So, here are this month's empties.

Kronokare body lotion:
I got this as part of my envy box. Btw, I have not bought the envy box this month because the products didn't look exciting. I can walk into Sephora and get Kama ayurveda samples for free. Why pay for them?
I had received a sample of 35 ml. It has extracts of lavender and thyme and is parabens and SLS free.
It is an Indian brand and has an interesting website though their instagram feed is ridiculous.

The lotion smells of lavender (which I do not like), is white in colour and thick. I found it a little hard to blend because it is thick. I prefer lighter lotions for my normal skin.
The plastic bottle is also quite hard making it difficult to get the last of the lotion out.

Will I re-purchase? No but may try other products.

Marks and Spencer antiperspirant roll on
MRP Rs 199 for 50 ml. This is my 2nd bottle of the roll on. It comes in a plastic bottle with a white roll on. The liquid inside is red in colour and contains water lily. I like the smell. It is fruity and fresh, one of the reasons I bought the roll on.
It works quite well and keeps me sweat free for 4-5 hours even while working out.
The only problem is that the white roll on part gets stuck sometimes and I have to roll it a few times for it to get working.
The bottle has lasted me a month and I use it atleast twice a day.

Will I -repurchase? Not right now. I will try on something new but if I don't like it I will definitely pick it up again.
It is available in all Marks and Spencer stores.

Ponds white beauty cream.
MRP Rs 199 for 50 gm.
I was looking for a moisturiser which will moisturise and keep my oily skin matte. I rarely use drugstore brands but decided to try this one.
It claims to reduce spots and has SPF 20.
The cream is in a glass jar which is very stylish and safe for travel. The cream is thick but spreads easily. I did not find it very moisturising... I didn't feel it penetrate my skin but rather sit on top of it. It goes on completely matte which is a big bonus.
Overall, I did not like the moisturising part of it... but it gives a matte effect which is good.

Will I re-purchase? No

When I saw a paper ad for this product I was really excited. How innovative!!! A moisturiser that can be used in the shower. After my shower my skin feels dry and craves for a moisturiser so I was happy to buy this.

Nivea Skin Conditioner. MRP Rs 250 for 250 ml

The product comes in a typical blue Nivea packaging. It is a thick white cream which spreads easily on the skin.
I apply it after my bath, leave it on for 2 minutes, then rinse it off and pat dry. Theoretically, this works. After all oil cannot be removed with water and moisturises the skin. The skin conditioner has almond oil and should work. Practically, it is a big miss. My skin does not feel dry after shower but it does not feel moisturised and I need to use a moisturiser again. I have normal skin on my body and this claims to be for dry skin. Dry skinned women should stay far away from this one. It might work for someone with an oily skin.

Just a waste of money. What do I do with it now? Maybe I will try using it like a regular moisturiser.

I have been gone for a month but its been very busy. I will get back to the outfit posts next week onwards... promise.
So, here is the April Envy Box.
Its a pink box.

I was sent this coffee body scrub from Skin Yoga. It is an Indian product which has only natural ingredients- coffee, coconut and sesame oil. I used it in the shower and I love it. Full size of the product costs as much as that from Body Shop.

The next product is from H2O- face oasis hydrating treatment. It is a gel moisturiser. I have used it twice and like the product. What I do not like- it is a sample size. I can just pick this up from a store for free. Not happy.

Another product is a sample size of a whitening essence from Avene. I do not like the size... and not took keen on whitening products. Thumbs down.

ZA is a brand from Shiseido. It is all over the internet right now. Again, I received  a sample size of a day cream. How many moisturisers? Big thumbs down.

I was so so so happy to Benefit here... love the brand even though I can't afford it... atleast not from Sephora.
Disappointment 1 : It is Porefessional... I already have this product
Major disappointment 2: Only 1 tiny sachet... WTF!!!
There was also a comic with it which I haven't opened yet.

I did not like this month's box... it has been a waste of money. Will get them 2 more chances and if things don't improve I will stop ordering. 

I received the March my envy box 2 weeks back. Sorry for the delayed post but life has been really busy. I had paid in February end but received the box mid March. I will not pay before the 15th of the month now.

This time it was a white box. I like the packaging... so much better than the cheap pouches of Fabbag.

This is what it included:

A Narciso Rodriguez perfume sample. There are 2 postcards with a sticker of the perfume. You have to peel off the sticker and rub it where ever the perfume needs to be applied. Weird!!! It took me time to figure out. I prefer a sample size of the perfume instead. This is too cheap.

Rene Furterer color enhancing conditioner. Feb box had a shampoo and this one has a conditioner. The card mentions shampoo though. This is a premium brand by Modi Revlon and sold in salons. The conditioner is pretty decent and the sample will last atleast 5-10 uses.

Eau Thermale Avene sunscreen with SPF50. A much needed product now that summer has started here. I haven't opened it yet but it has water like consistency which is quite good considering the high SPF.

Eminence Organics moisturizer. I have used this a few times, the consistency is very thick but it is recommended that it be emulsified with a little water to make it lighter in texture. There is a slight fragrance of cherry which is not over-powering. Feb box had a chocolate mask. I am liking this brand... I guess, for THAT price the products have to be good.

