ASIAN BEAUTIFIER

Skinceuticals Hydrating B5 Gel: My New Favourite Moisturiser!

2012-02-27T15:52:00.001Z

HELLO! I love to try out any new or interesting versions of skincare products. So you can understand my enthusiasm when recently I was approached by the PR representing SKINCEUTICALS to try out two of their products and this review is about Skinceuticals Hydrating B5 Gel and the review about the other will be posted by me in the coming days. Before going onto the review let me give you a brief primer about Skinceuticals. They are a world famous skincare company who create highly specialized skincare products developed through extensive scientific research. They are manufactured using a combination of antioxidant ingredients and some of them have even received patents in USA! Their products are sold only through a specialized distribution network comprising of Dermatologists, Cosmetic Surgeons and very high end Spas. The market is flooded with skincare products from various brands and are best suited for general everyday use but a time comes when these products don't work and you need some really serious skin care products and this is where Skinceuticals come in! Due to the high quality ingredients used and their been highly effective in treating skin conditions, Skinceuticals products are priced on the higher side but then they are worth every penny you spend! There was a time when I wouldn't spend more than 30 pounds on a skincare product, but after trying out the two Skinceuticals products I received for review I can say that henceforth I will not hesitate to spend more money to buy their products, I am so glad I got a chance to test these products on myself and now if someone asks me to return it back to them I will not do it!
Hydrating B5 Gel is a highly specialized moisturising fluid and is more suited for people whose skin has started to mature or age and ended up dry and sensitive! People on the younger side with skin problems shouldn't go for this as the first option and should preferably try correcting it with some over the counter skin care product and if that doesn't solve it, then you could try this product.

The Hydrating B5 gel comes in a small package and contains bottle with a dropper attached to it. The packaging and appearance of the products resemble more like that of something from a pharmaceutical company than a cosmetic brand but then the USP of their product is the content plus as its a serious skin care product they don't need to resort to fancy packaging to sell their products!

The website of Skinceuticals says the following about the Hydrating B5 gel - "Enriched with vitamin B5, which is known to help with tissue repair, Hydrating B5 replenishes nutrients the skin needs to feel smooth and appear younger. This moisture-enhancing gel contains hyaluronic acid, the body’s natural hydrator, to bind moisture to the skin. Hydrating B5 is recommended for use with vitamin C treatments and will help maximize the benefits of your daily moisturizer."

Ingredient List

Hydrating B5 Gel is mainly for your face and neck. As per the instructions you are supposed to take 4-5 drops of the product and apply. I use only 2 drops of the product to apply on my face and neck. The Hydrating B5 Gel which is a transparent and odorless serum but the thing which surprised me most was that inspite of such a small quantity I managed to spread it all over my face and neck! I was amazed at this! I usually need to use quite an amount of moisturiser to spread all over my face and neck and due to the low viscosity of Hydrating B5 Gel I was able to manage with just 2 drops! Immediately after applying the Hydrating B5 gel I could feel a nice firmness all over my face. it stays on for quite a long time. I also experimented it as a make up base/primer and it works fabulously! One thing I can say is it did not make my face break out, which most things that are suppose to aid in moisturizing my face, do!

I have been using the B5 hydrating Gel for almost 3 weeks now and I can see a considerable improvement in my face which feels firmer, younger and more hydrated!

So to conclude would I recommend the Skinceuticals B5 hydrating Gel ? Yes I would but mostly to people who are a bit mature in age and for all those who have certain skin problems which didn't get corrected using over the counter skincare products as the Hydrating B5 gel is a serious skincare product! Hydrating B5 Gel is my new staple item for glowing and youthful looking skin!

Skinceuticals Websites:
http://www.skinceuticals.co.uk
http://www.skinceuticals.com

Other distributors of Skinceuticals range of skincare products:
http://www.dermacaredirect.co.uk
http://skincarerx.com

A New Hairstyle With Ombre Hair Colour!

2012-02-11T13:16:00.002Z

HELLO! A few months back I changed the color of my hair from brunette to red and wrote a post about it then! For quite sometime now I had been thinking about coloring my hair again and also get a haircut and style as well! I also felt it would be a welcome change as I am going to India next week! Now the big question which I was pondering about is what color should I go in for and then I recollected that the Ombre hair and Ombre make up is the hot thing these days and why not follow the Ombre trend! So yesterday I got my hair colored with copperish red added to the top, the middle part in red, and the ends of my hair in ginger red! After the coloring process was over I got my hair style with layered cuts on the sides and a bit of curls added as well!

So here is the end result. I do like it, I'm not planning on keeping it forever, it definitely fullfilled my longing to change my hair and I think it actually looks nice. Overall, thumbs up for a bit of Ombre hair.

Do you like my new hairstyle and Ombre hair colour?

My Valentine's Day Look

2012-02-09T14:46:00.000Z

HELLO! I just cant believe that Valentine's day is just around the corner! However, I wont be able to properly celebrate Valentine's day this year as I am catching a flight to India (very excited about it!) and busy preparing in advance for the trip! Being a romantic at heart I always create a look to dedicate Valentine's day and this year too I have created one and sharing it with all of you!

Products Used for Valentine's Day Look
Makeup Primer - For Face- Bobbi Brown Face Base, For Eyes- UDPP
Foundation - Makeup For Ever HD Foundation - shade 125
Face Powder - Grimas Fixing Powder
Eyeshadow - Grimas Rouge Eyeshadow 540, Grimas Pearl Eyeshadow 757 and 704
Eyeliner/Eyeliner Glue - MAC Fluidline Gel Eyeliner - shade Blacktrack
Eyelashes - ES brand Handmade Eyelashes ES A829
Eyebrows - Illamasqua Eyebrow cake - shade Vehement
Highlight and Contour - Makeup For Ever Sculpting Duo - shade 3
Blush - MAC Hello Kitty beauty powder blush - shade Tippy
Lipstick - Kryolan Lip Rouge LC101

I am dedicating this Valentine's Day Look to all of you, have a Happy Valentine's Day xx

Shoe Clips and Brooches - Dress Up Your Shoes and Handbags!

2012-02-04T19:44:00.000Z

HELLO! I'm a shoeaholic. I cherish my shoes so much that now my obsession is spreading to shoe clips. I love shoe clips, they can change the look of your footwear in a matter of seconds.
We all have those days where we hate everything in our closet and need a bit of glam going on into the winter months. Clip on shoe accessories are a great way to dress up a plain pair of flats/heels or to match a certain outfit for a special occasion, plus they are a great gift item!

Meet my old pair of Mia Moda Shoes-

Look how nicely these shoe clips have transformed my shoes! I love the versatilaty of Shoe clips as they can be worn in different ways, you can clip them to the back or side of a shoe for a much different look!

Just like I love shoe clips, I also adore my brooches too! Brooches are also a great way to add some bling to your dress or handbag and can be pinned to any purse/handbag which makes it super easy to create a customized handbag. When you’re pinching pennies, in a hurry, or just not in the mood for splurging on a new handbag, brooches can come to the rescue.

Take a look at my Next handbag, it looks kinda dull and booring on its own-

Look at this handbag now, the brooch has definitely added some pizzazz to it!

Have fun dressing up your shoes and handbags for a fraction of the price!

Birmingham Town Visit

2012-01-31T19:12:00.002Z

HELLO! Everytime I visit the Birmingham town, I see the breathtaking beauty of modern skyscrapers, historic buildings retaining its original character and the view of people enjoying the outings in the heart of England makes me to want to come back again and again.... I think Birmingham is a beautiful, friendly and interesting place to visit.
This weekend me and my friend decided to hit the Birmingham town to do some shopping for my trip to India in the upcoming month. My friend expressed that she wanted to click some pictures of me for putting up on my blog.....so she took out her camera and started clicking a silly amount of photos of me and random things....she is not a professional but after seeing the pics I would say that she has clicked really well.

Hope you liked the pictures and thanks for visiting!

NYX Eyebrow Shaper - Is It Worth the Hype?

2012-01-29T19:32:00.002Z

HELLO! My brow hairs are quite long and unruly and tend to look droopy if I don't trim them. For years I used clear mascara and brow gels on my eyebrows to give them a polished look but then it won't help much in keeping my thick dark brows in their place for the entire day.
Last week I was browsing the NYX website and came across the NYX Eyebrow shaper and after reading the discription I decided to give it a try. I paid around £8 for the stick. I received the NYX shaper a couple of days back and after trying it on my brows I've to say that I am pretty impressed with it!

The NYX Eyebrow Shaper is basically a wax pencil. I run the NYX Eyebrow stick along my eyebrows and use a spoolie brow brush to comb over the eyebrow area and the wax keeps by bushy brows in place for a good few hours. The wax in the pencil is smooth and colourless and has the right consistancy, it's enriched with Vitamin E and it's not too stiff to tug hairs out or make things all gunky, but it's hard enough that it doesn't feel greasy when applied. I've also noticed that Brow powders/pencils stick to it very well and doesn't look shiny at all. Since the product is housed in a pencil/stick form, its really quick and easy to apply, especially while travelling.

BEFORE using the NYX Eyebrow Shaper

AFTER using the NYX Eyebrow Shaper

The only downside is that the NYX Eyebrow Shaper isn't strong enough to tame my brows for more than a few hours but I'm yet to meet a brown gel/wax that actually does hold them in place all day. Apart from this, I'm definitely a fan of NYX Eyebrow Shaper! It's a wax pencil that keeps my eyebrows in place!

Twist Up Lip Pencils - Sleek Makeup

2012-01-28T14:30:00.000Z

HELLO! Lining the lips is important for me especially when my lipstick has a bright intense colour. I generally start out with lipliner before applying my lipstick, lipliner gives me a guide for applying the lipstick and keeps it stay in place as I don't like it when the lipstick colour starts to bleed.

