Sushmita Sen Bridal Makeup Breakdown

Even though I already had my dream wedding, I am still mesmerized by bridal wear and love seeing the latest bridal collections from the top Indian designers. (Ok, so please tell me I'm not the only one who does stuff like this!?) 

So as I was browsing through designer Vikram Phadnis's bridal collection from earlier this year, I couldn't help but notice how gorgeous actress Sushmita Sen was looking as she strutted down the runway:

Even her makeup was impeccable....very appropriate for a bridal look and very age appropriate:

Sephora Smoothing Primer Review

I have been on a primer roll lately and have been trying out various face primers. Here is one I was trying out last week:

This is Sephora's Smoothing Primer for the face. For the record, I have not loved anything I have tried from the Sephora brand, even though thousands of people swear by their products. I think Sephora is a great store, but they should stick to carrying other brands instead of trying to produce cheaper versions. I did not change my mind after using this product.

The Pros: This is a silicon-based primer (that may be a CON for some of you), so it has that smooth, silky feeling to it. It is non-sticky and a little goes a long way. In terms of efficacy, this does provide a matte finish to the skin and any foundation or powder worn on top of the primer.

The Cons: This product sits on the skin instead of getting absorbed. Thus, after applying my foundation to this, I find that the foundation sort of slides around. I have to blend the foundation a little more than usual in order to get a smooth, even layer of foundation on my skin. Also, this primer did not help diminish the appearance of fine lines or help reduce pore size. 

This primer also does not have SPF, which is good for photography, but bad for daily use.

Kajal Couture Rating: C-

Overall, I couldn't understand why this product had such a high rating on the Sephora website. It didn't work for me at all. Have you tried this? 

New Look

So I tinkered around with the look and feel of the blog, and came up with the current version. What do you think? I still have to tweak some minor things, but nothing major.

Save 6% on Stila..even on their Friday Happy Hours!

Are you a fan of Stila? Do you get their weekly emails?

If you like Stila, you may or may not be aware of their Friday Happy Hour deals on www.stilacosmetics.com. Every Friday, they have great deals, ranging from mega gifts with purchases to high discounts. Wouldn't it be great to combine these deals with another discount? Now you can!

Stila is now on Ebates, and their cashback percentage is 6%!

Ebates is an online portal which I have discussed before, but it has been awhile so thought I would mention it again. When shopping through a website like Stila, instead of going directly to the Stila website, you first go to Ebates. On the Ebates website, find the Stila Cosmetics site in their list of retailers, and click on the link for Stila Cosmetics. Then, shop as you normally would. Ebates has a tracking number associated with their link and when you make a purchase, they give you a percentage in cash back. In the case of Stila, you would get 6% back on whatever you spend! Ebates mails you a check every quarter as long as your balance is greater than $5.

Ok, you are thinking, is this for real? The answer is YES! I have been using Ebates for years to shop for everything from makeup to contact lenses to business cards, and I always get the listed percentage back as a check every quarter. The best part? There is no catch! No spam, no cost to join, just free money!

So how do you sign up? Just go to Ebates website, and register...it takes less than 5 minutes! If you use the link here, you and I both get $5 after you make your first purchase. That is an extra $5 in addition to whatever you earn for your first purchase! Of course, you can go straight to the Ebates site yourself, but why not click on my link and we both get $5!?!

So who is on Ebates? Stila, Smashbox, Beauty.com, Avon, YSL, Sephora, and TONS more! Check it out for yourself and happy shopping!

Side Note

I am playing around with the layout of the blog so hold tight for the next few days while I mess around and figure out a format I like.

Do you have any suggestions?

What's Your Level of Tint? Fun with Tinted Moisturizers

All through high school I used to wear Clinique's Almost Makeup. I thought it was the greatest invention in the world! It wasn't as thick as foundation but gave me the perfect amount of coverage! However, what I failed to realize back then was that the shade I wore was a bit too cool toned and pink for my olive skin. I'm not sure if Clinique has expanded their shade range or modified it since then, but overall I think their foundations lean more pink than yellow....and like Bobbi Brown, I believe more people lean yellow than pink (even if they do have patches of redness). 

I think tinted moisturizers are a great product for the consumer, but like foundation, it is hard to find a formula you like. Some provide foundation-like coverage...some are lacking the "tinted" part of the product...some are too oily....some are too pink-toned....what's a gal to do? So I decided to play around with a few popular tinted moisturizers and see how the coverage compares to each other. I made a thick black line using a gel eyeliner and applied the various products over the line, just to show you how the coverage differs:

Is Good Skin Really Based On DNA?

In this case, yes!! And no, I'm not talking about your DNA, I'm talking about the Stila One Step Correct!! This new primer contains 3 shades of color correctors in a DNA-looking swirl:

I still can't believe that I haven't told you about this new favorite of mine! It's incredible! So first off, the tri-color effect is supposed to help with the 3 main discoloration problems: green to neutralize redness, peach to brighten the skin tone, and lavender (the whitish looking shade) to counteract sallowness. Not only do the 3 colors actually do what they are supposed to, the primer formula is lightweight, is non-sticky, is hydrating, helps face makeup last all day long, AND it helps reduce the appearance of fine lines and makes pores appear smaller!! For me, the smaller appearance of pores is the reason I love this on myself. It is this and the other positive factors that are the reason I keep using this on clients of all ages!

Sampling Mania! Do you like to Sample?

What did we do without internet? I can't even remember what I did before the phenomenon of online shopping! It's not just the goodies I that I look forward to, but I also love getting samples. However, I admit that most of the time, the little packets get thrown into the depths of a makeup container and never see the light of day. 

Every now and then I will get a sample of something I really want to try, and it's almost as exciting as the shopping process. Take for instance the Laura Mercier Foundation Primer that I recently got to try out:

This is one of the most popular primers in the market and I was so excited to finally try it out. It is a white gel-like primer that goes on clear once you blend it out. It looks a bit glossy, but once it is completely blended out and dries, it is completely natural looking and transparent: