#SplurgeOrSave - Indian drugstore dupes for your favourite High-end brands! (Part 2)

I am back with Part 2 of my series where I am sharing a few Indian and International Drugstore dupes for some iconic high-end products and brands! In this post, the makeup items are different from the earlier ones shared with you, so it only helps to add to your kitty. Last time it was more about the base and the eyes, and this time it's a completely different range of products. So, here you go!

#SplurgeOrSave - Indian drugstore dupes for your favourite High-end brands! (Part 1)

International makeup brands have definitely made a foray into the Indian market with the likes of HUDA beauty now available in India along with Estee Lauder, MAC, Bobbi Brown and more. However, the pricing of these brands still stops a lot of people from buying them due to their not so economical pricing as everyone may not be able to afford them. In this blog post, I am sharing a few Indian and International Drugstore dupes for some iconic high-end products and brands! So let's get started!

Oriflame The ONE Lip Sensation Vinyl Gel - Review and Swatches

As the market sees the growing trend of matte lipsticks and matte finish liquid lipsticks, Oriflame decides to stay away from that trend and launch it's new range of liquid gel lipsticks that look like a gloss but have the colour intensity of a lipstick. The ONE range from Oriflame is known to have a great variety of products to choose from and the latest addition to that range has been the Lip Sensation Vinyl Gel which are liquid lipsticks. The ONE Lip Sensation Vinyl Gel is super light, goes on like a gel on the lips and comes in 7 different colours. It's been a few seasons since I tried a liquid lipstick with a glossy and shiny finish, so it certainly was refreshing to try it out after constantly using matte lipsticks for a while now.

Lakmé 9 to 5 Weightless Matte Mousse Lip and Cheek Color- Review and Swatches

I love love the Lakmé 9 to 5 Weightless Matte Mousse Lip and Cheek Color range! In fact since it's launch in October last year, it has been a product range for me that I turn to nearly on an everyday basis. I juggle between the 3 shades that I have, and I vouch for how versatile, light weight and long lasting they are!

My 5 Favourite Lipsticks for the Wedding and Festive season

With the mega season of festivals and weddings on us, getting dressed up and putting on make up is a regular feature these days and I accept I love it :) However choosing from the more than 101 lipsticks that I have is a chore, and so what I've done is that I've zeroed down on 5 of my favourite lipsticks that can be worn on various occasions be it parties or weddings or any other special occasion this wedding/festive season. These also make packing for travel easy as I have just what I need when heading out of station.

Perfect haircare with the Dabur Vatika Enriched Coconut Hair Oil - Vital Ingredients

Some products over time with use become your Holy Grail products and one such product that I can’t do without anymore is the Dabur Vatika Coconut Enriched Hair Oil. You guys have read my experience here and also the damages that it cures here, but do you know what all it’s enriched with?

Here you go!

It has these miracle ingredients which have done wonders for my hair:

• Coconut Oil – Tones hair thus preventing hair breakage and hair fall, prevents hair damage and premature hair graying, removes dandruff and prevents frizz and split ends.
• Amla- Conditions hair, removes dandruff, helps, scalp produce natural oils, rich in Vitamin C and antioxidants that prevent premature graying.
• Henna- Adds shine and volume, colours hair naturally, prevents damage, promotes hair growth, reduces hair fall, prevents hair from greying.
• Lemon- Fights dandruff, strengthens hair roots, prevents hair loss, stimulates hair growth, deep conditions hair, adds strength and makes the hair shinier and thicker.

There is a variant that has Hibiscus too!

Hibiscus- Encourages hair growth, discourages split ends, prevents pre-mature greying of the hair strands, thickens hair and helps eliminate toxins.

Not only did Dabur Vatika Enriched Coconut Hair Oil strengthen my hair from root to tip and encourage hair growth, it also helped against hair loss, hair damage and I still am free from any premature graying. It has worked wonders from the first use itself and is something that I recommend to everyone now.

