Nailed It: Effortless Nail Art

Effortless Nail Art Tutorial Twinkling Sky
Love fancy nail art but are too lazy (or worse clumsy) to do it yourself.Well then you have come to the right place then(god knows if there ever was a place for lazy people, it was Beauty And The Blog!).I call this one Twinkling Sky (corny???) and it's one of the easiest nail art to do (I did it right).

DSC00689
Now I did my nails and then realized I should do a post so I don't have any DIY pictures but since the whole thing is so simple I'll just lay it out for you and hope you get the idea.

Nail Colours:
  • Any shade of blue depending on the colour you want your sky to be
  • Transparent with oodles of tiny silver shimmer for the stars
  • Base Coat, Top Coat (or a transparent shade would do too)
Tools:
  • Piece of sponge with sharp edges
  • Plastic plate
  • Qtip dipped in nail paint remover to clean stray polish
How To:
Paint a base coat and let it dry.Next dab a few drops of blue nail paint onto a plastic paint and dip the corner of the sponge into it.Start dabbing the sponge onto the tips of your nail to create an air sprayed effect.Alternatively you could simply paint your nail tips with the colour for a cleaner effect.After it dries load up on the sparkle polish and dab onto the tips painted blue.Do a second coat of sparkle if you want.Finish off with a top coat and you have your twinkling sky.

DSC00683
So what's your idea of effortless nail art, comment and let me know!

My Take: Vega Blush Brush

Vega Blush Brush Review
What It Claims
Vega Blush Brush is made with natural hair, which is ideal for correct pick-up and blending of the powder. The round shape of the hair allows smooth and even application of the powder. Vega blush brush will enable you to apply the powder blush more precisely both in terms of the amount of colour and also the position.

Vega Blush Brush Review
Vega Blush Brush Review
Vega Blush Brush Review
Price
Rs 110

The Good
  • Has a dense set of bristles, which means it picks up a good amount of product.After tapping off the excess, there is still enough left to apply.
  • Works well with all kinds of powder products: loose powder, blush, bronzer, highlighter.
  • Doubles up as an excellent stippling brush to apply foundation.Agreed it's not as stiff as a regular foundation brush, but the dense bristles help buff the foundation into the skin to give a flawless finish.Works even better when slightly damp.
  • Decently priced.
  • Easily available.
  • Has a nice grip and I love the wooden handle.
Vega Blush Brush Review
The Bad
  • Maybe because it's made of natural bristles or maybe it's not of high quality but the bristles are extremely scratchy.The first time I used it, it was not that bad but after I washed it, the bristles got really stiff and scratchy and with every subsequent wash the problem got worse.
  • The bristles shed like nobody's business.And not just while or after washing but while using it to apply blush, which is the only job it's supposed to do.And not just shedding, the bristles splayed after washing too despite using a brush guard.
  • The bristles(turning out to a major peeve now! ) are hard and not at all flexible which makes it useless to apply powder all over(though good for applying foundation).
Love It Or Chuck It
The Vega brush had everything going for it: decently priced, easily available, good at picking and depositing colour and would have made my Love it list except that it shed like crazy and poked and scratched my face.It was like using a loofah.The only saving grace was when I discovered that it works great as a stippling brush and since I use a damp brush the scratchiness is not that evident.Nevertheless I'm not going to repurchase and would not recommend you to either.Which means my hunt for an economical blush brush continues.Chuck It.



The EyeDeal Shade Contest Winner And My Favourite Entries

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Hosting the EyeDeal Shade Contest was super fun.Everyday I would read up the entries and some of the shades that came up were pretty amazing.So much so that at the end I wished Mattify! Cosmetics would design a palette featuring all the shades.Now that would be an EyeDeal Palette to own!

Before announcing the winner I'd like to share my  favourite shades in no particular order, that I would love to call my EyeDeal Shades:

Midnight sky blue
"A dark gray with a hint of blue and a little silver glitter to make it really pop."
~ Brittany Hovermale

The Dark Side
"Real black with flecks of gray glitter and a touch of silver shining."
~ Daya

Passionate Peach
"Genuine Peach with an orange undertone and finely milled copper and gold flecks."
~ Rajeswari Gopinath

Harvest Romance
"A chocolate brown with flecks of bronze and gold."
~ Jennifer

Yours Royally
"A deep rich maroon with a hint of black which would be be ideal for Indian brides."
~ Deepika Mohan

Festive Mix
"A mix of  deep red shimmery golden and a dash of  sparkly silver."
~ Zooni

Peachy Keen Pink
"Peachy gold color with just a tiny hint of pink which should be sheeny not glittery."
~ Megha

Chic Madness
"A dark iridescent purple with fine green and pink shimmers."
~ Alexandra

Golden Bronzy
"A rich chocolate brown with large golden flakes for a dark smoky eye with attitude."
~ Sara Weekley

Mehendi Green
"A true olive green shade(mehendi shade),with no brown undertones,just maybe a golden sheen to it,but not too much with a satin finish,nothing else.It would be a perfect lid shade to wear with an Indian Wedding Ensemble."
~ Fathima Abdul Kader

And Mattify! Cosmetics choose Chic Madness as the winning shade.

