Tag Archives: Smartphone

Tips & Tricks to Click the Perfect Makeup Selfie, Coolpad Note 5

Tips & Tricks to Click the Perfect Makeup Selfie

Tips & Tricks to Click the Perfect Makeup Selfie

Hi guys,

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/-

See more details and buy HERE

Do you follow these tips? What are your secrets for a perfect selfie?

OOTD, Pictures clicked with Asus Zenfone 3 | Review

OOTD, Pictures clicked with Asus Zenfone 3 | Review

Hi guys,

I have reviewed many Asus phones including the tab before, read all HERE. I have to say this Zenfone 3 is the most exciting one, coz of the camera!

Colors: Moonlight White, Shimmer Gold, Aqua Blue, Sapphire Black

Price: Rs.21999/-

It comes with USB-C type charger, user guide, headphones with additional caps.

The Zendesign and front and rear 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass makes it look elegant and classy (also scratch free) and the design has won a few awards already!

Absolutely love the sleek design and the metal outer frame, plus it is very light weight!

PixelMaster 3.0 packs a 16MP camera with the latest Sony® IMX298 sensor, six-element Largan lens with a large f/2.0 aperture, and subject-tracking TriTech auto-focus for variable distance and lighting clarity in just 0.03 seconds. Optical and electronic image stabilization for blur-free shots and video, color correction sensor for true color photography, and true 4K UHD video recording.

The TriTech ultra fast 0.03s auto focus is the first of its kind and exclusive only to Zenfone 3. For the first time in the smartphone world, the engineers at Asus have combined three focusing technologies — laser, phase detection and continuous auto-focus — into one harmonious system. The optical image stabilizer prevents any blurry/shaky photos coz of hand movements.

The 64MP Super Resolution and Real Time HDR makes the pictures look absolutely true to life and super vivid and sharp! The pictures in Super Resolution mode are better than DSLR’s too! But of course, the files are very heavy in size.

Zenfone 3 not only looks amazing and has a fabulous camera, but also comes packed with power! It has 4-bit, 2.0GHz octa-core Snapdragon™ 625 processor, 4GB memory and desktop-grade Adreno™ 506 graphics performance. This powerhouse processor has revolutionary 14nm Fin Field Effect Transistors (FinFETs) to deliver full-on performance while reducing power consumption by 35%. World’s First 14nm Snapdragon processor with with 64-Bit Octa-Core CPU @2.0Ghz : S625 is much more powerful than previous generation thanks to new full 8 core @ 2.0Ghz. 2016 S625 is around the same level of performance of 2015 S800 series. 14nm is the most advance process technology in 2016. FinFet LPP technology increase the powering saving more than 35%. As conclusion, S625 is not mid end processor , it’s middlle-high end processor with great user experience.

It has 4G/3G dual-SIM bay for complete flexibility for up to 300Mbps (Category 7) downloads via either card, and the latest 802.11ac technology for Wi-Fi connections that scream at up to 433Mbps. ZenFone 3 even offers accelerated charging, with a five-minute top-up adding two hours of talk time to the powerful 3000mAh battery — and reversible USB-C for any-way-up connectivity convenience! The USB-C also ensures that the phone never heats up while getting charged or while playing games/surfing the web.

It has 4G LTE and works on Android Marshmallow. It comes with both 5.2 and 5.5 inch display size, this is the 5.2 inch one in Shimmer Gold, love the halo it creates.

The camera of course comes with all the classic Asus features like HDR, Super HDR, Panorama, Selfie Panorama, Sepia, Beautification, Time Lapse, Slow Motion, etc. It also has an in built editor with various filters/frames and some basic editing options.

The 16MP rear camera is super sharp and clear, I have clicked some pictures and they are all raw/unedited, I have only resized them as each picture was around 3MB!

Also used the front 8MP camera for some selfies. Front camera also has Beautification, HDR Pro mode, etc. I have clicked in normal Auto mode, Beautification mode and in HDR Pro.

Auto
Beautification
HDR Pro

I am loving the pictures!

Game Genie, Sonic Master, Finger print sensor are some of the other fabulous features to look at!

All these features and specs definitely deserve a price much higher, but 21999 is a steal for Asus Zenfone 3! I believe it has everything one needs in a smartphone from camera to battery life to performance! Total value for money! You can check more or buy them on Flipkart www.flipkart.com/zenfone-3

What do you think of Asus Zenfone 3?

My Top Favourite Blushes

My Top Favourite Blushes

Hi guys,

Today I am listing my top favourite blushes, 5 out of 6 are matte and perfect for day time. Only the Jordana one has shimmer but that is not much visible on the skin.

Maybelline Cheeky Glow Blush in Peachy Sweetie

It’s a light dusty rose pink and completely matte. The most affordable blush in the market and is pigmented enough! I recommend this to everyone, even if you are not a blush person and would like to own just one and not invest much in it, you can try this.

L’Oreal Paris Lucent Magique Blush of Light in Fuchsia Flush

Another super gorgeous hot pink shade! This is very bright and pigmented and you have to go with a very light hand when using this. It is priced at INR 850 but will last you forever. Absolutely love the packaging.

