I got the shade 382 Red for Me in Maybelline Made for All Lipstick from #influenster as complimentary to give an honest review of the product. I genuinely feel for this product to be a hit with mass, it needs to undergo massive improvements.



Let's be honest. We have seen changes in texture and color of lipsticks over the years. Somehow this lipstick takes us back to how lipsticks were once. Here are some of the pros and cons of this lipstick:

Pros:
1. It came in a very neat packaging.
2. The color was well suited for asian skin tone.
3. Since the red had a little bluish tinge, it makes the teeth look more whiter.
4. It is soft and creamy and doesn't dry out the lips
5. It looks rich and is heavily pigmented.

Cons:
1. It is not smudge proof. It transfers on the clothes you wear, food/drink you have, or when you kiss. Definitely a no no.
2. Marketed as Matte, it does not dry out completely Matt. It has a creamy texture to it and it glosses a bit.
3. And lastly it is not easy to take off fully, you probably need a good make up remover to fully remove it lest the stains remain on the lips.

Since the pros equals the cons, I may not buy this again. Have you tried the Maybelline made for all? How did you find it?

Covergirl as we all know is a drugstore product, so when I got #covergirl Vitalist products complimentary for testing by Influenster, I was super excited. Let me admit to you guys, I am mostly a no-makeup gal. My makeup routine mostly involves nothing or sparingly any bb cream if at all. But I remember when I was a child, I would use to use a lot of compact powder. I used to love the feel of it. As I hit adolescence, I used to use it because my skin was very oily and I felt compact powder could hold my oiliness of skin in school. I never used it again after high school. So here are the three products I am going to review today - Covergirl Concealer, Highlighter, and Powder and there they are:



1. Covergirl Concealer: Of all the three products, this is my least favorite product the reason being it just does not work on my dark circles and doesn’t help them conceal. I would call it an average concealer because it does lighten a little so if you have got faded spots on your skin, it may help them lighten a little. Just a little is what I mean. You may need a full coverage foundation on top of it for best results. It’s also almost fragrance-free and easy to carry. It comes in the form of a pen with a brush applicator. The brush applicator glides although you would need another brush to smoothen the concealer. The shade also was lighter to my skin tone and hence even though it had blended, it was making me look a little weird on the eye area.



Pros: 1) Almost Fragrance-Free
2) Easy to carry
3)Could help lighten faded spots.

Cons: 1) Didn’t help in dark circles
2) You might need another brush to blend concealer on the skin.

2. Covergirl Highlighter: Of all the three products, this is my favorite. It gives a subtle glow if applied a little and does not cause any reactions to my sensitive skin. The best areas to apply would be on your cheeks, nose and near the eye area to make you look refreshed . Just take a little and not too much because that might make you look glittery and swipe on the glow where you need it.



Pros: 1) Gives Subtle Glow
2) Almost Fragrance-Free
3)The packaging is great.

Cons: 1) Too much can make one look glittery.

3. Covergirl Powder: This is an average product to use. It is a compact powder to help reduce extra shine and set the makeup. The color of the powder is very pigmented so make sure you get the right shade for your skin. The powder looks more natural on the skin after 10-15 minutes of application.  I liked the product but it did not match my exact skin tone (I have pinkish undertones, the powder had yellowish undertones) and hence there was a mismatch. There is hardly any fragrance in the product and it did not cause me any reactions.



Pros: 1) Almost Fragrance-free
2) Controls shine without making skin too dry.
3)Very pigmented.

Cons: 1) The powder has limited shades.
2)The powder looks more natural after few minutes of application.

It was my first time that I used any primer and primers are supposed to prep your skin before make up and that is exactly what Origins Original Skin Pore Perfecting Cooling Primer does. It smoothens your skin making it a smooth base for anything that you apply after. Foundations looks great on it because your skin has already been prepared and groomed. It is the closest you can get to creating a natural looking layer on top of your skin.



Pros

1. The Origins Cooling Primer is a great product to have in your purse because the product can be used standalone or with makeup.
2. It provides an icey cool feel on application. Perfect for tropical weathers!
3. If you have sensitive skin like mine and have been fighting redness you would like it because It did not cause any reaction to my skin whatsoever although it did tingle a little on my cheeks.
4. I also liked the fact that it comes out of the nozzle of the bottle as a lightweight tinted mousse which ain’t oily or heavy and upon application you feel a slight smell similar to that of orange for a second and thereafter It feel refreshing to your skin.
5. The best way to apply it is by gently patting it on your skin and then blending in.
6. It might also assist in making the makeup look smoother, and stay longer.
7. It is a product with natural ingredients so less likely to irritate skin.


Cons


1. The biggest drawback and downside would be, I have applied the product only once and the dispenser refused to work thereafter.
2. I was planning on a detailed review, however since the product do not dispense anymore, It is useless for me.
2. Since I had mentioned above , it slightly tingles on the side of the cheeks, I am not sure what the long term implications would be.


