And then I got my Liebster...

Kristen Doyle, from www.everybeautytalks.com, thank you dear for nominating me for a Liebster.. I am so honored..
 <sighs, smiles & hugs>  :) :)

These are the rules:
 ->You must link back to the person who nominated you.
-> You must state 11 facts about yourself.
-> You must answer the 11 questions given to you.
-> You must nominate 11 others,and set 11 questions for them to answer.
-> You can't nominate the person who nominated you.
-> You must tell the people you've nominated them,so they can take part!

11 Facts about me [dont start yawning yet :)]

1. I am proud of being an Aquarian, a Woman and a nice cook!

2. My dad, my mom and me share the same birth date :)

3. I can drink tea any time of the day..

4. I cant wear eyeshadows most of the time as they trigger my migraine.. :( :( :(

5. Some day, I want to go out wearing a Neon Green Lipstick

6.I am super duper scared of Spiders

7.I cry everytime I watch Titanic

8. I dont like Icecreams and Chocolates - I think I may be the only person to say that in this world

9. I have read Pride and Prejudice at least a 100 times.

10. My fave fruit is Watermelon but I don't like if it drips, so I cant usually eat that!

11. My fave color is Yellow.. I love the brightness and life in that color..


Whewwww...that was harder than I thought!


And these are the questions that Kristen set for me:

How often do you paint your nails?

Hmm, once in a week, sometimes twice a day.. depends on my mood.. :)

What is your favourite food?













If that means the one food I cant live without, thats a hot cup of Tea [Indian style]. Thats my wake me up, pick me up and glucose!!

If it was a rainy day and you were rugged up watching TV, what would you be watching?

Something funny and mood-lifting -may be a rom-com or may be an episode of Two and a Half Men :) I prefer to watch movies or sitcoms that relaxes me than what makes me think and strain.. gah!

What is your favourite day of the week any why?



That would be Thursday.. when I start planning my weekend and I can look forward to something special on Friday :)

Do you have any pets?

No.. :( but I love dogs.. will adopt one soon I hope!

If you could go to any holiday destination, where would you go?

Once upon a time, it was Provence in France.. now its the beach near my house in Kerala, India in September... That has to be the most relaxing place, there is something in watching the ocean & waves that soothes and calms.. :) However, wouldnt say No to a vacation in France or Austria though !

Do you prefer to be given flowers or chocolates?

Neither - I prefer to be given a Sephora Gift Card or a Paypal transfer for my online shopping :) :) [hubby, are you reading this?]

What is your favourite beauty product?

Lipstick...lip balm..lip gloss...lip liner... lip paint.. lip tint..Well, you get the idea!

Do you collect anything?

For now, I am trying hard to collect as many Red Lipsticks I can buy without breaking my bank!

What can't you live without? The city or the countryside?

I wish I could say countryside.. I love it... but the shopaholic in me screams Liar!!!


And I nominate these lovely dears for my Liebster:

1. Stylecupcake  @_Stylecupcake  http://stylecupcakee.blogspot.ca/
2. Just Because Beauty @justbecozbeauty http://justbecausebeauty.wordpress.com/
3. Vibussha @beautyroomxox http://www.beautyroomxox.blogspot.ca/
4. Katherine Rose‏@viavioletdotcom www.viaviolet.com
5. Sara‏@happysara89  http://saralotus.blogspot.ca/
6.Melissa B‏@Melissa_Bubbles  http://bbubbles16.blogspot.com.au/
7. Alexasunshine83‏@Alexasunshine83 alexasunshine83.blogspot.com
8. Kaileigh‏@kaileighr8 http://kaileighsbeautyreviews.blogspot.ca/
9.Carley Bonnett‏@carleybe24 carleysworldofbeauty.blogspot.com
10. Jessica Casillas‏@jesscasillasx  http://jesscasillasx.blogspot.co.uk/
11. Euge ♥‏@eugeetcheverryv http://myobsessionsdiary.blogspot.com.ar/

And these are my questions for the lovely ladies:

1. If you could listen to only 1 song, which one would you pick?

2. What is your favorite lip color?

3. Cats or Dogs or snakes or..u get the idea

4. What is your deserted-island book or movie?

5. If you get to meet one celebrity, who would that be?

6. What is your favorite cuisine?

7. If you had to pick 1 skin care, 1 makeup and 1 hair care product from the best all over the world, what would you pick?

