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Shobji'r Khosha Bata / Vegetable Peel Mash: Recipe with Step by Step Pictures

November 14, 2017, 8:31 am
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We Bangals (people hailing from East Bengal) are touted to be “the eating everything” people. Well, we do not literally eat ‘everything’, but we don’t really like wasting things either, especially if we can convert those apparent waste products into beautiful dishes, which are not only different, yummy, but has a distinct character of their own. Vegetable peels are one such thing that we tend to waste a lot, but they can be converted into beautiful side dishes, which can be used as chutneys, or can be eaten with piping hot rice or can also be converted into parantha fillings that are totally lip smacking.


Shobji’r Kosha Bata, a recipe passed down through generations, from granny’s to mums and mums to us and I hope to pass this to my little ones as well. This dish is so delicious and so nutritious; I always end up eating a good amount of rice whenever there is Kosha Bata on my plate. And I am sure you too won’t be able to stop from having a few extra spoons.

INGREDIENTS :
  • Skin of plantains, pointed gourd, bottle gourd, potatoes, etc.
  • 1 tbsp mustard oil
  • 4-5 garlic bulbs
  • Roughly sliced onions 
  • 2/3rd tsp kalongi
  • Green chilies (The quantity depends on you)
  • 1 tsp of sugar ( I didn’t have sugar granules, so used sugar powder instead)
  • Salt to taste

 PROCEDURE :
  • Wash the vegetable skins and steam in pressure cooker for few minutes. Make sure you don’t add too much water; add water in a way so that after the steaming, you are left with no more than half a cup of water.
  • Now grind the skin along with the water, garlic bulbs and chillies to a smooth paste. 

  • Heat oil in a kadai/pan and add kalonji. 
  • As it tempers, add the sliced onions.
  • Stir and add turmeric powder, salt and sugar.
  • Saute for 2 minutes in medium-high flame.
  • Now add the vegetable skin paste and start to stir fry it in medium flame for around 3-4 minutes.
  • When it starts to thicken, lower the flame and let it cook till it starts to thicken more. 
  • Keep stirring occasionally. The whole thing will slowly come together like dough.
  • Remove from the flame and serve with hot steaming rice.

So simple, isn't? Do try and share with us.. You can thank me later ;) 


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Best Makeup Brushes to Buy on Amazon India

November 15, 2017, 8:48 am
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Amazon India, I have a complicated relationship with this website...sometimes I hate it so much for their terrible, almost “feel like throwing in the bin” kind of products and sometimes I wish Amazon was a person so that I can literally hug him/her for providing such amazing products.


I often get inquiries about makeup products and brushes available on Amazon. Well, while I absolutely steer clear of makeup products available on the website, but when it comes to makeup brushes, I totally LOVE them (well, most of them.) I have been buying and trying makeup brushes from Amazon since last 4 years and the ride has been awesome. I have tried some of their most horrendous brushes which I had to toss in the bin within couple of uses and some absolutely amazing brushes that made me fall head over heels in love with them. Trust me, there are brushes on Amazon which have the capability to replace their gazillion dollar counterparts.
Today, I will be sharing a few brushes available on Amazon that you might want in your arsenal. I have personally used these brushes and would like to suggest and recommend you some… Enjoy J

PAC Brushes:-
Price: 230-5000 INR

My current favorite brushes. I use PAC brushes for both personal and professional use. I wash it almost everyday, using them for more than a year and they still feel and look like new. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND these to you all. PAC brushes are stellar. 

PUNA Brushes:-
Price: 300-2000 INR

Puna Store is a great option on Amazon and I absolutely love their brushes. The brushes are really worth every penny! Soft, not at all harsh on your skin and works like magic. These brushes can give any high-end brushes run for money. I highly RECOMMEND these to everyone. There are single brushes and as well as sets. I am currently using the Puna Store Makeup Brush 24 Pieces set, which was around 550 when I bought.

Puna Store Oval Brush Set, Black, 10 Pieces:-
Price:- 750-900 INR

Oval brushes are quite a craze these days and Puna Store Oval Brush Set is terrific. Amazing quality, so affordable, so easy to use, gives a flawless base and I am hooked to them.  There are color options, black, gold and rose gold and I obviously have the rose gold one and it was priced at 850 INR then.

BS-Mall Synthetic Kabuki Makeup Brush Set:-
Price: 999.00 INR

BS Mall, another brand I trust and adore. This set of Synthetic Kabuki Makeup Brush Set is a bomb. Amazing quality and I love them to bits. It might smell weird at first, but the smell vanishes after the first wash and then there is no looking back.

Foundation, Eyeshadow Makeup Brush by Generic:-
The price of this set of 10 brushes varies from INR300-400. I am using this for quite some time now and like it. So, if you are looking for decent brushes with a super affordable price tag, go for this. Great for beginners.

Segolike Beauty Glitter Mermaid Fish Scale Fishtail Makeup Brush:-
Price:- 250 INR

A very cute, handy and multi-tasking makeup brush. Mermaid tail brushes looks beautiful and work well too. The brushes are densely packed and have almost nil shredding. There are 4 color options, black, blue, silver and rose gold.

Generic Makeup Contour & Sculpting Brush:-
Price: 150-400 
Source: Amazon

This makes contouring and sculpting your face a breeze. I got them at a discount for INR 130.

Style Master Blue Hair Makeup Brush Set:-
Price: Around 1500 INR

Source: Amazon

I actually got this set as a gift from US long back. It is around 10$ in US, but pretty high in India. I loved them so much and thus thought of including it in the list. Moreover the blue looked so pretty on my dressing table.

House of Quirk 7Pcs Luxury Makeup Brush Set
Price: INR 539.00

If you are looking for some eye candies in your brush stand, you can give this set a try. Looks nice and works well too. Gorgeous, soft, blends makeup well and is decently priced, what else you need?

I hope you will love the products I recommended. Don’t forget to let me know if you buy any of these brushes. For the exact product, you can copy the name of the brushes and paste on Amazon search tab. Happy Shopping J





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Sugar Cosmetics Smudge Me Not Liquid Lipstick - 08 Wine And Shine (Sangria) Review, Swatches, Fotd, LOTD and EOTD

November 16, 2017, 9:12 am
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Hello everyone,
As you can see, I am currently in “Sugar Cosmetics” phase; my Facebook and Instagram feeds are filled with pictures of Sugar babies and I am having a ball with them right now. Today’s review is on one of their most loved shade from one of their most loved range of liquid lipsticks, it is ‘Wine and Shine’ from their ‘Smudge me not’ range of liquid lipsticks. It seems I am probably the last person on earth to lay my hands and review this product; but better to be late, than never.



 So lets get into the nitty-gritty details …

What Sugar Cosmetics says:-
“If you've ever lusted for a "one-coat wonder" product for your lips, your search ends here. Get a full-blooded burst of pigment with just a single swipe of the SUGAR Smudge Me Not Liquid Lipstick that will stay the day and right up till the night! Wine, coffee & date-proof - this is a matte lipstick that is guaranteed to last longer than your longest day. Available in 20 stunning shades that will make it difficult to choose - the question is, are you ready to commit to a lipstick that is built to last?
A hat-tip to the glamour and luxury of the 20s Gatsby era - raise a toast to Wine and Shine if you fancy a deep violet berry shade that is a vintage classic and an instant hit!”

Packaging:-
A clear tube through which you can see the product inside which is further housed in a lipstick bullet shaped channel ( I hope I made it clear :P ). The cap is a matte black with a doe-foot applicator attached inside. Lightweight, compact and travel-friendly. The outer box is fun, quirky and love at first sight.



Shade:-
A deep violet berry shade which looks utter sexy, uber glamorous and oh so classy. Now I know why people are going gaga over this shade. This is such a gorgeous shade, an absolute head turner and I have lost count how many times people have asked me about it, even strangers. You can rock this in the morning as well as in the night, totally a rock star.


Texture and Finish:-
The texture is very soft and glides on lips like a dream. Consistency is neither too creamy, nor too runny. It settles within seconds and the finish is completely powdery matte. Now, if your lips are not well-exfoliated or moisturized, you might find this lip color going patchy after settling. Your lips have to be WELL PREPPED. I have very dry, almost flaky lips throughout the year and this is what I do. I apply a good coat of lip balm almost 10-15 minutes prior to applying the shade. Then using a wet cotton or cloth, I wipe it off. Again I apply a thick coat of petroleum jelly on lips, wait for a few seconds and then go on with the lip color on top of the petroleum jelly. This makes the matte finish very comfortable and my lips don’t feel stretchy or desert like. Once it settles, it becomes totally smudge-proof and transfer proof.

Colour Payoff and Staying Powder:-
Insanely pigmented; it goes gorgeously opaque in single swipe. It stays for around 6-7 hours on me with snacks and drinks in between, but it doesn’t survive full meal. You have to watch out for that and remember that you have to reapply thereafter. I would recommend removing it and then applying fresh to avoid patchiness and messiness.


How I use it:-
Obviously as a lip cream. I used it even as an eye shadow and liquid eye liner. It worked great as a liquid eye liner, but using it as an eye shadow was pain, just because it settles in seconds, much before I could pick up my brush and start blending. I had to act like Quicksilver (Pietro Maximoff). Here is the result.


Would I recommend this to others?
If you are looking for a statement shade of lip color other than usual reds and hot pinks then this is for you.
If you are totally comfortable in carrying powdery matte finishes, then this is for you.
If you are not feeling well and want something to perk you and your face up in seconds, then this is for you.
If you want a rocking shade of lip color, without spending a bomb, then this is for you.
If you want to make head turns, then this is for you.
Need any more recommendations?

So, Final Thoughts?
It was a love at first swipe for me and I am still head over heels in love with it. The texture was a little turn-off at first, but once I started using it over petroleum jelly, there was no looking back. Breathtaking shade, beautiful texture, sophisticate matte finish, insanely pigmented, stays pretty long and decently priced. I am too impressed.


Rating:-
4.5/5 J

Have you used Wine and Shine or any other shades from Smudge Me Not range? Let me know your favourites..
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The Blushing Bride: Debarati Dasgupta

November 17, 2017, 7:18 am
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My Blushing Brides, how much I love going through the pages and chapters of their lives. Yes, I call them my brides, because they are all so special to me and I can always relate to them in some way or the other.


