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My Envy Box February 2014

Bonjour lovely ppl

While writing this post I am in such a happy state. Reason: I just got my first My Envy box , February 2014. Most of u must be already aware of this Treasure chest , but for those who are still unaware , here is a brief rundown.

About My Envy Box 

My Envy box is a beauty subscription service which can be subscribed only through invitation . Invitation can be requested by clicking Here. The monthly box contains 5 luxury samples ( Yes they actually adhere to the term 'Luxury') of beauty products ranging from skincare to makeup varieties to fragrances. Subscription can be availed on a montly, quarterly, half  yearly and annual basis. One months subscription costs Rs. 850/- . Amazing part is that you can redeem 25% of your paid amount  on your next purchase on Myenvybox.com. Plus they donate 1% of their earnings to Elle breast cancer campaign. So you can always tell yourself that you are shopping for a cause :D.

What did I get in My Envy Box, February 2014

It is such a pretty box and quite useful too. It is big in size and can be use for multipurposes. I am thinking of storing my accessories in it. 

All the products were beautifully wrapped inside this cute multicoloured checkered bag. Again a convenient storage utility.

And these are the description placards of the products I got in my box. Besides the price information and ingredients information, they also contain tips on how to use the products. With these five cards, I also received complimentary Givenchy gift card which entitles me for free consultations and makeover at nearby Givenchy counter. Since it's going to get expire on 28th February, I better hurry on locating a nearby counter.

*Drumrolls* These are the goodies in my Treasure Chest. So beautiful they look. 

I received sample pieces of Thalgo Collagen Cream 2ml*2 . The description says that it's the daily moisturizer that helps to prolong and preserve youthfulness.The light texture is very well absorbed into the skin , smoothed fine lines and brightens the complexion. 

 Thalgo is a premier luxury brand and I am very happy on receiving its sample product. Though at this age I don't need any wrinkle smoothing cream , the cream itself is very light on my skin and gives a good hydration. As I have mentioned before that due to my uber sensitive skin, I am always on the lookout for face creams/ moisturizers that do not break me out /makes my face look oily but at the same time provides balanced hydration for my skin. In this context Thalgo seems to be good investment.Its full product -50 ml costs Rs. 2400/-.

To add a Valentine touch , My Envy Box has send sample perfumes of Givenchy

Gentlemen Only- For that special Man in your life 

Cost: 50 ml/ Rs. 4110 ; 100 ml/Rs. 5695

Dahlia Noir Leau - refreshing citrus fragrance 

Cost: 50 ml/Rs. 4745 ; 100 ml/Rs. 7499

I received 1ml vial of each. Both are lovely fragrances . For men I had always been crazy about Chrome-Azzaro but this Givenchy one has changed my preferences. And Dahlia Noir is such a fresh 

citrus fragnance -nothing like I have smelled so far. I tried it and it remained with me for the 

whole day. I think I know what next I want for my anniversary/birthday ;)

Next I have received a sample size 15 ml of Rene Furterer shampoo. However as read from review of other people's My Envy Box, I so wanted that Crabtree & Evelyn Hand cream ( C'mon I love that brand ).Anyway the product description says that it's a mositurizing shampoo for dehyradated scalp and hair , providing then with the essential nutrients. It restores softness to dry hair. 

Too bad , both me and my husband have oily hair. Otherwise Rene Furterer is the luxury Paris hair care brand and shampoo smells most amazing. It has a fruity frangnanace which is so soothing to my senses :P. 

The full size product for 150 ml costs Rs. 1320.

This is the yummiest product I have ever came across. Eminence Organics - Chocolate Mousse Hydration Masque . Product description says it replenishes moisture to plump and revitalise the skin. Contains Cocoa, Macadamia , Almond and Jojoba Oils. I received a sample size; however quantity is not mentioned .Placard says 4 uses. 

This masque smells like a Chocolate Mousse- nothing more nothing less. It has simply been invented to test your will power;the resistance you can exercise on yourself from not eating it (Atleast I felt it this way ). Other then that it seems to be a good hydration masque. I have read elsewhere about benefits of chocolate on skin and hence it may prove to be a good use.

The full size product -60 ml costs Rs. 4393/-.

