Makeup Haul: Bourjois, Revlon, Ardell, Maybelline + Freebies

Let's call this a collective haul, coz I didn't buy them all at once.

Maybelline Color Sensational Lip Gloss Mirrored Mauve

Revlon Moisture Stay Lip Color #53 Pink Sunset ~ FREE with my Revlon purchases.

Ardel Invisibands Beauties Black & Ardell Individual Flare Short Black (Look, one is missing for some reason!)

Price: Rs.370 each. Ordered online from Jabong 

The FLOPS! Beauty & Online Stores

So that movie Queen seems to be a super hit, huh? Saw several FB statuses about it:

 "QUEEN! Loved it!" 

 "Queen was awesome!!!"

 I didn't know what it was about at first. My first guess was some epic-type movie about some English queen.....or a drag queen transformation movie. It was only until "Kangana rocked in Queen!" that I realized it's a Bollywood movie. Now I can't not watch it, but only until it comes out on DVD where there'll be English subtitles.

Okay, now we talk about the very opposite of Bollywood superhits.....

The most recent FLOPS in the beauty & internet world:

Sunsilk Radiant Shine Shampoo & Conditioner, Rs.56 each

I got the 80ml bottles of both to try out. I made sure to try out 3 other types of shampoos/conditioners to be 100%  sure this is the twosome that lathered my hair to dullsville. After every wash, it felt drier, but got greasy faster. Maybe the 5 oils in it (Argan, Jojoba, Camelia, Almond & Olive) cause too much buildup. No Radiant Shine, amigo!

L'Oreal Kajal Magique, Rs.245

From the first time I used it, I knew I didn't like it, but I wanted to be sure. So, I used it everyday for over a month. Then one day, I took a break from it, and I used my other trusted black kajals/kohls. I saw how much it fell short. It's not soft enough, it's not black enough, and it doesn't last on the waterline.

Avon Mega Effects Mascara, Rs.1020 (from UK)

I tried & I tried some more to love this, but the fancy brush exhausted me! I was doing all the work. From every angle - horizontal, vertical, upside down.... and then always having to clean up after it when it leaves untidy smudges my lids. I wouldn't have minded the effort needed had the results been outstanding, but both length & volume were unimpressive on my thin lashes. Note: It might work better on longer & thicker lashes.
(Photos here)

Healthkart.com

The worst online store I've ever shopped from so far. They will send a wrong product, you inform them, they'll tell you to click a photo of the wrong product, pack it properly, hand it over to their pick-up man, delay replacement because the wrong product they sent has to be checked by QC first (What if I'd used/tampered with a random product I didn't want?!), two weeks later they'll inform you the product you actually ordered is not in stock so they won't be able to send it- without an mention of a refund. And all this drama will go on for over 3 weeks. You sent a wrong product by mistake, that's fine. Just fix it ASAP & don't make the unforgivable mistake of making the customer run after you! *I think they wouldn't have refunded the money themselves if we hadn't called them up multiple times.

ASOS

It's not a flop online store, just flop International Shipping. I ordered a pair of shoes that costs around Rs.2000, and I received an email from ASOS saying I need to pay customs fee of around Rs.700. The standard duty fee on footwear in India is 10% (I'd even pay 20%.), but they're charging 35%! What I found odd was, I should have been contacted by our local customs office about the charges when the package had been inspected, but the email came from ASOS not long after I placed the order. Which probably means they're the ones charging, not customs. Simply put, it's their courier fee. Perhaps they should remove their "Free Shipping Worldwide" slogan. I was really depending on it for New Look shoes when I left UK, so it's painful to find out I can no longer order from it....well, unless I get desperate maybe. After several angry emails, they refunded my money.


Now all these are just my personal flops, and they might work better on/for you =D

So what are your Flops this month?


♥


On my 2nd blog, CZloves:

To read, click on the pic or HERE

Facebook | Bloglovin' |  Instagram | YouTube | CZloves: Shoes & Life Of A Beauty Blogger

Inexpensive Acrylic Lipstick Stand For Rs.273 | $4 | £2

You know what is the best thing about moving back to India and finally settling down in one city? Now I get to shop for home stuff! Haven't got a home yet, haha (sigh, new new problems keep arising), but the new furniture has started to come in. For over a year, I'd browse Ebay for makeup storage things, and just look longingly at them coz I couldn't buy these bulky things in UK. Now I'm like a cow who'd been locked in a shed for too long!

