SherSingh.com: site review and shopping experience

I saw a few ads for this site on some blogs a while ago. This site had primarily salwar suits and sarees so I promptly forgot all about it coz I don't shop for those online. I only like buying stuff that is not available locally like cute dresses or silk tops etc. And a few days back I again saw this SherSingh ad pop up everywhere- this time with Lisa Haydon wearing some very cute dresses. I was curious so I checked out the site again. And boy have they completely turned it around! Now they only have western wear- from cute linen dresses to oversized silk tops to jersey maxis and polo shirts. What the?
They have stuff for both men and women and have tops, blouses, polo t shirts and some very cute accessories as well. The clothes are very well photographed and represented. They also keep adding new stuff every week. I especially love the cute linen dresses and might pick up a few very soon.

They also have an offer of 20% off on your first purchase once you register. So I did that right away. I picked up 3 tops that I thought I'd pair with skinny jeans or jeggings and are work appropriate too. The site is very easy to navigate and I'd opted for cash on delivery option. After placing my order I immediately received a confirmation email and a confirmation call the following day and they sent another email the following evening saying my package was shipped out via BlueDart with the tracking number included. Can I saw wow! I'd placed the order on Wednesday night and received the parcel on Friday afternoon. Pretty damn cool no?

The parcel arrived in a Blue box that said Sher Singh and inside each blouse was wrapped in a tissue paper and a plastic cover and was neatly ironed and folded. Very impressive. The clothes were exactly as they were shown on the site and the sizing was pretty accurate too. They even have a return police in case the stuff doesn't for you right.

Overall, I think it's a great site for some affordable casual fashion and you should definitely check out their linen colour block dresses or oversized casual tops in silk or cotton. Also, great service and super fast delivery makes it a winning combo.

My rating: ****

Disclaimer: I'm not affiliated with the site nor am I being compensated for this post. Heck...they dont even know I'm doing this post. This is purely coz I found the site nice and wanna share it with others. :)

Nyx color lip balm in Xie Xie: Swatches and review

I know everyone's been waiting forever for the Revlon lip butters to hit India but looks like we're in for a long wait! But if you're looking for a similar lip product with the hydration of a lip balm and pigmentation of a lipstick do check out the NYX colour lip balms. I can't really say if they're as good as the Revlon lip butters but these seem on the same lines as those.
Sadly these aren't easily available in India barring a few retail sites like StyleCraze but you can get these from BeautyJoint or CherryCulture for $6 a pop. That's roughly Rs.300. Not too bad, right?

Ok so on with the review... There are a total of 10 shades available in this I think and all have been named Thank You in different languages. Cute no? There's even one called Shukria. :) The one I have is called Xie Xie and is a pretty peachy pink shade.
These come in a black plastic casing with a twist up thingie at the bottom like a lip balm and have a black lid. The look and feel of the whole thing is just like a tinted lip balm. But these are surprisingly not waxy at all and feel very nice on the lips. These are not too soft too like the NYX lipsticks so will withstand the Indian summers and not melt away. I guess these are nice to have in your bag for those chapped lipped days when any lipstick will do further damage.

Yay for:

• Very hydrating
• Non waxy
• Decent pigmentation
• No smell or flavour
• A nice range of colours available from nudes to bright pinks
• Doesnt feather or bleed
• Won't melt in the summers
• Easy to carry around
• Pretty inexpensive if bought at dollar rate
• Cruelty free

Boo for:

• The top is flat like a lip balm which makes application slightly difficult
• Availability
• Lasts only about 2 hours

Overall, I love how these feel on the lips. Hydrating without being waxy. I would have picked up a few more but I wanna wait for the Revlon lip butters. Hey Revlon, hurry up, will you!

