I Won Jiya's Giveaway!!!!!!

I should have posted this a few weeks back. But I'm lazy and I thought I'd post when I actually receive the package. Which I did, about 2 days back, but I'm just now getting the time to post.

So, I won Jiya's ASOS giveaway a few weeks back, along with Anshita. Unfortunately, due to Christmas mail traffic and bad weather (I think), it took a little longer than anticipated to get here.

A BIG thank you to Jiya for the lovely giveaway and giving me a chance to win. And since it arrived around my birthday, it's a double bonus.

The giveaway gift was anything from ASOS for $15. Since I'd been coveting the OWL pendant for a while, I asked for that. Here are the pics.

P.S. I saw this exact same necklace on Deepika Padukone in Break ke Baad. The only difference is the colors on Deepika's owl.

Coastal Scents Discount

Yet Another Year Passed By

First of all, I want to apologise for the lack of posts. I've been super busy recently and haven't been near a computer in a while. Thankfully my mobile internet saved my life, else I would have been showing some serious withdrawal symptoms. Second, I will announce the giveaway winner in a few days, as soon as I can work the excel sheet.

Every year on my birthday, I spend a relatively large amount of time pondering about where my life is taking me, have I done anything even remotely worth mentioning in the past year, and other such profound things. None of these thoughts take me anywhere. I still end up extremely lost afterwards. But one thing I've learnt in the past few years from all my pondering is not to worry about what you have done, or are going to do. Live in the present, be happy in what you're doing right now and don't worry about the past or the future. I spent a substantial amount of my life planning out my future, and then letting my past experiences shadow my present.

I spent a huge amount of this year trying to meet upto people's expectations of me, and at the end of the day, I was miserable. What's the point of making others happy, if you aren't happy yourself. And it might have still felt like it was worth it if those people gave a crap. At times, I wonder why I still try to hold on to friendships that are far past their expiry dates. I think it's time to bring a change in my life, to discard what's not helping the moving on process.

There are friends that you'll have your entire life. Then there are those friends that are like seasons. They come, they go, and you have no control over it. Then there are those people who you think are your friends, but wish nothing good for you. Should I feel guilty for wanting to cut out the latter from my life? Isn't part of growing up moving on, and learning to leave certain things behind? But there's a part of me thats scared of this change. There's this voice inside my head telling me to just let things be.

I had a relatively good year. Not all of it was good, but not all of it was bad either. I finally settled some past accounts. I finally decided to flush some things out of my life, and I feel good about the future, even if its sprinkled with a tiny tinge of guilt.

I met some really good people this year, made new friends, rekindled a few old friendships, and I'm on the right track finally.

But, like always, there are some things in life that never change, and I'm glad they don't because I don't know what I'd do without those few constants in my life.

Also, I heard 22 is the marriageable age. My mom and I had a good laugh at that. Both of us know that's not happening any time soon. I personally do not plan on marrying before 30. But my mom's more reasonable and predicted 27. Lets see. But 3 of my dad's friend's daughters are getting married the coming year. They are all 22-23. Sigh.

I might be MIA for a while. So a Merry Chirstmas!! to all of you in advance.

ASOS 50% Off

50 Random Things About Me

I read this somewhere a few weeks back and it really made me want to do it. I can't remember which blog, but if it was yours, please let me know. Since I'm a super lazy person, I've just gotten around to doing it.

1. I hate chocolates.

2. I love icecream. But I hate chocolate icecream.

3. I make really good butter chicken.

4. I have an extremely sweet tooth. So much so, I sneak around at night when my mom is asleep and steal sweets from the fridge.

5. I watch a LOT of tv shows. I think I might need an intervention.

6. I'm not a morning person. Wake me up earlier than I'm used to and I'll make a face at you all day.

7. My dad and I disagree on everything under the sun.

8. I love action films, especially those based on superheroes and video games.

9. I have a vampire fetish.

10. I want to go backpacking through europe.

11. I'm incapable of living outside a city. I get bored out of my mind.

12. I'm really scared of heights.

13. I have an irrational fear of being stuck in an elevator with a stranger, similar to Aunt Josephine's fear of realtors in the Lemony Snicket movie.

