Featured In COSMOPOLITAN Magazine

And we are blogging from New Delhi again! Still very sleepy and exhausted, but I don't want to sleep! I'm loving the pleasant weather and it's so good to hear the sounds of honking traffic outside. Our neighborhood in Newcastle is on mute compared to the streets in South Delhi.

So on our flights back from UK, my mind was dominated by mainly 2 things:

1. Masala Maggi Noodles ~ Because I've missed it since November. You can get it in the UK, but you have to order it online (3-4 times the price in India) or go to some Indian shops...forget it.
2. Cosmopolitan Magazine March 2013 Issue ~ Because it made one of my teenage dreams come true!

When Cosmo's Features Writer, Priyam Chaturvedi, asked me to create a look and a step-by-step picture & video tutorial based on one of the hottest SS13 Trends, I was more than excited to do it! Her one email put a smiley with two-tone lips on a very un-Christian Grey grey February sky. I think she put this story together brilliantly, and I'm so happy she picked this photo from a few others that I didn't like so much =)

Makeup Pairing ~ Barbie Pink

Been meaning to do posts on makeup pairing since last year. Like, what to wear with certain colors of eyeshadow, blush, lipsticks, nail polish. I thought it'd be fun! I do enjoy playing matchmaker....but only with beauty products. I have tried doing it with people and...tch...never again.

First up is Barbie Pink. In simpler words, matchy-matchy (you know I like matchy-matchy) and I'll do a contrasting pairing with pink next time.

Face: Cathy Doll BB Cream. I didn't plan to do base products, but the pink packaging matches the theme so =) . I like this BB Cream a lot. It tightens pores and smells really good.

Eyes: INGLOT Eyeshadow #362 (matte). Swatch here

Cheeks: Sleek Makeup Flamingo Blush.

Lips: Maybelline Superstay Lipstick Infinitely Fuchsia. Swatch here

Nails: Maybelline MNY My Varnish #264. Worn here 

Do you like this pairing idea? Let me know which colors you want me to do next. On my list is Green.

Happy Friday, everyone. Hope you have fun plans for the weekend. I'm trying to decide whether I should break my shopping ban today evening. H&M is calling out to me!

[I'm coming! Wait, no! I mean, yes! Ugh, I don't know.... shut up! No, sorry... wait!]

H&M: "Final call. Are you coming or not? Otherwise that blazer will be gone forever!" 

Me: "Umm.... I..... Wait, I know the answer.......I'm......."

♥ Cynthia Z *.*

Nicki Minaj Inspired Makeup Look

Did you miss the OTT, crazy & fun make-up looks on here? I really missed doing them, and I'm aware they're the reason some people come here. I know, I know... even my Bollywood Babes series is hanging in limbo, just give me some time with that. Right now, I'm in the mood for spontaneity & quirk, maybe coz it's Halloween month! More make-up looks coming up.....very excited about one in particular (I just received some jewelry from Ebay, but I still need a few more items & bangs for my hair to complete the look.) No, two actually. I'm excited about 2 crazy OTT looks! =)

I didn't give this one much thought, and I think I should have polished the eyes a little. Oh-kay, enough babbling. Hope you like!

Favorites Oct '12: Magazine Freebies, Eye Shadows, Blush, Jane Norman, Etc.

How's your Saturday going? I woke up after 12 today coz I slept at 4 am in the morning obsessing over some things. Nah, not that. The man was long gone hehe....

Let's talk freebies first! 

Instyle: 4.0ml Benefit Benetint. Now this is a sample! This should last me a long long time. Also available to 'collect' are Cha Cha Tint & Sun Beam . (Posted last month's freebies here)

Marie Claire: 30ml L'Occitane Rose Petals Hand Cream (4 types to choose from!) & 50ml Dove Colour Radiance Express Treatment Conditioner. The conditioner smells incredible! Divine! And that hand cream is my very first L'Occitane product...love the not-so-sickening rose scent.

Yup, I almost fainted seeing the Marie Claire freebies. 

The Worst Beauty Products

Hope you're all doing well. Today, I'll be showing you some of The Worst Beauty Products I've ever used.

*Please note: I'd used these products for a considerable amount of time, and I did give them the benefit of the doubt before I made up my mind. Also, they might have not worked for me personally, but it's very possible that they're wonderful products for others. That's one of the reasons why most of the ones mentioned are still flying off the shelves.