Innisfree pore clay mask. I came across Innisfree store at Khan Market and they have some good products. I wanted to try out their mask, pot rouge, nail paints (Rs 300) and maybe a shower gel but there was no time. Next time... I am glad Envy Box has sent samples of this. This product caught my eye at the store.

Except for the perfume, I am happy with other samples and will definitely purchase the April box.

I follow Kiehls on Instagram (my id is boogerworm). I really like the brand... one of the few ones whose products are actually good. I have a review lined up for a dream product from Kiehls... should be able to post it this week.
2 days back they announced a meet at their Khan Market store and I promptly replied. We were also asked to bring a friend along. PA and I reached the store at 4 pm... Soumya and Zoya- the marketing people welcomed us and offered us snacks from L'Opera (yummy). We got a skin consultation done and then it was time for the scavenger hunt. Basically, we had to find 6 Kiehls boards in different stores of Khan Market basis the clues given.
We had to post the pics of the boards on instagram with #meetupatkiehlskm and @kiehlsindia

The 1st clue was at the store itself and it led us to a fruit shop...

Next was a cute decor store...

And then onto to a florist...

Followed by a shop called Global Banjara which sells cute purses... 

Leading us to L'Opera...

 And finally... this poster at a book shop... among fashion magazines.

This is what the goodie bag has:
2 products worth 2k...

Kiehl's ultra facial cream... a new launch. I expected it to be very thick but it is surprisingly light.

Clearly Corrective White purifying foaming cleanser worth Rs 1600. A full size product. Soumya has strongly recommended this product making me eager to try it.

And thats us...

A Saturday well spent and yes, I will be buying more products from Kiehls (despite the high price).

Note- This post is not sponsored. They are my personal views. 

After reading many reviews I subscribed for the 'Envy Box'. It is the same concept as Vellvette/Fabbag but at Rs 850 and the brands are more premium.

I received it in 2 days... awesome.

The products came in a nice box with a magnetic lid.

This is what I received:
- Givenchy Dahlia Noir perfume 1 ml (full size- Rs 4745 for 50 ml)
- Givenchy Gentlemen only perfume 1 ml (full size- Rs 4110 for 50 ml)
- Forest Essentials rose petal lip balm 5 gm (Rs 595)
- Thalgo collagen cream 2 bottles of 2 ml each (full size Rs 2400 for 50 ml)
- Rene Furterer shampoo 15 ml (full size- Rs 1320 for 150 ml)
- Eminence Organics chocolate mousse mask (full size- Rs 4393 for 60 ml)

Overall, I really like it... luxury brands... good sample sizes... well packed... a premium look and feel (which fab bag has clearly lost).
I am going to subscribe it every month.

Vellvette is now fab bag and I received the January bag on Saturday. Yes!!! That late. What I have started doing is... I order the bag once I read the reviews... and if I like the products being sent. I paid for it on 31st Jan and received it 15 days later.

It came in a tacky pink colored bad quality bag. I am going to throw it away.

The products:

- Nyassa Alphonso Body butter: 50 gm. Rs 300 approx. Price of full size (100 ml) is Rs 600.
- Naked potion lotion: Rs 310 for 30 gm. Price of full size (200 gm) is Rs 1300.  Shelf life is only 3 months
- I love... Strawberry face mask 2 sachets 15 ml each: Price of full size (3 sachets of 15 ml each) is Rs 450
- NYX diamond sparkling red lipstick full size: Rs 600

My current body moisturiser is not suitable for winter and I wanted to buy a body butter. I am happy with this product. It smells fabulous... just like Alphonso mangoes... and is very moisturising. But it is expensive... Body Shop body butter costs around 1000 bucks for 200 ml and this is Rs 600 for 100 ml.

I was excited to receive the mask and used 1 sachet today. It is very thick and difficult to apply. It is very sticky too. It took a lot of time to dry. Well, atleast I got to try something new.

Naked is a brand launched by supermodel Lisa Haydon. I am looking forward to trying this out... even though it is expensive. This product does not have any preservatives. The only problem is I need to store it in the fridge... and the shelf life is only 3 months.

I hate this product. I love NYX and its products. But why has the team sent a full size of a shimmery shade??? What a shame!!! I cannot use this. It is plain tacky.

Overall, I like January bag. The current strategy of reading the reviews and then ordering the bag is working for me. 

I am always searching for the perfect moisturiser. This is what 'Mr/Ms Perfect' should have:
- should be gel like... very light... since I have oily skin
- should not have an overpowering fragrance
- should moisturise (but obviously)... specially cover the dry patches
- will help if it can improve skin quality
- should not be very expensive... I am not willing to spend 1000 bucks on a moisturiser

I have not stayed loyal to any moisturiser till date. I decided to try something from Body Shop 2 months back.
I bought the Seaweed mattifying day cream for Rs 995 for 49 gm.
It comes in a plastic tub and so is easy to carry around. It claims to 'moisturise dry areas, control excess sebum and shine'.

The product is gel like in texture but feels creamy on application. It gets absorbed easily and becomes matte. It stays matte for most of the day. It is a good moisturiser for the summer but in the winter it is not moisturising enough. It does not cover dry patches.

Also, there is no additional benefit to the skin- does not improve skin texture or reduce pores or have SPF.

Will I re-purchase? No. It is too expensive without any additional benefits and definitely not to be used in the winter... even for oily skinned people.