Another lippy from Bourjois ladies. This one is from their Effect 3D range and is in the shade Rose Hypothetic. The shade is more up my alley and a color family that I purchase a lot of. It is slightly darker than baby pink but the same tone and has silver shimmer in it.

     I bought this from the shop at major brands site. I was looking for a neutral/pale shade which would help me blend out dark colors/lines. The DS stand for Double Sparkle.

      I have never tried out this brand before so I bought a couple of lip products from it to give it a shot. I have bought so many eye products that I decided to shift my focus. My lipstick collection is seriously lacking. I got the products off Slassy.com.

     This is one of those hidden gems that a lot of us are unaware about. I can across this perchance on the Coastal Scents website. I decided to try it out well honestly cause I wanted to group together a fair amount of products before placing my order with the site.

     This is a limited edition palette introduced quite a while back but it was still around when I bought a few things off the site. It is no longer available on the site. It comes in signature Sleek packaging. Contains a good quality mirror and a sponge applicator. 

     I'm kinda on the fence with this one. All 12 shades are quite different from each other and have varying finishes. Some are matte, some have a sheen to them and the rest are shimmer shades. The shimmer shades have the best pigmentation and the matte ones the least. Hence it takes a slight effort to build them to a decent amount of color plus they have the problem of fall out (not much). The texture is quite smooth for all finishes and easy to work with. Price is 10.50$ ( approx Rs. 525 - 556.5/-).

Shikha Says:

     Im trying my hand on some creative eye makeup series. I had a long love affair with Barbie dolls when I was younger. I had to get my hands on new dolls, home sets, clothes, etc. I still have them stored somewhere. Lol I remember being in constant competition with my cousin each trying to top the other. Ah! the good old days :). 

     Well I have used the above shown doll to come up with a look. Would appreciate your feed back on it. If you want a tutorial on it then do let me know.

Shikha Says:

     I got this as a free sample with the bunch of products I ordered from the Sleek Makeup site. They had a couple of choices out which I picked this one as I liked the swatch picture. Turns out it actually resembles the color shown in the tube picture ie the picture of the bottle that you get once you click on a swatch. So keep that in mind when selecting the shades.

     The bottle is really small but I can get a couple of uses from it. The texture is on the thicker side and you need to dip into the tube a few times to get enough product on your lips. I'm not sure if that is the case with the product or it was just something I faced with the sample. Having said that I must point out that it is not sticky at all ie in comparison to how thick the product is.

     I love the shade. It has so many layers of color in it. At times it looks a pinkish  red  and at times it looked a peachy red to me. It has very fine gold shimmer it which adds to the dimension.  After it settles on the lips it looks more pink. Really hard to describe the color but it is so pretty and looks awesome on. And the shine is just gorgeous. I really like the look of a high gloss lip product and this hits the spot. Looks like a layer of liquid on your lips :). Price for the full size product is 5.50$ for 7 ml (approx Rs. 275 - 286/-).

     I fell in love when I saw these on the Sleek Makeup site. The colors looked so pretty I knew I just had to have it. I searched online for swatches and chose the gold version over the silver one. I feel that the silver one is too stark and does not look so good unless used in absolute moderation. The gold one one the other hand is very wearable especially given Indian weddings and stuff. 

     Packed in the signature Sleek style packing this product is small and compact. It includes a good quality mirror but does not contain sort of applicator. When I looked at the texture at first I was slightly put off as I could see this oil like sheen on top and I thought I would get that film initially on my fingers. When I touched it I was surprised as it did not feel like it looked. It has an amazing smooth texture and fab pigmentation.  The product is very easy to use. There are 2 shades in the pan one is Gold Leaf and the other is Pewter. Pewter has a lesser gold tone to it but is equal in pigmentation to the other one. On the eyes the difference in color is very subtle. Love it! Price is 10.50$ (approx Rs. 525 - 550/-).

     I have heard so much about this brand over the blog sphere and I finally went ahead and purchased a couple of items from their site. I will be reviewing each product one by one. Firstly I want to point out the super fast delivery I got which left me astound. I got confirmation from them that my products had been shipped on the 22nd of March and by the 28th of March I got my package. I was really shocked. I was expecting to receive it in 15 odd days. And this was when I took the most basic shipping package. Well kudos to them for that!

     Moving on. Like their name even the packing in which I received my products was all nice and sleek ;). I find the packing of their products really elegant. The nice matte finish with the semi glossy name written all in black is a very nice touch. Plus each product in itself is very slim and light making it easy to carry even in your purse. The palette comes with a good quality mirror and a double sided sponge applicator. 

     There are 12 shades in the palette and all are shimmer shades. Black does not look like a shimmer in the picture but in actuality it has a very soft shimmer to it and is not matte.The color tone is predominantly red and brown shades with the blue and black thrown in for contrast. A lot of the colors have a light pigmentation even the ones that appear dark in the pan. I had to swatch them a couple of times to get the amount of pigmentation that you can see in the pictures below. Having said that they are easily buildable and have a very smooth texture making them easy to work with. But they do suffer from fall-out. The colors stay on quite well even on non primered skin and don't go away easily on rubbing. Definitively a very pretty palette to have. Price is 10$ (approx Rs. 500/-).

