Normally I wouldn't do a reminisce post like this but apparently we are facing doomsday in 2012, so why not.And if you think it's going to be one of those where I list out my favourite products of the year, well it's not.I can do that any time of the year plus it must be damn boring going through my favourites right?
In case you're wondering how long I'll ramble on, then don't worry, it'll be just long enough to tell you all how fantastic 2011 has been.Beauty And The Blog took a short hiatus around the end of 2010, but was revived back again in 2011 after much ado.And thank god it did, because ever since it has just flourished.BnB completed it's first anniversary in July thanks to the love and support of all you beautiful readers(and some effort on my part too).So I dedicate 2011 to all my wondrous readers.You guys are the good, the awesome and the mindblowing that makes BnB tick.Keep the love going.
So I hope 2012 turns out to be just as great as 2011.I have tons of stuff planned for the next year not to mention giveaways which by far is my favourite blogging activity.Stay connected and I hope to meet loads of good, awesome and mindblowing people in the virtual space.Have a fantastic year ahead (as long as the doomsday prophecy does not come true!)
What It Claims
The Sigma Beauty BARE palette is a must for everyday use. Ideal to create classic neutral looks, BARE is perfect for accentuating your best features without too much colour distraction. Highlight inner corners, emphasize your crease, brighten your brow bone and enhance your lash line.
With BARE's colour selection, you can easily create day and night looks seamlessly and as subtle or as bold as you wish. BARE is perfect for a natural yet improved you!
Includes Sigma Beauty's best-selling E30 and E25 in a unique dual-ended brush. Contains matte and satin formulations.
Oval-shaped brush with gently chiselled sides. Blends and softens the look of powder or cream shadows. Ideal to apply eye shadow primer, base eye shadow colours, and blend harsh lines.
Shades:
Shineis a pigmented black with silver flecks
Control is a matte black
Snoop is a matte, pale grey with purple undertones
Hitchis a matte, chocolaty brown but applies with a grey undertone
Act is a satiny, neutral taupe.
Command is a beautiful shimmery gold
Elopeis a matte beige leaning towards white
Approachis a satiny champagne with just a hint of shimmer
An excellent nude palette with all the basic shades from blacks, browns and neutrals.If smoky eyes is your thing then BARE is all you need.
The pigmentation is pretty good with the lighter shades more pigmented than the darker ones.
A good mix of dark-neutral shades with matte, satin and shimmery finish.
Lasting power is decent enough, but I would highly recommend using a primer to get the most of the shadows.
It's a great palette for beginners or if you love hoarding eye palettes.
The duo brushes are definitely a big bonus.They are of the same quality as the original and are versatile.I love using the E30 for smudging out my eyeliner and the E25 is great for buffing out colours.
The shadows are of good quality, the darker shades apply smoothly while the lighter shades aren't chalky at all.
Nil fallouts for the lighter shades.There was some fallout in case of the blacks but nothing major.
The palette works out a bargain for the given quality and quantity.Each shadow works out at $4.35.Plus you get two brushes worth $9 each free.
I love the packaging.The box is sturdy and the magnetic top ensures that it stays close.It is a bit bulky overall, but super cute nonetheless.
The Bad
Even though the palette works out cheap the shipping totally sucks making it expensive overall.
Only available online.
Needs a primer to boost lasting power.
The darker shades for some odd reason seep onto the sides of the pan and makes the whole thing messy.
Bulky package means it's not very travel friendly.
Love It Or Chuck It
I love the BARE palette for a lot of reason, but the one reason that stands out is that it's a close enough dupe of the Urban Decay Naked Palette, which has been on my lust list for a while now.While the UDNP consists of all shimmers the BARE palette is more versatile with a mix of mattes, satins ands shimmers and costs less too(UDNP priced at $48.)The BARE palette is great for everyday with its set of neutral shades and can be glammed up for night too.Like I said if Smokey eyes are your thing then this is a must have.
I hope everyone had an awesome Christmas.Well I know I did.I stuffed myself silly with all kinds of imaginable desserts and got a wonderful Christmas surprise in the mail.My haul from Wholesale-Dress.net arrived and it took me hardly 5 seconds to rip up the package and get to the goodies.
Now I know two items don't actually qualify as a haul but then these two absolutely do.In fact these are the best things I got off the Internet this year.
