My Make-up Story

 I have loved makeup ever since I can remember.   My earliest memory of buying makeup was when I was 13 years old and I bought a Bronze and Silver lipstick from Lakme. Yes, I said silver lipstick. And now you can say eeeeks. I didn't know what I intended to achieve with these lipsticks because firstly, I was too young and too conscious to wear them and secondly I was in school so I never got a chance to wear them other than the privacy of my room where I would use it like a crayon on my face and go crazy with it. But I just HAD to have them cause they were so amazing to me at that time.

When I was 14 I visited America where my cool older American cousin gifted me some makeup - a lip liner, an eyeliner, and a lipstick. OH MY GOD. I had hit jackpot. Everyday I would religiously apply my eyeliner, my lip liner and my lipstick. I looked and felt so mature. Then after vacation I came back to India and had to go back to school where none of this was allowed! Boy did reality hit me so hard! 

When I entered 11th std, I finally had the freedom to wear a kajal and be just like the pretty senior girls that I admired when I was a wee one. Everyday I would carefully line my eyes with kajal. I had brown, black and gray. Oh the excitement of choosing which colour to wear to school!! Revlon and Maybelline were in the market by then and their eye pencils used to cost 280 Rs, I think. It was a big sum and god only knows how I convinced my mom that I had to have that eye pencil. 

Then I went off to America to study. I had by then a bit more makeup that in the 12th std. I had assorted lip glosses, some eyepencils, some no brand eyeshadows that come in those huge makeup kits all gifted by my American aunties on their India visits.  I used to do whatever I could with that makeup but literally felt very frustrated when I couldn't achieve those amazing makeup looks I saw all around me. How could I? I had no clue how to blend and apply eye shadows or to use mascara or to even use brushes. 

Life really changed for me when in 2001, my cooler, older American cousin took me to a MAC pro store in San Francisco for a makeup class. Yes, so MAC does this from time to time, they close the store to the public and conduct a one time class. Don't know if they still do it anymore. They basically talk about tips and tricks and techniques. There is a registration fee but you can buy products for that amount. So we went, and it was amazing! This makeup artist pulled someone from the audience and did her face makeup from beginning to end - just a really pretty every day kind of makeup look. I learn't a lot from that one class. I learnt about brushes, outer V, using contrasting light and dark colours, applying makeup to the crease etc. After the class, we browsed the store and I ended up buying a bunch of products. I still remember what I bought - A studio finish compact, 3 eye shadows, a pigment and 3 brushes. I think I spent around $150. Out of those brushes I still have 2 of them. Yes it's been 12 years and I still have them. 

Anyways, since that day my makeup life took a different course. I started learning more about makeup. I started buying more products, improving my collection and applying more makeup in general. It's been many years and I really owe it to my cousin to properly introduce me to the world of makeup.

I've been through many phases with makeup. I even started this blog to document my looks. I would love to have a YouTube channel one day but I love my anonymity and privacy too much so it will probably never happen. These days I don't get the opportunity to wear to much makeup because it's just too hot all the time. Nevertheless for special occasions, I enjoy spending some time doing my makeup. My makeup collection is not too massive. I have enough to keep me satisfied and going. I still religiously watch my favorite YouTubers ever since I started watching in 2008.
I really enjoy these especially:

Marlena from MakeupGeekTV - she's the one blogger I've followed religiously from day one.
JlovesMAC1 - She doesn't do too much makeup but I love her personality
QueenofBlendingMUA - does some crazy looks that I love
Other YouTubers who I find interesting from time to time are: Farah Dhukai, Misschievous, Nikkie Tutorials, Vintage or Tacky, JeanFrancoisCD

So that's it for this post. What's your makeup story? 

Minimalism in my life

I've moved a lot in my life. In the past 5 years, I have lived in 4 cities and sometimes in multiple houses within a city which means I have a lot of experience with renting a house, moving, packing etc. I really do hate moving and packing - it's been the bane of my life every time I've had to move. The one honest and sobering realization that has happened is that I have a lot of STUFF. I mean seriously, how, when and where did I ever accumulate so much junk?? You only realized how many possessions you own when you have to pack it all up.

This really set me thinking and after my most recent move I decided that I did not want to be burdened by this stuff anymore and carrying it from place to place. I then discovered a couple of amazing blogs where I learnt the concept of minimalism.

