A Tiny Haul from Yesstyle.ca - Adventure into Korean Beautyscape

I've long been fascinated by Korean makeup products, mainly because they are soooo pretty and they have some nice concepts.

So when I found out this website called Yesstyle.ca which offered Free Shipping [!!!] I couldn't resist testing it out. This is a tiny haul but I hope to get more stuff soon as I am very impressed by the website!

The one I found most intriguing is the Sul Wha Soo ginseng cream.

Lazy Beauty Guide: Emergency Makeup Kit

So here I was, lounging away another day reading some favorite novels and arranging my lipstick collection [I can never look enough at them!] when my friend called and asked me to be at the door in under 15mins to meet her gang.

So 15mins.... and I was still in pajamas! And then came my laziness to the rescue. So here goes what I did to prep up.

1. Washed my face in ice-cold water [which is easy here considering the climate!] but if you dont have ice water flowing from taps, suggest always keep a bottle in fridge for such emergencies.. :)
Time: 1min

2. Dabbed some aloe vera gel on my face and neck and on top of eyelid. Did away with moisturizer and primer in this quick step :) :) If you dont have aloe vera gel, use rose water for freshening up and use moisturizer or primer.
Time: 1-2 min

3. Dressed up in my favorite top and jeans and pulled on my boots giving the gel time to settle on my face
Time: 4-5 mins

4. Dabbed my favorite mineral loose powder from FACES Canada all over my face, neck and eye area
Time: 2mins

5. Used my coal black kajal pencil to quickly and thickly line the upper eyelid lash line and the corner of my lower lash line to give an instant cat-eye look. Trick here is to have a nicely pigmented jet black pencil for use and lotsa practice to get that line instant :)
If you dont trust to do a fast work with eye pencil, you can do a quick mascara coating of eye lash - just concentrate on giving 2-3 quick coatings on the upper lash area without trying for the root-to-tip model.
Another trick is to use a black eyeshadow or pigment with a narrow tipped brush. Apply a thin line on upper lash line and the lower corner for a cats eye effect and lightly smudge.
 Time: 1-2mins

6. Dabbed on my lip balm and used nude/brown gloss over it. Added an extra layer on my upper lip and middle of lower lip area. You can speed this process if you have a nice tinted lip balm or a liquid lipstick in a nude-pink or whichever shade that flatters you. If you are in doubt, here is a suggestion - keep a bronze/copper color lipstick or gloss with light shimmers and a lip balm stick ready in your emergency kit. Dont use a nude shade for the 1st time in an emergency, you may end up looking washed out. Also, nude shades dont work well if your makeup is not perfect.
The bronze/copper shade is a universal color and will instantly brighten up almost all complexions as compared to the nude lip shade which may not suit some skin tones and can even be used in a formal setting if applied lightly.
Time: 1-2mins

7. I still have 2mins which I used basically to run to the door and wait.. :)

Guess the underlying lesson here for every lazy girl is to keep a basic makeup kit ready especially if like me, you dont care about looking dressed up at home.. :)

My suggestions for a basic makeup kit for makeup under 15mins:

 1. A moisturizer / primer/BB cream that can works good and fast on your skin. Spend some time on finding this. This is the most important item in your kit as it basically sets your entire face. If like me you cant be bothered much and if you have occasional acne etc, go for aloe vera gel or such natural gel/cream.  Use this on face, eyes, neck [back of the neck included], ears and any exposed chest areas.

2. A powder based foundation and a good applicator. Dont rely on cream/mousse/liquid foundations for emergency. These require good attention for usage. Using a powder based foundation makes it easier to change layering and to cover up any mistakes made.The key to good application is in remembering to cover all 3 areas as flawlessly as possible - Face, Neck [including back of the neck] and any exposed chest areas

 3. A basic smoky eye shadow kit and black mascara. It is easy, it looks good on almost all skin tones [yet to find one that it doesnt!] so get an easy-to-apply kit.

4. Dont use blusher/bronzer or any contouring/highlighting product in a hurry. This is one item in your makeup that can easily end up making you look like a clown. So unless you are perfect with this, dont add this to your makeup kit.

For Mascara, dont go for heavy application when you're in a hurry. Go lightly and dont go for root-to-tip application, stick with darkening the tips. 