                                       Smiling and Prepped up faces from Origins Launch Party,
                                                               Flatiron, NYC.

I got Origins Primer complimentary for review from influenster but the opinions above are my own from my first hand first time experience.

Camouflage has infiltrated the fashion trend in the recent years and I can’t rave any less about its versatility. I have had always liked the Camo print and even though I have had owned sparingly a few over the years, now I have a couple of them in camo in the last couple of years - a camo dress, a camo jacket and camo sweatpants. I love the Sweatpants because its winters and it looks super cool when I wear them. The one shown in picture is Camo Sweatpants by Tobi.


With the weather touching two-digit negatives on the East coast of USA this week which by the way is colder than coldest. I don’t remember we had sane degrees this whole week and so even though, I was in my cozy bed the entire time, twice this week I was brave enough to get my Cycle out to ride on the Hudson riverfront. Alas! It was cold but my Sweatpants teamed down with the thermal liner inside kept me warm. I wore these even in the vacation to Lake Placid, this holiday season in December when the temperatures plummeted to -22 degrees.





So, let’s begin with sharing 6 ways on how can we pair the type of Camouflage Pants I am wearing:

1. Go traditional colors: White and Black goes great with Green Camouflage Pants. Grey also goes well. I like it more when I am wearing the top which has a good fit to compliment with Camo bottoms. Crisp white shirt also goes very well with Camo. Experimental folks can try colors such as Red, Baby Pink, Navy Blue etc.

2. Don’t mix Camo with Camo: Unless you want to look like a soldier or an alpha male, Camo with Camo can prove to be a no no in most cases where you are going out Casually.

3. Go crop top or off the shoulder: Since off the shoulder has been in trends for some time now, let’s pair them with Camo pants. Crop top also will go very well with Camo Pants.

4. Don’t mix animal prints with Camo: They just would not gel together in most cases so don’t. Also in most cases any prints won't go very well with Camo so keep the pairing plain and simple.

5. Layer with a shrug: You can layer it with a light sweater shrug to add onto the look.

6. Accessorize: Bold statement accessories would go very well with Camo.



Do you own Camo Pants? If yes, do share how would you like to pair up with?

Many folks hesitate to wear Dresses during winters because it’s cold and we can’t imagine us going without the layers of clothing that can keep us cozy and warm!!! My choices of winter wear has always been very limited - an inner thermal, a sweater and a jacket and I am good to go. Sometimes it becomes like my daily staple wear until I get bored of it and then I try to hunt for any other warm clothing that I may have in my closet.



So, I have always treasured the idea of Sweater Dress in my mind but I had always given up thinking “Nah, bare legs”. That might be a little too much. And then I realized, even in winters not everyday the temperatures are same. Sometimes, its extremely cold and in those days, you may need extra layering but it wouldn’t hurt to top my sweater dress with a pair of leggings. And when temperatures are moderately wintery I could easily carry it with just my boots! And so Sweater Dress is also a very versatile wear - you can wear in spring, winter and fall!



When I found this Sweater Dress by Tobi, I fell in love with the color and the design. The sleeves would gently brush past my hands and on days, when I am not wearing gloves, I can form a cushiony sweatery wrap around my fingers with it. When I wear this Sweater Dress, my hubby calls me mature because I look like one! He anyways doesn’t like me wear super clingy stuff and he feels that the room that this gives, makes me look fuller. In case, if you want to go for more form fit when you wearing it alone, you may need to size down.

For me, I actually love it the way it is! I’ll just pen down 6 ways you can wear one:

                                                         Boots : Bandalino, Macys

1. On top of a grey Sweater Dress like I am wearing, you can pair it up bright accessories that would look super cool. Pearled neckpiece would look absolutely great. avoid pairing it with a shawl because look how great the neckline and the cut sleeves are :) I wouldn’t want to hide them !

2. Pair it with a colorful hat like the red one I am wearing. It adds a touch of grace to the overall look.

3. If its colder than usual, Pair it with sheer black leggings or nude leggings to complete the look.

4. Pair it up with high boots. The best would be the boots that goes above the knee. Black, Brown and Red would go great with the color of the dress.

5. If you feel that you need to add more fit into it, top it up with a broad belt.

6. And last but not the least, if its extremely cold, keep a coat or an extra wrap sweater handy, and cover!!!

So let’s grab some hot chocolate for the winters and enjoy it in Style.

When I was growing up as a teen in the 90's, I remember adoring the richness of the Velvet and making it part of my wardrobe for the club parties. I was charmed by how luxurious I felt inside. Every time I would wear it, I would feel like a queen or as in India we call it "like a Maharani".

