DIY #Beauty

Hi!
It has been a hectic day but a fun one.Today's post is going to be a short one on a few DIYs.I am a really lazy person in general but when it comes to interesting and fun things,I don't mind laboring a bit :) .The DIYs I am going to share today are partly my innovations and partly things I learnt from my mom and the net.

The first one is an oil for hair.Like I mentioned earlier,my hair is really dry at the ends and I suffer from hairfall.So I treat my hair with hot oil massages like twice a week at the least.Following is the "recipe" for the oil I use.I am not very regular with my hair care regime but still the results are quite noticable and positive.My hair feels softer,more hydrated and there is lesser hairfall compared to prior following this routine.I usually heat the oil before massaging it and leave it on for a couple or hours or more then shampoo and condition as usual.While leaving it on,I wrap my hair in a damp towel and blast the towel with hot air from my blow dryer rather than wrapping a towel dipped in boiling water.
Now the recipe:

You will need:

• 100ml coconut oil
• 4 hibiscus flowers(the petals,and the carpel,you can leave out the green base)
• 1 amla,chopped and de-seeded
• 1flat tea-spoon methi seeds

Procedure:

• In a heavy saucepan,place the oil and amla.In low flame,start simmering the content.Then put in the methi seeds and the flowers.Bring it to boil until you see fumes surfacing over the saucepan and also the petals geting discoloured to some extent.Turn off the flame and cover it and leave it undisturbed until it cools down to room temperature.
• Using a filter,pour the oil in an empty bottle,preferably glass(if not available,plastic will do).The oil will be reduced to around 85ml.Now etract some of the methi seeds from the residue and add it to the oil.Let it stay there.

You can store it for a couple of months though if you routinely use it for even twice a week,it won't last that long.

The second one is a real crazy one-Eyeshadow primer.I like using eyeshadows but hated how some really beautiful shades just don't show up on my oily lids or hoe the shadow sreases and becomes patchy.Then I discovered there is yet another elemental makeup product called eyeshadow primer.Now,there is really no drugstore eyeshadow primers in India as far as I know(do correct me if I am wrong) and those that are available will definitely burn a hole in my pocket.So I started googling for substitute of eyeshadow primer that will provide equal results in minimum price.I discovered that one recipe has been repeated all over the internet and I was not very keen on trying that ditto so I tweaked it a bit and this is what I came up with:
                                                                                 You will need:

• a empty air tight container
• baby powder(I used the johnson baby powder)
• thick face/eye cream(I used my mom's ponds age miracle night cream)
• foundation of your skintone/bb/cc cream
• toothpick/q-tips

Procedure:

• Using a q-tip scoop out little of the cream and add very little powder to it.Mix them together thoroughly.Your end product should be more on the powdery side but not like stale dough.
• Add a small drop of foundation to the mixture and again mix well using the q-tip or toothpick-it will yield a lighter shade of the foundation that is bit more powdery and thick.
• Tweak the amount of powder,cream and foundation to suit your need-the oilier your lids the more powder you add yet it must not be too much that it end product feels rubbery.You should be able to spread and blend it evenly on your lids.If you add too much powder it will be visible as small lumps and flakes over your eyelids.
  
• when kept air tight,it lasts for couple of weeks though I would recommend to make really small batches and use it up within one week.I observed that if left for too long the mixture loose all moisture over time and it becomes impossible to be used.
• Now you will find this recipe all over the net but most will ask you to use cornstarch which I replaced with baby powder.Why?It is because cornstarch is a food product and it seemed too weird to be used on my eyes and secondly since it is edible I doubted that it will become "rancid"-perhaps you do get what I mean???In short it would have become the breeding ground of bacterias.Why I replaced It with Baby Powder?That's because it's major ingredient is talc which is also a major ingredient in most eyeshadows and since it is meant for babies it should be milder than most cosmetic products available.And lastly,powder can't become "stale",can it??

After vigorous rubbing,this is how the swatches looked.

swatches of an eye shadow with the primer on-as you can see the middle stripe is more vibrant than the other two,that is where I applied the primer. 

This is how it looked on the eyelids.I used the primer on my left eyelid and the difference it made is obvious.

This Is how it looked.My eyeshadows does look more vibrant,and the best part is they do not budge off unless I rub it off with water.But on the downside blending the shadows feels a bit difficult than usual with this on.

So this is all for today.see you in my next post.Good night!

Make-up kit for college goers

Hi,I suppose this is the first time I am posting something at a regular interval.So,I won't start rambling and go straight into the topic.Being a college goer myself,I face a very common problem faced by almost all college girls-What exactly should include our beauty regime?College years are the beginning of fashion experimentation for many of us and with exposure to so many new products and brands we often get overwhelmed and hence overboard with make-up.The end results is often a clown face rather than a diva-not at all desired.So what can be done?The easiest,cheapest and most effective way to prevent this is stop buying more than you need.Yeah,I know many will kill me for saying this but this is the best way.But almost no one can help getting tempted seeing the array of cute bottles and tubes and tubs in the cosmetic shops.Today's post is a compilation of those thing I feel necessary and enough for a college girl on budget like me.

College years or 18 to 22yrs age is perhaps the best years in a girl's life in terms of health,beauty and of course the fun at college.A girl is always glowing from within,so why cover up that with dollops of foundations,concealers and what not!I say until you are a severe case of pimple and acne scars,heavy coverage foundations and concealers are completely unnecessary.First understand why you make-up.It intensifies our best features hence boosts our confidence,make us look nice and presentable and sometimes we make-up for loved ones or to attract appreciative glance from our crush, ;).But really,one very true things about guys-they love to see us with the minimum make-up possible.Some girls might find this very helpful while others will die rather than not wear make-up.I,personally expect three things from the products I buy-Budget-friendliness,good for skin and no side-effects or permanently damaging and makes me pretty.So,today's post might be quite useful to those who share similar views.

Face:

Sheer to medium coverage base is the best for this age unless you have a extreme condition of spots and scars.Tinted moisturizers/suncreens,BB creams and sticks and sheer foundations that also have benefits of moisturizers and suncreens work best.But I will rather not recommend the foundations as they tend to clog pores and quite damaging on the long run.Here's a list of things that I have already used and liked for their qualities:

• Ganier BB Cream- Rs.89 for 18ml,Coverage-sheer,only one shade available but compliments almost all complexion-build able to some extent,does not get cakey,contains SPF 24,can be wore easily during the day,quite moisturizing if you have oily skin.dewy finish but melts if you sweat or secret oil a lot.easily blendable.The bad thing is it stings a bit on my face and I don't know if this experience is personal or universal.The 18ml tube lasted me for approx 8months.for details click here
• Lacto Calamine Lotion for oily skin-Rs.80 for 40ml,coverage-sheer,tinted moisturizer.the tint suitable for fair skinned people,on dusky beauties this one might look ashy.Easily Blend-able. No.No SPF.A good moisturizer if you can bear with the smell.
• Maybelline BB Stick-Rs.250 for 10ml,coverage-medium and build able,SPF 21,comes in two shades Radiance and Fawn for fair skin(pink undertone) and dusky skin(yellow undertone) respectively. Blend-able but not as easily as the creams mentioned here.Powdery matte finish.Emphasises dry patches if you have any so moisturization is a must even if you have oily skin.Waterproof,lasts at the most 8 hours.
• Lakme CC cream-Rs.250 for 30ml for the shade bronze and Rs.199 for 30ml for the shade beige.Coverage-medium and build-able.SPF 20,the shades suits the generally yellow undertoned beauties of India very easily.Need to work on blending a bit.Transfers if your skin is oily.not very moisturizing.For details click here
• Boroline-Rs.17 for 10ml.No,I am not asking you to apply boroline all over your face and go to college.But I felt this product deserves it's place here solely because of it's health benefits.It works miraculously on smoothing any dry or broken or rough patch of skin.I always keep one tub handy in my college bag for emergencies like accidents at sports day,or instantly smoothing out broken and dry patches of skin that suddenly start showing up during winters and even summer time.I just massage a liberal amount on the place,scrub it lightly with a towel hanky, wash it off and pat-dry my face and I am ready with a very naturally flawless skin without even applying any complexion correctors.
• Lakme rose powder-Rs.99 for 40g
• Maybelline clear glow compact-rs.185 for 9g-available in 4 shades,sheer coverage,can be used in wet form,contains SPF 24,I bought the wrong shde but use it more as an matte beige eyeshadow and for making my kajals smudge-proof at the lower lash-line.
• Lakme invisible foundation-rs.215
• Lakme foundation Rs.100
• Lakme mousse Rs.99 
• Maybelline cheeky glow blush-Rs.225 for 7g-Available in 3 shades-adds a natural flush of colour-is build-able-moderate pigmentation-lasts 3-4hours-suitable for day wear-does not break out skin.
• Faces creame blush-Rs.350
• Blush is really not that important.But when you want a glow but don't want to spent much on having an huge assortment of different shades of blush you can do the following thing-just with the cutting edge of your lipstick in the shade of blush you want draw a line on your cheels and blend it super well and you will have the desired shade of flush on your cheeks.I use my elle18 lippies for this purpose.

Lips-
Lipsticks are really not always perferable specially when it leaves hideous stains.Glosses look gross and feels sticky specially when you have full lips.Balms do not impart that much colour that you would have liked.Here is a list of some of the lipsticks and balms I found to be quality products at good budget.

• Vaseline jelly-Rs.5,cheapest and the best balm for your lips.Ok,not the best but it's works really well given the price and is available even a that road-side tea and pan stall!
• Vaseline Rosy lips-Rs 109 for 4g,pigmentation good given its a lip balm,moisturizes upto 2-3hours after that you need to re-apply.A nice substitute for lipstick but the other available shades are not as pigmented.
• Maybelline Baby Lips-Rs.150 for 4g but the ads are showing that they have reduced the price to Rs.99.Yippeeeee!!Available in 6-7shades out of which the 'cranberry' shade is best pigmented.Moisturizes for maximum 5-6hours and makes the lips soft with regular usage.Again a very healthy substitute for lipstick for daily wear.Fro details click here
• Elle 18 lipsticks-Rs.100 for 4.2g,sheer coverage for light colours,medium to dark coverage for others - available in large number of shades-moisturizing to some extent and staying power is 3hours min and 5hours max-transfers quite a lot.does not stain your lips unless it is a really pigmented shade for eg.Rosy Blush(27).A good beginner's choice if you like experimenting with looks and colours .Some of the best shades of this range are Coral Romance(42),40(forgot the name,probably something ending with peach),mousse melt(16),Rusty(29),Rosy Blush(27),constant candy(forgot no.),Cinnamon bun.For details click here
• Avon Simply pretty lipsticks-Rs.169 and Rs.109 when on offers.good pigmentation and really good range of colours-quite moisturizing-good staying power-avaragely non-transferring.ONly drawback is you have to find an avon representative for getting these.
• Lakme Enrich Satin lipsticks-Rs.225.Good pigmenation,80+ colours but mostly on the browny side,not very moisturizing,stains a lot-ugly packaging-the plus point is that it is budget friendly.must have shades from this range are 352,149,421,356,143,142.
• Colorbar Velvet matte lipsticks-Rs.275.Great pigmentation,huge range and variety of colours,slightly drying formula,stains a lot,good staying power-upto 6hours without meals-suitable when you are in the mood for bold lips.The plus points are the cost and variety in shades.I wanted a true orange in my collection and hence got colorbar because it offered one.For details click here
• Maybelline bold matte lipsticks- Rs.375.Matte lipsticks in a budget.very good staying power upto 7-8hours,not at all transferring-bold colours suitable only for special occasions.Only 5 shades available of the same color family-pinks,orange,coral and red.coverage is opaque in one swipe except for the shade MAT03.All the shades are a must-try if you can carry them.
• Lotus herbals lipstick rs.185

Eyes-
Kajals,eyeliners,coloured eyepencils and neutral matte eyeshadows are the best for daily wear and a eyeshadow pallete with bolder colours of your choice for special occasions.

• Maybelline Colossal Kajal-rs.175
• Lakme Eyeliner Rs85
• Lakme eyeconic Eyes Kajal-Rs.199
• Lotus Herbals Kajal-Rs.115
• Avon Glimmersticks
• Faces eye pencils-Rs.249
• Lakme Eyeconic eyes colour kajals-Rs.250
• Lakme eyebrow pencil-Rs.45
• Maybelline color tattoo Eyeshadows-Rs.350-best colours-the bronze,gold,teal and orange one.
• Maybelline Diamond quad Eyeshadows-Rs.495-best one is the neutral quad and the pink quad
• A beige Eyeshadow-I use my maybelline compact in sand beige shade for this purpose
• A matte brown-peach and a shde darker brown eyeshadow-For this I use the ones in my ADS travel-size makeup kit priced rs.112.
• A highlighter shadow-the compact provided in the ADS kit.
• A Peach Eyeshadow-The blush in the same kit.
• Ouemeidie eye shadow palette-Rs.120 for festive occasions.
• Maybelline hyper-curl Mascara-Rs.250 for daily use(available in waterproof and non-waterproof variant)
• Maybelline Collosal Mascara-Rs.350 for occasuions(")

Nails:
A look is never complete without a dash of color on your fingers and toes.here is an assortment of a few best nail polish at reasonable price available in India.

