Make-up Haul from Edinburgh ~ MAC, Maybelline, Bourjois

I apologize for disappearing for days. I was in Edinburgh, and there was no wi-fi in our hotel- Travelodge, to be exact. Tiny & congested room it was, but it was located in the heart of the capital- 5 to 20 minutes walk to all temptations. Because of all the walking and store-hopping, I had to specially go into Superdrug to get a pair of Scholl Party Feet Gel Cushions for the balls of my feet. OMG, I could have easily passed out from the pain! I wasn't even wearing very high heels. BUT all's forgotten now ;)

*I will update this post with all the prices shortly, coz I have to search for the receipts.  

I told you there's no MAC counter here in Dundee, so it was nice to be in a MAC store after over a month. I picked up 3 items:

• MAC Patisserie Lipstick ~ I finally got another tube of my holy grail nude lipstick. Swatches here.
• MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Soft And Gentle ~ I've decided to start using highlighters more and try out the glowy bronzey look, and this is so gorgeous!
• MAC Pro Longwear Paint Pot in Frozen Violet ~ I adore shimmery paint pots and cream shadows, so I had to have this. 

Maybelline have some new stuff in their counters too. I got these from Superdrug:

• Maybelline Color Sensational Vivids in Shocking Coral 910 ~ You can never have too many coral lippies!
• Maybelline Color Sensational Vivids in Hot Plum 906 ~ I thought this would be a dupe for MAC Daddy's Little Girl Lipstick, but its more intense and darker. It's a hot seller, coz there were only 1-2 left in both Boots & Superdrug counters. The last one in Superdrug was broken, so I had to run to Boots the next day.
• Maybelline SuperStay Lipstick in Beige For Good 610 ~ Just a beige shade. I want to wear it under a clear gloss, and complete my glowy bronzey look =D
• Maybelline Dream Sun Triple Bronzing Powder in 01 Blonde/Blonde ~ There's another darker trio in Brunette, as well.
• Maybelline 24HR Color Tattoo in Metallic Pomegranate 70 ~ It's an intense metallic plum shade. 

My favorites from this haul- just because there look so YUM!

• Bourjois Maxi Delight Bronzer in 02 Olive/Tanned Skin ~ I shopped in such a rush that I didn't notice the other lighter shade 01 Light/Medium shade, so I might go exchange this. 
• Bourjois Bronzing Primer ~ Look.At.That! It looks like chocolate, it smells like chocolate. It is rumored to be a dupe for Chanel Soleil De Tan Chanel , a bronzing makeup base that's caused quite a stir among makeup lovers. since both brands are owned by the same company, it could be true. I will let you know what I think about it later.

Bourjois has launched a lot of new cute products ~ A Bronzing BB Cream, Caviar Manicure Toppings in 3 shades, Travel-sized Volume Glamour Max Holidays Mascaras in 4 colors. All available in Boots.

Garnier Moisture Match Mattifying Fresh Cream for Combination to Oily Skin ~ I noticed this Green Tea Extract moisturizer by Garnier, and couldn't resist grabbing it since I'm craving green tea products. There are 4 other types- for dry skin, dull skin, normal/dry skin, dry/very dry skin. For those in the UK, I see they are sending Free Samples through their website here

♥

Just a few pics using my Nokia Lumia 820 phone. I didn't use my camera at all there....

Nightclub bathroom pic =) I'm loving my pink panda couple phone case I ordered from Ebay

Hope you all had a fun weekend!

Until tomorrow.....

Look Of The Day: Birthday Girl, Pink Roses & Macarons (Updated)

Birthday Girl is not supposed to blog, but she realized she wants to celebrate with you all too. 

This is not my look for today, I've yet to wear my birthday suit. I did this makeup over a week back. Ya, that's how pale I am now. I will update this post with many more pics and list of all the products I used, because I have to  head out asap.

Face ~ MAC Prep+Prime Line Filler (not in pic), Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation in Soft Beige, Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer Medium, Nars Loose Powder in Beach.

Cheeks ~ MAC Cream Soda Blush from Archie's Girls Collection, The Body Shop Honey Bronze Bronzing Powder (I've hit pan! :)) 

Eyes ~ Simple. Too Faced Shadow Insurance, Maybelline On & On Bronze Color Tattoo on lids & inner corners, Urban Decay Naked Palette, Maybelline Crayon Oriental Eye Liner, L'Oreal Super Liner Felt liner, False lashes (I don't remember which now), Maybelline The Falsies Lasting Drama Mascara.

