Fantastico beauty products that actually work!

In this era of consumerism, there is no dearth of new products in the market. 

Everyday we find thousands of new items being launched for consumers. 

Be it food products, gadgets, cosmetics, each and every itinerary is being sold by ever increasing number of brands. 

However, quality seems to get compromised due to the cut throat competition and ultimately it's we the consumers who suffer the brunt of all ugly money making.

Each day we find new cosmetics, newer companies being launched in the market. 

The skincare and make up range seems to be never ending and so are the varieties and companies selling them.

Such a state creates a great confusion in an average consumer's mind as to which product or brand is really good and on what should she actually spend her hard earned money. 

Thankfully a lot of bloggers provide detailed and honest reviews of almost all the products available in the market but inspite of that the confusion isn't solved at times. The end result, we tend to select the wrong product and suffer the loss.

Although its only by trial and error that we learn, at times this can really be disheartening specially in case of cosmetics or skin care products because our beauty and appearance is at stake. 

Like everybody else, I too have tried so many products. Some deserve a yay and others were nay! 

So, I decided why not share with you some skincare and cosmetics that actually work and do what they promise! 

These fantastico products and companies have won my faith in them and I would rate them today for you on my Fantastico meter. 

Lets move ahead: 

1)Oriflame love nature tree tea oil range

Source: www.sarahmalikdelhi.blogspot.com

Oriflame has been knows for its quality skincare products since its inception. 

The love nature tree tea oil range is specially designed for oily and acne prone skin. Like many of you, I too suffer from pesky pimples every now and then and have always been in search of a magic potion that would help control my zits and make my skin clear. 

Believe me, oriflame did come to my rescue to a great extent a few months back.  I have been using the cleansing gel and lotion on a regular basis and my skin feels pretty healthy. 

Although I discontinued the use of toner since I felt it didn't suit my skin as much. 

If you suffer from acne problems, do try this range from Oriflame and you will not be disappointed. 

Price: Cleansing gel: Rs. 329 for 150ml

Lotion: Rs. 349 for 30 ml

FANTASTICO meter: 4.5/5 

2)Shahnaz Hussain's Shasmooth under eye cream

Source: www.sarahmalikdelhi.blogspot.com

Dark circles are a cruel problem faced by many of us in today's world. Being a medical student, late nights and lack of sleep are a common phenomenon and the result is ugly dark circles! 

I had used many under eye creams but none of them seemed to benefit me much. Then with much reluctance, I ordered this after reading some reviews and believe me, this actually works!

All you need is to use it regularly and see the results for yourself after about ten days. Not a miracle worker of course, but definitely not a disappointment too. 

Price: Rs. 500 for 40gm

FANTASTICO meter: 4.3/5 

3)Make up forever HD foundation

Source: www.makeupandbeauty.com

There are a plethora of foundations available today and all of them claim to be equally good. 

Worst still, even the reviews are all mixed up leading to ever increasing chaos. 

This foundation by make up forever is however a cult favourite amongst professionals all over the world. 

A high-end product definitely ( this one is costlier than MAC) but worth the price. 

Will make your skin flawless and glowing. 

But you need to exercise caution, first try out the right shade on your jawline( not the back of your hands please!) and then only decide the right shade.

Price: Rs. 2064 

FANTASTICO meter: 4.7/5

4)Revlon photo-ready BB cream

Source: www.sarahmalikdelhi.blogspot.com

 BB creams are the in thing these days and I decided to buy one for myself too. 

Only I was too confused after reading all the reviews online. The ones that seemed promising were so very costly and Indian brands did not match up to my expectations. 

Finally, I simply went into the beauty shop and the counter guy recommended me this one. 

I was reluctant at first but finally he managed to sell it off to me. 

Although, I have no idea how other BB creams work but this one is really good if you want a light coverage without the foundation. Didn't cause breakouts too.  

Price: Rs. 610 for 30ml

 FANTASTICO meter: 4.3/5

That's all! Do let me know if you too felt the same about any products that you have been using and trust. 

 Stay beautiful. 

This blog post is inspired by the blogging marathon hosted on IndiBlogger for the launch of the #Fantastico Zica from Tata Motors. You can apply for a test drive of the hatchback Zica today.

Audrey Hepburn- peppy and pretty!

We believe english to be a flexible language. Each word can be used in a million different ways and to describe hundreds of  different people. 

But there are some personalities that simply command an apt description and tend to earn for themselves specific adjectives. To put it precisely, they own a certain words for themselves. 

These personalities create a persona so enchanting that they live forever in our memories. 

History had witnessed a number of powerful women time and again. 

Some had courage while others were bestowed with compassion. 

In this post, I have decided to pay tribute to one of those woman. She has literally owned the word 'style icon' for herself and has been one hell of peppy personality too.

Still admired and remembered as the  greatest style icon of Hollywood. She has time and again marvelled us not just with our beauty but her great acting skills too. 

I can never take off my eyes from the stylish black Givenchy dress and her oversized goggles. 

Yes, I am talking about none other than the most stylish diva of all times

'AUDREY HEPBURN'

www.dailymail.co.uk
Pretty,Peppy and stylish 

Audrey Hepburn made her film debut in 1951's one wild oat and rose to become the greatest actresses of all times. 

She gave style a new definition in her award winning movie 'Breakfast at tiffany's'. 

The famous black Givenchy dress was worn by Audrey in the opening scene of the romantic comedy Breakfast at Tiffany's. This dress is considered to be the most iconic items of clothing in the history and most famous 'little black dress'  of all times. 

When I first saw the movie breakfast at Tiffany's, I simply couldn't take my eyes off her and marvel at the way she carried herself. Indeed, this lady was an epitome of grace,elegance,peppiness and natural beauty. 

