VOV Eyeshadow Pencil

I have been MIA for so long that I was starting to miss my blog horribly. Managing home, work and not to forget a boisterous kid can be a tough job. Well, even with all this my makeup craze continues especially my search for cheap and wonderful products. Recently while getting bored at a ‘kirana ka dukan’ I spotted some makeup stuff (yes..yess the kirana walas keep makeup stuff these days..how wonderful for people like me J). The one thing that I was interested in was the eyeshadow pencils from VOV (btw I totally love VOV stuff, cheap and extremely high quality). I got a basic bronze to see how it works and I have to say that I am super impressed.

Price: I don’t remember 150 bucks I guess. It has a net weight of 3.5 grams. They are packaged like the chubby sticks from Clinque and the lip stains from Revlon. Love the cute easy to use packaging. All you need to do is glide it across the lids to get the color. No need for brushes and any messy business

Pigmentation and Staying Power: The color is a golden bronze shade which looks lovely on the lids especially when paired with bright red or pink lips. The texture is rich and creamy which means the eyeshadow glides on effortlessly. Unfortunately the creamy texture means it tends o migrate onto things, which includes your hands, other parts of the face. The staying power is almost nil. It is gone in half an hour!!! The color lasts for some time when used with a primer but there is no significant improvement in the staying power. I now use it as a base for my powder eyeshadows, mostly to bring out the color. This is how the color looks on my lids (which are very pigmented) without a primer.

My recommendation: Its cheap and the color is nice but really the time it lasts on the lids is a complete disappointment.

All my Skin Care Essentials

Wow its been so long that I did a blog post...well, the reason is not my laziness or anything..I just started working full time and let me tell you girls its a task handling the home and work along with a little one as well. However, I am taking my baby steps towards getting it all done and adjusting to everything. Anyways now that I have started working all that travelling and the horrible pollution in Pune is wrecking havoc on my skin. As a stay at home mom I hardly took care of my skin but now have to be extra cautious. So to get rid of those pesky blackheads and dull skin, I added some stuff to my skin care arsenal (um..makeup drawer). Here are all my skin care essentials that I am loving these days.

VLCC Matte Look Sunscreen Lotion (Price: 175 INR) Once I joined my office I made the cardinal mistake of skipping a sunscreen for a couple of days and then on the third day I looked like somebody had burnt my skin :() So now I make a rule to apply sunscreen before anything. The VLCC sunscreen with SPF 30 is great. It is not heavy or too oily and the best thing is I don't tan so badly nowadays.

VLCC Pomegranate & Aloe Vera Gentle Exfoliating scrub (Price: 219 INR) I dunno when I became this VLCC fan but I am using a lot of their products these days and believe me some of the new launches are really good. This gentle scrub looks like a cream with minute red particles which I am guessing is pomegranate. Unlike other scrubs, i does the job without making my skin all bruised and red. Love this:)

Fabindia Lavendar cleansing milk (Price: 180 INR): This cleansing milk with lavender essential oils and grapeseed extracts is something I cannot live without. I think if there is one skin care essential that I need for the rest of my life it is this one. It has this cooling sensation and removes makeup excellently (except the stubborn mascara).

Nivea Pure Effect Total Face Cleanup (Price: 199 INR): I had heard great reviews of it from fellow bloggers. Decided to get it just to see what all the hype was about and totally loving it. Yes it does look like bird poop but believe me it works very very well. I use it twice in a week as a mask and it makes my face look all bright and glowy.

Lacto Calamine Skin Balance Lotion (Price: 118 INR for 120 ml): I generally do not love the other variant of lacto calamine as it makes my skin dry but this one works fine form me. Good as a moisturizer and even gives you a slight glow.

I also got the new BB cream from Garnier but will post a separate review for that. Meanwhile I am loving these cheap yet very effective skin care goodies. Do tell me what your skin care essentials are and whether you are using any of these products. 

Mac Face and Body Foundation: N7

Finally it ended..my wait for the perfect foundation. As a makeup lover you would know the trials and tribulations of searching for the best foundation. Some are too dark, others leave a whitish cast and there are some that makes your face look like a jaundiced patient. I had heard great reviews of the Mac foundation and was extremely eager to try it so when it finally launched in Pune I grabbed one of these. Having tested this sheer, lightweight foundation for over a month now I can now safely say that it is the best things to have ever landed in my vanity.

Price: It costs around 1700 bucks for a 50 ml bottle. The bigger 120 ml bottles are available in Pro stores around the world. Its packaged in a chhotu bottle with a squeezy top.

Texture: The first thing that you notice about this foundation is the runny, watery texture. Now I usually stick to my tinted moisturizers or light water based foundations and hate anything which gives that plastic, cakey look but when I saw the texture of the foundation, I was a tad skeptical whether it would provide any coverage or not. Thankfully all my doubts were put to rest when I saw my face. The first layer of the foundation gives a sheer dewy look. It might look oily in the first go but once it sinks into your skin it gives a nice dewy finish. If you have extremely oily skin you would have to powder your face. I have a combination skin so I usually just powder my T zone only. Once you layer on the foundation a second time you notice the increase in coverage and by the third layer this seemingly sheer foundation gives full coverage with no cakiness!!!! The MUA at the Mac store recommended warming up the foundation between the fingers and applying it on the parts that need more coverage.

 The best part about it of course is that it stays on the whole day till the time I remove the foundation. You do not feel the heaviness on your face and the glow lasts forever and thankfully it does not oxidize on face. I apply it with the fingers or with a stippling brush and with both I get a nice finish. I haven’t tested it but apparently it is water resistant

Shade Selection: Mac Face and Body Foundation is available in 13 shades which is amazing compared to the limited shade selection of all drugstore brands. I got the shade N7 in this foundation. I dunno how the shade thing works but the other dark shades like C6 looked quite yellowy on me. N I guess stands for neutral here and matches me perfectly. This is how my face looks before and after using the foundation. (watch out for the before makeup ugly photos)

This is a great foundation and is perfect for me…I love it love it love it…Please do try it

Addicted to Body Shop Sweet Lemon Body Butter!!!

The Body Shop stores are so addictive. I almost imagine myself magically floating to the store with the colorful tubs of body butters, creams and gels each time I pass it. I can browse and look at the products for hours if only I did not have an irritated husband and a squealing baby while doing so. Recently I came across the Sweet Lemon body butter and boy oh boy I wonder how I missed it for so long. The citrusy, summery fragrance hits you hard when you open the huge tub and when you apply it on your body, it is just so so good.

Price and Packaging: It is priced at INR 775 for 200ml which is really a lot of product. It lasts me for months and sometimes I really wish they had smaller tubs. I got this when it was on a 50 percent discount J. It is packaged in a huge bright lemon yellow tub and you need to dig into the tub to get the soft yellowish creamy body butter. Its kind off unhygienic but its ok with me as I am now used to it.

Texture: Now I am not new to body butters from Body Shop. I had the Cocoa Body butter which is so thick and heavy that I had to wipe it off after some time. I also did not like the Shea body butter for its fragrance. The Sweet Lemon Body Butter on the other hand is meant for dry to normal skin. It absorbs faster than the other body butters I have used from this brand and leaves the skin soft and supple. This is a boon for me in winters as my skin is all dry and parched. This body butter works like magic on the dryness and keeps my skin so soft. It does not linger on the skin or leave any oily residue. It just keeps it nice and soft. Check out how it makes my dry and parched hands look all shiny and soft.

Dry and Parched winter skin 

After using Body butter

 The smell is just amazing, like freshly squeezed lemons. If you like citrusy, floral smell than you would love this body butter. I apply it at night before going to bed and wake up with the mild smell of the body butter. It is really refreshing for me and am totally addicted to it

Lakme Fast and Fabulous One stroke Nail Color Storm Green

I am having one of those dull days and nothing not even chocolates can cheer me up. So being the makeup fanatic that I am I just started browsing through my makeup closet (Makeup makes me so happy :)) and chanced upon this fabulous nail paint from Lakme. Now for everyone who knows me or at least has read my blog knows that I am not a fan (Thats a nice way of saying "hates") of our very own Indian Lakme. However their recent nail paint launch (well its not recent anymore), the Fast and Fabulous range is really really good. The colors and the quick drying part is just so nice and many beauty bloggers are in love with the nail paints.

I picked a beautiful green color from this range called Storm Green a long time ago from my hometown Cuttack where the only counters I can find is Revlon, Streetwear and Lakme. So anyways when you do not have many choices you do tend to pick up anything. In this case I am thanking my stars that I did pick this up. Its a gorgeous fun shades that instantly brightens my mood. It was launched for 175 bucks and later prices were increased to INR 199

Moreover I like the packaging with the square cap and the long brush. The only thing is holding the cap and applying the nail paint is somewhat tricky. However, you can easily miss the drawback when you have such a nice color. It dries very quickly too. Lame says it sets in 40 seconds and I can vouch for the fact, it does do that. Here is how one coat of the nail polish looks on my nails. I so want to add a layer of glitter nail polish on top but I just do not have one right now :P

Happy New Year 2013!!!!

Hope this New Year hails in happy times for everyone. Hope this new year there are lesser crimes against women, hope this new year we wake up and realize our responsibility to not only society but also to ourselves. May we never turn a blind eye towards the suffering of women be it on the road, on a bus or even in our own homes. Stay safe and enjoy the year

Look What Santa Got Me!!!

I spent a really dull Christmas yesterday with nothing very exciting happening. This in contrast to childhood where we spent the entire December singing carols at school and decorating Christmas Trees (Well, we all have to grow up someday I guess) But lo behold when I reach home I find a package for me. Its my Vellvette box containing all lovely goodies and I could not wait to open it. Here is what I got.

