A Sneak Peek of Upcoming Reviews

Hey ya friends! Since I would be M.I.A for a while due to my semester exams from next week, I thought of giving you a preview of what would be coming up in the next months. 
Enjoy the pics below as for now :D,

Orly Nail Paints (Check out my StyleCraze haul) 

Lashem Double Trouble Mascara

 

Lashem Lash Gel

HipHop Nail Polish Remover Wipes

L'Oreal Total Repair 5 Hair Serum

Vaseline total moisture cream

And many more to come, so keep watching this space! And wish me luck for my exams! Need them! :)

Product Information: LASHEM

Hello beauties! Today I am going to share some of my beauty woes with you. I have been 'blessed' with sparse eyebrows and medium, straight lashes from birth. And always needed brow pencils, mascaras to make them look good. But, here is a product that claims to give measurable difference to sparse lashes and eyebrows with their innovative eyelash gel. I would like to introduce to you, LASHEM. 

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ABOUT:  "The LASHEM brand was developed to help the everyday woman keep her youthful glow; it is a reflection of a healthy and natural lifestyle to accommodate everyone from the working woman to the stay at home mother. 

Our brand combines natural ingredients for the highest quality made possible. We are dedicated to promoting natural beauty in a world full of unrealistic expectations in our current society. We offer anti-aging products that are natural and made in the United States. The LASHEM product line consists of mascara, anti aging creams, and eyelash booster. 

Our goal is to empower women with natural and safe products that enhance natural beauty with anti-aging preventative eye care products. 

LASHEM is about improving the signs of aging, not to encourage women to vastly change their appearance. Love the way you are and you'll live a healthier and happier life. 

LASHEM beauty products have formulas that are gentle and non-irritating. "

Measurable Difference Lash Gel:

Experience the difference with our dual-patented lash boosting formula that is sure to condition those beautiful lashes! This lash boosting product works great on short, brittle and weak lashes. When it comes down to beauty we know it’s all about the eyes. Also works great on eyebrows. Irritation free, prostaglandin free and no prescription needed!

Double Trouble Mascara:
Let your lashes do the taking with our infamous Double Trouble Mascara! Now you don’t have to choose—use the volume wand for a long and bold voluminous effect and use the length wand to expand your natural lashes. The lengthening fiber mascara helps extend to the tip of the lashes without clumping and doesn’t irritate your eyes. Extend those lashes for some double trouble fun!

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I received some sample of both these products (and a tote bag too :D ).

Will try out these products and let you all know how these turned out to be.

Himalaya Herbals Deep Cleansing Milk Review

Hey ya! Long time and I haven’t posted anything. I have been lazing around and didn’t want to post for the guilt of not studying properly (yet! :| ). Then I got scared that all my lovely readers would soon think that I have become extinct so hurried back today with a new post :D.
 

Today I am about to review Himalaya Herbals Deep Cleansing Milk which I received with other Himalaya samples months ago but didn’t get around to use and review it properly. But then, I used it a few times and here is my take on it.

PRICE:  Rs. 65

QUANTITY: 100 ml (Available in other sizes too)

INGREDIENTS & DIRECTIONS TO USE:

MY EXPERIENCE: The product comes in Himalaya’s trademark plastic white bottle with a blue flip cap. I used this product mainly during the festival days when I used makeup regularly. The cleansing milk is a white colored, of medium consistency formula. 

After applying the required amount on my face, I clean it with wet cotton wool. It removed eyeshadows and lipsticks excellently, fought hard with kohl liners and glosses but didn’t make it, leaving panda eyes and sparkles behind. I followed up with some facewash to remove the residue and all was good. So in a gist,

WHAT I LIKED:

• It is neither too thick nor too runny and spreads easily.
• Removes makeup gently and effectively.
• Didn’t give me any breakouts.
• Very easy on the pocket and the quantity we get also lasts a while.
• No OTT smell.
• Doesn’t dry out skin. But it is better to follow up with a facewash to remove any residue left behind.

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE:

• Needs a rigorous hand to remove stubborn liners and gloss sparkles and stuff.
• It is time consuming to massage and wait for the cleanser to settle and soften makeup and then cleanse it.

