Last week I attended the launch event of #OPPOF1 and they also announced their association with ICC. They are soon launching F1 Plus too.
Currently the F1 sales start this week. The tagline of F1 goes ‘Bright & Beautiful, Selfie Expert OPPO F1′. And rightly so, this phone has an excellent camera.
Let me tell you a little more about the camera:
Dubbed as the “Selfie Expert”, the F1 features a standout 8 MP front-facing camera with a wide f/2.0 aperture lens and a 1/4-inch sensor, a sophisticated Pure Image 2.0+ photography platform offering OPPO’s Beautify 3.0 feature, OPPO’s patented Screen Flash to make snapping selfies in low-light conditions, and can shoot selfies using hand gestures and spoken commands, ensuring stunning selfies in all conditions.
The F1 also features a 13 MP rear camera with an ISOCELL sensor, the phase detection autofocus (PDAF) with a focus time of just 0.1s, and the anti-shake optimization feature which enables the camera to automatically select the clearest image from a huge buffer of image data the moment the shutter button is pressed.
The F1 is specially designed with powerful software and hardware to make capturing stunning selfies a breeze, with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 616 series Octa-core processor with 3GB RAM and 16GB ROM, all backed by OPPO’s spectacular build quality with a silk feeling metal panel.
It comes with a charger, head phones, two guides and a transparent silicone cover. I am glad they have head phones and cover too, and the head phones are pretty good quality.
Colors available: Rose Gold and Gold
Price: Rs.15990/-
The phone is also 4G enables and is so thin and light, the design is mind blowing. Read more here http://bit.ly/1JeFXYw
I am absolutely in love with the design, it is super thin and very light weight. The dull gold matte finish looks very classy and elegant and it is the lightest phone I have ever used and carried. Plus the four contoured corners are also well designed giving it a sleek look. It also comes in matte rose gold which is again beautiful.
The camera also comes with Beautify 3.0 option which makes your selfies look pretty! The front 8MP camera works even in low light conditions and still gives you pretty bright and clear selfies. The front camera selfie pictures are also all high resolution and crisp.
Here is my selfie taken with the front camera without any filter or Beautify option, it in itself is so bright and clear.
Selfie Oppo F1 Front Cam
And a pic taken with the rear camera.
Rear Cam Oppo F1
The camera and design is excellent and I have not come across a phone as classy looking and light weight as this in this price range yet! I highly recommend checking out OPPO F1, the sales start this week in all major cities and also online.
The best thing about OPPO is they have 30 day replacement period and 24 months warranty which no other brand in India has, I believe coz I have only seen 6 or 12 months warranty majorly.
Do you like the phone and pictures? Have you checked out OPPO phones yet?
Why are acetone nail polish removers so much better for you!
Acetone or Non-acetone—that is the question?
We have been asked times innumerable about the safest way to remove nail polishes, are acetone based removers safe and whether or not non-acetone removers are better for the nails? So here we have a short post which hopefully will appease your queries.
The pondering over the question in regards to the safety of acetone removers is as intense as the heated debate on the health benefits of chocolate. But you do not need to drown in the frenzy of arguments, as we have planned to bring forward some logical set of reasonings.
What exactly is acetone?
Acetone is the second safest solvent in the nail industry, after water. And clearly, we cannot use water to remove nail polishes, because if we could, the nail industries would have never established. Ok, enough on that. Undoubtedly there are many other solvents in the world, but none are as safe as compared to acetone.
Does acetone have any health hazards?
Health hazards? No, not any that we have heard of. Some people tend to believe that acetone has the potency to aggravate carcinogens and thereby cause cancer. This is NOT THE TRUTH. No scientific institution or research has ever proved this.
Secondly, the market hype about non-acetone nail polish removers has made people believe that acetone can get absorbed by your skin and in the process can get mixed with your blood stream. Girls, acetone CAN NOT pass through the dermis level of your nail bed. Acetone gets evaporated a bit too fast to get absorbed into your nail plate. So, it’s safe.
Why should you choose acetone removers over non-acetone polish removers?
Markets today have very strategically created the image of non-acetone removers to be the better version of acetone removers. In reality this is not true. Acetone based nail polish removers are slightly safer than non acetone removers, which basically constitute methyl ethyl ketone and ethyl acetate. Both of which are harmful for the healthy growth of nails. Surprised much?
Coming to the argument that acetone removers are drying, we could not contest it. But so are non- acetone removers, undoubtedly. In fact non-acetone removers are much more drying than acetone removers as they are not as effective as acetone removers when it comes to removing nail polishes.
