Know Me | The pursuit of happiness, my real journey into the beauty world

Hi !!!!

I had been meaning to write this down since a very long time. Don't really know if I would ever publish it or it would keep lying in my drafts, like forever. People who know me might find it a lil strange of me putting up blogs on beauty reviews, outfit posts etc . So here is the story behind all of it. It all started a few months before my wedding. You know how we girls are so excited about wedding. As if we had been planing this day since the day we were born. We want to look our 'bestest best' on our wedding day. Turns out, I knew nothing about makeup apart from putting on lipstick that too the same old burgundy shade (for some strange reason). So i decided to watch some YouTube tutorials. Back then there were no Indian you-tubers. All the tutorials were from creators based in the US or UK. I could hardly ever find the products that they used in Indian market. Back then online shopping in India was almost non existent. I bought a couple of make-up here and there and failed horrendously :P:P.  And that brings me to the End of my endeavor, I knew its not my cup of tea.

A few months post marriage we moved to US for our work. There, I was amused by the style and fashion sense of people at work. Couple of years later we moved back to India, since I was out of Indian market for some time, I used to google and read product reviews whenever I needed to buy any make-up or skincare/hair care items. Was not only amused but almost taken aback by the content availability by Indian bloggers this time around. It seemed as if there was a huge leap.

Then came the summer of 2015, when my life was to change forever. I still remember the blinking phone screen, the phone call from Mom. I was at work, and my father had suddenly fallen ill(my parents and me stay in different cities, states actually). It was by far the most difficult phase of my life. My father was admitted to ICU. But destiny had other plans as I was also entering the most special and extraordinary phase of womanhood at the very same time. There was this life beaming within me. I tried to keep my self engrossed in work as much as possible to keep the stress at bay. Whatever spare time I had, I began to watch beauty channels on YouTube. And this actually kept me stress free at least momentarily. It was almost therapeutic. I began to realize that makeup and beauty were not just vanity for stupid snob girls but it is a form of art. Make up is not about putting a pile of products on your face but its all about looking naturally beautiful. There are days when a lil bit of makeup can uplift your mood, again there are days when bright painted nails can make you feel on the top of the world. Beauty surely is not just skin deep. Keeping myself updated with the latest beauty trends became my passion. I enjoy learning about beauty and makeup. Its more like an extension of my personality :)

So that my friends was my journey into the beauty world and since then my perspective towards life has been more logical and less judgmental.

Just saying : It took me a few weeks and repeated attempts to pen down the last para, as it was really difficult to go through this all over again. Bapi(my father) eventually left for the heavenly abode after a brave battle with life. HE is now in his happy place probably looking at us and smiling from above.

Congratulations!! You made it to the end, Yaaay!! =D>=D>

Thanks for stopping by, much love,
A Proud Daughter

* Review * The Face Shop Sheet Mask

I blame my extreme curiosity for getting these. And m glad that I did. In India all women are used to applying home made masks (ubtans as they are called). I have always used gram flour mask on my face which also doubles as an excellent exfoliant. I have also used sandalwood mask for the longest time, it works wonders in removing sun tan. But these seem ages back. Since the past couple of years I have not been to a salon for skin care purpose. I don't know but 24 hours in a day just doesn't seem enough for me  (i guess I manage time really bad  :( ). I don't do at home face masks anymore not even the ready to use ones because I find them really messy and I am always too tired to apply them. First apply on face, wait for it to dry (which is like for ever) and then remove, not to mention the stained T-shirts and messy wash basins.

Now I am in my early 30's and not getting any younger and I need to really really take care of my skin. So decided to give sheet masks a try. Quickly ordered them on Nykaa. You can find them here. Nykaa always has some cool offers on them.

This is my first experience with sheet masks. I have used them a couple of times and thought  its about time I share my views on it.

Packaging : The packaging is pretty basic, nothing fancy. Quite convenient to tear and use the sheet inside..

Price : Rs. 100

My take : I have dry skin and my skin always demands hydration. Applied them on my clean and washed face after toning with rose water.The mask sits comfortable on the face.You have to keep them for 15 minutes (or more if u want to) and then remove the sheet mask. Just that..isn't is super easy and fuss free. Post application my skin felt as if I had woken up to 10 hours of uninterrupted sleep (distant dream :) ) that too after applying intense moisturizing cream at night. I do not wash my face immediately after removing the mask. Let the product sit for an hour before wiping off with a clean, moist wash cloth. It makes the skin smooth, hydrated, soft and supple. I liked the Rice water variant the most. It gives a lil bit of glow and firmness along with the hydration. The effect does not last for too long though. But still I am happy with the quick results.

 Now Rs 100 for 1 time application might seem to be a lil too much but considering that you do not have to splurge on salons this can be really  an affordable alternative. If you have dry skin like me you need to try these. Sheet masks are my new found skin care love and I am going to try more of these. Visit back to see my reviews from other brands as well. I might do a comparison as well.. Let's see.

Overall I absolutely love these masks.
Rating : 4/5

April Mommy Favorites 2017

Hi Everyone!!

Feels like I haven't sat down to blog in a while. End of last month was a bit rough as my poor baby fell ill, he is still not 100 percent but doing better now :):) This month I tried a few new stuff, liked some and hated some also I rediscovered some old favorites. So here I bring to you my favorites for the month of April.

Mother care Baby Shampoo and Body Wash : These little babies are really good. I use them every day for my little toddler's bath time. He loves it. Both of them are very mild and have very soothing fragrances.Very gentle for little baby skin. I started to use it since he was 3 months, have tried some other brands as well but always switched back to these little wonders. Only wish that they came in smaller packaging as well so that I could travel with them.

Nivea Deo : Summer is here, this time officially and this little thing is a bomb I tell you. It just locks the body odor for the entire day. The scent is not overpowering and you can also wear perfumes over it if you like to. Basically if you apply it you wont smell like sweat for the rest of the day..Period.

The face shop sheet masks: These are a boon to mankind. I am going to do a detailed post for the review of these masks so stay tuned. Absolutely loving them.

Cetaphil DAM Cream: I have been struggling with super sensitive lips since a couple of months. Have struggled in the winter months and finally decided to visit a dermat. Thanks to him I rediscovered this cream. Its non greasy, doesn't have any fragrance and is non-comedogenic. I apply it for daily lip moisturization and also for my face and hands. Its super affordable as well.

Karachi Bakery Biscuits : Hubby was on a office trip and picked this up from the Delhi airport (probably, didn't bother to ask him :P:P).It tastes so good....like soooooo... freaking..G.O.O.D....I completed the whole of these 2 packets, shared very little with others, gained a few pounds and so on... Ya its that good. If you see it some where GRAB..IT!!

PomPom Ballet shoes : These are my very own recycled or up-cycled whatever you choose to call it, pompom ballet shoes. It adds a fun element to the entire outfit and m loving every bit of it.