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.
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Photography Courtesy: Shivam Bhatt (@shivam2008)

Saturday, 10 June 2017

Bohemian Vibes

Hey guys! Hope you all are doing well. 

In today's post I will be telling you how I styled a black dress with a boho touch.

I have personally always admired Bohemian dressing, its colourful,  sets you apart from others and it looks pretty cool too. Bohemian dressing generally involves headbands, printed maxi's, eye catching colourful geometric prints, long coats with tassels, chunky metal or leather jewellery. 
As much as I admire this style, till recently I had never tried my hand at a boho look. 






However I recently found a black maxi in my cupboard,  an outfit I probably bought months ago but never wore. Its a full length black dress with some details on it.
I bought this black dress from a store called Clothes Rack in Andheri west. 

I was aiming to add just a subtle Boho vibe to the dress so I though of starting with the most basic and easily available accessories like the trademark metal neckpiece. According to me it is one of the most basic jewellery pieces that can add a subtle boho vibe to any outfit. 



I added a few metallic bangles and a ring which matched with the blue details on the neckpiece. I dint want to keep my hand empty so I added the bangles, but you could exclude them and just stick with the ring.  







You can find similar neckpieces, bangles and rings in  Lokhandwala, Irla, Hill road, Linking road and even in stores like forever 21. There are a variety of designs that you can choose from. If you go street shopping these neckpieces and rings will cost around 100 bucks and the bangles around 150 rupees. If you are looking for some delicate designs you should check out the jewellery section in Forever 21. 


I paired this dress with some high heels, due to its length flats would only make me trip. But some strappy sandals or gladiators would look really good too. 








That's all for todays post.
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Photography - Ankita Hattangadi 
(instgram @the_streetosphere) 

Saturday, 3 June 2017

What's In My Travel Skincare Bag

Hey guys! Hope you all are doing well.

In this week’s post, I will be sharing the skincare products I take along while travelling.

All of us need a break from the hustle of daily routine. I personally look forward to a summer holiday for the entire year. Although it is the perfect time for us to unwind, there must be no break in your skincare routine. With optimum skincare, you can go for minimal make up and slay in all your holiday photographs!


Without any further ado lets get into the products.

Plum Grape Seed & Sea Buckthorn Mild Foam Scrub

A face wash that is gritty helps get rid of blackheads and dead cells while cleansing the skin.Plum Grape Seed & Sea Buckthorn Mild Foam Scrub is a gel face wash. It is not a scrub which slightly disappointed me. However as a face wash, it does a good job. It is not too harsh or drying for the face. It cleans up all the dust and grit comfortably.


Nivea Refreshing Toner

A toner might not be a travel essential for everyone but I can not live without toner. It removes dirt and dust from your skin that you did not even know existed. Nivea Refreshing Toner was a real winner. It is extremely affordable and lightweight. Not only did it change cleaning my pores but it also shrunk their appearance slightly. It leaves your skin feeling refreshed and somewhat hydrated. I highly recommend this for people with dry skin.



Innisfree Daily UV Protection Cream

A sun block is essential even if you are going for holiday to the most cold regions of the world. Innisfree Daily UV Protection Cream is the only sunblock I can get myself to use. Most sun blocks make my skin very oily and my make up does not sit well on top of them.This cream has matte finish and also helps control with oil. It has SPF 35 with PA+++. It is really light on the skin. The best thing about this cream is that it has a fresh citrus smell.




Innisfree Orchid Enriched Cream,Green Tea Seed Serum and Cream

Innisfree Orchid Enriched Cream,Green Tea Seed Serum and Cream are samples from the Innisfree store. I try keep all my samples aside for when I am travelling since they are super travel friendly. The orchid cream is very hydrating and worked really well as a day cream and night cream. In the day, I would just go over it very lightly. In the night, I would go all out while applying it. The green tea seed serum and cream suit my skin type slightly more as a daily cream. It ensured my skin did not get oily at the end of a long day. I would recommend the orchid cream for someone with dry skin and the green tea seed cream for someone with oily to combination skin.




Innisfree It’s Real Squeeze Mask in Aloe and Bija

If you have been reading Compact Matters for a while, you know how obsessed I am with sheet masks from Korean brands. These sheet masks are super affordable and easy to carry. They do wonders for your skin in just 15 minutes. I used them right before sleeping so that my skin had the entire night to absorb the serum. When I travel by air, my skin tends to get extremely dry hence I took along the Aloe variant. I was also scared that I might break out, so I decided to put in the Bija variant as well.
If you would like to know more about these masks, check out our post.


The Body Shop Body Sorbet in Virgin Mojito

With all the constant shaving and travelling, it is really essential to keep your skin hydrated. However I find using a lotion makes my skin sticky very easily. So I prefer using The Body Shop sorbets that is the perfect consistency. I swear by this product in all weathers. The Virgin Mojito variant was limited edition. However the Fuji Green Tea variant smells equally refreshing. 


Nivea Natural Anti Perspirant Roll On Deodorant & PINK Body Mist

Body odour is really important part of personal care and hygiene. Not only is it unpleasant for others but it makes you feel more tired. A good fragrance keeps you feeling fresh and you can enjoy your holiday totally. The PINK Body Mist by Victoria Secret is a mini travel size version. It is light, fresh and summery. The Nivea Roll On might not be the most travel friendly product as it is slightly heavy. However it is really good preventing any odour. I use the Nivea Roll On in my armpits, spray the PINK Body Mist on my wrists, inside my elbows and behind my ears and I am good to go.





That is all for this post. If you have any questions or suggestions, comment below.
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