Monthly Empties - April 2024

 Purplle Snail Mucin Instant Hydration Serum

30 ml

This is the worst in house brand by purplle. I feel like all the products are over priced and don't perform at all. Like always I bought this on BOGO, so perhaps I have one more of this. God help me. 

Plum Bakuchiol & 1 % Retinol Serum

INR 790 for 30 ml

Okayish. 30 ml is a lot of product for a serum and I couldn't see any appreciable result. Not repurchasing. 

Vaadi Herbals Aromatherapy Body Oil

INR 95 for 50 ml

I love this stuff, I wouldn't mind buying this perpetually. Works great both as a massage oil & as an after bath body oil. I sleep like a baby when I use this. Stocking up after my No Buy ends in June. 

Vayam Ayurveda Tvacha Shuddhi Neem Face Serum

10 ml

Pretty decent. I don't like the smell of Neem & it's a tad bit overpowering in this one. Aside from that it works really well on my oily skin

Kiya's Face Wash Powder

INR 350 for 15 gm

This was a fantastic product but I do think it's overpriced. That's a whopping 23 bucks for a single gram. Not  repurchasing. 

Monthly Empties - March 2024

 Joy Revivify pH 5.5 Gel Face Wash

INR 225 for 150 ml

I'm really liking this entire range of facewashes from Joy. It cleans well without drying out my skin. The awesome fragrance is a definite plus. I've cut open the tube (as always) & been amazed with the amount of product still inside the tube. Will definitely purchase again. 

Plum Body Lovin' Body Oil in Hawaiian Rumba

INR 550 for 200 ml

I've been using body oils instead of body lotions from quite some time now. This one is so heavily scented that its actually nauseating. How this brand is getting away with claiming to be an all natural product with this much perfume is beyond me! Not repurchasing again. 

Good Vibes Black Seed & Neem Cold Pressed Oil

INR 235 for 100 ml

Good Vibes is a mixed bag. This is one of the good ones. I personally like multi use products & this one can be used for both skin and hair. Not able to see this anywhere on purplle. Probably OOS

Gatsby Water Gloss Hair Gel in #2

INR 35 for 30 gm

Been following the Curly Girl method from a while & this is a great gel. I love the fact that it's available in different holding strengths. I personally prefer 2 or 3 strength as it works great with my hair. Still have a couple more of these after which I will buy the larger packaging. 

Nivea Men Fresh Active Deodorant

INR 199 for 50 ml

I prefer using men's deodorant in summers since it works better at sweat control than the ladies variant. It's also on sale more often. Down with pink tax! 

Biotique Bio Dandelion Serum

INR 230 for 40 ml

A product from biotique that actually works well on my skin. I first started using this a few years back & since then I always pick up a couple of bottles when on sale. I picked this up from purplle at flat 50% off. Complete steal. 

Pink & Plums Soft Rose Lip balm

INR 40 for 10 ml

Not good, not bad. Just a basic lip balm. Still have one more of this. 

Superdrug Fruity Coconut Shower Gel

INR 275 for 250 ml

Bought it for the scent when it was on BOGO on nykaa. Still have one more. I wish this had just straight up coconut scent, the underlying white peach kinda kills it for me.

How many products have you managed to finish up? 

Book Review - Unbroken by Indrani Mukherjea

 I picked this up because it speaks about THE high profile case of the decade. Even after all these years there seems to be no answers forthcoming. 

The author is bent upon proving how the whole world was unkind & did wrong things when all she ever did was to be a flawless goddess! Strangely enough, she doesn't talk of the pain of losing a child or even her relationships with her surviving kids. She has a way of using derogatory adjectives for her entire family & kids. Even Vidhie (who I thought was her favourite) immediately turns into a lost alcoholic when she goes against her mother. Riddled with inaccuracies, this reads like the rantings of a sociopath. 

After reading the whole book I now know that the  BROKE part of the title refers to us commoners who will never know her "struggles". 

(Voice drops an octave) Did you know there are no flush & jet sprays in prison? You have to make do with a bucket & mug. 

Quelle horreur! 

I want to give this one 0 stars but will give 1⭐ mostly because I feel bad for the (probable) ghost writer. 

#unbroken #unbrokenbook #indranimukerjea #gluttonforpunishment

NOTW - Orange cookie crumble nail polish

 

Swatches of Duochrome Nail Polish

 Taking inventory of your stuff is such a great way to stave off shopping urges. Trying to continue my No Buy till June. Fingers crossed.

Swatching shades from Stay Quirky Double Pleasure range. These are gorgeous duochromes & I have not seen a more complete shade range in a single series. I bought most of these on BOGO and purchased them for about INR 45 each. That's an amazing price point for such great nail paints.

