Aveeno Positively Smooth Facial Moisturizer

Traditionally it has always been easy for me to find something to soothe my dry skin during winter months. I try a couple and most often if they are a bit heavy - they keep me happy. And when all else fails I just slather on some olive oil !

Summers have never been easy. And around here Summer starts in April. It gets HOT and I get irritated. To top it all off my skin gets oily and keeps me looking every bit tired as the sun makes me. Finding a moisturizer to soothe my summer skin has been a challenge. But this year I am happy I've found something way before the heat hits !

The Aveeno Positively Smooth Facial Moisturizer is going to keep me happy .

The moisturizer is light, non greasy, non sticky, has a pleasant smell and almost vanishes into my skin. It gives me some moisture and soothes my skin. Aveeno also writes about how this product is suppose to minimize the appearance of unwanted hair but I'm not buying into it, yet. The pump model is great . You can close it so nothing drips off .

How To Do The Beachy Natural / Nude Look And Oil Proof Your Face In Four Easy Steps : Tutorial

A majority of you picked the #5 look for me to wear at the beach and I did just that ! There are several reasons why this look worked.

1. With the heavy humidity I did not want anything heavy on my face
2. Looking natural was way better because once I hit the water everything was going to get washed away. At least with this I didn't have patches of color on my face
3. It looks sexy without trying too hard
4. I did all my makeup in the car. Its that easy !
5. Nude makeup is in all year long


Before I left for my vacation I prepped my face. Exfoliated it with Clinique Turnaround Instant Facial and used the Biore Strips on my nose to pull out any black / white heads. I carried my Korres Foaming Cleanser with me. A clean, soft , exfoliated face is very important for a good makeup day.

For the Face :

On my face I had to beat the oilies so I devised a system on my own , on the spot. I double primed my face and it worked like a charm. I was the only one in the bunch who was relatively oil free, all day long.

1. I applied Moisturizer - Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel.
2. After a while I applied my super primer - SKINN Orchid Mattefying Gel. This is the best people.
3. Follow with sunscreen - Clinique SPF 30 Face Cream
4. Follow with tinted primer - Rock and Republic Tinted Primer - SPF 20

That's it. Though I was out all day, I remained relatively oil free. My makeup did not melt. For the little oil that did appear later on, I used Boscia Blotting Linen to absorb them. These are some of the best blotting linens out there. They kept flying off the pack because all my friends were after it ! So soft and extremely efficient.


On My Cheeks

Continuing with the face, for the natural looking sun kissed look I had a few tricks up my sleeve. Almost all makeup products I carried were from Jouer. I have carried Jouer on three of my earlier trips and I must tell you, they travel very well. Nothing has broken or cracked ever and since they all interlock, it is so easy to find stuff. You know what happened the last time I carried my Bobbi Brown Bronzer, right.

Yeah, no more of that one.

On top of my cheeks I first patted on the Jouer Tint in Poppy. I bright orange in the pan, a sheer coral on my cheeks. So summery, light and warm !

Of course I had to use bronzer but keeping with natural theme, I went for it in moderation. For this look, I lightly contoured my cheeks with Jouer Bronzing Powder in Suntan and then lightly dusted Jouer Bronzing Powder in Sunshine on my forehead, bridge of my nose and a bit on my cheeks.


On My Eyes

I did not want anything on my eyes. Though I carried the gorgeous, ocean worthy Estee Lauder Sun & Sand Palette with me I was in mood for made-up eyes. I kept it simple by dabbing a bit of Jouer Highlighter in Tiare under my brows and later in the evening I lined my eyes with Clinique eyeliner in Chocolate Lustre.


On My Lips :

For the lips I kept changing it up through the day. For a while I used the Jouer Tint in Poppy on my lips and topped it with Jouer lip gloss in Bronze pink. The lip gloss though not heavily pigmented, adds a touch of bronze and lots of shine without the stickiness. Later on I replaced it with Clinique Baby Baby ( gawgus !!!)

I couldn't have been happier with the makeup choice you guys made for me. I looked positively radiant in the pics and one could hardly notice the makeup. Isn't that what we all aim for !

What products would you use for a natural beachy look ? Do you have any favorites you've been using all summer ?