Today on “Blushing Brides” we are featuring a beautiful lady from the beautiful city of joy, Debarati Dasgupta. She got married on 7th of December, 2014 and today she is here to share her wedding moments with us. Yes, it’s been three years that she got entwined in this beautiful bond, but the memories are still so fresh. Let's have a look at her fairy tale journey… J

How did you guys meet?
We were introduced by a common friend on 2008,during Durga puja. We were 21 then!! We went to our first date after a month and I had proposed him which he refused!! But he changed his mind within an hour. I was told by the friend later that Subhajit liked me since we met but could not express his feelings as he is so shy when it comes to reciprocation. So he was very shocked when I proposed to him, thought someone is playing a prank with him. Later he understood (Thank God)! And we are together for 9 years now. 


So how long did you get to plan your entire wedding?
We got almost a year to plan the wedding. I had my brother and sister in law to take the headache of planning and executing every single thing starting from selecting venue to fixing the menu, shopping, etc. But I helped Subhajit for our reception. He lost his mother at a tender age and his father had a major accident just 4 months before our wedding. Juggling between work and home, he had a tough time. So I had to intervene. And we got married on 7th of December, 2014. 

Tell us something about where you got your outfits and accessories, both wedding and reception?
I wanted to look simple but traditional Bengali bride. I got a bright Red Benarasi silksaree with minakari work for my wedding. For I reception, I opted for a Purple Benarasi silk. Both these sarees were from Benarasi Kuthi, Gariahat. The best part about the sarees is that both of them are manageable, not heavy. 




Apart from these, most of my wedding trousseau was shopped from various shops in and around Gariahat. I had a good mix of traditional silk saress and handlooms.
As I had mentioned earlier that I wanted to look simple and not over the top with tons of jewelleries, I had worn few pieces which were very special. My mother gifted me her wedding necklace and earring set. My brother and sis in law gifted me a beautiful minakari necklace which is tok precious to me. I think that necklace is from Rajlaxmi Gold, Gariahat. On reception, I wore a Chur that belonged to my late Mother in law, which is once again very special. The tiaras were bought from an accessory store from Mumbai. Shoes and clutches were bought from Mumbai.
I got most of my Bridal cosmetics trousseau from Mac, Forum mall. Apart from that, few pieces were taken from City Centre. 

Where did you get your makeup and hair done?
On my wedding day, my MUA was Jolly Chanda of Satin Rose,Salt Lake She is magical. I loved the way she did my hair and makeup. She did not put a lot of makeup to put together my entire look. I love her. 


My reception makeup was done Prosanta Roy. He is well known for his craft. He made me look just the way I wished for. Simple yet classy.



Tell us something about your photographer?
We fixed on DnA photographix. They are quite well known and I had some initial thoughts that they will be very finicky about everything. Devjyoti of DnAhad taken our assignment. To my utter surprise he was very helpful and a jovial guy. He told us to be our natural self and not to look into the camera. The photos were lively, fresh and real. He even clicked for my Aiburobhaatceremony. It’s been three years now but still we get compliments for our wedding and reception pictures.


Anyspecial moment you want to share with us?
The entire event is an emotional roller coaster ride. Starting from planning till the execution of it is a joyful journey. But I would like to mention not one but two small moments. Just the day before our wedding, when we were tired after hours of dancing and sleepy, I got one goodnight kiss from my tiny little niece, and she said “Rima, tomaar shaadi hocche?” I hold her close and burst into tears. And the clock struck 12. Got one text from my “shy” husband to be, “Wow, we are getting married today”.

Any advice you want to all the readers out there?
Remember not to over think and stress yourself. Plan well in advance. Do not leave anything unattended for the last moment. Keep a tab into all nitty-gritty things,everything. Better distribute responsibility with people you trust. You will be sorted. Take some time for yourself. Spend some time with your family. That is important. You will never get that later.


DeckandDine says:-
I loved the way you looked on your wedding and reception, so beautiful, so natural yet glamorous. I am glad the makeup artists didn’t change you into a completely different person. Your makeup, both days, went very well with your attires, complementing them. You looked so happy and at ease Debarati di, the smile says it all. And, and.. it is needless to say that you two look amazing together. J


Thank you for sharing your story with us, Debarati di. Wishing you and Subhajit da a very happy wedding anniversary in advance.  May your life be filled with all the happiness, love and delights. 
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Want to feature your wedding tale with us? Then drop a mail at madhu.9615@gmail.com
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|Fall 2017| Olive Green Eye Makeup Tutorial with Step by Step Pictures

November 20, 2017, 9:07 am
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Hey everyone,
My favorite time of the year is here, fall. I can’t explain how much happy the lights and colors of fall make me. The season teaches me how beautiful it is to let go off anything old, dead and make way for the new. Nothing inspires us more than the nature itself, right?



So, as I am officially in fall mood, I am here with an eye makeup, inspired by the colors of it.

STEPS:-


Start by grooming your eyebrows.
Then apply a wash of skin colored eye shadow all over the eyelid and brow bone, just to make sure there is no oil residue.
Using a fluffy brush take a peach colored eye shadow blend it on your crease.
Now take a brownish orange colored eye shadow on the same fluffy brush and start working over the peach colored eye shadow, blending really well.
Next take a dark coco brown on the brush and start packing it on the outer corner, slowly blending off on the crease. Don’t worry if your shadow gets all over the place or extends past your eye, you can always clean that later. Concentrate on blending the colors.
Then using a flat eye shadow brush, take an olive green shimmery eye shadow and start packing it on the center of your lids. Blend any harsh lines with a clean fluffy brush.
Line your waterlines with a black Kajal, thickening it on the outer corners and then taking the same olive green eye shadow on a pencil brush, start smudging the kajal. Line your waterline again to have a crisp look.
Now line the upper lash lines with a golden/copper eye liner, you can use traditional black as well. (Mine was an orangey gold shimmer line, though it came golden in pictures).
Finally, apply loads of mascara to round off your eye makeup. (The mascara I used, I don’t know what went wrong with it, it clumped galore, kindly ignore that.) You can use false lashes if you want.
All my eye shadows are from Coastal Scents 252 eye shadow palette, my kajal is Lakme Eyeconic and mascara is L’Oreal Miss Manga.


BASE:-
Clean off any fallout. Start by prepping your skin. Apply a moisturizer and also don’t forget your sunscreen if you are going out in the sun. Apply dots of your favorite foundation all over the face and blend with a wet sponge. This will give a dewy finish. Applied corrector and concealer under your eyes and on any discoloration on the face. My foundation is from Cinema Secrets and corrector and concealer are all from Kryolan Derma Pallet.


CHEEKS:- 
Apply a peachy blush on the cheeks and also your favorite highlighter on the high cheek bones and nose bridge. My blush and contour powder is from Ben Nye Blush pallet and highlighter is Colorpop Wisp.


 LIPS:-
I applied Colourpop Strip on lips followed by MAC Lipglass C-Thru .




So that’s it.. Do try the looks and tag me. You can even message me or mail me at madhu.9615@gmail.com. Would love to hear from you.
Once again, thank you all so much for all the love you have been pouring. Love you all…




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The Blushing Bride: Aparajita Dey

November 25, 2017, 10:29 am
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Each couple have a story backing their wedding and I just love listening to stories. And it becomes even more interesting, when you find resemblances of your life with their.
Meet our pretty bride today, Aparajita Dey, who got married in November, 2015.. She stays in Arizona and had her wedding took place in her hometown Kolkata. So lots of tips for brides from the city of joy. She is software engineer by profession and blogger and dancer by passion; she is strong, independent, a fashion freak, a makeup junkie and extremely beautiful.

Her wedding was no less than a fairy tale affair! Lets catch a glimpse of it…


How did you guys meet?
“Well, we know each other for more than a decade now. Actually, we both belong to same locality and we met in the year of 2005 in tuition. We were just good friends back then. Although we are best friends now. J  The first thing I noticed in him was his sense of humor. We used to chat over GTalk/SMS. Anyway, after school we lost contact until we met in a common friend’s wedding in the year 2012. And, we started to interact again. Mostly about movies, foods, sports etc. We used to talk all the time over WhatsApp including every details of our daily life. We used to spend a lot of time together even when we went out in a group. That was the time I really started to enjoy his company, his humble and caring nature. Okay, cutting it short. I fell for him and proposed him directly. Yes fellas, you heard me right. It was me who proposed. But, who knew I would be rejected. Like seriously!! After few days, the girl got a text with negative response with hell lot of explanations. L
I was hurt but it was okay. I thought, he just considers me as a good friend or whatever!! I did not know or I didn’t even want to know. That is life. Then, I started to avoid him because I literally didn’t want to hurt myself anymore. It was just formal Hi/Hello type of talk between us after that. That was not even a conversation. Then, he started to ping me again after a week after the apocalypse. It was again our group outing for a movie and this time he was planning for it. I went to that outing and I choose not to speak to him more just to avoid embarrassment. Things were going like this and one fine day he asked “what happened to you? Why don’t you speak to me like before? Did I do something wrong?”
“No, you didn’t. You just wanted us to be good friends and I am trying to do the same” was my reply with my stomach full of butterflies. Because all I could sense that he was also having something special feeling towards me. But, I choose not to utter a single word related to that. Whatever then I got a text from him again to meet him on his birthday. I saw only I was invited on that special day so my expectations turned into reality. Memories are still so vivid. How could I forget our Taxi ride of 2hrs literally we roam the whole city just to make him explain he loved me and me. We told the driver to go to random places and the only witness of this epic beginning was very happy. (Might be because his taxi meter was running high) And, rest is history. J”


So how long did you get to plan your entire wedding?
”My entire wedding was of 4 days affair and they are Engagement, Sangeet, Wedding and Reception. We had our registry and engagement on the eve of Valentine’s Day, 14th Feb, 2015. After that, we fixed our grand wedding date on 26th Nov,2015. I was having a dream time but looks like God was having some different plans. He had to go to United States in the month of June to pursue onsite assignment leaving me here all alone to arrange for wedding. Don’t worry I compensated it later by making him search for cosmetics in the states which took nearly a week & a dozen of shops for him. I still remember, it was so hectic for me to schedule everything within just 6 months or less. But I thank my parents and in-laws who helped me a lot to do those. And, he being absent at that time, my mother-in-law used to call me every time to finalize the invitation cards, sarees and all. I literally had to put lot of efforts for both the sides. But he was there over the phone/skype all the time giving his valuable feedback. I used to call Dino to tell “See, how efficient I am. How beautifully I am managing everything even after my 9hrs office. You should take training from me on how to do multitasking." Like literally, I didn't even get time to visit salon or follow any beauty regime during that time except once that too just 2 days prior to my wedding.”

