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3/31/15

NEW Lakmé Enrich Satin Lipsticks Photos & Swatches


Look at them. Just look at them.
Don't they make you want to eat something pink-colored?
Mmm... Pink Macarons, Bubblegum, Cotton Candy - nah, something more chewy, Cupcake, Swiss Roll with pink & white layers, Lamington....
Ahh....Gimme! ;p

Say Hello to the NEW Lakmé Enrich Satin Lipsticks! Bright & bold 'very in' shades, new transparent packaging (you can now see the colors without having to uncap!), but the same 200-something price range. THANK YOU Lakmé!

I picked up 5 shades:


P169 ~ A blue-toned bubblegum pink.

P166 ~ Deeper than P169. It's such a gorgeous pink, and more flattering on me than P169. When you mix it with a purplish shade like P170 below.....

P165 ~ This one. This one is thebomb.com. It's the first shade I fell for while swatching at the store. It is very very similar to MAC Impassioned Lipstick. I'd even call it a dupe.

P164 ~ Tangerine shade. This has more silver shimmer, which makes it more of a pearly finish than opaque, like the other 2 shades above.

P170 ~ A lavender shade. Same finish like the tangerine shade P164. When mixed with P166, you'll get a shade very close to MAC Flat Out Fabulous Lipstick


LOVE the texture and finish. Same as the old versions. Silky and moisturizing, yet they don't bleed. These shades can be blotted to look matte, and they are pigmented enough to stain lips when they wear off. They smell the same as well - lipsticky scent, which is not too bothersome.

Ya, even I wish they had cute names instead of numbers! =\

3/24/15

Dolce, My Darling.....


Before Christmas:
I went looking for Dolce.
Wasn't there.

January:
I went looking for Dolce.
Wasn't there.

Valentine's Day:
I went looking for Dolce.
Wasn't there.
I walked away.....
Before impulsively taking Nina home.

20.03.15:
I didn't go looking for Dolce.
Dolce was not on my mind.
Then I turned around.....
Dolce was standing like a giant by the door.***

I have daydreamed about holding Dolce by Dolce & Gabbana for months & months.And.Now.It's right here! Right here next to my laptop while I'm writing this!
Notes: Neroli Leaves, Papaya Flower, White Amaryllis, White Daffodil, White Water Lily, Cashmeran, Musky Notes, Sandalwood.
Design: Dolce&Gabbana Dolce’s elegant packaging is reminiscent of a vintage fragrance flacon. Thick, clear glass with softly curved lines lending a contemporary design edge. The flower stopper pays tribute to Sicilian customs, crafted to portray the marzipan sculptures seen in traditional Sicilian confectioners. A thin black grosgrain ribbon, presented in an elegant bow, conjures images of the white shirts and bow-ties that were a signature of early Dolce&Gabbana catwalk shows. The final, and most personal, touch: Dolce signed in a flourish of black script, a replica of Domenico Dolce’s father’s own signature.

3/23/15

Lippie HAUL After Lipstick Buying Ban

 So my self-imposed Lipstick Ban is officially O-V-E-R. I had a lot to say about it, but the Notepad I'd written on is in my old laptop that broke down some days ago, and it just won't turn back on! If I sit here and try to re-write it, this post will be up.....I don't know when! The gist is at the end of this post......

3/19/15

March FAB BAG ~ What I Got.....

"Beauty begins the moment you decide to be yourself."

~ Coco Chanel.


This is my very first experience with these monthly beauty bags, even though I've always been intrigued and have been thinking about subscribing to one. If you're not familiar with them, they are basically monthly subscription beauty bags - you subscribe, and every month a customized bag of beauty products will arrive at your doorstep. It's quite cool, coz you get to try out & discover different products (sometimes sample size, sometimes FULL SIZE!), and of course, there's the element of surprise! I was very excited to unzip this month's FAB BAG. Here's what I got.....

3/16/15

A Dermatologist Visit: Moles, Pigmentation, Etc.


So I finally visited a dermatologist after putting it off for months. Mr.CZ was like, "I'm just going to call and book an appointment for you. I don't care what you say anymore."

***Before you continue reading this post, please keep in mind that I'm in no way giving you medical advice. Your own dermatologist or family physician is always the best person to go for the best advice on anything concerning your skin & health. I'm just sharing my experience and the products recommended to me only for reference. Like, I'd love to know what other people's dermatologists are recommending for the same skin issues, so that I can ask my own doctor about those products.


****

Derm: "Hi, Cynthia. I was waiting only for you (Not like Richard Marx , I was his last appointment). Come, come, sit. Tell me."

Me: "Hi, Doctor. So I have this mole (on my neck)....I think it's changed....sometimes it...."

Derm: "Oh, nothing to worry about! See, if the mole doesn't ooze or bleed, there's no need to worry about it."

Me: "....sometimes it itches....and I think it got a bit bigger...."

Derm: "It looks fine, don't worry.... *then he spoke too fast* .....heart is a small organ & skin is such a BIG organ."

Me: "So, there's no need for a Biopsy and such?"

Derm: "Nah! See people in the West....the skin is thin.....pigmentation.....and we people here....*again, he spoke too fast & I have the attention span of a 5-year-old*"  

(Mr.CZ later explained to me that what he said basically is that white skin that burns easily when exposed to sunlight is more susceptible to serious skin problems.)

Me: (Please finish speaking, so I show you my other skin concern! Gawd, these jeans have gotten so tight, I hope I can still pull them up to show him my legs. Okay, go!) "Doctor, I also wanted to show you these red bumps on my legs that I got after waxing...."

(I got these tiny red bumps on my legs last year after waxing during my 2nd month of pregnancy, I think, and they got worse coz of the hormones maybe. I didn't want to use any strong medicated creams during pregnancy, so I thought let it be. Then the heaters in winter made them appear again. They kept re-appearing and spreading, so it's time for a permanent solution.)

Derm: "Oh, this is just Folliculitis. I'll prescribe a cream. I always tell people to just use lotion for dry skin!"

Me: "But I do use lotion."

Derm: "Which lotion?"

Me: "Uh....lots." (The Body Shop, Nivea, Vaseline, Soap & Glory....Them beauty products are my drug, bruh!)

Derm: *Smiled like I was lying to him.*

Me: "Body washes are okay to use? They're not the cause?"

Derm: "With any skin concern, I always recommend a neutral soap. DOVE. That's all."

Me: "Okay. Another thing, Doctor. I got this brown line during pregnancy...."

Derm: "Oh, stretch marks."

Me: "No, that line in the center....below the belly button....Linea Nigra."

Derm: "Oh, Linea Nigra. That's normal."

Me: "No, I want to remove it."

Derm: "Okay. I'll prescribe a cream for pigmentation. It will lighten it."

Me: "Does this cream work for pigmention on the face too? Like Melasma and....."

Derm: "You don't have pigmentation! =D"

Me: "No, I'm just asking =D" (For my blog readers & others interested)

Derm: "Yes, it does."


It may seem like the doctor was quite rude for interrupting me all the time, but he's actually very nice. Unlike other doctors who want you to go visit them all the time, he told me to just email him a photo of any skin problem anytime. He said "Just click and send. No need to come see me!" =)


****

So below are the 3 products he prescribed for me:


For Rashes/Folliculitis ~ Lishkara Body Lotion. Enriched with Vitamin E, Dead Sea Minerals & Squalene. I see the first ingredient is Aloe Vera. I feel this lotion is quite over-priced, and that maybe the doctor have some kind of deal with the company that makes it. I can't even find it on Google for Pete's sake...Haha! But I've used it, and it does soothe my skin. It smells like that veteran soap - LifebuoyPrice: Rs.499.

For Moles (in case they itch) & Folliculitis ~ Fucibet. Price: Rs.39.90

Pigmentation ~ DepiWhite Intensive Depigment Cream. Claims to fade brown spots & even out complexion. Active ingredients are: Hydroquinone, Kojic Acid, Aluminium Silicate, Ascorbylmethylsilanol pectinate & Lactic Acid. Price: Rs.235/15 ml)


That's all. So far, everything feels better. Even my mole looks normal again. Sometimes you just need to hear it from a doctor, coz Google will straight away make you think you're dying! =D


I've yet to try the Depiwhite Cream, so will let you know if it works after a while. I will send it to some people with thick face pigmentation too, so that I'll get some feedback from them.


Have any of you tried these products before?

Have a great week all! <3



Since some of you want blog posts on baby products, I will be posting them on my 2nd blog www.cz-loves.com:

http://www.cz-loves.com/2015/03/baby-bather-i-love.html
To read, please click on pic or HERE



Baby Bather I LOVE!


Hey, Everyone! Hope you're all doing well =)

Since I got several requests from new Mommies to make posts on baby stuff, I decided to post some on this blog.

The first product I'd like to RAVE about is this bathing chair. Really, I don't know what I'd do without it!

The one thing I was very very nervous about was bathing my baby (whose name is Ziizayne, if you missed reading my post on IVC here), especially in a tub or sink - like some people do. Plus, I think they're too hard for babies. Because of this chair, I could bathe him without any help after the 1st month.

The fabric is net, so you can even place the chair in a tub. It can be adjusted into 2 seating positions - higher & lower.

Just to be extra cautious, I place a rubber bathroom mat under it, to prevent it from slipping.

