To shave or not to shave... thats the question!- Gillette venus razor shave gel review.

Body Hair! Always been a woe for us women, specially us Indians. We are hairy beings by default... :D. Today we have many treatments that can help us get rid of body hair pretty much on permanent basis but seriously lets face it not everyone can afford that. So we fall back on things like waxing epilating and well shaving. Waxing and epilating are both sort of painful and also time consuming to say the least. Yet most of us pick waxing and epilating over your regular shaving as we have seriously grown up with so many negative aspects of shaving. I was the same until June. I used to wax or epilate every 15-20 days. Shaving was for me strict no no to be done only under very dire circumstances. Then along came Gillette Venus razors and the shave gel. I picked this up from Amazon on a whim as I needed a new razor. So while I was browsing for my regular razor also of Gillette that I used ever since I first got into shaving I came across this set of razor with interchangeable head , a shave gel and some extra heads. the entire set cost Rs.540/- only,delivery charges extra. I did not expect too much from this because like I mentioned before I was too prejudiced with regards to shaving and honestly up until then I had not seen that great wonders every time I shaved which was very very rare. 

Its been almost 2 and a half months now and boy have things changed. I'm a total shaving convert now. Period!. This is by far the best hair removal experience ever! If I may say so myself this is hands down even better than waxing. My skin feels so heavenly soft its unimaginable. I do this every Sunday and trust me the hair does not grow back until minimum late Friday. I shave my hands, legs, armpits and bikini line as well. And best part  its pain free and takes minimal amount of time. The growth is not itchy. For me the game changer is the Shave Gel. It comes in different variants and I have got the Sensitive Skin one although I do not have sensitive skin still it works wonderfully for me. You just need first wet your skin with warm water so as to open the pores after which you take a single pump of the the shave gel and lather it all over you the area you want to shave. Its a bit foamy too despite being a gel and lathers really well. After spreading evenly use you razor and get rid of all those pesky hair and wash it off upon which you will get skin smooth as a baby's bottom. It also helps prevent nicks and cuts during shave.I got the 195 gram bottle and its going to last me a long long time that I can vouch for.

The razor too is super easy to use since it has a nice broad handle giving you firm grip whilst your hands are full of foam and the razor heads come with an aloe strip which further help your skin become smooth and soft. It has a blue indicator strip which helps determine how good your razor is. When this strip fades you need to change the head. Its been a little over two months and I'm still on my first head despite using it every Sunday. So thats saying something about its staying power.One thing I have noticed that the shaving will be optimally smoother and your skin softer only if you use it along with the shave gel. I have tried it with my regular sandal soap as well as my most moisturizing body wash. The best results I have are with the shave gel. The head changing is very easy and you just need to click on the button below and replace the head. The head is a little flexible to give superior glide to fit the curves of you body. I cannot reiterate enough the smoothness of skin its honestly just irresistible to touch. 

Lets breakdown some myths of shaving which I have personally overcome in the past two months:

Shaving Darkens skin:
Pretty much every girls fear specially us Indian skin girls who have a general tendency to prefer lighter colored skin, not that it matters these days and I'm glad to see many girls today embrace their color.Coming back to the myth this is completely baseless as darkening is only related to the amount of melanin in your skin. Shaving will never change your skin colour. 

Hair grows back darker and harder:
Another myth. When you see the initial growth of hair its always going to be a bit dark and hard but as it grows out it will become the same as it grows out after waxing. 

Shaving causes hair to grow back faster:
When you epilate or wax you remove your hair from the root whereas when you shave you just remove it till the root. Ergo you find the growth faster in comparison to waxing or epilating.

Shaving delicate areas can cause in-growth of hair:
It isn't the hair removal process that causes nasty in-grown hairs, it's the condition of the surface of your skin. In-grown hairs are trapped hairs, so you need to exfoliate the areas you're removing hair from so the hair can pop back through easily.

Shaving causes dry and itchy skin:
Not true if you use your razor the right way. You see it is always better for your skin as well as for the longevity of your blade to use it with a shave gel or soap or some oil. That way it wont dry out your skin and also will stop the itch that accompanies dry skin. If you want to dry shave just use a powder and a good moisturizer once done. 

Having debunked few of the myths related to shaving I would like to add that I did not add Shaving creams such as Veet and its likes in this blogpost as I effing hate that ish! I dont know maybe its just my opinion or maybe that when I used it once it broke me out into such horrible red rash that I gave up on the first try. Honestly I hate those things not because it does not suit me but the entire process removing hair with removal creams isn't my cup of tea. Plus that blasphemous smell of chemicals!!! UGHHH!!! 

With that I would like to end this blog here hoping I have in my way cleared some of your qualms about shaving. Do let me know what are your thoughts on this whole hair removal process which is both a boon and a bane of a woman's existence. Dont forget to like and leave your comments.. :)

Love Makeup Love Life!!

Sayonara!!!
Yours Truly
Sayuri.:~)

The Crocodile Game

He was Boo. Or that's was what he was called by his wife of a little over a year now. It was hot summery dawn when they set out to their village, the entire family of 5; Boo , his wife, parents and kid sister. The journey was long but he had his father to share the driving so it was all set. Boo was skeptical about the trip partly because he knew the trip would be marred by silly fights but more so because he was dreading the heat there! But what had to be done had to be done. He had to take his relatively newish wife and introduce her around and most importantly visit all the temples there as is the tradition for newlyweds.

The radio played all sorts of recent songs and all was going ok. He glanced at his wife who sat shotgun beside him. Beautiful, strong headed but a real softy at heart. He was happy to have her as life partner. He loved her that was plain yet being vocal about it was never his thing. She was a romantic and went all out to show it. Funny how life does that to you right. His parents were a funny couple,bound by an arranged marriage they would be at each others throats one day and next day they would gang up on you united as one. He loved them just the same along with his kid sister who was a spitting image of her mother both in looks and personality. Feisty and fierce but a good hearted kid. His wife came from a relatively quiet family background and sometimes it bamboozled him how she put up with the utter madness that comprised his household.

