Deck and Dine

I hate mornings, especially when I have to wake up early to reach a place I hate even more. It was a usual boring morning. I was in a bus heading for work; was lazily looking outside the window and suddenly what I saw was enough to charge me up for the whole week. My eyes got stuck to the silverish white font shining over the black backdrop. It was PAC Store: PAC Cosmetics Kolkata.

Yes, PACCosmetics has finally opened up their arms for us Kolkata people. I had always wondered why are they taking up so long to open up their store here? I was a regular visitor of their Andheri store and when I left Mumbai, out of all the amazing brands that Mumbai had, I missed PAC the most. Reason? Their amazing collection at such affordable price tags.

So when I saw their store in Kolkata, I was naturally very excited. And I didn’t want to waste a single day and visited their store on my way back home.

I got introduced to the brand during my Fatmu days and since then I am absolutely in love with their stuff.
Listing below what I feel are the best and my favorites from the array of products that PAC houses.

FALSE EYE LASHES:-
Saying I love them would be an understatement. To me, they are the best false eye lashes available in the Indian market. They look super beautiful, have amazing quality and are affordable. I can go on and on raving about them; my most favorite PAC product.
Price Range: INR 245- INR 415

Makeup Brushes and Sponges:-
I felt we had dearth of good makeup brushes in Indian market until PAC came and rescued me. I first bought their brushes in 2016 and trust me, they still look amazing and work amazingly well. Just to remind you, I am a makeup addict, a makeup artist and I use them and wash them religiously and rigorously. And no, I am not exaggerating a bit. Brushes are available both as singles and in sets.
Their blenders, sponges and puffs are pretty good as well.
Price Range: INR 385- INR 1175 ( brush singles)
Price Range: INR 1895- INR 14000 (brush sets)
Price Range: INR 135- INR 745 (puffs and sponges)

Eye Shadow, Glitters and Pigments:-
PAC is known for their vast range of eye shadows. I have quite a few from their “Pure Pigmented” range (starts INR 300). Love them. Their pressed glitters (INR 500) and loose glitters and pigments (INR 695) are stunning. I swatched a few and instantly fell in love with them. The powder eye shadow and glitter palettes are available at the store but the refills and singles are yet to reach the store; just a matter of few days. Also, do checkout their pigment tower (INR 1995); what beautiful colors. I was awestruck.

Primers and Setting Sprays:-
I am quite fond of PAC primers. The Pore Primer(INR 845) is lovely. It minimizes the appearance of pores and mattifies skin, great for normal to oily skinned beauties. The Mineralized Oil Controlprimer (INR 835) is nice as well. Best part is they are paraben free. I bought the Studio Finish Oil Primer (INR 795) this time. Other than these three, they have six other primers. Quite a collection!

For setting spray, checkout their Micro Finish Makeup Fixer (INR 925). Love the fragrance and luxurious micro mist. It sets makeup beautifully, no blotchiness, no creasing, no fading of makeup. Pure love it is. Other than this they also have three other types of makeup setting sprays.
You can visit the store, try them and then pick your favorite.

Foundation, Concealers and Powders:-
I tried both their Spotlight Foundation and HD Foundation (INR 875) at the store. I wanted to try the HD foundation since long, but was apprehensive about the shade and hence couldn’t buy online. Now I know my shade and would purchase it on my next visit, which is going to be soon. I absolutely loved the finish of the HD foundation. For concealers, I pretty much like their Take CoverConcealers (INR 419-INR 504). For powders, you can definitely checkout their HD Powder (INR 745); gives an amazing finish.

Blushers and Highlighters:-
The blushers and highlighters are again two fantastic products from PAC. The Blushers (INR 450 for cream and INR 650 for powder) are incredibly pigmented, smooth and stay long. The Baked Highlighters (INR 925) are pure love again. One of the best highlighters we have in India. They are bomb. And the highlighters are available in 14 shades. Can you believe that? Which brand has so many shades of highlighter in a single range?!!!! My favorites are 01 Ice Gold and 02 Iconic.

Eye Liners and Mascara:-
Being a kajal and kohl pencil lover I have tried kajals from numerous brands and have to admit that the PAC longlasting kohl (INR 395) is one of the best among what I have used. I have all the shades and they are supremely pigmeted, creamy, glides well and don’t budge (once set).
If you are looking for intense black liquid liner with a thin felt tip applicator, go for the Accu Pro Eyeliner (INR 600). It is fantastic.
I am fond of their Volume Blast Mascara (INR 695). The bristles are short that help you get through the length of lashes easily, especially bottom lashes. You can also try their clear mascara, great to tame the brows.

PAC Lip Colors:-
They have a wide range of lip colors and their retro matte gloss (INR 550) and soft matte lipsticks (INR 635) are my favorite. Such lovely ccolors and lovely formula, especially the soft matte lipsticks. Just the type of matte I love. Also their ColorLock lip liners (INR 385) are to die for. They are so creamy and buttery smooth, glide on lips like dream and stay intact for hours. I wear them as overall lip color as well.

PAC Skin Care:-
Their moisturizer and makeup cleansers are quite famous amongst makeup enthusiasts. I have their regular Moisture Lotion (INR 795) and it is pretty good. Works really well as a base under your foundation. I am yet to try their cleansing creams. They have launched a Peel Off Mask (INR 725) which I tried on hand at the store. Nice, but my skin is going through a rough phase, didn’t want to risk it with a new product, and hence skipped.

PAC GO RANDOM:-
Other than the above mentioned products, a few other things which I like from the house of PAC.

1. PAC Lash Fixer
2. PAC Solid Brush Cleaner
3. PAC Dual Fold Liquid gel

If I have to suggest only 7 products from PAC:

Eye shadow blending brush No. 107. Brushes in general. Choose your favorite as per your need.
Baked Highlighter 02 Iconic. I love Iconic on my skin tone. As I said, they have 14 shades and you can choose one according to your skin tone.
Eye Lash No 59. Absofreakinglutely love it.
HD Foundation. Gives a beautiful luminous finish. One of the best budget foundation in India.
Micro Finish Makeup Fixer.
Long lasting Kohl
ColorLock lipliners

The shop assistants and store manager were really cordial ,welcoming and patient. They help you through your makeup struggle. I had to exchange a product and they gladly did it (NOTE: Makeup items however are not exchangeable. I bought a box of 5 pairs of lenses, instead of a single pair, which is why they took the return.)

PAC is one of my favorite Indian makeup brands and I have said this time and again. Every time they are innovating, they are reformulating, they are coming up with new things and are way better than many other makeup brands ruling our beauty world. I have tried so many products from PAC and it astonishes me that how come they have not a single product that I absolutely hate. And you know the best thing? Thetare absolutely cruelty-free. Beat that!!!

So if you are a makeup lover as I am, don’t forget to hit the brand new sprawling PAC Cosmetics store as soon as possible. Please note that the store is new and hence they are still amping up their stock. Hence, if you are looking for something in particular, give them a call before getting there.

Address and other details are given below:

STORE NAME: PAC COSMETICS KOLKATA

ADDRESS: 228A, Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Rd, Sreepally, Elgin, Kolkata, West Bengal 700020. Landmark: Landmark Building. Approximately 5 minutes walking distance from Minto Park crossing.

CONTACT NUMBER:9854064350, 7002031655

TIMINGS: 10:00 AM- 8:00 PM

Kolkata is on a roll, having back to back store openings and new product launches! Innisfree opened its first store in India in 2013 and it took the famous K-beauty brand 7 years to come to Kolkata. Why Innisfree, why? But better late than never, Innisfree has finally come to Kolkata.And not only Innisfree, Laneige has tagged along as well.

Yes, you read that right!
Innisfree and Laneige have come to our city of joy. Can this get any better?!

Innisfree is one of the most loved skincare brands. If you ever come to my house, you’ll find a mini Innisfree store there. Laneige is also gaining wide popularity. Their products have earned the love of billions of people around the world. People often say that products from the brands of Innisfree and Laneige are pricey. I agree, but I don’t mind paying for a product which actually works. It would have hurt if the products failed to show any result or did more harm than good. Other than one particular product, whatever I have tried from the brands, nothing has disappointed me.

Now lets get into details:

WHAT YOU CAN BUY: I THOUGHT OF MAKING A LIST OF PRODUCTS THAT YOU CAN SPLURGE ON

INNISFREE

Innsifree has a wide range of products. I’ll quickly jot down a few of my favorites from the brand.

Sheet Masks:
Sheet masks are all the rage now and Innisfree has the best of them in our country. I love their My Real Squeeze Masks, especially the Rice and Pomegranate ones. You can choose what you like from the array of other masks they have. Absolutely worth trying.

Super Volcanic Pore Clay Mask:
The recipient of numerous awards around the globe, this clay mask is their best seller. I use this as a part of my FIDDY’s PORE CLEANSINGmethod.

Cleansing Oils:
Do checkout their range of cleansing oils. I can’t imagine my night skincare routine without them. I have tried their Green Tea Balancing, Apple Seed and Olive Real cleansing oils. I use them as a part of Double Cleansing method. They melt away even the most stubborn makeup very easily. They also have introduced a gel to foam cleanser which I want to try once my cleansing oils get over.

Serums, Moisturizers, Creams, Eye Cream and Sleeping Packs:-
I have tried almost all the variants of their “cream range” and all of them were amazing. The Orchid Enriched, Orchid Intense, Olive Real Power, Ginger and Honey, Green Tea Seed Deep Cream and Dewy Glow Jelly creams are my absolute favorites. Love the Green Tea sleeping pack and the green tea seed eye cream too. My mother loves the perfect 9 repair range. Their serums are worth trying as well. The Green Tea Seed Serum is a cult-favorite product, but unfortunately it couldn't wow me enough.

But if I have to choose only one among their serums, creams and sleeping packs, I would pick their creams, again and again. The options are many, hence choose as per your skin’s need.