So to kick-start the makeup storage items, I ordered this Acrylic Lipstick Holder/Stand. Just one because I wanted to see the quality first .

It can hold 24 lipsticks.

I love that it's step-step (yes, step-step) and not flat.

Urban Decay NAKED 3 Palette. Finally!

"GET DOWN, EVERYONE!" I raised my voice and held up my deadly weapon* like a bank robber. "I said get down! You there! Get down! Yes, on the floor! Put your hands behind your head.", then I took giant steps towards the Urban Decay drawers and opened them one by one. I know it's there in one of them. Right bottom drawer. That's where I saw about 10 Naked 3 Palettes stacked on top of each other. I turned, and gave a dirty look to the SA, who's staring at me with big confused eyes, her left cheek pressed on the marble floor, both hands behind her head, and her blonde side-parted bob fell like a limp leaf over her right eye. I took out one of the palettes and bagged it. I stood up, pulled up my slouched tights, and took out two £20 bills from my wallet. I placed them on the counter next to a small notepad. "Keep the change.", I said, and ran out of the store.

Okay, so that's what I imagined doing when the Urban Decay SA told me they had Naked 3 but were to be sold only to people who have already paid for it in advance. Remember I told you the story about me going to Debenhams and the SA saying it'll be launched the following Saturday? (Post here.) Well, I went that Saturday evening. It was dark, freezing cold and pouring down rain. Of course I dragged Mr.CZ along with me. We reached Debenhams and a different SA told me only pre-orders were there. Meaning if I'd ordered online and chose 'deliver to store' option. This was the 3rd time I went looking for it, mind you. I was very upset & angry. My new boots got wet & my eyeliner had smudged all around my undereyes. I thought about the Pepper Spray* in my handbag & Ryan Gosling in The Place Beyond The Pines, and my imagination went psycho.

It is beautiful! The rose gold packaging looks better than I thought.The palette comes with a double-ended shadow/blending brush & an Eyeshadow Primer Potion sampler with resealable samples of all four formulas (Original, Sin, Eden and Anti-Aging). Each sample holds about a week’s worth of Primer. I have yet to swatch and wear the palette, coz I want to christen it on Christmas Day...hehe. So I will post swathes after some time.

Price of Naked 3 ~ £37 | Rs.3749. I went home and ordered it online from Debenhams.com.

Pics below were taken with and without flash, so you can see how the colors look in different lighting.

Etude House XOXO Minnie Collection Photos

Finally I took Etude House XOXO Minnie Collection out of the box! Although I look at them almost everyday since they arrived. Mr.CZ complained several times about the box always being on the dining table, and I gave the same reply: "Because I have to click!" I think he had been waiting for this post....hehe.

I have not used most of the products, except for two of them. I can't bring myself to using the other 5, coz I like them looking all new and shiny. I'll play the "collector" card again this time. No swatches, but hope you'll also like just looking at them =D

Found THE Boots & 50% Off Shoes.....

New Look Grey Cross Over Double Ankle Strap Heels ~ In August, I almost bought these instead of the other pair I showed here. I wore each style on each foot (...am I saying this correctly? Sorry, I can't think when in a rush!), and I asked 3 student girls which looked better, they unanimously said these. I went another day, and bought the other ones, of course. These were full price then. Now I got them for about 50% off  (56% to be precise) *grins*  Price ~ £22.99  £10.00 | Rs.1022.

New Look Black Buckle Wedge High Rise Boots ~ FINALLY! Got the wedge boots I've been saying I wanted for over a year. You know, the only comfy black boots I lived in last winter are all scuffed up from the front revealing the white cushion underneath and....and...the heels no longer has the rubbers, so you can see the silver metal. So much noise they made when I walked (on wooden floors, especially), it's embarrassing! Yup, they'll go in the....in the...gawd, I can't even say it. Okay, bin. Price: £34.99 | Rs.3575 (Sadly, can't wait for sale with these, coz I need them NOW...hehe)

3 reasons these are ideal: Wedge heels, buckles are gunmetal (not gold or silver), there's a slit on the side so they won't feel so tight when I tuck in something thicker.

