Easy Leopard Look For Halloween

Unleash your inner animal this Halloween the easy way. I think we have a little bit of leopard-ness in all of us. Even though I love animal print clothes & accessories, I've never been a fan of the cat family (sorry!), except for Hello Kitty, coz she doesn't have claws and sharp teeth. And she has a bow-shaped peace sign on her forehead :). But after doing this look, I might say yes if my kids want a cat someday.

 At first I drew longer whiskers but my shaky fingers got stage fright half-way, so I cleaned it all up and drew shorter ones instead =D

IN2IT Cosmetics Haul

I'm still not over my IN2IT cosmetics craze,you know. I just think it's such a unique makeup brand. The design of their packaging sets them apart from all the drugstore brands. Even the quality of the products are really really good for the price.

Here are the IN2IT pretties I'm hearting.....

Blush Brush in Mirror Compact ~ Tell me that's not cute! The compact is white with silver swirl design. Very pretty. The blush brush is so soft and silky, more so than my own hair (i.e. on a good hair day)

♥

Lakme Gypsy Collection True Wear Nail Color Swatches & Review

I know, I know, it's like a Lakme Gypsy Collection parade over here lately, but this was requested, so... :)

In case you didn't know, a purple nail polish broke when these were delivered to me, that's why they look dirty (and I didn't want to waste my nail polish remover cleaning all that ;p )

I'll try to describe the shades in my own words.

• 245 ~ Moulin Rouge Red (love!)
• 422 ~ Tomato Red
• 246 ~  Fuchsia with shimmer

Lakme Gypsy Collection Sheer Satin Lip Gloss Swatches & Review

Drench your lips in molten shine, with this smooth, feather-light gloss for hours of dazzling, mirror-like shine. Infused with moisturizing vitamins so you can treat your lips to an ultra-comfortable, satin finish.

Available in 8 shades.

Wella Kolestint Hair Color Review & Swatch

Wella Kolestint is the new hair color in the Indian market. Launched by Dimple Kapadia & Jacqueline Fernandez, I found out.

I wanted to lighten my hair about 2 levels. There are 10 levels of hair color ~ 1 being black & 10 being lightest blonde. My first choice this time was Revlon Colorsilk Light Ash Brown (which I've used before), but it wasn't available at my supermarket, so I picked what I thought was the next best thing ~ Wella Kolestint Light Brown #6/0. 

I was excited to try something new for a change.

Karva Chauth Gifts ~ Inglot ;)

Karva Chauth is a festive day in Hindu tradition where married women fast for the well-being, prosperity and longevity of their husband. Then they would wait until the moon rises to eat. Now that's just the gist and as far as I know. To know more about this Indian tradition, you can go  here .

I am a Christian, but I married a Hindu man, so I do the fasting bit, coz I want my husband to live as long as me & be very very successful so that he'll get me lots and lots of gifts! ;D. Women apply mehendi the day before Karva Chauth, but I don't coz I just don't like it. No offense to those who love it :)


I've only had a cup of tea since morning. Take away my food but don't you dare take away my morning tea!

Anyways, the man I'm fasting for got me 2 things from Inglot...

Brush 24SS & AMC Cream Blush #84

Of course, I told him exactly what to get :). Will let you know what I think about them later.

Now I just have to wait for the moon to rise and pounce on my KFC! Mmm....

Hope all you Indian ladies out there had a lovely Karva Chauth & I wish you a long and happy married life.

♥ Cynthia Z ^.^

Lakme Gypsy Collection Eye Color Quartet Swatches & Review

Versatile quartets of vivid, high intensity color powders put together to color, shape and highlight your eyes in an explosion of radiant color.

Some of you know what these eyeshadows looked like when they were delivered to me (see here) but somehow I managed to press the broken ones and clean the palettes so they'd look presentable.

Available in 2 shades: Tanjore Rush & Silk Route

Top 10 Favorites This Week

Some things just bring a smile to your face, no matter how crap you're feeling. I thought about getting myself a puppy, but I know I'd be battling with a different kind of 'crap'. Been there, done that. So I figured it's better to find happiness in the things I already have & don't have to toilet train.

Here are my Top 10 Favorite Things this week:

My Yellow Kettle ~ My other electric kettle didn't come on a few days back (I thought it was spoiled but actually it was a trip), so I started using this, which I was saving for special occasions, which never came =D. I like to have yellow things in my kitchen (and wardrobe). It's just such a happy color. I'm looking for a set of cute yellow cups to go with it.

♥

Lakme Gypsy Collection Lip Palette : Lip Swatches & Review

Lakme's 5 shade lip palette from the latest Gypsy Collection is described as a wardrobe of possibilities. Wear each color on its own or blend together for the perfect shade from a palette of 5 universally flattering shades of terracotta in a satin finish.

Dolly Wink Eyelashes & Case

Pink ~ Check!

Polka dots ~ Check!

Bows ~ Double Check!

Hello, Cuties! Dolly Wink brought my girly dreams to life with their packaging. Wait, is there another word I can use other than 'packaging'??? It just sounds weird sometimes.

Diwali Special at StrawberryNet

As a part of special India promotion, StrawberryNet is giving away free gift with every purchase of over US$25. The FREE gift is Max Factor Silk Gloss Sheer Frost (Dazzling Frost with Lip Balm Feel) - # 370 Cinnamon Glow 8ml/0.27oz.  

This offer is limited & only for Indian customers, and will go on till 24 October, 2010. 

So hurry before it gets over!!! 

Please go HERE for details.

♥ Cynthia Z ^.^

MAC Collections Launching in India Tomorrow!

Two MAC collections are launching in India tomorrow, Thursday: 21st of October,2010. Sidney Sheldon was wrong, tomorrow does come! 

So if they're the ones you've been waiting for, don't wait till Friday or worst, Sunday, coz you know how fast they run out over here and it's not like they send too many anyways.

One: MAC Fabulous Felines Collection....rawrr!

Leopard Luxe

Burmese Beauty

Palace Pedigree

Two: MAC Dare To Wear Collection

Dare to Wear is all about loud colors inspired by Lady Gaga. Consists of 6 lipglasses & 12 eyeshadows in bold colors....

Ban This! – Deep purple with multi-pearl 
Bold & Brash – Bright red with multi-pearl 
Dare to Dare – Light blue pink with multi-pearl 
Gimme That! – Bright fuchsia pink with pink pearl 

So Bad Mid-tone – Coral orange with pink and gold pearl 
Wind Me Up – Dirty bronze with pink and gold pearl 

Aqua – Subdued, pale greyed aqua 
Atlantic Blue – Bright violet blue 
Crazy Cool – Pale frosty lavender 
Free to Be – Bright true coral
Going Bananas – Soft lemon yellow 
Lime – Lime green 
Louder Please – Bright fuchsia
Sassy Grass – Bright grass green 
Shock-a-holic – Deep purple 
Sky Blue – Robin’s egg blue 
Winkle – Mid-tone cornflower blue 
Zingy – Bright sky blue 

So who'll be at a MAC store tomorrow? Unfortunately, I won't =(
But happy shopping to all you MAC-aholics! :)


♥ Cynthia Z ^.^

MAC Fleur Power Blush Review & LOTD

I recently hauled some MAC stuff after a long MAC fast. Fleur Power is one of them. I have always overlooked this blush, and I don't know why exactly. Then last week I wanted it badly . You know, like in college when you overlooked that nice guy coz you're so distracted by other nice guys, and you finally noticed him when you saw what a good boyfriend he was to that girl you know? Well, something like that =D

And also, one of my favorite readers, Rajni, mentioned once that she liked & got this blush, so I checked it out. Thanks Rajni! :)

Described as a soft bright pinkish coral, and it's a satin finish. Satin finish is a little more pigmented than Sheertone finish. You only need a little for the color to show on your cheeks. 