What is minimalism? There's plenty ways to define it but I will share what it means to me: Minimalism is a journey. A minimalist removes from his or her life things that have no value. A minimalist avoids excess. Minimalism allows you to let go of the need to possess and own things.

Okay don't freak out - it's not as crazy as it sounds.Now this doesn't mean that you give up your possessions and becoming a Sadhu, wear orange robes and live of the charity of people.Minimalism has just allowed me to get rid of a lot of stuff that I owned and felt was necessary for me to be happy. The truth is, this stuff was weighing me down and getting rid of it was the best feeling ever. It's also help bring a sense or order to my life and has helped me realize what's really important to ME. 

If you have some time, please check out these blogs that have inspired me to de-clutter and minimize.

www.theminimalists.com

www.365lessthings.com

I hope you enjoy these blogs as much as I did.

If you can, you should.

Yes it's been forever since I posted and yes now that I have a good internet connection and a new laptop, I will be more regular and no, I am not going to launch into an explanation of why I haven't posted in a while. (Don't want to be a bore).

Coming back to the title of this post: this is something that I've learnt from my mother. She once said that if some one asks you for something and if you have the means, then you should give. It was a very profound thought. I'll be honest, I don't always give freely especially when it comes to money. I can give away clothes, kitchen items etc. very easily. I am very careful with my money - that's what I learnt when I had to live on a shoestring budget when I got my first job in India. I earned very little less and I used to have about Rs. 6000 to for my monthly expenses including groceries. Yet, I managed and I'm glad for that experience because it taught me to be careful and budget wisely. It also meant that I had no money for extras.
Now that I earn a lot more, I am slowly learning to be generous with my money. It's tough and it doesn't come easily. Most religions say that you should do "Daan" or donate to those who need. So now I am starting and I urge you to do so too, if you have the means.
Avoid judgement if you can, when you give. Don't assume that what your maid/driver/ watchman/beggar or whoever earns from their various jobs is enough for them. Money is never enough! So open your hearts and give -even if it is ten bucks for "chai-pani" or 50 bucks or a 1000 bucks.
If you can, you should.

Back after a hiatus

Oops I did it again. I fell off the blogging bandwagon. Now that I think back I cannot remember the exact reasons why. I think it was a combination of factors. The honest truth is that my pride suffered a bit because I fell prey to the demon we call 'comments'.
We all start blogging with great intentions, to share, express ourselves and connect with our readers. Somewhere along the line we start judging the worth and value of our blog through the comments.  And then when thet don't come, we feel upset and disappointed. At least I did.
The last couple of yeard have been tough. Life happened, a couple of big life changes have happened. I'm in a new city now, getting used to life and work here. Honestly it's been hard. But I've gotten to experience a lot, see new things and appreciate life with a fresh perspective. I hope a little wisdom and maturity has come my way too.
So I want to get back to blogging with my original intentions, to share, connect with you and express myself anonymously :)
Thank you for listening, if you have.

Summer fresh Pink!

Hi Folks,

I've recently discovered the joy of using matte colours and though earlier I used to be a sucker for blingy and shimmery shades all of that is slowly changing.

This look is super simple and barely took me any time to achieve. There's just something about matte eye shadows. You can just stick them on to your eyelid and they don't wander off on their own. I used just 3 colours and am super happy with how this look turned out.

I used:

• Coastal Scents concealer as a base
• Kryolan R21 blush as main lid colour
• Urban Decay e/s Buck
• Inglot M 373
• Black gel liner
• Mascara

Here are some pics!

This Kryolan pink colour is so pretty! It's a blush but I used it as an e/s.

So I hope you all enjoyed this look, will catch you all next time, ta ta!

Deep forest green eyes.

Hello!

This look is inspired by a recent video by MakeupbytiffanyD - now I know it looks nothing like her look but I really wanted to try using this forest green coloured eye shadow with a brown base.

So I started to do this look and guess what, the power went out. Aaarghhhh!! Super frustrated, I decided that nothing was going to deter me. Then I proceed to lay down the brown base with a faces pencil which I did not realize was colour-stay. That thing refused to blend out!! So instead of a soft brown smokey base, I ended up having 2 brown stripes over my eyelids! Anyways, I just went ahead with the look.

I'm not too impressed with it, I think it's okay. I think my techniques could have been better, my blending could have been better. Oh well, now I know better!