Recently I have been turing to the Twist Up Lip Pencils by Sleek Makeup (RRP £2.80) for my daily lip ritual and I've three in my arsenal:
- Twist Up Lip Pencil 651 in Current
- Twist Up Lip Pencil 653 in Chestnut
- Twist Up Lip Pencil 652 in Deep Cherry

I have always wanted a liner which does not require sharpening, Sleek Twist Up Lip Pencils comes in a retractable applicator meaning there is no need for sharpening! It's a very long lasting formula and is meant to provide rich colour and precise application. It draws on so nicely and the pigment in this liner is great! It's perfect to be worn with or without lipstick/ lipgloss.

L-R: Twist Up Lip Pencil 651 in Current, Twist Up Lip Pencil 653 in Chestnut, Twist Up Lip Pencil 652 in Deep Cherry

Current is a dark raspberry colour and works great with dark pink lipsticks. Chestnut is a deep peachy brown colour that will work great with coral and brown lip products and is my absolute favourite lipliner. Deep Cherry is an intense cherry colour that would work great for medium to dark skintone.

Have you tried Twist Up Lip Pencils by Sleek Makeup? What is your favourite lip liner?

Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base Vs Loreal Studio Secrets Smoothing Resurfacing Primer

2012-01-22T20:32:00.003Z

HELLO! Makeup primer is a product that goes on after moisturizing, but before foundation. It keeps the foundation from absorbing into tiny pores of your face and is supposed to create a smooth canvas for the foundation to stick to, and make it last longer.
I've been using my trustee Loreal Studio Secrets Smoothing Resurfacing Primer for several years now. Recently I got myself the Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base in travel size after reading all the rave reviews about this moisturiser cum primer. Personally I like both the primers however both are different in their own ways...

So lets get started with my comparision review between Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base Vs Loreal Studio Secrets Smoothing Resurfacing Primer:-

Price- BB Vitamin Enriched Face Base retails at £36 per 50ml bottle while the Loreal Studio Secrets Smoothing Resurfacing Primer retails at £14 per 15ml bottle.Therefore, Bobbi Brown primer has emerged as the clear winner in terms of price per ml comparision.
Texture - Both the primers are very different in terms of texture. BB Vitamin Enriched Face Base is a gel based cream and has a very light yellow colour to it. It has a heavier texture than Loreal Studio Secrets Smoothing Resurfacing Primer, which in contrast, has a mousse-like texture and a baby pink colour to it. BB face primer doesn't gives me a poreless look but it does impart a healthy glow to my face and it is also a very moisturising and nourishing primer for the face. Loreal primer has a matte texture and makes my pores and fine lines almost imvisible, however it doesn't have any moisturising or nourishing qualities like the BB face base.
Scent- I love the smell of BB face base. It smells like lemon and grapefruit and the smell in not very overpowering however it might not be the best choice for those who are allergic to scented products or prefer to use fragrance-free products. The Loreal primer has a very faint smell..its almost scent-free and therefore would be more suitable for those who are allergic to perfumes.
Staying power - Both the primers do a very good job at making my makeup last for longer. I just need to powder a bit by the midday to keep away the oilies and my makeup stays on place for all day long.

Conclusion- I prefer to use the Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base during winters when my skin is at its peak of dryness and starving for moisture due to central heating and harsh weather. It does not make my face feel or look dry and provides great moisture and nourishment. It also makes my face look dewy and gives some dimention under foundaiton.
Loreal Studio Secrets Smoothing Resurfacing Primer is a nice primer for summers or for someone with oilier skin. I tend to get more oily during summers and prefer oil-free products and skin mattifiers to help me stay oil-free for longer, the Loreal primer does a brilliant job of mattifying my skin.
Overall, both the primers work great on my skin and make my makeup last for longer however, they are not similiar in the way they perform, they are suited for different skin types and provide different finish to the skin. If you want your skin to look matte and poreless then you should opt for the Loreal Studio Secrets Smoothing Resurfacing Primer, however, if you are looking for a dewy finish and healthy glow then Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base is the best option to consider amongst the two primers.

Basket Style Handbag / Velour Shoe

2012-01-16T14:22:00.000Z

HELLO! I saved up and bought this stunning leather basket style handbag from a famous vintage shop in my town. I've actually been looking for a while but never found a basket style handbag I wanted that resembled my style. It's only been a few days I bought this handbag but I am 100% thrilled with this purchase! The inside has loads enough room for all the random junk I tend to toss into my handbag...

I love my heels and those who know me can attest, the higher the better! I saw these velour shoes at Tesco when they first came out a few months ago, but at the time I convinced myself I didn't need them. Last week I went to shopping at Tesco and they were still there and they only had one pair left, it was my size and they were on sale. I couldn't say no so I snapped them up and decided they would be the perfect shoe for everyday office wear. I have to say for nearly 4 and a half inches they were fairly comfortable. I haven't even worn these yet, but I can tell they are going to be a favourite this winter.