14. I was once mistaken for a lesbian.

15. I've never been able to watch Casablanca in its entirety.

16. I've watched Hum Aapke Hain Kaun and The Notebook more times than I can count on both hands.

17. I buy notebooks just because they look cute and never use them.

18. I have a collection of 400 books, and I'm currently in the process of making an inventory.

19. My all time favourite movie is Roman Holiday.

20. I have an unending capacity for junk food.

21. My favourite place to go when I need to feel better is a Bookstore.

22. I never swear. Never use bad language. I used to. But i made a conscious effort not to and now it feels weird coming out of my mouth.

23. I am geographically challenged. I get lost quite often.

24. I hate drinking tea. It's coffee for me all the way.

25. When I was a kid, I used to think that tv shows were real people being filmed, and I wondered if I was secretly being filmed.

25. I get annoyed by bad spellings.

26. I cried like a baby when Sirius Black died.

27. I also cried like a baby when Heath Ledger died. I thought he was the best thing that ever happened to Hollywood. I still watch 10 Things I Hate About You when I miss him. Though, I think Joker was his best character.

28. When i was younger, I used to frequently have dreams that I was falling off a building, and subsequently ended up falling off my bed. One time, i fell on the other end of the bed, and my mom didn't see me and thought I'd gone missing.

29. I used to play the flute.

30. I once crashed my dad's car into a tree while parking. He still doesn't know about it.

31. I love kids. I would do anything for them.

32. I never say no to kfc and chinese food.

33. I think Fight Club and The Incredible Hulk were awesome movies.

34. I love watching movie trailers.

35. I have the world's worst neighbors.

36. My IQ says I'm above average intelligence.

37. I hate italian cuisine.

38. I have a giant crush on Jude Law.

39. I have a thing for British and Scottish accents.

40. Ever since I got hit while crossing the road, I am mortally scared of crossing roads.

41. I once dated a guy who already had a girlfriend, though I knew nothing about it then. I found out years later.

42. The day after I saw The Ring with my best friend, the newspaper had a giant ad saying '7 Days To Go'. On the 7th day, I called up my bff to make sure she was alive, couldn't get hold of her, and had a mini panic attack.

43. I'm in the category of obsessive people. When something interests me, I get obsessed about it.

44. I want to be a teacher someday. I have an unexplained love for teaching. And for kids.

45. I listen to Arctic Monkey's Cornerstone on repeat when I'm sad.

46. I've never had a fracture my entire life.

47. I find Craig Ferguson extremely funny.

48. My favourite cartoon strip is Calvin and Hobbes.

49. When I was 18, my favourite author was Danielle Steel. I own over 20 of her books.

50. I want to live in NYC someday, even if it's temporary.

ASOS Free Shipping Ends Soon

Giveaway Reminder!!

Hi Everyone, 

First of all, a big thank you to everyone who's participated in my giveaway. Its truly overwhelming.

For those of you who haven't yet participated, today is the last day. So, head on over HERE, if you haven't already.

Good luck to all of you.

NYX 10 Color Eyeshadow Palette in 'Champagne & Caviar'

I don't own a lot of palettes. I have mostly singles, a few duos and quads. I never end up liking all the colors in a palette and find singles a better option. But, I love NYX and everyone raves about this palette. So, I decided I should try it out. Its a pretty decent palette for the price. Not the best, but I honestly don't mind. So, here's the review. I'm going to keep this short.

