Glossier

AAAA !!! All the stuff I bought from Glossier has finally arrived !!! I am SO SO SOOOO excited .... Okay, a few deep breaths ... Let me explain my excitement and why I am hyper about this ...

Glossier is a make up brand that (as of today) tries to emphasise on how minimal is better, and that skin care comes before make up. Due to this, most of their products are aimed at "going out without make up, or a makeup free look is ok" and I think they are trying to get this back into vogue. 

Quite a few of their products are hits, and sell quite fast. The brand was started by Emily Weiss, who is with ITG (Into The Gloss). The brand was launched, I think, around a couple of years back and has quite a few good products on its shelves - which sell like hot cakes. After watching videos of Tamira Jarrel raving about how she loves their products, I was like, I need to try some of their stuff. Went online and realised that they do not sell anywhere except their online platform - not even at Sephora .. Hmmm, how was I to get my hands on their stuff ? Luckily my aunt was flying down to India a couple of months after I decided I wanted to get some other things and hence, I ordered. This idea was suggested to my by my cousin (thank you Arvind!!) :)

I spent a couple of hours online obsessing over everything that they had for sale and finally decided on getting their highlighter (which they call Haloscope) and a Generation G sheer matte lipstick.

I like the GIFs they have going on their site where women of different skin tones wear each shade of the products they have - so that you get a better idea of what it might look like on you. I got a 20% discount on my first purchase (everyone gets that - don't worry), and got it shipped to her home. She landed last evening and here I am, blogging about the stuff I got and the packaging it arrived in, and why I think it is super cool and spunky :)

The various things that came in the package (L-R cardboard for a flat surface, poster, stickers, products in the pouch)

The products were in a bubble wrap kinda bag which had a ZipLock top. They sent a poster and a few stickers along with their items.

Now, coming to the items and how they look and swatches :)

I purchased the "Cake" shade of Generation G, coz I wanted something nude and this one seemed to go well with the medium skin tone girl on their website. After trying on the colour, I wonder if I should have gone with a brighter shade - as I can get nude ones here in India ... But the colour is really pretty and I have ZERO regrets buying it.

bot-top : 4 swipes, 2 ,1

As you can see from the image of my arm, the colour is not too intense and builds really well on layers of application.

I'm trying to  make a GIF of me applying the shade and how it looks t the end -  will post that here once it is done :)

Some images of the packaging and ingredients are also here ... The product contains quite a bit of stuff, and they say that there is no animal testing during the process of creation.
There is quite a bit of product inside, and it is not a very thick or soft application which makes you feel as though a tonne of product is sitting on your lips.


I think with the amount in one stick it should last probably 2-3 months on daily application. Price tag is $18 ... :|

























Now, to the next product - The Topaz shade haloscope. I got Topaz as I have something silvery from Benefit; and this colour (Tamira said) looks amazing on her skin - it gave her this sun tanned bronze look and hence I was like, let me try that.

It comes in a cute white-pink packaging (exactly like all Glossier products). I love the way the packages have little smiley on the inside of them (light pink on the white box :)).

The haloscope comes with a "solid oil core of vitamin-rich moisturizers for a hydrated, dewy finish" - as per their website. 

It does not have any particular smell, but has a slightly oily ring to it. I do not mind it and the smell is not strong. The colour is kind of a sun kissed light brown tone - at least that is what it looked like on my skin. I have warmish-neutral undertones on a medium colour skin... 
Here is what it looks like on my face.
One pic showing how much I applied  (or is it a video, I am not sure)

 There is a bit of a shine - don't mind the skin, I have not a single gram of anything on my face except face wash and cream :)

The packaging was quite cool. Here are a few snaps showing he ingredients and all that jazz.