Non-acetone removers were made to work basically with acrylic nails, as they used to get dissolved when tampered with acetone removers. Thus they are less effective than acetone removers, there by leaving us with no other choice than to let it be in contact with the nail and nearby skin for longer periods of time. This causes much more dryness than any ordinary acetone remover.
What to do in order to avoid dryness caused by acetone based removers?
The basic question is why do your nails feel dry after setting in contact with acetone removers? Remember when I told you that acetone was a good solvent and it dissolves all the polish very effectively. Similarly, acetone being a solvent also dissolves the natural oil and moisture from the skin surrounding your nail bed. Simple enough, eh?
Talking about the solution, it is a complete no brainer. Feed the skin with what the acetone could rip it off of. Oil! I mean if the acetone tends to strip off natural oils from your skin, slather some olive or almond oil on to the skin (not the nails, just the surrounding skin) which will be getting affected by oil.
By doing this one simple step, the acetone will be dissolving the oils applied externally, safeguarding most of your natural oils and moisture in the skin. Easy peasy!
Ok, so I am in a good mood today. Let me just throw in a bonus trick for you gorgeous girls to enjoy.
BONUS TRICK: Gel nails are beautiful and they are all the rage in the nail industry nowadays. But let us accept it, they can be expensive; and the additional expense to get them removed at the salon can be too overwhelming for some. Now, that we know that acetone is far better than non-acetone removers, let us try a simple trick here. Dab some oil on to the skin surrounding your nails. Taking a cotton swab completely doused in acetone nail polish remover place it onto the nail and cover the nail with a foil paper (the one sitting handy in your kitchen) and let it be for about 3-5 minutes. Do not unwrap the foil; just pull it straight off the tip along with the cotton.
The same trick can be used to remove chunky glitter polishes, but the acetone dipped cotton covered with foil should not be left on the fingernails for more than 3-5 minutes. It can damage your natural nail bed.
After all the heated debates and settled arguments, I have finally come to the conclusion that acetone removers are all the much better than non-acetone nail polish removers for your skin.
The only problem that acetone can cause is drying and to avoid the unquenchable-nail feeling, you can try the following acetone based DIY recipe for gorgeously nourished nails. Just take:
1. Ten parts acetone (any kind of pure acetone will do)
2. Two parts of water (normal or tap water)
3. 10-15 drops of any oil of your choice (I personally prefer using olive oil)
4. 5-8 drops of vitamin E (you can even use one or two vitamin E capsules for this purpose)
Just add these four simple ingredients into any old nail polish remover bottle and voila! You have a customized acetone based nail lacquer remover which will remove the most stubborn of nail polishes without ever drying your nails. I swear your friends will be jealous of your beautiful nails 🙂
Editor’s Note: That’s quite an interesting post Ishleen, also loved the last DIY recipe and would be trying that out. I have tried acetone free ones thinking they are all good, but the nail paint just won’t come off :/ I usually love using this oil based nail polish remover pads. This DIY thing sounds quite good and economical.
Have you tried non-acetone nail polish removers? Don’t you find them drying plus they do not take off the nail paint at all! Will you try this DIY recipe?
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.
Well if you haven’t read my part 1 yet, go HERE. And if you have, we talk about the 2nd main thing in Jaipur now, the food!
I had a fulfilling breakfast at The Bazaar at Zone by the Park in Jaipur for 2 days.
Also I am very picky about my tea, and it was perfect, just the way I like it! They serve it a mini Parle G and some crispies.
They do have buffet options for both lunch and dinner, hubby went with the buffet once. I went with a-la-carte coz I like to try different things.
I tried the Caesar Salad and Zone Chilli Cheese Khakhra Toast the first day, loved both the khakhra was real spicy and not for the faint hearted 😀
Ordered Biryani for room service once and loved it too, perfect blend of spices and served with raita, just the way a biryani is meant to be.
And also tried the Alfredo Pasta once
Not much of a fun, coz I like my pasta more cheesy. I wanted to try their wood fired pizzas which are their speciality but there was some technical issue in the oven and I could not, my bad luck!
Other items I tried were Veg. Dumplings & Noodles with Honey Chilli Potatoes, Mango Blueberry Panna Cotta, Gajar Ka Halwa and Moong Dal Halwa. I found the dumplings a bit under cooked, absolutely loved the honey chilli potatoes. The artificial mango taste killed the panna cotta but it was not the season, so can’t blame them. Love their Indian desserts, moong dal halwa and gajar ka halwa were terrific!