My rating: ***1/2

Super primer for open pores: NYX studio perfect primer in Clear

Do you have large pores? Did you have acne as a teen? Do you have acne marks on your skin? Is your makeup going stale within an hour? Is your skin affecting your self esteem? Do I sound like a cheesy teleshopping ad? Well then look no further than this super duper primer from NYX. The NYX studio perfect photo-loving primer in clear is specially formulated for open pores. Though I think any primer should help fill pores. There's also a couple of other options available in this. There's a lavender one for dull skin and a green one for redness. My main requirement from a primer is to fill my pores (aftermath of terrible acne when growing up) and to help my makeup last longer without oxidising coz of my oily skin. Yup, I'm so blessed!
This one form NYX costs $12 if you buy from BeautyJoint or CherryCulture but costs Rs.2450 if you buy from any Indian sites for 30mL! Crazy right?

This comes in a clear plastic squeezy tube which has a matte finish with a shiny black screw on cap and a thin nozzle which makes it very easy to get the product out.

This primer is nothing but silicones and parabens to preserve all that silicone. So if you're allergic to silicone stay away. Others, read on. Naturally, being all silicone this has great slip and gives a silky smooth feeling. A teeny tiny bit is enough to cover your whole face. But make sure you don't apply too much coz it can make the skin look greasy. To cover the whole face you probably need only about a small pea size. Smooth this over your face and wait a couple of minutes before applying your foundation to let the primer dry n settle down. I generally apply this over moisturiser even though I have oily skin. So girls, never ever skip moisturiser.
Once the primer has set in about a minute or so you can smooth your foundation over this. This provides a great base for the foundation as it spreads more easily. You'll also be easily able to achieve a flawless look as it covers the pores too, kinda like a transparent filling and when your foundation is applied over it, it makes the surface look even. I use a stick foundation and blend it with my fingers but this should work well with liquid foundations too I suppose.
I love how it makes my skin look flawless and smooth and it also keeps the shine at bay. It makes your makeup look fresh for longer but may not necessarily affect wear time. What I mean is - say your foundation sticks on for about 6 hours without primer, then by using this also you'll only be able to get 6 hours of wear time out of your foundation but it'll stay fresh for longer. For instance, if you find your foundation oxidises or goes dull in 3 hours, this'll probably keep it fresh for 5.
I had acne as a teen and still get the occasional pimple but this hasn't broken me out. I like wearing this to weddings and parties where I know I'd end up dancing or sweating and need my face looking fresh for longer.
Top off your foundation with loose powder or compact to keep it fresh.

See the photos below for proof. Oh and I've shot the pics in super close macro mode hence you might still see slight appearance of pores in the pic with the primer n foundation. But in person, the skin really looks flawless and smooth.

Yay for:
Covers/fills pores

• Makes it easier to spread and blend foundation over this
• Gives a flawless look
• Keeps makeup fresh for longer
• Holds blusher/bronzed better
• Keeps foundation from oxidising
• Prevents skin from getting too oily
• Squeezy tube dispenses right amount of product
• Packaging allows to see how much is left
• Doesn't break me out
• Not tested on animals
• Very economical, if bought at dollar rate.
• Would suit all skintones and types.

Boo for:

• Doesn't make makeup last longer
• Contains parabens
• Expensive if bought in India
• Availability is an issue

Overall, this is a great product if you want something to fill your pores or keep your makeup from oxidising or going dull. Will hold up even if you're dancing and sweating. But make sure you buy it at dollar rate from BeautyJoint or CherryCulture coz it's just way too expensive in India.

My rating: ****

The best mascara ever: Bourjois Fast and Perfect Volume. Oh plus it rotates. B-)

I've known to be a sucker for gimmicky stuff especially in makeup and most times it flops. But this time it's a super hit. I saw this mascara and instantly knew I *had* to get it. Why? Coz it has a switch and the wand actually rotates you guys! Super cool right? And pretty inexpensive too. I feel so James Bond-esque when I'm using this. Or a stylish spy- like Salt. I could totally be this girl on a secret mission to save the planet from evil and this mascara could be my handheld metal-melting laser beam. Yeaaaah. Zzzzt..zzzzzt.. and I'd wear a cape coz capes are so stylish right? Plus I'd swish it about when I walk and I'd stomp around in my knee high boots and I'd always have perfect makeup. But, I digress.
Anyhoodles, the Bourjois Fast and Perfect volume mascara retails at Rs.850 and I picked this up at discount from StyleCraze.com.