Thoughtful Mr.CZ bought it the day after Ziizayne was born from a kids store called Dezine Kids


Name: Mastela Mother's Touch Baby Bather.

Price:  It was for only Rs.600 from the store. But it costs more online.

In case you're interested, I see it's sold on Amazon & there are other designs too here

I think the other Deluxe styles with a pillow (or head cushion?) is even better.....
Actually, I might get this too! It looks more comfy =)



What do you other Mommies use to bathe your little ones?


Thank You for reading, all! <3

Until next time....




L♥ve,


Follow CZloves on: Bloglovin'Facebook | Instagram | Makeup & Beauty Blog


3/12/15

LOTD: MAC Relentlessly Red Retro Matte Lipstick


I was making breakfast one morning.
Eggs, bread, stir-fried mushrooms, chai-style tea (by chai-style, I just mean more milk, 2 types of tea leaves & boiled in a saucepan.)
Multitasked by making 3 of them at once on our 3 burner stove.
Left Burner - Bread (I like to fry it lightly in olive oil & pretend it's homemade garlic bread.)
Middle Burner - Onions, garlic & green chillies (For the mushrooms I'd be adding afterwards.)
Right Burner - The chai-style tea.
Oh, I forgot to mention the eggs were already boiled- not too runny, not too hard. Perfect.
Things were going well. I just had to add the mushrooms & finish making the tea.
I'll be able to sit down, and my son would squeal ecstatically while he watched me eat. That's what he does these days.
Then it happened!
I added the first scoop of tea leaves to the onion/garlic/green chillies pan instead!
I can't even.......
Yes, I chopped & made a fresh batch after the accident, coz the mushrooms weren't added yet.
But still, I haven't forgiven myself. Such an idiot!

Later that same day, I put a big bow on my head to make myself feel better.

And a brand new red lipstick.....

MAC Relentlessly Red from the Retro Matte Collection.

It got this lippie last year, but didn't start wearing it until last month. I'm loving it like all the other Retro Matte Lipsticks I have. At first, I thought it'd be too similar to MAC All Fired Up, but they're completely different.

Price ~ Rs.990 - Rs.1450 (Old price - New price)

2/27/15

Spring Is Coming! OOTD


Just a quick OOTD - SELFIE Style =) 

{Hence, blurry pics!)

I've been covering myself in tights...and tall boots....and overcoats for so long that it feels so good to dress light again! And also feel a lil' lighter again!


Forever 21 Daisy Shorts (LOVE!)
Nichii Top (Old)
Yellow Flats (Shown here)



Thanks For Reading, all!

Happy Friday & See you again soon! :*)


P.S. Yes, I had to suck in my tummy for these pics! ;p



L♥ve,


Follow CZloves on: Bloglovin'Facebook | Instagram | Makeup & Beauty Blog


2/24/15

Red Lipstick Hides Dark Under Eye Circles?!

First off, I want to say this is not my idea. Credit goes to a Youtuber - Deepica Mutyala - a girl who's probably made all pricey "Dark Circle Correctors" obsolete. Her makeup tip of using RED LIPSTICK to mask dark undereye circles (and prevent them from showing through concealers) had everybody talking - because it sounds ridiculous! That is, until you see her demonstration. I'll attach her video below.
So, after I watched her video, I really wanted to try it on myself. I straight away tried the trick with a coral lipstick, because I knew red would not work on my skin tone. But just to put the original tip to the test, I also tried a red lipstick, and it did ended up looking too pink & didn't brighten up my under eye areas like the coral one. I guess red lipstick works best on deeper skin tones.
This is the 2nd time I did this. The 1st time, I was blown away by the difference it made. Something about the lipstick that made the result look almost airbrushed (especially from afar, and not so up-close like you'll see mine below... hehe!)
 I did a step-by-step to show you how I did it:
Step 1: I applied the coral lipstick straight from the tube. Just a swipe. I'm still not sure how much I need really =D
Step 2: I dotted concealer on top of the coral lipstick. That is a lil' too much, and I had to blend the extra downwards around my cheeks too.
Step 3: Blended them together with a blending brush. I find fingers or a sponge blend them better than a brush like this.
Step 4 (not shown): Set with loose powder. In the AFTER pic, I hadn't used powder yet.

I'll agree I didn't have serious dark under eye circles to begin with, but see how it concealed those little sun spots/freckles. Next, I'm gonna try different red/coral lipsticks (probably matte ones) on other spots and blemishes, and see how much they'll be concealed.
***I forgot to mention the staying power when I published this post: The concealer holds on really well to the lipstick, and they both set well on to the skin. I guess it's the wax in the lipstick. Once blended seamlessly, they don't crease & settle into fine lines. Especially after powder, the coverage is budge-proof!

