Battle Of The Lakmé Eye Pencils: Eyeconic Kajal 'Vs' Kohl Ultimate

A handful of readers wanted a comparison between these 2 Lakmé eye pencils, so here goes....

I have reviewed both of them:

• Lakmé Eyeconic Kajal Review ~ here 
• Lakmé Nine To Five Kohl Ultimate Review ~ here

One is definitely better than the other. Let's find out which one!

Price:   Eyeconic Kajal-Rs.199  |   Kohl Ultimate- Rs.650.

Pigmentation: They are both black, but Kohl Ultimate is more intense. Also, I had to press Eyeconic Kajal harder to draw the swatch above.

Pencil Softness: Kohl Ultimate is softer, gentler & glides more smoothly. Eyeconic Kajal gets harder especially in winters, and sometimes I get that something-is-in-my-eye feeling when I have it on. I never get that with Kohl Ultimate.

Comfort: As I'm writing this, I have Kohl Ultimate on my left eye & Eyeconic Kajal on my right eye. My right eye wants to blink more, left eye is relaxed.

Lakmé Perfect Radiance 4 Week Intense Whitening Capsules Treatment Review

Here's a "Personality Test" I made up while writing this review:

Look at the capsules in the pic above. What else do you think they look like?

A. You think they look like bowling pins.

B. You think they look like dead bodies.

C. You think they look like hibernating robots.

D. All of the above. 

***Pick only one. Results at the end of this post.

RAVE! Lakmé Absolute Cheek Chromatic Baked Blush Day Blushes

"Dear Benefit Coralista & Nars Orgasm,

You've got competition. It looks prettier than you, and it's price tag is more likable than yours."

About Lakmé Absolute Cheek Chromatic Baked Blush: Luxurious powder blush, baked on Italian terracotta tiles enriched with Jojoba Oil, Antioxidant Vitamin E for an extraordinary luminosity. Apply Dry for a sheer effect or wet for a long-lasting, dramatic look. Fragrance free.

Lakmé Eyeconic Kajal & Curling Mascara Review

If you were intrigued with the newly launched Lakmé Eyeconic products, you are in the right place. This is a review in which photos will speak louder than words, so.....

Makeup Haul & New Products

I have not done a haul post in quite some time now, and I know many of you likes seeing ze hauls. So, I thought I'd give you a sneak peek of most of the brand new goodies in my vanity.

New! Lakmé Eyeconic Kajal & Curling Mascara

Woot! Woot! Make way for Lakmé's latest launches- Eyeconic Range. I know exactly which familiar products these will compete with, and you & I will be there when it happens! ;)

The new Eyeconic Kajal by Lakmé is literally iconic as all you need is one sweep of kajal and it lasts for 10 hours. The product is waterproof, it doesn’t smudge and it is even safe for the eyes since it is dermatologist tested.  Complete your look with lots of Eyeconic Curling Mascara. 

Lakmé Absolute Monochrome Collection & Kareena Kapoor's Day & Night Looks

Pioneering beauty trends for the modern and bold Indian woman, Lakmé launched its latest style statement – Lakmé Absolute Monochrome – a collection of chic, edgy and glamourous looks styled to perfectly suit the contrasting roles of the Indian woman. The Monochrome Day and Monochrome Night Looks highlighted the ramp at the Lakmé Grand Finale adorned by the creations of fashion visionaries Kallol Datta and Pankaj-Nidhi. 

Sharply graphic, Monochrome is a look that reflects the color blocking trend in fashion, and channels attention to one part of the face to maximize the impact of make-up. Lakmé Absolute Monochrome looks have been put together with the Lakmé Absolute range of high performance make-up. Color vignettes for face, lips, eyes and nails, this range promises intense color and a flawless finish along with a 16-hour impeccable performance. Packed with skin enhancing ingredients, this super luxurious long wear range perfectly balances beauty and science

Day Look

SPF & PA Facts ~ Pick The Right Sunscreen For You!

Today, I want to share with you some information about SPF & PA stuff. We buy sunscreens, but are we buying the right one? I, for one, have learnt a lot from this, and I know exactly what type of sunscreen I should be buying henceforth.

Hope it will guide you too!

Information below provided by HUL India, and I'm in no way an expert on such things =)

What is SPF & PA?

What SPF is right for you?

Step 1- Choose Your Skin Type: Type III, Type IV, Type V, Type VI

I'd say I'm a Type III 

Step 2- Duration of time spent in the sun: Less than 2 hours, More than 2 hours 

For me it's less than 2 hours, on most days.

