Divija Reddy

The Real Interview!

2011-03-15T15:29:00.000+05:30

1. When did the urge to start Terra hit you? Did you wake up one morning and realize your dream?

Sumitra - The fashion industry happened to me by chance as when looking to change jobs, I had the opportunity to take forward what my mother started with a domestic handbag business!

Smita - Fashion design for me was an extension of what I do in graphic design! I enjoy experimenting with different looks and colours, so the opportunity to help design handbags was brilliant!

2. What is Terra and why the name Terra? What makes Terra so unique?

Smita - Terra was a name that came to my mind purely from the nature of the brand! It represents all earthy and natural elements like leather and fine fabrics! Its about being grounded and yet strongly individualistic, thus leading to the thoughts of "terra firma!" Also it's nice that the parent company is RR Leathers, which fits nicely into this name!

Sumitra - Terra is unique by virtue of its styling! The bags are largely handcrafted and the styles we do are not repeated or created in mass! One bag style is usually done in different colours and not repeated! The drape of our bags and sheer light weight nature of the lamb skins we use lend to distinct difference in our product!

3. Can you tell us more about the customization part? Does the bag price depend on the material or the pattern? Is it like "the more customized, the more expensive"?

Sumitra - Price point will depend on various factors and material used as well as pattern development. Both form a large part of the price factor! Having said that we do try to keep it as affordable as we possibly can!

Smita - Customization is an extended service and thus will have a premium attached to it! Yet, the luxury of having a bag tailored to your specific needs is an indulgence that warrants the expense involved for certain bag enthusiasts!

4. How did Terra create a storm in the industry? Do you consider South market a stronghold?

Smita - Your question in itself is flattering! Thank you! Yet, we don't consider our brand to have created a "storm" in the industry just yet...more like a hint of one to come!

Sumitra - The South market is where we have created a stronger presence! We have a loyal database of customers largely from Chennai and Bangalore and are seeing the response pick up across other cities as well!

5. Will you let us know a bit about your studies, background and hobbies including your transition?

Sumitra - I studied Hotel Management and worked at a leading hospitality brand for a few years before taking the helm at Terra! It was not a planned transition for me, but now that it has happened I feel confident and comfortable in my role! Sports, music and travel inspire me and contribute to making me the person I am today! Raring to go, I am filled with ambition both for my brand and myself!

Smita - In my early days of Engineering when my diode diagrams were prettier than the lot, it was a clear giveaway of the designing days to follow! With an Engineering degree and an MBA, I transitioned from technical writing to creative writing and soon to designing! Now with over 7 years in the industry and a 3-year-old graphic design studio Smitten of my own, the story seems to be largely of pursuit of passion! I strongly believe that you must wake up every morning and love the day that lies ahead of you to excel in your field! I try to keep that spirit close to heart!

6. How long did it take you to realise you made it happen business-wise and profit-wise?

Sumitra - Businesses are always reinventing themselves to stay ahead of the curve and I think that's what we place prime importance on at Terra! So it's less about a measure of time and more about the challenge of keeping profitability high!

Smita - The conscious effort is to extend value to the customer as best as possible! With that, profit should come as a natural reward for service and product well rendered!

7. How did your support system react when you made a prestigious debut into media, given your success?

Sumitra and Smita - Our support systems have been tremendous sources of encouragement and pride! We are consciously aware of the strength they add to our lives and work and are quite simply thankful!

8. Did you always want Terra to be a partnership instead of a One-Woman Show?

Sumitra and Smita - Terra is not a partnership on paper yet it is a brand that is created and buffered by a team effort and we intend to keep it that way!

9. What helped you survive the existing competitive market, things that helped you hold your own?

Sumitra and Smita - Like we said earlier, the conscious effort is to extend value to the customer as best possible! With that, profit should come as a natural reward for service and product well rendered!

10. How does it feel to employ people and help earn their bread?

Sumitra and Smita - It feels like a lot of responsibility, which we feel proud to shoulder! Every entrepreneur needs to keep in mind that the strength of a company lies in its employee base and they form important pillars in its functioning! We value our team and ensure that they are well looked after and rewarded! It is not a chip on our shoulders to have provided employment, but more a strong responsibility to continue to contribute in employee growth!

11. Did you ever feel the pressure of competitive market, especially with Hidesign and Calonge down South?

Sumitra and Smita - You know, its such a pat on the shoulder to be compared with such names as these have been brands in the market for years now! That said, we feel each of us have a special niche in the market and are thus enjoying a very dedicated separate set of customer base each!

12.What do you do on a given day at work? What do you do on a given day at home, say like a holiday?

Smita - Work days are a riot and how! Charged, exciting and never-stop-for-a-second sort of rushes create a typical work day for me! Days at home, holidays are filled with extra curricular activities and pursuit of hobbies like music, reading and writing!

Sumitra - Work days translate to exhilarating times at the factory and plentiful travel! Home and holidays means quality time with friends and a good smattering of sport, gym and music!

13. What is your take on entrepreneurship in India? Does it base on the factors like volume of work and time or it’s just the luck factor that helps?

Sumitra and Smita - Entrepreneurship anywhere is tough and a personal decision! Once taken, it needs to be backed and pushed with full might and can result in more rewards than any job in the world!

14. Where do you see Terra and yourself in the coming years? Did you set any ultimate goals for Terra?

Sumitra and Smita - We see Terra as a global brand that caters to women and men that are strongly individualistic and game for experiment! We want to see more presence across more stores and the next target is our very own flagship store that is an immediate goal!

15. Your pearls of wisdom to the budding entrepreneurs!

Sumitra and Smita - Do. Do. Do :)

Hope you all enjoy the session! Do check out their website and Face Book page as well! All Terra bags come with luxurious satin fill pillows and cloth carry bags that convert into dust bags to keep them looking fab for years!

(Courtesy: Terra World)

Terra Handbags & Accessories

2011-03-15T14:25:00.001+05:30

I was absent for a long time, but this time for a good reason! I can't thank Femina enough for letting me know more about Smita Rajgopal and Sumitra Roy from Terra Handbags & Accessories! Femina's January issue, the one with Aishwarya Rai on cover page had an interview of the million-dollar-smile entrepreneurs!

One might assume it's attitude when they say - "We are not a manufacturer of mass, assembly-line products! We cater to people who want something unique!" In reality, they are warmest and most down-to-earth! How do I know? The moment I approached them for an interview, they were more than ready! They were very kind enough to apologize for the delay in the interview as they were busy with International Leather Fashion Show 2011! Do I need to say more about how approachable they are?

Terra makes handbags with soft lambskin with trims, buckles and other details! You can check out their catalogue to know what's new and trendy! The best part is they customize bags! Your choice of pattern, color, dimension or anything as such! Terra leather bags are pocket-friendly! To those who find it expensive, they came up with Terra Fab range which is a mix of leather and fabric! Doesnt break your bank as well!

Terra so far doesnt retail through stand-alone outlet, but it might sooner! Their merchandise is available at selected stores in Chennai, Bangalore, Mumbai, Lucknow and Hyderabad! Consider yourself lucky if you spot them at any exhibitions and shows! Eager to know more about Terra? Check out my interview with Smita and Sumitra, the most friendly and beautiful divas!

Everybody!

2011-02-11T16:56:00.000+05:30

The most trouble-some and tiring week I have ever had! First, face book issue and today I cant open my blog! I could open the dash board via blogger as I had to change my blog layout! I cant view my blog page, but! I have been trying hard since today morning! If somebody can view my blog, do let me know what blunders occured so far! Thank you very much for your kind help!

Face book says "You have been blocked from commenting on public posts because you repeatedly misused this feature. This block will last anywhere from a few hours to a few days. When you are allowed
to reuse this feature, please proceed with caution. Further misuse may result in your account being permanently disabled".

Who else can use my account if I cant? If this persists, I would love to delete my account! Did this happen to you anytime earlier? Why do such things happen to people who hardly socialize? Shame on you, FB!

Sale Alert!!!

2011-02-09T18:01:00.002+05:30

I am hosting a sale on my Face Book page, finally! Pictures and prices are updated, so do check out if you are interested! This is my first sale, so kindly allow till I update my FB page and blog with important details before proceeding any further!

Sorry, but sale is restricted to Indian residents strictly! I will link to my blog if any reviewed product is featured on the sale as it might be more useful, ONLY at your request! First-come-first-serve basis! Mail me for sure, so that I will let you know if you claimed that product! Allow till I get back to you! Considering your safety, NO email ids in the comments box please! Products shown will be the same when they reach you!

Products mentioned as "swatched" are only once, that too on hands! I didnt have hearts to swatch them any further! I dont have a paypal account, so payment will be through banking! Products will be shipped only after the payment! Shipping charges will be 50 INR! I take no responsibility for any damages unless specified below the product or any other delivery issues, but fingers crossed nothing of that sort should happen!

My face book chat feature is blocked for some reason, so I am not able to get back to any of you who already left messages! I deeply regret the inconvenience, but please try to understand! It never happened before! Now onwards, I have no ideas to use Face Book chat feature! Leave your g-mail ids in my Face Book message box, nowhere else! I will be away tomorrow, but I will surely get back to you once I log in!

Thank you every one for your kind cooperation! I really appreciate your waiting! If anything crucial is found missing, do let me know!

P.S - No exchange, no returns please!

Oriflame Hydra Comfort Lipstick # 4326 Cranberry Crush

2011-01-23T17:20:00.001+05:30

Claims - Long wearing colour so light and comfortable you'll forget you are wearing it! Contains shea butter to nourish and Vitamin E to protect!

Did I scare you?

Excuse me if I am bad at categorizing, but I consider this shade a mix of red and berry! If at all that makes any sense as berries are mostly associated with red! Its louder on lips alone, which is why I hardly use it as a lipstick! Cranberry Crush is a pure tint, no matter what others say! I can never imagine this alone on my lips, not even my vague dreams! It lasts ages for me as a tint, so no chance of repurchase! Otherwise, I would recommend this shade to everybody!

My friend who is an Oriflame consultant herself bought # Very Berry! I safely opted for Cranberry Crush as the name itself speaks of berries, lots of hope deep inside! We couldnt stop laughing once our products arrived! Very Berry turned out to be something quite shimmery, which she loathes! Finally, she had to place an order for another Cranberry Crush!

Packaging is simple-sweet, nothing unique! Blue tube with silver band in the middle, which displays the brand name! Cranberry Crush is a deep berry red! A must-have if you are yet to try reds, but so desperate to have one in your stash! Perfectly compliments any skin tone, no matter what! Dont let the intensity of the lipstick scare you! Its the deep pigmentation, which makes it more sexy! Cranberry Crush is a very-buildable shade! Active lipstick on your lips can make you look sexy??? Blot and apply a clear gloss or balm! Voila! Passive lipstick can be sexier! Cranberry Crush transforms depending on what you want to be, sexy or sexier!

I always use a lip balm prior, so it helps lips look voluminously healthy! Used alone, Cranberry Crush is more of a matte-finish, hence the tint once wiped! I am not sure if its the same with other shades, though! Try to remove easy with Vaseline for seriously healthy lips! My way - A lip balm topped with Cranberry Crush, blotted and topped-up using a balm or gloss! Gloss can either be clear or your favorite berry shade!

Flash, aye!

I dont care if its long-lasting, but it stays on for a decent amount of time! Stays with food and water! I need not talk much about color pay-off as it is very evident! Doesnt feel heavy on lips, but I can never forget I have this on my lips for a good reason! Doesnt smell like anything in particular apart from the typical lipstick scent! No wax scent! One great shade for both day and night depending on the state-of-art application! Lovely tint by day and daring lipstick by night! Oriflame products are not tested against animals, hear-say!

Sans flash!

Oriflame hydra comfort lipstick comes in 22 shades, so there might be one for you! Cranberry Crush is definitely worth the price, which is 169 INR for 4 g! Prices might vary according to the offers that particular month! You can always get Oriflame products from either your neighbourhood consultant or online! Never ever go by the online or catalogue swatches! Very misleading and misinterpreted! Experience counts!

Tint!

Always look out for reviews! If you dont find any over the net, request your favorite blogger if she has tried the product earlier! Not every product under the sun is reviewed, so make sure you know what you buy! If your pockets are deeper, no harm in experimenting too!

P.S - Pooja Bali is the right person to approach regarding Oriflame products, as far as my knowledge goes! Warm wonderful woman, a rare find these days! She gets to review most of the products including their new launches as well!

P.S.S - If you are an Oriflame/Amway/Modicare/Avon/Hindustan Lever consultant yourself (beauty blogger too), kindly let me know so that I can refer you for reviews and recommendations further!

Maybelline Watershine Lipstick #13 Ice Tea

2011-01-21T12:17:00.000+05:30

Maybelline's moisturising range of lipsticks for those who hardly bother about pigmentation and staying power! Its more of a gloss in stick form leaving a glister on your lips, finally delivering the promised water effect! Doesnt last long unless you go on a hunger strike! They are not sticky! Vitamin E enriched, which helps in retaining moisture longer! Hypoallergenic i.e less tendency to provoke any allergic reaction!

Lipstick is melon-scented, which I am not a big fan of! If you like the feel of summer, fresh fruits and tropical weather, this might be for you! Not particularly con, but I find the zangy pink packaging a bit tacky! I prefer the lilac version better! Its definitely not for those who find reapplying very irritating!

Ice Tea is more of a browney-nude with pink undertones hard to detect, but the best if you dont want to look too made up! Color is kind of transparent, so better stay away from Watershine range of lipsticks if you are looking for great color payoff! More layers doesnt always mean more pigmentation! If your lips are naturally pigmented, it would be wise not to expect great color! Its easy to remove, thanks to the formula. Doesnt leave any tinted lips!

I admire Maybelline for categorizing shades according to the skin tone! But, who knows you might find your favorite shade from the other skin tone range! So, always watch out. Unless you worry about the pigmentation, these lipsticks are great value for money!

No matter how expensive or high-end your lip product is, make sure to exfoliate your lips often! Best scrub is olive oil and sugar! Follow using a lip balm or conditioner before bedtime! Pros being economic, wide range of shades, moisturizing and easy to remove and cons being less pigmentation and not that long-lasting!

Beauty & Bloggers!

2011-01-18T19:59:00.000+05:30

Blogging is so trendy these days! Every minute, a blog is born in some part of the world! People blog for different reasons, mine being enjoying writing! Many of you keep boosting my ego saying I write well, thank you for that! Not that I missed product reviews, but the core reason I came back to blogging after a long hiatus was I missed writing terribly!

To be honest, I didnt want to be a beauty blogger in the beginning! Shocker? Now you know the reason for my blog's name! Identity is one thing I dont compromise on! I wanted my blog to be random about everything under sun that involves me, but my blog later turned out to be a beauty blog for unexpected reasons!

The journey so far was memorable as I discovered great bunch of virtual friends! I hardly know them, but they inspire me in lot of ways! No names, but they are the ones that keep me going! There are things in every aspect of life which are not documented any where, but you learn only from experience! I thought they might help others, especially if you are about to start! I dont mind if you call it the Guide To Blogging! In fact, many of these are from my own experience!

Make sure what do you want your blog to be about! Name it accordingly! Not that it should be that way, but it looks apt for a beauty blog to carry a name accordingly! Unlike mine! Why? You dont want to change your blog name often and keep updating your friends! It can be irritating after an extent!

Blogging is not about followers! Please! Do not visit blogs for that purpose and leave messages on random blogs! Never start the conversation saying "Lovely blog! Just found! Please find time to visit my blog!" Such a bad one-liner! We all know we abandon such blogs if they dont respond! Or they follow yours, but you dont find time to follow them! Or you follow them only if they follow yours! Why? It degrades your skills! Everybody is blessed with talent, but different aspect may be! Followers and regular comments mean a lot as they inspire you, of course! Let things take their own course, instead! Leave your blog link on their blogs, rather! Not everybody can trace back your blogs with your comments! If they find your blog good enough, they will definitely extend the courtesy of following you back! Some might even go to the extent of making a special post about a new-found blog!

Unless the blogger is hyper-friendly, you need not know more than what the bloggers wish to reveal about themselves! The more you wish to know, the sour the reply will be! Worst case, you might be ignored! For instance, "Would love to know your name or more about you!" Why? The more you are ignored, the more you get hurt! Who wants that? Nobody deserves hurt!

Wait till the blogger responds to your comment! No reply to your comment on my blog doesnt mean I ignore you or I dont wish to reply! It might be for many reasons! See if the blogger is active for a while! Such cases, better mail your questions! You will surely get a response sooner or later, unless the blogger is in a remote place without basic facilities like internet! Never think negative!

Give Away! One thing I dont bother about! Bloggers give away free stuff to a set of winners! The rule for entry being you following, commenting often and posting about the Give Away on your blog so your followers too get to know about their blog! Every blogger has a set of different rules for their Give Away, National or Inter-national! Its just fun, but dont take part unless you are super-sportive! Just because bloggers dont notice, its not fair to subscribe during Give Away and unsubscribe later! Dont blame bloggers as winners are selected on a random basis! Why? I assume there are sensitive people around like me if they dont make it!

Never make your blog a debate-platform! Nasty, aye! This applies to you and your followers, too! Dont let people misuse your space! For instance, dont let some C speak about B on A's blog justifying who's better around! Your friend need not be mine! Why? Things as such do not make a huge difference in anybody's life! Good or bad! What's the point, then?

Treat others the way you wish to be treated! Good happens only to good! What goes around comes around definitely, one day or the other! Consider Internet a platform to make virtual friends and maintain good rapport! Why justify blogger A just listening to blogger B whom you hardly know either? Dont get influenced in a bad way! Know the person in real! If you cannot, dont develop hatred towards that blogger! We are all here for fun, sharing our knowledge! Let nothing spoil the sport! Listen to your gut! If you suspect a foul play anywhere, kindly ignore such places! Hope for peace and happiness around! That happens only when you spread some on your own! Not a Herculean task, right?

Just because your favorite blogger does huge hauls all the time, doesnt mean its time you do the same! We all have our budget limits! For instance, not every teenager can afford high-end brands! Especially, the word "Limited Edition" puts hell lot of pressure! There is nothing as "Never comes back"! Cult favorites remain forever where as limited editions come back as repromotions some way or the other! You might miss some that way, but there is no harm in looking out for the exact shade in other brands instead! Nothing is worth your hard-earned! Unless you are a professional and you know your things!

Dont just stick to one brand just because the other blogger talks only about that! Keep trying new brands you have super-sensitive skin! Who knows what lies where! High-end always doesnt mean it should meet your expectations and match you exactly! There are wonder products from budget-friendly brands, too! Explore and do your own research if you cannot find great reviews!

Dont shop online unless you hardly bother about scams! Not every website out there is a genuine one! Your fellow bloggers are always there to help you, so find out the best available! Regarding E-Bay, find about particular sellers! Some sites charge you a bomb for shipping, so its better you cross-check with your friends! Particular time of the year like New Year, X-mas or holidays, you might get lucky with free shipping! Wait till then, if you can!

Try to visit and comment your follower's blogs often if not regularly! We all have our own reasons for being busy, but make sure you extend the courtesy! No harm in leaving a friendly mail once in a while to your blogger friends! If you are sure about their special days, better leave them a mail instead! A message on social networking site means they are just somebody from the lot, but a mail means they are special! My way of staying in touch with friends need not necessarily be yours, so its up to you to choose!

No harm in posting updates about all brands, especially new launches! But review your own products, tested and tried! If you are too busy to take pictures of the products reviewed and wish to pick from the internet, extend the courtesy of linking back! You can mention the site name, at least! Last but not the least, do not blog for freebies! I can't exaggerate about this, so its for you understand!

P.S - We all get hurt at some point of our lives, but time and tide waits for none! Move on! Nothing stays forever! Always remember, "Nobody is worth your tears! If they are, they dont hurt you!" Be good to friends and ignore those you consider unfriendly! If you cant be close friends with some hundreds, at least be nice to every one! Dont even think of the word "Enemy", not even in your dreams! It literally ruins everything! I dont make the rules, so you decide how you wish to survive around! You all will get to know more once blogging gets into your nerves! Good luck is all I can say! Shivani @ Adorable On Your Vanity passively inspired me to post this! I owe you, honey!

Haul Time!

2011-01-17T15:26:00.003+05:30

Let me not start off with the monotonous one-liner "nothing exciting, but"! Of course, whatever I buy should definitely be exciting for me at least! It means something to me or else there is no point in picking, right? Elle 18 nail color in PP61, Lakme nail color in 044 from Gypsy Collection and Lakme Insta liner in Black and three regular-wear kurtis!

Thanq very much, V!

Never in my life I thought finding Lakme products would be such a pain! My neighbourhood is blessed with the so-called big malls, but they never carry the right stuff! The beauty store @ one mall either doesnt stock up or remains closed due to restoration issues! The second mall always has products from earlier collections, not the latest launch! Not even the privilege of testers! There is no point in those malls existing where they cannot stock up the most budget-friendly brand like Lakme! My friend got hold of this particular nail color from her place! By the way, I cant even locate Elle 18 Color Bomb collection and Tips n Toes in my locality! Where on Earth do I live? Pretty disgusting!

My friend gifted me a couple of funky nail colors and a Japanese fan aka hand fan! On her way to Mysore, she picked a couple of baby blue and baby pink hand fans! The baby pink one ended up in my stash! Blue nail color descends from Wendell Rodricks Tropical Island Collection from Summer 2008! The red-silver flecks nail color is from Carlo Di Roma, possibly a Spanish brand! Correct me if I am wrong!

No matter how many branded eye liners raid the market, I keep going back to my all-time favorite Lakme Insta-Liner! There are things that cannot be replaced! The guy @ Elle 18 told me something interesting about the Color Bomb range! His perspective - packaging revamped, price hiked, but quality and shades remain the same as of the earlier version! I wish Elle 18 nail colors carry proper names instead of random alphabets and numericals!

NYX Update!!!

2011-01-17T13:27:00.000+05:30

NYX Color Cosmetics has a free makeover and some exclusive offers @ Hyper City, Bangalore East! On purchase worth 700 INR, you get to choose between eye liner or lip liner worth 200 INR! Might depend on the stock, again! On purchase worth 1000 INR, you get a small trusso box worth 300 INR! On purchase worth 1500 INR, you get a medium trusso box worth 500 INR! On purchase worth 2000 INR, you get a big trusso box worth 700 INR! Check out if you are in and around Hyper City!

Make sure you dont let the girl @ the counter convince you with crap! She imagines Round and Black Label lipsticks are one and the same including similar shades and they both are pretty much same except for the price! Imagine people who are new to makeup and sales staff!

Compared to NYX abroad and online, I find the price in INR atrocious! Especially with live sites like Cherry Culture and others, I am not ready to pay rocket price for a lipstick or a lip gloss! Though I am tempted to buy the Black Label lipsticks, I know I can wait longer to get them at a justifiable price!

Bobbi Brown Pretty Powerful Collection!

2011-01-13T12:21:00.001+05:30

Bobbi Brown has come up with two palettes namely Pretty Face and Powerful Face, their limited edition collection!

Pretty Face Palette - Healthy, natural makeup doesn't mean nude or washed out! Case in point: the Pretty Palette! Filled with four beautifully wearable soft pinks and browns for eyes, this versatile palette lets you go anywhere from almost bare to glam and smoky-always with a romantic edge! Pretty Pink blush and a shot of bright pink for lips complete the look with a pretty pop of colour! Ideal for fair to medium complexions!

Pretty Face Palette!

For Eyes Left to Right & Top to Bottom - Ivory (creamy white), Pink Flannel (nude pink), Pink Chiffon Shimmer Wash ( bright pink with shimmer), Chocolate Caviar (deep chocolate brown)

For Cheeks - Pretty Pink (warm baby pink)

For Lips Top to Bottom - Soiree Pink Glitter gloss (baby pink with silver flecks), Bubble Bath (bright neutral pink), Sandwash Pink (beige pink)

Powerful Face Palette - Healthy, natural makeup doesn't mean nude or washed out! Case in point: the Powerful Palette! Filled with four beautifully wearable soft pinks and browns for eyes, this versatile palette lets you go anywhere from almost bare to glam and smoky-always with a romantic edge! Plum blush and a shot of bright pink for lips complete the look with a pretty pop of colour! Ideal for medium and deep complexions!

Powerful Face Palette!

For Eyes Left to Right & Top to Bottom - Navajo (creamy pinkish white), Rose Gold Shimmer Wash (golden pink), Burnished Rose (warm rose), Chocolate Caviar (deep chocolate brown)

For Cheeks - Plum Blush (deep pinky plum)

For Lips Top to Bottom - Pink Pudding gloss (bright medium pink), Pink Bouquet (baby pink with silver flecks), Powerful Lip Color (bright deep pink)

Should I say they are Limited Edition? Yes, they are! Retails for £42 each in United Kingdom and $60 each in United States! I would prefer Powerful Palette! How about you?