Congratulations Alexandra! You've won yourself goodies from Mattify! Cosmetics.

"There were so many great suggestions, thank you for running this contest! We decided on Alexandra, because she suggested a color completely unlike any we currently have. We have ordered the supplies to produce the new shade, so I will let you know as soon as it’s ready for sale (in 3 weeks or less)."
~ Colleen Lindstrom, the brains behind Mattify! Cosmetics

I hope to host more such fun filled contest in the future too.Do comment and  give your feedback on how I can make giveaways and contests on Beauty And The Blog more interesting and appealing.

Sigma Black Friday: Free Worldwide Shipping For A Day

Free Sigma Worldwide Shipping Code

Tomorrow is Black Friday, one of the biggest shopping days of the year! And Sigma Beauty is offering a very special deal.

For one day only, Sigma Beauty will be offering FREE standard WORLDWIDE shipping! Shipping costs can be a concern for people purchasing products internationally, so the free shipping offer can be a great chance for international clients to try Sigma Beauty products!

The offer is valid from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Central Standard Time (CST) on Friday November 25th, (roughly 10:00 pm to 7:00 am November 25th-26 in India) 


Use the FREE shipping code

Freshly Shopped: B.LAB Haul & Review

B.LAB Haul & Review Zoya Maybelline
This post has been long overdue and in fact so has this haul.I had been craving Zoya nail paints for the longest time ever so the minute I saw it on B.Lab I had to go hauling.

B.Lab is not just an estore specializing in makeup, skincare and basically beauty goodies but it's an online beauty destination.Apart from shopping high end international brands like Vichy, Elizabeth Arden, Shiseido, Dermalogica, Zoya, OPI, Palmers, TIGI you can browse through their monthly magazines, watch video tutorials or chat up with beauty experts.

The website is super user friendly.You can shop by browsing categories, brands and even solution specifics.My mom who is normally against shopping online was pretty engrossed once I hooked her up.

 B.LAB Haul & Review Zoya Maybelline

The Haul:

Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick in My Mahogany 
 B.LAB Haul & Review Zoya Maybelline
Yup I succumbed to the beauty blog frenzy for this lippie and thank god I did.Love the shade, texture.So worth the hype.

Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner
 B.LAB Haul & Review Zoya Maybelline
If you look into my makeup drawers, you'd probably think that I might someday OD on this particular product but then I always have to have backups and backups for backups specially because this one seems to be always out of stock.

Zoya Nail Paint in Roxy 

B.LAB Haul & Review Zoya Maybelline
I ordered this particular shade after looking at some online swatches, but nothing could have prepared me for how gorgeous it really is.This pic just does not do any justice so I will post more pics soon.

All in my order came to around Rs 1079 and I got a flat 15% registration discount which brought the total to Rs 917.

I'm Loving:
  • I was super impressed with the packaging.Everything was carefully bubble wrapped and put together in a sturdy black box(which I have converted to a nail supply box) which was bubble wrapped too.
 B.LAB Haul & Review Zoya Maybelline
B.LAB Haul & Review Zoya Maybelline
  • Free shipping on orders above Rs 400.
  • Different payment options including Cash On Delivery, my personal favourite.
  • The brands.Agreed that they are quite steeply priced but its better to buy them from a reliable Indian website rather than an unknown EBay vendor.And they also stock some affordable brands like Maybelline and Neutrogena too.
  • Not just a makeup store but a complete beauty store where you can find anything from a face wash, to beauty accessories and skincare solution.
  • Easy site navigation and user friendly interface.
  • Express delivery time.I placed the order on 3rd November and got the package on the 8th.Total 5 days including the weekend.
The only hiccup I found was that they do not offer discounts on individual products although they have weekly offers and schemes.

Current Deal:
Tigi Control Freak Hair Serum - Fights frizz and stomps the curl.
Buy Now and Get 100 Rs. OFF at blab.co.in
Offer Expires: 27th November 2011
VOUCHER CODE: PROMO2111

Plus there is a flat 15% discount on your first order, so get out your shopping list and head over to http://blab.co.in to indulge.
Disclaimer: I used a discount voucher to purchase from B.Lab, though the review constitutes my honest opinion.Read Review Policy for more information.

