Iraya Kumkumadi Facial Oil Review : Dupe of Kama Ayurveda Kumkumadi Miraculous Beauty Fluid ?

I purchased the Iraya Kumkumadi Facial oil from Jabong when it was on sale. Last year was the year of facial oils and I was very interested to try them out for myself. However, they are freaking expensive. Even then, I was ready to shell out two grand on one of them before I saw this on sale (for Rs.795) at Jabong. Now Jabong doesn’t list many details about any of their products, but this had natural written in the description and also had an all-natural ingredient list. So I took the plunge and decided to buy it, though I haven’t seen any reviews on this product. I have used it for roughly two months.

Price: Rs.995

Qty: 10ml

Claims: Kumkumadi Tailam in it's purest form. Ideal for facial massage. Prescribed in Ayurveda as a ‘Miraculous Elixir’ for the skin, Kumkumadi is an absolute classic! This revered formulation contains pure Saffron and 25 precious Ayurvedic herbs that have been relied upon through the ages to lighten and brighten the complexion. It evens skin tone, clears blemishes, minimises fine lines and surface imperfections and also helps improve skin’s texture.

Usage: Take a few drops on your fingertips, massage gently into skin using upward, outward movements. Best to use after cleansing and toning. Regular application gives a luminous complexion. Massage is recommended once or twice a week.

Ingredients (100% natural):

Cow's Milk, Sesame Oil ( Sesamum Indicum ), Rice Bran Oil(Oryza Sativa), Rose Water ( Rosa Centifolia ), Saffron ( Crocus Sativus), Sandalwood (Santalum Album), Lodh Tree Bark (Symplocos Racemosa), Red Sanders Wood (Pterocarpus Santalinus), Coomb Teak (Adina Cordifolia), Vetiver (Vetiveria Zizanoides), Manjishta (Rubia Cordifolia), Liquorice (Glycyrrhiza Glabra), Lotus seed (Nelumbo Nucifera), Turmeric(Curcuma Longa), Indian Barberry (Berberis Aristata), Cobra Saffron (Mesua Ferrea), Flame Of The Forest (Butea Menosperma),Priyangu (Callicarpa Macrophylla), Banyan(Ficus Bengalensis), Mustard (Brassica Campestris),Ginger (Zingiber Zerumbet), Essential Oils of Bergamot and Lavender.

*the ones in bold are those that are present in Kama Ayurveda Kumkumadi Thailam, however, the proportions differ.

It is 100% vegetarian and cruelty free!

Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream '34 Bronze' Review - Foundation or Tinted Moisturizer ?

I never thought I’d spend so much on a tinted moisturizer, but I did! It was on my mind, haunting me for so long that I just gave in one day. It all started when I ventured into Parcos at Infinity-2 one day(that day I talked about HERE). I actually wanted to try out the newly launched cream-to-powder shadows by Bourjois, but they weren't stocked (I doubt if they are available even now). Then, I saw the CC cream and decided to try it out. ‘I won’t really buy it anyways’, I thought to myself, ‘too expensive’. After finding a shade close to my skin tone, I patted the tester on to my skin and I just fell in love with the texture and coverage. The store had my shade only in testers so I couldn't buy it then and I thought ‘this is a sign, I shouldn't buy it now, or ever’. But then, the pangs began. I started to dream about it, in the different ways it could be of use to me, how it would be perfect for this season and that occasion, and blah blah. When you really like something, your subconscious conspires to fixate on it, and clouds all your thoughts with images of it. So I gave in, and brought it home with me. ^_^

Price; Rs.710 / $11.4

Qty: 30ml / 1 US oz
Shades : 31 Ivory , 32 Light Beige , 33 Rose Beige, 34 Bronze

Huge Haul : Real Techniques, E.L.F, TheFaceShop etc + iHerb and SingPost review

Its been such a long time since I showed a haul on my blog. I have been buying products left, right and center (thank you online discounts!), but I never got the chance to put them together and take pics. Last week, my sister came home from Singapore. With her, she brought a list of things I had demanded and Real Techniques & E.L.F brushes which I had ordered from iHerb and gotten delivered to  Singapore because I was afraid of my losing package in the Indian mail system.