Etude House Minnie Mouse Collection ~ Haul

 

My Facebook Status, 15th October :

My heart....
beating....
in slow motion....
beating....
beating....

....as I'm about to click 'Proceed To Checkout' on Ebay....entire Limited Edition makeup collection in my cart. Didn't "consult" with Mr.CZ first....

beating....

{to be continued} =D

♥ CZ.

***

  Continued....

I clicked on it.....beating.....I was on the 'Confirm Payment' page within the next few minutes.....beating....Okay, maybe I should remove some items, and order them another time. That way the total amount will be split up and ....No, I want them ALL!  They all belong too-gad-der (together). The phone rang suddenly! It was Mr.CZ saying he'll be home in 5 mins. It was as if he knew I was about to do something behind his back! Long story short, I left the payment page as it was & waited till he got home before clicking the final button. Yes, I chickened out, sheesh!  =D

You don't know how much I wanted to talk about this collection! To say that they're on their way to meeeeee! But you know I'm kind of superstitious. Jinx and all that. What if I post in my blog, and the products don't turn up at my door? I thought, don't count your  chickens  Minnie Mouses before  they  hatch  postman delivers them.

And The Beautyblender Is Mine......

Look what arrived in the mail today! How a little spongy thing can brighten up my day is one of perks of being a crazy an incurable beauty addict. Look at the packaging! It sits like a diamond, but it's so much more intriguing.

What it is: It's simply a makeup blending sponge. It was featured in a post here. 

Price ~ £14.99 | Rs.1474 from Amazon. They've hiked up the price now to original price, £16.50 | Rs.1622.

I'm going to use it right away! Everyday. Until I can tell you, without a doubt, whether it's worth the hype or not.

Haul: New Hair Care Products

Just wanted to quickly talk about some new hair care products that are going to be part of my hair routine this month: 

• L'Oreal Elvive Damage Care Shampoo & Conditioner for Damaged or Brittle Hair ~ They claim to 'fill in cracks' and and seal hair cuticles with Cement-Ceramide, an intense formula that contains a replica of the natural hair's ceramide Price: £4 | Rs.412 for 2. 

• VO5 Smoothly Does It Straightening Lotion ~ I got this because my straightened hair has grown out, and it's gotten wavy near the roots. Apply 8-10 pumps on towel-dried hair, blow dry & then use a straightener. Claims to last up to 3 washes! Let's see. Price: £5.99 | Rs.620. But £5 for 2 VO5 products from Sainsbury's, which is awesome! I almost got it for full price from Superdrug once, phew!

• VO5 Treat Me Right Rinse Out Deep Conditioning Treatment ~ A deep conditioner with 5 natural oils - Avocado oil, Argan oil, Apricot oil, Grape seed oil, Jojoba oil. Very excited to try this, because I know my hair desperately needs some deep TLC.  Original Price: £4.28 | Rs.442.

HAUL From India ~ Lakmé, Maybelline, Avon, Pond's + Online Shopping Experience

Only yesterday I told you a package was on its way to me, and today I got it! Woohoo! All thanks to my sis & bro in-law who sent it very quickly. What I did was order them online, and get them shipped to my in-laws' place in New Delhi, and they they mail them to me. It's a 2-3 week process, but it's the only way I get to have the best of both worlds.

I Must Have This New Innovative Avon Mascara.....

I'm always on the lookout for the next mascara that's going to give me the eyelashes of my dreams. So when I saw something this gadgety, I had to do my research. I liked what I saw, so I'm sharing it with you, in case you didn't already know a mascara like this exists.

Claims: This breakthrough mascara provides 24-hour volume, leaving lashes darker, denser and more dramatic. Get ready for a corner to corner lash transformation with our first ever Wonderbrush. 

The Wonderbrush bends and adjusts to multiple angles capturing every lash, top to bottom. The unique brush fits the natural shape of lashes, coating them evenly with formula from root to tip. The extra surface area of the Wonderbrush bristles are designed to deliver 40% more mascara to the lash. Mega Effects Mascara provides a clump-proof, sweat-proof, non-flaking and non-smudging experience. Ophthalmologist-tested. .317 oz. net wt. 

