Eye shadow freak? Coastal Scents is what you need!

I cannot begin to tell you guys how convenient this product is. I'm sure it will make every girl's makeup routine much easier. Coastal Scents has come up with an 88 shade eye shadow palette in warm and fresh colors! Yes you read that right, 88 shades in one compact box and your eye makeup for the day is sorted :) No more running around, looking for that one particular shade in every shop down the road. Makeup just made itself easy for you :)

I personally love the warm palette. It has all possible shades of beige, browns, nude, highlighters, blacks and silver. A few shades of dull blues and purple, copper and brownish corals are also included.
The fresh color palette is a riot of colors. Here you have bright shades of green, blue, purple, red, copper, nude shades, highlighters, blacks and silver shades.

The shades in the palette are coin sized but don't worry, they last long :)
This palette is highly pigmented so make sure you use the right amount.

                                                                     The Fresh Palette.

                                                               The Warm Palette.



That's it for now, see you'll :) x

Lady Gaga and Cyndi Lauper in Mac's Viva Glam Collection

The minute I came across this product range, I knew it would be my next post! For all the Lady Gaga and Cyndi Lauper lovers out there, you'll are gonna love this one :D
Mac has come out with a lipstick and lip"glass" set and the shades are inspired by Lady Gaga and Cyndi Lauper :) The lipstick case is personalized with Gaga and Lauper's autographs on a metallic red background and it's totally hot! :D

The collection takes off with a shade as enigmatic as the diva's star persona, a blood red with an amplified finish is only as sexy as Cyndi can be ;) This reminds me of a quote Gwyneth Paltrow made at a red carpet event where she said "Style is all about being comfortable in your own skin, that or a kick-ass red lipstick!" ;) I couldn't agree more :D

As for Gaga, they've gone with a warm beige shade which looks absolutely fabulous on her as you can see below in the photo shoot pictures. Unlike Gaga's brilliantly whacked out sense of style, this lipstick shade is very wearable and is my personal favorite.

I believe, a nude/beige shade of lipstick or gloss is always a must have and its just perfect when you're going in for a bronze, sun-kissed look for a night out or just something that you wanna wear during the day. I love how this shade is so flexible.

All the shades in this range are brilliant, go in for whatever you like! Also, certain shades are limited edition (like the Gaga beige) so if you want to own one of those, make sure you get to the Mac showroom asap.

The money collected from the products bought in this range will be donated for the welfare of people suffering from HIV/AIDS. So girls, don't buy this one just because you love it but also since its for a good cause! :)

                                                                The photo shoot :)

                                                   Gaga wearing my favorite Beige <3

                                                               The Beige Set.

                                                             Lauper's Red and Gaga's Pink.
                                                            (check out the autographed tins)

                                                                     The boxes! :D

So this was my take on the Viva Glam Collection by Mac! Hope you guys liked it :)

Makeup Essentials!

Sure your makeup kit must be overflowing with all sorts of products, but its really not easy to carry all that jazz around with you everywhere you go. You need stuff you can wear during the day and the night. So here are some makeup essentials every girl must have on her :)

1) Concealer.
Whether you go to a party or its just another day at college for you, you want your skin looking clear and flawless. Standing at a close distance from your friends or date, you don't wanna be conscious of the blemishes on your face :( So to avoid this, you'll need a concealer :)
Get the shade that suits your complexion best and add it to your essentials kit!

                                                               Kryolan Concealer

2) Compact.
You may travel all day. Work, shopping, college or school. The pollution and sweat will really take a toll on you. Sweating causes your makeup to smudge and drip. Concealer stains on your crisp white shirt just before you get to work will be a disaster no doubt! All you need to do is keep a compact handy :)
Just a light touch up before you get off your cab is all you need! The compact will soak up all the sweat and cover up every little area that might have gotten smudged thanks to the heat and pollution outside. So you have a look just as fresh as you did right before you left home :)

 Compact by Dior. The brand says it all. Expensive yes, but then again you can't go wrong with this one!

3) Your favorite shade of Lipstick or Gloss.
I'm sure you have one particular lipstick or gloss that's your favorite. Carry this one with you! Wherever you may go, a dash of your lip gloss or just one round of the lipstick will definitely give your face a more complete look. Plain lips do no good to the rest of the makeup you wear. If you aren't into colors, just carry a clear lip gloss. That always does the tirck ;) You also get a wide variety of fruity lip balms which keep your lips hydrated and soft and the colors and flavors to offer are just to die for :D

                              These Makeup Forever Lab Shine lip glosses come in a wide range of shades you can wear during the day as well as night :)

Bobbi Brown lipsticks from the Cabana Coral range. Don't know if people really know about this brand but its supposed to be best makeup brand in the world. These lipstick smell great and are so smooth, you lips just feel great! :D Pricey again, but just go for it!