Wholesale-Dress.net is a China based online webstore specializing in Asian clothing, shoes, bags and accessories at wholesale rates.And when I say wholesale rates I means wholesale rates like starting at $0.01.They have a crazy inventory in terms of both size and variety.It took me almost 2 whole days to narrow down what I wanted to get.The website is so addictive that once you start browsing the virtual shelves you'll forget just about everything else (I skipped a couple of meals which is major for me).
Though they specialize in almost everything fashion under the sun, my favourite section was the shoe section.They have around 15,000+ pairs of shoes on display including pumps, boots, brogues, sneakers, sandals all starting at $6 which I think is a pretty good bargain.
These were absolutely love at first sight.I was a bit sceptical about the heels but once I tried them on they were insanely comfortable.The elastic strap and the platform base make these shoes damn easy to walk in.The heels are pretty sturdy and not at all wobbly.It also comes in a black and pink version which is just as cute.
It looks quite pink in the stock pictures but is actually more salmon.The gold zippers look fab.Love the double breasted design and overall look but it was a bit tight for me specially when I zipped up.Also the zips aren't very smooth.It looks like leather but is made with PU which is easier to clean and maintain.It has a matching pink cloth lining and is quite warm.Good quality for the price though I just wish it was a wee bit loose.
Price: $14.86 (Around Rs 750)
The package was shipped on 20th of December using DHL and arrived on the 24th.The shoe box was a bit roughed up but apart from that everything was pretty much in good condition.
Mind boggling collection of shoes, dresses, tees, jackets, bags, jewellery all at crazy wholesale prices.In fact they have a $3 category where you'll find almost everything.
Fresh stock added everyday.
No minimum purchase required to avail wholesale prices.
Products are of good quality considering the wholesale prices.
Easy user interface and the shop is very well organized with categories for each section
Variety of payment options including PayPal, Credit card / Debit card, Western union, Bank transfer(T/T) and Moneygram
Wide shipping choices to suit your budget including FedEx, UPS, DHL and EMS.
Extremely helpful customer service.
Flexible return policy.
So if you've been looking for a bargain online shop then make Wholesale-Dress.net the first stop, I can guarantee you'll get hooked bad.
Next On My Hit List
I would love to know what's on your hit list from Wholesale-Dress.net, comment and let me know.
Disclaimer: I used a discount voucher to purchase from Wholesale-Dress.net , though the review constitutes my honest opinion.Read Review Policy for more information.
I know its been ages since I did a dupe it yourself but I was experimenting and testing (with emphasis on the latter) with this one in particular and finally I have perfected the formula.Before I move onto the process a little background on MAC Fix Plus.
Fix plus is essentially a mixing medium which can be used in a variety of ways.It can be used to thin out liquid foundation that is too heavy, foil mineral eye shadows which are in pigment form, to set makeup so that it lasts longer, as a makeup base and my favourite: as a hydrating face mist.
Whoa! that's a ton load of stuff it can do, which you may say justifies the hefty price tag attached to a bottle of MAC Fix Plus.But then if you look closely at the ingredient list you'll find Glycerine and water as the major ingredients apart form other chemical preservatives.Both Glycerine and water are easy to come by making way for a potential DIY, once you figure out the recipe.There are tons of recipes for a MAC Fix Plus dupe but this particular one has been tweaked for a better formulation.
So onto the business of duping it yourself.
Hunt And Collect:
Glycerine
Water
Rose Water
Spray bottle to store(cleansed using either spirit or regular hand sanitizer)
Measuring spoon
Get To Work: Step 1: Measure 1/2 spoon Glycerine and pour it into the spritz bottle.Glycerine is a very viscous solution so 1/2 a spoon is more than enough.
Step 2: Next take 1 spoon of water and add to the glycerine.You could use either boiled, purified or mineral water whatever is easy to come by.
Step 3: Finally add 1/2 a spoon of Rose Water to the glycerine and water.This step is optional.I personally love the fragrance of rose water plus it acts as an excellent toner.If you do decide to skip this step then add 1 1/2 spoon of water instead of 1 since the recipe calls for a 1:3 ratio of glycerine to water.
Step 4: Close the spray bottle and give it a good shake and voila your MAC Fix Plus dupe/mixing medium/makeup setting spray/hydrating face spray is ready.I used this really cute Hello Kitty spray bottle that I got from BudgetGadgets.com, it has a lovely fine mist and is super portable and travel friendly.
The resulting liquid does not get absorbed into skin like regular water but kind of adheres to the skin because of the glycerine.