 

I put it on my wishlist after I saw this demo video on Youtube. 

Price ~ £10 | Rs.1004. But you'll get it for £6 | $10 from Ebay. I don't know any Avon representative here, so I'll probably go with Ebay.

Have you tried it? I wonder how much it costs in India?

The Dress That Came Back To Me..... [A Story Of Hope]

This is not just a shopping story. It's a story of hope.

Last December, on Boxing Day (26th Dec), I saw this Butterfly Skater High Low Dress in Jane Norman, adored it, but Size 6 wasn't available. I went home and checked online, but nada. I wrote about it here, and was quite upset about it.

Since there's no Jane Norman store her in Dundee, I've sort of stopped browsing their website regularly. On the 23rd, a few days ago, Jane Norman posted in Facebook about their new revamped website. I went, instantly clicked on the SALE tab as usual, browsed, and saw this dress, again! Size 6 was available! I couldn't believe it! I added to cart immediately along with another black lace dress that was also on sale. But I removed the lace dress, because it didn't beat my River Island Lace Dress. Umm...nope, no regrets.

As I waited for the butterfly dress to be delivered, I felt unsure, anxious and paranoid. Maybe it's a technical/website mistake...maybe it's not really a Size 6...maybe it's a defective piece...maybe they mail back and say it's out of stock and they'll refund my money... maybe I only dreamt about my purchase and it didn't really happen, let me go check my email again...maybe... aargh! Seriously, yesterday I actually had a headache and felt a little feverish, and I took a Crocin.

It reached me finally, and it's perfect! It's just a little immodestly low, but it can be taken in at the shoulders. Other than that, it fits perfectly, and the high-low ratio is also perfect for my petite frame. 

Look at the pink tissue paper with hearts! ♥

The gold belt has no holes, so it can be adjusted freely

Price ~ £12 + £3.99 (shipping) = £14.79 (they also gave some discount on the total) | Rs.1346. [Original price was £40 | Rs.3642.]

I LOVE JANE NORMAN! ♥

Oh! I also found a cropped denim jacket that I'd been longing for. In the movie Safe Haven, Cobie Smulders (Robin from HIMYM) wore this jacket.....

I love everything about it. You don't see quarter sleeves on cropped denim jackets very often. I saw it on Jane Norman that same day.....

.... and I would've pounced, but it was only available in a Size 18. Next day, I checked again (why am I like this??!!), and that was also gone! I am still kicking myself that I didn't see it sooner! Sigh, it would have looked fab over this dress too, no?

Maybe someday.....Okay, I won't jinx it. But ya, if you see a denim jacket egg-jackly like that anywhere, please holler at me! 

[Yes, the print & fabric is the same as that top I wore here.]

♥

Moral Of This Story: If you want it bad enough, it will come to you. Most times, when you least expect it.

If you need more proof, go read my story from 2010- 'The Zara Dress That Waited For Me' here.

So, what do YOU want very badly right now? =)

J'Adore.... Oh, Lola! New Perfume & Parisian Cushion

Bonjour! J'Adore ze Oh,Lola! Oui, ze Marc Jacobs. Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir.

That's how I French it up when I'm alone. Oui! I look at myself in the mirror, and feel like a pro.

Anyways, 2 pretty things I'm j'adoring right now in one post..... 

Marc Jacobs Oh, Lola! Sunsheer EDP(Limited Edition) ~ I went to check out Vera Wang Lovestruck, but ended up falling in love with this instead. The hard plastic deep berry flowers on Lovestruck put me off it. I don't know, they just looked tacky and un-Vera Wang-like. Oh,Lola! Sunsheer smells like raspberries, pears & vanilla- LOVE! Both bottle & scent are totally my type.  Price: £37.60 | Rs.3450 for 50ml from Escentual. 

Primark J'Adore Cushion ~  How pretty is this cushion?! I had to get it! Bed sheets & duvet covers are also available in that print, and I will go get them even though I have no idea how I'll pack them when I leave Scotland! But I must have them. Yes, mine!  Price: £4 | Rs.367. 

Have a good week! ♥

 

Tony Moly Cat Chu Wink Lipstick Pink Wink ~ Lipstick In A Cat!