And this is the highlight of this month's Envy Box. It came in a delicate ivory potli on which Forest Essentials  was engraved in golden letters. Such a pretty pretty packaging. Inside the potli there was a square brown coloured box which appeared like a gift box. And inside the gift box was encased Baby pink and golden coloured tub containing FULL SIZE Sugared Rose Petal Lip balm. The first glance and your heart is taken away.

According to me , Forest Essential defines luxury. And I always find their packaging very rich. And of  course the inclusion of full size product was enough to give full marks to Envy box Subscription. The lip balm smells heavenly of roses. I apply it with my fingertips and the frangnance lingers for 3-4 hours. And yeah it is very hydrating on my lips. Undoubtedly the best lip balm I have used so far.

The full product -5 gm costs Rs. 595/-.

I love subscribing to these beauty subscriptions. They are my personal Santa delighting me every month and keeping the excitement level high. As read and confirmed fom other reviews, My Envy Box is the only beauty subscription service available at present in India which is actually providing the access to luxury beauty samples. Though on a expensive side, it's a must have for the ones who are actively involved in their beauty regime.

So what are your views on My Envy Box and how did you find your February edition? Would love to hear all about it.

Till then,

Adeus.

ColorBar Pro Nail Lacquer - Haute Rouge 066

Today I will be doing my first nail paint review post. Nailpaints are such a integral part of almost every gal's life. That are the first step in makeup even before starting applying kohl. I developed a fascination for nail paints in my college days where me and my roommates used to buy those cheap Rs. 20-30 nail paint bottles in almost all the colours one can think of. And how proudly we use to carry blue ,purple,  yellow , black,green on our nails. Rather I never bought a red or a pink during my college life. The fascination with reds and pinks started once I passed college and I am still in awe of it. My purchase of ColorBar Haute Rouge is one such part of this obsession.

Price : Rs 350/-
Quantity : 15 ml
Packaging : The nail Polish comes in a tapered cylindrical bottle with full brush. It's a pretty packaging.

I have always loved ColorBar products. I am a fan of their nailpaints and makeup brushes. This one is a beautiful coral rose colour and two stokes gives the opaque finish. Past few months the shade has been on my nails for quite a number of times and I simply love it. Also when applied with a top coat it doesn't chip for 4-5 days. I totally recommend it. 

Do tell me which is your favourite ColorBar Nailpaint. Till then, 

Bye bye. 

Weekend Masti

Hey all the girlies out there , How was your weekend.

 Once you start working, weekends become so cherishable, so dear to heart, so awaited. Tragedy of my life is that I even work on Saturdays and you all have now idea how many curses I have hurled towards my organisation for this barbarism. Anyway how do u guys spend your weekends. I normally sleep a lot , sometimes cook, watch movies/plays , surely eat out and of course read books.

 This weekend I pigged out at Urban tadka , Mumbai on Saturday. How I love that restaurant for North Indian cuisine. Though the Mumbai is a cosmopolitan city filled with food joints , North Indian cuisine in a North Indian style is hard to find and my North Indian taste buds keeps on craving for it. And that is why I adore Urban tadka. They got a Punjabi Dhaba style ambiance with big paintings depicting scenes from Punjab and the walls are adorned with dholes, bangles and lanterns. The food is totally yummilicious (with lots of butter and ghee) , menu consist of all Punjabi dishes and is a delight for both veggies and non veggies. Plus it's quite affordable too. Very few of the restaurants who doesn't levy service charges. Do visit if u reside in Mumbai and has not paid it a visit yet.

On Sunday we went for this play -Blame it on Yashraj at Sophia's Auditorium, Breach Candy. The play has been there for past many months and was also on my to be watch list for quite a while . The tickets are expensive and though it is playing since long, all the shows are still houseful .

The play is directed and written by Bharat Dhabolkar and cast consist of Anant Mahadevan, Jayati Bhatia, Punit Tejwani etc. It's a musical comedy set on the backdrop of modern generation families totally enchanted by weddings shown in Yashraj movies. The play started with the initial introduction and few witty liners by Anant Mahadevan. He is shown as a Punjabi upper class guy comfortable settled with his family of four in plush flat at Bandra. His wife , a Bengali las is a full Bollywood drama while his son is a typical new generation lad and as quoted by Anant, can be reached only through Facebook and Wassapp. Anant's daughter, the apple of his eye studies in Newyork and is home on vacations. However the bomb is dropped when she declares that she is in a love with Muslim guy and wants to get married to him. Father's wild imagination makes him visualize his daughter's future in laws as a family of terrorists. However this is a just initial part of the play. When father comes around to finally accept the marriage , he is appalled by the fact that how the simple social affair is turning out to be a high profile event. All his thoughts and suggestions are vetoed by the wedding planner and his own family members and the only contribution required from his is the payment for this grandeur. 