Coral Lipstick ~ Bourjois Shine Edition Lipstick #20 1,2,3 Soleil ~ Swatched here

Concealer ~ Maybelline Fit Me Concealer #20

Powder ~ The Body Shop Loose Powder #01

Brushes ~ Sigma E25 to blend concealer & Real Techniques Setting Brush to apply powder.



Deepica's video:



Lovely girl! I think this beauty hack has changed many people's lives. Not to mention saved us some money too!


What do you all think? Have you tried this trick & found it helpful? 

Do share which lipsticks you have used with all of us! =)


Have a great week all....

Until next time......


2/21/15

Floral Print Mirror Compact & Eyelash Curler


Handbag, 
Luggage, 
Wallet,
Shoes,
Head Band,
Dress,
Lingerie,
 Bedding, 
Curtains, 
Chair,
Cushion covers.....


I want all of those in this same exact print, please!

2/19/15

Pink Glam Eyes & Lips Combination

You know that feeling when you finish watching the finale of a TV series? Like something died inside you? Ya, that's the feeling I'm feeling these days - after I finished watching The Missing. It's such a brilliant show with an ending that still haunts me days later. Do watch it if you're into mystery.

So....if you're wondering what makeup I wore on Valentine's Day, this is it. I didn't get time to click photos that day, so I recreated the look. Well.... just eyes & lips, because a full LOTD with presentable hair is almost impossible for me to do these days! Even on V-Day, I had to put my son on a chair opposite me while I did my hair! He stopped crying & watched  =D

2/15/15

Charles & Keith Heels ~ Total Steal!


Happy Sunday, all! I hope you had a lovely Valentine's Day yesterday. Me, I went out shopping with my boys for a few hours.

I just realized this is CZloves' very first blog post of 2015. I don't know where January went!

I got these Charles & Keith Tri-Colour Ankle Strap Heels on SALE in November or December last year, and thought I'd share, because I see they're still available online for those interested.

I just LOVE the design - very out-of-the-box!

2/10/15

Bio Oil ~ Does It Really Work For Stretch Marks & Scars?

Since last year, I've received a ton of questions regarding stretch marks, so I thought I'd do a post on it. Stretch marks are the #1 skin concern during pregnancy (More than weight gain even, at least for me. And yes, I still can't fit into most of my old clothes! More on that in another post.), because they are, in most cases, invincible (Unlike some political parties who lost the state elections today.) Once they've marked their territory on your body, they become a permanent reminder that prevention really is better than cure.
I have a vivid memory of a person I know always scratching herself when she was pregnant. The scratch marks on her stomach and - I won't write the b-word - chest area were red & bloody! I asked her why, because I didn't know about these things called 'Stretch Marks' back then. She had this relaxed smile on her face, and said, "It's sooo satisfying to scratch until my skin bleeds." Ya, it's quite psycho. But I've been there - with mosquito bites.
I used only Bio Oil all through my pregnancy, and I'd been using it on old stretch marks and scars for years before. I won't bore you by making you read a lot, and get right to the point(s)!
First thing, I got no stretch marks on my tummy after pregnancy. Zero. Thank Goodness Bio Oil!

When did I start to apply? I found out I was pregnant in February '14, and I started using it religiously after showers around the last couple of weeks in March. So, there wasn't much itching, and I didn't feel my skin stretching & losing its elasticity during those 9 months. I think you can start with any other dry skin lotion in the beginning. You're good as long as you keep your skin moisturized.

How much to apply, where, when? All around my tummy, yes, but I also applied it on my lower back, hips and derriere. Basically, where you're most likely to expand during pregnancy. I apply after showers, and sometimes before bedtime. Generously.
How many bottles I used during the Pregnancy? As you can see, I'd been using five 60ml bottles. There was a 6th older bottle that I'd discarded.

Does Bio Oil remove old stretch marks? Not completely even after years. I have a few, and with time, Bio Oil has made them less noticeable and less "wormy" looking. I'd say it flattened them. Stretch marks during the early stage are red, and they turn white as they become more permanent. Get them while they're young!

Does Bio Oil remove scars? Again, it helps flatten and lighten some scars. Like keloids. I got my belly button pierced - twice! My body rejected it both times. Now the scar is half the regret it used to be because of my committed relationship with Bio Oil.

Did I mention this post is not sponsored by Bio Oil? Even though I kinda wish it was. Maybe, a lifetime supply?
Price of Bio Oil in India: Rs.450 for 60ml.





I think that's all. I hope I've answered the questions you asked and had in mind. If you have any other that I forgot to mention, feel free to ask!

Good Luck to all the lades who are expecting....shoo stretch marks!


Until next time.......