Tag Archives: Bombay Blogger

Lenskart Blog: All About Eyewear Fashion

Lenskart Blog: All About Eyewear Fashion

Lenskart Blog: All About Eyewear Fashion

Hi guys,

Today I am talking about a blog which is completely dedicated to eyes. Yes, that’s right. From fashionable eyewear to the latest eyewear trends to eye care tips, new brands, new launches, celebrity favourites, everything. It’s the blog by Lenskart.com.

You will find articles like ‘Glasses for different face shapes’, ‘Winter Eyewear Trends’, Food For your Eyes’, ‘Latest round and mirror sunglasses’, celebrity favourites and interviews like Tisca Chopra, Samir Kochhar, etc.

Also there are separate categories on the blog like Sunglasses, Eyeglasses, Celebrity Eyewear and Technology which makes finding relevant posts easier.

Their latest two posts ‘#GrowingUpWithGlasses & still not complaining’ and ‘Eyewear trends of 2016 that’ll grab eyeballs’ are quite interesting and I loved them, do check those out.

So do check out the blog and stay updated with the latest in the eyewear industry 🙂 Share your love for eyewear.

The Body Shop Moringa Hand Cream Review

The Body Shop Moringa Hand Cream Review

By Archana

Hand cream is an essential item in my handbag always during winters. I can’t survive without hand creams during this cold, dry season. Recently, I had gone to TBS to purchase a gift for a friend’s birthday and as the SA was giving me a whiff of various fragrances to try, I loved the Moringa variant fragrance and got tempted to picked the hand cream from the range. Read on to know how ‘The Body Shop Moringa Hand Cream’ fares.

Products claims: This flowery Moringa daily hand cream helps soften and protect hands with light, juicy moisture. The instantly absorbing formula is ideal for on-the-go hydration. Non-greasy moisture. Wonderfully light gel-cream formula. Absorbs instantly. Enriched with Community Fair Trade Shea Butter from Ghana.

Ingredients:

Directions to use: Squeeze a small amount onto hands and massage well.

Packaging:

The hand cream comes in a compact, sleek tube packaging with a tiny black screw cap. The tube is shiny with a very pale yellowish green color. The full ingredients list is mentioned on the back side. I find the packaging very travel friendly as it fits easily in a handbag or even a purse without taking too much space. Also, there is no leakage or spillage whatsoever.

Texture and fragrance:

The cream has a pale yellowish color with a medium consistency, not too thick or too thin. The fragrance is light floral jasmine scent similar to the other products in the Moringa range. Though it is a floral fragrance, it is not very feminine, so its actually a unisex product.

My experience:

The Body Shop Moringa Hand Cream is made with cold-pressed seed oil from hand-picked moringa pods. I squeeze a pea sized amount of the cream and rub it in my hands while massaging. It spreads and blends easily due to its right consistency and gets absorbed completely in a couple of seconds. The fragrance lingers for a while and yes, the scent is a little strong, so that whenever I apply this hand cream in office, my team mates ask where is this jasmine fragrance coming from and start looking around! 🙂

It moisturizes and nourishes my hands instantly and relieves the dry feeling. The moisturization effect lasts for around 3 hours or till you wash your hands. Since it gets absorbed quickly, you can go back to your work immediately without worrying about the cream transferring to other items. Unlike some hand creams which I have used in the past, they used to stain my keyboard with the cream stains if I start typing without waiting for it to be fully absorbed. With this Body Shop cream, I haven’t faced any such issues.

However, this cream might not be for very dry hands. I was travelling for sometime last month and stopped using the cream during that time. After the travel, I fell sick. As I had neglected my hands for a long time, they became very dry and started peeling due to the cold. My hands started itching and there were rashes on my fingertips. During that time, when I tried this hand cream, it didn’t work for me at all. I apply the cream and barely within two minutes, my hands started feeling dry once again. I had to go back to my trusted savior, The Body Shop Cocoa Body Butter, to heal my hands.

Pros:

* Moisturizes and nourishes hands adequately.

* Gets absorbed quickly.

* Does not make hands greasy.

* Doesn’t leave any residue which might transfer to other items while working.

* Nice floral jasmine fragrance.

* Compact, travel-friendly packaging.

Cons:

* Not suitable for very dry skin.

