This is a Vogue Beauty Award winner for the Best N~de lipstick. It is a very pretty neutral shade which has peach tones to it. It is in Amplified finish with a light vanilla scent. I felt like it was a little drying on my lips. The texture is creamy but not moisturizing. The pigmentation is intense. I usually prefer to wear this with a dab of clear gloss just in my pout area. 

Method:

1) Boil 1 sheet at a time in an open kadhai (vessel/wok) for 15 mins.

2) Saute the vegetables with garlic making sure that the vegetables remain crisp. Add some salt and mixed herbs.

     This was my first purchase from this brand. I actually bought it from a blog sale. The swatch of it looked like a really pretty wine shade. But when I applied it it was no where close to it :(....LOL...Story of my life ;). Moving on, I would describe this shade as pinky purple (mauve). It comes in the signature black tubing which I personally felt was on the filmsy cheap feeling side. The lipstick has a strange smell which I can best describe as 'soapy'. I love the texture and the pigmentation it provides but the taste was a little weird (read soapy :D). Price is Rs. 395/- (buying it online you can get it for as cheap as 150/-).

     All in all, I personally did not like the shade on me as I felt it was too dark and has a bluish tinge (Dimps said that it made me look old :o). But yes given the texture and pigmentation I would like to try out other shades from the brand. NYX is available in India at Health and Glow but my advice would be to buy it online as you will get more choices and for a lesser price. Try out porkdaisy.com.

The exact shade is not being picked up by the camera. The color is more bluish.

Would you buy it again? - Nope

Would you recommend it to your friend? - The shade - No. The brand - Yes. 

Method:

1) Leaving the last two ingredients, put the remaining in a processor and make a thick paste.

2) Add in the butter and cheese.

3) When making pasta add some warm water to this sauce and mix in the boiled pasta. 

     How many of you exclude powder from your makeup? Feel cakey due to it? Sits heavily on  your skin? Does not match your skin tone properly? Well I would say yes to all of it. This is one step I have never used coz all of the above and you want to know something funny and ironical? I sweat more when I put powder on my face! Yes I know, majorly weird right? But I get like beads of sweat especially over my upper lip if I ever put on powder so have always avoided this step. Why the heck am I reviewing this product then? LOL...coz it changed my perspective :-).

     This is a light weight transparent finishing powder that sits well on your skin. It finishes your makeup beautifully. I cant comment about how it would be for people with extremely oily skin but I have combination skin and have not experienced any issues with this. Since it is transparent you don't have to worry about it not matching your skin or causing you to look "cakey" but yes a word to the wise - apply it sparingly. If you go heavy handed with it you will appear "ashy" and then it will end up sitting heavily in your lines. I learned from experience :-) . I kinda went gung-ho with it and it ended up sitting heavily on me especially under my eyes and made me look like I had huge bags! Not a pretty sight. But apart from that this has been one powder over the years which has prevented me from sweating. And for me that is saying something :D. If you are not comfortable with the loose powder format then a compact version of it is also available. Price is Rs. 1280/- for 9gms of product (does not contain an applicator). A thumbs from me.





Would you buy it again? - I definitely like the product. I would like to try the compact version when I'm done with this one to see if it is more manageable.

Would you recommend it to your friend? - Yes I would.

      This is another basic and easy sauce which you can use to make pasta, spaghetti and even on your home made pizza. Just spread on your pizza bread, add your toppings and cheese and grill in the oven for sometime. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Method:

1) Heat oil in a pan. Add garlic and onion and cook till it becomes transparent

2) Add the basil leaves, blanched tomatoes and puree and cook till the quantity reduces to half on slow-medium heat.

3) Allow it to cool and then make a paste of the mix in a blender. Store in fridge. It will be better to let this mix rest for sometime before you use it. It will help it to mature in taste.

     Well the pic above is a testament to the fact of how much I love this lippy and how often I use it! It is my absolute go-to color for everyday wear. Its a nudey peach color with very subtle gold shimmer and shine to it. The gold shimmer is not noticeable at all in an OTT kinda way but rather adds to the shine of the look. It is in Lustre finish and has a lovely vanilla smell. I kinda felt that maybe it is very similar to Syrup but it is not. Syrup is pink and does not have the gold shimmer. I will probably end up buying it again once I'm done with it. Personally I feel that it works well for daytime, whether you are out shopping or chilling with your friends.

Would you buy it again? - Yes!

