All About LIVA and #UnboxWithLiva/My OOTD, Indian Fashion Blog

All About LIVA and #UnboxWithLiva/My OOTD

All About LIVA and #UnboxWithLiva/My OOTD

Hi guys,

On Saturday I attended an interesting event which was a wine and dine at Bungalow 9 in Bandra with team LIVA. There were a few bloggers, people from LIVA, RJ Archana and fashion choreographer Shy Kalra. The event was hosted by the lovely Freishia Bomanbehram. The USP of the event was everyone was supposed to come dressed up in LIVA and fortunately no two were in same outfits 😀 #UnboxWithLiva was all about not being boxed in synthetic fabrics and how in our forever busy lifestyle, we need clothing and fabric that does not box us but lets us free. A fabric which lets you be as comfortable throughout the day as you would be in your PJ’s and do whatever you wish to.

About LIVA:  Liva is a new-age naturally created fabric (in a pure or blended form) that transforms not just the garment but also the person wearing it. It is comfortable, soft, 100% natural, and eco-friendly. It is a part of ‘Aditya Birla’ group.

A fabric so fluid, so breathable, so comfortable… that it moves with you. It is designed keeping the new age woman in mind, this fabric defies all norms of conventional materials and aims to keep you going through the day without being weighed down.

LIVA is made from natural fibres which are produced from wood pulp, a natural renewable resource. The pulp used is from trees which are specifically grown for this purpose i.e. more new trees are planted than trees are cut. It gives the earth a much-needed green cover, saves 6-7 times more land in comparison to cotton, and saves 3-4 times more water than usual.

We got to know a lot about Liva and how it is not only comfortable but also eco – friendly, made from wood pulp, conserves water, everything about this fabric is only good!

Also there was a fun photo booth where we clicked lots of pictures with the Liva hashtag placards.

This was the first time I had tried a Liva garment and I was so surprised by how comfortable and light it was, the fabric is outstanding! You know how terrible hot and humid it is currently in Mumbai, it is around 34-35°C. I was wearing this dress since afternoon and in that 4-5 hours, not even once did I feel uncomfortable or rushing home and changing into my PJ’s. The fabric felt absolutely light and comfortable.

LIVA retails at AND, Global Desi, 109°F, Lifestyle, Pantaloons, Desi Belle at Central, Allen Solly and Van Heusen to name a few, but you have to specifically ask them for Liva fabric coz not all garments are Liva. Liva garments have a  separate pink ‘Liva’ tag on them.

I bought this pretty black and orange maxi dress from Global Desi, there were just 3 options at Global Desi, 2 maxi dresses and 1 midi dress. Of which I liked this one the most.

I also checked AND and 109°F, sadly AND did not have Liva garments in their new collection and the 109°F store I went to did not have good stock, so finally settled on Global Desi and I am glad coz I love this dress.

It fits beautifully and I love the black and sunset orange combination, the orange creates an ombre here and it also has pink, gold and black detailing on the ombre.

I paired it with my nude and gold clutch, a gold watch and black sandals. Since the outfit is quite bright and colorful, it created a statement in itself and no other accessories were required with it.

Dress: Global Desi (Liva)
Sling: Accessorize
Watch: Michael Kors
Shoes: Shown HERE and HERE

On lips: Lakme Absolute Matte Lip Tint Tangerine Touch

Location: Bungalow 9, Bandra

I hope you liked the outfit, also don’t forget to check out ‘Liva’ whenever you are shopping next, you will absolutely love the fabric.

Asus #HarPalHappiness Offer This Diwali

Asus #HarPalHappiness Offer This Diwali

Hi Guys,

Diwali is around the corner and it is one festival where a lot of exchange of gifts take place. We receive many gifts and give out many, though most of the times the gifts are cliché and not something necessarily useful for the person.

I always believe in gifting people something they would actually like and use, rather than something which would get piled up in the showcase for years.

I had gifted by husband a new phone few months ago but unfortunately his phone got stolen 1-2 weeks ago and currently he is using one of my old phones. I was planning to gift him a new phone this Diwali as it is the perfect timing. I am so glad Asus India has come up with this amazing offer this Diwali!!

Asus India is brightening up lives this Diwali with the “Har Pal Happiness Offer”, where customers buying a ASUS Zenfone will get a chance to win Flipkart gift vouchers worth Rs.1,000 every hour. And, one lucky customer will also stand a chance to win gold vouchers worth Rs.25,000 every day! The offer is available HERE.

