Summer's End Reverie

Feet and ears tucked snugly inside the quilt, instead of out.

An unanticipated sneeze before you've even brushed your teeth.

Sandpaper knuckles.

That in-between emotion that you've yet to name & fittingly stow.

Little notes from Summer - that it has left.

******

Okay, I don't know where I was going with that. These are just impromptu pictures I clicked because I loved the light & shadows in my room that day :)

BUT they are my favourite things......

The BEST & Life Changing Nail Product Ever Made!

Midnight: 

All chores are done. The house is quiet. I'm so tired & sleepy, but I have to paint my nails. 

I can't bear to look at all the old, chipped nail polish any longer!

This is the only time I wouldn't have to touch anything and can just sit there waiting for my nails to dry -forever.

Next Morning: 

I see a dent, a scratch, a hair mark, fibres, a black spot, a minuscule rock, etc.

All my patience & hard work tainted by something as insignificant as one toenail grazing the other toenail in my sleep.

********

I'm sure this happens to us all. How have we lived like this for years & decades?!

Now, I can tell you we can avoid all that! No more!

Now, your nails can get dry & damage proof in 60 seconds!

Meet:

Essence Nail Art Express Dry Drops

This magic-in-a-bottle comes with a glass pipette dropper, and it's nourished with Vitamin E & Almond Oil. I think I noticed my nails breaking from the nail bed less these days (touchwood!)

Just 1 drop of this potion on my newly-polished nails - after they've dried on their own a bit - and the world is not my enemy anymore!

MINISO Haul ~ August 2023

Do we love Miniso, or do we LOVE MINISO?

Miniso India has started keeping interesting stuff again since after Covid time. There was a phase when I was seeing the same things every time I visited their stores. Now the vibe is different - there are new keychains... and dish cleansing sponges.... and cat paw laundry clips I don't need but bought anyway.

RARE BEAUTY Haul

Location: Sephora, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Customers flock only to one makeup counter:

RARE BEAUTY

Some too young to be wearing makeup - a few were with their parents.

Some old enough to be wearing makeup, but didn't really look the types who were into makeup.

These were not makeup junkies, these were Selena Gomez's fans.

 They rummaged through the drawers & made sure everything good SOLD OUT.

All the liquid blushes were SOLD OUT, except for 2 darkest shades.

All the Lip Oils were SOLD OUT.

I managed to get some practical face products for myself:

Birthday Makeup ~ OUTDATED Products

This part of blogging is called backlog.

Let's just get it out of the way before I let it die in my drafts - which I would've done had I not already told my Insta followers that I'd be posting it.

My birthday happened in May. Then I went on vacation and bought so much new beauty products that I didn't want to even look at these outdated products here anymore! The makeup scene is too boring here in India, I wasn't buying new makeup much....and just wasn't inspired to try anything new.

The MAC Powder Kiss Lipstick That I Used Up The Fastest!

By "Fastest", I mean within 2 months! Maybe 1 month, even.

One reason is, it's an everyday pink shade. Plus, it's lightweight and tasty & totally addictive. 

I used it as a blush & eyeshadow base quite often, too.

MAC Powder Kiss Lipsticks are my absolute favourite lipsticks; there's nothing I dislike about them - except....EXCEPT their price tag, especially now that it's been hiked to ₹2200 (Launch Price was ₹1650)

So far, I've only used 5 shades -- all bought at launch price upto ₹1850, if I'm not mistaken.

Maybelline Tattoo Studio Smokey Gel Pencils & Brow Pigment Pencil

These photos were taken 2nd December last year (2022), and even though I'd been using all these products every single day since, they're still not finished today. Like, just a teeny tiny bit left of the black gel pencil & brow pencil.

Love, love love all of them, particularly the Smokey Gel Liner Pencils, which come with a smudger & a hidden sharpener. They're so smooth & intense, and last all day.

Smokey Gel Pencils Smokey Black

Smokey Gel Pencils Smokey Brown

Tattoo Brow Pencil Light Brown

Ecotools 360 Ultimate Blend Makeup Brush Kit

The EcoTools 360 Ultimate Blend Makeup Brush Set is designed with 3 densely packed, domed makeup brush heads for quick makeup application and a perfectly blended finish. 

