August Fab Bag 2015 - Review

Hey Everyone,

I'm here today, to review the August Fab Bag for 2015. I received it a couple of days ago & I wanted to use the products a little before I gave your my actual opinions on them. So here we go -

The theme for the August Fab Bag is 'Cast a Spell' and hence the bag itself is a magical-looking, fairy-tale pink colour. It's shimmery all over with matte vines-like lines running across it. I really like the bag as it reminds me a lot of my all-time fav nail colour 'Pink Champagne' in the Glitter Mania range by Maybelline India.

The Fab Bag team has also launched a couple of new brands this month - Fran Wilson, Roots & Ital Veloce. Let's take a quick look at all the products in the bag & what I think of them -

1. Fran Wilson Moodmatcher Lipstick in the shade 'Orange' -

Fran Wilson Moodmatcher Lipstick in 'Orange'

These kind of listicks are the current craze overseas. The formula reacts with your body-chemistry (body-heat basically!!) to transform in a hue/shade that matches you well. Although the shade I recived is called 'Orange', I was glad that the lipstick turned into a beautiful pink on my lips. The shade is sheer & looks like a lip-balm, but it stayed put all day, even after meals and water throughout the day :-) Thumbs-up for innovative products, Team!! I'm really loving this product for daily use.

2. Roots Professional Morocvita Oil -

Roots Professional Morocvita Oil

This lil piece of magic I really liked! I applied a couple of drops of the Morocvita Oil on towel-dried hair and combed it through. I was quite impressed with the results after my hair had dried. I can safely say that my hair was almost 50% less frizzy and sooo much more managable! :-) I just wish it smelled a lil more like Moroccan Argan Oil. The FX Moroccan Moisture Serum that I have been using for a past year and half smells amazing & I was hoping this oil smelt like that. The serum is really great at taming frizz too. But apart from the smell (sorry I should be calling it a 'fragrance; right? I dont know why I keep saying 'smell'..!!) this oil is just as awesome as my current serum!

3. Ital Veloce Fine Fragrance Mist in 'Sea Island Temptation' -

Ital Veloce Fragrance Mist in 'Sea Island Temptation'

I like the fragrance but would have liked it to remind me of the sea, waves, wind more than than the floral scent it gives off. Don't get me wrong, it's nice, really!! But when I read a name like 'Sea Island Temptation' I assume the fragrance is based on a "nautical theme" :-) I like those kind of scents...probably because Dad being in the Navy or I've sailed with my parents as a child, I like the scent of the sea or anything in that umbrella...you get the point! ;-) Overall its a good fragrance & since it's a mist, it only lasts for 2 - 3 hrs on me.

4. Divo Eyelash Curler -

Divo Eyelash Curler

I love eye makeup but never really ventured into the 'eye lash curler' arena. I have always wanted to try out one & this month, the team made this wish come true. I know I know, I could have just gone ahead & bought one, but I didnt, because I'm a worrier that way - what if my eye lashes come off, what if I pinch my lids by mistake, what if, what if? LOL No more excuses, I tried this and the curled lashes gave me a really nice look. I dont have lashes to boast about, but this lil guy curls them well & really opens up my eyes. Thanks to this curler, I took the next step...TADA...Mascara!! Having worn glasses all my life, I would just make do with eye liner, but thanks to Divo Eye lash curler, I am experimenting a lil more with eye-makeup.

5. Cuccio Nail Colour in 'Shaking my Morocco' -

Cuccio Nail Colour in 'Shaking my Morocco'

The team sent me an email to ask if if I'd like to co-curate the bag for myself. I was sent a link where I could pick a Cuccio Nail colour shade that I liked & that would be added to my bag. I craved for the delicious, bright Orange shade in the options given to me & here it is! It spells Summer for me & I know it's not really summer now, but this shade is sure to brighten up those dull, gloomy, rainy days.Well... and am I the only one who thinks that the name sounds a little naughty too haha!! ;-)

So overall, I give this month's bag, a very BIG Thumbs Up!! :-) I know this post is coming in very late this month, but here's hoping they 'up' their delivery game & send me the next month's bag sooner. 

Hope you liked this review. Let me know which were your favourite products from the Fab Bag this month? Do you have another subscription box that you receive and have loved? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

Until the next post, Ciao!!!

