Nykaa Haul

July 26, 2016July 26, 2016 / ajesther / Leave a comment

Nykaa.com is a makeup lovers favorite website, at least I can vouch for that. It is one of the best websites to shop for makeup, skincare and haircare. You can find almost all beauty brands on Nykaa and go bonkers over shopping from them.

I have bought products from Nykaa frequently and I thought it will be great for me to start sharing all of my purchases from the website. So check out my video on few of my buys.

Product mentioned and their prices:

L’Oreal Paris Volume Million Lashes Mascara Rs 680
Rimmel Soft Kohl Kajal Eye Liner Pencil : 011 Sable Brown Rs 185
Maybelline Color Sensational Lip Liner Chocopop Rs 295
Faces Glam On Perfect Noir Eyeliner – Black Rs 399
Color Essence Liquid Lip Color Intense Long Wear Candy Orange Rs 350
Colorbar Kiss Proof Lip Stain Haute Latte Rs 900
Maybelline Color Sensational Lip Color : Crazy for Coffee Rs 425
Colorbar Nail Laquer : Free
Batiste Dry Shampoo Instant Hair Refresh Clean & Classic Original Rs 649
L’Oreal Paris Revitalift Laser X3 Night Cream Mask Rs 1215

Have you tried any of these products?

Asha

Clinque’s Anti-Blemish Solutions Foundation Review

June 6, 2016 / ajesther / 1 Comment

Yet another foundation finds a spot in my collection and this time it is the Clinque’s Anti-blemish solutions.

While strolling at Sephora’s Clinique counter I was approached by their sales assistant , which I usually dislike since I don’t like someone after me to buy just because they have to reach their target. However, this time the girl was unusually pleasant as she waited for me to ask her rather than her blabber. So I asked her if she could recommend a foundation for oily-acne prone skin to which she responded by taking me to the anti-blemish solution collection. After trying out different shades, I picked up Fresh Deep Neutral #17.

So after using this foundation for some time I have come down to these observations:

Packaging is nothing fancy for an expensive foundation. It is sturdy since is a plastic bottle so you don’t need to worry if it falls.
Has a nozzle which makes it hygienic and easy to use.
It is easily blend-able and gives medium coverage which is build-able.
The shade matches my skin tone, however, I do feel the moment I apply it I look a bit orange-ish which eventually oxidizes and I don’t look oompa-lumpa anymore.
It helps to control my oil, but surely not a magic potion which stops it.
Doesn’t feel heavy rather feels light & natural.
Since it has salicylic acid it does help in diminishing existing blemishes as well as stop new from forming.
I do need to set the foundation with a powder to lock it in else it would melt in the Delhi heat.

Pros:

Treats Blemishes since has salicylic acid
Oil free foundation.
Light weight

Cons:

Expensive for a 30 ml bottle.
No spf

It retails for Rs Rs 2450/- for 30 ml bottle.

So all in all I do like the product, mainly because it helps to fight blemishes. To check out a demo do watch my youtube channel.

Have you used this foundation? What are your thoughts?

Also, I’m hosting my first every giveaway on my youtube channel, please do check it out 🙂

Asha

Effective Acne Mask Aztec Indian Healing Clay

May 2, 2016September 9, 2017 / ajesther / 4 Comments

Masks for an acne prone- oily skin means business. For me masks are also stress buster since taking out time from a busy schedule to focus on myself is bliss.

For past 5 years I have suffered from adult-acne which has made me try out numerous amazing and not-so-amazing face masks. Some has helped me tame my skin while some have not done anything or have made my breakouts worse. When you go on a hunt to find out best acne masks you would get tons of options.

Here I’m sharing a mask which is not only overtly hyped but also has truly helped my skin look and feel better.

aztec indian healing clay apple cider vinegar

Aztec Indian healing clay with 100% bentonite clay. I have been using this mask for over 5 months with apple cider vinegar. The mask works best with ACV as the label over the mask says and so have a lot of Youtuber and blogger recommended.

Pros:

Helps to keep breakouts under control

Huge quantity in one tub which will make it last a long time

Helps to deep cleanse my skin

Leaves my skin smoother after rinsing it off

Cons:

Can be tedious to rinse off.

