I know I haven’t done an OOTD here since a long time, that’s coz of Instagram! Yes, I usually post my OOTD’s and outfit pics with details there, so you don’t see many OOTD’s here on the blog. If you want to see my regular OOTD’s, follow me on Instagram @bhumika_t
I did a special shoot for 3 outfits recently and hence I made sure I post it on the blog and not just Instagram.
I had this dress since quite some time now, but due to monsoons or some or the other event, I couldn’t get to shoot in this. Also since the material is raw silk, it gets crinkled super easily. This shoot was right after I had got this from ironing and still it has crinkled :/
Failed attempt at twirling
But nonetheless, it is also the material which is very comfortable and looks really nice! Love the silhouette.
I love the sleeves and the gold embellishment work on the sleeves. This dress is from a Kolkata based brand Mada Sasa. They make customized fusion wear like drapes, gowns, kurtis, tunics, etc. Also they make it in your customized sizing as per the measurements given. Check out more on www.madasasa.com or their facebook page HERE
I paired it with my nude Zara strappy heels, a cocktail ring, fusion bracelet and a gold clutch.
Dress: Mada Sasa
Heels: Zara
Ring: Eesha Zaveri
Bracelet: House of Tuhina
Earrings: Dang
Clutch: Gift from Kerastase
So I finally got the October My Envy Box, this is their 3rd anniversary box and all the teaser emails where making me very curious, they had mentioned they have 8 products in this month’s box.
The box this month is a plain white one with black web design on it and it says ‘turns three’ below the My Envy Box logo.
I got the Zebra print black and white nail wraps in Nertia. I have tried the Gulnare face wash before and it’s quite good. The Ayca Jasmine Body Wash also smells really nice.
I am not much into whitening cleansing facial foam as they make my skin super stretchy and dry. I would have liked the essence though which is another option in the box. I wish My Envy Box gave options to subscribers on what they can choose in terms of shades or products, if they have a few different ones to offer. That would be very convenient.
Love the Forest Essentials Cleansing Paste, I wanted to try this one out, glad I got this. Also this is perfect for travelling. Even the Kerastase Chronologiste vial is perfect for travel.
The Vert Loose Powder is made from all natural, dried rose petals. It has a strong pink undertone and can be used as a blush or eyeshadow. This would make a beautiful blush! But the quantity is good enough to last a few generations 😀 I would suggest splitting it to half or 1/4th and sharing it with your friends/family.
The total value of all the products in this month’s box comes to around Rs.3750/- I am quite happy with the products, 3 are full sized while 3 are super deluxe samples.
I definitely recommend this month’s box! Total value for money.
Did you get the Oct My Envy Box? What did you receive?
Biotique Bio Saffron Dew Youthful Nourishing Day Cream Review
By Archana
Hi all,
So as part of the Biotique anti-ageing routine, am back with the review of the second product in the kit. Its the day cream – Biotique Bio Saffron Youthful Nourishing Day Cream.
This day cream is especially formulated to keep your skin youthful and prevent ageing. Let’s move on to the review and see how well it fares.
Products claims: Saffron is one of the world’s most beloved and precious spices, a natural source of vitamins, minerals and nutrients with rejuvenating properies. This light-feeling moisturizer is blended with pure saffron, almond and pistachio oils, as well as turmeric and wild turmeric extracts, to replenish and help sustain skin's dewy fullness of youth. Dry lines and wrinkles are visibly reduced with regular use.
The day cream comes in a simple white plastic tub with a green screw-on lid. The letters on the tub faded over time. I feel Biotique can improve their packaging. The tub is housed in an outer carton which lists all the details of the product. If you wish to travel with it, you can discard the carton and carry only the tub.
Texture and fragrance:
The cream is off-white in color, more like ivory. It has a thick, smooth and buttery consistency. The fragrance is mild and unnoticeable.
My experience:
I was quite excited to try this product from its name Saffron Dew. However, on looking at the ingredients list, I was disappointed as the saffron content is very less, just 0.03%. Since am in Bangalore, the cold weather has already started here and my skin is suffering from dryness. Thankfully, Biotique Bio Saffron Youthful Nourishing Day Cream came to the rescue. I have been using this cream religiously for the past 3 weeks. The first major difference that I have observed is that my skin has become really soft, I mean buttery soft, really buttery buttery soft… I feel like touching it again and again. Earlier it used to have a dry and rough texture. Secondly, I can see some skin lightening effects too coupled with the serum. An overall lightening of complexion and even out skin tone.
