The FLOPS! Beauty & Online Stores

So that movie Queen seems to be a super hit, huh? Saw several FB statuses about it:

 "QUEEN! Loved it!" 

 "Queen was awesome!!!"

 I didn't know what it was about at first. My first guess was some epic-type movie about some English queen.....or a drag queen transformation movie. It was only until "Kangana rocked in Queen!" that I realized it's a Bollywood movie. Now I can't not watch it, but only until it comes out on DVD where there'll be English subtitles.

Okay, now we talk about the very opposite of Bollywood superhits.....

The most recent FLOPS in the beauty & internet world:

Sunsilk Radiant Shine Shampoo & Conditioner, Rs.56 each

I got the 80ml bottles of both to try out. I made sure to try out 3 other types of shampoos/conditioners to be 100%  sure this is the twosome that lathered my hair to dullsville. After every wash, it felt drier, but got greasy faster. Maybe the 5 oils in it (Argan, Jojoba, Camelia, Almond & Olive) cause too much buildup. No Radiant Shine, amigo!

L'Oreal Kajal Magique, Rs.245

From the first time I used it, I knew I didn't like it, but I wanted to be sure. So, I used it everyday for over a month. Then one day, I took a break from it, and I used my other trusted black kajals/kohls. I saw how much it fell short. It's not soft enough, it's not black enough, and it doesn't last on the waterline.

Avon Mega Effects Mascara, Rs.1020 (from UK)

I tried & I tried some more to love this, but the fancy brush exhausted me! I was doing all the work. From every angle - horizontal, vertical, upside down.... and then always having to clean up after it when it leaves untidy smudges my lids. I wouldn't have minded the effort needed had the results been outstanding, but both length & volume were unimpressive on my thin lashes. Note: It might work better on longer & thicker lashes.
(Photos here)

Healthkart.com

The worst online store I've ever shopped from so far. They will send a wrong product, you inform them, they'll tell you to click a photo of the wrong product, pack it properly, hand it over to their pick-up man, delay replacement because the wrong product they sent has to be checked by QC first (What if I'd used/tampered with a random product I didn't want?!), two weeks later they'll inform you the product you actually ordered is not in stock so they won't be able to send it- without an mention of a refund. And all this drama will go on for over 3 weeks. You sent a wrong product by mistake, that's fine. Just fix it ASAP & don't make the unforgivable mistake of making the customer run after you! *I think they wouldn't have refunded the money themselves if we hadn't called them up multiple times.

ASOS

It's not a flop online store, just flop International Shipping. I ordered a pair of shoes that costs around Rs.2000, and I received an email from ASOS saying I need to pay customs fee of around Rs.700. The standard duty fee on footwear in India is 10% (I'd even pay 20%.), but they're charging 35%! What I found odd was, I should have been contacted by our local customs office about the charges when the package had been inspected, but the email came from ASOS not long after I placed the order. Which probably means they're the ones charging, not customs. Simply put, it's their courier fee. Perhaps they should remove their "Free Shipping Worldwide" slogan. I was really depending on it for New Look shoes when I left UK, so it's painful to find out I can no longer order from it....well, unless I get desperate maybe. After several angry emails, they refunded my money.


Now all these are just my personal flops, and they might work better on/for you =D

So what are your Flops this month?


♥


On my 2nd blog, CZloves:

To read, click on the pic or HERE

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Happiness is...... Matching Accessories

Now, we find an outfit to match! ;)

Have a lovely Sunday ♥

L♥ve,

Follow CZloves on: Instagram 

11 Weeks Baby Bump | New Vanity Room Preview

Well, I'm not sure if it's 11 weeks or more, coz they'll confirm the exact due date during my next ultrasound. You know, I don't even have a permanent Ob-Gyn right now, because I'm staying in Delhi, but I'll be moving to Gurgaon, so I'll have to find one in Gurgaon. Up until now, I've seen two temporary Ob-Gyns in Apollo Hospital - one lazy (and she burped loudly while talking to me!), one nice. I have to say, I don't like that hospital, it's so crowded - like a train station!

