My Vanity Organizer

Most times when I'm getting ready, about 5-7 minutes are wasted on searching for the products I need. I don't find my eyeshadow primer...my mascara...my black gel eyeliner (you tend to want the one that's not in sight)....my brow pencil...my everyday nude-ish lippie...you do the math.

Then my eyes saw this Vanity Organizer 2 weeks ago while I was looking for a wedding gift. My heart literally skipped a beat, and I gasped. You'd think that type of feeling is exclusively for diamonds & man candy, but not for me- I feel that way about utensils too...shhh.

Ohmigosh, this thing is like a pacifier! It has made my getting-ready time a whole lot calmer. It can hold all my everyday makeup products. I now call it my everyday makeup station....and it is mobile too- I can easily carry it from one room to another (not to mention the terrace, balcony....hospital?) Yes, it shall be with me on a deserted island- after I load it a leetle bit more, of course :)

It has 6 sections:

Top left ~ Foundations, foundation primer, BB Cream.

Top right ~ Brushes, eyelash curler, eyeliner pencils, mascara.

Middle left ~ Eyeshadow Palette (Too Faced Naked Eye), TFSI, Bronzer.

Middle right ~ Compact powder, Blush.

Bottom left ~ Buffer brush, Brow kit, Gel liner

Bottom right ~ Concealers, Lip products

Black Crackle Nail Polish

Hi everyone,

I'm so sorry for not blogging or replying to comments/emails for so many days. I'm still out of town & was so busy with my friend's wedding plus didn't have internet....blah blah...excuses excuses, I know =D

Anyways, today I woke up kinda early so I can post something. Something easy-peasy & quick like...well, nails. I've been wearing this Laushine black crackle nail polish from Born Pretty Store since last week and I'm sort of addicted to it. I wore it on top of a fuchsia nail paint last week & on top of Samantha Jones the week before that. Bless the genius who came up with this fab-tastic idea. Is anybody else wondering what crackle eyeshadow would look like? ;)

Here I'm wearing it on top of Colorbar Nail Lacquer #70 and I used clear Elle 18 Nail Pops as a top coat.

End Of 1 Month Challenge LOTD's, New Blog Look & A Message

Long title! I just have so much to say before I go-go. First, it is time to officially end my 1 Month Challenge. I know I know, I fell short and could only do 7 instead of 10. I wanted to do 3 more specific looks, but will have to do them later since last month flew away too quickly (can you believe Christmas is in 2 & 1/2 months?!) . Anyways, I had a lot of fun doing them and I really did use a lot of ignored products. I also learned a few new things about makeup- particularly color coordinating & a thing or two about darker skin tones. More on that later, perhaps.

Here are all the 7 LOTD's:

•  Modern Mumtaz Mahal (Queen of the Taj Mahal) ~ Post here
•  Unpredictable ~ Post here 
•  Arabic ~ Post here . I changed the title after so many of you said it looked more Arabic than Indian :)
•  Sleek Paraguaya ~ Post here 
•  Smokey Green ~ Post here
•  Make Up For Ever Très Vichy ~ Post with eye makeup pictorial here
•  Autumn Look On Darker Skin Tone ~ Post here  . I'm planning to be tanned this winter ;)

Which look did you like the most? 

Forever New Bracelet Set ~ Week's Best Buy

So, I was at Forever New the other day (2nd visit,same day) looking for a clutch. I tried this bracelet half-heartedly and put it back. Then this happened:

Mr.CZ : That looks nice. Take it and let's go *impatiently* (it was almost closing time.)
Me :  Really?! It's cute? Nah...I don't want.... *picks it up again*
Mr.CZ : Take it. Let's see, how much is it? *checks price tag* Not bad for this *nods head approvingly* Hmm....quite reasonable for this.
Me :  Oh, okay. I'll take it. Ya, I'll take it....

....and I'm so glad I did :)

Moral of the story: When a man says the product looks good...the price tag is good, you take it!

Sigma Cleansing & Polishing Tool

I'm trying out the Sigma Cleansing & Polishing Tool, the dupe for Clarisonic- which costs 3 times more. I have always wanted a Clarisonic, but the price scare the bejesus out of me (You can imagine what Mr.CZ thinks!)