• Elle 18-Rs.50
• Streetwear-Rs.55
• Lotus Herbals-Rs.110
• Avon simply pretty-Rs.65
• Tips and toes-Rs.60
• Maybelline coloroma-Rs.90
• Maybelline Color show-Rs.75
• Lakme enrich satin-Rs.150
• VOV nail paint-rs.20-40

A few miscellaneous yet vital things:

• A face wash specially suitable for your skin type-here are few for oily skin-Clean and clear morning energy face wash-green apple variant,Himalayas fairness face wash
• A body sunscreen-Lotus herbals and Biotiques make some of the excellent ones.
• Q-tips
• A set of 5 or 7 vital make-up brushes-plenty of Chinese brands flood the Indian markets which are quite good as beginner's brush.they cost from Rs.100-Rs.120 bucks in Kolkata.If you are from Kolkata just search through the right-hand footpath stores in Hatibagan,there are many options.Even individual brushes are there reading "MAC" and "Bobby Brown" and "Avon"at around rs.120-150 each(the price is very much negotiable and if you are really good at bargaining you can get them for Rs.80 at least).Don't get elated-those are fake but nevertheless very good in their quality-at least good enough for a make-up newbie.
• A pocket-size bottle of rose water and cotton swabs.
• A nail-paint remover-lakme nail paint remover is the best priced at Rs.65 for 30ml.The blue Heavens one is also good at Rs.28-32 for 30ml.
• A make-up remover.You can use Baby oil for this purpose,even the Ayur Cleansing milk is a great option.Maybelline also sell a Make-yp remover at a reasonable price.

Now that we have the list of some great budget friendly options but how to assemble your own kit?

• First get a large box for keeping your essential things.Only include those that you will require on daily basis in this box,for the rest keep them somewhere away from your sight.I keep my box on my study table!The rest are kept in the drawers of my mother's dressing table.
• For your face,including a travel-size moisturizer is a must and any one of the above mentioned BB/CC creams.However if you are opting for Lacto calamine you can skip the moisturizer from your kit.If you have oily skin you may keep a compact or loose powder in it as well.Only one blush that will go with your complexion as well as in daytime and with any dress or look.I am fair with pink undertones in my face and find the Maybelline cheeky glow in creamy Cinnamon the perfect blush matching all the mentioned criterias for me.For dusky beauties I suppose the faces cream blush in the peach-orangey shade will look flattering,
• For lips,keep a lip balm and an assortment of some must have shades of lipsticks or glosses.I have full lips and glosses make them even fuller so I prefer lipsticks with sheer coverage or wear them as stains.Some absolute necessary shades are a pink(daily wear),a brown(formal purpose),a red(for bold lips-neutral eyes quick make-up look),a neutral(for neutralising dramatic eyes),a quality lipstick in your favorite shade for special occasions.I have Elle 18 lipsticks in shade 42(a sheer coral pink for daily wear),16(caramel-brown for no make-up formal look),27(germanium red-I bought this thinking this one is a siren red),Lakme enrich satin 149(a neutral peach-brown),Maybelline Bold Matte MAT02(A coral-pink for special occasions),Colorbar Velvet Matte Obsessed orange(a neon orange for special looks).If you are similar to my complexion you can try them out.
• For eyes-A kajal-preferably a waterproof and smudge-proof one.A eyeliner depending on what you like best.I am more of a neutral eye person and want to look natural at college-as if I am not wearing anything.If you like that then include a peach,brown and beige shadow.If you prefer playing with colours collect your favorite shades of Eye-pencils-but not more than 5-6 wearable colours.One eyebrow pencil.One daily-usable mascara.
• For nails-Now nail paints are not really a must have thing.But they do add bit of colour to your look and reflect your moods.I prefer to keep a nude(formal),a black(sexy-boho look),a scarlet,a rosy pink,a maroon(because it looks really flattering on me though I personally never really liked the colour) in my kit.MY nail polish are mostly from streetwear and elle 18.For the scarlet however I prfer Lotus herbal Red chilly.
• A nail paint remover
• A make-up remover
• A set of make-up brushes
• q-tips
• cotton swabs
• a travel size face wash
• a travel size rose water(toner)
• A few more things that I also keep along with these are a hair serum from Streax and my shampoo and combs.

Quite a long post this one was!Phew!So,how did you find it?Do you have any more suggestions?Do share your ideas as comments.I would love to hear from you,till then good night..!