8. Of all the names in the world, what name do you like best? And if you have a why, tell us that also..

9. You get a genie and your 3 wishes are [at least the ones you can say in public are :)] ...

10. Do you ever dream of being a Disney princess? If so, who is your fav?

11. Your favorite makeup/skincare/haircare tip, the one that you may pass to your kids blah blah..


Last but not least, do visit my giveaway - Estee Lauder, NYX and more..

 

Ipsy Glam Bag for March 2014: Destination Beauty

Ipsy's March bag is an awesome one - nice products, pretty bag -overall very well planned. I have always wanted to try the 2 brands - Bare Minerals and Pixi, so I was very happy to see them.

I am just showing you the products I received - no swatches, sorry. I will do a detailed review of each of these products later.

I absolutely love this bag, so artsy and quaint!

NYX palette- not too excited as already have so many neutral palettes.

Chella Eyeliner pen- looks interesting and I can never have enough blue eyeliner, can I? :)

Pixi Primer and Bareminerals Marvelous Moxie lipstick in Get Read - Me loves..

Overall, I am happy with this month's Ipsy - especially love that bag!

What not to buy! Tresemme Fresh Start Dry Shampoo

This is a rant post. I used this product today & yesterday and after screaming at my mirror [thankfully it didn't break] I immediately took some pics and decided to post this today.

Okay,here is my question to Tresemme -When you buy a dry shampoo aimed for fine oily hair, it is supposed to make your hair 1.) more oily and sticky  2) Dry ?

Wondering about that one? Well, here is another - What is the purpose of Dry shampoos ?
1. To keep scalp and hair neat & dry for days with no-rinsing
2. To make scalp and hair more oily and sticky so people look at you and think 'hey, get a wash'
3. Waste buyer's money by doing nothing and adding chemicals to the scalp

If you thought,  Well its obvious, its 1, Tresemme thought 2 and 3. I really cant see any other reason why they would think this is a good dry shampoo to be put on market. This from a brand who delivers pretty awesome hair care product! Makes you wonder, whom to trust!

What this dry shampoo didn't do -
It didn't give a dry clean neat feeling to my scalp. It didn't make my hair less funky. It didn't give a fresh look to my hair.

What this dry shampoo does -
It made my scalp itchy, oily all day. My scalp felt heavy and I could actually feel my hair becoming lanky and droopy. It made me feel guilty for buying 2 on sales when I could have just got Batiste for the price.

Overall - Dont dont dont pls dont buy this shampoo! Buy Batiste, buy Klorane or wash your hair!

Where to shop for makeup and beauty in Toronto!

Ever been to Toronto or planning to or wondering what to ask your friend/cousin to bring back from TO?

As a makeup addict and shopaholic, I have found Toronto a great place to shop for, though definitely not as best as its neighbour – NYC [sigh!]

So this is a shopping guide based on my experience of shopping for makeup & beauty stuff here and hope it’s useful for you!

Some superb Canadian makeup brands:

1.      Bite Beauty – Yes, this superb lipstick brand is from Toronto –so 3 cheers! http://bitebeauty.com/blog/sample-page/

2.      Cargo cosmetics - http://www.cargocosmetics.com/    Never tried anything yet.

3.      Vasanti Cosmetics: www.vasanticosmetics.com/ca           - Never tried any of their products but everything looks tempting!

4.      Annabelle and sister company Marcelle - www.marcelle.com http://www.annabelle.ca I love Annabelle’s twist up crayons and Marcelle BB and CC creams.

Drugstore Shopping

1.      Shoppers Drug Mart : I don’t know if its fair to categorize Shoppers as a drugstore as it carries high end makeup as well. They have a specialized Beauty boutique in select locations.

For the budget conscious, they carry Essence Cosmetics which is an awesome and fun brand.

What I like: Lots of stores, friendly sales staff and if you’ve signed up for their Optimum card, you get coupons every Friday

What I don’t like: They can be pricier than other stores. 

