For long, I had been on the look-out for a nice face pack that I could use while travelling. I have used face masks in the past which were not exactly a pleasant experience, mainly because they came off in bits and pieces and not as a peel as I would have liked them to. But even though this was not a face pack but a mask, I just had to buy it for its simple and fuss-free sachet styling . To elaborate how well it fared on my expectations, let me proceed with the review...
Have you been to a Health and Glow store? Well, most of you must have! But for the rest who haven't, let me brief you about this place. This is a place swarming with SAs who know nothing but want to help you with everything! Hmmm, okay almost all SAs, if not all!!! Let me go through what you will most likely experience in case you have never entered this store before.
As you can see, I could not stop myself from ordering the October Vellvette box even though I was not quite happy with the September one (Read about the September box here). This came through DTDC courier in the afternoon and I was not at home; so he asked me to collect it from his office. I tried calling him again several times just to say that I am round the corner and to wait for just 5 minutes. He did not answer my calls and when he did, he was so rude, did not even listen, and kept disconnecting abruptly. Finally I had to go and collect it myself but before that, I gave him a piece of my mind. I mean, all the courier companies have such good customer service. They usually make 3 attempts to deliver or atleast call before coming. These DTDC people are horrible and so rude! I will have to write in to the Vellvette folks to employ some other courier company in the future. Okay, now let us see what I got in my October Vellvette box...
I got this whitening/depigmentation cream some time back and you must have also seen it in my haul post (read here). Some of the readers wanted me to review it. It is almost 11/2 months now that I have been using it and would now like to share my experience with all of you. Before that, I would like to know what these companies mean by 'whitening'. Can any skin be white in color? I am not referring to the racial context here. I can think of white as a skin color, only in one condition, and that is if you are an albino. Now that is not something a person would like to be, given a choice.
Indian Beauty Cafe received its third award - the 'One Lovely Blog Award'. I have been honored with this award by the friendly Poorva of All Things Beautiful and I would like to thank her for this gesture. Do join her in her 'beauty-full' journey!
As we all know, no matter how expensive a cream we slather on our skin; a proper diet, fitness routine and lifestyle are of utmost importance in achieving good health and beauty. In our modern-day lives, we somehow tend to neglect these factors. We rely a lot on ready-made stuff, laden with preservatives and chemicals. As a result, there is a build-up of harmful substances in the body. To get rid of these harmful substances or toxins, it is necessary to detoxify your body, once in a while. Here, I am sharing a health drink recipe from the celebrity dietician, Shonali Sabherwal's book. As the name suggests, this drink or juice will help in complete cleansing and purification of the body. It detoxifies your entire system and flushes out the build-up of harmful substances from your body.
This is the story of a love triangle. The story is set around 2 weeks back in time when I went in quest of Kryolan products to the only store in town that would probably have them. But all they had were some palettes (which I did not want) and the TV Paintstick (which I already have). I was just about to leave when the SA dragged me to the Maybelline counter and kept forward all the Color Tattoo eyeshadows. I vaguely remembered hearing about them in the distant past but since they were cream-based, I had already made up my mind not to buy them. There was this one color, though, that attracted and distracted me - and that was the 'Fierce and Tangy'!. By this time, somehow, the SA had managed to swatch all of them on my hand. I do not remember the other shades as I was all eyes just for the 'Fierce and Tangy'. It so happened that the mind that was obsessed with Kryolan while going in, now came out of the store with the 'Fierce and Tangy' haunting it. I did not buy it that day.... Four days back, on a Sunday, I went to the nearby mall, this time for the Baby Lips lip balm. I glanced again and decided to buy this time, no not Baby Lips but the 'Fierce and Tangy' Color Tattoo!!! How far does this story go? Does it end in tragedy or was it a happy ending? Want to find out? Keep reading...
I had placed an order for the September (and also my first) Vellvette box a week ago and received it today by Aramex courier. In my excitement, I ran and got the scissors and madly tore away all the outer packaging . And what do I see? A black box tied with a pink ribbon! So far, so good. Now let us see what I actually got....