A few more DIYs-for Hair#1

Hi friends!
The weather changing is ridiculous in Kolkata and I had been busy with Exams in college.Today's post is going to be a fun post.Not a review but some great do-it-yourself ideas that I learned from my mother and from articles and some of them are my own innovations.
So lets begin!
I will start with hair.Everyone loves a healthy,shiny and thick mane of hair that also smell pleasant.The whole charm of good hair get spoilt when it smells like rancid food.It is an embarrassing problem that usually source its origin from dandruff,allergies,sweat,leaving the hair unwashed for too many days and product build-up.What not we try to make it smell beautiful and even sensuous at times!While hair perfumes are the quickest solution,it has it's own side effects and the smell don't linger for long.The same goes for fragrant shampoos.For some the problem is so severe that the hair starts smelling awful even a few hours after shampooing.I also face the same problem specially when I suffer from dandruff.At other times,my hair acts like a trap for the fumes and pollution of the road as a result smelling like smoke.While on usual day i just apply my Streax Serum(review will soon follow) which smells heavenly and also the only product whose smell seems to survive at least an hour.But on special occaions I prefer a long-lasting fragnance.I have experimented with quite a few scents and the followings are the ones that lasted the best.

• Coffee mask-

According to your hair length and texture you will need coffee,honey,and a essence of your choice-I prefer vanilla and chocolate because they are very complimentary with the smell of coffee.You can even skip the essence if you want to stick to one smell.I prefer layering different scents.
My hair is wiry and shoulder-length and it requires 15sachets(1 sachet is 1/2 flat tsp roughly)coffee,2tbsp honey(this adds shine and also helps in making  thicker paste),and 1/2 tsp of your desired essence.warm 4tbsp water(not boil) and add the coffee,honey and mix thoroughly so it becomes a smooth paste and no lumps of honey or coffee is left undissolved.Next add the essence and stir it in.Apply on your hair strands concentrating at the ends and leave it on for half an hour.Shampoo as usual.
This mask not only smells great but also create brown highlights on your hair visible in sunlight.After washing I applied streax serum on each layer of hair while it was still wet and blow dried it.The resultant was a floral-caffeine mixed scent that lasted 2days given I did not shampoo my hair the next day,it survived normal rinse with water.The floral smell evaporated though in its usual time.I used loreal's smoothing shampoo and conditioner but their fragrance did not alter much of the coffee-scent.This was my own little innovation since coffee is used along with henna powder,then why not alone?
Pros:

• ingredients very easily available
• Adds shine and soften hair
• my hair looks more voluminous
• not exactly costly if you consider the price in comparison to a whole bottle of hair spray which are Rs.250 and up.
• Lasts for 2days or rather until the next time you shampoo(the smell won't be as strong as first day but it will linger)

Cons:

• time consuming
• shampooing is must
• some may not like the smell of coffee or vanilla or chocolate or honey.
• not exactly cheap when you consider per wash cost in comparison to per spray cost.

This one,though a bit too long process is completely worth it.None other things I tried so far lasted as much.If you have the time to spare then go for it.The only problematic part is sitting idle for half an hour and it could be real sticky and messy if it spills around.Also as an afterthought I would like to add that all the ingredients used appeared to be very arousing for my boyfriend who couldn't work out at first from where exactly was he getting the smell of "coffee and chocolates and something flowery" around me but he felt it was driving him "crazy".So,I suppose this bit of information has already got your naughtier side raking her brains,who knows this might work for your guy as well.

• Essential oil blends:

This one is tricky but works just like a normal hair spray.You will need a spray bottle,the essential oils of your choice,water.The instructions are usually written on the bottle of the oil about it's dosage,but don't use it directly or in concentrated form.Always dilute it in the recommended amount.Usually it is 2-3drops in 1tsp(10ml) of career oil or water.I used Blossom Kochar's essential oils which read that they should be diluted with water.I used Sandalwood and Rose since I did not want to spent huge amount on oils that I did not recognize and since their was no tester for them i didn't risk buying unknown fragrance.I made a batch with 100ml of water where I added the oils in a ratio of 2:3.That is,I mixed sandalwood oil to 40ml water(around 12drops) and rose oil to 60ml water(around 18 drops) since I wanted the floral scent to be more dominant.I just sprayed this mixture under my hair in every layer and dried it with a cold blast from the drier.This method  also contributed to the elongated lasting time of the scent.Shake the solution before every spray and you can keep it for quite some time but not more than a couple of months.
I came to know of this while searching the internet for ways to scent my hair uniquely.Now,essential oils are tricky things to work with,In right proportions they can smell heavenly and wrong proportions will make you stink.Also it is equally necessary to understand the purpose and nature of the oils since few like cinnamon and peppermint smells very nice but are skin-irritants.While Jasmine oil is an anti-depressant but some may find it's smell to flowery for their taste(I do).So your blend should be created keeping many things in mind like what smells best to you and also what type of mood you are in or wanting to create,The blend mentioned above smells great to me and is sensuous and very relaxing in nature-I just can't feel off as long as I can smell this blend.The staying power is not very long-approx 2hours after which the sandalwood smell evaporates and some another 2 hours and the rose evaporates as well.This is so because Rose oil is a "base-note" oil while sandalwood is most likely a "middle-note" one.I made the solution averagely concentrated,strictly as per the dosage recommended so the smell was not as strong.I do not recommend going beyond the dosage recommended by the brand unless you are a dermatologist and know exactly what you are doing.
Pros:

• You can create your own signature fragrance
• Once prepared,you can use this for quite a long time(You can't use 100ml in one go can you??).So no preparation time,sitting idle with a gooey mess on your head etc.

Cons:

• Pricey-Each bottle of oil contains 15ml and cost Rs.285 per bottle so that is Rs.570.But the good news is these two bottles will yield you perfumes for the next couple of years or more depending on how fast you use it up.So then it's not that pricey.
• Please do your own research if you wish to use some different oil than the ones mentioned here.You will find plenty of stuffs about the features of different oils online.But don't dive into the craze and end up with a bald-head.Yes,wrong usage can be that reactive.
• Some might find the preciseness required for blending confusing and tiresome.For them-please don't try.Wrong blend won't smell appealing and accidentally dropping more than required can result in concentrated solution that is not at all good for your hair.
• The smell don't last as long as the coffee mask.

So how did you like the ideas?Do try them and let me know how you find them working on you.I will soon be coming up with new DIys that I have in stock,till then good bye and have a great day ahead. 

Water Marbelling

Hey Friends!
A Belated Happy New Year and Merry Christmas!
I had been away for quite sometimes on vacation then my computer itself decided to take a break and so much more!Sadly my blog went backstage in all these chaos but now I am back with a tutorial.It's nothing new-I am sure all of you guys know this technique by heart from the numerous step by step break downs and videos but I just thought I'll add to that number.Today's post is about water marbling nail art technique.I am not very fond of nail arts as such but I really love playing with colours and creating them though I don't wear them through the day even.I just create a new design,remove it off after sometime and again try a different design-be it colour blocking,french manicure,gradient or water marbling.But if I wear something the whole day it is almost always either a single colour or classic french manicure.
Anyways,now let's get straight into the tutorial:
First,the things you will need:

• a small bowl-use a old one or one that you can easily dicard(not one out of your mom's favorite dinner set!) because after using it for this technique you surely won't be able to eat out of it.
• The nail colours-use new bottles as the laquer will still be quite runny.If the colour thicken it won't spread easily in the water.
• q-tips-to absorb excess colours
• a sharp tipped object(needle,pencil,compass etc)-to create the design
• water(obviously)
• A container-this is optional-read on to know why this is required

Now,the procedure:

Paint your nails with a base colour-here,I used Maybelline color show-Porcelain Party-A matte white.After the laquer dries carefully wrap your fingers with cellotape.You can also use a thick layer of olive oil or vaseline-this is to ensure that the nail polish don't smear your fingers.Trust me,it is a real pain afterwards to remove the stray marks specially it's winter now and I simply run away at the sight of soap and water during these months(but I do use them even though I hate to,during winter).I used cellotapes for this reason because this is my first venture at water marbling and I did not want to take the risk of using lubricants in case they didn't work and my fingers get smeared.Here's how you wrap it:

Next fill your bowl with water to the brim.For the particular design I used Maybelline Color Show Sweet Sunshine-a bright,almost neon-like yellow and Street Wear-Magic Brick-a peachy orange.I started with dropping a drop of yellow first,it will completely diffuse and form a film on the water surface.Next at the center of the film a drop of orange-this one will spread but notice not as easily as the yellow one.Continue the procedd layering one colour over another depending on the density of the film you want.More the no.of drop,less will it spread.After that with a sharp tip object(I used a thick needle) spread or concentrate the colour and create your desired design.As a beginner I opted for abstract texture.I simply swirled the colours and broke the film.This caused the colours to spread further and form a thin film with its own texture.I just mix them a bit more and achieved the following texture.Looks fiery isn't it?:

The last part is the trickiest of all and after the attempt I had to admit it will take quite a few go(s) till I get it right.Select the part of the pattern that you want imprinted on your nails and hold your nail parallel to that.Next slowly lower your nail in the same position till it touches the pattern.Flick your finger as fast as you can inside the water so that air bubbles don't get trapped inside your manicure.This is the main issue-often air bubble gets trapped resulting in bumpy surface on the manicure.A perfect water marbled nail will have no such bumps even without a base coat.While holding your fingers within water quickly using a q-tip absorb the rest of the pattern tearing them away from your finger or else it might mess up your just imprinted water marble.I dipped one finger at a time but you can do up-to 4 fingers together depending on your expertise and confidence.Peel off the cellotapes and see the perfection of the manicure.Finish it off with a top coat.In case bubbles show up in the nail art,the base coat to some extent can reduce them.