Price: $8 / Rs. 360, for 14g (0.49 oz)

You can buy it here: 
1. http://www.cherryculture.com/cosmetics/makeup/nyx-cosmetics/nyx-the-runway-collection-10-color-eyeshadow-palette/17206&cat=0&page=1
2. http://stores.ebay.com/JOYs-cosmetics/10-color-eyeshadow-palette-/_i.html?_fsub=1090826016&_sid=91711236&_trksid=p4634.c0.m322

For the price they sell at, I think the palette is a real steal. I have the neutral palette. The color selection is decent. But nothing impressive. Like if you noticed, #1 and #4 kind of look alike. But all the colors (except the white one) are quite wearable. They're pretty well pigmented (not as much as the singles though). They're really soft, and apply smoothly on the lids. Because they are so soft, they kind of crumble a little. Not enough to worry about. They don't crease and fades a little by the end of the day (after maybe 7-8 hours), but not much. With a primer, they look even better. Since a lot of the colors are quite close to my skintone, I need to use a primer to make them show, which is not a problem for me since I use a primer all the time anyways.

They have a good collection of palettes. There are, I think, about 12. I've seen swatches of the other palettes and I actually like the other ones. The Velvet Rose, Secret World, Versus, Casting Call all look quite nice. But I've noticed that some of the neutrals are repeated in most of the palettes. So, if you have a few of these palettes, you'll end up with a few copies.

The packaging is very sleek and quite sturdy. It has a good size mirror inside which is quite useful. If I were travelling, this is the palette I'd carry. It has all the colors I'd need, unless of course I have parties or functions to attend. Then, maybe the Haute Model one would help. Two of these and you're ready.

Overall, I think this is a great buy and I don't regret buying it. My only crib is that I wish there were more matte shades. Only the #6,  #8 and #10 are matte, and the glitter from the others kind of transfers to the mattes. Not a good thing. I would definitely buy a few more of these. I think it's a great investment, especially for those just starting out and looking to experiment.

© Your_Blog

© ladylavendersays

Do you own any of these palettes? What was your experience?

NYX Round Lip Gloss Review

Ever since I was introduced to cherryculture.com, I've become a big fan of NYX. I love their products, from their concealers to lipsticks to glosses to eyeliners to their palettes. I love them all. None are without fault, but for their incredibly good prices, they're the best quality out there.

I have 3 of these. Real Nude, Kiss and Cafe Latte.

EOS Lip Balm Sphere Review

This beauty here I won at FunnyFace Beauty’s extremely generous EOS giveaway for all those who had no access to it.  A big thank you to her.

If there is one thing that annoys the hell out of me, its my lips that are as dry as a desert. I’m constantly on the lookout for the perfect lip balm that will leave my lips moisturized without feeling greasy.

Alicia sent me the one called ‘Lemon Drop’. The first thing you’ll notice about it is the egg shape. I think its adorable and the best thing about the shape, it’s super-easy to find in my handbag.

The smell is a nice sweet lemony scent, not at all overpowering. The taste is the same. Its super creamy, moisturizes my lips, and doesn’t feel like i have anything on my lips. I don’t think its moisturizing enough for cold weather, but for summer, it’s a great buy. Since bangalore rarely sees winter, not much of a problem for me.

School Life

I’m not sure, but i think i saw this on tanvi’s blog. It reminded me of my school days and I really wanted to do it. So here goes:

What was your favorite back to school item to buy?
Stationery. I loved buying new books, pens, pencils, the whole shebang. I still have a habit of collecting fancy stationery.


What was your favorite subject in school?
Without a doubt, math. I was always a logic person. I loved applying theorems, or proving them, or deriving something. Math fascinated me to no end.  History comes a close second. History, to me, was like a story book, only none of it was fiction.


Did you ride the bus or get a ride from Mom/Carpool?
Rode the bus for most of the years. Though the initial years, when dad was still in the army and we were living at cantonments, i used to ride in those army one-tons. Used to be a lot of fun.