Love,
Indian Girl

Beating Heat And Humidity In India With The Right Makeup

This guest post was written for AIMB by Jamilla Camel. Jamilla is a globe trotting consultant and a makeup junkie. Having spent a significant amount of time in India she has tested out plenty of Indian makeup brands and kindly agreed to share her thoughts on beating the heat and humidity in India with Indian made products. If you live in India or are planning a trip to this beautiful country, you will find this post very very useful.

Having spent 3 out of the last 12 months in South India, I have had the opportunity to try out a LOT of makeup in high heat, high humidity conditions. Not surprisingly, Lakme, an Indian brand manufactured by Hindustan Unilver, came out top. Most foundations, and even lipsticks, just disintegrate in 100 F and 90% humidity conditions, but I’ve found some tricks to help beat the heat.

FOUNDATIONS

I have managed to test four Lakme foundations during my trips to India.


All of the four foundations came in the same shade, Natural Marble. Lakme foundations are on the sheer side, to accommodate a wide spectrum of complexions with only four shades. Natural Marble is for “fair to wheatish” complexions. I am an NC20 and this works for me; I suspect it would work up to an NC25.

The first foundation, Silk Naturelle, comes in a tube and has a high powder content. This is absolutely my favorite foundation to wear in South India. The powder content ensures that the foundation resists moisture, even without powder.

The second foundation, Daily Wear Souffle, is a very light and sheer foundation with a whipped gel texture. It doesn’t have the powder content of Silk Naturelle, but is great for an evening look. It looks very orange in the container, but trust me: it’s very sheer and doesn’t look odd at all on light Asian skin.

Perfecting Liquid Foundation is Lakme’s oldest, and most basic foundation. It’s very inexpensive (I think it was less than £1 in Bangalore!) but is a great everday foundation that will work for combination skin. It’s not oily at all, and has buildable coverage.

Nine to Five Flawless Makeup probably has the best coverage of the four, and again, has a high powder content. If you want breathability and a bit more coverage than the Silk Naturelle, then this is the one to go for. It is long lasting and resists both high humidity and the drying effects of office air conditioning.

LIPSTICKS


I don’t know if it’s a well-know fact, but lip glosses and other sheer lipsticks have a tendency to disappear rapidly in hot, humid conditions. I solve the problem by going for a creamy matte lipstick formulation. I have purchased four Lakme Enrich Matte Lipsticks, from Summer 2009 Bridal Sutra Collection and love them all. They seem to be a bit similar when swatched, but do look distinctive on the lips. I also purchased an Aquashine Lipcolor in Coral, which is more of a liquid lipstick than a gloss, and therefore has much better staying power if you like a glossy finish.

EYE SHADOWS


I go for a cream-to-powder formulation in eye shadows. Forget sheer, glossy, or very powdery formulations, because they will all disappear within a few hours of application. My go-to eye shadows are Lakme Nine to Five Satin Glide Eyeshadows. These shadows come in a tube with a twist-top foam applicator. They go on creamy and dry to a powder finish. They have the most staying power of any eye shadows I’ve tried during my trips to south India. Lakme also makes a very good Eye Liner—I’ve shown No. 6, Purple, above. It resists smudging and meltdown all day.

CONCLUSIONS

I did not find the Lakme Blushers or Eye Palettes to have exceptional longevity in demanding weather conditions. However, the Matte Lipsticks, Eye shadows and Foundations are outstanding for anything that India has to throw at you weather-wise, be it scorching desert heat or monsoon season!

Read more from Jamilla here at her beauty blog - Makeup For Professional Asian Women

Love,
Indian Girl

How To Get The Naturally Glowing Dewy Makeup Look : Tutorial

The past ten days or so have been awesome makeup wise. I started working on this tutorial and as part of it I was testing out various ways of wearing the look and to perfect it. Everyday I changed a little something and saw how much of a difference it made and finally when I was happy with a routine I decided on putting it up for you guys to try !

The Quest For The Perfect Products

It all started almost two weeks back when I made a trip to Macy's to decide on the products that would give me what I was looking for.There are several tutorials online and most of them are just a repeat of another. The same products, the same brand, same routine. I wanted to come up with an original look that was not only basic and super easy to replicate but also use products that were easily available, would suit people who were prone to makeup allergies, sensitivity to fragrances, one that did not burn your wallet ( as much) and of course no limited edition stuff.