Tell us something about where you got your outfits and accessories, both wedding and reception?
“My engagement lehenga was from Jashn, City Center 2.



My “Gaye Holud” accessories were custom made. It was designed by Tasnia Aniqua Haque from Bangladesh.
I got my wedding saree from Priyo Gopal Bisoyee, Triangular Park Gariahat. It was a beautiful vermillion red benarasi with meenakari work all over it. Actually, the color red is my favorite. Whenever I thought of my D-Day, all I could visualize me wearing a traditional red benarasi with classic boat neck blouse just the way our Mom, Dida wore. So, my look was exactly like this. Traditional red benarasiwith green boat neck blouse and a veil with net work.


My reception saree was from Adi Mohini Mohon Kanjilal. It was a zardousi mauve color benarasi. I wanted to look like a modern day corporate bride. So, my designer made a separate blue lahenga and blouse to make the look very chic and modern. My blouses for both the days, veil and lehenga designed by Raj Banerjee. 


All gold jewelries are from PC Chandra and Senco Gold. My nath is the only custom jewelry that I bought from Shree. And, my engagement kundan set was from a shop called Radha, Kolkata.

Where did you get your makeup and hair done?
My engagement and wedding make up was done by Abhijit Paul and hair by Debjani. They both are amazing, I tell you. 



My gaye holud makeup and hair was done by Samitavo Deb who did such a fantastic job.

 My Reception makeup and hair was done by Ujjwal Debnath. He is truly a gem.


Tell us something about your photographer?
My whole wedding assignment including post wedding story was covered by Prasanta Singha - Fotosutra. He and his team were so professional yet down to earth; anything I say would be less for the team. They jelled up with our family so well that everyone started to love them and literally made my wedding journey like a dream come true.






Any special moment you want to share with us?
Oh yes. Actually, every moment is special in a wedding when you got to marry the love of your life. It's very hard to name one. But, I'll try. It was just before subhodristi. I was told to sit in a separate room as the bride groom can’t see each other before subhodristi. So, as per ritual Dino had to change his sherwani and wear another set of clothes given by us. Dino was coming to change his attire and got to see me by chance. Amidst the chaos and all those known unknown faces, he stopped just to get a glance of me and stared, as I was sitting all alone in the room smiling, feeling nervous, anxious, excited all in the same moment, decked up for my prince charming like what we call "laj’e ranga bou". And, he stared and stared until one came and said "Bolihoche ta ki(what is happening?)" and finally caught by me. Then, I knew this is the day, this is the moment I dreamt about.




Another special moment I would specially like to mention here. As I said we both belong to same locality, my in-laws arranged a palki(Palanquin) for my Vidai from my home to Dino's. When I sat in the palki and it started to move with palki song, I literally felt like I was on the ancient Bengal. And then I heard people outside saying "Palki te jai sona bou..sukhi hou maa go" (Newly married bride travelling to in laws’ house in palanquin, be happy be blessed) , I felt so blessed that day.


Any advice you want to all the readers out there?
“As the saying goes “Marriage is a mosaic you build with your spouse. Millions of tiny moments will create your Love Story.” Your love will grow when he will forget those special dates, it will be strong after each nonsense fight you will have over silly matters, love will continue when you will unseen those minor flaws of each other and it will last forever as you learn to be each other’s strength on your darkest days. Marriage is the most beautiful thing. Trust me. There is a saying that marriage is end of all your freedom –that’s a complete myth. We have all our freedoms and still making our dreams come true, one by one. Now it's your turn all the beautiful would be brides. Be super happy, have faith on your loved one, stay super positive, plan your wedding accordingly, click lots of pictures and look like a diva on your D-Day”






DeckandDine says:-
Aparajita di, your love story reminds me of mine, where I proposed the madman just to get rejected. Now when I remember those old days I just want to smile and cry at the same time. :P
Anyway, back to today’s topic and your looks. My my…you looked amazing. Your looks, on all the events, were terrific; perfect mixtures of modern and traditional elements. She had a perfect fairy tale wedding and looked every inch The Queen. When you are truly happy, it shows in your face. The bridal glow is impeccable. Loved your sarees, loved how your stylist incorporated the benarasi with a lehenga, oh my, I could have never imagined, love your makeup and love the sparkle on your eyes and curve on your lips. You looked breathtaking. And Prasanta da, as usual did a splendid job; I just can’t stop myself from staring at your pictures. AMAZING!


A very, very Happy Anniversary to you both. I was waiting for this day to post the article. Wishing you and Dino da all the happiness in the world. May the light of your love always glow upon your marriage!!! :)


Thank you for letting us feature your wonderful moments with us. 


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Want to feature your wedding tale with us? Then drop a mail at madhu.9615@gmail.com
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Sugar Cosmetics Plush Hour Matte Lipstick Little Bo Peach Review, Swatches, LOTD and FOTD

November 26, 2017, 8:44 am
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Hello everyone,
Last month Sugar Cosmetics came with a range of gorgeous lip colors; the “Plush Hour Matte” range of lipsticks in 6 stunning shades. I am so impressed with this brand and how they are coming up with new range of products almost every month at super affordable price tags.
I got 4 shades from the range, Minnie Mauve, Little Bo Peach, Berry Boop and Cherry Jane.
and today’s review is on “Little Bo Peach”. This was the first color from the range that caught my attention. It looked so pretty and so lovely.


What Sugar Cosmetics claims:-
“Swipe on Cherry Jane and you’re ready for the big screen in a flash! An iconic cool toned red that’s definitely not for wallflowers, this one grabs both attention and envy in copious quantities.”

Price:-
Rs 499 for 3.9g

Packaging:-
The lipstick comes in a super cute and chic square-shaped case. Lightweight, compact and travel-friendly. The outer box is fun, quirky and love at first sight.

Shade:-
 “Little Bo Peach” is a soft peachy lipstick that is timelessly lovely and universally flattering. Very wearable and will complement both subtle and dramatic makeup looks.


Texture and Finish:-
The texture is equally beautiful. Soft, smooth and applies evenly without tugging and pulling. It settles in a beautiful velvety matte finish which I completely adore; one of the most comfortable matte formulas I have come across. It is perfectly moisturizing and keeps lips soft for hours. Just keep in mind that exfoliation and moisturization of lips is required prior application, otherwise it can highlight dry patches.

Color Payoff and Staying Power:-
Insanely pigmented and one swipe is enough to cover your lips. It stayed on me for 8+ hours, after which it started fading.


Summing up my LIKES and DISLIKES:-

What I LIKED about Sugar Plush Hour Matte Lipstick Little Bo Peach:-
Beautiful shade
Lightweight formula.
Keep lips soft and pillowy.
Glides beautifully.
Lips don’t feel dry.
Insanely pigmented.
It covers pigmented lips beautifully.
Amazing staying power.
Works with so many skin tones.
Cute, travel friendly packaging.
Easily available online.
Decently priced.

What I DIDN’T LIKE about Sugar Cosmetics Plush Hour Matte Lipstick Little Bo Peach:-
Nothing as such.



FINAL THOUGHTS:-
This is a very pretty color which can flatter on a lot of skin tones and would look great with both heavy and subtle makeup, crazily pigmented, glides on and sets into a striking polished matte finish without leaving lips parched, stays super long and just 499 INR. This is AMAZING… !!!



(See, it looks different on different light.)

RATINGS:-
5/5


Have you tried Sugar Cosmetics Plush Hour Matte Lipstick Little Bo Peach? Or any other shade from the range? If not, order NOW. . You won't be disappointed.


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Quick, Simple and Easy Green Smokey Eye Makeup Tutorial

November 27, 2017, 8:00 am
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I am currently in a “green eye makeup” phase. It is fall, and I just can’t stop myself from 'going green'. I hope you have already seen my “Olive green fall makeup” tutorial that I did few days back, and today I am here with the tutorial of another green eye makeup, “Green smokey eyes”. 



If you know me or have been following me on social media, you must know how much I love sporting smokey eyes; they accentuate my eyes like nothing else. Today’s eye makeup is a little different from the traditional black smokey eyes. Here I have incorporated colors to go with my fall mood. The look is simple, super easy to create and doesn't require a lot of products. 




So lets go through the breakdown.

Eyes:-



I always prefer doing eyes first, so that if there are fall outs, I can easily clean them off before doing my base makeup.
Groom your eyebrows and apply a wash of skin colored eye shadow all over your lid, crease and brow bone to get rid of any oil residue.
Pack some matte green eye shadow on the centre of your lid.
Now pat matte black eye shadow on the outer lid.
Take a fluffy brush, swirl over a matte plumy brown eye shadow and start swiping to and fro on the crease are blending any harsh lines.
Pack on the colors again if you feel like.
Now line your eyes with kohl, dip a pencil/smudging brush in the black shadow, pat off the excess and start smudging the kohl with it.
Once you are done smudging your lower lash line, line your waterline again to have a crisp look. Apply loads of mascara to round off your look.

This eye makeup hardly takes 2-3 minutes to complete. All the eyeshadows are from Sleek Ulta Matte V2 palette. 

BASE:-
Clean off any fallout. Start by prepping your skin. Apply a moisturizer and also don’t forget your sunscreen if you are going out in the sun. Apply dots of your favorite foundation all over the face and blend with a wet sponge. This will give a dewy finish. Applied corrector and concealer under your eyes and on any discoloration on the face. My foundation is from Cinema Secrets and corrector and concealer are all from Kryolan Derma Pallet.



CHEEKS:- 
Apply a peachy blush on the cheeks and also your favorite highlighter on the high cheek bones and bridge of your nose. My blush, contour powder and highlighter are from PhilosophyThe Color of Graceblush and highlighter
book.