Here’s what I ordered from iHerb (mostly brushes)

Inglot Freedom System Blush AMC #58: Review, Swatch, Price in India

For the longest time, I ignored my powder blushes. When I was in college (well technically, I still am), they seemed a bit much: washing the brushes every week, making sure that they blush is applied exactly at the right spot, blending it out so that it would look natural etc. is too much work for someone who wakes up three-fourths of an hour before class starts. I relied on the liquid-mousse blushes from Rimmel, so convenient for all those times I didn’t have the time. Now that I’ve begun work (technically, its an internship) I tend to take it more seriously than I did college and actually wakeup couple of hours before I have to leave. Since I’m not bound by any household duties, I can spend all time I want on prepping myself up, and that’s why I pulled out a much neglected and lovely blush from the Inglot Freedom System :  AMC #58.

Price: Rs.450 (may have increased)

Qty: 6g

Availability: Majorbrands (AMC not stocked yet) | Nykaa

Can be stored in palettes, see mine here.

My take on Inglot Blush Refill AMC #58

Color: 58 is a warm toned everyday pink on my cheeks. In the pan it looks like a dusky pink meets mauve color and when photographed, it looks reddish. But the swatches are true to what it appears on me. It will suit all skin tones, I feel it will appear brighter on fairer skin tones and more mauve on deeper skin tones. It does brighten up the face a little bit. I have included pictures of how it looks indoors and how it looks in daylight because my camera wasn’t picking up the color properly :( It’s a great color to wear to work, or even to college if you want. Its one of those colors that you can put anytime you’re confused about what color to wear with a smokey eye look or when you just want a little color to your face.

Simple Pleasures: Revlon Touch and Glow Moisturizing Powder Compact in Ivory Matte

Revlon Touch & Glow compact has been my go to compact since many months. I purchased it to temporarily replace the Rimmel Stay Matte which completely shattered when I dropped. I was in urgent need of a compact and I thought this would be perfect till I found something better. However, I slowly started loving this one. Now, you can’t replace  something you love, can you?

Price: Rs.415/~$6.8

Qty: 12g

Shades: Gold Matte, Ivory Matte, Natural Matte, Rose Matte

Availability: Flipkart, Amazon, Jabong

(Available on discount now)

Maybelline Electro Pop Pink Shock VS Maybelline Lip Smooth Pink Blossom

Hi my lovely readers, how has your day been?

I’ve been seeing a lot of reviews on the new Maybelline Baby Lips Electro Pop range & I decided to add my thoughts to the pool. For us Indians, the most exciting thing about this launch is the packaging of the range. Finally we get Baby Lips with the adorable US packaging that actually puts the “baby” in the lip balm!! When I was swatching this new launch at the Maybelline counter, I felt that Pink Shock was the most pigmented so I picked it up. Funnily, there’s a yellow one that comes out as clear, why it is in the “electro pop” range baffles me! When I started using Pink Shock, I realized that it is very similar to a cult favorite that Maybelline released in India a long time ago – Pink Blossom from the Lip Smooth range. I felt that the lip smooth range is discontinued but I still see it at Health& Glow, not anywhere else. I purchased the Lip Smooth lip balm last year after hearing so many rave reviews about it. I’ll review Pink Shock in detail first & then compare it to Pink Blossom.

Electro Pop Range:

Price: Rs.165 / ~$2.7

Qty: 3.5g

Shades: Pink Shock, Fierce & Tangy, Berry Bomb, Oh Orange
(Availalble in more shades in US! =[ )

Availability: Nykaa, Flipkart

Liebster Award (My 100th Post)

I was nominated for the Liebster award in August-14 by Allison of Scattered Sun. When Allison notified me, I told her that the award meant a lot to me and I wanted it to be my 100th post. It is actually the first award I have got for  my little blog. For those of you who don’t know, the Liebster award is an informal award for bloggers from other bloggers. Its a way for bloggers to connect and readers to get to know the blogger. 

Rules:

1.      Answer all questions that are given to you

2.      Link back to the person that nominated you

3.      Nominate 11 blogers who have less than 200 followers

4.      Provide nominees with 11 questions of your choice

5.      You cannot nominate the person who nominated you

6.      You must inform nominees of your nomination

7.      Provide nominees with a link to you post for more info

8.      Save the Liebster Award and you can post it on your blog