All of these are multi coaters (which bums me out sometimes) but I love how these look on my nails. I wish I had picked up the entire range because now it's OOS 😭

#notw #shopmystash #swatches #swatchfest #stayquirky #stayquirkydoublepleasure #stayquirkynailpolish 

Review of Kiya's Face Wash Powder

 I've been trying to use more natural products from some time now. I switched to cleansing grains (like besan, oatmeal etc) as my facewash in the mornings. I only have night cream on my face and I felt like using commercial face washes was stripping my skin of all moisture. Recently I came across this powder face wash from Kiya's. While I have used an assorted range of products to wash my face I had never used a powder face wash that foams up. Colour me intrigued!

🍀 This powder face wash from Kiya's comes in this cute glass bottle with a screw on cap. Packaging is on point and is convenient to use.

🍀 The face wash powder is finely milled & dissolves easily in a little amount of water. When rubbed it produces a foam which cleans the skin well without stripping the skin of it's natural moisture.

🍀 A little goes a long way and you barely need a pinch of product for each use. 

🍀 Ingredient list is made up of Rose petal powder, Rose extract, Corn starch, Glycerin and coconut based cleanser. 

🍀 I'm a sucker for nice smelling products and this one smells exactly like roses. It's refreshing to use in summers. It provides gentle cleansing and scrubbing effect. 

🍀 Kiya's products are Vegan, made using herbal extracts, cruelty free and contain No Sulphates, Parabens, Phthalates or Mineral oil. It's GMP certified and FDA approved to boot.

🍀 It's an Indian brand. Yay for Vocal for Local. 

🍀 A 15 gm bottle retails for INR 350. You can pick it up from kiyas.in 

NOTW - Lilac Nails

 Stop doubting yourself and wear lilac

NOTW - Bubblegum Pink Nails

 Wearing this beautiful sugar textured Polish today

Adding a macro shot too

February 2024 Empties

 Restarting empties

Swiss Beauty Anti-ageing elixir serum

45 ml

How pretty is this glass bottle! The serum is lightweight & absorbs instantly. Perfect for my oily skin. Loved using this, feels luxurious. 

It's Skin YE Effector Sample

Don't really get the point of samples. What exactly are you supposed to gauge with such little product? Just trying to finish everything I own. 

Good Vibes Marula Facial Oil

Good Vibes is a mixed bag - some products are stellar, others are average and yet others are terrible. This is one of the good ones. I was using this on my under eye area & neck. And it did help in improving the texture on both areas. The fact that it's unscented is a bonus. 

MCaffeine Coffee Body Butter

25 gm

This was part of a set. The body butter is nice & I liked using it. However I don't know who had the idea of marrying coffee scent with a berry one. Smells offensive to me. 

NOTW - Bright Blue Nails

 How absolutely gorgeous is this polish for spring? Loving it

NOTW - Grey Nails

 A bit of a palette cleanser. I'm wearing 2 coats of this neutral grey cookie crumble nail polish today. I think it looks super chic without trying too hard.

After an overdose of pink I wanted something neutral and subtle. What say you? Yay or nay?

#notw #shopmystash #greynails #greycookiecrumble #cookiecrumble #cookiecrumblenailpaint #neutralnails #palettecleanser #naturalnails #nailsofinstagram #longnailsdontcare #indiannailartist #bangaloreblogger 

NOTW - Pink Nails

 Hey all, this week I'm wearing several coats of essence Pink ventures nail paint. It's a gorgeous baby pink jelly with holographic flakies. I love how sparkly this is and can't stop staring every time the light hits my nails.

The brand claims that the formula is clean, climate neutral, vegan, paraben and alcohol free. They also claim to give a gel like, extreme shine finish which dries in 40 seconds flat. I have to agree with the fast drying nature. I could layer my coats faster. It also does last forever (in nail polish terms) I had this on for over a week with no chipping and minimal fading. The best part for me is that it comes with a patented broad "double touch" brush which glides smoothly. In my honest opinion the brush is way more important than the polish. And any brand that gives importance to the brush automatically makes it to Hero status with me.

Removing this was a nightmare and a half. Now I have used many different textured polishes but this is a different beast altogether. After several unsuccessful attempts I finally went in with pure acetone. Even then it took me more than 20 minutes! You have been warned. 