This clear gloss by Elizabeth Arden is just perfect if you want a soft and casual look :)

The Elizabeth Arden showroom is at the Hilton Hotel, Nariman Point, Mumbai.

              These lip balm tins by Benefit and just to die for! Lots of flavors and absolutely colorful! :D

Born Lippy by The Body Shop is what you need if you're into a highly glossy look! These glosses shine a hell lot! These are available anywhere. The Body Shop showroom is at Phoenix Mills, Palladium level 1, Lower Parel, Mumbai,

                                                  Fruity lip balms by NYX. Watermelon falavored! 
                                                     NYX products are available at Beauty Center.

4) A Nude and Black eye shadow.
Whatever kohl you may wear, eye shadow will only make it look better. If you're out during the day the nude eye shadow gives your eyes a soft golden glow look which is just perfect coz you don't wanna end up looking too dramatic during the day if you're just off shopping or to work. (I prefer nude eye shadow to any other color because nude goes with everything. You might carry a pink eye shadow and next thing you realize you're wearing a green outfit! :\ Now pink eye shadow on a green outfit will definitely make you wanna shoot yourself :| )

                                                             Nude eye shadow palette by NARS.

                                                          Nude eye shadow look.

If you have plans for the night, the black eye shadow is now in action :D No one can get enough of the smokey eye look :D Lots of black with a hint of nude and some good amount of smudging can make your eyes look absolutely sexy for the night!

              Carbon by Mac is just perfect to get your smokey eye look! The Mac showroom is at Phoenix Mills, Palladium level 2, Lower Parel, Mumbai,

                                                       Smokey Eyes at its best! :D

5) A smudge proof eyeliner.
You may be fond of real dark eyes or just a hint of kohl on your waterline, whatever it may be, eyeliner is must! Your eyes and face end up looking absolutely dull and dead when you have no eyeliner on you! So this one's the MOST important. If you're fond of wearing dark and thick eyeliner PLEASE make sure its smudge proof. You don't wanna end up looking like a character from some horror movie by the time you reach wherever you were headed :|

                         Smudge proof eyeliners by Lancome. The duo provides you with the liner at one end and a smudge stick at the other end. Very functional! Price is approximately 1000 bucks. The Lancome showroom is at Phoenix Mills, Lower Parel, Mumbai.

6) A Bronzer and a Blush.
A little bit of pink blush on the cheeks in just perfect when you're out during the day rather than bronzer. Bronzer is more for the night. You're off clubbing and a bronzer will just add to your sexy once you have your smokey eyes and 6 inch heels on ;) You'll be left with the perfect sun-kissed look just right for a night out :)

 Bronzer by Mac. This is bronzer duo. Both the shades in the duo are gorgeous! And also, you need to use this one in small amounts as it is highly pigmented.

Pink blush by Mac.

 

Bronzer and blush duo by NARS. This would be a smart buy! :D

 

7) Mascara.
Mascara is important to give your eyes the final finish and to make your eye shadow stand out. If you notice, once you get done with applying eye shadow, a lot if ends up falling on your lashes making them look powdery and white-ish. Mascara makes your eye shadow stand out. If you don't have naturally long lashes, you can always go in for fake ones. They are very common and almost all celebs wear them. They are easily available too. You can adjust the length by cutting off the excess.

This Volume Shocking mascara by L'Oreal gives your lashes massive volume making them look really long and full.

Fake eye lashes.

 Kim Kardashian wearing fake lashes for one of her photo shoots.

8) A Pocket Mirror.
You wanna keep a check on your makeup from time to time i'm sure so its very important to have a pocket mirror on you. You get tonnes of pocket mirrors everywhere in amazingly cute designs and shapes. If you don't own one yet, get one! :)

                                         Cute pin up girl pocket mirror! :D 


9) Oil Control Wipes and Soft Tissues.
Oil control wipes are a blessing in disguise! These tiny blue paper films soak up all the oil from your face when you're out travelling in the heat with makeup on you. And the best part, the makeup remains untouched :D Your makeup stays the way it is and the wipes just soak up all the impurities and oil off your face leaving you looking fresher than ever! This I suggest is an every girl's must have!

                                  Oil control wipes by Clean and Clear. Easily available and a must have! :)


Soft tissues are always essential in case you wanna wipe of any smudged makeup or just to dab your face in general. They're soft and come in a tiny packet and some of them are brilliantly scented :D (You may use these if the Oil Control Wipes are not available to you)

                              These soft tissue packets are just too cute! :) Drop one of these in your purse and you're good to go :)

And now to keep all of this, you can get a nice looking makeup pouch :D

Makeup pouches by Chanel.