Innsifree Wine Peeling Softner:
Another global favorite product. It gently removes dead skin and makes skin soft and supple. I am on my second bottle and already have a backup. It’s pure love.

Body Cleansers and Body Lotions: Cozy, mild fragrance and moisturizing elements make the cleansers and lotions favorite of many.

Long Wear Cushion:“Game Changer”, that’s what people say about Innisfree’s cushion foundation. I absolutely loved the finish; it has the right level of pigment, moisture and coverage. But you have to wait for a few more days to get hold of it, as makeup section of Innisfree is yet to launch in Kolkata.

LANEIGE:-

Laneige’s concept revolves around its Advanced Water Science technology which emphasis on skin hydration and skin immunity. The products that are worth mentioning are:

Water Sleeping Mask: This is LANEIGE’s best-selling product.It is an overnight mask and is water-based. It provides intense hydration and gives soft, glowy skin.

Lip Sleeping Mask:
We often neglect proper lip care and the moisture-sucking liquid lipsticks worsen the situation even more. Heavy duty hydration is what we need and there comes this lip sleeping mask as a rescue.

Water Bank Hydro Mist:
The mist is superbly hydrating and refreshing. Use it on the go to keep yourself feeling and looking fresh throughout the day.

Multi Deep Clean Cleanser:
Cleanses skin without ripping away the moisture. Skin feels smooth after washing and there is no sign of tightness.

EXCITING OFFERS GOING ON:-

Now, with your skin, make your pockets happy too!

On a purchase of 2 Body Cleansers, Get 1 Body Lotion FREE. But don’t forget, the offer is valid only for 7th-8th March from 11am-8pm.

Get a Green Tea Trio Kit FREE on a purchase above INR 2000 or more.

Get one Green Tea Trio Kit AND one Volcanic Pore Trio Kit or Laneige Trio kit FREE! All on a purchase above INR 4000

Get one Green Tea Trio Kit, one Volcanic Pore Trio Kit AND a Hello India Eco Bag FREE on a purchase above INR 5500.

WHAT I GOT:

Innisfree Jeju Volcanic Pore Cleansing Foam

Innisfree Jeju Pomengranate Revitalizing Capsule Sleeping Mask

Innisfree Jeju Volcanic Blackhead Out Balm

Innisfree My Real Squeeze Masks

Innisfree Black Cherry Body Cleanser

Innisfree Green Tangerine Body Cleanser

Innisfree GrapeFruit Body Lotion

Innisfree Green Tea Lip Balm

Laneige Eye Sleeping Mask

Innisfree Jeju Volcanic Nose Packs

Laneige Two Tone Sheet Masks

Laneige Water Sleeping Mask

Laneige Water Bank Gel Cream

Laneige Water Bank Hydro Essence

The last 8 products were gifts. Right now, I am on cloud 9.

I’ll come up with a separate haul post when I get down from the cloud. Along with that, I’ll also be coming up with back to back Innisfree and Laneige product reviews, so that you can get an in depth idea of them.

Innisfree and Laneigeproducts are worth investing in. Now if you don’t feel confident enough to buy any particular product online, you can always come down to the store, feel the product, test it and then buy if fully satisfied. Hence I like the idea of stores even in this era of online shopping, you can feel before buying. Plus the store assistants are very welcoming and helpful. They aren’t pestering and will guide you through the products and help you choose the one you actually need.

So if you are a skincare lover and want to stock up your favorites, do visit the newly opened Innisfree and Laneige Store as soon as possible.

STORE DETAILS:

NAME: As you already know by this time, INNISFREE AND LANEIGE

LOCATION: Lifestyle Store at Quest Mall, Kolkata.

TIMING:- 11am-8:30pm

CONTACT NO: soon to be updated

Happy Shopping.

Read about the New PAC Cosmetics Kolkata StoreHERE

Read about the Nykaa Luxe, KolkataHERE

Read about Sephora KolkataHERE

Read about Miniso KolkataHERE

Hello everyone

Hope you all are safe and doing well. In the midst of this global crisis it is truly difficult to keep calm and go about our daily routine, yet these are the times when keeping yourself calm, composed, safe, and care for other’s safety as well, becomes extremely and absolutely necessary.

I hope every person who is reading this post and also the ones who are not, are safe amongst all this chaos. And to those who have been affected, I wish you a super speedy recovery.

Coming back to today’s topic, it is a review on the much talked about Colourpop Jelly Much Eye shadow ORIGAMI.

When these launched a year back, honestly I wasn’t much interested in the line as they seemed a bit gimmicky to me. But during last Black Friday Sale I saw them at a whopping 70% off and thought of ordering one. I am a big fan of golden eye shadows and hence ordered “ORIGAMI”.

So without wasting anytime further, let us get into those nitty-gritty details…

PRODUCT NAME: ColourPop Cosmetics Jelly Much Shadow Origami.

PRICE:8$ each
NET WEIGHT:0.23 oz (6.5 g)

PACKAGING:
The eye shadow comes in a round plastic jar with a screw lid. The jar is transparent and you see the product inside. There is a stopper inside which you have to “keep”. Make sure you don’t lose it as it might expose the shadow to air. The outer box has all the necessary details mentioned in it.

SHADE AND TEXTURE:-
Origami is a true, bright metallic gold shade. It literally looks and feels like molten gold. It just blew away my mind.

The shadow has lots of flips, lots of glitters and lots of dimension, which make it look even more gorgeous and very unique than any standard eye shadow. The texture of the eye shadow makes it different from the rest. It has a wet mousse-cream like texture, something I haven’t seen yet in the market yet. The shadow sets fairly fast, so you have to be really quick with your application. Apply on the desired area, grab a brush, swirl over a transition shade and blend it quickly to avoid harsh lines. Because as I said, once it sets, you get a complete smudge-proof, powder finish.

COLOR PAYOFF AND STAYING POWER:-
Crazily pigmented. You will need a tiny amount which means a tub will last you forever. The staying power is incredible too. It won’t budge, move, crease or fade until you use a remover to do so. I have used this on my brides as well. And it survived throughout the Indian Wedding.

HOW TO APPLY:
The thing I like most about this eye shadow is that it applies as beautifully with a brush as with fingers. Most of the eye shadows I use perform better with fingers than with brushes. But this performs so well with a brush as well. Absolutely amazing! So, use a brush if you want precise application and fingers if you want a quick sweep of colors on your lids.

WAYS TO USE IT:

All over eye shadow:You can use this in the place of your normal gold eye shadow, as an overall lid color complemented by other shades. Just, you have to be quick with the blending.

Liner:A thin stroke of gold eyeliner can take your regular eye makeup to a completely different level. Simple, yet sassy!

Cut Crease and Halo: Cutting the crease and doing halo eye makeup never felt so easy. Just take a small stiff brush. Dip it in the eye shadow and carefully cut your crease. Say goodbye to concealers, powders and to all those elaborate steps.

Inner corner highlights: Apply on the inner corner, smudge it or keep it as a stark line. I leave the decision up to you.

Lining lower Lash line:A tinge of gold eye shadow on your lower lash line would look amazing. Great to highlight any eye makeup.

As a base:Want your eye shadow to pop up even more? You can use this shadow as a base and pack on powder eye shadow when it’s still wet.

Highlight: Not this particular shade, but the range has other colors which will look amazing as highlighters.

THINGS YOU HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND!

You have to be really fast with the blending. Because once it sets, it wont move.

There is a problem of it drying out over time. So make sure you close the lid tightly each time after taking out the product. If you need more, open it again. The more you will leave the container open, the more is the chances of it getting dried up.

SUMMING UP THE PROS AND CONS:

What i like about about ColourPop Cosmetics Jelly Much Shadow Origami:

Stunning color.
Unique formula
Dries down to a powder finish.
No fall outs.
A tiny amount is needed.
No creasing or fading.
Incredibly pigmented
Stays put all day.
Can be applied well with both brushes and fingers.
Can be removed easily with the help of a makeup remover.
Reasonable.
Simple, no fuss packaging.

What I don’t like about ColourPop Cosmetics Jelly Much Shadow Origami:

Nothing. ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.

MY FINAL THOUGHTS:

This is so unique in its own special way. Nowadays, whenever I need a golden eye shadow, my hands automatically reach out to this. I can’t think of a better golden eye shadow with a better formula at a better price other than this one. I would definitely want to check out the other shades from the range. And also would recommend you to do so!

RATING:
4.5/5

Have you used any of ColourPop’s Jelly Much shadows? Or have you used anything similar to this? Let us know in the comments section below.

Stay safe, everyone. Please adhere to the norms of safety. Abstain from spreading rumours. Take care of yourself and of the people around you.

Hello everyone,

Hope you all are staying healthy and safe.
Starting the first post of this lock down with a disclaimer note:
One thing I have noticed lately, on social media especially, that people have become super judgmental these days. You post a recipe or a dance video, do makeup or sing a song, there is a section of people who will come and say things destroying every bit of your confidence and happiness. I fail to understand why!
One of the best things about lockdown is that it has blessed us people with another chance to follow our passion that have been caged somewhere deep inside in our hearts. This doesn’t mean that we are not empathetic towards the underprivileged. These are the trying times and everyone is trying to cope with it the best they can. By following their passion and hobbies, people are just trying to keep themselves busy so that depression and boredom don’t set in. It is not a crime to find happiness in the little things in life. I myself suffer from panic attacks and I can’t function when the anxiety triggers. I can’t even eat or sleep to say the least. So if one day I choose not to panic and do things to divert my mind and make myself happy; I don’t see why people should have a problem with that. What a person would do or not do it is completely up to them. So if you find my post ‘disturbing’, kindly un-follow me, ASAP!

Anyway, coming back to today’s post, I have successfully wasted last two months, panicking and worrying about things. It took me quite a while to realize that brooding and losing sleep over things won’t help anyone. I need to divert my mind and what is a better way to reboot yourself than doing what you love? For me it is Blogging!! I am back and hopefully I would try to be regular (saying this for nth time).

