Thursday, 29 September 2016

Go-To Makeup Essentials


We all have a set of go-to makeup essentials which come in great handy when we're in rush yet gotta look pristine before stepping out. I definitely have my list of 7 products that help me come across quasi-presentable even when I am mentally stuck in a zombie apocalypse zone!

Go-to makeup essentials, India, Saudi, gulf, maybeeline, bourjois paris, loreal, la shield, colorbar

This, ofcourse, is preceded with my skincare routine during which I slather around two layers of Atopia on my drought-stricken face. And then, I begin with these great stuff! Kindly note that I got all the base products only after my dermat's approval.





1) Sunscreen Gel 

la shield sunscreen, glenmark, spf 40, sunblock, skin care essential, makeup

I've declared my lengths of love for La Shield in my previous skin care post! I apply it generously on my skin after moisturizing it well. This sunscreen gel has SPF 40 in it and is water-resistant. A full review will be up soon.

2) Primer

colorbar primer, silicone based, best primer, india, go-to makeup essentials

I have an extremely dry skin so I don't really need a primer. But the Colorbar one does a great job at diminishing redness and mattifying my eyelids so I apply it sparingly on the said areas. It's light-weight and never broke me out, courtesy its silicone and gel-based formulation. 

3) CC Cream

bourjois paris cc cream, go-to makeup essentials, color corrector

I still remember the BB and CC cream fad around 3 years ago. In order to blend with the trend, I first used Garnier BB cream, but that gave me crazy bad bumps and rashes. Later I succumbed to Bourjois Paris' SA praises of the CC cream and I am glad purchased it! The CC cream disperses into the skin within seconds and cancels out all the redness too. And guess what? It's recommended by Lisa Eldrige as well! 







4) Gel Eyeliner

maybelline long lasting drama, eyeliner, drugstore, go-to makeup essentials

Maybelline Long Lasting Drama is easy to use and comes with a soft and flexible brush. I love its semi-matte texture. 

5) Eyelash Curler and Mascara

loreal volume million lashes, mascara, my go-to makeup essentials

There was a time when I dreaded applying mascara, lest I became blind from poking the wand into my eye, but now I can barely leave my house without it. I usually curl my lashes first and then apply about 2 coats of mascara. I am using Loreal Volume Million Lashes at the moment. It's great for lengthening and stays put the entire day. 

6) Lip cream


miss claire, lip cream, matte, my go-to makeup essentials, 08, dupe nyx

It's important to wear a matte lip cream for a natural and polished look. I LOVE LOVE LOVE Miss Claire Lip Cream in 08! It's ultra-pigmented and wouldn't budge from your lips at all, no matter what you eat. The only teensy-weensy drawback is that it may transfer onto your teeth, but the "finger in the lip trick" can help you tackle that!


So these are the products that make me look put together even on my laziest days. I'd be glad to know your makeup essentials in the comments below!







Thursday, 22 September 2016

Indian YouTube Beauty Gurus: My Fav 6!

best indian beauty gurus, youtube, makeup, skin care, top, favorite
YouTube beauty gurus are pretty much the reason why I first started experimenting with makeup and DIYs. If I can recall clearly, The Makeup Chair was the first beauty channel I stumbled upon five years ago during my peregrination of learning to apply an eyeliner on "fleek" (ugh, such an over-used term!).
From there, I began subscribing to diverse beauty channels, from Michelle Phan and Bethany Mota to Farah Dhukai. However, it was rather difficult for me to relate to them as most of the popular beauty gurus were either white or lived in other countries, using products which were inaccessible in India.

Fortunately, a few months later there was a surge in the number and popularity of Indian beauty and lifestyle YouTubers. I found them preppy, closer to my age and tangible in whacking more aspects. The products they mentioned were also familiar, in comparison to the brands featured by foreign gurus that were mind-mindbogglingly intimidating for someone like me, who was freshly new in the makeup scene. Seriously though, Chantikay? Chantikee? Shantakee? Guess I'll never know.

Here's a list of my 6 favorite Indian YouTube beauty gurus whom, I am sure, you are gonna love too!

6. Delhi Fashion Blogger

delhi fashion blogger, top indian beauty gurus, youtube, komal, team komal
Image Courtesy: YouTube
I was drawn towards Komal's, aka Delhi Fashion Blogger, pleasant vibes right from her first video I watched! Her voice is ultra-soothing to the ears and she gives honest reviews on beauty products usually after trying it for no less than a month. Komal also holds strong opinions on fat shaming and superficial beauty standards set for women by the society, which she deals with in her videos, #KomalTalks. And oh, she sings too! 


sherry shroff, top indian beauty guru, makeup, lifestyle vlogger, model
Image Courtesy: Twitter
Scherezade Shroff or Sherry is a former popular model turned lifestyle vlogger. Her energy is crazy contagious and can come in handy to effortlessly reinvigorate your mood! She covers a range of topics on her channel apart from makeup, such as fashion, finance and other practical advice for urban women. Get ready for tonnes of  cool food and travel vlogs as well!

4. MyHappinesz

myhappinesz, top indian youtube beauty gurus, makeup, fashion, lifestyle, komal, angels
Image Courtesy: Myhappinesz
Komal, aka Myhappinesz, posts several easily achievable makeup looks, prep talk, diet tips and fashion haul videos. I love her personal vlogs in which she gives an insight into her daily life of living with her understanding husband, in-laws and two adorable dogs! 