All in all, a good haul :) And I am quite thrilled with the stuff I got :)

Foundation and the difficulty of finding your match

As I recently started watching a few videos on foundation and how women manage to transfer their pretty normal spotted face into absolutely gorgeous faces, I was like " I NEED TO TRY THAT". Then I started reading up on foundations and came to learn how hard it is to find your correct matching foundation colour.
What is a foundation ? A foundation is a make up product that is applied over your washed-moisturised skin so as to
1. Hold make up in its place
2. Make the skin seem smooth and blemish free
3. Give your skin an even tone and texture

Finding your perfect matching colour of foundation (as they come in SO SO SO many colours) can be tricky at times and it is best to go to a store to try out the colour, rather than reading reviews of a shade online. While figuring out what kinds of shades are there, and all the brands that are available in the market, I came across this term called "undertone" and how it is extremely important to find your undertone while choosing your foundation. I had no clue what that is and how it affects what colour  foundation you use on your face.

I watched a few videos on this topic and read up on this concept. I took some of these online "tests" which are to help you find your undertone colour. Now the funny thing is, most of them bucketize you as either warm, cool or neutral (and combinations of these 3). However, when I watched a video by Melissa Alatorre, I got super confused as she introduced an Olive undertone :D 

This being said, I was able to find that my skin tone is a warm neutral (as gold, peach shades look good on me and the veins on my inner arm are green in colour) and my skin colour looks to be medium beige.  Being the psycho that I am I went berserk on searching for the "best foundation brand that there is on the planet". Heard about this brand called Make Up For Ever, an their Ultra HD Foundation and the fact that they have 40 shades made me want to check them out and buy one - was pretty sure that one of those 40 is going to match. Was also debating between M.A.C and Benefit and Anastasia (and we do not get them in India, so chucked). Googled a lot, and I researched some more on which one is the best of all of them, and most blogs I read said that the MUFE HD foundation is among the best that they have worn.
Once this was done, I needed some expert's opinion. So, I again bugged Roomi (whom I bugged even for highlighters) to understand if MUFE is a good brand, and which one she used, and whether I should go for M.A.C instead, and nonsense like this. (sometimes I  feel she should be the one blogging). A lot of patient listening, and few hundred chat messages later I decided to go ahead with the MUFE HD foundation.... (yay).

Anyway, I now needed to buy this thing. How was I to get my hands on it ? Thankfully, Sephora has opened a couple of stores in Bangalore and they carry this brand (it is one of their in-house brands). I enjoy going to the outlets simply because of the sheer volume and diversity of products they have and brands to choose from. They sell Benefit, MUFE, NYX, Stilla etc etc. I will definitely write a post about the store :)

There is this Sephora at Orion Mall (next building to where I work - lucky me :P). So one day after work I went there to get The Foundation. People there helped and I was able to find a perfect match to my face - shade N128 (Almond; also called VC238). The chap there applied a primer (more about that later :)), and then applied this foundation to my face. I swear, I tell you, I could not see it once he finished applying, but my skin looked SOOO much smoother, and even, and 'nice' :).

The only pinching point is its price point - 4k :( :( :( But this foundation, I tel you, is ideal for those 'special' occasions and when you want to look your best and want to feel all good and pretty :)

Given that I cannot wear this f'ing expensive foundation on a daily basis, I researched some more for the best foundation that one can get in India that is in my budget, and I came across multiple reviews about Loreal Infallible's 24 hour foundation (amazon.in right now is having this super crazy sale, I recommend you go to a store, find your match and then buy it online). Even blogs and videos and "Top 10 foundation" pages for US and EU folks were like, Loreal Infallible foundation is a must have if you are looking for a budget friendly foundation that does it's job.

I went to Orion once again with a friend of mine and we went to Shoppers Stop. The Loreal lady there was super friendly and sat us down and tried on shades on our faces and helped us find stuff that suited us very well - in that light it looked flawless and perfect. I got the shade 220 (Sable Sand) and it looks good on my face ! Suited my skin tone, seemed as though I had much smoother skin, but was slightly lighter than my skin tone - which I felt was okay and not too much of an issue. The next shade was too dark.

Left side is Loreal and right is MUF

Left Loreal is more pinkish, Right MUFE one is spot on 

To give you guys a comparison of how they look on my skin, I will show you guys images of their consistency, colour, blending effect etc.

After blending, both colours look extremely similar, however the Loreal one has a slightly pinkish tone to it when blended against my skin. I let the foundation sit on my skin for some 5 minutes before taking the pic as it needs that much time to settle down.

Steps that are generally followed while applying foundation are mentioned below (all these fancy video people do so much more, I just carry out the basic steps).