So, the first post during lockdown is dedicated to an eye shadow palette; The Saharan from Juvia’s Place.

A LITTLE ABOUT THE BRAND:

Juvia’s Place is one of my favorite brands when it comes to eye shadows. They make high quality products at affordable rates. Their products were inspired by the Queens, female rulers, rebels and warriors of African Kingdom. They are created to celebrate the valor, richness, vibrancy and essential colors of their life.

ON MY REVIEW TABLE:
Their much talked about The Saharan Eye Shadow Palette

PRICE:20$.I got it for 11$ during Black Friday Sale, which equaled to around INR 770 at the time of purchase.

AVAILABILITY:Juvia’s Place Official Website, Beauty Bay, Ulta
You can even order through Instagram Sellers. Click HERE to checkout a list of genuine instagram sellers.

PACKAGING:-
A poppy coral colored palette which has a lovely artwork on it and comes housed in a similarly designed cardboard box. Details like ingredients and dates are mentioned on the back of the outer box. The palette has a magnetic closure and there is no mirror inside. A simple, clean, light-weighed, no fuss packaging.

SHADES:-
The palette houses a mix of 12 matte and shimmer eye shadows. The color palette was inspired by the vibrancy and vivaciousness of the Fulani culture.

SOKOTO: A bright matte orangish red. Incredibly pigmented and blends super smoothly.

WODAABE: A metallic greenish gold. OMG OMG OMG! Such a stunning shade.

BORORO:A burgundy shimmer eye shadow.

KIA: The shade which swept me off my feet. Juvia Place describes it as a smokey aluminum shimmer. To me, an inexplicably beautiful forest green which has a rich brown shift; it sometimes leans teal as well. A stunner and my most favorite color of the palette.

ZOYA: A satiny rose gold, which sometimes leans more rose than gold.

IMAN: Though looks flat white at first, but it has a blue shift in it. It has a foiled-metallic finish which makes it look even more stunning.

JAMILA: Matte burnt orange/ mahogany. Great as a transition shade.

SENEGAL: A dusty copper, again CHAD: An incredibly pigmented matte black.

KATSINA: A light warm brown. Great as a transition color.

LULU:A satin coppery shade.

FULA: Another beautiful color, a foiled metallic bubble-gum pink.

TEXTURE, COLOR PAYOFF, STAYING POWER:-

MATTES: The matte eye shadows are beautiful, smooth, non-chalky, non-patchy and blend well on lids. They do kick up a little bit of powder sometimes, but I feel that’s what makes them blend so beautifully. No fall outs as such. Matte shades tend to have lesser color payoff and vanish with time, but these are beautifully pigmented. Chad is one of the most intense matte black eye shadows I have ever come across. I wore these for 12 hours at a stretch and they looked fresh throughout.

METALLIC: The metallic eye shadows are stunning beyond words. The shades are insanely intense, are soft, buttery and smooth to touch n apply, blend like dream and work incredibly well both with and without brushes. I personally love applying these with fingers. You can also pick it up on a flat brush, spray with water or setting spray and then apply. (Avoid dipping wet brush directly on the pan, it kills the texture over time). They have this foiled metallic finish which looks so luxurious. They stay put throughout, no creasing or fading. I absolutely love these foiled metallic shadows of the palette, they blew my mind away.

SATINY SHIMMERS:Quality wise they are impeccable, no complaints; but I am kind of ignorant towards them. I mean, after those beautiful mattes and incredible foiled metallic shadows, I hardly give any importance to these.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

I love the color selection of the palette, especially the unique colored foiled eye shadows. However, I miss a dark brown eye shadow in the palette. Katsina is okay, but a darker brown instead would have been better. I feel it is easier to control the pigmentation and use a darker brown as light brown than packing up a light brown to make it look darker. Also sometimes intense black looks way too dramatic; so in that case you can easily go with browns to smoke your eye makeup out. But still the looks are endless with this palette. You can create subtle looks as well as dramatic looks. In a nutshell, beautiful colors with amazing texture, pigment and staying power. Great value for money even if you don’t get it on sale.

Juvia’s Place Eye Shadow palettes are worth recommending and this one isn’t an exception either. If you are comfortable with such a playful color palette, you can definitely check this out. You won’t be disappointed!

RATING:-
4.5/5

Have you tried any eye shadow palette from Juvia’s Place? How was your experience? Do share with us. Also, take care and stay safe, during this absolutely unprecedented, terrifying and chaotic time and after that as well. Best wishes!

Hello everyone,

Welcome to “Tug of War”, the section in my blog which talks about and compares various products from the beauty industry. I started this section with an aim to help you go through similar products or shades and select the one that suits you the best. The first “Tug of War” was between MAC Ruby Woo and MAC Russian Red (click HERE to go through it) and today the battle is between Mehr and Twig, two famous lipsticks from the house of MAC again.

So let the battle begin…

PACKAGING:-Both of the lipsticks come in MAC's traditional black-silver bullet case.

COLOR and UNDERTONE:-
MEHR is a dirty pink which sometimes leans cool and sometimes warm depending on light and your skin tone and color. It is a very tricky shade (if that makes sense), nevertheless very pretty. The color suits fair to fair-medium skin tone more and might wash out dusky beauties.
TWIG is a warm rosy pink with subtle brown undertones which I feel is so stunning and universally flattering. I noticed that it pulls more brown on fair skin tone and more pink on richer skin tones.

In short, Mehr is a little cooler and pinker than TWIG.

TEXTURE and FINISH:-
Mehr is from MAC’s Matte collection. But Mehr has one of the softest matte textures. Buttery, non-drying and is very easy to apply on lips. The downside is being so creamy it has sheen to it and also isn’t transfer-proof and very long staying. One tip: Apply Mehr, blot it and then layer it up. This way it looks less shiny and lasts longer.
Twig on the other hand is from MAC’s Satin range. But astonishingly the texture is so similar to Mehr. Twig is just a bit glossier. Also, when layered it feels heavier than Mehr.

COLOR PAYOFF and STAYING POWER:-
Both of them are incredibly pigmented and two swipes are enough to cover any lip pigmentation. Both of them have fairly same staying power.

LIP SWATCHES and FOTDs:

MEHR: Notice how the color changes, sometimes it looks really cool toned and sometimes neutral.

MAC MEHR without blotting

MAC MEHR after blotting


MAC MEHR after blotting

MAC MEHR without blotting

TWIG

MAC TWIG


MAC TWIG

MY THOUGHTS:
I had heard about MEHRlong before I actually purchased it. It was on my wish-list for pretty long. MAC Twig was a gift from my brother and I love it too. It is really hard for me to choose one over the other, but if I have no option but to choose just one, it will be Mehr. It is such a pretty lip color. I always blot the sheen off with a tissue and it looks prettier.

SO WHICH ONE TO BUY?
Well, this now totally depends on you. If you want something pinker, go for Mehr and if you want something like a dusty pink then go for Twig. Also depending on your skin tone, if you are fair or medium fair, you can definitely go for Mehr. But if you have a richer skin tone, I would recommend you to swatch it at the store first and then buy. Mehr might wash you out. So Twig will be your safe call. Twig looks flattering on almost every skin tone and at every age, a very wearable shade I must say.

Hope this comparison will help you buy that MAC lipstick on your next shopping day on Nykaa Luxe or on your next trip to the MAC Store (don’t know when, but hopefully soon)

See you on my next post. Take care and stay safe.

Hello everyone

Welcome back to my happy space. Hope you all are doing great!

Today I am here with a quick review on Wet n Wild Petalette Eye Shadow Quad from their Color Icon range. These quads are from their permanent range and retails for INR 299 only, and even has additional discounts running almost throughout the year.

I got this palette at 135 INR during one such sale. I didn’t have any similar shades and thought of giving this quad a try.

So let’s get into the details…

About Wet n Wild:-
Wet n Wild is a Los-Angeles based company that brings to you amazing range of makeup products at unbeatable price. The brand is 100% cruelty-free and that’s what makes it even more special.

Where to Buy in India:
Nykaa, Myntra, HokMakeup and through Instagram Sellers. (Click HERE for the list of genuine Instagram Sellers)

Price:
299 INR.
Instagram sellers might charge you higher.

Packaging:-
A sweet and simple eye shadow quad with a transparent lid. The palette doesn’t look super sturdy, but I have traveled a lot with it and it definitely survives the torture.

Shades and Texture:-
There are four shadows in the palette with their name/place of usage embossed on them, an eyelid color (light pink), a crease color (a beautiful burgundy), a transition shade (a dusty mauve) and one for brow bone (satiny iridescent white).

The shadows are soft and smooth and blend out very nicely. They apply well with both finger and brushes, but definitely better with fingers, especially the lid color. Never, I repeat, never use a wet brush here. The shadows will become hard and you will have no option but to scrape them out. The transition color is the only matte shadow in the quad and rest of the shades are shimmery. The shimmers are fine and non-gritty. I didn’t face major fallout with any of the shades.

Pigmentation and Staying Power:-
The lid color and transition shades lack the intensity. You have to layer them up. A primer or concealer underneath helps to pop the colors up to some extent. The brow bone shade too needs layering, but better than the lid and transition shades. The crease color has the best pigmentation out of them. One to two swipes are enough.

Staying power of the eye shadows is good. I wore the shades for 6 hours at a stretch and it still looked crisp and nice.

Time for the eye makeup. I have tried 3 looks using this palette. The smokey eyes is my most favorite and then the Halo. Let me know which one you like..

FINAL THOUGHTS:-
It is a decent eye shadow palette for the price you pay, especially for beginners who are trying to ease themselves out into the world of eye makeup. Or for someone who isn't a big fan of purples or pinks and just want to dabble and experiment once in a while without spending a lot. You can create both soft, crisp day time look and a smoky or halo night time look with this palette. You just have to pack the shades up for the intensity and that’s it. There are no other cons as such. But if you are a pro and already use varied eye shadows with amazing quality, then you might find this quad difficult and boring to work with. Like, I don’t see myself using this palette much, just take it out when I need that stunning burgundy color.

