May Vellvette Box

Hey everyone!
I've been really really busy off late and college reopens tomorrow so I'm going to be even more caught up so I think I'll be taking a break from the blogosphere for a while. Anyway this is my Vellvette box for May. I received it on 23rd May which is super quick! I'm really glad Vellvette has taken our criticism positively and improved!

 The theme this month is Organic and since I've been trying to use natural and organic stuff as much as possible, I was delighted to see this.

 Brocato Curlinterrupted Shampoo and Conditioner. I have never heard of this brand before so I am excited to try them out.

Flormar Lipstick - I got a really bright red and was initially taken aback coz it's way too bright for me but it really suits me in a toned down version. Very creamy and glossy, this one!

Tvam Apricot and Walnut scrub - I love love love the scent!! Smells nothing like apricots or walnuts though. More like a man's deodrant. Axe-types. Yes, I find those scents attractive. Don't judge me!

Over all I'm really pleased with this month's box and look forward to resubscribing to them this month!

What did you get in your box? Did you love it too?

My first MAC! <3

Hello everyone!
I had gone to Garuda Mall yesterday to look for Rimmel (which I couldn't find.. I also checked in Bannerghatta's SS! Can someone please tell me where it's available in Bangalore? Pleeeeaassseeee! :(). On my way out I saw the MAC store that I've been eyeing for years and thought of visiting it despite my last visit to another MAC store with a mean SA. And guess what? The lady here was sooooo sweet and helpful!! I really wanted to pick up a matte lipstick but I ended up really liking See Sheer so I picked it up *screams like a little girl and dances*. Boy just doesn't understand my happiness and doesn't see what the fuss is all about -_-. The next time I make him pay for the products from there he'll know xD
Anyway, I've taken only one picture coz I will review it soon.. Promise! Also, i just realized I have a LOT of reviews pending! Sorry peoples I shall review soon okay? :(. I also picked up a Chambor lipstick for myself and an eyebrow pencil for Mom. Thank you Aarti for motivating me to go back there, you're the best! ^_^
I was sooo excited to own a MAC that I was smiling the entire day and dancing around! No, I'm not crazy. You are. Mean madames :( *realizes she's talking too much and gets embarrassed*
Ok bye :D

Sephora+other stuff Haul!

Hey everyone!
As promised earlier, my Sephora haul :). I really like the Select Citywalk Mall in Delhi, it's huge and there are so many amazing brands under one roof! Yes, I know that's how all malls are but this one has brands that aren't located everywhere. I've taken just one picture as I expect to review them all for you soon. Also, I'm too lazy to charge my camera, walk till my shelf, find all of them and take pictures :D

I mainly went to purchase Soap and Glory products (the Soaper Heroes Kit) but it was out of stock. But they had the travel sizes of most of them so I just picked them up. Burt's Bees lip balm was in just one shade but it was a pretty one so I didn't mind :)

Pink Umbrella- Okay this one was from Bangalore but it matched the pinkness and I bought it the day before I left so I included it :P

Reusable foldable bag - This is my second bag and I love the prints on this one! Got it from Gifts of Love.

Birdie pouch - I absolutely love the design on this one so I had to buy it! It shall now be my college pencil pouch. Carrying around 2 stationary items. Damn, I hadn't thought this through. Okay, it shall now be my design pouch to carry when I feel like showing off in front of others :P

Sephora Nano Eye pencil - I've been waiting to buy a good brown eye pencil and I love how this looks on my eyes!
Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balm in Red Dahlia - Such a beautiful shade this is+it really moisturizes!
Soap and Glory Clean on Me Shower gel - I love S&G scents, they're amazing!
Soap and Glory Hand Food hand cream - THE. BEST. EVER.
Soap and Glory Righteous Butter - So soft and buttery this one is!
Soap and Glory Flake Away - Still not sure about how much I like this.
Soap and Glory Scrub- A nice scrub with a nicer scent :D
Soulflower soap in Mud A Lot and Jasmine - Haven't gotten around to using it yet but it smells heavenly :)

So what have you hauled recently? Do you love Sephora too? I can't wait for them to open in Bangalore!

Ladakh Trip Pictures (Picture Heavy) :)

Ello fraandz :P
I'm back from my vacation to Ladakh *sigh*. Why must holidays end so soon but exams and studies go on forever? :(
Leh is a veryyyy  beautiful place.. For those who enjoy nature, it is a must visit place! We talk about travelling the world to see wonders, but Ladakh is one gem of a place wihthin India which has so much hidden beauty! Love it! Also, this was my first time in a snowy place.. Yes, I played with snow like a little girl coz I'd waited for that moment for years. Don't judge me. Ok here are pictures.. enjoy :)

Stupas and prayer flags

Cute lil ducks and ducklings ♥

Shanti Stupa

View from the top of a mountain

Snowwww! :)

Another monastry where this Buddha statue was surrounded by hills on all sides :)

Pangong Lake.. A scene from 3 Idiots was shot around here :)

Zanskaar Sangam

I didn't shop for much there as my bag was really full already, so picked up a few accessories. Also, we had a connecting flight so we were in Delhi for a couple of hours and I FINALLY went to Sephora!! *does a weird happy dance and runs away in happiness*. Again, didn't pick up too much but I will post the pictures in another post coz I'm really tired now :D

Have you visited Ladakh before?