The journey was long and tiring and with sore muscles and tired spirits they finally reached their destination. Just as boo was trying to adapt to the heat there was a clap of thunder and a miracle, Rain! Boo was ecstatic but apparently this was just not his night as rains were immediately followed by a Power Cut! He had stayed in his village long enough to know that they will not have power until morning yet he hoped that just maybe years must have done some good to his village but that turned out to be futile.

With the open windows in came the mosquitoes and all other beings that wet rainy night brings and that did not go well with his already tired mind and body. With his wife and kid sister in tow they drove around some more in the area hoping to see with some good luck a wild animal or maybe even something of the paranormal sort. Boo wasn't too keen on the latter but how was he to say that to his wife or sister without being jeered at. Finally after a long time awake his tired body just gave way and he slept power or not. It was late morning when he woke up. The rest of the day went by meeting relatives and working in their garden. How he adored the garden with huge coconut, mango, garcinia trees all laden with fruits now. He had helped in planting most of them and took immense pride at how big and strong they were now. 

The day after was the day of the temple visit after which he and his wife took off alone to go clubbing and have some sneaky time alone. They had craved this moment so long and now that they were done with all their "religious duties" it was time to party! Like all good things this time also came to an end sooner than expected. But Boo was still elated as now he was going to do what he wanted to do ever since he came to the village; bathe in the river! He would go there as kid with his uncles to frolick in the water and later with his friends as a teenager sneaking beer tins.

Off they set to the river with his wife, kid sister and another younger cousin who had a similar name as his own sister, how he despised her parents for that. It was a sunny morning when they got to the river with just a handful of women washing clothes on one side. As a kid he had had a near drowning experience right in this river but on a different bank that still intimidated him sometimes but he was a man grown now and that was the last thing he wanted to think about now on this bright beautiful day!

"We have to bathe here!!! These women are washing clothes here!!!"exclaimed his snooty wife. Typical of her, she never had any such experiences and boo wanted to change that about her because he knew she would love it no matter what she said. "We won't bathe where they are washing clothes love but on this side here" he pointed. This seemed to pacify her a bit and they all tip toed in the cool water trying to find footing in the pebbles. When they did they sat down and needless to say the splashing game started surprisingly by his uppity wife. How he loved the quirkiness of this woman! They were having a ball of time splashing around, playing silly games, clicking pictures and getting their feet tickled by the fishes. It was peaceful here the river surrounded by lush mountains, the sound of the flowing river filling the ears and the greenery truly refreshing all the senses. How he wished a for a tin of beer to be able to appreciate all this better!

They had a game called crocodile where they would lie stomach down and dip themselves completely in the water and see who stayed the longest. Boo won most of them and the rest ended up with him being sat on by his wife and sister. They just loved to gang up on him like that. This river was infested with crocodiles in some areas where it ran shallow and stagnant but this part was free off them and that was confirmed by the washerwomen. Soon they were left all alone, just the four of them and the beauty of nature surrounding them. Their frolicking had made boo ravenous and he was dying to get a bite, besides it was already nearing lunch time so Boo called it quits but before they went they all decided to have one last game of crocodile. 

1,2,3 and GO!!

There was light splash all around him before deathly silence customary to being underwater. The silence was peaceful at first but became nerve wracking in a few seconds due to lack of air. Boo held on letting air out of his mouth to sustain, he wasn't going to lose this time. But he was getting weary due to lack of air and food and was in no mood to get sat or pounced upon again so he raised his head out of the water and saw black. He rubbed his eyes to get all the water out and yet he saw darkness all around him. He reached out to feel his wife beside him but his hands grasped nothing but pebbles. The water had risen and was a little above mid chest now. There was a nip in the air or maybe that  was just because he was wet. He waited for his eyes to adjust and they did.He looked around him to see nothing but flowing waters and the surrounding mountains. Panic started rising through him, “Hello” he called out but his voice got drowned in the wind. “Helloooooo” he tried again but still nothing “Guys this is enough we need to go home, come out right now!” Nothing.

He waited with baited breath for something trying to control to panic inside him. He felt a small tickle on his toe and immediately thought of the crocodiles known to inhabit this water. In his panic and haste to get up he failed to find footing and fell back on his arse on the pebbles. “Arrrghhh!!” This time he took a minute, took a deep breath pushing his fear away and stood up and tried to walk back to the bank one step at a time, maneuvering on these pebbles was impossible at night let alone in the day times.

He reached the bank shaking now more out of fear than the cold. He looked around and found a wet lump which turned out to be his T-shirt which he had placed when he first got into the river. He wore it and looked around hoping to find someone or something. He had no watch to tell the time and his phone was in the car, “The car” he yelled to no one in particular and quickly started in the direction of the car. The car which they had got was parked near the stairs leading to the river. He took the stairs one at a time avoiding any further mishap in the dark. His foot accidentally stepped on something jagged and sharp which made him cry out in pain and remember he forgot to look for his footwear near where he had placed his wet t-shirt but did he want to go back there to look for them? Well nope! Barefoot was going to have to do. He reached the top of the stairs and looked for the car, nothing here he walked a bit further until that road branched into two ways; he knew they had come from the left and to the right was well where they had performed his grandmothers last rites only a few months back.

He turned around paralyzed now with fear to go any further and nimbly went to sit on the topmost stair. He called out again to his sisters and wife getting a little pissed off now at the stupid game they were playing, cursing them in the dark. His frustration soon hit a high-point and the tears started flowing despite himself. He was confused, tired, wet, cold, hungry, and he hated what was happening to him. He had no idea what was going on and why he, out of everyone else , was stuck here all alone. Where was everyone? What was happening? How was it night already when he could swear it was daylight just an odd hour ago? Did he fall asleep in the river and everyone left him there, no that was impossible, they loved to play tricks on him but they would never do something so cruel as they all knew he was the biggest “scaredy-cat “ amongst them all. Was he dead? Was this his afterlife? Was this how it was going to be? Was he going to be stuck here for the rest of what eternity? No that couldn’t be it! This river was said to be haunted by ghosts of a man, his wife and their child who had died here mercilessly after a fire broke out in their home near the river. Was this their doing? No No best not dwell upon that!