"I have always loved a natural look, but that doesnt have to mean nude color! The Pretty Powerful palettes are filled with pink tones that range from soft to warm and even a shot of bright to create a healthy look because nothing is more beautiful to me than a healthy complexion!" - Bobbi Brown

Body Shop Carrot Moisture Cream

2011-01-11T20:10:00.002+05:30

Claims - You will be rabbiting on about this rich daily moisture cream that leaves the skin feeling beautifully soft and smooth! An old favourite from The Body Shop, originally launched in 1980 - now improved with added Community Trade Sesame Oil and Community Trade Beeswax! Only available size being 50 ml! Can be used as a part of daily skin care regime!

I bought these just before leaving UK! I always trust Margaret and Vicky @ TBS, so I bought this without giving a second thought! Each tub originally retails for 3.99, but that was Buy One Get One Free! So, I paid for one tub finally! Carrot Cream is from Body Shop Originals range otherwise called Anita's Favorites!

Anita's Favorites also include products like Banana shampoo & conditioner, Dewberry bath & shower gel, Dewberry body lotion, Ice Blue shampoo, Green Apple bath & shower gel, Passion Fruit cleansing gel, Cucumber water, Cucumber cleansing milk and Fuzzy Peach bath & shower gel - each £3.99! Carrot Cream is not "yet" available in India, unfortunately! How sad! As of United States, this originally retails for $8.99, but now available for just $3!

On a casual visit to the store, I found different range of products I have never encountered earlier! Vicky told me they were supposed to sell the Original line for Buy One Get Free for a while! She also told me the Original line wont last that long, which means they will be taken off the shelves! I only wish they stay forever! I consider this a wise investment ever made! I wish I had a heavy backup! Carrot Cream is just pure carrots including the pulp and smells more or less the same except for the superficial honey-rose fragrance! Honey-scented because of beeswax? May be! The fragrance of the product is not over-powering unless you are allergic to carrots! I wish you are not, as you might miss a wonder product!

Its a blessing for those with dry and parched skin! Normal to combination skin, you can no doubt go for this! Oily skin, better stay away! It tends to get greasy, especially in hot and tropical weather! I would prefer this as a night cream, rather! Next morning, you wake up to luxuriously soft skin! Winter is the best time to get more out of this! Definitely worth every penny, great value product! The cream being rich and thick, little goes a long way! 50 ml tub should last more than you expect! Product is peach-colored as the tub!

It felt a bit heavy on my skin during summers, so I saved mine for winters! The trick, peanut-sized product is more than enough to work all the way! Easily absorbs into the skin! To start off, skin feels a bit taut! Acts as a great primer for makeup application! It stays on for longer hours! Leaves your skin nourished and healthy all day long! For those blessed with flawless skin and who do not worry much about layering regime of makeup, Carrot Cream is one sufficient product for that radiating glow! Fits easily into your bag, no matter what size your bag is! I believe Body Shop made a big mistake discontinuing Carrot Moisture Cream!

Key Ingredients - Community Trade Sesame Oil helps to soften the skin! Community trade Beeswax helps moisturize and condition the skin while acting as a barrier to help seal in moisture! Beeswax, well-known for its moisturising properties, is a natural emulsifier and thickener and has been used in cosmetics for the past 2000 years! Its used in Body Shop products to help form a protective layer on the skin, which reduces moisture loss! Carrot oil helps revive and condition the skin! How would you react on your encounter with carrot pulp while applying? Who expected carrot to be this good? Not myself, definitely! Some things do prove us wrong! Enough rabbiting! Its time you try and let me know your perspective!

Ingredients - Aqua, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate, PEG-20 Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate, Dimethicone, Stearic Acid, Lanolin Alcohol, Cera Alba, Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil, Benzyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Xanthan Gum, Parfum, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Geraniol, Citronellol, Linalool, Beta-Carotene, Daucus Carota Extract, Daucus Carota Sativa Seed Oil, Eugenol, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone.

P.S - Never let hubby near your vanity! I got to use only the first quarter, but he is already through the second pot! So religious, thanks to his dry skin during winters! He is a Body Shop convert, so he quite enjoys using their products! Repurchase? YES!!!

P.S.S - Sale period varies accordingly, so check your local stores! The right time to invest on Body Shop products is June and January, more or less 2 weeks! Thats when the madness sale starts! If you wish to try most of their products without spending generously, its that time of the year nobody can simply ignore!

Clinique Super Defense SPF 25

2011-01-10T18:14:00.001+05:30

Why do people name mouthful? Clinique Super Defense SPF 25 Age Defense Moisturizer meant for Dry to Combination skin! Now, I consider that a complete! Think of my jaw bone exercise for a decent amount of time! Back to the product, it was a freebie from Clinique's Autumn 2009 promotion! I have something for the Clinique promotional products as their bags are to die-for, girly and chic apart from bow detailing!

It took me a while to almost complete this as I was already using Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel (pump) and Lotion (sans pump) as well! Another mouthful! Gel kind is preferable if you are blessed with combination skin as it goes easy on your skin! Super Defense SPF 25 as you can see is just a 15 ml pot which hardly lasts a month! Again, it depends on your usage! Speaking of the freebie!

Can you locate the wee tub?

Claims - Skin's most complete defense against the visible signs of aging in a daily moisturizer! Arms it to fight the effects of emotional stress, which can damage skin with effects much like sun and pollution! Helps neutralize UVA and UVB!

Full-size tub!

First impression, instant gratification! I hardly find instantly gratifying products especially in skincare, but Clinique has never disappointed me so far! Ever since I started using this, I couldnt branch out to another moisturizer! Who doesnt know Clinique products are pretty expensive? I already tried 3 of their moisturizers, but Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion is still left! You can expect a review on that, soon!

Sample tub!

Just like anybody else, I found this lying in my stash for quite a while! Good thing I keep checking my stuff once in a while! One good habit I am proud of! I keep digging products like this often! I know its not that type to end up in stash un-touched, but still we all have been there! Isn't it?

Products with SPF are good to use as they make your routine a bit easy like one step shorter! You need not layer your skin with sun blocks or sunscreens! I believe SPF 25 is decent-enough for Indian summers or weather as such! Dont ask me how, but this worked differently in UK! Weird, isnt it? May be because of the intensity of the sun! Might not be major, but I noticed teeny difference the way it works! Indian weather, it tends to get a bit greasy on skin! Again, it depends on how liberal you are with the product! Logic, aye!

Sans ingredients!

My skin has not broken out from any Clinique product so far, which includes this as well! The consistency of the product is rich and creamy, almost like whipped cream! Ivory in color! Easily blends into your skin no matter what, but make sure you work it out soon! Or else, you might end up with blotches! Makes skin feel taut, which is a good sign!

Who doesnt like the sound of "anti-age" in their products? I just love that, especially in moisturizers! Bonus! There are other versions available if your skin falls under different category! Clinique always gives sample sachets to try before investing! Clinique as a company, I mean! It depends on the staff at your mall, again! We all had our experiences, right? Make sure you find out about the samples at the counter before hand!

Almost through!

Unless a big day, I hate tidious jobs like using eye cream! I am happy with just moisturizer! As I use MAC Studio Fix Powder Foundation (phew), I dont need to worry about looking too made up! Does that make any sense? It acts as a good primer for makeup! Nothing con, but some of you might find pot packaging bit unhygienic! Feel of the product on face depends on how much you get to use! The more you apply, the heavier your skin feels!

Freebies dont come with ingredients, at least this one doesnt say anything! I am sorry about that! I remember reading somewhere it contains anti-oxidants, though! You can do your own research on that one, just in case! Repurchase? Not that I didnt like it, but I have a big bottle of lotion to finish!

Beautiful twins!

P.S - I dont agree when people declare Clinique products are fragrance-free! Definitely not like water without any smell to it! They smell some way or the other only you can associate yourself to! Price? I am not sure, again! Have you tried Clinique Super Defense SPF 25? Wud love to hear your take!

Palak's Woes!

2011-01-07T16:05:00.001+05:30

Seriously, how many of us still remember our sweet Palak @ Teenager Woes? I believe she is not around thesedays, but she is one fun person you can rely on! Such a friendly blogger! I wish she blogs regularly unlike me! This little baby patiently answered my silly tag, but it took me 8 months to post it! Sorry is definitely not the right word, dear! If you are new to her blog, she is one sensible teenager who seriously blogs about skin issues! Wise to expect pictorial reviews on her blog, most of the time! She doesnt mind sporting bold red lips, young blood after all! I suspect she is studious, hence the irregular blogging! I sincerely wish she makes time to come back!

1. What brings you to the Beauty Blogosphere, knowing there are tonnes already? Do you fancy a career that involves makeup? When I started out my blog, there were hardly any Indian blogs! I used to ache over non-availability of reviews for various new launches in India! My inspirations to start a blog were Tanveer and Cynthia! So, randomly I one day started my own blog! Albeit my inconsistent posts, I have recieved so much love and appreciation! I really wanna thank you all! No, I dont fancy a career in makeup! I am happy beautifying myself and helping others out!

2. What role does makeup play in your daily life? Is makeup a must for your profession? Make up has a calming effect on me! A random makeup haul is enough to lift my mood and I love the increased confidence when I have make up on! No, make up is not a must have in my profession! Read: "I am a slaughtered science student!" In fact make up is the last thing when you have Physics, Chem and Maths...wait ED too to take care of! But I was different! Make up is my true love!

3. Whom do you find the most-inspiring? Makeup or any aspect of your life! I love reading books. One which inspired me the most was The Alchemist, albeit a little preachy but a great read! And man, I love that line " When You really desire something, whole universe conspires to make it happen!" Btw OSO copied this line! And yeah "3 Idiots" was inspiring too!

4. Palak, a shopaholic or Palak, a bargain-shopper? Definitely a bargain-shopper!

5. Your place doesn’t stock most of the international brands! How do you update your collection? That's not true! We have most of the biggies here, but yeah some are totally inaccessible! I have been able to locate places that stock MUFE and Bobbi Brown! I have also requested my aunt to get Sleek palettes from UK!

6. What is your favourite makeup brand? High-end or drug store? Are you brand-conscious? I like Colorbar, Maybelline, MAC and Inglot! Just purchased the lip paint, its a beauty! Packaging is soooo cute that I dun feel like applying and thereby spoiling it! No, am not brand conscious at all, but I make sure the ingredients are not harmful thanks to you all!

7. What are your go-to makeup products? Anything you reach for, no matter what occasion! Kajal, lip gloss or chapstick, blush and some concealer!

8. Do you have any products you cannot live without? Staples! Same as the above! Add my iPod, 5800 and my lucky bracelet!

9. What is lying untouched in your vanity from day #1? Any future for that! A local eye shadow palette somoene gifted my mom! There is a strong odour to it and if you apply it to the lid, the shadow is sure to accumulate in the under eye area! Ha...talk about "fallouts!"

10. What’s your take on Smoky eye - nude lips? I love it! According to me, this is fool proof for a night at pub!

11. Do you collect anything related to makeup? Blushes and kajals!

12. What’s your take on bloggers' recommendations on products? Do you consider? Yes, I do! I know they review all the products with honesty and I totally trust them! But I will never ever blame a blogger if your skin reacts! Its your own responsibility to check if you are allergic to any listed ingredient in that certain product!

13. Would you like to share your best and worst experiences so far? Best would be blogging and interacting with yew all! Worst? Yet to come and I doubt it will ever come! Blogging has landed me up with friends like you and I will always cherish that!

14. Would you like to share your daily routine? Skincare or haircare? I use Lush charcoal soap as my face wash followed with Cetaphil cleansing lotion as a medium to balance the pH! Then I proceed to use my Toner ( Fab India Rose water/Oriflame teatree and mint facial spray), facial moisturiser (calamine and Fab India moisturizer), sunblock, little concealer and chapstick!

15. Would you like to feature your hand bag here? Preferably, a picture that includes you! This is a Limited Edition Bag from Oriflame!

Says 5000 INR in the catalogue! Outrageous! I would have never ever paid this much for a seemingly simple bag! Ah...Rohit Bal name's attached to it! For 700 INR, it was not a bad deal! Nevertheless, I dont consider it designer! It will be great as a travel bag, I think!

P.S - Initially, Palak couldnt send the pics as she had some issues with her camera! She asked me if I could wait till then! Honey, I waited a bit too long inspite of you sending the pics in a couple of days! I dont think it would be wise enough to wait any longer! Palak's own words about the session - "I totally loved this session! You made me feel so important! Thanks for making my day, gurl! Lub yew re!"

P.S.S - Something with teenagers and their SMS language! I had to edit most of the it as I myself did not know what they really meant! Some things never change LOL! Interested in doing this session? Mail me your answers! Hope you all had fun!

Who Taught You?

2011-01-05T22:12:00.000+05:30

Who taught you how to live and let live? Who taught you to learn from your lessons, good or bad? Who keeps guiding you round the clock in the right direction? Who takes all the effort and pain only to see you happy end of the day? For me, its my Mother! She reiterates the same story to me whenever I take all the tensions to heart!

A man on a cart passing on a rocky road saw an elderly woman with loads of luggage on her head! He could not ignore her, so offered her a drive home! To his surprise, he found the elderly woman carrying all the luggage on her head inspite of boarding the cart! He asked her why! Her reply, "Son, as it is I am a big burden to you and your cart! Why should I trouble you with my luggage as well?"

So innocent of her! God sent her help, so she could get rid of all the pain! She refused to look at the help the way God wanted her to! She thought she could help the man just by carrying the luggage on her head! She didnt know it wouldnt make any difference to either the man or the cart!

I dont know how many of you understood the moral of the story, but every time I listen to this I feel so relieved! It takes all the burden out of my mind! Why do I do things I am not capable of doing? Why do I take people for granted though its not my life? Why do I feel the need to protect everybody though I am susceptible myself? I wanted this to be the only resolution this year, but I am not sure how it fares!

Its never good to take people for granted! Everybody has a choice to live life of her/his own! Mother's stories are always good to listen! No matter how old we get, we are still kids to our parents! Have a nice day! Do I sound philosophic? LOL

MAC Capricious

2010-12-22T20:54:00.000+05:30

By now, many of us are exhausted enough reading reviews on MAC products, especially lipsticks! Please dont worry as I am not here to begin a boring review on another MAC lipstick! Just wanted to provide swatches so the person who intends to buy a shade similar might benefit! Like a little bit more of a particular lipstick! My kinda review, girls!

Just how happy Barbie & friends look!

If you are looking for a shade similar, hope your search ends with Capricious! I dont categorize this under plum, berry, rose or purple-toned lipstick as it is your call! Do I find any purple undertones? I should get my eyes checked as I can't! I am a die-hard fan of berry lippies, so I went for Capricious! When I could pull-off Plumful which is more of purple/plum/rose/berry kind, I thought why not Capricious! In fact, I am not trying to compare Plumful to Capricious!

Capricious blends well with my complexion, day or night! It can be worn fearless and goes on with any looks unless you prefer being gothic for halloween! It goes well with fair skin tones as well! If you havent tried MAC lipsticks so far which I doubt, the formula of their lipsticks is soft like butter! Oh yeah, dont expect them to melt on your lips! Lustre formula goes sheer on lips with lesser pigmentation! Color is buildable, but not in such a way to transform your looks! More swipes, more pigmentation!

Ingredients for the curious!

Capricious has negligible teeny gold (?) sparkles in it! We all know MAC lipsticks smell like Vanilla, thanks to the ingredients! Consider the fragrance a bonus! Capricious being lustre-finish, the color might bleed! Go for a lip liner of similar shades! To be honest, I hate the concept of lip liner! I never used one till date, but I recommend you go for one if you want the color to stay longer! Line and fill your lips with a similar shade and apply Capricious on top! For that oomph factor, top it up with a transparent or similar shade gloss!

With flash!

Capricious might look dark in the tube, but it can go sheer berry on lips! It hardly stays for 2 hours after application, but one thing I enjoy the most is the stain it leaves on my lips! I hardly bother about staying power of any lipstick as long as I am happy using it time and again!

Without flash!

I wish MAC doesnt discontinue this shade, for heaven's sake! Looking for a fool-proof berry (this) toned lipstick? Give Capricious a try! Who knows? You might end up with a back up! With shades like Capricious, you can hardly bother about over-doing looks!

Upper line - couple of swipes, lower line - single swipe! With flash!

I need not tell you MAC products are very expensive with a lipstick around 1000 INR! I never bought one in India, so do check out the price at your local MAC counters! UK market it costs around 12.50 pounds and US, 14 dollars! Correct me if I am wrong!

Upper line - couple of swipes, lower line - single swipe! Without flash!

How many liked Capricious? Have you already tried this? I welcome your pearls of wisdom! Any plans for Capricious? Good luck, girls!

Body Shop Almond Body Butter

2010-12-20T13:32:00.001+05:30

Do you know I simply enjoy a nonversation on Body Shop products, especially the body butters? I believe nothing can replace their elegance and beauty until I come across something more promising! I know I shouldn’t be saying that being an addict and loyal TBS fan! I write this as I came to know somebody out there enjoys TBS posts the way I do, may be the intensity differs! I still don’t understand how I can be partial towards one fragrance when each one is unique in its own way! The moment I open the legendary tub, I get carried away by strong emotions rather! TBS is one and the only brand that makes me nostalgic and emotional ever, as it is I am one! Credit goes to Margaret and Vicky, my friends from TBS in Scotland! God knows how much I miss them!

As far as my knowledge goes, Almond body butter is no longer in their permanent line! It is definitely not available in India, but consider yourself lucky if you spotted one! May be it is still available during sale period in UK, but it’s a regular product in US so far! Check your local stores for availability! The smaller your town, the more the chance of availability of older launches and limited editions!

What is body butter? An intense moisturizer that can be used on entire body! It is specially formulated to maximize skin hydration! Likely to be used during dry times of the year or when the skin suffers from severe lack of moisture! The ingredients offer the skin both hydration and protection!

Claims - Leaves skin soft and fragranced with the indulgent, creamy scent of almonds! Looking for a rich, intensive cream? Anyone with normal to dry skin will be passionate about this super smoother! Deliciously rich body butter soaks in almost instantly, but moisturises non-stop for up to 24 hours with sweet almond oil plus community trade Shea and Cocoa butters!

Body butters usually come in 200 ml tubs! They carry a color theme that coordinates with the fragrance! The tub is beige-colored with accents of Almonds on the lid! The product appears beige, but paler compared to the tub! Creamy in consistency, it’s truly hydrating! Though I can’t say if it literally melts on skin! I use it liberally after a shower; both the fragrance and the product stay the whole night! In fact, they last till your next bath unless you vigorously work under sun! Apply the moisturizer on damp skin! It helps lock moisturizer better!

Almond body butter is fragrant like the perfume-kind! Hence make sure your perfume doesn’t clash with your body butter! You might feel the grease on your skin if you are too liberal, so try be a bit conservative unless your skin is parched in winters! By morning, you feel your skin healthy and moisturized! The tricky part is here i.e. fragrance! I don’t find it nut-scented as others, but you might! Smells sweet just like frangipani, my favourite flower! Reminds me of exotic spa! Completely floral, but don’t get me wrong if I am a flop in describing the scent!

I would love to have a back up of Almond body butter as I enjoy the tropical feel of the fragrance! Would I recommend it? Definitely, if you enjoy the sight of frangipani flowers and exotic spas! Is it worth the hype? Try this at your local store and let me know how you feel!

If you don’t find the wide-mouthed tubs that user-friendly, transfer some product into teeny glass jar! For hygienic reasons, use a clean spatula each time! That way, you can make the best of it! Any body butter supposedly lasts 12 months once you open the tub! You can still use it past expiry, but at your own risk! I don’t mind using as all the core ingredients are completely natural! The tub lasts depending on the frequency you use!

For long lasting bathing experience, cleanse using Almond shower gel or soap! Exfoliate to remove dead skin cells using Almond body scrub before moisturizing with Almond body butter! Try Almond Hand & Nail Care Collection specifically meant for your hands and nails if you are too keen on nail care! Layering regime helps the fragrance last longer!

Key Ingredients - Sweet almond oil provides essential fatty acids that help repair the skin's moisture barrier, thus helping to restore moisture, smoothness and suppleness! Shea butter moisturizes and helps soften the skin! Cocoa butter is an excellent moisturizer that melts at body temperature, leaving the skin feeling soft and silky smooth! Glycerin is an effective moisturizer which helps improve softness and maximize hydration!

Ingredients - Water, Sweet Almond Oil, Cyclomethicone, Shea Butter, Glycerin, Cocoa Butter, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Lanolin Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Xanthan Gum, Hexyl Cinnamal, Linalool, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Limonene, Benzyl Alcohol, Disodium EDTA, Coumarin, Sodium Hydroxide, Methyl 2-Octynoate, Geraniol, Caramel! To those who are particular about what you use, just in case!

Mini Mani Treat

Consider my blog only as a buying guide, especially when you are sceptical about shelling bucks! I always try to review a product as I see it! It’s only because I want my readers and friends to experience the same feel enjoying the product to core! At the same time - just because I rave, rant and review only good about a product, it doesn’t mean its worth your bucks! Avoid blame game and play safe! If we buy a product based on a blogger review, it’s only because we are tempted to buy the product in some way! May be because of the packaging, texture, grace, and ego whatever! It’s purely our problem, not the blogger's! If you are completely convinced about the product, read enough reviews till you get exhausted! Second best thing, give it a try at the store by sampling! Third, invest if you still can’t resist the temptation! That’s when you completely justify your splurge! Hope you all take it on a positive note! No hard feelings, please!

Almond Gift Set

Opinions keep changing all the while as nothing lasts forever! For personal reasons, Japanese Cherry Blossom and Moroccan Rose body butter reviews remain the same forever, no matter how enticing the recently launched body butter flavors might be! If at all you need an updated review on any body butter even if it was reviewed earlier on my blog, please feel free to message me! Interested or not, I have plans to delete all the body butter reviews any way as I am not satisfied with the dead pictures, swatches and on-spot kinda reviews! I am gonna re-review almost every body butter! The more I got to use the product, the more I came to know about it! I don’t consider myself reliable in choosing TBS stuff, especially body butters as each flavor is unique in its own way but my besties feel I know more than the sales assistants at the store and I was told the same by TBS staff as well! Hence I want to share with you all what I think I know!

P.S - If you think my reviews are unsolicited, in-depth and boring, please feel free to avoid my blog! My point is just to help at least one soul who wants to know TBS products to the core before investing as they don’t grow on trees! Don’t bother yourself if you hate my posts in particular! If you don’t like it, consider it is not for you! xoxo

Friends AKA Followers!

2010-12-17T15:18:00.002+05:30

I thank every friend and follower in person for following almost dead blogs like mine with lot of patience! It means a lot to me, if you all can understand! Kindly give me some time to know you all, visit and follow your blogs! You all deserve that for being so sweet! Please do not hold any grudges and negativity as this is not the place for things as such!

If you are not a blogger, just here by somebody's reference or just for fun, you are more than welcome to visit both of my blogs as often! Thank you Anamika, for the exposure, pain and efforts taken! I cant thanq enough for what you have done!

P.S - The best way to know each and every blogger is only by chat, I feel! You all know I dont socialize much on Face Book and Twitter! If you feel the same way, I will be available on mail just in case!

Lip Products!!!

2010-12-16T18:42:00.000+05:30

Might not be the largest collection you laid eyes upon, but more than enough for hubby to feel the guilt! I wish to part with some of it as I consider that a second chance to buy new stuff! Shameless, I know! I might have missed something else from my collection, but its the best I could cover up!

Lip balm!

Uncovered!

Wish to sell the top line i.e. Body Shop!

Glossies!

P.S - I told you its not much, but I hardly use many of these! Just wanted to share my collection, nothing else! Glad to know Maybelline has relaunched their Watershine range! Any recommendations of lip products, especially berry and neutral shades? No browns, please!

YSL Rouge Volupte #20 Spicy Pink or Rose Epice

2010-12-10T20:54:00.048+05:30

Greetings to everybody! Hope you are doing good in all aspects of your life! Trying to resume to regular blogging after a long hiatus! Hope to entertain my friends the way I did earlier!

Just wanted to share my perspective on YSL Rouge Volupte Silky Sensual Radiant Lipstick SPF 15! I know you all are capable of facing the fact one more time though you've come across YSL Rouge Volupte a zillion times so far! Just an attempt to create awareness on #20 Spicy Pink especially if you fancy pink shades! I wanted a review on this shade prior to investment, but could not find one! Once I bought it, I thought of a beneficiary review so you dont regret later! I call this an investment as I am not used to buy a lipstick for some 1700 INR! I bought mine at Dubai Airport for 17 pounds, but actually retails for 20 pounds! Wait for the sale period for the best price!

Outer case of package!

Claims - Delight your senses with Rouge Volupte, the first lipstick to instantly soften the lips, providing a unique sensation of pleasure plus exceptional radiant color! The nutri-protective film enables Rouge Volupte to act as a second skin, with a silky sensation that moisturises, nourishes and repairs the lips! With a unique colorshine complex, lips are visibly smoothed, plumped and radiant with luminous satin colors!