This is the finished look.Pardon the mess,some bits of the patterns got stuck in my palm when I tried to peel the cellotape.Since I did one finger at a time I had to create the pattern repeatedly and so required to change the water and going to and fro from basin to balcony where I was doing the work  was unpracticle.So I kept a seperate bowl to change the water because parts of the film remained in the water so the next pattern didn't spread up as easily so freash water was required.

It's really easy and beautiful if you can do it correctly.Do try it!

DIY Ideas and Durga Puja(2)

Today is Mahalaya-the beginning of the pujas.I know my fellow beauties are busy with their last moment grooming and are almost obsessed about looking the best.But as per the conventional notions of a beautiful body,it remains incomplete without a satin like smoothness and so it is almost a mandatory ritual for us to run to the parlour in the last moment for waxing or sugaring whatever you wish to call it.The result of the rush is a huge conjunction at the last moment at the parlours.Often this results in burns and incomplete work on the part of the beauticians.Believe me,I've had my share in this situations and innumerable burns!
So I had been looking for a substitute that is void the side effects of chemical hair removers and at the same time as effective as parlour treatment.Then I came across the term "body sugaring".It is an ancient technique that was first started being practiced in Egypt and soon made its way into the middle east countries where it is popular even today and is a part of pre-marital rituals for the bride.Compared to waxing though it might appear to be quite similar but there are subtle differences between waxing and sugaring.The major difference is in the technique of both the processes-the direction of application and ripping off,the use of different textiles(or using the hands in case of sugaring) as the ripping material and obviously the pain factor.If performed correctly by an expert the sugaring process is by far less painful compared to waxing.However while preparing the solution I found that sugaring solution is more difficult in making than waxing solution because the whole lot of ingredient gets wasted if the preparation goes wrong.But waxing solution can be corrected to some extent.Underneath is the recipe of the waxing solution I have been using like my life saver for the past few months.I hope you find it useful.Ignoring the hard work and time required it is totally worth it. :)
INGREDIENTS:

• 2cups sugar(sugar granules,and not powder.According to the cup I used 2cups=250g sugar)
• 1/4th cup lemon juice(use the same cup that was used to measure the sugar.approx 1 ans 1/2 a lemon)
• 1/4 cup water
• A heavy bottomed alluminium saucepan
• wooden spoon
• spatula
• a white china dish
• microwave gloves
• kitchen thermometer(if available)
  
  

  

  ingredients

PROCEDURE:

place the saucepan on flame and stir slowly.
2mins after placing on the the flame.

• After measuring all the ingredients,place them in the saucepan.Light on the gas burner at the lowest possible flame.
• place the saucepan on the flame and start stirring slowly.Stir till all the sugar gets dissolved.
• The solution will start boiling and froth will  be formed.In case the froth comes to the brim just stir bit faster while taking the solution off the flame.Once the froth has vanished,place the pan on the flame again.
• Continue this process for 15mins.After about 10mins from the time of placing the pan on the flame,the solution will start thickening but the colour would still be transperant.After 15mins the  colour would change to very light amber but the solution would still be bit watery.this is going to be the exact solution you need.

  

  froth forms as the solution boils.colour changes gradually as well.approx-6mins after placing it on the flame

• let it cool completely or at least to the extent when the heat is bearable and surely won't burn you.You will notice that the more it cools down the more it thickens and become jelly like.pour it in a air tight microwave safe container.This is the perfect solution required actually.you could have achieved the same by boiling some more but that would have been unbearable on the skin and on cooling that solution will become rock hard.
• Apply talc powder/baking soda on the region to be waxed.with the help of a spatula,take a little of the solution and spread it on the desired part of your body in the direction of hair growth.
• place a piece if old demin on it.Rub it in the direction of the hair growth for a minute to warm it up and rip it off in the opposite direction of hair growth.
• Continue the same process till all the required hair is removed.You can do this a couple of times on the same area to remove any residue hair but it is advisable not to do so more than that.
• It is always helpful if you have someone to do it for you because their are areas that are hard to reach and also the result is more accurate when you can hold the skin taut.