Price and quantity: Rs.350 for 30ml.

Rating: 4.2/5

Verdict:  The Body Shop Moringa Hand Cream is a perfect go-to cream to have in your work desk in office and in your handbag wherever you go. It is light, gets absorbed quickly without any greasiness and has a lovely floral fragrance. However, if you have extremely dry skin, then it might not be suitable for you.

Editor’s Note: Sounds refreshing for summers, I might give it a try in summers. I love the L’Occitane hand creams though, especially lavender. Also currently loving the Crabtree & Evelyn.

Have you tried The Body Shop Moringa  Hand Cream? Which is your favourite hand cream?

Not just Welcome, Impress your Guests

Not just Welcome, Impress your Guests

Hi guys,

With festivals around and guests coming in to visit, we all love to make up our home. Here are 5 tips that will not only freshen up your living space, but will also leave a lasting impression on the guests.

1.    Welcome guests in style.

The first part every guest sees is the entrance. Add potted plants at the entrance. This will make your home refreshing and inviting. Plus plants always spread a positive aura around.

2.    Get some space.

Want some more room for your room? Just add mirrors to different walls. A strategically placed mirror reflects light and can make a small area seem much larger! Works like magic, try that.

 3.    A small change to leave a big impact.

Sometimes, a little change in your interiors can leave your guests speechless. Don’t move everything around. Try swapping a chair, sofa or just brighten the lights. One quirky piece of furniture can also do the trick.

4.    Add to the charm.

Say goodbye to boring. Dress up your drawer handles with colorful ribbons, paint legs of an old chair or cover old boxes with wrapping paper. You can even reuse the plastic bottles as flower vases by spray painting them. There are so many ways to DIY your old stuff, check Pinterest for some home decor DIY and get inspired.

5.    Let the kitchen do the talking

A clean & hygienic kitchen will make you picture perfect in front of your guests. That’s why, while cleaning the kitchen, make sure you get rid of cockroaches too. Cockroaches are not just embarrassing but also dangerous. They crawl into your kitchen through dirty places and hide in various corners. They spread food poisoning by contaminating food & utensils behind your back.

So, don’t let cockroaches turn you and your guests down. Use LAL HIT, the only solution that can kill even the hidden cockroaches with its unique ‘Deep Reach Nozzle’.

Controlling the pests is most important for health and hygiene, so #SayNoToFoodPoisoning today.

How do you welcome your guests? Any home decor tips or DIY you would like to suggest? Let me know in the comments below.

P.S: Image from Google

How Asus ZenPad 8.0 Makes My Life Easy

How Asus ZenPad 8.0 Makes My Life Easy

Hi guys,

I know a lot of gadgets and Asus is being reviewed on the blog, but being a blogger who is 24/7 online on all social media platforms and keeps clicking and uploading and tweeting and snapchatting and doing live beams or youtube or blogging all the time, apart from emails, invoices, following up on payments,etc. is tough! Phew :/

And smartphones, tabs, gadgets make our life easy and sorted. I was using the Samsung Galaxy 2 Tab since years and it is quite old now, so I was looking for a new tab with all the advanced features and got the Asus Zenpad 8.0 at the perfect time. I love how a tab is not as inconvenient as a smartphone and still easy to carry around and work with.

It runs on Android 5.0, with the ZenUI overlay, almost the same as with other Asus smartphones. It comes with 2GB of RAM, 16GB of  internal storage (expandable upto 128GB), and LTE connectivity, Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi and a 4000mAh battery. The battery lasts really long!! One of the main reasons why I love it.

The Zenpad comes with a charger. There is a separate audio cover and the cover’s charger at an additional cost of Rs.3000/-

It has interchangeable covers in black, white and grey. It is 8 inches in size, so easy to carry around and quite light weight (350g). Fits in my smaller handbags too.

Front Cam Beautification Mode

It has 8MP Rear camera with f/2.0 which is pretty decent, has Tru2Life technology which captures pictures as vivid and clear as in real with no change or modification in colors or brightness. It catches every minute detail and the pictures are very sharp because of the PixelMaster. The front cam is 2MP, both cameras are without flashes. It is not the best camera out there, but pretty good for a tablet. Compared to other tablets, the camera is top notch. The camera has all the features as in their other smartphones (Read more in my Zenfone 2 Laser Review HERE)

Pic clicked with Zenpad, see the colors are more true to real life.
Front Cam Selfie with Beautification Mode

VisualMaster optimizes all aspects of the display — including contrast, sharpness, color, clarity, and brightness — resulting in an incredibly realistic viewing experience.