• The EcoTools 360 Ultimate Blend Makeup Brush Set Includes: 3 densely packed, domed brushes for quick application and perfectly blended finishes.

• Ultimate Buff makeup brush helps achieve a streak-free base by buffing on cream or powder foundation.

• Ultimate Pop makeup brush blends cream or powder blush and bronzer for a sculpted, airbrushed finish.

• Ultimate Cover makeup brush applies concealer or highlighter to apples of cheeks, bridge of the nose, and arch of brows for added definition.

• Pair makeup brushes with cream and sticks makeup formulas to achieve the best results

• Beautifully soft bristles, for gentle makeup application.

• Handcrafted with eco-friendly materials and lightweight wood-plastic composite handles

• Made with synthetic Taklon bristles.

• Cruelty-Free and Vegan - EcoTools products are never tested on animals.

1960's Inspired Outfit ~ What I Wore

What I wore to the Backstreet Boys Concert in Gurgaon.

If, like everyone else, you're thinking how the heck I even dared to wear such heels to an outdoor concert, well.....I'm short, so I was thinking I'd be able to see them on stage better 😂

Btw, this entire outfit was a last-minute purchase, so I settled. Meaning, I could've picked another top for this skort & another colour for the skort, but none was available at the time.

Everybody Zone, Backstreet Boys Concert  Wristband.

My TOP 5 Cosy House Coats

Does a dislike for winters come naturally to everyone who grew up in hilly/wet/cold areas?

I'm a summer girl, and I really appreciate that winters here are short-lived. I was just thinking about getting some new fleece socks, because all my ancient ones have been misplaced or have holes in them....but here we are, at 29° already.

There are only 3 things that I will miss about winter:

- Boots

- The messages Zii leaves me on the hot shower steam in the bathroom.

- Plushy, Cosy House Coats - or dressing gowns & robes.

Ah, I dream of the day when I can just walk out the door in a plushy house coat. So many winter mornings I wished I could just throw on a plush coat over my pyjamas & put on some boots to drop Zii to school. I mean, what would be wrong in that, really?

I realized that I was a bit too obsessed them, when they were all I wanted to buy from most stores.  So I really controlled myself this past winter. I didn't buy any! I lived in just 5 of my favourites......

February Poetry

"Did you count?

The number of times he said my name in his sleep.

Did you curse?

When the syllables lingered ; hung there like feathers on a dream catcher."

*****

"You'll do it again. Over and over again.

Fill your vase with wilting petals, rotting stems, and impending doom."

*****

"In the emptiness, was a perfectly placed allegory."

*****

"They were all smiles and courteousness.

All wore the same perfume - a subtle kind of eau de toilette, with very telling base notes:

citrusy resentment, musky ill-will, and aromatic ulterior motive."

"If you want transparency, eliminate the sugar-coated variety."

*****

"You were a plot hole that didn't fit my story; a flawed concept I had to erase. "

*****

"Just wrap your facade with a neat little ribbon made of treachery, and you're good to go."

Maybelline Fit Me Fresh Tint with Vitamin C & SPF 50

NEW! Maybelline Fresh Tint with Vitamin C & SPF 50

Makeup + Skincare Hybrid with Natural Coverage & Matte Finish.

I'd ordered this online and a day later, I saw on Maybelline's Instagram that it's a new launch in Asia only.

I was quite surprised it was available in India already....and it was on it's way to meeee!

Shades available in India: 6 shades.

Vintage Rose Lips

It's awkward & stressful when people ask me what lipstick I'm wearing, because it's never just one shade. Most times it's 4-5 shades, sometimes it's more. Sometimes there's even an eyeshadow, or a blush, or a concealer involved.

Doing my lips is always like getting into a car and driving with no destination in mind. My new thing is putting a stack of little pre-torn square tissues for lip blotting on my vanity table. 

It's become a compulsion - applying, layering, blotting & re-applying multiple times....until someone yells, "LET'S GO! WE'RE LATE!"

Here are 8 lip products that I have been using everyday, to create my favourite rosy-n*de-a bit peachy-but more pinky combination - which I now simply call Vintage Rose....