Did you have a sack lunch or cafeteria food?
Till about 8th, i carried lunch every single day. But after that, i would occasionally eat at the cafeteria. My mom’s food was better than the cafeteria one any day. So, i carried lunch as much as I could. It was another story that I barely got to eat much of it.


What is your favorite memory from your school days?
I can’t think of a single one in particular. But i loved school activities, hanging out with friends, having fun. Especially, school choir used to be a riot. It was a miracle if we went through an entire rehearsal with a straight face. And our music teacher was the most fun teacher I ever had.

Maybelline Color Sensational Lip Gloss

I got these first when they launched a few months back. But then I lost it. And I was too lazy to buy it again. But a few weeks back, I was shopping and couldn’t resist when I saw the Maybelline counter. This is one of my favourite glosses. And I know I’m late, but I thought I’d review it anyway since I love them so much.

I have two of them: Sugared Honey and Hooked on Pink.

Price: Rs. 250/- or $5.50

The Good:
1. All of the colors in the range are wearable and quite amazing
2. Lasting power is excellent. They last about 3-4 hours which, for me is really long. Most glosses last barely 2 hours on me.
3. Super creamy and pigmented. It feels like I’m applying liquid lipstick. And I love the lustrous shine it gives.
4. I like the smell. Its nice citrusy smell which I quite like. Even the taste is kinda nice and fruity.
6. I like that its not too sticky.
7. Price is good for the quantity.

The Bad:
1. I don’t like the packaging. Its pretty standard. And no labels or even the brand name on the tube. There’s a tiny little sticker at the bottom with the shade name, which is quite unreadable.
2. Limited number of shades. I wish they had more variety in shades. I think there are only 9-10 of them.
3. Dries out my lips after an hour or so. But nothing a lip balm can’t fix.

Sorry about the bad pics. Couldn’t find my camera, so had to use my phone.

Final Verdict: I’d definitely like to try out the other shades

The Cooking Bug

I've mentioned somewhere in an earlier post how much I hate cooking. It's true. Atleast it used to be. My mom's an amazing cook. Especially, since dad used to be in the army, mom used to look up all kinds of recipes for all the parties that were hosted by us. Back then, you had to rely on TV, magazines and cookery books. No internet to make life easier for you. My mom has this giant diary which has all the recipes chronicled by her in the last 25 years. And it has these awesome recipes in it. My mom is the main reason I'm such a big foodie. Back when I was in school, my mom used to make something different for me every single day. No same old fare everyday for me. My friends used to literally beg me to invite them home for lunch/dinner. Continued all the way till college.

My mom's the kind of person who's always looking for new recipes to try out. She herself gets bored of eating the same thing too many times. And my mom has tried almost all kinds of cuisines that there are. But recently, my mom's been quite busy with work and seems less and less inclined to cook, unless it's for guests. Then she gets all excited. Now, this is not good news for a foodie like me who ends up with a different craving every day. My mom's solution: if you feel like eating something, learn to cook it yourself.  Initially, i wasn't very impressed with the idea. But, as time passed, and I was eating my favourites less and less, I thought I might as well give it a try.

I refused to cook the things my mom usually makes at home. Instead, I wanted to try all the interesting recipes in her diary. And that's what I did. I've learnt quite a bit in the last month or two. And at the cost of sounding narcissistic, I think I'm quite a decent cook (credit goes mostly to my mom's recipes). I haven't yet messed up a dish, which I'm quite proud of.

Soups are a favourite for me. Not the horrible Knorr or Maggi ones in the market. I like soup that's been cooked from scratch. Today, I made Cheesy Cauliflower soup. Found it in mom's diary and it's super tasty.