So here is the look. I used:

• Faces brown eye pencil
• MUG eyeshadow in Envy, Shimmermint
• Inglot e/s DS 465
• Urban Decay e/s in Naked and Sidecar
• Black gel eyeliner
• Mascara
• Faces Forest Green eye pencil

PICS! :)

The crease is entirely this brown Inglot e/s and guess what, it totally looks a bit grey-purple to me in these pics. Does it seem like that to you too?

Until next time, ta ta!

Inglot Body Sparkle 68 - A look!

Hello everyone!!

I was feeling super fun and shiny yesterday and decided to create a look going along with my mood. Also, I had just watched a video by Makeupbytiffanyd on youtube and I was really intrigued by this eyeliner she had done. It was winged and slightly smudged and I really wanted to try it out. Never mind that it look me 15 minutes just to kind of get the eyeliner sort of okay. Let's just say the attempt involved *a lot* of makeup remover + cotton swabs.

Anyways, I pulled out my MAC eye shadows after a long time. Ever since MAC has started selling in China and changed their animal testing policy, I've lost interest in the brand. You wont find any new products from this brand on the blog. The MAC products that are featured on this blog have been bought pre-animal testing era and have been with me for a while now.

On to the look:

• Urban Decay Primer Potion
• MAC Coppering, Cranberry, Romp, Warming Trend, Black Tied
• Inglot Body Sparkle 68 (So pretty!)
• Black gel liner
• Mascara

What I really liked about this was it was easy to do except for the eyeliner which took forever...grrrr.

This Inglot body sparkle is just so iridescent - I really love it. It's best used wet and I sprayed my brush with fix+ before I applied it.

Well I hope you enjoyed this look and do leave your thoughts! Until next time, ta ta!

Chennai Guide!

Hey Everyone!

Chennai in general has a bad rep for lagging in the shopping, beauty and fashion scene. It has taken me a long time but I've finally figured out some of Chennai's best kept secrets and today I am here to share it with you. Ok, some of these places are not really secrets but I've put together a Chennai Guide for all you readers who are either from Chennai or happen to be there for a visit.

So let's get started!

Makeup:

While we have a range of brands from low end to luxury available in Health and Glow stores and at the Mall, did you know that Chennai is one of the few cities in India that has a Kryolan? It's located at Ramee Mall on Mount Road. Head to Kryolan to pick up amazing, good quality and affordable products.

Shopping:

Best Sellers: Ok, this little gem of a store is an export surplus store located on TTK Road. They have tons of merchandise from clothes to shoes to bags and to belts. The best part: the prices! I've picked up tops for as little as Rs. 200 and dresses as low as Rs. 400. The only downside is that you have to take your time and really go through all their merchandise - so come with lots of time and patience and you will be rewarded. They also have a lot of funky leather belts, boots, shoes, strappy chappals, handbags etc. Also, men have an entire floor to themselves upstairs. So this is a definite must see!

Shilpi: This shop stocks really unique silk and cotton saris. Subtle and understated, their saris are very classic and chic and most likely will not be seen in any other shop. They also have kurtis, salwar kameezes, skirts, scarves, stoles and some jewellery. But their USP are these gorgeous saris.

Tulsi Silks and Sundari Silks: While Nalli, Kumaran, RMKV are well known names, if you are looking for a  great place for stunning, unique and mouth watering silk saris head to Tulsi/Sundari silks. Recently my bhua was visiting from Ludhiana and she went to Nalli and asked for a "Rekha" sari (you know the heavy pattu silks with the massive borders?) Well all she got was a bland stare and dumbfounded look. I told her to head to Tulsi Silks and lo and behold she found exactly what she wanted!

Sthree: This is a tiny little store on CP Ramaswamy road. If you are in a fix and need a blouse desperately, head to Sthree - it's just a small little Sari shop but my aunts bought themselves some really beautiful ready made blouses there.

Kalpa Druma: Located on Dr. Radhakrishna Salai, I love heading to the store for the beautiful fabrics they have. They have a home section with beautiful bed linen, table linen and home linen in general. They also have Saris and Kurtis etc but their best section is where they have running fabric. They have all kind of cottons and prints. Their cloth is really good quality. I have a kurta I got stitched with cloth I bought from here and it's lasted me 7 years without any wear or tear.