ES Handmade Eyelashes - Half Mini Lashes & Natural Soft Eyelashes

2012-01-14T12:20:00.002Z

HELLO! False eyelashes have become a staple makeup accessory to enhance the beauty of your eyes and create big dolly-eyed effects.
Today I would be reviewing the ES brand Handmade Eyelashes ES A829 and ES A856 sent to me by Kkcenterhk.

ES Handmade Half Mini Black Lashes (ES A829) are reusable and have a clear band. These come in a box containing 10 pairs of lashes (price USD $14).
Half lashes are eyelashes that are designed to reach midway across your eye. These eyelashes are smaller than the regular falsies and would make a great choice for those with relatively small eyes or if you want to enhance the outer half of top lashline for a cat-eyed effect.
I love the invisible band strip and I'm throughly enjoying wearing them! These eyelashes look very natural on eyes and give a great drama to my eyelashes which are otherwise very thin & need a bit of volume boost.
I wore the ES Handmade Half lashes for my Christmas Eve Look and it felt comfortable and almost felt as though I was not even wearing false eyelashes.

ES Handmade Natural Soft Black Eyelashes (ES A856) are also reusable and come in a box containing 10 pairs of lashes (price USD $16). You can choose to stick them on without lining your upper eye lids as these have a thin black band strip to them. These lashes have thin criss-cross pattern and a great lenght that will instantly give you dolly eyes without much dramatization. These lashes look ultra natural with a light weight feel and are perfect for everyday wear!
.
The picture below is a side by side comparision of the two lashes. ES A829 looks more dramatic and has got a shorter lash band in comparision to ES A856.

L-R: ES Handmade Half Mini Black Lashes (ES A829); ES Handmade Natural Soft Black Eyelashes (ES A856)

EOTD- I'm wearing the ES Handmade Natural Soft Black Eyelashes (ES A856), these lashes blend very well with my natural eyelashes:-

I'm in love with ES Handmade Eyelashes and definitely going to share some more looks in coming posts!

New Ring/NOTD

2012-01-10T13:06:00.000Z

HELLO! A new ring to wear today! Loving the pearl and multi-colour diamante cluster ring! I bought this from Forever 21. I think I'm gonna wear this with so many outfits at the moment cause it just seems to tie in to everything.

Last year I purchased a bunch of nail polishes by George at ASDA. The shade that I'm wearing on my nails is called Ultra Violet. It was a hard decision which one to actually put on my nails lol. For £1.50 per 5ml bottle it's really not a bad deal and the quality is pretty decent too!

It's a frosty blue-violet with a faintest touch of silver, opaque in 3 coats and does dry really quickly which is great. How do you like this one?

Dry Winter Skin & Hair Remedy: Argan Oil

2012-01-08T16:26:00.000Z

HELLO! For about a month, I've been following the whole argan oil craze... I've always been concerned with maintaining a healthy skin care, especially during the winter season. Argan Oil is moisturising enough to combat winter's driest skin conditions & is known for its cosmetic, nutritive and medicinal properties.
Argan oil is one of the rarest oil in the world, it grows from the Argan trees...it only grows on certain places and one of the most popular places to get the argan oil is Morocco.
I recently discovered a great argan oil based product from Josie Maran Argan Oil line...the Argan Oil Moisture Stick comes in a pretty looking rose gold travel-friendly tube and looks like a stick of lip balm. I purchased it from eBay for around £26 (also available at Saphora).... I know that's a lot of money for 0.21 ounce of product but my winter skin has been thanking me a lot for the hefty purchase.

The argan oil moisture stick has a warm citrusy smell, the product is infused with vitamin E, anti-aging ingredients that are rich in fatty acides and contain several oils including agran and apricot oils. The stick glides on smoothly and does not feel heavy or greasy on skin.
I've been using the argan oil moisture stick on my hair and face for 4 weeks and what I do is I will glide the agran oil stick on my hair ends when my hair is damp and then blow dry my hair, and on my face I use it every single night before going to bed. The Argan Oil Moisture Stick is organic, natural, multi purpose, recyclable, fragrance free, petrochemical free, paraban free and cruelty-free!! My skin is in love with the Argain Oil Moisture Stick and it's my favourite skin care product as of now!

I was so impressed by how well the Argan oil made my skin feel and look that I actually decided to hunt for argan oil based shampoos on eBay and then this shampoo from Amalia Beaute Paris cought my eyes...

I have been trialling this argan oil based shampoo for 2 week now and it has made my hair super soft and the frizz is gone. When I let my hair dry naturally its super shiny and manageable where as I used to have struggle before. There's a delicate herbal-like scent to the shampoo and it also lathers up quite well. Just for reference, I have thick Asian hair, very slightly wavy. It's not lacklustre, but not as shiny as I would like it to be either.
However this shampoo is not sulphate free which is a minus point as the suplhate based shampoos tend to be quite drying on hair and if used regularly you would feel the need to condition your hair afterwards using a good quality conditioner to overcome the dryness. Otherwise I've been pretty happy with the quality of this shampoo and I am definitely gonna continue using this shampoo once or twice a week.

Have you tried Argan Oil based products and what do you think about them?