Revealing the breath-taking beauty!

How can one resist drop-dead packaging and gorgeous lip colors? As it is, gold keeps attracting women like nobody's business! If a golden metallic case is complemented by a lipstick and a mirror, should I tell what happens? Who wouldnt fall for it? What a strategy, YSL!!!

Clever mirror on the lid!

Shade #20 Spicy Pink or Rose Epice is cinnamon pink according to the website! I would say its more a muted-mauvey-rosey-pink! The color in the tube is less intense compared to that on lips! It becomes more rich and intense on lips, rather! Glides smooth and even; envelops your lips like a layer of fluid! Yes, it is extremely creamy and smooth! Pigmentation depends on the shade you choose, but I assure every shade has its own beauty which cannot be duplicated! Formulation of Rouge Volupte is lustrous, opaque and richly pigmented! For me, it obviously means full coverage!

Looks like peach, but its the same muted pink!

As for the long-lasting effect, I seriously dont bother about such petty issues! I dont go on a hunger strike just to retain my lip color! No harm in reapplication, especially with the provided package! Otherwise, it stays on for a reasonable amount of time! Staying power depends on the individual, I believe! If you find the color is too pigmented, blot for a muted look! Stain remains on your lips, which is more beautiful! Experience, stain doesnt stay longer compared to the lipstick as such! Surely a fragrant product, but definitely not floral like I expected! Falls under melon-scented category, which is quite a relief compared to the wax-scented others!

#20 Spicy Pink in daylight! Best reference!

As for the plumped lip effect, I am never a big fan of bee-stung lips! Hence I dont buy a lip product seeking the same effect! I believe every lip product enhances the beauty of your lips in some way or the other! Compare your lips with and without lipstick! You can definitely notice the difference, no matter minor or major! Your lips gain a particular shape when you apply lipstick or even a lip balm as a matter of fact! The secret to a soft pout is Olive oil/Almond oil and sugar scrub! I need not tell you how beautiful your lips look once they are smooth! Lip color just adds to the beauty of your lips! The world's most expensive lipstick also doesnt help in improving the texture of your lips unless you maintain your pout well!

Intricate ring with YSL initials @ center!

For the curious beauties, the longevity of YSL RV is 12 months! Have you tried YSL RV? If yes, what shades so far? What's your take? If no, what shade do you feel like trying? Please do share your insight on YSL RV! My take, I want YSL RV in every shade possible as it is definitely owner's pride! Sincere advice, do not go by the swatches online!

Package also comes with claim!

P.S - Do I recommend Rouge Volupte? I know how it feels when somebody reviews revolutionary products and recommend you not to buy for silly reasons! You definitely feel like buying at least to satisfy your ego coz that's what I tend to do at times! There are just a couple of shades that suit dark skin tones, so make sure you read enough reviews or at least one good review prior to investment! If you wanna buy it for reasons you cant disclose, go for it without giving a second thought! If you are on a budget, definitely dont turn your head towards the YSL counter! I warned you, already! Kindly do let me know if my review helped one of you, at least!

Thanq All...

2010-12-05T16:14:00.001+05:30

I can't believe the most ignored blog has 110 followers! I thank each and every follower friend who has been patient-enough all the while! Sorry if I was not able to reply to your messages and comments! I am still contemplating when to make a come-back for personal reasons! I hate competetion especially in things I do for fun! That's whats keeping me back, I honestly confess!

As of now, am kinda involved in launching my second blog! Its almost done and looks good enough to resume to regular blogging! I might be on that for quite sometime! I keep reading my favorite blogs till date without fail! I should say I am really happy for you all, friends! Each and every blog has become an encyclopedia! At times I wonder if I should consider blogging seriously as I am a lazy goose!

Dolcemiastore.com

Many left personal messages and also asking for recommendations, but I was not there to answer! So sorry for that, friends! I know by the time I reply, most of you dont even come back to read! So I had to leave them as such! Never think that I ignore you people! Am just taking my time! Hope you forgive me now???

What's In Divija's Bag?

2010-08-18T19:08:00.000+05:30

So here I am back with my first post! I couldn't think of anything else when I wanted to make a come back! Not a designer bag or any hep kind, but just a typical fabric bag with a bling factor! I always wanted a bag in some shade of pink, hence this one! Well, this baby is from the Westside for 600 Indian Rupees! I found it damn expensive, but Westside being my Heaven-On-Earth, I couldnt complain! At least for the looks! I dont Match-To-The-Extreme, so I feel it goes well with white, silver, brown, black, pink and beige outfits! You might not like the way I do, but that's me!

Here comes the junk of my bag - Jute Wallet from New Look UK, beach glasses from BHS UK, black glass case from Primark UK, clutch-kinda bag from The Body Shop, hair accessories, pen, 6-year-old Oriflame hair brush, Body Shop White Musk Eau De Toilette, MAC Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation, Love ETC mini body butter from Body Shop, Benetton Sport perfume, Seacret Spa Moisturizer in Wild Kiwi, Carrot moisturizer from Body Shop, Clinique Sun Block SPF 40 and a transparent pouch with refreshments like honey-coated gooseberry, chocolates, mouth freshners and spicy dry mango!

Here comes the clutter of my makeup bag - As mentioned above, this makeup bag is supposed to be a freebie with a purchase from Body Shop! I have the same kinda clutch in Orange as well, so I keep changing according to the bag! I know you can find only garbage in my clutch, but I have this fascination for lip products! TBS Papaya lip butter, Clinique All About Eyes, Vaseline Rosy Lips, 2true Cheek n Lip Stain, TBS Hot Brights Lips n Cheeks in #1, Clinique Superbalm Moisturizing Gloss in #10 Grapefruit, L'Oreal Glam Shine Blush gloss in #155 Plum Blush, MAC Lustre Lipstick in Capricious, Bourjois Paris Effet 3D gloss in #43 Rouge Classic, Oriflame lip balm and Oriflame Hydra Comfort Lipstick in #4326 Cranberry Crush!

Street Wear Nail Color in #10 Pluto's, Oriflame Face Primer, 4-year-old Lakme Jewel Sindoor in Maroon, Revlon Colorstay Liquid Liner in Blackest Black, Oriflame Lash Booster, Oriflame Wonder Lash Waterproof Mascara, Oriflame Lash Explosion Mascara and Clinique High Impact Mascara! Mirror, Vega eyelash curler, safety pins, nail clipper, Shingar Kajal and my favorite mikabuki brush! Lastly, a pair of earrings just in case!

Too many mascaras, right? Off late, I tried and tested a couple of mascaras from Oriflame! Not only mascaras but other products like shampoo, conditioners etc! Wondering why is Oriflame everywhere? I use Oriflame since 2005! I dont think you would wanna look into my wallet as its nothing but crap! Just bills, cards and cash! The contents keep changing, but I dont think my bag will go down in weight! At least in the near future!

Hope y'all had fun with this post! If you did not, kindly ignore this post! Will see you all soon in the near future with another bag, hopefully better and different contents this time! Might not be the best of everything, but I love my bag and of course the junk inside! What can I say? I am a big-time junkie!

P.S. - I dedicate this post to my besties and a far away friend who was always eager to explore my bag!!! Until next time! Have a beautiful day!

Back for good!!!

2010-08-13T11:55:00.002+05:30

I am not sure how and where to begin, but I have to somehow! Firstly, my heartfelt "thanq" for all the warm and sweet messages! I am too lazy to type, but I want to! Phew!!! Its been long time which was nothing but a roller coaster ride for me! I was away from the internet and blogging for a loooooooooong time, which I kinda liked! I needed a BIG break, but I am worried it might get too big to bug me! I wanna come back as soon as possible! Of course with a blog sale!

I wanna sell some of the stuff, in fact most of it! They remind me of UK, which I dont wanna cherish except for the fact that I love Body Shop and my angels! Once I make sure of the sale date, will post it! I will also let you all know what to expect in the sale!

Blogging is getting very competetive and addictive these days! Its fine as long as you take it in a healthy way, which is not happening! At least amongst some bloggers! I notice some blogger friends becoming enemies for nothing! I dont need more enemity and negativity in my life as I already have so much around me! I can seriously feel it! A gets free stuff, B doesnt take it in a good way! B is very jealous that A gets free stuff all the time! She spreads negativity around!

If you are lucky enough to get noticed by the companies, you will definitely get free stuff! I am telling you, free stuff is not good all the times! Some people are so sweet, you cant say something bad about their products! That times, you have to stop talking about those products you are not satisfied with! The secret behind getting free stuff, keep blogging! If your stars favor, you might get lucky! Or else, better luck until another company notices you and your blog!

I am also scared of holding a blog sale! What if I cant post the products in time to my friends? Will I be blasted the same way others were? This was the reason I stopped blogging for a while! Times, I feel like deleting my blog and sit quiet! Beauty blogging is like breathing! You stop breathing, you are done with it! At least the pace which beauty bloggers are these days, this is what I feel!

I have a twitter account which is lying around! God, I still regret that! I wish I did not fall for the beautiful Sarah@Glossicious's promising words! Aaaggghhh....Sarah! I wish I didnt start blogging! This is the month of my blog's anniversary which is on 18th! How sweet bloggers celebrate their blog anniversaries! SIGH!!! I had many plans with my blog once I am back to India, but I am not interested in such things anymore!

K, girls! Dont wanna eat your brains with my ramblings! Will see you soon with a blog sale! Please try to be good as you always were! I have had enough negativity around me! Once again, thank you each and every beauty for the sweet messages!

P.S - My post doesnt reflect any blog or blogger except me and only me! Dont be surprised if I come back to blogging with a big bang again! This note is for my far away friend who loves my post scripts!

How Blessed!

2010-05-24T01:48:00.001+05:30

How does it feel when your so called blood-related folks act very weird, but somebody in other parts of the world miss you so bad? How blessed are you? I am not trying to make a bit thing out of it, but I wanted to share about things that changed my life forever! My value for relations has heightened to a greater extent!

Never in my life I thought a wee part of my heart would miss UK, thanks to Body Shop! If not every body, most of you know my relation with Body Shop staff! My Body Shop fever started since January 19th, 2010 which is hardly 5 months! I came across two angels in the name of staff! Margaret and Vicky aka humanity personified! I can keep talking about those two for ages nonstop!

As mentioned earlier, I never had great friends! I was always ready to give, but nobody was ready to accept! Life proved that time and again! May be I was too good! I thank God for giving me more enemies instead of friends coz that's what made me close to my mother like nobody's business! My mom will always remain my first best friend forever! Most of my life, I came across devils in disguise but this is my first experience coming across angels in disguise! It obviously takes time to digest the fact that you are truly blessed!

Lovely gesture ever!

Every visit to the store made me feel very special! Nobody made me feel that way earlier save my family and besties! Just five months, they knew I worship their products! Margaret is obsessed with cats! She keeps talking about them the whole day just the way I do about body butter! Customers are her love! Meaning, she calls each "Love!" She is definitely a treasure to the store! Vicky is an "early-twenties" soul striving hard to make her mark in this world! The sweetest part of her; she doesnt want to be a celebrity! That is the sole reason she did not confront the camera for my blog sessions! If they were able to tolerate a customer like me, you can estimate their patience levels!

My mom taught me never to be the reason for somebody's tears! I believe I made my mom proud, but! I was the reason for their tears in a good way, of course! Margaret being decoction and Vicky being milk, they made a perfect cuppa together! They called themselves "The Troublesome Twosome" whereas I used to call them "The Awesome Twosome!" They taught me the essence of life without their knowledge! They were always there to share my happiness and sorrows! They cheered me up in the best ways possible!

At one time, hubby was so conscious about my Body Shop frenzy! Next day, I took him to the store and introduced Margaret and Vicky! Guess what! From then, it was hubby's turn to take me to the store! He used to interact more since then! Can you believe? Credit goes to??? Your guess is right! I was a resident of that place for more than one and half year, but I regret meeting them so late! Should I curse my fate to meet them so late? Should I thank God for giving me such precious friends at least at this stage of my life?

So touching!

I was given the most beautiful card in the world! Shock was the only reaction when I saw my name spelt so right on the card! My name always being butchered in my home land, it was definitely a pleasure to see that spelt so right by sweet strangers from the other side of world! Why so? They never called me by my name! Whenever I had to make a call to the store, I was like, "Hello, its me!" Whenever I had to visit the store, they were like, "What brings you to the store today?" What else? Obviously Margaret and Vicky!

I still remember their last words with tears in their eyes! "Take care! Wherever you are, be happy! We will always miss you! Dont forget to stay in touch! You are not a customer, but definitely our friend!" My last words being "Hope I get to see you again in this life time!" Motherly love from Margaret and sisterly love from Vicky! What else could anybody ask for? If you are in Scotland, especially Stirling make sure you visit Body Shop @ Murray Place! Give Margaret and Vicky a warm hug on my behalf! You will definitely get the same in return, I promise! God Bless Margaret and Vicky! Missing you from the other part of the world!

P.S - All I wanted was to vent out my feelings for those two angels, so I dont mind if this post goes totally unnoticed! My heart feels light, now! I am still not sure how they feel about me, but this is how I feel towards Margaret and Vicky! Hoping you were really sad to see me go, angels :)

Ahoy!!!

2010-05-17T00:28:00.000+05:30

Did some one forget me? Hope not! I am back for good, but it might take me a while to get into full time blogging! Guess what! I am back to India, forever! I thank each and every lovely soul who helped reduce my blood pressure regarding travel tantrums! I can't thank you enough for all the loving and oh-so caring messages dropped by! I am so sorry I couldnt reply to those as I was head over heels occupied! Just wanted to share, all my stuff finally reached safe and sound especially the Body Shop lot!

I did some shopping like Sleek palette, MAC lipstick, The Body Shop body butters, YSL Rouge Volupte etc in the last couple of days! I will definitely rant and rave about those as well! I might come up with a blog sale soon! Dont ask me when, girls! My body clock is misbehaving! I am claustrophobic, so I hate flying! I had a hard time travelling from Glasgow to London Heathrow to Mumbai to Bangalore! Phew! Bloody hell! I can hardly stand air-conditioned vehicles! Imagine my plight during the flight! It might take a while to get used to the normal routine, but I will surely come back!

(Courtesy: nataliedee)

Ramblings shouldn't take more than a couple of minutes, so I take leave with your permission! See you soon, all!

Sayonara!!!

2010-04-28T22:17:00.000+05:30

It's time for formal good-byes to you and to O2 broadband as well! I will be totally disconnected from this world for indefinite amount of time! Broadband goes off by friday! As of now, I am not so sure about my comebacks! Might be weeks if you are unfortunate or months if you are fortunate! Pray for the latter part!

When am I leaving UK? For some stupid reasons, our tickets are not either blocked or booked! God knows better about our flight back to India! I wish to go back as soon as possible, though! Lately, my posts have been nothing, but ramblings! There is no point in taking much of your valuable time! Connect to you all next time from India! I love that sound!

Bruxsel.org

Please, Help Me!

2010-04-26T03:30:00.001+05:30

What's with the stupid attentive titles these days? Well, to gather ton lotta opinions! I am ready for YSL Rouge Volupte, but not sure which shade exactly! Other day, I couldn't stop staring at the Rouge Volupte display! The tube was too heavy for a lipstick, but who doesn't fall for the once-in-a-life-time packaging? I am talking as if I am the first one to discover YSL Rouge Volupte! To be honest, I have a bunch of shades in my mind! I prefer mauve-nude-muted-rose kind of shades! Am I clear?

Love shades - Rouge Volupte #9 in Caress Pink, Rouge Volupte #23 Luscious Pink, Rouge Volupte #11 Rose Culte and Rouge Volupte #29 Opera Rose! I appreciate any links to Rouge Volupte swatches! Transit at Dubai, so I have my eye on Duty Free! I wonder if there is any difference in the price range! I heard enough jazz about Duty Free shopping! My knowledge; I thought the price would be less at Duty Free compared to the stores! Last visit, I bought MAC Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation for £20, which originally retails for £19 at the stores! What's with the Duty Free, then?

Can't help drooling! Love the last shade towards right!

Seems it costs around 1700 INR whereas it's worth 1600 INR in UK! Any ideas how much would YSL Rouge Volupte cost at Dubai Airport? Should I try at Glasgow Airport? Would it better to visit my local Debenhams, instead? Will there be any price difference at all? I leave you at peace for now! I really appreciate any kind of information regarding YSL Rouge Volupte!

Attention, Lovelies!

2010-04-25T02:55:00.002+05:30

It's time for goodbyes! Please control yourselves, lovelies! Dont make it any harder! I know it must be a sudden blow like bolt from the blue! LOL

Jokes apart! I am going back to India coming weekend, supposedly on 1st May! I can hardly type! I can hardly stop giggling! My prayers are finally answered! Now, I need your help!

Did you travel to India lately, especially via Emirates? I need some info on check-in luggage! Is there any restriction on the quantity of makeup you carry in check-in luggage? I am a bit worried as I have tonnes of Body Shop products! May be, around 9 kilos! I know, its too much!

Kindly let me know! If you are not sure, please find out from your friends or family! If you forward this to 10 people, a friend of yours will gift you a MAC lipstick from their latest launch whatever it is called! If you break the chain, a friend of yours is going to lift your latest MAC purchase! Here, take my word! Just kiddin'

Lovelies, please let me know! I really appreciate any kind of information regarding check-in baggage! What if they have a TBS-lunatic daughter like me? Oh, no! I can't imagine whats gonna happen next!

Star Of The Month - II

2010-04-21T19:22:00.002+05:30

21. What's your take on tanning? Natural or artificial?

Artificial tanning is the most preferred way as it is safe! But in India, who needs tanning? We need to get fairer! Bronzers hardly work here!

22. Any backstage experiences?

It's a pandemonium! Backstage with makeup, brushes and what not flying here and there! Love the adrenaline rush! Model tantrums, designers fainting and all that happens! The best thing to do is to make sure your made-up model looks flawless on the ramp! Nothing makes me happier!

23. Would you like to share any tips and tricks learnt so far, which you think are not taught at Beauty Schools?

I have many many many of those! Using two foundations on the face for a flawless natural effect, using loose powder in a dusting as a primer before foundation, apply eye liner by taking product from the mascara, using crème highlighters, the no makeup look etc! The best trick to keep your lips from looking wonderful with a lipstick on is to use a lip tint! Preferably the colored ones from Bourjois under your lipstick! The silicones in the liptint keep the lip color lasting for hours and hours! You learn something new everyday and every minute! Kindly follow the link! http://beautytraveller.blogspot.com/2009/02/legendary-makeup-tips.html

24. What's your favorite look? I love a lot of iridescent makeup and transparent skin! Lately, I have started liking a lot of rosy-flushed looks with tones of mascara and lipgloss! I love the Estee Lauder Double Wear Collection and their signature blush in Plum Nuance, which is ultra gorgeous! Its in the line for review!

25. What's your take on nude lips and smokey eyes?

It's a conventional way to look glamorous! The key in this makeup is to get creative! Sometimes strong and sometimes demure is the essence of such makeup!

26. Would you like to share the latest trends in makeup? What colors are in this Spring?

Coral is the IT color this Spring/Summer! Various shades of apricots, salmon pink, oranges, tangerines etc follow as lip colors! I have always been biased to turquoise and lilac as true spring colors! Yet, I am loving teal this season! Maybe a teal liner from Lancôme’s new collection paired with Beach Coral lipstick and Precious Posy blush from Clinique!

27. What does your professional kit look like? What products do you take on a daily basis?

Its about 5 train cases of makeup and overflowing! I generally ask the photographer or wherever I work to give me a basic idea about makeup looks and pack accordingly! Or else, it goes haywire! Sometimes just a small bag is all I need! I am looking forward for products from MUD Cosmetics, Eve Pearl and My Face Cosmetics that are considerably good and easy to carry!

28. Your pearls of wisdom to our readers who want to choose Makeup Artistry as their profession! Preferably, the ebbs and tides!

Doing makeup is not easy as it looks like! It needs a lot of creativity, patience, urge to learn more, new contacts, cosmetics, energy and most of all ambition to be a makeup artist and not to give up easily! This is not a glorious field as we see successful makeup artists doing Vogue and Elle! But, its fun. It's a job that gives 100% satisfaction! You can see the results of the work you do immediately and the transformations are mind blowing! When becoming a makeup artist, you should choose which path you want to opt for like film makeup, television makeup, fashion and editorial makeup and special effects makeup! There are others like bridals and all which are not branches per se thanks to the reason 99% brides do not get married again LOL! Makeup is truly enticing if its considered as an ART and not a business!

29. Do you think a person should be certified by an organization to launch his/her career as a Makeup Artist? Like professional courses?

Any form of education never goes waste! There is always something to learn in class! It's not just a waste of time! Sometimes, we do end up paying exhorbitant amount of money for learning makeup! But, at a point of time its the "satisfaction" that matters! Another reason I feel everyone should do a makeup course because they teach you the color theory, makeup in different lightings and so many things which you can only learn there or through your mistakes! In a gist, once we come to know the rules in makeup from a makeup course, we know how to break them better!

30. To what extent do makeup books help? Any must-have recommendations?

Makeup books make sure that you don't look dumb in front of the makeup counter! You either know or at least guess what is what! If you read and then practice what you have read, they really help! I love Robert Jones, Kevyn Aucoin and some random books I got from Amazon, but lost with time! I also love the book written by Francois Nars! The only bad thing about reading books is that they compare many models and actresses who are almost perfect and this only acts as a source of inspiration! They never talk about the common woman!

P.S - Final session! I can't thank you enough for taking your time, Dr. Neeraj! We look forward for more sessions in the near future, but expect wiser questions!

Body Shop Pink Grapefruit Body Butter

2010-04-15T14:31:00.001+05:30

Claims - An intensive creamy all-over body moisturiser with the zesty pink grapefruit fragrance! It absorbs into the skin easily to condition and soften providing moisturization for up to 24 hours! Keep your skin super-smooth and soft with a rich, intensive cream that provides zesty, fruit-scented moisturization! Suitable for normal skin!

Key Ingredients - Pink Grapefruit Seed Oil is rich in essential fatty acids that help restore skin smoothness and suppleness while rebuilding the skins barrier function! Cocoa Butter is an excellent moisturiser that melts at body temperature leaving the skin silky smooth and soft! Shea Butter is a great natural moisturiser that helps condition the skin while acting as a barrier to seal in the moisture! If you don’t read the labels, this is for you! Trade with the Kuapa Kokoo community enables the development of projects such as schools and village wells in addition to providing small-scale farmers with income to support their families!

Peachy pink 200 ml - 192g - 6.7 oz tub retails for 745 INR or £12.50 or $20! The 50 ml mini version tub retails for £5 or $8! I am not quite sure if the mini version is available in the Indian market! Consistency is creamy! Product might appear white, but it is pale pink in reality! If you are not into top note citrus scents, you might not like Pink Grapefruit fragrance! But, chances are you might like it! I find the Sweet Lemon range sickeningly nauseating, but Pink Grapefruit range has a place in my heart! Must-have for summers! Feels so refreshing! Such a pick-me up fragrance!

A bunch of Body Shop body butters feel the following way! In fact, Pink Grapefruit contributes more towards that feel! A while after application, skin feels so cool to touch! Just the way mint does to breath! Now, you know why I call this a must-have for summers? You might not feel the same way, so better watch out! I don’t say its frosty or freezing cold, but still I consider that my skin cool on touch! A penny size product is more than enough to cover a large surface area! Again, no harm if more or less! All I meant to say was a little goes a long way! Apart from Buriti Baby body butter, I find the Pink Grapefruit formula kind of magical! The product is easy to work with! Once it touches the skin, it sinks in! The formulation is totally body-friendly! Skin looks absolutely dry, but in fact the formula richly moisturizes my skin! Anything for such a healthy looking skin! Staying power of the product is phenomenal! Fragrance stays for more than 6 to 7 hours, which is definitely a bonus in sweltering summers! The fragrance lingers whole day unless you are too much into the water! Beach or water rides, for instance!

As mentioned earlier, Pink Grapefruit fragrance is citrusy! Sweet Lemon body butter smells like lemon rind! Pink Grapefruit body butter smells like Pink Grapefruit rind! Grapefruit seed extract claims to have strong antimicrobial properties with proven activity against bacteria and fungi! Grapefruit peel oil is used in aromatherapy! Historically known for its aroma, Pink Grapefruit oil helps boost confidence, happiness and peace levels! Helps treat depression, fatigue, exhaustion, burnout, fear and stress! I am yet to explore the aromatherapy version of Pink Grapefruit, but will let you know if it really helps in the above mentioned conditions!

Store your body butter in a cool dry place! Basically, the life expectancy of this product is 12 months! I never mind stocking up more body butters as I consider most of the ingredients natural! I know it sounds gross! You can either continue using the product post expiry or simply toss it out! After all, it is your choice finally!