Somewhere between all the crying,fatigue and all the endless possibilities buzzing in his brain he dozed off in a fitful sleep only to be awoken by a distant sound, like someone calling out! He woke up surprised he had even dozed off in the first place. He sat up and listened again waiting to hear more of that sound and where it was coming from. “They have come looking for me” hoping it was his father or anyone else he just wanted to be found and go home. He heard it again and it sounded familiar, maybe it was his father after all! He imagined all his wife, parents and relatives and others from his village looking for him, this gave him a little boost of confidence and with all the strength he could muster he yelled back “ MoooooM Daaaaad I’m hereeeee Moooomm”

“Helllooooooo” was all heard in return. This stopped him short of his yelling back at the voice. Something was not right here. This time the voice was closer but it wasn’t his father’s nor his mothers or anyone else’s but his own! He was hearing his own voice right after he had called out just after he had come out of the water. That was not possible! “Hellloooooooo” he heard it again much more closer this time as though someone was calling right from the other bank of the river! He closed his ears scared stiff to death. He closed his eyes and prayed hard for all this to end . ‘Thwack’ he felt jarring sensation on the nape of his neck like he got hit by a pillow ‘Thwack’ he felt it again. He sat up straight and felt it on his back this time. He was shaking violently now too scared to move and too scared to be sitting there either. He knew he had to do something and now. This was not at all natural. ‘Thwack’ he felt it again this time on his head. With all his remaining guts he turned around. Nothing! The wind stopped all of a sudden and it went pin drop silent. His breathing loud and ragged was the only thing he could hear and see rising up in vapors. It was the mid of summer for crying out loud! The temperature had indefinitely dropped and he was freezing and it wasn’t because of his wet clothes.

He stood up knowing he had to get out of there. There was a temple somewhere nearby from here he would go there and it would be all ok. Someone would find him there in the morning surely. He took off the way they had come in the morning , his bare footedness slowing down his pace more that he would have liked. He walked for what felt like ages and reached the turning where the temple was located. He walked in the direction of it hoping to see its dark shape but there was nothing there, the further he went the more deeper he got into the forest, so he retraced his steps adamant to find the temple the hope glowing like a beacon in his heart letting all fear out. He wasn’t utterly religious but right now that was all he had to hold on to. He walked some more thinking maybe it was further out, still nothing. He turned around now totally lost, hope fading and fear replacing it. It has to be here, it was always here, every time he came here as a kid. He was at his wits end and just wanted to go home now. “ENOUGHHHHH” he screamed out aloud. “STOPPP IT RIGHTTTT NOOOWWWW” “I’M GOING HOME”. He started walking ahead in the direction of his house determined that no matter what he would not fall for it. He walked and walked tripping sometimes due to the uneven roads but that did not deter him.

He heard footsteps behind him faraway in the distance slow at first but it picked up pace as he sped up. He tried very hard to not pay them any mind but that was a losing battle. Soon his fear returned in full force and it was only so much he could do to keep himself walking straight. He started chanting random prayers hoping, praying all this would stop. The footsteps continued to follow him. Out of the blue he heard a howl, a long low howl probably a dog or could it be a wolf! This area was prone to wild animal visits due to the flowing rivers. He ran for dear life now not caring where he was going but as the fear ebbed away a little he stopped and looked around for the correct direction home. He knew his village well and no matter what he had to keep it together. He wasn't going to let this get to him. The footsteps where still there as though keeping pace with him and so was the distant howling.

He ran-walked for what felt like hours as though he was walking in circles and like the time had just stopped. He was fatigued and just wanted to give up now. He hoped whatever it was would finish him off now if that was what it wanted. He just wanted sleep and had no desire to stay upright not even for a minute. The footsteps were still behind him so was the occasional howling and he was no where closer to his house yet. "THAT'S IT , I GIVE UP" he screamed with his last ounce of energy he had. He saw a big bush a few feet away and all he wanted was to crawl underneath and hide. Away from all this, ready to close his eyes, forever even! Nothing mattered now, this was goodbye he cried silent bitter tears for his beloved wife and family. He crawled under the thorny bush not caring where it cut him and closed his eyes crying, spiraling into a deep dark abyss. He heard the wind now blowing fiercely but he was away from all that, away from it all!

As the darkness took him he felt something reach for him in the bushes, he was beyond care now to stop it. "Goodbye baby", was his last thought, his wife's face before his eyes before the darkness engulfed him. 

He felt some one shake him forcefully, once twice again and again. He opened his eyes reluctantly seeing a blurred face in front of him. He was shaken again "Get Up Boo!" "Booooo". He opened his eyes again and saw clearly his concerned wife in front of him,looked around and saw he was in his bed. He was safe, it was a dream! He was safe for real. He caught her and hugged her tightly his entire body aching with that effort which clicked him as odd yet but he did not register it. After he let go his wife let out an "Ohhh" and said "What happened to you?You are covered in bruises, did you go somewhere last night?. He looked at his hands and legs now, she was right, so what happened last night was real? 

"Boo" she broke into his thoughts "Answer me" "Will you be able to come to river now?" The River.  "What day is it?" asked boo "It's Sunday love and we have to go bathe in the river remember". He nodded. 

Let's Talk Lipsticks!!!

"I'll write this post on this weekend", this was literally all I kept telling myself and it's May already!!! What time management skills I got!!! :P... 
Speaking of got who's following the 6th season of GOT aka Game of thrones... I'm someone who has read the books (well almost all of them) and yet now all those who read the book and did not read the book are finally on the same page, we all dont know what will happen next and that just about makes it more interessant! What do you think of this season lemme know below:)

Anyways you must have just about guessed from the title what my blog posts about. I'm a woman who lives to paint her lips... no like seriously I LOVE lipsticks...mattes,liquids,creams sheens,metallics, I effing love them all...:P Honestly it wasn't always like this, I was fascinated by them ever since I was a wee girl eyeing my mom lippies, still actually putting them was a daunting thing for me simply because I did not think I could manage painted lips. I was kind of like that awkward creepy lover who loves from a distance..dont we have them all!! :D. Anyway after I started working I started my little collection of lipsticks never knowing nor bothering what type I was buying. I purely got them on basis of color. Slowly my collection grew till it reached the "What have I done?" level. I started from being that woman who put lipstick only on major occasions to putting it pretty much whenever I could.

