IVC Makeup & Beauty Awards 2010 ~ Best Eye Cream & Best Drugstore Foundation

I thought it would be fun to feature Makeup & Beauty Awards this year and pick the best of Makeup & Beauty products I have personally been using during and before the year 2010. 

*Mainly Indian brands (or brands widely available in India) will be nominated & brands like MAC and Clinique will NOT be a part of IVC awards (they already have enough awards on their mantles anyway)

First up are the best of Eye Creams & Drugstore Foundations.

Best Eye Cream

Nominees for best Eye Cream~ Lotus Nutraeye Rejuvenating & Correcting Eye Gel, Biotique Almond Under Eye Cream, Himalaya Under Eye Cream

Reader's Request ~ Skincare Kit For Oily/Combination & Acne Prone Skin

This was requested by a very sweet reader Priyanka J, who has Oily/Combination & Acne-prone skin.

I believe a skincare routine should be simple, when it comes to problem skin. If you have acne, it's better not to confuse your skin more by switching from product to product and "irritate" it
When I get a big pimple sometimes, I feel it has a mind of its own. Like it's saying to me "Don't you let those things gang bang me, or else....=[" =D


Here are the products I'd pick (and I do use most myself) for Oily/combination & Acne Prone skin.

~ Cleansers ~

First and foremost, you have to get a cleanser that is very well suited for your skin type. A childhood friend of mine have been suffering from acne for most of her life - face and body! And the last time I saw her, there wasn't a pimple on her face and she was glowing! So, I asked her what she used. She told me that she read in a magazine that "when you have acne, it's better to use a Foam Cleanser rather than a gel-based one" (hehe...I hope she read this =D)
She then started using Pond's Flawless White Facial Foam, and it made all the difference.
Other cleansers you can use......

Cetaphil when pimples are at their peak and hurt. You gotta have one with salicylic acid like Clean & Clear cleansers for acne.

Fashion Friday : OOTD & LOTD

This is my first ever Fashion Friday post. I decided I'll do it every week starting today, to break the monotony. And yeah, so that I'll buy more clothes too instead of makeup makeup every time! =)

Top ~ Mango (Quite low so the black tube top ;) )

High-waisted Skirt ~ Sub Zero

Thin Black Belt ~ Comes with the skirt

Shoes ~ Vincci

Bag ~ Accessorize

Earrings ~ Miss Jo

Makeup Products Used:

• Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation
• Mac Mineralize Skinfinish Natural
• Bourjois Delice De Poudre Bronzing Powder
• Mac Peaches Blush (Swatch & Review here)
• Loreal Open Eyes quad: Open Cobalt
• Maybelline Lasting Drama gel liner (black)
• Himalaya Kajal
• Maybelline BrowDefinist by Eyestudio
• Bourjois Ultra Care Mascara (Review here)
• Lips~ Mac Give Me Liberty of London: Ever Hip l/s & Perennial High Style lipgloss

Hope you like! ;) and have a GREAT-GREAT weekend!

♥ Cynthia Z ^.^

Himalaya Under Eye Cream & Lotus Herbals Under Eye Gel ~ Early Thoughts

Himalaya Under Eye Cream

Description:

Contains proven and safe blend of herbs specially created to care for the delicate area around your eyes.

Cipadessa Baccifera ~ Moisturizes the skin under eyes

Bergenia Ligulata ~  Lightens the skin under eyes

Triticum Vulgare ~ Nourishes the skin under eyes

Suitable for contact lenses wearers

Dermatologically and Ophthalmologically tested.

Visible Results (According to Himalaya):

80% reduction in dark circles in just 4 weeks

28% reduction in under-eye wrinkles and fine lines in just 4 weeks

Brighter and smoother eye contour

My early thoughts:

It's been more than 2 weeks since I started using Himalaya Under-eye cream. It is indeed very moisturizing and relaxes my eyes. I really like the consistency of the cream- neither too heavy nor too light. Not really seen much of a difference in my fine lines or color of my under-eye areas so far, but somehow the light beige color gives me hope. It does feel very gentle on my eyes and does NOT sting. It is fragrance-free too, so definitely a plus for an eye cream.

Price ~ Rs.150. Lob it! 5 stars just for that.

Lotus NutraEye Rejuvenating & Correcting Eye Gel

Contains:

Hydrolised wheat protein ~ Diminishes under-eye lines and crow's feet

Soy Bio Peptides ~ Diminishes undereye dark circles

Rice Bran extract and Vitamin A&E ~ Rejuvenates and hydrates skin around eyes.

My early thoughts:

I was very excited to get this particular eye gel because of the ingredients that looked so promising, particularly the Rice Bran extract. Been using it for a little more than a week. So far, so not good! Because of the gel texture, this product makes my under-eye areas feel very taut, like when you apply egg white on your face. This texture just does not work for me. I can't go to bed or prep my eyes before applying make-up with taut under-eyes. I need something that fills up fine lines and makes my eyes soft and moisturized. But I'll still continue to use it. Maybe.....