After making rounds of several brand counters I zeroed in on Clinique. Its not only a brand that I love but they also happened to have everything I was looking.
Allergy tested - check
Fragrance Free - check
Product Availability - check
Decent Price Tag - check
Easily Available - check

Remember ...

I am going to start off with step by step instructions on how to do the dewy look. I have also scattered some cute pics of models with pretty makeup on. For real life, a toned down version of it will kick a$. At the end of the steps I have added several alternatives to the look. Healthy skin is the key but all of us have some issues or the other so I am only going to talk about how one can use makeup to create this look. One must remember that each of have different types of skin, different needs from makeup, different comfort levels with makeup and a different idea of what dewy is. This is a look I came up with that has worked very well on me and its something to get you started on. Change it up, play with it as per the demands of your skin.

Products Required:

Moisturizer : Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel
Face Spray : Clinique Moisture Surge Face Spray
Foundation : Clinique Super Moisture Makeup - 12 Warm Caramel
Highlighter : Clinique Up- Lighting Liquid Illuminator - 01 Natural
Cream Blush : Clinique Blush Wear Cream Blush - 02 Peachy Blush
Mascara : Clinique Naturally Glossy Mascara - 01 Jet Black
Lipstick : Clinique Butter Shine Lipstick - 438 Baby Baby
Concealer : Three Custom Color + Jouer
Makeup Wedges


Step by Step Tutorial

1. Start off with a clean face and hands.
2. Apply Dramatically different Moisturizing Gel all over your face.
3. Wet the makeup wedge with water and squeeze out the water.
4. Spray the Moisture Surge Spray onto the wedge and dab it all over your face.
5. Apply concealer under your eyes and on the lid if necessary.
6. Take the required amount of foundation onto the back of your hand. With the same wedge apply the foundation all over your face and neck using dabbing motions.
7.. Spray the Moisture Surge Spray on the other side of the wedge and dab it again all over your face
8. Let the foundation set for a minute.
9. Take some cream blush on your finger and dot it on top of your cheeks. Use the wedge to dab it on the apple of your cheeks.
10. Take just a drop of the Uplighting Liquid Illuminator on the back of your hand. Working with some of it at a time, dab it along the bridge of your nose. Next dab some of it on the 'C' shaped area along the outer edge of your eye extending it to the top of your cheek bone.
11. Apply some of the Liquid Illuminator under your brow bone and on the eye lids.
12. Curl your lashes and apply the Naturally Glossy Mascara.
13. Apply the Butter Shine Lipstick - baby baby
14. Spray some Moisture Surge Spray onto the wedge and very lightly go all over your face with it.
15. Admire that translucent glowy face of yours.

Deconstruction

The key to the dewy look is hydration. Dabbing the Moisture Surge Spray helps keep your skin constantly hydrated and reinforces the moisture with every repeat application. The Dramatically Different Moisturizer is a gem of a moisturizer especially under makeup. Thanks to you guys for recommending it to me. The Clinique Super Moisture Makeup is so wonderfully moisturizing and not one bit oily. It has a sheer to medium coverage, works very well for normal to dry skin and wears well for at least 8 hours. The Uplighting Liquid Illuminator in Natural is just that - naturally illuminating. Applying it on top the cheek bone and the bridge of your nose is the key to an over all glow. These are the parts of one's face that stand out and reflect light so adding a bit of an illuminator here is enough to make your whole face look radiant. The creme blush if dabbed in excess can be quite pigmented. However in the end going over the whole face with the moisture spray, takes care of excess of anything and brings the whole look together.

Alternatives

- If you have very clear, even and don't use foundations, mix a bit of the illuminating liquid in your moisturizer and apply all over face for super radiant complexion.

- If you have a problem with acne or pores, apply a face primer after applying the moisturizer. Let it set for a minute and follow with foundation.

- If you have a very very oily face apply a face primer after applying the moisturizer. Follow with your regular matte, oil free foundation.

- You can also mix a bit of the liquid illuminator with your foundation and apply all over your face.

- You can also use water in a spray bottle instead of the Moisture Surge Spray. No spray bottle - no problem, just sprinkle a few drops of water onto the wedge or directly onto your face.