It runs smooth with many apps open too, inspite of 2GB RAM. Only gets a bit slow during gaming and gets a little heated up too. But for regular browsing , updating, it is perfect. I can even blog on the go with this!

Asus Audio Cover

The sound can be amplified with the audio cover. ASUS Audio Cover (Sold separately) is an entertainment accessory that brings cinematic, 5.1-channel surround sound to ASUS ZenPad 8.0. DTS-HD Premium Sound and SonicMaster technology provide further enhancement, ensuring the ultimate audio experience on ASUS ZenPad 8.0. It has 6 speakers including a subwoofer which means 6 x sound volume and one charge gives 6 hours battery life. It practically works as a bluetooth speaker with better quality. You can carry it around in your car or a house party or anywhere. You just need a party playlist in the Zenpad and your are sorted. The look and feel of the Audio Cover is excellent, it looks like a diary and makes for a perfect case for the Zenpad.

I can blog, update my social media, or watch YouTube videos loud and clear with the Audio Cover and do a ton of stuff from making notes to clicking pictures to sending invoices to doing live beams on Fame or Periscope with this.

Priced at Rs.14,999/-, it is one multi- tasking device that will sort your life. It has definitely sorted mine! If you are looking for a new handy tab, then look nowhere else, coz Asus Zenpad 8.0 is your answer.

Do you use a pad or tablet? Which one?

P.S: Sent by brand,honest review.

UrbanClap: Local Service Professionals at Clap of your Hands

UrbanClap: Local Service Professionals at Clap of your Hands

Hi guys,

These days we have 1-2 new apps coming up every other day, so what makes an app different and are all the apps in the market actually helpful? Nah! But one app I came across in December is actually very helpful! One of my friend works full time, both the husband and wife work whole day on weekdays and they only get weekends to chill or go out, her major concern always was cleaning and the home stuff. I was at her place last to last month and she told me she calls for whatever services she needs on this new app ‘Urbanclap’. One Sunday it is bathroom cleaning, and one Sunday it is sofa cleaning, she even calls for the beauty services she needs, she need not go to a salon or take an appointment, etc., her life is sorted!

I thought that’s an amazing idea, I downloaded the app to see how exactly it works. Last month before my Jaipur trip, I did not have the time to go to a salon and I called for beauty services at home on the Urbanclap app. If you follow me on twitter, you must have read a mini review of the services too. They have Rs.300/- off over services of Rs.800/- offer going on, they keep having offers, so watch out for that.

The app is super easy to use, understand and navigate. Select the service you need from the list of services, it catches your location and lets you know the fixed prices for blue collared jobs, or asks for your exact requirements from the options available for white collared jobs and the service providers send you a quote. You have three different price options too according to your budget. You have the option of the service providers calling you or you calling them, the latter is always safer and better unless you wish to be bombarded by calls whole day! You can even directly pay on the app for the blue collared services with fixed prices.

All the blue collared services have fixed pricing per hour which is around Rs.199/- Currently I am looking for a plumber for some minor work and all local plumbers tell me they will charge Rs.500/- for visiting even if 5 minutes job! Thank goodness for apps like this for saving us from being exploited.

I was looking for a yoga trainer at home for my back issue, and I chose that service and the ‘home’ option and my budget. These are the quotes and providers I got already within 5 minutes.

Things I did not like and which could improve, even after selecting the lower budget option here i.e. below Rs.3500/-, I got contacted by all providers giving a quote of Rs.4000 to 6000. Only the providers who give services within the mentioned budget should be able to give a quote or contact the buyer, coz it’s a waste of time.

I think Urbanclap is a huge help for working couples who hardly get time to get home stuff sorted, and even otherwise for families when you cannot find local services easily, now you can with just a touch on your phone! Apps like these sort your life, it has already received three rounds of funding and much deserved.

If you still haven’t tried Urbanclap, do so now! For Android users, go HERE and for Apple users, go HERE. You can thank me later 🙂 Currently it only available in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Chennai, but they are expanding to other cities this year.