Being thick in texture, it takes a couple of minutes to get absorbed completely. Once absorbed, it effectively moisturizes the skin and heals all dry patches. I recently got some dry patches near my lips and within 2-3 days of using this, it had vanished. Also, I had some fine lines on my forehead and it was effective it reducing its appearance.
I wouldn’t recommend this cream for oily skin people. But its a boon for normal-dry skin people, expecially mature skin.
The only con that I find in the day cream is, as it is contains butters and oils, it tend to make your skin appear a little dull. So you need to touch up with a compact powder. But the dullness is just the appearance due to the cream. Be well aware that the ingredients are working their magic and when you wash your face in the evening, you can see an improvement in complexion along with a youthful, nourished skin.
Pros:
* Improves skin texture and makes skin buttery soft.
* Lightens skin complexion and evens out skin tone.
* Deeply moisturizing and nourishing.
* Heals dry patches.
* Reduces fine lines.
* Results in youthful, nourished skin.
* Suitable for normal-dry and mature skin.
Cons:
* Makes skin looks darker due to the oils and butters present in it. (Its temporary and after washing you can see radiant skin.)
* Being a day cream, I would expect SPF, but it doesn’t have any.
* Saffron content is very less. Wish they increase the percentage.
Rating: 4.4/5
Verdict: Biotique Bio Saffron Youthful Nourishing Day Cream is a good, affordable day cream for normal, dry and mature skin people. It is made with many natural skin lightening ingredients. As with all natural products, the results are slower. Also unlike other day creams which immediately brighten up your face, this doesn’t. Instead it works on your skin at a deeper level to improve your skin texture and complexion. Worth investing in rather than all those chemical-laden creams.
Editor’s Note: This sounds perfect for dry and mature skin. I love saffron in skincare.
Have you tried the Biotique Bio Saffron Dew Youthful Nourishing Day Cream?
Now if you follow me on Instagram, you know I post a lot of selfies! Majority are clicked on the spot, coz I get the best lighting in the car which is not direct and yet bright enough near the windows.
I am using the new Coolpad Note 5 and have clicked quite a few selfies with this. The camera offers Night mode, Beauty Mode and Pro mode. You can adjust everything manually in the Pro mode.
It also has Watermark, Long Exposure, GIF and Panorama settings.
Here are few tips and tricks to click the perfect selfie, I have included the Do’s and Dont’s in pic form.
1. Always click facing the light, not against
This is the most important thing. Face the window or a source of light when you click a picture, never the opposite side of the window or the window being behind you. See the difference here..
When the source of light is behind, the picture would be very dark, and also your dark circles would be emphasized.
2. Try and use the rear/back camera
Majority phones have a better rear camera and the sharpness and clarity would make a huge difference. Now you may not be able to see where and how it is being clicked, but with practice, you will find the perfect angle 😀
See the pic above with the front and rear camera..
3. Keep the phone slightly above the face angle
Never keep your phone below your face angle while clicking, that is the most unflattering angle for your face and would also show up your double chin :/ Clicking from above gives a defined face structure and jaw line 😉 See the difference..
4. Never click exactly from the centre
Now when you keep the phone exactly at the centre, you may look squint as both your pupils face the lens and also the features are not very flattering from the centre. Slightly tilt your face towards left or right, whichever side is your best angle. You will find it with trial and error. See the difference here from the centre and slightly tilted..
5. Basic makeup for the perfect picture
Now we have the ‘Beauty’ feature to make us look pretty even without makeup, but a little concealer and brightening the under eye area and high points of your face, will also make a huge difference. Always use a concealer for under eyes, bridge of nose, center of forehead. Use a nice, bright lipstick, pink, red or berry. Bright lipsticks instantly brighten your complexion. Now I have not crossed the pic with nude lipstick here, as nude is also OK but bright is better! A little blush and highlighter would give a nice flush to the skin and give a dewy appearance to the skin. A good volumizing mascara will open up your eyes.
6. Use the ‘Night’ mode
If your phone has a Night mode, make sure you use it for all the pictures clicked during night time. With regular camera mode, the pictures may turn out to be more grainy and unclear.