Marks & Spencer Limited Blusher in Damson

My go-to everyday blush, this is a light n*de mauve kind of shade, you can go lightly with this or layer for more intensity. The most natural looking blush I own

Jordana Blush in Sunlit Bronze

Again a very nice, everyday neutral shade. It’s a light brown with some shimmer. Very pigmented and use it with a light hand again as otherwise it might look muddy.

Sigma Blush in Cheeky

It’s a muted rosy brown shade, perfect for medium to fair skin tones.

MAC Bite of an Apple Blush

My most favourite blush ever, it’s a medium coral pink and looks beautiful on fair to medium skin tones. This will even show up well on deeper skin tones.

All the pictures in this post are clicked with the new Coolpad Mega Selfie Maker 2.5D! It has 8MP front camera and 8MP rear camera! I absolutely love the Royal Gold Color, and it is not at all heavy for 2500 mAh battery.

The pictures are vivid and true to colour! They have not been edited at all, only resized so that the post doesn’t take long to load. It is standard 5.5 inch screen and looks super stylish and expensive! 16GB internal memory and 3GB RAM, it supports dual 4G too.

This is the selfie I clicked with it, both a screenshot and the actual selfie.

It has Whiten, Smooth, Slim and Enlarge features for the front selfie camera. This is the Smooth effect.

It is priced very affordably at INR 6999 only!!! I can say this is the best budget smartphone I have come across! The sale starts on 24th August, you can register for it right now, go HERE

Do you like the pictures? What are your favourite blushes?

Must Have Makeup Products for Monsoon

Must Have Makeup Products for Monsoon

Hi guys,

India is one country which has three seasons and rains/monsoon are the most integral middle season. We love it, hate it, but we cannot ignore it. And cannot not get drenched once, come what may. Because whenever you carry an umbrella, it will never rain while when you don’t as it’s very sunny, it will surely rain! Murphy’s laws :/

Anyhoo, since we cannot avoid it, we should be well prepared for it. Your makeup needs some change too in the monsoon, as you don’t want heavy foundations or makeup meltdown in monsoon.

Primer, makeup setting spray and waterproof makeup is the solution against monsoon 😀 Here are few of my makeup must haves for monsoon season:

1. Primer: A primer is very essential as it not only smoothens the pores and make your foundation glide seamlessly, it also holds your makeup in place in sweat & humidity. I am currently loving the Sephora Smoothing Primer and Make Up For Ever Step 1 Smoothing Skin Equalizer.

2. Concealer/BB cream: Now you do not need heavy foundation in monsoon as it’s bound to be humid and sticky too. Concealers/tinted moisturisers/BB creams are your best friend in monsoon. I love the Ponds BB Cream and the Lakme Absolute Face Stylist Concealer. These are my go to, keep the makeup in place and are not at all heavy. The concealer also instantly brightens my under eyes.

3. Cream Blushes/Highlighters/Cheek & Lip Stains: Go for cream to powder finish products in monsoon or tints. They are not too heavy, give a soft and dewy finish and the color/tint stays put through the day. I love the Kryolan Lip & Cheek Stain, Faces Ultime Pro Metalliglow Highlighter in Champagne, The Body Shop Cheek & Lip Stain

4. Eyebrow pencil/pomade: If you use eyeshadow to set your eyebrows, you will need to set them with a wax or they would obviously wash away in monsoon. I would suggest using a pencil/pomade as they are more waxy and keep the eyebrows in place. I like the Maybelline Fashion Brow Duo Shaper

5. Waterproof Eyeliner & Mascara: Need I say more for this? You don’t want to end up with panda eyes, having eyeliner & mascara all around 😀 Maybelline Magnum Barbie is completely water proof!

6. Matte Liquid Lipsticks/Lip Crayons: Creamy lipsticks would bleed and be all over your face, if in case you get drenched. Matte liquid lipsticks are the safest bet and also they are very much in trend these days! I love Chambor Extreme Wear Transferproof Liquid Lipsticks & Colorbar Kiss Proof Liquid Lipsticks. Also Matte Lip crayons are a good option, I like the Maybelline Lip Gradation.

7. Loose Powder: Compact powder would slip in humid climate, but a loose mineral powder works well for monsoon. Also if you have baked your face and especially undereyes, it will stay put through the day! I am currently loving the Faces Mineral Loose Powder.

8. Makeup Setting Spray: And to set it all, a makeup setting spray. My favourite is the Colorbar Stay the Day Finishing Mist.

9. Bright Nail Paints: Wear all your reds, oranges, blues. Bright nails and monsoon go hand in hand.

So yes, with these changes in your makeup, you are all set to face the monsoon!

All the pictures in this post are clicked with the new Coolpad Mega Selfie Maker 2.5D! It has 8MP front camera and 8MP rear camera! I absolutely love the Royal Gold Color, and it is not at all heavy for 2500 mAh battery.