Fleur Power = Flower Power

One blurry, one not blurry. Pls ignore the unruly brows (I'm growing them out before shaping them)

Yes, I do like this blush a lot. I wanted 'Hipness' blush from the Beach Collection, but it was sold out by the time I went to the MAC store. I think (and I've seen some comparisons in some blogs) Fleur Power is quite similar to that, which makes me like it even more.

Price ~ Rs.1150

My Rating ~ ♥♥♥♥♥ 4.5/5

By the way, I'm not keeping well at the moment, so I won't be updating much this week. But who knows... the fever might get to me and I'll end up doing an outrageous look! :)

Have a great week!

♥ Cynthia Z ^.^

Sigma Makeup Brushes Review

I've been using the Sigma Professional Makeup Brushes for 8 months now. I've washed them many many times and have used them everyday, so this review is long overdue. Sorry to those who asked me to review them since then.

Almost all of these brushes have different names & numbering now, which I'll write in brackets.

Face Brushes: (top to bottom):

• SS150 (F30) Large Powder Brush ~ For powder application. It's very soft. But it sheds a little, although it's not really an issue for me. Hey! The hair on my head sheds everyday so... =D. 
• SS187 (F50) Duo Fibre Brush ~ For Foundation, powder, blush. I can't live without this. The cons about this it's not as stiff as I'd like it to be. It splays way too much sometimes. BLEEDS while washing & sheds a little too, so I have to remove pieces of bristles every time I use it.
• SS166 (F40) Large Angled Contour ~ I don't really like this for contouring, coz it's a little too soft, but I like to use it for applying blush.
• SS190 (F60) Foundation Brush ~ This is a good foundation brush, but I've used a Vega one that is as good too. 
• SS194 (F70) Concealer Brush (6th from top in the pic down there)* ~ Not bad, but I prefer using my fingers to this or the SS224 (E40) below.

Eye Brushes (top to bottom):

• SS224 (E40) Tapered Blending ~ This is one of the best. Great for blending eyeshadows & for applying and blending concealer too.
• SS239 (E60) Large Shader ~ I use it for cream eyeshadows. It is a must-have brush if you like to use pigments and glitter.
• SS219 (E30) Pencil ~ Too soft to be called a pencil brush. It's great for applying shadow right on the crease, and defining the outer V
• SS275 (E70) Medium Angled Shading ~ This is a must-have for doing smoky eyes, specially is you're a novice at applying eyeshadow, coz it makes it easier for you to shape your eyes.
• SS230 (E55) Eye Shading ~ This is great if you want to pack on color on your lids coz it picks up a lot of eyeshadow. I use it for blending too.
• Concealer brush* 
• SS209 (E05) Eyeliner ~ I don't like this at all! It's too thick for applying eyeliner
• SS266 (E65) Small Angle ~ This is a nice angled brush for applying gel/cream eyeliners, but it's hard to get a thin line and to wing at the corners with it. I use it mostly for tightlining. I'm positive you'll find a better one out there.

F80 Flat Top Kabuki Brush ~ This is my favorite brush of all. I use it for almost everything! Foundation, powder, blush (powder/cream), bronzers. I wouldn't mind using it to apply my moisturizer too if it's clean =D. It's super dense and gives a flawww....less finish. If you're on a budget and can get only ONE Face Brush, get this one.

Since I ordered twice, I got 2 SS217 for FREE! :)

These are two of the most useful freebies I've ever received. My makeup routine is incomplete without them. Amazing blending brushes, and you can use them to smoothly apply all over color. Plus, like like that they're short, which makes them very easy to handle.

Bottomline ~ I really recommend the Sigma Professional Brushes. Well, just the ones I really like & my must-haves :)

I hope you found this review useful if you're thinking about ordering these brushes. In case I missed to mention something, feel free to ask me any questions. About prices, please visit the Sigma website.