LIPS:-
I applied Sugar Cosmetics Plush Hour Matte Lipstick in Little Bo Peach on lips.


That’s it. I prefer my smoky eyes intense, dramatic and stark, but it is up to you how much you want to play with the intensity. You can increase and decrease the drama as per your wish. Do try it and let me know… J






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ColourPop Glazed Super Shock Highlighter Review, Swatches and FOTD

November 29, 2017, 7:56 am
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Don’t you just love how a good highlighter can give you a subtle glow and your skin a luminous, radiant look?


In my quest to find the best highlighters, I came across the SUPER SHOCK range of highlighters from the house of Colourpop and today I’ll be reviewing Glazed from that range. So lets get into the nitty gritty details…  

What ColourPop says:-
“We took our famous Super Shock formula and added luminous pearls and glimmer to create the perfect crème powder highlighter.”

Price:-
$8 for 0.15oz

Packaging:-
The highlighter comes safely enclosed in a round shaped case with screw lid. Lightweight and compact. The transparent lids make it easy to detect the actual shade inside.



Shade:-
This is a beautiful, soft ivory gold highlighter with a warm brown tie dye blend; absolutely breathtaking and looks amazing on all complexions. The glitters are so minute, so soft and don’t at all spread across your face making you look like a disco ball. Too impressive!!


Texture:-
The thing I love most about the “Super Shock” range of products from Coloupop. The texture is to die for; bouncy, kind of spongy and has a cushiony soft feel. The powder-gel kind of formula is super soft, smooth, feels light as air and blends like a dream. As I said earlier, the glitters are “oh so smooth”, not at all chunky and don’t fall a bit and don’t move to the rest of your face.

Pigmentation:-
Crazily pigmented. I love subtle glow and one swirl with my fingertip is enough for two cheeks. However, if you are a fan of Instagram highlighter trend, you might need two or more. Yes, you can pack it on to the intensity you like.


Staying Power:-
Staying power is amazing too. It stays all day, no wearing off or creasing.

Application:-
I always love using fingertips for highlighters. Fingertip application provides the highest coverage with the tiniest amount. If you want a sheer look, you can go for a fan brush.


Summing up my likes and Dislikes:-

What I like about ColourPop Glazed Super Shock Cheek Highlighter:-
  • A gorgeous shade.
  • Universally flattering.
  • Gives an angelic sheen.
  • Creates a radiantly dewy complexion.
  • Soft, natural.
  • Glitters are non-chunky.
  • Glitters don’t move to the rest of your face.
  • Feather soft formula.
  • Silky, smooth texture.
  • Air-light.
  • Amazing color payoff.
  • Stays long.
  • Small amount is needed.
  • Cute and sturdy packaging.
  • Price is reasonable.

What I don’t like about ColourPop Glazed Super Shock Cheek Highlighter:-
  • Non-availability in India.

Final Thoughts:-
Colourpop highlighters are the best and can give biggy brands a run for money. After application you can immediately see how radiant your face looks. I have used it on bare skin and over base products, the results were equally satisfying. Innovative formula, incredible color payoff, long staying powder and a super affordable price tag, I recommend this highlighter to everyone. It is absolutely stunning.


Dupe?
Colourpop Glazed is said to be a close dupe of Tarte Strobe Pro Glow Highlighter. It is close to Fenty Start Struck as well.

Ratings:-
5/5 J

Have you tried any of ColourPop's highlighters? Which is your favorite highlighter? Let us know :)
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Click HEREto check the review of the cult favourite Benefit Highbeam liquid highlighter.




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Sugar Cosmetics Contour De Force Face Palette - 02 Vivid Victory Review, Swatches, EOTD and FOTD

December 6, 2017, 8:36 am
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Hello my beautiful ladies,
As we all know, contouring and highlighting plays a major role in enhancing our features. These two artsy tricks of makeup can give you high cheekbones, chiseled jaw line that you have always dreamt of. Blush on the other hand, is necessary too. It adds warmth to your makeup and makes your skin look healthy. 


So, how about something that has the above mentioned products, all rolled up into one crazy package? Sounds intriguing, right?
Tan ta naaa… presenting the Vivid Victory Contour De Force Face Palette from the house of Sugar Cosmetics. The pallet is their newest launch. How can a brand have so many back to back new launches? I am totally awed!

Anyway, so without blabbering any further, lets get into the details…

What Sugar Cosmetics claims:-
“Achieve jaw-dropping, #nofilter beauty looks that'll set your Insta-circle on fire with the all-new SUGAR Contour De Force Face Palette. Crafted for the makeup maven who’s slaying goals on the go, this sleek all-in-one face palette houses a power-packed trio of bronzer, highlighter and blush – exactly what you’d love to stash in your clutch to create any look in a flash. Just mix, layer and blend these uber-creamy, lightweight powders for a great payoff that lasts all day, any day. See the magic unfold in the built-in mirror that’s super handy for on-the-spot application and prepare to be stunned with how easily this face palette takes your makeup game to a whole new level!”


PRODUCT DETAILS:-

Price:-
INR 799

PACKAGING:-
Chic and quirky, that’s what I think of the packaging. The fun purple toned, 3-pan pallet is sleek yet sturdy, compact and light-weighed and is easy to open and close by the magnetic mechanism built into the lid. Perfect for travel and also, the mirror inside helps you in quick touch-ups. This pallet further comes housed in a glossy black outer cover.


SHADES:-
As the brand says, Vivid Victory is a vibrant-themed face palette contains one bold shade each of bronzer, highlighter and blush that can be used beautifully for a dramatic look.



Woody Wonder: This is a warm brown bronzer. It works beautifully as a contour shade, looks very natural, very apt for that alluring sun-kissed look. This would work on all skin tones.
Gold Glory: A super gorgeous golden bronze highlighter. This is a bomb and is one of the most beautiful highlighters in my kitty. Such a unique color. This would look amazing on medium-dusky skin toned beauties.
Pink Pinnacle: A beautiful deep rose blush. I am not a dark blush lover, but this has my heart. So, so beautiful and is gain another shade that will look stunning on deeper skin tones.

TEXTURE, COLOR PAYOFF and STAYING POWER:-
Both the bronzer and the blush have beautiful matte finish and the texture is super smooth. The highlighter is silky and the shimmers are finely milled and don’t move to the rest of your face. Basically, the texture of all the products in the pallet is super soft, smooth, feels light as air and blends like a dream. They are very well pigmented, especially the blush, you have to be very careful about the amount you are using, otherwise you might end up looking like a clown. They stay pretty long too, no wearing off or creasing.


HOW TO APPLY:-
Do your base. (Foundation, corrector, concealing and then setting with a powder). Then apply the bronzer under your cheekbones to sculpt and define. Use short brush strokes from the top of the cheekbone down towards the chin. Now for a rosy flush of colour on your cheeks, swirl your blush brush on the blush, tap excess and apply on the apples of the cheek. For the highlighter, I always love using fingertips. Fingertip application provides the highest coverage with the tiniest amount. If you want a sheer look, you can go for a fan brush. I apply it on my cheekbones, on my brow bones, down the bridge of nose and even on the inner corner of my eyes.


I have even used this pallet to do my eye makeup and the colors worked really well as eye shadows.


SO WHAT EXACTLY I LOVE ABOUT THIS PALLET:-
3 in 1:Three different products in 1 pallet. No need to carry a highlighter, a blush, a bronzer individually.
The shades:- My most favourite out of this trio is the highlighter, it is such an unique shade. Love the deep rose blush too, perfect to add a gorgeous flush of colour to the cheeks. And the bronzer, chiselled bone structure is no longer a dream.
Multi Use:- I can use the shades both as face products and as eye shadow.
Beautiful Texture: Soft and Smooth. The matte ones are non-chalky and the shimmery highlighter is non-gritty.
Intense:- They are beautifully pigmented and can be built up even more if required.
Staying power: They stay on my face for long enough to make me fall in love with them even more.
Compact:- Glides in my purse with ease; so easy to carry around.
Decently priced: - Bronzer, highlighter and a blush , 3 together at Rs. 799 isn’t bad.
Can be used anytime:- I love the fact that these can be used even during the day, just you have to keep the amount in check. 

The below picture is during the day and the other is at night. I have used the shades on face as well as on eyes.



Final Thoughts? Would I recommend this pallet to others?
I am pretty impressed with the pallet. In India, there is a dearth of good, affordable bronzer and highlighter and Sugar Cosmetics is the savoir.  This all-in-one trio, though is meant for dramatic looks, can be used during daytime as well, you just have to be light handed.
So if you are looking for bronzers, highlighters and blush and are on a budget, then you can surely give this trio a try, trust me, you won’t be disappointed. Time to get glamorous!  


 So what do you think of this pallet? Are you planning to get one? Or have already got yours? Share your views. We would love to know :)


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Aakarsh Cookie Crumble Finger Tips Nail Colour Review and NOTD: Dupe of Nykaa Cookie Crumble Nail Polishes

December 12, 2017, 6:54 am
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The joy of finding a dupe of some famous product is unparalleled. Isn’t it? Most of the times they are cheaper than the original, better-performing, easily available or are made by brands more available to us in our area.


Recently, while roaming on the streets of Esplanade, Kolkata, my eyes suddenly got stuck on a road side makeup store. These street side makeup stores in my city are famous for selling “high-end fake products” and I generally avoid them, but this particular store of which I am talking about, other than fake MAC, Huda, UD and Kylie, has many other fun stuff at super affordable price tags, like amazing brushes, sponges, silicon blenders, nail art tools, etc. And whenever I head to New Market, I just can’t help but peep once. And that’s when I saw these beauties stacked at one corner. These looked exactly like the NYKAA Cookie Crumble range of nail polishes and I was totally awestruck.

Now, I have already used one polish from the cookie crumble range, but due to the price tag couldn’t try other shades, though I wanted to. Actually, I love dolling up my nails in different hues almost every alternate day (sometimes even daily), so spending 200 rupees for a nail paint is something I don't connect with. I prefer cheaper, better options any day.

These cookie-crumble dupes are available at only Rs. 35, and I found them so appealing that I dint think twice and picked up eight from the range.
So lets see if these Rs. 35 nail polish from Aakarsh could come in par with its Rs.199 or not…


PACKAGING:-
Absolutely similar to Nykaa ones, totally enticing. Square-shaped transparent glass bottle with long white cap which has black ink splattered all over it, just to complement the “cookie” texture inside the bottle.