Clean face after washing

Applied a bit of Colorer primer and Olay Moisturiser

1. Clean face after washing 

2. Applied a bit of primer on my skin.

Below I have applied the MUFE one on the right side of my face and the Loreal one on the left side. I think that the Loreal one is slightly pinkish on my face an shows up a bit - but it is not something that bothers me too much. But you can see how the foundations cover up all those visible spots (to some extent) on my face. A little heavier application will smoothen the skin out completely and will not show those blemishes.

MUFE on right, Loreal on left

 I have gotten slightly tanned recently and I know this will be all right when I wear it during winter (no sun :P)

High-lighters

Okay, so ever since a friend of mine (Roomi :) ) told me to do an article on "strobing" I have been obsessing over it; going through YouTube videos, reading up online about it, reading reviews of different brands etc. I read a lot of brand reviews and watched a lot of videos (this one, this one, this one and this one as well). The last link and the point that Kim Kardashian said that "strobing is the new contouring" made me want to get the product her make up guy uses on her face :P In the process I discovered a lot of people I decided to follow (Deepica, Tati (lol), Stephanie Lange and Tamira Jarrel) :) It's good time pass for me when I am bored - I just open up Youtube and watch some random product review, make up tutorial etc ...

Anyway coming to the products. After watching the Kim Kardashian video I was like, I want to try that out - Watt's Up! cream Highlighter strobing stick. I was not sure where I would be able to find this in India, so I was like let me try some other brand. I went to Sephora (which opened recently in India - Forum has one and orion Mall has another outlet). The Koramangala outlet had such expensive shit !! 4k onwards, and I was like - no way am I spending that much money on this item, will live life without the "pearly dewy glow"... Then I was like, I work next to Orion, let me go check that outlet. Went to the Sephora there and THEY HAD THIS PRODUCT !!!!! I tried it on one cheek, and it looked fabulous. But then something inside me was like, you should try the M.A.C. highlighter as well before making a call. So I politely told the lady that I would come back if I did not like the MAC product.
I tried on the illuminators they had there (illuminator / highlighter / strobing products - are all EXACTLY the same thing, just called by different names). Those things did not look good on me, it greyed out my skin and added absolutely no glow; even the guy at the outlet was like you should go with the other product you have on. So, I went back to Sephora and was contemplating buying the product ... Then I realised that my birthday had just passed and friends that I had treated were clueless about what to get me and told me to choose something and that they would get it for me ..  I mean, who gets treated for a friend's birthday and has the temerity to not give them something ?? Lol, so I suggested this What's Up highlighter and they were totally cool with the price and everything (it is 2.8k rupees).

I bought it !!! The packaging is so pretty and petite :)

The highlighter part is the end with the cap, and the other end is a small sponge like thing to brush out the product on to your face so that it doesn't look like it is too much or has been applied like a noob :) It is cute, isn't it :)

Anyway, I tried it on at home recently and it looks gorgeous. I do not apply all the make up that the women in the videos do - its a simple face wash, then cream with some primer and then eye make up and compact. This highlighter doesn't stand out and looks pretty-pretty on my face.

There is another product that I got which does something similar but not with this much intensity - it is the Revlon Photo Studio highlighter in peach shade.
As you can see, it does do something similar but is more soft on the skin and doesn't stand out too much. This one is liquid based and I generally take a small squeeze on the top of my hand and apply with my finger tips onto my cheek bones, nose bridge and upper brow.

So, these are the two highlighters that I own and which I love :) Until later!

Chumbak and its quirkiness !

Chumbak as a brand has always fascinated me. My home is filled with stuff from Chumbak - fridge magnets, phone cases, little bobble head dolls, laptop case, key chains ... Phew ! Their stores are extremely quirky, bright, colourful, full go items you want to buy but do not need :D

I mean, look at it ! It is so bright, the products compliment each other / stand out in your face / they don't care - they are pretty !! I love the set up of their stand alone stores in Bangalore - there is one near my place in Indiranagar, and boy am I glad :) It is fun simply walking in to look around, check out new stuff that they have come out with, figure out requirements to buy there products because, oh! I just realised, I do not have a jar to store sugar !!! Oh wait, there is this bag I need along with this pretty pillow case, bedsheets, purse, notebook, shorts, shirt - OMG the list is endless !!

