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..!

Street Wear Color rich Nail Enamel-Black Passion

Happy sunday!
I have a sort of love-hate relationship with the weekends.Love because it's a holiday and dad is home-it's always fun when dad is around and hate because dad is home!sounds dumb isn't it?It's that dad and I are completely loggerheads when it comes to cleanliness and discipline.While I am as messy as messy can be,he is the epitome of discipline.I can't sleep late in the morning or stay awake too late at nights,I have to clean my room and specially study table which is a real pain as I dump a whole week's junk there.I can't sit idle or kill time but study or always do something or the other worthwhile but still apart from this the weekend is so thoroughly lively just because of him.Also I can use his net-connection and save mine! :P
You might be wondering why I am chattering non-sense?Well,it's just my way of expressing happiness and I am damn happy because I am getting the chance of exploiting my dad's internet connection again.Today's post is a review(yes,again!) on a black nail-polish from street wear-Black Passion.Black dress to nail polish,the color has been a rage among girls and ladies since time immemorial.It is my favorite color but I have always avoided it on the nails because I have a habit of biting my nails and so they are almost always through out the year out of condition for so bold a color.But Recently(actually after starting the blog)I have forced myself to quit the habit which had almost become ingrained in me like smoking or other addictions.I had earlier in class 10(about 3years back) had tried elle 18 black nail color but hated it-partly because my half-eaten nails looked horrible in it and partly because it was not really a true black color.
Picking up this particular shade was a whimsical choice(a result of a very personal event).I got this along with another color-Romantic Pink.The choices were real contrast.I ended up loving this black shade so much that I finished the bottle way before it started thickening.
So now lets plung into the detailed review:
Description:
You all do know how a street wear nail enamel bottle looks?I won't insult your knowledge describing the bottle over again.This one was a 5ml bottle and costs 50INR(I got it for 45INR).
My take:
The colour is just WOW!It is super pigmented but bit streaky at times while applying.You can see the nail bed through the colour at places if a single coat is applied.But a double coat give full opaque coverage and the darkest,shiniest black finish.It is so goth and a damn sexy colour!Unlike other colours,the black polish retains its shine for maximum days(for me,about 3-4 days) and also the longest surviving one without chipping(around 9days-after that the nail bed show up as the nail grows and so appears like the polish has chipped at the tips).It looks best with a top clear coat.It dries fast on nails too.Here are the pictures:

Doesn't it shines like diamond in sunlight?I am definitely going to buy it again.It made me fall madly in love with black nail polish.

The review at a glance:

Pros:

• very cheap
• 5ml bottle-very convenient size to finish up before it start drying out in the bottle
• survives best on nails(comapared to other street wear colours)
• easily available
• highly pigmented true black

Cons:

• sometimes the brushes are awfully damaged so always check yours before buying(I got one in magic brick shade-going to post the photos soon)
• nothing more!