3. SuperWOWstyle

prachi, superwowstyle, youtube, beauty guru, top beauty youtubers, roadies

You probably know Prachi from her Roadies days. Well, on her channel SuperWOWstyle, we find how interactive and sweet she really is!

Prachi usually posts a gamut of beauty reviews and homemade remedies for virtually every skin problem. Love how well-spoken and honest she is. 







2. Sjlovesjewelry

sjlovesjewelry, shreya jain, indian beauty guru, makeup, hauls, skincare, acne
Image Courtesy: YouTube
Shreya Jain has come a long way from mixing up her words on camera to representing Indian YouTube beauty gurus on many occasions. She is probably one of the most versatile YouTubers, boasting of a sweep of makeup looks and skin care tips. She also openly talks and gives tips on how she deals with suffering from PCOS. Shreya is chirpy and totally relatable, which makes me enjoy watching her videos!

1. Debasree Banerjee 

debasree banerjee, all she needs, vlogger, top indian beauty guru, skincare, acne, makeup, assam, kolkata
Image Courtesy: YouTube
Debasree Banerjee is simply delightful! She possesses great presentation skills and has a knack for experimenting with new and extremely affordable beauty products. I found out about Miss Claire (my HG lip creams) and Kiss Beauty through her. Debasree's endeavors in striking the right balance between high-end makeup tutorials and discovering awesome and reasonably priced dupes is what makes her extremely popular in the Indian YouTube beauty game.  That, and her affable personality!

Sunday, 18 September 2016

7 Favorite Comic Strips Guaranteed to Hit You in ze Feels

calvin and hobbes, explore, favorite comic strips, love, emotional
There's nothing more relishing than slumping to some bright yet intense comic strips after a long day at work! I could spend an eternity reading reflective, quirky and inspiring comics, especially which evoke a tinge of nostalgia in me. While discussing things that inspire us with a friend, I thought of collating a list of my favorite most strips that effortlessly struck a chord with me. These moved me so much that it almost felt like they were created keeping my life in mind!

Here're my top 7 strips for you to read and get punched right in ze feels! They are all vivid and brilliantly drawn. The list of my favorites is actually never-ending, but I turn to these ones when I am particularly down. Some of them are pretty new, while others have ceaselessly been inspiring me since high school.

7. For those haunted with anxiety and suicidal thoughts 


doodle drama, suicide, anxiety, indian youth, comic strip, favorite

I stumbled upon Doodleodrama quite recently and my, my, her graphics are simply delightful! They are funny and extremely tangible. This strip was posted on World Suicide Prevention Day as a means to promote awareness about the rising rates of suicide death in India. Albeit new, the last panel gave me some major goosebumps!

See more of Doodleodrama here.


6. For those who can never get the words right

incidental comics, word problems, awkward, introvert, comic strips, favorite

incidental comics, word problems, introvert

incidental comics, word problems, introvert
Grant Snider is hands-down one of my favorite illustrators! His comics are so real that it's heartbreaking. Crazy how difficult it is for some people (see:me) to muster up the confidence to get a few words right with others. This perfectly depicts such a person's (again, me) constant state of battle between their mind and the tongue.

5. For those in need of little introspection

calvin and hobbes, stars, introspection, favorite comic strips

We all grew up with the six-year-old Calvin and his imaginary pet tiger, Hobbes. They are adorable and often represent what it's like to think differently from the mechanized system we're a part of. This strip is just so serene to look at! It reminds us to not take ourselves all that seriously and gaze into the glistening stars every once in a while.

See more of Calvin and Hobbes here.

 4. For those wrestling with self-doubt and failures


picture in boxes, rubik square, self-doubt, failure, comic strips

I can't recall when exactly I came across this illustration, but I do remember getting very teary  upon reading it. We often find ourselves lost and clueless during our youth, assuming things to remain perennially distressing. Comics like these are a manifestation of hope, that you'll have everything figured out one day and what you went through will eventually be worth it.

See more of Pictures in Boxes here.

3. For those struggling to embrace change


lunarbaboon, family, change, memories, comic strips
It takes me forever to get accustomed to change which is why I hate it. However, we must learn to embrace it sooner to combat every challenge thrown at us in life. I keep this around to remind myself that every change is beautiful in its own way.

See more of LunarBaboon here.

2. For those bogged down by the dreaded "chaar log" and their cynicism


muslim show, favorite comic strips, cynicism, deaf, masjid





I've learnt more about the practical application of Islam through The Muslim Show than I did in my Islamic Studies classes at school. Their main figures have evolved from full-fledged graphics to shadows, but the essence stays intact. 
I love this "Impossible" strip. The message is simple and smart: if you want to accomplish something, turn your deaf ear to the negative people in life. 

See more of The Muslim Show here.

1. For those overwhelmed in the pursuit to fulfill their ambition


the nature of ambition, incidental comics, favorite comics, inspiring, grant snider

It's Grant Snider again! I cannot stress upon just how much I adore this strip. It helped me tackle so many inner fears and insecurities and still makes me stay true to my roots. I plan to hang it as a portrait in my bedroom soon so The Nature of Ambition is the first thing I open my eyes to every morning.

See more of Incidental Comics here.

I hope you like my list. Let me know which ones inspire you!