Shoe Haul - Burgundy Square Toe Boots

2012-01-07T14:42:00.001Z

HELLO! To fight dark, grey and cold winter, colorful accessories are a great way to add a pop of colour to any outfit....These Burgandy Square Toe Boots immediately warmed up my heart when I first saw them. They have everything I love about a winter boot - they have a warm colour and burgundy is not easy to find, even though I love the colour! they have a block heel to walk around comfortably, have a sqare shape that are easier of the feet. With a price of £35 they had to be mine!

What's your favourite style/colour of winter boots?

EOTD With 120 Kiss Rose Eyeshadow Palette

2012-01-06T15:14:00.000Z

HELLO! Here's a look I did with my new Kiss Rose 120 Eyeshadow palette that I got from eBay. I'm still having fun exploring various shadows in my Kiss Rose palette....it's got some lovely shimmery shades of purple and greens..just love it!

For this eye look, I used a purple shade on the crease and a yellow shade on the inner eye and eyelid.

After that I applied a soft matte white shade on my brow bone to highlight the area.

As for the eyeliner, I used the MAC Liquidlast Liner in Blue Herizon to line my upper lid...for the lower lid, I used a (generic brand) yellow eye pencil. To finish the eye look I applied two coats of Benefit's BADgal Lash mascara on my upper and lower lashes.

That's it, ladies...hope you like my EOTD using 120 Kiss Rose Eyeshadow Palette.
Hugz :)

New Year Haul/Winner Of Sweet Giveaway

2012-01-02T18:37:00.002Z

HELLO! Before I start getting into my New Year haul, I just want to wish you all a Happy New year 2012! I did some shopping in the last couple of days and today and managed to get a few goodies for myself to kick start my New Year...

Kiss Rose 120 Eyeshadow Palette
I bought this 120 eyeshadow palette from an eBay seller in Hong Kong a couple of weeks back and it arrived just today! It comes in a pretty fabric-like case, it is designed to look like a clutch purse....

The shades are lovely and vibrant, the pigmentation and staying power is just awesome!! I can't believe I paid only £8 for this palette! It's a steal!

The only thing that is putting me off is that the eyeshadows have a scent to them.... I don't really get the point of putting a scent in eyeshadows and a strong one is just offputting...otherwise it's a fantastic eyeshadow palette..better than all the 120 eyeshadow palettes I'd bought in the last year.

Dress by Julien Macdonald
I picked this beautiful dress from Debenhams for around £38...I found this on a 37% off clearance sale and had to grab it! It has got a lovely panel detail and gold thread work all over it...looks amazing when worn during the night time!

Antiqued Sailor, sea star, heart and Pearl Bracelet
I purchased this online from Etsy for around £4 plus p&p. Love the pearl bracelet with chunky gold chain and charms. Perfect for the sailor chic trend!

Warehouse Satchel handbag
My new black satchel from Warehouse! I love the white piping detail and the shape! This is a classy and simple bag that will never go out of style...

Last but not the least...House shoes from F&F
I got this pair of house shoes as a Christmas pressie..I loved this so much that I wanted to share it with you all!

So that was my New Year haul...hope you liked it :)

Now its time to announce the winner of ASIAN BEAUTIFIER SWEET GIVEAWAY!

The lucky winner is....

Berry'n'cheese

Congratulations to you!
I hope you like your prize!
Please contact me (asianbeautifier@gmail.com) with your address details within 3 days of this post.

Thank you to everyone who entered the Sweet giveaway.... those who didn't win, worry not! More giveways are on the way!

OOTD/ Post Christmas Shopping

2011-12-29T13:42:00.002Z

HELLO! Did you all enjoy the festive period of christmas? I had a nice Christmas this year.... had a social gathering of friends and family at my place...we enjoyed a super supper and then had a dinner together....exchanged gifts... I got a few pair of socks, house slippers, chocolates and greeting cards.

Yesterday I went out for post Christmas shopping and bought a few goodies for myself and family for the new year....the weather was very chilly so I decided to put on my woolen jacket from Peacocks and military style boots from Dorothy Perkins to keep myself warm and comfy...here are a few pics of what I wore for the post Christmas shopping..hope you like it.

Layered top from Topshop; Mustard Clutch Handbag from River Island

Did you go boxing day shopping?

Merry Christmas/ Christmas Eve Look

2011-12-24T19:19:00.004Z

HELLO! Hope you are all sharing the spirit of peace and joy on this occasion of Merry Christmas with your near and dear ones. Today I'm high on Christmas spirit and had to do a Christmas themed look as I haven't done a makeup look for ages because I've been working a lot..... this is probably going to be my final look for the year 2011.