- A skunk brush can also be used instead of the makeup wedge.

- For this look, I would avoid powder anything - powder blush, translucent powder, powder foundation, powder highlighter. To me powder takes away from all the dewy-ness but then again, to each his own.

I was extremely satisfied with how this look played out - its dewy, glowy, hydrated, everything is in right amount, nothing in excess, natural yet put together. Its all about effortless sheer luminosity ! I cant talk enough about the Super Moisture Makeup. After being a slave to Tinted Moisturizers for ever, I took a step forward to a medium coverage and couldn't be more happier with this formula. Surprisingly it is more natural looking and has me feeling extremely comfortable. It is so light, I can barely feel it on my skin ! Overall - super satisfied !

Your Turn

Now go on try it and let me know how it works out for you. I am dying to hear from you guys. Sorry it took me a while to answer this most requested look but I was trying to perfect it before I showed it to you guys. Am sure you will be happy with the results. Like the tutorial ?

Love,
Indian Girl

Smashbox Limitless Long Wear Lip Gloss SPF 15 : Review

I'm really not a chap stick kinda person. So a chap stick with SPF is not something that gets me excited. Now tell me about a long wearing lip gloss with SPF 15 and am all ears ! These are all I've depended on to keep my lips from getting pigmented this summer - The Smashbox Limitless Long Wearing Lip Glosses ($21)


I was seeing a few pics of when I was a teenager and realised that my lips are significantly less darker now. Then, I had no sense of sun safety. Then, I was young and stupid. Then, I was.....okay I'll cut younger me some slack. But over the years sunscreen has helped reduce the pigmentation. A lot of us have this issue with lips getting darker and the one way to keep it from happening is to use sunscreen at all times.

These Smashbox goodies that I tested out are long wearing - up to six hours. Also to be read as " I cling on to your lips forever" They are not as sticky as MAC lipglasses but they do have a clingy nature (Just like the mean girls at school). The three shades I tried were

Nonstop - Cool Raspberry ( It does not look that cool. I love the deep pink !)
Infinite - Soft Pinkish Nude ( NARS Turkish Delight, only less milky. I like wearing it over a nude lip liner all over my lips. In the pic however, its just the gloss. Not the best, on its own)
Endless - Sheer Plum ( Great for pigmented lips as a nude / my lips but better color)

I Don't Have Big Lips

These have been the only source of SPF for me this summer other than a couple of Clinique Glosswear products, which also have SPF 15. Though they are a but clingy, I like them because they stay put and keep my lips looking shiny, colorful and pretty in this heat and humidity when everything else on my face keeps disappearing. What I don't like though is the fact that I have to dip in and out about 5 times before I gloss up my puckers. C'mon now they arnt even that big ! The other thing, it does not come off with water. You will need a makeup remover to get it off your lips.



Love,
Indian Girl

Done It A Million Times And Still Doing It !

I experiment awright ! Just haven't in the past month with eye makeup. You see I'm yet to find another cream shadow that wont crease or disappear in 6 hours, another purple liner I'm this crazy about and another burger I crave everyday. Scratch the burger part. Its true but has nothing to do with me eyes.

Don't blame me okay. Its simple , its good , it makes me look bright, its a easy 2 minute routine and its light.
Apply concealer ( Jouer - Cameo + 3C - #6)
Apply Cream Shadow only on lid ( Estee Lauder Shadow Creme - Golden Apricot)
Apply eyeliner along lower lash line (EL Double Wear Stay in Place Eye liner - Black Plum)
Apply mascara ( Clinique Naturally Glossy Mascara)

Do you have a makeup routine you been doing for what seems like forever ? What routine is it ?




Love,
Indian Girl

Happy 4th Of July & 10 Signs Of A Sunscreen Addict (NOT)

Happy 4th of July , Ladies !!

What are you doing today ? Pool Party ? BBQ Party ? I am guessing most of you are having / going to outdoor parties. I'm not. I'm just not a sun person. I will be checking out the fire works tonight though. There'll be night breeze, no sun, no sunscreen. Not really on the night breeze either. More like humid waves. But you get the picture...

For you day birds, don't forget Sunscreen. Use at least SPF 30 if you are going to be out for extended periods of time. Get one bottle of Sunscreen out for your guests as well and encourage them to use it ( You don't wanna be the only one looking like a oil slick ) I always get teased for it me but its all for the greater good and about being sun safe.

