Save Our Skins :- Lakme intense whitening

hello everyone,
 quick skincare review here. so this is what has been saving my sin this summer . i bought the lakme intense whitening night cream is the winters but stopped using it due to the dryness and sensitivity i was experiencing due to the effects of topical retinoids.

price :- inr 299 for 50 g 

packaging:-

the packaging is standard as is with all other perfect radiance products . white with pink and silver accents .this comes in a jar with a screw top. not very hygienic. i use it with a sanitized ice cream spoon.

ingredients:- the list is considerably huge . please click on the picture to read .

what it claims:-

wake up to visibly radiant skin with Lakmé Perfect Radiance NightRepair Crème. Renew and repair with Chronosphere Vitazyme C & Niacinamide (Vitamin B3) at night when your skin's renewal process is at its peak. This lightweight creme leaves no residue leaving your skin smooth and radiant.

• Chronosphere Vitazyme C
• Niacinamide (Vitamin B3)
• Continuous Release Technology
• Suitable for All Skin Types

 my few pennies:-

it may be a cream but the texture is more akin to a gel that turns to lotion upon blending in . this makes the cream wonderful to use unlike some very heavy creams which are very difficult to blend. 

this has a fragrance and it made my skin tingle at least fro 2 minutes when i applied the cream .

what it did:-

•  this reduced my overall face oiliness within 2 weeks.
•  lightened my acne scars.
•  reduced discolourations
• extensively removed tanning from my forehead and nose.
• my skin upreared brighter the next morning.

what it didn't do :-

make my skin any whiter or lighter . i wasn't expecting it to.

thus , all in all IT WORKS. 

it kicked ass of a 2300 inr cream that is extensively promoted by stars as well as bloggers. i wont mention which. guesses welcome in the comments below. 

rating:- 4/5

one deducted for lots of chemical ingredients and jar packaging.

i have found my Hg night cream. have you ?

let me know in the comments below. 

love, 

vj

PS:- the rains are literally lashing India... loving it or loathing it ?

CAUTION:-

before using any skin care product be sure to consult your dermatologist or your gp . user's discretion advised .since the product  worked on someone's skin it may not mean that it might work on other skins too.

disclaimer :-

all the products mentioned above are purchased by me . i have never received money in return of a glowing review . my loyalty lies to my readers . this is a p.r friendly blog .

i can be contacted on vj.neglur@gmail.com for any queries and information .

vellvette box - may 13 enuf said

hey everyone,

its that time of the month . eeew not that time . get your heads out of the gutter . its time for the vellvette box. every last week of the month , the most awaited box arrives with a lots of high end luxury goodies. if you want to know what the fuss is all about, click here .

to read about my previous experiences

1.my first box 

2.vellvette box for april'13 

the vellvette box for may13 and meiji amino collagen skin glow 7 day sample

before anything else , a lot has been said ( ranted ) about the meiji amino collagen skin glow over the blogosphere . some liked it , some didn't. some were utterly disgusted. but , a few days before the shipping of the box , i got a mail from the people at vellvette.com asking whether i would be interested in trying this as an bonus sample. given that i am a pure vegetarian ( Kannada brahmin , any fellow kannada brams, gimme a thumbs up gals n guys ) ,  decided to give it some thought. since i do not consume any meat or even meat based supplements , i decided to pass it off. but my mother , who's in her fifties isn't averse to consuming animal sourced supplements . so this one is basically for her . i will post an update on how this works for her ...

notice the change... no pink paper this time ...boohoohoo. only white paper with gold print.

keeping in mind the theme of this month , ORGANIC , the box also included very pretty potpourri. my nose took a notice of this first and i cant seem to open the box without sneezing. so if the pictures seem a bit wonky this time , its because my sister took them for me. apologies for that. 

so without any further delay my box had:-

top swatch shampoo ; lower swatch conditioner/masque

• BROCATO curlinterrupted Smooting and Hydrating treatment kit ( shampoo and conditioner ) :- (61.5 ml and 48.8 ml each ) . both the shampoo and the conditioner cost 375 inr each. full sizes together cost 1275. this itself makes up the cost of the box.  i have poker straight almost waist length hair. i don't see the point why vellvette sent me this one despite mentioning my hair type in the questionnaire . this one is going to my mum . but i decided to test it out first.
•  the shampoo is  sls ,surfactant and paraben free. not any of the regular baddies in this one . it isn't great for people with oily scalp or hair ( like me ) . it doesn't clean too well. smells awesome. along with the conditioner the smell lingers nicely.
• the conditioner is thick . almost body butter thick. given that shea butter is the third ingredient , its nicely hydrating. detangles nicely and overall makes the hair very soft to touch. but it can make the hair   quite heavy. if you have very thick hair ( again like moi ) this will give headaches for sure. 

• TVAM almond and honey scrub and body polisher :- (296.40 inr for 30 g ) :- 988 for 100g full size .- a decent scrub . smells heavily of roses . almost like dabur gulabari . the texture is very similar to fabindia neem and tulsi scrub. all in all a good pre wax body polisher. surely much better than the nyssa Belgian chocolate sugar scrub i had received in a previous vellvette box. 