Beauty Parlours:

Oryza: without a doubt, if you are looking for a relaxing beauty experience, head to Oryza on Chamier's Road. The staff are quiet and friendly. The girls take their time and are not in a hurry to finish your pedicure/manicure or whatever service you are getting. Pedicures are divine - they really CLEAN your feet. Don't be intimidated by the place. Their rates are at par with Lakme, VLCC and other beauty parlours.

Isha Life: This is a restaurant cum gym cum spa cum beauty place located on Luz church road. Their Ayurvedic spa services amazing. I've personally gotten massages and facials done here and have had amazing experiences every single time. With fairly affordable rates, their staff really makes you relax and just fall asleep even! Not only have I enjoyed myself but any relative, aunt or uncle I have sent there have come back raving about the place.

Hair cut: If you are in a fix and need a smart haircut under Rs. 500, head to Liu's in Kotturpuram. Ask for Lucy. She's the owner and cuts hair really well. She doesn't do a lot of crazy, new fangled hairdos but her classic cuts and layers are excellent. Be warned, she tends to go short so tell her to cut your hair 3 inches longer than you actually want it. I've been going to her for 15 years and she's never given me a bad haircut!

Whew, I can't think of anything else to list out. If there is something you are looking for in Chennai, in particular, let me know and I'll see if I can help you find it. Do share your best-kept Chennai secrets if you have any!

Until next time, ta ta!

Peacock blue look with picture fails!

Have you ever had one of these days?

• You wake up in a good mood where the sun is shining and the birds are chirping. 
• All you makeup brushes are clean and you've just organized your vanity a few days ago. 
• You feel super efficient and organized and truly believe that you will never let your makeup get disorganized and will keep your brushes clean at all times so that when you actually want to do a look, nothing will hold you back?!?
• Then you go on to do the most awesome look (in your mind) using some products that you bought in a fit of inspiration but never touched after.

This was ME, yesterday. Floating on this cloud just described above. And then the cloud crashed into bad photography land and reality hit me!

I did this look using some beautiful Ben Nye pigments. I even pulled out my fancy magnifying makeup mirror the one with the light and everything to help do this look. Then I started taking pics - took about 20 pics and then uploaded them to the computer only to discover that the pics look like they've been taken by a 5 year old. Does my eyeshadow really look that patchy??? Ok, go back reapply some make sure it looks better. Now take another 15 pics. This time it looks like the 5 year old gave the camera to her 3 year old sibling. All the pics are blurry and shaky and I just want to cry. 

Change positions in the house go to another location, take another 10-15 pics. Bad and badder. Take a break. Go to the 3rd position and finally try again. Take 20-25 pics this time. Not the worst in the world. 

So my friends, this is what I have for you, a lovely teal-peacock look but "not the worst" in the world pics. 

I used: 

• Urban Decay primer potion
• Nyx jumbo pencil in Milk
• Inglot matte white e/s
• Ben Nye pigments in Peacock and Teal
• Faces Eyepencil in Forest Green
• MAC e/s in Romp

Pictures:

Though I will take a pic while smiling, whattae fail!

This pic is clearer but look at all the mess around the eyes!! Gaaaaah

Not too much light in this pics but at least it isn't super blurry!

Finally a decent pic but guess what - sparkly eyebrows (because I used a shimmery shadow to fill them!)

Another somewhat OK one but my head hair decided to photobomb this one!

Another sort of OK one.

So have you ever had a day like this? Let me know your makeup/photography fails in the comments below! Until then, ta ta!

Purple and Orange eyes today!

Hellooo,

So today the heat in Hyderabad let up just a little and boy am I glad! It really inspired me to pull out some colours and try something different.

Btw I am watching the movie, Marley and Me and it is such a fun movie except in the end which is so sad. I had to change the channel cause I cannot afford to cry and ruin this makeup that took me so long to do. So I switched to another movie called "The other guys." It has Will Ferell in it and it is hilarious! Will Ferell has the quirkiest sense of humor and makes the funniest movies ever.

Ok so back to the look. I used:

• Urban Decay primer potion
• NYX jumbo pencil in Milk
• MUG eyeshadow in Chickadee
• Inglot e/s in AMC 51
• Sugarpill Poison Plum e/s
• Ben Nye pigments in Azalea, Amethys
• MAC pigment in Golden Lemon

Yes so here are pics. BTW one of my eyes has a major eyeliner fail! Can you notice which one? 

It's the left eye - eyeliner is totally off!