Indian Beauty Cafe was recently honored with the Sunshine Blogger Award! I would like to thank my blog-buddies who graced me with this award: Aparajita (http://colorsofmylife13.blogspot.in/) Poorva (http://beauty-fulljourney.blogspot.in) Niesha (http://www.indianbeautyforever.com) I hope to keep up the good work. Thank you once again!
"Charm is a glow within a woman that casts a most becoming light on others" - John Mason Brown, late American drama critic. Whenever I apply face pack, Junior has this game kind of thing with me where I have to act like a ghost. I pretend to scare him and he pretends to get scared. I say 'pretend' because these days, the kids do not get scared by ghosts anymore. I am pretty sure that if I see something like a ghost, I will surely faint but not Junior! There is nothing to scare him with! If at all I do try, then he comes up with his old-man wisdom and logic, and then I get scared.
Coming to the face pack, certainly my face had a glow when the pack was on my face. But was there a glow after I washed off the pack??? Let us see...
After ruling the Indian kohl world for nearly a year now, Maybelline Colossal Kajal is witnessing a new competitor in the form of Lakme Eyeconic Kajal. A similar wave has hit upon the makeup market with most online and offline stores declaring a 'Sold-Out' on the latest Lakme eyeconic kajal. As for me, the Colossal has been and continues to be a favourite since an entire year. Too much of a good thing can sometimes get very uninteresting. So if you think that my comparison between these two kohl pencils is going to be biased, then you are mistaken. For as much as I still love my Colossal, I am also eagerly waiting for an another brand that can replace it. You see, I am starting to get a little bored using the same kohl for over a year now. The Colossal is still great but it is time now for a change. Let us see if the Eyeconic can meet the high standards set up by my Colossal or if it actually fares better....
"Music is supposed to wash away the dust of everyday life" - late Art Blakey, American jazz musician and Grammy Award winner. Come to think of it, that's all a face wash is required to do too i.e., wash away the daily dust and dirt from our face.
I already have a 'gentle' face wash and was actually looking for a replacement for my 'stronger' Lakme Strawberry face wash that I normally use after oiling away my makeup (what's that? Read this post). And, so I bought this face wash with that goal in mind. Now, here is the review....
Haul posts are my favourite kind of posts. Irrespective of whether the haul is small or huge, it never fails to attract me. If you ask me, it is an extension of retail therapy. A strange and special kind of happiness takes over me when I see a haul, even if it is someone else's. Hope you like my haul too. Here are more pictures...
I am posting here the recipe for the Pazha Pradhaman Payasam that you all saw in My Onam 2012 post. Pazha Pradhaman is a payasam of ripe, mashed plantains in coconut milk and jaggery. The plantain ('Nenthra Pazham' in Malayalam) is a member of the banana family, though lower in sugar content and more energy-packed than a normal banana. Here is the recipe...
As promised, here is the recipe of the Palada Payasam that I showed you in this post. For the benefit of readers who are unfamiliar with this dessert, I shall first tell you what is palada paayasam... So what is 'payasam'? It is similar to the North Indian 'Kheer' or the English 'pudding'. What is 'ada'? It is made from whole rice that has been pressed into small rectangles. 'Palada' is so called since the 'ada' or pressed-rice rectangles are cooked in milk. Warning- High-sugar content ahead...proceed at your own risk!!!
Our Pookalam, with a Traditional Lamp placed in the Centre
First of all, I hope that you all of you had a wonderful Onam! And those of you who are not aware of this festival, let me enlighten you! Onam is originally a Hindu festival of Kerala. However, in central Kerala, where I hail from, this festival is celebrated with equal spirit and fervour among people of all religions. I love the Onam festival especially for 2 reasons - the Onam Sadhya and the Pookalam. The Onam Sadhya is a purely-vegetarian feast prepared during Onam. Being a vegetarian myself, I love this meal, especially the Paayasam (dessert/kheer). The Pookalam is a flower arrangement made on the floor. I just love and thoroughly enjoy making this flower decoration each year.