I bought this from Amazon.in, you can get it here : http://goo.gl/B2cciE

You can watch my review & demo of this mask on my youtube channel here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-FomA7EdPM

Have you tired this mask before? What are your thoughts?

Asha

Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm Review

March 18, 2016March 18, 2016 / ajesther / 1 Comment

Removal of makeup is one of the most important step for making sure your makeup looks amazing. If you do not remove all that product from your face every evening/ night you probably (read always) will end up messing up your skin. I have personally suffered plenty of times by not taking this simple step. Well, now that I have learnt my lesson I’d like to introduce you to my makeup removing buddy Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm.

Clinique Take The Day Off

Solid cleansing balm

There are two ways I use this for removing my make up:

1. I scoop out a pea size amount of balm and rub onto my palm to warm the product. I then apply it all over my face gently and my makeup starts to melt.

2. I wet a cotton round and swipe it over the product directly into the tub. I then apply the product infused cotton round all over my face to breakdown all the makeup. *This method was introduced to me by the Sephora sales girl and I quite like this method*

After any of these method I wash my face with any gentle cleanser and water.

Pros:

Huge tub to last long
Melts my makeup easily, waterproof makeup as well.
Doesn’t dry out my skin.
Didn’t break me out which is a huge plus

Cons:

Can be considered unhygienic because of the tub shape. I personally don’t find this as an issue since I don’t have to share it with anyone.
Expensive. But the tub is huge.

The product retails for Rs. 2750/- for 125ml at Sephora.

If you’d like to see how I use this cleansing balm then check out my YouTube video:

Have you tried this product before? what are your thoughts?

Asha

Blue Smokey Eye : Video

February 6, 2016February 6, 2016 / ajesther / 3 Comments

Hi guys,

I’m getting the hang of “smokey eyes” lately. Somehow, I have always thought it was very difficult to create but one has to make an effort to learn something. After a lot of attempts I created a blue smokey eye look and made a video of it which I wanted to share with you.

I used Makeup Revolutions palette for this look. Even though I used a shimmery blue shade in this video I somehow feel it looks more like purple-ish or lilac due to my lighting. If you feel the same do comment below. I plan to create another look using a purple shimmery color in the same palette. Somehow this video is a bit blurry which i realized during the editing process, so please excuse me for that. Hope you will love this simple smokey eye look :).

Products Used:

Mac: Untitled Paint
Makeup Revolutions Salvation Pallete : Welcome To The Pleasure Dome
Makeup Revolutions : Long Way From Home
Makeup Revolutions : Using My Power
Makeup Revolutions : Never Doing What I Am Told
Makeup Revolutions : Pleasure Dome
Sephora : Contour Eye Pencil 24 Hr Wear
Inglot : #77 gel liner
Lancome : Hypnose Drama
Estee Lauder : Double Wear Concealor 04 New Medium Deep
Max Factor : 04 Pink Princess
Maybelline 110 Mirrored Mauve

Asha

Dream Closet : Pinterest Inspired

January 13, 2016January 13, 2016 / ajesther / 2 Comments

Pinterest is the answer to all my problems these days and I’m sure it is just not me who thinks this way. Let’s just take a moment to thank the internet universe for Pinterest. No matter what I am searching for I always end up on this site, eventually spending hours.

Currently, I’m obsessing about walk-in closets and thought of sharing my dream list here in pictures straight out of pinterest. I have a board now dedicated for it so I can be inspired when I’ll be getting mine done in the near future.

There are few pointers that I will be considering, such as

I want a spacious walk in closet which should be inviting enough to lift my mood after a hectic day.
The lighting should close to natural day light.
Ofcourse a huge mirror.
A good couch to be placed in the middle to sit on and ponder over what to wear when there is nothing to wear..get it 😉
Dedicated sections for everything : clothes, shoes, accessories and makeup.
Small area for The Man 😀
A place to keep my “next-morning” outfit ready.