Details on brands and locations: https://www1.shoppersdrugmart.ca/en/Home

Online store: www.murale.ca [high end boutique]

2.      Rexall: This is also a popular drugstore and carries NYX and recently Wet n Wild [though usually never the latest offerings from these brands! L]

What I like: They are usually faster in carrying the latest products; I found NYC lip crayons, Revlon balm stains launched 1^st here . Also for some products, they can be cheaper than Shoppers

No online store

Website: http://www.rexall.ca/

3.      Walmart: Well, I don’t think they need intro. Curiously, I find that Walmarts in Toronto are kind of messier and carry lesser product variety than Walmarts in places like Kitchener.

What I like: Sometimes they have good deals. Depending on which store you go to, you can find Milani, Wet n Wild etc. Don’t expect any high end brands.

What I don’t like: Counters are usually messy; products are often left used. Very few staff to support and help.

Details: www.walmart.ca

4.      Real Canadian Super store and Zehr’s : I love these stores cos they have nice displays which are better maintained that Walmart. They carry Milani, Wet n wild and I have seen new ELF palettes sometimes.

What I Like: Better selection and well maintained stores

What I don’t like: Nothing much except that I wish they had more drugstore brand range similar to US stores.

5.      Target: In Canada, Target doesn’t show in full potential – I must admit I am a bit disappointed with them; there was such an expectation and hype of Target bringing some new goodies with it.

What I Like: You can buy Sonia Kashuk and Pixi here. Sonia Kashuk lippies are great; I have never tried Pixi yet.

What I don’t like: It’s a bit disappointing to visit Target after watching all those Youtube haul videos where they show case the amazing stuff available at Target US.

6.      Winners: These are a set of retail stores – similar to Marshalls; they sometimes have ELF and some other cosmetics.

Not a favourite as displays are usually messy and weirdly priced.

Website: https://www.winners.ca/en/index.asp

7.      Marshalls: These stores are part of TJMAXX group but I am not sure if they are as good as their parent stores.

I have not found many brand offerings here; they carry ELF and some other stuff. I go there if I need to find a cute top.

https://www.marshallscanada.ca/en/index.asp

Department stores:

1.      Sears: Again, no need of intro. They carry high end brands like Clarins, Clinique and usually have some or other promotions running.

Again, don’t expect brand availability like their US stores.

However, I never find their sales staff available in most of the stores I have been to in GTA area.

Online store: http://www.sears.ca/

2.      Hudson’s Bay: They have a history in Canada and is the oldest in NA. I also find their stores excellent from an ambience and brand selections view.

They carry MAC along with other high end brands. They also have Fashion Fair – a line for women of color and Illamasqua.

Online store: http://www.thebay.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/en/thebay

3.      Holt Renfrew: This is a luxury department store; I have never been to one, may visit soon.

They carry Laura Mercier and I have read somewhere that Lime Crime is also available there.

Website : http://www.holtrenfrew.com/

Speciality stores and others:

1.      Sephora: Again, no need for intro. I love em! Its like going to a wonderland

Website: http://www.sephora.com/

2.      Claire’s and Icing: These are a set of retail stores targeted for Teens. But nothing to stop us from shopping.

I like their brushes and eyeshadow sets.

http://www.icing.com/icing/ca/

http://www.claires.com/store/ca/index.jsp?locale=en_CA&flag=CA

3.      Sally Beauty Supply: Mostly targeted for business buyers but they carry lots of interesting stuff like Palladio, Femme Couture & Sally girl.

They usually have deals and if you get a beauty card, you get good discounts

Website: http://www.sallybeauty.com/

4.      Lush: No need for intro, they have amazing bath and beauty products. I especially like the Eaton centre one, the staff is so warm and friendly

Website: www.lush.ca

5.      Yves Rocher: It is a French beauty brand and they have a good store at Eaton Centre. However I prefer buying online as I find more deals and offers.

Website: http://www.yvesrocher.ca/control/main/

6.      Forever21: I like their lipsticks and face wipes. This is not for the serious buyer, but for the fun-seeking ones.

Also if you’re on a budget you might like trying out their products

Website: http://canada.forever21.com/Product/Main.aspx?BR=F21

7.      H&M: They have some cosmetics but it differs from store to store. Not a fan of this, but if you are looking for fun products, why not!

Website: http://www.hm.com/ca/subdepartment/LADIES?Nr=4294966132

8.      Victoria’s Secret: The lingerie brand has some amazing cosmetics; they don’t need any additional ads, just look at their models!

I got a highlighter from their Eaton Centre store and I am sooooooooo in loveeee.. A lipstick costs $14 [MAC costs $15] so they are definitely not a drugstore brand!