What have you done this summer? :)

Haul Time!

Hello everyone! :). This is a quick and short post  as I still have a lot of packing to do.. will be on holiday from tomorrow till next Monday so won't be posting till then. So I decided to quickly show you things I've purchased recently (reviews coming once I'm back). I even got a lot of stuff as gifts for my birthday but I haven't included them in pictures. Will review them all soon.. Till then, enjoy!

Things in picture (in no particular order):

A pink striped travel pouch

Brihans Aloe Vera Gel (I love it!)

Avon Tea Tree face mask

4 Elle 18 lipsticks

Attar (Yes, I managed to get something from my May List already! :D)

Lakme Sun Protector (Completely disliked this one on my oily skin)

Oriflame Dream Cream Hand Cream

4 Essential Oils from Nandita

Forest Essentials Body Lotion in Bitter Orange and Cinnamon (Can't express how much I love it!)

A wollen key chain (He's cute okay :P)

Forest Essentials Lip Balm in Kokum Butter and Honey

A sling from Fiorelli

An Aztec print bag from People

A cute umbrella :D

Bindis (Yes, I'm obsessed with them now)

2 Earrings from Max and one from Fab India

Fab India Neem Tulsi Toner

Lotus sunscreen Matte Gel (I love this one!)

An elephant chain

Ok so that's it for now.. Will see you next week!
Have a great weekend guys!

XOXO

My April Vellvette Box ♥

Hello everyone! :)
I got my Vellvette box well on time this month and I'm really impressed with their delivery speed this time around. Got it almost a week before my birthday (3 more birthday gifts yay). After last month's disappointment I wasn't expecting much but I'm quite impressed!

 The April theme is Spring, hence the flowery ribbon. Cute!

Max Factor Face Finity foundation. So so disappointed with this! Firstly, sachets. Gahhh damn you sachets! :x. Second, this isn't my shade at all.. not even close! Extremely light for me! I don't want to throw it out just like that though.. any ideas how to bring it to my skin tone?

Motives Mardi Gras Palette. Everyone got this product in their boxes. I was a bit taken aback by the brights in this palette but after using it, I must say I love them!

Nature's Co Spearmint Body Wash. I've always wanted to buy their products but was in two minds so I'm glad I got this one in my box. It's a strong spearmint scent which is VERY refeshing for the summer! Plus, it's super lathery.. I love it!

Except for the foundation, I love the other two products! I guess that's the thing with surprises- you could love it, hate it or have an in between stance. What did you get in your box? Did you love it?

My May Wishlist ♥

Hello everyone!
Sorry for vanishing into thin air AGAIN! My holidays just begun a week back and me and my family went to visit temples and I just got home a couple of days back. Then came birthday shopping time eeeee! :D
My birthday was on 28th April and I reaallyy wanted to start my year by blogging but I was out from the time I got up catching up with friends and stuff and got back home post midnight.. I hope that doesn't mean I wont blog frequently now :P. I will be away on holiday for a week in a few days so apologizing in advance this time lol. *forgivers will get a free imaginary choco chip cookie along with an entire bottle of whipped cream* :D
Anyway without further ado, presenting my May wishlist!

Chanel Coco Mademoiselle perfume. I love the scent and want to try out the much loved Chanel No.5 and Chance as well.

A MAC lipstick. Any MAC lipstick. No, I do not own a single one. Do not look at me like I'm an alien. I actually did visit one of their outlets last week with the hope of buying something from the Viva Glam collection but the SA was kind of mean and disinterested so I decided to go another time :(

Marks & Spencer hand and body lotion. I've heard a lot about their lotions and can't wait to visit their store and buy some of them!

Rimmel Stay Matte loose powder. My skin has started to become incredibly oily these few weeks. I can see the oil on my fingers when I touch my face!! Eww I know! I've heard how loose powder helps reduce the visible oiliness and this one looks like a must try product!

Soap & Glory Soaper Heroes Gift Set. S&G why you no come to Bangalore?! :(. Desperately waiting to get  my hands on these! :(

Floral Pants. Summer/Spring and plain coloured pants are out. Floral pants are so trendy and really bring in the Spring-y feel. Chic and casual at the same time.. love it!

