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6/18/13

2-in-1 Eye Makeup Tutorial ~ Metallic Eyes & V-Kohl Eyeliner

What would you name this look? I didn't know what to call it, so I went with Metallic Eyes & V-Kohl. I hear laughing in my head. Good thing I ditched 'Golden Pomegranate Eyes' 
This eye makeup may look "formal", but it's really not. Yes, you could wear it to a wedding, but it wouldn't look o-t-t if you wore it on a family picnic either. You'll see*
I've split this tutorial into two, so that I get to show you in detail  how I did the eyeliner, as well.
Products I Used:
  • Shimmery Cream Eyeshadow ~ Maybelline 24Hr Color Tattoo Metallic Pomegranate or Pomegranate Punk
  • Gold Eyeshadow ~ Urban Decay Half Baked from Naked Palette.
  • Black Kohl & Eyeshadow ~ Lakmé Kohl Ultimate, Bourjois Intense Eyeshadow #10
  • Mascaras ~ Maybelline The Falsies Black Drama & Bourjois Fan-Tastic Volume.
  • Brushes ~ Sigma E25 Blending Brush, Urban Decay Good Karma Brush.

1st Tutorial is the Metallic Eyeshadow:
1. Take Metallic Pomegranate on ring finger.
2.  Apply it on your lid till your crease.
3. It should look like that. It's okay if the edges aren't neat right now.
4. Now take the same color tattoo on a fluffy blending brush, and go over the edges of the  shadow using windshield wiper & circular motions.
5. Keep blending from one end to the other.
6. Once the edges look hazy, apply a gold eyeshadow on the inner half of your lid, but don't touch the upper edge of the previous e/s.
7. Apply the gold on your inner corner around your tear duct, as well.
8. Apply the same gold e/s on the outer half of lower lash line.
9. Apply the same metallic pomegranate on the inner half of lower lash line.
*I'm doing this to balance the look.
10. Line your top & bottom waterline with black kohl pencil. Tutorial below.
11. Apply lots of mascara on top & bottom lashes. I applied 3 coats of Maybelline The Falsies Black Drama first, then about 2-3 coats of Bourjois Fan-Tastic Volume Mascara. Lashes look more clumpy up-close only.
12. DONE! 

♥ 

Now, on to the 2nd Tutorial ~ The V-Kohl 

1. Sharpen your kohl pencil first, then  tightline upper lash line. That means lining on the roots of your lashes.
2.  Line waterline all the way to the inner tear duct area.
3. See how that closes up my eye & makes it look smaller?
4. Start lining the top lash line. It's better not to drag it in one go. Make dots and join, instead.
5. Make kohl thicker at the outer corner. Extend it a little past the corner of your eye.
6. It should look like that.
7. That white line is just to show you how to join with it with the lower lash line. 
8. From the tip of upper kohl, line downwards toward lower lash line, stopping before the edge of your eyeball, allowing the gold e/s to still show. Fill inside the V or the <
9. Lastly, take some matte black eyeshadow on an angled or pointed liner brush and press it on  kohl. Again, don't drag the brush. This will prevent it from smudging & also even out the edges.
10.  Just mimic the previous steps. Press black eyeshadow on lower lash line....
11. .....and upper lash line. 
12. DONE!  

It's my favorite way to line my eyes, i.e. when my kohl is sharp. Bollywood actresses like Bipasha Basu, Rani Mukherjee & Aishwarya Rai  line their eyes this way a lot.
If you line all the way in on the bottom lash line, you'll achieve Rani Mukherjee's heavy kohl-ed eyes like I did in the Bombay Talkies inspired look here.

♥ 

Hope you picked up some tips from these 2 tuts (two.toots.) I will be posting more before the month ends.

* [Full look with this eye makeup coming up shortly.] ~ Updated
More pics here




6/16/13

Bows & Hangers

Just something I did today - after vacuuming the house =)
Ribbons are from a throw and cushions I got from Primark (the green ones in the pics). You know the ribbons that tie them up? Ya, those. I didn't want to throw them away. How can anybody throw away ribbons? Hangers are also from Primark too, btw.