Still… I am eyeing two other quads from the range, Ice Dragon and Hooked Up Vinyl. Every quad from the Color Icon range has one shade that attracts me, Petalette has this alluring burgundy color, Ice Dragonhas a beautiful olive green and Hooked Up Vinyl has a very interesting dark greenish teal kind of a shade. I am waiting for the next sale, just hope the pigmentation is better.

Have you tried any of the Wet n Wild Color Icon palettes? If yes, which one would you recommend? Let us know …

You can also go checkout the review of their famous Rose in the Air palette HERE.

To checkout the Best of Wet n Wild Cosmetics, click HERE.

Potol, most of us would cringe each time we see them on the table, right? No matter how much our mothers love stuffing us with this “supposed to be highly-nutritious” vegetable, our emotions never change!

But things are quite different for me. I love Potol. My mouth starts watering whenever my eyes fall on the plump pointy gourds glinting in the morning sunshine while I skimp through array of vegetables in the market.
No doubt I love the regular recipes, like aloo potol er dalna, potol dormo, potol chingri, but there are few recipes that are not that usual in Indian households, but taste wise can turn any potol hater to a potol lover. I know this because my love affair with potol started similarly…

Today’s recipe is a brainchild of my mother-in-love. This is a different version of Aloo Potol and the zesty twist makes it totally lip smacking. The ingredients are simple, the recipe is easy and you don’t need the whole day to prepare. A no fuss dish when you are in the mood to try something a little different.

INGREDIENTS:

Pointed Gourds

Potatoes

Tomato

Ginger paste

Turmeric Powder

Red Chili Powder

Jeera Powder

Salt

Sugar

Whole Jeera

Oil

Amchur (optional)

Lemon Zest (optional)

RECIPE

I started by peeling the rough skin of pointy gourds and a childhood memory completely takes over. I loved to peel potol and see the skin fly here and there, hitting my face. People might find it weird, but I still love doing it.

Once you are done peeling the pointy gourds, prick or make random cuts in them, wash them, sprinkle some salt and keep it aside for about 10-15 mins.

Now heat oil in a pan and fry the pointy gourds till they become golden brown. Take them out.

Add whole jeera to the oil, fry a little till the seeds change color.

Now add turmeric powder, jeera powder, red chili powder, green chili, salt, sugar, tomato and ginger paste. Sauté the masala in medium heat.

Add mashed potatoes to the masala and fold in to mix everything well together.

Now add the fried pointed gourds, fold again. You will notice that the pointed gourds release water. Simmer, cover and let it cook for about 10-15 minutes. Be careful when you stir in between, otherwise the pointed gourds might break.

When you see no more water getting released, turn off the flame; sprinkle a pinch of amchur (dry mango powder) and lemon zest and your dish is ready. As I have mentioned earlier that amchur and lemon zest are optional, but trust me, these bring out the flavor and amp up taste.

I have become so fond of this version of aloo potol that the normal Potol er Dalna seems too normal nowadays. You can have this with rice, roti and parantha.
Don’t forget to let me know your thoughts and tag me if you ever make this dish. Hope you too will like this as much as I do.

See you on my next post. Take care.

Hello everyone,

Today I am here with the review of PAC Micro Finish Makeup Fixer.
I have been using MAC Fix+ since long and I still love it, but as we all know, it is pricey and hence I was looking for something more affordable. I have heard a lot about this makeup fixer from the house of PAC Cosmetics and so thought to give it a try and thus picked it up on my last visit to the newly opened PAC store in Kolkata. (Click HERE to read about the store).

I am a huge fan of PAC Cosmetics. Their products have hardly ever disappointed me and hence I had high expectations from this. So did it meet my expectations? Let’s get into the details…

PACKAGING:-
A simple white spray bottle with the writings in black. No extra glam and glitz, just a neat and clean design, sturdy and travel-friendly. Direction to Use, Ingredients and every other thing is mentioned on the bottle itself. There is only one size available currently, 120 ml.

PRICE:-
925 INR

AVAILABILITY:
Offline: PAC stores across the country
Online: PAC Cosmetics Official Website, Nykaa, Amazon

HOW TO USE:
Shake well, hold the bottle about a feet away from your face. Close your eyes and spray all over your face. Wait it for it to dry naturally or you can dab gently with a sponge.

PERFORMANCE:

Lets start with the best thing about this spray which makes it stand out from rest of the setting sprays I have in my vanity. The spray is formulated with a micro-spray aerosol technology, which makes it weightless and helps you in achieving that flawless airbrush finish. It creates a fine mist and evenly coats my face. It is non-greasy and feels so light on my skin that I don’t even feel that I have sprayed anything, other than the subtle cooling effect. It touches your skin and vanishes right away, without leaving behind any blotchy watermarks, which I absolutely love. With almost every makeup fixers that I have used before, I always had to dab with a sponge after spraying, just to blend everything well together; but not with this. The mist is so fine and mild and dries super fast without moving or messing up with your makeup. (Yes, I have used fixers which destroyed my makeup instead of fixing it).
Sometimes the powder makes my makeup look cakey and dry, but this beautifully blends and meshes everything together for that flawless finish. It beautifully hydrates my skin and imparts a dewy glow.

I use this both as a setting spray to melt everything together in one layer and as a fixing spray to fix the makeup and keep it budge proof, whenever required throughout the day. It works amazingly well both ways. The fragrance is so refreshing that I don’t mind using this as a refreshing mist either.

The PAC Micro Fixer spray is packed with the goodness of Aloe Vera, Lavender and other herbal and floral extracts. The spray has an herbal fragrance which doesn’t irritate my sensitive nose and also doesn’t linger long. Thankfully!

I use PAC Micro Finish Makeup Fixer both for personal and professional uses and it has never failed me. Also the quantity is pretty nice compared to the price. Just one thing, I hope they come up with a smaller size, will be easier on the pocket for people who don't use fixing sprays on a regular basis.

Overall, I quite love this spray. It is not some miraculously awesome product that sweeps me off my feet, but it works well and does its job, amd that’s what matters. It increases the longevity of my makeup and makes it look natural and seamless. The freshness stays; and the spray prevents the makeup from turning cakey or smearing. Obviously the intensity of the makeup will reduce as the day goes, but it’s a lot slower and smoother I use this spray. Ohh! It is non-comedogenic and doesn’t contain alcohol or harsh chemicals. Great for all skin types!
So if you are a makeup-enthusiast and want to invest in a good makeup fixer, give PAC Micro Finish Makeup Fixer a try.

Do you use fixing sprays? Which one is your favorite? Let us know ...

Our childhood food will always stay in our memories and will always be one of our many cravings especially as we grow old. Isn’t? Today’s post is all about recreating one such childhood favorite that was a must in our home, especially in summers, the easy-peasy homemade mango jam. My maa used to make jars of fruit jam and jellies during the harvest times, mango and pineapple being my most favorite. I often crave for her delectable jams. How I loved dipping my fingers in the jar and taking out a sumptuous amount, while my tiny trembling hands clinched the glass jar. Maa obviously pretended not to notice. Then I would run to the “chilekotha”, sit in a corner and lick the sweet crush off those sinful tiny fingers. Ahh!! Memories! While I still do the same, just the chilekotha has been replaced by kitchen slab or when I don’t have patience, it is right behind that opened refrigerator door.

Anyway, I was never a fan of any kind of over the counter fruit jams; I hate the excessive sweetness and unnatural, gelatine like texture. So I had almost stopped having jams. But few days back when I came across pictures of yummy homemade jam on my friend Aparajita’s timeline, I started craving again and decide, “Enough! I am making my own Jam.”

I went into the kitchen, made a mess of it and prepared my first jar of Mango Jam. It turned out to be quite delicious and yes, beautifully flavorsome. It is astonishing and I feel idiotic that I have never tried making jams before, in spite of remembering Maa’s recipes.

The recipe I am sharing today is super easy and the process hardly takes 30 minutes. There is no pectin, preservatives or artificial color added, just 2/3 ingredients and your own jam will be ready.

INGREDIENTS:
Mango
Sugar
Lemon (Optional)

RECIPE:

Mash three ripe mangoes. If you take two ripe mangoes, you can take one slightly raw, it adds to the flavor. Now take 3/4^thof the pulp and pass it through a strainer, use hands to mash the rest. This way your jam will have a nice texture, the way I love. If you like smoother and shinier jam, blend the ripe mangoes in a blender.

Now take a kadai or any gas-friendly pan, pour the pulp, add sugar and put the pan on a medium flame.

Once it starts to boil, add lemon juice. Now, this step is optional. My mother used to make to batches, one with lemon and one without. Obviously I loved the one with lemon. It is up to you what you’ll do.

Allow to simmer on low heat for 15-20 minutes. Keep stirring in between. You will notice a change in color. The more it reduces, the deeper it gets.

When the mixture reduces to half, take some on the spoon and see if it drops easily. When you see it isn’t dropping easily off the spoon, turn off the heat. Don’t let it get thicker than that, otherwise your mango jam will turn into mango bite once cooled.

Pour in a glass jar and let it cool.

Once your jam comes to room temperature, refrigerate!

Your finger-licking mango jam is ready.

Since this is a no-preservative recipe, I would advice you all to make small batches so that you don't run the risk of them going bad. However, one batch should stay well for around 2 months if refrigerated well, but if you have a forever hungry soul and a greedy tongue like me, then 2-3 days maximum. Good Luck!

Hello everyone,

Hope you remember my last post in the“Tug of War” section, it was in between MAC Mehr and MAC Twig (Click HERE to go through the post), today another lipstick has joined the war and it is said to be a dupe of MAC Mehr and MAC Twig. So can a drugstore lipstick match up to the fame and quality of a MAC lipstick?
Read to find it out…

MAC MEHRvs MAC TWIG vs MAYBELLINE TOUCH OF SPICE

BRAND:-
Lets start with the most obvious difference. Mehr and Twig are from MAC Cosmetics and Touch of Spice is from the house of Maybelline.

