Trying Eyelid Tapes ~ LOTD

I don't know when Eyelid Tapes came into existence, but I have heard about the tape concept quite a long time ago. When I was staying in a hostel, I had a roommate from Manipur. She told us that they used sellotape (cut into shape, of course) on her nephew's (or niece's) monolids regularly, and it really helped to create a crease line and open up his/her eyes.

Now my eyelids are not sooo hooded that I'd want to use tapes regularly, but I've always wanted to try them. I actually bought these for some looks, and ended up using them twice just to see what the deal is.

OOTD: 21 Weeks Pregnant + Baby Gender Predictions

Firstly, this is an old dress that I don't like and never wear. It's made of those thin t-shirt fabrics that reveal what type of chaddi (underwear) you're wearing. Why did I buy it then? Well, it was on sale at this store in Kuala Lumpur called Nichii. I think 50-70% off, so we don't think twice in those situations - no, we don't. I wore it here coz it's clingy enough to show the bump properly, but it's not too tight & suffocating like my bodycon dresses.

And before people get started on the high heels, *rolls eyes*, I don't walk in them. They're just for pictures. Actually, heels that aren't too high are said to be better for your back and spine. I myself feel more comfy in kitten heels than ballet flats. Of course when your tummy gets bigger, heels may not be able to keep your body in balance. That's just common sense.

So on to baby gender talk! I'm no Ross Gellar, I would definitely want to know the gender of my baby beforehand. I had an ultrasound a couple of weeks ago, and it took all my willpower to not ask the Radiologist (You can't ask, you'd have signed a legal document beforehand). Tell me, tell me, woman! I gots to know! Ooh....look, I'll give you this lipstick!

*For Non-Indian readers: Pre-natal sex determination is illegal in India, because.....oh, you can google the details. I don't want to talk about backward people.

 Below are some of the Old Wives' Tales on how to tell if you're carrying a Boy or a Girl. Some I've heard of before, some that I dug up online:

I Transform Into A Pop Star | I Transform Series Look #1

*** AMETHYST'S New Album, eccentric, is out now! Hope you'll go out and BUY it! ;) ***

Welcome to the first post of a new series I'm doing! Been planning to start this for over 2 months. This one wasn't supposed to be the 1st look, but it just happened, since I did the glittery purple eyes, so I went with it. More about the series at the end of this post. For now, I'm a purple-haired Pop + R&B Star named AMETHYST (real name, not just stage name)........

Outfit ~ Red Lace Dress

Something happened today:

So I was alone in the bathroom brushing my teeth at around 7:30 in the evening. The water was running, I rinsed.....and just when I was turning off the tap.....I hear a sound....like a baby talking...."Uhh....." You know, like baby gibberish. I shut the tap off, and looked around the bathroom. Silence. Eerie silence. I tried hard not to feel panicky, coz I'm 16 weeks pregnant. I rushed out & called out to husband, who was in the living room.

{Story to be continued at the end of this post.}

If you're familiar with the brand Three Floor, you may have seen a dress exactly like this. But this costs much less. I just love the design & the fit. I didn't know this when I picked it, but there's actually a nude-colored lining under the lace parts - except the sleeves.

 

Maybelline Lip Polish | LOTD

There are simple rules with some things I put in/on my mouth:

Cheese shouldn't smell too cheesy (or worse, like butter!)

 Egg shouldn't smell too eggy (I currently eat only Keggs. The others, I feel, smell like a farm....or feathers!)

Prawns shouldn't smell like seafood. 

Milk shouldn't smell like a cow (....and sometimes like a medicated cow!)

Lip Gloss shouldn't feel too glossy......

Maybelline Lip Polish: The shade I have is Glam 9, a rosy pink, that you know is my weakness when it comes to lippies. The color is very similar to YSL Rouge Volupte Shine Lipstick Pink In Paris. The texture is thick and creamy, which makes the gloss quite opaque. What's great about it is, it's as if it irons itself, because it looks more smooth and polished after it's sat on your lips for 5-10 mins.

Lasting Power: Man, is it super long-lasting! One February day, I'd worn it for hours, then I took a nap & when I woke up, it still looked the same!

Scented/Sticky? Unscented. It is non-sticky, and feels like a lip balm.

Packaging: Very cute! The tube is the same size as a lipstick, and the inner tube (or whatever) is shaped like a lipstick!