Ombre lips Tutorial

HI buddies!
I am so very lazy when it comes to work and so the result is irregular updates!Sorry about that but I really can't get over the temptation of sleeping off looong hours and just doing nothing.It would have been so much fun if there was no studies,no work-just idling all through the day,isn't it?Nay! I don't really believe so.Sometime I get bored of idling as well.Anyways,let's just forget my chattering because it will just go on and on,if I don't stop myself,and come to the point.
An ideally beautiful face is defined by perfect features but hardly there is anyone who is so perfect.Perfection again doesn't always have a perfect definition or attributes to follow.What is perfection to one maybe flawed to another.But beauty is about the eyes-anything that catches out eyes in a good light is beautiful to us.So we all strive to achieve that attractiveness somehow-while some are god-gifted lucky ones the rest strive for make-up to get that flawless beauty.Concept of make-up and fashion has evolved through ages and is always experimented with.This in turn give rise to new trends and today I am going to write about one such new trend-the ombre lips.
The eyes and lips are the most dominating and expressive features of our face.Beautiful lips can work wonders(and so can a sharp tongue! :D).Be it a twitch or a pucker we ladies surely know our secrets of beauty and "expressions".But why not intensify your already beautiful lips?Looking even more special and fashionable on any day is such a mood-lifter specially if you enjoy and dare experimenting with your looks.
As the name suggests,the ombre lips can be defined as a gradual blending of colours to achieve a more 3D effect thereby standing out in a crowd.It is a bold look and requires quite a bit of confidence to be carried but then almost all looks need that.If created perfectly,ombre lips can be enough to finish off a look because it is such a bold look when done perfectly that no one can keep there eyes off your lips!Ombre lips can be of many types-blending of two colours on both the lips,colouring each lips with different shades but each lips has a single colour-no mixing,while one lip sports a single colour the other one has blends of colour etc.Wear it your way-anyway that you feel comfortable and nice. After-all at the end of the day it is all about the fun of experimenting and feeling good.The combinations can be so vibrant that they instantly lifts your mood.A perfect wear for the grey winter months-just jazz up your whole look with a dash of colours and you are good to go anywhere and everywhere though I feel this look is too loud for formal parties or regular college days.It is better to wear this look in more extravagant occasions but then again it all depend on the colours you choose to combine.The look unfolds at it's best when created in combinations of vibrant colours and with well pigmented lipsticks so invest on quality lipsticks with good pigmentations to achieve perfection in the look.
Since I am not much of a make-up person and even more not much a lipstick-lover I don't really care about experimenting with my lips and another reason is that I am not very confident about my lips so i prefer drawing more attention to my eyes but this new trend is so cute and fun to try out and I started practicing with whatever lippies I own.I don't invest in high-end lipsticks-300bucks is enough as most of them just get wasted lying around and even getting trodden and smashed under my feet.The following looks are created mostly with Elle 18,Colorbar,Lakme satin enrich and Avon simply pretty lipsticks.Now that I have explained all that I know about ombre lips,let's plunge into the tutorial.

Things required:
(Rather the things I used):

• Elle 18 27 Rosy Blush
• Colorbar Obsessed Orange 60
• Elle 18 16 mousse melt
• Elle 18 29 Rusty
• neutral Lip Liner
• A good lip brush
• tissues(optional)

Procedure:
 Its as simple as painting on canvas-all you need to do is choose the shades that go together really well and blend them with a lip brush.The trick lies in blending the colours well and filling in every corner of your lips.First I outlined the lips with a neutral lip liner so that the colour don't stand out to harshly or clash with the lipsticks-I have fuller lips and so avoid lip liners because they make them look even thicker.But the lipstick stays on longer without bleeding with it.After outlining I began with colouring the outer rim of the lips with elle 18 rosy blush which is a bright carmein red.Check the camlin shade card if you have doubts about which is carmein colour.I left the inside portion empty.Then I filled the inner part with Colorbar obsessed orange which is a true orange shade.After that with a lip brush I started blending the two colours.My lip brush is not so good-just another stray Chinese brand so I had some problems as the lipstick won't spread well but rather got picked up on the bristles instead.I managed this problem by repeatedly picking up colour from the lipsticks and applying it till I achieved the desired blend.The idea is to mix the colours but make sure that the original colours still remain distinguishable.Underneath are the pictures-in normal light and flash light-

without flash-combination of elle 18 rosy blush
and colorbar obsessed orange

with flash-same combination

I used the same technique but with another combination-elle 18 29 rusty as fillers(inside half of the lips) and elle18 mousse melt 16 at the outer rims.The pictures are as follows:

in tubelight

in daylight

I only tried out the blending techniques.The 2nd popular technique is even easier.Just suppose the first combination of rosy blush and obsessed orange.Just fill the upper lips with rosy blush and the lower one with obsessed orange-finished.This one is easier to create but harder to pull off and can be disastrous if the colours don't compliment each other well.It is always safer to colour the upper lips with a darker shade and the lower one with a lighter one of the same colour family.How do you find them?Sorry about the pictures-they don't do justice to the actual look at all.I find the 2nd combination more sober and wearable at the daytime.It is safe to keep the eye makeup minimum while wearing this lips.I opted for a well defined slightly winged eye liner lined eyes on the upper lids,kajal at the outer 1/3rd of the lower lid and mascara with the red-orange lips.You can try slight contouring of your cheeks but I left it out(too lazy!).I went bit more bolder with the brown-rust combination-Slight smokey brown eye by smudging Avon brown kohl and a hint of moss-green shadow at the corners of the upper lid.make sure the green is barely visible or it will be too overpowering.Then highlighting the inner corner of the eyes with golden liner and mascara,slight hint of coral coloured blush or any blush suitable for your complexion and you are ready to flaunt your look anywhere.The red lip is more versatile and goes well with both traditional and western outfits while the rust lip is more complimenting with western,specially formals.I am going to try out new combinations and techniques and upload them soon.Till then good night and enjoy winter!

Almost natural eye make-up tutorial

Hi friends!
This is the first time ever I am doing a tutorial,feels weird actually.Even a couple of months back,I never thought I would end up tutoring about make-up someday.But anyways,I have tried it here and hope it is up to the mark.
Products used to achieve the look:

the products used

• Lakme Eyeconic eyes kajal
• Streetwear Mascara
• Oumeidie 24 Shades Eye Shadow pallette
• Garnier Fructis BB cream
• Golden Eye Pencil(it's called 'Bourjois Paris' but I am sure its a duplicate but nevertheless the pencil is really good.I think its fake because of the price-35INR!)
• brushes(obviously!)

Steps to create the look:

• Prepare the face:

The face was thoroughly cleansed( Himalaya daily Exfoliating Face Wash) and then a mask was applied(Everyouth Golden Glow Peel Off Mask).After the mask was thoroughly dry,it was peeled off.One have to be careful to peel it off completely.A light moisturizer was applied(Nature's Aloe Vera Moisturizing Gel) and topped with Garnier Fructis BB cream.Pat on lightly with face powder to tone down the shine(optional).

• The eyes:

First fill in the eyebrows with eye pencil.Brush over half the eyelids with shade no.1(or any light peach colour) from the pallete.I used the wet brush technique.Its simply wetting the bristles of the brush under running water,blotting off excess water and applying the shadow.Then blend in the shade no. 2(or any copper-golden colour) as marked in the pallette along the outer half of the eyelids.Using a angled brush apply the shade no.3(or any dark champagne colour) along the crease of the eyes.Blend it well with shade no.2.Now with shade no.4(black shadow) lightly trace along the crease and blend well.Do the same along the outer corner of the lower lid but not along the full rim-just the outer 1/3rd.Now with a brown kohl line the rim of the upper lid lightly,it should be sheer,not overpowering.With black kolh pencil fill in between the eye lashes just on the upper eyelid.Coat the eye lashes with marcara to add volume.Highlight the inner corners with golden eye pencil.

• The lips:

Line it with any neutral lip pencil and fill in with your desired shade of lipstick.These eyes will go with any lip color.I have used Colorbar Obsessed Orange.

• Outfit:

Preferably ethenic or indo-western dress.I paired the look with a white kurti and dark blue jeans.

Here are the pictures taken from different angles and different lights:

So,was this post helpful?I hope so.If you have any queries and suggestions I will always be glad to here them and try my best to answer all of them.For today,this is all.Have a nice day!Take care.

