Van Heusen - and why I love it

There is this Van Heusen store at the mall near my office. Whenever I go there to kill some time and pass by the store, I cannot help but enter for two reasons.
1. The way they have laid out the store is eye catching - there are always pretty, bright coloured clothes right at the front
2. The store smells absolutely wonderful :) It sort of draws you inside to check products on display

Coming to their clothes : I initially never shopped from this brand as I felt it was unnecessarily expensive. I would only scout through Lifestyle or Shoppers Stop when there was a sale of some sort. Then came Amazon :P

But my first trysts with VH began when I was sent to Delhi (Tauro to be more precise) on work for 15 days ... I would leave for the warehouse at 715 am and reach home around 9pm. One evening I was like "enough is enough" and I left at 430pm (2 hours before the shift ended). Next to the hotel where I was staying there was a Shoppers Stop. I went to kill some time, and I fell in love with this dress (okay, something similar). I bought it off, even though it was not on sale :)

This is how it looks on me - pretty pretty, right ? Well, I bought this dress because it has an elastic around the waist and has sleeves (GOD, it is so difficult nowadays to find dresses that have sleeves! I mean, almost everything is sleeveless).
The reason I go for sleeved clothes (especially 3/4th) is because they cover my kinda-fat arms and do not look too informal to wear even to work. They are not too flashy and I feel, give me a slightly more sophisticated look :) (Plus, the elastic on the waist helps hide my tummy).

Now, coming back to the online shopping bit. Amazon was running a sale - some 60%+ discount, and naturally I wanted to check out the products and see if there were any nice clothes. I was browsing through some Van Heusen clothes and saw these 2 tops that I absolutely loved ! One was a pretty blue with a floral pattern, while the other one was black, again with some flower design. Unfortunately they are not available anymore on Amazon :( In the pic below (with the blue top), I'm wearing a skirt from VH - dark grey with slight pleats, but no pockets.

The last dress that I own from VH - well ... It is a beautiful colour (teal), but somehow the top portion of it lacks texture, is quite plain and I feel it draws attention you-know-where... When I wear it I accessorise the dress with chunky jewellery so that it looks good. Now, I know I have found flaws with it, but the reason I love it is because it has pockets ! POCKETS !! Can you believe that :) It is so damn convenient.

Anyway, this is my post on one of the brands I love - do let me know your thoughts and if there are any brands you would like me to cover.

Review of the lipsticks I ordered

So, I got the lipsticks I ordered. Wooohhooo !! Are they gorgeous or are they gorgeous ! :) I am in love with the colours.

Ok, so I will be taking a leaf out of all the blogs I have been reading which describe and give reviews about products - they talk about the texture, smell, longevity, taste etc about everything - I shall try to do justice.

I'll get straight into them. So I bought two colours from L'oreal Paris Mega Gloss right ? One of them is Fight for It 109 (pictures below). I liked the pink shade it seemed to have on the website.

Website image from Amazon.in

Looks pretty similar to the image, doesn't it ? Wow, it is actually a perfect match - this usually does not ever happen, which is why bring lipsticks online is such a pain in the you-know-where!
Anyway, this colour looks very pretty and pink, and has a nice smell - it is slightly fruity. The applicator is pretty funky - I think they have given it the shape it has so that it comes on your lips easily and the contours can be maintained. 

There is not much of a taste to the lipstick / gloss; it has a nice bright pink tinge to it and after a while there is a slight tingly sensation on your lips - kind of like when you eat mint or something. It doesn't bother me much, so I am ok with it.

Anyway this is how the colour looks on my skin. I like it, but think it is too pink ... :-/

Coming to the second shade : Protest Queen 103. It looks very purple kind of pale in the image and I was hesitant to buy it, am not sure how purple would look on my skin. Anyway I saw an image of Eva Longoria wearing it and I thought - well she has a similar skin tone, and it looks nude and gorgeous on her, might as well try it out :)

Now how the colour looks in real life is pasted below.

The colour looks vaguely similar but not as close the previous one.
Anyway, I applied the lipstick and I must be honest - it is GORGEOUS ! It  suits my skin tone. Below is a swatch and how it looks on my lips.

I have tried to compare the 2 colours on my hand to give you guys a comparative view of what they look like. Protest Queen looks super nude compared to Fight For It...

Anyway, this is how the colour looks on me - it is super nude and gives my lips a slight shine with a hint of a very pale pink, which I absolutely love.

Fight For It is up for grabs (as promised) :)

Even more lipsticks !

I am going mad. No, seriously! I have lost it I think. I went and purchased 2 lipsticks online from the Loreal Infallible Mega Gloss collection. Amazon.in is having this sale for the Infallible collection, and I am like "OMG ! I need to pick up something !".

Anyhoo, I liked the look of these lipsticks - they are kind of gloss and lipstick combo products. They come in 3 varieties - Neon, shimmer and matte - all are kind of glossy though. I wanted a nude shade (as usual) and started researching into what looks good. I saw several youtube videos on people trying out this brand and their inputs on it (texture, smell etc), and I finally decided to go for the shade that the Eva Longoria image is linked to - Protest Queen. Reviews online say that it is nude with a slight shade to it and does not make you look pale - something that I must absolutely have. I also liked the look of Fight For It and thus picked this one also.

