NYC City Duet 2 in 1 Lipcolor in shade Café Cuties 429

Hello Everyone,
Hope February is treating you nicely and you’re having loads of fun shopping. Myself, I have been indulging in bits-n-bytes of shopping – both in-store & online. This is from a recent Walmart haul [though buying a single lipstick cannot be counted as a haul]- they were having a sales & I thought – why not!

NYC City Duet shades retail for around $2.99 CAD. The packaging is pretty flimsy and boring- but serves the purpose as the transparent casing helps in selecting shades easily. Also the label is printed in the dual shades so even though there were no testers, we can guesstimate if it works on not.

I was hunting for a regular work-wear lip color – somehow I associate brown and dark reds with office; probably a leftover from watching FRIENDS early seasons. NYC has come up with an interesting concept here – 2 shades that kinds matches. I don’t know if they were thinking of aOMBRE finish for lips but this can be used if you are interesting in that style.

Café Cuties has 2 shades of peachy brown colors- 1 darker caramel kinda color and a lighter butterscotch color. I tried both shades separately and used the tip to get a combined color [a medium caramel shade].  I prefer the combination better than the individual colors as it’s a very mellow peachy nude shade.

What I like about this shade is, it can even be used without a lip balm as it does not dry me out [not in winter though]. The lighter shade has some shimmers, but not very visible, which makes it a great daily wear.

What I don’t like –
- the scent is a bit stronger than what I would prefer but not to a turn-off level
- staying power is average [2-3 hours] ; fades off completely which is okay as it’s a nude shade
-packaging is a bit messy as the cap doesn’t stay that well

Overall, for around $2, this is a nice peachy brown shade and a fun lip product for your daily wear but nothing lip-tastic.

Review: ELF Studio Matte Lip color in Coral

Hello Everyone,

Hope you are all doing great and having fun. I have been suffering a bit from Winter Blues [its been pretty bad here in Toronto] so like a good makeup lover I went and got some lippies. ELF has always been a favourite of mine - mainly cos they don’t test on animals and they have such nice prices, but I don’t always find ELF products here [sad!]. So when I saw this lippie at a dollar store here, how could I skip it?

ELF Studio range is marketed the higher priced and better quality versions of their regular essential line. They have sleek black casing and is usually around $3-$6 USD. Matte Lip colors are a not-so-chubby lip colors with creamy matte finish. Not many shades in this range, in fact no dark colors except for a bright red shade.

I like the elegant black packaging and the pencil-like casing. This makes it easy to apply the shade around lip contours. There is no strong scent or taste; staying power is okay- I got around 4-5 hours without any food.

Coral is a peachy coral, not a pinkish coral which is more flattering to our Indian skin tones. This gives a very creamy finish and sets to a satin-matte finish. Not a true matte effect but you can mattify this & increase the staying power easily by blotting over 1-2 times.

I am not a fan of this color as it kind of washes me out; this type of pastel shades are more suited to a paler and fairer skin tones. Also if you have pigmented lips [like me] then the color doesn’t show up really nice unless you conceal the original lip color.

If you like such colors, my suggestion would be to try and perfect your makeup as pale shades can easily show any uneven skin finishes.

Overall, this is a nice lip product for all you nude-lip lovers; if you are looking for a perfect matte, this may be tad disappointing though.

A perfect waste of money.. Review and Swatches: Chambor White UV Protector

I wasted around 600INR for this dud of a product. As per the SA [may her lying soul not rest in peace], this was supposed to be a great tinted moisturizer that will brighten up skin in 5mins and had the added bonus of SPF 29..Why 29???? No rounding off??

This did nothing...absolutely nothing... no brightening, no moisturizing and when I went out in the hot April sun of Chennai, within an hour I turned 2-3 shades darker! Above all, it had a freakish whitish cast, so I couldn't even try to use it as a primer - did Chambor think that people wanted to dress up like cheap Dracula's bride?

And for a company that charges kinda high for their products, the packaging is weirdly cheap and has no information on the company, the ingredients or anything.

Nothing more to add - Just check the pics below.

Product of Japan -so whats the role of GENEVA ??????

Look at that whitish cast!!!!

Tips and Tricks: How to stop your nails from getting bitten!

This might be more of a post for kids or teens, but for me this is a real concern and if there are any other ladies out there who suffer from the same "I-cant-just-stop-biting-my-nails" malady, I hope this strikes a chord with you.

Okay, I am an adult, I like dressing up, I love nail polishes, I adore manicured polished nails and yet... I cant just stop biting the lil ones, when I am stressed :( I know there might be several psychological reasons, but hey, I am not here to talk about that but about how this naughty habit can be controlled. Since this is an article based on purely personal experience, you  can tell me if its nonsense or let me know if you like it :)

1. Keep your Friends and Family in the loop: Nothing works better than a friend who smacks your head when you start chewing on your nails or a husband who says "yewwww..stop that", so keep em in the loop and that sure controls the biting part a lot!

2. Keep your nails hidden: The idea is to keep your nails tucked away from the reach of those vicious teeth. I do it by wrapping my nails with an adhesive plastic or with a glove, removing both only if necessary.