Below are few images that I absolutely adore and wanted to share with you:

Credits: Pinterest via https://www.pinterest.com/pin/118923246388770118/

Credits: Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/pin/118923246388770117/

Credits : Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/pin/118923246388770137/

Credits : Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/118923246388770158/

I plan to keep on adding more to my pinterest board regularly so if you want to see it please come join me here

Asha

Ice Cube Trick – Acne

June 9, 2015October 28, 2017 / ajesther / 6 Comments

A girl who has been suffering with acne for a while must have tried a lot of potions and creams, treatments and remedies, chemicals and natural stuff. You name it and it all will be under the list of “tried stuff”.

That girl in question here is me.

There are few great products and few great home remedies that have helped me tame my acne prone skin. Lately, I have tried a new skin regimen which I feel is helping my skin a lot without taking any oral medication. One of the major help that my skin is getting from is the ICE CUBE REMEDY.

Yes, I have been using this technique for a while and I have noticed a change after every use, especially, the morning after.

The technique is quite simple, all I do is wash my face clean, grab one ice cube and then rub it all over my face in circular motion. I hold the ice cube for couple of more seconds where ever I can feel a new breakout is “about to happen” or even on areas where there is already a guest sitting.

Any one out there who is suffering from acne, I would highly recommend him/her to try this method and see the results. I have researched a bit over the internet and have found that there are no side effects, however, some did mention that they noticed white heads over their effected area which eventually subsides.

This method is pocket friendly and has great results for absolutely anyone. Acne prone skin or not try this since Ice also helps to tighten your pores and give you firm looking skin.

Pros-

pocket friendly
soothes the skin
reduces inflammation
tightens your pores aka firm skin
glowing skin
helps to combat acne
Helpful for hormonal acne sufferers (like me)

Cons-

Redness right after use (for best results try it before bed time)
Whiteheads for some people ( a form of detox they say)

Have you tried Ice cube method before? What has your experience been?

Asha

Summer Powder Foundation Routine : Summer Chic

April 27, 2015April 27, 2015 / ajesther / 2 Comments

Hey Gorgeous!

Summer calls for a powder foundation routine. There are days when I just don’t feel like applying a creamy foundation and like to have something light weight. Those days I grab my Smashbox Halo Hydrating Perfecting Powder to help my skin look better than it actually is.

The product comes in a compact tub which has a “shaver” that scrapes out the product once you twist it. A pretty cool way to get my freshly milled power out. I really love this product because it does not break me out, helps to cover my blemishes and also helps in keeping me oil free for few hours.

Having an acne prone skin and oily skin sucks but you got to deal with what you have right?

I have uploaded my demo video on my youtube channel so you can see how I apply this foundation.

Have you tried this foundation? Which is your favorite powder foundation?

Asha

Please give it a thumbs up and subscribe to my channel.

Mini M.A.C store rant + Mini NewU Haul

April 1, 2015 / ajesther / Leave a comment

Hello Gorgeous!

As the title suggests, it a rant and a haul. So here goes the story:

I went to the mall with the sole aim of drooling over and purchasing the Cinderella collection from M.A.C. But guess what happened! I was told this collection was not released in India and will not be since “they” think it will not be good for Indian skin tone.

WHAT – Are you kidding me? Let the bazillion girls in India decide if it will suit them or not. You should have got some of it and then should have seen how the sales were doing. Only thing an Indian girl residing in India will do is ask her friends to grab it for her from elsewhere. (MAC India read this as giving your sales to another country.. GRRR)

I was so mad that I did not buy anything from M.A.C. even though I heard few lipsticks calling my name *Ashaaaa Take me, Take me*

Eventually I headed to a much humble abode of drugstore makeup – NewU. I bought few products from there, some of them were tried and tested by me before and some were new ( read impulse purchase)

So here are my picks –

new u info

Maybelline Baby Lips – Tried and tested before

This is my 4th tube which I will end up using till its last breath. This stuff is the best lip balm available in the market. The pop of color that it gives me is perfect. Once I apply this to my bare lips it makes them look a nicer version of my own, so it is great for a “no makeup look” days. Rps 150 for 4.5 g

L’oreal Colour Protect Protecting Shampoo – Tried and tested before

This is my second shampoo bottle after getting my hair colored for the third time ( makes sense?). Last time when I got my hair colored I picked up this shampoo along with a conditioner from same line. Both together were good enough to keep my new hair color happy and intact for a long time. The conditioner did a great job to keep the “oh bit damaged” hair strands conditioned. I wanted to grab the conditioner along with this shampoo but NewU did not have any left with them – bummer! Rs. 145 for 175ml