Ingredients:
1 medium cauliflower
1 medium onion sliced
15 gms butter
1 soup cube
3 cloves
1 bayleaf
Salt, to taste
1 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp corn flour
1 cup milk
1 cube cheese, grated
20 gms paneer, crumbled

Method:
Fry the onion in the butter till pink. Add the cauliflower florets, cloves, bayleaf, soup cube, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. (I normally just leave it in a pressure cooker for about 2-3 whistles)
Remove the cloves and the bayleaf, and let it cool. (I wrapped the cloves and bayleaf in a tiny piece of cloth and put in the pressure cooker. Makes it easier to remove it. Mom's idea :P)
Blend it in a mixer till smooth.
Let it boil in a pan again.
Mix the cornflour in the milk.
Add the cornflour mix to the pan while stirring constantly. You can add a little water if its too thick.
Let it cook for about 5 minutes.
Take it off the flame and add the cheese and paneer.
Garnish with coriander.

Serves 4.

I'm too lazy to get up and find the diary. So, I've just written it in my own words, as I remember it.

Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner

A few months back, I read about this on one of the blogs, and then the reviews started pouring in and everyone was raving about it. And I really do love gel liners. Since my Coastal scents order which also had the gel liners went missing, I really was looking for a good budget friendly option here. 

But then, as was my luck, I couldn't find it anywhere. Either it's out of stock, or they haven't even received stock, or according to the dumb SAs, the product just doesn't exist. I looked for it for months. Nowhere was it found. I'd almost given up on finding it. Then, last week, I was shopping on commercial street, and wanted to have a look at the new colorbar counter at Empire Stores. And while I was checking out their lippies, i just randomly asked about the gel liner. And guess what, she had one last piece in stock. I couldn't believe my luck. But I really wish they'd introduced the other shades as well. I would love to get my hands on the eggplant one. 

Price: Rs. 375/- for the tub and the brush. Pretty good deal I think.


The Good: 

1. I like the cute tub. Its quite classy.

2. It glides on like velvet. I just love the texture of this liner, not too hard, not too liquidy.

3. The color pay-off is really good. For daily wear, I prefer matte liners instead of glossy ones. And this gives a very nice matte natural look.

4. It doesn't smudge at all.

5. Staying Power. I've worn it for over 8 hours, and it doesn't fade, feather or smudge.

6. It hasn't been recommended for the waterline. But I've used it on my waterline, and it works absolutely fine. And I do have sensitive eyes.

7. It's waterproof.

8. The brush really is good. But I still prefer my angled liner brush from Coastal Scents. So, I've been using this one as a lip brush.

9. Removes easily with makeup remover.

The Bad:

1. The quantity is quite less. But it looks like it will last a decent while since a little goes a long way.

Final Verdict: This is a great budget friendly option and I'd recommend it to everyone. I hope they come out with the other shades as well. I would love to try those as well.

Another Blog Award!!!

Two awards in a week. And that too from the same person. I feel so lucky and appreciated. Thank you so much Jiya. It really means a lot to me. I've already said so much about her. But i want all of you to check out her other blog Luxarian Fashion. She has some really good DIY pieces and you get a glimpse of her excellent fashion sense.

And I'd like to pass this award on to:
1. Jiya from Confessions of a Shoppaholic (if you hadn't passed it to me, I'd have passed it to you anyways:P)
2. Anju from indianmakeupways (she always graces my posts with a lovely comment and I love the gorgeous makeup looks she does)
3. Sonali of bollywoodstylediaries (not just because we have a lot in common, but i love her witty and quirky posts)
4. Poohkie from Poohkie's Place. (i love her posts and she's always been so supportive with her comments)
5. Sandhya from 5 Wall. (i just love her creative looks)

Jiya's ASOS Giveaway

The lovely and extremely sweet Jiya from Shoppingaholic is having a giveaway on her blog. I absolutely adore her and I think she has great style. She's sweet and witty and her posts are always fun to read. I thought I was a shopaholic. She puts me to shame. She's a true blue shoppaholic. And to top it all, she's having this awesome giveaway and just about at the right time. You know what i'm talking about, Jiya. So, head on over to her blog right now. The giveaway ends on December 6th.