A to Z of beauty brands - C for C.A.L LA Cosmetics

A to Z of beauty brands is an initiative by Prudent Diva to introduce to its readers brands of makeup and beauty that are unique, affordable , easily available and good quality.

The idea is to bring in brands that deserve more attention that they have got.

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26 brands, one from each letter and an insight into the brand and the products they offer. We started with A for Avon , B for Bharat and Dorris and now presenting C for C.A.L LA which is an Indian brand based in Delhi.

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CAL Los Angeles cosmetics is an Indian established brand with the office based in Delhi. Their vision is to bring quality makeup for the diverse needs of the urban woman.

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The range is affordable and easily available online on nykaa, purplle and Amazon.

Founded by Manisha Kaur and Sapna Bhasin , the women believe that make up should not be used to hide your imperfections but also to enhance the natural beauty.

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The brand is known for their range of contouring products, eye shadow palletes and an exciting range of matte lipsticks.

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@officialcallosangeles matte lipsticks also known as the muah velvet matte lip gloss. The range are matte creams and not a gloss and available in bright and pretty colours. ...

The shade I am wearing is blush (no. 12). It is a deep pink with a hint of maroon. The description says that the product gives an appearance of fuller lips which I couldn't believe but it does give that effect.

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It is one of preferred shades and stays for quite a time. It doesn't make the lips dry. The only thing is that it takes a little longer to dry so you might need a little patience out there.

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Price - Rs 495/- And available on nykaa for Rs 395/- at the moment

Shade - Blush

Content - 13 ml

Here is the little eyeshadow palette that I am reviewing. It is called the angelic eyes eye contour kit and illuminator.

I received 02 - Hypnotise

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This one has shades of turquoise ,silver , green and black basically the jewel tones. It has 4 shades with shimmer in them.

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Unfortunately I can't show the inside as it got broken during shipping and I did fix it but it got a little messed up.

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The shaded are pigmented and do not fall off. They have shimmer so are great for party looks. They are not too bright and create a lovely dusky look.

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Price - Rs 550/-

Shade - 02 hypnotize

Content - 4 round coin size

@officialcallosangeles matte lipsticks also known as the muah velvet matte lip gloss. The range are matte creams and not a gloss and available in bright and pretty colours. ...

The shade I am wearing is pretty plum (no. 02). It is a deep pink with a hint of maroon. The description says that the product gives an appearance of fuller lips which I couldn't believe but it does give that effect.

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The shade is a mix of vintage pink and peach with fine golden shimmer in in it. It doesn't make the lips dry. The only thing is that it takes a little longer to dry so you might need a little patience out there.

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Price - Rs 495/- And available on nykaa for Rs 395/- at the moment

Shade - Pretty plum

Content - 13 ml

YLG Mumbai product launch and review

YLG Salon and @ylgproduct organised an event a while back at the Esora . The event was a launch for their range of products in Mumbai and an announcement that their salons are coming soon in Mumbai.

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But what was more interesting is that they held an enlightening talk on the skin issues that women face. The skin types, concerns and how to use products the right way.

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Some simple yet unknown facts were also disclosed. Like - 1spf = 15 minutes of protection from the sun. So it doesn't matter if you have a spf 15 or 50, it is about the time that you have to estimate when you are out in the sun.

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The session was followed by a one to one skin analysis using computerised method that gave an insight as to how healthy the skin is. Some factors like sensitivity , wrinkles , melanin count etc were shown and explained.

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Ylg if you wonder stands for 'you look great!' And they definitely stand by their name. The brand has one of the best waxing solutions for women including products like an after wax cream to help soothe the skin and an in growth serum that helps to prevent in growth.

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The event ended with wonderful high tea refreshments and a goodie full of ylg products.

It's time for the ylg product reviews!

So let me start with the fact that all these products have a great finish and the fragrance is not too strong , infact they are so pleasant that I wish to use them for the fragrance itself. Secondly, for all the products, you just need a pea size or less for a single use and it suffices.

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The first product is (left to right) the moisturizing argan oil anti aging moisturiser. This is the 2nd step of a perfect skin care routine. The cream helps to regenerate the skin providing elasticity and hydration. It can be used twice a day.

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Depigmentation serum is the third step of skin routine which is what is the treatment step. It contains chromabright which acts on the epidermis gradually inhibiting melanin synthesis. Melanin is responsible for dark spots and blemishes. It is to be used after cleansing skin and particularly to be applied on blemishes.

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Cleansing milk with almond oil is the first step of a skin routine. It hydrates the skin and cleans residual makeup and dirt. It is to be applied on skin by massaging with fingers and then to be taken off with a cotton ball.

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BB cream is the next product, it is the last step and known as the enhancing step. The cream contains spf 15. Now talking about spf, do see my other post on ylg product launch event. The cream gives an even tone, hydration and nutrition to the skin.

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Ylg also added a shade of their nail polish which I am loving at the moment and I will add a pic of it too. And there were some little cute momentos like a pair of earrings, stickers and a thank you note.

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Most of these products range from Rs 500 to Rs 700. And if you buy them now you will get an additional 20% discount. Use the code 'YLG10ON10' to avail them. 

@ylgproduct @ylg_salon #ylgsalon

#ylgproducts #ylg #ylgmumbai

Flaunt Blanc

Flaunt Blanc 

Each day in our childhood, our mother's reminded us to take care of 'the white shirt' - the pride of our school ensemble, & even if we ever forgot that then 'tide' , 'surf' & 'nirma' were right there to remind us how important it is to keep our shirts white , sparkly & immaculate. It is an idée fixe & a competition rather to see 'who is the whitest of them all', so much that probably effects were made in the first place to whiten up the whites in ads.

You see, wearing white is wearing more than an outfit. It symbolises confidence. Confidence that nothing will spoil your day. Confidence that nothing will go wrong.
Even the slightest mark on a white can spoil a day, but when you wear white, you are ready & willing to take the risk. Who doesn't love white & tidy after all? Wearing white can basically be a way to prepare & boost yourself & scream through your outfit that you are scintillating & nothing can stop it.

Maybe that's why formals are best worn white. Wearing white is associated with goodness, innocence & purity. Thus the reason for brides, chefd, doctors, scientists & politicians donning them for they need to send that message.

But be careful women! White doesn't always mean it's all happy & charming. Especially when it is so difficult to abstain from the dirt. But dirt can be white too.
In a world filled with dirt, it is hard to face it & yet come out clean ,untainted & insullied.A world where where not everything 'white' is pure. It is hard to believe so because we humans are obsessed to the idea of white. But the fact is that even the doctor's white coat can be fake after all. The cocaine at a party, the sugar in our diet & the preference of white unpigmented skin tone. Our preference of white knows no bounds.

While our preference for white can go deeper & larger & can make you look pretty & bright, don't let the fake white dirt fool you. White represents being clean, transparent , inducing trust, faith and conviction. It also stands for being able to handle yourself & the outfit & that you can slay it effortlessly.

So go out girls, wear your pristine whites, look confident & fulgent your way in the crowd but stay prudent about the falsities of whites.

Miniso range of handbags

We have heard the saying that 'Diamonds are a girl's best friend' but I rather believe in the saying 'Handbags are a girl's best friend' , because we kind of live in them. Everything near , dear and needy are all stuffed into this necessity. I personally don't like spending a lot on daily wear handbags because they get dirty often. I also don't like too big handbags because on a daily basis we don't need many things.

All of my requirements meet the range of quirky handbags @minisoindia offers. Miniso is the latest trend! It's what our country loves at the moment. Miniso is a Japanese based company offering high quality fashion wear, makeup, home decor, stationary and much more.

These bags are each priced less than Rs 1000/- and some as low as Rs 300/- when on sale.

ONE BRAND - FOUR BAGS

ONE DRESS - FOUR OUTFITS

Peppy Pink
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@minisoindia handbag in this pink structured design is my kind of bag for the season. With spring setting is, this bag is not too pink or girly.
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A bag like this is just right to have in daily essentials while travelling. It can be held by hand as well as is a sling bag. The price of this bag was somewhere around Rs 600.

 Wondrous White
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I love the combination of white and Denims! This little white handbag by @minisoindia is small which is just what you need when you want to have just a wallet and Mobile. The best part about it is that it has a zip. Usually small bags don't have proper enclosures that make me restless and scared that my things might drop but this has a zip.
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This was in sale when I bought and costed me somewhere around Rs 350/- only. I think it's a must a buy for it meets all criteria - colour that's goes with all outfits , cost friendly and zip enclosed.

Basic Black
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@minisoindia black bag is simple, basic and every girl's requirement. I treat this bag as my very regular and most used item in my lifestyle. It's like one would find some money always in it and you just  have to take it along with you.
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Again this was bought in sale and was around Rs 320/- or so. I pair it up with anything and everything. It has a zip so all my stuff stays safe. The handle is comfortable so fits in my arm easily. It's light weight and just so easy to carry.