Attars. Yes, I think I do have a slight perfume obsession. For those who don't know what attars are : They are a  natural highly concentrated perfume oil derived from botanical sources. Very popular in the Middle East, Bangladesh, Pakistan and even a few parts of India by (usually) Muslim men and women alike and for the right reasons-they smell amazziinnggg! One sniff and you'll be sold! They aren't that easy to find in Bangalore but I know a few places where they are available. Let the attar hunt begin!

Nude pink nails. SO perfect for the summery weather and makes hands look cute and girly. Need I say more?

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Lip Stain. I'm probably the last blogger to own one of these babies. I got Smitten for my birthday and want Honey Deuce now!

Last but not the least, Kryolan's gel eye pencil. I own a similar one from Avon, but it was gifted to me by an aunt who lives abroad (Canada's Avon if I'm not mistaken) and I've been looking for such an eyeliner for almost a year since then! Too bad there isn't a Kryolan here, I really want one of those :(

Minimelts Ice cream. Ok so what if it isn't a cosmetic? It's something I reaaaallllyyyy want to have soon. Minimelts just launched 4 kiosks in Brigade road/M.G road last week and I'm super excited to try them out! For those who do not know about it: MiniMelts is a pure, premium ice cream made in a truly unique way. The cryogenic freezing process that creates MiniMelts, involves running the Ice Cream mix through a bath of Liquid Nitrogen at -190 degrees which literally “locks in” the flavour. Through the use of the finest quality ingredients and pure milk fat, it is one of the highest quality ice cream products in the world. It is also the coldest ice cream in the world and one of the most innovative ice creams (it comes in about 9 flavours like Cotton Candy, Mint Chocolate, Strawberry, Banana Split etc). Way to go Bangalore! At least we have something before other cities :P

So that's my list for this month! I hope I manage to get atleast one of these soon :D

What's on your list? :)

Figs and Rouge Balm Review

Hello all!
Today I will be reviewing my favorite balm - Figs and Rouge. I got it in my Vellvette box and I've been using it every single day ever since! I have the Aloe and Mint variation of the balm. I mainly use it as a lip balm though it is a great multi-tasking balm.

About the product (taken from the Vellvette website) : Perfect for those lips that chap and peel, cuticles that go haywire, skin that itches and burns, feet that embarrass and eyebrows that just can't stay in shape! And best of all, it's 100% natural, organic and petroleum free. Apply on lips to hydrate them and also use as base to make your lipstick last longer – your cuticles to keep them looking tip top. Use it to hydrate dry skin on face, hands, arms or legs - will not leave your skin sticky at all. Use it at night to treat cracked or dry feet. It’s also a great eyebrow shaper - apply a tiny bit to keep the brows in shape all day long.

Price: Rs.549 for 17 ml

 
The balm comes in a very attractive pot.. very vintage pretty kinds. Would love to be seen carrying this around and using it :D. The product is nice and small to carry but a word of caution - THIS MELTS VERY EASILY! I carried it out with me for about 5 hours in an air conditioned car and mall and it still melted a lot (body temperature must've melted it, I know). It turned into a lip gloss consistency and took 2 weeks to regain the original texture!

Yes, I like to use up my balms in an organized manner (slight OCD issue? Probably :P)

At first sight, the texture of this balm looks coarse and hard, but once you dip your finger in it, you realize how soft it is. The texture is very similar to slightly hardened ghee. The grains melt when in contact with skin. The minute it is applied on my lips, it melts and gives a nice tingly sensation (a nice one). Makes sense why its in a tub, it would completely melt in a tube! It is not at all sticky by nature, it also forms a nice base for lipsticks! Very little is required, I've been using the balm every single day for almost 2 months and I still have a lottt left (as can be seen from the picture)

The scent of this balm is very similar to Polo, a very sweet minty one. But another word of caution, do not try and taste this balm! I never eat/lick balms but I accidentally tasted it and felt like puking. It has a very very bad taste! But the smell helps a lot when I have a cold :P  

The balm is organic and contains no petroleum. I sometimes tend to have very chapped lips. When I apply this one, it really does soften my lips! But this effect lasts for about 3-4 hours max. It is very glossy and gives a good shine on the lips for a long time. I can feel it doing its job. I've used it on the top of my nose and my elbows (dry areas) and it does relieve and reduce dryness to a great extent.

I had never used an organic or natural lip balm before, but thanks to Vellvette I'm hooked on to it! On the lookout for other non-petroleum natural lip balms now.. any recommendations? :)

Pros:

- Organic and petroleum free

- Helps really well in moisturizing

- Great multi-tasker

- Nice tingly sensation

- Adorable packaging

- Big quantity

Cons:

- Tastes really bad!