7. Editing
When all else fails, a little bit of editing helps 😀 Crop your picture to hide something unflattering or when you do not want a particular area to be included. VJ Anusha doesn’t like her big forehead and the veins showing, so she usually clicks cutting her forehead or crops it later. Also adjusting the Brightness/Contrast/Structure/Warmth makes a lot of difference. I use Aviary and Snapseed.
And still if you are not happy with your pictures, there are always ‘Filters’ 🙂
I hope you liked these tips, I tried to include pretty much everything.
I am loving these pics clicked with the all new Coolpad Note 5. It has 13 MP rear camera and 8MP front camera with LED flash. You will be amazed hearing the price, it’s only Rs. 10999/-
Eyes are the windows to one’s heart. So true! But they are a lot more than that. They are also indicators of your health. Given the kind of lifestyles we all are living, we frequently tend to cross paths with dark circles, patchiness, discoloration, puffy eyes and what not. The first stage is of denial when we see signs of these pesky woes. Conveniently and more aptly sceptically we wring up our hands in disbelief brushing aside those signs.
A few more days roll by and then those signs begin drawing unwanted attention for people point it out. That sends the ‘Oh-No- Something’s-Wrong’ flag soaring high. Petrified, we wade across over-the-counter measures and what not to allay them but more often than not, such products do not throw positive results. Disappointed, we fall into a whirlpool of pessimism. But hey, worry not. We have a treasure trove of pocket-friendly recipes-none invasive, painful or costing you an arm and a leg at your disposal that’ll leave you heaving a sigh of respite.
1. MALAI/MILK CREAM- Milk has great lightening abilities for the skin and can be a very affordable option for dealing with dark circles under the eyes, which can have great results. Milk cream is a derivative of milk. Being a powerhouse of fats, malai is what you need if you suffer from under-eye discoloration.
PROCEDURE- Simply dab and massage a tbsp. of fresh milk cream using your ring finger (for it is the gentlest in massaging) carefully on your under-eye area. Do not let it enter your eyes. If it does, wash off immediately. That’s it. Sleep with it. In the morning, you can wash it off. Let it work its magic overnight. Continue every night for at least a week. It shows results and how! I vouch for this method provided it is followed painstakingly and regularly. And yes, it softens the area too. Double-whammy, did I hear you say that?
2. ALMOND OIL- Here comes the weapon that has been relied upon since times immemorial to banish those dark circles- Almond oil. Shouldn’t there have been drumrolls in the background as I introduced it?
Coming to its virtues, almond oil is anti-inflammatory, thus it reduces puffy bags under the eyes and dark circles. It is a good source of vitamin K, which improves clotting, reducing discoloration under the eyes.
PROCEDURE- Application is simple. Simply slather and massage the under-eye area with almond oil (few drops) every night dedicatedly without fail for at least a fortnight. Sleep with it and let your skin repair itself overnight.
3. EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL- If almond oil has made an appearance on this list, can EVOO (Extra virgin olive oil) stay far behind? EVOO is the best grade of olive oil for it is least processed and contains maximum nutrition. It comes in glass bottles and is higher than all other variants. It works wonders in allaying wrinkles. Ladies approaching their twilight years can still shed a few years of age off their skin with the help of this wonder oil.
PROCEDURE- Massage a few drops of it on your under-eye area. Please note that massaging is important. That is what matters else the oil will merely sit on your skin and not nourish it the way you want to. Do this every night for 5 minutes gently for at least a fortnight. You will be spellbound with the positive turn of events.
4. GREEN TEA BAGS- Packed with a number of antioxidants, green tea helps banish dark circles and keeps them at bay for as long as you continue sipping (or as I do, gulping) it.
PROCEDURE- Put two green tea bags in the refrigerator for at least an hour. After that, keep them on your eyes. It’s alright if it’s not entirely on your under-eyes. It nourishes eyelashes too so, you have the best of both worlds there.
5. CUCUMBER JUICE- Not only is the cool cucumber (you surely would have heard the phrase ‘as cool as a cucumber’) rich in vitamins and minerals which helps to hydrate, nourish and tone skin, but also brighten the under eye area, so that you can say ‘good bye’ to those pesky dark circles permanently. What needs to be done?
PROCEDURE- Mince a cucumber into a few slices. Actually, two would do. Freeze them for half an hour and then, keep them on your eyes. Bid farewell to all those woes pertaining to your under-eye area.
Editor’s Note: Those are fab tips Nidhal. I swear by almond oil, I am currently using the Cold Pressed Sweet Almond Oil and 3 drops are more than enough! Also just wanted to add, be careful when using the oil, make sure you don’t go too close to the eyes or it doesn’t enter inside, it kind of blurs vision for the entire night :/ Also I recommend the Rogan Badam Shirin, it’s the most economical and easily available option when it comes to purity.
If you remember my previous Color Pop Boost Lipsticks review, I absolutely loved them! So Elle 18 came up with this matte range recently, let’s see what I think of it..
It comes in the black Elle 18 packaging with a round shape on top and the trademark cartoon print on it. The Color Boost Lipsticks were priced at Rs.150 and these ones are even cheaper at Rs.100. Also those were in 10 shades, while this new range has 20 shades!
Packaging is kind of ok, it is a little flimsy but the cap shuts tight. At 100 bucks, I cannot expect a fancy packaging and I am pretty ok with this.
In terms of pigmentation, they are amazing. All the swatches you see here are 2 swipes each. 2 swipes will give you full, opaque coverage on the lips.
Staying power is also pretty decent, they stayed for 5-6 hours on me without eating/drinking and about 4 hours with light snacks/drinks. Even after food, it doesn’t go away completely. Also leaves a nice, deep stain behind.
They come off easily with any makeup remover/cleanser. It does get into fine lines on the lips, but doesn’t accentuate them.
Clockwise: Selfie Red, Deep Pink, Chocolate Day, Let’s Tango, Rose Day
The shades I have are Selfie Red, Deep Pink, Chocolate Day, Rose Day, Let’s Tango
Here are the swatches..
L-R: Selfie Red, Deep Pink, Chocolate Day, Rose Day, Let’s Tango
Selfie Red is a neutral apple red
Deep Pink is a gorgeous deep pink, as the name goes
Chocolate Day is a gorgeous deep berry brown
Rose Day is a beautiful rosy pink
Let’s Tango is a coral orange
And here are the shades on me..
Clockwise: Selfie Red, Deep Pink, Chocolate Day, Let’s Tango, Rose Day
Please excuse the dryness around my lips, the skin there is behaving really bad and that particular dry patch is just not going, whatever I use! It comes right back even with oils, as soon as I stop using them :/
My favourites are Deep Pink, Rose Day and Chocolate Day. Chocolate Day is the perfect fall/winter shade. I can’t wait to check out more shades. Only con with this is availability. They would only be available at local beauty stores, online on Amazon they have high delivery charges.
If you find them at a store near you, grab them! You won’t be disappointed, these are absolutely amazing. Highly recommend. Total value for money at Rs.100/-
Update: Also did this video..
Have you tried the new Elle 18 Color Pop Matte Lipsticks? Your favourite?
If you follow me since some time, you know how obsessed I am with ShopBop and all my Michael Kors and Kate Spade from Shopbop.com
They have a huge sale starting today, for 3 days. You can get flat 25% off on all orders upto $500 and flat 30% off on all orders above $500! Yes, you heard that right!
Promo coupon code to be applied during checkout is “MAINEVENT16”. This code works for both Shopbop and East dane.
The best part is flat 25% sale also applied on ‘Sale’ items 🙂
Shopbop sale ends 11:59pm Pacific time on Friday, East Dane ends 11:59pm Pacific time Sunday.
P.S: There are a few brands excluded from this sale: Canada Goose, Gentle Monster, Hanky Panky, Jonathan Simkhai, Kate Spade New York, La Vie By Rebecca Taylor, Sydney Evan, Veronica Beard, and What Goes Around Comes Around.
Top 10 PAC Cosmetics Products Available in India, Prices, Buy Online
By Sanchita
PAC is brand which I first saw on this blog itself and I loved the way Bhumika reviewed the Beauty Blender sponge which looked exactly like the Original Beauty Blender sponge. Ever since that I have been following the brand on Instagram and I love the new launches they are into. Most of the time the products turned out to be an excellent ones from various bloggers and experts across India and in fact, their products are also very high in demand. I believe they have a store in Andheri, Mumbai where you can easily access all the products and apart from that, the brushes are available on Flipkart and many other products are also on Amazon India. The only thing I don’t like is that I have to pay shipping charges for each and every product and the product are of very limited availability. The quality is impeccable which is why I really think they should expand the branches and make it more easily available for us. Another thing I would like point out is that their products are very different and something which won’t get in the Indian market easily.