However I only started understanding types of lipsticks after I began watching Youtube videos some two odd years ago. It really helped me understand  not only types of lippies available in the market but also which colours best suit the season and which are most suitable for day time night time, which colour best suits which look,skin type etc etc. I have truly grown up! Sadly I do not have any makeup addict elder like myself who could look at me with teary eyed pride!!!

Today when I look at my collection, which I'm honestly hesitant to even count, I feel like to never live day without painting my lips but we all know that's not even remotely possible so I use them all as best as I could. Seriously though I have zero lipstick purchase regrets and that amazes even me sometimes. I love them all... So before I start sounding more cuckoo lets come to the point of me writing this blog here:- My top 10 favourite lippies in no particular order whatsoever. These are just the lippies I have loved and worn over and over across the seasons, occasions and what you have. Literally My top ten best lipsticks. They will all vary from liquid ones to creamy ones to matte and I shall also let you know when I like to wear them best:

So lets begin:

 Colorbar lipstick in shade no.012 called "Nude Coral": 

I got this prior to my wedding simply because I had a Peach colored saree to wear at the engagement and it went well with that shade. I picked it up from amazon I think along with other makeup items( I did my own makeup and hair for my wedding ergo). So yeah the colour is a lovely coral shade perfect for summers. This is a part of their creme touch range and will usually last you for a maximum of 4-5 hours (atleast it does for me) and it fades away completely without any stain on the lips. This costs about Rs.500-700/- depending on where you buy it from. It has minimal fragrance and is very nice and rich to apply on the lips being a creamy one. This shade will suit most indian skin tones and the bullet is pretty travel friendly too. So all in all its color i've constantly been reaching for more during this summer time and well the color is pretty office appropriate ,It goes with most day and night looks too. If you're looking for a good lippie you can wear on daily basis or if you just want a good coral color check this one out. Cons of this lipstick is mainly that it can tend to streak outside the lipline being creamy so always use with good lip liner. Secondly this lipstick is not transfer proof so be ready for lipstains on your coffee mugs..:D, I can live with that though.

Colorbar shade no.012 called "Nude Coral"

Miss Claire soft matte lip cream Shade no.05:

This one was part of my most recent purchases as I was looking for liquid lipsticks which I could wear in office as well as I wanted a nude and a pink shade. I was looking at Nyx lip creams when I came across these which a complete rip off of the nyx ones and at 1/3 of the price. This retails for anything between 150-250/- whereas Nyx ones are available at 700-800/- depending on where you buy it from. They had good variety shade wise and I picked up two 05 and 02. Coming to the formula and other deets, this is a nice floral fresh pink which will suit mostly fair to medium skin tones. This has a sweet toffee scent, soooo yummmm, which I'm told is a complete rip off of the Nyx one along with shade range and packaging. Lasting power is one 8-9 hrs easily with any type of food and drink. Its a more daytime wear lip color though I guess it won't look so bad with a nice smokey eye look for date night or something. Very easy to apply with the applicator and can be used with and without lipliner. It dries up in 5-10 seconds upon application and it pretty opaque in just one coat. When it fades it starts fading from the centre of the lips. It is completely transfer proof too. Its amazing for everyday wear although wearing liquid lipsticks two straight days in a row will take a toll on your pout so make sure you moisturize your lips and try alternating between cream lipsticks and liquid ones. Seeing that it's a ditto copy of the Nyx one its an honest steal at that price.

Miss Claire soft matte lip cream Shade no.05

Miss Claire soft matte lip cream Shade no.02:

This is the exact formulation as its 05 counterpart the colour is pretty nude shade which will suit most Indian skin tones in my opinion. Pricing is the same as the 05 shade so is the staying power however the fading will not be quite as prominent as the pink one since it's a nude. This color is a nude with pinky undertones. Lovely color to wear with a variety of looks. 

Miss Claire soft matte lip cream Shade no.02

Incolor liquid lipstick Shade no.230 Lip perfection:
This one was my first ever liquid lipstick and it kicked off my obsession with them. Back then there weren't too many available in the market as they had recently opened up to the idea of liquid lipsticks. So anyways I picked up this shade which is neither blue toned nor orange toned, it's a true red which suits pretty much all skin tones. You can never go wrong with red lips they say.;P So yeah I picked this up from a local beauty store for around Rs.250/- ish I think. Ill admit when I first got it I was a little hesitant to try it out but with a little trial and error I was good to go. This color is so versatile that it will suit any type of makeup and any season occasion pretty much every time. I used this baby on my sister for her wedding and it stayed put all day and all evening. No touch up needed it's that good. The formula is so velvety and it feels like you have nothing on. Its completely transfer proof. it has no fragrance as such and is smooth and easy to apply although it does take a few tries to get it completely right or maybe that was just me as it was my first time. This lipstick formula is so good that I went and got 2 more colors orange and maroon in this same range. You definitely need a liner for this one along with a good lip balm before you put it. It wont flake your lips but yes they will feel rather dry at the end of the day.This lipstick is not available online but your local beauty shops always have them. They have a limited sort of shade card mostly pink toned ones. I really want the fuchsia one in this. The only downside I feel with this lippie is the applicator. You see the applicator on this one is a skinny one which makes it a tad bit difficult to fill in colour but in the new packaging they have improved that, so Yay! It comes with a clear lip gloss which when applied over the lipstick gives a nice glossy effect and best part it does not smudge the lipstick. Win win eh!
Definitely go grab this one if you want a good trusty red!!