Step 3- Recommended SPF: According to the chart, I'd need SPF 30. If I spend more time in the sun, like at a beach (woohoo!), I'd have to use SPF 50.

NEW Product Launches ~ Lakmé, Pond's, Maybelline New York, L'Oreal Paris

Don't we all just love it when new beauty products enter our Indian market? That's because it's so.....rare.

Below are some recently launched products by 4 of my favorite affordable brands. 2 skincare products, 2 make-up products. Only 3 really appeal to me.

Lakmé Absolute™ Bi-phased Make-up Remover ~ It is enriched with the goodness of various antioxidants. The product is designed to break down and rinse off the chemicals in make-up that ordinary soaps and face-washes can't. Hello, it comes with a pump! Me likes it already! Price - Rs.210 for 60 ml.

Pond’s Age Miracle Cell ReGENFacial Foam ~ Pond's announces the extension of its range with the new Pond’s age miracle™ Cell ReGEN™ Facial Foam, that’ll counter dullness and enhance your skin’s radiance! The new Pond’s age miracle™ Cell ReGEN™ Facial Foam is a unique combination of Intelligent Pro-Cell Complex™, a system of vital Bio-Actives:  CLA, Retinol, Two Retinol Boosters, Alpha Hydroxy Acid (AHA) and Glycerin with gentle micro beads that come together to deeply cleanse skin and help remove the dead cells and impurities to reveal visibly youthful skin! With the success of of that Regenerist range by that other brand, I'm glad to see a cheaper ReGEN face wash! Price - Rs.215 for 100 ml

Hair Makeover At Lakmé Salon ~ Hair Serenity Treatment

This couldn't have come at a better time. My hair was back to it's natural self, and was becoming very frizzy! I was thinking about going for rebonding again, but then something new & natural came along ~ Hair Serenity Service by Lakmé Salon. I was super excited to try it out, because it doesn't have harmful ingredients & chemicals.

Lakmé Salon's Hair Serenity is a hair relaxing treatment without Formaldehyde. It makes hair look smooth & blow-dried, but not poker straight. You might want to read about here

Is it for you? Let me take you through it all, and you can decide for yourself:

STEP 1: Washing. Just shampoo & conditioner.

STEP 2: Blow dry hair till it's only 70% dry.

STEP 3:  Cysteine Complex Curl Softening Cream was applied only on the hair lengths avoiding the roots. This is the main product.

Hair Serenity Service at Lakmé Salon (Hair Relaxing Without Formaldehyde)

Tired of your frizzy, tangled hair? Leave the old behind and say Hello to the new Hair Serenity Service at Lakmé Salon. It gives you gorgeously smooth, manageable and party ready hair completely naturally without using formaldehyde.

Play it sleek as Lakmé Salon delivers the latest innovation to get silky straight hair with the launch of their new Hair Serenity treatment. Introduced to India by Lakmé Salon, the Hair Serenity treatment is a natural solution to hair that is unruly, frizzy and hair that refuses to behave. Unlike Keratin, the Hair Serenity treatment at Lakmé Salon is formaldehyde free and a safer process for achieving naturally smoother and shinier hair. Step away from the harmful effects of Keratin treatments and indulge in the natural goodness of ingredients like the Cysteine Complex to get a glossy and healthy mane that will make heads turn. A pioneer in the beauty services industry in India, Lakmé Salon is a one stop shop for all the beauty needs of the contemporary Indian woman. 

The Hair Serenity treatment is a natural way to restore lost proteins and transform hair. Special ingredients used in the service like Cysteine, Dendrobium Orchid, Hydrolyzed wheat protein, Cocoa Seed Butter and Shea Butter help nourish the hair and give it a long lasting shine and smoothness.  

Lakmé Rose Kissed Lip Love Lipstick ~ Product Of The Week

LO......

......VE

LOVE 

Most Used Beauty Products

Yesterday, I had an attack of short attention span (the infamous Gemini vice). I was going to blog about something.... then I decided on something else....then something else.... it was amazing how my mind went from China to Turkey in minutes. I wanted to pull my hair, coz I couldn't settle on a topic, yet I was editing photos & writing like a maniac. Then late at night, I ended up making this collage instead- far far away from China & Turkey.

These are some of my Most Used Products. I've repurchased some & I'm begging a few not to leave me!

Lakmé Absolute Moon-Lit Highlighter Review, Swatches, LOTD

I'm not into highlighters. That's because my oily face is already a natural, self-made, highlighter. 

But Lakmé Absolute Moon-Lit Highlighter looked good enough to eat, I couldn't resist! Plus, I have a weakness for duos & powders with interesting designs on them. If I ever design one myself, it would have a high heel shoe with a bow embossed on it. I have an ugly sketch of it in Paint- which I don't really know how to use.