"The beauty of Velvet is, it embraces your body with its own gentle touch. It hugs your curves and makes you feel special"




Fast forward, Velvet was leading its way once again in the fashion trends of 2017 and its here to stay for 2018. It was omnipresent in the entire 2017 when we saw them flying off the shelves of shopping malls and online stores. We even saw it becoming a red-carpet favorite. We saw the models joining the Velvet Bandwagon at New York Fashion Week 2017 in more colors than just the traditional hue of Black. Colors aside, Black rules too!

"In 2017, we even saw changes in preferences of color. Remember Cherry Red / Wine going hot for the lip color! Trust me, when Black is sophisticated, Wine is seduction"

The plushness and a little warmth of Velvet makes it a perfect wear during Spring , Fall and even Winters. Since I couldn't gather myself enough to brave the crazy NYC cold to jump into the Times Square Ball Drop Bandwagon this New Year, I celebrated my femininity just enough to reminisce the trend that has caught up. And why not!

The Holidays are the best months to have because you've got plenty to celebrate and rush into the New Year with the zeal that lasts for a few couple months afterward.

At least for me, January of each year is always a good month. I am ecstatic because I have finally come off my break, to daily chores of life and sanity and to reality. It is also that month when the celebratory mood from past month lingers for a little while. Skipped the New Year Party? No worries, you've got friends and colleagues to meet. Came back from Holidays? Now is the time to catch up with your friends over a drink or a dance.

And as every occasion would have it, you'd love yourself to be seen, to be heard and to be felt and what better way than to start your year with what feels fresh to you.

Finding a cocktail dress / party dress can be very exhausting in stores. Since I mostly shop online, I was looking for something that would fit my needs and would not compromise on quality because for me that's important. When I browsed Tobi, I found the collection very interesting. I fell in love with it, not once but many times because all the kind of cocktail dresses that I wished I had, was there. And because it was New Year and then we have Valentine's Day coming up in Feb, I thought why not!

So this is the dress I got and I really liked it. From the fabric to the sizing, it feels like it is tailor made for me. Of course, I referred to the size chart. I guess that's with the online stores, you can't simply order what size you have been ordering. Its important to check size chart for each individual dresses / apparel. I ordered an M.

 The slit at the front gives us such a sexy appeal that every time I wear it I stand in front of the mirror just a little longer. It transforms me :)

I figured out there are two ways I could wear this dress. The way how it is shown online and the way I wore it.

1) Lets go by how I wore it first.

I have always loved Bare Backs and my idea of creating this look out of this dress was to create a double spaghetti style strap in front (that is trending) and leaving the bare back open with a knot in the back at the end. Since it has a beautiful back, I would advise on wearing a bra which is stick on. The front of the dress can be made as high as or as low as you would tie as a halter. I also liked the position of the slit in front - it is perfectly positioned - meaning it is sexy but not revealing the thigh as much. The very thing that I was so anxious about.





2) Lets go by how it is worn on the website of Tobi

There is a loop on front ends of the dress from where the strap can go in (and that's how I made it double strap in how I wore it) but what can also be done is you can criss-cross at the back and keep a simple halter in the front.





The dress would best go with open high heels / peep toes adding that extra height onto your body. I wore it with Boots because its winters here and it goes well too!

PS: Thanks @shoptobi for this super gorgeous slit dress! All reviews and opinions here are my own.

“I was hooked to their ever changing collection and one day got myself one dress to wear for Oktoberfest New York ! I was pleasantly surprised with the quality and the style I bought and I thought, hey - Now I got a new Online Shopping website to shop from and that’s awesome”






Till the past few months, I was very wary about buying stuff from online websites that wasn’t reputed brands. And why not! We have heard of scams and cheap materials and despite me being the experimental types, I have had few misses in this department especially when I order from eBay. I mean its a mixed bag - I have landed with genuine Victoria Secret way less on eBay and got them which I still love but I have also got those filthy cheap cushions that looked great online! Recently I saw an ad of “Michelle Obama” aging cream that came up with a story that they have launched a brand and one can sample it and as I was tempted to click on the link and buy it, I read couple of reviews saying that was fake. So I stopped myself.

Yes, that scam shit happens. But not all the time.

So my hesitance towards trying a new website was understandable. I don’t exactly remember how I landed myself to SheIn.com the first time. All I remember was I was browsing on Zara and one of their dresses was Sold out. So I had typed in “Gingham” (the Checks that are trending right now) and found myself on SheIn that had loads of variety for the Style. I was enamored by their collection based on how they looked online but I didn’t know if I can trust them.

“Because certain things online look better than in real life. An illusion can easily be made real there”

A doubt many of you might be having right now..

“This , by the way, is not a sponsored post by any means. I bought my own stuff.. and I am planning for some more because I love their stuff. I wouldn't mind collaborating with them too!”

Is SheIn.com inspired by High End brands?