Glycerine is a humectant and is a very popular cosmetic ingredient because it helps products retain water.So it is great for converting mineral eye shadow into foiled shadow or even an eye liner.I love using it just before applying foundation to get that lovely dewy finish.And this will be a saviour during summer months to refresh your makeup without washing it all off.
A word of caution though, make this in small batches.Since we are mixing water and glycerine without adding any chemicals to preserve the liquid there is a good chance that it may turn rancid after a while.Make enough mixture to last not more than 2 weeks at a time, depending on your usage and keep it refrigerated.
So now you need not dole out big bucks for a product that you can easily dupe yourself at home.I would love to know what you think of the recipe and how it turns out if and when you try it out.
Generations of women have trusted Pond’s for simple yet effective skin care products, each designed to make skin look youthfully soft and beautifully supple. Over the years, the heritage Pond’s Moisturizing Cold Cream has become not only a part of every woman’s skincare regime but also a beauty staple for many celebrities. From international pop sensation Kylie Minogue to our very own Bollywood diva Malaika Arora Khan, many celebrities have given credit to Ponds Moisturizing Cold Cream for their ageless flawless skin.
With a unique understanding of women’s skin care needs, Pond’s now brings to you the new POND’S ACTIVE MOISTURE – a revitalizing 24 hr moisturiser with Active moisture lock technologyTM. Formulated by the Pond’s Institute, new Pond’s Active Moisture is an easy-to-use all-day skincare solution for today’s woman and is suitable for all skin types.
Winter Dryness robs your skin of Moisture, and makes it look dull and lifeless. The new Pond’s Active Moisture is rich with hydrating agents and contains a combination of humectants and emollients, which effectively lock the moisture deep within the skin layers through its Active moisture lock technologyTM. The Emollients act as locking agents that lubricate and help lock-in natural moisture from skin. Suitable for all skin types, this new beauty formulation nourishes your skin to the deepest layer, leaving it vibrant and healthy all day long!
This wonder product is now available at Rs. 120/- for 50 gms, in all leading outlets across India.
How To Apply
I have been experimenting with loads of techniques for applying a BB cream and found these 3 the most useful.
For everyday take a pea sized blob and spread it on your palms then simply pat your palms onto your face pushing the cream into the skin for a natural finish.
For medium to heavy application, squeeze some cream onto the tip of your index finger and then dab onto your face starting from the center.Pat and spread outwards with a light hand.Don't rub it in or the cream will be soaked by your skin.
For using it as a concealer squeeze a tiny bit onto the back of your hands and dip a fluffy eye shadow blush and apply on areas you want to cover.First pat the brush onto the area you want to conceal and then using light to and fro motion blend into the foundation.
Less is always more when it comes to BB creams since they are more concentrated than tinted moisturizers and foundations plus contain skin healing ingredients which always work when used in moderation. Moisturizing before is totally optional and depends on your skin type.
The Good
This baby packs a punch in terms of pigments.I normally need a pea sized blob for my entire face and it gives me decent coverage.
Instantly covers up redness and blotchiness.
Has a beautiful creamy and smooth texture.
You can control the kind of coverage you want with the product because of it's texture and pigmentation.For light coverage spread it thin and for a slightly medium to heavy coverage pat and pile it on.
The latter trick makes it a great substitute for a regular concealer.
Works excellent as a makeup base too since it helps covers redness and the formula helps foundation apply more smoothly.
Is neither too matt nor too oily, neither too creamy nor too runny, but somewhere in between so is really easy to apply.
Gives a beautiful dewy finish.
Stays put for at least 5-6 hours, though I still have to test how it will last in the summers.
Nozzle tip tube packaging is hygienic and easy to use(plus it means I can squeeze the last bit of product out)
Has SPF 21 which means you don't have to put on another layer of product.Plus it has skin whitening and anti aging ingredients.
The Bad
Comes in a single shade.
Only available online.
If it's not applied correctly, it can leave a whitish tinge specially if the colour is not an exact match.
Might be a bit drying if you have extremely dry skin and you're using a small quantity (which I recommend by the way).
Love It Or Chuck It
BB cream has been on my beauty hit list for a while and though there are tons of brands and online stores specializing in BB creams, finding the one that works perfectly for your skin can be quite a task.So I'm super impressed with the Ciracle BB Cream because this one is a made in heaven match for my skin tone and type.An all in one product which works as a primer, foundation and concealer, plus takes care of your skin care needs as well. I love using this on days when I'm feeling really lazy which is basically most days.Love It and just can't get enough.
