Benefit goodies from Sephora

It is a bit of a hassle trying to get your hands on Benefit cosmetics in India as we do not have outlets here. But, luckily for me, my boyfriend decided to surprise me with some goodies that he picked up from Sephora in Kuwait. I absolutely love what he bought me and decided to review the products for anyone interested in buying them. You could ask friends abroad to ship them to you or you can buy Benefit cosmetics from the online store, for which I will share a link.

So, to get started, here are the products he bought me.

Benefit High Beam

I absolutely love this product. I use it as a highlighter on my cheekbones, the bridge of my nose, my cupids bow and my brow-bones. It catches light perfectly and gives your skin a healthy glow. It looks great in photographs too.


Benetint

This product did not really blow my senses away. But, if you like a natural flush on your cheeks or lips just dot this product on and quickly smear it with your fingertips. It gives you a subtle hint of a rosy hue. Personally, I prefer a little more colour than the product generates.



Benefit "That Gal" face primer

I must say I am hooked on to this primer. I wear it under my foundation and it evens out my complexion. It is not too greasy. So, my makeup looks fresh for hours. I sometimes just wear it on its own without foundation and it gives my skin a natural healthy glow. The applicator is one I love.


Benefit "They're Real" mascara

It is usually very difficult for me to find a mascara I like. But, I love this one. It makes my eyelashes look longer and thicker without too much clumping.

While my boyfriend was down, I had the opportunity to try all these products on, for our dinner dates. Here are a couple of pictures of me wearing them.

I know that three out of these four products will always be a part of my makeup must-haves from now on. I am hooked onto the primer, mascara and highlighter.

If you want to buy Benefit cosmetics and you do not know anyone who lives in a country that sells them, you can shop online for them at http://www.benefitcosmetics.com/

By the way, I hear their blush - Coralista, is worth a try too. 

Rethinking my wardrobe

Since November of 2011, I have been giving my wardrobe a little extra consideration. With the holidays that were coming up, my drive to help myself get a mini makeover in terms of clothes and accessories heightened. So, I have decided to share some of the looks I put together for myself this winter.

The next couple of images are of an outfit I put together for work. The jeans and the belt are from M&S, the blazer and the top are from Code, the watch is from Guess and the shoes are Mochi.

The look below was put together by me for my nephew's birthday (hence the balloons in the background). I decided to go monochromatic and teamed my black M&S jeans with a black CK top, a black shrug that I got for dirt cheap in a store near home and a black metal-studded belt from OviesseVenezia

The next couple of images are of my Christmas outfit. I wore a navy blue M&S dress with a simple crystal bracelet that I picked up from Jack and Jones. I teamed this with my Guess watch, black pumps and Swarovski earrings.

I tried a red belt from Accessorize with the outfit, but changed my mind eventually and did without the belt.

I always wanted a jumpsuit and found this one at a steal! I teamed it with an Espirit silver strapped watch and a black pair of peeps from Forever New.

Lastly, this is something I put together for a wintry eve. I teamed a black pair of slacks with M&S leg warmers and boots. Over this, I wore a CK tee and this cozy pullover by Nexus.

As you may notice, most of my outfits are from M&S. This is because I like their fits. They always have something made for my body type unlike some other brands where I might find the right size but not the right fit.

Make me overs

It has been ridiculously long since I last blogged! I have had a hectic year with a lot on my plate. However, today I decided I had to blog!

So, here are a few pictures that I hadn't uploaded onto my blog. They are of friends I practiced my makeup skills on.

This is my friend Christina. She never shies away from me using her as my canvas :) I love to practice looks on her as she has hooded eyes. I like the challenge of having to use the best of my abilities to transform her look for a night out.

Before

After

This is my friend Carolyn. I dressed her up for Easter 2011. However, she did not allow me to capture a 'before the look' picture :)

This is another friend I applied makeup for. She is Ranjitha and she was modelling for an outfit created by a friend - Anusha, who is passionate about fashion. Anusha was having a photo-shoot  and asked me if I would like to apply Ranjitha's makeup. I was only too happy to oblige! Here are a couple of pics.

So, these are some of the looks I practiced while I was away. Now, I hope to blog more frequently. 

Strawberrynet Haul! - Scott Barnes, Bourjois and Too Faced

Strawberrynet recently had a discount on makeup and everything I bought was worth the money.

The shipping was free and it shipped in two weeks! The products were beautifully gift-wrapped. Here is a picture of what the packaging looked like...

Here are some more pictures of the products I picked up.

The Bourjois eye-shadows have good payoff.
I love the products from Scott Barnes. They are packaged beautifully too! The eyebase from TF is not my favorite though.

I am happy with my purchase!

Makeup options for every Indian makeup addict!

It is sometimes saddening that most makeup brands are not readily available at makeup counters in India. But the reason for me saying ‘sometimes sad’ is because most brands are now available to us Indians, and can be delivered to our doorsteps. This has been made possible by the wonderful array of online stores that now offer international shipping!

