This is a basic sauce which is very versatile in its use. Once you master this, you can make pastas, risotto, sandwiches, baked dishes and a whole lot more. Make it fresh so you don't have to store it in the fridge and it tastes the best! I have mentioned the use of this in one of the recipes I have posted recently so check that out too.    

1) Stud the onion with the cloves ie pierce/ insert the cloves in it. 

2) Take some cool milk (this is important), add the onion and bay leaves and then bring to a boil. Cool and strain.

3) In a pan, mix the butter and flour on a slow flame. 

4) Pour in the cooled milk little by little while continuously stirring. Ensure that there are no lumps.

5) Mix in the salt, pepper and mixed herbs and continue to cook till it slightly thickens. Remember to not thicken it too much by cooking as the sauce continues to thicken off gas. The sauce is now ready to use. 

Cheese sauce - Once you remove the sauce from heat mix in 2 Tbsp of cream cheese in it to make a cheese sauce.

     A beautiful light purple color with gold shimmer. It gives a two toned/colored effect. When the light hits it it shimmers gold with the purple color peaking from the shadows. I really like this shade. Unlike 88 this is easy to work with. Use it wet for a more intense color. It will also enhance the two tone effect. I have used this shade in my Peacock inspired makeup tutorial to give an all over shimmer and some shading to my finished eye look. Price is Rs. 700/-.

     Don't let the pic above fool you ladies, this one is a stunner! It is a rich dark black with silver shimmer specks in it. Price is Rs 700/-. As much gorgeous that I found this color it was equally tough to work with. I'm no expert in makeup application. Heck I'll admit I'm a complete novice so needless to say this color gave me a bad time. It smudged/bled irrespective of the fact whether I used a primer or not and whether I used it dry or wet. Plus when I went to clear the fallout it just smeared on my skin and kinda stained it :(. So bear in mind, when using this color do your eye makeup first, clean up the mess and then go and do your foundation/concealer. 

     Personally, this looks the best when you apply it wet. You can see the shimmer then. In dry application only the black color comes on the skin. The shimmer is either non-existent or not noticeable. Use a good makeup remover to get it off properly. I strongly recommend that you use it over a creamy base/eyeshadow. I have not tried it coz I don't have one but I'm really skeptical about it bleeding. Like I said it was a big issue for me and that too when I used Fix+ to wet my brush with! Experts please advise :)

     This looks like a shimmery candy pink color in the jar and swatches quite similar on the skin.  But it came out more silver than pink for me on my eyes. Argh! I hate when that happens :@ . Humph! Any-hoo, It is a pretty pink color and the best part is that since it is a pigment it is a versatile product. Use it for you face, lips, hair, nails - yea you heard me. Dig out Dusty Hunter's vids on youtube to discover how to go crazy with pigments. Price is Rs. 700/- for 2 gm of product. 

     Tip: Though pigments are best used with a wet brush I would not recommend it for this shade as it brings out the silver color of it more when wet in-comparison to when it patted on a sticky/creamy base dry. To put it simply if you want the pink of it more use it dry and if you want more of a silvery/shimmery color then use it wet.

1) Combine all the salad ingredients in a bowl.

2) Mix all the dressing ingredients in a jar and shake well.

3) Pour the dressing over the salad. Toss the salad well. Serve and enjoy!

     So the great Body Shop sale was on and boy could you get some cool deals. In case any of you missed it you can still catch it. It is on till the 31st of Aug. I did a haul post when I first went for the sale and this time around I just picked up 2 products so I'm going to review them one by one. Coming to this lotion, I got a 10% discount on it (for me that is not much) but I was sucker for its smell. I love the pink grapefruit-y smell that this product has. Dimp would say its ok (she was worried why I acted like a possessed woman but hey I love the smell - give me a break :p). If you don't like a citrus smell then steer clear of this one.

     It is a light pinky peach colored lotion meant for normal skin. Gets absorbed quickly into your skin leaving a cooling sensation and a strong citrus smell behind. It costs Rs. 495/- for 250 ml of product which is on a steeper side. If you have dry skin then this product may not be ideal for you as you may need to to put in 2-3 applications before you get the hydrated skin feeling. But I personally feel that it is ideal for the summers and for places with high humidity. I get a slightly sticky feeling when I put this on especially on my palms but after 2 minutes or so the feeling goes away. The packing is good. It comes in an easy to control pump which can be locked.

Would you but it again? No. There is nothing unique or special about it that would make me purchase it again. The novelty of the smell wears off quickly. I don't know if it is making my skin firm as I have used 4-5 times and didn't feel any different in that manner.

Would you recommend it to your friend? No I would not. 

     Have you suddenly noticed that your Dog or Cat has Morning breath? Well, this is the first sign of dental problems in your pet! 

     Pets, like humans suffer from dental ailments too, therefore it is necessary to maintain proper oral hygiene in them as well.

     This is a light pink kinda n~de color. It is in Lustre finish. So it gives a light wash of color but is buildable. I will soon be posting an article which will help to better explain all these finishes. Moving on, I saw this shade in a tutorial vid by Vintage or Tacky on youtube and loved it!! But when I swatched on my skin it looked very different. That is coz of the finish. As the vlogger was very fair with natural pink lips this color looked absolutely beautiful. Don't get me wrong. It is a pretty pink shade. But my advice for you would be to lip swatch it before you think of buying it. I bought it coz I didn't have a similar shade in my collection.