I am loving the pink-ness against the white....very girly.

Colorbar Jewelry Box

Shop for over Rs.1500 and get this cute read suede jewelry FREE! I think it's a Karwa Chauth offer.  I think it looks adorable! Great for travel too.

Size: 5" width, 3" depth.

Smokey Eyes For Karwa Chauth ~ Tutorial

Here is Karwa Chauth step-by-step eye makeup tutorial some of you requested. I am using some random colors, so feel free to use any other colors for this look. You could use a shade that matches with your outfit. The main colors I used are pink & purple from a Revlon palette I have been ignoring for a long long time. 

Let's begin:

Part 1:

• For a smooth application & to make eyeshadows last longer, I used MAC Painterly Paint Pot

• Revlon Illuminance cream black shadow as eyeshadow base. This will intensify the look. Blend the black on your hand first before applying it on your lids, this will prevent mistakes & make blending it easier.

• Apply it all over you eyelids up to the crease line. I have droopy lids, so I like to take color over my natural crease line.

• Blend the harsh edges with a blending brush.

• With my ring finger, I mixed purple & pink eyeshadows together & patted them on top of he black base. Again, blend the edges.

• It should look like last pic.

Garnier Light Anti-Dark Circle Eye Roll On Review

Finally! I have got to try a product which I have been wanting to try for more than a year (remember my crazy wishlist post here?)

Garnier Light Anti-Dark Circle Roll On with Pure Lemon Essence, Caffeine & Mineral Pigments claims to refresh eyes and brighten dark circles. It is also fragrance-free and dermatologically & opthalmologically tested.

Shade ~  Medium

Texture is liquid-like and runny- like thin water color. On my eyes below. Please excuse the lash glue stuck on my lashes. It's a pain to remove!

Glitter Gold Nails (Now Named 'Samantha Jones')

This nail lacquer reminds me of Samantha Jones, Sex and the City. She's blonde, she likes wearing gold & yellow, she glitters (to put it delicately), and she'd wear a canary diamond ring. I pair cosmetics with celebs/people and I wonder why people get mad at me when I zone out while they're talking to me.

Anyhoo, this is the answer to those of you who have asked about OPI glitter nail polishes in India. I can't bring myself to buy OPI's (YET. I know they're addictive), so I jumped when I saw these at a store in my city. 

Bourjois Paris Lighted Compact Mirror ~ Free!

I have always wanted a lighted compact mirror! Even if I'm rarely applying makeup in a dark place (thanks to generators), I wanted one. Novelty always has me hooked. Maybe I'll turn off the light in my dressing room tonight to test this mirror. Actually, no. Damn horror movies!

Bourjois' free gifts are always my favorite, and this mirror oh-so-cute!

When you open it, both sides light up

The Best Things Are FREE! New U Pearl Jewelry Set

Let's start off this Monday by looking at some FREE pretties! You know I like me some prese...err...I mean free gifts with purchase. "Give us your monies, and we'll geeve you thees..."

New U is having a "Festival of Beauty", where you get free gifts with your purchase:

• Shop worth Rs.250 & above ~ Get Pearl Earrings worth Rs.79/- FREE.
•   "        "      Rs.500 & above  ~   "   Pearl Bracelet & pearl Earrings worth Rs.149/- FREE.
•   "        "      Rs.1000 & above ~   "   Pearl Necklace & pearl Earrings worth Rs.349/- FREE.
•   "        "      Rs.1500 & above ~   "   Fancy Pearl Necklace & Pearl Earrings worth Rs.499/- FREE.

*I shopped worth over Rs.1200, so I must have gotten the second last one. I have no idea how the "Fancy" pearl set looks like. More diamantes, I guess.

Draped Concoctions By Surbhi Chawla At Wills India Fashion Week S/S '12

"Draped Concoctions"

A range of peppy cocktail dresses in happy and chaotic patterns with oodles of drapes and smocking remains the forté of Surbhi Chawla. Satin and stretch jerseys were beautifully colour blocked in candy colour tones of green, blue, yellow, pink, faint orange, burnt orange, red and purple.