Lips ~ Revlon Just Bitten Balm Stain in Rendezvous. More swatches here. 

H&M head piece. It's not really a head piece ;) | Accessorize Earrings (shown here) | Topshop Grecian dress (shown here)  | Hair ~ I used the Babyliss Volume Waves Curling Iron. Ombre: I used 4 boxes of hair colors to achieve that. Will do a post.

THANK YOU to Mr.CZ for surprising me with Macarons & a gorgeous Pink Cake with Roses ♥

I cut the last night, and it's YUM! Will let you know how the macarons taste.

On my nails today ~ L'Oreal Le nail art stickers in 009 Poudre D'or. Maybe I didn't stick them right, but they bubble at the tips =|

I made my wish last night after 12 am, now it's time to make yours. Close your eyes and wish for something you want with all your heart. It will come true. (*_*)

Bye for now, and thank you for being here. Do come back to check this post tomorrow night or Friday morning- it will have (Updated) in the title.* 

*Now Updated! =) 

P.S. It was a gloomy day, so Rimmel Wake Me Up, a foundation with shimmer, was a bad choice, because most of the photos came out too unnaturally bright. In some deleted pics I looked like a ghost, or The Joker....seriously.

NEW! Maybelline Color Sensational High Shine Lip Gloss In Colors That POP!

Lip Gloss Goes Gloriously Gutsy with MAYBELLINE NEW YORK COLOR SENSATIONAL HIGH SHINE GLOSS.

Maybelline’s Color Sensational High Shine Gloss is the perfect product to add a pop of shine and color to your lips this summer. With its wax free formula, the product gives you a crystal clear base that provides the purest colour and an untouched shine that is never hazy or muddy. The lip gloss is comfortable on the lips and contours them beautifully without any difficulty. If you’re not at ease wearing a gloss because they are sticky, the sassy Shine in Maybelline’s Color Sensational High Shine Gloss will give you many reasons to wear one. 

 Features:

•       More Vibrant Color from pure liquid pigments
•       Cleaner Shine from Maybelline’s 100% wax-free gloss
•       Creamier feel from nourishing honey nectar
•       Go gutsy with 8 arresting shades
•       Easily contours around lips

Available in 8 popping colors.

Price ~ Rs.350.

I must have these! Especially since my holy grail lip gloss is Maybelline Color Sensational Lip Gloss in Touch Of Toffee- shown here. 

One Day In Dubai....

This was supposed to be published last night, but then I got busy, and soon it was 2 am Indian time. Actually, this post is over 2 months late! Remember?

On our way to Newcastle, we decided to stop in Dubai for a day. Mr.CZ & I both regretted that we did not extend another day, because we felt a few hours in Dubai weren't enough + we were so exhausted.

During check-in in New Delhi IGI Airport, we were told we couldn't take our luggages, until we reached Newcastle. I just managed to take out my tight jeans before parting with the bags (I was wearing comfy jeggings for the flight). So ya, one day seemed right in that moment.

I planned to change into another outfit in Dubai, but since I didn't have my luggage, I had to wear my simple comfortable flight attire the whole day. We spent the whole day at Dubai Mall. Till midnight, actually, coz the mall was opened till late that day.

Dubai was just so beautiful! It looked so....picturesque & rich. That day, the weather was so windy and a little foggy. I felt sand on my lipstick

We stayed at the Ramada Downtown Suites Hotel, which was big and roomy. It had a kitchen, a living room, a bedroom & one big bathroom.

MAC RiRi Woo Lipstick & Comparison With Ruby Woo

If I cared about my past, I would tell you the things Rihanna & I have in common. I cared so zilch nada that I didn't realize the thing that would've stopped me from buying this lipstick in the first place. I wanted a deep red lipstick, I was constantly listen to Rihanna's song 'Pour It Up' (Pour it up, Pour it up...That's how we ball out...), I'm a sucker for Limited Editions....and I did not see clearly. 

But I don't care, so we'll just talk about RiRi Woo, a lipstick created for Rihanna. 'Riri' is her nickname.

MAC RiRi Woo ~ Vivid Cool Red shade. Retro Matte Finish. MAC's retro matte is the driest version of matte. When it comes to red lipsticks, it is my favorite kind. Intense, smudge-proof & long-lasting.

In a nutshell, RiRi Woo is a big disappointment. It's not a bad lippy, it's just not what I expected it to be. To me, it is exactly like Ruby Woo (shown properly here). I even think it is Ruby Woo only with RiRi carved into it.

