Thursday, 25 May 2017

Biotique bio morning nectar flawless skin lotion



Price (as per volume):

120 ml - Rs. 199
190 ml - Rs. 280
800 ml - Rs. 1,250

Packaging: White plastic bottle with a green screw cap. There is a small hole at the top to prevent wastage of lotion.




Swatch


Absorption: Quick absorption into the skin.

Feeling on the skin after absorption: Lotion gets absorbed by skin as soon as it is spread over our body. Skin feels effectively moisturized. Does not feel heavy on the skin and remains moist after absorption for a few seconds. You can feel the (extremely light) moisture of this lotion for about 2 hours after which, it starts declining.

Immediate effect after complete absorption by the skin: Skin feels soft for about 3 hours. 


Suitable for..: Dry skin. Perfect for Mumbai winters.


Effect after using it for a month: 




Pros: 

Contains only natural ingredients.




A pleasant scent: Easy on the olfactory senses. Lasts for 2 hours.

Great to apply on hands and feet as well.

Skin looks visibly less dry after lotion is completely dried up on our skin.

No animal testing in any Biotique products.

Great for applying before make up but use very minimal amount in Summer and Monsoon.


Cons:

Suitable for use in Winters alone.



Something to wonder about..

I wonder how the product lasts for 3 years if it contains only natural ingredients and no preservatives.






Conclusion:

Really depends on how dry your skin is, to decide if you want to apply this lotion on your face in seasons apart from Winter. 


References:

P.S:
The pictures seen here are that of a sample bottle. Such bottles are not available for sale.





Tuesday, 2 May 2017

Pincuk casual dining

This casual dining restaurant offers Chinese, Japanese, Indonesian and Thai.

Meaning of the name: Pincuk= 'Banana leaf'

Address: Shop no. 1, Sul Building, Sector 20D, near NKGSD bank, Airoli, Navi Mumbai-                      400708




Food: Great in terms of taste and affordability! I loved that they serve large portions here (no need to order too many food items!). We had ordered ‘Pincuk ramen’ (Price= Rs. 330) and ‘Nasi Goreng rice’ (Price= Rs. 310). Pincuk ramen is ramen noodles served with chicken, prawns, egg and shiitake mushrooms. The ramen broth, noodles and prawns were amazing. Shiitake mushrooms were ok (or maybe it’s just my taste buds which don’t agree with their taste) and I am sorry to say that the chicken pieces tasted a bit undercooked in the centre. Refer menu page no. 8, item no. 605 on Pincuk's Zomato page.




If you are a fan of seafood, you will looooove Nasi Goreng. Pincuk's version of Nasi Goreng is rice tossed in Thai herbs, chilli and shrimp paste, with prawns served with fried egg, satay chicken, prawns crackers and sambal sauce. There are two versions of the sauce- the spicy and the non-spicy one. We went for the non-spicy one. The taste of the fish in the sauce could have been more subtle. While the sauce is a wonderful addition to the rice, the rice tastes delicious even without it! Refer menu page no. 6, item no. 409 on Pincuk's Zomato page.





We were given this 'aale paak-like' item (Maharashtrians know what I am talking about) which had a light taste of ginger to it, after our meal. This is the equivalent of 'saunf' given in Indian restaurants and hotels.




Service: Is impressive. In spite of being a small place area-wise, the staff was pulling out chairs for customers. One could see the owner serving food with the rest of the staff. Everybody cared a lot about our opinion on the food. Staff answers everything you have to ask about the place. Name tags for every staff member would make the service even better.




Ambience: Is spacious and has minimalistic décor. Don’t want to give away any more spoilers. Go there to experience yourself!



Will I go there again?: Yes. Looking forward to another visit. :)



References:









Saturday, 29 April 2017

FRUSTRATION

Once you arrive 
you wanna stay for 
long.
Never alone
friends always tag along.

Helplessness 
and an empty life
invite you
to stay over my mind.

Making me yell,
making me cry,
doing things
that I mindlessly
won't try.

Bewildered,
people ask-"Whats this 
and WHY?"
realization hits
and brain gets a fry.

Ghosts of the 
past
terrorize 'bout 
future
"There's no way out
of the
mess you are in
just deeper and deeper
in the muck within."

Sucking away 
my zest for
life.
Biting at it 
just like mice.
 


Lack of creativity

Right here, right now
today 
is boring.
A very  good day
for some
writing.


Subjects are many,
knowledge is vast.
                                                                   Pace of creativity
is not equally fast.


It could be something,
it could be everything,
be it anything
but don’t give me a nothing.


 Time limit given
                                                                     is 9.30.
                                                                     Write it all
                                                                     with complete
                                                                     honesty.
From the brain
to the paper,
the ink will flow.
Just trust your heart
and let yourself go.


                                                                         Fake speech,
                                                                         fake clothes
                                                                         fake
                                                                         is your smile
                                                                         Poems allow me
          inside your head,
           For atleast a mile.


Keen listener,
good scheme,
mistakes are few
but nowhere in the poem
can I see you.

















Still cannot give a title to this poem.

Yaadon ne tumhari 
sataa diya hai mujhko
“Pagal hue ja rahi hu..”
batau bhi kis-kis ko?