Features via Maybelline:

• Has pure, saturated color pigments that provide deep intense color
• Acts as a moisturizing liquid conditioning balm
• Gives a soft cushiony feel to the lips
• Features a built-in glossy top-coat that makes lips look fuller
• Comes with a specially designed leaf-shaped applicator for quick, precise application.

LOTD Ft. Revlon Unapologetic Matte Balm + MAC Comparisons

Except for Rihanna's album & this lip crayon, I've almost never heard the word 'Unapologetic' being used. It's only vaguely been in my vocabulary before now. If somebody hurts my feelings and doesn't apologize, I wouldn't say, 'You are so unapologetic!' I'd probably yell, 'You egotistical maniac!!!' (....Get out of my face!) No, I've never had a chance to say those nice words. Yet. But I really wish a certain friend would do so to her "unapologetic" boyfriend, who has done every unacceptable/unforgivable thing (Yes, that too.) but somehow..... somehow.... he'd always make it seem like it's all her fault, and she would end up apologizing to him! Okay, in case you're wondering: he's not successful (hence, not rich), he's not funny or sensible, and he's not even pretty like this other Unapologetic.....

Unapologetic is probably the most popular shade from the Revlon Colorburst Matte Balms. Firstly, I have to say that I'm not crazy about the formula and finish. It has a creamy matte finish, that I personally find difficult to apply neatly. Though smooth and velvety, it emphasizes dryness & forget about blotting and layering, because it will end up looking patchy. I wish it was a moderately hard matte, if you know what I mean. The shade, on the other hand, is gorgeous & "high-end-looking". It is very very similar to MAC Impassioned & Party Parrot.

MAC Impassioned (Amplified) ~ Previously swatched here

Revlon Matte Balm Unapologetic ~ I'd say it's just a little less pink than the other two. Closest to Party Parrot, I think.

MAC Party Parrot (Matte) ~ Since this was a Limited Edition lipstick & undupeable, Revlon Unapologetic is most likely the only drugstore alternative. Previously swatched here.  

Voting Day Makeup

Today (I posted late, so it's actually yesterday) was Election Day here in Delhi, so I'd gone to vote for the very first time, ever. I've always wanted to vote, but since I'm wasn't from Delhi, where I spent most of my adult life, I couldn't vote here. My voting card was in my hometown, and I was never there. Now that I'm a permanent resident of Delhi, I have a voting card here. With a photo where my face is elongated like a rugby ball, might I add. Before I ramble more, let's hop to the makeup part......

I kept my makeup quite natural-looking with no black liners. I'm always unsure with this kind of light eye makeup, coz I feel incomplete without a black kohl, but it actually suits my light eyes more than black-rimmed eyes (especially during the day & off camera), if I say so myself.

Look Of The Day: THE FIRST TIME.....

THE FIRST TIME I'm beauty blogging from our new home. If you've been wondering where I've been, I've been exhausted. If you read my other blog, you'll see what I mean. My hands feel like sandpaper now, after washing them too much. Which reminds me, I have to get a heavy-duty hand cream.

THE FIRST TIME I'm wearing a man's shirt. Men's T-shirts I wear all the time, but this is a first with a crisp shirt. I stole it from the man, and now it's hanging on a floral hanger in my closet, MINE! =D

THE FIRST TIME I'm wearing these makeup products:

Bourjois 1,2,3 Perfect CC Cream #32 Beige Claire ~ Too soon to tell if it'll rock my world, but I like the finish & light-medium coverage.

Bourjois Intense Extrait Eyeshadow #09 ~ Very impressed how soft and pigmented this is. I'm already in love with it, and I see myself wearing it a lot. 09 is a deep mocha brown, which looks a little taupe. I'd also apply it as a liner with a wet brush, like I do the other black shade #10 (swatched here) Because I have hooded lids, eyeshadows hide in the folds, unless I do this......

11 Weeks Baby Bump | New Vanity Room Preview

Well, I'm not sure if it's 11 weeks or more, coz they'll confirm the exact due date during my next ultrasound. You know, I don't even have a permanent Ob-Gyn right now, because I'm staying in Delhi, but I'll be moving to Gurgaon, so I'll have to find one in Gurgaon. Up until now, I've seen two temporary Ob-Gyns in Apollo Hospital - one lazy (and she burped loudly while talking to me!), one nice. I have to say, I don't like that hospital, it's so crowded - like a train station!