Mystery GIVEAWAY! Guess What's In The Heart-Shaped Box.... (CLOSED)

There are some things in this cute heart-shaped box.

Hint: One word only.

Can you guess what?

One person out of all those who guessed correctly will WIN 1 product in that box. I will reveal it in a blog post on Monday.

• You have to be a Subscriber or follower of this blog on Bloglovin' or Facebook.

• Contest is Open Worldwide.  

• Closing Date: Monday, 20th May, 2013 at 7:00 PM IST.

Good Luck! =)

*This contest is CLOSED. 

MAC Pink Pigeon Lipstick Photos

Could you tell that I like clicking photos? Most of the time time, I click and click, and many many photos get stuck in my computer.  Like these. I've had these since the time I was in New Delhi, in March. No swatches, but hope you like the pictures.

MAC Pigeon ~ Bright cleanest pink. Matte finish.

Price ~ Rs.990

Limited Edition with MAC Strength Collection.

Pre-Birthday Haul

Since my birthday is next week, I'd gone to get my suit for that day, because I have to always wear a brand new outfit on my birthdays. It will fall on a weekday, so I doubt we'll do anything special, BUT Mr.CZ is taking me to Edinburgh that weekend. Mainly to shop, yes. Thing is, Dundee is a small town-like city, so many many things are missing. Primark is small and doesn't stock most of the stuff (like in Newcastle), Jane Norman is not here, MAC is not here (can you believe it?! I felt like fainting when I was told that.) Going to Edinburgh will be like going from Chandigarh to New Delhi, or Pune to Mumbai. One hour train ride. We'll stay there for a night.

We'll call this a warm up haul.

Bourjois Cream Blush in Nude Velvet

I've been wearing Bourjois Cream Blush in 01 Nude Velvet all week, and I'm liking the subtle peachy-ness it adds to my cheeks. Although it has to be layered a few times to show up. It's velvety smooth, blends well & lasts for more than 5 hours on me. It claims to have a 'second skin feel', but I'll just say it has a cream-to-powder finish.

Available in 3 more shades: 02 Healthy Glow, 03 Rose Tender, 04 Sweet Cherry.

Packaging is same as the Bourjois Intense Extrait Eyeshadows. Swatched here

IVC Testing Room: New Skin & Hair Care Products

Many have asked me to do a skin care routine, but that's hard for me to do, because I hardly stick to a specific routine. For months, I was using only La Roche Posay Effaclar, but I'm a commitment-phobe when it comes to cosmetics (sometimes relationships, too). Nowadays I'm googling skin and hair care products more than makeup. I want to discover new products and sample everything that's raved-about by at least 5 beauty bloggers. So every now & then I will do little posts to let you know what I'm using.

Vichy Normaderm Anti-Aging Anti-imperfection & Anti-wrinkle Resurfacing Care with Glycolic acid + LHA + Vitamin C ~ It claims to target pimples and wrinkles at the same time. Let's see *fingers crossed*

Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micelle Solution ~ Makeup remover for sensitive skin. It looks like water. Very excited to try this much-raved about product. I got the smallest bottle first to try, it's also available in bigger bottles.

Clean & Clear Morning Energy Skin Energising Daily Face Wash with Vitamin C & Ginseng ~ It's nice and gentle. Doesn't lather much.

VO5 Give Me Texture Tousled Style Spray ~ Spray on onto dry hair and lift, scrunch and twist. It does turn hair into a wavy beach style, but I don't like that it makes my hair feel crunchy. I've given it to the man.

Herbal Essences Bee Strong Strengthening Cream with Honey & Apricot Essences (For Damaged Hair) ~ I've used it only a couple times so far. It is like a moisturizer for my very dry hair tips... but I'm not sure if it's great.

TRESemmé Split Remedy Split Mend Intense Recovery Masque ~ Whenever I use this, the ends of my become more frizzy and a nightmare to comb through.

*I ordered Vichy & Bioderma products online from Escentuals.com, so I got that nail filer free.

If you want me to bring any particular skin & hair product into the  Testing Room , let me know. This is THE YEAR OF SKIN & HAIR! Hola!

LOTD: Not Good Enough For A Fashion Magazine....

