For the longest time I used an alcoholic toner. Everyone recommended the same. Whenever I visited the Kiehls store for a skin testing, the SAs would strongly recommend a non alcoholic toner since my skin is sensitive.
Finally, I bought the Calendula herbal extract toner.
Calendula is nothing but marigold- picture below. It is supposed to treat acne, reduce inflammation and also has many other medicinal properties.
The toner has calendula marigold flowers in the toner.

                                                 Calendula marigold in the bottle

The bottle is made of plastic with a flip cap. The cap can also be opened. I have carried it while travelling and there were no spills.
It is priced at Rs 2500 for 250 ml. Very expensive!!! But it lasted 4-5 months.
The toner has a weird smell but it does not transfer to the face. I apply it after facing my wash with a cotton morning and night.
When I used an alcoholic toner, my skin would burn a little. With this toner, there is no issue. It is like applying water to the face.
I won't say it has improved my skin texture because that is not its job. It soothes the skin and closes the pores.

Will I re-purchase? Yes, I have bought another bottle already BUT... it is very expensive and I cannot afford it as part of my regular regime.
Once the current bottle is over, I will be on the lookout for non alcoholic toners.

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. 

Hi... its been a long time... and I so many new things lined up. I get kinda lazy... what with 4 blogs and all.

I had stopped the OOTD posts because of the lack of a good full length mirror. I am still looking for one. Until then, all the clicks are in my office loo with the phone cam. We (hubby and me) just bought a DSLR and so there will be more posts.

Sorry for the awkward pose. I love the new trend in blogosphere... of wearing a shirt underneath a sleeveless dress. This works for winter.
Top- Promod, Dress- woollen bought from fashionandyou.com, shoes- Hush Puppies. The dress is very warm and is part of the winter closet only. It does not fit too well... but its not bad.

V day look- I did not buy anything new for V day since I have enough. I wore these shorts over the weekend and wanted to wear it once before before throwing them in laundry.
Head to toe- lace top (with black camisole underneath), pink shorts, leggings, peep toes boots (very comfy)- Forever21. My earlier purchases from this store (like these) are very good. Recently, whatever I have bought has lasted a few months only. Quality has declined majorly.That is quite sad because I love how stylish the clothes are.
Don't mind the hair... the ends need a trim badly. The perm and color have damaged it.

I wore this to comicon last weekend. My hubby kept insisting I wear a tee shirt with cartoons but I chose this. I bought this dress from Globus months back. Finally wore it with leggings, a Levis jeans jacket and a Nine West sling bag.
Don't mind the love handles... they will be gone in a few months

I love this look. A cheery mini skirt from Forever21 paired with black shirt from Wills Lifestyle, Asos blazer, grey houndstooth stockings and grey pumps from Promod.
I don't even remember buying this skirt... the cons of being a shopholic. The black shirt is many years old. Ideally, I should discard it but it is so handy... can be paired with anything.
I love winter dressing... I can wear the tiniest clothes paired with stockings/leggings. I am waiting for the day when that skirt can be worn in summer... meaning, when I lose enough weight. Hopefully, this summer.

 A winter look when it is not too cold.
Black trousers- Promod
Blue woollen top- Monte Carlo
Jacket- Globus
Pink wedges- Miss Sixty
I love the jacket... it is shiny... and can be paired with a monochrome look. The wedges are very heavy and kill my feet. I only wear them at work when there is no running around.

I love this blazer... it is a statement piece. I tried an all blue look and I think it looked good.
Blazer, jeans- Zara
Top- Aadro from fashionandyou.com

Thats it then... I will come back with better pictures and more looks.

I bought this make up remover 6 months back. The tub contains 125 ml of product priced at Rs 2000 and it lasted me 6 months which is pretty good. 

The tub has a silver lid and is quite huge. I never really carried it while travelling. It contains a balm which melts on application. I bought this after reading a blog where it said that it needs to be applied to the face with fingers and then removed by washing it off. That is what the Clinique SA also told me while buying. I did that but was not convinced that it removed all the make up. It seemed like a messy way to remove make up.