1. Colorbar I-Define Pencil (Midnight Black) ~ Hard & dry. Would work better on paper, not eyes.
2. Inglot Gel Liner (Shade 75 Purple) - Not creamy enough, and dried up before the gel liners I bought way before it. I was gonna use it this one time, and found a purple rock!
3. Smashbox Photo Finish Primer ~ Caused big painful cystic pimples. It feels like a dream, but works like a nightmare.
4. Bourjois Elastic Mascara ~ No volume, lashes looked uneven in length & the formula burned my eyes. By far, the worst mascara I've ever used.  
5. Make Up For Ever HD Microfinish Blush (Shade #6 Quickie) ~ Dried up before I'd even used it properly. I was shocked! Really not worth $26 (Rs.1400) You are better off mixing a powder blush with moisturizer.
6. The Body Shop Tea Tree Skin Clearing Lotion ~ Extremely drying & it neither prevented nor cured pimples. The only thing it cleared up was all the moisture from my skin. On nights when I used it, I was afraid I'd wake up in the morning and see my skin had cracked!
7. Revlon Colorsilk Luminista Hair Color (Medium Blonde 175) ~ Burned my scalp like a chilly paste during developing time. Had the color not turned out brassy, the unexpected sting would have been so worth it.
8.  L'Oreal Re-Nutrition Shampoo + Conditioner ~ Re-Name, Re-Grease, Re-Dull. 

I told you mine. Please tell me yours!  

♥ Cynthia Z *.* 

INGLOT Candy-Inspired Eyeshadow Palette

Say Hello to my Candy-Colored INGLOT Eyeshadow Palette in some of the hottest colors of the season! There's nothing I love more than making my own Inglot eyeshadow palette. This time I decide on a 5 square palette, which feels like a wider/heavier ruler. You can easily knock someone unconscious with it, I think. 

All the colors are so pretty & girly, I could look at it all day! Really, I still don't get why people need shrinks. Okay, I guess they are not make-up addicts.   

Hope you'll like the candy-filled pics. I won't blame you if you end up craving Gems & lollipops after this =)

Easy Geometric/Half Moon Nails Tutorial

I know it's not exactly "half moon", coz I didn't have those rounded tapes. I'm no nail art expert, so I use the easiest methods to play with my nail polishes. This method is not the most original, as you may have seen it before, but I did it for the first time last night & decided to put up a tut. I could have used another better/cuter color combo but, I don't know, somehow I settled for these. 

What you will need:

• 2 shades of nail polish of your choice
• Sellotape
• Clear Top Coat 

Products I used:

• Inglot Nail Enamel #721- Matte pastel yellow
• Colorbar Apple Martini - Jade 
• Elle 18 Nail Pops #27- Clear (Brush too small, btw. No good.)
• Scotch Magic Tape - I cut it in half vertically.

What do you think? Have you tried this method before?

♥ Cynthia Z *.*

Eyes Of the Day ~ Plum & Black Smokey

I realized I have not done any look since April! So today, I managed to do one...Yay! I melted in the heat a little while posing for my "photo shoot" in my balcony (where the good lighting is), but it was worth it. I wanted to talk about the eyes separately, so the other post won't get too long.

I used only 2 eyeshadows on the eyes: 

Inglot 4 Eye Shadow Square Palette & Swatches

How have I never laid eyes on the Inglot 4 Square Eye Shadow Palette before? It is so damn cute! I feel like I'm holding some kind of gadget, like, one of those hand-held Tetris games....or Blackberry?

And....Why the heck did I buy the 5 Round Palette when the Squares are bigger & priced the same??!!

Anyways, it's only Squares from now onwards. This is my favorite palette I made at Inglot, I think. Though the colors together don't make much sense, they are all amazing! But they do wear better over an eyeshadow primer.

Yummy Cream Blushes & Favorites

I'd like to dedicate this post to all the Cream Blush lovers & dry-skinned ladies who absolutely cannot wear powder blushers.

NYX Glow Rouge Cream Blush
MAC Blushcreme Ladyblush. Discontinued, now a Cremeblend Blush
NYX Golden Rouge Cream Blush
Inglot AMC Cream Blush 84
Illamasqua Androgen Cream Pigment
Bobbi Brown Cabo Coral Pot Rouge
Topshop Neon Rose
NYX Hot Pink Rouge Cream Blush
MAC Florida Cremeblend Blush

8 Happy ORANGE Products For Spring

Orange is the color of Gluttony- one of the 7 deadly sins. The only sin I don't commit. Really.

Frank Sinatra thought it's the happiest color. He's right. I'd rather stare at orange juice than take Prozac; or lie on a shrink's couch talking about feelings.

I think it's the color of my school farewell party, because I wore orange silk pants & an orange spaghetti top (with a black coat & black slip-ons, of course!) But still, orange pants! I felt so hip & happening. I look at the photos now & think: "What the fudge were you thinking, you silly pumpkin?!!"