Website: http://www.victoriassecret.com/beauty

Malls:

1.      Eaton Centre -> Busy, crowded always but I love shopping at this iconic place. Stores- MAC [not a great store, staff kinda snooty], The Body Shop etc.

2.      Fairview Mall -> More peaceful; has Face shop, L’Occitane –so well worth a visit

3.      Pacific Mall -> Again crowded. I found this kinda confusing on my 1^st visit. Reputed to have some great Korean stores

4.      Scarborough Centre -> I found this mall kind of dingy.

5.      Dufferin Mall -> Okay Dokey but if you are visiting Toronto, don’t waste time going here!

6.      Square One, Mississauga -> Awesome mall; wear a pair of nice walking shoes cos it goes on and on… Lots of stores so a great place for full day shopping  

Makeup Artist shopping:

I am adding some links below for store. I have visited only the KW Magic store. The staff was nice but I find that its easier to do a one-stop shopping during IMATS.

http://www.kwmagic.com/

http://www.blurmakeuproom.com/

http://store.malabar.net/Make-up-Beauty-Make-up/

http://www.hiscott.ca/plus/list.php?tid=48

http://www.candyscostumeshoponline.com/

http://www.alchemycenter.com/makeupartstudio/store.html

Some great online stores:

1.      www.nailpolishcanada.com  - Love, love, love… I got Lime Crime from there recently; superb customer service and FREE SHIPPING!!!!

2.      www.well.ca – a really great online store; I make at least one purchase per month. Only complaint is that they don’t send any coupons or offers…

3.      www.iherb.com – This is a US based store but they carry lots of interesting stuff

4.      www.urbanoutfitters.com – A Great store to check out…lots of brands and options!

This is a living list- let me know of brands and stores you love!

My hair loves..... HASK Argan Oil Healing Shine Hair Treatment

I am very conservative & sensitive when it comes to hair care.

I trust in tried & tested grandma recipes for hair packs and I usually stay away from Hair styling products.

Now don't get the wrong idea - I have nothing against hair sprays; I just can’t stand them as they give me an instant migraine [Don't ask Why and How].

I would love to style my hair and get those beach waves or curls but anything of that shape in a NO-NO.

So the best hope I have to flaunt my mane is by making sure it looks as silky and shiny as possible.

During the last 3 months, the winter here nearly made me go EEEK whenever I looked at my hair.

So, I was searching for a lightweight hair potion that I could use daily, protect my hair from the blow-dry & A/C and yet would not trigger my sensitive migraine mechanisms.

Does this sound a bit like I am asking too much?

I was planning to try Argan oil products as I have read some good reviews.

When I saw this mini HASK Argan Oil  Hair Treatment for $3CAD at my local Walmart, I was like ‘Oh yeah, something new to try”..

 

You know what they say about good things come in small packages –well, that is true for this mini hair-rescuer.

Ever since I started applying this on my hair after bath or any time I use my blow dryer, my hair has started looking sleeker, shinier and silkier.

I also love the scent of this product- reminds me of some sensuous scents I’d tried at a spa in India…

The liquid has that gel-oil-ish consistency that hair serums have; it is pretty easy to apply and 1 tube lasted me for around 10 uses [I have long hair and I apply this from shoulder to the hair ends]

Overall: I agree with the product claims- it does rescue hair without leaving oily residues.

I have already got around 3-4 vials as back-up and I will be getting more n more.. :

Tips for Office: How to look sick without looking SICK :)

This is something that I thought of, as part of 2 different scenarios:

• One, my colleague came after 2 days of sick leave looking pretty fresh and with good makeup...Her boss remarked to me - 'Looks like someone took sick leave for a vacation, she doesn't look like she was sick!'
• Two, another colleague came after a cold & flu bout looking like fresh out of sick room and my friend said, 'I am not going to talk to her, she looks pretty sick and yuck!'

So, I thought, how to strike a medium? I have  written a post previously on How to Dress when Sick... but that article is when you don't want to look sick when you are sick.. This article will help you on how to dress without either making people wonder where you actually were or looking like a zombie from hospital..

The concept is to avoiding looking fresh or bold while adding fragility to your look; Elegance is the key.