To see my review on the Sigma Princess Grace Kabuki Brush, please click HERE

♥ Cynthia Z ^.^

Thistle On My Nails

Just because summer is over doesn't mean that pastels are out. This week I'm wearing Elianto Nail Color named Thistle. Don't worry it doesn't prick ;)

It's a nice lilac shade, which I'd never worn before. And no, it's NOT pink! =D

♥ Cynthia Z ^.^

For The Love Of Bows ~ Shoes & Belt

Okay, here's my first post dedicated to bows. You know I heart them! =)

These are one of the pairs I got when I was on vacay, and I love them so much! Yes, because of the bows, of course! A tad loose but nothing Dr.Scholl's can't fix hehe...

Actually, the bows don't look bluish grey at all! It's just on camera. Their color is almost exactly like the shoes.

I was at a department store & I accidentally found a belt that matches the shoes :)

Do you like bows as much as I do? Would you like to see more of my bow-obsessed stuff? =D


♥ Cynthia Z ^.^

Loving The Smashbox Superstars

Meet the Smashbox collection of superstar products ~ all in  portable travel sizes to give you a flawless face at home or on the go! 

These are cult favorites and the most popular Smashbox products, which include:

• Bionic Mascara in Jet Black
• Reflection High Shine Lip Gloss
• O-Glow Intuitive Cheek Color
• Photo Finish Foundation Primer
• Fusion Soft Lights in Baked Starburst 

It also comes with a Smashbox make-up artists booklet (which I've misplaced) of very interesting & useful makeup tips! I learnt quite a few things from it =)

I am in love with all these products from the Smashbox TRY ME Vol.2 Superstars, especially the Photo Finish Primer & O-Glow. 

I bought this for about Rs.2430, which I think is not bad for 5 products. Since I've never tried any Smashbox stuff, I'm happy I got this coz I get to try a bunch of products all at once.

♥ Cynthia Z ^.^

How To Tightline Your Eyes (tutorial) & The Actress I Learnt it From

Tightlining still confuses people. I still see "What did you mean by tightline??" comments on Youtube and blogs. Tightlining is when you apply eyeliner right onto the base of your upper lash line to give the appearance of thicker lashes and is a method used for most "no-makeup" looks.

I learnt to tightline my eyes back in the year 2000, when the movie 'Jungle' came out (Don't laugh! ;p) You know, the one with Urmila and Fardeen Khan? I loved that movie! I watched it about 4 times back then haha...

So, I was watching it and thought to myself, Urmila has no makeup on (coz she's a hostage in a jungle and all), but her eyes still look dark as though she has eyeliner on. How come?
I went close to the TV and stared at her eyes for a long time.
Ohhh...I get it! They applied eyeliner just on the inside! Yup,"the inside" was my exact thought. I was too much of a novice to think "lash line" and such words at the time.
From then on I started applying eyeliner there. I didn't know the term 'tighlining' until a few years ago.
*Now I don't know if I should send a 'Thank You' note to RGV or Urmila =D

Anyways, here's how I do it....

First, which type of eyeliners to use for tightlining:
Gel, pencil, kajal.
Gel~ With a flat/angled brush
Pencil & Kajal ~ Directly or with a flat/angled brush

~ With Pencil ~

Apply right on the roots of your lashes. You can also coat your lashes with it a little to make your lashes look darker.

~ Using a Brush ~

• Push the brush right onto the base of your lashes. Fill in all the gaps
• Use a Q-tip to wipe off any smudges outside your lash line.
• If you have very thin lashes like mine, apply a coat of not-so-volumizing mascara on your lashes, concentrating on the base. On your lower lashes too if you want.

Optional : 1. Using an eyelash curler before mascara, 2. Putting false lashes (natural looking ones OR individuals), 3. Applying mascara on your bottom lashes.

Don'ts

• Avoid pulling and tugging at your eyes to prevent premature wrinkles and sagging. Instead tilt your head back so you can see the base of your lashes. If it's absolutely necessary for you to lift your lid, then use a Q-tip instead of your fingers. It's gentler for your delicate eye areas. 
• If using a pencil, avoid applying in a haphazard way coz this might break or damage your lashes Use short strokes instead and try to apply in one direction.
• Don't use a liquid eyeliner. It is not safe for the insides of your eyes, and it won't last anyways.