So what do you all think? Do let me know! Until next time, ta ta!

Juicy Green Eyes!

Hello everyone!

Gosh it sure is hot! Just makes you want to stay indoors all day and hibernate in a cool room. This is the first time I am experiencing Hyderabad heat and whew!

Ok back to makeup - I did this fun green look and I used only 2 makeupgeek eyeshadows. The lower lashline is a bit of a fail. I really was going for the "öuter half of lower lashline lined look" but the liner decided to slide a bit. Oh well, next time I will put it more effort to create that part of the look. Also in an effort to create "lighter" and more "summery" looks I am trying to thin down the eyeliner - So far I am really enjoying thin lines on the upper lashline

Ok so the products used:

• Urban Decay primer potion 
• MUG eyeshadows Envy and Shimmermint
• Black gel liner

The pictures have not captured the vibrancy and pretty-ness of the green colours. I swear I did like 5 coats of the colour. Hope you like! 

Until next time - ta ta! Have a great day :)

Simple daytime eyes

Hello Everyone! Summer is here and man o man it is HOT!! Don't really feel like putting on too much makeup but I have recently been doing this eye-look which is simple and doesn't look too heavy. A great tip for summer is to use lighter coloured Kohl/Kajal/eyeliner for the eyes. Colours such as browns and greys will help define the eyes without giving that dark-heavy look that black gives us. If you are feeling more colourful then pull out those purple, blue and green eye pencils and use them for that pop of colour! 

The products used for this look are:

• MAC Painterly Paint Pot
• Makeupgeek eyeshadows: Mango Tango, Cinderella and Stealth
• Black gel liner 
• Grey eye pencil 
• Lotus Mascara

So umm ok, before you can say anything I must mention that my eyebrows are a mess in these pics and I know that is a huge turn off for some people (me) but I swear I have gotten them done since this pic was taken. I hope you enjoy the pics and leave a comment if you have any suggestions, questions or just want to say hi :)

I also just want to say to the few followers who have stuck to this blog (I know you may not frequent it anymore) but if you are still around then thank you from the bottom of my heart! Until next time, ta ta!

What's going on?

Hi Everyone! Hope you all are doing well! This is a long overdue update and life has been very busy since the last post. A lot has happened and changed with me and I really want to address it all in this post. Ps. this is going to be a long post!

First off, I want to acknowledge that this blog has never been super active and has always had a small group of followers. The reasons for that were many - I was not a typical blogger - I followed quite a few blogs but silently. I didn't comment frequently and when I did do so, I lost track of all the comments and replies etc.  I only commented when I genuinely felt the need to say something. Sometimes I would give in to the pressure and just leave random comments here and there to improve my visibility and that just made me unhappy. I didn't want to feel like I had to leave comments on other people's blogs in order to attract more visitors to my own blog. Sometimes bloggers would comment on my posts just because I had left a comment on their post. It was a very "I scratch your back, you scratch mine" attitude and I didn't appreciate it. Blogging to me was not a business or a commercial activity and if you have ever noticed - I have never had any ads on my blog. The blogging world seemed too commercialized and self-promoting for my personal taste - I just wanted to share my knowledge and love of makeup but I was getting too caught up in it all.

Another reason for not posting was boredom and loss of inspirations. I got tired of reading and writing reviews. I got tired of seeing the same newly-launched product reviewed by 5 different bloggers. Don't get me wrong. I really enjoy reviews - and a lot of blogs do an amazing job with reviews a massive range of products. But it was getting too repetitive and un-original for me to do - I felt that there was nothing new and fresh about my blog - I kinda lost track of what I wanted my USP to be.

The last reason was work. It just got too hectic, with lots of travelling, long hours etc. I also made some personal life changes in the last few months - I quit my job and moved to Hyderabad. So things have been hectic to say the very least.

Also, I have made some changes in the brands of products that I use. I started reading and researching animal testing in makeup and I decided to stop using animal tested products. Now this is a massive personal challenge and I found it very tough. There's so much to figure out. A lot of companies have ambiguous policies on animal testing, some companies don't test but their parent companies do, some don't test finished products, some test only in countries where the law demands etc. It's really an ocean of info out there and it's very difficult to know where to draw the line. I think I have sort of understood where my line/limit is and I'm trying hard to stick to it. The biggest test for me was when someone gifted me 4 brand new mascaras made by 2 companies that do animal testing and I really had to fight the temptation. I ended up distributing them all away and boy was that tough!!