The store at Indiranagar is a two storied one, and the walls are decorated with frames / pictures / posters etc.
I personally own 4 phone cases from Chumbak for my iPhone 5s, and I feel that I am lacking a yellow one - think I should go pick one up (given that it is running at a 70% discount and hence would cost only 250 bucks !)

My fridge is loaded with stuff from this place - even though there are no notes hanging there which require fridge magnets, I still love the pieces and hence have started a little collection of sorts :)

Keychains I keep using and changing - my car keys, home keys, cycle keys, handbag keychains etc :) Each piece has a tiny little elephant hanging from the loops and the colour of the elephant varies from piece to piece! My personal favourite is the owl one :) The tiny man in a circle at the bottom is a pin-badge they gave me for shopping at the store; it reads "Thik Hai" which is super cute !!  

I have this adorable Yo Yo Mani doll which I got my husband for his birthday as a computer stand showcase piece :) It now stands in the hall of my home and just brightens up the place (a bit).

For my birthday my aunt got me this passport holder - 2 passports fit inside it comfortably and there are additional slots to keep your cards and money and a photograph if you so wish to :) I love the colour combination here as well - peacock coloured outside, bright yellow and royal blue on the inside - it just ads a spark to the entire piece and makes it stand out !

When you shop at Chumbak, you get 1 point for every 50 rupees spent and each point is worth 1 rupee later on! And this can be redeemed at any point of time - during a sale / no sale etc; there are no terms and conditions like other stores wirer you cannot club something with something else. Now this is perfect and I wish all brands would do something so sensible as them.

Try out a Chumbak store near your place, and I can bet that you will not leave empty handed.

That's my close friend's sister :)

Van Heusen - and why I love it

There is this Van Heusen store at the mall near my office. Whenever I go there to kill some time and pass by the store, I cannot help but enter for two reasons.
1. The way they have laid out the store is eye catching - there are always pretty, bright coloured clothes right at the front
2. The store smells absolutely wonderful :) It sort of draws you inside to check products on display

Coming to their clothes : I initially never shopped from this brand as I felt it was unnecessarily expensive. I would only scout through Lifestyle or Shoppers Stop when there was a sale of some sort. Then came Amazon :P

But my first trysts with VH began when I was sent to Delhi (Tauro to be more precise) on work for 15 days ... I would leave for the warehouse at 715 am and reach home around 9pm. One evening I was like "enough is enough" and I left at 430pm (2 hours before the shift ended). Next to the hotel where I was staying there was a Shoppers Stop. I went to kill some time, and I fell in love with this dress (okay, something similar). I bought it off, even though it was not on sale :)

This is how it looks on me - pretty pretty, right ? Well, I bought this dress because it has an elastic around the waist and has sleeves (GOD, it is so difficult nowadays to find dresses that have sleeves! I mean, almost everything is sleeveless).
The reason I go for sleeved clothes (especially 3/4th) is because they cover my kinda-fat arms and do not look too informal to wear even to work. They are not too flashy and I feel, give me a slightly more sophisticated look :) (Plus, the elastic on the waist helps hide my tummy).

Now, coming back to the online shopping bit. Amazon was running a sale - some 60%+ discount, and naturally I wanted to check out the products and see if there were any nice clothes. I was browsing through some Van Heusen clothes and saw these 2 tops that I absolutely loved ! One was a pretty blue with a floral pattern, while the other one was black, again with some flower design. Unfortunately they are not available anymore on Amazon :( In the pic below (with the blue top), I'm wearing a skirt from VH - dark grey with slight pleats, but no pockets.

The last dress that I own from VH - well ... It is a beautiful colour (teal), but somehow the top portion of it lacks texture, is quite plain and I feel it draws attention you-know-where... When I wear it I accessorise the dress with chunky jewellery so that it looks good. Now, I know I have found flaws with it, but the reason I love it is because it has pockets ! POCKETS !! Can you believe that :) It is so damn convenient.

Anyway, this is my post on one of the brands I love - do let me know your thoughts and if there are any brands you would like me to cover.