5. Lipbalm+Lip color: This is purely personal choice. I would suggest a combo of lip balm plus a copper/bronze lip color. Use a lip balm as much as possible to shield your delicate lip areas from chemicals. If you can get a nicely tinted lip balm all the more better! However, the color stays very short for tinted lip balms usually, so use it alone only if you have nice natural lips or if you have a realllllly good lip balm.

Copper Bronze color with light shimmer suits almost all skin tones, can be applied to suit any setting -party or formal and best of all - doesnt highlight any flaws in your makeup the way a nude lip color would do!
And no, dont keep a coral/peach lip color as your emergency lip color either - unless you have perfect skin always, it tends to highlight skin problems pretty easily.

6. Face Tissues. Get good ones, multitasking ones if possible. If you love wet wipes, keep one but keep a good set of dry ones as well as wet ones can mess your makeup.
If you have excess makeup, eye shadow fallout or oil breakout, take the dry tissue, fan it out to cover the whole face in one layer and press it to your face with increasing pressure.  Do not ever rub in  as it messes up the remaining makeup. Just pat it stronger in the problem areas.
If you have to decide between using a kitchen napkin and a washroom tissue[ god forbid, but may still happen] go for the kitchen one as bathroom tissues are too soft for the purpose.

7. A good multipurpose makeup applicator - no, im not speaking about fingers though that will do in most cases. I use either a good Kabuki brush [small one] or the Beauty Blender sponge. This can help with most makeup items.

Tip of the Day: Instant fresh and glowing face

Tired after a day's work and yet got to look great for the party at night?

Here is a quick fix-me up for you before you start on your party makeup.
Mix 3-4 drops of rose water and lemon juice; keep the mix in fridge for at least 5-10mins till it feels really cold.

Apply this all over face, eyes, neck and any part of skin you are exposing,  with a cotton ball. Leave it on for 5mins and if possible rub an ice cube all over the face and skin for a min.

Repeat the cotton-ball rub once again over skin and face and keep it for another 2-5mins.
Keep your eyes closed during this.

Now check the mirror and voila!!!!!!! you are glowing and ready for makeup.:)

If you don't have rose water, you can make a fresh one by boiling some rose petals in pre-boiled water.


Let me know if you like this tip and if it worked for you...


Note: All images in this post are courtesy of Pixabay.com

Multiple benefits of Orange pulp and peel

How to use a Fruit to the best possible Maximum

Orange is one fruit I always keep stocked in my kitchen. I have learned to use it in many ways and all of them are highly beneficial. Some small facts about orange:

Nutritional value

Orange, raw, Florida Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) Energy 192 kJ (46 kcal) Carbohydrates 11.54 g - Sugars 9.14 g - Dietary fiber 2.4 g Fat 0.21 g Protein 0.70 g Thiamine (vit. B1) 0.100 mg (9%) Riboflavin (vit. B2) 0.040 mg (3%) Niacin (vit. B3) 0.400 mg (3%) Pantothenic acid (B5) 0.250 mg (5%) Vitamin B6 0.051 mg (4%) Folate (vit. B9) 17 μg (4%) Vitamin C 45 mg (54%) Calcium 43 mg (4%) Iron 0.09 mg (1%) Magnesium 10 mg (3%) Phosphorus 12 mg (2%) Potassium 169 mg (4%) Zinc 0.08 mg (1%) Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults. Source: USDA Nutrient Database

I will skip the part about how orange is good as a fruit and how its good for juice and how the peel can be dried and powdered for masks as these are common uses.

Orange juice pulp extract

For Bath: My husband hates pulp in orange juice so I always remove it. I used to throw it away and used to feel bad about it. Now I keep in fridge after extracting juice for my breakfast and as part of my evening bath ritual, I add it to the hot water for continuous boiling. I strain the water and use it for bathing and believe me, it is an instant freshener. 

Face pack:Another use for the pulp is to mix it with a variety of ingredients like milk, curd, multani mitti, rose water, cucumber etc to make a good face pack.

For Eyes: I keep the cooled pulp on my eyes for around 10-15 mins before I sleep and that has helped in keeping the sensitive eye area fresh and fair. If you want to avoid the risk of orange water going inside your eyes, you can also mix a bit of pulp in rose water and dip a cotton ball, squeeze it and leave it over the eyes.