6/15/13

FREE & Fabulous Bourjois Sunglasses & Haul

I think Bourjois gives out the best freebies! I saw these sunglasses, and I was literally forced to buy more products just so I can take them home! I don't know what I wanted more- the sunglasses or the polka dotted pouch. You tell me.....
The 3 products I had to pick:
  • Bourjois Color Boost Lip Crayon Peach On The Beach ~ I am IN LOVE with this color! The finish is creamy & glossy. I will do a post on it soon. For now, swatches of all the shades posted here  (I think I'm going to grab Red Sunrise too now) Price: £7.99  |  Rs.722
  • Bourjois 123 Perfect Foundation, Shade 54 Beige ~ This has 3 correcting pigments to even out complexion: yellow for dark circles, purple for dullness, green for redness. I've only worn it twice, and it's too soon for a verdict, but I think it could be the best foundation I've ever tried. It has a matte finish that doesn't look too dry. Price: £10.99  | Rs.993
  • Bourjois Fan-Tastic Volume Mascara ~  Nah, not great. I need to apply at least 5 coats to build volume. Lashes do look fanned out, though. I think it could work better with another mascara underneath, let's see. See the fan brush here. Price: £9.99 |  Rs.903.

*3 for 2 offer at Superdrug, so I only paid for the 2 products. Bourjois Mascaras are ridiculously pricey here in the UK =[
Look at that pouch! ♥_♥ I wonder if there are shoes just like it.

You all have a great weekend! More tutorials coming next week. Was gonna post one today, but some unpleasant things had to happen. Okay, bye bye before I start saying unpleasant words ;)



6/14/13

Sleek Makeup Candy Collection Photos & Swatches

The night before I went to buy these, I had a dream:
A cardboard box came in the mail. By mail, I mean it magically appeared inside our front door. The box was quite big, oven-sized. I was ecstatic, because I vividly remember seeing all my teeth. I opened the box, and saw another smaller cardboard box inside it. I opened the smaller box, and saw a long pink box among some bubble-wrapped things. As I dragged the box to the living room, I clicked photos at the same time. In my mind, I was doing unboxing for the blog. I had no idea what I was unboxing, but I kept clicking and walking towards the bright living room. I was about to unwrap everything and find out what's inside the long pink box, then....
I woke up. I woke up! Why? Why do dreams like this always get cut short???
I felt cheated & irritated when I got up. Later that day, I headed to Superdrug and got some Candy to get over the anticlimactic dream.
Sleek i-Divine Candy Eyeshadow Palette ~ All bright and sweet shades with cute names: Strawberry Sherbet, Bon Bon, Parma Violet, Apple Sour, Pear Drop, Flump, Liquorice, Blue Fizzle, Aniseed, Bubble Gum, Mint Cream, Cream Soda.
 Price ~ £7.99  |  Rs.730.
Sleek i-Divine Candy Eyeshadow Palette Swatches

Sleek Makeup Blush By 3 Sweet Cheeks ~ This is a palette of 3 blushers- a cream blush Cupcake, a matte blush Dolly Mix & a shimmer blush Candy Floss. This is a Hot Seller, because there was only 1 left that day. I got it only because I called Superdrug, and they kept it aside for me (Phew!) All the colors are so deliciously pretty! Take a look at the swatches below....
 Price ~ £9.99  |  Rs.911.
Sleek Blush By 3 Sweet Cheeks Swatches ~ Cupcake (cream), Dolly Mix (matte), Candy Floss (shimmer)

A fuchsia pink Pout Paint named LOL-Lip-Pop is also part of this collection, but I did not get it.
This collection is Limited Edition.
Available online at SleekMakeup.com. Sleek ships worldwide. I have ordered from India before.