Products Used:
Makeup Primer - For Face- MUFE Stop Shining Shine Corrector, For Eyes- UDPP
Foundation - MAC Pro Longwear Foundation - shade NC 25
Face Powder - ELF HD Powder
Eyeshadow - Sleek Eye Dust - shade Innocence
Eyeliner - MAC Fluidline Gel Eyeliner - shade Blacktrack; Opia Eyeliner - shade Pink
Eyelashes - ES brand- number A829
Eyebrows - Illamasqua Eyebrow cake - shade Vehement
Highlight and Contour - Makeup For Ever Sculpting Duo - shade 3
Blush - MAC Hello Kitty beauty powder blush - shade Tippy
Lipstick - Illamasqua Lipstick - shade Fetish

Hope you liked my Christmas Eve Look. Merry Christmas to all of you, have fun xoxo

Yardley Christmas Gift Ideas

2011-12-21T16:15:00.001Z

HELLO! Christmas is just around the corner and you are yet to buy a great gift for someone close to you! Well today's post is about a great Christmas Gift!

In my earlier post on Yardley London Soaps I expressed my fondness for Yadley products and really felt that the soaps were made with good quality ingredients and especially loved their fragnance. Quite Recenly I came to know from the PR of Yardley that they have launched new Christmas Gift Sets in a number of fragnances and I was really excited to try them out and so they sent me the Yardley Eau de Toilette & Refreshing Body Spray Gift Set in April Violets. After receiving it I personally tried and tested them and I just loved them! I sure am planning on buying more of them and gift it to friends and family!

Now let me give you some more details about this product:-
The packaging gets a thumbs up from me as I love the beautifully coloured box with striking images of April Violet flowers on them!

As for April Violets Eau de Toilette and Body Spray - April Violet is a fresh and sensual floral scent that opens with fresh, green violet leaves, citrus and geranium top notes combined with a heart of sweetly scented parma violets, iris, jasmine, ylang and tuberose with warm base notes of vanilla and sweet powdery accords. I feel this is definitely a scent for grown ups and probably not appeal that much to younger generations. The EDT bottle and spray as you can see looks quite elegant and fits in my handbag. I always carry a body spray/EDT with me to keep me smelling sweet and fresh all day. I also like to layer the EDT and body spray so that the fragnance stays on me for extra long.

Yardley Eau de Toilette & Refreshing Body Spray Gift Sets comes for under ten pounds and the set contains a Eau de Toilette (50ml) and a refreshing Body Spray (75ml) in a number of fragnances (Royal English Daisy, English Lavender, Lily Of valley, English Rose and April Violets). These are available at Boots and are included in their 3 for 2 gift offer so you can get a third free which makes the Yardley Gift sets a fantastic gift idea for Christmas!

Hope you liked my review! Have any of you tried or planning to try the Yardley Gift sets? Please share your views about them!

p.s- Enter my Sweet Giveaway and spread the sweetness if you haven't already!

SWEET GIVEAWAY!!! CLOSED

2011-12-14T19:56:00.004Z

HELLO! My exams are finally over, yay!! Exam days were truly hectic and stressful as I had to burn the midnight oil and study all night! Oh I'm so relieved now... feel light as air [mentally that is!] though physically I've gained 4kg weight in just 2 months due to unlimited snacking on junk food while studying!! Anyway, I'm now all set to hit the gym and get back in shape! :-)

Gosh! Time flies so fast...it's almost the end of 2011! This year has been a bigtime roller coaster ride for me...it was during the start of this year when I was down with Swine Flu due to which I was bed ridden for almost a month, the whole thing felt like a near death experience for me....I really am thankful to God for saving my life and giving me an opportunity to see this world in a new light....during the year I also suffered from a series of nasty cold and flu as my immunity had still not recovered fully from the aftermath of Swine flu....for me July was the best part of this year when my parents came to UK to pay me a visit and the best part was they were with me to celebrate my birthday...we spent some truly memorable moments together as a complete family after so many years....this year my blog had also crossed a milestone [1000 followers!] in beauty and fashion world and I made some amazing friends via blogging and now we have come to the end of year 2011.... I'm eagerly looking forward to welcoming the New Year 2012 with open arms and truly wish that the new year brings good things into our lives:-)

So to say goodbye to the year 2011 and celebrate the last month of this year I'm hosting a small giveaway for the readers of my blog as a thank you to all for being a part of my journey during 2011...your love and support kept me going throughout the year and I'm looking forward to receiving the same from you in the years to come :-)

I am calling this giveaway as a SWEET GIVEAWAY...for all the sweetness and love that my readers have showered upon my blog...

Cupcake Lipgloss and handmade Ice cream necklace

The month of December is for celebrating with family and friends, to share sweet moments, exchange sweet surprises and say sweet and kind things to each other, and through this Sweet Giveaway I also wish to say a sweet goodbye to 2011 and a sweet welcome to the new year 2012 :-D

So guys and gals, enter the Sweet Giveaway and spread the sweetness around!

Please follow the simple rules and leave a comment below if you wish to enter my SWEET GIVEAWAY.

If you have a blog then follow these 3 steps:-
1) Be a public follower (GFC) of ASIAN BEAUTIFIER blog.
2) Post this Giveaway with the photo below in your blog Sidebar:-

3) Tell me- which is your all time favourite sweet dish.

