Highlights on Dark Indian Hair at Home

Swoooooshyyyyyyyyyyy

Okay.

So.

I'm kind of having a mid-young-life crisis.

Smart Liner for Dummies

So, I know it's been like forever since I last posted. It's been kind of insane.  I have not even bought that much makeup.  Le sigh.

I did make time for one thing, though.  Sephora Smart Liner.

Remember when you first tried liquid liner? And you spent hours trying to master it? And all you ended up with was a spidery mess on your eyelids?  Or some weird zig zag line? And after all that, you wiped the liner off in frustration and gave up?

Invincible Makeup!

So there's nothing better than getting all dolled up (sexy outfit, fancy makeup) and going out for a fun night... Or heck, even just staying in and feeling pretty. But what's the fun in it if the second you start sweating on the dance floor or getting teary eyed (sappy movie, marriage proposal, allergies, who knows what the day holds in store), it all ends up melting off your face? And let's face it, no one likes spider eyes (I always think of the Mirrors music video where the chick's mascara is all over her cheeks... Yick!). So as much fun as it is to put makeup on, the other half of the battle is making it stay put! And there are ways, my friends, there are always ways.

Cat Eyes on a Random Summer Day

So I had some time to myself today... and nothing pressing to do... which is rare these days, as I'm sure you can tell from the embarrassing infrequency of my blog posts... so I puttered around for a while, read a book, took a leisurely bubble bath, threw some stuff in the slow cooker for dinner, and then I decided, I'm going to play with makeup!!!

And this happened.

Ozone Sandal Face Wash

Homeys-

Apparently that word is not commonly used in the youngsters' vernacular these days - but who cares. I still use it and, therefore, it belongs in Websters Dictionary.

NEWayz (bringing back memories here), I was in New York on New Year's weekend, during most of which I was struggling not to freeze to death.  It was really cold and really windy and we all would shuffle into any darn store that looked interesting to get a break from the howling winds.  There was a reason to our cold madness, and one of those was to check out all the cool shops offering Indian goodies.  We walked into the Bhutala Emporium, which is basically a shop full of religious, meditative and health books, idols, and other products.   Of course, when I walked in, I gravitated towards the shelves of women's beauty products and picked up the Ozone Sandal Face Wash, pictured above.  

Too Faced Natural Eye Review and Looks

So the boy and I just got back from a pretty spiffy weekend trip to "NorCal" (that's Northern Cali to you lay-peeps =) ) during which we spent almost the entire weekend outside! The weather was perfect too, not too hot, not too cool, sunny and clear the whole time... and of course, being the first weekend spent outdoors in months, I committed my annual faux pas of forgetting to put on sunscreen. It's like clockwork, I do it every year, in my joy to be outside for the first time when the weather finally gets nice,  the sunscreen goes by the wayside. Why, you may ask, is this a concern, as I am Indian, and Indian people don't get sunburned? Well, my friends, I happen to be possibly the only Indian person on the planet that actually has to deal with sunburn. Clearly, the sun has seemed to overlook the fact that I AM, IN FACT, BROWN-SKINNED, and chooses to roast me anyway. Luckily the sun up there isn't as strong as what I usually deal with, so this time I'm just left with a nice "rosy" (aka mauve) glow across my nose and cheeks. Good times. My own fault, I know, you'd think I'd learn by now. Anyway, that just means that for the next few days I'm going to have to give up a few extra minutes of precious sleep in the morning to spend covering up the enthusiastically flushed look I'm rocking right now and replace it with a more demure one.

Anyway, I digress. So, on to the actual topic of this post. This is yet another eyeshadow palette that I picked up longer ago than I care to think about (and one I've been promising reviews for since forever, I know), but hey, late is better than never right? =) So here we go...

Too Faced Natural Eye
Eyeshadow Palette

MegaHaul!!!

So... I was kind of bad last weekend....

Dress and blouses from New York & Company
Coach bag from Coach Outlet

Yeah, you can't see all the little stuff at the bottom of the pic there, so here's a closeup...

From left to right:
The Body Shop Loose Powder in #3
L'Oreal True Match Crayon Concealer in W4-5
Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Honey
L'Oreal Magic Lumi Light Infusing Primer
Sonia Kashuk Retractable Lip Brush
Too Faced Color Drenched Lip Cream in Spice Spice Baby
Nicole by OPI Nal Polishes in Back In My Gloria Days and Iceberg Lotus

Oh, and here's some other stuff I picked up a while back that I never mentioned...