The plot is hilarious aptly filled with dance sequences on the music numbers played by Louis Banks. There are quite a number of jokes on Muslims, Punjabis and Bangalis and some of the one liners by Anant Mahadevan have you in splits. It's a light clean comedy to be thoroughly enjoyed for two hours and you leave the play with the understanding about how it's has become so popular. The dance sequences are performed by a troupe (I forgot the name of the troupe) and they are the awesomest. I surely recommend this play.

After the play, we went to eat out at Pizza by the bay (earlier known as Pizzeria) at Nariman point. It's my favourite place for pizza in Mumbai and Bombay Masala is a must try over there. 

So all in all I had a fun weekend and now I am desperately waiting  for the next one. Don't you all do that.

Btw I have got my Jan Fabbag and will do a next post on it. 

Farvel.

Book review of Those Pricey Thakur Girls

Those Pricey Thakur girls by Anuja Chauhan was on my reading list for quite a while. The book got my attention while browsing through crossword primarily due to its catchy name. The name sounded entertainment, mystery and a good humour. N though I am  always skeptical in picking up the fiction book written by these sudden flock of Indian writers , I somehow was attracted to this one. N believe me, it didn't disappoint me. The book is a laugh riot , my hubby couldn't understand why I was giggling continuously and it is so beautifully written that I managed to finished it in 2 days.

The story revolves around Judge , his wife and his five beautiful daughters who have been named alphabetically . The obsession with symmetry in alphabets gives rise to number of comical incidents in Judge's family. All the characters have been described in an epigrammatic style such that they easily forms  an image in your mind and with the flow of the book you are able to relate your sentiments with each of them.

Though there are many entertaining characters in the book , Chachiji -Judge's sister in law is the knee-slapper. Her ridiculous totkas and wacky curses have you in splits and though you may feel guilty in rejoicing her misery, she is impossible to sympathise with.

Then there is Debjani -lover of losers and Dylan Singh Shekhawat-the one with the great butt. They are the main protagonist of the novel. Their love story is the typical Bollywood masala- Rough Casanova falling head over heals for a simple girl ,but  Anuja's writing has infused freshness in the repeatedly told story . The over interference of their families makes it insanely funny.  And after finishing the novel, I had a crush on this Dylan character. But the love drama only forms the background  of the novel and the story mainly focus on the Delhi's culture during 80's and country's situation after Indira Gandhi's assassination. The references made to Campa Cola and Doordharsan as the prime T.V channel is surely going to both delight  and make people nostalgic belonging to that era. 

Sometimes the novelist begins with a great story , built quite many intricacies and introduce various characters to engage the readers , then gets lost in their own web of complexities and finally ends the book with the mediocre climax. The mediocre climax is always very disappointing and unsatisfy the reader. Thankfully Anuja was able to tide over the situation. As I said earlier , all the characters in the book are  aptly described and have their own significance in the plot and though some are written just to add humour, it is a very well written humour. The happy ending is blended with the mix of comedy and you leave the book yearning for the sequel (thankfully she is coming with one). 

Overall it was a well read for me and will definitely make it to my list of good reads of 2014. I have read that Zoya factor has been Anuja's best work and I am eagerly looking forward to lay my hands on it.

Have u read pricey Thakur girls yet. Did u like it . What book you have manged to read in Jan 2014? I would love to hear all about it. Till then, 

Au Revoir

TBS Rainforest Coconut Hair Oil

We all have grown up listening to our mommies , dadis and aunties raving about benefits of applying coconut hair oil and the gruesome consequences of lack of the same. I always hated the smell and the whole process.  And since I have got oily straight silky hair , the necessity of applying hair oil never dawned on me. But good sense finally prevailed and my tryst with hair oil has quite improved over the years. Though I have experimented with quite a number of hair oils, the hard work required to entirely wash it off my hair and still the greasiness left behind has always put me off.I tried TBS with the similar prejudiced thoughts.