I can give anything to try the Pink Grapefruit lip butter! How beautiful is the wee tub! As far as my observation goes, the body butter fragrance is a bit different compared to the lip butter fragrance! It can get either intense or mild! Will I repurchase Pink Grapefruit body butter? Definitely not! The Body Shop launches a couple of new fragrances every year! If I keep purchasing the same fragrance, don’t you think I will be missing something? Do I have any staple body butters, then? Yes, of course! Japanese Cherry Blossom and Buriti Baby will remain my all time favourites! I believe nothing can replace those two! At least, so far!

Other products available in the Pink Grapefruit range are soap, puree body lotion, shower gel, body scrub and lip butter! Cleanse using Pink Grapefruit shower gel or soap! Exfoliate to remove dead skin cells two to three times a week using Pink Grapefruit Body Scrub! Complete the ritual with Pink Grapefruit Body Butter!

Ingredients - Aqua, Citrus Paradisi, Cocoa Butter, Cyclomethicone, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Shea Butter, PEG-100 Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Lanolin Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, Limonene, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Xanthan Gum, Linalool, Benzyl Alcohol, Disodium EDTA, Tocopherol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Citral, Sodium Hydroxide, Citronellol, Geraniol, Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde, CI 15985, CI 17200.

P.S - Fragrances are very personal! I love the pink grapefruit fragrance doesn’t mean you will obviously like it! Does the Pink Grapefruit body butter sound like heaven in tub? Better try the mini version to see you how you get on! If you have no access to the mini version as such, my recommendation would be Pink Grapefruit lip butter! Just in case you are interested, the 10ml lip butter tub retails for 275 INR! It is exactly the same, save the intensity of fragrance! Did you ever get to try The Body Shop Pink Grapefruit range of products? How do you like the fragrance?

Star Of The Month - Series II

2010-04-14T14:16:00.000+05:30

Continuation of Series II...

11. What skin type do you find the most challenging?

I find dry skin very challenging as I have seen foundations cracking and falling on people's clothes! They have so many wrinkles and their skin looks dead! The "greying" of makeup can be best seen on dry skins! But I love dry skin as whatever you put them is taken in! The other challenge that I love and face is blending a cream blusher on the cheeks! Its tougher than applying a straight line with an eye liner and needs to be really mastered especially on a lady with dry skin! On dry skin, foundation can go horrendous and I have seen people looking literally haggered! By the way, powder is a no-no for dry skin!

12. Must-have products for oily skin?

Clinique 3 steps in skin type 3 and 4, Clinique Moisture Sheer Tint SPF 15, Estee Lauder Idealist Pore Minimizing Refinisher Serum, YSL Matte Touch Foundation Primer, MAC blotting sheets, Shiseido Pureness compact powder, Clinique Pore Minimize Instant Perfector, Elizabeth Arden Intervene Fluid SPF 15, Lancôme Aqua Fusion Tint! I swear by Shiseido Dual Balancing Foundation, Clinique Superbalanced makeup, Clarins Instant Smooth Perfect Touch, Benefit Complexion Balm, Guerlain Parure Aqua Light Foundation, Dior Diorskin nude natural makeup and Clinique blended loose powder! I do love products from Body Shop and Dermalogica, but I am doubtful of recommending them as they feel very harsh on my skin!

13. Must have products for dry skin?

Clinique 3 steps in skin type 1, Shiseido Benefiance Day & Night cream, Clinique Youth Surge SPF 15 moisturizer, Estee Lauder Time Zone moisturizer and all La Prairie products! Not seen many dry skin products yet! In foundations, I like Clinique Supermoisture makeup and MAC Studio Tech foundation!

14. Must have products for normal skin?

There is nothing like a normal skin concept in India! People have mixed skin types and its funny to place anybody under normal skin category!

15. Must have products for combination skin?

For combination skin, the above mentioned products work in a fine manner depending on the oily and dry side of the face! I love to dab a little more oil-free-moisturizer on the cheeks to hydrate them so that they dont feel dry! Nothing particularly helps, so its seasonal!

16. Any advice on skin care routine for teenagers?

Its all about acne control and banishing oil and its problems in teenagers maximally! Thankfully blame the raging hormones, bad eating and sleeping habits and too much of addictions of any sort! First of all, one should correct those! For blemishes and acne, I swear by the entire range of Clinique anti-blemish solutions as that's the thing that really works on acne and cures them gently! Other skin care product every teenager should use is a sunscreen to prevent their skin from future damage by sun and environmental aggressors! A dab of liquid foundation, a little gel blush, mascara and gloss suits young girls well!

17. Any advice on skin care routine for women in 20s?
Use products that "protect"!

18. Any advice on skin care routine for women in 30s?

Use products that "protect and prevent" environmental and stress induced damage!

19. Any advice on skin care routine for women above 40?

Use products with "anti-ageing" label only when your skin is really concerned! An antioxidant and peptide rich moisturizer does wonders!

20. Must-have SPF product recommendations?

SPF should be really strong and effective! Clinique Solar Smart range is one of its kind sunscreen that is tested for photo-allergies, photo-sensitivity and photo-stability on application! Antioxidant-rich, oil-free and go well as makeup primers and do not break on exposure to sun! I also love Dr.White SPF 20 from Givenchy and Stila Illuminating tinted moisturizer SPF 15!

P.S - To be continued in the next post!

Star Of The Month - Series II

2010-04-07T22:48:00.002+05:30

Where do I begin? Blogosphere has known him as another beauty blogger! Not many know him in real, save his followers! His blog speaks his true love for makeup! He is passionate about Estee Lauder, which paved a way for his current career! His blog might end your search if you are brand-conscious! He appears very composed, but that's not the real "him"! He appreciates sincerity on his blog! He proudly calls himself the "makeup man"! Want to know the real person whose destiny changer was just a lipstick? I feel so honored to present to you Dr. Neeraj Navare, skin care consultant, Clinique!

1. About you in your own words!

I am a bachelor in medicine and surgery! MBBS doctor with diverse interests! I always loved the art of beauty, thanks to the paternal genes! My father is a commercial artist and an amazing painter! I got more interested in makeup when my best friend gifted me a Lakme lipstick for fun and I thought why not make a career out of it! I feel makeup is an art! I am a beholder trying to do the best and contribute the best I could in this field to make things easier and better!

I am 27, single, fair and trying to be fairer! I use a lot of products that I generally write about on myself and my clients, colleagues, friends and whomsover I meet including professional models and all! I work as a skin care consultant with Clinique @ Mumbai! I love my work! I teach people how to maintain their skin, look the best on occasions and also teach makeup as a part of my profession! I am a freelance makeup artist, as well! My lovely blog is a medium to tell my friends all over the world what I know about makeup!

I also like gardening, reading everything and love my new Alsatian puppy Zeus a lot! My inspiration is the day-to-day woman who has to do everything at her work and home and still look beautiful! I try my best to translate the latest in the fashion trends to this woman of today through my blog! I sometimes do write articles for guys and shall write more!

2. How did you land on your current job?

For me, Clinique is a dream job! This is where I wanted to work after I was introduced to their skin care and makeup! I think no other brand can do so much and make so many people happy over the entire world! I always considered MAC, but when I saw the MUA there I changed! MAC, which I use in copious amounts did not cater to my taste in makeup and I was somehow too demure and conservative to work in a brand like that! Estee Lauder Companies are fabulous employers and thats the bliss I enjoy! Its tough to land in a field with too much of competition! But if you have faith in yourself, nothing's impossible! One should always dream and find out ways to fulfill it!

3. You come from a place where make up for men is considered a big NO-NO! What brings you to makeup artistry?

I always considered makeup as an art and a way of self expression! In India, its always the "makeup-man"! Makeup is also a male-dominated field here, especially films and TV! I love to play with colors and enjoy seeing them transform someone! If you see a dirty caterpillar turning into a butterfly, you would admire the nature's work! That's the metamorphosis I love to see in the woman and man of today! Makeup is about enhancing someone, but not changing someone's identity! This is what I love doing everyday!

4. How were the first days of your profession?

I had to struggle a lot as I shifted from medical profession to full-time cosmetology and makeup artistry! Lot of my time went in discovering brands and seeing what works! It was only when 90% of what I used hardly worked, I started writing my blog! I thank my parents a million times everyday for being so supportive and patient enough when I chose this career! They were the ones who invested on all these expensive products I write about today!

5. Do you remember the first faces you worked on?

I got a chance to work with many people, but this is something that happened quite long time back! Finding the traces of my memory though! By the way, my first model was my mother!

6. Name your personal favorite brands!

Somehow, I dont admire Indian makeup brands and make it a point to look past them as they dont appeal to my taste of makeup! Something extraordinary is always loved, but it is the rarest! International brands that I love and rave are too many, but let me write a few! Clinique, MAC, Estee Lauder, Bobbi Brown, Benefit, Clarins, Shiseido, Smashbox, Elizabeth Arden, YSL, Chanel, Dior, NYX Cosmetics, Scott Barnes, Too Faced, MAX Factor, Cover Girl, Guerlain, Bourjois and Lancome!

7. Name your favorite brands @ work, preferably on clients!

Shiseido, Clarins, MAC, Estee Lauder and YSL! Skincare, predominantly Clinique!

8. Which brands do you feel are most hyped?

Guerlain, La Mer, Chanel, Lancome and YSL! They are overtly priced and ridiculously expensive! But, this is only in India and not anywhere else! I do understand that they fall in the luxury division, but that doesnt mean we should pay almost 40% more of what people pay in other countries!

9. Which brands do you feel are under-rated?

MUD Cosmetics and Eve Pearl Cosmetics! They have genuinely the best products to offer in the market, but unfortunately no one knows them!

10. Do you believe a makeover can really change a person's appearance and attitude? Does it help boost their confidence levels?

Compared to women without makeup, studies show that makeup boosts confidence in very high levels in women with makeup! Makeup is about hiding nooks and corners of the face and revealing the best ones! I never felt makeup should alter someone the way they look! It should always be enhancing the best features that are always the unique identity of an individual! Makeup can create wonders and add in the effects that God forgot to give us! Long lashes and high cheekbones, for instance! Makeup is always a medium of self enhancement and putting the best face forward! I hate women who hide themselves in veils of makeup trying to lose their true self somewhere! I admire women who take care of themselves, look gorgeous and carry themselves inspite of wearing a bright fuschia lipstick for work everyday!

P.S - To be continued in the next post! He was very kind to oblige for the session! Thank you, Dr. Neeraj! If you can spare a couple of minutes, do check his amazing blog with wonderful brands! Blog that speaks about discontinued and "IT" brands!

Sneak Peak

2010-04-07T04:14:00.003+05:30

Body Shop has launched their summer range of products apart from their classics! The most-awaited launch includes Sweet Lemon bath and body products! Very refreshing! Claims best for normal to dry skin! Lemon range includes community trade soya bean oil and lemon seed oil! Lemons are grown and hand picked from Italian Riviera! I have never been a big fan of lemon-scented products, thanks to my sickness! But, I cant wait to get my hands on Sweet Lemon lip butter! Fragrance of the body butter and lip butter slightly differs, only if you notice!

Seems Body Shop is about to promote their makeup in a massive way this spring/summer! The launch might see the dawn of sheer lip colors and tinted balms! Natural fruit flavors! Natural fruit seed oils! 100% food grade ingredients! Delipscious Lip Colour range is available in shades #01 Sheer Lychee, #02 Sheer Toffee, 03# Sheer Watermelon, #04 Sheer Candy, #05 Sheer Elderberry, #06 Sheer Grape, #07 Sheer Raspberry, #08 Sheer Saffron and #09 Sheer Pomegranate! Includes community trade cocoa butter! Retails for £9. Delipscious Lip Balm range is available in shades #01 Peach Crush, #02 Watermelon Crush, #03 Berry Crush and #04 Papaya Crush. Retails for £7.

"Nomadic Goddess", their summer makeup range features products solely meant for dramatic eyes and neutral lips! Baked-To-Last shades include community trade organic olive oil!

Courtesy: Chic Profile

Baked-To-Last Bronzer - A natural-looking bronzer, handmade and slow-baked for up to 8 hours of deliciously rich colour! Perfect for a sunkissed looking glow! Available in #01 Golden Bronze and #02 Warm Glow! Retails for £14.

Baked-To-Last Eye Colour - A duo of dazzling shades, handmade and slow-baked for up to 8 hours of deliciously rich colour! Shimmering tones for gorgeous eyes! Available in #01 Copper, #02 Moonstone and #03 Jade! Retails for £9.50.

Waterproof Mascara - 100% waterproof and smudge-proof! This rich hard-working formula helps repel water! Its designed not to clump and gives a long-lasting intense colour! Available in #01 Black! Retails for £10.

Love Gloss - 9 gorgeous shades plus one innovative heart-shaped applicator brush results in a perfect pout! Available in shades #01 Natural, #02 Golden Coral, #04 Blush Pink, #11 Raspberry Pink, # 13 Pale Pink, #15 Dusky Lavender, #16 Fushia Flush, #17 Sweet Peach and #18 Tropical Pink! Retails for £9.50.

Carbon Eye Definer - Catch their eye with a stunning new eye definer! Double-tipped eye liner, liner at one end and smudge brush at the other! Retails for £8.

Big & Curvy Mascara - Makes lashes appear 9 times thicker and much curvier! Advanced brush loads and sculpts lashes coating them from root to tip and a unique formula holds them in place for a curve that lasts and lasts! Contains Community Trade beeswax and marula oil! Available in #01 Black! Retails for £10.

The launch also includes floral summer accessories like nail file, buffer, compact mirror, mini manicure set and cosmetic pouches! What makes the launch more summery is their first dry-effect deodorant with 24 hour protection without aluminium salts! Minimizes white marks! Contains volcanic minerals, essential oils, community trade alcohol from sugarcane and community trade aloe vera! Available in Roll-on and stick forms; Cool & Zesty (Green), Fresh & Floral (Pink) and Chilled & Breezy (Blue)! Best part, roll-on refills will be available! Deodorant retails for £4 whereas the refill retails for £3!

Body Shop never ignores fragrance lovers! Their latest home fragrance collection includes body, room and linen spritz! Great indoor and outdoor scents, they are specially formulated to use on skin! Available in duos, they retail for £6! Pomegranate & Raspberry, Mandarin & Tangelo, Jasmine & White Frangipani, Green Tea & Lemon, Vanilla & Tonka Bean, Sandalwood & Ginger, Aloe & Soft Linen!

Now that my job is done, wait for the launch in your own place! I can hardly wait for the lip products! What are you waiting for?

What's In Rati's Bag?

2010-04-05T17:38:00.002+05:30

Finally, the future You Tube sensation agreed to give us a sneak peek of what's exactly in her bag! Thank you very much, doll! What are we waiting for?

Little red diary, pocket diary, specs, sunglasses, comb, gum, Crocin Cold & Flu, Dove deo, wet wipes, tissues, sanitary napkin, water bottle, eye drops, sewing kit, Tic Tac pins, Business Cards, Q-Tip, Chubby (doll), Safety Pin and hair ties!

Silver makeup kit, Inglot Paint Pot, Lotus Bubbly Nude Lipstick, Lakme Bridal Sutra lipstick # 226, Lotus Kajal, The Body Shop Shea lip butter, handy mirror, Lotus compact, Maybelline Chai Latte Quad, eyelash curler (love curling my lashes every now and then), Colorbar blush in Cinnabar, eyeliner in Midnight Black and hand Cream! Forgot to include medium-sized wallet, signature pen with leather cover and pencil!

Damn ! I am embarrassed now! This is the most basic bag that I love to carry every where! I have been using this for almost 6 months, but I am kinda getting bored of it now! I would like to thank Divija for this eye opener! Guess I'll shed some stuff from my bag right away! Still wondering what the heck is Crocin Cold & Flu doing in my bag! Lol!

P.S - I cannot thank you enough for the credits, Rati! Love the uber chic basic black bag! Agree your bag was sure a mess! Get rid of all the junk, if you hadn't! Dont wait for me, lovelies! Feel free to mail me the pictures of your bag! You dont need to be a blogger for this!

Get Ready To Unsubscribe!

2010-04-05T15:49:00.000+05:30

Many things happening on my end, its hard for me to blog! I am preparing myself for the final trip! Now that you know the reason behind my absence, I will not be updating my blog very often like I used to! Feel free to unsubscribe from my blog as I am not able to visit and comment on your blogs like I used to! I am about to take an indefinite leave from my blog!

Chances are great to continue blogging! I like to stay away from all these things for a great amount of time, at least! I did make some plans for a brighter future! I can't wait for that to happen! Wish me good luck!

I noticed that I am blogging about too many Body Shop products these days! Practically speaking, who wants bath and body products when the whole world is obsessed about high-end makeup brands? Yes! That includes myself! This is what I told my friend the other day! Compared to the comments my earlier posts received, I feel my blog targets nobody these days!

My answer to the anonymous mails! I hate to confess, but I have no intentions to change my blog name! My identity is everything to me! Spring brings blooms! Request brings reviews! I will randomly update my blog, so be prepared for the worst! For my dear friend, I am about to post the pictures of Body Shop Strawberry Bathe & Bloom range!

P.S - Kindly do not follow my blog expecting the same in return! I cannot follow your blog for many reasons! If your blog falls under my criteria, I will surely do that without your asking! I too had my early days, so I know how it feels! Understand, I am not attitudey!

Body Shop Nature's Minerals Foundation SPF25

2010-03-30T22:10:00.001+05:30

Claims - A premium, up-to-the-minute loose powder foundation made from minerals! Long-lasting, blendable powders act like a veil to help defend the skin against sun damage with SPF 25! Ultra light powders apply evenly and blend easily for a radiant, natural-looking complexion! Color builds easily to provide an adjustable light to medium coverage! Effectively reduces the appearance of redness, imperfections, blemishes and visible pores! Helps minimize the appearance of fine lines! Clinically proven as suitable for sensitive skin! Dermatologically tested! Non pore-clogging!

Nature's Minerals makeup has no added preservatives! Fragrance-free! Oil-free! Contains nature's finest minerals! 5 g tub retails for 1145 INR in the Indian market! Originally retails for £15 in UK! Shade #6 retails for £7.50, for some reason! US, retails for $25! Body Shop UK has 8 shades whereas Body Shop India has 6 shades! TBS India has shades #1, #2, #3, #4, #5 and #6! Additionally, #0 is available only in UK! #6 and #0 are not available in the US market!

Packaging is the same for Nature's Minerals range! The lid shimmery black! The show stealer is the mesh/net sifter, not the porous ones! The product hardly goes waste! The best part, SPF 25!

My first thoughts on Body Shop Nature's Minerals Foundation SPF25! Remember, they might change as well! So soft to touch! Just the way Fuller's Earth/Multani Mitti feels to touch! I am not sure if that's got anything to do with the foundation, but I can detect some inky smell! The harder I tried to sniff, the faster I began to sneeze! Excuse me!

I wish Body Shop introduced a wider spectrum of shades to suit all skin tones! It would do good to people like me! I can get makeup and bath & body products at the same store! #6 and #7 suit darker skin tones! Lesser the number, lighter the shade! Blends like a dream! Provided, you master the blending techniques! As per the claim, its buildable! Gives light to medium coverage! Feels light on the skin! Oil control part is not exceptional! Stays for about a couple of hours!

Application - Turn the tub upside down to help the powder deposit in the lid! Work the powder into your brush! Tap off any excess! Use circular motion to apply! Re-apply to build coverage! Perfect partner is Nature's Minerals Foundation Brush! Retails for 1145 INR, $26 or £15! No harm if you are comfortable with your favorite foundation brush/kabuki!

Key Ingredients - Kaolin clay is and Mediterranean clay are absorbent minerals that provide long lasting coverage! Mica adds lustre and has light diffusing properties to help disguise fine lines and pores! Titanium dioxide and iron oxide provide a natural-looking color palette and protects the skin from sun!

Ingredients - Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Kaolin, Illite. Pots are recyclable and lids include recycled material! No fillers!

P.S - Review requested by Lavanya, hence dedicated to her!

Bobbi Brown Long Wear Gel Eyeliner #1 Black Ink

2010-03-29T15:59:00.002+05:30

Claims - This innovative eyeliner offers the precision of liquid liner and the ease of a gel-based formula! Long wearing, water resistant color can be used to create subtle to dramatic looks! Apply with Ultra Fine Eye Liner Brush! Dermatologist and Ophthalmologist tested!

Bobbi Brown Long Wear Gel Eyeliner is available in Black Ink, Black Mauve Shimmer Ink, Black Plum Ink, Caviar Ink, Chocolate Shimmer Ink, Espresso Ink, Forest Shimmer Ink, Granite Ink, Graphite Shimmer Ink, Ivy Shimmer Ink, Sepia Ink and Violet Ink!

Application technique - Dip the tip of Ultra Fine Eye Liner Brush or your favorite eye liner brush into the gel formula! Coat both sides of brush head! Wipe off excess on tissue before applying to eye! Work quick as the product becomes transfer-resistant once dry!

Bobbi Brown Long Wear Gel Eyeliner comes in a 3g wee glass pot/tub! Retails for £15! The shade we have is #1 Black Ink, supposedly the blackest black! Product doesnt have any fragrance! Correct me if I am wrong! Consistency is thick, creamy and gel-based! Make sure you tighten the lid once you are done! As mentioned earlier, its hard to work once the product is dry! It doesnt go even on the skin! Can get chunky whateva! Once dry, the product can turn powdery!

Not sure if I can call it downside, but I wish the pigmentation was more intense! Its the blackest black available yet, but I prefer jet black! May be, I should use a greater amount! My opinion, the price is just too much for my budget! For me, it's a splurge! I dont compare Bobbi Brown Long Wear Gel Eyeliner to any gel liner available in the market coz its my first gel liner! So far, I have used liquid, felt-tip and gel-based liners! I find liquid the easiest, felt-tip trickiest and gel-based very professional! Do I sound insane?

The first time I used Bobbi Brown eyeliner, I was on cloud nine! I never thought it would be so damn easy! I heard it's water proof and staff told me the same! I applied this in the morning! I was very surprised to find this intact until I took it off! Only thing, it was not as pigmented as it was earlier! Who cares? Personally, I find lining the right eye is tougher compared to the left eye! Especially, Bobbi Brown eyeliner with Ecotools angled liner brush! Did you experience the same? Now, I totally forgot how it was with the other liners!

Gel liners dont come with any applicators, so pick your own tools! Bobbi Brown suggests Ultra Fine Eye Liner Brush! If you are comfortable with your favorite eyeliner brush, that should be fine! I use the Ecotools angled liner brush! But, I love to try artist brushes from craft stores! You can also try any pointed brush, as well! Make sure you dont poke your eyes!

Many wonder if gel eye liners are water-line safe! My perspective, I am yet to try! My eyes are more towards watery and sensitive end! So, I hardly mess up with my makeup! But, will surely let you all know when I line my water line! You can use any oil-based eye make up remover to get rid of your eyeliner! If you are comfortable with your favorite makeup remover, that should be fine!

P.S - Requested by bestie! If you dont agree with my review, kindly ignore this post! As you can see, pictures are crappy! Bad weather, again! Lavanya, your mineral makeup review will be up soon! Sorry for the delay, sweetie!

Body Shop Sale Update

2010-03-29T00:11:00.000+05:30

As mentioned earlier, I visited TBS again to get hold of their permanent Shea Butter range! I was tempted to buy Wild Cherry and Mango ranges as well, but passed it for some reason! Here is another acquisition from the crazy sale!

Body Shop Shea Butter Bathe & Bloom originally retails for £17.50, but marked down to £5! The products included are 250 ml Shower Gel, 50 ml Body Butter, 50 ml Body Scrub, 100 g soap and Two-Toned Beige & Brown Bath Lily!

Body Shop Sale

2010-03-26T23:03:00.002+05:30

Dont ask me how long this is going to last! If you are near to TBS, its time to rush! Why? A crazy sale has come up! I am so excited I can hardly type! All I can do is post the pictures! Can you believe? You have to! I am the sole proof!

Strawberry Bathe & Bloom originally retails for £17.50 - £20, but it was marked down to £5! The products come safe in a rigid card box! Strawberry range includes 250 ml Shower Gel, 50 ml Body Butter, 75 ml Body Polish, 100 g soap and Two-Tone Red & Beige bath lily!

Moringa Bathe & Bloom originally retails for £17.50, again marked down to £5! Same packaging! Moringa range includes 250 ml Shower Gel, 50 ml Body Butter, 50 ml Body Scrub, 100 g soap, Two-Tone Yellow & White bath lily!

Higher heavens! Would it be wise to expect more for a fiver? How could anybody resist this sale? Don't you call this a crazy sale? TBS sold these like peanuts in half an hour! If I am fortunate enough, I might get hold of the Shea and Wild Cherry range as well! The sale also includes Mango and Coconut range!

New Moringa Bathe & Bloom packaging!

What's your next task? Only for Body Shop addicts! RUN! Why? The Body Shop Lip Butter retails for £5! Do I have to say more, comparitively? Do your math! I did review Moringa Body Butter and Strawberry Body Butter earlier! If you like to see the products seperately, do let me know! Will surely post them!