Too Faced Beauty Editor Darlings including:
Lashgasm Mascara, Shadow Insurance Eyeshadow Primer,  Glamour Gloss, Lip Insurance Lip Primer,
Primed and Poreless Face Primer
(Holy primer overload Batman!!!)
Maybelline Color Tattoo Metal in Inked in Pink
Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze

.........
...................

I have said it before, and I'll say it again. I think we can all agree that I have a problem.

The Coach bag, especially, was a complete and total impulse buy, I had no plans or need for getting a new bag, I was perfectly happy with the bag I had, and then this happened...

I mean, come on. What would you have done???

Ok, maybe don't answer that. But in my defense, the original price tag on the bag said $298.00, and I got it for $110.00!!! So really, it could have been worse. }:-)

So as you can see, I have lots of stuff to play with and review. Lots and lots and lots. I'm hoping work doesn't keep me too busy over the next couple of months...  :-) I think, though, the next (long overdue) review will be for the Too Faced Natural Eye palette... one of my favorites!! Have a great weekend and stay tuned!!

FORGIVE ME TOO!! (And Urban Decay Smoked Palette Review and Swatches!)

It's so funny, I'd been getting on Lotus's case a few weeks ago for not posting for a while, and then the other day I looked at the date of my last post and I realized that Holy moly, it's been over a month since I last posted!!! What a hypocrite I am. So bad, I know, I'm sorry!! I really don't know where the time goes. This has been a crazy couple of months for both of us, but fret not, we are still alive and kicking!! =) Hopefully the upcoming months will be less crazy and leave more time for zee bloggage!!!

So, on to some good stuff. I finally (FINALLY) have done a review of the Urban Decay Smoked eyeshadow palette that I got I-don't-even-want-to-think-how-long ago. I've actually been using this palette pretty frequently these days when I want a more dramatic look, I just never got around to doing a proper review with pictures and swatches and stuff (again, I'm sorry!!!). So anyway, here goes!!

Urban Decay Smoked Eyeshadow Palette

Urban Decay Smoked Eyeshadow Palette

FORGIVE ME!

I have been silent for a while, I know.  I had some things going on and I just could not get myself on my laptop to post.  So, I just blog at work instead. :-) I have lots of things to write about, so I am working on them.

SO, for now, you can drool over my latest haul. :)  Thanks to Ms. Jasmine, who gives the bests presents (can you ever go wrong with makeup?), here is what I got for my birthday.  Apparently I need lots of makeup to hide the fact that I AM THE BIG 3-0 OH MY G.  (Runs and hides).

HAAAAAAAAAAAULLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!

Here is what we have (clockwise)...

Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze
elf Liner Brush
Smashbox Cream Shadow in Neptune
Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bold Gold
Urban Decay liner in various shades
Smashbox Trio in Quick Take

Good stuff, people, good stuff.  I will do reviews on these items... if there is anything you are DYING to read about, comment and I will post on that first.

See you soon!

Who da Balm??

Ok ok, I know that's a cheesy pun (and probably overdone), but I thought of it all by myself, and I'm  proud of it.  =) So this post is about a few different lip products that I've picked up over the last several weeks. They're all what I like to call "pseudo-lippies". You know the ones I'm talking about. All of the drugstore cosmetic brands have come out with one recently - Revlon with their Lip Butters, Maybelline with their Color Whisper line, and L'Oreal with their Caress line. All of these products are basically lip balms pretending to be lipsticks. They all have very moisturizing qualities, and while some of them (like the Revlon Lip Butters) are fairly highly pigmented, none of them are really meant to last very long.

And the winner is...

Wait for it.... wait for it.....

Too Faced Perfect Eyes Waterproof Eyeliner in Perfect Black

Yep, you guessed it (and if you looked on the Favorites page you totally cheated!!  ;-) ). Too Faced is rapidly becoming my favorite cosmetic brand. So far, I've had amazing results with their mascara, eye shadow (reviews to come!!), and as you can see above, their eyeliner.

One Eyeliner to Rule Them All...

And in the darkness... bind them?

Ok, so I don't know about that last part. But I am currently on a quest to find the One Eyeliner. The one that's got a creamy enough texture to line easily, enough pigment to make my eyes bright, and enough staying power to survive through the day without making me look like I got punched in both eyes. And maybe solve world hunger as well? Or barring that, turn me invisible when I put it on?