So, let’s get on with the list.
1. PAC Beauty Blender Sponges – Pink Sponge (485 INR) Black Combo (745 INR) Mini Blenders (285 & 385 INR) (Buy HERE & HERE)
This is one of their bestselling product and a very close dupe of the Original Beauty Blender sponge. It is red and black in color. They also have quite a variety when it comes to sizes. Firstly, the big sponges have two variants – one with the tear drop shape and the other with the RT sponge shape. Also, the mini sponges are available in two variants as well. They have soft in texture and bloat in size when you squeeze under tap water. However, Bhumika has already updated that sponges are to be dealt very carefully as too much roughness will tear it out easily. It blends smoothly without absorbing too much product and a great option if you don’t want to invest on the expensive Original Beauty Blender.
2. PAC Brushes and Master Stroke Brushes (Price varies from product to product) (Buy HERE)
Brushes are as important as good quality makeup and I absolutely adore the collection they have. Most importantly the range is huge – from eye brushes, lip and face brushes, they have it all. Most of the brushes are also a close dupe of MAC brushes (which will cost you a fortune!) and the quality is no less. They have soft bristles, properly trimmed and blends everything like a dream. Also, they have a whole collection of Master Stroke brushes, which are available as a set and also individually. These brushes are the dupe of Artis Oval brushes and the bristles are smooth and soft like a dream. Overall, the brushes of PAC are the best investment for makeup tools.
There are very few Indian brands which has single eyeshadows and also the variety of colors are insufficient and incompetent compared to the MAC ones or Makeup Geek. However, PAC has these single eyeshadow refills (which you can easily put it in a magnet palette and make your customized eye palette) available in a very affordable price tag. These have shimmery, frosty, pigment and matte finish along with good pigmentation and smooth blending ability for a great eye makeup look. The wear time is also nice. It is great for beginners as well as professionals.
These are the little lip pots which comes in small tub like packaging. The packaging includes a lip brush which will help you to apply the lips colors properly and you won’t have to use your fingers. They glide on the lips very easily and the texture is smooth and creamy. It gives a satin matte finish to the lips a very comfortable to wear for dry lips. It lasts quite long on the lips. The colors don’t fade too much or feather or bleed at all. The only thing is that it transfers slightly.
The Long-Lasting Kohl Pencil has a sharpenable functionality with a smudger at the end. It has a super pigmented feature, creamy texture that glides on the eyes very easily. It gives a rich pigmented layer with a couple of strokes and great for regular kohled eye or smoky look. It doesn’t smear and hardly smudges. The kohl has a very good lasting power, around 6-7 hours with minimal fading. For the price, it is surely cost effective.
6. PAC 2 Way Big Eye Mascara – 595 INR
The PAC 2 Way Big Eye Mascara is surely an innovative one at that. It is a dual ended mascara with a slimmer wand for lower lashes and bigger one for upper lashes. It gets the job does quicker, better and easier. It adds both length and volume which is surely a great one. It hold the curls well and the unique design of the bristles help the lashes a lot. It is surely one of the best mascaras in this price and great for everyday wear.
PAC has an array of Eye Lashes which is surely something to look forward to. The eye lashes look very natural yet dramatic enough to perk up your eye makeup look. They are very much reusable with a little care and carefulness. The eyelashes are very affordable and the bristles are soft. Overall, these are one of the must haves.
PAC Intense Duo Eyeliner Pencil comes in an attractive silver pencil with the retractable functionality. The texture of the pencil is extremely creamy and smooth which glides on the eyes like butter. This is surely a versatile product as you can easily use this an eyeliner and kajal. The finish is satin matte and the pigmentation is surely one of the best for the price range. The black color is rich and dark for an intense look. The staying power is also impressive.
This Studio Finish Primer is a silicon based primer which has a thin clear gel like texture. It goes on the skin very smooth with its light weight formula. The weightless texture doesn’t feel oily or sticky at all and blends wonderfully into the skin. It also blurs out the pores as well. It helps the base makeup to go on very smoothly without any creasing for a good amount of time. The primer would suit bot dry and oily skin.