BioCare BANANA Scrub - Review

Hi Everyone,

I'm here to share a review on a product that I've been loving for the past couple of months. It might not be from a very well-known brand but the BioCare range has quite a following! Today I will be reviewing the BioCare BANANA Scrub.

Packaging – The scrub comes in a simple plastic tub with a white coloured lid. When the lid is removed, the tub has a foil & plastic covering which protects the product inside. Once that is removed, you can reach the product easily.

Product claims

Price – Rs.150/- for 500ml (don't quote me on the price...sorry but its been my companion for quite some time now!)

Ingredient List 

Texture – The base cream is light-green in colour with visible walnut particles in it. The texture of the scrub is quite gritty & not really 'fine' as mentioned on the packaging. It's by NO MEANS a face scrub, as the particles aren’t finely ground & in fact, it is best used for exfoliating rough skin surfaces like elbows, legs, heels, etc. Though it says that it can be used for daily exfoliation, I'd suggest using this on the entire body, once or twice in a week, for an exfoliating routine.

The base cream on the other hand feels extremely luxurious :-) It's got this fruity fragrance of bananas that deeply moisturizes the skin, after the scrub particles have done their job. It might just make you feel like you've applied a DIY Banana pack on your body, the fragrance is THAT similar to the real thing!!!

Closeup of the cream

Base Cream & Walnut particles

Pros - 

• Great exfoliating properties. It gives you a total scrub down!!  
• It’s great for someone who doesn’t visit the SPA often. Fruity fragrance of bananas makes you feel like you're indulging in a fruit body-wrap.
• Budget-friendly

     Cons - 

•      Might not be easily available in stores. You can try online stores though - 
•      Not paraben-free. 
•      If you don't like dipping your fingers each time into the tub, you will need to scoop this out with a spatula or a spoon.

     So if you are on the hunt for a budget friendly body scrub, do give this guy a try! Let me know which body scrub you're currently using & which ones you love, in the comments section below. Maybe I'll give them a try next time!! :-) 

Until the next post, Ciao!!

Mini-haul at Sephora, Pune

Hi Everyone,

As a makeup enthusiast, I was very excited to visit the Sephora outlet in Pune. It opened in January this year at the Phoenix Market City Mall & I happened to miss it by a mere 5-days :-( We had a chance to visit Pune again this year to visit our families & this time I wasn't missing Sephora for anything!!

My Sis-in-law knew the 'budget-product junkie' in me & we both kinda knew that we won't be hauling too much from there. But I still managed to get products that I really wanted to try & didn't go over the budget I'd set for myself :-) Here are some 'sneak peek' pics for now, I will be reviewing these once I've made an opinion about them...

Soap & Glory

The Pore-fessional by Benefit Cosmetics

Here are some other knick-knacks I picked up from the smaller outlets at the mall -

1. A dupe for the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush

2. Miss Claire Soft Matte Lip cream in a new shade 16A

3. Rimmel London Apocalips in the shade 'Aurora' (I was actually looking for the Provocalips 16HR Kissproff lipcolour, but realized that it wasn't launched in India yet). 

4. (Random purchase) Makeover Professional Matte Lipstick in the shade 'Cherry Ice'.

Hope you liked my teeny-tiny haul :-) Until the next post, Ciao!!

PS: I also tried out Soap & Glory's Sexy MotherPucker Lipgloss @ Sephora-Pune. Head over to my Instagram profile - https://instagram.com/nehavinekar/ for the pic.

My experience at the Jawed Habib Salon (Jayanagar 9th block, BLR)

Hey Everyone,

I'm just back from the Jawed Habib Salon & I'm here to share the experience with you all. The one I visited is at Jayanagar 9th Block (BLR) near Ragi Gudda temple, opp the Lakme Salon.

My hair was last cut in 2012 Jan, 7 months before my baby boy was born & I had not shown it any TLC for over 3 yrs hehehe Sorry Hair, I apologize ya!! I had heard about the Jawed Habib salon being really nice, but I was still skeptical about the salon rates. Come on, you know me by now...just cuz I hadn't cut it in over 3 yrs didn't mean I'd splurge 3K on it..!! I'm a strong believer in 'Beauty on a Budget'.

I gave in to my gut & booked an appointment. I entered the salon and was greeted by Bimal, my stylist. While giving me a hair wash, he noticed that I had a dry scalp & told me the correct way of washing & drying my frizzy hair. He also gave me a lot of information about how a dandruff shampoo should be used alternatively with a normal shampoo, to avoid build-up. He told me that my regular use of a dandruff shampoo had made my scalp, dry & hair, more frizzy.