And Oh, here are ten signs of a sunscreen addict. Of course I know nothing about it. Its all from the S.A.S.A (Sunscreen Addicts Syndrome Association) This is apparently what these addicts do...

1. Carry a bottle of sunscreen always with them.
2. Apply it on the back of their hands while driving.
3. Use it once every couple of hours when they are outdoors.
4. Look like an oily mess, but don't care
5. Heavily encourage everybody around them to generously use sunscreen.
6. Usually have a good supply of it at all times for everybody they are with
7. Wear a hat and sit under an umbrella
8. Use SPF 30 for face and SPF 60 for body and SPF 15 for lips or more
9. Wont forget the back of their ears
10. Wont keep the sunscreen out in the sun coz the SPF loses its power or something like that.

What ?? There is no S.A.S.A ?? I have no clue where I get these from ! All I know is I did not make this up.

Love,
Indian Girl

Rock & Republic Classic Tinted Primer SPF 20 : Review

Rock & Republic, SPF 20 and a Matte finish. Now tell me how am I suppose to keep away from trying this stuff ! The lack of shades could have stopped me but Sophia was right up my alley ! Now tell me again, how am I suppose to keep away from trying this stuff !! I'm only human you know. And one without a tinted primer at that.

Sheer & Light

The Rock & Republic Tinted Primer ($46) is made for summers like these and people like me. If the thought of makeup repulses you with the rising mercury then its time you became best friends with super sheer, matte, light formulas like this one. When I tried Becca Luminous Skin Colour I left like nothing could be lighter but clearly there is and it comes in a classic black bottle ! I love the feeling of not feeling it on my face. Plenty of women don't wear makeup even if they wanted to because of the heavy nature of it. Formulas like these can get anybody comfortable with the idea ! It evens out my face, balances the red on my cheeks and gives me some overall color. Its not one for coverage of any kind.

Another important thing is that its silicone free. A silicone free primer !

Even & Smooth

And since its a primer, it leaves my face feeling soft and even ! I usually don't apply powder on top but if you wanted to , it makes a perfect smooth base for powder application. Also when they say matte , I think they mean - not shiny or glowy. Because its not super matte. It does not look dry and powdery. Its just not glowy or shiny and is very natural looking. The only catch is the lack of shades. Its sheer so you can try and fit into one of the four but there is only so much fitting one can do. I hope they expand their line with more shades so many more women can get experimenting on this good stuff !

Love,
Indian Girl

Orange Is The New Red : Learn To Love It & List Of The Best Orange Lipsticks, Blushes & How To Make Your Own Orange Lipstick

Orange is HOT this season. The runways are filled with this color and the world is being bathed in its beauty by our Good Lord - The Sun.

I am a recent fan of this color on my lips but have been a life long fan of the color itself. My mom calls it the Gold Spot Color. Gold Spot is a orange soda that was very popular in India several years back but unfortunately is no longer available. Damn you Coca- Cola.

Coming back to the lipstick, I cant get over the versatility of this shade. No matter what your skin tone, finding the right orange will be just as sexy an experience as finding your own red. Several brands have an orange in their collection but if all else fails, I'll tell you how to make your own orange lipstick ! Don't worry I gotchu covered !

My Favorite Orange Lipsticks

I have a few orange, orange-ish lip products. All summer I have been wearing them with just a bronzer and some mascara. The focus is on the lips because , because I said so. No, seriously nothing beats orange during summer. Orange trumps Pink. Orange trumps Red. Orange trumps every other color. These are some of the orange lipsticks I love...

Prescriptives - Papaya
Estee Lauder Gloss Stick - Orange Poppy
Korres - Orange Brown



List of Some of the Best Orange Lipsticks

This took me a while to put together because it involved a lotta researching ! I had to go find who makes orange and who makes it good ! And I did it, just for you ladies !