Here we go:

Avoid fresh or bold lip colors
This is the best time to go for nude or neutral colors. If you are not a fan of nude colors, or find it boring or is wondering how to use it, you can try them for 1-2 days after your sick leave.

My pick is Revlon's Ginger Rose or Demure from their Super Lustrous line.

Avoid Blushers, Bronzers or Highlighters
I know, this is the hardest step for me and for many... But trust me, nothing makes you look a bit tired than skipping that blusher. If its real hard for you, go for your fall shades -dark mauvish ones.
Also avoid cream blushes  - you don't want a dewy glow!
My pick would be NYX Dusty Rose.

Say No to Bold Eyes
Again, a very hard thing for me to do, but nothing brightens your face like a nicely done eye look, so try avoiding that. This doesn't mean ignoring your eyes completely. I suggest either skipping your mascara or liner or toning down the intensity a bit - if you usually apply 2 coats of mascara, go for 1. Also avoid any Cats-eye, winged eyeliner looks.

Also, avoid black for your eyeliners; instead go for shades of brown. The intent here is to look tired yet perfectly made up.

Say Yes to Clean Matte Look
A dewy look is again NO NO - go for a clean matte finish, so bring on your powder foundations to get that clean, elegant yet fragile look.


These are my tried and tested ideas... Let me know how this work for you and also if you have any ideas :)

Brow colors for Just $2 - Wet n Wild Color Icon Brow and Eye Liners in shades Mink Brown and Charcoal and some tips on eyebrow-ing

Wet n Wild has some great products that doesn't hurt the pocket yet meets the need. This is one of them. I am not comparing these to Anastasia Brow pen or so, but if you are looking for a budget brow liner, this is something you can try -  just for $1-2 [depending on sales and location].



There are around 14 shades but I could find only 3-4 shades in the Walmart here in Toronto; anyways I don't think I will be wearing Green or Purple shades on my brows yet, so that is fine. I usually wear black on my brows but I got these 2 shades, to play a bit with my brow shapes.

 Mink brown is a dark coffee colored brown that is not too red and easily helps in creating a softly darker effect for my darker brownish-black eyebrows. This is especially good for day time looks.

Charcoal is a greyish-black shade. I find it more useful as an eyeliner for creating smokey eyes than as a brow liner. However, I find that if I use this on the arch and tail area of the brow and  apply a darker shade lightly, it gives a very elegant look to my brows.

For both the colors, the pigmentation was very nice; there was no tugging and it applied smoothly. However I would suggest this as a standalone eyeliner especially in the lower eyelid area as it can smudge if not set. If you are using this as an eyebrow pencil, you don't need wax, but you would need some dark brow powder to set it for a longer wear.

Michelle Phan, the famous Youtube guru, emphasizes a lot on brow makeup; while I do agree with her on how effective a nicely made brow can look, I do wish that people really take effort to learn from a Pro on what makeup suits their brows the best. My advise for anyone playing with eyebrows is to err on the safer side;if you are not sure what and how to do the shaping, either trust a good professional or check out some Youtube videos to guide you. Here are some tips I have learnt through experience:

1. If you are in a hurry, don't try to do your entire brows. Instead concentrate on shaping the arch and the tail. Light brush the hairs near the starting area of your eyebrows but don't try to color too much.

2. Working on arches but not sure which shape works best? The most commonly flattering shape would be a high arch, so lightly brush your arch in a soft inverted V motion. Do not use too much color in a single swipe, slowly built up the color to your best intensity.

3. Black is not a universal color, medium dark brown is better suited to be a universal shade.

4. Ignored your eyebrows for a month and just remembered you have a party to go tonight? Instead waxing or hurriedly tweezing your eyebrows, concentrate on trimming the wayward hairs at the starting point of the eyebrow. If you have too many wayward hairs growing all over your brows, then concentrate on finding a softer shape with a light-medium brown brow liner and use a spooly to brush the hairs neatly.

5. Avoid making your eyebrows too thin - it ages you very much. A well shaped eyebrow is different from a fine narrow eyebrow; if you have sparse eyebrows, use a brow liner one shade lighter, not darker - this will give a more natural finish to your eyebrows.

5. Finally, visit a good salon before you try radical new eyebrow shapes to find out what suits your face the best. Most natural shapes are beautiful and needs only a bit of a structure. A pro would be able to suggest the best eye shape, which would depend on your nose shape, your eyes and your overall face structure.