Marks & Spencer Floral collection Rose Roll on Review

Author: Divya Sarin

Roll ons are the must haves in summers. They not only refresh us but also prevent sweating. Little goes a long way :). I’m someone who is an ardent collector of perfumes and toiletries and I will be reviewing some of my perfumes very soon, coming back to the Marks and Spencer Floral Collection Rose Roll on. I normally used Fa till last season but this time when I was at a mall looking for clothes at Marks & Spencer, I saw these little pretty things in the toiletries section and when I opened it to smell it I was pleasantly surprised with the fragrance of Roses. I tried a few others, they were good too, but this was the best, so of course needless to say, I had to pick it up. To my surprise, it was quite reasonably priced

Price: Rs199 for 50ml

What the product claims: With the fragrance of timeless English Rose, this alcohol free anti perspirant roll on is specially formulated to reduce stinging.

My experience with Floral collection Rose Roll On

It comes in a plastic bottle with a white body. The product is transparent in colour and doesn’t leave any white film when used multiple times. The bottle is small in size and is travel friendly. I find the smell super floral yet subtle and it stays for the whole day, especially in Delhi hot summers, this is a good product and I am satisfied especially at this price and the quality of the product. Now let’s sum up the pros and cons.

Things I like:-

• Reasonably priced
• Strong floral smell (which I like)
• Stays 8 to 10 hrs easily
• Dries easily

Dislike:-

None, overall a good product

Rating: 4.5 on 5

Available at: Marks & Spencer Stores across the country

Would I repurchase/ recommend this?

Yes I would repurchase this, however now will look at buying new variants of the same range.

  By: Rashid Azar

Fab India Silk Protein Nourishing Cream Review

Author: Divya Sarin

Hi, beautiful ladies, this is my 1^st review ever on any website and I have no idea as to why didn’t I review any products before. I have always had struggle with daily face cream, kept trying one after another but never got satisfied. I wasted so much money and products in finding the ideal one until one day I found this wonder product at such a reasonable price... I was at Fab India to buy my hair products, I specially like avocado hair conditioner and then I saw this sitting prettily at the glass shelf. I checked the ingredients and immediately bought it.

Price: Rs 150 for 50 gm

Shelf Life: 2 years.

Fab India Silk Protein Nourishing Cream

Fab India Silk protein nourishing cream comes in a white and maroon jar and is quite handy and lightweight. This cream is white in color. It has a nice, mild floral fragrance to it. A small amount of product is required for the entire face. I carry this cream daily to office as its very light and easy to carry. It doesn’t make my skin oily or greasy, nor does it break me out. It only makes my skin better by adding suppleness to the skin. Formulated with Sunflower oil, Olive oil, vitamin E and Sericin - a silk protein, this cream is ideal for nourishing dry, dull, lifeless skin. Regular application leaves the skin soft and smooth. Ideal for summers and winters but of course it doesn’t fight the blemishes and acne marks on your skin but combats dryness.

Things I like:-

Reasonably priced

Makes my skin healthy and supple

Blends very well into skin

Doesn’t make my face oily or greasy

Ideal for summers and winters too

Combats dryness

Doesn’t break me out

Dislike:

No SPF

Apart from this, I can’t think of anything!!

Rating: 4.5/5

Will I Repurchase/Do I Recommend Fab India, Silk protein Nourishing Day Cream?

Yes, for sure, I feel that my search for a good day cream has ended after I discovered it.

My 2 Top Foundations - Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua and MAC Matchmaster

I'm not a daily user of foundations but when I do use them, I have different needs on different days. Sometimes I want the coverage to be sheer and other times, I want a more solid one depending upon the occasion and if I would be wearing it in the day or evening. After tons of research, testing and trying two foundations make it to my list of favourites! They are Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua and MAC Mactchmaster. Lets look at each of these and see what makes them my top 2!

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua - Ultra Light Skin Perfecting Makeup: Price Rs 2600 for 30ml
Available at Chanel Store, Imperial Hotel, New Delhi (This unfortunately is the only store Chanel has in entire Delhi NCR :( but I hear that one more is opening soon in Select City Walk. Chennai too got a new Chanel Store recently. Check HERE Chanel store locator for all the cities in India)

I picked shade 40 Beige as it went really well with my skin. As the name suggests it actually is an 'Ultra light skin perfecting' makeup. The consistency is light and smooth and just disappears into the skin, making it look like your own skin but better! It has a sheer coverage so its excellent for the day time and leaves me with a fresh dewy finish on my skin. It comes with SPF 15 and photographs really well. This is why I absolutely love this foundation. The only negative is the price but believe me a little bit of product goes a long way so a bottle would last you 8-12 months! Its ideal for girls who have mostly normal, even skins with little to cover as it doesnt provide much coverage.