P.S - Deals might vary according to the market! Kindly visit your local store every week for latest deals and updates! Seems Body Shop India has instore offers from March 2nd to March 31st, 2010! Papaya body butter is being discontinued soon! A little birdie told me Olive body butter might be discontinued as well!

Body Shop Strawberry Body Butter

2010-03-25T18:09:00.003+05:30

Claims - An intensive creamy all-over body moisturiser offering up to 24 hours moisturisation with a sweet berry fragrance! It contains moisturizing strawberry seed oil, shea and cocoa butter! Suitable for normal skin! Available in 50 ml and 200 ml tubs!

The body butter comes in a 200 ml or 192 g or 6.9 OZ tub! Retails for £12.50! Body Butter tubs usually carry a color theme that coordinates with the fragrance! The tub is deep berry colored with strawberries on the lid! The product is pale pink in color! Consistency is creamy! Sinks in, but work out well! Doesnt mean its hard to work out! You can make out the oily formula dry after a while! Doesnt leave any greasy residue! The formula has strawberry seed oil extracted from strawberry pips!

Very hydrating formula! Gives a healthy sheen to the skin! Skin is visibly soft! Apply the moisturizer on damp skin! It helps lock the moisturizer better! Fragrance is kinda strong! Very refreshing! Very summery! Smells just like freshly crushed strawberries! If you are into strong flavors, this is for you!

For a longer lasting fragrance and to maximise the skin care benefits, use together with other products from the Strawberry range in a layering regime!

The staying power of the scent is phenomenal! Strawberry body butter is a fragrant moisturizer! Perfumey-kind! Better use strawberry body butter alone! There might be a chance of fragrance mishap! Better be alone than in a bad company!

Key Ingredients - Strawberry seed oil provides omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids that help repair moisture barrier of the skin, thus helping to restore moisture, smoothness and suppleness! Shea butter has a high level of antioxidant vitamins A, E and F, which help to protect and nourish the skin! Moisturises and helps soften the skin! Cocoa butter is an excellent moisturiser that melts at body temperature, leaving the skin feeling soft and silky smooth!

Ingredients - Aqua, Butyrospermum parkii, Cyclomethicone, Glycerin, Theobroma cacao, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Lanolin Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, Methylparaben, Fragaria ananassa, Propylparaben, Xanthan Gum, Tocopherol, Benzyl Alcohol, Disodium EDTA, Fragaria chiloensis, Limonene, Sodium Hydroxide, Cinnamal, Rosmarinus officinalis, Linalool, Citral, Caramel.

Products from Strawberry range include perfume oil, shower gel/cream, soap, puree body lotion, body polish, fragrance oil, lip balm!

P.S - Review requested by Tanveer Parmar! Fragrances are personal! Act smart before you invest! Performance differs according to the weather conditions! Check your local website for the best deals! Gift takeaways vary according to the markets!

Body Shop Community Trade Programme

2010-03-22T23:08:00.001+05:30

Nobody really thought buying a soap, lipstick or body lotion can make a difference in somebody's life! But choosing products with ethically sourced ingredients ensures real benefits! Do you want to find out how you made a positive difference to over 15,000 people around the world?

Body Shop community trade is worth knowing! Their beauty secret is Sun, Rain and Generations Of Wisdom! Every product range involves a community trade ingredient! Be it a lipstick or body butter! Communities get fair deal and a sustainable income that enables them to invest in their future! In return, you get high quality ingredients! 31 communities in 20 countries around the world get a fair deal! Looking fabulous never felt so good!

Marula Oil, the moisturizer in Body Shop's makeup range is sourced from Northern Namibia! You chose a lipstick! They get financial independence and take care of their families and invest in the future of their children by sending them to school!

Seaweed skincare products contain community trade seaweed from Roaring Water Bay Co-Operative in Ireland! You chose the Seaweed range! You help protect the environment and provide employment!

The pure Aloe Vera gel in Aloe Skin and Body Care range is community trade from Guatemala! You chose the Aloe Vera range! That helps provide vital income for the farmers in a country where half the population earns less than US $1 a day! Also helps provide school children educational material for a rural region of Guatemala!

The Honey & Beeswax is a community trade from Zambian forest! Body Shop uses community trade ingredients in softeners and moisturizers! They also use Organic Honey and Conditioning Beeswax in their hair care range!

The skin-softening, moisturizing cocoa butter comes from Ghanaian community trade! It's the same top quality cocoa beans supplier as in Divine Chocolate! You chose cocoa butter range! This helps provide the farmers with income to support their families!

The peppermint oil for the footcare range comes from community trade in Norfolk, England! They also supply camomile oil and camomile water! You chose peppermint range! You help give life to a local community that was under threat!

Shea butter is one of the nature's great moisturizers! Ghanaian women use it for centuries to protect their skin from the dry Saharan winds! You chose Shea butter products! It helps enable women increase their self esteem and dramatically change their lives with water pipes and wells! Also gives their children, particularly daughters, the chance to go to secondary school!

Some of the Body Shop's accessories come from Teddy Exports based in India since 1986! Just because you chose their products, they have grown to the extent where it now provides safe and stable employment to over 300 men and women! File-A-Foot, their foot filer, is best selling accessory with over 4,00,000 sold per year! It is made using Siberian Silver Birch Wood from Russia!

Organically grown Babassu Oil from Brazil is found in over 30 products! Brazil includes much of the world's biggest rain forest whose exploitation has become a major environmental worry and resulted in women fighting for their land! You chose products with Babassu Oil, a moisture restoring ingredient! It helps the community grow from strength to strength!

Organic Bergamot oil comes from Calabria, Italy! Bergamot oil is truly revitalizing! The local farmers faced a competition from synthetic alternatives, came together to market their natural version, thereby preventing this traditional industry from dying out!

The Blue Corn Powder used in the classic Blue Corn Mask is community trade from Santa Ana Pueblo in New Mexico, USA! Moisture gloves and socks made from community trade cotton are supplied by Craft Aid in Mauritius! Best selling bath mitts, natural baskets and terracota accessories come from Bangladesh!

Now that you know you make a difference in somebody's life, next visit to the store should make you happier! Feel proud when you invest on Body Shop products! Passive or active, you change their lives!

P.S - If you are not into Body Shop, kindly ignore my blog! I paid for all Body Shop products reviewed on my blog! Remember, I do not work for TBS! They dont pay me to do this! This is my love towards Body Shop, nothing else! If you like TBS, spread the love! If you dont, at least try not to spread negativity around!

Tag: 10 Questions

2010-03-17T21:37:00.003+05:30

Well! Here's the official declaration that I am sick, again! When was the last time I was sick? Better ask me when was the last time I was not sick! I have so much to do, but not able to do! Time for Buddha Bar! For time being, I have this tag for you! Do or dont, I tag everybody!

1. What is your favorite color? Classic! Black!

2. What is your favorite cartoon? Heidi & Oswald!

3. What is your favorite quote? Why Should I Be A Roman In Rome When A Roman Can Be A Roman Elsewhere? I wrote this, so its a personal quote! Patents pending! I am not here to hurt anybody's feelings! I was always taught to be a Roman in Rome, which I never was! I never will! Why should I? Like me or not! I am what I am! Full of attitude!

4. What is your favorite smell? I love the smell of earth when it rains! I love the smell of dewy grass! I love the sweet smell of flowers! I love the classic smell of lipstick! I love the smell of food when hungry! I love the smell of Body Shop body butters!

5. What program do you use to edit your videos? Not tech-savvy! Last thing I would do is edit videos! I dont need to, to be honest!

6. What celebrity would you be? Thanq, but I want to be my own self!

7. What is your favorite name brand? I am not brand-conscious! I like it, I pick it up! Period!

8. What is your favorite holiday? Every day is a holiday in India! In UK, Boxing Day! Mad shopper!

9. What type of camera do you use? Nikon Digital Camera/Sony Cybershot Digital Camera!

10. What is your favorite store? Stores without nose-picking sales assistants!

Body Shop White Musk Voluptuous Velvet Body Creme

2010-03-16T16:14:00.002+05:30

Claims - A luxuriously rich, intensely creamy sensual moisturiser that melts onto your skin leaving it feeling velvety soft to touch! Subtly scented with the soft and velvety signature White Musk scent! Suitable for all skin types!

Very popular! Products from the White Musk range include Eau De Toilette for Men & Women, Chiffon Sheer Body Mist, Eau De Parfum, Sumptuous Silk Shower Gel, Shimmer Eau De Toilette, Smooth Satin Body Lotion, Soft Satin Body Polish, Moisturizing Hand & Nail Cream, Sensual Body Powder, Perfume Oil, Anti-perspirant deodorant, Hair & Body Wash for men, Fragrance Oil, Creamy Cleansing Body Bar, Sensual Shimmer Fragrance, Silken Lustre Bubble Bath and Limited Edition Hand Cream!

Tip - First, cleanse using White Musk Sumptuous Silk Shower Gel or Creamy Cleansing Body Bar! To enhance the sensual scent, layer on the White Musk range of products!

Voluptuous Velvet Body Creme 200 ml tub retails for £12! The rich velvety notes of White Musk will leave your skin feeling sensual! Product is ivory in color! Consistency is like the Moroccan Rose and Japanese Cherry Blossom body butters! Smells like sandalwood incense sticks, at times! Smells divine! Heavenly fragrance! Very pure!

Absorbs easily! Hydrating! Hands might appear dry after a while as there is no greasy residue, but your skin is taken good care of! Healthy-looking skin! Fragrance wise, phenomenal staying power! If you are in water, it might not! Try other products from this range in layering regime for long lasting power! Very luxurious treat anybody could ask for! Very seductive!

Key Ingredients - Musk mallow extract is naturally comforting and softening! Leaves the skin feeling hydrated, soft and utterly pampered! Sesame seed oil is an effective moisturiser that helps soften the skin! Natural lipids work in conjunction with essential fatty acids to maintain and restore the skin's barrier function creating a protective shield that prevents water loss and restores suppleness! Cocoa butter is an excellent moisturiser that melts at body temperature, leaving the skin feeling soft, silky smooth and supple! Helps improve skin elasticity and prevent stretch marks! Packed with Community Trade ingredients like shea butter, organically grown babassu oil, Cocoa butter, sesame seed oil and Organic Olive Oil!

Ingredients - Aqua, Cyclomethicone, Glycerin, Olea europaea, Butyrospermum parkii, Orbignya oleifera, PEG-100 Stearate, Sesamum indicum, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Parfum, Lanolin, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Theobroma cacao, Phenoxyethanol, Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde, Methylparaben, Maltodextrin, Xanthan Gum, p-Anisic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Disodium EDTA, Tocopherol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Linalool, Citric Acid, Hydroxycitronellal, Hibiscus abelmoschus, Coumarin, Isoeugenol, Geraniol, Benzyl Benzoate, Citronellol, Benzyl Salicylate, Farnesol, Benzyl Alcohol, Limonene, Eugenol, Benzyl Cinnamate, Citral.

P.S - Fragrances are personal! Try before you invest!

Rani, The Princess!

2010-03-15T22:55:00.000+05:30

For those of you new, she is Rani, beauty blogger from UK! I hardly know her myself, hence this interview! She updates her blog once in a while coz she is not jobless like myself! Wanna know more about Rani?

1. What brings you to the beauty blogosphere, knowing there are tonnes already? Do you fancy a career involving makeup? I used to do makeup videos on youtube, but found its too demanding! So, I thought I'll try out blogging! The fact there are so many bloggers already here doesn't phase me at all! Eveyone has their own thang, right? I did fancy a career in makeup and have done beauty therapy! I worked in a salon for about a year! But, for now I think I'm happy in my current job! Maybe in the future, though!

2. What role does makeup play in your daily life? Is makeup a must for your profession? I do wear makeup on a daily basis and prefer wearing makeup everytime I go out! I won't leave the house without makeup unless it was a crazy emergency! For work I wear only foundation and some mascara! It's not a must, but I have to wear something to look professional!

3. Whom do you find the most inspiring? Makeup or any aspect of your life! When it comes to makeup, no one really! But on life on a whole, I find all those independent women very inspiring! In 5 years time or even less I want to be in a position in life where I am someone important and completely independent! Fingers crossed!

4. Rani, a shopaholic or Rani, a bargain-shopper? Defo a bargain shopper! Brand names and prices don't mean much to me! It's what you can achieve with whatever you have! Mind you, I don't mind owning high end brands! But at this point, I am in no position to be choosey! Saying that, achieving a great look with cheaper products shows more skill ! That's what I tell myself anyway!

5. How do you update your collection, especially the products who dont have access to? Like I said before, I just like to make do with what I have! I am not too picky, but then there is always Ebay!

6. What is your favourite makeup brand? High-end or drug store? Are you brand-conscious? Again, I am not brand conscious but I do love ELF cosmetics makeup!

7. What are your go-to makeup products? Anything you reach for, no matter what occasion! Eyeliner, heated lash curler and mascara! There is always lipgloss in my bag pocket, so that too!

8. Do you have any products you cannot live without? Staples! ELF's bronzer and blush duo! Great contour for medium skintones! Obviously a good mascara! At the moment, it's L'Oreal Telescopic!

9. What is lying untouched in your vanity from day #1? Any future for that! I have loads of lipsticks lying untouched! I just ain't a lipstick person and it takes a lot for me to like one! There is a future for them if I go to OTT occasion to go to!

10. What's your take on Smoky eye - nude lips? I don't think smokey eyes suit me at all or maybe I just haven't ever done it right? But I think it looks great on others! I love that combo!

11. Do you collect anything related to makeup? Not really! Don't have a budget for that, but I am starting to get a lot of lipglosses! Any brand or colour! But, I mostly prefer clear/clear with shimmer ones!
12. What's your take on bloggers' recommendations on products? Do you consider? Definitely! I think they are the most honest opinions, although I am quite apprehensive about sponsored reviews!

13. Would you like to share your best and worst experiences so far? Hmm...don't really have any bad experiences so far! Touch wood! Best, Well I have got to meet so many great desi bloggers and then a lot of bloggers from the UK! On you tube, most gurus are from the USA! Doesnt help much when half the reviews are of brands I can't even get hold of!

14. Would you like to share your daily routine? Skincare or haircare? I will be honest! Quite a shame! I don't have much of a skincare routine besides cleansing daily! I find exfoliating always breaks me out so that is done once a month and that's about it! I wash my hair every other day! I towel dry and then add Tony & Guy Shine Addiction Straightening Glaze and Charles Worthington High Shine Glossing Spray to my damp hair! Then, I blow dry my hair straight! If I curl my hair, I add mousse and that's it! Simple! Oh...I change my shampoo every time it finishes and always use a conditioner!

15. Would you like to feature your hand bag here? Preferably, a picture that includes you! I am going to be really cheeky and give you 2 pictures! Can't fit myself and the bag into one pic!

Tag: Threes Of Me

2010-03-14T19:22:00.001+05:30

I was tagged by Stella, thanq sweetie! I dont understand why you girls tag me! Just because you have to tag someone or do you really think I deserve to be tagged? Seems Stella likes my writing style! Whoa! I never thought somebody would like my style whatever!

1. Three names I go by? Blogosphere, Divija, Divi and Divs! Otherwise, I have ton lotta names just like anybody else!

2. Three jobs I have had? Teacher, Medical Transcriptionist and Volunteer at Cancer Research UK!

3. Three places I have lived? Village, country or continent? India and Scotland, so far!

4. Three favorite drinks? Water, water and water!

5. Three TV shows I watch? Heidi and Oswald cartoons! I am obsessed with Egyptian civilization, so I keep watching documentary films on Egypt!

6. Three places I have been? I have been to places in India, but not in UK!

7. Three places I would like to visit? India and only India! Might be Egypt, given a chance!

8. Three people who text me regularly? Nobody! I am not so fortunate!

9. Three favorite old TV shows? I watch Heidi, Oswald and Tweety only!

10. Three favorite dishes? If hungry, everything spicy and vegetarian is my favorite! I am hungry all the time, by the way!

11. Three makeup products I cannot live without? I spent my childhood sans makeup, so I can live further! Otherwise, I like moisturizer, kohl and tinted lip balm! Again, I can definitely survive without these!

12. Three things I am looking forward to? India, India and India! I want to go back! I wish I had wings!

P.S - If I tag everybody, nobody bothers to do the tag! If I tag somebody in particular, others might feel bad! Do it or dont, I tag everybody!

Star Of The Month - Series I

2010-03-12T18:28:00.003+05:30

Continued...

1. What latest range you would love to try? Sweet Lemon range, especially the shower gel! Very refreshing! Very summery! Very fruity!

2. What is the latest launched luxury range? Spa Wisdom range, which is revamped! Previously, the bath salts were discontinued!

3. Do you wish any discontinued range to come back? I normally stock up those products! Otherwise, I find a suitable alternative! Body Shop is great in bringing back alternatives! For instance, Cassis Rose range was discontinued! Moroccan Rose range was launched, instead! Exciting part is Japanese Cherry Blossom and Moroccan Rose ranges are made permanent, thanks to the demand!

4. What are the best sellers? Hemp hand cream, Vitamin E range, Coconut body butter and Love Your Body cards! Then comes Moringa body butter, Shea body butter and Cocoa body butter! Many want the Moringa perfume to be launched!

5. Whats your insight on perfume oils? Doesnt contain alcohol, so its great for sensitive skin! Lasts full day long! Concentrate on your pulse points!

6. What products do you think are under-rated? Body Shop makeup! Its definitely worth a try! Vitamin C range as well! We are about to discontinue a product from Vitamin C range! Warming Mineral mask! Its kaolin clay treatment, which warms up on your skin! Opens the pores for deep cleansing! Contains ginger and cinnamon oils!

7. Whats your take on bath accessories? Bath lillies last ages as they dont break up! Holds great shape! Lathers up well! Very good for exfoliation! My favorites are Cactus bath brush, ultra fine bath lillies and bath gloves! Our foot filer, which retails for £4.50 is our best seller ever!

8. Can you be more specific about Cactus bath brush and bath gloves? Cactus bath brush works wonders for cellulite! It helps boost circulation! Very healthy! Makes any sense? Compared to the Body Brush Round, Cactrus bath brush bristles are harder like toilet brush! But, they soften over time! It has a great grip as well! Bath gloves contains anti-bacterial solution, so they dont go mouldy! Great to use!

9. What about your facial accessories? I know they are a bit expensive, but they have got more to them! The facial buffer, especially! It works wonders!

10. Do you want to convey any message? Not a message, but wanted to share something! People tend to forget our community trade ethics! Near enough everything from the store is a fair trade product! Great quality and ethically sourced! A percentage of every product goes to The Body Shop Foundation!

P.S - Vicky is not paparazzi-friendly! Hence, the interview sans picture! Thank you very much for the interview, Vicky! So kind of you to oblige! Good luck!

Star Of The Month - Series I

2010-03-11T22:33:00.002+05:30

She is beautiful, soft-spoken, patient-enough and always willing to help! At the store, I keep observing her way of handling the customers, especially when the customer is not sure of how to apply a particular product with a specified tool! She comes to their rescue beaming! Her customers are her celebrities! She frankly admits her faults, just in case! After a zillion visits to the store, I finally got hold of her! She is none other than Vicky, The Body Shop makeup artist!

1. How long did you work for TBS? How does it feel? 2-1/2 years! Didn't feel so long! Its same everyday, but enjoyable! Great brand to work for! I love their charity work!

2. What was your experience like so far? Mixed, I can say! I like to build rapport with loyal customers! I look forward to speak to them, in fact! I love to learn things from a different level! Fun part is to experience the latest launch! Shop lifters put me off!

3. What kind of techniques did you learn so far? Its hard to know what a trick is! Its a natural way of doing things for a makeup artist! Not a technique, basically! As per the customer specification, we do a make-over, lip-over, eye-over etc!

4. Share your Pick 1 from Body Shop? Body butter, obviously!

5. Share your Pick 3 from Body Shop? Body butter, Sea weed Clarifying toner and face powder!

6. What products does your skincare routine include? I was given Philosophy's Hope In A Jar, so I have to use it to the last drop! Otherwise, my skincare routine includes only Body Shop products!

7. What products does your haircare routine include? Because of my hair extensions, I have to use Pro range! Otherwise, I use Olive range, Honey range and Amlika Leave-In Conditioner from Body Shop!

8. What brands does your makeup include? We don't do waterproof makeup @ TBS! My eyes tend to water, so liner comes off easily! Hence, I use Gosh waterproof eyeliner! Otherwise, I use Body Shop makeup!

9. Did you ever try MAC? Would you like to? I did not try MAC! Do you think I should?

10. Drugstore or High-end makeup? In between like Body Shop range! If I did not work for TBS, I would have chosen high-end stuff! I don't like to use cheap stuff as they don't work for me!

11.What would you recommend straight away to a new customer? Body butter and Vitamin C Skin Reviver! It helps brighten the complexion! Boosts skin's smoothness, radiance and vitality! Has Orange oil and Grapefruit oil! Instant gratification product!

12. Assume you dont work for TBS, what would you buy? Makeup, body butter, skincare and Love Etc perfume!

13. Do you like any specific line of your makeup? I am a more eye makeup person! Partial, I can say! I like to coordinate my eyes and lips!

14. What Body Shop makeup tool is under-rated according to you? Foundation brush! Retails for 12 pounds, but is worth every penny! Lasts long! Doesnt shred! Every wash, it looks new!

15. What's your insight on fragrance oil? Makes a great gift! Great alternative when you are not sure what to choose for your friends or family, especially when sensitive to cosmetics! I love Satsuma, Coconut, Exotic and Line Dried Cotton!

Will be continued later...

P.S - From now, I will feature a makeup artist on my blog whenever possible! In my opinion, makeup artist doesnt have to be a celebrity artist! If thats what you are looking for, kindly ignore! As mentioned earlier, Series I includes only Vicky! If you think I can interview you in the most silly way possible, please mail me!

Body Shop Soft Hands Kind Heart Hand Cream

2010-03-11T17:20:00.000+05:30

Claims - A protective and soothing hand cream infused with Angelica extract and Organic Olive oil to care for the skin leaving it silky soft to touch! This non-greasy formula sinks into the skin to moisturise and condition! With a sparkling green fragrance with fresh citrus aspects in the top, leading to an elegant floral heart on a warm amber background! Cares for skin while leaving it feeling soft, smooth and supple with a light, yet richly moisturizing lotion with a refreshing fragrance! This non-greasy formula sinks into the skin to moisturize and condition! It also helps condition hair and give it a silky shine! Best for normal to dry skin!

Retails for Rs.345 in India, £5 in UK and $10 in US! Product comes in a squeezy 75 ml or 2.5 US FL OZ tube! Easy to control! Consistency is not creamy, but kinda liquidy! Not runny, by the way! Milk white in color! Its a fragrant product! I dont know about the notes, but I feel its floral like something related to jasmine family! I might be wrong, but its a scented product in a good way! The formula sinks in easily and kinda evaporates! Skin might appear dry after a while, but the product stays on! Staying power of the fragrance is phenomenal!

US and Indian market claims 100% of the profits from the sale of this product will be donated to global NGO partner ECPAT! UK market, £3.45 from purchase is donated to campaign partner ECPAT, who are actively working to stop the trafficking and sexual exploitation of children and young people in the UK and around the world! Human trafficking is the 3rd largest and fast-growing criminal industry in the world! International and national members of the ECPAT network aims to help protect children and young people from trafficking! By purchasing this product, you can reach out and show your support for children and young people suffering across the globe, by taking direct and positive action to protect them!

Ingredients - Aqua, Glycerin, Ethylhexyl Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Olea Europaea Oil, Cetearyl Olivate, Caprylyl Glycol, Zea Mays Starch, Parfum, Sorbitan Olivate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Olive Oil PEG-7 Esters, Panthenol, Sodium Polyacrylate, Cyclohexasiloxane, p-Anisic Acid, Dimethicone, Angelica Archangelica Root Extract, Sodium Hydroxide, Disodium EDTA, Tocopherol.

P.S - I dont insist you buy this! Every now and then Body Shop supports a cause and their latest campaign is Soft Hands Kind Heart! If you buy, it supports a cause being a charity product! As far as my knowledge goes, it might be a limited edition product or available for a shorter period! Correct me if I am wrong!

Beauty with brains!

2010-03-10T15:49:00.001+05:30

You have a question? She has an answer! What if she doesnt know? She will do her own research and will let you know at the earliest! She is addicted to blushes, hence her blog "Addicted To Blush"! She is a cosmetic chemist rather than a beauty blogger! This is all I can say about Tanveer Parmar, the beauty with brains! Do you wanna know more about her?