A big THANK YOU to the lovely ladies who told me about BabyCentre app in this post. I wouldn't have known about it otherwise. Now I read it daily & it was the one that told me to take a belly photo some weeks ago =D

It may not look like much of a bump, but I'm finding all my pants uncomfortable & I unbutton these jeans most of the time. I'm going to order a few of those maternity jeans soon.

Me Time

Slice is the only juice I like. Fox's are the only candies I like. I've never had a sweet tooth, but now my body (or Baby CZ) seems to be craving sugar. Any headache or dizziness I have doesn't go away until I've swallowed something sweet!

I am really liking these Orris Nail Polish Remover pads in Red Fruit flavor. They are also available in 2-3 other flavors (or fragrance? I don't know.) I picked it up from a local supermarket.

Nail polishes are Ciaté Paint Pot in Pocket Money & Maybelline Color Show Brocades in Knitted Gold.

Now reading The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith or J.K. Rowling. I've still got a long long way to go, coz I doze off as soon as my head hits the pillow these days.

Thanks to Lovlyn.V, who mentioned this book in this post . I checked it out after reading the comment and I couldn't wait to read it!

Thanks for reading & talk again very soon. 

Hopefully things around here will get more exciting from next week! =)

L♥ve,

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Makeup Look ~ Sparkle Eyes

Hi all, hope you all had a great weekend & a fun-filled Holi yesterday. Spring is here! =)

I did this makeup on Friday just as practice for the glitter eye makeup tutorial I said I would do. By night time, I was thinking: 'Gosh, so I won't be taking this kind of makeup to a nightclub for a long long time!' =D

 

This is now my go-to smoky eye makeup (of course minus the glitter on regular days), and it's quite easy to do and doesn't take much time. Stay tuned for the step-by-step tutorial.

Current Beauty Favorites

Hi! If you're not following me on Instagram or my personal Facebook Page, it may seem I've been gone from the blog for a long time, and you don't know the happy news yet. Which is, we have found an apartment & we are moving in probably next week. I'm super excited, because I can't wait for life to start....and have all my things set up properly. That white fluffy things is a new rug for my dressing room.

Now let's talk favorites! Starting from the tall ones back there:

Palmolive Thermal Spa Mineral Massage Body Wash, Rs.135 ~ With thermal salts & white clay. This has got to be of my most favorite body washes. I've gone through 2 bottles since I got back to India. I just love that it smells like a holiday by the beach.

Vaseline Healthy White Complete 10 Lightening & Anti-Aging Body Lotion, Rs.175 ~ I went through many bottle of the original Healthy White Body Lotion, mainly coz I liked the smell so much. This one is a slightly more moisturizing version with anti-aging benefits, but smells the same.

Pond's Dreamflower Talcum Powder, Rs.49 ~ I previously used the purple one, which lasted forever! I decided to try this pink one, and it smells lovely, although I like the fragrance of the purple one a little bit more.

MAC Brush Cleanser, Rs.650 ~ A brush cleanser is a must-have. I was using one by Stage Cosmetics (Malaysian brand), which lasted for a long long time! There was still some left in the bottle when I discarded it in Scotland. I had to turn to MAC when I got back, because again, there's not many available here in India. It works well & cleans even the dirtiest brush in a jiffy.

CUTE Yellow + Blue Spring Shoes ~ Haul

Two things I was/am craving lately - Colorful shoes & hometown food. Hometown food will have to wait, but shoes I managed to find today - in small sizes, let's not forget. I was day dreaming pastels, but I could only find brighter ones this time. Both bow-tified, so I was sold and they just had to have the size.

Feelin' Girly | Happy Women's Day!

Pink,

Bows,

Flowers,

Pearls,

Bags,

Lipstick,

Blush,

Brush, 

Lash Curlers,

Rollers,

Hearts,

High Heels.....

Make Your Own Banana Powder

For months and months I've been trying to get a good deal on a Ben Nye Banana Powder, but it's always very expensive online - the shipping cost mostly. If you don't know what Banana Powder is, it's this very hyped yellow translucent powder made famous by Kim K. It seems to suit all skin tones & looks like a great highlighting powder. Lots of people are making money on Ebay by selling samples of it in little plastic pouches. I want the 1.5 oz bottle, but now I'm tired of looking! Only today I found the powder online for $15....I was excited....until I saw shipping was $19.99! Da fudge! Maybe I'll just wait for Ben Nye to come to India.

Ben Nye Banana Powder pic

Let me tell you what led me to do this DIY.....

Star's Yellow Matt Translucent Powder, Rs.225 ~ I saw this super inexpensive yellow powder on Jabong, and I thought "Ooh....maybe it's a Banana Powder DUPE!" I ordered (excitedly), and it arrived some days later. After testing it, I found it too yellow......

Another White Vanity Table

This was another option when I was vanity table shopping. It is kinda cute, but I found it too small + I wanted more drawers + it's a bit too young. Also, I wish the stool was all white.

*Mobile phone pics

This is from Fab Furnish, an online home store that sells pretty nice stuff at reasonable prices. They have a store in Gurgaon, where they display their furniture and everything.

Price ~ Rs.15,593.

I'll show you my vanity table in a few weeks. We have to get it set up after we move to our new apartment. I myself have not seen it, except for the one at the store *sighs*

Thank You for reading & for for all the wonderful comments on my last post. My best wishes to all too <3

 I'll be back with more posts shortly.

L♥ve,

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Philips Kerashine Hair Styler ~ Tried & Tested.....

There's a 2-in-1 new hair styler in town that intrigued me from the moment I was introduced to it ~ Philips Kerashine Styler. Let's see if it's what your hair needs, and most importantly, if it's worth your money.....

Features:

• 45mm barrel, Ceramic coating with Keratin infusion.

• Swivel Cord of 1.8m.

• Heats up to 190° C.

Video: My Night Time Skincare Routine ~ No Pimples, No Wrinkles

Hi all, hope you had a great weekend. Mine was half spent on editing & tweaking this video. I wanted to put this up because skincare is one of the most requested posts from readers & this routine is the one that suits my skin the best.

I had major pimple issues (big cystic ones!) in early 2013 (Post here), and ever since I started this routine, I stopped getting pimples & my skin became smoother and firmer.

I wasn't a planned video. Remember when I said I did something else after packing my makeup in this post? Well, I just decided to point my camera at me while I was doing my usual end-of-the-night face routine that night early morning (time flew to 4am!) That night, I was staying alone in Scotland while Mr.CZ was in Newcastle.

Play the video below. Hope you'll find it helpful!

Products Used:

L'Oreal Skin Perfection Cleansing Oil ~ I usually use MAC Cleanse Off Oil, which contains no Mineral Oil like this one, but it was finished. However, this is good too, and my skin has no issues with the mineral oil. I don't know why people say it's bad, considering it's in most baby products.

Clean&Clear Morning Energy Skin Brightening Facial Scrub.

Nivea Q10 Anti-Wrinkle Eye Cream.

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Micro-Exfoliant Astringent Lotion.

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo.

Olay Total Effects Day Cream (Normal)

Maybelline Baby Lips Hydrate.

The Body Shop Vanilla Bliss Hand Lotion.

♥

If you liked this video, please SUBSCRIBE to my Youtube Channel HERE! Maybe I'll do a Day Time Routine & Special Skin Treatments Routine too someday. I have another video planned when I move to our new apartment. Hopefully, soon!

Mr.CZ & I would like to THANK all of you from the bottom of our hearts for all the good wishes & love on the Baby CZ post! I was so overwhelmed by all the heartfelt wishes & reading them made me feel a lil' more excited about this change in my life =)

I had gone for my first scan & I put a pic on my 2nd blog CZloves: here

Talk to you again shortly.

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The Diamond Ring That Is My Baby

 

Hi, everyone! Just a quick follow-up on my previous post (here), for those of you who haven't read the news (here) on my beauty blog yet.

It was Positive+ . Twice. But I still couldn't believe it, until I'd gone for my first scan, and I heard its heartbeat. Gosh, it's so weird that a thing that tiny has a heartbeat!

 Just imagine, we all looked just like that once upon a time =)

Okies, I will talk to you again soon. 

As for the apartment hunting, we are signing papers tomorrow. Hopefully, moving in day will be soon. I can't wait any longer! Have been living out of my suitcases for almost 2 months now. I gots to go!

Thank You for reading & have a good week.

L♥ve,

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