PRICE:
MAC Mehr and MAC Twig retail for 1700 INR
Maybelline Touch Of Spice retails for 299 INR
Huge difference as you can see.

SIZE:
MAC Mehr and MAC Twig: .1 oz
Maybelline Touch of Spice: .15 oz

AVAILABILITY:
Genuine MAC lipsticks are available only at MAC Stores across the country and at Nykaa and Myntra.
Maybelline lipsticks are available readily and extensively both online and in stores.
Maybelline lipsticks are easily available. From hundreds of online websites to stores in shopping malls or at your locality, they are available everywhere. But it is advisable to buy from Maybelline counters in malls or from websites who are authentic dealers of Maybelline.

PACKAGING:
MAC Mehr and MAC Twig comes in their traditional black and silver bullets.
MaybellineTouch of Spice comes housed in a rectangular case with a translucent matte dusty purple cap.
The MAC bullets, though look boring, but are of great quality. You can feel it just by holding it. Maybelline one is amazing as well, especially when you compare it with the price you pay.

COLOR and UNDERTONE:-
MEHR is a dirty pink which sometimes leans cool and sometimes warm depending on light and your skin tone and color. The color suits fair to fair-medium skin tone more and might wash out dusky beauties.
TWIG is a warm rosy pink with subtle brown undertones which looks stunning and universally flattering. I noticed that it pulls browner on fair skin tone and pinker on richer skin tones.
TOUCH OF SPICE is a browny mauve, a lot browner and deeper than Mehr and a tad bit deeper than Twig.

TEXTURE and FINISH:-
Though the colors are close, the texture is what makes them totally different from each other.
Mehr is from MAC’s Matte collection. But Mehr has one of the softest matte textures. Buttery, non-drying and is very easy to apply on lips. The downside is being so creamy it has sheen to it and also isn’t transfer-proof and very long staying. One tip: Apply Mehr, blot it and then layer it up. This way it looks less shiny and lasts longer.
Twig on the other hand is from MAC’s Satin range. But astonishingly the texture is so similar to Mehr. Twig is just a bit glossier. Also, when layered it feels heavier than Mehr.
Touch of Spice is a creamy matte and is similar to Mehr. There is no sheen to the lipstick, which I absolutely love. Another plus point is, it feels lighter than both MAC Twig and Mehr.

COLOR PAYOFF and STAYING POWER:-
All of them are incredibly pigmented and two swipes are enough to cover any lip pigmentation.

Astonishingly, all of them have fairly same staying power. Mehr and Touch of Spice a bit more if blotted when freshly worn.

MY THOUGHTS:-
Mehr was on my wish-list for a pretty long period. I purchased it saving penny from my 500 INR salary while still in college. MAC Twig was a gift from my brother. Maybelline Touch of Spice I bought last year seeing Anubhuti’s review. I got it for my sister-in-law actually, but no point for guessing who wears it more often!
It is really hard for me to choose one over the other, but if I have no option but to choose just one, it will be Mehr. It is such a pretty lip color and has a special place in my heart. I always blot the sheen off with a tissue and it looks prettier. But I also can’t ignore the fact that Touch of Spice is so beautiful, matte, affordable and I need it too.

MAC Mehr

MAC Twig

Maybelline Touch of Spice

SO WHICH ONE YOU SHOULD BUY?
Well, this now totally depends on you. If you want something pinker, go for Mehr and if you want something like a dusty pink then SAVE YOURSELF 1400 rupees and go for Touch of Spice instead of Twig. See, I love MAC Twig, no doubt, but Touch of Spice is so close to it that you can easily skip buying Twig and go for Touch of Spice instead. It is a lot cheaper and feels more comfortable than Twig. You can control the intensity easily, wearing with a light hand and blotting for a lighter coverage and layering up for a deeper color pay off. Twig feels heavier and weirder when layered, Touch of Spice doesn't. Also staying power of Touch of Spice is better than Twig. Touch of Spice looks flattering on almost every skin tone and at every age, a very wearable shade I must say.
Plus you get .05oz more product than MAC.

In a nutshell, Touch of Spice is pretty close to both MAC Mehr and MAC Twig, closer to Twig, but texture and finish wise it is better. It comes with a lesser price tag and is more easily available. This is a great option for people who think Mehr washes them out or don’t want to shell out 1700 INR for MAC Twig.

MAC Mehr


MAC Twig

Maybelline Touch of Spice

Hope this comparison will help you in picking up the right lipstick.
Do let me know if you have any of these lipsticks and your thoughts on them.

Click HEREto witness the battle of MAC Ruby Woo and MAC Russian Red

Hello everyone

Many of you loved our “Aloo potol with a Twist” and requested us for more such recipes. Today’s recipe is another traditional Bengali dish, Dal Potol- pointed gourds cooked in highly aromatic, super nutritious moong dal. The dish is supremely healthy, tasty and easy to prepare. This is my mum-in-love specialty and is one of our favorite ways to eat Potol.

So, whether you are expecting guests for lunch (quite unusual taking the current situation in account) or you just want to indulge in something different for dinner, this recipe comes in quite handy.

INGREDIENTS:-

Moong Dal
Pointed Gourds
Potatoes
Ginger- Jeera Paste
Tomato
Turmeric Powder
Salt (as per taste)
Sugar (as per taste)
Red Chili Powder
Green Cardamom
Cinnamon Stick
Bay Leaf
Whole Jeera
Ghee
Mustard Oil

RECIPE:-

Rinse the moong dal and spread over to air dry. You can also dry roast the moong dal before rinsing.

Peel the pointed gourds and cut them in halves.

Peel and cut the potatoes into wedges.

Sprinkle salt and fry them till they soften and become light brown.

To the oil, add 2 green cardamoms, a small cinnamon stick, a bay leaf and whole jeera.

When they stop splattering, add the moong dal and fry for some time.

Add the ginger-jeera paste, stir and then add the tomato and all the ground spices. Sauté on medium flame.

Now add water and dunk in the fried potatoes and pointed gourd.

Mix everything well and cook till the dal and vegetables soften and the gravy thickens.

Once done, switch off the flame and add ghee. Cover and let it rest for 5 minutes.

Your tasty Dal Potol is ready. Serve with steamed rice or roti.

Hello everyone,

We Bangals always boast of the variety of our cuisine. There are a real lot of iconic dishes that are instantly recognized as Bangal classics. One such dish or rather family of dishes is “Bata” or pan sautéed paste of vegetables or leafy greens accompanied with some optional seafood. Today’s dish belongs to that family.
I don’t know if I can overstate just how much I hate Borboti or Long Beans, until you drop a spoonful of borboti bata on my plate and serve with hot steam rice. Yes, borboti bata, totally in an un-beanly way and I love the dish to the core. The recipes don’t call for a long list of ingredients or take forever to prepare; they are easy, incredibly satisfying and utterly delicious.

RECIPE 1: This is my mother in law’s recipe.

Ingredients:

Yardlong beans, washed and chopped.
Sliced Onion
Chopped Garlic
Green Chili
Dried Red Chilies
Salt

Method:

Steam the washed and chopped long yard beans until soft, drain the water and grind them to a smooth paste. I generally prefer grinding them on the shil-noda, you can do it in the mixer as well. But shil noda gives a creamier, smoother texture.

Now heat mustard oil in pan and splutter dried red chilies until they turn dark. Take them out. Grind them.

Add the chopped onions, garlic and green chilies. Fry till they become soft. Take out and grind them as well.

Now take everything together in a bowl. Add salt and mix and mash them up well.

Your Borboti Bata is ready.

RECIPE 2: This is the way my Maa used to make it.

Ingredients:

Long yard beans, washed and chopped.
Kalonji/onion seeds
Sliced Onion (optional)
Chopped Garlic
Green Chili
Salt
Sugar
Turmeric

Method:

Heat oil in a pan. Add Kalonji, let it splutter. Now add chopped garlic and green chilies. If you are incorporating onions, add here. Stir and fry.

Add the chopped long yard beans. Add a pinch of turmeric, salt and sugar as per your taste and cook till the beans soften.

Turn off the flame and let it cool down.

Shift the beans to the food processor jar and grind them to a smooth paste.

Borboti bata is ready. Serve with steam rice.

The two recipes taste subtly different from each other. The first one make a more consistent paste as the beans are steamed and them mixed together with the rest of the ingredients. When you eat it you taste all the flavors bursting at once. With the second recipe however, the texture is different, the kalonji/onion seeds bring out a more distinct and punchy flavor that lingers longer in your mouth. Take your pick.

Those who know me know that prefer rice with almost everything. For me the rice or roti question doesn’t make sense. But my husband on the other hand is a roti fanatic. So when we had some Borboti-Bata left over from lunch, he decided to make some “borboti bata stuffed paratha” so to speak with it. Unfortunately or fortunately we do not have any pictures of his creation, but I am sure he will boast about it for the next six months at least.

It has been ages since I posted a makeup tutorial on the blog. It has been ages since I did a proper eye makeup look…All thanks to the lock down.

I found this post while just randomly going through the files in my laptop. I created this look some 6 months back, but well, it didn’t happen. Hence… better to be late than never, here comes an easy tutorial on Half-Moon eye makeup.

Half-moon eye makeup had been quite a craze and I have tried these innumerable times…mostly with subtle colors. But today felt like creating something dramatic.

Here goes the tutorial on my “Teal smoky half-moon”. The look is easy to create, unique and utterly gorgeous at the same time.

TUTORIAL:

1. Start by grooming your eyebrows. Then apply concealer all over your eye lid and blend well.

2. With a kajal pencil or an eyeliner brush dipped in gel liner, start creating a line from the middle of your upper lash line. As you reach the end, instead of following the lash line or winging it out, move upwards towards the socket line. Curve the line out, imagining that you are doing a C shape. It doesn’t have to be super neat, you are going to smudge it anyway.