Rouge Volupté Lipstick in Extreme Coral
L'Oreal Colour Riche Lipstick Lipstick in Volcanic
Revlon Moon Drops Creme Lipstick in Hot Coral
MAC Morange
Rouge G De guerlain - Gipsy
YSL - Orange Magic
Revlon - Orange Flip
Milani - Mandarin
Milani - Orange Gina
Besame Lipstick - Carmine
Chantecaile - Mars
Korres Mango Butter Lipstick - Orange Brown
Korres Lip gloss - Orange
Julie Hewett Lip Lush - Chloe

The Beauty of Mixing Colors

You don't really have to buy orange lipstick. Layer a peach gloss over a orange-ish red lipstick or a orange-ish red lip pencil and voila it becomes orange ! My pick would be to layer Julie Hewett Lip Lush Chloe over Julie Hewett Lipstick Belle Noir.

Or you could layer a red gloss over peach-orange lipstick. I got a deeper orange by layering Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Lipgloss in Juicy Cherry over Milani Cashmere.

Okay that looks a bit pinkish here, but you get the idea...

How To Make Your Own Orange Lipstick

If none of these above mentioned products tickle your fancy I have another solution for ya. Except you should be in the mood for experiment. The mood is vital in deploying this task effectively. Now, if you're ready these are the list of ingredients you'll need

Orange Powder Blush ( I used Nixie Majesty - highly recommended)
Recs : Rock & Republic - Immoral, Rock & Republic - All Nighter, NARS - Taj Mahal, NARS - Exhibit A, NYX Cinnamon, Cargo - Laguna, Make Up For Ever - Iridescent Orange Coral, Shu Uemura - Orange 55
Chapstick / Clear Gloss / Gloss with teeny tiny gold shimmer particles ( I used Prescriptives - Mango)
Finger / Brush ( for you fancy people)


Method

If you're lips are feeling dry , first exfoliate them so they are soft and even. Apply a thin layer of chap stick to aid the softening process. Wait five minutes and wipe it off. Apply a thin layer of clear gloss all over your lips. Now take your orange blush. With a clean finger , take some color and spread it on your lips. Do it until you are satisfied with the intensity of the shade. That's it ! Your new orange lipstick is ready to be taken on a tour around your city !

Now go ahead and try this trick out while I go enroll myself for some Orange Lipstick Therapy.

Do you have a favorite orange lipstick ? Or a Orange blush ?

Love,
Indian Girl

Your Burning Summer Skincare Questions - Answered by Pros

Good Morning Ladies !

For our second round of Your Burning Questions - Answered By Pros , we are addressing the issue of Summer Skincare. With the season almost here, the seasonal skin woes begin. Questions about the ingredients in your sunscreen, UVA / UVB , hyper pigmentation, tan, Vitamin D or any other skin issue that shows up in summer, are welcome ! This is a wonderful opportunity to find out what you need to do to keep yourself protected the right way. Your questions will be answered by Dr. Aparna Santhanam (MD,DNB), is a cosmetic dermatologist and hair specialist from Mumbai. Dr. Aparna has very kindly agreed to help us out ! Big thanks to her !
How You Do It

You can email me your question to makeupgirl007@gmail.com or you can leave a comment under this post stating your question along with a name. You have until Wednesday, June 17 to send in your questions. I will then put them together and send it over to Dr. Aparna so she can answer them all !! Ask anything - how to choose a sunscreen, is protection that important for brown skin,...the questions are endless, aren't they !! Nothing is silly, nothing is complicated ! All summer skin care questions are welcome :)

More On Dr. Aparna

Dr. Aparna Santhanam (MD,DNB), is a 39 year old cosmetic dermatologist and hair specialist from Mumbai, India with a long standing interest in writing of all kinds as well as holistic health and fitness. A firm believer in combining modern medicine with traditional beliefs and remedies, she has worked with various companies like Marico, kaya, cipla and Novartis. She currently has her own practice in chembur and is a beauty and wellness consultant with Kaya skin clinic, kaya life and Marico. She is also, a professionally qualified and trained broadcaster and columnist with experience in various forms of electronic, print and digital media.