Incolor liquid lipstick Shade no.230 Lip perfection

Street Wear Color Rich Lip Color in shade no.31 "California Orange":

This was my first tryst with orange lipstick. Curiosity did not kill the cat but it did make this greedy cat poor..:P Anyways I loved the color ergo I took it though the daring to actually wear it came a little later. It a beautiful orange color with red undertones. It does take few swipes to get it to the orange I want it but still its a gorgeous color. Its a semi matte finish so lip balm is a must. The staying power is where this lipstick disappoints a bit as it will fade away to a peachy shade in 4-5 hrs and will definitely not survive a greasy meal. If you cool with touch ups then go for this one. Else you can go for a similar shade in of incolor liquid lipstick though that does not have red undertones. This retails for Rs.350-400/- ish I think and you can get it online also. it looks good with a smokey eye or with a big ol winged liner. This is more a daytime wear although if your outfit demands it you can pull this off for evenings as well. 

Street Wear Color Rich Lip Color in shade no.31 "California Orange"

Coloressence lipstick in shade no.45 "Back to basics":

I stole this from my mom ( sorry mom!) but yeah well I was curious and she wasn't using it much so well it doesn't count I guess(Hopefully). This is an everyday basic pink color goes with many looks and works pretty much through out the year. It is a semi matte finish and isn't exactly completely transfer-proof. It stays for a good 5-6 hours which pretty darn good if you ask me and leaves your lips with a nice pink stain. Although again a lip balm before you wear this is an absolute must as it could make your lips a little dry. Perfect color for a regular wear and will suit alot of Indian skin tones. Cons of this range of lippies is that is takes a little too many swipes to get that color but it works fine with a lipstick brush although honestly there nothing better feeling than applying lipstick on your lips right from the bullet (them feels!!) Price I'm guessing is around Rs.300 or something. I got this free in set of lipsticks along with a face pack which my mum ordered. Absolute must buy if you are looking for a pink colour.

Coloressence lipstick in shade no.45 "Back to basics":

Sugar It's a pout time vivid lipstick in the shade no 01 "The Big Bang Berry":

This one was a part of my recent Fabbag and I had already used its lip crayon counterpart which I received in another fabbag previously. I honestly wanted another shade in this since I already had this one but oh well I was ok with it since well I had made the choice in their questionnaire. Coming to the color its a beautiful wine color very similar to the crayon. Does feather a bit so need a lip liner. I love the texture of it on my lips though. Its pretty long lasting although seeing as I wear such dark colors mostly in the evenings and for non-official functions I have not worn it more than 4 hrs at the max but it stayed put all four hours last time I wore it. Since it is summer I tend to avoid such dark colors , I love to wear berries more in the winters as I find them very "festival esque". Overall I like this color since its a pink toned berry and not a brown one, the brown toned ones do not suit my skin tone I feel. It will suit Indian skin tones in general. It looks lovely with just a big cat eye and also with a smokey brown eyes. The cost of this one is around 600-700/- depending again on where you buy it. Its pretty decently priced i'd say. . I wish I'd had the balls to pull off a dark lip to office...:P. Go for this if you are into berry tones.

Sugar It's a pout time vivid lipstick in the shade no 01 "The Big Bang Berry"

Coloressence lipstick in shade no.56 "Summer Look":

This was the shade I picked for myself from the set we got with the face pack simply because it was so unique. I had never used such a shade before. Its a beautiful rusty orangey shade which so amazing specially for this season. I recently wore this with a monochromatic look which is all the rage this summer. It went fabulously with it. Staying power is pretty good at 4-5 hrs and it leaves no stain on the lips as such. Its a semi matte finish is also a bit metallic looking so if you are not into that then skip it.Again like the other coloressence lippies this isn't transfer proof but it wont stain your coffee mugs as bad as the colorbar one. It takes a few swipes to get the right color to your lips like the other one of this range. Price I'm guessing is similar too. This color should suit most fair to wheatish skin tones.This color is really in this summer so do check it out if you are one for keeping up with trends.

Coloressence lipstick in shade no.56 "Summer Look"

Coloressence lipstick in shade no.40 "Fuschia Glame":

What the heck does Glame mean anyways.. :P...A girl has got to love her Fuschia! This color is so vibrant and versatile and I love to pair this with a subtle gold eye and big cat eye. It looks just like a match made in heaven. Again a semi-matte finish and again not transfer-proof totally. I have never heard of anyone who feels hot pink doesn't suit them although yeah the undertones matter too.This is a rather purple undertoned one.Staying power is longer than its siblings in the range going at 7-8 hrs i'd say. It leaves your lips a little dry so again lip balm is must. I wore this one for my wedding reception and honestly no regrets like at all. It photographs beautifully. It fades leaving a pink stain which is a tad bit difficult to get rid off which is another downside to this lippie. It can feather so keep in check with a liner. Overall hot pink along with red are like the little black dresses of our lipstick collection. Check this one out if you want decently priced hot pink lippie. 

Coloressence lipstick in shade no.40 "Fuschia Glame"

Palladio Herbal lipstick in shade no HL832 "Meadowsweet":
I got this lipstick sent as a part of my fabbag although the shade was selected by me. I had already got their Flame shade so I wanted a nudey pink one. I always take my time with these kind of questionnaires as I like to check a few reviews before I go with it. Anyone else do that?. So yeah Its a perfect nude shade that ive been reaching alot for in this season. Its a pink toned nude and gives you that "my lips only better" color. I love the smell of this one it smells like chocolate.. yummmyyy!!. Its a creamy textured lipstick so yeah it can transfer a bit. Doesn't feather too much although I think thats owing to the color being so neutral. Its a herbal lipstick so its free from chemicals so another feather in its cap. Being creamy it still has a wear time of 5-6 hrs which is amazing to say the least. Lipstick retails at Rs.350-400/- ish and is available online though I have not seen it locally. This range has shades that have that metallic glaze and thankfully this one is free of that so it wont make your lips look washed out. It will suit basically all types of skin tones. This is an absolute must have for the summer and for a general everyday wear.