Now that’s a win win! I get to gift someone and make that person happy plus I win myself some vouchers too 😉 I don’t mind that at all.

Gift Yourself Happiness. Because if you gift an Asus mobile this Diwali, the chances are you’ll win a gift for yourself too! The offer ends on 11th November, so make sure you utilize the offer soon.

I am definitely gifting one, are you??

OOTD: Black Striped Shirt Dress, Silver Loafers

OOTD: Black Striped Shirt Dress, Silver Loafers

Hi guys,

I wore this to the LYN #ShadesOfGrey launch on Tuesday at the Taj Mahal Tea House in Bandra. I love stripes and shirt dresses are my current favourite.

This was the perfect combination of both, while I loved the same dress in white which was anyday more smart but white being see through, I had to go for black. Only problem with shirt dresses I always face is if I go for a bigger size so that the buttons sit properly at the bust, it’s quite loose overall and if I go a size smaller and it’s perfect overall, it always stays a bit open at the bust :/ Sigh. I know a double tape can solve that problem but with this dress, it was just not staying stuck! Also it comes with the matching cloth belt which can help you give the straight fit dress some definition. Sadly the dress is a bit short when you sit, taller girls can wear it like a shirt, I will add leggings the next time.

Anyhoo, coming to this gorgeous silver loafers which I absolutely love but totally hate coz they gave me my life’s worst shoe bites ever! I was in terrible pain and couldn’t even walk, just when my leg got twisted and my right operated leg got a jerk 🙁 It was paining terribly for an hour and then while walking and climbing stairs. The pain is less in the mornings but by night it increases, I hope it heals soon!

So I paired this black shirt dress with silver loafers and this nude Accessorize clutch, it has metallic gold accents which I love! The theme was grey and I had worn a casual grey t-shirt dress before coz that was the only grey I had, but thankfully this dress arrived at the last moment coz I was at my mom’s place, this dress was a saviour!

Dress: Shein
Shoes: Forever21
Sling: Accessorize
Watch: Daniel Wellington

Location: Taj Mahal Tea House, Bandra

On my lips: Lakme Absolute Matte Lip Tint Pink Fantasy

Clicked by: Shanaya S

I hope you liked the look, do let me know in the comments below 🙂

Makeup Tutorial: Matte Orange & Pink Ombre Lip

Makeup Tutorial: Matte Orange & Pink Ombre Lip

Hi guys,

I created this matte ombre orange and pink lip which is bright, fun and can be worn with everything from casual to ethnic. I have paired it with taupe eyes and green eyeliner for a more casual look. If you go gold or bronze on the eyes with the same green for an ethnic look, it would look amazing.

List of products used:

I hope you liked this look, if you did please give it a thumbs up and also subscribe to my Youtube channel for more such videos. I have another smokey eye coming soon and I am planning to do a festive Diwali look too 🙂

TRESemmé Ionic Strength Range Shampoo, Conditioner Review

TRESemmé Ionic Strength Range Shampoo, Conditioner Review

Hi guys,

So after I finished using the Dove Oxygen Moisture Range, I tried this new TRESemme Ionic Strength Range and here is my review.

What the Company claims:  This innovative range is inspired from salon treatments that “reconstruct”and “repair” hair that has been exposed to styling and in the process,weakened and damaged. The Advanced IONIC Complex in this new range nourishes the hair and forms a protective shield, allowing it to withstand the potential damage due to heat styling tools and frequent brushing, while also reinforcing hair’s natural strength. Gentle enough for daily use, TRESemméIonic Strength ensures your hair is strong and beautifully soft making it manageable, like you have just stepped out of a salon.

How does the product work?

Using an electric appliance on your hair can damage it. Damaged hair has more negative charge. TRESemmé Ionic Strength technology with ionic complex contains positively charged ingredients which get attracted to the negatively charged damaged hair, making it smoother. When used with Ionic Strength conditioner it helps restore and nourish your hair, reinforcing its natural protection to damage.

MRP: TRESemmé Ionic Strength Shampoo 190ml Rs. 185, 580ml Rs. 415

TRESemmé Ionic Strength Conditioner 85ml Rs. 94,  190ml Rs. 185

Ingredients Shampoo:

Ingredients Conditioner:

It comes in the trademark TRESemme black and white packaging with a press button flip to open and shut. Also it has the same runny white shampoo and a thick white conditioner as the other TRESemme ranges. Smells also almost the same. My favourite TRESemme Range was the Split End Remedy one, that reminds me it’s been ages I have not used that and should try that again soon!