Love,
Indian Girl
Pic Source

Five Products To Keep You Cool This Summer

1. Biore Enliven Cooling Eye Gel

2. Crabtree & Evelyn Aromatherapy Distillations Purifying Refreshing Body Lotion with Lime & Eucalyptus

3. The Body Shop Peppermint Foot Spray

4. Kenzo Cleansing Ice Jelly

5. Aquafina Hydrating Facial Spray

Deconstruction

The Biore Enliven Cooling Eye Gel was featured as one my most favorite finds of 2008. What can I say, its cheap and efficient ! The Eucalyptus in the Crabtree & Evelyn lotion give me the whole body cooling effect in five minutes of applying it. Love , love , love that feeling especially when Texas humidity starts raining on you the second you leave the shower. The foot spray- aah, I have a feeling my mom was kinda sorta behind this product. Why do you need a cool cleansing jelly ? Because sometimes cool water is just not enough. But when is cool water enough? When it comes in a pressurized can and is called a hydrating facial spray.

Love,
Indian Girl

Most Essential Summer Make up Palette - Julie Hewett Poppy Palette : Review

Circle , circle, round and round. Round , round , circle , circle. I'm talking about two eye shadows that perform double duty as powder blushes, one creamy blush that performs double duty as a lip stain, and one lip gloss that ...well , is a lip gloss. The Poppy Palette from Julie Hewett sure meets my 360 degrees of summer makeup needs !

The Performers

Flora - soft petal pink powder
Clementine - luscious peach powder
Jami - pink with a hint of mauve
Mimi - sheer pink-gold lip gloss

Keepin It Fun & Flirty !

If you are going for the fun & flirty look - this is it , the ride stops here. Even if you are not going for the fun & flirty look, the ride still stops here so might as well get off and go get it ! At $48 , you get each the four products at $12, which is a bargain given that these eye shadows will last a life time. Plus it works out much better than buying a whole pot of the cheekie which will last through my life and that of my grand kids. The reason that feels most compelling to me to get palette for $48 would be the useability. Since these are everyday shades that you can pretty much wear everyday to anywhere and the fact that it has one of everything makes it worth the dough.



Read more on the Julie Hewett Poppy palette here

Love,
Indian Girl

The Body Shop Peppermint Cooling Spray : Review

I feel HOT during summers. LOL, well that's a given but the emphasis is on HOT. It has something to do with my internal body composition - I feel way too hotter than most people. I am the opposite of vampires ( sorry I just saw The New Moon trailer and I just had to say it). I am constantly washing my feet with cool water when at home so my body feels just a bit cooler.

That should tell you enough about why I am excited over a blue cooling spray for my feet. The moment I saw the Peppermint Cooling Spray from The Body Shop ($10) I knew it was made for me. The cooling menthol and peppermint oils provide much needed relief to my burning toes. It also has Castor Oil, the only other cooling oil I know of ! My mom always said that if I kept my head and feet cool, the rest of the body's temperature gets automatically readjusted. I don't know the science behind this but the refreshing effect of the menthol feels glorious during theses never ending hot summer months.

Do you know where they sell menthol / peppermint oils ? I am thinking of making this spray myself. But I need to find out the secret behind the instant drying and absence of grease despite the oils. Once I get my hands on that, I'm gonna start whipping up stuff in my kitchen. Who knows I might be the next Shehnaz Hussain or Lisa Price. Now tell me where can I find the oils ?

Oh how I love this song !



Love,
Indian Girl

Summer Makeup Simplified - The Gul Panag Edition

At a recent book launch, former Miss India / Indian actress Gul Panag looked uber pretty and chic with the simplest makeup and glowing skin ! I had to find out what she was wearing because that is exactly how I wanna look this summer - Simple & chic. I asked lovely Gul about the makeup at this event and she willingly shared em ! I am so glad I asked because I swear I thought she had a pink blush on but turns out it was a sheer terracotta / bronze shade !

This is what Gul used :

MAC Concealer NC-35 under the eyes
MAC Gingerly Blush ( again, who knew !)
Lancome Definicils Mascara
MAC Steamy Nail Colour
L'occitane Orange Passion Lip Gloss


Big Thanks to Gul Panag for sharing the look ! Now wasn't that simple ! Its just the basics , done right ! Gul wore it in the sweltering Mumbai heat and that's encouraging who someone who has to put up with the unforgiving TX heat. I will soon be writing on how to get this look with drugstore products.
Also,guess I will continue to rock the long mermaid locks coz I chickened out of cutting my hair off. Also coz my mom said " your wish" when I asked her . Now we all know what moms mean by "your wish". Also coz long hair is coming back in fashion or something like that.

Love,
Indian Girl