Once I get these two, I will let you guys know what they look like on my skin and which ever one I do not want, I will give it to the first person who asks for it :)

AAAAAA !!! I'm so excited !

I love online shopping - it is like buying a gift for yourself and getting all psyched about having a parcel to open and unwrap with some exotic goodies inside it :) :)

Why does Bangalore traffic suck ?

This is my second post about Bangalore traffic and it is only because Bangalore traffic gets on my nerves - like really gets on it. I feel like driving with a hammer in my hand and whacking the shit out of people who cut, swerve, change lanes without indicator, every single bus on the road and jay walkers.

Reason for my frustration is that I take my vehicle to work, and I carpool (I am an environment friendly person you see). What I have observed is that if there is a traffic jam - it is invariably either caused by a broken down bus (that has a leaf sticking out of it's rear end - thats the signal employed here *Shakes head*) or a "traffic police".

Coming to the first one. The bus would have broken down in the fast lane and will be tilted - thus blocking 1.5 lanes.
The second case is where the police are under the assumption that they are doing some great job in controlling the traffic, but what they are actually doing is causing a jam and inconveniencing everyone else on the road. Or they will be holding up the traffic because a politician needs to reach somewhere urgently.

This being said - there is a jam. Now, what is the outcome ? Irritated drivers, cab drivers who are not from Bangalore and thus need to cut from the left most lane to take a right turn, bike guys who squeeze in wherever they can, autos who think that if they can fit the front wheel their entire vehicle will fit in that gap. All of this leads to even longer delays.

You guys won't believe this, but at a level crossing everyone is in such a hurry to get across that they drive on the wrong side to get ahead, thus blocking traffic from the other side, thus no one can move !! I have actually witnessed a situation where this happened, no one was able to move and a frikkin' train was approaching !!!!! No one seemed to care, were honing and still trying to overtake from the wrong side *facepalm*

People in the city are in such a hurry to get to where they want to, that they do not realise that they might as well just start a few minutes earlier and avoid the mad rush.

Traffic police are out to make a quick buck and are not interested in actually maintaining law and order ad ensuring rules are followed. One day they will only catch vehicles where the pillion is not wearing a helmet - irrespective of whether the main driver is wearing one or not, or if people are speeding / driving on the wrong side of the road / speaking on the phone while driving - no, nothing else except the pillion's helmet ! Such focussed attention to detail is beyond me.

Bombay has tonnes of traffic - more than this place, but it is organised. I prefer calling it Organised Chaos. There is so much more traffic, but people follow lane discipline, they do not cut, the police are to be feared, rules are meant to be followed; and the icing on the cake is - they realise that there is no point in trying to overtake and cause a jam as you are not helping anyone.

Bangalore has a long way to go to even try to come close to Bombay, and from the way things are going, the distance is just getting longer and longer.

Lipsticks!

I. Love. Lipsticks! I do not think I can get enough of them. They add a zing to your overall outfit and a good colour that complements your skin tone can make you look amazing. However you can get them totally wrong - something everyone would want to avoid.

I am the kind of person who usually prefers simple shades that are closer to my skin tone but not so much that they make me look pale, and not so dark that it looks like I am going for a party all the time.

Currently the ones I use on a daily basis are these two : L'oreal Paris Color Riche and Maybelline New York Lip Gradation (this one is currently unavailable on Amazon.in unfortunately, but I'm pretty sure it will come back in stock soon).

The reason I love these 2 shades is because they give my lips a kind of pinky/browny nude look and the look is not too in-your-face. I have tried several colours in the past and somehow these 2 are what I have decided to use. Reasons include

1. They do require some re-application but not as frequently as the ones I used before

2. The colours are subtle and pretty

There is one more colour from M.A.C.http://www.maccosmetics.com/product/13854/310/Products/Makeup/Lips/Lipstick/Lipstick that I enjoy wearing but it is slightly more pink than I would prefer, but is a gorgeous colour nonetheless.

Shades I have used in the past (and wouldn't mind going back to are)

1. Loreal Paris Rouge Caress (Sweet Berry)

2. Lakme Squa Shine (Fig)

Reason I have discontinued using them are because they need frequent re-application - which is a pain, to be honest.

Anyway coming to my current 3 shades.

The L'oreal Paris Color Riche is a gorgeous colour. Initially when the store lady told me that it would suit my specifications (nude, long lasting, complimenting my skin tone) I was not able to believe that the colour would suit me so perfectly ! See? it is not bad at all and looks very very pretty :)

The Maybelline one has more of a matte finish. The lipstick is like a pencil and it is almost like you are colouring your lips while applying ! It is super easy to use and stays for a while, and looks superb. It comes in several shades (bright red, orange etc), but I picked the Mauve one (on a  hunch, I bought it off online), and what do you know - it suits me :) - at least so I think (please tell me if otherwise - wouldn't want to be walking around wearing a shade that does not look good).