The shampoo foams amazingly well and cleans your scalp and hair nicely, it is very hydrating and moisturising, so it actually would hydrate the dry, damaged hair as claimed. I don’t have dry hair and neither is my hair chemically treated or colored, so I did not see much of a difference in that. But it definitely left my hair softer and smoother, only thing being since my hair is not dry, rich shampoos kind of weigh my hair down and I do not get volume and bounce.

I love volume in my hair and the Dove Oxygen Moisture Shampoo actually used to give me amazing volume, since I used this shampoo directly after Dove, it was a straight comparision in my head and that is the only thing I don’t really like in this shampoo. However the same thing is a boon for dry, damaged hair.

Conditioner is rich and hydrating again, it untangles all the knots left while washing the hair and makes your fingers slide through the hair easily. I do like rich conditioners especially for the end parts of the hair and I quite like this.

At Rs.185/- it is slightly expensive than other shampoos and conditioners, but the difference is not much. I like it when brand has different sizes available and the smaller ones are perfect for travel.

Overall I would say, if you have dry, damaged hair, use a lot of heat, coloring, etc, this range will work really well on your hair. However, if your hair is normal, not very dry and you are not into coloring or heat, I would suggest using the Dove Oxygen Moisture Range. If I have to choose one for myself, I would go with Dove. I like this range but it is not my favourite

Rating:

Shampoo:

Quality: 3.5/5
Value for money : 3.75/5
Availability: 4/5

Overall rating: 3.75/5

Conditioner:

Quality: 4/5
Value for money : 4/5
Availability: 4/5

Overall rating: 4/5

Have you tried this new TRESemme Ionic Strength Range yet?

Maybelline White Super Fresh Compact Powder Shell Review, FOTD

Maybelline White Super Fresh Compact Powder Shell Review, FOTD

Hi guys,

I have been using this Maybelline White Super Fresh with Pure Perlite 12 Hour Whitening + Perfecting Compact Powder (wow, that’s quite a mouthful) since the past 2-3 days and here is my review..

What the Company claims: How does White Super Fresh stand out compared to all you other compact powders?

– It lasts up to 12 hours.
– No dabbing, washing or touch-ups necessary.
– Keeps you fresh and fair throughout the day.
– Absorbs sweat and doesn’t let your skin get patchy.
–  Available in 3 shades for your skin tone: Pearl (Light to Medium), Shell (Medium) & Coral (Medium to Dark).
– Priced at Rs.150.
– Has Pure Perlite and UV Filters
– Dermatologist tested and suitable for everyday use

Here is my review on Youtube too..

It comes in this white compact packaging with a mirror and a sponge. The sponge has a rubber finish on one side, so it can only be used through the one cotton side.

I have the shade Shell which is meant for medium skin tones. I am glad that it has yellow undertones, by the name ‘White’ going on the compact I was not very sure. But thankfully it matches me perfectly and does not give a whitish cast.

It has a soft floral smell which is quite pleasing. The packaging is sturdy enough and the mirror and sponge make it very travel friendly. It gives light to medium coverage which is buildable i.e one swipe will give you light coverage and going over 2-3 times will give you medium coverage. But it won’t hide your acne scars or dark circles which means you will need a separate concealer for that.

And even though I use a rich moisturiser, it does accentuate my dry patches. The powder is very finely milled and smooth but it not very creamy, though it it not very dry and powdery kinds too, somewhere in between.

Coming to the staying power and no touch up claim, it does stay put thoughout the day but I need to touch up my oily T-zone once after 5-6 hours as it gets slightly shiny. One slight touch up and I am good to go through the day. If you have dry skin, you won’t need any touch ups and if you have oily skin, one touch up and you will be sorted. It does the mattifying job amazingly well and oil does stay away from your skin through the day.

It blends seamlessly and merges with your skin tone and it actually keeps the skin looking fresh throughout the day.

The only con I would say is it doesn’t have sunscreen protection, but then we don’t rely on compact powders for sunscreen protection anyway. Also I am not sure how the other two shades are and if the darkest shade Coral is a match enough for all skin tones, but I believe 4-5 shades could have been better. I am not very pleased with the ‘Whitening’ claim too.