I recommend their buffet and Indian sweets apart from the pizzas, salads, biryani and breakfast of course is included in the stay. I saw many people visiting just at the Bazaar restaurant for the dining experience too.
Few other places that are a must visit in Jaipur when it comes to food are:
Doodh Mishtan Bhandar (DMB Sweets) for sweets of course and kachoris, mirchi wadas, all farsans are equally good.
Rawat Sweets, for their Pyaaz Kachori! They are mind blowing, even got them packed. And rest of the sweets plus ghevar, got all packed! Mawa Kachori is also good if you like sweet stuff, a little too sweet for me. The stuffed khandvi was the best! Hated the lassi, full of essence and way too sweet.
Chokhi Dhani, you cannot not come here when in Jaipur. It’s an experience in itself, a little pricey at Rs.900/- per plate, but it includes an entire experience of seeing around. You can do activities like boating, camel riding, or playing games, buying stuff,etc., at an extra cost. But looking around, watching the dances and shows, and the different historical and religious places recreated is all included in the entry. The food is amazing, authentic and pure Marwadi food full of ghee! The way they serve and feed you is amazing.
Coming back to Zone by the Park, they also have a mini infinity pool, a rooftop bar, a gym and a spa. They have a separate club area which they were making sound proof and the work would have been completed before 31st Dec.
Rooftop Restaurant & Bar
I also tried a spa service, went for the Swedish Body Massage as I wanted something with light pressure coz of my back and leg fractures. The masseuse was very gentle and I felt completely relaxed. I was a bit nervous at first since this was the first body massage post the accident, but she was quite light with her hands and I loved it! She used lemongrass oil for the body massage and it also covered head massage. My body felt light and skin felt super hydrated even in that cold climate, post bath too and without any additional moisturizer.
Swedish Body Massage at Zone By The Park Spa
I do recommend trying out the spa services too and burning all the calories from the yummy food at the gym or by swimming! You have so much to do in Jaipur outside and within the hotel too!
This was one memorable trip for me!
Have you been to Jaipur? Tried all the yummy food?
If you follow me on twitter, you would be knowing about the new Whisper Ultra Clean. They also had a Bloggers’ Meet on 19th Dec where Aditi Mittal, Kalki Koechlin were present, more on the event later.
I had received this new Whisper Ultra Clean at the start of December with the event invite and I tried it last month.
What it claims: It claims to have 1000 suction holes which absorb upto 100% wetness offering more dryness, faster absorption and more protection. Magic Gel Crystals, Odour Lock technology, extra long and a softer, comfortable top cover.
One Whisper Ultra Clean = 5 Ordinary Pads
I have always used Whisper Ultra and was all eager to try this new and improved version. I loved the packaging and how it came in this wooden basket and had this white and green theme going on.
I did feel the change in these newer pads, having used Whisper Ultra always, these ones definitely offered more dryness and I also like the fact that these are XL and long enough to not worry about sleeping or staining the bed sheet.
There are a lot of taboos associated with periods in India. When I was young, my grandmother told me that whenever I get my periods or they just start and I see it, I should immediately go and have a bath including hair bath. I used to follow it for a few years as I was quite naive about the entire periods thing. There were times when I had some important work and was getting late and still had to go and take a bath as I got my periods. As soon as I matured, I realized this ‘custom’ had no logic or reasoning and I stopped following it. Other such taboos are not touching the pickle during periods as it would turn bad, not touching idols or worshipping or going to temples, etc. While I don’t believe in any of the others and don’t follow them, I still avoid going to temples only not to irk someone else’s sentiments or beliefs.
And coming to owing those 5 days, I consider those days as any other days and live normally. My first day at times is a little painful and I usually take a tablet if it obstructs my work or I have to go out. I either go for Spasmonil or Cycolpam, Cyclopam is a little heavy and half an hour you feel a bit weird post having it. I am stuck to Spasmonil ever since I have used it. I don’t go for a tablet unless the pain or cramps are a lot. Few things which doctors recommend and I try to follow and which work for me during those five days are less salt, less caffeine, light exercise, hot water bag, etc.
You can try a free sample of the new Whisper Ultra Clean, just go HEREand register 🙂
What do you follow to #OwnThose5Days? Have you tried the new Whisper Ultra yet?
So my birthday was on 22nd and I was in Jaipur that time, I just wanted to share my birthday outfit with you all.
I wore this lace little black dress from StalkBuyLove and paired it with everything gold. Also gold and black was appropriate for the Christmas and Party Season. I am so obsessed with this dress, I would have worn it for New Year Party for sure, sadly no plans :/
I paired it with gold tassel earrings, rose gold watch and a glitter clutch. Also stacked some gold midi rings and my trusted black and gold ankle strap sandals.