1. What brings you to the Beauty Blogosphere, knowing there are tonnes already? Do you fancy a career that involves makeup? I started my blog in November 2008! I think there are too few blogs on Indian Makeup & Skincare even today! I was going to get married in 2 months and wanted advise and reviews on make-up and skin care! While I found a lot of great sites on skin & hair care, I just couldn’t find any site that reviewed regular Indian makeup/skincare like Biotique, Colorbar, Lakme, Maybelline or Streetwear or international brands like Revlon etc! The web was full of MAC, Bobbi Brown, Urban Decay, Stilla, which sounded great but either had to be shipped online or were quite expensive! When I looked back, I realized that there were so many products that I bought were gems and needed to be shared with others or duds where money needed to be saved! So, I began writing my blog as a tool to help other girls like me! Do I fancy a career? Hmm...I don’t mind it sometime in the future! Not working on it now, though. I am happy rolling out culture change initiatives right now!

2. What role does makeup play in your daily life? Is makeup a must for your profession? Makeup time is like play time! I love playing around with the colors and textures! I feel like a kid! Its not a must for my profession! I am in HR and specialize in Organizational Change Management! That just requires you to look presentable and professional (must when I am conducting a training or leading a communication initiative) and has more emphasis on communication skills! The rest is up to your discretion!

3. Whom do you find the most-inspiring, makeup or any aspect of your life? For make-up, I have an eccentric mix of people I look up to for inspiration! I like Kate Winslet for her natural looks! But even Lady Gaga is very interesting in her eccentric experimentation with colors and designs! Katy Perry also is very experimental! In life, I look up to Oprah!

4. Tanveer, a shopaholic or Tanveer, a bargain-shopper? Definitely a compulsive bargain hunter! The thrill lies in the kill!

5. Your place doesn’t stock most of the international brands! How do you update your collection? I just make use of whatever is available locally like Jordana, NYX, Bourjois etc!

6. What is your favourite makeup brand? High-end or drug store? Are you brand-conscious? Maybelline and Colorbar from drugstore! High-end, Bobbi Brown! Yet to try, but somehow feel like am going to like this! I am brand-conscious in the sense that if I had to shell out 2000 bucks for a foundation on a brand I neither heard nor are there any reviews online, I would think twice! As it has become obvious, I am a little stingy!

7. What are your go-to makeup products? Anything you reach for, no matter what occasion! Tinted moisturiser, mascara and tinted lip balm/gloss!

8. Do you have any products you cannot live without? Staples! Blushes & eyeliners!

9. What is lying untouched in your vanity from day #1? Any future for that? This VOV eyeshadow palette (11 shades) I bought for my wedding after hearing rave reviews! I still keep reading! For some reason, the colors look horrible on me! Like I am sick or something! I can’t figure out what’s wrong! I just don’t know what to do with it! No future with me!

10. What’s your take on Smoky eye - nude lips? Looks nice! I do a simple smokey eye with brown, grey or purple and team it with light berry/pink lips! No brown lips!

11. Do you collect anything related to makeup? I collect eyeliners in all colors! That is when I am not collecting blushes!

12. What’s your take on bloggers' recommendations on products? Do you consider? Sure! I have to thank Cynthia for the Ponds Tinted Mosituriser, Rati for the Colorbar blushes & you for Body Shop Japanese Cherry Blossom body butter!

13. Would you like to share your best and worst experiences so far? I have not had any bad experiences with beauty blogging! Best? There are just too many! I was very proud when my home-made Lush Angels On Bare Skin Scrub helped Palak in her acne! I was also very happy when Sweta from Nasik wrote a very sweet comment on how I had helped her out! Actually, there are just too many! I love helping people out! It just makes my day to know that my blog has made a positive difference in someone’s life! Besides, not to mention all the great friends I have made when blogging!

14. Would you like to share your daily routine? Skincare or haircare? Skincare daily routine: Exfoliate with Body Shop Face Buffer with a drop of cleanser and moisturize with Neutrogena (currently) in the morning, follow with make-up for office! At night, deep cleanse with Jergens All Purpose Facial Cream followed by daily pack of honey and lemon! Before sleep, I use eye cream on alternate days! I use plain curd as a face pack on a weekly basis! Haircare: I wash my hair once every 3 days with L'Oreal Repair 5 shampoo (currently)! I skip conditioner as it is very heavy for my fine hair! I instead use Schwarzkopf BC Bonacure Moisture Kick Moisture Spray-in Conditioner, which is very light and perfect for my hair!

15. Would you like to share a picture when you felt that your make-up had come out almost flawless and was at its best? This photograph is from my engagement ceremony! I wore a white silk satin gown and I feel this is the best smokey eyes ever done on me! Attached a picture of me with my hubby (He has a beard here as he had specially grown it for the Sikh wedding ceremony to be held after two days! Ours is a love marriage!)

P.S - Thank you very much, Tanvi, for the customization and the session! It was a great pleasure to know more about you! Hope you enjoy the episode as much as I do! Long live young love!

Body Shop Buriti Baby Body Butter

2010-03-10T01:20:00.000+05:30

Claims - Gentle buttery moisturisation for wriggly babies, enriched with oil from the precious Amazonian buriti tree! A gentle, intensely moisturising treat for baby's delicate skin! Packed with natural caring ingredients, this soothing formula melts into the skin on contact to condition and protect! Paediatrician approved! Suitable for sensitive skin!

Buriti Baby range includes body butter, body wash, shampoo, massage gel, bamboo hair brush, bath towel, soft wash cloth, body lotion, sponge, muslin cloths and mini essentials! Mini essentials has 50 ml body butter, 60 ml body wash, 60 ml shampoo and 60 ml massage gel beautifully set in a pouch!

The body butter comes in a 200 ml or 200 g or 7 OZ tub! Retails for 12.50 pounds! The formula is creamy and ivory-colored! Consistency is very buttery! The soothing formula melts into the skin on contact to condition and protect! The product evaporates once you apply! No greasy residue, but a healthy sheen! Shortly put, invisible formula! Skin is visibly and tangibly soft! Apply the moisturizer on damp skin! It helps lock the moisturizer better!

Fragrance? Divine! Heavenly! Not overwhelming, thanks to the ingredients! The staying power of the fragrance is phenomenal! My perspective, Buriti Baby body butter is a fragrant moisturizer! I dont know what Buriti means, so I cannot describe the flavor! Do not expect any crazy fragrance as it is meant for babies! For a longer lasting fragrance and to maximise the skin care benefits, use together with other products from the Buriti Baby range in a layering regime!

Key Ingredients - Buriti Oil from the Amazonian 'tree of life' is a mild and gentle natural ingredient that helps to soothe, soften and protect the skin against over drying! Organic olive oil smoothes, softens and soothes the skin! Natural lipids work together with essential fatty acids to help prevent water loss and restore the suppleness! Shea butter moisturises and helps soften the skin! Also contains antioxidant vitamins E and F, which helps protect the skin!

Ingredients - Aqua, Aloe Barbadensis Gel, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cyclomethicone, Cetearyl Alcohol, PEG-8 Beeswax, Steareth-2, Caprylyl Glycol, Olea Europaea Oil, Steareth-20, Mauritia Flexuosa Fruit Oil, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Xanthan Gum, Parfum, Disodium EDTA, Citric Acid.

P.S - I did review this product for adult usage! If you wish to try the Buriti Baby range for your little ones, kindly seek a paediatrician's advice! If you consider yourself a kid, I highly recommend you invest in Buriti Baby range!

Earth Diva Cosmetics

2010-03-09T20:15:00.001+05:30

I received this beautiful mail from Earth Diva Cosmetics, US-based mineral makeup company! Exclusively 100% mineral makeup! Certified Vegan and Organic! Health, animal and environment-friendly!

The package had a brochure, 2 foundation samples, blush sample, setting powder sample and an eye shadow sample! The show stealer is their travel-size kabuki, which is their latest launch! I did try the foundations and the kabuki so far! Expect a review soon!

Their products claim to be free of artificial fillers, dyes, binders and irritant synthetics!Hypo-allergenic! Eco-friendly! You can order samples for a very less price if you wish to try their products! Right now, they have some great deals online! I believe they sell their products online!

I love their huge eye shadow range, especially the semi-shimmer ones! Their brush range looks just like EcoTools! The foundation range has a wide spectrum! Claims excellent coverage for a variety of skin conditions such as acne and rosacea! First thoughts! It does give a medium to heavy coverage! Thank you very much, Rachel!

P.S - The products featured were sent by Earth Diva Cosmetics! If you do not fancy mineral makeup or free stuff reviews, kindly ignore this post!

What's In Sarah's Makeup Bag?

2010-03-08T16:15:00.002+05:30

Do you fancy peeping into other's bags? I like that sound! Some are very cooperative and some very fussy! Not everybody is like our Sarah! Thank you very much, Sarah, for emptying your bag! Let's see what Sarah has to offer!

Bag is from Next @ London, sent by a friend! Wallet says Guess, but not sure of its authenticity! Blackberry Curve 8320 Gold with pink casing! Pink & black are my favorite colors!Samsung camera! Fragrance, which is Calvin Klein Escape! My shades are from New Bird! Not high-end brand, but still costs me 1700 rupees!

Let's move on to the chocolate brown & pink makeup bag! It has a compact mirror! Revlon matte lipstick in Pink Pout! Rimmel Vinyl Gloss in Read My Lips, which is a perfect nude gloss! Bourjois Eau De Gloss in #21 Cappuccino Ice! Extra Rimmel lipstick in Cool Shine #024 Spritz, which is discontinued! Benefit Bag Gal mascara! Etude blush #21, which is peachy pink! Sorry, but they dont have names! Pop Beauty Hot Pot gel liner in black! Hashmi kajal, which is perfect for natural day time look and great for smoked smouldery evening look! Must-have for Sarah! Benefit Pocket Pal and ELF face powder!

Revlon angled eyeliner brush, ELF blush brush, Coastal Scents fluffy eye shadow brush! Extra hair band and a pair of hoops! Mobile charger and headphones! Q-tips and hair pins! Tissues, safety pins, hair pins, "Extra" sugar free chewing gum and hand sanitizer!

P.S - Kindly ignore if you dont fancy such fun features! You wanna feature your bag? Kindly mail me!

Body Shop Hemp Body Butter

2010-03-07T06:44:00.003+05:30

Claims - An ultra-rich, intensive and creamy all over body moisturiser with pure hemp seed oil! It absorbs easily into the skin, helps condition, soften and smooth the skin! Ultra-rich herbal-scented cream that moisturizes and conditions for up to 24 hours! For extremely dry skin!

Body Shop is the first major retailer to carry a body care line featuring the benefits of super-moisturizing hemp seed oil since May 1998! Other products from the Hemp range are foot protector, lip protector, hand protector and face protector! Hemp hand protector is their best seller ever! As far as my knowledge goes, Hemp range is their permanent line! Hemp body butter comes in a 200 ml or 192 g or 6.7 OZ tub! Retails for 12.50 pounds! Body Butter tubs usually carry a color theme that coordinates with the fragrance! Sage green tub with a hemp leaf on the lid!

The product is obviously sage green in color! Consistency is very creamy! First thoughts! As mentioned earlier, this works wonders for dry to extremely dry skin! How will you react to products not meant for your skin type? It might be the same with Hemp range! Fortunately, I dont fall under Hemp category! I wanted to make the best use of the product, so I did work hard! But, its easy to work with! Not to mention, it is so damn hydrating! Leaves your skin skin sheeny shiny! Visibly soft!

Hemp Heroes!

Apply the moisturizer on damp skin! It helps lock the moisturizer better! Fragrance? Like herbal garden! Sometimes, like incense stick! Sometimes, medicinal! Dont worry, doesnt smell like pharmacy! I am very choosy, but I liked the Hemp fragrance! Surprise! It should not be overwhelming, especially if you are in to herbal jazz! Staying power of the scent is above average! Whereas staying power of the moisturization is phenomenal! To maximise the skin care benefits, use together with other products from the Hemp range in a layering regime!

Key Ingredients - Hemp seed oil has an unusually high concentration of essential fatty acids that help repair the skin's moisture barrier thus helping restore moisture, smoothness and suppleness! Organic Babassu oil is nature's best, wonderful, light and non-greasy skin moisturizer extracted from the wild-growing babassu palm trees! Shea butter moisturizes and helps soften the skin! Cocoa butter is an excellent moisturiser that melts at body temperature leaving the skin feeling soft and silky smooth!

Ingredients - Aqua, Cannabis sativa, Butyrospermum parkii, Cyclomethicone, Theobroma cacao, Glycerin, Orbignya oleifera, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Lanolin Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Xanthan Gum, Benzyl Alcohol, Disodium EDTA, Tocopherol, Evernia furfuracea, Talc, Limonene, Citronellol, Sodium Hydroxide, Geraniol, Linalool, Citral.

P.S - Lately, my blog has been flooded with Body Shop products! If at all you consider my reviews, please dont get confused not knowing what to invest on! Its a trial to introduce the product to you, just in case if you are not aware! Fragrances are personal! Some people swear by the Sweet Lemon range whereas some people find that smell like Lemon-flavored toilet cleaner! How tempting the pictures and reviews might be, try the product in store for yourself! Kindly ignore if you are exhausted reading my reviews! Couple of weeks, at least!

Body Shop Shimmer Cubes Palette #19

2010-03-06T05:54:00.001+05:30

Claims - Four new colours create a gentle contrast of hazy shades and vibrant blues, greens and lilacs! Perfect for turning day time make-up into a stunning party look!

Shimmer Cubes palette #19 comes from the Nature's Color Collection Spring makeup range! Retails for 16 pounds! I believe the shades are Sea Shell, Emerald Sea, Hushed Orchid and Sparkling Sky! Pearlized and wearable! Dry for sheer application! Wet for intense pigmentation! I believe these are the baked versions! Correct me if I am wrong!

The packaging is nothing dramatic, but more realistic in approach! Comes in a transparent box; seperate upper half and lower half! The eye shadow cubes are detachable! You can carry whatever shade you like as each cube comes with a seperate lid! Great for hand bag and travel! You get a hell lotta product for each cube, which is nearly 4 grams!

Tip - Apply to the eyelid using eyeshadow brush for overall cover and using a dampened slanted brush for a line of defined colour on both the lower and upper lash line!

Dry swatches!

Key Ingredients - Marula oil is a very effective moisturiser that also helps condition the skin over time! Sesame seed oil helps leave the skin supple and soft! Aloe vera contains numerous vitamins, minerals, enzymes, amino acids, natural sugars and is believed to be anti-inflammatory!

P.S - Subscriber request post! Kindly ignore if you are not into Body Shop makeup!

Body Shop Coconut Shimmer Body Butter

2010-03-05T20:30:00.002+05:30

Claims - An intensive, creamy all over body moisturiser that provides up to 24 hours moisturisation! Contains a beautiful subtle shimmer for gorgeous glowing skin that's silky soft and deliciously fragranced! Contains cold pressed coconut oil to lavish and care for your skin!

Body Shop Coconut range of products are made with pure virgin organic cold-pressed coconut oil! This organically certified oil is acquired through natural processes without the use of chemical extraction! This means that more of its beneficial natural nutrients are retained, so you can be sure that you are using the purest, highest quality ingredients to care for your skin!

Courtesy: Flickr

Cocoa Butter body butter comes in a 200 ml or or 200 g 7 OZ tub! Retails for 12.50 pounds! Body Butter tubs usually carry a color theme that coordinates with the fragrance! White tub with a picture of coconut on the lid! Product is ivory-colored with a pearlized finish! Body Shop does a regular coconut body butter as well as coconut shimmer body butter! Consistency is very rich and creamy!

First thoughts! Yummy! Sweet! Coconut-flavored, obviously! Very tropical scent! Powdery! Once you rub the product on your skin, it smells like coconut oil! Shimmer is silvery! Not chunky! No worry about looking like a disco ball, my perspective! I like fresh coconut, but I simply can't stand the scent of coconut oil! Its hard for me to manage as it gets nauseating after a while! I love the shimmer coz it doesnt look cheap! Body Shop Coconut Shimmer body butter is just like MAC's Strobe! Only thing, its for your body! Whoa! Controversial statement!

Apply the moisturizer on damp skin! It helps lock the moisturizer better! Staying power is above average! Have to work hard to make the product sink in coz its so damn thick! Skin stays hydrated for more than 3 hours inspite of frequent washes! Shimmer doesnt look so glittery after a while! The more number of washes, the more beautiful the glitter looks!

Key Ingredients - Cocoa butter for soft supple skin! Shea butter to protect and soften the skin! Aqua, Cyclomethicone, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Glycerin, Theobroma Cacao Butter, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Lanolin Alcohol, Mica, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Xanthan Gum, Benzyl Alcohol, Disodium EDTA, Benzyl Benzoate, Coumarin, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Sodium Hydroxide, CI 77891, Caramel.

P.S - Do not feel offended as I compared Body Shop's Coconut Shimmer body butter to MAC's Strobe! The review is just my opinion! If you dont agree with the review, kindly ignore my post! Do you know? Coconut body butter is Body Shop's best selling body butter!

Body Shop Colourglide Lip Color #10 Soft Heather

2010-03-05T03:59:00.001+05:30

Claims - A collection of lip colors that color, moisturise and smooth the appearance of the lips for a fabulous pout! The butter-like texture glides on effortlessly! It contains a high percentage of color pigments to provide intense coverage in one luscious sweep that lasts for up to four hours! Depending on the color! It leaves the lips feeling soft and smooth! Drench your lips in color! Dermatologically tested!

Looks more plumey!

High percentage of color pigments provide intense coverage in one sweep that lasts for up to 4 hours! Marula oil, natural sesame seed oil and beeswax leave lips feeling soft and supple! Light floral Tahitian gardenia fragrance and delicate vanilla flavor!

Mauvey undertones!

Bullet-like silver packaging! 4g or 0.14 oz retails for 8 pounds! Life expectancy of 36 months! Lipstick has that classic lipstick-scent with vanilla! Some shades of light, it looks like plum! In reality, its more milky pink! Swatches dont lie, after all!

Pigmentation? I dont expect pigmentation from milky pink lipstick! Not wise! Staying power is decent! Does it stay for 4 hours as per the claim? Might be if you are on a hunger strike! I never bother about the staying power, to be honest!

Key ingredients are Marula oil, Sesame oil, Beeswax from an organic source, Jojoba, Rosehip seed, lanolin oil, a blend of Tahitian gardenia and vanilla fruit extracts and Vitamin E! Marula oil is effective moisturiser that helps condition the skin over time! Also provides essential fatty acids that help restore the skin's moisture barrier, thus helping to restore moisture, smoothness and suppleness!

Body Shop revamped their lipsticks, formula wise! Their latest launch has more moisturizing, creamy, heavily pigmented shades that are hard to resist! Range from Nudes to Neutrals to Cools! There is one for you too!

Body Shop Tribute!

2010-03-02T17:07:00.001+05:30

Nothing's gonna change my love for you! You ought to know by now how much I love you! One thing you can be sure of! I'll never ask for more than your love! Love month is long gone, but my love for Body Shop will never fade! Featuring Body Shop's "Best Of The Bunch!"

Welcome the army!

Can the picture get any better? What's your choice? Cranberry or Nutmeg Vanilla or Black Velvet Apricot? My all time favorite is Cranberry! I wish Body Shop makes Cranberry range their permanent line!

Inky Pinky Ponky!

It was real hard to get hold of Cranberry lip balm in UK! So, I did request my brother to visit Body Shop India for a backup, but in vain! It was a full fledged international hunt!

Can you see the gold shimmer?

Rich packaging! Holidayish! Festivalish! Ahem! How cute! Ego-satisfiers come in all forms and shapes!

Will this photo shoot ever end?

Seriously, I can't wait for Christmas 2010! What flavors would they launch this year? Will they bring back the Cranberry range? May be revamped? I wish I bought the Cranberry Body Butter as well! I was very adamant though the staff insisted I buy one! Regrets!

P.S - Why should you believe in me when it's your money and your choice? Dont consider my opinion when you have to invest on any product from my blog! Lets avoid the blame game and play safe! My blog is a platform where I share my love for the products I own! Its a safe place where you can read the review and enjoy the pictures! I am not paid by Body Shop or anybody as such to share the love, though I wish they did! Still, I hope there is one soul waiting for my recommendation! If I am allowed to recommend just one product anytime, I vote for Body Shop Japanese Cherry Blossom Body Butter!

Body Shop Black Velvet Apricot Lip Balm

2010-03-01T16:06:00.000+05:30

Claims - Pucker up thanks to a glossy lip balm that leaves lips soft, smooth and shimmering with a fruity flavor! Black Velvet Apricot extract adds a festive juicy fragrance! Community Trade organic beeswax conditions lips and acts as a barrier that seals in moisture! Vitamin E is a natural antioxidant that moisturizes and helps to protect skin against premature aging and environmental aggressors! Lanolin is easily absorbed to moisturize and protect rough dry skin! Best for Normal skin!

What can I say about the packaging? I hate gothic themes! What's that? Weird purple and black? It looks blue in the picture! In reality, its more purple! Whatever, I dont think the colors really compliment each other and coordinate at all! Did you ever wonder what on Earth Black Velvet Apricot means? Cross of Apricot and Plum!

Peach-toned sheer balm with gold shimmer! Shimmer is not so specific on lips! Still, shimmer is a No-No for you? Better stay away! Glides easy on the lips! Leaves your lips so damn glossy! The best part, it tastes good! Staying power is not phenomenal! Stays put for a couple of hours if you are on a hunger strike! This lip balm helps tone down bright lipsticks, as well!

Fragrance? Nauseating, but not as much as the Lip Gloss Dots! Still, I can manage! Why? The Black Velvet Apricot formula works wonders for me! No revolutionary statements like "No more Vaseline Rosy Lips, Carmex or Blistex", but Black Velvet Apricot works great! It helps treat chapped lips compared to the Nutmeg Vanilla lip balm! Thanks to the weird cross!

Black Velvet Apricot performs well as a cuticle cream! Bingo! My observation, agree or not! Its greasy on the cuticles compared to how it feels on lips! God knows why! Many of us, transparent balm is no fun! Tiny tin lip balm tubs are real ego-satisfiers! The lid has no threads or doesnt pop up just like that! Turn the lid a full circle and open!

Key Ingredients - Organic beeswax moisturizes and helps to condition dry skin, especially on your lips and around the fingernail beds! Acts as a barrier that helps seal in moisture! Helps to keep product texture consistent when used over time! Sunflower Seed Oil moisturizes and helps soften the skin! Apricot kernel oil moisturizes the skin!

Ingredients - Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Lanolin, Polyglyceryl-3 Beeswax, Flavor, Beeswax, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Silica, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ammonium Glycyrrhizate, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Fruit Extract, Geraniol, Linalool, Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Red 7 Lake, Yellow 5 Lake

Li'l Impulsive!

2010-03-01T14:10:00.001+05:30

I consider myself damn fortunate browsing the 70% off aisle at the store the other day! Heaven's sake, I can never resist such a bargain! LOL I did type "BAG RAIN" instead of BARGAIN! Originally these retail for 18 pounds each, but were marked down to 3 to 5 pounds! Take my word!

Erickson Beamon antique finish bangle with embellished filigree flower to the front!

Collection silver color pearlized bangle!

Body Shop Sweet Lemon Body Butter

2010-02-26T21:53:00.000+05:30

Claims - Intensive, creamy and fragrant all-over body moisturiser with luscious lemon seed oil to moisturise, hydrate and delicately scent the skin with an uplifting citrus fragrance! Absorbs into the skin easily to condition and soften! Provides moisturisation that lasts up to 24 hours!

Brazilian Capanema farmers grow soya beans by Organic farming, extract the oil that is then added to the Sweet Lemon range! Products from the Sweet Lemon range include body butter, body puree, body scrub, lip butter, shower gel and soap! Two more limited edition products launched are Sweet Lemon Bath Pom Pom, which is loofah and Sweet Lemon Sponge!

Here are my first thoughts on Sweet Lemon body butter! Indian women do not need an introduction to FEM range of products! Especially their fairness bleach and hair removal cream! Did you ever try FEM lemon flavor hair removal cream? The moment I did open the tub, I got the same lemony scent as the hair removal cream! Not to mention, the same color and consistency! Pale yellow and kind of runny! Sweet Lemon body butter consistency is comparable to the Moroccan Rose and Japanese Cherry Blossom ones!

Sweet Lemon body butter comes in a 200 ml or 6.9 US Fl Oz tub! Sweet lemon range is suitable for normal to dry skin! Comparitively, I used a little amount of body butter! Surprisingly, a little goes a long way! It is very moisturizing! No hint of grease! Leaves behind a healthy sheen! Skin says soft!

On / after application, it smells like a squeezed lemon wedge on the skin! Very mouth-watering! Not that I like, but its so sour and tangy! My observation, fragrance doesnt stay as long as the moisturizer does! Body Shop magic didnt work on me, finally! Something for my hubby to celebrate! I will definitely not invest in Sweet Lemon range, but this badly reminds me of Indian Summer!

Key ingredients - Lemon seed oil moisturises and softens the skin! Cocoa butter softens and smoothes the skin! Shea butter leaves skin soft and smooth!