Here is the shade ‘Shell’ on me, I only have this compact ON and no other base..

The best part is the price and quantity, at Rs.150/- and 8g of product, it is by far one of the most economical compact powders right now.

Overall, I would say it’s a very nice budget compact and perfect for oily to combination skin. It does it’s job of keeping oil at bay very well. If you have dry skin, you will need a rich moisturiser with this. Highly recommended!

Rating:

Quality: 4/5
Value for money: 4.5/5
Availability: 4/5

Overall Rating: 4.5/5

Would I buy it again: Yes

Have you checked out or tried the new Maybelline White Super Fresh Compact Powder yet?

P.S: PR Sample. Honest Review

Swatch Fall – Winter Collection 2015 Preview, Favourites

Swatch Fall – Winter Collection 2015 Preview, Favourites

Hi guys,

A few weeks ago I attended the preview of Swatch’s new Fall – Winter 2015 Collection at Out of The Blue in Bandra. We were asked to choose a band at the entry randomly. The entire collection was kept for preview on one side and there were tables for us on the other side with cheese, wine and also the OOTB’s signature cheese and chocolate fondue.

As you can sense, the entire theme was ‘Swiss’ since Swatch is a Swiss brand and everything from the food to the decor was as per the theme. We were divided into teams according to our color bands and we had a competition where we had to use chocolate and create anything related to Swatch, Switzerland and watches.

I was in the orange band team. We made ‘I Love Swatch‘ where Swatch was the Swiss flag and Swatch logo which is the same, of course we won 🙂 We had to! :p The entire team won a Swatch watch each.

Coming to the collection, we were given a brief about the collection and how it is based on different countries and themes. The collection is inspired from India, China, Switzerland of course and a few other countries. Each country theme has a range of watches. India inspired ones are more of gold and silver with floral detailing (any my favourites are India inspired ones).

There are a lot of bright colored watches in the Fall – Winter Collection and a lot of printed whites, the colored chronograph ones are very smart and good for daily casual wear.

My favourites from the collection are ‘Delhi’ and ‘Blue Poetry’

Delhi
Blue Poetry

Here I am wearing the Delhi one..it’s a slim gold chain watch with pink floral detailing and I think it would work with so many different outfits.

https://instagram.com/p/8N2MZDBM-W/

What is your pick from the new Swatch Fall – Winter 2015 Collection?

Salosa.com – Beauty At Your Doorstep

Salosa.com – Beauty At Your Doorstep

Hi guys,

I know by now you have already seen 2-3 reviews of similar services that come at your home and provide you beauty services, but there is one thing that is different about Salosa.com and read on to know what.

About Salosa: Salosa.com is a platform with a vision to help women look and feel beautiful, all at their convenience.They aim to achieve this vision by providing beauty & styling services at the customer’s doorstep.

Salosa offers all kinds of beauty services (Facial, Pedicure, Manicure, etc), hair services (color, cut, care, etc.), body care (waxing, bleaching) and even makeup.

So how does Salosa work, you ask? See the pic below.

What you have to do is select an attendant you need, Male or Female and then select your area and the type of service and click on ‘Find A Stylist’. You get a list of options ranging from freelancers to chain of salons to fleet and their prices and minimum booking amount.

Here as you see I have chosen Glamsquad Beauty Services as the vendor, I feel they are reasonable and fall in between the freelancers and salons in terms of pricing.

All the stylists are trained specifically and use only branded, good quality products. They are verified and groomed before being listed on the website. And they are told to make sure that they leave the house clean after providing the services so that the customer does not have to hassle with the cleaning.

What makes Salosa different from other service providers is that they have a wide range of services and at different pricing points, unlike having a fixed list of services with specific prices. The most important point being, quality remains uncompromised.

Salosa is only available in Delhi & Gurgaon currently, I hope they expand to other cities of India soon and come to Mumbai too. I would really like to try out their services.

But if you live in Gurgaon, definitely check out Salosa.com and try out the services. More FAQ HERE.

Have you heard about Salosa.com before? Do you prefer choosing your own beauty service provider from a range of options?

October ‘Get Set To Celebrate’ Fab Bag Review

October ‘Get Set To Celebrate’ Fab Bag Review

Fab Bag is a monthly subscription bag where you get 4 (sometimes a 5th bonus) products.

Read my previous Fab Bag reviews:

October month of Fab Bag is the ‘Get Set To Celebrate’ Festive edition since Navratri and Durga Puja are around the corner.