The show started with a yellow mini dress with smocking details that created sensuous movement and was followed by monochromatic smocked dressed in shades of pastel green, pink and yellow. Colour blocking brought out a joyous mood as yellow was combined with blue; black was teamed with orange and green was paired with purple. One of the jumpsuit was seen in monochromatic yellow while the other had pink pleats colour blocked on black. The show ended with an alluring floor sweeping full length red gown

layered with pink chiffon at hem. The look is glam, glitz and chic, achieved by refined drapes and uncluttered

surface treatment making the collection timelessly elegant.

Taurus by Dhruv & Pallavi at WIFW S/S'12

Festivity Galore

Dhruv & Pallavi have a festive approach to Spring Summer 2012. The models walked in with earthen lamps in their hands celebrating life and the surroundings. A warm sense of well-being was depicted and highlighted.  Silhouettes were very ethnic and tastefully spread over with a palette of white, blue and green. The surfaces were a mix of transparent and opaque mediums.  The indigenous shapes were true to heart and were combined with intricate detailing. Very often there were tassels to add a sense of symmetry. The symmetry was consistent with the use of dupattas and hair accessories. 

Empro Triangular Brow Pencil ~ Product Of The Week

Empro Triangular Brow Pencil is officially my f-a-v-o-r-i-t-e brow product of all time. It even beats Urban Decay Brow Box simply because it is easier to use- so very easy. The white casing with silver accents & flowers looks very classy & far from boring.

Claims:

The triangular shape of Empro’s pencil tip, which makes it easy to draw a thick line for the first half of the eyebrow, while the thinner tip creates the thin line towards the outer half of the brow.

This Triangular Eyebrow Pencil has a brow brush for user to even the colour shade on the brow. It is long lasting, this revolutionary eyebrow pencil does not need re-sharpening and does not break easily like conventional eyebrow pencils. This translates into less wastage and big savings. The innovative triangular tip ensures that users get perfect brows in 2 easy steps. The unique design of the triangular tip is very easy to control when drawing from front to tail in order to give you a natural eyebrow. Even those who lack experience in drawing eyebrows will find that its easy application yields perfect results every time.

Empro Triangular Eyebrow Pencil is made of 100 % natural ingredients and is suitable for all skin types: dry, oily, sensitive and combination. 

Empro Triangular Eyebrow Pencil is one of the top 10 best selling item in Sasa. This eyebrow pencil won the Best Eyebrow Pencil Award from Watsons and it also won the Best Colour Shade Award from Cosmopolitan magazine.

Enigmatically Yours ~ Malini Ramani at Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week S/S'12

Malini has mastered the state-of-the-art progression. True to her globe trotting nature, her theme picks the fluidity and submissiveness from the known and unknown materials. The collection exhibits an entirely different era. One can call it the transition mode—the Indian Classical music transcends into pop and the silhouettes also flow from basic opaque to flowing forms.  The swimsuits were teamed up with fringed boleros. The fringes were emphasized in an engineered manner—they were played over with multi colours. The cuts were sexier and revealed mysterious elements. The collection had a very enigmatic approach when the halter-backs were showcased.  There were nice cuts at the waist and empire-lines.

The Black and white dresses in chiffon and satin gave a marvelous portrayal of soft feminine elements. Once again the jumpsuits were straight and linear. The tie and dye effect was an eye-catching episode of entire collection. The designer created Ombre gradations with the blues and whites.

Style Wars ~ Gauri and Nainika Karan at Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week Spring Summer '12

While the eyes wanted to see what was not seen until now and the show started gradually and methodically. The colours were peppy and not to miss out on.  A very well chosen palette and more than cautious range of silhouettes were visible on the ramp. The designer duo featured dresses with basic bodies— from knee lengths to longer ones.  Long jumpsuits in hot pinks and a trail combined with the shorter ones made the collection look superb. One shoulder dress was highlighted with gold metallic button. In fact, metallic buttons made the collection stand out.  The shapes were at times dreamy— there were long flowing silhouettes with flair on the side seam in circular format, going round the neck and finally making their way to the hem.  Colours were grey, black, mauve, lavender, hot pinks, mustard and aqua marine blue.