Disclaimer: Product sent by PR for review.Read Review Policy for more information.
Giveaways are super fun to host and I love having giveaways more than anything because I get to meet loads of wonderful people that way.The Sigma Cleansing And Polishing Tool Giveaway was run in the same spirit and I'm totally overwhelmed by the amazing response I got: total 235 participants with over 1500 entries is fantastic I would say!
So I guess a big gigantic thank you is in order.It's because of wonderful gals like you that Beauty And The Blog is such a success.Thanks so much for inspiring me and making my virtual space count for something(even if it deals with something as vain as beauty!).
I know it took almost a week for me to announce the results but it was quite a task sorting through the entries, checking and rechecking because I wanted to be really fair.And there were very few dubious entries.Though the one major thing that made my job a bit harder was the missing extra information.The extra info is the most important part and allows me to check your entries.So if it's missing I can't check which means your entry goes to waste.So next time make sure you have filled in the extra info part.
Anyhoo onto the winner: Congratulations Jennifer!
I have lots of surprises and giveaways planned for my wonderful readers in the new year, so stay tuned and keep visiting Beauty And The Blog.
By know you must have a fair idea of how much I love hauling(heck all girls love hauling) and thankfully there is no dearth of places to shop whether it be physical or virtual space.Though these days I'm all for shopping in virtual space (me being the laziest human to walk the planet n all).So the moment I get to hear about any new online store it's hard to control my glee.So you can imagine my excitement when I stumbled across another awesome online beauty store(my favourite kind!): StyleCraze.com, a virtual heaven for cosmetic hoarding discount loving females (a-la me.)
StyleCraze.com aims to bring international(NYX, Orly, OPI, Sally Hansen, Bourjois, Max Factor, Konad) as well as Indian(Lakme, Vega, Biotique, Aroma Magic, Lotus, Jooves) beauty brands to your doorstep at great discounts.And shopping at StyleCraze.com is absolutely hassle free.They promise to dispatch your package within 3 days of placing the order and give you the option of paying Cash On Delivery with free shipping for orders above Rs 250.What more could you want eh?
Plus they keep adding brands at an amazing rate and take user feedback pretty seriously!Add a great customer support team and StyleCraze.com officially qualifies as one of my favourite places to shop for beauty products online.
And now onto the haul!
Lotus SAFE SUN Sun Block Spray (SPF 50)
Can't have enough sunscreens right.Plus I wanted to try this for the longest time.Though I have to say it's definitely not a spray.The product can be sprayed for sure but instead of a fine mist(which I was expecting) you get a runny liquid.Nevertheless the product is pretty good.
Original Price: Rs 195 StyleCraze.com Price: Rs 176
Pond's Pore Tightening Facial Foam
Any time I see a Pond's face wash I have to have it.They have never disappointed no matter which variant I have tried.And truth be told glacial clay sounded tempting.After having tried it a couple of times, I swear I'm never going to use anything else on my face.It leaves behind a lovely minty feel and actually helped tighten pores.
Original Price: Rs 65 StyleCraze.com Price: Rs 60
Vega Tweezers - Square Tip
I loose tweezers like almost every other week.So had to stock up.
Original Price: Rs 35 StyleCraze.com Price: Rs 30
And the star of the haul:
OPI Lincoln Park After Dark
I had been drooling over LPAD ever since I first came to know about it.It's one of the most popular OPI shade(voted best dark shade by InStyle twice.) Mostly LPAD is out of stock but the moment I saw it on StyleCraze.comit was the first thing to go into my cart.Plus this is the only store where it is available at a discounted rate.It a lovely vampy black purple with a beautiful glossy finish.Worth every rupee spent.
Original Price: Rs 520 StyleCraze.com Price: Rs 494
Overall a great shopping experience and wonderful service.The courier guys had messed up my delivery but the customer support was always at my beck and call, helping me sort it all out.I will most likely be shopping with them again.
Great selection of brands ranging from high street to high end with almost all of them at discounted prices
5 different payment methods: Cash on delivery,Debit/Credit Card, Net Banking and Cheque/DD
Transparent, no questions asked 7 day return policy
Free shipping on Rs 250 & above
So if you have any year end beauty purchases to make, drop by at StyleCraze.comand shop your heart out!