For the love of makeup...

The Innate Love of Makeup

 

Today's post is not about a particular makeup product.  I did, however, want to share some thoughts on why I think us ladies love makeup!  I have recently spending a lot of time with my niece, who just turned 6, and is one of the awesomeist little people in the world.  Despite her being on a strict "no-makeup allowed" ban, her fascination and absolute love for makeup has made me realize that us grown-up women who giggle over new eyeshadow are likely internally programmed to adore anything makeup or beauty-related from birth.  Here is a recent conversation we had while she was digging through my makeup drawers (yes I have more than one but they are small!):

 

The Best Christmas Gift Ever!

Smashbox Studio Pop Eyeshadow Palette

So, I am coming home after a looooooong day, to find a package waiting for me.  It has Jasmine's handwriting, and it's my Christmas gift!  I have no idea what it is (she had been building the suspense for a couple weeks), but when I open it, I found this:

:o :o :o... SIXTEEN Smashbox shadows, and four cream eyeliners, all in one handy palette!  Yes, it was the best Christmas gift ever.  My husband, who was a little excited to see what my best friend got me, rolled his eyes when he saw it was makeup.  I, however, was very, very pleased. :)

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies!!

Chocolate chip cookies are one of my favoritest things in the world. I live for them. This recipe is really easy to make and more importantly, really easy to remember! It's my go-to recipe for get togethers, or for whenever I get the munchies (which is a lot).

bareMinerals READY Eyeshadow 8.0 - Review, Swatches, Looks

So, as you saw from my last Haul post, I am the proud owner of 4 new eyeshadow palettes!! The first one on the review list is bareMinerals READY Eyeshadow 8.0 in The Finer Things. I picked this one up a while back (during after Christmas sales - $25!!), but I think it's already been discontinued!! They have a new edition now, called The September issue ($40 at Sephora), which has some intriguing colors as well. But I figured I should review this one anyway, and I'm sure you can find it online somewhere if you're big on these colors. So, here goes...

bareMinerals READY Eyeshadow 8.0 in The Finer Things

Living Proof Prime Style Extender

Ladies - I know I just wrote a long post on how to improve your hair, but I must review this hair product before you go to the store to buy this seemingly latest and greatest thing.

I love hair products.  I am always on the hunt for something that makes it easier to style or manage my hair.  If something will cut down my style time, I will jump on it.  I heard about Living Proof Prime Style Extender and jumped on it.  It has RAVE reviews on Sephora.com, from people being able to hold a curl after years of stubbornly straight hair, people who were finally able to keep their hair straight after timeless struggles with curls and frizz, and those who were able to go an extra day with their style without washing their hair because their hair stayed fresh.

I was not too concerned about getting a product that will keep my hair straight or curly.  I was looking for something that would keep my hair from getting oily so I could go an extra day or two without having to wash.  This was something I am most interested in for when I straighten my hair - after going through all that trouble, I want it to last more than a couple of days and I wanted it to look good.

Recent Haul!

Sooo I've kind of been busy in the last week....

Top Left: bareMinerals READY Eyeshadow 8.0
Top Right: Urban Decay Smoked Eyeshadow Palette
Top Center: Too Faced Perfect Eyes Waterproof Eyeliner in Perfect Moss
Bottom Left: Too Faced Matte Eye Eyeshadow Palette
Bottom Right: Too Faced Natural Eye Eyeshadow Palette
Bottom Misc (From top to bottom): Ulta Pencil Sharpener, Ulta Eye Shadow #1 Brush, Ulta Crease Brush, Too Faced Perfect Eyes Waterproof Eyeliner in Perfect Brown

Banana Nut Chocolate Chip Muffins!!!

I'm kind of obsessed with food, so I will be posting recipes on here once in a while (this qualifies as one of those "anything else that makes us happy" posts from the blog description). And most of the time they'll be desserts or sweet things of some sort. And let it be known that if there's a dessert that doesn't have chocolate in it, I don't believe in eating it (as a converse to that, if it has chocolate in it, I firmly believe it should be consumed in large quantities). So, this is an example of one of the many recipes that I have found, modified slightly, and added chocolate to. It's super easy too! Bon appetit!!

