Saturday 22 July 2017

Six Wardrobe Essentials

Hey guys! Hope you all are doing well.

In this week’s post, I will be talking all about some must have clothing items. 


These are clothes you probably already have, but incase you don't you could always buy them now. These are some of the most basic clothing items, it may come in handy while going for a work event or while going shopping with a friend. There is no hard and fast rule that you must have these, however having these in your wardrobe is definitely a plus point. 

Now without any further ado, lets begin.









1.  Plain Tee's or Singlets 

Plain tees and singlets are so casual and easy to carry. You can pair them up with almost anything. If you're ever running late, you could just pair up your jeans with a singlet, and you are good to go. This works for college as well as a casual outing with some of your friends. And if you ever feel like you  want to take it up a notch just add a stole or  cute jacket.

You can get these plain tees while street shopping or even in the mall. My favourite tops are from Marks & Spencer. They fit really well and have a few basic and bright colours for you to choose from. 
As far as singlets go, you can find them in Irla or even in stores like Forever 21 or Westside. 


Red singlet- westside
Black pant - Vero Moda

2. Black Pant

This is a definite necessity, something i can't do without. Lunch, dinner, college or even presentations, these pants can work through anything.  You don't really need to think twice before paring your black pant with anything, it works with any top or shirt. 

My favourite pants ( jeggings) have been from H&M and Zara. The pants fit so well and are super comfortable. These pants may seem expensive for a few but its really worth it all. 





3. Denim Jacket

The denim jacket is something that is never going to go out of fashion. You will see people carrying this jacket with maxis, short dresses, jumpsuits and even with denim bottoms. The denim jacket can even make a simple singlet look better. 

Vero Moda has some really cute denim jackets. 





4. White Shirt

This also, like the pant works for multiple occasions. You can wear this for a formal occasion or a casual day out. If you think its too plain you can always pair it up some cute shoes and accessories. 
This is one of the most basic clothing items and can be found it multiple stores, I bought mine from H&M.


White shirt - H&M
Jeans- Max
Shoes - H&M 


5. Denim Jeans 

Most people swear by their denim jeans and wear it almost everyday. This is something you can find in everyone's wardrobe, however some may be ripped. Whether its ripped or not, these jeans can never go wrong. You have a variety of choices to pick from, skinny jeans, jeggings,  ripped jeans, straight cut pants or even baggy boyfriend jeans. 




6. The LBD 

The LBD also known as the little black dress, is that one statement black dress which you can wear to any party or event. It does not have to be too grand or have a lot of details. There is no standard look, any design or cut works for this.  You can wear this for a fresher's party or even while going clubbing.  
Just remember to accessorise well and wear a cute pair of heels. 

Dress - Forever 21 


Heels - Forever 21 

For this post, I paired these items together to give you guys some outfit options. However, these are just basic options, you could always mix and match and add much more jewellery. 


That is all for this post. I shall soon do a post on footwear, till then if you would like to see any specific post, do let us know in the comments below. 

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Photography Courtesy @sakshipitale 

Saturday 15 July 2017

Make Up Removers 101

Hey guys! Hope you all are doing well.

In this week’s post, I will be talking all about make up removers.

We are back with our 101 series in which we break down what a product does and how to use it along with some product recommendations for different skin types and requirements. Make up remover is an essential in every beauty kit. So lets get into the basics.



Why is it important to use a make up remover?

Sleeping with your make up on is one of the biggest skincare sins you could commit. If you sleep with make up on, your skin can breathe and regenerate. It could lead to redness and dryness of skin. One of the most visible and obvious side effects is acne. Even if you are just someone who wears only lipstick and eyeliner, you still need to use a make up remover. Eye make up, if not taken off properly, causes styes. Lipstick, if not taken off properly, could cause chapping of lips. Over the years not taking your make up properly makes you more to wrinkles at an early age. You could avoid all of this by just taking off your make up everyday.

How to take off my make up?

In the first step, I take a gentle wet wipe and use one side of the wipe to get off as much make up as I can. Once I am done using one side of the wipe, I repeat the same process with the other side.

In the second step, I take a make up remover on a cotton pad to wipe off whatever remaining make up is left on my face. This may or may not get your face slightly sticky, However in either case, I prefer to go in with the third step.

In the third step, I take a face scrub, exfoliate for 2 minutes and wash it off to ensure there is no make up residue clogging my pores.