Lakmé Eyeconic Green Impulse purchase

Spring is here and this required me to get some pop of color in my makeup bag, yet again. Yes, I need more of those colorful liners – black doesn’t do justice for everyday. This liner is amazing but it’s not smudge proof, so an oily lid or a sweaty day would ruin the look ( Hello Summer). Getting back to its plus points the product has a great color pay off and I love this emerald-green shade. It will suit indian skin tone / olive skin tone beautifully. Rs. 250 for .35 g

Beauty Formulas Tea Tree Wipes – Impulse purchase

Well, this one I got just because it said “beauty formulas” and “Tea Tree” in the same package. Any acne prone human being will support tea tree just the way an indian cricket fan supports India during a match. It’s like you have an immense faith in this ingredient which is similar to the faith bestowed on those 11 players on the field. Getting back to its plus points, these wipes are great to wipe away your makeup but you still need to wash your face before hitting the bed. I know it’s a task which every lazy girl hates but an acne prone girl just can take that risk, so i always try to wash my face no matter what. These wipes smell lovely to me since I love the main ingredient and it sort of refreshes my face. Rs. 229 for 30 wipes

So basically, M.A.C Cinderella collection helped me save a lot of money 🙂 but I am still mad since I couldn’t get to play with it :(.

Have you tried any of these above products or the gorgeous Cinderella collection ?

Asha

New Hair Color – Geetanjali Salon Review

March 19, 2015May 26, 2015 / ajesther / 3 Comments

Hey there!

I got my hair colored this week and I am beyond excited to have found a great place in Gurgaon for this experience. Geetanjali Salon in Ambience Mall Gurgaon was the place where I went without any recommendation, but I can now vouch for a global hair color from them.

One of my best friend wanted to get her hair colored and wanted to know if I knew any good place for color. I knew a great place in Dubai – Krysalis Salon & Spa and a great hairstylist – Sugandh. I have had my first color and some of the best haircuts from this young talented lady. If anyone is looking for an awesome salon/spa in Dubai then do check out this place. Krysalis has amazing staff and a great ambience. You truly would enjoy being pampered there.

Now coming back to my friend and her desire to find a great place in Delhi/NCR region. I did not have a clue and for the same reason I did a bit of research online to find a good place for global hair color in Gurgaon. I could not really find much so we thought of heading to a mall where we would find few high end salons who might not screw up our hair.

And lo behold we were standing in front of Geetanjali Salon. I asked them if they would take in two clients for hair color without prior appointment and they said yes – *Brownie Point* . We were escorted to our chairs and introduced to our stylist – Mr. Khan. I told him about the exact shade that I want ( Thanks to Sugandh who made sure I take down the shade number in case I wanted to do the same color. Shade is L’oreal 6.35 mixed with 7.35 – mix together 50:50 in case they do not have the color ask for Copper brown) Khan told me he can do it *Brownie Point*

Since, my friend was new to the hair color experience she waned to go with the same shade, however, Khan mentioned it would be a bit loud for someone who is getting her hair colored for the first time. Instead he suggested to go more subtle with the shade but still in the same color family. This made him gain few extra brownie points as he was investing his suggestions and not just looking forward to mint money. *Extra Brownie Points*

After his honest opinion my friend and I had more confidence on Khan and asked him to take take charge of our hair. An application of the color mixture lasted 10 minutes and another 35-40 minutes for it to stay on. During this process the staff offered us refreshments and a cuppa chai was ordered. After 40 minutes time was to head towards washing off the color. I must admit I hate these sessions since I do not like the backwash chairs as they hurt my neck after a while. However, I loved the way it was done. The massage session while shampooing was soooo good, I actually learnt few tips from the person on how to massage your scalp properly while shampooing to stimulate blood circulation. *Brownie Point*

Once I got back to the chair , Khan blow dried my hair and styled them perfectly *Brownie Point*. Needless to say I was in love with it.

So all in all I would highly recommend Geetanjali Salon & Khan in Ambience Mall, if you are looking for a change.

Cost for me – Rs. 4500/-