Beyond Vanity ~ Autumn Leaves & Scented Candles

While vacuuming the kitchen floor, I looked out and saw autumn leaves all over one side of our backyard (thank you, neighbour's tree!) They look so beautiful! It hasn't been raining much, so they're dry & photo-friendly. Two things that have been making my make-up room smell (like heaven) really nice came to mind - Glade Scented Candles.

Purple is Winter Berries ~ So sweet & fruity. It smells like my favorite mints of all time Wrigley's Extra Forest Berries, which I've only seen in Malaysia.

Pink is With Love ~ This smells gorgeous....like a princess. Somewhat like the Lakmé Perfect Radiance Day Cream (that just occurred to me, so proud of my nose!)

Price ~ Around Rs.200 each, which is not bad for the quality.

Hello Kitty Makeup At Superdrug & Lipstick Photos & Swatches

I picked up only the lipsticks last weekend. I wanted the nail polishes too, but I thought it's quite unreasonable of them to price them more than the lipsticks.

We'd sometimes think that if the packaging is this cute (TOO CUTE!), they'd totally skimp on the quality of the product inside, but no. These lipsticks are awesome! I must say, impressive quality. Pigmented, creamy & very moisturizing. They last for hours too.

Price ~ Even better at £3.99 (Rs.344) for a Kitty.

Karva Chauth For The Unconventional Indian Wife

Happy Karva Chauth to all the married Indian ladies! How are you holding up? It's still afternoon here (UK), so I'm not feeling famished yet....just slightly dizzy.

Let me explain what Karva Chauth is to non-Indian readers: It's is an auspicious day when Indian/Hindu wives fast for the long life & prosperity of their husbands. They don't eat & drink from sunrise until the moon rises.

I didn't know it's Karva Chauth today until yesterday evening. I've told you before that I was born Christian, and I didn't grow up with this tradition. But I married a Hindu guy, so I do it mainly to honor & respect the tradition he grew up with. My mom-in-law allows tells me to have fruits, milk, water...but I'll just have my tea, and maybe water if I feel like fainting =D

What I'm having all day: Tea & mints. When you don't eat, you get Halitosis (in simple words: bad breath) so. 

Unboxing The Lipsticks Of My Dreams! [With BOWS!]

Squeeeeeeal! They're here! They're finally here! The pretty pink lipsticks with bows! In mint condition! No dents or scratches on the lipsticks! [My pet peeve]

1. Small cardboard box.
2. FREE gifts- Natural Rich Soo Essence Sheet Masks (Green Tea & Cooling) & a Tootsie Pops orange lollipop!
3. What's in the bubble bag?
4. ETUDE HOUSE DEAR MY BLOOMING LIPS-TALK LIPSTICKS! 

Oh-My-Bows!

LOTD ~ Modern Cleopatra

[Letter body taken from TV series 'ROME'. Antony was so devastated, he killed himself after reading it. Truth was, Cleopatra was lying in the letter.]

Some believe that Cleopatra was the original Samantha Jones (Sex And The City). A while back, I took a Facebook quiz- 'Which Shakespearean woman/character are you?' - and I got Cleopatra (hoped for Juliet or Portia, dreaded the Lady Macbeth). That's how I know that. My old favorite tv series 'Rome' portrayed her as an insatiable pharaoh. She had short cropped hair & was addicted to opium. So, I guess the Facebook quiz was right. I'm kidding! My guilty pleasures are way too..... modern.

I guess you know what she used to kill herself? Ya, we won't go there *shudders*

I'm A MAC Lipstick. My Name Is.....

THANK YOU SO MUCH everyone for playing the MAC Lipstick guessing game (here). I know some of you couldn't sleep anymore.... hehe.... so I will reveal the answer a little earlier than I planned. Well, I was gonna include the review & swatches of the lipstick, but editing & re-sizing of photos is going to take some time.

5 clever clever ladies got it right:

• Idee Fixe
• Geetz
• Sophia Jerald
• Nitisha
• Kejal 

Woohoo! Well Done! =) 

Yes, it is MAC Peach Blossom Cremesheen + Pearl Lipstick! One of the prettiest lipsticks ever! You'll see.

♥ Cynthia Z *.*

Bourjois Faux & Fabulous Lashes & 2-in-1 Tweezers + Eyelash Applicator Photos

Hope you all had a good weekend! I spent most of mine watching FRIENDS Season 5 - with extended episodes. There's about 3 mins of extra stuff! I've watched it all, like, 20 times, so it feels new again. Btw, UK clocks went back 1 hour since yesterday, so now IST is 5 and 1/2 hours ahead. My laptop clock is still on Indian time (I refuse to change it!), so I always feel like I'm living in 2 time zones. Ironically, that movie 'Back To The Future' is always playing on one boring (read: free) movie channel.

So! I got some of the stuff from my Shopping List on Saturday. First up, the new launches from Bourjois ~ Faux & Fabulous Lashes and 2-in-1 Tweezers & Eyelash Applicator.  