By the time he got to actually cutting my hair, he'd given me a LOT of information. LOL Lets just say the man has some awesome tips & he loves to share hahaha! ;-) But he's a sweet guy and a damn good stylist. He asked me a lil bit about my current lifestyle; small yet important bits like how much time I devote to my hair on a daily basis, etc. He almost had a mini heart-attack when I said I hadn't cut my hair in over 3 yrs. He told me that if I really liked to grow my hair, I need to trim it regularly (every 3-4 months) to get rid of split ends. Poor chap, that 3 yrs story, really rattled him! ;-)

So we discussed my hair in detail a lil more; he took my suggestions on having layers in the hair, whilst keeping the length the same, more or less...& here's the result!!!

Freshly cut & blow-dried

I'm really happy with the cut and the styling, because its something that I can manage on a daily basis & PLUS...I didn't have to break the bank..this cost me a lil over Rs.600/-. Yaayy Me!!! Now I need to wait and watch to see the result after a wash #CurlyHairWoes ;-)

Ruffled up version 1.1 (after about 1 hr)

Hope you liked this quick, casual post. I really wish I had taken more pics of the salon & the styling process, but I didn't go in thinking I'll be sharing the experience on my blog. Anyway, will do so next time :-) Until the next post, Ciao!!

Note: This post is not sponsored by the salon. I paid for the services & this post is up because I wanted to share a good experience with you all.

Everyday Soft & Glowy Makeup Look

Hi Everyone,

Today I'm here to share a break-down of this simple & easy to create 'Soft & Glowy' Makeup Look, which is great for everyday! If you have an outfit that you wish should stand out at an occasion, you can team it up with this makeup; it will give you a radiant look without taking attention away from your outfit :-)

You can create this look using any products that you might have with you, you don't need to use the same ones I did. Here's how I went about creating this look -

1. Base - On a cleansed face, apply your favourite moistuiser. This step hydrates your skin & preps it for makeup. I applied the Nivea Soft Light Moisturiser on my face and neck area.

If you're doing this for a quick, everyday look then skip your foundation and go for a concealer. I used the Derma Cover Concealer to conceal my under eyes, around the nose & mouth & slightly on the forehead. I did not use foundation for this look at all. Apply your favourite compact all over the face, paying special attention to the concealed areas to set those. I used the Rimmell Stay Matte Powder for this (Read about it HERE).

Nivea Soft Moisturiser, Derma Cover Concealer &
Rimmel London Stay Matte Powder

2. Highlighting - Now, for the 'Star' of the show :-) Use a soft highlighter on the area starting from the apples of your cheek to your temples, it will form a slight-V. I used the Swiss Beauty Terracotta Blush for this as it gives a soft glow rather than a strong highlight. The trick is to 'take the slightest amount of highlighter', a little goes a long way! Also, if you have a stippling brush, use that as it picks up very little product but diffuses it beautifully.

Swiss Beauty Terracotta Blush

Revlon Highlighter in 030 Bronze Glow
 (another option for highlighter - HERE)

3. Eyes - Use a slightly iridescent eye shadow on the eyelids, I used the shade 'Big Ben' from my Sleek Original Palette (Read review HERE) & gave a slight wash of it all over the eye-lid. I have hooded eyes and needed to define my crease, so I used the shade 'London Rain' to do that. If you don't have hooded eyes, you can skip this step. I went for a softly defined lower-lid rather than a strong, black eyeliner; I used Lakme Eyeconic Kohl in Brown for this step. (My apologies, I got rid of the Eyeconic Kohl in Brown since I had completely finished it up :-( hence no pics) 

'London Rain' - used to define crease & 'Big Ben' - all over the lid

'London Rain' - used to define crease & 'Big Ben' - all over the lid

4. Lips - I used the Faces Ultime Pro Longwear Matte Lipstick in 'Peach Blush' as a *ude lipstick. Sorry about the lighting :-) I dont know why this look 'red' on camera, I swear it's beautiful peachy *ude shade...

Hope you liked this quick post on how I created this simple look :-) Do re-create it and tag me to let me know you did! What's your favourite everyday makeup look? What are your 'Go-To' products? Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below. 

Until the next post, Ciao!!