So moving forward, I am not a 100% sure which direction this blog is headed. I definitely want to focus on doing looks, especially with products available in the Indian market. I want to focus on doing simpler looks suited to the busy woman. I want to focus more on techniques and hopefully improve my own in the process. If you have any ideas, do share! I'm always happy to hear from you.

So bye for now, and see you all very soon with a hopefully fresh and inspired post!

Sexy Black Smokey Eye

Hi Friends,


This is a quick sexy-black-smokey eye done using only ONE colour i.e Makeupgeek's e/s "Corrupt."


I used:

• Urban Decay Primer Potion
• MUG e/s Corrupt
• NYX JEP in Black Bean, Milk, Pots and Pans
• Urban Decay's pencil in Zero
• Lotus Mascara
• NYX silver candy glitter liner
• Kryolan lashes in 9371TV4 

Here are some pics! 

This is w/out lashes.

With Kryolan Falsies

Add caption

I have worn these Kryolan lashes: 

I really like these lashes. They cost around Rs. 200/- They seem very dramatic but they are not overly so. I quite like them. I'm not very adept at applying falsies but I managed just fine with these. Kryolan has a nice range of lashes from simple to very dramatic so if you are in the vicinity do check it out. 

Hope you like the look, do leave some feedback :) Until next time, bye!

My Kryolan Experience

Hi Folks,


I wanted to share my experience at the newly opened Kryolan store in Chennai. I went there two weeks ago to explore their range of products and this post is going to tell you all about it.


So the Kryolan store in located at Ramee Mall in the Hyatt hotel, on Mount Road. Now if you are there, please familiarize yourself with the new one way system on Mount Road before you venture out as it can be quite confusing! The mall is quite small with very few stores and thus not very crowded. The Kryolan store is located on the ground floor of the mall and is quite easy to find.


Now I've know for a while about Kryolan products and the fact that they have some kind of a factory/base in Chennai. I was quite curious and excited to go see what it was all about. It's been very tough to collect my thoughts regarding this store because I was for the first time in my life quite dazzled and awestruck with the range of products.


The first thing I have to say that the range of products they have there is amazing and very impressive. The downer to that is that it is quite confusing! They have all kinds of normal makeup that we find in other stores and then A LOT more. Like for instance, they have all these crazy colours and paints etc that are used in the movie/modelling/TV industry. For concealers, there is not 4-5 shades, they have like, 25 shades (exaggerated example, but you get what I am saying!) Foundations come in a range of types - compacts, cream based, liquid, etc with multiple shades in each type. They also have 'build your own palettes' for blushes and eyeshadows. Lipsticks come in another massive lineup of colours and finishes. They have a section for all kinds of brushes and beauty tools, and a pretty nice section for false lashes. I really wont be able to describe what all they have (I'm overwhelmed) - but I think it's well worth a visit. I will talk about what I bought and my experience overall.


The staff at that time was just two ladies and they were very helpful and friendly! I really enjoyed my time in the store because at that time I was the only one there. One thing I must mention is that a lot of products are very affordable. Brushes are around 250 rs and up. Lashes start at Rs. 150 and up. Lipsticks are around Rs. 250. Blushes and e/s are around Rs. 300-350. I think it's very rare to find good quality makeup for these prices in India. 


I ended up buying a blush, a blush brush, a lippie and false lashes. Here are some pics!

Notice the style of products and packaging - it's all grey and silver and very "industrial" looking. But I don't mind, packaging should be sturdy and protect the product. Oh and it's nice if packaging makes the products easy to use and I think Kryolan scores just fine with these 2 criteria. 

So will review the products soon, all I'm gonna say now is that I'm really enjoying my Kryolan haul! Have you guys tried any Kryolan? Until next time, Ciao (cause I'm watching Jersey Shore season 4 which happens in Italy!) :) 

Phulkari Inspired Makeup

Hi Everyone! 


This look is inspired by a Phulkari bedsheet my mom gave me. For those who don't know, Phulkari refers to a particular style of embroidery from Punjab.
It's got such beautiful colours that I wanted to do a makeup look based on it.


Here are some pics!