VERDICT: It is quite a good product esp, for makeup beginners/ rare-makeup-users like me who don’t want to invest in a high priced cleanser that would be lying around in their vanity for most of the year! :P Overall it is quite a decent product and I would surely recommend this to you. 

RATINGS:  4 out of 5

Oh and before I forget, here is wishing all my friends and readers A very Happy Thanksgiving! Feast on! :D :D 

On my menu: CRABS! :D 

**Product sent by PR for consideration but it doesn't influence my honest opinion! Read my disclaimer.

Dove Nourishing Oil Care Repair Mask Review

Hey all. Today I am going talk about the Repair Mask, the last member in the Dove Nourishing Oil Care kit, that I received few weeks ago. Till date, I have tried only two hair masks, once in a hair spa (I don't remember the name of the product the beautician used) and the other is from L’Oreal Total Repair 5 range, but none made any perceptible difference to my frizzy hair. So, I didn’t have any high expectations from this, as in general Dove products rarely work for me. Still I thought of using it and here is my view on it.

PRICE:  Rs.300 

QUANTITY: 200 ml 

WHAT IT CLAIMS:

“Deep inside nourishment and repair for 99% smoother hair based on a lab test in comparison with a non-conditioning shampoo. The vita oils are supposedly a blend of coconut, almond and sunflower oils and are absorbed rapidly. They nourish the hair without leaving it greasy.”

INGREDIENTS & DIRECTIONS TO USE:

MY EXPERIENCE: This is a weekly repair mask which I have used in two different ways. First was just an experiment that I did 2-3 times, I tried this on, from middle to tips of my dry hair (like pre-shampoo oil), kept it for 20-30 minutes and shampooed and then used the Dove Nourishing Oil Care conditioner. The other method was, as given in directions I applied it on my shampooed hair in place of the conditioner and kept it on for 5-7 minutes. In both cases, I didn’t see it making any huge difference to my hair than that I receive from normal Shampoo + Conditioner.

WHAT I LIKED:

• It has butter smooth consistency and spreads easily on the hair.
• It gives shine and bit of smoothness to the hair.
• Doesn’t make hair oily and limpy.
• Hair stays soft till next day.
• I like its strong fragrance and it persists till next day.
• The 200 ml pack would last really long.

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE:

• No visible change in the frizz.
• Doesn’t help when hair becomes wiry in this dry winter days.

VERDICT: It was neither bad nor much good experience for me and I don’t see why I would invest on this when I am getting better results with their conditioner. If you don’t have frizzy hair and just want some shine and softness then you can try out this product.

RATINGS:  3.5 out of 5

** Being a member of  IndiBlogger.com, I received this in a gift hamper of Dove Nourishing Oil Care Range but it doesn't influence my honest opinion! Read my disclaimer.

Haul: My shopping experience at StyleCraze.com

I remember when I started this blog some six months ago, there was hardly any online shopping websites completely based on makeup and skincare products. The whole scenario has changed in these few months and now we see so mannnyyyy websites springing up everywhere. But not many work to gain the customer's trust and meet their demands. StyleCraze.com is one of those exceptions who does! :D

About: Style Craze is started by Chetana, an Amateur Make up artist from Hyderabad. 

So what prompted Chetana to start the site? 

Lack of variety in retail stores is a major concern for any Make up junkie. And when it comes to beauty, I never compromise on the Brand or the shade. StyleCraze was started so that you don't have to compromise on your Beauty needs.  - Chetana

Thank you Chetana for being the voice of our beauty needs. Our days of cribbing over the foreign brands not being available in India is slowly but surely coming to an end.

What sets StyleCraze apart from other online websites? Well, if you ask me I would say they are a hardworking team who are concentrating most on bringing the affordable foreign brands at our doorstep in minimalistic prices. 

I follow many nail blogs by international bloggers and would always pine over their lovely nail polishes at such great prices and curse our own brands for not making those beautiful polishes here.

And when I first visited this site I was bowled over to see the Orly polishes at prices as low as Rs.269 and immediately bought three of them (pics below). They are selling like hotcake on this site so don't miss out on the chance. They are already in the talks to bring NYX, ELF, BB creams and many more wanted brands and products. Their website has updated so many brands already since I checked it out for the first time.