A big THANK YOU to the lovely ladies who told me about BabyCentre app in this post. I wouldn't have known about it otherwise. Now I read it daily & it was the one that told me to take a belly photo some weeks ago =D

It may not look like much of a bump, but I'm finding all my pants uncomfortable & I unbutton these jeans most of the time. I'm going to order a few of those maternity jeans soon.

Makeup Look ~ Sparkle Eyes

Hi all, hope you all had a great weekend & a fun-filled Holi yesterday. Spring is here! =)

I did this makeup on Friday just as practice for the glitter eye makeup tutorial I said I would do. By night time, I was thinking: 'Gosh, so I won't be taking this kind of makeup to a nightclub for a long long time!' =D

 

This is now my go-to smoky eye makeup (of course minus the glitter on regular days), and it's quite easy to do and doesn't take much time. Stay tuned for the step-by-step tutorial.

Philips Kerashine Hair Styler ~ Tried & Tested.....

There's a 2-in-1 new hair styler in town that intrigued me from the moment I was introduced to it ~ Philips Kerashine Styler. Let's see if it's what your hair needs, and most importantly, if it's worth your money.....

Features:

• 45mm barrel, Ceramic coating with Keratin infusion.

• Swivel Cord of 1.8m.

• Heats up to 190° C.

Look Of The Day ~ New Haircut

 

If you read my last post where I talked about my Dream Layered Haircut, you might have been expecting to see the result. So here it is: my new haircut....oh, and my first LOTD post from India! =)

Where I got the haircut: Affinity Salon, New Delhi. It's not the kind of salon I'd want to go back to. It's over-staffed & I didn't like the vibe. Forget about tea/coffee, they're stingy with friendly/welcoming smiles too. A few people have also said the same, and now I know why. They have many branches in Delhi, so I hope the other branches are nicer!

Price: I paid Rs.1250 for wash, cut & blow dry. After seeing the prices in UK, I thought it was a bargain =D

 Color: It's still the same as last time. I used Nice & Easy 106 Natural Medium Ash Blonde & L'Oreal Feria Extreme Ombres Kit F02 Platinum Ombre.

Here, it's 2nd day dirty. I washed and blow dried it on Friday, used my Babyliss Volume Waves Curling Tongs yesterday. I thought I should leave it straight-ish so you can see the cut.

Aren't we all annoyed with that chunky bang? Hehe  =D

LOTD ~ A Liar, A Shopaholic Calendar.....

Squeezing 2 things in 1 blog post! One last LOTD (look of the day) in our apartment in Scotland, as we'll begin our journey back to India tomorrow. The other is about a calendar fit for a Shopaholic (read: everybody scrolling this page).....

Eyes: With some black and brown eyeshadows, I'm wearing an eyeshadow that I've been wearing a lot these days -  'Liar' from Urban Decay NAKED 3 Palette. Collection Black Gel Liner, False Lashes.

Lips: MAC Flat Out Fabulous Lipstick

Face: I wore MUFE HD Foundation before I have to discard it, Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer on spots, Maybelline Fit Me Concealer under eyes, The Body Shop Loose Powder.

Cheeks: Forgot to wear blush! =D

Got that top with brooch from Primark sale for only £3 | Rs.300 =))

Nail Polish I'm wearing is Bourjois So Laque #62 Rose Imaginaire (pic below)

Beauty Addict And Her Stash To Pack | OOTD

Leaving UK in less than 2 weeks now, so that means these are crazy packing times! Last night, I was home alone. Mr.CZ had gone to Newcastle and he'll be back till later this evening. I layed almost all my makeup and beauty products on the bed in our guest bedroom. This bed just has a sheet, and we didn't get any pillows and whatnot for it because, you know, no point. These are most of my beauty products (save for some skin & hair products I keep in the bathrooms) that I'm packing to take to India.

I decided to throw myself into the MESS, because it's always been my dream to sleep on/next to a pile of makeup products..hehe. Btw, I kept my left knee bent in most pics, coz I was trying to hide a a big (healing) bruise. I fell down on the bridge a couple weeks ago. Always been a quiet bridge, but that day, a couple was walking towards us, and they saw me fall. Because that's how life is - you never fall without an audience.