Inglot Matte Lip Pencil 28 Swatches & Photos

I picked up another one of my favorite lip products- Inglot Matte Pencils, and this time its a pink shade!

Shade 28 is a fabulous fuchsia pink with moderate purple undertones, which is prettier than Nicki Minaj's or Lady Gaga's pinks.

Inglot Eye Brushes: 10S & 80 HP Review

I'm am currently ob-sessssed with makeup brushes. I keep wanting MORE! There's always a type of brush I think I need. There's even a type I want that is not in the market yet. 

So I got these 2 Inglot brushes a couple months back and it's time I share my thoughts on them.

Inglot Lipsticks 189, 421 Photos

What if you end up buying 2 very similar looking pink lipsticks? I thought these Inglot lipsticks looked different in the website but now, when I compare these pics and the ones in the website, they look almost the same. I didn't even think they were this pink when I chose them. Boy, you should get inside this head.

But howww??? I called the store to order and then I get them picked up. I just cannot wait!

Bridal Makeup Products On A Budget (Bridal Series 2011)

Welcome to the Bridal Series 2011! I will be doing a few posts on bridal makeup products and such....and there might be a surprise at the end of the series *wink* Now now don't get any ideas in your head, I don't even know what it is myself haha.

I told you my childhood friend got married, right? I had to buy some makeup products for her last month, but since she is not a makeup junkie, she wanted to keep it simple with just the bare necessities.

About The Bride & Wedding:

• Type ~ Christian wedding (means minimal/day makeup)
• Theme ~ Red & Gold
• Bride's Gown Color ~ Ivory

So, here are all the products I got for her:

Face:

• Primer ~ Inglot Under Makeup Base. Used as a foundation primer as well as eyeshadow primer.
• Foundation ~ Colorbar Triple Act Compact. This is a 3-in-1 product with a concealer, foundation & compact. It is awesome! Everyone liked it!
• Concealer ~ Colorbar Full Cover Concealer
• Powder ~  Maybelline Whitestay UV Compact in Natural for whole face Fawn for contouring. 

Inglot Matte Lip Pencils/Crayons ~ LOVE!

We watched the thriller/horror movie "Choose" last night. Half-baked movie with a 'wth?' ending. But it got me thinking...

If, one day, a Powerful Force says to me, "Okay, here's the deal, Cynthia. You can either:

One: Get all the lipsticks in the world, but not Inglot Matte Lip Pencils- all your life.

Two: Get Inglot Matte Lip Pencils, but no other lipstick in the world- all your life.

Three: If you don't pick, no lipstick at all for you- ALL.YOUR. LIFE *evil grin*

Me : Wha...?

Powerful Force: You must CHOOSE. NOW! 5-4-3-2...."

Me : Two! I pick TWO! Why are you doing this to me?!!! You cruel....thing! =[ *imagines throwing a potato at its head*

Now can you imagine how much I love these Inglot Matte Lipstick Pencil/Crayons? ;D

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.

The Orgasm & Coralista Look-Alikes (Blushers)

I was organizing my blushes, and thought it'd be fun to compile my shimmery peachy-coral blushers. I hope the photos & swatches will be helpful. Enjoy!

1 Month Challenge LOTD ~ "Unpredictable"

I'm thinking about doing LOTDs (Look Of The Day) 3 times a week for 1 month, mainly because I want to use a lot of my makeup more often- especially the products I can't wear everyday. Most of the looks are going to be very random, sometimes completely unwearable, but I hope you'll find inspiration in them :)

I said that I'd do a look with Inglot Lipstick #103, so I decided to wear it this time.

The HOTTEST Inglot Lipstick ♥

This is the lipstick from my recent Inglot haul . I couldn't wait another day to talk about it.

So I was swatching lipsticks at Inglot, without any intention of buying any, because I didn't like the 1st one I got. Then I saw a girl holding a delicious looking lipstick, and it was love at first sight! I immediately asked the SA to show me the same one, but I had to wait till the girl had finished trying it on her lips. It looked lovely on her, but she didn't buy it coz, judging by what she was wearing, it's kind of too loud for her. 

Me ~ I'll take that one.

SA ~ It is the best, hot seller. We always run out of it. Right now there's only 2 left in stock *proudly*

Me ~ Then go.....go get it faster! =D

I'm talking about #103. It's not completely red, it's not completely orange. I'd say it's a tomato red, but I don't want to coz it sounds so ordinary. The finish is like MAC Cremesheen finish, which is my favorite finish. I didn't like my first Inglot Lipstick #106, which has a frosty finish & also smells different. This one smells like a fruity flavored chewing gum, but mild & pleasant.

Look at that! *.* Isn't it super gorgeous?! This is one bright lippie to have in your vanity, people.