Manish Malhotra Ended Day 2 At LAKMÉ FASHION WEEK

MANISH MALHOTRA ENDED DAY TWO AT LAKMÉ FASHION WEEK WITH HIS FABULOUS SUMMER/RESORT 2011 COLLECTION SHOWCASING TRADITIONAL INDIAN CRAFTS.

Manish Malhotra ensures that his collections are always a traditional blend of Indian crafts with contemporary touches. His sensational line ended day two at Lakmé Fashion Week for Summer/Resort 2011.

The 40 gorgeous evening wear creations for men and women were resplendent with the wonderful Chikankari work as well as Karshmiri embroidery especially created in Srinagar and Jammu which Manish is keen on reviving. Adding Rajasthani gotta borders to the swirling creations; Manish ensured his ensembles would be fit for a myriad occasions.

Using delicate summer shades of aqua, green, powder blue and ivory, Manish gave a striking look to women’s wear. Men’s wear created in beige, grey and navy had a choice of lush textures that ranged from tussore to brocade for the sharply tailored bundgala jackets teamed with either slim pants or Jodhpuri trousers.

The Best Of Beauty 2011

I just love Total Beauty Awards! Every year the website editors pick the best of make-up, skincare & haircare products, and the list of nominees, for me, makes a great shopping guide.

Some of the products I voted for (the ones I've used & have served me well enough):

Make-up:

• Best Blush ~  Mac Powder Blush
• Best concealer ~ YSL Touche Eclat
• Best Eyeliner ~ Urban Decay 24/7  Glide On Eye Pencil
• Best Eyeshadow ~ Revlon 12 hour eye shadow quad
• Best Foundation ~ MUFE HD Invisible Finish Floundation
• Best Highlighter ~ Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick
• Best lip balm ~ Burt's Bees Beeswax lip balm
• Best Lip Balm ~ Revlon Super Lustrous Lip gloss
• Best Lip Liner ~ Mac Lip Pencil
• Best Lipstick ~ Mac Lipstick
• Best nail polish ~ Essie
• Best powder ~ Mac MSF Natural
• Best Tool ~ Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler

Lip Ice Strawberry, Orange, Blueberry & Lemon + Sheer Color

What is Lip Ice?

Combination of Lanolin and Mineral Oil will moisturize lips to prevent drying and chapping. Has SPF 15 that will protect the lips against UV rays.

Directions: Apply evenly on lips everyday. Can be used as base for lipstick too.

Ingredients: Mineral oil, Ozokerite, Petrolatum, Octyl Mathoxycinnamate, Octyl Salicylate, Lanolin, Flavor, Dimethicone, Menthol, Camphor.

• Strawberry- You get a whiff strawberry in this, but without the sweetness that you get from other strawberry lip balms
• Orange- Smells like orange juice, obviously.
• Blueberry- It doesn't smell like blueberry muffins, but it does smell slightly sweet. I think this is the best one for men. Hey, if Ed Westwick (Chuck Bass, Gossip Girl) could publicly apply the egg-shaped eos lip balm with panache, this surely won't make you look less like a man.
• Lemon - Smells like lemon peel.

Illamasqua Toxic Nature Inspired Look

When I saw the promo pictures of the Illamasqua Toxic Nature Collection, I was blown away by the makeup on the models. Yes, the looks are over-the-top, but they are also some of the most artistic  ones I've seen so far. So, I couldn't help but try them on myself.

My look is a hybrid of these 2:

Only lips from 2nd pic

Lakmé Unveils The Fantasy Collection ~ Product Photos

Every season, Lakmé forecasts and sets the beauty and fashion trends in India in the form of a color collection. It all starts with the global trend immersion by the Lakmé team. The selected trends are translated for different types of faces and skin, and sees culmination in a collection that is co-created with the Lakmé Make up Artists and the Lakmé Grand Finale designer. The Lakmé product collection reflects the expertise of the make up artists and the creativity of the designer.

This season glossy finishes, glitter and shimmer, aqua greens, floral mid tones – all inspired by nature are the theme of Lakmé’s summer Fantasy Collection. The collection has been co created with Lakmé make-up experts Cory & Clint and Grand Finale designers Gauri & Nainika. 

Bourjois Fast & Perfect Mascara Video

Are you buying the gadgety mascara? I am! :)

♥ Cynthia Z ^.^

5-Color Eye Makeup Tutorial

Okay, I didn't know what to call this eye makeup. I thought about peacock, but it's not feathery. This is the Requested Makeup Model Look I did last month. The model could be Britney Spears in Circus music video, I was informed by a reader- Mariam. I can't say for sure if it is, but she definitely looks like Britney. Yes,those are the peacock earrings you must've seen before :). I must have been in a matchy-matchy mood that day :)

I clicked these photos while I did the makeup, just in case somebody wanted a tutorial & taking pictures actually helped me notice uneven application and such mistakes.