With StyleCraze they claim,

a. Get access to the Largest collection of Cosmetics & Beauty care brands at one place

b. Upto 25% lower prices than Retail stores - No physical stores implies less costs, we prefer to pass this on to the customer in terms of lower prices

c. Amazing Customer Service: We pride in our Customer Service. All the products on the site are in stock & ready to ship. So we ship within a maximum of 3 Business days of receiving the order.

My Experience: Now coming to what,when and how I ordered and received my package.

First I registered myself on their site filling in my contact details so that I don't have to do the task over and over again at checkout. I placed my order, of three Orly polishes in Witches Blue , Goth, Luxe (I am becoming such a nail fanatic), on 13th November, Sunday afternoon and received a confirmation mail on the same in few minutes. 

I received another mail about the dispatch of the products on the next day and received it today i.e 16th November afternoon and they stood to their claim of delivering within 3 days. :D

The products came in a securely sealed box with the products inside in a few bubble wraps and also some free gifts of artificial nails and samples too.

Check out the pics,

Oh and did I say they provide Cash on Delivery, and also Free Shipping on minimal purchase of Rs.250, otherwise they charge a meager Rs.35 (which is much less than any other websites shipping charges) and also provide huge discounts and not to forget free gifts and samples with every order. 

Only thing I would like them to improve is, some attractive packaging would add more appeal to the ladies. :)

They are such a friendly and hardworking team, listening to all our crazy demands (I interacted through emails with them at ungodly hours like 11.30PM :-O and they were working on updating more brands). They are bringing the best of both worlds (i.e both national and international brands) at helluva prices and not to forget my fave Orly's polishes. Go and check them out now. I hope you too have a great time shopping there. 

** PR provided a gift coupon for discount, but it doesn't influence my honest opinion! Read my disclaimer.

Vaseline Total Moisture Cocoa Glow Review

Like fashion trends or color trends that change every season/year, I guess there are some new trends setting in the skincare and makeup ranges too. The day is not far when we will talk about trends like SMELL, TASTE, FEEL :P Am I making sense? I guess not. But wherever I see, from my lipbalms, to soaps, to lipsticks and body lotions I am going bonkers with the Cocoa Butter smell present everywhere. AND I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!! :D
 

Well, today I am sharing my view on the new Vaseline Total Moisture Cocoa Glow which is a new release from Vaseline in their range of body lotions.

PRICE:  Rs.150

QUANTITY: 300ml

INGREDIENTS:

WHAT IT CLAIMS:

“The New Vaseline Total Moisture Cocoa Glow includes natural ingredients such as Cocoa Butter, which has proven skin-friendly properties. For years, Cocoa Butter has been used as the ultimate natural moisturizer to keep the skin soft, supple and glowing. It creates a protective layer between the skin and the environment and also helps retain moisture which promotes elasticity in the skin and aids in the healing of chapped skin.

New Vaseline Total Moisture with Stratys-3 technology infused with Cocoa Butter not only works from within to give you an inner glow but also nourishes every layer of your skin. It gives your skin the multilayer moisture therapy infusing moisture at the top, core and deep down layers of your skin leaving your skin feeling healthy and glowing. New Vaseline® Total Moisture™ is the only moisturizer in India which combines three powerful ingredients that infuse and suspend moisture throughout all its layers.”

 

MY EXPERIENCE: I think I have tried all the lotions from Vaseline Body Lotion range in past few years and I liked the Healthy WhiteSkin Lightening Body Milk the best, but it is a bit light in consistency and the winter-dry-parched skin requires some extra nourishment. So I thought of giving this lotion a try when I saw the ‘Cocoa’ word on it. :D

Vaseline Total Moisture Cocoa Glow combines the unique formula of pure cocoa butter and stratys3 multi-layer moisture (infusing moisture at top, core and deep down layers of skin). The lotion is neither runny nor too thick in consistency and gets absorbed quickly into skin, leaving it soft and supple and hydrated. Here is what I think about this product,

WHAT I LIKED:

• I am a total fan of the cocoa butter - chocolaty vanilla - smell and this lingers for a while. I can smell it on me even after few hours.
• It is very hydrating and keeps skin moisturised for long hours.
• Non sticky, light and gets quickly absorbed into the skin.
• Very pocket friendly and one 300ml bottle lasts me through 1 month easily if I use it daily for full body application.