I know I've already given it away but this mascara has a rotating wand that comes with a switch and I suppose runs on batteries which hopefully will not run out before the mascara does. The body seems like metal and is quite heavy. The lid/wand part of it is actually longer than the tube and screws on shut. The switch can be toggled to make the wand rotate either clockwise or anticlockwise, depending on which hand you're using I suppose.
The mascara itself is quite lightweight and goes on smooth. The formula isnt too thick nor too thin. Its just right, as Goldilocks would say. (forgive me, im reading nursery rhymes all day to my 6 month old) It doesn't clump at all or sting my super sensitive eyes. It lengthens, curls and adds slight volume to my lashes. Now I don't use a curler coz my lashes are already pretty curled and I only need some extra volume and length which this provides beautifully. You can get a natural effect with one coat or add one more coat for a dramatic effect. This mascara is not super dramatic but the right kinda dramatic..whatever that means! This also separates the lashes beautifully as it coats them.
Best part- you can switch it on and hold it at the base of your lashes and it will coat the lashes by itself, it just grabs your lashes and coats them. Love the effect. Also, this is a nice deep matte black mascara.

Yay for:

• Rotating wand that spins both ways
• Curls and holds lashes well
• The brush holds lashes and coats them automatically as it rotates
• Doesn't clump, goes on smooth
• Pretty lightweight, doesn't weight down lashes
• Doesn't sting
• Washable with soap and water or comes off easily with makeup remover
• Colour is jet black with matte finish

Boo for:

• packaging feels Slightly heavy
• Not water proof (I generally prefer washable mascara so it's not a con for me, but some may like theirs water proof)
  

  Overall, I'm in love with this mascara and I hope they don't discontinue it. Guys seriously, pick this up. A mascara that curls and coats by itself and doesn't clump. What more do you need?
  Available at all Bourjois counters or at StyleCraze.com or Slassy.com
  
  My rating: ****1/2

Why I have been AWOL + what all I've been buying

Guys! I know I've been missing from the scene for a while now but it's coz so much was happening. 2 cousins got married (not to each other). One of the weddings was in Bombay so had to go there. And of course I couldn't return without shopping a bit, now could I. But couldn't make it to the famed Beauty Centre. Sigh.. Next time. And another friend got married in Kerala so had to attend that too. And was travelling with the lil dude who was surprisingly well behaved on flights.

Ok now onto the fun part.. What all did I buy? Well, I only had some one hour to shop at Linkin road and couldn't buy as much as I would have wanted to but oh we'll.. C'est la vie! What? I love rasta shopping ok? Really badly wanted to go to the Kala Ghoda festival and to Colaba Causeway but really couldn't coz I was still the lil dude's only source of food and it would have gotten uncomfortable taking him along.

Also spent some time at the Pheonix High street mall where I was meeting some friends for lunch. This time I took the dude along coz Palladium has rooms where you can nurse the baby. So I didn't have much time to really shop but these powder pink skinny jeans caught my eye and I had to had to get them. Zara was on sale but I couldn't even step into the store.. Everything was in a disarray and was a total put off. Ugh. Oh btw has anyone heard of the store called MUAH? Last time I was in Bombay I picked up some very cute dresses from them for quite cheap. I remember it being in Palladium but I just couldn't locate it this time. Does anyone know what happened to it?

