Mehak's Style Craze Giveaway

Hi girls,

Mehak, over at Peaches & Blush is hosting a giveaway with Stylecraze.com. Check it out here to win Bourjois Blush or Orly Nailpaint!

Review: Biotique Walnut Bark Shampoo

I have used a lot of Biotique products when I was younger. Morning Nectar Lotion, Green Apple Shampoo, Apricot Body Wash (My first ever bodywash!) and Orange Peel Soap are few that I vividly recollect. For me, they were a hit and miss. I loved the Apricot wash and Orange soap but the shampoo was too drying on my air and morning nectar too heavy for my combination oily skin. But, the apple shampoo worked wonders on my mom's hair and she loved the nectar. She hated the body wash because it was too sticky and not easy to get off. Since beauty blogs (or even blogs in general) were non existent in those days, I had no one to compare notes with. I would put Biotique as a Hit and Miss. What works for you, does wonders. What does not, is a complete disaster. And so, I ventured away from this range.

Last year, my mum tried some of these again and I happened to be there when she got the Walnut Bark Shampoo. Curious Cat that I am, I gave it a try.

What Biotique Claims

This rich, body-building formula is a blend of pure walnut bark, musk root, amla, soap nut and black malya flowers, to thoroughly cleanse, and revive hair for a fuller, thicker, lifted look.

What I Think

First of all, this is not rich at all. It is a rather runny consistency. Now if they meant rich in terms of ingredients, I am not sure.... they seem pretty standard except for the waltnut bark. Check out the consistency

That said, it cleanses very well. You get that squeaky clean feeling after every wash. So much so that it strips the oils off them leaving them more and more dry everytime :(

It does not fall flat on the fuller thicker claim but is not a superstar in that department either. It gives a decent bounce and volume.

What it Costs
It costs INR 159 for a 210ml bottle. The quantity needed for a single was is much lesses than your regular drugstore shampoos like Pantene and Dove. See the pic above? That was enough for my just below the shoulder hair. I'd need double of that for Dove that I use currently. So, this bottle will last quite a while. I'd peg it down as an economical product.

The Good 

1. It cleanses very well. If you spend a lot of time outdoors and are feeling all yucky, this is the product to reach for
2. A little goes a long way
3. Gives a good volume to the hair

The Bad

1. Entire product list is missing
2. Contains SLS
3. Provides absolutely no conditioning. You need a separate conditioner

The Ugly

1. It is too drying and can not be used as a regular cleanser

Final Rating

6/10 

Office Party Looks

Hi guys, December is the time for office parties Galore! While party is the time for fun, office parties need us to observe unspoken decorum. Albeit that depends on the environment of the party. I for one always feel that office parties are not the place to adorn your best club wear. But, I don't want to be the frumpy granny either. So, my unspoken party attire and look consists of:

1. Simple Dark wash jeans or formal trousers based on the casual or formal nature of the party
2. A chic top. Now this is where I prefer to add a bit of jazz. Nothing cleavage revealing or too body hugging. But slightly blingy, shiny stuff is good :)
3. One eye catching accessory. My favorite is a nice bag. Be it a quilted leather evening bag or studded clutch, it stands out well. Next on my list is a statement necklace. This is specially good if you have a casual party. You can add a chunky bold necklace to your regular office outfit if you don't have time to change and viola, new look! I avoid large earrings because they hurt like crazy and get tangled in my hair while dancing. But if they are your forte, go for it
4. Heels! The quirkier, the better! I swap my office pumps / sandals for some killer heels... 
5. Finally, I like simple makeup. I don't do eye shadow much so the only thing I prefer is a plain wash of neutral shadow and maybe some eyeliner. I have gone bare eyed to one of the events too... :) I mattify my skin because be certain you'll sweat at a party. The booze, the dancing.... it will take its toll :) And top it off with a slight blush and lipstick or gloss. That's all!
6. Hairstyle. If I have a haircut due, I time it a day before the party. That ways, I have salon hair ;) Else, I tame them using a blow dry or curl twist them myself. Anything to just differentiate from an everyday office look...

Look 1: I am wearing a pale gold Qi Pao (yes, it is from China) and plain dark wash jeans. Sorry about the weird outfit pic. It is the only pic from that night where my entire attire is visible. I paired this with Gold stilettos and a wooden cuff. Since my top was blingy, I wore no other accessories and very light makeup. Oh and I got my hair cut and styled the morning on my way to work ;) You can see that I am bare eyed here. Just wore my Lakme Triple Compact as a foundation and Lakme 9 to 5 lipstick in Brick. No other makeup.

Look 2: I am wearing a silk embroidered top with a matching sheer jacket here. This one is again from China (hubby spoiled me during his travels) I paired it with Black dress trousers, maroon leather booties and a purple quilted clutch from Rocky S. Maekup consisted of Colorbar creme foundation, i-glide in blackout of upper lashline and Lakme 9 to 5 lippie in Mauve Latte topped by Revlon Lipgloss in Bright Pink (don't remember the shade now)

So, what are your office party looks?

