Random Chit Chat + May 2016 Beauty Favourites!

Hi Guys!

How are you all doing? Its been a while since I’ve sat down to blog. While nothing comes close to my passion for writing, it can be hard sometimes when you just don’t feel ‘like it’ or have other things that can clutter your mind. But I promise I’m back, more rejuvenated this time. Thank you everyone who messaged me out of concern. You guys are the best! Also I realised yesterday that my blog had turned one a few months ago and I totally missed it! But don’t judge me guys 😛 I’m not the best at remembering dates! Anyway, I’ve been thinking of organising a belated one-year anniversary giveaway for you guys. I’ll let you know about it soon hopefully!

Even though almost this entire month went by without me blogging, it hasn’t deterred me from trying out some different beauty products. Here are a few I’ve been absolutely loving this month.

1. Clean n Clear Oil-Free Moisturizer– Starting with an oldie but a goodie! This has been one of my go-to moisturizers since I was a teenager. But then, the beauty enthusiast in me went onto trying some other moisturizers and completely forgot about it. However, with the weather getting extremely hot here, I was looking for a light moisturizer when I saw it lying on one of my shelves. Incase you aren’t familiar with this moisturizer, it is a very light yet hydrating moisturizer for normal to oily skin. It doesn’t leave any residue behind which makes it amazing to use underneath your makeup and is a must have for every girl with oily, acne-prone skin.

2. Neutrogena Anti-Residue Shampoo– This shampoo is seriously one of the best shampoos for greasy scalps like mine that are prone to buildup. It is one of those few shampoos that remove all buildup and oil that has lodged onto your scalp without irritating it. Ofcourse, since it can be drying for the hair, I use it only once a week, alternating it with my other shampoos. Love how it makes my hair feel airy light! You can purchase it here.

3. Bblunt Climate Control Anti-Frizz Leave-In Cream– Although you guys have heard me rave about this product before, I still wanted to mention it here in this list. As someone with dry hair ends, I find myself reaching out for it much more often than all the other serums I own. The one thing that attracts me about it the most is that this is the only leave-in cream/serum that gives definition to my wavy hair. Most of the other ones loosen up my waves so my hair looks unkept if I don’t straighten or curl them. But this enhances the natural waves in my hair, so after washing if I don’t have time to straighten my hair (which happens most of the times!) I will just use a pump of this product in my damp hair and it will make my waves neater and more defined.

Read More: Bblunt Climate Control Anti-Frizz Leave-In Cream Review

4. Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation– If you’re facing trouble with your makeup melting and creasing off your face, then this foundation is THE answer to your woes! I’m just amazed at how well it holds itself under intense heat and humidity. I used to depend only on my powder foundations during the summer months which lasted a maximum of 3-4 hours on me before my face greased up. But this foundation lasts me the entire day and that too, without a primer underneath. Yes, it is quite expensive but a little bit of it goes a long way so it will last you quite a long time. MUST have for oily-skinned beauties!

5. Mac Prep n Prime Transparent Finishing Loose Powder– Again, a gem of a product! While the Estee Lauder Foundation has a huge fan following behind it, I feel this is one those unsung heroes which not many people know about. Nonetheless, the powder performs almost magically to completely set your makeup. It is also one of the best oil-controlling products I’ve used till date. Additionally, it also has a really good blurring action on your pores. You know when you hear some people saying something like this about a product ‘this is photoshop in a bottle’- yes, this is exactly what it is!

6. Essence I Love Extreme Crazy Volume– One of the most important things I look for in a mascara is its volumizing action. And after watching and reading some rave reviews about the Essence mascaras, I was bent upon trying them myself. While the one I was particularly looking for was out of stock, I did find this one at the Essence counter. Initially, the mascara is thin and works averagely. But after about 2-3 weeks, the product thickens up a bit and gives you a really good amount of volume. I absolutely love the L’oreal voluminous mascara (original) and after that, this is the closest one I’ve found that gives a similar effect AND is available in India.

7. Essence Make Me Brow brow gel– While I was a at the essence counter, I picked up this tinted brow gel which reminds me of the Benefit Gimme Brow Gel. I haven’t used the Benefit one yet so I can’t compare the two. However, I will say that this product works great in lightly tinting and holding the brows in place. I mostly use it when I don’t have a lot of time to do my makeup yet want my unruly eyebrows to look more groomed.

8. Sugar Eye Told You So Waterproof Eyeliner– The best thing about this eyeliner is that it dries matte so I don’t have to do an extra step of setting it with a black eyeshadow. Although it claims to be waterproof, it isn’t really so which has its pros and cons. A major pro for me is that it is very easy to correct a mistake if I mess up the application! Review coming up next.

9. Mac 231 Lip Brush– I can’t even tell you guys how many lip brushes I have bought trying to find ‘THE ONE’. Either their bristles were too flexible or they had a pointy end (which I still haven’t figured out the purpose of!) or absorbed way too much lipstick themselves. Until I found this one. It has a narrow, rounded edge which helps in creating a very defined look and the bristles do not absorb much product. Absolutely must-have for liquid lipsticks!

10. Colouring Book– This was supposed to be in my last month’s favourites but I didn’t have a lot of products to talk about then, so I figured I’ll talk about it in this month’s favourites. While this is not exactly a beauty favourite, this is an amazing hobby to cultivate which helps you de-stress and gets your creative mind churning. There are a number of colouring books available these days for adults and if you loved colouring in your childhood, you must try one of these. P.S- I bought mine from Amazon.

11. Coconut Oil (Not pictured)- So you guys know how much I love my Clinique Take The Day Off Makeup Remover. But a few weeks back, I went to the Clinique store to re-stock and was told that it was out of stock. That turned out to be a blessing in disguise as I started using coconut oil instead to remove my makeup. And I haven’t looked back since. No kidding you guys, just a little bit of it removes my entire makeup. Not to mention it leaves my skin glowing afterwards. Loving it!

What products have you been loving lately? Share in the comments below.