Tumko pakar khoya                       
ya khokar tumko paya
samajh na aaye mujhko
“hey ram,karu kya me ab..?”
Puchaa mene sabko

Sochkar tumko ruthu,
toh hasa deti hai mujhko
Haskar tumko sochu,
toh rula deti hai mujhko.

Yaadon se ab tumhari
mukti chaiye mujhko
Zindagi me tumhari kami ka
Ehsaas dilati hai mujhko

Khali baithe rehne se
darr lagta hai ab toh
Dard deti he… aur rahengi

nahi jeena ya jhelna inko!

Monday, 17 April 2017

Elle 18 color pops matte pink show p24 review

It's amazing how girls can now easily afford a lipstick because of  Elle 18. You already know the product and the brand but I still couldn't resist writing a review. It's an absolutely lovable daily wear lipstick.



Type: (advertised as) Matte but actually is more of a creamy matte lipstick.

Double swipe at the top. Single swipe at the bottom.


Price: Rs. 100



Weight: 4.3 gms

Colour: Pink

Shade name and number: Pink show, P24

Packaging: Black retractable lipstick case with the face of a girl. Shade name, number, weight of the lipstick and other packaging details at the bottom.


                             


                             


Pros:

Super affordable lipstick.

Application: No need to put lip balm before application. This lipstick is sufficiently moisturised. Glides smoothly even on dry lips. Layering does not cause any clumps. Hides pigmentation of the lips well. Leaves a colour stain after its completely gone from the lips.



Lipstick colour may vary as per brightness settings of your screen.


Fragrance: Lasts as long as the stain of the colour. You can smell the fragrance as soon as you open the case and even while applying it.

Packaging: Case shuts with a click. Twist mechanism click locks when the lipstick is completely inside or outside the case.



Cons:

Uneven shape of the lipstick: I bought this as well as another shade from this range during last year's Diwali. When I opened to have a look, I saw the lipstick was in a bit of an uneven shape. (I wish I had taken a picture then.) The irregular shape evened out after a few applications.

Colours don't match: Colours of lipsticks in this range don't match the shades given in the colour pamphlet provided by the company (I bought this lipstick in a shop). Don't bother looking at the pamphlet. If visiting a shop, just open the case and check out the shade.

Unstable twist mechanism: Lipstick goes inside during application. Needs to be applied in a light handed manner.

Repeated application: Takes at least 2 swipes for the colour to show completely on the lips.

Not exactly matte: This lipstick has a little shine to it.

Transfers easily even after an hour of being applied: Some lipstick transfers after eating. A lot of it fades away after eating.

Sweaty lipstick?: Little drops of vapour are formed on the lipstick.




A disagreement with the product claim:
It took me 2 strokes of application instead of just one to properly colour my lips.



Final thoughts:
In spite of all it's cons, I would still buy this lipstick because it is oh-so-affordable. I would like to explore some more shades before I decide to buy another one from this range.



References:
http://www.elle18.in/products/lips-balm-colour-pops
http://amzn.to/2op7PkN
https://makeupandbeauty.com/elle-18-color-pops-matte-lipstick-pink-show-review/

Tuesday, 11 April 2017

Victoria's secret blush fragrance lotion grapefruit blossom and magnolia review

A great alternative to perfumes and deodorants! Not really something to buy if you have dry skin and are expecting to keep it soft. There is no mention of how exactly this product is going to give us 'nourishing moisture'. Suckers of fragrant products who aren't really aiming to moisturise their skin can buy this.








Price: $ 18




Weight: 226.7g/ 8 oz

Packaging: A tube with a press open lid that clicks shut. This makes it travel friendly. Just don't put too many things in your handbag/purse along with it because something might press against the lid and open it inside your bag. The entire lid can be rotated to open and shut like any other tube package.







Absorption: Takes about 5 seconds to disappear on the skin after applying it in circles (for me) and a few more seconds to get absorbed by my skin. To be used in small quantities because even a little will cover a large area of the skin.

Feeling on the skin after absorption: Does not feel heavy on the skin after absorption.

Immediate effect after complete absorption by the skin: Skin feels only a slighty bit softer than it was.

Effect after using it for a month: 


Pros: 

A delightful scent: A little hard hitting in the beginning when it comes right out of the tube (or maybe it's jut me) but later, pleases the olfactory senses, making you feel wonderfully fresh. Enough for a passer-by to take notice.

Long lasting: Fragrance lasted for about 4 hours.


Cons: 

Irritates my facial skin: Do a patch test if you have sensitive skin. Did not affect the rest of the skin on my body.

Made very little difference to my skin when it comes to skin turning soft.

Does not mention exact species of magnolia.

Contains parabens: Use it as per your discretion. Whether to use it daily or only when venturing outside is really your own decision.




A regret: 
I wish I had some real magnolias and grapefruit blossoms nearby to compare their scents with the fragrance of this moisturiser. Please do compare the fragranes if you have these flowers growing in your neighbourhood. 

References:
https://www.victoriassecret.com/beauty/mists/blush-fragrance-lotion-the-mist-collection?ProductID=305701&CatalogueType=OLS


P.S. : I will be updating this review to let you know the changes in my skin after a month.