Goofy grey
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This one is my personal favourite in the collection of @minisoindia bags that I have. It's a little different, sophisticated and formal. It has 2 open slots and one zip slot. It is bigger then the rest and therefore I can accommodate much more stuff.
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This was something around Rs 600 and I love to wear it with any outfit and accompany it with same grey coloured footwear. It is a bright grey therefore doesn't look very dull. Goes great with denim wear too.

Godrej event on farmernomics

I love how @godrej_group comes up with such amazing initiatives to raise awareness among people especially of today's generation. This event was dedicated to the future of agriculture, talking about #farmernomics . Experts from the food and agriculture industry spoke about issues in agriculture and food habits in lay man's language and gave an insight to how Indian agriculture is performing.

One of the main focus of the event was to talk about 'millets' and the consumption of especially local produce to inculcate a healthy lifestyle. And I think we should all inculcate millets as not only is it healthy but also an easier way of cultivating, budget friendly and tasty. Rather than going for quinnoa or other foreign versions , our very own ragi, rajgira , jowar are better alternatives to include in our diet.
Let us also understand what millets exactly are.

Millets are a group of highly variable small-seeded grasses, widely grown around the world as cereal crops or grains for fodder and human food. 

Now it's proven that millets are high on calcium and protein therefore is a better alternative than rice and wheat. It is also easier to grow since it needs less water. The only con here is that it requires more time therefore more gas to cook.

Godrej has taken up the initiative of cultivating these products as well as empowering women to do the same. It was amazing to see some of them coming from various parts of India and talking about how they have learnt and become independent.

There was a talk by some influential people who gave an insight as well as tips on how a common middle class man can bring a better lifestyle in their lives.
There was chef Harpal Singh Sokhi who gave us ideas on how to make millet more tasty and easier to cook. Especially for children. Some ideas he gave are ragi halwa that is best for those who have a sweet tooth. There was Dr Yasmin Ali Haque and Kurush Dalal who gave an insight into the problem of malnutrition and how much we need millets to sustain.

The event was followed by a millet inspired lunch and a token by godrej consisting of various millets and a cookbook to try out some amazing recipes.
The food had a Tamilian touch to it. There was jackfruit ragi biryani , millet rice , jowar halwa, millet payasam , ragi dosa and all other vegetables and chicken made with millet.
And I must not forget to compliment the godrej one location, especially the godrej wall where every product by godrej was up for display.

PC - @hetallkamdar

The illusional glass

4th January is celebrated as International Braille day. While we must appreciate the invention of braille to help the visually impaired, lets take a moment to realise the importance of one thing that Braille or no equipment can help. The Mirror! - A piece of glass used to get us ready and give a glimpse of what we actually look like. But do we realise that a mirror does more than telling us how we look on the outside. Well it also influences of what we are on the inside.

"Mirror mirror on the wall who is the fairest of us all."

We have been listening to this tale since childhood and tell me, would have the story existed if there wasn't a mirror to answer?

And each one of us have wished at least once to get a mirror that tells us that we are beautiful.

The often used phrase, can you look at yourself in the mirror is a way of asking your self of what is in the inside of you rather than the outside. 

While mirror , a piece of glass created so that we know how we look rather has become a way to boost our confidence and self esteem. Looking at ourselves tells us if we are ready to face the world or not. But why let a piece of glass decide whether we can do something confidently or not.

A psychological fact says that we are confident and our best self when we know we look presentable , no harm in that but why let that be turned into a insecurity. Carrying a hand mirror , looking into our front cameras , frequent visits to the loo to see the mirror and glimpsing at the specially attached mirror right next to the door before leaving are all ways to seek support and let the mirror tell us that we look okay so that we are confident.

As a child we were told to look in the mirror while rehearsing dialogues and speeches because that boosted our confidence ; and yes, there is no harm in that but that is just a psychological trick.

If that would have been true then the visually impaired would have no confidence at all for they can't see how they look, right?

The point here I'm trying to make is that first let us appreciate the fact that we have so much in the world to see and to feel and our happiness and confidence should not be dependent on the way we look. A mirror is just a reflection, it is how you perceive yourself. It can be an illusion. While we see ourselves in the mirror and decide no, I can't do it, someone else decided not to look at one and faced the world after all.

Be confident in what you are and let what you are within be the Mirror, the guide, the reflection to what you can be and not a piece of glass that is superficial and delusional. Let us get inspired by the visually impaired this International Braille Day and feel ourselves from within and face the world like there is nothing to stop us and definitely not even a reflection of our own self.