Colorlife Nail Colour 202

Hey buddies!
Today I am back with another nail polish review from a new and a less popular brand-Colorlife.I stumbled upon this brand at my local gift and cosmetic shop and was attracted mainly by the beautiful bottle and the vibrancy and variety of the shades.There were perfect metallic shades like golden and even a matte white.I so much want to try them all but resisted because my room has become quite a nail polish go-down with different tiny bottles peeping from most unusual corners.I had finally settled on the classic and eternal red nail polish.
I find even high end branded nail lacquers like lakme,maybelline etc. peeling off my nail like dry fevicol and they take ages to completely dry on my nails.Less popular brands simply don't work for me so I was bit in a dilemma before getting this one.Firstly,because I have never before hard of this brand,and couldn't really believe a nail polish of Rs.40 can be of any good.But then I just love this shade and have been looking for a true scarlet for ages.Most of the "classis reds" I have tried so far proved to be actually a borderline shade between carmein(never heard of this shade?check a camlin watercolour/acrylic/oil/ colour set) and scarlet.This include a blue heaven nail polish in red,lakme absolute range fast and fabulous nail enamel in red,and elle 18 60,70 and 34.Though beautiful in their own way they did not satisfy me in terms of what I was looking for.But this color is simply gorgeous and exactly the shade I wanted.Surprisingly I did not find much about this brand online.The few reviews that I came across were mostly negative complaining of poor pigmentation,very runny and bad brush.But I did not find all this completely true on trying it myself.

THE PACKAGING:
The product comes in two quantities-6ml for Rs.30 and 9 ml for Rs.40.I got the 9 ml bottle.The bottle is similar to Lakme true colour nail polishes but the cap is silver in colour and larger compared to the bottle.

QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS:
The nail polish is quite thin and runny but not so much that it will settle at the corner of the nails.The brush is however not so good.My one has a bristle that pokes out longer than the others.But the pigmentation is superb.A single coat cover the nail completely and a second coat provides a shinier effect like a top coat.The drying time is average,but once completely dry it do not peel off like other nail polishes I have used so far.It dries faster when used together with a good top coat.(I use lotus herbals 901 Transparent.)

THE COLOUR:
It is a true scarlet red.The colour looks like carmein at night but is a perfect scarlet at day.It colour looks at its best and true self under sunlight.A perfect and bold companion as a party colour as well as ofice,this colour simply works with almost any look.But I think it is best suitable as a bridal wear.As mentioned earlier,it is a superbly pigmented colour and works even with a single coat for me but better id a double coat is applied.Given below are some of the snapshots that I took at different times of the day to capture the possible colours.

night time-under tubelight-with flash-without top coat

shade no. 202

midday(cloudy)-by the window side-without flash and with topcoat

A short overview:

PROS:

• Very cheap
• gorgeous colour
• does not peel or cheap off easily once completely dried up
• formulation not too thick so does not easily dries up in bottle.My bottle was opened about 2.5 months ado and the enamel is still quite thin.
• less bubble formation.
• highly pigmented.

CONS:

• brush not up to the mark.
• does not dry easily(about half an hour at the least even when used with a top coat and nails kept immersed in cold water)
• not easily available all the time
• some of the colours of this brand are accused of poor pigmentation.

Will I repurchase it?

yes but this time I would love to try out some different shades.I have an eye out for their white,a sparkly navy blue and a orangey-golden shade(cannot remember their nos.)

So have you tried out this product?if so how did you find it?Do read and leave your valuable comments and ideas to share.This is all for today.Good night and take care!

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!

Your daily best friends

HI friends!
I am back after pretty long time.The new college session prove to be more trying than I had expected.Speaking of college,beside studies,bunking classes and fun it is also the best years of our life in terms of grooming,looks and fashion.No wonder,the large range of cosmetics launched by all brands targeting college girls!
But beside looking pretty,don't we all want to be pretty within a budget?Specially when the limited pocket money is concerned?So today I thought of listing some of the must-haves in all teenagers bag within the limit of INR 150.