For manicure and pedicure: Mix you scrub with the pulp and leave it as a hand/foot pack for that feel of tangy freshness. 

Orange peel

I know what you must be thinking, “No way, I cannot trouble to dry and powder and then use the peel, its too much bother”. I feel the same so I don’t bother about drying it and I have found that this is useful even without the drying part.

For face: As a cleanser, you can use the outer skin after squeezing it lightly. The bitter smelling water from its skin is wonderfully refreshing for your skin even though it may feel slightly abrasive. Rub the outer skin over your dry face till the face becomes wet with the squeezed out water and then use the softer inner part to massage this into your face lightly and leave it. After 15-20mins lightly splash it and you can feel the softness.

For bath: You can boil the peel in water and use it immediately or you can make a stronger solution by continuously boiling the peel in water to extract the skin oils. The solution can be made by boiling the peel over and again on medium flame for atleast 4-5 hours and straining the liquid. This can be used as a bath mix, facial mix or even a normal facial cleanser.

For hand and feet: As part of your hand/feet pack, mash this in a mixer grinder and add some rose water.

Note: All Images in this post are courtesy of Pixabay.com

DIY tip of the day: Quick Acne/Blemish removal with Almond, Tea tree and Olive oil

I was plagued with work and travel for the last couple of weeks and no time for skin care [i know its a hideous excuse, but..]. So when 2 days ago I looked in the mirror and saw a tired dull acne-filled skin looking back, I decided it was time..for quick fix spl!

And here is my recipe for all you girls who are lazy bugs like me :) and believe it works.

Required:  1/2 tbsp of olive oil, almond oil and 3-4 drops of tea tree oil

Courtesy: Pixabay.com

Process: Mix all the 3 oils together in a bowl and heat it for 2mins till its warm enough to apply on face. You can heat it to your comfort level. Take the warm oil mix and massage it in your face with butterfly motions for 5-10mins. Leave the oil on for another 15mins.

Wash this off and apply aloe vera gel or any cream of your choice.

Courtesy: Pixabay.com

This is best done before sleep and you can wake up to see a fresh glowing face.. :)

Review and Swatches: NYX Butter Lipstick in Hunk

Finally! I got my NYX butter lipsticks, yayyyyy!!! I got 3 shades and I am reviewing the one I loved at first sight.

NYX says about Butter lipsticks: "The unique texture seems to melt onto the lips, giving full, yet lightweight coverage with a luxurious satin finish.

• What it is:  Full coverage lipstick that feels like it melts onto the lips.
• What it does:  Adds a pop of color to lips.
• Why we love it:  This lightweight formula is non-sticky and deposits high impact color with just one stroke.
• How to use:  Apply directly on bare lips or over lip liner/primer for more pigmentation."

Cost is around $6-$7 CAD but unfortunately this is not available for us in Canada; I got this from a lovely seller in Ebay [haul post soon!].

Hunk is described as a Blue violet shade  in NYX website and I agree. This is a beautiful violet pink shade with blue tones. The color is not as intimidating as in tube as it appears pretty sheer.

I love this lipstick and the color; this shade gives a nice wash of pinkish shade which brightens my face. Also it really feels moisturising and comforting on lips.

And look at that packaging with color on the casing - Aint that cute?
This is not a long wearing lip color [I got around 2-3 hours] ; this is something you can try when you want to skip on lip balms for this winter. There is no strong scent or taste and the color can be  built upon.

This is a nice fun lip color that you can try and I am definitely looking forward to using this a lot.

Tip of the Day: Refresh your tired feet

Is your feet crying for some soft pampering after a hard day of standing around?

Well, listen! Your feet is one of most sensitive areas in your body and requires constant attention.
Considering that many a time, you are judged by how well your feet looks, you cannot afford to ignore.
Here is a quick tip to freshen up and beautify the lil ones..

Courtesy: Pixaby.com

Check your kitchen for any or most of these herbs and vegetables:

Olives

 Ginger or Dry ginger powder

Basil Leaf or Tulsi

Mint- this is the best of the lot

Now add all the above ingredients and boil some water for at least 5-10mins. Mix it with cool water till you are okay with the warmth and add some salt and dip your footsies into the bucket.