Ingredients - Aqua, Butyrospermum Parkii, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Glycine Soja Oil, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, PEG-100 Stearate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Cyclohexasiloxane, Citrus Medica Limonum Seed Oil, Lanolin Alcohol, Phenethyl Alcohol, Limonene, Bertholletia Excelsa Seed Oil, Caprylyl Glycol, Parfum, Xanthan Gum, Citral, Disodium EDTA, Tocopherol, Sodium Hydroxide, Linalool, Caramel, CI 19140.

P.S - Fragrances are purely personal, so do not take this review for granted! Try your luck! I never buy anything related to lemon, thanks to my allergy! Nothing major, but I find that so damn nauseating! I suffer from motion sickness since childhood! I was always given a lemon, which aggravated the hatred! This is purely my opinion on Body Shop Sweet Lemon Body Butter! If you dont agree, please ignore this post!

Bobbi Brown Color Strips Collection Spring 2010

2010-02-26T21:00:00.000+05:30

Claim - A complete spring eye, lip and cheek wardrobe by Bobbi! Each palette includes five eye shadows and three Pot Rouge shades designed to work together beautifully! Each palette retails for $60!

Bobbi put together these three palettes with pops of color plus the perfect neutrals that make them work for everyone! “Don’t be afraid of color! Each palette has one bright eye shadow that really stands out! The rest of my hand-picked shades for eyes, lips and cheeks will make it wearable!”

Limited Edition Bonfire Palette - One bright eye shadow Bonfire plus four coordinating shades that make it wearable! Included eye shadow shades being Bone, Café Cream Sparkle, Bonfire Metallic, Cognac Metallic and Caviar! For lips and cheeks, there are three warm shades of Pot Rouge! Included Pot Rouge shades being Tawny, Fresh Melon and Calypso Coral!

My Choice!

Limited Edition Orchid Palette - One bright eye shadow Orchid plus four coordinating shades that make it wearable! Included eye shadow shades being White, Dusty Plum Metallic, Orchid Sparkle, Mulberry and Caviar! For lips and cheeks, there are three cool shades of Pot Rouge! Included Pot Rouge shades being Powder Pink, Pale Pink and Sand Pink!

Limited Edition Aqua Marine Palette - One bright eye shadow Aquamarine plus four coordinating shades that make it wearable! Included eye shadow shades being Ivory, Lightening Sparkle, Aquamarine Metallic, Grey Sky and Storm! For lips and cheeks, there are three cool shades of Pot Rouge! Included Pot Rouge shades being Powder Pink, Pale Pink, and Sand Pink!

Tag: 40 Beauty Questions!

2010-02-25T22:06:00.000+05:30

1. How many times do you wash your face daily? Once! Twice if I read about pimples!

2. What's your skin type? Combination skin! Oily T-zone and dry cheeks, mostly!

3. What brand is your current face wash? Nothing consistent! But mostly, Clinique Liquid facial soap!

4. Do you exfoliate? Very irregular! Perhaps twice a week!

5. What brand is your exfoliator? Again, I dont stick to one formula! Olay and Neutrogena range!

6. What's your moisturizer? Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion!

7. Do you have freckles? Thats the only thing I need!

8. Do you use eye cream? When I am excited! Clinique's All About Eyes!

9. Do/Did you have acne-prone skin? I am genetically blessed! Touch wood!

10. Did you ever have to use Pro-Activ? What's that for?

11. What foundation do you use? MAC Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation!

12. How about concealer? Too many to conceal! Nope!

13. Do you know your undertones? Warm and yellow? Pick anything from the rainbow!

14. What do you think of fake eye lashes? I think I dont know how to use! 5 stars for honesty!

15. Did you know that you are supposed to change your mascara every 3 months? Dont you know? I know very well, but I wont change! I cant afford Clinique mascara every three months! Not that I swear by that, but I have a bunch of those before I invest! I am notorious to make best use of anything I have!

16. What brand of mascara do you use? Did you skip question #15? Clinique High Impact Mascara!

17. Sephora or MAC? Dont you know any other stores? Let me help you once I finish this tag! Sephora is not so thoughtful to open a branch in Scotland! MAC? What?

18. Do you have a MAC Pro-card? Do you think I should, probably? Give me one reason why should I have one!

19. What makeup tools do you use in makeup application? Wanna know the truth? UK, I dont use any makeup other than MAC Studio Fix Powder/Foundation, kajal and lip stuff! My job is to buy, review and forget! India, I use everything I have!

20. Do you use make-up base or primer for the eyes? Skipped question #19? No, I dont!

21. Do you use make-up base or primer for the face? I wanna say "Yes", but the truth is "No, I dont"!

22. What is your favorite shade of eye shadow? Your technical Taupe, my favorite browns! Love Gold as well!

23. Do you use pencil or liquid eye liner? Liquid eye liner!

24. How often do you poke your eyes with an eye liner pencil? I am not so fortunate! Had I been, I wouldnt be doing this tag today!

25. What do you think of pigment eye shadow? Looks like fabric paint jar from far, but a great product!

26. Do you use mineral makeup? Some day, I will!

27. What is your favorite lipstick? I am not so mean to my makeup by picking just one from the lot!

28. What is your favorite lip gloss? Forget it! You will never get a proper answer!

29. What is your favorite blush? You tell me that you did not read my previous answers? Your punishment! Answer is same as to the question #19!

30. Do you buy your makeup on E-Bay? I like to touch and feel the product I buy! I dont think I will ever do that unless I become a busy makeup artist one day, so that my staff can do that for me!

31. Do you like drugstore makeup? In India, I never used the word "DRUG STORE!" Beginning, I was wondering what these drug stores look like! Indian drug stores are referred to as Health & Glow! Yes, I love Health & Glow! Not those nose-picking sales assistants at Health & Glow!

32. Do you go to Cosmetic Company Outlets? I knew what CCO's are just after coming to UK! Fortunately, there's none here! As far as I know! I might be wrong, as well!

33. Did you ever consider taking make-up classes? Yes, I did!

34. Are you clumsy in applying makeup? Did I tell you that? I am not! Even if I am, I dont like to confess!

35. Name a makeup crime that you hate? My perspective, makeup should be treated as just makeup and nothing superior! If you are good at makeup, go ahead! If you are not, better dont attempt! Might be irrelevant answer, but I hate to talk about celebrity makeup! Everybody has a good and bad day in their life! Celebrities are just like everybody! Why give so much attention to their makeup? Unless they do it on purpose! Like skimpy clothes and heavy looks!

36. Do you like colorful shades of makeup or neutral ones? Preferably, neutral!

37. Which celebrity always has great make up? I dont know! Everybody is great in their own ways! There are people who are famous just for their flaws! Sad part is when people try to imitate them! I am a great listener, but not a great observer!

38. If you could leave the house using just one makeup item, what would you use? If moisturizer counts, thats it! If not, lip balm! In fact, I am very confident without basics, as well!

39. Could you ever leave the house without any makeup on? Thats what I have been doing since ages! I can!

40. Do you think you look good even without any makeup on? Hubby says "You are a natural beauty!" Besties say "You are a black beauty!" Whatever it is, they find me beautiful!

41. In your opinion, what is the best makeup line? Anything I like is the best!

42. What do you think of Makeup? Just makeup, nothing else! Makes or breaks the look! Hit or Miss!

P.S - Creator of this tag, please dont feel offended! Who cares about my jazz? I want this to be very funny, so people dont get typical boring answers! I did try to sound very different, but in vain! I want to see a smile on the reader's face! Not to wonder when the post ends! I never follow the rules unless necessary! We are all here for fun, after all! If you feel I dont fit in, this will be my last tag forever! Please don't tag me hereafter!

Is it a "40-question tag"? There are 42 questions, for your information! I see some creative minds did add their own questions, as well! I am not creative, so I end this tag now!

Future You Tube Sensation!

2010-02-24T21:28:00.001+05:30

Ola! Confusing title? Well! Not that she doesnt deserve an introduction, but most of my subscriber base being from India, she doesnt need an introduction! Name rings the bell! For others, Rati is the girl behind Makeup & Beauty blog! She did debut on You Tube as well! She is just two weeks and two videos old! Yeah, she is too young! So far, she managed to get 9 subscribers to her channel! Hence, the title! Who knows? She might be the most subscribed gurus from India in future!

She obliged to do this fun tag thats been going on my blog since a while! In fact, this is the second episode! First episode includes Sarah, the glossy chic behind Glossicious blog! I thank Rati for making this series more beautiful! So, what are we waiting for? Lets get started!

1. What brings you to the Beauty Blogosphere, knowing there are tonnes already? Do you fancy a career that involves makeup?

I started writing this blog because there were not many Indian blogs around. I had so much makeup and beauty stuff lying in my closet so I thought I'd rather share it with others and it might prove to be useful to a lot of Indian women around! If you ask me in today's date, no I don't see a career in makeup.

2. What role does makeup play in your daily life? Is makeup a must for your profession?

I love doing makeup but I don't want to get dependent on it. So there are days when I step out of home without any makeup on face except lip balm and still be comfortable with the way I look.

3. Whom do you find the most-inspiring? Makeup or any aspect of your life!

Goss Makeup Artist. He is just so good. I get to learn so much from him, and correct my mistakes. He is a genuine, nice guy who knows what he is doing.

4. Rati, a shopaholic or Rati, a bargain-shopper?

I think I love doing both. :) Each has its own charm.

5. Your place doesn’t stock most of the international brand! How do you update your collection?

Ummm...I am still exploring a lot of stuff around. So you might find some international brands on my blog in future. :) Regarding, updating my collection, I just pick whatever I like.

6. What is your favourite makeup brand? High-end or drug store? Are you brand-conscious?

Drugstore - Colorbar. High end - I am quite liking Mac,Inglot & Estee Lauder. I am not brand conscious. :) If I like something, I would buy irrespective of the brand and sometimes price tag.

7. What are your go-to makeup products? Anything you reach for, no matter what occasion!

Brown eyeliner, kajal, concealer, face powder and lip balm.

8. Do you have any products you cannot live without? Staples!

Facial sprays and hand creams. I am obsessed with them.

9. What is lying untouched in your vanity from day #1? Any future for that!

I bought this Fab India de-pigmentation cream because I had some pigmentation issues on my chin. I use it thrice or four times and the cream worked wonders for me. My skin was clear and even but after that I stopped using it and it's been lying untouched since then. :(

10. What’s your take on Smoky eye - nude lips?

For me, it's a case of sour grapes. I find smokey eyes and hot red lips the sexiest. The only problem is that I cannot pull off such a look myself so I end up with smokey eyes and nude lips. It's kinda boring but well!

11. Do you collect anything related to makeup?

I keep a balance of every thing in my collection. Of late, I guess I am getting addicted to blushes :)

12. What’s your take on bloggers' recommendations on products? Do you consider?

Yes, I do consider. Can't thank Cynthia enough for the Lotus Herbal Kajal she recommended :)

13. Would you like to share your best and worst experiences so far?

Worst - The first day I uploaded my youtube video and I got a hate comment. Honestly, it ruined my day and I was crying and all. :( I guess I will take it as a challenge, learn more, and do even better work :)

Best - I have met many wonderful people around here. There is so much warmth and love here that even if you are not the best, your fellow bloggers would help you out, recommend you and motivate you to keep going. It means a lot to me :)

14. Would you like to share your daily routine? Skincare or haircare?

Daily routine - I have very simple routine. Cleansing, toning, moisturizing and sunscreen for day. The same goes for night except that I replace sunscreen with an anti ageing cream. And by the way, I have an obsession with hand creams. I keep applying them the whole day.

15. Would you like to feature your hand bag here? Preferably, a picture that includes you!

I carry huge hand bags so it was not possible for me and my handbag to fit in one pic. So here's my pic with my clutch. I bought this from Archie's Gallery some time back.

I would like to thank Divija for making me part if her interview series! Wish you loads of luck and love :)

Body Shop Moringa Body Butter

2010-02-23T19:11:00.003+05:30

Claims - An intensive and creamy all-over body moisturiser with a delicate floral fragrance! Absorbs into the skin easily to condition, soften and strengthen the skin's natural moisture barrier! Provides moisturisation that lasts up to 24 hours! Best for normal to dry skin!

Moringa Seed Oil moisturizes and protects the skin with high levels of oleic acid! Organic honey moisturizes and helps condition the skin! Cocoa butter is an excellent moisturizer that melts at body temperature, leaving the skin feeling soft and silky smooth! Sesame oil moisturizes and helps soften the skin! Shea butter is rich in vitamins A & E! It moisturizes and helps soften the skin! Grapeseed Oil is very rich in essential fatty acids that help to repair the skin's moisture barrier, thus helping to restore smoothness and suppleness! Brazil nut oil moisturizes and helps leave skin feeling soft!

If you want to maximize the benefits, try Moringa bath and body range in a layering regime! It helps the fragrance stay longer! You can choose from Moringa milk body lotion, shower gel, soap, body scrub and the new Wise Woman luxury cleanser!

First thoughts! Remember, just first impression! Might change in the future! What is Moringa Body Butter? Moringa is drumstick, technically Moringa Oleifera! I never knew people can make use of drumstick flowers in such a diplomatic way! Looks like nothing is undeserving for Body Shop Body Butter!

I grew up among drumstick trees, literally! India, drumstick is default veggie! Widely cultivated! Widely used in preparing dishes! I never dreamt that one day I have to struggle so hard just to describe the fragrance of drumstick flower! I dont remember that fragrance, to be honest!

Moringa body butter smells like Ittar/Attar! Lighter version of Ittar, of course! Ittar is the Arabic version of fragrance or perfume! Attar is the natural perfume extracted from herbs, barks, spices, flowers like jasmine, rose and sandal wood! Fragrances are personal, so you might sense something different!

Moringa body butter reminds me of jasmine scent! If you are into strong floral scents like Jasmine, you might like this! If you find Jasmine nauseating like myself, stay away! Still, I wanna buy Moringa Body Butter! At least, the small tub! Staying power is phenomenal! Stays 12 hours for sure! Very hydrating! Product is pale yellow in color! Consistency is very thick! Not runny at all! No greasy residue on the skin! Retails for 12.50 pounds for the 200 ml tub! Smaller tub is available for 5 pounds, so try your luck!

Moringa is claimed as Body Shop's first floral Body Butter! What about Moroccan Rose and Japanese Cherry Blossom? Moringa was launched earlier to Moroccan Rose and Japanese Cherry Blossom body butters! Moringa Butter brims with skin-softening Community Trade ingredients! It contains the magical moisturizing benefits of pure moringa seed oil! It has high levels of oleic acid, a fatty acid that helps to restore skin's moisture levels and protect against dryness! To ensure the highest quality moringa seed oil, the seeds are harvested by hand and hand-prepared for cold pressing!

Ingredients - Aqua, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cyclopentasiloxane, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Lanolin Alcohol, Moringa Pterygosperma Oil, Sesamum Indicum Oil, Mel, Bertholletia Excelsa Nut Oil, Theobroma Cacao Butter, Parfum, Myristamidopropyl PG-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate, Xanthan Gum, Phenethyl Alcohol, Linalool, Caprylyl Glycol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Tocopherol, Disodium EDTA, Benzyl Salicylate, Geraniol, Hydroxycitronellal, Sodium Hydroxide, Isoeugenol, Caramel.

P.S - I am yet to buy this, but I have done a complete review! I know! Something should be done about my addiction! I wish Body Shop notices my zeal and sponsors one day! This review is purely my perspective! If you dont agree, please feel free to ignore! I believe I can talk miles about the Body Shop Body Butter by now, even asleep!

Are you interested?

2010-02-23T17:38:00.001+05:30

Finally, time to get rid of makeup! No! I didnt mean that! I would like to sell some of my makeup! What brands? Body Shop and Playboy, for time being! Why? I was tricked by the names on the Playboy packaging! Different names outside, but same color inside! I dont think I need 6 lipsticks of the same color family, but different in some way!

Many find Playboy cosmetics yuck, but I know people who swear by that brand! I am not sure if Playboy cosmetics are available elsewhere, but each lipstick retails for 14 dollars in US! Red Carpet lipstick retails for some 9 to 10 pounds in UK! Of course, that was some time ago! Correct me if I am wrong! I dont wanna talk about the Playboy packaging, but I like the shades! No that you cannot find a dupe, but they are affordable! Especially, beginners can give it a try!

Mail me!

If you are interested, let me know! I can send you some pictures, so that you can decide! If you are NOT interested, let me know! If nobody is interested, I know what to do with those! I have some fun ideas! I will make my own patent-pending product! I am interested in swap, as well! Any ideas?

P.S - I am not a consultant trying to sell Body Shop or Playboy Cosmetics! Just creating an awareness, if you are new!

(Courtesy : Favourite Vintage Finds)

I Am Addicted!!!

2010-02-23T16:17:00.001+05:30

Can things get any worse? Hubby told the Body Shop staff, "Please dont let her in! Do not inform her about latest promotions whateva! Do not hand over any coupons to her! No matter whatever the discount is!" The staff told him, "Now that the coupons are over, you dont worry! We will definitely remember what you said!"

Officially, I declare my love for Body Shop! Coming weeks, you will find nothing but reviews of Body Shop products! If you find it boring, please ignore my blog for some time! Quite some time! I dont wanna trouble you, girls! Hence, the warning!

Courtesy: Property Week

Lately, I am having a hard time dealing with my addictions! Whats the other one? Farmville on Face Book! I play 5 farms in total! Oh yeah! Believe or not! May be, one day hubby is gonna write to Face Book as well!

Courtesy: Riv Media

I am not able to view Blog Villa, blog by Zwala! It says access denied! If you have access, please let her know I really like her blog! I hope I did not trouble her, so she had to deny the access! Bellepedia, another blogger is also inactive from so many days! Any news about her? Cheezz12345, the YT guru is not active since a week! Shout-out to Jaya! Hope you are doing fine, dear! Missin' you already! Come back with a big bang!

I have gained quite some subscribers lately, but I am not following their blogs! No technical issues, at all! Most of the subscriber base is like "I follow you - You follow me!" I hardly know my followers! I comment on their blogs most of the time, but still waiting for the response! May be, they think the same about me! Like "This girl is full of attitude! She doesnt follow our blog!" Following is not a big deal! You have to stay in touch! I dont follow many bloggers, but I make sure I communicate with them on a regular basis! Why all this jazz? I might unsubscribe from some blogs coz I dont wanna sit like some antique piece on their blog!

Especially, when you follow a considerable amount of blogs it becomes tough to comment on a regular basis! Dont assume I follow some tonnes of blogs! I dont follow anybody from YT except the UK-based guru! Oh! I am not geographically partial! I dont mind even if I lose my 60 followers one day! I will still blog just to satisfy my ego! I am not the one who survives on sweet lies! I prefer bitter truth, rather!

P.S - All the bloggers I came across so far were very polite, but it was really hard getting hold of each and every girl! Official apology if you are one of the bloggers I unsubscribe! Thanq very much for not disturbing me all this while! Hope I didnt trouble you! I just dont deserve your friendship! Its totally my fault, not yours! I love you, all! No hard feelings! Boo-hoo...

Body Shop Cocoa Butter Body Butter

2010-02-22T21:54:00.003+05:30

Claims - Wrap your skin in a rich, indulgent chocolate-scented cream that moisturizes and softens for up to 24 hours! Doubly rich for extra dry skin with a yummy chocolate-and-vanilla scent! Cocoa butter, an excellent moisturizer melts at body temperature and is rich in essential fatty acids and antioxidants! Shea butter moisturizes and softens skin! Organic soy oil is very rich in essential fatty acids that help repair skin's moisture barrier, so skin is smooth and supple! Suitable for very dry skin! Helps prevent stretch marks, especially during pregnancy!

Cocoa Butter body butter comes in a 200 ml or 196 g or 6.9 OZ tub! Originally retails for 12.50 pounds, which is expensive! Body Butter tubs usually carry a color theme that coordinates with the fragrance! Cream colored tub with a picture of cocoa seeds on the lid! The product is cream-colored! Consistency is creamy and not so thick!

Fragrance? Actually rushing here and there! Where to begin? Sweet! Yummy! Vanilla-flavored! Not at all nauseating! Caramel is one of the ingredients, but I cant compare Cocoa Butter to caramel scent! I wish I have the strength so that I dont end up eating this one day!

Fragrance reminds me of some Indian festival! Very rich! Very pure! Very happy! Not overwhelming! It cannot be, in fact! Smells exactly like home-made Vanilla ice cream! May be you dont like that! Me likey! I love using this along with any other scented product! No fear of fragrance mishap! I will definitely repurchase Cocoa Butter! Provided, Body Shop doesnt launch any new fragrances which I might fall for!

Sinks in easy! Doesnt leave any greasy residue on the skin! Very very hydrating! The tub lasts longer, but depends on how frequent you get to use this! Inspite of frequent hand wash, the fragrance seems to linger! Skin is visibly soft post-washing! I can feel the body butter on! On test drive, the staying power was more than 8 hours! What about the 24-hour claim? I cant stay so long without a bath, please! If you are so generous, try and do let me know! As for the stretch marks jazz, I think its too early to comment!

Apply the moisturizer on damp skin! It helps lock the moisturizer better! The staying power is phenomenal! Oh yeah! I scoop out the product with my fingers! In my opinion, Cocoa Butter is not perfumey just like the Japanese Cherry Blossom, Moroccan Rose and Nutmeg & Vanilla body butters! You smell incredible with Cocoa butter! If you dont like to invest in Cocoa Butter, at least try to smell that once! Who knows? That might become your staple!

Ingredients - Aqua, Glycine soja (Soybean Oil) (Emollient/Skin Conditioner), Theobroma cacao (Cocoa Butter) (Emollient), Butyrospermum parkii (Shea Butter) (Emollient), Glycerin (Humectant), Cyclomethicone (Emollient), Glyceryl Stearate, (Emulsifier), PEG-100 Stearate (Surfactant), Cetearyl Alcohol (Emulsifier), Lanolin Alcohol (Stabiliser/Emollient), Phenoxyethanol (Preservative), Parfum (Fragrance), Methylparaben (Preservative), Propylparaben (Preservative), Xanthan Gum (Viscosity Modifier), Benzyl Alcohol (Preservative), Disodium EDTA (Chelating Agent), Sodium Hydroxide (pH Adjuster), Cinnamyl Alcohol (Fragrance Ingredient), Limonene (Fragrance Ingredient), Caramel (Colour)!

P.S - Fragrances are very personal! Try them before you invest! Wait for the sale or promotions, girls! If you are a Body Shop geek like me, I know how it feels to wait! Go ahead! Japanese Cherry Blossom and Moroccan Rose body butters are highly recommended!

Maybelline Shine Seduction Liquid Lip Color #310 Bitten Plum

2010-02-19T18:16:00.002+05:30

Today's product of review is Maybelline Shine Seduction Liquid Lip Color #310 Bitten Plum! Maybelline seems to have discontinued the Shine Seduction range in UK and US! That might not be the case with the Indian market, though!

Claims - Captivating colour and concentrated shine! No tacky, sticky feel! Precision-perfect sculpting tip! Base clicks for easy-to-control application! Aqua-botanicals and Vitamin E keep lips kissably soft and smooth! Dermatologist and allergy tested! In 13 luscious creams and shimmers!

It was an impulse purchase! The moment I saw this gloss, I had to have it! Not only for the color, but for the packaging! I like collecting glosses with different packaging! Please do not assume that I have the wide range of glosses you can ever find!

Packaging is a sleek shiny silver click-through pen almost 5 inches in size! How to get the product out? Turn the base clockwise! Keep turning till you get the right amount of gloss! As simple as that! Once you open the cap, you find slant tip with six average-sized pores! The slantly sculpted tip is very precise for application! Preferably, I like the slant tip compared to the round ones like the Lancome Juicy Tubes! Bottom of the pen, you find the number of the gloss on the same color sticker as the gloss! It doesnt say Bittem Plum anywhere on the pen!

I dont know if you consider this a downside, but I do! Once you are done applying, the product still keeps oozing! Not so much so that you should run to fetch a bucket, but still its not a great scene! Consequence? Inside part of the cap gets messy! Just the same way a leaky refill does to the cap!

There are quite good shades ranging from nude to reds, both cream and shimmer finish in Maybelline Shine Seduction range! I am not comparing this to any other shade from this range because I didnt get to try the other shades! So, lets get to know more about #310 Bitten Plum! If you find this sheer, its wise not to expect pigmentation from sheer glosses!

#310 Bitten Plum is a cream finish with NO shimmer! Plum - nude - mauvey! Buildable if you want plum-colored lips! Please do not expect the pigmentation to be the same as a wall paint! Works wonders on pigmented lips like mine! You can be simple with just a swipe or two! You can layer on, so the true pigment shows on your lips! I prefer the simple look, rather! Matches my lips perfect! I cant exaggerate more! My-Lips-But-Better color in blogger terminology! For me, its the same tone as my lips! Looks like I have Vaseline Rosy Lips on!

Single swipe of #310! Twist if you want the real color!