When I visited the store again, the SA dipped a cotton pad on the balm and then used that to remove make up. I think that is the correct way. 

It is not very convenient to use for eye make up since it gets into my eyes and I am not sure if the mascara is removed effectively. I prefer a liquid remover for eyes. I used this one for my face and neck only. If the foundation is heavy and only few hours old (2-3 hrs) I used a cotton with the balm 3 times on the same area of the face. If the foundation is light coverage or day old I used the balm only once or twice in the same area. It leaves my skin slightly oily and I need to use the face wash twice to make my face squeaky clean. I anyway have an oily skin and do not like any shine on the face. I don't think the face wash should be skipped even though the SA will recommend it. I am very careful about removing make up everyday 'coz of breakouts and wouldn't recommend taking a chance. Also, if I use a tissue paper over the face after using the balm, some traces of foundation are seen on it. So, make up removal is not 100%. Face wash after this is, therefore, a must. 

Overall, I liked this product. I generally come home from work... remove my make up with this balm... head off to the gym and then wash my face after returning. It is definitely better than a liquid remover 'coz I need to wash my face immediately after using the liquid to remove the oil. Also the fact that it lasts 6 months is a big bonus. 

Will I re-purchase? I am currently trying out a similar product from Body Shop. I will compare and then decide on which one to re-purchase. But I do prefer the balms to liquid make up removers for the face. 

I have been gone a long time but it has been busy... with my gym/jogging/dance sessions, work and family, I rarely get time. There are a few empties I have been saving up for reviews and finally I am going to blog about them.
I have stopped buying the Vellvette/Fab bag. Instead, I read reviews of the bags and then decide if I want to buy one.
Last month I received a mail from fab bag team with an offer- I could pick a shade of nail paint of LA Splash in the bag. There were some nice glitter shades and I decided to buy the bag. I ordered for sparkling rose which is a pink glitter shade. The bag arrived with another shade altogether... and I was pissed. The only reason I ordered the bag was the nail paint. On complaining the correct shade was sent but it took its own sweet time and the response from the team was not serious. I am surprised that IIM grads can screw so bad. The quality of service has definitely fallen.
Anyway, here is the bag and the products:

A lot of bloggers have liked this bag. I don't know why... the quality is bag. The previous bags were of a softer material while this one is very rough.

And this is what the bag contained. I received the glitter nail paint later ...

Kama Ayurveda Lavender hair conditioner: I have been using this for the last 2 weeks and I like it. It does its job... and smells quite nice.

Anna Andre nail polish remover: This was the bonus product in my bag. It is ok... nothing great. The Colorbar nail polish remover is so much better. Why is the team sending products worth Rs 79 is beyond me. They might as well send across Lakme nail polish remover.

LA Splash nail paint Blowfish Violet and Sparkling Rose: The nail paints are ok kinds. They take a lot of time to dry and chip within 2-3 days.

MUA lipstick and gloss: I have not yet opened this.

I am not too happy with the bag and its contents. I am not sure it is worth the 500 bucks I spent. 

Lakme has launched many new products recently. What is significant is that the price points are much higher. Till now, it was an affordable brand... not anymore with the new launches. Many women are not happy with this. I second the thought.

I have read a lot about the Lakme Gel Stylist nail paints- good and bad. I didn't want to spend 400 bucks on Lakme nail paints. That kind of money is reserved for Inglot.

I finally picked up the nude shade- Caramel Melt. The others didn't seem too unique. I am sure I have a similar shade in Revlon.

Below manicure has been done with the Lakme gel stylist and L'Oreal color riche Le Vernis 822.

 My views on the nail paint:
- Streaky
- Needed 2 coats atleast
- Did not dry fast
- The consistency is strictly ok... nothing great
- Does not feel like gel. I have the Inglot gel top coat and it gives a very polished look to any nail paint. Not with this one

Will I re-purchase? No... never. Beauty bloggers who have given these nail paints awesome reviews should close down their blogs. They are deceiving their readers.