• flormar DELUXE SHINE GLOSS LIPSTICK  in D31:-  and the final cherry on the cake . or the diamond among stones in this months box. i was stunned when i saw this shade. a very bright bubble gum pink . very blue based, there was no way this was going to look good on my medium warm toned complexion. but it actually does. the underlying sheerness of this colour just makes it very wearable for all skin tones and shades, just like the revlon lip butters . it doesn't turn opaque no matter how much you smoosh it on . its got a very nice slip. very hydrating throughout wear . leaves a pretty pink stain . i hate blue-pinks but i m in love with this one. 

overall , a nice mix of haircare, skincare and makeup.  i am satisfied with this months box . i will rate it an B+.

what about you ? love it or loathe it? what do you like from my box ? what do you wish my box should have had more? 

love,

vj 

disclaimer :- 

non affiliate links .the above product was bought by me from my own money .  .i have never received compensation in return of glowing reviews. my loyalty lies with my readers. for further details i can be contacted on vj.neglur@gmail.com. Thank You very much!

lets go graphic with colour for summer feat. maybelline and nyx

hey everyone ,

summers are the perfect time with your look , your hair , your wardrobe and even your makeup. after playing cool and conservative all year long( for some of us ). this is the time to let our hair down and wear whatever we want. and those who wanna judge , go ahead! we don't care a hoot .

http://i.beautylish.co/DpaWmL-EQMRV9LZ6VWCLuQK8BE0/tlw-83/ill-wear-as-much-makeup-as-i-want.jpg

so the following look is a result of a magpie ( me ) who loves all things shiny and colourful ( makeup) and had ( once upon a long time ago,  alot of time on her hands.......... aah the great days ). what better way to beat the ennui than try a new technique .... i m sorry but you have to see my boring old mug again :(

so lets start 

1. apply your favourite concealer of choice and primer. what i like to do is , use a concealer and apply powder on top of the upper and lower lid, especially as my oily lids are prone to creasing.

2.tape the sides of your eyes to get a precise shape . place the tape along your lower lash line and upwards , just the way you would do for a cat eyeliner . ensure that both the sides are equal or you will end up with wonky eye makeup and no one wants to look cray cray ! place loose powder underneath the eyes to catch fallout.

tip:- before sticking the tape right to your lids , stick it and remove it from a surface a few times to loosen the glue. this will ensure that the delicate under eye area isn't harmed.

3. roughly draw the shape you want want with a black eyeliner pencil. i was going for a feline eye shape here . it doesn't have to be precise. we can sharpen it later. this will serve as a guideline for what is going to come next.

3. fill in the shape you have created . i chose a black gel eyeliner as it doesnt crease easily and eyeshadows adhere better to gel than pencil eyeliner.

4. wet your brush slightly and dip into pigment or eyeshadow of yoyur cghoce. tap it gently againt the container to avoid fall out . now carefully place it over the areas covered by the black eyeliner . dont cross the shape created and cover all the areas, leaving no gaps. 

5.take a contrasting colour pigment/eyeshadow and using the same wet brush technique place it around the inner and outer corner. using an angled brush makes this much much easier. blend both the colours into each other slightly at the point they meet.

6. finish the look up by removing your tape. applying teeny tiny bit of blue eyeliner on the lower lashline. notyhing too dramatic (yup thats me saying it...) .line your upper lash line with black eyeliner. i went a bit fancy and drew some dots ( thats all i can do ).curl your lashes and apply mascara . to polish up the look a bit do your brows by filling them up and setting them in place . and YOU ARE DONE!!!!!

7. a peachy coral blush and peachy pink lips later you are all set to take over the wrold( or like me cook yourself a bowl of maggi and sit watching reruns of THE BIG BANG THEORY ...yayyyy love my (not so)social life ....).

PRODUCTS USED (IN ORDER OF USE):-

EYES

1.  oriflame giordani mineral therapy concealer- light
2. medical tape- the paper kind
3. maybelline colossal kajal- the ultimate HG ever
4. maybelline eye studio lasting drama gel eyeliner- black ( another hg )
5. NYX ultra pearl mania - purple
6. random copper pigment from an Indian brand called COVERGIRL ( this hasn't got to do anything with the popular US brand CoverGirl) 
7. lakme absolute shine line liquid eyeliner- is matte . period. dont know why its called shine line .
8. oriflame eye lash curler.
9. maybelline colossal hyper curl mascara- the curl and the volume just rock with this one.
10. faces long wear eyeliner in navy blue (not pictured)
11. faces brow kit 
12. vega angular blender brush
13. real techniques eyeshadow brush.