Oh and I did some shopping online.. I scored these items from IndianHanger just now. Have ordered for them. Will let you guys know when it arrives. Have bought 3 things- this long pearl strings chain with a Kundan brooch on the side with an emerald and diamond setting and a quirky green beads elephant pendant chain and silver kolhapuri wedges. Can't wait to get my hands on em! :)

I was just going through my wardrobe and found there are too many dresses in either black or blue. I needed more colour. Hence, this Vero Moda dress from Asos. Pretty cheap too. :)

I've also been wanting to get a nice white dress for a really long time. Something that I can wear for brunches. And I saw this Mango dress on ShopatMajorBrands and it was on incredible sale so I decided that I had to, had to get it. But....when it arrived it turned out very differently from what I'd imagined! It wasn't white, it was cream. And it wasn't a stretch jersey fabric, it's wool knit. Sigh. But it still looks good, only my search for the perfect white dress continues...

And picked up some stuff at the lifestyle sale. These 2 dresses were on 70% off and are from CODE. Dirt cheap. The printed dress can also be worn as a tunic over leggings. How could I not buy? :D

I also splurged on some makeup from FACES, MAC and Inglot from the money I made from the blog sale (thank you everyone who supported it. Muah). Picked up MAC Cosmo lipstick (which im wearing everywhere-even when i go to buy groceries), MAC paint pot in Let's skate which is a gorgeous shimmery light pink-gold one from the Glitter and Ice collection and Carbonized eyeshadow which is the perfect brown shade.
Also got a lovely duochrome pigment, a white kohl pencil and 2 rainbow eyeshadows (black+greys and browns) from Inglot.
From FACES i got a velvet matte lipstick in Jazz Berry jam which is very close to Cosmo but pinker. Beautiful shade. Full review coming up. In love with its texture, colour n everything. Also got 2 duochrome pigments- teal and white pink.

Ok I actually put in some extra money to buy all this but what the hell. :p

So that's all folks. I'm back to home base now. Oh but the lil dude isn't so little anymore and has started teething and sitting and standing up. Uff! And he's only just 6.5 months. So he's constantly moving around and pulling things so gotta keep running behind him. Which leaves me with lesser time to blog (and shop online) but will manage whenever possible. :)

Revlon Aqua mineral finishing powder Vs Revlon aqua mineral makeup : battle of the magically cool liquid loose powders

Guys do you remember the magically cool liquid powder that came out in the MAC venomous villains collection that everyone was going gaga over? Well, Revlon did it long back. This Aqua mineral powder works on the same concept. The minute it touches your skin, it feels like a liquid, but is actually a powder. Cool no? First when I heard about it I thought this'd be like those cooling prickly heat powders that have menthol. But this is nothing like those. This is really something else. It claims to have coconut water in it but I dunno how that works. Anyhow, I knew I had to have this coz I just cant resist these gimmicky things. What? They're so cool!

Revlon has these in 2 variations- one called the mineral makeup (with black cap) and other called finishing powder (with the white cap). Now these are part of the colorstay range but the mineral makeup variant has fine shimmer in it. The other is matte. Both are otherwise packaged identically- the loose powder is contained in a transparent box with a sifter on top and the screw on cap has a slide-out little brush. This brush actually is very soft and dense and will come in handy if you're getting ready in a hurry or need to do touchups outside. Otherwise, I recommend using a kabuki as that is larger and will give a better finish.
These are slightly expensive though at Rs.1100 for about 10g of product.
Even though one is called mineral makeup, it is nowhere close to powder foundation in terms of coverage. I think both can be used only as setting powders over your foundation or tinted moisturizer. Only difference- the mineral makeup has fine silver shimmer (why???) and the finishing powder is matte. So I use the one with shimmer only at night when I'm going for parties or dinner or weddings and the matte one I use in the daytime to avoid looking like a Twilight vampire.