Don't bother spending 400 bucks on this one.

I went to Dabur New U stores today and the hand and feet mask caught my eye. I picked them up. I think there is a dearth of products for hands and foot care. Brands are launching new things... but not exciting enough. How many foot soaks are there in the market? Exactly!!!

The hand mask is of the brand- Beauty Formula. It is priced at Rs 175 and can be used once. It contains 1 pair of gloves with a gel inside. You need to wear it for 20-30 mins. It claims to make hands smooth and improve the texture. It has peach extract and shea butter.

This is what the gloves look like. The size will fit anyone. I put it on for 30 mins, after which my hands felt very soft and moisturized. There was some gel, which is non sticky and smells peachy, and I rubbed the hands together. It was instantly absorbed. My hands are still feeling soft.
It is expensive for 1 time use but I don't mind using it once in a month. It does a better job than some of the hand creams. A must have for winters.

The foot mask is also from Beauty Formulas priced at Rs 175 for 1 pair. I put it on my feet and they instantly felt relaxed. On removing them after 30 mins, there was white gel on my feet. I massaged it in and my feet felt soft. It smells like green apple since there is apple extract. My feet felt like they would after a pedicure in the salon.

The pair will fit any size.

These Beauty Formulas hand and feet mask are a must try. You will find them in Dabur New U stores.

Winter is knocking. It is not cold enough for overcoats or jackets but blazers and cardigans need to be pulled out.
For Friday casual, I wanted to wear all black with my jakaas parrot green blazer. I could not find an acceptable black top and decided to wear navy blue stripes.

Jeans- Levis (3 years old), Top- Done by none (donebynone.com), Blazer- Forever 21
I accessorized  with silver neckpiece from Forever 21 and earrings (bought many years back from somewhere).

 I have only 1 OPI nail color... because it is an effort to find them. They also cost a bomb (Rs 520). Ok, I know... I buy Inglot... why not OPI? Ok, I guess I will buy more.

I love this shade. It is called Chop Sticking to my story. It is neither true orange nor true rust. Somewhere in between.

It goes on completely opaque in one coat and I love that. Only problem- it seems to have become slightly think. I am used to my nail paints lasting years. Not happy about that.

Will I re-purchase? In another shade, Yes. But, if that also becomes thick then it is a deal breaker. 

I don't do posts on looks, make up etc because I am a normal, working person. This blog is a hobby. It has taken me years and hours of practice just to get a basic make up look perfect. I don't apply elaborate eye shadows on normal days (who does???). Only beauty bloggers or celebs do that. Also, I don't have the time. I have a full time job, gym sessions, hubby, house etc. So, yes.... make up posts are far and few between. Plus, I don't own a DSLR. I have a normal digicam which works well and my phone has an awesome cam (Nokia Lumia 820). I managed to click a good pic of my blush yesterday and decided to post a review.

Mac lip and cheek tint- Evening Stroll. This was part of a limited collection launched last year. I liked how easy to wear it seemed and picked it up.
It is a nice pink- dark pink... rani pink (if you know what I mean).
I think I bought this for Rs 1300 for 13 ml.

Without Flash. Looks a little dull here.

With Flash. This is the actual color.

The blush can also be used as a lip tint but I don't really use it that way. The product is smooth and easily comes on the fingers when swiped. It does not feel sticky or hard. 

Below is a swatch- without flash. On top is unblended and bottom is blended.

With flash.

You need to apply it with fingers and then blend it out. I generally use a brush since that gives me more control.

On the face it does not look very pigmented since it blends out. That is why it is a cheek tint and not a normal blush. It gives a nice glow and color to the face. I have applied a few layers below and yet it seems sheer.

The tint lasts for 4-5 hours which is good because all blushes last that much on me since I have a very oily skin. The tint works very well in winters but in summer it is another story. It makes my face looks greasy and makes the imperfections stand out.
As a winter product, this works well for all skin types but for summer, oily skin people avoid.

Will I re-purchase? Sure. Finishing this one itself will be a task.