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE:

• Washes off with water and require reapplication in such cases.
• Severely dry skin might need more moisturisation than this is able to give.

VERDICT: I don’t have any complaints with this one and this is a perfect companion for the winters keeping my skin healthy and glowing. If you are a fan of the Cocoa smell trend like me then do try this out!

RATINGS:  4.5 out of 5

Another award in my kit?

I thank Surabhi Surendra  of Womanatics  for awarding the Liebster Award to my blog. I accept this award on behalf of my lovely readers and fellow bloggers who have shown their love and support to my blog all these months.

Few words about Liebster Award. It is an award given to blogs that have less than 200 followers and that deserve more recognition and encouragement. The blog who receives the award then nominates five such blogs that fit the above category. There are few guidelines to be followed while receiving or giving the award.

1) Thank the blogger who gave you the award.
2) Pick five small blogs that are worth the honor.
3) Spread a word about Liebster Award.

I would like to pass on the honour to 5 blogs that I really enjoy and would like if you all to give them the same encouragement and love too.

• A peek into my life.. 
• jewelryanalysis
• sparkles unlimited 
• My Tumbling Thoughts to the World 
• I love Shopping 

Do check out these awesome blogs. :x

BEAUTY, BRAINS AND BRAWNS International Giveaway - 5 reasons to be happy this Winter

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Hello my lovely  readers. As I have promised earlier I am back with another exciting giveaway for you all. But, why I am holding this giveaway?  Here is the whole bucket of reasons, :D 

• My blog completed 100 posts,
• 100+ Beautiful readers, 
• 100+ FB fans, 
• 100+ Twitter followers
• 25,000+ Pageviews 

And also my blog will be completing 6 months on 1st December ( I can't believe it's already six months!!), Christmas and New year is around the corner (so why not spread some love :x) and also, I got the honour of the Notable Newbie on BlogAdda yesterday (another feather in the cap :-*) and I am so ecstatically happy :D :D (only if my semester exams was not ticking in my head :P ). Okay I won't bore you more with my ranting. Let's head over to the prize. :)

All the prizes are new and sealed (where applicable). This is not a sponsored giveaway. Here is a breakdown of the prizes,

Models Own Pink punch

Maybelline The Colossal Kajal

Maybelline Expert Wear Eye Shadow - Sapphire Ice 34

 

 Street Wear Color Rich Lip Pink kiss Gloss

 

Elle 18 Nail Pops 

Interesting enough to win? This giveaway is free and open to all worldwide. To enter the giveaway you have to follow certain rules and then fill out the form below. There are some mandatory rules which you need to fulfil to be eligible to enter the giveaway and some optional entries to increase the probability of your chance of winning. Don’t worry, they are super easy, 

Mandatory Entries (For total 2 entries):

• Follow my blog "publicly" through GFC if you are a new follower. Click on "Join this site" button on top-left side of this page. If you find it broken, refresh  the page. (1 entry)
• "Like" BEAUTY, BRAINS AND BRAWNS  Facebook page. Click here. (2 entries) 

Optional Entries: 

• +3 entries: Follow me on twitter. Click here. 
• +2 entries: Tweet this " Enter @pooja_g International Giveaway -  5 reasons to be happy this Winter http://goo.gl/w5lyu  "
• +5 entries: Share this giveaway either on your Facebook wall or page tagging @BEAUTY, BRAINS AND BRAWNS and the link back to this post.
• +2 entries: Tag 5 interested friends on the comment section of the FB post on your wall or page.
• +4 entries: Post about this giveaway on your blog.Use the first picture and link back to this post.
• +5 entries: Post it on your blog's sidebar. Use the first picture and link back to this post.
• +4 entries: Follow my blog through Networked Blogs. Click here.
• +2 entries: Vote for my blog BEAUTY, BRAINS AND BRAWNS on http://www.handmadereviews.net/2011/10/beauty-blog-awards-2011-voting-open.html. 