I personally love these powders, especially the Finishing powder which is matte. When you brush these on your skin it feels as though your brush is wet! It's such a nice feeling! Mmmmmmm... Both are very finely milled soft translucent powders with no or min coverage but have excellent oil control and staying power. These can be compared to MAC setting powder. Just brush this on top of your makeup and it'll keep your makeup fresh for longer without altering the texture. Wont cake up or oxidize. Didn't break me out. You won't see results immediately when you apply it. Don't be disappointed by that coz translucent powders won't show up at all. But you'll see the difference at the end of the day when you take your compact out for a touch up but voila- touch up not required! :)
I used it once before a party and it was fresh even after I came home 4 hours later despite all the dancing and light sweating.
I like to use the shimmery one under my eyes so it acts as a subtle highlighter to set the concealer and the matte one all over my face coz I have oily skin and I don't like to add shine to my face.
Please note that this will not hide your pores or even out your skin tone as it claims. This is ONLY a setting powder that can be used over your made-up face to keep everything in place. But it's brilliant at that. It somehow makes me look fresher and brighter and it stays that way for longer.
In fact, I only wanted to get the matte one but when I saw the other one was on a great discount at MakeupShades.com, I just couldnt resist!! Got that for 600!!! Would have been criminal not to buy right? And the finishing powder (which I love more) is from StyleCraze and bought that at 10% discount after I hounded requested Chetana to stock this for me. :)

This is also available at all major stores.
These are available in some 4 shades in India I think: Light, light-medium, Medium, Medium-deep.
I have the shade Light in the aqua mineral makeup (black cap, shimmery) and the shade Light-Medium in the Finishing powder (white cap, matte). But both work well against my nc40 skin since they are so translucent. I think these should work well for all Indian skintones.

Overall, I will recommend this to anyone who has oily skin and wants their make up to stay fresh without oxidizing for long and also for those who just want a setting powder that doesn't alter texture or colour of the rest of your face. Plus the magic feeling of liquid you guys! Pick up the Revlon Colorstay Aqua mineral finishing powder. You wont regret it. :)

My rating: ****

Mega Blog Sale Blowout- new items added

All products below have been used only max thrice and I'm selling them because I either have a similar colour in my stash or it doesn't suit me. All are well within the expiry dates. I've mentioned a small description for each and linked to reviews where available. All products will be sanitized before being sent out.
Please mention in the comments if you're interested in any product or you could mail me at nitya.karthick@gmail.com for details. Payment to be made into my ICICI account and items will be sent via courier once payment is made.
Shipping charges: Rs.30 all over India. Shipping charges to be paid by buyer. Sale is open only for Indian residents. If you make a purchase above Rs.1000, shipping will be free and you will receive a free cream glitter pan or a nail polish.

I'm also open to be idea of swapping. Eg: if you have a nailpolish u don't want and I like it and you're interested in some lipstick I've posted here, we could send each other the respective items and not have to pay. You know, like the way it's done on Makupalley etc. Do lemme know by commenting or sending an email.

Maxfactor lipfinity has a lip colour in a lipgloss type packaging and a super glossy lip balm that can be applied over it. This is a long stay lip colour and is waterproof and transfer resistant. So it won't come off even after your meals too.
This shade spiritual is an MLBB for me. It's a peachy brown shade. The balm that comes with it is super glossy and I love how it feels. Worn over the long stay lip colour it gives a shiny, hydrated feel to the lips.

This is almost a matte bronzer. It has tiny tiny shimmer particles that somehow don't really show up when worn on cheeks. It can be used as an everyday bronzer when you use the dark portion alone or mix both to use as a warm natural looking peachy blush. Will suit all skin tones. You can read its review on IMBB here.
It's really a great soft powder n I didn't wanna sell it but I have the Lakme earth rose blush trio which v v similar in colour so I ended up not using this.
This is almost brand new but the powder on light side had chipped slightly (in a corner, as seen in photo) when it was shipped to me. Comes with a mirror and a brush applicator

This is loose mineral kohl pigment that comes in a jar with a sifter on top and an attached angled brush. Can be used on waterline too over your Kajal to set it. It has tiny silver shimmer which looks sparkly in a subtle way but not too sparkly. Can also be used to create smokey eyes. Lasts about 6 hours.