Top row swatches on un-primered skin

Bottom row swatches on un-primered skin

Would you purchase it again? - The palette - maybe. I would like to try out some other palette from the brand.

Would you recommend it to your friend? - Yes definitely. It is quite reasonable and an excellent quality product. Plus super fast delivery!

     After my experience with Body Shop Shimmer Cubes I was tempted to explore what more they had on offer. My research online bought me across this baked eyeshadow on offer by them. They have 5 shades on offer out of which I liked this jade combination the best. I like the packing of it. It comes in a round plastic container which though is thin plastic but seems sturdy enough and is light weight.

     The texture of the product is really smooth and it can be worn both dry as well as wet. The pigmentation is decent and can be built upon as desired. I would describe the lighter shade as golden-ish light green with very fine gold sparkle. The dark shade is actually black with very fine green sparkle in it. I know it looks like a dark green in the pic and at first I though so too. But after swatching it for a few times I realized that it was actually black. The green sparkle makes it look like a dark green. Price Rs. 935/- for 2gms of product.

     I first came across this brand on one of the Indian online shopping sites. I saw this product there and really wanted to try it out. I have been searching for a good place in Kolkata to get a Wine facial but have not found one yet. Since I heard so much regarding the benefits of this facial I have been on a constant look out. Now to be very honest I was quite skeptical about this product. I have tried some facials kits and so far have not been impressed by the results. When I saw this I kinda didnt jump on it immediately as I was like another "herbal" brand another facial kit claiming to be the genuine article. Humph!

     Well Fashion and You was having a sale on this range and I gave it a go. I paid Rs. 480/- for it there (Price is Rs. 680/- ). This is a surprising large set. It contains 6 different products which according to company should last you for 5-6 facials. My kit was missing the instructions sheet so I searched online and found one. Bottom line being you need to work each product for about 15 minutes into your skin. With 6 products that is quite a lot :p. Well I created my own cheat sheet - instead of massaging the different gels for 15 minutes each I just massaged it in for a few minutes and left it on my skin for the remainder of the time and then wiped it off. Some of the products could trigger a slight burning sensation so those of you with sensitive skin test them out before going gung-ho. I will keep the results with me for the time being while I introduce each product from the kit to you.

Step 1 - Nano Lipid Serum:

     "Prepared from nano lipids, this one of a kind serum has cleansing and strengthening properties. Helps in improving capillary circulation." Active Ingredients - Fermented Wheat, Glycerin, Khus water, Wheat Germ Extract.

     Lol big name for a product which is essentially a cleanser. Any-hoo this is jelly like in consistency and though they ask you to take a huge amount and rub into your skin for lather which I doubt this product will. I take a little amount and rub in my skin for about 5 mins (they recommend 15 - so if you have that kind of patience then go for it) and wash it off. It has this peachy pink color and smells like grapes. It does not leave your skin feeling dry or stretchy.

Step 2 - Poly Plant Detox Scrub:

     "Removes toxin from the upper most layer. Purifies skin while at the same time relieving other elimination organs from the strain of a body overloaded with toxins. A skin detox cleanse will result in smoother, glowing skin as well as reduction in fine lines and age spots." Active Ingredients - not mentioned.

     The scrub has a slightly coarse texture so you need to be careful with it. They recommend diluting it in rose water or water before using it and massaging into the skin for 5-10 mins. What I did was that I wet my face and then applied the product on my skin taking a little at a time and massaging it in till I had a fine layer on. They say that could cause a mild burning sensation but I did not face such an issue. I then washed it off after scrubbing gently for 5 mins.

Step 3 - Anti Oxidation Gel:

     "Flavonoids can play an efficient role as anti-oxidizing agents and free radical scavengers. Their anti oxidant properties enable them to influence deeper epidermal skin layers preventing UV radiation damage and inhibiting some enzyme functions which may cause skin to age." Active Ingredients - not mentioned.

     This product is a thick gel like consistency so in actual you need a little quantity of it for massaging it on your face. After washing off the scrub I wipe my face dry and take a little of this gel and massage it on my skin for 5 minutes. The texture and water content is good enough for you to massage into your skin easily and for some time. Usually a lot of the massage products gets instantly absorbed into your skin there by causing you to take more of it. But for 5 mins of massage you don't need a lot. I leave it on my skin for another 10 and then wash it off with water. The gel gets absorbed into your skin and when you wash it off you don't feel as much product come off as you had put on. Leaves your skin feeling soft.

Step 4 - Multi Vitamin Gel:

     "Contains a combination of vitamins which also serve as antioxidants among them vitamins A, C and E where their combination improves even more the antioxidant action and slows down the aging process." Active Ingredients - Carbopol (I searched for this and found that it a thickening agent and helps to emulsify oil-water solutions. Basically it is the chemical that has been used to give this product the gel like consistency), Nano Regent Plus (this I could not find - what is it supposed to mean?), Lipid Multi Vitamin.