"The best thing is to look natural, but it takes makeup to look natural" - Calvin Klein, American fashion designer, also known for his perfumes, watches, and jewellery. This is easier said than done. For the natural look, finding an appropriate foundation or makeup base in the right shade and then finding the best way to apply it - do this and more than half your job is done. The rest of the task is not as difficult. Most of the times, the foundations available in India (both Indian and international brands) have such limited shades that it becomes quite difficult to get a close match for your complexion. Even if you manage to get that right, getting the perfect finish, coverage, staying power and all other required qualities in one foundation is not just difficult but a never-ending process of trial and error.
Now let me narrate my Kryolan TV paint stick experience to you.....
"The fact that I can plant a seed and it becomes a flower, share a bit of knowledge and it becomes another's, smile at someone and receive a smile in return, are to me continual spiritual exercises" - Leo Buscaglia
Some years back, I had read an article by this name in a leading newspaper. I had also just seen the film, 'The Devil Wears Prada'; so naturally this too caught my eye.
So, what does the line actually mean? - 'The Devil wears Prada When God is not in Gucci'
Indian Beauty Cafe was recently honored with the Liebster Blog Award! Here, I would like to thank my blog-buddies who graced me with this award: Apoorva (http://apoorvathinks.blogspot.in/) Swati R (http://serendipitybyswatir.wordpress.com/) Smita (http://smitazzworld.blogspot.in/) Sudhaa Gopinath (http://shadesforduskywomen.blogspot.in/) Poorva (http://beauty-fulljourney.blogspot.in) Niesha (http://www.indianbeautyforever.com) Thanks a lot for this award.
"Nothing revives the past so completely as a smell that was once associated with it." Vladimir Nabokov, the late multilingual Russianwriter and poet could not have been more right. Smells play a significant role in recalling past memories and incidents. A mere shampoo can take you back to your childhood where your mother used to lovingly wash your hair with a similar-smelling one. Not all smells recall pleasant memories, though. In his childhood, Mr. B came across a worm or insect that smelt (according to him, exactly) like coriander leaves. The result - Till date, Mr. B cannot stand the smell of coriander leaves as it reminds him of the unfateful encounter with that worm or insect with which he obviously did not have a nice time. Mind you, it is only the coriander leaves that are banned from his dishes, not the coriander seeds or the powder. Those are still okay. The Carnival deo spray by Avon is unique and does not remind me of anything from my past. However, when I do spray or sniff it, I visualise myself in a field full of roses and citrusy scents. Let me tell you further......
"Politeness is to human nature what warmth is to wax"- these are the words of the late German philosopher, Arthur Schopenhauer. Just as warmth softens wax, a little politeness in your personality adds gentleness and makes you a wonderful human being. As for these facial wax strips, they definitely soften and melt with warmth but are they polite to your skin? Come, follow me and find out....
"Everyone has a plan 'till they get punched in the mouth", so said Mike Tyson, the American professional boxer who obviously spoke from his experience inside the boxing ring. By the way, I last saw Mr. Tyson in the hit comedy film, 'The Hangover' and that entire sequence involving the tiger was hilarious, I think.
"The oil can is mightier than the sword" - said Everett Dirksen, the late American politician. It is so true. When it comes to make-up removal, I consider oil to be my 'bestest' friend. Like most of you, I love make up. And, like most of you, I hate spending time to remove it, at the end of the day. I tried using wet wipes (J&J, Himalaya) but did not find it good enough. I felt that it took more time and also stretched the skin a bit. I also tried make-up removers but they need to be used with cotton. So, additional work and time! And, of course, if you need to buy separate removers for eyes or lips, then additional products too!!! Also, God knows, what has gone into their making... That is when I stumbled upon oils!
I have a Lip Balm OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder). I need to apply my lip balm every now and then, whether my lips are dry or not. I need to have lip balms everywhere - under my pillow, on the table, in my dresser drawer, in my handbag, everywhere. I wonder if my lips really are as dry as they pretend to be when they see a lip balm around. I wonder if I really need to use my lip balm as much as I do. So I have tried a lot of them and found that every girl needs atleast 3 different types of lip balm in her life. Each type has a different purpose and they are:
"Aim for the moon. If you miss, you may hit a star", said the late William Clement Stone, a self-help book author. Lovely thought, that one!