(**The voting entry is valid and will be counted till 12th December as voting ends on that day)

• +1 entry: Regular commenter on my blog posts. 

So that's a total of 28 optional entries. You get 30 total chances to win if you do all the entries!
After you have done all the requisites, fill in the form below.  Remember to fill the form once only. No duplicate entries will be counted.

This giveaway starts on 11th November 2011 and will end on 11th  6th January 2012. (Update: Date changed as my holidays are coming to an end and I would be bit busy :) )
The winner will be chosen shortly thereafter and will be contacted via email. Winner will have 48 hours to respond failing to which a new winner will be chosen. 

All the links will be thoroughly checked so don't enter anything you have not done.
Any un-following of blog after the giveaway ends will ban the person from future giveaways. Enter only if you will stick around and enjoy my blog.

Comments are disabled on this post. If you have any query email me or tweet me or comment on some other post and I will help you out! 

* The prize will be delivered with utmost care. I will not be responsible for any loss/damage in transit.
* Participants must be 18years age or must have parental consent. You need to provide your address in case you win.

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Yay I am the Notable Newbie on BlogAdda.com

When I started my blog in June, I never thought  that it would receive so much love, accolades, viewership in such a short time. I can't thank you guys enough! :x

Today I am featured as the Notable Newbie on http://www.blogadda.com/ and I am on cloud nine! :D :-*

 And here is the award! :D

I would like to thank the BlogAdda team for giving me this honour.

Well guess what this is my 100th post on this blog and it couldn't have been better! :) :x

Dove Nourishing Oil Care Hair Serum Review

Hello my beautiful readers. Sorry I was not able to post for last three days as I was having my internals/exams going on (just don’t ask how it went! :( ) and the semester exam is also looming over my head, and I am so not studying anything! Well I need to shift my focus on the studies now and the exams will end in December, so I will be a bit missing in action with regular postings, but hey don’t forget to show your love on here as I will be online (ADDICTED... I am!) and will peek over here now and then and reply to all your sweet comments! 
 

Ranting over! So today I am going to talk about the hair serum from the new Dove Nourishing Oil Care range. I remember, I tried hair serum for the first time from a brand called Livon and I absolutely hated it as it turned my shampooed hair oily, limp and sticky. After that I lost interest in any serum whatsoever. Recently I bought the hair serum from L’Oreal Total Repair 5 range as I really liked their Shampoo but I still didn’t get much chance to use it, as I thought of using the Dove one first. So let’s see how Dove Nourishing Oil Care Hair Serum fared on me…errmm my hair!

PRICE:   Rs.300 

QUANTITY: 40 ml

INGREDIENTS:

MY EXPERIENCE: Dove Nourishing Oil Care Hair Serum is a clear liquid with oily consistency. I take exactly two pumps for my below-the-shoulder length hair, and use this serum on my shampooed, semi-dried hair. I don’t use the conditioner on some days to see how the serum fares to keep my hair soft, smooth and frizz free. I would give thumbs up for the factor of keeping hair soft and it detangles hair easily but it doesn’t work at all on the frizz. So it becomes pointless to invest in a serum just for soft hair, a nice conditioner does the same and the conditioner from this range really works well in that zone. 

WHAT I LIKED:

• Makes hair feel soft and adds a bit of shine.
• Helps in easy detangling of hair.
• Doesn’t make hair limp/oily.
• Gets easily absorbed and so doesn’t attract much dust.
• The packaging is really nice and travel friendly. The pump nozzle is effective and controls the amount of product required.

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE:

• It didn’t tame my frizzy hair.
• It is definitely costlier than other serums available in the market.

VERDICT:  For me, it didn’t work on my frizz and I won’t invest in such a pricey serum if it doesn’t do that. Other than that I have no complaints.

RATINGS:  3.5 out of 5

** Being a member of  IndiBlogger.com, I received a gift hamper of Dove Nourishing Oil Care Range but it doesn't influence my honest opinion! Read my disclaimer.