About:

Luxurious ultra pearlised Face Highlighter duo, with its micro-fine velvet pearls which melt into your skin for a naturally luminous glow.

• Enriched with Vitamin E
• Dermatologically tested

How/Where To Apply: You can use your finger to apply on top of your cheekbones, bridge of your nose, cupid's bow, and brow bone. It can also be applied on your clavicles & décolletage. If I'm using a brush, I use Sigma F35 Tapered Highlighter Brush 

A Vanity Case From Lakmé

It's black, it's leather (faux, I assume), it's bigger than a shoe box, it has a mirror, it's Lovely! It's a Lakmé Vanity Case/Jewelry box....and I needed it! When I first saw it, I squeeealed. Mr.CZ was like: "It's just a box. What can you keep in there, anyways?" Hmm, let's see....

*Claps 3 times*.... Khul Ja Sim Sim....

I keep my small earrings in the middle there- for easy access

You lift that top plate & under it is a big space. I keep my necklaces, mostly. It's quite random right now.

Lakmé Absolute Fast & Fabulous Nail Color Swatches

I'm very Fast & Fabulous right now. Very. 10 fingers, a different color on every pair. I went to MAC - to grab some Shop, Cook - and to a few other stores, with Cadbury Gems nails, and I didn't care when people looked at them vaguely. That's one of the joys of being a beauty blogger =)

I had already used one of Lakmé Absolute Fast & Fabulous Nail Colors before and showed it here. Now I have 5 more colors to show you...

New! Lakmé Perfect Radiance Capsules

Lakmé Perfect Radiance range has a totally new look now, and there's an interesting addition- Perfect Radiance Capsules Treatment.

A power dose of skin lightening vitamins and anti-oxidants that work in synergy to enhance your skin's natural radiance. Each capsule contains a luxurious, lightweight serum that effortlessly seeps into your skin, leaving it perfectly radiant. Pure Vitamin C encapsulated in Microsponge helps in continuously releasing potent skin lightening vitamins into your skin's epidermal cells.

Price ~ Rs.1250 for 28 capsules.

♥ Cynthia Z *.*

ORANGE Outfit & My Last Day At LFW

I almost forgot to post these pics, you know. So this was what I wore on the last day of Lakmé Fashion Week- all ORANGE, but not up to my ankles, like at the school farewell party I told you about here =D

Hope you'll enjoy the pics! Please excuse some of the unclear/blurry ones. Only MY own hands can control my camera =\

My Favorite Make-up Looks & Hairstyles At Lakmé Fashion Week

I want to share with you guys my favorite looks done by Lakmé Studio at Lakmé Fashion Week. Maybe you'll be inspired to try out some new looks this season, like I am. 

Make-up looks: I picked all wearable & universally flattering ones.

Hair? Well, one is holding 5% of my hopes & dreams.

Make-up:

1. Smoldering Peach ~ This look is flattering on almost all skin tones. It has made me reach for my peach blushes on most days. Imagine it without any peachy-ness on the eyes. Right, it won't look balanced. So when wearing peach blush & lipstick, try to add a little bit of peach eyeshadow on your lids too. However, you can skip the peach blush. Make-up symmetry :)
2. Gold eyes & Red lips ~ This is a Blair Waldorf kind of look- very classy. Skip blush, or sweep a little bronzing powder under your cheekbones.
3. Neutral ~ Eyes are understated in this look- just some light brown eyeshadow, black kohl, and false lashes. A pale pink lipstick complements the eyes perfectly. Tip: Pair this look with a white outfit/shirt & some dull gold jewelry.
4. Fairy Cheeks ~ Yes, glitter cheeks can get messy, but there are always theme parties to go too. For regular night outs, apply the glitter on the center of your lids instead- both gold & silver glitter would look nice against peach eyeshadow.

Life Of An Official Beauty Blogger

We pretend to tweet in style

In other words, we are Media-Journalist  *ahem*

2 girls to me in hotel lobby: "Can we have passes for Rocky S show?"

Me: "No.", I pursed my lips & shook my head. Then I realized I sounded like a teacher who's not allowing a student to go pee. "I don't have the passes." I added quickly.

Girl 1: "But you are wearing the LFW badge", she pointed at it.

Me: "Yes, but I don't give out passes", I smiled kindly.

Girl 1: "Oh. So, what are you here?"

Me: "I'm only a blo.... I'm a journalist.", I said seriously, and dialed a number for some over-the-phone last minute shopping.

We are the only tiny/dainty thing in a dress- in a crowd of male media photographers