MAC Matchmaster Foundation: Price Rs 2300 for 35 ml
Available at all MAC stores across India (Check HERE for Store Locations)

I'm a shade 4 in MAC Match master. Now this is semi matt finish foundation with medium coverage which is biuldable. I use it mostly while going out in the evenings. This too blends very well with the skin without looking cakey or ashy. Its perfect for girls with combination to oily skins as it reduces shine and remains fresh for a very long time. Again its a bit expensive but will last really long. The benefits clearly outweigh the negatives. I would always recommend investing in a good foundation as it can really make or break your entire look.
Below are some swatches from both the foundations. Hope you found this useful!

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Blended

MAC Matchmaster

MAC Matchmaster blended

Im sorry the pics with the foundations blended havent come out so well (trust me I tried hard) but they blend really well with the skin so with both the foundations your skin just looks better :)

Click to know How to choose the right foundation and my Top 10 tips for flawless foundation!

Back to the Basics: Comparison between Liquid Black Eye Liners by Lakme, Chambor, Loreal and Colorbar

Liquid Eye Liner Comparison

I dont know what my life would be with eye liner.. I mean seriously what will I ever do without some definition or detailing. Just like so many other girls I know, for me too, eyeliners along with kajals are absolute everyday essentials.. I prefer not to ever step out of the house without having them on. I have tried and tested so many over time but the ones reviewed here were my latest buys and read on below to know how they fare! 

	Chambor Smooth on Eye Liner	Lakme Insta Liner	Colorbar Water-proof	Lakme Black Impact	Loreal Super Liner, Carbon Gloss
Intensity	Very Black	Average	Average	Chalky black	Not intense
Opaqueness	5/5	3.5/5	4/5	3.75/5	2/5
Applicator	Brush	Brush	Felt tip	Brush	Felt tip
Ease of use	Very easy	Average	Easy	Average	Complicated
Waterproof	Yes	It claims it is but trust me its not!	Yes	No	No
Time it takes to dry	30 secs	2 mins	60 secs	2 mins	Under 60 secs
Staying power	Excellent	Hardly	Good	Hardly	Hardly
Price in Rs	550	80	250	195	625
Will I buy again?	Yes!	Yes - Only as a back up	No	Yes - Again only as a back up	Never!

Swatches

I have been using eye liners for a very long time now so personally prefer the ones with brush applicators but dont mind using the felt tip ones either as long as the tips are precise and they have a long staying power. 

Chambor is a clear winner for me! A deep dark black eyeliner that stays solid hour after hour and lasts the whole day and half the night! Its perfect even for the summer months and wont come off despite any heat, humidity or tears! The only way you can get it off is with a proper makeup remover. 

Lakme Insta Liner and  Black Impact have always been and probably will remain my back up. They do the job but need retouching often, especially during the summers. I like the length of the the brush that comes with Lakme Black Impact. They both take forever to dry which is not something I love.

Colorbar is good but I just dont like its felt tip applicator. Its not precise enough for me and thats the only reason why I wouldnt buy it again.

There is nothing super about Loreal Super Liner. The color isnt good enough and the felt tip applicator isnt very steady which make it difficult to use. It comes off easily and the price at which it comes, it has been one of the most disappointing eye liners ever. 

Hope this helps in the search of the perfect basic black liquid eyeliner!

MAC Prep + Prime Highlighter - Bright Forecast Review

Highlighters are one of my favourite makeup products ever! Dont care if I have lipsticks, or blushes, or foundation but highlighters are things I just cant live without.. I have all sorts of them, cream, liquid, powder from various brands. I had read a lot about MAC Prep + Prime Highlighters and went ahead and bought myself one!

MAC says: A pen-style highlighter that efficiently brings a soft sheer wash of colour to the skin. With its precision application, adds radiance just where you want it. Goes on smoothly for cushion-soft wear. Use over makeup for highlights, touch-ups or under makeup to brighten and prime. 