3. Shame yourself and your nails: Here, you shame your bitten nails and yourself by applying a bold nail color over the misshapen bits of nails, walking around with it and getting stared at by people. Your beauty conscious self cringes at the sight of your half bitten nails and next time, your teeth goes near it, your inner beauty angel will kick hard!

4. Identify the bite timings: This requires effort, think and try to remember when you bite your nails. Is it when you think about seeing your cranky boss, or meeting your crazy mama-in-law? Once you identify, tag the memory and next time you start even remotely thinking about it, keep in your hands away from your face and in your pocket!

5. Un-taste your hands: Cover your hands with hand and nail creams so easily available, and soooo not tasty. Keep doing it especially when you are idle. The chemical taste is a sure turn off :)

6. Tempt Yourself: Buy some expensive and/or irresistible nail polishes which would tempt you enough to ring those warning bells when you start chewing your nails.


Note: All images are courtesy of Pixabay.com 

Another MIA Brand.. Review and Swatches: Womsee Liquid Lip color in shade Grecian Rose

Ayur Herbals had launched their color cosmetics brand - Womsee sometime before and Snapdeal.com used to carry this line. I was intrigued by the Liquid Lip color line and got this shade from them.

This is pretty similar to NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams - similar consistency and color payoff. NYX lasts longer than this one though. I liked this purplish pink shade.

For INR 150, this was a nice product but unfortunately I cant find this brand being sold anywhere. Hope we will have more pocket friendly and non-animal-testing brands in Indian markets soon.

To say or not to say? Review: Hard Candy Sheer Envy Skin Illuminating Primer

This is a product I am in two minds about - sometimes I like it, sometimes I don't. Let me explain more..

Hard Candy Sheer Envy primer is my 4th attempt at finding a primer that works like one. I tried a sample of MAC prep + prime and I surprised myself by not liking it - weird huh? It felt like I am applying some kinda gooky stuff on my face and I didn't like the feel at all. And then there were some others..

I'd read some good reviews and some so-so's - for the price I thought 'Leme check this one out'... Now here is the deal - this works with some foundations, sometimes this feels good on skin and some other times, it just irritates the hell outta me. I can't find out exactly why and how this happens - a primer that behaves like a kid!!

With my Revlon Colorstay this behaves like a nice one - no worries, stays quiet for a long time and feels good to have around. With my Body Shop Extra Virgin Minerals liquid foundation, this one behaves like a kid denied of a favorite icecream - all flaky and no reasoning with it all. And then some days, it sits well on my skin, some days it feels like slime... a tough one to figure out.

Overall - would I recommend it? Nooo.. Would I ask you to run away from it? Nooo.. Do you wish to try a low cost primer and do you have dry skin? May be this one will work for you- All the best!

Instant face brightener from your kitchens.. Party special tip

Here is an instant face brightener tip.. thank me once you try this..
Have a party at 7pm and you discover you look more like zombie bride after a grueling workday?
Try this to pep up your skin and looks..

What you need..

1. 1 bottle of water or as much as you need to drink to get you to pee atleast once :) believe me, it is not nonsense.. If you can get Orange juice, lime juice or any good juice, all the more better... keep drinking till you pee atleast once...

2. Got some ice? Rub on your face after washing it.. and rub on it once more after you apply your moisturiser and has rubbed it in.. this really gets your skin smooth and calm..

Courtesy: Pixabay.com

3. Take a pad of cotton or any good cloth, wet it nicely with as cold water as you can manage and put it over your face and lie down for 5-10mins... Your skin will thank you for the rest.

4. Finally, the brightening part.. got a banana? Mash a small part of it, and rub it all over your face before you start any beauty regime or makeup.. Massage for atleast 2-3mins and keep it on for another 5mins. If possible, lie down with a warm-wet-cloth over the face...

My skin looks very fresh after the stuff I mentioned above and I like cos a major part deals with lying down and its something I sooooooo wanna do after a days work before any party or outing..

Did it work for you? Let me know.. :)

Lazy Beauty Guide- Looking Good While Cooking :-)

This might look confusing but its about how you can multi task while doing house hold chores like cooking, to do some beauty treatment at the same time without spending exclusive time for it.

What I do while I cook:

1. Using oil- do you use olive oil? If so dab some on your face with a brisk massage before you start your kitchen chores and your face will benefit without additional effort. Actually any oil will do.
If you suffer from facial hair like I do, heat some oil with some turmeric till the oil turns light yellowish -make sure the turmeric powder doesn't burn - and use this oil daily to brighten your face and reduce hair growth.

Courtesy: Pixabay.com

2. When you cut/peel vegetables or fruits like orange, apple, carrot, cucumber, beetroot, potato etc, use a small slice or the peel to rub the juice all over your face. You get a good mini facial with no additional time or effort.

3. Need glowing skin in 5 mins? Take butter or ghee and massage all over your face for 3-4 mins. If you can rub some lime juice after this onto your face, even better. Keep massaging and wash off with water, no soap and use napkins or oil absorbent tissues to wipe off additional oil. Use rose water or a toner or milk and pat it over lightly. Get that baby smooth glowing skin without any hard work.

Let me know how this works for you..:)

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.