Have you tried the Urbanclap app yet?

‘Buy More,Save More’ Sale at Shopbop

‘Buy More,Save More’ Sale at Shopbop

Hi guys,

So there is this new sale on Shopbop.com, where you buy more and save more i.e. more the purchases, more the discount. It starts right now and ends after a week on November 30. Use code ‘GOBIG15’ at checkout for the discount, valid even on ‘Sale’ items 🙂

Trends to look out for:

Fall Picks

Go from workout to Brunch

The Right Amount of Pink for Fall

Some new brand additions on Shopbop..

Sara Battaglia

Duskii

DESA NINETEENSEVENTYTWO

Aspinal

BEX nyc

TIARE HAWAII

Kobi Halperin

SOFIA by Vix

Georgia Alice

Besides, there will be some brand exclusions from the sale, you can find them here https://www.shopbop.com/ci/3/lp/discount-promo-coupon-code.html

Happy Shopping 🙂

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 🙂

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

Avene Cleanance Soapless Gel Cleanser Review

Avene Cleanance Soapless Gel Cleanser Review

What the Company claims:  This soap-free and paraben-free gel gently cleanses and purifies your skin while respecting its pH. It cleanses the skin gently without abrasion (no rebound effect). It is suitable for young, oily, blemish-prone skin as it purifies the skin and controls oil secretion, leaving your skin fresh and non-irritated. It contains 60% Avène Thermal Spring Water which has amazing soothing properties and the new sebum-regulating ingredient Glyceryl Laurate. This cleanser prepares the skin for treatment. It is an economical product, as a small quantity is enough to be effective.

Price for 200 ml is Rs 1100 (Buy HERE)

How to use: Use Cleanance Soapless Gel Cleanser morning and evening on your face and body. Apply to wet skin, lather and rinse thoroughly. Remove any remaining traces of make-up on the face and soothe the skin by spraying with Avène Thermal Spring Water.

Ingredients:

Cleanance Range:

  • reduces/limits sebum production
  • soothes irritations
  • Nips acne right at the root
  • leaves the skin feeling fresh and mattified

I have been using the Avene Cleanance Gel since quite a few weeks now, actually post my break out, I am only stuck to this. Read on to know what I think about it.

I researched a bit about Glyceryl Laurate, which is the new ingredient of the Avene Cleanance Range. It is a monoester of glycerin and lauric acid, skin conditioning agent and helps as emollient and surfactant. It basically forms a film on the skin and gives the skin a smoother, softer feeling. And also helps in sebum regulation.

To start with the packaging, it comes in this sleek plastic bottle with a white cap which you have to swivel to get the dispensor and dispense the product and swivel back again to close, something you see in talcum powders but this has just one tiny hole to dispense which is the perfect size.

It will not leak while you travel with it, but since this is a bit bulky and huge, I would not say it is travel friendly. I would have loved if it would have been available in smaller sizes too.

It is a bit thinner in texture and not exactly like gel, it has this hint of blue in it. I wash my face, take some product in my palms and then just blend some in my palms and some on the wet face directly.

It removes my basic makeup i.e eye liner, non waterproof mascara, sunscreen, BB cream, etc. without any hassles. It does not burn or sting the eyes at all! Something I really like, which most of the cleansers do, on my eyes. You will feel a thin film on the face but not something uncomfortable. It did not dry out the skin at all!

Coming to the main part, it definitely helped in my acne, no breakouts ever since I am using this and my previous scars have also almost faded. I am currently using this once a day, not twice a day since I have combination skin and not purely oily or blemish prone skin.

Though it is on the expensive side, the quantity is a lot and this 200ml bottle would easily last you at least 3-4 months depending on the usage.

I absolutely love it and recommend it. The most gentle cleanser I have used in a long time which removes my basic makeup, cleanses skin thoroughly from deep within, controls my break outs and even helps in fading the acne marks. And does not dry out the skin at all. It is a must try and will work for majority skin types, but if you have oily/acne prone/blemish prone skin, definitely get it today.

Rating:

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

Overall Rating: 4.5/5

Would I buy it again: Yes!

Have you tried the new Avene Cleanance Gel Cleanser yet?