Launch Pad: Sigma Limited Edition Cities Collection

Untitled
Welcome to the Cities, Sigma Beauty's limited edition travel collection! Glamorous and fashionable, this collection features seven travel-size brushes from the best-selling Essential and Premium Kits:
  • E05 Eyeliner
  • E35 Tapered Blending
  • E45 Small Tapered Blending
  • E60 Large Shader
  • F05 Small Contour
  • F15 Duo Fibre
  • F30 Large Powder
The brushes come in an innovative and functional travel-size container that turns into two brush holders to keep you stylish and organized on the go. Each kit was designed to represent the beauty and excitement of the city it is named after.

Price:
New York, Tokyo, Paris $59
London  $89

New York

Sigma Cities Collection New York New York features classic and always stylish silver ferrules and black handles, representing this sleek fashion-forward city.

London

Sigma Cities Collection LondonLondon features 18K gold-plated ferrules and chestnut handles, representing London's poise and elegance.

Tokyo

Sigma Cities Collection TokyoTokyo features electrifying pink ferrules and handles, representing this metropolis and its trend setting culture.

Paris

 Sigma Cities Collection ParisParis features red ferrules and handles, representing the romance capital of the world.
This is a great makeup brush collection for beginners and for traveling because it contains all the basic brushes.And the brush holder is super cute and extremely handy.

The Sigma Cities Collection is a limited edition collection and is available at sigmabeauty.com

So hurry and pick your favourite city!

You can Avail The November Sigma Coupon Code (expires November 30, 2011) for:
 
10% off any Sigma order plus FREE premium gift when you click coupon:

IN2011



A Lazy Girl's Guide To Fabulous Hair


Fabulous hair might seem like a distant dream if you are anywhere as lazy as me (a crime for which I should be severely punished I know).But then again I'm a nifty ol' gal with quite a few tricks up my sleeve to get those fabulous hair with absolutely no major effort involved.And if you are wondering why bother at all, well then I do love my hair after all!So even though I do skimp on traditional styling methods I have never taken my tresses for granted.

You'll find plenty of shortcuts to great styling tricks but trust me there ain't no shortcut to good healthy hair.Since hair is basically dead we assume that it won't be affected by our wayward crazy hair experiments, but nothing can be further from the truth.Given that your hair is dead it still needs caring, apt nourishment and more than anything your unwavering love and attention.

I have a rule of three for healthy and happy hair which has worked like a charm over the years:
  1. Eat healthy.Your hair will specially benefit from foods rich in protein and minerals.
  2. Shampoo & condition regularly without fail.Dirty hair is the biggest turn off ever.
  3. Pamper your tresses with hair treatments and the works.And you need not spend tons of money either, your kitchen is full of things that you can whip up to create treats for your hair.
And now that we have the serious things sorted, lets get to those fabulous hair making tricks.All the given techniques work best on freshly washed damp hair.Use hair serum to control any frizz and sprays, mousse whatever suits your fancy to set the style in place.

Pump Up The Volume

DSC00618Voluminous flowing hair is the envy of most females and the general assumption when we see someone with amazingly pumped up tresses is that "well they've spent hours blow drying to get it to look like that" .They might have but you need not.You on the other hand will need all of 2 minutes to get bouncy hair.

Start off by clipping all your bangs.Then gather your hair into a high ponytail.The higher the ponytail the more volume you will get.A failsafe way to do this is to flip your head down and then gather hair into a high ponytail.Secure the ponytail with a thin elastic band.Now start twisting the ponytail inwards and at the same time winding it around the base of the ponytail (as if you were making a hair bun).Secure the bun with bobby pins(lots of them) and any stray bits and  pieces.You can also use an extra elastic to secure the bun tightly.

Let it stay for at least 2-3 hours(or overnight for maximum effect) and then carefully remove all the pins and bands.And voila you have airy bouncy hair.If you have a layered hair cut, this trick will enhance the layers even more.

Beach Worthy Waves

aaLoose beachy waves is a staple with celebrities.And yeah they can afford to sport this hair trend with ease, what with personal hair stylists to do all the tedious work.The best way to get those lovely beach worthy waves is to use hot rollers with oodles of patience but this is the lazy girl's guide right, so I have a fuss free technique to get those waves going!