Now relax over that cup of evening tea while your sore foot recovers and enjoys the warmth.

Note: All images are courtesy of Pixabay.com

January Haul Part 2: Revlon, NYX, Barry M, Jordana and Models Own

I have not done many online hauls after coming to Canada, at least not as much as I did in India. Shipping costs are usually a major reason; I dont want to spend money un-necessarily for shipping.

This is a small haul from Nailpolishcanada.com, a lovely website with excellent customer service and best of all free shipping!

I got three shades of Lip Stix by Models Own - I am yet to try it but have read some good reviews.
The shades are Ravishing Red, Raspberry cool and Coral Kiss.

 

I also got a Barry M ultra moisturising lip paint in Black Cherry.

I got this Revlon lip lacquer in Provocateur from a sale at Rexall. This is the only one I have tried out from the range and I am impressed by this.

Been hankering after NYX butter gloss for a while and its a sad thing that NYX is not available in many stores here.. Rexall has a steady collection of staples but new products dont reach here at all.. So got these beauties from Rude cosmetics store in Amazon. Shades are Tiramisu and Cherry Pie.

I also got this Jordana Twist and Shine Balm Stain in Cranberry Crush; again, Jordana is not available here.. :( :( :(

January Haul Part 1: Forever21, Real Techniques, Hard Candy, E.L.F and Essence

Just a small haul for January - to wave away this winter blahs...

My January Haul

I went to Fairview Mall in Toronto to get a coat for my hubby and tried my best to resist checking out Sephora or Shoppers but then I had to atleast visit Forever21... And this is what I got..

Face Illuminator

I dont have much hopes from this product cos it looks very shiny and goldeny to be used as a highlighter, but will review it soon after trying it out a bit. It costs around CAD $6.80, so not hard on pockets!

Next I got this Lipstick set, I have always wanted to try F21's lipsticks cos I have read some good reviews. There were 2 options -Reds and Berrys; I picked Berrys; playing safe, I know!

Aint it cute??? There are 5 mini lipsticks which looks like fun. I love the polka pink packaging and I wish they had same fun coloring inside. The gold is a bit mehh..

Then I got this cute earring...nothing special, but I love enamel work.

Then I got this Hard Candy All Glossed Up in Love Bite from Walmart.

And last, these are from an online purchase through iHerb.com; its a great website, I get all my herbal supplies from there.

I finally bought my 1st RT brush and a jumbo lip gloss from ELF in shade Sangria Starters.

From Essence, I got a red lip gloss from their XXL lip gloss range in shade - Red Blossom. [forgot to take individual pics]


Get a $10 off on your 1st purchase from iHerb:  http://www.iherb.com?rcode=ZJR651

Review and Swatches: Avon Glazewear Silky Shine lipstick in Coral Bliss

Avon discontinued this nice glossy lipstick for reasons which I cannot really understand - why would companies discontinue products which are this nice!

This lipstick has a really glossy finish and provides some amount of moisturizing though not enough to skip a lip balm. I'm just adding some swatches so you can see how lovely this product is...Why Avon, Why!

Look at that pretty summer color!!!!

Review: Jordana Quickliner for Eyes in Deep Wine

Hi Everyone,

I did a review of this particularly useless and horrible product in IMBB some time back.
Here is the link.

I wonder if cosmetic companies do enough sampling, because its not just a low-priced Jordana that comes up with duds, higher-end companies like TBS also makes superb bloomers when it comes to product creation.

A dud product!! Review & Swatches: e.l.f. Essential Waterproof Eyeliner Pen in Black

I got this eyeliner from local dollar store; there was only one shade there, the black color. I found more shades here in E.L.F website but somehow I don't regret not being able to lay my hands on that.

I got this a month ago and the swatch below should explain more than any words why I think this is a dud product from a favorite company of mine.

 The tip of the eyeliner pen is pretty unstable and kinda fans out when you try for a bit more precision.  But just look at the faded swatch and imagine trying to get use this on skin! And just after a month with hardly 2-3 uses!!

 

Let me add - I love ELF and I love many of their products; but this aint one of them! I think if you are looking for a low cost eyeliner pen, Essence cosmetics has much better options!