PRICE:- 
Rs. 30-40. I got mine for 35 from New Market. 

AVAILABILITY:-
The street side shops around City Mart, New Market. The street side shop in front of pantaloons factory outlet in New market, And the shops in and around Hati Bagan. They are also available with Instagram seller, Jyotijiastore. 

DETAILS:-
There are almost 20 shades in the range, starting from white, cream, light mauve, light blueberry, light pink to mint green, mustard yellow, coral, hot pink and red, absolutely brilliant colors. All of them have those tiny black confetti that take the polish to a completely different level and give a fun cookie milkshake nail art look. These nail polishes just make me crave for oreo-cookie shakes like crazy.


The nail polish has a medium consistency, neither too thick-creamy nor too runny, just perfect and goes on smooth without creating streaks or lumps. They become opaque in a single coat, but a second coat makes it look better. The nail polish stays amazingly perfect on me, without any chipping or fading for a week straight after which it starts chipping slightly from the corners.









I have used the Nykaa Cookie crumble nail paints as well. Lets go through the comparison chart and see who wins.

FEATURES
NYKAA
AAKARSH
SHADE RANGE
Only 7 shades in the range
Almost 20 different shades
TEXTURE
Creamy and smooth
Runnier than the Nykaa one, nevertheless very smooth.
DRYING TIME
Takes around 3 minutes to get dry completely. Layering becomes time consuming.
Dries super fast, in seconds. Layering becomes easy.
OPACITY
Needs 2-3 layers to get a decent opacity.
Most of them go opaque in single coat; the second coat makes it better.
STAYING POWER
Started chipping on me from the fourth day.
Started chipping almost after a week.
PACKAGING
Cute and chic.
Cute and chic.
REMOVAL
Absolute Pain
Painful, but lesser.
PRICE FACTOR
199 each. Not exactly affordable.
35-40 each. Dirt cheap. Buy as many as you want.
AVAILABILITY
Only available in online.
Currently available at almost all local beauty shops, the footpath beauty shops in and around New Market, Hatibagan, Gariahat and with Instagram seller, JyotiJiyaStore.

FINAL THOUGHTS:-
It is not very often that I come across products which fill me up with sheer joy and happiness. This is one such product. A great find. The cookie crumble effect is awesome. It is dirt cheap, so I can buy as many shades as I want without burning a hole in my pocket. I love the Nykaa ones, but as I said, I don’t really feel like spending 200 bucks on a nail polish every time. So this comes to the rescue. Absolute Love! A few factors sometimes make these dearer than the Nykaa ones. Also, Aakarsh makes amazing matte nail paints. Do check them out as well. Total steal!


RATING:-
4.5/5 J
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My 2017 Favourites: Makeup, Hair and Skincare

December 30, 2017, 9:08 am
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Hello everybody,

2017 has come to an end, but WOW...what an absolutely mind blowing and amazing year it has been. From finally been able to turn my passion into profession to travelling to beautiful places on earth; I have seen and experienced some of the most incredible things. For me personally, it has been a year of many triumphs and not so many defeats; a year where I learned the true color and substance of those around me and where I removed toxicity from my life, a year where I learned my true physical, mental and emotional strength. And a year where I lived, loved and laughed surrounded by my family and friends. I think I am the luckiest person alive to have been blessed with an amazing husband, incredible family, awesome friends, a fantastic job and work mates that are more like family than colleagues and with this in mind there is absolutely no doubt that 2018 is going to bring more awesomeness.


With all the memorable moments, 2017 has given me opportunities to try a lot of new products which I simply love and also the year has cemented my love for already favourite products which I am loving since years. So, on today’s post I am going to share with you all a list of my favourite products that I used in 2017 and would love to take them to 2018 as well.

KRYOLAN 12 COLORS DERMACOLOR CAMOUFLAGE CREME PALETTE
This is my holy grail product. This is an all in one pallet. From using it as a foundation to correcting and concealing, from cream highlighting to contouring, you can do every possible “base makeup” thing with this pallet. Smooth, creamy texture, dewy matte finish, insanely pigmented and long staying, what else to want from a product?



LIQUID FOUNDATIONS:-
The reason why I just can’t name a single one is I am equally in love with these beauties. The cult favourite MAC Studio Fix, Sephora Hydrating foundation and the newly launched in India Wet n Wild Photofocus foundation.


SUGAR COSMETICS BB CREAM and COMPACT:-
I am pretty much liking this duo recently. Good products and great for everyday use.



COLOURPOP FLEXITARIAN HIGHLIGHTER:-
A gem from Colourpop. Aesthetically pleasing. This highlighter is the best highlighter I have ever used and can give big brands a run for money. After application you can immediately see how radiant your face looks.


BEN NYE FASHION ROUGE PRESSED COLOR PALETTE
The palette offers a striking display of color.  Silky texture, richly pigmented and long staying. You can choose from soft, natural shades for subtle flushed look, or bright and bold for night outs, parties, and fashion or avant garde designs. This will have you glowing.


SIVANNA SHIMMER BRICKS:-
Shimmer Brick comes in a range of color combinations including pinks, rose, coral, champagne, golden, copper and bronze bases. Imparting a soft glow, shimmer bricks are ideal for creating glowing from within cheeks and also for accentuating your eyes.


MORPHE EYE SHADOW PALLET IN 35R and 35B:-
These eye shadow palettes are amazing and the quality is well worth the investment. The 35R is such a regal looking palette. Being a gold and brown eye shadow lover, this pallet is absolutely love for me. 



The 35B consists of wild and bright colours; from yellow, orange, pink, purple to blue, green, red and black. Both the palettes are mixtures of shimmer and matte colours.



MASCARAS:-
Again two of them, my Holy Grail products. I can’t live without mascaras and L'Oreal Million LashesandBenefit They're Real, these two are my ultimate favourites. I have lost count how many times I have actually bought them. I see using these beauties again and again and forever.


KAJALS and EYELINERS:-
For Kajals I would stick to my favourite Faces Long Wear Kajal Pencil in Solid Blackand for liquid eye liners I am sticking to LakmeInsta Linersince time immemorial and can really never part with it. Can buy another bottle of Colorbar Liquid Liner as well. For gel liner, yay to the Maybelline one.

LIPSTICKS:-
Well, I am a lipstick hoarder and it is very difficult to say which ones I will still be using in 2018. MAC Mehr and MAC Ruby Woo are two shades I can’t imagine my life without. Colourpop Liquid lipsticks and lippie stixs and few of Sugar Cosmetics babies have won my heart and I would love to use them in 2018 as well. The Colorpop Liquid lippiesand Lippie Stixs, I have been using them crazily. Tons of shades to choose from and quality is amazing too.





THE BODY SHOP BRAZIL NUT DEFINE and NO FRIZZ:-
I have very dry and frizzy hair and this is my saviour. I am going to use it until I find something better.


BOROLINE:-
Last, but not the least, good old Boroline. I can survive a day without food, but not without Boroline. Do I need to say anything more?

So that is it. These are my favourites and I am going to repurchase them until I find something better. What is your 2017 favourite makeup and skincare product? Let us know in the comment section below... J
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Regrettable Purchases: Makeup, Skin and Hair Care

December 31, 2017, 4:45 am
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Life is not easy. Whoever told you that is out of their mind. Life is absolutely amazing filled with love, happiness and peace but you will encounter obstacles in your path. You will encounter evil forces that will try to bring you down. You will encounter difficult moments that will test your strength. And it is those moments that will help mould you into a better individual. It is those moments that will help you grow and come out of difficult situations.


So with the ups and downs of life, comes hits and misses of products too. Being a beauty blogger, I get to use and experiment with a lot of products. Sometimes I get PR products, sometimes I buy in a whim and sometimes I spend hours and days researching about a product before buying.
Today I am listing down products on which I have wasted my time and money and I hope this post will help you make better choices while buying products.
If you enjoy these products don't get offended because we all have different preferences and likings. Also our skin and hair types aren’t similar. So what worked for you, might not work for me and vice versa.

So, here goes my list of downers ;)

TS Cosmetics Pressed Glitters:-
There was a time when I was in a “glitter eye makeup” phase, I was looking for glitter eye shadows all over the internet. There is a dearth of good-quality glitters in India and so when I finally came across this brand, I was super elated. Many of my fellow beauty bloggers were raving about these glitter monos. I even consulted with few of them before jumping into the bandwagon, and everybody had only good things to say. Priced at 110 each, I bought around 8 pieces and what duds the glitter eye shadows are. The creamy texture doesn’t really have a decent finish and the glitters move all over your eye lid, crease, brow bone and eventually to your entire face creating havoc. Your face will end up looking like a disco ball. I know they are really cheap, but for such a dud of a product, I don’t even want to spend a penny. These are good if you are using them mere for blogging purposes; otherwise don’t even think of wearing them out of your house.



ColorPop Ultra Blotted Lip:-
I was so excited to try one from the range, especially “Split”. I got it, wore it and …. . It looks so gorgeous when you apply, you just start to admire and that’s when the euphoric feeling evaporates and you are left with horrible looking, patchy lips. It looks terrible and so embarrassing. Even at $6 a piece I wouldn't risk buying any other shades. Split truly 'splits'' :P


Colorbar Lash Illusion Duo Mascara:-
This clumps galore and made my lashes fall. I have never faced such issues with any of my mascaras before. I got so paranoid. But later I thought may be something was wrong that day, so tried a couple of times more, but to my disappointment, the results were same each time. I can lose hundreds of hair each day and still stay calm, but I can’t really afford to lose my lashes like that. It breaks my heart! And this is enough of a reason to not use this mascara again in my life. I would have been okay with the clump and flakes, but not with this.


The Body Shop Vitamin E Cool BB Cream
Available in only one cool shade, which neither suits fair skin nor suits dusky skinned beauties. Maybe someone with medium toned skin tone will find it apt. I don’t know if it is the shade or the texture that makes me hate this product more. The shade is dark for me and makes me look dull. The texture though is smooth and glides on easily, but takes forever to sink into your skin. Plus, no SPF.