Disclaimer: I used a discount voucher to purchase from stylecraze.com, though the review constitutes my honest opinion.Read Review Policy for more information.
Korean beauty and fashion trends are making huge waves currently specifically products like the Blemish Balm cream which loads of beauty fanatics are raving about.
But BB cream is not the only Korean beauty product worth your attention when you come across Wishtrend.com, an online Korean fashion and beauty store.You will find all kinds of beauty products from toners and cleansers to serums and packs.And of course the thing that started the trend, BB creams.Although they do have lots of work to do on their fashion segment.
Wishtrend.comoffers top notch Korean beauty brands like Ciracle, Caolion, Liz K, Rojukiss and Gatzmen exclusively for men.
Currently in their fashion segment they are offering really cute multi-hued zipper pouches.
So if you're in the mood to do some Korean flavoured shopping Wishtrend.com is the perfect place to go to.
What It Claims The intense, aromatic blend of 100% pure plant oils in this rich, restoring night-time treat is suitable for all skin types. It helps to soften dry or mature skin and balance combination or oily skin. Ingredients
Naturally active ingredients include softening argan, organic rosehip oils, soothing neroli, lavender, chamomile essential oils plus antioxidant natural source vitamin E.
How To Use
Use Superskin Concentrate at night-time before, or instead of applying your moisturiser.
Apply sparingly and massage gently into face and neck two to three times a week, or as often as needed. If you have very dry skin, follow with your choice of moisturiser for an intensive moisturising boost, or of you have oily or problem skin use alone to help balance and soothe.
Price
28ml bottle ~ £38.75 (most economical)
10ml roller ball ~ £19 (great for travelling)
2ml sample vial ~ £5.50 (good for testing out)
Available at lizearle.com The Good
This is a godsend for those who have a problem with dry flaky skin during winters(moi).It took care of dryness, flakiness and basically impossible to please skin in the first use itself.I did see noticeable results with their daily skincare range too but it was over a period of use but with the concentrate the flaky patches were totally gone.
It actually plumps up your skin.At first I though it was another of those preposterous claims but immediately after application my skin felt super soft and plump.
After a month of use my skin has gotten considerably softer and smoother.And though I can't really say whether it helps to reduce fine lines or not but at the rate at which it's working its magic it will definitely help keep them at bay.
I have been regularly using it twice a week for a month now and it has helped even out my complexion(can say with guarantee since I have not been using any other product).Plus it has lightened blemishes and pigmentation noticeably.
Suits all skin types.
The formula sinks into the skin without being overly greasy despite being composed entirely of oils.Though if you have extremely dry skin then you will have to use a moisturizer after applying the concentrate.
Did not notice any breakouts or any adverse reaction.
The fragrance at first is a bit overpowering but after a couple of uses it's become addictive.It just instantly soothes and calms your nerves.
Love the blend of oils.Argan oil is one of the rarest oils in the world due to the small and very specific growing areas, thus is pretty expensive and is not easily found in many skin care range.So it's great to come across a product with Argan oil as one of the primary ingredients.
I mix this with my regular foundation to get a lovely dewy finish.Goodbye to blotchy and flaky foundation.I have even tried using it as a primer and it excels at that too.The foundation seems to stick to the oils and gives a flawless dewy finish.
Great packaging.The concentrate comes in a frosted glass bottle(the concentrate looks like liquid sunshine suspended in the bottle) with a pump dispenser which doles out the right amount of product.The carton is also super chic.
The Bad
Though the packaging is really beautiful, the glass bottle is not very practical for travelling.The bottle is too bulky plus the oil seeps through when it is not kept upright.
Costs a bomb.
The fragrance might not agree with everyone.
Only available online.
Love It Or Chuck It
Absolutely Love It.Liz Earle has never disappointed when it comes to skincare and this by far is their best product.Though expensive it is definitely an investment.It has aptly been named Superskin Concentrate and works better than the holiest of holiest Crème de la Mer (tried it a while back and found it way too rich.) This baby packs a punch in all aspects of ideal skin care and multitasks the crap outta any other cream/serum in it's league.Worth the buzz worth the moolah.
Disclaimer: Product sent by PR for review.Read Review Policy for more information.
Normally I wouldn't do a reminisce post like this but apparently we are facing doomsday in 2012, so why not.And if you think it's going to be one of those where I list out my favourite products of the year, well it's not.I can do that any time of the year plus it must be damn boring going through my favourites right?
