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Winter is finally here, and almost all of us are battling dry, dull or dehydrated skin issues. TBC by Nature recently introduced their Winter Care collection. The Natural Vitamin E Ultra Healing Body Lotion is a part of their Vitamin E range and is also available in a Super Hydrating Moisture Cream formula which comes in a tub. For now, let us get into the review of the body lotion which comes in a bottle...
Lakme
Lakme 9 to 5 Weightless Matte Mousse Lip and Cheek Color in 'Cocoa Soft', 'Rose Touch' - Review, Swatches, LOTD
November 16, 2016
Recently Lakme launched its first lip-and-cheek color with a weightless mousse texture and long-stay claim. While a few brands in India like The Body Shop and even Lakme itself do have or had lip-and-cheek tints, a proper lip-and-cheek color is something quite new as a product in India. So let us find out how well the dual-functional Lakme 9 to 5 Weightless Matte Mousse Lip and Cheek Color works out...
Some years ago, after reading a product review on a popular beauty blog, I asked if there were any brick-and-mortar stores to buy the reviewed product because I was not comfortable shopping online. That was some years ago. Cut to the present... I now almost always shop online, especially when it comes to makeup and skincare. Times are changing, things are changing - for the better, of course! The online shopper now has a varied platter of websites to choose from. Today, I will talk about my online shopping experience with one such online shopping destination - Aplava.com...
If I had a lot of money, I would most probably buy the Iraya company. This brand has given me such products that I would love to repurchase and include in my permanent skin-care regime. Unfortunately being a blogger, that is not always possible as you need to keep trying new ones all the time! Safe to say that most of the products that I have tried from Iraya, have worked well for me.
Iraya has Kumkumadi in 3 forms - the Kumkumadi Facial Oil (oil form), the Kumkumadi Balm (balm/cream form), and the Saffron Elixir (gel form) being reviewed in this post. You can read the separate reviews of the balm and oil version by clicking on their names above. In this review, I will tell you what is so great about this gel...
So it happened this way - I wanted to try the Natural Bath and Body brand. I thought the 'O My Bag' where you can purchase mini-versions of their products, would be a nice place to start with. So I browsed their website, and this is what my cart looked like at the end of the day.... okay, maybe 2-3 days! I am sure you do it too :)
I am so glad that summer is almost over here in Bangalore and we are getting some rain on most of the days now. It is much cooler now and mostly cloudy and gloomy. As I write this review, it is getting darker although it is just noon. In my school and college days, these cloudy afternoons were exactly the time when I would be in bed with a nice book and a yummy pack of chips - food for thought and food for tummy!! By the way, how is the weather at your place? Do tell me!
Coming to Loreal, this is a brand that has quality products. Likewise, they are priced high too! Fortunately, they do have discounts going on. Some brands like Chambor usually does not run any offers! I personally feel that the Infallible range from Loreal is far better than their 'Moist Matte', having tried both! The Moist Mattes are thicker and wear much lesser than these Infallible lipsticks. For more information, let us get into the review now...
Bangalore has always had a pleasant climate in comparison to other Indian cities. But the summer heat this year has been so unbearable here that I was pretty sure it would melt me too. The tap water has been hot enough to boil an egg; and (as already mentioned in a previous post) I have often been tempted to slip a few ice cubes into my bath water! The few bouts of summer rain have brought some relief though! How is your part of the world doing?
Summer brings along the dreaded tan; and what can be better than a face pack that gives you fresh, bright skin during this scorching sunny season! Read on to know about exactly such a product, the Iraya Jirakadi Lepa...
Chambor
Chambor Extreme Wear Transfer Proof Liquid Lipstick in 405 - Review | Swatch | Lotd
May 13, 2016
After the lip-crayon trend in India, we are now getting hit with liquid lip colors... with each brand slowly coming up with their own version. As for me, I am eagerly waiting to experience the variety that will be offered to us!
Last year, Chambor launched their Extreme Matte Long Wear Lip Colour, a wonderful range of slim lip crayons. This year, the brand has come up with the Extreme Wear Transfer Proof Liquid Lipstick range with a collection of 18 beautiful shades for a variety of Indian skin tones. I must say that 18 shades in a liquid lipstick is quite an impressive number for an Indian brand. Let us get on with the review...
When the kittens were new-borns, Mixie (like all mother-cats) developed a habit of relocating the little ones every now and then, sometimes every hour, but thankfully never out of the house. This habit of hers irritated me so much mainly because her idea of a 'safe' place did not exactly match with mine. For the same reason and for the safety of her own kittens, I decided to interfere... I allotted her visiting hours under my watchful eye so that she could feed and love them but never carry them away. Eventually she got the message and stopped it especially since the kittens were also getting heavier for her to carry anyway. By the way, the kittens actually look little cute cats now (as opposed to the skinny, pink rats they looked like, when they were just born) and have become very naughty and active!!!
Coming back to the night cream, I started using this Iraya one in January when the weather was cooler here in Bangalore and also when I was done with the combo of Just Herbs Facial Serum and Af'fair Night Cream. Let us now get on with the rest of the review...
Summer in Bangalore this year has been hotter than ever before. Or atleast that is what it feels like. I am almost certain that I am going to melt by May. The bath water is so warm that I feel like dropping a few ice cubes into it! At such a time when frequent showers are bliss, it is equally important to smell good. And what can be better than a perfume that stays long, is easy on the pocket, and well, fits into a pocket too?! Keep reading to know more about exactly such a brand, Neesh Perfumes...
