hold on to sixteen

Since I'm technically still on hiatus because of my exams, I decided to use this interim period for a much delayed beauty post. I keep getting emails, facebook messages, tweets and comments asking all sorts of hair & makeup related questions. Unfortunately, I'm the farthest thing from an expert on these matters. In fact I'd say I pretty much suck - at makeup especially. But I guess I have my standard routine nailed so here's a glimpse at a few new products I've been using that I love:

SKIN: If you want to know about any sort of daily skin makeup like foundation, concealer, even bronzers, etc. you'll have to look elsewhere because I use nothing on my skin except maybe sometimes concealer (Sephora) under my eyes to give the illusion of a good night's sleep. I do however have a bunch of trusty products that I like to use every now and then. My skin is normal but veers towards the dryer side in the winter. I recently acquired two great products that are perfect to use when going out. 

Revlon ColorStay Aqua, Inglot pressed powder. 

Honorary mentions: MAC Strobe Liquid Lotion, Calvin Klein beauty, FCUK Sugarscrub and Sephora radiant loose powder.

EYES: I probably use the most makeup on my eyes and leave the rest of my face bare. On an everyday basis I basically use a Stila smudgestick (in charcoal) to line my eyes but when I go out, I sometimes use matte black shadow (Inglot) or light glitter based ones in darker, richer hues (Chanel). I always wet the brush a little because the eyeshadow literally glides on that way instead of coming on like coarse powder. I have dark lashes (perks of being Indian) and wear contact lenses so I barely ever use mascara but when I do, its Diorshow. Sometimes I use a silvery white eye pencil (Chanel) to line the inner rim of my eyes.

Chanel in - Mirifique, Ebloui, Illusoire, Emerveille, Epatant, Fantasme.
Inglot AMC black matte. 
Diorshow mascara, Dior waterproof eyeliner in Bleu Captivant, Maybelline shadow stylist in Urban Grey, MAC Greasepaint stick in french quarter, Sephora eyeliner in gris, Loreal eyeshadow crayon in antique gold, Chanel precision eye definer in khaki platine. 

LIPS: Sorry, no path breaking tips here. I have a boring lip balm/moisturizer only routine. I have full lips so I don't feel the need to do much (and also because I'm the laziest person on the planet) but I do love this Maybelline lip balm thing I use in the color Dolly Rose. Its basically a slightly amped up version of my natural lip color and is like a pretty touch-up. I have used red lipstick (by Dior) and I love it but I doubt I could be bothered to do it every time I go out. I love this Chanel lipstick (below) but I basically dab it on with my finger a little and run it over with lip balm and don't really use it directly.

Chanel rouge coco in Etole. 

HAIR: My hair is naturally super wavy so I straighten or blow dry it to make it more manageable after I wash my hair. I use Frederic Fekkai glossing conditioner and shampoo and occasionally Sebastian penetrait conditioner. Both my hair iron and dryer are by Babyliss (I got this amazing dryer and a curler from New York this summer but like the massive moron that I am, completely overlooked the difference in the power and now I can't use them) and I'm very happy with them (I use a nozzle with the dryer to streamline heat). I've used every imaginable product under the sun for my hair because it had a tendency to get dry so I guess this is the only area where I may have some advice to offer. I also use an old t shirt to dry my hair instead of a towel (the terrycloth frizzes up your hair). Apart from this, I don't really use anything else on my hair, though at 13-14 I used to use heat protectants, leave-in conditioners, straightening cream and whatnot. I do however love this product by Kerastase called ....

Sebastian penetrait, Kerastase elixir kultime, Redken all-soft, Frederic Fekkai glossing conditioner. 

NAILS: 

Chanel Peridot & Quartz and Inglot vernis. 

FRAGRANCE:

Miss Dior Cherie & CK Beauty. 


Hope this answered most questions (and cemented the fact that I am the farthest thing from the authority on this whole situation).

I also wanted to talk about these sunglasses I recently acquired via Lensstreet.com . I'm a wayfarers girl so picking these aviators was a fresh change. Most of the time, aviators just kind of fall off of my face or cause me to look like a disfigured freak but these were the perfect size. The ordering process was smooth and took a matter of minutes. The customer service is impeccable and they'll call you to update you on your order status periodically. You can have it delivered via a number of methods differing on the basis of time, cost, etc. I got mine in 3 days flat and it went seamlessly. Check out the website and see if there's something to your liking! I definitely recommend it.

 Arushi x

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