In the fourth step, if I have any make up remaining in my water line, I take some micellar water on a cotton bud and take it off.

In the fifth step, I apply a moisturiser or a gel to my face to ensure that my skin remains hydrated despite all the cleansing.

 My Favourite Make Up Removers

Bioderma Sensibio H2O retails for Rs.945 for 250ml. This is without a doubt my favourite make up remover. It has no fragrance. It does not leave your skin sticky but takes off even the best waterproof make up with just a single swipe. 



Innisfree Green Tea Cleansing Water retails for Rs. 950 for 300ml. It is extremely soothing for the skin. It takes off make up well. However you need to put in a little more effort while taking off eye make up. A little product goes a long way.



Lakme Absolute Bi-Phased Make up Remover retails for Rs.250 for 60ml. It is a budget friendly option. It acts as a cleansing oil since it is extremely sticky on the skin and breaks down the make up. It is suitable for dry skin.



Maybelline Clean Express Total Clean Make up Remover retails for Rs. 300 for 70ml. It is another budget friendly option that cleanses the skin without making the skin oily. It is suitable for oily skin.



L’Oreal Paris Micellar Water retails for Rs.475 for 95ml. It works well to soothe and cleanse skin. It does not get the skin sticky and is best suited for people with sensitive skin. It can be used to clean the water line of the eye.



Alternate Make Up Removers

Johnson Baby Skincare Wipes can be used make up removing wipes. They smell great and are super gentle on the skin.




Patanjali Aloe Vera Gel can be used as a make up remover. Since it has anti bacterial and anti inflammatory properties, it protects you against redness and acne.



Coconut Oil can be used as a make up remover as it helps break down the make up and scrub it off easily while making your skin hydrated.

That is all for this post. If you have any questions or suggestions, leave it down in a comment.
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Photography Courtesy: Shivam Bhatt. (@shivam2008)


Saturday 8 July 2017

How I Colour My hair.

Hey guys! 

In this week's post I will be telling you all about my coloured hair.

So as you may have seen in our previous posts, I have pink hair. And I'm constantly asked how I got it done, did I change the colour or how long the colour lasts. So I decided to do a post to address all these questions. 






So I got my hair coloured in October (2016), but it wasn't pink, it was purple. 
To get a colour like blue, pink, purple your hair needs to be pre lightened, which means it is bleached and causes the hair to turn blonde. 

Once that is done, a mix of the colour and developer is added to the pre lightened hair and covered with foil. This is left alone for about an hour and then washed. Once it is washed you have your coloured hair.This colour, purple in my case lasts for about a month and then starts fading away. Purple can either turn pink or bluish-green. 

So once the colour starts fading away, your hair obviously won't look as good as before and recolouring it every month in the parlour can be really expensive. That's when I tried searching for some DIY hair colours. 



I use this shade to colour my hair pink.

I happened to find the Crazy Colour botttles on amazon and snapdeal and since then have been using the Crazy Colour bottles, and that's how I coloured my hair pink. 

It's really simple to use and easily cheaper than going to the parlour. 
You just need to add some of the colour into a bowl and apply it on your pre lightened/ faded hair. I add a bit of conditioner to the colour, however it's not necessary for you to do so.
You can apply the colour with a brush and then even it out with your fingers. (Make sure you wear gloves because some of the colours may leave a stain on your hand). 
Once you apply the colour, you can tie your hair and leave it for 30-60 minutes. (Without any foils). After that you can wash your hair, but try not to rub the coloured part too much as you may wash away some of it. 



Some things to keep in mind while colouring your hair - 

- Bleach will make your hair rough and a bit dry. 
-You can use the shampoo/conditioners made specially for coloured hair. 
-The Crazy Colour will work only on previously bleached hair and this too will fade after 2-3 weeks. 
-Crazy Colour has a wide range of colours and costs around 650 rupees.
-You can buy it online from snapdeal / Amazon or from Beauty Palace/ Beautiful in Bandra. 


That's all for this post. I hope this answers some of your questions on hair colouring. If you still have any questions, do leave it in the comments. 

For regular updates, follow us on social media.
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Photography - Ankita Hattangadi
 (instagram @the_streetosphere) 










Saturday 1 July 2017

PAC Retro Matte Gloss Review

Hey guys! Hope you all are doing well.

In this week’s post, I will be reviewing the PAC Retro Matte Gloss.

PAC Cosmetics is one of my favourite Indian brands since their products are of high end quality.
The PAC Retro Matte Gloss has a slightly confusing name. So to set the record straight, it is 100% a liquid lipstick with a completely matte finish. There is nothing glossy about it.

So without any further ado, lets get into the review.





Price


The PAC Retro Matte Gloss retails for Rs 550 for 6.5ml. I picked it up from Beautiful in Santacruz for Rs 490.

Shade 


The PAC Retro Matte Gloss is available in 18 shades with a mix of nudes, reds, plums and pinks. The shade I have is 08 which is a nude brown with warm undertones. It appears darker as a hand swatch than as a lip swatch.


Hand Swatch for PAC Retro Matte Gloss in 06
Lip Swatch for PAC Retro Matte Gloss in 06

Lip Swatch for PAC Retro Matte Gloss in 06

Packaging


The PAC Retro Matte Gloss comes in a box with logo of PAC Cosmetics and the product name mentioned on the box. The shade is mentioned on the top of the box. The ingredients have also been mentioned on the box. However in my case, it has been covered by the price tag. The lipstick comes in cylindrical container. It appears much more compact compared to other full size liquid lipsticks.It has a dual effect on the container where black is merging with the shade of the lipstick. In white the logo of PAC Cosmetics and the name of product has been mentioned again along with shade of the lipstick at the bottom. When the range had first launched their packaging was slightly different. However a few months ago they changed it. Thus it has 2.0 written on it. 



Fragrance


The PAC Retro Matte Gloss has no fragrance.

Application


The PAC Retro Matte Gloss has short applicator which ensures a precise and smooth application. It is very easy to line your lips with this applicator. Since the product is highly opaque, you just need to apply one single layer which dries within 4 minutes. (Actually timed it.)

Longevity


The PAC Retro Matte Gloss lasts for upto 8 hours.It is completely water proof, smudge proof and transfer proof. If you eat a greasy meal, the pigmentation of the lipstick will reduce. However the lipstick is still very much there.








Pros


The PAC Retro Matte Gloss is affordable.
The PAC Retro Matte Gloss is travel friendly.
The PAC Retro Matte Gloss has a wide range of shades for every skin tone.
The PAC Retro Matte Gloss is long lasting.
The PAC Retro Matte Gloss is transfer proof.

Cons


The PAC Retro Matte Gloss could feel to dry on the lips for some people.
The PAC Retro Matte Gloss stain your lips and can not be wiped easily even with make up remover.
The PAC Retro Matte Gloss has a misleading name as it is not a gloss.


My Verdict


If you are looking for a long lasting affordable liquid lipstick, the PAC Retro Matte Gloss is perfect for you.

If you are a liquid lipstick junkie, the PAC Retro Matte Gloss is perfect for you.

If you are looking for a specific nude shade in a liquid lipstick, the PAC Retro Matte Gloss is perfect for you.

If you have already have tried similar formulations in slightly expensive long lasting liquid lipsticks like the  Chambor’s Xtreme Wear Transferproof Liquid Lipstick, Colourpop Ultra Matte Liquid Lipsticks or Kylie Matte Liquid Lipsticks, you could give this one a miss.

If you have extremely dry lips and are not a big fan of lip balms, you could give this one a miss.

That is all for this post.
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Photography Courtesy: Shivam Bhatt (@shivam2008)

Saturday 24 June 2017

Linen All the Way




Hey guys! Hope you all are doing well.

In this week’s post, I have written about these amazing Linen shirts from Marks & Spencer. 

I personally love shirts, they look so smart and can be worn for a casual event or a formal event. I'm usually drawn to plaid cotton shirts or denim shirts but i'v been loving linen shirts too. About a year back, while shopping at Marks & Spencer I came across their linen range. They had a wide range of shirts and full length pants. 


                                                                                                    


The shirts were available in a wide range of colours, from blues and greens to pinks and orange, each looked so bright and attractive. The shirts have full sleeves with two pockets and are made of 100% pure linen. The shirt feels so light and its super comfortable. 


They have lights shades as well as bright colours, each being without any design. 
Out of their colour range, I picked up a light blue and recently a bright  pink shirt, while mom picked up a dark navy blue shirt. These shirts can be worn to work as well as for a casual outing (its a really good choice for work). They fit really well and have a smart and simple look. 