So in my quest for the moon, err..... the body lotion, I hit upon this star - the Jergens Ultra Healing Extra Dry Skin Moisturizer with Vitamin 3. After trying different brands and different formulations for my very dry skin, I had given up hope of getting a good body lotion. Garnier Cocoon was the only one that I had liked so far. Vaseline did an okay job in moisturising my skin but only temporarily.
I had bought some Jergens product (don't remember which one) really long back and found it to be good. Hence, I thought of trying a body lotion from this brand and got the 'Extra Dry Skin' variant.
Now it's time to welcome the new star shining in my cafe....
"Beauty has a lot to do with character" said Kevyn Aucoin, the late American celebrity make-up artist and photographer. It is so true. I mean, what is the point of a product that looks all attractive and nice but has no quality and performs badly.
However, this eyeshadow refill very much conforms to the quote. The packaging is plain, boring, and unattractive. But it makes up for its unpleasant physical appearance with its quality, sturdy packaging, and brilliant performance. Needless to say, Inglot makes the best affordable, matte eyeshadows . Let us delve deeper now.....
"That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet", said Juliet to Romeo in Shakespeare's famous play.
Chambor seems to have taken this line seriously and has decided to name any random color made by their company as "rose". Agreed that the Chambor logo is a rose engraving and some shades do look like roses; but this does not mean that they name all their shades "rose" just like Hrithik's director-dad Rajesh Roshan names all his films with a 'K'. They have named their Carnival Collection shades also with "rose".
For once, I now feel that companies numbering their products (and not naming them) is a good thing. Wrong names can so mislead an online shopper who has not done her homework.... Be safe and do your homework, by reading this review...
If I had a penny for each time that my little son speaks, then I would have had enough money to buy me all the Chanels, Nars, MACs, and Estee Lauders to last me for this lifetime.
My son, who I will be referring to as 'Junior' in my posts and blog, will turn 5 this November. Being a late speaker, he could hardly speak clearly for the first (almost) 4 years of his life! Having realized this, he decided to make up for lost time and now talks non-stop in order to cover the hours, minutes, seconds, andnanoseconds lost in those precious 4 years of his life.
Because of this, I thought of writing a small section at the end of my posts, dedicated to Junior, his talk, and sometimes, maybe, Mr. B (my husband), or my family. For those who are not interested, you can focus on just the review.
Dark lipsticks seem to have a bad reputation! I think almost all fair to medium-skinned women run far from such dark lip colors. However, I love dark lipsticks! I think they suit my dusky complexion far better than the lighter shades. In my experience, the texture and finish of a lipstick is as important as its color. Even a pretty pink-colored lipstick can look tacky if the finish is not smooth and classy. If you plan to buy a a dark lipstick, then a matte, dull finish would be a safe bet.
Today's review is also of a dark lipstick - the Diana of London 2000 Kisses Wonderful Lipstick in the shade 'Red Rose'.
The Cafe's Star Product series will feature star-worthy products, currently shining in the Indian Beauty Cafe. And, to kick-start this series, I bring to you the Kryolan Translucent Powder...
I have been hearing a lot about this brand, Kryolan, these past few months. I wanted to try atleast one of their products and this is how I bought the Translucent Powder. To be frank, I didn't have much expectations from this product. I am a very accident-prone person, and things just seem to fall off my hands all the time. I prefer powder compacts as they are easier to handle and apply. On the rare occasions when I have actually purchased a loose powder (such as the Lakme rose powder), all it does is sit idle in my dresser.
Well, that was in the past! The Kryolan Translucent Powder came, saw, and conquered!
In one word, this product is M-A-G-I-C!!! Let me tell you why...
So, what is brewing in the Indian Beauty Cafe? Cappuccino, Mocha, or South Indian Filter Kaapi???? Nahhh....
The Indian Beauty Cafe is a beauty and lifestyle blog featuring beauty product reviews, makeup, travel and other lifestyle-related articles. Here, you can expect to find well-written and researched posts that I hope will make your life easier. Hope to see you more often.... :)
I'm Jennifer Bobby - author, photographer and creative mind behind Indian Beauty Cafe. I created this blog to share my passion for beauty, makeup, and lifestyle. I would love to have you join my journey and share your experiences along the way...