A versatile play of the headgears added the much required attitude.  There were uniforms caps in crushed shapes that matched dresses of the same shade. Another eye-catching element was the self coloured belts with gold eyelets. The pocket-lines were highlighted.  Asymmetric lines never looked so good before.

Urban Decay Zero 24/7 Glide-On Pencil 'Vs' Colorbar Blackout I-Glide Pencil

I have always wanted to compare these two eye liner pencils. One is a high street inaccessible brand & the other is an affordable brand in India. But what do they have in common? The word "Glide Hyphen" in their names + they are both black.

So, let's begin.

Modern Mumtaz Mahal (Queen of the Taj Mahal) Look

This is my depiction of a Mumtaz Mahal of today. Well...sort of, coz I don't have a crown. But even the Queen of England doesn't wear a crown all the time, does she? I don't know. Anyway, this could easily be an Indian Bridal look too so maybe you'll be inspired if you're getting married soon.

Source: Google images

Who is Mumtaz Mahal?

She was the wife of Shah Jahan- the emperor who built the Taj Mahal, one of the seven wonders of the world, for her. She was his favorite out of 3 wives at the time! Three! Mumtaz Mahal died in 1631 AD while giving birth to theit 14th child. Fourteenth! :O. Read more about her here

She is one of the people from history that I'd like to meet because I find her very intriguing. I mean, she's got to have some magical powers, no? I really really want to ask her....(to be continued)

New! Lakmé Fruit Moisture Skincare Range

Say Hello to youthful gorgeous skin with Lakmé’s Fruit Moisture Range

Bask in the glory of youthful, soft and radiant skin this winter.

Indulge in Lakmé’s new winter care range comprising of moisturizers, day crème, night crème and lotions oozing with the goodness of exotic fruits. Loaded with Nutritiv Moisture Technology, the new Lakmé Fruit Moisture Range gives you twelve hour moisturisation for younger looking skin even in winters. With the breakthrough Nutritiv Moisture Technology comprising of a blend of Hydrating agents, Essential Vitamins, AHA’s & Anti-oxidants, Lakmé’s Fruit moisture range gives your skin a 200% moisture boost. Within the range, Lakmé Peach and Plum Daily Glow Lotion and Lakme Peach Milk Moisturiser are perfect for yearlong skin moisturisation ,while Lakmé Honey & Avocado Winter Care Lotion, Lakmé Honey & Avocado Winter Perfect Day Crème and Lakmé Skin Renewal Night Crème  are infused with  winter care emollient making them a perfect pick for the cold weather.

5-star Rated Beauty Products (Part- 1)

Hey Everyone,

A new week, a new feature in IVC! Just something fun & light. Here are some of the 5-star rated products. Basically, products I would buy more than once:

Wearing Inglot Yellow & Turquoise Eyeshadows

What I love most about a lazy Sunday at home is the freedom I get to look as sloppy or as outrageous as I want. Today, I was weirdly attracted to this yellow eyeshadow, so I did a quick look with it. I could have tweezed my eyebrows in that time, bit I decided eyebrows can wait ;)

Inglot eyeshadows used ~ Yellow Double Shimmer #474 & Turquoise matte #372 from my Inglot 5-eyeshadow palette (shown here)

Look 1:

How To: 

• Apply yellow eyeshadow on the lids stopping before your natural crease line. Also apply it on inner half of lower lash line.

• Apply the turquoise eyeshadow on your crease with a thin brush, and blend the edges using window wiper & swirling motions. Also apply this on the outer half of lower lash line.

• Apply black eyeliner and wing it slightly at the ends.

• Apply a black kajal/pencil liner on lower lash line & smudge it a little with a brush.

• Lastly, apply black mascara on top & bottom lashes.

Forever 21 Jewelry HAUL & In Search Of A Dress

Yesterday I went to shop for some things I really need:

- #1: A formal dress for my very good/childhood friend's wedding, which is in exactly 26 days (aaahhh!)

- #2: Probably some accessories to match the dress.

But while not finding #1, I ended up buying things I don't really need....but want, of course ;p

I want to say something else.....but I'll let you feast your eyes on the pretties first....

Lovely Pendant with bow, Rs.213 ~ Don't you find this....lovely? I adore the bow. It's also available in other colors- white, cream, sky blue.