• Himalayan Neem Face Wash-15ml for Rs.15

This is a life saver for me.Suitable for all skin types,this mild face wash fights pimples and impart a very freash look instantly.A small blob is enough to give a dense foam.I don't exactly believe that a face wash is enough for fighting pimples but it does cleases my face very well.And since my skin is oily and easily gets greasy I require to wash my face often.It comes handy for emergency parties or dates directly from college. :D

• Vaseline Lip Care Rosy Glow

INR-65

I came across,or rather my sister came across this tinted lip gloss come liquid lip balm in our local drug store.This gel formulation provides a pinkish glow to the lips and smells like strawberries.I don't like the smell but its moisturizing power is really good.A good choice for daily use.I am not particularly fond of lip glosses or anything that appears to shiny on the lips so prefer to use it on special occasions.

• Himalayas herbal eye-definer kajal

INR 150

I got this quite sometimes back,maybe a couple of years earlier.It does not suit my oily skin type and tends to bleed a lot giving me panda eyes if I try to wear it on my lower eyelid or waterline.However it works quite well for someone with normal to dry skin.I personally love its intense black colour and smooth creamy texture.It tends to bleed less if wore in combination with a eyeliner before applying this kajal.I prefer it for my upper eye lid and to create smokey eyes.

Well,this is all for today,I will be coming up with some more budget buys that I have in stock the next sunday.Till then, goodbye and good night friends!Do let me know some of your own recommendations.Just leave a comment about how did you find this article along with a link to your website (if any).Take care!

Maybelline baby lips Rose Addict

HI friends!
I am back after quite some time.Sorry about my irregularity with the updates.College exams are over and classes have started for the new session.The past few day had been too hectic for me to manage any time for writing.Ok,now let get straight into today's topic-A review on Maybelline Baby Lips-Shade Rose Addict.

This is obviously a must have for every girl.The baby lip range are actually tinted lip balms with amazing moisturizing power and at the same time imparts a very natural make-up look suitable for everyday wear.

What Maybelline demands about the baby lips range?
"No more basic lip balm.
Our exclusive formula moisturizes lips for full 8 hours.
Lips renewed in 1 week *(based on panelist's self-evaluation)"
http://www.maybelline.com/Products/Lip-Makeup/Lip-Balm/Baby-Lips.aspx#shadedetails

Product name- Maybelline Baby Lips colour Rose Addict
Quantity-4.5ml
Price-150 INR
Shelf life-2years

Baby Lips Rose Addict

The product comes in a medium pink shade twist up cylinder with Baby lips colour printed in bold white letters on it.The shade name is written in much smaller letters.The packaging is overall sturdy. The lip balm is the same shade as the cylinder but has a shimmery look.However the shimmers hardly transfer on the lips on application yet gives a shiny look to the lips.The balm smells like bubble gum-while the smell is quite overpowering in the container it gradually becomes mild and almost negligible within 10-15mins of application.However I cannot agree with maybelline's claim about its moisturizing power.Undoubtedly it is very moisturizing and smooth on the lips but the longevity is not 8hrs.It is hardly 4-5hr without any eating and drinking.The texture is creamy and it is very little pigmented.I did not find the balms imparting any additional color to my lips but it did impart a shine and healthy glow that is more preferable to me than any artificial coloring.As for the repairing part,it is too true.My lips are not really too dry but I have a habit of biting my lip hence there are small wound on my lower lips,Using this balm did help healing them and make my lips way more softer than they ever were.Overall I am quite happy with it's performance.And it is a budget buy.

RECOMMENDATION: Yes,I would recommend it to anyone who prefers a natural look for their lips.
RATE:4.5/5(I deducted 0.5 for the moisturizing longevity)

As the name claims it is sure an addictive product.Not in the literary sense for the word but you are bound to fall in love with the quality of the balm.Following are pictures of the balm and swatches.

without flash in daylight(cloudy day)

With flash on cloudy day

A short summary-
PROS:

• texture very smooth and creamy and light on the lips
• though not upto the claim made but still the moisturization is more than average
• very easily available particularly this shade is the most available one.
• the price is reasonable for the quantity specially since the balm seems to last ages for me.
• impart a shine to the lips that is not unnatural.
• can be substituted for a nude lipstick and looks very nice when wore as a part of natural make-up look.
• sturdy packaging:travel friendly.