NOTW - Textured Bronze Nails

Hey all, I've been obsessed with textured polishes of late & decided to go with this beautiful bronze one this week. I'm wearing shade 606 Orange from Beromt's Sand Art nail polish range. It looked orange on the website but it's actually a bronze IRL. The polish goes on easily and you only need 1 coat to get full coverage & opacity. It dries to a matte finish in under a minute & stays put for at least 4 days. In my experience, textured polishes tend to chip at the end of day 1 & I'm pleasantly surprised with the lasting power of these ones.

The polish comes with a standard flat round brush & claims to be free of formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, toluene, DBP, camphor, lead, paraben, xylene & ethyl tosylamide. It's also a cruelty free brand.

P. S : This counts as a neutral in my book.

#notw #shopmystash #sandeffect #beromtcosmetics #naturalnailsonly #nailsofinstagram #bangaloreblogger

NOTW - Chocolate Day Nails

 Everyday is a day apparently! Happy Chocolate Day.

Hey all, wearing the cheapest polish I own. It's from spar supermarket's in house range. The polish goes on opaque in a single coat but the brush could be better. Also ignore the indentations on my nails. I went to sleep immediately after painting. 💤💤

#notw #shopmystash #elevet #brownnails #chocolateday

Stay Quirky Soften My Pout Lip Oil Review

 Excuse me but I'm having a Lip Oil phase

💗 Soften My Pout Lip Oil by Stay Quirky comes in this square shaped tube. It shuts with a satisfying click & won't come undone in your bag. 

💗 Smells soothing 

💗 Extremely moisturizing. Works well as a lip treatment. 

💗 Has a super glossy gorgeous glow. It's enhanced even more with the tiny glitter particles. 

💗Non-sticky

💗 Retails for INR 399 for 3 ml. I bought it on sale for around 200 bucks 

Lamel Lip Care Oil Review

 

💗 Lamel Lip Care Oil comes in this cute tube with a doe foot applicator. It picks up enough product for one time use. 

💗 Smells amazing 

💗Non-sticky and extremely hydrating, can be used as a lip balm or as a lip topper. 

💗 Retails for INR 250 for 6 ml. Affordable! 

💗 Has a barely there tint, looks natural. 

💗 I wish the tube was sturdier. It feels a little plasticky. 

NOTW - Textured Pink Nails

 Hey all, I'm back with a gorgeous baby pink textured polish today. I'm wearing shade Sparkling Pink Butterfly from @dirtyshadesofficial. I love this range and I think this one's the best of the lot. The texture is far more pronounced & in a single coat too!

#notw#shopmystash #pinkmanicure #pinkmood #texturednails #texturednailpolish #naturalnailsonly #nailsofinstagram #longnailsdontcare #bangaloreblogger

Renee Fab Bullet Lipstick Review

 ❄️ Shade Grape Stain (1.5 ml) retails for INR 199 / 3 trial point on Smytten. 

❄️ Teeny tiny, it's smaller than my pinky finger. 

❄️ Sturdy, practical packaging with a lid that won't come loose. 

❄️ Smooth in application & settles into a matte finish after 2 minutes. 

❄️ Awesome pigmentation in single swipe and it obviously can be built up. 

❄️ Doesn't settle into lines as it has a non-feathering formula. 

❄️ Regular bullet lipstick & transfers a bit. Won't survive entire meals but will fade away evenly. 

❄️ Cruelty free and vegan 

❄️ A good 3 years before expiry. 

Bella Vita Organic Face & Body Scrub Review

 

🍀 Retails for INR  99/ 1 trial point for 20 gm on Smytten

🍀 Practical packaging, easy to use.

🍀 Given the ingredients, I was expecting this one to be super abrasive but it's surprisingly gentle.

🍀 I like mixing this with body oil for a good massage before bath.

🍀 Not gentle enough for the face though. 

🍀 The quantity is sufficient for about 4 uses. Enough to gauge it's efficacy.

🍀 Organic product. 

#bellavita #bellavitaorganic #bellavitafaceandbodyscrub #smytten #useupyourstuff #selfcare #selfcaremonday

Lilac Duochrome Nails

 I picked up this polish on a whim.... Just liked the way it looked. Now I'm completely bowled over. Such a gorgeous lilac duochrome, I need to pick more from this brand @misbustores

The 1st picture clicked indoors is the original colour. Rest of the pictures clicked outside in sunlight seem to have lost some colour. Go figure!

#notw #shopmystash #lilacnails #duochromenails #misbu #naturalnailsonly #nailsofinstagram #longnailsdontcare #bangaloreblogger #indiannailartist 

Just Herbs Lipstick Swatches and Review

 Swatches of @justherbsindia Ayurvedic Lipsticks (set of 16) 

🌼 Retails for INR 575 for 7 gm of product. I received it as a free gift with my @getsmytten order. 