MAC Atlantic Blue eye shadow
Love the color, but the texture is such a turnoff. It is no doubt very soft and smooth to touch, but once you try to transfer the product on your lids, it feels chalky and vanishes in no time. Blending is very difficult and frustrating. It has no color payoff. I mean I don’t know where it vanishes every freaking  time. I always look to MAC for shadows, but Atlantic blue fell short for me.


The Body Shop Rainforest Moisture Shampoo:-
I got disappointed each time I used this product. I hoped that "rainforest moisture" will moisturize my hair, but no, it didn’t. Moreover, I feel that this shampoo is way too gentle for my hair; it doesn't clear all the junk out of my hair like other shampoos. I need a lot to lather it up and also I did have a very hard time evenly distributing it on my hair. I have tried using in small quantities multiple times. But it only lathers well after 2-3 applications. In any case, I just end up using quite a lot of the product. Also, not every day we have time and patience to shampoo hair 3-4 times. I really hate bashing products, especially when it is from a brand I so love; but I am sorry TBS, this really didn’t work for me. To top it all, this is pricey. I don’t mind paying for products that actually work; but this price is ridiculous for a product that doesn't deliver too much.


Moroccan Oil Treatment
It did nothing that wowed me. Whatever happiness it gave me by adding the shine and softness to my hair went down the drain after I saw the ingredient list, silicons, silicons and many other chemicals. This product doesn’t repair or help the hair in the long run. For that amount of money I expect some bona fide miracle in a bottle, and this is not. I would rather go for pure Argan oil that would at least rescue and repair my hair. This is indeed a hyped product.


VLCC Snigdha Skin Whitening Day Cream
I hate anything that says “skin whitening” “fairness” etc. I have seen people’s obsession with fairness and ‘white skin’ since childhood and still don’t understand why the labels state that fairness of skin equates to loveliness of personality. This says “skin whitening”, has the typical fairness-cream texture that I loathe, takes effort to blend, takes time to get absorbed into skin, makes skin sweat like crazy and no effect on dark spots and pimple marks even after using it for over 2 months and also contains Parabens. I don’t see why I would still be using it or would repurchase it.


So, that’s it. These are the products that disappointed me to the core. I am sure you have your list of downers too. Let us know in the comment section below.
Lastly, Wishing you all a very very happy and prosperous New Year. Today, don't pray for life to be easy. Pray for the strength (mental, physical and spiritual) to get you through a difficult moment and make you a stronger, renewed and wiser version of YOU. Pray for answers to your questions and solutions to your problems. And always know that the life experiences you are dealt are for a reason. Nothing in life happens just because. Live in the now and enjoy every second of every moment both good and bad. End the year on a high note and get yourself ready for 2018.
Have a great year and make it count... J


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Review: Melting Pot Restaurant and Cafe, Ballygunj, Kolkata

January 4, 2018, 8:27 am
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It is said that when you turn your love into your vocation, the result is beautiful. Such is the story of Melting Pot, a young business initiative that holds a lot of promises. In her own words, Srabani, the owner said that Melting Pot is a coming together of her love for Oriental food and her confidence in the in the ever increasing appeal of Continental food in Kolkata. As far the location is concerned, she says that it was sheer luck that they found a spot in the heart of Ballygunj, in the vicinity of renowned names like Kasturi and Fish Fish.

When I walked into the restaurant, I confess that wasn’t expecting what I finally got which made it an even more special experience.
As we stepped in, we were heartily welcomed by our host. Although it is not huge inside, but the minimalist and fresh styling makes it look spacious. The cosy place, warm ambience and subtle, soothing decor helps you concentrate on what you are there for. I feel this is great place for just you and your one, friends or a family dine out as well.




The Food:-
Melting Pot nicely brings Oriental delights and Continental Classics in one place; one will be spoilt for choices here. We often go to places that offer a wide variety of food but we are left with a very few choices as far as beverages are concerned, not here, I counted more than 25 entries on the beverage menu, not accounting for the 9 varieties of teas. That itself is a big plus for me and something that would make me want to visit the place again and soon.

Our orders included:-

Beverages: Caramel Crunchy Coffee, Brownie Shake, Sweetheart, Orange Mojito.
Amazing, just one word. All that they served looked and felt from the heart. Just order one, sit back, relax and sip on. My pick would be Sweetheart, for obvious reasons, the quintessential combination of strawberry, vanilla and chocolate is a must have. The orange mojito was nice too.


Appetizers: Cream of chicken soup.
When you plan for a heavy dinner/lunch, a cream based soup must not be the obvious choice, simply because it itself tends to be pretty heavy. To my surprise the soup that was served to us was light and not as rich as we find cream of chicken soups in most other places.


The chicken bits could have been better prepared too.  The croutons were a good addition. They served garlic bread on the side which I think is not appropriate, as the garlic cuts the creaminess even further, just plain old butter toast with black pepper or white pepper would have been sufficient.



Starters: Korean Chicken on a Stick, Steamed Chicken Momos
The momos were nice, the filling was sufficient and well seasoned, the wrapping was thin and when we cut through, it tore apart evenly, did not break, which shows that it was freshly made.  The Sauce complimented the fresh taste of the momos, being tangy to start with yet having a hot after taste.


The Korean Chicken on a stick was equally good, had a hint of sweetness and an underlying hot flavour that is typical to Korean food.


Main Course:Spaghetti Aglio e Olio(n/v), Burnt Garlic flavoured mixed fried rice, Sliced Chicken in Chilli Oyster Sauce.
The Spaghetti preparation was very light and and fragrant as an Aglio e Olio should be, the Spaghetti was al dente, the chicken bits were well seasoned, and the sprinkled cheese , chilly and cilantro added to the taste. 


The fried rice was a little oily but not a turn off, the shrimps were fresh, and the chicken was well seasoned here too.  The chicken side dish is a must have, although I would have loved snow peas instead of green peas, but that will not matter when you have tasted the broth, superb.


\
  
Dessert: Tutti Fruity, Toffee Walnut
A feast, both taste and quantity wise. You might struggle to finish these alone, and that’s not bad at all, this might just be the thing you can share with your beloved.


The staffs were very attentive and had an eye out for the basic convenience of their customer. Right from preparation to presentation and service, they were at par with their contemporaries.

Overall, Melting Pothas friendly staff, prompt and cordial service, an amazing menu, the food was good and sumptuous, the flavors were balanced and the ingredients were fresh, and most importantly, the effort that they are putting into making a mark for themselves shows up on your plate, shows up in their hospitality. All of this, at the price point and the location that they are offering it at, I am sure that they have good times ahead of them. Lastly, I would like to thank Sushmita, First Idea and Srabani for having me over. It was a 'lip-smacking' experience. I'll surely be back again. 
So if you are looking for a place where warm hospitality, tasty preparations and courteous service are hallmarks, then this is the place to be.
P.S. Although I am fascinated by good tea, I had barely any space left, so I had to give it a miss… :(

QUICK ESSENTIALS:-

Address: 89B, Ballygunge Pl, Ballygunge Place, Ballygunge, Kolkata, West Bengal 700019
(Located just opposite to the BSNL office at Ballygunge Place. 2 mins walking distance from Kasturi Food Plaza.)
Hours: 12–10PM
Phone: 090730 04419
You can order at: swiggy.com, zomato.com
Melting Pot Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato
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Best of Sephora Kolkata: Top Brands and Products

January 7, 2018, 9:04 am
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Hello everyone,



Yesterday, Kolkata has finally opened her arms to the well-known cosmetic giant Sephora. The store is now one of the biggest makeup stores in the city and is packed with famous international brands that we Kolkatans were desperately in need of. Becca, Smashbox, Stilla, Bobbi brown, Sephora, Clinique, Michael Kors, Dior, Bulgari, Givenchy, Estee Lauder, Clairins, Forest Essentials, Elizabeth Arden, Nyx Cosmetics, Benefit, Makeup Forever, Glamglow, Burts Bees,  OPI, Burberry, Givenchy, Dior, Versace, Tom ford, Shiseido, Foreo, Boscia are to name a few, no wonder Sephora is touted as “The Mecca of Makeup”.
I have kind of a mixed feeling, happy because now I don’t have to wait for months to buy my favorite products and sad because I am broke to the core. I really have to spend exorbitant amount of time to convince myself to spend my money on those exorbitantly priced stuff.
Anyway, coming back to today’s topic, I often get enquiries about Sephora India must haves, so as Sephora finally spread its wings to Kolkata, we thought of making a list of products that you can splurge on.
Listed below are those that I feel are best from the array of products Sephora houses.
All my makeup lovers, welcome to makeup heaven.

BENEFIT:-
I have too many favorites from the brand. They’re real mascara, Roller Lash mascara, POREfessional face primer, Benetint cheek and lip stain, Highbeam liquid highlighter, Ka-Brow, Goof-proof brow pencil and gel liner pen are some of the products which you can try from Benefit. Hoola Bronzer and their range of blushes are amazing as well.


SEPHORA IN-HOUSE LINE:-
Almost every product from this brand is a hit and is also cheaper compared to the other brands available. Try their lip liner, eye pencils, cream lip stains, liquid foundations, pressed glitter monos, single eye shadows, neon nail paints, compacts, highlighter, bronzers and blushers. 


Their skin care range is amazing as well. Try their face masks and eye masks; you are going to love them. You can also try their brushes, sponges and other makeup tools.



BECCA:-
Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Highlighter is one of their cult favorite products. If you are a fan of Instagram highlighting, then this is something you need in life. The formula is great and they are oh so gorgeous. The glow the highlighter imparts looks so sophisticated and is impeccable. My favorites are opal and moonstone. You can try their back light priming filter face primer as well, one of the best primers I have used.



MAKEUP FOREVER:-
MUFE is a brand that all makeup gurus and lovers swear by. HD foundations and concealers have received immense love from people worldwide. Beautiful texture, high coverage, amazing finish and long staying, what else can anybody want? Their cream blushes and lipsticks are good as well. Their HD blushes are good as well.


STILLA:-
Sophisticated, smart and sexy, that is what Stilla is. Stay All Day Liquid Lipsticks, Convertible Cheek and Lip Cream, Smudge pots, Smudge Stick Waterproof eyeliner, Liquid Glitters and eye shadow palettes are their most raved products. Though liquid glitters are yet to reach the stores, you can definitely try the other products, especially the cult favorite liquid lipsticks.