 My first trial of Rainforest coconut oil was with the free sachet provided by the TBS people and lack of any other hair oil at my place. N believe it or not the single sachet was enough to make me buy the whole bottle the very next day. Yes it is that convincing. 

 Rainforest coconut oil comes in transparent brown coloured cylindrical shade bottle with a flip cap . The 200 ml bottle comes for Rs. 645/-. 

The hair oil consist of coconut oil (of course) and organic Amazonian pracaxi oil.Pracaxi is the name of a tree found in Amazon and it's seed oil is use for the treatment of skin spots, severe acne marks , hydrate and promote cellular renewals and is also use as a powerful antiseptic in hospitals. Some of the hair related benefits of Pracaxi oil are

• Promotes conditioning to the hair
• Promotes smooth feel to the hair
• Increases hair brightness

(Source:organics-nature.com)

On application, oil feels very light on the hair and is easily absorbed . I normally apply hair oil for overnight and this one does not leave any greasy stains on the pillow covers. It has the characteristic coconut oil smell but in a sweet fragrance way. The one that doesn't give u a nausea. However the true test of any hair oil is during the hair wash. This one easily comes out in twice a wash and oh my hair feels so soft and shiny after that. The smell of oil doesn't linger and absolutely no greasiness is left behind. U actually feel like running your fingers through your hair on quite a lot basis. On continuous use, I have seen a significant improvement in the texture of my hair. With such remarkable qualities it's a fab purchase. 

Its my HG hair care product . And I would recommend a definite purchase.

So what hair oil you use on a daily basis and whether anyone could make it to your HG list?

 Also I am a fan of Fabbag and they have started rolling it out from today. The day I receive it I would surely do my review on it. Till then,

Ciao. 

Iraya Nourishing Lotus Body Butter review

Iraya is a Nagpur based brand found by Rahul kale in 2005. The brand is engaged in four main product lines

• Ayurveda
• Botanicals
• Bath & Shower 
• Spa at home-it is used by all the leading Spa centers in Country.  

Iraya has setup it's manufacturing facility outside Nagpur and cultivates its own ingredients through Herbal and Organic farming. It's retail store in Mumbai  is located at Ground floor, J.P road, 7 bungalows , Andheri (w) and products can also be found at retail stores of Hyatt, J.W Marriott and Westin Hotel.

About Iraya Nourishing Lotus Body Butter

I received Iraya Lotus body butter in my Dec,13 Fabbag (earlier known as Vellvette Bag)and is the best amongst the lot I have received from the Fabbag.The body butter comes in a very cute tub packaging of 250 gms costing Rs. 795. Fabbag sent me a sample of 35 gms which is quite enough to last me for weeks

 I have got a combination skin for my face while rest of my body skin is quite dry. And though I live in Mumbai, my skin gets all scaly and flaky during winters . The normal body lotion keeps my skin moisturised for 2-3 hours after which the dryness reappears. For such instance,  Iraya body butter has proved quite beneficial . It consists of Aloe Vera, Lotus  seeds and Kokum butter and penetrates deep into the skin giving it a soft glowing texture .Best past is that skin remains hydrated for quite a long period. In my case the hydration remains for 8-10 hours.

Just before using Iraya , I had got severe rashes on my hands and my hand skin had become very scaly and itchy (I am allergic to metal and metal bangles gives me bad rashes-but then they look so pretty). I was actually thinking of consulting a dermatologist. Somehow after applying Iraya for a week there was an astonishing improvement in the texture of my skin and scaliness was quite improved. I am not sure whether this was an Iraya effect or my skin simply healed over a period of time but it converted me into a fan. 

On application, it feels a little greasy but eventually is well absorbed by the skin.It leaves behind a mild fragrance which acutely reminds me that I have applied Ayurveda stuff but then I have got use to the smell. Plus these days there is big revolution in the form of increased usage of Ayurvedic and organic stuff in every aspect of the lifestyle and I guess it's only going to get bigger.I really like that fact that all ingredient of Iraya are cultivated at their farm itself. The thought gives me such a fresh feeling. I will recommend a definite purchase of Iraya body butter especially in the winter season. 

P.S:  It might look a bit greasy and may not be absorbed effectively by the oily skin. 

Hasta La Vista Everyone