• Prime lids with eyeshadow primer, then stick scotch tape on outer parts of each eye from the outer end of the eye to about the end of eyebrows. Apply some loose powder under your eyes and bridge of your nose, so the eyeshadow fallouts won't ruin your base.
• First apply pink eyeshadow on inner half of the eyes, and then apply purple eyeshadow starting from the scotch tape to the center of the lids, and make a rounded slant from top edge near scotch tape to about half of the upper lash line. Blend the part where the 2 colors meet so there won't be an obvious line right in the center. 

The Best Sigma Eye Brush

I have found my favorite eye brush- Sigma E45. How have I lived without this brush for so long?!

Description:

Small domed brush with highly tapered tip. Versatile, this brush can be used to precisely apply and blend intense colors to the crease area.

Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer ~ The Ugly Truth

Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer was part of the Smashbox Superstars that I got last year. I've been using this primer since then, and the first 2-3 times I thought it's one of the best products ever! It minimized my pores & made my skin so silky and smooth!

 And then when I used it after that, maybe in early December, I got the most painful and angry pimples I've ever had on my forehead near my hairline, and on my chin- which left a scar! This is because it has Dimethicone, better known as Silicone, which is known to clog pores and cause breakouts.

Still, I wasn't ready to give up on it, so on Friday, I used it again and the next morning, ta-da two pimples again- on my forehead and cheek area near my nose where the larger pores are. Sigh! But this time, they are small and not so painful.

Testing Blog Stuff But Post Can't Be Blank

;)

♥ Cynthia Z ^.^

HAUL: Mac, Body Shop, Maybelline, Bourjois

I realized that I haven't done a haul post in ages, I mean, since December. This is sort of a necessities  haul, and I'm very proud of myself for being able to resist buying so many things I don't really need. Accessorize, Marks & Spencer, and Guess tempted me more than MAC yesterday. I was not much of a jewelry person before, but now I'm even thinking about making my own jewelry =D.

Anyways, here's what I got:

• Maybelline Whitestay UV Comapct Powder SPF 18 in Light Ivory (Rs.150) ~ I've always wanted to buy this. It's so cheap it feels almost criminal not to buy it + I needed another handbag compact
• Mac Paintpot in Painterly (Rs.1100) ~  I really like my Coral Crepe Paintpot, so I decided to get a beige one that can be worn under any eyeshadow shade.
• Bourjois Liner Feutre in Noir (Rs.650) ~ This is a felt tip eyeliner. Really black and my kind of liquid liner. I will review it next week

February Nail Polishes

I wanted to show you the Inglot brown nail enamel 973 that I got from the Brown Collection, but I thought it's so boring to post just one. So I decided to post all the nail polishes I wore in February instead. First 2 are new, next 3 I have written about before. Here they are:

Inglot Brown Collection 973

Essie Need A Vacation

Colorbar Autumn Rose

Elianto Thistle

Colorbar Nail Treatment

Which do you like the best?

♥ Cynthia Z ^.^

Bourjois Bio Detox Powder + Fast & Perfect Rotating Mascara

There's more to come from my all-time favorite brand, Bourjois. First is an addition to the Bio-Detox family, that already consists of a foundation & concealer, Bio-detox Organic Perfecting Powder. I've tested some samples of Bio Detox Foundation, but I didn't like it enough to buy it yet (I prefer to test foundations in summer), and plus, I want to check out the Healthy Mix Serum/Gel Foundation first and then decide which one to buy. I hope people who lol when I say I'm a sensible shopper are reading this.

What it is:

This powder is formulated with 100% natural ingredients. It mattifies the complexion, imperfections are erased, and pores are refined.

Its formula is enriched with plant chlorophyll oxygenating and anti-pollution and purifies the skin contains flaxseed powder to absorb shine without clogging pores

Its ultra fine texture, micronized, guarantees a perfect and natural results with no thickness.

The panoramic mirror, rotate 360 degrees, provides optimal application

- Formula is non-comedogenic, non-occlusive, non-drying

- Contains purifying Moringa Seeds

- Dermatologically tested

Available in 6 shades ~ 51, 52, 54, 55, 56, 57

Say whaaat??! Rotating Mascara?! That's right, Bourjois Fast & Perfect Mascara is a self- rotating mascara that claims to give false lash effect in 30 seconds.  Its high volume resistance formula respects sensitive eyes, contains natural waxes, a complex derivative of jojoba oil and vitamin E. 

Remember I mentioned my favorite way of applying mascara here ? Well, if I get my hands on this mascara, maybe I wouldn't have to work so hard on my lashes anymore! :)

You don't have to say anything anymore, Bourjois. I'm already sold. Both times. Bourjois India better get these here fast!

♥ Cynthia Z ^.^