This lady was bestowed with an innate charm and beauty that simply oozed out in all her roles and photos.

Audrey has always appeared as a charming and peppy personality. 

I have intensely admired her poise and beauty in many of her roles. 

My personal favourite was her role as an english flower girl in the movie 'My Fair Lady'.

To quote her 'the beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries,or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman is seen in her eyes,because that is the doorway to her heart;the place where love resides. True beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It's the caring and that she lovingly gives the passion that she shows and the beauty of a woman only grows with passing years.' 

What an amazing quote! Audrey Hepburn, you will always remain as my favourite diva and one of the most peppy personalities of Hollywood.

When it comes to style, you will always be my unmatchable favourite.

This blog post is inspired by the blogging marathon hosted on IndiBlogger for the launch of the #Fantastico Zica from Tata Motors. You can apply for a test drive of the hatchback Zica today.

Clothes - the 'masked' culprits

So you are out shopping with your friend in that LBD to buy another LCD (no not TV, its little cute dress you idiot)? Great I say but then why sneer when those ugly jerks fix their gaze hard at you? 
If you claim all rights to wear what you wish even they can command of every right to see 'whatever' they desire. No?

'Prevention is better than cure'- an age old adage we all know. But unfortunately most of us visualize prevention as a task too tedious and thereby calmly ignoring it until trouble bangs loud on our doors.

When it comes to protecting our selves as women we insist on carrying 'pepper sprays' and learning techniques of martial arts, which is all good undoubtedly but in the picture of larger things we forget of the basic tools nature and society conjointly has granted us - The right as well as freedom to 'cover ourselves'!

Yes clothes have been and will always be the greatest tool the greatest weapon against perverted and lascivious eyes especially in a country like ours where mindset is too reluctant to change.

No matter the extent of hue and cry one makes over upgrading your thoughts certain things are embedded within the very soil and society.

Choose what you wear wisely!!

Let me present you with a situation to explain things in a more coherent manner. If a madmen leaps onto you every time he sees you with a stick what would you do?
Would you continue appearing in front of him with the authority and so-called rights or would you rather opt a wiser and level headed way to tackle him?

The issue in hand is pretty much analogous. Hurling stones and sticks at a madmen would do no good and neither would trespassing the laws of nature. If you are so keen on exercising your rights and responsibilities then opt for modesty in how you present yourselves instead of giving those leering eyes all advantage to see what lies within you. 

I dare not say that this will deter the diseased minds from spreading dirt but we as women should not foster the obscenity in them.

Not long ago there was an incident of a little girl being raped because the guy reportedly had got all 'charged up' seeing a barely clad lady minutes ago. Here, I am in no way advocating the guy's action as acceptable but merely mentioning the repercussions and reactions of your actions and attire.

I know many of you will dismiss my thoughts as retrogressive since skimpy clothes today are almost De rigour but so is rape and eve-teasing my friends!
And if you accept that what you wear defines who you are to a great extent then denying the fact that our clothes play no role in how people around us see and feel about us would be so hypocritical.

This in no way means that dressing is directly connected to crimes like rapes but your attire is definitely related to how you are perceived. Why complain of being labelled as 'sex objects' when you proudly show cleavages in public places? 

Once we start appreciating the power of a modest dressing, the freedom one gains from it and your right to be respected rather leered at am sure many a things will jump up on the right path!

And in the end I quote Margaret Hale to sum it up all so elegantly:

“One of the first evidences of a real lady, is that she should be modest. By modesty we mean that she shall not say, do, nor wear anything that would cause her to appear gaudy, ill-bred, or unchaste. There should be nothing about her to attract unfavorable attention, nothing in her dress or manner that would give a man an excuse for vulgar comment. When we dress contrary to the rule of modesty we give excuse for unwholesome thoughts in the mind of those who look upon us, and every girl who oversteps these bounds makes herself liable to misunderstanding and insult, though she may be innocent of any such intention.” 

The ugly side of beauty....

When God created humans, he did his best to be fair. Sprinkling carefully and wisely equal proportions of attributes so that each one of us can feel 'exquisite and beautiful'.

Man however has been in a habit of complicating things. Simple and apparently easily comprehensible things tend to distract him and he takes a path of complications. And so he deviated from this simplified version of God's granted beauty and confined it to merely a 'visual delight'.

This crooked definition of beauty has slowly been transformed into a necessary evil and humans today struggle mindlessly to grab a 'portion' while carelessly overlooking what was originally granted to them.

From Botox to liposuction, fairness creams to laser treatments we have senselessly been try to possess something that has been already thrust upon us. And to top up the insensibility, we gullibles 'demand' and 'desire' the same artificial and altered beauty in others too. Dumping away the real radiance.

He aspires to be tall, she dreams to be thin, his ambition is to get that athletic built and being fair is her desire!

We are vainly running to pick out an ingredient knowing little that our recipe of beauty is not just faulty but tasteless and ugly.

Endless advertisements with almost perfect faces, endorsing products to transform you into something which the creator himself did not feel fit to grant you. Sounds bizarre. isn't it?

When the artist or a writer decided NOT to bestow a certain trait or colour in the protagonist or painting, how can we as a reader and an on-looker 'artificially' apply them later?

But the social milieu and its hollow expectations have clogged our reasoning and logic to sheer opacity.

I doubt if much can be done to revert back from this track we have been walking blindfolded yet with 'élan'.

Alas! The botox beauty has occupied our minds and only serious retrospection can drain it away.

It might appear pessimistic on my part to end this post on a negative note but even after a lot of reasoning I couldn't come up with solutions that can be helpful for this is not a community or country issue, it rests with generation gone, the present one and the ones that shall live after us.

If only the actual beauty of each individual can be unveiled. If only we try and search that radiance within and around us those things of beauty would truly be joyous forever!

What do you think?!