Apart from the linen shirts, the brand has linen pants. They are not skinny or ripped, but are simple full length straight cut pants.  I haven't seen many colours for these, just the usual white, beige and navy blue. These seem as comfortable as the shirt. I have never worn these pants but will surely buy a pair soon. Light and baggy pants are such a boon in the Bombay weather. 

These shirts are a bit pricy as it ranges around 2500 each, but its worth it. These will last a long time and can be worn multiple times, styled in different ways. 






For this look, I paired the shirt with White ripped jeans from Vero Moda and Black heels from Charles & Keith. 


That's all for todays post.
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You can find Brinda and me on instagram 
@infinite_times_infinity
@a__ritu

Photography Courtesy : Sakshi Pitale 
@sakshipitale (instagram)



Saturday 17 June 2017

Thailand Beauty Haul: E.l.f, Sephora, Benefit and more.

Hey guys! Hope you all are doing well.

In this week’s post, I will be sharing my Thailand beauty haul.

In the summer, I travelled to Koh Samui and Bangkok and I picked up a few make up and skincare products. It is a mix of drugstore and high end products. I will do a separate post on places for beauty and skincare shopping in Thailand so stay tune for that.

Without any further ado lets get into the products.

Make Up


NYX Total Control Drop Foundation

This foundation has been really popular since its launch. It is all over social media and I was really tempted to try it. They had over 10 different shades so it was extremely easy to find my shade. I bought it for approximately 800 rupees. This foundation is not available in India yet.

NYX Dewy Finish Setting Spray

All the setting sprays I have tried till date have had a matte finish so I wanted to mix things up and purchase a dewy setting spray. I have heard excellent things about the NYX Matte Finish Setting Spray so I decided to give this one a try. I purchased this spray for approximately 800 rupees. This setting spray is not available in India yet.



NYX Lingerie in Cabaret Show

When NYX launched in India a year ago, I was so excited their lip Lingerie collection. It has these "perfect my lips but better" shades for every skintone. However it is still not available in India. So I went ahead and picked a brown nude from the collection. I purchased it for 650 rupees.


e.l.f. Mineral Infused Face Primer

e.l.f collection in Thailand was very limited. I was looking forward to get some products from their skincare range. However it was not available. I just went ahead and picked up their Mineral Infused Primer because it looked like something different. I purchased it for 1200 rupees.

e.l.f. Hydrating Under Eye Primer

 An under eye primer helps your concealer set better and avoid any creasing. I have never tried one before so I picked this one up for 600 rupees.


Mistine Brow Secrets

This brow pencil was all over Thailand. It was probably the most advertised product. It is 3 in 1 brow product. It has a pencil, powder and setting gel. I picked this up for 360 rupees.



Mistine Stamp Me Lip Color in 03

A while ago peel off lip stains were trending on the internet. However they were not available in India. So when I saw this product, I got really excited. However when I tried it out, I was really disappointed. It takes forever to dry and peels off in patches. I purchased this for 350 rupees.



Gino McCray Eye Brushes

You can never have enough eye brushes. So when I saw these brushes, I could not resist buying them since they were high quality but still affordable. I bought them for 250 rupees each.



Coca Cola Lip Smacker

This is probably not considered a make up product but this Coco Cola flavoured lip balm was an impulsive buy for 150 rupees.



Cathy Doll Iroka Eye Color Mousse in Hajirai

This product is basically a cream eyeshadow with a dual tone. The colour was this gorgeous reddish orange. It could worn on its own or would make a great base shade as well. I purchased this for 400 rupees.




Cho Silky Matte Liquid Lipstick in Kimber

This liquid lipstick had a texture very similar to Colourpop and Kylie Cosmetics matte liquid lipsticks. I have not heard of this brand before but decided to pick it up since I loved the texture. I purchased it for 1300 rupees.



Candy Pad


This pad is used to clean make up brushes easily. All the different type of ridges ensure to get all the product out. I purchased this for 300 rupees.



Fairy Fanatic Fairy Lips in Monaco

There are 3 reasons why I picked this lipstick. Packaging. Packaging. Packaging.This is the cutest lipstick ever. The shade is dusty pink, very similar to Colorbar Pink Charm which was discontinued. I  purchased the lipstick for 700 rupees.




Ten Ten Nail Paint

I usually stick to Nykaa nail enamels. However my sister decided to pick these two nail paints for only 80 rupees each.