CONS:

• I don't like the smell much but on the brighter side the smell don't last too long.

So have you used this one yet?If so how did you find it??Do leave your comments below as they are very valuable to me.This is all for now,see you tomorrow.Take care.. :)

Elle 18 lip color-Coral Romance no.42

Hi Friends!
Sorry that I cannot frequently update my blog and all credit for this goes to my computer that just won't switch on.Today I am going to review one of the favorite brands among college goers-elle 18.Today it is a lip color review.Elle 18 is known and popular among youngsters for their range of trendy colors in a pocket friendly budget.Recently they have launched a number of new shades both in their nail pop range and the lip colors.Six new lips colors were added to their already fabulous range of around 30 shades.But unlike the existing shades these colors are more coral based hues.I have picked up the shade numbered 42 and named coral romance to review.I might appear a bit biased given it is my favorite lip colour shade,but then everyone becomes biased when it comes to defending their prized possessions isn't it?
This lip colour comes in the usual plain black packaging with a girl's portrait and elle 18 logo printed on the cap.Like every other elle 18 lipstick it is enriched with cocoa butter and has the same vanilla like strong fragrance.

Elle 18 color pop-coral romance 42

 

Quantity-4.3ml
Price-INR 100(but I got it at INR85 from our local drugstore-discounted price for being a dedicated customer. :D)
Shelf life-30 months from package

Though the elle 18 lip colors come with a moisturizing center they tend to dry out the lips within a couple of hours but surprisingly this lipstick is far more creamy and moisturizing compared to the other lipsticks of the same brand that I have used so far.It is not highly pigmented but still more than the usual elle 18 formulation.Two swipes are enough.The color itself is not a very deep shade so you really can't expect it to be very deep in color.It is a matte lipstick.The color stays on well for 2-3 hours but leaves a subtle pinkish stain for a couple of hours more.And I found it very suitable for both fair and dusky complexion(experimented on my sweet little sister who is dusky and truly beautiful).However I don't think it will compliment olive toned beauties too well but you can give it a try if you really love this colour.
It is a very natural shade suitable for daily wear and casual parties but I won't recommend it as a colour for more extravagant purposes like wedding ceremonies.Works pretty well on both full lips and thinner ones,it looks best for me with a brown and golden smokey eyes.You can try that out or find another make up trick to enhance your beauty but do share your ideas with me,I am always eager to know more.



Coral romance
The color is a true coral-in between tangerine and pink.

a single swipe swatch





 

A short summary:
PROS:

• more than average moisturising
• very pocket friendly yet good quality
• easily available
• lovely shade
• suitable for most skin tones
• suitable as a everyday colour

CONS:

• Hate the smell
• colour transfers easily while drinking or eating

RECOMMENDATION: If you love corals then this is the colour for you.I will buy it again if I don't fall in love with another shade or find the same shade in some other superior brand that I can manage to afford.Budget matters! :P
RATE IT: 4/5(deducted the point for the smell and color transfer problem)
So have you used this colour yet??How do you find it?
I love your opinions and they are really valuable so keep reading and keep sharing!
Look out for my next post,I will be back soon..till then buy and take care!
p.s. Stay pretty! :)

 

 



 

 

 

Lotus Herbals Peach Perfect 99

Hi friends!
Sorry that I couldn't update anything for the past few day because of my Exams..I really hate exams!don't you??They are still on and the net connection at my home have gone dead as well..So here I am logging in from the only irritating cyber cafe of my locality.Irritating because it is always so crowded!Now,enough of blabbering.Today,unlike my last post,I am going to review something.This is my first ever review and I seriously don't know anything formally about reviewing products.What I am going to write is my own experience with the product and it is completely my own honest observation.
Today I am going to review Lotus herbal Peach Perfect nail enamel no.99.
This is,as the name suggest,the perfect peach shade though I find it more on the brownish side.The shade is of medium depth and will definitely be flattering on almost all skin tones,but I think it will look best on the fairer beauties.