Oh, and yes it is fragrance-free too.

Price ~ Rs.325. Bah! Maybe half of that is just for the packaging, which I have to admit is quite fancy. The white box which holds the tube has gold glitters on it =)

So, in conclusion, I am liking the Himalaya under-eye cream more right now.

I will give them a month or two to really impress me. Let's see how they fair then. 

Later, I'll be comparing and reviewing all the eye creams (mostly Indian brands) I've used altogether.

♥ Cynthia Z ^.^

Best Of The Two ~ From Skincare to Make-up

Here, I'm going to pit one beauty product against another similar one, and pick one WINNER based on the product I like more, regardless of their prices.

***All products listed have been tried and tested by me personally, so please keep in mind that what works for me might not work for you.***

Rules: They just have to make me love them, that's all.
Referee: Smothered by all the products...gasping for air! =D

So, let the fights begin!

Skincare:

 Olay Total Effects 'Vs' Pond's Age Miracle

The Winner is ~

♥ Pond's Age Miracle ♥

Because it feels better on my skin, it's less oily than the oponent and my fine lines are gone! It has tiny light reflecting particles which make the skin glow  *Can't be used in the eye contour area. 

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 Pond's White Beauty 'Vs' Fair & Lovely Multi-vitamins

The Winner is ~

♥ Fair & Lovely Multi-vitamins Cream ♥

Because it is just better! Not drying like Pond's WB (which is hard to blend into the skin and "Pinkish White Glow"? No thanks!)

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 Pond's Flawless White Day Cream 'Vs' Nivea Sparkling Glow Day Care

The Winner is ~

♥ Pond's Flawless White ♥

Because it is one of the best creams I've ever used. I don't even want to talk about the loser.

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 Lakme Peach Milk Moisturizer 'Vs' Olay Moisturizing Lotion

The Winner is ~

♥ Lakme Peach Milk Moisturizer ♥

Because I survived all of last winter on it. Smells great, sinks into the skin and it's non-greasy.

*Olay ML made me breakout

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 Garnier Pure Pimple Pen 'Vs' Clean & Clear Acne Speed Clearing Gel

The Winner is ~

♥ Garnier Pimple Pen ♥

 It's clear, it's effective and easier to use. The other oozes out uncontrollably when squeezed and I don't like that it's white and noticeable.

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Make-up:

 Kajal ~ Lotus Herbals 'Vs' Himalaya 

The Winner is ~

♥ Lotus Herbals Kajal ♥

Because it is a little more smudge-proof than Himalaya. Do you see that it looks matte? Even the packaging is better. I did a review on it here

*I hate the smell of Himalaya Kajal and when sliding it's cover to open and close, you risk beheading the half-out kajal :[

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Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner 'Vs' Mac Fluidline

The Winner is ~

♥ Maybelline Gel Eyeliner ♥

Because it survived under water and soap unlike Mac Fluidline. Plus it comes with an amazing brush, not to mention it's cheaper too. Will get it in Black as well.

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 Blush ~ Benefit Coralista Vs Nars Orgasm 

The Winner is ~

♥ Benefit Coralista ♥

I like both of them equally because they are very very similar. After staring at myself in the mirror for about 5 minutes and imagined I had a gun to my head, I decided that I like Coralista more...umm...I think so.

More fights another time. I don't want this post to be too long and I gotta sleep...zzzz...

♥ Cynthia Z ^.^

Lotus Herbals Natural Kajal (Rs.115) Review

I've never been a kajal person because it's too black and smudges a lot, but then recently I wanted to try one of the herbal ones because they're supposed to be good for the eyes. I've got very sensitive eyes that turn red very easily, so I thought herbal is the way to calm them down. I actually wanted to try out the Himalaya kajal but ended up buying this instead because it has "Smudge-proof" written on it and also the salesgirl said it sells better (Yes, she convinced me.)

When I opened the outer package and saw this.....

I was happy I chose it. How cute is the packaging?! I think (and so does one other person I know) it looks good enough to cost up to 500 bucks.

It's 100% natural and safe, relaxes and soothes eyes, and also helps in growth of eyelashes Made with botanical extracts of camphor, liquorice and almond oil.

I normally wouldn't apply it this thick, but I just wanted to show its intensity.

Is it really smudge-proof? Not really. But kajals are meant to be soft and smudge-y. I always apply a good amount of loose powder around the eyes to prevent the raccoon-eyed look.

It does feel gentler on my eyes and they sting less, which is why i wear it to bed and clean it all off in the morning.

I'm still going to try the Himalaya one too because I want to compare them both. In case you're wondering, it looks like this...

I'm guessing they'll be same, but it's good to be sure.

***Comparison of the two kajals ~ here

♥ Cynthia Z ^_^

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