Benefit Goof Proof Brow Pencil

Benefit is one of my favourite high end brands. I have loved every product I have used from Benefit. Benefit usually has these kits in Sephora that are good deals.  The Benefit Eye Got Brow was one such kit. For 2000 rupees, I got 3 Benefit products! The Benefit Goof Proof Brow Pencil is dual ended product with a retractable pencil on one side and a spoolie on the other.







Benefit Ready, Set, Brow

The Benefit Ready, Set, Brow is a clear brow gel that helps keep your brows in place once you are done filling them in and shaping them with the brow pencil.




Benefit Roller Lash

This mascara is easily the star of my haul. It transforms your lashes while adding length and volume at the same time. A few coats of this mascara and you do not need false eye lashes. If you are into mascaras, you need to try this one out. I can not rave enough about this product!




Skincare



SEPHORA Sleeping Mask in Green Tea


I have wanted to try the Sephora sheet masks for a while. However I find them priced slightly unreasonably. So I was very excited when I found these sleeping masks. These are gels that get absorbed into your skin quickly. The green tea mask is perfect for when I feel that I am gonna break out or my skin is getting oily. I purchased it for 1000 rupees.



SEPHORA Sleeping Mask in Marine Algae


In the day, I avoid using any hydrating creams since over a period of time my skin tends to get sticky. Thus I decided to pick up the Sephora Marine Algae Mask as it is a sleeping mask that will give an extra dose of hydration.I purchased it for 1000 rupees.




SEPHORA Exfoliating Charcoal Cleansing Cream 

The Sephora skincare range in India is very limited. So when I saw this charcoal exfoliating cleansing cream, I did not think too much and decided to just pick it up.I purchased it for 400 rupees.




The Body Shop Himalayan Charcoal Mask


The Body Shop masks have been on my list. However in India they retail for 2400 rupees which is almost as expensive as some face masks for Kiehls Lucky for me, I found a store that had a “buy 1 get 1 free” offer along with a 10% discount. So I got 2 masks for only 2000 rupees! The Himalayan Charcoal mask  was perfect for acne prone skin so I went ahead and grabbed it.



The Body Shop Chinese Ginseng & Rice Mask


I decided to pick up the Body Shop Chinese Ginseng & Rice mask since I have never tried a granular face mask before. The mask smelt great as well and was perfect for all skin types. I will soon do a review on both the masks from The Body Shop.




Beauty Cottage Green Apple & Sage Bubble Mask


Beauty Cottage is a skincare and make up brand available in South East Asia. They have affordable products that are adorably packaged. I picked up the mask for only 400 rupees on sale. This is the first time I have seen product that contains green apple and sage and is meant for acne prone skin. Also it is a bubble mask that seems to be the next big thing in skincare.




Boots Tea Tree & Witch Hazel Cleansing & Toning Lotion


This product is a combination of my two favourite things in skincare. Tea tree and toner. It is best suited for acne prone skin. I have seen witch hazel being used in a lot of skincare hacks but have never had the chance to use it before. I purchased it for 500 rupees.




Boots 3 Minute Cucumber Mask

This product was a bestselling product. It was extremely affordable so I decided to give it a try. I purchased it for 260 rupees.





Boots Skin Clear Ultra Treatment Cream


This product is an spot treatment for acne. It feels a lot like a medical cream. I am hoping it works well. I purchased it for 400 rupees.




Boots Caribbean Cocktail Sugar Scrub

I have wanted to DIY a sugar scrub since forever. However I did not just end up doing it. So when I saw this, I just went ahead and picked it up. Also it smells great. I purchased it for 360 rupees.




Panpuri Soothing Milk Bath & Body Massage Oil


Panpuri is luxury brand that has products similar to Forest Essentials. This product is cleansing and soothing oil that has the most amazing lemongrass fragrance! I purchased this product for 1700 rupees approximately.



Boots Intensive Treatment Mask in Rosemary & Mint



 I have never used a hair mask before. I thought of giving the wella hair mask a try but I saw this at the store I decided to give it a try. It is suitable for normal to oily hair. I purchased it for 300 rupees.




That is all for this post. If you would like me to review any of the products, comment below.
For regular updates, follow us on social media.
Instagram @a__ritu and @infinite_times_infinity
Photography Courtesy: Shivam Bhatt (@shivam2008)