To be honest, I never look for plumping effect in a gloss! I believe thats purely a marketing gimmick! My lips are average-sized, so I dont think I ever need a plumper whateva! My lips appear to kinda grow in size just because of the shiny gloss! Whenever I hear people say that plumpers sting and hurt sometimes, I am like "Why should I get pain as a bonus for spending my money?" Well, thats my perspective!

Twist clockwise to get the gloss out!

The formula is not sticky at all! I am very much relieved by that sound! If you layer on, it might feel heavy! Doesnt feel heavy on lips, otherwise! Very moisturizing! As if your lips are inside a moisture bubble! Thanks to the Aqua-botanicals and Vitamin E! God knows what aqua-botanicals mean! Staying power is average if you are on a hunger strike!

Stats - 0.08 Fl Oz or 2.4 ml gloss retails for 325 INR, Indian Rupees! I am not sure of the current price tag, though!

Body Shop Merry Cranberry Lip Balm

2010-02-18T18:02:00.004+05:30

Ola! I proudly present to you the Body Shop's Merry Cranberry Lip Balm! Oh yeah! Name rings the bell! I can't tell you how hard I tried just to get hold of this! Long story, shortly put! Merry Cranberry lip balm was sold out in a couple of weeks immediately after the launch! People are really bad! Why cant they leave some for beauty bloggers?

We all love Merry Cranberry!

Claims - Get mistletoe-ready using a moisturizing, glossy lip balm that leaves your lips soft and shimmering with a festive and fruity cranberry scent! The Cranberry seed oil moisturizes skin! Community Trade organic beeswax conditions skin and helps to lock in moisture! Antioxidant vitamin E nourishes and protects the delicate skin on the lips!

Whenever I see this, I feel bad that I could not get a backup! Anyway, a bird in hand is worth 2 in bush! Look at the tin tub! The lid has some pattern, but the tin is plain! Big bulky tin! Lasts long if you are not religious!

Very rich! Very vintagey! Very Christmassy! Very holidayish! Ego-satisfying! Pardon me if these words dont exist in your dictionary! The most adorable packaging! The lid has no threads or doesnt pop up just like that! Meaning, its travel-safe! Bingo! Turn the lid a full circle and open!

Can you see the gold shimmer?

Merry Cranberry is a sheer wash of berry with a hint of gold shimmer! This shimmer makes the balm most adorable and your lips very desirable! Glides easy on the lips! No heavy formula! Leaves the lips so damn glossy, they look plumpy! The shimmer is definitely not chunky! Its so rich in look and feel! To be honest, the shimmer doesnt show up! Not so specific on the lips! Goes very sheer! Still, if shimmer is a big NO - NO, better stay away!

Its sweet in taste, but no so sweet as chocolate! The staying power is not phenomenal, but above average! Stays put for a couple of hours sans food and drink! Looks pigmented in the tin, but gives a berry - plumy sheer wash! I dont know what cranberry tastes or looks like! Might be a red berry, so I cant describe the scent! Just fruity! Not nauseating! Bingo for people like me!

Ingredients - Ricinus Communis Oil, Lanolin, Polyglyceryl-3 Beeswax, Aroma, Cera Alba, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Silica, Tocopheryl Acetate, Vaccinium Macrocarpon Seed Oil, Ammonium Glycyrrhizate, Mica, Tocopherol, Linalool!

Stats - 15 ml or 0.45 oz or 13 g tin tub originally retails for 4.50 pounds! Correct me if I am wrong! Later on, marked down to 2 pounds! Life expectancy is only 12 months! Who cares?

Playboy Red Carpet Lipstick # 72 Paparazzi

2010-02-17T21:27:00.000+05:30

Claims - True long wearing lipstick that is non-drying! The specially formulated creamy texture is packed with pigment for a true-color application! The formula is infused with a lip plumping complex to increase the blood flow to create fuller, rounder lips! Create lush lips with long-wearing “stay-the-night” formula! Satin-matte texture! No animal testing!

Playboy cosmetics were taken off the shelves recently! The deal being on multiple buy, you get discount like 50 pence or a pound! Morning, the basket was full! Afternoon, half full! Evening, everything was gone! Only thing left was the damaged stuff! I managed to get their blushes, eye shadow duos and a couple of lipsticks!

Find the peacock!

Playboy lipsticks come in different ranges like Liquid Luxe Lipstick, Stiletto Lip Shine, Calender Girl Lipstick and Red Carpet Lipstick! The Calender Girl range has lipsticks named after calender months! As mentioned above, we have a lipstick in #72 Paparazzi! There was no number on the lipstick or packaging, but I found this from random browsing! Correct me if I am wrong!

The packaging is very Bunny! The pink lid is same as Maybelline Color Sensational range one! Might not be the exact rip off, but more or less similar! Open the pink lid, all you can see is gold! Gold packaging LOL! Gold Bunny on the top! Very cute!

Outer case of packaging!

I am very bad at describing colors! I find this lipstick brown - red - plum! See, I told you! I am crap! I so love this color, I have a backup! Double deal! Dont get scared at the swatch, just in case! Its matte only on hands! Might be the same on lips without lip balm! If I am allowed to choose one lipstick from Playboy again, it will definitely be Paparazzi! No doubt!

Color Color! What color am I?

First, I apply a layer of lip balm! Then, I layer Paparazzi one coat! Guess what? It goes kinda berry, kinda sheer! Thanks to the lip balm! I am a die-hard fan of sheer berry shades! I dont know if MAC Capricious falls under the same category, but that is my next purchase! Definitely not at House of Frasers, Glasgow! Once I go back to India, I will make it a point to give MAC Capricious lipstick a try! Check this if you are into plum - berry kinda shades! I might be wrong in describing as well! So, dont take my words for granted! Remember, I warned you! No blame game!

I dont need you, Paparazzi! You are not pink!

Please exfoliate your lips as much as you can! Not until they bleed, but do as often as possible! That helps, really! Your lips look their best when exfoliated! Paparazzi has a consistency of lip liner, very matte and powdery! But not powdery in reality! Slather lip balm generously to get that sheer wash of color! This recommendation is just for those who like this color! Worried if this works for you? It does!

Truly flattering shade, according to me! You might not find this berry on swatch, but on lips this color is very universal! Does it make any sense? If you are comfortable with matte, feel free to use Paparazzi alone! Me? No, thank you! I might look like I am from MARS with matte lipsticks! This fades okay, but leaves your lips kinda pigmented! Tinted, I can say! You dont have to buy this just because it fades diplomatic! Staying power is average!

I LOVE PAPARAZZI!

Here comes the shocker! At least for some of you! Did you ever taste slate pencil? This lipstick kinda reminds me of slate pencil! Same chalky feel! Powdery scent, like your talcum powder! Blame the ingredient, Talc! Most of you might not like this! It has that classic lipstick scent you cant forget how hard you try! Age old formulation! Like granny's lipstick! But, my poor granny doesnt use makeup!

Can you see me in the background? Royal D!

If you know me (as if I am a big deal!), I dont apply any lipstick without lip balm! That includes MAC as well! Time for revenge! Only lipsticks I can blindly apply alone will be Moroccan Rose range from Body Shop! They are so damn soft and very very buttery! The softest formulation you ever get to see! Why cant they bring them back with new shades? See, this review has nothing to do with Body Shop! But, looks like I cant stay without a mention! TBS springs up from nowhere! How I wish they notice my love for their brand and make me their brand ambassador! Sigh!

Ingredients - Ricinus Communis seed (Castor) oil, Kaolin, Isopropyl lanolate, Isopropyl palmitate, Ceresin, Talc, Paraffin, Cera microcristallina, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetyl Lactate, Acetylated Lanolin Alcohol, Silica, Dimethicone, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Tocopherol, Propylparaben, Butylparaben, Ascorbyl palmitate, Parfum. May contain Mica, Titamium Dioxide, Iron oxides, Manganese Violet, Carmine.

Stats - 0.12 oz or 3.4 g originally retails for 14 pounds! Correct me if I am wrong! I got these for almost more than 75% off, which is a great deal! I am not sure if drug stores still stock Playboy range! If yes, try Paparazzi for sure! Highly recommendable!

Body Shop Nature's Minerals Eye Colour

2010-02-16T20:07:00.001+05:30

Well! Not a body butter! Not a lipstick! Something different at least! Today, we have Body Shop's Nature's Minerals Eye Colors in #02 Radiant Graphite and #04 Pink Opal!

Body Shop Nature's Minerals Make Up range contains some of nature's finest materials! Preservative-free, fragrance-free and oil-free! The packaging is fully recyclable, the lids include recycled material!

Claims - Accentuate your eyes with crease-resistant, blendable color that's made from Earth's purest minerals! Premium, up-to-the-minute loose powder formulation for the eyes! Made from minerals clinically proven to be suitable for sensitive skin types! Long-lasting, blendable and crease-resistant!

This stunning shimmering powder palette applies evenly and blends easily to provide adjustable coverage! Dermatologist-tested with no added fillers, preservatives or fragrances! Ophthalmologically tested! Suitable for contact lens wearers! Suitable for all skin types! Availale in six pearlescent shades!

Key Ingredients - Mediterranean clay, Mica, Illite, Titanium dioxide and Iron oxide.

Mediterranean clay - Absorbent mineral that helps to bind the make-up to the skin for long-lasting coverage.

Mica - In selected shades - adds lustre and has light diffusing properties to help disguise fine lines.

Titanium dioxide and iron oxide - In selected shades - provides a natural-looking colour palette.

The packaging is damn cute, a little plastic tube with a sifter! I always appreciate sifters, especially the net ones! I prefer net sifter compared to the hole ones, but they are difficult to find! Powder makeup for eye/face whatever with sifters are God-sent! You can control the product!

I dont like opaque packaging coz you never know what's happening inside! Its easy to choose the colors as well! You get to see the real color! What are testers for, Divija? I dont know! I like it that way! The lid is granite black! Sparkly black!

These are not so pigmented! Especially, the colors we have here! Is it wise to expect pigmentation from pale pink and grey? May be not! #02 Radiant Graphite is kinda slate grey with gold sparkles! #04 Pink Opal is pink with silver undertones! I find Radiant Graphite too sparkly for my liking! Glitter might appear chunky in Radiant Graphinte, but thats not the case in reality!

Colorwise, I like slate grey but the sparkle is too much! It travels everywhere! I end up looking very sparkly! Not recommendable for office use! Whereas the Pink Opal is a mauvy pink, which you are try for both day and night looks! Depends on your liking! Pink Opal is pearlescent finish, but I am not sure about Radiant Graphite!

What color do I prefer? I love Radiant Graphite if not for the sparkle! I tried taking a picture, but in vain! But, Pink Opal looks ravishing in the tub! I use Pink Opal on my lips for that "oomph"! Works wonders with gloss and lipstick as well!

For eyes, I love mixing both coz Pink and Grey blend well! I am a die-hard fan of Pink & Grey! It looks innocent and flattering at the same time! I love to try Pink Opal as "over all" lid color and Radiant Graphite for the outer corner!

Stats - 1 g or 0.03 OZ tub retails for 9 pounds! Stays fresh for 36 months, but I dont mind using this after that as well! I use powder products even after expiry! Sounds gross, eh? Well! That's me!

P.S - I recommend you wait for the Body Shop sale, which is somewhere around July 2010! Eye makeup enthusiasts, this recommendation is not for you! By all means, you are free to try these at anytime of the year! God bless your wallet!

Body Shop Moroccan Rose Body Butter

2010-02-15T18:57:00.002+05:30

Ahem! Girls! Today's product of review is Body Shop's Moroccan Rose Body Butter! We all know..... Please, dont get wild with my reviews on Body Shop products! The only thing that keeps me happy in this depressing weather is Body Shop! My latest love affair, I can say!

Claims - Beautiful skin-softening all-over body moisturiser with the fresh and feminine Moroccan Rose fragrance! Absorbs easily into the skin to provide intense moisturisation! Formulated with precious oil from roses hand-picked at dawn! I like that sound!

Everythin's coming up Roses!

Body butter is an intense moisturizer that can be used on entire body! They are specially formulated to maximize skin hydration! They are likely to be used during dry times of the year or when the skin suffers from severe lack of moisture! The ingredients contained in body butter often offer the skin both hydration and protection!

Body Shop launched Moroccan Rose range as a limited edition fragrance last spring, but I am sure they made it permanent now! Thanks to the huge demand! I mean, the body butter became permanent! Correct me if I am wrong! The body butter comes in a 200 ml or 192 g or 6.75 OZ tub! Retails for 12.50 pounds, but I got in a sale for 7.50 pounds! Body Butter tubs usually carry a color theme that coordinates with the fragrance! The lid is pearl pink with rose accents, the tub again pearlescent pink! Super girly!

Try me! You won't regret!

The product is baby pink in color! Consistency is creamy! Absorbs easily! Very hydrating! Gives a healthy sheen to the skin! Skin is visibly soft! Apply the moisturizer on damp skin! It helps lock the moisturizer better! Did you ever wanna smell like a Rose garden? This is for you! You might not find this overwhelming if you are into floral scents, especially Rose!

The staying power of the scent is above average! It might stay even more if you keep on layering! I applied a decent amount of Moroccan Rose body butter before going to bed, just to analyse the staying power! My skin was moisturizing till dawn, but the scent was very faint! You can hardly pick it up!

Moroccan Rose Body Butter is a very fragrant moisturizer! Perfumey-kind! Claims best for normal to dry skin! On test drive, the staying power of fragrance was more than 4 hours! For a longer lasting fragrance and to maximise the skin care benefits, use together with other products from the Moroccan Rose range in a layering regime! As simple as that! Preferably, I use this alone! There might be a chance of fragrance mishap!

I dont think I will ever buy any other product from the Moroccan Rose range other than the body butter tub! Moroccan Rose flavor is something to indulge in! Luxury you can give yourself once in a while! Makes a perfect valentine!

Did I describe the color wrong?

Key ingredients are Moroccan Rose, Shea butter and Babassu oil! Moroccan rose extracts moisturize and sooth skin with a fresh, floral scent! Shea butter leaves skin soft, smooth and supple! Babassu oil helps repair skin's moisture barrier while restoring suppleness!

Ingredients - Aqua, Glycine Soja Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cyclopentasiloxane, Orbignya Oleifera Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Glycerin, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Propylene Glycol, Lanolin Alcohol, Parfum, Phenethyl Alcohol, Caprylyl Glycol, Rosa Centifolia Flower Juice, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA, Tocopherol, Citronellol, Geraniol, Limonene, Hydroxycitronellal, Sodium Hydroxide, Linalool, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Rosa Centifolia Flower Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Butylparaben, Ethylparaben, Isobutylparaben, Propylparaben, CI 14700

Courtesy: BDazzled

P.S: Fragrances are purely personal! I sound like Moroccan Rose is heaven in a tub! Act smart! Sniff before you invest!

Sarah's Give Away!

2010-02-14T20:52:00.000+05:30

Sarah from Glossicious is hosting a give away! I like the sound of that! Thats one crazy give away, I tell you! So much of stuff! This is a 100-follower give away, by the way!

My second entry into a give away, since Rhamnousia's last week! I am already late in posting this on my blog, but better late than never! Make sure you enter! Who knows! You might be the winner! Now, time for good-byes!

"Gloss"ary of Glossicious

2010-02-12T16:08:00.004+05:30

Girls! I have something for you! I know this is not so ground-breaking! Still, I am trying to sound a little different! One more review on Body Shop product, I need a big basket to collect rotten tomatoes whateva! Ever since I started my blog, I wanted to do this post! But, the right time was yet to come!

I love to feature you "all my friends" in my blog! I really appreciate if you are completely involved in doing the post, right from choosing the title! I request one of you, obviously my followers and bug you with my most silly questionnaire! You are the celebrity! I am the Press! You give me an interview! Does it sound great at all? What are we waiting for? Sarah from Glossicious was very modest to lend a helping hand! Let’s bug Sarah! Ola, Sarah! Thank you very much for joining us!

1. What brings you to the Beauty Blogosphere, knowing there are tonnes already? Do you fancy a career that involves makeup?

I blog because I live in the middle of nowhere and it’s the only source which keeps me going and happy! I met so many nice people here! Career in beauty? Maybe not! I consider beauty blogging my hobby! It’s something which I do with my own style and my own rules!

2. What role does makeup play in your daily life?

Well! To be honest, makeup really doesn't play any important role in my day-to-day life! I hardly use any makeup! With kajal, I am good to go!

3. Whom do you find the most-inspiring? Makeup or any aspect of your life!

If you are beautiful inside and content, everything becomes inspiring including life!

4. Sarah, a shopaholic or Sarah, a bargain-shopper?

I was a shopaholic! Since I quit my job, I am more of a bargain-shopper!

5. Your place doesn’t stock most of the brands, especially high-end! How do you update your collection?

Is it a trick question? LOL! I ask my dad and brother to bring me makeup, as they travel a lot! I fulfil my makeup addiction by shopping online! Shipping?? Let me tell you, it’s “expensive”!

6. What is your favourite makeup brand? High-end or drug store? Are you brand-conscious?

I am not brand-conscious! I love discovering new brands, local and international! But, I make sure there is no quality compromise! I use Chanel, Dior, Collection 2000, Luscious etc!

7. What are your go-to makeup products? Anything you reach for, no matter what occasion!

Hashmi kajal, pressed powder and pink blusher! Can I add hair straightener? Not that I don't have silky straight hair, but just to get that extra OOMPH! If I dont have a good-hair day, I might not have a good day AT ALL!

8. Do you have any products you cannot live without? Staples!

Yes! I cannot live without kajal! There! I said it! Happy? It was easy to guess after mentioning it twice already!

9. What is lying untouched in your vanity from day #1? Any future for that!

No product is untouched! They all had their worst nightmares! They were all touched by me! They are MINE! Do I sound insane?

10. What’s your take on Smoky eye - nude lips?

Glad you asked! I love smoky eyes! After all, dark sultry eye is one of the easiest ways to achieve a sexy night-time look with makeup! Nude lips is just a personal choice! I don't like to sport dark lipsticks!

11. Do you collect anything related to makeup?

Am not a collector! I’m sorry! Am I a bad beauty blogger?

12. What’s your take on bloggers' recommendations on products? Do you consider?

YES!! YES!! YES!! I am easily convinced! Really, I read a review, I wanna buy that product very first instance! But I am trying to get over it! After all, all that glitters is not gold!

13. Ever had weird dreams about makeup?

Okay! I will tell you my worst makeup nightmare! Promise me, you won’t scream and won’t let my hand go! I was driving the most expensive car in my favourite city! Went to my favourite makeup store! I was shopping at the most expensive makeup counter! At the time of payment, I took my credit card from my Louis Vuitton! SA told me there was no money in the card! I mean, could it get any weird? It is any makeup addict’s worst nightmare! It’s more of a day-mare!

14. Would you like to share your daily routine? Skincare or haircare?

Heheh! You better not ask this question! Oh no! You just did! I have dry skin, so moisturizing is a must! I have many moisturizing creams, so I can't name all! I use organic face wash with rose and glycerine! Once or twice a week, I use either Himalaya’s cleanser or Neutrogena cleanser face wash 2-in-1! Hair care includes oil massage by mom once in a week! Tats it! I have premature grey hair, so I dye them every 2-3 weeks!

15. Would you like to feature your hand bag here? Preferably, a picture that includes you!

Its the ASOS over-size clutch, which I got in sale for 10 pounds! Its HUGE! I call it my JUMBO DUMBO clutch! Its a beauty, indeed!

P.S - Please ignore if you don’t fancy such posts! If you really want to join the fun, kindly do let me know! Nothing else makes me happier!

Rhamnousia's Give Away!

2010-02-11T17:00:00.001+05:30

Rhamnousia from Desi Girl Does Makup is hosting a give-away! The only word I am liking so far in blogosphere is "Giveaway!" I know I never did this before, so would be my first official entry into the "giveaway" thing! I never participated coz I cant take it easy when I lose! I know its hard to win! Why enter only to lose? Finally, I gave up! Lemme try for once!

Girls! Please excuse me as this is my first linking whateva! In case I make blunders, please do let me know! I am really excited to do this, so I definitely will make some mistake! The more excited I am, the more mistakes I make!

I never hosted any give away or entered any! Rhamnousia and Sarah are 100% right! Whats the use of having tonnes of people in ur blog when you hardly know them? Enough of drama! Back to job! To be honest, I comment on Rhamnousia's blog 70%! So, I feel I am eligible to participate! She was very diplomatic in hosting the giveaway! Read and you will know for yourself!

Oh God! Please let me win at least one giveaway in my life! Be it a chocolate or peanut! Just once! Rhamnousia, the ball is in your court now!

Body Shop Limited Edition Pomegranate Body Butter

2010-02-10T18:21:00.003+05:30

Okay! I know I review nothing, but Body Shop products! Consider TBS my priority for the time being! One day, my blog might become synonymous to the Body Shop! In case of introduction, you can say "that Body Shop lady!" No wonder people ask me if I am a Body Shop consultant! It cant get any better!

As mentioned earlier, Pomegranate Body Butter is a limited edition product! The only word I hate in English so far - "Limited"! Especially, when they are sold out crazy in a couple of days just after the launch! I asked the makeup artist @ TBS what makes Body Shop's Body Butter so special? She says there is some kinda secret ingredient involved in the formula! Nobody ever shares that! This makes things more curious!

Claims: With antioxidant-rich pomegranate seed oil to moisturize! Soften and condition your skin with rich, creamy moisturizer that lasts up to 24 hours and has a vibrant berry scent! Pomegranate seed oil moisturizes the skin! Its rich in antioxidants to help minimize the damage cause by the environmental aggressors! For normal skin!

Body butter is an intense moisturizer that can be used on entire body! They are specially formulated to maximize skin hydration! They are likely to be used during dry times of the year or when the skin suffers from severe lack of moisture! The ingredients contained in body butter often offer the skin both hydration and protection!

I am really not sure when Pomegranate Body Butter was launched! Might be 2009! There was no tester in the store, so I had to believe in the staff! Pomegranate Body Butter was an impulse purchase! Just in a couple of seconds, I can say! This tub was lying on the till waiting for attention! The makeup artist liked it, but the manager did not! Still, she recommended this flavor! I did believe in both and bought this! I dont regret buying this, at all!

I believe, this retails for 12.50 pounds, marked down to 6.25, then to 3 pounds! Correct me if I am wrong! The body butter comes in a 200 ml or 192 g or 6.77 OZ tub! Body Butter tubs usually carry a color theme that coordinates with the fragrance! The tub is deep berry kinda color with an open pomegrante picture on the lid!

The product is pink-colored! Vintage pink, I can say! Compared to the Nutmeg Vanilla, the consistency is creamy! Foam-cream! Understood? Nutmeg Vanilla body butter was liquidy, but not runny! Pomegranate body butter is creamy! It was so solidified in the tub! I turned the tub upside down, the product was still in the tub! I know what you are thinking! Thats not a good idea! Especially, Indian summers! Dont even think about it! Nah!

Again, I am surprised by the scent! It is definitely fruity! To be honest, I cannot pick up the real pomegranate flavor! That fresh juicy pomegranate scent! It smells like dry mango, mostly! Mildly, grape fruit! May be, I am bad at describing fragrances! Just because I know I bought the pomegranate flavor, I should say it might smell like pomegranate! Some of you might have picked up the proper scent, at least! May be, some other ingredient is dominating the pomegranate flavor?

I dont think men will like this as much coz its damn sweet! If they do like it, they know why are we so crazy about TBS body butter! It is not at all overwhelming, so you can keep on layering as much as you wish! The more number of layers, the more sweet you smell! Dont worry about using this along with any other scented products! No fragrance mishap!

Apply the moisturizer on damp skin! It helps lock the moisturizer better! I scoop the product with my fingers! Yes! You heard me right! Compared to the Nutmeg & Vanilla, Pomegranate Body Butter is not a fragrant moisturizer! I mean, not that perfumey-type! Sinks into the skin easily! Not greasy! The staying power of the scent is average! One wash, its almost there! May be, faint! It is really hydrating, especially for the winters! If you are into sweet fragrances, you might like this! No nausea, I swear!

Key ingredients - Cocoa butter, Shea butter, Organic soya oil, Grapeseed oil and Glycerin! Cocoa butter is an excellent moisturizer that melts at body temperature, leaving the skin feeling soft and silky smooth! Shea butter moisturizes and helps soften the skin! Organic soya oil has moisturizing and healing properties that make it ideal for intensive skin care treatments! Grapeseed oil is very rich in essential fatty acids that help repair the skin's moisture barrier, thus helping to restore smoothness and suppleness! Glycerin is an effective moisturizer which helps improve the softness and maximize hydration!

Ingredients - Water, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Butter, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Cyclopentasiloxane, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Lanolin Alcohol, Fragrance, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Punica Granatum (Pomegranate) Seed Oil, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Xanthan Gum, Benzyl Alcohol, Disodium EDTA, Tocopherol, Citronellol, Sodium Hydroxide, Red 4, Red 33, Blue 1.

P.S - Try to associate any fragrance with happy memories! Fragrances are very personal, so test them prior to use! Performance differs according to the weather conditions!