Lotus Herbals Peach perfect nail enamel no.99

Net wt.-9 ml
Price- INR 100
Shelf Life- 2yrs
Usage Direction-Shake well-apply 2 coats.
Features- Free of toluene and DB.
My Observations-
This is not by far the best nail polish I have used but it is definitely a great product compared to the price.I simply love the shade,not the girly pinky type and not loud at the same time-can be a perfect wear for daily use as in college and office and also can serve the purpose of party colour if subtlety is your style.The bottle is classic-cylindrical with a silver and long cap that i very handy for a easy application.Since I personally am very impatient,nail polishes that take hours to dry is simply not my thing but this beauty is really a winner in this particular aspect.It dries quite quickly.A single coat takes maximum of 2-3mins and the second coat 5-6 minutes more.The long applicator ends in a perfect brush,neither too wide nor very flat.the brush is uniform
 and easy to apply without leaving streak marks.However I don't entirely believe that it is completely free of toluene and all thoes harmful chemical and is a complete herbal formulation but the nail polish smells lighter compared to other brands.Shelf life is 2yrs but I am sure none of you girls have seen a nail colour survive more than 6montha after starting to use it,have you?I am not a great nail polish user so my bottle is going to last for ages and dry up in my bottle which I simply hate about any nailpolish.Such a waste!especially when I love the colour and I do love this colour...The enamel is also not runny but rather creamy in texture and quite well pigmented.Two coats of it is more than enough.

 

 

the apllicator

the colour in flash light(no top coat)

the colour without flash

PROS:

• the price compared to weight and quality
• the shade
• toluene free
• chipping is minimal even after 5-7days.lasting power elongates with a good top coat.
• long handled applicator 
• quick drying

CONS:

• Too much quantity(this is a con for me but might be a pros for you)
•  not entirely herbal(again,this is my personal con as I am too much of a perfectionist)

So.this is all for today.have you used this shade?

How do you find it??
Do share your thoughts here.for now,gotta go!Bye!

Body Art-Permanent Tattoos(contd.)

In my last post I mentioned some of the common problems one might experience while or before getting inked.In my following post I am going to mention some of the common do's and don't regarding the procedure.
Some of the issues you need to be aware of before getting your tattoo done:

• The artist breaks the seal of the needles before you i.e. the needle is a fresh one.
• He/she wears a pair of clean surgery gloves.
• In case of a colour tattoo where you the artist will require to work with multiple colours,he/she must use seperate needles for different colours or at the least thoroughly clean the needle before dipping it in another shade.This is because if there remains any residue of the previous shade used it will tend to get mixed with the next colour and the result might be a shade altogether different from what expected. Eg. If the first shade used is black,and the next to be used is crimson,then the resultant if the colour mix will be a brownish shade.
• There are two types of needles-A liner(an linear arrangement of 5 extremely fine needles) and a shader(a octagonal arrangement of 8 needles with one in center that is a total of 9 needles).As the name suggests the liner's main function is drawing of line tatoos and borders and fine line.Working with liner is a slow process.While the shader's main purpose is blending colours and works that require filling colours.Working with a shader is a faster process and it can also serve the purpose of a liner.But shaders are costlier compared to liners.

