just below the crease. Some more blending and the eyeshadow was in place. 

I patted myself for this and lined my upper lash line with the Lakme instaliner, which meant that half the job was done. :P Then I turned to the waterline and the lower lash line. 

You must have noted that I have used two types of kajal to create this look. The reason being – I’m quite poor at tight lining with liquid eyeliner, unlike a number of girls. Hence I opted to first tight line with the Himalaya kajal generously, and then drew a thicker line just below the waterline to create a smudged look, using the Lakme eyekonic kajal. This also helps to prevent the Himalaya kajal from smudging. 

Yes, the Himalaya kajal being oily, smudges way too much (makes me look like a Panda), whereas the Lakme eyekonic being matte, is a beauty, as traces of this kajal remains even after 8-9 hours. And I really wanted the kajal to  stay that long, coz I love the smudged kajal look very very much. Another reason for doing so, is I feel my large eyes look best with the combo of eyeliner and kajal. You'll see the difference in my next EOTD post pretty soon. Lastly, I finished my eye make-up with two coats of the Clinique mascara. 

I quite liked this look for a daytime occasion as it’s gorgeous and yet not loud. What do you girls think? Tell me about your thoughts in the comment section below pls. :)

Review: Tressemme Climate Control Shampoo

Not too sure if I’m being repetitive here, but ever since I can recall I’ve always trusted reetha, amla and shikakai for cleaning my hair. 

Reason: mom believed that herbal things like these are vital for healthy tresses and of course, she was not wrong, as I can still see the difference! Touchwood to that :) !

This brings me to the current product I’m about to review today — Tressemme Climate Control shampoo. As you all know this shampoo that hit the market sometime back, is a favourite for many girls. So I’ll not take much time and space to write about its content and ingredients etc, rather, let’s get to the point — which is how did it fare on my dry and coarse hair, (and likewise, not many shampoos gel with her, sad I know!)?

My experience:

Initially I was a little wary of picking this shampoo, but then I saw the wonderful effect this had on my friend S’s hair, making it look salon-like as the ads claim. So immediately I borrowed the shampoo to try, before buying, and as soon as I washed the shampoo off my hair, voila! yes I could tell the difference then and there. 

My hair felt soft and smooth like satin and boy that put me over the moon! Finally, I got hold of a shampoo that made my coarse hair, soft and extremely manageable, without making it limp and flat. This convinced me enough to buy the Tressemme climate control shampoo and conditioner, and I did so that very evening.

The shampoo is a thickish white formula which softens hair, the moment you apply it and you need a little amount of the shampoo to achieve salon-like smooth and healthy hair. What I loved about this product is its true claim — it delivered what it promised. Thank you Tressemme for bringing this lovely product to India and solving the problems of millions of women across the country.

So do you still want a last word? :) Just go and grab a bottle of this shampoo. It will not let you down for sure and it’s a must for everyone with dry hair. I just love this black beauty, Period (and so will you I’m sure). 

Price: A 100 ml bottle costs INR 64