There are many superstitions surrounding black cats. The most common one I grew up with was: It's bad luck when a black cat crosses your path, so you have to spit 3 times before you keep walking, otherwise something bad will happen.

I know, very stupid. But when you're a kid, and you see grown-ups spit, you spit! (Remember Joey and that actor in that World War I movie in Friends?)

Nowadays, I do see black cats crossing my path quite often. Do I spit 3 times? Of course not! I stopped believing in superstitions that require me to do unladylike things like that in public, and potentially mess up the lipstick I'm wearing.

That's why I had no qualms about bringing a certain black cat onto my vanity......

Tony Moly Cat Chu Wink Lipstick ~ There are about 7 shades available, and I picked 02 Pink Wink, a coral pink shade. It's all about the cat, so I won't pretend I got it for the quality of lipstick, but I have to say it's pretty good. The formula is lightweight, sheer, balmy/moisturizing & easily wearable. It has a faint floral scent that doesn't really transfer to the the lips.

Tony Moly Cat Chu Wink Lipstick Pink Wink 02 Swatch

Price ~ $7.98  |  Rs.474. FREE shipping.

My Rating ~ ♥♥♥♥♥ 4/5

From ~ Ebay, from Korean seller HERE  (Just info, I'm not affiliated with this seller.)

What do you think about the packaging?  

Online Haul ~ Kawaii Makeup & La Roche-Posay Skin Care Products

For those who don't know, Kawaii means cute/pretty/adorable. The term is popular in Japanese culture. I love everything kawaii. It's the only reason I want to go to South Korea someday. If I ever create a beauty brand, it will be kawaii-ish. If! I said if.

I did a little online haul recently, and the packages just reached me. You know, our postman sometimes leaves our parcels under the doormat outside our front door. Very thoughtful of him.

• Tony Moly Cat Chu Wink Lip Stick ~ Lipstick in a black cat. Super cute! I will post pics & swatches. I want a lipstick in a bunny too now!

•  Etude House Portable Ribbon Brush ~ Oh my bows! How cute?! But do you notice that it's lopsided? I'm talking to the seller about it, and I'm hoping for a replacement.

• Etude House Dear My Blooming Lips-Talk Lipstick ~ This is for the Mystery Giveaway Winner. You can see photos & swatches of mine here

All those are from Ebay. I won't mention seller until I'm happy with my lil' pink bow brush =D

On to the La Roche-Posay skin care products. Yes, I'm so into this brand at the moment =) 

• La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo ~ My 2nd tube. I didn't use it for a week or so (because my first tube finished before I purchased another), and I immediately got 3-4 pimples. Also, I noticed a big difference in my skin texture when I used this & when I didn't. You can read my previous post about it  here. Price: £9 | Rs.840.

• La Roche-Posay Biomedic  Pigment Control Concentrated Conditioning Serum ~ Very excited to try this out. It's got Kojic Acid (a safer alternative to Hydroquinone), Glycolic Acid, AHA (Alpha Hydroxy Acid). All ingredients to target dark spots & pigmentation. No Parabens. Price: £20.67 | Rs.1930.

• La Roche-Posay Thermal Spring Water for Sensitive Skin ~ Soothes & softens sensitive skin. I just got this mainly because I wanted the bill to reach the amount that equals free shipping, but I hope it'll hydrate my skin and act as a setting spray when I'm using the other two. Price: £2.33 | Rs.218.

These are all from Escentual, which is currently offering up to 1/3 off on all French Pharmacy brands - La Roche-Posay, Bioderma, Vichy, Avène, etc.

I saw that they also ship to India for a shipping fee of about Rs.275, if you're interested.

Heart-Shaped Makeup Brushes, Anyone?

Hope you all had a good weekend. I watched a romantic movie 'Like Crazy' & a thriller psycho movie 'No One Lives', cooked black bean sauce, did some online shopping, etc etc....  and I stumbled upon these heart-shaped brushes. Oh-my-heart, I'm smitten and can't stop looking at them!

The one up there is from Ebay. Just search 'heart shaped blush brush' 

Source

Source

I think I want to get some. Or maybe I could DIY? Let's see, which brush do I hate? Nah, ♥ shape will only look good on pink bristles, so I have to get pink brushes first. Oh no, not the one on the header!

Want to see heart-shaped lipstick & blush? Please go here