Your tattoo will look like any other normal wound except that it is colourful.It won't look fabulous(in fact it might even appear hideous)from the very first day.It might pain,throb like any other wound but remember this will last only for a week at most if you take proper care of the tattoo.Here are some aftercare you need to keep in mind:

• After getting inked,don't touch a drop of water to it at least for the first three days.
• Let the wound breath.It will heal up faster.But make sure the open wound is always clean enough and don't attract dirt.You will notice a trasperant liquid secreting as it does in any other wound-use a soft clean piece of cotton to dab it dry.
• Next step is the tricky part as it contradicts with my second point-use petroleum based balms(I used vaseline) to keep the area "wet".Apply it twice a day especially before bedtime.As any wounds dry up flakes develop which peels off when skin regeneration is complete.The purpose of using this balms is to keep this flakes wet.The longer the flakes remain the richer will be the hue of colour.This step can be quite messy as I observed using a balm healed my wound faster but there was much liquid secretion and I had to always keep an eye on the tattoo making sure that only the tattoo remains wet and not my entire hand.but then the mess is totally worthwhile as I have very bright colouring of my tattoo.
• Don't pull off the flakes.Let them shade on their own.Pulling them off not only will create a discolouration but also the skin might break,bleed and once the area is healed you will see that that portion doesn't have any colour at all.
• You will of course need to bathe and that would mean wetting your tattoo for sure.To avoid this problem you can apply a considerable amount of olive oil or baby oil on the tattoo before bath as this will make a slippery layer between your skin and the water molecules making it difficult for the water to get absorbed.But note that,this point refferes to after the first three days when you can allow little water to come in touch but not abundant.
• It might pain or swell,as the skin generates it will also feel taut but don't even think of using pain killer balms,or any medicines.The colour won't be rich enough.
• Try and avoid any type of friction as much as possible like rubbing hard with a towel,or while sleeping,the flakes will tear away and the open wounds always are at risk of infections.
• Drink at least more than 2lts of water daily.This will make your skin healthier and hence the tattoo as well.
• Last but not the least,massage a body oil(please take care that it is 'oil' and NOT 'lotion')daily for the next couple of weeks till it heals completely to keep the area moisturized.

Follow this few basic hygiene factors and your tattoo will glow for you to flaunt it befor the world.Do please leave suggestions and ideas you have on the topic.Have you ever been inked before?Share your experience here with me.For now,good night and sweet dreams! :)

Body Art

Hi!
Happy Independence Day!
I hope all are enjoying their holiday.Today's post is about a thriving new art which is also a favourite of mine-permanent tattoos.Among the latest trends 'getting inked' is among the top three.But this art however beautiful it might look has several health hazards if not executed perfectly and also require some maintenance.Having first hand experience of the procedure I can tell you that this art is not for the whimsical.I mean is it really a feasible idea that you get inked today and within a fortnight opt for laser treatment because you no longer like your tattoo or came across some even more attractive designs?? There are few things you should know before getting inked and today I am going to provide a easy summary of every facts,do's and don't regarding this art.
Lets start with a brief history.Do you know that tattooing is practiced since the Neolithic age?The modern technologies today have enabled impossible designs to be engraved in the skin.The procedure is only as deep as your dermis layer of the flesh.deeper penetration can be extremely harmful and undoubtedly painful.Now,some of the things you should be aware of before opting for the procedure:

• Be sure of what you want.Remember this is a permanent process and alteration is neither easy nor pocket friendly.So first make up your mind.Though the art is permanent but trends in the art are not.What is 'in' fashion today is bound to go out of fashion a couple of years later like 3d tattoos,large tattoos have outshined small tattoos today.
• Do a bit of research for your own knowledge before getting ink specially about best available tattoo inks,the needles and hygeine factors.Also as a extra precaution consult a doctor about your skin.
• Tattooing is a painful procedure especially if you have stiff muscles.We tend to stiffen more when we are afraid so relax,don't be scared.Believe me the pain is nothing more than ant's sting at some places. However places that are bony like your shoulder blades,knee cap,beneath or over the ankles,collarbone and behind the ears tend to hurt the most.But then again it depends on your ability to endure pain.
• Always opt for established professional parlours.You can go for the local ones only if you are sure enough about the quality promised.
  

  

  
  
  

  A 3d tattoo( image courtesy:google images)

  This is all for today.Coming up are the hygiene factor you should observe while getting inked and the do's and don't about tattooing.Have a nice day!