🌼 When they said micro mini size, they were not kidding. These are tiny & you will have no issues finishing these before their expiry date. 

🌼 Love the fact that they have given diverse shades & not clones of same shade. 

🌼 These are regular lipsticks which transfer & definitely don't survive a meal. However these are extremely comfortable on the lips, with or without lip balm. 

#justherbs #ayurvediclipsticks #getsmytten  #lipstickswatches #lipsticklover

Smytten Order

 Hey all, today I'm sharing a few products I ordered from @getsmytten I think it's a great idea to try out sample sized products at very low costs. God knows I have enough to last me a long time but the itch to try out new products is still there. Why do you think I started my blog/page?

When you sign up on Smytten you get 6 credit points which you can use to get various products. You only have to pay for shipping (which is INR 200 + GST). Since it was my second order I had to pay the full INR 235 for these products. Also after your order is delivered 235 points will be added as cashback points which can be redeemed with further orders. The free gift this time was 16 sample sized lipsticks from Just Herbs. Let's be honest, the whole reason I placed this order was for the free gift. Girl Math! 

Bella Vita Organic Face & Body Scrub (20 gm) 

Retails for INR  99/ 1 trial point

I initially thought this would be super abrasive & proceeded with caution but it's actually quite gentle. Still not using it on my face though. 

Renee Fab Bullet Lipstick in Grape Stain (1.5 ml) 

Perfect for winters & I'm happy I finally have a lipstick I can actually hope to finish before it expires. 

Retails for INR 199 / 3 trial point

Colorbar Nail Lacquer in Nightfall 

Retails for INR 199/1 trial point

Miss Nails #27 Nail polish 

1 trial point 

Gift with purchase 

Just Herbs Ayurvedic Lipsticks (set of 16)

Retails for INR 575 for 7 gm of product 

Colorbar nail polish is a free samples & don't have price mentioned on it. The rest of the products total to INR 1000 (approx). I think it's a great deal especially if you like trying out new products. What do you guys think?

#getsmytten #bellavitaorganic #colorbar #missnails #renee 

Yellow flatlay

 Yellow flatlay featuring

Ajmal Bombay Dreams

LA Shield Mineral Sunscreen Gel

Facial razor

Dorall Collection Amber Majestique EDT

Cuffs n Lashes Paint pot #17

Nicka K Oh Honey Palette

Beverly Hills Polo Club #8

Stay Quirky Soften My Pout Lip Oil

Ramsons Exotica EDP Pocket Perfume

Aya Aloe Turmeric Gel

As always perfumes form the bulk of my stash. I think this is a great way to remember all the stuff in my stash (don't even remember buying some of these 😭) 

#flatlay #yellow #shopmystash #yellowflatlay #ajmal #bombaydreams #lashield #mineralsunscreen #dorallcollection #ambermajestique #cuffsnlashes #paintpot #nickak #goldeneyeshadow #ramsons #exotica #aya #stayquirky #beverlyhills

NOTW - Matte Blue Nails

 I've never met a shade of blue I haven't liked & picked this up immediately. Only after reaching home did I notice that the polish was matte finish. I just never seem to get them to work on me. They appear patchy on my nails.

With a lot of caution & giving plenty of drying time between coats, I still failed. All nails seem to have developed a dent in the centre & I had a tough time cleaning up my cuticles. The colour just kept getting spread everywhere.

Will probably use them for dotticure and not painting the entire nail.

#notw #shopmystash #elevet #affordablemakeup #blueisthecolour #naturalnailsonly #nailsofinstagram #longnailsdontcare #bangaloreblogger #indiannailartist

Blue Heaven Colour & Condition Lip Oil Swatches

🧚‍♂️Some of my favourite lip oils for winter

🧚‍♂️Blue Heaven Color and Condition Lip Oil in Sugar Plum & Jujube Berry

🧚‍♂️INR 275 for 4.2 ml

🧚‍♂️I waited & bought this on BOGO offer on Purplle. Totally worth the money & so comfortable on the lips.

🧚‍♂️ Comes with a regular doe foot applicator which distributes product evenly and smoothly. 

🧚‍♂️Sugar Plum is a deep berry shade & apt for winters. Definitely my favourite shade.

🧚‍♂️Jujube Berry is a medium brown & works well as a nude shade.

🧚‍♂️These don't make it through a meal and transfer quite a bit. However they do leave a stain, so your lips are not entirely bare.

#lipoil #liptreatment #blueheaven #blueheavenlipoil #sugarplum #jujubeberry #winterfavourites