Now taking a smudger-brush, quickly smudge the line out.
Take some black shadow and pack it on the outer corners, just outside the C you created.

5. Now take a brown eye shadow on a fluffy brush and blend the harsh line on crease and outer eye. It should have a gradient effect like we do while doing smokey eyes. The soft transition from black to brown must be visible.

6.
Now take a flat brush, dip in concealer and apply on the lid area, like we do in “cut-crease eye makeup”. Make sure you don’t spoil the C you created.

7.
Now take the eye shadow color of your choice (for me its teal) on your finger tip or on a flat brush and pat it on the lid.

Take a golden liner and define the C you created. You can skip this part, but I feel it takes the look to a different level. You can add a wing liner as well.

Apply kohl on lower lash line and smudge. Apply mascara and that completes your look. Oh! You can apply false lashes as well.

The look is pretty different from regular smoky and cut-crease eye makeup looks. This might look over dramatic and “not fit for outside” as well. But trust me, it looks amazing. You can play with the intensity as per your comfort and you can try this with different color combination as well. Subtle rose gold and burnt brown combination looks amazing. Traditional gold and black looks terrific as well. The look goes well with both western and traditional attire when done in a right way. Just keep playing with your palettes and brushes.

Time for some pictures :)

Hope you like the look. Let me know your thoughts...

Hello everyone

A very happy new year. Hope you all are doing great.

Nykaa has launched ELF Cosmetics recently. Elf Cosmetics is a California based cosmetics brand that has an amazing range of makeup and skincare products. The thing that makes the brand standout in the market is their price range. They are super affordable for any budget.

Although the products are not very cheap in India, but we can always indulge in one or two, once a while and some of their products are truly worth every penny.

Moreover there is a BUY 2 GET 1 offer going on, so head to NYKAA now. But before that, here is a selection of un-missable and “you should totally avoid buying it” beauty products from the house of Elf Cosmetics. So lets go through it….

YAYs (MY FAVORITES)

INSTANT LIFT BROW PENCIL:-
Amp up your brow game with this amazing product. It is one of my most favorite brow products ever. A double ended brow pencil and comb, it is easy to use, looks very natural and stays long. I bought this multiple times and highly recommend it.
PRICE: 300 INR

TINTED BROW GEL
I love brow products and this is another catch from ELF. This is not crazily pigmented, but pigmented enough to give you those beautiful, natural looking arches. It holds my crazy brows in place almost for the entire day. The best is the skinny spoolie, it is a dream to use.
PRICE: 600 INR

CAMO CONCEALER:-
This concealer is outstanding. Smooth, creamy, pigmented, hydrating and doesn’t settle in lines. This concealer can give many high end ones run for money.
PRICE: 800 INR

CAMO CONCEALER SPONGE:-
A good sponge makes a lot of differences. This sponge expands well, is exceptionally soft, doesn’t absorb much product and helps in achieving a seamless base. The unique shape helps you to reach every nook and corners of your face.
PRICE: 700 INR

HIGHLIGHTERS:-
I love their highlighters, both the Baked Highlighters and Flare Highlighters. Beautiful shades, so smooth and the shimmers are finely milled. They blend well without accentuating your lines and pores. Looks very natural and flattering. Perfect glow-giver. While the Flare one is already launched, Nykaa is yet to launch the baked highlighters. But it is just a matter of a few days. 24K Gold from Flare range and Moonlight Pearl from their baked highlighter range, pure love.
FLARED HIGHLIGHTER PRICE: 800 INR

LIQUID GLITTER EYE SHADOW:-
Liquid glitter eye shadows are totally in craze these days and ELF’s one is pretty good. Comes in 6 gorgeous shades, they are great for beginners and pros alike. My favorites are Blackout, Copper Pop, 24k gold and Flirty Birdy.
PRICE: 700 INR

MINI EYE SHADOW PALETTES:-
Their bite size eye shadow palettes are quite a rage. Available in 6 variants, the quads are perfect to create eye magic. They are compact, easy to travel with, most of the shadows have great texture and amazing quality. The mattes are smooth, buttery and the shimmers are non, chunky and silky.
PRICE: 400 INR

FLAWLESS FINISH FOUNDATION:-
It has a great texture and coverage. It eves out the skin and doesn’t look too heavy or dry. A perfect canvas makes it look even better.
PRICE: 800 INR

YOU MAY TRY or MAY NOT:

PORELESS PUTTY PRIMER:-
The velvety texture glides on skin beautifully creating a perfect hydrating base to lock your makeup. I love how my foundation glides so smoothly after applying this primer, it creates a perfect base for your base products. But one thing, if you want something which gives a pore minimizing effect, then this is probably not for you.
PRICE: 1500

MATTE LIQUID LIPSTICKS:-
Love the formula. They are lightweight, super comfortable on lips and sets very quickly. The pigmentation is terrific and the color range is incredible. But, it might feel a little dry because of the watery texture.
PRICE: 800 INR

LIPSTICK DUO:-
A great concept. Houses lipsticks at both the ends, one for day time and one for night. Soft, buttery, moisturizing and well pigmented. A great lipstick to carry with you on the go. But being on the creamier side, they doesn’t stay long and transfer on everything that touches your lips.
PRICE: 650 INR

HOLY HYDRATION FACE CREAM:-
I am quite fond of this moisturizer. It suits my normal skin perfectly and astonishingly works well on my sister’s oily skin as well. It didn’t turn her into an oil factory or broke her out. But as it is on the higher side of the price range, you can skip this and stick to your favorite primer instead.
PRICE: 1700 INR

MAKEUP MIST AND SET SETTING SPRAY:-
One of their best sellers, but again it didn’t wow me to an extent where I’ll repurchase this.
PRICE: 700 INR

DEFINITELY NO

ELF LIP EXFOLIATOR:-
This is one of their most raved products. But it didn’t work for me at all. This feels way too soft and buttery for exfoliation.

MONOCHROMATIC MULTI STICK
Not a fan of these. There are tad too much sparkle in these and sometimes they feel quite gritty. Nah!! It moves your foundation as well.

LASH KITS:
Blah..!! Hard and Pokey.

HD POWDER:
Gives a terrible white cast, even if you use sparingly. Also forget about using flash when clicking pictures wearing this.

I cant wait to give the detailed review of the products.
Hope this list helps you in deciding what to buy and what not to buy. Nykaa is also having a BUY 2 GET 1 offer. So hurry.

A smooth and rich cleansing oil with the goodness of the finest organic olives and intense moisturizing agents to deep cleanse your skin, sounds pretty alluring right? That is what Innisfree says about their Olive Real Cleansing Oil.

I am a huge fan of Innisfree cleansing oils. They totally changed my cleansing game. So when I saw this new variant gracing the racks of Innisfree store, I knew I had to get one.

PACKAGING:-
It comes in an olive green translucent bottle with a pump dispenser. As the bottle is translucent, you can easily see the quantity of product left. There is also a pump dispenser guard which provides spill-free travel. You can toss it in your hand bag without any fear. But unfortunately, the bottle I bought had issues and it spills even with the stopper on. But the other cleansing oils I used from Innisfree had zero spillage.

HOW I LOVE TO USE IT:-
I dispense 2 pumps of the oil on my palm and then spread it across my dry face. I allow it to sit on my skin for about 1 minute and then gently start massaging, concentrating more on my eye and lip area. Once I feel that the makeup has loosened, I wet my hands and massage again. The oil emulsifies when it comes in contact with water. Then I rinse up thoroughly and proceed with a gentle foam cleanser.

PERFORMANCE:-

It is an oil-based, emulsifying cleanser which intends to dissolve away the dirt and grime and melt away your makeup. It has a crisp, refreshing fragrance. The product is thick just like olive oil, has a runny consistency and emulsifies into a thin lather upon coming in contact with water. Now, the other Innisfree cleansing oils that I have used are lighter and spread easily and lubricate enough which means that you don’t have to put a lot of effort rubbing and spreading it. But compared to those, this one feels thicker, heavier and thus needs effort to spread. It doesn’t even lubricate as well as its fellow cleansing oils. Also, I need more product than usual. Another thing, it makes my skin feel stretchy, even before using a foam cleanser. Where do all the moisturising properties vanish?

Coming to its efficiency to clean, it breaks up and loosens makeup well, but it needs effort. For waterproof ones, it needs a lot of struggle. Whenever I use this, I miss the other cleansing oils, they worked like breeze. This cleansing oil, given its thickness, I expected it to work better. At the end of the day, I just need something that won’t take a lot of time and effort to remove my makeup, and this needs both. As I have used different cleansing oils both from Innisfree and other brands, I know how effortless they make the whole process; hence I just can’t stop comparing. But you know the worst part? It stings. Also, it does leave my eyes cloudy for few minutes, no matter how much I try to avoid that.

See the picture below. Even after messaging well, it couldn’t remove my regular gel liner and Maybelline Superstay and My Glamm Lit liquid lipsticks. Yes, they are difficult to remove, but the other cleansing oils can at least remove them after some effort, this couldn’t.

FINAL THOUGHTS (WOULD I RECOMMEND/REPURCHASE)

This is no miracle oil, just an “okay okay” product if you aren’t much into waterproof makeup. I am not a huge fan of this, hence I wouldn’t recommend it to others. The Green Tea variant is far better than this. (You can see the detailed review HERE). I saw so many people raving about this one, I just don’t know if I got a faulty one from a faulty batch or the product is itself like this. This didn’t wow me and I am going back to my previous cleansers after I finish this. Yes, I will keep using this as I don’t want to waste it.

RATING:
2/5

Which is your favorite cleansing oil? Have you used Innisfree Olive Real Cleansing Oil? If yes, how was your experience?