10. PAC Color Lock Long Lasting Lip Liner – 385 INR (Buy HERE)
PAC Color Lock Long Lasting Lip Liner has a sharpenable functionality with a beautiful texture. It is extremely creamy which doesn’t tug or pull at all and glides well on lips. it is better to exfoliate the lips beforehand. The pigmentation of the colors are impeccable and gives a beautiful matte finish which is comfortable to wear. They are long lasting, prevents bleeding or feathering of lip color and well-priced as well. The only con is that the shade range has too many reds and no other colors.
Editor’s Note: I liked the pink blender when I first used it, but it tore in first wash which I updated in the blog post. Also when I tried YBP, I realized YBP was much better! But double the price, so in the price range of INR 500, this is surely good. I haven’t tried their duo sponge pack yet. Neither any of the eye shadows or eye lashes. Love some of their makeup brushes, really good! You missed their Eyeliner Pen, which is my absolute favourite
New Luxury Beauty Box: VanityCask | Review & Unboxing
Hi guys,
I have come across a new luxury beauty box in the market which is VanityCask. I tried their skincare box this month and here are my thoughts..
About: VanityCask is a beauty box that gets delivered to your home periodically. It contains samples of luxury beauty brands, handpicked by experts, to suit Indians. Our first box, for example, contains 5 skincare samples from international brands such as Clinque, Vichy, Votre, Kama and Thalgo.
This is their first skincare box, next they are coming up with haircare and bath & body box.
It comes in a sleek, black box packaging with a magnetic fold. They have their logo in pink on top. The box is quite sturdy and nice, the contents inside are in a pink cloth tie up bag.
Products I got:
Clinique 7 Day Scrub Cream
Kama Ayurveda Rejuvenating & Brightening Night Cream
Thalgo Ultra Hydra Marine Mask
Votre Absolute Hydration Moisturizer
Vichy Capital Soleil SPF50 Sunscreen
Now I like the fact that they have not included sachets, but good decent sized samples. Especially Clinique & Votre are very good sizes. Even Kama Ayurveda night cream is pretty decent size. I would have liked 2-3 more tubes of Thalgo and Vichy though.
The box comes with a booklet which has more details about each box, including the key ingredients and directions to use. Also they have a few offers at the end, like this time they have the Anjali Mukherjee’s Rs.1000 voucher.
They claim to have luxury beauty brands only and each box will have 5 items. So that’s a plus point, as we know there would be no unknown brand and 5 items for sure.
I would have liked the price to be Rs.800-850 though, as Rs.999/- is a little expensive, but if I get a few more tubes of each sample, then I guess it’s fine. Also if they come up with a luxury makeup box, then I definitely don’t mind Rs.999/-. I hope soon 😀
Things I liked:
Decent sized samples
All luxury brands
Free Shipping & Payment on Delivery
Assured 5 items
Discounts & offers
Detailed booklet
Things that could be better:
Priced a little lower
More quantity of smaller tubes
Overall, I would say it’s a nice box to try if you love luxury beauty brands and would like to try more samples first, before investing in full sized products. Especially for people who don’t live in metro cities and do not have easy access to the stores to go and check out the testers or get samples. Now you can sit at home and try out these luxury beauty samples, and then order the full sized online, if the product works for you.
It’s the Festive/Diwali edition and the bag was a metallic gold clutch this time. I like the clutch but I wish the quality was a little better and it was stiffer.
Products I got:
CAL Finish Up Compact C02: INR 650
Votre Lip Gel Scrub (10g): INR 300
Kaya Brightening Serum (5ml): INR 1490 for 30ml
Vedaearth Cleansing Facial Oil: INR 350
Stay Quirky Nail Polish: INR 165 for 6ml
Total value of the products: INR 1715
I am quite happy with the CAL full sized compact and cleansing oil. Also liked the serum and nail paint, not a fan of the smell of the gel lip scrub, though I would use it. I hope the smell doesn’t bother much.
Overall, pretty decent bag. You can pick any makeup product of your choice, I went with the compact. Recommend this month’s Fab Bag.
Did you get your October Fab Bag? What did you pick?