NYX COSMETICS:-
Finally NYX baby is here in Kolkata, probably the only brand my pocket is currently happy about. At least I can buy the jumbo eye pencil in milk with whatever I am left with. It is a wonderful product, do give it a try. Also their other jumbo eye pencils, soft matte lip creams, liquid suede cream lipstick, lip lingerie, finishing powder, single blushes, eye shadows, lip liners, eye pencils, highlighter and contour palette, pigments, setting spray are worth every penny. You just can’t go past the counter without stopping.


BURTS BEES LIP BALM:-
Burts Bees lip balms are my absolute favorite from the brand. They are just amazing. You can try the shampoos from the brand as well.

SMASHBOX:-
‘Be Legendary’ lipsticks, primers and primer water are their most raved and loved products. Mmm..I like the lipsticks, but not my ‘favorite ever’, but absolutely love the primers.


ESTEE LAUDER:-
Get their Double Wear Foundation if you can. It is one of the best foundations I have ever tried.

DIOR:-
Beside their range of perfumes, try their mascaras, eye shadow pallets and lipsticks. DiorShow Iconic High DefinitionLash Curler mascara is my favorite. Diorskin Forever Flawless Perfection Fusion Wear is good as well.


GLAM GLOW:-
The internet frenzy brand, that is what I call Glam Glow. People all over Instagram and YouTube are just crazy over their products. I am yet to try any of them, but if you are in a mood to splurge, you can obviously give a try. I have heard that the products start from 4k.



PERFUMES:-
Sephora being a multi brand store have the most amazing collection of perfumes, for both men and women. The prices are obviously in the higher range, but once in a while, you can definitely indulge in one or two.



I am just upset that “Soap and Glory” is not there. But more than anything else, I am so excited about the fact that my favorite mall is finally re-opening new and improved with biggy brands like Sephora, Foreever 21 and Starbucks; because as they say, “South City isn’t just a mall. It is an emotion.” J
Have you visited Sephora Kolkata? Did you buy anything? Let us know J

P.S. Thank you Pamela Di a zillion ton for the pictures. You are my darling… J
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Wet n Wild Photo Focus Foundation Buff Bisque Review, Swatches and Before-After Photos

January 15, 2018, 10:36 am
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Hello everyone,

Foundation, as we all know, foundation is is one of the most important facets of makeup. It prepares the canvas on which the rest of your makeup will be applied. Today, I’ll be reviewing a foundation that has recently been launched in India. I have heard so many raved reviews of this foundation and have been planning to try this since long and finally, thanks to Nykaa, I got a chance to lay my hands on it.
So presenting, the much talked about Wet n Wild Photo Focus Foundation.


What WetnWild says:-
“Your skin, only better. Our new high-performing, skin-perfecting foundation underwent major road testing under seven different photo lighting conditions to deliver flawless camera-ready makeup every time. Specially made with a matte, light-diffusing complex to give your skin #nofilter perfection.
High-performing, breakthrough formula
Featuring light-adjusting complex to help prevent white cast in photos
Tested under 7 light conditions with and without the use of flash”



Price:-
INR 599/-

Packaging:-
A glass jar with a black cap that has a spatula attached to it. Sturdy and Travel friendly. The spatula helps to apply the product easily and directly on face.



Shade:-
Mine is in shade Buff Bisque and it suits me just fine; exactly my skin, only better. I am NC20 in MAC and I love Buff Bisque on myself.
Though there are 20 shades in the range, but for the time being there are only 5 shades available in Nykaa.



Texture and Finish:-
Texture is very smooth and easy to blend. The finish is absolutely matte, sets into the matt finish almost instantly, so a good prepped skin underneath the foundation is essential. Otherwise this might go streaky, might look unblended and will just sit on top of your skin instead if melding with it. So a clean, well moisturized skin is indispensable.


Coverage and Staying Power:-
This foundation has a light to medium coverage and is buildable. I can totally build this foundation to get medium-full coverage. You don’t need a lot for evening out skin nicely, covering mild freckles, discolorations, blotchiness and red marks left by pimples. If you have major scars or marks, you need a concealer with this. Staying power is 10+ hours, which is great.

So summing up “LIKES” and “DISLIKES”

LIKED about Wet n Wild Photo Focus Foundation:-
  • Light to medium coverage and is buildable.
  • Matte finish, great for oily-combination skin.
  • Reveals a perfect and naturally glowing complexion.
  • Doesn’t highlight wrinkles or patches if skin is well prepped.
  • Covers redness and spots, making skin look rather smooth.
  • Can be blended easily.

What I don’t like about Wet n Wild Photo Focus Foundation:
  • Limited shades.
  • Available only at Nykaa. Though you can buy through Instagram sellers.
  • I wish it came with a pump dispenser instead of the spatula.
  • Has a chemically smell so if you are very sensitive to smells, you may not like it.

Final thoughts:-
I am not someone who loves heavy coverage foundation, I look for something which feels and looks light. The feather-light finish easily blends into the skin covering minor skin imprecations and evening out skin tone. I am not really fond of strong "matte finishes, but I somehow like it. I am using this pretty often now and really loving it. My face feels smooth and naturally beautiful all day. Happy with my buy. I was in a double mind before buying this product, firstly I wasn’t sure about the shade, secondly I was apprehensive about the quality, but I am very glad I took the risk. For a Rs.599 foundation- it is worth you taking the risk too!

That is my before and after picture. The left is my bare face and the right one with just the foundation and nothing else. Hope the difference is visible. And kindly ignore the weird expressions.



Would I recommend?
If you are looking for a daily foundation which gives an amazing matte finish and also is easy on pocket, then you can surely give this a try. You can easily achieve an even and comfortable coverage with this foundation, just don’t forget to moisturize and prime, or at least moisturize your face before. Oily skin beauties, you are going to love this to bits. 

Rating:-
4/5
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Restaurant Review: Level Seven, Kolkata

January 27, 2018, 10:15 am
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Located on Topsia road, at a location that is very easily reachable from all over Kolkata, Leven Seven is a new pub that is creating quite the buzz. It is perched on the top floor of the building that it is housed in, on the 7th floor there is the indoor pub, then there is a roof top and a smaller square at the very top, which according to me is the place to be. They open at 4p.m, it is the appropriate time to catch the most awesome sunset view, well not in the summer or monsoon of course.


FOOD:
We had quite a few dishes, and they were all good. We had:

TUSCANA PIZZA: Thin crust, good sauce, nice slices of meat, fresh onions, mozzarella, cheddar baked to near perfection, awesome.



TANDOORI TIKKA TRILOGY: Six pieces of meat, two of each flavour, served up in a snazzy looking tandoor with flavorful chutney, nice.


CHICKEN SIRACHA: Juicy succulent pieces of chicken, nice sauce, very tasty.


CHEESY MUSHROOM KULCHA: The bread was cooked through, was not soggy at all, the filling was sumptuous and had nice texture.


KHIDCHI ARANCHINI: The rice was well flavoured, the breading was perfect, the tangy tomato sauce and the papad served along with complimented it well.


SEA BASS (seasonal): The fillet was moist, cooked just as much it should be, very well seasoned, the lemon butter sauce had a very balanced flavor.



GOAT CHEESE WALNUT TIKKI: Full flavored filling, nice breading, fried to perfection and served with nice chutney.



My picks would be the TUSCANA PIZZA, SEA BASS especially for the lemon butter sauce, and the GOAT CHEESE WALNUT TIKKI. The presentation was also pretty cool.

DRINKS:
This “pub” could not impress with their drinks. Neither the COSMOPOLITON, the SEX ON THE BEACH nor the ORANGE MARTINI that we tried, were like what they are supposed to taste. I could barely taste the spirit in them; the only prominent flavour was sweetness. The PISCO SOUR was good. They need a lot of improvement in this department, a real lot.



SERVICE:
This is another aspect that requires attention. Some might even consider them rude. I will not cite any instances here, but overall, they need to pull up their socks and pay attention to the basics.

DÉCOR:
They have nailed it in this section, superb I should say. The elements looks fresh quirky and stylish, all the elements seem well thought out, the lighting is adequate. 




My choice of seating would be the square at the very top or the rocking table of the roof top.





To sum up, level seven has a location to die for, tasty food and a nice ambience to compliment it all. The drinks and service are major letdowns. I sincerely hope that they pay attention to these aspects; they have good times ahead of them.

Lastly, I would like to thank Priyanka, First Idea and Level Seven for having me over. 
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Best of Wet n Wild Cosmetics

January 30, 2018, 9:12 am
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Hello everyone,
I hope you all are doing great and that the New Year is treating you pretty well. For me, it has been rocking so far. I am just back from a vacation. My sister-in-law got married and what amazing time we had in Lucknow.


Anyway, coming back to today’s topic; as we all know, Wet n Wild finally got launched in India and I just can’t thank Nykaa enough for bringing this well-known US brand to our doorstep. Wet n wild products are extremely cheap in the US, although they are not as cheap here in India, but are still pretty affordable. Recently, I have been asked a lot about the must have products from this brand, so today I have come up with a list of my favorites. Nykaa though has limited stock right now, but soon they are stocking up more products from the brand.