SOME HANDY TIPS:

the final solution after cooling.this is enough for full hands and a little will still be left over.

• While preparing the solution,with the help of a spatula,take a small drop of the solution and place it on a white china dish to check the colour.

  

  gradual colour change as observed on a white dish

• the trick is to make sure that the sugar do not caramalize.once it breaks down the solution is a total waste.
• measure the lemon ans water holding the cup parallel to your eye level(remember your chemistry classes na??)
• if you have a kitchen thermometer,then the solution must precisely measure 250 F.
• always keep ice cubes and wet towel near your hand in case of any unwanted accidents.
• do not apply any type of moisturizer at least for 24hrs before waxing.
• make sure the denim strips are thoroughly cleaned.
• In case,the solution becomes bit too hard than required,add 1tbsp water and microwave it for 2mins stirring once after 1minute in between.
• keep the excess in an air tight microwave safe jar and store in fridge.It will last approx 2 months. DO NOT KEEP IN A OPEN CONTAINER.this is because the next time you will try to use it,the solution will be watery and won't stick well because of condensed water droplets.

How did you find this recipe?Do share your experiences after trying it and leave your valuable comments.I am really sorry that I cannot often update for the last few days as I was quite busy myself with the upcoming puja plannings.But I hope to be regular with my updates again.Subha Mahalaya and an advanced happy Durga Puja to all my friends! 

DIY ideas and durga puja

Hi friends!
Good morning to all!
Being a bengali,I can't simply wait for our most awaited celebration of the year-Durga Puja. It's a day more than three weeks to go and the celebrations will begin.
I find the divine ideas related to the puja very simple-triumph of good over evil and worship of woman power.These four days are actually the only time when Goddess Durga comes to stay with her parents in the year.While worship of durga was actually meant to be done during winter season(pardon me for I cannot remember the exact name of that ritual),the more popular ritual is the one during springtime called "akalbodhan".According to Hinduism,this ritual was first done by Rama.The main four days of the puja are saptami,asthami,nabami,dashami though the countdown begins from mahalaya ans ends with dadashi.

The fun and anticipations related to the four days of the pujas actually begin from the last day of the previous year celebration. Specially in Kolkata,the hype is enormous.Everything begins with the obvious shopping spree,then extensive planning of the route for pandal hopping on each day,scheduling the plan with different groups like a day for family,another for friends,one (or maybe more :P)for boy/girlfriend(or 'friends' ;)),whole-night pandal hopping day,and last but the most important-consistently looking your best through each day and night of the puja. Thanks to the moderately new trend of theme-based pujas,the actual four days of the puja has been extended to eight.The extension is obviously welcome but at the same time it has made grooming much more difficult.Come on!Can you think of any magic even to maintain a fresh look despite running in and outdoors the whole week and even staying up for quite a few nights??

To be truthful,there is simply no way in which you can consistently look fresh through these days except taking a break for couple of days in between and minimising your night programmes perhaps to just one night.I know what I am suggesting might be an outrageous prospect to many of us(even to myself),so we seek for alternatives that might help us to some extent to hide those hideous dark circles,frizzy or limp hair and what not!
 As some wise person had once suggested,prevention is better than cure.We can apply the same theoury here.If you manage to consistently take care from sometime earlier,it will be easier to maintain the look through these days.Today I am going to suggest some of the things that I know and use.Many of us might know all these already and maybe some more.Do feel free to share them trough your valuable comments.
Lets begin with the skin.A glowing skin can drastically change the whole appearance.The first and foremost necessity for the skin is proper hydration.if you are not in the habit then begin drinking a minimum of 12glass of water per day.Then dedicatedly follow a regular program of cleansing,toning and moisturizing and exfoliating for 3-4 times a week.
Here are some DIY ideas that you can use:

• Home-made toner-(every skin type)

Juice of one cucumber and one lemon and rose water.Grind the cucumber and squeeze out the juice in a cup,add the lemon juice and 3tbsp of rose water.Next refrigerate and freeze this solution.Use this ice cubes as toner.After cleansing,just wrap the ice cube in a clean cotton cloth and lightly rub it on the face.You can put it back in the freeze and use it again.this cubes can be used for as long as 2 months.

• Home-made toner (oily skin)

Rose water and vinegar.mix equal amount of both and keep in a bottle.Shake well before every use and use as you use your regular toner.It also cleanses any residue dirt left after cleasing.The only drawback is the smell.The smell of vinegar overpowqer the smell of rose water.

More DIYs coming up.This is all for today.Keep reading for more and stay well and stay pretty!