Chambor
Chambor Extreme Matte Long Wear Lip Colour in Bulgarian Rose Review, Swatch, Lotd
April 20, 2016
I posted about this Chambor Extreme Matte lip crayon in my haul post a while ago, and I am finally here with its review. Let me first talk a bit about the behind-the-scenes action - While shooting the pictures for this product, I just could not find an appropriate background to bring out its true color. That's when Mixie walked in (quite as usual), and I got my model cum background right in front of me, and I clicked away to glory! If you are following me on Instagram, you must be aware that Mixie just blessed us with some adorable kittens! She was also present when I was editing her clicks! Most of the times when I am at my desk busy writing my posts, she just walks in and plonks herself in between me and my laptop, and then I have to sometimes lift her ear, sometimes her tiny paw in order to write a proper sentence! That's how things roll at the Indian Beauty Cafe!!! Okay, now onto the review...
I received the maximum requests to do this review, so here it is. When I first saw these acrylic lip glosses by MUA online, I knew I had to have it; please don't ask me why! I also knew I had to have 'Potency' and not any other color. And everything in this vast universe does not need to have a reason anyway, more so when it comes to makeup! This is my first MUA product, by the way!
These high-voltage acrylic lip glosses belong to MUA's Power Pout range which also has the Power Pout Glaze (sheer, low-voltage glosses) and Power Pout Tint & Balm (moisturizing lip tints). Let us now jump to the review of the acrylic lip gloss...
Some time ago, there used to be a squirrel around our house. Everyday, she would come at a particular time of the day. She would first check our pomegranate tree for fruits, then our luvikaaya (berry) tree, then the papaya and then our lemon plant, and finally the berry-like fruit on the palms. I think I am that squirrel. Always experimenting..... with skincare... with makeup... always trying more..... never satisfied with just one! As time passed, the squirrel reduced her visits; but my habit of trying still continues strong. Let us see now how this trial fared...
elixir
Just Herbs Rejuvenating Beauty Elixir Facial Serum + Just Herbs Af'fair Skin Lightening Night Cream Review
January 06, 2016
After finishing the Za Perfect Solution Youth Whitening Serum, I started using these 2 products for my night-time skincare - the Just Herbs Rejuvenating Beauty Elixir Facial Serum and the Just Herbs Af'fair Skin Lightening Night Cream. The reason was simple. The elixir/serum was not enough for moisturizing my dry skin. I wanted to use a product from the same brand, along with the elixir. Since I already had a sample size of the Just Herbs night cream, I decided to use it, and hence the combined review. Let us see how this combo worked for my skin...
Eyeshadow
Makeup Revolution London Eyeshadow Palette in I Heart Chocolate - Review, Swatches
December 11, 2015
"Mama always said life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get."
If you have seen Toms Hanks' 'Forrest Gump', you know what I am talking about. By the way, it also happens to be Mr. B's favourite film; a point on which we have argued many a times. Though I do like a few scenes here and there, I have not yet been able to see the brilliance in this film. I do like Tom Hanks of course. I like 'Castaway', 'The Green Mile', 'Larry Crowne, 'Saving Mr. Banks' among others.
Anyway, I took the longest time deciding on an eyeshadow palette in my life before I actually zeroed down to this box of chocolates, I mean, palette. This is supposed to be the dupe of the famous Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette (which I do not own and therefore cannot compare). Now let us jump to the review...
Biotique
HAUL - Kryolan, The Body Shop, Loreal, Imli Street, Lotus, Biotique, Khadi
November 13, 2015
I am sure you will all agree when I say that haul posts are an extension of retail therapy. Speaking for myself, I usually do not buy a lot of stuff together because I think... quite a bit.... before getting something. And that applies to any shopping that I do, be it clothes, jewellery, anything. Even this is a collective haul only!
You did not think that we were done with lip crayons, now did you?!!! Good, because it seems we have one more new crayon-kiddo entering the beauty scene in India, from the Faces brand this time. Now Faces has launched these beauties in 2 finishes - Matte, and Starry Matte ('with a touch of glitter') as per the brand. I am reviewing the Matte version here.
I have used the Faces Ultime Pro Long wear Matte lipsticks in the past and find them to have the best matte formula along with the Lakme Absolute Crème range. With the same hope, I picked up this product too. Okay, time to find out now...
I had completely switched to body washes and shower gels. And I never thought I would use soap again. But then a few years ago, I went back to using them - the handmade/natural kind - all over again, simply for their ease of use. And now, I alternate and use both soap and body wash.
Especially with all the handmade and natural bathing bars that have entered the Indian market, we now have such a huge, tempting variety to choose from. Also, you cannot deny that a soap in your shower routine helps save a lot of time when you are running on a busy schedule. Let us see how these bathing bars fare...
When I was not yet born and 'comzily' (as Junior says) living inside my mother, she heard that having saffron or kumkumadi would lighten the soon-to-be-born's complexion. You see, my mom is fair while my dad is a dark, handsome man. Anyway, she soon started this practice of having kumkumadi in milk each day. In this process, to cut a long story short, my mom's skin tone definitely improved while I came out in this world in exactly the skin tone God had planned for me.
Jokes apart, my mom loves me very much just the way I am. And I never faced any issues in life for the same. That said, there is something so beautiful about having an even skin tone. It does not matter if you are fair, medium or dark; but an even skin tone and healthy skin is what you must try to achieve. While a good lifestyle and a healthy diet is of utmost importance, let us see if this product has any contribution to good skin...