Palladio Herbal lipstick in shade no HL832 "Meadowsweet"

Sorry about that really loong post but I hope this has helped you get an idea about some of the lipsticks that I personally feel are worth trying specially if you want to start using lipsticks more or just are looking for more colors. Liquid matte lips are totally a rage today though personally I prefer to alternate between creamy and matte for the benefit of my lips. Here a up close pic of all my top ten lippies and the swatches:

Like always thanks for reading and let me know what types of lipstick you like to use and how important is lipstick as a make up component for you. For me It's what completes my look hence it became a part of my blog name as well...:) Dont forget to like and comment...until next time then..:D

Love Makeup Love Life

Sayonara!!!
Yours Truly
Sayuri.:~)

April Fabbag 2016 "It's a spring thing" review

I know this review is coming a little too later than I'd expected it to be up since I got my April Fabbag in the first week of April and here we are already in the third weekend. Well in my defense I wanted to try all products out before so I could give you a brief on what exactly I think about them, and honestly I just did not get time to try out my last product that was my O3+ whitening mask given my horribly tight schedule at work...:(

Well without further ado lets begin my April Fabbag 2016 "It's a spring thing" review. I got this bag rather earlier than I expected, not that Fabbag have ever disappointed me with their deliveries still it was earlier than before. Anywho this was the last bag I received from my half yearly subscription and If you want to know if I shall be renewing my subscription for a third time carry on reading...:D

April theme was "It's a spring thing" and the bag a nice and colorful. The Bag and its contents look something like this:

I received a total of 4 beauty and skin care products out of which 2 were full sized and two sample size (Win Win!!!) plus one extra earring as bonus. I have this habit of changing up the makeup bag which I keep in my handbag every month with the fabbag I receive in that month. So this months bag was nice and roomy and of a cute pink colour and super soft to touch. This is what it looks like up-close:

Coming to its contents the first thing I got was this Vantiv Moisturizing Shampoo. I got the full sized bottle of 250ml  and its specially for dry and brittle hair. I had never before heard of this brand so initially was a bit skeptical to try this one out. This is locally manufactured by MG Shahani and company in Dehradun exclusively for Vanmatics  located in Delhi. After reading that this shampoo has Vitamin E and Aloe Vera I decided to give it a go thinking if I did not like it I would give it to my husband cause honestly he can just use any shampoo and his hair will not be majorly affected...like seriously wtf!!!...(*Jealous). The smell is also partly the reason I wanted to use it in the first place, as it has a nice soft fragrance. Personally I love it although I've heard people finding it too powdery. It's a nice mild shampoo and the smell lingers for a day minimum even after using my Argan oil and Garnier oil in cream as leave in conditioner. It leaves my hair soft and supple giving it nice volume too. Would I repurchase this shampoo?, Maybe as frankly I have a Two huge bottles of my regular shampoo yet to finish....Yikes!!!. Apart from that the bottle is nice and travel friendly and overall its a good shampoo to use specially in summers and specifically for dry haired people like me. This bottle retails for Rs.187-250/- ish depending on where you buy it from.At that price its a steal frankly

The bottle looks something like this:

The second product I received was this Soultree Cleansing milk:

I got the 30 ml sample sized bottle. I have used Soultree products before although I have never tried their cleansing milk before. Its a nice product does the job of taking of most of my makeup though not so that great to take of clingy mascara but then again I have my trusty johnsons baby oil for that and till date no other product has beat that (My sula grapseed oil does remove eye make up amazingly but stings my eyes real bad) You can read my full review on the below given link:

http://sayuri2323.blogspot.com/2016/03/review-sula-pure-grapeseed-oil-extra.html

Coming back to soultree cleansing milk it breaks down face makeup well although I'm yet to try it on my liquid lipstick, will let you know when I do so.Will I repurchase this product?... Meh! No actually simply because I have ton of cleansing milk to go through (Yep I hoard makeup like the apocalypse is comin!!) The size I got is good to travel with as the bottle is nice and sturdy and will not leak in your bag. The smell is a little off putting and strong in my opinion but I can deal with it.The full size product(ie 200ml) retails for Rs.350/-

The third product I got was actually one of my own choice, you see Fabbag sometimes let you choose one product of your choice from a range of options. It could be anything beauty or skin care related. So this time I got the option of Lip pencil and Kohl of Catrice. Being the hoarder I am I obviously already have too many kohl pencils (Duhhh!!! Hoarder 101). But yeah I was looking for a nice nude toned lip pencil as I'm trying to get into wearing lippies on regular basis and well loud bright colours are a big no no for me for work. I selected the Catrice lip pencil in Upper brown side which is a nude beige color perfect for using with almost all my nude and pink toned lippies.

I was tad bit disappointed with the size of the actual pencil as the image made it seem bigger than it actually is. It applies very smoothly and last a long time too so that's a big plus from my side. It retails for Rs.300/- and is available online on most websites. I have not seen it in any stores before this but then again I have not been makeup shopping in looong time (Blame online shopping for that!!!) 

The fourth product I got was this O3+ whitening mask which was again sample sized(10 ml). This one honestly took the longest for me to try hence delaying this review but anyways today I was finally able to try it and you know what I like it. At first I did not find a stark difference after I put it but after having that Sunday afternoon mandatory nap I woke up to glowy skin so yes this product is the bomb in my opinion. It gave my skin a nice glow  although I can't really vouch for the whitening part as I do not issues with tanned skin nor uneven skin tone. The full sized product (around 50 gm)retails for anywhere between Rs.600-900/- depending on where you buy it from. All in all its a good one to use prior to any function you may have to go although make sure you use it couple of hours before you do makeup so you can reap its effect.

Lastly I got these earrings which honestly aren't my style as I'm into studs than long earrings but well I'll maybe try them out for some kind of event or so. They are a little heavy though and having sensitive ears will not exactly help in that situation... anyone else have that issue you know where your ear hole goes all watery and painful so much that you can only wear earring once and after that you have to wait until that wound is healed . Honestly no one believes me when I say that as they feel I'm just making excuses to not wear earrings!!!( Indian women and their jewelry addiction Sigh!)...:( Please let me know in the comments below if you also face that issue and how do you combat it.Here what the earring looks like:

To sum it up my most like product is definitely the Vantiv Shampoo, Catrice lip-liner in Upper brown side and the O3+ plus mask in that order. I would definitely repurchase the shampoo when I'm done with my stock of shampoo and the same goes for the liner and the mask. Least like product has to be the earring but no sweat I can always give it away.

Would I renew my subscription? Hell to yeah!!! I love Fabbag! Period!.Definitely go and check them out in the link below:

http://www.fabbag.com/

As always thanks for reading and do let me know what you received in you April Fabbag if you are also a subscriber like me and let me know what you like and what you did not like! Dont forget to like and comment...until next time then..:D

Love Makeup Love Life

Sayonara!!!
Yours Truly
Sayuri.:~)

"Candle-o-mania"- An insight into the head of a scented candle addict

Thank you Youtube for this! Yes! Youtube is the reason today I'm a serious candle addict and hoarder..... Just one more reason to splurge...like I actually needed one!!!. Anywho I got into scented candles around two years back when I first started watching Youtube videos. Initially was a bit apprehensive just out of insane fear that I might burn the house down..:P. This went on for a while until I finally decided to let go of my fear and get that scented candle. When I first went to purchase one more than a year ago,I cannot remember where it was from but it was mostly from one of the home-ware stores in a mall,I did not get that good a selection infact there was nothing interesting and honestly I wanted a proper candle not a tealight. So finally after a lot of searching and debating with my self I picked up two tinned scented candles which were back then best ones among the lot.

                                     

These two candles are of "Aroma India" a brand of  Mysore Scents Company. The ones I purchased were Lavender and Ocean Breeze. They are pretty mildly scented as back then was a bit apprehensive about sweet smelling ones thinking it might give me a headache. Slowly and surely I gained confidence which later turned into a major candle addiction. The types of scents I like best now are the sweet ones, and sometimes also floral fresh smells depending on the season  and my mood at the time. Since back then I did not get a good selection here I asked my sister to get me a few from Canada which she so dearly obliged  She got me quite a few candles when she flew down here for my wedding and later sent more with my mum and dad when they visited her. (You honestly spoil me and I love you!..:D)

Below shown is my entire collection of scented candles:

I wont say I burn them everyday as most days I dont have that much time due to my full schedule. But on holidays and days when I'm a little free I love to light up a candle and leave it there till I bathe after which the room smells amazing.It really peps my mood. I like to mix and match the fragrance sometimes to get the best of both worlds. I burn my candles not over 2 hours at a time since I find its long enough for room to smell amazing after which I light an incense stick sometimes.

My recent most favorite one is"Mango Sorbet"by the Elephant Company which I purchased recently from Amazon. Its a sweet smelling one and is prefect for this weather. Apart from this one I love my Vanilla one which was given to me by my sister. This one is the "Old Williamsburgh Candle in Creamy Vanilla". The smell is to die for.

"Mango Sorbet"

"Creamy Vanilla"

Today scented candles are available both locally as well as online like Flipkart and Amazon. Its really nice to know that we get good variety here as well and that you do not need to burn a large hole in your pocket to get them. (Fuel for my addiction..:P)

For summers I prefer the more fresh scents and when its gets a little colder I like to burn the sweet smelling ones.

Apart from candles I regularly also light incense sticks. I really want to try out the reed diffuser but honestly I've not found a scent in those which is not nausea and headache inducing yet. I'm now eyeing "Toasted Marshmallow" candle by "Pan Aromas". If anyone has tried that please let me know in the comments below.Apart from that I want to also try scented candles by "Bath and Body works"since I've heard really good things about their candles.

Let me know what's your take on scented candles and what type of scents you like.If there is any candle you think I should try do let me know.

Thanks for reading and dont forget to like and comment below. Until next time...

Love Makeup Love Life
Sayonara
Your's Truly
Sayuri..:~)

Down in the Dumps!!!

Don't get thrown off by the title but today I do not have makeup or skincare item to review. Today I shall be focusing on the "life" part of my blog. You see I wanted to make a blog not just about makeup and beauty related stuff but also to be able to throw in some of that other stuff sometimes. Things like emotions,books,recipes etc in no precise order.

Anyways coming to today topic "Down in the Dumps". What I mean by that is basically just that one day or those couple of days where you know there isn't anything wrong with you nor with your present life situation and yet you're unhappy, mad,sad,cranky,irritated,angry etc etc. So many terms you can use and none will ever seem right. Ever had such a day or days?

Trust me it happens to the best of us especially us women as we have a tendency to get overwhelmed alot( you know being in touch with your emotions can do that to you sometimes). Lets breakdown why this happens and what can we do by our self to feel us better. Dear men if you feel that this will decode your demonic Partner during her period then skip this post. But yes if you want to help your girl cheer up when she is low or help her help herself then carry on reading..:)

Why it happens?
Firstly let get this out of the way that this only happens to a Woman in or nearing her period. That's absolute bull-crap. The reason could be anything stress at work/home, lack of sleep, not eating properly, no proper rest, periods,hormonal imbalance usw (German for etc). The reasons will be aplenty but solutions are seemingly simpler than you think. Frankly speaking in such a situation self-help is the best help you can get because even though you will want someone to help you get over this feeling, chances are you will bite of his/her head off even before that poor thing tries to help you.

How to get over this feeling?
The most important thing we need to know is that this is absolutely normal and it happens to everyone one so your are not alone in this. There is no need to look for a reason why this is happening as that will help you achieve nothing and will just make you pine more. I shall note down some steps which I personally like to use and also that some people commonly like and do:

1.) Write:Yes this actually helps you alot as the most difficult part for most of us is to pen down our thoughts and feelings in words. This is a real stress buster as not only does it help keep you busy but also helps to consume that negative energy. This is truly an absolute favorite method of mine aside from massages..;~)

2.) Massages: No prizes for guessing that eh! Well massaging will help your girl to relax so go on bust out those massage candles and oils. She will honestly thank you for it. Also this helps to sleep better..Ps. You dont need a partner for a massage,do it yourself ,no one understands your body like you after all!