Hello everyone

My Glamm has hit the bull’s eye this time with their survey, where you get a free lipstick just by filling out the survey and paying shipping charge of 99 only, basically 395 INR lipsticks in 99 INR only.

I already had 6 shades from the range, still couldn’t stop myself from getting another one. So here are the swatches and mini reviews of those. But the post would have been incomplete without Sayanti, Disha Di, Payel, Sayani, Ragni, Swati and Taniya's help and swatches of their MY GLAMM LIT LIQUID LIPSTICKS. I cant thank them enough for this.
So lets get into the details...

PACKAGING:
The lipstick comes in sleek cylindrical bottle with white cap which has a long doe-foot applicator attached inside. The doe foot applicator is of decent quality and applies the product easily and evenly. The bottle further comes housed in a box.

SHADES
My Glamm has 27 beautiful shades in their LIT Liquid Matte range. From subtle to brights, from reds and browns to shades of pink and purple, they have it all.

The shades we will be covering today are:

CUFFING: A beautiful mulberry shade

BOO: A versatile rose-tinted nude with a coral tinge

MICROCHEATING:Adark brown with olive undertones

SMASH: A warm pale terracotta

GHOSTED: A muted plum shade

CU46: A stunning true red

SLOW FADE: A dark berry shade with brown undertones

SUBMARINING:A berry shade with purple undertones

DTF: A royal purple

DM SLIDE: A Maroon with hints of brown. GORGEOUS!

SUPER SWIPE: My glamm describes the color as Sangria. On me its a simple, but stunning true red.

FBO : A sweet nude pink.

DTR: A dusty rose shade, but looks very bright in real.

SWINGER: A milky caramel brown. Can be a gorgeous nude on medium and dusky skin-toned beauties.

THRIST TRAP: A flamboyant ruby pink.

HOOK UP: A caramel brown

A FEW HAND SWATCHES

TEXTURE and FINISH:
Light, thin and watery and glides on lips like a dream. It settles within seconds and the finish is completely powdery matte. Your lips have to be well-exfoliated or moisturized, otherwise you might find this lip color going patchy after settling or your lips might feel stretchy. Lips have to be WELL PREPPED for that comfortable finish.

COLOR PAYOFF and STAYING POWER:
Incredibly pigmented. Most of them look gorgeous and opaque with just a single swipe. However look more beautiful and even with the second swipe.
They stay intact till you eat. I wore them for 6-7 hours at stretch and they didn’t budge or fade a bit. However, started vanishing the moment I started eating. They don’t survive meals, not even snacks. The lipstick starts disappearing from the center. You have to watch out for that and remember to reapply thereafter. I would recommend removing it and then applying fresh to avoid patchiness and messiness.

HOW DO I APPLY:
I have extremely dry lips and this is what I do:
I apply a good coat of Boroline almost 10 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 or lip balm, wait for a minute, lightly bloat the excess and then go on with the lip color. This makes the matte finish a bit more comfortable and my lips don’t feel stretchy or desert like. Once it settles, it becomes totally smudge-proof and transfer proof. But nothing can make the lipsticks survive meals.

This mighty help

Removing is a pain though. Just watch the video below. I used Innisfree Oil Cleanser to remove them. I just dont understand that how a lipstick which is so difficult to remove doesn't even stay for a second when you start eating.

FINAL THOUGHTS:-

Lets end today's post by quickly summing up the PROS and CONs:

PROs:-
Gorgeous Colors
Beautiful Matte Finish
Beautiful Texture
Glides smoothly on lips
Incredibly pigmented.
Vegan and Cruelty free

CONs:-
Drying. Yes, not as much as the Smudge Me Not range from Sugar Cosmetics, still...its pretty drying.

Not a food friendly lipstick. Absolutely not!
Some may find the long wand applicator difficult to use.

So, basically a decent range of lipsticks. Other than the fact that they don’t survive meals, there is nothing else to absolutely hate about them. I just hope there was a perfect nude or “my lips but better” shade for me in the range. Almost all of their shades look pretty dark or bright on me.

RATING:
3/5

Have you tried any My Glamm LIT Liquid Matte lipstick? How was your experience? Do share with us in the comment section below.

Hello everyone

Today’s recipe is a usual from our kitchen during the winters; a crowd-pleasing, morning meal or an evening snack recipe that the kids and adults at our table love to the last bite. The list of ingredients is simple, it cooks up pretty fast and provides a boost of nutrition from all the healthy winter veggies

Here is the recipe of crispy and yummy green peas and veggies pancakes.

INGREDIENTS:

The main ingredient is Motorshuti (Green Peas). The calorie content of Green Pea is fairly low. The tiny balls are filling and are an excellent source of Vitamins, Proteins and other antioxidants.

Assorted Veggies. I used Carrot, Cabbage, Coriander, Onion and Tomato. You can use any vegetable of your choice. Finely diced and chopped. I wanted more of green peas and less of the other vegetables, but you can play with your preference.

Garlic bulbs

Half an inch of ginger

Semolina/Sooji

Salt according to taste

Sugar according to taste

Oil

RECIPE:

Blend the green peas, garlic bulbs and ginger together.

Take out the mixture in a bowl and add sooji and the vegetables.

Add salt and sugar as per taste.

Mix well and let it set for about 7-8 minutes.

Now brush oil on a pan, put a ladle full of the batter. Cover and let it cook on low heat. After sometime, turn it over and cover and cook again. Before taking it out I like turn the heat high and that’s what add to the crispiness.

That’s it. Your peas and veggies pancake is ready.

NOTE: If you plan to make a big batch and freeze the leftover batter, then don’t add the sooji and salt to the entire batter. Add them only to the portion you will be using to make the pancakes at that time. Later, when you are ready for the next batch, take it out from the refrigerator, add sooji and salt and then into the pan.
Also, if you want you can add wheat to the batter. I don't, because the green peas and veggies batter itself is very filling and I don't want anything else to overpower the amazing fragrance and taste the peas and veggies hold.

Hope you liked the recipe and don’t forget to let us know if you make your green peas and veggie pancake stack. Make them! I am sure they will be super duper hit.

Dhoka is something which we never fancy or love to receive, unless someone puts a spoonful on our plate. Isn’t? While we all had our share of Pyaar mein Dhokas and Dosti mein Dhokas at some point in our lives, there is one good old Dhoka which we can never get scared or tired of, Dhoka’r Dalna. This is not betrayal, but missing out on this dish is surely a betrayal to oneself.

While the regular Dhoka is made with Dal, this recipe has a twist and it contains Cauliflower as the main ingredient. Its almost summertime now and the fresh winter vegetables have started bidding us goodbye. So before they completely vanish from the markets, this is one dish I would like all of you to try. Phoolkopi’r dhoka’r dalna (Cauliflower cakes in spicy gravy), a brainchild of my mother-in-love, is a fun and unique recipe that you can try and wow yourself and your loved ones. It tastes delicious, is super easy to make and takes you on a different journey in spite of having common ingredients.

I will be sharing two recipes, a veg and a non-veg version; both have their own specialty, taste and aroma.

NON-VEG:

INGREDIENTS:

1 big Cauliflower
2-3 eggs
Ginger Paste
Garlic Paste
Chopped Tomatoes
Green Chilies
Cumin Powder
Corriander Powder
Turmeric Powder
Red Chili Powder
Salt
Sugar
Oil

1. Grate the cauliflower using a grater or food processor, as per your convenience.

2. Sprinkle salt, mix well and keep aside for about half an hour.

3. Drain out the water completely and add the eggs,ginger-garlic paste, salt, sugar, coriander powder and red chili powder. Mix everything well. You can add other vegetables like cauliflower and carrots as well and also chopped onions, but with this dish, we prefer only cauliflower.

4. Transfer this mixture to a greased plate and with the help of spatula or just your palm spread it evenly. Cut into diamond or square shapes.

5. Heat oil in a pan and fry the pieces till golden brown.

5. For the gravy, put oil in a pan and temper cumin seeds. Dunk in the chopped onions and fry till they become translucent. Add chopped tomatoes, green chilies, ginger paste, cumin powder, haldi powder, salt and sugar as per taste. Saute till oil seperates. Add water. Once it starts boiling, add the dhoka cakes. Cover and cook on medium heat until the gravy thickens. Remember not to thicken the curry too much as dhoka has a tendency to the gravy.

6. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with rice or roti.

VEG:

INGREDIENTS:

Cauliflower
Cornflour
Maida
Ginger Paste
Jeera Paste
Chopped Tomatoes
Chopped Coriander LEaves
Green Chilies
Corriander Powder
Turmeric Powder
Red Chili Powder
Salt
Sugar
Mustard Oil

1. Grate cauliflower using a grater or food processor, as per your convenience.

2. Sprinkle salt, mix well and keep aside for about half an hour.

3. Drain out excess water and add cornflower, maida, coriander powder, sugar and salt to it. Knead well. Don’t add water, keep kneading and you will see it will turn into a dough pretty well.

4. Transfer this mixture to a greased plate and with the help of spatula or just your palm spread it evenly. Now cut it into diamond or square shapes.

5. Heat oil in a pan and fry the pieces till golden brown.

5. For the gravy, put oil in a pan and temper cumin seeds. Now add chopped tomatoes, ginger-jeera paste, green chilies, cumin powder, haldi powder, salt and sugar as per taste. Saute till oil seperates. Add water. Once it starts boiling, add the dhoka cakes. Cover and cook on medium heat until the gravy thickens. Remember not to thicken the curry too much as dhoka has a tendency to the gravy.

6. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with rice or roti.

Hope you liked the recipes. Try and let us know...

I always put step by step pictures of the recipe, but I lost all the pictures this time, only had this one which I had posted as a teaser on my Facebook group. Yes, I could have easily recreated this dish, click pictures and then post, but didn’t want to delay posting the recipe as there isn’t much time left before cauliflower vanishes from the market. Anyway, hope you wont have any difficulty understanding it...