Shikha Says:

     This a very popular company for hair products abroad which has very recently been bought to India. It is known for its huge range of styling products, shampoos, conditioners, treatments and color. A lot of its products have been featured as best in their category over the years. It is known for products which is targeted towards individuals who are stylish and love to create their own trends!

     The company is based in Australia and is now available in 30 countries world wide. They are considered as leaders in hair industry and get featured regularly in popular hair magazines. Their products are carried by some of the best named salons in the business. Some of its celebrity clients are Brad Pitt, Drew Barrymore, Gwen Stefani, Pink, etc. On hearing these names one can get disheartened that the range must cost a bomb. But no they are affordable. Though on the higher side but still given the quality of the product quite decent.

     I first came across this organization when I was doing research to find some funky hair colors. As some of you may know, I love to experiment with my hair and am always trying out something new. A cut, outrageous color, perm you name it and I have tried it. Well back to the topic. I came across Paintbox colors. These are ammonia free peroxide free semi permanent colors which can last you between 3-30 washes. They come in an amazing range of 12 different colors which can be mixed and matched to create a shade of your choice. Shades of blue, pink, purple, reds that will enthrall you ;) with names like Vendetta Red, Purple Haze to Pretty Flamingo and Blue Hawaii. Now tell me - aren't you intrigued? 

     It has a huge range of styling products that are categorized as per the desired effect one wants to achieve. Waxes, mousse, gels, sprays - you name it they have it. What I find innovative is that they mention the "hold" factor or the strength to put it simply for each product. The scale ranges from 0 to 15. So if you want beach waves try the Sea Salt spray with hold 5 or if you are looking for something extreme try the Hard Stuff with a hold of 15 that wont let your style budge (innovative names don't you think).

     You have heard of minty fresh hair right. How about minty fresh hair? Long night of revelry (rather prolonged use of hair products or stylers) - how about Detox for your hair? Fudge offers a huge range of shampoos, accompanying conditioners and treatments to address the needs of your dry, damaged (read abused and tortured :p) hair. For repair, smoothness, volume, color protect - all needs are met. Try the famous Dynamite to repair damaged hair or 1 Shot+ for spray on moisture and proteins which help to detangle knots.

     Fudge products can be purchased from salons or beauty stores. They are available in salons like Zido,  Hakim's Aalim (this is present in Hyderabad and Bangalore too) in Mumbai. And stores like Beauty Bar in Mumbai carries the range. They will soon be available in Delhi. I do not know about the other cities for now. To get better deals and discounts you can try ordering online (I'm little apprehensive about ordering the liquid products online as a lot of courier companies do not carry it. So make sure you check that out before placing an order). 

     You must be wondering why have I put the recipe for such an unappealing veggie. Well let me tell you a secret my friend :) Everyone knows that Broccoli is rich in nutrients and contrary to popular belief it is quite tasty. Ahh but did you know that it contained "negative" calories. Yes you heard me. Now what the heck is "negative" calories? Well it is called that coz in order to digest it the body consumes more calories than is actually present in it. To put it simply if suppose I'm consuming 150g of it which is like 51 calories my body will burn more than 51 (could not find exact number) just to digest it. So think about that while you enjoy this French style soup!

1) Cook together broccoli and celery with 4-5 cups of water in a pressure cooker till 1whistle. Save the water as you will need it as stock.

2) Once the broccoli is tender and has cooled a little, blend it in a blender this smooth. Use a little of the stock water to help make a thick paste.

3) In a pan, melt the butter and add the garlic. Cook till it turns brown. Do it on slightly low heat as butter burns easily.

4) Mix in the broccoli puree. Transfer to another container. Boil the stock. 

5) Mix the stock with the puree. Add in the white sauce and fresh cream. Enjoy! 

Shikha Says:

     This is an absolutely gorgeous green color with gold shimmer in it. It is in Frost finish. This color is a cult favorite. You would rarely come across any blogger/vlogger who does not list this as an absolute must have. You will realize why once you swatch the color for yourself. It does not matter if you wear a base/primer or not this comes out beautifully as the color pay off is awesome. Definitely a must have for your kit.

     This was my first buy from MAC and at that point I did not know that is a cult fav. I just swatched it on my skin and fell in love with it.

Put the shadow over very little amount of Vaseline.

Would you buy it again? - Absolutely.
Would you recommend to a friend? - Yes. No matter the skin tone this color comes out absolutely gorgeous! Definitely a must have :D

Shikha Says:

     I personally will define this shade a soft peach with gold shimmer (that's how I see it). It is in Veluxe Pearl finish. This is another absolute cult favorite and lot of bloggers feature it as an must have color especially as a highlight. The color is light so you can use it as an eyelid color but you would have to experiment for the best way that you can wear it on your skin. But it is undoubtedly a pretty color. I went out and bought this shade coz of the hype behind it. I might not have picked this shade on my own because it is a little sheer for me. But I'm not disappointed that I bought it. I do use this as a highlighter color.

Would you buy it again? - No. This one will last me for quite a bit especially coz I can just use it as a highlighter. I don't think I will get even a wash of color if I apply it to my lid :p

Would you recommend it to your friend? - My recommendation to my friend would be to keep this shade on the list when shopping for a highlighter and compare it with others. It is a pretty shade undoubtedly but MAC offers many other shades which are also quite popular as highlighter options. So choose according to the look one wants to achieve.