 



The M.A.C. lipstick I bought on an impulse. I went the showroom wanting to pick something for daily wear, and came across this colour - Cosmo Amplified. It is a rosy nude shade with more of a pink pigment. The colour stays long, is slightly on the less nude side, but is very very pretty (makes me look classy I think).

I know how painful it is to select shades, you need to try them on your lips rather than your hands, as the skin tones in both places are different. usually what looks good on your hand sucks on your face #TrueStory.

Anyhoo, below is an image of how the swatches looked on my skin - just to give you an idea.

How the 3 colours look against my skin (MAC, Maybelline, Loreal from L-R)

Until next time my lovelies :)

New laptop and me going psycho buying stuff for it

I got promoted recently at work and my husband promised to get me a MacBook ... I got a MacBook Air 13" one :) :)

Now that I got something so beautiful and pretty, I decided I wanted to get good stuff for my precious. Items I wanted to get were a mouse, pen drive, mouse pad, laptop sleeve and a laptop bag.

So while buying the laptop I saw some nice cases at the iPlanet store in Indiranagar - but then the husband told me that I might as well get a nice bag where I can put my purse, mouse etc and not just have a case where only the laptop would fit. Found his suggestion sensible (for a change, and decided to go with that).

I am a huge fan of Chumbak - I think their products are quirky and colourful and absolutely gorgeous! They give points for purchases you make which can be used as money (complete conversion of your points to equal amount of cash). Went to the store with my folks and found this absolutely cute case - a laptop sleeve which keeps my laptop safe and funky looking at the same time :) It costs 995 rupees, I redeemed 200 rupees worth points and got it for 795 :)

This is me cute cute cute case for my MacBook Air :)

Now, I needed a quirky mouse - something that was just as cute as the case above. Saw some wireless ones at Croma but didn't like any of them. Searched online and found this Logitech limited edition one :) Got it for 799 and it was delivered within a couple of days (the main reason I LOVE shopping on amazon).

                                

Now coming to the main piece I needed - a laptop bag which would be big enough to carry my other stuff but not that big that it would look like those huge ass bags old aunties carry ... I am a big fan of Baggit and I knew I would be able to find something in their store if I searched and I did !! I fell in love with it as soon as I saw it as did my mum. We both decided that this is the bag I should be buying.

                          

                               

                          

I paid 3,200 rupees for this bag but I think it is worth every single penny that I spent. As you can see my laptop fits snugly inside it along with the mouse and pen drive etc. I also will be able to carry a small note book (where I pend down ideas for this blog based on inputs from you guys), wallet and make up :)

Nude eye makeup

I work at a kind of formal-male-dominated (in terms of counts) place. Reason I make this point is because I have only three female colleagues in my team, and I do like to dress up once in a while to work ! Once in a while is because my profile does not call for me to go all fancy to work - it is Operations.
Due to this, I opt for nude / neutral make up that does not stand out, but which "enhances my beauty" (my mum's words). Okay, jumping right in to the products I use, and why I chose them.

Side note : I usually apply more of eye make up, slight lipstick and no blush to office.

EyeShadow : So, there is this Maybelline eyeshadow palette that I have fallen in love with. It is called The Nudes, and has 6 shimmer shades and 6 matte finish ones. I generally wear the matte finish ones to work - they accentuate my eyes in a natural way and are not too in-your-face. Below pic shows how the colours look against my skin.
(The palette is 1-12 from L-R top-Bottom row, and the swatches are 1-12 in a straight line).

As you can see, I love 2, 5, 6 and 8. I usually apply 3 as the base before I apply any of these colours so that they pop!

Kajal : Loreal Paris SuperLiner (you can buy it here) is what I swear by. What I do is I apply a layer first with my finger (grew up a TamBrahm, hence the habit of using your finger to apply kajal has been with me since I was little :) ). After it dries up, I apply a coat of kajal with Lakme Absolute Kohl - this helps it stay on all day long and it does not fade or smudge.

Mascara : I have experimented a lot with several brands and brush styles, primarily because I have thin eye lashes, and without mascara they look non-existent! Honestly I never knew that brush type matters more than the brand of mascara. The brush determines what type of eye lash volume you generate - it can be lengthened, or made voluminous or clumpy etc - all of this is done by the BRUSH (the guy at the M.A.C. store explained this to me and told me that the liquid doesn't really matter as much as the brush) !!!! Anyway, I used a tonne of different brands of mascara until I settled on the final one that I love. Ones that I used include MaxFactor waterproof brown mascara, Lakme eyeconic, Maybelline Colossal mascara. Somehow they never gave me the volume that I wanted without causing my eye lashes to clump. At the end of the day I decided to try M.A.C. and I settled on this one. It is available in all M.A.C. stores (I couldn't find this product on the in website - hence the US one). I love the way it accentuates my eye lashes and gives it a natural look.

Eye liner : I usually prefer using an eye pencil because it does not smudge, I do not need to wait for a while for it to dry etc. Pencils I use are from MaxFactor and I generally use shades of brown or grey. The prices are not this high (it is so on amazon.in because the sale is being done by a non FBA seller), you can easily get them from Lifestyle or ShoppersStop.

Lipstick : This list is going to be endless!!! Think I will write a separate blog for this point :)

Stay tuned!