I know I went overboard with the macaron photos, but I hope they made you candy happy! =)




NEW! Bourjois Color Boost Lip Crayons ~ Photos & Swatches

My favorite brand has jumped on the bandwagon, and has launched its very own lip crayons ~ Color Boost Glossy Finish Lip Crayons.
"A new generation formula that provides a bare lips sensation thanks to its sensory, light and non-sticky texture. With it silk extract formula, Color Boost ensures comfort and hydration for 10 hours. Plus, it has SPF 15 and Waterproof colour!"
Available in 4 shades (left to right in pic above):
  • Orange Punch
  • Fuchsia Libra or Fuchsia Libre or Fuchsia Free (not sure!)
  • Red Sunrise
  • Peach On The Beach  
Swatches ~ Orange Punch, Fuchsia Libra, Red Sunrise, Peach On The Beach

They are all pretty summer shades, but my favorites are Red Sunrise & Peach On The Beach. I bought Peach On The Beach to try out, will let you know how it is.
Yes, they are different from Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains. They feel different, and are fragrance-free. Packaging is the same.

Price ~ £7.99 |  Rs.727 (Will probably be priced lower in India.) From Superdrug.

Are you excited about these, or are you're tired of seeing Lip Crayons? =) 




6/13/13

NARS Angelika Blush

You know what (I think) Barbies, Fairies, Princesses & Angels have in common? I think they all wear a blush like NARS Angelika ~ A cotton candy pink with gold and silver sparkle. 
Angelika is the prettiest-looking pink blush I'd ever seen. It's performance also lives up to its appearance. It's pigmented, smooth, and the shimmer in it isn't garish or chunky. I'd say the silver shimmer is more dominant, because I hardly see gold.
*Pics taken with & without flash, because it has shimmer. 

NARS Angelica Swatch (with flash)

NARS Angelica Swatch (without flash)

If you want a matte pink blush that is somewhat similar (in the same color family) & cheaper, you could check out NYX Blush Pinky. I've swatched it here
 
Price ~ $27  |  Rs.1566
My Rating ~ ♥♥♥♥♥ 4/5
Availablility ~ I got mine from Apothica and shipped through Shop & Ship.

Ooh, now I'm in the mood for more candy pink stuff! Wait for it.....



6/11/13

When A Beauty Blog Is Nominated For A Cosmopolitan Blog Award.....

Election Candidate: "If I win this election, it will give me a chance to build a bridge from River X to the village. That way, when you're done doing laundry in River X, you won't need to do mountain climbing for 1 hour to get to your huts. This is my heart's only wish."
Village People: "YES! YES! YES! Finally somebody who understands us...who cares for us the people! Ah, no more darty darty fingernails & big big insect bites. We lob you man! WE VOTE PHOR YOU!" 
Later.... 
Election Candidate (Now Politician in Office): "Huh?! I don't remember saying anything about any bridge. Do people still go to that filthy River X? Put a tiger in that area, and mark it unsafe. ["EK THA TIGER. BEWARE!"] Bridge! Like I get paid enough to waste my time on something I'll never use myself... Sah-la!"

♥ 

Okay, that's a story I made up. But I have a strong feeling that it has happened in a village somewhere.
As I have mentioned before, my blog has been nominated for an award by Cosmopolitan India:
"We're excited to let you know that your blog (Indian Vanity Case) has been nominated by Cosmo readers in the Best Beauty Blog category for the Cosmopolitan Blog Awards 2013 in Association with Dove! We have now opened the polls for voting so it's time to get your readers/subscribers to vote for your blog!"
Today is the last day open for voting. I owe it to my blog, my baby, to fight for it one final time & request you all to go VOTE for it.
Unlike the Politician, I have nothing to offer. No promises, no bridge. But I can assure you there'll be no tiger that will stop you from visiting this blog, no matter what happens.
You'd think that I've desperately asked (or forced) all my friends, family, friends of friends, cousins, friends of cousins, relatives, in-laws, old school mates, the plumber who came to fix a leak in our bathroom earlier, etc, to go vote for my blog, but NO. I've not asked any of them. Most of them don't even know. I'm still trying to decide whether I should let Mr.CZ vote, although I might, since he reads my blog (read: spies on me) and gives his opinions on photos and stuff. 
Truth is, I want the votes to come from readers who love my blog before me. Readers who come to my blog for the lipsticks, readers who would feel crushed if I ever stopped blogging (not happening any time soon!), readers who know what 'Oh My Bows' means. I want the votes to come from YOU who are reading this right now. So, I'll leave it all up to you.
If you want to VOTE, please go HERE ~ Click on Like next to Indian Vanity Case under Beauty Blogs, scroll to the bottom of the page, fill in your details & click SUBMIT. It's done!
Thank you so much & Love you for voting! ♥
At the same time, you can also vote for your favorite blogs in other categories. All The Best to all the blogs that have been nominated! 
Okay, now I'll go Vote for my favorite blogs, too. And no, I won't foolishly vote for my own blog! =D