            I love this one coz the lace and bow makes it look really sexy :D Also, the color combination is kick-ass!

Okay so this was my post on makeup essentials and I'd be glad if it helps :D

Take care! xoxo

How to get the Perfect Base :)

Who doesn't like a natural looking flawless complexion? Well if used right, makeup can give you that. Its extremely important to have a neat and clear base before you start off with using your bronzer, blush etc. Once you get your base right, the makeup you use after automatically stands out and looks its best :)
So I'm gonna help you go about how to get the right base.

1) Start off with spraying water on your face and then dabbing your face and neck with a soft muslin cloth. This way your skin becomes smooth and soft and makes it easy for the makeup to spread correctly and effortlessly on your skin.

2) Now comes your concealer. Concealer is the most important part of your makeup. If you haven't been using one, you need to get one NOW! Usually the shade of concealer used on most parts of the face will be different from the shade you use for your under eyes. Then using your index finger, dab the concealer everywhere on the face and some on your neck. Spread it evenly using the sponge and remember not to rub hard coz that way you'll just end up removing all the concealer on to your sponge.

3) Okay so hard part's done :) Now comes the foundation. The foundation is used to give your face a more clear and matt look once you're done with your concealer making your complexion look natural. You can use a cake-based or a liquid foundation. Take some on to your palm(liquid foundation) and dab it everywhere on your face and some on your neck using a sponge. Spread it gently and evenly everywhere.

4) Compact time! At the end comes your compact or loose powder, whatever you prefer. This is to give your base a final finish covering up every tiny bit of any blemish. Use the sponge given with the compact or loose power you use. Spread it everywhere on your face and neck evenly. 

This is how you get the perfect base. More than anything else make sure your application method is correct coz that's what really matters the most. You can even go ahead with just applying your concealer right and dab a little bit of loose powder if you're getting down just for a coffee or something casual giving it a more natural and not a cakey look. 

When buying the concealer, make sure you check the shade on the part of your hand which is most similar to the skin color of your face. Never apply a concealer shade on the inner part of your arm coz that's the part which is least exposed to the sun and is the fairest of all.

Before you start off with your base makeup, make sure you do the spraying water routine and if possible use a primer! A primer is a transparent gel which is to be applied all over the face in small amounts and rubbed evenly which makes your skin absolutely smooth giving it a better effect once your makeup is done. Primers are kind of expensive so if you're budget conscious you can just apply a light moisturizer before starting your makeup.

I use the Kryolan Paint Stick as concealer. Its pretty affordable, 450 bucks and is available at Beauty Center, Bandra, Mumbai. They have palettes of all shades too but those are usually available only by order and are usually sold to professional makeup artists only. They have small coin shaped concealer tins too at 250 bucks each. You could try that for starters :)

                                                                    The Palette.

           I use the Mac Hyper Real SPF 15 foundation. Its a bit of a pocket pincher but it works really well :)

   Both, the Mac Select Sheer pressed powder and The Body Shop compact are good options when it comes to compacts.

Talking about primers, Diana of London is what I use. Expensive but worth the buy! Comes for 1k available at Beauty Center gives your makeup a beautiful finished look. Its not a very big bottle and this is supposed to be used in small amounts. Too much of it will make your face look oily :\


Okay so, that's it for now :) Until my next, take care! xoxo

Treat your Skin well.

True, some great makeup can really make you look beautifully different and hide all your flaws giving you the look you want but there's nothing better than having a natural flawless complexion. Bet no girl wants her face oozing with pimples, rough texture etc. Any kind of makeup looks even better when the skin it is applied on is healthy and clear :) So i'm gonna help you guys out with what you can do to have the clear skin that you want :)

1) The most important of all, you need to drink A LOT of water. Drinking water will flush out all skin impurities and really help you gain good skin. 8-10 glasses of water a day should be good (more during the summer) Sure it can be a little hard to drink water even when you're not thirsty, so what you could do is, add about a teaspoon of tang or sweet lime drops to your bottle of water and keep sipping on it! This way, you don't feel the weirdness of pushing down water even when you're not thirsty and at the same time you can enjoy the idea on sipping on a sweet tangy drink :)

2) Have enough information about the skin products you're using! The television's bursting with commercials on skincare products and on how to get rid of pimples, become fair etc. 90% of it is false. The ad will go all out and it might even convince you but you need to know enough about the product before you use it. Never take a chance with your skin. Whether you use makeup or not, if a particular skin product doesn't suit you it really makes no sense having to go out with blemishes on your face. What you need to do:

a) Make sure you're using a well known brand. You don't have to use brands which are too steep but you can go in for something well known and within the budget at the same time.

                                 Neutrogena Deep Clean  face wash is what I use. I have a combination of oily and dry and skin and this works well for me! Its easily available at the drug store and it comes for around 480 bucks. The small handy travel bottle for 80 bucks is a smart buy. 

b) When buying a new product make sure you ask the shopkeeper on how its been doing in the market. If there happen to be any complains then just put it down. It's not worth the risk.

c) You must check the expiry date and manufacturing date of the product before buying it. Whatever shop you may buy it from, they might just have stuff which is expired and you may use it and next thing your skin's gone :( [this one i'm speaking out of experience!]

d) Don't judge the product by its packing. It may look really good but can be of no good to you or it may look just like any other normal product but it may do wonders for your skin.


3) You need to know your skin type! Most importantly know your skin type. Whether oily, dry, normal or a combination of any two. Once once you know your skin, you'll know what to use. So once your find out what your skin type is, then go ahead and pick up the products you need.

4) Eat right! Eating a lot of sweets and oily food can really cause skin imbalances and take your skin for a toss. Eat more of raw, green veggies to keep your skin clear and fresh and as I mentioned above, lots and lots of water! This should do the trick.

5) Go the herbal way! Ayurvedic home remedies almost work everytime! Applying a pack of Fullers Earth and Rose water half an hour before you shower really helps the skin in all ways. (I will update you guys on more home skin remedies in my next post)

6) Another major cause of your skin quality degrading is sleeping with makeup on. Applying makeup blocks the skin pores not allowing the skin to breathe and receive any oxygen. This can invite a number of problems. Make sure once you're home, you take off your makeup. Sleeping time is the time for your skin to breathe and having makeup on will no way let that happen. Oxygen is necessary for younger and clear looking skin so take that makeup off before you crash! Always start off with wet wipes for makeup removal. These are available easily at any cosmetic store or the pharmacy. After which give your face a nice scrub with whichever face wash you use and splash cold water to make sure you skin is clean and rid of all the makeup. You can apply a light moisturizer just after.

  

Kara Wipes is what I use! They come in many other interesting flavours, mint, olive, lavender and cucumber are a few of them :) Try it out!

7) Being out during the day can really have the pollution take a toll on our skins. Make sure you keep splashing cold water on your face whenever you can or if not, wipe your face with a soft face tissue to keep it clean and non sweaty. Letting sweat settle is another issue. Sweat contains the chemicals or odorants, a combination of methylphenol and as well as a small amount of urea. Letting these chemicals stay on your skin will cause your skin to not receive enough oxygen and make your skin look dull and old.

8) Use good quality makeup. The makeup you use is very important in terms of the brand. There are tonnes of places that sell fake makeup and people are using it! You need to buy your product from the brand store itself or a trusted cosmetic shop. Using fake makeup can really mess up your skin causing pimples and boils, you name it!

9) Hygiene is important! Your cleanliness will decide what your skin will look like. Touching your face after you've touched your pet or after you've been out all day using public transport and been amidst dust is big NO! The facial skin is sensitive and you need to make sure you hands are clean before you touch your face. You may not even know the germs you contract when you're outdoors so you need to be careful. Always keep a hand sanitizer with you :)

  This is a Bath and Body Works hand sanitizer. It is easily available in the US but it comes for a pretty steep price in India (available at Beauty Center, Bandra, Mumabi) These smell great and look really interesting :)

10) Be gentle with your skin :) The way you apply your makeup, the way you wash your face, apply your creams etc. will decide what your skin will be 30 years down the line. Rubbing your face hard while washing it, harsh finger movement on your under eye area, rough use of makeup wipes and towels on your face will all account for a hell load of wrinkles as your grow older. What you do now is what you get later! After a shower make sure you gently dab your face with your towel and NOT RUB. While removing makeup, be gentle with the under eye portion and it is the major area of acquiring wrinkles as you age.

11) Get your Beauty Sleep! :)  Sleeping is very important to keep your skin looking young and healthy. The more you sleep, the better your skin gets. Not sleeping also causes dark circles which we all know look hideous! You can totally avoid that by sleeping well :) Staying too much on the computer will also cause your skin issues. You need to give your eyes a rest so that they don't puff the next morning which for sure is a very sad sight :\ DO NOT STRESS! Stree is another enemy of your skin. The more you stress, the more dull your skin will look and pimples are most welcome if you're stressing.

So all you girls, I hope this post helps :) Until my next, take care :) xoxo

My First Post :)

Hey there everyone :) This is my first post and as the title suggests and I wanna let you guys know what I'm gonna blog about. My main criteria of discussion will be makeup :) I have done a professional course in makeup and me sharing information on how to go about self makeup and product reviews should help :) I will also blog about other things related to fashion and food so keep in touch! xx