3.) Baths: Again specially for you single ladies or heck even the hitched ones. Take a warm water bath and soothe those stressed muscles out. Give yourself/each other those amazing back-rubs and see what a huge difference it will make apart from the fact that you will sleep wayyy better after a warm bath.

4.) Comfort Food: This is a rather vague term as everyone has their own type of comfort food. So dig in and forget those calories for a while.

5.)Walks/Runs/Dance: Many people like to walk/run/dance it out. So if you are into that thing go for it. It will also help burn those calories you had..;)

6.) Movies: Ahh! The joy of bundling up in your couch/bed before your favorite movie comes on. Movies are a source of great distraction so go be that couch potato. You deserve it.

7.) Scented candles/sticks: This may be 7th in the list but it does not mean its of any lesser importance specially for a candle-o-maniac like me. When i'm down in the dumps i love me some scented candles specially those sweet ones.

8.)Books: If you are not a much of a movie person like me you could tuck into that old favorite book that you really wanted to read again.  I love doing this as then I get to sometimes see a different perspective to the story or character that I may have missed before plus that nostalgia of  the time you read the book and fell in love with it the first time!!( All my fellow book-lovers can I get an Amen!!)

9.) Meditate: People think this is difficult but honestly I cannot even tell you how easy it actually is. When you start clear your head  take a deep breath and when you release loudly say "AUM". The key to doing this successfully is that you need to be loud enough to stop your brain from thinking and straying away. Only after your head is clear start focusing just on your breath. While your at it repeat "inner peace" (a la Kung fu Panda), no seriously it helps. Personal research you see..;)

10.)Cry: This may seem weird but crying gives you a emotional release like no other. There needs to be no reason but a few tears will help wash out that self pity nonsense after which you shall be free to do other things that have been listed above or any thing else of your choice that puts you in the mood.

In the end all I can say is that do all those things that make you happy. You don't deserve to be in the dumps so snap out of it and take that break and love and pamper yourself. You owe it to yourself!! If you have any other ways you  like to de-stress then do let me know in the comments..:)

PPS: You have no idea how low I was before writing this blog, it was just one of those days you know, Needless to say I'm up and bouncy again thanks to my candles a warm bath and typing the negativity away!!!...:~)

Thanks for reading and dont forget to em likes and comments coming!!!

Love Makeup Love Life

Sayonara!!!
Yours Truly
Sayuri.:~)

Review- Just Herbs Rejuvenating Beauty Elixir facial serum

For the longest ever time I have been curious about Face Serums. I was hesitant to shell out alot of money for the high end ones available in the market as I was skeptical if it will suit me or not,(looking back now this was a foolish thought..:`)). So the first facial serum I picked up was by VLCC ,it was their Snigdha Skin Whitening Serum which costs around Rs.500-800 ish if I'm not wrong. Frankly speaking I did not like it, it did absolutely nothing for me. This put me off serums for a while until I received the Just Herbs Rejuvenating Beauty Elixir facial serum in one of my Fabbags last year, I cannot remember when was the first time I received it seeing as I fell in luurrve with this product instantly on first use after which I kept picking it out again and again when they sent us a product of your choice questionnaire every month. I picked this minimum 3 times I guess one of which I gave to my mom to use and she loves it too. :~). So thanks again Fabbag for introducing my skin to the love of its life!!! Teeehee!!!

So yeah I was intrigued when I first received it and honestly it did wonders for my skin in the first use itself. For the first time I had used just on its own as I was a little scared it would break me out if I used it under my night cream. But the next day you will not believe my skin was so soft and glowy. Since the there was no looking back. Now its a very important part of nightly skin care routine and I use it just after spritzing some rose water on my face mixing a 3-4 drops in my Sula Grapeseed oil, full review of which you can check on this link below:

http://sayuri2323.blogspot.in/2016/03/review-sula-pure-grapeseed-oil-extra.html

Below is what the bottle and packaging look like:

This comes in a mint green box packing with a dark yellow brown hued glass bottle with a dropper on top. The bottle needs to be shaken a little before you dispense it as all the good stuffs tends to settle at the bottom due to the weight. Its net weight is 15ml or 0.53 oz. It will last you for a good 1-1.5 months as you need only 3-4 drops when you use. The color is yellowish and is sort of thick but is easy to blend into skin and does not feel oily or heavy on the skin, it absorbs super quick into your skin. The smell is little funny on the other hand, it honestly smells like bread to me which is sort of tolerable as I dont mind it that much. But thankfully it doesn't linger for long.

You can use it on its own or you can mix it it with your night cream and or any other product you might put on your face. I normally use it with my grapseed oil like I said earlier after which I put my night cream and eye cream (Yes, I have long and sometimes tiring nightly routine but well it works in the long run!) You can use it all over your face and that includes your eye contour area. It can also be used to treat spots on your skin, all you have to do is use it directly on the spot by putting 1-2 drops on the affected area.

It highlight ingredient is Gotukula extract which is supposedly the Indian Ginseng of sorts which frankly I'd never heard of until now but having done some internet research its apparently very beneficial for your skin as it has anti ageing properties amongst it various other benefits. Please click on the link below for more details on Gotukula:

http://www.herbwisdom.com/herb-gotu-kola.html

Other ingredients are as given in the images below:

This serum needs to be stored in a cool dark place. You can purchase it online on various websites like Nyyka, Fabbag, Amazon etc, I'm not sure where you can find it locally in Mumbai as I have not seen it anywhere till date. If anyone knows do let me know too..:). It retails for Rs.985/- on Fabbag. The other sites should also be having a similar price range. Its pretty economical if you ask me since many other serums retails between Rs.2000-5000 INR. I think 15ml is the biggest size available.

Rating I would give it would be 5/5 since I absolutely love this product. Do check this out if you are looking for a change in your facial serum or you're just curious about facial serums just like me. Do also let me know if you know any other goods brands that do good facial serums.

Like always thanks for reading and don't forget to leave your comments and like the post.


Love Makeup Love life <3

Sayonara!!!
Your's truly
Sayuri... :~)