Blackheads, they have always been one of my biggest skincare woes. Hence my hands automatically reach out to anything that says “blackhead removing/removal….” My last experience with one such product was devastating. It is an universally loved product, but didn’t work on me, instead aggravated my blackhead problem to a different level. (Read about the product and full experience HERE). After that incident, I promised not to go for any random blackhead removing product. But as soon as I saw this Innisfree Jeju Volcanic Blackhead Out Balm gracing the racks of the newly opened Innisfree store (Read about the new store HERE), I knew I had to try this.

PRODUCT OVERVIEW

WHAT IS IT?
An oil cleansing balm formulated with Jeju volcanic clusters which dissolves and removes impurities.

CLAIMS, INGREDIENTS, PRICE, QUANTITY, etc

PRICE:-
450 INR for 30ml

AVAILABILITY:-
Innisfree stores across the country, Nykaa and Amazon.

PACKAGING:-
The product comes in a brown colored tub with a screw cap. The tub further comes housed in a cardboard box which has all the necessary information like ingredients, direction to use, product claims, MRP, exp date, etc. The tub is compact and travel friendly. I wish it came with a spatula, so that we didn’t have to dig our fingers into the product, in the middle of the cleaning process, if needed. That’s kind of unhygienic.

TEXTURE:-
The product looks and feels like Vicks Vaporub. The texture is soft, balmy. It is opaque and solid in the tub, but melts and turns oily the moment you start to roll it onto the skin. Don’t get scared when I say oily, you can easily get rid of the grease with a cleanser. Fragrance is mild, nothing that disturbs my sensitive nose.

HOW TO USE:-
Before cleansing, apply an appropriate amount onto where blackheads are concentrated. Use fingertips to massage for 3-5 minutes and use cleansing foam or lukewarm water to rinse off afterwards.

MY EXPERIENCE:-
I have been using this balm for quite some time now, almost 2-3 times a week. The formula is supposed to loosen your blackheads and remove them. But this product does nothing to your blackheads. For the first time when I used this, I messaged for a good 3-5 minutes and then washed with cleansing foam and lukewarm water, diligently following all the instructions. But my nose was same as before. The second time, I took steam before using this. Messaged for about 10 minutes and finally could feel one or two grits on my finger. After washing, my nose still looked the same.
I tried incorporating this in my Fiddy’s Pore Cleansing Method (Read about the method HERE), but the results were still unsatisfactory.

Now you may ask why I still keep on using this. Well, because I have spent 450 rupees on it and money doesn’t grow on trees. The only good thing it does, it leaves skin feeling soft and smooth. So now, instead of wasting 10-15 minutes rigorously massaging in a hope to make this thing work on blackheads, I just spend 1-2 minutes thrice a week and the result is super soft and smooth skin.

So, in a nutshell, this product is an utter waste of money, time and efforts. It is quite disheartening to see your smug blackheads still there in full glory, unmoved by all your efforts. The most it does is, it soften the skin texture, again which you can achieve with any other cleansing balm or oil or exfoliator. For blackhead removal, there are strips and masks available in the market, which works better on removing blackheads, or at least in reducing their appearance. Hence, I wouldn’t repurchase this, nor would recommend this to others. But if you don’t have very stubborn blackheads and just want a smoother skin, then you can go for this.

RATING:-
I hate bashing products, but this is a dud.
2/5

Over time, Laneige has made its own place in the skincare arena. Their skincare products, especially their Hydro and Water Bank range, are loved and praised by skincare enthusiasts all over the world. They have been providing women with an effective solution for dry skin, flaky skin and has gradually become one of the most popular and talked about K-beauty skincare ranges.

Today on our "Tug of War" we have two of their bestsellers from the Water Bank range, Laneige Water Bank Gel Cream and Laneige Water Sleeping Mask. I have been using these for quite sometime now and thought of doing a comparison post for you all.
(Before we move on to the details, just for your information, the Water Bank Gel Cream has been recently renamed "Water Bank Hydro Cream"). I had a talk with team Laneige and they assured that the product is same, it is just the change in names.

So, let the battle begin...

WHAT THE NAMES SUGGEST:

Laneige Water Bank Gel/Hydro Cream is basically a moisturiser, which can be used both during the day and at night.

Laneige Sleeping Mask, as the name suggests, is a skincare product, a hydrating mask which is to be left on overnight while you are sleeping.

USUAGE:

The gel or hydro cream instantly moisturizes the skin and provides deep hydration that lasts all day long. You can use it day and night, whenever you feel that your skin is fatigued, dry and need an instant boost of hydration.

Sleeping mask, initially I used to think that the name is just a marketing gimmick and it is nothing but a night cream. But it is much more than that. It is more potent and packed with more active ingredients that are used to target different skin concerns, like dryness, spots and marks, dullness, ageing, etc. Hence experts say that it should be treated as an “emergency beauty treatment” and should be used only once or twice a week, when your skin needs a little something extra. Overuse of sleeping masks can cause skin irritations and can also cause the product to lose its efficacy.

HOW to USE:-

The Gel cream should be used like any other moisturiser, after cleaning and toning your skin, or if you are a lazy bum like me, then just smother your face with the cream whenever you feel like.

Sleeping Masksshould be used as the last step of your night skincare routine. Just take adequate amount of the product and slather all over your face. Pat and massage well.

If you have dry skin and want to use both together for added hydration, then the gel cream should go first before the sleeping mask. Basically, whatever products you are using, the sleeping mask should be used in the end to lock everything in.

PRICE:

Both LANEIGE Water Bank Gel Moisture Cream(50ml) and Laneige WaterBank Hydro Cream Ex, (50ml) are priced at INR 2390

LANEIGE Water Sleeping Mask (70ml) 1850 and (25ml) for INR 700

TEXTURE:

LANEIGE Water Bank Gel/Hydro Moisture Cream has a soft, creamy, lightweight texture that absorbs into the skin pretty quickly with a light patting and massage. It basically adds alightweight moisture veil over the skin surface for long-lasting hydrationwithout leaving any greasy or sticky residue.

LANEIGE Water Sleeping Mask has a light, gel like texture; not very thick, nor runny, just seems to have the perfect consistency. The moment you start messaging it turns watery giving a moist feel that takes another 3-4 minutes to get absorbed into your skin properly. It leaves your skin moisty matte, I mean you won’t feel any residue of the pack sitting on top of your skin, it will look satiny matte, but feel dewy and moist. No oiliness or greasiness.

My EXPERIENCE:

The Gel Cream is soft, fluffy and smooth and feels very soft on the skin. It has an aqua fragrance with a fruity punch, but nothing that irritates my sensitive nose. This gel-cream is not at all greasy or sticky, hence, this is well suited for oily skin and combination skin. I am astonished to see how well it works both on my normal-dry skin and my sister’s oily skin. It didn’t break us out. Our skin feels hydrated and soft and it gives a radiant shine to the skin which looks very natural. I use the gel cream whenever I need an instant boost of hydration, be it AM or PM.

I use the Sleeping Mask twice a week, as the last step of my night skin care routine. It locks in all the moisture and other benefits you have added to your skin on the previous steps. It has a very subtle, calming fragrance that is not overpowering, but lingers on for a while. The cooling effect and the soothing fragrance, I just adore the combination and how these work up together for a refreshing feel at the end of a tiring day. The sleeping pack has been able to provide intense hydration even to my most parched and stressed skin. It works like magic, an emergency solution or an overnight fix, when in spite of using moisturisers, my skin still longs for that added boost of freshness and hydration. The next day, my skin looks replenished, adequately hydrated, plump and glowy.

Now let us go through the table below for a quick revision…

	GEL/HYDRO CREAM	SLEEPING MASK
WHAT IS IT?	A light moisturiser	A luxurious gel mask
TEXTURE	Soft, creamy, light texture	Light, gel like texture
FEEL	Light on skin	Very, very light on skin
FINISH	A healthy, natural shine	Satiny matte, silky, glowy
FRAGRANCE	Aqua with a fruity punch	Subtle aqua, very calming
ABSORBTION TIME	Around 4 minutes	Around 2 minutes
WHY TO USE	For instant moisturisation	For deep hydration
TIME TO USE	Anytime of the day	Only at night
FREQUENCY OF USE	Can be used every day	Twice a week
AFTER EFFECT	Well-nourished and moisturised skin	Soft, smooth, supple and radiant looking skin
WORKS ON ACNE? MARKS?	No. It doesn’t even claim to do so.	No. It doesn’t even claim to do so.
PRICE and QUANTITY	2390 INR for 50ml	1850 INR for 70ml 700 INR for 25ml
AVAILABILITY	Nykaa, Amazon, Laneige stores across the country	Nykaa, Amazon, Laneige stores across the country

FINAL THOUGHTS:-

One is for instant moisturisation and another is for skin-deep hydration. One is for daily use and the other one is for your emergency hydration fix. I love both the products to the core, but the sleeping pack more. The gel/hydro cream is certainly a nice addition to my skin care routine, but it isn’t something that is irreplaceable. I have moisturisers that work equally well, a few even better. Talking about the sleeping mask, I have used quite a few other sleeping masks, but being someone with a skin that's persistently dry, this feels like a boon. I love how it beautifully hydrates my skin without making it look shinny. It gets beautifully absorbed into my skin instead of just sitting on top of it, locking in all the goodness of the previous skincare products and providing adequate hydration for that healthy, brighter looking, supple and soft skin.

WHICH ONE to CHOOSE:-
It totally depends on your need and preference. One is targeted towards Skin Deep Hydration and one targets Instant Moisturisation. If you ask me, I would recommend the Sleeping Mask to anyone who is looking for something to fix dull, dry, dehydrated skin. It is much more than just a moisturiser or just a night cream. Also note that whichever you choose, these are only meant to provide moisturisation and hydration, they won’t work on your acne or acne scars, wrinkles, blemishes or pores.

If you are still in a double mind, I would suggest you to go for the travel sized/ sample sized tubs first. Try both and then decide.

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