I hope this is a helpful tutorial. Feel free to ask any questions.


♥ Cynthia Z ^.^

Benefit Coralista Vs Sugarbomb

I've been meaning to post this for a while now. Best of the two ~ Coralista OR Sugarbomb?

Most of you know how much I love my Coralista, right? It conquered Nars Orgasm too in my book of 'Battles of the Beauties' =D

Then along came Sugarbomb, and oh-my-god I was so obsessed with it! Even Twitter has some record of my craving for it =D

Okay, fast forward....

I was holding Sugarbomb in my hand at a Benefit counter in KL, and I remember thinking to myself: "Umm...so this is Sugarbomb. Hah."

The compulsive shopper in me was like, "Oh, would you stop that and just take it home! =["

I told the very helpful SA there that I already have Coralista and would just like to see if they're similar. SA immediately said they are very similar, so no point in me getting Sugarbomb too. Now that's a good SA!

But me, still not convinced swatched and tried both blushes only to see that they are in fact very very similar (to a guy: SAME) but...

Coralista looked better. The coral in it just came out more beautifully, whereas Sugarbomb looked a tad too glowy/shimmery and somehow the coral didn't show up like I wanted it to.  

I'm not saying I don't like Sugarbomb. I'd probably love it if there wasn't a Coralista, but not in this lifetime. 

I feel that Sugarbomb is like a younger sister who tries to outdo the already popular & more talented elder one with bolder ways but fail (think ~ Dannii Minogue, Shamita Shetty, Riya Sen, Tanisha Mukherjee.)

I think Coralista is better so much that, even if I had finished it or hit pan, I'd still pick it over Sugarbomb. Nuff said.

P.S: This is just my personal opinion, so you don't have to agree with me. To each her own. Peace! ;)

♥ Cynthia Z ^.^

Wanted ~ Bourjois Volumizer Mascara

Killer volume, no clumps guaranteed!

Boy, do we want that! Always.

I adore Bourjois for never passing on gimmicky. MAC came out with its Haute & Naughty Mascara, and now it's their turn to try and up the ante with something similar ~ VOLUMIZER Mascara.

It works in 2 steps to build up to 11x more volume, clump-free.

Step 1: For extremely defined lashes with 2x more volume

Step 1+ 2: For dramatic lashes with upto 11x more volume with no clumps. Ultimate show-stopping lashes!

Enriched with fortifying and repairing ceramide, natural waxes and provitamin B5, it is suitable for sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers (Opthalmologically tested)

To say I want this would be an understatement.

♥ Cynthia Z ^.^

The Magic Of A Compressed Face Mask

I tried one of the compressed face masks for the first time today and OMG I love it! I've gotten so lazy about using masks and taking extra care of my skin lately, but this has made me realize that these extra things are actually FUN + they nourish & can do about 50-60% of the repair work that your skin needs.

Remember I  got these Japanese-made compressed cotton face masks....

I used the PINK heart-shaped one

Out of the wrapper

Dabur Gulabari Rose Water in a bowl

It just pouff-ed up into a double heart. I poured a bit more rose water on it....

.... and swirled the bowl around so the mask got wet completely. Then I opened the mask gently....

Voila!

Now meet the squirrel...

No smiling! (Oh, and must get nose strips!)

I left the mask on until it dried a bit. I noticed my pores, which looked gigantic earlier, took a hike after this.

I used ice cold rose water. Next I'll use green tea. Can't wait!

*You can also use cotton pads as face masks. Just dip some in rose water/green tea/whatever, stretch them a little, and stick them to your forehead, cheeks, chin & nose. Let's say, 3:3+3:1:1 if you're using square ones.

By the way, I'm giving away a pack of the heart-shaped compressed masks in IVC Facebook page (here) if you want them :)

♥ Cynthia Z ^.^