If you haven’t tried it yet, it is something that you must.  You can now even request a sample for yourself here to try it before you buy it - https://www.mybeautynaturally.com/beauty-care-products/pages/hair-product/3/-vatika-coconut-oil

Let me know your experience with the Dabur Vatika Enriched Coconut Hair Oil as I am sure you will have lots to share with me :)

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Reasons for hair damage and my recommended solution! :)

My hair for me is what makes the day or breaks the day. If I am stepping out and my hair is not ok, you will very evidently see me not being my usual self cause my hair plays a huge role in my confidence levels as well. Well a bad hair also happens to a lot of us because of hair damage which is caused by

• weather changes that cause the hair to be subjected to varying temperatures and too much sun
• hormonal changes
• nutritional imbalance
• chemical damages like bleaching, perming, over colouring the hair, straightening with strong chemicals
• using a very strong shampoo and conditoner
• using a wrong shampoo or conditioner not suited for your hair type or not treatment specific incase your hair is coloured or chemically treated
• brushing wet hair
• over towelling causing friction and breakage
• daily heat exposure for styling
• overdose of styling products
• tying hair too tight
• not using oil on a regular basis

All this hair damage can result in

• hair breakage
• hair fall
• split ends
• dandruff
• roughness

Such damages make people want to cut their hair short but in most cases it's personal wrong doing which people never want to admit to. They make it sound more like how they want a change in their lives and hence have decided to go short. I cut my hair as I underwent hair damage due to hormonal reasons but to grow it back to a size that I could experiment again with was all thanks to Dabur Vatika Enriched Coconut Hair Oil enriched with the goodness of 8 herbs which is why it is a wonder product! While you cannot undo the damage, you can always do damage control and this product is perfect for that. Apply it overnight or if in a hurry before your bath and you are bound to see the damage in your hair reduce.

You can also take a very small amount and use it to detangle your hair after you wash your hair. This avoids breakages caused while detangling hair. The fragrance is lovely and the oil is not at all sticky thus keeping away your stresses of landing up with sticky hair. You can read my experience with the oil here for you to know why I strongly recommend it :)

Also along with using the oil try to correct what you might be doing wrong as listed as reasons above to reduce hair damage in the future :)

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Matte makeup look for a monsoon brunch

With the monsoons here, brunches are easier to head out for as the sun isn't that bright anymore. Also it's easier for me and my friends to take our kids out in this cooler climate. For a lot of people, dressing up during the monsoons is a pain due to the humidity, but I am one of those who cares a damn. For a recent brunch I tried out a matte look in pink tones as I was looking at a warm but fresh look and this how it turned out!

I've used the L'Oréal Paris Skin Perfect 30+ cream (reviewed here) to moisturize my skin. For the base I have used the  L'Oréal Paris Infallible Reno Powder Foundation in shade 250 - Radiant Sand (reviewed here). I have used a little extra foundation under the eyes and the coverage was good enough to let me skip the concealer.

The healthy flush that you see on my cheeks is thanks to the L’Oreal Paris Lucent Magique Blush Palette in 02 Fuchsia Flush (reviewed here). For my lips I have used a mix 2 shades - the L’Oreal Paris Colour Riche Moist Mat Lipstick in Cherry Crush  and the L’Oreal Paris Collection Star Pure Reds in Pure Amaranthe(Gong Li). Mixing works perfect when you are looking at a shade in between a light shade and a dark shade.

For the eyes I decided to go with a light smokey eye in gold and grey with a winged eyeliner. To achieve the smokey eye, I have used the Luscious Cosmetics 'I Love Eyeshadow' Palette. For the winged eyeliner there is nothing better than the L’Oreal Paris Super Liner Gel Intenza which I have used in the shade Diamond Black. For the waterline I've used the Revlon Colorstay Eyeliner in black and for my lashes I've used the L'Oreal Paris Volume Million Lashes Mascara.

Hack for the perfect winged eyeliner - Scotch Tape Trick
Take a small piece of Scotch tape and press it with your fingers a couple of times to dull the stickiness so that it doesn't tug your delicate eye area. Then stick it diagonally against the corner of your eye. Draw against the edge at an angle upwards from your bottom lash line to get the winged look with your eyeliner. Voila! You are set! :)

The look was finally sealed by the L'Oreal Paris Infallible Reno Powder Foundation in shade 225 - Biege (reviewed here). While this is a powder foundation, my usage was minimal and more like a pressed powder.