- Effect of this balm isn't too much

Yay or nay to recommend?

Yay! It's my HG balm! I really want to try their other variations too though!

Overall rating:

♥♥♥♥♥

Vaseline Cocoa Glow Lotion Review

Hey everyone!
I'm always on the lookout for a good lotion. I've heard a LOT of good things about this one so I just had to try it out. Read on to know how it fared.

Price: Rs. 69 for 100 ml

The bottle is small and handy to travel with. Didn't face any leakage or anything. The bottle requires a bit of squeezing out to get the product out but that's pretty normal. The lotion  isn't too thick in consistency and is easy to apply. The smell of this lotion is a very warm and sweet cocoa one. I would definitely want this scent during the cold winters. But I do smell a slight synthetic smell in the lotion though, it's strong like alcohol to me. Sensitive noses might want to sniff this first as the first time I smelt this I found it a bit too strong.

The lotion contains parabens, but I'm used to that now so it doesn't affect me much. I really do want to try natural lotions for once and see if there is any visible change.

The bottle comes in a flip cap that is pretty sturdy. I would have liked it if the bottle was transparent so that I could see how much lotion is still remaining, but it's alright. Not much of the lotion is required for application, so this should last for more than a month and a half.

The lotion takes about 2 minutes to absorb fully into the skin. I find this a big con as I get really bored waiting for it to absorb. Skin does not feel greasy but slightly sticky after application. This goes in about 10 minutes so that's fine. Wouldn't recommend it to be used before sleeping though, coz the stickiness could get on your nerves that time. My skin feels really soft and smooth after applying this and I do not feel the need to reapply it till night. I love the moisturizing properties! It forms a nice layer of protection all day :). Would recommend it to all skin types.

Pros:

- Smells nice

- Really moisturizes

- Lasts long

Cons:

- Strong scent

- A bit of stickiness can be felt after application and it takes a while to go

Yay or nay to recommend?

Yay! But only as a winter lotion.

Overall rating:

♥♥♥♥

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My Vellvette Box (March Edition)

Hey everyone!
I know I haven't posted anything in a month but I've been really caught up with exams, fever and a lot of things in between. Exams are still going on but I have a study holiday today :D
I received my Vellvette Box today afternoon (so much for it being a Holi box.. more like a Ugadi Box for me now). I'm really disappointed with my box as well as the Vellvette team efficiency this time. I finally paid for my Feb box as well (there was some sort of mix up and they thought I had a prepaid box). I wrote to the Vellvette team on 31st saying I hadn't received my box yet (because I had been out the day before and they might have come that time.. even if they had- I would've got a call from the delivery guy if no one was there to collect the Box right? It wouldnt've gone back to Mumbai!).. my box was shipped on 3rd (Wednesday) and I received it today. Why wasn't my box shipped in March? :( Anyway, 2 Boxes in my birthday month then, yay! :P

Anyway this is what I got:

Undamaged box.. Yay!

Though it isn't a crucial point, I received just 3 product descriptions, the introductory note and the discount coupon. What happened to the two other products' descriptions? Why the irresponsibility, Vellvette team?

Dream Cream - Lush (10g). Its close to the size of my Maybelline Gel Liner!

The tub was so slippery and difficult to open initially.. I then realized it was because it was leaking from inside and formed a slippery layer on the outside! Nonetheless, it smells good and I've always wanted to try this one so I like it :)

NYX Round Lip Gloss Sparkle. I was initially very excited to try this out but the shade is just plain wrong on me! Don't know how they went wrong with this but gave me the perfect shade of the Anna Andre lipstick!

Remy Laure DNA Beauty Cream. I HATE sachets because you have to finish them all at once and it's so hard to remove the amount of product you want! Arghh! But I'm excited to give this a try.

Ofra Hydrating Whitening Mask. Not really excited to use this but if it's that popular I guess it's worth a try, right?

Anddd I've saved the worst for last. I'm a vegetarian and have no intentions of using this. It would be nice if they had a question regarding whether we are vegetarians or non-vegetarians in the questionnaire because this product is a total waste for me (though if I were a non vegetarian I would've loved to give it a try!)

I'm actually glad Vellvette is giving different brands and not the same brand-different products thing that's been happening these few months! A lot of others got Nyassa and Mary Kay (though I have a feeling I might end up getting it in my next box).

Overall I'm highly disappointed with Vellvette this time. You'd expect an amazing box when they make offers of an extra sample per month! I've subscribed for the 3-month box so hoping the next 2 months are better. Also, it would be great if they sent a message to the recipient a few hours before the box arrives so that we can inform them if we are not at home. I hope Vellvette takes these things into consideration and improves soon!

What did you get in your box? Are you happy with it?