If you don't have a blog then follow these 3 steps:-
1) Be a public follower (GFC) of ASIAN BEAUTIFIER blog.
2) 'Like' ASIAN BEAUTIFIER Facebook Page and share this giveaway in your Facebook Page. (Please post your Facebook name)
OR
'Follow' ASIAN BEAUTIFIER on Twitter and tweet this giveaway (please post your twitter name and the link to your tweet in the comments section of my blog post)
3) Tell me- which is your all time favourite sweet dish.

So these were the sweet and simple rules to enter my SWEET GIVEAWAY. The giveaway is open to all (UK and international) and will end on 1st January 2012. Winner will be picked randomly via Random. org and notified on 2nd January 2012.

Thank you in advance for participating in the SWEET GIVEAWAY. A sweet kiss to all :-*

Yardley London Soaps

2011-11-28T22:18:00.000Z

HELLO! I am sure all of you must have been wondering why I havent blogged for quite sometime now! Well the reason for not my doing it is because that I am busy with my exams which are scheduled to take place next month! Anyway today I decided to take a small break from studies and decided to write about Yardley London soaps which I received for review from the PR of Yardley London. They are one of the oldest and well established soap brands of UK since the 17th century and are reknowned for making soaps of the highest quality. They are very famous in UK and are the preferred soap of the Royal establishment!

I received the following soaps:-
1. Yardley London Guest Soap in English Lavender - 4 x 50g box (RRP £6.75)
2. Yardley London Luxury Soap in Royal English Daisy - 3 x 200g box (RRP £7.99).
3. Yardley London Luxury Soap in English Rose - 1 x 100g tin (RRP £4.99)

From the above Royal English Daisy and English Rose are a recent addition to their soap range. The packaging of Yardley London soaps is very classy and beautiful. I've been using the soaps for almost 3 weeks and I very pleased with the quality of these! Yardley soaps are made using the high quality ingredients and are finely milled (that is they are processed three times to bring down its water content and thereby ensuring it lasts longer than other soaps). The soap feels very smooth on my skin and produces a rich creamy luxurious lather plus they have a non drying formula which makes it suitable for people with sensitive skin. Ever since I placed the soap in my bathroom its fragrance has spread all over and it feels so nice when I enter!

Yardley London Guest Soap in English Lavender
This one has the best packaging out of the three soaps! Each soap is beautifully wrapped in paper and will make a nice Christmas present or wedding/dinner party favour. The scent of this soap is classic and elegant. Lavender makes me feel calm and relaxed. English Lavender is Yardley's signature fragnance. Their first ever soap had the Lavender fragrance in it. If you had a choice to try out a Yardley London soap this should be the one!

Yardley London Luxury Soap in Royal English Daisy
Royal English Daisy has a pleasant floral aroma and I feel fresh and energised after using it and get reminded of sunshine and springtime :)

Yardley London Luxury Soap in English Rose
The soap comes in a beautiful oval shaped tin. It has a mild Rose scent and is not overpowering at all. The scent lingers with me for a long time. Amongst the soaps I loved this one the most as Rose is my favourite fragrance of all time! I'll definitely be stocking on more of these!

Overall, I'm impressed with the Yardley London soaps. The quality is superb and the soaps are very reasonably priced. I'll recommend them to everyone!! Have any of you tried Yardley London soaps? Share your experience about it!

Ok so its back to studying for exams! Wish me luck people!

Fun Nail Art with Hello Kitty & Floral Stamping Nail Art Kit

2011-10-22T18:10:00.002+01:00

HELLO! Today I was in the mood for creating some fun nail art on my nails and so I took up my new nail konads by Born Pretty!
I'd never tried nail konads before so when I was asked to try out the Hello Kitty & Floral Stamping Nail Art Kit by the PR of Born Pretty, I went ahead with the offer as I love nail art and here is what I created using the konad for the first time! I know it has come out a bit messy but this is just the beginning and I am going to play more with this and will try to work towards refining my techinques as I go along further.

I applied a regular light blue polish as my base and and also used a regular (with a more viscous texture) dark blue nail polish for stamping on the designs.

Nail konad is the "it" beauty product for getting really cool looking nails these days! The nail konad kit (priced at US $8.77) that I received came with a scraper, a stamp, 3 Konad Special Nail Polishes in Black, Red and White and two image plates. The plates contain a few predesigned images which allow you to experiment with different designs and create fun nail arts. You can even use multiple plates and colors to achieve a truly customized look.

However, I would point out one thing, the konad special nail polish that I received was a dissapointment...as I could not make it work for me at all.... here at this point, I would give it a benefit of doubt as it was my first ever experiment with this kit and as I am not a professional nail art technician, it could possibly be due to this reason that I was not able to get a proper stamping with the konad nail polishes! Finally, after a few trials and disapointments I somehow came up with an idea of using a regular polish instead and to my sheer surprise the stamping came out quite well in the first shot! Anyways, I will be keep experimenting with the konad polishes and try to get it work for me.
Coming onto another thing, the konad nail plates in my Hello Kitty & Floral Stamping Nail Art Kit didn't have any design related to Hello Kitty so I don't know if they have sent me the wrong sample or it's the fault in the naming of this kit..