Once again if you have bangs, clip them so that they are out of your way.Next divide your hair into two sections around the nape of your neck.Take one section and start twisting it inwards tightly all the way to the end.Hold it in place and repeat the same for the other section.Now twist the two sections(already twisted inwards) together outwards, this will result in a rope braid.Now twist the braid into a low hung bun and secure with elastic and pins.Pin up any loose ends.Two sections will result in loose waves.If you are aiming for more waves, divide hair into 4 sections so that you get two braids.
Let it stay put for a couple of hours or overnight depending upon the intensity of waves you want and remove pins to get gorgeous waves.

Curl It Down

DSC02208_editedCurly hair is the most coveted hair style by majority of women but when you think about the time and effort that goes into getting those masses of spirals, you do tend to change your mind.But not anymore.You can get fabulous curls quickly with minimum effort.

Sort out any knots and pin up your bangs.Divide your hair into four section and loosely pin them up using clips.Starting with the top left section, take about an inch wide section and twist it inwards all the way to the end, then twist it into a spiral along your scalp and secure with a pin.Do the same for the entire top left section and work your way into the other 3 sections.

The wider the sections, the looser the curls.So if you want tighter curls use smaller sections.Put on a shower cap(to minimize frizz) and leave it on until your hair is completely dry (you can speed up the process by using a blower on cool setting).Carefully open up the pinned sections and poof! you have your curls.

So I hope this guide has spoken to the lazy girl in you to get those fab hair going!Just remember loving your hair is the most important first step towards getting gorgeous hair.The rest is simple!

This post is my entry to the Dove: Love is a two way street: Love your hair and it loves you back! contest on Indiblogger.

My Take: L'Oreal Hydrafresh Instant Freshness Foaming Gel~Combination/Oily

Review L'Oreal Hydrafresh Instant Freshness Foaming Gel~Combination/Oily
What It Claims
The L'Oreal Skincare Laboratories have developed HYDRAFRESH foaming gel to thoroughly cleanse and purify combination and oily skin.

ACTION
Enriched with vitamins and essential minerals, Hydrafresh foaming gel thoroughly removes make-up and cleanses the skin of impurities. Containing a moisturising agent, its formula clarifies your skin and leaves it fresh and hydrated.

RESULTS
Thoroughly cleansed your skin feels soft and purified, with an incredible sensation of freshness.

USAGE
With it's foaming texture and fruity fragrance hydrafresh foaming gel is unique and provides your skin a delightful sensation of well-being.

Use morning and evening on wet skin.On contact with water gel turns into a fresh foam.Rinse with water.

  Review L'Oreal Hydrafresh Instant Freshness Foaming Gel~Combination/Oily
Price
Rs 249 for 100ml

The Good
  • Smells wonderfully fresh and invigorating.It just jump starts my day.
  • It does a decent job of cleansing my face.After rinsing I do feel fresh and clean and my skin feels well hydrated and moisturised.
  • Unlike other foaming face cleansers(read Pond's white magic), this one does not dry out your skin which is good if you have dry to combination skin.
  • Good for removing makeup but you have to be careful around your eyes cause it stings a wee bit. 
The Bad
  • Kinda expensive for a face wash, which it actually is despite the fancy tag of "instant freshness foaming gel" .
  • Leaves that dreaded soapy film behind which is difficult to rinse off.Normally foaming cleansers are not known to do that but this one I guess is an exception.
  • You need quite an amount for it to foam up really well.With the Pond's face wash I need just about a pea sized blob to create foam for my entire face, this one on the other hand refuses to lather and foam until I have a huge coin sized blob of product.And even then the foam is mostly quite liquid if you know what I mean.This was the biggest disappointment.
  • Works for dry-combination skin but does not completely clean oily skin.
Love It Or Chuck It
I'm afraid I'll have to Chuck It.The reason I bought this in the first place was to basically find a good alternative to the Pond's white magic face wash and it did smell amazing at first.But I guess appearances can be deceptive.The tube hardly lasted a month and I'm glad I finished it up so quickly.It might work if you have dry skin or combination skin during winters but I would recommend getting 2 tubes of the Pond's one(100ml each) instead of one of these.

Peek-A-Boo: Dove Nourishing Oil Care Range

Dove Nourishing Oil Care Range
Recently Dove launched their new hair care range called Nourishing Oil Care.What's great about this range is that all the products are enriched with Vita-Oils which is a unique blend of Coconut, Almond, and Sunflower Oils that are easily absorbed by the hair and help to strengthen them while helping repair damage at the same time.And it was wonderful surprise when I received a gift bag with all the products from the range.
These smell great and look promising.Here's what the gift bag contained:

Dove Nourishing Oil Care Shampoo

Dove Nourishing Oil Care Shampoo
Hair often feels rough and dry after a hair wash, that's because ordinary shampoos strip your hair of its natural oils. New Dove Nourishing Oil Care Shampoo is enhanced with Vita-Oils that go deep inside the hair fibre and help lock in the nourishment of oil; making hair smooth, shiny and beautiful with every wash.
Dove Nourishing Oil Care Shampoo with Fibre Actives and Vita-Oils give Vitamin enriched nourishment to make your hair resilient to damage.