Bourjois Faux & Fabulous Lashes in Lady In Black ~ These are demi lashes with black studs- oh, 'precious gems' - on them, which I think look really fabulous. You can wear them on your top or bottom lash line. Adhesive included & cute pola dotted pink & black packaging. Price: £5.99 (Rs.517) Also available in other designs, please see here

My Shopping List: Hello Kitty Makeup, Lashes, Caviar Nails, Etc

We won't call it the wishlist anymore, okay? We'll call it The Shopping List. You know the overwhelming feeling we feel when shopping? I figured if I note down exactly what I want, I will feel calmer when my brain is hit with temptations all at once.

So here the products I've been eyeing this week and I'm going out to get them today.

Hello Kitty Makeup at Superdrug! I couldn't stop thinking about them ever since I saw them on British Beauty Blog. Oh my bows. Nail polishes, lipsticks, etc. Look at ze lipstick....

Bourjois Faux & Fabulous False Lashes ~ Lady In Black!

I'm A MAC Lipstick. What's My Name?

We have not played this type of game in a long time now. So let's take a break and PLAY!

Name the MAC Lipstick above. 

HINT:  Finish is Cremesheen. 

You know it! =) 

*Obviously, the people who guess right will get 2 extra entries in our next Giveaway - which is happening soon....or....you could just play it for fun! 

[Will reveal the answer along with review & swatches sometime next week.]

***UPDATE: Name revealed here 

♥ Cynthia Z *.*

My Jewelry Holder/Stand Photos

This is the jewelry holder I posted a sneak peek of 2 weeks ago. Boy, hasn't it really been that long? I'm scared this year will end too soon! I'm not ready.

Okay, this thing has made my life so easy...so easy. No more tangled/knotted necklace....no more searching for earrings....no more! This is basically all the jewelry I took with me to England, apart from 2-3 necklaces that are too long to hang. I just hung them very randomly, so I hope it doesn't look too messy to some OCD people here. Yes, you over there! ;)

Schwarzkopf Strait Therapy & L'Oreal Hair Spa Review

So many of you have asked me about hair straightening, so I thought I'd talk about the 2 treatments I got done- Schwarzkopf Strait Therapy (Permanent Hair Straightening) & L'Oreal Hair Spa Treatment.

In these pics, I'd just gone for the L'oreal Hair Spa Treatment at a salon in Delhi a few days before leaving.

*OMG that looped hair is driving my crazy! This is what happens when I'm not in control of the camera.

Schwarzkopf Strait Therapy- This is a permanent straightening procedure which lasts upto 6 months. This is my 3rd time getting it done, I think. I got the Lakmé Hair Serenity, and my hair was calm and manageable. But when I reached my hometown, it became very frizzy because of the humidity there. It would pouf up & wouldn't fall, you know what I mean? So, I went for it. I knew that I'd want to get it done eventually, and it'll cost more in Delhi & UK. I was very happy with the results- straight & heavy hair. BUT it made the ends very very dry & frizzy, they completely lost their elasticity. They would get tangled together which made it impossible to comb through without breakage. So....yes, time for some TLC. Uff, one problem after another!

• Tip 1: If you don't want your hair to get burnt, tell your stylist not to make the straightening iron too hot, or iron it too much. My friend doesn't let them iron at all, and her hair turned out just fine.
• Tip 2: Avoid getting it done during monsoon season, because your hair ends will frizz more. That's what I experienced.

Price: Rs.4500. It costs above Rs.7000 in the New Delhi. I know some small salons do it for Rs.2500, but very risky....haha! If you want it done for somewhat FREE (you'd probably have to pay only for the straightening cream), go to a Hair Academy, where students will do it for practice. I've done it on other people while I was studying in one, and they were happy with the results =)

4 Fashion Tights I Fancy

I need more tights or stockings, since I keep seeing holes in all of them. I even cut my nails shorter, but they still keep tearing on me.

Below are the ones I'm eyeing. WANT the first 3, last one not so much but would accept if gifted ;) 

My favorite! (above)

Marc Jacobs Dot Perfume Photos & Review

If you follow my Facebook Page, you'd know this is the last product I got from New Delhi. From Terminal 3 IGI Airport. Before that, I felt sick & dizzy in Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. I don't know if it was the overly milky latte or the moving-away feelings. A few minutes later, I captured this ladybug and felt robust again. They don't call it 'Retail Therapy' for nothing, I tell ya.

Ok, DOT. Oh my bows! It's so cute! No, cute is an understatement. I want to cry every time I look at it. Seriously. A line from a song I love- 'Click Click Click'  by *clears throat* New Kids On The Block goes: "Damn you look so good it hurts me." Now I totally understand what that means. 

See if you understand what I mean....

[*If you spot my reflection anywhere in these pics, I had my hair tied back & a face mask on. Good thing nobody saw me.]

Notes: The exuberant top captivates with a delectable blend of red berries, succulent dragonfruit, and sweet honeysuckle. The lush floral heart of the fragrance blooms with the addictive beautiful jasmine, mingled with energizing notes of coconut water and orange blossom. The scent rounds out with a feminine dry down of creamy vanilla, driftwood, and sensual musks.