All in all I have a mixed feeling about this stamping kit from Borne Pretty. It does the job of stamping but I would have preferred the nail konads to have something related to Hello Kitty which I adore.
And now for something interesting! Bornprettystore are offering a 10% discount to all readers and visitors purchasing products from their website before 31st December 2011! Please enter the following code - ASBJ61 - during checkout to avail the 10% discount!

Hope you liked my nail art using Hello Kitty & Floral Stamping Nail Art Kit and if you have a favorite Konad manicure to share, don't be shy :)

Shoes and Accessories Haul

2011-10-11T15:31:00.001+01:00

HELLO! Although this isn't my latest haul as I actually purchased them a month back from random shopping places but never got around to posting them in my blog or wearing them anywhere! I'm planning to keep them up for some party or special occasion as they appear to mix well together.

Shoes from Etam.

These are soooo beautiful! The flower detailing on these add a lovely dimension to them!

Hold Up Fishnet stockings from eBay. I love it's chunky bow at the back... looks girly and cute!

Ring and earrings from New Look. The pearl on this ring is HUGE! The drop down earrings have got teardrop pearls which are also quite chunky. These together make a nice pearl set.

Wrapped Wire and Button Heart Brooch from Folksy.I love to collect brooches.. and this is such a unique arty brooch.

So that was my Shoes and Accessories haul. Hope you liked them, have a good week :)

EOTD with Sleek Curacao Palette and Ballerina Eyelashes

2011-10-08T20:05:00.000+01:00

HELLO! Here is my EOTD with the Sleek Curacao palette and the new Ballerina Eyelashes (CM 424) [eyelashes were sent to me by KKCenterHK a while ago].

I love Sleek's Curacao palette for creating bold and bright eye looks. I usually opt for bright and colorful eye looks to make me feel cheerful and alive when the weather gets cold and gloomy.

Moving on to the Ballerina eyelashes by Cosmos, these eyelashes are really nice and comfy to wear! They have a great length and made from synthetic fibers. I love the criss cross pattern on them. I applied these lashes with the Eye's Chic Gillter Eyelash glue in Black and it stayed put till I removed them. I am really pleased with the Ballerina lashes and highly recommend them to anyone who likes to go dramatic on eyes. For just under 14 dollars (£8.65), you get a big box of 10 re-usable pairs of lashes and they are easy to wear too!

Hope you liked my EOTD using Sleek Curacao Palette and Ballerina Eyelashes. Have a nice day :)

Dot Ditty Dot- It's Polka Dots!

2011-10-03T22:03:00.001+01:00

HELLO! Some things are timeless and never go out of style– such as Polka Dots! Yes, Polka Dots!
The history of Polka Dots goes way back and has been a staple of the fashion industry for decades. It just so happens I love polka dots as they're classic, playful, and can be merged into any style statement.
I’ve been into polka dots for quite sometime now, Especially in clothing. I must mention though that I am not particular about the kind of polka dots I have on my clothes. I like micro dots, big huge polka dots, multi-colored dots and mixed media dots. Overall I’m just a polka dot lover, and have to give into my love, and share it with all of you....

I picked up these cute looking pair of white and black polka dot wedges from Next a couple of months back. They mix up really well with my classic navy/white polka dot skirt!

This is one of my current fav canvas shoppers/tote bag as it's way different to those boring shoppers bags I've come across! Its also got two spacious compartments at front in which I like to store small things that would otherwise be hard to locate or reach inside such a large bag. I also love the unique polks dot pattern it has got all over it which looks very trendy and stylish!

Last but certainly not the least, I love polka dots on my nails too! Polka dots can punch up any boring manicure! Polka Dots certainly look cute and bring a smile on my face whenever I look at my nails. I'm not a professional nail tech so please pardon my somewhat messy appearing dots but that's the jist of it..isn't it... Go crazy with Polka Dots!

A Look With Sleek Oh So Special

2011-09-27T11:58:00.001+01:00

HELLO! Today I grabbed my Sleek Oh So Special palette and created this look! And as I’ve mentioned it before – Sleek Oh So Special palette is a perfect everyday neutral palette for natural/smokey makeup.

Product Breakdown

Makeup Primer - For Face- MUFE Stop Shining Shine Corrector, For Eyes- UDPP
Foundation - MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation - shade NC 25
Face Powder - ELF HD Powder
Eyeshadow - Sleek Oh So Special - shades - Bow, The Mail, Boxed, Wrapped Up
Eyeliner/Eyeliner Glue - MAC Fluidline Gel Eyeliner - shade Blacktrack
Eyelashes - None
Eyebrows - Illamasqua Eyebrow cake - shade Vehement
Highlight and Contour - Makeup For Ever Sculpting Duo - shade 3
Blush - BarryM Blush - shade Terracotta BL6
Lipstick - Bobbi Brown Lipstick - shade 09 Bare (Lip Sheer)

Hope you enjoyed my look using Sleek Oh So Special Palette! Have a lovely day!