     Ok may I say that they have listed some strange ingredients?!? Anyways moving on. This product is gel like but it is more of a cream based gel than a water based one like the previous product was. This gets instantly absorbed into your skin which will have you reaching for more of it. But a quick solution or rather an alternate solution is to wet your fingers and then continue to massage into your skin. This is a trick which is often used by beauty parlors. Again I just massage it in till it allows me to and then leave it on for the remainder of the 15 mins and wash off with water. I did notice a slight shine in my skin after using this.

Step 5 - Soya Protein Cream:

     "Tannin's and Cetostearly Alcohol reduce "Bad Cholesterol Levels". Hence aiding in a more toned and elastic skin texture. The skin becomes pristine and clear." Active Ingredients - Soya, Purich, Avocado Oil. 

     This has a thick consistency but gets absorbed into the skin very fast. So if you end up using it for 15 mins then you would more of the product as the wet finger trick will take you only so far with this. Honestly the consistency is not very massage friendly if you take a little of the product. In the end I wipe it off with a wet towel as I wanted some of the product to remain on my skin. 

Step 6 - Sparkle Grape Pack:

     "Derived from crushed grapes skin this pack works wonders in keeping the skin young for a substantial period of time. It also protects from UV radiation, inflammatory and bacterial disorders." Active Ingredients - Fermented Starch, Xanthan Gum, Winter Green Oil.

     This is thick in consistency and you need to dilute it with rose water or water before using it. I just wet my face and applied it until I got a thin layer of the product all over my face. I left it on for more than 15 mins on my skin till I felt it completely dry. I did face the mild burning sensation with this product but it lasts for a few mins. Don't be fooled by the name it does not contain any sparkle or glitter particles as some of the other products that promise a "glow" for your skin and then leave all these mica/sparkle particles on your skin to fake the glow. After washing this off my skin felt slightly tight and pore size looked reduced. 

     Just after you finish all the steps you wont see much of a glow on your skin but after a few hours you will get a soft glow. And after almost a day you have a really nice glow to your skin. These were the results that I noticed after just one application. Finally after going through different kits from 2-3 brands I found one that I like! I cant comment right now if it helps in anti aging or improving blood circulation etc but yes it does provides the promised radiance and my skin did feel better in texture. The glow lasts for some time. 

     This kit has definitively given me confidence in this brand I am looking forward to trying out more products that have on offer. Until next time Divas! Peace! (Or World Peace for you aspiring beauty queens :D - sorry was watching Miss Congeniality while writing this post).

Would you purchase it again? - I think I would. Plus now I want to try other products from the brand.

Would you recommend it to your friend? - Yup!

Shikha Says:

     This is the first product that I have tried from this brand. And I must say that I really like it. I have used it for about 5-6 washes now and really cant comment about it having any effect on hair fall or such as I'm using other products/remedies for that along with this. But what I have noticed is the softness and slight shine this has given my hair. I have used this without a conditioner and though it does not make my hair normal-soft or rather conditioner soft I'm not left feeling like a broom. Another thing that I like about it is the slight volume and bounce that this gives me. Happy Hair!! Really I feel like touching my hair and flicking it about (crazy I know but cant help it).

     The consistency is on the thinner side and you really need very little quantity of it to get an impressive amount of lather. I love the emerald green color of the product. The smell is floral in tone. Slightly on the stronger side. My only critique is that I really wish they had a proper dispenser type cap. As the product is  thin in consistency a little carelessness on your part could cause you to spill it all over. But apart from that I really like it and this will definitely go on my repeat purchase list. Price Rs. 225/- for 100 ml.

 List of Ingredients:

Company Claims:

     "Synergistically formulated shampoo to penetrate the hair shaft, strengthen the roots and nourish the scalp, while effectively cleansing the hair without stripping off its natural oils. It is a great combination of eight herbs - Amla, Hibiscus, Heena, Tigonella Seed, Neem, Vetiver, Wheatgerm Oil and Soy Lecithin. Indian gooseberry (Amla), for centuries, has been known to be effective for growth of healthy black hair, while wheatgerm oil acts as an antioxidant, soy lecithin softens and repairs damaged hair thus reducing the dryness and brittleness associated with lack of nutrients necessary for a healthy hair growth. Hibiscus naturally darkens hair colour and prevents premature greying, while neem and methi seed extracts deeply nourish and condition the hair roots thus controlling excessive hair fall."

Pros:

Cons:

     I LOVE to have salsa with chips! Yum! I even indulge in it with some roasted papad as a guilt free snack option. I found this recipe and really liked how it turns out. It comes out more as a salad form rather than a sauce form. Definitely a must try!

Method:

1) Char the capsicums over open flame. Remove skin and dice.

2) Blanch the tomatoes, remove skin and dice.

3) Peel and remove seeds from the cucumber. Dice.

4) Dice the remaining ingredients and place all in a bowl

5) Add the remaining spices and mix in the vinegar. You can use regular vinegar if you do not have Red Wine vinegar.

6) Mix well. Cover the bowl with cling film and keep in fridge for 2 hours. This gives the flavor time to develop.