This is a mineral foundation with medium to full coverage. Will suit oily skinned girls well as it is oil free and non comodogenic. I'm nc40 and it suits me well, brightens my complexion. Also comes with a dense kabuki type brush. Sweat proof. Lasts about 6 hours.

The lakme Aquashine lip color in Sangria is a deep rust shade with red undertones. Would suit all Indian skin tones. It's quite moisturising and lasts about 3 hours.
You can see swatches of all shades here.

Lakme Aquashine lip color in old rose is a soft warm pink shade. Will suit fair to medium skin tones. It's also pretty moisturising and glossy n stays for about 2 hours.
You can read Cynthia's review of this product here.

Bourjois sweet kiss range is very lightweight and has a satin finish. This shade Rose Sensuel is a medium pink with coral tint. Solid colour, no shimmer or frost. You can read Rashmi's review of this here and Tanveer's review here.

Maybelline moisture extreme series are pigmented but also hydrating and have a lush, shiny finish. This shade spicy carmin is an orange- red that will instantly brighten up the complexion. Use as a full on lip colour or as a stain and top off with gloss.

The shade electric orchid is a deep grape purple with brown undertones. Can be worn as a full on colour or as a stain and topped off with gloss

The shade Plum Perfect is a mid tone pink with slight silver frost that is only visible in flash photography. Would suit all Indian skin tones.

Colorbar matte lipsticks are matte but not drying and last pretty long too. This shade Irish Rose is probably their most popular one and is a soft pink shade with peach tint. Would suit all skin tones. You can read a review of this here and also here.

NYX jumbo lip pencils are creamy and pigmented and give full coverage. This shade Fuchsia is just wrongly named as this is a very soft pink that will work on all skin times. For darker tones this may serve as a pinky nude shade that would work great with smokey eyes too without looking washed out.

NYX round lipsticks are soft, creamy and intensely pigmented. They are pretty moisturising too. This shade Black Cherry is a deep vampy red, bordering on maroon. Wear as a full on lipstick or as a stain. You can read my review of this here and MakeupAlley review here.

Cocoa is a nice caramel brown that would suit all skin tones. you can read my review here.

Heather is a medium toned warm pink mauve shade that will be almost an MLBB shade for medium- darker toned girls and an everyday pink for fair girls. Read my review here and another review here.

B52 is again an MLBB shade. It's pinky brown and would suit all skin tones. This lipstick is the most creamy and soft one of the lot and as a result has slightly tilted at the base as you can see in the pic. It's very much usable but I just thought I should inform about this since it's such a soft lipstick. You can read my review of this here and Ankita's detailed review here.

Tea Rose is one of the most popular ones amongst the round lipsticks and it's a light neutral pink shade. Would suit fair to medium skin tones the best. Read Anamika's review here.

Naked brown is the most loved gloss from this range and is a nude brown caramel shade with no shimmer or glitter that would suit all skintones. Read IMBB review here or WiseShe review here or Pooja's review here.

NYX mega shine glosses are incredibly pigmented and opaque. This shade Natural is a Nude peach shade that would suit fair to medium skin tones well. This has no shimmer or frost and is a solid colour. Read my review of this here.

These are waterproof and once they set are smudge proof too and last the whole day till you take them off with remover. This shade is a dark matte brown and will suit Indian skin tones. Read a review of the same liner in black on IMBB here.

This is an intense dark matte black liner that is transfer proof, smudge proof and water proof once it sets. Read my review of it here and Ankita's review here.

This is a retractable Kajal stick that can be used as a base for smokey eye makeup. This can be smudged easily as it doesn't dry or set. A soft, black colour that holds eyeshadows and also blends easily.

This trio is decently pigmented and lasts pretty long and blends easily too. You can easily create a matte grey black smokey eye with this. The applicator provided is also pretty decent.