Review: Lotus Herbals Pure Color Lipstick in Mod Mauve

I am a major lipstick fan. I can go without anything but a lipcolour on my face. And since I favour lipsticks to glosses, I do collect them like crazy.

Lotus was always a skincare brand for me. I did not even know they were into makeup till I read some of the awesome reviews on beauty blogs. I had to give these a shot. I picked Mod Mauve from the Pure Colors range.

What Lotus Herbals Claims
Lotus Herbals website calls this Moisturising Lip Color.

What I Think
I differ on the moisture claim. I would call this a non drying lip colour. This is definitely not moisturizing. I do need a balm under this. That apart, I have no complaints with this little beauty. I am in love with this nudish mauve colour. What you see on the swatch is a single swipe. It can be build to a darker mauve with 2-3 swipes. It has a sheen that eliminates need for a gloss and can lasts for a good four hours on me. It fades evenly, without a tint.

Among all the Lotus lipsticks, I like the packaging of these the most. The pale gold tube with the lotus motif is quite nice in my opinion.

It has a sweet almond smell that I don't mind but others might. Think Rogan Badam Shirin! The smell lasts for quite a while after application.

What It Costs
These are available at counters for INR 245 a pop. Lotus counters are slowly making appearances in Big Bazaars, Pantaloons, Spencers etc. You can also checkout the local beauty stores. A few of them carry Lotus colours. If you can't find them close to your place, turn to the internet. Lotus is available on Healthkart, VioletBag, GoodLife etc. More often than not, there are discounts and vouchers available on these sites.

The Good

1. Pretty nude mauve colour that will suit a lot of skin tones from fair to dusky
2. Non drying
3. Decent lasting power of 4 hours
4. At INR 245, it is amongst the least cost lipsticks

The Bad

1. Not moisturizing
2. Not creamy and tends to harden a bit in cooler weathers
3. The packaging does not indicate the colour. You have to read the tiny label at the bottom if you have a few of them

The Ugly

Non of its cons make it to Ugly. Availability was one, before they were not so easily available on the internet

Final Rating

8/10

Simple Day Party Makeup

I had a small get together for my daughter's birthday back in September. We had a crazy time coz we were moving to a new city within two weeks. So my look, like the party was quite simple:

The blush is overdone on purpose for this picture! As always, this pic was taken after all the festivities were done :) A close up of the eye makeup. Klutzy old me is particularly proud of the fine straight line here :)

Face:

• MAC Studio Fix Powder Foundation in NC41
• MAC Fix+ (I sprayed this on a powder brush and swirled it all over the powder foundation. The effect is similar to a liquid foundation)
• Faces Mineral Blush in Pink Topaz
• Maybelline Blush in Apricot Flush (my goto blush. Am so thankful to Mehak who recommended this on her blog)

Eyes:

• Avon Glimmersticks in Jade Green on upper lashline and outer corner of lowerlashline
• Lakme Black Satin kajal
• Oriflame Visions Mascara

Lips:

• MAC Cosmo (It got its first wear here!)

 I was quite happy with my makeup that day. I think it was the birthday happiness that rubbed off on me...!

FOTD with Hooked on Pink

I wanted to sport a festive yet simple look when we went Pandal hopping in Kolkata during Durga Puja. A bright lip was the best route to go. I had just bought Maybelline Coloursensational in Hooken on Pink and this seemed the perfect excuse to wear it and sport a goofy happy expression!

Face:

• Lotus 3 in 1 sunblock (at night, yes! Not because I thought the light would have UV radiation, but because it is quite mattifying. The pic was taken after three hours of walking around in sultry Kolkata weather. I would be an oil slick without a mattifier)
• Oriflame pressed powder
• Lakme Rose Blush (Discountinued, i think. It is a lovely shade but the formula calls for a lot of improvement)

Eyes:

• Colorbar I-Glide in Blackout
• Elle 18 Kajal (This is one of the blackest Kajals I have worn and lasts almost as long as my Lotus one)

Lips:

• Maybelline Colorsensational in Hooked On Pink (I now know why so many beauty bloggers love it)

Sunblock, compact, blush, liner, kajal and lipstick is my general routine. On special occasions, I add foundation, concealor, highlighter and eye shadow. What's your daily makeup like?

Shimmery Evening Look

A couple of months back I visited Singapore. It was Singapore National Day and I had a house party to attend. Decided to sport red clothes and a shimmery evening makeup.

I went overboard with the shimmer because the flash made my face look like a disco ball... lol...Trust me, that was not the effect I was going after.

Face:

• MAC Studio Fix Powder Foundation in NC 41
• MAC Fix +
• Colorbar Radiant Glow Highlighter Pen
• Maybelline Powder Blush in Apricot Flush

Eyes:

• Colorbar I-Glide pencil in Cocobar
• Lotus Herbals Kajal
• Maybelline Colossal Volume Mascara
• Maybelline Chai Latte quad's dark brown e/s to fill the brows
• Vega Lash Curler

Lips:

• MAC lip liner in Spice
• ULTA Lipgloss (Nameless, Numberless)

What do you think?