Hey Cynthia,

Thanks for the mail but I'm afraid these pictures won't work. The two tones need to be clearly visible and the pink and nude doesn't show very well. Also, in terms of hair, these waves don't work too well, and I suggest you do the sleek back hair as on your website.I'm sorry but I guess you'll have to re shoot this. I don't intend to be negative about your effort, but I'm just trying to achieve the best look possible for the magazine. Also, would need pics for each step. Would recommend you try the two tone lips in bright colours, as on the runway. And a white background would be perfect."

This is the first two-tone lips look that I sent to Cosmopolitan for their story in March, and that's an email I got after. I'm sharing the email, because it properly - and very politely - explains why the look didn't work.

Truth is, I kinda knew it was coming, and I didn't get mad or disappointed. Before that, I really didn't know what kind of photos they needed...what to wear...what background...how to pose...the works. It was based on a Spring trend, so I decided on an outdoor background. The day I did the shoot was very gloomy in Newcastle, as you can make out from the lighting in the photos, so I could only click a few because it was freezing! Most of the pics came out too dull and blurry, and I wasn't happy with them. I think I was a little bit happy that I had to do another look. 

Mini Bourjois Haul ~ Cream Blush & So Laque Nail Polishes

It's hard to believe that I hadn't been to Superdrug since March! I went there on Saturday, and they kind of kicked me out because it was 6:00 PM, meaning: Closing Time. I was there for 10 mins, and I had to leave fast fast.

 SA: "We're closing the store now."

Me: "Oh! Okay. Can I still pay for my stuff?"

SA: "Yes, you can." 

Me: "Okay, I'm coming =)" 

What pay?! You haven't even picked the stuff yet! Hurry! We are not going home empty-handed. No, there's no time to look at eye pencils! No, don't look at Barry M! Keep your eyes on Bourjois. Ooh, cream blush! Now take 2 more products. Nail polish? Good. What else? A mascara? No, too pricey. Err...another nail polish? Hmm. I'm the only customer in the store??? Argh...help me! It's okay, you can take another nail polish. Now stop thinking and walk away. Ooh, I see new Accessorize stuff! No, get out!

• Bourjois Little Round Pot Cream Blush in 01 Nude Velvet ~ Available in 4 other shades: 02 Healthy Glow, 03 Rose Tender, 04 Sweet Cherry. Price: £5.99 | Rs.502 

• Bourjois So Laque Nail Polishes in 04 Amande défilé (Mint) & 62 Rose imaginaire (Pink),  Price (each): £7.99 | Rs.670

*3 for 2 offer at Superdrug. I paid for only 2 products- £5.99 + £7.99 = £14 | Rs.1172.

I'll swatch the products sometime. Btw, all shops close at 6 PM here. They open till 7 PM  only on Thursdays.

Alert, Alert! Swap Your Current Mascara For A Clinique Mascara!

Don't like your current mascara? Take it to Clinique, and they'll give you one of theirs in return. No money, no fuss. Ah, I'm so jelly of you all in India right now!

About Clinique's Mascara Exchange Program: 

Swap your current mascara for a 6-week supply of allergy tested, fragrance free Clinique Mascara at select Shoppers Stop stores from 15th – 31st May, 2013.

Whether you’re feeling flirty, dramatic or naturally pretty, there is a perfect mascara for every effect you seek. And here is an offer too good for any girl to miss: Make a personal visit to a Clinique Store and select Shoppers Stop outlets** to trade your current mascara for a new, 6-week supply of allergy tested, fragrance free Clinique Mascara from 15th – 31st May 2013*. Our ophthalmologist-tested formulas have passed stringent safeguards to assure there isn’t the slightest sign of bacteria, which is great news for delicate, allergy-prone eye area skin, sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers.

While you’re there, make sure you also meet with one of our highly-knowledgeable and trained consultants for a personalized consultation. Let the expert build a complete eye makeup look based on the lashes you want! 

*Customers can exchange any one current mascara for one Clinique mascara. Limited time offer valid until stocks last.  

**The Mascara Exchange can be available at the following Shoppers Stop stores across the country and standalone Clinique stores located at: 

Shoppers Stop
Mumbai - Andheri, Juhu, and Inorbit Mall at Malad
Delhi – Rajouri Garden and Ambience Mall at Vasant Kunj
Bengaluru – Garuda Mall at Magrath Road
Hyderabad – GVK One Mall at Banjara Hills

Standalone Clinique Stores
Mumbai - Palladium Mall, Phoenix Mills Compound
Delhi - Select City Walk, Saket, New Delhi
Bangalore - 1MG Mall and Phoenix Market City
Chennai - Phoenix Market City
Kolkatta- Forum Mall