Would you recommend it to your friend? - Yes. But since it is a Lustre finish - lip swatch first people ;) 

     You know when I look at this cube it kinda hits me how myopic (read MAC) a vision people have when it comes to makeup. Some great pieces just slip our notice. I too am a victim of this narrow vision and I stumbled upon this great product when I was browsing the Body Shop makeup aisle for brushes (I had read some great reviews on a blog for the brushes and since the sale was on I decided to give it a go). This is a fab set of four shimmery shades that give an amazing color payoff and last a long time on your lids. I saw 2 color shades palette. This one is in brown/neutral tones and the other set had pink tones/shades. I was not able to decide which to pick up but in the end this won me coz of the shimmery n~de shade. 

     OMG! I love love love this pigment. It is a beautiful bluish green color that translates well onto your skin. I have used it in my peacock inspired makeup tutorial so check that out to see how it looks. All in all a gorgeous shade irrespective of the fact if you use it dry or wet. Price is Rs. 700/- (Im kinda not certain about this for now as it has been a while since I bought it and I think each pigment in Inglot has a different price. I will confirm and let you guys know). But this one you gotta check out!

     Have you been completely mystified about the various finishes/textures that are available out there??!! Thanks to MAC there are just so many different types in the eyeshadow and lipstick ranges that it leaves a person especially a novice absolutely baffled :p. Trust me I'm one of them. I always end up buying something because I like the color in the pot or the swatch and have never stopped to wonder as to the coverage/ color payoff/ finish I'm getting. Honestly I never knew that it mattered. But on hearing Temptalia reviews and her description of a product leaves me like - Whaaat ?? Veluxe Pearl? Satin?? How about keeping it simple like glitter, more glitter and mega glitter......LOL :D just kidding!!! So I've decided to do this series where together we will demystify all these various textures and finishes that the makeup world has to offer. 

Shikha Says:

     Well pretty ladies, I did a post for some pack recipes for your hair. I now bring to you a set of recipes for your face. I hope you will like em. Give me some feedback about your experience. I have not tried all of these out personally.

Pack for Oily Skin:

     Make a paste taking the above ingredients and mixing some rose water. Apply on face and leave it to dry for about 15-20 minutes. Wash with cold water. Use this pack on alternate days to get porcelain skin.

Pack to Remove Tan:

     Leave on for 15-20 minutes. This can be applied on any tanned area. Adjust the quantity of the ingredients accordingly.

Pack to Remove Blackheads:

     Make paste and leave on skin till it completely dries. Scrub the pack off with gentle circular motion. If it tugs on your skin then wet your fingertips a little to ease the process. Do daily to remove blackheads.

Scrub (1):

     Make paste with some milk and leave to dry. Scrub it off with coconut milk.

Scrub (2):

     Mix the above to make paste and leave on skin till it dries off completely. Scrub off gently.

Pack for Moisturizing Skin:

Pack to Firm Skin:

     Mix above ingredients and add in enough flour to make a thick paste. Smooth it all over face and neck. Wash off after 10 minutes with lukewarm water.

Chocolate Pack for Normal-to-Dry Skin:

     Mix and smooth over face. Leave this ultra moisturizing mask for 10 minutes and then wash it off with warm water.

Pack for Oily Skin:

     Apply on face for 10 minutes and wash off with lukewarm water.

Pack for Dehydrated Skin:

• 1 Cup mashed mixed Fruit (Melon, Peach, Strawberry and Banana)
• 2-3 Tsp Double cream
• 3 Tsp Cottage cheese mashed/grated
• 1 Tsp Brown sugar
• 4 Tsp Oatmeal powder

     Blend the above into a thick paste like consistency. Apply and leave on for 10 minutes. Wash off with warm water. 

Treatment for Glowing & Youthful Skin:

     Massage skin daily with a mixture of fresh cream with few drops of lemon juice and honey. After this scrub your skin for 5 minutes with a mixture of almond powder, walnut powder, honey, fresh cream and milk.

Treatment to Make Skin Fair:

     Soak a few strands of saffron in a cup of raw milk overnight. Apply the milk on your skin in the morning and leave it on for an hour. This must be done on a regular basis over a period of time to see results.

Treatment to Improve your Complexion:

     Add a pinch of cinnamon powder to 1/2 tsp of honey and apply this to your face every night before going to bed. 

Treatment for Sluggish Skin:

     Mix a tsp of curd and some orange juice. Apply on face and leave it on for 10 minutes.

Treatment for Enlarged Pores:

     Make a paste of sandalwood and masoor dal. If you don't have a piece of sandalwood to grind and make paste of then use sandalwood powder and combine it with the dal and some rose water. Apply on affected area and leave overnight. Wash off in the morning with cold water.