We clicked this at Nahargarh Haveli in Jaipur where we were staying for 3 days, it is an old haveli refurbished into an hotel. There are similar other hotels in Jaipur like Nani Ki Haveli, Alsisar, Virasat, etc.
Our first two days were at Zone By The Park and I would be doing a separate post about it, coz the experience was mind blowing.
Dress: StalkBuyLove
Earrings: The Trunk Label
Clutch: Gifted by Maybelline
Shoes: Shown HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE
Lately, I was on the search for a good serum. I have never used serums before, but after reading a lot about the importance of a serum, I decided to get one. Since I was using mostly Lotus Herbals products in my routine, I thought of getting the serum too from the same brand. I have used the Whiteglow range night cream before and loved it. Not for the skin whitening claims but because it suited my combination skin well and didn’t cause any breakouts. So, I ended up with this Lotus Herbals WhiteGlow Intensive Skin Whitening &Brightening Serum + Moisturiser finally. Read on to how it fares.
Products claims: WhiteGlow Intensive Skin Whitening & Brightening Serum + Moisturiser is a breakthrough formulation from Lotus Herbals that lightens, whitens & brightens your skin tone.
* Lightens: It lightens skin’s tone by reducing uneven pigmentation.
* Whitens: It unveils visibly fairer skin by reducing dark spots.
* Brightens: It enhances skin’s radiance naturally.
Why Serum: WhiteGlow Intensive Skin Whitening & Brightening Serum + Moisturiser is a proprietary formula which has 2x* more skin whitening and brightening power than a day creme. It comes with excellent carrier properties, penetrates deep into the skin & distributes the potent blend of all natural ingredients.
How it works: Clinical trials show that the following plant extracts lighten, whiten and brighten the skin with 7 days of regular use:
* Grape Extract (Vitis Vinifera): Exfoliator – helps active ingredients penetrate into the skin.
Why WhiteGlow? WhiteGlow Skin Whitening & Brightening range is a breakthrough formula from Lotus Herbals. It comes with an advance formula that has triple action on skin – lightening, whitening & brightening. It is enriched with rare fruit and potent plant extracts that penetrate deep into the skin to provide enduring action. The result, your skin looks fairer, flawless and radiant. It is free from harsh chemicals, that generally have side effects.
Ingredients:
Directions to use: Use every day in the morning & evening all over face & neck after cleansing thoroughly. For best results, use before Whiteglow Whitening & Brightening Gel Creme.
Packaging:
The serum comes in a translucent, frosty, glass bottle with a pump. The pump has a small plastic cap to cover it. Lotus Herbals surely make all their packagings convenient as well as giving a luxurious feel. Since its a glassy bottle, one has to be careful while handling it. The bottle is housed inside a white carton box which has all the details of the product.
Texture and fragrance:
The serum is between a gel and cream, its translucent. The consistency is perfect, not runny, not thick to spread, just the right texture for a serum. It has a light fruity fragrance, similar to other products in the Whiteglow range.
My experience:
I have been using this serum in conjuction with the Whiteglow Day Cream. The serum is easy to spread and blends easily, without any whitish cast like other whitening creams. It takes a bit of time to get fully absorbed and till then there is a sticky feeling. It moisturizes skin very well and I don’t feel the need to apply a separate moisturiser. Though, dry skin people will need to follow up with a moisturizer. The finish is more dewy and my face looks little brighter and radiant. It doesn’t make my face oily or greasy even for a long time. My skin tone is more evened out and the pores on my face look visibly smaller. It also acts as a good base for makeup.
Coming to the claims of whitening and brightening in 7 days, it is true to an extent. But don’t expect any miraculous changes. It helped to lighten some acne scars and brown spots on my face. But I think it will take a long time and continuous use to fade them completely, unlike other specific spot treatment creams which work quicker. Also, it removed some tan and my face overall looked more healthy, supple and radiant. My only concern is, once I stopped it using for a week, just to check its efficacy, and my skin went back to normal state. So, to retain the effects, the product needs to be used completely.
But I feel, if you really need a whitening/brightening effect, instead of going for those Fair & Lovely, Fairever, etc, creams in the market, this is a relatively better option as it doesn’t just focus on fairness, more on brightening, tan removal and healthy skin and Lotus Herbals is also a trusted brand. Though their products contain parabens (which is the only thing I don’t like about them), they are mostly suitable for all skin types and none of their products have ever caused me breakouts including this serum. Also, I think, to get really good results, you need to use this serum along with the day cream and night cream from the same range.