MRP: Rs.699/- for 1 month

It’s a very cute potli type vertical bag this time, quite similar to the mobile pouch which was IN trend some time back, this is perfect to carry some cash, a lipstick and your cell phone during weddings, etc. I love the pink and red color blocking too and the button closure.

They have introduced the brands ‘Spa Ceylon’ and ‘Palmers’ this month. I had received a mail last month end, that I can select any one makeup product of my choice this month. I like the concept and it was quite interesting. I chose the Makeup Revolution Vivid Blush Lacquer in Heart as I had not tried the Makeup Revolution blushes yet.

So I received a full sized Makeup Revolution Blush which is priced at Rs.750/-, now this price varies from importer to importer, but currently it is priced at 750 everywhere.

Products I received:

  • Makeup Revolution Vivid Blush Lacquer in Heart- Full size (Rs.750/-)
  • Nyassa Oceana Foaming Face Scrub- 30g (Rs.900/- for 200g)
  • Spa Ceylon Green Mint Cooling Foot Scrub- 50g (Rs.1100/- for 300ml)
  • Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula Lotion -50ml (Rs.545/- for 400ml)

All the brands this month are good. I wanted to try something from Spa Ceylon so I am glad I got a product but I would have chosen the Jasmine Face Mask given an option coz I more into face masks than foot scrubs. I have tried the Palmer’s Cocoa butter body lotion before (Read review HERE), this cute bottle is perfect for travel and I would keep it for that.

Overall I would say it’s a nice bag with nice brands, you get products worth around Rs.1100/- for a bag worth Rs.700/-, it’s a bit of a luck game here, if you get 1-2 different products, the value of the bag changes. But worth a try.

You can book your bag HERE

What do you think about the October Fab Bag? What products did you receive?

Starlooks Looksbook Mini August Resort Edition: Unboxing & Makeup Look

Starlooks Looksbook Mini August Resort Edition: Unboxing & Makeup Look

Hi guys,

So I received the August Looksbook Mini box a few days ago coz of the Indian post, but anyhoo I came up with this look with the box.

Let me start with telling you a bit about Starlooks Looksbook..

WHAT IS A LOOKSBOOK® MEMBERSHIP?

Join thousands of makeup lovers across the globe in this revolutionary beauty movement! Today marks the end of spending hundreds of dollars for expensive cosmetics that clutter your purse & makeup drawer – and usually expire before you can finish them!

THE SOLUTION: Each LooksBook® contains fashion-forecasted, PRO Quality, HD, photo-compatible Starlooks color cosmetics, tucked into a convenient and educational “Book”, and is carefully curated to provide a complete “Look”. Let Starlooks be your monthly beauty stylist!

Our LooksBooks, unlike beauty subscription boxes, are NOT comprised of random selections of product. Our Creative Team (a wonderful group of highly trained professionals from the beauty and fashion industry) carefully plans each month based on professional beauty and fashion forecasts, and products are specifically chosen to guarantee that each book’s look is not only fashion forward, but also current in the fashion and beauty industry

MRP: $12

In the Resort Edition, there is a cream water colour eyeshadow, an gold-orange blush and a gold highlighter duo and a pale peach mini lipstick.

The eyeshadow is creamy and blends easily with eyes but it sets super quick and it was a little difficult to blend it quickly, but once set, it doesn’t budge. It’s a light moss green shade with loads of glitter, it shows up like a hint of green with just lots of shimmer. It’s a perfect shade for highlighting the inner corners.

The blush and the highlighter duo are my favourites, love the golden orange blush and it looks beautiful on warmer skin tones like ours, also the gold highlighter is very pretty and perfect for Indian weddings or a night time look.

The lipstick is very light and washes me out completely, it will only work on paler skin tones. I had to use a warmer, brighter orange to balance the color.

This is the look I came up with..

I have also done a video on this on my Youtube..

I think it’s a nice concept of having travel sized or mini makeup products in a kit, I totally agree on not being able to finish up makeup products. This blush-highlighter duo will definitely be a part of my travel kit now onwards. And at $12 monthly, it is pretty reasonable for 3 products.

You can subscribe HERE, they ship using USPS First Class Mail. Currently they don’t have the ‘India’ option but you can mail them at info@starlooks.com and they will figure out the shipping for you.

Do you like the Starlooks Looksbook concept? What do you think of it?

P.S: PR Sample. Honest Review