My reason to prefer a matte look at the moment is that when the makeup is matte, it doesn't easily transfer onto Aryaa as it is a drier look, and that plays a huge role in my decision making of which look to go for. I hope you guys liked this look that is so simple to achieve and takes barely 5 minutes to apply. If you want a video tutorial on this look, then drop me a comment below and I shall be more than happy to shoot a tutorial for you guys :)

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My Crowning Glory Essential

If you ask me what have I been most experimental with in my life, I would say - My Hair! Whether it's been about colouring it in sane or wild colours, or playing with its length, I have never given it too much of a thought and taken some really impromptu decisions. However, recently my decision to go short was more need based and not experimental, as after having Aryaa(my baby girl) I experienced some hair loss like most women do and also hated my hair being yanked by the baby. For those of you who follow my blog, you saw how short I went, but if you didn't then here you go :)

I loved loved loved the haircut but then I get bored very easily too, and so within a month or two, it was time to grow it all back again :) I was back on track to doing everything it takes to get the length longer, and then somebody recommended the Dabur Vatika Enriched Coconut Hair Oil to me. Now I was done with coconut oils a long time ago when I saw them not really having an effect on my hair, and hence hadn't used one for the last 10-12 years. My first reaction was obviously in the negative, but my friend told me to give it a chance once and just to make her happy I decided to give it a try. Boy am I glad I did! It has definitely changed my perspective about coconut oils, but then this is not just a simple coconut oil, it is enriched with the goodness of 8 herbs which is why it is a wonder product!

  

While I had my haircut 5 months ago, I have been using this oil for the last 2 months and look at the length of my hair now!

The oil has not only strengthened my hair, but my hair fall has also reduced to a great extent(it could also be due to the stabilisation of my hormones). It also has played a huge role in the reduction of dandruff(I have a really dry scalp due to my the nature of my dry skin) and my dependence on dandruff treatments has greatly reduced.

The oil is very light in texture and has a lovely fragrance to it, unlike the strong smell of other coconut oils. It's light green in colour, not at all sticky until and unless you land up using more than required, and gives a nice shine to the hair which is very visible especially after you wash the oil off. What is very important too is that it has worked on my coloured hair without causing any damage. I generally use the oil on my scalp and hair and give myself a head massage before leaving it overnight. At times I even use a hot towel on it for about 10 minutes before I head to bed. It is really pocket friendly at INR 84/- for 150ml

If you would ask my feedback, this is a nice natural oil with essential herbs that is also very pocket friendly. In case it doesn't work for you, it doesn't hurt the pocket and if it works, then bingo! :) I would surely recommend this to you as it has worked well for me and if you try it out, do share your experience with me :)

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Product Review: L'Oréal Paris Infallible Reno Powder Foundation

After the L'Oréal Paris Infallible Reno Liquid Foundation review, it's now time to review another delightful product from the long wear range - the L'Oréal Paris Infallible Reno Powder Foundation. I stayed away from powder foundations for the longest time, always believing that a real foundation has to be liquid otherwise the end result will always be cakey and powdery but the latest launches in the last one year are making me change that thought process of mine. L'Oréal Paris sent me the shade 225 - Biege and I must say they were bang on in sending the right shade to match my skin tone.

The packaging is unlike other brands that I have been using. The powder palette is housed on top and then then mirror and sponge are housed in a compartment below.

While I am not used to a double compartment and prefer the powder, sponge and mirror in the same compartment so that I don't have to shuffle, since this is a powder foundation and not just a pressed powder, this kind of packaging is best so that incase you use it wet, the wet sponge doesn't come in contact with the powder after closing the box and dries in a separate area. This helps in avoiding fungal growth as well. Ideally dry your sponge out of the box and then place it inside.

I have used the powder foundation both dry and wet and here are the results for you to see!

Dry Application

Dry application is good if you are looking for light to medium coverage. You can use it as a pressed powder over your liquid foundation or concealer for a flawless looking complexion. I have used it here just over my clean skin.

Wet Application

Wet application is great for medium to heavy coverage. In fact I really loved the smoothness and flawless coverage of the wet application. You can completely do away with applying a liquid foundation.

This too whether used dry or wet doesn't dry the skin out and keeps it hydrated through the day. It gives you a matte finish which lasts through the day despite the hydrating factor. The L'Oréal Paris Infallible Reno Powder Foundation is available in 4 shades and costs INR 1250/- This is a perfect travel companion when you don't want to carry too much make-up as this works in 2 ways. Keeps away my stress of carrying foundations in glass bottles too.

If you have dry skin like me, this product is just perfect for your skin! :)

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