Elizabeth Arden Visible Optimizing Skin Serum

To tell you the truth I am quite nervous about using this product thanks to my horrible experience with the Elizabeth Arden capsules. Let's see how this one fares *fingers crossed*

Bath and Body Works Cashmere Glow Body Lotion 

This is my third body lotion. I guess the Vellvette team thinks I am a huge body lotion fan. However, am not complaining love love the smell of this one

Cabotine de Gres perfume

Chotu vial that I really loved. The smell is a nice fruity, a little strong one but I just adore it. So handy for travelling also

Anna Andre Deluxe Creme Lipstick 40203

Never heard of the brand. Apparently Anna Andre is a makeup artist from Paris with her own line of cosmetics. The packaging of this lipstick reminds me of nyx jumbo lip pencil. The color is an extremely dark brown with a hint of shimmer. The formula is nice and mositurizing. I just really really wish it was any other color.

Apart from this I got some mac goodies for me as well. Finally got the Face and Body foundation (which is just amazing!!!!) and Mac Mehr (gorgeous for everyone). Here is my Mac Haul

Mac Face and Body Foundation in N7 : Don't ask me why it is N and not C but this one is a perfect match. The others are a little too yellowy on me.

Mac Mehr: A gorgeous dirty pink shade that looks yumm with smoky eyes

I also got a pink envelope clutch for myself from Lifestyle and my hubby darling got me a set of mini Dior perfumes from Dubai Duty Free while he was travelling :)

Mac Plumful Lipstick: Review and Swatches

Hmmm..with the number of lipstick reviews on my blog I think I should just change its name to About Lipsticks and Lipsticks but then can a girl ever have enough lipsticks. Not me though especially when I have the tempting Mac store around. I adore Mac lipsticks for its wide choice of colors and finish. However, there is one finish that I had never tried before and that is the lustre finish. Now for all those who are new the Mac finishes, lustre is a slightly sheer finish which adds a bit of color but does not quite hide the ugly pigmentation. This however is not the case with Mac Plumful which is a gorgeous sheer lipstick with just the right amount of color that gives you gorgeous glossy lips.

Price: INR 990. It’s a permanent Mac shade

Color and Pigmentation: Mac describes Plumful as blossoming rose plum whatever that means. Anyways Plumful is a plumy pink shade with a nice glossy finish. Lustre finishes are generally very sheer but Plumful is quite opaque not completely though but it just covers up the lip pigmentation. On me it looks like a neutral pink. On fairer skin tones it would be a darker plum. The color is buildable and after three four layers it goes completely opaque. However for a more natural look I use just two layers of the lipstick. On my lips the color lasts for around two to three hours which is fairly alright. The texture is smooth and silky. It is not moisturizing or creamy however

Plumful is a great pink for Indian skin tones especially the darker girls who have trouble finding a nice neutral pink. Although I still love Mac captive and it continues to be my favorite plumy pink, this one is equally beautiful as well. Moreover the glossy finish adds a nice touch to the lips. This is how it looks on my lips (Sorry for the ugly FOTD..camera just dint seem to pick up the color at all)

My recommendation: Get it if you are looking for a beautiful pink lipstick

Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Gold Ultra Restorative Capsules Intensive Treatment: A Review

What is with long names? I have never understood why products have to have such long names that don’t even make sense and are so hard to remember that by the time you have read the last word you will probably forget the first word. For someone who even forgets her anniversaries long names can be a bane especially when you are trying to remember the name at the store. Anyways enough of my cribbing. Let me move on to reviewing the product (Now for the sake of convenience or sheer laziness I will refer to these capsules as just “the product”).

How the Company Describes the Product

“Pure, potent, intensive single dose capsules. Our innovative CLX Complex delivers the restorative power of Ceramides and essential lipids to help strengthen skin's barrier against the visible signs of time.

• Visibly improves skin tone and clarity.
• Supports skin's own natural collagen levels for a firmer, more resilient look.
• Works to minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
• Retexturizes skin for a noticeably softer, smoother look.”

Well, you know how disappointed I was with the October box and one of the reasons for it was this product. The tiny five capsules were disappointing enough (Really it was only five) and a anti ageing product did not seem to be high on my list of skin care needs. However I was really hoping to see at least teensy weensy results regarding improvement of skin tone and clarity. I did not see anything. I mean it did nothing. Now I really did not have very high hopes considering the quantity but for the price which is a whooping 3400 bucks for sixty capsules I expected to see at least something.

To use it I broke off the top of the capsule and squeezed out the oil on my palms. The quantity is just about enough to cover the face and neck. Thankfully the oil has no weird smell. After cleansing the face, I applied the oil and slowly massaged it into the face and neck. The oil absorbed quickly into the skin leaving the face moisturized. It is non greasy and you do not have to end up with an oily face.

The problem: Well, I got tiny red bumps after that. I do not have sensitive or oily skin mind you and experiment a lot with skin care but somehow this product managed to give me those small, extremely itchy zits on my chin and neck. These remained for around four to five days after which I used it again just to make sure whether this was the product that caused the allergic reaction and lo behold I get those zits again..Aaaarghhh!!! Seriously I felt like killing someone that day.

I used three of the capsules and except for the zits I did not really notice anything. I have read great reviews for it on the net but my experience with these was not good. I guess it is meant for mature skin. Have you tried this product and how was your experience using this?