The pictures are vivid and true to colour! They have not been edited at all, only resized so that the post doesn’t take long to load. It is standard 5.5 inch screen and looks super stylish and expensive! 16GB internal memory and 3GB RAM, it supports dual 4G too.

Let me tell you the price, I am sure you won’t believe it! It is priced at INR 6999 only!!! I can say this is the best budget smartphone I have come across!

The sale starts on 24th August, you can register for it right now, go HERE

Do you like the pictures? What are your monsoon makeup must haves?

OPPO F1 Plus Selfie Expert Review, Comparision

OPPO F1 Plus Selfie Expert Review, Comparision

Hi guys,

If you remember I reviewed the OPPO F1 phone before, see HERE. They had announced the launch of F1 Plus at the same event, but the official launch happened on 6th April at Hotel Lalit in Delhi. I had gone to Delhi for the event for a day. See the entire vlog and event details in my vlog below, Yuvraj Singh was also present at the event 😀 He came even with his ankle injury!

Anyhoo, coming back to the phone, OPPO F1 Plus. I am obviously no tech expert, so would not be reviewing from that point of view, though I am a tech and gadget freak! Also being a blogger, I am present on every social media channel on earth and use my phone 24/7 for everything from clicking pictures to updating you guys on social channels, replying to mails, etc. The best part of this phone is obviously the front camera, as the name goes ‘Selfie Expert’. The front cam is 16MP,f/2.0 which allows four times more light compared to other smartphones.

Price: INR 26,990/-

Colors Available: Gold and Rose Gold

I have been using the phone ever since the event and it’s been quite some time now, so it’s the perfect time to review it. To start with, it’s very light weight (only 145g) though standard 5.5 inches, you do not feel this phone at all even in your pocket.

I have the Color Gold which I like a little more than Rose Gold, coz of the deep matte gold finish. Also it is super comfortable to hold and ergonomically designed to fit in your hands.

The thick Corning Gorilla Glass 4 does not need a scratch guard. I bought one and when I was just about to place it, I realized this phone doesn’t need one. The glass is super thick and scratch resistant, I did not feel adding another layer was required.

It has it’s own Operating System Color OS 3.0 and the Lollipop version of Android, it is pretty smooth and fast untill now, quite impressed with the OS. I have always been on Android and can safely say, this OS is quite good.

It has 64GB internal memory which is expandable externally upto 128GB, there are very few phones in the market offering that! The 4GB RAM is sufficient and the phone never lagged even once, though I am not a gaming person, so did not try that. For me, I have 10-15 apps working all the time, and none stopped responding at any time.

I have always been using a dual sim phone and that is my priority when I have to select a phone for myself. I am so glad this is dual sim with both being 4G enabled.

Specs

Other notable features are fingerprint scanner, WiFi Direct, fast battery VOOC Flash charging, etc.

Coming to the main part and my favourite, the camera! It has 13MP rear camera with f/2.2 with auto focus, face detection and even Beauty and Panaroma features. The Beautify 4.0 brightens the skin and removes all blemishes, so without makeup, it gives a made up look 😀 I love the Ultra HD mode which gives super crisp and bright pictures and the GIF creator which is super fun! GIF creator option is also available for the front camera. It also has a range of inbuilt filters which lets you select a filter even before clicking a picture! My favourites are ‘Elegant’ and ‘British’. The rear camera also has an ‘Expert Mode‘ which lets you control the ISO and exposure, so even if you are a pro photographer, this will give you the freedom to work your way.

Beautify 4.0

The 16MP front camera has wide f/2.0 lens which allows more light in pictures coz of it’s unique sensor technology, so now you get bright selfies even in low light and during night time. And now fit in all your friends in a selfie with the amazing ‘Selfie Panaroma’ feature 😀 The ISOCELL technology reduces the noise in selfies, giving you super clear and sharp selfies. My favourite feature though is ‘Double Exposure‘ which helps you click two pictures in motion and combines them into one. I haven’t found a subject yet to use that, but I will be using it soon and would be posting it on my Instagram, so follow me there 😀

It also captures videos at 1080p@30fps, I would be using it for my vlogs too. Also love the ‘Time Lapse‘ feature! I am clearly bowled by the camera features.

I also compared it to Samsung Galaxy A7. It looks quite similar, weighs almost the same and the specifications and features too are similar. The Samsung A7 Operating System is so slow and it was a pain to use comparatively. It runs on Kitkat which is upgradable to Lollipop. I am not sure what exactly is the problem, but you need real patience to use Samsung A7.

Rear Camera
L- Clicked with OPPO
R- Clicked with Samsung
Front Cam
L- OPPO
R- Samsung

I have also compared the selfies and pics taken with both the phones. Samsung camera is pretty sharp too and love the clear pictures, but in terms of catching the true colours, OPPO F1 Plus is the clear winner.

OPPO F1 Plus has all the features and specifications that of iPhone6, some even better and at half the price! I totally recommend checking out OPPO F1 Plus, see more HERE

What do you think of the new OPPO F1 Plus Selfie Expert Phone?

P.S: PR Sample. Honest Review