Yes in a way. As I was browsing through their collection, I felt many of their collections were inspired from High end brands (Zara, Nordstrom Rack and the likes) with a few alterations here and there or none. Which is great, because the prices are unbeatable.

Sometimes what you can’t find on these High end brands or can’t afford(which is often!) or is Sold out you can find similar items right there!

As a matter of fact, whoever sells it, does not matter to us, but what matter to us is, how good it is going to look on us and which is the brand that we can rely on!

“SheIn.com fills in that gap of bringing consolidated Style that is inspired from many brands around the world and I like it! I think they watch trends very closely..”

What can you buy from Shein.com?

It was Oktoberfest in October in New York and I had nothing to wear. I wanted to wear something that could look German but not at the same time traditional German. I wanted it to look more progressive that I can even wear daily because Gingham is in style. And so after browsing through Shein and gorging on those gorgeous Style I was so tempted to buy all at once, I chose this one out of need. I had no expectations on how it would turn out to be but I read reviews on the bottom of it and they were positive! So I thought why not!



Tip 1: Read reviews on Shein.com ; That will make you buy better stuff out there..

Tip 2: Go through the Size Chart on each dress. I recently observed that apparels have different size chart and not one uniform size chart, which is awesome. I bought a S size for my dress, usually I wear M on H&M or Zara.


        I also found the description to be very helpful - specially the Season and Fabric information

Tip 3: If someone has mentioned on the material of the dress and the fit, note that observation and then make a decision! Some people also upload their pictures along with the review, that can give you a fair idea :)



Tip 4: I have also observed, where customers are not satisfied and have written reviews - Shein.com had actually addressed them on their counter reply - whether they are sorry or willing to improve etc. I also loved their chat feature where you can live chat for Online Help (There are some FAQ's there, but also has a chat feature). I found that to be very helpful to me!


"Their customer service on Online Help rocks!"




Tip 5: The quality is like of Forever 21. Sometimes there are great quality, sometimes it depends. The one that I have is awesome quality - its stretchy material, its soft and its not see through. Completely satisfied.

Tip 6: The pricing is definitely a plus on Shein.com. You would find many many stuff way way lower than you find on High end brands.

"I like the concept of now not having to lose out due to high price points"

Tip 7: Watch out for discounts on website and discounted email notifications! They have many. Right now they have Black Friday deals going on (Upto 75%, Buy 1 Get 1 etc).. They also have 10% off when you register with them. They give you a coupon code..

How is the shipping?

The last time I got something from a website that I never knew about, it took ages to deliver - about 30 days and by the time it arrived, It was test on my patience. Because first of all it took forever and second the quality wasn’t great too! And with time, I have outgrown my tendency to unnecessarily be anxious so with this I did not had huge expectations because I did not know about it. I just went with the flow.

Tip 8: “The shipping is free! You gotta wait but not as long..”

The whole process of adding an item to cart to ordering them didn’t feel to me as fake. They had shipping options - such as free standard, expedited (+$2 for free returns) etc etc. So as soon as I ordered with free shipping - I got a mail on my payment confirmation and tracking number. I also got a mail where it said - the order had been shipped and it said it will take 4-7 business days to arrive. And I was waiting and it arrived on time..

I think it arrived on time and I was like wow! Great.

"The fact that SheIn does not have a minimum for Free Shipping is super. A lot of times in the past I ended up paying like $6 extra for shipping for a dress of $10 on other sites which sucks! H&M has $40 minimum and Nordstrom & Macys have even higher minimum."

Tip 9 : Even though I was not expecting, the site actually is comparable to online sites of those regular and high end brands. They have their systems in place. And many bloggers actually use them!

Tip : Image Gallery with Top Picks and Categories can act as style inspiration. 
http://us.shein.com/member-image-list.html




"Now that they are popular, a lot of their apparels does get sold out fast! But they keep refreshing with the new Styles. So another tip would be if you like something, get them then and there. Tomorrow may be late"

What's with the return policy!

Luckily, I just bought one dress and I never got a chance to return because I loved it so. I popped its cherries because to me they were very kid-like - although my husband said they look good - I didn’t personally wanted them! I haven’t yet registered with SheIn but I plan to do so soon because It’s just so tempting…

Just today morning I woke up and wanted a new Dress - a Knitwear or Sweater dress (they are so expensive Store wide elsewhere its like gold cookies in jar) or a cosy pullover may be for the cold weather!!!

Tip 10: Once you register with your details and start buying , you get SheIn points. They also give points when you review them or complete your profile. These points can be used with your future purchases. Here's how to redeem your points, click here

With returns , they have insurance (where you pay $2.99 more) and you get free returns. I think they have return period of 60 days.. But I have never experienced the return process so can’t say much.



Here's how to return SheIn products, click here

Hopefully I never have to return any :)

That was my review on Shein.com; Have you ever bought anything from SheIn… How has your experience been?