Oh I used:

• Base: Urban Decay Primer Potion, NYX JEP in Yellow
• Inner corner: MAC Warming Trend e/s
• Middle lid: AMC 60, AMC 51,
• Crease + above: Ben Nye Azalea, MUG Corrupt
• Sugarpill Poison Plum in crease,lower lashline also
• Highlight: MAC's fresh green mix
• Blacktrack fluidline

This is the Phulkari bedsheet

Whoops, forgot mascara!

Ok, so what do you think? I love Phulkari dupattas. I think they are just gorgeous! So this was the look - hope you liked it. Do share your thoughts and feedback! 


Thanks for stopping by. Until next time, tata!

Lotus Lip Products

Hey Friends,


This post is a continuation of the previous post where I had spoken about my Lotus cosmetics shopping. I wanted to talk about the lip products, which I am really enjoying. 


I have 2 lip-glosses and 2 lipsticks. 

• The lip products have a smell which I am unable to describe. The only word I can use is "herbal" if that helps any! :p
• The glosses are very shimmery, not sticky, and a little more pleasant smelling than lipsticks. 
• The glosses wear for around 2 hours leaving behind some sparkle on the lips.
• The lipsticks are matte finish and last for around 6 hours.
• The lipsticks are quite drying so you will need adequately moisturized lips to begin with.
• All lip products were around Rs. 250 ea. 

Swatches of the lipsticks on the left, glosses on the right!

Ok Lipgloss talk first! LOVE the Passion Fruit Splash one. It's a beautiful purply-pink which can look more purple if you do 2-3 layers. It suits my lips really well and it's my new favorite!

This next one is Precious Peach lipgloss. Look at all those microshimmers! Amazing - love it too. It's very melon-y and a very unique colour for me.

This lippie is called Mod Mauve and I was really sad because when I opened it, the whole lippie just came off at the base! I was horrified and tried to stick it back on by warming both edges but sadly, it's broken still. I have made my peace and I just will use it broken. The colour is very close to my actual lip colour so it looks very natural on me, it might be darker or brighter on lips of other pigmentation (Check out swatch to get a better idea.)

The last lippie is Pink Blush and believe me, there is nothing pink about it! It's a very brick-terracotta colour. It's a really nice warm colour and I think is the perfect colour to wet your feet with if you want to start wearing bold red lips but are afraid to do so. 

So that's been my experience with the lip-products from Lotus. I am enjoying the glosses very much. They are a must try! The lipsticks are nice for the price - not very moisturizing but last a long time. 


What has your experience with Lotus lippies and glosses been? Do share!


Thanks for stopping by and tata until next time!

Lotus Blooming!

Hellooo Friends! 

This post is dedicated to Lotus Cosmetics! I have recently ventured into the world of Lotus cosmetics after spending a bit of time researching their products, reading reviews etc etc. I'm very cautious when it comes to buying makeup from new brands, and from cosmetic counters in India (Not because I am a snob but because the SA's are so pushy and aggressive!!)

So anyways, emboldened by the thought of buying more makeup, I ventured into a Health and Glow and bought myself the Aloe Vera gel moisturizer. The lotus rep was helpful and nice. Next stop - makeup, which unfortunately was not available in this Health and Glow. So I trotted off to the one that had Lotus cosmetics. 

I ended up buying 2 glosses, 2 lippies, mascara and foundation. My total haul cost ~1500 Rs. Now that's the kind of shopping I like!! And I got a free makeup pouch, so I am very happy!

I'm going to let the pics do the talking!

LOTUS LIPGLOSSES!

LIPSTICKS

MASCARA

FOUNDATION

So this is my haul! I am quite excited, I've tried them out. Will review and swatch soon. Have you tried these products? If so, do share your experiences in the comments below. Till next time, tata, and thanks for stopping by!!

Shiny Gold and Hot Pink Look!!

Hi Friends! Today's look is a shiny Gold and hot Pink look in anticipation of the hot summer which by the way has already started. So technically I'm late. Oh well, here it is!


Products used:

• Benefit Boing Concealer as base
• 24K Gold(no brand) gel eyeliner base
• MAC Golden Lemon pigment on lid.
• MUG e/s Taupe Notch in crease.
• Ben Nye pigment Azalea in outer corner.
• JEP NYX in Black bean - eyeliner with Sugarpill's Poison plum patted onto eyeliner.
• Lotus Mascara

Here are 2 pics (the rest were no good.)

So what do you think? Hope you guys like! Till next time, tata and thank you for stopping by!