Theese highlighters come in three colors: Bright Forecast, Radiant Rose and Light Boost

After having tried all three, I felt Bright Forecast went well with my skin tone. It's not too yellow and not too pink. Light boost and Radiant Rose are too light and probably best for extremely fair people. These highlighters are slightly different from your regular ones in two ways:

1 - They contain no shimmer particles

2 - They can be used in the under eye area to lighten or as they say 'awaken' it

 

Bright Forecast on the back of my palm

Blended

The pen style shape makes it very easy to apply them. Just one sweep across the under eye and cheek bone area is enough to bring in the brightening effect. They make the skin look smoother and clearer and hence more alight without being shiny or glittery. That makes them perfect for the day time. 

I normally use a very little amount under the eye as I have dark circles and the use there makes the area more obvious I feel. So I would reccomend the same to all the girls with dark circles - just use it on the cheek bones, brow area or the bridge of your nose. The consistensy is light and slightly creamy which is why the product glides on the skin easily and blends well. 

Things I like:-

Consistensy - very light and smooth and blends very well

The shade is perfect for most Indian faces

Contains no shimmer particles

Excellent for use in the day time without making it look very obvious

Can be used either under or on top of make up (I usually use it on top just one areas that need highlighting)

Very light and handy 

The pen style dispenser makes it easy to use

Dislike:-

Cant be used in the evenings :(

Expensive (like all things MAC, but then a little product goes a long way so it would last you a good few months)

With the opaqueness of the 'pen' you can never tell how much product is left

Rating: 4/5

Price: Rs 1200

Available at: All MAC stores and counters across India. For more info, please check MAC India Store Locator

Forest Essentials Hand Pounded Organic Fruit Scrub Review

My skin tone: Medium, Type: Combination to Oily

FOREST ESSENTIALS – Hand pounded Organic Fruit Scrub

I tried FE for the first time at the behest of my ex-flatmate who had brought home this scrub in a tiny jar and I was hooked on to it the minute she took the lid off and I put on a little bit on my face. It smells like being around roses with a subtle whiff of apricots and a gentle kiss of honey! And oh how I absolutely loved the feel of this scrub on my face! I would bathe in it if it wasn’t so expensive!

Forest Essentials Claims – This nourishing face scrub, hand-pounded to the right consistency, blends fresh organically grown dates, peaches and apricots with rich apricot kernel oil, pure honey and finely milled almonds to gently exfoliate dull cells, revealing a beautifully polished and glowing complexion. With an intensive conditioning action and packed with antioxidants, it is the ultimate skin food. It Nourishes, Exfoliates and Polishes.

Ingredients – Purified rose water, fermented date pulp, fermented peach pulp, sweet almond crushed seeds, crushed walnut seeds, organic honey, bael powder, glycerine, vitamin E, manjishtha and nagkesar.

Directions – Use a small amount on the damp skin after cleansing and toning and rub gently to cleanse.

My experience

The consistency of the FE Hand Pounded Organic Fruit scrub is slightly thick yet gentle on the skin. Normally over time and especially during the winter months, as it does get a little thicker, I add a bit of rose water to get the right consistency. Most of the scrubs make my combination skin very stretchy in places but this one is perfect. Though it should be used simply like a scrub, I normally take a small amount and spread it all over my face and leave it on for five minutes. I then just scrub it off with upward strokes and the result is skin that feels nourished and clean, polished with a subtle glow! (I think FE really means it when it says that a particular product will add glow to your skin.)

I feel girls with normal to dry skins can also try this but may not leave it on their skin as I do.

Things I love:-

Doesn’t dry my face

It’s gentle on the skin and in no way feels harsh

Gives a very soft and supple feel to the skin

Polishes the skin giving it an instant glow

Will probably suit all skin types

The mild fragrance that lingers on till a lot later

The packaging! Comes in a small carry bag with a bow and dried rose petals inside J

Dislike:-

It is a bit expensive like most other FE products. Although a jar does last me about two months and for the results it gives, I would say it’s absolutely worth it!

Rating – 4.5/5

Price – Rs. 1175 
Available at - www.forestessentialsindia.com and at Forest Essentials stores across the country

Recommendation – A great scrub for people who love all things organic and aren’t too keen on lapping their skin up with products loaded with chemicals. I would recommend it specially for working women who at times need that instant glow as it really lifts up a tired and dull skin. For me it’s the third time I’ve bought it and has really become the ultimate food for my skin!