Banana Nut Chocolate Chip Muffins

How to Not Be a Zombie on Travel

So a lot of us working girls these days have to travel, and as glamorous as it may sound to others, let's face it, it's rough. There's always that slightly unsettled feeling of being in an unfamiliar place, coupled with homesickness, that just leaves you feeling... well, yuck. I've had to travel a lot in the past few years (I'd guess in the last two years I've been away from home a total of 6 months). Don't get me wrong, it's always an adventure and I always learn something new every place I go, and sometimes it's a blast, but when the day finally rolls around when it's time to fly home, I can hardly contain my excitement. There's no joke in the saying that home is where the heart is.  :-)

Of course, one of the worst parts of traveling is the damage it wreaks on you physically!! The jet lag, the unfamiliar bed, the things in your hotel room that go bump in the night will undoubtedly result in little to no beauty sleep, at least for a few nights. This lack of sleep, in turn, wreaks havoc on your skin. The new climate does God knows what to your hair. Ahhhh!! It's a nightmare!! With all these things to fight against, it's easy to give in to the zombie that's trying to take over. But, over the last few years (and after some pretty rough experiences), I've learned a few tricks on how to battle the zombie apocalypse...

Bollywood Hair!

One thing all of us Indian chicks want, but may or may not admit to, is their desire for Bollywood heroine hair.  At some point in our lives, we have desired long, glorious, shiny locks, that blow in the wind during the applicable song of the moment.  We want Madhuri's waves, Aishwarya's layers, Katrina's straight locks, Shilpa's smoothness, Amisha's length, and Kareena's bounce.   But the problem that many of us desi girls face is frizzy, thick hair.  And lots of it.  I have met only ONE Indian girl that has stick straight and silky hair, and something is wrong with that concept.  I just stare at her hair whenever I see her because it is a huge paradox to me.  Silky, smooth hair just doesn't happen, unless we fight with blow dryers, flat irons, or even permanent reconditioning treatments (yikes!).

My personal hair idol is Anushka Sharma.  She has an amazing cut, length, and volume. And it's always styled well.  I always use a picture of hers when I get a haircut.

Exhibit A

So, how do we get there?  Well, first, we have to COMMIT.  It is so important I used all three methods of font emphasis.  Getting pretty hair is not an overnight accomplishment.  It will take months and maybe years to get there, and while we all love and expect instant results, you have to be ready to stick to this long term.  It's not hard, but it requires patience.

Snuffalupagus or Aishwarya??

One of these things is not like the other one, one of these things does not belong...

BUT they both have something in common!!

I'll give you one guess....

Anastasia Eyebrow Products

So I've always been one to say that the eyes are the best feature... after all, a smile isn't really a smile until it reaches your eyes, is it?? But what I have also discovered as of late is that your eyebrows, while not so impressive on their own, make a HUGE difference for your overall look and expressions. They say that the reason dogs are more expressive than cats (and why cats tend to look generally more psycho, as Lotus can attest to), is because dogs have eyebrows and cats don't. Interesting factoid, huh?

Revlon Lip Butter Obsession!!

Aaaaahhh!!! Why am I so obsessed with these?? I didn't have any two weeks ago, and now I have four. FOUR. And they're not even that amazing, they don't stay on for longer than approximately 8.5 minutes, and that's if you don't dare come within 5 feet of food or drink during that time. What is wrong with me??

Oh right. They're pretty.

Bottom left: Red Velvet, Top Left: Raspberry Pie, Top Right: Pink Truffle, Bottom Right: Peach Parfait

L'Oreal True Match Crayon Concealer

I love Freida Pinto.  I think she is a good actress and a great rolemodel for Indian women.  I have even been told I look like Freida Pinto (probably because I was the only Indian girl within a 10-mile radius, so anyone Indian would look alike).

But, in purchasing a drugstore concealer, I had a substantial revelation:

I am so not Freida Pinto.

How did I realize this?  I have been in the market for a new concealer for my undereye circles.  I have been using LORAC's Coverup in C4 for the past two years (it lasts forever), but it is finally almost finished.  I usually like LORAC's Coverup because of its creamy texture, and is quick to apply and blend. When I have a little more time, I use Makeup Forever or Salma Hayek's Nuance concealers (reviews to come!).

So, I was in the market for a new concealer.  I saw the display here and was immediately intrigued. 

Hermione's Handbag?

Can you guess what is in my purse?

Circle all that apply.

a) Wallet
b) Makeup bag
c) Glasses
d) Pens
e) Date planner
d) Banana
e) Yogurt
f)  Pizza
g) Flat iron
h) All of the above!

Hehe!  

Purse from "The Limited," Quilted Satchel