I have had a lot of my friends in India asking me where I get my makeup and tools from. So, I decided to share some information on the products that I have shopped for online. The products that I am going to discuss are ones that I am happy to have spent my moolah on!

I know a lot of Indians are quite hesitant when it comes to shopping online. We worry about authenticity and quality. However, the stores we are about to discuss have many happy buyer reviews and have been proven safe to shop from.

Now, let’s start with my list…

1. Coastal Scents
Website: http://www.coastalscents.com/cfwebstore/index.cfm 



Eye shadow palettes

If you are looking for eye shadow palettes and have a limited budget, Coastal Scents has two great palettes to offer:




The 88 Warm Palette

I was exhilarated when I got this palette. It has, as you can see in the images below, an array of warm colours that would suit any Indian skin tone. I love this palette as it has given me the chance to play around with different smokey eye and natural looks.
I think this palette is worth every penny. It costs 24.95 USD which roughly converts into 1120.00 INR.

The 88 Colour Palette now called the 88 Original Palette

I absolutely love this palette. It has a mix of matte and shimmer colours. The colours are highly pigmented and are great for light and bold looks.
This palette costs only 18.95 USD which roughly converts into 850.50 INR. That is just as much as one MAC eye shadow would cost you!

Eye makeup brushes


Apart from MAC, I have found it very difficult to find myself some good makeup brushes in India that are affordable. So, I ordered quite a few of my brushes off Coastal Scents. The prices sometimes seem too good to be true! There are some brushes from the lot that I bought that I absolutely love and use almost every day. These are the only ones I am going to share my views on.

The black pointed crease brush

This brush is perfect for defining the crease of your eye. It costs only 2.95 USD which is roughly around 132.50 INR. I know, great price, isn't it? It is a great brush to add to your collection.

Destiny mini detail brush

I love this brush! For just 2.49 USD, which is roughly around 112.00 INR, I think this the perfect brush when trying to get intricate details into your look. It also doubles up as an eyebrow filler brush.

The Chisel/Fluff Pointed Crease Duet

This double ended brush though small, is perfect for everyday eye shadow application. I use the shader to apply colour onto my lower lid and the pointed side to apply crease, outer v and under eye colour. The brush is affordably priced at 3.92 USD which roughly works out to 176.00 INR.












(pictures for products courtesy the coastalscents website)

Shipping charges may seem a tad expensive if you expect your products delivered ASAP. But the store offers various options and you could choose one that suits your budget.




2. Cherryculture
Website: http://cherryculture.com/index.php

NYX Cosmetics is a beauty brand that is not available in India. But they have some great products. After looking around I noticed that Cherryculture offers a good price range for these products. I bought some NYX goodies from this store and I am happy with almost everything.

Mentioned below are some of the products I would suggest from NYX.

NYX Eye shadow bases

These bases act as good primers if not used in excess and can keep your makeup in place for hours.
They cost 6.00 USD which is around 270.00 INR and come in different tones. I like Skin Tone.

NYX Jumbo Eye Pencils

This is my favourite NYX product.

These pencils act as great bases for eye makeup. They are available in many colours and cost only 4.00 USD which is roughly around 180.00 INR.
My personal favourite jumbo pencils are in Milk, Dark Brown, Black Bean and Purple.

NYX Powder Blushes

These blushes come in great colours for just 5.95 USD which is roughly around 268.00 INR.
My personal favourite is Peach which is a beautiful soft pink shade.

NYX Megashine Lipglosses

These lipglosses are fantastic and I haven’t found a drugstore brand to compare to the feel of these glosses on my lips. They come in a variety of shades and colours and can be worn on their own or over a lipstick.
They are available for 5.50 USD which roughly calculates to 250.00 INR.
My personal favourites are Beige, Smokey Look, and Miami Babe.



(Pictures for products courtesy cherryculture and NYX)




Cherryculture offers many drugstore brands but my personal preference is NYX. The store offers international shipping options.




3. StrawberryNET
Website: http://inen.strawberrynet.com/main.aspx?region=INEN

This website offers you high-end brands at discounted rates. It is a great online store for skincare, makeup, hair products and fragrances.

They have regular discounts on already discounted products and what’s more … Shipping is FREE internationally!!!





Please Note:
These are products that I have bought with my own money and I have not been paid to review them. They are my personal choices and I hope you like them too.

Inspiration from the Middle East

I have always been in awe of Middle Eastern makeup.

I love the way women from the Middle East match their eyeshadow tones with the hijabs they wear. I took inspiration from them and practiced the look on a friend a while ago.

Posted below are a few pics of the look!

Kat inspired

I know it has been quite a while since I posted a look but I have had a hectic month.

I was watching L A Ink a few days ago and I absolutely loved Kat Von D's eye look. Though it's not a carbon copy of the look, I took inspiration from it and added my twist.

I was lucky enough to have a friend agree to sport the look :)