FACE

1. lakme rose powder- for under the eye to catch fall out.
2. lakme invisible finish foundation - 02
3. lakme radiance compact- natural marble. ( both the above products are cheap and dont offer much falsh back )
4. maybelline dream mousse blush peach satin - along the cheek bones as highlight
5. oriflame very me tinted moisturizer in light - overall highlighter
6. kryolan blush - t1
7. vega foundation and powder brush
8. basicare blush brush

LIPS

1. yves rocher lipliner- bois rose ( a request to all those who know french... please pronounce it for me )
2. avon simply pretty lipstick in mango mania
3. clinique long last glosswear - fireberry 

swatches in order of use

hoping ypu like this look. 

let me know in the comments below .

love,

vj

p.s:- who thinks the summers are especially scorching this year ? me..... what are your best ways to just chill ( annoying salman khan song .... and i m still humming it . LORD SAVE ME )

disclaimer :- the above product was bought by me from my own money .  .i have never received compensation in return of glowing reviews. my loyalty lies with my readers. for further details i can be contacted on vj.neglur@gmail.com. Thank You very much!

vellvette box - april 2013

hello everyone,
after posting about my last vellvette box , i somehow took a break from it . however i soon missed it and decided to subscribe again.and this time its a three month subscription . YAYY FOR ME
just an heads up my first post was a ballad to the greatness of the vellvette box.so lets see does this one float the boat and make it sail or the boat plain sinks..................

pretty box , pretty ribbon -even the ribbon has a spring theme to it .... :D

this times box has a sort of spring theme to it . as they say this box is to put a spring in our steps.... sadly they   are mistaken . its blazing, makeup melting, brain boiling summer in mumbai . aah! lets just leave that to that because that rant can go on and on ..... as much as i love my city , this is one thing i cannot absolutely bear  ...pssshh

big bad dent in my box....o_0,

whats in my box:-
i had really high expectations from this box . when i placed my order , they were currently running a contest that some 200 subscribers would get LUSH aqua marina cleanser . i didn't get in my box . may be some other "bloggers" did win . this was disappointment number one. its like meh . i didn't win so what ? i never do right ? no point being a sour puss >.<

• Figs and Rouge Aloe and Mint balm:- (full size - inr 695)

aloe great . mint .... umm not so great . not a fan of anything that smells or tastes minty . in lip products i can bear . not in something that i m going to put on my body.(not that the poor guys at vellvette could have known this. there was no column for fragrance of products in preferences ;) ) 

its exactly like a balm .at room temperature , has a more ghee like consistency.it tingles a bit on the lips. offers clear shine . i also use it on elbows, knees and ankles at night and find them softened in the morning.

haven't used on my brows,feet etc yet , as mentioned in the card.

 a very good product but not my favourite flavour.

who loves vintage tin packaging....me me me !

• THE NATURE'S CO Spearmint Body Wash:-(sample size -35ml, full size-485)

this one's perfect for the Indian summers. after all an Indian company, that too one manufacturing pure vegetarian products.... happy vegetarian dance !!!!!!!!. its a great basic body wash . lathers well, get cleaned in less water , has a pleasant tingly feeling after you apply it. the tingly sensation last for a while after the shower. decent sized bottle . easily you can get about 10 uses out of it . perfect for travel.

didn't get the atmospure part ..... we usually associate green with murkiness... maybe purity for the people at the nature's co.

now the only drawback. the scent . the spearmint scent . brings back memories of chewing Wrigley's spearmint chewing gum for hours together. but i cant tolerate . no mint for me please. mint , spearmint or any other mint.thank you but no thank you . 

this has been promptly snagged by my twerp little sister . she loves it . cant stop sniffing it.

verdant lush green depths of spearminty goodness

whats inside all that gleaming metal??????

• MOTIVES Mardi Gras palette (full size - inr 3050)

whoa.... hold it right there , 3050 inr you say . that too in a sample subscription that is just paid 399 inr for? ( okay even lesser because of the 3 month subscription discount...hehehe) now coming to what this palette has.

• three shadows- a forest green with shimmer., satin finish. the only good performing colour from the eyeshadow category.next is a golden peach . matte finish . doesn't show up very well on my complexion. very sheer. lastly, a violet-purply whateveryoucallit.. a very hard. worst performing shade. doesn't want to budge out from its palette. as you can see below ,the swatches are very very sheer. i cant perceive how to make these shades work *mind freaked*

without flash 

• 6 lipcolors- its technically 3 lip glosses and 3 lipsticks . but the lipcolours themselves are so confused because of their nature that they themselves don't know what are they . plus no card explaining what id what.my love is the 2 nd pan from left in the 2nd pot. the bright coral . rest i don't care for. the deep violet gloss(lets assume its a gloss) was mistaken to be a cream eye liner . duh ! i know right . i had to swatch it to confirm. who anyways wears sheer violet gloss. i don't.

with flash

with flash

without flash

without flash

loads of cards ....new bookmarks wheeeee!!!!!!!!

so overall this was an average box. nothing stood out really. i would have loved to get something from max factor or skincare from the nature's co. anyways , grass is always greener on the other side(purple on ours....hehehe)

take care,
vj


p.s:- anyone saw ek thi daayan? worth a dekko for sure. the cinematography , the storyline , the acting.... everything grips you even much later after the end stills roll in !!!!!!!!

disclaimer:- the above product was bought by me from my own money .  .i have never received compensation in return of glowing reviews. my loyalty lies with my readers. for further details i can be contacted onvj.neglur@gmail.com. Thank You very much!