Photo Focus Foundation:-One of the best drugstore liquid foundations I have used. The texture is amazing, blends into your skin effortlessly and the finish is beautiful. I am absolutely loving it so far.
You can check the detailed review HERE.
Price: Rs. 599



Photo Focus Concealer:-
Creamy, luminous and is tested to be white-cast free under seven different photo lighting condition. This gives a pretty high coverage and does its job wonderfully.
Price:- Rs. 399

Wet n Wild MegaLast Liquid Catsuit Matte Lipstick:-This is a bomb of a liquid lipstick. Creamy texture and settles in a very beautiful, plush matte finish, incredibly pigmented and stays pretty long. This is absolutely a must have. Nice to Fuchsia, Missy and Fierce and give me mocha are my favorites.
Price:- Rs. 499


Wet n Wild Megalast Lip Color:-
Their megalast lipsticks are pocket-friendly and come in amazing colors. They have some really nice dupes of famous, cul-favorite MAC lipsticks. Easy to apply, they are also insanely pigmented and settles in beautiful matte finish. Some of the best shades are: Spotlight Red, Sandstorm, Bare It All, Cherry Picking, In The Flesh, Mochalicious, Spiked With Rum, , Cinnamon Spice, Sugar Plum Fairy.
Price:- Rs 299

Wet n Wild Color Icon Ombré BlushAvailable in 2 shades of ombre, The Princess Daiquiries and Mai Tai Buy You A Drink. Blendable, lightweight powders in a soft gradient of ombre hues with a satiny smooth formula that blends seamlessly on your skin for buildable color. You can use them as blush or also as eye shadows for a fun pop of color.
Price:- Rs.299

Wet n Wild MegaGlo Highlighting Powder
Available in 2 shades, Precious Petals and Crown of my Canopy. The first one is a beautiful champagne-gold kind of a color and the second one is a gorgeous muted copper with warm gold shimmers.
Pigmented, easy to blend, doesn’t move all over your face and the price makes it all the better.
Price:- Rs. 499

Wet n Wild Au Naturel Palette:-There are 2 pallets in the range containing 10 shades each. Beautiful color selection, beautiful texture and well pigmented, these palettes are great for beginners.
Price:- Rs. 675

Wet n Wild Color Icon Single eye shadows:-
Single eye shadows are great when you want some particular shade or don’t want to spend much on whole pallets. The brand has a wide range of single eye shadows.
Price:- Rs. 135

Wet n Wild 1 Step WonderGel Nail Color:-Want to try gel nail colors, but dreading the price? No more, Wet n Wild has come up with gel nail colors to suit your varying moods. For the low price, it is a pretty nice product. Though I haven’t got one from Nykaa, but have tried the ones from US and the color payoff and opaqueness with two coats was stellar.
Price:- Rs. 250.

Wet n Wild Brushes:-
The brand has an amazing range of brushes. Looks so cute, are extremely soft and works amazingly in blending and buffing your makeup.
Price:- Starts from Rs. 130

Other than the above mentioned products I love their Kohls, lip liner, shine nail protector, compact, mascaras, finishing spray, the highlight-contour duo as well.
Overall, I love wet-n-wild products. At such price tags, what you get is pretty amazing. You get your beauty fixes without actually hurting your pocket. Yes, the brand has some duds too, the products that I won’t buy again, no matter how cheap they are. To mention a few, mega color lipsticks, the lip glosses, the glitter singles. The glitter singles I hate the most. I was so excited to try them but they are like glitters on a vaseline base, they never really dry down; looks so patchy and the glitters moves crazily.

Being said that, keep in mind that we all have different preferences, what I didn't like you might actually like and vice versa.
So that is it. Hope you liked the post. Let me know your favorite Wet n Wild product in the comment section below.
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Lakme Absolute Blur Perfect Makeup Primer Review

February 6, 2018, 8:49 am
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A good primer is very essential if you want your makeup to look fresher and last longer. Primers also seal pores on your face by creating an invisible blanket and also adds softness to the makeup making your face look velvety smooth and making the makeup application a breeze.
I have heard so many raved reviews about the LAKME Absolute Blur Perfect Makeup Primer and so I thought about giving this a try. I have been a fan of INGLOT Under Makeup Base (read review HERE) which I successfully finished few months back. So, let’s see if a product priced half of my favorite INGLOT primer, could actually impress me with it’s quality or not.


What LAKME says:-
“The Lakme Absolute Blur Perfect Makeup Primer is the perfect start for a flawless, professional makeup finish. The Lakme Absolute Blur Perfect Makeup Primer's silky blur formula instantly brightens primes, softens blemishes and pores and creates a smooth skin surface to prep for makeup application. Makeup glides on effortlessly and blends seamlessly for a more vibrant, color true finish. The Lakme Absolute Blur Perfect Makeup Primer is the perfect canvas for makeup or wear-alone over your moisturizer for instant smoothness and radiance.”


Price:-Rs. 675 for 30ml

Packaging:-
The primer comes in a black squeeze tube with silver screw cap. Sturdy and travel-friendly. I like squeezy tube as I can squeeze out just what I need rather than trying to manipulate a pump.



Color, Texture and Fragrance:-
This primer is light pink in color and has a mousse kind of a texture. But the color tends to add a cast, so beauties with darker skin tones have to be careful about the quantity. It is very lightweight, blends like a breeze and gives a silky, velvety-smooth feel to the skin. It has a pleasant fragrance that disappears within seconds of application.



Performance:- 
As I said, it applies easily and evenly, absorbs pretty quickly and feels beautiful on the skin. My feels smoother too, thanks to the silicon in it. So if you are allergic to silicon, stay away from this; it can wreak havoc. It makes foundation application like a child’s job; the makeup sets better and looks more natural. It gives a beautiful matte finish to your look and keep sweat away, making the makeup last longer than usual. So if you have oily skin or if you are a matte finish lover, then, you are going to love this. Me being more of a dewy finish lover, have kind of a so-so feel about this finish.

Summing up my LIKES and DISLIKES:-

What I Liked about Inglot Under Make-Up Base :-
  • A little is needed.
  • Lightweight, non-sticky.
  • Absorbs quickly.
  • Has a velvety-smooth texture.
  • Skin feels so soft, smooth and beautiful.
  • Blurs out pores and fine lines to some extent.
  • Allows your foundation to glide easily and seamlessly.
  • Gives a sophisticated matte finish.
  • Makeup looks fresh even after hours of application.
  • I use it as an eye primer too, and it works brilliantly.
  • Travel friendly packaging.
  • Easily available.
  • Reasonable.
What I don’t like about Inglot Under Make-Up Base:-
  • Duh! Silicon (but it’s the silicon that makes all the difference in this case)
  • Matte finish is not something that I always like. (But again that’s my preference. This is not exactly a ‘con’)
  • I wish it didn't have any color to it.
  • Not very hydrating.
Final Thoughts:-
It does its job nicely. Creates a smooth canvas for the makeup, prevents the makeup from creasing and fading. But the cast on deeper skin tones is something one shouldn't ignore. Keep the quantity in mind, don’t over apply.
This is good, but I would still stick to my INGLOT one, unless I find something better. As I said, matte finishes isn't something I totally crush on and this is the only reason why I won't be repurchasing this.
So to me, it is a decent makeup primer, if not extraordinary. If pigmented primer is not a problem and if you are not allergic to silicons, then you can give this a try.


RATINGS:-
3/5

Have you tried the Lakme for Absolute Blur Perfect Makeup Primer? If yes, how was your experience? Let us know :)
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Valentine's Day: Easy Rose Gold Smokey Eyes Tutorial

February 12, 2018, 8:13 am
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Hello everyone,
Valentine’s day is just around the corner and I am sure everyone of you are gearing to celebrate the day of love with your loved ones. Though I believe that when you are in a right relationship, you just don't need a day to profess your love and every day is a Valentine’s day, but still, why miss a chance of getting pampered by him and more than anything else, why miss the chance of decking up and indulging in some amazing, mouth-watering delicacies!? Isn’t?
Coming back to today’s topic, I have been asked by many of you about what Valentine’s Day special look I am going to create this year. Well, I had actually few in mind and I’ll be sharing them with you in this and in the coming posts. 


Today’s look is all about an easy, wearable, rose gold smokey eyes. Rose gold is a color which I feel is very sophisticated, feminine, soft yet alluring, romantic and sexy, all together. I have been wanting to create this look for quite some time now and I feel that it would be very appropriate for the Valentine’s Day this year.
So lets go through the breakdown.

EYES:-
I always prefer doing eyes first, so that if there are fall outs, I can easily clean them off before doing my base makeup.



Start by grooming your eyebrows and applying a wash of skin colored eye shadow all over your lid, crease and brow bone to get rid of any oil residue.
Now take a fluffy brush, swirl over a light brown eye shadow and start buffing it on the crease and outer corners.
Now using the same brush, take a matte plumy brown eye shadow and start swiping to and fro on the crease, just where your socket line is, blend any harsh lines.
Now take an eye shadow brush and pack on some matte dark brown eye shadow on the outer corner your eyes.
Once everything is well blended, take a shimmery rose gold color and pat on the center of the lids. Taking a blending brush, blend the harsh lines well. I made a mistake here. The rose gold eye shadow I used was very shimmery and I blended it way too much which actually moved the color over the crease. So pay attention to it. Blend, but don’t over blend.
Pack on the colors again if you feel like.
Now take using the same blending brush, go on your lower lash line with whatever products you have on the brush. If you feel it is not enough, you can obviously intensify.
Now line your waterline with kohl, dip a pencil/smudging brush in the matte brown shadow, pat off the excess and start smudging the kohl with it.
Once you are done smudging your lower lash line, line your waterline again. Apply loads of mascara to round off your look.



This eye makeup hardly takes 5 minutes to complete. All the eye shadows, except the rose gold are from Coastal Scents 252 Paletteand the rose gold is from Sugar Cosmetics Chandelier eye shadow quad. Kohl is Faces Long Wear and mascara is L’Oreal Million Lashes.

BASE:-
Clean off any fallout. Start by prepping your skin. Apply a moisturizer and also don’t forget your sunscreen if you are going out in the sun. Apply your favorite foundation all over the face and blend well with a wet sponge, this gives a dewy finish. Do correcting and concealing like you would usually do, like under your eyes and on any discoloration on the face. My foundation is from Cinema Secrets and corrector and concealer are all from Kryolan Derma Palette, which I absolutely love.


CHEEKS:-
Apply a light pink blush on the cheeks and also a highlighter on the high points of your face, you’re your cheek bones, the bridge of your nose, cupid’s bow. I love highlighting my chin as well. My blush and contour powders are from Ben NyeBlush Palette and highlighter is Wisp by Colourpop.


LIPS:-
First one, is a mixture of colors from ABH Lip Palette and the second one is NYXLiquid Suede Cream Lipstick Cherry Skies.
I guess the eye makeup goes well with both light and dark lips, so play with them according to your mood.



That’s it. I prefer my smoky eyes a little intense, but it is up to you how much you want to play with the intensity. You can increase and decrease the drama as per your wish. Do try it and let me know… J

Coming up with a few more looks to give you some Valentine’s day inspo. So, stay tuned J
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