Christmas Day Makeup, Hair, Outfit

Merry Christmas, Everyone! Hope you are having a lovely day with all your loved ones. We are here in Glasgow, loving the city but hating the weather. Rain on top of freezing cold! Went out today, but almost everything was closed. After walking a bit, we found a Chinese Buffet Restaurant, and we had lunch there. Nothing special for dinner. Hotel life....missing home, actually.

I managed to click some awkward mirror pics while I was getting ready (and while Mr. CZ was taking a catnap.) 

Before hair & rest of makeup. Crazy Eyes =D

 

 Curled hair with Babyliss Volume Waves Curling Tong. I curled it inwards holding the tong horizontally. Can you believe I forgot to pack my comb/hairbrush? And I forgot to buy one yesterday, so I'm living without any atm.

 

My Makeup Transformations & 10 Things I Learnt

Hello, from all of us! =)

I thought I'd post something different today. Transformations & a few things that I learnt from all the times I spent applying makeup. Those are some of the looks that I'd done. Some old, some recent. I've never seen them all together before, so it's quite weird to see myself looking like that...and that...and that, and I realized I don't ever want to leave this la-la land of constant change.

10 Things I Learnt:

10. Never ignore the eyebrows. Shape, define, brush.

9. Bad hair ruins a look, just like bad shoes ruin an outfit.

8. Always Q-tip the tear ducts after doing eye makeup. Gunk is always unsightly.

7. The darker the eye makeup, the more you need undereye concealer.

6. Contouring powder or matte bronzer really does make a difference. Large forehead,  big nose, hooded lids, double chin....it can fix them all. Believe my giant forehead & pointy nose.

5. BB Creams will never supersede Foundations. However, they have superseded my  foundation primers.

4. I could live with just 2 Makeup Brushes: A synthetic flat/angled kabuki foundation brush (think Sigma Flat Top Kabuki, Real Techniques Expert Face Brush) & an eyeshadow blending brush (MAC 217, Sigma E25)

3. Always remind self to stop frowning. Those deep lines are hard to hide (refer to 4th pic with red lipstick)

2. When it comes to powdering oily skin, 3 time's the charm. Once after base, once  after everything else, once more on just the T-zone.

1. Makeup mistakes are inevitable. Sometimes They.Just.Happen.

All looks with links to original posts can be found HERE,  and if I haven't updated the page and you can't find all of them there, browse HERE. If you can't find, ask in comments, and I'll put the links! =) 

♥

Hope you liked this little impromptu post, everyone.

Enjoy your Friday, I'll talk to you again tomorrow! =)

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Holiday Party LOTD & Accessories

My favorite season & month is here! I just can't believe another year is coming to an end. I clicked these pics mainly to show off my new quirky hairband and then one thing led to another.....next thing I knew, I was naming my blog post "Holiday Party LOTD" when I didn't really go to any party....haha!

*These pics were taken on a very cloudy day. So the pics turned out very dark & noisy. Here in Scotland, one minute it's bright and sunny, and I think "Ooh, let's take pictures!" Then when I'm done gathering the things or myself, it's suddenly gloomy, sometimes when it's only 3 in the afternoon!

Outfit, LOTD ~ When I Was Minnie Mouse.....

1. Do you adore polka dots?
2. Do you like wearing cute hairbands & hats?
3. Do you like long and fluttery eyelashes?
4. Do you enjoy daydreaming?
5. Do you like to cuddle?
6. Do you sometimes giggle for no reason at all?
7. Do you LOVE Bows?  

If you answered YES to 4 or more of those questions, you have an inner Minnie Mouse! Walt Disney would approve my personality quiz, yes.

I did answer YES to more than 4 *cough*, so when I had to think of an easy costume for Halloween, I decided to bring her out in the open. I managed to take some pics quickly while I was waiting for my cab =)

A DIWALI Wish ~ Lots Of Love.....

Happy Diwali, everyone! I thought about doing a special post for today, but didn't get enough time to do it. It's been crazy these last few days with Halloween and everything. There's not much going on here at the moment, but I hope to see some fireworks later tonight.

Here are some pics from my previous Diwalis.....

Both this rangoli & the one above were taken at Kuala Lumpur in 2009

Diwali time 2009, Kuala Lumpur

Diwali 2010, New Delhi. How different I look with very dark hair :)

Have Fun & Play Safe!

♥ Lots Of Love ♥