Pros:
* Nice consistency and blends easily.
* Moisturizes and hydrates the skin.
* Pores look visibly smaller.
* Evens out skin tone.
* Makes skin healthy, supple and radiant.
* Brightens skin and lightens scars and spots.
* Doesn’t leave any whitish cast.
* Doesn’t cause breakouts.
* Affordable price for a serum.
* Attractive luxurious packaging.
Cons:
* Parabens
* Takes a long time for the scars and spots to fade completely.
* Need to be continuously used to retain the effects.
Price and quantity: Rs.375 for 30ml.
Rating: 4.4/5
Verdict: Lotus Herbals WhiteGlow Intensive Skin Whitening & Brightening Serum + Moisturiser is one of the most affordable serums available and from a trusted brand. Though it doesn’t give any miraculous results, it does make skin more healthy, brighter and radiant and also lightens scars and spots slowly with regular use. Unlike other fairness creams, this is not overloaded with harsh chemicals. If you are looking to add a good affordable brightening serum in your routine, you can try this.
Editor’s Note: I always wanted to try this Archana, nice review. The product sounds really nice.
Have you tried the Lotus Herbals WhiteGlow Intensive Skin Whitening & Brightening Serum + Moisturiser?
Mumbai Bridal Diaries: One Stop Destination for the Brides-to-Be
Hi guys,
If you have been following my bridal series, you would have seen a lot of posts related to my wedding. I complete one year of my wedding exactly in a week 🙂
I know exactly how a bride-to-be feels and the thousands of mixed emotions she goes through. And planning her own perfect wedding is what every bride dreams of.
I myself have gone through numerous blogs and wedding magazines, taking inspirations for hair, makeup, jewellery, different kinds of ethnic wear for trousseau,etc. Every bride wants to be different coz things get repetitive easily with styles getting very common these days.
With just weeks or months left until the wedding, a bride’s heart is filled with excitement and anxiety. With the big-date getting closer, you may find her wishful and enthusiastic one moment and then getting nervous the very next second.
I would be sharing a lot of more bridal posts on fabrics to buy, how to plan your trousseau and engagement makeup, etc. So stay tuned for more on my Mumbai Bridal Diaries 🙂
I came across this new website recently, shopalike.in. It brings together items from all the websites at one place. It basically is one common platform to shop everything from all websites and check all the available items online at one place together.
They have all the websites under one roof from Amazon, Jabong to Flipkart, Snapdeal, etc. Website is divided into categories like Men, Women, Children, Shoes, Beauty, Watches, Accessories, etc.
The website is very easy to navigate and the sub-categories within every category are very helpful. For e.g. within dresses, there are sub-categories i.e. dresses divided by occasion, length, style, colors, brands, sizes, patterns, price, shops, material, etc. This makes shortlisting dresses very easy & you can shop quickly as per your requirements.
There is also a separate ‘Sale’ section where all the offers and discounts from various websites are clubbed together. I really loved browsing the website and even tried shopping and it was a breeze.
Their tagline goes ‘EVERYTHING. MILLIONS OF PRODUCTS. EASY. DON’T SEARCH, FIND! AFFORDABLE. GET THE BEST DEALS’ perfectly describes the website. They also have their own app for Windows, Android and iOS phones, so you can also browse and shop anywhere and on the go.
Absolutely recommend checking out Shopalike.in, it will definitely make your online shopping experience a breeze.
A new OOTD post today. It was our first wedding anniversary on Sunday and we went to the Rivergate Resort in Karjat. I can’t believe it’s been one year, I have no idea where time is flying, the year was mixed actually. The first half of the first wedding year went into the accident, recovery and the repercussions. It is very, very difficult to get out of it mentally more than the physical recovery. I still fear crossing roads, still mind my every step and over cautious about everything. The accident nightmares every night don’t let you sleep.
Anyhoo, it’s gone and done now. I want to start my 2nd wedding year like it’s the first year and it’s a fresh start 🙂 We shifted to a new place and everything is new. I hope we can keep things happy happy. I was wearing this casual military green shirt half tucked that day and I shot this outfit.
I paired the shirt with my blue Forever 21 denims and my favourite nude brogues. I kept the overall look very simple and my new Michael Kors navy blue sling bag and the rose gold watch completed the look.
Shirt: StalkBuyLove
Denims: Forever21
Bag, Watch: Michael Kors
Shoes: Footin