Price: Rs 123 for 200ml

Dove Nourishing Oil Care Daily Treatment Conditioner

Dove Nourishing Oil Care Daily Treatment Conditioner
Dryness, which is the very first sign of damage, makes your hair look dull and feel rough. The reason behind this dryness of hair is lack of nourishment. That's why treat your hair with Dove Nourishing Oil Care Daily Treatment Conditioner that has the power of double nourishment. It is the next generation conditioner with golden ribbon inside that contains Vita-Oils to nourish your hair from deep within, leaving no greasiness on the outside. Its white ribbon that contains the conditioner locks-in the nourishment to keep dryness at bay.

Price: Rs 160 for 200ml

Dove Nourishing Oil Care Vita Oil Serum

Dove Nourishing Oil Care Vita Oil Serum
Hair that appears dry and dull on the outside are actually damaged from inside. To combat this dryness of hair, Dove Nourishing Oil Care Vita Oil Serum gives instant nourishment to your hair.
It has revolutionary Vita-Oils that get easily absorbed to replenish essential oils. This instant nourishment smoothens up to 99% of roughness leaving your hair softer, shinier and more importantly damage free.

Price: Rs 300 for 40ml

Dove Nourishing Oil Care Repair Mask
 
Dove Nourishing Oil Care Repair Mask
Your hair turns rough and dull on the surface when it is damaged from the inside. To restore your hair's softness and shine, Dove Nourishing Oil Care Repair Mask gives advanced care and repair that your hair needs. Its revolutionary Vita-Oils nourish your hair from deep inside and effectively repair damage for 99% smoother hair.

Price: Rs 300 for 200ml

The goodies came in this nifty gold pouch(another one to add to my collection).
    Dove Nourishing Oil Care
So far I've only tried the serum which I'm totally loving.It's unlike any other I have tried so far and works splendidly to tame dry hair ends.Which makes me assume that the rest of the range will be just as great.
Which product outta the lot are you most looking forward to?Comment and let me know.
Disclaimer: Product sent by Indiblogger & Dove.Read Review Policy for more information.

My Take: Fabindia Plum Passion Lip Butter

Fabindia Plum Passion Lip Butter Review
What It Claims
Not much, except that it is a lip butter made with natural ingredients(even though it's chock a full of parabens n all)

Price
Rs 75 for 10gm

Ingredients
Cocoa Butter Lanolin Anhydrous, Wheat germ Oil, Cetyl Alcohol, Emulsifying Wax, Microcrystilline Wax, Sorbitan Olivate, Carpriloic Capric Tryglyceride, Seasame Oil, Vegetable Sqalene, Beeswax, Kokum Butter, Olive Wax, Tocopheryl Acetate, Plumb Passion Essence, Propyl Paraben, Butylate Hydroxy Toluene.

Fabindia Plum Passion Lip Butter
 The Good
  • Unlike lip balms this one has a less slippery texture, more akin to a salve like waxy texture which works better than regular lip balms.
  • Leaves behind a beautiful reddish pink sheen on your lips.
  • Works like a charm on dry chapped lips.Crazy hydrating powers.
  • It stays put on lips for longer than regular lip balms, since it's not as glossy.Plus it won't get all over and around your lips.
  • Inexpensive at 75 for the cute tub.
  • Works better than a lip balm as a base for lipstick, again because of the waxy texture which does not take away the colour or sheen of the lipstick.
  • Spreads easily (that is once you mange to get it out of the tub)
  • Because of it's waxy texture a teeny amount is more than enough to moisturise lips.So the tub will last a while.
  • It's tasteless, which I prefer.I absolutely detest those (or rather most) sweet tasting lip balms
The Bad
  • Love the salve like texture but it makes it hard to get it out of the tub.It's packed pretty dense so you really have to gouge out the product.Would have worked better if it had been in a twist up stick form.
  • Smells really weird, but it does wear off quickly.
  • Only available at Fabindia stores.
Love It Or Chuck It
Given the price and it's mammoth moisturising powers I'm totally digging this baby.But would have loved it even more if had been in a stick form, more hygienic and easier to apply.It comes in a few other variants which I'm definitely going to try out.This lip butter is definitely going into my permanent collection. Love It.

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