6/10/13

TOP 12 Summer Lipsticks

When it comes to numbers, I prefer even numbers. When I was a kid, seeing the number 24 always made me feel good. For no apparent reason, my head would get weirdly excited when I saw it's 24th on the kitchen calendar. I don't know why. This is just a thing, and I'm not saying odd numbers freak me out, or anything.
Then I grew up, and married a guy who is more obsessed with even numbers. Now even the volume on our TV has to be an even number- 16, 20, 24... 40. If it's 15, he will pick up the remote and bring it up or down to the closest even number. Maybe I should ask him what he thought of '24' when he was a kid, no? o.O
So! Here are my (TOP 5) TOP 12 Summer Lipsticks:
From left to right:
  1. Colorbar Crème Touch Lipstick Mauve Bliss 034 ~ A glossy light mave-pink that goes perfectly with smoky purple eye makeup. I have not swatched this yet, but you can see another shade - Passionate - that I know is a best-seller because of 'out of stock'here
  2. Maybelline SuperStay Lipstick Stay With Me Coral ~ I have serious issues with the  bumps on this lipstick, but I love the color too much to not use it.
  3. Rimmel Lasting Finish By Kate Moss #16 ~ Swatches here
  4. Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain Rendezvous ~ The only orange lippy I use these days. Swatches here
  5. Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain Sweetheart ~ You know I love this! Swatches here
  6. Maybelline SuperStay Lipstick Infinitely Fuchsia ~ This is without a doubt my favorite fuchsia pink lipstick. I just can't get enough of it! Swatches here
  7. Hello Kitty Lipstick By Superdrug Betz Believe ~ This is officially my favorite rosy pink lipstick. Trying to find a shade exactly like it from other brands. If you know any, please tell me. Swatched here
  8. Maybelline Color Sensational The Jewels Collection Berry Brilliant ~  I love to use this lightly as a lip stain. Swatches here
  9. Deborah Milano Rosetto MilanoRed #2 ~ A lovely peachy nude shade that's become a favorite. I wore it here 
  10. MAC Lustre Lipstick Patisserie ~ Obviously. Swatches here
  11. MAC Veronica Lipstick Daddy's Little Girl ~ Satin finish. The unique one I reach for when I don't want to wear any other color. I wore it here
  12. MAC Veronica Lipstick Ronnie Red ~ Matte finish. I like that this has a berry pink undertone, which makes it cooler-toned. Swatched here 
Hope you enjoyed this lipstick post. Would love to know the lippies that top your list this summer, too! Oh, and it doesn't have to be an even number ;)

P.S. Voting for Cosmopolitan Blog Awards '13 ends day after tomorrow! If you like reading my blog, please show your support by voting for 'Indian Vanity Case' under Beauty Blogs ~ HERE
Thanks a bunch to everyone who has already voted! ♥ 


6/9/13

Pencil Shading Technique Eye Shadow

Have you ever wondered what it'd be like if you used pencils to color your eyes? While that's possible, you need a brush to achieve the penciled effect. When I was studying Fashion Design, shading was part of Sketching, and we shaded with pencils & watercolors. I was very bad at it the first few times, but with practice I got better. Today, I thought I'd try it on my eyes with eye shadow.
I really really enjoyed doing it, and I think I might stick to this technique. 
I used only 3 products:
  • Beige eyeshadow (WOS) on my lid as a light base, a black eyeshadow (Crave)  for shading. Both from Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette
  • An pointed eyeliner brush used like a pencil.
If you noticed the shimmery brow bone, I did a different makeup before this and maybe I didn't wipe it off properly.
If you want me to do a tutorial on this shading technique, let me know.
Happy Weekend, everyone! I should have been cleaning & mopping the house, but I played with makeup instead, so that's been postponed till tomorrow. Tonight, I'm just excited to watch Stoker and, of course, eat a lot of junk.